URANIUM CONCENTRATION POSPONED
Panorama.am
15:39 07/03/06
“The talks about concentration of uranium should be postponed for
several years,” announced the head of Department of Economics and main
industry of the Ministry of Trade and Economical Development Arthur
Ashughyan at the conference confirming the fact of the presence of
uranium in Armenia. As he said everything began form the announcement
published in the official site of Global Gold Corporation American
Company according to which uranium mains have been discovered in the
basin of River Getik.
Recently Global Gold Corporation bought the 27 square km of the
territory next to the basin of River Getik, Gegharkunik region, which
is said to be rich in gold and uranium. The Americans are mainly
interested in uranium.
To note, Global Gold Corporation company already exploits several
mains in Armenia.

ARMENIA HIGHLY ACTIVE IN CSTO
by Tigran Liloyan
ITAR-TASS News Agency
March 14, 2006 Tuesday 01:30 PM EST
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan discussed the tasks of and
prospects for the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)
with its secretary-general Nikolai Bordyuzha in Yerevan on Tuesday.
They also discussed the agenda of the session of the Collective
Security Council due in Minsk in June and the situation in the zone
of responsibility of the CSTO, also in the Transcaucasia.
Bordyuzha is on a working visit in the Armenian capital. He conducted
talks with Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan, and discussed
with Defence Minister, secretary of the Security Council Serge
Sarkisyan matters referred to the meeting of the Committee of
secretaries of the security councils of the CSTO member-countries
beginning on March 22.
“Armenia is a highly active player in the CSTO and a very active
country in the Commonwealth of Independent States,” Bordyzha said.
“We sense this, specifically, from the attitudes or representatives
of the republic during the analysis of questions of daily activity
of the CSTO,” he said. “Many questions accumulated in the format
of the organization’s activity, and they should be discussed with
Armenian leaders, particularly in connection with plans to develop
the organization, to transform it into a multifunctional international
structure,” Bordyuzha said.
Visiting Yerevan, Bordyuzha continues his visits aimed to inform
leaders of the CSTO state about the organization’s activity.
Bordyuzha visited Kyrgyzstan in February and Belarus and Tajikistan
in early March.

PHOTO EXHIBTION OF ARMENIAN, GEORGIAN, AZERBAIJANI AND TURKISH PHOTOGRAPHERS TO BE HELD IN TURKEY
YEREVAN, MARCH 6.ARMINFO. The participants of “Caucasus
Neighbourhood. Azerbaijanis, Armenians, Georgians and Turks” workshop
agreed to initiate the photo exhibition of the Armenian, Azerbaijani,
Georgian and Turkish photographers in Turkey.Ulrike Dufner, director
of the Istanbul based Heinrich-Boll-Foundation, said about this.
It’s worth mentioning that the delegation of Azerbaijani participants
of the workshop have refuses to visit Yerevan.

MAIN INDUSTRY PRODUCTION INCREASED
Panorama.am
15:14 07/03/06
The companies working in the sphere of main industry and recycling
have produced production of 14.3 milliard drams, production of 13.8
milliard drams have been realized, the exported production reached
7.3 milliard drams. Today the head of Ministry of Economic Development
department of main industry Arthur Ashughyan at the press conference.
In 2005 the production of Zangezour copper-molybdenum factory was
87 milliard drams. As A. Ashughyan mentioned the prices of buildings
materials were high throughout all year round.
The modernization of “Armenal” was going on during last year. The
factory had already produced the first 100 tones of its production.
“We hope the working regime of the factory will be improved in a
couple of months,” he mentioned.

THE EXECUTIVE OF RA MINISTRY OF TRADE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEEMS THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO CONCEIVE THAT ANY “BLACK” ECONOMY EXISTS IN MINING INDUSTRY
Yerevan, 07.03.06 ARMINFO. Mr. Arthur Ashugyan – head of the Department
for Utilization of Nature Resources and Mining Industry of RA Ministry
of Trade and Economic Development claimed during news-conference
that It is difficult to conceive that any “black” economy exists in
mining industry.
As he has stated there may not be “black” economy in that sphere
of industry because no final product is being manufacture and
nearly all production is exported. In this respect he claimed
that publications on hiding of gold by Ararat Gold Recovery Company
(AGRC) are unfaithful. Head of Department noted that Armenia does not
produce gold as final product. The final product is “DORE” which is
an alloy of gold and silver which is ensued from initial processing
of gold concentrate. “It is difficult to imagine how something may be
stolen there” – stated Arthur Ashugyan. He added that that there is
such a concept as “alluvial gold”, which practically does not exist
in Armenia.
A. Ashugyan stated, that average grade of gold in ore is 4.8 g per
ton, however during last three months AGRC is receiving ore with
low content of gold – 2 g/t – which is not processed and is being
stockpiled at the mine.
It should be noted that AGRC’s production in 2005 was 8.818 billion
drams ($19.5 mln), which, considering changes in gold price, is less
than the same for 2004 by 34%.
The matter is that until now AGRC was processing oxide ores with
recovery of up to 85%. Due to drastic changes in mineralogy of mined
ore during last months recovery did not exceed 50%. For processing
of such ores serious improvement of processing technology is required.
In order not to lose gold the ores are not processed presently,
instead they are stockpiled at the mine.
It is noteworthy to mention that AGRC is fully owned by an Indian
company Sterlite Gold Limited.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ROBERT KOCHARYAN MAY FACE THE LOT OF EDUARD SHEVARDNADZE: ARMENIAN MP
YEREVAN, MARCH 7. ARMINFO. If Nagorny Karabakh President Arkady
Ghoukassyan continues insisting on Armenia’s leaving the peace
talks, Armenian President Robert Kocharyan may face the lot of
Eduard Shevardandze, says Armenian MP, political scientist Hamayak
Hovhanissyan.
Kocharyan’s advent into power was due the wish of the international
political centers to have one man representing Armenia and Nagorny
Karabakh and thereby to weaken the position of the Armenian side. Now
the Armenian and Nagorny Karabakh presidents are showing strong
differences concerning the future of the negotiating process and
if Ghoukassyan sticks to his position Kocharyan may prove no longer
necessary for the international political centers.
Hovhannissyan says that the positive tendencies for giving priority
to the self-determination principle may serve Nagorny Karabakh only
if Armenia can restore the membership of the Budapest Summit 1994.

ARMENIAN FARMERS STARTED KILLING CHICKEN
YEREVAN, MARCH 7. ARMINFO. According to the information received,
some Armenian farmers started killing their chicken so as to prevent
spreading of bird flu. Levon Rukhkian, Deputy Minister for Agriculture,
in an interview to ARMINFO correspondent said that no such order was
given to the farmers by the Ministry. He stated that the panic among
the country peasants is senseless. The telephone hot lines receives
about 8 reports about dead bird daily. The experts of the Ministry
made clear that the birds die from worm diseases.
Experts advice the farmers to keep the domestic birds in isolated
hen-coops, so as to prevent the m from contacting from wild birds.
This becomes more actual as from February the spring migration of
wild birds has started.

ARMAVIA HAS PURCHASED AN A-319 AIRBUS
YEREVAN, MARCH 7. ARMINFO. The Armavia company has purchased an
A-319 airbus that will arrive Yerevan in March 2006, reports the
press center of the company.
According to information received, the airplane is produced in 2004
and has advantages of high-level technical equipment and low fuel
consumption. The 70% of Armavia’s airplanes are produced by the Airbus
European company. The A-319 is not the last plane that will join the
air fleet of Armavia.

US AMBASSADOR DENIES RUMOURS ABOUT HIS RESIGNATION
YEREVAN, MARCH 7.ARMINFO. John Evans, US Ambassador to RA, denies
rumours about his resignation.
“I serve to the President of my country.At present, I haven’t submitted
any documents for my resignation.I still carry out my mission in
Armenia,” Evans said. Matthew Byrza, Assistant of US Deputy State
Secretary, supported Evans, stating that he will not complete his
mission in Armenia soon. He called Evans a brilliant diplomate who
formed a prefect team.

USA SATISFIED WITH PROGRESS IN DEFENSE SPHERE
YEREVAN, MARCH 7. ARMINFO. The United States are satisfied with the
achieved progress in cooperation in the military sphere, stated
Matthew Bryza, assistant of the US Deputy-Secretary of State for
Europe and Eurasia.
According to the US official, the authorities of the USA is also glad
about Armenia’s close partnership with NATO and Armenia’s participation
in the peacemaking missions of the USA.
Mr. Bryza emphasized democratization of the Armenian society for the
realization of Millennium Challenge program.
Success in development of democracy requires a political will, public
aspiration and construction of democratic culture. The culture of
democracy depends on votes during elections, it requires participation
in elections and constructive and active acts by all the political
parties in the country, especially from the opposition.
In future, the US Government will contribute to construction of
democracy and development of the public in accordance with the schedule
not from above but from below.