Author: Talalian Arpi

MANOYAN: SAAKASHVILI DOES NOT DESERVE A MEDAL

Yerkir
26.06.2009 15:41

Yerevan (Yerkir) – Kiro Manoyan, the director of the ARF Bureau’s Hay
Dat and Political Affairs Office, has said that awarding Saakashvili
a medal was merely in return to the medal that Serzh Sargsyan was
awarded in Georgia.

Manoyan told a news conference today that Saakashvili has not done
anything for Javakhk to deserve a medal. In fact, the former and the
incumbent Georgian leaderships, as well as the opposition forces in
Georgia, have been working towards changing the demographic picture
in Javakhk. Saakashvili says that the most investments in the recent
years were made in Javakhk.

They speak of constructing a new hydro power plant and a new railway
in Javakhk but they bring workers from other parts of Georgia while
there are many workers in Javakhk who need jobs.

"We should make the Georgian political elites understand that Javakhk
must be the strongest binding element in the good relations between
Armenia and Georgia, but today, it actually is the weakest part,"
Manoyan said.

As for the clashes between the protesters and the police outside the
Armenia Marriott Hotel, he said that there was a political decision to
spare Saakashvili from seeing any protester. He added that there was
no security problem and "the police could have treated people better."

EU READY TO TALKS WITH IRAN ON NUCLEAR PROGRAM

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
29.06.2009 10:25 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ EU is ready to restart talks with Iran on its
nuclear program, EU Foreign Policy Commissioner Caviar Solana told.

According to him, EU is ready to that step despite the methods of
repression of protests after presidential elections. "EU does not
intend to interfere with internal affairs of the near east country,
" Mr.Solana stressed, Associated Press reports.

In June 12 presidential elections in Iran, incumbent President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad received 62.63 per cent of votes. His main rival –
Mir-Hossein Musavi, received 33.75 per cent of votes. Mousavi declared
of his victory before the publication of official results, and later
accused authorities of ballot rigging. Pro-opposition figures clashed
against law enforcers in Tehran. Protest rallies have continued in
Tehran and other big cities of Iran for several days and become the
most large-scale for the last 30 years of Islamic state’s history.

11 films to be screened during Golden Apricot International Film
Contest
27.06.2009 17:39 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Golden Apricot 6th international film festival has
selected 11 films to be featured in the `International feature
competition’ from 12 till 19 July in Yerevan.
The jury consists of 6 specialists from the following countries:
Kouyou Oguri (Japan), Albert Vidershpil (Hamburg Film Festival
Director, Germany), Paco Poch (film producer, Spain), Erik Poghosyan
(actor-scenario writer, USA), Nana Djordjadze (director, Georgia) and
Arsine Khandjyan (actress, Canada).
Within contest frameworks, the following films will be featured:
Autumn (Ozcan Alper, Turkey), Be Calm and Count to Seven (Ramtin
Lavafipour, Iran), Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly (Edwin, Indonesia),
Prince of Broadway (Sean Baker, US), Scratch (Michal Rosa, Poland),
Room and a Half (Andrei Khrzhanovsky, Russia). The program also
includes films of joint production (Be Good, Another Bank, Opium War,
Looking for Palladin).

NUMBER OF REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS DOWN TO 11,400 IN ARMENIA IN MAY

ARKA
June 26, 2009

YEREVAN, June 26. /ARKA/. Number of real estate transactions reduced
by 13.3% down to 11,400 in Armenia in May 2009 as compared with the
same period of last year.

As compared with April the number of real estate transactions grew
by 0.3% in May, says the report of Armenia’s State Committee for Real
Estate Cadastre.

The highest number of transactions was recorded in Yerevan in the
reporting month – 36.7% of the overall number with the lowest level
recorded in Vayots Dzor region – 1.3%.

12% of the overall number of deals was recorded in Ararat region in the
period, 11.6% in Kotayk region, 8.3% in Lori region, 6.1% in Shirak
region, 5.9% in Armavir region, 5.5% – in Gegharkunik region, 5.2%
in Aragatsotn region, 3.9% in Siunik region and 3.5% in Tavush region.

According to the report, 25.3% of the overall number of real
estate transactions was on property alienation, 18.5% – on primary
registration of real estate, 13.2% – on inheritance, 10.6% – on rent
and 9.4% on mortgage.

Privatization deals constituted only 0.1% of the overall number;
the remaining 22.9% were state registrations.

DURING THE FIVE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR "ZVARTNOTS" INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IMPLEMENTS 2,977 FLIGHT-LANDINGS

ARMENPRESS
June 26, 2009

YEREVAN, JUNE 26, ARMENPRESS: During the first five months of this year
the "Zvartnots" international airport implements 2,977 flight-landings
instead of the 3,278 of the same period last year. Press service
of the Government-affiliated Chief Department of Civil Aviation
told Armenpress that during the same period the overall passenger
transportation of the airport reached 446,910 instead of the 479,086
of the January-May of the last year.

During the mentioned period through the "Zvartnots" airport 202,619
people arrived and 244,291 people left the country. The volumes of
exported cargos reached 658 tons instead of the 1,026 of the last year;
the volumes of the imported cargos reached 1,796 tons instead of the
2,419 for the five months of the last year.

The number of flight-landings of the Gyumri "Shirak" airport during
January-May reached 69 instead of the 60 for the same period last year.

Through the airport 3,006 people arrived in the republic and 4,602 left
it. The general passenger transportations of "Shirak" airport for this
year reached 7,608 instead of the 8,399 of the same period last year.

RUSSIA READY TO BECOME KARABAKH SETTLEMENT GUARANTOR – FOREIGN MINISTRY

Interfax
June 26 2009
Russia

The final solution to the Karabakh problem must be found by the
conflicting parties, a source at the Russian Foreign Ministry’s
information and press department told Interfax on Thursday.

"We are ready to support a solution acceptable for all sides and to
become a settlement guarantor in case of a compromise," he said.

"Russia opposes attempts by external forces to push a Karabakh
solution," the source said.

"A solution that will not turn the region into an area of military
and political confrontation but will ensure peace and stability will
be viable," the source said.

OSCE CHAIRPERSON-IN-OFFICE TO VISIT ARMENIA

armradio.am
26.06.2009 16:56

June 2-3 the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Greek Foreign Minister Dora
Bakoyannis will pay a working visit to Armenia at the invitation of
the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian.

Within the framework of the visit the Foreign Minister of Greece
is expected to meet Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian.

WHEAT PRICES WILL BE CONTROLED

NKR Government Information and Public Relations Department
June 23, 2009

On June 22, the NKR Prime Minister conducted a conference with
chiefs of wheat storing and processing organizations and discussed
problems connected with realization of the forthcoming harvest. The
Prime Minister announced that on the assumption of the existent
market reality it is necessary to buy wheat, having enough cleanness
degree, from Artsakhi land users at the price of 105 drams per a kilo
and prevent drop of prices during the harvesting period. Hope was
expressed that the responsible persons of the sphere will not rise
in prices on domestic production flour and no artificial tension in
the market will be created.

The NKR Minister of Agriculture A.Tsatryan and A.Balayan Chief of
the State Tax Service adjunct to the NKR Government were present at
the conference.

AZERBAIJANI GREEN PARTY SUPPORTS PEOPLE’S DIPLOMACY TO SOLVE NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT

Trend
June 24 2009
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani Green party supports people’s diplomacy in solving
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

"It is necessary to make concrete actions to solve Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict peacefully. Meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian communities
of Nagorno-Karabakh is one of actions towards settlement of
conflict peacefully. But these meetings must be held to achieve
concrete results," Green Party chairman Mais Gulaliyev said at the
press-conference on June 24.

Representatives of both countries’ intelligentsia paid visits
to Hankendi, Yerevan and Baku upon the initiative of Azerbaijani
ambassador to Russia Polad Bulbuloglu and Armenian ambassador to Russia
Armen Smbatyan on June 28, 2007. Azerbaijani delegation included Polad
Bulbuloglu, Farhad Badalbeyli, Kamal Abdulla, Azer Pasha Nematov and
Ilham Fataliyev. Next visit is planned to be held in July 2009.

Communities of Azerbaijan and Armenia must be closer to solve
conflict peacefully, chairman said. "Mutual meetings are bridge to
be closer. Intelligentsia of Azerbaijan and Armenia can agree upon
refusal from propaganda of mutual hostility," he said.

Azerbaijani Green Party was created in 2007. The party has not passed
state registration in the ministry of justice yet.

ISSUE OF ACTIVITY OF ARMENIA’S DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS ALSO TO BE DISCUSSED AT PACE SESSION TO BE CONVENED ON JUNE 22

Noyan Tapan
22.06.2009

In addition to other issues, the issue of fulfillment process of the
demands of PACE Resolutions N 1609, 1620 adopted in 2008 and N 1643
adopted at 2009 January session on activity of democratic institutions
in Armenia is included in the preliminary variant of agenda of PACE
summer session to be convened on June 22-26 in Strasbourg. It will
be discussed at the June 24 plenary sitting.

Before that, at the PACE Monitoring Committee June 22 sitting,
Co-rapporteurs John Prescott (United Kingdom) and George Colombier
(France) will present their report. It should be mentioned that at the
Monitoring Committee sitting held on June 5 in Paris the Co-rapporteurs
had presented their preliminary commentaries and estimations on the
process of resolutions’ fulfillment, without a draft resolution,
conclusion, and proposals. Discussion of the complete report was
envisaged after the June 15-18 visit of Co-rapporteurs to Armenia.

It should be mentioned that the Armenian delegation will take part in
the session with its complete staff. It is envisaged that RA NA Speaker
Hovik Abrahamian will be also present at issue’s discussion. As Noyan
Tapan correspondent was informed by the delegation, a change took
place in delegation’s staff: on the occasion of assuming diplomatic
work Bargavach Hayastan faction former member Avet Adonts was replaced
by member of the same faction Armen Melikian.

According to the report of PACE official website, discussion on human
rights condition held once every two years, from point of view of
liquidation of impunity and Assembly observation process, is one of
the pivotal events of the summer session. It is also mentioned that a
ceremony of handing Assembly Award on Human Rights will be held for
the first time. Election of a new Secretary General is envisaged at
the PACE June 23 sitting.