“UNITED TREE PLANTING – 2006” STARTS
Noyan Tapan
Mar 13 2006
KAPAN, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. On the initiative of the “Nig Aparan”
union and with the participation of other 40 compatriotic unions,
a united tree planting program will be implemented in Armenia
in 2006. This started on March 11 in Meghri. According to Aghvan
Hovsepian, the Chairman of the “Nig Aparan” compatriotic union,
the RA Prosecutor General, it was decided to plant in total 3.2
mln trees, thus ones corresponding to the number of the republic’s
population. “But, I’m sure that we’ll plant more trees this year,” he
stated in the interview to journalists. Tree planting was organized
in Agarak and Kapan as well, and the program will be implemented
later in the regions of Goris and Sisyan, taking into account the
nature-climatic conditions.

250 YEREVAN STREETS TO BE ASPHALTED THIS YEAR
Noyan Tapan
Mar 13 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Irrigation, asphalting works, as
well as reconstruction of street illumination networks have already
started in Yerevan.
As Deputy Yerevan Mayor Vano Vardanian informed at the March 13 press
conference, large-scale asphalting works will start from March 15
in 60 Yerevan streets and by the end of the year it’s envisaged to
implement 600 thousand sq.m.
asphalting and concrete and 235 thousand sq.m. asphalting works in
250 streets. V.Vardanian also said that Grigor Lusavorich, Tigran
Mets, Sarian, Artashisian, and Kievian streets’ borders will be
also repaired. According to V.Vardanian, additional resources were
allocated by Yerevan Mayor’s Office and communities for cleaning
the channels of the Hrazdan, Getar, Vokhchaberd and Jrvezh rivers,
as well as reinforcement of bank barriers. According to the Deputy
Mayor, reinforcement works will be done in 11 tenement-houses of
third degree. It was also mentioned that 9 accident-prone houses
were reinforced in 2005. Touching upon the sanitary cleaning works,
V.Vardanian informed that the number of dustbins will grow by 1800
this year in Yerevan and those placed in Yerevan center will be moved
to yards.

MODERN OUT-PATIENTS’ DEPARTMENTS TO BE BUILT IN THREE RURAL COMMUNITIES OF GEGHARKUNIK MARZ BY WB FINANCING
Noyan Tapan
Mar 13 2006
GEGHARKUNIK, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Modern typic out-patients’
departments will be built during this year in the rural communities
of Zolakar, Geghahovit and Yeranos, the marz of Gegharkunik, by the
World Bank financial resources.
Those departments will be provided with newest medical equipment and
transport means. According to data of the Health Care Department
of the Gegharkunik regional administration, 50 thousand dollars
equivalent drams were spent on building and equipment of each of
the medical departments. The construction works will start from
April. Re-training courses for the medical staff of the mentioned
communities will be organized in parallel to implementation of the
program within the framework of the “Family Doctor” program.

“NEW COOPERATION PROSPECTS” TRAINING PROGRAM TO BE HELD ON MARCH 17-19 IN TSAKHKADZOR
Noyan Tapan
Mar 13 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. “New Cooperation Prospects” training
program will be held on March 17-19 in Tsakhkadzor with participation
of 18-30-year-old young people. The program is implemented by the
Center for Organization of Youth Events, within the framework of the
“Conference of Youth NGOs” program. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the
Center for Organization of Youth Events of RA Ministry of Culture and
Youth Affairs, subjects regarding youth policy, cooperation between
youth structures and media, information and consultation, working out
and implementation of joint youth programs will be discussed during
the program.

COURSES OF RE-TRAINING OF RA JUDGES START
Noyan Tapan
Mar 13 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. The courses of re-training judges
organized by the education center of the Court of Cassations started
on March 13 at the RA Court of Cassations. Those courses will be
continuable. It’s envisaged that each of the 179 judges of Armenia
will participate in the annual courses for 120 hours. Judges of the
RA Courts of Cassations and Appeal as well as local and international
experts will hold the courses. According to the information of the
Press Secretary of RA Court of Cassations, re-training of the RA
courts employees is also envisaged by the 2006 working program of
the educational center.

ARMENIA CIS LEADER BY ECONOMIC FREEDOM INDEX
Noyan Tapan
Mar 13 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenia ranks 27th (being considered
as a “mostly free” country) in the table of the 2006 annual rating
of economic freedom of the Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street
Journal. Vahagn Movsisian, Director General of the Armenian Development
Agency (ADA), stated this at the March 11 press conference. According
to him, the rating showed that Armenia is the CIS leader by the
economic freedom index. It shares 27th place with Japan and Bahamas,
while Georgia is in 68th place, Azerbaijan – 123rd, Turkey – 85th,
Iran – 157th, Ukraine -99th and Russia is in 122nd place out of 161
countries. V. Movsisian said that during the Business Assistance
Council (BAC) sitting (Armenian Prime Minister is BAC Chairman, the
ADA Director General – BAC Secretary), the new database on business
corruption risks, including the conclusions of the research conducted
by the international organization FEAS, will be examined. A working
group composed of 50 businessmen was set up at the BAC for the purpose
of creating the database. He reminded that such a database was created
in 2001 after the foundation of the BAC. Later, corruption risk-related
issues were discussed at 24 sittings of the BAC. According to ADA
Director General, the gradual solution of these issues has contributed
to the fact that Armenia is 27th by the economic freedom index (44th
in 2005), and the investment climate has significantly improved in
the country.

6 CASES OF POISONING REGISTERED IN FEBRUARY IN VAYOTS DZOR
Noyan Tapan
Mar 13 2006
YEGHEGNADZOR, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. 6 cases of poisoning were
registered in February this year in Vayots Dzor (1 carbon monoxide
poisoning, 5 poisonings from tinned food), in consequence of which 10
people suffered, 1 died. 2 cases of poisoning were registered in the
same month of 2005 in the region, from which 2 people suffered. 2 cases
of fire, 2 car incidents (4 victims, 2 injured) were registered in
the region in the same month and cases of bird plague were registered
in the Yelpin community (50 hens belonging to 3 farms died).
27 regional communities suffered in consequence of the heavy snow in
February, the total damage of which amounted to about 56 mln drams
(about 125 thousand USD).

THREE SERVICEMEN GET PHYSICAL INJURIES IN IJEVAN AS CONSEQUENCE OF STRONG WIND
Noyan Tapan
Mar 13 2006
IJEVAN, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. The roof of the military unit placed
in the region of Ijevan fell to ruins at about 11:00, March 9,
because of a strong wind, as a consequence of what 3 servicemen
were injured. Benik Miskarian, the regional department specialist
of the Department on Extreme Situations informed the Noyan Tapan
correspondent about this. According to him, the health state of one
of those servicemen is serious.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DIAGNOSTIC CENTER OPENS IN RA CENTRAL MILITARY HOSPITAL
Noyan Tapan
Mar 13 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Opening of a diagnostic center took
place on March 9 at the Central Military Hospital of the RA Ministry of
Defence. The Center has 8 services: 4 functional and 4 laboratory ones
which are full of modern equipment. According to Lieutenant-General
Artur Aghabekian, the RA Deputy Minister of Defence, the activity of
the center will give an opportunity to implement a complete examination
of servicemen in the central hospital.
According to him, there is a goal at present to provide the
hospital with modern equipment in a short period of time, to restore
fundamentaly all the departments for it’s possible to completely
implement the process of patients’ treatment in the above-mentioned
medical institution. “During the coming two years we’ll completely
provide the central hospital with modern technics,” A.Aghabekian
stated, mentioning that re-training of doctors is also implemented
to make use of those technics.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NUMBER OF MURDERS INCREASES THREEFOLD IN ARMENIA IN FIRST TWO MONTHS OF 2006 COMPARED WITH SAME PERIOD OF LAST YEAR
Noyan Tapan
Mar 13 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. 1,342 crimes were registered in Armenia
in the first two months of 2006 against 1,526 crimes in the same period
of last year. Colonel Hayk Militosian, Head of the RA Police Main
Department of Criminal Investigation, stated at the March 10 press
conference that the number of grave crimes declined by 57 compared
with January-February of 2005 and made 336. The number of particularly
grave crimes grew by 16 on the respective index of last year and made
31, while the number of crimes with use of firearms grew by 2 to 15
cases. 15 murders were registered in January-February 2006 against 5
murders over the same period of 2005. There was also a growth in the
number of attempted murders (3-7), crimes against sexual immunity
(5-8), drug-related crimes (30-80), hooliganism (24-36), crimes
with the use of firearms (10-14), robbery (18-21), apartment thefts
(67-76), and theft of means of transport (15-18). At the same time,
there was a decline in the number of such crimes as causing harm
to health deliberatly (118-64), illegal turnover of arms (29-15),
embezzlement of state or public property (50-33), embezzlement of
private property (373-361), fraud (75-51), crimes against economic
activity (39-32) and in some other crimes. The index of confiscation
and voluntary handing of the arms has remained at the same level –
19-20. Over the period under review, the crimes committed with use
of firearms and posing a great danger to society were disclosed by
100%. However, according to H. Militosian, the index of crime solution
declined by 2% to 62% compared with last year. H. Militosian said
that the number of beggar children declined considerably – this year
their number made about 80 against 170 registered in 1997. The number
of parents negligent in their duties of upbringing makes 48. Last year
26 citizens were subjected to criminal liability for involvement of
minors in crimes.