Author: Nahapetian Samvel

IMITATION OF NEGOTIATIONS ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT PEACE SETTLEMENT NOT ADVANTAGEOUS TO ANYONE: AZERBAIJAN’S FOREIGN MINISTER

Trend News Agency
Aug 1 2008
Azerbaijan

Russia, Moscow, 1 August /Trend News corr. R.Agayev/ Azerbaijan’s
Foreign Minister believes imitation of negotiation process
on peace settlement of Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict is advantageous neither to the sides of negotiations, nor
intermediaries. "Imitation of negotiations does not suit anybody –
neither to participants, nor to intermediaries of the settlement,"
Azerbaijan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Elmar Mammadyarov said at a
briefing in Moscow on 1 August, commenting on the consultations with
his Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandyan.

According to Mammadyarov, OSCE Minsk Group’s co-chairs, engaged in
settlement, try to move as soon as possible the negotiation process
from the dead point.

Should the negotiations be imitation, the sides would not seek an
opportunity to meet neither on the level of presidents nor at the
level of foreign ministers, said Nalbandyan. "There is a need in the
meetings. Armenia and Azerbaijan must solve the problem. I think the
problems are solvable, should both sides show the political will,"
he said.

COMSTAR COMPLETES ARMENIAN WIMAX NETWORK BUILDOUT

Business Monitor International
Emerging Europe Telecommunications Insights
August 1, 2008

Comstar United TeleSystems (Comstar UTS) of Russia has completed
the buildout of a wireless network based on the 802.16e standard in
Armenia. The network has been built for the Armenian ISP Cornet,
a subsidiary of transit operator Callnet in which Comstar UTS has
owned a 75% stake since October 2006. Cornet has a licence to use
the 3.6-3.8GHz frequency band across the whole of Armenia.

The network consists of 24 base stations, which are connected to each
other via radio relay lines and leased telecommunications channels from
incumbent ArmenTel (a VimpelCom subsidiary). Airspan Networks of the
US was contracted in Q407 to supply and install the network. Comstar
UTS has also installed two data transmission nodes based on equipment
supplied by Cisco Systems.

The WiMAX network will be used to provide high-speed internet access,
deliver multimedia content, offer VoIP services and data transmission
and create VPNs for residential and corporate customers. As the
network is based on the 802.16e standard, Cornet will be able to
offer a broad range of fixed-mobile convergence services as well as
stand-alone mobility products. Comstar UTS reports that, earlier this
year, Cornet applied to the Public Service Regulation Committee for
the right to own 60,000 telephone numbers; the company is now working
to launch voice services using this numbering resource.

Wireless Broadband To Raise Penetration Growth Of Fixed-line Telephony
Market, 2002-07 Telecoms6_20080715 Source: ITU; BMI Research; e =
estimate

Armenia is poorly served by basic telephony and internet access
services, despite considerable efforts by ArmenTel in recent years to
modernise and upgrade its network. The International Telecommunication
Union (ITU) believes that there were less than 100,000 internet users
in Armenia at the end of 2007, with broadband subscribers numbering
less than 5,000. Basic fixed-line availability is also poor; the number
of fixed-lines grew from 542,800 at the end of 2002 (17.8% penetration)
to 594,400 at the end of 2005 (19.7% penetration), according to the
ITU. BMI estimates that this figure had risen to 609,000 by the end
of 2006 and to almost 620,000 by the end of 2007 (20.7% penetration),
based on the reported number of customers served by ArmenTel.

Callnet is one of four licensed long-distance operators in Armenia
and serves approximately 75% of the country’s banking and financial
institutions market. Consequently, the new mobile WiMAX network is
expected to meet with considerable interest from the corporate sector,
as well as the transportation and logistics sectors.

WORKING GROUP ON IRAN-ARMENIA RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION TO BE FORMED IN NEAR FUTURE

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.08.2008 17:01 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A working group on coordination of Iran-Armenia
railroad construction will be formed in near future, Armenian Minister
of Transport and Communications Gurgen Sargsyan told a news conference
on August 1.

Presently, three projects are being considered. The first supposes
departure from Yeraskh, the second from Vardenis and the third from
Gagarin, extending for 443, 449 and 397 km respectively.

Armenia favors the project which supposes the start of communication
in Gagarin and then through Gavar, Martuni and Jermuk. 80 km of the
line will extend through Iran, going as far as Merant station.

Minister Sargsyan informed that trilateral talks between Armenia,
Iran and Russia are underway. "International organization are also
assessing the project which claims serious investments," he said,
IA Regnum reports.

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER FINDS HIS WASHINGTON MEETINGS SUCCESSFUL

ARKA
July 31, 2008

YEREVAN, July 31. /ARKA/. Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan
finds his meetings in Washington successful.

Speaking at a press conference, he said that March events were
discussed during his meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice and other high-ranking officials.

The minister said that Armenian authorities make every effort to remove
heavy consequences of the March unrest not because of other countries’
calls, but to secure national interests.

UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT, ON HIS ANNUAL LEAVE IN CRIMEA, MEETS WITH HIS ARMENIAN COUNTERPART

NRCU – Ukrainian Radio
July 29 2008
Ukraine

When staying in Crimea, Viktor Yushchenko met his Armenian counterpart
Serzh Sargsyan in Crimea. The two states’ leaders discussed a
range of issues of bilateral cooperation.They mainly dwelled on the
intensification of trade economic cooperation.

The parties noted a positive dynamics of the bilateral trade
development with the volume reaching USD 262.86 million in
2007. The two presidents also focused on the implementation of
the Kerch-Poti-Batumi project. Furthermore, V. Yushchenko and Serzh
Sargsyan discussed cultural cooperation and enjoyment of needs of the
Ukrainian and Armenian national communities.The Armenian President is
paying an unofficial visit to Ukraine. He is scheduled to participate
in celebration of the jubilee of the Armenian sanctuary – Surb Khach.

BUSINESS FORUM ON ARMENIA’S NATIONAL PROJECTS KICKS OFF IN TSAKHKADZOR RESORT

ARKA
July 28

A business forum on Armenia’s competitiveness in the global market
and the country’s national projects kicked off Saturday in Tsakhkadzor.

Only a limited number of businessmen had been invited to the forum
to discuss in detail Armenia’s business prospects, RA Prime Minister
Tigran Sargsyan said at the opening ceremony of the forum.

The Premier introduced the participants to the ideological doctrine
of the RA Government, saying that the purpose of the forum was to
expand the business horizons of Armenia and Karabakh.

The forum is an attempt to establish a dialog between the government
and local businesses, as well as enhance living conditions in the
country, according to Sargsyan.

"It must be profitable to work in the Armenian environment and being
an Armenian must be an advantage. We should learn to work with each
other," the Prime Minister said. "We need new environment and business
mentality."

He called on local businessmen to support the government in
implementing national projects and organize joint discussions and
workshops.

The forum is being held under the patronage of RA President Serge
Sargsyan.

The organizer of the event is the National Competitiveness Council
of Armenia.

Among the participants are Russian-Armenian businessmen, including
Pres ident of the Association of Russian Banks Garegin Tosunyan,
President of Rosgosstrakh (Russian National Insurance Company) Danil
Khachaturov and Chairman of Troika Dialog Group Ruben Vardanyan.

ARMENPRESS

SERZH SARGSIAN ADDRESSES PARTICIPANTS OF THIRD ALL-ARMENIAN
EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE

YEREVAN, JULY 25, ARMENPRESS: Armenian President Serzh Sargsian
sent a message to the participants of the third All-Armenian
educational conference. Presidential press service told Armenpress
that in his message the president particularly said,
`I warmly greet the participants and guests of the second
All-Armenian Educational conference. I am glad that the conference
gathered in Armenia the devotees of preservation of Armenian education
and upbringing abroad, the preservers of Armenia’s identity in
Diaspora ` Armenian teachers.
Today I direct my word of gratitude to each of you. You are
carrying out the greatest mission of preserving Armenian ` an
Armenian, upbringing Armenians in foreign shores in Armenian
traditions and teaching Armenian language. In this issue the Republic
of Armenia also has serious work to do.
I am sure that by often visits to homeland, such like conferences
and discussions you will take new knowledge, new spirit to pass to
your pupils, who must continue the eternal pace of the Armenian
people.
I wish the conference fruitful work and wish participants personal
and professional success.’

PRESIDENT CALLS ON DIASPORAN BUSINESSMEN, LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO PROVIDE STAUNCH SUPPORT TO ARMENIA

ARKA
July 23

Armenia’s President Serge Sargsian said he will keep asking Armenians
to contribute to the country’s development.

During the eight pan-Armenian Baze (Hawk) youth gathering in Jermuk
city, several entrepreneurs pledged staunch support to the country.

"Those people whom I asked for support, have won in a bitter
competition and they should be equals with local authorities," the
President said.

Sargsian said he had expected his proposal would evoke a keen
response. Z.

LEVON ARONYAN AT GRAND-PRIX

Panorama.am
19:52 23/07/2008

Olympic Champion, GM Levon Aronyan is included to take part in the
second round of FIDE Grand-Prix.

The second round of Grand-Prix will start on 30 July and last till
15 August in Sochi. Chess players from foreign countries will take
part in the competition: Vasili Ivanchuk (Ukraine), Taimur Radjabov
(Azerbaijan), Peter Svidler (Russia), Levon Aronyan (Armenia),
and others.

Remind that the first round of the competition has been conducted in
Baku. Armenian GM L. Aronyan refused to take part in the first round.

CSTO SECRETARY GENERAL NOT AGAINST NATO EXERCISES IN ARMENIA

ArmInfo
2008-07-22 12:41:00

CSTO Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzha is not against NATO exercises
in the territory of Armenia. Speaking at a press conference devoted
to the first stage of CSTO exercises ‘Rubezh 2008’ in Yerevan, N.

Bordyuzha said: ‘Every country has a right to build its relations with
various international organizations and alliances. I know that Armenia
is a CSTO member-state that has undertaken definite commitments to
the Organization. As regards the relations with NATO, other states
also have such relations including Russia and I do not think it
terrible if these relations grow into some actions. It is normal
practice. Moreover, Armenia has declared its policy complementary’.