Author: Takmazian

PRESIDENT: UNREST IN YEREVAN HAS STRICKEN HARD AT TOURISM SECTOR

ARKA
March 13, 2008

YEREVAN, March 13. /ARKA/. Unrest in Yerevan has stricken hard at
tourism sector, Armenian president Robert Kocharyan said on Wednesday.

On February 20, Armenian opposition headed by former president Levon
Ter-Petrosyan launched protests in Yerevan’s Libery Square disputing
the results of the recent presidential election and insisting that
the election was fraudulent.

The police attacked protesters Saturday night.

Protesters gathered in the square near France’s embassy and city hall.

The police department says one policeman and seven civilians were
killed and 131 injured in clashes.

President Kocharyan imposed a 20-day state of emergency on March 1.

Kocharyan told journalists on Thursday that the flow of tourists
dwindled and travel agencies voice alarm at the phenomenon saying
that tourists refuse from the packages booked for several months.

The president said that tourism is the most democratic sector in
Armenian economy.

He said all social strata, including taxi drivers, artists and
souvenir-makers take advantage from tourism development.

"The president elect and the government, which will be formed after
April 9, should do whatever necessary to restore the country’s image",
he said.

Kocharyan added that every citizen must be interested in that but
those who think they can take advantage from instability.

"The first necessary condition for attracting tourists is stability",
Kocharyan said.

ARMENIANS ARE READY TO GIVE BACK AZERBAIJANI LANDS ONCE THEIR SECURITY IS GUARANTEED: POLITICAL SCIENTIST THOMAS DE VAAL

Trend News Agency
March 12 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 12 March / corr. TrendNews A. Ismayilova/ The
deployment of international peacekeepers in the territory of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can solve this frozen conflict, Thomas de
Vaal, the British journalist and author of the book Black Garden,
devoted to the conflict, said.

"Armenians are ready to give back the occupied territories of
Azerbaijan once their security is guaranteed and Armenians can be made
to give back these territories only on the condition of security,"
Vaal said in an interview with TrendNews.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began
in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since
1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts.

Vaal said that Azerbaijan should begin talks with Karabakh Armenians
regarding security.

"I think that we are just wasting our time by not starting talks on
security between Azerbaijan and Karabakh Armenians," Vaal said.

Vaal said that it will also lead to the return of half million
Azerbaijani IDPs to their lands and will guarantee their security.

"The security of Karabakh Azerbaijanis should be guaranteed as well
and international forces are the only power that can guarantee this,"
Vaal said.

He also stated that the conflict in Karabakh must not be solved by
war. "I know that Azerbaijani society is already discussing a solution
to the conflict is war. War means destruction both for Azerbaijan
and important energy projects," Vaal said.

In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at
which time active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group ( Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful
negotiations.

The ceasefire on the contact line between Azerbaijan and Armenia has
frequently been violated since 4 March. Gun fire has left dead and
wounded among the military and civilians.

Vaal is sure that Karabakh Armenians think of Azerbaijan as a danger
to them. Karabakh Armenians become citizens of Armenian every year.

Most of them get Azerbaijani passports. They do not have contact with
Azerbaijan and they are de-facto citizens of Armenia, Vaal said.

RA PRESIDENT CALLS TO AVOID PARTICIPATION IN RALLIES

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.03.2008 14:32 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Robert Kocharian described today
as "provocative" Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s statements on the intention
to carry out a rally right after the state of emergency is lifted.

Talking to reporters, the President stated that "the right thing to
do is to refrain from rallies, rest a little and decrease polarity
within the society."

"Imagine, if we permit to hold rallies and the people, who participated
in the riots and clashes with the police and law enforcers, assemble
again. I can’t imagine what their "intercourse" will look like. One
should be a provoker to repeat the same steps. Maybe, some people
will be glad to watch new collisions and new victims and therefore to
publish articles in foreign newspapers. But the authorities will not
let it happen on the grounds of article 40 of the RA Constitution. I
call on the citizens to refrain from participation in rallies and
remain aside from provocative statements", the President said,
reports.

624 DALARIK SCHOOL CHILDREN MOVE TO THEIR NEW SCHOOL

ARMENPRESS
March 12, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS: Some 624 school children of Dalarik
village moved on March 3 to their fully refurbished school. The
Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) was there on the first day of school
to share with the children and staff the joy of walking into such a
modern building.

The Dalarik School is the ninth completed building reconstruction
project of COAF’s Participatory Integrated Rural Development
Program. Since late 2005, COAF has completed the reconstruction and
refurnishing of two pre-schools, four schools, a health clinic, a
sports complex, and a community center. These projects, along with
the educational, social, health and economic development projects
realized by COAF have turned the lives of 12,115 residents of Dalarik,
Karakert, Lernagog and Shenik, of whom 3,018 are children.

Hayser Kirakosyan, former director of the Dalarik School and currently
a history teacher is elated by the transformation of his dilapidated
old school. In Mr. Kirakosyan’s words "This building is a real gift
to all of us, but especially to the children of Dalarik. For too
long, our children were deprived of the most basic conditions for
learning in a healthy school environment. For none of their fault,
this generation inherited a deserted village and poor conditions all
around. This school is like a miracle for all of us. I am absolutely
convinced that our children will strive for high standards and they
will attain greater results."

The Dalarik School capital reconstruction project began in November
2006 and was completed by Akhuryan Coopshin Ltd., a Gyumri-based
company with extensive experience in reconstruction. COAF and the
contractor worked closely with the local community in all phases of
the planning and implementation of the project.

About 20 percent of the workforce in this project came from the
local community.

The revitalized Dalarik School has a usable area of 3,300 sq. m., with
22 classrooms, 12 lavatories, 2 science laboratories, 5 administrative
offices, a fully equipped computer room, a workshop, a nurse’s
station, a music room, a library, an arts center, a gymnasium,
a teachers’ conference room, and a performance hall. All rooms are
fully refurnished.

The building is provided with power, water and heat supply systems. The
external and internal walls and foundation of the school building
have been reinforced. Access to the school and other specifications
meet required norms for the disabled.

Thanks to this completed project, the children of Dalarik will
grow in a safe environment, guided by teachers recently retrained
in instruction methodology including child centered classrooms,
cooperative learning, thematic teaching, lesson planning and other
related topics. These trainings and other educational projects are
continuous and intend to contribute to rural children’s multifunctional
development and growth.

Additionally, COAF’s upcoming projects include the continued expansion
of infrastructure, economic development, health and social programs
in all six cluster communities.

ALEXANDER ARZUMANIAN AND ARARAT ZURABIAN ARRESTED

AZG Armenian Daily
13/03/2008

Post-election

On March 10, Armenian National Security Service workers arrested Levon
Ter-Petrosian’s co-thinker Alexander Arzumanian and the board member
of the Armenian National Movement party Ararat Zurabian, Head of the
Press Service of National Security Service Artsvi Baghramian reported.

Alexander Arzumanian and Ararat Zurabian are charged as being
organizers of March 1 mass disorder.

ARMENIAN CAUCUS RALLIES SUPPORT FOR ARMENIAN AID PRIORITIES

armradio.am
12.03.2008 10:20

Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairmen Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and
Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) are currently collecting signatures among their
House colleagues on a letter urging the leaders of the US State-Foreign
Operations Appropriations Subcommittee to support provisions in the
FY09 foreign aid bill that advance US interests and American values
in Armenia and the surrounding region, reported the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA).

The letter, addressed to Subcommittee Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) and
Ranking Member Frank Wolf (R-VA), outlines six key policy priorities:

1) Cutting all military aid to Azerbaijan due to its threats of
renewed war 2) Allocating $5 million in military aid to Armenia 3)
Continuing Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act 4) Allocating
$70 million in economic aid to Armenia 5) Allocating $10 million in
development aid to Nagorno Karabakh 6) Restoring diplomatic relations
with Nagorno Karabakh

The budget proposed by the White House last month sought to
dramatically slash aid to Armenia by 59%, and, once again, proposed
tipping the military aid balance in favor of Azerbaijan, despite
Baku’s threats to use it growing military arsenal to restart its war
against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.

Members of Congress, led by the Armenian Caucus, are seeking to reverse
the proposed cut in aid to Armenia and to enact a constructive set
of foreign policies toward Armenia and the region.

"KOLTSO" WILL BE TRANSLATED INTO ARMENIAN AND EGNLISH

KarabakhOpen
12-03-2008 12:33:34

During the meeting of the state commission for celebration of 20th
anniversary of the movement the president of the Writers’ Union
Vardan Hakobyan proposed translating into Armenian and English and
publishing Nvard Soghomonyan’s book "Koltso". It was also proposed
to set up a web site and post materials on it, including the film
about the events in Maragha.

The celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Karabakh movement
continues.

In April and May an international conference will be held in which
experts and political scientists from Armenia will participate.

FIRE EXCHANGE KILLS TWO SOLDIERS FROM AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN SIDE

Today
March 11 2008
Azerbaijan

Armenian armed forces locating in the occupied lands of Azerbaijan
violated ceasefire on March 9 again.

According to the press service for the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan,
the Armenian armed forces fired at the positions of the Azerbaijani
armed forces locating just opposite their posts near nameless heights
of Fizuli and Dashkesan.

Moreover, they fired at positions of the Azerbaijani army dislocated
near Kokha Nabi village of Tovuz and Chileburt, Gyzyl Oba and Seysulan
villages of Terter.

The enemy used machine and submachine guns.

As is reported, Azerbaijani army soldier Ismailov Ramin Ismail oglu,
born in 1989, (recruited by the Nizami enlistment office of Ganja)
died in the result of ceasefire violation in Fizuli.

Moreover, soldier Ismailov Ulvi Vagif oglu, born in 1989 (recruited
by Narimanov enlistment office of Baku), was wounded in his left leg
and brought to hospital. His life is not endangered now.

One Armenian soldier was killed by a response fire.

RIFT AMONG OIC EXPERTS OVER KOSOVO

B92
March 11 2008
Serbia

DAKAR — Disagreement over Kosovo was reported ahead of an Organization
of the Islamic Conference (OIC) session.

Strong disagreements broke out after Turkey attempted to secure
that the closing document of the 11th OIC summit should include an
article expressing the recognition of the independence of Kosovo,
Russian media reported from the Senegalese capital of Dakar on Tuesday.

Quoting reports in Turkish papers and statements by diplomats of
Azerbaijan, from which the Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh has
seceded, the media said that Turkey wanted to contribute an article
on the recognition of the independence of Kosovo, but that other
countries, primarily Azerbaijan, Egypt, Sudan, and Indonesia, were
against such an initiative.

In the end, it was decided that the document should include only an
article expressing solidarity with the people of Kosovo, and Turkey
announced that it will continue defending its position at meetings
of ministers and presidents of OIC countries.

The Muslim countries that have so far recognized the secession of
Kosovo are Albania, Turkey, Malaysia, Afghanistan, and Senegal,
and such a move is being planned by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab
Emirates, the Russian media said.

FINANCING OF PENSIONS AND BENEFITS GROWS BY 85.9% AND 37.1% RESPECTIVELY IN JANUARY 2008 ON SAME MONTH OF LAST YEAR

Noyan Tapan
March 11, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 11, NOYAN TAPAN. In January 2008, 51.2% of the Armenian
state budgetary expenditures was allocated for payment of pensions
and social benefits, which amounted to 16.5 bln drams (about 53.8 mln
USD) or 32% of the quarterly program. Particularly, 13.1 bln drams
was allocated for pensions, 3.4 bln drams for benefits. Financing of
pensions grew by 85.9%, that of benefits – by 37.1% as compared with
January 2007.

According to the press service of the RA ministry of finance and
economy, expenditures on operations with nonfinancial assets made
886.6 mln drams.

1.7 bln drams were expenditures on nonfinancial assets, while
2.6 bln drams were revenues from the alienation of nonfinancial
assets. Expenditures on nonfinancial assets declined by 24.5%,
revenues from the alienation of nonfinancial assets declined by 34.7%
as compared with Janaury 2007.

In January 2008, the RA state budget (without the inflow of resources
under the credit programs financed from foreign sources) was executed
with a surplus of 15.2 bln drams. This surplus was financed in the
amount of 12.9 bln drams from domestic sources and 2.3 bln drams
from foreign sources. The surplus of the state budget declined by 34%
on January 2007, with the surplus from domestic sources declining by
39.7%, while the surplus from foreign sources increasing by 44.7%.

Net revenues from borrowing sources (securities) made up 4.2 bln
drams of the domestic sources of financing the surplus. Available
budgetary resources increased by 8.7 bln drams.

The credits from the RA state budget amounted to 1.8 bln drams in
January 2008. These credits were provided to the NKR. Their amount
exceeded by 25.4% the respective index of last year.

474.8 mln drams was allocated for redemption of external liabilities
in January 2008. This sum was spent on paying the debt on the programs
implemented with the assistance of the World Bank.