Author: Nahapetian Zhanna

AZG Armenian Daily #078, 29/04/2006

Economy

ROGERS ROBINSON: YEREVAN HAS BENEFITED FROM SELLING THE FIFTH UNIT OF
HRAZDAN POWER PLANT

Rogers Robinson, World Bank resident representative, said yesterday
that it was very beneficial for Yerevan to sell the 5th unit of the
biggest Hrazdan power plant to Russia.

Mr. Robinson thinks it’s normal that the energetic sphere of Armenia
becomes a monopoly of another state. As an example he indicated that
water supply in the Great Britain is supervised by foreign companies.
“It’s far more important that there is a powerful supervisor who will
control the services.” He also suggested to pay attention at the fact
that Russia itself supplies the raw stock for energy generation.

By Gohar Gevorgian

POSSIBLE MILITARY ACTIONS IN IRAN WILL NEGATIVELY AFFECT THE SITUATION IN ARMENIA

Yerevan, April 27. ArmInfo. Possible military operation against
Iran will directly affect the situation in Armenia and have negative
influence on all the South Caucasus region, said on a press conference
at the ‘Mirror’ club ‘Dashnaktsutiun’ party Bureau member Kiro Manoyan.

Speaking about Turkey’s position in case of a war against Iran,
Mr. Manoyan expressed an opinion that Ankara will stay aside of the
military actions, as it did with Iraq.

In his return Armenian National Movement party member Aram Karapetian
added that Moscow will cease supporting Iran if a war is unleashed. In
that case the situation around Armenia will become hopeless.

SOME IN GEORGIA PROTEST AGAINST CLOSURE OF RUSSIAN MILITARY BASE

Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Military Newswire
April 26, 2006 Wednesday 4:50 PM MSK

Several dozen ethnic Armenians living in Georgia’s Akhalkalaki district
blocked off a road on Wednesday, holding up Russian military vehicles
heading for neighboring Armenia, in protest against the planned closure
of the Russian military base in Akhalkalaki, Georgian media said.

Many of the local people work at the base and fear that its closure
will leave them jobless.

Armenia has no plans to join NATO, EU – leader says

Mediamax news agency
22 Apr 06

Yerevan, April 22. Armenian President Robert Kocharyan has said that
“Armenia is not going to join NATO.”

The head of the state said this in response to the question of Golos
Armenii newspaper, Mediamax reports. The newspaper asked the
president to comment on the statement by Armenian National Assembly
speaker Artur Bagdasaryan made in the interview with German newspaper
Frankfurter Allgemeine [Zeitung] on April 19. In this interview Artur
Bagdasaryan particularly said that “Armenia’s future is the European
Union and NATO” and “Russia should not stand in our way to Europe”.

Robert Kocharyan said the following:

“Armenia’s foreign policy course remains unchanged. Within the
framework of the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) our
country is expanding cooperation with the North Atlantic alliance as
a key European organization for security provision. We hope for
fruitful cooperation especially as regards the reform of country’s
armed forces and peacekeeping. But Armenia is not going to join NATO.

“[Armenia’s] Membership of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization (CSTO) and the high level of military-technical
cooperation with the Russian Federation help solve the issue of the
country’s security provision. Today, Armenia is preparing for a
closer cooperation with the European Union within the European
Neighbourhood Policy, but we have not set the task of joining the EU.

“Armenia’s Euroatlantic ambitions are balanced, realistic and are
positively perceived by European structures and do not create
problems in relations with Russia. We voice our position in the same
way in Moscow, Brussels and Washington.”

MARY-ANNE ISLER BEGUIN: ONCE ARMENIA WILL BECOME A FULL MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN FAMILY

ArmRadio.am
18.04.2006 18:14

“I am confident that once Armenia will become a full member of the
European family,” said Mary-Anne Isler Beguin, President of the
EU-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation Commission.

During the 8th sitting of the Commission in Yerevan she assured she
is aware of the problems Armenia faces today and expressed readiness
to assist our country to resolve these.

“No doubt, the Karabakh issue is of urgent importance, and we, the
European Parliament, follow the situation and we are confident that
peace talks are the only way for resolution of the conflict,” President
of the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation Commission declared.

“We do not think that Ramboulliet was a failure,” Mary-Anne Isler
Beguin stated, turning to the Karabakh issue.

CORPORATE MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES TO REDUCE SHADOW ECONOMY

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
April 18 2006

Yerevan, April 18. /ARKA/. The introduction of corporate management
principles will contribute to the reduction of shadow economy in
Armenia, Board Chairman of the “Ardshininvestbank” CJSC Aram Andreasyan
told reporters.

According to him, the need for corporate management is urgent in the
real economic sector in contrast to the transparent banking sector.

Andreasyan reported that at their meeting at the end of May 2006
the bank’s shareholders will introduce corporate management related
amendments into the bank’s regulations.

In January 2006, the Central Bank of Armenia launched the introduction
of corporate management.

The “Ardshininvestbank” CJSC received License #83 from the Central
Bank of Armenia on February 23, 2003. The bank was founded by the
Russian financial-industrial group “International Business Center.”

The bank is owned by the two companies forming the group. By March
31, 2006, the bank’s authorized capital had amounted to AMD 3bln,
assets AMD 53.1bln and balance profit AMD 4.9bln ($1 – AMD 450.15).

LEADER OF NMSII SIMEON SAXE-COBURG GOTHA VISITED ARMENIANS IN PLOVDIV

Focus News, Bulgaria
April 16 2006

Plovdiv. The Leader of the National Movement Simeon II (NMSII)
Simeon Saxe-Coburg Gotha and his wife Margarita visited the city
of Plovdiv today on invitation of the Armenian Community that is
celebrating Easter Holidays, FOCUS Agency reporter announced. The
guests were met by the Archpriest Kevork Hacherian and leaders of
the Armenian Community. Children from the Armenian school dressed in
national costumes congratulated Simeon Saxe-Coburg Gotha and his wife
Margarita and offered them traditional Armenian bread “Lavash”.

Later Simeon Saxe-Coburg Gotha and his wife Margarita were present
at the liturgy in the Armenian Church in the city of Plovdiv.

AZERI IMPROMPTU DEMO PROTESTS AT HUNGARIAN COURT RULING AGAINST OFFICER

Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
13 Apr 06

Reaction to the court ruling against Ramil Safarov [Azerbaijani officer
charged with killing Armenian officer in Budapest and sentenced to
life in prison] did not keep people in Baku waiting. A protest has
been held in Narimanov Avenue against the ruling by the Hungarian
court. Representatives of the Karabakh Liberation Organization and
other NGOs, as well as students, took part in the protest. They chanted
the following slogans – “The Court Ruling Against Ramil Safarov Is
Unjust” and “Freedom To Ramil Safarov”.

Protesters then marched towards the Martyrs’ Alley. We should note
that police did not thwart the protest.

The protesters said that a greater number of people will participate
in demonstrations from tomorrow and the demonstrations will cover
the whole country.

[Video showed protesters marching with flags and slogans, chanting
“Freedom” ]

TRANSFORMATION IN THE ALMANAC

A1+
[08:12 pm] 12 April, 2006

Yerevan-Today the Armenian Center for National and International
Studies (ACNIS) publicly presented its annual trilingual almanac,
this year entitled “Armenia in a Transforming World.” The event
brought together the yearbook’s participating authors, editorial
staff, publisher, foreign embassy personnel, political scientists,
and media representatives for the expression of mutual gratitude and
the sharing of views and evaluations.

Held in the official reception hall at ACNIS headquarters, the program
was opened by Stiopa Safarian, the Center’s director of research and
academic editor of the new release. “The research presented in the
yearbook encompasses Armenia’s transnational and domestic challenges,
which in the transforming world render imperative Armenia’s own
transformation. The answers provided by the authors to a variety of
problematic issues such as international and regional security as well
as Armenia’s global surroundings and its complex relationships dictate
new approaches for our Center and Armenia’s analytical circles alike,”
he said.

By the way, RA Ombudsman Armen Haroutyunyan and representatives of
international organizations and NGOs were present at the ceremony.

BERNARD FASSIE BELIEVES SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT WILL SATISFY ONLY 80% OF SIDES’ CLAIMS
By Aghavni Harutyunian

AZG Armenian Daily
13/04/2006

“We can’t take decisions instead of the both sides.

These are going to be very hard decisions to take, as not a single
peaceful settlement can’t justify the hopes of at least one of the
sides for 100%. But I can say that there is a settlement that can
secure satisfaction of over 50% of the sides’ expectations.

Though the governments of both sides should take the final decision,”
Bernard Fassie, OSCE Minsk Group’s French c-chair, made this statement
in the course of his visit to Baku.

He said that 2005 was rather a tense year from the viewpoint of
the negotiations. As a result, the sides managed to define the main
principles for the peaceful settlement. Fassie said that the presidents
failed to come to agreement around the unsettled principles during
the Rambouillet meeting.

The French co-chair also informed that after his visits to Baku and
Yerevan, Steven Mann will arrive in the region on April 18. He added
that Yuri Merzliakov will visit the South Caucasus already at the end
April. Afterwards, in early may, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs will
meet in Moscow to make the conclusion of the April meetings.

According to Mr. Fassie, most likely, after the May discussions in
Moscow, the co-chairs will visit Armenia and Azerbaijan to prepare the
new meeting of Presidents Kocharian and Aliyev. “I am sure that there
is an opportunity to achieve agreement of both presidents,” Fassie
said. Only after this, the co-chairs will represent the main principles
of new settlement to the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan.