Author: Kalantarian Kevo

SARKE: NEWSLETTER OF 1 JULY 2009

Girodivite
Thursday 2 July 2009

Economics

TOTAL FOREIGN DEBT OF GEORGIA REDUCED BY 0.1% IN Q1

National Bank of Georgia (NBG) reports that by the state of March 31,
2009, total foreign debt of Georgia amounted to $7.703 billion lari,
which is less by 0.1% compared with the beginning of the year. Out of
which, the governmental sector accounted for the largest share again –
$2.24 billion, which is less by 0.9% compared with the beginning of
the year.

15.49M LARI ENTERED BUDGET FROM MINING LICENSES IN Q1 Georgian Economic
Development Ministry reports that 15.49 million lari was entered the
budget in the 1st quarter of 2009 from issuing licenses for natural
resources use. Out of which, the largest sums were mobilized in March
(7.3 million lari) and in June (5.2 million lari).

NEW CUSTOMS CHECKPOINT WAS OPENED ON GEORGIAN-ARMENIAN BORDER Georgian
Finance Ministry reports that a new customs checkpoint Guguti was
officially opened today on Georgian-Armenian border. Construction
started in November 2007.

FREE ZONE LAUNCHED IN KUTAISI Economic Development Ministry reports
that free industrial zone has been launched in Kutaisi today. The
customs checkpoint was officially started in the zone as well.

business BANK CARTU HAS NOT YET STARTED MASTERING OF EBRD CREDIT LINE
Bank Cartu said that it has not yet started mastering of the credit
line, allotted by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
(EBRD). As the bank told Sarke, those projects are designed at this
stage, which may be financed in terms of the credit line.

SAKHALKHO BANKI OFFERS SOCIAL DEPOSIT Sakhalkho Banki (Peoples Bank)
informs on new Social Deposit, being offered from today. Minimal
initial deposit is 5 lari, annual accrued interest – 16%.

CHINESE JADE CARGO INTERNATIONAL TO CARRY OUT CARGO FLIGHTS VIA GEORGIA
Georgian Single Transport Administration announced that Chinese air
company Jade Cargo International will carry out transit flights via
Georgia since July 2. The matter concerns flights from Frankfurt
(Germany) to Inchon (South Korea).

SAGAREJOGAS TOOK IN LEASE PIPE, LINKING NINOTSMINDA GAS FIELD AND
KHASHMI VILLAGE Georgian Oil and Gas Corporation announced that gas
pipeline, connecting Ninotsminda gas field to village Khashmi, through
which gas main is passing, has been given in lease to Sagarejogas. The
mentioned company was the only participant of auction, announced by
the Corporation on June 16.

MAGTI LEADS IN TERMS OF SUBSCRIBERS’ NUMBER According to data of July
1, 2009 of 3 mobile communication companies, operating in Georgia,
Magti has more than 2 million subscribers, Geocell – more than 1.8
million, while Mobitel (Beeline brand) has 420,000 subscribers. At
that, number of Mobitel’s subscribers increased since the beginning
of the year by 37.7%.

LAND PLOT IN BATUMI IS AUCTIONED AT 1.07M LARI Batumi City Hall
has brought to the auction land plot, located on Queen Tamar
Avenue. Starting price of the plot, making 3,556 square m in area,
amounts to 1.07 million lari.

PART OF LLC SANITARI GLDANI-2000’S PROPERTY SOLD ON AUCTION Tbilisi
Regional Center of Georgian Finance Ministry’s Revenue Service
(Tax Inspection) has informed Sarke that property of LLC Sanitari
Gldani 2000 was sold partially on the yesterday’s auction. To remind,
auction was held for the second time.

ARMENIA’S CB ISSUES COMMEMORATIVE GOLD COIN COMMANDER ST. SARGIS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
30.06.2009 22:05 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Central Bank of Armenia issued a commemorative
gold coin Commander St. Sargis, dedicated to the Armenian history,
press office f the Central Bank of Armenia reports.

Coins depict St. Sargis, saddled a horse and winning serpent.

5 000 gold commemorative coins at nominal value of 5 000 AMD each
are issued by the Central Bank of Armenia. The coin is made of gold,
the 900th sample, diameter 18 mm, weighing 4.3 grams. "Commander
St. Sargis" was designed by a member of the Artists’ Union of Armenia
Karapet Abrahamyan and coined by the Mint of Finland.

"TURKEY SEASON" BEGINS IN FRANCE

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
01.07.2009 14:15 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish Culture & Tourism Minister Ertugrul Gunay
and his French counterpart Frederic Mitterrand formally launched the
"Turkey Season" activities in Paris on Tuesday.

The activities will last about nine months in France.

"These activities will be an opportunity to eliminate prejudice
of French people and to promote Turkey," Gunay told a joint press
conference with Mitterrand.

Gunay said that activities would boost relations between the two
countries, and lay the groundwork of new cooperation.

The Turkish minister said knowing each other would help overcome
problems among people, and development of cultural relations would
contribute to solution of other problems.

Also, Mitterrand said that the French had "always respected to Turkey’s
history, civilization and culture."

Also, Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe will hand over the key of Paris
to Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk, director Nuri Bilge Ceylan and
photographer Ara Guler.

More than 300 artistic and cultural events promoting Turkey will take
place in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Strasbourg and some other French
cities during the "Turkey Season" organized with an almost 30 million
Euro budget.

France will host 42 exhibitions during the season.

A total of 880,000 French people visited Turkey last year, and almost
400,000 Turkish citizens are living in France, AA reported.

AVET GHAZARIAN BECOMES SILVER MEDAL WINNER OF EUROPEAN TAEKWONDO CHAMPIONSHIP

Noyan Tapan
June 29, 2009

ZAGREB, JUNE 29, NOYAN TAPAN. The European Taekwondo Junior
Championship started in the city of Zagreb, Croatia on June 26. Among
the 6 sportsmen of Armenia, Armar club sportsman Avet Ghazarian (45
kg, Yerevan) was the first to be awarded a medal. He took the second
place and was awarded a silver medal.

ARMENIAN CUSTOMS OFFICERS TO BE DRILLED IN RUSSIA

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
29.06.2009 15:08 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia is the only CIS country whose customs
officers will be trained in the Russian Customs Academy.

A relevant agreement will be signed rill the end of next year during
the 3rd session of legal subdivisions of CIS customs services. Programs
will be launched from January 1, 2010.

Nikolay Simonov, representative of Russian Customs Academy commented
on the most efficient mechanisms to combat contraband. "It’s an easy
job and the officers should be well-trained," he said.

Agence France Presse
June 27 2009

Premier-Designate Hariri Vows to Form ‘Homogeneous’ Cabinet

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri vowed on Saturday to form a
homogeneous and consensus government that is able to function away
from obstruction.

We "will safeguard the constitution, (state) institutions,
sovereignty, independence and the project of the building of the
Lebanese state," Hariri told reporters at Baabda palace after
President Michel Suleiman designated him Lebanon’s premier and tasked
him with forming a new cabinet.

He vowed to form a "homogeneous" and "consensus" government that is
able to remain united and "make achievements away from obstruction" in
cooperation with the president.

Hariri also promised to keep strife and "foreign and economic" dangers
away from Lebanon.

Suleiman on Saturday designated Hariri Lebanon’s premier after the
majority of parliamentarians nominated the politician to the post.

"According to the constitution and after the president consulted with
the speaker of parliament and parliamentarians, he (Suleiman) summoned
Saad Hariri and tasked him with forming a new government," a
presidential statement said.

The decree issued by Suleiman came after Hariri received 86 votes of
approval by lawmakers following two days of consultations. Hariri got
the approval of 71 MPs from his own majority alliance, plus Parliament
Speaker Nabih Berri and his bloc of 12 legislators and two Armenian
MPs.

This would be Hariri’s first designation to the premiership following
the June 7 legislative elections in which the March 14 coalition won
71 out of the 128 seats in parliament.

The 39-year-old is to succeed outgoing Prime Minister Fouad Saniora, a
member of Hariri’s al-Mustaqbal movement.

>From Baabda palace, Hariri headed to downtown Beirut and prayed at
his father’s graveside along with Saniora and other members of his
bloc.

Hariri now faces the difficult task of negotiating with other
political factions to form a government. The process can take days or
even weeks.

On Sunday, he will visit former prime ministers and kick off
consultations with parliamentary blocs on cabinet formation on Monday

As news broke up about his nomination, celebratory gunfire shook
Beirut and its suburbs. However, Hariri urged citizens in a statement
not to fire in the air.

Around 12 people were injured from celebratory gunfire on Thursday,
when parliament reelected Berri.

Beirut, 27 Jun 09, 14:47

28 GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO BE INCLUDED IN E-WORKFLOW SYSTEM IN ARMENIA BY END OF 2009

ARKA
June 25, 2009

YEREVAN, June 25. /ARKA/. Twenty-eight government agencies are to be
included in the system of electronic document flow in Armenia by the
end of 2009, head of government administration David Sargsyan told
journalists Thursday.

Ten administrative regions of Armenia, 17 ministries and the government
administration are to be connected to the system, he said.

Currently the system is being introduced in Armenian Ministry of
Healthcare and the same is to be done in the ministries of urban
planning and nature protection next month.

Today the system unites seven state agencies – government
administration, ministry of finance, ministry of economy, ministry
of territorial administration, ministry of diaspora, foreign ministry
and administration of Kotayk region of the country.

The program is implemented with assistance of the World Bank.

Several ministries are expected to get connected to the system every
month and the whole process is to be completed by the end of the year,
Sargsyan said.

According to him, there will be no difficulties with connection and
communication between the bodies. Connecting Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
to the system is also under consideration.

E-workflow system is to be introduced in the State Revenues Committee
with assistance of the EU.

Sargsyan assured that the e-workflow system of state agencies is f
ully secure and it will take at least seven years to break in.

It is not known yet when a system connecting all government bodies
(presidential administration, government, ministries and agencies –
ARKA) is to be created, he said.

"We will be back to this issue next year as the first WB credit
program is to be completed by the end of the year. The second credit
is expected to be received in 2010," he said.

Sargsyan reported that the WB extended $10mln to Armenia under the
program of support to public authorities, including $500,000 spent
on introduction of e-document flow system.

200 SET FREE IN ARMENIA UNDER THE AMNESTY BILL

armradio.am
25.06.2009 13:00

The Public Relations Unit of the Criminal-Executive Department of
the Ministry of Justice of Armenia reports that as of 24 June, 200
convicts were freed from jail under the amnesty bill the National
Assembly passed on June 19.

According to the 7th point of the decision, five convicts had their
sentences cut.

ARMENIA IS INTERESTED IN GEORGIA’S STABILITY AND DEVELOPMENT

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
24.06.2009 19:52 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "We’ve discussed the full spectrum of bilateral
relations, as well as regional issues with Georgian President Mikhail
Saakashvili. Relations between Armenia and Georgia are on a high level
and there are few nations in the world whose relations can serve as
an imitation example. Friendship between Armenian and Georgian people
is proved by centuries, and we’d like intergovernmental relations
to be as friendly," RA President Serzh Sargsyan told a joint news
conference with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili. According to
RA President, both countries have common interests in provision of
regional stability and economic collaboration development.

RA President emphasized that any regional problem should be settled
through peaceful dialogue. "We’ve already received evidence that
forceful conflict settlement has no perspectives. I hope Georgian
President shares our views on this issue. Armenia is interested in
Georgia’s stability and development," Sargsyan said.

In his turn, Mikhail Saakahvili warmly recalled his meetings with
the second RA President Robert Kocharyan. "I believe that we have
similar friendly relations with President Sargsyan. In autumn, we plan
to have a joint School Olympiad either in Batumi or Tbilisi. Georgia
also appreciates Armenian’s balanced position is territorial integrity
issue," Saakashvili emphasized, adding that Armenia and Georgia lost
a lot of time to be made up for now.

ARMENIA, CHINA SIGN TECHNICAL COOPERATION AGREEMENT

armradio.am
24.06.2009 17:44

On June 24 the Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia, Karine Ghazinyan,
and the Ambassador of China to Armenia, Hong Jiuyin, signed an
agreement on "Technical-economic cooperation between the Government
of the Republic of Armenia and the Government of the People’s Republic
of China."

Under the agreement China will provide 15 million yuans in technical
assistance to Armenia.