Panorama.am
14:10 14/04/06

MINISTER OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE ANNOYED AT `DISSIDENTS’ IN THE
SYSTEM
This year the school leaving ceremonies are going to be held on June
10. `This year we are also going to have modest ceremonies expressing
the past 10 years at school. The Ministry doesn’t prohibit anything to
anyone, and I ask the managers and teachers at your schools not to
seek for any other explanations,’ Minister of Education and Science
Sergo Yeritsyan said during the meeting with the head of Board of
regional education today.
The Minister was a bit annoyed at the fact that school principals and
workers of the Board often discuss questions that have long ago been
discussed and passed by Government resolution. `If one is against
something how is he going to hold a reform? It’s quite another thing
if they say, for example, that they have difficulties concerning this
or that question,’ the Minister said.
However, the finals will end on June 28 and either June 30 or 31 will
be the days of handing over the school-leaving certificates.
Concerning finals and entrance exams the Minister mentioned that no
meaningful changes are going to be made. That is to say, unlike last
year, neither new points will be added nor excluded form the book of
questionnaires for entrance exams.
To note, the Minister mainly touched upon such technical questions
omitting the fundamental question concerning progress in studies. And
as a result we have what we have. /Panorama.am/

Panorama.am
12:31 14/04/06

WHO IS TO PAY?
The workers of Public Defender’s office finally received their
salaries for 21 months. Yet this was not their only problem.
The question of photo-copying the files of criminal cases is a serious
problem for the defenders. If in all the other cases the relatives of
the accused are to pay for the photo-copying then, in fact, there is
no one to pay for the insolvent section of population, and the state
budget hasn’t envisaged such expenses. In the end the defenders have
to pay form their own pocket to have the files of the cases
photo-copied. Yet, sometimes those files are voluminous and the
photo-copying becomes quite a serious problem. Defenders are not able
to cover all those expenses with the salary of 150-180 drams a month.
If the question is not solved the public defenders will simply not
have the files photo-copied, will not get acquainted with them and the
defence of the accused in the Court will have a formal character
only. /Panorama.am/

Ashot Galoyan appoined RA Ambassador to Latvia and Lithuania
ArmRadio.am
14.04.2006 17:40
With RA President Robert Kocharyan’s decree dated April 13 RA
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Poland Ashot Galoyan
was appointed RA Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the
Republics of Latvia and Lithuania (seat in Warsaw).

OPPOSITION MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT GAVE A MORAL VOTE
Lragir.am
14 April 06

During the past four-day meeting of the parliament, when the members
of parliament were voting to the report on the program of
privatization of state property 2001-2003, there were opposition
members of parliament who voted for the report. The two opposition
factions announced they were against the report. The oppositionist who
voted for the report is Member of Parliament Harutiun Muradyan, member
of the faction of the National Unit.
The deputy leader of the National Unity Alexan Karapetyan commented on
Harutiun Muradyan’s vote from the perspective of morality. Alexan
Karapetyan reminded that Harutiun Muradyan is the brother of Muradyan,
owning the famous company BAMO. And BAMO is the company which
privatized the Sport and Concert Complex of Yerevan. Alexan Karapetyan
says it would not be moral to vote against a program, which his
brothers took advantage of.
`Morality did not even prevent Muradyan from voting, which was
possible. He considered it moral to go and vote for the report,’ says
Alexan Karapetyan. From the political perspective he does not accept
Harutiun Muradyan’s step, but he thinks it will not have political
consequences for Muradyan, for being a member of the faction of the
National Assembly, Member of Parliament Muradyan is not member of any
political party. And `kinship’ with BAMO would hardly disturb any
faction.

Karabakh holds command-staff exercise
Mediamax news agency
14 Apr 06
Yerevan, 14 April: The defence army of the Nagornyy Karabakh Republic
has held a command-staff exercise with the participation of military
formations, units and mobilization resources.
The exercise is being held in accordance with the army training plan
for 2006, the head of the information and propaganda department of the
Karabakh defence army, Lt-Col Senor Asratyan, told Mediamax today.
“This event aims at determining the level of military training of the
armed forces as part of the process of making them fully combat ready,
improving the management of different kinds of troops and coordinating
their actions during defensive and counteroffensive operations,”
Asratyan said.
He pointed out the importance of checking the level of readiness of
the mobilization resource so as to reinforce the army personnel when
and if.
“The first stage of the exercise showed that the personnel and the
mobilization resources of the republic were capable of properly
fulfilling the tasks and demonstrated a high level of military
training,” Asratyan said.

RA CITIZENS RETURNING FATHERLAND TO BE GIVEN FREE CONSULTATION FROM NOW ON
YEREVAN, APRIL 14, NOYAN TAPAN. The Migration Agency of the RA
Ministry of Territorial Administration created a new service which
will give free consultation to RA citizens returned the Fatherland. As
Gagik Yeganian, the acting Chief of the agency informed the Noyan
Tapan correspondent, those citizens of the RA who has lived out of the
republic for few years, returning the place of permanent residence,
have problems of different characters. According to him, many of
those returned are not acquainted with changes taken place in the
country, or have distorted information. In G.Yeganian’s opinion, the
service that will function from April 17, will assist re-integration
of those returning the Fatherland.

RA CITIZENS MAY ADDRESS TO U.S. EMBASSY FOR GETTING ENTRANCE VISAS BY
PHONE FROM NOW ON

YEREVAN, APRIL 14, NOYAN TAPAN. RA citizens appealing for
non-immigration visa, may from now on reach agreement concerning an
iterview by phone, instead of coming to the Consulate Department of
the U.S Embassy. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the U.S. Embassy,
applicants may phone to the Embassy for this purpose any working day
at 15:00-17:00. One did not have to phone himself, but it’s necessary
that the one ringing has all necessary data about the applicant. They
inform from the Embassy, that starting from May 1, interviews will be
appointed only by phone calls, and the order of getting personal
agreement at the Embassy will not operate any longer. It is also
informed that the number of people wanting to get visa increases in
summer, and it’s possible that applicants have to wait for passing the
interview for few weeks. People wishing to leave for the U.S. in
summer are advised to present the application for visa as earlier of
the scheduled term of traveling as it is possible.

KVANT COLLEGE RECOGNIZED WINNER IN YEREVAN SUBJECT OLYMPIAD FOR 9th TIME
YEREVAN, APRIL 14, NOYAN TAPAN. On April 14, diplomas and souvenirs
were given to pupils who won in Yerevan city subject olympiad. 269
pupils from more than 70 Yerevan schools received different diplomas,
including 10 pupils that were given diplomas on 3 and more
subjects. In total, 1400 pupils from more than 100 Yerevan schools
took part in the olympiad. The Kvant college for the 9th time received
the first prize of Yerevan Mayor’s Office for the best results. The
second prize was given to the school after Siamanto, the third prize
the school after Dashtents. As Mayor Yervand Zakharian said at the
solemn ceremony at Yerevan Mayor’s Office, events of the kind are an
additional stimulus for pupils’ future progress. According to the
Mayor, year by year not only the activity of Yerevan comprehensive
schools in city olympiads increases but also their pupils take part in
republican and international olympiads and often return with a
victory.

PRESS RELEASE
Dish Communications
Amy Grey/Katie Henderson
[email protected]
818-508-1000
*** Incorrect Listing of The Armenian Genocide in Los Angeles TV TIMES GUIDE
for KCET ***
(Los Angeles 4/14/06) The upcoming TV TIMES GUIDE of the Los Angeles Times
is expected to incorrectly list that KCET will be airing the PBS documentary
“The Armenian Genocide” on Monday, April 17th at 9:00pm.
KOCE, the PBS affiliate in Orange County, will actually be the station to
air The Armenian Genocide on Wednesday, April 26 at 9:00pm. KOCE reaches the
majority of Los Angeles residents in addition to Orange County.
KCET will be airing an entirely different film, “Le Genocide Armenien” by
director Laurence Jourdan on Monday, April 17th at 9pm, according to their
public statements.
Those who wish to see the PBS documentary “The Armenian Genocide”, by Andrew
Goldberg, are also invited to come to a free screening on Monday April 17th
at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. (6712 Hollywood Blvd.) Tickets are not
required — just show up. Seating is on a first-come, first serve basis.
Screenings are at 6:00pm, 8:00pm and 10:00pm. The theater seats over 600.
For more information and
and
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Turkey bans Swiss from defense contracts
ANKARA, Turkey, April 11 (UPI) — Ankara has barred a Swiss aircraft
producer from tendering for a contract to supply the Turkish Air Force
with trainer planes, citing political reasons.
Defense officials said Pilatus, a Stans-based manufacturer of small
aircraft, had been forbidden from bidding for the $500 million
contract because of a diplomatic row between the two countries,
Turkish Daily News reported.
“There is an understanding that Swiss bidders should not join Turkish
military contracts,” a senior official said. “We don’t think Swiss
contenders would be reliable partners in defense contracts.”
Bilateral relations between the two countries were severely strained
by the Swiss parliament’s 2003 adoption of a resolution condemning the
Ottoman Empire’s “genocide” of Armenians during the First World War.
A 1991 arms embargo on Turkey was lifted by Bern last year. However,
Ankara seems determined to keep the Swiss defense industry on its red
list. Turkey last year removed South Africa from its red list of
countries that cannot participate in defense procurement contracts,
while opening up towards European Union defense industries.
There are currently three international bidders involved in the
procurement of the jet trainers: Brazil’s Embraer, Korea Aerospace
Industries and U.S. company Raytheon.