Author: Jalatian Sonya

NEW US MILITARY ATTACHE PRESENTED TO ARMENIAN DEFENCE MINISTER

Mediamax news agency
2 Jul 07

Yerevan, 2 July: US charge d’affaires in Armenia Anthony Godfrey
presented the new US military attache, Lt Col Robert Webster, to
[Armenian] Defence Minister Mikayel Harutyunyan today [2 July].

The Defence Ministry press service reported that Harutyunyan thanked
the former military attache, Russell Grimley, for fruitful cooperation
and bestowed him with the Garegin Nzhdeh medal of the Armenian
armed forces.

CHAIRMAN OF STATE WATER COMMITTEE: STATE OF WATER SUPPLY IN ARMENIA IS
FAR FROM BEING SATISAFACTORY

YEREVAN, JUNE 29, NOYAN TAPAN. Five foreign companies currently operate
Armenia’s drinking water system. They work by 100% self-financing and
are almost fully provided with funds. The chairman of the State
Committee of Water Industry of the RA Ministry of Territorial
Governance Andranik Andreasian said this at the June 29 press
conference, adding that nevertheless, the state of water supply in the
country is far from being satisfactory. According to him, Yerevan Water
company that operates Yerevan’s drinking water system will soon receive
a concessional credit of 30 million euros from the French government.
SAUR company (France), manager of the water system in a number of
Armenian regions, has begun work on improvement of water supply network
in the cities of Tsakhkadzor, Sevan and Gavar.

A. Andreasian said that negotiations on provision of a 30
million-dollar credit started recently with the Asian Development Bank.
It is envisaged to allocate this sum for restoration of the water
supply system in regions.

He said that Japanese experts are now conducting studies in 600
Armenian villages to determine the amount of investments necessary for
restoration of the water supply system.

Mediamax News Agency, Armenia
June 29 2007

`ArmenTel’ sets the task of becoming the best service ñompany in
Armenia by the end of 2008

Yerevan, June 29 /Mediamax/. General Director of `ArmenTel’ Oleg
Bliznyuk stated in Yerevan today that `we have set the task to become
the best service Company in Armenia by the end of 2008, and I am sure
that we will fulfill it’.

Mediamax reports that Oleg Bliznyuk said this today during the
meeting with journalists, dated for the Day of the Company, which is
celebrated by `ArmenTel’ today.

For the participation in the Day of the Company, the Founder and the
Honorary President of `VimpelCom’ OJSC Dmitri Zimin and the Executive
Vice-President of `VimpelCom’ on Business Development in CIS States,
member of the Company’s Board of Directors Dmitri Pleskonos have
arrived in Yerevan.

Dmitri Pleskonos stated that the task to become a service of
international level is set for the whole group of `VimpelCom’. He
described as `very successful’ the deal on purchasing `ArmenTel’ and
stressed that the Armenian market has good potential for growth in
all directions – fixed and mobile communication, broadband internet,
3G mobile communication services.

`The unique experience of `ArmenTel’ helps us and gives the
opportunity to understand the situation, to make correct decisions.
We believe that the fixed communication and the broadband internet
will give us wide opportunities for development in Armenia’, Dmitri
Pleskonos stated.

Vice-President of `VimpelCom’ OJSC stressed that the Company is
implementing modern equipment in Armenia, `which will meet the latest
requirements of the market and technologies’. Dmitri Pleskonos
highlighted the work, which is in process in `ArmenTel’ for the
implementation of a new system of billing of fixed communication,
which will allow extending the variety of services.

`The Armenian market has great prospects from the point of view of
provision of non-voice services; there is much place for work here’,
Dmitri Pleskonos stated.

Representatives of `VimpelCom’ OJSC expressed content by the meeting
with the Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian, which took place
June 28. The Founder and the Honorary President of `VimpelCom’ OJSC
Dmitri Zimin informed about the `well-disposed attitude’ of the
Armenian authorities to the Company and noted that the demand for
telecommunication services in Armenia takes the lead over the supply,
and this `gives wide opportunities for development and implementation
of new services’.

Talking about the prospects of implementation of convergent services
in Armenia, Dmitri Pleskonos stated that, first of all, one should
secure high quality of the mobile and fixed services of `ArmenTel’,
after which one may consider the prospects of their combination.

General Director of `ArmenTel’ CJSC Oleg Bliznyuk stated that `in the
nearest few months you will see the results of our efforts on
development of broadband internet’.

RA FOREIGN MINISTER AND SLOVAKIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY’S STATE SECRETARY ATTACH IMPORTANCE TO POSSIBILITY OF ARMENIA’S USING SLOVAKIAN EXPERIENCE OF MEMBERSHIP TO EU

Noyan Tapan
Jun 29 2007

YEREVAN, JUNE 29, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA Foreign Minister, Vardan
Oskanian, on June 29, received the delegation led by the State
Secretary of the Slovakian Foreign Ministry, Olga Algaerova, being
in Armenia on the occasion of the opening of the Slovakian Consulate
of Honor.

During the meeting, the sides touched upon Armenian-Slovakian
bilateral relations mentioning the necessity to develop bilateral
political dialogue, as well as activization of economic relations and
expansion of economic cooperation. Both sides attached importance to
the possibility to use Slovakia’s experience of membership to EU.

As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry Press
and Information Department, the interlocutors also discussed the
possibilities of bilateral cooperation with Slovakia within the
framework of the joint Actions Plan attaching importance to the
necessity of elaboration of concrete programs.

NKR MFA EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER SETTING FIRES IN BORDERLINE AREAS BY AZERI SIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
28.06.2007 13:50 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On June 27 the NKR Ministry of Foreign
Affairs delivered a note to Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, Personal
Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, expressing concern
over numerous cases of fires from Azerbaijani side across the line
of contact between the armed forces of NKR and Azerbaijan.

Taking into account the detrimental impact on republic’s economy
and environment, as well as threat to human health and security,
caused by fires in summer of 2006, the NKR MFA urged the Office of
the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office to conduct
a crisis monitoring of the borderline area.

The NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed hope that timely
interference by the Office of Personal Representative of the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office will allow to avoid the repetition of the summer
2006 situation, which in particular, Azeri authorities used for
propaganda and which became an additional factor to destabilizing
the peace process, the NKR MFA Press Office reports.

GREEK PRESIDENT TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA JUNE 26

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
June 25 2007

June 26 Greek President Karolos Papulias and his wife will arrive in
Armenia on RA President Robert Kocharian’s invitation.

According to the information DE FACTO received at RA President’s
Press Office, Deputy FM Teodoros Kassimos, Deputy Defense Minister
Ioannis Labropulos and other high-ranking officials will arrive in
Armenia in Greek delegation.

June 26 Armenian and Greek Presidents will hold a tete-a-tete
meeting, after which talks will be continued in broadened
composition. Presidents of Armenia and Greece will hold a joint
press conference.

Greek President will meet with RA National Assembly Chair Tigran
Torosian, All Armenian Catholicos Garegin II and Greek community’s
representatives.

Karolos Papulias will visit Memorial to the victims of Armenian
Genocide – Tsitsernakaberd – and Yerevan State University.

The delegation headed by President of Greece will leave Armenia
June 28.

Javno.hr, Croatia
June 23 2007

UEFA Cancel Armenia v Azerbaijan Euro Qualifiers

Two Euro 2008 Group A matches between Armenia and Azerbaijan have
been cancelled.

Reuters
Two Euro 2008 Group A matches between Armenia and Azerbaijan have
been cancelled, with both countries losing the six qualifying points
available, European soccer’s governing body UEFA said on Saturday.

The neighbouring countries have been involved in a long-running
dispute over land. Armenia wanted the games played on a normal home
and away basis but Azerbaijan refused to host the Armenians and
proposed a neutral ground for both matches.

"As no suitable compromise could be found between the two
associations it was decided to cancel the two matches, namely
Azerbaijan-Armenia scheduled for Sept. 8 and Armenia-Azerbaijan
scheduled for Sept. 12," UEFA said in a statement following a meeting
of its executive committee in the Netherlands.

"It was decided to award both associations zero points for the
matches."

Ukraine, Switzerland, Austria and Spain had been mentioned as
possible neutral venues for the games but this was not agreeable to
either side.

Azerbaijan are bottom of the group with five points from eight
matches, while Armenia have seven points from seven outings. Poland
lead the group with 19 points from nine games.

Portugal, Serbia, Finland, Belgium and Kazakhstan make up the rest of
the group.

SUSPENSION LIFTED

UEFA also decided at its meeting in the Dutch town of Heerenveen to
lift the ban on Israeli clubs hosting opponents in European
competition outside the Tel Aviv area.

"The executive reviewed the security situation in Israel and agreed
to allow matches to be played not only in the Tel Aviv area but also
in internationally recognised stadiums outside the region, namely
Haifa, Jerusalem and Ashdod," UEFA said.

UEFA imposed a ban on Israel hosting matches in 2004, following a
deterioration of the security situation, which lasted two years
before being partially lifted.

The latest relaxation will allow Beitar Jerusalem to play their
Champions League qualifying round opponents in Jerusalem while
Maccabi Haifa can host Intertoto Cup matches at their home ground in
the northern port city.

Israel’s national team will be little affected by the lifting of the
ban since they play all official matches at the National Stadium in
Tel Aviv with only the occasional friendly taking place away from the
centre of the country.

650 YOUNG PEOPLE FROM ARMENIA, ARTSAKH, JAVAKHK AND DIASPORA TO TAKE PART IN ALL ARMENIAN YOUTH BAZE GATHERING

Noyan Tapan
Jun 20 2007

YEREVAN, JUNE 20, NOYAN TAPAN. 650 young people of 18-30 from Armenia,
Artsakh, Javakhk, and the Diaspora will take part in the Baze-2007
All Armenian Youth gathering to be held on July 12-19 in Jermuk. This
gathering is organized by the All Armenian Youth Fund.

Arthur Soghomonian, the Head of the gathering, declared at the
June 20 press conference that 60 million drams (about 173 thousand
U.S. dollars) was allocated by the state budget and about 15 million
drams will be given by the fund.

During the festival 9 detachments will be formed, which will be
divided into three fronts according to the colors symbolizing the
tricolour: red, blue, and orange. The detachments will be formed in
representative principle: the RA regions, Artsakh, Javakhk, different
colonies of the Dispora, higher educational institutions, the disabled
people of the Pyunik NGO, and journalists will be represented by one
detachment. 12 young people will be included in each detachment.

Cultural, intellectual, and sports contests, as well as a contest
of Baze sculpture will be organized within the frameworks of the
gathering. They will also organize meetings with high-ranking officials
and cultural figures, as well as visits to the historical-cultural
sights of the region Vayots Dzor.

REPRESENTATIVE OF UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES IN ARMENIA HANDS HIS MANDATE TO RA MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Noyan Tapan
Jun 15 2007

YEREVAN, JUNE 15, NOYAN TAPAN. On June 15 Bushra Halepota, the
newly-elected representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees
in Armenia, handed his letter of attorney to Vardan Oskanian, the RA
Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Peter Nikolaus, the former representative of the UN High Commissioner
for Refugees in the Armenian Office, who thanked the RA Minister of
Foreign Affairs for active cooperation and productive work with said
office, was present at the meeting.

According to the information provided to Noyan Tapan by the RA Foreign
Ministry’s Press and Information Department, issues concerning the
programs implemented currently by the Armenian Office of the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees were discussed during the meeting.

CONGRESSWOMAN MAZIE HIRONO COSPONSORED LEGISLATION ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Yerkir
18.06.2007 17:18

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Armenian Americans from the Aloha State welcomed
this week Congresswoman Mazie Hirono’s cosponsorship of human rights
legislation concerning the Armenian Genocide (H.Res.106), the ANCA
reports.

Congresswoman Hirono, who represents Hawaii’s second Congressional
District, is the first immigrant woman of Asian ancestry to be elected
to and to serve in the United States House of Representatives.

"Our community here in Hawaii and especially in the Congresswoman’s
District appreciates her support for the Armenian Genocide resolution,"
commented ANCA-WR member George Casen.

He noted that the Armenian Community in Hawaii is composed of Armenians
who have been in the United States for a long time, primarily second
and third generation Armenian-Americans, highly assimilated within
the local community.

"We appreciate her leadership on this issue which is of utmost
concern to us. Whether it is Armenian-Americans living on the Big
Island, Maui, Kauai or in other parts of her Congressional District,
we thank the Congresswoman for her support of Congressman Schiff’s
Genocide Resolution," Casen added.