Month: December 2008

PACE MONITORING COMMITTEE TO ADOPT A REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION OF PACE RESOLUTIONS BY ARMENIA DECEMBER 17

ArmInfo
2008-12-16 12:56:00

ArmInfo. On December 17 in Paris the PACE Monitoring Committee is
planning to adopt a report on implementation of PACE Resolutions 1609
and 1620 by Armenia.

As the official website of the Council of Europe (CoE) says, the
Commission will consider the issue of functioning of democratic
institutions in Armenia in the light of CoE Commissioner for Human
Rights Thomas Hammarberg’s conclusions made after his recent visit
to Armenia.

To recall, Thomas Hammarberg paid a three-day visit to Armenia on
November 20-23.

LABOUR’S DEVELOPMENT AID SPOKESPERSON NOEL FARRUGIA CALLS ON GOVERNMENT OF MALTA TO RECOGNISE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

ArmInfo
2008-12-16 11:50:00

ArmInfo. In a parliamentary question last week Malta Labour’s
development aid spokesperson Noel Farrugia proposed tabling a motion to
condemn the Armenian genocide. As Malta Today reports, Farrugia asked
Foreign Minister of Malta Tonio Borg whether the government intends
to present a motion to condemn the Armenian genocide, committed by
the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1917. Foreign Minister Tonio
Borg insists that Malta is under no obligation to condemn the
Armenian genocide, but would be abiding by a 21-year-old resolution
approved by the European Parliament calling on all EU member states
"to dedicate a day to the memory of the genocide and crimes against
humanity perpetrated in the 20th century, specifically against the
Armenians and Jews". The government intends to institute a day of
remembrance in which parliament will rise to commemorate the victims
of genocide and crimes against humanity.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN PREMIER: CAREFUL AND HARSH FINANCE POLICY OF ARMENIA IS JUSTIFIED IN THE PRESENT CONDITIONS

ArmInfo
2008-12-16 12:54:00

ArmInfo. Careful and harsh finance policy of Armenia is justified in
the present hard conditions, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisyan
said in an interview with Golos Armenii newspaper.

He also added the situation in Armenia is still quite stable. It is
connected with the fact that the banking system of the republic is
one of the most reliable in the world. Central Bank is conducting
a sound policy and Armenian banks are very careful though causes
criticism from the side of the real sector of economy.

WORLD CRISIS CAUSES OUTAGE OF ‘NAIRIT PLANT’ CJSC

ArmInfo
2008-12-16 12:52:00

ArmInfo. "Nairit Plant" CJSC which is specialized in production
of duprene rubber has announced of outage till February 1, 2009,
spokeswoman of the plant Anush Harutyunyan told ArmInfo today.

She said the plant was stopped in early 2008 as a result of the
global economic crisis which caused delay of rubber consumption and,
consequently, reduction of demand for it. She added that 99,9% of the
plant production is exported. 50% of export falls on the markets of EU
countries, over 30% – on Russia and 12% – on the USA. A. Harutyunyan
also said 2742 people were working at the plant to be inactive now.

To recall, "Nairit Plant" CJSC reduced production of rubber by 15,9% to
4,604 thsd tons over 9 months, 2008. In December, 2006, the government
of Armenia signed an agreement on sale of 90% of shares of "Nairit
Plant" CJSC at $40 mln to Rhinoville Property Limited Company, and
10% shares remained in the state property. The customer undertook to
invest $120 mln in the plant upgrading during five years. Rhin®ville
Property Limited Company was founded by Samex Polish Company, American
Intertex and Russian "Eurogas".

–Boundary_(ID_NlYiNulpvdTWR DOSj6LceQ)–

AMERIABANK INVESTIGATES SMALL AND MEDIUM BANKS FOR ITS FURTHER EXTENSION

ArmInfo
2008-12-16 14:10:00

ArmInfo. At present AMERIABANK is investigating small and medium banks
for choosing the potential candidacy to buy or amalgamate, Director
General of AMERIABANK Artak Hanesyan said at today’s press-conference.

To recall, thanks to holding of the third emission of shares by 1.2
bln AMD ($4 mln) in October of the current year AMERIABANK increased
its authorized capital up 18.2 bln AMD ($61 mln), having occupied the
first position in the banking market of Armenia. TDA Holdings LTD
representing the shareholders of the leading investment company in
Russia – Troika Dialog, became the majority shareholder of AMERIABANK
CJSC (96.15%) in August 2007.

AMERIABANK INTENDS TO JOIN INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS OF SME CREDITING IN 2009

ArmInfo
2008-12-16 14:08:00

ArmInfo. AMERIABANK plans to join programs of international financial
structures on financing small and medium-size enterprises (SME)
in 2009.

Artak Hanesyan, Chairman of Directorate-General Director, told ArmInfo
the programs of EBRD, IFC and German KfW are in question. ;We are
currently negotiating with some of these organizations and have
already reached the stage of coordination of crediting conditions
as well as studying financial indicators of the bank’, A. Hanesyan
said. By preliminary data, the first agreements will be made in the
first quarter of 2009, he said.

A. Hanesyan said the bank’s credits have sharply increased over the
current year and the upward trends will continue also next year. At
present the credit portfolio of AMERIABANK is nearly 28 billion drams
and will increased to 30 billion drams by the end of the year. He
underlined that the bank’s interest rates are close to average
market rates.

The strategic partner of Ameriabank is TroikaDialog, one of the
biggest Russian investment banks. TDA Holdings LTD representing the
shareholders of the leading investment company in Russia – Troika
Dialog, became the majority shareholder of AMERIABANK CJSC (96.15%)
in Sept 2007. The bank is engaged in investment banking and provides
a full spectrum of traditional banking services. The number of the
bank’s shareholders as of 1 October 2008 totaled 8, in particular,
3 legal entities (99.87% aggregate share) and 5 individuals (0.13%
aggregate share). The bank has been cooperating with Swiss Atlantic
Forfaitierungs AG since January 2008.

ISSUES REFERRING TO MONITORING TO BE HELD AT CONTACT LINE DISCUSSED IN STEPANAKERT

De Facto
Dec 16, 2008

STEPANAKERT, 16.12.08. DE FACTO. On December 15 Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic President Bako Sahakian met personal representative of the
OSCE chairman-in-office Andrzej Kasprzyk According to the information
DE FACTO received at the Central Department of Information of the
Office of the NKR President, issues related to the current situation
in the region, Nagorno Karabagh conflict settlement process and the
planned monitoring of the line of contact between Nagorno Karabagh
and Azerbaijan armed forces had been discussed at the meeting.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

118TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARF DASHNAKTSUTYUN CELEBRATED IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH

De Facto
Dec 16, 2008

YEREVAN, 16.12.08. DE FACTO. A solemn evening devoted to the 118th
anniversary of Armenian Revolutionary Federation – Dashnaktsutyun –
was held in the capital city of Nagorno-Karabakh Stepanakert.

According to Regnum, speaking of a way the party passed David
Ishkhanian, a representative of the Central Committee of ARFD in NKR,
mentioned the importance of its contribution to Hay Dat.

The Chairman of the NKR National Assembly Ashot Gulian delivered
a congratulatory speech on behalf of the Republic leadership. The
head of the NKR government Ashot Gulian, deputies, representatives of
public and guest were present at the solemn measure. A film dedicated
to the history of the establishment of ARFD was demonstrated during
the evening.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NAGORNO-KARABAKH PRESIDENT HELD A CONSULTATION WITH SUPREME COMMAND STAFF OF NKR DEFENSE ARMY

De Facto
Dec 16, 2008

STEPANAKERT, 16.12.08. DE FACTO. On December 15 NKR President Bako
Sahakian held a consultation with the supreme command staff of the
NKR Defense Army at the head of defense minister Movses Hakobian.

According to the information DE FACTO received at the Central
Department of Information of the Office of the NKR President,
the issues related to army building, situation along the line of
contact between Nagorno Karabagh and Azerbaijan armed forces and
amelioration of social conditions of the servicemen had been discussed
at consultation.

ARMENIAN YOUTH AGAINST RETURN OF TURK-MESKHETIS TO JAVAKHETI

Lragir.am
18:24:54 – 16/12/2008

The Mitk analytical center and a number of youth NGOs made a
statement against the return of Turk-Meskhetis to the region
of Samtskhe-Javakheti-Tsalka. The statement holds that 90,000
Turk-Meskhetis were deported from this region in 1944. In the
post-Soviet period and especially after its membership to the CoE
(1999) Georgia committed to their return. After their deportation their
number has gone up to 400-500 thousand. The young people state that
Turkey and Azerbaijan, as well as Russia and its southern sovereign
republics periodically speak for the return of Turk-Meskhetis. They
call upon Georgia, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Russia to stop this policy
of return of Turk-Meskhetis, otherwise they will support the mass
protests of Armenians of the region, since this policy will lead
to unpredictable and undesired consequences for both the region
and Georgia.