PARLIAMENTARY GROUPS AND FACTIONS DISCUSS THE AMENDMENTS TO RA ELECTORAL CODE
ArmRadio.am
19.06.2006 15:23
June 13 the preliminary conclusion of the Venice Commission on the
draft of amendments in the Electoral Code of Armenia was placed on
the official website of RA National Assembly. However, the groups
and factions of the National Assembly received the above-mentioned
document on June 15. Today representatives of the Parliamentary groups
and factions expressed their opinion about the suggestions of the
Venice Commission.
One could infer from the answers that only those from the “Justice”
block were familiar with the preliminary conclusion of the Venice
Commission.
According to Stepan Demirchyan, most of the Venice suggestions are
acceptable.
“However, in case our suggestions are not accepted by the majority,
we’ll withdraw our signatures from the bill,” Stepan Demirchyan said.
Head of the “Justice” block calls attention to another issue. It is
noted in the same conclusion of the Venice Commission that at last
the most essential is the implementation of the Electoral Code.” “It
can be changed endlessly. The same European observers were saying
in 2003 that the Electoral Code in force provided the opportunity
to hold normal elections. Not only the Law guarantees the conduct of
fair election,” Stepan Demirchyan noted.
Head of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation faction Hrayr Karapetyan
promises to express his opinion after the discussions.
The “National Unity” will also speak after the discussions, during
the fall session of the National Assembly.
Artashes Geghamyan considers that expressing opinion about the
suggestions from Venice is a matter of concern, “It means we have
reached a stage when any news from Venice is either a ring-buoy
or a verdict for us. It is very troublesome, since it means that
the Armenian legislative mind has been exhausted, as there are no
corresponding lawyers in Armenia, who will be able to develop an
Electoral Code in commitment to international standards and present
it to the consideration of its own people, and not Europe.”
Head of the Republican Party faction Galust Sahakyan promises there
will be no obstacles on the part of the Republican Party and the
coalition, and the Electoral Code will include all those suggestions,
which will be adopted through a political consensus.

AMBASSADOR ASHOT HOVAKIMYAN TO REPLACE JIVAN TABIBYAN
ArmRadio.am
19.06.2006 15:32
According to RA President Robert Kocharyan’s decree of June 17, Jivan
Tabibyan was dismissed from the position of RA Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary to Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. RA
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Austria
Ashot Hovakimyan (seat in Vienna) was appointed to the position.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MASIS MAYILIAN: HYSTERIA OF AZERBAIJANI MEDIA ABOUT “ARSONS” IN TERRITORIES UNDER NKR’S CONTROL IS A CAMPAIGN AIMED AT AGGRAVATING OF SITUATION
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 16 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 16, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The propaganda
hysteria of Azerbaijani media about allegedly existing cases of arsons
of border populated areas in territories under control of the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic is a campaign aimed at aggravating the situation
in the conflict zone and strengthening the mutual distrust between
the sides. Masis Mayilian, Deputy Foreign Minister of NKR, declared
this answering the questions of media. “In passing, the Azerbaijani
authorities try to divert the attention of the international community
from destruction of Armenian historic and cultural heritage in
the territory of current Azerbaijan, the evidence of which is, in
particular, destruction of Armenian khachkars (cross-stones) in Julfa
(Nakhichevan),” Masis Mayilian emphasized.
According to the NKR Deputy Foreign Minister, inflammation of dry
grass happens in summer in a droughty weather in the lowlands of
Karabakh and putting out the inflammation becomes difficult in
territories bordering upon Azerbaijan in connection with constant
firings from the side of Azerbaijan and impossibility to provide
security of fire-fighting brigades. In addition to dry weather,
reasons for inflammation of dry grass are firings of territories
under NKR’s control with tracer bullets from Azerbaijani positions,
as well as arsons of grass by Azerbaijani servicemen in the neutral
strip dividing borders of NKR and Azerbaijan.
Masis Mayilian informed that on June 15, NKR Foreign Ministry
applied to the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office with a demand to conduct a crisis-monitoring in the
zone bordering upon Azerbaijan for estimating the real situation on
the spot and refuting the far-fetched accusations of the Azerbaijani
party. On its part the NKR Foreign Ministry expressed readiness to
render assistance to the OSCE mission in conducting the monitoring
and to provide the security of its participants in territories under
NKR’s control.
As Noyan Tapan was informed from NKR Foreign Ministry Information and
Analytical Department, Mayilian also reminded that several years ago
the NKR leadership through OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs proposed the
Azerbaijani side as one of the measures on establishment of confidence
working out a bilateral mechanism for coordinating efforts on joint
solution of such kinds of problems, in particular, they were proposed
cooperation for not permitting inflammation of pastures in border
regions. But the initiative of the official Stepanakert did not find
any support in Baku, which demonstrates the real position of the
sides, in particular, lack of the political will of the Azerbaijani
leadership for solving issues of mutual interest.

OFFICE OF WORLD UNION OF ARMENIAN JEWELRY MAKERS TO MOVE TO YEREVAN
Noyan Tapan
Jun 16 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 16, NOYAN TAPAN. Prospects of further development of
jewelry making and diamond cutting in Armenia were discussed at the
June 16 meeting of the RA President Robert Kocharian and members of
the Board of the World Union of Armenian Jewelry Makers, who are in
Yerevan in order to participate in an annual meeting of the union.
According to the RA President’s press service, R. Kocharian underlined
the necessity to take new steps to promote this sector of the Armenian
economy.
The board members presented their proposals and ideas to the Armenian
President. They intend to hold a big international jewelry making and
diamond cutting exhibition-conference with the participation of many
global leading companies in Yerevan in 2007. Besides, the union’s
office will move to Yerevan, which, in their opinion, will enable
Armenia to cooperate actively with famous companies of the sphere.
R. Kocharian welcomed the union members’ initiatives to use their
potential for the good of the country and assured that their proposals
will be examined in detail in the shortest possible time and then
put in practice.

HUNGER-STRIKE OF TWO FORMER EMPLOYEES OF LIQUIDATED CONGLOMERATE OF KAPAN CONTINUES
Noyan Tapan
Jun 16 2006
KAPAN, JUNE 16, NOYAN TAPAN. 63 years old Vladik Hovsepian and 70
years old Ilya Barseghian, former employees of the Kapan Mining
Conglomerate continue the hunger-strike started on June 11 in front
of the Syunik Regional Governor’s Office. They are decisive in their
decision and they do not intend to stop the hunger-strike till they
get compensations. To recap, they got occupational injury, and the
present owner of the conglomerate, the “Dino Gold Mining Company”
refuses to pay them compensation. There are 170 employees in this
status. The Deputy Regional Governors of Syunik, the Kapan Mayor
met with them on Thursday and informed that they are occupied with
their request. They once again persuaded the hunger-strikers to stop
the hunger-strike. The spiritual pastor of Kapan and Kajaran as well
visited the miners.
To recap, the compensation due to V.Hovsepian makes 1 mln 100 thousand
drams, and the one due to I.Barseghian makes 360 thousand drams
(about 850 U.S. dollars).

ARMENIA SHOULD CONTINUE REFORMS IN FISCAL SECTOR
Noyan Tapan
Jun 16 2006
YEREVAn, JUNE 16, NOYAN TAPAN. Maintaing the current rates of poverty
reduction and economic growth in Armenia requires a continuous prudent
macroeconomic policy. The IMF Deputy Director for the Near East and
Central Asia Julian Berengaut stated this during the parliamentary
hearings “Armenia-IMF: Development through Cooperation” on June 16.
According to him, the state should continue reforms in the fiscal
sector so that more revenues can be collected in an transparent
and fair way (the taxes/GDP ratio of 14.4% in Armenia in 2005 was
lower than in most CIS countries) and based on it, infrastructure
and social service development programs can be implemented without an
increase in the level of inflation. J. Berengaut said that tax reforms
should be especially aimed at abolishing the system of privileges for
foreign investors and reducing the shadow sector through improved
administration, which will promote development of the country’s
financial sector.
In the opinion of the IMF representative, the financial sector should
play a greater role in Armenia’s economy, accumulating the savings of
population and making investments in the economy, which is a guarantee
of higher economic growth.
Responding to questions of RA National Assembly deputies and the
event participants, he noted that the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA)
should follow suit of the countries whose central banks set both the
upper and lower limits of inflation. He expressed an opinion that the
CBA’s strategies of “floating” exchange rate and inflation targeting
are correct.
In his view, the Armenian government is successfully reducing the
budget defecit year after year, at the same time maintaining a high
economic growth, whereas in many Eastern European countries with
a lower rate of economic growth, a lot of effort is made to reduce
the deficit.
The RA National Assembly Speaker Tigran Torosian attached special
importance to cooperation with international financial structures,
particularly with the IMF, underlining that it has no mandatory
character and has been of great use for solution of the complex
macroeconomic problems facing Armenia. Since 2004, the IMF has
allocated 350 mln USD to Armenia. T. Torosian expressed a hope that
the RA National Assembly deputies and IMF representatives will have
regular meetings.
RA Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy Suren Gharayan and the CBA
Board member Vatche Gabrielian spoke about the positive experience
that Armenia has gained from cooperation with the IMF in developing
the tax budgetary and monetary credit sectors. S. Gharayan said that
IMF’s advisory assistance was conducive to the fact that in 2005,
the ratio of direct taxes to GDP grew by 39.6% compared with 2004,
while the ratio of total tax revenues to GDP grew by 10% in Armenia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

YEREVAN-BATUMI PASSENGER TRAIN TO FUNCTION FROM JUNE 17
Noyan Tapan
Jun 16 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The Yerevan-Batumi train and the one for
the opposite direction will function from June 17. As the Noyan Tapan
correspondent was informed by the RA Transport and Communitcation
Ministry, the train will have 6 double and four-seat compartments
and 1 restaurant-car.
In the case of being moved by a train of the Armenian railway, a
one-way ticket for a double sleeping compartment will be 18 thousand
703 drams (about 44.5 U.S. dollars), and for four-seat compartment
will be 9 thousand 297 drams. Tariffs for transportation implemented
by the Georgian railway will, correspondingly, make 21 thousand 256
and 10 thousand 542 drams.

ROBERT KOCHARIAN TO VISIT IRAN
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 16 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 16, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. President of Armenia
Robert Kocharian, in all probability, will pay an official visit
to Tehran in July. President’s Press Secretary Victor Soghomonian
informed Radio Liberty about it. According to him, President
Kocharian’s official visit is scheduled for “the middle of summer,”
most probably, in July.
During the visit paid the last month to Tehran, Energy Minister
of Armenia Armen Movsisian discussed with the Iranian high-ranking
officials details of the President’s envisaged visit. It is proposed
that discussion of the Armenian-Iranian energy programs will have a
central place during the visit.

PARLIAMENTARY HEARINGS DEDICATED TO PROBLEMS CONNECTED WITH DUAL CITIZENSHIP TO BE HELD ON JUNE 23
Noyan Tapan
Jun 16 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 16, NOYAN TAPAN. At the suggestion of the ARF
Dashnaktsutiun faction, on June 23, RA NA Standing Committee on Foreign
Relations will organize enlarged parliamentary hearings dedicated to
problems of dual citizenship. As faction head Hrayr Karapetian informed
at the June 16 press briefing, after the discussion ARFD will start
to compile the bill itself. Then the faction will work out a number
of important bills, in particular, “On Yerevan Status,” “On Control
Chamber.” It is planned that they be adopted at the parliament in
autumn. “If all these important laws are adopted, we will consider
that the National Assembly has completed its historic mission with
an honor,” H.Karapetian mentioned. He also said that during summer
the party is going to have many meetings with the people, as well as
to organize reception of citizens by visiting different regions.

RA NA SPEAKER RECEIVES INVITATION TO PAY OFFICIAL VISIT TO INDIA
Noyan Tapan
Jun 16 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 16, NOYAN TAPAN. Issues relating to deepening of
Armenian-Indian interparliamentary relations were discussed at RA
NA Speaker Tigran Torosian’s June 16 meeting with Indian Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Reena Pandey.
Mrs Pandey, mentioning existence of active political and economic
contacts between India and Armenia, invited NA Speaker to pay an
official visit to India for more closely getting acquainted with the
legislative experience, parliamentary activity and for strengthening
interstate relations. She also attached importance to cooperation
between Armenian and Indian parliamentarians in the international
sphere.
Expressing gratitude for the invitation, Tigran Torosian informed the
Ambassador about the large-scale legislative work the parliament has
started after the referendum on constitutional amendments having the
purpose to bring the public-political reforms to the level of economic
success, which is also registered by international experts.
It was also mentioned that a preelection period starts for the
parliament in 2007 spring.
As Noyan Tapan was informed from RA NA Public Relations Department,
the interlocutors also touched upon the incident connected with
the Indian student studying at Yerevan State University and the
publications in press. Both of them mentioned that the incident
has been already smoothed over and it can never cast shadow on
Armenian-Indian friendship.