UPPER LARS CHECKPOINT BLOCKED OVER ROCK COLLAPSE
PanARMENIAN.Net
November 1, 2010 – 12:04 AMT 08:04 GMT
Upper Lars checkpoint was blocked over a rock collapse.
The rock fell on the road connecting Kazbegi region of Georgia with
Northern Ossetia, as result of heavy rains, RBC reported.
From: A. Papazian
AZERBAIJAN’S “HUMANISM” REACHES CHINA
PanARMENIAN.Net
November 1, 2010 – 10:28 AMT 06:28 GMT
Azerbaijan’s Defense Minister Safar Abiyev said that Baku will
resort to other measures if peace talks on Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement do not produce results.
“Azerbaijani armed forces are being trained to restore the country’s
territorial integrity,” Azeri-Press Agency quoted Abiyev as saying
during a visit to China.
From: A. Papazian
TURKEY, ISRAEL WON’T BREAK OFF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS
PanARMENIAN.Net
November 1, 2010 – 10:07 AMT 06:07 GMT
It’s unbelievable that 7-million Israel, which constantly receives
threats from Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, Iran’s President and Al
Qaeda can attack 72-million Turkey, deputy editor-in-chief of IzRus
portal Alexander Goldenshtein said when commenting on inclusion of
Israel in Turkey’s list of ‘dangerous’ countries.
“What is the Israeli threat? The fact is that Israel is the most
developed country in the region whose position can’t be neglected.
Now, Ankara is irritated that Israel improves relations with Azerbaijan
and Greece,” he told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.
However, according to Goldenshtein, Turkey and Israel will not break
off diplomatic relations.
“Rupture of relations after 60 years of friendship would be a severe
blow for both countries and Ankara knows this,” he said.
From: A. Papazian
A ‘ROAD MAP’ ON KARABAKH CAN APPEAR IN ARMENIA ‘ACCIDENTALLY’
PanARMENIAN.Net
November 1, 2010 – 12:02 AMT 08:02 GMT
Appearance of a ‘road map’ on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict cannot
be excluded. However, it’s just an information which will prove to
be a rumor, according to Vahan Hovhannisyan, member of ARF Bureau.
“A ‘road map’ can appear in Armenia ‘accidentally’, without knowledge
of political forces and public,” Hovhannisyan told journalists on
November 1.
As to Madrid Principles, he said that both Armenian and Azerbaijani
authorities mislead their citizens. “Pretending consent to these
principles, neither Armenia nor Azerbaijan signed them to continue
talks,” Hovhannisyan said.
From: A. Papazian
KARABAKH PROBLEM EMERGED AS RESULT OF FALSE PARITY
PanARMENIAN.Net
November 1, 2010 – 12:46 AMT 08:46 GMT
Some negative coloring appeared in the wording of the OSCE Minsk Group,
a member of ARF Bureau said.
“The international mediators use different names when referring to
one and the same place, for example, Stepanakert/Khankendi,” Vahan
Hovhannisyan told reporters on November 1.
“It would be correct if the Armenian side demanded to use Berdzor
along with Lachin, or Kelbajar/Karavachar,” he noted.
“The Karabakh conflict burst out as a result of false parity, which
emerged in the soviet times and is now exercised by international
organizations. In an attempt to maintain this so-called parity, double
standards are being used, what is inadmissible,” Hovhannisyan said.
From: A. Papazian
RUBEN MELKONYAN LABELS BEKLEVIC’S VISIT TO YEREVAN AS A “CHEAP PROPAGANDISTIC MOVE”
GMTPanARMENIAN.Net
November 1, 2010 – 15:43 AMT 11:43
Turkish authorities are trying to mislead the international
community, assuring of an alleged continuation of the Armenian-Turkish
reconciliation through “silent diplomacy”, according to expert Ruben
Melkonyan.
“Powerful Turkey party chairman Tuna Beklevic’s visit to Armenia and
his statement about the crossing of the Armenian-Turkish border is
just a cheap propaganda move taken by Ankara. Beklevic is either a
liar or criminal, who illegally crossed the border,” Melkonyan told
a press conference on November 1.
As to the fate of the Armenian-Turkish protocols, he did not excluded
that they can be a basis for a new agreement between Armenia and
Turkey.
From: A. Papazian
SOUTH CAUCASUS RAILWAY SHIFTS TO INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL REPORTING STANDARDS
ARKA
November 1, 2010
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, November 1, /ARKA/. The South Caucasus Railway (SCR),
operating Armenia’s railroads, said today it has shifted to
international financial reporting standards. In a press release,
the Russia-managed company, said its employees have been having an
extensive course conducted by experts from international auditing
and advisory company BDO Unicon. It said the goal of the course is
to upgrade the professional skills of the personnel and make them
comply with international standards.
The press release said also that in view of shifting to international
financial reporting standards the company will introduce also
international accounting standards and will be conducting its financial
policy guided by internationally accepted norms and standards.
The South Caucasus Railways is run by Russian Railways. The
concessional agreement was concluded in 2008 for 30 years, with a
right of extension for another 20 years after the first 20 years
of operation.
From: A. Papazian
“AREXIMBANK-GROUP OF GASPROMBANK” AWARDED GOLDEN MEDAL “EXPO-RUSSIA ARMENIA 2010”
ARKA
November 1, 2010
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, November 1. /ARKA/. CJSC “Areximbank-Group of Gasprombank”
is awarded by golden medal and diploma in nomination “For the best
stand ” and by diploma “For active participation” in Russian-Armenian
industrial exhibition “EXPO-RUSSIA Armenia 2010”.
Head of Client Base and Marketing Service of CJSC “Areximbank-Group
of Gasprombank” Armenian Kara-Poghosyan said that the bank was
participating the first time in such an exhibition.
“We are very happy for this award because the first step was successful
and we obtained opportunity to communicate with the potential clients,
introduce them to the new services of the Bank and answer their
questions”, he said.
Third annual industrial exhibition “EXPO-RUSSIA Armenia 2010” took
place from October 28 to 30 in Government House in Armenia. The
exhibition was organized by the company “Zarubezh-EXPO” and “Multi
Group”. Official delegations of Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Commercial-Trade Chamber of Russia, “Rossotrudnichestvo” Ministry
of Economical development, managers of 70 industrial companies from
30 regions of Russia participated in the exhibition. President of
Armenia Serzh Sargsyan was present at the official opening ceremony.
CJSC “Areximbank-Group of Gasprombank” was established in
1998. From 2007 the Bank is 100 percent affiliate of the largest
Russian bank “Gasprombank”. Clients of the bank are more than 58
thousand physical entities and more than 2 thousand legal entities,
including such large companies with participation of Russian capital
as CJSC “ArmRosgasprom”, CJSC “Electrical Networks of Armenia”,
VivaCell-MTS, CJSC “RUSAL-ARMENAL” and Russian-Armenian (Slavonic)
State University. The Bank has 15 branches in Armenia, of which six
are located in Yerevan.
Open JSC “Gasprombank” is one of the universal financial institutes of
Russia. It serves key sectors of Russian economy – gas, fuel, nuclear,
electricity, etc Gasprombank has more than 2 million of physical and
43 thousand legal entities.
Regional network of Gasprombank has 44 branches and five affiliate and
depending Russian banks. Gasprombank also participates in the capital
of four foreign banks in Belarus, Armenia, Ukraine and Switzerland.
There are representations of Gasprombank in Beijing (China) and
Ulan-Bator (Mongolia).
From: A. Papazian
FOREX CLUB PROJECTION: GDP GROWTH TO BE 3.7% BY END OF YEAR
ARKA
November 1, 2010
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, November 1. /ARKA/. GDP growth is to be 3.7% by the end of
this year, analyst of FOREX CLUB Michael Verdyan said. According to
the state budget, GDP growth is expected to be at 1.2% in Armenia
this year.
A quite steady growth rate is recorded in the economy of the country,
Verdyan told a press conference in “Novosti” International press
center Monday.
According to the statistics, gross domestic product grew 2.8% up to
2,386.7 billion drams in Armenia in January-September as compared to
the same period of last year.
According to Verdyan, industry, transport & communication and trade
are to become the main sectors in the forefront of economic recovery.
Growth reached in these sectors over the first 9 months of 2010 was
10.96%, 18.7% and 8.6% respectively.
Verdyan pointed out that the crisis led to a GDP slump in Armenia
that was on over five quarters. The GDP drop started in the fourth
quarter of 2008 and peaked in the third quarter of 2009, and, finally,
it reached 15.1%, the expert said. The main sectors contributing to
the slump were construction (42.3% decline in 2009) and trade (4%
decline), Verdyan added.
According to the statistics, 14.4% economic decline was recorded in
Armenia in 2009.
Lack of traditionally available loan funds was the main reason for
the decline in the mentioned sectors, Verdyan said. Industrial growth
rates had dropped 12.68% by the end of 2008 because of the reduced
internal and external demand in the country, he said.
According to the expert, all the mentioned factors contributed
to plummeting exports and private transfers, as well as to abrupt
devaluation of dram in 2009.
Main factors scotching the economic growth are high inflation rates,
economic decline in agriculture and comparatively high level of
Armenia’s national debt, Verdyan said.
7.9% inflation was recorded in Armenia in January-October this year
as compared to the same period of last year. According to the state
budget, inflation is to be at 4% (±1.5%) in Armenia by the end of 2010.
Aggregate agricultural and fishing output totaled 434.4 billion drams
(in current prices) in Armenia in January-September, a reduction of
17.7% compared to the level of the same period of the year before.
Total national debt of Armenia was 1.259 trillion as of the end
of June.
According to the preliminary information of the country’s Ministry
of Finance, internal debt of Armenia is about 146.5 billion drams
and the external debt is 1,112.6 billion drams or $3,027.4 mln.
($1=358.21drams).
From: A. Papazian
ALUMINUM FOIL OUTPUT 16.3% UP IN ARMENIA IN JAN-SEPT
ARKA
November 1, 2010
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, November 1. /ARKA/. ArmenAl closed joint-stock company had
produced 18,008 tons of aluminum foil in January-September this year,
an increase of 2,530 tons or 16.3% as compared to the output of the
same period of last year.
Armenian National Statistical Service reports that around 23 tons of
rolled aluminum was produced in the country in the reporting period,
a 34.5% reduction compared to the same period of last year.
ArmenAl was founded at Kanaker aluminum smelter in May 2000 as a
joint venture of “Russian Aluminum” and “KanAZ” companies. Since
January 2003 RusAl has been the full owner of ArmenAl.
On October 26 2003, RusAl-ArmenAl rolling aluminum factory was
re-commissioned after two-year large-scale modernization with
investments totaling about $70mln.
From: A. Papazian