Author: Tashjian Arbi

IMF FORECASTS MORE THAN 10% GROWTH OF ECONOMY IN ARMENIA IN 2006-2007

Panorama.am
14:38 19/06/06

More than 10% growth of economy will be observed in Armenia in
2006-2007, Rodrigo de Rato, IMF Director-Manager told a press
conference in Yerevan.

In his words, IMF underestimated the pace of economic development in
Armenia while forecasting GDP growth of 6-8%. Being without natural
resources, Armenia reached high economic indicators which testifies
about the effectiveness of its economy. "Compared to other regional
countries Armenia is developing much faster," he stressed.

In the opinion of IMF Director-Manager, growth of more than 10% and
low level of inflation are indicators which can serve as basis for
further stable growth of the Armenian economy.

Rodrigo de Rato also noted that the reforms implemented in the country
are directed to bringing the legislation of Armenia in compliance
with EU standards which makes it possible for the country to compete
in the world.

GDP growth of 13.9% was reported in Armenia in 2005 against 10.1%
in 2004.

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER DID NOT DEPRIVE TURKISH DIPLOMAT OF CAR
AND BODYGUARDS

Yerevan, June 17. ArmInfo. Armenian Parliament Speaker Tigran Torossyan
refutes pointblank the reports by Azeri and Turkish media that during
a visit to Yerevan Turkish diplomat, NATO official Vahid Erdem "was
deprived of car and bodyguards."

"This is one more absurd misinformation. They present everything the
way they would like it to be," Armenian Parliament Speaker Tigran
Torossyan says to ArmInfo.

To remind, referring to Turkish media Trend news agency (Baku) reports
Torossyan to allegedly demand that Erdem recognize the Armenian
Genocide and to deprive him of car and bodyguards when he said that
there was no Armenian Genocide and that it is just an ideological
tale. As a result, Erdem was allegedly forced to go to the airport
by taxi and to check-in with other passengers.

Torossyan refutes this and says that in Yerevan Erdem was treated
the same way as all the other delegates.

ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN BUSINESS FORUM POSTPONED

ArmRadio.am
15.06.2006 13:48

The Armenian-Russian business forum scheduled June 30, 2006 has been
postponed till November, President of the Union of Manufacturers and
Entrepreneurs of Armenia Arsen Ghazaryan told "Arminfo." According to
him, the delay of the forum is connected solely with organizational
reasons, since the period of summer holidays is ahead. Arsen Ghazaryan
said it is early to tell what issues of importance for Armenia will
be discussed during the forum.

AUA HOSTS SEISMIC WORKSHOP

Armenpress
Jun 15 2006

YEREVAN, JUNE 15, ARMENPRESS: About 40 experts from 9 countries –
Armenia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, and
USA are attending an International Workshop on Base Isolated High-Rise
Buildings that opened today in the American University of Armenia.

The workshop, organized in collaboration with the Armenian Association
for Earthquake Engineering, will end on June 17. It provides
an opportunity for the exchange of updated, detailed information
concerning the state-of-the-art on the development and applications
of the innovative anti-seismic techniques for high-rise buildings.

Topics covered by the Yerevan Workshop are base and roof isolation,
passive energy dissipation, systems formed by innovative anti-seismic
devices, active, semi-active and hybrid control of seismic and
non-seismic vibrations of high-rise buildings.

Armenia was the first among developing nations to exploit the
technology of seismic isolation, and the only such country to have
supported substantial improvement in the technology, especially for
apartments, schools, hospitals and high-rise buildings. Armenia ahs
also pioneered the practice of retrofitting buildings for seismic
isolation and the base and roof without vacating residents or
terminating maintenance.

One day, namely June 17, 2006 will be devoted to Technical Visits to
construction sites in Yerevan.

Participants will be acquainted with base isolated high-rise buildings,
which are currently under construction.

NKR MFA URGES TO HOLD CRISIS MONITORING OF ZONE ADJACENT TO AZERBAIJAN

Yerkir
16.06.2006 15:02

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – On June 15, 2006, the NKR Ministry of Foreign
Affairs turned to the Office of the Personal Representative of the
OSCE CiO with a demand to conduct a crisis monitoring in the zone
near Azerbaijan.

The monitoring should be held to assess the real situation on the spot
and refute the accusations of the Azeri party on the arsons allegedly
taken place on the territories controlled by Nagorno Karabakh, NKR
Deputy Foreign Minister Masis Mailyan stated, reported the NKR MFA
press office. The NKR MFA expressed readiness to render assistance to
the OSCE Mission in conducting the monitoring and ensure the security
of its participants on the territories controlled by the NKR.

"I would like to remind that a few years ago the leadership of
the Nagorno Karabakh Republic via the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs
proposed the Azerbaijani party to work out a bilateral mechanism
as one of the steps on establishing confidence for coordinating the
efforts on joint solution of such kind of problems, in particular,
we proposed a cooperation on preventing ignition of pastures in the
nearborder regions.

Unfortunately, the initiative of the official Stepanakert was not
accepted by Baku which testifies the real position of the parties,
particularly, the absence of political will of the Azerbaijani
leadership for solving issues of mutual interest," Mailyan remarked.

ARMENIAN WRESTLERS LEFT FOR KHASAVYURT

A1+
[02:26 pm] 15 June, 2006

Armenian team of free-style wrestling left for Khasavyurt at the
head of chief coach Hrant Enoqyan to participate in the international
tournament which is to start on June 18.

According to the data of the Armenian Wrestling Federation the
following participants are involved in the team; Eduard Atayan (56kg),
Mihran Yavouryan (56kg), Armen Karapetyan (60kg), Sevak Bazeyan
(60kg), Jirayr Hovhannesyan (66kg), Arshak Hayrapetyan (66kg),
Garsevan Vardanyan (74kg) and Hapetnak Kourikhanyan (84kg).

The winners of the European Championship held in Moscow in April and
the Armenian Wrestlers who participated in the Championship are not
included in the team. The coaches of the team probably decided to try
and encourage other wrestlers as well and then to put the team into
full shape before participating in the forthcoming World Championship.

SPARTAK SEYRANIAN TO COMPLETE STAFF OF NA "ARF" FACTION

Noyan Tapan
Jun 14 2006

YEREVAN, JUNE 14, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA Central Electoral Commission
will register Spartak Seyranian, the editor-in-chief of the party
"Yerkir" official newspaper as an ARF Dashnaktsutiun member on June
14 by the corresponding electoral order. Tsovinar Khachatrian, the
Central Electoral Commission Press Secretary informed the Noyan Tapan
correspondent about it. S.Seyranian will complete the staff of the
"ARF" faction.

To recap, the mandate was vacant as a result of faction member
Vostanik Marukhian’s undertaking post of the State Engineering
University Rector.

EACH COUNTRY IS POWERFUL WITH ITS YOUTH. WHAT ABOUT ARMENIA?

Panorama.am
14:22 13/06/06

300 young people and 40 youth organizations participate in a
conference launched at Yerevan State University today dedicated to
youth issues. According to Arsen SOGHOMONYAN, youth policy department
head at the ministry of culture and youth affairs told that there
are 150 youth public organizations in Armenia but they are not aware
what each of them does. The conference will help them to know about
each other’s activities, he said.

On the second day of the conference the youth will discuss “National
report on the Armenian youth” which has been developed in one year. The
report will be discussed with the participation of Council of Europe.

It covers topics like unemployment, housing, educational and other
issues.

ARMENIAN MINISTER RULES OUT NEW GARABAGH WAR

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
June 12 2006

Baku, June 9, AssA-Irada
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian has maintained that
the possibility of a new war over Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh looks
rather unrealistic, although the situation may change in the future
considering Azerbaijan’s belligerent statements.

“Azerbaijan is not ready for a military option now and won’t be ready
over the next 10 years even taking into account its oil industry
potential,” said Oskanian.

Oskanian said there is a “limit to compromises” for his country with
regard to settling the Garabagh conflict.

“There is a boundary Armenia will never cross, no matter how long
the conflict resolution lasts and how much Azerbaijan blackmails us
with oil dollars and threats to use military action,” he told a local
TV channel.

Oskanian alleged that his country had already accepted major
concessions in order to advance the peace process.

ANKARA THREATENS TO REFUSE FROM PARTICIPATION IN EU-TURKEY TALKS

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.06.2006 16:00 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey will not take part in the EU-Turkey meeting to
be held in Luxembourg on Monday if Cyprus’s initiative on blocking the
opening of talks over some issues is accepted, Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated. “We will not depart to Luxembourg if
24 EU Foreign Ministers approve Cyprus’s initiative,” Erdogan told
reporters in Monday.

Last Friday EU member state Cyprus blocked the opening of talks on
Turkey’s accession to the European Union by a demand to fulfill the
additional protocol to the Customs Union, which provides for the
opening of air and sea ports in the Republic of Cyprus during 2006,
reported Gazeta.ru.