Author: Nalbandian Albert

FIRST SECRETARY OF COMMUNIST PARTY OF ARMENIA FAINTS DURING CPA CONGRESS

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 20. ARMINFO. The first secretary of Communist Party
of Armenia Ruben Tovmassyan fainted while making a report during
today’s 36th congress of CPA.

Journalists managed to enter the building with great difficulty. The
congress was interrupted to give Tovmassyan first aid. Some congress
participants began shouting at journalists demanding that they
not shoot the scene. Tovmassyan has been brought to his senses and
sent home.

In the meantime supporters of expelled second secretary Sanatruk
Saakyan continue their rally outside.

RIA Novosti, Russia
Nov 19 2004

EUROPEAN UNION’S EXPERIENCE USEFUL FOR CIS

BERLIN, November 19 (RIA Novosti, Taras Lariokhin) – The European
Union’s experience is useful to the CIS countries, Deputy Foreign
Minister Vladimir Chizhov told RIA Novosti in Berlin where the 10th
European forum, Vision of Europe, organized by the BMW Herbert Quant
foundation, opened on Friday.

The EU has existed for more than 50 years and some of its experience
can be of use to the CIS, Mr. Chizhov said. According to him,
developing cooperation between the CIS and the EU does not compete
with cooperation within the CIS.

“These processes do not conflict with each other, they are not in
opposition,” he said. “They build an objective foundation for
interaction between the CIS and the EU as organizations.”

The main purpose of the conference is cooperation between CIS and EU
countries. Debates on the topics, “The EU and the CIS – Contours of
New Economic Cooperation,” and “Europe – New Vision?” will be held
during the two-day meeting.

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan, Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev,
the foreign ministers of many CIS countries and representatives of EU
countries will attend the forum.

Mr. Chizhov is representing Russia at the forum.

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Nov 19 2004

PACE Monitoring Group In Baku

Members of the `Ago’ monitoring group of the Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe (PACE) arrived in Baku from Yerevan on
Thursday as part of their tour of the South Caucasus region.

The goal of the visit is to monitor the fulfillment of Azerbaijan’s
commitments to PACE, in particular, freedom of speech and human
rights, the Foreign Ministry said.

During the three-visit the discussions will cover a peace settlement
of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict as well.
The PACE delegation is scheduled to meet with President Ilham Aliyev,
government officials, leaders of opposition parties, representatives
of non-governmental and international organizations in the country.

The group members are also expected to visit penitentiaries and meet
with the convicted opposition representatives.

The monitoring group led by the German ambassador to the CE Roland
Vegener includes ambassadors of other CE member states, who oversee
certain commitments of Azerbaijan to the organization.

The `Ago’ group members will then leave Baku for Tbilisi, prepare and
submit at the next PACE session a report on results of the visit to
South Caucasus.

The `Ago’ group was established in January 2001 and is chaired by
Italy’s Ambassador Pietro Ercole Ago.

ARKA News Agency
Nov 18 2004

Presidents of Armenia and Germany discuss bilateral relations

Quantity of transactions by plastic cards makes AMD 159510 in
September 2004 in Armenia, given the volume at AMD 9 bln

During 2004 trade turnover between Armenia and Germany grows by 40%

Amendments are made to the initial resolution on PACE report on NKR

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PRESIDENTS OF ARMENIA AND GERMANY DISCUSS BILATERAL RELATIONS

YEREVAN, November 18. /ARKA/. Presidents of Armenia and Germany
Robert Kocharian and Hurst Keller discussed bilateral relations, RA
President’s press office told ARKA.
RA President also met with representatives of business circles of
Germany and discussed perspectives of increase of Germany investments
in Armenia. L.D. –0

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QUANTITY OF TRANSACTIONS BY PLASTIC CARDS MAKES AMD 159510 IN
SEPTEMBER 2004 IN ARMENIA, GIVEN THE VOLUME AT AMD 9 BLN

YEREVAN, November 18. /ARKA/. The quantity of plastic card
transactions made 159510 in September 2004 in Armenia, given the
volume at AMD 9 bln, according to the official CBA monthly reference.
As compared to previous month, the volume of transactions reduced by
2,37%, and the quantity of transactions grew by 5,73%. At that, the
83,29% fell to the share of ATM transactions in September 2004 in the
overall volume of plastic card transactions and 78,32% of the total
quantity of transactions. 124929 transactions to the sum of AMD 7,5
bln were carried out by ATMs in Armenia in September 2004. As
compared to August, the quantity of ATM transactions grew by 10321,
the increase of the volume being by AMD 27 mln. As of end of
September, 97774 plastic cards were in circulation in Armenia; their
quantity grew by 4665 in one month. As compared to September 2003,
their quantity grew by 52216 (almost by 2,2 times). ($1 = AMD
502,71). L.V. –0–

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DURING 2004 TRADE TURNOVER BETWEEN ARMENIA AND GERMANY GROWS BY 40%

YEREVAN, November 18. /ARKA/. During 2004 the trade turnover between
Armenia and Germany grew by 40%. As Armenian President Press Service
told ARKA, this was said by German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder told
on his meeting with the Armenian President Robert Kocharian, arrived
in Berlin with three-day visit. Schroeder said that Armenia and
Germany do not have political problem and both countries are linked
with friendly relations.
Yesterday evening Kocharian attended the festive concert dedicated to
his visit.
To mention that according to the Armenian National Statistical
Service, eth trade turnover between Armenia and Germany in Jan-Sep
20004 made USD 104479.3 thou. At that the export volumes made USD
52160.9 thou., while the import – USD 52318.4 thou. T.M. -0–

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AMENDMENTS ARE MADE TO THE INITIAL RESOLUTION ON PACE REPORT ON NKR

YEREVAN, November 18. /ARKA/. Amendments are made to the initial
resolution on PACE report on NKR, as stated by the Vice-Speaker of
the Parliament Tigran Torosyan, according to RA NA Press Service
Department. As he said, PACE Commission on political issues made
amendments to the 7th and 11th points of the resolution, according to
which there is no more necessity for Court of Justice to determine
the fact of violation of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Also,
similar assessments by Mass Media of RA and AR related to the
propaganda of mutual hatred are eliminated from the document.
Besides, according to Torosyan, one suggestion on making amendments
to the resolution was made by PACE reporter on NKR David Atkinson.
According to Torosyan, by the amendment, against which was only
Atkinson, PACE appeals to the Azerbaijani authorities to create terms
to discuss the status of the region with the political
representatives of Armenian and Azerbaijani communities of NKR, with
possible participation of representatives of Armenia. According to
Torosyan, during the session of the PACE Commission on political
issues it became evident that representatives of some countries were
ordered to vote for Azerbaijan, which actually made possible to lock
3 suggestions by the Armenian side on making amendments. In
particular, according to him, the suggestion to withdraw the term
`separatist powers’ from the initial text of the resolution received
equal number of votes, so it was not accepted. In this regard, he
noted that compared to the variant of resolution submitted to the
commission, the initial resolution was perfected, however not all the
points concerning which the Armenian side made its suggestions, were
reviewed. A.H. – 0 –

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Nov 18 2004

Azeri officer faces life in prison

The trial of Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov, charged with killing
an Armenian serviceman, will start in Budapest, Hungary on November
23.

During NATO training sessions in Budapest in February, the two men
had a dispute [sic] which resulted in the death of the Armenian officer
Gurgen Margarian. Safarov was arrested and charged with the
premeditated murder article of Hungary’s Criminal Code. He now faces
between 10 and 15 years in jail, or life imprisonment.

The officer’s lawyer Adil Ismayilov has told journalists that Safarov
is expected to give his testimony on the first day of the trial which
is not expected to complete this year, as it will take some time to
summon foreign citizens for witness testimonies in court.
He said that Safarov will be defended in court by a Hungarian
attorney Peter Zolay, who was appointed as his defense lawyer in the
course of the investigation.
The Azeri officer will be represented by a single Hungarian lawyer,
as Ismaylov will most likely not be allowed to defend Safarov in
court.
“Hungarian laws do not allow foreign attorneys, therefore, I will
probably not be permitted to act as his defense lawyer in court”,
Ismayilov said.
Commenting on Safarov’s possible acquittal, Ismayilov said that the
decision is under the authority of the court.
“However, we will do our best to defend Safarov and to make sure he
gets a sentence adequate to the crime he committed,” he said.
Asked whether Safarov could serve his prison term in Azerbaijan, if
convicted, according to the existing European convention, Ismayilov
said: “Our countries do not currently have an agreement on mutual
legal assistance, but I believe that this is possible according to
the existing international convention. Azerbaijan signed the document
which envisions extradition of convicted individuals to serve prison
terms in their home countries. This means that if the Azerbaijan
Ministry of Justice appeals to the Hungarian Ministry, he could be
extradited.”

Appeal
A letter with more than 100,000 signatures in Safarov’s defense
collected by the Committee for Safarov’s Rights was sent to the
Budapest Court on Tuesday on the initiative of the Garabagh
Liberation Organization.
The Azerbaijani public is keeping the trial of Safarov in focus, the
letter reads.
“The officer, whose family has been subject to the Armenian
aggression, committed the murder in a state of affect after the
Armenian serviceman humiliated his honor and dignity,” the letter
says.
In the letter the Committee requested the Budapest Court to carry out
an unbiased investigation and trial and prevent any interference by
the Armenian authorities and lobby in the court proceedings.
“A fair decision to come will serve strengthening friendly relations
and cooperation between Azerbaijan and Hungary, as well as stepping
up mutual trust,” the letter said.

Jordan Times
Wednesday, November 17, 2004

Mosul – northern link to insurgency

MOSUL, Iraq (AFP) – Mosul, scene of a major US-led offensive on Tuesday
against Iraqi rebels after a spate of deadly clashes, is an ancient and
ethnically diverse city that has become a new front in the insurgency.
Car bombings and fighting have become all too frequent in Mosul and
surrounding areas, which have gradually fallen into the sway of hardline
Islamic groups since Saddam Hussein’s regime was toppled in April 2003.

US troops were swarming into restive pockets on Tuesday to secure police
stations and restore order, with bridges straddling the Tigris River closed
and a night-time curfew in place.

Rebels overran a number of police stations last week, triggering clashes
that left several dozen people dead, mostly insurgents.

US military commanders say the events in predominantly Sunni Muslim Mosul
and other parts of the country may be a spillover from the massive assault
launched last week on the rebel hub of Fallujah. But they insist they are
still in control of the capital of Nineveh province, 370 kilometres north of
Baghdad, at the tip of the so-called Sunni Triangle and scene of the worst
violence since Saddam fell.

Mosul, whose name in Arabic means the link, is one of the most ethnically
diverse cities in Iraq with Arabs, Syriac people, Armenians, Kurds, Turkmen,
Jews, Christians, Muslims and Yazedis all calling the city home.

The area has been inhabited since 6000BC and was chosen by the ancient
Assyrians to build their glorious capitals of Ashur, Nimrud and Nineveh,
whose ruins still dot the city and surrounding areas.

The city fell into the hands of the Persians, Romans and the Arabs and then
Ottomans for almost seven centuries.

Its Nabi Yunis Mosque is said to be the burial place of the reluctant
prophet Jonah, who according to the Bible fled to sea after turning down
God’s request to preach in Nineveh and was swallowed by a whale.

The area had been one of the most loyal pro-Saddam strongholds and it was a
local tribal leader who sheltered his two feared sons Uday and Qusay in his
Mosul mansion when they fled Baghdad. But the same man, Nawaf Mohammad Al
Zaidan, is believed to have tipped off the Americans on the whereabouts of
the brothers, pocketing a $30 million US bounty that had been placed on both
of their heads.

The two were killed in a fierce battle with US troops in July last year – an
incident which left a strong impact on the local Sunni population – once
Iraq’s elite and now feeling increasingly marginalised since Saddam’s fall.

Widespread looting and intercommunal fighting and killing swept through the
city in April 2003 after thousands of Kurdish peshmerga fighters and special
US forces seized the city during the US-led invasion of Iraq.

In recent months it seen a rash of suicide car bombings and ambushes against
US and Iraqi military convoys, Kurds, judges, government officials including
the Nineveh provincial governor – anyone regarded by the insurgents as
collaborating with US forces or the US-backed government.

Several Turkish truck drivers supplying goods to US military bases have been
attacked or kidnapped in the area. The north-south roads running through
Mosul have become so treacherous that many truckers have stopped coming to
Iraq altogether or travel only in US protected convoys. Iraq’s Defence
Minister Hazem Shaalan has charged that Mosul and surrounding areas are safe
havens for militants from Syria, which is about 180 kilometres to the west.
Sunni Muslims in Mosul, together with the minority Turkmen community, fear
Kurdish calls for an expanded autonomous region in districts immediately
bordering the northern metropolis, a city of about 1.5 million people.

Wednesday, November 17, 2004

LACK OF ARGUMENTS OR DEFEAT?

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
16 Nov 04

The Azerbaijani machine of propaganda is again worried by the
`appropriation and destruction’ of monuments in the `occupied’
territories, which are `the achievements of the Azerbaijani people’,
by Armenians. The Azerbaijanis present their `arguments’ to the
UNESCO, the PACE, ministries of culture of many countries of the
world, newspapers, and recently the General Assembly of the UN. In
Azerbaijan information on the `appropriation and destruction of 500
monuments of Azerbaijani culture’ is circulated on the top
officiallevel. However, the Azeris never say what monuments they
particularly mean, where these monuments are registered and mentioned
about. They simply proclaim facts and trumpet all over the world that
the Armenians are bad. The reason for this is that the Armenian party
does not set forth enough arguments in counterbalance to this, and it
is not known how long this will last. Whereas the Armenian side
possesses more convincing facts. Is it the not full understanding of
their importance or the incompetence of the responsible persons that
we keep silent? Meanwhile the voice of the Azerbaijani side keeps
rising. We had a talk with the author of several books on the state of
the monuments of Karabakh Shahen Mkrtichian. Recently sponsored by an
Argentine benefactor (note not the government) the new edition of his
illustrated book `Vandalism’ come out inYerevan. It was published in
English in several hundred copies. Besides the materials of the
previous edition the revised edition includes numerous documents on
the actions of vandalism committed by the Azeris in the Armenian
cemetery of Jugha (Nakhijevan). In his book Shahen Mkrtichian
described the attitude of the Azeris towards the Armenian historical
and cultural monuments of Artsakh as vandalism. In international
terminology `vandalism’ means barbaric actions against monuments
created by man. As a rule it has a national or religious nature and
intends destroying the monuments which are of value for the enemy
nation. Actions of vandalism are usually committed by people who do
not have their own culture and cannot appreciate its value. Whereas
the monuments are the evidence of the history, the level of cultural
development of a people. Destroying history means destroying the
nation, therefore in international law vandalism is considered one of
the gravest crimes against a nation. DESTRUCTION OF HISTORICAL
MONUMENTS OF ARTSAKH WAS PLANNED. Artsakh is rich in historical and
cultural monuments, and the evidence to this is the 20 thousand
Christian Armenian monuments belonging to the early, middle and late
Middle Ages. At the time of annexation by Azerbaijan SSR in 1923 there
were 600 churches and monasteries in Karabakh. Already in the 1930’s
none of them operated. The clergymen were exiled to Siberia, church
libraries, icons were set to fire, the inventory was stolen.
Disguised in bolshevist ideas the new `masters’ of the region
redesigned churches into cattle-sheds, broke khachkars and
gravestones. The citations from the pages 75-76 of the book `Nagorni
Karabakh’ published in Baku in 1963 give an idea of the atmosphere in
which the destruction of Armenian monuments was carried out. As the
book puts it, `the variety of monuments shows how tight the religious
shackles of the Karabakh people were of which they were freed owing to
the Great October Socialist Revolution.’ `The enumeration of numerous
churches, monasteries and khachkars preserved in Nagorni Karabakh is
of no political and cultural value, as their role in the public life
of the peoples, especially under socialist rule is obviously
negative,’ claims the book. During the 70 years of the Soviet rule and
the eight-year war imposed on Artsakh Azerbaijan managed to destroy
thousands of monuments of the Armenian civilization, ruin the cultural
treasury of Artsakh, Utik, Nakhijevan and Gardman. What is more,
During the yeas under the yoke of Azerbaijan tens of thousands of
Artsakh carpets, gold and silver jewelry were taken to Baku from
Artsakh and adjacent Armenian regions.

NAIRA HAYRUMIAN.
16-11-2004

Family detained in push by feds
By Nancy Lofholm, Denver Post Staff Writer

Denver Post, CO
Nov 14 2004

The four Armenians awaiting deportation in a Denver detention facility
are there partly because of a 1 1/2-year-old crackdown on immigration
scofflaws.

A spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement said an estimated
350,000 to 400,000 illegal immigrants with deportation orders have
vanished before they could be sent out of the country so immigration
officials are being more aggressive to lower that rate and ease
concern in Congress.

The Sargsyan family is not included in those numbers because the
family members showed up at the appointed time on Oct. 4 in response
to a deportation notice. They were instantly taken into custody.

Virginia Kice, spokeswoman for the immigration enforcement division,
said the fact the family never tried to hide from immigration
authorities makes no difference.

Advertisement

“The noncompliance rate among those not detained is very high, as high
as 80 percent,” Kice said. “That’s a very discouraging statistic and
one we are trying to change.”

The Sargsyans are being held in detention while their attorney
attempts to obtain visas for them under a relatively new law that
gives protection to victims of human trafficking. The Sargsyans
maintain they were victimized by an American con man who married
into the family and used that connection to defraud other Armenians
by promising them visas that he never obtained.

The Sargsyans initially attempted but failed to gain asylum on the
grounds they fear being harmed or killed on their return to Armenia.
The trafficking-victim visas they are now trying to obtain have been
granted in fewer than several hundred cases since they were established
in 2001.

Normally, immigrants with applications for those visas are not detained
and, instead, are given government aid. Kice said the Sargsyans are
being treated differently because they already had final deportation
orders before they applied for the trafficking victim visas.

Schroeder to meet leaders from SE Europe, central Asia

Deutsche Presse-Agentur
November 12, 2004, Friday

Berlin

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will have talks next week with
leaders of seven southeast European and central Asian states at trade
conference in Berlin, the government said Friday in a statement.

Schroeder will address the November 17 to 18 German Chamber of Industry
and Commerce (DIHT) meeting, said the statement, adding that the
Chancellor will have separate meetings with the following leaders:

-Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano

-Armenian President Robert Kocharian

-Chairman of Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Council of Ministers Adnan Terzic

-Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader

-Kyrgyzstan President Askar Akayev

-Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic

-Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica dpa lm

ARKA News Agency
Nov 9 2004

US Embassy provides $140 thousand to public organizations of Armenia
for development of communities

Appeal of “Union of Parents of Missing NKR Soldiers” to OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairmen and IRCC administration

Presentation of guide “Basis of Human Development” takes place in
Yerevan

There are no changes in Armenia’s foreign politics relating to the
issue of acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 in Ottoman
Turkey

RA Foreign Minister to visit several countries in the period of
November-December

Progressive Party of Armenia conducted protest actins against
Armentel

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US EMBASSY PROVIDES $140 THOUSAND TO PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS OF ARMENIA
FOR DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITIES

YEREVAN, November 9. /ARKA/. US Embassy provides $140 thousand to
public organizations of Armenia for development of communities in the
frames of Community Self-Help Fund. In the frames of the program 10
projects directed on restoration and repairs of schools,
kindergartens will be selected. At least 10% of the budget of the
project must be the assets of the community.
Three-year program Community Self-Help Fund is conducted by USAID
since Nov 2003. L.D. –0–

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APPEAL OF “UNION OF PARENTS OF MISSING NKR SOLDIERS” TO OSCE MINSK
GROUP CO-CHAIRMEN AND IRCC ADMINISTRATION

STEPANAKERT, November 8. /ARKA/. Appeal of “Union of Parents of
Missing NKR Soldiers” to OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen and IRCC
administration. Trustee Council of the Union expressed concern in
accordance to unsettled condition of the issue of prisoners of war
and citizens taken hostage. “Despite of Nagorno Karabakh that
conducts transparent policy in this humanitarian issue, fulfilling
taken commitments, Azeri authorities still continue political
speculations around this issue and refuse from any cooperation with
Karabakh party”, the statement says.
“According to the information we posses, our compatriots kept in
Azerbaijan suffer indignity and being tortured. Unfortunately there
are some that did not bear these inhuman conditions and died. We turn
to you demanding immediate mediation in the issue of soonest release
of alive Armenian prisoners of war and hostages. Republic of
Azerbaijan signed Geneva conventions and additional protocols and is
obliged to fulfill their demands” the document notes.
The statement once again confirms the readiness of Karabakh party to
support any process related to given humanitarian process.
“We urge to use your authority for liberation and return home of our
relatives and hope that you’ll share our concern in respect to lives
of people suffered from the conflict”, the statement says. L.D. –0–

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PRESENTATION OF GUIDE “BASIS OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT” TAKES PLACE IN
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, November 9. /ARKA/. Presentation of guide “Basis of Human
Development” took place in Yerevan. The guide was developed by UNDP
and Yerevan State University. According to the dean of YSU Economic
Faculty Haik Sargsian, it is a unique guide, which represents
analysis of principles of human development and peculiarity of this
condition in Armenia. According to UNDP Regular Representative to
Armenia Lise Grande, the idea of “human development” lays in the base
of UN activity. “GDP growth as we see on the example of Armenia not
always means successful human development”, she said.
According to UNDP research, Armenia is recognized most progressive
country of the region on the index of human development. Armenia
placed 82nd in the list of 177 countries. Azerbaijan took 91st
position, Georgia – 97th, Turkey and Iran are at 88th and 101st
positions respectively. L.D. –0–

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THERE ARE NO CHANGES IN ARMENIA’S FOREIGN POLITICS RELATING TO THE
ISSUE OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE OF 1915 IN OTTOMAN
TURKEY

YEREVAN, November 9. /ARKA/. There are no changes in Armenia’s
foreign politics relating to the issue of acknowledgement of the
Armenian Genocide of 1915 in Ottoman Turkey, as stated by RA MFA
Press Secretary Hamlet Gasparyan, who commented the statements that
the section of foreign policy in the state budget draft for 2005
lacks a point on acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide. “The issue
of the Armenian Genocide acknowledgement is still in the agenda of
the foreign politics of Armenia, and this problem is not solved by a
state budget”, he noted. According to GAsparyan, the fact of Armenian
Genocide acknowledgement concerns not only Armenians or Armenia,
“it’s an All-National issue that cannot be solved in the frames of
budget or other financial calculations”. A.H. -0–

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RA FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT SEVERAL COUNTRIES IN THE PERIOD OF
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER

YEREVAN, November 9. /ARKA/. RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian will
visit several countries in the period of November-December, RA MFA
told ARKA. On Nov 12, Oskanian will leave for Moscow for
participation in regular sitting of Foreign Ministers’ Council of the
Agreement on Collective Security. On Nov 17-19, Oskanian will
accompany RA President Robert Kocharian during his visit in Germany.
On Nov 24-26, official delegation of Armenia headed with Oskanian
will take part in Francofonia summit in Uagadugu. On Dec 6-7,
Oskanian will visit Sofia for participation in the sitting of OSCE
Foreign Ministers’ Council and on Dec 9 he will leave for Brussels.
L.D. –0–

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PROGRESSIVE PARTY OF ARMENIA CONDUCTED PROTEST ACTINS AGAINST
ARMENTEL

YEREVAN, November 9. /ARKA/. Progressive Party of Armenia conducted
protest actins against Armentel. The participants of the actions
(about 100 people) burned model of telephone. They demanded
communication in all villages and regions of Armenia. “Before the
company meets our demands, we will conduct similar actions in all
regions and border zones”, Deputy Chairman of the Party Sargis
Harutyunian stated.
On Nov 4, 2004 RA Government recognized CJSC K-Telekom the winner in
tender on provision of mobile communicatin services. The day before
than the Government decided to make amendments to the license of
ArmenTel telecommunication monopolist on November 3, according to
which the company is deprived of the exclusive right for GSM services
and mobile satellite communication. In addition, the company is
deprived of monopoly for permit of Internet traffic to Armenia. At
the same time, the company is granted the monopoly for IP telephony.
OTE Greek Telecommunication Company purchased 90% of ArmenTel
Armenian-American telecommunication company’s shares for $142.47
million via an international tender in December 1997. The rest of the
shares belonged to the Armenian Government. According to the
agreement signed with the Armenian Government, ArmenTel received the
right to monopoly in this area for 15 years. OTE committed itself to
invest $200 million in Armenian telecommunications during the first
five years. L.D. -0

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