Author: Vasilian Manouk

REPUBLICAN PARTY SPECIFIED ITS PROPORTIONAL LIST

ArmInfo
2007-06-06 11:04:00

Last night, the Republican part has specified its proportional list,
by which 41 deputies will pass to the parliament and 23 mandates more
fell to RPA’s share by majority system.

Tigran Torossyan will be nominated for parliament speaker of fourth
convocation again. RPA faction will be headed by Karen Karapetyan. The
following persons passed to the Parliament by proportional list:
RPA deputy chairman Razmik Zohrabyan, member of RPA Council Galust
Sahakyan, non-party Hranush Hakopyan, who will head the Commission
on culture, education, science and youth affairs again, member of RPA
Council Gagik Minassyan, who will become chairman of the Commission on
financial-budgetary issues, member of the Governing Board of "Arabkir"
Medical Center Ara Babloyan, who will head the Commission on health,
nature conservation and social assurance, member of RPA Council Hermine
Naghdalyan, member of RPA Council Armen Ashotyan, Minister of Trade
and Economic Development Karen Chshmarityan, who will be probably
replaced by leader of the United Labour party Gourgen Arsenyan,
Justice Minister David Haroutyunyan, who will head the Commission
on state-legal affairs, and Tigran Makuchyan will be appointed to
his place, member of RPA Council, Ecology Minister Vardan Ayvazyan,
non-party Myasnik Malkhasyan, member of RPA Council Samvel Nikoyan,
non-party Vladimir Badalyan, member of RPA Council Hamlet Haroutyunyan,
non-party businessman Gagik Abrahamyan (brother of the chairman of
the Union of Armenians of Russia Ara Abrahamyan), member of RPA Areg
Ghouksyan (brother of NKR President Arkady Ghouksyan), member of
RPA Ashot Arsenyan (owner of Company), member of RPA Manvel Badeyan
(owner of Company), member of RPA Nahapet Gevorgyan, member of RPA
Armen Mkhitaryan, member of RPA Council Rafik Grigoryan, member of RPA
Mkrtich Minasyan, member of RPA Arakel Movsisyan, Head of the capital
"Shengavit" community martin Sargsyan, non-party Tachat Vardapetyan,
deputy chairman of the "Powerful Motherland" party Shirak Torosyan,
chairman of the "Democracy and Labour" party Spartak Melikyan, non-
party Aratk Davtyan, member of RPA Council Karen Avagyan, non-party
Haik Sanosyan, non-party, Director General of "Armen Carpet" Company
Misha Stepanyan, member of RPA Council Vazgen Karakhanyan, member of
RPA Artiom Ghoukasyan, member of RPA Council Arman Sahakyan, member
of RPA Vladimir Badalyan, RPA spokesman Eduard Sharmazanov, member
of RPA Armen Danielyan, member of RPA, businessman Aleksan Petrosyan
(owner of the Company), member of RPA Melik Gasparyan.

To note, a coalitional memorandum will be signed today between RPA and
"Prosperous Armenia", and ARF "Dashnaktsutiun" will sign an agreement
with these forces on cooperation out of the coalition.

ARFD will reserve for itself the portfolios of the Minister of
Social Assurance, Aghvan Vardanyan will be designated for this post
again. The Ministry of Education and Science will be headed by Levon
Lazarian, the Ministry of Agriculture by David Lokyan. The party
will also receive the posts of vice- speaker, to be taken up again
by Vahan Hovhannissyan, and Heads of two parliamentary commissions:
the Commission on defense, national security and internal affairs to
be headed by ex-deputy Defense Minister Artur Aghabekyan, and the
Commission on foreign affairs to be headed by Armen Rustamyan. The
party will also receive one or two portfolios of governors. Yesterday,
the party has already determined its proportional list, according to
which 19 deputies from the party will pass to the parliament, and 7
mandates more will be received by the party by majority system. The
former head of the State Committee on Physical Culture and sports
Ishkhan Zakaryan will become vice-speaker of the parliament, The former
head of foreign relations department under the president, Avet Adonts,
will head the parliamentary commission on European Integration. "PA"
will get the posts of two parliamentary commissions more. The
party will receive two ministerial portfolios: deputy transport and
communication minister Vardan Vardanyan, which will become urban
minister, chairman of the board of the medical centres Erebuni and
Nairi Arutyun Kushkyan, which become health minister. "PA" will also
receive the portfolios of two governors: deputy chairman of Civil
Aviation General Board Artashes Bakhshyan will become deputy finance
and economy minister. To note, the mandates to parliamentarians will
be given tonight.

OSCE CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE TO ARRIVE IN YEREVAN

Arka News Agency, Armenia
June 4 2007

YEREVAN, June 4. /ARKA/. OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Spanish Foreign
Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos is to arrive in Yerevan on June
5, 2007.

The Press and Information Department, RA Foreign Office, reports
that the OSCE Chairman-in-Office is to hold meetings with RA
President Robert Kocharyan, Premier Serge Sargsyan, President of
the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) Arkady Ghukasyan and RA Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanyan.

French Co-Chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group Bernar Fassier earlier
stated that the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, is to come to the region
to make final preparations for a meeting between Armenian President
Robert Kocharyan and Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev., which
is to be held in Saint Petersburg on June 9-10, 2007, as part of an
informal CIS summit.

During his regional visit, Moratinos is to discuss the current stage
of negotiations for the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement with the Armenian,
Azerbaijani and NKR leaders.

OSCE HEAD, ARMENIAN LEADERSHIP DISCUSS KARABAKH IN YEREVAN

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
5 Jun 07

[Presenter] OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Spanish Foreign Minister
Miguel Angel Moratinos, accompanied by OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
President Goran Lennmarker, is in Yerevan. Moratinos has already
met Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan. He will meet Nagornyy
Karabakh republic [NKR] president Arkadi Ghukasyan at the NKR mission
in Yerevan in an hour. Before arriving in Armenia, Moratinos visited
Azerbaijan as part of his visit to the region. He told Day.az that
currently, there is a golden chance for the [Karabakh] conflict
settlement that should be used. However, he added that not much
should be expected from the meeting of the [Armenian and Azerbaijani]
presidents to avoid disappointments in the future.

[Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan told a joint news conference
on 5 June that Nagornyy Karabakh people’s right to self-determination
is the touchstone in the settlement process, the Armenian news agency
Arminfo reported on 5 June. "This is what triggered the conflict. All
the other issues result from the steps taken by Azerbaijan, the war
that it imposed, and its efforts to exert pressure," Oskanyan said.]

ARMENIA SEES NO ALTERNATIVE TO MINSK GROUP IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
June 5, 2007

Armenia sees no alternative or a more efficient format for settling the
Karabakh conflict than the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE) and its Minsk Group, Armenian President Robert Kocharyan
said on Tuesday during his meeting with OSCE Chairman-in-Office,
Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos.

Touching upon democratic reforms in Armenia, Moratinos said, the
progress at the recent parliamentary elections would exert important
influence on the enhancement of democratic processes.

All Armenian reforms are aimed at unveiling man’s abilities and
efficiency, while a stronger democracy is the best way to reach that,
Kocharyan said.

He confirmed Yerevan’s readiness to enlarge bilateral cooperation
with Spain. Kocharyan and Moratinos pointed to the importance of such
exchange of visits.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Terror plot foiled at JFK airport
04.06.2007 14:05 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Four men have been charged and three arrested with
conspiring to blow up jet fuel supply tanks and pipelines at John
F. Kennedy International Airport.

Homeland Security sources said there is no current threat at the
airport and the attack as planned was "not technically feasible."

The alleged plot did not target airplane flights, officials said.

The alleged plotters targeted the airport because of the popularity
its namesake, John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963.

"Anytime you hit Kennedy, it is the most hurtful thing to the United
States. To hit John F. Kennedy, wow … they love JFK – he’s like the
man," former JFK airport cargo worker Russell Defreitas allegedly said
in a telephone conversation monitored by the FBI.

"If you hit that, this whole country will be in mourning. It’s like
you can kill the man twice," Defreitas allegedly added.

At a Justice Department news conference Saturday afternoon, the
plotters were described as "a determined group" whose signature was
persistence.

A law enforcement source told CNN Saturday evening that the idea for
the plot allegedly came from Defreitas, who also apparently recruited
the other men. Those three supposedly directed the effort.

Defreitas, 63, a native of Guyana who has been a U.S. citizen since
the 1960s, was arrested in Brooklyn, New York, according to the
Justice Department. He was arraigned Saturday in federal court in New
York.

Abdul Kadir of Guyana, a former member of the Guyana parliament, and
Kareem Ibrahim of Trinidad, are in custody in Trinidad. The United
States will seek their extradition.

The fourth suspect, Abdel Nur of Guyana, is being sought.

Defreitas was once a contractor for the aviation company Evergreen
Eagle, a law enforcement official told CNN. James Nelson, a company
spokesman, said the firm is cooperating with authorities, but declined
to provide further information.

Defreitas identified targets and escape routes and assessed airport
security, the complaint alleges. Officials said the "defendants
obtained satellite photographs of JFK airport and its facilities from
the Internet and traveled frequently among the United States, Guyana
and Trinidad to discuss their plans and solicit the financial and
technical assistance of others."

Suspects compared the plot with 9/11 in wiretapped remarks, CNN
reports.

AZERI MP: ALIYEV-KOCHARYAN MEETING IN SAINT PETERSBURG MAY BECOME DECISIVE

ArmRadio.am
01.06.2007 16:06

Azerbaijani MP, political scientist Aydin Mirzazade declared that the
meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents in Saint Petersburg
may become decisive in resolving the Karabakh conflict.

In his words, "during this meeting the Presidents will be able to
bring close the positions of the two countries on the settlement of
the issue.

"If the negotiation process upholds the current pace, in the near
future we shall be able to see the initial version of the peace treaty,
and the societies of the two countries will be able to discuss it,"
the political scientist said.

According to the Deputy, all this "provides the ground for thinking
that the peace treaty is not far off, and the negotiation process is
coming to an end."

OMX AND NASDAQ UNITE
By Ara Martirosian

AZG Armenian Daily
31/05/2007

Economy and Finance

The Swedish OMX company that is known to purchase the Armenian Stock
Exchange and the Central Depository, united with NASDAQ company. The
agreement costs anout $ 3,7 billion. The united company will be called
NASDAQ OMX Group. "Mediamax" agency informed about this.

45th ANNIVERSARY OF JOURNALIST ACTIVITY OF STATE LANGUAGE INSPECTION CHIEF LAVRENTI MIRZOYAN MARKED

Noyan Tapan
May 31 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 31, NOYAN TAPAN. A ceremony dedicated to the 45th
anniversary of the journalist activity of Lavrenti Mirzoyan, the
Chief of the RA State Language Inspection took place on May 30 at
the National Library of Armenia. The event was organized on the
initiative of the Ministry of Culture and Youth Issues, Ministry of
Education and Science, Journalists’ Union, Taush compatriotic union
and National Library.

L. Mirzoyan has started his journalist activity still since the
school years, corresponding with the "Pioner Kanch" (Pioneer Call)
newspaper. He founded and edited the Erebuni, Kaghakatsiakan
Tsarayutiun (Civil Service) and Hay Ashkharh (Armenian World)
newspapers, is the author of about 3000 articles and essays, more
than 15 books and editorials of 75 books.

Speaking about the quality of the language of mass media, L. Mirzoyan
stated: "I do not share opinion of those people who insist that
unpleasant native language is broadcast today. Small overlookings are
connected with work by live broadcast." L. Mirzoyan spoke negatively
only about advertisements performed with a distorted language.

For the contribution in the Armenian culture, press and literature,
Lavrenti Mirzoyan was awarded: a gold medal by the RA Ministry of
Culture and Youth Issues, Hakob Meghapart medal by the RA National
Library, "Nansen" medal by the Fridtjof Nansen fund and a diploma by
the One Nation, One Culture fund.

ARMENIAN PREMIER MEETS RUSSIAN POWER GRID CHIEF

Armenian Second TV Channel, Yerevan
29 May 07

Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan received the head of RAO YeES,
Unified Energy System of Russia, Anatoliy Chubays, today. Chubays
and the delegation headed by him arrived in Armenia to take part in
a sitting of the CIS Energy Council. Chubays said that the RAO YeES
always felt Armenian assistance.

The 31st CIS Energy Council sitting took place today. Azerbaijan and
Turkmenistan did not participate in the sitting. The members gave
their agreement to create a joint CIS energy market as well as a
market relationship among the countries.

Anatoliy Chubays, who is also the chairman of the CIS Energy Council,
told a news conference after the sitting that a joint market would
allow the development of cooperation between CIS countries in the
energy field. "The council does practical work for the realization
of the agreement to create a joint energy market," Chubays said.

Armenian Energy Minister Armen Movsisyan said that the joint CIS
energy market will not hinder Armenia’s cooperation with other
countries in the energy field. "We have long wanted to cooperate with
CIS countries. We work successfully with Iran, we would like to work
with Georgia and CIS countries," Movsisyan said.

VAZGEN MANUKYAN IS READY FOR AN UNEXPECTED STEP

Lragir.am
30-05-2007 17:12:47

"If we fail to put up a single candidate for the presidential
election in 2008, it will be impossible to bring people together
and reduce vote tampering and win the election," said the leader
of the National Democratic Union Vazgen Manukyan on May 30 at the
Pastark Club regarding the presidential election in 2008. He says the
opposition need not necessarily put up a single candidate from the very
beginning. It is possible to come together one or two months before the
voting. As to the personality of the single candidate, Vazgen Manukyan
says not every leader can be the single candidate of the opposition. "
Sometimes the impression is that if everyone come together and put up
anyone, they will win. No. Not every candidate will win the election,
others may feel humiliated to come together around any candidate,
not every candidate will accept ambitions painfully. And not every
single candidate will manage to rule the country in this complicated
situation without crashing the state after the victory," Vazgen
Manukyan says. He does not hide that he considers himself a single
candidate who stands a chance to win the election, and had stated
before the election that only he can defeat Serge Sargsyan. The leader
of the NDU does not hide that he cannot see a suitable single candidate
among the figures who stated likelihood to run for presidency.

Vazgen Manukyan agrees and also disagrees with Hrant Bagratyan who
held a news conference a few days ago at the National Press Club. "I
think for the single candidate the opposition need not come together
and make a decision artificially, discussing who is taller, who is
more handsome, who is more eloquent, it should be left up to people
to decide. But if people trust several people equally, in this
case it is necessary to think who could solve the other problems
effectively," the leader of the NDU says. As to Bagratyan’s remark
that the candidates who lost once should not run in the presidential
election again, especially that there is no such practice in the world,
Vazgen Manukyan says in democratic countries there is such practice,
and perhaps Hrant Bagratyan is not competent enough in what he spoke
about. Vazgen Manukyan cites the example of the U.S. President Nixon,
who lost several elections and was finally elected president. Besides,
the leader of the NDU says he won in 1996, and the government used
tanks against him. Vazgen Manukyan also says he knows why Bagratyan
thinks so. Manukyan thinks Bagratyan wants to clear space for
someone else to be nominated. Reporters think this someone is Levon
Ter-Petrosyan. In answer to the question if he will withdraw his
candidacy if Levon Ter-Petrosyan is nominated, Vazgen Manukyan says no.

He says, however, that even though he considers himself as a suitable
single candidate, he does not know another person for whom he would
withdraw his candidacy. But he says: "I will take any step, any
unexpected step for a change of the government in Armenia through
the presidential election." The leader of the NDU says, however,
that unexpectedness will be in the framework of the Constitution.

Vazgen Manukyan also voiced the counterarguments the government
propaganda offers or is going to offer regarding the presidential
election in 2008. The first is that the personality of the president
becomes irrelevant because the amended Constitution has vested
more deciding powers in the parliament, and the Republican holds
the absolute parliament majority, and the opposition cannot do
anything. A similar thesis has been set forward by Shavarsh Kocharyan
who used to be in the same party with Vazgen Manukyan. Vazgen Manukyan
says if people elect president, an illegitimate parliament will be
weak. The other propagandist counterargument is that the president
of the opposition and the Republican parliament will clash, like
in Ukraine. According to the leader of the NDU, it is nonsensical
to threaten with the repetition of the Yuschenko-Yanukovich
confrontation. Nothing of the kind will happen in Armenia because
what is underway in Ukraine is not a conflict of persons but the
conflict of people divided into two parts, pro-West and pro-Russian,
says the leader of the NDU. There is nothing of the kind in Armenia.