Month: November 2006

KARAPETYAN FOLLOWS THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS?
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[02:39 pm] 03 November, 2006
KARAPETYAN WANTS TO BECOME PRESIDENT
The People’s Party headed by Tigran Karapetyan will have its own
candidate during the 2008 Presidential elections. As for the 2007
Parliamentary elections, the party will not cooperate with any other
political power, Tigran Karapetyan told a news conference today.
“I want to be nominated proceeding from my ideas and not for the chair
itself. I have that right as I have been living in Armenia since 1994”,
he said.
As for alliances, their 12 000-member party does not have associates
which are democratic. “Alliances exist for the sake of money or for
the sake of power. For example, the Republican party joined as it
had power, Arshak Sadoyan and Shavarsh Kocharyan are the favorites
of people, and Stepan Demirchyan tried to follow the principle of
‘Like father, like son’. But it is obvious that the proverb is not
always valid”, he said.
Tigran Karapetyan announced today that the greatest politician was
Jesus Christ. He first cured and fed people and only then started
preaching. He said that he follows the Example of Christ, “If the
people are to be concerned about their daily bread, how can they
think about other things? “

WHAT ABOUT DAVID HAROUTYUNYAN?
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[03:13 pm] 03 November, 2006
Under the decision of the RA Government, RA Minister of Transport
and Communication Andranik Manoukyan has the control of the 10%
of the shares of “ArmenTel” since yesterday.
How does NA deputy Arshak Sadoyan comment on the fact?
“If the Government has made that decision, who has had the control over
the 10% of the shares by now if not the Ministry of Transport? Should
they have given the control to the Minister of Justice? “, the deputy
answered with irony.
According to Arshak Sadoyan, now when the sale of the 90% of the
shares of “ArmenTel” is concerned, the control over the 10% is really
important.

THE REFERENDUM IS FIXED FOR DECEMBER 10
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[03:19 pm] 03 November, 2006
NKR President Arkadi Ghoukasyan has signed a decree about “Fixing
the Constitutional Referendum of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic”
according to which December 10, 2006 is the day of the Referendum.
The Parliament of Artsakh adopted the draft Constitution two days ago.

AYVAZYAN MET THE KING
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[07:17 pm] 03 November, 2006
RA Ambassador to Sweden Ara Ayvazyan met King of Sweden Karl XVI
Gustav in order to hand the King his credentials.
During the private conversation after the ceremony the sides referred
to the historic links between Armenia and Sweden and the process of
developing the relations between the countries.
At the request of the King of Sweden Ambassador Ayvazyan briefed him on
the political and economic situation in Armenia. The sides exchanged
thoughts about the perspectives of cooperation of Scandinavian and
South Caucasian countries.

AZG Armenian Daily #211, 04/11/2006
Anniversary
130TH ANNIVERSARY OF HRACHYA ATCHARIAN MARKED IN ALEPPO
Armenian cultural associations of Aleppo celebrated the 130th
anniversary of Hrachya Atcharian a few days ago. Among participants
who held speeches were Bishop Shahan Sargsian, head of the Armenian
diocese in Beria, Archbishop Petros Miriatian, head of the Armenian
Catholic community, Harutyun Selimian, head of the Armenian Evangelical
community, Levon Sharoyan and others. They presented the great
linguist’s contribution at large and recalled his human qualities.
By Gohar Gevorgian

BUDGET PLANS 40% HIGHER SALARY FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYEES
Panorama.am
14:38 03/11/06
The amount of salary of top public officials will depend on the amount
of minimum salary, Pavel Safaryan, deputy minister of finance and
economy, told a parliament hearing on state budget. In his words, if
the minimum salary does not go up, the salary of top officials will
not increase, either. The state budget envisages 40% higher salary
for top officials. The average base salary of public employees will
go up to 104.5 thousand drams instead of present 87 thousand.
Safaryan said expenditures for keeping state administration will
increase by 5.2 billion drams, 67% of which are salaries and pension
funds. Rise of expenditures is determined by institutional changes.
Some 174 more people will be employed in the public sector in 2007.
Speaking about state subsidies to communities, deputy minister said
3.3 bln more drams will be released. /Panorama.am/

Georgia, Gazprom Discuss Gas Price Hike
By MISHA DZHINDZHIKASHVILI
Nov. 3, 2006, 12:53PM
Associated Press Writer
© 2006 The Associated Press
TBILISI, Georgia — Georgia said Friday it was trying to persuade
Russian state gas monopoly Gazprom to reconsider its decision to
more than double the price for gas supplies, but would also seek to
diversify its energy imports.
Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli told a Cabinet meeting that
the price hike was obviously political because other former Soviet
nations were paying far less. A day earlier, Georgia’s foreign
minister said the new rate was “the price we pay for our choice”
of a pro-Western path.
OAO Gazprom said Thursday it plans to charge Tbilisi $230 per
1,000 cubic meters of gas, compared with the $110 that it pays now,
increasing economic pressure against Moscow’s small southern neighbor.
Nogaideli pointed out that Ukraine got a price of $130 for next year
and Armenia $110, and some European Union nations paid less than
$230, an apparent reference to the three Baltic states. He said that
Georgian officials were talking to Gazprom hoping to reduce the price
it requested.
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili criticized the planned increase
but played down its potential effects. “I don’t expect any catastrophe,
but certainly it’s a bad precedent for everybody. Energy cannot
and should not become a political tool,” he said during a terrorism
conference in Monaco.
Energy Minister Nika Gilauri said that talks were taking place with
Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey to secure alternative supplies of gas.
Analysts in Georgia warned of a repeat of the gas war between Russia
and Ukraine at the start of this year when Gazprom cut off supplies.
That stoppage, amid fierce negotiations over a higher price demanded by
Gazprom, was seen as punishment for Ukraine’s pro-Western policies. It
also briefly interrupted deliveries to Europe, sending lasting shock
waves through the European Union nations already wary of overdependence
on Russian energy supplies.
Ukraine, which finally agreed to pay almost double at $95 per 1,000
cubic meters, has since managed to limit the increase for 2007 to $130
after Russian-leaning Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych took over as
head of government in the wake of his party’s success in March polls.
Neighboring Belarus faces a fourfold rise in gas prices, although
Gazprom is believed to be willing to compromise if the country hands
over 50 percent of the state pipeline through which Russian gas
transits to western Europe.
“Russia is increasingly using the energy weapon for political reasons,”
said Georgian political analyst Ramaz Sakvarelidze. “There is only
one aim, to punish Georgia for its policy of integration with NATO
and European structures.”
–Boundary_(ID_YhNcMp+Z2hzWIOr3 875VTQ)–

Early pullout of garrison from Tbilisi to begin in 2nd half of Nov
02.11.2006, 17.50
TBILISI, November 2 (Itar-Tass) – Early pullout of the Russian
garrison from Tbilisi will begin in the second half of November, the
headquarters of Russian troops in Transcaucasia /GRVZ/ told Itar-Tass
on Thursday.
“A schedule for the withdrawal of the servicemen and equipment of the
Tbilisi garrison has been drawn. This schedule is being coordinated
with Georgian authorities, who will ensure the safety of the pullout of
the equipment and the servicemen, in line with the existing accords,”
a military official said.
“A meeting between representatives of the GRVZ and the Georgian Defense
Ministry will take place within the next few days, who will discuss
the procedures of withdrawing equipment and personnel. A small group
of GRVZ officers will continue service at the Russian military bases
in Batumi and Akhalkalaki, to ensure the process of completing the
pullout of these bases from Georgia,” he added.
Earlier on Thursday, Troops commander of the North Caucasus military
district /SKVO/, General of the Army Alexander Baranov all Russian
servicemen will leave the Tbilisi garrison by the end of this
year. A total of 100 units of equipment and 350 tonnes of property
and ammunition will be withdrawn.
Two freight trains with garrison property will be evacuated to Russia,
and another two – to the Russian military base in Gyumri, Armenia,
through Azerbaijan.
The early withdrawal is being implemented at the instruction of
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov.
Baranov also promised housing to all the servicemen from among the
withdrawing troops who will be transferred to reserve in the near
future.

REFORMS IN SCIENCE EXPECTED
Panoraman.am
16:30 03/11/06
After the government approved timetable of reforms in science,
three working groups were created which separately developed
draft reform projects. Ara Avetisyan, deputy minister of science
and education, told a press conference today that three papers
were drafted to ensure multiple opinion. After discussions, one
single document was developed. Avetisyan said the draft will be
suggested for public hearing in November. In the words of the deputy
minister, special attention was paid to management and financial
mechanisms. /Panorama.am/

PARTICIPATION IS ALREADY SUCCESS
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[06:16 pm] 03 November, 2006
Miss Armenia 2006, 22-year old Marina Vardanyan was included into
the top 12 during the competition “Miss Europe 2006”. Manager of
the national agency “Miss Armenia” Karen Aristakesyan considers this
success taking into account the fact that Armenia was one of the 33
countries which participated in the competition.
Mr. Aristakesyan is displeased with the Armenian Mass Media which
did not share this success. Marina Vardanyan herself told a news
conference today that she would like to be included into the top 5,
but she is not displeased with her present result.
Marina has graduated from the Yerevan State University, faculty
of Russian language and literature and is going to continue her
post-graduate education.
She is also going to engage in fashion. She has not yet had offers
from European fashion houses but she hopes that there will be offers.