AIR FRANCE OFFERS DISCOUNTS FOR NEW PARIS – YEREVAN FLIGHT
Noyan Tapan
Mar 20 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The French company Air France, which
will operate three flights a week in Paris-Yerevan destination starting
March 28, intends to offer considerable discounts. NT correspondent was
informed at the company’s office in Yerevan that in case of purchasing
a ticket until April 9 for a Yerevan-Paris-Yerevan flight, the price
will be 332 dollars. The purchased tickets may be used until June
15. The price of a ticket outside this move makes 472 dollars. To
recap, the company Armavia that also operates Yerevan-Paris flights
is offering discounts as well – the price of a return ticket will
make 299 dollars until June 30, whereas the price of a ticket in this
destination is 474 dollars.
From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN TAX BODIES REVEAL CASES OF ILLEGAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Noyan Tapan
Mar 20 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 20, NOYAN TAPAN. Employees of the Operative
Investigation Department of the State Tax Service (STS) adjunct to the
Armenian government revealed some cases of illegal entrepreneurship. NT
correspondent was informed at the STS press service that a pavilion
used for illegal trade in gold jewelry was discovered at the address:
Yerevan, 110/7 Sebastia St. 130 items of jewelry worth a total of 11
thousand 411 USD were on display in the shop window at the moment of
discovery. Administrative fines prescribed by law were imposed in
connection with this case. An illegal workshop of wooden doors was
discovered as a result of anothet investigative measure at 134 Sebastia
St. 256 doors of the total value of 5 mln 160 thousand drams (about 11
thousand USD) were found in the workshop. An illegal spare part shop
that provided services for most of minibus passenger transportation and
taxi services was found as well. Besides, an unregistered storehouse
with spare parts of 7 mln drams without the purchase documents was
discovered by STS employees.

VOTE ON DRAFT LAW ON ABOLISHMENT OF STATE MONOPOLY IN NUCLEAR ENERGY SECTOR POSPONED AGAIN
Noyan Tapan
Mar 20 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 20, NOYAN TAPAN. At the four-day sittings of the RA
National Assembly that started on March 20, the parliament adopted
6 draft laws and a legislative package, which were discussed at the
previous 4-day sittings and envisage amendments and additions to
a number of laws. The NA also ratifieed 8 international agreements
presented by the RA President. The vote on the draft law on amendments
to the Law on Energy was postponed indefinitely. To recap, the draft
proposes abolishing the state monopoly in the energy sector. The draft
aroused serious objections, and the government agreed to postopone
the vote until the current 4-day sittings, after which the vote was
postponed indefinitely. According to the NA Speaker Artur Baghdasarian,
it will be revoted on after being discussing byt the NA together with
the government.

ARMENIA AND INDIA HAVE GREAT POTENTIAL FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TRADE AND ECONOMIC RELATIONS
Noyan Tapan
Mar 20 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The visit of the Indian representative
business delegation headed by the RA Honorary Consul Harshad Mehta
in Mumbai (former Bombay) shows that the sides have a considerable
intention to strengthen the existing links. RA Deputy Foreign Mininster
Armen Bayburtian stated this during his welcoming speech at the
Armenian-Indian business forum that opened at the Armenian Development
Agency (ADA) on March 20. According to him, the Honorary Consulate
of Armenia in Mumbai that opened last year has already generated the
first results of its activities. 36 representatives of various Armenian
companies and departments and 18 representatives of the Indian side
are participating in the event. Mrs. Reena Pandey, the Extraordinary
and Plenipotentairy Amabassador of India to Armenia, said that trade
turnover between the two states has grown by 50% in recent year and
this growth tendency is continuing, since there are opportunities for
cooperation, particularly in such spheres as metallurgy, information
technologies, film making industry, pharmaceutics, jewelry making,
precios stone cutting, tourism, and food industry.
(According to the RA official data, in 2005 the trade turnover
between the sides made about 15.9 mln USD. As of late 2005, 50
legal entities were operating in Armenia with Indian capital – with
investments of about 1.1 mln USD). The ambassador noted that issues
of economic cooperation development will be discussed at the sitting
of the Armenian-Indian intergovernmental commission in Yerevan this
year. The RA Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentairy to India
Ashot Kocharian underlined that the programs on joint work of the
Honorary Consulate of Armenia in Mumbai, the Armenian embassy in India
and the Indian embassy in Armenia have alrady been worked out. Harshad
Mehta, Honorary Consul of Armenia in Mumbai, promised that the office
headed by him will do everything to promote economic cooperation
between the two countries. He pointed out the already formed efficient
cooperation in the precious stone cutting sector. According to RA
Deputy Minister of Trade and Economic Development Tigran Davtian,
there is a great potential for developing the trade and economic
relations between Armenia and India. The two countries have entered
a stage of sustainable dynamic development, with almost the same
branches being considered as leading ones both in the economies of
Armenia and India. According to him, the annual export volumes of
India’s information and high technology enterprises have exceeded
10 bln USD, while at one time this index made only 50-100 mln USD,
as currently in case of Armenia. T. Davtian said that having arrived
in Armenia on March 18, the members of the Indian business delegation
have already had a number of meeting with the Armenian partners,
thanks to which some agreements have been reached. The representatives
of the Indian business delegation will continue their meetings with
Armenian businessmen on March 21.

YEREVAN’S MASTER PLAN DEVELOPMENT WORK SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO REGULAR ANALYSIS
Noyan Tapan
Mar 20 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 20, NOYAN TAPAN. Yerevan Mayor’s Office has already
developed the program on the Master Plan’s project measures, which
includes legal acts and other program documents. Samvel Danielian,
Chief Architect of Yerevan, said at the March 20 press conference
that altough the development of the Master Plan is gradually becoming
a reality, the whole process should be always supervised and subject
to a regular analysis. According to him, first of all, the projects of
the territorial plans of Yerevan’s aglomeration (the city’s connection
with adjacent marzes) and suburb zone should be worked out, as well as
the sketch and project proposals for building up all the communities
in Yerevan. Particularly, according to S. Daniaelian, the projects of
building up Kozern and Silikian districts, the areas adjacent to the
Mars Plant and Tsitsernakaberd motorway should be worked out. It was
noted that the work on development of the area adjacent to Surb Grigor
Lusavorich Mother Cathedral, and the 30th district (the so-called
“Firdusnots”) has been finished. The Chief Architect noted that this
year it is also envisaged to develop the zoning projects of Yerevan’s
Kentron, Ajapniak, Davtashen and Arabkir communities, while the zoning
projects of the remaining communities of Yerevan will be developed
in 2007.

TENDER FOR DEVELOPMENT WORK IN KOZERN DISTRICT TO BE HELD
Noyan Tapan
Mar 20 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 20, NOYAN TAPAN. A tender for development work in
Yerevan’s Kozern district will be announced in late March. Chief
Architect of Yerevan Samvel Danielian stated this at the March 20 press
conference. In his words, this district was announced a development
area long ago, and a development project proposal has already been
prepared. According to the Chief Architect, it is envisaged to
construct 5-6 storied apartment buildings in the Kozern district.

GDP GROWS BY 7% IN ARMENIA IN JANUARY-FEBRUARY
Noyan Tapan
Mar 20 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 20, NOYAN TAPAN. GDP grew by 7% in Armenia in
January-February 2006 on the same months of last year and made 164
bln 414.2 mln drams (about 365.4 mln USD). The GDP index-deflator
made 98.7%. According to the RA National Statistical Service, the
industrial prduction declined by 0.6% to 89 bln 602.4 mln drams in
January-February 2006 on the same period of last year, while industrial
production without diamond prodcution grew by 2.5% to 89 bln 169.6
mln drams. The gross agricultural output grew by 2.7% to 24 bln 538.2
mln drams, construction – by 14.5% to 12 bln 692.7 mln drams, retail
trade – by 6.9% to 91 bln 130.5 mln drams, and the services provided
increased by 19.8% to 58 bln 684.5 mln drams. The RA foreign trade
grew by 5.1% on January-February of last year and made 364.6 mln USD,
with exports growing by 4.2% to 113.4 mln USD, and imports – by 5.6%
to 251.1 mln USD. The foreign trade without diamonds grew by 14.4%
to 301.8 mln USD, exports -by 12.3% to 84.3 mln USD, and imports –
by 15.2% to 217.4 mln USD. The consumer prices declined by 1.5% in
January-February 2006 on the same months of 2005, and the index of
manufa cturer prices made 92.7%. The monetary incomes of the population
grew by 14% in January-February 2006 on the same months of last year
and made 196 bln 703.7 mln drams, while the expenditures – by 12.7%
to 208 bln 922.1 mln drams.
The average nominal monthly salary amounted to 55.146 thousand
drams (grew by 19.3%), including salary of budget employees – 39.959
thousand drams (22%), of non-budget employees – 67.365 thousand drams
(18.1%). The average exchange rate of a US dollar made 450.93 drams
in January-February, and 457.69 drams in 2005. The number of the
unemployed officially registered in Armenia as of late February 2006
made 89.4 thousand, declining by 15.9% compared with the respective
index of last year.

HRACHIK SARGSIAN ELECTED CHAIRMAN OF RA UNION OF JUDGES
Noyan Tapan
Mar 20 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 20, NOYAN TAPAN. Chairman of first instance court of
Armavir region Hrachik Sargsian was reelected Chairman of RA Union
of Judges at the Union’s general meeting. Davit Avetisian, judge
of RA Cassation Court’s Chamber on Criminal and Military Cases, and
Varuzhan Abelian, judge of Cassation Court’s Chamber on Economic and
Civil Cases, were elected Union’s Vice-Chairmen.
9 members of Union Council and 3 members of Control Commission were
also elected. On March 18, the general meeting estimated the work
done by RA Union of Judges in 2004-2006 as good. The general meeting
formed a working group that is to study RA bill “RA Judicial Code”
and submit a conclusion. It was mentioned at the meeting that RA
Union of Judges became a full member of the International Union of
Judges in 2005 November in Montevideo. Among CIS countries Moldova,
Georgia, the Ukraine, Kazakhstan are members of the latter.

“HAYASTAN” ALL ARMENIAN FUND TO IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS OF MAJOR REPAIRS OF 3 SPORTS INSTITUTIONS IN YEREVAN THIS YEAR
Noyan Tapan
Mar 20 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 20, NOYAN TAPAN. This year the “Hayastan” All Armenian
Fund will implement a program of major repairs at Yerevan sports
institutions – Sports Center of National Teams, Children’s Olympic
Sports School of Gymnastics after Hrant Shahinian, State College of
Olympic Teams. As Noyan Tapan was informed from fund’s Public Relations
Department, in addition to this, within the framework of the program a
new building will be built for Yerevan Children’s Shooting School. The
projecting of the 4 above-mentioned sports institutions’ construction
is underway at present. It will be summed up in the coming days. It’s
envisaged to finish the construction in November this year.

NUMBER OF THOSE STUDYING FRENCH LANGUAGE DECREASES IN LAST DECADE IN ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan
Mar 20 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 20, NOYAN TAPAN. March 20 is the International Day of
Francophonie. On this day one-week events dedicated to the French
language and culture start in 63 countries of the world which are
real members of the Francophonie International Organization or
have a status of observer in the organization. 53 countries are
real members of the organization and another 10, including Armenia,
have a status of observer since 2004. As Noyan Tapan was informed by
Susan Gharamian, Director of Francophonie International Organization
Armenian center, Alliance Francaise, the per cent of people studying
French has decreased in the last 10 years in Armenia. At present it
amounts to 12 and the number of those studying English increased up
to 80%. According to the Alliance Francaise Director, a number of
events will be held in Armenia in connection with the International
Day of Francophonie. A contest of knowledge of practical French will
be held on March 21 on the initiative of the Association of Support to
Practical French Language, with participation of students of Armenian
higher schools. This contest is annual and the winner will leave for
Paris next year to take part in the Week of Francophonie. A written
contest “Golden Feather” will be held on March 22. 3 works will be
selected out of the best 15 ones. They will be sent to Paris where
the author of one work will be recognized the winner. An intellectual
game in French, by individual and team variants, will be held on March
23. On March 26, a 24-hour virual contest of compositions will be held
on the initiative of the “Paris-4” and “Paris-5” Universities. Students
of higher schools and persons of other specialities studying French
can take part in it. The subjects of the compositions will be sent
once every two hours by Internet by these two Universities. The
best works will be placed on the web site of the Francophonie
International Organization, as well as on the site of the Alliance
Francaise. Besides, according to S.Gharamian, a number of cultural
events will be also held jointly with the French Embassy in Armenia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress