ONLY THE REPUBLICAN ENDORSED PRIVATIZATION
Lragir.am
12 April 06
On April 11 the National Assembly devoted all the three sittings
to the question of confirming the Report on Privatization of State
Property 2001-2003, but this time was not enough. The speeches of
the speakers and committee chairs were put off for the next day.
However, today already it is obvious that the opposition, part of
independent members of parliament and the Orinats Yerkir Party
disapprove the plan. The Republican endorsed it, the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation did not say anything. Both the opposition
and pro-governmental members of parliament point to the low prices of
privatization. MP Victor Dallakyan mentioned that a company assessed
at 5 billion was sold for 976 million, another company assessed at
3 billion was privatized for 150 million. Yet another company with
a value of 125 million was sold for 34 million and so on. Besides,
Victor Dallakyan mentioned a name. The minister of trade and economic
development Karen Chshmarityan bought several buildings on Koryun
Street for only 45 million dollars. “In the same neighborhood a
three-room apartment costs 150 thousand dollars, 75 million drams,”
added Victor Dallakyan to compare, and urged to condemn those facts and
not to adopt the report. The others were not happy with privatization
either. Aghasi Arshakyan, for instance, said it is not privatization
but total pillage. Hovanes Margaryan said Orbita Company assessed at
3.212 billion was sold for 116 million. Only this deal inflicted a
loss of 3.5 billion drams on us. These billions, he said, belong to
the country. Manuk Gasparyan stated that privatization is supposed
to be transparent whereas, he says, there is no transparency at all,
and the deal of Hrazdan 5 was a concealed anti-national deal. Aram
Sargsyan said, “The program of privatization was worked out to
enable pillage. This economic policy is corrupt, if carried on it
will destroy our sovereignty.”
Arshak Sadoyan said, “We give our blood and nervous system to
aliens.” Heghineh Bisharyan said, “The companies that were not included
in the program were privatized on government’s decisions.”
On April 12 the representatives of committees and Speaker Arthur
Baghdasaryan will address the parliament. Arthur Baghdasaryan promised
to bring facts of illegal actions. The speaker of parliament expressed
concern in the form of questions: how does it happen that one of the
two neighboring buildings is assessed at 1000 drams, the other 100
thousand drams. Details on April 12.

ALBERT BAZEYAN THINKS DEPOSING DEFENSE MINISTER IS POINTLESS
Lragir.am
12 April 06
The threat to banish Jirayr Sefilyan from Armenia is determined by
Sefilyan’s statements against Serge Sargsyan, said Albert Bazeyan,
the leader of the Azgayin Veratsnund Party, on April 11.
“For years they have criticized the government’s policy on the
settlement of the Karabakh conflict, and during one of the recent news
conferences a demand for resignation of Serge Sargsyan was voiced,
and there were appraisals,” says Albert Bazeyan.
Bazeyan agrees with Sefilyan and his supporters but in the sense that
the defense minister should not speak about concessions, have a more
tough and rigorous standpoint, considering Azerbaijan’s tough stance.
Azgayin Veratsnund, however, disagrees with Jirayr Sefilyan and his
supporters in deposing Serge Sargsyan.
“You know that the head of state appoints Serge Sargsyan and all
the other ministers. We have pursued the deposal of Kocharyan for
years on but we did not reach anywhere. The other problem will not
be solved unless this problem is solved,” says Albert Bazeyan.

PARLIAMENT HEARINGS ON KARABAKH CONFLICT PLANNED IN STEPANAKERT
PanARMENIAN.Net
12.04.2006 00:53 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Hearings on the Karabakh Issue: Prospects of
Settlement will be held at the National Assembly (NA) of the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic (NKR) on April 21, reported Chair of the NKR NA
Standing Commission on External Relations Vahram Atanesyan. In
his words, the parliamentary hearings are due to the latest
activation of international mediators on settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh issue. Under the current conditions all political forces
that are represented in the NKR Parliament need to present their
clear stand over the matter of resolution of the issue, Atanesyan
remarked. Invitations to take part in the session are sent to Chair
of the Armenian NA Standing Commission on External Relations Armen
Rustamyan, a number of political scientists and experts of Armenia,
reports De Facto.

POLITICAL “STATUS QUO” SWALLOWS ITS CHILDREN
Haik Aramyan
Lragir.am
12 April 06
Member of Parliament of Armenia Tigran Arzakantsyan, losing a big
sum at a casino in Moscow, appeared in the focus of public attention.
Before the story of casino Tigran Arzakantsyan had announced in
Yerevan that he he would not stay in the Republican Party and gave a
news conference. By our information, the member of parliament became
the victim of his action against the political “status quo” on the
background of efforts of the “status quo” fathers to consolidate
their irreversibly disappearing resource.
In Armenia this process has already involved the entire political
plane. The former head of the president’s administration Artashes
Tumanyan was also “removed” for having challenged the “status quo.” Not
only did Tumanyan yield under the burden of compromising material,
but he will also probably decide not to publish his compromising
material on the fathers of the “status quo.”
The Public Prosecutor of Armenia and the members of the People’s
Deputy Group of the parliament, as well as successful businessman
Gagik Tsarukyan must have perceived this well, for their party
building attempts were also presented as a challenge to the “status
quo.” Especially after they had announced from the president’s
palace that none of the newly established parties was related to
the residence.
Hard times are here to stay. They need not have created today’s state
of thing to fall victims to it. This first of all refers to the fathers
of the “status quo”, who are trying to kill the time and every movement
or development that could be, in fact, their salvation. To hell with
them if it concerned them alone.
And Tigran Arzakantsyan may comfort himself with the thought that
they would find something one way or another. For he is not alone to
hang out in casinos. Maybe this was all the better for him.

STRUGGLE OF INTERESTS IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS (ANALYSIS)
Armen Manvelyan
“Radiolur”
12.04.2006 14:42
The South Caucasus region has always enjoyed the special attention
of the superpowers. The reason of such “honor” is the geographical
location of the region, which has never changed; therefore, the
attitude of the superpowers has not altered, either. We can say that
this important crossroad linking the North and the South, as well
as the Easy and the West of Eurasia continues to remain a ground of
competition for today’s heavy powers, which consider their geopolitical
interests in this region from the point of view of extending their
influence. Such attention towards the South Caucasus in its turn
influences the peoples and the relations between the state units of
the region.
If we try to evaluate the extent of the influence of heavy powers
in our region, we should say that number one superpower in the
world, the US, holds a primary position in the region, as it was
expected. Implementation of a more or less serious interstate
project in the South Caucasus is impossible today without US
support. Washington is somehow involved in any economic or political
program; the US is introduced in all negotiation formats formed for the
settlement of all conflicts in the region. We can say that there are
several reasons why the US is interested in the South Caucasus. First
of all it is an opportunity to enter central Asia and the Caspian
Region. Analysts of the official Washington do not even conceal that
exercising control over the central regions of Eurasia is of strategic
importance for the United Sates, and the shortest path towards this
center passes through the South Caucasus. Political scientists note
that the South Caucasus is just another Panama Channel for the US,
which it uses for its political aims. For the European Union this
region is just an unwanted neighbor of this constantly enlarging
union, which it is obliged to include in its famous New Neighbors
Program. The reason of such position is that the Europeans consider
this region a non-stable one and conceive it as a threat to their
political and economic interests. However, those in Brussels realize
pretty well that without inclusion of the South Caucasus in the New
Neighbors Program the chain around Eurasia will not close up.
For Russia our region is a traditional zone of influence, the
struggle for which it has started still in the 18th century, first
fighting against Persian Shahs and later against Turkish Sultans. It
is clear that current Russia is not the USSR, but it is not going to
refuse form its political interests and influence, considering also
that similarity of economic, political and cultural ties has been
shaped in the course of the centuries, which provides Moscow with
the opportunity to keep its level of influence in the region. Besides
the countries mentioned, Turkey and Iran also have interests in the
region The individual ambitions of these countries make them compete
not only with each other but also with the world powers.
Thus, we can state that it is these countries that directly or
indirectly impose the rules of the game and make the countries of
the region follow these.
It is understandable that in their relations Armenia, Georgia and
Azerbaijan have to consider these interests of the key powers and
accept the rules of the game imposed by them. This situation cannot
keep from having an impact on the politics of the countries of the
region, both within the countries and in the relations with each
other. Thus, we can say that the maintenance of this situation does
not only hinder the settlement of conflicts existing in the South
Caucasus, but doest not allow to establish more or less normal
relations to resolve the bilateral disagreements, either.

OSCE MINSK GROUP FRENCH CO-CHAIR BERNARD FASSIER TO ARRIVE IN YEREVAN
ArmRadio.am
12.04.2006 10:25
OSCE Minsk Group French Co-Chair Bernard Fassier will arrive today in
Armenia. Issues related to the negotiations process after the meeting
of Armenian and Azeri Presidents in Rambouillet will be discussed
during the visit.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AIR FRANCE WILL CONNECT ARMENIA NOT ONLY WITH FRANCE BUT ALSO WITH EUROPE
ArmRadio.am
12.04.2006 10:38
On March 27th the first flight from Paris, Charles de Gaul airport
launched by Air France arrived at the Yerevan Zvartnots International
Airport. The company will exercise three Yerevan-Paris-Yerevan flights
every week.
Air France will connect Armenia not only with France but also with
Europe and the whole world through “Charles de Gaul” airport of Paris
and its flights to different destinations.
As the director of the Air France Europe/ Northern Africa Etienne
Rashou stated they were more than happy to have a representation in
Armenia in response to the Armenian communities’ requests in Europe
and Northern America. He hopes that this would also benefit the
tourism development in Armenia.

POLICE TRAINING CENTRE TO LAUNCH THE FINAL STAGE OF ITS RENOVATION
ArmRadio.am
12.04.2006 11:18
The Police Training Centre will launch the third final stage of its
renovation on April 13.
Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin, Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan,
Major-General Ararat Mahtesyan, First Deputy Head of the Armenian
Police, Mr. Anthony Godfrey, Deputy Chief of Mission, US Embassy
in Armenia will pay a working tour around the Centre, which will be
followed by a short presentation of the accomplished and anticipated
activities.
Renovation of the center is part of a large-scale Police Assistance
Programme launched by the OSCE Office in Yerevan in 2004. The program
envisages three key components: refurbishment of the Police Training
Center, development of the curriculum in line with international
standards and introduction of a community-policing model in one of
Yerevan districts.
Refurbishment of the Training Centre has been made possible with
financial contributions from the Governments of the USA, Belgium
and Sweden.

MEMORANDUM ON MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING BETWWN CENTRAL BANKS OF ARMENIA AND CYPRUS
ArmRadio.am
12.04.2006 12:09
President of the Central Bank of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan will leave
today for Nicosia with his Cyprian counterpart.
During the visit it is envisaged to sign a memorandum on mutual
understanding between Central Banks of Armenia and Cyprus on
cooperation in the sphere of banking control.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN JUDO UNION MARIUS VIZER TO ARRIVE IN YEREVAN
ArmRadio.am
12.04.2006 12:26
At the invitation of the Armenian Judo Federation President of the
European Judo Union Marius Vizer will arrive today in Armenia.
The major topic of discussions will refer to the European Judo
Championship to be held in 2009 or 2010 in Yerevan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress