Armenpress
INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM TO CELEBRATE CHILD PROTECTION
DAY STARTS IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MAY 29, ARMENPRESS: A three-day
international scientific symposium aimed at fostering
a discussion of modern practices and issues of child
protection opened today in Yerevan at the hall of
sessions of the Armenian government building. First of
its type in Armenia, this event was organized by World
Vision Armenia in cooperation with the USAID and
UNICEF.
Among the participants are leading specialists in
the sphere of child protection, special pedagogy and
inclusive education, experts from Russia, Georgia,
Switzerland, Serbia, and other countries, as well as
representatives of Ministries, international and local
NGOs, charity foundations, educational and healthcare
institutions.
The Symposium is supposed to introduce new and
effective methodologies, discuss state policies and
strategies related to child protection, and foster
productive dialogue and cooperation among different
entities operating in this sphere.

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EXPRESSROAD TO BE CONSTRUCTED
[08:24 pm] 29 May, 2006
The first expressroad in Armenia is to be constructed in the
capital. The part of the Admiral Isakov avenue from the stadium
«Hrazdan» until the «Zvartnots» airport crossroad will be changed into
an expressroad.
According to Frunzeh Basentsyan, the head of the Yerevan municipality
urban development administration, the above mentioned part of the
avenue can be easily turned into a 7-meter wide two-sided
expressroad. The officials in the municipality think that there will
be no problems with the owners of the casinos in Paraqar.

Panorama.am
14:54 29/05/06
DO CASINO AND SHOP OWNERS AGREE?
The Armenian authorities intend to make capital reconstruction of
Isakov avenue, a space running from Victory Bridge to the crossroad
leading to airport Zvartnots, the head of construction administration,
municipal improvements and utility services of Yerevan municipality
Yervand Basentsyan told a briefing today. In his words, double sided
express road will function on this section complying with
international standards.
It should be noted that casinos and furniture shops have been
operating on the section for a long time. The furniture shops display
their products on the street. Answering to the question `what will the
fate of those shops be,’ Basentsyan responded, `high advertisement
posters will be posted in front of the shops but that will not trouble
them.’ However, the shop owners would hardly like that. The casinos
will be isolated from the highway, either, with a road section with
6.5-meter width.
Speaking about municipal improvements and construction, Basentsyan
said that 11 emergency buildings will be reconstructed this year in
Yerevan. `2-3 buildings will be put in commission by the end of June
and the rest will be commissioned by the end of November,’ he
said. The city authorities plan to recover street illumination in 13
streets this year. 5.5 billion drams are allotted to municipal
improvements with 1.5 billion drams already in use./Panorama.am/

Regnum, Russia
May 29 2006
Europe Publishing House has published `Karabakh Conflict: Azerbaijani
Vision’ Collected Articles by REGNUM Agency
`Karabakh Conflict: Azerbaijani Vision’ Collected Articles by REGNUM
News Agency, prepared with assistance of the Eurasian Research
Institute Development Foundation, was published by Europe Publishing
House (Moscow). The book contains various materials, which
demonstrate perception of Karabakh conflict’s past and present by
Azerbaijani society.
First part of the book contains interviews of REGNUM correspondents
in Baku Rafik Mustafayev and Mamed Syleymanov with well-known
Azerbaijani political analysts and public figures Mubarriz
Akhamdoglu, Rauf Rajabov, Shahin Rzayev, Arif Yunusov, Eldar
Zeynalov, Eldar Namazov. The second part consists of 2005-2006
Azerbaijani mass media (Zerkalo, Echo, 525th daily, Real Azerbaijan)
selected publications on Karabakh conflict. The third part contains
Azerbaijani official documents regarding tragic events of Karabakh
war.
REGNUM Editor-in-Chief Konstantin Kazenin is the collected articles’
main compiler and author of the preface. The book’s presentation is
planned to be held in the near future in Azerbaijani capital Baku.

AFX News Limited
Russia to remove enriched uranium from other former Soviet-bloc states by
2013
05.29.2006, 09:02 PM
MOSCOW (XFN-ASIA) – The government here has announced that it will
repatriate by 2013 the enriched uranium from reactors in 17 countries
that formerly belonged to the Soviet bloc, as part of the Global
Threat Reduction Initiative.
The 17 countries, which together possess 20 Soviet-era nuclear
reactors, have all agreed to participate in the initiative.
The initiative, launched by the US in 2004, aims to identify, secure
and remove from other countries around the world any US or Russian
nuclear materials, in order to avoid their falling into the hands of
terrorists.
Russia’s first operation was completed in secret in April, when 63
kilograms of uranium was removed from Uzbekistan, according to Valeri
Govorukhin, deputy director-general of Technsabexport, which deals
with exports of products and services produced by the Russian federal
atomic energy agency.
‘The Uzbek reactor was only 37 kilometres from Afghanistan,’ where
US-led forces are battling Islamist extremists, Govorukhin said.
‘The operation was paid for by the US and cost around 7 mln usd, a
third of which went on environmental protection,’ he said.
The next two countries from which Russia plans to remove fissile
material are Latvia and the Czech Republic.
‘We plan to finish the program of repatriating enriched uranium by
2013,’ Govorukhin said.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, more than 100
research reactors around the world are using highly enriched uranium
that could be used for terrorist purposes.
afp/jm

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`IF THE EU SURVIVES FOR ANOTHER 50 YEARS, WE WILL BECOME ITS MEMBER’
[06:11 pm] 29 May, 2006
`Europe is not a kindergarten to leave us inside by the hand. We must
be integrated into it to have achievement,’ NA deputy Shavarsh
Kocharyan thinks. Saying `Europe’ he means the nucleus of
Europe. During the seminar organized by the NGO `European Integration’
he represented a report on the theme `The System of European values as
the result of the competition between the nations and combat of
nations for their right of property.’
The head of the National Democratic Party mentioned that the way of
integration is difficult but the results are profitable. He brought
the example of France enumerating the revolutions and offering to
follow their examples. He mentioned three factors: national interest,
system of values and religion. He thinks that all the nations are in a
competition. According to him, in order to become member of the EU
and to be more powerful the national values must be preserved. `The
State which processes an efficient way of governing wins. And the
efficiency of the governing must be based upon the system of values,’
Shavarsh Kocharyan says.
Head of the NGO `European Integration’ Karen Beqaryan is convinced
that the process of integration cannot be carried out in a
day. According to him, it is better to take our time as unnecessary
rush can cause undesirable results.
`First we must become a national state and only then – member of the
EU,’ head of the Mass Media Caucasian Institute Alexander Iskandaryan
claims. By the way, mentioning that he has nothing to do with
Nostradamus, he added that if the EU survives for another 50-60 years,
we will become its member by all means.

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ARMENIAN TEAM MAKES ITS FIRST PLACE FIRMER
[11:39 am] 30 May, 2006
The Armenian chess team celebrated its next victory in the 8th round
of the World Olympiad beating the team of Cuba 3:1. Vladimir Hakobyan
and Gabriel Sargsyan among the Armenian Grand Masters celebrated their
victory, and Levon Aronyan and Karen Asryan tied their meetings. After
these meetings Armenia firmed its first place by 24 additional points
as the Russian team tied with the Czech team 2:2.
At present the Russian and the Ukrainian teams are in the second place
with 22 points. The Ukrainian team beat the Sweden team 3:1. By the
way, Armenian Grand Master Gabriel Sargsyan gained 7 points from the 8
meetings he held, thus showing the best result in the current
Olympiad. Vladimir Hakobyan also displays excellent participation, and
he has already gained 6 points from the previous 7 rounds. Armenia
will meet the Ukrainian team in the 9th round. This will be the most
important meeting. Provided they win, Armenian chess players will have
a good opportunity to occupy the first place. The Russian team will
meet the French one in this round.
Armenian women team beat the Indian team 2:1 due to Lilit Lazarian
and Elina Danielyan. Siranoush Andreasyan lost the meeting this
time. At present the team is in the 9th place with 15.5 points. The
leader is the Russian team with its 19 points. The next rival of the
Armenian women team will be the German team.

NEGOTIATIONS ON NA VACANT LEADING POSTS STILL GO ON
YEREVAN, MAY 29, NOYAN TAPAN. As of May 29, the negotiations on
parliamentary vacant posts still continued. These posts became vacant
as a result of the Orinats Yerkir Party’s leaving the coalition and
the acception of the party representatives’ resignations from the
posts assumed by them within the framework of the coalition
memorandum. The same day it was also envisaged to convene a sitting of
political coalition’s council on the above-mentioned issue.
According to preliminary information, it is envisaged to convene a NA
special sitting on May 31 where, among other issues, the issue of the
election will be also discussed. The agreement on nomination of the
candidature of current NA Vice-Speaker, Vice-Chairman of the
Republican Party of Armenia Tigran Torosian for the post of RA NA
Speaker is considered to be achieved, while one can speak about the
possible candidates for the post of the chairmen of two standing NA
committees and for NA Vice-Speaker’ post that will be vacant in case
of Tigran Torosian’s being elected NA Speaker only at the level of
rumors. As Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed by by RPA faction
Head Galust Sahakian, the principle of political balance will be
preserved in the issue of nominating candidates for NA vacant leading
posts and the opinion of the committees will be taken into
consideration when determining the candidates for the posts of the
committees chairmen. According to non-official data, the right of
nominating a candidature of the chairman of NA Standing Committee on
Defence, National Security and Internal Affairs, in all probability,
will be reserved for the ARF Dashnaktsutiun faction though formerly it
was ULP that aspired to this post. The latter wil be given the post of
the Chairman of RA NA Standing Committee on Social, Healthcare and
Nature Protection Issues. To recap, Mnatsakan Petrosian, the only
representative of the faction in the above-mentioned committee, is the
current Vice-Chairman of the Committee.

VANADZOR INHABITANTS MARK 88th ANNIVERSARY OF KARAKILISA HEROIC
STRUGGLE

VANADZOR, MAY 29, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The 88th anniversary
of Karakilisa heroic sruggle was marked on May 28 in Vanadzor. In the
morning the inhabitants of Vanadzor moved towards the place called
Kotrats Yekeghetsi (Broken Church), to the memorial of the fighters
who perished in the Karakilisa battle. Leader of Gugark Diocese of
Armenian Apostolic Church Sepuh Bishop Chuljian made a patriotic
speech, then a requiem took place in the churchyard.
Those present at the event stood in silence to respect the memory of
the fighters who perished in the liberation struggle, laid flowers and
wreaths to their memorial. On May 28 1918, Armenia marked three
victories at once, in Sardarapat, in Bash-Aparan and in Karakilisa.

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SAMVEL BALASANYAN RESIGNS
[06:41 pm] 29 May, 2006
Head of the OYP faction Samvel Balasanyan answering our questions
confirmed that he is not going to leave the party. After he failed to
be present at the NA briefings the rumors about his resignation
sounded more and more truthful. `I have lived for 52 years and lived
in a righteous way. I have two children who are about to start their
own lives. Wouldn’t they asked me – father, what have you done?’
Samvel Balasanyan said.
Asked if he will continue to head the faction or Arthur Baghdasaryan
will take up the responsibility Samvel Balasanyan answered with a
counter question, «Do you think it is possible to announce during
tomorrow’s plenary session that member of the OYP faction Arthur
Baghdasaryan is going to make speech? Naturally that won’t happen, so
I’m resigning immediately. I will announce about it officially». By
the way, there have been no discussions in the party yet but Samvel
Balasanyan is decisive.