ARMENIAN CHURCH HISTORY TEACHERS TO UNDERGO TRAINING IN VANADZOR
Noyan Tapan
Apr 26 2006
VANADZOR, APRIL 26, NOYAN TAPAN. Vardan Ghandilian, Deputy Director
of the National Institute of Education, a person responsible for
introduction of the subject “History of the Armenian Church” in
Armenian comprehensive schools, and priest Ghukas Zakarian, Director
of the Propaganda and Education Center (PEC) of Echmiadzin, visited
the city of Vanadzor on April 22. During the visit, an agreement on
organizing training courses for teachers of Vanadzor and adjacent
villages was reached with Director of the PEC of Gugark diocese,
priest of Grigor Narekatsi Church Ter Vahan Azarian. The Propaganda and
Education Center of Echmiadzin was founded in 1997 on the initiative of
Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II. More than 70 teachers underwent
training there before 1999. They studied the methods of teaching the
history of the Armenian Church and participated in practical lessons
organized at the center.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TWO YOUNG MEN ACCUSED OF MURDER SURRENDER THEMSELVES TO POLICE
Noyan Tapan
Apr 26 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 26, NOYAN TAPAN. Hayk Ter-Tadevosian and Tadevos
Hambartsumian, both of them accused of killing Erik Asatrian,
came to the criminal investigation department on April 24, at 4:00
pm. According to the website of the Office of the RA Prosecutor
General, H. Ter-Tadevosian handed a Nagan pistol, and T. Hambartsumian
handed a Makarov pistol over to the police. According to the same
source, the accused were transported to Nubarashen prison of the RA
Ministry of Justice. To recap, a decision was made on April 15 to
bring charges of murder against these two young men, choose arrest as
a measure of restraint and to put them on the list of persons wanted
by police. The newspaper “Armenian Time” reported that late April
13 some shots were fired at house No 1 Komitas Street in Yerevan,
as a result of which Erik Asatrian, 25, was killed after receiving
bullet wounds in the chest and groin. On arriving at the scene of
the crime, policemen found three 9mm-caliber bullet cases and one
bullet. According to the newspaper, one of the accused is the son of
General Arkady Ter-Tadevosian, Komandos, Chairman of the Sport and
Technical Company. There are rumors that a few hours before the murder,
Komandos’ son quarreled with two young men who beat him. Some time
later H. Ter-Tedevosian and his friends arrived at the above mentioned
place, opened fire on a group of young men there and took to flight.

BRANCH OF VIENNA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY TO OPEN IN YEREVAN
Noyan Tapan
Apr 26 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 26, NOYAN TAPAN. A branch of the International
University of Vienna will be opened in Yerevan. Chairman of the
Office of European Armenian Organizations Ashot Grigorian, through
whose mediation the university rector Vil Guder and deputy rector
Linda Boer had visited Yerevan, told NT correspondent about it. The
branch will function under the patronage of Yerevan Russian-Armenian
University, whose rector Armen Darbinian on April 22 signed an
agreement on opening the branch. Students of the Armenian branch of
the International University of Vienna will have the opportunity to
study diplomacy and political science and receive a MBA degree.

TRADE AND ECONOMIC RELATIONS BETWEEN ARMENIA AND LITHUANIA DO NOT REFLECT CAPABILITIES OF SIDES
Noyan Tapan
Apr 26 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 26, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenia is interested in strengthening
and developing the Armenian-Lithuanian political relations with a
simulataneous promotion of cooperation in the economic sphere. The
Armenian Prime Minsiter Andranik Margarian stated this at the April
26 meeting with the Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus who is on an
official visit to Armenia. It was noted that despite some growth in
commodity turnover in 2005 on 2004, cooperation in this sphere remains
at a low level and does not reflect the capabilities of the sides. In
this connection A. Margarian expressed confidence that organizing a
business forum within the framework of the Lithuanian President’s visit
will become an additional incentive for further promotion of trade
and economic relations between the two countries. From the viewpoint
of encouraging the trade and economic cooperation, the interlocutors
attached importance to frequent business forums and mutual visits,
regular exchange of business information, organization of exhibitions
and extension of cooperation between various infrastructures of the
trade and economic sphere of the two countries – between chambers
of commerce and industry, unions of manufacturers and businessmen,
as well as to close cooperation in such sectors, as small and medium
enterprises development, science, technologies and innovation policy,
agriculture, transport, tourism, etc. V. Adamkus underlined the
importance of improving the transport communication routes, including
the necessity to relaunch the Abkhazian railway, in response to
which the Armenian Prime Minister stated that Armenia has repeatedly
expressed a willingness to participate in the Abkhazian railway’s
relaunchment work. The sides spoke about cooperation in the energy
sector, including energy security-related issues. A. Margarian informed
the Lithuanian President that a month of Information Technologies
(IT) is scheduled to take place in Yerevan in September-October 2006,
during which a number of forums and the DIGITEC 2006 annual
international exhibition will be held. According to the RA Government
Information and PR Department, the Armenian Prime Minsiter invited the
Lithuanian IT companies and associations to take part in these events.

16th GLOBAL FORUM TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN IN AUTUMN 2007
Noyan Tapan
Apr 26 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 26, NOYAN TAPAN. The 16th Global Forum, which is one of
the biggest annual international forums of the innovation sector, will
be held in Yerevan in the autumn of 2007. NT correspondent was informed
about it from Ashot Khandanian, Head of the Science, Technologies
and Innovation Policy Department of the RA Ministry of Trade and
Economic Development. He noted that Global Forum’s organizer – the
management of the largest Sophia Antipolis Technopark Foundation (Nice,
France) proposed the Armenian government holding the forum in Yerevan
in 2007. The European Commission and ITEMS International company
(France) specialized in information and communication technologies
(ICT) advisory services are the forum organizers as well. According
to A. Khandanian, the proposal to hold a Global Forum in Yerevan is
indicative of the fact that Armenia is gradually becoming a country of
science. He noted that ministers of countries – the world’s leaders in
the innovation sector and managers of a number of large companies that
create and use innovation production will participate in the forum.

GLOCOMS GROUP INTENDS TO ENTER ARMENIAN CONSULTING MARKET
Noyan Tapan
Apr 26 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 26, NOYAN TAPAN. Glocoms Group (US) intends to carry
out extensive activities on the Armenian consulting market. One of the
important spheres of the company’s operation is participation in the
World Bank (WB) programs in developing countries. In recent years,
Glocoms Group started operating in CIS countries as well. In 2006,
the company has implemented 5 tax and customs advisory programs of
the World Bank in CIS countries – State Customs Process Reorganizing
(Russia), State Tax Document Management System (Ukraine), State
Tax Information Systems (Ukraine) and State Control Strengthening
(Azerbaijan). In Armenia, Glocoms Group has been involved in 4
programs organized by the Enterprise Incubator Foundation – IT Programs
Management Course, Information Security Course, Java 2 Platform Web
Element Development Course and Java Security Systems Programming
Course. The company has developed, implemented and evaluated the
programs for the above mentioned courses. Glocoms Group was founded in
1998. With representative offices in 5 continents and access to more
than 800 senior level management and technology consultants worldwide,
the company is involved in more than 140 national and international
prominent projects.

TREES AND FAUNA OF SHIKAHOGH RESERVE WILL BE RESTORED, RESERVE DURECTOR ASSURES
Noyan Tapan
Apr 26 2006
KAPAN, APRIL 26, NOYAN TAPAN. According to the changed variant of
construction program of Kapan-Tsav-Shvanidzor-Meghri alternative road,
the 6.5-km road length will pass through the Shikahogh reserve. As
reserve Director Ruben Mkrtchian mentioned in his interview to
Noyan Tapan correspondent, the alternative inter-state road is a
necessity. According to him, though trees will be cut down during the
construction, in accordance with the contract, the reserve area will be
enlarged and this will make possible to plant new trees. Not denying
the fact that the explosions made for building the road damage the
fauna of the region, R.Mkrtchian meanwhile said that “after the works
are over we will have a possibility to restore the region within a
year or two”. He also assured that numerous programs of restoration
have been already worked out for this purpose.

ARMENIAN POLICEMEN ARE REPLACED BY GEORGIANS
Lragir.am
26 April 06
AKHALKALAKI, 26 APRIL, A-Info. As a result of reorganization in the
system of the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs policemen with
Armenian origin are gradually dismissed and replaced by Georgians.
Quite recently three captains and one lieutenant, Armenians by origin,
were not admitted to work, and the reason was that they had got higher
education in Armenia (at least the chief of the police of the region
of Akhalkalaki gave such an oral explanation).
It should be noted, however, that the two captains were sent to study
at the Police Academy of Internal Affairs of Armenia by the Police
of Akhalkalaki (which is in the system of internal affairs of Georgia).

AZERBAIJAN BACKS PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO IRAN CRISIS – PRESIDENT
Turan news agency, Baku
26 Apr 06
Washington, 26 April: President Ilham Aliyev, who is paying an
official visit to the USA, has delivered a speech at the Foreign
Relations Council of the Carnegie Foundation.
A special correspondent of Turan reports that the former national
security adviser of the US president, Brent Scowcroft, said at the
opening of the meeting that Azerbaijan is a strategic partner of the
United States. At the same time, he said that Azerbaijan, which is
rich in natural reserves, has been subjected to aggression. “Armenia
has seized a considerable part of Azerbaijan,” Scowcroft said.
In turn, Aliyev pointed out that the Karabakh conflict can be settled
only on the basis of international law and Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity.
Aliyev confirmed Azerbaijan’s readiness to grant the highest degree of
autonomy to Nagornyy Karabakh on the basis of the model of autonomies
existing in Europe. In Aliyev’s opinion, Armenia must give up its
hostile policy against its dynamically developing neighbour. Aliyev
pointed out that Azerbaijan is trying to solve the problem in a
peaceful way. “But the patience of the Azerbaijani people might run
out,” he said.
Touching on the situation surrounding Iran, Aliyev pointed out that
Azerbaijan is in favour of settling the problem in a peaceful way. He
explained that Azerbaijan and Iran have an agreement not to use their
territories against each other.
Asked whether Azerbaijan might become a subject of rivalry between the
USA and Russia, Aliyev pointed out that if there is rivalry between
the USA and Russia, the territory of Azerbaijan cannot be a subject
of the dispute.

EUROPEAN WESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS
AP Worldstream
Apr 26, 2006
Results Wednesday from the European Wrestling Championships at the
Olympic Indoor Stadium:
Women
48 kilograms
Bronze Medals
Francine De Paola, Italy, def. Maryna Markevich, Belarus, 0-1,
2-0, 1-0.
Fani Psatha, Greece, def. Cristina Croitoru, Romania, 3-1, 3-0.
Final
Mariya Stadnyk, Ukraine, def. Lilya Kaskarakova, Russia, 0-3, 1-0, 1-0.
55 kilograms
Bronze Medals
Johanna Mattsson, Sweden, def. Jessica Bechtel, Germany, 4-0, 1-0.
Anna Gomis, France, def. Mariya Egorova, Belarus, 4-0, 0-2, 4-2.
Final
Natalya Golts, Russia, def. Ludmila Cristiya, Moldova, 2-1, 5-4.
63 kilograms
Bronze Medals
Nikola Hartmann-Duenser, Austria, def. Monika Szerencse, Hungary,
1-0, By Fall.
Agoro Papavasileiou, Greece, def, Mihaela Sadoveanu, Romania, 1-0, 2-0.
Final
Alena Kartashova, Russia, def. Monika Michalik-Rogien, Poland,
4-0, 1-0.
72 kilograms
Bronze Medals
Karine Shadoyan, Armenia, def. Ana Maria Paic, Romania, 1-0, 1-0.
Anita Schaetzle, Germany, def. Maria Louiza Vryoni, Greece, 1-0, 1-0.
Final
Stanka Zlateva-Hristova, Bulgaria, def. Svetlana Sayenko, Ukraine,
2-0, 3-1.