Armenian, Azeri foreign ministers to meet in Prague on 11 January

Noyan Tapan news agency
7 Jan 05

Yerevan, 7 January: Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan will fly
to Prague at the invitation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen on 11
January.

A meeting between Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan and
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov on the settlement of
the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict is scheduled for 11 January. The
co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group will take part in the meeting.

The Armenian foreign minister will return to Yerevan on the same day,
the Armenian Foreign Ministry’s press and information department told
Noyan Tapan.

INTEL SPECIALISTS TO GIVE LECTURES IN THREE YEREVAN HIGHER EDUCATIONAL
INSTITUTIONS IN 2005

YEREVAN, January 5 (Noyan Tapan). During 2005, the Armenian Unicomp
company will organize “computer days” at Yerevan State University,
Yerevan Polytechnic University and the Armenian-Russian (Slavonic)
University. According to Armen Baldrian, director general of the
company, during “computer days” young specialists of the American
Intel Technologies corporation will deliver lectures, and students
will be shown technical and technological novelties. According to
A. Baldrian, the sphere of information technologies is rapidly
developing in Armenia, and students take great interest in such
programs. He expressed hope that the courses to be organized will be
efficient and useful for future specialists.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

APPROXIMATELY 110 THOUSAND FLOWERS EXPORTED FROM ARMENIA TO RUSSIA IN
2004

YEREVAN, January 5 (Noyan Tapan). In 2004, 100 thousand lilies and
about 10 thousand roses were exported from Armenia to Russia (mainly
Moscow). These flowers were grown within the framework of Florian
program implemented by gratis funding of the Dutch government.

According to Koryun Hovakimian, executive director of the Agroproject
center, it is envisaged to export about 100 thousand lilies and 80-100
thousand roses this year. In accordance with the Florian program with
a budget of 700 thousand euros, modern equipment has been installed
and the experts advice provided to 4 greenhouses located near Yerevan
in order to organize growing flowers there. Unlike the Dutch roses and
lilies that are sold for 1.5-2 euros apiece on the Russian market, the
Armenian roses and especially lilies cost 2-2.5 apiece. According to
K. Hovakimian, this is conditioned by these roses’ high quality, which
is ensured by using the modern Dutch technology and bulbs imported
from the Netherlands, as well as thanks to most favorable climatic
conditions in Armenia.

IN 2005 CORDLESS INTERNET NETWORK TO BE EXTENTDED IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, January 7 (Noyan Tapan). In 2005 the Unicomp company will
carry out activity aimed at extension of cordless Internet network in
Armenia. Armen Baldrian, Director General of the company, informed a
Noyan Tapan correspondent that according to the bill worked out by the
RA Ministry of Transport and Communications, one may already make use
of this sphere without a licence. According to A.Baldrian, the sphere
of information technologies is developing very quickly in Armenia but
the state assistance is late. Armenia is first to begin implementation
of new projects but the neighbouring countries finish them earlier. In
this respect, according to A.Baldrian, the companies of the sphere
should be united, should be able to struggle for solution of common
problems. He mentioned that non-execution of laws remains the main
obstacle. The Unicomp CJSC was founded in 1996 on the basis of the
Nairi-91 computer firm. This is the first Armenian computer company
that received the ISO:9001 quality management certificate. The main
directions of activity of Unicomp are programming, assemblying of
computers, projecting and installation of computer networks. The
company was first in Armenia to begin production of notebooks.

According to the director, at present the company realizes 25 such
computers a month, which makes 50-60% of home market. He mentioned
that in case of sale of 100 notebooks a month they will be exported.

ARMENIA SCORES HIGHEST AMONG CIS ON ECONOMIC FREEDOM INDEX

WASHINGTON, January 7 (Noyan Tapan). The Armenian National Committee
of America (ANCA), in letters sent on January 5 to Members of
Congress, Administration officials, think tanks, the media, and the
broader Washington, DC foreign policy community, welcomed Armenia’s
high rating from the Index of Economic Freedom, prepared jointly by
the Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal. The Index
measures 161 countries against 50 variables divided into 10 factors of
economic freedom. Armenia received a 2.58 rating and was ranked 42nd
overall – ahead of both France and South Korea. Armenia’s scores
places it, by a considerable margin, as the highest scoring nation
among the Commonwealth of Independent States. Within the Caucasus,
Armenia was listed as the only “Mostly Free” nation. Georgia ranked
100th overall with a score of 3.34, and Azerbaijan came in at 103rd
with a score of 3.38. Turkey continued to slip on economic freedoms,
coming in with a score of 3.36 and a ranking of 112th overall. Lower
scores on the Index’s five-point scale are more desirable. “Armenia’s
strong economic growth and steady progress in each of the ten areas
weighed by the Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal are
reflected in the expansion of U.S.-Armenia economic relations,” said
ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian. “We look forward to helping further
expand these commercial ties and to building on the passage of
Permanent Normal Trade Relations legislation – spearheaded last year
by Congressman Joe Knollenberg and Senator Mitch McConnell – by ending
double-taxation, securing a Social Security Agreement, and paving the
way toward free trade between the United States and Armenia.”
Armenia’s ratings in each of the ten factors covered by the Index are
provided below (Lower scores are more desirable): Trade: 2.0 Fiscal
Burden: 2.3 Gov. Intervention: 2.5 Monetary Policy: 2.0 For.
Investment: 2.0 Banking: 1.0 Wages & Prices: 3.0 Property Rights: 3.0
Regulation: 4.0 Informal Market: 4.0 According to the Index, Armenia
has made steady progress on economic freedom over the past
decade. Below find Armenia’s past scores: 2005: 2.58 2004: 2.63 2003:
2.59 2002: 2.78 2001: 3.03 2000: 3.21 1999: 3.50 1998: 3.50 1997: 3.50
1996: 3.69

5579.3 TONS OF HUMANITARIAN AID IMPORTED TO ARMENIA IN JANUARY-AUGUST

YEREVAN, October 5 (Noyan Tapan). In January-August 2004 5579.3 tons
of goods in the amount of $21.5m were imported to Armenia on the line
of humanitarian aid. To recap, in the same period of 2003 4422.2 tons
of goods in the amount of $35m, 62 thousand were imported to
Armenia. According to the data of RA National Statistical Service,
production of chemical industry and other industrial branches
connected with chemistry made 35.5% of the aid, devices and machinery
14%, textile goods 13.4%. In the same period 390.2 tons of production
of plant origin in the amount of $465.6 thousand, 95.6 tons of
ready-made foodstuffs in the amount of $357.8 thousand, 203.8 tons of
land, air and water transport means in the amount of $764.9 thousand
were imported to Armenia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IN JANUARY-NOVEMBER, 2004, AVERAGE NONTHLY PRICE INCREASE OF
TENEMENT-HOUSES IN YEREVAN MADE 2%

YEREVAN, January 5 (Noyan Tapan). In January-November, 2004, 9,165
transactions with respect to real estate were implemented in Armenia,
which exceeds by 30.4% the index for the same period in 2003.

According to the information provided to NT by Information Service of
the Real Estate Land-Survey State Committee, sales and purchases made
89.3%, donations – 10.4%, and exchanges – 0.3% of the 3,729 alienation
transactions with respect to real estate. In January-November, 2004,
the number of real estate alienation transactions grew by 18.9% as
compared to the same period of 2003. 42.7% of real estate alienation
transactions was implemented in Yerevan, 43.7% of which – with respect
to tenement-houses’ apartments. In November, 2004, 62.9% of the 1.332
real estate sale and purchase transactions registered in Yerevan were
those implemented with respect to tenement-houses, which decreased by
4.1% as compared with the same period of 2003 and by 5.4% as compared
with October, 2004. In January-November, 2004, the minimum and maximum
prices of 1 square meter of tenement-houses’ apartments in Yerevan
communities made: in the center (except for the Northern Avenue) –
$350-970, in Arabkir – $250-560, in Kanaker-Zeytun – $130-330, in
New-Nork – $115-250, in Avan – $120-230, in Erebuni – $120-300, in
Shengavit – $120-270, in Davidashen – $130-350, in Ajapniak – $120-300
and in Nubarashen – $70-120. In January-November, 2004, the monthly
increase in an average market price of 1 square meter of
tenement-houses’ apartments in Yerevan made 2%.

USAID TO FINANCE PROGRAM ON HEATING 15 SCHOOLS OF ARMENIA

YEREVAN, January 5 (Noyan Tapan). Starting from February, the program
to instal local heating systems in 15 schools of the country will be
implemented with funds of the Armenian office of the USAID. According
to Sos Kocharian, RA Deputy Minister of Urban Development, about 600
thousand dollars will be allocated for the program implementation. In
case of success, funds are likely to be allocated to construct heating
systems for 15 more schools. S. Kocharian also stated that in 2003, a
USAID-funded pilot program on restoration of the heating systems in 8
schools of Armenia was implemented.

STARTING FROM JUNE, PROGRAM WITH 1.5 MILLION EUROS’ BUGDET TO BE
IMPLEMENTED IN AGRICULTURAL SPHERE OF ARMENIA WITH FINANCIAL
PARTICIPATION OF NETHERLANDS

YEREVAN, January 5 (Noyan Tapan). By the Dutch government’s “Eastern
European and Central Asian Countires Cooperation and Marketing
Program” (PSOM), it is envisaged to start from June the implementation
of a 2-year program with a budget of about 1.5 million euros in
Armenia’s agricultural sphere. According to Koryun Hovakimian,
executive director of the Armenian-Dutch Agroproject center, by late
March the Armenian side will have submitted to the Dutch government
3-4 programs, one of which will be selected and implemented. According
to K. Hovakimian, by one of the programs developed, it is proposed to
organize production of mushrooms, while by another – that of soya
beans, which will be subsequently used in butter and fodder production.

Programs on manufacturing metallic tins for tinned products, as well
as on establishing the Agroservice center in Lori marz have been
developed as well. The financial participation of the Dutch government
in the program will make 50%, whereas the other half will be invested
by the Armenian company involved in the program or by its partner – a
Dutch company. In recent years 7 programs were implemented in Armenia
with funds of the government of the Netherlands. In particular, a
plant for milk procession and production of the Dutch cheese was built
in Tashir, a hydroponic greenhouse – in the village of Darakert
(Ararat marz), an up-to-date potato warehouse with a capacity of 1,500
tons – in Shirak marz, as well as one of the workshops of the mixed
fodder plant in Yerevan was repaired.

NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED WOMEN INCREASES BY 1.6% IN ARMENIA COMPARED WITH
8 MONTHS OF 2003

YEREVAN, October 5 (Noyan Tapan). In January-August 2004 the average
number of economically active population of Armenia made 1233.4
thousand people, 90.5% or 1116.3 thousand out of them were engaged in
economy and 9.5% or 117.1 thousand were unemployed. The latters were
registered in RA Employment Service agency of RA Ministry of Labor and
Social Issues and received the status of unemployed. According to the
data of RA National Statistical Service, as of late August 97.6% or
144.1 thousand out of the people looking for a job and registered in
the agency were unemployed and 78.6% or 113.3 thousand out of them
were given the status of unemployed. From the beginning of the year
5.4 thousand people got a job and 52.8% of them were women. 79
thousand or 69.8% of the unemployed officially registered in 2004
August were women. This index increased by 1.6% compared with the same
period of 2003.