Author: Zaminian Bedik

ARMENIA POSTS 14.4% RISE IN AVERAGE MONTHLY WAGE IN JAN 2009

ARKA
March 2, 2009

YEREVAN, March 2. /ARKA/. Armenia’s average monthly wage rose 14.4%
year-on-year to 94,246 drams in January 2009, the RA National
Statistical Service (NSS) reports.

According to NSS, the country’s average monthly wage totaled 94,246
drams in January (equal to â~B¬234 or $308).

In December 2008, the highest monthly average wage was recorded in
Syunik region (118,799 drams), with the residents of Shirak region
getting the lowest salary. During the same period, the nominal monthly
wage totaled 120,365 drams in Yerevan.

During the period under review, the highest average wages were
recorded in the financial sector (482,902 drams), mining industry
(182,626 drams), public management (177,737 drams) and real estate
business (162,208 drams).

Workers of fish industry receive the lowest salaries (52,059 drams),
followed by healthcare specialists and social workers (68,802 drams).

Workers of hotel and restaurant business earn 76,377 drams a month. ($1
– 305.83 drams).

OSCE MG COCHAIRMEN COME OUT BY A SINGLE TEAM

ArmInfo
2009-03-02 10:44:00

ArmInfo. OSCE MG Cochairmen Yuri Merzliakov (Russia), Bernard Fassier
(France) and Matthew Bryza (USA), being in Stepanakert within the
frames of a regional visit, told journalists that they come out by a
single team, coordinating their actions with each other and trusting
each other.

As ArmInfo special correspondent in Stepanakert reports, the
French cochairman said his single-handed visit in autumn, 2008,
was held "after long consultations with the Russian and American
cochairmen". B. Fassier added that the mediators are happy to arrive
three. For his part, Y. Merzliakov said sometimes some of them is not
able to arrive for the reason of business or illness, so, trusting
each other, they bless their visit.

According to M. Bryza, they are just one team.

To recall, OSCE MG cochairmen were in Stepanakert on February 28 –
March1 within the frames of a regional visit. The mediators also met
representatives of the NKR non- governmental sector.

Armenian protesters defy ban with rally to mark anniversary of killings
Opposition members died as they demonstrated against allegedly rigged
elections

Duncan Campbell
guardian.co.uk,
Friday 27 February 2009 14.08 GMT

A year after 10 people were killed in an anti-government protest in
Armenia, members of the opposition are due to defy a ban and take to
the streets of the capital, Yerevan, on Sunday.

The protest comes as seven men, including a former foreign minister,
are on trial for "usurping state power" in connection with last year’s
protest.

The Armenian National Congress (ANC), which consists of 18 parties and
a number of civic groups under the leadership of former president Levon
Ter-Petrossian, plans to hold a rally and march despite the
government’s prohibition of such protests in the former Soviet republic.

An ANC spokesperson said the event was designed to mark the first
anniversary of the demonstration during which police opened fire and
eight demonstrators, a police officer and an army cadet were killed.
The protest had been going for 10 days, expressing anger about the
allegedly rigged elections that brought the current government to power.

"In violation of the Armenian constitution, the authorities have
illegally banned both the rally and the march," said the spokesperson
for the ANC, the country’s major opposition grouping. "The ANC intends
to hold the rally and the march, in accordance with the law,
notwithstanding the government’s unconstitutional prohibition."

The march will also be in protest against a series of trials of
demonstrators resulting from last year’s events ` 58 people are in jail
as a result of the protests.

In the main trial after the protests, Alexander Arzoumanian, the former
foreign minister, and six others are in court in Yerevan charged with
usurping state power and organising a mass uprising, offences that
carry lengthy sentences.

John Prescott, the former British deputy prime minister, and Georges
Colombier, who are co-rapporteurs on Armenia for the parliamentary
assembly of the Council of Europe, have expressed concern about the
refusal of the authorities to allow the rally.

Human Rights Watch this week criticised the Armenian government over
the trials resulting from last year’s protests. "The Armenian
authorities’ response to the March 1 events has been one-sided," it
said in a report.

Interfax, Russia
Feb 27 2009

Azeri minister, OSCE Minsk Group co-chairman discuss Karabakh
settlement

BAKU Feb 27

Azeri Defense Minister Safar Abiyev has met with OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chairman Matthew Bryza to discuss the military and political
situation in the region and ways to resolve the conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh, the Azeri Defense Ministry’s press service said on
Friday.

U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Ann Derse attended the meeting as well.

All three of the OSCE Minsk Group’s co-chairmen representing the
United States, Russia and France arrived in Baku on Thursday to hold
consultations with senior Azeri officials as part of talks on
solutions to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

WPS Agency, Russia
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
February 27, 2009 Friday

NAGORNO-KARABAKH FOREIGN MINISTRY ACCUSES THOMAS DE WAAL AS WAR-MONGER

Analytical Service of the Nagorno-Karabakh Foreign Ministry commented
on Thomas De Waal’s report "Karabakh Trap: Threats and Dilemmas of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict".

"Some Azerbaijani web sites posted Thomas De Waal’s report in the
middle of January… The report gives an account of force major
scenarios of the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict development and offers
some recommendations to the involved parties and intermediaries."

Elaborating on arguments to be used against the Armenians, the author
suggested a "tactic of intimidation". Chapter "Situation in the
region: Armenia" gave a bleak description of the prospects of Armenian
development. Situation in Azerbaijan on the other hand was painted in
wholly different colors. The author commented on how "the Azerbaijani
military budget in 2008 amounted to three Armenian military budgets",
"Azerbaijani is buying lots of brand-new military hardware", and
"American and Turkish instructors train personnel…"

The author was clearly trying to leave the impression that
preservation of the status quo was impossible because "the losers gain
confidence and await a dramatic turn of the situation in their favor."

"All in all, De Waal essentially encourages Azerbaijan to spark
another big-time war in the southern part of the Caucasus."

Source: REGNUM news agency, February 23, 2009

Translated by Aleksei Ignatkin

ARMENIAN PUBLIC SERVICES REGULATORY COMMISSION APPROVES NEW GAS PRICES

ARKA
Feb 27, 2009

YEREVAN, February 27. /ARKA/. The RA Public Services Regulatory
Commission has approved the new gas price – 96,000 AMD for 1,000 cubic
meters against the present 84,000 AMD. The new price is to take effect
from April 1.

The gas consumers using over 10,000 cubic meters of gas will pay $215
for 1,000 cubic meters.

In its application ArmRosgasprom proposed 99,000 AMD for 1,000
cubic meters.

Ashot Hovsepyan, ArmRosgasprom Vice-Chief Executive Officer, said
that the company is not satisfied with the newly approved price as it
challenges the execution of the company’s commitments and may force
it to abandon a number of plans as "even now the company’s margin
does not allow it to implement some projects".

According to him, the new prices will reduce profits, and, with the
unfavorable economic situation considered, the company will hardly
execute its commitments.

Commission Chairman Robert Nazaryan pointed out that the average
Armenian consumer uses 1,000 cubic meters a year. Therefore, a 12
AMD rise in the gas price means a 12,000 AMD rise a year.

"We realize this is an additional burden for the population. However,
we hope that the Government will make steps. Specifically, last
year the Government planned to raise pensions, social allowances and
salaries for some population groups," Nazaryan said.

=0 D The ArmRosgasprom CJSC holds a monopoly of distribution of
Russian natural gas in Armenia.

The company was founded in 1997. The share of the Gazprom OJSC in
the company’s authorized capital is 75.55%, the rest being held by
the RA Government (20%) and Itera Company (4.44%).

U.S. TO SUPPORT GUAM

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.02.2009 16:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The United States hopes that innovations will be
introduced in cooperation with the GUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan
and Moldova).

"The United States will continue cooperation with the GUAM,
specifically through implementation of border security projects," said
Ian Kelly, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs.

"The organization provides the countries of the region with efficient
mechanisms for democracy development and supremacy of law," he said,
UNIAN Ukrainian news agency reports.

GAROU ABOUT HIS ARMENIAN ROOTS: I NEED TO EXPLORE MY GENEOLOGICAL TREE

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.02.2009 20:04 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On March 22, 2009, a Canadian singer and musician
Garou will give only one single concert in the concert hall of "Karen
Demirchyan" Sport-Concert Complex within the framework of the world
tour. Garou played the part of Quasimodo in a world-famous musical
"Notre-dame de Paris".

When asked about his Armenian roots, the Canadian singer said in
the interview with "Izvestya" that he would have to explore his
geneological tree. "In any case, this is going to be my first visit
to Armenia and I will do it with the greatest pleasure," Garou said.

The project is supported by the Embassy of France in Armenia, Foreign
Ministry, Ministry of Culture and Government bodies of Armenia.

FOUNDATION TAKES LOCAL EDUCATION DIRECTORSHIP TO COURT OVER ‘SARI GELIN’ DVD

Today’s Zaman
Feb 24 2009
Turkey

The administrators of the International Hrant Dink Foundation announced
yesterday that they have filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of
Education for its directive to all elementary schools to show a DVD
called "Sari Gelin: Ermeni Sorununun Ä°c Yuzu" (Yellow Bride: The
True Face of the Armenian Question), a controversial documentary on
the Armenian question.

The foundation, which was established after Turkish-Armenian
journalist was assassinated in 2007, opened a court case yesterday
at an Istanbul administrative court against the Istanbul Provincial
Education Directorship to end the distribution of the DVD to schools
in the province.

Indicating that the screening of the documentary in primary schools
would cause psychological harm to students, the foundation also
presented experts’ views regarding the issue. The lawsuit brief stated:
"What is important here is that the violence and brutality shown would
be associated with the Armenians. In the whole of the documentary,
the word ‘Armenian’ has been used thousands of times and only with
negative connotations attached to it."

SUGGESTIONS TO PREVENT NEGLIGENCE

Hurriyet
Feb 24 2009
Turkey

ANKARA – Prime Ministry’s inspection board has suggested new procedures
to the justice and interior ministries in order to avoid acts of
negligence, such as incidents that took place during the investigation
of the assassination of Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink.

The board suggested for the police and the Gendarmerie to work
together." The list of suggestions is as follows:

Law enforcement should have the authority to detain and seal off
premises while inspecting Internet cafes. Necessary precautions should
be taken in regard to computer related crimes, especially fraud.

The Gendarmerie and the Police Department need a system with enough
capacity and professional executives to work together as if they are
one foundation. A database may be formed for this purpose. It is
a major deficiency that people’s fingerprints, weight, height and
photographs are not present in digital records of individuals. The
sale of GSM phone lines to people under the name "open line" should
be prevented.