YEREVAN MUNICIPALITY TO PURCHASE 20 TROLLEYBUSES

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Nov 30 2006

YEREVAN, November 30. /ARKA/. The Yerevan Municipality is to purchase
20 trolleybuses in 2007, Yerevan Vice-Mayor Slava Avanesyan told
reporters.

"This is a most positive fact for us because the Yerevan Municipality
has not imported trolleybuses since 1987," he said.

Avanesyan reported that the trolleybuses will be imported from Russia
and Belarus because their price in Europe is too high. One Russian
trolleybus costs $170-$180ths.

Avanesyan pointed out that the Yerevan Municipality is already
negotiating with the producers.

He said that the Yerevan Municipality intends to purchase 20-30
trolleybuses yearly until 2010.

HASMIK PAPIAN HAS CONTRACTS WITH FAMOUS OPERA THEATERS OF EUROPE AND OTHER COUNTRIES UNTIL 2009

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Nov 30 2006

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Hasmik Papian,
who has performed on stages of famous opera theaters of the world
and captured many spectators, is again in Armenia: she was invited
to take part in the jubilee concert dedicated to 50th anniversary of
Public Television and 80th anniversary of Public Radio. The singer
said this during the November 30 meeting with journalists at the Urbat
(Friday) club.

The world-famous soprano has contracts with famous opera theaters of
Europe and other continents of the world until 2009 inclusive. After
the short interval in Yerevan she will perform concerts in U.S. and
South Korea. Currently the Norma DVD disk with her performance is sold
in almost all countries of the world. And the laser disk of Komitas
songs’ performances released lately received the Pizzicato first prize.

Hasmik Papian said that to take part in the concert dedicated to
Year of Armenia in France is a credit to her. "I have prepared an
interesting program on this occasion, this is selection of Armenian
songs, from medieval Armenian church psalms, Komitas’ songs up to
Mansurian’s works. This program will give foreigners an opportunity
to form a complete idea about Armenian art of singing," the singer
emphasized.

H.Papian mentioned with modesty peculiar to her that she does not think
she has achieved everything in this sphere of art. "Each concert is
first for me. Though I have been on the stage for 20 years I go up
to the stage with great responsibility every time. I wish to stay
on the stage long and to perform one of Wagner’s operas, especially
Isolde’s aria from Tristan and Isolde I have always wished to perform,"
she said.

To recap, currently Hasmik Papian is the most famous performer of
Norma’s aria. She has performed this part for 172 times on stages of
the best opera theaters of the world.

DASHNAKTSUTYUN IS DISSATISFIED WITH COUNCIL OF SECURITY

Lragir, Armenia
Nov 30 2006

The Council of Security of Armenia has never worked effectively,
stated Armen Rustamyan, representative of the Supreme Body of the ARF
Dashnaktsutyun on November 30 at the Friday Club. He is hopeful that
the strategy of national security being worked out will be helpful to
the Council. "According to one of the amendments to the Constitution,
the president must set up a Council of Security," says Armen Rustamyan,
adding that the new president will form this council, but the strategy
of national security will be helpful for the efficiency of the council
of security because without a strategy any council will appear in
a difficult situation. The Strategy will revive the council, Armen
Rustamyan said.
From: Baghdasarian

HOW DASHNAKTSUTYUN WILL BECOME OPPOSITION

Lragir, Armenia
Nov 30 2006

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun voiced another
threat through Armen Rustamyan, member of the ARF Supreme Body, that
it will become opposition. This happened on November 30 at the Friday
Club when the reporters asked if the ARF disagrees with the policy of
official Yerevan on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. Armen
Rustamyan said Dashnaktsutyun views the problem in a package, and
since the package is not complete, he cannot state whether he agrees
or disagrees with the policy of the government.

"We are constantly withdrawing details from the package, losing the
essence and the logic of settlement of the issue. The components of
the package are interrelated and indivisible. In order to be able to
state if this question was given a pro-Armenian or a fair solution,
you need to see the entire package. We haven’t seen the package, this
is the problem. This package will be there, it will be published,
and everyone will start going into detail and assessing if in total
it is acceptable or not," stated Armen Rustamyan.

He disagrees that the present government stated on taking up power in
1998 that it will not return a patch of land. Armen Rustamyan said
no such statement was made. There were three principles: Nagorno
Karabakh cannot be an enclave, it must have a legal status equal to
that of Azerbaijan and guarantees of security. The representative
of the Supreme Body of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun says there have been
no controversies between the policy of this government and the
approaches of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun. If controversies occur after
the situation becomes fully clear, Dashnaktsutyun knows what its next
step is going to be. "What will we be doing? What were we doing when
Levon Ter-Petrosyan was president? We will become opposition, because
we wanted to change the trajectory. We are saying that in 1998 the
trajectory changed, the national trajectory changed. This change of
trajectory is clear, it must be aimed at clear aims, the vector should
be visible," Armen Rustamyan said. If there is a difference of line,
Dashnaktsutyun cannot be inside or beside the government that follows
this trajectory.

PEOPLE WILL RISE AND SAY NO

Lragir, Armenia
Nov 30 2006

The implementation of the right for self-determination should be
absolute and maximum regarding the Karabakh issue. Karabakh has
the right to use this right at the highest level, stated Armen
Rustamyan, representative of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun Supreme Body
November 30 at the Friday Club, thus formulating the stance of the ARF
Dashnaktsutyun. "Our goal should be the full implementation of this
right, which supposes two addressees – the international community
and Azerbaijan," Armen Rustamyan says. If agreement is reached with
Azerbaijan based on this principle, it will be the utmost and the
ideal, Armen Rustamyan thinks. If not, efforts should be made for the
recognition of the right for self-determination by the international
community.

What does the ARF Dashnaktsutyun think about the statements of official
Yerevan on returning the territories, even though it stresses the
condition of settling the question of status? Armen Rustamyan declined
to give a clear answer. "The territories are de facto guarantees for
the central function of sustaining military security performed by
the territories around NKR. We must choose a starting point not to
weaken the guarantees of security existing today. Today, in fact, we
have a certain state of guarantees. These guarantees are not definite
because if these were definite, it would not occur to Azerbaijan to
frighten us with militaristic statements.

These guarantees are not sufficient, but at least we should not take
steps to lose what we have today," says Armen Rustamyan, adding that de
factor security should be reinforced by guarantees of de jure security,
based on the law of nations.

However, Karabakh’s participation is essential to achieving something,
Armen Rustamyan believes. Armen Rustamyan thinks it is nonsense
that Karabakh is a conflict side but not a negotiating party. To the
question if the governments of Armenia and Karabakh make sufficient
efforts for the engagement of Karabakh in the talks, Armen Rustamyan
gives a reassuring but indirect answer. "Recently this question
has been discussed intensively, and I have to say that I can see
breakthrough regarding this problem, a process is underway to make
Karabakh a full-right party of the talks.

These problems are offered to Azerbaijan every time, these problems
are raised at international rostrums, and get an adequate perception
because this absurdity is clear to everyone – to be a conflict side
but not to be a party in the talks," says the representative of the
Supreme Body of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun. According to him, there are
questions only Karabakh should speak about, namely the status, the
territories, and the return of refugees. Armenia has no credentials
on these questions, Armen Rustamyan thinks. In this case is the
president of Armenia trespassing on the credientials of Karabakh when,
for instance, he states on Al Jazeera about returning territories,
what should be given and what should not be given? It becomes clear
from the answer to this question that Robert Kocharyan’s statement is
diplomacy. "The president of Armenia, the other officials can make
different statements depending on the situation, the nature of the
talks, the diplomatic necessity. These should not be confused, after
all the final settlement must be what it must be. These may differ
so there is no need to go ahead of time," says the representative
of the Supreme Body of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun. He states that the
settlement is the question which cannot be solved without the agreement
of the people of Karabakh, and the agreement should be expressed by
popular voting.

The news reporters reminded Armen Rustamyan that the referendums in
Armenia are never popular, although the turnout is the highest ever.

His answer resembled a confession. "This is not the case when a
referendum can be held by a scenario written beforehand. If people say
no, but they turn it into yes, people will rise saying no," stated
the representative of the Supreme Body. And if they beat again like
they usually beat demonstrators, the news reporters reminded Armen
Rustamyan. "We have been beaten since 1988 for this question, it’s
not news," he answered.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

KARABAKH NEEDS STRONG GOVERNMENT IN ARMENIA

Lragir, Armenia
Nov 30 2006

"The political situation in Armenia is highly complicated. The reason
is the collapse of the coalition, as well as the possibilities of
the Bargavach Hayastan Party and the calls of the opposition for
unification. For us, fair elections are important of all. Karabakh
needs a strong government in Armenia, and a strong government is the
one which is supported by the majority of people before and after the
election," said Gagik Petrosyan, a member of the Azat Hayrenik Party
of NKR. "Armenia is really in the mode of parliamentary election, but
this does not mean that extraordinary developments are expected. I
think the opposition is confused, and the government’s actions are
clear and determined. I think there will be no essential change in
the political life of Armenia after the parliamentary election. My
impression is that maybe a more liberal, perhaps a clearly pro-west
force will enter the parliament, but it will be opposition.

As to the possible shake-up in the political life of Armenia and the
hint at the prospect of settlement of the Karabakh conflict, I think
it is time that the Armenian public shake off the prejudiced complex
about the role of an individual or a political force in establishing
dignified peace," says Vahram Atanesyan, the leader of the Democratic
faction.

IRAN WILL MOST PROBABLY ASSIST STABILIZATION OF SITUATION IN IRAQ
By Petros Keshishian

AZG Armenian Daily
30/11/2006

Kofi Anan: Almost a civil war goes on in Iraq

President of Iraq Jalal Talabani arrived in Teheran on an official
visit by the invitation of President of Iran Mahmud Ahmadinejad. The
meeting was to take place two days ago, but was cancelled because of
curfew in Baghdad.

Ahmadinejad asserted that Iran is ready to do everything possible to
help Iraq. He said that progress and prosperity in Iraq will benefit
all the countries of the region. The Iranian President added that
the enemies of Iraq have bought the country to a perplexing state.

On Monday UN Secretary General Kofi Annan declared that immediate
measures must be taken in order to prevent civil war in Iraq. "In
fact it has almost started," he said.

THERE CAN BE NO PEACE WITHOUT INCLUDING ISSUE OF ARMENIAN REFUGEES IN TALKS
By Ruzan Poghosian

AZG Armenian Daily #229
30/11/2006

On November 28, the Refugees and International Right Civil Society
Net made a statement reminding the participants of the negotiation
process of the Karabakh regulation that it’s impossible to reach
steady and prolonged peace without including on the agenda the issue
of the Armenians forced out from Soviet Azerbaijan and Nakhijevan.

" It must be clear to everybody that Armenian refugees will not
return to any territory lying under Azerbaijan’s control as it is
not safe and Armeniaphobia deepens in Azerbaijan. We declare that
Armenian refugees have right to resettle in former Aghdam and Fizuli,
Kashatakh and Karvachar and in whole territory called safe zone. The
Armenian authorities must support the Armenian refugees’ rights as
it is their duty," the statement reads.

Till the end of November the Civil Society Net will present to the NKR
National Assembly the revised version of NKR law on citizenship. Thanks
to this regulation, the whole Armenian population of Soviet Azerbaijani
will have an opportunity to become full citizen of NKR.

CONSTRUCTION OF ARMENIA-IRAN RAILROAD CONSIDERED
By Ara Martirosian

AZG Armenian Daily
30/11/2006

The Agriculture Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Reza
Esqandar and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Andranik
Margarian on a today meeting in Yerevan considered the cooperation
of the two states in the sphere of agriculture and the progress in
the economical relations.

The Governmental Department for Information and Communication with the
Society reports that the officials emphasized the cooperation between
Armenia and Iran in the field of power engineering. They considered the
issues of construction of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline, exploitation
of the second high-voltage electricity line and construction of an
Iranian-Armenian Hydro Power Plant on the river Arax.

The Armenian Prime Minister and the Agriculture Minister of Iran
also discussed a number of transportation communications project, of
which they emphasized the construction of a new alternative road from
Armenia to Iran, which would make North-South cargo transportations
through Armenia more attractive.

The project of constructing an Iran-Armenia railway was also
considered.

PM LEAVES FOR MOSCOW TO CLOSE YEAR OF ARMENIA IN RUSSIA
By Nana Petrosian

AZG Armenian Daily
30/11/2006

Armenian delegation headed by PM Andranik Margarian is leaving
for Moscow today to close the Year of Armenia in Russia. They will
meet Russian PM Mikhail Fradkov then they will visit the All-Russia
Exhibition Center.

On Dec. 2, the Armenian delegation will participate in the opening of
"Armenian History" exhibition in Hermitage in St. Petersburg. The
official closing ceremony of the Year of Armenia will follow at
Ekaterina’s Palace.