COMPOSER EDVARD MIRZOYAN AWARDED UN’S “LEONARDO DA VINCI” MEDAL
Noyan Tapan
May 17 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 17, NOYAN TAPAN. Under the decision of the European
Committee of Public Awards and Prizes attached to UN, USSR People’s
Artist, composer Edvard Mirzoyan was awarded “Leonardo da Vinci”
medal and diploma. Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed about it by
Gayane Durgarian, Press Executive of RA Ministry of Culture and Youth
Affairs. The composer was recommended for the award by RA Ministry
of Culture and Youth Affairs and the Armenian Peace Foundation.

ENTRANCE TO ALL ARMENIAN MUSEUMS TO BE FREE ON MAY 18, INTERNATIONAL DAY OF MUSEUMS
Noyan Tapan
May 17 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 17, NOYAN TAPAN. Like in the whole world, International
Day of Museums will be marked in Armenia on May 18. The entrance to
all museums of Yerevan and regions will be free for all visitors on
that day. As Anahit Galstian, Head of Museums and Libraries Department
of RA Ministry of Culture and Youth Affairs, said in her interview to
Noyan Tapan correspondent, at present 110 state and non-state museums,
house-museums and reserve-museums work in Armenia, 60 of which are
under the protection of the state and 30 under the protection of
the communities. The rest of the museums work under the patronage of
individual citizens or organizations. In spite of numerous obstacles
the museums had in the recent years, they continued to work. Some
museums closed but new ones opened instead of them. According to
A.Galstian, on the occasion of the International Day of Museums
Armenia has joined 3 international actions, the most interesting
of which is the “Museum Night” action announced on May 20. Subject
events accompanied by musical programs will be organized from 5:00 pm
to 1:00 am on May 20 at all state museums. These actions are aimed
at development and protection of museums. The International Day of
Museums has been marked in Armenia since 1978.

ARA ABRAHAMIAN POINTS TO NECESSITY OF ACTIVE WORK WITH YOUTH
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 17 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 17, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Armenian President
has expressed readiness to provide all possible assistance to the work
of the World Armenian Congress. World Armenian Congress President Ara
Abrahamian declared this at the May 17 press conference in Yerevan. He
pointed to the active work of WAC in different directions, including
research and humanitarian ones.
At present the expert group created within the framework of WAC is
working at collecting documents relating to the Armenian Genocide for
the purpose of applying to the International Court with a lawsuit. A
preparatory work on organization of the third congress of the Armenians
of Western Armenia is also being done: the second analogous congress
was held in 1919. At the same time, according to Ara Abrahamian, in
contrast to the Union of Armenians of Russia that united the majority
of Armenian organizations of that country, during 2.5 years of its
existence WAC was not able to unite the Diasporan Armenians.
According to him, WAC had possibilities to open branches in many
countries but no corresponding conditions have been created for
this yet: there are problems inside many organizations and parties
in the Diaspora: “The Armenian communities in the U.S., in France
and in other countries are not ready for opening our branches, we
failed to work together”. He pointed to the necessity of more active
work with the youth: “The youth is our future and we should foster
the feeling of consolidation and unity in the young people, which we
lack”. As for WAC’s possible participation in the home political life
of Armenia Ara Abrahamian declared: “We cannot be indifferent to the
political situation in Armenia, we should take part in it as much as
the Armenian legislation permits this: participate but not intervene”.

FOOTBALL PLAYER OF ARMENIAN ORIGIN INVOLVED IN IRANIAN TEAM
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 17 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 17, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Andranik Teymurian,
a football player of Armenian origin was involved in the national team
of Iran which will participate in games of football world championship
in Germany in the summer. As Radio Liberty informs quoting the DPA
agency information, 23 years old Teymurian is the only Christian
member of the Iranian team. He is involved in the list of those 25
players whose names main trainer of the Iranian national team Branko
Ivankovich made public.

TWO DEPUTY MINISTERS OF “ORINATS YERKIR” DISCHARGED THEIR POSTS
Noyan Tapan
May 17 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 17, NOYAN TAPAN. By RA Prime Minister Andranik Margarian’s
decree, Arayik Grigorian was dischared the post of the RA Deputy
Minister of Trade and Economic Development starting from May 15,
2006. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA Government’s Information
and Public Relations Department, by the Prime Minister’s another
decree, Artsruni Aghajanian was discharged the post of the RA Deputy
Minister of Labour and Social Issues.

MICROSOFT OFFICE OPENS IN YEREVAN
Noyan Tapan
May 17 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The official ceremony of opening the
Yerevan Office of the Microsoft company took place in Yerevan on May
16. According to the company’s information, so far, Microsoft has
opened its representative offices in such CIS countries as Russia,
Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Microsoft’s Deputy
Regional Chairman for Central and Eastern Europe Vahe Torosian said
that the company management made this decision, taking into account
a high level of knowledge in the spheres of high technologies,
engineering, mathematics and physics in the regional countries,
particularly in Armenia. “We should try to develop a powerful,
healthy and competitive system of information technologies in
Armenia,” he noted. According to him, one of Microsoft’s first
undertakings in Armenia will be translation of the operation system
Windows XP into Armenian and making it available to consumers in
late summer 2006. Microsoft has such a problem as protection of
intellectual property rights, particularly, unlicensed use of its
software. V. Torosian said that in this respect they encounter serious
problems in all CIS countries, including in Armenia where up to 90%
of the software used are unlicensed.

DILIJAN TO BECOME TOURISM CENTER
Noyan Tapan
May 17 2006
DILIJAN, MAY 17, NOYAN TAPAN. A tourism association was founded with
the aim of developing tourism in Dilijan. The association is headed
by the city mayor Armen Santrosian. Besides, a tourism department
at the mayor’s office has functioned since early 2006. According to
A. Santrosian, about 20% of Dilijan rest houses and 80% of resort
houses will be available to tourists this summer. The city council of
aldermen has already approved the program on repair and asphalt laying
of Dilijan’s main streets with resources of the community budget. It
is envisaged to implement the program after rains stop. The drinking
water pipes and reservoirs will be repaired as well. $1.16 mln was
allocated from the World Bank credit resources for this purpose. The
program on water pipes repair will start this year and finish in 2008.

40 KM OF ROADS TO BE REPAIRED IN GEGHARKUNIK MARZ THIS YEAR
Noyan Tapan
May 17 2006
GAVAR, MAY 17, NOYAN TAPAN. 2 bln 800 mln drams (about 6.2 mln USD) was
allocated from the state budget for road construction in Gegharkunik
marz in 2006. In addition, 450 mln drams will be made available by an
IFAD program. NT correspondent was informed at the road construction
and transport department of the Gegharkunik regional administration
that this year’s allocations exceed 3fold those in 2005. A large
share of the indicated financial resources will be used for major
repairs of roads of the total lenght of 40 km. A 30-km section of
Martuni-Vardenis Road, 4.8-km section of Tsovaghyugh-Shorzha-Dzoravank
Road and a 5.2-km section of Dilijan-Dzoravank Road will undergo major
repair. The whole Gavar-Geghakunik motorway 10.4 km in length will be
repaired with IFAD funds. 530 mln drams was earmarked for operation
and winter maintenance of roads of the total length of 346.1 km.
From: Baghdasarian

RADIK MARTIROSIAN ELECTED PRESIDENT OF NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan
May 17 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 17, NOYAN TAPAN. Elections of the President of the
Armenian National Academy of Sciences were held on May 17 at the
Academy. Candidatures of Director of the Institute of Mechanics of RA
National Academy of Sciences, Academician Lenser Aghalovian, Director
of the Institute of Radiophysics and Electronics of RA National Academy
of Sciences, Academician Radik Martirosian, Academician-Secretary of
RA National Academy of Sciences Eduard Ghazarian were nominated for
this post. Radik Martirosian was elected the President of RA National
Academy of Sciences receiving 46 “for” and 27 “against” votes.
Eduard Ghazarian received 36 “for” and 37 “against” votes and Lenser
Aghalovian 35 “for” and 35 “against” votes.

GREENISH-YELLOW WATERS FROM FORMER KAPAN ORE MINING AND PROCESSING ENTERPRISE FLOW INTO VILLAGE RIVER
Noyan Tapan
May 17 2006
KAPAN, MAY 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The greenish-yellow waste waters from the
tailing dump of the former Kapan ore mining and processing enterprise,
currently Dino Gold Mining Company flew into the land plots of some
residents of the Syunik rural community and into a small river flowing
through the nearby village.
The villagers expressed their concern to the company management
and ecologists that the animals drinking water from the river may
suffer. Head of the Syunik regional environmental protection inspection
Levon Petrosian told NT correspondent that the local residents
sent a letter to the company management, damanding that it should
rectify the situation within 20 days. “If no appropriate measures
are taken within the indicated period, the case will go to court,”
the inspection head said. At the same time, L. Petrosian informed NT
correspondent that the waste waters were examined in the laboratory
of the inspection and no dangerous elements were found. According to
him, a 5-7 km section of the river bed from the tailing dump to the
main waste disposal site should be changed into a closed system to
prevent any harm to the environment.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress