SITUATION AT THE BORDER IS CALMER
Lragir.am
12 April 06
Tensions on the Armenian-Azerbaijani front line are exaggerated,
stated Serge Sargsyan, Minister of Defense of Armenia, on April 11.
“There are always gunshots, you know there are gunshots today, but
there is no difference between today and three months or five months
ago. Even if there is difference, it is more of an easing of tensions,”
announced Serge Sargsyan. For the frequent visits of the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairs to the region and the possibility of settlement of
the conflict over Karabakh by 2007, the defense minister of Armenia
says it is both possible and impossible.
“There are two answers to this question: yes and no. I cannot see
that the state of things today essentially differs from the state of
things two years ago,” says Serge Sargsyan, adding that as a minister
of defense he is prepared in case war starts.
“I have announced a number of times and now I state that the defense
minister of any country, and especially the minister of defense of
Armenia, should assume that the military actions may start tomorrow
or in two days,” says Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan.

INTERESTING DEVELOPMENTS CONCERNING IRAN-ARMENIA GAS PIPELINE
Lragir.am
12 April 06
Recently the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline has appeared on the way
of Russian-Armenian inventory, although the Armenian government
officials consistently refute the information that Armenia agreed
to sell the shares of the gas pipeline to Russia. In the meantime,
it is notable that Gasprom published information for a while and hid
it without refuting. On April 11 new, even confidential information
was given by Serge Sargsyan, Minister of Defense of Armenia, Co-Chair
of the Russian-Armenian Intergovernmental Commission. In answer to
the question on the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline Serge Sargsyan said a
few words which, however, mean much.
“Let us leave it for the next time, because there are other interesting
things about it,” stated Serge Sargsyan. If Serge Sargsyan says this,
no doubt there will be interesting things.
However, it is not clear how interesting it will be and whom it will
interest, because if we are going to face sale of property, it is not
going to surprise anyone in Armenia. But a new method would really
arouse interest.

PEACEMAKERS NOT WANTED
Lragir.am
12 April 06
Over the past week Lragir.am offered the question to its readers
whether peacemakers must be stationed in the zone of conflict
over Nagorno Karabakh. 67 per cent of our Armenian and English
speaking readers are against stationing peacemakers. 23 per cent
think it depends on which country’s troops will be stationed. 5 per
cent think stationing peacemakers can be acceptable only after the
settlement of the conflict, and 2 per cent believe that the ceasefire
is successfully maintained without peacemakers. And only 3 per cent
think that peacemakers must be stationed in the zone of the conflict
over Nagorno Karabakh.

NEW TARIFF FOR DRINKING WATER BEGINNING FROM JUNE 1
By Ara Martirosian
AZG Armenian Daily
12/04/2006
In the 4th Year of Lease the Price Will Go Down
Having won the tender for controlling Yerevan’s water and sewerage
system for 10 years, the French General Dez O Company offered putting
up the tariff for the first months of lease with a gradual decrease
in future. In a financial application to the Commission Regulating
Public Services of Yerevan Jur Company, the French Company offered to
make the price 172.8 drams for 1 cubic meter of drinking water. Gagik
Khachatrian, deputy chairman of Commission Regulating Public Services
of Yerevan Jur Company, gave explanation on this yesterday.
The main question to the deputy chairman was whether it is possible
that the Commission will turn down the French company’s request when
the Armenian government has already recognized General Dez O tender
winner approving of its tariff offer. Gagik Khachatrian said that
while announcing the tender the Commission Regulating Public Services
put forward its proposals and the Commission’s deputy chairman was
included in the jury. That is the tender jury took into consideration
this fact, and set a tariff in tender proposal. According to deputy
chairman, its is impossible that the authorities sign an agreement
with a winning company but then disagree with their own conditions.
Gagik Khachatrian informed that Yerevan Jur will begin functioning
on May 1 and probably on June 1 the new tariff will take effect. He
reminded that during the 10 years of lease the French company will
invest $20 million in accordance with the credit project of the World
Bank, 17.6 million euros from tariff-based sums and additional 6.4
million euros in the form of equipment and assets. Deputy chairman
stated that the size of the company’s benefits during the time of lease
will depend on decreasing water leakage. It is planned to reduce the
leak from 80 percent to 45 during 10 years. As the benefit of the
company holding natural monopoly may be greater than expected the
sides decided that once it exceeds 10 percent the profit should be
equally divided between the Armenian and French sides.
As to the tariff policy for the 10 ten years, Gagik Khachatrian
repeated that it will be gradually declining. Beginning from the 4th
year it will go down reaching the mark of 95 drams in the 10th year.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ZVARTNOTS AIRPORT TO RECEIVE FLIGHTS AT NIGHT TILL JUNE 30
Lragir.am
12 April 06
>From April 10 to June 30 Zvartnots International Airport will operate
at night. “Within these 80 days there will be no flights and landings
from 10.30 AM to 8.00 PM, because of repair of the 1.2 km middle
section of the runway,” stated Gevorg Abrahamyan, the press secretary
of Armenia International Airports CJSC. He said by July 1 works on
the runway will have been finished.
The press secretary of Armenia International Airports CJSC said
memos were sent to all the airlines cooperating with Zvartnost,
and the new schedule will cause no problems.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THERMAL POWER PLANT DEAL AT CONSTITUTIONAL COURT
Lragir.am
12 April 06
MP Manuk Gasparyan stated April 11 that he is going to appeal to the
Constitutional Court against the deal of selling the fifth generating
unit of the Thermal Power Plant of Hrazdan to Russia. Manuk Gasparyan
says it is a criminal bargain, attacking the country’s interests.
The member of parliament is convinced that the government of Armenia
has already sold the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline to Russia. Manuk
Gasparyan believes that the pipeline is the core of this deal.
His argument is the information on the official website of Gasprom.
The Russian company first announced about buying the gas pipeline,
then rephrased the sentence. Particularly, Gasprom announced about
buying the fifth generating unit of the Thermal Power Plant of Hrazdan
and other objects of the gas sector of Armenia.
“You see they artfully concealed it but the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline
was included in that deal. They simply hid the name. It is there by
hundred per cent. Besides, they will give the hydropower plant on
Arax to Iran to calm Iran,” says Manuk Gasparyan.
He also mentions that after the fifth generating unit of the Thermal
Power Plant of Hrazdan is transferred to Gasprom the latter will have
82 per cent of shares of Armrusgasard instead of the former 45 per
cent. Hence, Armenia loses 25 per cent of shares and the right to veto.
Manuk Gasparyan also states that the Armenian leadership accepted a
bribe from Russia, that is a sum much over the price of these objects.

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.