PRESIDENT KOCHARYAN STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF FIGHTING SHADOW ECONOMY
ArmRadio.am
18.04.2006 17:45
Midterm results, the reduction of shadow economy in the spheres
of mining and construction were discussed today during the working
meeting of President Robert Kocharyan and Head of the State Tax Agency
Felix Tsolakyan.
According to the data provided by Head of the State Tax Agency,
the tax revenues in the state budget comprised 43.2 billion drams,
which is 8 billion more than last year.
The interlocutors stressed the importance of the fact that the
percentage of the income tax and profit tax is high in the total
volume of taxes.
Rise has been registered also in social payments. In the first term
15.3 billion drams have been collected, which is 2.4 billion drams
more than the results of the last year.
The collocutors turned to the process of registration of property and
revenues. Robert Kocharyan stressed the importance of the necessity
of its legal improvement and execution of certain mechanisms.
The President gave instructions regarding the issues discussed. He
underlined that he expects consistent work from the Tax Agency in
the direction of resolving the problems suggested.

MARY-ANNE ISLER BEGUIN: ONCE ARMENIA WILL BECOME A FULL MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN FAMILY
ArmRadio.am
18.04.2006 18:14
“I am confident that once Armenia will become a full member of the
European family,” said Mary-Anne Isler Beguin, President of the
EU-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation Commission.
During the 8th sitting of the Commission in Yerevan she assured she
is aware of the problems Armenia faces today and expressed readiness
to assist our country to resolve these.
“No doubt, the Karabakh issue is of urgent importance, and we, the
European Parliament, follow the situation and we are confident that
peace talks are the only way for resolution of the conflict,” President
of the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation Commission declared.
“We do not think that Ramboulliet was a failure,” Mary-Anne Isler
Beguin stated, turning to the Karabakh issue.

INTRODUCTION OF ECONOMIC SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN CAN TOUCH UPON SOME SPHERES OF ARMENIAN-IRANIAN COOPERATION, EXPERT CONSIDERS
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 17 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. It is not excluded
that possible sanctions against Iran can have a negative impact on the
development of Armenian-Iranian cooperation. Sevak Sarukhanian, expert
on Iran of the Noravank scientific-educational fund, declared this
answering Noyan Tapan correspondent’s question, what impact possible
introduction of economic sanctions against Iran can have on Armenia. As
he estimated, today the world is not ready to refuse supplies of the
Iranian oil. Therefore, possible sanctions against Iran will rather
touch upon other spheres than the oil one, which can have a negative
impact on some sides of Armenian-Iranian economic cooperation and,
in particular, trade between the two countries. According to the
expert, the beginning of discussion of the issue on introduction
of sanctions against Iran by the European Union is an integral part
of the political pressure exerted by the world on Iran today. Seven
Sarukhanian did not exclude that today for EU it is not beneficial to
introduce any sanctions against Iran as in difference to U.S., today
Europe directly depends on supplies of the Iranian oil. In addition,
in his opinion, the sanctions can do harm the dialogue that started
between IRI and EU on the issue of perspective supplies of the Iranian
gas to Europe. The expert considers that for the present, introduction
of sanctions against Iran by U.S. and a group of countries at one
with U.S. is more realistic. Some members of EU can also appear among
them. However, EU as an orga nization will hardly introduce sanctions
against IRI, especially forestalling the UN Security Council.

HAYRIKIAN CONGRATULATES SAHAKASHVILI “IN CONNECTION WITH LIBERATING GEORGIAN PEOPLE FROM LAST STRONGHOLDS OF RUSSIAN IMPERIALISM”
Noyan Tapan
Apr 17 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN. “I congratulate you and in your person
the whole Georgian people in connection with liberating the Georgian
people from the last stronghold of the Russian imperialism and making
Georgia a base of deserved and human way of life in the region,”
the address of Chairman of the National Self-Determination Union
Paruyr Hayrikian to Georgian President Mikhail Shahakashvili read
this. According to Hayrikian, Russia has appeared in the Caucasian
region as a conqueror and as this country is not democratic it cannot
be interested in another purpose. “The withdrawal of the Russian troops
from Georgia and especially the exposure of the agent, in essence, spy
net, is a historical achievement equal to declaration of independence
in Georgia. It is no doubt the representatives of this agent net
that at the bidding of the Russian secret services sometimes play
the role of provokers hampering the Armenian-Georgian relations,”
the letter read. Hayrikian gives assurance that these attempts will
fail with the efforts of the Georgian people and very soon Georgians
in Armenia and Armenians in Georgia will feel themselves at home.
“I shake hands with you as fulfilling the dreams of my
companions-in-arms Merab Kostava, Gia Chanturia and others who
struggled for the sake of Georgia’s independence, you pave the way for
liberation and prosperity of not only Georgia but also the region,”
Paruyr Hayrikian’s letter read.

FILMS WITH PARTICIPATION OF CHARLES CHAPLIN SHOWN ON HIS BIRTHDAY AT NATIONAL GALLERY
Noyan Tapan
Apr 17 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN. On the birthday of legend of
world movie Charles Spenser Chaplin, April 16, 5 films with his
participation, shot in 1918-1922, were shown at the cinema hall of
the Armenian National Gallery. As Melik Karapetian, employee of the
educational department of the Armenian National Gallery, said in his
interview to Noyan Tapan correspondent, it is already the 4th year
showing of films dedicated to Chaplin’s birthday is organized in
Yerevan. In the first two years it was held at Yerevan children’s
library after Khnko Aper under the title “Chaplin Marathon” but
already last year a regional festival of mute movie was organized
for the first time at the National Gallery, during which mute movies
created in the regional countries were shown.

RA AMBASSADOR TO GEORGIA AND PRIMATE OF VIRAHAYOTS DIOCESE VISIT JAVAKHK
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 17 2006
AKHALKALAK, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Hrach Silvanian,
the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the RA to Georgia
and Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanian, the primate of the Virahayots Diocese
of the Armenian Apostolic Church started their two-days vitis to
Samtskhe-Javakhk on early April 15. According to the “A-Info” agency,
the first meeting of the Ambassador and His Holiness took place
in Akhaltskha where in the Saint Gregory the Illuminator church,
first, the Surb Easter Liturgy was celebrated, then a meeting with
representatives of Armenian public organizations of Akhaltskha
took place.
The Ambassador mentioned at the meeting that the visit is of
introducing character. The Ambassador of Armenia had a meeting with
Tamaz Petriashvili, the Mayor of Akhaltskha as well. After midday,
the delegation arrived from Tbilisi left for Ninotsminda and Akhalkalak
where similar meetings took place in the evening and the next day.

ACCORDING TO CHAIRMAN OF ARMENIAN ORGANIZATIONS’ COUNCIL OF JAVAKHK, REFUSAL OF GEORGIAN ARMENIANS REQUEST TO GIVE STATE STATUS TO ARMENIAN LANGUAGE NOT MORAL
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 17 2006
AKHALKALAK, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Nino Burjanadze,
the Georgian Parliament Speaker stated that though at elementary level,
everybody must learn the Abkhazian language in Georgia. The “News of
Georgia” department of the “RIA-Novosti” information agency informed
about this on April 14. The Parliament Speaker reasoned his idea with
the fact that the Constitutional status of the Abkhazian language
obliges to respect that language. According to the “A-Info” agency,
Khachatur Stepanian, representative of the Samtskhe-Javakhk Armenian
Public Organizations Council, responding Burjanadze’s statement,
again touched upon the problem of giving state status to the Armenian
language in the southern regions of Georgia populated with Armenians
(Samtskhe-Javakhk and Tsalka region). According to Kh.Stepanian, if
the language of the main inhabitation (60 thousand) of the territory
de facto independent of the central authorities is constitutionally
made state, at least in a part of the territory of the country and
its teaching in the whole country is considered necessary, it will be
immoral to refuse the request of giving state status to own language
of 200 thousand law-abiding citizens (Armenians of North Georgia)
of the country.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN COMMUNITY OF MOSCOW PREPARES TO MARK 91ST ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 17 2006
MOSCOW, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Armenian community
of the capiltal of the Russian Federation plans a number of events
dedicated to the 91st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. On the
initiative of the “Mitk” (thought) Armenian Youth Union, a meeting
with Yuri Barseghov, the Director of the Armenian Institute of
International Law and Policy of Moscow, Law Doctor, Professor, took
place at the conference-hall of the Russian Public Political Center
on April 14. The following issues were discussed at the meeting:
the Armenian Genocide as a crime against mankind and the mankind,
international recognition of the fact of the Armenian Genocide and the
legal resposibility of Turkey, official recognition and condemnation of
that crime by Turkey itself, ways of just liquidation of consequences
of the genocide, the Hay Dat (Armenian cause) solution based on the
international law. The organizer is the “Mitk” Armenian Youth Union,
which is the youth project of the “Russian-Armenian Cooperation”
public organization. Armenia young people’s meeting with Giovanni
Guaita, an Italian writer, author of a number of books about the
history of Armenia, the Armenian Church and the Armenian Genocide,
took place on April 15 at the cultural center of the Moscow city
department of the Union of Armenians in Russia. The program involves
presentation of a rare multimedia disk involving documents, photo and
video facts concerning the Armenian Genocide, questions and answers
concerning those materials. The Union of Armenians of Russia and
the Association of Armenian Youth’s Intellectual Cooperation are the
organizers of the event. 21:00- 02:00, April 22- Mourning vigil at
the Surb Haroutiun Armenian Church. The action is held already for the
second year. The goal of the action is to reach universal condemnation
of that crime against the mankind and prevetion of similar crimes in
future. The organizers are the Coordination Council of Armenian Youth
Organizations, the Armenian Students’ Association of the Moscow State
University and the “April 24” organization committee. At 11:00, April
24, the memory day of the Armenian Genocide victims, representatives
of the RA Embassy to the RF, the New Nakhijevan and Russian Diocese of
the Armenian Apostolic Church, Armenian public organizations will lay
wreaths at the khachkar (cross stone) in the territory of the Surb
Haroutiun Armenian church. At 12:00 the Liturgy will be celebrated
at the Surb Haroutiun church to the memory of the Armenian Genocide
victims. The Liturgy will be celebrated by Bishop Yezras Nersisian,
the Primate of the New Nakhijevan and Russian Diocese of the Armenian
Apostolic Church. At 13:30 the same day, a mass meeting is envisaged
at the Turkish Embassy. The organizers are the Union of Armenians of
Russia, the “Mitk” Armenian Youth Union, the Coordination Countil of
Armenian Youth Organizations.

ARMENIAN-LATVIAN FISH AND CRAYFISH PROCESSING JOINT VENTURE SET UP IN RIGA
Noyan Tapan
Apr 17 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN. A joint venture for fish and crayfish
processing was set up in the capital of Latvia – Riga in January
2006. According to Hayk Mejlumian, Director of programs of the RA
Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), the enterprise will start
operating until late 2006. He said that the European Union does
not yet allow to import fish products and processed crayfish from
Armenia into EU member states. However, it will become possible if
Armenian fish and crayfish are processed in Latvia, which is a EU
member state. In his words, it is envisaged that the Armenian-Latvian
enterprise will produce frozen, canned fish, as well as other processed
fish products. The enterprise plans to export its production to Sweden
and Finland.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ALAVERDI COPPER SMELTI0NG-WORKS’ EMMISSIONS TO DECLINE BY 30% IN A YEAR
Noyan Tapan
Apr 17 2006
ALAVERDI, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN. Measures are underway to reduce
emissions of the Alaverdi copper smelting-works. Nikolai Feofanov,
head of the production department of the copper smelting-works, told
NT correspondent that after the installation of absorbtive equipment,
which will take about a year, emissions will decline by 30%. The works
currently employs 650 people insteas of the previous 850 employees,
200 of whom were transferred to the Drmbon concentration mill (Artsakh)
of the Armenian Copper Company.