Month: May 2008

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WEB AND ARMINCO vs ARMENTEL
[04:32 pm] 07 May, 2008

The Commission for Protection of Economic Competition
(CPEC) is studying the complaint of the companies Web
and Arminco. Web and Arminco reported restriction of
competition in the conditions of internet access
service provided by ArmenTel to the Commission.

According to the applications, ArmenTel provides the
Hi-Line Unlimited service of internet access using the
fixed-line telephone infrastructure which is
historically its monopoly, which the other internet
providers have no possibility to use. Web thinks that
these steps are aimed to gain monopoly in the sphere
of internet access services as well. At the same time,
according to Web and Arminco, ArmenTel refuses to
provide lines to other operators (potential
competitor).

The companies ask the commission to study the problem,
take action, as well as to discuss the issue of
describing ArmenTel as having a dominant position in
the sphere of such services, the press service of the
Commission for Protection of Economic Competition
reports.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN TEAM OF UNDER 19-YEAR-OLDS WINS TWO MATCHES WITH SAME SCORE
OF 4-1 IN ITALY

ROME, MAY 7, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian national football team of under
19-year-olds played 2 test matches in Italy. The Armenian footballers
won two matches with the same score of 4-1 against local teams "Monza"
and "Vicenza".

Another match against youths of "Juventus" is scheduled for May 10.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

INTERNATIONAL CHESS TOURNAMENT OF 10th CATEGORY HELD IN GYUMRI

GYUMRI, MAY 7, NOYAN TAPAN. An international chess tournament, which
was organized by the Chess Federation of Armenia and the National Chess
Academy, finished in Gyumri on May 6. Chess players from Russia,
Ukraine, Georgia and Armenia took part in it.

GM Arman Pashikian (Yerevan) earned 9 out of 11 possible points and
became the winner. Georgi Bagaturia and Tamaz Gelashvili (both from
Tbilisi) took 2nd and 3rd place respectively with 7 points each.

The tournament was a 10th category one. It was held for the first time
and henceforth will become traditional.

On the initiative of the National Chess Academy of Armenia, another two
international tournaments will be held soon: in Jermuk (on June 26-July
6) and Martuni (on July 10-20).

CHIEF COACH OF "ULIS" SUREN BARSEGHIAN RESIGNS

YEREVAN, MAY 7, NOYAN TAPAN. The chief coach of "Ulis" team Suren
Barseghian sent in his resignation after "Ulis" lost to "Banants" (0:1)
at the 4th stage of "Star" National Football Championship of Armenia.
The club management accepted his resignation and put the obligations of
chief coach on senior coach Sevada Arzumanian.

HEAD OF PASSPORT AND VISA DEPARTMENT DENIES RUMORS ABOUT GROWTH IN
NUMBER OF PERSONS LEAVING ARMENIA

YEREVAN, MAY 7, NOYAN TAPAN. The number of persons returning to Armenia
exceeds 1,5 times the number of those leaving the country," head of the
RA Police Passport and Visa Department, Colonel Alvina Zakarian
declared at the May 7 press conference, denying the rumors about an
increase in the number of persons leaving Armenia. According to her, 54
families rejected so-called green cards (status of a permanent resident
of a country) in 2007, while 25 families rejected green cards in the
first 4 months of this year. 799 citizens have applied to their
department with the request to be granted Armenian citizenship in 2008,
most of them are citizens of Georgia, Russia, Lebanon, Turkmenistan and
the U.S. 188 citizens received dual citizenship under decrees of the
Armenian president, while after adoption of the RA Law on Dual
Citizenship, the department sustained 1,417 persons’ applications for
dual citizenship.

In her words, as was announced earlier, in 2010 Armenia intends to
introduce a new passport system but the current passports will be in
force until their date of expiry.

A. Zakarian provided explanations about some provisions of the RA Law
on Foreigners concerning the terms of residence permit and entry visas.
She underlined that without an invitation sent beforehand, residents of
not all countries may receive a visa to cross the Armenian border.
Among these countries are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cameroon, China,
Egypt, India, Iraq, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia,
Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Vietnam amd Syria.

Associated Press
April 7 2008

Armenian Orthodox leader urges world to recognize WWI-era killings as genocide

By ARIEL DAVID,AP
Posted: 2008-05-07 09:29:57

VATICAN CITY (AP) – The head of Armenia’s Orthodox Church took part in
Pope Benedict XVI’s public audience on Wednesday and urged all
countries to recognize that Turks committed genocide against Armenians
early last century.

Karekin II sat at Benedict’s side during the traditional weekly
audience in St. Peter’s Square – part of a visit to the Vatican that
is the latest high-level contact between Catholic and Orthodox
leaders.

Addressing a crowd of faithful assembled in the square, Karekin
appealed "to all nations and lands to universally condemn all
genocides that have occurred throughout history."

"Denial of these crimes is an injustice that equals the commission of
the same," he said. "Many countries of the world recognize and condemn
the genocide committed against the Armenian people by Ottoman Turkey."

Benedict’s predecessor, Pope John Paul II, visited Armenia in 2001 and
paid his respects to the Armenians killed in the last days of the
Ottoman Empire.

During Wednesday’s audience, Benedict recalled "the severe
persecutions suffered by Armenian Christians, especially during the
last century."

Armenia says an estimated 1.5 million of its people were victims of
genocide in a 1915-23 campaign to force them out of eastern Turkey.

Ankara denies that Turks committed genocide, saying Armenians were
killed in internal fighting among ethnic groups as the empire
collapsed.

Many countries have been careful in treating the issue, because any
recognition of the killings as genocide is likely to rattle a nation’s
ties with Turkey. Last year, the U.S. House of Representatives stopped
short of voting on a resolution that would have called the killings
genocide after Turkey threatened grave consequences to relations.

Benedict is due to meet again with Karekin in a private audience on
Friday. Karekin, the leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church, met with
the Vatican No. 2 official, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, when the
prelate traveled to Armenia in March.

On Wednesday the pope reiterated his desire for closer relations with
Orthodox Christians, saying that "we are certain that the Lord never
abandons us in the search for unity."

In his own speech, Karekin said that "in spite of different historical
experiences and paths we have traversed … we are all children of the
one God."

PanARMENIAN.Net

Bomb defused in center of Yerevan
08.05.2008 12:28 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On May 8, at 9.40 a.m. local time,
the central department of RA Police received an alert
on a suspicious-looking mechanism lying in front of a
dwelling house in Mashtots Avenue.

The Police’s press office reported that the special
service officers found an explosive assembly in a
carton and defused it.

Investigation is underway.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Catholicos of All Armenians calls for condemnation and
recognition of Armenian Genocide
08.05.2008 13:46 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ During a visit to Vatican,
Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Garegin II
called for recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

`Denial of these crimes is tantamount to perpetration.
Many countries have recognized the Armenian Genocide
in the Ottoman Empire,’ His Holiness said at the
Pope’s weekly meeting with the faithful.

Pope Benedict XVI mentioned of the `ordeals that
befell Armenian Christians in the beginning of the
last century,’ FRE/RL reports.

His Holiness Garegin II and Pope Benedict XVI will
hold another meeting on May 9.

ARMENPRESS

MARAT MUSAYELIAN APPOINTED SECRETARY OF THE KARABAKH
SECURITY COUNCIL

STEPANAKERT, MAY 8, ARMENPRESS: President of the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakian signed a
decree on May 7 dismissing Karen Baburian from the
office of the secretary of the Nagorno Karabakh
Security Council. With the decree of the president K.
Baburian has been appointed representative of the
Karabakh president for special assignments.
Press service of the NKR president’s staff told
Armenpress that with another decree Marat Musayelian,
the head of the Karabakh’s president staff, has been
appointed the secretary of the Karabakh Security
Council.
Bako Sahakian also signed a decree on approving the
membership of the Karabakh Security Council. Thus, the
latter consists of:
1. President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic
2. Chairman of the Karabakh National Assembly
3. Karabakh prime minister
4. Secretary of the Karabakh Security Council
5. Karabakh defense minister-commander of the
Karabakh defense army
6. Karabakh foreign minister
7. Head of Karabakh president’s staff
8. Karabakh prosecutor general
9. Chairman of the Karabakh Supreme Court
10. Director of the Karabakh government-affiliated
national security service
11. Chief of the Karabakh police
12. First deputy of the commander of the Karabakh’s
defense army
13. First deputy of the commander of the Karabakh’s
defense army-head of headquarter.

ARMENPRESS

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER DELIVERS SPEECH AT 118th
MEETING OF COUNCIL OF EUROPE’S COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS

YEREVAN, MAY 8, ARMENPRESS: The 118-th meeting of
the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers took
place today in Strasbourg where the Armenian Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian delivered a speech.
Armenian Foreign Ministry press service told
Armenpress that noting that Armenia is facing the
issue of consolidating democracy, which is the
conscientious choice of the people, and that the
Armenian government is ready to undertake necessary
steps in that direction, the minister thanked the
Council of Europe, Committee of Ministers, PACE and
Human Rights Commissioner for the displayed support.
`We have passed a certain way but we realize that
there is still a lot to be done and believe that by
exerting necessary efforts we will overcome all the
difficulties and will continue the reforms more firmly
not only because we have assumed commitments but
because it is the conscientious choice of the Armenian
leadership and the people,’ Nalbandian stated.
`With that aim, the newly elected president has
clearly expressed readiness to involve the public in
the process of political and economic reforms,
inviting all the political forces and public to unite
their efforts,’ he said.
In his speech he also referred to the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict regulation and reconfirmed readiness
of Armenia to continue the negotiation process with
the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen.