Author: Khoyetsian Rose

Average salary in Base Metals was 170 thousand drams

28-12-2007 11:26:18 – KarabakhOpen

The Base Metals Company employs 1200 people, the Azat Artsakh reports.
Over the past 5 years after the establishment of the company the life
in the adjacent villages has changed.

Drmbon now has a great number of mining specialists, which allows
working out new projects of development of mining.

The president of Base Metals Valery Mejlumyan said 325 thousand tons of
ore was produced and processed. The average salary in the company was
170 thousand drams, the profit of the company was 3.9 billion drams.

In 2008 the factory will be modernized. In a few days the third
processing unit will be operated.

President Bako Sahakyan who visited the factory emphasized the role of
the factory in improving quality of life in the villages of Martakert.

This year the factory has donated 70 million drams to Armenia Fund.

The company is a major tax payer and in 2007 it has paid 1.88 billion
drams of different taxes.

In late January the DPA will present its stance concerning the upcoming
presidential elections

December 21, 2007
Yerevan /Mediamax/.

In late January of 2008, the Democratic Party of Armenia (DPA) will
present its stance concerning the upcoming presidential elections.

Mediamax reports that, speaking at a news conference in Yerevan today,
Leader of DPA Aram Sarkisian ruled out the possibility of supporting
the candidature of the Armenian Ex-President Levon Ter-Petrosian,
noting that `his methods have not changed’.

DPA Leader expressed discontent by the behavior of the Armenian media,
which `do not realize that they assist the charging of hatred
atmosphere in the society’.

FROM SALVATION TO CREATION

Lragir
Dec 20 2007
Armenia

In the beginning of January 2008 the "program of creation" of the
presidential candidate Artashes Geghamyan will be presented to the
society, which will be his election program, stated the deputy leader
of the National Solidarity Party Gagik Tadevosyan. According to him,
if Artashes Geghamyan comes to power, amendments will be made to the
Constitution which was adopted in 2005 through fraud.

The deputy leader of the National Solidarity Party says for his
party and their presidential candidate the most important thing is
the independence of the judicial power in this vital document. "We
think that in our country the judicial power will not be established
as long as there are no independent courts, independent justice,"
Gagik Tadevosyan says. Besides, he says they are for parliamentary
rule and proportional system of parliamentary elections.

Interestingly, in 2003 Artashes Geghamyan presented a program of
salvation of the nation, in 2007 a program of management of the crisis
in the parliament, and in 2008 a program of creation. Perhaps these
changes are determined by a change in Geghamyan’s possibilities.

YEREVAN COULD SIGN DEAL ON KARABAKH WITH BAKU BEFORE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS – MINISTER

Russia & CIS General Newswire
December 18, 2007 Tuesday 9:56 PM MSK

Armenia could sign a framework agreement with Azerbaijan on principles
of settling the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh before the presidential
elections in Armenia, said Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian.

Speaking at a press conference in Yerevan on Tuesday, Oskanian said
that Armenia was not planning to withdraw from the negotiations on
Nagorno-Karabakh. "Armenia will continue the negotiating process in
the near future. There are documents on the negotiating table that
we are examining," he said.

Commenting on Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian’s remark to
the effect that a framework agreement on Nagorno-Karabakh could
be signed before the presidential elections, Oskanian said, "Our
desire is to reach a consensus on this two and half page document on
settlement principles. The sooner we come to it the sooner we will
start discussing details," he said.

"After that, we could start working on a 20-30 page or maybe even a
50-page agreement," he said.

The co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group made ten written proposals
on settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to Armenia and Azerbaijan
in Madrid in late November.

The presidential elections in Armenia are scheduled for February
19, 2008.

KAREN MOVSISYAN SHARED THE 2ND TO 4TH PLACES IN AN INTERNATIONAL CHESS TOURNAMENT IN SPAIN

armradio.am
20.12.2007 17:41

Armenian Grand Master Karen Movsisyan, who currently resides in Spain,
gained 7 points from 9 possible and shared the 2nd to 4th positions un
the international chess tournament held in the Spanish city of Granada.

Serbian Grad Master Branto Damianovich became the winner of the
tournament with 7.5 points.

PACE, OSCE PA, EP AND CIS IPA INVITED TO OBSERVE RA PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

PanARMENIAN.Net
18.12.2007 16:24 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ December 18, Armenian National Assembly Speaker
Tigran Torosian sent invitations to PACE, OSCE PA, European Parliament
and CIS Interparliamentary Assembly to observe the Armenian
presidential elections due on February 18, 2008, the RA NA press
office said.

With completing registration on December 6, the RA CEC announced
that the essential documents were submitted by National Consent party
leader Aram Harutyunyan, RA NA former speaker, Orinats Yerkir party
leader Artur Baghdassaryan, National Unity party leader Artashes
Geghamyan, ALM Holding president, chairman of People’s Party of
Armenia Tigran Karapetyan, chairman of the National Democratic Union
Vazgen Manukyan, RA NA vice speaker, ARF Dashnaktsutyun Bureau member
Vahan Hovhannisian, RA Prime Minister, RPA chairman Serge Sargsyan
and Armenia’s first President Levon Ter-Petrosyan.

UKRAINIANS AND GREEKS INTEND TO SUPPORT CANDIDACY OF SERZH SARGSYAN AT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

arminfo
2007-12-14 13:32:00

ArmInfo. The Ukrainians and Greeks, living in Armenia, intend to
support the candidacy of RA Prime Minister, leader of the Republican
party of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan at the forthcoming presidential
election.

As Head of the Federation of Ukrainians of Armenia Yavir Romania said
at today’s press-conference in "Tesaket" club, the Ukrainians intend
to vote for the one "who works. I do not understand – the former
Prime Minister and Defense Minister of Armenia Vazgen Manukyan run
for the president again. He has already shown, when taking these
positions, that he cannot work, he better does his direct business,
that is, teaching mathematics. No theatre worked in a period of
Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s presidency, and all the representatives of
the national minorities were living the country, while now, there
is space for placement of showbills as the number of performances is
great. "We stand for the power, for Serzh Sargsyan" , Y. Romania said.

For his part, Head of Union of public organizations of Greeks, living
in Armenia, Arkady Khitarov said that a session of the Union Board will
be held on December 16, which will officially announce the name of the
candidate to be supported by the Greeks living in Armenia. "However,
I can say even now that this will be RA Prime Minister, leader of
Republican party of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan", Khitarov said.

ARMENIA DOES NOT REGARD AZERBAIJAN AS ‘ENEMY" COUNTRY, DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS

ARMENPRESS
Dec 14, 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS: Armenia’s defense minister Mikael
Harutunian said today the country’s military doctrine has no provision
about an ‘enemy country."

Speaking to reporters after a parliament hearing on the country’s
military doctrine, the minister said Armenia’s relations with
neighboring Azerbaijan are strained because of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, but he added that Armenia’s clear-cut position is that
this and other problems must be settled peacefully and only through
negotiations.

Minister’s remarks came in response to a request to comment on a
provision in Azerbaijan’s military doctrine which describes Armenia as
‘an enemy country."

"I have always said that war will not resolve the Karabakh issue… We
are sure that sooner or later this conflict will be settled at the
negotiations table,’ the minister said.

The Armenian minister also recalled a statement by his Azeri
counterpart, Safar Abiyev who said in late November that the
possibility of a new war in Karabakh was close to 100 percent.

"Negotiations are certainly the best way to solve the conflict to
give the people of Nagorno-Karabakh what they want to have,’ he said.

He said NATO experts criticized Azerbaijan’s military doctrine for a
provision that calls for use of force ‘to liberate’ Nagorno-Karabakh
given the failure of peaceful negotiations.

HRANT DINK – WORLD PRESS FREEDOM HERO

AZG Armenian Daily
13/12/2007

Director of International Press Institute Johan P. Fritz handed over
the award of International Press Institute to Hrant Dink’s widow
Rakel Dink at a ceremony in Vienna.

International Press Institute honored Hrant Dink with the title of
World Press Freedom Hero.

"Hrant Dink’s nomination as our 52nd World Press Freedom Hero is a
tribute to his bravery, but also an acknowledgement of his significant
contribution to freedom of expression and press freedom in Turkey,"
announced Johan P. Fritz.

The Director of International Press Institute mentioned that 91
journalists have been murdered in the world since the beginning
of 2007.

AREVIK WELCOMED AT THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

armradio.am
13.12.2007 12:45

Speaker of RA National Assembly Tigran Torosyan received the little
singers of the Arevik ensemble of the Public Television and Radio
Company of Armenia. The meeting was attended by the Chairwoman of
the National Assembly Standing Committee on Science, Education,
Culture and Youth Affairs Hranush Hakobyan and Executive Director of
the Public Radio of Armenia Armen Amiryan.

Congratulating the children on the brilliant success at the Junior
Eurovision Song Contest 2007 in Rotterdam, Speaker Tigran Torosyan
awarded a diploma of the National Assembly to the ensemble and gifts
to the eight singers.

The President of the National Assembly said Arevik’s wonderful
performance on the European stage was important from several
perspectives.

First, the name of Armenia was voiced many times and the Armenian
flag flew high on the European stage. Besides, the Armenian song was
loved and the childish spirit was preserved.

Although Arevik’s victory was conditioned also by the support of
Diaspora Armenians, Speaker Tigran Torosyan assured that the success
was achieved primarily due to Arevik and the people working with
the children.

According to the Speaker’s assessment, such achievements inspire our
citizens and help us move forward overcoming all the difficulties,
and years later the members of Arevik will be proud to have made
their contribution to the development of the Republic of Armenia.

Chairwoman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Science,
Education, Culture and Youth Affairs Hranush Hakobyan also
congratulated the children for the "sunny victory" and handed prizes
on behalf of the Committee.

Director of the Public Radio Armen Amiryan, who visited Rotterdam
with Arevik, expressed gratitude to the National Assembly Speaker
for reception, assuring that the children who granted Armeniansun
to cold Europe will remember this meeting for a long time. As a sign
of gratitude to the Parliament Speaker, Arevik presented the CD with
their songs to Mr. Torsyan.