“HOW DO YOU DO, ARMENIA” FESTIVITY HELD IN MINSK
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 19 2006
MINSK, JUNE 19, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On June 18, the
Belarusian State Museum of Folk Architecture and Life jointly with
the Hayastan cultural-educational association of Minsk presented a
festive program “How Do You Do, Armenia.” According to the Yerkramas
(Territory) newspaper of Armenians of Russia, the festive event
was held for the purpose of popularizing the culture and life of
the Armenian people among the Belarusian population, as well as
for preserving the customs and traditions of Armenians living in
the republic.
The “Erebuni” folk dance ensemble conducted by Ruzanna Avanesian
performed in the festive program. The artists presented such items as
“Rebirth,” “Palm Sunday” and “Wedding Dance.” The Armenian Diaspora
had prepared a subject photoexhibition under the title “Dreams
about Armenia” telling about the history and culture of the ancient
country. The guests of the festivity also helped themselves to the
dishes of Armenian traditional cuisine.

RA FOREIGN MINISTER TO MEET IN KIEV WITH PRESIDENT, PRIME MINISTER AND FOREIGN MINISTER OF UKRAINE
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 19 2006
KIEV, JUNE 19, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. RA Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian paid an official visit to Kiev on June 18. As Noyan
Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information
Department, the Minister’s meetings with President of Ukraine Victor
Yushchenko, Prime Minister Yuri Yekhanurov and Foreign Minister Boris
Tarasyuk are scheduled for June 19.
RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian will leave Kiev for Geneva on
June 20 to participate in the opening sitting of the UN Human Rights
Council.
Minister Oskanian’s meetings with representatives of the Armenian
community of Switzerland are also envisaged in Geneva.
Minister Oskanian will return Armenia on June 21.

THANKS TO RUSSIANS ONE DAY ARMENIANS WILL SAY RUSSIA, GO HOME!
Lragir.am
19 June 06
In the June 16 meeting the government of Armenia made a decision on
reorganization of Armenergo, Hrazdan Thermal Power Plant, Sevan-Hrazdan
Cascade, and a merger with Armgasard CJSC. On the same decision, the
privatization package of Armgasard must be ready by September 1, 2007.
“The purpose of this decision of the government is to set up a large
holding, which can bring the Republic of Armenia to its knees,
dictate a harder policy and stipulations,” says economist Edward
Aghajanov. Moreover, according to the economist, this merger is
completely out of law in the sense that the Thermal Power Plant of
Hrazdan belongs to the Federal Property Fund of Russia, Sevan-Hrazdan
Cascade belongs to the Russian RAO EES. “I, for instance, cannot
understand the point of a merger between the Armenian Armenergo and
the Russian companies,” asks Edward Aghajanov, adding that the legal
basis of the merger is not clear yet, it is not clear what changes
will be made to the standard capital. “The decision smells a rat,”
says the economist.
Aghajanov says it is impossible that this company will be owned by
another country than Russia because “Russia intends to and has already
achieved energy colonization of Armenia,” which is not in the interests
of the Russians. Therefore the anti-Russian moods are rapidly growing
in Armenia, and everybody realizes that Russia is not a strategic
partner, these are relations of vassal and senior. This policy will
lead to a point when the Armenians will rise and say, Russia go home,
Yankee welcome, thinks Aghajanov. According to him, there are other
preconditions which have been talked about for a great number of
times. For instance, the Unites States has provided assistance of 1.5
billion dollars but has never pointed to the energy sector and said
give it to me. Unlike Ukraine, which owed 1.4 billion, Moldavia 700
million, Georgia 158 million dollars, we owed only 97 million dollars
to Russia, but it got hold of all the important units of the energy
sector says Aghajanov. Moreover, Georgia’s 158 million-dollar debt
was reconstructed on Georgia’s demand and proposals.
“But Russia is conducting an extremely dangerous policy for its
country. It is, in fact, restoring the former ministry of oil and
gas industry. Gasprom was national, Sibneft was nationalized too,
which will lead to the Venezuelan disease,” believes Aghajanov. When
the oil companies of Venezuela were private, the quality of life in
the country was second to the United States. After nationalization
these companies became objects of bureaucracy and corruption, and
now Venezuela is one of the poorest countries in the world.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ALL GUYS NEED IS MONEY
Lragir.am
19 June 06
According to economist Edward Aghajanov, Tigran Sargsyan, the president
of the Central Bank of Armenia, lies when he says that the government
does not intervene in the dollar-dram exchange rate.
“It is worthwhile to remind him that on October 7, 2005 he personally
announced that the exchange rate of the dram does not float in Armenia,
it is controlled by the Central Bank.”
The exchange rate of the national currency is not an end in itself;
it must foster economic development, whereas we move in the opposite
direction. “Due to the artificial increase of the exchange rate, the
export rate went down by 2.9 percent over the past 4 months. It is very
simple. The high exchange rate of the national currency hinders local
production and export and favors importers, it is a simple axiom,”
says Edward Aghajanov. According to Aghajanov, we should have done
what all the normal countries do.
For instance, the United States had a huge trade deficit, comprising
5 percent of the GDP. The economists alarmed that it threatened
the U.S. economy. Our deficit is a record, 817.5 million drams,
16-17 percent of the GDP. This is very dangerous for our economy. The
United States launched a policy of a low exchange rate of the national
currency to promote local production and export, and make imports
expensive, says Aghajanov, whereas ours “either do not understand or
play in the field of import.”
Edward Aghajanov repeats the opinion that the games with the exchange
rate of the dollar and the dram have also a political context.
“If formerly one had to pay 150 thousand drams to appear on a party
ticket, now they have to pay 500 thousand dollars. It is clear that
all the guys need is money to enter the parliament again,” concluded
Edward Aghajanov.

“THE POLITICAL SYSTEM OF ARMENIA WILL, OF NECESSITY, UNDERGO REFORM”
June 19, 2006
Lragir.am
20 June 06
Interview with Alexander Arzoumanian, Minister of Foreign Affair of
Armenia, 1996-1998
How would you assess the internal political situation in Armenia?
The behavior of senior officials in Armenia attests to the fact that
the country’s political system is on the verge of collapse. Both the
internal political situation and international developments have led
to the marginalization of the regime. The limits of what the regime
is able to do have narrowed and the methods it uses to maintain
its dominance have become ineffective. The upcoming elections of
2007 and 2008 have created within the governing camp an atmosphere
of intra-system fear for its own future. The regime has nothing to
offer anymore and cannot justify its relevance to the country.
Has the withdrawal of the Orinats Yerkir party from the governing
coalition played a role here?
Although the senior officials have done whatever they can to persuade
the public at large that nothing extraordinary has happened within
the governing system with Orinats Yerkir’s leaving the coalition,
they themselves realize that the foundation that the government’s
ability to function is based on has crumbled. The rules of the game
established in the 2003 coalition agreement, based on which the regime
has functioned so far, no longer exist. Kocharyan now finds himself
beyond the control of the coalition parties, and can act at his own
discretion. He has skillfully taken control of the parliamentary corps,
in fact turning the Republicans and the Dashnaks into a parliamentary
minority. The government and the parliament are under his thumb.
The foundation of Kocharyan’s authority is the power ministries and
the business elite. No other political force or official is in control
of these structures. They cannot control these structures for a simple
reason – these structures don’t submit to any one else.
They don’t submit because they don’t understand what’s going on. This
is natural. For the first time we have a situation in Armenia where
the acting president is required to leave his office in 2008. For the
clan system, this situation doesn’t make sense. A clan never yields
its position; it does all it can to preserve its existence. But the
current situation makes preserving its existence impossible.
Therefore, each member of the clan is trying to solve his problems
on his own. And here the initiative is in Kocharyan’s hands.
How so?
Kocharyan has decided to solve the problem of his own personal future
at the expense of everybody else. As for how he is going to do it,
no one knows yet. But everyone realizes that he will stop at nothing.
The fate of his former companions-in-arms doesn’t interest him much.
Since Orinats Yerkir withdrew from the coalition, the parliamentary
business elite has found itself in a rather paradoxical situation.
For the big businesses, the parliamentary mandates acted like a shield,
in other words, guaranteed the protection of their property.
Besides, in exchange for their service, the
businessmen-parliamentarians expected from the government preferential
terms for their businesses. And that’s how it was as long as the
governing camp didn’t split up.
But didn’t all the businessmen-parliamentarians from Orinats Yerkir
immediately leave the party, once again assuring Kocharyan of their
obedience?
At present, the property of businessmen with parliamentary mandates
is becoming a target for Kocharyan’s political ambitions – creating
the danger of losing that property. The degree of their obedience
has increased sharply. None of the businessmen knows Kocharyan’s
political plans, and this deepens their anxiety.
Moreover, Kocharyan’s actions don’t suggest a desire to transfer power
to his political base, the Republican Party, or to Serge Sargsyan.
Kocharyan is confidently expanding his political party, Prosperous
Armenia, without taking anyone into consideration. At the same time,
no businessmen or influential officials are allowed to join the
party. Such a governing camp is a novelty for Armenia. The question
arises–if the people in Kocharyan’s environment have no place in
his party, then where is their place going to be? This is not an idle
question, since the nomenklatura wants to know its place in the future
governing system. They want to know, but nobody tells them.
The anxiety of these so-called influential people has now become
palpable. Serge Sargsyan, Andranik Margaryan, and Aghvan Hovsepyan are
beginning to realize that they have no place in Kocharyan’s plans. They
are amazed, since the logic of the clan system should have made this
impossible. And they even attempt independent initiatives, all the
while remaining keenly aware that the guarantee of their strength
lies in supporting Kocharyan.
But Serge Sargsyan doesn’t conceal his presidential ambitions.
Many people thought that if Kocharyan had to leave, the most obvious
step would have been to strengthen the Republican Party, putting Serge
Sargsyan at its helm and shoving this army into power. But that is not
what Kocharyan is doing. To all appearances, Kocharyan has realized,
or has been made to understand, that such a plan for transferring
power would lead directly to a revolutionary situation.
Such a reproduction of power would serve as a catalyst for the
consolidation of the people, and the political forces and the regime,
with its old and new faces alike, would become the target of this
revolutionary energy.
Will the opposition benefit from Arthur Baghdasaryan’s joining it?
Arthur Baghdasaryan’s joining the opposition might animate the
opposition movement to some extent. The regime has created a
potential avenger for itself. Irrespective of whether the public is
indifferent, whether it doesn’t trust anyone including Baghdasaryan,
the enfeeblement thrust on the public at large over the years has,
perforce, produced a certain vengefulness. Sociological surveys attest
that our society is in search of an avenger figure, no matter who
that avenger might be.
The public consciousness in Armenia has become irrational, and any
force, even a radically destructive one, will be able to win public
sympathy if it demonstrates the ability to punish the regime.
What developments can we expect?
Developments will be sudden. The political system of Armenia will,
of necessity, undergo reform. The regime knows that these changes may
be qualitative, unraveling the internal political tangle even before
the 2007 parliamentary elections. That is why the desire of some
officials to artificially accelerate the reproduction of power has
become noticeable. But Kocharyan himself hinders everyone. Therefore,
we may witness some anti-Kocharyan sallies from within the governing
system, on the part of those who see their imminent political demise.
But an internal coup will not satisfy the people. Not even their
hatred of Kocharyan will induce the people to support any part of
this system that is corrupt to the core, no matter how they may try
to use the people’s hatred to prolong their own existence. They will
all have to leave together. There is no alternative.
Of course, it would be better if the people didn’t choose vengeance.
A lot will depend on the political forces in Armenia. A policy of
reforms should be implemented based on the values of independence,
statehood, and democracy. After all, political change only has value
if it leads to the establishment of full-fledged constitutional order
in Armenia. Otherwise, it’s in vain.

WHAT RODRIGO KNOWS
James Hakobyan
Lragir.am
20 June 06
The IMF’s Managing Director Rodrigo de Rato announced June 18 in
Yerevan that the revaluation of the Armenian national currency
sustains the economy in Armenia, relieves the consequences of high
energy prices and investments grow, reports the news agency ARKA.
However, his assessment means it is time for de Rato to take up a
course in economy rather than the necessity for revaluation of the
Armenian dram. If the revaluation of the Armenian currency helps
eliminate the consequences of the high energy prices, de Rato should
have also said for who.
It is suggested that the consequences of the high energy prices
impact two main groups of consumers: people and industries. After the
revaluation of the dram people did not start paying less for energy.
So, the consequences of expensive energy were not relieved for
people. And those people whose income is in dollars have to spend more
dollars to buy drams and pay for energy. In fact, they suffer losses
due to the revaluation of the Armenian dram. As for producers, energy
prices did not change for them either. Moreover, if they export their
products, they also suffer losses from the revaluation of the dram,
for the cost of production increases. They sold their product abroad
for x dollars, in Armenia they exchanged x dollars for 2x drams and
paid taxes, for energy, salaries, etc. Now and after every stage of
revaluation of the Armenian dram they have 1x drams instead of the
former 2x drams. Therefore, one does not need sophisticated knowledge
of economy to realize that producers need to sell their product at a
higher price abroad or to invest part of their income to produce an
equal amount of products.
In fact, we deal with an obvious decline in production. For Rodrigo
de Rato, only he knows what he deals with. His assessment is probably
based on the calculation that the revaluation of the dram cut down
the prices of imported products because if formerly x drams revenues
of importers were exchanged for 1x dollars, after the revaluation of
the x drams revenues of importers are exchanged for 2x instead of the
former 1x drams. Hence, their income grows. They will keep these huge
profits to themselves or invest in importing business again, because
we saw that local production, to put it mildly, is not profitable. We
not only saw it but we hear it from local producers. The companies,
who sell their products in Armenia, may not suffer losses. On the other
hand, however, their business will not grow unless their production
is exported. It cannot grow for the simple reason that the Armenian
market is very small. So, if Armenian production is not exported,
the Armenian economy is unable to develop, because the market is very
limited. Hence, only de Rato knows how the revaluation of the dram is
going to develop the economy. As for the question why the price of the
imported fuel does not decrease in drams despite the revaluation of
the dram, it is known to someone else, and most probably Rodrigo de
Rato has had the opportunity to ask them in Armenia, because he met
with the government of Armenia. However, probably he did not ask them
anything, otherwise he would not have announced what he announced. And
he should not have announced what he announced, because in a healthy
economy the national dram would not revaluate and foreign currency
would not depreciate by several percentage points within only a
week. Such an economy cannot attract investments, and perhaps only
Rodrigo de Rato knows who would make investments in such an economy.

WHO IS GOING TO DEFEND PILOTS?
Hakob Badalyan
Lragir.am
20 June 06
Gradually, even quite unexpectedly, the cause of the crash of the
Armenian plane is getting an official formulation. It was unexpected
because in the beginning the dynamics of the search for A320,
which crashed near Sochi on May 3, did not promise that the black
boxes of the plane would be retrieved from the bottom of the sea
and deciphered. Before lifting the recorders, they had announced
that it is impossible to lift the recorders from the bottom but very
soon the black boxes were retrieved. Before deciphering it had been
announced that it would take 2 months. However, both recorders have
been deciphered within only a month. Even official releases are made,
which directly serve the goal of confirming that the cause was the
mistake of the pilot. Why are the Russians in a hurry? And why aren’t
the Armenians in a hurry to react to the information published so
far? Does the government of Armenia have only one duty before its
citizens – to organize funerals?
Generally, the participation of Armenia to the investigation of the
plane crash is rather strange. It appears that official Yerevan was
interested in the crash on the first few days, and then everything
was managed by official Moscow. The crash was in Russia, but the
aircraft of the Armenian airlines crashed, and the passengers were
mainly citizens of Armenia.
It was notable that after the deciphering of the recorder the Russian
minister of transport Levitin announced that Armenian specialists
would also participate in deciphering because the talk of the crew
is in Armenian. Hence, the Armenian specialists’ role in deciphering
was that of a translator, and if the crew had spoken Russian, the
Armenian specialists might not even have been informed about the
deciphering. Although, maybe it is worthwhile to thank the Russians
that they informed Armenia about retrieving the recorders from the
sea, because the Armenian state and non-state TV companies stayed in
Sochi until the retrieval of the black boxes and returned home before
the retrieval. Whereas it appeared very important how many times
“the Russians threw the net” to get the recorders.
The interest of the Armenian government arouses doubts. There is
a striking contrast between the reaction on the first few days and
the present silence. The prime minister says they are informed about
the investigation but they do not tell anything because nothing was
published officially. On May 3, hours past the crash, Serge Sargsyan,
the secretary of the National Security Council, the minister of
defense of Armenia, arrived in Sochi. It is, in fact, a top-level
reaction. Whereas, now it is difficult to imagine a more figurative
silence. Whereas, defending the citizens of Armenia is concerned,
moreover, citizens who cannot defend themselves anymore because they
died in the plane crash. And the victims are blamed for the crash,
by promoting slowly but tenaciously the suggestion that the crew made
a mistake, which is already acquiring a clearly official coloring. And
the national security is concerned.
The question has already gone beyond the scope of raising funds for
the families of victims, and it appears that there is nobody competent
for this new scope. And if there is such a person, they are already
interested in another scope where a plane would not reach. It may
run out of fuel or not find the destination.

KARABAKH IS OPEN FOR IWG
Lragir.am
20 June 06
The representatives of the International Working Group /IWG/
for Search of Missing, Captives and Release of POWs are visiting
Stepanakert. The German co-chair of the IWG Bernhard Clasen told the
reporter of Lragir.am that during his meeting a number of definite
issues and the prospects of cooperation with the government agencies of
Karabakh must be discussed. Bernhard Clasen said during their meetings
with the government agencies in charge of POWs it became clear that
all the doors remain open for the IWG. He said that Azerbaijan also
knows it. In answer to the question whether they have visited placed
where POW’s might be kept, Bernhard Clasen said they do not have
such a mission. He called the families of the missing to report any
information they have to them.
The question of the missing and captives is one of the most complicated
issues in the Karabakh-Azerbaijani relations. The governmental and
non-governmental organizations of both sides present lists of thousands
of missing people. However, experts say 14 years have already passed
since the armistice and it is not probable that captives will be kept
at homes or in prison. In other words, the efforts of the international
organizations are directed at finding out the fate of the missing
rather than searching for these people.
Answering the question of Lragir.am, Bernhard Clasen, nevertheless,
did not deny that some people may still be alive but the chance to find
them is getting smaller and smaller. The German human rights defender
commended the decision of the PACE to appoint a special reporter on
the missing after 14 years. Bernhard Clasen said during his visit to
Yerevan Leo Platvoet met with their coordinator in Armenia Karineh
Minasyan. Platvoet proposed to set up a Karabakh-Armenia-Azerbaijan
committee for the search of captives. The delegation of IWG also
includes Co-Chair Paata Zakareashvili, the Azerbaijani coordinator
Avaz Hasanov and the Armenian coordinator Karineh Minasyan.

NKR SHOULD DIRECTLY PARTAKE IN SEARCH FOR MISSING AND RELEASE OF PRISONERS OF WAR
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.06.2006 13:28 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Yesterday Nagorno Karabakh FM Grigory Petrosyan
met with the delegation of the International Working Group (IWG) for
Search for the Missing, Hostages and Release of Prisoners of War in
the zone of the NK conflict. The Group comprises Co-Chairs Bernhard
Klazen (Germany) and Paat Zakareishvili (Georgia), coordinators Karine
Minasyan (Armenia), Avaz Hasanov (Azerbaijan) and Albert Voskanyan
(NKR), reports the NKR MFA Press Service.
During the meeting the current state of affairs in the IWG activities,
matters of activation of the search for the missing and graves,
problems and future plans were discussed. Georgy Petrosyan noted
that Nagorno Karabakh has continuously assisted the IWG activities
and is always open to cooperation, while Baku constantly refuses to
contact the respective NKR state commission. The Minister emphasized
that politicization of the field is inadmissible, emphasizing that
hostilities were in the territory of NK and NKR representatives
should directly and actively participate in search for the missing,
hostages and release of prisoners of war.
The IWG members agreed with the opinion of the NKR FM over the openness
of the Karabakh party and its assistance to the Group work. At the
same time Bernhard Klazen regretted that today former prisoners of
war are judged and persecuted in Azerbaijan. He remarked that the
IWG will do its best to convince Baku to refuse that practice. The
meeting participants were for active cooperation of all interested
parties in solving problems in that humanitarian field.

CMCE ADOPTED RECOMMENDATION FOR ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES ON MINORITY LANGUAGES
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.06.2006 13:36 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe
(CMCE) has just adopted a recommendation for the attention of the
Armenian authorities on measures they could take to improve the
application of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
in Armenia. These measures particularly include improving the presence
of regional or minority languages in education, before courts and on
radio and television. The Armenian authorities are also encouraged to
clarify whether there are any other regional or minority languages
used in Armenia apart from those mentioned in Armenia’s instrument
of ratification.
The recommendation follows the evaluation report prepared by the
Charter’s Committee of Independent Experts, using information submitted
by Armenia and by NGOs, and obtained during an on-the-spot visit by the
Committee of Experts to Armenia. During this visit, meetings were held
with representatives of the regional or minority languages spoken in
Armenia, including representatives of NGOs, as well as representatives
of the Armenian authorities, reports Council of Europe Press Service.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress