Author: Dabaghian Diana

EX SPEAKER OF ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT: THEY IN ARMENIA DO NOT TAKE PACE SERIOUSLY

ArmInfo
2009-07-10 16:56:00

ArmInfo. For 10-15 days after the adoption of the last PACE resolution
our people actively discussed the action of Zaruhi Postanjyan instead
of discussing the content of the resolution, says ex speaker of the
National Assembly of Armenia Tigran Torossyan.

"If we actually want to be taken seriously and to become a full
member of the Council of Europe, we must change this attitude,"
says Torossyan,

He regrets that they in Armenia do not take international documents
seriously. "The resolutions clearly say that none of PACE requirements
have been fully implemented and that as a CE member Armenia is obliged
to implement all resolutions so as to overcome its political crisis."

MUTUAL CONCESSIONS ON NKR ISSUE HAVE TO REFLECT TODAY’S REALITIES

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
11.07.2009 13:47 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Mutual concessions might be acceptable to Armenia
only in case Baku firmly declares its readiness to concede, ARF
Parliamentary Faction Leader Vahan Hovhannisyan stated in Stepanakert.

"Mutual concessions mustn’t be based on the concept of "Nagorno
Karabakh autonomous region". It’s been 20 years since, NKR people
fought a war and gained independence. No one, even superpowers, have
a right to oversee this fact," Vahan Hovhannisyan noted, adding that
mutual concessions on NKR issue have to reflect today’s realities.

RA POLICE TOPS THE LIST OF COMPLAINTS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
10.07.2009 16:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ According to the Ombudsman, RA Police tops the
list of complaints. The Ministry of Education and Science, Yerevan
Municipality and Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs come next. In
many cases, citizens claw back their claims. "We believe, those
people are under police pressure, although they do not confess,"
Ombudsman noted.

Officials often abuse power in Yerevan, Harutyunyan said, particularly
focusing on police abuses, Answering journalists’ question about the
arrest of ANC activist, Mr. Harutynyan stressed that the case required
close study, since one of police officers had suffered serious damage
during the incident.

ARMENIA AND HUNGARY INTEND TO SPEED UP TRADE AND ECONOMIC AGREEMENTS’ CONCLUSION

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
10.07.2009 14:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On July 9, RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian
made a brief visit to Budapest.

Upon arrival, RA FM met his Hungarian Colleague Peter Balazs. The
parties discussed RA President’s oncoming visit to Hungary,
Armenia-EU relations and a number of regional and international
issues. Nalbandian and Balazs emphasized the importance of political
dialogue intensification.

The parties touched upon strengthening of trade and economic
relations. RA and Hungarian Foreign ministers agreed to speed up trade
and economic agreements’ conclusion for agreements to be signed during
RA President’s visit to Hungary.

RA FM briefed his colleague on recent developments in NKR conflict
settlement issue.

On the same day, Edward Nalbandian, accompanied by Hungary’s Armenian
community representatives, laid a wreath at Budapest memorial to
Armenian genocide victims.

E. NALBANDIAN SAYS ARMENIA EXPECTS FOR PRACTICAL STEPS FROM TURKEY

YEREVAN, JULY 3, ARMENPRESS: "If Turkey is ready to implement the
reached agreements we can only welcome. We expect for practical
steps," said the Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian during
the joint press conference with the Greek Foreign Ministry, OSCE
Chairperson-in-Office Dora Bakoyannis who is in Armenia on a regional
visit.
On the request of Armenpress commenting on the Turkish Foreign
Minister Ahmed Davudoghlu’s "Turkey is faithful to implement the
agreements reached with Armenia" statement Edward Nalbandian said: "We
can only greet such statement of the Turkish Foreign Minister as the
agreement reached between Armenia and Turkey refers to the regulation
of relations and opening of borders between Armenia and Turkey without
any preconditions."
The Minister stressed that there exists not only bilateral dialogue
but also serious negotiations the new round of which started in
September last year and on spring this year the sides came to certain
agreements.
Formerly Turkey used to impose stipulations for the Karabakh
conflict troubleshooting and recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
"When we started to conduct negotiations we reached a consensus
that we go towards the regulation of relations and opening of borders
through mutual perception and without preconditions," the Armenian
Foreign Minister said.

BRIDGES, RURAL ROADS, IRRIGATION SYSTEM, KINDERGARTENS AND OTHER FACILITIES UNDER REPAIR IN AKHALKALAK REGION

Noyan Tapan
July 2, 2009

AKHALKALAK, JULY 2, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. This year
reconstruction work will start both in the city of Akhalkalak and
regional villages with funds allocated from the state budget of
Georgia and the local budget.

A-Info news agency was informed by Head of Economic and Infrastructure
Development Service of the Akhalkalak Regional Administration Vahan
Batoyan that roads in many villages of the region, for example, those
to Gumburdo, Kirovakan, Murjakhet, Majadia, Khando are now in worse
condition than previously.

"2,500 lari was allocated to each village, 5 lari 60 tetri to each
resident from the state budget. Big villages received 5,000 lari,
Diliska received 19,000 and Khando 18,000 lari. It was up to villages
to decide what work to do with this money. Some villages repaired
their wedding halls, clubs, rural roads and irrigation networks,"
V. Batoyan said.

According to him, the bridges joining Kochio-Baralet and Kochio-Agana
villages are currently under repair as they have become almost
impassable.

In Akhalkalak, the drainage system is being repaired, and construction
of a new water-pipe is underway. The city clubs, kindergartens and
the building of "The House of Future" are being refurbished.

"50 thousand lari is envisaged for restoration of water-pipes in
villages.

Two pipes will be built for Ekhtila-Aragva-Orja villages, another
one is envisaged for Dilif-Vachian-Chamdura-Murjakhet-Kirovakan
village s. Seven schools will be repaired in Kartsakh, Bughashen,
Vachian, Dadesh, Kirovakan, Takhcha and Kochio villages, with
400 thousand lari being allocated from the state budget for this
purpose. The builders must complete work by August 25," Vahan
Batoyan said.

By the way, 120 thousand lari from the state budget has been provided
for redecoration of schools. This work will be done in those parts
of schools which are in need of care.

PUTIN TO RUSSIANS: STOP DRINKING AND GAMBLING

MINA
Wednesday, 01 July 2009

At the Metelitsa casino, the oldest private gambling house in Moscow,
which opened in 1993 after the fall of the Soviet Union, they are
packing up the card shoes and folding the gaming tables away.

Across Russia thousands of others are doing the same as a gambling
ban comes into force today. Gambling is now illegal outside special
zones in four remote regions under laws ordered by Vladimir Putin,
the Prime Minister, which have cost up to half a million jobs and
$1 billion in tax revenues. The ban spells the end of an era which
witnessed an eruption of gambling fuelled by a lawless business
culture in which fortunes were made and lost with dizzying speed.

"We can’t really believe it’s happening. We have had to make 1,000
people redundant," says Ian Livingstone, the Metelitsa’s British
general manager. "We were hoping with the current financial crisis
that there would be some leniency for two or three years, but they
didn’t do it. It’s hard to understand why this decision was made
in the first place." As a result of the new legislation, the neon
casino frontages that illuminated central Moscow’s prestigious Novy
Arbat street are dark after the Metelitsa and several of more than
500 gambling venues in the capital chose to close a day early, on
Monday night, to avoid possible police raids.

As the deadline to shut up shop approached, waitresses marked the
Metelitsa’s demise by handing out glasses of champagne to customers
who eagerly placed bets at blackjack tables and on roulette, some
spraying $500 chips across the baize. Through the cigar smoke one told
The Times: "I changed $2,000 into chips and I’m just enjoying myself
because there’ll be no more chances after today. It’s a stupid law."

Mr Putin insists that the measure will tackle a growing problem of
gambling addiction among Russians and control an industry notorious
for links with criminal gangs and moneylaundering. Critics argue
that it will do the reverse, and simply drive gambling underground
and into criminal control. Relentless police pressure had already
forced hundreds of gambling establishments to close and Moscow city
council insisted that the last 524 would shut by today. The city’s
coffers stand to lose almost $200 million in annual tax revenues as
a result. Many casino operators plan to leave Russia, arguing that
Government gambling zones – in the Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, the
Altai region of Siberia, the Far East area of Primoriye and around the
Sea of Azov in southern Krasnodar region – will need $40 billion in
investment to turn them into the Russian equivalents of Las Vegas,
Atlantic City or Monte Carlo. Mr Livingstone said that Metelitsa
would examine opportunities in Kazakhstan, while others are looking
to Armenia and Georgia.

WHETHER COOPERATION PLATFORM FOR ARMENIAN OPPOSITION BE FORMED?

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
30.06.2009 23:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Opposition political forces, Armenian National
Congress (ANC) and "Heritage" have already formed a platform to
cooperate with other forces. ARF Dashnaktsutyun has its program
which is focused on national and social issues and democratic values,
ARF Armen Rustamyan, MP of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun fraction of the RA
National Assembly told a press conference in Yerevan today.

According to him, it is not yet clear what will be cooperation between
oposition forces like. "Time will tell, but one thing is clear:
in any case, the issue of recognizing the independence of Nagorno
Karabakh is out of court," Mr. Rustamyan concluded.

A TECHNICAL SECURITY CONCEPT TO BE WORKED OUT IN ARMENIA

ARMENPRESS
June 29, 2009

YEREVAN, JUNE 29, ARMENPRESS: The working group of drafting of the
technical security concept has summoned today its first session
chaired by the secretary of Armenian National Security Council, head
of the interdepartmental commission for the coordination of Armenian
cooperation with the European institutions Arthur Baghdasaryan.

Press service of the National Security Council told Armenpress that
Arthur Baghdasaryan noted that the drafting of the concept is intended
by the "National Security Strategy" and "Armenia-EU" 2009-2011 plan of
actions and stressed the importance of formation of a modern concept
of technical security as well as the study of existing best European
experience in this sphere and the improvement of the legal field.

During the session a decision has been made through the cooperation
with European experts and in utmost brief terms to work out a draft
concept and legal acts based on it and to present it to the approval
according to the fixed order.

NATO MUST EXPRESS STRICT POSITION ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT: FIRST VICE-SPEAKER OF AZERBAIJANI PARLIAMENT

Trend
June 25, 2009 Thursday 1:06 PM GMT +4
Azerbaijan

If NATO is willing to cooperate with Azerbaijan, the alliance must
assist in releasing territories occupied by Armenia, the first vice
speaker of the Azerbaijani Milli Mejlis Ziyafet Askerov said.

"NATO remains aloof. We are told that OSCE Minsk Group deals with
this issue. But unfortunately Minsk Group gives no results. My point
of view is the following, NATO must express its strict position
regarding Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," Askerov told Trend News in
Astana on June 25.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and 7 districts surrounding
Nagorno-Karabakh. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia,
France, and the U.S. – are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Basis of cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO was laid by
signing frame document -Partnership for Peace program on May 4,
1994. Azerbaijna was one of 27 members-states of OSCE. Azerbaijan
became one of participants of this program.

Official document was signed within Partnership for Peace
program determining concrete directions of interaction in April
1996. Presently, Azerbaijan fulfills over 50 partner tasks in
accordance with this program.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed the decree Approval of
plan of actions on individual partnership of the Azerbaijani Republic
with NATO on August 3, 2005.

Presently, cooperation is conducted within the second stage of Plan
of actions on individual partnership of the Azerbaijani Republic
with NATO.