MANUK GASPARYAN: THE PUBLIC SERVICES REGULATORY COMMISSION HAS EXCEEDED ITS LIABILITIES

ArmRadio
21.03.2006 14:49

NA Deputy Manuk Gasparyan turned today to the new price of Russian gas.

According to the Deputy, the gas price could have been incomparably
cheaper from that set by the Public Services Regulatory Commission. He
considers that the Commission has exceeded its liabilities.

Vice-President of the Commission Nikolay Grigoryan did not accept
the Deputy’ s condemnations and confirmed that they acted within the
limits of law.

The Deputy’s arguments will be listed in a lawsuit, which will be
presented for the consideration of judicial instances in early April.

Manuk Gasparyan is waiting for an answer from Russian President
Vladimir Putin as well.

The major argument presented does not satisfy Manuk Gasparyan. “You did
not have the right to raise the set the price without an agreement,”
the Deputy said.

TURKS USED THE RALLY IN LYON TO DENY THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

ArmRadio
21.03.2006 13:40

French-Armenians and the French police complain of the Governor’s
decision to authorize the Turkish rally, which started after the
decision was taken to erect a memorial dedicated to the Armenian
Genocide in the Central Square of Lyon. Not satisfied with the
decision, Turks launched a campaign against the project.

The slogans of Turks denying the Armenian Genocide forced the French
to arrange a demonstration against the Turkish initiative. To get
clarifications about the authorization of the rally, Head of the
European Armenian Federation Hilda Tchoboyan met with the Governor.

Yesterday Hilda Tchoboyan had told “Radiolur” correspondent
Anna Nazaryan that the Governor did not have to authorize such a
rally. It was a severe mistake, since it is known that the French law
prohibits denying the fact of the Armenian Genocide. The Governor
sent an explanatory letter to the Coordinating Council of Armenian
organizations.

The letter notes that the Turks used the rally organized under a
different pretext to deny the Armenian Genocide.

“From now on the fact will be taken into consideration and Turks
will not be allowed to organize similar demonstrations in future,”
the letter noted.

NO AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED BUT PRICE OF GAS WENT UP

Lragir/am
21 March 06

On March 21 the question of the soaring price of gas was discussed at
the Hayeli Club. MP Manuk Gasparyan debated with Nikolay Grigoryan,
Deputy Chairman of the Commission of Public Utilities. Manuk Gasparyan
said the decision of the commission to sell gas to people at 90 drams
per cubic meter was illegitimate, groundless.

“If the commission made a decision, it means there was ground,”
says the deputy chairman of the Public Utilities Commission Nikolay
Grigoryan, who decided to accept the bid of Armrusgasard with his
other four colleagues on March 10 and to increase the price of the
gas supplied to the population up to 90 thousand drams and 146.5
thousand drams for enterprises.

Manuk Gasparyan thinks it was a groundless decision, and if the
commission had imposed a reduction of estimated losses of 5.37 per cent
by at least 1 per cent and had not allowed Armrusgasard to increase
the margin from 12 to 18, the price of gas would not be that high. “If
they extract the margin and losses and charge the VAT at the border,
the price of gas would grow up to 73 drams with 450 drams exchange rate
of the dollar, but if calculated on 420 drams as set in the budget,
the price of gas would grow up to 69 drams,” says Manuk Gasparyan.

“The commission did not have the right to consider the bid of
Armrusgasard until there is a deal that since April 1 Russia will
sell gas to Armenia at 110 dollars,” says Manuk Gasparyan. Nikolay
Grigoryan confirms that they could not consider the bid of Armrusgasard
without having signed a contract, but there is a contract, signed
by Armrusgasard and Gasexport, one of the companies of Gasprom, on
December 28. Manuk Gasparyan says it is merely a document, postponing
the supply of gas at 110 dollars until April 1, and negotiations
were to be held until April 1. Manuk Gasparyan announced that the
negotiations are not over, and the final price of gas has not been
fixed yet. “The contract will be signed by Armrusgasard and Gasprom
on March 28 and 29. I expect and I believe that the price of gas will
be below 110 dollars. What will the commission do with its decision
on increasing the price?” says Manuk Gasparyan.

Nikolay Grigoryan thinks it would be a miracle if the price of gas
were set below 110 dollars. He says the commission would not be
guided by unreal things, and the decision was based on the deal
signed on December 28. “We are not guided by mays and ifs,” said
Nikolay Grigoryan in answer to the argument that after April 1 the
price of gas may be lower than 110 dollars, whereas the commission
had decided to double the price of gas supplied to the population
starting from this number.

However, the negotiations for the price of gas are going on, and
the Public Utilities Commission might not be convinced that 110
dollars underlying its decision will be the final price. If it is
the final price, the minister of energy, the prime minister and other
representatives of the executive are doing populism when they say that
negotiations for the price of gas continue. Or if they are right,
it means the commission hurried to accept the bid of Armrusgasard,
and the company is facing a real possibility of extra profit.

The point is that if Russia reaches an agreement with Armenia, and
the gas price is set lower, or a mechanism of compensation is found,
Armrusgasard will have, in fact, extra profit, because people will
have to pay 90 drams per one cubic meter for at least six months. Such
is the law, for the price set by the Public Utilities Commission will
work for at least six months.

CYBER SECURITY IS PRIORITY, ARMENIAN POLICE SAYS

Mediamax news agency
21 Mar 06

Yerevan, 21 March: The fight against cyber crimes is one of the
most important tasks facing the Armenian law-enforcement bodies,
the deputy chief of the Police, Maj-Gen Ararat Makhtesyan, said today.

Addressing a round table hosted by the OSCE office in Yerevan and
entitled “Reinforcement of cyber security and of the fight against
cyber crimes in Armenia”, Ararat Makhtesyan said that cyber security
has become especially topical taking into consideration the priority
of information technologies for the republic, Mediamax reports.

He said that the Armenian Police has already developed a programme
to ensure cyber security, and relevant institutions have approved it.

Ararat Makhtesyan noted that a relevant unit has been set up at the
Police to efficiently fight cyber crimes, and amendments have been
made to the Criminal Code. Armenia has also joined the European
convention on computer crime.

A criminal case was filed in Armenia in 2005 under Article 256 of
the Criminal Code (development, usage and distribution of dangerous
computer software).

The head of the OSCE office in Yerevan, Vladimir Pryakhin, said that
“the problem of cyber security lies in human’s lag in understanding
technical progress”.

POPE BENEDICT GREETS ARMENIAN PATRIARCH

AP Online
Mar 21, 2006

Pope Benedict XVI recalled the “terrible persecution” Armenians
suffered under Turkish rule 90 years ago during an audience Monday
with an Armenian Catholic patriarch.

Speaking to Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni about the Armenian people
over the centuries, the pope singled out the “sufferings which
they underwent in the name of the Christian faith in the years of
the terrible persecution that went down in history with the sadly
meaningful name ‘metz yeghern,’ the great evil.”

Armenians accuse Turks of a genocide of up to 1.5 million Armenians
between 1915 and 1923. Turks claim the number of deaths is inflated
and say the victims were killed in civil unrest.

The country is now facing pressure to fully acknowledge the event as
it seeks membership in the European Union.

Benedict did not use the term “genocide” in his official remarks. His
predecessor, Pope John Paul II, called the deaths genocide but did
not declare any party responsible.

LEADER SAYS AZERI PROSPECTS BRIGHT, ARMENIA’S “FOGGY”

ANS TV, Baku
21 Mar 06

[Presenter] The question of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and
sovereignty is not at issue and the opposite side must understand it.

This was announced by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev when he
addressed Novruz festivities in Ganclik [Youth] Square in front of
Qosa Qala Qapisi [gates in the old part of Baku].

[Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijani president, captioned, shown speaking]
The question of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty
is not and will never be at issue. We want the opposite side to
understand this as soon as possible and to promptly join international
developments. Globalization is under way all over the world and
countries not just of the region but also of the world are opening
their borders and cooperating with each other. The future prospects
of Armenia, which has isolated itself from this cooperation, are foggy.

Azerbaijan will continue its course. Our cause is just. We will
resolve this conflict on the basis of Azerbaijan’s national interests
and international norms and principles. At the same time, Azerbaijan
will continue to strengthen its economic potential, the potential of
the army and resolve social problems.

Azerbaijan must become one of the world’s most developed countries
in a few years time.

OMBUDSMAN ARMEN HARUTYUNYAN: THE GOVERNMENTAL DECISION CONTRADICTS THE CONSTITUTION

ArmRadio
21.03.2006 17:02

>From early morning residents of Northern Avenue and Buzand Street
gathered in front of the Constitutional Court. The Court was
considering today RA Ombudsman Armen Harutyunyan’s application
regarding the correspondence of the governmental decision on
“Implementation of facilities development programs within the
administrative borders of Kentron community of Yerevan” to RA
Constitution.

The Ombudsman considers that this decision contradicts the
Constitution. The opposite opinion is expressed by representatives
of the responding side – Minister of Justice David Harutyunyan and
Assistant to the President Gevorg Mheryan. The dispute between the
latter and the Human Rights Defender inspired the residents present
in the courtroom, and Armen Harutyunyan’s speech was welcomed with
applauds.

Armen Harutyunyan has investigated similar experience of foreign
countries, proving that the decision does not correspond to Article
31 of the Constitution.

BIRD FLU ISSUE IN THE CENTER OF RA PRESIDENT’S ATTENTION

ArmRadio
21.03.2006 15:55

Today President Robert Kocharyan had a working meeting with the
Minister of Agriculture David Lockyan.

The President was first of all interested in issues related to
bird flu.

The Minister of Agriculture presented the latest results of study of
Armenian and US experts, according to which the bird flu virus does
not exist in Armenia so far.

The issue of creation of more than 200 small and medium-sized
manufacturing enterprises was discussed. The President instructed to
adopt a doctrine on this in the nearest future.

Robert Kocharyan said that assistance should be provided to
manufacturing companies by providing the opportunity of taking
low-interest loans.

The President was interested also in tree planting activities,
the irrigation system and the issue of importing new agricultural
techniques.

VAHAN HOVHANNISYAN: POSITIVE CHANGE IS OBSERVED IN THE ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN NEGOTIATIONS OVER GAS

ArmRadio
21.03.2006 17:57

Returning form the 10th sitting of the Armenian-Russian
Interparliamentary Committee, Vahan Hovhannisyan declared that positive
change is observed in the Armenian-Russian negotiations over gas, which
allows to consider that the gas price will be reconsidered. However,
Vahan Hovhannisyan did not mention any concrete numbers. According
to him, their Russian colleagues were trying to convince the rise of
Russian price is not the will of Russia but Georgia’s demand to supply
gas to everyone at the same price. Vahan Hovhannisyan considers this
the official position of the Russian authorities. The Vice-Speaker
does not take serious Vladimir Zhirinovski’s statement that the gas
will be supplied to Armenia on lower price in case Armenia joins the
Russia-Belarus Union. This is the opinion of the Liberal-Democratic
Party of Russia, which cannot be official.

Vahan Hovhannisyan was given the opportunity to deliver a report on
political relations of the two countries.

TURKS’ PROTEST AGAINST CONSTRUCTION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MEMORIAL IN LYON CAUSED FIGHTING WITH THE ARMENIANS

YEREVAN, MARCH 20. ARMINFO. Skirmish between Armenian and Turkish
immigrants took place in the town of Lyon, France.

The Turks of Lyon had organized a demonstration protesting against
the construction of a memorial devoted top the victims of the
Armenian genocide. Offensive expressions and defamatory banners of
the demonstrators caused fighting between the Armenians of Lyon
and the Turks. It should be reminded that by the decision of the
city administration the memorial will be built in the center of
Lyon and opened on April 24, on the day of 91-th anniversary of the
Genocide. According to certain sources, the authorities of France will
take measure against the violators, as the law about the Genocide,
adopted by the French Parliament, prohibits protesting against it.