ARMENIAN CONSUMER MARKET VOLUME GROWS BY 20.4% IN JANUARY-MARCH 2006
ON SAME MONTHS OF LAST YEAR

YEREVAN, MAY 8, NOYAN TAPAN. In January-March 2006, the volume of the
Armenian consumer market made 289 bln 629.5 mln drams (about 644 mln
USD), exceeding by 20.4% the respective index of last year. According
to the RA National Statistical Service, the trade turnover amounted to
193 bln 565 mln drams or by 18.3% more than in the same period of
2005, including the retail trade turnover that made 148 bln 281.9 mln
drams in current prices, exceeding by 13.6% the respective index of
the same period of last year in comparable prices, the trade in cars
that made 13 bln 804.8 mln drams (a 77% increase), and services of 96
bln 64.5 mln drams (a 22.1% increase). In January-March 2006, trade
conducted in shops and consumer commodity markets accounted for the
largest share of retail trade in Armenia – 76.6% (113 bln 626.3 mln
drams). This tendency is typical of almost all Armenian marzes. Retail
trade facilities of Yerevan accounted for 86.6% of the RA retail trade
turnover (128 bln 369.4 mln drams). This is explained by the above
mentioned factors and the fact that the population of a number of
marzes (mainly those near Yerevan) tend to purchase goods in Yerevan
trade facilities.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

48.6% OF RETAIL TRADE CONDUCTED THROUGH SHOPS IN ARMENIA IN JANUARY-MARCH 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 8, NOYAN TAPAN. In January-March 2006, 48.6% of the RA
retail trade turover (72 bln 119.5 mln drams or about 160 mln USD))
was conducted through shops. According to the RA National Statistical
Service, 47.2% of the Armenian shops trade in food commodities, 42.3%
– in non-food commodities, and 10.5% trade in both food and non-food
commodities. Very small shops prevailed in the number of shops
subjected to statistical monitoring of the RA National Statistical
Service (85%). Such shops accounted for 30.1% of the trade turnover,
whereas large shops that make up 1.1% of the total number of shops
accounted for 40.4% of the trade conducted. The consumer goods market
have a particular place in the Armenian retail trade. In January-March
2006, trade in the consumer goods markets made 41 bln 506.8 mln drams,
exceeding by 13.1% the respective index of last year. The Armenian
consumer markets are mainly specialized in non-food commodity trade:
out of 63 consumer commodity markets in Armenia, 47 markets trade in
non-food goods (out of 22 markets in Yerevan, 18 are specialized in
non-food commodity trade). The large share of non-food commodities
(87.7%) in trade turnover on the country’s consumer goods markets is
conditioned by this fact. In January-March 2006, the retail market of
Yerevan prevailed over those in other marzes of Armenia. This tendency
continued in January-March 2006: during this period, the Yerevan
retail market volume exceeded 2.5fold the average index in the
country. The economic activity of retail market in other Armenian
marzes ranged from 9.5% to 35.8% with respect to the average index in
Armenia. As of April 1, 2006, commodity reserves at the operating
retail trade facilities of Armenia made 53 bln 686.2 mln drams, while
provision with commodity reserves made 56 days.

ARMAVIA TO RESTORE ITS AIRCRAFT FLEET IN NEAR FUTURE

YEREVAN, MAY 8, NOYAN TAPAN. According to preliminary information, a
A-320 plane of the Armenian airline Armavia and a A-320 plane of the
airline Armenian International Airways were destroyed as a result of
the fire that broke out early May 5 in the hangar of the Sabina
Technic company at Brussels Airport. There were 4-5 planes in the
hangar at the time of the fire. 3rd Secretary of the Armenian embassy
to Belgium Tigran Balayan said that it will be possible to get exact
information about what has happened only after the firefighting crew
report’s publication. He denied the rumors that an Armenian citizen
was injured as a result of the fire, saying that 4 firefighters –
Belgian citizens received injuries. Deputy Commercial Director of
Armavia Andrey Aghajanov told reporters that the plane destroyed by
the fire has been insured. It was in Brussels to undergo a regular
technical servicing. He assured that the incident will not affect the
airline’s operation, since the absence of this plane was taken into
account when making the schedule of flights. A. Aghajanov noted that
Armavia will soon restore its aircraft fleet.

MANVEL GRIGORIAN: ERKRAPAH THAT SAID ITS DECISIVE WORD IN ARTSAKH
FREEDOM WAR HAS THINGS TO DO TODAY

YEREVAN, MAY 8, NOYAN TAPAN. A meeting to mark Erkrapah’s Day took
place at the Sport and Concert Complex after Karen Demirchian on May
8. According to Chairman of the Erkrapah Volunteers Union (EVU), RA
Deputy Minister of Defence Lieutenant General Manvel Grigorian, the
Erkrapah that said its decisive word for Homeland’s defence during the
Artsakh war and later served as a basis for the creation of an
efficent army, today has things to do not only in case of a possible
war but also for peaceful construction and economic development. In
his words, it is also for the EVU to solve all problems facing the
country, all unresolved issues. He noted that the people today living
in Artsakh built houses and give birth to children, and it is not easy
for them to hear the press information about return of territories.

“We have no land to give, and if we say it, we must be prepared for
anything, we must stand side by side and will not allow those living
in the border areas to feel lonely,” Manvel Grigorian noted. He
appealed to the erkrapahs to be unified in order to bring the Karabakh
problem solution to a close: “The Armenian nation cannot be divided
into several parts: if we do not have a country and state, any
elections are just out of the question.” Sparapet Vazgen Sargsian’s
brother, Chairman of the Hanrapetutyun (Republic) Party Aram Sargsian
noted in his speech that Erkrapah is the most powerful body in
Armenia. In his words, it is the Erkrapah that is the master of this
country today, as it proved able to protect not only the country but
also the nation’s dignity. And many of them, including Sparapet, laid
down their lives. “Those who sacrifice their freedom for a temporary
stability, in the end have neither freedom nor stability,” Aram
Sargsian said quoting Benjamin Franklin. Leader of the National
Assembly ARF faction Levon Mkrtchian said that irrespective of their
political and ideological convictions, today’s fidayis united and
became the masters of Homeland. “It was Vazgen Sargsian’s pen that
created the word “Erkrapah” (Country Keeper), because we all are
keeping our country,” he underlined. Levon Mkrtchian said that members
of the ARF were in the erkrapah voluntary detachments from the very
first. “We should continue our struggle, and our power is in our
unity,” he stated. According to the speaker, this unity should not be
formal, and the Armenians should unite around several major
issues. “The national goals should be those main guidelines, by which
we should live and create in this difficult region,” he said. The
Armenian Prime Minister and the Defence Ministers of the RA and the
NKR sent their congratulatory messages on the occasion of Erkrapah’s
Day. State awards of the RA and the NKR, the RA Defence Ministry EVU
orders and medals were conferred on a number of erkrapahs. Many
received military awards posthumously. Prosaist Hrant Matevosian was
posthumously awarded a EVU “Sparapet Vazgen Sargsian” order.

PILOTS OF CRASHED PLANE WERE QUALIFIED SPECILALISTS

YEREVAN, MAY 8, NOYAN TAPAN. The pilots of the Armenian airline
Armavia’s A-320 plane that crashed near Sochi on May 3 – commander
Grisha Grigorian and second pilot Arman Davtian were qualified
specialists. According to the newspaper “Armenian Time”, deputy
commander of the squadron of Armavia’s planes Aram Eghoyan stated
this. The 40-year-old Grisha Grigorian had a nearly 20-year work
experience. Prior to becoming the crew commander of the A-320 plane,
he flew planes of various types. Before 2003, he worked in Iran,
operated flights by a YAK-40 plane. Upon returning to Armenia, he as a
qualified pilot was sent to Stockholm to undergo training and receive
permission to operate flights by A-320 planes, after which, on April
2004 Grigorian started operating A-320 flights. He operated flights of
a total of 5.5 thousand hours, 1,400 of which – on the A-320 plane
(560 hours – as the aircraft commander). The newspaper indicated that
these figures are quite impressive in terms of a pilot’s
experience. As regards the claims that Sochi Airport was a difficult
one to land at, A. Eghoyan said: “That Sochi Airport is a difficult
one is much spoken about. But Grisha learned all it, he knew Sochi
Airport as well as Zvartnots.” The second pilot, 29-year-old Arman
Davtian operated flights on TU-154 before starting on A-320. During
this time, he worked at one of the airlines of Sochi and operated
flights from Adler in various destinations. In 2003, he returned to
Armenia and after undergoing training in Toulouse he began operating
flights by French ATR planes. Later these planes are given back to the
French side, and Davtian went to Stockholm to receive permission for
A-320 planes. His work experience was 2,200 hours, 1,020 hours of
which – by A-320 plane. The newspaper reported that on December 27,
2005, commander Grisha Grigorian saved the lives of the passengers
aboard the plane he flew, when there was an emergency during a
Ekaterinburg-Yerevan flight: the air conditioning system stopped
functioning, which caused lack of oxigen in the aircraft. This
happened on the same A-320 plane that carshed near Sochi. At that time
Grisha Grigorian managed to make an emergency landing at Ekaterinburg
Airport.

64 candidate contest election to 47-member U.N. Human Rights Council

AP Worldstream; May 08, 2006

Sixty-four countries are running for the 47 seats on the new
U.N. Human Rights Council in Tuesday’s election in the U.N. General
Assembly.

To ensure global representation, Africa and Asia will have 13 seats
each; Latin America and the Caribbean eight seats; Western nations,
seven seats; and Eastern Europe, six seats.

Countries must receive an absolute majority of the 191 U.N. member
states _ or 96 votes _ and the top vote-getters in the different
regions will be declared winners.

Here is a list of the candidates by region:

_African States (13 seats): Algeria, Cameroon, Djibouti, Gabon, Ghana,
Kenya, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa,
Tunisia, Zambia.

_Asian States (13 seats): Bangladesh, Bahrain, China, India,
Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Malaysia,
Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand.

_Eastern European States (6 seats): Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania,
Russia, Slovenia, Ukraine.

_Latin American and Caribbean States (8 seats): Argentina, Brazil,
Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela.

_Western European and Other States (7 seats): Britain, Canada,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland.

LOCATION OF A-320 PLANE’S BLACK BOXES CLARIFIED

YEREVAN, MAY 8, NOYAN TAPAN. As of May 8, in spite of bad weather
conditions, searches are going on in the place of accident of A-320
plane. The location of black boxes was clarified the previous
day. According to the specialists, they are in a smaller, 400-450
meters, depth than it was supposed. At present the specialists are
working in the direction of lifting them from the bottom of the
sea. As the Russian side affirms, the searches will continue as long
as there is hope to find something connected with the plane.

Specialists from RF, Ukraine, France also take part in the
searches. Cyprus, Italy and Great Britain have also offered their
assistance. The last group of the relatives of the victims will return
to Armenia on May 8. According to the official data, no corpses of
those who died in the accident have been found in the recent days. At
present, 56 corpses out of those of 113 victims have been found and
only 48 of them have been indentified by now. 36 of them have been
moved to Armenia. At the request of the relatives, 48 jugs with the
sea sand and water from the territory of the accident were also moved
to Armenia. They will be committed to the earth instead of the
non-found corpses.

ARMENIA’S CANDIDACY FOR UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL ALSO NOMINATED

NEW YORK, MAY 8, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Armenia will also
participate in the elections of the newly established UN Himan Rights
Council to be held at the UN headquarters in New York on May 9. 65
countries will compete for 47 seats in this body, Radio Liberty
reported. The most intense competition is expected to take place in
Eastern Europe Group, to which 6 seats have been allocated. According
to the UN information center, 13 countries are competing for seats in
the Eastern Europe Group: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia,
Ukraine, the Baltic states, Albania, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and the
Czech Republic. The UN General Assembly on March 15 voted by the
majority of votes in favor of setting up the UN Human Rights
Council. The 47-member council will regularly study reports on human
rights defence standards in the UN member states. The council’s
decisions are mandatory. This newly established body will replace the
Geneva-based UN Commission on Human Right, which consists of 53
members. “The human rights protection will remain the problem of
states, while the UN Human Rights Council will suggest mechanisms to
carry out control, propose new standards, give assessment and respond
immediately to gross violations of human rights in a country. In fact,
the council becomes a body of the UN General Assembly,” Armenia’s
Resident Representative to the UN Armen Martirosian told Radio
Liberty. According to him, Armenia has been a member of the UN
Commission om Human Rights since 2002. In 2004, the country was
re-elected until 2007. “As far as I know, a decision has already been
made in Yerevan that Armenia will nominate its candidacy for joining
the UN Human Rights Council of the first convocation,” Armen
Martirosian said.

Agence France Presse — English
May 8, 2006 Monday 1:04 PM GMT

Muslim candidate hits back at rising Greek nationalism

ATHENS

A Muslim candidate in Greece’s regional elections later this year
struck back Monday against a wave of nationalist rhetoric after her
bid was announced, insisting she was first of all Greek.

“I am Greek and I will not tire of saying it…. I am Greek and
Muslim by religion, I was born and raised in Greece, I studied at a
Greek university,” Kara Hasan Gulbeyaz said in an interview with the
left-leaning newspaper Eleftherotypia.

The head of the Socialist opposition George Papandreou announced last
week that Gulbeyaz, a 28-year-old lawyer, would be a candidate in the
October elections in the northeast Xanthi-Drama-Kavala region where
there is a large Muslim minority.

Gulbeyaz is from Greece’s Muslim Pomak minority, which counts some
35,000 members, primarily in the mountainous region bordering
Bulgaria.

Her candidacy has angered members of Greece’s nationalist and
ultra-patriotic rightwing, who have in the media accused the
candidate of being “an agent” for Turkey.

Salonica’s Orthodox Bishop Anthimos predicted Gulbeyaz’s candidacy
would cause “problems” and said: “We cannot be united with those who
do not share the Orthodox religion.”

“We are not going to offer Turkey co-administration of the region on
a plate!,” Conservative member of parliament Stelios Papathemelis
added.

The Conservative prefect of Salonica, Panagiotis Psomiadis, said
meanwhile he “wanted to hear” Gulbeyaz recognize “the genocide of the
Pontics (the Greek minority of the Black Sea) and Armenians”
committed by troops belonging to the founder of the Turkish republic,
Mustapha Kemal-Ataturk.

The leader of the Greek far-right, George Karatzaferis, has accused
Papandreou of wanting to change the administrative map of the region.

“Blessed by Fire” and “The War Tapes” Take Take Tribeca Film Festival Honors

indieWIRE
May 7, 2006

By Brian Brooks

Two war-inspired films took top honors at the 5th Tribeca Film Festival.
“Blessed by Fire” (Iluminados por el Fuego) by Tristan Bauer and U.S.
director Deborah Scranton’s “The War Tapes” won the Best Narrative
Feature prize and Best Documentary Feature prize respectively during an
awards dinner this evening (Saturday) in Chinatown in Lower Manhattan.
“Fire,” (Argentina, Spain) is based on the memoir of a veteran of the
Falklands Islands War between Argentina and the U.K. in the early ’80s,
while present-day Iraq is the backdrop for “War Tapes,” which chronicles
the stories of several members of a National Guard unit deployed to Iraq
sharing their experiences and lives from their point-of-view. Also
taking honors this evening were Marwan Hamed for “The Yacoubian
Building” for Best New Narrative Filmmaker (Egypt) and Pelin Esmer for
“The Play,” which took Best New Documentary Filmmaker (Turkey).

The New York Loves Film Documentary prize went to Dan Lohaus’ “When I
Came Home.” The film centers on Iraq war veteran Herold Noel who suffers
from post-traumatic stress disorder and lives out of his car in
Brooklyn. Both the director and Mr. Noel took the award Saturday evening
and gave a short, but emotional acceptance. “I never thought I’d do a
documentary about homeless Iraqi war veterans, but we’ve got them, and
we have them here in [New York],” said Lohaus. But it was Noel who
brought the audience to its feet with a moving speech about the war and
its personal toll, thanking the Tribeca Film Festival for giving him
strength. “I thought nobody cared,” he said. Closing out the ceremonial
part of the evening after accepting his best narrative feature award,
Bauer seemed to provide the popular sentiment of the crowd. “Please…
no more war in the world. No more war in Iraq.”

The full list of the Tribeca Film Festival winners:

The Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature: “Blessed By Fire”
(Iluminados por el Fuego), directed by Tristan Bauer, Argentina, Spain.

Best Documentary Feature: “The War Tapes,” directed by Deborah Scranton,
USA.

Special Documentary Jury Prize: “Voices of Bam,” directed by Aliona van
der Horst and Maasja Ooms, Netherlands.
Outstanding achievement in documentary to ” Jesus Camp,” directed by
Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, USA; “Jonestown:The Life and Death of
Peoples Temple,” directed by Stanley Nelson, USA; “MAQUILOPOLIS: city of
factories,” directed by Vicky Funari and Sergio de la Torre, USA/Mexico.

Best New Narrative Filmmaker: Marwan Hamed for “The Yacoubian Building”
(Omaret Yacoubian), Egypt

Best New Documentary Filmmaker: Pelin Esmer for “The Play” (Oyun), Turkey.

Best Actor in a Narrative Feature Film: Juergen Vogel in “The Free Will”
(Der Freie Wille), Germany.
Special mention to Adel Imam, “The Yacoubian Building” (Omaret
Yacoubian), Egypt.

Best Actress in a Narrative Feature Film: Eva Holubova in “Holiday
Makers” (Ucastnici zajezdu), Czech Republic.
Special mention to the ensemble cast of “Holiday Makers” (Ucastnici
zajezdu).

NY Loves Film Documentary: “When I Came Home,” directed by Dan Lohaus, USA.
Honorable mention to Jack Smith and the “Destruction Of Atlantis,”
directed by Mary Jordan, USA and “The Cats of Mirikitani,” directed by
Linda Hattendorf, USA.

Best Made in New York Narrative Feature: “The Treatment,” directed by
Oren Rudavsky, USA.
Honorable mention to “A Very Serious Person,” directed by Charles Busch,
USA.

Best Narrative Short: “The Shovel,” directed by Nick Childs, USA.
Special mention to “Topor and Me” (Topor et moi), directed by Sylvia
Kristel, Netherlands.

Best Documentary Short: “Native New Yorker,” directed by Steve Bilich, USA.

Student Visionary Award: “Dead End Job,” directed by Samantha Davidson
Green, USA.

Audience Award: “The Cats of Mirikitani,” directed by Linda Hattendorf,
USA.

Tribeca Film Institute/Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Screenplay Development
Winners:
Signature series: “The Starry Messenger,” screenwriter Kenneth Lonergan
Main program: “Project Mustard,” Screenwriter Ban Zeff and Producer
Andrew Bendel and “Challenger,” screenwriter Nicole Perlman.

Tribeca All Access Creative Promise Award for Narrative Feature: “Before
the Beast Returns” by Sterlin Harjo.

Tribeca All Access Creative Promise Award for Documentary Feature:
“Outside the Box” by Lacey Schwartz.
Honorable mention – “Free Angela & All Political Prisoners” by Shola Lynch.

Tribeca All Access Creative Promise Award for screenwriting: Milton Liu
for “John Hughes Ruined My Life.”
Honorable mention – Ose Oyamendan for “Resistance.”