Month: April 2007

OSCE PA VICE-PRESIDNET TO VISIT ARMENIA

ArmRadio.am
10.04.2007 16:02

Tone Tingsgaard, Vice-President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly,
will visit Yerevan April 12-13 to get acquainted with the process of
preparation of the May 12 parliamentary elections in Armenia.

Mediamax was told at OSCE PA Press Centre that "the visit will allow
to gather information about the current election campaign." Tone
Tingsgaard will meet with representatives of political parties, the
Central Electoral Commission, the National Assembly, the long-term
observation mission of the OSCE Office of Democratic Institutions
and Human Rights and other observers.

Tone Tingsgaard will return to Armenia in May to lead the observation
mission of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

DOCUMENTARY ABOUT OHAN DURYAN SHOT IN MOSCOW

ArmRadio.am
10.04.2007 16:24

A documentary titled "The profession of deep feelings: Ohan Duryan"
was create din Moscow. The film was supported by former Prime Minister
of Armenia Andranik Margaryan.

The film will be presented in Yerevan in autumn. The maestro told
Armenpress that the sudden death deprived the Prime Minister of the
opportunity to watch it. Ohan Duryan mentioned that his first meeting
with Andranik Margaryan will long remain in his memory.

YEREVAN MAYOR’S OFFICE AND "ALTERNATIVE" MOVEMENT AGREED ON HOLDING MEETINGS AT LIBERTY SQUARE

Arminfo
2007-04-10 15:01:00

Yerevan mayor’s office and "Alternative" movement agreed on the place
and time of the meetings holding at Liberty Square on 13 and 20 April.

One of the leaders of "Alternative" movement and election bloc
"Impeachment", the former Yerevan mayor, Vaagn Khachatryan, told
ArmInfo correspondent that over the next two Fridays the meetings
will be held from 7:00 to 9:00 PM.

To recall, the opposition public and political movement "Alternative"
and the election bloc "Impeachment" hold meetings almost every
Friday. The two-week break was conditioned by Prime Minister Andranik
Markaryan’s death and the Easter. Yerevan mayor was against holding
of the meeting at the Liberty Square and offered to hold that at the
territory not far from Matenadaran. But at present the mayor’s office
seems to change its position.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SHEN CONCERN STARTS ISSUEING OF SECOND TRANSFER OF ITS BONDED DEBT

Arminfo
2007-04-10 13:30:00

The Armenian "Shen Concern" CJSC, being the leader in the production
of building materials in Armenia, starts issueing of the second
transfer of its nominal, non-documentary, discount bonds. As ArmInfo
was told in the "Ecapital Asset Management" Investment Company, being
the underwriter and market-maker of bonds, the volume of the second
transfer will make up 40 mln drams. Four thousand bonds of 10,000
drams at par will be issued. The earnings yield of the Concern’s new
issue will remain at the previous level, that is, 9% of annual.

The bonds’ circulation term is 365 days since the last flotation. The
total par value of the whole bonded debt makes up 160 mln drams to be
floated till June 1 by four equal transfers. The gain from securities’
sale will be directed to refinancing of the Company’s debt . The
first transfer of bonds was issued at the end of December, 2006, and
successfully floated in full volume. The buyers were the "Armswissbank"
and "Ecapital Asset Management". On February 27, the Central Bank of
Armenia carried out REPO-operations with the Concern’s securities.

This is the first case of REPO-contracts of RA CB with non-government
securities. To recall, the European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development became the owner of 24% of shares of the "Shen-Concern"
at the end, 2004, for 850,000 Euro. In July, 2006, the EBRD bought 12%
of the Concern’s shares in addition. These are the first investments of
the European Bank in the private industrial enterprise of Armenia. The
rest of shares belong to the Company’s top-managers. To note, the RA
Central Bank conferred a high rating "B" to the "Shen Concern" CJSC.

"MIKA-CEMENT" COMPANY WAS AWARDED THREE PRIZES OF INTERNATIONAL SUMMIT OF LEADERS OF XXI CENTURY

Arminfo
2007-04-10 10:19:00

The "Mika Cement" Company was awarded three prizes of the international
summit of leaders of XXI century, Director General of "Mika Cement"
Naira Martirosyan told ArmInfo.

As she said, the awarding ceremony was held on March 19-21
in Oxford (Great Britain). She noted, in particular, that the
"Mika Cement" was awarded the "European Quality" prize for the
achievement of high quality and services in line with the European
standards. Moreover,Naira Martirosyan was also awarded a prize for
quality assurance and the development of European integration –
the "United Europe".The Company President Mikhail Baghdasarov was
awarded prizes as well, in particular, the Queen Victoria order
for the personal contribution to the European integration, honor,
dignity and prowess. The solemn ceremony was held in the presence
of representatives of business, political circles, great scientists,
diplomats.

ACBA LEASING IS GOING TO START LEASING SERVICE GIVING TO NATURAL PERSONS

Arminfo
2007-04-10 11:14:00

ACBA Leasing credit organization is going to start giving the leasing
services to natural persons as well over the current year, deputy
director general of the closed join-stock company leasing credit
organization ACBA Leasing, Arsen Bazikyan, told ArmInfo correspondent.

He also added that the issue will be discussed over the forthcoming
meeting of ACBA Leasing shareholders in details. , – Bazikyan said.

The latter also said that last year ACBA Leasing signed about 120
leasing contracts totaled $4 mln and added that the company is going
to finish the current year having 150 leasing contracts totaled $6-7
mln, and this index maybe increased twice by the end of 2008.

"INDEPENDENT LIFE: FROM PRESENT TO FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES" PROJECT TO BE PRESENTED IN YEREVAN

ArmRadio.am
10.04.2007 16:35

The project "Independent life: from present to future opportunities"
will be presented on April 13 in "Narecatsi art institute" of Yerevan.

"Scarp" NGO, through the financial assistance of the European Union,
has started a project "Independent life: from present to future
opportunities" from 1st March, 2007. The project is aimed at protection
of rights and basic freedoms of disabled people in Armenia. The total
cost of the project is 94.540 Euro, 80.000 Euro of which is funded
by the EU.

The purpose of the project is the creation of equal opportunities
for complete integration of the people with mobility disabilities
in the society. The project will be implemented in cooperation with
non-governmental organization " Naregatsi art institute."

TURKEY BLOCKS OPENING OF EXHIBIT ON RWANDA DUE TO INDIRECT MENTION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
10.04.2007 14:28 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
sharply condemned the Turkish government for blocking the opening of
a United Nations exhibit on the Rwanda Genocide due to an indirect
mention of the Armenian Genocide in one of the exhibit’s display
panels, the ANCA reports.

"Sadly, this is only the most recent example of how Turkey’s campaign
to deny the Armenian Genocide perpetuates the cycle of genocide –
making the world a more dangerous place and future genocides more
likely," said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.

The Associate Press reported earlier today that the United Nations,
bowing to Turkish protests, has delayed the opening of the exhibit,
organized by the Aegis Trust, in the international organization’s
highly trafficked visitor’s lobby. The Turkish mission had specifically
registered its objections to a reference in the exhibit concerning the
origin of the word "genocide," which mentioned that Raphael Lemkin,
the international lawyer and human rights activist who coined this
term, was influenced by the crimes committed against the Armenians
and other mass killings.

Commenting on the exhibit’s postponement, James Smith, the chief
executive of the British-based Aegis Trust, said, "If we can’t get
this right, it undermines all the values of the U.N. It undermines
everything the U.N. is meant to stand for in terms of preventing
(genocide). . . You can’t learn the lessons from history if you’re
going to sweep all of that history under the carpet. And what about
accountability? What about ending impunity if you’re going to hide
part of the truth? It makes a mockery of all of this."

ARMENIA DOESN’T EXPLOIT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SUPERPOWERS BUT WORKS WITH THEM

PanARMENIAN.Net
10.04.2007 15:05 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "It is hard to talk about democratic and human
rights when you need to solve the social and economic needs of
the population," Armenian Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan said in an
interview with the Financial Times during a trip to Brussels. "We
would not like to be a state stuck in our transition," he said.

He said the huge Armenian Diaspora – estimated at up to three times
the native population – should get more involved in the country. Only
1 per cent of investment came from them, he said, and he was looking
at ways they could be encouraged.

However, Mr Sargysan said the government in Yerevan would keep pledges
made to international bodies after criticism of its rights record and
he was hopeful that the May 12 parliamentary elections would be the
first to be pronounced free and fair by the Organization for Security
and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the European security watchdog.

"We have made commitments to different programs and we think compliance
is in our interest. We want to become part of the European family."

He said his top priority was to conclude a peace treaty with its
Muslim neighbor, Azerbaijan.

The neighbor state has been rearming recently but Mr Sargysan said
that was sabre-rattling. Turkey closed its border with Armenia during
the war and the premier said he would strive to restore relations
and sign a peace deal. Armenia could grow far faster if rapprochement
was reached with its bigger neighbors, he said.

Mr Sargysan said that, despite ties to influential exiles in the US,
Yerevan would remain friendly to Moscow and would not support a US
base in the volatile Caucasus. In a swipe at neighboring Georgia,
whose "rose revolution" against Russian domination has endeared it
to the west, he said he did not see it as a model to emulate.

"One can either exploit their differences between superpowers or work
with them. We prefer to work with them. There are many conflicts in
our region."

Mr Sargysan said Armenia would one day like to join the European Union
but had no desire to join the NATO defense alliance, although it was
working closely with it.

NATO PA TO DISCUSS RELATIONS WITH SOUTH CAUCASIAN STATES

PanARMENIAN.Net
10.04.2007 15:14 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The NATO PA 63rd Roth-Roth seminar to be held in
Tbilisi April 19-21 will focus on conflicts in the South Caucasus and
Georgia’s integration into the European family, Azeri MP Malakhat
Gasanova said. Besides, the attendees will discuss NATO and EU
relations with the South Caucasian states, the role of parliaments
in the region and other issues. Georgian parliament speaker Nino
Burjanadze, NATO PA President Jose Lello and other officials are
expected to address the seminar.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress