Author: Tatoyan Vazgen

SEVEN ARMENIAN BUSINESSMEN RANKED AMONG 500 RUSSIAN BILLIONAIRES

ARKA
Feb 22 2008

YEREVAN, February 22. /ARKA/. Seven entrepreneurs of Armenian
descent have been included in Russian Finance Magazine’s list of
500 billionaires.

This is the magazine’s fifth ranking.

Rosgostrakh Group President Daniil Khachaturov born in 1971 with
his assets estimated at $2.8 billion (68.6 billion Russian rubles)
is placed 51st in the magazine’s ranking list.

According to the magazine, Khachaturov created his business from
zero. He does his business in finance, development, construction and
real estate.

Nikolay Sarkisov (born in 1959), the co-owner of the Reso-Garantiya
Company and the Decra Developer climbed from the 144th up to the
70th place in one year only. According to the magazine, he started
his business from zero to make a fortune of $1.65bln (40.4bln rubles).

He works in the spheres of finances, development, construction and
real estate.

Rouben Vardanyan (born in 1968) is CEO of the Troyka Dialogue
Investment Group. With his $1.5bln he climbed down 16 points to
position himself in the 19th place among Russian billionaires. The
magazine says he established his business from zero and works in the
sphere of finances.

Tigran Nersissyan, the co-owner of the Borodino Group (development,
retail trade, food products) (born in 1966) retreated by 12 points
during a year and is the 120th Russian billionaire now with a fortune
estimated at $0.8bln (19.6bln roubles). The magazine says he, too,
started a business from zero.

Nersissyan is engaged in the spheres of development, construction,
real estate, as well as food production, retail trade and restaurants.

The 336th Russian billionaire is Daniil Khachaturov’s brother Sergey
Khachaturov, the Rus-bank co-owner. He works in the sphere of finances
and started from zero to make a fortune of $0.25bln (6.1bln roubles).

Igor Avanessyan (born in 1953), co-owner and Board of Directors member
of the Ak Bars Bank is the 34th on the ranking list. He started
his business through privatization and is engaged in the sphere of
finances. His fortune is estimated at $0.24bln (5.9bln roubles).

The list of Russia’s richest men tops Oleg Deripaska, the owner of
the Basic Element Holding who holds $40bln (980bln roubles) with
Roman Abramovich, the owner of the Chelsea FC, lagging on $23bln
(563.5bln roubles).

Boris Berezovsky, the ex-owner of Sibneft, Public Television Company
of Russia, and Aeroflot, lost 31 points and was ranked the 8th with
$1.3bln (31.9bln roubles).

In conclusion the magazine says if the global economy survives the
current problems or at least if the problems bypass Russian stock
market more dollar billionaires and more developers are sure to appear
next year.

Finance Magazine was first published on March 3, 2003.

Nina Hachigian and Mona Sutphen,
The Next American Century: How the U.S. Can Thrive As
Other Powers Rise

Authors Nina Hachigian and Mona Sutphen maintain that
the United States can prosper amidst the rise in power
of foreign countries. They claim that the U.S. should
focus on solving its own problems while maintaining
and creating partnerships abroad. The authors also
share their ideas for dealing with challenges to
American dominance.

(CSpan – Saturday 7 PM and Sunday 3:45 PM ET)

KOSOVO’S INDEPENDENCE IS DEFINITELY A PRECEDENT, AZERI POLITICAL SCIENTIST CONSIDERS

armradio.am
22.02.2008 16:42

Azeri political scientist Ilgar Mammadov considers that "the
independence of Kosovo is definitely a precedent for the Armenians
of Nagorno Karabakh."

The Director of the Political Research Institute of Baku declared
that "the difference of the conflicts, their history and stages of
development are not essential in this case," Mediamax reports.

"Only the fact of change of state borders over the OSCE territory
against the will of the state is a precedent. If one exclusion can be
made from the European Security Charter (the OSCE Constitution), why
two or three cannot be made then? In the light of the Kosovo precedent,
the Prague Process, in the framework of which Armenia and Azerbaijan
have been negotiating ever since 2004, is becoming more unacceptable
for Baku. The core of that process is as follows: Azerbaijan agrees
to some referendum on the status of the former Autonomous Region of
Nagorno Karabakh, deploys international peacekeepers on its territory,
after which Armenia will start gradually withdrawing its troops from
the occupied territories around Nagorno Karabakh."

Azerbaijan erred at the very beginning, considering itself to be
the winning party in the Prague process. "Really, the rapid pace of
economic development due to oil revenues and the temporary geopolitical
importance caused bilateral vertigo. The Azeri negotiations thought
we lived in a static world, where the international law would
permanently stand for territorial integrity, and in 10-15 it would
be relatively easier to relieve the burden of the referendum on the
status of the former Autonomous Region of Nagorno Karabakh. However,
the events in Kosovo show that it’s not that easy to refuse from
commitments. First of all, it refers to the issue of peacekeepers,
which deprived Serbia of the last physical and political opportunity
to prevent the independence of Kosovo," Ilgar Mammadov declared.

OSCE OBSERVERS REPORT ARMENIA’S PROGRESS IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

AZG Armenian Daily
22/02/2008

Post-Election

On February 20 the OSCE/ODIHR observation mission released the
preliminary evaluation of the presidential election. According to
the observers, the presidential vote complied with the European
standards. The OSCE observers even reported progress towards
democracy. The conclusion of observers runs that the election complies
with the commitments assumed by the country before international
organizations although there is need for improvements to eliminate a
few questions that have occurred. In answer to the request to comment
on reports about beaten proxies, intimidation, the observers said
they evaluate the general election process, and when separate cases
are reported, they want facts, which are not supplied

ANAND TO MEET TOPALOV

PTI
Feb 22
Mexico

Sitting pretty with a half point lead after five rounds, World champion
Viswanathan Anand will take on former king of world chess Veselin
Topalov of Bulgaria in the sixth round of the Morelia-Linares chess
tournament here.

The going so far has been quite dramatic for Anand as he has won all
his black games in the event and in the sixth round, after the second
rest day, the Indian ace will have black pieces for the last time in
his Morelia stint of this category-21 event.

The double-round event among eight players has seen some really
exciting chess so far and the trend is likely to continue with everyone
out to give his best. Anand currently heads the standings on 3.5 points
from five games and is a half point clear of Levon Aronian of Armenia.

Alxei Shirov of Spain, Magnus Carlsen of Norway and Topalov share the
third spot on 3.5 points each while the remaining three contestants
— Peter Leko of Hungary, Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan and Vassily
Ivanchuk of Ukraine — share the sixth spot with two points apiece.

Anand’s results with white might be a cause for worry for the stalwart,
but his results with black has left everyone stunned.

It has not quite happened in the recent past that in a Classical event
when Anand scored three wins on-the-trot with black pieces and if he
gets his remaining white’s right, he is likely to add another feather
to his already bulgy bulgy cap.

OSCE: ARMENIA VOTE MOSTLY OK

AP
Wednesday February 20 2008

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) – An influential international observer mission
said Armenia’s presidential election was "mostly in line with the
country’s international commitments, although further improvements
are necessary."

The generally approving assessment of the observers of the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe could undermine the momentum of
opposition protesters who allege widespread fraud in Tuesday’s voting.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further
information.

AP’s earlier story is below.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) – Some 7,000 opposition supporters protested
in Armenia’s capital Wednesday as officials said an initial ballot
count showed that the prime minister had won the presidential election
outright.

Riot police were dispatched to the election commission headquarters,
while police patrolled streets near the protest, where demonstrators
claimed that the Tuesday vote was rigged.

The allegations of fraud and threats of mass protests have raised
concerns about the stability of the volatile, strategic country,
located at the juncture of the energy-rich Caspian Sea region and
southern Europe and bordering Iran.

A preliminary count of all ballots showed Prime Minister Serge
Sarkisian had nearly 53 percent of the vote, Central Election
Commission chief Garegin Azarian said – enough to avoid a runoff. Top
opposition candidate Levon Ter-Petrosian had 21.5 percent, Azarian
said.

Ter-Petrosian supporters gathered in a central Yerevan square near the
election commission building to protest. The commission headquarters,
a five-minute walk from the square, were cordoned off by metal barriers
and a few dozen helmeted riot police with truncheons stood guard.

"I have no doubt that the authorities have falsified the election
and I will protest with all those who also feel cheated," said Simon
Grigorian, a 38-year-old engineer.

A senior Ter-Petrosian aide, Nikol Pashinian, urged the crowd to
stand up for justice. "It would be a crime on our part to leave the
country to this criminal regime," Pashinian said.

Sarkisian was groomed by outgoing President Robert Kocharian and was
widely expected to win, in part because of favorable media coverage
and support from the state bureaucracy. He has also benefited from
recent economic improvements.

The president is the country’s top leader, holding more power than
the prime minister.

Ter-Petrosian accused the authorities of resorting to ballot-stuffing,
vote buying and beating his activists who monitored the election. His
side has asserted that he was actually the winner.

"These figures have nothing to do with reality, we are overwhelmingly
ahead of them," his spokesman Arman Museian said of the results
announced by the election commission.

Observers from a Moscow-led group of ex-Soviet republics as well as
from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe were
monitoring the vote, and the OSCE was to release its assessment
later Wednesday.

Sarkisian and Ter-Petrosian – Armenia’s first president after the
1991 Soviet collapse – were the two top contenders vying to lead the
South Caucasus nation, where more than a quarter of its 3.2 million
people live in poverty despite some economic progress in recent years.

The election campaign was dominated by the country’s economic revival
and efforts to resolve the status of Nagorno-Karabakh – a mountainous
region in neighboring Azerbaijan that has been under ethnic Armenian
control since a cease-fire ended six years of fighting in 1994.

Kosovo’s declaration of independence from Serbia on Sunday added an
element of uncertainty for Armenians, many of whom see clear analogies
between Kosovo and Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Armenian government says the region should be recognized as
a sovereign state, while Azerbaijan says it will never cede its
territory.

Armenia experienced an economic collapse after the Soviet breakup
and in the face of blockades by Azerbaijan and its key ally Turkey,
which is outraged by efforts to win international recognition of the
killing of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks in the World War
I-era as genocide.

The blockades have hamstrung Armenia’s economy and cut it out of
lucrative regional energy and transport projects.

The U.S., whose large Armenian diaspora has a strong lobby in Congress,
has poured some $1.7 billion in aid into the country since 1991,
encouraging economic and political liberalization.

Armenia is eligible for millions more in U.S. aid, but a questionable
election could jeopardize Washington’s support.

RA presidential contender, ARF Dashnaktsutyun party’s Bureau member Vahan
Hovhannisyan: ‘I am not fortuneteller and do not forecast, voters will
decide everything’

2008-02-19 11:09:00

ArmInfo. ‘I have voted and hope to win upon the results of the today’s
presidential election’, RA presidential contender, ARF Dashnaktsutyun
party’s Bureau member, vice speaker of the Armenian Parliament Vahan
Hovhannisyan told journalists today after having voted at the election
precinct in the secondary school after A. Griboyedov at 10:07 AM.

As V. Hovhannisyan said, he calmly treats the humoristic
election travesties to his address, which are published on the
pages of different local Mass Media on the threshold of the
election. V. Hovhannisyan refused to make any forecasts upon the
election results and said that "he is not a fortuneteller and does not
forecast". V. Hovhannisyan added that he would like for the people to
say in a couple of days that today’s election were really fair for the
first time, including those, whose candidate was not elected. And if
ARFD party notes falsifications, they will be fixed and the facts,
as well as the materials on them will be submitted to the court,
V. Hovhannisyan said.

Talking of probability of the second round, V. Hovhannisyan expressed
confidence that it will be held, and if it happens and RA Prime
Minister Serzh Sargsyan and the first President of Armenia Levon
Ter-Petrosyan pass to the 2nd round, he will urge his voters to
support his candidacy and not theirs.

ELECTION UNLIKELY TO LIFT ARMENIA’S ISOLATION
by Michael Mainville

Agence France Presse — English
February 17, 2008 Sunday 1:57 AM GMT

Skulls and bones piled in communal graves, dead bodies abandoned
in streets — images on display in Yerevan symbolise how the mass
killings of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey still haunt this country and
define its relations with the outside world.

As Armenians head to the polls Tuesday for a presidential election,
experts say the country’s fraught relations with its Turkic neighbours,
fuelled by the memory of the killings, are unlikely to improve
whoever wins.

For voters, the stark images at the Armenian Genocide Museum have
lost none of their power almost a century after they were taken.

Hundreds of thousands of Armenians died in today’s eastern Turkey
between 1915 and 1923 in what Armenians claim was a deliberate act
of genocide by the Ottoman Empire. Turkey denies this, saying both
Armenians and Turks were killed in civil strife.

Since gaining its independence with the collapse of the Soviet Union
in 1991, the dispute has been at the root of the country’s foreign
policy, leaving the country deeply isolated, with two of its four
borders closed.

Armenia’s efforts to have the killings internationally recognized as
genocide have deeply angered Turkey, which has cut diplomatic ties
with Yerevan and sealed its borders with Armenia.

"For our country this is a security issue," said Hayk Demoian,
the director of the genocide museum. "It’s about making sure mass
killings can’t happen again," he said.

The killings have also coloured Armenia’s relations with neighbouring
Azerbaijan, a mostly Muslim and Turkic-speaking country with which
Armenia fought a war over the disputed region of Nagorny Karabakh.

An ethnic Armenian enclave that was part of Azerbaijan during the
Soviet era, Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijani control during a
bloody conflict in the early 1990s that killed thousands and forced
hundreds of thousands from their homes.

Most Armenians see Azerbaijan’s claim to Karabakh as another example of
Turkic aggression. After more than a decade of foreign-backed talks,
the two countries remain officially at war over the disputed region
and clashes along the frontline are common. There have been few signs
of a breakthrough in negotiations.

During the presidential campaign, some candidates have called for
a softer approach to Armenia’s neighbours. Former president Levon
Ter-Petrosian, who broke 10 years of silence last year to announce
his bid for the presidency, has called for a more conciliatory tone
with Azerbaijan and Turkey.

But analysts said it’s extremely unlikely Tuesday’s election will
signal a shift in Armenia’s strained relations with its neighbours
or an end to its regional isolation.

"These elections will not lead to any drastic changes in foreign
policy," political analyst Alexander Iskandarian said.

Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian, a protege of President Robert
Kocharian and considered a foreign-policy hawk, is widely expected
to win the vote.

And even if an opposition candidate like Ter-Petrosian came to power,
any new president would be hard-pressed to make concessions to the
country’s arch-foes, said political analyst Manvel Sarkisian.

"No president can give up on the recognition of the genocide or on
Karabakh," he said.

At the Armenian Genocide Museum, Demoian said the recognition of the
killings as genocide and maintaining the claim to Karabakh are not
abstract historical issues.

"It is part of the collective memory of the Armenian people and we
cannot deny our memories," he said.

"I don’t think anyone would ever make a dramatic shift from our
well-known policies. It would be the end of their political career."

SERZH SARKISIAN THANKS HIS LUCKY STARS

A1+
[04:09 pm] 17 February, 2008

The central streets of the capital have become impassable. Thousands
of people have crowded at Liberty Square to participate in Serzh
Sarkissian’s rally. Presently we cannot give exact figures as people
are leaving the square though the rally is still underway.

Serzh Sarkissian reiterated his words uttered during the pre-election
campaign. The presidential candidate asked the presentees for "a vote
of confidence, good will and optimism."

"I urge you to vote for prosperous and progressive Armenia. I urge
you to vote for me to turn Armenia into a fortress," he said

Serzh Sarkissian thanked his lucky stars that he has had a chance
to serve Armenia all his life. He has carried out his mission with
pride and dignity.

TIGRAN KARAPETIAN: "LOVE EACH OTHER"

A1+
[08:02 pm] 17 February, 2008

Over 200 people gathered near the Matenadaran today to listen
to People’s Party (ZhK) Leader and presidential candidate Tigran
Karapetian.

"I love all of you. We are soldiers of the same field," said Tigran
Karapetian.

Look! They are hiding their cars /he pointed at buses bearing posters,
"Onward, Armenia"/. We have nothing to hide. They will always try
to bribe people, but you will not take their "silver," said the
presidential candidate.

Tigran Karapetian called for mutual love and tolerance. "Instead of
empty promises, I pledge to love and serve you. You will gain nothing
without love."

At the end of the rally the presentees lit candles.

"It is not accidental that I take the third place on the list. Let’s
cross ourselves for the sake of Trinity – the Father, the Son and
the Holy Spirit. "