Author: Nargizian David

FORMER MINISTER HEADS ARMENIAN EX-PRESIDENT’S ELECTION HQS

Interfax
Jan 7 2008
Russia

Yerevan, 7 January: Former Foreign Minister Aleksandr Arzumanyan has
headed the election headquarters of an Armenian presidential hopeful,
former Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the civil initiative
group supporting Ter-Petrosyan’s candidacy [in the 19 February
presidential election] told Interfax news agency on Monday [7 January].

Arzumanyan has given a written undertaking not to leave Armenia as
part of criminal proceedings into a money-laundering case. In September
2007 he was released from the remand facility of the National Security
Service, where he had stayed four months.

Arzumanyan was foreign minister in the government of the Armenian
Pan-National Movement led by Ter-Petrosyan. The former foreign minister
is the founder of the opposition Civic Disobedience movement. Some
opposition forces said the former foreign minister was a political
prisoner.

The office of the initiative group said that Ter-Petrosyan’s election
headquarters had been set up in all regions of the republic.

Nine people are going to contest Armenian presidency. They are the
former Armenian parliament speaker and leader of the Orinats Yerkir
(Law-Governed Country) Party, Artur Baghdasaryan; the prime minister of
the republic and leader of the [ruling] Republican Party of Armenia,
Serzh Sargsyan; the chairperson of the opposition National Democratic
Union, Vazgen Manukyan; the deputy parliament speaker and member of
the bureau of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation – Dashnaktsutyun,
Vahan Hovhannisyan; the first Armenian president, Levon Ter-Petrosyan;
the leader of the National Unity Party, Artashes Geghamyan; the
leader of the People’s Party, Tigran Karapetyan; the leader of the
National Solidarity Party, Aram Harutyunyan; and the former aide
of the president of the self-declared Nagornyy Karabakh republic,
Arman Melikyan.

ARMENIAN EX-PRESIDENT MADE NO CONCRETE PROPOSALS ON THE SETTLEMENT OF THE KARABAKH CONFLICT

Mediamax
January 7, 2008

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Ex-President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosian
believes that in the Karabakh settlement "political will should be
demonstrated, one should base upon the stance of protecting the right
of the Armenian people of Artsakh for self-determination and upon
searching for a compromise variant of the settlement".

Mediamax reports that Levon Ter-Petrosian’s pre-election program,
which is titled "Pre-election program or quiet thoughts", reads this.

There are no concrete proposals on the settlement of the Karabakh
conflict in the program of the first President of Armenia.

Levon Ter-Petrosian stated that in case he is elected for the position
of the Armenian President, he intends "to strengthen and deepen the
good-neighborly relations with the direct neighbors – Russia, Georgia,
and Iran, take up constructive steps on the settlement of relations
with Turkey and Azerbaijan".

Ex-President also promises to "overcome the political and economic
isolation of Armenia, increase the level of involvement of the country
in international and regional economic systems".

Russia & CIS Business and Financial Newswire
December 28, 2007 Friday 4:03 PM MSK

Fitch rates Armenia’s ACBA-Credit Agricole Enhanced Coverage

Bank CJSC (ACBA) ratings of Long-term Issuer Default (IDR) ‘BB’ with
Stable Outlook, Short-term IDR ‘B’, Individual ‘D’ and Support ‘3,’
the rating agency said in a press release.

ACBA’s ratings reflect the moderate probability of support being
forthcoming, if required, from ACBA’s biggest shareholder, Credit
Agricole S.A.
Enhanced Coverage LinkingCredit Agricole S.A. -Search using:
Company Profile
News, Most Recent 60 Days
(CA, Long-term IDR ‘AA’/Outlook Stable), the press release says. In
Fitch’s view, despite the 28% minority shareholding, CA would have a
moderate propensity to support ACBA, if required, considering the
brand association, the close involvement of CA in establishing and
supervising ACBA and the still very small size of ACBA.

That said, the minority ownership and the fact that the Armenian
market does not appear to be of high strategic importance for CA,
could reduce the probability of support, the press release says. In
light of ACBA’s considerable market share in agricultural lending
sector, there is also a limited probability of support being
forthcoming for the bank from the Armenian authorities (Armenia is
rated Long-term foreign and local currency IDR ‘BB-‘(BB
minus)/Outlook Positive) in case of need.

The Individual rating reflects ACBA’s small size by international
standards, a high-risk operating environment, the bank’s very rapid
asset growth and a high proportion of foreign currency lending. At
the same time, it takes into account the generally good quality of
management, ACBA’s significant domestic franchise, strong core
performance, historically good asset quality, strong capitalization
and adequate liquidity position, the press release says.

Upside potential for the Long-term IDR is currently limited, and
would require an increase in CA’s stake in ACBA and/or strong
representations by CA to Fitch concerning its readiness to support
ACBA in case of need. An upgrade of Armenia’s Country Ceiling from
its current level of ‘BB’ would also be a necessary condition for any
upgrade of ACBA’s Long-term IDR. Any downward revision of Fitch’s
assessment of CA’s propensity to support ACBA or a downgrade of
Armenia’s Country Ceiling (not anticipated at present in light of the
Positive Outlook on the sovereign ratings) could result in a
downgrade of ACBA’s Long-term IDR.

Upside for ACBA’s Individual rating is currently limited given its
small size and the high-risk operating environment. However, a
successful further expansion of franchise, combined with maintenance
of the bank’s asset quality and adequate capitalization, would be
positive for the bank’s stand-alone credit profile. Significant loan
losses would be the major potential source of downward pressure on
the rating, although the equity cushion to absorb these is currently
substantial.

ACBA is Armenia’s third-largest bank by assets and loans, with market
shares of 10% and 12%, respectively, as of the end of the third
quarter 2007, and a leading position in agricultural lending with 70%
market share. ACBA is engaged in micro and small financing of the
agricultural sector and SMEs, and retail lending. It operates through
21 outlets in Armenia, which it plans to expand to 47 by end-2009. CA
holds the biggest (28%) stake in the bank, while the remainder is
owned by 10 Regional Unions of Agricultural Cooperation, representing
more than 45,000 farmers.

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Dec 27 2007

Yerevan state university’s budget revenue to total AMD 5.4 bln in 2008

YEREVAN, December 27. /ARKA/. The budget revenue of the Yerevan State
University (YSU) will total AMD 5.4bln in 2008. The budget
expenditures will amount to AMD 5.5bln, deficit being AMD 85mln, the
YSU press service reports.

The YSU Board unanimously approved the budget on December 26.
According to YSU Rector Aram Simonian, departments of state
management, management, linguistics and intercultural communication,
Russian and English opened in 2006-2007 in the faculties of Foreign
Affairs, Economy, Russian Philology and Romano-Germanic Philology.
The faculties of Mechanics and Mathematics, as well as several
departments united. According to Simonian, YSU has 1,229 professors
at present.

`The University has undertaken steps to attract young specialists,’
the YSU Rector said. He pointed out that at present laboratory
assistants with academic degree are also involved in teaching
activities.

According to Simonian, the wage fund was pumped up at the expense of
staff reduction. As a result, wages of educational workers increased
by 12%.

`As a result of the rotational system, 1,310 2-3- year students got
scholarship in 2007-2008,’ The Rector said.
The YSU Board also discussed the possible increase of the scholarship
fund. YSU research grants may increase twice in 2007-2008, whereas
scholarships will remain the same, Chairman of YSU Scientific Council
Serge Sargsian said. Z. Sh. -0–

ARMAN MELIKIAN: MY ELECTORATE IS ALL THOSE, WHO ARE AGAINST CEDING TERRITORIES

Noyan Tapan
Dec 24 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 24, NOYAN TAPAN. "My electorate is all those, who
are against ceding the territories, corruption and illegal actions,"
Arman Melikian, the former Adviser to the NKR President, a candidate
for the forthcoming presidential elections, stated at the December 24
press conference. He also said that if he is elected, the country’s
Foreign Minister will no longer speak about the possibility of ceding
the liberated territories.

According to A. Melikian, the approaches of the main candidates of
the authorities and opposition, Prime Minister Serge Sargsian and
first RA President Levon Ter-Petrosian over the Nagorno Karabakh
settlement are becoming closer and closer. Therefore, in case of
the second tour in the presidential elections he does not advise
his electorate to vote for any of them. In A. Melikian’s words, if
S. Sargsian and L. Ter-Petrosian pass to the second tour, the people
will have to choose not between the bad and the worst, but between
two worst variants.

Stating that the Nagorno Karabakh problem is very valuable for
Europe, the United States, Russia, and Armenia’s immediate neighbors,
A. Melikian said that "perhaps the only party, which does not realize
that value, is Armenia."

According to him, by realizing the problem’s real value, the Armenian
party can make its efforts very efficient in the process of problem’s
settlement.

However, in A. Melikian’s words, it will be very difficult for the
current Armenian authorities, "as years running they presented another
view and agreed to other approaches dictated to them." In particular,
the Armenian authorities are constantly trying to show that the
problem of refugees has been finally solved in Armenia. However,
according to A. Melikian, it does not correspond to reality, as at
least the half of the refugees has left Armenia and the most part
of those, who have remained in the country, does not have and does
not wish to have RA citizenship. Besides, the assistance provided to
refugees was on the part of Armenia, while it should have been done
by Azerbaijan. According to A. Melikian, raising the issue of the
Armenian refugees supposes change of approaches adopted so far, which
will be easier to do under conditions of new President’s election.

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
Dec 22 2007

Russian army to get new battle tank in 2009, says deputy defence
minister

Moscow, 22 December: Russia’s army will receive a new battle tank in
2009 that will considerably exceed the existing models, Deputy
Defence Minister Army General Nikolay Makarov said on Saturday.

"Now we’re conducting the tests. We’re planning to end them next year
and in 2009 Russia’s army will receive a new tank," the deputy
minister said.

"In the same year the tank will enter series production," he added.

The deputy minister explained that this would be the new battle tank
with "a new running gear, a new propulsion motor, a fire control
system, new armaments, and a new recognition and reconnaissance
system". In his words, the new tank will exceed the existing models,
including the foreign ones.

He regretted that because of the collapse of the USSR military
industry in the 1990’s "not all enterprises of the Russian military
and industrial complex are now capable of producing necessary
components. It is necessary to urgently rearm our enterprises and
equip them with up-to-date components and processing lines in order
to ensure the high quality of military products".

Earlier in the day, Nikolay Makarov and first chief of Russia’s
General Staff Aleksandr Bututin visited the Moscow Military Academy,
which marked its 90th anniversary. Over 70,000 officers graduated
from the military academy. At present, about 1.500 students (86
students out of them are foreigners) study at the Moscow academy.
Among foreigners are servicemen from five CIS countries – Armenia,
Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, as well as from
far-abroad states – Algeria, Guinea, Yemen, Mozambique, Syria and
Ethiopia. Over 30 officers and students who take part in military
actions in Chechnya and Afghanistan are currently training in the
academy. Seven of them are awarded the Order of Courage and six
people are awarded the Order of the Red Star.

ROBERT KOCHARYAN MET WITH THE PRESIDENT OF ALROSA COMPANY

armradio.am
21.12.2007 17:15

President Robert Kocharyan today received the President of ALROSA
Company Sergey Vibornov, President’s Press Office reported.

Issues related to the development of cooperation with Armenian jewelry
companies were discussed.

Robert Kocharyan noted that the development of cooperation will help
to make maximum use of the traditionally rich potential of Armenian
jewelry.

Sergey Vibornov said ALROSA has investigated the production and
financial capacities of the Armenian jewelry companies, the technical
facilities and the quality of production and he is confident there
are good preconditions for expanding the partnership.

"IMAGINE CUP" INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION TO BE HELD IN ARMENIA

ARMENPRESS
Dec 20, 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS: Armenia for the first time
will participate in "Imagine Cup" international competition on the
initiative of "Microsoft" Armenia office and "Enterprises Incubator"
Foundation.

The director of the Armenian office of Microsoft Grigor Barseghian
told today at a press conference in Armenpress press center that
the competition will give the Armenian students an opportunity to
present their work to the world. Each year thousands of students from
different countries participate in the competition. At the previous
competition around 100,000 students from 100 countries took part.

Each year one theme having global importance is being announced. This
time the theme is "How the Information Technology may promote the
Solution of Environment Issues". The participants of the contest must
suggest solutions to the issues with their work.

The competition has nine nominations, including software design,
creation of algorithms, computer games etc. The eight nominations
will be conducted in an on-line regime.

The director of "Enterprises Incubator" Foundation Bagrat Yengibarian
underscored the conduction of the competition, as it gives an
opportunity to carry out team work. The competition kicks off from
today.

In the first round before February 15 the participant teams will be
formed. They will consist of 4 students and one leader. The teams
must create programs which in the future will be used in different
projects on environment protection. After February 15 those who will
pass to the next round will be selected. The time for the preparation
of software packages will be established from February 15 to April
20. Afterwards during the five days the evaluating commission will
get acquainted with the materials and on April 25 the works of best
teams will be presented.

The three winner teams will get money awards. The team which will
take the first place will have an opportunity to leave for Paris and
participate in "Image Cup" world competition.

FAMILY BLAMES HMO FOR TEEN’S DEATH

Los Angeles Times, CA
Dec 21 2007

Cigna refused to pay for a 17-year-old leukemia patient’s liver
transplant until the family staged a protest Thursday, but Nataline
Sarkisyan died shortly after the reversal.

By Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer 10:41 AM PST,
December 21, 2007 A grieving family is blaming an insurance company
for the death Thursday of a 17-year-old leukemia patient, who died
hours after the company reversed course and agreed to pay for her to
receive a liver transplant.

Nataline Sarkisyan was being treated at UCLA Medical Center, where
she had been unresponsive in intensive care for about three weeks,
her mother said.

"She had a 65% chance of survival if she had gotten the liver,"
Hilda Sarkisyan said from her home this morning.

The Sarkisyans’ insurer, Philadelphia-based Cigna HealthCare, denied
the transplant earlier this month.

Doctors at UCLA sent a letter Dec. 11 to Cigna emphasizing that
Nataline was eligible for a transplant, Hilda Sarkisyan said. But
Cigna refused to pay, citing a lack of medical evidence the procedure
would help.

Hilda Sarkisyan said the company was trying to save money. "They just
like to collect. They don’t want to deliver," she said.

On Thursday, the family rallied supporters online and staged a protest
at Cigna’s Glendale office with about 150 people, including many
members of the local Armenian community and the California Nurses
Assn., which had released statements supporting the family’s cause.

Later in the day, Cigna released a statement approving the transplant
payment.

"Although it is outside the scope of the plan’s coverage, and despite
the lack of medical evidence regarding the effectiveness of such
treatment," spokesman Wendell Potter wrote, "Cigna HealthCare has
decided to make an exception in this rare and unusual case, and we
will provide coverage should she proceed with the requested liver
transplant. Our thoughts and payers are with Nataline and her family
at this time."

Nataline died about 6 p.m.

Cigna spokesmen did not respond to e-mail and telephone requests for
comment this morning.

The family’s lawyer planned a news conference later today to discuss
the situation.

Charles Idelson, spokesman for the Oakland-based California Nurses
Assns., called Cigna’s handling of the Sarkisyan’s case "outrageous."

"If Cigna could approve the transplant yesterday in response to
hundreds of phone calls and people pounding on their door in Glendale,
why couldn’t they have done it eight days earlier?" Idelson said
this morning.

He said his group, which represents 75,000 nursing professionals,
the majority in California, has recently rallied around a number of
patients who have been denied care.

While it isn’t clear that Cigna could have saved Nataline by approving
the transplant earlier, Idelson said, the insurer should have trusted
her doctors.

"The transplant was recommended by the medical professionals at the
bedside," Idelson said. "They should have been listened to."

TURKEY’S ACCESSION TO EU TO HELP NORMALIZE TIES WITH ARMENIA – SPEAKER

Mediamax Agency, Armenia
Dec 19 2007

Yerevan, 19 December: Armenian Parliament Speaker Tigran Torosyan
said today in Yerevan that Armenia supports Turkey’s membership of
the European Union.

While speaking at the parliamentary session on "Armenian-Turkish
relations: Problems and Prospects", he expressed the hope that "it
will be possible to find keys to normalization of bilateral relations
in the very area of the European integration of Turkey and Armenia".

"Turkey’s membership of the European Union will allow us to have a
predictable neighbour who observes the European system of values that
is close to us," Torosyan said, the Mediamax news agency reports.

"The Armenian authorities do not accept Turkey’s preconditions as
a basis for normalizing bilateral relations and have the will and
courage not to entrust the settlement of the issue to historians,"
the parliament speaker said.

"Armenia has no right to intervene in the process of the international
recognition of the Armenian genocide, considering this to be
an internal matter of each country that takes such a decision,"
Torosyan said.

"We cannot limit the freedom of our foreign compatriots who back the
recognition of the genocide in their countries, and in this regard,
Turkey’s complaints to Armenia are groundless," the speaker said.