RECONSTRUCTED BUILDING OF FIRST INSTANCE COURT WAS OPENED IN ARTASHAT
YEREVAN, AUGUST 31. ARMINFO. Justice may lose its authority without
present-day buildings of courts, Armenia’s Justice Minister David
Harutyunyan stated today in Artashat after the opening ceremony of
the building of the Court of first instance.
In his words, it is not the only important condition for productive
justice. “We will not reach it if we do not think about legal
reforms”, Harutyunyan noted. In his words, the funds allotted within
the World Bank credit program framework have been used economically
and productively. Minister is sure that every constructed or restored
building will be much more better than the previous one. Harutyunyan
informed that the second credit program is being discussed at
present. Its realization will allow to accomplish the restoration
of all the country’s buildings of courts. Justice ministry plans to
include 15 buildings of courts into the second credit program.
To note, the building of the court of first instance in Artashat
(2081.9 sq.m) has been restored within the framework of a credit
program of legal reforms at the financial assistance of the World
Bank. 184.3 mln AMD have been allotted to this project. 9 buildings
of courts of first and second instances have been improved so
far, besides, 5 buildings of courts of first instance are under
construction.

OSCE CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE DIMITRIJ RUPEL ARRIVING IN YEREVAN TODAY
Pan Armenian News
05.09.2005 02:17
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Slovenian Foreign Minister
Dimitrij Rupel is arriving in Armenia today. During the visit Mr. Rupel
is expected to meet with Armenian President Robert Kocharian, Prime
Minister Andranik Margaryan, Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian and
NKR President Arkady Ghukasian. On September 6 evening Dimitrij Rupel
will depart from Yerevan, completing his visit on that day.

ERDOGAN: TURKEY CAN REVOKE EU BID
Pan Armenian News
05.09.2005 05:48
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
stated that is ready to revoke its bid for the European Union if
conditions not provided by the Eurointergration are imposed on it,
CNN-Turk reports. “Europe should not play tricks on Turkey. If they
try to impose conditions not included in the negotiation agenda we
will follow our path”, Erdogan threatened. Turkish Prime Minister
made a similar statement. “Turkey is going to abandon EU bid if new
conditions or partial membership is proposed”, he said.

PRINCIPAL PROBLEM OF KARABAKH SETTLEMENT – ABSENCE OF TRUST BETWEEN YEREVAN AND BAKU
Pan Armenian News
05.09.2005 04:59
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian and Azeri Diasporas should be
attracted to the Karabakh settlement process to establish trust
between the conflicting parties, head of the department for national
relations of the Institute of Political and Military Analysis Sergey
Markedonov stated, RIA Novosti reports. “The principal problem of
Karabakh settlement is the absence of trust between Yerevan and
Baku”, he says. The expert reminded that Baku insists on return
of the territories and then determination of the status of Nagorno
Karabakh. “However the Armenian party doubts Azerbaijan will keep its
promise”, Markedonov added. He stressed that there is a key problem
of trust, which cannot be solved by Russia, the U.S., Turkey or the
OSCE Minsk Group. “There should be contacts and discussions of new
models. Presently package and stepwise variants of settlement have
collided and no progress is observed. Bilateral activity of Armenia
and Azerbaijan should be more serious while the OSCE Minsk Group
should not be expected to work a miracle,” he said. In his opinion,
a different scheme should be elaborated, since neither package
nor stepwise variants are compromise. As for Russia’s initiative,
the political scientist noted that “to make any proposals, Russia
should have precise Caucasian strategy that is absent at present.
Nevertheless, in Markedonov’s opinion, taking into account the strong
Armenian and Azeri Diasporas Russia can transmit the experience upon
the Armenian-Azeri relations in the South Caucasus. “Russia can use
it as a resource of informal reconciliation”, the expert resumed.

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTS DRAFT CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS IN SECOND READING
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1. ARMINFO. Today Armenian MPs adopted the draft
constitutional reforms in the second reading by 98 votes “for.”
In his speech, Vice Speaker Tigran Torosyan said that adoption of draft
constitutional reforms at November referendum will open wide prospects
for further democratic development of the country. He said the draft
considerably differs from the effective Constitution of Armenia. Thus,
the document secures a real balance between the power branches,
creates guaranties of independence of the judicial power. It also
expands the powers of the local self-government bodies and guarantees
observation of human rights and freedoms, the vice speaker said.
Torosyan said fundamental changes are proposed in the sphere of
government formation. The draft deprives the president of his right
to dismiss the prime minister, the president is empowered to propose
the parliament to made such a decision. Besides, the draft provides
the president for appointing the prime minister in case of a relevant
proposal by the absolute parliamentary majority or at least relative
majority. Torosyan thinks an important step that the draft provides
for formation of the government on the basis of a special law and
not by the decree of the president. All this provisions evidently
restrict the president’s powers and expand those of the legislative
power, the vice speaker said. He also said the draft increases in
the role of the executive power in the domestic political and foreign
political processes, as in conformity with the draft, the president
is no longer head of the government and the decision by the executive
power are not subject to the president’s ratification.
Torosyan called it important that the draft does not consider the
president head of the Armenian Justice Council, and the procedure of
advancing candidates for the membership of the Council is regulated by
the law, which creates real guarantees of independence of the judicial
power. He thinks important that the draft provides for election of
Yerevan Mayor and not appointment. The effective Constitution allows
governors to make proposals to the government on dismissal of the
heads of the communities, meanwhile, the draft allow making such
decisions only the Constitutional Court.
Besides, the draft allows the communities to establish inter-community
unions and independently form and use community budgets. He also
pointed out the reforms related the activity of the Supervisory
Chamber, stating that existence of an independent Supervisory
Chamber and constitutional guaranties of its independence upgrade
its role. Torosyan called an important step towards human rights
protection the fact that the draft provides the parliament for
appointing Ombudsman. Besides, each citizen of Armenia as a right to
apply to the Constitutional Court to protect his rights and freedoms.
It should be noted the parliamentary opposition represented by the
Justice bloc and the National Unity party did not take part in the
voting and refused from supporting the draft reforms, calling its
supporters to vote against the document at November referendum.

ENTRY EXAMINATIONS IN ARMENIA IN 2005 WERE ACCOMPANIED WITH GROSS VIOLATIONS, THINKS HEAD OF YOUTH ANTI-CORRUPTION STAFF
YEREVAN, AUGUST 30. ARMINFO. Entry examinations in Armenia in 2005
were with mass centralized violations and facts of corruption, Head
of the Youth Anti- Corruption Staff, Leader of the Armenian Youth
Party Sargis Asatryan told journalists today.
He says that at the beginning of the summer, an independent youth anti-
corruption staff was created and 92 employees followed the process
of entry examinations throughout the country. Asatryan states that
he considers himself a politician and makes a political statement and
has no intention to specify it. He says all the facts of violations,
that is 67 episodes of corruption, were brought in a special letter
to Armenian President, wherein the party proposes dismissing Minister
of Education and Science of Armenia Sergo Yeritsyan as the main person
responsible for the disorders at the examinations.
In response to the numerous questions of journalists related
the largest violations at the exams, Asatryan mentioned Gyumri
Pedagogical University and the State Agricultural Academy and the
subjects “Armenian language,” “English Language,” “Physics,” and
“Mathematics.” Asatryan thinks that such person as Sergo Yeritsyan
should not be in charge of the native science and the future of
children, and moreover, in charge of numerous grants and credit
projects in the sphere of education. He pointed out that responsibility
for “machinations at the examinations” are laid on Head of the Clearing
Center Ruben Topchyan distributing free and paid places. But the main
guilty person is Minister Sergo Yeritsyan, Asatryan reiterates.

ARMENIA VS. THE NETHERLANDS 0:1 REPORT
Jadran Sport, Serbia and Montenegro
Sept 4 2005
– Dutch sign in all three points with minor use of their power –
by Arnoldus Holland
With the performance the Dutch presented us with this Saturday against
Armenia it’s hard likely to believe that their team is being made out
of the best European players. Luckily Manchester United’s striker Ruud
van Nistelrooy was on the right place on the right time to ship the
ball behind the Armenian goalkeeper thirty minutes before the finish
to ensure The Netherlands all three points.
Throughout the game the Dutch had more ball possession, but the bumpy
pitch didn’t really allow them to create any serious chances, neither
did they look too interested in making them. So the beginning was
mostly full of shots from distance that weren’t even close to end up
in the back of the Artmenian net.
Something finally changed when the chief Marco van Basten sent PSV
Eindhoven’s striker Jan Vennegoor up front after one hour play. The
strong player headed the ball with his first ball contact towards
Ruud van Nistelrooij. The player of Manchester United turned away
from his marker and kicked the ball diagonally into the corner of
the goal for 0:1.
After the goal was scored The Netherlands didn’t really need to do
anything more as Armenia didn’t really get past the center of the
pitch, and even when they did by accident Khalid Boulahrouz solved
things easily.
After eight wins and one draw, Germany2006 is a step closer for the
Dutch team, who of course are still in the lead in this qualification
group. Things only got better for them, when they heard that the Czechs
lost their game against Rumania with 0-2. With three matches to go for
the Dutch, they are three points in front of Romania and four points
in front of Czech Rep. Romania still have a minor chance to end up
second in the group, but this is very unlikely because they already
played two more matches comparing to The Netherlands and Czech Rep.

HEAD OF ARMENIAN MOD LEAVING FOR LATVIA ON OFFICIAL CALL
Pan Armenian News
05.09.2005 02:39
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Secretary of the Security Council at the
Armenian President, Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan is leaving for
Latvia on an official call, Minister’s Press Secretary, colonel
Seyran Shahsuvaryan told PanARMENIAN.Net. In the course of the visit
S. Sargsyan is scheduled to meet with the PM, MOD head, General Staff
chief, as well as head of the Parliamentary Committee on Security and
Defense. Within the visit framework a Treaty on Military Cooperation
between the MOD of Armenia and MOD of Latvia will be signed. September
7-9 the official visit of the Armenian delegation will continue in
Estonia. Here similar meetings are planned. Upon the completion of the
visit a Memorandum on Mutual Understanding in Military Cooperation
between the Armenian MOD and the Estonian MOD is expected to be
signed. The documents being arranged for the signing are sent for
creation of the necessary legal framework, which will provide for
military cooperation between the countries mentioned and Armenia.

JOHN EVANS: CHANGE OF POWER NOT NECESSARY CONDITION FOR DEMOCRATIZATION IN ARMENIA
Pan Armenian News
05.09.2005 06:05
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ U.S. Ambassador to the RA John Evans said the
U.S. does not consider change of power to be an essential condition
for democratization in Armenia and will exert every effort to make
the parliamentary elections in 2007 and presidential election in 2008
free and fair, RFE/RL reports. Mr. Evan confirmed the U.S.’s support
to the constitutional reform. “Armenia has a possibility to pass
the necessary changes in constitutional order”, the Ambassador noted
adding that the U.S. is not trying to tell the Armenian electorate
how to vote. “We say the following: this is a very important task,
which is worth proper attention of the voters and serious discussion
in the National Assembly”, the diplomat said. The Ambassador does not
think that the constitutional reform will empower Robert Kocharian to
run for President for the third time. When asked of the consequences
of an unfair referendum, the Ambassador said, ” We witnessed how
falsified elections drove people to streets. It should serve as a
good lesson not only for Armenia but also for all the states of the
region. People are expecting fair election. So does the U.S.”, he said.

ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN MILITARY EXERCISES START IN ARMENIA SEPTEMBER 13
Pan Armenian News
05.09.2005 03:41
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Servicemen of the Group of Russian Troops in
Transcaucasia (GRTT) and the Armed Forces of Armenia will take part
in planned joint exercises. Starting September 13 and continuing for
6 days these will be held in the territory of Armenia. “They will
be rather large-scale exercises and these are held in compliance
with the plan the two countries have agreed over.” GRTT Commander,
major general Andrey Popov will arrive in Armenia on the occasion of
the exercises, reported Interfax.