The Information Channel Felist.Com -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear frends! Arminfo news agency inform Intrigue of the day 2008-04-17 17:54:00 PACE adopts resolution on the state of democratic institutions in Armenia ArmInfo. Today PACE adopted a resolution on the state of democratic institutions in Armenia. The ArmInfo correspondent in Strasbourg reports that 93 deputies voted for the solution with 8 against and 8 abstaining. The resolution says that even though the outburst of popular anger following the Feb 19 presidential election in Armenia and resulting in the Mar 1 tragic events could be spontaneous it has deep roots and comes from the inability of the authorities, particularly, the parliament and courts, to discharge their functions in full compliance with democratic standards and the principles of supremacy of law and respect for human rights. In order to move forward, Armenia should urgently undertake reforms of the political system and of the electoral process, guarantee the independence of the judiciary, the public media and freedom of assembly, and stop the harassment of opposition media outlets, arbitrary arrests and politically motivated detentions. The resolution says that the only way to allow the country to move forward with the above-mentioned urgently-needed reforms is the initiation of an open and constructive dialogue between political forces. The resolution lists a number of conditions for such a dialogue to start: the immediate opening of an independent inquiry into the events of 1 March, the urgent release of the persons detained on seemingly artificial and politically motivated charges and the revocation of the amendments recently adopted by the National Assembly to the Law on conducting meetings, assemblies, rallies and demonstrations, with immediate effect. Unless these conditions are met and an open dialogue on the reforms mentioned is seriously engaged, "the credibility of Armenia as a member of the Council of Europe is put into doubt." "The Assembly should therefore consider the possibility of suspending the voting rights of the Armenian delegation to the Assembly at the opening of its June 2008 part-session, if no considerable progress has been made on these requirements by then," says the resolution. Politics 2008-04-17 23:27:00 President of Armenia blames customs authorities for corruption and protectionism ArmInfo. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan has blamed the customs authorities of the country for corruption and protectionism. During a meeting with the heads of the customs committee today Sargsyan said that corruption and protectionism was a big obstacle to the development of the country's economy. All corrupt customs officers must be dismissed. Nobody must be allowed to pressure the customs bodies and to engage in contraband. "We all must live in a normal country where one will have no problems with having business. Meanwhile, surveys show that in our country it is mostly small and medium-sized rather than big business that is faced with problems," Sargsyan said. 2008-04-17 23:14:00 Armenian ministers of culture, science and education, town-planning reserve their portfolios ArmInfo. By Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's decree dated April 17, 2008, Hasmik Poghosyan has been appointed minister of culture, Levon Mkrtchyan - minister of education and science, Vardan Vardanyan - minister of town-planning. 2008-04-17 23:12:00 Armenian and Azeri delegations to PACE agreed to continue talks in the framework of Ad Hoc Committee on Nagorno-Karabakh ArmInfo. The heads of the Armenian and Azeri delegations to PACE have agreed to continue talks in the framework of the PACE Ad Hoc Committee on Nagorno-Karabakh, the chairman of the committee Lord Russell-Johnston said in a talk with an ArmInfo correspondent. He said that the delegations met today in the framework of the committee. It was a short meeting as there is no big necessity for them to meet at the moment. The key point is that the delegations are ready to continue their meetings. Considering the June discussion of the problem of Armenia at PACE and the Oct presidential election in Azerbaijan, the meeting will most probably take place during the PACE session in Jan 2009. 2008-04-17 23:10:00 Lord Russell-Johnston is planning to visit Armenia in late May and to meet with Serzh Sargsyan ArmInfo. The chairman of the PACE Ad Hoc Committee on Nagorno-Karabakh Lord Russell-Johnston is planning to visit Armenia in late May and to meet with Armenian President Serzh Sargysan. In a talk with an ArmInfo correspondent he said that he was going to get acquainted with Serzh Sargsyan. Asked if he was going to visit Nagorno-Karabakh, Russell-Johnston said that he was going to discuss certain problems but he did not want to go very deep in the problem of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as it was not the only problem his committee dealt with. Besides, PACE is not a mediator in this process. PACE's efforts are mostly aimed at organizing more effective meetings between the parliamentary delegations of the two states. 2008-04-17 23:05:00 Armen Rustamyan calls on Azerbaijan to look for the beam in its own eye ArmInfo. During the hearings on the PACE resolution on operation of democratic institutions in Armenia held within the frames of a PACE session in Strasbourg, Thursday, Head of the Armenian National Assembly's Standing Commission on External Relations Armen Rustamyan proposed Azerbaijan to look for the beam in its own eye. According to him, Azerbaijan took advantage of the tense post-election situation in Yerevan and exerted military aggression on Nagorno-Karabakh's borders. "If they want to become an example of democracy in the region, they have a brilliant chance to do it by explaining the reasons of the complete failure of the past parliamentary election in Azerbaijan and solving at last the problem of their political prisoners and journalists", he said. Rustamyan added that the key to improvement of the situation in Armenia is constructive cooperation between the authorities and opposition. To note, earlier Gultankin Hajiyeva, an Azerbaijani MP, made a speech at the session. She noted that "by recognizing the results of the presidential election in Armenia, PACE legalizes the regime during which at least 600 people died". 2008-04-17 18:54:00 Vahan Hovhannisyan: March 1 events were main reason for ARF Dashnaksutyun's to enter the coalition ArmInfo. Levon Ter-Petrosyan didn't master the mechanisms he applied, as a result, the situation got out of his control, Vahan Havhannisyan, a member of the ARF Dashnaksutyun Party's Bureau, an Armenian MP from the ARFD faction, told ArmInfo correspondent. According to him, in any sphere one should perfectly master the mechanisms to apply them. "When a man tries to spread distrust in the society, he should always take into account the fact that the distrust may affect not only the authorities, but also the Motherland", he noted. Hovhannisyan added that the disappointment hatred affected not only the authorities, but the whole state system. He thinks that Ter-Petrosyan didn't worry about this. "As for me, I wouldn't afford such things", he added. Hovhannisyan stressed that the March 1 events were the main reason for which ARFD entered the coalition. "After the mass disorders the domestic political situation in Armenia was tense, the foreign forces took advantage of this and exerted pressure on Armenia and Karabakh", he said. After these events it made no difference for ARFD what relations it had with the authorities, as the whole republic was endangered, including the oppositionists, Hovhannisyan stressed. He noted that each political force should know its limits, but Ter-Petrosyan didn't. "He tried to use a tool he couldn't. Therefore the consequences were heavier than expected", he noted. The MP also thinks that it will take Armenia long to return to the democratic achievements it had before March events. "We should gain the positions we held in the international community. Furthermore, the issue of the state's image is on the agenda", he added. 2008-04-17 18:25:00 PACE co-rapporteur on Armenia Georges Colombier satisfied with results of PACE debates ArmInfo. PACE co-rapporteur on Armenia Georges Colombier is satisfied with the results of the debates on the PACE resolution on the state of democratic institutions in Armenia. In a talk with an ArmInfo correspondent Colombier said that the Mar 1 events, the deaths and arrests of people, were inadmissible because it was not democracy. Most of the PACE parliamentarians showed well-balanced positions on the resolution. So, Colombier hopes that after these debates the Armenian authorities will use the advantage, will meet the requirements and will not force PACE to suspend the voting rights of the Armenian delegation during its June session. Colombier believes the Armenian authorities and people and is sure that even though there is little time left till June Armenia will be able to meet PACE's requirements and to embark on the road of democracy. 2008-04-17 17:55:00 Vahan Hovhannisyan sees no grounds for a dialogue between Serzh Sargsyan and Levon Ter-Petrosyan ArmInfo. "I see no grounds for a dialogue between Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Levon Ter-Petrosyan in the near future", Vahan Hovhannisyan, a member of the ARF Dashnaksutyun Party's Bureau, an Armenian MP from the ARFD faction, said to ArmInfo correspondent. "What should they speak about?" the MP asked. "Before and after the presidential election, they were in the opposite poles and left no place for a dialogue", he said. At the same time, Hovhannisyan thinks that the dialogue will be possible if the situation gradually changes for the better. "But in this case, there will be no need in the dialogue", he said. 2008-04-17 17:50:00 Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisyan: If compared with developed states the level of involvement of Armenian young people in sports is very low ArmInfo. Today Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisyan introduced the new Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Armen Grigoryan reappointed to the post. To recall, Armen Grigoryan was appointed to the post in 2007. He said that sport is of a key significance and if we succeed in this sphere, the mood of the society will change much. 'We should create such an atmosphere in the society so that young people do not imagine their life without sport', - the premier said and added he is sure that Armen Grigoryan and the ministry will fulfill this task. 2008-04-17 17:48:00 PACE Rapporteur considers Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's statements to be promising ArmInfo. PACE Rapporteur John Prescott thinks that Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's statements are promising, however, a dialogue should be started between the parties. John Prescott expressed his opinion in his conversation with ArmInfo correspondent. Prescott said that PACE wants to see Armenia's public and political life restored and hopes that Armenia has considered PACE's proposals. He added that a PACE delegation will pay a visit to Armenia before June. The goal of the visit is to see the process of implementation of the published statements and proposals. PACE hopes that the Armenian president's statement is a step forward on the path to democracy, Prescott noted. If the opposition refuses cooperation, it can't be forced. This is the nature of democracy, he said. In a civil society all parties should be interested in such a dialogue and shouldn't refuse it pointblank. Prescott expressed hope that Armenia will be able to create admissible atmosphere for everybody. Consolidation of civil society is the only way to overcome the controversial and conflicting statements about what happened. Armenia has no other way out, otherwise establishment of democracy will become impossible. Armenia should retrieve the confidence in electoral processes. PACE doesn't impose its will on Armenia, it only expresses its opinion in case Armenia wants to move forward on the path to democracy, Prescott said. 2008-04-17 17:46:00 John Prescott: Political propaganda comes from both Armenia and Azerbaijan ArmInfo. Political propaganda comes from both Armenia and Azerbaijan, PACE rapporteur John Prescott said in a talk with ArmInfo correspondent when asked to comment on the statements by the Azeri delegates to PACE that during the past presidential election in Armenia there were polling stations not only in Armenia but also in Nagorno-Karabakh. Prescott said that as an observer of democratic processes in Armenia he felt responsibility to both PACE and Armenia and would prefer not to interfere in the course of history that often made things look more complicated than they were in reality. 2008-04-17 17:15:00 John Prescott: Armenia has never implemented Assembly's recommendations completely ArmInfo. Hearings on the resolution "On operation of democratic institutions in Armenia" are being held in PACE. As ArmInfo own correspondent in Strasbourg reports, John Prescott, a co-rapporteur of the document, said in his speech that the Assembly agreed with the document, which registers some positive moments, including the holding of a referendum in compliance with the Constitution. However, Armenia has never implemented the Assembly's recommendations completely, and as a result, this document has been prepared, Prescott said. According to him, there is atmosphere of suspiciousness in Armenia, there are detainees as a consequence of March events. The PACE rapporteur thinks that it was the lack of public confidence in elections that caused mass demonstrations. The protest actions were held both before and after the election, up to March 1, Prescott noted. He recalled that 10 people died, and the chief candidate from the opposition, the first president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan was actually under house arrest. He also recalled that various restrictions on freedom of media were introduced. This is direct evidence of violation of human rights, he said. There are different versions of the events and it is necessary to find out what really happened, what can be done on the basis of independent investigation aiming to retrieve the public confidence in electoral processes. According to Prescott, the CoE and the international community may support such investigation. PACE is concerned over the fates of people detained as a result of March events. Prescott added that the detainees should be released if they took no part in the violence. He also noted that some items of the Criminal Code are not clear enough, particularly, formulation of the items concerning the freedom of speech gives wide opportunities for interpretation. If Armenia fails to implement the Assembly's requirements, the author ity of Armenia as a member country of the CoE will be undermined, Prescott thinks. He stressed that if there is no positive reaction, this will be taken into account during the next session of PACE in June. One should gain a consensus on suspension of powers of the Armenian delegation to PACE and subtraction of its voting right starting from June 2008. The Assembly is decisive to support Armenia in restoring the process of democratization in the country, Prescott noted. To note, one of the requirements to Armenia is to reform the political system so that the opposition's rights can be guaranteed. Furthermore, the document points out that the electoral process should be thoroughly optimized to guarantee an unbiased electoral system, which mustn't be controlled by any political party; it should also guarantee the independence of the commission on national TV and radio. It is necessary to check whether the specified structures really represent the Armenian society's interests, Prescott said. The document also stresses the necessity to guarantee the freedom for holding rallies both in law and in practice. The Armenian authorities should exert additional efforts to ensure a true independent judicial system to increase the public confidence in the decisions taken by courts. Armenia's authorities should put an end to the acts of arbitrary arrests and detentions, as well as the bad attitude to the detainees. An efficient mechanism of public control over the RA Police's work is needed, the document says. 2008-04-17 17:09:00 Armenian premier: Agriculture to become prior direction in the country's economy development over the next five years ArmInfo. Agriculture has been chosen by the Armenian government as a prior direction of development of the country's economy over the next five years, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisyan said when presenting the newly appointed Agriculture Minister David Lokyan to the employees of the ministry. He also added that the drawn out agriculture development programme on 2008-2012 presented by President Serzh Sarkisyan over hie election campaign first of all supposes introduction of the effective management system in this sphere. The development programme demands tense and purposeful working, the premier said. 2008-04-17 17:07:00 Lawyer of New Times opposition party leader: Aram Karapetyan arrested exclusively on political motives ArmInfo. Leader of New Times opposition party Aram Karapetyan is arrested and kept in custody exclusively for political affiliation, the lawyer of Aram Karapetyan Haroutyun Baghdasaryan said at a press conference at New Time party office, Thursday. In response to ArmInfo question, he mentioned that Aram Karapetyan was detained on February 24 by the National Security Service officers and has been kept in custody since then. He is charged with Article 333 of Criminal Code (false denunciation). On April 18 the court will study the petition by the investigation group for prolongation of the period under guard for a month. 'I believe Aram arapetya's case political for the charge says that Aram Karapetyan created obstacles to the victory of Serzh Sargsyan in the presidential election and helped raising the rating of Levon Ter-Petrosyan. In addition, since February 24 A. Karapetyan has been interrogated just twice and no other investigative measures have been taken so far. Obviously, the arrest of A. Karapetyan and other oppositionists is a preventive measure in order 'he calms down and changes his mind' and another month is necessary to investigators just to decide whether to submit his case to the court or set him free', the lawyer said. Wednesday, New Time party disseminated a statement wherein it calls the arrest of A. Karapetyan an evidence of the fear of the authorities. The statement also says that the record number of political prisoners in the country as compared to the other states in the region threatens the international image and national security of Armenia and the authorities are responsible for it. 2008-04-17 13:51:00 Senate Republican Leader: Time of reconciliation can only occur when the Republic of Turkey finds it futile to spend millions of dollars to conceal genocide facts ArmInfo. 'I look forward to a time of reconciliation that can only occur when the Republic of Turkey finds it futile to spend millions of dollars scheming to distort history and threatening American political, military and business leaders with reprisals', Senator Dave Cogdill, Senate Republican Leader says in his statement devoted to the 93rd anniversary of Armenian Genocide. 'As stated by John Evans, who served as U.S. Ambassador to Armenia a few years ago: ":When an official policy diverges wildly from what the broad public believes is self-evident, that policy ceases to command respect." These words express a challenge to all who would cede ideals to the wretched whims of a foreign power. Public service offers wonderful opportunities to forge positive relationships, work on issues of importance to constituents, and gain knowledge. I am so honored to have become well-acquainted with so many Californians of Armenian heritage (as well as Assyrians, Greeks and others whose forebears were also victims of massacres) who make such a great contribution to our state's economic and cultural vitality and civic leadership. I strongly align myself with the cause of justice for the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide. I stand with them because it is simply the right thing to do,> the Senator says. He mentions the policy of nondisclouse of Armenian Genocide led to repetition of such tragedies in Nazi Germany and the sacramental phrase by Adolph Hitler: "Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?" In the Ottoman Empire Armenians were subjected to torture, starvation, death marches in the Syrian Desert and other unspeakable atrocities that resulted in the murder of 1,500,000 Armenian men, women and children over a period of eight long years ending in 1923. Hundreds of thousands of young Armenian orphans spent the remainder of their lives haunted by the memory of the torture and mayhem inflicted on their loved ones before their eyes. 2008-04-17 11:53:00 Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger proclaimed April 20-27, 2008 as 'Days of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide' ArmInfo. Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger proclaimed April 20-27, 2008 as "Days of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide", Armenian Assembly of America told ArmInfo. The Proclamation says in particular: "Every April we take time to commemorate the lives of those forever devastated by the Armenian Genocide. Between 1915 and 1923 more than one million Armenian were killed in the territory of the Ottoman Empire, and countless more lost everything they owned. Intellects and store owners, children and seniors, men and women, people from all walks of life were victims of these horrific acts. Often listed as the first genocide of the twentieth century, these events had a life-alerting impact on many, and stimulated an Armenian Diaspora. I ask all Californians to take time this week to reflect on this tragedy and its consequences. In joining our friends in the Armenian-American community in this observance, all of California helps remember the lives that were lost or changed by these fateful events". To note, Armenian Genocide was recognized by 23 countries of the world and 42 states of the USA. 2008-04-17 11:52:00 Deputy FM of Azerbaijan blames Armenia for :abusing good relations ArmInfo. Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Araz Azimov blames Armenia for no less than abusing good relations. In his speech at the conference "Basic principles of settlement of the conflicts in GUAM countries" in Baku, Azimov said: "This conference was not a simple forum, where the countries discussed political issues and problems. "We can bring together all experiences on the solution to the conflicts", Araz Azimov said, APA reports. He stated that the conference broadly discussed the solution to the conflicts. "The main principle of the conference is that we can investigate resources for the solution to the problems within the international law. The conference will explain to opposite side that one cannot abuse good relations for a long time", he said. For his part, Deputy Minister of State of Georgia for settlement of conflicts Dmitri Manjavidze said GUAM member-states have enough resources to settle their problems. 'The countries we negotiate with would better understand that we negotiate not for a dialogue but for specific steps. We do not need discussions in the form of negotiations. The first legal resource we will use is the right to inseparability and sovereignty of territories. We are ready to hold negotiations up to the last crucial moment', he aid. It is not clear enough what A. Azimov means when speaking of good relations. He is, probably, willing to forget about the pogroms of Armenian thousands of Armenia refugees from Baku amd Sumgait and the war unleashed by Azerbaijan. 2008-04-17 11:50:00 Protest action to be held near the building of the Council of Europe today ArmInfo. Protest action regarding hearings on draft resolution "Democratic institutions functioning in Armenia" will be held near the building of the Council of Europe today. As ArmInfo correspondent reports from Strasbourg, representatives of Armenian communities of Brussels and Paris are going to take part in the action, which will be organized by Armenian first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan's supporters. 2008-04-17 11:49:00 Condoleezza Rice believes Karabakh conflict could be resolved quickly ArmInfo-TURAN: Addressing to the American-Turkish Council in Washington, the U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice touched on the Karabakh conflict. Commenting on the question if the USA has a definite plan of settling the conflict, she said: "I am very much of the view that the Nagorno-Karabakh issue is one that could be resolved, and actually, with just a little bit of will, could be resolved relatively quickly. We have been close several times within the Minsk process, where we have the cooperation of several countries including Russia, the European Union, and the United States. It is just taking a couple of difficult decisions and getting an agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia on Nagorno-Karabakh. It needs to be done. I have made the case to both the Armenian Government and to the Azeri Government that they are falling behind the rest of the region because they will not resolve this conflict between them. And frankly, there is plenty of, if you wish to use the word blame, to go around on both sides. This could be done if there is political will and it ought to be done." 2008-04-17 11:47:00 PACE reporter on situation in cultural heritage in South Caucasus to visit the region soon ArmInfo. PACE reporter on situation in cultural heritage in South Caucasus will visit the region soon. As Secretary General of the Council of Europe Terry Davis told Armenian journalists that this problem has been recently discussed with foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. 'In particular, they discussed the problem of holding investigation because of statements about destruction of Armenian monuments in Naxcivan', - T.Davis said and added that the visit did not take place earlier because of the elections in Armenia. 2008-04-17 11:46:00 Terry Davis believes Council of Europe must support OSCE Minsk Group ArmInfo. Council of Europe is looking forward settlement of Karabakh conflict and has no intention to replace OSCE Minsk Group format, CE Secretary General Terry Davis said commenting at the request of ArmInfo on the events held with the support of CE in the past to emphasize the role of the Council of Europe in the Karabakh peace process. He said there is always an opportunity to organize a forum to launch a dialogue between the parliaments of Armenia and Azerbaijan. T. Davis said he will always contribute to people talking to each other. It is a common problem, he said. 2008-04-17 11:45:00 Terry Davis: The 1 March events seriously damaged international authority of Armenia ArmInfo. The 1 March events seriously damaged international authority of Armenia, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Terry Davis told Armenian journalists. Nevertheless he added he has no ground not to trust in PACE reporter John Prescott who was present at the presidential election in Armenia, who said that despite criticizing the electoral process Serzh Sarkisyan has become the president as a result of the election. Such was the will of the people of Armenia, Davis said. 2008-04-17 11:44:00 Tery Davis: Mutual criticism does not contribute to settling Karabakh conflict ArmInfo. Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis told journalists he believes in democracy that implies free expression of will. T. Davis made this statement when commenting the harsh criticism of Armenia by the Azerbaijani delegations in PACE. He said any expression of criticism does not help normalizing the relations of Armenia and Azerbaijan and settling the Karabakh conflict. T. Davis mentioned that on different occasions he stressed that he believes very important for Armenia to admit that Azerbaijan supported it in the way to the CE like Armenia supported Azerbaijan to join the CE. It is an example of how the relations should develop. T. Davis cited the Bible:'Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye'. He stressed he believes this saying a good 'maxim' . 2008-04-17 11:43:00 Terry Davis: Armenia should seriously treat the resolution which PACE may adopt ArmInfo. Armenia should seriously treat the resolution which PACE may adopt, Secretary General Terry Davis told Armenian journalists in Strasbourg when replying to ArmInfo correspondent's question about the document "Democratic institution functioning in Armenia". He also added he is not authorized to answer on behalf of PACE, only of the Council of Europe. He said it is very important for the executive power not to meddle in the legislative power activity. Assessing how may possible adoption of the resolution affect Armenia's status, T.Davis said it depends on the content of the resolution and added that any resolution of PACE should be treated seriously. Interview 2008-04-17 14:10:00 PACE Resolution On operation of democratic institutions in Armenia is crucial The PACE resolution On operation of democratic institutions in Armenia by Rapporteur for election in Armenia John Prescott and Co-Rapporteur for Armenia's accession commitments to the Council of Europe George Colombier will be discussed during a sitting in PACE on April 17. To note, this issue was included in the session's agenda as a result of the proposal made on April 14, the first day of the session, to hold extraordinary hearings on this issue. In case the resolution is adopted, PACE members intend to hold debates on implementation of the proposed recommendations and assessment of Armenia's progress during the summer session of PACE. If the situation is unsatisfactory, the issue of temporary suspension of the mandate of the Armenian delegation to PACE may arise. Head of the Armenian delegation to PACE, Chairman of the Armenian National Assembly's Standing Commission on Legal Issues David Harutyunyan said about possible developments in PACE in his interview. How important is the adoption of the resolution on operation of democratic institutions in Armenia, which will be discussed at the PACE sitting on April 17? The resolution is crucial for Armenia from the viewpoint of developments in Armenia and the country's compliance with the CoE standards. What issues will the document cover? Will it touch upon the post-election situation in Armenia? First and foremost, it is the post-election situation in Armenia. The document is not focused on the election itself, but covers a wide spectrum of problems related to the work of democratic institutions in Armenia: from the status of mass media to the independence of the judiciary system. What facts are the document's authors going to appeal to? Usually it is a political assessment. Sometimes we think that the authors of documents discussed at the CoE must adduce some proofs, but actually, such documents are just political assessments by the people assigned by the CoE or the CoE Committee of Ministers to prepare them. Often the CoE's position is based on their political assessments. Taking into account the fact that the co-author of the present report is John Prescott, who connected the reason of the post-election events with the lack of public confidence in the electoral process in his previous report on presidential election observation, can one expect that the present document itself will have no tough formulations? Harutyunyan: I don't think that the report will be soft. That is, it is not soft. As for the reasons, the document states that the factor of the lack of public confidence in electoral processes is rather the society's problem than the reason of the events over the post-election period in Yerevan. Therefore, this should urgently be taken into account to reconsider the policy in the country. This is not a cause-and-effect relation, this is a problem faced by the country, i.e. to liquidate the inconfidence of a part of the society in electoral institutions. How does PACE determine the degree of the authorities' responsibility in the matter of the lack of public confidence? How much does this factor clearly point at the authorities' fault and fail to take into account the general reasons? This issue cannot be unambiguous, this is a matter of purely political assessment. It stands to reason that when the issue of responsibility arises, the authorities' responsibility is always considered. What measures is the Armenian delegation going to take to prevent the adoption of the resolution? I don't think that our task is to prevent the adoption of the resolution. This is a wrong approach. We think that the resolution should be unbiased as it may become an efficient tool to achieve the goals of not only and not so much of the Council of Europe but the goals of the Republic of Armenia. The necessity of independent investigation of the post-election events was much spoken about during the sittings of the PACE session. Are there any specific initiatives and persons from the CoE who may be involved in the process? There is such a proposal though the CoE shows quite controversial attitude to this, as it will obviously be quite an ineffective mechanism. Yes, it is necessary to carry out independent investigation. Yes, it is possible to involve international experts in it. But this does not mean that the investigation should be carried out at an international level. It should be carried out by an institution enjoying the highest confidence in Armenia, and I don't think that this institution should be located outside the country. Would you clarify the situation with the work of the PACE Ad Hoc Committee on Nagorno-Karabakh? Why have the meetings of the Armenian and Azerbaijani delegations been suspended within the frames of sessions? At the moment we have no new details to tell you. Is Lord Russell-Johnston's statement that the parties gave their consent to a joint meeting true? Actually, it is. We have always been willing to hold such meetings. I think that at the moment the meeting is impossible for technical reasons: today we face other priority tasks at the PACE session, in any case, we tackle these issues during this session. I admit that the meeting will be held within the frames of this session, however, it is scarcely probable. The meeting is most likely to take place during the interval between this session and the following one. How effective is the Committee's work? The Committee doesn't settle the Nagorno-Karabakh problem. Its task is to establish ties between both countries' parliamentarians, exchange opinions and find common positions. How much efficiently does the Committee implement this task? At the moment, I cannot consider that the Committee's work has brought specific results, nevertheless, this doesn't mean that the work should be suspended. Thanks for the interview Interviewed by Oksana Musaelyan,ArmInfo,Strasbourg, April 15, 2008 Economy 2008-04-17 18:59:00 Vahan Hovhannisyan: Various importers will take advantage of growth in gas rates to create a speculative boom ArmInfo. "I have no grounds not to trust the explanations given by the Armenian prime minister and the head of ArmRusgasprom about the growth in gas rates from May 1", Vahan Hovhannisyan, a member of the ARF Dashnaksutyun Party's Bureau, an Armenian MP from the ARFD faction, told ArmInfo correspondent. According to him, the high-ranking officials' explanations are certainly logical. At the same time, the MP noted one should take into account the fact that the objective tendencies in the world will lead to growth of subjective tendencies in Armenia. In particular, this will cause increase in prices of other energy resources. Various importers will take advantage of this to create a speculative boom. The state should have taken this factor into consideration, the MP stressed. Hovhannisyan said that during the pre-election campaign people were warned: "if you sell your votes, you should know that afterwards the state will take away this money from you". According to him, people will perceive the growth in gas rates as an attempt to return the money spent on the pre-election bribes. "People will not believe even the logical and true explanations of our officials as no relevant work was carried out and people lack confidence in the authorities", the MP said. 2008-04-17 13:58:00 Not only state subsidies but also their rational use by citizens may withstand rise in prices for electricity and gas ArmInfo. Not only the state subsidies but also their rational use by citizens may withstand the rise in prices for electricity and gas, RA parliamentarian, "Prosperous Armenia" faction member Vardan Bostanjyan told journalists today. Talking of the government-envisaged population support, he recalled that according to the statements, the tariffs for electricity and gas in 2008 will remain unchanged. Moreover, it is also scheduled to compensate the gas payments to 130,000 needy families of the country. "There is also one important step more, which may be taken by each of us without waiting for the state assistance. We can and must consume electricity and water more savingly, otherwise it will be impossible to acquire them at any price", V. Bostanjyan said. 2008-04-17 13:24:00 A part of Armenian subscribers of cell communication operator 'Beeline' have no communication since today's morning ArmInfo. A part of Armenian subscribers of cell communication operator "Beeline" have been again deprived of communication since today's morning. "We are working to restore communication", - Arminfo correspondent was told in the company. But they did not specify either the reason of absence of communication or the hour of its restoration. To note, as of 2:00 PM no official information about absence of communication was received from Beeline. 2008-04-16 18:54:00 In 2008 ArmRosgazprom will invest in the gas sector of Armenia 40.4% more than in 2007 ArmInfo. In 2008 ArmRosgazprom CJSC is planning to invest 67.4bln AMD ($217mln) in the gas sector of Armenia against 48bln AMD ($154mln) in 2007, the chairman of the boar of directors-the director general of ArmRosgazprom CJSC Karen Karapetyan said during a press-conference today. Among the biggest projects planned for the coming years are the completion of the construction of the second section of Iran-Armenia gas pipeline by the end of this year (the cost of the project is $180mln) and the completion of the construction of the 5th unit of Hrazdan TPP ($170mln). In the last years ArmRoshazprom has been steadily increasing its investments - in 2000 the company invested just 2bln AMD. In 2000-20007 the import of natural gas in Armenia almost redoubled. The number of active gas consumers grew by 5.1 times. The amount of tax payments grew by 11 times. Presently, ArmRosgazprom is one of the biggest tax payers in Armenia. Finance and banks 2008-04-17 17:23:00 DEG acquires 13.5PCT stake in INECOBANK ArmInfo. Deutsche Investitions und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (DEG), a member of German KfW Bankergruppe (bank group), has acquired a 13.5pct stake in INECOBANK from ShoreCap Inernational. INECOBANK told ArmInfo the deal was effected on March 10 2008. On this occasion Mr. A. Baloyan, the CEO of Inecobank, said: "DEG is an honorable partner for Inecobank and now we are proud to have DEG as the bank's new shareholder. We believe this new deal will be a new bridge between Ineco and DEG putting together our common goals directed towards the development of private sector in Armenia. On behalf of DEG we see a strategic partner and highly value its trust and reliability shown towards Inecobank. The willingness of international shareholders to invest additional funds into Inecobank demonstrates their commitment and confidence in the future of our bank. It demonstrates their belief in the continuing rapid growth of the bank." Mr. Steffen Suhany, First Vice President and Head of Portfolio Management at DEG, said: "We are very delighted to receive the opportunity of financing a further project in Armenia, our first one in the banking sector. We see a large potential in the country and regard Inecobank as a highly reliable partner with a strong capability to significantly contribute to the further development and strengthening of the Armenian financial sector. Beyond enabling Inecobank's further growth we intend to contribute to its advancement by assisting it in the improvement and further professionalization of its internal procedures. DEG started cooperation with Inecobank since 2007 by extending a USD 7 million loan to the Bank for the purpose of Small and Medium-sized Enterprise financing and Mortgage Lending in Armenia. It was the first investment made by DEG in the Armenian financial market. Inecobank CJSC was founded in 1996 as a private bank and has a good market position in the Armenian banking sector. As of the end of 2007 financial year Inecobank listed the 8th by its assets $117,504,010) and by total credit investments ($68,620,110) and the 26th in the MIX's list of top 50 micro-lending institutions in the world (Forbes rankings). Among the shareholders of the Bank are International Financial Organization (IFC) and DEG with 10% and 13.5% 7 shares in the Bank's capital correspondingly. Inecobank has wide experience in collaboration with reputable international institutions such as WB, EBRD, USAID, KfW banking group (Germany), BSTDB, responsAbility and IFAD and is the pioneer and leader in the provision of point-of-sales loans in the Armenian banking sector. Alongside with DEG, Ineco shareholders are Karen Safaryan-33.2% and Avetis Baloyan 37.1%. DEG, member of KfW Bankengruppe (KfW banking group), is one of the largest European development finance institutions. For more than 45 years, DEG has been financing and structuring the investments of private companies in developing and emerging market countries. DEG invests in profitable projects that contribute to sustainable development in all sectors of the economy, from agribusiness to infrastructure and manufacturing to services. We also focus on investments in the financial sector in order to facilitate reliable access to capital locally and to create the basis for economic growth and a lasting improvement in the living conditions of the local population. So far, DEG has worked together with more than 1,300 companies. By providing 7.7 billion euros of finance, a total investment of 50 billions euros could be mobilized. 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