12th SITTING OF USATF ENVISAGED TO TAKE PLACE IN AUTUMN
Noyan Tapan
May 02 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The 12th sitting of the US-Armenia Task
Force (USATF) was held in Yerevan on May 2. The RA Minister of Finance
and Economy Vardan Khachatrian stated during the press conference
following the sitting that the sides mainly addressed the Millennium
Challenge Program, investment encouragement issues, problems that
hinder the development of Armenia’s trade and the microeconomic
situation in the country. The minister noted that problems of
agriculture, especially those related to irrigation systems and the
energy sector were discussed as well. According to US Coordinator
for Europe and Eurasia Tom Adams, the discussions of all issues of
bilateral interest were held at high level. It is envisaged to hold
the the next – 13th sitting of the USATF in September-October. The
Armenian side proposed that it should be held in Armenia again. The
USATF was established in 2000 in order to bring to institutional level
the intergovernmental dialogs on further development of bilateral
economic cooperation and increasing the efficiency of assistance
programs implemented by the US government in Armenia. USATF convenes
two sittings annually – in Washington and Yerevan. Over the past
decade, the US government has implemented various development and
humanitarian programs of over 1.6 bln USD in Armenia.

12th SITTING OF USATF STARTS WORK IN YEREVAN
Noyan Tapan
May 02 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The 12th sitting of the US-Armenia Task
Force (USATF) started its work in Yerevan on May 2. The sitting is
chaired by the RA Minister of Finance and Economy Vardan Khachatrian
and the US Coordinator for Europe and Eurasia Tom Adams. The
sitting participants will discuss issues of bilateral interest,
present the process of programs implemented up to now within the
framework of cooperation and clarify issues related to the programmed
measures. According to the press service of the RA Ministry of Finance
and Economy, the measures to encourage Armenia’s economic development,
democratic reforms, issues related to the Millennium Challenge Program,
the macroeconomic policy and long-term development promotion programs,
as well as tax and customs sector reforms are on the agenda of
the USATF’s sitting. Problems of agriculature, science, education,
the judicial and energy sectors, the fight against terrorism and
other programs of mutual importance will also be discussed during
the sitting.

HIP-HOP CONCERT – FLAGSTAFF ARIZONA – MAY 5, 2006
Arizona Reporter, AZ
May 2 2006
Venue: The Boardwalk | Address: 26 South San Francisco | Time: 8:00pm
Where: Flagstaff, AZ — Find your way to the Boardwalk for Cinco De
Mayo Friday, May 5, 2006 for a night with the hip hop scene. Come
hear these artist who will be sharing experiences and making music.
The Show will take place at The Boardwalk Nightclub and Bar (26 S.
Sanfrancisco St) in Flagstaff. Doors open at 8PM and there will be
a $5.00 Cover at the door. more info: 480.829.0607
Live Performances by:
APOLLO
Apollo is a 21 year old hip hop artist, raised in Bergen County, New
Jersey and now resides in Phoenix. He was born in Jerusalem, Israel
and raised in North Jersey. Apollo takes pride in his Armenian roots
and has been involved with different organizations to bring awareness
to the Armenian Genocide where 1.5 million of his own people were
massacred. Apollo appeared on MTV’S TRUE LIFE (I’m a Battle Rapper)
which aired on July 14th, 2005.
Apollo is also featured in the May Issue of VIBE MAGAZINE on page 66.
Apollo also is part of the 2005 Rap Olympics team. Apollo recently
opened up on the Power 92.3 Cassidy/Pussycat Dolls/ NB Rydaz/
Lil Rob concert. He is the 2004 Source Magazine’s “Unsigned Hype”
Battle Champion (which he won at America West Arena in front of 15,000
people at the AND1 game). Radio? He’s been on NYC’S #1 station (Z100)
and has made 22 LIVE appearances on Phoenix’s POWER 92.3 (including
promo rotation). Magazines? Apollo has been featured in Urban Magazine,
XPOZ Magazine, Press Box Magazine, The Muvement, Star Ledger Newspaper,
Arizona Republic, Vibe Magazine, etc. Internet?
Apollo has been featured on over 30 websites and held the #1 spot
on the National MP3 Charts for two weeks straight, and in the Top 50
Charts out of over 250,000 artists on Myspace. Including signed acts.
[the rest omitted]

ATTEMPT OF ILLEGAL IMPORT OF OPIUM FROM IRAN PREVENTED
Noyan Tapan
May 02 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. RA State Customs Committee employees
prevented at the Meghri Customs Center a case of illegal import of
about 300 grams of opium type of drugs. As Noyan Tapan was informed by
the information service of the committee, the drug was found out in
pockets of trousers of citizen of Iran Catrina Aslanian, a passenger
of a bus arrived from Iran. Preliminary investigation is implemented
at the National Security Service on the criminal action brought on
the occasion of the fact.

RA BILL “ON NATIONAL MINORITIES” WORKED OUT
Noyan Tapan
May 02 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The seminar organized on May 2 by the
“Cooperation for the Sake of Open Society” initiative was dedicated
to the discussion of the Armenian authorities’ policy towards the
national minorities living in the country and to the discussion of
the bill “On National Minorities”. According to Hranush Kharatian,
the author of the bill, Head of the Department on Issues of National
Minorities and Religion attached to RA government, the preparation
of the bill became necessary after signing of the “International
Convention on National Minorities” by Armenia. She mentioned that the
rights of the national minorities had been already stipulated by a
number of RA laws, including the Constitution and the law “On Working
Activity”. H.Kharatian said that the bill “On National Minorities”
envisages free use of the national language, possibility to get
education in the native tongue, preservation of the cultural values,
etc. She drew attention to one of the clauses of the bill relating to
the formation of the electoral bodies of the communities. According
to H.Kharatian, this circumstance will contribute to more effective
cooperation of the national minorities with the executive power.

70 VIDEO CAMERAS TO BE PLACED IN GYUMRI STREETS FOR TAKING CONTROL OF TRAFFIC LAWS BREACHES
Noyan Tapan
May 02 2006
GYUMRI, MAY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. Soon the breaches of traffic laws in the
country will be controlled by speedometers and video cameras. The
traffic police department of Gyumri has already presented to the
respective structures the list of the city’s streets where these
devises should be placed. As Noyan Tapan was informed by Gurgen
Dertsian, Head of the Gyumri traffic police department, it is envisaged
to place 70 video cameras, 14 speedometers and 30 new traffic lights
in Gyumri.

ROUND TABLE CONCERNING IMPLEMENTATION OF OBLIGATIONS UNDERTAKEN WITHIN FRAMEWORK OF AARHUS CONVENTION BY ARMENIA ON ISSUE OF DALMA GARDENS TO BE ORGANIZED IN MAY
Noyan Tapan
May 02 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. A round table concerning implementation of
obligations undertaken within the framework of the Aarhus convention
by Armenia in the process of building of Dalma gardens will be held
in Yerevan on May 10. Representatives of the “Center for Regional
Development” (“Transparency International-Armenia”), “Human Rights
Protection Armenian Center after Sakharov” and “Armenian Botanical
Society” public organizations informed about it at the April 28
press-conference. Representatives of the RA Government and the Yerevan
Mayor’s Office are invited to the round table being organized by the
above-mentioned NGOs. Participants of the press-conference informed
that by its April 7, 2006 expert’s conclusion, the Aarhus Convention
Compliance Committee recongized the Armenian authorities’ actions
relating to the request concerning Dalma gardens not corresponding to
a number of articles of the Aarhus Convention. At the same time the
committee presented proposals to the RA Government on the occasion
of stimulating usage of principles of the Aarhus Convention. The
committee, at the same time, proposes to undertake practical and
legislative events in the direction of solving existing problems of
accessibility of information relating to environment, to secure the
practical usage of processes of society’s participation in all levels
of making decisions, to undertake corresponding practical events in the
direction of securing accesibility of justice, etc. The conclusion was
made in responce to 3 NGOs’ application sent in 2004. The application
touches upon problems of accesibility of information and public
participation in processes of making decision by the RA Government on
the occasion of change of purposeful meaning of lands and tenancy of
some plots of Dalma gardens of Yerevan. According to conclusion of the
committee, by not giving corresponding information to applicants by
bodies implementing functions of public management, Armenia violated
principles of Article 4 of the convention, and by not securing
complete participation of the society in the process of concrete
decisions concerning building, it partly violated principles of
a number of other articles of the convention. The RA Government
violated principles of the convention as well, not securing the right
of interested representatives of the society to apply for court
examination. To recap, before addressing to the Aarhus Convention
Compliance Committee, the Yerevan Court of First Instance of Kentron
and Nork-Marash communities refused to accept the claim of NGOs to
recognize the RA Government’s decisions invalid because of their
not corresponding to the Aarhus Convention, and the RA Court of
Cassations Chamber on Economic and Civil Cases left the complaint of
the organizations concerning overturning the above-mentioned decision
without upholding.

3 SPORTSMEN OF VANADZOR TO PARTICIPATE IN JUNE IN TOURNAMENT OF POWER TRIATHLON TO TAKE PLACE IN CZECHIA
Noyan Tapan
May 02 2006
VANADZOR, MAY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. In the tournament organized in Yerevan by
the RA Power Triathlon Federation, 3 members of the Vanadzor “Shotokan”
team, Haroutiun Toumanian, Andranik Hakobov and Kristina Tokalian,
took the 1st places in different weigth categories and got possibility
to participate in June in the international tournament to take place
in Czechia. As Gagik Saroyan, the Chairman of the Federation informed
the Noyan Tapan correspondent, Sargis Torosian, who was announced
the absolute leader of this tournament for the 4th time continuously,
was also awarded gold medal. The “Voskevaz” team took the 1st place,
and the “Shotokan” and “Olympia” teams of Vanadzor took successively
the 2nd and 3rd places.

“VETERANS’ UNION OF RA PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE SYSTEM” FOUNDED
Noyan Tapan
May 02 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 02, NOYAN TAPAN. “Veterans’ Union of RA Prosecutor’s
Office System” was founded on April 28. At the foundation meeting,
Rafael Karapetian, the Chairman of the organization committee was
elected the organization Chairman, Aghvan Hovsepian, the RA Prosecutor
General was elected the Honorary Chairman. Aram Tamazian and Gagik
Jhangirian, the Deputies of the RA Prosecutor General participated in
the foundation meeting of the union. The latter mentioned that the
union may expect in its activity the assistance of the Prosecutor
General’s Office, and some members of the union may be involved in
the certification committee staff and participate in legislative
initiatives of the Prosecutor’s Office. According to the regulations
adopted in the foundation meeting, the Union has a goal to pass the
working experience of veterans of the Prosecutor’s Office to young
employees, to assist formation of a democratic, social, legal state,
support process of legislative and legal reforms.
Veterans of the Prosecutor’s Office system envisage to aim efforts of
their organization to legal bringing up of wide strata of the society
as well, assisting just by it increase of public confidence towards
legal bodies, particularly, the Prosecutor’s Office.

IN ALL PROBABILITY, “YES EM” INTERNATIONAL FESTIVEL TO BE ORGANIZED WITH TWO YEARS PERIODICITY FROM NOW ON
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 02 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 2, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The quality of the
last year films presented to the “Yes Em” (I am) international youth
festival was higher than this year. Film director Ruben Gevorgiants,
the jury head, the Chairman of the Cinematographers’ Union of Armenia
stated about this at the April 28 press-conference. According to him,
111 films of 206 ones placed orders beforehand, will be shown during
days of the festival starting on May 3. He also mentioned that film
directors of 12 countries of the world, including Ukraine, France,
Russia, Canada, will participate in the festival. R.Gevorgiants
also mentioned that 20% of applicants are participants of the
previous year. And in general, 64% of participants of the festival
is Armenians. The jury head informed that, in all probability, the
festival will be organized from now on with 2 years periodicity
as valuable films containing interesting and new speech are not
created within a year. According to film critic Suren Hasmikian,
the last year festival, in essence, had two interesting disclosures:
“The first is that it finally succeeded to remind the spectators that
a film is watched in cinema halls, and the second is disclosure of
the new generation of woman directors and operators. This is almost a
new event for history of Armenian cinematography.” S.Hasmikian is sure
that the festival will not be able to solve all problems existing in
the sphere of cinematography: “They will not be solved by organizing
one or two festivals.” The film critic also mentioned that deficit of
thinking, new speech are noticed among today’s young creators: “They
know the language of cinematography well, but the lack of dramaturgy
and speech depreciates created films.” The organization committee of
the festival defined 9 prizes: the best feature film, best documentary
film, best student’s work, best operator’s work, best director’s work,
best music clip, best animation film, best advertising clip,
best video-art. All prize-winners will get a diploma and a
prize. R.Gevorgiants also informed that a new prize after Ara Vahuni,
in the memory of the prominent film director passed away recently is
defined in the nomination of documentary films.