Month: August 2008

THE SITUATION IS WHAT IT IS

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on Aug 01, 2008
Armenia

In the estimation of GOURGUEN ARSENIAN, "The internal political
situation is what it is. Today we are facing a rather tense internal
political situation: the bipolar pro-opposition camp with the political
structure involved in it and the ruling authority with the coalition
government and the political ‘satellites’ supporting it.

The continuing demonstrations testify to the fact that there is
no unanimity in society – in the hearts and minds of the citizens
of Armenia."

IS THIS A STATE OR NOT?

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on Aug 01, 2008
Armenia

"It is well-known to everybody who the chief organizer is. It is
L. Ter-Petrosyan. It doesn’t absolutely matter that he found a reason
for not participating in the March 1 events. If he has committed
a crime, he should be held accountable because the consequences of
impunity are much harsher.

If his cynical and obscene behavior is tolerated today, it will be
unclear whether we are a state or …?" HAMLET HAROUTYUNYAN, Head of
the Union of the Veterans of War asks.

TO BE SIGNED BY THE NUCLEUS

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on Aug 01, 2008
Armenia

According to Levon Zourabyan, the nucleus of the political parties
participating in the movement will sign the declaration on the
establishment of the Armenian National Congress "in solemn conditions",
during the rally which is going to be held today.

In response to the question how many parties are going to sign the
declaration, Levon Zourabyan said, "It is very difficult to mention
a concrete number at the moment, but those who will attend the August
1 rally will be able to familiarize themselves with the situation."

PREPARING FOR THE 2012 ELECTIONS

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on Aug 01, 2008
Armenia

ARSHAK SADOYAN believes that the attempts of forming the Armenian
National Congress come to prove that the pro-Levon team is preparing
for the 2012 elections and not for some extraordinary elections.

"Everybody understands that acceding to power by way of setting up
a party is a long-term and serious process. Whereas these people all
the time shout, ‘Now!’, ‘Now!’ What is going to happen now?

They are going to tell their cheated co-thinkers that they are starting
a long-term struggle. As to the young people, they cheat them by saying
that they are cleaning some Augean stables. Such false methods will
lead to a situation when the part of the Armenian society interested
in politics will say, ‘politics in Armenia is an art of immorality,
and all are the same kind of rubbish’," Head of the National Union
of Democrats is convinced.

BRITISH HSBC BANK BEST IN WORLD

Noyan Tapan

Au gust 1, 2008

YEREVAN, AUGUST 1, NOYAN TAPAN. HSBC Bank has risen from third to first
place on the list of best thousand banks of the world, according to
the results of the annual study of The Banker magazine. Since 1999,
HSBC has been the first non-American orhanization to top that list
by the indices of its overall capital and pre-tax profit which were
record ones last year.

To recap, in April HSBC also topped Forbes’ list of biggest 2,000
companies of the world. It became the first non-American organization
to reach such success and to succeed in ensuring 26% growth of annual
incomes and 31% growth of net profit in the past 5 years.

HSBC Holding services over 128 million customers through its 10
thousand offices located in about 84 countries in Europe, Asia, Pacific
region, North and South America, the Middle East. HSBC’s assets made
2 trillion 354 billion USD as of December 31, 2007. The bank is one of
the biggest companies of banking and financial services of the world.

HSBC Bank Armenia also registered record indices in 2007. That year
the bank’s assets grew by 30% and made 104 billion drams (about 337.4
million USD) and by this index the bank took a leading place among 22
commercial banks of Armenia. Crediting grew by 70%, incomes – by 24%
and made 9.16 billion drams in late 2007, while after-tax profit grew
by 5.4% and made 3.3 billion drams.

The share of HSBC Bank Armenia made 32% in the country’s mortgage
market and 26% in the deposit attraction market. Among the bank’s
customers are 40 thousand natural persons and 3.6 thousand legal
entities.

ACCORDING TO FORMER PRIME MINISTER, SERGE SARGSIAN’S NOTIONS ABOUT ECONOMY ARE WEAKER THAN THOSE OF ROBERT KOCHARIAN

Noyan Tapan

Au gust 1, 2008

YEREVAN, AUGUST 1, NOYAN TAPAN. The government program is a "series
of kind wishes" which do not correspond to Armenia’s needs, former
prime minister of Armenia Hrant Bagratian said at the July 25 press
conference. In his opinion, it is not clear from anything that the
government or the president are going to change something. "Serge
Sargsian’s notions about economy are weaker than those of Robert
Kocharian," H. Bagratian said. In his words, "we will see at every
turn Robert Kocharian’s destruction in the country’s economy amd we
will pay for it for 20 years".

H. Bagratian said that 3-4 billion dollars are transferred to Armenia
from abroad every year, and this money from abroad is accumulated
in the hands of importers who are represented by 10-12 families in
Armenia. Goods are imported with part of this sum, while the other
part is exported. It was mentioned that capital exports exceed 1
billion 200 million USD, that is, 400 USD is exported per capita
annually in a poor country like Armenia.

In the opinion of former prime minister, the country’s budget should
have been overfulfilled because inflation made 10% instead of envisaged
4%. He said that the diesel fuel price grew by 48% in one year and
it now exceeds the gasoline price. Whereas the tax established for
diesel fuel continues to make 32 thousand drams per ton, or it is lower
by 80,000 dram than the gasoline tax. In the words of H. Bagratian,
84% of gasoline import and 72% of diesel fuel import is concentrated
in the hands of Mika and Flash companies which were founded by Serge
Sargsian himself in 1997 when he was the minister of national security
and interior affairs.

H. Bagratian believes that the government should take decisive steps
to get rid of monopolies. For example, it should recognize as invalid
the privatization of Kajaran Copper and Molybdenum Complex, "pay back
32 million dollars to its owner and then state that privatization
should not be done in this way". He said that only in this case it
can be proven that Robert Kocharian was not behind this deal.

ADMINISTRATIVE COURT DISMISSES LAWSUIT OF GAGIK JHANGIRIAN, FORMER RA DEPUTY PROSECUTOR GENERAL

Noyan Tapan

Au gust 1, 2008

TEREVAN, AUGUST 1, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA Administrative Court, presided
over by judge Artsrun Mirzoyan, on August 1, dismissed former RA
Deputy Prosecutor General Gagik Jhangirian’s lawsuit on invalidating
RA President Robert Kocharian’s decrees on relieving him of his office
and on depriving him of his rank. The claimant party intends to appeal
against the judgement in the RA Cassation Court.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARA ABRAHAMIAN EXPRESSES READINESS TO ASSIST WITH CREATION OF ARMENIAN CENTER IN LOS ANGELES

Noyan Tapan

Au gust 1, 2008

YEREVAN, AUGUST 1, NOYAN TAPAN. Ara Abrahamian, the Chairman of
the Union of Armenians in Russia and the World Armenian Congress,
at organizers’ invitation took part in the meeting organized in
the evening of July 28 in Glendale Town Library’s hall by the
Armenian-American Diaspora Center and the Armenian Intellectual
Forum of Los Angeles jointly with the Armenian community of Los
Angeles. As Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed by Armen Zatikian,
a representative of the Armenian-American Diaspora Center, A.

Abrahamian gave a positive answer to the proposal of one of those
present to assist with founding an Armenian center in Los Angeles. The
Chairman of the Union of Armenians in Russia also said that it is
time that Russian Armenian and American Armenian communities cooperate
for the sake of Armenia and Diaspora.

According to A. Zatikian, such meetings are held in Glendale Town
Library periodically. According to him, the main subject of Ara
Abrahamian’s speeches during the meeting and by the ARTN Armenian TV
channel of Los Angeles on July 27 was that such a mighty community
as the American Armenian one living in such a mighty country as the
Unites States cannot fail to have a communal structure, which will
represent the whole potential of American Armenians and will act in
the interests of both the community and the homeland.

The representative of the Armenian-American Diaspora Center added
that A. Abrahamian’s speech was very inspiring, especially as being
well-aware of the case of creation of communal structures, being an
experienced person, the Chairman of the Union of Armenians in Russia
stressed for several times that today, under new demands (he also means
the Ministry of Diaspora to be created in Armenia, RA authorities’
attaching much importance to the Diaspora), the Diaspora should
also become a factor and have a full-value structure representing,
consolidating Armenians of Diaspora. A. Abrahamian expressed readiness
to support that structure by all means and to cooperate with it.

According to A. Zatikian, doctor Edward Azizian, a representative
of the Armenian Intellectual Forum of Los Angeles, made a greeting
speech at the July 28 meeting. He introduced Ara Abrahamian to those
present. A. Zatikian stressed at the meeting that today, when RA
Ministry of Diaspora is created, "we all understand that Armenia begins
to attach more importance to Diaspora’s existence. Time dictates us
that we have no right to lose a moment." A. Zatikian stressed that
the bridge of all-Armenian cooperation being created between the
largest Armenian communities of Europe, the U.S., and Russia on the
initiative of the conference of the Forum of Armenian Associations
of Europe (FAAE) held in late May in Bratislava will anew activize
Armenia-Diaspora relations.

According to A. Zatikian, the hall was crowded during the meeting,
there were inspiring exclamations, as well as short speeches and
other proposals were made.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTERS OF ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN MEET IN MOSCOW

Noyan Tapan
August 1, 2008

MOSCOW, AUGUST 1, NOYAN TAPAN. The meeting of Armenia’s and
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Affairs Ministers Edward Nalbandian and Elmar
Mammadiarov started on August 1 in Moscow. As Radio Liberty reports
referring to Interfax the meeting is being held behind closed doors.

The Ministers are meeting in the private house of Russian Foreign
Ministry.

Then OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs Matthew Bryza, Bernard Fassier,
and Yuri Merzliakov, who have organized the meeting, will join them.

The day before the Co-chairs held a consultation, then Bernard Fassier
announced that after the meeting of the Ministers the mediators
will publish a communique where the results of the meeting will be
summed up.

During the meeting with Peter Semneby, EU Special Representative for
South Caucasus, held yesterday in Baku Elmar Mammadiarov expressed
an opinion that "manifesting a constructive position would be useful
for Armenia’s new authorities". "In conditions of the strengthening
of Azerbaijan’s positions waste of time is a great damage to the
opposite side," he announced.

Peter Semneby, in his turn, said that "Azerbaijan and Armenia should
settle the conflict in a peaceful way having the current basic
principles as a basis."

WORKING GROUP ON IRAN-ARMENIA RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION TO BE FORMED IN NEAR FUTURE

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.08.2008 17:01 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A working group on coordination of Iran-Armenia
railroad construction will be formed in near future, Armenian Minister
of Transport and Communications Gurgen Sargsyan told a news conference
on August 1.

Presently, three projects are being considered. The first supposes
departure from Yeraskh, the second from Vardenis and the third from
Gagarin, extending for 443, 449 and 397 km respectively.

Armenia favors the project which supposes the start of communication
in Gagarin and then through Gavar, Martuni and Jermuk. 80 km of the
line will extend through Iran, going as far as Merant station.

Minister Sargsyan informed that trilateral talks between Armenia,
Iran and Russia are underway. "International organization are also
assessing the project which claims serious investments," he said,
IA Regnum reports.