Author: Vanyan Gary

YBC PRESENTS RUSSIAN PRESIDENT WITH NAME CASK OF BRANDY

Noyan Tapan
Oct 21, 2008

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 21, NOYAN TAPAN. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
accompanied by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan visited the Yerevan
Brandy Company (YBC) late October 20. According to a press release
of the RA presidential press service, the presidents of Armenia and
Russia toured the company, went to the ageing department where they
familiarized themselves with the history of the world-famous Armenian
brandy and its production process.

D. Medvedev, the head of Russia which is a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk
Group, stopped beside the Peace Cask, in which spirit symbolizing 1994
– the year of signing the ceasefire – is being aged. The cask is called
"Peace" as it will be opened on the day of the final resolition of
the Karabakh conflict.

According to a tradition, the YBC presented the Russian president
with a name cask of brandy.

MEDVEDEV NAMES KEY RUSSIA-ARMENIA COOPERATION AREAS

RosBusinessConsulting Database
October 21, 2008 Tuesday 8:44 AM EST
Russia

The energy sector, industry, transportation, banking, and information
technologies remain the priority areas of Russian-Armenian cooperation,
the ARKA news agency reported Russian President Dmitry Medvedev as
saying in Yerevan today. He noted that the two countries intended
to further develop industrial cooperation, boost mutual investments,
and expand interregional relations. The agreements signed in Yerevan
are expected to serve this purpose, Medvedev stated. He added that
Russia was Armenia’s major economic partner and that trade between
the two countries actually grew during the first eight months of 2008.

ECONOMIC COOPERATION CONSIDERS ALL THE SPHERES
Gevorg Haroutyunyan

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
21 Oct 2008
Armenia

Yesterday morning, the Intergovernmental Committee on Economic
Cooperation between Armenia and Russia convened its 10th plenary
session in the conference hall of "Metropol" hotel.

IGOR LEVITIN, RF Minister of Transport and Co-Chair of the
Inter-Governmental Committee, underlined that, "The economic
cooperation between Armenia and Russia develops consistently. Although,
in 2008, the volumes of good circulation will exceed the sum of 1
billion dollars, we continue the progress and envisage more ambitious
programs.

The committee has studied a number of trends requiring an urgent
solution.

As a result, the problematic issues related to the operation of the
institutions, (particularly those which are considered the property of
Russia) dealing with the problems of energy, transport, humanitarian
issues and environmental conservation – problems that aroused heated
debates quite recently, have now found a solution. The Central Banks
of both countries are elaborating long-term effective programs."

At the end of the meeting, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan and Igor
Levitin signed the protocol of the 10th session of the Armenian-Russian
Inter-Governmental Committee, and then, during the meeting with the
journalists, summed up the results.

Co-Chair of the Committee TIGRAN SARGSYAN considered it symbolic t hat
the 10th jubilee session of the inter-governmental cooperation had been
convened on the eve of RF President D. Medvedev’s visit to Armenia.

"The session was held in the traditional constructive atmosphere of
the mutual understanding. I am satisfied with the agreements achieved,
and I hope that they all will be successfully implemented in the near
future. I am sure that the high-level warm relations will foster
an equally effective and full cooperation in the private sector as
well. Our principal goal is to ensure a favorable atmosphere for
cooperation in all the possible spheres."

RF Minister of Transport Igor Levitin confirmed that the
inter-governmental committee had, over the past ten years, become
an effective tool assisting and supporting the private business
sector. "All our sessions are necessarily participated by the
representatives of the private business sector. It is due to their
assistance that we managed to consistently solve all the problems
which were difficult to settle on the inter-state level. We have even
managed to overcome the legal-contractual obstacles.

In particular, ‘Mars’ factory will be handed over to ‘Citronix’
company which has submitted a new production business-plan to the RA
Government or a free economic zone will be created.

If the submitted business plan is approved and adopted, the most
up-to-date high technologies will be imported.

As reg ards the prospect of building an oil refinery in Armenia,
I don’t think we are now facing the economic necessity of building
an enterprise with the project power of 5 million tons. First, it is
necessary to find the markets on which the production of this factory
can be realized".

Characterizing the volumes and spheres of the Armenian-Russian economic
cooperation, T. Sargsyan mentioned, "All the spheres of our life and
vital activity are within the frames of bilateral interests. There
is no sphere that slipped our attention. Today, we can state that
all the problems in the sphere of energy have been resolved, and we
now have the opportunity to create a new field of cooperation and
to extend it. We believe that before the end of the current year,
the law prohibiting bilateral taxations will enter into force.

There were also discussions over the Russian side’s participation
in the construction of the Iran-Armenia railway and the new nuclear
power plant.

The final decisions will be made when the expert groups study the
effectiveness of these projects and submit their conclusions."

ARMENIA IS CONSISTENT IN ACTIVIZATION OF CSTO WORK

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 15, NOYAN TAPAN. The primary activity directions in
CSTO during Armenia’s chairmanship in the organization, various events
planned, and tasks connected with them were discussed at the October 15
meeting of RA President Serzh Sargsyan and CSTO Secretary General
Nikolay Bordyuzha. According to the report provided to Noyan Tapan by
the RA President’s Press Office, the work of CSTO regulations bodies
was also touched upon.

S. Sargsyan reiterated Armenia’s consistency in the issue of CSTO’s
further development and activization of its work.

GENOCIDE IMPORTANT BUT NOT KEY ISSUE FOR ARMENIAN COMMUNITY OF U.S.

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.10.2008 14:57 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The current election campaign in the U.S. is the
most tensed, said Arpi Vatranian, Armenian Assembly of America regional
director for Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.

"It’s conditioned by the financial crisis and economic recession
accompanied by considerable cut of health care and social
assistance. Presently, Republicans are backed by 55 million of
Americans. Democrats enjoy support of 72 million. This is a rough
calculation and it’s hard to foretell the outcome of the election
even despite Obama’s convincing victory in the debates," she said.

"The Armenian voters have the same concerns as the rest of
Americans. Of course, they attach importance to recognition of the
Armenian Genocide, which is not, however, the key issue for the
community."

"As to McCain, he is the first presidential candidate during the past
20 years, who openly speaks against recognition of Genocide, sounding
the position of the White House. Nevertheless, I should mention that
neither of Republican presidential candidates, starting from Ronal
Reagan, publicly denied the Armenian Genocide," Ms. Vartanian said.

HRANT VARDANYAN: MY BUSINESS IS MY KNOWLEDGE AND MY WORK

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
17 Oct 2008
Armenia

According to some press reports published recently, Hrant Vardanyan,
Head of "Grand Holding" company, provided secret financial support
to L. Ter-Petrosyan’s pre-electoral campaign. To what extent does
this correspond to the reality?

In response to this question, H. Vardanyan yesterday said, "I have
worked with R. Kocharyan both as a Prime Minister and a President,
but I have never financed him; neither am I ready to finance anyone
else. I don’t need that.

I have never been dependent upon the authorities. My business is my
knowledge and my work. So, they are supposed to finance me."

‘ARMROSGAZPROM’ CJSC INTENDS TO INVEST $174 MILLION TILL 2009 IN EXTENSION OF GAS TRANSPORT SYSTEM OF ARMENIA

ArmInfo
2008-10-16 14:57:00

ArmInfo. To provide the population of the central regions of Armenia
with the required volume of natural gas through Iran-Armenia
gas pipeline under construction, ‘ArmRosgazprom’ Company keeps
on implementing the programme of reconstruction and extension of
the republic’s gas transport communications, the press service of
"ArmRosgazprom" CJSC told ArmInfo.

For extension of the gas transport system, belonging to the company,
it has become necessary to build a new gas pipeline with the pipeline
diameter of 720 mm and length of 197,4 km. Moreover, the Company
intends to reconstruct the existing gas pipeline with length of 120
km. ‘ArmRosgazprom’ has already carried out organizational, design and
building work in this direction. In 2007- 2009, the Company schedules
to invest 52 bln drams (about $174 mln).

The programme implementation will allow "ArmRosgazprom" to join
the regional gas-energy projects, enhance the reliability of
gas supply, including at the cost of the alternative source of
supplies of hydrocarbon material. In particular, it is envisaged
to build a pipeline with diameter of 720 mm and length of 197,4
km in Kajaran-Sisian-Angeghako, Jermuk-Ararat direction, as well
as reconstruct 120 km of pipeline, that will allow to increase the
flow capacity of the presently functioning gas transport system and
fulfill the contract commitments on supplies of the Iranian gas to the
heat power plants. Construction of the gas pipeline is going on under
difficult climatic conditions and pas through Syunik, Vayots Dzor and
Ararat region at the height of 3,000 m. The design construction of
the gas pipeline in Kajaran-Ararat direction, which receive positive
conclusion of the Ministry of Nature Conservation of Armenia, consists
of two sections. In particular, the first section with length of 48,74
km lays from Kajaran to Sisian, and the length of the second section –
in Sisian-Jermuk- Ararat direction will make up 135,57 km.

Armenian-Russian company "ArmRosgazprom" CJSC is a monopoly operator
in supplies and distribution of natural gas in Armenia. It has been
created in 1998 on the basis of an intergovernmental agreement.

NEWLY APPOINTED AMBASSADOR OF BELARUS HANDS HIS CREDENTIALS

ARMENPRESS
Oct 15, 2008

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 15, ARMENPRESS: Newly appointed ambassador of Belarus
to Armenia Stepan Sukhorenko handed today his credentials to the
President of Armenia Serzh Sargsian.

Press service of the Armenian president told Armenpress that Serzh
Sargsyan congratulated the diplomat on the appointment and underscored
the high level of political dialogue between the two countries,
effective work in the international institutions and the positive
dynamics of economic cooperation.

According to the president, in the formation of relations, Armenia and
Belarus take into consideration also the facts that the two countries
are a part of the same security system and both of them are members
of the Collective Security Treaty Organization which gives special
importance to their relations.

Ambassador S. Sukhorenko said that he came to Armenia with great
positive emotions and considers the consolidation of bilateral
relations his main task.

He noted that he is going to pay special importance to the usage of
the existing economic potential. "Belarus is a reliable and stable
partner for Armenia," the diplomat pointed out.

The Armenian president assured that the ambassador can expect the
support of the Armenian side in his initiatives

WASHINGTON URGES TO SPEED UP KARABAKH TALKS

Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Military Newswire
October 3, 2008 Friday 3:06 PM MSK
Russia

Baku and Yerevan should step up the negotiating process to resolve the
Karabakh conflict, said U.S. deputy secretary of State John Negroponte.

Talks should be intensified to speed up the reaching of a consensus
between Azerbaijan and Armenia , Negroponte said at a meeting with
Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov in Baku on Friday.

Mammadyarov said, for his part, that the only possible solution to the
Karabakh conflict is the one that reflects Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity. "This is why Armenia should withdraw its troops from
occupied Azeri territories and refugees and displaced persons should
return there," the foreign minister said.

Negroponte arrived in Azerbaijan on October 2 on a formal visit.

BAKE PLAYS DOWN RUSSIAN FM’S STATEMENT ON GARABAGH

AssA-Irada
October 6, 2008 Monday
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan and Armenia have not yet succeeded in agreeing issues of
principle regarding a settlement to the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh
conflict, a senior Azerbaijani official said while commenting on
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrovs recent statement. Novruz
Mammadov, the head of the Presidents Office international relations
department, said differences of opinion remain between Baku and Yerevan
on key issues of the peace process. The statement comes after Lavrov
said a number of issues of principle regarding the Garabagh conflict
settlement have been agreed. He emphasized that no agreement has been
reached on such key issues as the status of Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh,
an Azeri region under Armenian occupation, and Lachin corridor, and
the stationing of peacekeepers in the conflict zone. Mammadov deemed
disclosing the agreed issues as unnecessary, saying this could damage
the negotiating process. The Lachin corridor is a road connecting the
occupied Upper Garabagh region with the Armenian territory. Azerbaijan
and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a
cease-fire in 1994, but Armenia continues to occupy Upper Garabagh
and seven other Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international
law. The OSCE-brokered peace talks have been fruitless so far.