RA CCI TO COOPERATE WITH CCI OF KOMI REPUBLIC AND MAYOR’S OFFICE OF SYKTYVKAR

Noyan Tapan
May 04 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 4, NOYAN TAPAN. The agreement signed on May 4 between the
Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) of the Republic of Armenia and
the CCI of the Komi Republic (Russia), as well as the memorandum signed
between the RA CCI and the mayor’s office of Syktyvkar (the capital
of Komi) will regulate the trade, economic and cultural cooperation
issues between the sides. The above mentioned documents were signed
by Chairman of the RA CCI Martin Sargsian, Chairman of the CCI of
the Komi Republic Sargis Manasarian and Mayor of Syktyvkar Roman
Zenishchev. According to M. Sargsian, an agreement was reached that
Syktyvkar mayor’s office will allocate an area in the city for the
RA CCI to build an Armenian Trade House there. It was noted that the
CCIs of Armenia and Komi Republic will cooperate in order to organize
exhibitions, exchange business information and implement joint business
programs. M. Sargsian said that an exhibition of Armenian production
will be held in Syktyvkar in August-September 2006. Programs of
exporting building materials (the Armenian Trade House will be made of
tufa), bioadditives (particularly apricot capsules) and perlite from
Armenia to the Komi Republic and importing of white mushrooms from
Komi into Armenia, as well as projects of setting up agrucultural
produce processing and wood-working joint ventures were discussed
with the Komi delegation on May 3. R. Zenishchev expressed a hope
that the Komi delegation’s visit will mark a new stage in relations
with Armenia. In response to a question of NT correspondent, he noted
that the Armenians of Syktyvkar play a significant role in economic
and social life of Komi Republic, which is also evident from the
fact that the delegation headed by him is composed of 4 Armenians,
including Deputy Mayor of Syktyvkar Victor Hovakimian.

8 THOUSAND USD TO BE ALLOCATED TO CEC FOR HOLDING LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS IN A NUMBER OF COMMUNITIES OF 4 REGIONS

Noyan Tapan
May 04 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 4, NOYAN TAPAN. At the May 4 sitting, RA Government
charged RA Minister of Finance and Economy to allocate 3 mln 617
thousand 195 drams (over 8 thousand USD) from RA Government’s 2006
reserve fund to the Central Electoral Commission for the purpose
of financing the expenditures of preparation and holding of local
self-government elections in a number of communities of Syunik,
Vayots Dzor, Shirak and Tavush regions.

GOVERNMENT ALLOCATES OVER 160 THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR PREPARATION AND HOLDING OF THIRD ARMENIA-DIASPORA FORUM

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 04 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 4, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. At the May 4 sitting,
the Armenian government made a decision to allocate 72 mln 862.5
thousand drams (about 162 thousand USD) from its 2006 reserve fund
for the purpose of preparing and holding the third Armenia-Diaspora
forum in Yerevan in September 2006. NT was informed about it from
the RA Government Information and PR Department.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OLEXANDR BOZHKO EXPRESSES HIGH OPINION ABOUT ARMENIAN-UKRAINIAN RELATIONS

Noyan Tapan
May 04 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 4, NOYAN TAPAN. “The Armenian-Ukrainian relations continue
developing sucessfully, and last year was a confirmation of it.” The
Ukrainian Ambassador to Armenia Olexandr Bozhko stated this during a
press conference on May 4 at the National Press Club. According to
him, Armenia and Ukraine have some common goals, particularly both
countries strive to integrate into Europe. O. Bozhko said that today
the commodity turnover between the two countries makes 100 mln USD,
which is a good index. Over the last 4 months of 2006, trade between
Armenia and Ukraine increased 2-3fold compared with the same period
of last year. The ambassador noted that the two countries should pay
great attention to diversification of electricity generation sources
and ways of transporting the power-bearing substances. Ukraine is
currently working with Iran in this direction. Nevertheless, in the
opinion of O. Bozhko, such energy programs can be implemented only
with the assistance of Europe. As regards the sale of the 5th unit
of Hrazdan Thermal Power Plant to Russia, O. Bozhko said: “I think it
was a compulsory decision for the Armenian government, and I find it
difficult to say what prompted it to make such a decision. The decision
was taken by the Armenian government that bears responsibility for it.”

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT APPROVES REPORT ON PRIVATIZATION PROCESS IN ARMENIA IN FIRST QUARTER OF 2006

Noyan Tapan
May 04 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 4, NOYAN TAPAN. At the May 4 sitting, the Armenian
government approved the report on privatization process in the Republic
of Armenia in the first quarter of 2006. NT was informed about it from
the RA Government Information and PR Department. It was noted during
the sitting that in the period under review, 8 objects included in
the 2001-2003 state property privatization program were privatized
(including 3 companies, state property separated from the property
of 2 companies, and 3 incompleted construction objects) against 14
objects privatized in the first quarter of last year. Privatization
agreements were also signed with the purchasers of 5 objects privatized
previously. In the first quarter of 2006, 65 companies were in the
liquidation process, 4 of which were declared bankrupt by court, and
the liquidation process of another 4 companies was completed. According
to the report, the privatization incomes made 90 mln 686.4 thousand
drams and 50 thousand dollars during the indicated period. 18 mln
35.7 thousand drams (about 40 thousand dollars) was transferred to
communities in order prescribed by law.

KARABAKH MINISTER SAYS PEACEKEEPERS’ DEPLOYMENT “HARDLY POSSIBLE” -ARMENIAN PAPER

Aykakan Zhamanak, Yerevan
4 May 06

Text of Kristine Khanumyan’s report in Armenian newspaper Aykakan
Zhamanak on 4 May

NKR [Nagornyy Karabakh republic] foreign minister Georgiy Petrosyan’s
first interview with Karabakh’s [opposition] newspaper Demo.

“We are worried that a worsening of Iranian-American relations may
affect the Karabakh conflict, as well as the whole of the South
Caucasus. Any settlement to the Iranian problem that will involve
changing the military balance in the region is a potential danger
to the interests of all the players in the region. For this reason,
we back balanced political decisions through negotiations, decisions
which will not disturb the fragile stability and security in the
region,” Petrosyan said.

Touching on the possible deployment of peacekeepers in the region in
Iran “sauce”, he said that this seemed hardly possible. “I believe
that the military and political balance in the region, which has
been preserved since the signing of a cease-fire agreement by the
three parties to the [Nagornyy Karabakh] conflict, will prevent the
issue of peacekeepers’ deployment from being speeded up artificially,”
the minister said. He added that there were also several complicated
problems connected with the deployment of peacekeepers such as terms,
procedures, mandate, responsibility and others, which should be
resolved within the framework of settlement and agreed with all the
parties to the conflict, especially with the NKR. But the minister
said the deployment of peacekeepers could be unnecessary since there
was the self-regulating factor as the contact line, which had been
emphasized by many international experts.

Touching on the recent hearings in the NKR parliament [on the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict settlement], Petrosyan said that the fact of holding
hearings was positive in itself but one should admit that “it is a
little bit late” to openly discuss painful problems in parliament. “I
am glad that all the political forces of the NKR had the same view in
principle on the Karabakh problem which coincides with the general
foreign policy of our state. Moreover, taking into account the
fact that the Karabakh issue is often discussed by international
organizations, it is time for the NKR parliament to intensify its
efforts taking account of the vital significance of the problem,”
Petrosyan said.

RUSSIA’S PUTIN TELLS PROSECUTORS TO FIND OUT CAUSE OF ARMENIAN AIR CRASH QUICKLY

Centre TV, Moscow
4 May 06

[Presenter] [Russian President] Vladimir Putin has asked the
Prosecutor-General’s Office to do their best to establish the causes
of the crash of a plane of Armenian Airlines over the Black Sea. He
said so today at a meeting with Prosecutor-General Vladimir Ustinov.

Ustinov briefed the president on the progress of the investigation.

All related documents have been withdrawn, the fragments of the plane
and the dead bodies are being examined by experts. Twenty bodies have
been identified and will be sent to Armenia soon. Strong efforts are
made to recover the “black boxes”, which is vital for establishing
the cause of the crash.

[Putin] I hope that despite the difficulties surrounding the retrieval
of information from the black box, which I hope will be found, the
investigation will do its best to clarify the true reason behind the
disaster in a short period of time.

RUSSIA ASKS FOR FOREIGN HELP TO RAISE CRASHED PLANE’S “BLACK BOXES” FROM SEA

Channel One TV, Moscow
4 May 06

[Presenter] Russia will be seeking foreign help to raise the fragments
of the crashed [Armenian] airliner from the sea, said the chairman
of the investigation commission, Russian Transport Minister Igor
Levitin. It has been found out that big fragments of the plane that
may contain the “black boxes” are lying on the seabed at the depth of
680 m. Russia has no equipment capable of working at such depth. Our
correspondent Kirill Polynin joins us live from Sochi.

What’s new Kirill?

[Correspondent] The main news is that the flight recorders, the
so-called “black boxes” have been detected. They are 680 m deep
in the sea at the place of the disaster. This is much deeper than
expected. Experts believed that the “black boxes” were lying at the
depth of no more than 400 m.

A meeting at the operational headquarters ended about an hour ago.

The head of the governmental commission, Russian Transport Minister
Igor Levitin, said that Russia did not possess the necessary equipment
to lift the “black boxes” from the seabed and would have to ask for
international help.

[Levitin] The Ministry for Emergencies is asking the navy for help.

We shall also appeal to other countries which have the experience
of raising objects from this depth. We do not have the necessary
equipment here in the Black Sea.

[Correspondent] Right after the French experts returned from the sea,
it became clear that the recorders’ whereabouts would be established
quite soon. The experts from Airbus, which produced the aircraft that
crashed off the Adler airport [on 3 May], went to sea early in the
morning together with the officers of the Russian Emergencies Ministry
and began to explore the seabed using the equipment they brought with
them from France. They detected the “black boxes” very quickly.

[Passage omitted: 53 dead bodies have been recovered from the sea
and 28 of them have been identified]

KARABAKH OFFICIAL DENIES AZERI REPORT ON POWS

Mediamax news agency
4 May 06

Yerevan, 4 May: The chairman of the state commission for prisoners
of war and missing persons of the Nagornyy Karabakh republic, Viktor
Kocharyan, has flatly denied the report of the Azerbaijani state
commission for prisoners of war, hostages and missing people saying
that “4,600 Azerbaijani citizens are held captive in Armenia”.

Speaking to the Mediamax news agency, Kocharyan said that “such
groundless statements are part of propaganda and policies of the
Azerbaijan authorities aimed at discrediting Armenia and Nagornyy
Karabakh”. He said that there were no prisoners of war or hostages
in Nagornyy Karabakh and that representatives of international
organizations operating in Nagornyy Karabakh could also confirm this.

Kocharyan said that all issues related to prisoners of war in Nagornyy
Karabakh were within the remit of the state commission and ruled out
any chance of POWs being held in military units or private homes. He
said that the republic’s authorities had ensured free access to places
of detention for international organizations to carry out monitoring.

“Nagornyy Karabakh has unilaterally joined the Geneva Conventions,
in accordance with which prisoners of war are immediately handed over
to Azerbaijan with the assistance of the International Committee of
the Red Cross (ICRC),” Kocharyan said. He pointed out that the ICRC
highly rated the openness of the Karabakh commission and effective
cooperation with this international organization.

Kocharyan said with regret that Azerbaijan had refused to cooperate
with Nagornyy Karabakh in the search for missing persons and release
of prisoners of war. He said that unlike Nagornyy Karabakh, the
Azerbaijani authorities did not allow international organizations
to enter places of detention, did not inform them on time about the
existence of prisoners of war from Nagornyy Karabakh, and in violation
of international law, delayed the release of prisoners of war by all
means. Kocharyan said that the released prisoners were handed over
to Armenia but not to Nagornyy Karabakh.

“The lack of contacts between the state commissions of Nagornyy
Karabakh and Azerbaijan, as well as the lack of constructive approach
on the part of Azerbaijan, make the resolution of such an important
humanitarian problem extremely difficult,” Kocharyan said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GEORGIAN PRESIDENT SAYS MOSCOW THREATENS NEW DEMOCRACIES IN EASTERN EUROPE
Karl Ritter

AP Worldstream
May 04, 2006

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili on Thursday accused Russia of
trying to undermine national sovereignty and economic growth in the
fledgling democracies emerging from the former Soviet empire.

Saakashvili warned that democratic advances in Georgia, Ukraine and
the Baltic countries since the collapse of communism were under threat
from Moscow, which he said suffered from “imperial nostalgia.”

“Freedom is under threat,” Saakashvili told a forum of Baltic and
Black Sea leaders in the Lithuanian capital. “Political forces in
Moscow actively work to undermine our economies, our sovereignty,
and even our system of governance.”

Georgia, is heavily reliant on imports of cheap Russian natural gas,
and Saakashivili accused Russia of using “new tools such as energy
dependence, state censorship and the power of national monopolies”
to bully its neighbors.

“We still have imperial nostalgia around us,” Saakashivili said,
also noting a recent Russian ban on imports of Georgian wine.

Ties between Moscow and Tbilisi have cooled markedly since
Saakashvili swept to power more than two years ago during Georgia’s
Rose Revolution.

Earlier Thursday, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney accused Russia
of restricting the rights of its citizens, and said “no legitimate
interest is served” by turning energy resources into implements
of blackmail.

The presidents of Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia,
Lithuania, Poland and Moldova also attended the summit, sharing their
experiences in democracy-building after the Soviet collapse.

The countries are in different stages of integration with the West
through membership in NATO and the European Union. The Baltic countries
and Poland are both NATO and EU members, while Ukraine and Georgia
are still looking for membership in both.

Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga said NATO hopefuls should
not expect “any concrete invitations for accession” when her country
hosts an alliance summit in November.

Ministers from Azerbaijan and Armenia also attended the summit, and
used the occasion to accuse each other of aggression in the disputed
enclave of Nagorno-Karabach.

Nevertheless, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana proclaimed:
“Here we can see the elements of a possible breakthrough.”

The countries accuse each other of frequently violating the shaky
1994 cease-fire that ended fighting between Azerbaijani and Armenian
forces over the enclave.

Solana said the EU was committed to “underpin an agreement” in
Nagorno-Karabach and other so-called “frozen conflicts” in the Black
Sea region, including Trans-Dniester, which broke away from Moldova
in 1992.

Delegates also expressed hope that the spread of freedom in the region
would reach Belarus, which Cheney called “Europe’s last dictatorship,”
and condemned the arrest of Bealrusian opposition leader Alexander
Milinkevich.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress