Author: Kalantarian Kevo

EUROPEAN APPROACHES TO FORMATION OF INFORMATION SOCIETY SHOULD BE USED
IN ARMENIA, CHUGASZIAN SAYS

Y EREVAN, MAY 24, NOYAN TAPAN. The 2008 state budget envisages
allocations for the IT sector for the first time. However, unlike the
previous years when the then prime minister (NT: the late Andranik
Margarian) allocated funds for organization of e-content creation
contests, no such contest will be held this year, the director of
E-Content Association of Armenia (ECA) and chairman of IT Foundation
Garegin Chugaszian said at the May 23 press conference.

He reminded that over 300 works were usually submitted at the annual
contests, with the best works being presented at international
competitions and winning awards. "This year the state did not provide
any money in order to assist with e-content creation. How can it be
explained?" G. Chugaszian asked.

He added that the problems of Armenian e-content development were not
included in the draft concept of development of Armenia’s IT sector,
which has already been submitted to the government. "There are beatiful
programs on building a paradise in Armenia by 2018 but today those
engaged in creation of an English-Armenian translation system have not
received any support – unlike the previous years when the budget lacked
resources but, being aware of the problem’s importance, the former
prime minister used to allocate sums," he said.

According to him, the situation "shows that some one-sided interests
have begun to be preferred in Armenia, and a new strategy and a new
governance system are being put forward, which will create a new
oligarchy in the next ten years and a group of people will get the IT
sector too into their hands".

In response to NT correspondent’s question about whether "there is a
factor of geopolitics" in the neglect of these problems of importance
to the information society, G. Chugaszian said that the idea of
"information society" is European. "We are part of Europe so we should
use European approaches in Armenia".

It is noteworthy that the European approaches to information society
are based on the principles of preservation of national identity and
cultural diversity.

SESSION OF THE HEADS OF CIS GOVERNMENTS KICKS OFF IN MINSK

ARMENPRESS
May 23, 2008

MINSK, MAY 23, ARMENPRESS: The session of the council of the heads
of the governments of the CIS countries kicked off in Minsk with
the participation of the Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsian,
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani Prime Minister
Arthur Rasizade, Georgian Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze, Kyrgyz
Prime Minister Igor Chudinov, Tajik Prime Minister Akil Akilov,
Moldovan Prime Minister Zinaida Grechanaya, Ukrainian Prime Minister
Yulia Timoshenko, Uzbekistani Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Kasimov,
Kazakhstan Deputy Prime Minister Umirzak Shukeev, Turkmen Deputy
Chairman of the Ministers’ Cabinet Rashid Meredov.

Addressing to the participants of the session Belarus President
Alexander Lukashenko stated that the main issue of the participants
is to "fill the partnership with concrete content". "We are expected
to carry out active work for boosting cooperation and make rational
suggestions for bringing to life all the initiatives," he stated.

Belarus president noted that the main vectors have already been
established in the concept of the further development of the CIS.

The agenda of the session of the heads of the governments includes
a wide range of issues on cooperation among the member states.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 20 YEARS AFTER INDEPENDENCE

KarabakhOpen
23-05-2008 13:49:49

Today an international conference on the reality and prospects of the
Karabakh movement kicks off in Stepanakert. The conference is part
of the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the Karabakh movement.

The participants from Russia have already arrived. Among them is
the ex-representative of the Russian president on the Karabakh issue
Ambassador Vladimir Kazimirov.

Political scientists and experts from Belgium, Germany, the United
States, Greece will take part in the conference.

Politicians from Armenia will arrive in Stepanakert, including Vardan
Oskanyan, the ex-foreign minister of Armenia for 10 years, members
of parliament, civil society activists. The conference will last for
two days.

ZHIRAYR SEFILYAN ASKS POLITICAL ASYLUM IN NAGORNY KARABAKH

arminfo
2008-05-22 15:12:00

ArmInfo. Zhirayr Sefilyan, Commander of Shushi battalion and Head of
the public and patriotic organization "For Protection of Liberated
Territories", who is in prison for illegal keeping of weapons,
asked political asylum and citizenship from president of NKR Bako
Sahakyan. Sefilyan is citizen of Lebanon.

Zhirayr Sefilyan’s statement received by ArmInfo says that Sefilyan
made a similar appeal to Bako Sahakyan yet in 2007. He was informed
that his appeal would be studied after adoption of the Law on
Citizenship of NKR. ‘I confirm by desire to get citizenship of
NKR and I am ready to make another appeal in conformity with the
law after relevant law on citizenship of NKR is passed’, Sefilyan
says in his appeal. He also mentions that his term of imprisonment
expires on June 9. ‘I was imprisoned for keeping weapon awarded by NKR
leadership. The verdict says that NKR leadership awarded the weapon
with violation of some procedure and that I had no right to keep it’,
Sefilyan says. Zhirayr Sefilyan expresses concern about being exiled
as soon as he is released. ‘I rule out the possibility of leaving the
Motherland. That is why I ask political asylum from NKR. I hope that
at least NKR will not reject me’, Sefilyan says.

POLITICAL FORCES OF ARMENIA SHOULD UNDERSTAND SERIOUSNESS OF CHALLENGES AGAINST THE COUNTRY, REPRESENTATIVE OF HERITAGE PARTY THINKS

arminfo
2008-05-22 15:14:00

ArmInfo. "Political forces of Armenia should understand seriousness
of challenges against the country. But it is impossible to respond
to them because of the split in the country", member of the Heritage
party board, deputy of the National Assembly Vardan Khachatryan told
journalists in the Pastarq club today.

He also added there is a public order in the republic to establish
dialogue between the contradictory political teams, which in not in
line with the present situation when no real step is made to start
the dialogue.

Khachatryan said that a task to restore the justice principles in
Armenia should be in the centre of the talks between the authorities
and the opposition. Touching on the problem of prisoners of the 1
March events, representative of the Heritage party said he is sure that
"persecution of people by the political motives promises nothing good
to the authorities".

BOYS NIGHT

Independent and Free Press
e/article/49191
May 21 2008
Canada

Director Sam Hancock greeted author Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch at the
gala presentation of The Georgetown Boys at the John Elliott Theatre
last Wednesday. Skrypuch wrote the book, Aram’s Choice, which Hancock
adapted for the stage as The Georgetown Boys, presented by the members
of the Georgetown Little Theatre’s Youth Company. The story is about
110 Armenian orphan boys who were brought to Canada in 1923 after
surviving a genocide to live in Georgetown and train as farmers. Many
of the descendants attended the gala presentation. Members of the
Youth Company (below) were presented with Armenian pins from an
Armenian community group

ASSETS OF HSBC BANK ARMENIA GROW BY 30% TO ABOUT 337.4 MILLION DOLLARS IN 2007

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 20, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The results registered by HSBC Bank
Armenia in 2007 were notable in terms of increased investments and
the improved quality of services provided to customers, the bank’s
CEO Tim Slater stated at the May 20 press conference.

In his words, last year the assets of the bank grew by 30% and made
104 bln drams (about 337.4 mln USD), and by this index the bank took a
leading position among the 22 commercial banks of Armenia. 70% increase
of crediting contributed to the indicated growth. The revenues of HSBC
Bank Armenia grew by 24% in 2007 and amounted to 9.16 bln drams in late
2007, while the after-tax profit grew by 5.4% and made 3.3 bln drams.

T. Slater explained a small growth of the profit as compared with
the revenues by the large amount of investments made by the bank in
2007. In particular, invetsments were made for opening a new head
office in Yerevan and 4 branches of HSBC Bank Armenia. The bank’s
shareholders reinvested the sums to be received as dividents.

A large – 32% share of HSBC Bank Armenia in the Armenian mortgage
market bears evidence of a high quality of services provided by
the bank to its customers, while the bank’s share in the deposit
attraction market grew to 26%. According to T. Slater, among the bank’s
customers are about 40 thousand natural persons and 3.6 thousand legal
entities. The staff of the bank increased by 78% to 339 people in 2007.

T. Slater added that the tendencies to the improvement of the bank’s
economic indices and customer services and the growth of investments
will continue in 2008. It is planned to open 3 branches in 2008, the
bank’s national service center (in May), to launch the provision of
Internet banking services (by late 2008). In late May the bank will
also increase the duration of its daily work.

T. Slater announced the 2007 results of HSBC Bank Group in 84
countries: the revenues grew by 24% to 87.6 bln USD, while the pre-tax
profit grew by a record 16% to 24.2 bln USD.

MAUD DE BOER-BUQUICCHIO: AUTHORITIES AND OPPOSITION OF ARMENIA ABLE TO ARRIVE AT AGREEMENT TO SET UP SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE 1 MARCH INCIDENTS

arminfo
2008-05-20 14:21:00

ArmInfo. The authorities and the opposition of Armenia are able to
arrive at an agreement to set up a special committee to investigate
1 March incidents, Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Maud
de Boer-Buquicchio told ArmInfo when commenting on her meeting with
the first president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan on May 19 in
the evening.

She said that the role of the opposition is naturally to oppose
the actions by the government. Nevertheless, the opposition should
try to launch a constructive dialogue and make it possible to
engage to something which eventually leads to reconciliation. , she
said. Moreover, she stressed that they discussed the necessity of very
clear restoration of all the facts of 1 March incidents, the importance
of a special committee equally represented by both the government and
the opposition, as well as the possible contribution by international
community to this initiative through involvement of experts and civil
society. Maud de Boer-Buquicchio said she discussed this question also
with the power representatives and thinks a relevant agreement may be
achieved. She mentioned that establishment of the committee is among
the recommendations by PACE and its fulfillment is to be discussed
during June Session of PACE. That is why, she thinks, the authorities
must seriously think over the fulfillment of the given initiative.

To recall, debates on the recommendations by PACE Resolution 1609
on Democratic Institutions in Armenia are expected during the Summer
Session of PACE to be held 23-27 June. In particular, the resolution
says that negative assessment will lead to reduction of mandates and
deprivation of votes of Armenian delegates to PACE for a year.

TIGRAN SARGSIAN, "THE NEW GOVERNMENT HAS COME TO MAKE DRASTIC CHANGES"

ARMENPRESS
May 16, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS: Armenian President Tigran Sargsian
received today the delegation headed by the U.S. coordinator of
European and Eurasian assistance Tom Adams.

Governmental press service told Armenpress that during the meeting the
prime minister said that Armenia underscores the further development of
relations with USA and particularly the activity of the U.S.-Armenian
inter-governmental task group dealing with the economic issues,
which he said, is ensuring progress for Armenia.

Tigran Sargsian thanked the U.S. government for the large volume of
assistance provided to Armenia since its independence and added that
in a number of spheres the results are obvious.

"At the same time we fully realize that there are spheres where the
reforms are not notable and U.S. assistance will greatly promote to
overcome the issues in those spheres as well," the prime minister said.

Congratulating Tigran Sargsian on being appointed in the office of
the prime minister, Tom Adams said that he is very glad as he had an
opportunity to cooperate with him when he was the chairman of the
Armenia’s Central Bank. T. Adams expressed assurance that Tigran
Sargsian will succeed in his new position.

During the meeting the prime minister also presented Armenia’s
macroeconomic situation, as well as the pace of reforms in tax and
customs systems.

Considering it one of the main issues of the newly formed government,
Sargsian said that the achieved results will directly promote the
solution of social and economic issues of the country.

He said that soon program of events and aims of the reforms in tax
and customs spheres will be published through which the public will
be able to control the steps of the government.

Among the prior issues he also noted the creation of favorable
conditions for the development of small and medium sized business,
effective fight against corruption. He said that the government is
cooperating with the international establishments in that direction.

Tom Adams noted that during the recent times the positive changes
are quite notable in the improving tax administration and pointed
out that there are still some issues connected with the development
of democracy, rule of law, promotion of business. He promised that
U.S. administration will continue cooperating with the Armenian
government in the mentioned spheres for making the country attractive
for foreign investments.

"People are tired of words and promises. We need to work and have
announced that the new Armenian government has come to make drastic
changes," Tigran Sargsian said.

COMMITTEE DISCUSSED 11 CHARITABLE PROJECTS

Panorama.am
19:16 16/05/2008

Today the session of the RA Government charitable projects committee
took place which was headed by the president of the committee Simon
Ter-Simonyan, reported the press and public relations department of
the Government. According to the source the committee has discussed
11 charitable projects.

According to the source the following projects have been affirmed: "RA
Shirak region, Artik city – furnishing of schools N 3; 4; 5; 6 and 7",
"RA Armavir region, Parakar city – reconstruction of Hovik Edgaryan
art school", the projects are supported by "Armenia" pan Armenian
foundation, as well as several projects on hospital reconstruction,
providing medical equipments.

The project presented by the Holy Church Echmiatsin "reconstruction
of Arabkir region church" has also been affirmed. A range of projects
on reconstruction of dispensers in Vardenis, Gyumri cities have also
been affirmed.