ARMENIAN STATE BUDGET OF 2007 IS A PARADOXICAL AND ABSURD DOCUMENT:
ARMENIAN ECONOMIST

Yerevan, December 15. ArmInfo. The Armenian state budget of 2007 is a
paradoxical and absurd document, Eduard Agajanov, an Armenian
economist who held the post of the Armenian Statistics Minister (now
the National Statistical Service) in 1995-1998, said at a
press-conference at the National press-club, Friday, According to
Eduard Agajanov, the parameters of the state budget should comply with
the country’s economic policy. The Program of the Armenian
government’s activity says that the country is guided by the creation
of innovative structure. However, for its creation not a single dram
is allotted by the state budget of 2007. 5-7 bln AMD or 0.19% of the
GDP is to be spent on science, and nothing is said about target
programs, meanwhile in such a developed country as the USA, the target
programs make up 90% of the country’s GDP, E.Agajanov.

He also noted that in such transition countries as Armenia export is
the key term of the economic progress. The Armenian state budget of
2007 stipulates reduction of export from 27% of the GDP to 20.1%, and
it’s hard to understand how the country will develop by reducing
export.

In this connection, he said that the state budget should undergo a
highly skilled expert examination. Armenia has excellent specialists
in the economic sphere, e.g. former Prime Ministers of Armenia Hrant
Bagratyan and Armen Darbinyan, who would certainly conduct an
expertise. But their services are refused, as a result the is
acknowledged an unprepared transaction both by the Armenian and
Russian sides. Eduard Agajanov said he respects Armenian Defence
Minister Serzh Sargsyan and his contribution to the army, but he has
nothing to do with economy. However, he leads the Armenian side of the
Armenian-Russian Inter-parliamentary Commission for economic
cooperation.

ONES IGNORING PROBLEM OF REFUGEE ARMENIANS FROM AZERBAIJAN ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR INEFFECTIVENESS OF NEGOTIATIONS, REFUGEES CONSIDER

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, NOYAN TAPAN. The "Refugees and International
Right" civil society network states on behalf of a hundred of thousand
of refugees from the Azerbaijani SSR and Nakhijevan that adoption of
the NKR Constitution corresponds to the Artsakh people, radical
interests of refugees and will serve as a weighty spur to move the
negotiation process to a reasonable course."

This is said in the network statement. In the opinion of the statement
authors, the NKR people’s and authorities’ next step must be adoption
of the law "On NKR Citizenship" not less significant for the country
which will give possibility to refugees to again get a country of
citizenship in the person of the NKR. It is mentioned in the statement
that "OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen Matthew Bryza, Yuri Merzliakov and
Bernard Fassier as well as all those officials who in this or that way
ignore and pass by in silence the problem of a half a million of
refugees from the Azerbaijani SSR and Nakhijevan, bear individual
responsibility for ineffectiveness of the bilateral negotiations." To
recap, the "Refugees and International Right" civil society network,
formed in the summer of this year involves a number of public
organizations which unite hundred of thousand Armenian refugees from
Azerbaijan.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

December 15, 2006

PRESS RELEASE
Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate
6252 Honolulu Avenue
La Crescenta, CA 91214
Tel: (818) 248-7737
Fax: (818) 248-7745
E-mail: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
Website: <;

PRELATE TO PRESIDE OVER HOLY MASS AND SUNDAY SCHOOL CELEBRATION AT HOLY
MARTYRS CHURCH

On Sunday, December 17, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, will
preside over Holy Mass and deliver the sermon at Holy Martyrs Church in
Encino.
Following Mass, the Prelate will preside over the Sunday School
Christmas celebration that is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m.

PRELATE TO ATTEND ARF ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

On Sunday, December 17, the 116th anniversary of the A.R.F. will be
celebrated at Glendale High School, starting at 6:00 p.m.
The Prelate and Executive Council representatives will attend
the event.

PRELATE TO ATTEND RECEPTION ORGANIZED BY THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF ARMENIA

The Consulate General of Armenia in Los Angeles has organized a reception on
the joint occasions of the 15th anniversary of the independence of the
Republic of Armenia and the recent appointment of Mr. Armen Liloyan as
Consul General in Los Angeles. The reception will take place on Monday,
December 18, at 7:00 p.m., at Le Meridien Beverly Hills Hotel in Los
Angeles.
The Prelate, accompanied by Clergy and Executive Council
members, will be in attendance.

HOLY MARTYRS ACYA LECTURE

On Wednesday, December 20, the Holy Martyrs Church youth association has
organized a spiritual educational lecture to take place at 7:00 p.m. inside
the church.
Christian Education Department Co-Director Very Rev. Fr. Barthev
Gulumian will speak on the topic `The Dates of Christmas and the Armenian
Church’.

RESULTS OF "SINGING ARMENIA" 2nd CHILDREN’S COMPETITION TO BE SUMMED
UP ON DECEMBER 17

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, NOYAN TAPAN. Results of the "Singing Armenia"
2nd children’s competition of choir and vocal art will be summed up on
December 17 at the Aram Khachaturian concert hall. As Davit Ghazarian,
the Chairman of the Music Society of Armenia stated at the December 15
press conference, the competition started on December 15 was organized
on the initiative of the RA Ministry of Culture and Youth Issues, the
Music Society of Armenia and the "Small Singers of Armenia"
association of the Yerevan Mayor’s Office. In D.Ghazarian’s words,
choirs of secondary and music schools, children’s creative centers
from Yerevan and the marzes took part in the competition. In his
words, from the 85 choirs presented a claim for the participation, 32
ones entered the second stage, 13 ones were recognized the winner.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Expansion of Armenia-NATO Interaction within IPAP Complements CSTO
15.12.2006 15:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Judging from the statements by some high rank
officials of the RA government Armenia is not afraid of NATO.
Armenia’s membership in the CSTO is not a barrier, head of the center
of Caucasian Studies at the Moscow State Institute of International
Relations (MGIMO) Vladimir Zakharov said in an interview with
PanARMENIAN.Net. `The CSTO regulations do not restrict the cooperation
with other international structures. Moreover, on a number of issues
the CSTO and NATO experience common problems and the cooperation of
these two structures and separate states create extra guarantees in
the South Caucasus,’ he remarked.

According to him, Armenia’s participation in the IPAP supposes
conduction of periodical consultations with NATO on regional security,
elaboration of the strategy and military doctrine, perfection of the
defense and budget planning and other issues. `As a matter of fact,
interaction within the CSTO and bilateral cooperation with Russia do
not completely ensure Armenia’s security against the challenges of the
21st century and expansion of interaction with NATO within the IPAP
complements the absent links,’ Zakharov underscored.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Caucasus Has Always Been Tasty Morsel for Western Europe
15.12.2006 15:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Caucasus has always been a tasty morsel for many
West European states which have never bordered with the region, head
of the center of Caucasian Studies at the Moscow State Institute of
International Relations (MGIMO) Vladimir Zakharov said in an interview
with PanARMENIAN.Net. In his words, everyone is aware of the
significant geopolitical location of the Caucasus not only for the
states bordering with it but also for the powers which currently
assumed the rights to act the Justice of the Peace, to share and
rule. `Some analysts voice opinion that the Caucasus attracts the
United States only by prospects of wide energy corridor. If we analyze
the U.S. external political activity it will coincide with the
functioning or planned routes of hydrocarbon transportation,’ he said.

Zakharov considers that the peculiarities of geopolitical and
geostrategic situation of the South Caucasus states played an
important role during the recent period. `They offer the U.S. and
other leading Western European states various possibilities to realize
their interests not only in economic but also in political and
especially military sectors. Multivectoral competition and sometimes
opposition between the states bordering with the region (Iran, Turkey)
and the states situated far away from the region is observed,’
Zakharov said.

ECOLOGICAL SUBSTANTIATION OF STRATING TEGHUT DEPOSIT’S OPERATION
CALLED INTO QUESTION

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, NOYAN TAPAN. Despite the positive conclusion of
the State Ecological Expert Group on the development of the Teghut
copper-molybdenum deposit, this issue remains open and requires
further discussion. This was the opinion of most participants of the
round table organized recently by the Vanadzor Aarhus Center with the
support of the OSCE Yerevan Office. The then governor of Lori marz
Henrik Kochinian, the executive director of the company Armenia Copper
Program (ACP) Gagik Arzumanian, the director of Hayantar (Armforest)
Martun Matevosian, the community heads of the villages of Shnokh and
Teghut, members of the State Ecological Expert Group, as well as
representatives of various NGOs and the press took part in the
discussion. Among unconditional supporters of the Teghut deposit’s
development are ACP, the regional administration of Lori marz, and the
community heads of the villages of Shnokh and Teghut – Haykaz
Kochinian (the former governor’s brother) and Harutyun Meliksetian. By
estimates of the company, 510 ha of forest has to be cut down.
According to independent experts, the felling area will be three times
as much. "The disastrous state of forests in Armenia does not allow us
to lose the remainig forest," independent expert Anush Nersisian from
the Institute of Botany of the RA National Academy of Sciences
said. She pointed out that this will lead to destruction of not only
trees but also some unique species of plants and animals in the unique
Teghut ecosystem. Much damage may be done to water resources as
well. Although the author of the project on operation of the Teghut
mine Hovik Nikoghosian assures that the damage will not exceed 10%,
the villages of Shnokh and Teghut are under real threat of being left
without water. Yet another prolem is related to the health of people
who live near the future mine, to which dust with heavy metals will
move. There is no conclusion of the Ministry of Health which is
required in such cases. The conclusion of the Ministry of Agriculture
on possible damage to agricultural lands is also absent. According to
the head of the Public Center on Legal Environmental Protection Aida
Iskoyan, the main point is that a deposit to be kept as the country’s
strategical resource for future generations will be put into
operation. The State Ecological Expert Group’s conclusion should have
contained a comprehensive analysis. However, as it turned out during
the round table, the expert group made its decision without
appropriate conclusions submitted by the direct interested parties –
Armforest, the Ministry of Health, etc. Besides, the director of
Armforest Martun Matevosian stated that an expert assessment of damage
to forest may be presented only after the investory that they have not
completed yet. The ecological expert group’s document did not also
contain a written opinion of the territorial nature protection
inspection of Lori marz which expresses a negative conclusion about
the project. There is an impression that the State Ecological Expert
Group is under pressure. So the ecological community took a decision
to hold another hearing in Yerevan.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Armenia Remains Russia’s Only Political Ally in South Caucasus
15.12.2006 15:56 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russia has failed to elaborate a strategy on the
South Caucasian states and this resulted in indistinct foreign policy
towards these states, head of the center of Caucasian Studies at the
Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) Vladimir
Zakharov said in an interview with PanARMENIAN.Net. `I can say that
Russia assumed a strange and temporizing position. Absence of precise
interests in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia leads to wrong
decisions. With all responsibility I say that Russia has maintained
one political ally in the South Caucasus – Armenia. On one hand it
gratifies but on the other hand it upsets because during the recent
decade our foreign policy and economic relations led not to
development of ties with Russia but worsened them. Hasty decisions of
the Russian government forced the Armenian people and power structures
to turn to other political players,’ he said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PanARMENIAN.Net

Russia Economically Indifferent to Armenia
15.12.2006 16:08 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Pro-Russian orientation of Armenia can be extended
dependently on success or failures of the pro-western Georgian
democracy, head of the center of Caucasian Studies at the Moscow State
Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) Vladimir Zakharov said in
an interview with PanARMENIAN.Net. In his words, U.S.’s war against
Iran or establishment of cooperation between Iran and West in the
light of possible settlement of the problem of the Iranian nuclear
program can correct Armenia’s foreign line.

`Yerevan is closely connected with the CSTO and Russian companies make
big purchases in Armenia but I should confess that Russian businessmen
show little interest in what is happening in the country. Not economic
partnership but economic indifference can be observed and Armenia
slowly but faithfully turns to the West. In this case there is one
efficient remedy. Russia must as soon as possible improve the
situation. According to surveys, The army of adherents to all Russian
has considerably reduced in Armenia recently and unfortunately this is
Russia’s fault first of all,’ he said.

At that he underscored that there are political forces in Armenia
heading for NATO and wishing not only to receive assistance but also
become full member of the Alliance. `But then a question arouses. What
about Turkey? Are the tragic events of 1915 forgotten? If Turkey is a
partner Armenia will have not only to communicate with her but also
host Turkish troops. Everything can happen…’ he said.

Zakharov also remarked that formation of a new military bloc
Turkey-Georgia-Azerbaijan is not far away. `Armenia remain alone in
the unequal opposition and in this view the role of Russia, as a main
strategic and military partner increases,’ he said.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Romania and Bulgaria Accepted to EU
15.12.2006 16:54 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The European Union leaders holding their summit in
Brussels today welcomed today Bulgaria and Romania as new EU
members. Thus, from January 1, 2007 the number of the EU member states
will reach 27.

Joining of these two states to the EU embodies a successful final of
the 5th EU enlargement, the summit participants said, reports
ITAR-TASS.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress