ROBER KESHISHYAN: ARMENIA IS DEVELOPING AND IS A COUNTRY WITH POTENTIAL
Panorama.am
13:59 04/10/06
Rober Keshishyan, renowned French producer of Armenian decent,
is in Armenia for the fourth time. He is shooting a documentary,
Reviving Armenia, ordered by several French film producers. The film
is expected to be shown in January-February, 2007. Keshishyan said
he does not speak about the genocide in the film, as he does not want
to make a correlation between Armenians-Armenia-genocide in the minds
of French people. “I want to show the West that Armenia is developing
and is a country with potential,” the producer says.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PARTY LEADER REFUTES CHARGES AGAINST HIM
Panorama.am
15:42 04/10/06
Today, New Times Party (Nor Jamanakner) headed by Aram Karapetyan
responded to yesterday’s statement-accusations made by Tigran
Urikhanyan, chairman of Progressive Party.
On October 3, a young chairman of a party who thinks he is a “man”
has suggested to public officials in a press conference to check
tax documents of Aram Karapetyan, Nor Jamanakner Party leader,
investigate his apartment and make a blood test on him performing
the political order of Armenian Defense Minister Serzh Sargsyan and
Armenian National Security Services Head Gorik Hakobyan. The special
services will unveil that Aram Karapetyan avoids tax obligations,
keeps illegal arms and is simply a drug addict.
Nor Jamanakner is going to apply to the Armenian Prosecutor’s Office
requiring to check the information. When the evident libel (which
we do not suspect) will become clear, the leader of Nor Jamanakner
Party is going to call the chairman of the Progressive Party for
responsibility based on point 1, 2, 3 of article 135 of the Armenian
Criminal Code which proposes punishment for libel, Nor Jamanakner
announced.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DALLAKYAN SKEPTICAL ABOUT FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION
Panorama.am
19:17 04/10/06
The Convention on Corruption obliges to call to responsibility
for bribing national and public officials. Justice Minister Davit
Harutunyan also said officials will have to file statements on their
property.
The minister admits corruption is wide-spread in all spheres in the
republic. Answering to the question of Tatul Manaseryan, deputy of
parliament, on the recent data release by World Bank according to
which corruption has grown in Armenia, the minister answered, “these
data are based on sociological surveys and do not refer to facts.” The
minister said no cases of corruption were reported in customs whereas
the WB report especially points to this field as very corrupt.
Viktor Dallakyan, deputy of parliament, is sure that corrupt top
officials cannot fight corruption in the country. Speaking about
filing about the property, Dallakyan said some officials wear more
expensive underwear than dozen times of some people’s salary.
Dallakyan is skeptical about the Convention on Corruption because the
car of Aghvan Hovsepyan, chief prosecutor who is supposed to fight
corruption, costs $70,000.
There were only seven deputies in the session hall while the parliament
was discussing the issue of prime significance.

PRIME MINISTER SAYS THE END OF TALKS IS REFERENDUM
Panorama.am
01:49 05/10/06
Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan had difficulty in
forecasting the developments in case the conflict of Nagorno Karabakh
is moved to U.N. at the initiation of GUAM (Georgia, Ukraine,
Azerbaijan, Moldova) states. The prime minister said it has not
yet included in U.N. agenda. “There was a decision connected with
fires which does not relate to the settlement of Karabakh conflict,”
Margaryan said.
In his opinion, package deal is most preferred at the moment, which
will show where they started and where they are going to. “Our end
is the referendum which will decide whether Karabakh is a separate
state or not,” the prime minister said. He considered urgent the
deliberation on the status of Karabakh after which she may cooperate
with international organizations, receive credits and humanitarian
assistance.

ARMENIAN SHIPS MAY ENTER ROMANIAN PORTS
Panorama.am
01:55 05/10/06
The streets of the Armenian capital were filled with the Romanian
flag these days to commemorate the visit of Romanian President Trayan
Basesku to Armenia.
Basesku told a joint press conference with the Armenian president
Robert Kocharyan, saying relations with Armenia is a priority for
Romania.
President Robert Kocharyan also mentioned that Armenia has closer
relationships with Romania among Eastern European countries. He pointed
out that the two presidents have signed a statement on cooperation
in the fields of culture, education and science for 2006-2010. The
foreign ministers of the two countries have also signed a memorandum
on European and Euro Atlantic cooperation.
President Kocharyan underscored bilateral economic cooperation
and said Romania is a direct rout to Europe. This country may join
EU early next year and expressed readiness to support Armenia in
facing challenges. Romania also is willing to provide its ports to
Armenia. President Kocharyan said the air communication may also
develop between the two states.

PM MARGARIAN: GEORGIA’S BLOCKADE BY RUUSIA HAS NOT YET AFFECTED ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Oct 4 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN. The transport blockade of Georgia by
Russia has not yet affected the Armenian economy, RA Prime Minister
Andranik Margarian stated in the RA National Assembly on October 4.
According to him, the crossing points on the Georgian border were
already closed prior to that, and since June Armenia has been deprived
of the opportunity to transport goods in vehicles through Lars.
The prime minister said that in accordance with the agreement reached
with the Georgian side, goods are transported by Batumi and Poti
ports. “We have no additional problems that would make us reach new
agreements with the Russian or Georgian side,” he said.
Responding to deputy Victor Dallakian’s question about whether the
government is ready to act as a mediator in the Russian-Georgian
relations, the prime minister said that so far no such proposal has
been made. “If the Russian or Georgian side makes such a proposal,
the Armenian government will discuss it,” A. Margarian noted.

ARMENIAN PM: GLOBAL ALLIANCE MAY PROMOITE IT SECTOR OF ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Oct 4 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN. The UN Global Alliance for ICT
Development created after the Tunisian stage of the World Summit on
the Information Society (WSIS) may promote the Armenian IT sector.
The Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margarian stated this at
the October 4 meeting with the organization’s executive director
Sarbuland Khan. He expressed the Armenian government’s willingness
to take an active part in measures undertaken by the organization,
anticipating its assistance to ensure Armenia’s efficient involvement
in this process.
Noting that the Armenian government attaches great importance to IT
development, considering it as one of top priorities of the country’s
economic development, A. Margarian said that one evidence of this
is IT Month being held in Armenia in September and October of this
year, as well as various events organized during IT Month, including
International Digitec Exhibition on October 6.
S. Khan underlined that the sustainable economic growth registered
in Armenia in recent years has created good preconditions for rapid
development of information technologies. He indicated the availability
of qualified specialits, the Armenian government’s proclamation
and conducting of the appropriate policy, as well as young people’s
involvement in the ongoing process as one of the most important factors
conducive to the sector’s development. He expressed his satisfaction
at the fact that all these three factors exist in Armenia, and,
in his words, if active efforts in this direction continue, Armenia
will be able to become a IT industry leader not only in the region
but also outside it.
According to the RA Government Information and PR Department,
A. Margarian noted that Global Alliance’s programs are consistent
the programs and objectives in the Armenian IT sector. He expressed
Armenia’s willingness to do everything for further extension of
cooperation aimed at the development of IT sector.

ROMANIAN PRESIDENT BASESCU ARRIVES IN YEREVAN ON OFFICIAL VISIT
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Oct 4 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN. On October 4, Romanian President
Traian Basescu arrived in Armenia on an official visit, at the
invitation of RA President Robert Kocharian. Andranik Manukian,
RA Minister of Transport and Communication, Co-chairman of Mixed
Commission on Trade-Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation
between Armenia and Romania, met the Romanian President at Zvartnots
airport of Yerevan.
The same day official meeting ceremony of Romanian President will
take place at RA President’s residence, which will be followed by
R.Kocharian’s and T.Basescu’s tete-a-tete talk.
Ceremony of signing documents between the two countries’ governments
on cooperation in different spheres will take place after the meeting
of the official delegations by an extended staff. The Armenian and
Romanian Presidents will hold a joint press conference.
Today T.Basescu will also visit the Genocide Memorial Complex, will
lay a wreath to the memorial to Genocide victims, will visit the
Genocide Museum, will plant a tree in the Memory Park.
On October 5, the Romanian President will meet with Prime Minister
Andranik Margarian, will be received by Catholicos of All Armenians
Karekin II. The same day T.Basescu will have a meeting with lecturers
and students of Yerevan State University.
The same day the delegation led by the Romanian President will leave
Yerevan.

OSCE ECOLOGICAL MONITORING POSTPONED AT REQUEST OF NKR
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Oct 4 2006
STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN. “We regret that the OSCE has
not created the necessary conditions for the participation of NKR
representatives in the preparation of OSCE mission for assessment of
the ecological situation in the areas afflicted by fires. But it does
not prevent Karabakh experts from participating in this monitoring,
especially as the implementation of the mission has been postponed
for a day based on the necessity of NKR representatives’ joining the
mission.” The NKR Foreign Minister Georgy Petrossian stated this in
response to a question of the Regnum news agency about actions of
official Stepanakert in connection with the visit of a OSCE expert
group from Baku to the sites of fire.
G. Petrosian said that the NKR MFA sent a note to the OSCE, in which
the position of the NKR leadership on the issue of NKR experts’
participation in the monitoring is epressed clearly. “Part of
territories where assessment is to be made is under the jurisdiction
of the NKR, which is already a serious ground for our participation in
the mission implemented on the opposite side,” the minister underlined.
According to the NKR MFA, the NKR authorities were informed that an
alarming ecological situation has formed in the Karabakh territories
occupied by Azerbaijan: a large-scale deforestation is going on in
the Shaumian region, and the ecological balance of the western part
of the Martuni region has been upset, with serious damage being done
to the soil and microflora.
By late October 4, it was only known that the OSCE expert group “went
to the territories where fires occured,” which the Trend news agency
reported citing the Azerbaijani MFA.

MATTHEW BRYZA: ARMENIA SHOULD NOT BE LEFT OUT OF REGIONAL COOPERATION PROGRAMS
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Oct 4 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN. Issues of regional cooperation in the
energy sector, Armenia’s energy security problems, and the necessity
to increase the country’s involvement in regional programs were
discussed at the October 4 meeting of the Armenian Prime Minister
Andranik Margarian and the US Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group
Matthew Bryza. M. Bryza, who as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
for European and Eurasian Affairs deals with Armenia-related problems,
stated that the position of the US on this issue is definite: Armenia
should not be left out of yhe regional cooperation programs.
According to him, during quite an efficient cooperation with the
former US ambassador to Armenia, considerable work has been done in
order to develop versions of possible US assistance for Armenia’s
economic development and strengthening of its security, democracy and
stability. In the words of M. Bryza, it is hard to succeed in these
issues without a close cooperation with the Armenian government.
A. Margarian in his turn noted that the Armenian government is prepared
to cooperate and support any proposal proceeding from the interests of
Armenia: the matter concerns democratization, the holding of national
elections in line with international standards, maintaining political
stability, and developing the Armenian economy.
The interlocutors also spoke about Armenia’s efficient cooperation with
the Millennium Challenge Corporation. M. Bryza noted with satisfaction
that Armenia was the first country to immediately set about its work
after signing the agreement. He wished success to the program.