KARABAKH TELECOM PLANNING TO INVEST NEARLY $2.5MLN IN NK’S MOBILE COMMUNICATION

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 20 2006

STEPANAKERT, March 21. /ARKA/. Karabakh Telecom is planning to invest
nearly $2.5mln in Karabakh’s mobile communication, Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic regional Administration Minister Armo Tsaturyan said. In his
words, some AMD 60 million was invested in mobile communication area
in 2005 (about $133).

Tsaturyan said 3 new stations were added to existing 14 mobile
communication stations last year and 7 are planned to start operating
this year.

Karabakh Telecom was estimated to have 15600 subscribers in 2005.

“Work is being carried out to repair already dilapidated telephone
line”, the minister said.

“Stepanakert’s stations will be digitalized in the nearest future.

$4-5 million is needed for city line telephone communication
development”, Tsaturyan said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MEMBERS OF THE UNION OF BANKS AT RA PRESIDNET’S OFFICE

ArmRadio
22.03.2006 16:40

Today President Robert Kocharyan had a working consultation with
members of the RA Union of Banks.

The President welcomed the Union’s decision to work more actively
and noted that this will encourage the development of partnership
between the government and the Central Bank, and the existence of
diverse views will allow to draw more correct conclusions on issues
regarding the banking system.

Heads of 14 banks member to the Union presented the urgent issues of
the system and their suggestions regarding the resolution of these.

Great importance was attached to the decrease of shadow economy and
the rise of the population’s trust in the banks.

Robert Kocharyan said that the reforms implemented in the Republic are
directed also at the reduction of the shadow economy, and positive
change is already observed in this regard. The President expressed
willingness to discuss the suggestions of the banks, which will also
promote the decrease of the shadow economy from the pointy of view
of the banking activity.

The banker noted that the fact that the issues discussed with the
President previously have been resolved allows to hope that this
meeting will also have practical results.

ARMENIAN-GERMAN INTERPARLIAMENTARY CONSULTATIONS TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN ON MARCH 21-22

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 21 2006

YEREVAN, March 21. /ARKA/. Armenian-German Interparliamentary
consultations on financial and technical cooperation will be held
in Yerevan on March 21-22, according to the Press Service of the RA
Ministry of Finance and Economy.

Issues of implementation of financial and technical programs of Germany
in Armenia, particularly in the spheres of energy, development of
mortgage market, public infrastructures, healthcare, small and medium
business are going to be discussed during the consulting.

Consultations will be under the administration of the Ra Ministry
of Finance and Economy Vardan Khachatryan and representative of the
German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development Rolf Baldusi.

The German Ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary in Armenia
Heike Renate Peitsch and representative of KfW German bank and RA
Ministry will take part in the consultations.

FIRST DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF THE RF STATE DUMA COMMITTEE ON CIS AFFAIRS: MIGRATION POLICY OF RUSSIA TO CHANGE

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 21 2006

MOSCOW, March 21. /ARKA/. The migration policy of Russia will certainly
change, according to the “Novosti-Armenia” agency; this was stated by
the First Deputy Chairman of the RF State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs
Ahmed Bilalov during his meeting with journalists in Moscow. In his
words, directions and terms of changes will be defined gradually.

“Russia first of all is interested in labor resources – people, who
are going to leave for far North to open it up”, Bilalov emphasized,
while expressing an opinion that in this case preference will be shown
for “our countrymen, who speak Russian and have Russian education”.

Besides that, according to Bilalov, a group must be defined, for
which must be set an easy order of getting Russian citizenship.

“Certainly a differentiated approach must be shown here”, Bilalov
emphasized At the same time he stated that this issue is a subject
of special discussions and expressed belief that the basic document
defining migration principles will be approved in Russia in 2006-2007.

According to Bilalov, many sublegislative acts will be passed.

“We need appropriate legalization of migrants in order the law
machinery couldn’t fleece them. For example if Armenians and Tajiks
leave Russia our construction business will rise. I think that
migration issues must be considered on the level of Eurasian Economic
Community (EEC- “Novosti-Armenia”).

NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM OF ARMENIA LOST THE YOUTH FOOTBALL TEAM OF GERMANY

ArmRadio
22.03.2006 15:51

On March 21 the national football team of Armenia lost the youth
football team of Germany with the score of 1:3 in the friendly match
held in Alen city of Germany.

At the 7th minute of the match Armenians opened the score. In the
first half the Armenian team was leaving a good impression. However,
a turnover occurred in the second half, the German football players
celebrated an impressive victory.

NKR MINISTRIES OF AGRICULTURE, HEALTH CARRY OUT EXPLANATORY WORK TO PREVENT BIRD FLUE

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 21 2006

STEPANAKERT, March 21. /ARKA/. Specialists of the NKR Ministry of
Agriculture and Ministry of Health have carried out explanatory
work in a number of villages of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR)
to prevent bid flue.

The NKR Ministry of Agriculture reports that the specialists visited
the borderline villages of Nadagis and Talysh, Martakert region,
NKR, where they carried out explanatory work and gave professional
recommendations.

The reason for the visit is the information recently reported by
Azerbaijan mass media that bird flue cases were recorded in the
Mirbashir region of Azerbaijan. After talking to local residents,
specialists found it that no mass cases of death of wild birds or
poultry have lately been recorded.

TO ENSURE OWN SECURITY EU SHOULD BE ENGAGED DEEPER IN CONFLICTS RESOLUTION PROCESS IN SOUTH CAUCASUS

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 21 2006

YEREVAN, March 21. /ARKA/. To ensure own security the EU should
be deeper engaged in the process of conflicts resolution in South
Caucasus in order for them not to develop into a large-scale war in the
region of the “European Neighborhood”, the International Crisis Group
refers to the new report of the ICG “EU Role In Conflict Resolution in
South Caucasus”. The report examines the EU’s efforts in settling the
problems of Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia and South Osetia, and points
out possible additional actions of this organization.

“While the UN in Abkhazia, and the OSCE in the NKR and South Osetia
dealt with the settlement of regional conflicts, negotiations,
lasting more than decades were not successful. Having the authority
of a ‘an honest mediator’ and possibility of proposals for a deeper
European integration, the EU is going to play a big role in the
region and contribute to the UN and OSCE efforts in this direction,”
the report says.

According to the press-release, in this context the EU will hardly
propose the membership to Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in future:
it should find new ways of rendering assistance and implementation
of its influence.

“The EU attempts to determine its role in the program of the New
European Neighborhood” in the region of South Caucasus, where there
is neither peace nor war,” Director of the European program of the
ICG Nicolas White.

According to him, if the EU will not be able to implement its strategic
project on the secure neighborhood in the region, then it will lose
its authority as compared to Russia and the USA. “Most problematic
thing is that if conflicts in South Caucasus keep aggravating, then
the EU may become unprepared to give an answer in case of military
actions between its neighbors,” White said.

RA NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY IS BEING DEVELOPED

ArmRadio
22.03.2006 12:53

The second sitting of the Interstructural Commission coordinating
the activities of development of the draft national security strategy
was held yesterday.

Press Secretary of the Defense Minister Seyran Shahsuvaryan told
MEDIAMAX Agency that the suggestions regarding the “RA national
security interest,” ” Armenia in the international society,” “Bases
of RA National Security” were discussed at the sitting.

The proposals were approved by the Commission. The President of
the Interstructural Commission is the Secretary of the Presidential
Council on National Security, Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan.

NKR PRESIDENT SIGNS LAW ON EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL PROTECTION OF UNEMPLOYED

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 21 2006

STEPANAKERT, March 21. /ARKA/. President of the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic (NKR) Arkady Ghukasyan has signed the Law “On employment and
social protection of unemployed.” The NKR presidential information
department reports that the Law was adopted by the NKR Parliament on
February 15, 2006.

DELEGATION OF RA POLICE TO TAKE PART IN III INTERNATIONAL COMPLEX SINGLE COMBAT TOURNAMENT AMONG THE STUFF OF SPECIAL FORCES OF CSTO MEMBER COUNTRIES ON MARCH 23-26

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 21 2006

YEREVAN, March 21. /ARKA/. The delegation of the RA Police will take
part in the III-rd International Complex Single Combat Tournament
among the stuff of Special Forces of the CSTO-member countries in
Anapa on March 23-26.

According to the “Novosti-Armenia” agency, during the press conference
in Moscow the President of the Federation of Complex Single Combat
of Russia Oleg Ufimtsev told journalists that the Armenian delegation
is formed of the acting collaborators of the Armenian police.

“It is very pleasant that Armenia take part almost in every event
organized by us. We hope that Armenian delegation will succeed, since
it always occupies prize places. Perhaps this is the only team, which
has taken part in all tournaments of the CSTO”, Ufimtsev emphasized.

The III-rd International Complex Single Combat Tournament among the
stuff of Special Forces of the member countries of the Collective
Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is organized by the RF Federation
of Complex Single Combat with the support of Russian Union of
Martial Art.

The tournament is conducted within the framework of “World’s Special
Forces against Terrorism” international program and 14 teams take
part in it.