AVERAGE MONTHLY WAGE IN ARMENIA IN JAN-JUNE 2006 TOTALS AMD 59,618
($110.00 a month)
YEREVAN, July 20. /ARKA/. The average monthly nominal wage in Armenia in
January-June 2006 totals 59,618, 21.6% increase compared to January-June
2005, the Armenian National Statistics Service reports.
At the same time, the wage in the state budget sector totaled 41,844, 21.9%
higher than the level of January-June 2005, and compared to May, 3.5%
increase was recorded in June 2006. In the private sector the average
monthly wage totaled AMD 73,040 (20.7% higher than the level of January-June
2005 and 1.2% lower than the level of the previous month). 0.1% increase in
the general level of the average monthly wage was recorded in June 2006
compared to May.
The total money incomes of the Armenian population in January-June 2006 made
AMD 684,486.4mln, 17.4% increase compared to January-June 2005, the expenses
totaled AMD 685,371.8mln, 19.2% increase compared to January-June 2005.
At the same time, the amount of money incomes increased by 5.8% in June
compared to the level of the previous month, and the growth of money
expenses – by 0.7%. ($1 – AMD 417.46).

RA Defense Minister received the Commander of the National Guards of Kansas State
ArmRadio.am
24.07.2006 16:53
Secretary of the Presidential Council on National Security, RA
Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan received the delegation headed by
Commander of the National Guards of Kansas State, Adjutant-General
Tod Banting. The meeting was attended by US Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary to Armenia John Evans.
The parties turned to the high level of US-Armenia military
cooperation, attaching special attention to the spheres of peacekeeping
and healthcare. They turned to the implementation of the Sergeant
institute in RA Armed Forces and educational divisions. They dwelt
on the cooperation between the hospitals of Armenia and Kansas,
as well as the necessity of the professional training of doctors.
Banting spoke about the Armenian peacekeepers in Iraq, who are carrying
out their duty with a great sense of responsibility. He referred also
to Rascuer-2006 military exercises.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Vardan Oskanyan received EU special Representative Peter Semneby
ArmRadio.am
24.07.2006 18:00
RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan received today EU Special
Representative for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby.
The Foreign Minister noted during the joint press conference the
major questions on the agenda included EU-Armenia cooperation in the
framework of he European New Neighbors Program, the situation in
the Middle East, the possible development in Nagorno Karabakh and
Armenia’s relations with neighboring countries. Special importance
was attached to the parliamentary elections to be held in Armenia
2007. Peter Semneby confirmed EU’s willingness to assist in conducting
free and fair elections.

President Robert Kocharyan received EU Special Envoy Peter Semneby
ArmRadio.am
24.07.2006 13:32
President Robert Kocharyan received today EU Special Representative
for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby. The parties discussed Armenia-EU
relations, particularly issues related to the adoption of the Actions
Plan with Armenia in the framework of the European New Neighbors
Program. Reference was made also to the Karabakh issue and the
regional developments.

UNESCAP to hold a joint seminar with RA Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Labor and Social Issues
ArmRadio.am
24.07.2006 12:07
July 26-26 the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for
Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) jointly with RA Ministries of Foreign
Affairs and Labor and Social Issues will hold a national seminar on
“Programs of income and opening work places, Their joint planning,
control and development in Armenia.”
Armenian and foreign experts, as well as representatives of regional
structures will participate in the seminar.

Peter Semneby: Russian-Georgian relations exert influence over Armenia
ArmRadio.am
24.07.2006 17:50
RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan and EU Special Envoy for the South
Caucasus Peter Semneby discussed issues related to Russian-Georgian
relations and the influence of these on Armenia.
Peter Semneby noted during the press conference following the meeting
that the question will be addressed in Georgia as well. According to
him, Russian-Georgian relations impact Armenia. EU Presidency is also
concerned with the fact, since closing of Upper Lars checkpoint has
brought forward a number of problems, which exert influence on the
region as a whole.
To remind, the Upper Lars checkpoint was closed the night of July the
8th by Russian frontier guards. July 12 RF Minister of Transport Igor
Levitin told in Yerevan that it was done because of the construction
works.

EU concerned over Azerbaijan belligerent calls
24.07.2006 16:50
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Ambassador Peter Semneby, the European Union’s
special representative in the South Caucasus, said on Monday that if
Azerbaijan continues to make belligerent calls then the EU should
make the sides realize that the war could have negative impact on
the further developments of the county.
He made the statement at the joint news conference with Armenian
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian.
“Any military solution concerns us,” Semneby said in an answer to a
question what sanctions could be used against a country calling for
resuming the war. “I cant’s talk of sanctions but the EU can convince
the sides to stay away from militant calls because it is not in their
interest. And not only in political terms but also economic as the
countries of the region are building free-market economies and a war
would make investors to reconsider their decisions of investing in
the region.”
FM Oskanian said he and the European diplomat had discussed four
issues: Armenia-EU joint actions, the Nagarno-Karabakh conflict,
the relations between Armenia and its neighbors, and the upcoming
parliamentary election in Armenia.
Semneby pointed out that the joint EU-Armenia projects are directly
connected with holding the forthcoming election in line with the
European standards which could have a vital consequence for the
further relations between the EU and Armenia.
When asked whether the OSCE Minsk Group American co-chair, Mathew
Bryza, would produce new proposals on the conflict settlement during
his visit to the region, Oskanian said the proposals don’t come out
of the air, they are born at the negotiations table. He added he
hoped Bryza could convince Azerbaijan to resume talks.

EU Special Envoy for the South Caucasus paying a two-day visit to Armenia
ArmRadio.am
24.07.2006 11:05
EU Special Envoy for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby is in
Armenia. During the two-day discussions with the leadership of
the Republic reference will be made to Armenia-European Union
bilateral relations, the current stage of settlement of the Karabakh
conflict. Today RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan and Peter Semneby
will give a joint press conference.
From: Baghdasarian

Armenian leader, EU envoy discuss cooperation, Karabakh
Mediamax news agency
24 Jul 06
Yerevan, 24 July: Armenian President Robert Kocharyan today received
the special representative of the European Union for the South
Caucasus, Peter Semneby, a source in the press service of the Armenian
president has said.
The two men discussed issues concerning the coordination and approval
of Armenia’s action plan within the framework of the European
Neighbourhood Policy.
Kocharyan and Semneby also exchanged views on the settlement of the
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict and regional development.

Obituaries: ROBERT MARDIAN
The Independent – United Kingdom; Jul 24, 2006
Rupert Cornwell
Robert Mardian was among the most intriguing minor actors in the
Watergate scandal – a high Justice Department and Nixon campaign
official who was convicted for his part in the scandal, only to have
the sentence overturned on appeal. He led the administration’s pursuit
of alleged subversives and trouble-makers. But he was also briefly
rumoured to have been “Deep Throat”, the secret source who helped
bring about the resignation of the 36th US President. The son of an
Armenian immigrant from what was then the Ottoman empire, Mardian was
a member of the large Californian contingent in and around the Nixon
administration. He cut his political teeth on Barry Gold-water’s
presidential campaign in 1964, and worked on Ronald Reagan’s first
campaign for governor, before helping Richard Nixon in his victorious
1968 bid. In 1970 he was appointed Assistant Attorney General, and
the following year headed the federal government’s prosecution of
Daniel Ellsberg, the leaker of the Pentagon Papers.
In 1972 he was appointed a lawyer and “co-ordinator” for Nixon’s
re-election committee, the infamous “Creep” (Committee to Re-elect
the President) which was behind the break-in attempt on 17 June
1972 at the Democrats’ national offices in the Watergate building
in Washington. Despite his enthusiasm at the Justice Department for
bugging and surveillance operations, Mardian insisted he knew nothing
of the incident. That did not prevent his indictment.
Mardian was in California preparing for a fund-raising dinner
when he learnt that the five burglars had been arrested at the
Watergate complex. Prosecutors contended that on the orders of John
Mitchell, Creep’s director, Mardian telephoned G. Gordon Liddy,
one of the burglars, telling him to contact the Attorney General,
Richard Kleindienst, to have the leader of the group, James McCord,
released from custody before his identity was discovered.
Thus Mardian became one of the “Watergate Seven” to be indicted on
1 March 1974, almost five months before Nixon resigned. It was an
eminent group, including Bob Haldeman and John Erlichman, the two
Californians and top Nixon aides who formed a so-called “Prussian
Guard” at the White House, as well as Mitchell and Charles Colson,
the head of the secret White House plumbers’ unit.
Charged with obstruction of justice, Mardian faced a possible five
years in prison and a $5,000 fine. All along he maintained he had
done nothing wrong. But in January 1975 he was convicted on one count
of conspiracy to hinder the Watergate investigation. In 1976 however
his conviction was quashed. The technical ground was that he should
have been tried separately because his lawyer fell ill during the
trial. But the appeals judges also noted that the evidence against
him was not as strong as that facing his co-defendants.
Robert Charles Mardian, lawyer: born Pasadena, California23 October
1923’Assistant Attorney General 1970-72′ married 1946 Dorothy Denniss
(three sons)’ died San Clemente, California 17 July 2006.