Author: Vardanian Garo

CBA CHAIRMAN: TOP AGENDA IN ARMENIA’S CRACKDOWN ON MONEY LAUNDERING IS TO BUILD UP APPROPRIATE BODIES’ CAPACITY

Arka News Agency, Armenia
June 27 2006

YEREVAN, June 27. /ARKA/. The top agenda in Armenia’s crackdown on
money laundering and terrorism financing is to build up appropriate
bodies’ capacity, Tigran Sargsyan, Chairman of the Central Bank of
Armenia, said Tuesday at a seminar focused on money laundry.

In his words, high-qualified specialists are needed in this area.

Armenia has never been in need of them before since money laundry
has never been reckoned among pressing problems.

"Today Armenia is actively integrating into international financial
systems. That is why up-to-international-standards measures are to
be taken against money laundering and terrorism financing", Sargsyan
said and stressed that Armenia needs its own specialists familiar
with world experience and able to combat money laundry in the republic.

The CBA Chairman said mechanisms of cooperation either between
appropriate agencies within Armenia or with international organizations
are necessary as well.

Sargsyan said the Central Bank has already embarked on work with
Finance Ministry, Justice Ministry, National Security Service, State
Tax Agency and State Customs Committee.

He said money laundry is a new phenomenon to Armenian authorities
since they have never faced such a problem before. "Armenia has no
experience in this area, and appropriate legislation just starts
developing here", the head of the bank said stressing that, taking
into account a special importance of the dealing with the problem,
the international community is trying to create a single standard
for combating this evil. In particular, efforts are being made for
reaching a common interpretation of national laws.

The seminar on money laundry opened Tuesday at the Central Bank of
Armenia. The event is organized by the CBA in association with UN
office on combating crime and drug trafficking and the OSCE Yerevan
office.

The seminar’s aim is to discuss an acceptable model of crackdown on
money laundry in Armenia.

AZERBAIJAN, EGYPT: RULING PARTIES TO COOPERATE

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
June 27 2007

A delegation led by the Deputy Chairman and Executive Secretary of
the Yeni Azerbaijan Party (YAP) Ali Ahmadov on the invitation of
Chairman of the Council Assembly of the Arab Republic of Egypt,
Secretary General of the country’s ruling "National Democratic"
Party Shaffat Ash-Sharif has arrived in Egypt, 25 June.

Ali Ahmadov, in his meeting with Shaffat Ash-Sharif, informed on Yeni
Azerbaijan Party founded by the nationwide leader of Azerbaijan
Heydar Aliyev in 1991, the ongoing processes in the country,
the gained accomplishments in democratization process. He also
highlighted on international contacts of Azerbaijan, its cooperation
with all world states, ensuring the political, economic and human
rights in the Republic. Ali Ahmadov gave detailed information on
the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict that resulted in
occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani lands. Azerbaijan adheres peace
settlement of the conflicts, he said, and also stressed necessity of
return of the refugees and IDPs to their homelands. ‘The conflict is
a serious obstacle for development of the entire region’, Mr. Ahmadov
underlined.

Shaffat Ash-Sharif, in his turn, updated on activity of the "National
Democratic" Party, stressing necessity of development of links between
the two ruling parties.

Touching upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict,
Shaffat Ash-Sharif said ‘every country’s territorial integrity is
inviolable and he appraises Azerbaijan’s fair position in settlement
of the problem’. Mr. Shaffat Ash-Sharif said ‘Egypt appreciates the
negotiation efforts of the OSCE to solve the problem’, noting that
they hope the conflict ‘would be settled within the principle of
territorial integrity of states and peacefully’.

The parties had comprehensive exchange of views on current state
of the friendly and cooperation ties between Azerbaijan and Egypt,
and their development.

URBAN ASSAULT RACERS TAKE ON AUSTIN
By Kate Alexander

Austin American-Statesman , TX
June 25 2006

Bike race requires blood, sweat and sense of humor

Austin’s urban warriors faced their foe Sunday morning and it was
not the four-foot rubber duckie, with its bulbous head and mocking,
wide-eyed grin.

Though vexing, the rubber duckie and its tendency to tip could be
overcome. Mount Bonnell proved a far greater challenge.

For Team Crazed Armenians, just the idea of the gravity-defying climb
up Mount Bonnell had them questioning their fortitude.

"You want to talk about our strategy?" asked Shant Donabedian, as
they prepared to take off toward the daunting hill.

"Survive," responded teammate Krikor Deurdulian.

Some 800 competitors in the third annual Austin Subaru Urban Assault
bike race slogged through foam, slip-n-slides and potato sack races
along the 20 to 25 mile trek. One of seven races across the country,
the contest in Austin, the race’s hometown, is by far the largest,
said race director Josh Kravetz. The Dallas contest last month drew
300 racers.

The goal: ride to checkpoints throughout Austin and complete the
various challenges at each destination.

At the Rowing Dock on Town Lake, one member of the team had to mount
the enormous rubber duckie as the other person swam them , duckie in
tow, to a buoy and back. The duckie was rarely cooperative.

Other challenges had the teams searching for plastic aquatic animals
in a vat of foam, riding mini-bikes through an obstacle course and
running a potato-sack race.

At the same time, the competitors had to decipher the clues to three
local landmarks. The clues led them to Mount Bonnell, the University
of Texas Tower and Treaty Oak.

The first two-person team to collect the beads at all 10 checkpoints
and return to Run-Tex on Riverside Drive won.

That honor went to doctors Lee Chilton and Brannan Smoot, who repeated
their victory from the first urban assault race in 2003.

Team Inaugural winners said the key to their dominance is planning.

"You win the race in the days before it and not on the day of,"
Smoot said.

Chilton left a good chunk of skin on the asphalt near the corner of
Barton Springs Drive and Lamar Boulevard when he hit a grease spot
in a parking lot and took a tumble off his bike. But a little blood
dripping down his leg did not slow them down. They completed the race
in just over an hour and a half.

Khaleej Times, United Arab Emirates
June 23 2006

Etisalat close to $450m telecom deal in Armenia
BY ISAAC JOHN (Chief Business Reporter)

23 June 2006

DUBAI – UAE’s telecom giant Etisalat, on an aggressive overseas buying
spree spanning Europe, Africa and the Middle East, moved a step closer
to acquiring 90 per cent of ArmenTel, the largest Armenian operator of
cellular and fixed-line telephony, by getting short-listed yesterday
for the final bidding round along with three consortia.

Greek telecom provider OTE, which owns 90 per cent of ArmenTel,
said yesterday a consortium led by Etisalat is among the four bidders
short-listed from the original eight bidders, including major Russian
telecommunication conglomerates, Mobile Telesystems and Vympelkom.

The fourth bidder is a consortium comprising VTEL Holding and
Knightbridge Associates.

The Etisalat-led consortium includes Dubai investment house Istithmar
PJSC and Emergent Telecom Ventures.

When OTE announced its intention to sell 90 per cent of ArmenTel
shares in early April 2006, primary offers came from Russia’s Sistema,
Vympelkom, and Rostelekom, Kuwait’s MTS Kuwait, Armenia’s Sil group,
Belgium’s Belgacom, Hungary’s PanTel, and Etisalat.

ArmenTel provides service to 595,000 fixed telephone subscribers in
Armenia and controls over a half of cellular communication market,
serving more than 50,000 subscribers. Armenian government owns 10
per cent of Armentel. The company’s turnover reached Eur 110 million
in 2005.

According to sources close to OTE, the outcome of the tender would be
known after July 20. Experts estimated the value of 90 per cent of
ArmenTel shares around $200 million. However, indications are that
the asset value may surge with Russian companies expected to offer
$450 million for the Armenian operator.

Armenian sources said although Russian companies have more chances
to win the tender "because they have more contacts and connections
with Armenian officials, which is of great importance for working
in Armenia, for the government strictly controls Armenia’s telecom
market," Etisalat stands a better chance thanks to its financial
clout and track-record for efficiency. "However, it seems all but
certain that the company, in which the Armenian government has a 10
per cent share, will be sold to a Russian firm. Recent articles in
the Armenian Press speculate that the government will not tolerate
any other outcome. Certainly OTE’s experience in Armenia serves as
a warning to potential investors of the danger in going against the
authorities. OTE has spent several years fighting the government in
courts in London over its alleged failure to meet investment conditions
laid out in the 1997 agreement by which it first acquired Armentel,"
the sources pointed out.

Last week, a consortium led by Etisalat qualified for the final
auction round for Egypt’s third mobile licence scheduled for July 4.

The UAE telecom giant, which has finalised the $2.6 billion takeover
bid for Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd. two months ago, is
also bidding for a stake in Algerie Telecom, Algeria’s state-owned
telecom company, and is among the ten international companies that
have submitted bids for the 800 million euro acquisition of some 70
per cent of Mobi 63, Serbia’s largest mobile phone network. With all
these acquisitions, Etisalat’s overseas commitment is poised to exceed
$10 billion soon.

Istithmar forms part of The Corporate Office comprising Dubai’s
Ports Customs & Free Zone Corporation and Nakheel, one of the largest
developers in Dubai.

NKR High-Ranking Officials Begin U.S. Visit

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.06.2006 16:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On June 23-30, 2006 Nagorno Karabakh Republic
(NKR) National Assembly Speaker Ashot Ghulian and Foreign Minister
Georgi Petrosian will visit Boston, New York and Washington, DC for
a series of political and economic discussions aimed at garnering
stronger support for NKR, while highlighting Karabakh’s progress
during almost 15 years of de-facto independence. NKR leaders will
meet with Bush Administration officials, Members of Congress and the
Armenian-American community.

In Boston, Speaker Ghulian and Foreign Minister Petrosian will meet
with Massachusetts State Assembly representatives, leaders of the
Boston area Armenian-American organizations and members of the Armenian
Community. In New York and New Jersey, the delegation will meet with
major supporters of NKR and take part in community events. On June
26 – 30, NKR senior officials will be in Washington D.C. to discuss
issues related to the settlement of the conflict with Azerbaijan and
increased humanitarian and development assistance.

Arkady Ghoukasyan: The forum is another step to recognition of our sovereignty

Regnum, Russia
June 23 2006

On June 22, the Nagorno Karabakh Republic President Arkady Ghoukasyan
met with the participants of an international scientific conference
"NKR: Past, Present, and Future" held in Stepanakert.

As REGNUM was informed at the NKR President Press Service, having
welcomed the guests representing academic circles of about 10
countries, Arkady Ghoukasyan remarked that holding the authoritative
scholarly conference on the Artsakh land was one more step towards
the NKR’s international recognition and an appropriate presentation
of Nagorno Karabakh on the international arena.

Ghoukasyan said he did not expect the Nagorno Karabakh conflict to be
settled soon, while the adversaries of the issue’s solution brought
the conflict to the political, economic, and even scientific field,
avoiding a dialogue. "We have to accept the challenge, and your
scientific potential and rich experience should become our strong
mainstay in the struggle", noted the President.

In the course of the meeting, the guests exchanged opinions on issues
of science and education development in Nagorno Karabakh. Ghoukasyan
said the administration is ready to examine all ideas and projects
available on the subject. While answering questions, the NKR President
suggested that conferences of the kind become a yearly event in
Nagorno Karabakh.

NKR government Chair Anoushavan Danielyan, NKR government Deputy
Chair Ararat Danielyan, and NKR Minister of Education, Culture,
and Sport Kamo Atayan were also present at the meeting.

TRAININGS TO SHOOT FILMS TO BE HELD

Panorama.am
16:39 21/06/06

Film experts who have arrived to Armenia to participate in Golden
Apricot film festival will also hold trainings with the local
film producers, Melik Karapetyan, film project head told at the
National Gallery today. Trainings will also be held on artistic
mastery. According to initial list, Arsine Khanjian will also
participate. 7 films will be shown produced by foreign producers. The
project will start on July 9 at the National Gallery and will end on
July 16.

AZERBAIJANI FM HOLDS BILATERAL MEETINGS

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
June 21 2006

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has held some meetings
on the sidelines of the 33rd Session of the Islamic Conference of
Foreign Ministers, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s press-service
reported.

In the meeting between E. Mammadyarov and Foreign Minister of Lebanon
Fawzi Salloukh, the sides discussed political, economic cooperation
and shared their views on the situation in the region.

E. Mammadyarov updated his Lebanese counterpart on Armenia-Azerbaijan,
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and negotiations aimed at settling this
conflict.

F. Salloukh hoped that bilateral relations will be further developed,
saying that he attaches a great importance to cooperation between
the two countries.

Speaking of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Lebanese
Foreign Minister said that he supports territorial integrity of the
countries and inviolability of frontiers and stressed that Lebanon
will never recognize so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic".

X X X

The discussion at the meeting between Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan
E. Mammadyarov and Foreign Minister of Malaysia Syed Hamid Albar
revolved around economic, political cooperation, in particular,
cooperation in tourism sector. The parties noted that trade turnover
between the countries remains below the potential.

E. Mammadyarov said that there is no political discrepancy between
the countries and expressed hope that embassy of Azerbaijan will soon
be opened in Malaysia.

During the meeting, the Foreign Ministers shared their views on
the discussions held at the Baku session of the Islamic Conference
of Foreign Ministers, possibilities for cooperation within the
organization as well as regional and global issues.

X X X

At the meeting between Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan E. Mammadyarov
and Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand Kantathi Suphamongkhon,
the discussions addressed the state of bilateral relations, diplomatic
mission issues, possibilities for developing cooperation within the
OIC and other questions.

During the meeting, the sides signed the protocol on cooperation
between the foreign ministries of Azerbaijan Republic and Kingdom
of Thailand.

X X X

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov met with UAE Minister
of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed Hussein Al Shaali. During the
meeting, the sides highlighted the importance of political, economic
cooperation and stressed the need for enhancing bilateral relations.

It was said during the meeting that Azerbaijan attaches the great
importance the UAE’s experience towards oil policy and free economic
zones.

Then, the meeting focused on other issues of mutual interest.

X X X

During the meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian
Federation Andrey Denisov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan
Elmar Mammadyarov updated his Russian counterpart on the work
Azerbaijani side has done to continue talks aimed at resolving
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Then, the sides discussed the possibilities for developing cooperation
between the two counties, ensuring stability and security in the South
Caucasus and Caspian region as well as Russian Year in Azerbaijan
and other issues of mutual interest.

X X X

In his meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Hasan Wirajuda,
Elmar Mammadyarov stressed that political relations between the two
countries reached the high level.

Hasan Wirajuda expressed his gratitude to the Azerbaijani government
for providing technical and financial support to Indonesia quake
victims.

He expressed hope that the Indonesian Embassy will soon be opened
in Baku.

The sides also discussed prospects of bilateral cooperation within
the Organization of Islamic Conference.

* *

Discussions between Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov
and Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe Marc Perrin de Brichambaut focused on activity of Co-Chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group, and peaceful solution to Armenia-Azerbaijan
conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Elmar Mammadyarov said Armenia’s withdrawal from the occupied
Azerbaijani territories and return of refugees and internally displaced
persons back to their homeland is the major principle of the peaceful
solution to the dispute.

Azeri Minister said Armenia’s non-constructive stance on the conflict
hinders its solution.

Marc Perrin de Brichambaut stressed the importance of returning
refugees and internally displaced persons to their homeland, describing
it as their legal right.

Mr. Mammadyarov also expressed concern over the fact that Armenians
set on fire the area along the frontline and stressed the need for
this issue to be investigated at the level of special representative
of the OSCE chairman-in-office.

X X X

The meeting between Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Deputy
Foreign Minister of Libya Mohammad Al Barani revolved around
the improvement of bilateral ties between the two countries,
and enhancement of cooperation within the Organization of Islamic
Conference. Minister responded to Al Barani’s questions concerning
socio-political and economic processes in Azerbaijan

The sides stressed the importance of intensifying the bilateral
political and economic relations.

X X X

Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov also met with Philippines’ Foreign
Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo.

Mr. Ramulo expressed his gratitude to the Azerbaijani government
for creating conditions for Philippines to participate in the 33rd
Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers.

Alberto Romulo said there are a lot of businessmen in his country, who
want to establish trade relations with their Azerbaijani counterparts.

Minister Elmar Mammadyarov noted Azerbaijan is keen to develop
ties between the two countries, and stressed the importance of
further intensifying the bilateral cooperation within international
organizations.

Philippines’ Foreign Affairs Secretary invited Elmar Mammadyarov to
visit his country.

DECODING OF CRASHED A-320 PlANE’S RECORDS COMPLETED

Noyan Tapan
Jun 20 2006

YEREVAN, JUNE 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The Interstate Aviation Committee on
June 17 completed the work on decoding of records made by the flight
recorder of A-320 plane that crashed near the Russian city of Sochi
on May 3. NT was informed about it from the spokesman for the head
of the RA Civil Aviation Department.

The flight recorder of the plane recorded information about 8 flights
(included the last tragic one) of the above mentioned plane during
a period from April 30 to May 3, 2006.

The total duration of records is 26 hours 20 minutes, including the
whole duration of the last flight – 1 hour 26 minutes.

The analysis results provided the following information:

a) the plane did not crash in the air,

b) the engines functioned until the plane hit the surface of water,

c) the amount of fuel in the plane was sufficient to make a safe
landing,

d) during the last minute, the flight was operated by the crew,
with the plane’s autopilot off.

It was indicated that based on the analysis and ongoing studies, a
conclusion about the causes of the crash will be made and respective
instructions on flight safety will be issued.

ALL QUESTIONS ON JOHN KIRAKOSYAN HAVE ANSWERS

Panorama.am
18:11 19/06/06

"We need people like him to win the advocacy war," Vartan Grigoryan,
deputy director of Matenadaran told an event dedicated to 21st
anniversary of John Kirakosyan’s death.

John Kirakosyan was a historian, political scientist.

He is an author of dozens of books on Armenian Cause.

It may be said that he is the forerunner of political armeniology which
started developing in 1960s. "John Kirakosyan was one of the first if
not the first who could grasp the history in a correct form and make
correct assessments. He became the author of political armeniology
presenting the Armenian Cause as a subject for armeniology," Karlen
Dallakyan, a friend says.

The event exhibited books authored by John Kirakosyan and about John
Kirakosyan. Friends, partners, fellow students were present at the
event. "He was the foreign minister of Soviet Armenia in 1975-1985. At
that time the agency could not solve problems but it started speaking
about the Armenian cause," Arman Kirakosyan, the son of John Kirakosyan
said who is deputy foreign minister at present.