Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

Lragir, Armenia
Nov 10 2006

HAY DAT FACILITATES VICTORY OF DEMOCRATS

The excited and hopeful exclamations celebrating the victory of the
Democrats still can be heard in the Armenian Diaspora of the United
States, and the Armenian state propaganda machine guarantees
information support. Everyone expects that the bills on the
recognition of the Genocide, which were rejected formerly, will be
passed in a couple of minutes by the Democratic Congress. The
Armenian Diaspora, namely the Armenians who uphold Hay Dat (the
Armenian cause) are most probably in a state of amnesy caused by
extreme joy. Meanwhile, if their memory recovered, the victory of the
Democrats would not appear as a reason for the joy of the pro-Hay Dat
Armenians.

In the history of the United States, including the recent history the
Democrats have been majority in the Congress for several times. But
everyone knows that the U.S. Congress has never adopted a resolution
recognizing the Armenian Genocide. And it means that the recognition
of the Armenian genocide has nothing to do with the Democrats or the
Republicans in power. For the United States, this issue is a
geopolitical one, and not only the United States but also for the
other countries which recognize or try to recognize the Genocide.

In this case, it is ingenuous to think that with the arrival of the
Democrats the Turks will not get away with it. But of course, the
presumption of non-ingenuousness of the organizations of the Diaspora
upholding Hay Dat and their Armenian counterparts should be honored.
And if a person is not ingenuous but insists that with the victory of
the Democrats the possibility of adoption of the bills increases,
either they have every reason for optimism or they pursue other
goals. For instance, the geopolitical situation may allow for
optimist, which can arrange the things so that the recognition of the
Genocide may become instrumental for the United States in its
relations with Turkey. These relations are not having their best
times, of course. But the United States has more serious instruments
for setting their relation with Turkey on a desirable track than the
Armenian Genocide. It is the issue of sovereignty of the Kurds.

The Unites States can use this issue to give rise to a greater threat
for Turkey than the bills on the Genocide. Moreover, presently, the
bills on the Genocide are successfully used by the countries of the
EU as an instrument to block the membership of Turkey to the EU, of
course, if all the other means prove ineffective. Therefore, in
Europe they keep the fire burning to kindle it whenever necessary.
Meanwhile, for the United States, the presence of Turkey in the EU is
only positive, for it would be desirable for the United States to
have another country under its influence inside this organization.
Consequently, for a long time the United States will not use the
issue of the Genocide against Turkey. At least as long as Europe uses
this issue.

Hence, it appears that there is another purpose to celebrate the
victory of the Democrats in the context of the recognition of the
Genocide. And this purpose probably is different from the goal of the
Armenians of Armenia and worldwide because it has too little relation
to still the only recognized Armenian state in the world. The
relevant organizations of the Diaspora and their Armenian
counterparts are obliged to celebrate the victory of the Democrats
and present it in a favorable light in terms of Hay Dat. These
organizations do not have another way of justifying the spending of
millions of dollars, and the victory of the Democrats was a vital
necessity for them to say that the money raised from the Diasora for
the recognition of the Genocide and the fair settlement of Hay Dat
was not wasted and reached somewhere by favoring the victory of the
Democrats. But the problem is not only to justify the millions they
have already spent but to guarantee the raising of more millions, for
the money was spent on the first stage on the track of the solution
of Hay Dat – support for the victory of the Democrats, now raise more
to implement the second stage – the adoption of the bill by the
Democrats.

HAKOB BADALYAN
From: Baghdasarian

ASIAN GAMES TORCH IN ESFAHAN

Peninsula On-line, Qatar
Nov 9 2006

A man astride a horse carries the 15th Asian Games torch in Mashad,
Iran.

Esfahan ~U The 15th Doha Asian Games Torch Relay left the Holy City
of Mashad, Iran, and reached the 2006 Cultural Capital of the Islamic
world, the ancient Iranian city of Esfahan.

A bright and clear, sunny day greeted the Flame Plane as it touched
down at Esfahan Shahid Beheshti International Airport yesterday.

H E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al-Thani, the 15th Asian Games Torch Relay
Ambassador, was welcomed by girls and boys dressed in brightly coloured
traditional outfits as he walked down the steps from the aircraft.

Sheikh Joaan was welcomed by the dignitaries from the province of
Esfahan, Governor, Dr Mourteza Saghaian Nejad; Mayor, Dr. Sayaid
Morteza Saghaiannejari; together with the Secretary-General of
Physical Education, Behrouz Momtakhabi and representatives from
the Iranian Olympic Committee; President Dr Reza Gharakhanlou and
Secretary General Ali Kafashian.

The Torch Relay started the day with a reading from the Koran at
Monar-e-Jonban, the Shaking Minarets.

First Torch-bearer, the city Mayor, Bakhtiari, stood under the famous
minarets which both shake in harmony if one is vibrated by someone
inside. Once the shaking began, the Relay was off on its six hour,
40km route through the city. Bakhtiari ran across a small footpath
then exchanged the Flame with Momtakhabi. The Relay continued on
along the Atashgah Boulevard before crossing the 186m Marnan Bridge,
built in 1636CE by the Armenian administrator, Khaje Sarfaraz.

After a loop up to Sofeh Park, taking in the beautiful Armenian Vank
Church, the Torch Route hugged the banks of the Ziyande River:

Three more bridges were crossed, the Khagou Bridge, built during the
Safavid Dynasty; the Sharestan Bridge, the oldest bridge in Esfahan and
the Siospol Bridge, a unique construction with 33 spectacular arches.

Some of the alternative modes of transport used in the Esfahan leg
of the Relay included grass skiers, a first for the 2006 Relay,
kayaks on the Ziyande River – the kayaks escorting the Flame showing
their commitment to the day by capsizing to show the Torch Relay
logo emblazoned on their bottoms – and a horse and carriage along
Charbagh Street.

As dusk fell on the city, the Flame arrived on horseback at the UNESCO
World Heritage Site and second largest city square in the world,
the Naghsh-I Jahan Square.

Overlooked by the breathtaking Shah and Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosques on
the southern and eastern sides of the square, the Flame was handed
to Ahmad Reza Kiani and Ali Malekpour who were joined by taekwondo
world champion and Athens 2004 gold medallist, Hadi Saee.

Saee, Malekpour and Kiani walked along 76 metres of beautiful,
hand-woven Persian carpet to the Torch Relay celebration site.

Together they ignited the cauldron which initiated the performance of
a traditional Iranian song sung in three languages; Arabic, English
and Farsi, and a performance from a twirling dance troupe.

Today, the Flame travels to its last stop in Iran, the capital city
Tehran, which hosted the 1974 Asian Games.
From: Baghdasarian

NO ONE WANTS THIS TO HAPPEN

Lragir, Armenia
Nov 9 2006

The President of the Republic of Armenia – Mr. Robert Kocharian
The President of the Mountainous Republic of Karabakh – Mr. Arkady
Ghoukassian

We would like to draw your attention to a recent series of reports
that have appeared in both the Armenian and diasporan press focusing
on the worsening socio-economic situation in the Kashatagh region. As
a result, Armenians are leaving this vitally strategic area in
increasing numbers.

When the Karabagh war ended, Armenians the world over heaved a
collective sigh of relief and jubilation. After years of struggle and
much sacrifice, Artsakh was once again delivered into the hands of
its rightful owners. So too had Kashatagh (Lachin), the lands once
artificially separating Armenia from Artsakh, been liberated.

But Kashatagh needed an influx of Armenians to make the land flourish
once again. Therefore, in 1994, Armenia initiated a much-heralded
policy of repopulating Kashatagh and its environs. Primarily,
Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan and other indigent families
from Armenia were encouraged to move to Kashatagh with promises of
generous financial and material assistance. Many did heed the call and
moved to Kashatagh. Given the fact that Armenia itself was in dire
financial straits at the time, this initiative was both commendable
and noble. According to various sources, Kashatagh’s repopulation
reached a peak of about 20,000 in the late 1990s. Today, however,
the remaining population has dipped below 10,000. Some say it has
reached a low of 7,000. In the last few years, authorities of the
NKR have taken over the governance of Kashatagh from Armenia, and
yet the situation has continued to deteriorate.

Armenians who initially were encouraged to move there now feel a sense
of neglect and isolation. Surprisingly, some news reports cite the
fact that many local officials agree that the situation in Kashatagh
needs immediate attention. We fear that if conditions do not improve,
we soon might be facing an area of land devoid of Armenians. No one
wants this to happen.

We the undersigned find it troubling that the responsible authorities
in Armenia and Karabakh seem to be indifferent to the unfolding tragedy
in Kashatagh. Therefore, we ask that your respective governments
analyze the situation and take the necessary measures to ameliorate
the conditions faced by the residents of Kashatagh and thus reverse
the present exodus from the region.

We also ask that your governments clarify their positions regarding
the resettlement policy in Kashatagh. Unfortunately, many Armenians
there believe they have been betrayed and are to be used as pawns in
future political negotiations. The Armenians of Kashatagh deserve to
know where they stand.

As Armenians concerned with the plight of our compatriots in
Kashatagh we can no longer remain silent when faced with the inaction,
mismanagement, and dare we say, corruption, that is the hallmark of
many local officials in Kashatagh. "Business as usual" should not be
tolerated and we urge you to take appropriate and quick action.

Respectfully,

Coalition in Support of Kashatagh.
From: Baghdasarian

FORUM 18 NEWS SERVICE, Oslo, Norway

The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one’s belief or religion
The right to join together and express one’s belief

========================================== ======
Thursday 9 November 2006
NAGORNO-KARABAKH: NO GUARANTEES FOR RELIGIOUS CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS

The proposed Nagorno-Karabakh Constitution may have little practical
impact. However, human rights activists and religious believers are
concerned, they have told Forum 18 News Service, about the absence of any
guarantee of alternative non-military service. "If alternative service is
not there in the constitution, it doesn’t make it impossible for it to be
introduced later – the Constitution is not dogma. But it does make it more
difficult," Albert Voskanyan of the Centre for Civilian Initiatives told
Forum 18. "It is bad that such a provision is not there, just as it is bad
it is not there in the Armenian Constitution," Jehovah’s Witness lawyer
Lyova Markaryan told Forum 18. Two Jehovah’s Witnesses and one Baptist
have been jailed in recent years for refusing military service on grounds
of conscience. Some have also expressed concern about the draft
Constitution’s recognition of the Armenian Apostolic Church’s "exclusive
mission" as the "national church."

NAGORNO-KARABAKH: NO GUARANTEES FOR RELIGIOUS CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS

By Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service <;

Human rights activists and religious believers have told Forum 18 News
Service of their concern about the absence of a guarantee of alternative
non-military service in the draft Constitution. This was approved almost
unanimously by the Nagorno-Karabakh parliament on 1 November and is due to
be voted on in a referendum on 10 December.

If approved, the Constitution will be the first for the unrecognised
entity of Nagorno-Karabakh in the South Caucasus. As with constitutions in
other parts of the region, this constitution is unlikely to be more than a
decorative document.

Despite this, it may still cause problems. The proposed article 57
requires all to take part in the entity’s defence and makes no mention of
any alternative service. "Society and the authorities here are not ready
for this," Albert Voskanyan of the Centre for Civilian Initiatives told
Forum 18 from the capital Stepanakert on 2 November. "If alternative
service is not there in the constitution, it doesn’t make it impossible
for it to be introduced later – the Constitution is not dogma. But it does
make it more difficult."

Hoping for the introduction of alternative service were the Jehovah’s
Witnesses, two of whom have been sentenced in Nagorno-Karabakh in recent
years for refusing military service on grounds of conscience. One, Areg
Hovhanesyan, is still serving his four-year sentence in the prison in
Shusha (see F18News 22 February 2005
< e_id=517>). "It is bad that such
a provision is not there, just as it is bad it is not there in the Armenian
Constitution," Jehovah’s Witness lawyer Lyova Markaryan told Forum 18 from
the Armenian capital Yerevan on 6 November. "It would be better if it were
there. This would enhance the rights of individuals to confess their
religion."

A Baptist conscript, Gagik Mirzoyan, has also been jailed in
Nagorno-Karabakh for refusing to swear the military oath and bear arms on
grounds of conscience. Although now out of prison and back in a military
unit, it is unclear whether the authorities will take further action
against him (see F18News 18 September 2006
< e_id=841>). Fellow Baptist
Garnik Abreyan told Forum 18, from Stepanakert on 6 November, that
Mirzoyan is "well" and "has no complaints" in his unit.

Voskanyan of the Centre for Civilian Initiatives told Forum 18 that
Mirzoyan was visited twice in his unit by the military prosecutor’s office
since being freed from prison, but is now being left to serve without
swearing the military oath and without weapons. "The authorities don’t
want any fuss about his case right now, but we don’t know what will happen
to Gagik in future."

Voskanyan said his group wrote to the entity’s parliament on 30 October,
calling for the provision of an alternative non-military service to be
introduced in the draft constitution. "Fully realising the complexity of
the situation of ‘neither war, nor peace’," his group told parliament, "we
are sure that the given measure would not pose a threat to national
security, as international practice shows that those who take up
alternative civilian service comprise an insignificant percentage of the
total number of those called up."

However, Ashot Gulyan, the speaker of the Nagorno-Karabakh parliament,
told Forum 18 from Stepanakert on 6 November that, given the absence of a
final peace agreement, "we can’t allow other forms of service". He
dismissed suggestions that only a handful of people would opt for
alternative service were it to be introduced, even if such service were
for example in medical facilities along the frontline. But he claimed the
Nagorno-Karabakh authorities would consider such alternative service "in
the future".

Nagorno-Karabakh has adopted Armenia’s Criminal Code, which also punishes
conscientious objection – see eg. F18News 23 February 2006
< e_id=733>. With backing from
Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh fought a bitter war with Azerbaijan in the late
1980s and early 1990s. One Armenian citizen, Jehovah’s Witness
conscientious objector Armen Grigoryan, who was illegally deported from
Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh, was given a two-year prison term in Karabakh
and sent back to Armenia to serve the sentence (see F18News 7 July 2005
< e_id=600> and 17 May 2005
< e_id=563>).

Voskanyan of the Centre for Civilian Initiatives – who has campaigned for
the release of imprisoned conscientious objectors – stressed to Forum 18
that his group will continue to lobby for alternative service to be
included both in the constitution and in other laws and practice.

Some human rights activists and religious minorities have also expressed
concern about a provision in the draft Constitution recognising the
Armenian Apostolic Church’s "exclusive mission" as the "national church in
the spiritual life of the people of Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh] and in the
cause of the development of its national culture and preservation of
national identity". Markaryan of the Jehovah’s Witnesses described the
provision to Forum 18 as "a sign of no tolerance".

But parliamentary speaker Gulyan dismissed any concerns. "The word
‘exclusive’ does not exclude anything," he told Forum 18. "This will have
no negative impact on other faiths."

Asked why, if the provision will have no impact, it was included in the
draft, Gulyan responded: "It is to show we come from a long Christian
tradition over many centuries and that we respect the role of the Armenian
Apostolic Church." Asked whether this provision referred solely to the
past, he replied: "It applies to the past, to today and to the future."

The controversial provision – which is lifted almost word-for-word from
the 2005 constitution of neighbouring Armenia – comes in Article 10 part 2
of the draft constitution.

Parliamentary speaker Gulyan stressed to Forum 18 that part 1 of Article
10 guarantees that religion is separate from the state. "For us, part 1 is
more important. The state doesn’t interfere in religious issues." He also
pointed out that Article 26 guarantees freedom of thought, religion and
belief and the free functioning of religious communities "functioning in
the order prescribed by law". Asked to explain this phrase, Gulyan said
that this refers to religious communities which have state registration.
Asked what this means for religious communities that do not have or do not
want legal status he gave contradictory replies. "Religious communities
can’t function without registration," he declared first. He then mentioned
Baptists and others who function without legal status. "They meet, don’t
they? That’s OK."

The Jehovah’s Witnesses – who claim more than 200 adherents in
Nagorno-Karabakh, mostly in Stepanakert – are one of the more visible
religious minorities. Markaryan said they are not obstructed in holding
meetings in private homes. He said the community has not sought legal
status in Karabakh as no religion law exists setting out such rights to
such status. He said partly for that reason the community has not tried to
build a Kingdom Hall for meetings in Stepanakert.

Abreyan, a leader of the Council of Churches Baptist congregation in
Stepanakert, who refuse on principle to register with the authorities,
said he had not studied the draft of the constitution. "Maybe this
provision would be a minus," he told Forum 18, "but I don’t have time to
devote to politics." He said his church can currently meet for worship. In
the past, his and other small Protestant congregations have been obstructed
in trying to meet for worship (see F18News 27 September 2004
< e_id=420>).

Members of other Protestant denominations with small groups in
Nagorno-Karabakh declined to comment on the draft constitution or on the
life of their communities.

Voskanyan of the Centre for Civilian Initiatives rejected the idea of
giving the Armenian Church any exclusive mission in the new constitution.
"I believe this is not right," he told Forum 18. "There should be no
monopoly for any one Church. Our people have just copied this from the
Armenian Constitution." (END)

A printer-friendly map of the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh is
available at
< s/atlas/index.html?Parent=asia&Rootmap=azerba& gt;
within the map titled ‘Azerbaijan’.
(END)

© Forum 18 News Service. All rights reserved. ISSN 1504-2855
You may reproduce or quote this article provided that credit is given to
F18News

Past and current Forum 18 information can be found at

From: Baghdasarian

ROBERT KOCHARYAN: IT SEEMS NO AGREEMENT ON RESOLUTION OF KARABAKH CONFLICT WILL BE THIS YEAR

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Nov 7 2006

"The year 2006 is a year of opportunities, since there were no
elections either in Armenia or Azerbaijan", Robert Kocharyan, President
of Armenia, said at the meeting with the Armenian community of Astana.

Kazakh Mass Media reports that President Kocharyan pointed out that
Armenian side tried to actively conduct negotiations with Azeri
side on resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, but, unfortunately,
no success was achieved.

The President said that Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan
recently held a meeting on finding the ways to resolve the conflict.

The President admits a possibility of meeting with President Alyev in
Minsk in the end of November but it much depends upon the results of
the Foreign Ministers’ meeting. "There is nothing definite about it
yet. The latest meetings with President Alyev weren’t optimistic and
it seems no agreement will be reached this year either", concluded
President Kocharyan.
From: Baghdasarian

OTE HAS NOT OFFICIALLY PRESENTED ARMENTEL BUYER TO ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT YET

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.11.2006 17:35 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ OTE Greek company has not presented official
documents on selling 90% of ArmenTel telecommunication company shares
to Russian VimpelCom, Armenian PM Andranik Margaryan stated today. In
his words, "the parties still continue the talks and the Armenian
Government will make comments only after the OTE officially presents
the buyer," reports Mediamax.
From: Baghdasarian

FESTIVAL OF AMERICAN AND ARMENIAN MUSIC IS HELD IN YEREVAN

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 6 2006

US composer Laura Kaminsky, Armenian composer-pianist Artur Avanesov,
and Armenian pianist Margarit Sargsyan are presenting three concerts
in Armenia in cooperation with Komitas State Conservatory of Music.

This celebration of contemporary American and Armenian music was
supported by a grant from CEC ArtsLink. The first concert will be
held at Naregatsi Art Institute on November 6, and the second two
will be held at Komitas Chamber Music Hall on November 7 and 8.

Laura Kaminsky has a longstanding connection to Armenia dating back
to 1996 when she worked with two talented young Armenian musicians in
Poland and throughout central Europe. In 2002, Ms. Kaminsky visited
Yerevan for the first time to perform a concert at the invitation of
the Society of Composers and Musicologists. Ms. Kaminsky’s relationship
with Armenian composers endured, and led to her organizing this
November’s concert series with her Armenian colleagues.

Laura Kaminsky is Dean of the Conservatory of Music at Purchase
College/SUNY. Previously, she served as Chair of the Department of
Music at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, Washington. She is
also co-founder and Artistic Director of Musicians Accord, a new music
collective based in New York and dedicated to 20th and 21st century
chamber music. Composer Laura Kaminsky’s works have been performed
throughout the United States and abroad, including in Eastern Europe,
Latin America, and West Africa.
From: Baghdasarian

TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL CORRUPTION PERCEPTIONS INDEX

Agence France Presse — English
November 6, 2006 Monday 10:17 AM GMT

Rankings of 163 nations studied by anti-corruption watchdog
Transparency International for its annual Corruption Perceptions Index,
released on Monday.

The index score relates to perceptions of the degree of corruption as
seen by business people and country analysts and ranges between zero,
which is highly corrupt, and 10, which is very clean.

Country, rank (score out of 10)

=1. Finland 9.6

=1. Iceland 9.6

=1. New Zealand 9.6

4. Denmark 9.5

5. Singapore 9.4

6. Sweden 9.2

7. Switzerland 9.1

8. Norway 8.8

=9. Australia 8.7

=9. Netherlands 8.7

=11. Austria 8.6

=11. Luxembourg 8.6

=11. United Kingdom 8.6

14. Canada 8.5

15. Hong Kong 8.3

16. Germany 8.0

17. Japan 7.6

= 18. France 7.4

= 18. Ireland 7.4

=20. Belgium 7.3

=20. Chile 7.3

=20. United States 7.3

23. Spain 6.8

=24. Barbados 6.7

=24. Estonia 6.7

=26. Macau 6.6

=26. Portugal 6.6

=28. Malta 6.4

=28. Slovenia 6.4

=28. Uruguay 6.4

31. UAE 6.2

=32. Bhutan 6.0

=32. Qatar 6.0

=34. Israel 5.9

=34. Taiwan 5.9

36. Bahrain 5.7

=37. Botswana 5.6

=37. Cyprus 5.6

39. Oman 5.4

40. Jordan 5.3

41. Hungary 5.2

=42. Mauritius 5.1

=42. South Korea 5.1

44. Malaysia 5.0

45. Italy 4.9

=46. Czech Republic 4.8

=46. Kuwait 4.8

=46. Lithuania 4.8

=49. Latvia 4.7

=49. Slovakia 4.7

=51. South Africa 4.6

=51. Tunisia 4.6

53. Dominica 4.5

54. Greece 4.4

=55. Costa Rica 4.1

=55. Namibia 4.1

=57. Bulgaria 4.0

=57. El Salvador 4.0

59. Colombia 3.9

60. Turkey 3.8

=61. Jamaica 3.7

=61. Poland 3.7

=63. Lebanon 3.6

=63. Seychelles 3.6

=63. Thailand 3.6

=66. Belize 3.5

=66. Cuba 3.5

=66. Grenada 3.5

69. Croatia 3.4

=70. Brazil 3.3

=70. China 3.3

=70. Egypt 3.3

=70. Ghana 3.3

=70. India 3.3

=70. Mexico 3.3

=70. Peru 3.3

=70. Saudi Arabia 3.3

=70. Senegal 3.3

=79. Burkina Faso 3.2

=79. Lesotho 3.2

=79. Moldova 3.2

=79. Morocco 3.2

=79. Trinidad and Tobago 3.22

=84. Algeria 3.1

=84. Madagascar 3.1

=84. Mauritania 3.1

=84. Panama 3.1

=84. Romania 3.1

=84. Sri Lanka 3.1

=90. Gabon 3.0

=90. Serbia 3.0

=90. Suriname 3.0

=93. Argentina 2.9

=93. Armenia 2.9

=93. Bosnia and Hercegovina 2.9

=93. Eritrea 2.9

=93. Syria 2.9

=93. Tanzania 2.9

=99. Dominican Republic 2.8

=99. Georgia 2.8

=99. Mali 2.8

=99. Mongolia 2.8

=99. Mozambique 2.8

=99. Ukraine 2.8

=105. Bolivia 2.7

=105. Iran 2.7

=105. Libya 2.7

=105. Macedonia 2.7

=105. Malawi 2.7

=105. Uganda 2.7

=111. Albania 2.6

=111. Guatemala 2.6

=111. Kazakhstan 2.6

=111. Laos 2.6

=111. Nicaragua 2.6

=111. Paraguay 2.6

=111. Timor-Leste 2.6

=111. Vietnam 2.6

=111. Yemen 2.6

=111. Zambia 2.6

=121. Benin 2.5

=121. Gambia 2.5

=121. Guyana 2.5

=121. Honduras 2.5

=121. Nepal 2.5

=121. Philippines 2.5

=121. Russia 2.5

=121. Rwanda 2.5

=121. Swaziland 2.5

=130. Azerbaijan 2.4

=130. Burundi 2.4

=130. Central African Republic 2.4

=130. Ethiopia 2.4

=130. Indonesia 2.4

=130. Papua New Guinea 2.4

=130. Togo 2.4

=130. Zimbabwe 2.4

=138. Cameroon 2.3

=138. Ecuador 2.3

=138. Niger 2.3

=138. Venezuela 2.3

=142. Angola 2.2

=142. Congo 2.2

=142. Kenya 2.2

=142. Kyrgyzstan 2.2

=142. Nigeria 2.2

=142. Pakistan 2.2

=142. Sierra Leone 2.2

=142. Tajikistan 2.2

=142. Turkmenistan 2.2

=151. Belarus 2.1

=151. Cambodia 2.1

=151. Ivory Coast 2.1

=151. Equatorial Guinea 2.1

=151. Uzbekistan 2.1

=156. Bangladesh 2.0

=156. Chad 2.0

=156. Democratic Republic of Congo 2.0

=156. Sudan 2.0

=160. Guinea 1.9

=160. Iraq 1.9

=160. Myanmar 1.9

163. Haiti 1.8
From: Baghdasarian

Dow Jones
Nov 3 2006

VimpelCom Opprtunities In Armenia ‘Endless’

Friday, November 03, 2006 11:35:56 AM ET
Dow Jones Newswires

1522 GMT [Dow Jones] Deutsche Bank says VimpelCom’s (VIP)
opportunities in Armenia "are endless," after its purchase of a
company there from OTE. Notes VimpelCom now has 50% share of the
mobile market there. Says it’s positive that mobile penetration is
still very low in Armenia, and that it’s too early to say whether the
price paid was fair, as there is no break-up of financial results
available for the mobile and fixed-line sector. Rates VimpelCom
shares buy. (AIG)
From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN BOYS AND GIRLS PARTICIPATED IN DELPHIC GAMES RETURN FROM ASTANA WITH 5 GOLD MEDALS

Noyan Tapan
Nov 02 2006

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. 13 Armenian representatives
participated in the 4th youth Delphic Games of CIS countries taken
place in the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana, on October 26-30, returned
with 12 prizes, including 5 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze medals and 4
diplomas. Armenian youth performed in 7 of 15 nominations: piano,
violin, flute, painting, web-design, circus art, people’s song. As
Karine Khodikian, the RA Deputy Minister of Culture and Youth Issues
mentioned at the November 1 press conference, 600 representatives from
the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Azerbaijan,
Tajikistan, Kyrghyzstan, Armenia and Kazakhstan participated in
the Delphin Games. Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan did not participate
in the games. The Deputy Minister mentioned that Russia is on the
first place with the number of gold medals: 9 gold medals from 43
participants. Armenia is on the second place with 5 golden medals
and 13 participants. The Delphic Games will be held the next year, in
2007, in the capital of Belarus, Minsk. K.Khodikian mentioned besides
the competition, events were also held in the spheres of people’s
instruments and people’s applied art. According to the regulations
of holding the games, "The Delegation’s Day" event was envisaged
as well, during which the delegation of every state presented its
country’s culture, national song and dance, kitchen as well as short
information about their countries’ geography, history, traditions.
From: Baghdasarian