Author: Tamamian Anna

GEORGIAN PRESS DISCLOSE ARMENIAN SEPARATISTS IN GEORGIA

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
July 18 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend corr. S.Ilhamgizi / Alibala Askarov, the
head of the ‘Geyrat’ Popular movement, stated that the Georgian press
illustrated separatist activities of Armenians, residing in Georgia.

According to Askarov, the article about the activities of Armenian
nationalists, who have territorial claims on Georgia, was published
in the newspapers Palitra and Sem novikh dney (Seven new days) in
Georgia recently. Publication of such articles discloses separatist
activities of Armenians in Georgia.

"Over the last few years Armenians, residing in Javakhetia, Georgia,
expanded their separatist activities and falsified of historical
facts."

Armenian separatists residing in Samtskh and Javakhetia, in particular
the organisations VIKR, Arshlus, Parvana and Javakhk attempt to
present Javakhetia as a part of ‘Great Armenia’. The separatist
national liberation movement Javakhk organized with the support of
dashnaks, accuse Georgia and the Georgian people.

Armenians from the Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia, Russia, Syria and
Iran leave Ninotsminda to back anti-Georgian activities of Armenian
separatists.

Informal military groups of Armenian separatists, who are a great
danger for the territorial integrity of Georgia, are operating in
the village of Gandza. The authors of article noted that Armenian
separatists are attempting to separate Javakhetia from Georgia.

"Secret discussions concerning this issue are being considered in
Russia, Armenia and a range of European countries. The situation
around Javakhetia is dangerous," stated in article.

Askarov considered that Azerbaijanis and Georgians should join together
to settle the problem.

MAIN REASON OF DECLINE IN ARMENIA’S JEWELRY INDUSTRY DUE TO GLOBAL CRISIS

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
July 17 2007

YEREVAN. July 17. /ARKA/. The main reason of decline in the jewelry
industry of Armenia’s economy is the global crisis. Gagik Lazarian,
head of the department for precious stones and jewelry, run by the
ministry of trade and economic development, reported Tuesday, Armenia,
as well as other countries involved in diamond cutting were the first
to experience that impact.

"And, despite the worldwide tendencies of overcoming the crisis,
its consequences will be felt for a long time. Now for Armenia a
pressing issue is to overcome these consequences," he said.

According to Lazarian, in January-June 2007, jewelry output totaled
AMD 24,633bln ($72.7mln) compared to AMD 47,463mln ($140.2mln) in
the corresponding period of 2006.

"Thus, a 48% decline is being observed in the industry’s production,"
he reported.

Lazarian also said the sales of jewelry output totaled AMD 23,835mln
($70.4mln) in the accounting period, and export – AMD 23,579bln
($69.6mln) compared to AMD 47,724bln ($140.9mln) and AMD 46,204bln
($136.5mln) respectively in the corresponding period of the previous
year.

Touching upon the reasons of that decline, Lazarian pointed out
that a specific increase in expenses is connected with decrease
in export opportunities, which in its turn is due to the national
currency revaluation.

"However, I tend to believe that this reason is not primary, and the
country has sufficient resources to overcome it," he said and added
that a rather serious impact on the development of that sector in
Armenia is made by China’s expansion, which has become a competitive
country with higher efficiency and quality of products.

Among other reasons of the decline, Lazarian pointed to the
interruption of diamond raw materials supply to Armenia from Russia
beginning from 2006.

"Manufacturers of the diamond cutting industry aim to sell products
in their countries provided that favorable conditions for business
are created. That is why, the problem of raw materials is acute in
the countries that do not have it," he said.

According to Lazarian, the readiness of Armenian companies and
enterprises for enduring the competition in world markets should play
a big role in development of that industry.

"Because Armenian companies are not prepared from the viewpoint of
technological and financial management, they do not withstand the
world competition," he reported.

At the same time, Lazarian added that under the conditions of a touch
competition, additional steps should be taken, such as increasing
quality of products and reequipping enterprises.

According to the department, jewelry products in Armenia in 2006
totaled AMD 88,048 ($244.6mln) compared to AMD 112,194bln ($311.7mln)
in 2005. The sales totaled AMD 88,993bln ($247.2mln) compared to
AMD 111,293bln ($309.2mln) in 2005. Export in the accounting period
totaled AMD 87,076bln (about $242mln) compared to AMD 109,665bln
($304.7mln) in 2005.

ANOTHER YEREVAN PARK BULLDOZED
By Astghik Bedevian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
July 16 2007

Police used force to ensure the destruction of yet another green area
in downtown Yerevan on Monday.

The more than three dozen fruit trees covering 200 square meters of
privatized land were bulldozed despite fierce resistance put up by
many residents of the adjacent apartment blocks.

They had for weeks stood guard over the grove to prevent the new land
owner from cutting down the trees and building a three-story structure
in their place. The police department of the city’s central Kentron
district twice attempted unsuccessfully in May and June to overcome
their resistance. It succeeded only after arriving at the scene with
special police reinforcements on Monday morning. The so-called "red
berets" quickly dispersed several dozen people, among them women and
children, that gathered there.

"This is a barbaric act," said one elderly woman. "It pleased our
eyes to look at the trees. They are now gone."

"Police and red berets attacked us, shouting abuse and beating people,"
complained another local resident.

The security forces left only one tree intact as it was personally
protected by Zaruhi Postanjian, a young member of Armenia’s parliament
affiliated with the opposition Zharangutyun party. "I will not budge
from here," she said after they stepped back. "We must preserve this
tree. We must not allow them to carry out these illegalities."

Later in the day, Postanjian and several other Zharangutyun
parliamentarians pressured the Armenian Ministry of Urban Development
into ordering the Kentron administration to suspend any construction
work at the site for now.

Also, Armenia’s Office of Human Rights Defender, which is located
just meters away from the bulldozed park, effectively declared the
tree destruction illegal. A spokesman argued that the land owner and
police officers that helped him lacked a mandatory permission from
the Ministry of Environment.

The new property to be built there will most probably be the latest
addition to a myriad of street cafes, restaurants and other businesses
that have sprung up in virtually every Yerevan park in the last several
years. Environment protection groups estimate that the construction
boom has destroyed more than 700 hectares of public parks — twice the
size of the green areas lost during the severe energy crisis of the
early 1990s when many residents had to cut trees to heat their homes.

UPSET MEDIATORS CALL FOR ANOTHER ARMENIAN-AZERI SUMMIT
By Emil Danielyan

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
July 16 2007

International mediators have called on the presidents of Armenia
and Azerbaijan to meet again and try to achieve a breakthrough on
Nagorno-Karabakh this year, while questioning their commitment to
mutual compromise.

In a written statement, the U.S., Russian and French mediators
confirmed that Presidents Ilham Aliev and Robert Kocharian failed to
iron out their "remaining differences" on a framework peace agreement
proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group at their last meeting in Saint
Petersburg. They warned that failure to eliminate those differences
before the start of the 2008 presidential election campaign in both
South Caucasus states would nullify substantial progress made by the
conflicting parties in the last few years.

"We take due note of the parties’ recent statements of their
willingness to continue the negotiations on the basis of what has
been developed over the past years," the three co-chairs of the Minsk
Group said after a meeting in Vienna on Friday. "We urge them to give
life to these statements in the limited time remaining and to make
resolute efforts to consider again the fairly distributed benefits
of the solution embodied by the proposed basic principles."

"To that end, the Co-Chairs are ready to assist the parties in the
preparation for their next summit, at the first opportunity, in the
coming months," added their statement.

Officials in Baku and Yerevan have not ruled out the possibility of
another Armenian-Azerbaijani summit before the end of this year.

Agreement on it would have to be reached by the foreign ministers
of the two countries. It is not clear if any talks between them are
planned for the coming weeks.

The mediators cast doubt on Aliev’s and Kocharian’s willingness to make
"courageous decisions" now. "The Co-Chairs recognize that preservation
of the status quo after thirteen years of "no peace-no war" in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict may seem less difficult for the leaders of
Armenia and Azerbaijan than the mutual compromises that will lead to
an equitable and lasting settlement of the conflict and, ultimately,
to a new era of peace and prosperity for their people," they said.

In a passage that appears to have been primarily addressed to Aliev,
the Minsk Group troika deplored "militaristic statements threatening
use of force and creating the dangerous illusion that war is an option
for resolution of the conflict."

The mediators also criticized Thursday’s "so-called presidential
elections" in Karabakh. "Recalling their statements with respect to
previous votings in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Co-Chairs reiterate that,
like all other members of the international community, their countries
do not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent state, and such
"elections" should not have any impact on the peaceful settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," they said.

TRIAL OF ARTHUR POGHOSIAN POSTPONED

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jul 11 2007

AKHALKALAK, JULY 11, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The trial of Arthur
Poghosian, an activist of the "United Javakhk" democratic alliance,
which was to be held at 16:00 on July 11, will take place at 10:00
am on July 12.

This information was provided to Noyan Tapan by Javakhk-Info.

The reason for the postponing of the trial was the fact that the
defendant was not in Akhalkalak at the moment when the trial began.

ARMENIA AND KAZAKHSTAN WILLING TO DEVELOP BILATERAL RELATIONS

armradio.am
11.07.2007 14:00

RA Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan today received the Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to Armenia Ayimdos
Bozjigitov.

At the beginning of the meeting the Prime Minister congratulated the
Ambassador on the occasion of opening the Embassy of Kazakhstan in
Armenia, the official ceremony of which is due tomorrow and said that
the active work of the diplomatic representatives of the two countries
will become a new impetus and will contribute to further deepening of
relations between Armenia and Kazakhstan. Ambassador Bozjigitov noted
that there exist broad opportunities for cooperation and reciprocally
favorable projects

The Ambassador of Kazakhstan used the opportunity to convey the
congratulations of the Kazakh Prime Minister on the occasion of Serge
Sargsyan’s appointment as RA Prime Minister

During the meeting reference was made to the 25 000 Armenian
community in Kazakhstan, underlining that it is a great potential
for the reinforcement of Armenian-Kazakh relations and development of
cooperation. The interlocutors attached importance to the cooperation
between Armenia and Kazakhstan within international organizations.

Noting that extraordinary parliamentary elections are expected in
Kazakhstan in August, the Ambassador underlined that the experience
of Armenia can be useful for his country.

At the end of the meeting the Prime Minister wished success to
Ambassador Ayimdos Bozjigitov, reconfirming Armenian Government’s
willingness to direct the efforts at the reinforcement of friendship
and deepening of relations for the sake of the two countries and
peoples.

THE SON OF FRENCH CINEMA REVOLUTION

armradio.am
11.07.2007 16:41

French director and critic Leos Carax was one of the sons of French
cinema revolution. Characterizing Carax during the meeting with
journalists, organizer of the Golden Apricot Forth International
Film Festival Michael Stamboltsyan said he embodies the past of
the French cinema. The director started his career with short films
and gained fame in the world of cinema due to the "Boy Meets Girl"
feature film. This was followed by the "Bad Blood."

"My films are hard to comprehend. It has always been a problem for
me to find audience," Carax noted. In his words, that is the reason
why his films had no commercial success.

The director shot four films – the "Bad Blood," "Boy Meets Girl,"
"Lovers on the Bridge," and "Pola X." "Here I have taken risks which
did not exist in my previous films," Mr. Carax said

Leos Carax does not call himself a director. He describes himself as
a man who shoots films from time to time.

EARTHQUAKE AT THE BORDERLINE

A1+
[02:53 pm] 11 July, 2007

On July 11 a 5.1-magnitude earthquake was recorded 45 km south-west
to Ardekil town, at the Azerbaijan-Iran borderline. The force of
the epicenter was seven. The National Seismic Centre informed A1+
that the earthquake was perceived in Goris, Kapan and Kajaran.

SOROS ADVICES TO AVOID POPULISTS
Diana Markosyan

A1+
[07:46 pm] 10 July, 2007
Strasburg-Yerevan

"Freedom of speech, conduction of free and fair elections, independent
mass media is not enough for building an open society". These words
belong to the true supporter of democracy, the Chairman of the "Open
Society Institute" George Soros. According to him, one should be able
to avoid those who distort the truth; however, it is impossible to
do so today.

George Soros made similar statements in the PACE session hall during
the meeting with the students of the CoE Political School. Students
from 15 countries participated in the meeting.

Talking on the necessity of constructing democracy, George Soros noted
that one should avoid populism in politics and it was impossible to
avoid it nowadays.

In his opinion, populism grants an opportunity to people "to come
to power by manipulating and preserve that power and never reach
a result".

"We must contribute to minimizing the manipulating policy and the
best way to achieve that is to have an open society and to eject
the populists through elections", he said. Mr Soros mentioned that
his institute was carrying out programs in the USA as well. "I never
thought that it will be necessary in the US", confessed George Soros,
since he considered that the power and the reputation of the US was
diminishing. "And here also we deal with manipulating policy". Today
when the US is losing its reputation, Europe should take up the role
of a decisive actor for maintaining democracy and for establishing
open society. "The EU is the prototype of an open society", declared
Soros and added that the EU member states waive their independence
for a common objective, since it was impossible to solve complicated
problems alone.

According to George Soros, fight against Saddam Hussein was a common
problem.

The "Open Society Institute" does not possess a definite mechanism
for assessing productivity of activities.

Representatives of 15 countries thanked George Soros for the
implemented projects, and the representative from the Belarus asked
for a support to get rid of Lukashenko’s regime and for reinforcing
democracy.

At the end, George Soros advised the future politicians and political
actors to be open and noble and to contribute to the formation of an
open society.

Ardshininvestbank Increases Assets for First Half of 2007 by 10.2% to
$224 Million

arminfo
2007-07-06 17:19:00

Ardshininvestbank has increased the assets for the first half of 2007
by 10.2% and by 38.2% as compared to the previous year. As of July 1,
assets totaled 76,236 billion drams or $224 million. Ardshininvestbank
told ArmInfo that the liabilities grew by 40% as compared to 2006 and
by 8.8% in the first half of 2007 to 63.164 bln drams or $185.3 mln on
July 1.

The source reports that the total capital of Ardshininvestbank totaled
13.072 bln drams or $38.3 mln as of 1 July, the increase being by 17.8%
in the first half of 2007 and by 30.3% as compared to 2006.

The data of the Ranking of Armenian Commercial Banks prepared by Agency
of Rating Marketing Information ArmInfo, assets of Ardshininvestbank
totaled on April 1 2007, 68.2 bln drams or $188.3 mln (2nd in the
banking system of Armenia), liabilities – 56.2 bln drams or $36 mln
(2nd position), total capital 12 bln drams or $33.2 mln (2nd position).