Author: Tambiyan Samvel

BULGARIA’S PRIME MINISTER ARRIVING IN ARMENIA

armradio.am
13.11.2007 10:47

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria Sergey Stanishev is
arriving in Armenia today on an official visit.

The delegation headed by the Prime Minister of Bulgaria comprises
the Ambassador of Bulgaria to Armenia Stefan Dimitrov, Chairman of
the "Coalition for Bulgaria" parliamentary group, Chairman of the
Deputy Friendship Group with Armenia Ruben Krikorian, Head of Prime
Minister’s Staff Phillipe Bukov, President of the State Agency for
Sport and youth Affairs Vesela Lecheva, Secretary for Foreign Policy
Emil Vilev, Deputy Foreign Minister Evgenia Koldanova, Deputy Minister
of Economy and Energy Yavor Kuyumjiev, other officials.

During the offciial visit Sergey Stanishev will have meetings with
RA President Robert Kocharyan, Speaker of the National Assembly
Tigran Torosyan, Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan and the Catholicos
of All Armenians Garegin II. The Bulgarian Prime Minister will visit
Tsitsernakaberd and will lay a wreath of flowers at the memorial to the
Armenian Genocide victims. In the Yerevan State University he will meet
with the faculty and students. Mr. Stanishev will visit the Armenian
Union of Cultural ties to meet with members of the Armenian-Bulgarian
Friendship Group and representatives of the Bulgarian community.

The Prime Minister will also visit Matenadaran, the secondary school
#131 after P. Yavorov, the Yerevan Brandy Factory, and the Treasury
and Cathedral of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

EBRD ADVISES ARMENIA TO CONDUCT MORE EFFICIENT COMPETITION POLICY

Noyan Tapan
Nov 12 2007

LONDON, NOVEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN. In its report on transitional
countries, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
advises Armenia to improve the business environment and conduct a more
effiecient competition policy with the aim of making the country’s
industry more diverse, Radio Liberty reported.

"Foreign and local companies continue meeting obstacles in entering the
main branches of the Armenian economy, which impedes fair competition,"
the report says. "Lack of competition has been registered, especially
in the market of goods in great demand, mainly for the reason that
some monopolies control the import of consumer goods".

The report reminds that in the past, Armenia was ranked among the
CIS countries where it is advisable to do business. However, the
last report of Transparency International organization on the fight
against corruption says that the index of corruption perception has
grown in Armenia in the past three years, EBRD says.

As for the indices of the economic growth registered in 2006 and
in the first six months of this year, the report states that the
large-scale construction (mainly done with funds transferred from
abroad) in the country is the driving force of this growth. Instead,
a bit of stagnation has been observed in the industry and agriculture.

"As a whole, the market of goods in great demand continues to be
limited – due to the absence of relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan,"
the EBRD report says, adding that this is one of the main obstacles
to the development of entreprenuership, and not only for the reason
that Armenian goods are deprived of the opportunity to enter a large
market and the transport costs are increasing but also because the
dependence on donors and international financial bodies providing
money on concessional terms is growing.

According to the EBRD report, unlike in other transitional countries,
in Armenia salaries remain low and at the same time, the low index
of tax collection continues to be a cause for concern.

ISSUE OF ELECTION OF VICE SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT ENVISAGED TO BE DISCUSSED IN NOVEMBER 12 SITTING OF RA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Noyan Tapan
Nov 12 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN. The issue of the election of the
Vice Speaker of the RA National Assembly is envisaged to be discussed
on November 12: on the first day of the regular plenary four-day
sittings of the RA National Assembly.

In general, there are about sixty issues and 17 international treaties
submitted for approval by the RA President on the agenda.

The 2008 draft state budget, the 2008 activity programs of the state
commissions for Protection of RA Economic Competition and Regulation
of RA Public Services, the reports on the RA Central Bank, the Council
of the Public TV Radio Company, the activities of the RA Human Rights
Defender and the violation of Human Rights and Basic Freedoms in the
country, as well as the 2006 report of the NA Control Chamber are
included on the agenda.

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT SETS RULES FOR WORKING OUT PROGRAM OF SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL REHABILITATION OF CHILDREN

ARKA
Nov 9, 2007

YEREVAN, November 9. /ARKA/. Armenian government set Thursday rules
for working out a program of social and psychological rehabilitation
of children living in extraordinary situations.

Govenrmental press office told ARKA News Agency on Thursday that
the program targets children having social, health, educational and
psychological problems and facing difficulties in integration in
the society.

At its Thursday’s session, the government gave instruction to social
and education ministries to set criteria for gauging needs of such
children.

Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan stressed that considerable financial
means are earmarked for this program implementation and said that
the government will do whatever necessary to ensure effective and
spending of this money.

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT PROPOSES TOUGHENING PUNITIVE MEASURES FOR ECONOMIC CRIMES

Noyan Tapan
Nov 8, 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 8, NOYAN TAPAN. At the November 8 sitting, the
Armenian government approved the draft law on making amendments and
additions to the RA Criminal Code. The RA deputy prosecutor general
Mnatsakan Sargsian said after the sitting that the adoption of the law
is conditioned by the necessity to change the penal policy conducted in
the fight against crimes aimed against economic activity. According to
him, by these amendments, it is envisaged to use a fine in the amount
of three thousand minimum salaries instead of a thousand minimum
salaries as the upper limit of the fine and 3-5 years imprisonmet
instead of the current 2-4 years’ imprisonment as administrative
penalty in case of an economic crime.

According to statistics, 137 economic crimes were registered last year,
which was twice as many as in 2005.

By the way, M. Sargsian said that the ground for opening a criminal
case against the director of Pizza di Roma company was the fact that
evasion of taxes of 15 million drams (about 45 thousand dollars)
was revealed only at one of the seven facilities owned by the company.

"THIS TIME AUTHORITIES WILL NOT MANAGE TO FALSIFY ELECTIONS," RA FIRST PRESIDENT IS CONVINCED

Noyan Tapan
Nov 7, 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN. The authorities will not hold
the forthcoming presidential elections according to their habit,
that is to say, by making falsifications. This statement was made by
Levon Ter-Petrosian, the first President of the Republic of Armenia,
during the meeting with the young held in the "Armenia-Marriott"
hotel of Yerevan on November 3. "I think, the things will not go so
far, we will not allow any falsification.

That depends on you as well: if each of us becomes a soldier, a
devotee of this case, they can do nothing," he said. According to
Levon Ter-Petrosian, that process should be launched not after but
before the elections.

"We ourselves will make no falsification, we do not need that. We
defeated the communist authorities not only due to being very
organized but respecting the letter of the law up to the end. We
should struggle against them that very way: let them infringe the law,
let them infringe the law day and night. Evil always has an end,
they did it for ten days, this time they will not manage," Levon
Ter-Petrosian made assertions.

IRAN AND ARMENIA DEFENSE MINISTERS CALL FOR MORE MILITARY TIES SERVICE: FOREIGN POLICY

ISNA
Service: Foreign Policy
Nov 7, 2007
Tehran

TEHRAN, Nov. 07 (ISNA)-Iran defense minister and his Armenian
counterpart emphasized on broadening military, industrial and technical
ties in a meeting in Yerevan.

Brigadier General, Mustafa Mohammad Najar said the geopolitical
situation of Iran and Armenia in this region and the positive record
of cooperation in the past among many other factors, prepare the
ground for further expansion of relations.

Strengthening multilateral ties with neighboring countries is one
of the principles of Iran’s foreign policy, he said while reminding
that bilateral ties between Iran and each of the regional countries
are in favor of peace and stability of the region.

"Expansion of constructive talks whether at regional or international
level is the common need of countries which are after preserving
their identity and independency within the framework of pursuing
localization of regional security," he added.

The Armenian defense minister, Mikayel Harutyunyan for his part
while appreciating Iran for its influential role in restoring peace
and stability in Caucasus region said strengthening Tehran-Yerevan
relations supports both countries and the region’s interests.

AZERBAIJANI, ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MAY MEET IN MADRID

Trend
07.11.07 14:08

Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend E.Huseynov / The next meeting of the
Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers to discuss a peaceful
resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict might be held in Madrid
late this November.

"The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs proposed holding the meeting in Madrid
at the end of November as part of a meeting of the OSCE. Presently,
I am waiting for news from the co-chairs on further plans," said
Elmar Mammadyarov, the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister, in an interview
with Trend.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus region
began in 1988 as a result of Armenian territorial claims against
Azerbaijan. Since 1992, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20%
of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven
surrounding districts. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a
ceasefire agreement, at which time active hostilities ended. The
Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group ( Russia, France, and the US)
are currently holding peaceful negotiations.

The minister said he was waiting for a reply from the co-chairs
after their most recent tour of Azerbaijan. "They left Azerbaijan
for Armenia, intending to continue the tour of diplomacy. However,
no news is forthcoming about the co-chairs’ activities and it seems
their talks in Yerevan were unsuccessful," the minister said.

With respect to a statement by Matthew Bryza, the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chair, on the possibility of achieving an agreement between
the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan before the presidential
elections in Armenia on May 2008, the minister said that that this
is a hypothetical issue and it is difficult to comment on it. There
is willingness on our side. If we can reach an agreement and the
Armenian side has a political will, of course, it can be signed.

NUMBER OF THOSE APPLYING FOR PLASTIC SURGERY GROWING YEAR AFTER YEAR IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Nov 5, 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 5, NOYAN TAPAN. The first conference of the
pastic surgeons of Armenia started its proceedings in Tsakhkadzor on
November 2 and was attended by specialists from Switzerland, Russia,
the Ukraine, and Georgia. As Armen Hovhannisian, the Chairman of the
Armenian Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons,
mentioned, reports dedicated to subjects on the plastic surgery of
face, breast, deformation of body outlines, as well as medicinal
cosmetology will be introduced during the conference. According to
him, the up-to-date issues, as well as the development prospects of
the plastic surgery will be discussed.

Armen Hovhannisian stated that the number of those, who apply for
plastic surgery, is growing year after year in Armenia. According
to bim, they mainly apply for changing the form and size of the nose
and breast.

It was also mentioned that the Armenian Association of Plastic
Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons has become member of the World
Association of Plastic Sergeons this year.

IRAN’S DEFENSE MINISTER TO VISIT ARMENIA

Press TV, Iran
Nov 4 2007

Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Mohammad-Najjar Iran’s Defense
Minister, Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar, is to visit Armenia to discuss
the latest developments in the world and region.

The Iranian minister, who will head a high-ranking defense delegation,
is scheduled to hold talks with Armenian President Robert Kocharian,
Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan, and Minister of Defense Michael
Harutyunyan.

The Defense Ministry said on Sunday that Brigadier General
Mohammad-Najjar will also discuss Tehran-Yerevan bilateral ties.

The Iranian official’s visit that is scheduled for November 6, is
taking place at the invitation of his Armenian counterpart.