FOR 5 MONTHS OF 2006 NKR STATE BUDGET REVENUES INCREASED BY ONE THIRD COMPARED WITH LAST YEAR
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
June 21 2006
January – May 2006 the Nagorno Karabakh Republic /NKR/ state budget’s
own revenues made 3 milliards 846, 2 million drams, which is 33, 9 %
more as compared with the same period last year.
According to the information DE FACTO Information-Analytics Agency
got at the NKR Ministry of Finance and Economy, the budget revenues
have been mainly ensured at the expense of tax proceeds (78, 4 %
of the revenues’ amount). In its turn, 54, 7 % of tax proceeds are
guaranteed at the expense of Value Added Tax (VAT).
For the same period the state budget expenditures increased by 34, 4 %,
making 8 milliards 780, 6 million drams, which is basically stipulated
by rise in salaries, growth of social transfers and capital expenses.
For January – May 2006 receipts to the NKR Social Insurance Fund
made 866, 7 million drams, or 10 % more of the level of the same
period 2005.

LEBANESE ARTIST BETS ON WOMEN, HORSES AND THE SUN – AND WINS
By Daniella Matar
Special to The Daily Star
The Daily Star. Lebanon
June 22 2006
Hrair’s work, which has made its way to royal families and celebrities,
gets Beirut retrospective
Interview
BEIRUT: “Woman is the mistress, the lover, the mother,” enthuses the
one-name-only, subtly cross-dressing artist known as Hrair. “She is
all these beautiful feelings you have, you know. She is the mother,
she is life for me. She is honored in all my paintings.” Hrair was
born in Lebanon of Armenian origin. He studied art at the Lebanese
Academy of Fine Art (ALBA) and in 1964 he won three gold medals for
a set of tapestries he made for the Presidential Palace in Baabda.
Hrair went on to win numerous accolades and celebrity commissions.
Queen Elizabeth II has one of his paintings and a number of other
royals have collected his work – including the royal families of
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
Hrair’s extensive client list includes Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn
and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, among others. Finally, after so much
fanfare, Hrair’s market savvy work is the subject of a retrospective
in Beirut, at Piece Unique in Saifi Village.
In the gallery, the artist’s thick and vibrant colors practically
jump off his canvases. Figurative horses leap around majestically.
Women gaze beatifically and mysteriously out at the viewer. Welcome
to the world of Hrair.
First and foremost, the artist says, “I’m a colorist. I like colors.
Through colors I can express myself.”
Running through the symbols that are always present but ever-changing
in his work, he continues: “You’ll always see there are the ladies,
the horses. The flowers are new, it’s a still-life, and even the
women have changed. They are more contemporary, more modern.”
Hrair is indeed famed for those horses. “I like horses,” he says
simply. “I think it’s a wonderful subject for any artist. Through this
subject you can express a lot of feeling. You have the movement,
you have the beauty, you have the light, you have the death –
everything. It’s really one of my favorite subjects. And it’s the
symbol of the Arab world.”
It is the women, however, who really draw one’s attention to Hrair’s
paintings. The paleness of their skin contrasts vividly with the bold,
bright colors of their clothes and surroundings, ensuring that the
observer’s eyes are instantly, irresistibly drawn to their serene,
beatific expressions.
A lesser-known symbol, which nevertheless figures in nearly all
Hrair’s work, is the sun.
“There is always the sun in my painting” he confirms. “There is this
round – life, death, life, death, life, death. Life goes round and
round – there’s always hope in my paintings. I’m a very cheerful
person. I’m not negative, and my paintings reflect that. People say
my work is dreamy, but sometimes you need to take [a few] seconds
to dream.”
Hrair’s retrospective has given his an opportunity to reflect on
his career.
“I was born a painter, an artist,” he says. “When I was five, six,
I used to draw and when I was nine I used to paint. I used to do
portraits and I always wanted to be an artist and a painter. The most
difficult [thing] was to have your own style. I’m not influenced by
any other painter or any other artist. I was influenced by my origins,
my orthodox origins, the church, the Arabic origins, the Oriental
decoration, the Islamic art, the sun.
“That’s why I had this success here, because they say it’s like one
thousand and one nights, you know. It has that richness and the colors.
“I was inspired [by] all the civilizations that passed through Lebanon
[and] the Middle East. I was inspired by the icons, the Byzantine art
– there you see that feeling, that precious feeling, [through the use
of] gold leaf. Sometimes the subject is not very important,” he adds,
returning to his favorite theme. “It’s the colors.”
There is one painting at Piece Unique that marks a sharp departure
for Hrair, a depiction of the Beirut skyline.
“It’s the way I see it, the way I know it,” he says. “I was born in
this area and it was in my childhood background.”
The painting in question is bright and beautiful, but unlike most of
his other pieces, it has very blurred edges.
Hrair explains: “I’ve always had this feeling. [The painting is]
in a fog, you know, but [Beirut for me] is like this.”
Hrair’s retrospective at Piece Unique in Saifi Village is on view
through June 24. For more information, please call +961 1 975 655.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RAISE IN GAS PRICE WILL BE KEPT BELOW 15%, ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SAYS
Daily Georgian Times, Georgia
June 21 2006
The gas price for consumers will not increase by more than 10-15%,
Noyan Tapan says as quoting Robert Kocharian, Armenian President.
“We must get used to idea that gas price as low as USD 54 per 1000
m3 does not exist for anyone”, Robert Kocharian said in a televised
address published by the press service of the Office of President.
According to him, they intend to implement an investment project
together with the Russian party, aimed at repair of the 5th generating
unit of the Razdan Heat and Power Plant that would enable the
government of Armenia to generate funds for compensations to the
population for three years.
Besides, construction of the new heat and power plant will soon be
completed that would increase coefficient of efficiency.
“As a result, we will have sufficient energy and its generation will
take less gas. It will enable us to cut consumer price.
Therefore, there are no grounds for anxiety – gas price will not
increase by more than 10-15%”, the Armenian president said.

NK STATE BUDGET’S OWN INCOME GROWN 33.9% BETWEEN JANUARY AND MAY 2006 TO AMD 3846.2 MILLION
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
June 21 2006
STEPANAKERT, June 21. /ARKA/. Nagorno-Karabakh Republic state budget’s
own income totaled AMD 3846.2mln and expenses made AMD 8780.6mln in
Jan-May 2006.
NKR Finance Ministry’s figures show that the state budget income
became 33.9% or AMD 901.6mln greater than that of the same period a
year earlier.
The income came mainly from tax inflows – 78.4% of total income.
State duty inflow made 3.7% of the budget income, non-tax income made
7.5% and operations with capital added 10.5% to the state budget. ($1 =
AMD 419.83).

TER-PETROSYAN WILL COME FORWARD WHEN HE DECIDES
Lragir.am
21 June 06
One of the topics of the debate between Samvel Nikoyan, Republican,
and Andranik Hovakimyan, All-Armenian Movement, was the upcoming
parliamentary election.
According to the deputy leader of the All-Armenian Movement, it is
pointless to speak about a political National Assembly unless the
situation changes, because everything will be decided beforehand.
“It is not important what costumes they will be wearing, liberal or
nationalist. Especially that these notions are distorted, and it is
not clear who a liberal is, for instance.” As a result, according
to the representative of the All-Armenian Movement, the parliament
will again be appointed. The coalition does not have a role in this
matter. “There are centers, known to everybody, which predetermines
everything.” Andranik Hovakimyan disagrees to the accusation that
the All-Armenian Movement is passive. According to him, the reason
is the wrong idea about political activities, for by saying activity
most people understand protest meetings.
“The society is devoid of the right to vote, and distrust towards
political parties is growing, their role diminishes,” says the deputy
leader of the All-Armenian Movement, adding that even the political
parties in power are devoid of the possibilities of a political
party. “We know the degree of our possibilities,” objects Samvel
Nikoyan. According to him, nothing strange happened.
“The home political sphere is a little calm, but there are also
internal processes, there is nothing unpredictable. The emergence
of new political parties and the divorce of the Orinats Yerkir Party
and the coalition are significant events.” By the way, the Republican
suggests, “The home political processes and developments, suspension
of arrangements cannot be related to foreign political problems. Arthur
Baghdasaryan said what he had stated a year ago in Maydan.”
Andranik Hovakimyan declined to publish the political platform of
the All-Armenian Movement. He only said that Ter-Petrosyan will come
forward when he decides.

OSCE MEDIA WATCHDOG NOTES IMPROVEMENTS IN ARMENIAN MEDIA LEGISLATION, CALLS FOR MORE PLURALISM
Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE)

June 21 2006
/noticias.info/ YEREVAN, 21 June 2006 – Miklos Haraszti, the OSCE
Representative on Freedom of the Media, said today that Armenia has
made significant progress in improving media legislation, but actual
media pluralism remained limited to the print media.
“I am pleased that since 2005 there have been very few atrocities
reported against journalists. It is similarly welcome that criminal
libel cases have not been initiated since several years,” said
Haraszti, who was on a three-day official visit to Armenia at the
invitation of the Government.
“However, the coverage of political life still remains one-sided,
both in private and public-service broadcasting. This confines actual
pluralism to the diverse, at times even partisan, but economically
very weak print media.”
The aim of the visit, co-organized by the OSCE Office in Yerevan,
was to assess the state of freedom of the media, giving special
attention to the upcoming changes in the legal framework, required
by amendments to the Constitution adopted in November 2005.
The OSCE Representative expressed his appreciation for having been
received by President Robert Kocharian. He also met the Chairman of
the National Assembly Tigran Torosyan, and other government officials,
as well as broadcast operatives, journalists and media NGOs.
“We see good pieces of legislation, such as the Constitutional
amendments on broadcasting, and the Freedom of Information law,” added
Mr. Haraszti. “However, implementation is behind the blueprints in
some fields. For example, the broadcast law reform required by the
Constitution is still missing, as are the implementation rules for
the law on Freedom of Information.”
Haraszti suggested that pluralizing the composition of the
broadcasting boards would lead to diversity in the licensing of private
broadcasters, and to more objective news coverage in public television,
saying that: “Media reform should be accelerated, especially in view
of the upcoming elections.”
The Representative on the Freedom of the Media regularly conducts
assessment visits in the OSCE region and presents his reports to the
Organization’s Permanent Council. The reports include an analysis of
the media situation and offer practical recommendations for improving
the freedom of the press.

OIC FMS’ 33RD SESSION ENDS IN BAKU
AzerTag, Azerbaijan
June 21 2006
On 21 June, the 33rd session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign
Ministers has come to an end in Baku.
In a 3-day session, attending were representatives form 50 countries,
including delegates of the OSCE, the Council of Europe, UNESCO,
the International Organization for Migration.
IN the course of session, discussed were the questions the Moslem
counties concerned with, regarded the Palestine, Iraq, Kashmir
problems, the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the
events occurring in Somali and Sudan, as well as the tension related
to Iran’s nuclear researches. In the lectures, also were seriously
condemned the cartoons to Prophet Mohammad published in the some
Western press organs and the tension it has caused.
As stated, OIC regards all the religions with respect and will further
continue its activity with a view of expansion of inter-civilization
dialogue.
The session emphasized necessity of development of the political,
trade-economic, cultural, scientific and other links among the OIC
member countries. The projects being implemented in the frame of OIC
were also in focus. A 10-year plan of activity of OIC was discussed,
and necessity of strengthening of mutual cooperation was underlined.
The session has adopted the Baku Declaration, a communique, and
numerous resolutions on the discussed questions.
After the session ended, FM of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov and
Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Conference Ekmeleddin
Ihsanoglu held a briefing for media representatives.
In the Declaration, Minister Mammadyarov said, regarded were the
questions the Moslem world is concerned. In the Declaration, the
participants condemned the aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan and
demanded immediate withdrawal of the occupant forces from the Azeri
lands. Also was addressed to the world community in connection with
destruction of the historical and cultural monuments in the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan, condemned the ecological pollution as a
result of this aggression. The session participants stressed necessity
of support of the OIC member countries in restoration of territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan.
OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu stressed the historical
importance of the session for the point of discussed questions and
adopted resolutions.
The session has been in focus of the international community either,
he underlined.
** A group of the participants of the 33rd session of the Islamic
Conference of Foreign Ministers have familiarized with the Heydar
Aliyev Foundation, 21 June.
** The same day, a group of the conferees have been in the Sangachal
Terminal.

REPUBLICAN SUGGESTS CREATING THREATS AND BATTLING THEM
Lragir.am
21 June 06
If Andranik Hovanisyan, deputy leader of the All-Armenian Movement
thinks that dual nationality is not beneficial for Armenia, and
they battled it with the Republican Party in 1995, Samvel Nikoyan,
Republican, thinks that dual nationality would solve the problem
of unification of Armenians, and the way for investments in Armenia
would open for the Diaspora.
In answer to the remark of Lragir.am that Ernekyan, Tufenkyan,
Kerkoryan, Gafesjyan made big investments in Armenia not being
citizens of Armenia, Samvel Nikoyan says they are individuals,
“whereas our objective is cooperation with the entire Diaspora.
And the entire Diaspora does not consist of these individuals.”
Samvel Nikoyan admits that powerful countries such as the United
States and Russia do not encourage dual nationality, whereas we need
dual nationality, because “we are not a powerful country but we want
to be powerful, and one of the possible ways of becoming powerful is
the Diaspora.” Andranik Hovakimyan, All-Armenian Movement, assures
that there are people in the Diaspora, who feel attached with the
homeland independent from all, and on the contrary, there are people
who do not know where Armenia is independent from all.
Nikoyan admits that the adoption of dual nationality creates threats
for the national security, but the Republican is able to battle
these consequences. Samvel Nikoyan declined to answer the question
of Lragir.am “What is the point of creating a source of threat first
and then battle it.”

DID GOVERNMENT RAISE QUESTION OF A1+?
Lragir.am
21 June 06
Miklos Haraszti, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media,
stated in a news conference on June 21 in Yerevan that during his
meetings the Armenian government raised the question of A1+. Unlike
his meetings with the leadership of Armenian, Haraszti did not meet
with the head of A1+. He announced, however, that he knew about the
problem of the TV company, which had been closed down. Haraszti knew
that the TV company was forced off air, then applied for 12 times
and was denied frequency every time. Miklos Haraszti said it is an
example of shortcomings in licensing. He added that he would dwell
on the process of licensing in his reports and offer proposals.
According to the OSCE representative, the assessment of bids for
license should be more transparent and it is necessary to reduce
the role of vote or restrict it at all. Miklos Haraszti assesses the
change of the order of setting up the National Television and Radio
Committee as essential and positive: if formerly the committee was
set up by a person, presently it is set up by a representational body.

TURKEY DOWNPLAYS U.S. FUNDING BAN ON ‘ANTI-ARMENIAN’ RAIL LINK
By Emil Danielyan
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
June 21 2006
Turkey on Wednesday played down the significance of a likely legal
ban on U.S. involvement in its plans to build a rail link with Georgia
and Azerbaijan that would bypass Armenia. Official Ankara said at the
same time that it has begun exploring possible Armenian participation
in the far-reaching regional project.
A committee of the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously approved
a legal amendment last week that forbids the U.S. Export-Import Bank
from financing construction of the Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi railway
estimated to cost $400 million. The measure, strongly advocated by
Armenian-American lobbying groups, is likely to be passed by the full
House. Similar legislation is also expected to be debated in the U.S.
Senate.
Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Namik Tan told RFE/RL that U.S.
restrictions could not thwart the project’s implementation. “I don’t
think so,” he said. “I think the three countries have enough funds.
So we can finance the project in one way or another.” Azerbaijan,
Georgia and Turkey are keen to start work on the railway “as soon as
possible,” he said.
A senior official at the Azerbaijani Ministry of Transport, Sadreddin
Mamedov, likewise dismissed the congressional measure at the weekend.
“If American companies do not finance the project, we will find other
sources [of financing]: Japanese banks, the Asian Development Bank
or somebody else,” he told the Baku daily “Ekho.” Besides, he said,
Azerbaijan has “sufficient resources” to foot a large part of the
construction bill.
Still, Turkish media reports suggest that Ankara is now willing to
show more flexibility on the issue. According to the official Anatolia
news agency, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul told Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliev in Baku on Tuesday that “Armenia can also join
these projects if it wants.”
Tan confirmed that Gul raised the issue with Aliev but made it clear
that Armenian involvement in the regional railroad is conditional on a
solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. “The fact of the matter is
that we have to include Armenia into the project after the solution
of the problem,” he said. “That was the discussion which took place
between Aliev and Gul.” The Azerbaijani leader was “positive” about
the Turkish proposal, added the official.
Armenian officials argue that there already exists a railroad
connecting Turkey to the South Caucasus via Armenia and that the
Turkish government should reactivate it instead of spending hundreds
of millions of dollars on building a new one. “The Turkish Daily News”
quoted on Wednesday an unnamed official in Ankara as agreeing that
the Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi link will make no economic sense if
Turkey lifts its economic blockade of Armenia.
“But there are some realities on the ground which can not be
ignored,” countered Tan. “There is a problem and that problem should
be solved. Armenia must exert some efforts and try to find ways to
solve it.”
A Karabakh settlement is also a key Turkish precondition for a broader
normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations. In addition, successive
Turkish governments have demanded that Yerevan stop campaigning for
international recognition of the 1915 genocide of Armenians in the
Ottoman Empire. Gul reportedly stated in Baku that the establishment
of diplomatic relations between the two estranged nations and reopening
of their border is therefore “not a subject of discussions” at present.
Senior Turkish and Armenian diplomats have held a series of
confidential meetings over the past year but failed to make any
progress towards a Turkish-Armenian rapprochement. Tan stood by his
earlier statement that more such talks are possible in the coming
months. “We have talked to them and I think we will,” said the Turkish
Foreign Ministry official.