INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE DEDICATED TO 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF KARABAKH INDEPENDENCE HELD IN STEPANAKERT
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 21 2006
STEPANAKERT, JUNE 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. An international
conference dedicated to the 15th anniversary of proclaiming
independence of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh opens on June 21
in Stepanakert. About 110 reporters from Nagorno Karabakh, Armenia,
Germany, France, Italy participate in the conference. The goal of
the conference is to thoroughly present Nagorno Karabakh to the
international community.
According to Radio Liberty, participants of the conference will
make reports concerning history, policy, economy, culture of Nagorno
Karabakh in Martakert, Martuni and Gandzasar as well.

ARKADY GHOUKASYAN CONVINCED THAT “FUTURE IS TALKS BETWEEN NKR AND AZERBAIJAN”
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 21 2006
STEPANAKERT, JUNE 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Last fifteen years
showed to the world that the Nagorno Karabakh people are entitled to
have the independent state of their own declared pursuant to the former
USSR’s legislation and the international law’s basic rules. This
was said in NKR President’s message to the participants of the
international conference titled “Nagorno Karabakh Republic: Yesterday,
Today, Tomorrow” that started on June 21 in Stepanakert. The message
was provided to Noyan Tapan from NKR Foreign Ministry Information
and Analytical Department.
“Although the NKR has not been recognized by the international
community yet, however, by the level of conformity to the European
society’s standards our Republic noticeably outstrips Azerbaijan,
which endeavored to dispose of the Nagorno Karabakh’s Armenian
population having enforced a war on us. However, our nation has not
only survived in an unequal sanguinary armed confrontation, but it
managed to mainly cure the war’s wounds, stage an economic recovery,
restore social sphere, inspire new life to the region’s cultural and
spiritual development,” the NKR President mentioned in his message.
Arkady Ghoukasyan emphasized that an efficient army equipped with
modern weaponry, “which is the safest guarantor of the security and
prosperity of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and our nation”, has been
formed in the NKR.
“At present Azerbaijan exerts efforts to reverse history, deprive our
nation of freedom and independence gained at the cost of irreplaceable
losses. It is an unpromising way. I am convinced: the future is the
talks between the NKR and Azerbaijan on the search for the ways of the
problem’s advantageous solution and the establishment of cooperation
between the two states,” the NKR President’s message read.
A.Ghoukasyan expressed the hope that the conference will promote deeper
comprehension of the realities of the region, which is difficult to
imagine without the Nagorno Karabakh Republic’s existence. He wished
a successful and fruitful work to the conference.

ROAD BYPASSING BAGRATASHEN CUSTOMS-HOUSE UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Noyan Tapan
Jun 21 2006
IJEVAN, JUNE 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The construction of a road, which
links the village of Bagratashen with the motorway by bypassing the
Bagratashen crossing point, started in May. Levon II LLC (Noyemberian)
is carying out the construction work. Ladik Mamyan, chief engineer of
the company, told NT correspondent that it is envisaged to complete
the construction of this 1,310-meter road by mid July.
The company is repairing the road from the interstate motorway to
Deghzavan with state funds. A 1,620-meter section of this 4,960-meter
road was repaired last year, while the repairs of the remaining
part will be completed this year. The company is also repairing a
800-meter section of the road connecting the city of Noyemberian to
the border settlement Dovegh (the work is also being done with the
RA state budget resources).

SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESS DEVELOPS ACTIVELY, ROBERT KOCHARIAN SAYS
Noyan Tapan
Jun 21 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 21, NOYAN TAPAN. Issues related to development of small
and medium business were discussed during the June 21 meeting of Robert
Kocharian and a number of representatives of the sector. According
to the RA President’s press service, the ministers of agriculture,
trade and economic development also participated in the meeting.
R. Kocharian noted that small and medium business is developing
actively, which is evident from the fact that it accounts for 40% of
GDP and 16% of exports of Armenia. The President called on more than
20 businessmen representing all the Armenian marzes to hold an open
discussion to identify the obstacles to SME development and based on
it, to decide what new steps the Armenian government should take to
secure a favorable climate for SME activities.
The meeting participants noted that the sector’s development has
entered a new stage characterized by an increase in the number of
small and medium enterprises and the process of their technical
re-equipment. However, there are still problems to be solved,
particularly, the need to conduct fewer check-ups at small and medium
enterprises, provide regional businessmen with business advice, to
train personnel with special education, as well as some legislative
flaws.
The problem of long-term credits with low interest rates and the
need to extend leasing services were also discussed in detail. The
regional businessmen said that they have difficulty meeting the terms
of pledged security for receiving a credit, because the value of land
and property in Armenian marzes is much lower than in Yerevan.
R. Kocharian informed them that in order to deal with the situation,
the cost of the state budget-financed program on provision of credit
guarantees will be increased this year. He welcomed that fact that
the number of entrepreneurs engaged in small and medium business who
are in need of credit resources is on the increase.
The meeting participants also addressed the problem of foreign currency
fluctuations. In this connection, the President noted that this problem
affects the business circles in the whole world, and when signing
contracts, our businessmen should try to insure themselves against it.
R. Kocharian said the problems raised at the meeting will be discussed
once again at a special consultation to be held soon in order to find
final solutions.

200 INVALID CHILDREN UNDERGO MEDICAL EXAMINATION IN ARMAVIR WITHIN FRAMEWORK OF “HEALTHY START” PROGRAM
Noyan Tapan
Jun 21 2006
ARMAVIR, JUNE 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The “Nariri” NGO engaged in problems of
invalid children in the marz of Armavir, in which about 450 children
are involved, showed regular assistance to invalid children on June 20
within the framework of the “Healthy start” program. Invalid children’s
medical examination was organized at the pediatrics department of
the Armavir polyclinical center on that day. Nune Alexanian, the
responsible for the “Arabkir” medical center of Yerevan held the
medical examination. To recap, medical examination of invalid children
was held on the same day in the rural communities of Karakert and
Dalarik as well.
The main goal of the program is to examine invalid children. 200
invalid children already underwent medical examination in the marz
within the framework of the program.
This medical examination will finish late this week, when a group
of doctors of the “Arabkir” center will visit Armavir. The latters
will hold a final medical examination based on examinations of the
whole week.

STEPAN ROSTOMIAN’S AUTHOR EVENING HELD IN MOSCOW
Noyan Tapan
Armeninas Today
Jun 21 2006
MOSCOW, JUNE 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Author evening of
Armenian composer Stepan Rostomian dedicated to his 50th anniversary
was held at the Great Hall of Moscow Composers’ Home.
According to the Yerkramas (Territory) newspaper of Armenians of
Russia, the Third and Fourth Chamber Symphonies by Rostomian, as well
as “Songs of Angels” for a chamber ensemble and a vocal cycle on the
lyrics of medieval Japanese poets were performed by Moscow Ensemble
of Modern Music conducted by well-known British conductor David Davis.
Stepan Rostomian’s music is performed and recorded throughout the
world.
Such famous groups as London Symphonietta and the Modern ensemble
order music to him. According to Rostomian himself, one of his
creative tasks is the synthesis of the sacred music of Armenia in the
Christian tradition and the technics of composition of the West. Stepan
Rostomian considers himself not so much a composer as a guide, the
task of which is to as much precisely as he can put down by notes a
creation already existing somewhere.

CHERMOZ INHABITANTS TO SEE “DREAMS ABOUT ARMEIA”
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 21 2006
PERM, JUNE 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The inhabitants of
the town of Chermoz, Ilyinski region, Perm territory, will see an
exhibition “Dreams about Armenia” that will open on June 24 at the
Chermoz museum of history and regional geography. According to the
Yerkramas (Territory) newspaper of Armenians of Russia, this gift
was made to the inhabitants of Chermoz by the Armenian community of
Perm for the Day of the Town. The Armenian community gratuitously
organized delivery of the pictures to the town.
The exposition dedicated to Year of Armenia in Russia for the
first time opened in February in Yekaterinburg Gallery of Modern
Art. Photos by professional TV cameraman Artur Poghosian, paintings
and drawings by Natalia Petrenko (Nizhni Tagil), as well as landscapes
by painter-mountain-climber Artur Karapetian from Bereznikovsk were
presented at the exhibition.
The history of Chermoz gets mixed up with the history of the Armenian
Diaspora of Russia. In 1778 Ivan Lazarev from Persia and Armenian
by his origin bought from the Stroganovs the Chermoz plant and the
lands adjoining it and at the end of the 19th century Chermoz became
the administrative center of the estate of the Lazarevs.

CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS ARRIVES IN ISTANBUL
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 21 2006
ISTANBUL, JUNE 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Karekin II Catholicos
of All Armenians arrived in Istanbul on late June 20. Radio Liberty
informs about it, mentioning that this Catholicos visit is the 12th
one in number during the whole history.
During the last 50 years heads of the Armenian church visited Turkey
only three times. Vazgen I Catholicos paid an official visit to Turkey
in 1961. He met in Ankara with the authorities of Turkey and laid a
wreath to the grave of Ataturk.
Karekin I Catholicos visited Turkey the next time, in 1996. That visit
was not official: the Armenian community of Turkey received Karekin I.
Ara Gochunian, the editor-in-chief of the “Zhamanak” (time) daily being
published in Istanbul informed that the present visit of Karekin II
is not official, either, but, unlike the previous Catholicos visit,
Karekin II met with t he Istanbul Governor.
The Catholicos of All Armenians will visit the Armenian representation
of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation organization as well. During the
first two days of the visit, His Holiness Patriarch will be received
by the Greek Patriarchate.
38 Armenian churches, 15 colleges function in Istanbul today where
more than 3500 Armenian children study. Two dailies and one monthly
are published.
There are other adjacent publications as well.
Though there is no official statistics about the concrete Armenian
inhabitation’s number, according to calculation of the Armenian church
and numerous Turk officials, 70-80 thousand citizens of Turkey of
Armenian origin live in the country.
Dozens of thousands of Armenians emigrated Turkey from Armenia, after
Armenia’s becoming independent. Foreign Minister of Turkey Abdullah
Gul stated in one of his recent speeches that there are about 40
thousand Armenians in Turkey. But, in the opinion of representatives
of the Armenian community, those numbers are exaggerated.
His Holiness will stay in Turkey for a week.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BOXER KAREN AYLAZIAN TAKES 3rd PLACE IN EUROPE YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP
Noyan Tapan
Jun 21 2006
TIRANA, JUNE 21, NOYAN TAPAN. Karen Aylazian (Yerevan, 48 kg weight
category) took the 3rd place in the Europe Youth Boxing Championship
held on June 15-20 in the capital of Albania Tirana. 187 delegates
of 28 countries took part in the championship.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

“MY ARMENIA” UKRAINIAN FESTIVAL-CONTEST HELD IN KIEV
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 21 2006
KIEV, JUNE 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. This year the Union of
Armenians of Ukraine marks its 5th anniversary. In connection with this
date, “My Armenia” three-day Ukrainian festival-contest of Armenian
creation has been held lately in Kiev. The contest nominations were:
choreography, singing, instrumental music and painting.
According to the Yerkramas (Territory) newspaper of Armenians of
Russia, 275 participants from the majority of Ukrainian regions took
part in the contest. According to the results of the selective tour,
36 participants were awarded diplomas of festival laureats (first,
second, third places) and 4 participants the higher award of the
festival, grand prix.
The jury of the festival was headed by world-famous singer Tamara
Avetisian and the President of the festival was film director,
People’s Artist of the Ukraine Roman Balayan.