Author: Chakrian Hovsep

GALUST SAHAKYAN FOR INCLUSION OF ALL UPLAND REGIONS WITHIN REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
Panorama.am
18:19 22/11/06
Galust Sahakyan, head of Armenian Republican Party (HHK) faction,
said he is for inclusion of all upland territories within the Republic
of Armenia. Sahakyan said so in a response of a provocative question
by a reporter about handing over the lands to Azerbaijan.
At the same time he said we must be realistic and consider the
opportunities and the created situation.
In the opinion of Sahakyan, the Nagorno Karabakh conflict will not
be settled by 2012.

POSSIBILITY OF RA AND AR PRESIDENTS’ MEETING DISCUSSED IN YEREVAN
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Nov 22 2006
November 21 RA President Robert Kocharian met with the OSCE Minsk group
Co-Chairs Yuri Merzlyakov (Russia) and Bernard Fassier (France). The
OSCE Chair-in-Office’s Personal Representative Andrzey Kasprzyk was
also present at the meeting.
According to the information DE FACTO got at the RA President’s Press
Service, in the course of the talks the parties had discussed the
Karabakh conflict settlement’s present stage and the issues referring
to the RA and AR Presidents’ meeting that might be held within the
CIS summit frames. To note, the summit will be conducted in Minsk
November 28 – 29.

AZERI SPOKESMAN HAILS KARABAKH PEACE TALKS AS CONSTRUCTIVE
ANS TV, Azerbaijan
Nov 15 2006
[Presenter] A meeting that the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign
ministers held in Brussels with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs
in attendance was constructive, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry
spokesman Tahir Tagizada has told journalists. He did not rule out
the possibility of the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents meeting
during a CIS summit in Minsk.
[Tagizada, speaking to microphone] The negotiations were very
constructive, even though they were difficult. As a result of the
meeting [changes tack] We have repeatedly said that the main issue
for us is that a step forward is made in the negotiation process.
This time the sides have managed to make this step.
I can say that in late November, approximately on 21-23 November,
the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs will pay a visit to the region. And it
is very likely that in the near future [changes tack] preparations
will be made any way and it is very likely that in the near future
the two presidents’ will hold a meeting within the framework of the
CIS summit to be held in Minsk.

“BEYOND SCARCITY: POWER, POVERTY AND THE GLOBAL WATER CRISIS” PRESENTED AT UN HOUSE IN YEREVAN
Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 14 2006
Today, at the UN House in Yerevan Mr. Vardan Aivazyan, Minister of
Nature Protection of Armenia and Ms. Consuelo Vidal, UN resident
coordinator and UNDP resident representative in Armenia presented the
2006 global human development report titled “Beyond scarcity: Power,
poverty and the global water crisis.”
The Report calls on the governments of rich states to act urgently
to address the global water crisis: each year, the authors state,
1.8 million children die from diarrhoea that could be prevented with
access to clean water and a toilet; 443 million school days are lost
to water-related illnesses; and almost 50 percent of all people in
developing countries are suffering at any given time from a health
problem caused by a lack of water and sanitation.
“Like hunger, it is a silent emergency experienced by the poor and
tolerated by those with the resources, the technology and the political
power to end it,” says the Report.
In recent years, Armenia initiated a number of reforms in the area of
water and sanitation management, as well as sustainable use of water
resources. Thanks to these efforts, water management and accessibility
have gradually improved in Yerevan and other major cities. Similar
positive trends were registered in terms of the level of Sevan Lake.
These achievements need to be acknowledged, but at the same time we
need to use this opportunity to draw the public and the government’s
attention to the existing issues: endangered ecosystem of Sevan
due to the emerging swampness phenomena; lack of access to potable
water in many rural and urban communities in Armenia; intensified
desertification processes in Ararat and Armavir marzes; increased
deforestation in Tavush and Lori marzes.

ARMENIA PRESIDENT TO GERMANY TO TALK ON COOPERATION PROSPECTS
ITAR-TASS, Russia
Nov 15 2006
YEREVAN, November 15 (Itar-Tass) – Armenian President Robert Kocharyan
on Wednesday embarks on a three-day working visit to Germany in order
to discuss prospects for political and economic cooperation between
the two countries.
The Armenian president will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel,
Bundestag chairman Norbert Lammert and Berlin mayor Klaus Wowereit.
Together with the Bundestag head Kocharyan will attend an opening
ceremony of the new Armenian Embassy building in Berlin.
In recent years, the Armenian-German political dialogue has noticeably
intensified, the republic’s presidential staff said.
Armenian officials explain it, on the one hand by the growing interest
of Germany and the European Union toward the South Caucasus region
and on the other – importance Yerevan attaches to European integration.
Armenia attaches major importance to the political dialogue with
Germany both in the context of bilateral relations development and
European and North Atlantic cooperation, the Armenian presidential
administration officials stressed. In particular, they hope for
considerable support of Germany in issues of the development of
cooperation with South Caucasus countries within the framework of the
“European neighbourhood policy” of the EU by way of the development
and implementation of specific programmes.

REBORN OPERA HOUSE WILL HIT A HIGH NOTE
By Susan Doolan
Barrie Examiner (Ontario, Canada)
November 11, 2006 Saturday
Opera has arrived in Barrie.
Opera Bel Canto of South Simcoe turns to Barrie next weekend to follow
its inaugural hit performance with another operatic showcase.
The opera company, based out of the Beeton area, has ambitious plans to
resurrect an 350-seat opera house down the road from that community,
but until it is complete has chosen Barrie as its home base to stage
all of its concerts.
The 35-member choir draws from all over the county, south to Toronto
and north to Muskoka. It is opera singer, conductor, and voice
teacher David Varjabed who has attracted these talented singers to
the professional level non-profit opera company.
“The reason we started this company is because there is a lot of
talent in the area and they’ve got no place to go, no prospects,
“Varjabed said, adding that Bel Canto is also a training ground for
singers he maintains are better than the Canadian Opera Company.
“This region should be proud of them,” he said. “This opera company
will be the place for people starting their professional career and
to go much broader in the future.”
He would know, as Varjabed has sung professionally all over the globe
for three decades.
Born in Armenia, he first appeared in La Traviata in 1971 while still
at school, studying for his masters in opera performance and voice
pedagogy at the Komitas National Conservatory in Yerevan, Armenia,
and came to Canada in 1974, at the age of 20. He was immediately
accepted in to the Canadian opera company with a five- year contract.
Once established here, he brought his wife and baby daughter over.
He started the opera company last year, encouraged by the community,
once members of local arts council and county council discovered
his presence in Cafe Maestro, a coffee shop belonging to his son,
located on the main street in Beeton. “Everybody was asking ‘who,
what and why are you not doing something (musical) for this area’,”
Varjabed said. “So they grabbed me.”
Varjabed, a baritone, is trained in the bel canto technique, an Italian
voice-training style of breathing and projection that is unique to
Italy, and the reason so many of that country’s opera singers have
become so famous.
Translated bel canto means beautiful singing.
Operatic Showcase II features the company chorus, nine soloists, a
15-member orchestra and guest pianist Adolfo De Santis. Varjabed has
selected well-known excepts from popular operas such as La Boheme,
Don Carlo, Madama Butterfly, Carmen, Don Giovanni, and the Marriage
of Figaro, among other works, for the program.
The concert takes place Saturday, Nov. 18 at First Christian Reformed
Church, 33 Shirley Ave., Barrie, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Admission is
$30 for adults, $20 for seniors. For tickets, call 435- 3730.

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Nov 10 2006
AZERBAIJAN’S AMBASSADOR IN OTTAWA MEETS WITH CANADIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS
[November 10, 2006, 15:09:29]
Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Canada Fakhraddin Qurbanov met with
members of the Canadian Parliament Patrick Brown and Borys
Wrzesnewskyj, press service of the Embassy said.
The ambassador informed the parliamentarians about the reforms
conducted in Azerbaijan as well as development of it’s non-oil
sector, and regional energy and transport projects.
Fakhraddin Qurbanov said after regaining its independence Azerbaijan
started pursuing intensive foreign policy and achieved huge success
in establishing democracy.
On the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, the
Ambassador stressed Azerbaijan’s just stance on the dispute, adding
his country wants it to be peacefully solved.
The Canadian parliamentarians wondered about the security situation
in the region as well as Azerbaijan’s political and economic
situation, and development of democracy here.

FITCH RATES VTB BANK (ARMENIA) ‘BB’: OUTLOOK STABLE
Arka News Agency, Armenia
Nov 8 2006
YEREVAN, November 7. /ARKA/. Fitch Ratings has assigned today VTB Bank
(Armenia) (“VTBA”) ratings of Issuer Default ‘BB’, Short-term ‘B’,
Individual ‘D/E’ and Support ‘3’. The Outlook is Stable. The bank’s
Issuer Default rating (“IDR”) is at Armenia’s Country Ceiling.
The Issuer Default, Short-term and Support ratings reflect the
moderate probability of support being forthcoming, if required, from
VTBA’s majority shareholder, Russia’s Vneshtorgbank. In Fitch’s view,
VTB would have a strong propensity to support VTBA, if required,
although the ability of VTBA to receive and utilise this support may
be constrained by Armenian country risks, in particular transfer and
convertibility risks, as reflected in the Country Ceiling.
In light of VTBA’s large market share, there is also a limited
probability of support being forthcoming from the Armenian authorities
(rated foreign currency and local currency Issuer Default ‘BB-‘(BB
minus)), although in Fitch’s view the authorities would be more likely
to look for VTB to first support the bank, should the need arise.
The Individual rating reflects VTBA’s modest profitability, high
loan concentration, weak loan loss reserves and increased exposure to
structural risk due to maturity mismatches. The rating also takes into
account the bank’s significant domestic franchise, sound capitalisation
and adequate liquidity position. VTBA’s overall competitive profile
has been enhanced following a restructuring by its new shareholder
with stronger emphasis on the rationalisation of its low-efficiency
large branch network and on diversification of the funding base.
VTBA is Armenia’s fourth largest bank, with 10% of the banking
system’s loans and retail deposits at end-H106. VTB acquired a 70%
stake in March 2004. VTBA (formerly known as Armsberbank) has a long
history of operations in Armenia and traces its origin to a branch
of Sberbank of the USSR, established in 1923. The bank services both
corporate and retail clients, supported by an extensive branch network
consisting of 100 branches located all over the country.
The VTBA has the fourth largest amount of assets, the 5th largest
amount of crediting of individuals and the 2nd largest amount of
crediting of legal entities. The bank ranks 3rd as to the volume of
fixed deposits attracted from individuals, 2nd as to call deposits
attracted from individuals.
The bank has the fourth largest total capital and the 2nd largest
authorized capital.

NAIRA MELQOUMYAN WILL LEAVE FOR FRANCE
A1+
[06:32 pm] 08 November, 2006
Executive director of pan-Armenian fund “Armenia” Naira Melqoumyan
will leave for France on November 16 where the annual pan-European
phonethon will be held.
The geography and number of the participants of the pan-European
phonethon held on the eve of the telemarathon grows year by year. Naira
Melqoumyan will be present at the phonethon at the request of the
representatives of the local bodies of the Fund in Europe.
At the end of the phonethon the executive director of the fund will
leave for Los Angeles where on November 23 “Telemarathon-2006” will
be held. The financial means gathered this year will be spent on the
development of the region of Hadrut, NKR, within the framework of
the second phase of the program “Revival of Artsakh”.

SERGE SARGSYAN: ARMENIAN PEACEKEEPERS SHOULD CONTINUE THE MISSION IN IRAQ
Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 7 2006
“I think that Armenian peacekeepers should continue carrying out
peacekeeping mission in Iraq,” Secretary of the Presidential Council
on National Security, RA Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan told
“Armenpress.” The deadline for the memorandum of understanding on
“Commanding the multinational division within the stability forces
of Iraq and regulation of similar questions” is December 2006. The
Minister noted that the decision on prolonging the term of the
memorandum should be taken by the National Assembly.
At the suggestion of RA Defense Minister and with the decision of
the National Assembly the memorandum was once prolonged last year. In
January and June 2006 the Armenian military division comprised of 46
people left for Iraq to carry out peacekeeping mission within the
Polish division. The Armenian military unit will stay in Iraq by
January 2007.
Up to now 354 peacekeepers have already carried out peacekeeping
missions in Iraq and Kosovo.