GEORGIA IS OBLIGED NOT TO SELL ROAD GAS PIPELINE FOR 5 YEARS
AZG Armenian Daily
28/04/2006
According to Georgia Millennium Challenge Fund, Georgia is not
allowed to sell the road pipeline for five years. Georgia undertook
this commitment, when receiving financial sources within the
framework of Millennium Challenges Corporation. The Corporation will
allocate $295 million envisaged for four projects. Particularly,
the financial sources are allocated for the construction of
Akhaltskhe-Akhalkalaki-Ninotsminda road, for the reconstruction of the
country’s road gas pipeline and for restoration of its energy system,
for development of infrastructures and agriculture.
It’s noteworthy that in case of selling the road gas pipeline, the
Russian Gazprom is likely to purchase that. Yet, the US authorities
are obviously against this deal. This position may be the most probable
reason for Georgia to undertake the abovementioned commitment.

POSSIBLE MILITARY ACTIONS IN IRAN WILL NEGATIVELY AFFECT THE SITUATION IN ARMENIA
Yerevan, April 27. ArmInfo. Possible military operation against
Iran will directly affect the situation in Armenia and have negative
influence on all the South Caucasus region, said on a press conference
at the ‘Mirror’ club ‘Dashnaktsutiun’ party Bureau member Kiro Manoyan.
Speaking about Turkey’s position in case of a war against Iran,
Mr. Manoyan expressed an opinion that Ankara will stay aside of the
military actions, as it did with Iraq.
In his return Armenian National Movement party member Aram Karapetian
added that Moscow will cease supporting Iran if a war is unleashed. In
that case the situation around Armenia will become hopeless.

LEADER OF NEW TIMES PARTY BELIEVES AUTHORITIES TO BE “IN POLITICAL AGONY”
Yerevan, April 27. ArmInfo. “The acts by the National Security Service
officers with respect to my personal guard and the driver testifies
to the ‘political agony of the authorities,'” Leader of “New Times”
party, political expert Aram Karapetyan said at the discussion club
“Pastark,” Thursday.
Commenting on April 21 detention of his guard and the driver suspected
in illegal possession of arms by the National Security Service
officers, A. Karapetyan said “the officers of the elite subdivision
“Alfa” carried out so poor detention, how they will operate in case
of a real danger”? Moreover, the detained gas pistols have not been
returned so far despite the promises to do it the other day, Karapetyan
said. He expressed regret that the NSS involved a woman-teacher into
the list of its agents. In his words, the alarm about the weapons of
his guard was received just from school.
He believes the involvement of force and elite structures into
political processes inadmissible. It was practiced in backward
and authoritarian states, he said. Probably, the authorities feel
the strengthening external pressure on them in connection with
Karabakh conflict and the developments around Iran and try to show
the world “who is the master of the house.” Armenia has only one
way out. That is, to gain time, which requires a change of power
and a close cooperation with Russia by formation of a Confederative
Union. As regards the party “New Times,” it will organize a rally
and a procession to the Police building demanding the law-enforcement
bodies to stop interfering into political processes, Karapetyan said.

ARMENIAN ORGANIZATIONS COUNCIL OF JAVAKHK TO HAVE FEW REPRESENTATIVES IN COUNCIL ATTACHED TO GEORGIAN OMBUDSMAN
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 27 2006
AKHALKALAK, APRIL 27, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Armenian
Public Organizations’ Council of Samtskhe-Javakhk addressed to the
National Minorities’ Council attached to the Georgian Ombudsman with a
proposal of membership. According to the “A-Info” agency, the Council
made such a decision arising of the principles of the National
Minorities’ Council’s Declaration. According to the preliminary
agreement and arising of the circumstance of having more than 20
public organizations in its staff, the Samthskhe-Javakhk Armenian
Public Organizations’ Council will have few representatives in the
National Minorities’ Council attached to the Georgian Ombudsman.

NKR FOREIGN TRADE GROWS BY 15.2% IN 2005
Noyan Tapan
Apr 27 2006
STEPANAKERT, APRIL 27, NOYAN TAPAN. In 2005, the gross domestic
product (GDP) of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) made 51.4 bln
drams. The gross agricultural output made 21.1 bln drams, exceeding
the previous year’s index by 5.6%. The volume of construction work
done at the expense of all sources of financing amounted to 12.6 bln
drams, increasing by 37.8% on 2004. In the year under review, the
NKR foreign trade made 133.1 mln USD (a 15.2% growth compared with
2004). Last year the retail commodity turnover reached 42.7 bln drams
in the NKR, the paid services to the population – 5.4 bln drams. In
January-December 2005, the average exchange rate of one US dollar
made 457.8 drams (in 2004 – 532.1 drams) in the NKR, that of 1 euro –
570.7 drams (in 2004 – 660.7 drams).
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

INCOMES OF NKR POPULATION INCREASE BY 20.3% IN 2005
Noyan Tapan
Apr 27 2006
STEPANAKERT, APRIL 27, NOYAN TAPAN. In 2005, the monetary incomes
of the population of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) made 51.8
bln drams, increasing by 20.3% on the previous year, while monetary
exenditures amounted to 49.2 bln drams. The average monthly salary of
an employee made 51,127 drams against 41,170 drams in 2004. In 2005,
the average pension made 13,440 drams, growing by 30% on the previous
year. More than 3,400 jobs were created in various branches of the
republic’s economy in 2005. In January-December 2005, the average
exchange rate of one US dollar made 457.8 drams (in 2004 – 532.1
drams), that of one euro – 570.7 drams (in 2004 – 660.7 drams).

NKR STATE BUDGET REVENUES EXCEED PROGRAMMED INDEX BY 1.3% IN 2005
Noyan Tapan
Apr 27 2006
STEPANAKERT, APRIL 27, NOYAN TAPAN. In 2005, the actual revenues of
the NKR state budget made 6,570.1 mln drams against the envisaged
own revenues of 6,485 mln drams, that is, the programmed index was
fulfilled by 101.3%, which exceeds the index of the same period of the
previous year by 1,979.9 mln drams. The tax revenues made 5,010.3 mln
drams against the envisaged index of 4,660 mln drams. The state budget
expenditures amounted to 20 bln 246 mln drams in 2005, which makes up
94.5% of the envisaged index (21,424.6 mln drams). In January-December
2005, the average exchange rate of one US dollar made 457.8 drams
(in 2004 – 532.1 drams), that of one euro – 570.7 drams (in 2004 –
660.7 drams).

CONTINUOUS PRECIPITATIONS AND TEMPERATURE CLOSE TO ZERO NOT HARMFUL TO CULTURED PLANTS
Noyan Tapan
Apr 27 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The recent precipitations and a
temperature close to 0 degrees are not harmful to cultured plants
and will not have a negative impact on the harvest. Head of the Plant
Cultivation and Protection Department of the RA Ministry of Agriculture
Garnik Petrosian stated this on April 27. According to him, on the
night of December 27 the temperature fell to zero degrees in Ararat
valley, but it will not cause damage to the cultured plants. He noted
that the low temperature currently registered in the mountainous
zones of Armenia is harmless as well, because the period of active
vegetation of plants has not yet begun there. No damage was caused to
the areas sown with autumn wheat, and the areas under potato crops. The
department head underlined the snow did not damage the cultured
plants in the foothills at 1,300-1,500 m above sea level. G. Petrosian
said that with the current temperature ranging from 0 to 10 degrees,
heavy precipitations may not cause cultured plants to rot.

WORLD BANK TO PROVIDE 3.1 MLN DOLLAR GRANT TO DEAL WITH HEATING PROBLEMS OF VULNERABLE GROUPS OF ARMENIAN POULATION
Noyan Tapan
Apr 27 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The World Bank-managed Global
Partnership for Effective Assistance Fund will provide a 3.1
mln-dollar grant for the implementation of a city heating program
in Armenia. Person in charge of foreign relations of the WB Yerevan
Office Vigen Sargsian told NT correspondent that this sum will be
used to solve the heating problems of the vulnerable groups of the
Armenian population. To recap, out of 15 mln USD provided by the
World Bank for the implementation of this program last year, 3 mln
USD was allocated for this purpose.

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT APPROVES ANNUAL REPORT ON 2005 STATE BUDGET EXECUTION
Noyan Tapan
Apr 27 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 27, NOYAN TAPAN. At the April 27 sitting, the Armenian
government approved the draft law on approval of the annual report
of the 2005 RA state budget execution, which will be submitted to the
National Assembly in prescribed order. RA Deputy Minister of Finance
and Economy, Chief Treasurer Atom Janjughazian told reporters following
the sitting that under the RA legislation, each year the government
shall submit the annual report on execution of the previous year’s
state budget to the National Assembly until May 1. According to
the 2005 report, GDP made 2 trillion 143.9 billion drams. The real
economic growth made 14% in 2005 on 2004. A 0.2% fall in prices was
registered in late 2005, while the average inflation made 0.6%. In
the year under review, the Armenian dram appreciated by 7.3% compared
with 2004. GDP per capita made 697,421 drams (about 1,550 USD),
which exceeds the previous year’s index by 17.6%. Unemployment made
8.1% or 98 thousand people, which is by 1.5 percentage points lower
than in 2004. According to A. Janjughazian, the state budget revenue
collection index made 99.9%. Revenues accounted for 16.7% of GDP,
which is by 0.9 percentage points higher than in 2004. The budget
revenues grew by 24%, while own revenues – by 25.8%. The expenditure
index was fulfilled by 97.1%, which constitutes a 25% increase on the
previous year. An especially low index was registered with respect
to target programs implemented with financial resources from foreign
sources. Last year, Armenia’s state foreign debt made 1 bln 99.2
mln USD, declining by 7.1% compared with 2004, which, according to
A. Janjughazian, was conditioned by a change in the exchange rates
of the main currencies, which make up the state foreign debt basket,
against the US dollar. The ratio of the state foreign debt to GDP made
22.4%. In 2005, Armenia’s domestic debt amounted to 51.3 bln drams
against 46.4 bln drams in 2004. Short-term state bonds account for
13% of this debt, while medium-term and long-term bonds – for the
remaining part.