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| October 6 |
The National Assembly of Armenia found
itself in legal limbo this week, after 63 members of the 131-member
parliament voted to accept Speaker Armen Khachatrian's resignation
offer. Khachatrian later withdrew his offer, saying it was not formally
accepted.
The Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS),
a Yerevan-based foreign and public policy think-tank, last week hosted
a two-day international conference on "Prospects for Regional
and Trans-regional Cooperation and the Resolution of Conflicts".
The forum brought together several dozen current and former government
officials, leading academics and researchers from Armenia, Austria,
Azerbaijan, Belgium, Georgia, Greece, Iran, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine,
United Kingdom, and United States to discuss ways to resolve regional
conflicts.
Some $107.5 million was invested in the Armenian economy in the first
half of 2000, Tigran Davtian, Armenia's Deputy Minister for Industry
and Trade, told reporters this week. The figure is 22% higher than
for the same period last year. Investments are expected to reach about
$220 million by the end of the year. |
| October 13 |
Constitutional Court is likely to
rule that there were procedural violations relative to the vote on
National Assembly speaker Armen Khachatrian's resignation two weeks
ago. Khachatrian would thus remain in his post for the time being.
But the eventual fate of the speaker, as well as the stability of
Markarian's government, is to be decided by the outcome of the political
bargaining going on in parliament.
An Armenian government delegation led by Justice Minister David Harutiunian
is currently holding negotiations in Greece on the fate of Armentel,
the country's telecommunications monopoly. The delegation, which includes
senior officials from Armenia's Transport and Communications Ministry,
is expected to agree on changes to the existing terms of contract
with the Greek OTE company, which owns Armentel, limiting its monopoly
rights, particularly in cellular communications. According to an earlier
commitment, the two parties are to settle all remaining disputes in
time for President Robert Kocharian's official visit to Greece in
November. |
| October 15 |
Armenian President Robert Kocharian
reaffirmed this week Armenia's determination to pursue integration
with Europe, news agencies reported. Meeting with the delegation of
the European Parliament, President Kocharian said that Armenia will
continue to expand relations with European countries, both in bilateral
and multi-national framework.
The World Bank (WB) has approved an $11.4 million loan that will help
strengthen Armenia's judiciary system, the WB representative in Armenia
Owais Saadat told reporters |
| October 20 |
Armenia's highest judicial body, the
Constitutional Court, ruled this week to invalidate a vote on the
resignation of the National Assembly Speaker held late last month.
Chairman of the Court Gagik Haroutiunian noted that the voting process
violated the parliament's rules of procedure. As a result, Armen Khachatrian
of the People's Party (HZhK) retains the post of Speaker, having weathered
the offensive of Prime Minister Andranik Markarian's Republicans (HHK)
and four other parliamentary factions that tried to oust him. The
ruling comes after an unexpected reversal in the Prime Minister's
strategy to preserve a majority backing in the National Assembly for
his cabinet. The Republicans are now trying to repair their alliance
with the People's Party. According to news reports, the two parties
have reached a tentative cooperation agreement. After the Constitutional
Court announced its ruling reinstating Khachatrian, HZhK issued a
statement in support of the Markarian government.
Nagorno Karabagh's parliament began discussion last week on returning
historical names to its districts, towns, and villages. Mardakert,
Askeran, Martuni, and Hadrut districts are expected to be renamed
Jraberd, Khachen, Varanda, and Dizak, respectively. In a statement
issued by the NKR Foreign Ministry, Karabagh dismissed Azerbaijan's
protests over this decision. The Foreign Ministry requested that Azerbaijan
cease its interference in the issue that is completely and exclusively
a prerogative of the Nagorno Karabagh government. |
| October 22 |
The Republic of Armenia celebrated
its ninth anniversary this week. On September 21, 1991, Armenia held
a popular referendum, in which an overwhelming majority of its citizens
voted for secession from the Soviet Union. The republic formally declared
independence several days later.
The long-awaited trial in the case of the assassination attempt against
the Karabagh President Arkady Ghoukasian began in Stepanakert this
week.
The United Armenian Fund's (UAF) 110th airlift arrived in Yerevan
September 16 carrying $4 million of humanitarian assistance. The UAF
itself collected for this airlift $3.3 million worth of medicines
and medical supplies, including 55,000 doses of DTP vaccine valued
at $1 million. Since its inception in 1989, the UAF has sent $290
million of humanitarian assistance to Armenia on board 110 airlifts
and 617 sea containers. |
| October 27 |
Armenians around the world marked
the anniversary of the bloody terrorist attack on Armenia's National
Assembly one year ago today. Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsian, National
Assembly Speaker Karen Demirchian, and six other officials died after
a group of gunmen entered the parliament building and opened fire.
The group subsequently surrendered and is presently awaiting trial.
Armenian President Robert Kocharian addressed a message to the nation,
noting that the "terrorist act was a severe blow for the Armenian
people and statehood. The republic's stability, constitutional order,
and international image all went through a difficult trial. The best
way to commemorate our comrades is to uphold the cause initiated by
them and make their dreams come true in the name of prosperous Armenia,"
the President concluded.
The Armenian government facilitated creation of over three thousand
jobs in the last two months, its deputy chief of staff Karine Kirakosian
said late last week. The majority of these new jobs are in the mining
and metallurgy sector at plants in Kapan and Agarak in the southern
Siunik province, Alaverdi copper smelter in Lori province in the north,
and at the Kanaker aluminum plant near Yerevan. Most other new jobs
are in Armenia's growing diamond-cutting industry. Russian investment
in the Kanaker and Alaverdi plants, and purchase of Shoghakn diamond-cutting
enterprise by an Israeli company are largely responsible for the expansion. |
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