ARKA News Agency
Feb 24 2005

RAO `UES Russia’ is satisfied with cooperation with Armenia in the
area of energy development

Armenian Defence Minister: Cooperation with Armenia is part of
country’s security

Armenian President holds working meeting with Governor of Gegharkunik
Marz

Romualds Razusk appointed on the position of NATO Communication
Officer to South Caucasus

RA President and NATO Secretary General Special Representative
discuss perspectives of Armenia-NATO relations development

It is time for NATO to condemn murder of the Armenian officer in
Hungary – Robert Simmons

Charity concert to raise funds for Armenian children’s treatment held
in Washington

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RAO `UES RUSSIA’ IS SATISFIED WITH COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA IN THE
AREA OF ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

MOSCOW, February 23. /ARKA/. RAO `UES Russia’ is satisfied with
cooperation with Armenia in the area of energy development, as stated
Anatoli Chubays, the Chairman of the Board of RAO `UES Russia’, told
ARKA. `We quite positively evaluate what has been done so far’, he
said. According to Chubays, quite different development stage is
meant here, that is not just electric connection and supplies of
electric power, purchase and sale, but `investments, modernization of
the existing facilities and our management’. `We are oriented on
maximal openness with our partners in respect of potential projects’,
he said. Chubays also noted that RAO `UES Russia’ has no goal in
itself `to fill up the whole region with electric power produced by
the company’. `We move towards you and you-towards us. Both are done
when it’s mutually advantageous. It’s sensible and right’, he said.
In Armenia RAO `UES Russia’ monitors financial inflows of Armenian
Atomic Power Plant and owns Sevan-Hrazdan Hydroelectric Power Plant
(HPP) and Hrazdan Heat Power Plant (HPP).
The financial inflows of APP in September 2003 were transmitted into
trusty management of Russian Inter RAO UES, daughter enterprise of
RAO UES Russia (60% of shares) and Rosenergatom (40%) for 5 years.
International Energetic Corporation CJSC was founded in May, 2003 by
RAO UES Russia for exploitation of Sevan-Hrazdan CJSC passed to
Russia to compensate part of debt for supply of nuclear fuel for
Armenian Atomic Power Plant. Hrazdan HPP was passed to Russia to
partially redeem the state debt of Armenia to Russia. The station was
estimated at $ 31 mnl. It will be managed by an operator appointed by
Russian side. The operator will be determined from the mid of March
2005. A.H. -0 –

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ARMENIAN DEFENCE MINISTER: COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA IS PART OF
COUNTRY’S SECURITY

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 24. /ARKA/. Serge Sargsian, Secretary of Security
at Armenian President and Defence Minister, met NATO Secretary
General’s Special Representative for Caucasus and Central Asia Robert
Simmons Thursday in Yerevan. According to Defence Ministry’s source,
Serge Sargsian said he attached great importance to cooperation with
NATO and considered it part of Armenia’s security and stressed the
NATO attached importance to relationship with Yerevan. In his words,
Armenia will keep moving in the decided way increasingly deepening
its relations with the Alliance. `Within its capacity, Armenia will
try to ensure its participation in NATO programs, Moreover, if we
have no unsolved conflict, we would have room for wider participation
in them’, Sargsian said.
Simmons, in turn, said a group of consultants would arrive in Armenia
in a month, which would assist Armenia in working-out defence
programs. Speaking about Karabakh conflict settlement, he noted that
the conflict was hobbling the development of the region’s countries.
` I think bilateral acoord will be reached on this issue’, the NATO
official said. M.V. -0–

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ARMENIAN PRESIDENT HOLDS WORKING MEETING WITH GOVERNOR OF GEGHARKUNIK
MARZ

YEREVAN, February 24. /ARKA/. Armenian President Robert Kocharian
held a working meeting with Governor of Gegharkunik marz Stepan
Barseghyan. As Armenian President’s Press Service told ARKA, during
the meeting the officials discussed the results of the activities
performed in the marz in 2004. It was mentioned that that entries to
the budget of the marz grew compared to the previous year by AMD 130
mln the growth of potato and wheat made 40% and livestock – 60%. The
most important precondition for of the development of the agriculture
of Gegharkunik was nonrefundable transfer to the farmers 600 hectares
of land that enabled employing over 400 people in agricultural
sector.
During the meeting the officials also discussed the issues related to
Lake Sevan ecology, particularly the fish reserves and water
reservoir problems. (1$- AMD 471.76). T.M.–0–

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ROMUALDS RAZUSK APPOINTED ON THE POSITION OF NATO COMMUNICATION
OFFICER TO SOUTH CAUCASUS

YEREVAN, February 24. /ARKA/. RA Deputy Foreign Minister Tatoul
Margarian received NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative
for Caucasus and Central Asia Robert Simmons. During the meeting
Simmons represented newly appointed NATO Communication Officer to
South Caucasus Romualds Razusk. The parties discussed issues related
to activity of Razusk and some organizational issues and discussed
priority directions for cooperation of Armenia and NATO in the
context of individual program of partnership. L.D. –0–

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RA PRESIDENT AND NATO SECRETARY GENERAL SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE
DISCUSS PERSPECTIVES OF ARMENIA-NATO RELATIONS DEVELOPMENT

YEREVAN, February 24. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharian and NATO
Secretary General Special Representative to Central Asia and South
Caucasus Robert Simmons discussed perspectives of Armenia-NATO
relations development, president’s press office told ARKA. The
parties discussed process of Armenia-NATO cooperation and development
perspectives, mentioned regions issues and the process of Karabakh
settlement. Simmons represented the President the process of NATO
cooperation with CIS and other countries. L.D. –0–

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IT IS TIME FOR NATO TO CONDEMN MURDER OF THE ARMENIAN OFFICER IN
HUNGARY – ROBERT SIMMONS

YEREVAN, February 24. /ARKA/. It is time for NATO to condemn the
murder of the Armenian officer in Hungary, as NATO Secretary
General’s Special Representative for Caucasus and Central Asia Robert
Simmons stated on press conference in Yerevan. At that he mentioned
that it is not good to return to the horrible events of the past.
`NATO is strongly sorry for the murder of the Armenian officer in
Hungary, however this is not far the relations that we would like to
have between the stated, as it is now we need to be targeted at
future and not the past’, Simmons. At that he stressed that NATO did
not leave this fact without attention. `We expressed our regret, but
it is time to move ahead and to cast the sight at god relations that
we formed at the moment and the programs that we are planning to
implement’, Simmons said.
To remind on February, 2004 early in the morning at 5:30 lieutenant
of the Armed Forces of Armenia Gurgen Margaryan, hearer of English
courses, organized by University of National Defense of Hungary
within frames of NATO partnership for Peace was brutally killed with
axe while sleeping by Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov participating
the same courses.
The first hearing of Ramil Safarov’s criminal case was held on
November 23, 2004 in Budapest court on criminal affairs under
chairmanship of judge Andras Vaskuti. The next hearing was held on
February 8 in Budapest where the court heard Ramail Safarov’s new
evidences and the results and of investigation of the charged of the
mental health test. T.M. -0–

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CHARITY CONCERT TO RAISE FUNDS FOR ARMENIAN CHILDREN’S TREATMENT HELD
IN WASHINGTON

YEREVAN, February 24. /ARKA/. A charity concert to raise funds for
the treatment of Armenian children from vulnerable families was held
in Washington, DC, USA. The concert was organized by the Yerevan
office of the Global Fund for Transplantation of Organs to Children.
The Press and Information Department, RA Foreign Office, reports that
the action was held under the auspices of the RA Embassy in the USA.
The Fund invited the prize-winners of numerous musical festivals –
the trio of the State Philharmonic Society of Armenia Lilit Zakharyan
(violin), Vahan Grigoryan (violoncello), and Shushan Hakobyan
(piano).
The concert was held at the concert hall of the Austrian Embassy in
Washington. Attending the concert were Fund President and
Vice-President Mark Croker and Valery McKefry, representatives of the
US administration, WB, and Armenian community in Washington, public
figures and workers of culture.