VEDANTA RESOURCES IS READY TO INVEST $80 MLN IN GOLD MINING IN ARMENIA
Yerevan, 17.05.06 ArmInfo. According to the information distributed
by an Indian News Paper Economic Times Vedanta Resources is planning
to enter the precious metal business in Armenia.
The Economic Times also informs that the intention of Vedanta –
India’s major player in non-ferrous metals, in investing in gold
mining industry is based on an all-time high current prices of gold.
The Vedanta Resources listed in London Stock Exchange may make an
investment in Sterlite Gold, controlled by Agarwal family through
Volcan Investments. For expansion of their gold mining project Sterlite
needs $70-80 mln. Vedanta is likely to step in by investing the money
and thereby picking up a stake in the company.
The Armenian operations are controlled through Ararat Gold Recovery
Company (AGRC) owned by Sterlite Gold Ltd. As per the information
provided by Economic Times Vedanta is yet to decide on the move and
the rout to be followed, – ” A decision on whether to bring in funds
through Vedanta or through thee holding company is being debated.”
The company currently has a negligible presence in gold but is a
major player in copper, zinc and aluminium.
AGRC presently is doing mining at Sotk and Meghradzor gold deposits and
operates processing plant at Ararat. AGRC plans to expand capacities
in exploration, confirmatory drilling, mining and increasing gold
processing plant capacity to 1 mt per annum. The mine life, based upon
proven reserves and proposed capacity will be at least 10 years. AGRC
plans to upgrade some of the facilities of Ararat plant and to build
a brand new processing plant with POX technology. AGRC already has
invited expression of interest from companies, which can provide the
latest technologies, engineering, design, supply of equipment and
training of manpower for implementation of new project.
As per the available information, Vedanta is listed in London stock
exchange since December 2003 and is controlled by Agarwal family,
which also has full control over Sterlite Gold Ltd – the owner of
AGRC. Vedanta is the 3rd largest supplier of aluminium in India,
with a market share of 20%. In 2005 a new 300,000 tpa copper smelter
was commissioned. Another 250,000 tpa of copper is produced at their
property in Zambia. The company produces 210,000 tones of zinc planing
to increase production up to 400,000 tpa. Vedanta’s annual sales are
of $1.9 bln. Company properties are located in India, Australia and
Zambia. Vedanta is investing over $2 billion in growth projects over
the next three years.
The publication in Economic Times looks to contradict the information
circulated within trans -governmental circle in Armenia, which
particularly states that the Indian company has an intention to
terminate mining at Sotk.
We remember that AGRC’s suggestion to put up a new processing plant
at Sotk mine was rejected by Armenian Government because of certain
environmental concerns. The Government at that time did not display
any interest in that project and refused to further discuss this
matter. As per rumors, circulated at that time AGRC was to terminate
its activities in Armenia if approval for new plant in Sotk was not
granted. We have requested AGRC management to comment on this. As
we were tald by AGRC management – “AGRC does not have any intention
to terminate its activities irrespective of any circumstances. The
proposal for putting up a new processing plant at Sotk mine site was
just one of our several options, conditioned by certain technical
problems. We are ready to discuss and accept any other reasonable
suggestion by RA Government and immediately start investing of $70-80
mln. Unfortunately our numerous written requests to the Government
on this matter remain unanswered till now.”
In fact the publication in the Indian news paper gives a clear message
to Armenian government, that Indian company is ready to invest in
Armenian economy tens of millions of dollars, irrespective of where
the new processing plant will be located. Meanwhile the Investors are
still waiting for answers… If the matter is associated only with
environmental issues it is really difficult to apprehend why Armenian
Government does not make any suggestion to the company on location for
new processing plant, which is safe from environmental point of view,
thereby giving “green light” to inflow of millions of dollars.

ARARAT DIOCESE OF ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH STARTS DISCUSSION OF DA VINCI CODE BOOK AND MOVIE
Yerevan, May 18. ArmInfo. May 19 the Ararat Diocese of the Armenian
Apostolic Church will start the discussion of the Da Vinci Code book
and movie, reports the press service of the diocese.
Attending the discussion will be Armenian clergymen, artists,
psychologists, students.
To remind, the movie has received negative response from both film
critics and Catholic, Orthodox and Islamic religious leaders. The
Holy See of Echmiadzin is also going to protest against the movie, but
among ordinary people and especially video pirates it is super popular.

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN: L’ASSEMBLEE NATIONALE ENTERRE LA PROPOSITION DE LOI
Agence France Presse
18 mai 2006 jeudi
L’Assemblee nationale a enterre jeudi une proposition de loi socialiste
reprimant la negation du genocide armenien de 1915, après des incidents
et une bataille procedurière autour de ce texte sensible.
L’examen du texte, qui avait commence dans la confusion, a ete
interrompu sans etre acheve et son vote reporte sine die sous les cris
de colère de plusieurs dizaines de partisans de la cause armenienne
masses dans les tribunes du public. Certains, dont le realisateur de
Marius et Jeanette, Robert Guedigian, ont meme eclate en sanglots.
La proposition de loi vise a completer par un volet penal la loi
du 29 janvier 2001 par laquelle la France reconnaît le genocide
armenien. Elle fait de la negation du genocide un delit punissable
d’un an d’emprisonnement et de 45.000 euros d’amende.
Elle divise les partis au dela du clivage droite/gauche, est
contestee par des historiens et provoque la colère d’Ankara qui
nie tout genocide. Le Premier ministre turc, Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
a menace la France de sanctions commerciales.
L’Elysee avait fait savoir avant le debat que cette question devait
etre examinee dans un “esprit de responsabilite”.
Les deputes UMP et le gouvernement ont tout fait pour retarder les
debats multipliant et allongeant les interventions lors de l’examen
d’un autre texte socialiste, qui precedait celui sur l’Armenie. Il
ont rendu ainsi impossible le vote de la proposition inscrite dans
une “niche” (seance d’initiative parlementaire) limitee a 5 heures
maximum de debat.
Une incertitude planait sur ce vote. Des deputes UMP sont favorables
au texte et certains comme Eric Raoult avaient meme depose deux
propositions de loi identiques.
Mais les socialistes ne sont pas non plus unanimes. Le chef de file
du groupe, Jean-Marc Ayrault, a fait part de ses “extremes reserves”,
de meme que Jack Lang.
Le president du groupe UMP, Bernard Accoyer, en a profite pour
rejeter sur le PS la responsabilite du non achèvement des debats. Il
a denonce leur “double langage” leur reprochant d’avoir inscrit trois
propositions de loi pour une seule niche.
La communaute d’origine armenienne, estimee a 500.000 personnes
(80.000 dans la region de Lyon et autant dans la region de Marseille),
represente un electorat non negligeable.
Lors du debat, Philippe Douste-Blazy (Affaires etrangères) a qualifie,
sous les invectives de deputes de tous bords dont Patrick Devedjian
(UMP), le texte de “geste inamical” pour la Turquie.
“La Turquie est un partenaire economique et commercial de premier
plan”, a-t-il rappele tout en assurant que “la cause armenienne
etait juste”.
“Ce n’est pas nous qui ecrivons l’histoire, elle est le fait des
hommes. Les historiens l’analysent, les professeurs l’enseignent,
nous ne faisons que la constater”, a argumente Didier Migaud (PS),
qui s’est defendu de “considerer l’actuelle Turquie comme responsable
de ce genocide.
Estimant que “le devoir de memoire imposait des règles ecrites”,
Francois Rochebloine (UDF) a juge que “le negationnisme sous toutes
ses formes devait etre sanctionne”.
“Aujourd’hui, le peuple armenien a recouvre une part de lui-meme,
perdue il y a 90 ans”, a lance Frederic Dutoit (PCF).
Les Armeniens estiment que jusqu’a 1,5 million des leurs ont peri
dans un genocide orchestre par l’Empire ottoman entre 1915 et 1917.
Ankara affirme que des massacres ont ete commis de part et d’autre
et recuse les accusations de genocide.
–Boundary_(ID_4Mdsno5ilymxvc51/Lgodg)- –
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

JACQUES GUYON: ENCORE UNE LOI QUI FAIT UNE HISTOIRE
Charente Libre
18 mai 2006
Une fois encore, les historiens se retrouvent en butte a cette
tentation qu’ont les parlementaires de vouloir instaurer une histoire
officielle, erigee en verite intangible et a laquelle on ne peut que
se soumettre.
Et voila a nouveau les historiens remontes comme des pendules
contre les parlementaires ! Hier c’etait contre ceux de l’UMP qui
avaient vote la loi finalement ravalee sur l’aspect positif de la
colonisation. Aujourd’hui, c’est contre des deputes socialistes qui ont
pris l’initiative de deposer une proposition de loi visant a instituer
des sanctions penales contre la negation du genocide armenien.
Une fois encore, les historiens se retrouvent en butte a cette
tentation qu’ont ces temps-ci les parlementaires de vouloir instaurer
une histoire officielle, erigee en verite intangible et a laquelle
on ne peut que se soumettre au risque de sanctions penales. Cette
tentation très totalitaire – l’histoire officielle a de tout temps ete
l’apanage des dictatures – se pare une fois encore de plus ou moins
bons sentiments. Il s’agirait de lutter contre le negationnisme. Sauf
que ce negationnisme-la vient d’abord, et depuis 1918, du gouvernement
turc. Sauf que si on entend depuis quelques semaines les menaces
de retorsion economique d’Ankara, personne ne peut imaginer une
seconde que c’est cette loi qui va lui faire changer sa lecture
de l’histoire. Si ce pays reconnaît les massacres de centaines de
milliers d’Armeniens, il refute le terme de genocide.
Dès lors, on imagine mal qu’un jour la justice francaise condamne
(comme le prevoit le texte depose ce matin a l’Assemblee) le Premier
ministre turc, Recep Erdogan, a un an de prison et 45 000 euros
d’amende… Par contre, la loi du 29 janvier 2001 par laquelle l’Etat
francais (comme ensuite le Parlement europeen) a reconnu ces massacres
comme le premier genocide du XXe siècle, est largement suffisante pour
amener Ankara a plus de realisme: il suffit de lier l’adhesion de ce
pays a l’UE a cette condition. Il est d’ailleurs piquant que ce soit
du parti socialiste, qui pourtant milite pour l’entree de la Turquie,
que vienne cette initiative… Pour ce qui est des profanations
de monuments armeniens ou autres actes inadmissibles commis sur
le sol francais, il existe un arsenal juridique suffisant pour les
sanctionner sans qu’une nouvelle loi vienne epaissir notre maquis
juridique. Dès lors, on ne peut que s’etonner de cette initiative
parlementaire qui ne fait qu’en rajouter a la judiciarisation
actuelle et ne peut qu’encourager la victimisation galopante et les
surenchères communautaires. A moins precisement que les voix de la
forte communaute armenienne de France aient un tout autre echo a la
veille des elections de 2007. Si cette loi etait votee, nul doute que
les historiens de demain y verraient comme une loi… de circonstances.
–Boundary_(ID_4+7U6byb9QwuA2a77bb vWQ)–

‘ARMENIAN IMMIGRANTS HAVE TO BE RETURNED TODAY OTHERWISE IT WILL BE TOO LATE’
By Ruzan Poghosian
AZG Armenian Daily
18/05/2006
Ara Abrahamian Assures
On May 16, Ara Abrahamian, chairman of the World Armenian Congress
and the Union of Armenians of Russia, answered journalists’
question on a number of political and economic issues. In the
present stage, Mr. Abrahamian thinks, it’s urgent that we create
a national program and ideology that will broaden perspectives for
stronger Armenia-Diaspora ties. To achieve this goal the WAC keeps
on expanding to Armenian communities worldwide and plans to set up a
representation for the Western-Armenians. In his words, that is the
only way to organize repatriation.
“Economic development, clean-cut Armenia-Diaspora relations
and creation of necessary mechanisms are vital for the state’s
existence. Working hand in hand with the Diaspora we have to create
conditions and workplaces for the people hunting jobs abroad to
return. We need to start it now otherwise it will be too late as they
will have time to integrate into foreign cultures,” Ara Abrahamian
said.
Commenting on recent inner political developments, particularly the
withdrawal of Orinats Yerkir Party from coalition, Mr. Abrahamian said:
“My assessment is negative as far as I am aware of this incident. Yet,
every political party and authority makes his own decisions; we need
to wait and see what will come next. It’s not good that the coalition
may collapse and that a party can fall down in an overnight. Time
will show who was right and who was wrong,” Ara Abrahamian said.
He thinks it’s untimely to speak of his structure’s participation in
the parliamentary elections 2007.
It’s up to the Union of Armenians of Russia to decide the format and
extent of participation taking into account the legislation of Armenia
and Russia. “We will try not to break the political calm,” he said.

100 MILLION VIEWRS WILL WATCH “EUROVISION-2006”
ArmRadio.am
18.05.2006 16:46
The TV audience of “Eurovision-2006” will reach 100 million people,
head of the monitoring council of the contest Svante Stockselius said,
Greek media report.
“It is predicted that the final to be held on Saturday will be watched
by about 100 million viewers,” Stockselius said.
He noted that this year the contest will hit a record also with the
number of journalists. 2 000 thousand reporters arrived in Athens to
highlight the musical festival.
Member of the organizing committee expressed his appreciation for the
current system of voting, where the best song is elected, according
to phone calls and messages of the viewers.
“Up to 20 calls can be made from one telephone number. After this the
telephone line will turn off automatically,” Stockselius declared,
noting also that this system is still far from being ideal.
“This contest is completely democratic. There is no phenomenon like
political voting,” the organizer said.
However, the statistics of the “Eurovision” says opposite. According to
it, such states as Greece and Cyprus always give high points to each
other. At the same time Turkey, which invaded the North of Cyprus,
has given only one point to Cypriot singers during the whole history
of existence of the contest.
It is known also that the Scandinavian and Baltic states usually vote
for each other.
37 countries will participate in the 51st “Eurovision” song festival.

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : LIBERTE DE VOTE POUR LES DEPUTES UMP
Agence France Presse
18 mai 2006 jeudi
Bernard Accoyer, president du groupe UMP a l’Assemblee nationale,
a indique jeudi qu’il n’etait pas favorable a la proposition de loi
prevoyant de sanctionner la negation du genocide armenien, mais a
precise que les deputes UMP auraient “la liberte de vote”.
Rappelant la polemique sur la reconnaissance du “rôle positif” de la
colonisation francaise, Bernard Accoyer a fait valoir sur LCI qu’il
s’etait alors degage “un consensus politique pour dire la France ne
pouvait pas etre le seul pays du monde qui ecrirait l’histoire par
la loi”.
“Sur le principe de legiferer sur l’histoire, nous ne pensons pas a
l’UMP qu’il faille le faire. Sur le texte (deposee par le PS) il y
a liberte de vote”, a-t-il ajoute.
L’ancien ministre des Affaires etrangères Herve de Charette a juge
de son côte que c’etait “une sorte de peche contre l’intelligence
que de vouloir a tout prix ecrire l’histoire dans la loi”.
Il a en outre fait valoir, sur RMC Info, que la France a “des interets
puissants en Turquie” qu’il faut “prendre en consideration”.
Herve Mariton, depute UMP de la Drôme, proche de Dominique de
Villepin, a indique sur Canal + qu’il voterait la proposition de loi
socialiste. “Le genocide armenien est une des tragedies du XXè siècle
et cela honorera le Parlement”, a-t-il dit.
La proposition de loi socialiste destinee a punir la negation du
genocide armenien est examinee jeudi matin par l’Assemblee nationale.
–Boundary_(ID_SIQH6W2mfNSArpIoUazf2g) —

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : “DOUBLE JEU” DU GOUVERNEMENT (DRAY, PS)
Agence France Presse
18 mai 2006 jeudi
Julien Dray, porte-parole du PS, a condamne jeudi les propos
du ministre des Affaires etrangères tenus lors du debat sur la
proposition de loi socialiste visant a sanctionner la negation du
genocide armenien, et a denonce un “double jeu” du gouvernement.
La seance consacree a cette proposition de loi, jeudi matin a
l’Assemblee nationale, a ete levee sans que le vote ait eu lieu.
Philippe Douste-Blazy avait, lors de la discussion, estime que le
texte serait, s’il etait adopte, “considere comme un geste inamical
par la très grande majorite du peuple turc”, au risque de “consequences
politiques serieuses”.
“D’eventuelles difficultes diplomatiques ou consequences commerciales
ne peuvent en aucun cas justifier que l’on renonce a la primaute
des Droits de l’Homme”, repond M. Dray dans un communique. “Un tel
raisonnement a pu etre tenu dans d’autres circonstances historiques,
et l’humanite en a paye le prix”.
“Le Parti socialiste denonce le double jeu auquel se livre le
gouvernement et qui consiste a reconnaître le genocide armenien tout
en refusant de lui donner effet, en en sanctionnant la negation”,
conclut le porte-parole.
–Boundary_(ID_2UYCKSwvjb2yRtCEGeln pw)–

FIRST CONSIGNMENT OF RUSSIAN MILITARY EQUIPMENT SENT TO ARMENIA
By Aghavni Harutyunian
AZG Armenian Daily
18/05/2006
Today, part of the Russian military equipment will leave Akhalkalak,
Georgia, to reach Armenia. In accordance with the agreement of March
31 2006, the Russian military motorcade will head to Armenia from 12th
military station in Batumi. Military tracks loaded with communication
facilities, engineering equipment etc will head for the 102d Russian
base in Gyumri.
According to Georgian media, 6 echelons of Russian equipment will
set off for Armenia from Batumi.

THE NUMBER OF VACANT POSTS INCREASES
A1+
[05:29 pm] 18 May, 2006
According to the decisions of RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan
Gagik Aslanyan, deputy minister of RA Regional Government, Artak
Sahradyan, deputy minister of RA Education and Science and Hrachya
Musayelyan, deputy minister of RA Energy were dismissed from their
posts.
According to other decisions of the RA Prime Minister Vahe Vardapetyan
was dismissed from the post of regional governor of Tavush marz and
Hrachik Khachatryan was dismissed from the post of deputy regional
governor of Aragatsotni marz.