Month: November 2006

RA GOVERNMENT PROPOSES CONVENING NA SPECIAL SITTING ON NOVEMBER 9
Noyan Tapan
Nov 01 2006
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, NOYAN TAPAN. Being guided by Article 70, RA
Constitution, at the November 2 sitting, RA government decided to
apply to RA National Assembly Speaker with a proposal to convene a
National Assembly special sitting on 2006 November 9, at 12:00. As
NT was informed from RA government Information and Public Relations
Department, at the sitting, it is planned to discuss and adopt a
number of bills approved by RA government.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NON-FOOD COMMODITY PRICES GROW BY 2% IN ARMENIA IN OCTOBER 2006 ON DECEMBER 2005
Noyan Tapan
Nov 02 2006
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. A 2% inflation was registered in
the Armenian non-food commodity market in October 2006 on December
2005. A 0.4% price fall was registered in October on September 2006,
mainly due to a 5.8% and 0.8% fall in the prices of gasoline and diesel
fuel respectively. According to the RA National Statistical Service,
a 0.1-3.5% growth was registered in the prices of horticultural items,
stationery, detergents, building materials, footwear, kitchen utensils,
cosmetics, domestic electric appliances, fuel and cultural goods in
October on September 2006. In the indicated period, the prices of
textiles and jewelry declined by 0.2-0.6%, while prices of carpets,
furniture and medicines remained unchanged compared with the previous
month.

SERVICE TARIFFS GROW BY 4.5% IN ARMENIA IN OCTOBER 2006 ON DECEMBER 2005
Noyan Tapan
Nov 02 2006
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. Service tariffs grew by 4.5% in
Armenia in October 2006 on December 2005. According to the RA National
Statistical Service, the 0.1% increase in the tariffs of services
provided to the population in October on September 2006 was mainly
conditioned by the growth in tariffs of services in such sectors
as public catering (0.1%), education (0.7%) and consumer services
(1.9%). In the indicated period, tariffs of services in the spheres of
transport and culture declined by 0.5% and 0.4% respectively, while
tariffs of health, housing, municipal, communication, recreational,
legal and banking services remained at the previous month’s level.

CONSTRUCTION GROWS BY 39.6% IN ARMENIA IN JANUARY-SEPTEMBER 2006 ON SAME PERIOD OF LAST YEAR
Noyan Tapan
Nov 02 2006
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. In January-September 2006,
construction work of 393 bln 803 mln drams (over 915.7 mln USD) was
done in Armenia, including construction of production facilities
of a total of 145 bln 478.7 mln drams. In this construction, the
amount of building and assembly work made 355 bln 109.5 mln drams,
including that of production facilities of a total of 110 bln 556.4
mln drams. According to the RA National Statistical Service, the
construction work done in January-September 2006 exceeded by 39.6%
that in January-September 2005, while the building and assembly work
– by 37%. In January-September 2006, 464 new apartment buildings
of the total area of 264 thousand 493 sq.m. were delivered for use
at the expense of humanitarian aid, funds of the population and
organizations, which exceeds by 124.8% the total area delivered for
use in the same months of last year. In the period under review, 4 new
comprehensive schools for 700 pupils were delivered for operation in
Armenia. Particularly, a school for 200 pupils was put into operation
in Artashat region with state budget resources, and 3 schools were
put into operation with a World Bank loan. 31 comprehensive schools
were repaired in Armenia in the indicated period. Particularly, 22
schools were repaired with state budget resources, and 9 ones – with
a WB loan. In January-September 2006, fixed assets of 260 bln 21.9
mln drams were put into operation, including production facilities
of 61 bln 63.6 mln drams.

GROSS AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT OF ARMENIA GROWS BY 15.6% IN SEPTEMBER ON AUGUST 2006
Noyan Tapan
Nov 02 2006
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. In January-September 2006, the
gross agricultural output of Armenian made 370.6 bln drams (about
861.7 mln USD), remaining at the level of the same period of last
year. According to the RA National Statistical Service, the gross
agricultural output grew by 15.6% in September on August 2006. In the
first nine months of 2006, the gross output of livestock farming made
138,427.3 mln drams, exceeding by 6.7% the index of the same period
of 2005, while the gross output of plant cultivation made 232,140.7
mln drams, declining by 3.6% on the same period of last year. There
was a growth in the production volumes of main livestock farming
foodstuffs, except eggs. Meat and poultry production exceeded by
9.7 thousand tons or 15.1% the index of the same months of 2005,
milk production increased by 26.7 thousand tons or 5.1%.

1,994 SMALL AND MIDDLE COMPANIES PRIVATIZED IN ARMENIA AS OF OCTOBER 1 2006
Noyan Tapan
Nov 02 2006
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. At the November 2 sitting, the
Armenian government approved the report on privatization process
in Armenia in the third quarter of 2006, which was presented by the
head of the State Property Management Department adjunct to the RA
government. NT was informed about it from the RA Government Information
and PR Department. According to the report, as of October 1, 2006,
1,994 small and middle companies (10 of them – in 2006), 99 incomplete
construction and 7,298 “small” objects were privatized. 2 out of
the 7 companies offered in the quarter under review were privatized,
3 privatization agreements were signed. Out of 3 objects offered for
privatization through tender, a tender for a company and an incomplete
construction object was held (compared with 4 out of 13 objects in
the 3rd quarter 2005).
Agreements were signed with purchasers of 4 objects privatized by
direct sale (compared with 1 last year). 18 objects were offered
for privatization through auction, including shares of 3 companies:
all actions were held (compared with 4 and 1 last year). No “small”
objects were privatized (5 were privatized in the same period of
2005). According to the report, in the 3rd quarter of 2006, out
of 164 companies in the liquidation process, 3 were liquaidated,
another 3 were declared bankrupt.

ACCORDING TO “HAYOTS ASHKHARH”, RUSSIA MAY CARRY OUT “GAS RE-ARRANGEMENT” WITH IRAN
Noyan Tapan
Nov 02 2006
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. Under conditions of newly strained
relations between Russia and Georgia, Armenia can insure itself
against a gas blockade and at the same time to counterbalance its
transport-related dependence on Georgia by the prospect of increasing
the energy dependence of that country.
This is said in the November 2 issue of the daily “Hayots Ashkharh”
when summarizing the RA President Robert Kocharian’s working visit
to Moscow.
According to the newspaper, given the speedy operation of the
Iran-Armenia gas pipleline and prospect of passing ArmRusgazprom’s
control package of shares (from 45 to 58%) to Gazprom, it is not
difficult to conclude that the Russian side is trying to use the
version “re-arrangement of the functions” of the gas pipelines running
into the South Caucasus. “That is, Armenia will receive gas from Iran,
while in all likelihood Russians will offer Georgia to pay a twice
as high price,” the daily writes. According to “Hayots Ashkharh”,
in the coming months Armenia may “be more frank” in the issue of
suspending the construction of Kars-Akhalkalak railway scheduled
to start in January 2007, i.e. it will get an extra leverage of
pressure on Georgia. Noting that despite the serious signals regularly
received from Russia, Armenia managed to move the Javakhk factor
out of the Russian-Georgian confrontation field, “Hayots Ashkharh”
concludes that now by starting the Kars-Akhalkalak construction, it
is Georgia rather than Armenia will face the temptation to “arouse”
the Javakhk factor and play it against itself.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RUSSIA ACTS AS GO-BETWEEN IN TURKEY’S RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA, ABDULLAH GUL THINKS
By Hakob Chakrian
AZG Armenian Daily
03/11/2006
Within the framework of the regular session of the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation in Moscow on Nov. 1, Turkish foreign minister Abdullah
Gul met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. At the end of the
meeting Gul pointed out to Russian foreign minister’s readiness
to act as a mediator in relations between Turkey and Armenia and
stated that Russia backs Turkey in its wish to settle the Cyprus
issue in the UN. “We think the Greeks’ strategy of transferring the
issue from the UN to the EU is unacceptable. In this respect Russia
backs our position. Meanwhile, president Putin and other responsible
Russian officials display resolution to contribute to development and
activation of trade relations with the ‘Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus’,” Abdullah Gul stated.
Asked by a journalist, Turkish foreign minister said that they also
discussed the Armenian issue, and Lavrov showed interest in Turkey’s
proposal of a joint commission and expressed readiness to help in
setting it up.

PRICES OF GASOLINE AND DIESEL FUEL DECLINE BY 5.8% AND 0.8% RESPECTIVELY IN ARMENIA IN OCTOBER 2006
Noyan Tapan
Nov 02 2006
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. A 5.8% and 0.8% decline in the
prices of gasoline and diesel fuel respectively was registered in
Armenia in October on September 2006. According to the RA National
Statistical Service, the price of gasoline declined by 3.3%, while
that of diesel fuel grew by 0.7% in Armenia in October 2006 on October
2005. The growth in the prices of gasoline and diesel fuel made 9.1%
and 11.7% respectively in October 2006 on 2005.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

‘FRENCH DIPLOMATIC OFFICE TO KURDISTAN’ TO OPEN IN NORTHERN IRAQ IN JANUARY
By Hakob Chakrian
AZG Armenian Daily
03/11/2006
Jalal Talabani, President of Iraq, is going to lave for Paris for two
days’ official visit. It is envisaged that he will meet with French
President Jacques Chirac, French Foreign Minister Fillippe Douste
Blazy and Speaker of the French Parliament within the framework of the
official visit. Dwelling on the visit of Talabani, Hurriyet wrote in
its November 1 issue that after the adoption of the bill criminalizing
denial of the Armenian Genocide, France is going to take the second
step that may cause Turkey concern.
The question is that France is ready to open a diplomatic office of
Kurdistan in Erbil city, Northern Iraq. The French Foreign Ministry
stated in its official web site that “in the beginning of the coming
year, in Erbil (Kurdistan), the opening ceremony of the embassy’s
office will take place.”
We wonder why does Turkey feel insecure? Is it because the “embassy
office” becomes the diplomatic office of France to Kurdistan? In other
words, by opening the above office, France recognizes “Kurdistan”
that has been shaped in the North of Iraq.
Probably, that’s why it wasn’t accidental when Hurriyet turned
to the speaker of the French Foreign Ministry with the request to
explain the situation. In response, the French FM Speaker stated
that “France, just like Turkey, supports the territorial integrity
of Iraq. We have an embassy in Baghdad. Anyway, we are going to open
“the embassy office” in Erbil city, Northern Iraq, that is going to
function under the control of the French Embassy to Iraq.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress