Author: Nahapetian Samvel

CONGRESS OF ORINATS YERKIR WILL TAKE PLACE IN FALL

Lragir.am
23 June 06

Arthur Baghdasaryan, the leader of the Orinats Yerkir Party announced
June 23 that the economy of Armenia is oligarchic. "52, 500 companies
are officially registered in the Republic of Armenia. 100 companies
pay 70 percent of the stare budget. Whereas, small and medium-sized
enterprises pay 80 percent of the budget in the world." "In this
country the wealth is in the hands of a group of people. In a
country where there is no free economy, there is no freely developing
small and medium-sized business, oligarchic economy cannot produce
forceful guarantees for the development of the country," says Arthur
Baghdasaryan, and notices that another undesirable phenomenon is
reported in Armenia. "Unfortunately, power and money is concentrated,
strongmen and fraud dominate, the goal is to buy everything, control
every moving and breathing being. Considering these circumstances, we
must realize that a quadruped cannot fly. Oligarchs may become rich,
develop an oligarchic economy, common people will not taste the fruits
of economic development, because the rich will become richer and the
poor will become poorer."

The purpose of concentration of power and money, according to Arthur
Baghdasaryan, "is an effort to create a system, and push people into
despair and say that elections are worth nothing in this country. It
is not so, and we must struggle for a normal electoral system, for
the rule of law, not the rule of money and strongmen."

For this purpose Orinats Yerkir will start a series of political
consultations with "healthy political forces." And in fall the
congress of the Orinats Yerkir Party will be held, and the political
priorities will be set. Details will be given in fall. For the time
being, the leader of Orinats Yerkir announces, "we will be fighting
for the victory of the good and beauty. We will be fighting against
everyone who wants to buy everything, who want to lead the country
to destruction by imposing the power of lie."

TOROSYAN’S "BURDEN IS HEAVY"

A1+
[08:29 pm] 22 June, 2006

TIGRAN TOROSYAN IS LOOKING FOR A SUBSTITUTOR

NA Speaker Tigran Torosyan wants to resign from the post of the PACE RA
delegation head as he thinks there are "certain problems the solution
of which is connected with his stay in Armenia."

Then he adds that "there is another matter of serious concern;"
4 reports on Armenia will be heard in the PACE, starting from the
NKR conflict and ending with the issue of our liabilities. "We must
realize whom we appoint and who is to take that heavy burden on his
shoulders." By the way, the head of the delegation is appointed by
the NA Speaker that’s to say by Tigran Torosyan.

No question connected with Armenia will be discussed during the June
session of PACE but as Torosyan claims "the Azerbaijanis will somehow
connect the matters concerning them with Karabakh and Armenia." "It
is their business, but we must be ready for everything," said NA
Speaker Tigran Torosyan during his first press release. The issue
of the Azeri liabilities will be discussed at the coming session in
connection with the May parliamentary reelections. The session of
Standing Committee on the Karabakh issue will be convened during the
PACE June session during which Torosyan’s suggestion to change the
format of the committee will likely be affirmed and the committee
members will be reduced as a result.

TURKS WILL BE TURKS

"Turkey doesn’t respect the principles professed by the country and
on the bases of these principles the country wants to integrate into
the European family completely," maintains NA Speaker. An excellent
testify to it is yesterday’s incident when eggs were thrown at the
cars meeting the Catholicos of All Armenians in Istanbul.

"The issue of religious freedom will be put on the agenda of the
forthcoming PACE session and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdoghan is to make a speech. I wonder how he will comment on this
situation. This action characterizes the Turks and has nothing to do
with the supreme Patriarch of All Armenians."

TOROSYAN PREFFER SOCHI

None of the RA NA deputies will be present at the seminar organized
by Rose Road on "Russia- NATO; security issues in South Caucasus"
in the scope of NATO which will be convened in Sochi on June 22 – 24.

In Tigran Torosyan’s words this is conditioned by Mher Shageldyan’s
resignation from the post of the RA delegation head in the NATO
Parliamentary Assembly. At first NA Speaker learned about the
resignation from the newspapers and then he got Mher Shageldyan’s
application. The latter informed through the media that his
resignation is to certain extent determined by the fact that Tigran
Torosyan hindered his visit to the USA in the framework of the NATO
Parliamentary Assembly.

Today Mr. Torosyan informed that he attaches greater importance to
the Sochi seminar as it will refer to the Karabakh issue.

GOVERNMENT DISPELS CRIMINAL CASE SUSPICIONS
Hakob Badalyan

Lragir.am
23 June 06

Many people might think that the June 22 accident in Malatia-Sebastia
Community in Yerevan is just another criminal skirmish, another act
of settling accounts, which has become a usual thing in Armenia.

Perhaps, everything is not as simple as it might seem at first sight.

What happened in Armenia is really a usual thing, which is built
and supported. However, as a phenomenon it is much larger in scope
than just a skirmish. The accident in Malatia-Sebastia Community is
a manifestation of controversies inside the Armenian government. It
does not mean that the gunmen and the target are involved in these
controversies. The phenomenon itself is related to the atmosphere
inside the government, and it is not accidental that after a long
pause a skirmish took place at a moment when different branches of
the power are seriously concerned about their future, for they have
deep suspicions that the political career of the present system,
which guarantees their existence, is coming to its end. There are
a number of examples. These concerns naturally affect the criminal
as well, let alone that most government forces are the pageboys of
this criminal. And if the criminal is shattered, which underlies the
power pyramid, it will become impossible to keep it. Consequently,
the aim is clear – to assure the forces and the criminal gathered at
the "sides of power" that the government keeps the situation under
control. And the criminal accepts only one proof – freedom of actions,
which was enabled on the very first opportunity. It was necessary
to assure that nothing has changed, everyone remains in their scope
of "rights and duties," the power-criminal "framework" agreement
remains. For the Police, it watches the public to prevent them from
making changes to the agreement. It is a real danger for the future
of the government because the criminal will endanger the government
sooner than the public. As soon as it discovers that the government
may lose the levers of guarantees of the criminal, it will not wait
to see how the developments will end.

Concerned about their own fate, the criminal will not wait for a
new government; it will establish a new government for itself as
soon as it doubts the "efficiency" of the old one. Consequently,
we may surely suppose that the necessity to relieve the doubts of
the criminal environment emerged in the context of home political
and pre-election developments.

THE KARS-AKHALKALAKI RAILWAY: GOOD FOR GEORGIA?
M. Alkhazashvili

The Messenger, Georgia
June 22 2006

The Financial Committee of the U.S. Congress has forbidden American
companies from investing in the Kars-Akhalkalaki railway. However, even
if U.S. companies don’t finance the project it will be quite possible
to other sources of funding. Turkey is more than ready to bear the
cost, but just how beneficial is this project going to be for Georgia?

Economist Gia Khukhashvili argues that it is necessary to conduct
market research, as it could well turn out that the railway will
redirect cargo which had been passing through Georgian ports, which
would ultimately be detrimental to the Georgian economy.

"It may result in catastrophic conditions for Georgian ports. The
government has not thought the decision through. Serious analytical
works must be conducted; problems should not be created for our
ports, only if this is guaranteed will the project be beneficial"
said Khukhashvili in the newspaper Rezonansi.

Analyst Emzar Jgerenaia is far more skeptical. According to him
operating the Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku railway line won’t
bring any economic benefits for Georgia at all. "The construction
of the railway needs a lot of investment, the line runs through an
earthquake zone and additional works will be needed," Jgerenaia said
in Khvalindeli Dghe.

Some analysts believe that it would be more profitable to focus on
the needs of neighbouring Armenia. According to Akhali Taoba, Georgia
should consider Armenia’s concern over building the Kars-Akhalkalaki
railway and its interest in the reopening of the Sokhumi-Tbilisi
line. By discussing this issue with Russia, Georgia could find itself
in a stronger bargaining position on the conflict in Abkhazia.

"It is not ruled out that the Kars-Akhalkalaki project and the
reopening of the railway line in Abkhazia may have profound effects
on the reintegration process in Abkhazia," says the newspaper Akhali
Taoba.

But these statements are mostly conjectural, as there has been no
detailed costing of the proposed railway, and no funds have yet been
raised. The opinions are primarily conditioned by political, rather
than economic, attitudes to the issue.

CIS RADIO STATIONS MAY BROADCAST SOCIAL ADVERTISING AGAINST XENOPHOBIA

Yerevan, June 21. ArmInfo. Yerevan "Radio VAN" created a special
social advertising raising the problem of the fight against xenophobia,
specifically, the national hostility toward Armenians.

The advertising was distributed to different radio stations in Russia.

"Radio VAN" Program Director Gor Grigoyan, more known as presenter
Yegor Glumov, told ArmInfo the social advertising was sent to 200
radio stations throughout the CIS, including 180 in Russia. He
said the advertising has a wide response among foreign colleagues,
many of whom supported the initiative. G. Grigoryan said the idea of
creating the social advertising originated after Moscow Government
resolved to erect a monument for a dog at Moscow Underground. To
note, the model Uliana Romanova stabbed the aforementioned dog with
nickname "Malchik" ("Boy") to death in public. The employees of Moscow
Underground were taking care of the dog for a long time. G. Grigoryan
is indignant at the positive attitude of Moscow Government to homeless
animals simultaneously with the negligence of a series of murders
of Armenians in Moscow. In the social advertising entitled "Mother
named me Khachik" the presenter Yegor Glumov says the following:
"I am Khachatur. Khachatur Vardanyan. Mommy named me Khachik after my
grandpa, who I have never seen. He was killed in 1942 near Moscow,
and I was killed in 2006 in Moscow. For the last 10 years, over one
thousand of Armenians were killed in Russia. Is it war? "

ARMENIA’S FOREIGN DEBT DOWN 3.8%

Armenpress
Jun 21 2006

YEREVAN, JUNE 21, ARMENPRESS: Armenia’s overall debt by the end of
March was around 533 billion Drams, of which 52.3 billion was domestic
debt and the rest, which in terms of US Dollars amounted to $1.110
billion, was foreign debt.

According to Armenian economy and finance ministry, the volume of
foreign debt was down 3.8 percent form a year ago. Armenia owes
the bulk of its foreign debt, almost 69 percent, or $764 million,
to World Bank and 15.6 percent or $173 million to the International
Monetary Fund (IMF).

Armenia has also borrowed from Germany-$72.2 million, $40 million from
the USA, $41.1 million form the International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD). It owes also to EBRD, France and some other
organizations.

SPEAKER: POLITICAL ATMOSPHERE IMPROVEMENT IN ARMENIA AND DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS TO LAY FAVORABLE GROUND FOR FURTHER INTEGRATION IN EUROPE

Arka News Agency, Armenia
June 21 2006

YEREVAN, June 21. /ARKA/. Political atmosphere improvement in Armenia
and democratic elections will pave the republic’s way to further
integration in Europe, Armenian National Assembly Speaker Tigran
Toroysan said during his meeting wit German Ambassador to Armenia
Heike Renate Peitch.

He is convinced the amended Electoral Code can produce insufficient
effect and thinks better political environment is needed to conduct
up-to-democratic-standards national elections.

Torosyan finds political parties’ hostile attitude toward each other
unacceptable. At the same time, he stressed the importance of rivalry
and competition among them.

He also said some 60 Armenian laws will be adjusted to the new
Constitution.

RA FOREIGN MINISTER TO MEET IN KIEV WITH PRESIDENT, PRIME MINISTER AND FOREIGN MINISTER OF UKRAINE

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 19 2006

KIEV, JUNE 19, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. RA Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian paid an official visit to Kiev on June 18. As Noyan
Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information
Department, the Minister’s meetings with President of Ukraine Victor
Yushchenko, Prime Minister Yuri Yekhanurov and Foreign Minister Boris
Tarasyuk are scheduled for June 19.

RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian will leave Kiev for Geneva on
June 20 to participate in the opening sitting of the UN Human Rights
Council.

Minister Oskanian’s meetings with representatives of the Armenian
community of Switzerland are also envisaged in Geneva.

Minister Oskanian will return Armenia on June 21.

KARABAKH IS OPEN FOR IWG

Lragir.am
20 June 06

The representatives of the International Working Group /IWG/
for Search of Missing, Captives and Release of POWs are visiting
Stepanakert. The German co-chair of the IWG Bernhard Clasen told the
reporter of Lragir.am that during his meeting a number of definite
issues and the prospects of cooperation with the government agencies of
Karabakh must be discussed. Bernhard Clasen said during their meetings
with the government agencies in charge of POWs it became clear that
all the doors remain open for the IWG. He said that Azerbaijan also
knows it. In answer to the question whether they have visited placed
where POW’s might be kept, Bernhard Clasen said they do not have
such a mission. He called the families of the missing to report any
information they have to them.

The question of the missing and captives is one of the most complicated
issues in the Karabakh-Azerbaijani relations. The governmental and
non-governmental organizations of both sides present lists of thousands
of missing people. However, experts say 14 years have already passed
since the armistice and it is not probable that captives will be kept
at homes or in prison. In other words, the efforts of the international
organizations are directed at finding out the fate of the missing
rather than searching for these people.

Answering the question of Lragir.am, Bernhard Clasen, nevertheless,
did not deny that some people may still be alive but the chance to find
them is getting smaller and smaller. The German human rights defender
commended the decision of the PACE to appoint a special reporter on
the missing after 14 years. Bernhard Clasen said during his visit to
Yerevan Leo Platvoet met with their coordinator in Armenia Karineh
Minasyan. Platvoet proposed to set up a Karabakh-Armenia-Azerbaijan
committee for the search of captives. The delegation of IWG also
includes Co-Chair Paata Zakareashvili, the Azerbaijani coordinator
Avaz Hasanov and the Armenian coordinator Karineh Minasyan.

GREEN ZONES DIMINISHED BY 61%

Panorama.am
16:56 16/06/06

Green zones per one person have diminished by 61% during the recent 10
years sharply increasing risks for desertification, Karine Danielayn,
chairwoman of "For Human Stable Development" public organization,
told a discussion jointly organized with UN. This is a result of
enlarged city building activities and in case of continuing with the
same speed Yerevan will become a desert in the coming next years,
she said. Today is June 17. UN has declared it an international day
of fight against desertification and drought.

To settle the issue a number of public organizations have applied to
National Assembly with a request to establish a special committee. That
was in process but stopped connected with the developments with
Orinats Yerkir. /Panorama.am/