5th UNIT OF HRAZDAN TPP SOLD TO GASPROM
Noyan Tapan
Apr 06 2006
YEREVAn, APRIL 6, NOYAN TAPAN. Under the Armenian government’s decision
of April 6, 2006, the 5th power unit of the Hrazdan Thermal Power Plant
(TPP) has been sold to Gasprom company (Russia) for 248.8 mln USD. RA
Minister of Energy Armen Movsisian told reporters on the same day that
the government took this step in order to mitigate the consequences
of the increase in the gas tariff. A. Movsisian said that in the
period from April 10, 2006 to December 31, 2008, the government
will compensate the users 188 mln dollars of the indicated sum in
the form of subsidies aimed at mitigating the tariff increase, while
the remaining sum will be transferred to the state budget. Starting
April 10, the state will subsidize 25 thousand drams out of the 90
thousand drams (200 USD) for 1,000 cubic meters for private users,
and 52.01 USD is envisaged against 146.51 USD for big consumers. The
sum will be transferred to the extrabudget account of the RA Ministry
of Defence, which, according to A. Movsisian, will allow to accelerate
the process. The Russian side intends to implement a 150-160 mln dollar
investment program at the 5th unit of Hrazdan TPP within the next two
years. Under the program, the power unit must be fully constructed,
in addition, a gas turbine with the capacity of at least 140 megawatt
has to be installed. The contract also stipulates that there will be
no change in the tariff of the gas supplied by Gasprom until 2009. The
minister said that this deal will also allow to avoid an increase in
the price of electricity. Asked if it would not be more expedient
to sell the 5th unit by holding a tender, A. Movsisian said that a
tender was announced two years ago but the offered price was much lower
than the current one. According to an agreement reached previously,
construction of the Hrazdan TPP 5th power unit was to be completed
with credit resources of the Iranian side. A. Movsisian said that it
was proposed that instead, the Iranian side should make investmenmts
in the construction of the Meghri hydropower plant on the Arax River.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OLD DATA ON ARMENIA USED IN GLOBAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY REPORT 2005
Noyan Tapan
Apr 06 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 6, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenia-related data in the Global
Information Technology Report 2005 of the Global Economic Forum does
not reflect the current situation in the information and communication
sectors of Armenia, since the outdated information has been used. RA
Deputy Minister of Trade and Economic Development Tigran Davtian
stated this at the April 6 press conference. According to the report,
Armenia ranks 79th among 155 countries by its summary index. T. Davtian
said that particularly the index of the information and communication
technologies component affected the formation of such a low rating
of Armenia. For example, Armenia was in 103rd place by the component
of mobile phone use by individuals, but this conclusion was made
based on the 2003 data. Armenia took the last – 115th place by the
component of mobile phone use in business sector – based on the 2004
data. This information does not reflect the increase in the indices
of mobile phone use after the entry of the second operator in the
Armenian mobile phone communication market.
Besides, Armenia took 110th place by the Internet services availability
component (2004 data was used), 104th place by the new phone lines
availability component (2003 data). T. Davtian said that the low
indices of these two components are conditioned by ArmenTel’s monopoly
in the Internet access service and phone communication provision
market. It is for the first time that Armenia was included in the
Global Information Technology Report, which, in T. Davtian’s opinion,
is a positive phenomenon.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EUROPEAN UNION – ARMENIA ACTION PLAN TO BE IMPLEMENTED FROM 2007
Noyan Tapan
Apr 06 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 6, NOYAN TAPAN. It is envisaged that the European Union
– Armenia Action Plan of the European Neighborhood Policy will be
approved by the Armenian government and the European Commission by late
2006 and its implementation will start in 2007. RA Deputy Minister of
Trade and Economic Development Tigran Davtian stated this at the April
6 press conference. According to him, 90-95% of the issues related to
the action plan’s development were specified during the negotaiations
between the sides in early March. The remaining issues will be
clarified in working order or at the next stage of negotiations. Then
the action plan will be agreed on with the governments of 25 EU
member states. The action plan is an instrument for carrying out the
National Program for implementation of the Partnership and Cooperation
Agreement between Armenia and the EU. It is envisaged to implement this
program in the next three-four years. According to Tigran Jrbashian,
Armenian Director of the Armenian-European Policy and Legal Advice
Centre (AEPLAC), after approval of the action plan, the amount of
funds to be allocated by the EU to Armenia for budgetary assistance,
advice and formation of infrastructures will grow 4-5fold.
The current annual ammount of EU assistance to Armenia makes about
20 mln euros.
Besides, the EU will increase crediting volumes through the European
Investment Bank.

RA DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER HAS MEETINGS AT FOREIGN MINISTRY AND PARLIAMENT OF CZECH REPUBLIC
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 06 2006
PRAGUE, APRIL 6, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Arman Kirakosian,
the Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia was on a working visit to the
Czech Republic on April 3-4. At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
the Czech Republic, Arman Kirakosian had meetings with Jaroslav Basta,
the Foreign Minister’s First Deputy of the Czech Republic and Jaromir
Plisek, the Director General of the Territorial Department. The sides
discussed issues concerning development of bilateral relations,
possibilities of completing the legal-contractual field between
Armenia and the Czech Republic, of widening commercial-economic
ties. For giving new filling to relations of the two countries,
interlocuters discussed the necessity of mutual official visits in
future. The RA Deputy Foreign Minister also had meetings with Edvard
Outrata, the Deputy Speaker of the Czech Parliament and Jan Kavan,
the Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Committee.
Issues connected with widening interparliamentary ties, visit to be
paid to Armenia by Czech parliamentaries in coming May were touched
upon during the meetings. Within the framework of his visit to the
Czech Republic, Arman Kirakosian participated in the international
conference dedicated to the Armenian Genocide. The conference where
he made a speech was organized at the Czech Senate by Senator Jaromir
Stetina and the Armenian community. Scientists and historians from
the Czech Republic, U.S., Germany, France, Slovakia made speeches
at the conference. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign
Ministry’s Press and Information Department, the RA Deputy Foreign
Minister had a meeting with representatives of the Armenian community
of the Czech Republic.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

15 OUT-PATIENTS’ DEPARTMENT TO BE RESTORED AND 5 ONES TO BE BUILT THIS YEAR BY WB CREDIT PROGRAM
Noyan Tapan
Apr 06 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 6, NOYAN TAPAN. About 8.5 mln dollars health care
programs are envisaged to implement this year within the framework
of about 19 mln dollars credit program “Modernization of Health Care
System of Armenia” of the World Bank. Sergey Khachatrian, the Director
of the “Health Care PIA” state institution of the RA Ministry of Health
Care informed the Noyan Tapan correspondent about this. Particularly,
15 out-patients’ departments of marzes will be restored, and 5 ones
will be built in the marzes of Ararat, Gegharkunik, Armavir, Tavush and
Kotayk. Besides, 150 out-patients’ departments of rural settlements
will get medical equipment, furniture and accessories. S.Khachatrian
mentioned that within the framework of the program, the Yerevan Surb
Astvatsamayr Medical Center and the Clinical Hospital of the Yerevan
State Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi will be restored
this year. It’s envisaged to implement a program of supporting
those medical institutions with modern medical equipment as well,
after finishing the restoration works. Besides, programs directed to
formation of the family doctor’s insitute will also be implemented,
including the process of preparing family doctors will continue, the
second educational center of Family Medicine, etc. will be created. It
was also mentioned that 1.2 mln dollars were spent this year within
the framework of the credit program.

NUMBER OF PEOPLE RECEIVING FAMILY BENEFITS INCREASES IN GEGHARKUNIK
Noyan Tapan
Apr 06 2006
GAVAR, APRIL 6, NOYAN TAPAN. The number of people receiving
family benefits has increased in the first quarter of 2006 in the
Gegharkunik region. Thus, in 2004 the number of beneficiaries amounted
to 11722, in 2005 11547, while in the first quarter of 2006 12013
people. At the Health Protection and Social Security Department of
Gegharkunik Administration they condition the increase of the number
of beneficiaries by the circumstance that the government reduced the
lower brink of poverty estimation. In accordance with the regions’
districts, the number of beneficiaries in the first quarter of 2006
was distributed in the following way: Martuni 4599, Gavar 1824,
Sevan 1805, Vardenis 2385 and Chambarak 1400.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FIRST ISSUE OF “ARMYANKA” MAGAZINE IN RUSSIAN LANGUAGE PUBLISHED IN YEREVAN
Noyan Tapan
Apr 06 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 6, NOYAN TAPAN. The first issue of the “Armyanka”
(“Armenian Woman”) magazine in the Russian language was published
in Yerevan on the initiative of a number of journalists. As Narine
Baghdasarian, the editor-in-chief of the periodical, said at the
April 6 presentation, the magazine published in 4000 copies will be
also spread in CIS countries, especially in Russia.
The “Armyanka” has several departments: health protection,
travel, letters, interviews, etc. According to N.Baghdasarian, any
interesting story or proposal of a woman-reader will be published in
the magazine. “It seems that the Armenian woman has been spoken much
about but this is not enough. We will try to present the reflections
and feelings of the Armenian woman by means of this magazine,”
N.Baghdasarian said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RESULTS OF 3rd REPUBLICAN BEAUTY PHOTOCONTEST OF DISABLED WOMEN SUMMED UP
Noyan Tapan
Apr 06 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 6, NOYAN TAPAN. The results of 3rd republican
beauty photocontest of disabled women organized by the “Unison”
NGO were summed up on April 6. 52 16-40-year-old disabled women from
different regions of the country had submitted their photographs for
the contest. As “Unison” Executive Director Armen Alaverdian said at
the solemn ceremony of prize distribution, the goal of the contest
is to show the society that “disability does not close the doors of
the beauty before women”. “The disabled people should be perceived as
full members of the society and they can be more active, not avoid
and take part in all kinds of events,” A.Alaverdian mentioned. The
organization had instituted prizes on “Miss Beauty”, “Vice-Miss”,
“Miss Attraction” and “Miss Smile” nominations, as well as a special
prize, “Unison’s” Charm”, and another 6 encouraging prizes. Anna
Martirosian from Yerevan, Narine Ghukasian from Abovian, Henrietta
Khachatrian from Echmiadzin, Marina Yeshilian from Yerevan became
winners on the above-mentioned nominations.

INTERNATIONAL STRUCTURES EXPRESS READINESS TO SUPPORT ARMENIA IN FIGHTING CORRUPTION
Noyan Tapan
Apr 06 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 6, NOYAN TAPAN. A two-day international conference
entitled “The role of NA-civil society cooperation in fighting
corruption” started on April 6 at RA National Assembly. Representatives
of the Armenian parliament, different departments, NGOs, mass media,
as well as foreign experts, delegates of different international
structures take part in the conference. The conference was organized
by RA NA, the Eurasia Foundation, USAID, OSCE and UNDP.
Eurasia Foundation Vice-Chairwoman on the South Caucasian Region Andrea
Harris, U.S. Ambassador to RA John Evans, UN Resident Coordinator
Consuelo Vidal,OSCE Yerevan Office Head, Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin
attached impotance to fighting corruption, the steps taken by the
Armenian authorities in this direction by now, particularly, to the
“Anti-corruption” program adopted 3 years ago by the government,
to ensuring of the respective legislative field, as well as to RA
NA’s joining the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against
Corruption (GOPAC). Meanwhile they mentioned that there is still
much to do in this sphere and expressed their readiness to support
Armenia. According to the speakers, a political will is necessary
for really fighting corruption. They expressed the hope that packages
containing measures on fighting corruption in different directions,
as well as packages of stable mechanisms will be worked out after the
conference and the international organizations will initiate grant
assistance programs to promote their implementation.

COMMISSION FINDS OUT NO CONSIDERABLE VIOLATIONS IN RA NAS HEADS’ ACTIVITY
Noyan Tapan
Apr 06 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 6, NOYAN TAPAN. No considerable violations were found
out in the activity of heads of the National Academy of Sciences of
Armenia. The specially created commission presened such a counclusion
to the RA NAS Chairmanship on April 5. Anri Nersisian, a commission
member, academician, presented a special opinion in the written form
by which disagreement is presented to the commission’s conclusion. To
recap, the commission consisting of 5 members, was created by RA NAS
Chairman Fadey Sargsian’s demand, in response to his being accused of
not following the RA NAS regulations, making financial violations,
purposeless spending of finances, ect. As Commission Chairman,
academician Yuri Chilingarian mentioned, A.Nersisian’s accusations
are mainly of preventing character. For example, as for the demand
to hold compulsory competition for construction organizations,
it was mentioned that the given demand towards non-trade state
organizations, like the RA NAS, started to be used only in 2005,
thus, after allocating financial resources for holding those works. A
part of speeches was dedicated to the moral side of the problem. The
demand of discharging A.Nersisian of the post of the RA NAS Fundamental
Scietific Library was stated in some of the speeches. But, F.Sargsian
strictly disproved that proposal, emphasizing that he has no bases
to make such a decision. He also gave explanations relating to some
points of the accusation, mentioning that it’s possible that the
reason is academician A. Nersisian’s lack of information. And as for
his supposed resignation of the NAS Chairman’s post, F.Sargsian gave
no clear answer, only mentioning that he intends to work as long as
it will be necessary.