CONFERENCE “KNOWLEDGE-BASED ECONOMY” TO BE HELD IN PRAGUE ON MARCH 28-30
Noyan Tapan
Mar 28 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 28, NOYAN TAPAN. A conference on the subject
“Knowledge-Based Economy” is being held by the World Bank (WB) in
Prague on March 28-30, during which the participants will discuss the
ways of encouraging the most efficient use of knowledge and improving
the innovation systems in the countries of Europe and Central Asia. NT
correspondent was informed at the WB Yerevan Office that there will
be an exchange of the best experience of improving the innovative
competition at the conference. The Armenian delegation will also
take part in the conference. The delegation is composed of Lilit
Gevorgian, Assistant to the RA President, Armen Gevorgian, RA Deputy
Minister of Trade and Economic Development, and Ashot Khandanian,
Head of the Ministry’s Science, Technologies and Innovation Policy
Department. According to a WB report, the countries of Europe
and Central Asia will encounter difficulties while carrying out
innovation activities, unless universities and research institutions
cooperate with the private sector in an efficient way. According to
a WB study, among European and Central Asian states, Estonia is in
first place and Tajikistan – in the last 25th place by the index of
their knowledge-based economy. Armenia is in 13th place.

ARMENIA TO BE GIVEN INVESTMENT RATING BY THE END OF THE YEAR
Noyan Tapan
Mar 28 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 28, NOYAN TAPAN. By the end of the current year Armenia
will be given an investment rating by two authoritative international
organizations. As CBA Chairman Tigran Sargsian informed at the March
28 press conference, at present these organizations are studying
the necessary indices. According to him, the aim of giving a rating
is to provide Armenia’s appearing on the world financing map. It was
mentioned that giving of a rating by two organizations simultaneously
will ensure its objectivity.

UNESCO EXPERT TO STUDY DESTRUCTION OF ARMENIAN KHACHKARS
AZG Armenian Daily
29/03/2006
UNESCO Director General Koichiro Matsuura expressed readiness to send
a group of experts to Nakhijevan to study the site of destruction of
ancient Armenian monuments. Last week Chairman of the World Armenian
Congress Ara Abrahamyan, being a UNESCO good will Ambassador during
an official meeting drew Koichiro Matsuura’s attention to destruction
of the Armenian cemetery in Old Jugha by Azerbaijanis. In the words
of chair of the European representation of all-Armenian structures,
Armenian FM’s Advisor Ashot Grigorian, Abrahamyan censured vandalism
regarding cultural monuments. Vandalism regarding Christian monuments
in Old Jugha entails negative political consequences as well and
more destabilizes the political situation in the South Caucasus,
Abrahamyan remarked. He also invited Koichiro Matsuura to visit Armenia
to get acquainted with treasures of the Armenian culture. The UNESCO
Director-General assured in case of receiving an invitation, he will
plan his visit to Armenia with pleasure.

AIR FRANCE CARRIES OUT FIRST PARIS-YEREVAN-PARIS FLIGHT ON MARCH 28
Noyan Tapan
Mar 28 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 28, NOYAN TAPAN. The Air France French company carried
out its first Paris-Yerevan-Paris flight on March 28. As Noyan Tapan
correspondent was informed from company’s Yerevan office, French
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Henri Cuny
also left for Paris by this flight. To recap, Air France will carry
out three Paris-Yerevan-Paris flights a week.

THIS YEAR EBRD TO IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS AMOUNTING TO 40-50 MLN EUROS IN ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan
Mar 28 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 28, NOYAN TAPAN. The European Bank for Reconstruction
and Development (EBRD) plans to implement programs amounting to
40-50 mln euros this year in Armenia. Michael Davy, EBRD Armenian
Office Director, informed about it at the March 28 opening of the
international banking conference on trade financing. According to him,
programs amounting to 20 mln euros were implemented by the bank in
2005 in Armenia. They were mainly implemented in the spheres of trade,
industry and energy. M.Davy mentioned that EBRD also plans to activize
its cooperation with RA bank system. Currently EBRD is implementing
programs only with Armeconombank.

ARMENIA CONSIDERED COUNTRY WITH MOST LIBERAL TRADE REGIME
Noyan Tapan
Mar 28 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 28, NOYAN TAPAN. The trade and economic system of
Armenia fully meets the international standards. Tigran Davtian,
RA Deputy Minister of Trade and Economic Development, stated this at
the opening of the international banking conference on trade financing
on March 28. According to him, the RA trade regime is considered as a
most liberal one by international organizations, and in this respect
Armenia is among the leading countries. As a result, the deputy
minister said, the average annual growth of exports makes 15-30% in
Armenia, and the balance of payments is gradually improving. Thus,
Armenia is becoming an export-oriented country. T. Davtian expressed
a hope that this dynamics will continue in the coming years.

ROMANIA FOR PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH ISSUE
PanARMENIAN.Net
29.03.2006 01:35 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Romania is for peaceful settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict within the OSCE MG “taking into account the
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.” The position of the Romanian
party implies that conflicts like that pose a threat to regional
stability, Romanian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Nikolae Ureke said. The
diplomat referred to the concept of the Romanian party, according to
which inveterate conflicts in the Black Sea region pose a threat to
Romania itself. This is why Romania shows much interest to soonest
settlement of conflicts, including that of Nagorno Karabakh, Ureke
remarked, reports Trend.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE COMPACT SIGNED BETWEEN ARMENIA AND US
Noyan Tapan
Mar 28 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 28, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenia’s Millennium Challange
Compact worth 236.5 mln USD for a 5-year implementation period
was signed on March 27 in Washington by the RA Minister of Finance
and Economy Vardan Khachatrian and the Executive Director of the
Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) John Danilovich. According
to the press service of the RA Ministry of Finance and Economy, the
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made a speech at the signing
ceremony. The main purpose of the program to be implemented in Armenia
is poverty reduction in rural communities: 75% of the Armenian rural
population will be the direct beneficiaries of the investments. Out
of the indicated sum, 67.1 mln USD will be allocated for repairs of
village roads, and 145.67 mln USD – for reconstruction of irrigation
systems. About 23 mln USD is envisaged for the monitoring, management
and control of the program. A 6% reduction in rural poverty is expected
as a result of the program’s implementation.

NEW MAP HIGHLIGHTS NAGORNO KARABAKH AND NAKHIJEVAN AS ARMENIAN TERRITORIES
AZG Armenian Daily
29/03/2006
The website of EU Energy Commission highlights Nagorno Karabakh and
Nakhijevan as Armenian lands. According to AzeriPress agency, the
website’s “Gas” section depicts the gas pipelines passing through
Nagorno Karabakh and Nakhijevan that are included in the territory
of Armenia. The Azerbaijani embassy to Brussels has already sent a
letter of inquire to the EU.
Not long ago the European Parliament website also pictured Nagorno
Karabakh as a separate unit.

PROCESS OF PAYING COMPENSATIONS FOR DEPOSITS WITH ASSR SAVINGS BANK STARTS IN ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan
Mar 28 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 28, NOYAN TAPAN. The process of paying compensations
for the money deposits with the Savings Bank of the Armenian Soviet
Socialist Republic (ASSR) before June 10, 1993, has started in
Armenia. The compensations will be paid to the citizens who have
continuously been included in the social groups receiving family
benefits from July 1, 2005, to April 1, 2006. These social groups
include: pensioners aged 70 and above, pensioners under 70 or single
pensioners, the participants of the Great Patriotic War and persons
equated to them, the persons who participated in the RA defence
military operations in 1990-1994 and their family members, the persons
wounded as a result of it and their family members, the members of
the families of the persons killed during the RA defence military
operations, the disabled of the first, second and third groups, the
residents of border settlements who suffered from military operations,
the residents of the earthquake zone, the parents with many children
and their children. Citizens must apply to the territorial social
service agency (Paros) of their actual residence place and submit an
application, the documents confirming the identity of the depositor,
the social passport of the family, the social security card, and the
savings book. Applications must be submitted from April 12, 2006,
to May 12, 2006.