YEREVAN, OCTOBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The sums of the state budget allocated for the State Agency of Monument Preservation under the RA Ministry of Culture have a tendency for decreasing. According to the statement made by Artyom Grigorian, the Head of the RA State Agency of Monument Preservation, during the meeting held in the "Pastark" (Argument) club on October 1, 520 million drams (1.55 million U.S. dollars) will be allocated for the agency for 2008 instead of the 660 million drams of the previous year. Grigorian stated that no means were allocated for this sphere by the state budget beginning from the 90s and up to 2003. 50 million drams were allocated in 2004, 530 million in 2005, and 720 million in 2006. The allocated sums for this sphere have started to decrease since 2007. Artyom Grigorian claimed that the sums received from the state budget have been directed to the restoration and preservation of a number of republican monuments and those of international significance. This year the number of monuments makes 13. Artyom Grigorian mentioned that at present there are 24 thousand and 200 historical-cultural monuments in Armenia according to the list endorsed by the RA government. He also stated that the monuments left to the preservation of communities are in a "hard" situation. A corresponding institution has been created only in the region of Tavush, which is engaged in monuments. In addition to this, many monuments appear in private hands during land allocations in many regions. As a result of this, control over those monuments becomes impossible. There are also cases, when the territories of the monuments are used as mines.

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