Month: December 2008

NALBANDIAN: AZERBAIJAN MISINTERPRETS ALL PROVISIONS OF MOSCOW DECLARATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.12.2008 14:54 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian informed
the OSCE Ministerial Council on the latest developments of the Nagorno
Karabakh peace process for which OSCE has an important mediation role
through the dedicated effort of the three Minsk Group Co-Chairs.

"The negotiations on Nagorno Karabakh settlement received a new
impetus at the Moscow meeting initiated by President of the Russian
Federation in his capacity as a Head of Co-Chair state and the
signing by Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia of the Moscow
Declaration. The Co-Chairs supported and approved the Declaration,
and we believed that it would intensify the peace process," Minister
Nalbandian said in his address.

"However, Azerbaijan misinterprets all the provisions of the
Declaration going as far as stating, in particular, that the peaceful
settlement does not exclude use of force. I wonder if there is
any other state here, around this table, which could have such
interpretation of the very clear notion of the ‘peaceful political
settlement.’

"The other vivid example of the misinterpretation of the declaration
and the whole process of negotiations, was the provocative non-paper
distorting the whole sense of the peace talks circulated yesterday
by Azerbaijani delegation, which I don’t even want to comment.

"Despite this, we would want to hope that we will be able to maintain
the spirit and the positive momentum of the Moscow declaration and
will advance towards the resolution of the conflict. This was also
the vision of the declaration made yesterday by the three Co-Chair
countries in framework of our Ministerial meeting," the Minister said.

Foreign Ministers of France, Russia, and the United States – the
Co-Chair countries of the OSCE Minsk Group – issued a joint declaration
of the on Nagorno Karabakh conflict, which says:

"We, the Foreign Ministers of the OSCE Minsk Group’s Co-Chair countries
– France, Russia, and the United States – call on the parties to the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict to build on the positive momentum established
during the meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in
Moscow on November 2, 2008. The Moscow Declaration signed that same
day opened a new and promising phase in our shared endeavor to expand
peace in the South Caucasus. In that declaration, the Presidents
reaffirm their commitment to advancing a peaceful settlement of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict in the framework of the Basic Principles
developed by the Minsk Group Co-Chairs in collaboration with the
leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan on the basis of their proposals
advanced last year in Madrid.

We call on the parties to work with the Co-Chairs to finalize the Basic
Principles in coming months, and then begin drafting a comprehensive
peace settlement as outlined by those agreed principles. In keeping
with the Moscow Declaration, we call on the parties to work with
the Co-Chairs to develop confidence-building measures, beginning
with pulling back snipers from the Line of Contact to save lives of
innocent civilians and soldiers as our mediators already proposed to
the sides at the highest level during the last visit mid November. It
is urgent for the parties to work with each other, the Co-Chairs,
and the Personal Representative of the Chairman in Office to stabilize
the ceasefire through this and other measures. We reiterate our firm
view that there is no military solution to the conflict and call on
the parties to recommit to a peaceful resolution."

MATTHEW BRYZA: FIRST POINT OF PEACE AGREEMENT SHOULD BE ON TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF AZERBAIJAN

Noyan Tapan

Dec 4, 2008

HELSINKI, DECEMBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN. Commenting on the December 3
negotiations between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan
in Helsinki, the U.S. Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Matthew Bryza
said that he noticed progress in negotiations, although there are
still differences between the sides. In his words, the only way of
overcoming these differences is to continue negotiations.

According to Mediamax news agency, Matthew Bryza stated that the first
point of the peace agreement should be on territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan. He added that however, the agreement cannot be established
unless it has points on some degree of self-determination of Nagorno
Karabakh and nonuse of force, and all these principles should be
included in the agreement.

VIC DARCHINIAN AWARDED "ANDRANIK OZANIAN" MEDAL OF THE RA MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

Noyan Tapan

Dec 4, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian minister of defence
Seyran Ohanian on December 4 received the current boxing champion
of the world Vic (Vakhtang) Darchinian. The minister attached great
importance to V. Darchinian’s contribution to development of Armenian
boxing, saying that thanks to him the Armenian tricolor was raised
at many championships, and the younger generation should be brought
up by seeing such examples.

At the end of the meeting S. Ohanian presented V. Darchinian with
a symbolic sword. Then the minister handed the boxer an "Andranik
Ozanian" medal of the RA ministry of defence for winning the title
of the absolute champion of the world, upholding the sport honor
of Armenia at international competitions, and contributing to the
development of boxing in Armenia.

IT IS ENVISAGED RAISING EXCISE TAX RATES FOR SOME COMMODITIES

Noyan Tapan

Dec 4, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN. The National Assembly on December
4 passed in first reading the bill on making amendments to the Law
on Excise Tax. The bill was prepared by a group of NA deputies and
envisages raising the excise tax rates for some imported commodities,
including spirits, wines, and beer.

Particularly, the rate of 70 drams for a liter of domestically produced
beer will be retained, while that of a liter of imported beer will
be raised to 200 drams. The rate of 500 drams for vermouth and other
wines which are made of grapes and contain plant and aromatic extracts
will be retained, but the rate of excise tax for imported ones will
make 1,500 drams. The bill’s authors said that its adoption will
make domestic products more competitive, contribute to a growth of
their production, reduce the negative impact of the Armenian dram’s
appreciation on competitiveness of domestic goods and ensure additional
state budgetary revenues.

HOVIK ABRAHAMIAN: NO ONE HAS RIGHT TO SLIP HIS HAND IN STATE BUDGET’S POCKET. PARLIAMENT APPROVES 2009 PROGRAM OF ACTIVITIES OF CONTROL CHAMBER

Noyan Tapan

Dec 4, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian parliament on December
4 approved the 2009 annual program of activities of the Control
Chamber. The chairman of the Control Chamber Ishkhan Zakarain said
that the program includes manadory control of the government reports
on execution of the 2008 state budget and of the 2008 program of
state property privatization, as well as the conclusions on the
2008 annual report of the Central Bank of Armenia. Besides, the use
of state budgetary allocations and transfer of budgetary revenues by
several state bodies are subject to control. Among these bodies are the
Constitutional Court, the judicial department, the prosecutor’s office,
about 20 ministries and departments, and the regional administrations
of Armavir, Lori and Shirak marzes. The program envisages for the
first time the examination of purchases for state needs by the State
Procurement Agency. The 2009 program includes a number of themes which
were either not studied or studied partly in 2008, as well as themes
which were considered risky.

In 2009 the Control Chamber will control the use of credit resources
by 5 credit programs implemented with the support of foreign
states and international financial organizations. Besides, the
ministries of healthcare, nature protection, agriculture, transport
and communication, and urban development were selected and will be
supervised from the viewpoint of using state budgetary allocations
for a number of programs. The use of financial resources, including
off-budget ones (in particular, resources of "Yerevan" Fund) by
Yerevan municipality will be examined as well.

The National Assembly speaker Hovik Abrahamian said that the indicated
measures will contribute to transparency of the Control Chamber’s
work. He said it is unacceptable when several bodies conduct checks
at the same organization. In his words, budgetary resources should
be controlled and "no one has the right to slip his hand in the state
budget’s pocket".

DISCUSSION OF AMENDMENTS TO LAW ON REFERENDUM POSTPONED UNTIL NA SESSION TO BE CONVENED BY LATE 2008

Noyan Tapan

Dec 4, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian parliament on December 4
finished the work of the autumn sessions, not completing the discussion
of the bill on provision of tax privileges to land tax payers from
land plots of agricultural importance. A number of urgent issues on
the agenda, including the bill on making amendments and additions to
the Law on Referendum in second reading, were not discussed because
of lack of time.

According to National Assembly deputies, these issues will be discussed
at a special session to be convened by late 2008.

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT UNDERTAKES MEASURES TO OVERCOME CONSEQUENCES OF FINANCIAL-ECONOMIC CRISIS

Noyan Tapan

Dec 4, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN. Within the frame of work to overcome
the negative consequences of the global financial-economic crisis,
instructions were given to all the ministries, departments and regional
administrations, as well as a request-proposal was submitted to the
National Academy of Sciences so that the indicated structures will
present proposals on business development, and indentify the current
economic potential and programs which can be implemented with the
government’s assistance. The RA prime minister Tigran Sargsyan stated
this at the December 4 sitting of the government. A commission was
set up to coordinate this work. The commission is headed by the
prime minister.

According to T. Sargsyan, all the departments and ministries were
instructed to summarize the proposals received from the private
sector. The proposals will have two directions: one is that enterprises
should have skilful and well-trained management that will present
definite programs with the desription of all existing difficulties
and the proposals on how the state can help these enterprises overcome
the difficulties. The second direction is that if an enterprise lacks
the respective level of management, the state should help it develop
and implement business programs. In this connection, as the prime
minister said, the participation of the state in such enterprises
is no ruled out, thanks to which the state will get some levers for
efficient implementation of the indicated programs.

"That is, all the instruments we propose are very flexible and
multiform. We expect the private sector to also make efforts for
getting prepared to overcome all the negative consequences, while
the state has enough opportunities and resources to help them,"
T. Sargsyan said.

CSTO FOREIGN MINISTERS MEET IN HELSINKI

armradio.am
05.12.2008 10:17

In the morning of December 4th Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian,
the President of the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers, initiated
a meeting of the heads of foreign agencies of the member states of
the Collective Security Treaty Organization, featuring the Foreign
Ministers of Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and
Uzbekistan. Opening the meeting, Minister Nalbandian noted that the
meetings of CSTO Foreign Ministers on the sidelines of international
forums provide an opportunity to reinforce the collaboration between
foreign agencies and coordination of activity.

The Ministers discussed the OSCE reformation and issues related to
the security system of Europe, exchanged views on the agenda issues
of the 16th sitting of the OSCE Ministerial Council.

ARMENIA, RUSSIA PMS TO DISCUSS ISSUES OF BILATERAL ECONOMIC COOPERATION

armradio.am
05.12.2008 10:34

The Prime Minister of Armenia, Tigran Sargsyan, is leaving for the
Russian Federation today for a one-day working visit. The Prime
Minister will meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The
discussions will mainly focus on the world financial crisis and the
joint efforts that should be made to resist the possible negative
influence of the financial crisis on the economies of the two
countries.

Two Prime Ministers are expected to discuss the steps that will allow
solving the problem with joint effort. The heads of executive bodies
of the two countries will discuss all issues of mutual interest.

At the Armenian Embassy in Russia the Prime Minister will meet
Armenian businessmen.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA-RUSSIA INTERPARLIAMENTARY COOPERATION COMMISSION TO MEET IN YEREVAN

armradio.am
05.12.2008 11:02

The 15th sitting of the Armenia-Russia Interparliamentary Cooperation
Commission will kick off at the National Assembly of Armenia on
December 5.

The agenda includes the issue of participation of the members of
parliament of the two countries in the arrangements dedicated to the
20th anniversary of the Spitak earthquake. Opening speeches will be
delivered by the President of Parliament of the Republic of Armenia,
Hovik Abrahamyan, Co-Chair of the Armenia-Russia Interparliamentary
Cooperation Commission Nikolay Rizhkov and Vice-President of the
Russian State Duma Lyubov Sliska.

The same day members of the Russian delegation are expected to meet
with the second President of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, and have a
meeting at the Russian Embassy in Armenia.

On December 6 members of the delegation will be received by the
President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, and the Catholicos of All
Armenians, His Holiness Garegin II.

On December 7 members of the Commission will leave for Gyumri
to participate in the commemoration events dedicated to the 20th
anniversary of the earthquake of 1988.

The delegation will return to Moscow on December 8.