ARMENIA AGREES TO COVER EXPENSES OF BAKU-BASED TRASECA SECRETARIAT
Armenpress
Mar 14 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 14, ARMENPRESS: Armenian constitutional court ruled
today that an agreement signed by Armenia on funding of the TRASECA
secretariat that is seated in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, does
not breach the constitution.
Transport and communication minister Andranik Manukian said all 12
members of TRASECA agreed in 2005 April to provide funds for the
secretariat to cover its expenses, which were earlier covered by the
European Commission. Manukian said the secretariat’s annual budget
makes 600,000 euros and each country’s contribution will be about
50,000 euros.
He also said the European Commission will provide 2 million euros for
examination of the technical condition of Yerevan-Tbilisi railway,
as well as 1,800,000 euros for repair of destroyed sections of the
railroad. Armenia has already received 5.5 million euros from the
European Commission as part of TRASECA program.
OSCE OFFICE HELPS OPEN AARHUS CENTER IN TAVUSH YEREVAN, MARCH 14,
ARMENPRESS: The OSCE Office in Yerevan has supported the opening of
an Aarhus public environmental information Center in the capital of
Armenia’s Tavush province, Ijevan.
“The Center will promote public access to information, participation
in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters —
the three main pillars of the Aarhus Convention ratified by Armenia
in 2001,” said Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin, the Head of the OSCE
Office. “Serving as a unique link between governmental authorities
and non-governmental organizations in the field of environmental
policy-making and awareness raising, the Center will help create a
climate of transparency in environmental affairs and contribute to
the democratization and good governance in the region.”
The OSCE Office in Yerevan supports the establishment of a network
of Aarhus Centers in Armenia to promote the principles and values of
the international Aarhus Convention and to address security related
environmental issues.