AKHALKALAK MAYOR PROHIBITS SPREADING OF BOOKLETS WITH FALSE
INFORMATION CONCERNING CITY
AKHALKALAK, APRIL 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. By financing of
the UN Development Program and the Urban Institute, within the
framework of the “Society’s Participation in Local Self-Government”
program, a booklet is translated in the Georgian, English and Russian
languages about the city of Akhalkalak, what caused indignation of the
main inhabitation of Akhalkalak, Armenians. According to the “A-Info”
agency, the plan of the city of Akhalkalak and information about
Akhalkalak are published in the booklet. The main reason for
displeasure is wrong information concerning history of the city.
Akhalkalak Mayor Nairi Iritsian expressed displeasure to the people
implementing the program also for not publishing Armenian copies of
the booklet. Iritsian warned that booklets will not be given to people
in Akhalkalak as they have no connection with the society’s
participation in the local self-government because of their being not
in the Armenian language and involving false facts.

AKHALKALAK BRANCH OF TBILISI STATE UNIVERSITY TO PASS PROCESS OF
ACCREDITATION
AKHALKALAK, APRIL 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Akhalkalak
branch of the Tbilisi State University will pass a process of
accreditation soon. According to Roin Ghavrelishvili, the Director of
the branch, the branch is not able today to satisfy claims laid by the
state. But he hopes that as to a newly founded institution of higher
education, the branch will not be laid claims, and it will continue to
function. The “A-Info” agency reminds that the Akhalkalak branch of
the Tbilisi State University has been founded in 2002 and has about
450 students today. In spite of the statement made by the Government
at the moment of founding, that mainly or exclusively young people
from Javakhk will study here, today the most part of students of the
university are Georgian young people who have come from different
regions of Georgia. It is enough to mention that only 4 young people
from Javakhk entered the university in 2005, two of who are Armenians,
two are Georgians.

16 CASINOS AND 48 PRIZE GAMES OPERATE IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, NOYAN TAPAN. By the end of the first quarter of
2006, licences of 16 casinos and 48 prize games were valid in
Armenia. NT was informed at the RA Ministry of Finance and Economy
that in early 2006, licences of 18 casinos and 51 prize games were
valid in the country. According to the same source, licences of one
casino and two prize games were granted in March, while licences of
two casinos and three prize games were recognized invalid. It was
noted that three licences for lottery running are valid in Armenia.

From: [email protected]
Subject: Tagizade: RA FM Statement Constructive, Evidence of Adherence to…
TAIR TAGIZADE: STATEMENT OF RA FOREIGN MINISTRY’S HEAD IS CONSTRUCTIVE
AND IS EVIDENCE OF ADHERENCE TO PEACEFUL NEGOTIATIONS
BAKU, APRIL 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The last statements of Armenian Foreign
Minister V.Oskanian are constructive and demonstrate adherence to the
process of peaceful negotiations. Tair Tagizade, Head of the
Information and Press Department of Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry,
reported this to Trend. He meant V.Oskanian’s April 20 statement,
according to which “if Azerbaijan recognizes the Nagorno Karabakh
people’s right to determine its future status on its own, Armenia is
ready to seriously discuss issues connected with liquidation of the
consequences of the war”. “This statement is evidence of the fact that
the Armenian party intends to take an active part in the process of
peaceful negotiations on settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani,
Nagorno Karabakh conflict, T.Tagizade said. – De facto this statement
is the confirmation of the Armenian party’s adherence to the
“stage-by-stage” settlement. As it is known, according to the
“stage-by-stage” variant, at the first stage the issue of withdrawal
of the Armenian armed forces from the regions surrounding Nagorno
Karabakh is to be solved. There are also a lot of attendant elements
here, including mine-clearing, restoration of communications, return
of displaced people, provision of their security. And the second stage
is the determination of the Nagorno Karabakh status”. As for the
self-determination, according to T.Tagizade, it is quite possible
inside a state, too. “This is the very status of the highest autonomy
we are speaking about. Thus, this can be estimated as the Armenian
party’s confirmation of its adherence to the process of peaceful
negotiations and realization of the essence of the national interests
of Armenia,” he summed up. T.Tagizade also expressed an opinion in
connection with V.Oskanian’s statement that Armenia set itself a task
to join the Transcaspian gas pipeline and has already started serious
negotiations about this with U.S. “Armenia cannot carry on any
negotiations with U.S. for a number of reasons. One of the reasons is
that no regional projects are possible without Azerbaijan’s
participation, either as a starting-point as an exporter or as a
transit state. We will consider cooperation with Armenia possible only
after the settlement of the conflict and liquidation of its
consequences,” the representative of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry
emphasized.

1.3 THOUSAND UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE GOT JOB IN ARMENIA STARTING EARLY THIS YEAR
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The average number of economically
active inhabitation of Armenia made 1163.1 thousand people in
January-February, 92.4% or 1074.3 thousand of who were engaged in
economy. 88.8 thousand people having no job have been registered in
the “RA Employment Service” of the RA Ministry of Labour and Social
Issues and got status of unemployed people. According to data of the
RA National Statistical Service, as of late February, 92.5% or 107
thousand of the 115.7 thousand people searching a job registered in
the agency were unemployed people 83.6% or 89.4 thousand people of who
got status of unemployed people. Women made 70.8% of the registered
unemployed people. This index increased by 0.5% compared with the same
period of time of the last year. 1.3 thousand people got job starting
from early this year. Women make 59.2% of them.

1594.9 TONS OF HUMANITARIAN AID BROUGHT TO ARMENIA IN JANUARY-FEBRUARY
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, NOYAN TAPAN. 1594.9 tons of goods of the total cost
of 4.6 mln U.S. dollars were brought to Armenia as humanitarian aid in
January-February, 2006. To recap, 676.7 tons of goods of 7792.2
thousand dollars were brought to Armenia during the same period of
time of the last year. According to the RA National Statistical
Service, paper and goods of paper made 25.5% of the got aid, textiles
made 18.4%, instruments and apparatus made 17.6%, non-precious metals
and goods made of them made 19.6%.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DAYS OF JAZZ TO BE HELD IN ARMENIA ON APRIL 26-30, ON INITIATIVE OF
U.S. EMBASSY
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The 5th festival “Days of Jazz” will
be held on April 26-30 on the initiative of the U.S. Embassy to the
RA. Concerts of Armenian and American jazz musicians, shows of films
and dancing jazz performances, a competition and an exhibition of
young artists’ works are envisaged within the framework of the
event. According to the information submitted to Noyan Tapan by the
U.S. Embassy, during the festival the Judy Bady Quartet from New York
will have a concert with Armenian prominent jazz musicians.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RA POLICE DELEGATION TO PARTICIPATE IN SITTING OF CIS COUNTRIES’
INTERIOR MINISTERS’ COUNCIL TO BE HELD IN DUSHANBE
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian delegation headed by RA
Police Chief Officer Haik Haroutiunian will also participate in the
regular sitting of the Interior Ministers’ Council of the CIS
countries to take place in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, on
April 21-22. Issues relating to development of future cooperation of
the Interior Ministries of the CIS states will be discussed during the
sitting. At the same time, the “Antiterror-2006” anti-terrorism
military exercises are held in Dushanbe, in which servicemen of
special detachments of the RA Police participate as well. During the
same days, the meeting of the Chairmen of Veterans’ Councils of
Interior Ministries of the CIS member states will take place in
Dushanbe for participating in which R.Babayan, the Chairman of the RA
Police Veterans Council left for Dushanbe in the staff of the RA
Police delegation. The RA Police delegation left for Dushanbe on April
20.

STATE ENGINEERING UNIVERSITY OF ARMENIA RECOGNIZED WINNER IN
COMPETITION ANNOUNCED BY U.S. CRDF FUND AND NFSAT
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The “Synthesis and Research of
Polymers” program presented by the State Engineering University of
Armenia (SEUA) was recognized the winner in the grant competition
stated by the U.S. CRDF fund and the National Foundation of Science
and Advanced Technologies (NFSAT). 4 programs were presented from
Armenia in this competition, among them there were works from the
Yerevan State University and other scientific centers. As Yuri
Sargsian, the SEUA acting Rector, RA NAS academician stated at the
April 20 press-conference, the primary goal of this program of total
cost of 300 thousand dollars is creation of a scientific-educational
center functioning on the first line of high technologies, as well as
preparation of a new generation of future scientists. Yuri Sargsian
mentioned that this grant operating by co-financing has been given for
three years the half of which, 150 thousand dollars, the Armenian side
will put in: the RA Ministry of Education and Science will put in 90
thousand dollars, the SEUA – 60 thousand dollars. For founding the
scietific-educational center, the University was given laboratories of
total surface of about 200 sq.m., where new equipment of 180 thousand
dollars to be bought within the framework of the program will be
placed. According to Sevan Davtian, the scientific head of the
program, 15 young scientists, graduate students and mastering students
are involved in implementation of this scientific research. Two of
them have already been sent on business abroad for one month each. 15
young people working in the program will also participate in the
annual “Yenikolopov’s Readings” interntional conference to take place
in Yerevan in October. According to Sevan Davtian, young graduate and
mastering students made the best and most valuable speeches will be
sent on business abroad, to implement scientific works.

RA GOVERNMENT PROPOSES TO CHANGE NAMES OF 52 SETTLEMENTS
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The draft concerning making amendments
and additions to the RA law “On RA Administrative-Territorial Division”
was approved at the April 21 sitting of the RA Government. The draft
was worked out to liquidate foreign, inharmonious and repeated names
of settlements. The decision proposes to involve the Verin Giratagh
community of the marz of Syunik in the community of Lernadzor as a
rural settlement, and the Pirlu (Verin Geghavank) and Kyurut (Karut)
communities in the community of Geghi as a rural settlement. Taking
into account the wish of inhabitation of the Ayrum community of the
marz of Tavush, the positive opinion of interested state bodies as
well as the fact that Ayrum is practically an urban settlement with
corresponding infrastructures and has no lands of agricultural
meaning, it is proposed the give Ayrum status of an urban community.
As Manuk Vardanian, the Chairman of the State Committee of the Real
Estate Cadastre attached to the RA Government, informed journalists
after the sitting, about 60% of 40 thousand settlements, valleys,
channels, mountains of the republic are not Armenian. Names of in
total, 52 settlements are at present proposed to change. M.Vardanian
mentioned that 38 of them have a Turkish name. And names of 5
settlements will be changed at the inhabitation’s request, the main
part of which is Kurds. The process of changing the names is envisaged
to finish till late this year. According to M.Vardanian, it was also
decided to name after public, political, scientific and cultural
figures only in 10 years after their death.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress