The NKR Chief Prosecutor’s Office has substantiated charges brought by the NKR Police Department’s Investigative Unit against Taron Grigoryan, head of the second branch of the Division of Construction at Base Metals, for extortion and misuse of office for personal gain.

It appears that Mr. Grigoryan, over the period 2002-2009, had been removing 100,000 AMD out of the pay checks of various employees for favours such as getting them jobs in his division and for getting them more salary than normally provided for. The total amount pilfered over the years amounts to 31,475,000 AMD. During the preliminary investigation, 18 million has been recaptured.

At a press briefing yesterday in Stepanakert after meeting with RMK President Sahakyan, Minsk Group Co-chair Yuri Merzlyakov said that settlement negotiations had entered a ‘crucial’ phase, since Armenia had responded to the latest proposals offered by the Group.

Mr. Merzlyakov noted that while Armenia hadn’t accepted all of them, Azerbaijan had previously positively responded to the overall package of proposals. The Russian Co-chair said that he and the other member of the Minsk Group were now engaged in getting Armenia to agree as well. He recalled that a similar situation in the settlement process had been reached two years ago, but back then it was the Azerbajani side opposed to the proposals on the table.

The NKR government allocated 9 million AMD to organize an exhibit at the Milan International Tourism Exhibition now underway in the northern Italian city.

Sergey Shahverdyan, who heads the NKR Tourist Board, mentioned at a press conference held today, that there have been no problems at the NKR booth despite attempts by Azerbaijan to protest the presence of Karabakh as an independent country. »»»»»

Refugees from Azerbaijan Need “Crash Course” in Armenian to Find Work

Tamara Amirdjanova, an Armenian refugee from Azerbaijan, had the following to say regarding the issue of refugee return bandied about in the Karabakh conflict settlement negotiations:

“I will never go back to Baku. I can’t even think about returning for I remember how we grabbed our kids in our arms and fled that place. Better I live in poverty in Karabakh, the homeland, than return there.” »»»»»

According to an elections amendments package that was passed today by the NKR National Assembly, political parties would have to garner 6% of the upcoming May 23 parliamentary elections to take seats in the legislative body. Political alliances would have to win a minimum of 8%.

Sergei Nasibyan, President of the NKR Central Elections Commission, commenting on passage of the bill, noted that the new law had thused eased requirements in place during the last parliamentary elections. The prior law had stipulated 10% for parties and 15% for political alliances. »»»»»

This year, work to supply the NKR towns of Martakert and Hadrut with gas is scheduled to begin, this according to Karlen Petrosyan, head of the NKR’s Department of Industrial Infrastructure.

Mr. Petrosyan said that gas distribution work will also take place in the village of Nerkin Horatagh in the Martakert district and the village of Patara in Askeran. He said that as of January 1, 2010, some 23,347 apartments in the country had been registered as customers of the “ArtsakhGaz” utility.

Moscow benefactor promises to help; has already sent $20,000

Alla Soghomonyan remembers what happened after they moved into their new home in Shushi. The family had been living in Shushi since 2001. The three room house was built for them by the NKR government, after Mr. and Mrs. Soghomonyan had their seventh child. The government wants to encourage large families.

“We moved into the new house in October, 2003. Soon after, we noticed that the walls would get damp and the plaster crack,” she said. »»»»»

NKR President Bako Sahakyan today named Vasily Atadjanyan to the post of NKR Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Prior to the posting, Mr. Atadjanyan had been a member of the NKR Parliament, serving as President of the Standing Committee for Social Affairs. He will join Vardan Barseghyan as the NKR’s other deputy foreign affairs minister.

NKR President Bako Sahakyan met yesterday with a delegation from the All Armenia Fund, headed by Executive Director Ara Vardanyan. The two sides discussed on-going projects in the country, with special attention to the plans for the town of Shushi.

President Sahakyan emphasized the importance of completing the projects envisaged for Shushi in a timely manner and according to the higher standards, given the town’s significance for Armenians worldwide. »»»»»