RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan promised to confirm a budget which will allow the Prime Minister, be it him or someone else, to work efficiently next year. After the 2007 Parliamentary elections a new Government will be formed, and as Andranik Margaryan is not sure about the results of the NA elections, he can't say if he will be Prime Minister again or not.

“Russia is Armenia’s main partner,” claimed Karen Chshmarityan, Minister of Trade and Economic Development, while commenting on the RF president’s announcement.

The sitting of the RA Economic Competition Protection State Committee took place today. During the sitting issues about ways of punishment of several companies were discussed.

In answer to the question of “A1+” about the raise of the costs of imported goods in the context of fall of the US dollar in exchange, RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan noted that they have turned to the Committee Protecting Economic Competition and are waiting for their decision after which the Government will take corresponding steps. We turned to the Committee in order to get details about the case.

The Japanese organisation “Mitsubishi Electric” makes its first investment in Armenia.

In some 3-4 years Armenia will not have a chance to be proud of its economic progress. This was the prediction made by Armenian and foreign specialists during the presentation of the 2005 report titled «Economic Development of Armenia».

The vibrations of dollar-dram rates are initiated by 4 oligarchs. The invitees of the “Mirror” club attempted either to affirm or to refute this rumor.

«The economic cooperation and the development of the communicative means between the countries of the region will form an atmosphere of trust which will contribute to the solution of the problems in the region», NA President Tigran Torosyan mentioned today in Yerevan opening the 27th plenary session of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Summit.

Minister of Commerce and Economic Development Karen Chshmarityan had complaint to «A1+» the previous year that the sudden consolidation of the AMD harms the industry and export. Today he complained of the consolidation too but this time he was more careful with his words.

The second Armenia – Diaspora congress will be held on September 20 which has been held since 2003. Tigran Davtyan, Deputy Minister of Trade and Economic Development invited a few journalists to participate at today’s press release and presented them the objective of the congress.

The first portion of Azeri oil has been transported through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline. The oil is being loaded onto a British tanker in the Turkish port of Ceyhan. The official ceremony of opening the BTC pipeline will be held in Ceyhan on July 13. It will be attended by the presidents of Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan.

The USA Government is not that concerned with the construction of a new nuclear power station in Armenia. The American officials informed the Armenian journalists about their country’s position after the session of the Armenian - American working group on economic cooperation. They claimed that there are not delighted by the prospect of a new Armenian nuclear power station.

Armenia lost the chance to avoid the pressure of Russia. “I think we must speak to Russia in their own language. When Russia said gas will cost 110 USD, Armenia was to say that they will take a loan from Iran for the fifth block of the heat generating plant and enlarge the diameter of the gas pipeline; now do what you want.

The rumors that the Russian company “GasProm” took the 40% of the 45% Government shares of the “ArmRusGasArd” company in order to abate the gas price are not refuted. Let us remind you that the government sold the 5th block of the Hrazdan heat-electric generating plant to “GasProm.” As a result of the deal the Government will give most of the money for the gas price subsidization.

Today the Defence Minister Serge Sargsyan presented the journalists the full story of the 5th block of the Hrazdan power station which turns out to have a 5 - year history and is the initiative of the Russian side.

Today the government approved of the contract with the company “Gasprom” which foresees the subsidization of the gas increase price.

The international banking conference of Commerce Financing organized by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and ArmEconomBank was over.

6695 real estate bargains were implemented in the country in January 2006. Their quantity has increased about 9,9% compared with the data of January 2005. Out of the 2801 real estate bargains made in January 88,0% formed the buyings and sellings, 10,9% - donations and 1,1% exchanges.

The claim of “ Karabagh telecom”(VIVAcell) against “Armentel” company will be discussed in tommorow’s session of the RA state committee on the issues of Economic competition protection.

At present Japan carries on negotiations with Armenia to get an opportunity of using the biomass of the country. In case of using it in a right way it will be possible to get an additional source of energy. As a part of energetic resources of Armenia, biomass is a substantial portion. Besides garbage, energetic resources of Armenia include water, wind, the interior, and sun energy.

«If 1000 square meters of gas costs 110 USD, the prices in Armenia will rise at least by 15-20%», economist Edward Aghajanov predicts. According to him, this comes from the «strangeness» of the Armenian market, where the prices of some goods form those for others, “Petrol, diesel fuel, gas, electric power and corn are subject to this in the first place”. {BR} The economist mentions that the raise of the prices will be so obvious...

«We vote for you, we make you Ministers, and you do not think of us. How do we understand it? » participant of the Parliamentary hearings agronomist Mayis Haroutyunyan announced. {BR} During the hearings about inflation in Armenia, he tried to find out when this transitional period will end. According to him, we have not had a Minister of Agriculture for the last 15 years. He wonders how it happens...

«The raise of the prices of gas will have its negative influence on the consumer index as it is included in the price of many goods», the President of the Central Bank Tigran Sargsyan said in the NA. According to him, the negative influence will be obvious at the end of the year 2006 and at the beginning of 2007. the CB processes plans to neutralize the possible negative impact, so as the raises...

«Why do the prices rise instead of falling alongside with the deflation of the AMD? » The head of the Orinats Yerkir fraction Samvel Balasanyan asked this question several times during the NA hearings about the inflation but never received an answer. {BR} The head of the RA National Statistics Service Stepan Mnatsakanyan was the main reporter about the index of consumer prices. He never managed...