45 FAMILIES IN ARMENIA CONTROL OVER 50% OF GDP: EX-PRIME MINISTER

Yerevan, December 8. ArmInfo. 45 families in Armenia control over
50% of the republic’s GDP, the ex-Prime Minister of Armenia, Hrant
Bagratyan, said at today’s press-conference.

According to him, such a tight control affects the economic and
political life of Armenia. Change of values has happened within
the last 10 years and all the internal political developments
cause redistribution of influence in the economic, political and
cultural spheres but not a growth of economy, Bagratyan said. He
added that Armenia is a small country and no one hampers the country’s
Parliament to pass Laws, contributing to demonopolization of business,
of the import, in particular. It is possible, for example, to limit,
by the Law, the import of oil to the country as not to create oil
magnates. The present situation does not allow to form a healthy
competition in the country, Bagratyan said.

He assured that today’s two-digit rates of RA economy growth are
exaggerated in fact 2-2,5 times at minimum. Actually, the country’s
economy resolves only the vital problems of feeding a three-million
population of the Republic and a serious development is out of the
question. No modern technologies or even a culture of production
have been implemented for the last years. H. Bagratyan noted that
the reconstruction of the Yerevan "Zvartnots" airport in view of this
was carried out mainly by Turks.

TURKEY CHEATS ON EU, CYPRUS SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.12.2006 15:57 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Adopting a decision to open a port and an airport
for Cyprus, Ankara as a response demands from the EU to cease the
isolation of the Northern part of the island that has been occupied
by Turkey since 1974. Though Cyprus immediately denied Turkish
demands, its President Tassos Papadopoulos expressed readiness for
negotiations. FM Giorgos Lillikas called the Turkish offer a ‘derision’
at the European Union. In his words the Turkish government just another
time promises to fulfill its commitments "only partially", to fulfill
its obligations with ‘conditions’. On Friday morning Lillikas warned
that Cyprus will go back to the previous tough position on Turkey,
if other EU states accept the proposal spread by Ankara on Thursday,
Deutsche Welle reports.

750 DISMISSED AS A RESULT OF STATE ADMINISTRATION REFORMS

Yerevan, December 8. ArmInfo. Some 750 people have been dismissed
in the last 7 years as a result of state administration reforms,
says the secretary of the Commission for State Administration Reforms
Khudaverdyan.

Khudaverdyan says that the reforms are aimed at modernizing the
government sector.

He also notes that the Government has achieved big results in its
poverty reduction program: in 2005 the poverty percentage was 29.8%
which is the plan for 2009, the extreme poverty percentage was 4.6%
– the plan of 2015.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

REPRESENTATIVE OF PEOPLE’S PARTY OF ARMENIA KNOCKS COUNTRY’S AUTHORITIES FOR BRIBE OF ELECTORS

Yerevan, December 8. ArmInfo. "The political parties, close to the
power, have started to bribe the population long before the 2007
parliamentary elections ", the secretary of the "Justice" oppositional
bloc, secretary of the administration of the People’s party of Armenia,
Grigor Harutiunyan, said at today’s press-conference in the "Pastarq"
club.

According to him, the TV channels under the authorities’ control take
an active part in the bribery campaign, inspired by authorities,
broadcasting the so called charitable actions in details. I do not
blame the people, reduced to an abject poverty, for taking the proposed
pennies and selling their votes. The point is that the RA authorities
do not raise the salaries and pensions purposefully. It is necessary
for them to keep the people in a status of a bum, which has to take
the bribe, in the form of foodstuffs as well", Harutiunyan said.

AGRC ACTIVATES SYSTEM OF CORPORATIVE SOCIAL LIABILITY IN the TOWNS OF ARARAT AND VARDENIS

Yerevan, December 7, 2006. ArmInfo. The Ararat Gold Recovery Company
(AGRC) intends to carry out several social projects in the towns of
Ararat and Vardenis within the frames of corporative investment of
the social sphere.

The CEO & President of AGRC Mr.B.K. Sharma told to ArmInfo
correspondent that the AGRC uphold the value of giving back to
the community that supports our existence. Among the many ways in
which AGRC seek to express this ethic are initiatives that help
infrastructure development and healthcare infrastructure, promote
education and sports activities.

Unfolding the present plan under Corporate Social Responsibilities,
Mr. Sharma informs that AGRC has been a major sponsor for Armenia’
festival in France. Besides this a definite amount will be spent
on monthly basis for the school No.3 of Vardenis town as well
school No.3 in Ararat town for refurbishment & development of
infrastructure. Recently AGRC has also given its consent to Mayor
of Ararat to extend financial support for purchase of refurbished
refuse tipper for Ararat town so as to keep town clean & environmental
friendly.

Speaking to the correspondent Mr. Sharma informed that in past Company
has undertaken following activities under its CSR plan:

In education AGRC has offered:

· Customarily AGRC has been distributing bags & stationeries to first
form of pupil of ARARAT town every year in September. This year around
320 such pupil were presented the gift personally by Mr.BK Sharma.

· Financial support to two schools at Varthanis for infrastructure
development.

· A gift of books to the school library at Varthanis.

· Gifts of computers and peripherals such as a printer, scanner,
computer table and chairs to the Trade College at Varthanis.

· Scholarships to two students of Varthanis for pursuing higher
education at the university level.

· Sponsorship of nutrition requirements at a kindergarten school
at Varthanis.

In medical & healthcare AGRC has given:

· Surgical equipments, computers and bed-linen to the Varthanis
Hospital.

In games & sports AGRC has:

· Sponsored sports kit and shoes to the Varthanis football team.

· Gifted chess table and chairs to the community centre at Varthanis.

In infrastructure development AGRC has:

· Contributed to the repair of the Vardenis Church.

· Extended support for illuminating streets at Varthanis.

· Supported the repair of roads and existing street-lights at
Varthanis.

Mr. B. K. Sharma pointed out that the corporative social investment
will be continuing as permanent character where by it is committed
to promote the community development and provide social basis for
AGRC’s business.

–Boundary_(ID_DlO+2RY4+fKrhr1OygPJHw)- –

TURKISH GOVERNMENT DIDN’T INFORM GENERAL STAFF ABOUT OPENING PORT FOR CYPRUS

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.12.2006 16:52 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Turkish government with Prime Minister Erdogan
at the head has advanced an initiative on Cyprus without informing the
army commanders about the decision. General Staff Chief Yasar Buyukanit
learned about it from a TV report, says The Hurriyet newspaper.

According to General Buyukanit, the initiative is ‘a retreat from
the official policy of the Turkish state.’ He voiced surprise that
‘the issue has become a subject of discussion,’ reports Deutsche Welle.

It’s worth mentioning that according to the Turkish Constitution the
government cannot take any decision on home or foreign policy without
consent of the General Staff.

MURDERERS OF 15-YEAR-OLD NAREK KOCHARIAN FOUND?

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.12.2006 16:58 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The prosecutor’s office of Podmoskovie has
revealed the murder of 15-year-old Armenian citizen committed in
November 2006. "The murder is really revealed. Four young residents
of Ivanteevka have been arrested. They are students of colleges and
universities," said the press service of the prosecutor’s office of
the Moscow region.

Narek Kocharian was killed on a railway platform of Ivanteevka town
(Moscow region) on November 11, 2006.

A criminal case in compliance of Article 111.4 of the Russian Penal
Code was initiated.

GERMAN EXPERT: TURKEY TIES TO SPLIT EU

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.12.2006 17:08 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey’s proposal on opening a port and an airport
for Cyprus is a ‘successful move’ that aims at splitting the European
Union and prevent it from deciding to freeze talks with Ankara,
said Elmar Brock, the head of the European Parliament Foreign Affairs
Committee. "Anyway there won’t be a unanimous decision on Turkey and
it means that nothing will happen. Turkey has won," he said.

At least UK stands against breaking accession talks with
Turkey. Earlier the European Commission offered the EU Foreign
Ministers to consider the possibility of freezing talks with Turkey
on 8 out of 35 subjects, reports Deutsche Welle.

GREECE TOUGHENED STAND ON TURKEY

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.12.2006 17:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Greece said Thursday that Turkey must open all its
ports and harbors to the Greek Cypriots as part of the agreement it
made with the European Union to begin membership talks, and called
on the EU to sanction Ankara for failing to meet its obligations. As
reported by The New Anatolian, Greek Foreign Ministry spokesperson
Giorgos Koumoutsakos said the customs agreement Turkey signed in July
2005, known as the Ankara protocol, requires Turkey to open its entire
territory to trade from all member states, including Greek Cyprus, not
just some ports. In an apparent hardening of Greece’s stand on Turkish
membership talks, Koumoutsakos said the EU must send Ankara a "strong
message" by suspending talks on more than the eight of 35 policy areas
the European Commission has recommended freezing. He would not provide
a number, but it was the first time that Greece was asking for such
a tough action. He added that in this "strong message, we don’t think
eight chapters are enough." "If you are sanctioning someone, then you
have to see if they are working" to meet their obligations, he said.

US TO ASSIST AZERBAIJAN WITHIN IPAP

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.12.2006 18:03 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Washington is ready to discuss the possibility of
modernizing a military airdrome in Azerbaijan if Baku asks assistance,"
stated Jonathan Henick, the Public Relations officer of the US Embassy
in Baku. In his words, if Azerbaijan turns to US with a request to
modernize a military airdrome in the republic, Washington will be
ready to discuss the issue and assist Azerbaijan in the framework of
Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP).

"Further that airdrome can be used for refueling the planes heading
for Afghanistan or Iraq from US or Europe. At the same time the United
States does not consider the issue to lodge an American contingent
in Azerbaijan," J. Henick stressed, reports Mediaforum.