HOVHANNISYAN: PROPERTY FOR DEBT PRINCIPLE CANNOT BE WELCOMED

PanARMENIAN.Net
21.03.2006 23:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ If Russia cannot or does not want owing to some
reasons to run enterprises Armenia gave it for paying off the state
debt, it can privatize these, Armenian NA Vice-Speaker, Co-Chair of
the Armenian-Russian Interparliamentary Commission Vahan Hovhannisyan
said. “The fact itself that Russia followed the principle of Property
for Debt cannot be welcomed. Many countries owe Russia more but Russia
could not forgive Armenia $100 million,” he said.

In Hovhannisyan’s words, the Armenian party has proposed an interesting
plan for running the enterprises. “Russia can present it to Russian
businessmen and then real money will arrive at the Russian treasury. A
subcommittee is already formed to provide for effective work of those
enterprises. Its first session adopted the plan of priority measures.

We hope for serious investment and reconstruction of those enterprises,
as well as running them finally,” Vahan Hovhannisyan underscored.

Shares of Armenian enterprises totaling $93 million were conveyed to
Russia in 2002. These are Mars CJSC ($56.29 million), Yerevan Research
Institute of Automated Management Systems CJSC ($3.37 million), Yerevan
Research Institute of Mathematical Machines CJSC ($2.75 million),
Yerevan Research Institute of Science of Materials CJSC ($0.35
million), and property of the Hrazdan heat power plant ($31 million).

RUSSIA’S SILENCE IN DESTRUCTION OF KHACHKARS IN NAKHICHEVAN INCOMPREHENSIBLE

PanARMENIAN.Net
21.03.2006 23:46 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russia’s silence over destruction of the Armenian
khachkars in Old Julfa cemetery in Nakhichevan, Azerbaijan,
is in comprehensible, Armenian NA Vice-Speaker, Co-Chair of the
Armenian-Russian Interparliamentary Commission Vahan Hovhannisyan
said. In his words, the silence is odd taking into account that the
Russian State Duma adopted a resolution on recognition of the Armenian
Genocide. The Russian delegation could not adduce distinct arguments
over its stance, an Armenian MP said.

ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO ISOLATE ARMENIA FROM REGIONAL ECONOMIC PROJECTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
22.03.2006 00:06 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Resumption of Abkhaz part of the railway
beneficial not only to Armenia, but also to the region on the whole,
expert economist Eduard Aghajanov stated in a conversation with a
PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In Aghajanov’s words, the route through
Abkhazia is shorter, cheaper and more secure that the alternative
railway Russia is going to build via Iran and Azerbaijan. Russia-Iran
road is part of the North-South program, however, it is hard to
say to which extent it is economically profitable than the already
available Abkhazian one. One thing is out of question – it is another
attempt to isolate Armenia from regional economic projects. I will
add that access to Europe is also very profitable via Abkhazia. A
purely political consideration underlies all these projects – either
Kars-Akhalkalaki-Baku or Russia-Iran-Azerbaijan,” he emphasized.

The matter of resumption of operation of the Abkhaz part of
the railway was discussed at a session of the Armenian-Russian
Interparliamentary Commission in Moscow. In the words of Armenian
Co-Chair, NA Vice-Speaker Vahan Hovhannisyan, Russia’s intention to
build an alternative Russia-Iran road through Azerbaijan will reduce
interest to the opening of rail communication through Abkhazia. He
remarked that a consortium is formed with participation of four
parties interested in running the Abkhaz part of the railway. However,
Russia, in his words, has not presented its representative yet, thus
hampering consortium’s activities. Vahan Hovhannisyan said that a
meeting of the consortium will be held in Yerevan in the coming days
with participation of all four parties.

ARMENIAN SOCIETY BECAME MORE PRAGMATIC TOWARDS RUSSIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
22.03.2006 00:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ After the growth of tariffs for Russian gas pragmatic
approaches substituted for empiric pro-Russian sentiments, Armenian NA
Vice-Speaker Vahan Hovhannisyan said. In his words, “thoughtless steps
in the Russian policy can result in growth of anti-Russian sentiments
in Armenia.” The Vice-Speaker also underscored that Russia should
not be jealous to the search for alternative communication and energy
solutions by Armenia, which fit the Republic’s national interests.

ARF DEMANDS TO END ANY ANTI-ARMENIAN EXPRESSIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
22.03.2006 00:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) has urged
French authorities to display special vigilance towards cases of denial
of the Armenian Genocide. The ARF Western Europe Central Committee
has condemned the Turkish demonstration held in Lyon on March 18. The
ARF condemns the decision by the Rhone region governor to sanction
this hate and denial demonstration, though he was informed upfront
about the real goal of the demonstration and that Turkish government
had secretly contributed to this demonstration through the Turkish
Embassy in Paris and Turkish Consulate in Lyon. He was also aware of
the contribution the Grey Wolves, a fascist organization.

The ARF notes that using the Grey Wolves threatens France and the
French people. The Turkish government on the highest level has
decided to organize the Turkish communities in Europe. The March 18
demonstrations in Lyon and Berlin were the first expressions of the
Turkish government’s involvement.

The Lyon demonstration had clear characteristics of Genocide denial,
something unacceptable to a country like France. France has to
immediately undertake adequate steps to end the development of that
damaging movement. The ARF demands that an investigation be launched to
find the organizers of the demonstration and to unveil the involvement
of the Turkish government in the demonstration, as well as to put an
end to any anti-Armenian expression in France.

RUSSIA’S LEADERS NOT GOING TO QUARREL WITH ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
22.03.2006 01:14 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russia is not going to upset relations with Armenia,
political scientist, publicist Leonid Radzikhovsky told journalists in
Moscow. In his words, Russia is not going to quarrel with Armenia. At
that the political scientist remarked that Armenia is an old partner
of Russia. “Armenians arouse much less national problems when living in
Russia, than Azeris, and if Russia’s foreign policy was not determined
by a vote, sympathy would be on Armenia’s side and not on that of
Azerbaijan,” Radzikhovsky underscored.

At that he remarked that in spite of it, Russian foreign policy leans
more towards economically strong Azerbaijan lately. According to
Radzikhovsky, Armenian leaders felt hurt by such tendency many times,
reports RIA Novosti.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS ON LINE

A1+
03:11 pm 21 March, 2006

The on line programme of March 20 entitled ” History ” of the
informative TG1 channel of the RAI UNO Television was devoted to the
past present and future Armenian – Turkish relations. The guests of
the program were the Armenian Embassador to Italy Ruben Shugaryan and
the Turkish Embassador to Italy Ugur Dijal and the Turkish historian
Omer Turan.

The cause for the program was the RAI UNO special program devoted to
the genocides of the 20th century.

It began with the presentation of the Armenian Genocide against
which the Turkey Embassador had sent a letter of complaint to the
television. The program began with Sharl Aznavur’s inteview with the
journalist who survived in the Osventium.

Then the Turkish Embassador accused the Italian press of partial
coverage of the issue of the Armenian genocide mentioning that
Turkey hasn’t adopted rejecting policy, it simply tries to find the
truth in the archives an it offers to form a committe of Armenian
– Turkish historians. In his turn Ruben Shaguryan claimed that the
interpretation of the issue from the Turkish side has nothing in common
with the Armenian interpretation and the position of the international
society on this score.By the way, the majority of them including
the Italian Parliament have recognised the Armenian genocide. The
Armenian Embassador put his accent on the fact that the history can
not be converted by the censor or other means.The Armenian genocide
is a historical fact and it is not a question of discussion and the
Armenian diaspora of 6 miilion people is a briiliant proof for it.

Speaking about the present Armenian – Turkish relations Ruben Shugaryan
mentioned Armenia’s readiness to establish diplomatic relations with
Turkey without any conditions at the same time he mentioned that the
closed frontier does not comply with the principles of the European
Councel. Some documentary films and photographs were desplayed during
the program.

A NA DEPUTY WROTE A LETTER TO PUTIN

A1+
04:16 pm 21 March, 2006

Though the negotiations of the gas price increase still go on in
Moscow the Committee Regulating Public Services (CRPS) has already
decided that the gas price must go up starting from April 10.

The most interesting point in the given situation is that neither
the political figures nor the economists reject the possibility
of an agreement according to which after the negotiations the gas
price may reach not 110 dollars as it is expected but, let’s say,
95 dollars. In the current situation even the Armenian inhabitants
will have to pay for the gas with the increased price. This is a law
provision according to which the price accepted by the CRPS will be
in force for at least 6 months.

“Will You and Robert Nazaryan resign if Armenian gas price does not
go up to 110 US dollars,” the deputy of the NA Manuk Gasparyan asked
the Vice – Chairman of the CRPS Nikolai Gasparyan today during the
debate on the gas price increase in the club “Mirror.” By the way,
the question remained without any answer. The deputy claims that the
committee violated its liabilities and made a groundless decision when
there isn’t even a final agreement on the increase. Manuk Gasparyan
will apply to the Court on this matter on April 2 – 3. Before that
he wrote a letter to the president of the RF Vladimir Putin. In
his letter he asks the president why the same country uses various
strategies and policies towards its military partners; it sells gas
to Byelorussia for 46 dollars and to Armenia for 110 dollars. Manuk
Gasparyan claims that he sent his letter to the right addressee as the
gas price issue is not to be solved by the “GasProm,” it has merely
a political outcome. Manuk Gasparyan expects a definite answer from
Vladimir Putin.

As for the effects of the gas price “groundless” (according to the
assessment of certain people) increase it is already known that the
Heating and Power Station (HPS) of Hrazdan decided to increase the
price of its product by 90%, other HPSs will have a less increase.

GEORGIAN AMBASSADOR FINDS THAT FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS OF JAVAKHK, INVESTMENTS OF ARMENIAN CAPITAL NECESSARY THERE

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 21 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Georgia doesn’t
intend to create a new self-government in its territory. Revaz
Gachechiladze, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
Georgia to Armenia, who was the guest of the National Press Club on
March 20, made such a statement relating to the situation created
in Javakhk. According to him, stabbing of the Armenian young man
in Tsalka was a crime of neither criminal nor ethnic character,
but was “just a hooliganism” those guilty of what have already been
arrested. Gachechiladze mentioned that among 150-200 murders taking
place in Georgia annually, sometimes, representatives of the ethnic
minorities of the country also become victims but this doesn’t mean
that the murder is based on interracial conflicts. At the same time,
the Ambassador mentioned that events taking place in Tsalka are to
some extent conditioned with the circumstance that Svans, Adjars and
representatives of other not native nationalities live there.

According to Gachechiladze, problems existing in Javakhk are of
social-economic character and are characteristical not only for that
but for many other regions of Georgia as well, irrespective of the
nationality of those living there. Emigration of the inhabitation
also exists in those regions what is also causes by social-economic
reasons. The Ambassador emphasized that the half of the money got by
Georgia by the Millennium Challenges program in 2006 was allocated to
Javakhk. According to him, 110 mln U.S. dollars will be allocated for
construction of roads of the region. According to him, construction of
the Akhalkalak-Kars railway will also support development of economy
of Javakhk. Mentioning that Georgia wants to become a transit country,
at the same time he mentioned that the country won’t be against if the
Gyumri-Kars railway is re-put in action. According to Gachechiladze,
restoration of the railway passing through the territory of Abkahzia
is problematic because of the locality’s being hard. Responding the
Noyan Tapa!

n correspondent’s question, the Ambassador mentioned that the
government of his country may not provide the Armenian inhabitation
of Javakhk with working places in conditions of market economy. But
according to him, Georgia won’t be against if the Armenian Diaspora
makes investments in Javakhk creating new enterprises and working
places.

THE COMMERCIAL AGENTS’ VICTIMS

A1+
05:32 pm 21 March, 2006

“The inspectors of the Centre, the guide angels of the laureate
deceivers, watch out the vagrant “treacherous” commercial agents,”
today 9 families who were cheated by such agents organized a revolt
in front of the RA Chief Attorney building with suchlike posters.

On March 13 the initiating group sent a letter to Robert Kocharyan,
then to the RA Ministry of Justice and to the RA Chief Attorney
building. Not getting any response on March 17 the protestants handed
another application to the RA General Attorney and the latter promised
to answer them within 5 days.

According to the application “there are vagrant commercial agents in
Yerevan, who want to obtain the right of ownership on our property
and belongings in order to exploitate our confidence. These “talented”
cheaters exclaim among people that they “have no problems” in Yerevan
and in the courts as all those people are their acquaintances.”

The protestants ask the RA General Attorney to pass the cases of the
sufferers from the Kentron Police station to the RA Attorney building
for primary investigation.

Today the protestants were received in the Letter Department of the
RA Attorney premises and they were promised to satisfy their demand
by 17:00.

It is worth mentioning that the suffering inhabitants needed some
money and they gave their flats as a pawn.

Ruzanna Adamyan who is one of the commercial agents sold the
inhabitants belongings for a little money.

There are also cases of other sufferers. In 2003 certain people brought
a flat for 6500 US dollars but so far they haven’t moved in as the
person registered there does not want to release the flat. It turns out
that the commercial agents cheated both the buyer and the flat owner.

By the way if the protestants’ complaint remains without an answer
this time they are going to go on a hunger strike in front of the
resident of RA president.