Author: Andres-Papazian

EURNEKIAN IN POLE POSITION TO BUY ITALY’S ATA – REPORT

SeeNews Italy
June 25, 2013 Tuesday 1:02 PM EEST

(SeeNews) – Jun 25, 2013 – Eduardo Eurnekian is in pole position
to buy Italy’s Ali Trasporti Aerei (ATA), part of debt-ridden group
Acqua Pia Antica Marcia, MF-Milano Finanza reported on Tuesday quoting
sources close to the dossier.

ATA owns the western passenger terminal at Milan’s Linate airport,
among other infrastructure.

According to the paper, Rothschild, which advises the buyer,
received on Friday four offers for ATA, respectively from Eurnekian’s
Corporation America, from SEA Milano, and from the Vei Capital and
Avm Associati funds.

According to MF’s sources, the offer submitted by the
Argentinian-Armenian businessman was the best in terms of value and is
said to be of EUR 25 million (USD 32.8m). Eurnekian’s group declined
to comment on the issue, Milano Finanza said.

SEA, the operator of Milan’s Linate and Malpensa airports, is said
to have placed an offer of EUR 24 million.

The other two bidders have submitted offers of significantly lower
amount and thus dropped out of the race, according to the paper.

The rival offers of Corporation America and SEA will be studied by
the advisers of ATA and by the court-appointed commissioners of Acqua
Pia Antica Marcia, who target to sell the assets at the best possible
price, Milano Finanza commented.

ATA would guarantee its buyer a turnover of some EUR 16 million and
earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA)
of EUR 3.8 million, with an EBITDA margin close to 24%. ATA’s buyer
will also be in charge of some EUR 20 million of investments necessary
to adapt the infrastructure to the traffic demand in view of EXPO
2015, to take place in Milan, and according to the paper, Eurnekian
is ready for such a commitment.

(EUR 1 = USD 1.312)

From: A. Papazian

MEETINGS OF THE RA NA PRESIDENT HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN IN STRASBOURG

27.06.2013

On the occasion of assuming the chairmanship of the Republic of Armenia
at the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe the delegation
led by the RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan was in Strasbourg on a
working visit on June 26-27.

In Strasbourg the RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan met with the PACE
President Jean-Claude Mignon.

Welcoming the NA President the PACE President highlighted the visit
of the President of the Armenian Parliament and his presence in the
PACE session. Jean-Claude Mignon thanked the Armenian Parliament
for excellent organization of the PACE bureau and Standing Committee
meetings in Yerevan and holding them. THE PACE President emphasized the
chairmanship of Armenia at the Committee of Ministers of the CoE, the
declared priorities and agenda. He deemed important the activities of
the Armenian Parliamentary Delegation in the PACE and highly assessed
the work done in the political groups and committees of the Assembly.

The RA NA President has noted that the first chairmanship of Armenia
in the Council of Europe is a significant event for our country and
a unique opportunity to have a contribution and participation in
member countries in the formation of the pretentious agenda of the
Council of Europe aimed at spreading democracy, human rights and
rule of law, all-human values. In Hovik Abrahamyan’s word, Armenia
greatly highlights and highly assesses the cooperation with the
Council of Europe, as well as the support in the democratic reforms
going on in our country. The NA President deemed important the role
of the PACE in strengthening of democracy in Armenia, particularly,
the co-rapporteurs’s work of the Monitoring Committee. In this aspect
he has stressed the importance of Armenia-Council of Europe 2012-2014
Action Plan, which is called on to support Armenia in implementing
its obligations, particularly continuing the reforms in judicial-legal
and criminal-procedural systems, in educational sphere, boosting the
freedom of media and protection the children’s rights, deepening the
local democracy, improving the electoral legislation and practice.

The sides touched upon the Nagorno Karabakh issue, reaffirming the
importance of the peaceful settlement of the problem under the auspice
of the OSCE Minsk Group. The sides have agreed that any action which
can disturb the work of the OSCE Minsk Group, should be excluded,
at the same time reaffirming the three fundamental principles of the
peaceful settlement of the NK problem proposed by Co-Chair countries.

At the end of the meeting the RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan took
a note in the PACE Book of Honorable Guests.

From: A. Papazian

BORDYUZHA ON ALIYEV STATEMENTS: THEY SHOULD REMEMBER 1990S

Thursday,
June 27

Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization
(CSTO) Nikolai Bordyuzha said there is no military solution to the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

“Peaceful negotiations will allow resolving this difficult, protracted
conflict. There is no other option. It is easy to unleash a war,
but it is difficult to resume a peaceful life. Some politicians have
forgotten discouraging experiences. They should remember the 1990s. It
will dampen their ardor,” Bordyuzha said at a press conference
today, when responding to the question about the statements that
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev made during the military parade
in Baku yesterday.

Bordyuzha said the attempts to distort the Karabakh conflict settlement
format within the OSCE Minsk Group are counterproductive.

“Of course, CSTO is well-informed about the situation and the
negotiating process. But I am against the idea that someone,
including CSTO, should interfere and add new elements. It would be
counterproductive. The OSCE Minsk Group deals with conflict settlement
problems,” he said.

TODAY, 18:04

Aysor.am

From: A. Papazian

MINISTER TALKS ARMENIA’S NUKE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS IN RUSSIA

PanARMENIAN.Net – Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Armen
Movsisyan participated in a Saint Petersburg-hosted conference Nuclear
Energy in the 21st Century on Thursday, June 27.

At the event, the Minister briefed those present on the prospects of
nuclear energy development in Armenia.

Meetings with IAEA chief Yukiya Amano and Rosatom Director General
Sergey Kirienko were also on the Armenian delegation’s agenda, Energy
Ministry press service reported.

From: A. Papazian

FORMER MP ACCUSED OF BUILDING FRAUD OPENS A CANNERY IN BATUMI

According to the Haykakan Zhamanak Daily, a number of citizens deceived
by Tonus Construction Company said they are going to Batumi, Georgia,
on July 7 for a protest against Ashot Tonoyan, head of the company who
is going to open a cannery there. They believe that Tonoyan invested
there the money he had stolen from them.

10:17 28/06/2013

Story from Lragir.am News:

From: A. Papazian

ARGENTINA THIRD LARGEST INVESTOR IN ARMENIAN ECONOMY AT $55 MLN IN 2012

YEREVAN, June 28./ARKA/. Argentina is the third country to make
biggest direct investments in Armenia, at $55 million, in 2012,
Ambassador to Armenia Diego Alvarez Rivera said Friday.

“Compared to 2011, the figures rose by 5%,” he said at the seminar
devoted to commercial and economic ties between Armenia and Argentina.

Araik Vardanyan, executive director of Armenia’s Chamber of Commerce
and Industry, has said the largest investment project Argentina
implemented in Armenia was a construction of a new passenger terminal
of Zvartnots airport: total investments valued at $160 million.

New York-based holding company owns Armenian-International Airports
company, which, in turn, has been managing Zvartnots airport since
2001. The 100% stock of the holding is held by Argentinean businessman
of Armenian origin Eduardo Eurnekian.

The report of the Argentinean Embassy stated the top investor in
Armenia economy in 2012 was France (41% – $230 million), Russia came
in second (16%-$123 million).

According to the National Statistical Service of Armenia, the
total foreign investments in Armenian economy, received via banking
system and without state management, dropped by 8.6% from 2011 to
$ 1 587 million. Direct foreign investments hit $ 656.7 million
against $ 906.3 million (27.5-percent fall).-0- – See more at:

From: A. Papazian

DOES ARGENTINA HAVE AN EYE ON ARMENIAN MINES?

03:04 PM | TODAY | POLITICS

Both Armenia and Argentina have developing economies and ample
opportunities for boosting economic cooperation, says Diego Ernesto
Alvarez Rivera, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
Argentina to the Republic of Armenia.

Today the ambassador attended the seminar “Bilateral trade and
Investment Opportunities” held at the RA Chamber of Commerce. During
the event, the Argentinean official presented the economic situation
in his country and the collaboration in the sector between Armenia and
Argentina.

“The countries can find avenues for cooperation in all spheres.

Argentina is best known for its mining industry which is not fully
developed in Armenia,” he said.

Argentina exports more goods to Armenian than Armenia exports to
Argentina, however, the volume of turnover is increasing every year.

“In 2012, the volume of exports totaled $5.76 mln, increasing by $1.75
mln as compared to 2010. The volume of imports from Armenia amounted
to 0,5 mln dollars,” said the ambassador.

Diego Ernesto Alvarez Rivera says Argentina’s economy is largely based
on agricultural goods. Argentina exports to Armenia tobacco, butter,
milk, milk powder, frozen poultry, etc, while Armenia sends to
Argentina mainly ferromolybdenum, books, brochures, ceramic products,
kitchen and office supplies, as well as wine.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN-ARGENTINEAN TRADE VOLUMES INCREASED BY 133%

13:05, 28 June, 2013

YEREVAN, JUNE 28, ARMENPRESS: The trade relations between the Republic
of Armenia and Argentina are characterized by the sustainable growth
of the import and export volumes. This was stated by the Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Argentina to the Republic of
Armenia Diego Ernesto Alvarez Rivera at the seminar held at the Chamber
of Commerce of the Republic of Armenia. “As Argentina, Armenia as well
have healthily developing economy and notwithstanding the transport,
logistics and the distance between our countries, I think we have much
time to develop the bilateral relations between Armenia and Argentina”,
– said Diego Ernesto Alvarez Rivera, as reported by Armenpress.

The Head of the Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Armenia Arayik
Vardanyan welcomed the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
of Argentina to the Republic of Armenia and the guests and spoke
about the century-old relations of the two countries, emphasizing
the significant role of the Armenian Argentinean community in the
spiritual and cultural life of Argentina.

As stated by Diego Ernesto Alvarez Rivera, in 2004 the volumes of
the bilateral trade made 2,32 million dollars and in 2012 it grew
up to 5,76 million dollars, thus registering a growth of 133%. It
was mentioned as well that the import from Argentina to Armenia is
bigger than the export from Armenia to Argentina.

The diplomatic relations between the Republic of Armenia and the
Republic of Argentina were established on January 17 1992. Quite a big
Armenian community lives in Argentina, about 135,000 Armenians. On June
1 2012 the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Argentina
to the Republic of Armenia Diego Ernesto Alvarez Rivera handed in
the copies of his credentials to the President of the Republic of
Armenia Serzh Sargsyan. Argentina recognized the Armenian Genocide
in 2007 by the force of the law.

From: A. Papazian

NOT ENOUGH TO RAISE HYSTERIA AGAINST IMPERIALIST RUSSIA – ARMENIAN EX-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

June 28, 2013 | 11:30

YEREVAN. – Our strategic ally Russia gives $1 billion in weapons to
Azerbaijan which threatens us; this is $500 of weapons per citizen.

Armenia’s opposition National Self-Determination Union (NSU)
Chairman, ex-presidential candidate Paruyr Hayrikyan-who survived an
assassination attempt that was staged against him on January 31-stated
the aforesaid during a press conference on Friday.

He noted, however, that it is not enough to just raise hysteria
against imperialist Russia.

“Had they not shot at me and my rating had continued to grow [during
this year’s presidential election campaign season] and I were elected
President [of Armenia], I already would have taken measures [in this
direction],” the NSU leader stated.

Speaking about the avenues to get out of this situation, he said the
Armenian state should have-for example-invited the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairs and expressed its protest.

In addition, Paruyr Hayrikyan proposed the citizenry to unite and
carry out a power change.

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: A. Papazian

POLISH MPS TO HELP BOOSTING THE PROCESS OF INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION OF THE GENOCIDE OF ARMENIANS

Thursday, June 27, 15:28

In late September early October 2013 the parliamentary delegation
of Poland led by Lukas Abgarovic, the head of Armenia-Poland deputy
friendship group, will visit Armenia in line with an agreement reached
in the course of the visit of the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s
delegation to Poland, Hovhanness Sahakyan, Secretary of the Republican
Party of Armenia told ArmInfo . Sahakyan said that the goal of the
visit is to familiarize with the preparations ahead of the centennial
of the Genocide of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey.

“Poland recognized the Genocide of Armenians yet in 2005. Now, Polish
MPs intend to visit Armenia to get first hand view of the preparations
ahead of the centennial of the Genocide of Armenians and to decide
how they can boost the process of the international recognition of
that fact. My colleague Lukas Abgarovic and his group are ready to
do their best to boost that process,” Sahakyan said. He said that
Polish parliamentarians are going to get first hand view also of the
Karabakh issue.

The delegation headed by President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan with
official visit to Poland on June 24-26.

From: A. Papazian