Author: Chakrian Hovsep

RA FOREIGN MINISTER ATTACHES IMPORTANCE TO MEMBERSHIP OF ARMENIA IN
INTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATION

ARKA News Agency
June 28 2005

YEREVAN, June 28. /ARKA/. RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian attaches
importance to membership of Armenia in International Labor Organization
(ILO). As the Information and Press Department of RA Foreign Ministry
told ARKA News Agency, Oskanian stated that during his meeting with
Friedrich Buttler, Director of the ILO Regional Office for Europe and
Central Asia. Oskanian noted that the integration into ILO would help
not only to solve the social issues in the country, but would have a
considerable impact on the economic development and increase of the
international rating of the country.

The Minister also welcomed the decision of the organization to create
the post of “national correspondent” in Armenia in order to regulate
the relations with ILO more efficiently.

At the same time, Buttler presented the activities of ILO in Armenia
and mentioned the directions of activities – investments in poverty
reduction program, assistance for creation of new job vacancies,
improvements in legislation of the sphere, assistance for integration
of Armenia in global processes. L.V.–0–

UN Discussions on Karabakh

Baku Today, Azerbaijan
June 28 2005

Azerbaijan is still to ascertain whether or not the a draft resolution
on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno Karabakh will be put
on discussion at the UN General Assembly in August, Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov has said.

Mammadyarov said the discussions will depend on the process of
peace talks.

“If we achieve progress in talks, the situation will certainly
change. In this case, we will re-work the document,” he said.

Azerbaijan achieved putting the issue of illegal settlement of
Armenians in the occupied regions of Azerbaijan on the UN General
Assembly agenda in 2004. The discussions were followed by a visit of
the OSCE fact-finding mission to Nagorno Karabakh.

OSKANIAN MAMEDYAROV MEETING

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
28 June  05

The meeting of the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan V.
Oskanian and E. Mamedyarov took place; however, according to the
representative of the Armenian party, they did not come to a conclusion
over the issue under consideration. Nevertheless, they found a common
approach to certain issues. The minister of foreign affairs of Armenia
Vardan Oskanian summed up the results of his official visits lasting
from June 8 to 17. The meetings related to the Nagorno Karabakh
issue in the framework of the official visits of the minister were
in the centre of attention. According to the minister, two important
meetings on this issue took place. On June 8 Minister Vardan Oskanian
met with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs in Vienna. They discussed a
series of issues related to the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, which emanate from the approaches of the Warsaw meeting
of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as certain
details on the upcoming meeting in Paris were clarified. However,
the second meeting of Oskanian and Mamedyarov in Paris was of more
public importance. In this reference V. Oskanian only said that during
the talks they dwelled upon the findings of the Warsaw meeting of the
presidents. Evaluating the talks as effective, the minister mentioned
that this time no definite arrangements were achieved either, but
they agreed to continue the negotiations. .There are the directives
of the presidents, the principles are clear-cut, but when one goes
into details, each wants to make these more acceptable and favourable
for themselves. Therefore we continue to argue; we did not come to a
final conclusion in Paris but we were able to find a common approach
to certain issues. If they make a small concession and we make a small
concession, it will be possible to come to a conclusion,. said the
minister. However, according to the diplomats, this will happen only
in the future negotiations. Avoiding comments on the details of the
meeting, the minister mentioned once again that they had managed to
come to a common approach to if not all at least some issues but he
did not want to say which issues exactly. He only said that all the
elements of the portfolio, such as the status of NK and the refugees,
security issues, are discussed in the talks. However, for Armenia
the priority is the political status of Nagorno Karabakh. .Unless
we get a clear answer to this question, I consider it pointless to
speak about or discuss any other issue,. said the minister of foreign
affairs of Armenia.

AA.
28-06-2005

–Boundary_(ID_77ojsuMsPbL1CbV9uLd81w)–

ENVIRONMENTAL ADMINISTRATION UNAWARE

A1plus

| 13:38:30 | 27-06-2005 | Social |

The Yerevan municipality Environmental administration and the RA
Ministry of Environment processed the new penalties for illegal
tree-cutting. “For cutting a tree 30 sm in diameter a fine of 22
500 drams is envisaged; and in Yerevan – ten times more”, informed
Environmental administration head Romik Kosemyan during the press
conference in the municipality.

We tried to make inquiries if we could cut half the trees in Yerevan,
pay the fines and sleep in peace. “There is a limit after which a
criminal case is aroused”, said Mr. Kosemyan. He could not recall a
criminal case aroused till today. “It is not my business”, he added.

We also asked how many trees have been cut illegally for the last
5 years. “The calculation is not our business”, informed the
Environmental administration head. Mr. Kosemyan also said that this
year there have been 10 alarms of illegal tree-cutting. Then he
consoled us, “There are law violations, but they have reduced”.

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan
June 25 2005

EUROPEAN NEIGHBORHOOD POLICY DISCUSSED IN BAKU
[June 25, 2005, 12:43:24]

Conference on a theme `European Neighborhood Policy’ was held on June
24 at the Hyatt-Regency-Nakhchivan hotel, reported AzerTAj. The
conference organizers have discussed the New Neighborhood Policy of
the European Union and Azerbaijan’s participation in the policy.

The purposes of the event are to raise public awareness of the ENP
challenges and opportunities. The Azerbaijani society should be fully
informed on the European neighborhood policy within the prepared
Action Plan, told speakers at the event. Deputy economic development
minister Mikail Jabbarov and British Ambassador to Azerbaijan Laurie
Bristow have emphasized the necessity of the Action Plan on the
EU-Azerbaijan relationship enhance. It is expected that EU-Azerbaijan
rapprochement will have a positive influence on settlement of the
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, strengthening of
economic development and democratic institutions, as well as
successful implementation of the poverty reduction problem. Alongside
with these strengthening of relations with EU allows to restore a
stabile situation in the region.

It is noted particularly that Azerbaijan’s government is interested
in development of relationship with the European Union. Therefore, on
June 1 President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has issued Decree on the
State Commission for integration with the European Union. Moreover,
on April 25 on the European Union recommendation March 2,2005 was
decided to formulate an action plan, preparation of that is underway.

Nagornyy Karabakh Republic [NKR] issues final results of parliamentary
elections

Arminfo, Yerevan
24 Jun 05

STEPANAKERT

The Central Electoral Commission of the Nagornyy Karabakh Republic
[NKR] issued the final results of the parliamentary elections and
handed mandates to deputies of the fourth parliament of the NKR on 24
June.

Thirty-three deputies – 11 under the proportional system and 22 under
the first-past-the-post system – have been elected to the NKR
parliament, our Arminfo correspondent reports from Stepanakert.

Five candidates have been elected from the Democratic Party of
Artsakh, three from the Free Motherland Party and three from the bloc
of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation – Dashnaktsutyun [ARFD] and
Movement-88.

Under the first-past-the-post system, the following candidates have
been elected to the NKR parliament:

Constituency No 1 – Armen Abgaryan,

No 2 – Zhanna Galstyan,

No 3 – Valeriy Arutyunyan,

No 4 – Araik Arutyunyan,

No 5 – Maksim Mirzoyan,

No 6 – Ararat Danielyan,

No 7 – Sergey Seyranyan,

No 8 – Gagik Petrosyan,

No 9 – Samvel Akopyan,

No 10 – Benik Bakhshiyan,

No 11 – Ivan Avanesyan,

No 12 – Armen Oganyan,

No 13 – Rudik Yusunts,

No 14 – Rudik Martirosyan,

No 15 – Sergey Oganyan,

No 16 – Grigoriy Gasparyan,

No 17 – Garnik Mirzabekyan,

No 18 – Artur Tovmasyan,

No 19 – Oleg Grigoryan,

No 20 – Vagram Atanesyan,

No 21 – Artsvik Sarkisyan,

No 22 – Karen Grigoryan.

[Passage omitted: other details]

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
June 20, 2005 Monday

Azerbaijan calls for restoring traffic to Nakhichevan via Karabakh

By Sevindzh Abdullayeva and Viktor Shulman

BAKU

Azerbaijan calls for restoring traffic to Nakhichevan via
Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, including via the Lachin district of
Azerbaijan, Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov said.

Azimov, who is also the president’s special envoy for the talks on
Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, said on Monday this initiative had been
put forth in Paris as part of the talks between the Azerbaijani and
Armenian foreign ministers, as well as co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk
Group for Nagorno-Karabakh. “Both sides will use this road on the
equal basis. No one is interested in blocking it or creating any
obstacles for traffic,” the deputy minister said.

In his view, this project “has great political significance because
it will help create confidence-building measures between Azerbaijan
and Armenia.”

The diplomat stressed that it is necessary to restore certain
sections of traffic and create links between them. Azimov said
financial aid would be provided by the U.N., the EU, several
international organisations and donor countries that had pledged it
after the political settlement of the conflict.

In addition, he said, “At the initial stage international forces may
ensure security of traffic and other links.”

IMPATIENT

A1plus

| 21:48:12 | 17-06-2005 | Official |

Today Robert Kocharyan appointed NKR NA President Oleg Yesayan
President of the RA Share Committee.

Let us remind you that NKR Parliamentary elections will take place in
two days, that is – on June 19. Oleg Yesayan has announced beforehand
that he will not put forward his candidacy.

LINKS WITH INDONESIA

A1plus

| 14:21:35 | 17-06-2005 | Official |

Today the newly appointed Indonesian Ambassador extraordinary and
plenipotentiary to Armenia Alexander Laturiu (residence – Kiev)
has given his credentials to the RA President Robert Kocharyan.

Referring to the possibilities of enhancing the Armenian-Indonesian
links, the sides mentioned the formation of the corresponding
legislative field as the main issue. As for supporting the business
relations, they found exchange of information important.

Robert Kocharyan has wished Indonesia success eliminating the
results of the disastrous tsunami which did them so much harm several
months ago.

ARMENIA AND IRAN TO ACTIVATE TIES BETWEEN FRONTIER REGIONS

YEREVAN, JUNE 15. ARMINFO. Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan
and Iranian Minister for Education and Upbringing Mortez Khaji
during today’s meeting stressed the necessity to activate ties
between countries’ frontier regions – the Syunik region (Armenia)
and the Eastern Atrpatakan (Iran).

As ARMINFO was informed in the governmental press-service, Margaryan
noted the significance of regional and bilateral cooperation and
stressed that both mutual visits on various levels and the productive
activity of Armenian-Iranian Intergovernmental Commission on Economic
Cooperation contribute greatly to it. He informed that growth of
turnover volumes between Armenia and Iran has been registered as a
result of Commission’s productive activity.

To note, in Jan-Feb, 2005, turnover volume between Armenia and Iran
totaled $30.8 mln – higher by 45.1% as against the same index of 2004.