PRESS REVIEW, DECEMBER 2, 2008

The daily Hayastani Hanrapetutyun writes about the opening of the 186.3 km- long Kajaran-Ararat gas pipeline with which the 207 km-long gas pipeline was made complete. The daily says that President Serzh Sargsyan, Second President Robert Kocharian were present at the official opening ceremony. The daily also writes that Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian met on December 1 with the high-course students of Yerevan State University’s International Relations Department. The daily says during the meeting the foreign minister underscored the necessity of entrance of highly qualified young specialists to the diplomatic service. The daily Kapital writes that according to Worldpress the life value in Armenia is 80.13 % of the value of life in New York. The daily writes that Yerevan has been included in the list which involves 276 countries and describes the value of the life in the countries in comparison with New York because the value of life in New York has been assessed by 100%. The daily writes according to the list the most expensive town of the world is Tokyo with 126.03 index, followed by Oslo 123.74, Copenhagen 121.11, Geneva 119.59, Brazil 118.53, London 118.23. Kapital says that Moscow concludes the ten of the most expensive countries with 113.41 index. The daily also writes that “South Caucasian Railway” company has established new tariff for transportation of exported cement. The daily says the company decreased the tariff by 30 percent. Kapital says that a decision has also been made to decrease the tariff for conveyer transportation. The daily Azg writes that the newly elected President of America Barack Obama stated yesterday that he sees the candidacy of Hilary Clinton in the office of State Secretary of USA. “I do not doubt that Hilary Clinton is the most convenient candidate in that office,” Obama stated adding that he knows Clinton for a long time and assesses her experience. The daily also writes that the police reported about a murder in the apartment 54, Nalbandian str. 110. The daily says Tamara Hovhannissian born in 1948, sister of the head of the Armenian Liberal Party Hovhannes Hovhannissian, was killed with a sharp tool. Azg says from the apartment the unknown person took 370,000 AMD, 570 USD and 2,540 euros and fled. The daily Hayots Ashkhar writes that a bill on “Referendum” has been presented yesterday to the parliament which suggests holding referendums over a number of important state issues for finding out the opinion of the people. The daily also writes that secretary of the Council of Europe Venice Commission Jani Buqiqio stated that for the solution of Caucasian conflicts all the sides must find mutual concessions. The daily says according to him the Venice commission cannot solve the frozen conflicts as it is not a political body but it can facilitate and help in the regulation. The daily Aravot writes that the parliament again postponed the discussion of bill “On Yerevan” for 15 days. The daily says that parliament speaker Hovik Abrahamian promised that after relevant hearings the bill may probably be presented to the parliament in an urgent session.