CHEAP CREDITS PROVIDED TO FARMS AND AGRICULTURAL PROCESSING ENTERPRISES
Noyan Tapan
Mar 29 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 29, NOYAN TAPAN. The process of crediting of Armenian
farms and agricultural processing enterprises started in Armenia with
10 mln dollars of the International Fund for Agriculture Development
(IFAD) and 5 mln dollars of the World Bank (WB). RA Deputy Minister
of Agriculture Gagik Khachatrian stated this at a round table
“The Food Safety Problems in Armenia” organized by the Aylntrank
Research Center. According to him, the credits are provided at a 10%
annual interest rate, which is considerably lower than the market
rate, for a 7-year period. In the opinion of G. Khachatrian, such
terms of crediting will help increase competitiveness of the the
Armenian agricultural complex’s production on foreign markets. 35
mln USD to be allocated under the respective component of Armenia’s
Millennium Challenge Program will also serve the purpose of advanced
technologies introduction in the agricultural sector. G. Khachatrian
noted that the Armenian agricultural processing companies and the
departments dealing with agricultural export problems regularly
participate in international agricultural exhibitions and forums
abroad. According to the speaker, it is envisaged to display the
production of 15-20 companies of the Armenian food industry at a large
international agricultural exhibition in Paris in early 2008. The
deputy minister said that many Armenian foodstuffs of vegetable origin
are exported to European Union countries, with exports growing each
year. G. Khachatrian noted that the ministry considers every proposal
for exports promotion put forward by representatives of the private
sector.

BEE-KEEPING SPHERE TO BE REGULATED BY LEGISLATION
Noyan Tapan
Mar 29 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 29, NOYAN TAPAN. A modern laboratory of expert
examination of honey has been created by joint efforts of the RA
Ministry of Agriculture and the Multi Agro scientific-producing
union. Works of being prepared for accreditation as a honey certifying
body are in process at present. Gagik Khachatrian, the RA Deputy
Minister of Agriculture informed about this at the March 28 round
table on the theme “Problems of Food Safety in Armenia” organized
by the “Ailyntrank” (Alternative) research center. According to him,
accreditation will be implemented by an European competent body what
will give a possibility to certify the Armenian honey corresponding to
the EN standards of the European Union and to export it to the EU. Roza
Tsarukian, the Chairwoman of the Multi Agro company mentioned that till
now the Armenian honey certified corresponding to the ISO standards
was exported only to the U.S. According to her, the sphere of honey
production will be regulated in the nearest future, after adopting
the draft “On Bee-Keeping” being in circulation at the RA National
Assembly. R.Tsarukian also mentioned that Multi Agro, winning the
competition announced by the RA Government, undertook allocation of the
bought honey medicines of 9 mln drams (about 20 thousand U.S. dollars)
to bee-keepers of all the marzes of the republic. Besides, Multi Agro
organizes delivery of 1400 families of bees to needy families of the
region of Vardenis, Gegharkunik marz, and Tavush marz. 50% of those
works is already done and the work must be finished on June 28.

9 HOSPITALS TO BE FUNDAMENTALLY REPAIRED THIS YEAR IN ARMENIA WITH RESOURCES OF STATE BUDGET
Noyan Tapan
Mar 29 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 29, NOYAN TAPAN. 474 mln drams (about 1 mln USD) has
been allocated from the state budget this year for the purpose of
major repairs of 9 Armenian hospitals. Noyan Tapan correspondent was
informed about it by Manvel Saribekian, Head of RA Urban Development
Ministry’s Construction Norms Department of the Board on Construction
Policy and Disaster Zone Issues. According to him, the above-mentioned
resources will be spent on major repairs of Ashtarak, Artashat, Gavar,
Dilijan, Yeghegnadzor, Tashir hospitals, Metsavan hospital’s maternity
home, Sevan mental hospital and Yerevan St Nerses the Great Center’s
urological clinic. M.Saribekian also said that it’s envisaged to
finish the repairs by the end of the year.

GRECO SUBMITS 24 PROPOSALS TO ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan
Mar 29 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 29, NOYAN TAPAN. In early March the Armenian national
report on corruption was discussed and adopted in the Council of
Europe. As Bagrat Yesayan, RA President’s Adviser, informed at the
March 29 press conference, at the same time, 24 proposals of the Group
of States against Corruption, GRECO, were also adopted. Armenia should
carry out them in the coming 1.5 years.
In particular, for strengthening full independence of judges in
their relations with the executive power it is suggested that the
legislation on organization of the judicial system be reconsidered, the
categories of persons inviolable from criminal prosecution be reduced,
the immunity of MP candidates, members of the Central Electoral
Commission, regional and local electoral commissions, community
heads and councillor members be liquidated. According to B.Yesayan,
the adoption of the law on declaration of physical persons’ property
is also one of the important steps in fighting corruption. It was
also mentioned that as a result of fighting corruption a material loss
amounting to 3 bln 487 mln drams has been revealed up to this day. Only
236.4 mln drams (about 524 thousand USD) out of this was restored.

CSTO COORDINATION BOARD ON FIGHT AGAINST DRUG TRAFFICKING COMPLETES ITS WORK IN YEREVAN
Noyan Tapan
Mar 29 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 29, NOYAN TAPAN. The coordination board of heads of
the bodies that deal with drug trafficking issues in the Collective
Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) countries completed its work in
Yerevan on March 29. Victor Cherkesov, the board chairman, Director
of the RF Federal Service for Control over Drug Trafficking, told
reporters that the results of the operative-preventive measures
against international drug trafficking in 2005 were summarized at
the sitting. He noted with satisfaction that in addition to the
6 CSTO member states – Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan and Russia, representatives of Iran, Pakistan, Azerbaijan,
Uzbekistan and Ukraine took part in the sitting. He said that besides
the 12 countries that participated in the operations, the US and
Mongolia applied to the coordination board with a proposal to be
involved in the solution of the problem with the Afghan channel
of drug trafficking. According to V. Cherkesov, his department has
no information about drug trafficking from or via the NKR. The RA
Police Chief Hayk Harutyunian underlined that the issue is being
irrelevantly politicized, it does not correspond to the reality: the
whole territory of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic is being controlled by
the law-enforcement bodies of the NKR, whose members, in his opinion,
are professionals today.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THREE-MOUTH LAMB GROWS IN DOVEGH VILLAGE OF TAVUSH
Noyan Tapan
Mar 29 2006
IJEVAN, MARCH 29, NOYAN TAPAN. A unigue biological phenomenon – a
lamb with three mouths is growing up in the yard of Ashot Gorginian,
of the Dovegh village in Tavush marz. In addition to a usual mouth,
the lamb has two others – under each ear, with these mouths also
having teeth (one or two on each jaw) and tongues. When bleating, the
lamb is making a sound with all the three mouths, and when it takes
milk with the “front” mouth, some milk is flowing out of the other
two mouths. Yet the 1.5-month male lamb is not feeble at all. The
animal’s owner cannot provide any reason for this phenomenon.

LEVON ARONIAN TO COMPETE WITH LEADER IN NEXT TOUR OF “AMBER”
Noyan Tapan
Mar 29 2006
MONTE CARLO, MARCH 29, NOYAN TAPAN. After a one-day rest the
participants of the “Amber” chess tournament being held in Monte
Carlo resumed the competition. In the 9th tour representative
of Armenia Levon Aronian was defeated by Boris Gelfand (Israel)
in the first game by the rules of “blind” chess and won the next
game by the rules of quick chess. So, gaining 8 out of 18 possible
points, Aronian shares 9-10th places among 12 chess-players. In the
penultimate, 10th tour of the tournament Aronian will compete with
Indian Vishvantan Anand. Anand and Russian Alexander Morozevich are
at the top of the tournament table: they share 1-2nd places with 12
points each considerably leaving behind the other chess-players.

3 ARMENIAN TENNIS-PLAYERS TO TAKE PART IN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Noyan Tapan
Mar 29 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 29, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian men’s table tennis
national team will take part in the world championship to be held
from April 23 to May 2 in the German city of Bremen. For the purpose
of determining the team staff the “TOP-12” tournament traditionally
held at the end of the year was held earlier this time. 3 strongest
tennis-players were selected from 12 ones in the selective tournament
held on the sports ground of Hayastan company. As it was expected,
David Sargsian took first place. The next places were taken by Murad
Asatrian and Mesrop Ghukasian. These 3 tennis-players won the right to
take part in the world championship. As Noyan Tapan correspondent was
informed by Felix Sargsian, senior trainer of the Armenian national
team, the team is included in the 5th group. Here it will compete
with national teams of Ireland, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates,
the Dominican Republic and Guatemala.
In order not to be left out of the competition they should take 1st
or 2nd place in the group.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA HAS PROSPECT OF BECOMING TRANSIT COUNTRY FOR IRANIAN GAS
Noyan Tapan
Mar 29 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 29, NOYAN TAPAN. The “Noravank” scientific-educational
fund organized a round table on the theme “Iranian Gas between East
and West: Prospects for Armenia” on March 28. RA NA Deputies Vazgen
Manukian, Tatul Manaserian, Armen Ashotian, specialists of the RA
Foreign Ministry and National Academy of Sciences as well as experts
and analysts representing different organizations participated in the
discussion. As Sevak Saroukhanian, the Deputy Executive Director of the
“Noravank” scientific-educational fund, the main spekaer mentioned
in his speech, Armenia has some perspectives to become a transit
country on the way of exporting Iranian gas to countries of the
European Union. According to him, the EU, member countries of which
has a great dependence today from the Russian gas, is interested in
import of Iranian gas. It was also mentioned that volumes of export
of Iranian gas occupying the second place in the world after Russia
by its reserves of natural gas are very small at present. According
to the speaker, possible export of gas to Pakistan and India is
less profitable for Iran, and this program is more used by Iran
as a political trump. Considering export of gas to Europe through
the territory of Turkey indesirable, Iran, in Sevak Saroukhanian’s
opinion, may prefer Armenia with which it has good relations. In the
case of construction of a gas pipe of 50 bln cubic metre capability
annually, Armenia may expect profit of 160 mln dollars annually. But
some participants of the round table considered such a perspective for
Armenia less probable. According to expert Igor Muradian, the issue of
gas export is more political than economic, and it’ll be difficult for
Iran to combine its economic and political interests. In the opinion
of Spartak Seyranian, the editor-in-chief of the “Yerkir” weekly, Iran
will prefer to export gas to East, to increase its influence in that
region. According to Vigen Hakobian, a representative of the “Regnum”
agency, Russia will never agree that Armenia becomes a transit country.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE OBSERVED IN ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan
Mar 29 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 29, NOYAN TAPAN. A solar eclipse was observed from
Bratislava to Mongolia on March 29. The total solar eclipse was
possible to watch in Russia and Georgia. In Armenia, a partial solar
eclipse started at 3:02 pm and reached its maximum extent at about
4:20 pm, when 91.2% of the sun’s disc was covered. By 5:30 pm, the
eclipse was completed. To recap, a partial solar eclipse of about 90%
was also observed in Arnmenia in August 1999.