Author: Vorskanian Yeghisabet

ARMENIA’S GROSS AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT GROWS BY 7.2% IN FIRST HALF OF 2006
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, NOYAN TAPAN. In January-June 2006, the gross
agricultural output made 118.9 bln drams (about 267.8 mln USD) in
Armenia, exceeding by 7.2% the respective index of 2005. According
to the RA National Statistical Service, the gross plant cultication
output amounted to 36 bln 818.2 mln drams, exceeding by 12.6% the
index of the same period of 2005. The gross cattle-breeding output
made 82 bln 132.4 mln drams, exceeding by 5% the respective index of
2005. As of June 1, 2006, the gross grain and groat crops grew by 1.4
thousand tons or about 5.7fold compared with the same index of last
year, truck crops – by 9.7 thousand tons or 43.3%, potato crops – by
6.3 thousand tons or 22.7%, fruit and vegetables – by 6.3 thousand
tons or 17.3%, fodder crops – by 28.1 thousand tons or 55.9%. In
January-June 2006, production of main cattle-breeding foodstuffs,
except eggs, increased on the same period of 2005.
The meat and poultry production exceeded by 4.7 thousand tons or
12.3% the index of the same period of 2005, milk production – by 26.7
thousand tons or 8.8%. Fish catching index made 569.8 mln drams in
January-June 2006, exceeding the respective index of 2005 by 11.9%.

YEREVAN LAKE TO BECOME RESTING ZONE IN COMING ONE-TWO YEARS
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, NOYAN TAPAN. Yerevan Lake will be so clean in
one-two years that people will rest near that lake instead of going
to Sevan. Vrezh Gabrielian, the Deputy Chief of the Rescue Service
of the RA Ministry of Territorial Administration stated about it at
the August 7 press-conference.
According to him, the territory near the lake will also be in good
order.
V.Gabrielian mentioned that Lake Yerevan must become safe in
the sense of both ecology and emergency situations. According to
him, planning-estimate works of 17 mln drams (about 41.5 thousand
U.S. dollars) were ordered for cleaning the lake, moving and burying
mud in a safe territory.

PRESIDENT DESCRIBES BELARUS AS MAIN DRIVING FORCE OF EURASIAN INTEGRATION
Belarusian television, Minsk
8 Aug 06
[Presenter] Belarus is the most consistent and active driving force of
Eurasian integration, [President] Alyaksandr Lukashenka said today at a conference
with newly appointed representative of Belarus to interstate bodies.
Priority tasks include the activation of our country’s role in integration processes
in the post-Soviet space.
[Correspondent] The most important directions of Belarus’s foreign policy
have been defined already at a recent conference with the diplomatic corps.
Integration processes in the post-Soviet space were described as a priority. The
discussion of the integration issue continued today on the practical and
specific level. The president met those who are expected to promote and defend
Belarus’s interests in interstate bodies. These are bodies of the
[Russian-Belarusian] union state, the EAEC [the Eurasian Economic Community of Russia,
Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan] and the CSTO [the
Collective Security Treaty Organization of Belarus, Russia, Armenia,
Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan]. Belarus is the most consistent and active
driving force of Eurasian integration, Alyaksandr Lukashenka said and the results
of recent summits testify to this. But the integration effect should be even
bigger.
[Lukashenka] I would like you to remember all the time that you are
representative of Belarus to interstate bodies, above all. I would not like you to
become international officials, as they say, and forget that you represent the
country. And the most important thing is that you should deal with the most
specific issues, any issues that would facilitate the prosperity and revival of
our country’s economy and the improvement of people’s life.
[Correspondent] The newly appointed ambassador to Russia, Vasil Dalhalyow,
has been tasked with coordinating the activities by Belarus’s representative to
interstate bodies. The main priority has been and remains the creation of a
full-fledged union state, the president pointed out. It is necessary to press
for the timely and proper implementation of the decisions and agreements
needed here. The creation of a full-scale customs union is the main direction of
activities within the EAEC framework, the head of state stressed. Active
work aimed at increasing the efficiency of foreign political coordination should
be carried out within the CSTO framework. The main thing is to see our
country and its interests behind each line and letter, the president is convinced.
[At 1021 gmt today, the Belarusian news agency Belapan quoted Lukashenka as
saying that the EAEC member states’ economic, energy and human potential can
turn the EAEC into a major player in the international economic and political
arena and that it would be impossible without the establishment of a
full-scale customs union within the organization.]

ARMENIAN RAILWAYS AMONG DOMINANT ENTITIES
Panorama.am
15:02 07/08/06
State Customs Committee sources say 16471 cars were imported to
Armenia in 2005, 5524 of which by economic entities and 10947 –
by individuals. However, comparative analyses of the information
received from State Customs Committee and the economic entities
indicates that economic entities imported only 552 new foreign cars
to Armenia in 2005.
The Economic Competition Protection State Committee (ECPSC) considered
doubtful these facts thinking that economic entities may have ordered
individuals to import cars for them.
ECPSC has registered Armenia Lada, Karkomavto and the Armenian Railways
among the entities with dominant positions. /Panorama.am/

ANOTHER ARMENIAN KILLED IN MOSCOW
ArmRadio.am
07.08.2006 20:19
A certain Armen Osipyan, Armenian by origin, was attacked approximately
at 5:40pm in the Year 1905 street, Russian mass media report.
An unknown fired at Osipyan at the moment when the latter was getting
on his “Mercedes”. The man was taken to hospital with numerous
wounds, wherein he died soon after. The motives of the crime and the
professional activity of the killed are currently found out. It is
also not known if Osipyan was a citizen of Russia or Armenia.
The unknown escaped throwing the machinegun in the place, Arminfo
reported.

ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER GOES ON TWO-WEEKS’ LEAVE
YEREVAN, AUGUST 7, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian Prime Minister Andranik
Margarian went on a two weeks’ leave from August 7 to August
21. According to the RA Government Information and PR Department,
A. Margarian will spend his holiday outside Armenia. The RA Minister of
Territorial Administration Hovik Abrahamian will temporarily perform
the duties of the prime minister.

Committee puts off action on nominee for ambassador to Armenia
AP Worldstream; Aug 04, 2006
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is putting off until September
consideration of career diplomat Richard Hoagland as ambassador
to Armenia.
The delay signals objections by some senators to the administration’s
refusal to classify the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915 as
“genocide.”
Hoagland’s nomination was on the committee calendar this past week
but several senators asked that action on the measure be delayed until
after Congress returns from its August recess, which began on Friday.
Among those requesting a delay were Sens. Joseph Biden and John
Kerry. Both are possible presidential contenders in 2008.
At his June 28 confirmation hearing, Hoagland declined to use the
word genocide to describe the 1915 massacre, which occurred during
the waning days of the Ottoman Empire.
The tour of duty of the current ambassador, John Evans, reportedly
is being curtailed because he referred to the massacre as a genocide
in defiance of administration policy. .
Turkey strongly objects to any such
characterization. U.S. policy-makers are wary of antagonizing Turkey,
an important NATO ally.
Armenians say that as many as 1.5 million of their ancestors were
killing in an organized genocidal campaign by Ottoman Turks, and have
pushed for recognition of the killings as genocide around the world.

SENATOR COLEMAN WORRIED ABOUT US POLICY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DENIAL
PanARMENIAN.Net
03.08.2006 14:06 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Daily Comment US newspaper and a number of
others have made public the pledge of member of the Foreign Relations
Committee of the US Senate Norm Coleman that he will vote against
the candidacy of Richard Hoagland, nominated by President Bush as
the Ambassador to Armenia. “I am concerned over our policy over
denial of historical realities. The Bush Administration recognizes
that since 1915 Turkish troops killed and expelled 1.5 million
Armenians, however, avoids word “genocide”, when speaking about it,
Norm Coleman said. The editions also remind that Senator Barbara
Boxer, who represents California, agreed to the hearings on Hoagland’s
appointment be delayed, however she did not report whom she would vote
for. “The Administration has to change its policy towards Armenia,”
the Senator noted, reports RFE/RL.

Prayers for peace
Turkish Daily News; Aug 02, 2006
Religious leaders led a congregation of Turkish Armenians at a prayer
ceremony at the Kinaliada Surp Krikor Lusarovic Church, praying for
an end to the violence in the Middle East
The prayers were led by Armenian Patriarch Mesrob II, Syriac Christian
Istanbul and Ankara leader and Assistant Patriarch Yusuf Cetin and
Father Dositeus — the deputy of Fener Patriarch Bartolomeos.
Mesrob II said they were devastated by the innocent blood spilled
in the Middle East, adding: “The people of Lebanon are subjected
to violence and Israeli citizens face death coming from the
sky, while Palestinians and Iraqis are mourning new deaths every
day. Unfortunately, this sorrow seems to have no end in sight. The
world is shaking, people are harmed and all of this is occurring right
before our eyes.” He said now was a time when all should pray to God
and provide some hope for the people suffering. “We can all see things
are not going well in the Middle East. We all are frightened of the
dangerous escalation and are disappointed and angry. World leaders
are upset they are unable to do anything to restore peace.” Mesrob
II called for an end to violence against innocent civilians and an
immediate cease-fire.
“Leaders are trying to justify violence that goes beyond the
limit of international law. Militant groups are inciting more
violence. No matter what happened, nothing can justify the bombing
of the infrastructure in Israel, Lebanon and Palestine. Terrorist
acts cannot justify a state resorting to terrorism.” “We need divine
guidance. That’s what we seek through our prayers. What we can do for
these people who live so far away is limited; however, we can suffer
for them. We can pray to God for future peace.”

SKINHEADS ATTEMPT TO SET MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN FRIENDSHIP ON FIRE IN ROSTOV
Panorama.am
15:14 01/08/06
At July 31 night, a barbarian act was committed against a monument
of Armenian culture in Rostov-na-Dony. Unknown people, who experts
believe were skinheads, tried to set the Museum of Russian-Armenian
Friendship on fire. The museum is located at temple Surb Khach of
the Armenian Apostolic Church.
The barbarians could not get into the temple but broke and burned
metal-plastic windows. The museum employees noticed the damage when
they came to work in the morning, Yerkramas newspaper, an Armenian
newspaper in Russia, reports. Experts believe that the damage is
caused by skinheads judging by nationalistic signs made on the walls
of the temple, saying “Russia to Russians!” “Time for white judgment
has come!”, “Push the pedal, beat Khachiks!”. Law officials of Russia
have not come with any verdict yet. /Panorama.am/