Author: Chakrian Hovsep

ACCORDING TO ARMEN ASHOTIAN, CERTAIN MEDIA RESEMBLE "WITNESSES OF LEVON" SECT

Noyan Tapan
Dec 14, 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 14, NOYAN TAPAN. The members of the Azeri delegation,
who were taking part in the Dartmouth conference held on December
6-9, were openly expressing their enthusiasm in connection with
the nomination of the candidature of Levon Ter-Petrosian, the first
President of the Republic of Armenia, in the presidential elections
of Armenia. This information was provided by Armen Ashotian, a member
of the Armenian delegation of the conference and a member of the Board
of the Republican party. Azeris, according to him, expect the victory
of Levon Ter-Petrosian with all the consequences proceeding from it:
in partucular, the readiness for making essential concessions with
regard to the Nagorno Karabakh problem.

Armen Ashotian denied the allegation of the journalist of the "Taregir"
electronic newspaper, according to which he, holding the post of
the Chairman of the student council of the Medical University, had,
allegedly, forced other students to take part in the rallies organized
within the frameworks of the campaign of Levon Ter-Petrosian. Armen
Ashotian declared that he became chairman of the student union only
in 1999, that is to say, when Levon Ter-Petrosian, in his words,
"had already become a history."

The political figure of the Republican Party of Armenia mentioned that
perhaps certain journalists would feel good if he "praised the first
President for hours." "You praised him then," the journalist of the
"Taregir" opposed. In response, Armen Ashotian declared that certain
media resemble a sect, which can be called "witnesses of Levon."

Passenger traffic has grown by 118% at Yerevan airport

2007-12-14 12:32:00

ArmInfo. Over 11 months of the current year the Yerevan international
airport Zvartnots gave service to 233 831 (118% growth) more passengers
than at the same period of 2006, press-secretary of Civil Aviation Main
Department Gayane Davtyan told ArmInfo correspondent.

She also added that the number of the passengers that left the country
in January-November of the current year was 651 408 people which is by
121,5 thsd people more than at the same period of 2006. At the same
time 617 623 people arrived in the Yerevan airport over the reported
period, whereas their number was 505,3 thsd people in 2006. In general,
the airport gave service to about 1,3 mln passengers and 7230 flights
against 6060 in 2006.

In January-November of the current year 5770 tons of cargo were taken
to Armenia against 4530 tons in 2006. At the same time the volume of
the exported cargo reduced by 659 tons. Total volume of cargo traffic
amounted to 8898 tons.

Nevertheless because of temporary ceasing of Shirak airport of Gyumri,
the passenger traffic fell by 63% and cargo traffic by 58% there over
the reported period.

AN ARMENIAN KILLED

A1+
[03:55 pm] 13 December, 2007

Another Armenian was killed in the Russian Federation a day
ago. 23-year-old Vahagn left one of the restaurants in St Petersburg
late at night, where they were marking his 16-year-old brother’s
birthday. A group of men approached him in the street and stabbed
with a knife and hit with an iron tube on the head.

The witnesses tell that the local residents heard shouts, came to
the place of the incident and called ambulance. Vahagn was taken to
hospital and operated on immediately. The operation lasted 24 hours,
after which Vahagn lived one day only. The next day he died in the
hospital.

The police qualified this crime as a robbery, a hooligan
misdeed. Vahagn’s relatives do not agree with this version since if
it was done for robbery purposes only, the robbers would steal the
golden ring, besides the wallet and the mobile phone.

Vahagn’s corpse will be brought to Yerevan today.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT: CIS COUNTRIES’ CUSTOMS AGENCIES NEED CLOSER COOPERATION

ARKA News Agency
Dec 14 2007
Armenia

YEREVAN, December 14. /ARKA/. Armenian President Robert Kocharyan
met Friday CIS customs agencies heads, which gathered in Armenia for
their 46th session.

Presidential press office says that Kocharyan stressed the importance
of cooperation among customs agencies of member countries of
Commonwealth of Independent States.

Smuggling-related issues were discussed at the meeting. Special
emphasis was put on introduction of new technologies at checkpoints.

Kocharyan wished success to the meeting participants saying that
business atmosphere in any country heavily depends on whether customs
agencies promote or hobble entrepreneurs’ activities.

The CIS customs agencies heads also discussed prospects for
international customs law reconsideration.

Representatives of Armenia, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova,
Georgia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan took part
in the session.

The council of heads of CIS member countries custom agencies was
established on December 23, 1993 for implementation the norms of
treaty on economic union creation.

The council convenes its session once in every six months.

DON’T DO IT, OTHERWISE YOU WILL BE FINED, COMMITTEE WARNS

Panorama.am
16:54 12/12/2007

The Economic Competition Protection State Committee warned economic
entities today to refrain from raising the prices close to Christmas
by entering into anti-competition arrangements. Ashot Shahnazaryan,
committee chairman, told the session today they are researching the
market both in terms of prices and anti-competition arrangements
taking into consideration the depreciation of the dollar.

The committee will conduct a monitoring of prices from December
15 to January 15 and will announce the results on January 20,
2008. Shahnazaryan said in case of ungrounded prices the committee
will fine the companies.

It must be recalled that in 2006 three big companies entered into
an anti-competition arrangement and raised the prices of egg. By
the committee decision, these companies were fined in the amount
of 1 percent of profit gained in 2005. Today the law dictates that
the companies will be fined in the amount of 2 percent of their
profit. This provision has been applied against companies importing
natural oil and butter.

ARMENIAN CULTURAL CENTRE IN VENICE

Panorama.am
21:21 11/12/2007

Sergey Parajanov’s works exhibition opened in Murad – Rafayelyan
College Palazzo Zenobio hall, Venice. Note that "Armenian Culture
Days" are announced in Italy till May 2008. "More than 30 works of
the artist are presented there, as well as collages, dolls, hats. The
most famous works of collages are presented like "The Fall of Venice"
and "Crying Joconde"," said Laura Harutunyan, the staff employee of
Parajanov’s museum.

According to L. Harutunyan the exhibition of collages will last till
December 12, after, it will be transformed into Rome and here the
exhibition is open till December 30.

Note that recently Ruben Gevorgyanc presented his film devoted to
Toninio Guerra in Venice. Toninio Guerra was present at the film show
and in the end he expressed his gratefulness to Armenians.

Note that Armenian delegation with the head of Hasmik Poghosyan,
the minister of culture left for Italy.

Here the delegation will meet with their Italian colleagues.

SCULPTOR FROM GHARABAGH PARTICIPATED IN SYMPOSIUM IN BRAZIL

Panorama.am
21:22 11/12/2007

Robert Askaryan, a sculptor from Gharabagh took part in symposium
which takes place in Brazil. Askaryan presented his "Guardian Angel"
work made of Brazilian marble. According to the Regnum 245 sculptors
applied for the participation in the competition, and 20 of them were
elected from Europe, Argentine, Turkey and other countries.

Robert Askaryan was the only Armenian present in the competition. "The
representatives of art are always interested in foreign countries
culture. What was done in Brazil was to show that culture can unite
nations, art is a spiritual power, and every nation needs it," said
the sculptor.

ANC-PAC SUPPORTS STATE ASSEMBLY CANDIDATE FURUTANI

armradio.am
12.12.2007 10:03

The Armenian National Committee – Political Action Committee supported
Warren Furutani for California State Assembly. Furutani was serving
his third term as a member of the Los Angeles Community College
Board of Trustees. Furutani has also served two terms on the Los
Angeles Board of Education, the largest school district in the State
of California. The special election in the 55th District was held on
Tuesday, December 11, 2007.

"We look forward to working with Warren and building stronger ties
between the Armenian American and Asian American communities," said
ANC-PAC spokesperson Ara Papazian. "There is a lot of common ground
between our communities," he added.

In a recent meeting with the ANC officials, Furutani discussed issues
of concern to the Armenian American community and opportunities
for greater civic collaboration between Armenian American and
Asian American communities. Furutani also discussed his support for
H.Res.106, the Armenian Genocide resolution and similar human rights
legislation (H.Res.121) that addresses World War II-era human rights
abuses by Japan.

Furutani, a fourth-generation Japanese American, is a longtime educator
and community advocate. He has served as the president of the Los
Angeles Community College Board of Trustees as well as the Los Angeles
Board of Education. He is a candidate for the 55th Assembly District
which became an open seat following Laura Richardson’s election to the
United States House of Representatives earlier this year. The 55th
Assembly District encompasses the areas in and around Wilmington,
Harbor City, Carson, and parts of Long Beach and Lakewood.

Born and raised in southern California, Warren graduated from Gardena
High School and attended several community colleges before receiving
his BA degree from Antioch College.

ALL PRECONDITIONS FOR COUNTRY’S HIGHER SOVEREIGN RATING IN ARMENIA

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Dec 10 2007

YEREVAN, December 10. /ARKA/. All preconditions for gradual increase
of the country’s sovereign rating are available in Armenia, Chairman
of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) Tigran Sargsyan stated at a news
conference held jointly with Board Chairman, Bank VTB, Andrey Kostin.

According to him, evidence thereof is that conceptual problems
indicated in the November report of the Moody’s Investors Service
are incorporated in the Armenian Government’s program.

"The report contains an impartial description of the macroeconomic
situation in Armenia. I basically agree with the key estimates. The
problems are indicated in the right way, and our rating corresponds
to our situation," Sargsyan said.

According to him, the report is chiefly aimed at the Moody’s Agency’s
principal clients.

"The principal subscribers for Moody’s and Fitch, which are Armenia’s
partners, are transnational corporations, which, due to the time
and money saving services, get the most impartial information on
the current market situation, our solvency and their prospects for
immediate future," he said.

This year the international rating agency Moody’s Investors Service
confirmed Armenia’s sovereign foreign and national currency ratings
Ba2.

On July 26, 2006, the agency granted foreign and national currency
ratings Ba2 to Armenia.

The country’s medium- and long-term currency bond rating was set at
Baa3, foreign exchange bank deposit rating at Ba3, debt and foreign
exchange bond rating at A3 and foreign exchange bank deposit rating
at Baal.

ARMENIA SHOULD TAKE STEPS TO TACKLE INFLATION -IMF

Reuters
Monday December 10 2007

WASHINGTON, Dec 10 (Reuters) – Armenia’s economy is growing at a
double-digit clip that has helped ease poverty, but the country must
take steps to curb price pressures, while the currency will probably
continue to appreciate, the IMF said on Monday.

"Monetary policy will need to be tightened in light of rising
inflationary risks," the International Monetary Fund said under a
regular review of Armenia’s poverty-reduction facility, which expires
next May.

Consumer inflation is projected to average 6.3 percent next year,
up from 4.3 percent in 2007, the IMF said, with economic growth of
11 percent this year and 10 percent in 2008.

The central bank raised interest rates in three steps of
aquarter-percentage point each between July and November. The banking
rate is now 11 percent and the repo rate 5.75 percent.

In addition, the central bank lifted its inflation target to 4 percent
from 3 percent, a move that the IMF said it had opposed.

"A firm commitment to a medium-term inflation target will be critical
for anchoring price expectations and building credibility in the
transition to full-fledged inflation targeting," the IMF said.

The Armenian dram was also expected to continue to advance against
the dollar due to persistent foreign-exchange inflows, which may harm
the country’s export competitiveness.

This means Armenia must step up efforts to lift domestic competition
and keep fiscal policy tight, the IMF said.

It also warned that mounting infrastructure and poverty-reduction
spending will increase budget pressures, and it urged the government
to meet this demand for additional public finance by strengthening
tax collection methods.

(Reporting by Alister Bull; Editing by Jan Paschal )