Month: June 2009

LA’S FIRST DUAL-CITIZEN RECEIVES HER ARMENIAN PASSPORT

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Jun 2nd, 2009

BEVERLY HILLS (Asbarez)-Despite her age, Zoya Baghramyan says she
feels like she’s 18 years old, because just as one receives a passport
at 18 in Armenia, she realized her life-long dream by receiving her
Armenian citizenship and her official Armenian passport at a ceremony
Monday at the Armenian Consulate General of Los Angeles.

Baghramyan completed her dual-citizenship application in March of
last year and in May, in Yerevan standing next to the tri-color and
with the singing of the National Anthem she received her Armenian
citizenship, becoming the first Angeleno to receive that status.

During the ceremony Monday, Armenia’s Consul General to Los Angeles
Grigor Hovhannisyan presented the passport again and a memento on
this occasion.

The Consul-General also announced that this year, the Consulate has
received double the number of dual-citizenship applications than
last year.

Baghramyan was born in Azerbaijan and fled the country in 1989
after the Azeri pogroms against Armenians in various parts of the
country. She first went to Moscow and in 1996 she moved to the United
States and became a citizen.

ALIYEV-SARGSYAN REGULAR MEETING

LRAGIR.AM
19:23:23 – 04/06/2009

On June 4, in St. Petersburg, the meeting of the Armenian and
Azerbaijani presidents took place, the details of which were not
published. The meeting took place with the partecipation of the OSCE
Minsk group Co-Chairs. The Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents are
expected to hold meetings with the Russian president Dmitri Medvedev.

THEY WILL TRY TO ABORT THE BOYCOTT

LRAGIR.AM
16:13:26 – 04/06/2009

There is information that on these days everything is being made to
abort the boycott of the Armenian National Congress in connection
with the Yerevan Elders’ Council election. On June 1, during an
oppositional rally, Levon Ter-Petrosyan stated that the HAK is going
to boycott and to refuse its mandates.

Now, the government is trying to find people on the HAK ticket, who
will not obey the HAK decision and will take the mandates. According
to our information, the government uses all the possible mechanisms
to reach its goal.

Commenting on this information, the coordinator of the HAK central
office Levon Zurabyan told our reporter, "Naturally, this is what
the government may do, even if they manage to find people, who will
accept the mandates, this will not change anything, because the HAK
laid down the its mandates".

INVALID ELECTIONS IN SEVERAL POLLING STATIONS

LRAGIR.AM
13:51:51 – 04/06/2009

The press service of the Central Electoral Commission informs that in
case the results of the election are declared invalid, the present
materials are presented to the office of the Prosecutor General to
bring criminal cases.

Hence, on June 4, the Central Electoral Commission of Armenia presented
the Office of the Prosecutor General of Armenia the decisions of the
electoral commissions of the 7 and 8 electoral districts on declaring
invalid the elections at 7/7, 7/9, 8/15 polling stations based on
relevant grounds, the 7/7, 7/9, 8/15 packets of documents and the
registers of the commissions.

MARXIST IS AGAINST THE BOYCOTT

LAGIR.AM
13:44:10 – 04/06/2009

On June 4, the member of the Armenian National Congress, the head of
the Marxist Party, David Hakobyan stated that his party is against the
decision of the Armenian National Congress to refuse the mandates of
the Yerevan Elders’ Council. David Hakobyan stated that it is wrong
to refuse the mandates, because it means that the nation loses an
important platform.

David Hakobyan stated that the Congress is obvious to lose its
voters, the proof of which is that Levon Ter-Petrosyan got more
votes at the presidential election that at the Mayoral one. David
Hakobayn, disagreeing with the HAK decision to boycott, stated
that a representative of the Congress visited him and brought an
application on refusing his mandate for David Hakobyan to sign. David
Hakobyan stated that if the HAK refuses the mandates there should be
a joint application for all the members of the ticket, otherwise,
David Hakobyan may refuse the mandate and the other members of the
ticket may preserve them. David Hakobayn stated that in this way,
the members of the HHSh may clear the list from unpleasant people for
them and only the pleasant ones will have the right to hold offices
at the Yerevan Elders’ Council.

David Hakobyan, who is against the HAK boycott, stated that he wanted
to talk to Levon Ter-Petrosyan in this connection, but he was not
given such an opportunity. David Hakobyan stated that people wanted
the opposition to use that tribune and all the responsibility falls
on the "bandits from HHSh". In other words, being against the boycott,
David Hakobyan will not accept the mandate if the HAK does not change
its intention to refuse it. By the way, leaders of other HAK member
political parties, in private conversations with him, were against
the HAK boycott, stated David Hakobyan.

He stated that they had to accept the mandates to be able to struggle
against the "Republicans in their own den". According to David
Hakobayn, refusing mandates is a political idiotism. And in the end,
David Hakobayn is ready to go alone in the den of the Republicans,
if the HAK decides to send there only one tribune.

By the way, David Hakobyan stated that his "personal daughter",
Hasmik Hakobyan, who was on the HAK ticket too, according to David
Hakobayn, is a very educated person, she finished the English Gordon
University and she is a person of a high erudition and intellect,
and she is a highly qualified pharmacist. He stated that none of 5
people on different tickets were pharmacists, while this market needs
to be corrected.

LET US RECONCILE, WHAT HAPPENED?

SIRANUSH PAPYAN

LRAGIR.AM
12:30:46 – 04/06/2009

Interview with the Republican press speaker, the secretary of the
Republican parliamentary faction Eduard Sharmazanov

– The Armenian National Congress assessed this election of the local
self-government bodies in Yerevan as criminal. What do you think
which is the reason for this evaluation and how would you describe
this election?

– The Republican Party and I, as the press speaker of the party,
asses this election as normal and corresponding to the democratic
values, these were legal elections. It is not accidental that the
international observers made the same evaluation too. When we state
that this election corresponded to the democratic values, we do not
say that it was idealistic and there were no breaches. Of course,
there were breaches and it is very difficult for a country, which has
only 18 years of democratic history not to make breaches at a 12-hours
election, because there is no idealistic election in any country. There
were several bad phenomena, and the head of our party, Mr. Sargsyan has
a clear stance in this connection: the elections were a step forward
though with some breaches. The Prosecutor General brought cases against
those, who committed these breaches. From this point of view, we think
that this election corresponded to the European measurements. It is
the problem of the Armenian National Congress why it states that this
election was criminal. If our oppositional partners have facts that
the election was rigged, though I do not believe it, let them present
the fact to the relevant bodies and not to make loud statements.

– What would you say in connection with the fact that the Armenian
National Congress refused the Yerevan Elders’ Council mandates?

– The HAK, as an independent political force, decides its strategy by
itself. There are different methods of struggle in politics, including
the refusal of mandates or the boycott. But, in my opinion, all the
political forces, which chose the strategy of refusing mandates, harmed
their reputation. Then, I don’t think that it was honest to refuse
the mandates in regard of those 70, 000 voters, who voted for the HAK.

-The Bargavach Hayastan Party is said to refuse the mandates either.

– I have not heard such a thing. I met my friends from the BHK but
they did not tell me anything.

– When we speak about ballot stuffing, we know that those ballots
were for the Republican Party and not for example for the HAK. May
we state that the Republican again used its governmental levers?

– In order to clarify everything, let me state that the Republican
conducted a completely clear and democratic election. The headquarters
of the party had no possibility and intention, no aim or need to
falsify the election. The democratic principles are supreme values
for us. As to the cases of ballot stuffing, there may be people,
who would like to do a disservice.

– Does the Republican Party use such services?

– The president of Armenia, who heads also the Republican Party, stated
clearly after the election that it corresponded to the democratic
duties assumed by the government. But those people, who committed
breaches will be punished by law.

– In any case, did they work for you?

– They did not. The Republican Party does not need such services. The
Republican has a serious number of voters, a serious ideological team
and the best proof of it is the Yerevan Mayor election.

– You speak about democratic values but journalists are beaten up
in our country. During this election many journalists underwent
violence. We may state that the violence against journalist became
regular here.

– Any violation of human rights is worrying. I think that the
law enforcement bodies will do everything possible to prevent such
cases. The stances of our party are clear: any violation of freedom of
speech, or violence against journalists is to be condemned. Everyone
must do their duty. I think that there are very good journalists in
Armenia, who want to see Armenia more democratic.

– Did not the results of the election, according to which the OYP
and the ARF Dashnaktsutyun did not pass the limit of 7 percent,
surprise you?

– If at the parliamentary election the limit is 5 percent, so at
the Mayoral election it is 7 percent. Both the OYP and the ARF
Dashnaktsutyun were close to it. Considering the fact, that both of
them have serious teams in the regions, if it was a parliamentary
election, they would pass. Moreover, it was determined by the change
of candidates. I respect very much Artsvik Minasyan, but I think that
he has less experience than Vahan Hovhanisyan.

Let us accept the results of this election. There were no serious
clashes during this election, there was a correct electoral campaign,
all the teams, including the Armenian National Congress, held a normal
agitation. In these equal conditions, people voted for the Republican
Party. What happened now? Let us reconcile. People elected. And why
did not they need to vote for the Republicans? The Republican is the
only political force in Armenia, which enhances it votes from election
to election.

– If it is confirmed that there were ballot stuffing and breaches at
many polling stations, will there new elections be held.

– I know all the observations of the HAK and its applications and
I do not see any ground to hold a new election. Let the HAK and all
the other political forces try to find the reason for their failures
in themselves.

NEW TRAIN IN YEREVAN – BATUMI LINE

LRAGIR.AM
16:06:08 – 04/06/2009

The Director General of the South Caucasus Railway CJSC Shevket
Shaydulin dwelt on the work done in Armenia and its successes. Remind
that the Armenian Railways were passed to concession management
of South Caucasus Railways for a 30-year period with permission to
prolongate the term for another 10 years on February 13, 2008.

Shaydulin noted that the circulation of the passengers increased by
46 percent in 2008. In Armenia the figure increased by 3, 5 percent.

In particular, Shaydulin stated that the salaries of the workers
of the Armenian Railways were increased. The Gyumri station will be
reconstructed and the Masis station will be modernized. There will
be created another additional 300 job posts due to the reconstruction
works.

The president of the South Caucasus Railway CJSC noted that the
company is going to implement two important projects: to launch the
Armavir-Yerevan and Armavir-Yerevan-Sevan-Shorja lines.

A new train of 20 wagons will be exploited, which will be used for the
Yerevan-Batumi line, stated Shaydulin. He added that on June 13, the
president of the board of directors of the Russian Railways company
Vladimir Yakunin is going to visit Armenia.

IT IS THE TURN OF THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION TO DEAL WITH "HUMAN FACTOR"
HAKOB BADALYAN

LRAGIR.AM
11:33:19 – 04/06/2009

Opening the topic on Andranik Kocharyan’s terribleness, the government
seems to have found a wonderful excuse to close the March 1 topic. It
was difficult to find some other "safe" way than to represent the
representative of the ombudsman Vahe Stepanyan, the representatives
of the coalition Robert Avagyan and Gevorg Tovmasyan as victims. If
the question is posed the way that the above-mentioned people should
be saved form Andranik Kocharyan, so, the public is probable not to
prefer to reveal the March 1 crimes at the cost of other victims. Ten
citizens have already been killed, one cannot return them into life
by exposing to danger the lives of Stepanyan, Avagyan and Tovmasyan.

In addition, Andranik Kocharyan seems to be a present for the
government, as the affirmations on his persecutions may seem real and
really dangerous to a tangible part of the society, because while in
power, Andranik Kocharyan did enough "work" to shape such an image
of himself. But the government, while appointing the members of the
fact-finding group, had to know him very well, because they were in the
same coalition with him before. Consequently, if the government had
the intention to make the work of the fact-finding group effective,
it needed its governmental members to be boxers or wrestlers or
shaved-headed, who would successfully resist Andranik Kocharyan.

After all, the government seemed not to need to appoint a lawyer in
the group, as the only problem of the government was to prove to the
opposition that there are no circumstances other than those, which
the pre-examination revealed. Of course, the government knows better
than anyone else that there are many other circumstances and their
revelation would be very unpleasant for the government. Therefore, they
had to appoint people who in reality would not be able to deal with
Andranik Kocharyan for at least 24 hours. But the present members had
to be awarded, as they managed to deal with him for a couple of months.

Before it, the question on the parliamentary commission to study
March 1 should be solved. If they are able to abolish this commission
"humanly" and to close this topic, this will be the only technological
victory of the government over the public. The point is that the
other victories nevertheless were by force, even if they contained
some technological ideas. It will be a bit difficult in case of
the parliamentary commission, since there is no Andranik Kocharyan
there. Consequently, they have to think a little more. But there
seems to be nothing to think about. After all, the members of the
commission are people.

And the question on the Europe, which as if demands to reveal the
March 1 crimes, is the easiest to be solved "humanly". The human
being is the axis of the European values, therefore, the Europeans
will let no one feel bad in Armenia in order to reveal the March
1 events, or the March 1 events be revealed if it is going to make
someone feel bad. Besides this, is there anyone naïve in Armenia,
who thinks that Europe is interested in the March 1 revelation.

ARMENIA HAS TO ACKNOWLEDGE NKR RIGHTS

LRAGIR.AM
13:10:03 – 04/06/2009

The Heritage party issued a statement on the negotiations on the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue settlement. According to the statement, the
Heritage party agrees with the stances of the mediators and the
international organizations that the ways to a settlement should
be found by the societies, which are the sides of the conflict:
Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan. And all the other countries,
which want to help the sides to find a settlement, may act only
as mediators.

The Heritage party considers impermissible the statements of several
countries on the territorial integrity of the Soviet Azerbaijan,
by which they encourage Azerbaijan for a war.

The party believes that it is undisputable that the essence of
the Nagorno-Karabakh issue is the international recognition of its
status, which stems from the international right of the people to
self-determine, which was not overlooked in the frameworks of the
OSCE Minks group.

The party is worried that the territorial factor is rendered a major
problem by the super-powers engaged in the political and economic
processes in the region, in order to satisfy the Azerbaijani needs.

The Heritage brings into everyone’s attention the international
document, according to which Nagorno-Karabakh was proclaimed an
independent side of the conflict in 1994, at OSCE Budapest summit. The
meetings and "conversations", which have been held so far, cannot be
considered a negotiation, unless Nagorno-Karabakh directly takes part
in them.

– The party reminds that Nagorno-Karabakh is competent in connection
with the territorial determination between Nagorno-Karabakh and
Azerbaijan, and Armenia may only assist to the settlement of the
questions aroused between NKR and Azerbaijan.

In order to create favorable conditions for the final settlement of
the conflict, for the prevention of the danger of the resumption of
military actions as well as with the aim to exclude any intervention
in the home questions, the Heritage party announces that Armenia
has to agree the content of the negotiations with the Armenians
from Artsakh. Armenia has to acknowledge the NKR legal rights
and responsibility and the main question in the negotiations with
Azerbaijan has to be the NKR independent status and its security.

In order to prevent any resumption of military actions, according to
the Heritage party, the best way is to call for the recognition of
the Karabakhi independence and the recognition itself. In addition,
the first step in this connection should be made by Armenia.

The Heritage party calls on all the Armenian political forces, as well
as the Nagorno-Karabakhi leadership to join this initiative being sure
that the steps proposed stem from the aims of the political-public
frameworks and are indispensable for the protection of the legal
rights of the Armenian people.

"CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT" BECOMES OFFICIAL MARKET-MAKER OF BONDS OF ARMENIAN INECOBANK

ARKA
June 3, 2009

YEREVAN, June 3. /ARKA/. Capital Asset Management closed joint stock
company became the official market-maker of the bonds of Armenian
Inecobank.

The marketing and communication department of NASDAQ OMX Armenia stock
exchange reports that as from June 2 2009 Capital Asset Management cjsc
will be officially announcing buying/selling prices for registered
discount bonds of Inecobank closed joint stock company that were
included in Bbond list of NASDAQ OMX Armenia on May 11 2009.

This tranche listed under ENECB1 includes 7,000 bonds – 50,000Drams
each; the redemption period is 365 days and annual yield is
9.5%. According to the report, as a market-maker Capital Asset
Management cjsc will be supporting the liquidity of Inecobank’s bonds
while providing a permanent opportunity to investors to buy or sell
the bonds on the secondary market.

Inecobank closed joint stock company was registered on February
7, 1996.

Currently it provides the whole range of banking services through
its headoffice and branches in Yerevan and in four regions of Armenia.

The biggest stockholders of Inecobank are member of KfW group DEG
company (Deutsche Investititions-und Entwicklunsgesellschaft mbH)
and the International Financial Corporation.

Total capital of Inecobank was about 9.36bln Drams at the end of Q1
2009; total assets exceeded 48.4bln Drams .

In February 2009 Inecobank became a member of NASDAQ OMX Armenia;
it has access to all exchange markets, including the market of
government and corporate securities, REPO instrument market and the
foreign exchange market.

Capital Asset Management closed joint stock company has been a
member of the stock exchange since December 2006. In February 2008
the company became the market-maker of the bonds of Converse Bank
(CVBKB1) enlisted in Bbond.

On January 27 2009 Armenian Stock Exchange open joint stock company was
officially renamed as NASDAQ OMX Armenia open joint stock company. It
was founded as a self-regulating organization registered in Armenia
on February 13 2001 embracing 21 dealer organizations. On November 9
the stock exchange was reorganized to an open joint stock company. OMX
(NASDAQ OMX today) has been the 100% owner of NASDAQ OMX Armenia and
the Central Depository since January 7 2008.

By June 1 2009, twenty-three securities underwent listing on NASDAQ OMX
Armenia stock exchange with the capitalization reaching 53.2bln Drams.

($1=369.91Drams).