PanARMENIAN.Net

A-320 Flight Recorders Examination Started

02.06.2006 17:53 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `The experts and specialists of the International
Aviation Committee proceeded to the forensic examination of the A-320
flight recorders that were withdrawn from the Black Sea bed,’ says the
statement of the Russian Office of Prosecutor General.

According to the statement, the examination of the jet pieces and
genetic investigation of the unidentified bodies is going on. `The
avia-technical and complex examinations are being carried out. Upon
completion of all the examinations the causes of the crash will be
known. Presently the officers are keeping in touch with the Armenian
counterparts,’ the statement says, reported RIA Novosti.

To remind, on the night of May 3 a Yerevan-Sochi flight of Armavia
national carrier crashed in the Black Sea 6 km away from Adler airport
killing all of 113 people aboard, including 6 children and 8
crewmembers. Among them were 26 Russian citizens, one Ukrainian and
one Georgian citizen, while the rest of the passengers were Armenian
citizens.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PanARMENIAN.Net

Unrecognized Republics Have Right to
Self-Determination, Russian MFA Says

02.06.2006 18:08 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russian press described the RF MFA’s statement as a
`diplomatic sensation’ and `recognition of separatist regimes.’
Russian Foreign Ministry’s Spokesman Mikhail Kamynin announced that
the unrecognized republics in the post soviet space have the right to
self-determination. `We treat the principle of territorial integrity
with respect. But as regards Georgia, this integrity is rather a
possible condition than political and legal reality. The initial
South Ossetian position bases on another principle recognized by the
international community – the right to self-determination,’ he stated.

Kommesant daily thinks that with this statement Moscow reacted to the
West’s demands to withdraw Russian troops from Moldavia and
Georgia. This means that the concept of Moscow’s foreign policy
towards the post soviet space has radically changed. In order to
maintains its influence in the pro-western segments of the CIS Russia
is ready to recognize the separatist regimes in Transdnistria,
Abkhazia and South Ossetia,’ the newspaper writes.

`Separatists of all kinds have the right to independence,’ the
Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes. It compared the situation in the
Transcaucasus with the situation in Balkans and recollects the recent
referendum in Montenegro and Kosovo’s aspirations for independence.
Kamynin’s statement gained a due impression. The unrecognized
republics hurried to welcome it. Georgia is preparing a tough answer
and says Russia is likely to provoke `a parade of sovereignties’ on
its own territory. No doubt, the position of the Russian Foreign
Ministry will be rated as equivocal by the United States and Europe,’
Nezavisimaya Gazeta says foretelling tension of relations with Georgia
and reproaches from Washington addressed to Moscow over the
`incorrect’ policy pursued in the post soviet space.

`Kamynin’s statement is the first case when Russia questioned
Georgia’s territorial integrity,’ head of the Russian Institute of
National Studies Alexander Skakov said. This statement most likely
shows that Russia considers the potential of further talks with
Georgia exhausted, the expert supposes. In the opinion of observers,
the diplomats attempted to `provoke Georgia’, but one should not
expect direct collision between Moscow and Tbilisi – this is not in
interests of both states, reported the BBC Russian office.

A1+

PRYAKHIN IN THE RA GOVERNMENT
[05:10 pm] 02 June, 2006

Today RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan received Ambassador
Vladimir Pryakhin, head of the OSCE Armenian office.

Issues concerning the cooperation with the RA Government were
discussed. Pryakhin gladly mentioned about the efficient cooperation
in several fields including environmental protection, combat against
trafficking, anti-corruption issues, reforms in the RA police and
others.

The sides also referred to realization of several current projects and
the results achieved, as well as the problems which are yet to be
solved with the possible support of the OSCE.

A1+

WATER BECAME MORE EXPENSIVE FOR UNKNOWN REASONS
[05:32 pm] 02 June, 2006

The NGOs `Defense of the Rights of Consumers’ and `Union of
Consumers’ were concerned not by the fact that since July 1 one cubic
meter of drinking water will cost 174 AMD instead of 125 but that this
operation was carried out without keeping the consumers aware of
it. Although the heads of the NGOs rendered a press conference today
to inform the journalists about the reasons, they confessed that they
themselves are not aware of them.

`There exists an agreement between Armenia and the French company but
it has not been made public yet. Last December our Union applied to
the State Committee of water economies to get acquainted with the
agreement and to make offers if possible. But we have not received an
answer yet,’ says Armen Poghosyan, head of the `Union of Consumers’.

Head of the `Defense of the Rights of Consumers’ Abgar Eghoyan
mentions that several provisions of the law have been violated,
violating the rights of the consumers.

`The 20th article of the Water Code defines that the participation of
the society is obligatory in processing the strategy of water
tariffs. The 48th article defines that the society must be aware of
the discussions of the issue. But nothing has been said in that
connection. Everything is over, but they do not make people aware of
it,’ Abgar Eghoyan says.

The organizations have decided to apply to the Ombudsman to appeal the
decision.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A1+

`ARF IS OPPOSITION IN THE AUTHORITIES’
[07:04 pm] 02 June, 2006

`Kocharyan displayed himself worse than we expected,’ said Hayk
Baboukhanyan, member of the Constitutional Right Union who was a guest
of the club «Mirror». In the second round of the 1998 elections he
supported the present authorities but today is against them. «The
present authorities are illegal, they came to power shedding blood and
continue their illegal activity», the member of the Union explains the
change.

After the resignation of the OYP Hayk Baboukhanyan thinks that the
coalition continues to split up and the ARF has adopted the same
strategy as the OYP. According to him, what is surprising is that on
the one hand the ARF resembles the OYP, and on the other it has
adopted an oppositional attitude in the authorities. He predicts that
the ARF and the Republican party will have collisions. He also thinks
it possible that the OYP may join the opposition.

His opponent, former member of the Armenian Pan-National Movement
Karapet Roubinyan recalled the announcement by Robert Kocharyan that
the creation of the coalition is a new step in the political
development of Armenia. «Even if there are new phenomena, I never
noticed the good results they yielded. And the separation was rather
civilized thanks to mutual efforts», he said. He is convinced that
there were not serious disagreements between those who left the
coalition and those who remained. «In order to reach his aim Arthur
Baghdasaryan must resort to harsher measures».

By the way, Karapet Roubinyan is sure that whatever happens in this
country will be connected with the Armenian Pan-National Movement as
according to him they are the creators of both the good and the bad.

Armenpress

NGO RESTORES GERMAN PoW CEMETERY IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, JUNE 2, ARMENPRESS; Greta Mirzoyan,
chairwoman of an NGO called ‘Soldier’s Mother’, said
today members of her organization have restored a
cemetery of German prisoners of war who died here in
the late 1940-s and early 50-s.
She said the cemetery was discovered near
Yeraskhavan village in Ararat province when she and
some others members of the organization were visiting
an Armenian military unity near the border with
Azerbaijani enclave Nakhichevan. She said what
remained from the cemetery were several wooden
crosses. Greta Mirzoyan said the cemetery was
recovered with the assistance of Armenian defense
ministry- bigger crosses were put on every grave and
inscriptions were made, “Here Rest German Prisoners of
War, Victims of WW II.”
Mirzoyan said the German embassy in Armenia
commended their action describing it as ‘reflection of
diplomatic and humanitarian attitude of Armenians
towards the German people.”

Armenpress

CENTER FOR PROMOTION OF SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED
BUSINESSES INAUGURATES NEW CENTRAL OFFICE

YEREVAN, JUNE 2, ARMENPRESS: The Armenian Center
for Promotion of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses has
inaugurated today a newly constructed central office.
Trade and economic development minister Karen
Chshmaritian said the Center has branches in all
Armenian provinces, which had been opened before the
inauguration of the central office.
He said the Center received in 2003-2005 around 820
million in government subsidies which were used to
render assistance to around 12,000 beginners and
seasoned businessmen. The bulk of them was outside the
capital city Yerevan.
The center has also offered 280 million drams in
loan guarantees since 2005 creating about 550 million
drams worth credit package. This figure is expected to
rise to 850 million by the end of the year. Now the
share of small and medium-sized business in the
overall GDP constitutes 40 percent. Their share in
exports also rose from 14.3 percent in 2003 to 16.4
percent in 2005.
Small and Medium-Sized companies have created also
75,000 jobs. UNDP and the OSCE Armenian offices helped
to establish the Center.

Panorama.am

RUSSIA DANGEROUS FOR LIFE OF OTHER NATIONALS
06.02.2006

Hayeli Club discussed today violations against and
murder of Armenians recently taking place in Russia.
All-Armenian National Movement member Karapet Rubinyan
expressed an opinion that Russians have negative
attitudes to people from Caucasus because they are the
heirs of their empire. `People of other nationalities
were disrespected in that empire,’ he added. The
member of Constitutional Right Union Haik Babukhanyan
demanded to urge the Armenian authorities to protect
the Armenian nationals. Rubinyan thinks that Armenian
nationals have just to leave Russia and return to
their mother. Babukhanyan, on his turn, said he is
shameful of the behavior of Armenians in Russian.
However, most often attacks are made on normal people.

CRU member thinks that `Russia is still on its way to
establishment, and until it establishes itself
marginal groups will come about with aggressive
intents to other nationals.’ /Panorama.am/

Panorama.am

’14:43 02/06/06

HUMAN RIGHTS OMBUDSMAN TO DEAL WITH WATER

Two days ago a public regulatory committee issued a
decision according to which AMD 172.8 is set per one
cubic meter for water. Consumer rights protection
organizations protest the decision saying that it is
against the rights of consumers and contradict several
international treaties and local laws. According to
Abgar Yeghoyan, Consumer Rights Protection Chairman
and Armen Poghosyan, Head of Consumer Association say
that Water Code and Orhus treaty, Poverty Alienation
Strategic Program and a number of other legal acts are
violated, in particular.

Water supply is mainly regulated by two legal acts –
Water Code and Law on Regulatory Body. According to
the latter, water tariffs are set by the public
regulatory committee whereas this price was set by the
French operator who has received the right for water
use. Neither the experts nor public organizations were
consulted on the optimal rate of water fee. However,
Water State Committee Chairman is sure that Jeneral
Dez O, the French operator, is a leading company in
the world and will meet the obligations put in front
it.

Public organizations have variously tried to receive
the copy of the contract between water state committee
and Jeneral Dez O, however, they failed to get it.
Today, they intend to apply to human rights ombudsman
with a claim against committee’s decision. The
non-profits say they do no apply to court as a first
step because they cannot afford high fees. They
connect their hopes only with round table discussions
and press conferences.

It’s interesting why the non-profits started to
protest out loud the decision only after it was
reached. The committee held a session a month ago
during which the proposed tariff was not approved.
Non-profits only sent a letter to R. Nazaryan and held
one round table well aware that they won’t give any
tangible results./Panorama.am/

Panorama.am

14:58 02/06/06

NATURE PROTECTION MINISTER WELCOMES INITIATIVE ON SEVAN TROUT

Recently a mass media outlet announced that Nig Aparan Union, chaired
by Armenian chief prosecutor Aghvan Hovsepyan, has come up with an
initiative to recover Sevan trout in the lake. Nature Protection
Minister Vardan AIVAZYAN welcomed the initiative. Aivazyan also said
that the chief prosecutor has suggested the ministry of nature
protection to cooperate in the initiative. This is the second similar
imitative launched by Nig Aparan this year. Is it possible that this a
remark addressed to nature protection minister by the
union?/Panorama.am/