Author: Kharatian Ani

PRESS RELEASE April 10, 2006
Embassy of the Republic of Armenia
2225 R Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20008
Tel: 202-319-1976, x. 348; Fax: 202-319-2982
Email: [email protected] ;Web:

Vahram Nercissiantz Addresses Carnegie Endowment on Armenian Economy

On April 6, 2006, Mr. Vahram Nercissiantz, Chief Economic Adviser to the
President of Armenia, presented the current state and future prospects of
the Armenian economy at the Carnegie Endowment in Washington, D.C. In his
address, entitled `Armenian Economic Reforms: Results and Challenges,’ Mr.
Nercissiantz explained the nature of economic reforms implemented in Armenia
since independence and presented its main achievements, such as economic
growth and liberalization. He noted that Armenia was ahead of neighboring
Georgia and Azerbaijan in terms of economic indicators even though Armenia’s
economic growth occurred without the benefit of oil resources or transit
opportunities, and in the presence of economic blockade.

Mr. Nercissiantz also noted that Armenia’s economic progress is acknowledged
by the international financial institutions, as well as in the annual Index
of Economic Freedom by the Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal.
The latter ranked Armenia considerably higher than that of any CIS country
or any of its neighbors. In the Q&A following his remarks, Mr. Nercissiantz
also addressed issues of energy security, foreign trade, and cooperation
with the Millennium Challenge Corporation.

The presentation was attended by economic experts from Washington-based
think tanks, representatives from the World Bank, IMF, State Department,
Department of Commerce, MCC, as well as the diplomatic corps.

AZG Armenian Daily #064, 08/04/2006

Foreign policy

VARTAN OSKANIAN: ARMENIA ISN’T GOING TO LEAVE CIS

According to the schedule of his visit to Russia,
today, Vartan Oskanian, RA Foreign Minister, will meet
with his Russian colleague Sergey Ivanov. Mr. Oskanian
has already met with Igor Ivanov, Secretary of RF
Security Coiuncil, and Yuri Merzliakov, the Russian
Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk group.

Oskanian stated in Moscow that Armenia continues
participating in the arrangements within the framework
of CIS. He said this in response to the forecasts of
some experts that state that Armenia is going to limit
cooperation with the CIS member states.

In his turn, Mr. Merzliakov said after the meeting
with Mr. Oskanian in the interview to “Liberty” Radio
Station, that he had quite an interesting and fruitful
conversation with Mr. Oskanian about the settlement of
Nagorno Karabakh issue. “I representted the plans of
the Co-Chairs to Mr. Oskanian, while he represented
the official position of Armenia on the issue. The
details will be known after the meeting of Mr.
Oskanian with Mr. Lavrov,” Mr. Merzliakov said. . He
added that the OSCE Minsk group Co-Chairs are likely
to visit Yerevan and Baku in mid May.

By Aghavni Haroutiunian

PanARMENIAN.Net

Ghukasyan Noted Stepanakert Participation in Karabakh Talks Necessity

08.04.2006 21:35 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic
Arkady Ghukasyan met with EU Special Representative for the South
Caucasus Peter Semneby in Yerevan. During the meeting the parties
presented their approaches to the latest developments in the
settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and possible activation of
EU role in the peace process. Ghukasyan noted it was necessary to
sustain the cease-fire regime and provide for Nagorno Karabakh direct
participation in the talks.

TWO DRAFT DECISIONS ON APPROVAL OF PENSION REFORM STRATEGY TO BE
SUBMITTED TO ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT

YEREVAN, APRIL 7, NOYAN TAPAN. A draft decision on approval of the
pension reform strategy in Armenia must be submitted to the RA
government until July 20. In accordance with reforms, a mixed system
of pension security shall be introduced in the country, with the
pension system being composed of three components: state, compulsory
cumulative and voluntary pension insurance. Vazgen Khachikian,
Chairman of the RA State Social Insurance Fund, told NT correspondent
that two versions of the draft decision are being developed – one by
the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA), and another – by the Ministry of
Labor and Social Issues. According to the ministry’s draft, it is
necessary to introduce a conditional cumulative system in Armenia and
then gradually shift to a cumulative or mostly cumulative
system. Under the draft developed by the CBA, the pension reforms will
not be complete without the prevalence of the cumulative element. In
the opinion of V. Khachikian, the CBA proposal presupposes a more
rapid process of reforms, while the ministry’s version – a more
cautious one.

NEGOTIATIONS AROUND GAS PRICE WITH RUSSIAN SIDE COMPLETED

Noyan Tapan
Apr 05 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 6, NOYAN TAPAN. The negotiations around an increase
in the gas price with the Russian side have been completed, and the
tariff of 1,000 cubic meters of the gas imported into Armenia has
become 110 dollars since April 1. Shushan Sardarian, spokeswoman
for ArmRusgasprom, told NT correspondent about it. NT correspondent
failed to get the RA government’s comments on the matter. To recap,
in response to a question of NT correspondent, RA Defence Minister,
Armenian Co-Chairman of the Armenian-Russian Intergovernmental
Commission on Economic Cooperation Serge Sargsian said on March 31
that the tariff of gas supplied by Russia to Armenia would not become
110 USD from April 1.

Prior to that, the Armenian Prime Minister had stated that in case
of an increase in the gas price the government will take steps to
compensate the population for it.

PROSECUTOR DEMANDED LIFE SENTENCE

Lragir.am
04.04.2006

On April 4 the recurrent sitting for the trial of the Azerbaijani
officer Ramil Safarov indicted for the assassination of the Armenian
officer Gurgen Margaryan took place. The prosecutor stated that at the
moment of committing the crime the murderer was sane. The prosecutor
demanded a life sentence for Safarov, without the right for pardon
for 30 years. According to him, it is the harshest punishment by
the Hungarian criminal code. The prosecutor started his speech with
the statement that by this monstrous murder Ramil Safarov disgraced
the honor of Hungary as a host country. According to the prosecutor,
on arriving in Hungary Gurgen Margaryan did not think that he would
not be able to return home, he did not think that his life would be
endangered in Hungary. After the prosecutor’s speech, the defender
and the defendant pronounced their final speeches. The verdict will
be passed on April 13.

“ARMENIAN CONSTITUTIONS CALLS NOT TO RECOGNIZE BORDER WITH TURKEY,” TURKISH POLITICIAN SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.04.2006 23:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ International observers expect Turkey to open border
with Armenia, Turkish PM’s Advisor on External Relations, MP Egemen
Bagis said, when Addressing the External Relations Council of New
York. “We recognize Armenia as an independent state.

We do not have diplomatic relations, but we respect Armenians’ right to
independence, equally as that of all other former Soviet republics,”
Turkish PM’s Advisor said. He remarked that Turkey does not open
its border with Armenia and does not establish diplomatic relations,
as Armenia does not recognize those borders. “Armenian Constitutions
calls not to recognize border with Turkey,” Bagis said.

In his words, based on studies carried out by a research center
in Istanbul under his charge, over 50 thousand Armenians live in
Turkey at present, most of them illegally. Turkish PM’s Advisor says
Armenians mainly work in Turkish families as nurses. “We trust the
dearest to Armenians – our children. This means people have no hatred
and this proves our peoples have much in common,” Turkish PM’s Advisor
underscored, reports RFE/RL.

BAKU UNDAUNTED BY FRONTLINE SHOOTING, OFFICIAL SAYS

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 4 2006

Baku, April 3, AssA-Irada
The latest chain of ceasefire violations on the front-line is nothing
but provocation, Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov has said.

He said Armenia has to understand that Baku cannot conduct negotiations
in a way that does not meet its own interests.

“Further efforts will be made to bring about a peace settlement to
the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict but the opposing party has
to realize that although Azerbaijan does adhere to a negotiated
settlement, everything will depend on the efficiency of the
talks. It is meaningless to conduct negotiations only for the sake
of negotiating. Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated that,” Azimov said.

KARABAKH DENIES SHELLING AZERBAIJAN’S ARMY POSITIONS
by Tigran Liloyan

ITAR-TASS News Agency
April 3, 2006 Monday 08:31 AM EST

One Azerbaijanian serviceman was killed and another was injured when
national army positions were shelled in the Fizulinsky district in
the southwest of the country, spokesman for the Azerbaijan’s Defense
Ministry Ilgar Verdiyev told Itar-Tass in Baku on Monday. A Nagorno
Karabakh official denied the report.

Verdiyev claimed shooting had come from the occupied parts of the
Fizulinsky district. Seven Azerbaijanian servicemen have died and 11
have been wounded in the zone of the Karabakh conflict since early
March, according to him.

Spokesman for the Defense Ministry of the self-proclaimed
Nagorno-Karabakh republic Lt-Col Senor Asratyan told Tass the
information given by Azerbaijan’s military does not correspond
to reality.

A mine exploded on the southwestern stretch of the contact line between
Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh on Sunday, in which Azerbaijanian
troops might have been hurt.

“In actual fact, the military leadership of Azerbaijan is trying to put
the responsibility on Karabakh or Armenia for its inept administration
of troops,” Asratyan said.

SOAD TO LAUNCH WASHINGTON CAMPAIGN FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RECOGNITION

Yerkir
04.04.2006 14:00

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Serj Tankian and John Dolmayan of the Grammy
Award-winning band System of a Down will travel to Washington, DC
on April 24th for a three-day campaign to urge Speaker of the House
Dennis Hastert and other Congressional leaders to end their complicity
in Turkey’s ongoing denial of the Armenian Genocide.

On the evening of Monday, April 24th – starting at 5:00pm – the
multi-Platinum-selling group members will join with the Armenian
National Committee of America and Armenian Youth Federation in leading
a grassroots demonstration outside the gates of the Turkish Embassy.

The Turkish government, through its Embassy in Washington, spends
millions of dollars each year to bully, threaten, and blackmail the
U.S. government not to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

The band members will devote Tuesday, April 25th to providing
interviews to the political media in Washington, and, in the evening,
hosting a Congressional screening of “Screamers,” a new documentary
by filmmaker Carla Garapedian about the band’s worldwide campaign
for Armenian Genocide recognition.

On Wednesday April 26th, System will meet with key Members of Congress
to urge them to allow a vote on legislation recognizing the Armenian
Genocide, and – at 5:30pm – will participate in the annual Capitol
Hill commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. This event, now in its
11th year, is regularly attended by over 30 Members of Congress,
diplomats, ethnic community leaders, human rights activists, genocide
prevention advocates, and Armenian Americans from across the country.