CONSTRUCTION VOLUME GROWS BY 25.1% IN ARMENIA IN FIRST QUARTER OF 2006 ON SAME PERIOD OF LAST YEAR

Noyan Tapan
May 05 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 5, NOYAN TAPAN. In January-March 2006, construction
work of 27 bln 863.4 mln drams was done in Armenia, or by 25.1% more
than in the same period of last year. According to the RA National
Statistical Service, construction of production facilities amounted
to 12 bln 928.4 mln drams. Building and assembly work made 22 bln
711 mln drams, of which the building and assembly work of production
facilities – 8 bln 469 mln drams. In January-March 2006, construction
work of 1 bln 281.5 mln drams was carried out in the earthquake
zone at the expense of all sources of financing for construction,
restoration and repairs of social and production facilities, or 4.6%
of the total volume of construction in Armenia, including construction
work of 640.9 mln drams (about 1.42 mln USD) of production facilities
(5%). In January-March 2006, 97 new residential buildings of the
total area of 41,956 square meters were put into operation in Armenia
at the expense of resources of the population and organizations,
which made up 136.7% of the respective index of the same months of
2005. Particularly, 2 residential buildings of the total area of
605 sq.m. were put into operation in Yerevan with organizations’
resources, and 95 residential buildings of the total area of 41,351
sq.m – with resources of the population.

EXECUTIVE BODY – JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT TO BE CREATED IN RA JUDICIAL SYSTEM

Noyan Tapan
May 05 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 5, NOYAN TAPAN. The draft law on judicial service,
which was passed in first reading by the RA National Assembly,
envisages the creation of a judicial department. The Head of the RA
Cassation Court Staff Edgar Sedrakian told NT correspondent that the
judicial department will be accountable to the RA Council of Justice,
the Council of Court Chairmen, the General Assembly of Judges, and,
to some extent, to the Chairman of the RA Cassation Court.

According to E. Sedrakian, the new body to be created is called
upon to assist and promote the independence of courts, strengthen
the independence of the judiciary, while not interfering in the
administration of justice, as well as to ensure the full and efficient
execution of powers given to Armenian courts, the RA General Assembly
of Judges, the RA Council of Court Chairmen and the RA Council
of Justice and their participation in civil legal relations. The
judicial department will represent a single system of vertical
subordination composed of structural and separated (consisting of
the RA court staffs) units. The main task of the body is to create
favorable conditions for efficient functioning of judicial power by
implementing the appropriate personnel policy, financial, material,
technical and other measures. The department will fulfil such functions
as to examine the functioning of Armenian courts, work out proposals
for improving their activities and financing, analyze and summarize
judicial practice and statistics, organize the work of court archives
and the development and introduction of necessary program measures
of court proceedings and record keeping, as well as to organize
information and legal support of court activities and carry out work
on coordination of the legislation.

The department will also keep the personal files of judges and court
employees, implement preparatory work for holding competitions to fill
vacancies in the judicial service and organize the work of competition
commissions, supervise budget resource spending by Armenian courts
and the judicial department’s units, and perform an audit of their
financial activities.

STATE ASSISTANCE TO BE SHOWN TO RELATIVES OF PASSENGERS DIED IN PLANE CRASH

Noyan Tapan
May 05 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 5, NOYAN TAPAN. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the
RA Government’s Information and Public Relations Department,
the Government discussed the draft decision about showing state
assistance to funeral of people died in the consequence of the plane
crash. According to it, it was decided to allocate 129 mln drams
(about 287 thousand U.S. dollars) from the Government’s reservation
fund envisaged by the RA 2006 state budget to assist victims’
funeral, preparing and placing gravestones (1 mln 500 thousand
drams on the account of every victim). Other 15 mln 255 thousand
drams were allocated to the Yerevan Mayor’s Office to give it to
the “Special Service for Inhabitation” CJSC of the Mayor’s Office
to assist the funeral (135 thousand drams on the account of every
victim). By the decision, the RA Minister of Labour and Social Issues
was allowed to give on hand the financial resources allocated by the
mentioned decision to people undertaking the burial of the plane crash
victims. The RA Ministry of Finance and Economy was instructed to open
a special current account for, with its help, everybody who wants has a
possibility to show assistance to families of the plane crash victims.

ORGANIZATIONS OF ARARAT MARZ ENGAGED IN CHILDREN’S ISSUES JOIN THEIR EFFORTS

Noyan Tapan
May 05 2006

ARTASHAT, ARARAT, MAY 5, NOYAN TAPAN. The Acceptance and Orientation
Center of the Fund for Armenian Relief and the RA Ministry of
Labour and Social Issues with the participation of organizations
engaged in the children’s issues of the Ararat marz held a seminar
on May 3 in Artashat. The goal of the seminar organized within the
framework of the “Attention to Every Child” program financed by the
UN Children’s Fund was to inform specialists working with children
about children’s problems and ommissions existing in the system. As
the Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed by organizers of the event,
the goal of the program is to stregthen ability of the civil society
to protect children’s rights and to assist implementation of programs
concerning children’s issues in Armenia. Seda Arzumanian, the program
head, representatives of the children’s acceptance and orientation
center drew specialists’ attention to issues of protection of the
rights of children left without parents’ care and brought up with
difficulty. It was mentioned during the seminar that today the state
makes an attempt to assist such children, register them, give refuge,
help to stand on their own feet. Keeping children in the center of
constant attention, taking teenagers back of a bad way, giving them
corresponding educationa and bringing up, ways and types of works
with children brought up with difficulties and other themes became a
dispute subject which was touched upon by Directors of Artashat No2,
No3 schools Norik Shahinian, Margush Mirzoyan, Ararat city social
service employee Hovsep Ghazarian, chiefs of Masis, Artashat and
Ararat police departments on teenagers affairs, others.

18 MEN FROM KAPAN CALLED UP FOR MILITARY SERVICE LEAVES FOR ARMY

Noyan Tapan
May 05 2006

KAPAN, MAY 5, NOYAN TAPAN. 18 men called up for military service
left for the Army on May 3 from the Kapan memorial complex after
Garegin Nzhdeh.

According to Kapan Millitary Commissar Leonid Grigorian, first
gatherings of spring and autumn levies have already for few years been
organized at the memorial complex. According to the Military Commissar,
“it is done for men newly called up for military service realize the
importance of defending the Fatherland.”

L.Grigorian mentioned in the interview to the Noyan Tapan
correspondent, that there were almost no problems in the affair of
preparing for the spring levy. “But the physical readiness of men
called up for military service is gradulaly decreased, what I connect
with non-proper level of teaching the physical education in schools,”
the Kapan Military Commissar mentioned.

IT IS DIFFICULT TODAY TO BE INDEPENDENT MEDIA, KAPAN MAYOR FINDS

Noyan Tapan
May 05 2006

KAPAN, MAY 5, NOYAN TAPAN. At the beginning of the May 3 meeting of
marz correspondents of mass media and republican information means
acting in the city of Kapan with Kapan Mayor Armen Karapetian,
those present respected with one-minute silence the memory of
victims of the accident of the plane implementing the Yerevan-Sochi
flight. The meeting was organized on the occasion of the International
Day of Freedom of Press. Congratulating mass media representatives,
A.Karapetian mentioned that it is difficult today to be an independent
mass media. The Mayor expressed satisfaction that however, there are
journalists with free way of thinking who does everything for the
information field in Armenia is improved and strengtened.

TIGRAN TOROSIAN: EUROPEAN INTEGRATION HAS NO ALTERNATIVE FOR ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 05 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 5, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Five years after the
membership to the Council of Europe we have a good opportunity to sum
up what we have done and to enter into a stage of more mature relations
that begin with the essential amendments to the Constitution. RA NA
Vice-Speaker, head of the Armenian delegation in PACE, declared this
on May 5, when receiving Director General on Political Affairs of
Council of Europe General Secretariate Jean-Louis Laurens. According
to NA Vice-Speaker, Armenia is a leading country in the region in
the respect of fulfilment of the commitments assumed towards CE and
it is important that the country also be leading as a country having
held elections corresponding to all international standards. In this
respect the 2007 parliamentary and 2008 presidential elections and
holding of these elections in correspondence with the international
standards are of great importance.

As Tigran Torosian affirmed, on the plane of multilateral
international relations European integration has no alternative
for Armenia. In connection with the issue of Nagorno Karabakh
settlement T.Torosian attached importance to establishment of
tolerance considering unacceptable bellicose appeals, propaganda
of war and hatred. The expectations of the international community
about settlement of the conflict will have a real basis only when
Azerbaijan’s conduct changes. As NA Vice-Speaker affirmed, if the
international organizations and, in particular, CE expresses an
exact position on this issue, Azerbaijan will feel a necessity to
reconsider its approach. As Noyan Tapan was informed from NA Public
Relations Department, Jean-Louis Laurens mentioned that the goal
of his visit to Armenia is to receive more information and this is
his first visit to Armenia after the country’s membership to CE. In
his opinion, implementation of the constitutional reforms are very
important for Armenia, which enabled to reform the judicial system,
local self-government, to fight corruption and to extend and deepen
democracy. Laurens attached importance to free and fair holding of
the coming parliamentary and presidential elections for Armenia and
expressed hope that Armenia will become the first country in the region
to hold free and fair elections and will receive a positive estimation.

VARTAN OSKANIAN AND JEAN-LOUIS LAURENS DISCUSS PROCESS OF FULFILMENT OF ARMENIA’S COMMITMENTS TOWARDS CE

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 05 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 5, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On May 5, RA Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian received Director General on Political
Affairs of Council of Europe Jean-Louis Laurens who is in Armenia for
the purpose of taking part in the conference under the title “Armenia
and Council of Europe: Five Years of Membership”. The interlocutors
briefly touched upon the five years of Armenia’s membership to CE
paying attention to the process of fulfilment of the obligations
assumed by Armenia. As Noyan Tapan was informed from RA Foreign
Ministry Press and Information Department, Jean-Louis Laurens highly
estimated cooperation between CE Yerevan Office and Armenian Foreign
Ministry. The sides exchanged thoughts about the regional processes,
as well as issues on the agenda of CE Foreign Ministers’ Council
sitting to be held on May 18-19.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

HUMAN FLOW DOES NOT DISCONTINUE TO ARMENIAN EMBASSY IN PARIS SINCE EARLY MORNING

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 05 2006

PARIS, MAY 5, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Since early morning of
May 5, the human flow has not discontinued to the Armenian embassy in
Paris, where a book of mourning was opened in connection with Armenian
plane’s crash near the Russian city of Sochi on May 3. According to the
RA MFA Press and Information Department, tens of ambassadors accredited
to France, various state and political figures, deputies, senators,
representatives of international organizations and high-ranking
officials of the French Foreign Ministry came to the Armenian embassy
in Paris to offer their condolences. The French President Jacques
Chirac sent a message of condolence to the Armenian President. The
message in particular reads: “Mister President, dear friend, with
deep pain I heard the tragic news of the plane crash near Sochi last
night, which resulted in the loss of over a hundred human lives,
mostly Armenian citizens. On behalf of the French people and myself,
I offer sincere condolences to you and the family members and friends
of the victims of this tragedy. Mr President, please accept my best
regards and sincere friendly feelings in these difficult times.” The
French Prime Minister Dominic de Villepin, Senate President Christian
Poncelet and the Foreign Minister of France Phillip Douste-Balzy
offered their condolences.

RA NA SPEAKER RECEIVES TELEGRAMS OF CONDOLENCE FROM PARLIAMENTARY PRESIDENTS OF BELGIUM, GEORGIA, UKRAINE, GREECE, IRAN AND FROM RF STATE DUMA VICE-PRESIDENT

Noyan Tapan
Armneians Today
May 05 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 5, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. President of Belgian
Senate Anne-Marie Lizin, President of Georgian Parliament Nino
Burjanadze, President of Ukrainian Supreme Rada Vladimir Litvin,
President of Greek Parliament Anna Benaki, President of IRI
Parliament Gholamali Haddad-Adel, Vice-President of RF State Duma
Artur Chilingarov sent telegrams to RA NA Speaker Artur Baghdasarian
extending their condolences to the relatives of those who died in
the accident of the Yerevan-Sochi plane. According to RA NA Public
Relations De partment, the telegrams of condolence continue to be
received.