Author: Kajoyan Gevork

PUTIN MAY HEAD ORGANIZATIONS OF GAS EXPORTING COUNTRIES

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.06.2008 13:25 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ An organization of gas exporters similar to OPEC
may be formed within next few months and Russia’s Prime Minister
Vladimir Putin may become its head, said Alexander Rahr director of
Russian policy at the Germany Council on Foreign Relations.

Rahr said he does not rule out that Putin will become chairman of the
‘gas OPEC’ which may be established as early as October this year,
the analyst told a news conference in Moscow on Monday.

Formation of such an alliance could promote development of gas
exporters. In February 2008 Iran’s Ambassador to Russia informed
that major gas suppliers – Iran, Russia, Algeria and Katar – are
negotiating gas OPEC, RusEnergy reports.

CHARLES AZNAVOUR IN YEREVAN

arminfo
2008-06-02 20:31:00

ArmInfo. Today evening the world known French singer of Armenian origin
Charles Aznavour arrived in Yerevan. Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandyan met him at Zvartnots airport.

As ArmInfo correspondent reports, Charles Aznavour told journalists
he is very happy for every his visit to the historical motherland.

Asked about the museum named after Aznavour, which is currently being
built, the singer noted that it is a great honor for him. Within
the frames of his visit, Aznavour will hold a meeting with Armenia’s
leadership and others.

NAREH ARGHAMANIAN SCORES TOP PIANO PRIZE IN MONREAL CONTEST

Noyan Tapan

Ju ne 2, 2008

MONREAL, JUNE 2, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. 21-year-old Nareh
Arghamanian took the ,000 Grand Prize in the finals of the Montreal
International Musical Competition. She was not only the youngest of
the six finalists but the youngest of the 23 pianists from around
the world who gathered in Montreal for the annual contest.

Narek studies in Vienna at present. Arghamanyan was the final candidate
and delivered one of the works of Tchaikovsky.

SERGEI MARKEDONOV: RUSSIA INTERESTED IN ‘FROZEN CONFLICTS’

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.06.2008 18:27 GMT+04:00

Russia has failed to develop a common and distinct policy in Caucasus
so far. It’s always late to react to processes in the South and
North Caucasus.

Relations with Georgia can serve as a vivid example, head of the
interethnic relations department at the institute of political
and military analysis Sergei Markedonov said in an interview with
PanARMENIAN.Net.

"Russia is interested in ‘frozen conflicts’, according to
him. "However, conflicts are not frozen but lingering. These two
notions are different. Russia supports territorial integrity but it
stands against the methods this principle is being pushed forth,"
he said.

"As for relations with Armenia and Azerbaijan, I can say that
Armenia is Russia’s strategic ally while Azerbaijan is a strategic
partner. With its military and economic parameters, Russia is closer to
Armenia but in case of resumption of military operations our country
will face a hard choice. Unfortunately, the Kosovo precedent can
provoke hostilities in Karabakh," Mr Markedonov said.

72.16% OF ARMRUSGAZPROM’S AUTHORIZED CAPITAL BELONGS TO GAZPROM, 5.06%
TO ITERA

YEREVAN, MAY 30, NOYAN TAPAN. The authorized capital of ArmRusgazprom
company has increased and currently makes over 278 billion drams (about
903 mln USD), which is divided into 55,314,992 ordinary nominal shares
of the nominal value of 5 mln 026.5 thousand drams each. NT
correspondent was informed by the press service of the company that
72.16% of ArmRusgazprom’s authorized capital belongs to Gazprom
company, 22.78% – to the Armenian ministry of energy and 5.06% – to
Itera company (Russia).

ARMENPRESS

MICROSOFT INNOVATIONS DAYS TO BE HELD ON JUNE 26-27

YEREVAN, MAY 29, ARMENPRESS: On June 26-27 the
Union of Information Technologies Enterprises will
organize in Yerevan `Microsoft Innovations Days’
event.
The organization of the event will be assisted by
the Union of Armenian Banks, the Union of Armenian
Industrialists and Businessmen and the Microsoft RA
company.
Mane Manasian, a pubic relations officer for the
Union of Information Technologies Enterprises, told
Armenpress that the event will have two parts.
The first day will feature an exhibition of
business solutions offered by local IT companies and
the second day will be devoted to discussions among IT
companies heads.
In Mane Manasian’s words, the event will give an
opportunity to its participants to establish
multilateral cooperation.

Former Vice Speaker of RA parliament: Ministers from ARF Dashnaksutyun
Party withdrew from their portfolios voluntarily

2008-05-29 15:33:00

ArmInfo. "The ministers from the ARF Dashnaksutyun Party withdrew their
portfolios voluntarily, nobody forced them to do this", Chairman of the
ARFD faction, member of the ARFD Bureau Vahan Hovhannisyan said at a
press-conference at the international press-center "New Armenia",
Thursday.

According to him, Armenian Minister of Agriculture David Lokyan,
Armenian Minister of Education and Science Levon Lazarian and Armenian
Minister of Labour and Social Issues Aghvan Vardanyan laid down their
duties as the work in government didn’t allow them to develop their
political activity. "The ministers couldn’t be responsible for the
party and the government simultaneously. They worked within the frames
of the executive body, which didn’t allow them to expand their activity
in the political field", Hovhannisyan stressed. He added that their
posts will be held by "young and smart personnel". "Discussions
concerning the new ministers are currently being held. This issue will
be settled at the end of the current week", he said. The MP didn’t rule
out that people, which are not ARFD members, may be appointed
ministers. "However, first and foremost, we are considering the
nominees of our party members", Hovhannisyan said.

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
May 30 2008

MONUMENT TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS ERECTED IN CYPRUS

YEREVAN, 30.05.08. DE FACTO. A solemn ceremony of opening of the
Monument to Armenian Genocide victims was held in Larnaca, Cyprus, on
May 28. The ceremony was held by Demetris Christofias, President of
Republic of Cyprus, and Vahram Kajoyan, the RA Ambassador to Greece
and Cyprus. According to Genocide.ru Information Service, Demetris
Christofias noted the Monument to the Armenian genocide victims in
Larnaca was quite symbolic: `It was here that the first Armenian
refugees put ashore saving their lives in 1915”.

The President expressed his respect and solidarity with the local
Armenian community and assured the government would continue its
struggle for the reunion of Cyprus and better future of the country
and its people. Addressing those present Vahram Kajoyan thanked the
Larnaca City Hall and Cyprus’s government for their assistance.

To remind, an agreement on erecting a Monument to the Armenian
Genocide victims was reached in 2005 between Dimitris Christofias, the
Chair of Cyprus’s House of Representatives, and Arthur Baghdasarian,
the RA Parliament Chair of that time. In a year, in November 2006,
within the frames of an official visit to Cyprus, Robert Kocharian
laid the first stone to the base of the future monument.

A1+

SEFILIAN’S DEPORTATION – A SERIOUS ISSUE FOR THE
LEBANESE EMBASSY
[07:12 pm] 27 May, 2008

Today in defence of Zhirayr Sefilian the latter’s
relatives and friends staged a protest action at the
Lebanese Embassy in Armenia. As it turned out the
employees of the Lebanese Embassy were as much
concerned about Sefilian’s probable deportation from
Armenia as his relatives and friends were.

Some of the protesters were kindly accepted by Ibrahim
Assaf, temporary envoy of the Lebanese Ambassador to
Armenia.

-Zhirayr Sefilian is a citizen of Lebanon and we must
consider the fact. Our Embassy is aware of Sefilian’s
problem and the Ambassador has been visiting him in
the detention cell-, informed Ibrahim Assaf.

Noting that the Embassy is not competent to interfere
in the affairs of Armenian authorities, the Envoy
promised to raise the problem through diplomacy and
philanthropy.

-We know that the Armenian authorities have turned to
the Administrative Court with the request to deport
Zhirayr Sefilian from Armenia but we have received no
official notice proving the fact. We learnt about it
only through mass media-, states Assaf. -The Armenian
authorities were to have come to an agreement with the
Lebanese Embassy about the deportation of Sefilian
since he is a citizen of Lebanon. Besides, according
to the Armenian Constitution if the citizen has
under-age children in the given country he cannot be
deported from there.-

By the way, as Zhirayr Sefilian’s wife is an employee
of the Lebanese Embassy to Armenia, her husband and
children have the right of at least temporary
residence in Armenia and the possibility of his
deportation is once again excluded.

-I sincerely hope that Sefilian’s problem will be
solved and his family will not suffer-, said Ibrahim
Assaf and promised that the Embassy would continue to
give humanitarian aid and support to its citizen.

In defence of Zhirayr Sefilian another protest action
was staged at the French Embassy in Armenia.
Sefilian’s friends sent an open letter to the
Ambassador with a request to demand that the Armenian
authorities stop violating Sefilian’s rights.

Panorama.am

14:37 28/05/2008

P. HAYRIKYAN: SIGN OF 1918 AND 1988 MAY 28

Today the president of Union of National
Self-determination Paruyr Hayrikyan organized a
special meeting with the journalists. The press
conference organized by him was devoted to the Day of
Republic and was conducted in the Republic Square. He
commented on the idea gathering in the square as the
three symbols of our country are situated there: the
government, ministry of Foreign Affairs and historic
first national assembly is not far from that square.

-May 28 has two important signs for us – both May 28-s
of 1918 and 1988,- he said. According to him we should
celebrate the Day of Independence on 28 May and not on
21 September and that day could be signed as the day
of national self-determination.

-28 May is our day of independence. On 26 and 27
correspondently Georgia and Azerbaijan have celebrated
their Independence Days,- said Hayrikyan. According to
him due to arbitrary activities of our authorities of
90th we celebrate our Independence Day on 21 September
and prolong the historic facts of our 80 years of
independence. -Armenian rural inhabitants and
politicians living without state for 600 years were
thinking not about republic but freedom,- he said.

The other sign notified by Hayrikyan was that in 28
May 1988 National Self-determination together with
Movses Georgisyan and Mekhak Gabrielyan has risen
Armenian flag against -Karabakh Committee-.

Source: Panorama.am