ARMENIA TO SIGN READMISSION AGREEMENTS WITH A NUMBER OF COUNTRIES
ArmRadio.am
27.06.2006 11:08
The Republic of Armenia has signed readmission agreements with Latvia,
Lithuania, Denmark and Switzerland. The negotiations are under way
with Benelux countries, Germany, Norway, Czech Republic, Sweden,
Poland, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Russia.
According to RA Deputy Foreign Minister Armen Bayburdyan, Armenia
is registering procress in the accomplishment of readmission
agreements. Signing of readmission agreements with EU member states is
considered one of the preconditions of integration into EU structures.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RA PRESIDENT RECEIVED PROFESSIONAL BOXING CHAMPION VAKHTANG DARCHINYAN
ArmRadio.am
27.06.2006 13:41
President Robert Kocharyan received today IBF and IBO Flyweight
Champion, our compatriot residing in Australia Vakhtang Darchinyan
and his first trainer Vazgen Badalyan.
Vakhtang Darchinayn was the first in the history of Armenian sports
to achieve the title of professional boxing champion. Although the
celebrated boxer presents Australia, Ara Gevogyan’s music sounds and
the Armenian tricolor waves before every fight of his.
Wishing success to Vakhtang Darchinayn, the President expressed
his appreciation for the fact that Armenian names come forward in
professional boxing. In his words, every success becomes an expiring
example for many. Vakhtang Darchinayn told about his future plans. He
said he intends to establish a boxing club in Vanadzor. This pursues
one aim – to maintain the wonderful traditions of the boxing school
in Armenia and to have the success of Armenian boxers stay continuous.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RUBEN HAKHVERDYAN PROMISES A CONCERT FOR BOTH THE YOUNG AND THE GROWN-UPS
ArmRadio.am
27.06.2006 15:44
Compositions of different years will be summed up during Ruben
Hakhverdyan’s concerts to be held June 28 and 29 at the sports
and cultural center after Karen Demirchyan. This will be a concert
for the young and the grown-ups: lyrical and political songs, old
beloved songs and several new ones. Three cardoons will be screened
for young spectators.
“Radiolur” correspondent Nvard Davtyan had a talk with Ruben
Hakhverdyan both about the concert and other topics.
The recent discussions over the new anthem of the republic have been
rather fiery, the opinions are controversial, and the suggestions are
diverse. Ruben Hakhverdyan considers that the important thing about
the anthem is that it should sounds relevant.
“The value of the anthem is in its grounding. The former anthem is
groundless,” the musician said.
Violence of the ignorant crowd. This was how Ruben Hakhverdyan
characterized the recent events connected with the visit of the
Catholicos of All Armenians to Turkey.
“Our political figures should use the opportunity in political
interests.
This action is impudence. No religion has the right to refute the
ideas of another religion,” the musician considers.

CBA AND GENERAL PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE TO COMBAT MONEY LAUNDERING
ArmRadio.am
27.06.2006 15:08
“RA Government is ready to implement international norms to combat
money laundering,” said Simon Hodard, Adviser of the UN Global
Programme Against Money Laundering.
At the seminar on “Highlighting the fight against money laundering in
state bodies of Armenia” Simon Hodard highly appreciated the activity
of the Central Bank of Armenia, the General Prosecutor’s Office and
other structures.
RA Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan noted that the fight against
money laundering demands high professional skills and existence of
an information basis. He reminded that in 2001 Armenia joined the
international convention to fight money laundering. Aghvan Hovsepyan
informed that the General Prosecutor’ s Office and the Central Bank
are going to sign a memorandum of understanding, which will allow to
combat money laundering more effectively.
President of the Central Bank of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan noted that
the international community is trying to create a common field for
combating money laundering, and Armenia, which is rapidly integrating
into the international financial system, is obliged to closely
cooperate with international organizations.
“For effective fight against money laundering it is necessary to raise
the level of knowledge of the employees of corresponding agencies,”
Tigran Sargsyan said.
The seminar was organized by the Central Bank of Armenia, the OSCE
Office in Yerevan and UN Global Programme Against Money Laundering.

ARMENIAN YOUTH CONDEMNS THE BRUTALITIES DURING THE VISIT OF THE CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS TO TURKEY
ArmRadio.am
27.06.2006 16:25
At the initiative of the Youth Organization of the Republican Party of
Armenia and Nikol Aghbalyan Youth Union of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation, about 30 youth, political, non-governmental and student
organizations adopted a statement condemning the brutalities that
occurred during the visit of the Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin
II to Turkey.
The young are especially concerned with the reality that the mass
media incite the public opinion, and the reaction of separate media
demonstrates the intolerance of the Turkish society towards Armenians
and the Christian religion.
It is sated also that in the course of decades the Turkish authorities
have been consistently extirpating the Christian monuments and
offending the religious dignity of adherents of a different belief.
According to the President of the Youth Organization of the Republican
Party of Armenia Karen Avagyan, this accident proves once again
that Turkey is not ready to establish any civilized relations with
Armenia. This was a blow not only to our religious leader, but also
to the whole Armenian nation.
About 33 organizations that signed under the statement anticipate and
demand from the international community, particularly the EU member
states to show a proper reaction and condemn this rally against
the leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church, which violates the
civil rights and freedom of religion of the Christians of Turkey,
particularly Armenians.

DIPLOMAS AWARDED TO CULTURAL WORKERS OF THE REPUBLIC
ArmRadio.am
27.06.2006 17:53
Today RA Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs officially handed
diplomas to cultural workers of Armenia, who received the honorary
titles of the republic. They were awarded the titles for considerable
contribution to the sphere of theatre according to a presidential
decree on the occasion of the Theatre Day. They were glad to receive
the titles and were a little sad for their colleagues, who deserve
high titles, but have not received these so far.
According to RA President’s decree opera singer Barsegh Tumanyan was
awarded People’s Artist. Five actors – Hovhannes Babakhanyan, Hrant
Tokhatyan, Derenik Martirosyan, Karen Sargsyan and Lala Mnatsakanyan –
were awarded the Honorary Artist title.

“FEDERATION” PARTY AIMS AT ESTABLISHING DIRECT LINK WITH THE PEOPLE
ArmRadio.am
27.06.2006 17:37
According to some analysts, in case it is declared during the sitting
of the Republican Party that Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan becomes
co-president of the Republican Party, as it was stated yesterday by
Head of the Republican Party faction Galust Sahakyan, then this reality
will become a reason of rearrangements in the political field. To be
more precise, it will shuffle the cards and plans of the “Prosperous
Armenia” Party.
“Unlike other political forces, the Defense Minister’s joining
the Republican Party is not a factor for us, we do not connect our
activity with this or that wing of the authorities or the relations
between the political forces.
It is much more important for us what the opposition is doing,”
Gnel Ghlechyan, member of the Political council of the “Federation”
Party, told “Radiolur” correspondent. In his words, there can be no
division of power due to the simple reason that it has the problem
of imputing the administrative potential in one direction.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FOREIGN MINISTERS OF ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN MAY MEET IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE G8 SUMMIT
ArmRadio.am
27.06.2006 18:16
Today the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov said he
does not exclude that Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan
may meet in the framework of the summit of heads of G8 countries,
MEDIAMAX Agency informs.
Elmar Mammadyarov said that before the G8 summit OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chair Matthew Bryza is scheduled to visit the region.
“After this visit the position of the Co-Chairs will become clear, and
the issue of arranging the meeting of Presidents will be clear after
the meeting of the Foreign Ministers,” Azeri Foreign Minister noted.

CO-CHAIRMEN PARTCUALLY REVEAL PRINCIPLES OF SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH ISSUE, RA FOREIGN MINISTRY STATES
Noyan Tapan
Jun 27 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 27, NOYAN TAPAN. Taking into account the statement that
the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group presented to the OSCE Permanent
Council, in Vienna, on June 22, and the interview that Matt Bryza,
the new US co-chair gave soon thereafter, where albeit partially,
the principles of the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
were revealed for the first time, and also taking into account the
recent desperate calls by Azerbaijan for a military solution and
autonomy for Nagorno Karabakh, the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs
made a statement in which it states the following:
“- the co-chairs have partially revealed the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
resolution principles; they have left out references to a corridor
linking Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia, and issues relating to Nagorno
Karabakh’s status until a referendum;
– the co-chairs have, for the first time, affirmed that the people
of Nagorno Karabakh shall determine their own future status through
a referendum;
– those items over which the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan
continue to disagree does not include a referendum; that concept has
been agreed to by the presidents; The area of disagreement between
the presidents has to do with the sequence in which the consequences
of the military conflict are removed;
– in an attempt to resolve this remaining area of disagreement, a
proposal was made by the co-chairs after Rambouillet. This proposal
was accepted by Armenia in Bucharest. Azerbaijan rejected it.
– Armenia finds that the basic principles, overall, on the table today
remain a serious basis for continuing negotiations; Armenia is prepared
to continue on that basis to continue to negotiate with Azerbaijan;
– Armenia believes that Azerbaijan’s wavering on these principles
is a serious obstacle to progress in the negotiations. If this
policy continues, Armenia will insist that Azerbaijan conduct direct
negotiations with Nagorno Karabakh.
– Finally, we would remind Azerbaijan once again that regardless of the
size of their military budget, they cannot force the people of Nagorno
Karabakh to renounce freedom and the right to self-determination.”

NUMBER OF PUPILS ATTENDING ARMENIAN SCHOOLS ABROAD REDUCES DURING LAST YEARS
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 27 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 27, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. 2960 Armenian young
people from 32 countries of the world study today at institutions
of higher and middle professional education of Armenia, among them
2174 students study at state instutitons of higher education, 448
at non-state institutions of higher education and 338 at middle
professional istitutions. At the same time, 546 of them study free,
and 2414 study at paid system.
As Hrach Tadevosian, the Chief of the RA Education and Science
Ministry’s Department on Cooperation with Diaspora mentioned at
the June 23 press conference, the Ministry continues the process of
giving educational literature to Armenian educational institutions
of Diaspora. Armenian teaching schools of Georgia and Abkhazia were
mainly provided with the necessary number of t ext-books. According
to got claims, 7200 copies of text books and educational materials
were allocated to Armenian educational institutions abroad during
the previous months of 2006.
According to Hrach Tadevosian, the Ministry will continue to
implement one-month programs of re-training teachers of Armenology
subjects being taught in Armenian schools, colleges, kindergartens,
one-day and other types of educational institutions acting in foreign
countries. The program will be organized this year from July 17 to
August 15. Participant teachers will get certificates. 37 teachers of
7 countries still presented claims for participation in the re-training
courses of this year.
According to Hrach Tedevosian, 177 full Armenian schools function
abroad today, 19 of which are in Russia, 150 are in Georgia, including
112 ones in Javakhk, and 8 ones in Tbilisi. Besides, 400 one-day and
Sunday schools function as well. The Department Chief also mentioned
that the number of pupils attending Armenian schools abroad strictly
reduced during the last years, just by what reduction of the number
of those schools in some countries is povided.