Author: Madatian Greg

MISS IRAQ FLEES A JOB THAT CALLS FOR COURAGE MORE THAN JUST BEAUTY
>From Daniel McGrory in Baghdad
The Times
April 13, 2006
IT IS proving as hard to find a beauty queen as it is to find a prime
minister in Iraq.
Exhausted by the time their politicians are taking to agree on a
leader, the country thought it had at least succeeded in choosing a
Miss Iraq.
But last night the people’s choice — Tamar Goregian, 23, a blonde
student with photogenic pout — was in hiding in neighbouring Jordan,
having hastily renounced her crown after death threats from Islamic
extremists.
Only six days ago she was revelling in her victory, blinking back
tears of joy as she told admirers crammed into a Baghdad nightclub
that “maybe beauty is the final step to end the violence here and
preach peace after all”.
Organisers had hoped that her appearance at the Miss Universe contest
in Los Angeles in July would show the world a different image of
Iraq. By yesterday they were searching for a replacement after
fundamentalists denounced Miss Goregian, an Armenian Christian, as
“the Queen of Infidels”. The two runners-up, both Muslim, swiftly
declined the crown.
Last night it was left to the fourth-placed contestant, Silva Sahagian,
23, another Christian, to assume the mantle. “Our politicians should
have more to worry about than whether Miss Iraq should go to America,”
she said. “I cannot believe the extremists would do anything to a
beauty queen.” A civil engineering student in Baghdad, she added:
“I want to show the world Iraq has beauty and education and talent
instead of just bloodshed.”
Staging the world’s most dangerous beauty pageant proved tricky from
the start. Merely to visit a nightclub is to invite kidnapping or
worse. The event was held in secret to avoid prying eyes, and nine
of the twenty finalists got cold feet on the day of the contest and
dropped out.
To avoid offending sensibilities any further, contestants were
requested to wrap a sarong over their one-piece bathing suits as they
paraded for the judges. But in a nod to democracy, the audience was
allowed to vote for the winner.
The organiser, who was too afraid to give his name, said: “We have
no hard feelings towards Tamar Goregian. She couldn’t handle it and
is frightened for her family. She just sent us an e-mail and ran.”
Miss Sahagian, who has shoulder-length auburn hair and hazel eyes
and chose an all-pink outfit for the contest, insists that her
fellow contestants were professional women and not “airheads”. Their
traditional mantra about ” wanting to do their part for world peace”
resonates in Baghdad.
Yesterday brought the usual catalogue of mayhem. A car bomb killed
at least 26 people and injured 70 outside a Shia mosque north of
Baghdad. The explosion in Howaydir was the latest in a wave of attacks
against Iraq’s Shia majority.
Three other car bombs around the country killed eight people. Gunmen
killed three government officials as the Interior Minister admitted
that death squads are operating among Iraq’s security forces. Two US
soldiers died after an attack on their vehicle, bringing the number
killed already this month to thirty-three — two more than in the
whole of March.
Iraq’s parliament, meanwhile, announced plans to meet next week in
an effort to break a three-month impasse over who should be prime
minister. The majority Shia parties had promised a resolution by
yesterday over the fate of Ibrahim Jaafari — the embattled incumbent,
who is bitterly opposed by the Sunni and Kurdish factions — but now
say they need more time.
It remains to be seen whether Mr Jaafari lasts longer in office than
the latest Miss Iraq.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
04/12/2006
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM 1) Kocharian Meets With Two US Congressmen And MCC CEO 2) Baku Objects to Euro Parliament Survey in Nakhichevan 3) Turkish Television to Air Egoyan's Film about Armenian Genocide 4) Armenian Navy Band Wins World Music Award 5) Two Soldiers, 12 Kurds Killed in Turkey Clash 6) Obituary 1) Kocharian Meets With Two US Congressmen And MCC CEO YEREVAN (Combined Sources)--US Congressman Jim Kolbe, Congressman Scott Garrett, and Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Chief Executive Officer John J. Danilovich are visiting Armenia as a part of their regional tour to review government, economic, and military issues in the South Caucasus. As part of their trip, Representatives Kolbe and Garrett, and Ambassador Danilovich will visit MCC and other United States Government-funded assistance project sites throughout Armenia. In their meetings with Armenian government officials, the delegation will discuss US-Armenian bilateral relations, civil society development, and the importance of free and fair elections in Armenia in 2007 and 2008. But the $235 million assistance to be provided under the Bush administration's Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) program was the main focus of Representatives Kolbe's and Garrett's talks with President Robert Kocharian and other Armenian leaders. The two lawmakers and Danilovich also met with local businessmen and representatives of non-governmental organizations. Kolbe, who chairs the Appropriations Committee of the US House of Representatives, described the meetings as "very productive." "We believe that this is a dynamic new way of delivering foreign assistance to countries that have shown a commitment to the rule of law and to an open society," he said, referring to MCA. "Transformational economic development must go hand in hand with political democracy, and that's why Armenia has been chosen [for MCA funding]." "We believe this is a country which is moving forward in that area," he added. Speaking to reporters, Kolbe specifically noted that he trusts the Kocharian administration's pledges to ensure proper conduct of Armenia's next parliamentary and presidential elections due in 2007 and 2008 respectively. But he said the United States will closely monitor the entire electoral processes to see if they meet Yerevan's MCA commitments. "We would not embark on this program if we were not confident that the Armenian authorities are committed to free elections," he said. Kocharian was quoted by his office as assuring the visiting congressmen and the chief executive of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, John Danilovich, that "Armenia remains committed to strengthening democracy and liberalism." Kocharian also thanked the US government for the release of extra US aid to Armenia within the frameworks of the MCC, saying that Armenia remains committed to strengthening of democracy and liberal market relations, for which the MCC aid is intended for. He noted the importance of the aid, because it targets mainly rural populations by improving rural infrastructure reconstructing irrigation systems. 2) Baku Objects to Euro Parliament Survey in Nakhichevan YEREVAN (PanArmenian.Net)--Top Azeri officials said that they might allow a European Parliament (EP) delegation to survey the destroyed Armenian cemetery in Julfa, Nakhichevan, "only with the condition of bilateral survey," APA reports. The EP decided last week that a delegation composed of members of the Commission on EU-Armenia parliamentary cooperation will visit Julfa as part of their trip to Armenia from April 17-21. The aim of the mission is to investigate Azerbaijan's destruction of the Armenian cemetery in Julfa. Prior to traveling to Julfa, they will need to get the necessary authorization from Azeri authorities. The mission is being sent in accordance with the EP's resolution "on cultural heritage in Azerbaijan," which "demands that Azerbaijan allow missions, including experts working with ICOMOS, who are dedicated to surveying and protecting archaeological heritage, in particular Armenian heritage, onto its territory, and that it also allow a European Parliament delegation to visit the archaeological site at Julfa." 3) Turkish Television to Air Egoyan's Film about Armenian Genocide ANKARA (AFP)--A private television station will broadcast a movie about the Armenian genocide for the first time in Turkey, where the subject still arouses nationalistic sentiments, a spokesman for the channel said. Kanalturk decided to show "Ararat" by Canadian-Armenian director Atom Egoyan after a survey of viewers revealed that 72 percent of the participants wanted to see the film, the spokesman said. "We will show the movie with no cuts or censoring," he added. The film's showing, at prime time on Thursday, will be followed by a roundtable discussion by Turkish and Armenian intellectuals and historians about the Genocide, which took place during the last years of the Ottoman Empire. Even though the Turkish government did not prohibit the showing of the film, which was released in 2002, an Istanbul company was forced in 2004 to drop plans to screen the movie because of potential protests that would have required police presence in theaters. Turks have only recently begun to discuss the Armenian genocide of 1915-1923, one of the most controversial episodes in Turkish history. To this day, Turkey categorically rejects that genocide took place. Egoyan's film deals with the estranged members of a contemporary Armenian family, who are faced with both Turkey's denial of genocide and their own individual plight. 4) Armenian Navy Band Wins World Music Award YEREVAN (ArmeniaNow.com)--Armenia's favorite exotic ensemble, the Armenian Navy Band won last week the "Audience Award" of the prestigious BBC World Music Awards. The 12 member Armenian Navy Band was selected as a finalist two months ago through online voting by fans. Four groups, including three others from Brazil, Iraq and Italy, were judged by a panel of music critics and Armenian Navy Band came out on top. The group's founder and percussionist/vocalist Arto Tuncboyaciyan appeared at the BBC Awards ceremony and gave a 20-minute performance. 5) Two Soldiers, 12 Kurds Killed in Turkey Clash DIYARBAKIR (Reuters)--Two Turkish soldiers and 12 Kurdish militants were killed during a clash in a mountainous part of Turkey's troubled southeast, officials said on Wednesday. The clash, on Tuesday evening in the Sirnak province near the Iraqi border, coincides with increased tensions in the mainly Kurdish region after recent street battles between protesters and security forces. The Sirnak governor's office said in a statement that the 12 Kurds who lost their lives--members of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)--refused an army demand to lay down their weapons and opened fire on the troops, killing two sergeants. The slain PKK members included two women. Troops also discovered and destroyed PKK hideouts containing explosive materials, the statement said. Military operations in the area, backed up by helicopter gunships, are continuing, it added. Tuesday's clash was the latest in a string of incidents, which have sparked fears of a return to the kind of large-scale violence that dogged Turkey's southeast in the 1980s and 1990s. That violence, in which more than 30,000 people were killed, tapered off following the capture of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan in 1999. But it has picked up again since the PKK called off a unilateral ceasefire in 2004. Last week, security forces killed six PKK members in the southeast. On Monday, a Turkish soldier was killed by a remote-controlled mine in the region. Sixteen people were killed and many more injured during recent street battles between PKK supporters and the security forces in Diyarbakir and other cities across the southeast. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan discussed the situation with lawmakers from the region on Tuesday evening, but Turkish media said he rejected a call for a general amnesty for PKK members. Erdogan also said he would not talk with leaders of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) because they would not denounce the PKK as a terrorist organization. The European Union and the United States have put the PKK on their terrorism blacklist. But following the recent street violence, the EU, which Turkey aspires to join, has also stepped up its demands for Ankara to improve the economic conditions and cultural rights of its Kurdish citizens. 6) Obituary We are saddened to report the death of educator, journalist, and community activist Kohar Tololian on Tuesday, April 11, 2006. Tololian died in Boston's Mount Auburn Hospital after a short illness. The funeral will be held on April 18 in Boston. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2006 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT TO DISCUSS BILL ON LIBRARIES
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
April 11 2006
Yerevan, April 11. /ARKA/. The RA Parliament intends to consider a bill
“On libraries”, Deputy Director of the RA National Library, Secretary
of the Armenian Library Association Rafik Ghazaryan told reporters,
summing up the results of the national library week.
According to him, the adoption of this law will facilitate legal
protection of libraries and librarians.
“Mechanisms of applying the law for consolidating the public’s
relations with libraries need to be elaborated as well,” he said.
According to Ghazaryan, over 1,000 libraries operating in Armenia now
are unable to properly perform their functions because of the lack
of new acquisitions, poor material and technical base, and lack of
professional personnel.
Ghazaryan pointed out that over 200 events were organized throughout
Armenia as part of the library week both for librarians and for
large sections of the population. “Arrangements like this arouse more
interest in libraries,” he said.
In this context, Director of the RA National Library, Chairman of
the Armenian Library Association David Sargsyan stressed that the
role of public libraries is ensuring appropriate development of the
young generation and maintaining a high cultural and scientific level
of society.
He pointed out the assistance rendered by the RA Foreign Office, local
government bodies, “Antares Holding” Ltd and “Second-hand Bookseller”
Ltd and the Armenian Fund of Culture.
The National Library Week was held in Armenia on April 3-10, 2006.
This is the 5th library week organized on the initiative of the
Armenian Library Association.

NATO OFFICIAL, AZERI LEADERS MULL GARABAGH, US-IRAN TENSION
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 11 2006
Baku, April 10, AssA-Irada
NATO backs a peaceful settlement to the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh
conflict and sees mutual efforts by Azerbaijan and Armenia as
pivotal to settle the long-standing dispute, the visiting special
representative of the alliance’s Secretary General to South Caucasus
and Central Asia, Robert Simmons, has said.
Simmons said the Garabagh conflict and the US-Iran tension will be
in focus of his discussions in Azerbaijan. He will also monitor the
country’s progress in fulfilling its commitments on the Individual
Partnership Plan.
Simmons emphasized that the NATO-Azerbaijan cooperation is successfully
developing. The first stage of the Partnership Plan is drawing to
a close and the activities to be carried out within the next stage
have already been discussed with Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.
The head of the Azeri delegation at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly
Ziyafat Asgarov said in a meeting with Simmons on Monday that Armenia’s
policy of aggression is the only hurdle in the way of NATO-Azerbaijan
collaboration.
“Armenia’s territorial claims pose a threat not only to Azerbaijan
but the entire South Caucasus region,” he said.
Simmons has met with President Ilham Aliyev to discuss prospects for
cooperation. He also held meetings with Ministers for Defense Safar
Abiyev and Interior Ramil Usubov.

AZERI NGOS TO SUBMIT DATA ON GARABAGH CONFLICT TO THE HAGUE
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 11 2006
Baku, April 10, AssA-Irada
A group of local NGOs intends to send 85 volumes of unique archive
material on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict
to the International Tribunal in The Hague.
The work has been carried out by the Center for Refugee Rights chaired
by the well-known Latvian journalist, Tatyana Chaladze, and the Public
Association for the Protection of Migrants and IDPs in Azerbaijan,
both members of the Civil Society Development Association.
The documentary material about Garabagh, collected by Chaladze
over four years, is now being converted into electronic format and
translated into English, a source from the Association said.

KARABAKH ANALYST: ILHAM ALIYEV JUSTIFIES MILITARIZATION AND HYPER-CENTRALIZATION BY KARABAKH FACTOR
15:44 04/07/2006
“Oil drug heavily influenced minds of Azerbaijani politicians: their
optimism, caused by inflow of oil dollars into Azerbaijani economy
and Azerbaijan’s advantages concerning Armenia turns into bragging and
creating political mythology, which are very dangerous for societies,”
stated Karabakh analyst David Karabekyan to REGNUM.
At the same time, he stressed, most likely Baku will intensify
its activity in foreign policy in future, wishing to strengthen its
positions as independent actor of sub-regional and regional politics,
that more and more firmly and harder proclaims its interests and
readiness to defend them. “In the situation, when the neighboring
country strengthens its pressure on us, it is necessary to defend
our position more fundamentally, more heartily to correct errors,
look for resources to solve problems. I personally believe that to
deal with aggressive regime, propagating hatred against Armenia,
is the same as to put out fire with petrol or to try to calm down
predator with victim’s meat. Every new concession will cause new
demand,” said David Karabekyan.
The analyst stressed, by manipulating the Karabakh factor, Azerbaijani
leaders solve questions of internal policy and of their power’s
strengthening. “Manipulating the Karabakh factor, Aliyev-senior
succeeded in dismissing his fellow countrymen from Nakhichevan Abulfaz
Elchibey from the presidential post, and conjointly, having clearly
calculated political state of affairs in the country and around
Transcaucasia, he got rid of competitors-representatives of national
security, defense and law enforcement agencies, and opponents, as well
as suppressed mutinies in Lenkoran and people’s liberation movement
of Lezghins, living in the North of Azerbaijan,” said David Karabekyan.
According to the analyst, Aliyev-junior smartly uses the factor for
justifying of military expenditures growth, hyper-centralization of
governing, and abundantly wide and active participation of power
structures’ representatives in social and political life of the
country. “As for the struggle against opposition, everything is
easy and effective here. Like his father, Aliyev-junior succeeded
in persuading Azeri and international community, that the post
and political niche, occupied by him, are exactly those, he is
to occupy and will do it for benefit of all and everyone. In
contrast to impulsive and unpredictable Saakashvili, Aliyev is
predictable and bears certain traditions. It means, unlike his
opponents-oppositionists, Aliyev-junior intends to carry out
more reserved and considered policy in direction Russia-West and
Iran-Turkey-Russia-USA. Evidence of it is pretended successes of his
regime, which are proclaimed by Azerbaijani propaganda to be real,
in Karabakh settlement, economy, and growth of Azerbaijani factor in
regional policy,” said David Karabekyan.
The analyst believes, forces opposing to the current regime are not
able to change fundamentally the situation in the country, whereas the
ruling regime demonstrate that it anyhow pushes the country forward.

Former ruling party hits at Armenia gas deal with Russia as “disgraceful”
Arminfo
8 Apr 06
Yerevan, 7 April: A former ruling party of Armenia, the Armenian
Pan-National Movement [APNM], is against the “disgraceful” deal the
Armenian authorities have struck with Russia’s Gazprom company, and
views the move as dangerous for the country’s national security.
Under the pretext of lowering gas tariffs, the current authorities in
reality are making yet another attempt to retain their grip on power
and hold a “self-election”, the party told Arminfo.
The APNM believes that there is no political, economic, or social
justification for the sale of the fifth bloc of the Razdan power
station in return for the “dubious” lowering of gas tariffs for
consumers.
Handing over control over the energy grid to another country is
nothing but the loss of the most important basis of independence,
particularly given the fact that this deal brought Russia’s share in
the structure of Armenia’s energy sector close to 100 per cent, the
party said in a statement.
As was the case with the property-for-debt deal, the property of the
Armenian state was sold at a lower price, whereas the fifth bloc of
the power station in two or three years could have fully covered the
price for which it was sold.
The party believes that all government arguments that the deal is
aimed at resolving social problems of people are “dishonest lies”.
Moreover, all of the 248.8m dollars will be channelled to a special
Defence Ministry account, which is not transparent at all.
Therefore, on the one hand, the disgraceful deal is aimed at softening
the consequences of the price rise ahead of the parliamentary and
presidential elections. On the other, the incumbent authorities will
be able to use the funds to stay in office, the statement read.

Armenian energy minister denies deal to hand Russia control of gas
pipeline from Iran
AP Worldstream; Apr 07, 2006

Armenia’s energy minister denied Friday that the impoverished Caucasus
Mountain nation had struck a deal with Russia’s state-run gas monopoly
to hand it control of part of a new Armenian-Iranian gas pipeline.
OAO Gazprom a day earlier announced that it had struck a 25-year-deal
giving Gazprom’s Armenian joint venture ownership rights to the
Armenian segment of a planned pipeline bringing Iranian gas to the
country and an electricity power generating unit.
Energy Minister Armen Movsisian, said that the pipeline was still
under construction and therefore “it cannot be sold.”
He insisted that Armenia had only agreed to transfer control of the
country’s Razdan-5 gas-fired power plant for almost US$250 million
(A205 million).
The deal was expected to draw fire from Armenia’s opposition, which
has expressed concern over Russia’s already heavy control over the
small, landlocked country’s energy infrastructure.
But Movsisian said the proceeds from the deal _ which will give
Gazprom the right to export electricity from the power plant unit _
were needed to soften the effect for the population of a doubling in
the price of Russian natural gas supplies.
The agreement sets a price for Armenia of US$110 (A90) per thousand
cubic meters of gas up to Jan. 1, 2009, according to a Gazprom
statement _ roughly twice what Armenia has paid in recent years.
Armenia earlier had turned over control for its national gas transport
system to a Russia-Armenian joint venture, ArmRosGaz, in which Gazprom
and an affiliated company control 55 percent.
Gazprom has sharply raised prices recently for Ukraine, Georgia and
Moldova, arguing that it is merely ending subsidies to ex-Soviet
republics and bringing the rates closer to market prices. The gas
giant is the dominant energy supplier in the former Soviet Union, and
has sought to take over pipeline networks, power grids and other
energy infrastructure in neighboring states.
Critics, including some Western countries, say the Kremlin is using
Russia’s energy wealth as a political and economic weapon.
Armenia is Russia’s chief ally in the poor, but strategic Caucasus
Mountain region and hosts a Russian military base.
Russia already largely controls the Razdan-5 plant, the country’s main
electricity producer, and Armenia is wholly dependent on Moscow for
gas supplies.

DOES AMALIAN WORK IN “A1+” FAVOUR?
A1+
[03:39 pm] 04 April, 2006
“Serious Shakes Are Required”
“Keep Silent In Order To Servive”
“The best and the most efficient way of power maintenance is to gain
control over the mass media,” the President of the Yerevan Press
Club Boris Navasardian declared today in the club “Mirror” during
the debate on “Freedom of Speech in Armenia.”
According to him the withdrawal of speech freedom in Armenia is
connected with the embattlement of “A1+” on April 2. “Today the working
TV channels do not implement a number of public matters. They do not
face the problem of educating conscious society. Mr.
Navasardian claims that today printed press has more freedom than
television and radio. This is determined by the absence of the National
Commission on TV and Radio or some other suchlike body in the press.
The Chairman of the TV Company “A1+” Mesrop Movsesian who was also
invited to the club “Mirror” does not think that the attempts of
the media while speaking of speech freedom are not sincere. “After
“A1+”s embattlement in 2002 19 mass media signed a document that the
speech freedom is under threat in Armenia.”
By that step they testified to the fact of their countering problems
and solved their future. Anyway, the TV channels did not understand the
role and function of speech freedom . Being guided by their interests
they preferred to compromise in the matter of speech freedom, to keep
silent and to survive.”
Continuing Mr. Movsesian’s words Mr. Navasardian mentioned that
the presidents of our TV channels still live with the nostalgia of
the USSR.
“Nowadays the mass media cannot freely make decisions; differentiate
between white and black. They are dictated from the authorities whom
to criticize and whom to praise. This is a serious public matter.
Serious shakes are necessary on order to get out of the situation. I
do not challenge to instigate a revolution. The shake can be the
settlement of “A1+”s problem in the European Court. Mr. Movsesian
reminded that “A1+” will participate in the licence tendence on April
7 initiated by the National Commission on TV and Radio. In response
to the journalists’ question concerning “A1+”‘s expectance from the
contest Mr.
Movsesian said, “” Let the authorities care for it, as their promises
are already known. Everything is to end sooner or later.”
One of the journalists asked Mr. Movsesian to comment on the National
Commission on TV and Radio President Grigor Amalian’s announcement
according to which “A1+” has rather won than lost within the 4
years’ embattlement by being rejected in the tendencies, and gaining
reputation in international institutions. Mr.
Movsesian reminded that “A1+” was rejected in the tendencies by
Amalian and instead of announcing such nonsense Amalian had a good
opportunity to put an end to this story and could give the company a
broadcasting licence. By the way, the presidents of all TV channels
refused to participate in the debate on “Freedom of Speech in Armenia”
We can only conclude that everything is “O.K.” in the sphere of speech
freedom in Armenia.

4.2% OF GROWTH IN CONSUMER PRICES REGISTERED IN FIRST QUARTER OF 2006
Noyan Tapan
Apr 04 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. The tendency of growth in prices
registered in January-February on RA consumer market continued in
2006 March, as a result of which the total growth in prices during
the 3 months amounted to 4.2%.
The consumer prices grew by 0.4% in March compared with February
(a 0.9% of fall in prices was registered in the same period of the
previous year).
According to the data of RA National Statistical Service, a 0.5% growth
in prices for foodstuffs (including alcoholic drinks and cigarettes)
and a 0.5% of growth in prices for non-foodstuffs was registered in
2006 March compared with February and in the sphere of services the
total level of tariffs remained unchanged. The index of consumer prices
amounted to 104.2% in 2006 March compared with 2005 December, including
that of foodstuffs (including alcoholic drinks and cigarettes) 105.9%,
non-foodstuffs 100.6% and tariffs for services 100.4%.
In 2006 March compared with the same month of 2005 the index of
consumer prices made 100.3%, including that of foodstuffs (including
alcoholic drinks and cigarettes) 99.2%, non-foodstuffs 102.6%,
tariffs for services 102.9%, and in January-March compared with 2005
January-March 99.1%, 97.7%, 101.9% and 102.7%, respectively. In 2006
March compared with 2002 March the index of consumer prices amounted
to 116.4%, including that of foodstuffs (including alcoholic drinks and
cigarettes) 122%, non-foodstuffs 105.5%, tariffs for services 105.5%.