RA MILITARY PROSECUTOR PAYS A COGNITIVE VISIT TO NKR
STEPANAKERT, JULY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. On July 12, Arkadi Ghukasian,
President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic received Armen Khachatrian,
RA Military Prosecutor who was on a cognitive visit to NKR.
During the meeting the interlocuters discussed a number of issues
concerning the cooperation between the two Republics in the sphere
of struggle against the crimes committed among the conscripts and
by the conscripts. NKR Defence Minister Lieutenant-general Seyran
Ohanian also took part in the meeting.

RA PRIME MINISTER AND FRENCH AMBASSADOR ATTACH IMPORTANCE TO EXTENSION
OF ARMENIAN-FRENCH ECONOMIC COOPERATION
YEREVAN, JULY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. RA Prime Minister Andranik Margarian and
Ambassador of France to Armenia Henry Cuny touched upon the large-scale
events dedicated to Year of Armenia in France, the coming visit of
RA Prime Minister to France in connection with the start of Year of
Armenia at the July 13 meeting. Noyan Tapan was informed about it
from RA Government Information and Public Relations Department.
Besides cultural cooperation, the interlocutors also attached
importance to extension and development of economic cooperation,
attraction of French capital, new investments to the Armenian market.

CLOSING VERIN LARS, RUSSIA WAS CONVINCED THAT SECOND CHECK-POINT WORKS,
RF TRANSPORT MINISTER SAYS
YEREVAN, JULY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Closing the Verin Lars check-point
on the Russian-Georgian border, Russia was convinced that the Nerkin
Amaragh check-point works. RF Transport Minister Igor Levitin declared
this at the July 12 press conference. “To say that Russia has closed
the border is at least non-correct,” Igor Levitin declared. According
to him, the Armenian side was not informed about the closure of the
Verin Lars in advance, as the Russian side in its turn was not aware
that Georgia has stopped cargo admission through Nerkin Amaragh.
I.Levitin informed that repairs are being done in the Verin Lars
check-point at present, which are to finish by September-October,
as later the road can be closed due to weather conditions.
According to I.Levitin, Russia will do its best for relaunching Nerkin
Amaragh. “We are ready to accept cargos through this check-point
and this issue should be coordinated with the Georgian authorities,”
RF Transport Minister said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SERBIAN ARMENIAN FILM DIRECTOR ARIS MOVSESIAN BEING IN MOTHERLAND
FOR THE FIRST TIME TRIES TO DISCOVER IT FOR HIMSELF
YEREVAN, JULY 13, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAT. Serbian Armenian
Film Director Aris Movsesian takes part in the “Voske Tsiran”
(Golden Apricot) International Film Festival for the first time. His
“Aporia” film is presented in the “Armenian Panorama” competition
program. Being a dentist by profession, Aris Movsesian is also engaged
in literature, he has published a stories’ collection entitled “Images
and Writers”. Besides, he has also written the film script of the film
“Greatest Monster of the World” by Goran Rusinovitch.
Grown up in a family of a Serbian mother and Armenian father, Aris has
come to Armenia for the first time. As he mentioned in an interview
with the Noyan Tapan correspondent, “Aporia” is his first director’s
work, and he is happy that it is presented just in this festival.
“I like cinema very much. In the opinion of the specialists, all my
stories are subjects of seperate films, and I will try to work in
this direction also in the future,” said Aris.
The events happen on the borders of life and death, logics and
impossible in the “Aporia” film. “In general I like to write on
philosophical themes and I’ll try to shoot films on that themes in
the future”, mentiond the Film Director.
“We do not speak in Armenian in our family. I have heard Armenian
earlier from my grandmother and grandfather, who used it for secret
talks”, said Aris Movsesian. In his words, Armenia is a field of new
discoveries for him. “When I was in Serbia, only my nose was so big,
and in Yerevan I saw people with bigger noses and I was explained
that big noses are typical to almost all Armenians”, he said.
“My grandmothers and grandfathers left Armenia 100 years ago, and now
I am here to see and understand the mystery of this country and what
kind of people Armenians are in general”, emphasized the Film Director.

ZVARTNOTS TO RECEIVE NEW BATCH OF AIR FUEL IN COMING DAYS
YEREVAN, JULY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Zvartnots airport will receive a new
batch of air fuel in the coming days. As NT correspondent was informed
by airport Director Juan Pablo Gechijian, it will be provided by the
airport’s only fuel supplier, Mika Limited company. To recap, due to
lack of fuel some flights are either not carried out in Zvartnots or
planes are refuelled at reserve airports.
Gechijian said that Zvartnots uses about 40 thousand tons of air fuel
annually. An agreement on importing 13 thousand tons of air fuel has
been signed with the supplier. According to him, it is not clear, which
part of this batch will be imported in the coming days. According
to him, the problem of fuel cannot be considered solved until the
airport storehouse is provided with 7-8 thousand tons of fuel. The
airport director said that currently the fuel of airport storehouses
is only enough for partial fuelling of planes.

SERGE SARGSIAN REFUTES RUMOURS ABOUT ARMENIAN SIDE’S INTENTION TO
PASS OVER ARMENTEL TO RUSSIA
YEREVAN, JULY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenia cannot pass over ArmenTel
to Russia, as 90% of the latter’s shares belongs to the OTE Greek
company. Serge Sargsian, RA Defence Minister, Co-chairman of the
Armenian-Russian Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation,
declared this at the July 12 press conference.
Mentioning that several companies take part in the tender on sale of
ArmenTel’s shares, the Minister refuted the information, according
to which the Armenian side is carrying on lobbying activity aimed
at passing over ArmenTel to the MTS operator making part of the AFK
Systema Russian company. According to the same information, in return,
the AFK Systema, allegedly, assumes an obligation to relaunch the
Mars enterprise passed over to Russia for the Armenian national debt.
Igor Levitin, Russian Co-chairman of the Armenian-Russian Commission,
RF Transport Minister, in his turn said that the AFK Systema company
has expressed willingness to privatize or to assume long-term
management of Mars. He said that currently the Russian government is
discussing the way of passing over this enterprise to Systema.

ARMENIA CALLS ON ISRAEL AND LEBANON TO SHOW RESTRAINT AND CAUTIOUSNESS
Armenpress
YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS: Armenia has called today on Israel and
Lebanon to display restrain and cautiousness in order not to let the
situation in the fragile Middle East spiral out of control.
Armenian foreign minister Vartan Oskanian told today journalists that
Armenia wishes that the standoff between Israel and Lebanon be resolved
through talks and cease-fire established as soon as possible. Oskanian
said Armenia condemns any manifestation of violence-taking hostage
or use of force, especially the inadequate use of force, targeting
civilian infrastructure and claiming civilian lives.
Israel’s bombardment of Beirut’s airport yesterday disrupted Middle
Eastern air travel and threatened to cripple Lebanon’s tourism industry
at the start of its busiest season. The Israeli air strike forced
the closing of the airport and the diversion of all incoming flights.
Even the plane carrying Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh from
Armenia was unable to land and he had to make his way home through
Damascus, in neighboring Syria.

OSKANIAN CAGEY ABOUT CONTESTING NEXT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Armenpress
YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS: Foreign minister Vartan Oskanian was
cagey today when asked whether he might decide to contest the 2008
presidential election, but said he was determined to have his input
in building a stronger Armenia, help it develop economically and
politically.
“I feel I am still able to contribute to Armenia’s advance, but I
can not say what way it may be reflected. I did not even think about
it,” Oskanian said to a news conference today. The minister said his
priorities were now efforts for resolution of the ongoing Karabakh
conflict, organization of the third Armenia-Diaspora Conference,
slated for late September and foreign policy affairs.
Oskanian said he did not either think about joining a political
party and received no invitations from any. Oskanian said the main
objective now is to define the national policy for the next decade
and see which of political forces is able to ensure the continuity
of the state’s policy.
Asked what Armenia can do to counter the commissioning of
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyahn oil pipeline that will bring huge profits to
Azerbaijan and Georgia, Oskanian said Armenians must rely on domestic,
Diaspora and international resources.

“KAPUTAK SEVAN” INTERNATIONAL CHESS TOURNAMENT STARTS IN SEVAN
SEVAN, JULY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. On July 12, the “Kaputak Sevan”
Traditional International Tournament of the 9th category started
in Sevan on the initiative of the Chess Academy of Armenia. 10
chess players from Georgia, Iran, Russia and Armenia who have an
international recognition, take part in the tournament. Tigran
Torosian, Arman Pashikian, Zaven Andreasian, Levon Babujian, Armen
Haroutiunian and Hrant Melkonian represent Armenia in the tournament.
The tournament will end on July 21.

WORLD-FAMOUS ITALIAN SCRIPT WRITER ANTONIO GUERRA IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, JULY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. “I am very happy to be in Armenia. For
the first time I have been here with Sergey Parajanov several
years ago. It’s a very warm country and Armenians are very much like
Italians. People in my country speak about Armenians as their religious
brothers,” announced Italian legendary script writer Antonio (Tonino)
Guerra at the July 13 meeting with the journalists.
Antonio Guerra is a author of film scripts of 120 films which
he has written for the films by great and talented film directors
including world-famous cinematographers Michelangelo Antonini and
Federico Fellini.
Tonino Guerra informed that he had brought two wonderful works for
the Golden Apricot Film Festival, one film by Michelangelo Antonini,
the other dedicated to the works of Fellini.
The famous script writer said that had already been in Etchmiadzin
and met with Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and it is possible
that he will write something on a religious theme for this country.
Guerra also informed that he studied the Georgian and Armenian
churches.
According to him, pictures dominate in Georgian churches and Armenian
churches almost lack pictures.
“I was on familiar terms with Sergey Parajanov. I associated with
him for many times and took many interesting and unusual ideas from
him. His imagination was his life,” said Guera. The well-known artist
told interesting and funny incidents connected with Parajanov as
well as with Antonioni, Fellini, Marcello Mastroianni and composer
Nino Rota.
The talented script writer mentioned that “Amarkord” presented to the
Oscar award-giving ceremony is his and Fellini’s childhood memories
and he worked on it only for 8 days from 9am to 1pm. In general,
all his other film scripts written for famous films were also created
in a short period of time, in 8, 9, 10 days or less. He also worked
with Francisco Rosi and Andrey Tarkovski and wrote the film scripts of
“Nostalgia” and “Lucky Lusiano” films.
Tonino Guerra is a poet, one of the famous script writers of
cinematography, who was awarded with the “Best Prize” award of
the Cannes festival for the film “Journey to Sitera” by Telo
Angelopoulosi. Besides, he wrote stories and novels. His works were
translated in many countries of the world. In 1956, he together
with Ellio Piter wrote his first film script for the film “Man and
wolves” shot by Giuseppe de Santisi. Three years later Guera wrote his
masterpiece “La Aventura”, with which his continual cooperation with
one of the greatest film diorectors, Michelangelo Antonioni started.