ARKA News Agency
Feb 4 2005

Arthur Baghdasaryan: the year 2005 must turn for Armenia a year of
parliamentary solidarity

Since the middle of February Armenia will start negotiations with IMF
and WB on middle-term programs in the frames of new cooperation

Presentation of new internet site of US Embassy to Armenia took place
in Yerevan

Regional Group of Basel Committee for banking control adopts
resolution in Yerevan

OSCE monitoring group to check facts visits Zangelan region under
control of NKR defense Army

The Commission of the jury of the District of Columbia (the USA)
brings an accusation of bribery and visas falsification against the
former consular officer of the US Embassy to RA

Armenian-Russian relations develop in normal course

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ARTHUR BAGHDASARYAN: THE YEAR 2005 MUST TURN FOR ARMENIA A YEAR OF
PARLIAMENTARY SOLIDARITY

YEREVAN, February 4. /ARKA/. The year 2005 must turn for Armenia a
year of parliamentary solidarity, as Arthur Baghdasaryan, Speaker of
the Armenian Parliament stated today on press conference on the eve
of start of the spring session. He stressed that this year will b the
15th anniversary of foundation of the Parliament and 10 years of the
National Assembly. In this context he attached importance to solution
of the set tasks by the political streams presented in the
Parliament. In his words, the task number one is must be achieving of
constructive cooperation and tolerance when discussing important
issues. `Today’s serious problems are elements of intolerance, envy,
malice, self-admiration that prevent cooperation, therefore the
current year must be marked by parliamentary tolerance’, Baghdasaryan
said. T.M. -0–

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SINCE THE MIDDLE OF FEBRUARY ARMENIA WILL START NEGOTIATIONS WITH IMF
AND WB ON MIDDLE-TERM PROGRAMS IN THE FRAMES OF NEW COOPERATION

YEREVAN, February 4. /ARKA/. Since the middle of February Armenia
will start negotiations with IMF and WB on middle-term programs in
the frames of new cooperation, CBA Chairman Tigran Sargsian stated
today. According to him, special attention will be paid to influence
of USD rate on CBA policy.
Talking about USD rate variations, Sargsian said that Armenian policy
in financial sphere will not be changed and it is more import how
changes the policy of basic players of the market – EU, Russia, China
and IMF and WB. He said that variations of USD rate depend on
numerous factors, including on US state budget deficit and
refinancing rate in America.
As RA Minister of Finance and Economy Vardan Khachatrian stated
earlier, RA Government will start negotiations on IMF program which
will start since autumn 2005. L.D. –0 –

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PRESENTATION OF NEW INTERNET SITE OF US EMBASSY TO ARMENIA TOOK PLACE
IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, February 4. /ARKA/. Presentation of new internet site of US
Embassy to Armenia () took place in Yerevan, US Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia John Evans stated today.
The new site testifies to democracy and transparency of American
embassy at the line of US politics and American assistance programs
in Armenia. Namely, it contains information in Armenia on assistance
program conducted in Armenia, the site has different parameters of
search, news of American politics, periodically renewed information
of Washington File edition and big data base with broad search
opportunities. According to Evans, today world is on the verge of
digital revolution, which is democratic step. According to the
Ambassador, `God gave law to Jews, alphabet to Armenians and Internet
to Americans’. `Today we managed to unite two of these events –
Internet and Armenian language’, Evans said.
New site of the embassy includes Latest News division placed on
homepage, which covers activities organized by the Embassy. L.D. –0 –

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REGIONAL GROUP OF BASEL COMMITTEE FOR BANKING CONTROL ADOPTS
RESOLUTION IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, February 4. /ARKA/. Regional Group of the Basel Committee
for banking control of South Caucasus, Central Asian states and
Russia adopted a resolution of its 15th conference in Yerevan, as
current Chairman of the Group, Deputy Chairman of National Bank of
Tajikistan Juma Eshov said. In his words, the resolution mentions the
necessity of ratifying international convention as well as adoption
and application of law against legalization (laundering) of illegal
incomes or money received through financing of terrorism. At that he
stressed that in regard of this issue, information and experience of
the Central Banks of Armenia, Georgia and Russia in creation of
system targeted against using of credit funds for laundering money
and financing of terrorism should be considered. In Eshov’s words,
the document also points out to the necessity of adequate control
over non-banking financial institutions activity, amending of the
banking legislation and implementation of demands of legal protection
of the banking control and corporate management employees. The
resolution similarly mentions the necessity of exchange of
information on undertaking measures aginst use of banking systems for
the purpose of legalization of illegal incomes on bilateral basis.
T.M. -0–

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OSCE MONITORING GROUP TO CHECK FACTS VISITS ZANGELAN REGION UNDER
CONTROL OF NKR DEFENSE ARMY

YEREVAN, February 4. /ARKA/. OSCE motoring group to check facts
visited Zangelan region under control of Nagorno Karabakh Republic
Defense Army. As ARKA’s own correspondent reports from Stepanakert,
the mission joined by French and Russian Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group Bernard Facier and Yuri Merzlyakov headed for Araxes river
bank. In towns of Mijnavan (former Minjevan) and Kockasan (former
Zangelan) and nearby settlements the mission members undertook a
detailed study of the situation.
The monitoring group will leave NKR after few days and while back in
Europe will prepare a report for the OSCE Minsk Group. The NKR
authorities provided all necessary conditions for mission’s activity.

Today the monitoring group to check facts is monitoring in Kubatli
region. T.M. -0–

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THE COMMISSION OF THE JURY OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (THE USA)
BRINGS AN ACCUSATION OF BRIBERY AND VISAS FALSIFICATION AGAINST THE
FORMER CONSULAR OFFICER OF THE US EMBASSY TO RA

YEREVAN, February 4. /ARKA/. The Commission of the jury of the
District of Columbia (the USA) brought an accusation of bribery and
visas falsification against the former consular officer of the US
Embassy to RA Peter Zdislo Parle, as stated the US Attorney for the
District of Columbia Kenneth Wainstein and Assistant Secretary of
Bureau of Diplomatic Security of US Department of State Frank Taylor,
according to the US Embassy to RA. Parle was arrested, and world
judge Alan Key will consider his case. In case Parle is found guilty,
he may be sentenced to imprisonment from 5 to 15 years and fined a
sum not exceeding $250 thsd for each case.
According to the press-release, Parle is accused of being involved in
bribery and visas falsification together with his accomplice in
Yerevan from April 2004 to January 13, 2005 and of impeding by means
of `contrivance, falsification, cheating and illegal methods’ the
legal activity of US Department of State in respect of emission of
visas to authorized foreign citizens and exertion of control over
emissions. The accusation brings 6 cases of accept bribe in the
amount of $10 thsd in cash by Parle for giving visas, irrespective of
competence of applicants. `Fair and due application of laws on
immigration is the right of the US people’, the attorney said.
Wainstein added that a consular officer violating laws for individual
purposes undermines objectivity in the issue of filing applications
for visas and their consideration and undermines trust in personnel
of American consular departments all over the world.
Wainstein and Taylor expressed their gratitude to special agents of
the bureau of diplomatic security service US Department of State, to
the personnel of the US Embassy to RA as well as to Armenian
law-enforcing authorities for support in investigation of the case.
The US Embassy to RA and US Department of State assure that
everything will be done to ensure objectivity in the process of visas
emission and to avoid falsifications. Armenian National Security
Service is acknowledged by the US Embassy for their support in that
issue. A.H. – 0 –

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ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN RELATIONS DEVELOP IN NORMAL COURSE

YEREVAN, February 4. /ARKA/. Armenian-Russian relations develop in
normal course, as Arthur Baghdasaryan, Speaker of the Armenian
Parliament said. He reported that on occasion of festival of Russia’s
day to Armenia are envisaged numerous events representatives of
Russian legislative, as well as executive top officials will visit
Armenia. `These visits will attach a new stimuli to the Armenian
-Russian relations’, Armenian Parliament’s Speaker is confident. T.M.
-0–