Author: Chakrian Hovsep

The FINANCIAL, Georgia
May 29 2008

Armenia: `few tangible results’ on PACE demands so far, says
Monitoring Committee

29/05/2008 11:15

The FINANCIAL — The Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), meeting in Kyiv on 26 and 27
May 2008, welcomed the initiatives taken by the Armenian authorities
to address the issues contained in Resolution 1609 (2008) on the
functioning of democratic institutions in Armenia.

However, it is concerned that, to date, these initiatives have led to
only a few tangible results regarding compliance with the demands of
the Assembly as set out in this Resolution.

In Resolution 1609 (2008), the Assembly resolved to consider the
possibility of suspending the voting rights of the Armenian delegation
at the start of its June 2008 part-session unless considerable
progress is made on the following requirements:

¢ to revoke, in line with Venice Commission recommendations, the
recently adopted amendments to the Law on Conducting Meetings,
Assemblies, Rallies and Demonstrations;

¢ to start an independent, transparent and credible inquiry into
the events on 1 March 2008, as well as the circumstances that led to
them;

¢ to release the persons detained on seemingly artificial and
politically motivated charges;

¢ to initiate an open and serious dialogue between the political
forces on the reforms demanded by the Assembly.

The committee noted that the required changes to the Law on Conducting
Meetings, Assemblies, Rallies and Demonstrations have been passed at
first reading by the National Assembly of Armenia and expects them to
be adopted and promulgated before the start of the June part-session
of PACE. It welcomes the steps taken to initiate a dialogue on the
reforms requested by the Assembly, most notably with respect to the
electoral system and the status and rights of the opposition. It
expresses the hope that those opposition leaders who to date have been
reluctant to participate in this dialogue will now consider joining.

That said, the committee is seriously concerned about the lack of any
noticeable progress on the opening of an independent and credible
enquiry. The format envisaged of a parliamentary ad hoc committee to
carry out the inquiry into the events on, and leading to, 1 March will
lack the requisite independence and credibility demanded by the
Assembly, unless the participation of extra-parliamentary opposition,
civil society and international experts is guaranteed. The committee
also regrets that no progress has been made regarding the release of
persons detained on seemingly artificial and politically motivated
charges.

The committee is convinced that, although time is limited, it is still
possible for the Armenian authorities to address the requirements of
the Assembly in time for the visit of the co-rapporteurs of the
committee in the week before the June part-session.

Therefore, the committee instructed its Chair to ask on its behalf for
a debate under urgent procedure during the June 2008 part-session of
the Assembly if the co-rapporteurs, following their visit to Armenia
on 16 and 17 June, conclude that insufficient progress has been
achieved by then.

Interfax News Agency, Russia
May 24 2008

ARMENIA WISHES TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS WITH TURKEY – PRESIDENT

Armenia wants to develop cooperation with the United States and to
normalize relations with its neighbors, Turkey among them, President
Serzh Sargsyan told representatives of the American Jewish Committee
(AJC) in Yerevan on Thursday.

"We view the deepening of our relations [between Armenia and the
United States] as the token of economic success, democratic
development and regional stability," the presidential press office
quoted Sargsyan to Interfax.

"Armenia also wants to normalize relations with neighbors. It has many
times called for restoring relations with Turkey without
preconditions," he said.

Ambassador Peter Rosenblatt said they had profound knowledge of the
South Caucasus and were closely watching regional developments.

The delegation of the AJC, a leading Jewish lobbying organization in
the United States, is visiting Yerevan to discuss the Armenian-
Turkish relations.

AJC Strategic Research Director Barry Jacobs and Executive Director of
the American-Armenian Public Committee Ross Vartanian also attended
the meeting.

Armenia vs Greece tomorrow

armradio.am
31.05.2008 14:34

On June 1st the Armenian national football team will hold a friendly
match with the team of Greece. The match will take place in the German
city of Offenbach.

On May 28 the friendly match in Tiraspol between the national football
teams of Armenia and Moldova ended in a draw (2:2). The goals were
scored by Marcos Pizelli, Ararat Arackelyan, Levon Pachajyan and Sergey
Alexeyev.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Karabakh conflict must be resolved peacefully, the RF Foreign Minister says
31.05.2008 13:53 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is confident
that there is no military solution to the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict. Mr Lavrov emphasized that the conflict should be resolved by
-peaceful means exclusively.-

-As to the armament problem in the region, the parameters of armament
and warlike equipment are regulated by international treaties
supported by a number of verifying mechanisms,- he said Friday after
talks with Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, RIA Novosti
reports.

Panorama.am

17:28 27/05/2008

FOREIGN MINISTER IN MOSCOW

On 29 May Minister Edvard Nalbandyan leaves for Moscow
for three-days labor meeting. Minister Nalbandyan will
have a meeting with Sergey Lavrov, Foreign Minister of
Russia, Aleksey Ostrovski, the chairman of State Duma
CIS countries affairs committee and Nikolay Borduzhay,
secretary in chief of Collective Security Contract
organization. On 1 June Minister Nalbandyan will
return back to Armenia.

In the frameworks of the meeting the minister will
visit state institute of Moscow International
Relations. He will have a meeting with the students
and professors of the institute. On 1 June Nalbandyan
will return wo Yerevan.

Source: Panorama.am

Bank VTB to Extend $249.5mln Loan for Development of Teghut Field in
Armenia

YEREVAN, May 27. /ARKA/. Russian Bank VTB is to extend a $249.5mln
worth loan for 12 years for development of Teghut copper and molybdenum
field in Armenia. The respective agreement is to be signed by the bank
and the Armenian Cooper Program (ACP) in Yerevan today, the President
of Bank VTB open joint stock company Andrey Kostin told journalists.

In November 2007 the sides had signed a memorandum on the loan project
for development of Teghut field and elaborated terms of the agreement,
he said.

Kostin considered the loan project an important step to develop the
bank’s activities in Armenia saying this is one of the biggest loans
ever extended by the Russian bank for an investment project in the post
Soviet area.

Kostin pointed out that the banks is to provide a bridging loan for
$30mln through its daughter enterprise in France – BTB France – to
ensure uninterrupted work over the project while the legal documents
are being prepared.

The bank studied the Armenian investor quite thoroughly and made sure
that the project is realistic and important to Armenia and has a
commercial value in terms of world exports despite its high risk level,
Kostin said.

Teghut is the second largest copper molybdenum field in Armenia after
Kajaran.

The study conducted in 1972 showed that Teghut field contains 450mln
tons, of which 1.6 million is copper concentrate and 99,000 tons
molybdenum concentrate.

Experts say the field can be exploited within 45 years with annual
output of 7 million tons.
In February 2001, `ACP’ (Armenian Copper Program) Closed Joint Stock
Company received a license for development of the deposit for 25 years.

`ACP’ Closed Joint Stock Company, a member of Vallex Group, was founded
in August 1997 on the basis of Alaverdy mining factory. The
shareholders of the enterprise are Vallex F.M. Establishment
(Lichtenstein) (80.74%) and the General Director of Armenian Copper
Program Valery Mejlumian (19.26%). -0–

esctoday.com, Netherlands
May 27 2008

The 2008 Bezençon Awards winners

During the Eurovision 2008 afterparty at this year’s Euroclub, the
traditional Marcel Bezençon Awards for Best Composition, the Artistic
Award as well as the Press and the Fan Awards were presented to four
of this year’s participating countries.

The Marcel Bezençon Awards, named after the EBU director who in 1955
conceived the idea of the Eurovision Song Contest, have been given out
since 2002 in three categories with one more being added this
year. The Composer’s Award winner this year was Andrei Tudor for his
composition Pe o margine de lume, performed by Nico and Vlad Mirita
for Romania. The winner of this award is voted for by all the
composers participating in the final of contest.

Former Eurovision Song Contest winners vote for the Artistic Award
which this year went to Ani Lorak from Ukraine. The Press Award, which
is given to the most popular song among the accredited members of the
press each year was awarded to the Portuguese entry Senhora do
mar. Paolo Coehlo’s song, performed by Vania Fernandes, was one of the
favourites of the fans and press members throughout both Eurovision
weeks.

And last but not least a newly introduced award was presented this
year, the Fan Award by Swedish website gylleneskor.se. Readers of the
site had the opportunity to vote online for their favourite 2008
artist under the age of 25 which was non other but Armenia’s Qele,
qele performed by Sirusho.

ARE THREE MONTHS ENOUGH?

A1+
[04:22 pm] 26 May, 2008

The Democratic Party of Armenia (HDK) at the head of Aram G. Sarkissian
has released a statement which says in part,

"We are confident that the political crisis in the country is caused
not by ideological debates over socio-economic, political, legal
issues but by some people’s overweening ambition to come to power.

As a result, most people have become aliens. The society is divided
into protesters and people doing their utmost to protect their fortune
amassed through illegal means. The logical outcome of the events
were profound hatred and intolerance instilled among people. People
standing in the background made use of the situation with their
"devilish skills." The pre- and post-election periods accompanied with
innocent victims and tragic outcome imply taking the following steps,

uncover and give legal assessment to real wrongdoers on legal
grounds. The initiators, provocateurs, key participants as well as
high-rank officials engaged in the occurrences must stand trial. They
were to avert the tragic events of March 1, exclude injustice,
falsifications and partiality.

Public demands to launch an impartial and convincing investigation
over the March 1 events and disclose the armed people who opened fire
at the participants and law-enforcement bodies.

The delay of the investigation gives rise to rumours and intensifies
the heated atmosphere. On the other hand, there are political figures
among the detainees whose crime hasn’t been proved over the past
three months.

We believe that the authorities will be able to take drastic steps
to overcome the crisis in case they are filled with willingness and
determination to rectify former mistakes.

The HDK is ready to help direct the country onto the right and safe
path if the gap between the past and the present still deepens,"
holds the HDK statement.

Panorama.am

20:30 24/05/2008

ABUSED POSITION AND EXPENSIVE CAR

According to the proves revealed in the result of
investigation the head of Akhtala region Suren
Tamazyan has abused his position according to the RA
criminal code article 308.1, reported the press
service of the chief prosecutor’s office.

According to the investigation materials Tamazyan
abused his position and used the financial means
disposed to the welfare of the region and the local
people, bought a car (Mersedes-C 180) more expensive
than the market prices are (by 1.290.000 higher) from
Vilen Gevorgyans, an inhabitant of Alaverdi city.

The investigation is going on in Tumanyan
investigative center.

Source: Panorama.am

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN OF CASSATION COURT DISCUSS MEASURES FOR STRENGTHENING INDEPENDENCE OF COURTS

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 21, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The complex program of measures aimed
at strengthening the independence of courts was discussed by the
RA president Serge Sargsian and the chairman of the Cassation Court
Hovhannes Manukian.

According to a press release of the RA president’s press service, it
was pointed out that the main purpose of the program is to raise the
public trust in courts, which can be achieved by consistent reduction
of corruption instances in courts and improving the efficiency of
justice. The control of civil society structures over courts will play
a great role in the creation of impartial and unbribable courts. The
state also has much to do in order to ensure real independence of
the judicial system.

Among envisaged measures, priority was given to reviewing the salaries
of judges and the formation of a system of other guarantees of their
activity.

Material dependence of judges causes considerable part of the existing
problems. It is the price that the state should not be reluctant to
pay in order to have fair courts.

In parallel with these steps, the interlocutors considered it necessary
to establish efficient mechanisms of legal control of the activity of
judges, which will allow to reveal and punish judges to have exceeded
the limits of legal and ethical norms. They underlined the importance
of establishing efficient control over the use of conduct rules for
judges and determining definite criteria of disciplinary liability.

They attached importance to envisaging greater responsibility for
interfering in court activity, including responsibility with respect
to state officials of various levels.

An agreement was reached to develop proposals on a number of
legislative and organizational measures based on the program and to
submit these proposals for discussion.

Noting that the struggle against vicious phenomena will be a
continuous one, there will difficulties, complaints, sometimes –
also a clash of interests, Serge Sargsian at the same time stressed
that the authorities will display inflexible political will in the
implementation of the indicated program. He attached special importance
to informing the public about the steps taken, adding that the public’s
support is a great guarantee of achieving success in any issue.