NATIONAL ASSEMBLY TO ELECT A NEW CHAIRMAN TOMORROW
ArmRadio.am
31.05.2006 16:44
A special sitting was held today at the National Assembly. The agenda
included the issues of electing NA Chairman and Heads of two Standing
Committees.
The suggestion of candidacies and elections will be held
tomorrow. Chairman of the sitting, NA Vice-Speaker Tigran Torosyan
told the journalists that it is the person presiding over the sitting
that decides the order of the questions discussed and he found it
appropriate to hold the elections for the vacant positions on the
1st of June.
Today the Deputies adopted 12 draft laws and ratified eight
international agreements.

AZERBAIJANI PM RECEIVES CIS DMS’ BOARD DELEGATION
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 31 2006
Azerbaijan’s Prime Minister Arthur Rasizadeh today received the
delegation of the Board of Defense Ministers of the Commonwealth of
Independent States (CIS).
The meeting brought together representatives of the Defense Ministries
of Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan,
Russia and Ukraine as well as representatives of the CIS Executive
Committee and Defense Ministers Board Secretariat. The Cabinet of
Ministers told APA that in the short meeting, the Minister talked
about the socio-political situation in Azerbaijan. He also introduced
Azerbaijan’s stance on the Nagorno Garabagh conflict and stressed
that Armenia is taking an unconstructive stance regarding this issue.
Mr.Rasizadeh answered the questions given by the visitors later on.

RA DEFENCE MINISTRY MAKES DECISION NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN CIS DEFENCE MINISTERS’ SITTING TO TAKE PLACE IN BAKU
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 30 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 30, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Taking into account
that the CIS Defence Ministers’ Council Secretariate was not able to
get guarantees for security of the RA Defence Ministries’ delegation
members from the Azerbaijani authorities, a decision was made not
to participate in the CIS Defence Ministers’ sitting to take place
in Baku in May 31. The CIS Defence Ministers’ Council Sectretariate
informed about it in written form. “This fact again proves that
Azerbaijan is not able to implement its obligations: to guarantee
security of participants of an international event being organized on
its own territory. The CIS Council of Defence Ministers is obliged
in its turn to create equal conditions for all CIS member states’
participation in the sitting.
We wait for the CIS Defence Ministers’ Council’s official attitude
towards the happened,” is said in the RA Defence Ministry’s statement
that was submitted to Noyan Tapan by Colonel Seyran Shahsuvarian,
the RA Defence Minister’s Press Secretary.

RA AMBASSADOR SUREN HAROUTIUNIAN FINISHES HIS DIPLOMATIC MISSION IN BELARUS
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 30 2006
MINSK, MAY 30, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. RA Ambassador to
Belarus Suren Haroutiunian finishes his diplomatic mission to that
country. On that occasion, the Ambassador’s meeting with the President
and Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus took place, RA Embassy’s
reception was held. Receiving the RA Ambassador on May 22, President
of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko mentioned that during
the last seven years, S.Haroutiunian presented himself not only as a
friendly country’s Ambassador, but also as a friend of Belarus, took
care of Belarus as much as of Armenia. According to the RB President,
the RA Ambassador was able to level a road for development of bilateral
close contacts the evidence of what the present speed of development
of the mutual commodity circulation is. The RA Ambassador emphasized
in his turn that all those that he managed to implement during the
recent seven years, was possible due to the two countries’ Presidents’
and Governments’ most active assistance and support. On the same day
the RB Prime Minister received the RA Ambassador. Present problems and
prospects of development of bilateral trade and economy relations were
discussed. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s
Press and Information Department, RB Foreign Minister S.Martinov,
Patriarch of All Belarus Filaret made speeches at the reception
organized on May 23 by the RA Embasssy on the occasion of the end of
the diplomatic mission of the RA Ambassador to Belarus. RB high-ranking
officials, heads of diplomatic missions accredited in the country,
public and cultural figures, representatives of the Armenian community
were among those present. Events dedicated to end of the diplomatic
mission of the RA Ambassador to Belarus were widely covered in RB
mass media, interviews with him were published.

RA FOREIGN MINISTER AND ADMINISTRATION OF FLETCHER SCHOOL OF LAW AND DIPLOMACY DISCUSS FUTURE PROGRAMS OF COOPERATION
Noyan Tapan
May 30 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 30, NOYAN TAPAN. RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
received on May 31 Stephen W. Bosworth, the Dean of the Fletcher
School of Law and Diplomacy of the Tufts University, Fletcher School
Professor Alan Henrikson and benefactor Aso Tavitian, the sponsor of
the program of cooperation with the RA Foreign Ministry. Expressing
satisfaction on the occasion of cooperation of the Foreign Ministry of
Armenia and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy started years ago,
interlocutors discussed future programs. The Dean informed that during
the recent years, besides diplomacy, courses of economy and trade
programs were involved in the education programs of the school. This
gave possibility to teach and re-train in the school representatives
of different state institutes of Armenia. As Noyan Tapan was informed
by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information Department,
the Minister mentioned that training of more than 60 diplomates and
other state servicemen at the school, joint with similar educational
institutions of Europe and Moscow, is a considerable contribution for
improvement of young diplomacy of Armenia. Dean Stephen Bosworth’s
and Professor Alan Henrikson’s meeting with the RA Foreign Ministry’s
staff at the RA Foreign Ministry’s library followed the meeting.

RA FOREIGN MINISTER TO PAY TWO-DAY OFFICIAL VISIT TO KAZAKHSTAN
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 30 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 30, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On May 31, RA Foreign
Minister Vartan Oakanian will pay a two-day official visit to the
Republic of Kazakhstan. RA Foreign Minister will have meetings with
President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev and Foreign Minister
Kasimzhomart Tokayev in Astana. On June 1, RA Foreign Minister will
speak at the Diplomatic Academy of Kazakhstan.
In the evening the same day Vartan Oskanian will leave for Almati
where on June 2 he will meet with the representatives of the local
Armenian community.
As Noyan Tapan was informed from RA Foreign Ministry Press and
Information Department, Vartan Oskanian will return to Armenia on
June 2.

NKR PRESIDENT TAKES PART IN CONGRESS OF UNION OF ARMENIANS OF RUSSIA AND HAS A NUMBER OF MEETINGS
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 30 2006
MOSCOW, MAY 30, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On these days Nagorno
Karabakh President Arkady Ghukasian is in Moscow here he took part in
the congress of the Union of Armenians of Russia. As Noyan Tapan was
informed from the Chief Information Department under NKR President,
Arkady Ghukasian also had meetings with the Armenian community of
Russia, representatives of business, public, political circles.

UNKNOWN PERSONS USE COMPUTERS OF HERITAGE PARTY
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 30 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 30, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Chairman of the
Zharangutyun (Heritage) Party, a former foreign minister of Armenia
Raffi Hovhanisian on May 29 sent an application to Chief of the
RA Police Hayk Harutyunian, Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepian,
Chief of the National Security Service Gorik Hakobian, the RA
Ombudsman Armen Harutyunian, Chief of Yerevan’s Kentron community
police department Hovhannes Tamanian. According to the application,
“some unknown persons made illegal use of his property after the
area leased by him was illegally closed.” The application notes
that under the April 14 decision of the court of first instance of
Yerevan’s Kentron and Nork-Marash communities, which was carried out
on May 29 by the Service for Compulsory Execution of Court Acts,
Raffi Hovhanisian and members of the Heritage Party were allowed
to enter the area, which had been closed since March 4, 2006. On
the same day, a protocol on examination of the 168-sq.m area of the
state non-commercial organization “State Theatre of Musical Comedy
after Hakob Paronian” was compiled. The examination revealed that
“all the property is in its place. An outside examination showed
that the windows of the second floor were open, while a TV set and
two computers were on.” R. Hovhanisian also noted that the Haritage
Party applied to an expert to find out if the computers had been
used in the period from March 4 to May 29, as a result of which it
became clear that the computers were used. “The obvious proof is not
only that both computers were on, but also the fact that the Vectra
VL US85015461 computer with a password contains information that it
was used on March 8, 2006, at 02:23.” Raffi Hovhaniosian requested to
examine his application and find out who, how, why and on whose orders
used that computer. To recap, the court decision prohibited the state
non-commercial organization “State Theatre of Musical Comedy after
H. Paronian” to take any action aimed at using the area at 7 Vazgen
Sargsian Street occupied by Raffi Hovhanisian and the Heritage Party,
as well as the property there.

ROBERT KOCHARIAN FAMILIARIZES HIMSELF WITH WORK ON DEVELOPMENT OF CONCEPT OF COURT AND LEGAL REFORMS AND PREPARATION OF LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE
Noyan Tapan
May 30 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 30, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian President Robert Kocharian
on May 30 conducted a consultation with the participation of the
working group set up in order to develop a concept of court and legal
reforms and prepare a necessary legislative package. The President
said that he intends to familiarize himself with the process of
work, to have an idea how rapidly the work proceeds and when it
will be completed. Presenting the work done, the head of the working
group, Justice Minister David Harutyunian said that European, more
specifically Lithuanian model has been selected as a guide for reforms.
According to him, the development of the package of a court concept
has been completed, and the working group has begun discussing the
prosecutor-related section.
He noted that legislative work will soon start in parallel. The
consultation participants also discussed some issues, which are
related to adoption of a number of important tasks and approaches and
with respect to which there were some disagreements in the process
of work. According to the RA President’s press service, Robert
Kocharian appealed to those present to be above narrow departmental
interests and try to find some reasonable solutions. In his words,
the reforms are aimed at forming balanced relations of the jusicial
power and efficently functioning bodies to fight crime. Instructing the
consultation participants to proceed in accordance with the schedule,
the President said that if it is possible to adopt the whole package
until the autumn, it will be a significant step forward from the
viewpoint of creating an independent court and legal system.

REPRESENTATIVE OF ARMENIA ELECTED VICE-CHAIRMAN OF CE CONGRESS OF LOCAL AND TERRITORIAL AUTHORITIES
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 30 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 30, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On the first day of
the 13th plenary session of the Council of Europe Congress of Local
and Territorial Authorities, Emin Yeritsian, head of the Armenian
delegation, was elected Vice-Chairman of the Council of Europe
Congress, a member of the Bureau. As Noyan Tapan was informed
from the Press and Public Relations Department of the Union of
Armenian Communities, this is the highest elected post held by the
representatives of Armenia in the structures of the Council of Europe
by now.