ANTI-CORRUPTION PLAN: Armenia's Prime Minister presented January 17 the outlines of a program that aims to curb corruption in Armenia, the Associated Press reported.

The program, essentially a set of guidelines, was drafted over the past two years with a $300,000 grant from the World Bank and was approved last month by Armenian President Robert Kocharyan. The international corruption watchdog group placed Armenia 78th on a list last year gauging levels of corruption in 133 countries.

ECONOMIC CRIMES: Armenian prosecutor-general Aram Tamazyan said that the amount of damages sustained by the state in 2003 because of economic crimes and abuse of power by government officials amounted to more than 2 billion Armenian Drams ($3.8 million).

As reported by Armenpress agency January 16, the Prosecutor said that the adoption of the anti-corruption strategic plan of actions is important, but added that the crackdown on corruption must be moved from theory to practice.

AMBASSADOR CALLS FOR INVESTMENTS: The diaspora has to make investments in the economy of Armenia, US ambassador to Armenia John Ordway said at a meeting in the residence of the Eastern Diocese of the US Armenian Apostolic Church in New York, PanARMENIAN.Net reported January 17.

During the meeting the ambassador reported improvement of the investment climate and growth of gross domestic product in Armenia. In Ordway's opinion, active inclusion of diaspora Armenians in building the Armenian economy will allow to put right to a certain degree the shortcomings still present.

NEW MUSEUM: Cafesjian Museum Foundation is set to launch this year the construction of Contemporary Art Museum in Yerevan, Armenpress agency reported January 19.

A location in central Yerevan, known as Cascade, was chosen as the site for the museum and granted to the Foundation in return for investing about $20-25 million, $3-5 million of which to be spent to fully renovate the Cascade and the remaining will be allocated to the Gerald L. Cafesjian Museum of Contemporary Art and its related facilities.

EXPENSIVE WATER: The Armenian State Commission on Water Management has applied to the State Natural Monopolies' Commission with a request to raise the prices of water, Azg daily reported January 20.

The water company intends to increase the price from 56 (about 10 cents) drams to 120, beginning April 1. The current 56 dram tariff forms only one fifth of the prime cost according to the official, and the saving programs that are being implemented in the water market require charging at least half of the prime cost.

KARABAKH SETTLEMENT: Armenia rejected Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev's calls for a new internationally sponsored plan to resolve the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh that would return the disputed territory under Baku's control, RFE/RL reported January 21.

Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said the French, Russian and U.S. mediators should stick to agreements that were reportedly reached by the two parties in 2001 and, according to the Armenian side, would uphold Karabakh's de facto independence.

WASHINGTON DISSAPOINTED: The U.S. embassy in Yerevan released a statement issued by the U.S. Department of State regarding the Armenian delegation's inability to participate in the NATO conference held in Baku, Yerkir reported January 22.

Expressing its "disappointment" that a delegation from the Armenian ministry of defense was unable to join the Baku conference, the statement does not mention those responsible, citing that "we do not yet have all the facts on just why the Armenian delegation was denied the opportunity to travel to Baku."

ARMENTEL AGAINST INTERNET: The ArmenTel telecom company is doing its best to prevent Internet development in Armenia said the director of the biggest Armenian internet provider Arminco.

As reported by Arminfo agency, ArmenTel's "expensive Internet" policy impedes the development of the web in Armenia. However ArmenTel cannot stop the flow of Internet users whose number grew by 2,000 (five percent) last year, the director said.

GENOCIDE REMEMBERED: Programs dedicated to 90 years of the Armenian Genocide will be held in Armenia in the period of May 2004 - May 2005, Arka agency reported January 21. The scientific conference on the Genocide issues will be held in April 2005 in Yerevan, as well international conferences in Europe, the U.S., Russia and Mid East