Author: Maral Chavushian

RA STATE BUDGETARY REVENUES FROM STATE DUTY GROW BY 12.1%, NON-TAX REVENUES INCREASE 1.3FOLD IN JANUARY-MAY 2007 ON SAME PERIOD OF LAST YEAR

Noyan Tapan
Jun 29 2007

YEREVAN, JUNE 29, NOYAN TAPAN. In January-May 2007, the RA state
budgetary revenues from state duty made over 7.5 bln drams (about 20.9
mln USD), as a result of which the program for the first half of 2007
and the annual program were fulfilled by 93.2% and 39.2% respectively.

According to the RA Ministry of Finance and Economy, the revenues
from state duty grew by 12.1% or 811.1 mln drams on the same period
of 2006, which was mainly conditioned by an increase in duties from
consular services, provision of juridical documents to natural persons,
licensing services.

Non-tax revenues of the state budget amounted to 21.5 bln drams in
January-May 2007, which ensured the fulfilment of the programmed index
for the first half of 2007 by 213.6%: this index exceeded 1.3fold
that of the same period of 2006. The growth in non-tax revenues was
mainly conditioned by 4,6 bln drams paid under the reconciliation
agreement signed with ArmenTel CJSC, 6.8 bln drams transferred to the
state budget as a result of privatization of the Zangezur Copper and
Molybdenum Enterprise CJSC, and by a growth in interest payments from
placement of available budgetary resources.

SURPRISE IN COURT

A1+
[06:42 pm] 28 June, 2007

Pargev Ohanyan, judge of First Instance Court of Kentron and Nork
Marash Communities, did not deliver the anticipated judgment proposing
to recommence the court proceedings. The case concerns proceedings
taken against the president of the "Royal Armenia" company Gagik
Hakobyan and the vice president Aram Ghazaryan.

They are blamed in smuggling and in avoiding carrying out tax and
customs duties. The prosecutors demanded to sentence Gagik Hakobyan
to 12 years of imprisonment, confiscation of 1/3 of property and to
sentence Aram Ghazaryan to 11 years of imprisonment.

The delay of the sentence Mr Ohanyan motivated that the investigation
should be supplemented, i.e.

accounting and economic observations should be examined additionally.

BSEC LEADERS TO OPEN TALKS IN ISTANBUL

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
June 25 2007

Almost two months after taking over the rotating presidency of the
Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), Turkey is hosting a landmark
BSEC summit in Ýstanbul at which a number of issues concerning the
12 member countries, including energy, transportation, trade and
investment, organized crime, combating terrorism and environmental
degradation, will be discussed.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Greek Prime Minister Kostas
Karamanlis, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President
Victor Yushchenko and heads of states or Cabinet leaders from other
member countries Georgia, Bulgaria and Romania are among attendees of
the summit. Armenia, with which Turkey has no diplomatic relations and
which previously announced that it would not attend at the presidential
level, will be represented by Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian. In
April, at a meeting of BSEC foreign ministers held in Belgrade, the
participants signed a memorandum of mutual understanding to launch
projects for the more than 2,000-kilometer-long Black Sea orbital
highway. The Ýstanbul summit is expected to offer an opportunity for
determining the cost of those projects.

Founded in 1992, the countries of BSEC have a combined population
of about 400 million, vast natural resources and developing ties
with the EU. The European Commission has recently applied to become
an observer member of the BSEC, which is, according to diplomatic
sources in Ankara, a strong sign of the EU’s willingness to improve
cooperation with the organization, which now has three joint members
with the bloc: Bulgaria, Greece and Romania. European Commission Vice
President Guenter Verheugen, a former enlargement commissioner widely
known by the Turkish public, is scheduled to attend the summit.

–Boundary_(ID_pAnvgibWxeXapFdQ+PZeuw)–

EUROPE DAY CELEBRATED ON MAY 9

Noyan Tapan
May 10 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 10, NOYAN TAPAN. Europe Day is celebrated on May 9. In
his speech in Paris in 1950, the then foreign minister of France
Robert Schuman propsed a new form of political arrangement in Europe,
whose objective was to rule out war betwen European nations. As a
result of this statement, the European Union was created, and its
50th anniversary is celebrated this year.

According to Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Commissioner for External
Relations and Neighborhood Policy, over this period the EU has become
more than a trading body that coordinates trade and tariff policy of
EU member states.

Today the European Union is a political and economic project uniting
27 European countries and the population of over 450 million.

The EU is actively engaged in various spheres that pose greatest
challenges to mankind in the 21st century. The EU is a strategic
partner for countries around the world on such issues as international
terrorism, climate changes, AIDS/HIV.

The European Union is the largest donor in the world: it provides 60%
of development assistance. The European Commission allocates about
7 billion euros annually for this purpose.

In the words of B. Ferrero-Waldner, the EU’s goal is to relieve
poverty and provide humanitarian aid to those in need. "We are creating
cooperation in trade and investment areas," she said.

The EU launched the European Neighborhood Policy, within the framework
of which the EU signed an Action Plan with Armenia in November
2006. The reform priorities of the Action Plan are called upon to
strengthen democratic structures, human rights and the rule of law,
as well as to assist with economic development, poverty reduction,
regional cooperation and peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict.

According to Benita Ferrero-Waldner, at present the EU helps Armenia
with poverty reduction and implementation of administrative and
legislative reforsm by providing technical assistance in the sphere of
education, as well as budgetary assistance with reforms in agriculture
and the social sector.

World Chess Federation (FIDE)

Oct 19 2006
CHESS : FIDE President Meets with Armenian President Robert Kocharian
His Excellency Kirsan Ilyumzhinov met with Republic of Armenia
President Robert Kocharian and thanked him for his support for chess
development and organization of high level tournaments in Armenia.
Kirsan congratulated him on the achievements of Armenian chess,
citing the recent record:
1. Levon Aronian won the World Cup;
2. The Armenian team won the Olympiad in Turin;
3. The Armenian Women’s team won the European Club Cup; and
4. Zaven Andreasian of Armenia has just won the World Juniors.
The FIDE President elaborated on the Chess in Schools project, citing
the positive experience following the introduction of chess in Kalmyk
schools. President Kocharian was impressed and tasked his Minister of
Education to introduce chess in schools in Armenia.
Kirsan reported on the result of the Kramnik-Topalov World
Championship Match and last month’s Presidential Board Meeting in
Elista.
Based on this experience in the Kramnik-Topalov Match, it was decided
to have anti-computer testing at next year’s World Junior and Girls
Championships, also in Yerevan.
The head of Kalmykia cordially invited President Kocharian to visit
Elista.

Oil for Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Insufficient
PanARMENIAN.Net
31.07.2006 15:23 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The operation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline
proved that the existing infrastructure of the oil transportation in
Azerbaijan obviously exceeds the amount of its production, Zerkalo
newspaper wrote. According to the edition, the situation is quite
expectable, since foreign oil companies suffered big losses at many
Azeri oilfields. According to the latest data, the oil resources in
Azerbaijan make some 7 billion barrels and they will be sufficient
for 42.4 more years while the oil resources in Kazakhstan make 39.6
billion barrels and their production can last some 80 more years.

RA AMBASSADOR VAHAGN MELIKIAN HANDS COPY OF HIS CREDENTIALS TO FOREIGN
MINISTER OF UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

ABU DHABI, JUNE 30, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Vahagn Melikian,
the RA Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates handed copy of his
credentials on June 28 to Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan, the
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates.
The Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates attached importance
to the necessity of more strengthening and deepening the
Armenian-Emirate many-sided relations. Mentioning that since
foundation of the Embassy the Armenian side has paid noticeable
attention especially to development of bilateral commercial and
economic relations, the Minister informed about his readiness to
assist as much as possible creation of new ways and prospects of
mutual cooperation in this sphere.
Ambassador V.Melikian mentioned that regional meaning is given to the
RA Embassy to the United Arab Emirates what proves Armenia’s
increasing interest towards the Persian Gulf region and particularly
readiness of more closing and deepening multiform relations with the
United Arab Emirates. Touching upon the commercial and economic
relations with the two countries, the Ambassador stressed the clear
aimfulness of the Armenian side in the direction of best usage of the
huge potential existing bilaterally. On this occasion, V.Melikian
attached importance to the necessity of more widening the
legal-contractual field between the two countries and creating the
Armenian-Emirate intergovernmental economic commission.

DISCUSSION DELAYED
Lragir/am
22 March 06
The Constitutional Court of Armenia began and postponed the discussion
of the illegitimacy of development in the center of Yerevan on
March 21. Armen Harutiunyan, the ombudsman of Armenia, defends the
interests of thousands of citizens who suffered for the sake of unreal
or suggested elite. The representative of the government is Minister
of Justice Davit Harutiunyan.
The discussion of the question was put off because experts are required
to elucidate the subtleties of the decisions of the government and
courts on eviction.

ArmInfo News Agency
Sept 29 2005
STEPANAKERT’S PARTICIPATION IN KARABAKH PEACE TALKS IS NECESSITY: NKR
PRESIDENT
STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 29. ARMINFO. Stepanakert’s participation in
the Karabakh peace talks is a necessity, President of the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic Arkady Ghoukassyan said during a Wednesday meeting
with the students of two Armenian colleges of Australia who have been
invited to NKR by Australian businessman Hakop Abulakyan, the owner
of Hotel Nairi in Stepanakert.
Ghoukassyan told the students about the current state of the Karabakh
peace process. He expressed regret that Azerbaijan keeps pressuring
the international community to recognizing Armenia as an aggressor.
“That’s why Baku is insisting on bilateral talks with Armenia. As
soon as Azerbaijan realizes that this makes no sense the trilateral
talks will be resumed,” Ghoukassyan said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE PROPOSALS OF THE ARMENIAN SIDE ACCEPTED
National Assembly of RA, Armenia
Sept 27 2005
Gagik Minasyan, Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on
Financial-Credit, Budgetary and Economic Affairs, the head of the
Armenian delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization
of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) on September 21-22
participated in the works of PABSEC. At the 25th meeting of Economic,
Commercial, Technological and Environmental Affairs Committee report
of 18 pages on the development of the transport substructures in
the region was presented. The head of the delegation detailed the
journalists on the report provisions and the proposals of the Armenian
side at September 26 press conference.
The Armenian delegation succeeded to pass four proposals in the
committee. The Armenian MPs expressed concern in connection with
opening the railway avoiding Armenia, which will cause unfavourable
conditions for our country and the region. The Armenian side
brought arguments in favour of the effectiveness of re-operating
the Kars-Gyumri-Tbilisi-Baku railway, proposing to make it TRASECA
corridor. He pointed out, in particular, that in the event of
re-operating this railway, the problems of economic integration
will be solved in four countries of the region, ensuring sustainable
development. And what is the most important, a big investment won’t
be required and millions of tons of freight will be provided.
According to report publication, Rules of Procedure of Assembly,
assignments directed to the authorities of BSEC member countries.
After this meeting the adoption of the drafts related to transport
substructures was proposed to support to the national parliaments
and governments, by which the interests of the region and the very
country will be taken into account.
In the future the report should be approved on November 21-22 in
Tirana, where Armenia will chair.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress