Author: Nalchajian Markos

WB COUNTRY DIRECTOR FOR EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA CONGRATULATES PM TIGRAN SARGSYAN

armradio.am
23.04.2008 16:56

The World Bank Country Director for Europe and Central Asia Donna
Dowsett-Coirolo congratulated RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
on appointment.

Highly appreciating Tigran Sargsyan’s previous activity as Chairman
of the Central Bank of Armenia, the WB Country Director wrote in the
congratulating message:

"You are well familiar with all the programs implemented in different
spheres of Armenia’s economy with the support of the World Bank. I’m
sure hat under your leadership and with your active support Armenia
will continue registering progress in the agenda of reforms, and the
World Bank will have its contribution on this issue. There are main
spheres where taking active steps and assuming resolute responsibility
are of critical importance now to maintain the high pace of growth,
including the deepening of tax and custom reforms, reinforcement of
competition, the investments targeted at human development, improvement
of the quality of social services, as well as the continuous attention
to governance, fighting corruption and reforms of the state sector for
the purpose of building effective and accountable state institutions.

I expect to continue our productive cooperation."

Armenian church in Riverside to see its first acolytes ordained

Press-Enterprise, CA
April 19 2008

11:47 PM PDT on Friday, April 18, 2008
The Press-Enterprise

Archbishop Hovnan Derderian of the Armenian Apostolic Church will be
in Riverside on Sunday to attend the ordination of two acolytes.

Acolytes are boys and girls who assist priests in worship services. The
two boys ordained Sunday will be the first ordained at the Armenian
Apostolic Church of Riverside.

The worship service and ordination begin at 1:30 p.m. A reception
follows at 3:30. The Armenian Apostolic Church of Riverside meets at
All Saints Episcopal Church, 3847 Terracina Drive, Riverside.

Derderian is archbishop of the Western Diocese of the Armenian
Apostolic Church.

For more information, call 949-786-3906.

–David Olson

AZERBAIJAN COMPANIES ARE READY TO OFFER TOURS TO GARABAGH

Azerbaijan Business Center
April 18 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan
announced about readiness of Azerbaijan tourist companies to offer
tourist routes to Garabagh.

Minister of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan Abulfaz Garayev
informed that the stand devoted to Garabagh has been presented at
Atif exhibition since 2002.

"Tours to Garabagh today are reflected in all Azerbaijan
programmes. Politic situation does not allow us to realize them,
but Azerbaijan companies are ready to offer tourist tours to
Garabagh. After solution of the problem they will be launched. At
present all programmes, roads and routes are confirmed by the state,"
Minister said.

KARABAKH PROBLEM CAN BECOME PRICE OF EXPRESSION OF WASHED AWAY POSITION OF OSCE AND COUNCIL OF EUROPE ON ELECTIONS IN RA, STEPAN GRIGORIAN CONSIDERS

Noyan Tapan
April 17, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The position of a number of leading
international organizations and first of all of OSCE and Council of
Europe on electoral and post-electroal processes in Armenia causes
much anxiety.

Stepan Grigorian, the Head of the Analytical Center for Globalization
and Regional Cooperation, stated at the April 17 discussion dedicated
to the presidential elections in Armenia and to post-electoral events.

According to him, the phrase in the first interim report of OSCE/ODIHR
observers that the February 19 elections were held in line with the
commitments assumed by Armenia towards the Council of Europe causes
anxiety.

In spite of the fact that thanks to the much discontent of the
Armenian society and the subsequent pressure by the opposition that
phrase was eliminated from the second report’s text, nevertheless it
appeared again in the report of the PACE monitoring group. "I assert
that this sentence is connected with the Nagorno Karabakh problem,
which is the price of expression of such a washed away position by
OSCE and the Council of Europe," Stepan Grigorian stated.

According to him, this formulation about the correspondence of the
presidential elections to democratic standards should be connected
with the solution of the issue on territories around Nagorno Karabakh
currently controlled by Armenian armed formations, which is not
beneficial for the Armenian side.

It should be mentioned that the discussion was organized by the
Analytical Center for Globalization and Regional Cooperation with
the assistance of the F. Ebert German Fund.

GREEK PRIME MINISTER CONGRATULATES TIGRAN SARGSYAN

armradio.am
17.04.2008 17:25

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Greece Kostas Karamanlis
congratulated Tigran Sargsyan on appointment. The message says,
in part:

"On the occasion of your appointment to the post of Prime Minister of
the Republic of Armenia, let me offer you my warmest congratulations
and wishes of success.

I’m confident that the traditionally friednly relations between
our two countries will promote the deepening of the existing close
cooperation for the benefit of our peoples."

EU CARRIED AWAY BY CRITICIZING POLITICAL LEADERSHIP IN SOUTH CAUCASUS STATES

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.04.2008 18:21 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Johannes Rau: Europe has failed to establish
sustainable political an economic relations with the South Caucasus
states so far.

The European Union has fallen behind the U.S., Turkey and Russia
in ensuring its interests and establishment of long-term relations,
said Johannes Rau, member of the International Security Scientific
Forum at Bundeswehr Academy, Hamburg, Germany.

"This lag became obvious after the USSR decline.

Europe has failed to establish sustainable political an economic
relations with the South Caucasus states so far," he said.

Asked about reasons, Mr Rau said, "The EU is carried away by
giving advice, reproaching and criticizing the leadership of these
countries. Instead, it should work for strengthening of economic
ties. Not long ago, the entire world criticized the Soviet Union
for its ideology. Now, Europe is aspired to represent its model of
democracy as the most perfect. It’s a big mistake," Mr Rau said,
Azeri site 1news.az reports.

ORINATS YERKIR FACTION REPRESENTATIVE REFRAINS FROM COMMENTS ON PACE DRAFT RESOLUTION ON ARMENIA

arminfo
2008-04-16 12:22:00

ArmInfo. A member of the parliamentary faction of Orinats Yerkir party
Artashes Avoyan believes it untimely making any comments on the draft
resolution on activity of democratic institutions in Armenia adopted
by PACE spring session.

A. Avoyan stressed that the final resolution will be adopted by
PACE on April 17. ‘At the same time, I’d like to say that the key
directions of speeches by PACE delegates on the resolution were
on human rights protection in Armenia, development of democratic
institutions, provision of basic rights and freedoms of citizens and
fully coincided with the provisions of the Memorandum on establishment
of a political coalition in Armenia’, he said.

PRICES ON GAS TO INCREASE

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on April 16, 2008
Armenia

Beginning May 1, prices on gas will increase in accordance with the
decision of the Public Services Regulatory Commission. The consumers
of natural gas will not receive compensation from the Government as
it was done after April 1, 2006 when the prices on gas imported to
Armenia increased to 110 US Dollars on the border of Armenia.

The Government decided to provide subsidies for moderating the prices
established by the Public Services Regulatory Commission. Therefore,
with the purpose of alleviating the burden of the population and
the industry, a sum equivalent to USD 188.8 million was allocated to
"ArmRussGazprom" company as a partial compensation for the established
prices on natural gas. In case of consuming up to 10 thousand and
more cubic meters per month, a subsidy was provided in the amount of
25 thousand Drams out of the established price of 84 thousand Drams
per 1000 cubic meters, and in case of consuming 10 thousand and more
cubic meters per month, a sum equivalent to USD 52.01 was granted as
a subsidy out of the sum of USD 153.26 per 1000 cubic meters.

As a result of the unprecedented growth of the volumes of gas
consumption, the subsidy equivalent to USD 188.8 expired at the end
of January, 2008.

BAKU CALLS ON RUSSIA TO REGARD AZERI CONCERNS OVER ITS MILITARY COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA

Interfax News Agency
April 14 2008
Russia

Russia, as a member in the Karabakh settlement, should regard the
situation in Southern Caucasus when developing military cooperation
with Armenia.

"Russia is a co-chairman in the OSCE Minsk Group, and it should
understand the sensitivity of this issue [military cooperation with
Armenia]," Azeri Foreign Ministry’s press secretary Khazar Ibragim
told a briefing on Monday.

Azerbaijan has repeatedly informed Russia and other member states of
the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) about its concerns
over Armenia’s policy in the region, the diplomat said. "We noted
that they [other CSTO members] need to assume the fact that their
assistance merely bolsters Armenia’s aggressive policy," Ibragim said.

"We can say on our part that we do not have aggressive plans against
any country. At the same time Azerbaijan is capable to repel any
threat, and that is why it is increasing its defense capacity,"
the spokesman said.

A part of the Azeri territory is still occupied by Armenia, and
"Azerbaijan reserves the right to liberate it," Ibragim said.

CIS OFFICIAL CONGRATULATES NEW ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER

ARMENPRESS
April 14, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 14, ARMENPRESS: Mikhail Krotov, secretary general
of the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly Council sent a message of
congratulations to new Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian,
the government press office said.

It said the message reads as follows.

"Dear Mr. Sarkisian, on behalf of the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly
Council I congratulate you on the occasion of being appointed prime
minister of Armenia.

I am convicted that your work will be marked by succes for the sake
of Armenia’s social-economic development and strneghening of ties
within the CIS.

I wish you good health and peace and prospeorty to the Republic
of Armenia."