Author: Tadevosian Garnik

POLITICAL SCORES?

KarabakhOpen
12-06-2007 12:22:39

On June 7 the inspector on security of the Martakert branch of Artsakh
Energy James Ghahramanyan, former member of parliament, was fired. The
reason is retirement age. Meanwhile, James Ghahramanyan says he was
fired for political reasons. "As the election is drawing nearer,
strange things started to happen in the company. The director of the
branch Armen Simonyan held a meeting with the staff in his office
to talk about the upcoming election. I knew, of course, that the
government supports Bako Sahakyan, although I think the rumors that
he will win the election are groundless. When Armen Simonyan asked
whom I support, I said I will vote for Masis Mayilyan.

Armen Simonyan suddenly became nervous and even threatened me. He said:
"There can’t be two opinions in one company". However, his efforts
to make it clear to me that the instruction came to vote for Bako
Sahakyan failed. When Armen Simonyan saw I would not accept his
arguments, he demanded that I resign. I refused and left his office.

On the next day, I was given the order to release me of my duties
because of retirement age. By the way, there are workers in Artsakh
Energy who are older than me, which is evidence to the political
reason of my dismissal," James Ghahramanyan said.

We have learned that the people who participated in the meeting of the
initiative group naming Masis Mayilyan were dismissed from different
government agencies and state-owned companies.

IRAN TO PIPE GAS TO ARMENIA IN WINTER

Mehr News Agency, Iran
June 11 2007

TEHRAN, June 11 (MNA) – Iran’s gas export to Armenia was postponed
to next winter due to a delay in pipe-laying operations.

Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad and his Armenian counterpart,
Robert Kocharian, opened the pipeline’s first section at a ceremony
near the border.

Under the first stage of the project, Iran will annually export some
400m cubic meters of gas, which will be increased up to 3.2 billion
cubic meters when the 141km link is completed.

The 100 km Iranian section runs from Tabriz to Iran-Armenia border.

The Armenian section runs from Meghri region to Sardarian.

Fire brigades get meager funding

09-06-2007 17:48:54 – KarabakhOpen

Last year fires destroyed about 2 thousand hectares of arable crops, as
well as forests and pastures. The minister of agriculture Vahram
Baghdasaryan said during the meeting of the republican headquarters for
the harvest of arable crops it is necessary to provide more petrol and
diesel fuel to the fire brigades and control the use of fuel. Fire
engines need repair, fire extinguishers are low quality, funding is
meager. The head of the Rescue Service V. Arustamyan said the fire
security regulations have been handed over to the regional
administrations. Breaches are punished.

The headquarters decided to make arrangements with the ministry of
defense to involve service personnel if necessity occurs, the Azat
Artsakh reported.

MURDER SUSPECT ARRESTED IN ARMENIA

rustavi2
Daily Georgian Times, Georgia –
June 4 2007

Armenian police have arrested arrested Kakha Sikharulidze, who is
accused of murdering Zurab Sakhelashvili, employ of the Teleti Oil
Company. Sikharulidze has been wanted by the police since 13 April,
2007 and was arrested in the village of Bagrateni, Taushi region,
Armenia, on 2 June.

Zurab Sakhelashvili was sot dead from a gun on 29 March in Tbilisi.

Kakha Sikharulidze has been charged with premeditated murder in
absentia.

Police official Irakli Bazerashvili spoke about the details of the
special searching operation, during which they revealed that four
officials officers of the police, Rudolf Metaplishvili, Ekhtibar
Garajiyev, suliko Yaryarashvili and Mamuka Michelashvili assisted
the suspect to cross Georgian-Armenian border. Police have arrested
three policemen except Garajiyev for assisting the criminal.

As for the extradition of Sikharulidze, Georgian police have already
agreed with the Armenian colleagues and he will be handed over to
Georgian law enforcers in few days.

ECONOMIC GROWTH RATES IN ARMENIA PROMOTE PUBLIC DEMAND FOR BANK SERVICES, UNIBANK BOARD CHAIRMAN SAYS

ArmInfo
2007-06-04 15:40:00

Demand for banking services is growing simultaneously with the economic
growth in Armenia, Unibank Board Chairman Vardan Atayan believes,
Unibank press-service told ArmInfo.

V. Atayan estimates the country’s mortgage market potential at
$1billion.

The estimate of the association of mortgage market participants is
the same. At the same time, Atayan said the commercial banks fail to
satisfy the demand for lack of enough funds. The share of bank deposits
in Armenia is only 8% of GDP, he said. "It means that an insignificant
part of population savings are at banks. It can be increased through
non-cash purchase and sale of real estate, which, however, requires
legislative support." In this connection, the banks have still much
do, although they are already ahead of the other economy sectors,
Atayan believes.

The analysis of Armenia’s banking system by Agency of Rating Marketing
Information (ArmInfo), Unibank is among top five Armenian commercial
banks due to balance sheet ratio. Thus, on April 1 2007, Unibank assets
totaled 34.8 billion AMD (7th position), provision of crediting –
16.013 billion AMD (6th position), mortgage lending portfolio –
3.7 billion AMD (2nd position), deposits of natural persons – 17.014
billion AMD (2nd position). The aggregate mortgage lending by Armenian
commercial banks totaled about $65 million or 9% of total crediting
at the beginning of 2007. The National Statistical Service of Armenia
reports that the economic growth in Armenia in the first quarter
of 2007 totaled 11.1% as compared to the same period of 2006. At
the end of March 2007, GDP totaled 312 billion AMD ($870 million)
in market prices.

420 THOUSAND SQUARE METERS TO BE LAID WITH ASPHALT IN YEREVAN THIS YEAR

Noyan Tapan
Jun 04 2007

YEREVAN, JUNE 4, NOYAN TAPAN. Work on asphalt laying, repair of
breast-walls and reconstruction of exterior lighting of streets has
started in Yerevan.

Deputy mayor of Yerevan Vano Vardanian said at the June 4 press
conference that by late 2007, it is envisaged to reconstruct the
exterior lighting network of a total of 150 km in 77 streets, as
well as to repair the irrigation network of 4,330 meters, including
irrigation network of 1,700 meters in Shengavit community and that
of 1,200 meters in Ajapniak community.

V. Vardanian noted that the work on dismantling of tram-lines in
Sebastia, Liningradian and Sasuntsi Davit Streets is underway. Mayor
repairs of streets will be carried out with funds of communities
as well. All in all, 420 thousand square meters will be laid with
asphalt in Yerevan in 2007. According to him, this year pavements of
15 streets will be laid with asphalt for the first time. Pedestrian
crossings and subways will be built in a number of streets.

Particularly, it is envisaged to build one crossing and three suways
in Isakov Avenue and a subway in Myasnikian Avenue.

The deputy mayor said that this year 60 million drams (171.4 thousand
USD) has been allocated for repairs of Yerevan bridges. At the same
time, it is envisaged to construct another 20 bridges in various
parts of the capital city.

RA Defense Minister received Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin

armradio.am
04.06.2007 15:44

June 4 RA Minister of Defense Michael Harutyunyan received the Head of
the OSCE Office in Yerevan, Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin on the
occasion of completion of his diplomatic mission.

Vladimir Pryakhin first congratulated Michael Harutyunyan on assuming
the Defense Minister’s office, referred to the activities of the OSCE
Office in Armenia during his tenure in office, in particular, the
mélange program.

At the end of the meeting Michael Harutyunyan thanked the Head of the
OSCE Office in Armenia for effective cooperation and wished success in
his further mission.

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
June 2 2007

Armenian Armed Forces Violates Ceasefire Regime

Azerbaijan, Baku / corr. Trend S.Ilhamgizi / On 1 June, from their
positions in Berd district, the divisions of the Armenian Armed
Forces fired at the positions of Azerbaijan Armed Forces in Agdam
village of Azerbaijan’s Tartar district with machine-guns and
sub-machine-guns, the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan informs.

In addition, Armenia violated the ceasefire regime on 2 June from
their position in occupied Shikhlar village of Azerbaijan’s Agdam
district.

The enemy was fired against and there is no lost.

The conflict between the two countries of South Caucasus appeared in
1988 due to the territorial claims of Armenia against Azerbaijan.
Armenia has occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani lands including
Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven Districts of the country
surrounding it. Since 1992 to the present time, these territories
have been under the occupation of the Armenian Forces. In 1994,
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a cease-fire agreement at which time
the active hostilities ended. The Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (
Russia, France and USA) hold peaceful negotiations.

OSCE CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE TO VISIT ARMENIA

A1+
[06:54 pm] 01 June, 2007

The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel
Moratinos, will visit Azerbaijan and Armenia on 4 and 5 June.

The OSCE Chairman will meet top officials and representatives of civil
society in both countries. He will discuss prospects for solving the
protracted conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh as well as other priorities
for the 56-country Organization’s activities during the 2007 Spanish
OSCE Chairmanship.

Minister Moratinos will be accompanied by Goran Lennmarker, the
President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

RETIRED TURKISH GENERAL CALLS FOR WITHDRAWAL FROM NATO

Sabah, Turkey
May 29 2007

"Gen Kilinc (retd) calls for withdrawal from NATO"

Gen Sener Eruygur (retd), chairman of the Kemalist Ideology
Association (ADD) (and former chief of the Gendarmerie), and Gen
Tuncer Kilinc (retd) , former secretary-general of the National
Security Council, have made interesting comments during a conference
entitled "Upholding our republic" organized by the British Kemalist
Ideology Association. Pointing out that NATO’s role had started to
be questioned, Kilinc said, "The United States occasionally uses the
United Nations and NATO to maintain its global dominance."

Russia may find it attractive

Kilinc went on to say, "Although NATO is regarded as a force which
could be used against a threat targeting the West amid various
uncertainties of today, it is obvious that it does not have a
structure that could allow it to be used effectively, especially in
an asymmetric war. There is a belief that Turkey could free itself
of Western hegemony and colonialism if it left NATO one way or another.

With strong armed forces, Turkey would be a powerful country with
which both sides would like to establish close ties, while it would
have the flexibility to be involved in closer cooperation with other
powerful groups." Kilinc added that Turkey would become a centre of
gravity for other major countries, especially Russia.

In his address, Kilinc said that the USA had banked on support it
had received from [Kurdish leaders Mas’ud] Barzani’s and [Jalal]
Talabani’s tribal communities during the invasion of Iraq and thus had
caused Kurdish nationalism to rise in an arrogant manner. Kilinc noted,
"The EU is trying to force us to recognize the Armenian genocide, to
extend diplomatic recognition to the Greek Cypriot administration in
Cyprus, to open our ports to Greek Cypriots, to conduct negotiations
with the terrorist organizations [Kurdistan Workers’ Party] and to
describe our Kurdish and Alevi citizens as minorities. They intend
to destroy our national unity so that we would surrender easily."