REPORTS ON KOCHARIAN-RICE TELEPHONE CONVERSATION FALSE
PanARMENIAN.Net
10.04.2006 19:34 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Reports on an alleged telephone conversation between
Armenian President Robert Kocharian and US State Secretary Condoleezza
Rice are false, Armenian leaders Spokesperson Victor Soghomonyan
told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In his words, “Robert Kocharian and
Condoleezza Rice discussed the Karabakh settlement by phone earlier
in February, before the Paris talks.” “To all appearance, authors of
the report merely confused the date of the conversation,” he added.
To remind, it was lately reported that Rice discussed the issue
of settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict during telephone
conversations with the Armenian and Azeri Presidents.

MANN ARRIVING IN SOUTH CAUCASUS APRIL 18
PanARMENIAN.Net
10.04.2006 19:47 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ April 18 American Ambassador of the OSCE Minsk Group
Steven Mann will pay an official visit to the South Caucasus, Azeri FM
Elmar Mammadyarov reported. In his words, during a visit to Washington
he had meetings with Steven Mann, US Assistant Secretary of State for
European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried, as well as Assistant to
the US President For National Security Affairs Stephen Hadley.
The American party made new proposals over continuation of the Prague
process over NK settlement.
“These are interesting proposals. Official Baku will study these
and will express its attitude. Though talks on settlement of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict do not advance, efforts to that end should
be increased,” Mammadyarov remarked, AzerTaj reports.

MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION HEAD ARRIVING IN YEREVAN
PanARMENIAN.Net
10.04.2006 20:52 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Chief Executive Officer of the US Millennium
Challenge Corporation John Danilovich is arriving in Yerevan
today. In the words of Minister of Finance and Economy of Armenia
Vardan Khachatryan, the aim of the visit is to discuss details of the
Millennium Challenge Account in Armenia, acquaint with preparation
works on establishment of the Millennium Challenge Corporation office
in Armenia, planned to be run in June 2006. Within the framework
of the visit projects already implemented in Armenia within the
Millennium Challenge Account and planned programs will be considered,
reports Novosti-Armenia.
To remark, the Compact on providing $235.5 million for 5 years
within the Millennium Challenge Account was signed in Washington by
V. Khachatryan and J. Danilovich on March 27.
From: Baghdasarian

5TH SHIFT OF ARMENIAN PEACEKEEPERS TO LEAVE FOR KOSOVO IN FIRST DECADE OF MAY
PanARMENIAN.Net
10.04.2006 21:08 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The 5th shift of Armenian peacekeepers will
leave for Kosovo in the first decade of May, Armenian MOD Head’s
Spokesperson, colonel Seyran Shahsuvaryan told PanARMENIAN.Net. To
remind, the 4th shift of peacekeepers, who numbered 34, left for
Kosovo on October 19, 2005. The 4th shift is distinguished with the
battalion comprising skilled servicemen, who had already visited
Kosovo once. To remind, Armenian peacekeepers located in the zone of
US responsibility. Armenian servicemen mainly protect check-points
and special destination objects.

ARMENIAN SQUARE OPENED IN EVRO NORSE TOWN
PanARMENIAN.Net
10.04.2006 21:27 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ April 7 a ceremony of opening of the Square of
Armenia was held in Norse Evro town, reports the Press Service
of the Armenian MFA. During the ceremony French Parliament
President Jean-Louis Debre and Armenian Ambassador to France
Edvard Nalbandyan planted an apricot tree brought from Armenia
for the occasion. Addressing the participants of the ceremony,
Jean-Louis Debre spoke of centuries-old traditions of Armenian-French
friendship. Today Armenia-France relations are of fraternal nature,
evidenced by Year of Armenia in France, Jean-Louis Debre said. During
the meeting before the opening ceremony the French Parliament President
and Armenian Ambassador discussed matters relating to Armenian-French
relations today.

“ZAKHARYAN, LEAVE US”
A1+
[02:04 pm] 10 April, 2006
The ex residents of the realization zones of the capital were gathered
today opposite the Yerevan municipality building and demanded
the resignation of the Yerevan mayor Yervand Zakharyan. “He is a
criminal and must be charged: we have proof for this,” says Sedrak
Baghdasaryan, one of the participants of the meeting opposite the
municipality building.
According to Baghdasaryan and Vachagan Hakobyan, another participant
of the meeting, Mr. Zakharyan “squeezes money out of every square
meter of the North Avenue”. The above mentioned citizens claim that
those who construct buildings in the North Avenue “pay the mayor 20
USD for every square meter.” According to them, this is the reason
why skyscrapers are built.
The participants of the meeting quoted several state and Governmental
decisions and the projects by Tamanyan according to which the height
of the buildings around the Opera House must not exceed 20-25 meters.
The ex-dwellers of the realization zone have been struggling for their
rights for the last two years turning to different state structures
and choosing different ways of complaint. Their case is even being
heard in the Constitutional court. They have been waiting for an answer
for the last three weeks, but still in vain. This fact puzzles them.
They comment on the fact quoting the Law, “If they accepted the case,
they must make a decision within ten days. So what’s the matter?” The
only answer they managed to get from the Constitutional Court is that
they must have the opinion of specialists and experts.
The participants of the meeting still pin their hopes on the Court
although they do not exclude the possibility that under the present
authorities even “the fairest court” cannot stand the test.

ARMEN NAZARYAN WON SILVER MEDAL
A1+
[02:17 pm] 10 April, 2006
In the judo world “Super Cup” championship in Moscow Armen Nazaryan
from Hrazdan won silver medal in the 66kg weight category. In this
championship Armenia was also represented by Hambardzum Tonoyan (66kg)
and Hovhannes Davtyan (60kg) who did not win medals.
The Armenian Judo Federation informs that after the Moscow competition
the Armenians sportsmen will prepare for the European Championship
in Tampere.
There will probably be three sportsmen in Finland including Armen
Nazaryan.

SUBBOTNIK ON THE EVE OF EASTER
A1+
[04:01 pm] 10 April, 2006
“What’s the use of the tree planting if young and old trees are
periodically chopped down?” This sort of questions were asked during
the municipality briefing in which Romik Kosemyan participated. The
head of the Municipality ecological administration gave details about
the course and results of the tree planting this year.
According to the information, in early 2006 the municipality intended
to plant 30 thousand trees and 40 thousand bushes, together with the
reconstruction of the irrigation systems in the same places. The
municipality decided to join the famous program “Joint Tree
Planting”. Together they will plant 90 thousand trees.
According to Kosemyan, about 260 hectares of non-irrigated land has
been included in the joint program. The municipality has allotted
about 200 million AMD for the realization of the project.
Let us also add that April 15 is announced a subbotnik.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS WORK SEPARATELY
A1+
[04:08 pm] 10 April, 2006
OSCE Minsk group French co-chair Bernard Fassier has started a regional
visit. According to “Trend” agency, he arrived in Azerbaijan this
morning. He intends to carry out consultations in Baku about the
peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict.
During the visit Bernard Fassier will meet Azeri President Ilham
Aliev. Tomorrow he will render a press conference in the French
Embassy in Azerbaijan. The journalists were informed in the Embassy
that after the Baku visit Fassier will arrive in Yerevan.
Besides this, another regional visit will be organized soon: on
April 18 OSCE Minsk group American co-chair Steven Mann will visit
the region. This information was given by the Azeri Foreign Minister
Elmar Mamedyarov.
Mann will try to get acquainted with the attitudes of Armenia
and Azerbaijan towards the US offers about the settlement of the
conflict. Let us remind you that this visit will be the second after
the Rambouillet meeting of the two Presidents.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NO ONE WANTED TO BUY THE 5TH BLOCK
A1+
[04:43 pm] 10 April, 2006
The sale of the 5th block of the Hrazdan heat-electric generating
plant has nothing to do with the reduction of the gas price: at least
this is what RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan claims.
“We sold the 5th block not in order to reduce the price of gas as it
remains the same – 110USD. The sale has nothing to do with the price”,
the Prime Minister says.
According to him, this is a successful deal. “Years ago we wanted
to give the plant to them by the program “Property for Debt”. One
of the conditions was that they must reconstruct the plant. They did
not agree.
We put it up to auction but no one wanted to buy it”, Andranik
Margaryan informed. He claimed that Iran has never been a potential
buyer. They just wanted to give loans for 20-25 years after which
Armenia would have to return the sum.
According to the Prime Minister, the plant was sold for 250 million
USD. “One of the conditions was that they must invest 140 million USD
within two years. And this is not a threat to our energy security,
but vice versa”.