ARKA News Agency – 06/23/2004

ARKA News Agency
June 23 2004

RA Government considers corruption as system evil – Robert Kocharian

RA President Robert Kocharian meets with CE administration in
Strasbourg

International forum on information technologies to take place in
Yerevan on June 28-30

Criminal case brought against two Armenian citizens for illegal
import of 3.3 kilograms of gold

Events devoted to 10th anniversary of founding Vazgen Sargsian
Military Institute of RA Defense Ministry to be held in Yerevan on
June 27

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RA GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS CORRUPTION AS SYSTEM EVIL – ROBERT KOCHARIAN

YEREVAN, June 23. /ARKA/. RA Government considers corruption as
system evil, RA President Robert Kocharian stated at PACE session in
Strasbourg. He said that Armenia is concentrated on system changes
that eliminate the motives of corruption. `That is why we entered
GRECO group, where we can study the experience of other countries in
this sphere. By means of wide discussion with participation of OSCE,
WB and IMF, we development National anticorruption strategy and
several weeks ago, in accordance with my decree, we created Council
on coordination of fight against corruption’, Kocharian said. Among
number-one measures directed on elimination of corruption in Armenia
the President mentioned necessity of deepening of reform of legal
system, improvement of administration in tax and custom bodies,
creation of effective state service system. For decrease of
corruption risks Kocharian noted the importance of approval of
competitive sphere, predictability of Government activities, easing
of procedure, their transparency and public control.
`These are our priorities today and their goal is to provide
irreversibility of economic reforms and democratization of Armenia’,
Kocharian said.
According to research of international agency Transparency
International, in 2003 Armenia placed 78th place among 133 states on
the level of corruption. In this list Armenia is between Turkey (77th
place) and Iran (79th place). L.D. –0–

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RA PRESIDENT ROBERT KOCHARIAN MEETS WITH CE ADMINISTRATION IN
STRASBOURG

YEREVAN, June 23. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharian met with CE
administration in Strasbourg, RA President’s press office told ARKA.
The President met with the Chairman of PACE Peter Schider, CE
Secretary General Walter Schwimmer, European Court on Human Rights
Luzius Wildhaber and Norway’s PM Kjell Magne Bondevik. RA President
attended the ceremony devoted to opening of the exhibition in
European Parliament devoted to Fritjof Nansen.
Note Robert Kcharian is paying official visit in Strasbourg since
June 22. RA Today the President will hold a speech on PACE
Parliamentary Session then he will answer the question asked by PACE
MPs. L.D. -0–

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INTERNATIONAL FORUM ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES TO TAKE PLACE IN
YEREVAN ON JUNE 28-30

YEREVAN, June 23. /ARKA/. International forum on information
technologies will take place in Yerevan on June 28-30. The organizers
of the forum told ARKA that the forum will include to large
activities: Open Source and investment conference. According to the
statement, the participants of the seminar will be the heads of
public organizations, local and foreign companies and high officials
of Armenian Government.
The press release also notes that investment conference held in the
frames of the forum is a final stage of grant contest on stimulation
of business, initiated by Enterprises Incubator Fund. The conference
is to coordinate specialists and entrepreneurs of IT sphere,
stimulate realization of new ideas and initiatives and involvement of
foreign financing in Armenian IT sector. L.D. –0–

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CRIMINAL CASE BROUGHT AGAINST TWO ARMENIAN CITIZENS FOR ILLEGAL
IMPORT OF 3.3 KILOGRAMS OF GOLD

YEREVAN, June 23. /ARKA/. Criminal case was brought against two
Armenian citizens – Anna Kamalian and Vardan Khazmalian – for illegal
import of 3.3 kilograms of gold and more than $30 thousand from
Turkey, RA National Security Service told ARKA. It was discovered
that they hid the gold in delivery blower for production of gold
products, which they received from representative of Spartak Muradian
Ltd, the company dealing with cargo transportations.
Kamalian and Khazmalian stated that they have chosen such type of
import, being confident that cargo transportations do not go through
detail inspection at custom bodies. L.D. –0–

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EVENTS DEVOTED TO 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF FOUNDING VAZGEN SARGSIAN
MILITARY INSTITUTE OF RA DEFENSE MINISTRY TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN ON
JUNE 27

YEREVAN, June 23. /ARKA/. On June 27, Yerevan will hold celebrate the
10th anniversary of founding the RA Defense Ministry Vazgen Sargsian
Military Institute by organizing an event on the Republic Square. As
it is mentioned in the statement, placed on the RA Defense Ministry
website, in the course of the celebration, the graduates of the 2004
academic year of the Institute will be awarded initial military ranks
and diplomas. T.M. -0–