Month: May 2008

Fixed-Line Telephone Users to Block Their Outgoing Calls from Home

YEREVAN, May 7. /ARKA/. From now on, the users of Armenian fixed-line
telephone network can block international access of their telephones
from home.

The Public Relations Department, ArmenTel Company, reports that the
company has decided to provide a new service because many dial-up
Internet users complain of bills received for allegedly made
international calls. To prevent such cases, the subscribers can now
make use of a new free service and encode the international access of
their telephone lines before getting connected to the Internet. To
block international calls, subscribers have to dial any four-digit code
plus any of the following extensions:

01 (to block outgoing international calls, as well as fringe services
rendered for extra payments (090),

02 (to block outgoing international calls, calls to the Commonwealth of
Independent States (CIS), as well as fringe services rendered for extra
payments (090),

03 (to block outgoing international calls and the CIS countries,
long-distance calls inside the country, as well as fringe services
rendered for extra payments (090),

04 (to block outgoing international calls and calls to the CIS
countries, long-distance calls inside the country, mobile calls, as
well as fringe services rendered for extra payments (090),

05 (to block outgoing international calls and calls to the CIS
countries, long-distance calls inside the country, local calls, as well
as fringe services rendered for extra payments (090),

ArmenTel has a monopoly operation right to the country’s fixed-line
telephone network. It is one of the two mobile operators in Armenia.
VimpelCom Company is full owner of ArmenTel.`0′

PanARMENIAN.Net

French FM offers assistance in establishing relations
between Armenia and Turkey
06.05.2008 14:52 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ France’s Foreign Minister Bernard
Kouchner voiced regret over the closed the
Turkish-Armenian border and the blockade of Armenia.

`I raised the issue during a meeting with Turkey’s Ali
Babacan and his approach seemed positive but the
reasons for keeping the border closed are not
understandable for me,’ Mr Kouchner said after talks
with Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

As independent French journalist Jean Eckian told
PanARMENIAN.Net, the French Minister offered
assistance in eliminating `political and intellectual
obstacles’ in the way toward Armenia-Turkey
reconciliation. `Assuming the EU presidency in July,
France will work for the purpose,’ he said.

For his part, Minister Nalbandian remarked that
political leaders of Armenia and Turkey should meet
halfway to turn the dark page of the history. `Both
Armenia and Turkey as well as the entire region will
benefit from normalization of relations without
preconditions,’ he said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PanARMENIAN.Net

Armenian, Azeri FMs agreed to continue Karabakh talks
07.05.2008 13:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Currently in Strasbourg, Armenia’s
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian met Tuesday with
his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov, the RA
MFA press office reported.

`It was a familiarization. We exchanged views on the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process,
presented the approaches of our states and agreed to
continue talks,’ Minister Nalbandian told reporters
after the meeting.

Nalbandian and Mammadyarov will brief the Presidents
on the meeting results. Afterwards, the heads of state
will decide on further activities.

PanARMENIAN.Net

RA FM discusses Karabakh process with OSCE MG Co-chairs
07.05.2008 14:00 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Currently in Strasbourg for
participation in the 118th session of the Council of
Europe Committee of Ministers, Armenia’s Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian met Tuesday with Co-chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ambassadors Bernard Fassier
of France, Yuri Merzlyakov of Russia and Matt Bryza of
the U.S. as well as with Personal Representative of
the OSCE CiO, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, the RA MFA
press office reported.

The parties discussed continuation of Karabakh talks
on the basis of OSCE MG proposals.

Edward Nalbandian appreciated highly the mediators’
activities and confirmed Armenia’s willingness to
continue talks for resolution of the Karabakh problem.

ARMENPRESS

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER HAS FIRST MEETING WITH
FRENCH COUNTERPART

YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS: Armenian foreign
minister Edward Nalbandian had May 5 his first
official meeting with French opposite number, Bernard
Kouchner, in Paris, which the foreign ministry in
Yerevan said proceeded in `a warm atmosphere.’
Kouchner was said to congratulate Nalbandian on his
appointment as foreign minister of Armenia and
commended his contribution to depending of French
Armenian partnership. He also expressed confidence
that Edward Nalbandian as foreign minister will
continue to help deepen French-Armenian relationships.
Both ministers emphasized dialogue and mutual
understanding between leaders of France and Armenia.
They expressed readiness to make every effort to
ensure close cooperation between the two nations.
Edward Nalbandian spoke about key priorities of the
new coalition Armenian government formed after the
presidential election. He also conveyed the opinions
of Armenia’s leadership on regional issues and ways to
settle its conflicts.
Nalbandian reconfirmed Armenia’s willingness to
continue talks over the Nagorno-Karabakh issue based n
a package of proposals designed by the OSCE Minsk
Group. He appreciated highly the cochairmen’s work.
Bernard Kouchner said France will continue to
support all efforts of the Minsk Group. He said France
assumes EU’s chairmanship in July and in this context
he referred to Armenia-EU partnership.
Speaking later to journalists Edward Nalbandian
said there is a clear demand now to reaffirm that
there is no alternative to the peaceful settlement of
the conflict. He said he will discuss this with Azeri
counterpart Elmar Mamedyarov when he meets with in
Strasbourg.

ARMENPRESS

NATO EXPERTS ARRIVE IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS: A team of NATO experts
have arrived today in Yerevan on a two-day visit.
A spokesman for Armenian defense ministry, Colonel
Seyran Shahsuvarian, told Armenpress that the goal of
the visit is to discuss with Armenian military
officials ways to further bilateral cooperation. He
said a special stress will be on expansion of
cooperation in military education.

A1+

A WEEK AT THE VATICAN
[01:03 pm] 06 May, 2008

By invitation of Pope of Rome Benedict XVI, His
Holiness Garegin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos
of All Armenians left for the Vatican to promote
relations and cooperation between the two Churches.

On May 6-9 His Holiness is to meet Cardinal Walter
Casper, the head of the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity, and visit Papal University
in Rome. On May 8 Supreme Patriarch will join the
assembly dedicated to the Armenian Divine Liturgy.

The two patriarchs will also hold an ecumenical
ceremony.

On May 10-13 Catholicos of All Armenians will meet the
Armenian Community in Italy and will visit the Venice
Mkitharian Academy.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Dmitry Medvedev inaugurated as Russian president
07.05.2008 14:25 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Dmitry Medvedev was inaugurated as
Russia’s president on Wednesday, pledging to bolster
the country’s economic development and civil rights.

Medvedev took the oath of office in the Kremlin’s
golden-hued Andreyevsky Hall, bringing to an end
Vladimir Putin’s eight years as president.

Medvedev has pledged to continue the policies pursued
by Putin. In his inaugural address, Medvedev said his
most important tasks would be the development of civil
and economic freedom.

Medvedev’s six-minute inaugural address referred to
civil rights issues several times, a possible
indication that his presidency would take a different
course than that of the man who groomed him for the
job and used his considerable influence to ensure his
election.

`Human rights and freedoms … are deemed of the
highest value for our society and they determine the
meaning and content of all state activity,’ he said.

The 42-year-old, formerly a first deputy prime
minister and chairman of the state-controlled natural
gas giant Gazprom, also pledged to fight endemic
corruption.

`I’m going to pay special attention to the fundamental
role of the law. We must achieve a true respect in
law, overcome the legal nihilism which is hampering
modern development,’ Medvedev said.

He pledged to help make life `comfortable, confident
and secure’ for Russians and to modernize industry and
agriculture, encourage the development of new
technologies and attract investment, the AP reports.

Panorama.am

15:46 06/05/2008

MBRD RUNS BANK IN ARMENIA

Moscow Bank for Reconstruction and Development
affirmed the project of running a bank in Armenia.
According to the MBRD managing director Sergey Zaycev,
in 2008 MBRD will dispose 570 million dollars to buy
banks.

`The sum is enough to run several projects in Russian
and CIS countries. And we are intended to start
activities in Belarus, Uzbekistan, Armenia where
`Systema’ AFK companies’ group positions are quite
stable,’ he said.

MBRD main stock holder is `Systema’ AFK which is in
the list of 50 world famous bank net.

Source: Panorama.am

NATO pursues close cooperation and political dialog with Armenia

armradio.am
06.05.2008 11:42

Congratulatory messages keep coming in on the appointment of Tigran
Sargsyan as Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia. NATO
Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer wrote in his message:

"I take this opportunity to congratulate you on your appointment as
Prime Minister of Armenia and wish you every success with the discharge
of your new duties.

The NATO and Armenia have been involved in sustained cooperation in the
field of international security as evidenced by Armenia’s valuable
contribution to NATO’s commitment in Kosovo. We pursue close
cooperation and a political dialog under the Individual Partnership
Action Plan (IPAP) with a view to reforming your defense system and
strengthening democratic institutions in Armenia.

You assumed office in difficult and challenging times for your country,
and I hope that by building on the present achievements and by
maintaining the momentum of reforms implemented under the Individual
Partnership Action Plan, we will manage to further strengthen the
cooperation in a variety of spheres.

In order to assist Armenia along the path of reforms, I look forward to
working with you on different issues and hope to meet you in the near
future."