Author: Kharatian Ani

ARMENIA MULLS EXTENDING IRAN PIPELINE TO EUROPE

United Press International
Dec 24 2007

Armenia is considering a proposal to extend a pipeline from Iran to
Europe, Energy Minister Armen Movsisyan said Monday.

"If Iran and Europe reach an agreement on gas supplies and consider
it possible to export gas via Armenia by the shortest and the most
effective method, we’ll naturally implement this project after
assessing its environmental and economic aspects," he said.

The comments were reported by RIA Novosti.

Such a deal may be opposed by the United States and some European
countries because of Iran’s suspected nuclear weapons program. In
October, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had said plans to
extend the pipeline were promising.

"No one will prevent us from carrying this project through as it
is advantageous for the country and its economy," Movsisyan said,
according to RIA Novosti.

The more than $200 million, 111-mile pipeline would supply Iranian
natural gas to Armenia. The first 24 miles went on stream in March.

RIA Novosti said the second leg is being built.

Europe relies on Russia for the bulk of its natural gas supply
and wants to reduce that dependence. Iran offers a steady supply,
but global politics as well as Iranian stability may put that deal
in doubt.

KOCHARYAN’S GOVERNMENT WILL NOT BE REPRODUCED

Lragir
Dec 21 2007
Armenia

If the former president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan, a presidential
candidate, continues the process which he has launched with such ardor,
he stands a great chance to become president, stated the ex-prime
minister of Armenia Hrant Bagratyan December 21 at the Hayeli club
who supports the ex-president and works for Ter-Petrosyan’s election
campaign. Hrant Bagratyan explained why he thinks Ter-Petrosyan stands
a good chance.

"After all, an election is viewed in comparison. Even the first
president was nominated. We have nine candidates. There must be
one from government and eight from the opposition because there
cannot be two from government. Although now the government arouses
doubt, two or three of them are running in the election, the rest
are opposition. The rest are real opposition but amazingly they are
opposition to the first president, which is not normal. In this sense,
his chance is big," Hrant Bagratyan says. According to him, the first
president is the most honest of all the candidates because when he
occupied the top position, he did not misappropriate and rob.

"I don’t mean the others are less honest. I am not saying that the n
person is running in the presidential election is not honest but he
has not been a president yet," Hrant Bagratyan says. Besides, he says
he has got in touch with six of the nine candidates, except Tigran
Karapetyan, Arman Melikyan and Aram Harutiunyan. "Levon Ter-Petrosyan
is the most intelligent, Ter-Petrosyan is the best educated," Hrant
Bagratyan says, adding that the country needs Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s
sober mind, especially regarding strategic issues.

Hrant Bagratyan says he does not mean that Levon Ter-Petrosyan is the
cleverest, and the others are foolish. Hrant Bagratyan is convinced
that 2008 is going to be a good year, and as he stated in May, the
government of Armenia will change, and Robert Kocharyan’s regime will
not be reproduced.

AZERI OFFICIAL ACCUSES ARMENIA OF "MISLEADING" WORLD ON KARABAKH TALKS

Turan News Agency, Azerbaijan
Dec 19 2007

Baku, 19 December: After the meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian
foreign ministers on the sidelines of the OSCE council of foreign
ministers in Madrid, Armenian officials launched an active propaganda
campaign in order to mislead the local and international community on
the contents of the talks on the Karabakh settlement, the official
spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, Xazar Ibrahim,
has said.

The negotiations are being held on the basis of Azerbaijan’s
position on the restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and
sovereignty over all the occupied territories and on the return of the
population, displaced as a result of ethnic cleansing carried out by
the Armenian state, to their homes, including to the Nagornyy Karabakh
region of the Azerbaijani Republic. "Azerbaijan has never discussed
and will not discuss its territorial integrity," Ibrahim stressed.

At the same time, seeking a peaceful solution to the conflict,
Azerbaijan has always demonstrated goodwill. Armenia, on the contrary,
is continuing its military aggression and is pursuing a policy of
using force.

Under Article 51 of the UN Charter, a victim of aggression has the
right to self-defence. However, a paradoxical situation has come
about in the region: the state that has carried out aggression –
Armenia – is spending on defence more than Azerbaijan. In Armenia,
military spending is 4.3 per cent and in Azerbaijan – 3.8 per cent.

What is more, Armenia has totally militarized the Karabakh
separatists. Azerbaijan highly rates the international recognition of
its territorial integrity, which is reflected in resolutions, decisions
and statements adopted by states and international organizations.

"We are deeply confident that the propaganda of officials will become
another signal of alarm about the true intentions of the Armenian
government," the Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

Xazar Ibrahim also denied the statement by Armenian Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanyan that the Azerbaijani side is allegedly creating
obstacles to monitoring of the front line by the personal envoy of
the OSCE chairman-in-office, Andrzej Kasprzyk.

Azerbaijan is not creating obstacles to anyone who works according
to their international mandate, Ibrahim said.

NO CHANCE FOR KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.12.2007 13:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described
the EU proposal to deploy a police mission in Kosovo as slyness. "The
situation is much more complicated. The idea to replace the UN mission
by an EU mission is rather smart," Mr Lavrov said.

"The problem is in wrong interpretation of Resolution 1244 which
empowers the UN Secretary General to amend the civil and military
personnel in Kosovo. However, Ban Ki-moon’s predecessor had issued
appropriate instructions and in order to change them a new proposal
should be submitted to the Security Council," the Minister said.

He also criticized statement that "Resolution 1244 supposes unilateral
independence for Kosovo." "If you study the document thoroughly you
will see that it provides no possibility of the kind. The matter
concerns creation of necessary conditions for a political resolution
and further formation of substantial autonomy for Kosovo within
Serbia," he said, The Echo of Moscow reports.

UAE TO LEND $10-MLN FOR ARPA-SEVAN TUNNEL RECONSTRUCTION

Russia & CIS Business and Financial Newswire
December 17, 2007 Monday 3:42 PM MSK

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will provide Armenia with a $10
million loan for the reconstruction of the Arpa-Sevan tunnel, the
UAE presidential press service told Interfax.

The Arpa-Sevan tunnel reconstruction program is put at $25 million.

Additional repair work is already underway funded by the Armenian
state budget.

The Arpa-Sevan tunnel runs 48.3 kilometers and connects to the
hydraulic engineering systems located on the Vorotan River in Armenia.

An annual total of 165 million cubic meters of water will be funneled
through the tunnel to Sevan Lake from the Kechut resivoir. The water
supply is meant to raise the lake’s level and protect its ecological
balance.

RAISED AVERAGE SALARIES IN ARMENIA’S ECONOMIC SECTOR TO DRIVE INFLATION RATE UP IN 2008

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Dec 18 2007

YEREVAN, December 18. /ARKA/. An average salary of people working in
Armenia’s economic sector will exceed the growth of average labor
productivity in 2008, and as a result, the labor market will drive
inflation rate up, Central Bank of Armenia says in its monetary
policy program.

The Central Bank’s experts say average wages in economic sector will
grow 18% in 2008.

They say that along with that unemployment rate will go 0.2 or 0.3
percentage points down.

In 2007, wages grew 20.5% and unemployment rate slipped 0.3 points
to 7.1%.

Labor productivity grew 13.3% in 2007 against 12.5% in the previous
year.

The experts think this growth mitigate inflation pressure coming from
the labor market.

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA
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Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 393-3434
Fax: (202) 638-4904
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PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Christine Kojoian
Email: [email protected]

December 18, 2007

HOUSE APPROVES OMNIBUS BILL

INCLUDES $58.5 MILLION FOR ARMENIA AND REINSTATES MILITARY PARITY

Washington, DC – The House of Representatives last night approved the
Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Omnibus Spending Bill, reinstating military aid
parity to Armenia and Azerbaijan by allocating $3 million in Foreign
Military Financing (FMF) to both countries. Despite Azerbaijan’s
continued war rhetoric throughout the year and exponential increase of
its military budget, the Administration had proposed to provide Baku
with $2 million more in military assistance (FMF and International
Military Education Training).

The Omnibus spending package, which combines 11 of the 12 annual
appropriations bills into one measure, provides some $516 billion in
federal funding, including $58.5 million in assistance to Armenia, an
increase of $23.5 million over the Administration’s proposal, but less
than the nearly $75 million approved in FY 2007. Armenia’s neighbors,
Azerbaijan and Georgia, are slated to receive $19 million and $50.5
million respectively.

Throughout the appropriations process, the Armenian Assembly advocated
for the highest level of assistance to Armenia and
Nagorno-Karabakh. In March, the Assembly was one of 16 organizations
invited to testify before a key House foreign aid panel, which decides
assistance levels to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

`The final number for Armenia represents a compromise between the
House and Senate funding levels approved earlier this year – $68
million and $39 million respectively,’ stated Executive Director Bryan
Ardouny. `We appreciate the efforts of Subcommittee Chairwoman Nita
Lowey, (D-NY) and her colleagues with respect to the provisions
regarding Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. We must ensure that despite a
reduction in assistance that Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh have the
necessary resources to continue their progress in strengthening their
democratic institutions,’ continued Ardouny.

The bill also includes renewed funding confidence building measures
for the parties to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: `…funds made
available for the Southern Caucasus region may be used,
notwithstanding any other provision of law, for confidence-building
measures and other activities in furtherance of the peaceful
resolution of regional conflicts, especially those in the vicinity of
Abkhazia and Nagorno – Karabagh.’

In addition, the final measure provides continued funding for the
Millennium Challenge Account program (MCA), although reduced from $1.8
billion to $1.5 billion. Armenia, based on its record of performance
in key indicators, is a recipient of MCA with a five-year $235.65
million compact to reduce rural poverty and increase agricultural
productivity.

The agreement on the Omnibus Bill was reached late last week and
finalized over the weekend. The Senate is expected to begin
consideration of the bill today. Once passed by both chambers, the
bill will be sent to President Bush for his expected signature.

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public
understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. It is a 501 (c) (3)
tax-exempt membership organization.

NR#2007-142

ARMENIA HAS PROSPECTS TO BECOME BASIC ENERGY CENTER IN REGION

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Dec 17 2007

YEREVAN, December 17. /ARKA/. Armenia has prospects of becoming a
basic energy center in the region, said Gagik Minasyan, Chair of
the Standing Committee on Financial-Credit, Budgetary and Economic
Affairs of the National Assembly of Armenia.

"Armenia is the only country in the region which has significantly
more generating possibilities than its home demand, and may become
a prospective basic energy center among the other countries of the
region," he said.

According to Minasyan, as compared to its neighbors Armenia has
"school of nuclear energy," which has been formed for several years,
as well as experience of applying the possibilities of nuclear energy.

According to the official statistics, the annual energy production
in Armenia totals about 6bln kilowatt/hour.

Today almost 1100 MW of energy power is used in the country, which
makes 1/3 of the joint power set. As compared to the neighboring
countries, Armenia has real possibilities of exporting energy, in
particular, to Turkey and Georgia.

The only nuclear power plant in the region has been operating in
Armenia since 1976 (at present only the second unit of the plant with
407.5MW energy functions). According to specialists’ estimations,
the Armenian NPP may operate till 2016. The country’s authorities
plan to construct a new nuclear unit with 1000MW power. The project
will total approximately $2bln.

RA PM REQUESTED EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS WITH TURKEY

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.12.2007 15:59 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ During a visit to Strasbourg, Armenia’s Prime
Minister Serzh Sargsyan met with European Parliament President
Hans-Gert Pottering, the RA government’s press office reported.

Expressing consent with the progress Armenia fixed in implementation of
the ENP Action Plan contributed by the successful May 12 parliamentary
elections and adoption of laws in compliance with the revised
Constitution. "Yerevan eyes implementation of the Armenia-EU Action
Plan as inner policy vital for the Armenian state and people," the
PM said.

The EP President welcomed Mr Sargsyan’s request to send an observation
mission to Armenia.

The parties referred to regional cooperation, Armenia’s relations
with neighbor states and prospects of their development. Mr Pottering
agreed to contribute to normalization of the Armenia-Turkey relations
as an impornat item in the accession talks.

The RA Prime Minister brieifed the EP President on the approaches to
the Nagorno Karabakh settlement and said that despite Azerbaijan’s
warlike statements there is no alternative to a peaceful resolution
of the conflict.

AMBASSADOR OF EGYPT VISITS THE MOTHER SEE OF HOLY ETCHMIADZIN

armradio.am
13.12.2007 15:53

December 13 at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin the Catholicos
of All Armenians Garegin II hosted the newly appointed Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Arab Republic of Egypt to
Armenia Vahid Al-Din Ismail Galal.

During the meeting His Holiness turned to the close relations between
Armenia and Egypt. On this occasion the Catholicos expressed his
appreciation and gratitude to the Ambassador for the friendly attitude
toward the Egyptian-Armenian community. His Holiness also recalled
his pontifical visit to Egypt in 2000.

During the conversation reference was made to the role of the Armenian
Church in the inter-church and inter-religious dialogue.

At the end of the meeting His Holiness Garegin II wished every success
to the Ambassador in his mission.