Author: Chmshkian Vicken

CONSTRUCTION, AGRICULTURE AND SERVICES CONTRIBUTE TO ARMENIA’S 2007 ECONOMIC GROWTH

ARKA
April 2, 2008

YEREVAN, April 2. /ARKA/. Construction, agriculture and services have
contributed a great deal to Armenia’s 2007 economic growth, UN Economic
and Social Commission said after reviewing Asian and Pacific regions.

The commission also said in its review that construction growth
was due to more intensive construction of industrial facilities,
apartment blocks and offices.

According to the report, trade and communication areas were developing
in 2007.

The report says that agriculture grew 9.6% in 2007. Wheat crops
doubled reaching 450 000 tons. The commission was established in
1947. The commission is made up of 48 members and 10 associated
members representing about 60% of the world population.

National Statistical Service of Armenia says economic growth grew
13.7% in 2007 in Armenia.Construction added 4.5 points to GDP by
growing 18.4% in 2007.

Agriculture, forest economy, hunting and fishery drove the economic
growth 1.7 percentage points up after growing 9.6% over 2007.

Services’ 12.4% growth drove GDP 4 points up. Trade, catering,
transport and communication sectors’ contribution was 2.1 points
thanks to their 11.8% growth.

Industry added 0.6 points to GDP thanks to its 3.2% growth.

BAKU-TBILISI-KARS LINK GEORGIAN SECTOR CONSTRUCTION TO KICK OFF ONE OF THESE DAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.04.2008 14:37 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Construction of the Georgian sector of the
Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad will kick off one of these days, said
Gurban Nazirov, an engineer of the Azeri state railway. All materials
and equipment have been already purchased, Azeri Press Agency reported.

The resulting document was signed by Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey on
February 8. Azerbaijan undertook to allocate Georgia a $200-million
credit for 25-year term to build a 29-km link and a servicing center
and to repair the existing track.

The project costs $600 million.

The link is supposed to be put into operation in late 2009.

FOOD PRICES GROW BY 7.2% IN ARMENIA IN JANUARY-MARCH 2008

Noyan Tapan
April 1, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 1, NOYAN TAPAN. 7.2% overall inflation was registered
in Armenia’s food commodity market in January-March 2008. Inflation in
March on February made 2%. 0.1-6.9% inflation was registered in 10 out
of 13 food commodity groups under observation in the indicated period.

According to the RA National Statistical Service, the growth in
bread prices made 33.3% in March 2008 on March 2007, 6.8% in March on
February 2008. The latter was mainly conditioned by a rise in prices of
first-class flour (7.5%) and high-quality flour (12.6%). First-class
bread prices grew by 5.9%, high-quality bread prices – by 7.5%,
prices of macaroni by 3.1-3.2% in the indicated period.

Price growth in the commodity group of butter and vegetable oil
made 32.3% in March 2008 on March 2007, 4.8% in March on February
2008. The latter was mainly due to a rise in prices of butter (5.7%)
and vegetable (sunflower) oil (6.2%).

There was 6.9% inflation in the commodity group of coffee, tea and
cocoa in March on February 2008, mainly due to 12.2% growth in price
of ground coffee. The average price of eggs rose by 2.1% in March on
February 2008.

Inflation in the commodity group of meat products made 0.5% in March
on February 2008, mainly due to a growth in prices of pork (7.4%)
and mutton (11.8%). Beef prices fell by 0.3% in the indicated period.

Granulated sugar prices rose by 1.2% in March on February
2008. 0.1-0.3% inflation was registered in the same period in the
commodity groups of soft drinks, alcoholic drinks and cigarettes,
milk products, other foodstuffs, and confectionery.

Prices of vegetables and potato grew by 5.6% in March 2008 on March
2007 and fell by 4.7% in March on February 2008. The latter was mainly
conditioned by a fall in prices of chives (24.1%), cucumber (14.2%),
cabbage (12.5%), beet (7.5%), and tomato (7%). Price of onion fell by
3,1%, while prices of gralic, potato, and carrot increased by 0.3-3.7%
in the indicated period.

21.6% price fall was registered in the commodity group of fish products
in February-March 2008. Fish prices fell by 4.6% in March on February
2008. The fall in prices of smoked and fresh white fish made 14.9%
and 4.5% respectively in the indicated period.

There was 5.7% inflation in the fruit commodity group in March 2008
on March 2007, 2.1% price fall in March on February 2008. The latter
was mainly due to a 5.5-14.4% fall in prices of grapes, pear and
apple. Prices of lemon, tangerine, orange and banana grew by 0.8-10.2%
in the period under review.

WILL YOVANOVITCH COME?

A1+
31 March, 2008

President George Bush has nominated a career diplomat to be
U.S. ambassador to Armenia. Bush announced the nomination of Marie
Yovanovitch, who is currently ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic.

In August, the White House withdrew its nomination of another career
diplomat, Richard Hoagland, after Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez held
up confirmation hearings. Hoagland had refused to call the World War
I-era killings of Armenians genocide.

The post of the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia has been vacant since
September of 2006.

Hoagland’s predecessor, John Evans, reportedly had his tour of duty in
Armenia cut short by the administration because, in a social setting,
he referred to the killings as genocide.

3.6 BILLION LOAN FOR NAGORNO KARABAKH

Panorama.am
20:17 31/03/2008

>From the state budget of 2008 January-February 2.1 billion drams were
provided for the state debt service. The information is provided by
the press department of the ministry of finance and economy.

According to the source the current amount forms the 78.6% of the
three-month project of the Government.

Particularly 1.7 billion drams were disposed for the inner and 415
million drams for the external debts.

Compared with the same period in the last year this figure increased
by 2.2 times.

In January-February 2008 3.6 billion drams loan was disposed for the
NKR. This figure is by 25.4% high than the last year.

For the external expenses approximately 1.1 billion drams were
disposed and 871.3 million to the World Bank and 188.6 million to
the USA merchandise loan.

ARMENIANS ATTACK OFFICE OF BENELUX AZERBAIJANIS CONGRESS

Azeri Press Agency
March 28 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku. Elnur Mammadli – APA. Attack was made on the office of Benelux
Azerbaijanis Congress in Rotterdam on the night of March 26-27.

Chairman of the congress Sahil Gasimov told APA that the attack was
made at midnight, the office was destroyed.

The attackers broke the window of the office with the flag of
Azerbaijan on it. Gasimov said the police came to the site and started
investigating the case. The congress chairman said basing on the
witnesses’ testimonies one could think that Armenians had attacked
the office.

"It is not accidental that the attack was made on the eve of the
meeting of Azerbaijani and Turkish Diaspora organizations in Berlin
and March 31 – Day of Azerbaijanis’ Genocide," he said.

Sahil Gasimov noted that Rotterdam police was controlling the office.

OFFICE CLOSED?
By A. Haroutiunian

AZG Armenian Daily
29/03/2008

Karabakh Issue

Minks Group Official Windbag Bryza says omitting NKR status discussion
makes the talks insensible

The mediating mission of OSCE Minsk Group in the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict has a history of long years, but it may come to end because
of the position of official Baku, which considers the OSCE format
ineffective.

When in late November 2007, Madrid, the "updated document" on the main
terms of peace settlement was officially handed to the Presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan, the OSCE expressed hope that the idea of Minsk
Group Co-Chair Bernard Fassier to "build the wall of peace agreement
brick by brick" would be easier achieved in that way.

The time showed that Azerbaijan, unwilling to go for compromise,
is quite eager for other things. The administration of Aliev Junior,
continuously making warlike statements in connection with NKR conflict
settlement and being encouraged by impunity of such statements, openly
rejected any opportunity of the independence of Karabakh from Baku.

The refusal of Azerbaijan to work with the Minsk Group can be also
considered in context with the warlike declarations. In the meanwhile
OSCE Minsk Group Official Windbag Matthew Bryza tries to explain
it differently. In an interview to "Azeripress" he stated that the
"basic principles" of NKR conflict settlement are nothing else than
preservation of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, demilitarization
of Karabakh and adjacent regions, return of the refugees, deployment
of international peacemaking forces, establishment of communication
with Armenia and determination of the status of NKR.

According to Bryza, who usually speaks too much and then says his words
were misinterpreted and misunderstood, reason for Bakus’ refusal to
cooperate with the Minsk Group is the fact that it considers the idea
of Karabakh-Armenia communication extremely pro-Armenian. Moreover,
Azerbaijan is against settling the question of Nagorno-Karabakh
status internationally.

>From Aliev’s interview to Interfax it comes out that the NKR is to
agree to the first four articles, while the question of its status
is not to be observed at all.

The chances of dissolving the Minsk Group would grow in case
Armenia refuses to recognize the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic a part
of Azerbaijan.

Besides, if Azerbaijan deems the establishment of Armenia-Karabakh
communication a great concession on its part, what cessations Armenia
may speak about?

On the other hand the OSCE Minsk Group is neither Bryza, nor Merzliakov
or Fassier. The there are governments that stand behind the Minsk Group
and they are drawn by their own geopolitical interests. Under certain
circumstances, their relationships both with Armenia and Azerbaijan may
rapidly change and the mediation efforts of Minsk Group representatives
turn to nothing. And if even Bryza speaks about insensibility of
negotiating on Karabakh conflict in case Azerbaijan refuses to discuss
the NKR status openly, the "window of opportunities" is really shut
now… And it was shut right at the nose of the Minsk Group.

Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
Email [email protected]
Internet

PRESS RELEASE
March 28, 2008
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

PRESIDENT BUSH TO NOMINATE NEW U.S. AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA

WASHINGTON, DC – President George Bush today announced plans to
nominate career diplomat, Marie L. Yovanovitch as U.S. Ambassador
to Armenia, reported the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA).

According to a personnel announcement posted on the White House
website, the President’s candidate "currently serves as Ambassador
to the Kyrgyz Republic. Prior to this, she served as Senior Advisor
to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs at the Department of
State. Earlier in her career, she served as Deputy Chief of Mission
in Kyiv. Ms. Yovanovitch received her bachelor’s degree from
Princeton University and her master’s degree from the National War
College."
releases/2008/03/20080328-6.html

The Associated Press (AP) today quoted ANCA Executive Director Aram
Hamparian as saying: "It’s important to have an ambassador in
Yerevan, but it’s also important to have the right ambassador.
Being able to speak truthfully about what we all acknowledge is the
historical record, is an important part of a U.S. ambassador’s
ability to effectively represent our nation’s values and interests
in Yerevan."

Prior to official appointment, Ms. Yovanovitch will appear before
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for confirmation hearings,
followed by confirmation vote by the panel and then the full
Senate.

The President’s previous nominee, Dick Hoagland, who was proposed
twice for consideration by the Senate, faced bipartisan
Congressional opposition and two separate "holds" by Senator Bob
Menendez over his denial of the Armenian Genocide, before,
ultimately, being withdrawn from consideration by the White House.
The last U.S. Ambassador to serve in Armenia, John Marshall Evans,
was fired for speaking truthfully in public about the Armenian
Genocide, sparking widespread Congressional protests and outrage in
the Armenian American community.

The text of today’s AP story on this issue is provided below.

#####

Bush nominates envoy to Armenia, after block of earlier choice
By DESMOND BUTLER, Associated Press Writer
03-28-2008 17:15

WASHINGTON (AP) _ President George W. Bush has nominated a career
diplomat to be U.S. ambassador to Armenia after the last nominee
was blocked by Democrats because of a refusal to call the World War
I-era killings of Armenians a genocide.

Bush announced on Friday the nomination of Marie Yovanovitch, who
is currently ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic.

In August, the White House withdrew its nomination of another
career diplomat, Richard Hoagland, after Democratic Sen. Robert
Menendez held up confirmation hearings.

Menendez could not be reached Friday and his staff did not
immediately comment on the new nomination.

Hoagland’s predecessor, John Evans, reportedly had his tour of duty
in Armenia cut short by the administration because, in a social
setting, he referred to the killings as genocide.

The administration has warned that even a congressional debate on
the genocide question could damage relations with Turkey, a
moderate Muslim nation that is a NATO member and an important
strategic ally.

Historians estimate that up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by
Ottoman Turks around the time of World War I, an event widely
viewed by genocide scholars as the first genocide of the 20th
century. Turkey however denies that the deaths constituted
genocide, saying the toll has been inflated, and that those killed
were victims of civil war and unrest.

Armenian-American groups had sought to prevent Hoagland’s
nomination unless he made a clear statement affirming the genocide.

One group said Friday, they expect that lawmakers will raise the
issue with Yovanovitch.

"It’s important to have an ambassador in Yerevan, but it’s also
important to have the right ambassador," said Aram Hamparian,
executive director of the Armenian National Committee of America.
"Being able to speak truthfully about what we all acknowledge is
the historical record, is an important part of a U.S. ambassador’s
ability to effectively represent our nation’s values and interests
in Yerevan."

It is not clear when the Senate will hold hearings on the
nomination.

-nominates-envoy-to-armenia-after/n200803281716099 90020?ecid=RSS0001

ORINATS YERKIR DENIES MEDIA SPECULATIONS ABOUT SHRINKING RANKS

ARMENPRESS
March 27, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 27, ARMENPRESS: A deputy chairman of the Orinats Yerkir
(Country of Law) party, Mrs. Heghine Bisharian, today brushed off
media speculations that the party’s joining the ruling coalition has
forced many of its ordinary members to quit it.

Speaking at a news conference she said the party conducted a poll
after Orinats Yerkir chairman Arthur Baghdasarian signed the coalition
agreement, which revealed that some 65 percent of its members welcomed
the decision.

Mrs. Bisharian said being part of the coalition will give an
opportunity to the party to implement provisions of its election
platform that was backed by over 300,000 Armenians who voted for
Arthur Baghdasarian in the last month’s presidential election.

She said in order to carry out its program the party should be first
of all in the government. She said Baghdasarian shook the extended
hand because he and the party emphasize constructive dialogue.

"We have always been against political wars…

Establishment and maintenance of stability is now our number one
priority. The government’s structure is subject to serious changes
now and we believe that our country will make significant progress,"
she said.

At the end of her news conference Mrs. Bisharian denounced several
newspapers for disseminating obvious lies about the party.

VARTAN OSKANIAN: ARMENIA WILL NEVER START WAR

armradio.am
26.03.2008 12:58

RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian declared in an interview with
Polish Rzeczpospolita newspaper hat Armenia intends to solve the
Karabakh issue exceptionally through negotiations.

"However, if we get assured that Azerbaijan does not want any
compromise and intends to reach a solution via force, the Armenian
side will use every opportunity to ensure the security and the
right for self-determination of Nagorno Karabakh. Everything
depends on Azerbaijan. Armenia will never start war, we stand for
negotiations. However, we are anxious that Azerbaijan has other
intentions and wishes to block the peace process. Our position is
clear: Azeris will not win the war," Vartan Oskanian said.

The conflict cannot be solved in a military way. They have been
trying to do it twice, but they did not succeed. If they start again,
it will be the last attempt," the Armenian Foreign Minister declared.

RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian decaled that the opinion on
Armenia’s full economic dependency on Russia is "absolutely incorrect."

Commenting on the fact that RA President-Elect Serge Sargsyan paid
his first visit to Russia, Vartan Oskanian said Armenia has chosen
the close political alliance with Russia because it helps reinforce
the security of the republic.

"There are many Russian investments in our country, especially in the
field of energy, which is understandable, since Russia supplies gas
and fuel for the nuclear power plant. However, many other countries
also invest in Armenia. For instance, the Yerevan airport is managed
by an American-Argentinean consortium, the largest mines are exploited
by companies from Germany, Canada and Great Britain, the post services
are run by Dutch, the water supply is carried out by a French company,"
RA Foreign Minister said.