ARMENIAN PRESIDENT, CHIEF OF RA CUSTOMS COMMITTEE DISCUSS SMUGGLING CONTROL
Arka News Agency, Armenia
April 12 2006
Yerevan, April 12. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharyan and Chief
of the RA customs Committee Armen Avetisyan discussed issues of
smuggling control.
The sides discussed the quarterly results and the execution of
instructions issued at the President-chaired meeting early in 2006.
Avetiryan reported that the measures planned for the 1st quarter
of 2006 were fulfilled. According to him, customs fees exceeded the
planned AMD 31.1bln level by AMD 400mln.
The sides singled out a recently signed Armenian-Georgian agreement
on the closing of the Bagrateshen market among the smuggling control
measures. Kocharyan issued instructions on cartographic surveys of
all transit ways that may be used by smugglers and establishment of
full control before the border zone is formed ($1-451.41).

DEMOCRACY TODAY NGO IMPLEMENTS TREE PLANTING IN 4 ARMENIAN VILLAGES
Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. The Democracy Today NGO with the
assistance of the OXFAM British organization is holding a tree planting
on April 12-13 in 4 Armenian villages, Balahovit, Nalbandian, Jrashen
and Gyargyar. As Noyan Tapan was informed from the Democracy Today
NGO’s office, in total, about 1600 fruit trees will be planted.

FORMER OFFICIAL OF SYUNIK GOVERNOR’S OFFICE INSISTS THAT HE RESIGNED FOR REFUSING MEMBERSHIP OF RPA
Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2006
KAPAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. Lernik Petrosian, the Chief of the
Education, Culture and Sports Department, was discharged the post
recently, according to his own application. As Petrosian himself
emphasized in the interview to the Noyan Tapan correspondent,
“according to the so-called application.” “I was proposed to become
a member of the Republican Party of Armenia, what I refused, so I was
proposed to refuse my post, with what I agree with great pleasure,” the
former Department Chief of the Syunik Governor’s Office stated. Lernik
Petrosian also informed that the Syunik Governor addressed to the
RA Government proposing to join the Kapan college and the Kapan
fulcrum college of the State Engineering University of Armenia. In
other words, according to him, an attempt is made to get rid of
Siranuysh Haroutiunian, the present Director of the Kapan college,
who is the wife of the former Chief of the Education Department. “An
attempt is made to replace the serf orders existing in the Syunik
Governor’s Office out of the Governor’s office and to punish a man
for not obeying,” Petrosian stated. According to data of the Noyan
Tapan correspondent, after disappoinment, Lernik Petrosian became
a member of the “Orinats Yerkir” (Country of Law) party. To recap,
Governor of Syunik Surik Khachatrian is a RPA member.

US-IRAN STAND-OFF NOT ON ALIYEV’S VISIT AGENDA
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 12 2006
The Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict will be in
spotlight during President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to the United States
late in April.
The US-Iran tension is not likely to be tabled, a presidential
administration official has said, despite earlier reports suggesting
otherwise.
“The visit has long been planned. But parliamentary elections and
similar issues have led to its delay,” the head of the President’s
Office socio-political department, Ali Hasanov, told reporters Tuesday.
He said the US-Azeri multi-lateral relations are developing in the
form of strategic partnership.
“Azerbaijan is implementing a peacekeeping mission alongside the U.S.
in the hot spots around the world – Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Moreover, the country is involved in the energy and global transport
communication projects in the South Caucasus region jointly with the
United States.”
The official continued that Azerbaijan is working hard to achieve its
admission to the World Trade Organization and the U.S. supports these
efforts. The country also maintains ties with American institutions
to promote democratization and civil society building on its soil.
Hasanov said the Azeri leader’s upcoming visit aims to discuss the
course of cooperation and future prospects for bilateral ties. He
said the discussions will focus on the Garabagh problem as well.
“The key principles for the conflict resolution should be outlined
and certain pressure applied to solve the conflict. Azerbaijan adheres
to firm principles in this respect that we will never back away from.”
Hasanov dismissed the reports that the US-Iran tension will be
discussed during President Aliyev’s visit.
“I don’t believe the Iran issue will be the main topic of the talks
between the two countries. Our ties with Iran are just as good as
those with the United States. Iran is a neighboring country and we
share common culture. Our citizens have close ties with this country.”
The official did not rule out that the US-Iran relations will be free
of third-party involvement.

US CONGRESS DELEGATION EN ROUTE
Author: E.Huseynov
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
April 12 2006
A US delegation headed by Congressman Jim Kolbe, the chairman of
the Ad Hoc Committee on foreign assignments of the foreign programs
committee of the House of Representatives, is arriving in Baku on
Wednesday with a two-day visit, Jonathan Henick, a spokesman of the
US embassy in Baku, told Trend.
The delegation is expected to hold a meeting with Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliyev.
The meeting will focus on current state and development of the
Azerbaijan-Armenian relationships, implementation of assistance
programs in Azerbaijan.
A news conference will be given in the end of the visit.
Prior to Baku the mission visited Georgia and Armenia. In difference
to these countries, the mission to visit Baku will not include
the Executive Director of Millennium Challenges corporation, John
Danilevich.

PARLIAMENTARY HEARINGS ON MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE PROGRAM TO BE HELD
Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. Speaker of the RA National Assembly
Artur Baghdasarian on April 12 received a delegation headed by Chairman
of External Program Subcommission of the US House of Representaives
Allocattion Commission Jim Colby and Chief Executive Director of
the Millennium Challenge Fund (MCF) Amb. John Danilovich. According
to the RA National Assembly PR Department, the US Ambassador to
Armenia John Evans was present at the meeting. Issues related to
the implementation of Millennium Challenge Fund’s Armenian program
were discussed during the meeting. The 235 mln-dollar program aims
to promote economic development and poverty reduction in Armenia and
envisages such measures as major repairs of irrigation infrastructures
and 943 km of rural roads, as well as provision of technical credits
and microcredits to Armenian farms. A. Baghdasarian underlined the
program’s importance from three points of view: development of Armenian
marzes (regions) and reduction of the disproportion in development
of Yerevan and the marzes, deepening of democracy and introduction
of public control mechanisms by civil society. In the opinion of
A. Baghdasarian, the program will greatly contribute to the development
of Armenian marzes and the reduction of rural poverty. Speaking about
democratic reforms and economic development of Armenia, J. Danilovich
and J. Cilby underlined the necessity of political will, political
freedoms, rule of the law, publicity of the program’s implementation
and holding of the next national elections in line with international
standards for further implementation of these reforms. These are
conditions, whose fulfilment will ensure the efficient operation of
the program. John Danilovish stated once again the willingness of
the US top political leadership and the Millennium Challenge Fund
to follow these main principles, which determine the assistance to
Armenia under the program. At the meeting, an agreement was reached
to hold parliamentary hearings with the participation of the sides
concerned, during which the program will be presented in detail,
as well as issues related to public control and efficiency of the
program’s implementation will be discussed.

ARMENIAN CAPITAL’S POLICE CHIEF PLEDGES TO CRACK DOWN ON CRIMES
Tereza Kasyan, Arman Garibyan, “Aylur”.
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
10 Apr 06
[Presenter] The chief of the Yerevan police department, Nerses
Nazaryan, has told journalists that compared with 2005, crime rate
was up by 142 cases in 2006.
[Correspondent] About 1,098 crimes were committed in the first quarter
of 2006 which is more than by 13 per cent compared to 2005.
The chief of the capital’s police department said that the criminal
cases in 2006 increased by 142 compared with 2005. The number of
grave crimes, robbery and drug-related crimes is up and is worrying.
Four of the eight cases of murder over the last three months have been
solved. There are also achievements in fighting against drug dealing.
[Nerses Nazaryan] At present 80 drug dealers and 309 drug-addicts
have been registered by the police departments, 2,030 grams of various
drugs were confiscated in 2006 as against 183 grams in 2005.
A serious work is being carried out in the registration of criminal
cases. There were facts when criminal cases were not registered and
hidden which were punished seriously by the police leadership.
[Correspondent] A total of 152 criminal cases committed in the past
have been solved, the chief of the Yerevan police department added.
He also noted that despite the increase in criminal cases, Yerevan
is one of a secure cities. He also pledged to solve all unresolved
cases as soon as possible.

AZERI PRESSURE GROUP DEMANDS REPLACEMENT OF HUNGARIAN JUDGES
MPA news agency
12 Apr 06
Baku, 12 April: The committee to protect the rights of Ramil Safarov
demands to cancel the court session scheduled for tomorrow (13 April)
on the case of the Azerbaijani officer and to replace the composition
of the court, the committee’s chairman, Akif Nagi, has said at a
press conference, MPA news agency reported.
Since the Budapest city court acts under the influence of the Armenian
lobby, one cannot expect a just ruling on [the case of] the Azerbaijani
officer, Nagi said. The committee believes that the group of the Milli
Maclis (parliament) on relations with the Hungarian parliament should
urgently fly to Budapest, put the trial on the agenda of that country’s
parliament, organize a group of journalists at the state level and
send it to Budapest. Regardless of the verdict, the group must manage
to attain the extradition of the Azerbaijani officer to his motherland.

TAJIKISTAN TO HOST INTERPOL, CIS INTERIOR MINISTERS SESSION
Avesta website, Dushanbe
12 Apr 06
Dushanbe, 12 April: Interpol Secretary-General Ronald Noble is
expected to arrive in Dushanbe in the middle of next week, a source
in the Tajik Interior Ministry told Avesta.
The main purpose of the Interpol secretary-general’s visit is to
participate in a regular session of the CIS Council of Interior
Ministers which will take place in Dushanbe on 21 to 22 April.
The conducting of anti-terror drills with participation of special
police units from Russia, Belarus, Tajikistan and Armenian is planned
within the session’s framework.
The previous session of the CIS Council of Interior Ministers took
place in Yerevan [Armenia] in September last year, where issues
relating to combating crime in various spheres were discussed.
During the visit, Ronald Noble also intends to meet the leadership
of the Interpol’s office in Tajikistan.
[Passage omitted: Tajikistan joined the Interpol in 2004]

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES U.S. CONGRESSMEN
Author: Z.Ibrahimli
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
April 12 2006
Robert Kocharian, the Armenian President, received U.S. congressmen
Jim Kolbe and Scot Garetta, as well John Danilovich, the Director of
‘Challenges of Millennium’ Corp., in Yerevan.
Kocarian expressed satisfaction with the dynamic development of
the Armenian-U.S. relations, the press service of the President
Administration told Mediamaks. In his turn, Kolbe welcomed the
contribution by Armenian to the peacemaking operation in Iraq.
Expressing gratitude for the financial aid allocated with program
by ‘Challenges of Millennium’, Kocharian stressed Armenia was
loyal to strengthening of democracy and liberalism. The head of
the country regards attraction of the countries’ regions to the
programs implementing at the expense of the funds by ‘Challenges of
Millennium’. According to Kocharian, Armenia waits for the clear and
the exact partnership relationship from ‘Challenges of Millennium’.
“The participants of the meeting mentioned necessity of improvement
of the Elections Code and maximal wide discussions on this issue to
increase the level of the forthcoming parliamentary and presidential
elections in 2007 and 2008,” the press service of the President
Administration said.