SPOKESMAN OF ARMENIAN PRESIDENT REFUTES RUMORS ABOUT CONFLICT BETWEEN PRESIDENT AND DEFENSE MINISTER
Yerevan, August 30. ArmInfo. The spokesman of Armenian President
Robert Kocharyan Viktor Soghomonyan refutes the rumors about conflict
between Kocharyan and Defense Minister Serzh Sargsyan.
He says that there is no conflict between the Republican Party and
Prospering Armenia party. There are some contradictions between them
but this is normal as otherwise they would be one party.
Soghomonyan refutes the reports that during their last meeting in
Sochi Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kocharyan discussed the
candidacy of Serzh Sargsyan as future president of Armenia.

SPEAKER OF RA PARLIAMENT AND AMBASSADOR OF CHINA DISCUSS ISSUE OF CHINA’S PARTICIPATION IN CONSTRUCTION OF KARS-AKHALKALAKI-TBILISI-BAKU RAILROAD
Yerevan, August 30. ArmInfo. Togran Torosian, Speaker of RA National
Assembly and Chinese Ambassador Zuo Xueliang, Ambassador of China,
discussed the issue of China’s participation in the construction of
Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku railroad.
The Press Service of RA Parliament informed that Mr. Torosian approved
the participation of China in development of cooperation with the
countries of the region. Besides, the Speaker expressed hope that
Beijing has chosen the most optimal variant that connects Europe
with the Eastern Asia by railway. The sides also discussed issues of
activating the inter-parliamentary relations. Mr. Zuo Xueliang passed
the invitation of the speaker of Chinese Parliament to visit China.
He emphasized the importance of the coming visit from the viewpoint
of developing the bilateral relations. In his turn, Torosian
added that soon the Chinese inter-parliamentary delegation will
visit Yerevan. The sides emphasized also the developing inter-party
relations, particularly, that between the republican Party of Armenia
and the Communist Party of China.

ARMENIAN SPOKESMAN URGES MEDIA NOT TO POLITICIZE TRIAL OF EDITOR
Arminfo
30 Aug 06
Yerevan, 30 August: Some local media have excessively politicized the
trial of the editor-in-chief of Zhamanak newspaper, Arman Babadzhanyan,
the Armenian president’s press secretary, Viktor Sogomonyan, told a
news conference today.
Babadzhanyan faces charges of dodging military service and
counterfeiting documents.
Sogomonyan said that Babadzhanyan has already pleaded guilty. The press
secretary added that he will not comment on the trial. In any case,
there is no point to politicize Babadzhanyan’s trial, Sogomonyan noted.

INDIA EXPORTS GOLD ITEMS TO ARMENIA
Panorama.am
14:21 31/08/06
Armenia exported diamond and gold items costing $303,000 to India
during 2003-2004 and India exported similar items costing $1,6 million
during the same period. In the course of 2004-2005, India doubled
its export to Armenia and Armenia exported gold and diamond items
costing $348,000.
A delegation of an Indian council, which promotes diamond and gold
item export, paid a visit to Armenia.
The members of the delegation told a presentation today that this
branch makes up 3% of the Indian GDP.
Rina Pandey, Indian ambassador to Armenia, also present at the
presentation, said Armenia and India are developing links in economy.
The 14-member delegation visited the Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan
and Georgia prior to the visit to Armenia. The delegation aims to
step up export of Indian diamond and gold items in the markets of
Newly Independent States.
Being under the jurisdiction of the Indian ministry of trade and
industry, the council functions since 1966 and represents 6500
goldsmiths. This is a promising branch in India and has reported $17
billion export only last year.

WITNESSES TESTIFY AGAINST JAMANAK YEREVAN’S EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Panorama.am
15:46 31/08/06
The hearing of the case on Arman Babajanyan, editor-in-chief of
Jamanak Yerevan newspaper, closed today. The next hearing is expected
on September 4.
The judge announced that all 4 witnesses are away from Yerevan for
various reasons. He read out the testimonies upon the consent of the
advocate and the prosecutor.
Armine Arakelyan, the wife of Vahe Aboyan, writes, “I have never been
the wife of Arman Babajanyan and my marriage certificate was faked
under the name of Arman Babajanyan.” The birth certificates of both
of her daughters were also faked. She says, “Babajanyan caused moral
damage to my family but I do not want any money from him.”
In their testimony, the officials of military commissariat, Tigran
Harutunyan and Samvel Khachatryan, write that they trusted Emilia
Nersisyan, employee of the president’s staff and mother of Babajanyan,
and did not check the validity of the marriage certificate, even
though it was without notary certification. The next witness, Monk
Arshak, mentions that they do not have letterheads as submitted from
Babajanyan as if from the seat of St.
Edchmiadzin. Therefore, these documents were also faked.
The judge also read out the letter, based on which the case
was instituted against Babajanyan, which tells the story of
faking the documents. The letter was signed from the name of
“A. Khachatryan.” However, the advocate said, “It is nameless and
cannot be a sufficient base for a charge because they have searched
a person with that name but could not find him/her.” The advocate of
Babajanyan submitted proofs, which say that Babajanyan could not have
stolen the marriage and birth certificates. The trial is postponed
until the next hearing.

GOVERNMENT APPROVES DRAFT OF FOREIGNERS
Panorama.am
17:10 31/08/06
Armenia has had no laws regulating work of foreigners in the
country. The government only today approved Draft Bill On Foreigners,
including provisions on work. Gegham Gharibjanyan, deputy foreign
minister, assures that all foreigners are viewed as equal, i.e., the
same conditions are stipulated for people of all nationalities. The
draft says foreign citizens, having no Armenian citizenship, have
no right to take up top public posts. In case of a need to make
amendment in the law, the government is entitled to issue decrees,
Gharibjanyan says. He also says, “we tried to keep to international
human rights norms and European Court of Human Rights practices while
drafting the law.”

NAGORNYY KARABAKH LEADER, BELGIAN SENATOR DISCUSS KARABAKH SETTLEMENT
Arminfo, Yerevan
31 Aug 06
Stepanakert , 31 August: The president of the Nagornyy Karabakh
republic, Arkadiy Gukasyan, and the head of the commission on defence
and foreign affairs of the Belgian Senate, Roelants du Vivier Francois,
discussed the settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict at a
meeting on 31 August.
The sides noted the importance of peace and stability to economic
development and democratic institutions in the region, Arminfo
reported.
At the request of the guest, Gukasyan informed Francois of Karabakh’s
official position on the settlement of the problem, as well as of
socioeconomic and political developments.

ARMENIAN LEADER REMAINS LOYAL TO COALITION AGREEMENTS – SPOKESMAN
Mediamax news agency
30 Aug 06
Yerevan, 30 August: Armenian President Robert Kocharyan is against a
complete switch to the proportional representation system (election
on the party list), the Armenian president’s press secretary, Viktor
Sogomonyan, said in Yerevan today.
Addressing a briefing in Yerevan, Sogomonyan said that the
president remains loyal to his agreements with the ruling
coalition. Under them, 90 parliamentarians will be elected under the
proportional representation list and the remaining 41MPs under the
first-past-the-post system, Mediamax reports.
“The Armenian president considers that it is wrong for parliamentarians
to lose “direct contact” with their voters which will inevitably happen
after a complete switch to the proportional representation system,”
Sogomonyan said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RACIST LEAFLETS IN GEORGIA’S ETHNIC AZERI AREAS “PROVOCATION” – ENVOY
ANS TV, Baku
29 Aug 06
The Georgian ambassador to Azerbaijan, Zurab Gumberidze, has
said the distribution of racist leaflets in Georgia’s ethnic
Azerbaijani-populated areas might be a provocation aimed at damaging
relations between the two countries.
Speaking to the “Point of View” programme on commercial ANS TV on
29 August, the ambassador said there might be some “domestic and
foreign” forces behind the provocation. However, he did not elaborate
on the issue.
Unknown people distributed leaflets in Georgia’s predominantly ethnic
Azerbaijani-populated Marneuli District earlier this month, demanding
that local residents leave the country. ANS said many locals blamed
the incident on Armenians.
According to official figures, ethnic Azerbaijanis make up the largest
minority in Georgia. A census held in 2002 put the number of Georgia’s
ethnic Azerbaijani population at nearly 300,000.
Gumberidze said Georgia and Azerbaijan have established “unique”
ties since they gained their independence in 1991, adding that some
forces might be interested in damaging these ties.

AZERI PRESSURE GROUP CALLS FOR WAR WITH ARMENIA OVER KARABAKH
ANS TV, Baku
30 Aug 06
The Karabakh Liberation Organization demands that the authorities
start a war against Armenia.
The organization has issued a statement which demand that the
Azerbaijani authorities start a war to ensure the country’s territorial
integrity and to expel the aggressors from its lands. The peace
talks are totally pointless and Azerbaijan can free its lands from
occupation only by means of military operations.
The statement also denounced the celebrations in the self-proclaimed
Nagornyy Karabakh republic to mark its 15th anniversary [on 2
September].