Month: October 2006

PYUNIK WALTZ TO ARMENIAN TITLE
by Khachik Chakhoyan

UEFA, Switzerland
Oct 23 2006

FC Pyunik coasted to a sixth consecutive Armenian Premier League title
in some style as an overwhelming 12-1 victory against FC Kilikia saw
them build an unassailable 14-point lead atop the table with three
matches remaining.

Blistering start
Samvel Petrosyan’s side went into the weekend’s fixtures eleven
points clear of FC Banants, and as their nearest rivals were slipping
to a 1-0 defeat by FC MIKA, Pyunik underlined their dominance with
an overwhelming performance. Levon Pachajyan set the tone as early
as the second minute and by the quarter-hour further strikes from
Tigran Gharabaghtsyan, Armen Tigranyan and Arsen Avetisyan had left
the champions four goals to the good.

Captain’s seal
Avetisyan went on to add another, while Gharabaghtsyan completed his
hat-trick as Kilikia struggled to stem the flow. Rafael Nazaryan,
Agvan Lazarian, Valeri Aleksanyan and Artur Stepanyan also added
their names to the scoresheet before captain Sargis Hovsepyan made
it 12 with 15 minutes remaining. Kilikia pulled one back late on but
it failed to take the gloss off a masterful performance as Pyunik
claimed their ninth title since Armenian independence in 1992. It
secures a place in the UEFA Champions League first qualifying round.

ARMENIAN SHOT DEAD IN SAINT PETERSBURG

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.10.2006 13:04 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Native of Armenia, resident of Belgorod oblast,
46-year-old Henrik Vardapeytan was shot dead in Saint Petersburg. The
investigators identified that the killed was a Russian citizen and
resided in a rented a flat in Olga Forsh street for some 4 years and
was engaged in building. The man was coming back from a shop and
witnesses say that two assassins were waiting for Vardapetyan for
rather a long time. The killers fired three shots.

The body was found yesterday in Forsh street at 5.50 p.m. A pistol
TT and a package with an iron stick wrapped in insulation tape was
found near the site.

Other sources say it was a bunch of flowers with a stick hidden in it.

The investigators found some notes in the pockets of the killed that
were supposedly sent by a prisoner. A criminal case was initiated
in compliance with Article 105 of the RF Criminal Code, reports
NEWSru.com.

KOCHARIAN SATISFIED WITH ARMENIA-BELARUS RELATIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.10.2006 13:30 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian President Robert Kocharian met with
Belarusian Prime Minister Sergey Sidorsky, reported the RA leader’s
press office.

Robert Kocharian expressed satisfaction with the development
of relations between the two states and remarked that the visit
will contribute to further cooperation. The parties discussed the
Armenian-Belarusian economic relations and marked out cooperation in
information technologies, jewelry and agriculture as a perspective
line. Besides, they exchanged views on the economic policy of Armenia
and Belarus.

TURKISH NATIONALISTS PROTEST FRENCH BILL ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.10.2006 13:52 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Despite the prohibition of the Police some 100
Turkish ultra-nationalists by initiative of the Talaat Pasha Committee
gathered on October 21 on the steps of Opera Bastille in Paris shouting
out hostile slogans addressed to Armenians.

On arriving in great number on the spot, the policemen constrained the
demonstrators to dissolve the gathering, independent French journalist
Jean Eckian told PanARMENIAN.Net. Moreover, on October 16 Ara Toranian,
editor of the "Nouvelles d’Armenie Magazine" (News of Armenia) and
Mourad Papazian, chairman of French branch of ARF Dashnaktsutyun
became victims of hackers. An investigation is being carried out.

ARMENIA AND BELARUS SHOULDN’T INTERFERE IN RUSSIA-GEORGIA AFFAIRS

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.10.2006 14:13 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Relations between Russia and Georgia are the
internal affair of these two states and I think that Armenia and
Belarus shouldn’t interfere," RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan
told a news conference October 23 after the talks with Belarusian
Premier Sergey Sidorsky. However if the Georgian or Russian side
requests mediation Yerevan and Minsk are ready to assist. But no
request of the kind was received yet, said Andranik Margaryan.

YAKUNIN NEGATIVE ABOUT RAILWAY BYPASSING ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.10.2006 14:31 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russian Railways President Vladimir Yakunin has a
negative attitude to the idea of constructing a railway bypassing
Armenia, reports Echo of Moscow. Explaining his position Yakunin
said, "First, his destroys the unity of the network that remained
after the Soviet Union. Second, it’s is unjust to cut a country out
of communication.

Proceeding from my experience I can say that this is an attempt of
some countries to exert pressure of our friendly state."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RUSSIAN DUMA MEMBER: TURKEY OBLIGED TO ACKNOWLEDGE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.10.2006 15:27 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The resolution of the Armenian Genocide problem lies
in its acknowledgement by Turkey, President of the International League
of Human Dignity and Security Protection, Russian State Duma member,
General Valentin Varennikov said Monday in Yerevan. "I fully agree
with the statement Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II made during
his visit to Turkey. Turkey is simply obliged to acknowledge the fact
of Genocide, since there cannot be any other position on the issue,"
he said, reports newsarmenia.ru. When in Istanbul June 20-27 head
of the Armenian Apostolic Church Garegin II stated that the Armenian
Genocide must be recognized by Turkey and pointed out to irrelevance
of formation of committee of historians for the investigation of the
fact of Genocide in the Ottoman Empire.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SIT-DOWN DEMONSTRATION PARTICIPANTS DEMAND RELEASE OF VAHAGN CHAKHALIAN

Noyan Tapan
Oct 21 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 21, NOYAN TAPAN. A group of young people –
supporters of the democratic alliance "United Javakhk" on October
20 started a sit-down demonstration in protest against the actions
that the Armenian authorities and law-enforcement bodies took with
respect to the alliance, NT was informed from the press service of
United Javakhk. Sitting in front of Monument to Mikael Nalbandian,
the demonstrators "condemn the fact of not disclosing the crime
committed in Yerevan against the Javakh Armenian figures and the
arrest of Vahagn Chakhalian on an absurd charge. They demand that he
be released." To recap, V. Chakhalian was arrested on October 10 on
a charge of crossing the Armenian border illegally.

INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT POSITION OF ARMENIA NEGATIVE BY 1 BILLION 759.38 MILLION DOLLARS AT END OF 2005

Noyan Tapan
Oct 21 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The Net International Investment
Position of the Repulic of Armenia was negative by 1 bln 759.38 mln
USD at the end of 2005 against 1 bln 118.8 mln USD at the end of
2001. According to the statistical handbook "International Investment
and External Debt Positions of the RA in 1999-2005" published by the RA
National Statistical Service, Armenia’s assets made 1 bln 130.47 mln
USD, while liabilities – 2 bln 889.85 mln USD at the end of 2005. In
late 2001, these indices made 488.89 mln USD and 1 bln 607.7 mln USD
respectively. Armenia’s direct investments abroad made 10.27 mln USD at
the end of 2005, 2.67 mln USD – at the end of 2004, 0.39 mln USD – at
the end of 2003, there were no direct investments abroad in late 1999.

Portfolio investments made 5.95 mln USD at the end of 2005, the largest
amount was as of late 2000 – 19.27 mln USD, while at the end of 1999
portfolio investments made 0.09 mln USD. Debt securities amounted
to 2.65 mln USD at the end of 2005, their largest amount was also
registered as of late 2000 – 16.18 mln USD.

Other investments made 440.41 mln USD at the end of 2005 against
185.77 mln USD at the end of 1999. The amount of trade credits at the
indicated dates made 85.08 mln USD and 20.61 mln USD, of loans – 59.13
mln USD and 20.09 mln USD. Armenia’s assets in currency and deposits
made 288.59 mln USD at the end of 2005. In the period of 1999-2005,
their minimal amount was registered in 2001 – 121.89 mln USD. In late
2005, other assets amounted to 7.61 mln USD, reserve assets – to 673.85
mln USD. In late 2001, these indices made 0.17 mln and 303 mln USD
respectively. Direct investments in Armenia made 1 bln 279.35 mln USD
at the end of 2005 and 421.36 mln USD at the end of 1999. Portfolio
investments made 4.5 mln USD at the end of 2005. Their largest amount
was registered in late 2003 – 6.37 mln USD. Armenia had no liabilities
in the form of debt securities in late 2005. Their largest amount
was at the end of 2001 – 4.38 mln USD. Other investments amounted to
1 bln 606.01 mln USD in late 2005 and 1 bln 181.89 mln USD in late
1999. Trade credits received by Armenia made 171.92 mln USD at the
end of 2005. Their largest amount was registered as of late 2001 –
269.56 mln USD. Loans amounted to 1 bln 290.18 mln USD at the end of
2005 and 863.92 mln USD at the end of 1999. At the indicated dates,
Armenia’s liabilities in currency and deposits made 109.5 mln USD and
71.72 mln USD resspectively, while other liabilities – 34.41 mln USD
and 15.83 mln USD respectively.

RA NA SPEAKER’S VISIT TO CHINA TO STIMULATE DEVELOPMENT OF BILATERAL RELATIONS

Noyan Tapan
Oct 23 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN. RA NA Speaker Tigran Torosian
received on October 20 the delegation headed by Syu Tzsyalu, the
Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee of the All-China Assembly
of People’s Representatives of the People’s Republic of China,
paying an official visit to Armenia. Tzso Syuelian, the Ambassador
of the People’s Republic of China to Armenia participated in the
meeting. Noyan Tapan was informed about it by the RA NA Public
Relations Department. Touching upon the Armenian-Chinese cooperation
issue, T.Torosian mentioned that Armenia has always stood for
the united China, as a divided people, understanding well similar
problems. The generality of the two countries’ positions also proves
the mutually admissible approach that in the modern world one must
find solution of conflicts at the negotiations table. Syu Stzialu,
passing greeting of U Bango, the Parliament Speaker of his country,
to the RA NA Speaker, mentioned that relations with Armenia have always
been warm friendly. He attached importance to the cooperation among the
Armenian Parliament, Government, businessmen, public organizations,
cultural figures that will open new prospects for development for
the two countries. Syu Stzialu mentioned with satisfaction that
the NA Speaker’s visit to be paid to China soon will become a new
stimulus for development of the Armenian-Chinese relations. The Chinese
delegation also met with the Armenia-China friendship deputies’ group
headed by NA deputy Razmik Martirosian. The Chinese parliamentarians,
considering direct contact and acquaintance as the best way of exchange
of experince, proposed the Armenian parliamentarians to visit China
to have a real notion about economic and political structures of
their country.