Author: Varosian Antranik

VARDAN OSKANYAN PRESENTS EU HIS COMPROMISE PROPOSAL
Author: Z. Ibrahimli

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
April 18 2006

The Armenian foreign minister, Vardan Oskanyan told on April 18 in
Yerevan: “presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan have failed to reach the
agreement in Rambuy, however, we don’t think that the meeting itself
was a failure.” Speaking today at the commission of the parliamentary
cooperation Armenia- EU in Yerevan, Osknayan said that “misfit in
Rambuy does not mean the failure of the whole negotiating process,”
Trend reports, citing Mediamax agency. He reminded that the Rambuy
meeting has been held on the basis of the existing progress achieved
in the course of 2005.

Oskanyan noted that considering previously achieved agreements and
activity of mediators there are possibilities to hope for the progress
in the negotiating process.

If previously Yerevan announced that it will discuss the problems
of the conflict consequences only after the political status of
Nagorno-Karabakh will be defined, now Armenia is doing a ‘serious
compromise’ and follows a different position.

“If Azerbaijan agrees with the fact that Nagorno-Karabakh people have
right for self-definition, which might be implemented not necessarily
now but in the future, then Armenian side is ready to discuss the
settling down of the conflict consequences – territory, refuges and
other security matters,” Oskanyan said.

A1+

THE ARMENIAN WOMAN BUILDS A HOUSE

[03:45 pm] 14 April, 2006

The semi-constructed house of Manvel Haroutyunyan,
resident of the Khor Virab village, was full of people
today. On the initiative of the NGOs `Armenian
Habitat’ and `Association of Armenian Young Women’ and
with the help of several journalists Manvel
Haroutyunyan will continue the construction of his
house. The first stone was put in the foundation in
1999, but the house has not been finished yet.

`Twelve people lived in the same house. We wanted to
build another, so that we could live separately. And
as I couldn’t built the house alone, I turned to the
NGOs for help,’ tells Manvel Haroutyunyan. He has been
allotted 1 million 800 thousand AMD in order to finish
the construction of the house.

This is the third house built in Khor Virab by the
financing of the Habitat. On the whole the
organization has built 149 houses.

The guests from the capital helped Manvel Haroutyunyan
to carry sand to the roof. By the way, the majority of
the guests were women.

Regnum, Russia
April 14 2006

Armenian MP considers spreading of anti-Russian feelings to be
inadmissible

Deal on selling of Hrazdan TPS 5th energy unit by Armenian government
to Russian Gazprom is enough interesting, and its details are not
confidential and accessible to everybody, MP Armen Ashotyan stated
during a press conference on April 13. According to him, the deal was
repeatedly discussed by mass media, as well as by the parliament.

As a REGNUM correspondent informs, the MP expressed his
dissatisfaction with negative mood of opposition forces toward the
deal. `It is wrong to say sell of the 5th energy unit considerably
crippled Armenian statehood. All European countries depend to some
extent on Russian gas, but they have not lost their independence and
statehood,’ stressed Armen Ashotyan. According to him, buying of
Hrazdan TPS 5th by Russian side is not directed against Armenian
statehood, and `it is not worth to take one fact and to black
everything’. `It is inadmissible to spread anti-Russian feelings,’
stressed the Armenian MP.

Mentioning rumors, that Armenian authorities had sold part of
Iran-Armenia pipeline and because of that had robbed Armenia of
perspectives to become transit country in perspective, Armen Ashotyan
stressed, if Russia wishes, so without regard to everything, Iranian
gas will not get into Europe. `Gazprom possesses Ukrainian
gas-distributing systems’, he stressed, adding, if the company
wishes, it will always use the advantage.

MEMBERS OF THE EU-ARMENIA COOPERATION COMMISSION TO VISIT THE ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER

ArmRadio.am
14.04.2006 16:16

Next week members of the EU-Armenia Cooperation Commission will visit
the Armenian-Turkish border.

The 8th sitting of the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation Commission
will be held April 18-19 in Yerevan.

In the framework of the visit members of the Commission will have
meetings with RA President Robert Kocharyan, Chairman of the National
Assembly Arthur Baghdasaryan, Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan,
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan and Human Rights Defender Armen
Harutyunyan.

Members of the delegation will meet also representatives of independent
TV Channels, Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan Vladimir Pryakhin
and Ambassadors of EU member states.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT, CHIEF OF RA CUSTOMS COMMITTEE DISCUSS SMUGGLING CONTROL

Arka News Agency, Armenia
April 12 2006

Yerevan, April 12. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharyan and Chief
of the RA customs Committee Armen Avetisyan discussed issues of
smuggling control.

The sides discussed the quarterly results and the execution of
instructions issued at the President-chaired meeting early in 2006.

Avetiryan reported that the measures planned for the 1st quarter
of 2006 were fulfilled. According to him, customs fees exceeded the
planned AMD 31.1bln level by AMD 400mln.

The sides singled out a recently signed Armenian-Georgian agreement
on the closing of the Bagrateshen market among the smuggling control
measures. Kocharyan issued instructions on cartographic surveys of
all transit ways that may be used by smugglers and establishment of
full control before the border zone is formed ($1-451.41).

Kyoda News
Wednesday April 12

U.N. meeting adopts resolution on trans-Asian railway network
(Kyodo) _ A U.N. meeting adopted Wednesday a resolution on an agreement to
construct the ambitious Trans-Asian Railway Network connecting 28 countries
from Asia to Europe, paving the way for its signing in November.
The adoption of the resolution on the Intergovernmental Agreement on the
Trans-Asian Railway Network was made by ministers and officials attending
the 62nd annual meeting of the Bangkok-based U.N. Economic and Social
Commission for Asia and the Pacific.
“The TAR network is one of the building blocks towards the realization of
the vision of an international integrated intermodal transport system for
the whole region,” UNESCAP Executive Secretary Kim Hak Su told participants
of the meeting.
“The agreement identified routes of international importance that serve the
immediate transport needs of UNESCAP members, providing regional
connectivity as well as linkages to Europe,” he added.
The agreement, aimed at offering efficient transport services for the
movement of passengers and goods within the UNESCAP region and between Asia
and Europe, will open for signature during a ministerial conference on
transport slated for Nov. 6-11 in Busan, South Korea.
The TAR network consists of about 81,000 kilometers of rail routes
connecting 28 countries in the region that are also UNESCAP members, from
Indonesia in the south to Russia in the north and from Turkey in the west to
South Korea in the east.
Studies by UNESCAP member countries carried out between 1996 and 2001 have
identified four corridors: the 12,600-km Southeast Asia corridor, the
32,500-km Northeast Asia corridor, the 13,200-km Central Asia and Caucasus
corridor and the 22,600-km South Asia-Iran-Turkey corridor.
Initiated in early 1960s, the TAR project was earlier aimed at providing a
continuous 14,000-km rail link between Singapore and Istanbul with possible
onward connections to Europe and Africa.
Regional conflicts and centralistic economic policies that opposed a more
open market-oriented economy, however, have prevented materialization of the
ambitious plan.
The return of peace to Southeast Asia, the emergence of independent
countries in the Caucasus and Central Asia and the adoption of
market-oriented economic principles in many countries, particularly in China
and Russia, in 1980s and early 1990s raised the need for the development in
efficient transport infrastructure and services.
Finally, in 1992, the idea, which is also aimed at providing improved access
for landlocked countries to major ports, was revived under the framework of
the Asian Land Transport Infrastructure Development project adopted by
UNESCAP’s 48th session.
A similar international agreement on the Asian Highway Network, also under
the auspices of UNESCAP, came into force in July 2005.
UNESCAP groups Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Georgia,
India, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia,
Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri
Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

WHEN IN THE GOVERNMENT YOU MUST REFUTE

A1+
[06:43 pm] 11 April, 2006

The rumors that the Russian company “GasProm” took the 40% of the 45%
Government shares of the “ArmRusGasArd” company in order to abate
the gas price are not refuted. Let us remind you that the government
sold the 5th block of the Hrazdan heat-electric generating plant to
“GasProm.” As a result of the deal the Government will give most of
the money for the gas price subsidization.

So far the executive branch officials and the Prime Minister
made an announcement that only the Hrazdan energy block will be
given to Russia for 188 million USD. According to the contract
provisions the RA Government has a 25 – year cooperation program with
“GasProm.” The contract highlights the strategy principles of gas
and energy cooperation. The year 2006 will be the most significant
from the above mentioned 25 years. According to “GasProm” they will
take the Hrazdan 5th energy block and “other objects of Armenian
gas sphere” by the last contract with the RA Government. The list of
the objects is kept in secret but we are informed that they will be
finally given to the Russian side by January 1, 2007. Our Government
officials periodically declare that the Armenian – Iran gas main will
be exploited by the end of 2006. Thus, by the deadline of the contract
with “GasProm” the next property of the country will be ready and it
will likely be given to the partner country.

The most striking point of the contract signed between Armenia and
“GasProm” is the following, “By the end of the deal the “GasProm”
company will have the overwhelming share of high quality in the company
“ArmRusGasArd.”

The RA Government and the Russian company “GasProm” have equal 45%
shares in “ArmRusGasArd,” the 10% of the shares belongs to the company
“Itera.” The rumors that the Government refused most of its share
in favor of “GasProm” are not warranted. The press secretary of
“ArmRusGasArd” Shushan Sardaryan said that the negotiating side is
the Government, and only the Government can give an answer to the
question. They did not refute the news. It was not refuted by the
Government press service representative Mery Harutyunyan either. The
latter gave a diplomatic answer, “I informed the mass media about
the Government decision. There is no mention about the shares in it.”

We can get further information on shares and the Iran – Armenian gas
main from the May decision of the Government when the deadline of
the deal with “GasProm” expires.

EX-PRESIDENT OF RA NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCE APPOINTED ADVISER OF PRIME MINISTER

Yerevan, April 10. ArmInfo. Ex-president of the RA National Academy
of Science (RA NAS), Fadey Sargsyan is appointed Adviser of Armenian
Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan. The prime minister announced the
news at a sitting of the RA NAS Presidium, Monday.

The academicians expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of definite
orders and terms for NAS President office. They were most of all
concerned over the adequate financing of the NAS infrastructures. RA
NAS ex-president stated that at his 82 he is no longer able to be as
useful for the Academy and science as before.

In his turn, Prime Minister Margaryan explained that F. Sargsyan’s
resignation was received yet on April 3. He did not connect the
resignation with the allegations of the academician, Director of NAS
Fundamental Library Anry Nersisyan against F. Sargsyan. Before the
new election of NAS President to be held shortly, the premier said,
the academician and mathematician Sergey Hambartsoumyan will act
as NAS President. A general assembly of NAS will convene on April
12 to discuss reforms of the scientific sphere and to determine the
date of the new elections of NAS President, academicians and member-
correspondent. The last elections of member-correspondents were 6
years ago, those of academicians – 10 years ago.

Prime Minister Margaryan advised academicians not to connect the
elections of academicians and member-correspondents with the reforms
in the sphere of science. Whereas, he connected the election of NAS
President directly with the reforms as, in his words, the academy
structures must report on the work carried out and on plans to the
Government.

THE FRENCH CO-CHAIR OF THE OSCE MINSK GROUP WILL LEAVE BAKU FOR YEREVAN

ArmRadio.am
10.04.2006 15:37

The French Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Bernard Fassier will
most probably visit Armenia on April 12-14, “Arminfo” has learned
from well-informed sources.

During the visit the French Co-Chair will have meetings with the
leadership of Armenia.

To remind, today Bernard Fassier will visit Baku, where he will stay
till April 12.

According to Azerbaijani media, the American Co-Chair of the OSCE
Minsk Group Steven Mann will again visit the region this month.

RAW CONCEPTION

Aravot.am
07 April 06

The jurist Vardan Poghosian marks in this way the conception of the
project of the law about «Granting dual citizenship in the RA
the Armenians of abroad’ .

Examining the text of conception, which was published yesterday in the
` Republic Armenia’ newspaper and replaced in yerkir.am site Vardan
Poghosian has found out contradictions. And the most important of it
are different formulations about grounds of granting dual
citizenship. According to «Yerkir» «a person of
Armenian nationality besides citizenship of other state is granted by
the RA citizenship by by evincing facts.’ While some conditions are
mentioned in the `RA’ for being granted by dual citizenship. `An
Armenian person is granted by the RA citizenship besides the
citizenship of other country in the following cases; After living in
the RA, according to evincing facts of his Armenian origin, the person
must pay a certain percent of his three year income to the RA tax
service as a national tribute.’

According to Vardan Poghosian the division of these two projects shows
that the authors of the conception don’t have entire and exact
apprehension how they want to solve the problem of granting the RA
citizenship to the Armenians from Diaspora’.

But he affirmed that both published documents are `rather raw, full of
discrepant positions and don’t settle the main problem which had been
risen after constitutional amendments’. He also mentioned that it is
mentioned in the project of the conception that they should adopt a
law `About dual citizenship’ or to make some changes in the law `About
Citizenship’. Vardan Poghosian mentioned as the most important
omission of the conception; `It is foreseen to settle such positions
by the law which are impossible to settle by the law.

It is spoken of military service and tax obligations. These are such
positions, which can be settled by international bilateral
agreements. Even if we adopt such positions in our law they want act
towards the opposite state. And if an international agreement is
signed, its positions can be different from the RA law and in that
case, according to our Constitution, the positions of international
agreement will be valid.’

According to Mr. Poghosian the conception has remained unclear one of
the core problems, the settlement of the problem of electoral right;
`I think if you ask questions the authors of the conception whether
the dual citizen can become the RA President or NA deputy they will
give discrepant answers’.

We reminded that we had asked the ARF leaders, one of them said that
the dual citizen can become the RA President and deputy, another said
that they can determine the list of posts which only the RA citizen
have right to fill. ` Someone says a thing, the other says just the
opposite, but it isn’t important.

The important thing is that the government can’t settle any problem, –
Vardan Poghosian noticed. And the problem of public service and
filling state important posts isn’t also settled. Human rights will be
infringed if this problem isn’t settled by law’.

Anna Israelian