Author: Torgomian Varazdat

DRAFT STATE BUDGET OF ARMENIA FOR 2008 UNPRECEDENTED

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Oct 5 2007

YEREVAN, October 5. /ARKA/. The draft state budget of Armenia for 2008
is an unprecedented one, Member of Parliament from the Republican party
of Armenia, member of the Parliament Commission for Financial-Crediting
and Budgetary Issues Areg Ghukasian reported.

According to him, the Republican Party of Armenia, in the person of
its leader, kept the promise and presented a budget equivalent to
2.5bln dollars.

Ghukasian pointed out that the share of the budget deficit in relation
to GDP is 2.1%, which can be considered a good ratio, bearing in mind
that the norm is 3% in the developed countries. He also said that
a more detailed assessment of the budget will be provided after the
study of the draft budget submitted to the parliament yesterday.

Earlier the Armenian Prime-Minister Serge Sargsian said that the
budget of Armenia for 2008 is to total 2.5bln dollars, which has
nothing to do with the elections though.

On October 2, the Armenian Government approved the draft state
budget for 2008. Under the draft budget, budget income and budget
supply are to total 744.7bln Drams and 820.8bln Drams respectively,
with the budget deficit being 76bln Drams.

LOTS OF THINGS CAN BE PLANNED BUT THESE PLANS CANNOT BE IMPOSED ON TIME
Hakob Badalyan

Lragir, Armenia
Oct 3 2007

Levon Ter-PetrosyanPhoto
As the Armenian presidential election is drawing nearer, it seems that
instead of a predetermined election an unpredictable process may take
place, which is determined by Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s intention to run
in the election campaign and the actions taken for this purpose.

In other words, the return of Levon Ter-Petrosyan to politics foils
the plan of the government. On the other hand, it is difficult to tell
that Ter-Petrosyan foiled the plan of the government because the plan
itself is rather vague. In the public perception, the government’s plan
appears as a desire to reproduce, and reproduction means replacement
of Robert Kocharyan by Serge Sargsyan. In other words, the public
perception of the so-called plan of the government is that Robert
Kocharyan wishes to have Serge Sargsyan become president after him
to ensure the indivisibility of himself and the entire system of
government. In fact, however, this is a superficial perception,
and the reflection of Serge Sargsyan’s wish to be president is
not enough to get an idea of the government’s plan because the
government seems to have a few options of developments in the political
process. Therefore, it is difficult to tell which particular plan or
whose plan LevonTer-Petrosyan foils.

Before May 12, 2007 it seemed that the political developments follow
Robert Kocharyan’s plan. However, the result of May 12 was evidence to
the existence of another plan which seemed to be contrary to Robert
Kocharyan’s intentions he had told about before the presidential
election, pointing to a four-party coalition including the Republican
Party, the Bargavach Hayastan Party, the ARF Dashnaktsutyun and the
United Labor Party, and on the day of the election, pointing to
a national opposition in the parliament. In fact, none of Robert
Kocharyan’s wishes came true. And if what happened was Robert
Kocharyan’s wish, it means the president was simply cheating the
system, reassuring some of them. And when the person at the top of
the system has to cheat his team to fulfill his plans, it means he
is facing major problems.

Consequently, we may suppose that what happened and is now continuing
had been planned by Serge Sargsyan. In other words, the home political
developments follow the prime minister’s plan, so Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s
return foils this plan. But if we assume that the presidential election
has been planned by someone, it means Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s activity
is part of this plan as well. Consequently, either we have to admit
or we have to agree that not everything can be done in accordance
with a plan, especially when the fate of a country and a nation
is concerned. Lot of things can be planned but these plans cannot
be imposed on time because time destroys everything that is built
contrary to its requirements. And who else besides this government can
understand it better? For now time is destroying Yerevan through it.

U.S. HOUSE PANEL TO VOTE ON ARMENIA GENOCIDE RESOLUTION
By Desmond Butler, The Associated Press

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Oct 3 2007

A measure to declare that the World War I-era killings of Armenians
was genocide is expected to advance in the U.S. Congress next week,
despite opposition from the Bush administration and Turkey’s warning
that its relations with Washington could be badly damaged.

Similar measures have been debated in Congress for decades, but have
repeatedly been thwarted amid concerns about damaging relations with
Turkey, an important NATO ally. Tuesday’s announcement by the House
of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee that it would consider
the resolution next Wednesday signals that the Democratic leaders,
who control the House, support the measure. With that support, the bill
stands a good chance of passing in a vote by the full House this time.

If the resolution is approved by the committee, it would be up to
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to decide whether to bring it to the House
floor for a vote. While Pelosi has previously expressed support for
recognizing the killings as genocide, it is not clear whether she
would bring the resolution to a vote.

But according to two congressional aides, who spoke on condition of
anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, the committee would
not have taken up the resolution without Pelosi’s support. The measure
is expected to pass in the committee and has widespread support in
the full House, should Pelosi allow a vote.

Though the largely symbolic measure would have no binding effect on
U.S. foreign policy, it could nonetheless damage an already strained
relationship with Turkey.

The dispute involves the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Armenians
during the waning years of the Ottoman Empire. Armenian advocates,
backed by many historians, contend the Armenians died in an organized
genocide. The Turks say the Armenians were victims of widespread chaos
and governmental breakdown as the 600-year-old empire collapsed in
the years before Turkey was born in 1923.

The bill’s sponsor, Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, says passage is
overdue and urgent, with time running out for the remaining survivors
of the killings. "The United States has a compelling historical and
moral reason to recognize the Armenian Genocide, which cost a million
and a half people their lives," Schiff said in a statement. "But we
also have a powerful contemporary reason as well: how can we take
effective action against the genocide in Darfur if we lack the will
to condemn genocide whenever and wherever it occurs?"

Turkey argues that the U.S. House of Representatives is the wrong
institution to arbitrate a sensitive historical dispute. It has
proposed that an international commission of experts examine Armenian
and Turkish archives.

In the meantime, Turkey has been lobbying intensively in Congress
with support from the Bush administration to quash the resolution.

"The administration is very much against this resolution and has
been very active in trying to stop it," said Turkey’s ambassador to
Washington, Nabi Sensoy. "We are very grateful for their help."

But Sensoy said that Turkey’s government may have to respond should
the resolution pass. "We are not in the business of threatening,
but nobody is going to win if this is passed," he said.

The measure comes at a time when public opinion polls show that
the United States has become widely unpopular in Turkey because of
opposition to U.S. policy in Iraq. A recent poll by the Pew Research
Center found the United States had only a 9 percent favorable rating
in Turkey.

After France voted last year to make denial of Armenian genocide
a crime, the Turkish government ended military ties. A similar move
with the United States could have drastic repercussions on operations
in Iraq and Afghanistan, which rely heavily on Turkish support.

ERDOGAN CONTINUES HIS CONTACTS IN THE US

Turkish Press
Milliyet
Oct 2 2007

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, currently visiting the US to
attend the annual United Nations General Assembly meeting, yesterday
continued his bilateral talks with top world leaders. Meeting with
representatives of US Jewish groups, Erdogan urged them to back
Turkey’s efforts to block the Armenian lobby from getting the US
Congress to pass an Armenian resolution. The premier then met with
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The two leaders reportedly
discussed bilateral energy agreements and Iran’s nuclear program as
well as the Iraq issue. In addition, Erdogan rang the opening bell
at the New York Stock Exchange.

LEVON VARDANYAN: AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIAN WRESTLERS ARE PLEASED TO MEET

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Sept 28 2007

"The reception of the team of Armenian in Baku airport was organized
well. We left the airport on busses. 20 security officers guarded
the team everywhere. The wrestlers of Armenian nationality of other
teams were also guarded. The visit of the Armenia team to Baku is
the first step towards strengthening relations between Azerbaijan and
Armenia in the last 20 years. We should try for this as Azerbaijan is
our neighbour", Armenian Wrestling Federation secretary-general Levon
Vardanyan was quoted as saying. He said the referees took biased view
of the Armenian team in Baku. "We faced such unpleasant things during
the championship. But I do not think the nationality played any role
in Baku. Referee is also a human being and is tired. If athlete is
stronger than his opponent no one can prevent him from defeating
his opponent".

Levon Vardanyan said they had unpleasant experience in Baku. "There
were no inci8dnets between Azerbaijan and Armenian wrestlers. They
both were geld to meet. We know each other well, meeting during
international tournaments many times. Sportsmen should stay outside
of politics. The problem was with the wheels of the bus on the way
to the tournament site. But everything finished well.

FORMER ‘NO PLACE FOR HATE’ GROUP URGES ADL TO CHANGE VIEWS ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
By Jillian Fennimore, staff writer

Watertown Tab & Press, MA
Sept 27 2007

WATERTOWN, MA –
Members of the town’s former "No Place for Hate" committee say that
four months ago they were operating a successful anti-bias program
without conflict under the Anti-Defamation League.

Now, those same members are taking a strong stance against the actions
of the national ADL, urging the civil rights group to unequivocally
recognize the Armenian Genocide.

In a letter to the ADL, Will Twombly, former co-chairperson of
Watertown’s "No Place for Hate" committee and fellow co-chair
Sgt. David Sampson of the Watertown Police Department made their
message strong.

"It was impossible to continue our committee’s work, and to regain
our credibility in the community, while affiliated with the ADL under
these circumstances," the letter reads. "We cannot fully believe
the sincerity of the ADL’s stated goals – to work for the fair and
equal treatment of all – until you have completely and wholeheartedly
supported the Armenian people in their quest to have their history
acknowledged by all nations of the world."

The controversy, which continues to have international repercussions,
began in Watertown. In July, Newton’s David Boyajian wrote a letterto
the Watertown TAB & Press about the ADL’s stance, which some said
amounted to denial that the World War I-era deaths of 1.5 million
Armenians under the Ottoman Empire were "genocide."

After much public debate and emotional outpouring from local Armenians
and officials, ADL National Director Abraham Foxman changed the
organization’s position in August by calling the consequences of the
Ottoman Empire’s actions "tantamount to genocide."

Foxman enraged many Armenians, however, by his organization’s continued
opposition to a Congressional resolution making it the official
U.S. view that the massacres of Armenians were genocide, that is to
say a concerted government effort to annihilate an ethnic group.

"We want to see the ADL take what we feel would be critical step in
endorsing the Congressional resolution [on the Armenian Genocide],"
said Twombly.

Twombly said he hopes Foxman’s shifted outlook will begin a "badly
needed healing process."

"We would feel hollow if it were not followed by an endorsement of
the Congressional legislation," he told the TAB & Press.

Ruth Thomasian, a local Armenian and former member of the "No Place
for Hate" committee, said the committee’s original thoughts were not
to immediately leave the ADL, since their programs were running so
smoothly in town.

"Originally we weren’t demanding to cut ties," she said. "We wanted
to stay part of system because it was a great program. But we can’t
be hypocritical about diversity issues."

Last month, Town Council members unanimously accepted a proclamation
sponsored by At-Large Councilor Marilyn Devaney severing ties with
the ADL.

Since then, Belmont and Newton have followed Watertown’s lead.

Arlington, which had been seeking "No Place for Hate" certification,
suspended its involvement in the program. Other cities and towns are
also mulling whether to drop "No Place for Hate."

Members of the dissolved "No Place for Hate" committee in Watertown
are planning a public program about the Armenian genocide. Something
will be scheduled in early July, according to Twombly.

The national ADL plans to revisit its policy toward recognition of
the Armenian genocide in November.

When asked whether or not committee members would consider rejoining
with the ADL if the Congressional legislation is passed, Thomasian
said anything could be possible down the road.

"That legislation has been going on for over 20 years," she said.

"But, yes, that would have to be considered."

ROBERT KOCHARIAN: SHADOW ECONOMY HUGE

Panorama.am
20:43 26/09/2007

Today President Robert Kocharian met with the leadership of the
country’s tax service. Official information has it that the president
announced that the purpose of the meeting was to discover whether the
tax officials are able to solve problems they face, and if so by what
means, and what assistance they might expect.

President Kocharian rates the most important issue to be the general
improvement of the work of the state tax service. "Tax statistics
should correspond to economic growth," he underlined. In the
president’s opinion, the shadow economy in Armenia remains large, with
people doing their best to avoid tax officials and taxes in general.

Pointing out that the issues facing the tax officials are not
unsolvable, the country’s leader said that good results would
immediately be seen with the end of the shadow economy. "There are
serious resources available, it’s just that officials must work
honestly, decisively," he emphasized.

Vahram Barseghyan, head of the state tax service, presented the work
being done as well as problems they are currently facing. Concluding
the meeting, the president stressed the need for positive change and
reform in the tax bodies, and said that solving the problems they
face should remain at the center of their attention.

Robert Kocharian assigned a supervisorial agency to report every ten
days as to progress being made.

RUSSIA, ARMENIA PMS PREDICT BOOST IN RUSSIA-ARMENIA TRADE

ITAR-TASS Agency, Russia
Sept 25 2007

MOSCOW, September 25 (Itar-Tass) — Russian acting Prime Minister
Viktor Zubkov held international talks for the first time at this post
on Tuesday. He met with his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarkisyan at
the Russian House of Government. Zubkov and Sarkisyan were very glad
with their first meeting. "We met for the first time, and this first
meeting shows that it will be very comfortable for us to work,"
the Russian acting premier said. "I was very glad to meet Serzh
Sarkisyan. He is very business-minded, and I also got accustomed to
concrete business," he went on to say.

The Armenian premier was accompanied by "a representative delegation
with a great number of concrete questions, which we will solve,
and I am sure, we will solve them," Zubkov emphasized.

These questions are the construction of a joint oil refinery, a huge
stock of construction materials and goods, which Armenia possesses.

"The enormous market, which will be in Sochi, uranium reserves, which
should be developed, produced and processed open up possibilities
for a steep rise of the trade," he believes. "A good boost in trade
relations is possible," Zubkov said with confidence.

The Armenian premier also noted that his first meeting with the Russian
counterpart showed, "We established very good relations." "It is felt
at once, and you yourself will assess the results of these relations
then," Serzh Sarkisyan told journalists on Tuesday.

ARMENIAN ECONOMY WILL DEVELOP MORE RAPIDLY IF AUTHORITIES KEEP AWAY FROM ECONOMIC PROCESSES, VAHAGN KHACHATRIAN SAYS

Author: Editor: Eghian Robert
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 25 2007

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN. A new economic policy to encourage
domestic producers and create favorable conditions for the export
of their production should be adopted in Armenia, member of the RA
National Assembly ARF faction Artsvik Minasian stated at the September
25 debate. According to him, a common conditional trade mark should
be created for goods made in Armenia and this trade mark should be
protected by the state. Besides, the state should establish control
over the priority branches of industry.

Another participant in the debate – member of the "Aylntrank"
("Alternative") political-social initiative Vahagn Khachatrian
noted that as a apologist for liberal economy he is not in favor of
increasing the role of the state in economic processes. In his opinion,
the less the state "intervenes", the more rapidly the economy will
develop. "Today the question is: how far are the country’s authorities
prepared to keep away from the economy?" V. Khachatrian said.

In his words, import rates currently exceed threefold export rtaes,
as a result of which importers – mainly representatives of the
authorities: ministers and deputies receive superprofits. To give
an example, V. Khachatrian said that taking advantage of the sharp
decline in the number of local pigs due to African plague, the NA
deputy Samvel Alexanian has already imported frozen pork into Armenia.

NON-PARTISAN MP QUESTIONS OPPOSITION’S CHANCES TO UNITE

ARMENPRESS
Sept 25 2007

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS: A non-partisan parliament member
Viktor Dalakian questioned today the willingness of major opposition
parties to close ranks and contest the 2008 presidential election
with a common candidate.

Speaking to a news conference he said only united the opposition can
compete with the pro-government candidate, but added that this looks
almost impossible.

Dalakian said ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosian will also join the race.

"Levon Ter-Petrosian’s injection and the decision of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (ARF) to nominate its own candidate will
prompt a very interesting struggle between leftwing and rightwing
political groups," Dalakian said, adding, however that ‘it is not
important who will be elected, what is important is how the next
president of the country is e elected," "Both inside the country and
outside it the president’s legitimacy must not be questioned," he said.

Also a deputy parliament speaker Vahan Hovhanesian from the ARF said
his party does not share the harsh criticism of ex-president Levon
Ter-Petrosian of the current administration, which he branded as
‘corrupt and criminal."

"Unlike Ter-Petrosian’s Armenian National Movement the ARF does not
shut its eyes to huge progress made by the country in the last decade,"
he said.

"No political party was banned since Ter-Petrosian’s resignation in
1998, no politically-motivated arrests were made," Hovhanesian said
implicating Ter-Petrosian’s ban of his party.

Hovhanesian said ARF is ready to call its three ministers in the
Cabinet or suspend their performance, depending on the will of its
two partners in the coalition government.