REDUCTION OF DOLLARIZATION TO BE STRATEGY OF ARMENIAN CB IN NEAR 3 YEARS
Arka News Agency, Armenia
June 5 2006
YEREVAN, June 6. /ARKA/. Reduction of dollarization in the country
will become the strategy of the Central Bank of Armenia in the near
three years, Chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan
told reporters.
According to him, dollarization of economy decreases Armenia’s credit
rating. “One of the signals to reduction of dollarization will be
AMD revaluation. That is why economic entities and Armenian citizens
should give preference to AMD,” he said.
According to Sargsyan, reduction of dollarization of economy will
result in the improvement of Armenia’s economic situation and growth
of the independent credit rating of the country.
At the same time, Sargsyan pointed out that the Central Bank of Armenia
urges Armenian citizens to plan incomes and expenses in AMD and watch
the prices, not the exchange rate.
“The thinking of the Armenian population is extremely dollarized. We
need radical changes. We need to understand: if we keep our savings
in USD it means that we support the US economy,” he said.
Sargsyan said that the fact that the Armenian population does not
keep their savings in AMD means delaying the country’s economic growth.
4.35% AMD revaluation against USD was recorded in Armenia in May
2006. During the first five days AMD increased by more 0.28%. As of
June 5, the CBA set USD 1 – AMD 426.37 exchange rate.
As compared to the beginning of 2006 AMD revaluated by 5.75%.

MANIFESTATIONS OF NEGATIVE ATTITUDE TO ARMENIANS RUSSIA’S PROBLEM
Arka News Agency, Armenia
June 5 2006
YEREVAN, June 5. /ARKA/. Manifestations of negative attitude to
Armenians in Russia are a problem of Russia and its citizens, the
member of the Armenian National Movement, (ANM) Karapet Rubinyan
told reporters.
He pointed out that fascism and nationalism “have not so far led any
country to good.”
“If such a multinational country as Russia continues following
this way, it will inevitably face the threat of collapse and ruin,”
Rubinyan said.
Speaking of raising Armenia;s reputation abroad as one of the measures
to prevent negative attitude toward Armenians, he pointed out that
these programs cannot resolve the problem.
“In this case we have to stand up for raising the reputation of
many other countries, because manifestations of racism in Russia
are recorded by representatives of many other nations as well,”
Rubinyan said.
In this context, he pointed out that Armenians staying abroad must
themselves take measures to ensure their security.
“In particular, many of our compatriots could return to Armenia and
try to find jobs here, because their living and working conditions
in other countries cannot meet normal human standards,” Rubinyan said.
The Migration Agency, RA Ministry of Territorial Administration,
reports that a total of 833.3ths people left Armenia in 2005 against
737.8ths in 2004 According to the reference book “Labor migration in
Armenia in 2002-2005”, 50.7% of guest-workers from Armenia had jobs
in the country before going abroad. The number of guest-workers from
Armenia totals 116,000-147,000, which is 3.6%-4.6% of the country’s
population.

RF DM’S STATEMENT EVIDENCE OF SERIOUSNESS OF CURRENT ROUND OF NEGOTIATIONS OVER NK
Arka News Agency, Armenia
June 5 2006
STEPANAKERT, June 5. /ARKA/. The statement made by RF Minister of
Defense Sergey Ivanov on the possibility of stationing peace-making
forces in Nagorno Karabakh is evidence of seriousness of the current
round of negotiations for the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, Chairman
of the Standing Commission for Foreign Relations, RA Parliament,
Vahram Atanesyan told ARKA.
According to him, Moscow may give a new impulse to the whole process,
as Russia and Turkey started new consultations embracing the problems
of Armenian-Turkish and Armenian-Azerbaijani relations.
“Azerbaijan’s response provides grounds to believe that Ivanov
addressed the subject at the right moment and in a clear context,”
Atanesyan said.

RENOVATED BUILDING OF NATIONAL CENTER FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OPENED IN YEREVAN
Arka News Agency, Armenia
June 5 2006
YEREVAN, June 5. /ARKA/. The renovated building of the RA National
Center of Small and Medium Business has been opened in Yerevan.
Executive Director of the Center Ishkhan Karapetyan reported that
the Center implements programs in all ten regions of Armenia.
“The center is the principal structure implementing the government
policy of small and medium business development,” he said.
According to him, the Center is implementing various programs
of supporting small and medium businesses, holds consultations
for beginners, introduces new technologies and provides credit
guarantees. Karapetyan stressed that the programs are mostly
implemented in Armenia’s regions, particularly in borderline regions.
On December 2, 2004, the RA Government approved a program of small
and medium business facilitation for 2005. A total of AMD 300mln were
allocated for the implementation of the program from the RA state
budget.

ARMENIAN PM SATISFIED WITH BUDGET FULFILLMENT IN 2005
Arka News Agency, Armenia
June 5 2006
YEREVAN, June 5. /ARKA/. Armenian Premier Andranik Margaryan is
satisfied with the budget fulfillment in 2005.
According to him, the budget was not 100% fulfilled under a number
of budget expenditure programs.
“However, it does not mean that these programs were not implemented.
The expenditures, made by means of the agency for government purchases
just allowed expendable funds to be decreased,” Margaryan said.
He pointed out that besides this, some programs, which were implemented
mainly in the healthcare sector due to credit funds, were not completed
in 2005. “The implementation of these programs was postponed and
completed in 2006,” Margaryan said.
“Terms for receiving some financial sources do not depend on the
government. Protraction of these tranches for objective and subjective
reasons results in incomplete implementation of these programs,”
the premier pointed out and added that such programs are not numerous.
Actual incomes of the stage budget totaled AMD 374.7bln against planned
AMD 375.2bln. At the same time, AMD 363.1bln were own incomes, and
AMD 11.6bln are official transfers received from foreign sources. Tax
incomes totaled AMD 304.3bln.
Compared to the indicators of 2004, the state budget incomes increased
by 24% or AMD 72.5bln. State budget expenditures in 2005 totaled AMD
417.5bln that is 25% higher than the indicator of the corresponding
period of the previous year.
Economic growth totaled 14% in Armenia in 2005. It exceeded the
programmatic indicator by 6%, and the indicator of 2004 – by 3.5%.
Armenia’s GDP in 2005 totaled AMD 2.244bln, and the GDP deflator
index totaled 103.2.
The level of Armenia’s GDP exceeded the indicator of 1989 by 14.1% in
2005. GDP per capita totaled $1524 in the period under report. ($1 –
AMD 426.37)

OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS ISSUED JOINT STATEMENT RELATED TO BUCHAREST TALKS
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
June 5 2006
“The solution of Nagorno Garabagh conflict is urgent and it is possible
to achieve it”, this opinion has found its reflection in the joint
statement signed by OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs on settlement of
Nagorno Garabagh conflict after Bucharest talks.(APA).
The co-chairs have stated that 2006 is of significant period for
settlement of the conflict. “We are sure that proposed solution
variants to conflicting sides will help reaching of mutual agreement.
We feel regret for the sides not reaching an agreement on these issues
so far.”

VISIT PROGRAM OF AGO GROUP TO VISIT AZERBAIJAN ON JUNE 13 ANNOUNCED
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
June 5 2006
The Ago Group from the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe
will be visiting Baku from June 13 till 14.
The group composed of ambassadors of six countries (Germany, France,
Switzerland, Sweden, Austria and Romania) is headed by Germany’s
permanent representative at the Council of Europe, Ambassador Roland
Wegener. The Committee of Ministers secretariat told APA’s Europe
bureau that the visit aims at monitoring of Azerbaijan’s compliance
with commitments it undertook when joining the Council of Europe. The
discussions will also focus on the Nagorno Garabagh conflict. Ago
Group’s main intention is to get information about the results of the
recent meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents, Ilham Aliyev
and Robert Kocharian in Bucharest. They will also focus on the issues
concerning political prisoner and election practices.
During their stay in Azerbaijan, the Group will have talks with
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, head of President’s Executive
Office Ramiz Mehdiyev, Justice Minister Fikret Mammadov as well as
parliamentary delegation to PACE, NGO representatives and popular
opposition parties. The visitors are also expected to meet President
Ilham Aliyev. The European ambassadors will hold a press conference.
The Ago Group will fist visit Armenia on 8 June. It will draw up a
large report after ending the visit to the region. The report, which
will be made by stages will be published in a form of recommendations
before the June session of PACE.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MAMMADYAROV: “THE SIDES COME TO CLOSURE ON THE DISCUSSED ISSUES”
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
June 5 2006
“Not any serious advancement has achieved in the meeting of Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Robert Kocharyan”,
foreign minister Elmar Mammadyarov has told journalists.
According to him, discussions held in the level of co-chairs and
presidents level in the meeting which lasted for 5 hours. “I can
say that there is any advancement. Presidents make precise their
positions. The two sides’ position should be appropriate to each
other. Though the meeting in the level of Presidents completed,
but co-chairs stayed in Bucharest. Today or tomorrow if they adopt
a decision on holding meeting in the level of foreign ministers,
we can hold one more meeting.” According to the minister all the
issues should be thoroughly discussed. “We have to continue talks on
the issues that we do not agree on the points. We have not reached
an agreement on some issues, but talks should be continued. I hope
that we shall come to an agreement in the end of the talks; the sides
come to closure on the discussed issues. That is why we think that
we have chance to continue Prague talks. You know that a conflict is
of sensitive matter. Therefore it is impossible to solve it difficult.
Now we work on this problem and try to solve it.” As concerns
holding of the meeting, Elmar Mammadyarov stated each meeting to be
important. He said that the arguments forwarded by Armenians are not
based on international law: “If we really want to place permanent
peacekeepers to the region then decisions to be adopted should be
to international law. This is of importance for the future. After
10 or even 50 years later, no one can say that this decision is
against law. That is why we think that any agreement should be within
international law norms. Occupied territories, 1 million refugees and
displaced people are of Azerbaijan. Armenia has implemented ethnic
cleansing. All these are facts. On the other hand Armenia wants
integration to Euroatlantic area. There is diversity between word
and deed of Armenia, regularly international community understands
it”.

RUSSIA PULLS OUT TANKS, MACHINE GUNS FROM GEORGIA
ITAR-TASS, Russia
June 6 2006
TBILISI, June 6 (Itar-Tass) — Another trains loaded with military
hardware and ammunition withdrawn from the Russian military base in
Akhalkalaki has left the Georgian settlement of Tsalka on Tuesday,
heading for Russia. The train has ten T-72 tanks, machine guns and
spare parts on board. The train is to cross the Georgian- Azeri border
on Tuesday afternoon.
The train that is running from Georgia to Russia across Azerbaijan is
a fourth in succession after the hardware withdrawal began on May 15.
The next train with hardware on board withdrawn from the Russian base
in Georgia is scheduled to leave Georgia on June 13.
There is no railway terminal in Akhalkalaki; the military hardware
withdrawn from Georgia is brought to the regional centre of Tsalka
fifty kilometers from Akhalkalaki.
In accordance with the Russo-Georgian agreement, the Russian military
base should be withdrawn from Georgia in 2007. The main hardware is
being transported to the Russian territory by rail, and part of the
hardware is brought by trucks to the Russian base in Gyumri, Armenia.

PEACEFUL RESOLUTION TO CONFLICT OVER NK IS ‘IMPERATIVE AND ACHIEVABLE’ – OSCE MG CO-CHAIRS STATEMENT
Author: À.Mamedova
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
June 6 2006
The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs remain of the opinion that a peaceful
resolution of the issues is both imperative and achievable, and that
2006 remains the favorable window to achieve such progress. The
Co-Chairs continue to believe that the basic principles they have
identified and proposed to the parties for settlement of the conflict
offer an equitable basis for such a resolution, says the statement
by MG Co-Chairs issued following their June 4 meeting in Bucharest
with the presidents and foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The Co-Chairs continue to believe that the basic principles they have
identified and proposed to the parties for settlement of the conflict
offer an equitable basis for such a resolution. They regret that the
parties have not yet come to agreement on these principles.
The statement says also at 4 June Bucharest meeting the discussion
covered the full range of issues relating to the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. On June 5, the Co-Chairs and the Presidents, with their
Foreign Ministers, conducted a second meeting.
–Boundary_(ID_iuacJF9uC9LX49jugXSsrg)–