HAIL DAMAGED THE CROPS
A1+
[07:43 pm] 21 June, 2006
Yesterday at about 08:00 PM the villages of Haykasar, Pemzashen,
Hayrenyats, Bayandur, Lousakert, Saratak and other communities of
Shirak region suffered from a terrible hail.
According to Andranik Poghosyan, the head of the Rescue Administration
of Shirak region, the hail damaged the crops greatly. According to
preliminary information, 3-5% of the crops have been spoilt. The
roofs of many houses have also been damaged.
The volume of the losses will be clear after the check-ups of the
committee.
TV Company “Tsayg”, Gyumri

OSKANYAN OPPOSED THE AZERI DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER
A1+
[08:23 pm] 21 June, 2006
Minister Oskanian attended and addressed the first session of the
newly-formed UN Human Rights Council.
The opening ceremony on Monday was attended by UN SG Kofi Annan as
well as High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour.
In his statement, on Wednesday, June 21, Armenia’s Minister
congratulated the Council on its inaugural meeting and wished the
Council well in its mandate to place the third pillar of the UN human
rights on a par with the other two peace and security, and development.
The Minister said, “Globalization and the electronic media enhance our
knowledge and increase our liability. It is as easy to look into our
neighbor’s living room as our own. To hear the screams next door and
do nothing will be as difficult as ignoring uproar at home. We are now
the first generation who simply cannot afford to do so. And ironically,
we are the first generation that is able to afford to systematically,
fundamentally address the problems and even the crises. We can muster
the time, skills and resources to construct a new pro-active, daring,
spirited international system that not only has the moral authority
but also the tenacity to protect the powerless.”
The Minister addressed the linkage between human rights and
development. He said, “I know that it is only when the preconditions
for a full and free life of dignity are in place, only then are markets
powerful engines of development, only then is critical infrastructure
sustainable, and only then do individuals stand up to demand and
protect individual and collective human rights.”
He continued, “In Armenia, we are tackling this greatest challenge
through a public-private partnership that will engage the government
of Armenia, Armenia’s business community, the international community
and individual countries, as well as our generous Diaspora, to embark
on eradicating rural poverty through a comprehensive, integrated
approach. Our intent is to meet the Millennium Development Goals,
and to replace hopelessness and desperation with a sense of self-worth
and security.”
In speaking about Armenia’s neighbors and regional security,
Minister Oskanian noted that “Armenia has and continues to promote
stronger international mechanisms to prevent and eradicate the crime
of genocide, and all of its precursors including efforts, too often
successful, at not just cleansing a region of its indigenous people,
but also erasing their memory. Armenians have survived and gone on to
live through each of these attempts. Even today, in the 21st century,
we have watched helplessly as the spiritual and cultural markers of
our people are decimated.”
He went on to refer to the destruction of the Jugha Cemetery in
Nakhichevan, Azerbaijan. “This violation of the memory and spirit of
centuries of Armenian existence on lands which are today Azerbaijan’s
is cynical and dangerous. These huge, exquisite, unique stone crosses
which were both sculpture and tombstone are now gone – 2,000 of
these medieval markers were destroyed just a few months ago. The
gravemarkers are gone, and Armenian and international fears that
Azerbaijan’s authorities might in fact not be serious about peace
have been reinforced. After all, their organized, violent, armed
response to peaceful calls for self-determination two decades ago,
was the first attempt at ethnic cleansing in the soviet space and
ignited the conflict which remains unsettled today.
This most recent manifestation of organized violence, in a place where
no Armenians live today, and far from the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
area, tells us that neither Azerbaijan’s methods nor its intent has
changed. Such unambivalent, callous demolition of culture and history
also destroys trust and peace.”
In speaking about the present state of negotiations with Azerbaijan
on the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the Armenian
Foreign Minister said, “If Azerbaijan’s one step forward, one step
back approach in the negotiations was simply alarming, their recent,
desperate offers of autonomy are concrete examples of a retreat
from the letter and spirit of these talks, and clearly not in sync
with international trends. Offering autonomy to a people who have
for nearly two decades been in control of their lives on their own
historic lands is at the very least, self-deception.”

ARMENIAN AND JEWISH CEMETERIES DESECRATED
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[12:27 am] 22 June, 2006
130 tombstones have been destroyed in the city of Kremenki, region
Zhukovsk, Kaluga. 15 crosses and a monument have been thrown to the
street. Nikolay Babin, the head of the organization “Ritual” said,
“Those were graves of Armenian and Jewish children and veterans. They
have destroyed everything”, newspaper “Yerkramas” informs.
The suspects have been arrested. Most probably the attack on the
cemetery will be qualified as drunken hooliganism. 17-18-year-old two
young people have also been arrested. The investigation is continuing.

FOREIGN INVESTMENTS IN FIRST QUARTER UP 57%
Armenpress
Jun 21 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 21, ARMENPRESS: Armenian national statistical service
said the volume of foreign investments in the real sector of
Armenian economy in the first quarter of the year amounted to $94.3
million. This figure does not include investments received through
the government and banks. The volume of investments was 57 percent
more from a year ago.
The committee said the amount of direct investments in the economy
was $45.4 million, 27 percent up from a year ago. The committee
said 50 percent of foreign investments in this time span went to
the communications sector. They made accordingly 31 percent of all
direct investments.
Twenty-seven percent went to metallurgical industry and 10 percent to
aviation. Also 6.3 percent went to restaurants and hotel businesses
and 8.3 percent to production of beverages. The rest went to energy,
construction and some other sectors.

ARMENIA’S FOREIGN DEBT DOWN 3.8%
Armenpress
Jun 21 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 21, ARMENPRESS: Armenia’s overall debt by the end of
March was around 533 billion Drams, of which 52.3 billion was domestic
debt and the rest, which in terms of US Dollars amounted to $1.110
billion, was foreign debt.
According to Armenian economy and finance ministry, the volume of
foreign debt was down 3.8 percent form a year ago. Armenia owes
the bulk of its foreign debt, almost 69 percent, or $764 million,
to World Bank and 15.6 percent or $173 million to the International
Monetary Fund (IMF).
Armenia has also borrowed from Germany-$72.2 million, $40 million from
the USA, $41.1 million form the International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD). It owes also to EBRD, France and some other
organizations.

COUNCIL SUMS UP RESULTS OF TENDER FOR CONSTRUCTION OF NEW HIGHWAY IN YEREVAN
Armenpress
Jun 21 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 21, ARMENPRESS: The press office of the Armenian
president said the council set up to manage and coordinate a set of
development projects funded by the US-based Lincy Foundation, met
today to sum up the results of a tender announced for construction
of a new highway in downtown Yerevan that would join three streets
of Heratzi, Saralanj and Avetisian.
It said the meeting was chaired by Armen Gevorkian, chief of president
Kocharian’s staff and also chairman of the council. The press office
said based on the recommendations of the tender commission the council
recognized three construction firms winners of the tender. It said
these companies will build the new road on three sections.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

KOCHARIAN DISCUSSES ENTREPRENEURSHIP BOOSTING WITH REGIONAL BUSINESSMEN
Armenpress
Jun 21 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 21, ARMENPRESS: The press office of the Armenian
president said Robert Kocharian met today with a group of businessmen
to discuss ways to boost development of small and medium-sized
entrepreneurship.
Kocharian cited official figures which say that small and medium
sized businesses constitute 40 percent of the overall GDP and 16
percent of exports.
These figures, according to the president, testify to the dynamic
development of this sector. “It is very difficult to find someone
in Armenia who would not like to run his own business and in this
sense it is a strong aspiration to manage their own destiny and this
can become a serious incentive to enhancing small and medium-sized
businesses,” he was quoted as saying.
Kocharian urged the businessmen, who arrived from all Armenian
regions, to start open debates on what blocks their businesses and
what the government should do to eliminate them. The businessmen, in
particular, complained of frequent inspections by financial inspectors,
inaccessibility of regional businessmen to skilled advice and some
legislative shortcomings.
The press office said Kocharian and businessmen discussed in detail
the question of low interest loans and expansion of leasing services,
as well as fluctuations of US Dollar-Armenian dram exchange rates. In
the end Kocharian promised that all raised issues will be discussed
once again and final solutions will be found.

A NEW UNION OF POLITICALLY ACTIVE WOMEN ESTABLISHED
Panorama.am
14:09 21/06/06
“Though we represent different political parties and public
organization but there are some problems which are above political
dispositions and principles,” women public and political figures
explain the creation of a new union at the Reporters House today.
The organization is called Union of Women and brings together women
leaders of different public organization and members of political
parties. The union came up with the statement saying that they aim
to raise the role of women in the coming few years in all public
instances of the country.

55.8% PSYCHOLOGICALLY DISABLED WOMEN REPORTED IN ARMENIA
Panorama.am
14:32 21/06/06
47% of psychologically disabled people know about their illness and
32,3% know about it from their treating doctor, Fund for Psychological
Health unveiled the results of their study conducted from September 1,
2005 to March 1, 2006 in 5 psychiatric facilities of the country.
Fund expert Samvel Sukiasian told that the number of sick has been
cut by 5.1 % against 1988. 55,8% of sick people is women. The studies
say that most sick are discontent that they are not allowed to use
telephones.
The expert thinks that execution of the law “On psychiatric aid” is
not satisfactory because there are no mechanisms to bring the law
into life, the public has little information on the illnesses and
the conditions of life are not good.

MINISTERS DO NO IMPOSE PRESSURES ON MANVEL BADALYAN
Panorama.am
14:53 21/06/06
During the last 4 years of civil service council activity 220 civil
servants have been dismissed because they have not passed attestation,
Manvel Badalyan, civil service council chairman told a press conference
today. He said that no winners have been reported in 431 tests,
which according to Badalyan, indicates fairness. He excludes the
possibility that examinees know beforehand the test questions. Also
oral examinations are recorded for objectivity, he said. Badalyan said
the process is supported by the political leadership of the country
so the ministers or regional governors cannot impose pressures on
the council.