Author: Tumanian Talar

OMX AB COMPANY TO PRESENT BUSINESS PROPOSALS ON ASE DEVELOPMENT WITHIN MONTH

Noyan Tapan
Feb 05 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 5, NOYAN TAPAN. It is expected that within a month
OMX AB, a Swedish-Finnish company providing financial services,
will present its business proposals on development of the Armenian
Stock Exchange (ASE) and results of its studies on development of
the securities market in the country.

Chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) Tigran Sargsian said
this at the February 5 press conference. In his words, "this is the
first case when research in Armenia is being done by a foreign private
company and not an international financial organization."

He said that as a result of legislative amendments, Armenia will give
up the ideas of a self-regulating stock exchange and depositary and
will shift to these bodies’ work on business bases. The stock exchanges
in Sweden, Finland, Copenhagen, Vilnius, Tallin and Riga (all of them
as part of OMX) operate this way. OMX is also implementing a project
on development of stock markets in Mecedonia. It intends to implement
similar projects in Ukraine and Bulgaria.

According to T. Sargsian, OMX’s entry into Armenia depends on how much
enterprising the Armenian side will be, how much responsibility it
will take because for "first-rate investors consider human resource
as the most expensive and limited resource."

The CBA Chairman said that 35 companies, which are ready to ratify
transparency of their accounting by the conclusion of an audit company,
have already been studied. They have been registered at the ASE in
accordance with OMX procedure. In 2007, placement of such companies’s
securities at the ASE will continue, which will create preconditions
for great changes in the investment environment.

T. Sargsian informed those present that legislative amendments are
also envisaged in order to improve corporate governance in terms
of separating the rights and obligations of owners and managers. He
said that two big commercial networks in Armenia expressed a desire
to attract resources through placement of securities. Their studies
show that these networks have the opportunity to increase heir market
value 20 fold.

GUL GOES TO US FOR KEY TALKS

The New Anatolian, Turkey
Feb 5 2007

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is paying an official visit to
the U.S. to hold key talks. Possible cross-border operations as well
as Iraq, Iran, Cyprus issue and EU are expected to be discussed.

"I believe that my visit to the U.S. will further develop the
cooperation between the two allied countries in every area," Gul said
during his press conference in Ankara before going to U.S. Diplomatic
sources said that "Gul will seek U.S. support in cracking down on
the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorists. It’s a major
security concern for Turkey"

US State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack, in his press release
last week, stressed that Gul and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice will meet to discuss key issues on recent developments including
cross-border issue, Iran, Iran, Cyprus issue and EU.

Gul will meet Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice and President George W. Bush’s National Security
Adviser Stephen Hadley during his forthcoming visit to Washington.

The foreign minister is also scheduled to meet with Tom Lantos, the
chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign
Affairs to discuss a recent draft introduced in Congress to recognize
Armenian genocide claims.

Gul will also meet new United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki-moon on
Friday and will discuss Cyprus problem. During the meeting Gul will
express Ankara’s support for Undersecretary General for Political
Affairs Ibrahim Gambari’s initiative and will ask Ki-moon to be alive
previous actions.

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT IMPLEMENTS PILOT SUBSIDIZING PROGRAM IN ARAGATSOTN
AND GEGHARKUNIK MARZES

TALIN, FEBRUARY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian government started
implementing a pilot subsidizing program in Aragats region of
Aragatsotn marz and Chambarak region of Gegharkunik marz. By the
program, land users will be allocated 35 thousand drams (about 97 USD)
per a hectare. The RA Minister of Agriculture Davit Lokian said during
his visit to Aragatsotn marz on February 2 that from 2008, the program
will be also implemented in the country’s mountainous regions and
foothills.

According to the minister, it is also envisaged to provide subsidies
to owners of vineyards and fruit gardens. He noted that in accordance
with the draft law on state assistance to agriculture, the subsidizing
of agriculture by the government will have a comprehensive character
starting from 2010.

Panorama.am

20:46 01/02/2007

DO NOT COMPARE KOCHARYAN WITH PUTIN, ADVISER SAYS

Garnik Isagulyan, president’s adviser, said today it is not proper to
compare Kocharyan with Putin. Upon need, Kocharyan may meet with large
sectors of reporters himself, he said. Asked when will that need be,
Isagulyan said `Whenever the Armenian reporters are as established as
in Russia.’

`Kocharyan is Kocharyan and Putin is Putin,’ the president’s adviser
said.

Source: Panorama.am

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Jan 31 2007

VAHRAM ATANESIAN: A COUNTRY, WHERE HUMAN RIGHTS ARE CONSTANTLY
VIOLATED, CANNOT CLAIM TO ENSURE NKR PEOPLE’S RIGHTS

`’Mr. Asimov’s statement on the successful development of his
country’s economy does not correspond to reality. The decision on
raising prices in Azerbaijan that prompted the population’s strong
protest and provoked clashes in a number of regions, including Baku,
testifies to it, and yet, the economic component is not considered to
be the first in the Nagorno-Karabakh people’s struggle for their
independence”, the head of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic National
Assembly Commission on Foreign Relations Vahram Atanesian said in an
interview with DE FACTO agency, while commenting on the statement
made by the Azerbaijan’s Deputy FM Araz Asimov. The Azeri Minister
noted, in part, `’Azerbaijan is successfully developing, so ensuring
the rights and future of the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians can be
guaranteed within the Republic of Azerbaijan”.
According to Vahram Atanesian, `’being the Azerbaijani President’s
Special Representative at the Karabakh talks, Araz Asimov should
remember that the Nagorno-Karabakh people rejected the Program of the
Azerbaijani SSR NKAR economic development elaborated by the Kremlin’s
political technologists”.
In Vahram Atanesian’s words, `’a country, where the population’s
rights and freedoms are constantly violated, where the leadership
permanently imitates coup and imprisons political opposition, where
the monuments of other nations’ centuries-old culture are being
mercilessly destroyed or shamelessly arrogated, where assassins are
raised to the rank of a national hero, where the assassination of the
Armenian journalist Hrant Dink in Turkey makes people happy, cannot
claim to ensure the rights and freedoms of the Nagorno-Karabakh
people, especially taking into consideration that they do not need
it”.
Vahram Atanesian noted the NKR people had established all the state
and public institutions via free elections, so the corresponding
organs ensure the people’s security, prosperity, rights and freedoms.

`’We are ready to share our experience with everyone, including
Azerbaijan, and we urge Mr. Asimov to hold a direct dialogue with the
NKR official structures to settle dissensions and establish
good-neighbor relations”, Vahram Atanesian stated.

EDUARDO ERNEKIAN BECOMES OWNER OF CONVERSE BANK

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 1, NOYAN TAPAN. On January 31, Argentine Armenian
businessman Eduardo Ernekian bought 100% shares of Converse
Bank. Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed about it by bank’s
Executive Director Artak Hanesian who refused to mention the bargain’s
value.

According to the report received from Converse Bank’s management,
E.Ernekian assured that the bank will continue its normal activities
perfecting the quality of its services.

According to the same source, the strategic policy carried on by
E.Ernekian will be aimed at promotion of business in Armenia, creation
of new jobs, prospect development of Converse Bank, use of new
technologies.

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT APPROVES CONCEPTUAL PROVISIONS ON REFORMS IN
SPHERE OF SCIENCE

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 1, NOYAN TAPAN. At the February 1 sitting, the
Armenian government approved the conceptual provisions on reforms in
the Armenian science.

It was noted that the main goal of reforms in the sphere of science is
to create a knowledge-based economy and society, in which the state
will have a decisive role. From the viewpoint of reform
implementation, the document gives priority to formation of a single
state governance system of sciene, purposeful and effiecient
reproduction of scientific potential, creation of an independent
scientific expert examination system, integration of sceince and
education, clarification of priority directions of sceince, increasing
the efficiency of financing the science, etc.

According to the RA Government Information and PR Department, the
decision also approves the 2007-2010 program and timetable of reforms
in the sphere of science.

Day.az, Azerbaijan
30 Jan 2007

AZERI SPOKESMAN SEES "NO DIFFERENCES" WITH ARMENIA ON OSCE’S KARABAKH
PROPOSALS

31 January: The head of the Information Department of the Azerbaijani
Foreign Ministry, Tahir Tagizada, has commented on the statement of
the Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan that the Armenia side
regards the OSCE Minsk Group’s proposals to settle the Karabakh
problem as logical.

"The ideas and activity of the OSCE Minsk Group cochairs are welcomed
by the Azerbaijani side," he said.

"We think that the ideas that are put forward by the OSCE Minsk Group
give grounds for the constructive continuation of the talks.
Azerbaijan has never objected to the three points noted by Oskanyan.
Because we think self-determination is possible and expedient for the
entire people of Nagornyy Karabakh – both Armenian and Azerbaijani
communities – within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. That is
to say, we mean the highest level of autonomy," he noted.

Secondly, as for the relations of the Armenian community of Karabakh
with Armenia, we are ready to ensure this process, as the Azerbaijani
foreign minister and his deputies have said more than once. But there
is a need for better understanding of this issue – we are talking
about wider cooperation, which would allow links between the Armenian
diaspora of Karabakh and Armenia, simultaneously ensuring links
between Azerbaijan and the Naxcivan Autonomous Republic [Azerbaijani
exclave]. That is to say, the issue is about larger-scale regional
integration, Tagizada said.

He said that one of the first steps to be settled will be a package
of measures to ensure security and build trust.

"I think that we have no differences with the Armenian side. The
goals described in Oskanyan’s speech are not different from the ideas
put forward by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, even though the
militaristic rhetoric of the opponents causes concern," the Foreign
Ministry spokesman concluded.

INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION HELPS ROWERS OF ARMENIA

YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, NOYAN TAPAN. The International Federation of
Academic Rowing presented 3 one-seater and 3 two-seater boats at the
price of about 20 thousand evros to rowers of Armenia. The sports
goods arrived in Yerevan on January 29. Haroutiunian Gasparian, the
Director of the Rowing Specialized Olympic Shift Sports School
informed the Noyan Tapan correspondent, that the boats are of Chinese
production, correspond to all the modern international standards and
were moved from Germany to Yerevan by a special "Ford" microbus
envisaged for that type of sports. If the Republican Sports Committee
and the National Olympic Committe of Armenia will buy the "Ford" and
give it to our federation, the rowers will gain much. They will go on
competition tours with their sports goods to the republican and
international tournaments by that car. Enough money will be saved and
the number of competition tours will add on the account of those
resources and the sportsmen will in parallel have master’s progress as
well.

Arka News Agency, Armenia
Jan 30 2007

7126 EMERGENCY CASES RECORDED IN ARMENIA OVER 2006

YEREVAN, January 30. /ARKA/. Rescue service affiliated to Armenian
Regional Administration Ministry said 7126 emergency cases have been
recorded in the country over 2006.
According to the rescue service’s report, 483 were killed in these
accidents in 2006 against 341 in 2005 and 4563 were injured against
3132 a year earlier.
The report says 4566 cases of man-caused accidents were recorded in
2006 against 2978 in 2005. These accidents took lives of 379 people
against 341 in previous year.
Total number of casualties was 2186 against 1841 in 2005.
The rescue service says the increase in number of emergency cases was
mainly due to traffic accidents and fires.
The report says 247 natural disasters with three casualties were
recorded in 2006 against 251 with two casualties in 2005.
The number of social and domestic accidents was 2313 (1250 in 2005).
101 were killed and 2375 injured in them in 2006 (97 killed and 1289
injured in 2005). M.V.-0