ARKA News Agency
March 9 2004

President of Georgia to visit Armenia on March 12

NKR President and RA Minister of Science and Education discuss
problems in the sphere of Nagorno Karabakh education

Hungarian Ambassador to Armenia hands copies of credentials to RA MFA

Hungarian Ambassador to Armenia hands credentials to RA President

International chess competition starts in Nagorno Karabakh

Additional protocol of agreement on application of MAGATE guarantees
corresponds to RA Constitution

The agreement on settlement of voluntary emigration processes
prolonged between Armenia and Russia

Banknotes with nominal value of AMD 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 to be
withdrawn from circulation since 1 April

`Open doors day’ to be held in American University of Armenia on 20
March

Yerevan Mayor instructed inventory of unfinished erections in
capital’s communities

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PRESIDENT OF GEORGIA TO VISIT ARMENIA ON MARCH 12

YEREVAN, March 9. /ARKA/. President of Georgia Mihail Sahakashvili
will visit Armenia on March 12 on the invitation of RA President
Robert Kocharian. On March 12, the presidents will hold confidential
conversation, after which will conduct Armenian-Georgian negotiations
in expanded format.
In the frames of the visit Sahakashvili will meet with RA NA
Chairman, Prime Minsiter, Catholicos of All Armenian and
representatives of Georgian community of Armenia. Delegation headed
with Georgian President will visit memorial of Genocide victims.
The delegations includes ministers of foreign affairs, energy,
infrastructures and development; parliament members. L.D. –0–

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NKR PRESIDENT AND RA MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND EDUCATION DISCUSS
PROBLEMS IN THE SPHERE OF NAGORNO KARABAKH EDUCATION

STEPANAKERT, March 9. /ARKA/. NKR President Arkady Gukasian and RA
mInister of Science and Education Sergo Yeritsian discussed problems
in the sphere of Nagorno Karabakh education, NKR President’s press
office told ARKA. Gukasian expressed confidence that only every-day
cooperation between profile ministries of Armenian and NKR and
realization of joint programs can positively affect the improvement
of education sphere in Artsakh.
Yeritsian said that his visit in Nagorno Karabakh follows the goal to
get familiar with the problems existing in the sphere. The parties
discussed some aspects of the program on implementation of new system
of education in NKR that envisages use of computer technologies,
re-training of teachers. The Minister promised to provide educational
institutions of Karabakh with 600 computers. The parties noted with
satisfaction that joint efforts of the ministries of the republics
helped opening of representation of National Institute of Education
of Armenia. L.D. –0 –

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HUNGARIAN AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA HANDS CREDENTIALS TO RA PRESIDENT

YEREVAN, March 9. /ARKA/. Hungarian Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary to Armenia Ferents Contra (residence in Moscow)
handed credentials RA President Robert Kocharian. The parties noted
that the countries have no political problems and emphasized the
importance of activation of economic cooperation.
Contra in his turn stated that Hungary will become a full member of
EU in May 2004 and noted readiness of his country to assist to the
strengthening of cooperation between EU and Armenia. He also
presented Hungarian Government and his condolences considering murder
of Armenian officer Gurgen Margarian in Budapest. L.D. –0–

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HUNGARIAN AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA HANDS COPIES OF CREDENTIALS TO RA MFA

YEREVAN, March 9. /ARKA/. Hungarian Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary to Armenia Ferents Contra (residence in Moscow)
handed copies of credentials to RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian,
RA MFA told ARKA. The parties discussed perspectives of deepening of
bilateral cooperation and emphasized the importance of mutual visits.
It was noted that activation of political contacts and strengthening
of legal-agreement field will create conditions for development of
business, economic and cultural cooperation between the countries.
According to Oskanian, entry of Hungary in EU will give new impulse
to Armenian-Hungarian economic cooperation, because the states will
be able to use opportunities of the agreement on partnership and
cooperation of Armenian and EU.
Contra presented Hungarian Government and his condolences considering
murder of Armenian officer Gurgen Margarian in Budapest. L.D. –0–

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INTERNATIONAL CHESS COMPETITION STARTS IN NAGORNO KARABAKH

STEPANAKERT, March 9. /ARKA/. International chess competition started
in Nagorno Karabakh. The competition is dedicated to 75th anniversary
of birthday of 9th World Champion Tigran Petrosian. The tournament
will include 10 grand masters from Armenia, Switzerland, Georgia,
Latvia and Iran. The honorary guest of the tournament is 10th World
Champion Boris Spasski. L.D. –0–

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ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL OF AGREEMENT ON APPLICATION OF MAGATE GUARANTEES
CORRESPONDS TO RA CONSTITUTION

YEREVAN, March 9. /ARKA/. Additional protocol of agreement on
application of MAGATE guarantees corresponds to RA Constitution, the
decision was made by RA Constitutional Court.
The agreement was signed on Sep. 29, 1997 in Vienna. According to
Deputy Foreign Minister Tatoul Margarian, on Aug. 15, 1993 Armenia
joined the non-proliferation treaty as of 1968. The treaty allows
MAGATE to conduct inspections in the countries that joined the
agreement. According to the agreements Armenia is obliged not to
create and receive nuclear weapons and not to assist to other
countries in creation of nuclear weapons. L.D. –0

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THE AGREEMENT ON SETTLEMENT OF VOLUNTARY EMIGRATION PROCESSES
PROLONGED BETWEEN ARMENIA AND RUSSIA

YEREVAN, March 9. /ARKA/. The agreement on settlement of voluntary
emigration processes was prolonged between Armenia and Russia. The
agreement was signed in 1997. According to the RA President’s Press
Service and Public Relations Department, the protocol on the
agreement prolongation as signed by the RA Minister of the regional
control and industrial infrastructures coordination Hovik Abarahamyan
and the RF Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in Armenia
Anatoliy Drukov. According to the protocol, the expire date of the
agreement is in 5 years.
In the course of the agreement signing ceremony the RF Ambassador in
Armenia noted that settlement of voluntary emigration processes
proved to be important. In his turn the Head of the Migration and
Refugees Department at the RA Government Gagik Eghanyan added that
the agreement is aimed at creation of favorable conditions for
voluntary emigration of citizens of Armenia and Russia. According to
him, it’s especially important now, when many people return to
Armenia, and the agreement may become stimulus for returning the
citizens of Armenia and settling in the Republic. Eghanyan stated
that at the assignment of the RA Prime Minister, an Armenian
delegation will go to Russia next week to introduce to the Armenians
staying in Russia the favorable conditions provided for them by the
agreement. A.H. – 0–

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BANKNOTES WITH NOMINAL VALUE OF AMD 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 TO BE
WITHDRAWN FROM CIRCULATION SINCE 1 APRIL

YEREVAN. March 9. /ARKA/. Since 1 April banknotes with nominal value
of AMD 10, 25, 200 issued in 1993, as well as banknotes of AMD 50 and
100 issued in 1998 will be withdrawn from circulation, as stated by
the CBA Head of Emissions and Monetary Reserves Gevorg Tumanyan. In
his words, these banknotes are still in circulation and will be
accepted for payments in relevant service points. As reminded by
Tumanyan, banknotes with nominal value of AMD 500 and 100 issued in
1993 have been withdrawn from circulation from 1 January 2004, while
the banknote with nominal value of AMD 1000 issued in 1994 were
withdrawn since 1 March 2004. `All banknotes that to be withdrawn
from circulation by the CBA will be circulating for a while, however,
they must be exchanged that can be made in any Armenian bank or their
affiliates in their nominal values without any limitation in number
of banknotes or terms of exchange’, said Tumanyan. The head of the
departments also stated that the main portion of these banknotes has
been already withdrawn from circulation, while the other was replaced
by coins.
At the same time, as mentioned by Tumanyan, the CBA is to withdraw
from circulation banknotes of AMD 5000 issued in 1995 in July 2005,
while banknotes of AMD 500 issued in 1993 in September 2005. T.M. -0 –

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`OPEN DOORS DAY’ TO BE HELD IN AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF ARMENIA ON 20
MARCH

YEREVAN. March 9. /ARKA/. The American University of Armenia (AUA)
starts admission of students for education year of 2004-2005 and
`Open doors day’ to be held in the University on 20 March. As
mentioned in the AUA press-release provided to ARKA News Agency
today, the administration, lecturers, students and graduates of the
University will take participation in the action. The participants
and those invited will be familiarized with the AUA admission
requirements, its education programs, library, computer and research
centers, as well as other structures of the University.
The American University of Armenia is functioning since 1991 and
awards Master of Arts degrees in six fields such as Industrial
Engineering and Systems Management, Computer and IT Sciences,
Comparative Legal Studies, Business & Management, Political Science,
Teaching of English as a Foreign Language and Certificate in Teaching
of English as a Foreign Language. High education and good knowledge
of English are obligatory requirements for admission to the
University. T.M. -0–

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YEREVAN MAYOR INSTRUCTED INVENTORY OF UNFINISHED ERECTIONS IN
CAPITAL’S COMMUNITIES

YEREVAN. March 9. /ARKA/. Inventory of unfinished erections in
Yerevan’s communities was the subject of today’s sitting in Yerevan
Municipality. As reported by the Vice Mayor of Yerevan Vano
Vardanyan, the Head of Landscaping Department presented the list of
these types of erections, while the Mayor instructed to hold
discussions on this problem with the leaders of the communities
within a week. According to the Vice Mayor, there will be offered
concrete programs for solutions of the problem in the course of the
discussions held, adding that the problem of unfinished erections is
timeliest for 6 Yerevan communities and each community to held
separate meeting with the Mayor. T.M. -0–