ARMENIANS OF ASTRAKHAN CHOSE “MISS AREV-2006”
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 16 2006
ASTRAKHAN, JUNE 16, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The “Miss Arev-2006”
first annual beauty competition took place in Astrakhan.
It was organized by the Astrakhan “Arev” (sun) Armenian cultural
company.
In the semi-final of the competition that was held in the “Arev”
company, girls were to display perspicacity, sharpness, to show
knowledge of history and culture of Armenia. As the “Yerkramas”
(country) newspaper of Armenians of Russia informs, the competition
participants fulfilled all the tasks perfectly, and all their efforts
were estimated by the jury in the staff of which members of the “Arev”
company administration were involved.
According to results of votion of the jury, Varduhi Hakobian became
“Miss Arev-2006”. The judges awarded the following nominations as well:
“Miss Tenderness” to Nano Khachatrian, “Miss Charm” to Lusine Shiyan
and “Miss Fascination” to Arevik Tamrazian.
From: Baghdasarian

AMENDMENTS POSSIBLE IN LAW ON LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT OF GEORGIA
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 16 2006
AKHALKALAK, JUNE 16, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Amendments are
possible in the law on local self-government bodies of Georgia. In
the opinion of Alexander Shalamberidze, the Deputy Chairman of
the Parliament Committee on Regional Policy, Self-Government, High
Mountainous Regions of the country, it is most necessary for keeping
equal local budgets of distant settlements.
As the “A-Info” agency informs, greeting the parliamentarian’s
intention to make possible amendments in the law, Mels Torosian,
a member of the Samtskhe-Javakhk Armenian Public Organizations’
Council, mentioned on this occasion that the parliamentarians do not
speak about liquidating another disproportion by the self-government
legislation. It is particularly spoken about Armenians’ and Georgians’
being presented in Sakrebulos of regions equal to their number. By
the acting legislation, the Georgian inhabitation making only 5% in
the region of Akhalkalak has a right to have up to 30% presence. The
same injustice threatens the regions of Akhaltskha, Tsalka, Aspindza,
Ninotsminda.

MOST PART OF POLITICAL FORCES REPRESENTED AT PARLIAMENT INTEND TO ACTIVELY WORK IN SUMMER AS WELL
Noyan Tapan
Jun 16 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 16, NOYAN TAPAN. Heads of only the “RPA,” “ARF,”
“Ardaroutiun” (Justice) and “Azgayin Miabanutiun” (National Unity)
factions from the RA NA 6 factions and 2 deputies’ groups participated
in the June 16 summing up briefings of the spring session. The “Orinats
Yerkir” (Country of Law) party considered purposeful to sum up results
of the session at a separate press-conference to be convened soon. It
became clear from the briefings that the most part of the political
forces represented at the Parliament intends to actively work in
summer and has not thought about having rest yet. Galust Sahakian,
the “RPA” faction head assured that the party will implement in
summer inner-party organization works, and he himself will be at the
Parliament in summer. According to Stepan Demirchian, the “Ardarutiun”
faction head, the People’s Party of Armenia headed by him will also
be engaged in solution of inner-party problems, connected, in all
probability, with the party congress to be convened in November.
Besides solving inner-party problems, political forces intend to
actively be involved in editing the draft amendments to the Electoral
Code, taking into account the CE Venice Commission’s already got
preliminary conclusion concerning the draft as well as proposals
of political forces. At the consultation convened on June 19 on
RA NA Speaker Tigran Torosian’s initiative, representatives of the
parliamentary forces will decide order of the coming discussions,
and, as “ARF” faction head Hrayr Karapetian assured, they will
inform journalists about it. The deputy also mentioned that the
ARF, supporting increase of women’s role in the executive and
legislative authorities, intends to pursue corresponding amendments
of the Electoral Code. “Ardarutiun” faction head Stepan Demirchian
re-affirmed that in the case of not accepting the party’s reservations
connected with amendments in the Electoral Code, the “Ardarutiun”
faction will take back its signature. He also mentioned that it is
mentioned in the Venice Commission’s conclusion as well that usage
of the Electoral Code is finally important. The European observers
expressed an opinion in 2003 that the acting Electoral Code gives
possibility of securing a normal electoral process, so, according to
the deputy, the issue of elections’ justice may not be solved only by
amendments to the Electoral Code. Artashes Geghamian, the head of the
“Azgayin Miabanutiun” faction considered to be itself too anxious
the circumstance that “we have reached a state that any news from
Venice is a lifebuoy for us or just the opposite, a sentence, and it
will mean that the Armenian legislative idea has got dry.” However,
“Azgayin Miabanutiun” will participate in the summer discussions at
the deputies’ and experts’ level, if “issues of modern sonority are
discussed.” “In the end, we do a common work, and a work that may be
decisive for future developments of Armenia,” Geghamian mentioned.

NA POLITICAL FORCES DEEPLY ANXIOUS ABOUT RECENT MURDERS OF ARMENIANS IN RUSSIA
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 16 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 16, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The political
forces of RA National Assembly are deeply anxious about the murders
of Armenians in Russia in the recent period. The head of the RPA,
ARF Dashnaktsutiun, Ardarutiun (Justice) and National Unity factions
informed about it at the June 16 press briefing. In the opinion of
RPA faction head Galust Sahakian, the incidents that happen in RF,
of course, give an occasion for thinking, but not only Armenians, but
foreigners in general are the target of nationalism in this country.
ARFD head Hrayr Karapetian said that the party representatives have
expressed their anxiety during the meeting held recently at the
Embassy of RF in RA. The MP is convinced that the respective Armenian
departments are also anxious about the issue and still have much to
do in this connection. “It is obvious that the incidents that happen
in Russia are in no way connected with the state interests and state
policy of that country,” the MP highlighted. According to Ardarutiun
faction head Stepan Demirchian, the formed situation “cannot be
tolerated” and an question about undertaking the respective steps
should be raised before RF authorities. According to National Unity
faction head Artashes Geghamian, the party being deeply anxious about
“the barbaric incidents committed recently in Russia,” nevertheless,
has not come up with any “serious” statement. The reason is the
complicated situation the party found itself in: it is difficult to
accuse Russia of murder of three Armenians in the recent period when
at least 1.5 mln Armenians have “run away” to Russia over the recent
years because of the policy carried on by the Armenian authorities
and 2396 Armenians have committed an attempted suicide and 1600 a
suicide over the past 5 years in Armenia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE ARMENIAN CONSUMER HAS THE RIGHT TO EXPECT AN IMPROVEMENT IN FUEL QUALITY, TIGRAN JRBASHIAN CONVINCED
Noyan Tapan
Jun 16 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian European Policy and Legal
Advice Center (AEPLAC) presented on June 16 the 6th book “European
Fuel Market” of the series “European Integration Market”. According
to the AEPLAC Armenia Office Director Tigran Jrbashian, the book
is concerned with the European fuel market and rules regulating the
sphere. It was noted that the AEPLAC is conducting a research on the
Armenian fuel market as well. In the opinion of T. Jrbashian, the
fuel-related techical regulations approved by the Armenian government,
and the chemical contents of fuel specified based on these regulations
are not enough. A correct minitoring, taking samples and testing
are also necessary. The Armenian society has the right to expect an
improvement in the quality of fuel and brinding it in line to “at
least some standards”. In his words, it is obvious that the concern
about the quality of fuel and an insufficient supervision over the
fuel market urged them to publish such a book.

RA CONSTITUTIONAL COURT RECOGNIZES TWO INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTS IN COMPLIANCE WITH CONSTITUTION
Noyan Tapan
Jun 16 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 16, NOYAN TAPAN. At the June 16 sitting, the RA
Constitutional Court (CC) recognized the obligations stipulated in
two international documents signed by the Republic of Armenia to be
in compliance with the RA Constitution. The Agreement on Creation of
Favorable Legal, Economic and Orgaizational Conditions For Expansion of
Leasing Activity in the CIS was signed by the heads of the governments
of CIS member states in Moscow on October 12, 2005. It was signed
by Armenia, Belarus and Ukraine (with a reservation), Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Moldova and Tadzhikistan. The Convention on International
Access to Justice (with a reservation and statements) signed in the
Hague on October 25, 1980 particularly allows the citizens of the
agreement party to be provided the same amount of legal assistance
in the territory of another state as the citizens of the given country.

AEPLAC PUBLISHES 6th BOOK OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION LIBRARY
Noyan Tapan
Jun 16 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian European Policy and Legal
Advice Center (AEPLAC) published the 6th book “European Fuel Market”
of the series European Integration Market. The first part of the book
provides an overall economic description of the European fuel market
with its quantitative and qualitative indices that allow to form a
general idea about trends on this market. The second part contains
general provisions on chemical composition of fuel, as well as the
existing and planned supervisory systems in the European Union, and
national structures that control fuel import and its quality and
ensure compliance with environmental norms of fuel use. The third
part provides information about fuel taxation and European order of
tax privileges.

PUNISHMENT FOR A NUMBER OF ECONOMIC CRIMES REVISED IN RA CRIMINAL CODE
Noyan Tapan
Jun 16 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 16, NOYAN TAPAN. At the June 15 special session,
the RA National Assembly passed in second reading the draft law on
amendments and additions to the RA Criminal Code. The draft revises
punshment for a number of economic crimes. Particularly, punishment
is envisaged for deliberate tax or state duty evasion or evasion of
other compulsory payments in large and especially large amounts.
Unlike the draft passed in first reading on the same day, the final
version increased the size of large and especially large amounts. In
the preliminary version, a sum not exceeding 1,000-10,000 minimal
salaries (1 mln – 10 mln drams) at the time of a crime was considered
a large amount, while the final vesrion set it at 2,000 – 15,000
minimal salaries (2-15 mln dram). The preliminary version considered
a sum exceeding 10,000 minimal salaries as especially large amount,
the final version stipulates a sum exceeding 15,000 minimal salaries
(15 mln drams).

ARMENIAN A-320 DISINTEGRATED AFTER HITTING BLACK SEA – PROBE
RIA Novosti, Russia
June 19 2006
MOSCOW, June 19 (RIA Novosti) – An Armenian airliner that crashed
into the Black Sea off Russia’s coast early last month disintegrated
after hitting the water, the Transportation Ministry said Monday.
The Airbus came down in stormy weather on May 3 with the loss of all
113 passengers and crew.
“The flight recorders from the Armavia Airlines A-320 have shown that
the plane did not disintegrate in the air,” a ministry’s statement
said. “The engines were operating until the plane hit the water.”
“The plane had enough fuel to complete the flight safely and the
autopilot was off in the last minute,” the ministry said.
The emergency commission has started decoding and analyzing flight
data recorders, which include modeling the flight on an A-320 trainer.
The commission will conclude on the reasons behind the crash and make
flight safety recommendations, the ministry said.

INTERNATIONAL WORKING GROUP HELD MEETINGS IN STEPANAKERT
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
June 19 2006
The International Working Group (IWG) on the Search for the Missing
People, Hostages and POWs in the Karabakh conflict zone arrived in
Nagorno Karabakh on a two-day working visit.
June 19 the IWG members met with the NKR Foreign Minister Georgy
Petrosyan, the leadership of the NKR State Committee on Missing People
and Hostages, heads of the Stepanakert Office of the International
Committee of the Red Cross, as well as with former hostages. In the
course of the meeting the issues referring to activation of search
for the missing and burial places were discussed. The requests of the
state commissions on missing persons and hostages of Nagorno Karabakh,
Armenia and Azerbaijan were considered as well.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress