IN CONSEQUENCE OF POURING RAINS, TWO VILLAGES SUFFERED, THREE BRIDGES DESTROYED IN APARAN REGION

Noyan Tapan
May 04 2006

ASHTARAK, MAY 4, NOYAN TAPAN. As the Noyan Tapan correspondent informs
from the region of Aparan, Aragatsotn marz, in consequence of pouring
rains and thaw of the recent days, the bridge connected the village
of Saralanj to the city of Aparan was destroyed by which the only
road towards the village passes.

Two bridges of Lusagyugh were also destroyed because of the water
stream. To prevent future ravages, employees of the Aragatsotn
marz rescue department initiated corresponding events jointly with
inhabitation of the community.

Sizes of the damage were studied and checked by the commission
constantly acting at the Aragatsotn Governor’s Office, and the RA
Government was informed about it to allocate means and liquidate
consequences of the disaster. “But, before showing the expected
assistance, corresponding structures of the Governor’s Office
implement works in the direction of improving the subsidiary road
through the field connecting the village of Saralanj with the outer
world,” Aragatsotn Governor G.Gyozalian mentioned.

THERE IS NO MILITARY OPTION

Lragir.am
5 May 06

Addressing the conference “Council of Europe and Armenia Five Years
of Membership,” Foreign Minister of Armenia Vardan Oskanyan said the
peace settlement of the conflict over Nagorno Karabakh is a commitment
to the CoE. Vardan Oskanyan said the word “peace” is the most important
word, and there can be no military settlement.

At the same time, Vardan Oskanyan said the Azerbaijani party is making
more and more militaristic statements, which causes deep concern not
only in Armenia but also in Europe. “If Azerbaijan has such intentions,
it would be difficult to suggest that it is likely to compromise.”

The Secretary General of the PACE Terry Davis addressed a message
to the conference. The message touches upon the issue of Nagorno
Karabakh. “The simultaneous accession of Armenia and Azerbaijan to
the Council of Europe in 2001 raised the expectation that these two
countries would, by coming together in the European family, be able
to find a resolution to the bitter conflict between them.

Unfortunately, no break-through has yet been reached. 2006 is a year of
hope. However, hope is not enough. Sustained effort from both sides is
needed. Under the European roof there is no place for enmities. Peace
and co-operation with neighbours will not only increase security,
but also increase prosperity. This is the lesson Europe has learned.”

Vardan Oskanyan announced that in Europe they think the meeting of the
presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan would not hinder the resolution
of the issue, and suggest holding such a meeting in June.

However, the place and the time have not been decided yet. Vardan
Oskanyan thinks they openly told Ilham Aliev in Washington that there
can be no military settlement of the Karabakh issue, and Armenia
commends this.

ARMENIAN JOURNALIST ORGANIZATIONS MARK WORLD DAY OF PRESS FREEDOM

Noyan Tapan
May 04 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 4, NOYAN TAPAN. At the beginning of the press conference
convened at the Armenian Journalists’ Union on the occasion of the
World Day of Press Freedom those present stood in silence in memory of
the victims of the crashed A-320 plane of Armavia airline. Touching
upon the event of the day, Union Chairwoman Astghik Gevorgian
said that freedom of speech is one of the greatest achievement of
RA independence. According to Yerevan Press Club Chairman Boris
Navasardian, May 3 in the whole world is considered not so much a
holiday as an occasion to raise issues connected with freedom of
press and speech. In particular, UNESCO that has announced May 3
as the World Day of Press Freedom put forward the role of press in
poverty reduction as the main problem.

And the World Association of Newspapers as the main problem mentioned
protection of the journalists who are in prisons. According to
B.Navasardian, only in 2005, 500 journalists were imprisoned. The
Yerevan Press Club, the Armenian Journalists’ Union, the Internews
NGO and the Committee on Protection of Freedom of Speech made a
statement, in which they raised a number of problems of the Armenian
media. The legislative reforms in the sphere of mass media, raising
of the role of press in fighting corruption, in struggle against
violation of citizens’ rights, assistance to free and transparent
political disputes and unbiassed coverage are among them. The first
prize-winner of the prize set by the above-mentioned organizations in
connection with the World Day of Press Freedom became editor of the
“Aravot” newspaper Aram Abrahamian.

AIR CRASH RESCUE EFFORTS FOCUS ON FINDING FLIGHT RECORDERS

RIA Novosti, Russia
May 4 2006

SOCHI (Southern Russia), May 4 (RIA Novosti) – Rescue teams continued
throughout Thursday to search for the flight recorders of an Armenian
airliner that crashed early Wednesday into the Black Sea, killing
all 113 people on board.

French experts who had arrived in the Russian resort of Sochi to help
with the rescue efforts said they had picked up a radio signal that
could be coming from the black boxes of the crashed Airbus plane.

“The signal was found almost immediately after the search started,
but is very weak,” an emergencies ministry official said.

European aircraft producer Airbus said the radio signals had been
included in the design of the plane to make it easier to identify
the location of the flight recorders after a possible crash.

Early on Wednesday, an Airbus A-320 belonging to Armenia’s Armavia
Airlines flying from the country’s capital, Yerevan, crashed about six
kilometers (3.7 miles) off the Russian coast en route to an airport
in Adler, which services Sochi.

Hopes of finding the flight recorders rose after a rescuer said that
large pieces of the passenger jet had been found on the seabed with
the help of radars.

“It is possible that the discovered parts will contain the black
boxes,” the rescuer said.

“In the next few hours, we will identify the location (of the plane
parts) and summon all the deep-sea special equipment to the site,”
he said.

Transportation Minister Igor Levitin said that the fragments of the
plane were lying at a depth of 680 meters (2,230 feet), and that
southern Russia did not have the necessary equipment to recover them.

“There is an experimental model in the north of the country, and we
will try to deliver it to the operation site,” he said. “It can work
at a depth of 500 meters [1,640 feet].”

Levitin also said Russia would ask other countries with experience
in deep-sea recovery operations for help in retrieving the fragments.

Sergei Kudinov, the head of the southern regional center of the
Russian Emergency Situations Ministry, echoed Levitin in saying that
international technologies would be used to lift the black boxes.

“We will employ international technologies, in particular, from France,
the U.S. or Norway,” he said.

In the morning, the Emergency Situations Ministry said that the main
part of the aircraft’s fuselage and the tail had been recovered.

Meanwhile, officials from Georgia neighboring Russia and Armenia
said the airliner was nearing the Russian border when it was warned
of bad weather conditions at Adler airport, and the pilot decided to
return to Yerevan. Later, however, he received a communication from
air traffic control saying that conditions had improved and decided
to resume his course. Ten minutes later the plane crashed.

So far, rescuers have recovered 48 bodies, of which 20 have been
identified.

Officials also continued to study the recorded conversations between
air traffic controllers and the crew before the crash.

Levitin said the extensive recovery operation, which had continued
through the night, involved 500 rescue workers, about 40 boats,
deep-sea vehicles, and a B-200 amphibious aircraft searching the
coastal line. He added that recovery teams had reached Loo, a town
15 kilometers (9 miles) from Sochi and would now move back to Adler.

SIZES OF DAMAGE OF NATURAL CALAMITY BEING DEFINED IN MARZES

Noyan Tapan
May 04 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 4, NOYAN TAPAN. Snow of 2-10 sm layer fell in the villages
of Taratumb, Artavan, Por, Gomk, Zedea and Khndzorut of the marz of
Vayots Dzor on April 27, and the air temperature decreased up to -2-5
degree. Heaviest snows were observed in the territory of the village of
Sers of the marz where the temperature decreased up to -8. 20 hectares
of grape belonging to the “Karashar” LTD were frozen in the village of
Aghavnadzor and fruit-tree gardens were frozen in Aghnjadzor on April
29. According to the report of the Rescue Service of the RA Ministry
of Territorial Administration, an information was also got that the
hail damaged blossomed trees in the village of Artabuynk of the marz
in the period of time from April 25 to 27. There was heavy hail with
the duration of 10-15 minutes on April 30 as well, in the villages of
Arpi and Malishka. Sizes of damage are being defined. According to
information got from the marz of Lori, heavy snow of 15-20 sm fell
here on April 29, and frost of 8-10 degree was fixed. According to
information of the Agriculture department of the Governor’s Office,
fruit-tree gardens almost on the whole territory of the marz were
frozen. An alarm was got on May 1 that dirty water flowing from
mountains filled on the road leading from the Khndzorut street 6 of
Vandzor up to the Yerevan highway and made it impassable. Rescues of
the marz of Lori went to the place of accident. The road was cleaned by
the special techniques sent by the Vanadzor Mayor’s Office, traffic was
re-established. In the consequence of the snow and strict temperature
fall of May 27-28 in the marz of Gegharkunik, grain sowing areas in
total of about 2.5 thosand hectares of the city of Martuni, villages
of Nerkin Getashen, Yeranos, Vardadzor, Verin Getashen, Lijk, Madina,
Tsakkar and Tazagyugh were frozen. Sizes of the disaster damage are
being defined. About 40 personal plots near the Noramarg village of the
marz of Ararat were covered by water in consequence of overflow of the
Hrazdan river on April 28. The landslide activized from rains on the
69th km of the Ijevan-Hrazdan railway in the part of the village of
Haghartsin, the marz of Tavush, on the same day, closed the river-bed
of Aghstev, in consequence of what ground floors and personal plots
of 23 houses were covered by water. Inhabitants were moved to a safe
territory. Works of opening the river-bed were implemented by joint
forces of rescues of the marz, emplyoees of the “road construction”
and inhabitants of the village. Destroyed reinforced blocks were
replaced, put on egdes of the bank of the Aghstev river: the river
started to flow in former river-bed and the water level decreased
in 1-1.5 meters. In paraller to rains, in consequence of strong
wind in the marz of Aragatsotn, roofs of correspondingly 10, 16 and
6 houses and constructions of the villages of Shenavan, Kuchak and
Vardenut were damaged. And roofs of about 50 houses were damaged in
the villages of Gegharot, Tsilkar and Berkarat of the marz on April 30.

GAMES OF FOURTH TOUR OF RA FOOTBALL HIGHEST LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP POSTPONED

Noyan Tapan
May 04 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 4, NOYAN TAPAN. The games of the 4th tour of RA Football
Highest League Championship that were envisaged for May 5 and 6
were postponed.

Such a decision was made by the leadership of the Armenian Football
Federation in consideration of the fact that May 5 and 6 were announced
mourning days in connection with the crash of Armavia airline’s A-320
plane. As Noyan Tapan was informed from the Press Secretariate of
the Armenian Football Federation, the Gandzasar-Ararat games fixed
for May 5 and Ulis-Shirak games fixed for May 6 will be held on May
7 at 17:00. The football-players will play with black bands on their
arms. The Kilikia-Pyunik and Banants-Mika games fixed for May 5 will
be held in the period from June 3 to June 5.

GOVERNMENT APPROVES DRAFT LAWS ON ARMENIAN FLAG AND ARMENIAN EMBLEM

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 04 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 4, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. At the May 4 sitting,
the Armenian government approved the draft law on the flag of the
Republic of Armenia and the draft law on the emblem of the Republic
of Armenia, which will be submitted to the RA National Assembly in
prescribed order. The respective ministries were assigned to make
clarifications about some formulations and include them in the above
mentioned draft laws. According to the RA Government Information and
PR Department, with the aim of choosing the text and music of the RA
anthem, the government decided to institute a prize for the anthem’s
text and a prize for its music (both in the amount of 700 thousand
darms (about 1,560 USD). The government allocated 2 mln drams from the
2006 reserve fund to the RA Ministry of Culture and Youth Issues for
the purpose of holding a competition, providing information, and paying
the remuneration of the authors of the selected text and music. The
indicated decisions were made in connection with amendments to the RA
Constitution. According to the decision of the RA Prime Minister, a
commission will be set up for selecting the RA anthem’s text and music.

SAFAROV HAS SUBMITTED NO APPEAL COMPLAINT YET

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 04 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 4, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. As of May 3, Azerbaijani
officer Ramil Safarov who killed officer of RA Armed Forces Gurgen
Margarian with an axe had not submitted an appeal complaint against
the April 13 verdict of Budapest court. Noyan Tapan correspondent was
informed about it by Armenian lawyer Nazeli Vardanian representing the
interests of the aggrieved party. To recap, according to the verdict,
Safarov was sentenced to life imprisonment without the right of pardon
during the first 30 years. Safarov had declared at the court that
he is going to appeal against the verdict. The Hungarian legislation
envisages a term of 15 days after receiving the text of the verdict
for submitting a complaint. The Armenian party, for instance, has not
received the verdict yet. According to Nazeli Vardanian’s information,
the court sitting on the second case instituted against Safarov,
on application of violence towards chief warders, also took place
yesterday. According to the witnesses, Safarov was very dispirited. 2
of 11 witnesses were interrogated at the sitting, the court sitting
was postponed, the day of the next sitting will be announced later.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RESOURCES FOR REVELATION AND VIDEOING AZERBAIJANI CEMETERIES AND MONUMENTS IN ARMENIA AND ARTSAKH ALLOCATED

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 04 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 4, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. In accordance with the
May 4 decision of RA Government, 2 mln 308 thousand drams (5100 USD)
was allocated to RA Ministry of Culture and Youth Affairs for the
purpose of revelation of Azerbaijani cemeteries and historic-cultural
monuments preserved in territories of RA and Artsakh, for marking the
place of their location and for videoing and photographing them. Noyan
Tapan was informed about it from RA Government Information and Public
Relations Department.

GOVERNMENT ALLOCATES OVER 22 THOUSAND USD FOR HOLDING CONTEST OF CELLISTS AFTER ARAM KHACHATRIAN

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 04 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 4, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. At the Government’s
May 4 sitting, 10 mln drams (over 22 thousand USD) was allocated
to RA Ministry of Culture and Youth Affairs for holding the contest
of cellists after Aram Khachatrian from May 30 to June 6, 2006. As
Noyan Tapan was informed from RA Government Information and Public
Relations Department, under another decision, the Hayfilm Film Studio
after Hamo Beknazarian State Non-commercial organization was renamed
Armenian National Cinema Center State Non-commercial organization.

In this connection, under the same decision, amendments and additions
were made in RA Government’s April 17 2002 decision N 417 “On Founding
a State Non-commercial Organization”.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress