TOTAL AMOUNT OF LOANS PROVIDED BY ARMENIAN BANKS GROWS BY 9.6% IN SECOND QUARTER
YEREVAN, AUGUST 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The total amount of loans provided
by the Armenian banks to residents in the second quarter of 2006
made 220.8 bln drams (about 525.7 mln USD), exceeding the previous
quarter’s index by 9.6%.
Consumer loans accounted for the largest share of the loans
provided – 26.6%, loans to trade and industry made 21.3% and 19.4%
respectively. The smallest amount of loans was given to transport and
communication – 2.2%. As of late June, the overall balance capital of
the commercial banks amounted to 102 bln 335 mln drams (about 242.8 mln
USD), exceeding the previous quarter’s index by 3.1%. The main reserve
of the banks grew by 18.1% on the previous quarter and made 7 bln 620
mln drams. In the structure of resources attracted by the commercial
banks, as of late June 2006, the time deposits of natural persons
declined by 4.3% compared with the index of the first quarter. In the
period under review, the time deposits of legal entities declined by
15.9% on the previous quarter. By risk categories, standard loans
accounted for the largest share of the commercial banks’ loans and
accounts receivable – 97.5%, there were no bad loans. According to
the quarterly report of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA), there were
no banks that violated the minimum amount of the overall capital in
the second quarter of this year, as well as the minimum amount of
their mandatory reserves in the CBA. To recap, 21 commercial banks
with 282 branches are currently operating in Armenia.

3-YEAR-OLD CHILD DROWNS IN SILIKIAN DISTRICT’S CHANNEL
YEREVAN, AUGUST 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The Rescue Service of the RA Ministry
of Territorial Administration on July 31 was informed by Yerevan’s
Mashtots police department that at about 8:45 pm a child drowned in the
channel near the milk plant in Silikian district. The following day,
at about 0:40pm the rescuers found the body of 3 year-old Hovhannes
Garshuyan 10 km away from the site of the accident. Being left alone,
the child approached the channel and fell into it. H. Garshuyan lived
with his parents in the area of the car assembly point (currently
standing idle) of the fruit and vegetable industrial enterprise.

AS OF AUGUST 2, 894 APPEALS AND 55 DOUBLE APPEALS RECEIVED
BY REPUBLICAN COMMISSION ON ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS
YEREVAN, AUGUST 2, NOYAN TAPAN. As of August 2, appeals against scores
of 894 written examinations taken by entrants to Armenian higher
educational institutions have been submitted, as a result of which 179
scores have been raised. Ruben Topchian, Director of the Calculating
Center of the Republican Commission on Entrance Examinations, told
reporters on August 2 that the greatest number of appeals (226) were
filed regarding written maths papers. Only in one case, the score
was raised by 2 points: a written paper on Russian. R. Topchian said
that 55 double appeals have been received by the commission so far.
Scores of 13 written papers have been raised (by 1.3 points in the
maximum), while two scores have been lowered by 1 point each. According
to him, until now 1,351 entrants have been absent from their exams,
exams have been interrupted because of 28 ones, and new emamination
days have been fixed for 513 entrants. R. Topchain said that high
scores of English and Armenian exams are indicative of the fact that
these tests were not difficult. 26 entrants have already dropped
out of the competition for the speciality “Law”, 21 entrants – for
“Journalism” and 44 ones – for “the Armenian language and literature”.

FOUR-LEVEL PENSION SYSTEM TO FUNCTION IN ARMENIA STARTING 2008
YEREVAN, AUGUST 2, NOYAN TAPAN. Starting 2008, a four-level pension
system will function in Armenia. Ara Sargsian, Advisor to the Chairman
of the RA State Social Insurance Fund, stated at the August 1 seminar
for reporters that the system will consist of the minimum old-age
benefit, basic, compulsory cumulative and voluntary cumulative
pensions. According to him, the working citizens under the age of 30
will be part of the compulsory cumulative system, those aged 30-45
will have a choice of joining this system, while persons above 45
will receive pensions under the current system. It is envisaged
that the minimal pension will make 40% of the salary instead of the
current 15-20%.
A.Sargsian said that people will use the voluntary pension system
based on the voluntary principle: by making social payments. Social
payments made by those making use of the compulsory cumulative system
will accumulate on their personal accounts. Ashot Abrahamian, Head of
the fund’s Department of Social Insurance and Programs, informed those
present that in case a person does several jobs but has one personal
account, all his payments will accumulate on this account. It was noted
that more than 530 thousand pensioners currently receive pensions in
Armenia. Over 118 thousand persons receive disability pensions.
Social payments are made by about 150 thousand employers and 450
thousand employees.

OVER 13 YEARS UN’S WFP PROVIDES ASSISTANCE OF 75 MLN USD TO ARMENIA
YEREVAN, AUGUST 2, NOYAN TAPAN. Since 1993 when the United Nations’
World Food Program (WFP) started operating in Armenia, it has made
a significant contribution to the community development through
investments aimed at improving the food provision to socially
vulnerable groups in Armenia, including refugees, and developing the
country’s infrastructures and human potential. The Armenian Prime
Minister Andranik Margarian stated this when receiving on August 2
the delegation headed by the WFP’s Executive Director James Morris.
According to the RA Government Information and PR Department,
the delegation is in Armenia within the framework of its regional
visit. A. Margarian said that the assistance provided by the WFP
before the first quarter of 2006 amounted to 75 mln USD in the form
of 134 thousand tons of humanitarian food, which was supplied to
200 thousand needy persons annually on average. The prime minister
considered it important that since mid 1999, the special assistance
programs were replaced with long-term assistance and restoration
programs. In case of some programs such as the food-for-work
project, the problem of temporary employment is solved, which is
also psychologically important for vulnerable groups. During the
meeting, the sides also spoke about the consequences of the drought
in some regions of Armenia. A. Margarian asked that if possible, some
assistance be provided to mitigate the drought’s consequences. James
Morris expressed his satisfaction over the process of WFP programs’
implementation in Armenia, noting that during the visit he went to Lori
and Tavush marzes to see the work being done there. Speaking about the
cooperation with the Armenian government, particularly with the WFP’s
partner – the RA Ministry of Labor and Social Issues, he considered
it as quite successful. J. Morris pointed out that he is impressed by
the Armenian government’s efforts aimed at economic growth and poverty
reduction and expressed a willingness to continue the cooperation to
make it more comprehensive and efficient in the coming years.
From: Baghdasarian

ARMAN SAHAKIAN RELEIVED OF POST OF YEREVAN DEPUTY
MAYOR AND INTENDS TO RUN FOR HEAD OF AJAPNIAK COMMUNITY
YEREVAN, AUGUST 2, NOYAN TAPAN. By the decision of the Armenian Prime
Minister Andranik Margarian, Arman Sahakian was releived of his post of
deputy mayor of Yerevan according to his application, NT was informed
from the RA Gover nment Information and PR Department. A. Sahakian
told Radio Liberty that his resignation was due to his intention to
run for the post of head of Ajapniak comunity in October. During
the last elections, he lost to the current community head Artsrun
Khachatrian. “I do not think that I was defeated that time when rigging
was committed. This time I want to test my strength again and I think
that I’ll win without fail,” A. Sahakian said. A. Sahakian is the son
of Galust Sahakian, leader of the RA National Assembly’s Republican
Party faction.

INTERBANK MARKET IS TEMPORARILY PARALYZED
Yerevan, August 2. ArmInfo. There was no transaction in the Interbank
market of Armenia the day before. The currency exchange market was also
inactive. Thus, according to the data of the Armenian stock exchange,
the volume of currency transactions the day before made up $50,000,
the average weighted rate increased by 0,05 point to 410,75 AMD/$1 USD.
The experts explained such inactivity of the currency market by the
fact that there was a transaction in the Interbank market July 31,
after completion of the exchange trade session, on the rate which
exceeded the fixed exchange rate of USD by 2 points. According to the
experts’ estimations, this fact somewhat paralyzed the market since
“the market participants decided to wait through, not wishing to buy
dollars by an increased rate or to sell by a decreased rate”.

Senator Biden Delays Vote on Hoagland Nomination
ArmRadio.am
02.08.2006 10:41
Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE), the Ranking Democrat on the Foreign
Relations Committee, was joined today by Senator John Kerry (D-MA) in
forcing a month-long delay in the Committee’s vote on the controversial
nomination of Richard Hoagland to replace the current U.S. Ambassador
to Armenia John Evans, reported the Armenian National Committee
of America.
The controversy within the Foreign Relations Committee over the
Hoagland nomination began with Senator Biden’s June 23rd letter asking
Secretary of State Rice Condoleezza Rice to respond to a series of
questions, including specific inquiries about reports that the current
Ambassador had been recalled due to his having “accurately described
the Armenian Genocide as genocide.” The debate over the merits of the
nomination heated up during the June 28th confirmation hearing due
to the nominee’s evasive and unresponsive answers to straightforward
questions posed by panel members about U.S. policy on the Armenian
Genocide. Following the hearing, Ambassador-designate Hoagland, in a
sharp departure from established Administration practice, responded
to a written Senate inquiry by questioning the genocidal intent of
the perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide, a denial tactic frequently
used by the Turkish government.
As a result of the intervention of Senators Biden and Kerry,
Ambassador-designate Hoagland’s nomination will not be considered by
the Committee until the Committee’s next business meeting in September.
“The ANCA welcomes the leadership of Senators Biden and Kerry in
ensuring that the Foreign Relations Committee has the time to more
carefully consider the implications – for both our foreign policy and
our values as a nation – of confirming a U.S. Ambassador to Armenia
who is on record denying the Armenian Genocide,” said ANCA Chairman Ken
Hachikian. “We appreciate, as well, the principled efforts of Senators
Allen, Boxer, Chafee, Coleman, Dodd, Feingold, Kennedy, Reed, Sarbanes,
and others to seek an honest explanation of the firing of Ambassador
Evans, to explore the role of the Turkish government in his recall,
and to insist that the Administration clearly articulate its stand
on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.”
The panel’s decision comes in the wake of a nationwide campaign by
the ANCA – in Washington, DC and in grassroots communities across
the country – to demand answers concerning the recall of Amb. Evans
and to educate Senators about the adverse impact of sending an envoy
to Armenia that has called into question the genocidal character of
Ottoman Turkey’s systematic destruction of its Armenian population. The
ANCA has mobilized thousands of activists to share their views with
their Senators and Representatives about the need for an honest
explanation of Ambassador Evans’ recall and, more broadly, the exact
outlines of the State Department’s policy on the Armenian Genocide.
As early as this February, Members of Congress, at the urging of
the ANCA, began pressing the State Department for a full, open, and
official explanation of the firing of the current U.S. Ambassador
to Armenia, over his truthful comment last year on the Armenian
Genocide. Despite a series of Congressional letters and questions posed
during Congressional testimony by Secretary of State Rice and other
senior officials, the Administration failed to provide a meaningful
explanation of its decision to recall Ambassador Evans.
In the shadow of this controversy, Ambassador-designate Hoagland
came before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on June 28th
for a confirmation hearing, alongside the President’s nominees to
represent the U.S. in Ireland and Switzerland. During this hearing,
Senators George Allen (R-VA) and Norm Coleman (R-MN) pressed
Ambassador-designate Hoagland for answers about U.S. policy on the
Armenian Genocide. Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) expressed serious
reservations concerning the circumstances of the nomination and the
Administration’s policy on the Armenian Genocide.
Ambassador-designate Hoagland’s responses during the hearing, and
later to written questions submitted by panel members, were largely
evasive, characterized by repeated – often strained – efforts to
avoid using the term genocide, even while refusing to acknowledge
that he had been instructed not to use this term. The following day,
on June 29th, the panel, and then the full Senate, voted to confirm
nominees for the ambassadors to Ireland and Switzerland, but chose
to not take any action on Hoagland’s nomination.
In the days that followed his confirmation hearing, Ambassador-
designate Hoagland responded to several dozen written questions
concerning U.S. policy on the Armenian Genocide, the recall of
Ambassador Evans, and the instructions he had received regarding
how to address this matter if confirmed by the Senate. Among his
written responses to a series of questions posed by Senator Barbara
Boxer (D-CA), was a deeply troubling, morally objectionable and
historically inaccurate indication that the Armenian Genocide did
not meet the U.S. definition of genocide because of the absence
of a “specific intent” on the part of the perpetrator. This denial
of the Armenian Genocide – which went far beyond the bounds of the
Administration’s traditional policy – prompted the ANCA to announce
its formal opposition to Richard Hoagland’s nomination on July 18th.
Soon after, the ANCA determined that, according to Department of
Justice records, the State Department had misled the U.S. Senate
about its communications with the Turkish government concerning the
February 2005 public affirmation of the Armenian Genocide by Ambassador
Evans. In a letter, dated June 28th, written on behalf of Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice to Senator Biden, the State Department denied
that the Turkish government had even approached the Administration on
this issue. However, official Foreign Agent Registration Act filings
by the Turkish government’s registered foreign agent, the Livingston
Group, document that, in the days following Ambassador Evans’ February
19, 2005 remarks, one of Turkey’s agents communicated on at least
four different occasions with State Department officials concerning
the envoy’s statement and his subsequent retraction.
To date, half of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, including
Senators George Allen (R-VA), Joseph Biden (D-DE), Barbara Boxer
(D-CA), Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), Norm Coleman (R-MN), Christopher Dodd
(D-CT), Russell Feingold (D-WI), John Kerry (D-MA) and Paul Sarbanes
(D-MD), have contacted Secretary Rice or questioned Ambassador
Designate Hoagland directly regarding the Armenian Genocide. Senators
Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Jack Reed (D-RI), along with over sixty
members of the House have also expressed serious concerns to the
State Department on this matter.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

1500 Monuments in Liberated territories of NK
ArmRadio.am
02.08.2006 11:01
At present around 1,500 archeological, architectural and historic
monuments are registered in the liberated territories of Nagorno
Karabakh.Hakob Simonian, the director of the scientific-research
center of historic-cultural heritage at the Armenian Culture and
Youth Affairs Ministry, told Armenpress that during the war the
center organized expeditions during which the members took photos
of the monuments, formed their certificates and made excavations.
Simonian noted that during the first expedition in 1990 surveys were
conducted in Getashen and Martunashen, in 1992 in Kashatagh, Aghdam,
Fizuli, Jabrayil, Zangelan, Kelbajar and Kubatlu.
According to Simonian, the surveys were conducted mainly during war
time as at that time the Armenians were to prove that the territories
belong to them. Simonian said thanks to the conducted survey “at
present we have a ‘tool’ and in case it is used in the diplomatic
way we can prove that these territories belong to Armenians.
>From 1997 to 2001 excavations were conducted in Tsitsernavank,
during which 6 monuments were studied. Simonian also underscored the
excavations of Kerin tomb-field which started in 2003 and continue
up to now.

“Art without Borders”
ArmRadio.am
02.08.2006 11:06
Works by 25 Armenian, Iranian, Turkish and Georgian artists will be
presented at the exhibition entitled “Art without Borders” which will
kick off August 4 at the Center of Innovative Experimental Art.
The head of the project Eduard Palasanian told Armenpress that 6 of the
artists are from Armenia, five from Georgia, seven from Iran and seven
from Turkey. According to him, the exhibition is a unique phenomenon
of contemporary art and it proves that political controversies do
not influence the cultural life.
Palasanian also noted with regret that their three-year efforts
towards involving Azerbaijani artists in the exhibition failed. At
the exhibition paintings, photos and different equipment will be
presented.The exhibition will last until August 25.