"MY KOMITAS" CONCERT-SHOW ON DVD
Panorama.am
17:59 21/11/2008
"My Komitas" concert-show created by the initiative of singer Anna
Mailyan is currently available on DVD-s. The idea of the project was
born in 2006, when year of Armenia was celebrating in France. In
Armenia the singer made arrangements with "Sharm" company and
concert-show has been created.
The DVD of the concert is produced in cooperation with "Armenian
Music Center". It is planned to present the DVD in Cannes in January.
ARMENIANS OF FRANCE DEMAND A LAW AGAINST GENOCIDE DENIAL
Gibrahayer
Oct 7, 2008
Jean Eckian – Independent correspondent, Paris, October 1, 2008 –
About 300 Armenians gathered yesterday, October 1, in front of the
French Senate to require that the socialist bill, punishing with
one year imprisonment and 45,000 euros fine, the denial of Armenian
genocide adopted by The National Assembly (October 12, 2006), is
approved by senators as soon as possible.
Indeed, the past two years, France has been the scene of intense
denials with several desecrations of memorials and threats on the
individuals.
It’s with the slogan Â"Denial is a crime. For punishing it, I want
a Law! Â" chanted by the crowd, that several speakers of Armenian
organizations of France and French deputies have called the senators
to understand that civil security and public order are threatened
on French soil in the disrespect of the law of January 2001, which
stipulates:Â" France recognises publicly the Armenian genocide of
1915 Â".
Today, the Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations of France
(CCAF) which had joined film director Robert Guediguian and his wife,
actress Ariane Ascaride, request that senators put the sanction of
the Armenian Genocide in the agenda of their work.
On In October 2006, at the casting of the French positive vote,
Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, ha d declared in Erdine
(Turkey), Â" Because of certain limited representatives, France whom
we know as the country of freedom is obliged to live with this shame
Â", he had hammered. " If France does not cancel this text, It is
she who will lose and not Turkey ", he said.
Mourad Papazian, chairman of ARF Dashnaktsoutiu n Europe, in particular
announced another gathering in front of the French Senate on November
22 when nearly 10,000 people are expected to attend.
–Boundary_(ID_3a9HGfsh3ASd49/oachFsA)–
CBA GIVES PRELIMINARY APPROVAL FOR GRANTING BANKING ACTIVITY LICENCE TO
ARMENIAN POSTBANK CJSC
Y EREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN. At the September 19 sitting of the
Board of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) conducted by the CBA
chairman Arthur Javadian, a decision was made to give preliminary
approval for granting a banking activity licence to Armenian Postbank
CJSC, Noyan Tapan was informed by the CBA PR service.
SERZH SARGSYAN INTRODUCES THE NEWLY APPOINTED PRESIDENT OF TEH COURT OF CASSATION
armradio.am
18.09.2008 17:42
President Serzh Sargsyan today introduced the newly appointed President
of the Court of Cassation Arman Mkrtumyan.
The President congratulated Arman Mkrtumyan on his appointment to
that exceptionally responsible position and wished that he serves as
an example for other judges of the Republic with his activity.
In his speech the President noted, in part: "It’s obvious that the
quality of justice is assessed exceptionally by public perception,
and if we look from this perspective, then, to put it mildly, the
quality of justice execution in our country strongly limps.
I have said on many occasions and I repeat now that I will do my
best for the courts to be independent and the judges be unbiased in
our country.
All the countries that are considered full-fledged today, have passed
a long way, but they have managed to have really independent courts
and unbiased judges. It’s understandable that it’s impossible to make
everything ideal in one, ten or hundred years, but if we aspire for
that there can be no doubt here."
President Sargsyan expressed confidence that without losing time the
President of the Court of Cassation will present suggestions on how
the existing problems can be solved.
At the end of his speech Serzh Sargsyan said: "We must be intolerant20
towards corruption, irresponsibility, towards non-critical attitude
of one’s own activity. The atmosphere of non-punishment should be
eliminated."
Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Sept 6 2008
TURKEY HOPES TO SOLVE PROBLEMS WITH ARMENIA THROUGH DIALOGUE – FOREIGN
MINISTER
Avignon, 6 September: Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said on
Saturday [6 September] that it would be for the interest of Armenia to
solve problems with its neighbours.
It would also increase prosperity level through settlement of peace
and stability in the region, added Babacan who spoke to Turkish
reporters in France where he went to attend informal meeting of EU
foreign ministers.
Babacan said that Turkey supported to solve problems through
dialogue. "The target is to produce a solution which will be for the
interest of everybody," he said.
When asked EU’s stance about the visit (of Turkish President Abdullah
Gul) to Armenia, Babacan said that EU had a serious interest towards
the visit, and it also supported Turkey’s Caucasus Stability Pact
proposal to overcome the recent crisis in Caucasus. Babacan said that
the EU expressed pleasure over the issue.
Babacan said that it was important for the EU that Turkey – which was
pursuing full membership talks – had good relations with its
neighbours.
He said that there were important problems between Turkey and Armenia,
adding that Turkey was hoping to solve those problems through
dialogue. Babacan recalled Turkey’s proposal to set up a joint
historians committee, and said that this proposal was still on the
table.
Babacan said that there were problems between Armenians and
Azerbaijanis, and he referred to UN’s resolutions against Armenia to
withdraw from lands of Azerbaijan. Babacan said that Turkey supported
Minsk process.
Upon another question, Babacan said that the visit of Gul to Yerevan
was discussed during the meetings with Azerbaijani president and
foreign minister. "Azerbaijan did not express any negative approach
about the issue," he said. (more)
LOCAL WATCH REPAIR COMPANY STILL TICKING
Dave Hall
Windsor Star
Aug 19 2008
Canada
A diamond-setter since he started his apprenticeship at the age of
12 in Istanbul, Harry Dokmecian is still working 57 years later in
a small shop on Park Street West.
Owner of Bert Weeks Jewellers, a long-established downtown business
which still bears the late Windsor mayor’s name, Dokmecian can still
be found behind the counter or in his small workshop at the back of
the store six days a week.
"What else would I do? Where else would I go?" said Dokmecian, an
Armenian who left Turkey with his mother and brother in 1955 and moved
to Buenos Aires, Argentina. "This is what I know and I plan to be here
a while yet because my health, knock on wood, is still pretty good."
Dokmecian, whose father died when he was eight, said his family left
Turkey because of longstanding conflicts between Turks and Armenians
and because "it was tough for us to earn a living so we moved to
Argentina."
While learning to speak Spanish, Dokmecian opened his own store in
Buenos Aires and soon added watch-making to his repertoire of skills.
"It was a good living," said Dokmecian.
But after 16 years in Argentina, Dokmecian, his wife Arnalda and
mother decided to move to Canada to be closer to relatives who lived
in Michigan.
"We stayed at the old Norton Palmer for three or four days before
finding a small apartment," said Dokmecian.
It also didn’t take him long to find Weeks Jewellers, which was
then located on Ouellette Avenue, and armed with a Spanish-English
dictionary, he talked himself into an interview.
"I had to keep looking up the different words during the interview
but it worked and I started working for Mr. Weeks in 1971," said
Dokmecian. "I repaired watches of all kinds from new ones to antiques."
After three years, he left Weeks and started working at Meyers
Jewellers in Detroit where he repaired Accutron watches. But when
Weeks retired in 1980, Dokmecian took the opportunity to become his
own boss again and took over the store.
Nine years later, he moved the business around the corner onto Park
Street where it’s been ever since.
Thirty years ago, there were more than a dozen jewellers downtown
but now only a handful remain including Weeks, G&G Jewelery, Ian
Henderson Jeweller and Gemologist and Shanfield-Meyers.
Some have closed while others have relocated elsewhere in the city.
"At times, it’s been difficult but we had a good clientele who kept
coming back and we have a good name," said Dokmecian. "Downtown is
not too good for business right now but I’m still here.
"And I’ve always believed that if you’re not lazy, you’ll always have
bread on your table."
Dokmecian said his only concession to age is that he now uses a
jeweller’s magnifier because his eyesight isn’t what is used to be
after decades of working with intricate designs and small timepieces.
"I love to fix old timepieces. I’ve worked on antique watches and
clocks from the 1800s but it’s getting harder to find parts because
most of the old watchmakers from around here are either retired or
they’ve passed away," said Dokmecian.
His workshop area features a four-tonne safe which cost him $1,100
to move when he switched locations, a gold-rolling machine as well as
gold-plating machines most of which "you can’t find anywhere anymore."
CENTRAL BANK OF ARMENIA AWARDS CERTIFICATES TO THREE FINANCIAL MARKET PARTICIPANTS FOR BEST HANDBOOKS FOR CONSUMERS
ArmInfo
2008-07-08 15:28:00
The HSBC Bank Armenia, "ACBA Leasing" Universal Credit Organization
(UCO), and "London-Yerevan Co" insurance company have been awarded
certificates by the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) for the best booklets
and handbooks for consumers.
As CBA Deputy Chairman Vache Gabrielyan said during the award ceremony,
the CBA regularly holds surveys at the head offices and branch networks
of the Armenian financial market participants to reveal the level of
availability of information about provided services, particularly,
special attention is paid to booklets and handbooks. "To stimulate
this activity, we decided to award certificates to these 3 companies
which published the best handbooks", he stressed. At the same time,
he noted that the survey was held in May 2008 by a special commission
of 7 experts representing different departments of the CBA.
The experts assessed the design of handbooks, presentation of
information, content of information and its compliance with
legislative acts, as well as the handbook’s availability in
banks. Special attention was paid to the number of copies of the
handbooks. Gabrielyan also recalled that a special department for
protection of interests of consumers of financial services has been
operating in the CBA since 2007.
According to the National Statistical Service of Armenia, as of May
1, 2008, a total of 987872 natural and legal persons made use of
banking services in the republic, the monthly growth being 1.7%. 95%
fell on natural persons. As of May 31, 2008, the balance of accounts
of deposits attracted from the country’s population made up 195.7
bln AMD, the monthly growth being 1.8%.
Energy Ministry: No Request Sent to Russia for Managing Armenian
Nuclear Power Plant
YEREVAN, May 7. /ARKA/. Armenia has not asked INTER RAO UES (Russia),
which is financial manager of the Armenian nuclear power plant (NPP),
to prolong the previously signed financial management agreement.
Lusine Harutyunyan, Press Secretary, RA Ministry of Energy and Natural
Resources, reported that five-year term of the NPP’s financial
management by the Russian company expires this September.
Earlier, RA Minister of Energy Armen Movsisyan did not rule out the
possibility of the prolongation.
He expressed appreciation of the Russian company’s activity under the
agreement.
The Minister pointed out that the Armenian NPP was constructed with the
application of Russian technologies, and its operation implies
immediate contacts with Russia.
The Armenian NPP was put into operation in 1976.
Specialists say the NPP can operate until 2016. –0–
BETWEEEN APRIL 17 AND JUNE 15 FOURTH INTERNATIONAL MUSICAL FESTIVAL "NATIONAL GALLERY" TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN
Noyan Tapan
April 15, 2008
YEREVAN, APRIL 15, NOYAN TAPAN. With the assistance of the RA Ministry
of Culture and under the auspices of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund,
the fourth international musical festival "National Gallery" will
be held in Yerevan between April 17 and June 15. According to the
information provided to Noyan Tapan by the "Gallery of Arts" cultural
fund, both Armenian and foreign best musicians and bands, including
the State Chamber Orchestra of Armenia and Narekatsi orchestra,
"Alliance" quintet (Germany), Mario Stephano Pietrodarki (Italy)
and Alexander Chaushian (Great Britain) will take part in the festival.
ARMENTEL STARTED RENDERING SERVICES UNDER THE BRAND BEELINE
Analytical Information Agency
April 8 2008
Russia
The Closed Joint-Stock Company "ArmenTel" (Armenia, the 100 percent
affiliated company of the Open Society "Vympel-communications"
(Vympelcom) started rendering services under the brand Beeline. It
is spoken about in the report of the head company.
Armenia became the seventh country where this trade mark appeared.
Since April, 7th SIM-cards and cards of payment in the new design which
will be on sale and operate alongside with cards of the old sample
before their full replacement will act. Registration of the form of the
contract will be also exchanged, but all earlier concluded contracts
will operate without restrictions. Besides, from April, 7th sales
and service offices of ArmenTel open under the brand Beeline. Sales
under the new trade mark will be also carried out through the dealer
network in all regions of Armenia, is emphasized in the report.
The Closed Joint-Stock Company ArmenTel" renders services of fixed and
cellular telecommunication in standards GSM-900 and CDMA. The user’s
base of the operator under results of 2007 made 629.273ths users
of fixed communication and 442.484ths active cellular subscribers
Vympelcom possesses 100% of ArmenTel shares.
Vympelcom is the second-largest cellular operator in Russia and the
CIS, it – serves more then 56mln subscribers. Its largest shareholders
are Telenor (29.9% of voting shares) and the Alpha-group (44%),
other shares are in the free reference at the New York share stock
exchange. The company let out 51281022 ordinary and 6426600 preference
shares, all preference shares belong to "Alpha".
The net profit of Vympelcom under US GAAP in the II quarter 2007
made $359.273mln that is 84.3% above the parameter of the similar
period of the last year in $194.946mln. The proceeds increased up
53.1% to $1.717mlrd from $1.122mlrd. OIBDA parameter grew up 59.7%
to $896.758mln from $561.555mln, OIBDA margin increased up to 52.2%
from 50.1%.
The Open Society "Vympelcom" borrows the 15 place in the "Leading
enterprises of Russia" rating under results of 2006, presented by
the rating agency AK&M in October, 2007.