COMMUNITY BUDGETS DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS TO BE IMPLEMENTED WITH UNDP SUPPORT
ArmRadio.am
08.06.2006 15:22
Today, five cost-sharing agreements were signed with five
municipalities and Memorandum of Understanding with the US Agency for
International Development (USAID) for projects in the scope of UNDP
Armenia Performance Budgeting project. In addition, United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) presented the Performance Budgeting
Manual.
The ceremony, held in UN House in Yerevan, was attended by
municipality teams, experts of the project, USAID representatives,
as well as representatives of the US Treasury Department, Armenia
Social Investment Fund, Government and the media. Ms. Consuelo Vidal,
UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative made a welcoming
speech.
Since its inception in 2005, the Performance Budgeting Project
has generated much interest among local self-governance bodies
in Armenia. The goals of the project are to support further
decentralization in Armenia, strengthen the capacities of local
self-governance bodies, and facilitate accountable and measurable
public expenditure management. It assists in the implementation of
performance budgeting during community planning, monitoring, and
evaluation processes ensuring citizens’ participation in the whole
process. This is new to not only Armenia, but also to the region.
The “Performance Budgeting in Local Government” training manual also
presented today is a product of a comprehensive and in-depth work
in the framework of the Performance Budgeting initiative supported
by UNDP. The manual presents experiences gained during training
courses, advisory meetings, and joint seminars and actual budgeting
processes conducted in the five pilot towns of Armenia (Ijevan, Masis,
Abovyan, Vedi and Dilijan). It provides a detailed description of local
performance budgeting principles, framework, budgeting process phases,
and budget planning, execution, and oversight. It is designed to become
a step-by-step guide for other communities in Armenia and abroad.

CHAIRMAN CAUCASUS FOUR PLAN ANOTHER MEETING
Prime News Agency, Georgia
June 8 2006
Tbilisi. June 08 (Prime-News) – Nino Burdjanadze, Chairwoman of the
Parliament of Georgia and Sergey Mironov, her Russian counterpart
agreed to initiate another meeting of the chairpersons of the
Caucasus Four.
During the Wednesday telephone conversation Sergey Mironov told Nino
Burdjanadze that meeting of the chairpersons of Georgia, Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Russia has not been held for one and a half year for
objective reasons, Prime-News was told by representatives of the
Parliament of Georgia.
Nino Burdjanadze added that Georgia and Russia have a good chance to
start resolution of accumulated problems.
Sergey Mironov also welcomed the initiation by Mikheil Saakashvili,
President of Georgia on start of negotiations with Russia.

SERJ SARKISYAN: AZERBAIJAN MISSES THE OPPORTUNITY TO SOLVE GARABAGH CONFLICT PEACEFULLY
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
June 8 2006
“Azerbaijan is missing the opportunity to solve the Nagorno Garabagh
conflict peacefully,” said Armenia’s Defense Minister Serj Sarkisyan
(APA).
Stating that he has not got detailed information on the recent
meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents in Bucharest, Sarkisyan
explained it by his failing to directly participate in the talks.
“I have not attended the meeting. So, I cannot say detailed information
on the talks. Armenian President informed me about certain details. I
reiterate that Azerbaijan is going to miss the opportunity of peaceful
solution of the conflict,” Sarkisyan said.
Commenting on the issue that the referendum on state status in
Montenegro can be a precedent for the solution of the Nagorno
Garabagh conflict, Armenian Defense Minister said, “Nagorno Garabagh
is already a precedent. There exists an independent republic with
its own attributes through holding of a referendum.”

OSKANYAN: ADOPTION OF ARMENIA-EU PROGRAM DELAYED BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS OF “OUR NEIGHBORS WITH EUROPE”
Regnum, Russia
June 8 2006
Talks between Armenia and the European Union concerning adoption of
the action plan have not been completed yet, but there are no unsolved
questions in terms of its content, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanyan is quoted as saying to the press.
As a REGNUM correspondent reports, according to Oskanyan, there
is no necessity in carrying out another round of talks. “However,
the process of adoption is delayed, which is mostly connected with
some difficulties that our neighbors have with the European Union,”
notes the minister.
On March 5, the third stage of talks between EU and Armenia’s officials
was held in Brussels to elaborate the action plan, the main political
document in accordance with which Armenian-EU relations are to develop
in the next few years. The plan envisages reform in politics, economy,
justice, promotion of market relations, development of production,
power engineering, and transport. In case the talks are a success,
the action plan will be presented to the EU Council for ratification.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ANOTHER BATCH OF RF MIL HARDWARE REACHES GEORGIA-ARMENIA BORDER
Author: À.Mammadov
TREND, Azerbaijan
June 8 2006
(Itar-Tass) – A convoy of 15 wheeled military vehicles and six guns
withdrawn from the Russian military base in Georgia’ s Akhalkalaki
reached the Georgian-Armenian border on Thursday. The convoy will
keep on its way to the Russian military base in Gyumri after passing
the corresponding border and customs procedures, a source in the
headquarters of the Akhalkalaki base told Itar-Tass.
A train that is carrying 40 vehicles and some property from the Russian
military base in Batumi, western Georgia, left the city, a source in
the headquarters of the Russian Troops in the Transcaucasia said. The
train will pass 470 kilometers in Georgia and is expected to cross
the Georgian-Armenian border on Thursday afternoon, reports Trend.
Under the Georgian-Russian agreements the withdrawal of the Russian
military base from Batumi should be completed by the end of 2008. The
Russian base in Akhalkalaki should be closed by the end of 2007. Most
military hardware and weapons will be supplied to Russia; the remaining
part will be transferred to the Russian base in Armenia.
–Boundary_(ID_EWhou/LwlbRIH9D35Nc3Sw)–

AYNUR SOFIYEVA: “FIDE RECOGNIZES TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF AZERBAIJAN”
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
June 8 2006
In the next congress of FIDE held in Turin city of Italy, there was
a dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia Chess Federation leadership.
In the meeting, Armenians proposed accepting of tournament by FIDE,
which was held in occupied Nagorno Garabagh. Instead they confronted
the severe reply of Aynur Sofiyeva: “Making a speech I asked to
put an end to this talk. I stated that Armenian have nothing to do
with Nagorno Garabagh as well as with Khankendi. How can they hold
tournament in the occupied territory of Azerbaijan?” According to
Aynur Soviyeva after that speech, FIDE president Kirsan Ilumjinov
supported Azerbaijan Chess Federation: “He said in his speech
that holding of tournament of Armenia in the occupied territory is
illegal. FIDE leader said that Azerbaijan Chess Federation should give
permission for holding tournament in Azerbaijani territories occupied
by Armenia.” According to Aynur Sofiyeva, three sided meeting – FIDE,
Azerbaijan and Armenia delegation participation, was to be held with
regard to this matter.

AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTERS TO MEET SOON
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
June 8 2006
“The Armenian party is not going to make assessment of the past talks
in Bucharest,” Armenia’s Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan told a news
conference in Yerevan.
In his words, he may soon meet with his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar
Mammadyarov. As of the outcomes of the two Presidents meeting in
Bucharest, Oskanian reminded Kocharian”s words before that meeting
that he has “modest expectations from the talks.”
“This was the case. As of further talks, Armenian and Azerbaijani
Foreign Ministers will meet soon. I should note that it seems after
any talks that dialogue opportunities are exhausted. This is not so.
I should again underscore there is no military solution to the Nagorno
Garabagh conflict,” the Armenian FM said.
At that he said that the talks have their own logic, “It lies in
every party thinking each time that it is worth meeting and some
agreement can be reached in a way. It does not turn out each time as
the parties want. However, this does not mean talks should be stopped,”
Oskanyan underscored.

RA AND NKR CONTROL CHAMBERS SIGNED COOPERATION AGREEMENT
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
June 8 2006
June 7 Nagorno Karabakh Republic /NKR/ National Assembly Chair Ashot
Gulyan received RA Control Chamber delegation headed by the Chair Gagik
Voskanyan that had arrived in Stepanakert on a two-day working visit.
According to the information DE FACTO received at the NKR NA Press
Service, in the course of the meeting the parties had discussed the
issues referring to further development and raising efficiency of
cooperation between the two Republics’ Parliaments.
Welcoming development of cooperation between both Parliaments’ Control
Chambers, Ashot Gulyan underscored the importance of intention to lay
legal groundwork for the partnership. In his words, the cooperation
agreement will enable to raise the process to a higher level and
consecutively develop the document’s principles.
According to the NKR Parliament Speaker, conclusion of the agreement
actually marks a qualitatively new phase in the sphere of cooperation.
In his turn, RA NA Control Chamber Chair Gagik Voskanyan noted
although great work had been implemented, there was still a lot to be
done. In his opinion, both Chambers’ cooperation needs expansion and
intensification, as well as raising efficiency. He stressed unlike past
years there was a task to cooperate on the legal basis, so the parties
had reached accommodation to sign an interstate document between both
Parliaments’ Control Chambers. Gagik Voskanyan said the juridical
document provided a number of provisions, according to which the
sides pledge some engagements aimed at mutual visits’ organization,
exchange of experience, training and further training of staff,
conduct of researches and resolution of a number of other issues.
In conclusion of the meeting chairs of RA and NKR Parliaments’ Control
Chambers Gagik Voskanyan and Eduard Barseghyan signed an agreement
on cooperation between the Chambers.

FIDE COMMITTED TO ITS STANCE: NO TOURNAMENT IS LEGAL IN NK
AzerTag, Azerbaijan
June 8 2006
FIDE (World Chess Federation) remains committed to its stance that any
international chess tournaments in Nagorno-Karabakh are illegal, Kirsan
Ilumjinov, FIDE president said in Turin at the 77th FIDE congress.
This statement came as President of Azerbaijan Chess Federation
Aynur Sofiyeva appealed to the World Chess Federation for clarifying
Armenians’ allegations that FIDE has officially recognized so-called
tournament in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The congress also considered some organizational matters. President
of the Federation Aynur Sofiyeva was elected as FIDE zonal president
while vice-president Mahir Mammadov became the treasurer of the
European Chess Federation. FIDE awarded grandmaster title to Nijat
Mamamdov, Rashad Babayev while Ibrahim Mammadov and Ilgar Bajarani
became FIDE referees.

ZORY BALAYAN: “SUCH BOOK DOES NOT EXIST”
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
June 8 2006
During two last years the Azeri sites have been often quoting passages
from a book titled “Our Soul Revival” written by an Armenian writer
Zory Balayan, as Azeris allege. The book, allegedly, “refers to
the Hojalu events”. We publish a letter by Zory Balayan, who is in
“Kilikia” sailboat at the moment, addressed to “all mass media,
including the Azeri ones”.
“My acquaintances and unfamiliar people are repeatedly calling
“Kilikia” sailboat asking me if I have written the book titled “Our
Soul Revival” published by Vanadzor publishing house. The point
is that one and the same dirty information has been appearing in
Internet more than two years quoting, to put it mildly, nonsense
allegedly taken from my book. I do not want to lower to the level of
those who even do not realize that they first of all discredit their
own nation by insinuations of the kind.
I request that all those who ought to investigate such statements,
violations of writer’s copyrights should show the above-mentioned book
to the readers just once. If there is such a book, it is another thing.
I am quite convinced and sure that a person’s rights are not a
hollow sound, but the reality necessary in our life, so they should
be protected”.