NA SPEAKER ATTACHES IMPORTANCE TO DISCUSSION OF MISSSING PEOPLE’S ISSUE ON HUMANE PLANE AND KEEPING FROM POLITICAL SPECULATIONS
Noyan Tapan
June 06 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 6, NOYAN TAPAN. RA National Assembly Speaker Tigran
Torosian received on June 5 Leo Platvoet, the PACE Migration, Refugees
and Population Committee Rapporteur on Missiong People in Armenia,
Georgia and Azerbaijan.
Issues relating to the report to be prepared as a result of
L.Platvoet’s regional visit were discussed. Tigran Torosian attached
importance to discussion of the issue on the humane plane and keeping
from political speculations, having a task to help people as much
as possible to clear up fate of their friends missed during the
war and later. Expressing satisfaction that Leo Platvoet met with
representatives of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh as well, the NA
Speaker proposed to visit Nagorno Karabakh and create a working group
in a tripartite format from representatives of Armenia, Azerbaijan
and Karabakh who working directly with each other, will be able
to help searches of missing people. Agreeing with this proposal,
L.Platvoet mentioned that he envisages to propose sides in his report
to start a cooperation at the level of organizations engaged in these
problems. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the NA Public Relations
Department, interparliamentary relations of Armenia and Azerbaijan
were also touched upon: Tigran Torosian mentioned that Armenia is
ready for cooperation that is already being implemented in different
formats: meetings in international structures, within the framework of
parliamentary initiative of South Caucasus as it attached importance
to creation of a beneficial atmosphere for solutions of big issues
by small steps, small solutions. The NA Speaker drew attention to
that circumstance that false rumours are always spread in Azerbaijani
press about Armenians’ violent attitude towards missing people what
deepens hatred, while 1416 PACE resolution calls on to guard oneself
from propaganda of hatred.

ACCORDING TO OSCE MG AMERICAN CO-CHAIRMAN, “GOOD ATMOSPHERE EXISTED” AT KOCHARIAN-ALIYEV BUCHAREST MEETING
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
June 06 2006
BUCHAREST, JUNE 6, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan Robert Kocharian and Ilham Aliyev met in the
capital of Romania, Bucharest, on June 4. The second meeting during
this year that took place in the Embassy of Poland to Romania,
finished a bit after midnight by Yerevan time. After the Armenian
and Azerbaijani Presidents’ leaving the Embassy building, the OSCE
Minsk Group Co-Chairmen remained and negotiated separately for another
hour. “The Presidents had a meeting which lasted two and a half hours.
That was a detailed discussion of issues. Then the Presidents met
with Co-Chairmen for about 45 minutes. We have a not worked out
program to meet tomorrow as well. A good atmosphere existed during
the negotiations. I must repear, a good atmosphere and a detailed
discussion. We’ll see what will be later,” OSCE Minsk Group American
Co-Chairman Steven Mann said to Radio Liberty at the end of the
negotiations. Russian Co-Chairman Yuri Merzliakov, responding the
issue how he will compare these negotiations with the Rambouillet,
stated: “I think that this was a meeting of completely other type,
and the atmosphere has always been good.” Robert Kocharian refused to
comment upon the taken place negotiations in any way, mentioning that
“there is no agreement to speak to press,” that’s why it’s not proper
that he comments upon it. And Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev did
not speak to journalists at all.

VARTAN OSKANIAN: KOCHARIAN AND ALIYEV AGAIN COULD NOT SOLVE IN BUCHAREST PROBLEM ARISEN IN RAMBOUILLET
Noyan Tapan
June 06 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 6, NOYAN TAPAN. “That problem that Presidents
attempted to solve in Rambouillet, and that was not succeeded,
they were not able solve in Bucharest, either,” RA Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian informed journalists about it on June 5, commenting
upon results of the Bucharest meeting of the Presidents of Armenia
and Azerbaijan. According to the Minister, in spite of the fact,
that Co-Chairmen proposed formulations and new approaches on the
Karabakh issue, the Presidents did not manage to agree. According to
the Minister, however, there is an instruction to Foreign Ministers
of Armenia and Azerbaijan to continue negotiations and “attempt to
find common borders maybe just on the occasion of that issue till
the President’s next meeting.”

OHAN DURIAN’S HELTH STATE IS STABLY GRAVE
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 06 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 6, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. World-famous conductor
Ohan Durian’s health state is estimated stably grave. As Doctor,
Professor of the “Nairi” medical center Haroutiun Kushkian informed
the Noyan Tapan correspondent, they do their best to improve the
maestro’s health state. To recap, Ohan Durian was moved to the “Nairi”
medical center on early June 1 with heart apoplectic stroke.

UAF’S 138TH AIRLIFT DELIVERS $ 12 MILLION OF AID TO ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 06 2006
GLENDALE, CA, JUNE 6, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The United
Armenian Fund’s 138th airlift arrived in Yerevan on June 3, delivering
$ 12 million of humanitarian assistance. The UAF itself collected $
10.8 million of medicines and medical supplies for this flight, most
of which were donated by AmeriCares ($ 9.9 million); MAP International
($ 481,000); Health Partners International of Canada ($ 298,000) and
Catholic Medical Mission Board ($ 150,000). Other organizations which
contributed goods for this airlift were: Pfizer Inc. ($ 445,000);
UMAF from France ($ 309,000); Armenian Eyecare Project ($ 74,000);
Armenian International Ophthalmic Association ($ 50,000); Nork Marash
Medical Center ($ 44,000); International Academy of Telepathology
($ 38,000) and Howard Karagheusian Commemorative Corporation ($
36,000). Also contributing to this airlift were: Foundation Semra
($ 28,000); Armenian American Health Association of WA ($ 20,000);
Armenian American Cultural Association ($ 20,000).
Since its inception in 1989, the UAF has sent $ 441 million of
humanitarian assistance to Armenia on board 138 airlifts and 1,312
sea containers. The UAF is the collective effort of the Armenian
Assembly of America, the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the
Armenian Missionary Association of America, the Armenian Relief
Society, the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, the Prelacy
of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America and the Lincy Foundation.

WORKING MEETING DEDICATED TO ARMENIAN-GEORGIAN RELATIONS AND SITUATION IN JAVAKHK HELD IN AKHALKALAK
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 06 2006
AKHALKALAK, JUNE 6, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. A working meeting
on the subject “Format of Dialogue on Problems of Samtskhe-Javakhk
in the Context of Armenian-Georgian Relations” was held on June 4 in
Akhalkalak. The meeting was organized by the Caucasian Media Institute
(Yerevan), Caucasian Institute of Peace, Development and Democracy
(Tbilisi) and the Yerkir Union of NGOs (Yerevan). According to the
A-Info agency, the following persons took part in the meeting: Gia
Nodia and Marina Elbakidze from the Caucasian Institute of Peace,
Development and Democracy, Dia Andguladze (Akhaltsikhe) from the Union
of Democratic Meskhetians, Andrei Khanzhin from the European Center on
Issues of National Minorities (Tbilisi), Armen Darbinian from the Civil
Forum of Javakhk, Alexander Iskandarian and Sergei Minasian from the
Caucasian Media Institute, as well as Zhirayr Shalian and Ani Jafalian
from France, Khachatur Stepanian from the Union of Armenian NGOs,
representatives of Javakhk NGOs, Levon Zurabian from the International
Crisis Group, Sevak Artsruni and Robert Totoyan from the Yerkir
Union of NGos, RA MP Shavarsh Kocharian and ethnographer Hranoush
Kharatian. The meeting participants first of all tried to estimate the
situation in Javakhk and the prospects of Armenian-Georgian relations.
Almost all Armenian participants emphasized the hard situation
formed in Javakhk and considered autonomy to be the most right way
for coming out of this situation, as autonomy, in their opinion,
can become a guarantee for security (demographical, language,
political, cultural-educational, economic, social) of the Armenians
of Javakhk. The Georgian participants, including Gia Nodia, Dia
Andguladze, also emphasized the necessity to improve the situation,
but did not suggest any real ways for this. It was decided to convene
a conference on this problem in autumn and to submit the respective
consultation on solving the issue to the proper bodies.

ARMENIAN ADVOCATES OF JAVAKHK DEPRIVED OF RIGHT TO BE ENGAGED IN THEIR BUSINESS
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 06 2006
AKHALKALAK, JUNE 6, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Since June 1 2006,
the inhabitants of Akhalkalak and Ninotsminda regions have been
deprived of the possibility to use the services of local Armenian
advocates as the Georgian Advocates’ Association did not give the
respective powers to the Armenian advocates of Javakhk motivating this
by the circumstance that they do not master Georgian. Reporting this,
the A-Info agency mentions that this change will abruptly change
the conditions of the Armenians of Javakhk for the worse: they will
have to spend much more money for inviting an advocate from other
Georgian regions.

STATE MACHINERY MAINTENANCE FINANCING ENVISAGED BY 2005 STATE BUDGET EXECUTED BY ALMOST 100%
Noyan Tapan
Jun 06 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 6, NOYAN TAPAN. The preliminary discussion of the
report on implementation of the law on the 2005 state budget was
continued at the joint sitting of the RA National Assembly standing
committees on June 6. The main speaker – RA Deputy Minister of Finance
and Economy Atom Janjughazian presented issues of financing of state,
local self-government and judicial bodies.
According to him, the sums envisaged by the state machinery maintenance
program were fully financed, and a lower than 100% index in some cases
was due to saving. In addition to budget allocations, extra sums
were allocated to local self-government bodies under governmental
decisions to solve urgent problems. He said that as in the previous
years, no debts of equalization subsidies were accumulated and the
financing was done by 100%. According to a written report submitted
by the government to the National Assembly, the expenditures on the
legislative body and state governance expenditures made about 7.8 bln
drams in 2005, which is 99.4% of the programmed expenditures. These
expenditures grew by 10.3% compared with 2004, which was mainly
conditioned by an increase in salary, representative and capital
expenditures. The state financial governance expenditures amounted
to 12 bln drams in the year under review. The deviation was mainly
due to underimplementation of two World Bank-financed grant programs
and to the saving of expenditures on resettlement servicing of the RA
treasury system. The growth in these expenditures compared with 2004
made 17.4% or 1.8 bln drams and was mainly conditioned by an increase
in salary and capital expenditures. 5.1 bln drams was allocated from
the 2005 state budget for maintenance of the judicial system, as a
result of which the program was implemented by 97.5%. The deviation was
mainly due to underimplementation of the WB-assisted program on court
and legal reforms.1.8 bln drams was spent by this program, 1.7 bln
drams of which were credit resources – against the programed indices
of 2 bln and 1.9 bln drams respectively. In the year under review,
transfers to local self-government bodies were fully financed in the
amount of 14.9 bln drams, which exceeded the 2004 index by 39.1%. The
subsidies to local self-government bodies with the aim of financial
equalization amounted to 13.8 bln drams. Funds were allocated to
Yerevan Mayor’s Office in order to finance expenditures on demolition
of real estate considered as unauthorized buildings at the expense
of revenues from the legalization and sale of these buildings. These
indices made 1.06 bln drams and 63 mln drams respectively.

YEREVAN-BATUMI PASSENGER TRAIN TO RUN FROM JUNE 15
Noyan Tapan
Jun 06 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 6, NOYAN TAPAN. Starting June 15, a passenger train
will run from Yerevan to Batumi and in the opposite direction. The
Armenian-Georgian intergovernmental commission on economic
cooperation made this decision last year with the aim of organazing
the population’s recreation at Black Sea resorts this summer. NT
correspondent was informed at the RA Ministry of Transport and
Communication that the train will have 6 carriages with 2- and 4-seat
comfortable compartments and a restaurant car. The Yerevan-Batumi
train will depart from Yerevan Station at 9:10 pm on odd days of
a month and arrive in Batumi at 1:40 pm. The train will run in the
opposite direction – from Batumi to Yerevan at 8:35 am on even days
of a month and arrive in Yerevan at 5:35 am.
The train will stop at Yerevan, Armavir, Gyumri, Vanadzor and Sanahin
stations in the territory of Armenia. The price of a single ticket in
a 2-seat compartment for traveling by a train of the Armenian railway
will make 18,703 drams, that in a 4-seat compartment -9,297 drams. The
prices for traveling by a train of the Georgian railway will make
21,256 drams and 10,542 drams respectively. Taking into account that
the ticket prices for interstate communication in passenger trains
are in Swiss francs, prices may change depending on the exchange
rate of the Armenian dram set by the Central Bank of Armenia for a
given month. The management of the company Armenian Railway informs
citizens the availablity of a identity document is mandatory for
adults and children when purchasing a ticket and boarding the train.

FIRST NATIONAL ATLAS OF ARMENIA TO BE PUBLISHED THIS YEAR
Noyan Tapan
Jun 06 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 6, NOYAN TAPAN. The Center of Geodesy and Cartography
of the State Committee of Real Estate Cadastre adjunct to the RA
government will publish a two-volume National Atlas of Armenia in
2006. Executive director of the center Hovsep Petrosian told NT
correspondent that the list of geographical names to be included in
the atlas is currently being clarified. An atlas of Armenia was last
published in 1961. According to H. Petrosian, the work on preparation
of an atlas started as far back as 2002, for which purpose about 45 mln
drams (about 100 thousand USD) was allocated from the state budget. A
tender for printing the atlas will be announced. The estimated cost of
printing is 22 mln drams. He said that the first volume will contain
maps of the population, nature, physical and economic maps, while the
second one – maps on history, culture and the Diaspora. The center
has already drawn maps of 70% of Armenia’s territory at a scale of
1:10 000. The taking of space photos will be completed in 2006. Among
the work done by the center is preparation of an electronic map of
all communications of Kanaker-Zeytun community. It is envisaged to
draw such maps for another 4 communities of Yerevan. Besides, the
center has published a tourist map of Yerevan (a scale of 1:25 000)
and a map of routes of Yerevan minibuses. A series of thematic maps
includes a tourist map of Gegharkinik marz, the Armenian Genocide Map,
the map of 1988 Spitak earthquake, as well as an atlas of motorways
of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. The Center of Geodesy and Cartography
is an authorized state body in the sphere of cartography of Armenia.