Noyan Tapan News Agency
Sept 19 2005
OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL EUROPEAN MOVEMENT ENVISAGED TO OPEN IN
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Henrik Kroner,
the Secretary General of the International European Movement
presented the history and the activity of the organization at the
September 16 meeting with Artur Baghdasarian, the Chairman of the RA
National Assembly. He mentioned that being a wide-spread movement in
Europe, the Internationak European Movement was in sources of
formation of the Council of Europe and the European Union.
As Noyan Tapan was informed by the NA Public Relations Department,
the issue of opening an office of the Movement in Armenia was
discussed at the meeting. It’s goal is to support formation of the
civic society and deepening democracy in Armenia. Henrik Kroner
proposed the NA Chairman to join the International European Movement
members of which are Jose Manuel Barroso, the President of the
European Commission, Valery Giscard d’Esting, the former President of
France, Helmut Kohl, the former Chancellor of Germany and many people
having high posts in Europe.
Artur Baghdasarian expressed his readiness to support Henrik Kroner
and wished successes in Armenian activities. An agreement was reached
on continuing the cooperation which can be implemented by a
successful activity of the office.

Noyan Tapan News Agency
Sept 19 2005
5th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE “CSIT 2005” OPENS IN YEREVAN
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN. The information technologies
sphere of Armenia has considerable potential for development. Fadei
Sargsian, President of the RA National Academy of Sciences (NAS),
stated this on September 19 at the opening ceremony of the 5th
international conference “CSIT 2005” on computer science and
international technologies. He espressed a hope that the conference
to be held every second year will help disseminate knowledge,
especially among young people. According to F. Sargsian, Armenia has
in recent years achieved a remarkable success in the spheres of
information technologies and computer science – a high-efficiency
system based on the Armcluster computing system in order to make
scientific calculations has been created. Issues related to it will
be discussed by the conference participants at a working seminar.
According to Yuri Shukurian, Director of the RA NAS Institute of
Informatics and Automatization Problems, the conference enables not
only to exchange opinions but also to present the work carried out in
the indicated sphere in Armenia. According to him, the conference has
aroused great interest among the participants – good cooperation has
already been established with French scientists.
In the opinion of Artak Sahradian, RA Deputy Minister of Education
and Science, the conference represents yet another step in the
direction of developing the sphere of international technologies (IT)
and setting up scientific institutions.
The 5-day conference has been organized by the RA NAS Institute of
Informatics and Automatization Problems with the assisitance of the
International Scientific and Technical Center, the National Fund of
Science and Advanced Technologies, the Enterprises Incubator Fund, as
well as the companies Arminco, Unicomp and Anelik. Experts from
Armenia, the US, Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, France, India and Iran
will make 135 reports at the conference.

Noyan Tapan News Agency
Sept 19 2005
ALEXANDER ISKANDARIAN: STATEMENTS OF AZERI AUTHORITIES ABOUT INCREASE
IN MILITARY BUDGET ARE MADE INTENTIONALLY ON THRESHOLD OF ELECTIONS
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN. “I think that the military budget
of Azerbaijan doesn’t pose any danger for us. It’s quite obvious that
its increase isn’t aimed at war with us,” Alexander Iskandarian,
Director of Caucasian Media Institute, declared in his interview to
Noyan Tapan’s correspondent, answering the question, how Azerbaijan’s
military budget amounting to 600 mln USD will go with the agreement
“On Reduction of Conventional Armament in Europe.”
Quite recently Azeri President Ilham Aliyev declared that Azerbaijan
intends to increase its military budget up to the level of Armenia’s
total budget. In particular, Aliyev emphasized that Azerbaijan lives
in conditions of a war, that’s why its attention to the army must be
at the highest level. Namely, Azerbaijan’s 2006 budget envisages to
increase expenditures on defence up to 600 mln USD instead of 300 mln
USD allocated for the current year.
Alexander Iskandarian doubted of adoption of the budget in the
above-mentioned amount. “If it is even adopted, obviously, a
considerable part from this money, if not the most part, will be
lootted.”
Besides, according to him, military budget isn’t an exactly defined
notion, it may include both expenditures on buying of rubber arms and
shields for dispersal of demonstrations and on training of servicemen
in the West or construction of cantonments. At the same time,
Alexander Iskandarian didn’t exclude that Azerbaijan can spend money
on armament, as well. “It’s clear that all these quotas on armament
aren’t observed well by not only Azerbaijan but by averybody around.”
A.Iskandarian mentioned that such statements made by Azeri
authorities quite fit into the logic of the forthcoming parliamentary
elections. “They have great problems with power’s consolidation. The
use of these threatening anti-Armenian statements in the internal
rhetoric is an instrument, which was worked through very well for the
home policy and is always used by them.”
Armenia as a country-winner, in which the society and political
forces with a very small exception are consolidated in the issue of
Karabakh conflict settlement, doesn’t need using such instruments,
the Director of Caucasian Media Institute emphasized.

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Sept 20 2005
THE TOWN OF SURB KHACH (BUDENNOVSK) IS 206
The town of Buddenovsk is 206. According to the newspaper of
Armenians of Russia Yerkramas, today inhabitants of the town are
celebrating `the Day of the city’.
Since the morning people gathered at the town’s central square, where
the festival of the three cultures: Slavic, Armenian and Caucasian,
opened. Numerous guests from the Armenian communities of the
Stavropol region took part in the concert.
Igor Lazaryan is a young leader of the Armenian community of `the
Saint Cross’ who contributed to the holiday’s organization. He said
the celebration was great. He added they would do their best to
organize such a great holiday next year.
A NOTE: the town of Surb Khach (the Saint Cross, now Budennovsk) was
founded in 1799 by Armenians – emigrants from Karabakh.

Jordan News Agency (Petra), Jordan
Sept 20 2005
Regent Congratulates President of Armenia
Amman, Sept. 20 (Petra)– His Royal Highness Prince Ali Bin Al
Hussein, the Regent, on Tuesday sent a cable to President of the
Republic of Armenia Robert S. Kocharian congratulating him in his
name and on behalf of the Jordanian people and government on the
occasion of his country’s Independence Day. The Prince wished the
President continued good health and happiness and the Armenian people
further progress and prosperity. //Petra//
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 19 2005
RA FOREING MINISTER MEETS WITH FOREIGN MINISTERS OF AFGHANISTAN,
CROATIAN FM, LITHUANIA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA TIMOR-LESTE

NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian continued series of bilateral meetings on
his second working day in New York, where he is participating to the
60th anniversary of the UN General Assembly.
As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and
Information Department, on Friday, Minister Oskanian met with Dr.
Abdullah Abdullah, Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, Kolinda
Grabar-Kitarovic, Croatian FM, Antanas Valionis, Minister of Foreign
Affairs of Lithuania, Mladen Ivanic, Foreign Minister of Bosnia and
Herzegovina and Jose Ramos-Horta, Senior Minister, Minister for
Foreign Affairs & Cooperation of Timor-Leste.
During meetings parties discussed bilateral issues and regional
developments. They also exchanged positions on ongoing UN reforms.

Noyan Tapan News Agency
Sept 19 2005
USAID TO ALLOCATE 10 MLN DOLLARS FOR IMPROVING ARMENIA’S TAX SYSTEM
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN. Head of the State Tax Service
adjunct to the RA government Felix Tsolakian and Director of the
USAID Armenian office Robin Philips signed on September 19 a
memorandum of mutual understanding aimed at implementing reforms in
Armenia’s tax administration.
According to the State Tax Service PR Depertment, 10 mln dollars is
envisaged for the program’s implementation. Within the next three
years, assistance will be provided to increase the revenues of the
Tax Service and make its other operations more efficient.
According to the same source, the USAID has been providing advisory
and techical assistance to the process of modernizing Armenia’s tax
system since 1998.

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Sept 20 2005
VARDAN OSKANYAN: NAGORNO KARABAKH PEOPLE HAVE PROVED THEY CAN PROTECT
THEIR INDEPENDENCE
`Self – determination is a man’s right. Nagorno Karabakh people have
struggled and protected their right to self – determination. To
achieve the aim Nagorno Karabakh people resisted political and
military aggression of the government (of Azerbaijan – ed.) that did
not perceive the choice and tried to oppress it using violence’, RA
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said speaking at the 60th session of
the UN General Assembly.
According to the Minister, the struggle for the rights was not
Nagorno Karabakh people’s choice. `Their rights were neither abstract
nor excessive. Nagorno Karabakh people strive for what a lot of us
have, – the right to peaceful life on their own land free from
violence. Since then Nagorno Karabakh people have displayed their
ability to govern, develop democratic institutes and protect their
independence’, stressed RA Foreign Minister.
Vardan Oskanyan emphasized under conditions of regional conflicts
belligerent statements (of Azerbaijan – ed.) were unreal and
expressed obvious lack of perception of the notions of democracy,
human rights and legal society.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Sept 20 2005
ARMENIAN SERVICEMEN PARTICIPATE IN MILITARY TRAINING IN GEORGIA
The training with the participation of servicemen from 18 countries
started in Georgia on September 19.
According to RIA Novosti, the exercises are held on the military
ground of Vaziani. Servicemen from Armenia, Albania, Bulgaria,
Germany, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Romania, Latvia, Macedonia
and the US are taking part in the training. Commander of the US
European Command, Colonel Russell Richardson heads the maneuvers.
Rescuer – medcuer – 05 exercises are held under the patronage of the
US within the frames of NATO Partnership for Peace program.
Representatives of the program member countries follow the training’s course.

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Sept 20 2005
EACH ONE HAS HIS OWN MORALS
Haykakan Jamanak newspaper (20.09.05) has criticized RA Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanyan’s statement referring to the construction of
Kars – Akhalkalaki railroad. In the course of a press conference
Vardan Oskanyan stated Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey had no moral
right to construct the road, as they received aid from the US and the
EU.
According to Haykakan Jamanak, Vardan Oskanyan has realized that
Armenia’s future is endangered each time when it is out of a current
regional program. The newspaper notes the above – mentioned project
can strike at Armenia’s economy.
However, Haykakan Jamanak notes morals have nothing to do with
politics, especially when the matter concerns economic interests.
What is immoral for one party is moral for another one.
Two days ago Azeri President Ilham Aliyev commented on RA Foreign
Minister’s utterance. He said Vardan Oskanyan’s statement was `quite
amusing’ and stressed Armenian lobby could not hamper the railroad’s
construction. As for `morals’, Aliyev said: `We have got the moral
right to liberate our occupied lands, and we are going to do it’.