Author: Navasardian Karapet

GDP GROWS BY 9.8% IN ARMENIA IN JANUARY-MAY 2008 ON SAME MONTHS OF 2007

Noyan Tapan

Ju ne 20, 2008

YEREVAN, JUNE 20, NOYAN TAPAN. GDO grew by 9.8% in Armenia in
January-May 2008 on the same months of last year and made 982 bln
149.4 mln drams (about 2 bln 871.1 mln USD). The GDP index-deflator
made 107.7%.

According to the RA National Statistical Service, industrial production
declined by 0.4% in the country in January-May 2008 on the same period
of 2007 and made 287 bln 712.1 mln drams.

The gross agricultural output increased by 1.9% to 94 bln 515.5 mln
drams, construction – by 14.9% to 135 bln 318.7 mln drams, retail
trade – by 4.3% to 331 bln 918.7 mln drams, and services grew by 10.6%
to 221 bln 843 mln drams.

Armenia’s foreign trade grew by 29.6% in the period under review as
compared with January-May 2007 and made 1 bln 982.1 mln USD, with
exports growing by 0.2% to 421.9 mln USD, while imports – by 40.8%
to 1 bln 560.2 mln USD.

Consumer prices rose by 8.9%, industrial production prices – by 4.7%
in January-May 2008 as compared with January-May 2007.

The number of the unemployed fell by 22.1% in late May 2008 as compared
with late May 2007 and made 76.4 thousand.

The average monthly nominal salary made 86.85 thousand drams in the
first five months of 2008 (22.9% growth on the same period of last
year), including the salary of employees of budgetary institutions –
60.775 thousand drams (16.6% growth), that of employees of nonbudgetary
institutions – 109.621 thousand drams (24.5% growth). The average
exchange rate of one US dollar made 308.11 drams in January-May 2008
(in 2007, this index made 342.08 drams).

ARMENIAN OMBUDSMAN CONCERNED ABOUT MPS’ ARREST

Mediamax
June 20 2008
Armenia

Yerevan, 20 June: Armenian Ombudsman Armen Harutyunyan voiced concern
today regarding the "lack of legal grounds" for the detention of
three Armenian MPs, who are accused of organizing mass disorders in
Yerevan on 1-2 March.

The ombudsman said that the co-rapporteur of the Monitoring Committee
of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe, John Prescott,
took an interest in the issue of the extension of detention of MPs
Sasun Mikaelyan, Hakob Hakobyan and Myasnik Malkhasyan during his
latest visit to Armenia.

Harutyunyan said he is ready to defend the rights of the defendants,
with regard to whom no investigation is being carried out. He said
the applications of the Prosecutor-General’s Office to extend the
detention of the MPs show lack of substantial evidence necessary to
send the cases to court.

The MPs’ lawyers said today that their clients do not plead guilty
and refuse to give testimonies.

While commenting on the progress of the investigation into the 1-2
March events, Harutyunyan expressed surprise at the decision of the
Prosecutor-General’s Office not to open criminal cases into the death
of the 10 people [killed in the March clashes between the police
and opposition protesters]. He said many questions addressed to the
investigation bodies remain unanswered. "This witnessed to the lack
of a reasonable approach and unwillingness to perceive constructive
criticism," the ombudsman said.

PUBLIC TOILETS TO BE INSTALLED AT RETAIL TRADE POINTS OF LUQUID FUEL

Noyan Tapan

Ju ne 17, 2008

YEREVAN, JUNE 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA National Assembly on June 17
finished the work of its special session convened the day before,
concluding the agenda. The parliament passed in the final reading
the bill on structure of the government of the RA, the package of
bills on consumer crediting, as well as the government-proposed
amendments and additions the Law on Trade and Services and the RA
Code of Asministrative Infractions.

According to the RA minister of economy Nerses Yeritsian, the purpose
of making amendments to the Law on Trade and Services is to protect
the interests and rights of consumers, including tourists, and to
introduce civilized norms and rules of service provision.

In particular, the law stipulates that from July 1, 2009, free or
paid public toilets shall be available at trade facilities and retail
trade points of liquid fuel, commercial liquids and liquefied gas in
Armenian settlements, and from October 1, 2008, free or paid public
toilets shall be available at points outside settlements – near roads
of interstate, republican or intercommunity importance.

In accordance with another amendment, the weight of 1 unit of bread
shall be indicated on the labels of prepacked and unprepacked bread
on sale. The law also envisages installation of weight checkers at
trade facilities.

Administrative liability in the form of fines is envisaged for
violation of the indicated requirements, which has been stipulated
in the RA Code of Administrative Infractions.

RA FM AND FRANCE’S AMBASSADOR DISCUSSED PERSPECTIVES OF BILATERAL RELATIONS’ DEVELOPMENT

DeFacto Agency
June 13 2008
Armenia

YEREVAN, 12.06.08. DE FACTO. The perspectives of Armenian French
multi-sided relations’ development were discussed a few days ago in
the course of the RA FM Edvard Nalbandian’s meeting with France’s
Ambassador to the RA Serzh Smesov.

The parties expressed satisfaction with the high level of the
two countries’ cooperation. The interlocutors also considered
Armenia-European Union relations within the frames of the European
Neighborhood Policy in the context of France’s forthcoming chairmanship
in the EU, the RA MFA Press Office reports.

To note, on June 9-11 the RA FM Edvard Nalbandian held a number of
meetings with foreign countries’ Ambassadors accredited in the RA.

NKR PRESIDENT BAKO SAHAKYAN VISITED SHUSHI

Azat Artsakh Daily,
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]
12 June 08

On June 11th NKR President Bako Sahakyan together with the well-known
benefactor Levon Hayrapetyan visited Shushi for the purpose of
getting acquainted with building works on the spot. NKR Prime
Minister A Harutyunyan, Minister of Urban Planning A. Vardanyan and
other officials accompanied the President. During the conference,
taken place in the residence of the primate of Artsakh Diocese of
Armenian Apostolic Church Pargev archbishop Martirosyan, a number of
projects having a relation to the development of Shushi were discussed.

WEDDING CEREMONIES IN KARABAKH MONASTERY

Panorama.am
19:11 12/06/2008

The president of Nagorno Karabakh held an official meeting discussion
with the country’s authorities on the questions of wedding ceremonies
and the organizing collective ceremony in that day.

According to the press service of the president’s administration the
president recommended to form a group headed by the Minister of Social
Affairs Narine Azatyan to meet the organizational and coordinating
part of the ceremony.

Remind that due to Russian resident Levon Hayrapetyan hundreds of pairs
will get married in September in Karabakh. A group of benefactors
lead by Levon Hayrapetyan will take care of the expenses of the
wedding ceremony.

AGAINST THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on June 11, 2008
Armenia

At the end of May European Court of Human Rights came to a decision
against the Republic of Armenia.

The Court came to a decision that 46 year-old Gagik Sarukhanyan had
all the rights to participate in 2003 parliamentary elections.

The latter was refused to participate in the elections, because
allegedly he submitted wrong documents on property. The European
court came to a decision to pay 3000 euro to Gagik Sarukhanyan,
as moral compensation and 1850 euro for his court expenses.

S.PETERSBURG MEETING OF ARMENIAN, AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENTS COULD NOT HAVE CHANGED ANYTHING: EXPERT

ARKA
June 11

YEREVAN, June 11. /ARKA/. The meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani
presidents in Saint Petersburg could not have changed anything,
since there were no pre-requisites to a change, political analyst
Alexander Iskandaryan, Director of the Caucasus Media Institute,
stated at a Yerevan-Baku-Moscow space bridge.

The two presidents met on June 6 in Saint Petersburg, which was their
first meeting as presidents. The main achievement of the meeting is
considered to be the decision to continue the talks within the OSCE
Minsk Group based on the Madrid principles.

Iskandaryan said that the reasons for the Karabakh confrontation
do not lie in Saint Petersburg, Brussels, Paris or Washington. The
expert said no regional developments are strong enough to change the
format of relations between the conflicting sides.

According to Iskandaryan, the balance of forces in the region rules
out any attempts for compromise.

"I do not only mean the military balance, but also the geographic
location, historical balance of the recent ten years, the balance of
various outside forces, such as lobbies in face of the Diaspora for
Armenia and Turkey for Azerbaijan," he said.

Iskandaryan said if not for he international community, Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Karabakh would find themselves in a can and there
would be no negotiations.

"The sides are trying to continue the war, or the fight or the conflict
using other means, from lobbying to economic blockades. Negotiations
are part or a subsystem of this conflict.

Armenians do not agree with the compromises they should suggest if
they want Azerbaijan to accept them, and Azerbaijan does not want to
do compromises acceptable for Armenia," the expert said.

Autonomy is the most Azerbaijan suggests today, which would mean
getting back to what we had twenty years ago. Armenia is trying to
fix a status quo.

"Hence, the negotiation process turns to either a competition and
exchange of accusations or an imitation. They exert pressure on us,
and we – Armenians and Azerbaijanis, resist the process from within
the region," Iskandaryan said.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict started in 1988 when Nagorno-Karabakh
with dominantly Armenian population declared its withdrawal from
Azerbaijan. On December 10, 1991, the Karabakhi people voted for full
independence from Azerbaijan in a referendum attended by a number of
international observers.

Large-scale military operations followed in which Azerbaijan lost
control over Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions.

On May 12, 1994, a ceasefire agreement was signed putting an end to
the military operations in which 25,000-30,000 people were killed
and about one million people were forced to leave their homes.

Since 1992, peaceful settlement talks have been held under the auspices
of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by the USA, Russia and France.

MATTHEW BRYZA DISCUSSES SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT WITH LATVIAN FOREIGN MINISTER

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
June 11 2008

Tamara Grigoryeva-APA. OSCE MG Co-Chair, US Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State Matthew Bryza met Latvian Foreign Minister Maris
Riekstins yesterday, APA reports quoting Latvian Foreign Minister.

The sides have discussed Nagorno Karabakh, South Ossetia and Abkhazia
conflicts. The meeting envisaged possibility of solution to the
conflict within the framework of territorial integrity of states. The
meeting debated elections in Georgia and Armenia and presidential
elections to be held in Azerbaijan in autumn.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES DISNGUISHED COMPOSER R. SHCHEDRIN AND HIS SPOUSE MAYA PLISETSKAYA

ARMENPRESS
June 10, 2008

YEREVAN, JUNE 10, ARMENPRESS: Armenian President Serzh Sargsian
received today distinguished composer Rodion Shchedrin, his spouse
legendary ballet dancer Maya Plisetskaya and world-famous musician
David Geringas.

Presidential press service told Armenpress that they have arrived
in Armenia to participate in the days of Shchedrin which will take
place within the frameworks of "21st Century" festival.

Greeting the guests the president said that with their exclusive talent
they are loved in Armenia very much, he said Days of Shchedrin are a
great event in the musical life of the country and noted that it will
give the Armenian music lovers an opportunity to enjoy the works of
the composer.

The guests on their part said they are impressed with Armenia and
noted that it is an element of their life with which they are connected
with true feelings and warm memories.

Rodion Shchedrin highly assessed the attention the Armenian president
is paying to culture. Serzh Sargsian said that culture is a strong
tool for presenting small Armenia to the world at its best.