Month: May 2008

CANNES FESTIVAL KICKS OFF TONIGHT

armradio.am
14.05.2008 18:03

The Cannes Film Festival is starting today. The premiere of thriller
Blindness, starring Julianne Moore, will kick off the world’s top
film festival later.

In addition to films selected for competition this year, major
Hollywood productions such as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the
Crystal Skull and Kung Fu Panda will have its world premiere at
the festival.

Some 22 films are in competition for the festival’s top prize, the
Palme d’Or, including Blindness and Changeling.

Blindness is directed by Brazilian Fernando Mereilles, whose previous
credits include City Of God and The Constant Gardener.

Other films in competition include the directorial debut of Being
John Malkovich screenwriter Charlie Kaufman.

Kaufman’s film, Synecdoche New York, is a typically idiosyncratic
tale of a theatre director – played by Philip Seymour Hoffman –
who tries to build a scale model of New York City in his attic.

Also showing out of competition at the festival are Jack Black’s animal
animation Kung Fu Panda as well as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of
the Crystal Skull.

Three film directors of Armenian origin – Atom Egoyan of Canada, Diana
Lazarian of Russia and Arman Tadevosyan of Armenia – will participate
in the Cannes Festival to be held from 14 to 23 May. The official
webpage of the Festival informs that Atom Egoyan will participate with
his "Adoration" film, which is a drama about young people who try to
communicate with each other via Internet and SMS messages. The film
stars Arsine Khanjyan, the director’s wife.

Diana Lazarian’s 33-minute film titled "GATA" is presented in the
documentaries. Arman Tadevosyan’s film is presented in the short
films program. The 10-minute documentary was shot in Kars. The film
tells about the cultural and civil transfiguration in Kars.

COAF AND CASCADE-CREDIT TO PROVIDE LOANS PACKAGE TO PEOPLE OF SIX VILLAGES OF ARMAVIR

ARMENPRESS
May 14, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 14, ARMENPRESS: The Children of Armenia Fund (COAF),
cooperating with the Cascade-Credit company, will provide a loan
package tailored to the needs of the communities of the Model Cluster,
including Argina, Dalarik, Karakert, Lernagog, Miasnikian and Shenik.

The package offers negotiable financing and flexible repayment
schedules, with maturity varying between 6 and 84 months and annual
percentage rate starting at 12 %. For engaging rural women in
entrepreneurial activities, a special credit for women entrepreneurs
is offered with 11.5% annual percentage rate.

The main goal of the initiative is to increase the level of loan
availability in rural areas which will result in the development of
the rural economy, creating new jobs and increasing the quality of
life in the Model Cluster villages.

The founder and chairman of COAF Karo Armen said today that the choice
of the communities is agreed with the fact that the fund worked with
them previously. For the implementation of "Model Cluster", the COAF
included six mentioned villages taking into consideration the bad
social condition of their population. In future it is expected to
create such opportunities for the people of other villages.

Cascade-Credit is providing loans ranging from AMD 1,000,000 to
AMD 15,000,000.

Around 370 applications have already been received and by now 32 have
been approved.

These loans are provided for agricultural development, mainly animal
husbandry and farming, acquisition and modernization of agricultural
machinery, and even for other ventures.

In addition to the loan program, the partnership also offers
agricultural leasing to facilitate the acquisition and modernization
of agricultural equipment and business renewal. Agricultural leasing
ranges between AMD 1,500,000 and AMD 350,000,000, with a minimum 14%
annual percentage rate and 7 years’ maturity.

The Children of Armenia Fund is a non-profit foundation that aims
to reduce poverty through the revitalization of rural Armenia and
the realization of projects that are instrumental for the revival
of communities.

NEW PHONE SERVICE RULES TO BE CONSIDERED IN ARMENIA MAY 20

ARKA
May 14, 2008

YEREVAN, May 14. /ARKA/. RA Public Services Regulatory Commission
(PSRC) will consider the rules of providing and using telephone
services on March 20, said Gevorg Gevorgyan, Head of the Commission’s
Telecommunications Department.

The rules have been developed with consideration of all the possible
problematic situations peculiar to Armenian market, Gevorgyan said. New
rules suggest that a telephone user have access to his current account
and pay his bills via the Internet. Besides, customers will be allowed
to sign an additional contract limiting their accounts.

"We have studied the international practices to the rules competent
enough to rule out any possibility for the users of paying for
calls they have not made or any other error of the billing system,"
Gevorgyan said.

Armen Poghosyan, President of the Consumers’ Association of Armenia,
said the new rules should be adopted as soon as possible since
the current rules dating from 1999 do not meet the present-day
technological and legal requirements. Pogosyan said once the new
rules are adopted they will work to introduce an obligatory system
of signing individual contracts with each user.

However, Pogosyan said, some of the rules are alarming since they focus
on reducing the share of responsibility of provider and enhancing
the liabilities of customers. "Neither do the rules provide for any
compensation for system errors," Poghosyan stressed.

Once the new rules take effect, ArmenTel will be obliged to modify the
existing contracts with customers by July 1, 2009. Under the June 1,
2007 decision of PSRC, the approval of the new rules was prolonged
to December 30, 2007.

ArmenTel is the daughter company of VimpelCom (Beeline). The Russian
company acquired 100% shares in April 2007. ArmenTel provides
fixed-line telephone services to about 600,000 customers and mobile
services to over 450,000 customers.

CONSUMER PRICES INDEX 109.7% IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH IN JAN-APR

ARKA
May 14, 2008

STEPANAKERT, May 14. /ARKA/. Consumer prices index was 109.7% in
Nagorno-Karabakh in January-April as compared with the same period
of the previous year. Foodstuff prices (including alcoholic drinks
and tobacco products) index was 115.7%, index for nonfoods prices
and service prices were 101.6% and 103% respectively.

The National Statistical Service of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
(NKR) reports that Consumer price index was 103.6% in Karabakh in
April this year against December last year with foodstuff (including
alcoholic drinks and tobacco products) price index being 105.2%,
nonfoods price index – 102% and service price index – 101.4%.

Rise in prices for a number of foodstuffs was recorded in the period
under review (bakery goods – 111.1%, meat products – 104.7%, fruits
– 105.6%, non-alcoholic drinks – 105.3%, vegetables and potatoes –
104.7% and vegetable and animal fats – 103.8%).

Consumer prices index was 112.2% in the NKR in April as compared with
the same period of last year.

ARMENIAN DM RECEIVES IRANIAN AMBASSADOR

ARMENPRESS
May 14, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 14, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Defense Minister Seiran Ohanian
received today Iranian ambassador to Armenia Seyed Ali Saghayan.

Spokesman for the Armenian Defense Ministry Seyran Shahsuvarian told
Armenpress that during the meeting the ambassador congratulated the
minister on his appointment and conveyed the congratulation message
of the Iranian Minister of Defense and Support to Armed Forces,
General-Major Mostafa Mohhamad Najari.

During the meeting the sides pointed out that Armenian-Iranian
relations are consolidated with serious political and economic
achievements on the basis of which are brotherly relations between
the two peoples.

Afterwards the two sides referred to the bilateral military relations
and pointed out the future activities.

They also exchanged thoughts over a number of issues on regional
security and stability. Speaking about the Karabakh conflict
regulation, the interlocutors underscored its peaceful settlement.

On the second half of the day the defense minister left for Aparan
where accompanied with Aragatsotn governor Gabriel Gyozalian and
representatives of local governmental bodies visited the "Revival"
memorial complex to the victims of the 1915 Armenian genocide,
heroes of 1918 Aparan battle and got acquainted with the program of
celebrations of May 28.

"RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN BUSINESS CLUB. FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC COOPERATION" CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN ON JUNE 20

ARKA
May 14, 2008

YEREVAN, May 14. /ARKA/. The "Pension Money" publishing house
and the editorial staff of "Asset Management" magazine are to hold
"Russian-Armenian Business Club. Financial and Economic Cooperation"
conference in Yerevan on June 20.

The aim of the conference is to promote the development of the current
ties between the business and the economies of Armenia and Russia,
to establish new contacts in business cooperation, the "Pension Money"
publishing house reported.

According to the organizers of the conference, informal meetings,
apart from business objectives, will facilitate strengthening the
friendly relations between the countries.

Among invitees to the conference are ministries and agencies,
self-regulatory organizations, financial and insurance companies,
banks, business and media representatives from Russia and Armenia.

The main topics to be discussed at the conference are monetary and
credit policy and formation of investment climate in Armenian economy,
Armenia’s potential to become a major financial center in the region,
opportunities for cooperation between representatives of financial
markets of Armenia and Russia, investment banking, trust management,
private capital management, private banking, developer projects,
IPO, venture investments, pension reform – the Russian experience,
situation on the world financial markets under the liquidity crisis,
development of small and medium businesses in Armenia and Russia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES READY TO SUPPORT PRIVATE SECTOR TO DEVELOP IT SECTOR

ARKA
May 14, 2008

YEREVAN, May 14. /ARKA/. Armenian authorities are ready to support
any initiative of the private sector to develop the IT sector, RA
Minister of Economy Nerses Yeritsyan stated.

"The government is ready to stimulate the sector’s development by
all means.

But it is the private sector that should take the initiative,"
the minister said at a conference entitled "Competitiveness and
Innovations of Information Technologies".

The minister said Armenian government has set itself quite an
ambitious goal – to complete the country’s transformation in the
shortest terms and reduce the technological gap between Armenia and
developed countries.

A number of projects will be implemented within the program –
foundation of an industrial park, holding an "IT-month" on Armenia’s
potential of becoming an information centre, implementation of
"Computer for Everyone" Program, as well as introduction of
"Interactive Education", Yeritsyan said.

According to the minister, these pilot projects will become a good
start for cooperation with the private sector.

The two-day conference has been organized by USAID CAPS (Competitive
Armenian Private Sector) Program, RA Ministry of Economy, Microsoft
Armenia Office, and the Enterprise Incubator Foundation. The
participants will focus on such issues as development of IT clusters,
IT development national concept, and government’s support for IT
development.

WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL TO DISCUSS GENOCIDE
By Marlene Toscano

Press-Enterprise
ews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_R_rworld14.42b890 e.html
May 14 2008
CA

RIVERSIDE: The event will feature an author and her photographs from
Rwanda and Darfur.

It was the image of the Madonna in a church in Rwanda surrounded by
piles of skulls and bones, high heel shoes and purses, and the skeleton
of an unborn child within its mother’s frame that inspired author
and photographer Lane H. Montgomery to write a book about genocide.

Montgomery, author of "Never Again, Again, Again…Genocide: Armenia,
The Holocaust, Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Darfur,"
will participate in a panel discussion on the genocide in Rwanda and
Darfur at 6:30 p.m. today at the Mission Inn in Riverside.

That image in Rwanda "spoke of such loss that I have never forgotten
it," Montgomery said in an interview on her Web site.

The event is sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Inland Southern
California, a forum in the Inland area for discussion of national
and international subjects.

After a talk and slide show, Montgomery will join Dr. Richard H. Hart,
president of Loma Linda University and Medical Center; Dr. Emmanuel
Rudatasikira, an associate professor at Loma Linda University from
Rwanda; and Mustafa Kuko, director of the Islamic Center of Riverside,
from Sudan, for the panel discussion. Hart has worked in Tanzania
and Ethiopia. An author and photographer, Montgomery has traveled
to Rwanda, Haiti, Kosovo, Bosnia and Congo along with humanitarian
groups such as Americares, the International Rescue Committee and SIM,
a Christian advocacy sponsor for children with AIDS.

Interspersed in Montgomery’s narrative are first-hand accounts of
survival, reprints of interviews with war criminals and editorials by
ambassadors, academicians, human rights activists and journalists. In
the introduction to her book, Montgomery wrote about attending a
conference in 1993 in Germany called "We Must Never Let it Happen
Again."

She wrote about the passion and intelligence of those in attendance,
of all the races, nationalities and generations, and about how they
all felt reassured that "our world would never let it happen again."

Reach Marlene Toscano at 951-368-9660 or [email protected]

World Affairs Council

When: Today

Time: 5:30 p.m. reception and buffet, $35 to $45; 6:30 p.m. program
and discussion, $10 to $20; students free

Where: The Mission Inn Music Room, 3649 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside

Information: 951-222-8160

YEREVAN OFFERS AID CHINA AFTER DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKE

ARKA
May 14, 2008

YEREVAN, May 14. /ARKA/. Armenia’s President Serge Sargsian has
presented his condolences to Leader of the People’s Republic of
China (PRC) Hu Jintao on the devastating earthquake in the southwest
province of Sichuan. The President offered aid to China after the
violent tremors.

He told Jintao that Armenian people condole with the friendly Chinese
nation on the massive loss of life in the earthquake in Sichuan,
the RA President’s press service reports.

"We feel great sorrow for the families of the victims and we hope
the injured will recover soon. I am sure Chinese people will collect
their strength to restore the moral and material damage caused by
the disaster," the RA President said in his telegram.

Sargsian expressed readiness to offer assistance to China, taking
into account Armenia’s experience in responding to disasters. -0-

PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN AND HIS NEW ARMENIAN COUNTERPART CAN HAVE A MEETING IN ST. PETERSBURG EARLIER THIS JUNE

Azerbaijan Business Center
May 14 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev is to take part
in St. Petersburg Economic Forum on June 6-7.

Foreign minister Elmar Mammadyarov of Azerbaijan said that options of
a meeting between President Aliyev and his new Armenian counterpart
Serj Sarkisyan are under study.

"One of the options is holding of such a meeting within the framework
of St. Petersburg Economic Forum. We expect that in the meeting
the sides will continue consultations about settlement of Nagorno
Garabagh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the spirit of
Prague Process," Mammadyarov said.

Ceasefire regime has been applying between the two countries since 1994
within the conflict that has led to occupation of 20% of Azerbaijani
territory by Armenia and existence of almost 1 million refugees and
IDPs. Since then conditions for convocation of the conflict settlement
conference in Minsk, Belarus, under the aegis of OSCE have not been
created. Armenia declines to release the seized Nagorno Garabagh
and seven adjoining regions. And Azerbaijan, in no circumstances,
will agree on recognition of independence of self-proclaimed
Nagorno Garabagh Republic. Garabagh conflict is the oldest display
of separatism on the former USSR area. Georgian-Abkhazian and
Georgian-Osetian conflicts followed on the same scenario, but
Azerbaijan managed not to allow bringing of CIS peacemaking troops
in the country.