DELEGATION ON KARABAKH ISSUE MAY MAKE A VISIT
Lragir.am
22 June 06
The delegation of the PACE Committee on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue
will probably visit to the region, said Speaker Tigran Torosyan,
the head of the Armenian delegation to the PACE, on June 22. He said
a meeting of the Committee on the Karabakh Issue chaired by Russell
Johnston, may take place during the summer session of the PACE.
Tigran Torosyan found it difficult to specify the issues that the
committee may discuss. According to Tigran Torosyan, however, there is
a question which will be discussed by all means. It is the proposal
of Chair Russell Johnston to second the delegation of the committee
to the region, Armenia, Karabakh and Azerbaijan.

CONCLUSION OF VENICE ARRIVED
Lragir.am
22 June 06
On June 22 Speaker Tigran Torosyan received the text of the conclusion
of the Commission of Venice several days ago. Tigran Torosyan said
the conclusion does not differ from the draft conclusion. The speaker
of the National Assembly extended the text to the parliamentary
factions. Alexan Karapetyan, the head of one of the factions, announced
earlier that the copy sent to Venice had been translated incorrectly to
mislead the experts of Venice and make a conclusion that would favor
the government. Tigran Torosyan mentioned that there were translation
mistakes but not deliberate ones.

ARMENTEL MAY GET NEW OWNER ALREADY TOMORROW
Yerevan, June 21. ArmInfo. OTE General Assembly, the owner of 90 pct
stake in ArmenTel, will meet tomorrow on June 22 in Athens to adopt
a decision on the sale of its stake. OTE headquarters told ArmInfo.
The source refrained from any comments on the upcoming decision of OTE
before the official report. To note, according to unofficial data, 8
companies applied for the stake. Among them are large Russian companies
“Mobile TeleSystems,” “Vimpelcom,” and “Megaphone” who control over
70 percent of the market in the post-Soviet area.

ITALIAN EMBASSY REFUSES TO GRANT VISA TO ARMENIAN PHYSICIAN FOR PARTICIPATION IN WORLD SPORT GAMES OF MEDICS
Yerevan, June 20. ArmInfo. Italian Embassy in Armenia refused to grant
an entry visa to Dmitry Haroutunyan, who was to participate in the
chess tournament of World Sport Games of Medics. Vahe Ter-Minasyan,
PR Manager of the Armenian Medical Association told journalists.
V. Ter-Minasyan did not name the reason of the refusal as they received
no explanations from the Embassy, he said. The Italian Embassy to
Armenia told ArmInfo an application for a visa can be rejected only
for a sound reason. However, the Embassy did not explain the reason.
To note, the Games are scheduled for July 1-8 in an Italian town of
Montecatini, Tuscany province. Armenia was invited to the Games for
the first time. Dmitry Haroutunyan, attending physician of Yerevan
State Medical University Department for Infectious Diseases, passed the
selection tour and was to leave for Italy to participate in the Games.

A NUMBER OF ARMENTEL’S EMPLOYEES ACCUSED OF FRAUD
Yerevan, June 20. ArmInfo. Seven employees of the telecommunication
operator of Armenia – ArmenTel company, are accused of fraud,
misappropriation of funds and abuse of position.
The Public Television of Armenia reports as a result of fraud, the
damage totaled 104 million AMD (about $242,000), including the state
budget received less than 53 million. In the course of preliminary
investigation, the accused employees compensated the damaged caused
to the country, and 7 million AMD to ArmenTel.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PARTY OPPONENTS ARGUE ABOUT FATE OF USD RATE IN ARMENIA
Yerevan, June 20. ArmInfo.Devaluation of USD rate in Armenia is more
conditioned by paradoxes, than by economic laws. Tatoul Manaseryan,
member of “Justice” faction, said this at “Hayeli” club today.
He said that in the theory of economics there are 4 basic factors
that may have impact on consolidation of the national currency.
Firstly, this is the growth of economy, but in this case Armenia
should have at least 30% of the economic growth for devaluation.
Secondly, devaluation is caused by the fluctuation of the main
world currencies, which, in the case of Armenia, can’t have such
a big impact, either. The third factor is the state of the payment
balance of the country. Manaseryan said that we have nothing to boast
about, as the export tempo experiences slowdown. He added that the
payment balance of Armenia is negative, and Armenia mostly exports USD
(about $3 billion). The fourth factor is a subjective one. Manaseryan
supposed that there are forces that get inside information and make
super profits, holding monopoly positions in the markets. Besides,
the super profits they get are connected to the shadow economy that
makes about 80%.
At the same time, MP representing the Republican Party of Armenia,
economist Gagik Melikyan said the euro-dollar fluctuation in the
international market is in conformity with the revaluation level
of the Armenian dram. Nevertheless, he believes that one should not
neglect the season factor used by certain financial organization who
speculate on sharp drop of the exchange rate. The last dollar sag
was connected with the “last phone call,” Melikyan said. However, T.
Manaseryan disagreed with him. He called paradoxical that prices,
including for imported goods, are growing in the country despite
the strengthening of the Armenian dram. If it is connected with the
rate of US dollar, the rise of prices is tangible enough. He said
all this paradox is connected with the high black economy and its
monopolization.
Nevertheless, G. Melikyan said, one should not neglect either the
high economic growth or the US policy on devaluation of the US dollar
or the large-scale private transfers to Armenia. In such conditions,
the Central Bank can maintain the foreign exchange rate only through
dram interventions into the market, which will lead to inflation. T.
Manaseryan does not see any way out of the situation though
intervention into the market either. The only way out is to peg the
Armenian dram to the “basket of world prices” for key products in order
not to depend on the dollar or euro, he said. This way is successfully
applied in a number of states. He underlined a circumstance that
Armenia still lacks an exact program of economic development, its
structures, priorities. However, his political rival disagreed with
him again.

REPUBLICAN AND BARGAVACH DO NOTHING TOGETHER
Lragir.am
22 June 06
Tigran Torosyan, the deputy leader of the Republican party, said
on June 22 that joint activities of the Republican and Bargavach
Hayastan are rumors. “Frankly speaking, I do not know whom the
president gave instructions on this but I can state that so far we
have not done anything together and we are not going to,” says Tigran
Torosyan. According to him, future developments are another problem,
and the future strategic goals of the Republicans will be discussed
later. “One thing is obvious that the Republican party relies on its
activities for the aims connected with the parliamentary election. It
has been said that the Republican party will run for parliament with
its own party ticket. I think future developments, if there are such,
will be open for everyone,” states Tigran Torosyan.

SOUTH CAUCASIAN SUMMIT DOES NOT INSPIRE OPTIMISM
Lragir.am
22 June 06
Speaker Tigran Torosyan stated June 22 that there is no reason to be
optimistic about the parliamentary assembly of the South Caucasian
countries. Several months ago the former speaker of the National
Assembly Arthur Baghdasaryan made a statement with different contents,
even considering it possible that the South Caucasian Parliamentary
Assembly may kick off in January 2007. Tigran Torosyan thinks it is
a wish, and he would not mind it. However, as someone who is well
aware of parliamentary processes, Tigran Torosyan said there are no
guarantees that this wish will come true. “There is as much optimist
about this matter as about the conflict over Karabakh, for in both
cases the key reasons are the same,” said Tigran Torosyan.

“ONE NATION, ONE CULTURE” PAN-ARMENIAN FESTIVAL WILL START TOMORROW
ArmRadio.am
22.06.2006 17:19
A folk fair, where the items exhibited are presented, not sold. With
this joint performance of directors Hrachya Ashughyan and Lusine
Martirosyan the pan-Armenian “One Nation, One Culture” festival
will start tomorrow. The organizers say they are doing everything to
arrange a real cultural celebration.
In Hrachya Ashughyan’s words, everything was done not to resemble
the previous festival.
Art Director of the festival Armen Manukyan attaches importance to the
establishment of human and artistic ties between Armenia and Diaspora.

CIS RADIO STATIONS MAY BROADCAST SOCIAL ADVERTISING AGAINST XENOPHOBIA
Yerevan, June 21. ArmInfo. Yerevan “Radio VAN” created a special
social advertising raising the problem of the fight against xenophobia,
specifically, the national hostility toward Armenians.
The advertising was distributed to different radio stations in Russia.
“Radio VAN” Program Director Gor Grigoyan, more known as presenter
Yegor Glumov, told ArmInfo the social advertising was sent to 200
radio stations throughout the CIS, including 180 in Russia. He
said the advertising has a wide response among foreign colleagues,
many of whom supported the initiative. G. Grigoryan said the idea of
creating the social advertising originated after Moscow Government
resolved to erect a monument for a dog at Moscow Underground. To
note, the model Uliana Romanova stabbed the aforementioned dog with
nickname “Malchik” (“Boy”) to death in public. The employees of Moscow
Underground were taking care of the dog for a long time. G. Grigoryan
is indignant at the positive attitude of Moscow Government to homeless
animals simultaneously with the negligence of a series of murders
of Armenians in Moscow. In the social advertising entitled “Mother
named me Khachik” the presenter Yegor Glumov says the following:
“I am Khachatur. Khachatur Vardanyan. Mommy named me Khachik after my
grandpa, who I have never seen. He was killed in 1942 near Moscow,
and I was killed in 2006 in Moscow. For the last 10 years, over one
thousand of Armenians were killed in Russia. Is it war? “