RA EX-PREMIER WELCOMES ARMENTEL PURCHASE BY VYMPELCOM
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.11.2006 13:17 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “In 1998, when we put the stocks for sale I
regretted there was no Russian companies among the aspirants,”
said RA Ex-Prime Minister, rector of the Russia-Armenian (Slavonic)
University, professor Armen Darbinian when commenting on the sale of
Armenian telecommunications company ArmenTel’s 90% stocks to Russian
VympelCom. In his words, the process of initial capital accumulation
and allocation of Russian actives was not over in Russia at that time.
“In 2001 an intense search for extra investment projects was launched
first of all among the Russian leading enterprises. Certainly, the
price of these actives has changed but today the Russian companies are
ready to pay for the possibility of expansion and this gratifies,”
the RAU rector said. “I welcome this bargain and I am glad that a
Russian company has become the owner of the Armenian telecommunication
operator. I know VympelCom as a serious company and wish it every
success at the Armenian market,” he resumed, RAU Spokesman Roman
Nadirian told PanARMENIAN.Net.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BAKU: RUSSIA’S ROLE IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT BECAME CONSTRUCTIVE
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.11.2006 14:56 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov is
satisfied with Russia’s mediation in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement. “Russia’s role in the settlement process became
constructive.
Generally, Russian diplomats carry out a great deal of work and assist
in the process,” Mammadyarov said. He also marked out Russia’s positive
role in the Prague process, which determined 8-9 main principles of the
conflict settlement. “Many of them have been already coordinated. There
are 1-2 questions left,” the Azeri FM said, reports Interfax.

NKR PRESIDENT DEPARTED FOR US
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.11.2006 14:57 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ November 4 Nagorno Karabakh Republic President
Arkady Ghukasian departed for the United State to participate in the
preparatory works of the traditional marathon scheduled for November
23 in Los Angles, reported the NKR leader’s press office. During
the visit Arkady Ghukasian will meet with political, public and
religious figures. Head of the Karabakh Diocese of the Armenian
Apostolic Church, Archbishop Pargev Martirosian will also leave for
the U.S. mid November.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT DEPARTING FOR KAZAKHSTAN TODAY
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.11.2006 12:38 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Robert Kocharian is departing
on a formal call to Kazakhstan today on the invitation of Kazakh
President Nursultan Nazarbayev. The Presidents will hold a tete-a-tete
meeting to be followed by talks in expanded composition. A number of
bilateral documents will be signed. In the Kazakh capital city Robert
Kocharian will also meet with entrepreneurs and representatives of
the Armenian community.

TURKISH PM OFFERS TO AMEND LAW USED TO PROSECUTE WRITERS
Gulf News, United Arab Emirates
Reuters
Nov 6 2006
Istanbul: Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday he was
ready to amend a law used to prosecute writers, including Nobel prize
winner Orhan Pamuk, apparently aiming to head off a crisis with the EU.
The European Commission is expected to sharply rebuke Ankara over
judicial action against journalists, scholars and writers for
expressing peaceful opinions in a progress report on November 8 on
Turkey’s European Union accession process.
The EU says article 301, which makes it a crime to insult Turkish
national identity, unfairly restricts freedom of expression and should
be changed.
It has recently been used to bring charges against Pamuk, later
dropped, and to convict journalist Hrant Dink for articles about the
alleged mass killing of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey.
“We are ready for proposals to make article 301 more concrete if
there are problems stemming from it being vague,” Erdogan was quoted
by state-run Anatolian news agency as saying.
“In order to prevent a violation of freedoms … we are studying
options for how we can handle article 301 in harmony with the spirit
of reforms,” he said.
Only last week, Erdogan indicated there would be no movement on
301 after earlier this year promising to look into amending it. The
article has raised questions in Europe about the country’s commitment
to freedom of speech.
The Commission is about to issue a list of criticisms of Turkey for
failing to carry out reforms as promised, particularly over Cyprus.

RA GOVERNMENT TO APPROVE ARMENTEL’S PURCHASE BY VYMPELCOM
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.11.2006 13:27 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian government will approve the bargain
sealed by Greek OTE and Russian VympelCom on the sale of 90%
stocks of ArmenTel telecommunication company, Secretary of the
Security Council at the RA President, Defense Minister, Co-chair
of the Armenian-Russian Intergovernmental Economic Committee Serge
Sargsyan said November 6. “We should get acquainted with the terms
of the bargain and the price,” he remarked. When commenting on the
opinion that the number of companies conveyed to Russia is increasing
Minister Sargsyan emphasized that the growth of Russian capital in
the Armenian strategic strictures is not dangerous because Russia
has never abused the economic instruments, reports IA Regnum.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RECOGNITION PROCESS GAINING STRENGTH IN EUROPE AND U.S.
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.11.2006 13:04 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian Diaspora of the U.S. anchors big
hopes with the off-year election, the ANCA Executive Director Aram
Hamparian told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter in Washington. “The number
of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues can reach 196. Turkey
has reason for worrying, since the Armenian Genocide recognition
process is gaining force not only in Europe but also in the United
States. In case the democrats take majority of seats in the House of
Representatives and in the Senate the situation may turn favorable
for Armenians. The ANCA does not oppose democrats to republicans. The
Genocide issue should be on the agenda after the re-election as well.
Congressman Adam Schiff will submit the issue to the Committee on
Foreign Relations,” the ANCA Executive Director said.

AZERI-TURKS OPEN FIRE ON PEACEFUL RESIDENT
Panorama.am
13:35 04/11/06
Azerbaijan has rudely violated the cease-fire regime yesterday
shooting a peaceful resident of a borderline village. Colonel
S. Shahsuvaryan, press secretary of the Armenian defense ministry,
said Maxim Poghosyan, 28, was shot by an Azeri sniper on November 3
at 13:50 on Aigepar Movses road. Poghosyan is transported to medical
unit of Berd.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SAHAKYAN SAYS HIS SON TO COOPERATE WITH COMMUNITY HEAD
Panorama.am
13:43 04/11/06
Galust Sahakyan, lead of Armenian Republican Party (HHK) block, told
Panorama.am that the elections for the head of Ajapaniak community
were a precedent for “cleaner and more legal elections.”
Sahakyan assures they aim to change the atmosphere in the community. He
said his son, Arman Sahakyan, will cooperate with the newly elected
community head, Ruben Hovsepyan.
Speaking about low turn out at the elections, 25%, Sahakyan said,
“some may have had lost hope, others may have had low level of
belief.”

ORGANIZERS SAY CoE FILM SCREENING NOT A VIOLATION OF LAW
Panorama.am
15:18 04/11/06
Film campaign launched by Council of Europe kicked off today at
the National Gallery aimed to prevent trafficking, violence against
children and racism. The selected 16 films which won the competition
will be shown every Saturday and Sunday. The entrance is free.
The audience was shown a Spanish film “Forgotten” which is about
violence against children. As reported, the films are in original
languages with English subtitles. So, if someone does not know at
least English, the campaign has no meaning for him/her.
The Armenian Law on Language says that Armenian translations must be
provided during mass events.
However, Melik Karapetyan, manager of film project, believes there
was not violation of law. He said they would be very limited films,
if Armenian translations were provided for all.