BRAZEN CHARM OF A "FAILURE STATE"
James Hakobyan

Lragir, Armenia
Nov 28 2006

In the civilized world, as they usually put it, the government
takes care of the needs of the citizens. Generally, the idea of
government was born out of need, as an effective means of meeting
the needs of the society. I do not know whether the reason is the
imperfection that everything is the contrary in the Armenian state,
and the citizens satisfy the needs of the government rather than
the government satisfies the needs of the citizens. And if this was
unconstitutional up to November 27, now this already has legal force.

Now the public need will be the term to give to the act of depriving
someone of their home, land, property. At first sight, this does not
contradict to the duties of the government before the citizens. After
all, in order to meet the needs of a major group of its citizens the
government often has to give trouble to another group of citizens.

This is quite normal, and sometimes even inevitable. In Armenia,
however, it is upside down. There is a vivid example – North Avenue,
which is considered the largest urban project of the Third Republic.

The government of Yerevan and Armenia usually boast that even the
wealthy Soviet Union could not implement Alexander Tamanyan’s project,
whereas the Third Republic is implementing it. We can leave aside
the fact that North Avenue of the government in its present form has
nothing to do with Tamanyan’s project except for its location and
direction. We can leave aside that it is highly disputable whether
this large business and residential compound is needed in the Center
of Yerevan. After all, Tamanyan’s vision of Yerevan was a city with a
population of 300-500 thousand, whereas the population of Yerevan is a
little more than 1 million, and the Center of Yerevan is facing a vital
need for reducing traffic rather than a necessity for crowding. We
can leave all these things aside, although this single fact shows
that North Avenue does not have a public importance.

There are other factors, however, which show that a great number of
inhabitants of the Center of Yerevan were deprived of their property
because it was necessary for a group of official and oligarch owners.

North Avenue is going to have a function, the absence of which would
make no difference for the public life. For instance, if a Diaspora
Armenian or a successful businessmen lived on the outskirts rather than
the Center, the public and the government would gain more, because
on his outskirt he would have to create certain infrastructures for
himself, which would favor the even development of the city. Meanwhile,
now it appears that the government needs to provide a class with
elite apartments and offices. People have invented the government for
these situation to enforce the law of the state in the society, not
the law of the jungle. And now, having the example of North Avenue,
by voting consciously or unconsciously for legalizing expropriation
of people’s property for the needs of the government, the National
Assembly of Armenia establishes jungle relations in the Armenian state.

Certainly, it is important to have a modern-looking town, and replace
the old huts with new ones. The citizens who lost their apartments
in the Center of Yerevan would gladly agree to move to other parts
of the city if instead of building a bourgeois neighborhood in the
place of their houses a road junction were built which would take
away heavy traffic off the Center. However, first it is necessary to
build a state which would take care of the needs of its citizens.

KARABAKH REFUGEES APPLY TO ARKADY GHUKASYAN

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 28 2006

A group of Karabakh refugees, who are currently residing in Rostov
region of the Russian Federation, submitted a written application
to NKR President Arkady Ghukasyan, as well as the OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chairs. "Yerkramas" newspaper of Russian-Armenians reports that
the authors of the application were irritated by statements of
some political figures on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict,
according to which it is envisaged to hold a "delayed referendum"
featuring "returned Azerbaijani refugees." The authors of the
application note that nothing is said about the Shahumyan region
occupied by Azeri troops, the return of Armenian refugees to NKR
Martakert and Martuni regions and their participation in the "delayed
referendum." "However, the above-mentioned regions are the indivisible
part of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, the borders of which were formed
in September-December 1991 through the expression of the free will of
the region’s population. In this regard we inform Mr. Co-Chairs of the
OSCE Minsk Group that there can be no referendum and no legal results
of it if the will of the Armenian refugees of Nagorno Karabakh and
adjacent territories is ignored. The authors of the document urge
Arkady Ghukasyan to secure their right to vote in the referendum
scheduled December 10, 2006, to include the Armenian refuges in the
voting lists where it is possible – in Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh or
the current places of residence of the refugees."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SERGE SARGSYAN: MILITARY ACTIONS WILL NOT RESUME IN FORESEEABLE FUTURE

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 28 2006

"Today the threat of resumption of war has not been completely
eliminated, but I can definitely assert that military actions will
not resume in the foreseeable future," Secretary of the Presidential
Council on National Security, RA Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan
said in Noyemberyan during the meeting with parents of the region’s
servicemen. According to him, being a frontier settlement, Tavush was
the first to feel the consequences of the war. "The Defense Minister
must be always ready that the war may start tomorrow, but there is
no real threat of war in the nearest future," noted Serge Sargsyan.

Turning to the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the
Defense Minister expressed confidence that the issue should be
resolved based on mutual concessions. The main objective is the
following: NKR people should live safely on its land. According to
Serge Sargsyan, the security guarantee is that Artsakh must never
be under Azerbaijani control or exist separately as an enclave and
should have a land border with Armenia. The Minister informed that
today the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan and
Ilham Aliev will meet in Minsk today.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RUBEN SAFRASTYAN: US CONGRESS MAY ADOPT A BILL CONDEMNING THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 28 2006

The US Congress, in the person of the Democratic Party, may possibly
adopt a bill condemning the Armenian Genocide, Director of the Oriental
Studies Institute of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences Ruben
Safrastyan said in an interview with "Armenpress.

According to him, it is hard to predict now what impact it will have
on the position of the US Administration and the US foreign policy,
to what extent the US will be able to exert influence Turkey.

In his words, during the past 10 years the attitude of American
intellectuals towards the Armenian Genocide issue has changed
abruptly. If by mid-1990s some scholar were saying that the Armenian
Genocide really occurred, he was considered to be hired by Armenians.

In the recent years the fact of the Armenian Genocide has not been
questioned in university, scientific and intellectual circles of the
United States. According to Ruben Safrastyan, a substantial segment
of the political elite also realizes pretty well what happened in
reality, but they refuse to recognize the fact "because of certain
political considerations." "The Republican Party is not ready to
recognize the Armenian Genocide, fearing that it will endanger the
US-Turkey relations.

"However, Turkish-American relations aggravated in 2003 when Turkey did
not allow the US troops to pass through its territory," the Director
of the Oriental Studies Institute said.

According to him, the US is afraid that if Turkey strengthens the
Islamic factor, it will be able to create instability in the Middle
East. Americans fear they will not manage to impact the Turkish policy,
the army and economic potential of which can become destabilizing
factors.

HIS EMINENCE AND PRELACY DELEGATES VISIT LEBANESE CONSULATE TO OFFER CONDOLENCES

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 28 2006

Following the tragic assassination of Lebanese Industry Minister,
Pierre Gemayel, His Eminence, Archbishop Khajag Hagopian, Prelate,
and Armenian Prelacy of Canada delegates visited Mr. Khalil El-Habre,
Lebanon’s Consul General to pay their respects on behalf of the
Canadian Armenian community.

His Eminence, accompanied by Archpriest Hrair Nicolian, Rev. Fr.
Karnig Koyounian, and Dr. Garbis Harboyan, Prelacy Executive Council
member, expressed the hope for peace, unity and tolerance in light
of the unfortunate events during the meeting, Armenian Prelacy of
Canada informs.

WORLD BANK AND ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT TO FINANCE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIRD PROGRAM OF SOCIAL INVESTMENT FUND IN ARMENIA

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Nov 28 2006

The Armenian Parliament has ratified an agreement between the Armenian
Government and the World Bank on joint financing of the third program
of Social Investment Fund (ASIF III) worth $33.3 million.

Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy of Armenia Pavel Safaryan said
in the Parliament that the agreement was signed on November 1 2006
in Yerevan. The WB’s share in the program will total $25 million,
which is 75% of the total amount of the program. The co- financing
by Government of Armenia will total $6.7 million (20%). The share of
the local self-government in the program will make up $1.5 million of
4.7%. In addition, $0.16 million will be provided in terms of a grant.

The program aims to fill the "infrastructure gaps" and repair schools,
polyclinics and ambulance stations in villages. The investments will
be allocated to the poorest 300 communities (the third of the total
number of communities in RA). The assistance in the formation of the
community budgets is rendered in order to support the state policy of
power decentralization. P. Safaryan said the crediting terms of the
third program are tougher than those of the two previous ones. It is
for the first time that the WB gives a credit to Armenia on conditions
of the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) for
20 years under 0,75% annual interest and 10 years of grace period. All
the remaining credits were provided on conditions of the International
Development Association (IDA) for 40 years.

The terms were changed due to the growth of GDP income per capita in
the Republic, P. Safaryan said. While earlier the Government’s share
in the co-financing was only 3.5%, now it has rose to 20%. The funds
allocated under the given program are subject to taxation unlike
other programs. The first credit in the scope of this Program worth
$12 million was granted in November, 1995, the second one worth $20
million in May, 2000.

To note, Armenia has received credits from WB to the total sum of
$952,25 mln since 1992 for implementation of 44 programs.
From: Baghdasarian

DELEGATION LED BY ARMENIAN PRESIDENT ARRIVED IN MINSK

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Nov 28 2006

A delegation led by Armenian President Robert Kocharyan has arrived
in Minsk.

ArmInfo’s special correspondent reports from the capital of Belarus
that in the afternoon local time the meeting of CIS President will
get underway. Then an enlarged meeting will take place. Armenia will
be represented at the enlarged meeting by Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanyan, Deputy Foreign Minister Gegham Gharibjanyan and Ambassador
of Armenia to Belarus Oleg Yesayan.

Approximately at 4pm local time (6pm Yerevan time), Armenian President
Robert Kocharyan and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev are to
meet at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Minsk.

The foreign ministers of the two states, Vardan Oskanyan and Elmar
Mammedyarov, Foreign Minister of RF Sergey Lavrov, OSCE CIO, Belgian
Foreign Minister Carel de Gucht, as well as OSCE CIO PR for Nagorny
Karabakh, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, will attend the presidential
meeting. Then, Robert Kocharyan and Ilham Aliyev will meet vis-a-
vis. The Armenian delegation headed by President Kocharyan will return
to Armenia after the negotiations.

UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO DISCUSS, DECEMBER 7, DRAFT RESOLUTION "ON FROZEN CONFLICTS", INCLUDING CONFLICT IN KARABAKH

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Nov 28 2006

The UN General Assembly will discuss, on December 7, the draft
resolution "on frozen conflicts", including the conflict in NKR,
the acting press-secretary of RA FM, Vladimir Karapetyan, told ArmInfo.

To remind, the regional alliance of GUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan,
Moldova) has come out with the mentioned issue discussion initiative in
September, 2006. As V. Karapetyan told ArmInfo earlier, the Armenian
side takes an active part in the elaboration of the text of a draft
resolution "on frozen conflicts". He underlined the Armenian side
participates in all the draft resolutions, related to the region,
as well as in issues of wide international importance.

"Naturally, the Armenian side will participate in the discussions
of "frozen" conflicts, initiated by the GUAM member-countries",
Karapetyan said.

He reminded that the RA FM considers this initiative of GUAM
unacceptable and unjustified. "We are sure the conflicts are different
and they are to be studied depending on their specific character. From
this point of view, it is still unclear for Armenia how four different
conflicts may be united and considered in one draft resolution",
Karapetyan stressed.

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION TO APPEAL TO CONSTITUTIONAL COURT AGAINST LAW ON ALIENATION OF PRIVATIZED LANDS FOR STATE AND PUBLIC NEEDS

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Nov 28 2006

The Armenian opposition intends to appeal to the Constitutional
Court against the law on the order of alienation of privatized lands
for state and public needs. The law was approved by the Armenian
Parliament, Monday, said Vardan Lazarian, "Justice" faction
representative, at "Urbat" Club, Tuesday.

V. Mrktchyan mentioned that before the constitutional reform, the
reform supporters motivated their position by the fact the reform
will even more toughen the land alienation process. "Nevertheless,
it turns out that everything is done quite on the opposite," he said.

In his turn, Rafik Petrosyan, Head of Parliamentary Commission
for State and Legal Affairs, expressed hope that the law will be
considered by the Constitutional Court. He is dissatisfied with two
provisions of the law: lack of an exact definition of the "prior
importance" of the alienation of a territory for public and state;
acquisition of a territory by an organization. However, R. Petrosyan
does not intend to join the opposition appeal as he voted for the
adoption of the law. He explained that he prefers a poor law to the
lack of a law as this leads to worse consequences like it happened
to the evicted residents of Buzand street. R. Petrosyan promised to
follow the fulfillment of the law. He did not rule out preparation
of amendments to the law in future.

As regards the residents of the central streets of Yerevan, including
Buzand street, who were evicted from their homes due to the desire of
the authorities "to beautify the appearance of the city by all means
possible," V. Lazarian said that any law aiming improvement of the
citizens’ life must have a retroaction and apply to these people. R.

Petrosyan agreed with this opinion and proposed the dissatisfied
residents of Yerevan center apply to the court.

To note, before the adoption of the given law, the authorities were
guided by the land and administrative codes of Armenia in the issues
of land alienation. However, some provisions of these codes have been
recently recognized contradictory to the Constitution of Armenia.

Thus, the contracts with the above residents and the forced eviction of
some of these people was on the basis of the anti-Constitutional laws.

RA AUTHORITIES TRY TO LIMIT IMPORT OF OLD AUTOMOBILES TO REPUBLIC

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Nov 28 2006

RA authorities try to limit the import of old automobiles to the
Republic since 2007 by introducing changes to the present Legislation
that already has caused a rise in prices for the cars.

As the Head of the Economy Department of the RA Ministry of Nature
Conservation, Ashot Harutiunyan, told ArmInfo, RA Parliament has
passed a first reading of a bill on the rates of nature-conservative
payments. According to the Law, the rate for 5-10-year automobiles will
make up 2% and that for 10-15-year automobiles – 10%, for automobiles
older than 15, the rate will make up 20%. Harutiunyan noted that a
nature-conservation payment is introduced in Armenia for the first time
and the Law is called to limit the import of old vehicles to Armenia
as to reduce the emissions of harmful substances to the atmosphere.

To note the import of foreign cars to the Republic at present is laid
a 20% value-added tax and 10% of state due. The import of Russian
vehicles is exempted of state dues since 2004. Introduction of the Law
will increase the payment for the of over 15-years-old automobiles from
the present 32% to 52%. The Law has not been passed yet in the final
reading, however, it already caused a rise in prices of 10-20% for
automobiles in Armenia. According to the estimations of specialists,
a half of over 15-years-old vehicles, imported to the Republic and
their cost varies within $6,000.