RUSSIA HAS NO WELL-CONSIDERED STRATEGY IN SOUTH CAUCASUS

YEREVAN, MARCH 17. ARMINFO. The leader of the Communist Party of
Russia Gennady Zyuganov regrets that the incumbent Russian authorities
have no well-considered strategy in the South Caucasus.

While speaking about the pro-US and NATO orientation of Georgia and
Azerbaijan during a Wednesday meeting with Armenian journalists in
Moscow Zyuganov said that this policy will not benefit those
countries. There will be no big US investing in the region – the US
does not simply need that. On the other hand Zyuganov is convinced
that even now a free national referendum in Georgia would vote for
restored alliance with Russia.

Nagornyy Karabakh Republic [NKR] schedules election campaign

Arminfo, Yerevan
17 Mar 05

STEPANAKERT

The nomination of candidates to the National Assembly of the Nagornyy
Karabakh Republic [NKR], both on the proportional and
first-past-the-post systems, will start on 5 April and finish on 10
April, the NKR Central Election Commission decided at its session
yesterday.

The session approved the working plan, schedule, spending plan on
preparations for the 19 June 2005 elections to the NKR National
Assembly by the Central Election Commission, as well as precincts and
constituencies. Election lists of parties which will stand in the
elections on the proportional system and candidates to be nominated on
the first-past-the-post system will be registered from 10 to 15 May
2005.

The election campaign of candidates will be held between 16 May on 17
June.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Meeting of leaders of unrecognized states not on Karabakh’s agenda – minister

Mediamax news agency
17 Mar 05

YEREVAN

A meeting of the presidents of Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Nagornyy
Karabakh and the Dniester region in Sukhumi this April “is not on the
foreign political agenda of the Nagornyy Karabakh Republic (NKR)”.

This is what NKR Foreign Minister Arman Melikyan said today, when
asked to comment on Russian media reports that the leaders of the
unrecognized republics will meet in Sukhumi this April, Mediamax
reports.

“The NKR leadership has all the necessary technical resources to
inform society about its plans independently,” Arman Melikyan
stressed.

The Interfax news agency today disseminated a report quoting “informed
sources” that the leaders of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagornyy
Karabakh, Sergey Bagapsh, Eduard Kokoiti and Arkadiy Gukasyan
respectively, met in the Russian capital during the evening of 16
March.

According to Interfax, “the leaders of the three republics agreed to
hold a meeting of the presidents of Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Nagornyy
Karabakh and the Dniester region in Sukhumi this April”.

OSCE mission holds routine monitoring on Karabakh front line

Mediamax news agency
17 Mar 05

YEREVAN

An OSCE mission held a routine monitoring in the village of Seysulan
of Mardakert District of the Nagornyy Karabakh Republic [NKR] on the
contact line between the Nagornyy Karabakh and Azerbaijani armed
forces.

An incident [truce violations] took place precisely on this area
because of the Azerbaijani side’s fault between 7-9 March which led to
casualties.

The monitoring was carried out within the framework of the schedule,
our Mediamax correspondent reported from Stepanakert.

The representatives of the NKR Defence Ministry submitted a report to
the OSCE mission. It said that the Azerbaijani armed forces had opened
fire on the Karabakh positions. It also reported the results of the
Azerbaijani side’s actions to get its positions closer to the
positions of the Nagornyy Karabakh defence army.

Movie News

VH1.com
03-16-2005

By Larry Carroll

Brittany Murphy will be adding the name Luc Besson to her little black
book as the name behind such action classics as “The Professional” and
“La Femme Nikita” plans to produce the star’s upcoming romantic comedy.
Directed by “Truth or Dare” helmer Alek Keshishian, the film is about an
assistant at a U.K. fashion magazine who tries to help her friends find
love, Variety reports. We can only pray that Jean Reno and a really big
gun are somehow involved.

REVOLUTIONARY SITUATION EXISTENT IN MINDS OF ARMENIAN PEOPLE

YEREVAN, MARCH 17. ARMINFO. The rotten government system and growing
popular anger in Armenia are giving one grounds for predicting
revolutionary developments in the country, says the first secretary of
the central committee of the Communist Party of Armenia Ruben
Tovmassyan.

At any moment popular anger may go down like a wave on the government
and wipe them off. Those trumpeting April revolution in Armenia are in
fact showing how one should not carry out revolution. The people will
follow the ones who will prove able to lead the country to
reforms. CPA is such a force, the only fundamentally opposition party
in Armenia.

It is very difficult though to form a coalition around CPA as the
government does not scruple to use any means to split the opposition.
Tovmassyan is against the former revolutionary motto – “for solving
one’s people one can cooperate even with the devil.” “Now that
everybody is perverted one cannot say for sure who is the satan of our
days.”

Moldova’s example inspires Tovmassyan. One of the poorest states of
not only Europe but even the CIS since coming under the rule of
Communists three years ago Moldova has made a breakthrough in all
spheres. Its budget has grown from $360 mln to $760 mln, average
salary from $36 to $100, 57 bln lei have been allocated for repaying
former banking deposits to the population.

Tovmassyan is sure that there is no single family in Armenia who would
not dream of restored Socialism opposed today only by those who has
robbed their own people and has locked themselves up in their
palaces. “There is just a step from those palaces to an aluminum plate
in jail,” says Tovmassyan.

CURRENT SITUATION IN SAMTSKHE JAVAKHETI NEEDS DEEP ANALYSIS

YEREVAN, MARCH 17. ARMINFO. The current situation in Samtskhe
Javakheti, the mostly Armenian region of Georgia, needs a deep and
thorough analysis, says the leader of the parliamentary faction of the
Republican Party of Armenia Galust Sahakyan.

One should not engage in impressive but empty talk. Here one should
act carefully not to cause harm to the region’s mostly Armenian
population, says Sahakyan.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRICE FOR GAS IN ARMENIA WILL GROW, DEPUTY HEAD OF GASPROM SAYS

MOSCOW, MARCH 17. ARMINFO. It will be difficult for Russia to keep up
the price for gas, which comes to Armenia. Deputy Chairman of the
Board of Gasprom ojsc Alexander Ryazanov said.

As Regnum agency reports with reference to Armenian TV channel Yerkir
Media, Ryazanov stressed it today on the border of Armenia the price
for gas is $56,000 per 1,000 cubic meter, then 1-1.5 years later it
will exceed $60. At the same time the deputy head of Gasprom mentioned
that today the gas comes to Armenia from Turkmenistan, as well as from
Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. “All these countries orientate to European
prices and follow the way of sharp increase in prices.”

In the number of urgent problems Alexander Ryazanov mentioned the
technical state of the transit capacities, in particular, of the
Georgian section of the transit gas main passing from Russia to
Armenia. According to him, the Georgian side has not practically
invested funds in modernization of the main, as the main is not of
strategic importance for the country so much as for Armenia.

Ryazanov said it will possible to modernize the main and provide more
reliable supply of gas to Armenia. The deputy head of Gasprom said the
company does not put a task to receive a surplus profit in Armenia, as
it realizes that at rather a high level of demand for gas the solvency
of the population is limited.

WORLD BANK DECLARES ARMENIAN DEVELOPMENT AGENCY SECOND BEST AMONG
SIMILAR STRUCTURES OF EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA

YEREVAN, MARCH 17. ARMINFO. Armenian Development Agency as regards
marketing and information criteria, as well as on the quality of
services provided is declared by the World Bank the second best among
similar structures of Europe and Central Asia and the fifth all over
the world. Director of the Agency Vahagn Movsisian informed during the
working visit with President of Armenia Robert Kocharian.

ARMINFO was informed in the press office of the president, during the
meeting the participants discussed issues of attraction of foreign
investments to Armenia. President Robert Kocharian instructed to pay
special attention to the questions raised during discussions in
business circles. As Kocharian said, specifying and solving these
problems it will be possible to ensure enduring progress in the
economy of the country and improvement of the investment environment.
The parties also concerned the arrangements aimed at increase of the
compatibility of goods made in Armenia.

“VICE-MISS OF EUROPE” CONVINCED THAT THERE ARE MORE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS IN
ARMENIA THAN SHE HERSELF

YEREVAN, MARCH 17. ARMINFO. “There are a number of more beautiful
girls in Armenia than me so I advise them to throw away false fears
and complexes and participate easily in beauty contests”, Vice-Miss
Europe 2005 Lyusya Tovmasyan stated during today’s press-conference.

Tovmasyan is a student of Psychology Department of the Yerevan
Linguistic “Interlingva” University. She is 18 years old, height 179
cm, weight 53 kg, parameters 88-60-88. To remind, she is also Miss
Armenia 2004.

A representative from Germany of Iranian origin Shermin Shahrivar win
the contest. Representatives of 36 countries participated there. A
known Slovak top-model was the Jury Chairman. World-famous shansonnier
Charles Aznavour and couturier Pako Rabann were the jury members, too.

In her words, presence of Aznavur among jury members imposed an
additional responsibility. “It was a difficult for me to perform in
presence of our great compatriot”, she said. Tovmasyan informed that
Aznavur himself congratulated her and they had a brief talk. Lyusya
also noted the good friendly relations with all 36
contest-participants, including a Turkey representative. She stressed,
that the study in University is her main task.