ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT ALLOCATES 100 MLN DRAMS FOR MEASURES ON PROTECTION
OF RIVER ARAX BANKS

YEREVAN, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN. At the March 9 sitting, the Armenian
government decided to allocate 100 mln drams (about 222 thousand USD)
from the 2006 state budget-envisaged governmental reserve fund in
order to take measures on protection of the River Arax banks after
spring flooding. NT was informed about it from the RA Government
Information and PR Department.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT PROVIDES ABOUT 23 MLN DRAMS TO SOLVE PROBLEM OF
SCHOOL BUILDINGS IN FOUR BORDER VILLAGES OF SYUNIK MARZ

YEREVAN, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN. At the March 9 sitting, the Armenian
government took a decision to provide 22 mln 900 thousand drams (about
51 thousand USD) from its 2006 reserve fund to the Syunik regional
administration for the purpose of purchasing residential buildings in
a number of border villages and their reconstruction as schools in the
future. The indicated sum of money was distributed among the following
villages of the marz: Shishkert (3 mln drams), Shamb (3 mln 900
thousand drams), Ltsen (13 mln drams) and Srashen (3 mln drams).

According to the RA Government Information and PR Department, the
government also approved the amounts of funds to be allocated for
providing free textbooks to pupils of primary classes, for
reconstruction of military science classrooms and purchase of
textbooks for pupils of the inner Diaspora schools within the
comprehensive programs’ implementation assistance framework of the
2006 RA state budget.

LEVON ARONIAN FOR THE FIRST TIME TO TAKE PART IN “AMBER” TOURNAMENT

YEREVAN, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN. The traditional chess tournament
“Amber” will be held in Monte Carlo on March 18-30. The peculiarity of
it is that 12 strongest grand masters hold small competitions among
one another. One of the games will be held by “blind”, the second one
by fast chess rules. Levon Aronian, the strongest chess-player of
Armenia for the first time received an invitation of taking part in
the competitions. The competitors of the World cup holder in the Monte
Carlo will be world champion Veselin Topalov (Bulgary), Vishvanatan
Anand (India), Peter Leko (Hungary), Vasili Ivanchuk (Ukraine), Pyotr
Svidler, Alexander Grishchuk, Alexander Morozevich (three from
Russia), Boris Gelfand (Israel), Luk Van Velin (Holland), Fransisko
Valejo (Spain) and Peter-Hans Nilsen (Denmark).
From: Baghdasarian

RA GOVERNMENT ALLOCATES 50 MLN DRAMS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN’S FOOTBALL

YEREVAN, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN. According to the decision made at the
March 9 sitting, RA government allocated 50 mln drams (nearly 111
thousand USD) to the State Committee of Physical Culture and Sport
attached to RA government. According to the Information and Public
Relations Department of the RA government, the sum will be given as a
donation to the Football Federation of Armenia for the purpose of
development of the children’s football in Armenia.

LYCOS-ARMENIA GIVES CERTIFICATES TO 35 STUDENTS OF YEREVAN STATE
UNIVERSITY AND YEREVAN STATE ENGINEERING UNIVERSITY

YEREVAN, MARCH 9.ARMINFO. Lycos-Armenia handed certificates to 35
students of the Yerevan State University and the Yerevan State
Engineering University, today.

Robert Chaplin, general director of LYCOS-Armenia, informed that this
arrangement is held in Yerevan for the second time already. The
students learnt Java, JavaScript, Web Technology, OOP, MySQL, PHP ¨
Flash programs at the courses initiated by Lycos-Armenia. Chaplin
informed that 17 graduates of the last year’s classes are already the
employees of their company, while 20 gradutes work for Sourcia. The
officials of the company stated that LYCOS-Armenia proved to be a
succesfully working branch for LYCOS-EUROPE.

It’s worth mentioning that LYCOS-Armenia opened computer rooms at the
Yerevan State University and the Yerevan State Engineering University
with the assistance of DEG, the German Public Fund.

THE COMMISSION OF ECONOMIC COMPETITION PROTECTION WILL CONSIDER K-
TELECOM’S CLAIM UPON ARMENTEL

YEREVAN, MARCH 9. ARMINFO. The Governmental Commission for Economic
Competition Protection will consider the claim of K-Telecom cell
operator upon ArmenTel on March 10.

The Commission informs that K-Telecom complained on ArmenTel’s abuse
of its dominating position. On December 43, 2005 ArmenTel fixed the
price of telephone conversations of the mark of AMD 2 per
minute. ArmenTel uses this tariff system not only in ArmenTel cell but
also in the fixed telephone network. This system will be in use until
April 30 and is subsided by incomes from international
phonecalls. According to K-Telecom, this tariff is unlawful, as
K-Telecom has to pay ArmetTel AMD 9,96 per minute in Yerevan and 14,04
in the regions for retranslating phonecalls in the fixed network.

The K-Telecom company board assures that abusive policy of ArmenTel
causes loss to K-Telecom and creates unhealthy atmosphere in the cell
communication market of Armenia.

ArmenTel says that the 2 AMD per minute limit is a special business
offer for a limited time period. By the License No. 60, given to
ArmenTel, the company has the right of mutual subsiding of inner and
international communication services until January 1, 2010.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

US ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EUROPE AND EURASIAN AFFAIRS DANIEL
FRIED TO VISIT AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA

YEREVAN, MARCH 9. ARMINFO. US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe
and Eurasia Daniel Fried is to visit Azerbaijan and Armenia. Us
Department of State Official Representative Sean McCormack told
journalists in Washington, Russian Mass Media report. He said D. Fried
is to arrive in the region next week. One of the goals of his visit is
discussion of the recent meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani
presidents in Rambouillet.

Armenian opposition leader says president invited to USA over Karabakh

Arminfo
9 Mar 06

Yerevan, 9 March: “An invitation to [Armenian President] Robert
Kocharyan to visit the USA by the director of the US Millennium
Challenge Corporation is offensive for Armenia,” the leader of the
Democratic Party of Armenia, Aram Sarkisyan, said at the National
Press Club today.

Sarkisyan said that the director of the US Millennium Challenge
Corporation should hold meetings with the Armenian minister of labour
and social security. Sarkisyan described the invitation to the
Armenian president to visit the USA as mysterious in the light of US
State Secretary Condoleezza Rice’s statement saying that the US State
Department is very disappointed with the results of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani talks at Rambouillet.

He believes that the USA could use the Armenian president’s visit to
step up pressure on the Yerevan government in order to soften its
position at the negotiating table. “Increased pressure on Kocharyan by
international organizations can result in his resignation,” the
opposition leader said.

Touching on increasing anti-Armenian propaganda in the Azerbaijani
media and belligerent statements by Azerbaijani leaders, Sarkisyan
said that the Baku government could take military steps only after
receiving permission from the geopolitical players – the USA, Europe
and Russia.

US official hails Armenia’s “important” steps towards NATO

Mediamax news agency
7 Mar 06

Yerevan, 7 March: “The pace of development of US-Armenian
military-political relations depends on Yerevan – our doors are widely
open,” US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and
Eurasian Affairs Matthew Bryza told a press conference in Yerevan
today.

“Whatever pace Armenia chooses, it won’t be too fast for us, the
Americans,” Bryza jokingly said.

Bryza pointed out that last year Armenia has taken a lot of important
steps towards the establishment of closer cooperation with the
Euro-Atlantic community. In connection with this, he especially noted
the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) between Armenia and
NATO.

Asked about Russia’s relations with regional countries, Bryza said
this was a matter for decision by Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. He
added that “Russia will continue to remain the major trading partner
of all regional countries”.

Azeri pressure group accuses Hungarian court of bias

Trend news agency
9 Mar 06

Baku, 9 March: The city court of Budapest has taken a biased stance
towards Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov by not heeding lawyers’
arguments, as well as the causes and the motivation of his deed
[Safarov is accused of killing an Armenian officer during NATO
courses], the Karabakh Liberation Organization (KLO) has said in a
statement.

The city court of Budapest accepted the findings of the fourth expert
conclusion on Ramil Safarov which said that he was sane when
committing the crime. The findings of two previous expert opinions
were not taken into consideration [the second conclusion said he was
partially sane and the third certified him as not sane]. The KLO
believes that the decision of the city court of Budapest and the
refusal to look into petitions filed by Safarov’s defence represent an
attempt to deliver the harshest verdict on his case at the directives
from the Armenian government.

“The Hungarian authorities could not resist the pressure from the
Armenian leadership and the Armenian lobby. They did not take a fair
position but [acted] in the interests of the political situation. The
KLO resolutely condemns the decision of the court and demands a change
in the position of the Hungarian authorities which was formed under
Armenians’ pressure. If the city court of Budapest delivers an unfair
verdict, this will be a blow to relations between Azerbaijan and
Hungary,” the statement said.