Month: October 2006

8 AGENTS AMONG THE RA HIGH OFFICIALS

A1+
[07:09 pm] 09 October, 2006

"We are ready for any step: from a statement to another beating
in answer to their", announced leader of "New Times" party Aram
Karapetyan in connection with the act of violence against former
Minister of Internal Affairs, former mayor of Yerevan, and member of
the Republican party political council Suren Abrahamyan.

Mr. Karapetyan found it difficult to say who organized the beating,
but he said, "The fact is that it took place after Mr. Abrahamyan’s
announcement that the Prime Minister himself is a criminal
element". But still, he added that "I don’t think the Prime Minister
is silly enough to order to beat him after his announcement".

He assessed the incident as encroachment against the anti-criminal
movement. As for why Suren Abrahamyan was chosen for that purpose,
Mr. Karapetyan said, "It could be any representative of the movement".

As for the activity of leader of the Progressive party of Armenia
Tigran Urikhanyan against him, Mr. Karapetyan said, "Serge Sargsyan and
Seyran Shahsuvaryan have made orders to compromise Aram Karapetyan, and
the execution of the order is the task of the RA National Security
Service – Gorik Hakobyan-Yepiskoposyan. We have our own sources
of information".

The leader of the "New Times" party is sure that Tigran Urikhanyan
cooperates with power structures.

"If it isn’t so, tell me how the leader of a party can know what
declarations the leader of another party signed in the airport".

Without revealing his sources of information Aram Karapetyan announced
that they have learned that there are eight agents among RA high
officials, "We offer the RA National Security Service, the Office
of the Public Prosecutor and the Police to make public the names of
all the agents in the RA political field. I have a part of the list,
and if the list is not made public before the elections, I will name
the agents by TV".

MONITORING OF THE BORDER LINE IN CONNECTION WITH THE FIRES

A1+
[08:04 pm] 09 October, 2006

The members of the OSCE Mission have arrived in Nagorno Karabakh
Republic in order to investigate the ecological situation near
the border line in connection with the alleged fires. The OSCE
representatives were received by deputy Foreign Minister of NKR Masis
Mayilyan who found the presence of the representatives of Azerbaijan
in the Mission important.

By the way, the Mission will be in Karabakh for three days. The group
includes experts from the USA, Germany, Macedonia, Switzerland, Italy,
France, Moldova and Estonia. It is noteworthy that on October 5-7 the
Mission has realized monitoring in the territory of Azerbaijan. The
NKR experts have also participated in the monitoring.

"Our aim is to come to a conclusion on the basis of mutual agreement",
said Bernard Show, coordinator of the OSCE economy and environmental
issues. According to him, the experts will give their assessments
about the influence of fires on the environment. At the request of the
members of the Mission Masis Mayilyan briefed them on the situation
connected with the fires. He mentioned that they started early in
June due to unprecedented hot weather.

"We were concerned about the situation as the fires harmed the
economy of the country taking into account the fact that Karabakh is
an agricultural country. We created a committee which investigated the
reason of the fires and realized the works of extinguishing them. The
works were still more difficult as they were carried our under the
fire of Azeri snipers", the deputy Foreign Minister informed.

Mr. Mayilyan also mentioned that Azerbaijan tried to give political
coloring to the issue claiming that the fires were organized on
purpose. "We sent a letter to the OSCE in June demanding to organize
monitoring and to refute the groundless statements of Baku. The
monitoring was held on June 28 after which three more monitorings were
carried out – July 3, 4 and 5. As a result of the monitoring personal
representative of the OSCE, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk made a report.

But Azerbaijan took the issue to the UN which caused our discontent",
Masis Mayilyan said during the meeting.

AUTUMN RECRUITMENT TO START

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[12:15 pm] 10 October, 2006

President Robert Kocharyan released a decree to start the 2006 autumn
recruitment and demobilization.

The autumn recruitment will involve the RA male citizens subject to
compulsory recruitment and alternative service, celebrating their 18
birthday by the day of recruitment.

In October-December, the servicemen who have finished their compulsory
military service will be demobilized.

PARK OF LEON TO BE PLANTED IN YEREVAN

Panorama.am
13:41 09/10/06

A park of Leon will be planted in Yerevan on 4.5 thousand cubic meter
space. Respective agreement was reached with greens department of
Paris municipality during the recent visit of French delegation to
Yerevan, David Gevorgyan, external relations department head, told
a briefing today. In his words, an expert group will arrive soon to
decide the location. The opening of the park is expected in the year
2007.

ECONOMIST SAYS CONSTRUCTION PLAYS MAJOR ROLE IN GDP GROWTH

Panorama.am
14:10 09/10/06

Economist Eduard Aghajanov said today Armenian authorities always
praise two-digit growth of GDP overlooking decline in industry. In
his words, industry plays no role in GDP growth. He called the country
construction-agrarian state. Aghajanov pointed out that construction
plays major role in gross domestic product, making up 21.6%, whereas
the industry is only 15%. Aghajanov said Azerbaijan reported 34.4%
GDP growth with 40% in industry. He said Azerbaijan targets $24.5
billion GDP next year whereas Armenia cannot have more than $8
billion.

PARLIAMENT SPEAKER EXPECTS "GOOD REPORT" OF COUNCIL OF EUROPE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY ON ARMENIA

Panorama.am
17:02 09/10/06

Tigran Torosyan, speaker of parliament, told a press conference today
that Council of European (CoE) Parliamentary Assembly (PA) monitoring
committee may submit a "good report" on constitutional changes and
legislative improvements in Armenia.

Summing up CoE PA fall session, Torosyan said the committee reported
on the visit to Armenia giving positive assessments to the legislative
improvements followed by constitutional changes. The committee made
an exception for Stepan Demirchyan from the opposition allowing him
to participate in the committee session.

Torosyan praised Resolution 1416 which says that Armenia and Azerbaijan
must not increase their military might. Torosyan said the international
community must be persistent in the implementation of this resolution
urging to impose pressures on sides.

"It may be a very important and prospective document," Torosyan
said. The speaker also told reporters that Azerbaijani delegation
opposed the document saying, "Until Karabakh conflict settlement
they see no possibility of such document." However, Torosyan said
Azerbaijan’s speech made no effect.

MOSCOW MAYOR NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN FESTIVITIES TO YEREVAN

Panorama.am
14:13 09/10/06

Delegations from Moscow, Odesa, Minsk, Ajaria, Rostov-na-Donu and
Madagascar are going to pay visit to Yerevan on the occasion of
2788 anniversary of Yerevan, David Gevorgyan, external relations
and information department head at Yerevan municipality, told a
briefing today.

In his words, mayor of Moscow, Yuri Lujkov, is not going to visit
Yerevan this year. The Russian delegation will be headed by the
perfect of Northern region of the Russian capital. Prime Minister
Levan Varshalomidze will spearhead the delegation of Ajaria.

Gevorgyan mentioned that delegations from Marcel, Budapest and
Stavropol are also expected.

Reminder: Festivities dedicated to the 2788 anniversary of Yerevan
will take place on October 13-14. On October 13, an exhibition will be
held at the Museum of Yerevan History. Festivities will be held in all
communities of Yerevan. On the same day, at 14: 30 a photo contest –
festival under the title "Yerevan in my eyes" will be held in the lobby
of municipality. At 19:00 opening ceremony will be ceremonially held
at the Opera House. At 20:30 annual contest-festival will be held at
the Square of Freedom (Yerevan in My Songs).

A concert will be staged and salute shot on October 14 at 19:00
at sports-concert complex after Karen Demirchyan. At 22:00 festive
salutes will be held in all communities of Yerevan.

NA SPEAKER DENIES PRIME MINISTER’S INVOLVEMENT IN BEATING OF REPUBLIC PARTY BOARD MEMBER

Panorama.am
17:11 09/10/06

Tigran Torosyan, speaker of parliament, denied any involvement of Prime
Minister Andranik Margaryan in beating of Suren Abrahamyan, member
of Republic Party board who was also former mayor of Yerevan, former
interior minister and former chairman of Armenian Football Federation.

"I condemn any violence against any person," the speaker said today
also saying it seems strange to him that the prime minister is blamed
in the incident especially prior to investigation. "I think it will
be unveiled that neither HHK nor Andranik Margaryan have any relation
to the incidence." In his opinion, Abrahamyan gave way to provocations.

Torosyan also denied that HHK member, and National Assembly deputy
Hakob Hakobyan is arrested. "If the deputy were arrested, I would
know about it," he said.

"VICTIMS: PLACE, RIGHTS AND ASSISTANCE" ON THE AGENDA OF THE 27TH CONFERENCE OF EUROPEAN MINISTERS OF JUSTICE IN YEREVAN

Panorama.am
18:07 09/10/06

The Ministers of Justice of the Council of Europe"s 46 member States
will meet in Yerevan (Armenia) on 12 and 13 October to find new
ways of promoting and developing support and assistance to victims,
facilitating their access to justice and ensuring that victims of
crime do not also become victims of administrative procedures and
bureaucracy.

The President of Armenia, Robert Kocharian, and the Council of
Europe"s Director General of Legal Affairs, Guy de Vel, will address
the participants when the conference opens on Thursday 12 October at
9 am (the meeting will be open to the press until 10.30 am).

During the conference, the ministers present will sign a number of
Council of Europe treaties.

The increasing rate of criminality as well as the threat and the acts
of terrorism demonstrate the need for member States to promote the
individual"s security and dignity and respond to violence by devising
and implementing social and judicial measures to assist the victims.

The conference will provide an opportunity to review existing standards
and practices in the member countries, as well as any shortcomings
in them or their implementation, and identify needs for additional
instruments.

The Council of Europe adopted a new recommendation on assistance to
crime victims (Rec (2006) 8) in June 2006. The Council of Europe
has long regarded aid for victims as a priority, having adopted a
Convention on the compensation of victims of violent crimes in 1983
and the Convention on the prevention of terrorism and the Convention
on action against trafficking in human beings in 2005.

Council of Europe Press Division

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

LEADER OF NTP CONCERNED ABOUT RUSSIAN-GEORGIAN CONFLICT

Panorama.am
18:11 09/10/06

Aram Karapetyan, chairman of New Times Party (NTP), forecasted "very
bad times" for Armenia if the country cannot find way to protect her
interests in the Russian-Georgian conflict. Karapetyan criticized the
Armenian authorities who, he said, blame everybody except themselves.

Unlike his opposition partners who blame Russia for ignoring Armenia’s
interests, Karapetyan blamed Georgia for strict actions. Karapetyan
unveiled very interesting data saying the mafiozi of Georgian decent in
Moscow will lose $8-10 million per month if the conflict continues. He
said of coarse Sahakashvili cannot recover the damage. Karapetyan
thinks Sahakashvili must think about his citizens living in
Russia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress