Author: Mamian George

DIGITECH-2008 TO BE HELD IN ARMENIA ON OCTOBER 3-5

ARKA
Sep 5, 2008

YEREVAN, September 5. /ARKA/. The forth annual DigiTech-2008
exhibition is to be held in Armenia on October 3-5, reports the Union
of Information Technology Enterprises (UITE) that is to organize
the event.

The main objective of the exhibition is to create favorable
atmosphere for IT companies, corporate clients and the society,
says the report. The exhibition will also give an idea about the real
picture of Armenian IT market, introduce new products and achievements
and inform about new challenges and opportunities.

Thirty local and international companies, including "Moskovskiy
Teleport" and Softline that are to introduce their own products for
the first time in Armenia, have already applied for participation in
the exhibition.

Among participants of the exhibition are Cornet.am, Smart Systems,
U Com, IU Networks, ADS, MCS Caucasus, National Instruments, HI
End Center, Scancode, Altacode, Norq, CHS Verisel Service, Unicomp,
Virage Logic, E-Dram, Apaga Technologies, Microsoft RA, T Helper,
Synergy, Apple Centre, Paradigma Armenia, Instigate, Firm Alpha,
Sourcio, Spyur and EIF (Enterprise Incubator Foundation).

Last year 8,000 people attended the DigiTec. 70 companies are expected
to participate and over 12,000 people are expected to visit the
DigiTec exhibition this year.

DigiTec forums on business solutions and e-management, as well as
Digilive seminars are to be held=2 0in the scope of the exhibition.

The exhibition will be held under patronage of Armenian Premier. The
principal sponsor of the event is Microsoft representative office in
Armenia. The exhibition is sponsored by Virage Logic. N.V. -0–

NIKOLAY BORDYUZHA EXPECTS POWERFUL IMPETUS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF COLLECTIVE SECURITY SYSTEM FROM MEETING OF CSTO COLLECTIVE SECURITY COUNCIL

arminfo
2008-09-05 14:09:00

ArmInfo. CSTO Collective Security Council will meet in Moscow today
on 5 September. The meeting will give an impetus to development of
the whole collective security system, CSTO Secretary General Nikolay
Boryuzha made such statement, CSTO Information Department Adviser
Vitaly Strugovec told ArmInfo.

He said N. Bordyuzha highlighted the analysis of development of the
military-political situation in the CSTO activity zone and nearby
regions generally and in South Ossetia particularly among the key
issues to be discussed by CSTO Presidents. Secretary General underlined
that the ‘the situation is worsening unfortunately’.

The CSTO President will study documents on formation of the human
resources system for law- enforcement, fire, rescue and special
services of CSTO member-states, as well as on transforming the anti-
drug operation Channel into a permanent project. The president will
also discuss a provision on the procedure of funds international
target programs.

The last document will allow implementing a package of interstate
projects in the sphere of military and military-technical cooperation,
anti-drug and anti-terrorism activity, and information security,
N. Bordyuzha said. As regards the prospects of the Collective Security
Treaty Organization, N. Bordyuzha said the last meetings of the CSTO
regulatory agencies: Council of Defense Ministers, Council of Foreign
Ministers, Committee of Security Council Secretaries, stressed the
necessity of activating the collective security system.

‘The foreign and defense ministers and Security Council secretaries
believe that providing security to states is possible only by combined
efforts’, CSTO Secretary General said.

POLLUTED RIVER POSES HEALTH THREAT TO BOURJ HAMMOUD
By Andrew Wander

Daily Star
d=1&categ_id=1&article_id=95712
Sept 5 2008
Lebanon

Local officials say government not helping

BEIRUT: A polluted river running through a crowded suburb of Beirut
could pose a serious risk to the health of people living nearby, but
the government is doing nothing to combat the issue, local leaders
said Thursday. The Beirut River runs through Beirut’s mostly Armenian
district of Bourj Hammoud, and dries up to little more than a trickle
during summer, exposing piles of rotting garbage and sewage washed
down during the winter months.

The dried river bed is full of raw sewage, as well as plastic bottles
and rotting vegetables, residents say. It also attracts vermin
and reptiles, and produces a deeply unpleasant smell as the refuse
decomposes under the hot summer sun.

Officials at the Bourj Hammoud municipality say they are not receiving
the help they need from the government to solve the issue. Raffi
Kokoghlanian, the deputy mayor of Bourj Hammoud said: "There is a
major crisis at the river. Most villages from the source to the shore
discharge sewage into the river, and this is creating major health
problems for the residents. But the responsibility to clean the river
does not lie with the municipality. It belongs to the government and
they don’t have the resources or possibly the inclination to clean
the area. It is actually illegal for another party to clean the river."

Contact with polluted water contaminated by raw sewage can lead to
a range of health problems, including leptospirosis, a bacterial
infection that causes jaundice and even death if left untreated. The
disease is particularly associated with vermin-infested waterways. In
addition, contact with water contaminated with human waste can also
lead to typhoid, which usually becomes more common in Lebanon at the
end of the summer.

Because the river flows into the sea, it also contributes to Lebanon’s
ongoing problem with coastal pollution, which poses a risk to swimmers
and wildlife. Scientific studies have shown that contact with polluted
sea water can lead to several health problems, including skin diseases
and diarrhea.

Ribal Mansour, a 25-year-old student, says that something should
be done about the levels of pollution in the river. "It smells
very bad. The water goes out into the sea, taking with it millions
of bacteria. It’s a risk to health. In the summer it is worse than
the winter. I think it happens because all the factories drain their
pollution into the river. You see rats and water snakes in there. They
should close the factories, and someone should clean up the mess."

Kokoghlanian agrees that there is a pressing need for the situation
to be resolved soon.

But he said because all the villages along the course of the river
contribute to the pollution and sewage problem, finding a solution
will require a coordinated effort of various local and national
authorities. "We have spoken to the authorities millions of times,
but nothing is done," he said. "This is a major health problem. It’s
a problem we cannot solve alone. There must be cooperation. The
government must take a major decision if this is to be solved."

Officials from the Environment Ministry were unavailable to comment
on the situation Thursday.

TURKEY’S ARMENIANS THRILLED WITH VISIT

Today’s Zaman
Sept 5 2008
Turkey

The Armenian Patriarchate of Ä°stanbul as well as individual Armenian
citizens of Turkey have lauded President Abdullah Gul’s decision
to travel to Yerevan over the weekend to watch a match between the
Turkish and Armenian national football teams along with his Armenian
counterpart, Serzh Sarksyan, who issued the invitation.

The patriarchate, in a written statement released yesterday, first of
all said that sports was by its very nature an activity that directs
people towards peace and fraternity. "… In this regard, we hope the
Armenia-Turkey national football match to be played in Armenia’s city
of Yerevan on Sept, 6, 2008 will be an occasion for the improvement
of mutual friendship and neighborhood relations for the peoples of
both countries, which share a common geography," the patriarchate said.

In the Kumkapı district of İstanbul, Hanefi Demirci, a Turkish-born
Armenian, said Gul’s visit could help build bridges of friendship
between Armenia and Turkey. Reacting against opposition leaders who
suggested that Gul’s visit would help nothing but would instead damage
Turkey’s honor, Demirci said they were "confusing sports and politics
with each other."

Cesur Yıldız, another Armenian citizen of Turkey, said friendship
between Armenia and Turkey would bring advantages to both countries.

Murat Ekmekcioglu, a jeweler at the Grand Bazaar, said he believed
the visit was very important for building a friendship between the
two countries. He added that this friendship would be beneficial for
both Armenia and Turkey. In the central Anatolian province of Kayseri,
Karnik Teke, an 83-year-old Armenian citizen of Turkey, also applauded
Gul’s decision to go to Yerevan.

"The fact that Abdullah Gul is from Kayseri, that he is from our
city, pleases us. Gul’s attitude is a step toward friendship, for
peace. This should be followed [by other steps]," Teke told the
Anatolia news agency yesterday.

–Boundary_(ID_cME4PPYKceXP7KhUmXrReg) —

ARMENIAN LEADER SAYS ECONOMY AFFECTED BY GEORGIA-RUSSIA CRISIS

Public Television of Armenia
Sept 3 2008

The recent situation in the South Caucasus has inflicted a serious
damage on Armenia’s economy, this country’s president, Serzh Sargsyan,
said at his meeting with Armenian diplomats and representatives to
international organizations in Yerevan on 3 September. The meeting
was broadcast by Armenian Public TV at 1630 gmt on the same day.

Sargsyan said that Armenia is interested in a "peaceful resolution
of all problems in Georgia" which neighbours Armenia. He noted that
there were three "crucial tasks" for Armenia in the current situation:
resolution of frozen conflicts, transit routes, and development of
Armenia’s international relations. Sargsyan expressed his confidence
that "it is impossible to solve conflicts using force, and the
events in South Ossetia will have a sobering effect on those who are
still tempted to take this kind of step by increasing their military
potential and making belligerent statements", presumably referring
to Azerbaijan.

He said that the situation in South Ossetia, Abkhazia, and Kosovo had
once again shown that the final decision depends on the "strong will"
of the people in those regions expressed through a referendum. Sargsyan
said that Armenia cannot recognize the independence of Abkhazia and
South Ossetia without recognizing the independence of Azerbaijan’s
breakaway region of Nagornyy Karabakh. "Armenia should persuade
Azerbaijan that recognition of Karabakh’s independence is inevitable,"
he added.

Speaking about transit routes and energy supplies, Sargsyan said
that the construction of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline had already
been completed and "we are capable of receiving gas from the Islamic
Republic of Iran". He added that final works that were currently
being carried out on the pipeline would probably be completed by
October. Armenia will be able to receive 2-2.5bn cubic metres of
gas a year from Iran, he said. Sargsyan pointed out that Armenia
and Iran were currently preparing other joint projects with Iran,
including construction of an oil refinery and Armenia-Iran railway.

Speaking about ties with Turkey, Sargsyan said: "It is possible to
make changes to the relations between Armenia and Turkey which need to
show political will and consistency. This will be the cornerstone of
political maturity for both countries." He added that he had invited
Turkish President Abdullah Gul to Armenia to jointly watch a football
match between the two countries’ national teams on 6 September because
he was sure that direct contacts were the only way to settle the
relations between the neighbouring nations. Sargsyan pointed out that
"without forgetting the past, they [Turkey] should look to the future
and begin contacts without preconditions". He said he believed that
the two countries would be able to discuss "any issues, even the most
difficult ones".

Sargsyan noted that Armenia should expand its involvement in "regional
and different international formats". He said that Armenia was trying
to boost cooperation within the framework of the Collective Security
Treaty Organization (CSTO). He highly assessed the CSTO’s Rubezh-2008
(Frontier-2008) joint command-staff exercise that was recently held in
Armenia. He added that Armenia would expand its bilateral and strategic
cooperation with Russia. Sargsyan also said that the during the
recent meeting with his Russian counterpart Dmitriy Medvedev in Sochi,
they discussed the implementation of a number of regional projects.

He noted that Armenia also intended to expand its cooperation with the
USA and the two countries have serious plans in this direction. The
president added that Armenia also was also expanding its relations
with the EU within the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy
and he would do his best to fulfill commitments undertaken "as soon
as possible".

Sargsyan said that Armenia would "consistently continue" its relations
with NATO within the framework of the Individual Partnership Action
Plan. He added that military exercises within the framework of
NATO’s Partnership for Peace Programme would be held in Armenia in
the near future.

Sargsyan also urged Armenian diplomats to improve their work, saying
that he was dissatisfied with it.

PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE OF TURKEY: GUL WILL VISIT ARMENIA

Panorama.am
13:35 04/09/2008

Turkish President Abdullah Gul will visit Armenia at the weekend
on the invitation of his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan to
watch the qualifying 2010 FIFA World Cup football match between two
countries’ national teams in Yerevan, Turkish president’s office said
on Wednesday.

"President Gul’s visit can assure the development of peace and
stability in the region. We hope the coming match will remove certain
obstacles in the development of relations of the two neighboring
countries," the office says.

MUBARIZ AHMEDOGHLU: "TURKEY’S CURRENT STEPS REMIND OF IRAN’S ACTIONS IN 1992, WHICH RESCUED ARMENIA"

Today.Az
olitics/47395.html
Sept 4 2008
Azerbaijan

Turkey’s current steps, if exactly President Abdullah Gul’s visit
to Yerevan, remind of Iran’s actions in 1992, when this country
rescued Armenia, said head of the center of political innovations
and technologies Mubariz Ahmedoghlu at a press conference on the
political results of August.

In September-October of 1992, when Azerbaijan put Armenia against the
wall, Iran opened its borders with this country and provided it with
fuel and food.

"In the aftermath, Levon Ter-Petrosyan wrote that if Iran opened
the border three days later, Armenia would never exist as a
country. Abdullah Gul does the same now and in the most critical
moment, when Armenia, especially following the Russian-Georgian war, is
fully isolated, he gives them the chance. The Turkish President could
have waited a little with his visit to this country", said Ahmedoghlu.

MOSCOW SAYS U.S. SEEKS CONTROL OF POST-SOVIET STATES

RIA Novosti
17:11 | 03/ 09/ 2008

YEREVAN, September 3 (RIA Novosti) – The visit by U.S. Vice President
Dick Cheney to Azerbaijan, Georgia and Ukraine is aimed at establishing
Washington’s control of these post-Soviet states, a Russian top
security official said on Wednesday.

Cheney arrived in Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku on Wednesday, the
first stop of a trip that will also take him to Georgia and Ukraine
less than a month after the start of a war between Georgia and Russia
over South Ossetia.

"We know that Cheney is to visit Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Ukraine,
and he will probably attempt to reassure them about this situation
[the Georgia-South Ossetia conflict] and will, it seems apparent,
once again act in such a way as to exert U.S. influence over them,"
Nikolai Patrushev said.

Cheney’s tour is seen as a show of support for the U.S.’s ally,
Georgia, amid Russia’s worsening relationship with the West.

Cheney is the most senior U.S. official to visit Georgia since
Russian tanks moved into the South Caucasus state following Tbilisi’s
unsuccessful attempt to retake the rebel province of South Ossetia
by force.

Georgia invaded South Ossetia on August 8 in an attempt to regain
control over the republic, which split from Tbilisi in the early
1990s. Georgian peacekeepers and regular troops also attacked Russian
peacekeepers stationed in the region. Moscow subsequently launched
an operation to "force Georgia to accept peace." The operation was
concluded on August 12.

KARI TOV AND MOKONAT COMPANIES CONSIDERED AS ECONOMIC ENTITIES WITH DOMINATING POSITION IN RICE MARKET

Noyan Tapan

Se p 3, 2008

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. The studies done by the RA State
Commission for Protection of Economic Competition showed that some
companies with a dominating position emerged in the rice market
recently. By a decision made at the September 3 siiting of the
Commission, Kari Tov and Mokonat companies have been considered as
economic entities with a dominating position. Kari Tov occupies 32%,
Mokonat – 27.6% of the rice market.

According to studies, 19 economic entities operated in the rice
market in the first six months of 2008, the total sales amounted to
11,668,607 kg. 3.65 kg of rice was sold per capita in Armenia in
the indicated period.

THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE NKR WAS REOPENED

Azat Artsakh Daily
03 Sep 08
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]

On September 1, 2008 the official website of the President of the
Nagorno Karabagh Republic was reopened. Please, visit us on the
following address: