Author: Badalian Vardan

ARMENIAN CHESS PLAYERS PARTICIPATE IN EUROPE SINGLE CHAMPIONSHIP

Panorama.am
18:22 14/04/2008

>From April 20 to May 3 chess championship among male and female will
take place in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

Armenian Gross Masters will also take part in the
championship. According to the official web site of the competition 9
Armenian male and 6 female will participate in the championship. The
chess aplyers are Vladimir Hakobyan, Karen Asryan, Gabriel Sargsyan,
Tigran Poghosyan, Artashes Minasyan, Tigran Kotandjyan, Ashot
Anastasyan, Samvel Ter-Sahakyan, and Dmitri Harutyunyan. And from the
female chess players Elina Danielyan, Lilit Lazarian, Nelli Aghinyan,
Lilit Galoyan, Siranush Andriasyan, and Anna Hayrapetyan will leave
for Plovdiv. Totally 332 male chess players and 165 female will take
part in the championship.

Note that the competition is consisted of 11 rounds and of extra 3
time breaks.

"PEACEFUL ARMENIA" CIVIL INITIATIVE TO MAKE PUBLIC MESSAGE COMPOSED OF 24 POINTS IN NEAR FUTURE

Noyan Tapan
April 11, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN. One of the objectives of the
"Peaceful Armenia" civil initiative founded recently by 10 Armenian
non-governmental organizations is to contribute to the establishment of
a dialogue between the authorities and the society in the country. This
statement was made by Karen Bekarian, a member of the initiating
group and the Chairman of the "European Integration" non-governmental
organization (NGO), mentioning that about 250 NGOs have currently
joined the initiative.

According to him, under the situation created in Armenia the whole
public-political system more than ever needs to unite the society, to
unite around the statehood and look directly at their own problems. As
regards the NGOs, in the words of Karen Bekarian, they should not be
only in the role of an assessor or observer.

Karen Bekarian stated that the final version of the message composed
of 24 points adopted by the forum of the "Peaceful Armenia", which
was held on April 7, will be made public in the near future. It
will include short-term and long-term job programs, as well as the
settlement ways of the existing problems. In particular, it will offer
to conduct a comprehensive investigation and a complete revelation of
the March 1 events, to reconsider the recent amendmends made to the RA
Law on "Conducting Meetings, Assemblies, Marches and Demonstrations",
as well as to review the principles of the activities of the Public
Television and its heading staff.

In the opinion of Boris Navasardian, the Chairman of the Yerevan Press
Club, the public dialogue has not been conducted in Armenia in the
recent years mainly through the fault of the authorities as, according
to him, many institutions of the civic society have made suggestions
on the reforms in Armenia for many times, however those suggestions
have been left without response. In the words of the Chairman of the
Yerevan Press Club, "if the authorities are today ready for a fair
constructive dialogue, they should take that initiative."

AZERBAIJAN PROTESTS AT SEPARATISTS’ INVITATION TO CONFERENCE IN MOSCOW

Azeri Press Agency
April 8 2008
Azerbaijan

Moscow, 8 April: The Azerbaijani embassy in Russia has sent a protest
note to this country’s Foreign Ministry.

A source at the embassy has told the Russian bureau of APA that
an international conference entitled "After Kosovo: The union
of unrecognized states on the path towards recognition" was held
at the Institute of CIS Countries on 28 March, led by the first
deputy chairman of Russia’s State Duma Committee for CIS Affairs
and Relations with Compatriots, Konstantin Zatulin. Representatives
of the self-proclaimed regime [in Nagornyy Karabakh] were invited
to the conference and it was attended by representatives of Russian
government bodies. The [Azerbaijani] embassy took appropriate measures
in connection with the case and sent a protest note to the Russian
Foreign Ministry on 7 April.

The document openly and firmly drew attention to the fact that a
representative of the Russian legislative body, and the first deputy
chairman of Russia’s State Duma Committee for CIS Affairs and Relations
with Compatriots, does not get rid of this kind of illegal activity and
noted that such an activity was unacceptable. It was openly stated that
the invitation of representatives from the Russian Foreign Ministry
and the Moscow government to the conference was not in the spirit of
strategic partnership relations between the two countries as reflected
in contracts and other political and legal documents signed between
Azerbaijan and Russia. A demand was made to the Russian Foreign
Ministry to give an explanation in connection with the conference
and the ministry was asked not to repeat this in the future.

POLICE STOPS UNAUTHORIZED PICKET OUTSIDE U.S. EMBASSY IN BAKU

Interfax News Agency
April 9 2008
Russia

A group of activists of the Modern Musavat party attempted to organize
an unauthorized picket outside of the U.S. embassy in Baku, Interfax
was told at the party office on Wednesday.

The action involving up to 20 people was held in protest against the
negative stance of the United States during the vote on the U.N.

document on the situation in occupied Azerbaijani territories. The
protesters unfolded posters denouncing the attitude of countries co-
chairing the OSCE Minsk group for the settlement in Nagorno-Karabakh
during the vote at the U.N. General Assembly.

The picketers urged the Azeri authorities to give up the mediation
of the Minsk group in the conflict.

After a petition of the protesters was handed to embassy officials
the police removed the picketers from the embassy building.

BAKU SEEKS PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO NAGORNO-KARABAKH ISSUE, SAYS ENVOY

The Jakarta Post
April 9, 2008 Wednesday
Indonesia

THE JAKARTA POST — WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 2008 — PAGE 10 Azerbaijan,
the oil-rich South Caucasus nation, wants tosettle the Nagorno-Karabakh
issue through peaceful negotiations, despite its growing military
and economic might,Azerbaijani Ambassador to Indonesia said

"We want to solve this problem through negotiations based on the norms
and principles of international law.Though we are much stronger than
Armenia militarily and economically, we will not resort to violent
means,"Ambassador Ibrahim A. Hajiyev told The Jakarta Post at a book
presentation Tuesday in Jakarta

Thanks to its oil boom, Azerbaijan was able to allocate some $1US.2
billion to its defense sector in its 2008 statebudget — an increase
of $100 million over 2007’s $1.1 billion. The military budget is
higher than Armenia’sentire budget, which stood at just below $1
billion in 2007

Azerbaijan’s GDP grew by 25 percent in 2007 due to mainly soaring
oil prices

Hajiyey was presenting a book, War Against Azerbaijan: Targeting
Cultural Heritage, to Indonesian Foreign Ministryofficials and
journalists at Le Meridien Hotel, Jakarta

The book, which was authored by an expert team from Azerbaijan’s
foreign affairs ministry and Heydar AliyevFoundation, is one of the
series about Nagorno-Karabakh published by the Azerbaijan government
recently

During the presentation, there was also the screening of a documentary
film about the historical heritage of Karabakhand the systematic
destruction of historical, cultural and architectural monuments in
Nagorno-Karabakh by Armenia

The 280-page book, rich in documents, maps and photographs, includes
an illustration booklet, a multimedia disk and adocumentary film on DVD

The present conflict between the Muslim-majority Azerbaijan and its
neighbor Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh began in1988

Nagorno-Karabakh, an Azerbaijan territory, is presently occupied by
Armenian troops

In 1992, Armenia launched attacks on Azerbaijan and occupied some
20 percent of its territory, includingNagorno-Karabakh and seven
neighboring districts

"In 1994, we and Armenia signed a cease-fire agreement which ended
the war," Hajiyev said

Presently, the co-chairs of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group (comprisingrepresentatives
from Russia, France and the United States) are mediating between the
two warring countries

The OSCE Minsk Group was established in 1992 to work for a peaceful,
negotiated settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakhconflict between the
former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia

As part of its efforts to regain its territory from Armenia,
Azerbaijan tabled a draft resolution titled "TheSituation in the
Occupied Territories of Azerbaijan" at the UN General Assembly

The Resolution (No. A/62/L.42) was adopted on March 14, 2008, by
the 62nd UN General Assembly with 39 in favor toseven against, with
100 abstentions

Indonesia, a member of the Organization of the Islamic Conference
like Azerbaijan, was one of the countries thatsupported the resolution

"We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Indonesia and
its people for the valuable support for thisresolution at the UN,"
Hajiyev said.

SCHIFF SAFE IN CONGRESS RACE
By Charles Cooper

Pasadena Independent
April 10 2008
CA

Democrat Adam Schiff, seeking his fourth term in the 29th Congressional
District, has this year at least reached the status of having a safe
district with little or no opposition.

The district has 43 percent Democratic registration, 29 percent
Republican, and 23 percent Independent.

Schiff, 47, launched into the House after one of the most expensive
and hotly contested races in recent years, defeating Republican Jim
Rogan in 2000.

Rogan, a young star of the Republican Party at the time, was targeted
as one of the House prosecutors in the impeachment trial of President
Bill Clinton. Despite massive financial support from conservative
activists across the country, he was outspent and defeated by Schiff,
whom he’d defeated in an earlier race for State Assembly.

Schiff, who served four years in the State Senate and is a former
federal prosecutor, almost immediately established his credentials as
a moderate by joining the Blue Dog Democrats in the House, a moderate
to conservative coalition which concentrated on budget issues.

He had no substantial opposition in later elections, though in 2006
he was targeted from the right and the left, particularly from peace
advocates who were unhappy with his position on Iraq.

This year, he has no Democratic opponent in the primary, and little
known challengers in Republican Charles Hahn and Libertarian Alan
Pyeatt. Hahn is a financial advisor from Burbank and Pyeatt an engineer
from Glendale.

Schiff, who has raised $570,000 for this year’s campaign, compared
to $18,000 for his opponents, has moved into a leadership role in
the newly Democratic Congress. He serves both on the Appropriations
and the Judiciary Committee, and has just been named to the Select
Intelligence Oversight Committee.

He has worked on national security issues, including nuclear
proliferation, has pushed for ratification of the 9-11 commission
recommendations, and is a leader on international copyright and
anti-piracy efforts. He has also become the leading Congressional
spokesman for U.S. recognition of the Armenian genocide.

Local issues of major concern for Schiff include extension of the
Gold Line, a project he helped rescue from the MTA scrap heap, and
a study of expanding the Santa Monica Mountains conservancy through
establishment of a Rim of the Valley corridor.

Schiff has been on the short list for some time to run for U.S.

Senate if either seat opens, and is a pledged super delegate for
Barack Obama.

ISRAEL ASSURES TURKEY THAT SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE WILL NOT BE RECOGNIZED

Azeri Press Agency
April 8 2008
Azerbaijan

Ankara-APA. Murad Marjan, head of Turkish parliamentary delegation
expressed his confidence that so-called Armenian genocide would not be
recognized in Israeli Parliament, APA reports quoting "Anadolu" agency.

Murad Marjan, head of Foreign Relations Commission sated that Israeli
President Shimon Peres, state officials assured them that so-called
Armenian genocide would not be recognized. Marjan noted that Israel
expects more from Turkey.

"We should understand anxiety of Israel on security in the region",
he said.

Meretz Party has raised so-called Armenian genocide in Knesset.

CENTRAL BANK OF ARMENIA LIFTS INTEREST RATE FURTHER AS INFLATION ACCELERATES
by Venla Sipila

World Markets Research Center
Global Insight
April 7, 2008

The Board of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) in their 2 April meeting
decided to lift the CBA’s annual refinancing rate by a further 25
basis points, ARKA News reports. This move takes the main policy rate
to 6.5%. The interest rate was increased by a similar magnitude in
March as well as February, having been left unchanged in January. The
Board indicated that high and accelerating inflation in international
food markets over the first quarter of the year has been reflected
in Armenian food prices, further leading to rising cost of non-food
goods and services.

Indeed, ARKA News further reports that consumer prices in Armenia in
March increased by 1.4% month-on-month (m/m), leading to the annual
inflation rate shooting up to 9.6%. The corresponding rates in February
registered 1.1% m/m and 7.5% year-on-year (y/y). Compared with the
end of 2007, Armenian consumer prices increased by 4.8% by the end of
March, further data from the National Statistical Service show. The
CBA board pledges gradual further tightening of monetary and credit
policy in order to contain near term inflationary pressures, to allay
inflation expectations and to counteract the secondary effects that
risk arising from the external inflation forces. Armenian consumer
price inflation ended year 2007 at 6.6%, averaging 4.4% for 2007
(see Armenia: 2 January 2008: ).

Significance:The CBA’s inflation-targeting policy has proved relatively
successful over recent years, even if implying strong appreciation of
the dram exchange rate, in conditions of strong foreign remittance
and FDI inflows. However, over March, the exchange rate of the dram
against the U.S. dollar was reported to have remained virtually stable,
while the first quarter of the year witnessed weakening of the dram. In
addition to Armenian inflation being pushed upwards from the cost side
due to high prices of food, also demand side price pressures persist,
as the robust GDP growth has proved somewhat more reluctant to cool
than we previously expected. Domestic demand is partly boosted by
fiscal spending.

Adding these recent overheating signs to the effect of persistently
high food and energy prices, inflation pressure in Armenia is likely
to remain considerable in the near term, making achieving the target
specified by the CBA at 4% (with 1.5% on either side) a challenging
task.

ARMENIAN CONSULATE OPEN IN THE HAGUE

armradio.am
07.04.2008 17:10

According to RA Foreign Minister’s order, from March 1 a Consulate of
Armenia was founded in the Hague, the consular area of which includes
the whole territory of the Kingdom of Netherlands.

Connected with some technical matters, the Consulate was in the stage
of organization, and it will start to fully operate on April 9.

Beeline brand comes into operation in Armenia

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.04.2008 15:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Beeline trademark was officially presented in
Armenia on April 7, VympelCom’s vice president for development of
business in CIS Dmitry Pleskonos told reporters in Yerevan today.

The brand will be presented by ArmetTel, VympelCom’s subsidiary in
Armenia, the 7th country where Beeline launches its brand.

"ArmenTel’s inclusion in the group of companies working with
Beeline trademark is a serious achievement for our international
brand and an important step in aspiration to join world leaders in
the field. Providing services under a common brand is logical and
understandable for consumers," Mr Pleskonos said.

"New-designed SIM-cards and recharge cards will be put on sale from
April 7. All contracts will remain valid," he said. "Launching the
brand in Armenia we are introducing the experience gained during many
years of work in various countries. At that, we want to preserve the
best ArmenTel traditions allowing for peculiarity of the Armenian
market."

According to Interbrand Zintzmeyer & Lux AG consulting company,
Beeline’s cost reaches $7,2 billion. VypelCom has branches operating
in Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Georgia and
Armenia. It’s the first Russian company included in the NYSE VIP
stock list.