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.

ARMENIA DEPRIVED OF INTERNET CONNECTION FOR OVER 16 HOURS
Noyan Tapan
Apr 06 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 6, NOYAN TAPAN. The international Internet connection
provided by ArmenTel company, which has a monopoly in this sector, was
discountinued around 1 am on April 6 and was not restored at 4 pm. NT
correspondent was informed from the Internet connection providers
that according to ArmenTel’s spoken explanations, the connection was
discontinued because the company is reorganizing its internal network.

MAIN PART OF INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION OF ARMENIA TO PASS TO CREDIT SYSTEM IN 2006-2007 ACADEMIC YEAR
Noyan Tapan
Apr 06 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 6, NOYAN TAPAN. The credit system has partly been
introduced in the State Engineering University of Armenia already
for the third year. As Ruben Aghgashian, the Pro-Rector of the
institution of higher education informed at the seminar-training
taken place on April 5, at the SEUA with the participation of Rectors
of state and non-state institutions of higher education, this was
first initiated in Master’s programs, and then among bachelors
and post graduate students. At present this system is initiated in
80% of the Master’s programs of the institution. All the Master’s
programs of the institution will pass to the credit system from this
September. According to the Pro-Rector, the SEUA post graduate programs
have passed to the credit system already for the second year. The
credit system is introduced in one faculty among bachelors programs,
for the group of English speaking students. RA Minister of Education
and Science Sergo Yeritsian mentioned that besides the SEUA, the credit
system is experimentally introduced in other three institutions of
higher education, the Yerevan Linguistic and Pedagogical Universities,
Agricultural Academy. According to the Minister, seminar-trainings
and discussions in different institutions of higher education will be
regularly organized till the next academic year, as a result of what
the Armenian model of the credit system will be formed. The main part
of institutions of higher education will start to introduce this system
in the 2006-2007 academic year, and it will be used only for the first
year students. “Of course, all the institutions of higher education
will not pass to this system at the same time. The process will start
in different institutions of higher education in different periods of
time. First of all those institutions will pass which are ready for it.
The scientific council of the institution will decide the time for
starting the process,” the Minister emphasized. S.Yeritsian expressed
confidence that introduction of the credit system supposes encrease
of the quality of the genearal education and preparation of high
quality specialists.