Panorama.am
14:33 09/06/06

DID EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT VICE SPEAKER GIVE EMPTY HOPES?
Just two days ago the Vice Speaker of the European Parliament said
that he does not see any obstacles for Armenia to join EU within next
10 years. Speaking about this statement, Armenian Republican Party
member Armen Ashotyan told a press conference today saying that `the
statement was made to establish some positions in the Armenian
political market. It is obvious that Armenia cannot manage to meet
Copenhagen standards neither in economy nor in politics or law.
Besides, there are unresolved conflicts in the region. Those people
who believe in such statements are hopelessly optimistic.’
He noted that in near future three groups of countries can join EU –
developed European countries that have failed to join the organization
thus far, Baltic states which are in the stage of negotiations and
countries which are already in the process of membership, including
Turkey.
Ashotyan had made earlier forecasts saying that Armenia may join EU
only after 50 years. Those forces which promise membership to EU in
nearer future are only collecting votes, the young politician had
said. /Panorama.am/
From: Baghdasarian

FOE OF REGIME INVITES TO COOPERATE, EXCEPT SERGE SARGSYAN
Lragir.am
10 June 06
Gurgen Yeghiazaryan, the former deputy minister of national security,
stated June 10 at the Azdak Club that he will ally with any political
force, which is against Robert Kocharyan. Gurgen Yeghiazaryan thinks
Kocharyan’s regime ruins the country.
`The exchange rate of the dollar is falling day by day, and some fools
are getting ready for the election. At the expense of our children and
us,’ says Gurgen Yeghiazaryan. He has not offered his proposal of
partnership to any political force. `I will offer when it is time,’
said the former national security official. He states that he is even
ready to ally with the Republicans if they are against Robert
Kocharyan. Serge Sargsyan does not have a chance of partnership with
Yeghiazaryan, however, even if he opposed Robert Kocharyan.
According to him, the president has not set up a team, which would
guarantee his leave and rest. The former national security official
considers the option of Serge Sargsyan impossible, even in a country
with such an obedient public as Armenia. He says the regime also
realizes this.
`I think they have calculated that this is impossible to fulfill even
in Armenia. Even in Armenia, because we are one of the most obedient,
most compliant, most lamb nations of the world,’ says Gurgen
Yeghiazaryan.

Armenpress
FARMERS ANTIICIPATE GOOD FRUIT YIELD

YEREVAN, JUNE 9, ARMENPRESS: A senior official of
Armenia’s agriculture ministry said today heavy rains
in late spring coupled with a string of surprise
touches of frost in sub-mountain areas of the country
have caused lesser than supposed damage to fruit
orchards.
Garnik Petrosian, head of a department in the
ministry, said experts predict that farmers will
collect overall at least 200,000 metric tons of fruit,
with apricots to make the bulk. Last year Armenian
framers collected a record-high crop of
apricots-80,000 tons.
Petrosian said a good yield is expected also from
peach orchards, as much as last year-around 40,000
tons. Apple, peach and plum orchards will also make
farmers happy. He said overall the fruit yield will be
15-17 percent less than last year and enough to meet
domestic demands.

Armenpress
ROAD POLICE WARNS AGAINST JUVENILE DRIVING

YEREVAN, JUNE 9, ARMENPRESS: In connection with a
school-leaving ceremony called ‘The Last Bell’
Armenian road police have undertaken a set of special
measures aimed at ensuring safe traffic until June 13.
The ceremony to take place across the country is
slated for June 10. On that day many young boys are
driving carelessly their parents’ cars through the
city streets. Norik Sarkisian, a senior road police
officer, urged today parents not to allow their sons
to drive their cars on June 11 overnight, warning also
that all drunk drivers will be subjected to most
severe punishment.
Sarkisian said out of 1,312 road accidents
registered by police in 2005 164 involved youngsters
below 16. In the first ten days of June last year 50
road accidents involving youngsters below 16 were
reported, 15 boys received injuries and 341 cars were
taken to penalty lots because their drivers were
drunk.
Sarkisian said all road accidents involving
juvenile drivers will be taped and offenders will be
subjected to severe administrative penalties. He said
not only the juvenile drivers who will be driving cars
without having a permission will be punished but also
their parents in the amount of 50,000 drams.

Armenpress
BANK GOVERNOR PREDICTS FURTHER GAIN OF DRAM OVER US
GREENBACK

YEREVAN, JUNE 9, ARMENPRESS: The president of one
of the leading Armenian commercial banks predicted
today that Armenia’s national currency, Dram, will
continue to gain over the US Dollar.
Ashot Osipian, the governor of Armeconombank, cited
global depreciation of the greenback, saying this
trend has played a role in strengthening of Armenian
Dram. Other factors, accounting for continued
strengthening of Dram according to Osipian, are
domestic developments, particularly, growth in the
amount of money remittances from abroad. “The demand
for US Dollars in Armenia has cut back drastically. In
May alone the amount of money transfers from abroad
through our bank increased 35 percent, which in
concert with cut of natural gas consumption are adding
to the fall of US Dollar’s value,” he said.
Osipian also commended the Central Bank policy to
curtail ‘dollarization’ of Armenian economy and
described the decision of Fitch Rating to assign on
June 5 Armenia foreign and local currency Issuer
Default Ratings (“IDR”) of ‘BB-‘ (BB minus) with a
Stable Outlook as ‘very positive.’ Fitch Ratings said
Armenia’s sovereign credit ratings are supported by
prudent macroeconomic policies and a declining public
and external debt burden that compares favorably with
rated peers.
Fitch said ‘impressive economic performance has
been underpinned by a robust and coherent
macroeconomic policy framework and wide-ranging
structural reforms that have enhanced the capacity of
the economy to absorb adverse shocks.’
Osipian said Armeconombank has applied to Fitch
Ratings to be granted its own credit rating which is
expected to come in August.

Panorama.am
14:00 09/06/06

AZERBAIJAN’S BLACKMAIL DOES NOT FRIGHTEN US
Prolongation of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict cannot be in the interest of
conflicting parties, Seiran Avagyan, president’s adviser told a
discussion with professor Alexander Manasyan today.
Avagyan mentioned that Armenia seeks to settle the issue via peaceful
methods and to sustain stability in the region. `In our region
military solutions have found their end. They will not be repeated any
more,’ he said. In his opinion, any element of postponing the
resolution will affect negatively especially the party that postpones
it.
His opponent Alexander Manasyan did not agree and said that Azerbaijan
purposefully postpones the conflict resolution meanwhile engaging in
large-scale propaganda. `Azerbaijan changes the nature of the problem
based on his own considerations,’ he noted.
S. Avagyan said that lead-time is a method of covering the
incapability to solve an issue. `Obviously, Azerbaijan takes his time
waiting for more favorable situation for it. But the blackmail of
Azerbaijan does not frighten the Armenian authorities,’ he
concluded./Panorama.am/

Panorama.am
16:06 09/06/06

WASN’T MELTEX AT HOME?
Today Television and Radio National Committee (TRNC) Head Grigor
Amalyan summed up the activities of his agency for the last
quarter. During the time, 5 licenses were granted for TV cable
broadcasting in Yerevan, Gyumri, Vanadzor, Sisian and Martuni. Changes
have been made in frequencies according to which Avtoradio Ltd was
given 89,8 instead of 101,1 frequency and Shirak was granted 102,5
instead of 105 frequency.
Speaking about a tender held last December, Amalyan said that Ulis
Media and Radio Pro were found the best bidders winning over Meltex
(A1+).
G. Amalyan also spoke about publications in the Armenia media that
said that Meltex has not got the committee’s decision copy. According
to regulations, the committee is reponsibile to send the copy within
10 days. On the last day of the deadline the committee sent a letter
to 22 Paronyan address. This address was mentioned as the legal
address of Meltex. The committee, however, has got back its letter by
post yesterday. Meltex did not get the letter because, as TRNC head
said the postman was told that there was no one at home. /Panorama.am/

PanARMENIAN.Net
CE Ready to Assist Armenian Government in Reforms
10.06.2006 15:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Council of Europe (CE) is ready to do its best
to assist the Government of Armenia in holding reforms, Head of Ago
Group, Germany’s Permanent Representative to the CE Roland Wegener
stated in Yerevan. In his words, it will be necessary to spend two
years to make the country’s legislation comply with the reformed
Constitution. `This job is hard, however compulsory. We discussed the
matter with Armenian President Robert Kocharian, the Justice Minister
and in the Parliament. Changes should be made in the judicial
legislation, Law on Police, Criminal and Civil Codes, Law on the City
of Yerevan. However, the most important task is changes in the
Electoral Code, without which democratic elections in the parliament
in 2007 will not be possible,’ Wegener said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PanARMENIAN.Net
Armenia Already Fulfilled Major Commitments to CE
10.06.2006 14:39 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia has already fulfilled basic requirements on
commitments to the Council of Europe (CE), Armenian FM Vartan Oskanian
stated at a news conference in Yerevan after a meeting with Ago
Monitoring Group of the CE Committee of Ministers. In Oskanian’s
words, Armenia will have to make the legislation comply with the
reformed Constitution now.
«This refers to reforms in the Criminal Code, Law on Media and the
Electoral Code,» the Minister said. In his words, during the meeting
with the Ago Monitoring Group the Karabakh settlement was also
discussed. «We presented some details of the talks and developments,»
the Armenian FM underscored.

MOSNEWS, Russia
June 10 2006
2 Police Officers Charged in Attack on Tajik Students in Russian
Capital
Two police officers were detained, as prosecutors in Moscow
continued their investigation of the alleged involvement of several
policemen in the beating of Tajik students at a university hostel in
the Russian capital, the RIA-Novosti news agency reported.
`A second suspect in the assault has been detained,’ an official at
the Moscow City Prosecutor’s Office said Saturday but refused to
elaborate. Earlier, prosecutors said that the first police officer
would be charged with robbery and hooliganism.
The attack took place on Wednesday evening. `At approximately 20:00,
a man knocked on the door of a room at the student dormitory,’
prosecutor’s officer spokesman Sergei Marchenko told journalists on
Friday. `A university student – a citizen of Tajikistan – opened the
door. The visitor showed an official identification card and
introduced himself as a policeman… After him, about six people
barged into the room and began beating six Tajik university students
who were in the room using a tire wrench, belts, and their feet.’
According to Russian media reports, the purported police officers
also took the students’ money and mobile phones and warned them to
keep quiet. At least one of the students was reported hospitalized.
Later the district police chief apologized for the incident and
pledged that all those involved will be punished, the Ekho Moskvy
radio station reported. Other reports, however, quoted an
unidentified police spokesman as saying the police had simply
intervened in a fight among the students.
The assault is the latest in a series of attacks on foreigners in
Moscow. In a murder that shocked the country, Vagan Abramyants, a
17-year-old Armenian student at the State University of Management,
was stabbed to death on the platform of Pushkinskaya metro station in
central Moscow at about 5 p.m. April 22.
Prosecutors said these crimes were not being considered as racially
motivated, RIA said.