PAN-ARMENIAN FUN – 7 DAYS, 7 NIGHTS
Panorama.am
17:28 07/06/06
Pan-Armenian traditional festival “One Nation, One Culture” will launch
in the republic on June 23. The symbols of the festival – Narek and
Nare, already are distributing invitation letters in the streets of
Yerevan. They also provide information about the festival. “We should
think about how to strengthen ties with Diaspora instead of thinking
what Diaspora should do for us,” Vigen SARGSYAN, president adviser
told a press conference today.

TAMAR POGHOSYAN POSSIBLY TO LEAVE ORINATS YERKIR
Panorama.am
16:55 07/06/06
“I have stopped my political activities, also ceased to engage as
a vice chairperson and political board member. I stopped my party
activities because I am the executive director of “One Nation,
One Culture” Fund, Tamar Poghosyan, the head of One Nation, One
Culture Fund told Panorama.am. Answering to the question whether it
is possible that she leaves Orinats Yerkir, Tamar Poghosyan said,
“time will show. I cannot say clearly right now. All I can say that
I have stopped my party activity.”
At present Mrs. Poghosyan is concentrated on culture and cannot
combine the work with political activities.
“Two years ago I could not forecast about the developments with
Orinats Yerkir. The decision to stay with culture is very objective,”
Poghosyan said.

TURKS TOO WORK ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF ZVARTNOTS NEW COMPLEX
Panorama.am
16:11 07/06/06
“Armenia International Airports” representatives stated today that
the arrival hall of Zvartnots airport will be ready in September,
this year. After its commission, the departure hall will also be
constructed which will be put into commission in spring. When the
complex is ready in full, the airport can provide services to 2 mln
passengers against present 1,2 mln. It will become a second-class
airport according to IATA standards.
The construction of the new complex of the airport launched two years
ago. The construction will be completed in 1012. Over 30 local and 18
foreign companies implement the construction. 380 people of different
nationalities work on it, including Turks.
“The new complex cannot compare with international big airports by its
size but it is will be rather convenient and technologically equipped
place,” Gevorg Abrahamyan, Armenia International Airport CJSC press
secretary said.

VAHAN HOVHANNISYAN SPEAKS ON EFFECTIVE PARLIAMENT OF FUTURE
Panorama.am
15:42 07/06/06
International Association of Business and Parliament will open its
Yerevan office today. According to NA vice speaker Vahan Hovhannisyan,
“the association will try to promote small and mid size businesses
in Armenia.”
The Secretary General of the Association Federik Hair Chembers noted
that 20 countries have membership in the association. He also said
they are quite serious about Armenia’s membership. Edward Macmillan
Scot, European Commission vice chairman, also said that membership
to this organization is a serious step forward for Armenia to join EU.
Hovhannisyan shared his considerations on the presence of businessmen
in our parliament. In his words, until the people have trust in law,
businessmen will try to appear in the safest place – the parliament. He
thinks it is natural that big businessmen appear in parliament as
it is not difficult for them. “When the laws are equal for all, the
businessmen will understand that their presence impedes both their
businesses and the parliament.” Then economists, lawyers and other
specialists will come to the parliament and it will become much more
effective, Hovhannisyan said.

POS OF ARMENIA CALL TO WITHDRAW DRAFT ON LOBBYING
Panorama.am
14:50 07/06/06
The initiative group of a number of public organizations (POs) call the
government of Armenia to withdraw the Draft Law on Lobbying. Several
POs expressed their concern in a press conference today that the draft
will put obstacles in front of their lobbying activities. According to
the representative of Internews Araik Kocharyan, the mentioned draft
will subordinate “civic initiatives to the government.” In the words of
Levon Nersisyan, chairman of Union on Aid to Children with Disabilities
“Astghik”, “the draft creates extra bureaucratic obstacles.”
The draft was submitted by the ministry of justice in fall last
year. It was developed in cooperation with UNDP and UNIFEM. At the
moment, the draft is at the parliament and is approved by State
Legal Commission.
It will be considered in the coming 4-day session (June 12-15).
The draft proposes a special license which authorizes
lobbying. Lobbying is prohibited to organizations funded from abroad,
according to the draft. Meanwhile, according to the representative of
Transparency International Sona Aivazyan, 90% of local POs are funded
externally. POs are also discontent that the same law regulates public
organizations and commercial organizations. “They may receive private
order for lobbying whereas POs protect the interest of the public,”
Sona Aivazyan told Panorama.am. In her words, nothing like that is
ever adopted in any country.
“They want to experiment on us and we protest,” she said.
It is officially stated that the law will fight poverty and
corruption. However, according to Sona Aivazyan, this law does not
fight corruption. On the contrary, it creates loopholes for its
enlargement.

EU TO OPEN DOORS TO ARMENIA IN “PROPER TIME”
Panorama.am
14:44 07/06/06
“Practically I do not see any reason why EU should not accept Armenia
in the coming 10 years,” Edward Macmillan Scot, Vice Chairman of
European Parliament, told a joint press conference with NA Vice
Speaker Vahan Hovhannisyan today.
He is sure the holding EU constitution referendums in Holland and
France affected largely the number of countries willing to join
EU. According to vice chairman of European Parliament they were
concerned with EU enlargement at that moment rather than constitutional
referendums. Many in Holland and France were concerned with possible
Turkish membership in EU.
E. Macmillan Scot mentioned the names of Croatia, Serbia and
the Ukraine as possible candidates of EU member states in close
future. “Next year, after Bulgaria and Romania, several Baltic states
will also join,” he said. To the question if it is possible that
EU stops enlarging for some time after Baltic states join, the vice
chairman said that EU will continuously enlarge as “enlargement is
an active process of EU.”
It is not a close structure and will open its doors to Armenia, too,
“in proper time,” he said.

WHAT WAS DONE OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS
Lragir.am
07 june 06
People arriving in Armenia by air will arrive at the new building of
Zvartnots Airport since September 2006. The arrival lounge will be
ready by that time. The construction of the new terminal with the
departure and arrival lounges will finish in spring 2007. Armenia
International Airports, which has taken up the concession management
of Zvartnots Airport, started the construction of the new terminal
two years ago. Two years later Armenia International Airports invited
news reporters to see what work was done within the past two years.
About 63 million dollars was spent on the new terminal. The arrival
lounge will be on the first floor, the departure lounge will be on the
second. The length of the building with a total space of 18 500 sq m
is 130 m, the width is 35. The building has 6 gates and 5 telescopic
bridges. The construction of the arrival lounge has been finished,
installation of the internal infrastructures and redecoration
is underway. In spring 2007 when the new departure lounge of the
new terminal is opened, passengers will check in at the old round
building and will proceed to the new terminal via the new corridor
where they will get on the plane. The manager of Armenia International
Airports Juan Pablo Gechidjian states that the new terminal will be
compliant with international standards. According to him, the aim of
the concession manager is to build a modern airport rather than to
make a certain amount of investments.
After the new terminal of Zvartnots is opened in 2007, it will comply
with the top international standards of airports and will annually
receive up to 2 million passengers. The new building is, however, the
first stage of the new era of Zvartnots Airport because the projects
of the concession manager do not finish thus. In 2011 another building
will be built near the new terminal, where the passengers will check
in and get all the ground services, which are now available in the
old building of the airport. This building will require investments
of 183 million dollars. After the construction of the second building
passengers will not enter the round building. The airport management
has not decided yet how the old airport building will be used. Instead,
they already have plans on expanding the terminal in case the number
of passengers exceeds 2 million. Juan Pablo Gechidjian stresses that
the new terminal will be extended at the expense of the VIP lounge
and another telescopic bridge and two gates will be added. This is
still a plan, however. The concession manager of Zvartnots provides
modern conditions not only for passengers but also aircraft. Besides
the new terminal, a new ramp is being built, which will have modern
equipment and comply with modern standards. Aircraft maintenance is
an underground infrastructure, which will satisfy the needs of both
passengers and aircraft.

ARMENIA SAFE FOR AZERIS BUT AZERBAIJAN THREATENS EVERY ARMENIAN
Panorama.am
12:42 07/06/06
“We are neighbors and that is determined by history. Neighbors are not
chosen. In case Karabakh conflict is regulated, our two countries can
also cooperate,” Asaf Hajiev, deputy of Azeri parliament, mejlis,
stated at the National Assembly of Armenia today. Together with
the representative of New Azerbaijan Party Musa Guliev, Hajiev is
in Armenia to participate in Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC)
27th parliamentary assembly. “Neighbors cannot fail to cooperate if
they are not in war. Azerbaijan and Armenia are in a state of war,
therefore, it is impossible to speak about cooperation,” the head of
Azeri delegation said. He does not think it possible that Armenia and
Azerbaijan cooperate also within BSEC, saying it is a collective entity
and it is hard to speak about individual countries. “Imagine if Germany
suggested to cooperate with the Soviet Union during WW2 when it was
at the doors of Moscow, would SU go for that? Of coarse, not,” he said
referring once again to the principal of inviolability of borders and
ignoring the principle of self-determination. Replying to the reporters
on the case of Chernogoria which found its independence from Serbia
via referendum, he said, “We respect all countries. If Chernogoria and
Serbia found it possible to have independent statehoods, we respect
that decision. But if Armenia thinks that Karabakh is part of it,
we cannot accept that.”
Hajiev confessed that respects all nations, including Armenians,
since he thinks that “Karabakh conflict is created not by Armenians
but by Armenian politicians.”
He also said he feels safe in Armenia despite of the fact that
Azerbaijan has stated at the doors of various events that it cannot
ensure the safety of the Armenian delegations.
Why would the Azeri deputy not feel safe in Armenia?
Of coarse, no one is going to stab him to death, especially when he is
sleeping. Similar “axe” attitude is characteristic to our neighbor. It
is also true, that Armenians have proved that those who rise against
us with arms, get a respective response. Karabakh freedom fight is a
proof for that. Besides, we can say that Karabakh conflict is created
and deepened by Azeri politicians and public figures. Heidar Aliev’s
confession that Azerbaijan was taking steps to change the demographic
picture in Karabakh is enough to prove that.

TRAFFICKING: DARK COLORS OF ARMENIA
Lragir.am
08 June 06
The Unites States has published the Trafficking in Persons Report
2005. Like the annual report on drug trafficking, the TIP 2005
Armenia’s country narrative is in dark shades. The shades are even
too dark, even threateningly dark. Americans say Armenia is on Tier
2 Watch List of countries of trafficking; the second is better than
the third but worse than the first. However, if anti-trafficking
efforts do not improve, Armenia may possibly appear on the dangerous
Tier 3. On June 7 the Armenian news reporters had an opportunity to
enquire about the cause and consequences of this description from
almost the prime source.
John Miller, U.S. State Department Office to Monitor and Combat
Trafficking in Persons answered the questions of Armenian journalists
via telebridge between Yerevan and Washington at the U.S. Embassy.
Mr. Miller did not add details to the report. He only repeated
that Armenia is a source of trafficking, the government efforts to
combat trafficking and investigate government officials complicit
in trafficking are insufficient. John Miller cited the UN estimate
that over 2000 Armenian women are trafficked to United Arab Emirates
and Turkey for sexual exploitation. John Miller says the outcome of
anti-trafficking efforts is insufficient to have the public trust
the government.
The State Department official says there are also problems with
protection of trafficking victims. Mr. Miller says a delicate
attitude to the victims is required for them to cooperate with the
NGOs and law enforcement agencies in prosecuting persons engaged in
trafficking. According to John Miller, the confidence of the public is
very important in combating trafficking, whereas the U.S. official says
the government efforts are anemic. If the situation does not improve,
it is possible that Armenia will appear on the Tier 3 Watch List. On
appearing on Tier 3 the country is given three months, if the country
fails to improve the situation, it becomes even worse.
John Miller says if the country appears again in Tier 3 after these
three months, American assistance, , including military assistance is
cut or stopped. The American government stops assisting the country in
the World Bank and the IMF. According to him, the aim is not penalty
but joint effort for improvement.

DOES U.S. EMBASSY KNOW NAMES?
Lragir.am
08 June 06
The United States is dissatisfied with the spending of the money
provided to Armenia to combat trafficking. John Miller, U.S. State
Department Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons,
hinted at this June 7, during the telebridge with Armenian news
reporters. During this teleconference Mr. Miller answered the questions
of Armenian news reporters related to the Armenia’s country narrative
of the Trafficking in Persons Report 2005.
John Miller said over the past few years the American taxpayers
have contributed about 600 thousand US dollars to Armenia, which
was spent on informing and educating news reporters and workers of
the sphere of law. He says that one of the important programs now
underway is the one implemented by the International Organization
for Migration which is not as effective as they would like it
to be. Nevertheless, according to him, these programs helped to
raise awareness of this issue. However, Mr. Miller emphasized that
prosecution is insufficient. He gave the example of a Procuracy member,
who allegedly assisted traffickers but his case was not investigated.
The reporter of Lragir.am enquired from the U.S. State Department
official whether the U.S. State Department may present a list
of government officials who allegedly assist trafficking to the
government Armenia if necessity arises. John Miller’s answer can be
considered ambiguous.
He particularly said it would be more correct to ask this question to
their colleagues in the embassy, for they watch the general situation,
aiming to combat corruption in the government. As to the exchange
of information between the law-enforcement agencies and the embassy,
they may exchange such information. Mr. Miller stated that whenever
their office obtains facts proving the trafficking information, they
immediately extend these facts to their embassy to that country,
says the head of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in
Persons since 2004.