Author: Ekmekjian Janet

PanARMENIAN.Net

EU not planning New Neighborhood Policy geography expansion
07.12.2007 15:05 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The European Union doesn’t intend to expand
geography of the New Neighborhood Policy.

`The key task is to consolidate the relations with partner countries
and seriously work at the Action Plans. The Armenia-EU Action Plan has
already come into force,’ said Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the European
Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy.

`It does not mean that the EU does not put any effort to come closer
with the `neighbors of neighbors’. The EU cannot stand aside of such
problems such as illegal migration and energy issues,’ she
said. `Moreover, the Strategy of Central Asia and Energy Proposal in
the Black Sea have been developed and both documents are directed at
establishment of closer regional cooperation. The achievements gained
over the past period of the ENP implementation testify for positive
results of the reforms carried out in these countries,’ she added,
Trend reports.

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QUESTION IS LINGERING
[02:57 pm] 07 December, 2007

It is already three months since the death of the chief coach of the
Armenian national football team Yan Porterfield. Tom Johnse, England,
took up the post after Porterfield’s death. Recently, he left Armenia
as he had concluded no contract with the team. His departure is quite
logical as Tom Johnse is an expert of physical training. Vardan
Minassian, a fellow coach of the team, has assumed office ever since.

According to our data, the Armenian Football Federation is presently
negotiating with different foreign specialists. The AFF declined to
reveal details as they haven’t come to an agreement with any of them.

It is still unknown whether the team will hold the upcoming friendly
meetings as the question of the chief coach is still unsettled.

To remind: the team has been headed by foreign coaches over the past
five years.

INCOMES OF ARMENIAN POPULATION INCREASE BY 25.2%, EXPENSES – BY 23.6% IN JANUARY-OCTOBER 2007

Noyan Tapan
Dec 03 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. Monetary incomes of the Armenian
population made 1 trillion 591 billion 113 million drams (about 4
bln 567 mln USD) in January-October 2007, while monetary expenses
-1 trillion 525 billion 823.8 million drams, with their growth rates
making 125.2% and 123.6% as compared with January-October 2006.

According to the RA National Statistical Service, real monetary
incomes of the population (their incomes less compulsory payments,
taking into account the changes in the indices of consumer prices)
grew by 19.3% in January-October 2007 on the same period of 2006.

The average monthly nominal salary exceeded 3.9fold the minimum salary
in September 2007 as compared with 4.4fold in 2006.

SERVICE TARIFFS GROW BY 0.9% IN ARMENIA IN NOVEMBER 2007

Noyan Tapan
Dec 03 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. Tariffs of services grew by 0.9%
in Armenia in November on October 2007, which was mainly due to a
growth in tariffs of transport services (by 4.6% – conditioned by
the 16.7% rise in prices of plane tickets), cultural services (9%),
legal and banking services (3%), and personal services (2.1%).

According to the RA National Statistical Service, tariffs of
educational, recreational, medical and public catering services grew by
0.1-0.6% in the indicated period, while tariffs of housing, municipal
and communication services remained at the level of the previous month.

ACCORDING TO SHAVARSH KOCHARIAN, AMONG CANDIDATES FOR PRESIDENCY, VAZGEN MANUKIAN IS THE MOST MERITED

Noyan Tapan
Dec 04 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN. Shavarsh Kocharian, the Chairman
of the National Democratic Party, is convinced that among the
candidates for presidency, Vazgen Manukian, the Chairman of the
National Democratic Union, is the most merited. Declaring this at the
December 4 press conference, S. Kocharian said that since country’s
independence V. Manukian has been a radical oppositionist and has
spoken not against persons, but against the system gradually formed
from that time up to now.

In response to the question, of whether S. Kocharian’s and Arshak
Sadoyan’s (the leader of the Union of National Democrats) former
disagreements, due to which the latters left NDU, do not hamper them
to support the NDU leader’s candidature, the NDP Chairman said that
in politics it often happens so that figures formerly having different
relations unite in some period.

According to S. Kocharian, the presidential elections will be held by
two tours if they manage to form a specific political union around
V. Manukian in the preelection period, thanks to which he will pass
to the second tour.

"The union around V. Manukian will be higher than the fight between
the current and former authorities," S. Kocharian predicted.

Russia & CIS General Newswire
December 5, 2007 Wednesday 5:49 PM MSK

Yerevan denies allegations about Kurdish militants in Armenia,
Karabakh

Allegations about the existence of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)
bases in the Armenia and in the territory of the republic of Nagorno
Karabakh are absurd, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said.

"We have responded to these rumors before. I would like to say it
once again: this information is untrue and absurd," Armenian Foreign
Ministry spokesman Vladimir Karapetian said in a statement on
Wednesday.

"Such baseless rumors are nothing but another provocation," he said.

Azeri and Turkish media said earlier that PKK bases had been deployed
in Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.

ANTI-DRUG PROGRAM WAS NOT FULFILLED

KarabakhOpen
04-12-2007 12:10:25

The chief of the NKR Police Arshavir Gharamyan said the annual programs
against trade in illegal drugs were not fulfilled. The chief of the
police stated this in the meeting of government which approved the
recurrent annual program.

The relevant agencies should take this problem seriously and take an
active part in its implementation, Ara Gharamyan said. How can we
fight at all if in Karabakh we have no equipment to detect whether
the person has used narcotics, said the chief of the police who was
deputy chief of the police for the past few years.

The program holds that over the first three quarters 18 cases of
trafficking in illegal drugs wer exposed, charges were brought against
14 people whose average age is between 35 and 45.

EVERYTHING SHOULD BE FAIR: SALARY OF DEPUTY MINISTERS WILL BE RAISED

KarabakhOpen
27-11-2007 10:53:21

In yesterday’s meeting of government amendments to the law on the
salary of top positions of the legislative, executive and judicial
powers were proposed. "It will help smooth the difference between
salaries through raising the salary of some positions," the department
of information and public relations of the NKR government reports.

In particular, from January 1, 2008 the first deputy ministers and
heads of agencies will get 220 thousand drams instead of 180 thousand
drams a month (1 U.S. dollars is 289 drams).

PRESIDENT: ARMENIA INTERESTED IN COOPERATION WITH FOREIGN COMPANIES IN METAL MINING FIELD

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Nov 27 2007

YEREVAN, November 27. /ARKA/. Armenia is interested in cooperation
with foreign companies in the field of metal mining industry, said
Armenia’s President Robert Kocharyan during his meeting with the
President of Dundee Precious Metals Company Jonathan Goodman.

"This is one of the priority branches of Armenia’s economy, and
the Armenian side is interested in the cooperation with experienced
foreign companies, which gives a chance to form a qualitative new
situation in the metal mining industry," the President’s press service
cited Kocharyan.

Goodman pointed out that he sees great possibilities for the
development of metal mining industry in Armenia and added that the
Company he heads is "ready to move forward with slow but confident
steps."

The sides also discussed the necessity of paying special attention
to ecology problems, alongside with the development of the field,
as well as preparing professional staff and making the legislative
field meet international commitments.

Dundee Precious Metals is represented in Armenia by Deno Gold
Mining Company which exploits Shahumyan multi-metallic deposit and
copper-pyritic deposit of Kapan ore-dressing plant.

AVETIK GRIGORYAN STRUGGLES FOR BEST TITLE

Panorama.am
21:53 27/11/2007

World Chess Youth Competition continues in Turkey and our chess
players yielded after the ninth stage.

Eighteen years old Avetik Grigoryan gained the second horizontal
and continues to struggle for the best title. The young chess player
yields Russian Ivan Popov, who has 7.5 score by 0.5 score.

Fourteen years old Samvel Ter-Sahakyan acts successfully; he has
7 scores and shares with the other participants the places 3-5. He
yields in 0.5 points the leaders of the group – Chinese Chen Vongin,
and Swiss Nil Grandelious.

Sixteen years old Robert Hovhannisyan is on the seventh horizontal
with 6.5 points. He yields the leader of the group Romanian Kristian
Chirilay by one score.

Ten years old Tigran Harutunyan was the winner during the last two
games, but he has 6.5 points. In female competition our chess players
yield the competition.

Note that World Youth Competition takes place in Kemer – Antali,
Turkey. More that 2000 chess players from 50 countries participate. The
competition started in November 17 and finishes in November 29.