Author: Nargizian David

Sabah, Turkey
Sept 1 2006

Lebanese Armenians protest Turkey

A protest against Turkey was held in Lebanon’s capital city Beirut.
Lebanese people of Armenian origin hit the streets with banners in
their hands in order to protest Turkey’s joining of the Peace Force
in Lebanon. Holding the protest in front of the United Nations
building, protestors carried posters with saying such as, "Do not
encourage the conspiracy" and "Due to Turkey’s atrocities in Lebanon,
they are not coming here as a peacekeeper."

TRANSFERT – SUISSE: L’ARMENIEN VAHE TADEVOSYAN ENGAGE PAR LE FC AARAU

Agence France Presse
31 août 2006 jeudi 5:09 PM GMT

L’attaquant international armenien du FC Ararat Evena, Vahe Tadevosyan,
23 ans, a ete engage par le FC Aarau (1re div. suisse de football),
a indique mardi l’agence suisse SportInformation.

International a quinze reprises, il a ete elu attaquant de la saison
2006-2006 dans son pays.

–Boundary_(ID_O/QG1TsMIuKrqYlaySjLCA)–

ARF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL TO HOLD CONGRESS IN YEREVAN ON SEPT 7, 2006

Arka News Agency, Armenia
Aug. 29, 2006

YEREVAN, August 29. /ARKA/. The Executive Council of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (ARF) "Dashnaktsutyun" is to hold its
10th congress in Yerevan on September 7, 2006, the head of the ARF
parliamentary faction Hrair Karapetyan told reporters.

According to him, the ARF "Dashnaktsutyun" has always been a party
directed by a collective body.

"It is the Executive Council’s congress that will settle all the
principal issues facing the party as well as determine its expectations
and policy," he said.

Karapetyan pointed out that the congress will determine the party’s
strategy during the preparations for the parliamentary elections
scheduled for spring 2007.

The ARF "Dashnakstutyun" is one of the oldest political parties on
Armenia. It was founded in Tiflis (Tbilisi), Georgia, in 1890.

The party has over 6,000 members in Armenia, exclusive of women’s
organizations and youth unions. The party has chapters in all
Armenians regions and in most Armenian communities. The ARF has 12
representatives to Armenia’s Parliament and four ministerial posts.

After the 2003 parliamentary elections the ARF Dashnaktsutyun,
Republican Party of Armenia and the Law-Governed Country Party formed
the ruling coalition. However, this May the Law-Governed Country
Party announced its secession from the coalition due to political
disagreements with the other coalition members.

SPOTLIGHT NO LONGER ON ISSUE OF ALTERNATIVE GAS SUPPLY TO UKRAINE

Yerevan, August 28. ArmInfo. "Evidently, the spotlight is no longer on
the issue of alternative gas supply to the Ukraine. Neither it is in
the periphery of the country’s foreign policy," Ukrainian Ambassador
to Armenia Alexander Bozhko told ArmInfo in the course of a reception
on the occasion of Independence Day of the Ukraine.

Ambassador Bozhko believes all the leaders of the Ukraine, starting
from Kuchma, put this issue on the agenda of their foreign policy
and seriously thought of future transit supply of power resources
to the country. "It is natural that this problem is in full view of
all the parties interested, including of Russia. It is natural as
the world develops and new sales markets originate," the Ambassador
said. In the meanwhile, he refused to make forecasts concerning the
circumstances that will help reactivate the project of Iranian gas
supply to Europe via Armenia, Georgia and Ukraine. "We are living
in the situation when gas tariffs are growing to the world level. I
think it normal. That is why all the countries that believe this
issue urgent must think and work over it," Ambassador Bozhko said.

Two schemes of gas supply to Europe from Iran are currently on agenda:
via the territories of Armenia (the constructed Iran-Armenia gas
pipeline), Georgia and Russia; through construction of a gas main
along the Black Sea bottom from Georgia to the Ukraine.

MEDIATORS SUGGEST ARRANGING A MEETING BETWEEN FOREIGN MINISTERS OF ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN

ArmRadio.am
21.08.2006 14:05

RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian said today in Yerevan that after
the last meeting of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in Paris the
Armenian side has received no new ideas from the mediators regarding
the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, MEDIAMAX Agency reports.

The Foreign Minister noted that the mediators suggest organizing the
meeting of the Heads of the Foreign Ministries. "These talks are,
however, preliminary. No agreement has been reached upon the place
and the date of the meeting," Vardan Oskanian said.

AZG Armenian Daily #157, 19/08/2006

Middle East

ISRAEL ASKS AZERBAIJAN TO PRESS ON HEZBOLLAH

Leaders of 9 political factions of the Israeli parliament applied
to Milli Mejlis of Azerbaijan and the intergovernmental group for
Azerbaijani-Israeli friendship asking to exert pressure on Hezbollah
to release the kidnapped Jewish soldiers. The request was made public
by the speaker of Azerbaijani parliament who explained it as a sign
of good and friendly relations between Azerbaijan and Israel.

EUROPEAN U-21 CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFYING

The Guardian – United Kingdom
Aug 16, 2006

Group One Bosnia-Herzegovina v Armenia (4.0)

Group Two Slovakia v Albania (6.0)

Group Three Lithuania v Georgia (5.0)

Group Four Greece v Rep of Ireland (6.0)

Group Five Austria v Iceland (4.0)

Group Six Hungary v Finland (5.0)

Group Seven Poland v Latvia (4.30)

Group Nine Belarus v Cyprus (4.0)

Group Ten Romania v N Ireland (4.0)

Group Eleven Sweden v FYR Macedonia (5.30)

Group Twelve Ukraine v Bulgaria (6.0)

Group Thirteen Israel v Wales (2.0)

Group Fourteen Slovenia v Scotland (4.0)

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT CONSIDERS INDEX OF 500 THOUSAND TOURISTS TO ARMENIA IN 2006 AS LIKELY

Noyan Tapan
Aug 14 2006

VANADZOR, AUGUST 14, NOYAN TAPAN. A rapid development of tourism
is taking place in Armenia thanks to the fact that the business
repsonds correctly to market processes, which is evident from improved
services and a decline in prices in the tourism sector. President
Robert Kocharian expressed this opinion during a press conference
to summarize the results of his working visit to Lori marz on August
11. In response to NT correspondent’s question about measures being
taken in Armenia and Lori marz for development of tourism, Robert
Kocharian noted that the enhanced quality of roads and communication
is conducive to development of tourism. He noted the tourism sector
is being decentralized to marzes. He underlined that the state is
carrying out coordinated activities aimed at development of tourism,
as evidenced by the rates of tourism’s product exceeding GDP. "What
is especially interesting is when will we exceed the annual index of
500 thousand tourists to Armenia," he said, noting that in 2005, 318
thousand people visited Armenia, whereas in 1998, this index made only
38 thousand. To recap, the growth on 2004 made 21.1%. In the first
half of 2006, 122,528 tourists visited Armenia, which is by 11.6%
more compared with the same period of 2005. Most tourists usually
arrive in Armenia in the second half of a year. Robert Kocharian
considered registration of the index of 500 thousand tourists already
this year as likely, because some major events will be held in the
country in September and October. The regional governor of Lori marz
Henrik Kochinian, who also took part in the press conference, said
that considerable work on construction of hotels, rest houses, public
catering facilities is being done in the region, the quality of mobile
phone communication services has been improved as well. Besides, the
restoration of historical and architectural monuments with state budget
resources is gathering full speed in the marz. During his visit to Lori
marz, the President became acquainted with the work on restoration of
Hneavank (7th-13th centuries). He expressed his satisfaction over the
fact that in the last few years, the Armenian government has got the
opportunity to spend budget resources on restoration of historical
and cultural values. Previously, such activities were carried out
with funds of benefactors and international organizations.

RUSSIAN COMPANY’S FINAL DECISION ON ACQUISITION OF PROMETEY-CHIMPROM TO BECOME KNOWN WITHIN NEXT FEW DAYS

Noyan Tapan
Aug 14 2006

VANADZOR, AUGUST 14, NOYAN TAPAN. It is expected that the big
specialized Russian company (its name was not indicated) that has been
conducting negotiations with the Armenian side on the purchase of the
Prometey-Chimprom chemical plant for four months, will make its final
decision about the plant’s purchase on August 14-15. The Armenian
President Robert Kocharian stated this at a press conference to
summarize his working visit to Lori marz on August 11. In his opinion,
the plant’s acquisition by the Russian company opens serious prospects
for the enterprise. "I am speaking about it with caution, as I saw
several unsuccessul attempts to sell Prometey-Chimprom. Nevertheless,
we also have excellent results of selling some other enterprises by
making several attempts," R. Kocharian noted. He underlined that
Prometey-Chimprom has a great potential in terms of job creation
and becoming a source of extra revenues for Vanadzor’s budget in
an indirect way. The Armenian President exprssed his perplexity
in connection with the fact that Prometey-Chimprom’s operation was
discontinued during the negotiations. The regional governor of Lori
marz Nenrik Kochinian explained at the press conference that it was
the Russian side’s request to stop the operation of the corundum
and carbide sections during the negotiation process so as not to
cause chganges in the balance. However, it resulted in an enforced
idleness, and 600 employees of the plant did not receive their
salaries. H. Kochinain informed those present that representatives
of the Russian company intending to buy Prometey-Chimprom recently
studied the technical state of the plant’s melamine section and
came to a positive conclusion. It is noteworthy that the Vanadzor
Chemical Complex, which also includes the Chemichal Fibre Plant,
can employ 3-3.5 thousand people. To recap, the complex, which
was standing idle since 1989, was bought from the RA government by
Zakneftegazstroy-Prometey company (headed by Senik Gevorgain), one
of Russia’ leading companies in construction of gas and oil pipelines.

ZNGS-Prometey also purchased the Vanadzor Thermal Power Planr
by concluding a 1.5 mln-dollar trnsaction. The Vanadzor chemical
complex was renamed Prometey-Chimprom, and started operating in 2001,
with 20 mln out of the 60 mln dollar investments envisaged by ZGNS
being made in it. In the summer of 2002, 50% of Prometey-Chimprom’s
shares and its management passed (according to some information,
for 6 mln USD) to Ransat company (UK) that is engaged in trade
of ceramics and chemical products and is run by Indians. At the
same time, Ransat became the owner of Nairit-1 (Yerevan) company
producing chloroprene rubber. In early 2003, Ransat left Armenia
due to differences with the RA government regarding gas, water and
electricity supply. In 2004-2005, the Slovakian-Swedish company SLZ
was conducting negoatiations on Prometey-Chimprom’s purchase but it
did not eventually buy the complex. The complex can produce up to
10 thousand tons of milamine a year, 15 thousand tons of carbide,
500 tons of melem, 200 tons of corundum, and the Vanadzor TPP can
generate 25 megawatts of electricity.

Armenpress

DELEGATION FROM EUROPEAN BASKETBALL FEDERATION TO
ARRIVE IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, AUGUST 11, ARMENPRESS: Delegation from the
European Basketball Federation is planning to visit
Armenia this year to get acquainted with the current
state of basketball in Armenia and its prospects.
Armenian Basketball Federation official informed
that the visit will take place within the framework of
the agreement between the European and Armenian
Federations.