Author: Ara Felekian

CHRISTMAS TREE BUSINESS IN ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES’ HANDS?

news.am
Dec 21 2009
Armenia

Armenian citizens wishing to buy a Christmas tree this year will have
to fork out U.S. $50 to $200. One of the central avenues in Yerevan has
"hosted" Christmas tree sale outlets. All the trees have been imported
from Siberia and Saratov, Russia, as well as from Germany and Holland.

The sellers say the business in "in the hands" of the Armenian
authorities.

Well, a 1.5-meter high pine from Siberia is worth from 30,000 AMD up
(over U.S. $80), its "sister" from Saratov is worth 22,000 AMD (U.S.

$55). A 2-meter-high "beauty" from Germany is 65,000 AMD (U.S. $175),
and a tree from Holland will cost U.S. $150.

The sellers say that about 900 trees from Saratov and 700 from
Holland have been brought to Yerevan. They plan to sell them out
before December 31. But, as a rule, many firs can be found at sale
outlets on January 1 morning – they are used as fuel later.

The average retail price for a fir is U.S. $15 in Europe, and a
2-meter-high tree is within U.S. $80. The wholesale price is even
lower, gp24.pl. reports.

AZERBAIJANI DEFENSE MINISTER DISCUSSES NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT WITH HIS POLISH COUNTERPART

APA
Nov 25 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku – APA. Within the framework of his official visit to Azerbaijan,
Defense Minister of Poland Bogdan Klich had a meeting with Defense
Minister of Azerbaijan, Colonel-General Safar Abiyev.

Press service of Defense Ministry told APA that the guest was solemnly
welcomed at the Ministry of Defense after visiting the grave of Heydar
Aliyev in the Alley of Honor and Alley of Martyrs. National anthems
of both countries were sounded.

During the meeting, Safar Abiyev updated his Polish counterpart of
the military-political situation in the region and problems occurred
as a result of Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno Karabakh. The
minister noted that more than one million Azerbaijanis have become IDPs
as a result of the Armenian occupation: "The Minsk Group mediation
has not brought any result for 15 years. Liberation of occupied
territories by military way will be inevitable in this situation",
said the Minister.

Along with other issues, military education and military-technical
cooperation perspectives between the two countries were in the focus
of attention at the meeting.

Ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Poland to Azerbaijan
Kshishtof Krayevski also attended the meeting.

KHOSROV RESERVE DIRECTOR MURDER -CRIMINAL REVENGE?

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
19.11.2009 15:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Revenge could become a reason for the assassination
of Khosrov reserve director Samvel Shaboyan.

On June 20, 2009, Samvel Shaboyan’s bother Perchik Shaboyan shot dead
a thief in law, 49-year old Marzpetuni Petrosyan, also known as Marso.

The incident took place in Goravan village of Ararat region. Perchik
Shaboyan was detained.

Director of Khosrov reserve, 51-year-old Samvel Shaboyan was
assassinated on November 19 night.

Police said Shaboyan’s Toyota Prado was shelled by unknown. Law
enforcers counted 30 bullet holes in the car. Shoboyan, who was
sitting on the backseat, died from numerous bullet wounds.

A criminal case was initiated.

3 MILLION PEOPLE LIVE IN ARMENIA

news.am
Nov 16 2009
Armenia

18:39 / 11/16/2009According to official data, as of October 1, 2009 the
population of Armenia consists of more than 3 million people. A total
of 3.245.900 people lives in Armenia which is 10.900 more compared with
the same period last year, RA National Statistical Service reports.

At that, the number of urbans is 2.079.400 people, whereas
countrymen-1.166.500. Officially, the populace of Yerevan officially
is 1.115.800.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Director
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

THE CATHOLICOSATE OF CILICIA DEMANDS REPARATIONS
FOR THE HUMAN AND MATERIAL LOSSES RESULTING FROM THE ADANA MASSACRES

The weeklong events 24-30 November 2009, commemorating the 100th Anniversary
of the massacres in Adana came to its conclusion with a three-day symposium.
The agenda included study of bibliographies and references on the tragedy;
statistics on the number of victims and inventories on material loses by the
Holy See of Cilicia, the Armenian Catholic and Protestant communities and
the Armenian population.

At the end of the symposium the participants asked the Catholicosate of
Cilicia, itself a victim of the tragedy to demand reparations from Turkey on
behalf of the Armenian people. The symposium also recommended that the
Catholicosate publish the proceedings of the symposium, as Adana Massacres
were the rehearsal to the Genocide of 1915.

In his closing remarks His Holiness Aram I stressed the need "to move from
recognition to compensation".

##
View the photos here:
tos/Photos414.htm
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

PRESIDNET SARGSYAN TO VISIT MOSCOW

armradio.am
12.10.2009 10:57

The President of the Republic of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, will pay a
short working visit to Moscow today, Presidents’ Press Office reported.

President Sargsyan is scheduled to meet the President of the Russian
Federation, Dmitry Medvedev. Presidnet Sargsyan to visit Moscow.

The Russian and Armenian presidents will discuss trade and military
cooperation, prospects of energy projects and interaction in regional
organizations in Moscow on Monday, a Kremlin source said Sunday.

Serzh Sargsyan will visit the Russian capital on an invitation from
Dmitry Medvedev on October 12.

"Regular confidential political dialogue at the highest level gives
dynamics to the Russian-Armenian partnership," the Kremlin source said,
adding that despite the global financial crisis, Russia retains the
positions of Armenia’s leading foreign economic partner.

Medvedev and Sargsyan met Friday during a summit of the post-Soviet
Commonwealth of Independent States in the capital of Moldova, with
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev also taking part in the meeting
chiefly dedicated to discussions of the Nagorny Karabakh issue.

Armenian American Leadership Expresses Concerns to Ambassador
By Weekly Staff – on September 24, 2009

menian-american-leadership-expresses-concerns-to-a mbassador/

On Sept. 23, representatives of political parties, associations, and
religious denominations visited the Armenian Embassy in Washington and
met with Ambassador Tatoul Markarian to express their concerns on the
Turkey-Armenia protocols.

The delegation was comprised of representatives from the Eastern and
Western Prelacies of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, the
Eparchy of the United States and Canada of the Armenian Catholic
Church, the Mother See of the Armenian Evangelical Union of America,
the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), the Hamazkayin Cultural
and Educational Association, the Armenian Relief Society (ARS), the
Armenian Youth Federation (AYF), and Homenetmen.

The delegation handed Ambassador Markarian a letter highlighting the
fact that the protocols have created serious concern and frustration
among the Armenian community in the U.S., as in all other diasporan
communities. The letter rejected the idea of negotiating over
historical matters and stressed that the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide is a precondition to any negotiation. It also noted that
recognizing borders and territorial integrity means renouncing our
struggle for justice.

ELECTRIC NETWORKS OF ARMENIA TO RECEIVE 64.5 MILLION EURO FROM EBRD AND VNESHECONOMBANK

ARKA
June 17, 2009

YEREVAN, June 17. /ARKA/. European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development and the State Corporation the Bank of Development and
Foreign Economic Affairs (Vnesheconombank) will lend â~B¬ 64.5 million
to Electric Networks of Armenia.

Nadifa Farshad, EBRD director on energy affairs; Pyotr Fradkov,
deputy chairman of Vnesheconombank, and Valery Ovsyannikov, general
director and chairman of VTB Bank (Armenia) directorial board, signed
a relevant agreement on Wednesday.

The project implying modernization and rehabilitation of Armenia’s
electric grid will be financed through VTB Bank (Armenia). The money
will be lent for ten years at floating interest, which will be decided
at every stage of the project.

The program implies enhancement of electric power usage effectiveness.

The program also aims to lessen losses in electric networks and
intensify integration of CIS countries’ grids.

Under the signed agreement, EBRD will transfer â~B¬42 million
and Vnesheconombank â~B¬22.5 million to Electric Networks of
Armenia. Besides, another agreement was signed between creditors –
EBRD and Vnesheconombank – for regulating relations between them in
this project.

The money will be spent for financing Armenian Electric Networks’
investment program aimed at re-equipment and reconstruction of
infrastructures.

Fradkov stressed the importan ce of the deal."The transaction is
very important, since we have worked out an up-to-date and effective
mechanism for financing long-term and infrastructural projects in so
complicated financial situation", he said.

Expressing hope for success, Fradkov said that the gained experience
will be used in the future.

In his words, Vnesheconombank attaches special importance to the
project, since this is the first deal in Armenia.

Nadifa Farshad, the EBRD representative, stressed the importance
of the agreement as well saying this is the first transaction in
Armenia’s energy sector and the region and the first experience of
cooperation with INTER RAO UES and Vnesheconombank in the region.

She said that the credit is to be extended without state guarantees.

Farshad expressed hope that the deal would lay groundwork for long-term
cooperation with the bank’s partners in the region and improve energy
supply to consumers in Armenia.

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is the investment
mechanism created by 60 countries and two international organizations
in 1991 for supporting market economy and democracy in 27 countries
from the Central Europe to the Central Asia.

The EBRD has invested â~B¬125 million in Armenia’s economy since 1992.

The bank is the largest investor to Armenia. Vnesheconombank was
established in 2007.

The bank focuses its activity on removal of infrastructural obstacles
to growth, modernization and development of non-materials, promotion
of innovations and support for small and mid-scale businesses.

Electric Networks of Armenia is the sole distributor of electric
energy to all consumers in Armenia.

The company has 323 substations, serves 830,000 users and the largest
employer in Armenia.

The company’s sales totaled â~B¬186 million and investments â~B¬29
million in 2008.The company is a subsidiary of Russian INTER RAO
UES.

MILLI MEDJLIS MEMBER EXPRESSES RESENTMENT OVER IRAN’S INTERFERENCE WITH AZERBAIJAN’S DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN POLICY

Today.Az
/52593.html
May 26 2009
Azerbaijan

The expected visit of President of Israel Shimon Peres to Azerbaijan
will strengthen and develop bilateral ties, member of parliament and
chairman of the Ana Veten party Fazail Agamaly said at a session of
Milli Medjlis today.

"Unfortunately, however, Iranian officials have attempted to interfere
with the internal affairs and foreign policy of Azerbaijan. Thus,
the Chief of the General Staff of Iran Hasan Firuz Abbas expressed
concern about the visit of Israeli President", he said.

According to the member of parliament, Azerbaijan is an independent
state and is building its own policy.

"When the Iranian side makes such claims, it must remember that it
is developing good relations with Armenia, which committed genocide
in Khojaly, have seized 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory. Serzh
Sargsyan is warmly welcomed in Iran", said F. Agamaly.

ARMENTEL TARGETS 100% DIGITIZATION BY 2010

2009/0 5/22 | 16:49

Technologies

Armenian incumbent fixed line operator ArmenTel (Beeline) aims to
fully digitise its PSTN by 2010, according to Dmitri Pleskonos,
the vice president of business development in CIS for Vimpelcom –
the operator’s parent company.

Mr Pleskonos states the digitisation rate in Armenia is currently 67%,
putting it near the top in terms of CIS countries (Uzbekistan has the
highest level (with 69%) and the Russian owners "do not project to
cut investments into financially efficient activities in Armenia",
this year. Over the last two years ArmenTel has spent around $200
million to upgrade analogue network exchanges across the country.

Most recently, in April 2009, it completed the upgrade of three more
sites in the capital, raising digitisation in Yerevan to 90%. By
2010 the company hopes to have completed the full digitisation of
the fixed telephone network, he added.