The Information Channel Felist.Com -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear frends! Arminfo news agency inform RA LAW "ON RESTRICTION OF SALE AND USE OF TOBACCO PRODUCTION" TO COME INTO FORCE MARCH 2 YEREVAN, MARCH 1. ARMINFO. A Law "On restriction of sale and use of tobacco production" will come into force in Armenia since March 2, 2005. According to the Law, production, import and sale of tobacco production with exceeded limits of nicotine or gums are forbidden in Armenia. The sale of tobacco production at the medical, educational, child's and pedagogical institutions, as well as at sports halls, complexes and stadiums is forbidden, too. The Law also forbids smoking at the cultural, educational and health-care institutions and at the public transport. At the same time, one can smoke in restaurants and cafes in the special provided saloons. Inscriptions on cigarets packets about the health hazard are to be enlarged since 2008. According to the WHO, Armenia is the first in CIS as to the number of smokers. Nearly 2.000 people aged 35-69 die every year from sickness caused by smoking. The coordinator of anti-tobacco program of Armenia's Health-care Ministry Alexandr Bazardjyan informed ARMINFO earlier, that 67.5% of men and 3.1% of women aged 15-54 smoke in Armenia. He noted that women often hide their passion for tobacco and added that 30% of mortal cases from cancer, 75% from chronic sickness of respiratory tract and 25% from ischemic heart sickness are caused by smoking. The state expenses on medical treatment of sicknesses from smoking grew by 50% in 2003. SMEETING OF ARMENIAN AND AZERI FMs PUT OFF YEREVAN, MARCH 1. ARMINFO. The Wednesday Prague meeting of Armenian and Azeri FM Vardan Oskanyan and Elmar Mamedyarov has been put off because of the illness of Oskanyan, says the press service of Armenia's FM. The new date is not specified but the meeting may well take place within this week. NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS TO OPEN ITS TRAINING CENTER AT STATE ENGINEERING UNIVERSITY OF ARMENIA YEREVAN, MARCH 1. ARMINFO. Mar 7 the National Instruments company (US), a world leading producer of diagnostics, control and modeling automatization software, is opening a training center at the State Engineering University of Armenia. This is the first NI center in the CIS. SEUA PR executive Gayane Markossyan says that NI actively supports higher education in the world by opening and modernizing training centers, labs and research complexes. Best universities from 50 countries contend for NI grants annually with SUEA having won one this year. NI has provided the university with necessary means this including software, lab stations, multifanctional signal, data collection and device control equipment. The center will teach LabVIEW to university professors, students and representatives of manufacturing enterprises. This software allows a PC to automatically collect data and carry out measurement and control operations. SUEA professors have been learning LabVIEW for two years already but now the software will have technical supplements and will be taught to a wide range of future specialists. Attending the opening ceremony will be SEUA Rector Yuri Sargsyan and National Instruments Development Director Aram Salatyan. A workshop on virtual devices as revolutionary concept of measurement and control automatization will be held at the university the same day with the participation of representatives of SUEA, Yerevan State University, American University of Armenia, Russian-Armenian University, European Academy, National Academy of Sciences of Armenia and leading Armenian research and manufacturing companies. AZERI OFFICIALS FORCE ARMENIANS TO LEAVE: US STATE DEPARTMENT YEREVAN, MARCH 1. ARMINFO-TURAN: Azeri officials are forcing Armenians to leave Azerbaijan, says US State Department in its Monday report on the human rights situation in the world. There are almost 20,000 Armenians in Azerbaijan - mostly from mixed families. Local officials often ask bribes for giving them citizenship. As a result 200-250 such families leave the country every year. CONFLICT CONNECTED WITH ONE OF THE ARMENIAN CHURCHES IN TBILISI "NORASHEN" HAS GROWN INTO A NEW STAGE TBILISI, MARCH 1. ARMINFO. The 17-years-old conflict connected with one of the Armenian churches in Tbilisi "Norashen" has grown into a new stage accompanied with an obvious attempt of falsification of historical facts. The Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia informs ARMINFO, Tuesday, that some time ago, century-old gravestones with Georgian signs suddenly occurred in the yard of the Armenian Church "Norashen" which were likely to be brought to the place they are located at present. These stones have recently been carefully placed along the walls of the church. The only explanation to it is evidently a desire to "confirm" that it is factually a Georgian Orthodox Church. According to a Georgia priest Tariel, Armenians would never allow burial of Georgian priests in front of their church. At the same time, as Georgia stones were brought to Tbilisi from unknown tombs, the Armenian gravestones located in the other side of the church were subjected to acts of vandalism and the Armenian signs were effaced from them. Sadat built "Norashen" in 1467. In 1650 Khoja Nazar reconstructed almost destroyed church. In the succession of time the church was restored in 1795, 1808 and 1875. In 1924-25 in connection with construction of the street "Armyasnkiy Bazar" (Leselidze at present) a special group was formed, which voted for destruction of "Norashen", however N.Severov opposed the decision and the latter was rejected. In Soviet times the church was used as an archive. In 1994 local Armenians were in a worry informed that majority of the books were withdrawn from the archive. The developments showed that "Norashen" was close to share the fate of another Armenian church "Karmir Avetaran" destroyed in 1989. On 25 January 1995 Armenians residing not far from "Norashen" noted that some "restoration" work was carried out inside the church. Confession Tariel perceived as insult the official protest addressed to the Georgian priesthood by Armenian Ambassador to Georgia, Mr. Khachatryan and President of the Armenian Association of mercy and Culture against "restoration." Three day after, Ter Eghishe, an Armenian priest found him axing the Altar of the church. On February 15 the church was consecrated as Georgian Orthodox Church and later it was closed. NKR GOVERNMENT REFUTES INFORMATION OF BAKU AGENCY CONCERNING POSTAGE STAMPS YEREVAN, MARCH 1. ARMINFO. The NKR Government calls the ordinary propagandistic intrigues of Azeri party the information of AzerTAdj agency, according to which the World Postal Union, supposedly, declared invalid the postage-stamps with a Karabakh horse produced in NKR. As ARMINFO was informed in the press-service of NKR government, "Artsakhpost" SCJSC has produced the three new postage stamps recently - "The Artsakh golden horse" and two stamps on the topic of "Holy Christmas". They noted that the selection of the "Artsakh golden horse" was non-random. A stamp with the world-known Artsakh golden fast horse under the name of "Azeri golden horse" was produced in Azerbaijan last year. As the NKR press-service commented, the stamps production was an adequate step against the ordinary infringement of Azeri party. HEADLINES OF MARCH 1 IN MID APR GERMAN BUNDESTAG TO DISCUSS DRAFT RESOLUTION ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AZERI PRESIDENT THANKS KAZAKHSTAN FOR CONSTANT SUPPORT IN KARABAKH ISSUE ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT APPROVES FIRST READING OF BILL ON ECOLOGICAL CONTROL ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT APPROVES FIRST READING OF BILL ON NATIONAL WATER POLICY BASIC PRINCIPLES 262,959 FOREIGN TOURISTS VISIT ARMENIA IN 2004 VOLUME OF UNISTREAM OPERATIONS TO TOTAL $200 MLN IN 2005 USD EXCESS IN ARMENIA ALLOWS TO FORECAST ITS FURTHER DEVALUATION 12.4% GROWTH IN ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION REGISTERED IN ARMENIA IN JAN 2005 BRANCH NETWORK ENLARGEMENT TO ALLOW UNIBANK TO REDOUBLE ITS CLIENTELE U.S. AMBASSADOR: REGARDING COMMENTS MADE IN THE UNITED STATES VISHNEVSKAYA-ROSTROPOVICH INTERNATIONAL FUND PROVIDES ARMENIA WITH 50,000 FREE VACCINES AGAINST MEASLES AND RUBELLA PRESENTATION OF PROGRAM OF EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES VISIT OF RUSSIA'S PRESIDENT TO TAKE PLACE DURING LAST DECADE OF MARCH APPROXIMATELY 43 PERCENT OF POPULATION IN ARMENIA LIVES BELOW OFFICIAL POVERTY RATE: ANNUAL REPORT OF US DEPARTMENT OF STATE ON HUMAN RIGHTS JUDGES WERE SUBJECT TO PRESSURE FROM THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH IN ARMENIA, SAYS THE ANNUAL STATEMENT OF US DEPARTMENT OF STATE ON HUMAN RIGHTS ARMENIA'S MINISTRY OF HEALTH DECIDES TO BEGIN FIGHT AGAINST SMOKING JUST FROM PHYSICIANS ARMENIAN PRESIDENT DEMANDS IMMEDIATE SOLUTION TO ISSUE OF DISTRIBUTION OF SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS ARMENIAN PRESIDENT AND MINISTER FOR TERRITORIAL ADMINISTRATION AND COORDINATION OF INFRASTRUCTURES OF ARMENIA DISCUSS SPECIFICATION OF COMMUNITY BORDERS ARMENIAN PRESIDENT DEMANDS TO HOLD TRANSPARENT AND FAIR ELECTIONS OF LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT BODIES CONSTRUCTION OF BUSINESS-CENTER ON BASIS OF CENTRAL DEPARTMENT STORE FROZEN ARMENIA'S NEGATIVE TRADE BALANCE TOTALS $70.2 MLN IN JAN 2005 PRIEST'S WIFE TO REPRESENT HOLY ETCHMIADZIN AT INTERNATIONAL INTERORTHODOX MEETING RUSSIAN BUSINESSMAN ARA ABRAHAMYAN INTENDS TO ACTIVATE LOBBYING FOR RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE "PRAGUE" MEETING BETWEEN FOREIGN MINISTERS OF ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJANI PROBABLY WILL BE HELD IN PARIS RUSSIAN BUSINESSMAN ARA ABRAHAMYAN READY TO ATTRACT $100 MILLION IN DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM IN ARMENIA PROCESS OF ALLOCATION OF REAL MORTGAGE CREDITS IN ARMENIA TO BEGIN IN SECOND HALF OF 2005 ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT IS COMMITTED TO PROTECTING CHILDREN'S RIGHTS AND WELFARE; HOWEVER, IT DID NOT HAVE THE ECONOMIC MEANS TO FULFILL ITS COMMITMENT CONSTITUTION PROVIDES FOR FREEDOM OF RELIGION; HOWEVER, THERE WERE SOME RESTRICTIONS IN PRACTICE, SAYS ANNUAL STATEMENT OF US DEPARTMENT OF STATE ON HUMAN RIGHTS DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTERS OF CIS COUNTRIES MEET IN MOSCOW 10 MEMBERS OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES REMAINED IN PRISON IN ARMENIA FOR REFUSING COMPULSORY MILITARY SERVICE ARMENIA'S OMBUDSMAN "ALMOST AGREES" WITH PROVISIONS OF REPORT OF U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE GOVERNMENT WAS GENERALLY COOPERATIVE WITH INTERNATIONAL NGOS, SAYS THE ANNUAL STATEMENT OF US DEPARTMENT OF STATE ON HUMAN RIGHTS LABOR ORGANIZATION REMAINED WEAK BECAUSE OF HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT AND WEAK ECONOMY IN ARMENIA SAYS ANNUAL STATEMENT OF US DEPARTMENT OF STATE ON HUMAN RIGHTS MILITARY OFFICERS TARGET HOMOSEXUALS FOR HAZING ANNUAL REPORT OF US DEPARTMENT OF STATE ON HUMAN RIGHTS TELLS OF MISTREATMENT WITH RESPECT TO MILITARIES PRISON CONDITIONS REMAINED POOR AND POSED A THREAT TO HEALTH: ANNUAL REPORT OF US DEPARTMENT OF STATE ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN JANUARY, 2005 BUDGET PROFICIT OF ARMENIA MADE UP 23.5% OUT OF GDP ADMINISTRATIVE BORDERS OF ABOUT 200 URBAN AND RURAL COMMUNITIES OF ARARAT, ARMAVIR AND SHIRAK REGIONS OF ARMENIA WERE APPROVED ARA ABRAHAMYAN CRITICIZES SEVERELY TRANSACTION ON TRANSFER OF FIVE ARMENIAN ENTERPRISES TO RUSSIA PARLIAMENTARY HEARINGS ON TOPIC "APPLICATION OF LAW ON FACILITATED TAX DURING THE LAST FIVE YEARS" ON MARCH 19 PARTY ORINATS YERKIR INCLUDED IN RULING COALITION CONDEMNS CRIMINAL SITUATION IN ARMENIA ARF DASHNAKTSUTIUN INTENDS TO SUBMIT TO CONSIDERATION OF ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT BILL CONDEMNING GENOCIDE OF ARMENIANS IN SUMGAIT PARADOXICAL STATISTICAL DATA OF ARMENIA'S ECONOMY NEED COMMENTS: TATUL MANASERIAN RULING REGIME IN ARMENIA IS IN AGONY: VIKTOR DALLAKYAN HEAD OF CB ON POTENTIAL OF ECONOMIC GROWTH IN ARMENIA No information from Site can be used without prior permission of ARMINFO http://www.arminfo.am -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: http://felist.com/member/unsub?grp=media.arminfo&email= http://felist.com/ mailto:ask@felist.com