Author: Tvankchian Parkev

ARMENPRESS

ARMENIAN ATHLETES WIN 104 MEDALS IN 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS: Armenian athletes
have won in the outgoing year 104 medals at different
international tournaments.
Sport and youth affairs minister Armen Grigorian
told a news conference today thousands of Armenian
athletes participated in hundreds of tournaments,
including Europe and world championships.
He said the government set up a special commission,
chaired by prime minister Serzh Sarkisian, to
coordinate preparation of Armenian athletes for 2008
Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
He said there is another commission chaired by the
president of the National Olympic Committee Gagik
Tsarukian.
Twelve Armenian athletes have already qualified for
the Games. Twelve more are expected to qualify next
year.
Armen Grigorian said that the National Olympic
Committee will ask the International Olympic Committee
(IOC) to allow it to host qualifying tournaments for
2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games.

‘Shen Concern’ CJSC successfully fulfills obligations of first tranche
of its corporate bonds

2007-12-27 17:33:00

ArmInfo. "Shen Concern" CJSC, which leads in the Armenian market of
construction material production, declared about successful fulfillment
of obligations of the first tranche of its corporate bonds worth a
total of 40 mln AMD. As ArmInfo was told at the "Capital Asset
Management" company, which is the underwriter and market maker of the
group’s documents, the successful redemption of bonded loans is
evidence of high level of the company’s soundness and financial
stability, which was a pioneer in placement of corporate bonds into an
open corporate bonds market in December 2006. The annual profitability
of the first tranche documents was fixed at 9% per annum. According to
preliminary estimations, sales revenue of the first tranche made up 36
697 248 AMD, which was directed to the company’s dept refunding.

At present three more tranches of "Shen Concern’s" bonds worth a total
of 120 mln AMD, 40 mln-each, are in circulation in the open market,
which are priced at the Armenian Exchange (ArmEx). It was with the dept
securities of "Shen Concern", namely, that the Central Bank of Armenia
made the first Repo- operations with non-state securities on February
27, 2007.

Presently, "Shen Concern" CJSC deals with production of construction
materials, paints, coating, binding materials, blocks of concrete, as
well as is engaged in construction and trade of construction materials,
setting up new productions and extending the manufacturing space.

To recall, at the end of 2004 the European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (EBRD) bought 24 % of the shares of "Shen Concern" for 850
thsd EUR. The latter bought 12% more of the enterprise’s shares. These
are the first investments of the European bank in a private industrial
enterprise in Armenia. The rest of the shares belong to the
top-managers of the enterprise. To note, the Central Bank of Armenia,
which has started rating various non-commercial enterprises of the
country since 2006, highly rated "Shen Concern" CJSC among "B".

Not the first, or last

Thu, 27 Dec 2007
Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was the latest high-ranking
politician to fall victim to assassination around the world. Here are other
prominent attacks in the past 20 years:
* December 27, 2007: Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto is
assassinated in a shooting and suicide bomb attack, just two months after the
former premier returned from exile for a political comeback.
* February 14, 2005: Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri is killed
along with 22 others in a massive explosion on the Beirut seafront. The UN
opens an investigation to probe the murder.
* March 12, 2003: Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic is shot by a
sniper in Belgrade in an assassination thought to have been commissioned by
organised criminals.
* January 16, 2001: Democratic Republic of Congo President
Laurent-Desire Kabila is shot in Kinshasa by one of his bodyguards.
* Oct 27, 1999: Armenian prime minister Vazgen Sarkisyan is killed
with seven other politicians during an armed raid on parliament.
* April 9, 1999: Niger President Ibrahim Bare Mainassara is
assassinated during a coup d’etat.
* November 4, 1995: Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin is shot by a
Jewish extremist, Yigal Amir, after a peace rally in Tel Aviv.
* April 6, 1994: Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana and his
Burundian counterpart President Cyprian Ntaryamira are killed in an attack on the
plane bringing them to Kigali.
* October 21, 1993: Burundi’s President Melchior Ndadaye is killed
during a failed military putsch.
* May 1, 1993: Sri Lanka’s President Ranasinghe Premadasa is killed in
a bomb attack.
* September 10, 1990: Liberian President Samuel Doe is executed by
rebels.
* November 22, 1989: Lebanese President Rene Moawad is killed in a
bomb attack in Beirut.
* February 28, 1986: Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme is gunned down
by a lone attacker, shortly after leaving a Stockholm cinema to walk home
with his wife Lisbet. The murder remains unsolved.
AFP

A!+

MAJOR SPORTING EVENTS OF 2007
[04:06 pm] 28 December, 2007

We have summed up the results of Armenian sporting
events at the turn of the year.

1.On January 6, 2007, the Armenian football team won
over A Group leader Poland within the framework of
Euro-2008 elimination matches. The victory really
boomed the whole country. Thousands of football fans
wandered in Yerevan streets shouting `Armenia!’ all
day long.

2. The Armenian wrestling team took the first place in
the European Wrestling Championship held in
Strasbourg. The victory was unprecedented for the
country as we had three champions and one
vice-champion at one time.

3. This year Armenia has participated at an
international tournament for the first time since the
collapse of the USSR. 31 Armenian delegates partook at
the World Wrestling Championship in Baku in the
September of 2007.

4. Armenian chess teams played successfully at a
European championship taking silver and bronze medals.

Now let’s speak of losses.

1. The chief coach of the Armenian football team Yan
Porterfield deceased untimely. Due to the Scottish
coach Armenia was involved in A Group try-outs. His
death came as a shock for the whole country.
Undoubtedly, Porterfield was the best coach of the
team.

2. None of the Armenian sportsmen gained a medal at
world championships.

3. Some sportsmen were engaged in politics and became
an indispensable part of political hostilities. This
refers to wrestlers and chess players who became
affiliated with the `Prosperous Armenia’ (BHK) and
`Republican’ (HHK) parties respectively.

4. Armenian boxer Vachagan Avagian quitted the
Armenian boxing team and left for the USA.

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
Dec 28 2007

Adoption of UN Resolution on Lingering Conflicts heated Argument
against Kosovo Variant: Azeri Minister
28.12.07 15:32

Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend E.Huseynov, A.Ismayilova / Baku
considers that the adoption of the UN Resolution on the lingering
conflicts proposed by the GUAM countries, will be a heated argument
against the application of Kosovo variant as a precedent for the
resolution of other conflicts, Elmar Mammadyarov, the Azerbaijani
Minister for foreign Affairs, stated in an interview with Trend on 28
December.

`This resolution envisages the settlement of the conflict within the
framework of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability
of the state borders of both the countries,: he said.

The GUAM ( Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova) countries
submitted to the 62nd session of UN General Assembly a draft
resolution on the `lingering conflicts’.

The `four’ calls on the nations to confirm the territorial integrity
of countries, where the separatist ethnic groups have been maintened
since the Soviet period – Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijanå, Abkhaz and
Tzinkhvali regions in Georgia and Trans-Dniester in Moldova.

The GUAM countries reminded of the rights of refugees from the ethnic
conflict zones and the necessity of observing the security guarantees
for their repatriation and living, as well as the rights and freedoms
of all the ethnic groups in these areas.

According to Mammadyarov, conflicts should be resolved within the
framework of the international law. `The international organizations
and different countries state that the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict
should be resolved within the framework of the territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan,’ the minister said.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began in
1988 due to the Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since
1992, the Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven neighbouring
districts. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire
agreement which ended the active hostilities. The Co-Chairs of the
OSCE Minsk Group ( Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding
the peaceful negotiations.

ARMEN ASHOTYAN: "WE ARE READY BOTH FOR PEACE AND FOR WAR. AZERBAIJAN IS TO DECIDE"

Today, Azerbaijan
Dec 24 2007

"We are ready both for peace and for war. Azerbaijan is to decide",
Armen Ashotyan, deputy of the national assembly of Armenia, member
of permanent parliamentary commission for Eurointegration, member of
the Council of Republican Party of Armenia, said, commenting on the
pre-election situation in Armenia.

He noted that there weren’t any threats of color revolutions in
Armenia, as anti-Russian and other movements are absent in this
country.

He said answering the question about the highest rating among the
candidates to president, that the Prime Minister of Armenia, Serj
Sarkisyan is the strongest candidate according to public polls, carried
out both by local and foreign (British COMPES, US GALLUP) centers.

He noted that in case Serj Sarkisyan is elected, the approach to the
resolution of Nagorno-Garabagh problem will not change in Armenia.

"Like the people of Garabagh, we are for the peaceful settlement of
the conflict. Those who have been on war, value peace. I think the
bellicose Azerbaijani leadership sees Nagorno-Garabgh problem through
the prism of oil and gas pipes, unlike Heydar Aliyev, who was sure of
the lack of prospects and harmful nature of violence for suppression
of freedom-loving Garabagh residents and who signed an agreement on
reconciliation, which is still in force."

Ashotyan considers that Serj Sarkisyan, as a person, who led the
Garabagh Committee of Defense in 1989-1993 and been the Defense
Minister of Armenia (for almost 10 years) values peace.

"This peace between Nagorno Garabagh, Azerbaijan and Armenia took
too much from all of us. Another war would be an inexcusable luxury
for each of the three sides", he added.

3 ARMED ARMENIANS DETAINED NEAR RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN’S HEADQUARTERS

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Dec 24 2007

Officials of security service of Russian President detained 2 suspect
cars near the headquarters of Vladimir Putin, APA reports.

Officials of security service reviewed cars "Audi" and "Mercedes"
and found a lot of arms. Officials of Federal Security Service also
took knife, pistol and sword from 3 Armenians in the car.

Armenians said that they left Nijegorod province for Moscow during
preliminary investigation and said that they came closer to the
headquarters of the president not deliberately. The investigation of
the detained persons continues at present, they are being identified.

The detained persons are expected to be accused of under article
illegal storage of arms, they can also face charges under other
articles depending on the investigation process.

SIX CITIZENS OF ARMENIA ARRESTED IN GEORGIA

AZG Armenian Daily
25/12/2007

Six citizens of Armenia were arrested on Georgian-Turkish border in
passport control office "Sarpi". They tried to leave Georgia with
other’s passports.

As "Novosti-Gruzian" informs, the Armenian citizens tried to
pass Georgian-Turkish border during the shift of the frontiers. A
preliminary investigation has been started.

AGREEMENT BETWEEN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE VAHAN HOVHANNISIAN AND ARMENIAN CITIZENS

Yerkir
24.12.2007 14:37

Yerevan (Yerkir) – Vahan Hovhannisian, an ARF Bureau member and
presidential candidate, signed an agreement that he is to sign with
the Armenian citizens.

Hovhannisian told a news conference today that this is another
initiative by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and is new in the
Armenian political culture. He said 400,000 such agreements have been
printed and signing this agreement means that citizens sign under
the platform provisions of Hovhannisian.

Those provisions include free elections, social changes in stable
political conditions, social solidarity, free citizen and a fair
system in a united homeland of united Armenians. After signing it,
an individual gets a card with "I am with Vahan."

"The goal of this initiative is to find out our chances, to assess
our possibilities," Hovhannisian said.

He also spoke of the myths accompanying the pre-election period. He
said that it is a myth that the election outcome is predetermined,
adding that only the people’s votes are to determine that outcome. He
also said that the opinion polls are not reliable especially in case
of the ARF numbers.

Hovhannisian added that the other myth is that there is an agreement
between the government and the ARF according to which the ARF will
not all the way and would give its votes to another candidate.

"This is absolutely untrue, we will go all the way with an intention
to win," Hovhannisian said. He added that the ARF will cooperate with
the Republican party or some other party only after the election. As
for the pre-election period, "we can cooperate only with other parties
only in terms of conducting free and legitimate elections," he said.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIATORS ATTACH NEW ELEMENTS TO PROPOSALS ON ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI CONFLICT SETTLEMENT: US DIPLOMAT

TREND News Agency, Azerbaijan
Dec 24 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku /corr. Trend E.Huseynov / The international mediators
attached new elements to the last proposals on Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict settlement, which were presented to Azerbaijan and Armenia
in Madrid. The details of the elements are not made publicly available
due to the confidentiality of the talks.

"There are several new elements to this proposal, although I would
rather not comment on the specifics until the presidents have had
the opportunity to thoroughly study the principles and discuss their
views with us," said the US Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, Matthew
Brayza, in his online interview with Trend on 24 December.

The written proposals which are comprised of ten principles were
presented to the conflicting sides by the OSCE Co-chairs late November
in Madrid. Presenting the proposals to the Foreign Ministers of
Azerbaijan and Armenia, the mediators stated that they presented the
proposals in a written form for prompt adoption due to the danger
that after the possible replacement of the powers in both countries
as a result of the presidential elections, the new heads may deny the
agreement reached by the sides. The principles of the settlement are
not made publicly available due to the confidentiality of the talks.

According to Bryza, the mediators have not yet heard the formal
responses of Presidents of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev and Armenia, Robert
Kocharyan, to the proposed Basic Principles for the Settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict. "We consider it a positive development
that the two sides are seriously studying the document and have both
indicated an oral "gentlemen’s agreement" is possible before the
Armenian elections in February. We will discuss our proposal with the
presidents in detail when we travel to the region in mid-January,"
Bryza said.

"Once an agreement is reached, we are assuming the sides will disclose
the specifics of the Basic Principles to the public.

However, until we have reached an agreement, we would rather not to
comment on these specific elements," he said.

"The Co-Chairs firmly believe the current set of ideas on the table
provides the only logical and practicable way to advance towards a
peaceful settlement of the conflict, and we hope the two presidents
will come to this conclusion as well," the US diplomat said.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began
in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since
1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. In
1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which
time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group ( Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful
negotiations.