IT IS USEFUL TO ACCUMULATE GOLD WHEN THE COUNTRY HAS NO DEBT
A1+
[07:15 pm] 13 June, 2006
The deputies of the Opposition frequently recall the fact that Central
Bank embezzled the supplies of gold.
Today seizing the opportunity when the president of CB was presenting
the review of 2005 in the Parliament, secretary of “Justice” bloc
faction Viktor Dallakyan announced that developed countries accumulate
gold in their reserve funds whereas Armenian CB has sold the gold
supplies. “Who is to answer for this act?”
The question was immediately answered by president of CB Tigran
Sargsyan who informed that CB got great profit from the sale; about 3
milliard AMD. “The bargain was concluded in 2003, this is an attempt to
lead the public into delusion that Armenian has suffered great losses.”
CB sold the gold as we were to provide 30 milliard AMD income as we
were to enter the budget certain sum of money planned in advance,”
Tigran Sargsyan briefed the journalists.
“Gold supplies in the gross actives are of little significance,
today we have gross actives of 770 million USD whereas gold was
only 15 million USD and now they try to instigate discord on that
15 million USD which was insignificant for our population,” noted
CB president and added the gold price changes rather frequently and
countries having more outer debt than gross actives don’t keep gold
as a means of currency while controlling their actives. Gold has the
function of accumulating wealth in richer countries.
“It is useful to keep gold when the gross actives of the country are
more than the debts. The situation is quite different in our country;
our outer debt surpasses the gross actives and it is too early to
dream of accumulating gold. RA will not counter such problem in
close future.”

ANOTHER LETTER TO THE “RUSSIAN KING”
A1+
[07:51 pm] 13 June, 2006
Today representatives of the Armenian Intelligentsia assembled to
discuss the recent murders of the Armenians in Russia trying to find
out the ways to make Russia understand that their “patience is not
boundless and has already exhausted.”
It was decided to release a joint letter to the Armenian and Russian
media and to RF President Vladimir Putin. The letter addressed to
Putin is not ready yet whereas the other one is already ready.
Judging by the contents of the letter the main responsibility is put
on the RA Foreign Ministry and the Embassies of the two countries.
President of the Writers’ Union Levon Ananyan noted that “we cannot
remember the bright pages of Armenian-Russian relations because of
the recent frequent murders.”
Politician Vsevolod Marian was also invited to the roundtable. The
latter was the councilor of Foreign Minister on the issues relating
to ethnic minorities in 1999 – 2001. He claims that mainly Armenians
are to be blamed in the current situation as don’t respond to the
murders in due order. “Armenians are the only nation among the post
Soviet countries who silently get adjusted to the murders of their
compatriots.”
The Russian politician also illustrated certain numbers which, in his
words, are kept in secret. About 3 thousand Armenians were killed in
Russia because of national hostility. When Vsevolod Marian came to
Armenia he presented the data to RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
as well and demanded to answer which measures are taken by Armenian
authorities to prevent the murders of Armenians in Russia and to punish
the criminals. “We don’t face such problem. We are in good friendly
relations,” was Oskanian’s answer in Marian’s words. He was surely
astonished by the answer. “If a person has no respect towards himself,
his country he will enjoy respect nowhere in the world.” By the way,
in comparison with the Armenian intelligentsia the Russian politician
is convinced that the events of Russia are against Armenians, the
murderers are deliberate and are financed by a special group.
The idea of the respond answer frightened the Armenian intelligentsia
who later announced that they mustn’t be involved in politics and
instigate the atmosphere of hostility, they must be vigilant and
watchful so that the settlement of relations will not convert to
serious and complicated problems.
Anyway, all the participants of the roundtable were unanimous that
“Russians must understand that Armenians are indignant.” But the
representatives of the intelligentsia couldn’t concentrate on the
right solution of the matter. They confessed that the matter is
closely connected with the unity of the nation which doesn’t exist.
It is due to mention that the Russian Ambassador to Armenia didn’t
participate in the roundtable.

BUILDINGS IN ARMENIA NEED SEISMIC PROTECTION
Panorama.am
15:17 13/06/06
Eight buildings of Yerevan, Giumry and Stepanakert (NKR) are equipped
with a new system of seismic protection, Michael Melkumyan, chairman of
Association of seismic resistant constructions who is the author of the
technology, told a press conference today. In the words of the expert,
seismic insulators are made of stratiform rubber-metallic supports
which “absorb” the energy of underground shocks. This technology can
damp horizontal shocks and, to some extent, vertical shocks as well
since the rubber insulators can shrink up to 6 mm. At the moment a
program of three-dimensional seismic insulation is being developed,
costing $100 000.
According to M. Melkumyan, strengthening of seismic resistance of
buildings in Armenia is a priority problem. About 80% of buildings in
Yerevan will be endangered in a case of an earthquake, he said. About
70 seismic insulators are needed for consolidation of one building. In
the words of the author, this method is 2.5 times cheaper of
traditional methods of strengthening the buildings.

IT WAS DECIDED TO CONTINUE IN THE SAME WAY
A1+
[09:15 pm] 13 June, 2006
The meeting of the Armenian and Azeri foreign Ministers Vartan Oskanian
and Elmar Mammadyarov was held in Paris on June 13 as it was arranged
after the meeting of the two Ministers in Bucharest on June 5.
The OSCE Minsk group Russian Co-Chair Juri Merzlyakov and French
Co-Chair Bernard Fassier as well as the Personal Representative of
the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andzej Kasprzyk were also present at
the negotiations.
The key issues of the meeting were the principles and approaches of
the conflict settlement which aroused discord among the two sides.
It was decided to continue negotiations on the positions of the
two sides.

MINISTER PUNISHED ARARAT GOLD
Panorama.am
16:45 13/06/06
Nature protection minister Vartan AIVAZYAN will ban Ararat Gold
to settle near lake Sevan, the minister told a press conference
today. “If they continue working with the same methods, they will not
get permission,” he stated. Aivazyan was asked if they will authorize
Ararat Gold to build a factory near Sevan in case they change their
methods, Aivazyan answered, “after all, they are an economic entity.
They will receive permission only if they meet nature protection
responsibilities.”
The Nature Protection ministry has punished the factory and required
that it stops work for three month. “The level of cyanogen has
exceeded the required norm in their production,” the minister
said.

MINISTER’S RELATIVE TO GO TO 12-YEAR SCHOOL
Panorama.am
15:41 13/06/06
The minister of education and science Levon Lazarian said today
that the educational system should become student-centered instead
of teacher-centered. The minister said we are losing our position
in the world in science and comprehensive changes should be made to
resist “downfall”. He said the problems are more management related
rather than financial. The minister is concerned with education more
at the moment, particularly with 12-year school system which launches
this year. “I have the impression that we have taken the same 10 year
program and made it 12 years,” also saying the junior and mid schools
are clear but there is no concept for high schools yet. By the start
of educational year everything will be ready, including textbooks,
the minister said. According to him, some parents have taken their
children to schools last year because they do not trust the new
system. He also said that 12-year school system is not bad and his
cousin will go to school this year, too.

NEGOTIATIONS SHOULD BE STOPPED UNTIL THE PROBLEM OF NORTH KARABAKH IS RESOLVED
Panorama.am
14:33 13/06/06
At the moment when talks for Nagorno Karabakh conflict regulations
have stepped into a new active phase and Minsk Group co-chairman
continuously propose new solutions, Edik Balayan, chairman of
Shahumyan-Getashen Union says that the talks should be temporarily
stopped. He supports his argument saying that the problem of North
Karabakh is not on the table of negotiations. “The political fate
of North Karabakh and the problems of refugees are not clear in the
negotiations. It is not fair to continue talks under such conditions,”
Balayan says.
About 15 years ago the Armenian resdients of Getashen were forcefully
dislocated from their residential areas and 14 years ago – from
Shahumyan. 18 Armenian villages went under the ocupation of Azerbaijan
and are under Azeri control now. Balayan says the co-chairman should
force Azerbiajan to stop the blockade and estimate the losses suffered
by Armenia and Artsakh due to the blockade and decide how they should
be compensated. Only after that it will be expedient to continue talks,
he says.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EACH COUNTRY IS POWERFUL WITH ITS YOUTH. WHAT ABOUT ARMENIA?
Panorama.am
14:22 13/06/06
300 young people and 40 youth organizations participate in a
conference launched at Yerevan State University today dedicated to
youth issues. According to Arsen SOGHOMONYAN, youth policy department
head at the ministry of culture and youth affairs told that there
are 150 youth public organizations in Armenia but they are not aware
what each of them does. The conference will help them to know about
each other’s activities, he said.
On the second day of the conference the youth will discuss “National
report on the Armenian youth” which has been developed in one year. The
report will be discussed with the participation of Council of Europe.
It covers topics like unemployment, housing, educational and other
issues.

DOGHAGORTS OJSC EMPLOYEES RAISE QUESTIONS
Panorama.am
13:00 13/06/06
175 employees of Doghagorts-1 open joint stock company have applied
to one of parliament blocks with a request to support their rights as
employees. They want to know whether Doghagorts-1 has been privatized
and if yes, under what conditions. The employees also want to know
what is their share of the capital. How can they get 20% of shares
which they are entitled to?
They also want to know how much was invested last year. The employees
address these and similar issues to the deputies hoping that they will
help to settle their relations with company management.

52 ARMENIAN POPULATED AREAS RENAMED BY LAW ADOPTED AT RA NA
Noyan Tapan
Jun 13 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 13, NOYAN TAPAN. On June 13, RA National Assembly in
the second reading and completely adopted the bill submitted by
the government “On Making Amendments and Additions to RA Law “On
Administrative Division.”
According to the bill, 52 populated areas of different regions
of Armenia are renamed. The goal of this is to change foreign,
disharmonious or repeated names. A number of populated areas were
renamed as the local residents wished. For instance, the village of
Areg, Aragatsotn region, was renamed Tatul after National Hero Tatul
Krpeyan. Besides, the settlement of Ayrum, Tavush region, is given
the status of a town community in consideration of the fact that it
is practically a town community with the respective infrastructures
and is deprived of lands of agricultural importance characteristic
of rural communities.