ARKA News Agency
June 9 2004

Programs of German Bank KFW in Armenia are among most successful ones

RA Foreign Minister presented condolences on account of death of
ex-president of USA Ronald Reagan

By end of June package of electoral and constitutional reforms in RA
to be send to expertise of CE

PACE Monitoring Commission Co-Reporters to arrive in RA on 11 June

Delegation of RA France-Armenia friendship parliamentary group leaves
for France

EU welcomes initiative of construction alternative gas main in
Armenia

By the RA President’s decree Aram Harutyunyan is appointed a new RA
Minister of Urban Planning

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PROGRAMS OF GERMAN BANK KfW IN ARMENIA ARE AMONG MOST SUCCESSFUL ONES

YEREVAN, June 9. /ARKA/. Programs of German Bank Kreditanstalt fur
Wiederaufbau in Armenia are among most successful ones, RA President
Robert Kocharian stated at the meeting with the member of KfW
Directors Council Ingrid Matheus-Mayer. Kocharian noted the
importance of cooperation in the sphere of energy and in banking
sector. According to Mayer, “bilateral cooperation on different
levels has good bases”. She said that the bank pays attention to
development of small and medium business in Armenia. In this view,
according to her, activity of German-Armenian Fund is very importance
and its productivity is very high, because the return of credits
makes almost 100%.
Talking about future programs Mayer said that partnership in the
sphere of energy will be continued. L.D. –0–

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RA FOREIGN MINISTER PRESENTED CONDOLENCES ON ACCOUNT OF DEATH OF
EX-PRESIDENT OF USA RONALD REAGAN

YEREVAN, June 9. /ARKA/. RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian
presented condolences on account of death of ex-president of USA
Ronald Reagan. The Minister visited today the Embassy of the U.S. to
Armenia. L.D. –0–

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BY END OF JUNE PACKAGE OF ELECTORAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS IN RA
TO BE SEND TO EXPERTISE OF CE

YEREVAN, June 9. /ARKA/. By the end of June package of electoral and
constitutional reforms in RA to be send to expertise of CE, as Tigran
Torosyan, Head of Temporary Parliamentary Commission on
Eurointegration, Vice Speaker of RA Parliament presenting the report
on the Commission’s activity. He said that the report concerns on
implementation of commitments related to two resolutions of PACE
issued in January and April 2004. In his words, the January
resolution offered RA to change 15 draft laws concerning deepening of
democracy and local self-governing, reforming of judiciary and legal
system. He considered as a negative thing non-participation of the
Armenian opposition in adopting of laws and decrees. “During this
time, the Parliamentary majority several times proposed to the
opposition, including prior to 12 April dialogue and cooperation”, he
remarked. Torosyan reminded that the parliamentary majority offered
to the opposition to create an action plan for working out two
packages – constitutional and electoral reforms and their adoption by
consensus. “It is unclear how the opposition could miss such
invitation, as this was an exceptional offer”, he believed. T.M. –0–

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PACE MONITORING COMMISSION CO-REPORTERS TO ARRIVE IN RA ON 11 JUNE

YEREVAN, June 9. /ARKA/. PACE Monitoring Commission Co-Reporters
Jerzy Jaskernia and Rene Andre to arrive in RA on 11 June, as Tigran
Torosyan, Head of Armenian Delegation of PACE, Vice Speaker of RA
Parliament. He mentioned that the visit to allow to collect the facts
for a more detailed report.
As earlier reported by Jerzy Jaskernia in Yerevan, the Reporters
plans meeting with the representatives of the opposition, NGOs and
the Constitutional Court. “For us it is extremely important to
present a comprehensive report on Armenia”, he mentioned. T.M. –0–

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DELEGATION OF RA FRANCE-ARMENIA FRIENDSHIP PARLIAMENTARY GROUP LEAVES
FOR FRANCE

YEREVAN, June 9. /ARKA/. Delegation of RA France-Armenia Friendship
Parliamentary Group headed by MP Mher Shahgeldyan left for France. As
RA Foreign Ministry Information and Press Department told ARKA,
during the visit Armenian MPs to discuss with their French colleagues
the issues related to deepening of Armenian-French
inter-parliamentary cooperation. Also, the Armenian delegation plans
visiting Marseille, Lyon, Roman, Alforville, Grenoble, Avignon,
Valence and other cities where they to meet the leaders of local
governments and MPs.
As it is mentioned in the press release, on 13 June, the day when
there will be held elections to the European Parliament, eth Armenian
MPs to follow the course of voting in one of the constituencies of
France. T.M. –0–

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EU WELCOMES INITIATIVE OF CONSTRUCTION ALTERNATIVE GAS MAIN IN
ARMENIA

YEREVAN, June 9. /ARKA/. EU welcomes the initiative of construction
of an alternative gas main in Armenia, as Karen Chshmarityan, RA
Trade and Economic Development Minister presenting the results of the
4th session of Armenian-EU Cooperation Committee held on 4 June in
Brussels. He mentioned that the construction of the gas main was
regarded in the context of closing Armenian Nuclear Power Plant as
additional gas supply.
He stressed that the EU’s financial participation in the project in
the project was not discussed so far, however the EU welcomes the
initiative as providing appearing of an alternative source of gas
supply for RA “This would allow to have more flexible economy and to
use alternative resources”, he considers.
The agreement on construction of Iran-Armenia gas-main was signed
during the visit of RA President Robert Kocharian in Iran on December
25-27, 2001. The intergovernmental agreement on Iran—Armenian gas
main was signed in 1995. The first stage of the construction
envisages construction of 100 kilometres gas-main on Iranian
territory and 41 kilometres at the territory of Armenia, which will
allow Armenia to receive 1.5 million cubic meters of gas daily. The
pipeline will make it possible to supply gas from Turkmenistan to
Armenia, through Iran. The construction of the gas main Iran-Armenia
will enable to import into Armenia 350-400 mln cubic m. of gas
annually.
The deadline for the completion of the gas main is expected on 1
January 2007. T.M. –0–

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BY THE RA PRESIDENT’S DECREE ARAM HARUTYUNYAN IS APPOINTED A NEW RA
MINISTER OF URBAN PLANNING

YEREVAN, June 9. /ARKA/. By the RA President’s decree RA NA Deputy,
the representative of Orinats Yerkir party Aram Harutyunyan is
appointed as a new RA Minister of Urban Planning, according to RA
President’s Press Service Department.
Aram Harutyunyan was born on July 20, 1967 in Armenia. In 1992 he
graduated from Yerevan Architectural – Building University. From 1984
to 1999 he occupied different positions, including high ones. In 1999
he was elected as a Deputy of RA Parliament by majority system. He
was a member of standing committee on social, health and
environmental issues. In May 2003 he was re-elected as a Deputy. He
was a member of a standing committee on financial-credit, budget and
economic issues.
The RA ex-Minister of Urban Planning Aram Aramyan declared of his
resignation on April 9 and motivated his decision by speculations and
artificial fuss about the incident connected with his son. The
application for resignation was signed to avoid compromising the
party and the Government, according to him. A.H. –0—

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