Author: Kanayan Tamar

ROLE OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS DISCUSSED AT OSCE-SUPPORTED SEMINAR IN YEREVAN

Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE)

June 19 2006

YEREVAN, 19 June 2006 – A two-day seminar on promoting small and
medium entrepreneurship (SME) for sustainable development, took place
in Yerevan on 17 and 18 June.

The event, organized by the OSCE Office in Yerevan, the Armenian
Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the "Businesswomen Support
Centre" Foundation, focused on key problem areas for the development
of women’s entrepreneurship in Armenia, including tax legislation,
modern marketing techniques, and computer technologies.

An exhibition of goods and services, from enterprises run by women,
which was being held on the sidelines of the seminar, helped exchange
experiences and find new business partners.

"A business environment that allows start-up entrepreneurs to fulfill
their rights and freedoms is a precondition for SME development,"
said Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin, Head of the OSCE Office. "We
believe that this discussion will help identify existing problems
and find common solutions."

Lilia Gevorgyan, the President of the "Businesswomen Support Centre"
Foundation, thanked the OSCE Office for organizing the discussion and
presentation, adding: "The promotion of a balanced and non-stereotyped
image of businesswomen as equal players in the country’s economic
growth is a difficult task, and events like this are of great help."

The OSCE Office in Yerevan encourages SME development in Armenia by
assisting the authorities in formulating and implementing State policy,
improving the legislative framework and encouraging business start-up
development in the regions.

INTERNATIONAL WORKING GROUP ON SEARCH FOR MISSING VISITING KARABAKH

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.06.2006 18:51 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The International Working Group (IWG) on the Search
for the Missing People, Hostages and POWs in the Karabakh conflict
zone arrived in Nagorno Karabakh on a two-day working visit. The
IWG members met with the NKR Foreign Minister Georgy Petrosyan, the
leadership of the NKR State Committee on Missing People and Hostages,
heads of the Stepanakert Office of the International Committee of
the Red Cross, IWG coordinator in NKR Albert Voskanian informed.

In the course of the meetings the issues referring to activation of
search for the missing and burial places were discussed. The requests
of the state commissions on missing persons and hostages of Nagorno
Karabakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan were considered as well. June 20
the IWG will depart for Yerevan to proceed with the work, reported
De Facto news agency.

ALIYEV, PUTIN PRAISE TIES

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Posted June 19 2006

Baku, June 16, AssA-Irada
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Friday met with his Russian
counterpart Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Conference on
Cooperation and Confidence-building Measures in Asia in the Kazakh
city of Almaty.

Along with bilateral ties, the two leaders exchanged views on
the latest developments in the region and settlement to the
Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict.

The heads of state praised the level of ties, citing as an example
the fact that Russian-Azeri commodities turnover doubled last year.

They also emphasized mutual achievements in the political field.

While in Kazakhstan, President Aliyev also met with Israil Deputy Prime
Minister Simon Peres. The two stressed the importance of expanding
the relations between Azerbaijan and Israel.

The president also had a meeting with a member of the Palestine
Liberation Organization’s executive committee Mohamed Saad Audiya.

PRESS RELEASE
Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) – Yerevan Office
53-55 Pavstos Byuzand Street, 375010
Yerevan, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Inessa Grigoryan
Tel: (+374 10) 522076; 562068
Fax: (+374 10) 522076
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

Children of Armenia Fund – New York Office
630 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2100,
New York, NY 10111, USA
Contact: Mariam Dilakian
Tel: 212 – 994 – 8201
Fax: 212 – 994 – 8299
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

For immediate release

Dalarik Children Full of Expectations for New High School

COAF Awards Contract for the Renovation of the School in Dalarik

Yerevan, Armenia, June 16, 2006 ¾ Following town hall meetings with the
community and continuous discussions with the Coordinating Committee
elected by the Dalarik community, COAF signed a bi-lateral agreement
with the local Municipality delineating the cooperative arrangements
for the reconstruction of the Dalarik School.

Subsequently, through a transparent and competitive procurement
process, COAF awarded the reconstruction contract to Epal LLC,
a construction company based in Hrazdan.

In the words of Dr. Garo H. Armen, COAF Founder and Chairman, "the
stakes are higher than ever before. Without our immediate intervention,
this generation of young Armenians may forever lose the opportunity
to pursue the best in themselves." Ensuring a better quality of life
continues to be at the heart of all activities pursued by COAF as
part of its integrated rural development program.

Pargev Saghatelyan, the Mayor of Dalarik, emphasized the importance of
providing the children of Dalarik a better environment with improved
sanitation and education.

This reconstruction project takes into account the additional needs
that arise from the 12-grade system approved by the Ministry of
Education for implementation in the next school year. The renovated
school will accommodate 630 children in an improved environment,
access to indoor lavatories with running water and central heating
system. This COAF initiative also includes complete refurnishing and
site development. The project is fully funded by COAF and is planned
for completion by the New Year.

<?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml"
/>Pro curement of the building design and reconstruction of other school
and kindergarten projects within the COAF Model Cluster is in progress
and will include public structures in Argina, Lernagog, Myasnikyan,
and Shenik. Complementing reconstruction projects, COAF is realizing
other infrastructure and economic development projects, together with
health care, social and educational development activities that aim
at building the capacity of rural communities for sustained growth
and economic vitality.

—————————

Epal LLC, founded in 2003, is presently managed by Eduard Hovsepyan.

Among its recent achievements in the field of infrastructure
development are a series of renovations of high schools in various
regions of Armenia, construction of heating systems, and design
and construction of private homes. The company has a skillful and
experienced staff and is equipped with necessary machinery and
equipment to carry out its work effectively.

–Boundary_(ID_1JF7NVk6qjQI4uRe65F09 A)–

What attracts the tourists to Artsakh are its people

ArmRadio.am
17.06.2006 14:31

"What attracts the tourists to Artsakh are its people with a unique
psychology and hospitality coming from the bottom of the heart," said
Director of the NKR Tourism Development Agency Sergey Shahverdyan in
his talk with "Radiolur" correspondent.

Statistics shows that the number of tourists visiting Artsakh increases
with 40 percent annually. The tourists are interested not only in
this region rich in historical monuments, but also the mentality,
traditions of the people living here.

Artsakh has always been considered a country possessing a rich
historical heritage. Twenty years age 1 700 historical monuments
were counted here. Now the number is four times as much, since new
Armenian monuments were found on liberated territories.

In Sergey Shahverdyan’s words, ethnic tourism has also been developing
in Artsakh during the recent years. Karabakh hosts tourists from Italy,
France, Japan, Israel and other countries.

ARMENIA IS NOT TOLD, ARMENIA DOES NOT TELL

Lragir.am
15 June 06

Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan stated June 14 that Russia decides
how to handle the companies given to Russia in return for debt. The
point is that press ran information several days ago that the Russian
government, which became the owner of four big companies in Armenia,
is going to sell them. "It is Russia’s property, the property of the
government, and they decide to privatize them or hand over management
to another company or country," said Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan
with regard to the rumored step of the Russian government.

Everything is not as bad as it might seem, however. We learned that
not only Armenia is not asked or told, or informed about matters that
concern our country, but also Armenia does not inform other countries
about all the processes concerning us. Namely, a senior official of
the Iranian Embassy to Armenia stated June 13 that he had not learned
about the intention of the Armenian government to transfer part of
the shares of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline to the Russians. "Is
it obligatory that we tell our neighbors everything that happens in
Armenia in writing?" counters Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan.

The problem is, however, that Iran states the arrangement on the gas
pipeline was made by Armenia and Iran and any changes or introduction
of another participant must be approved by both countries. In other
words, Iran must give its agreement to transfer shares to Russia.

“ARARAT” TRIES TO FIGHT THE CRISIS

A1+
[01:26 pm] 12 June, 2006

After several defeats in the National championship of Armenia “Ararat”
finally celebrated a victory beating “Kilikia” 3:2. Despite the fact
that Nshan Erzroumyan from “Kilikia” scored first, three goals (two
from Edgar Sarafyan) from “Ararat” gave them the desired three points.

As for “Kilikia”, this was their last game before the start if
the Intertoto Cup. On June 17 “Kilikia” will play with “Dinamo”
from Tbilisi.

“Ulis” suffered another defeat, this time from “Gandzasar” (2:1).

DELEGATION HEADED BY RA DEFENSE MINISTER TO LEAVE FOR BELGIUM

ArmRadio.am
12.06.2006 10:41

Delegation headed by RA Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan will leave
today on an official visit to the Kingdom of Belgium. The Minister is
scheduled to meet his counterpart and Head of Defense Staff of Belgium.

In Brussels Serge Sargsyan will participate in the sitting of the
North-Atlantic Council, where the process of accomplishment of
Armenia-NATO Individual Partnership Actions Plan is to be discussed.

ARMENIAN CITIZEN SHOT DEAD IN MOSCOW

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.06.2006 13:44 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Two Armenian citizens were assaulted Saturday evening
in park near the North Boulevard, Moscow. A 44-years-old citizen of
Armenia was wounded in the chest and immediately died. A 24-year-old
man was taken to hospital. The investigators found a pistol at the
locus delicti. A criminal case was initiated. “A 52-year-old driver
and guardian of the Nogin meatpacking plant was detained as suspect of
murder,” Sergey Marchenko, a representative of the Moscow Prosecutor’s
Office informed, reported Interfax.

Ceremonial hall of Sassanid palace discovered in western Iran

TEHRAN, June 10 (MNA) — A team of archaeologists has discovered ruins
of the ceremonial hall of the Sassanid era Khosrow Palace near the
city of Qasr-e Shirin in the western Iranian province of Kermanshah,
the Persian service of CHN reported on Friday.

The hall was constructed of cobblestone and gypsum and measures
12.5×26 meters.

`Studies indicate that the hall had a large arch built of bricks of
different sizes overhead,’ team director Yusef Moradi said.

The hall is surrounded by a number of porticos with stone and brick
columns, and the team recently discovered frescos on the columns, he
added.

Covering an area of 75,000 square meters, the palace was built by the
Sassanid king Khosrow II for his Armenian Christian wife Shirin. Some
Iranian and Arab geographers and historians of the early Islamic era
called the palace one of the wonders of the world.

Archaeological studies are underway to determine the original
appearance of Khosrow Palace.

The region was excavated by French archeologist and prehistorian
Jacques de Morgan in the late nineteenth century, British
archaeologist and writer Gertrude Margaret Lowthian Bell in 1910 and
1911, and then by Oscar Reuter. Each one prepared architectural plans
of the Khosrow Palace, but the Iranian team believes that none of the
plans are reliable.

The archaeological team working at the site recently discovered a wall
surrounding the palace about 40 kilometers in length, which they
believe was used as a defensive device for the palace.

Moradi said last February that the team is also searching for traces
of Byzantine emperor Heraclius (ruled 610-641) at the palace.

Khosrow II (reigned 590-628) began a long war against the Byzantine
Empire in 602 and by 619 had conquered almost all southwestern Asia
Minor and Egypt.

Further expansion was prevented by the Byzantine emperor Heraclius,
who between 622 and 627 drove the Persians back within their original
borders. Many experts believe that the Khosrow Palace had been sacked
and pillaged by Heraclius.