RUSSIA TO CONTINUE MILITARY COOPERATION WITH AZERBAIJAN
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug. 8, 2006
Azerbaijan’s Defense Minister, General Colonel Safar Abiyev today
received Russian extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador to
Azerbaijan Vasili Istratov.
The Ministry press service told the APA Minister Abiyev said Azerbaijan
is cooperating with Russia in different spheres, including military
sphere. Touching on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, the Minster
said as the co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia should make
more efforts to resolve the conflict. Ambassador Istratov said
Azerbaijan should become Russia’s partner in all spheres adding that
the cooperation in military sphere will be continued with Azerbaijan.
The Russian diplomat also pointed out Azerbaijan’s importance for
Russia in the South Caucasus stressing Russia will make all efforts
to resolve the Nagorno Garabagh conflict./APA/

COMMISSION ON ECONOMIC RIVALRY PROTECTION
SUSPECTS SOME FOREIGN CAR IMPORTERS OF FRAUD
Yerevan, August 7. ArmInfo. The State Customs COmmittee of Armenia
reports that 43 companies sold foreign cas in Armenia in 2005. The
leaders were Muran, Megna, Karkomavto, Fora, Armenia-Lada, Eurowagen,
Euromotors, Avangard Motors. 16,741 cars were imported into the
country in 2005 of which 5,525 by companies and 10,947 by individuals.
The press secretary of the State Commission on Economic Rivalry
Protection Armine Udumyan says that legal entities declared only
552 new foreign cars. Hence, the commission suspects them of fraud.
Experts say that some of them fulfilled individual orders but declared
their operations as carried out by individuals.

DALLAKIAN TO CHOOSE ‘THRIVING ARMENIA’
ArmRadio.am
08.08.2006 13:19
Joining of Victor Dallakian, former secretary of the opposition bloc,
the ‘Thriving Armenia’ party is a serious blow to the opposition,
as the new party is likely to cover the legal opposition field and
force out the present opposition parties, said on a press conference
parliament deputy Hmayak Hovhannisian, president of the Union of
Political Scientists of Armenia.
Hovhannisian said that the situation is unprecedented, as the secretary
of the biggest opposition faction, the most severe criticizer of
President Robert Kocharian and Defense Minister Serge Sarkisian,
now joins a party, the shadow leader of which is President Kocharian
himself. The latter statement Mr. Hovhannisian proved by the words of
‘Thriving Armenia’ acticve member, a close friend of Victor Dallakian,
Vardan Bostanjian that the President of Armenia will most probably
join the party and even make ready the party’s electoral list.
Hmayak Hovhannisian is sure that the ‘Thriving Armenia’ party is
created to support Robert Kocharian for 5 years since his office
term has came to end, and thus to provide his return to power,
Arminfo reported.

DOCUMENT DEVELOPED WITHIN FRAMEWORK OF ARMENIA-NATO IPAP IS PUBLISHED
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, NOYAN TAPAN. The document “The Obligations of the
Republic of Armenia within the framework of the Individual Partnership
Action Plan (IPAP) with NATO” was published under an agreement reached
between Armenia and NATO on July 31, 2006, and is available on the
RA defence ministry’s website at NT was informed from
the Spokesman for the RA Defence minister Colonel Seyran Shahsuvarian
that the text contains the goals of the bilateral cooperation program,
as well as the measures and mechanisms for their implementation. The
document’s publication aims to increase the public awareness of
Armenia’s partnership with NATO and of the reforms underway in the
defence and security spheres. This publication represents a step aimed
at establishing an atmosphere of mutual trust and transparency in
the South Caucasus. The Armenian and English versions of the document
are available on the RA MFA’s website ().

DOLLAR’S EXCHANGE RATE FALLS BELOW 400 DRAMS
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, NOYAN TAPAN. The appreciation of the Armenian dram
gathered a new speed recently. On August 8, the dollar’s exchange rate
fell below 400 drams: a US dollar can be bought for 398 drams. The
exchange rates of the Russian ruble and the euro are also declining:
up to 14.8 and 527 drams respectively. The current dram/dollar exhange
rate is an unprecedented one for the past 12 months. The price of a
US dollar made about 400 drams in November 1994 and October 1995. It
was the first relatively stable exchange rate of the Armenian currency
following the dram’s rapid decline about six months after its being put
in circulation. At the moment of its putting in circulation (November
1993), the dram’s exchange rate was set at 14 drams against one dollar,
which was excessively high as was later revealed. From mid 1994, the
Armenian dram depreciated against the US dollar (with some deviations
from this tendency). The tendency changed in the first months of 2004
when the dram started strengthening slowly. The highest price of the
dollar (about 590 drams) was registered in February-March 2004.

DRMBON- MARTAKERT ROAD CONSTRUCTION LAUNCHED
ArmRadio.am
08.08.2006 15:02
“Hayastan” Pan-Armenian Foundation has announced competitions
for the implementation of a number of programs in Armenia and
Artsakh. Particularly, the reconstruction of the Sysian town hospital
will be carried out by “Surham” organization, Armenpress reported.
The reconstruction works are expected to be finished at the beginning
of the 2007. The program which is financed by the foundation’s French
local body will give an opportunity to ensure relevant conditions
for providing good medical services to the population of the town of
Sysian as well as to the people of the nearby villages.
In the coming days the results of the competition announced for the
reconstruction of Artik hospital will be summed up. The program is
financed by the foundation’s Great Britain’s local body.
Public relations service of the foundation told Armenpress that as
part of Martakert regional development program, the construction
works in Artsakh have already launched. In the town of Martakert the
construction of water pipe line as well as the “North-South” highway’s
Drmbon-Martakert road’s 4,865 km-long sector has already launched.
In August the foundation is going to announce a competition for
carrying out programs on connecting Chldran and Arajadzor villages of
the Martakert region to the gas network. Soon a competition will be
conducted for the construction of North-South highway’s Kichan-Drmbon
sector’s bridge.

EMERGENCIES WENT UP THIS YEAR
Lragir.am
08 Aug 06
On August 7 the guest of briefings in the City Hall of Yerevan was
Vrej Gabrielyan, the assistant director of the Rescue Service of
Armenia. He presented the report on the first half of 2006 and dwelled
on the problems. The cases of fire increased compared with the same
period in 2005. 591 fires were reported in the city, including 17 on
lawns. Vrej Gabrielyan says these were not arsons, the citizens were
careless to throw burning cigarettes into the dry grass. The damage
caused by fires grew as well.
The cases of suicides increased, and the survey shows that these are
mainly people aged above 30.
The survey shows that the rate of car accidents grew in the first
half of 2006. Vrej Gabrielyan explains this fact by the increasing
number of cars in the city. In the first half of the current year 13
cases of assault were reported, fortunately, there were no victims.
There were no casualties in 3 cases of explosion either.
The special task force of the City Hall and community councils reported
86 wrecking buildings, mostly in Ajapniak. The assistant head of the
Rescue Service says this year it is planned to reinforce 11 wrecking
buildings, 2 were reinforced, 9 remain.
27 pedestrian subways will be repaired. The cleaning of Lake Yerevanian
started. Vrej Gabrielyan assures that within two years Lake Yerevanian
will be improved so that the citizens may prefer it to Lake Sevan or
the Black Sea.

FATHER YEGHIA KILAGHPIAN RE-ELECTED ABBOT OF VENICE MECHITARIST CONGREGATION
VENICE, AUGUST 8, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Yeghia Kilaghpian was
re-elected the abbot of the Mechitarist Congregation of Venice. He will
for other six years head the Mechitarist Congregation, the beneficial
activity of the congregation, helping keeping and improvement of the
Armenian literature and culture. According to the “Marmara” daily,
21 Mechitarist deputies participated in the regular elections in the
Surb Ghazar Cathedral. To recap, elections are held once in six years.

WE BOTH INCREASE AND DECREASE
Lragir.am
08 Aug 06
According to the information of the Statistics Service of the
Commonwealth of Independent States, in the first half of 2006
production in Armenia decreased by 1 percent compared with the
first half of 2005, which is the eighth rate in the CIS. An overall
1 percent growth of production was reported in the CIS. The highest
rates were reported in Azerbaijan 141.1 percent, Belarus 112.6 percent,
Turkmenistan 122.4 percent.
The same source reports that the growth of the GDP in Armenia totaled
11.9 percent, which is the second rate in the CIS. Azerbaijan also has
a leading position with 36.3 percent. The average rate of economic
growth in the CIS is 6.5 percent. In the first half of 2006 the GDP
in Georgia grew by 8.4 percent.

PREMIER MARGARIAN GOES ON 2 WEEKS’ LEAVE
ArmRadio.am
08.08.2006 11:31
The Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margarian went on a two weeks’
leave from August 7 to August 21. According to the RA Government
Information and PR Department, Margarian will spend his holiday outside
Armenia. The RA Minister of Territorial Administration Hovik Abrahamian
will temporarily perform the duties of the prime minister, NT reported.