Month: March 2007

ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK FORECASTS DECREASE OF ARMENIA’S ECONOMY GROWTH RATES IN 2007-2008

Arminfo
2007-03-30 13:01:00

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) forecasts a decrease of Armenia’s
GDP growth rates in 2007 to 10% and in 2008 – to 9% against 13,4%
in 2006, the Report for 2006 on the countries of Central Asia ,
placed on ADB’s site on March 27, says.

The Report notes that deceleration of the economy growth rates in
Armenia will be observed in construction , the area of services and
retail trade, that will serve a reason for GDP growth rates reduction
in whole. The Bank recommends to increase the volume of investments
in industry and agriculture to increase a labor productivity in
these sectors. The Report notes that a trade deficit these years
will grow, since the import rates leave behind the export growth
rates. Further reduction of diamond production volumes in the Republic
is forecasted. Along with it, increase of production volumes in the
mining and metallurgical areas of the country is expected due to
attraction of additional investments.

To note, the Asian Development Bank announced about granting a credit
to Armenia at the rate of $66 mln for restoration of the regional
highways and the water supply system outside Yerevan. Armenia has
become a member of the Asian Development Bank in September, 2005. Its
share holding in the Bank’s authorized capital makes up 10,557 shares
or 0,301%, and the voting authority – 24,266 shares or 0.55%.

AZERI MINISTER OUTLINES NATIONAL SECURITY PRIORITIES

Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
28 Mar 07

[Presenter] The National Security Ministry today marked its 88th
anniversary. In this connection, the ministry’s leadership and staff
visited national leader Heydar Aliyev’s grave in the Alley of Honour
and the Martyrs’ Avenue.

[Passage omitted: more on the visit]

Minister Eldar Mahmudov spoke about national security priorities.

[Correspondent over video of Mahmudov addressing a sitting of ministry
officials] There is no obstacle to Azerbaijan in meeting its strategic
objectives.

If there are such obstacles, they are eliminated. The country’s
regional policy potential is being developed. This means that ensuring
the country’s security also helps preserve Azerbaijan’s status as
regional leader.

[Passage omitted: minor details]

[Mahmudov] Armenia is still posing a threat to our country’s security.

Armenian special services have not dismissed their intentions
of creating new separatist hotbeds in Azerbaijan. The Armenian
community of Georgia does not conceal its openly aggressive
attitude towards oil and gas pipelines [Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
oil pipeline and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline] and a
[Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku] railway of regional importance. On
the other hand, hotbeds of tension in the Caucasus in general affect
the security situation in our country.

[Correspondent] Increasing tension over Iran’s nuclear programme,
the deterioration of the situation in conflict areas in Middle East,
as well as the obvious transformation of conflicts into clashes
between religions, requires special sensitivity. The National Security
Ministry’s work is aimed at thoroughly studying the mentioned factors
and identifying appropriate measures in view of the situation in
the region.

[Mahmudov] Discovering and preventing plans and intentions of enemies
and economic rivals, as well as intelligence, sabotage and terrorist
work have been identified as a priority.

[Correspondent] Despite problems with logistics and lack of
staff encountered in the sphere of intelligence in previous years,
significant progress has been achieved in the work of the service. The
counterintelligence service has improved its work in discovering,
preventing and uncovering of intelligence, sabotage and terrorist
work of foreign special services. The minister recalls –

[Mahmudov] As an example, I can cite investigations and trials of
uncovered agents of foreign intelligence services in Azerbaijan
recently. At the same time, the attempts of foreign special services
and international terrorist organizations to commit sabotage in
Azerbaijan using different covers, including religion, should always
be focus of attention.

[Passage omitted: general remarks by the correspondent]

KARABAKH DENIES AZERI CEASE-FIRE VIOLATION REPORTS

Arminfo
29 Mar 07

Yerevan, 29 March: The defence ministry of Nagornyy Karabakh has
denied an Azerbaijani media report about a cease-fire violation in
Agdam District.

The press secretary of the defence ministry, Lt-Col Senor Asratyan,
said that the report is wide of the mark. He described the report as
another piece of misinformation from the Azerbaijani media. "Karabakh
abides by the cease-fire agreement," Asratyan said.

Asked to comment on reports about military hardware concentrated
in Agdam, he said that these reports were not based on facts. The
defence army of Karabakh is busy doing its routine job to improve
its fighting efficiency and any movement of hardware is for training
purposes, Asratyan said.

AZERBAIJAN SHOWS OFF ITS MIG-29 FIGHTER JETS

ANS TV, Baku
29 Mar 07

For the first time in the history of its armed forces, Azerbaijan
held a presentation today to show purchased military hardware. The
country has purchased fourth-generation MiG-29 fighters to defend
its air space and ensure air superiority.

These fighter planes have unequalled manoeuvring capacity and weapons
arsenal. They are superior to MiG-23 and early-generation MiG-29 jets
possessed by Armenia as well as NATO’s F-16 and Tornado aircraft.

[Video showed a still picture of fighter planes]

[Azad Azarbaycan TV, 0900 gmt 29 Mar 07, reported that the fighter
jets had been produced in Ukraine]

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RA PRESIDENT ATTACHES IMPORTANCE TO PRESENCE OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN REGIONS

Noyan Tapan
Mar 30 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 30, NOYAN TAPAN. The process of complex changes
of educational and scientific sphere was discussed at the March 30
meeting of RA President Robert Kocharian and RA Minister of Education
and Science Levon Mkrtchian.

In particular, they spoke about reforms in comprehensive schools
and higher educational institutions, about introduction of a united
examination system, formation of conception of scientific sphere.

According to the report provided to Noyan Tapan from RA President’s
Press Office, they also discussed issues of pre-school and vocational
education. They attached importance to ensuring presence of several
vocational educational institutions in the regions, which will prepare
cadres on specialities corresponding to the labor market demands.

ON APRIL 2 FIRST INSTANCE COURT OF ARMAVIR MARZ TO EXAMINE LAWSUIT OF FORMER CANDIDATE FOR ARMAVIR MAYOR’S POST AGAINST DISTRICT ELECTORAL COMMISSION

Noyan Tapan
Mar 30 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 30, NOYAN TAPAN. The court of first instance of Armavir
marz will examine on March 2 the lawsuit of Arayik Aghababian, former
candidate for the post of mayor of the city of Armavir, head of the
Armavir structure of the "Prosperous Armenia" party, against district
electoral commission (DEC) No 21. The plaintiff told NT correspondent
that he disputes the commission’s protocol on results of the March 25
elections, and the March 26 decision on election of Ruben Khlghatian
Armavir mayor based on the data of this protocol.

As regards public claims about riggings in electoral rolls,
A. Aghababian said that these cliams make part of his complaint.

To recap, according to the summary protocol of DEC No 21, 8,322
voters voted for Ruben Khlghatian, current mayor, deputy head of
the Armavir regional structure of the Republican Party of Armenia,
and 6,844 voters – for A. Aghababian. 15,791 out of the total number
of Armavir voters of 25,884 participated in the voting.

It is noteworthy that the DEC did not receive any application-complaint
in the specified period, although A. Aghababian stated his intention
to dispute the DEC’s decision in public.

PETITION TO EXTEND ARREST OF ZHIRAYR SEFILIAN BY TWO MONTHS TO BE FILED TO COURT

Noyan Tapan
Mar 30 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 30, NOYAN TAPAN. The Investigative Department of the RA
National Security Service (NSS) made a decision to file a petition on
extending the term of arrest of Zhirayr Sefilian, coordinator of the
"Protection of Liberated Territories" NGO (the term expires on April
10) for two months. Ara Zakarian, lawyer of Z. Sefilian, told this
to NT correspondent.

According to the NSS Investigative Department, extension of the arrest
term is necessary for taking a number of investigative actions.

To recap, Z. Sefilian is charged by Articles 301 and 235 of the RA
Criminal Code – "Public Calls for Usurpation of State Power" and
"Illegal Keeping of Arms".

OPPOSITION NEEDS FIRST OF ALL POLITICAL WILL FOR JOINT STRUGGLE AGAINST ELECTORAL RIGGINGS, REPRESENTATIVE OF "HERITAGE" PARTY SAYS

Noyan Tapan
Mar 30 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 30, NOYAN TAPAN. For the first time in the last
1.5 years, leader of the "Zharangutyun" ("Heritage") Party Raffi
Hovannisian received an opportunity to speak on television. During
a talk with reporters on March 30, spokesman for the party Hovsep
Khurshudian expressed a hope that these are "the first swallows"
to open the opportunity for the party to speak on TV. He said that
during the electoral campaign, "Heritage" will use paid TV time (in
addition to free TV time) within the limits of expenses envisaged
for propaganda.

It was noted that immediately after the start of the propaganda
campaign, "Heritage" will pay visits to various regions of Armenia. It
is not ruled out that joint visits with other opposition parties will
be organized in order to make meetings with voters most efficient.

According to H. Khurshudian, although it is for the first time that
"Heritage" is participating in parliamentary elections, it already
has experience of cooperation with other opposition forces in terms
of observation of both parliamentary and presidential elections, as
well as fight against electoral riggings. In his opinion, political
will rather than creation of special structures and mechanisms is
important for such cooperation. "If there is a desire to cooperate,
no formal institutions are needed, while in case of necessity they
will be formed easily," he noted.

ARMENIAN DEFENCE MINISTER SENDS LETTERS OF THANKS TO US DEFENCE SECRETARY AND RUSSIA’S SECURITY COUNCIL SECRETARY

Noyan Tapan
Mar 30 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 30, NOYAN TAPAN. In connection with approval of the
RA National Security Strategy by the Armenian president, Secretary
of the National Security Council under the Armenian president,
the RA Defence Minister Serge Sargsian sent letters of thanks to
the US Defence Secretary Robert Gates and the RF Security Council’s
Secretary Igor Ivanov for the methodological assistance provided
by the US National Defence University and the Russian Academy of
State Service under the Russian president in the interdepartmental
development of the RA National Security Strategy. Noyan Tapan was
informed about it from the RA Defence Ministry.

CHAIRMAN OF RA CCI: PRODUCTION OF ARMENIAN COMPANIES OF CONSTRUCTION SECTOR IS ALREADY COMPETITIVE IN FOREIGN MARKET

Noyan Tapan
Mar 30 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 30, NOYAN TAPAN. Today there are many local companies of
the construction sector, whose production and services are already
competitive in the foreign market. Chairman of the RA Chamber
of Commerce and Industry (CCI) Gagik Vardanian stated this at the
opening ceremony of the 6th national exhibition "Our Home 2007" on
March 30. In his words, wide use of high technologies and equipment in
the sectors of house construction and industrial construction allow
Armenian businessmen to present to the consumer their production in
line with intermational standards.

G. Vardanian expressed a hope that the exhibition will enable over
60 local and foreign companies – exhibition participants to exchange
their experience, while Armenian companies will be provided with an
opportunity to enter foreign market.

To recap, the exhibition "Our Home 2007" is held on the initiative
of Expomedia center and with the assistance of the RA government,
the RA Ministry of Urban Development, the RA Ministry of Trade and
Economic Development, Yerevan Mayor’s Office and the RA Chamber of
Commerce and Industry.

The exhibition will last until April 1.