Month: May 2008

ALEXEY VLASOV: KREMLIN LACKS EXACT FORMULA FOR RESOLUTION OF CONFLICTS IN SOUTH CAUCASUS

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.05.2008 14:17 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Medvedev’s coming to power will not introduce
changes in Russia’s foreign policy, a Russian expert said.

"The course taken up by Putin will be continued at least for
2 or 3 years," said Alexey Vlasov, head of the information and
analytical center for public and political studies at Moscow State
University. "Neither Russia nor the West worked out new rules for
geopolitical games in the Caucasus and Middle Asia.

The Kosovo precedent caused chaos in the struggle for influence in
Balkans and South Caucasus."

In early 1990-ies, taking up an unbalanced position on the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict, Russia has lost the role of Caucasus moderator. Now,
Kremlin still lacks an exact formula for resolution of conflicts in
the South Caucasus, practicing different approaches to Abkhazia and
Nagorno Karabakh," Vlasov said, 1news.az reports.

EMBASSY OF ARMENIA IN LEBANON HAS HELPED FOUR ARMENIAN CITIZENS TO LEAVE THAT COUNTRY

arminfo
2008-05-13 18:57:00

ArmInfo. The Embassy of Armenia in Lebanon has helped four Armenian
citizens to leave that country, reports the press service of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia.

The citizens were taken by car to the Lebanese-Syrian border. Now,
they are able to go to Aleppo and farther to Yerevan.

QUEEN ELIZABETH II PRAISED TURKEY’S ROLE AS A BRIDGE BETWEEN WEST AND ISLAMIC WORLD

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.05.2008 14:46 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Queen Elizabeth II praised Turkey’s role as a bridge
between the West and the Islamic world on Tuesday during her first
visit to the predominantly Muslim country in 37 years.

"For us, Turkey is as important now as it has ever been," the British
monarch said at a state banquet.

"Turkey is uniquely positioned as a bridge between East and West at
a crucial time for the European Union and the world in general."

Wearing a tiara and dressed in a white gown decorated with beads,
the queen said Turkey is "playing a key role in promoting peace,
political stability and economic development in some of the world’s
most unsettled areas."

She referred to the Alliance of Civilizations initiative, a UN-backed
project – cosponsored by Turkey and Spain – aiming to increase dialogue
between Western and non-Western cultures and to address the causes
of conflict between them, the AP reports.

CONSUMERS DON’T HAVE TO KNOW LEGISLATION, THEY SHOULD KNOW WHERE TO APPLY WHEN SUFFERING DAMAGES

arminfo
2008-05-14 09:08:00

ArmInfo. Consumers don’t have to know the legislation, they should know
where to apply when suffering damages, Chairman of the Association
of Consumers of Armenia Armen Poghosyan said at public hearings
dedicated to the situation in the Armenian telecommunication market,
Tuesday. "Like any other sphere, telecommunication needs accurate
legislation. But a consumer doesn’t have to know the legislation,
he/she should know where to apply when suffering damages", he
stressed. According to Poghosyan, insufficient elaboration of the
legislative field and the citizens’ low awareness of the legislation
have caused serious financial losses. He recalled that in 2005-2006 as
a result of wrong phone accounting which included non-existent phone
conversations, consumers suffered losses worth 140 mln AMD. "Our task
is to prevent similar things in the future, but there is a serious
danger of it now", he noted. Speaking of the legislation in this
sphere, Poghosyan said that the legislation needs to be seriously
reviewed as it has not been renewed for 10 years.

According to Poghosyan, one of the key problems is ArmenTel’s
qualitative billing, i.e. receiving of information about the current
account by consumers. "The legislation should have a provision
allowing a consumer to demand disconnection of his telephone right
after exhaustion of the account’s amount, not 12 hours later as now",
Poghosyan said. He thinks that the billing system introduced in August
2007 doesn’t prove its worth. "Over the past month the Association
received a new wave of complaints about untimely billing and phone
conversations ascribed to consumers", he said.

APRICOT HARVEST TO GROW UP TP FOUR TIMES IN 2008

arminfo
2008-05-14 12:29:00

ArmInfo. A total of 60 thsd tons of apricot is expected to be gathered
in Armenia in 2008. This is by 4 times more than the passed year
harvest, head of one of departments of Agriculture Ministry Garnik
Petrosyan told ArmInfo correspondent.

He also added that favourable weather conditions are the reason
of such a high harvest. They managed to gather only 15thsd tons of
apricot in 2007 because of frosts, 1 thsd ton of which was exported,
Petrosyan said. He also said that they are going to export 15020
thsd tons of apricot in 2008, if they manage to ensured ecessary
transport communications. In particular, Armenia had exporting
problems because of closing of "Verkhniy Lars" checking point at the
Georgian-Russian border. If this checking point is not opened, port
Kavkaz-Poti ferry-boat is an alternative for shipment of Armenian
apricots. Apricots may be also exported via airplanes, but this may
lead to apricot price growth. Petrosyan said that Armenian apricots
are chiefly exported to Russia. Incidentally, major part of Armenian
apricots is successfully sold at Moscow markets by Azerbaijanis,
he said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARDSHININVESTBANK, BANK ‘ACBA-CREDIT AGRICOLE’ AND ‘HSBC BANK ARMENIA’ IN THE LEADING THREE IN THE FIRST QUARTER 2008 BY THE NET PROFIT LEVEL

arminfo
2008-05-14 12:25:00

ArmInfo. Ardshininvestbank, Bank and entered the leading three in the
first quarter 2008 by their net profit level: 1.3 bln drams (($4.2
¬Â"­), 901.5 mln drams ($2.9 mln) and 841.3 mln drams ($2.7 mln)
respectively.

occupied the forth place – 682.4 mln drams ($2.2mln) and the fifth
place – 624.3 mln drams ($2.0 mln).

According to the data of Armenian commerce banks ranking prepared by
ArmInfo, by the level of profitability of assets (share of net profit
in assets – ROA) bank is leading – 1,9%, occupies the second place
– 1,4%, the third – 1,2%, the forth – 1,1% and Unibank the fifth –
1%. Ardshininvestbank is leading by the ROE level – 7,6%, occupies
the second place – 7,5%, Unibank the third – 6,1%, the forth – 6,0%
and ARARATBANK the fifth – 5%.

Summary retained profit of the Armenian banking system amounted to
6.147 bln drams ($20 mln) by the results of the first quarter of 2008,
having grown by 28% if compared with the same period of 2007, and by
more than 9 times if compared with the same period of 2003. According
to the reports of the 22 acting banks, 19 banks finished the first
quarter of 2008 with the summary retained profit – 6.522 bln drams,
and three banks – , ProCreditBank and Byblos Bank Armenia with the
summary loss 375.8 mln drams. ProCreditBank entered the banking market
of Armenia at the beginning of February 2008.

Total capital of the banking system over the first quarter of 2008
has grown by 6,1%, and by 43,5%, if compared with the same period
of 2007 and by more than 4 times if compared with the same period
of 2003, having amounted to 183.5 bln drams ($597.1 mln) as of 31
March 2008. Annual growth of this index is chiefly ensured at the
expense of the authorized capital growth – by 46,4% up to 121.3 bln
drams ($394.9 mln), as well as at the expense of profit growing. is
leading by restoration of the authorized capital. It has grown this
indicator by more than 7 times up to 4.8 bln drams ($15.6 mln) if
compared with the same period of 2007. By the way, this bank reached
such an indicator in the third quarter of 2007 without attraction
of new shareholders. Then comes Armimpexbank, authorized capital
of which grew by more than 3 times up to 6.4 bln drams ($20.8 mln)
if compared with the same period of 2007. It found itself in the
leading five by this indicator.

Ardshininvesbank occupies the third place having grown the authorized
capital by 109,6% up to the leading level 15.5 bln drams ($50.5 mln)
if compared with the same period of 2007. International Finance
Corporation (IFC) entered this bank capital with 10% share in the
forth quarter of 2007.

Armbusinessbank occupies the firth place. Its authorized capital has
grown by more than 2 times up to 5 bln drams ($16,3 mln). In general,
9 commerce banks ensured replenishment of the authorized fund in
the first quarter of 2008 if compared with the same period of 2008,
the given indicator has not changed in the rest 12 commerce banks
(without Bank ProCredit). The authorized capital has grown only in
two banks – ARATBANK (by 12,4% up to 4.1 bln drams or $13.3 mln)
and Armimpexbank in the first quarter of 2008.

As for the rest banks, this index has not changed. Annual falling
of total capital has been fixed only in Byblos Bank Armenia
(the former ITB bank) – by 1,4%, and in four banks over the first
quarter of 2008. Much annual growth of total capital has been fixed
in Armimpexbank – by 131,7% up to 7.9 bln drams ($25.6 mln) and –
by 124,5% up to 21.4 bln drams ($69.6 mln).

Agricole is leading by the level of total capital – 22.2 bln drams
($72.1 mln).

–Boundary_(ID_qLPv1UxB1PobO/PfkzmjGA)–

NEW HOPES FOR THE PRESIDENT’S MEETING AND RECURRENT VIOLATION OF 14-YEAR-CEASEFIRE
By Aghavni Haroutiunian

AZG Armenian Daily #091
14/05/2008

Karabakh issue

The meeting of the new President of Armenia and the Azerbaijani
President may take place in St.

Petersburg, during the 12th International Energy Forum and CIS informal
Summit on June 6-8, OSCE Minsk Group French Co-chair Bernard Fassier
announced on May 5 yet.

Last week, as it was scheduled, Armenian newly appointed Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian met with the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov on the threshold of the 118th session of the Council
of Europe Ministerial Committee.

According to MG French Co-chair Bernard Fassier, the meeting of the
Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers had a cognitive nature;
moreover, the Co-chairs had good expectations of that meeting.

According to the French Co-chair, the meeting might show the level
of the sides’ readiness to continue the works.

Anyway, the Co-chairs were not going to submit any basic proposal,
and as they announced on different occasions, they weren’t. But issues
of the next visit of the Co-chairs to the region and also possibility
of the meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents would be
discussed during the meeting. Several variants of the meeting of the
Presidents were mentioned, and one of them – the possible meeting on
June 6-8, in St. Petersburg, in the framework of 12th International
Energy Forum.

Azerbaijani FM Elmar Mammadyarov spoke of the similar possibility the
day before yesterday. He added also that during the meeting with the
Armenian FM Edward Nalbandian an arrangement was made for the meeting
of the Presidents, mentioning the meeting in St. Petersburg as a
possible variant.

At the same time, on May 12, at 11.00 a.m., the Azerbaijani armed
forces fired upon the positions of the Armenian armed forces in
Baghanis village of Tavush province of the Republic of Armenia. As
RA Defense Ministry Press office reported, resident of the village,
shepherd Lorik Mesrop Avagian (born in 1957) was wounded because of
the fire. He was taken to Ijevan hospital and operated on.

In comparison of the certainty of the Armenian side’s information, the
Azerbaijani news agencies are producing so much unproven information
of the firings upon the Azerbaijani positions, that more frequently it
is evident that it’s disinformation and not information of importance
and influence.

Anyway, it is already 14 years that ceasefire is a reality, but there
are no bases to speak of real ceasefire. There are no bases to speak
loudly of the progress of the negotiation process as well.

Nevertheless, the two sides speak of the violations of the ceasefire,
but the representatives of OSCE observatory mission always record
the state of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border as without incidents and
with this justify the usage of the words "frozen conflict". While the
firings continue on the contact line, and even the Azerbaijani side
takes steps to repeat its March failure of taking of some Armenian
positions, OSCE Minsk Group, together with the observatory mission,
prefers only statements on a level of conversation and hopes that
the sides will act only in the framework of peaceful settlement.

ARARATBANK PREPARING FOR NEXT PLACEMENT OF ITS CORPORATE BONDS WORTH 400 MLN AMD AT 9% RATE OF RETURN

arminfo
2008-05-13 18:54:00

ArmInfo. ARARATBANK is preparing for the next placement of its
undocumentary corporate coupon bonds worth 400 mln AMD at 9% rate
of return. As the Dealing Center of ARARATBANK told ArmInfo, the
circulation period is 1.5 years, a total of 40 thsd bonds will be
issued, the nominal value of each being 10 thsd AMD. Like during the
previous issue, the coupon payments will be carried out quarterly.

According to the source, the placement of these securities will most
likely take place in late May early June. At the moment, the issue
prospectus of the bonds is submitted for the approvement of the Central
Bank of Armenia (CBA). The dates of quarterly coupon payments will be
specified after the CBA approves the issue of the bonds. The issue
aims to attract additional idle funds from the market to transform
them into profitable assets in the future.

Like during the previous issue, these securities will be rated among
"Abond" by the Armenian Exchange (ArmEx), where demand for the bonds
considerably prevailed over supply. The bond yield of the next issue
is increased by 1%, which will make them more attractive.

According to the bank’s data, the circulation period of the previously
issued undocumentary corporate coupon bonds expired on May 12,
2008. The volume of their issue was 250 mln AMD, the rate of return
was 8%, the circulation period was 1 year. Within the frames of the
first issue, a total of 25 thsd bonds were placed, the nominal value
of each being 10 thsd AMD.

The volume of operations on the ARARATBANK’s corporate coupon bonds
at ArmEx throughout the period of their circulation (from May 12,
2007 till May 12, 2008) totalled 475.179 mln AMD, the number of
transactions was about 100.

The major part of the operations was carried out in 2007 – 309.626
mln AMD, the number of transactions being 64.

To note, as of April 1, 2008, the total capital of the ARARATBANK made
up $16.6 mln AMD, assets – $85.3 mln, total provision of crediting –
$35.8 mln.

The bank is active in the market of government securities. In
particular, as of April 1, 2008, investments in government securities
totalled $27.9 mln or 32,4% of the total assets, which is 3 times
as high as in the same period of 2007. On June 18, 2007, ARARATBANK
received a status of the Armenian government’s agent for managing the
internal state debt. According to the results of the first quarter
of 2008, the net profit of the bank totalled 222.8 mln AMD. To note,
Armeconombank issued bonds before ARARATBANK at the end of 2005. The
bonds of the Cascade Credit UCO and Shen Concern enterprise entered
the market in 2006. At the moment the corporate bonds of four issuers –
ArmRusgasprom CJSC, Valletta LLC, Shen Concern CJSC, and the Armenian
Copper Program CJSC are rated among Bbond by ArmEx. The Elite Group
company will shortly join this list.

US DEPARTMENT OF STATE RELEASES 2007 TIP INTERIM ASSESSMENT – ARMENIA

AZG Armenian Daily #091
14/05/2008

US Department of State

The Government of Armenia has made minimal progress in addressing
trafficking in persons since the release of the 2007 TIP Report. Most
notably, it did not take steps to combat trafficking-related
corruption.

The government continued to use its anti-trafficking law to
investigate, prosecute, and convict traffickers. The Prosecutor
General´s office regularly publishes on its website crime reports
that include detailed reports and statistics on trafficking crimes.

The government continues to fail to address trafficking-related
official complicity and did not vigorously investigate or prosecute
official corruption as it relates to trafficking.

Government agencies referred an increased number of trafficking victims
to appropriate NGO care, but did not provide financial assistance to
anti-trafficking NGOs. The government has not yet drafted a national
referral mechanism, although a working group was established in
October 2007. In December 2007, the government approved the new
2007-2009 National Plan of Action on Combating Trafficking in Persons,
and elevated the inter-agency anti-TIP commission to a ministerial
council chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister. The government conducted
a trafficking awareness program for orphans who are leaving the state´s
care, a highly vulnerable group. In September 2007, the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs co-hosted an anti-trafficking awareness seminar with
an international organization that resulted in media appearances by
officials and NGOs.

–Boundary_(ID_2Cim52dFF1+yWZTxcw0BXw)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

$10,000 SAROYAN PLAYWRITING COMPETITION FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
by Zoe Kevork

AZG Armenian Daily #091
14/05/2008

Culture

The Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance (ADAA) is pleased to announce the
three finalists of the inaugural William Saroyan Prize for Playwriting:
Nadia by Lilly Thomassian, Flesh and Tenderness by Kristen Lazarian
and The Living and the Dead by Matthew "Yazo" Yaldezian.

Play submissions were received from across the United States, the UK
and Armenia. Entries were required to be full-length plays written
in English and based on Armenian themes. The plays were required
to have a professional production or reading prior to submission,
which resulted in high quality entries.

First round judges were Claire Cox, playwright and writing instructor
at the Gotham Academy in New York; Enrique Urueta, playwright
and former literary manager at Impact Theatre in San Francisco;
Landon Vaughn, actor, writer and producer; Tanya Yerevanian, actor,
writer and graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London;
and David Grillo, actor, writer and producer of the off-Broadway
production of Beast on the Moon.

The three finalist plays will be evaluated by an honorary jury
including Leslie Ayvazian, award-winning playwright and Professor
of Playwriting at Columbia University; Deborah Salzer, playwriting
educator and founder of The Playwrights Project; and, Mac Wellman,
Lifetime Obie-award winning playwright and the Donald I. Fine Professor
of Play Writing at Brooklyn College.

The winner will be announced at the ADAA’s 3rd Annual Celebrity
Gala on Saturday, August 23, 2008, which will be held at the Stars
Palace Theatre in Glendale, CA. The winner will be honored with a
$10,000 award.

Tickets are available at

The Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance’s mission is to make the Armenian
voice heard on the world stage through the dramatic arts of theatre
and film. The organization accomplishes this mission by supporting
playwrights and screenwriters and providing production opportunities,
research tools, networking resources and writing awards. In addition
to the William Saroyan Prize for Playwriting, the ADAA administers
the $10,000 Lillian and Varnum Paul Prize for Screenwriting, the
deadline for which is February 15, 2009.

For more information about ADAA, its activities and how to
contribute to its important mission, please visit the website at
or call at 617.871.6764