A SERIES OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EVENTS START IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, AUGUST 1, NOYAN TAPAN. A series of events on the information
technologies (IT) sector started with a summer school for children
engaged in computer programming, which will be followed by an open
programming competition of schoolchildren scheduled for the first half
of August. Hovhannes Avoyan, Chairman of the Union of IT Enterprises,
Karen Vardanian, the union’s Executive Director and Bagrat Yengibarian,
Director of the Enterprise Incubator Foundation, stated this at a
joint press conference on July 27. They said that these events will
be continued in the second half of August by the programming school
and competition, while the third All-Armenian open competition with
the participation of young programmers aged 30 years and under will
take place in early September. An internation conference on IT will
be held in Yerevan on September 20 within the framework of the third
Armenia-Diaspora Forum. The RA President’s educational awards in the
IT sector will be given on September 26, and the first semiconductor
eqipment design competition among students will take place on September
27. An international conference “The Development of IT in Countries
without Outlet to Sea” will be held in Yerevan on October 3-6, and the
gala-show of winners of the 3rd Eurasian contest of the World Summit
on the Information Society will take place on October 5-7. The 2nd
international DigiTec exhibition of information, telecommunication
and high technologies is scheduled for October 6-8. The 2006 events
dedicated to the IT sector will finish with a competition among
Armenian higher educational institutions (on October 8) and the Open
Source Programming Festival (on October 14). K.
Vardanian attached special importance to holding DigiTec, noting the
existence of all prerequisites for granting an international status
to this exhibition, with 11 big foreign companies having submitted
bids for participation in this event, including Mitsubishi-Electric,
Microsoft, National Instruments, Festo, Synopsys, Virage Logic. He
expressed a hope that the number of participants in Digitec will
double compared with 37 ones last year. Last year Digitec became the
largest IT exhibition in the South Caucasian region. In B.
Yengibarian’s words, the international conference on IT to be held
in September will mainly be dedicated to development of wireless
technologies. Such famous international companies as Sun Microsystems,
Microsoft, Intel, Alcatel will take part in the conference.

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry
3111 Los Feliz Blvd., Suite 206
Los Angeles, CA 90039
Tel: (323) 663-3609
Fax: (323) 662-3648
Email: [email protected]
For more information:
Zanku Armenian (818) 243-3557
Mercata Group
Five Hundred People Walk in First Annual “Walk of Life”

One Hundred People Sign-up With the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry

(Los Angeles, CA – August 2, 2006) – Armenians and non-Armenians alike
rallied together on Saturday, July 29 in the First Annual 5k/10k Walk/Run
around the Pasadena Rose Bowl to help raise awareness in support of further
expanding the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry’s (ABMDR) critical
life-saving mission to recruit more Armenian bone marrow donors. In
addition to raising needed funds and awareness through the Walk of Life, 100
new donors signed up.

“We are thrilled with the spirit of giving and life expressed through the
overwhelming participation in our first annual ‘Walk of Life’,” said Freida
Jordan, PhD, President of the ABMDR based in Los Angeles. “We are also
greatly appreciative of all our sponsors and the organizational and
individual support that made the first Walk a resounding success and will
enhance our ability to fulfill our life-saving mission.” Corporate sponsors
included Glendale Memorial Hospital, St. Josephs Hospital, Closet World,
Next Day Color Printing, Glendale Water and Power, City of Los Angeles and
GNC.

A key method of treating leukemia patients or people with other
life-threatening blood diseases is through bone marrow/stem cell
transplants. In order to treat Armenian patients, bone marrow transplants
require compatible tissue types that match the genetic makeup of the patient
which is most likely to come from other Armenian donors. There are
currently 630 patients throughout the Diaspora and Armenia who are
desperately waiting to find a matching donor to help save their lives. On
average, it takes 200 donors to find a precise match for one patient. The
Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry has a goal of increasing their registry
from its current 11,000 donors to 126,000 to meet the critical need. The
ABMDR partners closely with Glendale Memorial Hospital and St. Josephs
Hospital in addition to being a member of global organizations such as the
World Marrow Donor Association and World Marrow Donor Worldwide

“By simply walking today, you are helping save a life” said Steve Artinian,
chairman of the Walk of Life organizing committee. “With this Walk we hope
you will spread the message that by taking the simple step of signing up
with the registry every Armenian can give the most precious gift of a second
chance to another fellow Armenian who is fighting for their life against
these destructive diseases.” Special guests included His Eminence
Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the
Armenian Apostolic Church of America, Very Rev. Father Dajad Yardemian,
representative of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North
America, Dr. Sevak Avagyan Executive Director of ABMDR in Armenia and
Varant Melkonian, CEO of Closet World and treasurer of the ABMDR. There
also was entertainment at the end of the Walk welcoming participants at the
finish line including the band Element and singer Mariette Soujian.
“The Walk of Life is a huge success today because of all the hard work and
dedication of our volunteers,” said master of ceremonies and director of
operations for the Walk Taleen Khatchadourian at the post-Walk event. “If we
join together like this for our common mission we can make a big difference
in the lives of Armenian patients in need.”

During the short program after the Walk, the family of Biurad Moghadasian,
who is an eight-year old Armenian patient currently at Los Angeles’
Children’s Hospital being treated for leukemia, approached organizers to
stress the urgency of the ABMDR’s mission using their son’s plight as an
example. The family made a plea to all present to recruit additional bone
marrow donors which is the only way her son and others like him will have a
chance at beating the disease. Biurad is currently looking for a matching
donor to help save his life.

The Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry encourages all Armenians to call
(323)663-3609 and join the registry with the hope of saving another life.
The registration process is very simple and non-intrusive and only takes a
few minutes. More information is available at ABMDR is a
501(c)3 non-profit organization and welcomes donations of any size which are
tax-deductible.

Russia Urges Georgia to Withdraw Troops from Kodor Gorge
PanARMENIAN.Net
01.08.2006 15:34 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Sending troops to Kodor gorge by Georgia was a direct
violation of the Moscow agreement on cease-fire and separation of
forces of May 14, 1994. Under the coverage of “a police operation”
a large-scale military action is launched next to the Russian
borders. Tbilisi intends to preserve its military presence in Kodor
gorge, says a statement of the Russian MFA.
The document emphasizes that Russia agrees with Abkhazia’s opinion
that Georgian authorities’ actions in Kodor gorge and their plans
for the future can spur up a dangerous scenario for the developments.
“Russia calls to withdraw Georgian troops from Kodor gorge and
continue talks, which would form conditions for advancing on the way
of peaceful political settlement of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict,”
the statement says.

Mejlis of “Azeris of Nagorno Karabakh” to Convene in September
PanARMENIAN.Net
01.08.2006 16:36 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Mejlis of “Azeris of Nagorno Karabakh” will convene
in September, member of Mejlis of “Azeris of Nagorno Karabakh” Mehriban
Vezir reported. In her words, at present work is being carried out “to
create a structure of the Public Parliament” – make the international
community “aware” of the NK issue.
“Elections for the Public Parliament will be held in regions of
NK. I cannot say, how many members the Parliament will have. However,
there are no doubts, that these will be people, known in the Karabakh
region,” she said, reports Trend.

Entire Lebanon Population Support Hezbollah
PanARMENIAN.Net
01.08.2006 17:27 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian community of Lebanon, as the entire
population of the country, believes that Hezbollah is an important
part of the country population, which is represented in the Parliament
and the Government, Head of Hay Dat Office, ARF Dashnaktsutyun Bureau
member Kiro Manoyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.
“Entire population of Lebanon support Hezbollah in response to
unceasing bombardment of peaceful population by Israel. The Armenian
community is a part of the country’s population as well,” Manoyan
underscored.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NKR PRESIDENT ARKADY GHUKASIAN MEETS WITH MATTHEW BRYZA, OSCE MG US CO-CHAIR
AZG Armenian Daily #144, 02/08/2006
NKR Issue
In the course of the Saturday press-conference Saturday
Nagorno-Karabakh President Arkady Ghoukassian stated that the key
topic of his meeting with OSCE MG US co-chair Matthew Bryza was the
involvement of NK in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace talks. Ghoukassian
said that all the mediators realize the necessity of involving NK in
the negotiating process. He said that he had informed Bryza of NK’s
position on the Nagorno-Karabakh problem and Bryza did not object.
“Our position is logical. Of course, it somewhat differs from what the
co-chairs have proposed but Bryza has made no serious objections to
it,” Ghoukassian said. He said that without visiting NK the newly
appointed US co-chair would hardly get the full picture of the
problem. He said that he did not expect much from Bryza’s visit
as he came more to listen than to propose. Ghoukassian said that
the long pause in the co-chairs’ visits to the region was mostly
of technical nature. He said that he was always invited to Yerevan
whenever the co-chairs came but he believes that it is more correct to
hold such meetings in Stepanakert. “I think there is already a clear
understanding that the problem cannot be solved without Karabakh,”
Ghoukassian said. Concerning the proposals Ghoulassyan said that
one should not consider problems outside the general context: one
should not consider the problem of Azeri refugees without considering
the problem of Armenian ones, the problem of territories without
the problem of NK’s status and security. Asked if the mediators are
pressuring the sides, Ghoukassyan said that he has been in the peace
process since 1992 and has never seen any pressure on the mediators’
part.
By Kim Gabrielian, Stepanakert

MATTHEW BRYZA, OSCE MG US CO-CHAIR STATES HIS MEETING
WITH ARKADY GHUKASIAN, NKR PRESIDENT, WAS CONSTRUCTIVE
AZG Armenian Daily #144, 02/08/2006
NKR Issue
In the course of the Saturday press-conference in Stepanakert OSCE MG
US co-chair Matthew Bryza said that his meeting with Nagorno-Karabakh
President Arkady Ghoukassian was constructive and creative. Bryza said
that it was his first visit to NK and he came here to listen to the
views of the local leadership. He did not specify the details of
his meeting with Ghoukassian. He said that one should not expect new
elements from him for the moment. He just came to listen. Then he will
go to Paris to discuss everything with the other two co-chairs. One
should not expect a big stride now, it may be taken in the future,
Bryza said. Bryza refused to answer the question if it is right to
hold peace talks without NK. He said that the main thing is to give
an ear to what NK representatives say.
By Kim Gabrielian, Stepanakert

IMPORTANT URBAN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS ARE CARRIED OUT IN YEREVAN IN FIRST HALF OF 2006
AZG Armenian Daily #144, 02/08/2006
Urban Construction Issues
Several important urban construction project are implemented in the
capital of Armenia in the first sixth months, 2006, to the sum of
about 36,5 bln drams against the envisaged 34,2 bln drams, the Mayor of
Yerevan, Yervand Zakharian, said at July 31 press-conference, summing
up the first six months, 2006. According to him, 29,938 bln drams of
financial means fall on the state budget of communal administrations,
316,7 mln drams are the costs of city significance. Y. Zakharian
noted that implementation of programs to the sum of 53,275 bln drams
was envisaged in 2006 on the whole. However, in view of the created
conditions, favorable from the viewpoint of financing, this sum was
increased to 68 bln drams.
Touching upon the activity of communities, Y.
Zakharian noted that the costs of communal administrations made up 5,72
bln drams against the envisaged 6,4 bln. On the whole, the incomes of
communities increased by 53,8% as against the similar period, 2004,
and by 19,7% or by 942,1 bln drams as against the first sixth months,
2005. At that, the own incomes of communities for the last two years
increased 2,5-3 times which is conditioned on the increase of tax
collection for property and land.
By Karine Danielian

NEW UNDERGROUND STATION TO BE BUILT IN YEREVAN SOON
AZG Armenian Daily #144, 02/08/2006
Urban Construction Issues
In 2008-2009, the construction of the new “Achapniak” underground
station will be completed in Yerevan.
Yervand Zakharian, Mayor of Yerevan City, said this at today’s press
conference. He said that the construction of “Achapniak” underground
station began few years ago, but wasn’t completed because of the lack
of financial sources. According to the plans of the previous years,
about $22 million were required for the construction works. In 2007,
new project account documents will be elaborated for the construction
works. As for the transport issues, Zakharian said that in September
2006, new 76 “Bogdan” mini busses will be brought to Yerevan. Besides,
25 new Russian trolley busses will be purchased for the capital. Each
of the trolley busses costs $70 thousand. The Mayor’s Office also
envisages to complete the renovation works of the bus stations, 100 of
which will be exploited already in September. In total, AMD 1,6 billion
of work was carried out in the sphere of the capital’s transport.
By Karine Danielian

YEREVAN MAYOR’S OFFICE TO SETTLE ISSUE OF DAMAGED HOUSES
AZG Armenian Daily #144, 02/08/2006
Urban Construction Issues
The Yerevan Mayor’s Office is going to settle the issue of the 3and 4
grade damaged houses. Yervan Zakharian, Mayor of Yerevan, said this at
today’s press conference. He said that this year they have restored
11 damaged houses in the capital and spent AMD 785 billion on this
purpose. He added that AMD 1,57 billion were allocated from RA State
Budget to secure the residents of the 4 grade damaged houses with
homes. It is planned to exploit 3 buildings, including two newly
built and 1 restored, by the end of the year. He said that three
other houses will be exploited next year with the same purpose.
By Karine Danielian