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$1 billion sought for North-South highway. RFE/RL and HAYASTANI HANRAPETUTIUN write that the government formalized on Thursday plans to seek more than $1 billion in external funding for the expansion and upgrading of Armenia’s key highways which, it says, would turn the country into a regional transit hub. In the meantime, the government ordered regional authorities to halt any construction along hundreds of miles of roads stretching from the Armenian-Iranian border to Georgia. It also approved funding for a feasibility study which it hopes will be financed by the Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB). "We are launching a big process of road construction," Prime Minister Tigran Sargsian said at a weekly session of his cabinet, "the North-South highway will meet the highest international standards." Sargsian estimated the total cost of the project at roughly $1.5 billion, a sum equal to more than half of Armenia’s state budget for this year. He said the Armenian government has already asked the ADB for a $700 million loan to finance the first phase of road reconstruction. The bank’s governing board will consider the request when it meets next month. HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK is surprised by the fact that the Armenian government considers it normal to think about taking on new debt after have just increased foreign debt by $1.3 billion. With the addition of another $700 million, the paper states Armenia's foreign debt will exceed $3 billion.
Colorado says "Never again." HAYOTS ASHKHAR and HAYASTANI HANRAPETUTIUN write that Colorado Governor Bill Ritter Jr. proclaiming August 5th as "Genocide Awareness Day" in the state. In his statement, Gov. Ritter said, "The first recognized genocide of the twentieth century took place in Armenia, with the slaughter of more than a million Armenians, and we have seen it again and again since. It is imperative that we recognize what has happened, so we can ensure it will not happen again."
OSCE Chair talks to Foreign Ministers. OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis had telephone conversations with Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers Edward Nalbandyan and Elmar Mammadyarov. The sides focused their attention on the recent developments in the South Caucasus as well as on the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. Bakoyannis pledged the OSCE Greek mission’s support to the OSCE for the establishment of peace and stability in the region./ HAYOTS ASHKHAR
"Peace Coercion": war by another name. HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK quotes Azerbaijan Ambassador to Russia Polad Bulbuloglu saying that Azerbaijan will regain NK territories through "forcing Armenia into peace." According to Bulbuloglu, such a development could come about if Russia's and the Minsk Group OSCE Co-Chairs' mediation effort have no effect, and negotiations are deadlocked once again. "Peace coercion is Azerbaijan’s right, and it has to be used."
FM Spokesman slams Mammadov. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Tigran Balayan, referring to remarks by Azerbaijani presidential advisor Novruz Mammadov regarding pressure on Armenia to make concessions in the N-K negotiations, noted that "The recent brilliance of Mammadov’s thoughts once again testify to his ignorance and tendency to present wishful thinking for reality, which has many times been noted by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs." He added that, "recently Matthew Bryza said that Mammadov did not take part in any of the meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents and cannot make judgments about their content and the essence of the negotiation process." / HAYOTS ASHKHAR, HAYASTANI HANRAPETUTIUN
CSTO prepared to support Armenia in event of war. According to HAYOTS ASHKHAR and HAYASTANI HANRAPETUTIUN, Collective Security Treaty Organization Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzha said yesterday that the process of forming the CSTO peace-keeping forces is underway. According to Bordyuzha, all necessary documents have been signed. The majority of the CSTO member-states have already presented their specific suggestions about the sub-divisions which will make up the collective peace-keeping forces. He added that later, they will jointly train the collective peace-keeping forces and equip them. Speaking about possible resumption of war in Armenia, Bordyuzha said that Armenia can count on military support from fellow members of the CSTO . "When it comes to war, one has to understand that the CSTO is based on the Collective Security Treaty, Article 4, which says that aggression against one of the organization’s member states is an aggression against all member states," Bordyuzha said.
Prosperous Armenia getting ready to bolt? HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK writes that, according to some discussions behind closed doors, Prosperous Armenia might leave the governing coalition. The daily opines that maybe this is the reason why the PA leader started visiting different regions of Armenia, distributing charity and talking of creating jobs for young people.
Unemployment on the rise. The number of the economically active population in Armenia in January-June was 1 million 178 thousand of which 1 million 99 thousand were employed. The Armenian Statistics Service reported that 79,100 are officially registered as unemployed versus 74,600 last year. The unemployment rate was higher in June versus the beginning by 6.7%. / HAYSTANI HANRAPETUTIUN
Former president may shun PM. HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK, writes that former president Robert Kocharian had a tough telephone conversation with Prime Minister Sargsian regarding the latter's recent statements according to which the growth of construction reported in recent years is just empty figures. Kocharian threatened to never appear in public at events that Sargsian might attend. |
