Author: Emil Lazarian

NA COMMITTEE ON STATE AND LEGAL ISSUES GIVES POSITIVE CONCLUSION TO LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE ENVISAGING AMENDMENTS AND ADDITIONS TO ELECTORAL CODE
Noyan Tapan
May 02 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. It will be proposed with the positive
conclusion of the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Issues
to put the legislative package on making amendments and additions
to the RA Electoral Code on the agendas of the current session
of the parliament and of the regular plenary sittings starting
on May 2. The Committee made a decision about it at the April 28
sitting. The above-mentioned package was worked out by the working
group involving representatives of all the NA factions and the group
and was put into circulation on March 17. Besides the Electoral Code,
the package envisages amendments and additions to the Criminal code
and the law “On Parties” as well. The goal of the latters is to work
out effective mechanisms in the struggle against electoral crimes,
to strengthen the panishment, to raise responsibility of parties in
an electoral process. The worked out package, in essence, is a result
of political agreement. However, the “Ardaroutiun” (Justice) faction
joined the decision with reservations, concerning which the Parliament
will make a decision at the plenary sitting. According to preliminary
statement, in the case of ignoring the faction’s reservations in the
draft to be adopted in the first reading, “Ardaroutiun” will refuse
the co-authorship, taking back the signature. To recap, the faction
objected to the order of forming electoral commissions, particularly to
involvement of judges in them. It also presented proposals of forming
the parliament with 100% proportional electoral order, holding parallel
electronic votion in elections and using mechanism of staining voters’
fingers with ink. It was mentioned at the committee sitting that
conclusions of experts of the Venice Commission of the Council of
Europe and the OSCE Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Office
concerning both above-mentioned package and particularly reservations
of “Ardaroutiun” are also expected soon. After the NA adopts the
package in the first reading, the Standing Committee on State and
Legal Issues intends to initiate enlarged parliament hearings as well.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER NOT ENTIRELY HAPPY AFTER TALKS WITH NATO
ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow
2 May 06
Moscow, 2 May: Moscow will build its relationship with NATO “depending
on where and how the alliance’s reform and expansion process proceeds
and how international law is observed, and with account of how Russia’s
interests are observed in the context of a changing geopolitical
situation in the world”, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said today
as he briefed President Putin on the outcome of the Russia-NATO
Council meeting.
The meeting was “on the whole not bad” in Lavrov’s estimation,
but he was only entirely happy with the working document adopted on
Russia’s initiative. “It was on the whole not bad, a businesslike
working document was adopted that was drawn up on Russia’s initiative
and sums up the Council’s achievements over the past four years,” he
said in reply to a question from the president, who began a session
with the government with this issue today.
Lavrov noted that the document “lists the [existing] accords and
how to further improve the quality of our interaction as equals,
and it specifies work to be done on a plan adopted earlier to fight
terrorism”.
He elaborated that Russia and NATO will “exchange information, hold
joint exercises and training sessions in tackling cyberterrorism, take
joint action to improve air-defence interoperability, and strengthen
reactions to man-made and natural disasters”.
“A number of specific moves to step up the fight against the drugs
threat from Afghanistan are planned,” Lavrov added. But he complained
that NATO does not want to collaborate in this area with the Collective
Security Treaty Organization. “Our counterparts are still unwilling
to establish collaboration with the CSTO, even though we again tried
to convince them how useful such collaboration would be,” he said at
the meeting with Putin.
The Collective Security Treaty was signed on 15 May 1992 by Russia,
Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. On 14 May
2002 it was decided to change this grouping into the international
Collective Security Treaty Organization.
“Are you happy with the outcome?” Putin asked.
“We’re happy with the document, which makes it possible to deepen
cooperation on an equal footing,” Lavrov replied.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

KYRGYZSTAN GOING TO DEVELOP COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA IN DIFFERENT FIELDS
PanARMENIAN.Net
02.05.2006 23:09 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today newly appointed Kyrgyz Ambassador to Armenia
Apas Jumangulov (residence in Moscow) presented copies of credentials
to the Armenian FM Vartan Oskanian, reports the Press Service of
the Armenian MFA. During the meeting the parties expressed content
over the current state of Armenian-Kyrgyz relations and mentioned
the impending work for strengthening ties. Implementation of joint
programs in specific fields can promote that goal. The Ambassador
emphasized Kyrgyzstan is going to advance cooperation between the two
countries in different fields. The interlocutors also discussed the
matter of strengthening cooperation within international organizations.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A NEW NUCLEAR POWER STATION WILL HARDLY BE BUILT
A1+
[08:53 pm] 02 May, 2006
The USA Government is not that concerned with the construction of a new
nuclear power station in Armenia. The American officials informed the
Armenian journalists about their country’s position after the session
of the Armenian – American working group on economic cooperation. They
claimed that there are not delighted by the prospect of a new Armenian
nuclear power station.
Tom Adams, the coordinator of the American Government on European and
Asian assistance, the chief of the USA delegation and the co-chair of
the Armenian – American working group noted, “At present our position
is the following; there is a better alternative for the 2nd nuclear
power station, we are against the construction of the new one taking
into account the seismic instability of Armenia and the earthquake
which occurred not long ago.”
The American Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia
John Evans expressed his concern on this score, “We realize that
Armenia needs urgent diversification.” Then referring to the Iranian
issue, he ensured that the USA will punish the countries which will
make extra investments in Iranian nuclear programs.
RA Minister of Finances and Economy Vardan Khachatryan who was
the Armenian head of the working group, urged that all matters were
really discussed with the USA “freely, openly and compassionately.” He
made announcements contradicting his American partners. The deputy
Minister of Energy was also present at the session. He assured the
American side that the new nuclear power station must be exploited
on the day of closing the 2nd bloc. The Minister claimed that a new
bloc of 1000 MWt will be built instead of the current bloc of 440 MWt.”
It was the 12th session of the Armenian – American working group. The
group was set up 6 years ago and convenes two sessions annually in
Yerevan and in Washington. Two other sessions are likely to be convened
in Armenia as a result of which the budget expenditure will curtail;
this was Vardan Khachatrian’s prediction.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RA PROSECUTOR GENERAL OFFICE INITIATED CRIMINAL CASE ON A-320 CRASH
PanARMENIAN.Net
03.05.2006 20:11 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The RA Prosecutor General’s Office has initiated
a criminal case on the A-320 Armavia-owned plane crash exercising
Yerevan-Sochi flight, Spokesman of the RA Prosecutor General’s
Office Gurgen Hambaryan told PanARMENIAN.Net. He said preliminarily
the criminal case was initiated in compliance of Article 241 of the
Armenian Penal Code (violation of security rules and operation of
railway, air and water vessels).

ARKADY GHUKASIAN CONVEYED CONDOLENCES TO RELATIVES OF A-320 PASSENGERS
PanARMENIAN.Net
03.05.2006 20:02 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ NKR President Arkady Ghukasian conveyed condolences
to the relatives of the passengers and crewmembers of A-320 plane that
crashed into the Black Sea near Sochi. “I convey my deepest condolences
to the relatives of the killed passengers and crewmembers. In this
mournful hour I wish them firmness and patience,” the NKR President’s
message says.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERBAIJAN US’S ‘KEY ALLY’ AND ‘PRECIOUS PARTNER’
By Hakob Chakrian
AZG Armenian Daily
03/05/2006
The April 28 meeting between president Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan
and his US counterpart George W. Bush almost got no coverage in Azeri
and Turkish press. The reason must be lack of information. As to the
Turkish Public TV, it considers the White Home reception of Aliyev
a step to keep Azerbaijan back from Russia.
This view of the Turkish TV was indirectly confirmed by the White
House spokesperson Scott Mcclellan dubbing Azerbaijan “key ally” and
“precious partner” of the USA in a strategically important region.
One may assume that Azerbaijan – US’s precious partner and key ally
– should desist from getting closer to Russia and should not try to
counterbalance US influence with the Russian one and should in the
meantime back Washington in the Iranian issue.
Meanwhile, Aliyev declared in Washington that Azerbaijan will not
take part in possible assault on its southern neighbor.
The presumption that president Aliyev could be successful in offering
support in the Iran standoff against US support in Nagorno Karabakh
issue did not come true. Both presidents did not mention the Karabakh
issue at the meeting with journalists. Ilham Aliyev only familiarized
president Bush with Azerbaijan’s stance on the dispute. It’s hard to
say what was president Bush’s response to this, but Baku’s position
should not be something new for Bush.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NA SPEAKER CONDOLES
A1+
[12:26 pm] 03 May, 2006
RA AN Speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan has sent a condoling message to
the families and relatives of the crew and passengers of the plane
which crashed the previous night.
“I’m shocked by the grievous news about the crash of the Armenian
plane flying from Yerevan to Adler.
On behalf of the National Assembly I condole with the families and
relatives of the crew and passengers of the plane. I am convinced
that we will do everything possible to reveal the reason of the crash.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

COMMSSION ESTABLISHED TO ARRANGE FUNERALS OF THE PASSENGERS OF THE CRASHED PLANE
ArmRadio.am
03.05.2006 12:23
According to RA president Robert Kocharyan’s instruction, a commission
headed by RA Minister of Territorial Administration Hovik Abrahamyan
has been established to arrange funerals of the dead passengers and
provide necessary assistance to their families.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MAY 5-6 DECLARED DAYS OF MOURNING IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH
ArmRadio.am
03.05.2006 16:25
Today NKR President Arkady Ghukasyan signed a decree, according to
which May 5-6 have been declared days of mourning for those who died
as a result of the air crash on May 3, 2006.
NKR President’s Press Office informs that Heads of Ministries,
Agencies, Regional Administrations, the Mayor of Stepanakert, NKR
Representations in foreign countries have been instructed to bend the
state flag of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic on these days of sorrow.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress