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| July 2 |
Armenian
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian meets with Nagorno Karabagh President
Arkady Gukasyan in Yerevan to discuss the implications of the upcoming
presidential elections in Azerbaijan and to review the state of the
international mediation effort of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Both officials stress the need to insist
on a comprehensive, package-solution approach, rather than the Azerbaijani-favored
staged structure of peace talks. President Gukasyan states that he
feels that the official Azerbaijani position regarding the peace talks
over the Karabagh conflict could change after their elections and
adds that he is optimistic that the OSCE will also see the need to
adopt a final, comprehensive "package" structure to the
negotiations. Responding to questions concerning the political situation
within Nagorno Karabagh, the president responds that there were "problems"
before, but that the recent personnel changes and restructuring of
the government have resolved the situation. |
| July 3 |
A delegation
of French senators arrives in Yerevan to meet with Armenian officials.
The head of the delegation, Senator Jacques Oudin, the chairman of
the French-Armenian friendship group, tells reporters that the French
Senate will not give in to Turkish pressure over the Senate's consideration
of a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide. The lower house
of the French National Assembly approved the resolution on May 29th
and sent it to the Senate for formal approval scheduled later this
fall.
The newly-formed constitutional commission convenes to review
two significant constitutional amendments. The first proposal, drafted
by Armenian Constitutional Court Judge Felix Tokhian, calls for the
transformation of the office of president into a nominal position
modeled on the Italian system of government, with real executive power
resting with the cabinet led by the prime minister. The second proposal,
offered by Constitutional Commission Chairman and presidential adviser
Paruir Hairikian, goes even further by calling for the total abolishment
of the presidency, replaced with a prime minister subject to direct
election to serve for a three-year term. Both proposals are more radical
than the plans offered by President Kocharian to grant greater power
and autonomy to the legislature and judiciary while retaining the
presidential form of government. The constitutional commission consists
of lawyers, government officials and representatives of the country's
major political parties.
The Armenian foreign ministry criticizes the recent statements by
French Ambassador to Armenia Michel Legras threatening that Armenia
will face "international isolation" unless it softens its
stand on the Nagorno Karabagh issue. Legras adds that the Armenian
and Nagorno Karabagh authorities must accept the fact that it is time
for significant concessions and that the continuation of the Republic
of Nagorno Karabagh as a self-declared independent state is unacceptable
and unreasonable. |
|
July 3-4 |
Romanian
President Emil Constantinescu meets with President Robert Kocharian
during a visit to Yerevan. The Romanian leader discusses strengthening
bilateral relations and stresses the need for the two countries to
adopt common measures to promote regional cooperation. The two presidents
sign a joint statement on partnership and cooperation. Constantinescu
was recently in Azerbaijan for negotiations over bilateral cooperation
and investment in Azerbaijan's developing energy sector. |
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July 5 |
The state
prosecutor's office announces that it is continuing its investigation
into state corruption within the Armenian defense ministry's finance
department. The head of the department, Mavrik Avetissian, committed
suicide several days ago following the initial examination of the
department's financial records which revealed widespread fraud and
corruption. The investigation is centering on reports that Avetissian
and three other suspects were involved in the embezzlement of $1 million
in defense ministry funds. |
|
July 5-7 |
A delegation
of Georgian parliamentarians arrives for two days of meetings with
their Armenian counterparts for the inaugural session of the Armenian-Georgian
inter-parliamentary commission. The recently-formed commission will
focus on increasing trade, investment, and economic cooperation. The
Georgian delegation also meets with Armenian Prime Minister Armen
Darbinian and reviews plans for regional economic integration of the
two countries' energy, customs and taxation policies. The Armenian
government has also offered to provide electricity to Georgia in exchange
for Armenian arrears for railway shipping. |
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July 6 |
The head
of the state-run Armenian Airlines, Tigran Achoyan, announces that
the airline will have to be privatized to ensure its continued operation.
While Armenian Airlines continues to be profitable, its mounting debt
has led its management to accept privatization plans. According to
Achoyan, twenty percent of the airline's stock will be offered for
sale to foreign investors over the next several months.
Kocharian announces the appointment of Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(ARF) leader and presidential adviser Vahan Hovanessian to head the
newly-formed governmental advisory commission on regional and local
government. Hovanessian will oversee the commission's work in implementing
the president's plans to decentralize government and strengthen the
powers of local government. Kocharian also issues a decree appointing
former Prime Minister Armen Sarkisian to the post of Armenian Ambassador
to the United Kingdom. Sarkisian held the same ambassadorial post
prior to serving as prime minister in late 1996 during the Ter Petrosian
presidency.
The head of the Public Center for Legal Protection of the Environment,
Aida Iskoyan, holds a press conference in Yerevan praising Armenia's
signing of a pan-European convention on environmental protection late
last month. The document pledges to expand transparency and public
participation in the government's formulation of environmental policy.
Nagorno Karabagh Foreign Minister Naira Melkoumian announces her intention
to sue the Armenian newspaper "Azg" for its publication
of an article which the foreign minister charges is "false information
and blackmail" and is a blatant attempt to discredit her. The
foreign minister, making the announcement at a Stepanakert news conference,
alleges that several Armenian journalists are seeking to discredit
her by distorting her statements. |
| July 7 |
The Armenian
parliament approves the government's proposed legislation revising
the tax system for small businesses. According to the new law, small
enterprises will no longer be subject to the income tax system, but
will instead be assigned a monthly tax payment based on the firm's
geographic location. Commenting on the parliament's passage, Finance
and Economy Minister Eduard Sandoyan states that the new tax system
is expected to raise some $4 million in additional revenue.
President Gukasyan convenes the first meeting of his newly reorganized
government and announces a new focus on spurring economic growth and
meeting the social needs of the population. The meeting also results
in a new plan to create a new customs department and the finalization
of a governmental body empowered to manage the privatization of Nagorno
Karabagh's agricultural land. The new cabinet includes five new ministers
and has three posts as yet unfilled. Gukasyan also instructs his new
cabinet to engage in "frequent contacts" with the population
and to be responsive to their needs.
Nagorno Karabagh President Gukasyan, Parliamentary Speaker Oleg Yessayan
and Prime Minister Jirair Poghosian attend a celebration marking the
75th anniversary of the "Nagorno Karabagh Republic" newspaper
in Stepanakert. The event also highlights the exceptional work of
several leading journalists, their crew and cameramen for journalistic
excellence during their coverage of the Karabagh conflict.
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| July 9 |
Plans are
announced for an official ceremony celebrating the re-opening of the
Kazanchetsots St. Savior church in Shushi. The church will be blessed
during the week of July 12th, and will open on the 19th. Head of the
Artsakh diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Bishop Pargev Martirosian
will preside during the ceremonies. Matirosian vows to work to restore
the hundreds of Armenian churches in Karabagh and make them operating
churches again. |
| July 12 |
A letter
is circulated in the U.S. House of Representatives calling for a Congressional
calling for a "full and vigorous" investigation of evidence
that Turkey has violated the U.S. Arms Export Control Act by sending
U.S. arms to Azerbaijan and Turkish-occupied areas of Cyprus. The
letter is circulated by Representatives Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Brad
Sherman (D-Calif.), and Carolyn Maloney (D-NY). |
| July 14 |
The new
Unites States ambassador to Armenia, Michael Lemmon, is officially
sworn in during a ceremony at the Department of State. Lemmon is not
sheduled to arrive in Armenia until early September. |
| July 15 |
Nagorno
Karabagh parliamentary chairman Oleg Yessayan meets with his Armenian
counterpart Khosrov Harutiunian to review plans for a joint parliamentary
commission to oversee the implementation of bilateral cooperation
on legislative issues, judicial reforms and economic policies. The
Armenian Deputy Parliamentary Speaker, Albert Bazeyan, also attends
the meeting and announces that the joint parliamentary commission
is hoping to begin work next month. |
| July 19 |
A detailed
article in the British newspaper "The Saturday Telegraph"
reports on the findings of the British non-governmental organization
Physicians for Human Rights which strongly criticized the Azerbaijani
military's systematic campaign targeting Karabagh Armenian children
. The report also found an orchestrated pattern of military action
aimed specifically at the region's civilian population throughout
the several years of the Karabagh conflict. |
| July 24 |
Armenian
Prime Minister Armen Darbinian announces the appointment of former
Karabagh Prime Minister Leonard Petrosian to the post of special adviser.
The exact duties and responsibilities for the former prime minister
are not yet known. Petrosian was replaced as prime minister by Jirair
Poghosian in a recent government reshuffling. |
| July 27 |
Armenian
foreign ministry spokesman Arsen Gasparian reports that Armenia has
explored new approaches to resolving the Nagorno Karabagh conflict
during recent talks with Italian officials in Rome. Specifically,
the case of the Principality of Andorra is interpreted as a significant
model for Karabagh. The independent Principality of Andorra is located
between Spain and France and is a member of the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), but has two heads of state, the
French president and the Spanish Bishop of Urgel. |
| July 28 |
The head
of the Ministry of Social Welfare's Department for Refugee Affairs,
Mekhak Gabrielian, announces a new assistance program targeting Armenia's
refugees. Gabrielian states that the government has allocated $300
million this year for the construction of housing for refugees in
the towns of Ashtarak, Talin, Sevan, Jermuk and Artashatu and that
additional housing construction will be funded through the United
Nations.
Prime Minister Darbinian meets in Yerevan with the U.S. State Department's
coordinator for nuclear energy issues, Carol Kessler. The two officials
discuss areas of bilateral cooperation in nuclear energy and new avenues
to attract foreign investment in Armenia's energy sector. The U.S.
is providing a four-year $1.3 million assistance program which focuses
on supplying technical support and ensuring Medzamor's safe operation.
Kocharian meets with the mayors and municipal officials of more than
twenty Armenian cities and towns to review his plans for decentralizing
governmental powers. The president states that he is committed to
strengthening and expanding the institutions of local government and
plans to transfer significant power from the regional governmental
administration and the ministries to local governmental bodies. Kocharian's
decentralization plan is scheduled to be implemented immediately following
local elections slated for 1999. |
| July 29 |
The Ayzhm
newspaper reports that former Interior Minister Vano Siradeghian has
been implicated in ordering four political murders during the interrogation
several days earlier of Vahan Harutunian, the former commander of
the interior ministry troops. Harutunian was recently arrested on
charges of corruption and involvement in the politically-motivated
murders. The former commander also alleges that former President Levon
Ter Petrosian was aware of Siradeghian's involvement with the murders.
The interior ministry adds that the investigation is continuing and
that other former government officials and leaders of the Armenian
National Movement (ANM) would be called in for questioning. Former
Prime Minister Hrant Bagratian, a prominent Siradeghian rival, adds
that he believes the charges of political murder to be true and condemns
Siradeghian for misleading the Armenian people and for engaging in
widespread corruption during his tenure as interior minister
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| July 31 |
Minister
of Post and Communications Artak Vardanian announces that the European
Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is planning to acquire
a ten percent share in the recently-privatized ArmenTel telecommunications
firm. With the acquisition, the EBRD will join the Greek OTE telecommunications
firm, which holds eighty percent of the shares, and the Armenian government,
which retained ten percent of the shares, in controlling ArmenTel.
The EBRD also announces a new $60 million credit for the development
of the Armenian telecommunications network.
Finance and Economics Minister Edward Sandoyan announces new economic
statistics showing significant economic growth, low inflation, and
increasing revenue and foreign investment. For the first half of the
year, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased 6.7 percent, the inflation
rate was a record-low 0.9 percent, and budget revenues rose by 50
percent. Industrial output and consumer goods production also posted
growth rates of 3.2 and 11 percent compared to the same period last
year. The country's substantial trade deficit also declined as exports
rose by 31 percent and imports fell by 2.7 percent for the first six
months of 1998. Direct foreign investment also grew eightfold, reaching
$100 million. |
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