INCREASE IN WATER TARIFF WILL RAISE DEMAND FOR WINE
Panorama.am
14:42 06/06/06
At present each citizen consumes 1 liter of wine in average in
the Republic, NA deputy Manuk Gasparyan stated at a discussion
today. Manvel Ghazaryan, the head of Vedi Alco Co., said that in
Europe this statistics reaches 40-50 liters per one person.
Armenians have a tradition of drinking wine. However, the present
figures do not speak about that. In fact, our consumption is very
low. M. Ghazaryan thinks that the decline of wine consumption is
connected with Soviet era when Armenians shifted from aristocratic
wine to less respected vodka. “Almost all parties have first of all
vodka and then brandy on the table,” he said. He thinks that wine
should be promoted on state level. Ghazaryan hoped that after some
years the situation with wine consumption will improve both at home
and abroad. “Soon the water tariffs will rise and everybody will
drink wine,” he joked.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

YOUNG POLITICIANS DEBATE ON CORRUPTION
Panorama.am
14:56 06/06/06
Young members of two parties forming the ruling coalition, Armenian
Revolutionary Federation and Armenian Republican Party, as well as
young political figures of former coalition member Orinats Yerkir
debated on corruption today at Hayeli Club.
ARF member Ishkhan SAGHATELYAN is proud that Armenia has joined
GRECO. He also mentioned that legislative field is developed and
there are some theoretical achievements. Karen AVAGYAN, ARP, also
thinks that some steps have been taken. He is proud that compared to
neighboring countries “Armenia is in much favorable conditions.”
The leader of youth Samvel FARMANYAN, OY, considered corruption as
the biggest challenge to our national security. He stated that no
practical fight is launched in Armenia against corruption.
Armen VARDANYAN, the leader of Young Politicians’ Club, non-profit
organization, was also present at the debate. He wanted to know names
of people who have ever been punished for corruption. According to him,
all supervision bodies established to fight corruption have become even
more corrupt, referring to anticorruption committee headed by prime
minister. ARP member K. Avagyan did not like the idea and suggested
the organization to join the committee and make its own efforts.
ARF representative I. Saghatelyan recalled their efforts of fighting
corruption at the higher educational institutes. He said they prepared
a joint statement but soon some institutes withdrew from the effort,
including Medical University, Agricultural Academy and Institute of
Physical Training.
The young politicians largely debated on who is to be blamed that the
effort failed. After all they came to the conclusion to make a study
at higher educational establishments to unveil cases of corruption. I
Saghatelyan assured that the education minister, also from ARF,
will support the efforts.

WILL THERE BE FEWER FOUNTAINS?
Panorama.am
15:44 06/06/06
The internal network of water supply for 1665 muli-block buildings
has been renovated in the course of the last 3 years and 2600 water
meters have been installed free of charge. This has been accomplished
within the framework of 1 mln 915 thousand dollar grant program
provided by Japan. The program will end in three month. The contract
has been concluded with Water Sewage Company. Starting from now,
the water supply is implemented by French operator, General Dez O,
Andranik Andreasyan, head of water economy state committee said. The
contract obligations are shifted to “Water Yerevan.”
The project is implemented in several communities of Yerevan, including
Malatia Sebastia, Shengavit and Ajapniak. As a result, water losses
at multi-block buildings were reduced by 20-50 %. Some say that
water losses are registered on behalf of small fountain springs near
buildings. “There are many fountain springs in the communities. Our
company cooperates with community administrations,” Andreasyan said.
The Japanese representative Carol Roberthorst said he is content
with the project results. Apart from installing water meters and
reconstructing the internal network, residents are informed about
their rights in water consumption.

DO SHAVED HEADS HATE …CHEAP LABOR FORCE
Panorama.am
16:54 06/06/06
Today the vice minister of foreign affairs Gegham Gharibjanyan spoke
about the murder of Armenian nationals in Russia in the Armenian
parliament. “We have delivered our concern to the press secretary
of Russian foreign ministry who is in Yerevan now. The issue is very
serious and we are watchful for the process,” he said.
Gharibjanyan assured that he will discuss the issue with his Russian
counterpart soon. “We will raise the issue during high rank meetings
and we must ensure that such cases are not repeated with our citizens,”
he said. He is sure that Russian chief prosecutor should seriously
engage in inter-ethnic conflicts. He also thinks that former Russian
chief prosecutor was dismissed from his post on that ground.
Replying to the question if it is possible that Russian-Armenian
relations deteriorate because of such cases, Gharibjanyan answered,
“Armenian-Russian relations are not based on several individuals. They
are serious strategic relations.” He also advised not to politicize
the issue since similar problems arise in many countries where cheap
labor force appears.
From: Baghdasarian

KARABAKH IS NOT AN ISSUE FOR INTERPOLITICAL SPECULATIONS
Panorama.am
18:21 06/06/06
“We think that Karabakh conflict is a pan-national issue and I
wouldn’t like our authorities to fail despite of the fact we accept
them or not,” Albert Bazeyan, the head of National Revival party said
today. He said that Karabakh conflict must not to be speculated in
interpolitical processes.
Panorama.am asked Bazeyan under what conditions cooperation with the
authorities is possible to which Bazeyan said, “If we believe that
they are ready for fair elections in Armenia,” Bazeyan was asked why
they have been passive recently to which he answered that “in Armenia
parties in opposition cannot engage in active role”, meaning scarce
financial resources for that.

FORMAL PRESS CONFERENCE AT FOREIGN MINISTRY OF ARMENIA
Panorama.am
19:59 06/06/06
Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) Parliamentary Assembly general
session will take place on June 7-8 in the National Assembly of Armenia
with the attendance of Leonidas Chrizantopulos, Secretary General of
the organization.
Taking chance of his visit, the Secretary General has come one day
earlier to discuss reforms proposed by BSEC with the newly elected
speaker of the parliament and the foreign minister of Armenia.
According to him, he has held similar meetings in Russian, the Ukraine,
Albania, Turkey. Chrizantopulos also met with A. Kirakosyan, Armenian
deputy foreign minister with who he held a joint press conference
today.
According to the speakers, BSEC aims economic cooperation one and
does not engage in political affairs. The organization is divided
into 17 fields with working groups established in each field. The
deputy minister of foreign affairs said that they are planning to
build a highway running among all BSEC member states around the
Black Sea. The scheme will be detailed in a working group composed
of transport ministers of the countries.
Since BSEC does not engage in political affairs, Chrizantopulos
declined from the answer on political processes, particularly on
Iran.

IMPRACTICABLE CHARACTER OF CALLS FOR REVOLUTION DEMORALIZES SOCIETY EVEN MORE, ALBERT BAZEYAN SAYS
Noyan Tapan
June 06 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 6, NOYAN TAPAN. One of the greatest and deepest problems
of today’s Armenia is incompleteness of its political field. Albert
Bazeyan, the Chairman of the “National Re-Birth” (Azgayin Veratsnund)
party stated about it at the June 6 press-conference. According to
him, the party headed by him continues active cooperation with other
opposing forces, and it is not excluded that the “National Re-Birth”
may enter a pre-electoral bloc with one of them.
A.Bazeyan also defined that the final decisison on this issue
will be accepted on the second sitting of the party at the end of
the current year. He stated that he considers cooperation with the
“Hanrapetutiun” (Republic) party and the Armenian National Movement
of little possibility. Bazeyan mentioned that he has never spoke
about revolution: one thing is calls about revolution, and just
another is the ability to implement these calls, especially that their
impracticable character demoralizes the society even more. According
to him, after the referendum on the constitutional amendments, the
“National Re-Birth,” in contrary to some other opposing forces,
was sure that dissatisfaction with violations at the referendum will
not increase into a revolution. At the same time, he added that the
“National Re-Birth” party stays on its former positions: the elections
were illegal, and the authorities are not legitimate. As for the
Kocharian-Aliyev meeting in Bucharest, Albert Bazeyan stated that the
“National Re-Birth” did not believe in productivity of this meeting as
well as of the previous meeting in Rambouillet: “We have no illusions
that the Armenian authorities will bend to outer pressure. The Nagorno
Karabakh problem is a national one, and we would not like that the
authorities of Armenia fail as any following authorities will inherit
that problem in already formed type.”

NKR DRAFT CONSTITUTION TO BE PRESENTED TO DISCUSSION OF PARLIAMENT
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
June 06 2006
STEPANAKERT, JUNE 6, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Regular sitting
of the NKR Constitutional Committee took place on June 5 presided
by President of the republic Arkadi Ghukasian. Opening it, Arkadi
Ghukasian estimated positively the process of working out the draft
to the NKR main law and fixed with satisfaction that the prepared
part has already been positively responded by experts. Then Armen
Zalinian, the head of the CC working group presented the report on the
group’s activity, after what heads and high-ranking representatives of
political forces of the republic, government and NA expressed their
viewpoints about the draft. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the NKR
President’s acting Press Secretary, summing up the presented opinions
and approaches, Arkadi Ghukasian made a decision on presenting the
draft for discussion at the NKR NA. At the same time, the President
of the republic instructed the working group to continue actively
the process of studying and discussion of the draft.

RPA MEMBER TO APPEAL AGAINST DISTRICT ELECTORAL COMMISSION’S DECISION AT COURT
Noyan Tapan
June 06 2006
IJEVAN, JUNE 6, NOYAN TAPAN. According to preliminary data, as a
result of the elections held on May 28 in the community of Debedavan,
Tavush region, current village head, RPA member Salavat Babayan had
received 190 votes and his rival, non-partisan Vanya Damirchian 188
votes. The latter applied to district electoral commission N 40 with
a demand to recalculate the ballot-papers.
The commission recognized invalid 4 ballot-papers for Salavat
Babayan. As a result, the commission registered 186 ballot-papers for
Salavat Babayan and the number of ballot-papers for Vanya Damirchian
remained unchanged, 188. Salavat Babayan applied to first instance
court of Tavush region demanding that the decision of district
electoral commission N 40 about recognizing the ballot-papers invalid
be invalidated. As Chairman of Tavush first instance court Samvel
Mardanian is a member of the same commission, the court sitting on
this case will be presided by judge of the same court Zoya Zakinian
(residence town of Berd). The latter informed Noyan Tapan correspondent
that the court sitting, probably, will take place on June 7.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CO-CHAIRMEN CONTINUE TO BELIEVE THAT YEAR 2006 IS A WINDOW FOR REACHING AGREEMENT ON NAGORNO KARABAKH
Noyan Tapan
June 06 2006
BUCHAREST, JUNE 6, NOYAN TAPAN. The OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs
“continue to believe that the year 2006 is a window for reaching
agreement on Nagorno Karabakh.” OSCE Minsk Group American Co-chair
Steven Mann declared this to radio Liberty on June 5 in Bucharest. In
response to the question about progress in the negotiations process
as compared with the previous stage, the American diplomat said:
“I will only say that we have had very detailed negotiations.”
According to reports, asked about the working document on the main
principles of conflict settlement in circulation, Steven Mann said:
“Documents are changed very often.” So, according to radio Liberty,
no result was registered at the Bucharest stage of Nagorno Karabakh
negotiations, either.