34 ISSUES, 6 INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS ON DRAFT AGENDA OF COMING FOUR-DAYS SITTINGS OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Noyan Tapan
Apr 10 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 10, NOYAN TAPAN. Drafts to the decision on making
additions to the agenda of the 7th session of the 3rd convention of the
RA National Assembly and to the agenda of the April 10-13 four-days
sittings of the National Assembly were discussed at the NA working
consultation on April 7. 8 drafts are involved in the additions
part of the agenda of the 7th session of the NA 3rd convention. 34
issues and 6 international agreements are put on the draft agenda
of the coming four-days sittings of the National Assembly. As Noyan
Tapan was informed by the NA Public Relations Department, the draft
decision on making additions to the agenda of the 7th session of the
3rd convention of the Parliament and the draft agenda of the April
10-13 four-days sittings of the National Assembly are to be affirmed
at the April 10 NA sitting.

NATIOANAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER OF FRANCE AND RA AMBASSADOR PLANT ABRICOT-TREE BROUGHT FROM ARMENIA IN PARK OF ARMENIA OPENED IN CITY OF EVREUX, NORMANDY
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 10 2006
PARIS, APRIL 10, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. A solemn ceremony
dedicated to the French-Armenian friendship took place in the city
of Evreux, Normandy, on April 7: the park of Armenia opened in the
central park of the city where Jean-Louis Debre, the National Assembly
Speaker of France and Edvard Nalbandian, the RA Ambassador in Paris
planted an abricot-tree brought from Armenia specially for that
purpose. Making a speech at the solemn ceremony organized on that
occasion, the NA Speaker of France touched upon the centuries-old
traditions of the Armenian-French friendship, emphasizing that at
present relations of Armenia and France are of brotherly character,
the birght evidence of what is the Year of Armenia to be organized
in France. The RA Ambassador mentioned in his speech that the planted
abricot-tree symbolizes in the best way the Armenian-French relations
with roots striken in the French land and having fruit with an Armenian
name. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press
and Information Department, during the private conversation before
the event, NA Speaker of France Jean-Louis Debre and Ambassador of
Armenia Edvard Nalbandian discussed current issues concerning the
Armenian-French relations.

CHARLES AZNAVOUR: I AM FRENCHMAN WITH ARMENIAN ORIGIN
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 10 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 10, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. “I am not an Armenian
of France and I want to say very proudly that I am a Frenchman with an
Armenian origin,” world-famous singer Charles Aznavour declared at the
April 10 press conference at the French Embassy in Armenia. “I feel
myself a Frenchman by my land and education, but I am an absolute
pure-blooded Armenian by my heart, soul and my way of speaking. A
thing that enables me to have really a peculiar, an exclusive wealth,”
Aznavour said. Charles Aznavour also mentioned that he has been always
happy to see Armenia and France constantly closely connected with each
other. The singer has always wished French to be the second language
in Armenia, which, according to him, is almost impossible as Russian
is more spread in the country. “Nevertheless, I would like French to
be even if the third language in Armenia”. Aznavour also said that
each time he comes to Armenia he speaks Armenian better and there
will be a day when he will speak Armenian purely.

VICTOR DALLAKIAN PROPOSES SETTING UP NA STANDING COMMITTEE
Noyan Tapan
Apr 10 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 10, NOYAN TAPAN. Secretary of the RA National Assembly
“Justice” faction Victor Dallakian on April 10 put forward a proposal
to set up a NA standing committee on gas tariff increases and the
alienation of 5th unit of Hrazadan Thermal Power Plant. Making
a decision on it requires that at least one third of the overall
number of the deputies sign under the respective document within 24
hours. V. Dallakian took the document on April 10 at 0:30 pm. By 2 pm,
19 deputies have already put their signatures to the document.

ARTUR BAGHDASARIAN: IT IS WORRYING IN POLITICAL SENSE THAT ARMENIA’S ENERGY RESOURCES ARE COLLECTED IN RUSSIA’S HANDS
Noyan Tapan
Apr 10 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 10, NOYAN TAPAN. The deal connected with the increase in
the Russian gas tariffs should be considered from three viewpoints –
political, economic and social. Speaker of the RA National Assembly
Artur Baghdasarian stated this on April 10. In his words, it is
worrying in the political sense that Armenia’s energy capacities are
collected in Russia’s hand. It means that the regulatory function of
the Armenian state should be enhanced. In his opinion, the Armenian
laws allow the state to implement a proper control. On the other hand,
it also means the diversification of energy sources, whose objective
may be to attract the European Union and other donor organizations to
the Armenian energy market, which will make it possible to develop
small hydropower plants and wind energy. In the economic sense,
according to the NA Speaker, it is profitable that Russia will make a
direct investment of 600 mln USD in the Armenian economy. The current
foreign debt of Armenia is 1 bln USD. So taking another loan of 150
mln USD for relaunching of the Hrazdan Thermal Power Plant’s 5th
unit is a “luxury for the country”. It is no less important from the
social point of view that the gas tariffs will be predictable until
2009 and there will be no increase in the electricity tariff.

PRIVATE SECTOR’S INVESTMENTS INCREASE IN URBAN DEVELOPMENT OF GYUMRY
Noyan Tapan
Apr 10 2006
GYUMRI, APRIL 10, NOYAN TAPAN. Since 2002, the urban development
of Gyumri at the request of the private sector has amounted to
about 15 bln drams and is growing each year. Hrayr Karapetian,
Head of the Urban Development, Construction, Real Estate Cadastre
and Municipal Economy Department of Gyumri Mayor’s Office, told NT
correspondent about it. According to him, Gyumry Mayor’s Office holds
land auctions every week. 80% of such land plots is allocated for
house construction. H. Karapetian said that the land auction lots are
assessed at the cadastre value, with 20-30% discountes given to those
who carry out house construction work. Land plots to the builders of
trade and service facilities are sold in the amount of 100-120% of
their cadastre value. It was noted that the city of Gyumri is divided
into 4 zones based on the cadastre value of land: in the first zone,
the value makes 2,940 drams for a squre meter, and in the fourth zone –
810 drams (about 1.8 USD). The trade and service facilities of Gyumri
are mainly being constructed by the locals conducting their business
in Russia (Ekaterinburg, Blagobechshensk, Moscow) and Ukraine. At
the request of the private sector, residential houses, trade and
service facilities are mostly being built. H. Karapetian said that
some construction organizations from Yerevan have also been involved
in the urban development of Gyumri.

MHER SHAHGELDIAN: THEY HAVE GREAT POSSIBILITIES TO CONTINUE NEGOTIATIONS ON KARABAKH SETTLEMENT
Noyan Tapan
Apr 10 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 10, NOYAN TAPAN. One may not say that the Karabakh
negotiation process entered deadlock at the meeting of the Presidents
of Armenia and Azerbaijan taken place in Ramboillet recently. Mher
Shahgeldian, the Chairman of the RA NA Standing Committee on Defence,
Internal Affairs and National Security Issues expressed such a
confidence at the April 7 meeting with journalists at the “Pastark”
club. According to him, this was one of the negotiation stages, and
those negotiations have great possibilities to continue. Attaching
importance to the continuous character of the negotiation process,
the speaker expressed an opinion that the year of 2006 may become a
“window” for solution of the Karabakh issue. According to him, it’s
obvious that international structures and negotiators are interested
for the negotiations continue. The speaker found it difficult to say
for what compromises Azerbaijan is ready.
According to him, the martial statements of the Azerbaijani side
do not coincide with the position of the international community as
well as of Armenia, concerning settling the issue in a peaceful way,
and from this viewpoint, the probability of the Azerbaijani side’s
going to compromise must increase. He attached importance to the
circumstance that the universal approach of the international community
but not of separate states exists in this issue. At the same time,
Shahgeldian mentioned that negotiators may propose different models,
but the final solution depends on the conflict sides. The deputy didn’t
agree with the opinion, that the U.S. attempts to speed up solution
of the Karabakh problem. According to him, solution of the Nagorno
Karabakh problem is itself important for the U.S., from the viewpoint
of securing stability in the South Caucasian region. According to the
speaker, it’s impossible to implement directly the model of Kosovo in
Karabakh. But there are approaches in that model which may be used. At
the same time, it’s spoken about the participation of Nagorno Karabakh
in the negotiation process, observing the issue in the context of
the Eurointegration process.

ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH REPRESENTATIVE PARTICIPATES IN ANNUAL MEETING OF ACTION FOR CHURCHES TOGETHER ALLIANCE
Noyan Tapan
Apr 10 2006
GENEVA, APRIL 10, NOYAN TAPAN. The annual meeting of the “Action for
Churches Together” alliance took place at the Ecumenic Institute of
Bossei, near Geneva, on April 5-7. Representative of the Armenian
Apostolic Church Karen Nazarian, the Executive Director of the
Armenian Interchurch Round Table also participated in the meeting. The
“Action for Church Together” is a special structure in the Churches
World Council system which allocates humanitarian aid in the case of
extreme situations and disasters. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the
Interchurch Relations Department of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin,
for securing the continuous character of the programs, it was decided
at the 2006 meeting to widen the ACT mandate and complete programs
implemented in extreme situations with development works as well.

VAHE SHAHVERDIAN: METAKSIA HAS BEEN AND WILL REMAIN BEAUTIFUL FAIRY-TALE AND UNIQUE CHARM OF ARMENIAN THEATER
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 10 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 10, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. “Metaksia has been
and will remain the beautiful fairy-tale and the unique charm of the
Armenian theater. I don’t know and can’t say when a new Metaksia will
be born in the Armenian theater. Her place on the stage is vacant
up to this day,” Vahe Shahverdian, Art Director of Gabriel Sundukian
National Academic Theater, declared at the April 10 event dedicated
to well-known actress Metaksia Simonian’s 80th birth anniversary. Vahe
Shahverdian said that he is always angry when he hears such expressions
as “a beautiful actress”, “an attractive actress” addressed to
Metaksia as Metaksia became beautiful and attractive on the stage as
“her charm had a talent and her talent had a charm”. This was the
talent of being unusual and unique that Metaksia had on the stage. The
evidence of this are numerous roles the talented actress played with
an attraction and charm no one else has ever played on the stage
of the Armenian theater”. According to V.Shahverdian, Metaksia
Simonian’s best role was the role of Nastasya Philipovna in the
“Idiot” by Feodor Dostoyevski. At the Moscow tour in 1970, this role
played by the actress was estimated by well-known theatrical critics
Svobodin and Rudniski as “the best Nastasya Philipovna in the Soviet
Union”. “For unknown reasons, the Armenians have never spoken about
this. The theatrical world did not like her. The theatrical world
persecuted her. I can ground my words by articles and publications
written about her at that time,” V.Shahverdian declared. According
to the Art Director of the National Academic Theater, the actress
having an exclusive talent should have been buried in the Pantheon
after Komitas: “She should rest near the other Armenian great figures.
Metaksia’s place is there”. Vahe Shahverdian also mentioned that a week
of performances will be held on the occasion of the 80th anniversary
of the actress with the participation of theaters of Armenia, Artsakh
and Tbilisi, which will be concluded by a distribution of prizes.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CONCERT-ACTION ENTITLED “IT’S POSSIBLE” TO BE HELD ON INITIATIVE OF EMBASSY OF GREAT BRITAIN TO ARMENIA, ON APRIL 11
Noyan Tapan
Apr 10 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 10, NOYAN TAPAN. The concert-action entitled “It’s
Possible” will be held in Yerevan on April 11, on the initiative of
the Embassy of Great Britain. The goal of the event is to support
increasing the public consciousness towards a number of important
issues among the Armenian youth. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the
Political, Press and Public Ties Department of the British Embassy to
the RA, the concert-action to be held at the Al.Spendiarian Opera and
Ballet National Academic Theater will attach importance to three public
problems: clean Yerevan, refusal of corruption and legal awareness.
The concert tickets will be freely given to students of the
institutions of higher education of Yerevan.