Month: December 2008

ANTI-CORRUPTION CONFERENCE TO TAKE PLACE IN YEREVAN DECEMBER 15

armradio.am
11.12.2008 13:35

A conference dedicated to the results and lessons learned during
Eurasia Partnership Foundation’s two-year Anticorruption Program will
take place in Yerevan on December 15. The Program, entitled The Role
of Government, Non-Governmental Organizations and Media in the Fight
against Corruption, was implemented by Eurasia Partnership Foundation
in Armenia and funded by the United Nations Democracy Endowment Fund
and the United States Agency for International Development.

The one-day Conference will bring together representatives of civil
society organizations active in fighting corruption, government
authorities, top-ranking delegates of international organizations,
and media. US Ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch, Ombudsman
Armen Harutyunyan and other high-ranking officials are expected
to participate.

EPF’s two year program, an investment of over $400,000 in all,
was implemented in eight Marzes. The program has strengthened the
capacities of journalists and media organizations in anti-corruption
reporting, civil society organizations in monitoring government
programs and spending, and public offices at the local, regional
and national levels to promote accountability and transparency. The
program has also sought to establish cooperation and information
exchange between media, civil society and government.

As a result of the program, 10 Communities in two r egions are
now implementing anticorruption strategies, four Media outlets and
four NGOs implemented anticorruption projects, 10 cases were won
in administrative court, 40 TV debates and talk-shows broadcast,
and 300 articles published in print and online.

ALARM SIGNAL: SEVAN IS IN DANGER
Marianna Gyurjyan

"Radiolur"
11.12.2008 15:22

"Golden mine for Sevan" film is a signal of alarm. The GeoProMining
Company, the concession manager of the gold processing plant in Ararat
and Sotk ore mine, intends to move the production from Ararat to Sotk.

"Currently the company has started financing the scientific research
into the influence on the environment in Sevan," the author of the
film scenario, President of the "EcoLur" information Center Inga
Zarafyan said. According to her, surveys have shown that citizens
oppose the implementation of the gold mining project in Sotk. The
technologies and chemical compound used for gold processing will
multiply the threats to the lake.

"Sevan is a national value. After being proclaimed a National Park
in 1977 it had to become a zone of special protection," expert Gagik
Sughudyan says. "If it is possible to open metal ores here, then we
violate those laws. Peacekeeping forces should be deployed between
today’s authorities and nature to have the nature stay untouched.

LAND BORDER BETWEEN ARMENIA AND BULGARIA WILL BE OPENED SOON, PRESIDENT SARGSYAN ASSURES
Lena Badeyan

"Radiolur"
11.12.2008 15:36

In a few hours the delegation headed by President Serzh Sargsyan will
return to Armenia. This morning the Armenian-Bulgarian Business Forum
took place in Sofia, at which the Presidents of the two countries
called on businessmen, as well as the Bulgarian Armenians to actively
participate in the establishment of economic ties.

The economic cooperation was at the core of yesterday’s talks between
the Presidents of Armenia and Bulgaria Serzh Sargsyan and Georgi
Parvanov.

Serzh Sargsyan assured today that very soon the land border between
Armenia and Bulgaria will open, and it will make the perspectives of
productive economic activity more realistic.

ARMENIAN PREMIER SAYS BACKS PRIVATE SECTOR’S PARTICIPATION IN PRIVATIZATION OF GEORGIAN HYDROPOWER PLANTS

ARKA
Dec 10, 2008

YEREVAN, December 10. /ARKA/. Armenia’s Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
said he supports the private sector’s participation in privatization
of Georgia’s hydropower plants. "We welcome any such participation,"
the premier said in Tbilisi on Tuesday.

Georgia’s Deputy Prime Minister Georgy Baramidze previously stated the
Georgian government welcomes Armenia’s participation in privatization
of their hydropower plants.

"I have told the Georgian premier that we stand ready to implement
large-scale projects with out Georgian colleagues," Sargsyan said,
adding the governments of both countries are ready to launch joint
economic programs.

"The first program will be construction of a road with the sponsorship
of the Asian Development Bank," the Armenian premier said, adding
the road will help transit goods and will guarantee an entry to Batumi.

With the Asian Development Bank ready to allocate funds for the
project, the road is likely to be put into operation in two years. The
distance between Yerevan-Batumi will become 30 percent shorter. The
distance between Yerevan and Batumi is about 700km.

NO SERIOUS IMPACT OF ECONOMIC CRISIS ON ARMENIA’S AGRICULTURE EXPECTED

ARKA
Dec 10, 2008

YEREVAN, December 10. /ARKA/. The impact of the global economic
crisis on Armenia’s agricultural sector will not be so serious,
stated RA Minister of Agriculture Aramais Grigoryan.

"The Armenian economy is integrated into the world economy, we are a
member of the World Trade Organization, and the crisis may have some
impact on the country," he said.

Grigoryan pointed out that the Government is taking measures to relieve
the consequences of the crisis and will do its best to help farmers.

The Minister found it difficult to say which of the fields of the
agrarian sector will be affected most.

"If course, we cannot say that one field is more important than
another," Grigoryan said.

The RA Statistical Service reports that the gross agricultural output
reached 576.6bln AMD this January-October – an increase of 1.8%
as compared with the corresponding period last year.

ARMENIAN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS TO ENTER CHINA MARKET

ARKA
Dec 10, 2008

YEREVAN, December 10. /ARKA/. Armenia’s agricultural products will
enter the Chinese market, RA Minister of Agriculture Aramais Grigoryan
reported today.

Armenian beverages and berries will be in great demand in China,
the minister said, citing surveys.

According to Grigoryan, Armenian goods maintain leading positions in
Russian and Ukrainian markets thanks to their quality.

"International organizations give a good rating to our products, but
communication problems are a major challenge for exports," the minister
said, adding Armenian brandy, fruits and berries, including grapes
and apricots, as well as goat’s cheese are in great demand.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA, GEORGIA TO BUILD SECOND BRIDGE LINKING MARKETS

ARKA
Dec 10, 2008

YEREVAN, December 10. /ARKA/. The second "customs bridge" linking
Armenian and Georgian markets will be built soon, RA Prime Minister
Tigran Sargsyan said, citing the Armenian-Georgian Intergovernmental
Commission on Economic Cooperation.

"This will simplify import-export procedures, setting up common tax
and customs regimes and creating more favorable conditions for border
crossing," the premier said on Tuesday, summing up the seventh meeting
of the intergovernmental commission.

Stressing the importance of customs services and border crossing,
Sargsyan said Armenia will make efforts to improve customs procedures
to save time.

"The task is accomplished by 70 percent, with the rest of the issues
to be settled soon," he added.

Discussing delimitation of the Armenian-Georgian border,
the commissions of both countries agreed on achieving the set
goals.

ARMENIAN CONVERSEBANK ORAGNIZES SEVEN WONDERFUL DAYS ACTION

ARKA
Dec 10, 2008

YEREVAN, December 10. /ARKA/. Conversebank (Armenia), in cooperation
with the VISA payment system, is conducting a bonus campaign Seven
Wonderful Days.

According to the information available on Conversebank’s official
website, the campaign is an opportunity for card-holders to get one
bonus point for every 1,000 AMD in noncash transactions at 25 million
service points of the VISA system worldwide, with highest number of
points for one transaction being ten.

The fifteen participants that score the highest number of points will
participate in a raffle and receive bonuses.

The winner will receive a 2-person tourist voucher for a trip to Egypt
with a special program and visits to the seven wonders of the country.

The second winner will receive a VISA GOLD card with a positive
balance of 500,000 AMD.

The third winner will receive a Visa Classic card with 150,000 AMD,
fourth to tenth winners Visa Classic cards with 80,000 AMD on each
account, and 11th to 15th winners will receive souvenirs.

Started on December 8, 2008, the campaign will last until February
18, 2009.

The results are to be summed up February 19 through 25. The raffle
is scheduled for February 28.

The Conversebank CJSC was incorporated on December 20, 1993. Eduardo
Eurnekian, an Argentina-based Armenian businessman, became holder
of 95% of Conversebank shares, with the rest 5% being hel d by the
Armenian Apostolic Church. As of October 31, the bank’s total capital
reached 13bln AMD, assets 63.9bln AMD and liabilities 50.9bln AMD.

According to the information at ARKA’s disposal, at the end of the
3rd quarter of 2008 Conversebank registered the sixth largest assets,
customer crediting volume, liabilities and total capital, as well as
the 3rd largest amount of deposits attracted from individuals and
legal entities. The bank also registered the 5th largest profits
this January-September.

Conversebank is currently rendering services by means of the following
international payment systems: Migom, Contact, Blizko, InterExpress,
Leader, Allure and Gold Crown.

The bank has 25 branches, with eight of them in Yerevan.

ARMENIAN CASCADE BANK ISSUES $1.9MLN CREDITS UNDER SMB PROMOTION PROGRAM

ARKA
Dec 10, 2008

YEREVAN, December 10. /ARKA/. Cascade Bank has issued $1.9mln credits
under a program of assistance to small & medium-sized businesses
(SMB) in Armenia.

CEO Aharon Levonyan reported that this March the bank signed a
$5mln credit agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (EBRD).

"Up to $0.6mln will have been utilized by the end of the year, and
we plan to complete the program by the end of the 1st quarter of next
year," Levonyan said.

He pointed out that the bank attaches high importance to its
cooperation with the EBRD.

"As regards overall liquidity, our bank ranked seventh in the Armenian
banking system in the third quarter. In this context the EBRD-opened
credit line is most beneficial for Cascade Bank’s steady development,"
he said.

The Cascade Bank CJSC was founded on May 26, 2005, when Cascade Capital
Holding purchased the Emporiki Bank (Armenia) CJSC. As of September
30, the bank’s capital totaled 5.1bln AMD, assets 13.9bln AMD and
profit 192mln AMD. According to the information at ARKA’s disposal,
the bank had the 18th largest assets, 17th largest liabilities,
total capital and net profits in the Armenian banking system.

The bank is cooperating with the EBRD under a microcrediting
program. In December 2006, Millennium Challenges – Armenia selected
the b ank to serve its account under a 5-year $236mln assistance
program of the US Government.

ABOUT 4,000 ARMENIAN CHILDREN RETURN TO FAMILIES OVER LAST TWO YEARS

ARKA
Dec 10, 2008

YEREVAN, December 10. /ARKA/. About 4,000 Armenian children returned
to their biological families as a result of reforms in the country’s
boarding school system in 2007-2008, RA Minister of Labor and Social
Affairs Arsen Hambartsumyan reported at parliament hearings of
childcare problems in Armenia.

"Seven hundred boarding schools are currently working in Armenia. The
Government is trying to support socially vulnerable families and
relieve the boarding schools by providing social guarantees," the
Minister said.

The Minister said that eight government-financed orphanages housing
900 children are currently working in Armenia.

The Ministry is trying to exercise supervision over privately-owned
child care agencies to form a universal supervision system.

Hambartsumyan pointed out that 243,000 children are currently involved
in the social vulnerability assessment system, with 208,000 of them
living in the allowance-recipient families. The Minister pointed out
the monthly child benefit rate is 6,000 AMD for each child.

Armenia’s child population (children under 18) was about 1.3mln
at the end of last year, with the country’s total population being
3.2mln. people.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress