12,000 TONS OF ORE MONTHLY EXTRACTED FROM DRMBON COPPER-GOLD MINE IN KARABAKH

STEPANAKERT, APRIL 21. ARMINFO. 12,000 tons of ore are extracted each
month from the copper-gold mine in the village of Drmbon, Martakert
district, Nagorno Karabakh Republic, says executive director of Base
Metals Ltd Artur Mkrtumyan.

Monthly concentrate output is 1,200 tons. The concentrate is sent to
Armenia. They process it into gold containing copper and export it to
Europe. Almost $7 mln has already been invested in the mine
development – mostly in the construction of facilities and purchase of
equipment. The company employs 750 people paying them 110,000-120,000
AMD a month. Karabakh’s tax sphere is very favourable, there is no
red-tape at all. Base Metals timely fulfills all of its tax
liabilities, pays social fees and the rent. It gives several mln AMD
to the state budget each year this substantially contributing to the
general economic development of NKR.

The company’s technologies are ecologically safe and economical. The
greater part of the staff are local specialists, trained at Artsakh
State University.

The mine resources will suffice for 20 years of active operation.
Simultaneously, the company is prospecting areas with potential
precious metal resources. In future Drmbon will be made an industrial
resort with a recreation zone on the banks of Sarsang, hotels, taverns
and an artificial lake.

Base Metals was set up in Aug 2002 for prospecting and developing the
Drmbon mine. The ore mining and processing group was built in Sept
2003. The first ore was extracted in Apr 2003, the first concentrate
in Oct of the same year.

Talks on Iran-Armenia gas pipeline end – Armenian minister

Arminfo
21 Apr 04

YEREVAN

Negotiations on the construction of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline have
ended, Armenian Energy Minister Armen Movsisyan told a news conference
today.

According to him, the Armenian government’s main task is to start the
pipeline’s construction this year.

Passage omitted: reported details

The minister said that Armenia needed 90m-100m dollars for the
construction of the pipeline’s Armenian section. It is planned to
obtain this money partly through loans and grants. The minister
declined to disclose sources of financing until an agreement is
signed.

Passage omitted: pipeline not to be an alternative to Armenia’s
nuclear power station

Armenian leader, new Estonian envoy discuss ties

Arminfo,
20 Apr 04

YEREVAN

The newly-appointed Estonian ambassador to Armenia, Andres Unga
(residence in Athens), presented his credentials to Armenian President
Robert Kocharyan today.

The Armenian presidential press service has told Arminfo that at the
meeting, Kocharyan said that Armenia attached special importance to
European orientation and the development of bilateral and multilateral
ties with Estonia in this context. The Armenian president warmly
recalled his official visit to Estonia in 2002. Kocharyan described
Estonia’s experience as instructive for Armenia to overcome
difficulties and integrate into Europe.

The interlocutors talked about the prospects for the development of
bilateral economic cooperation and stressed the importance of close
ties between the two countries’ business circles and of the exchange
of information.

Armenian foreign minister, visiting Hungarian official discuss ties

Arminfo
21 Apr 04

YEREVAN

Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan received today the deputy
state secretary of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jeno
Boros.

The meeting took place as part of regular consultations, the Armenian
Foreign Ministry’s press service told Arminfo news agency. The sides
emphasized the significance of the centuries-old Armenian-Hungarian
friendship and of cooperation between the two countries in various
spheres. It was noted that the forthcoming accession of Hungary to the
European Union might serve as a good example for Armenia in its
integration into European bodies, considering the path the two
countries covered when they were Soviet countries, and their
post-Soviet transition experience.

Oskanyan talked about Armenia’s tasks and priorities and said that
Armenia and Hungary still have a lot of potential to utilize in the
trade and economic sphere. The sides called for more detailed
discussions, business-forums and exchange visits of business
delegations.

Touching on Armenian-Hungarian ties, the sides emphasized the role of
the Armenian community in Hungary, which is one of the oldest Armenian
communities in the world. The community, which has completely
integrated into Hungarian society, also retains its identity. In
connection with this, Oskanyan praised the policy of the Hungarian
authorities on national minorities, thanks to which this multinational
country has been able to avoid undesirable tension and to successfully
address socioeconomic and political challenges.

The sides also discussed the situation in the South Caucasus, in
particular, Armenian-Turkish relations and a settlement of the
Nagornyy-Karabakh conflict.

On the same day [21 April] Boros met Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister
Ruben Shugaryan.

Armenian opposition leader says ready for dialogue with president

Arminfo
21 Apr 04

YEREVAN

The leader of the National Unity Party and MP of the National
Assembly, Artashes Gegamyan, said today that he is ready for dialogue
with Armenian President Robert Kocharyan, but only in the presence of
Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II in the Holy See of Echmiadzin.

Speaking at a rally organized by the united opposition, he talked
about a meeting he had with Garegin II. The latter expressed his
concern about the domestic political situation and called for
dialogue. “I am ready for a dialogue with Kocharyan, but let him talk
in the presence of Garegin II about his orders to beat up his own
people and his other sins,” Gegamyan said.

Gegamyan said he was outraged by yesterday’s [20 April] speech of
Kocharyan. “How dare he to insult the great poetess Silva Kaputikyan
[for turning down the Order of Mesrop Mashtots awarded on her 80th
anniversary]. He said that we are fighting for
leadership. Intellectuals, like Silva Kaputikyan, are our leaders. Our
leaders are the people,” Gegamyan said.

[Passage omitted: Minor details]

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian GDP 7.5 per cent up in first quarter of 2004

Arminfo
21 Apr 04

YEREVAN

Armenia’s GDP grew by 7.5 per cent in January-March 2004 in comparison
with the same period of 2003 and totalled 223bn drams (about 400 US
dollars).

In the same period, the volume of industrial production in Armenia
increased by 2.8 per cent, agricultural production by 6.2 per cent and
retail turnover by 9.5 per cent.

The GDP deflator index totalled 109.9 per cent, and consumer prices
increased by 2.2 per cent in comparison with last December.

The population’s income grew by 21.2 per cent and spending by 19 per
cent, according to the National Statistics Service. At the end of
March, there were 118,000 officially registered unemployed in Armenia.

In this period, the volume of Armenia’s foreign trade turnover
totalled 433.11m dollars, of which imports amounted to 281.25m and
exports to 151.86m dollars.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Interfax
April 22 2004

Azerbaijani president finds visit of German minister important

Baku. (Interfax-Azerbaijan) – The visit of German Foreign Minister
Joschka Fischer to Baku will give an impetus to bilateral relations,
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said receiving Fischer on
Wednesday.

“The visit is creating a good foundation for speeding up economic
cooperation because today Azerbaijan is a developing country and has
created all the necessary conditions for investments,” he said. He
pointed to Azerbaijan’s successes in integration in European
institutions.

However the conflict in Nagorno Karabakh remains a threat to regional
security and obstructs the full-scale economic development in the
region, Aliyev said.

In his turn Fischer expressed Germany’s readiness to offer its
assistance in settling the conflict. He said that Azerbaijan having a
special position in the South Caucasus needs stability for steady
economic development.

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
April 16 2004

IS THE PRIVATIZATION LAW EFFICIENT?

Member of parliament Edward Aghabekian set forth the legislative
undertaking to make amendments to the NKR law `On privatization of
state property’. According to E. Aghabekian, certain points of the law
contradict to the Civil Code. In particular the notions of state and
personal property in the law prevail over the community property,
whereas the equality of legal forms of ownership and immunity is
maintained in the Code. According to E. Aghabekian, the state body
(the government) should not occupy with the privatization of community
property because as legal entities the government and the
self-governing body of the community have equal rights. The
representative of the government Arnold Abrahamian mentioned that
there is no disagreement between the law and the civil code. First of
all, the property of the community is privatized by the authorized
body of the government by the consent of the community council only,
and the sum is transferred to the budget of the community. Besides,
according to Abrahamian, if the blocks of apartments are concerned,
the property should be privatized by the condominiums and not the
community. Third, according to A. Abrahamian, the law will be late as
about 420 units have already been privatized in Stepanakert and only
35 rented areas remain. Opposing to this statement, member of
parliament M. Danielian mentioned he cannot understand the intention
of the government to privatize all the units belonging to the
communities. Member of parliament Artur Mossiyan reminded that the
Audit Inspection Chamber revealed cases of privatization without the
consent of the community council. According to member of parliament
Kamo Barseghian, there were also cases when the joint-stock companies
were nationalized and then privatized. Summing up, the speaker of the
National Assembly Oleg Yessayan mentioned that the question raised is
conceptual, there is, in fact, legislative controversy and the state,
personal and community properties should be distinguished. The author
of the undertaking Edward Aghabekian mentioned in his concluding
speech that there is no need for the government to confirm the
decision of the community council because these are equal subjects.
Besides, if the personal and community property is registered and has
corresponding documents, the state property is not registered
anywhere. The bill, actually, contains the requirement that the
community should privatize the property of the community. According to
the government, the situation is exactly like this, the government
merely carries out technical work. The law was adopted at the first
reading. It is expected that before the second reading clear
mechanisms will have been worked out.

NAIRA HAYRUMIAN

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
April 16 2004

MISTAKES IN MEDICAL EXAMINATION OF CONSCRIPTS

During the meeting of the National Assembly member of parliament A.
Gabrielian asked the government to explain the reason of double
medical examination of the conscripts and its results. In answer the
defence minister of NKR Seyran Ohanian mentioned that since 2000 he
has been struggling for maintaining the principle of fairness during
the conscription. Double medical examination is part of this process.
It turned out that 12-13 percent of the conscripts, 542 people were
released from service because of diseases. The examination showed that
49 were able-bodied, 12 conscripts are sent for additional
examination. 25 are children of university teachers, heads of
hospitals, doctors, businessmen. The minister particularly mentioned
the dean of university Mirzoyan, the chief doctor of the republic
hospital, lawyer Sahakian whose sons were illegally released from
military service. In this relation the prime minister suggested
drawing a list of such parents and publish in the newspaper `Azat
Artsakh’. He mentioned that although there will be phone calls from
people known in the society, occupying high positions, the process
will be consistently carried on. Member of parliament Artur Mossiyan
mentioned that according to the NKR law `On compulsory military
service’ those persons who did not serve in the army for not
acceptable reasons have no right for civil service. In answer prime
minister Anoushavan Danielian reminded that the law `On civil service’
which is already in effect, maintains the list of civil positions, for
the occupation of which it is obligatory to have served in the
army. During the upcoming attestation this requirement will also be
met. Member of parliament A. Gabrielian mentioned that not only the
parents illegally releasing their children from military service but
also the members of the corresponding medical commission must be
liable.Â

NAIRA HAYRUMIAN

Kazinform, Kazakhstan
April 22 2004

President of Kazakhstan conferred on mantle of Cambridge University
Professor

Almaty. April 22. KAZINFORM – President of Kazakhstan is conferred on
rank of the honorary Cambridge University Professor. Director of
`Eurasia’ center of the Cambridge University, ex-prime-minister of
Armenia Armen Sarkisyan informed about it in his greeting speech,
addressed to the opened Eurasian Media-Forum participants. He handed
over the Professor’s mantle to the President of Kazakhstan and
informed that Nursultan Nazarbayev is elected honorary President of
the above-mentioned center at the Cambridge University.