WIMAX TECHNOLOGY PROPOSED TO BE USED FOR DATA TRANSMISSION IN ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan
Apr 04 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. Representatives of the Alvarion company
(Israel) on April 3 presented to the Armenian consumer the broadband
radio access systems envisaged for the digital transmission of
Internet, sound and visual data. Igor Bashes, manager for preliminary
sales preparation at Alvarion, said that the company occupies 31%
of the world market of these systems. It operated under the name of
BreezeCOM company before 2001. Alvarion was formed after the merger
with Floware company and later it was joined by Innowave and InterWAVE
companies. According to I. Bashes, the WiMAX systems of Alvarion ensure
a coverage within a 40-km radius in conditions of direct visibility
and within a 7-12-km radius in cities. He said that from 2007, these
systems can be applicable in laptops produced with Centrino processors
of the Intel company.
Alvarion’s authorized distributor and service center in CIS countries
is the Cedicom company, whose president Simon Paamon noted that now
the equipment to secure a radio access by the subscriber’s personal
computer costs 1,200 USD, but the price may decline 2-3fold as a
result of using Intel’s new chip.
According to Karapet Avetisian, Armenian representative of Cedicom,
technical director of Redinet company, Alvarion’s systems can be
used by ArmenTel and VivaCell companies, as well as by various
Internet service providers and the final users of the Internet. In
his words, Alvarion’s radiosystems allow the subscriber to use a 12
megabit/second capacity radio channel. He said that a base station
to secure communication with radio channels of this capacity for 250
subscribers will cost at least 20 thousand dollars. According to K.
Avetisian’s information, WiMAX systems of Alvarion are competible with
the network of Wi-Fi systems installed by the Arminco company. The
network operates by the radiomodem – optical channel combination. In
response to a question of NT correspondent, technical director
of Arminco Grigor Saghian said that the technology proposed by
Alvarion can promote a rapid development of Arminco’s network, since
optico-fiber channels with a higher transmission capacity cannot be
installed in all areas. In his opinion, both in terms of its price
and coverage provision, the WiMAX standard is more suitale for use
in Armenian rural areas remote from the main optico-fiber cables.

600 EMPLOYEES OF MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS OF ARMENIA TO UNDERGO RE-TRAINING WITHIN WB CREDIT PROGRAM
Noyan Tapan
Apr 04 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. 100 employees of the RA Ministry of
Helth Care, Yerevan Mayor’s Office and Health Care Departments of
marzes as well as 600 employees of state hospitals’ administration
will undergo re-training within the framework of the “Modernization
of Health Care System” credit program of the World Bank. As Sergey
Khachatrian, the Director of the “Health Care PIA” state institution
of the Ministry mentioned at the April 4 event dedicated to the start
of the program, the goal of the program is to support reforms of
heading and managing structures of hospitals. S.Khachatrian mentioned
that within the framework of the credit program, Oxford Poiicy Group
and Pi Associates international advisory organizations have alreday
implemented estimation of educational needs of heads of hospitals. At
the same time, international experts, joint with the Health Care
Management and Organization Department of the Health Care National
Institute, worked out educational programs for heads of upper, middle
and lower circles of management. It was mentioned that re-training
courses started on March 28. Directors and deputy directors of the
Yerevan Mayor’s Office’s, RA Health Care Ministry’s and experimental
hospital pyramids are involved in the first stage.

GREEK SHARES EDGE HIGHER LATE MORNING ON MIDCAPS
AFX Europe (Focus)
Apr 05, 2006
LONDON (AFX) – Shares were edging higher in late morning trade tracking
overnight gains on Wall Street, and on selective buying interest in
midcaps, brokers said.
At 11.45 am the ASE general index was 0.3 pct higher at 4,159.9 points,
but blue chips were flat at 2,272.4 points. Midcaps were up 0.8 pct
at 4,390 points.
Midcap construction holding group Hellenic Technodomiki was rising
4.9 pct to 7.66 eur after saying that this year’s group net profits
would rise 38 pct year-on-year to 84 mln eur.
Hellenic Telecommunications (OTE) was up 1.1 pct to 18.30 eur after
announcing yesterday that following consultation with the Armenian
government it has started the process of examining options for the
disposal of its 90 pct stake in Armentel.
Eurobank was down 1.4 pct to 31.56 eur and trades ex-final dividend
of 0.54 eur per share today.
Lottery operator OPAP was up 1 pct to 31.36 eur on news that the EU
will not be taking action against Greece in relation to its sport
betting laws. Brokers said that this further bolsters OPAPs local
monopoly position.
Alpha Bank was 0.8 pct higher to 31.26 eur on market talk that it is
eyeing expansion into Turkey. It is said to be interested in Deniz
Bank which has a 4.4 pct market share of loans.
ATE Bank was 0.7 pct higher to 5.34 eur on press reports that the
bank will not acquire a controlling stake in Serbias Zepter Banka.
The international tender was won by OTP Bank which acquired 75.1 pct
of Zepter Bank by offering 34.3 mln eur, the reports said.

EU MAKES GETS MORE INVOLVED IN THE AGED CONFLICTS- PETER SEMNEBI
Author: Z. Ibrahimli
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
April 5 2006
The Armenian Foreign Minister, Vardan Oskanyan has presented the
new EU representative on the South Caucasus, Peter Semnebi to the
Armenian society on April 5 in Yerevan. According to him the current
diplomat has wider authorities in the conflict regulation issue than
his predecessor, Heiki Talvitie.
Though, Semnebi will not personally participate at the negotiations
he will nonetheless, play an important role in the achievement of
peace in the region, he said.
Semnebi, in his turn, at the press-conference in Yerevan has released
a statement that “EU has made a principal decision to get more involved
in the resolution process of aged regional conflicts.”
All attempts to solve the conflict militarily may have grave and even
catastrophic consequences, he noted.
The procrastination of the issue is not in favor for neither Armenia
nor Azerbaijan. “Procrastination from the Armenian side will put
the country in the unfavorable position- isolation and blockade of
its western and eastern borders will continue and on part of Baku-
growth of belligerent moods and desire to solve the problem military,
which may have the gravest consequences for the both sides, he told,
Regnum news agency reports.

DUAL CITIZENS WILL PAY TAXES AND SERVE ANOTHER COUNTRY
Lragir.am
05.04.2006
According to the concept of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation,
presented on April 6, dual citizens cannot be taxed twice or serve
in the army of two countries. Thus, if a Diaspora Armenian wishes
to become citizen of the Republic of Armenia, remaining citizen of
another country, he needs to decide which country he is going to pay
taxes to or serve in the army. Of course, if he has already served
in the army, in accordance with the concept of Dashnaktsutiun he
will not have to serve in the Armenian army after becoming citizen
of Armenia. As to paying taxes, according to the ARF, a citizen
must pay taxes and serve in the army of the country where he lives
permanently. Thus, Diaspora Armenians becoming citizens of Armenia,
pay taxes to the country where they live. However, in that case,
they will not have all the rights of the citizens of Armenia because
they fail to fulfill all the duties of Armenian citizens.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE ROLE OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY-CIVIL SOCIETY COOPERATION IN STRUGGLE AGAINST CORRUPTION
Lragir.am
05.04.2006
On April 6 and 7 an international conference entitled “The Role
of National Assembly-Civil Society Cooperation in the Struggle
Against Corruption” will take place. The conference was initiated
by the Speaker of the National Assembly Arthur Baghdasaryan (on an
arrangement reached during the visit to the U.S.) and organized by
the National Assembly, the OSCE, Eurasia Foundation, USAID and UNDP.
On April 6 the conference will open with the addresses of Speaker
Arthur Baghdasaryan and Vice President of Eurasia Foundation Andrea
Harris, U.S. Ambassador John Evans, U.N. Coordinator Consuelo Vidal,
the head of the OSCE Yerevan office Vladimir Pryakhin.
Then there will be discussion on the following topics:
“Parliament-Civil Society Cooperation Models and the Experience of
GOPAC”; “Parliament-Civil Society Cooperation Against Corruption”;
“Certain Legal Problems of Struggle Against “Black Law” as a Negative
Phenomenon Causing Corruption”; “The Role of Public Control Bodies in
the Struggle Against Corruption”; “The Role of the Audit Chamber in the
Struggle Against Corruption: New Opportunities and New Prospects in the
Context of Constitutional Reforms”; “Cooperation of the Audit Chamber
with the Mass Media and Civil Society”; “The Role of the Mass Media in
the Struggle Against Corruption”; “The Interdependency of Corruption
and Freedom of Press”; “The Armenian Mass Media Legislation and Its
Role in the Engagement of Reporters in Anti-Corruption Activity”.
On April 7 there will be panel discussions on the cooperation of
the National Assembly and the civil society, the role of the foreign
control bodies in the struggle against corruption, the role of press
in the struggle against corruption.
Representatives of a number of international organizations and ten
countries, the United States, Canada, Germany, Poland, Romania, SAR,
and other countries, participate in the conference.
The goal of the conference is to establish an Armenian office of
the GOPAC.
DEPARTMENT FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF ARMENIA

OTE SEEKS BUYER OF ITS ARMENTEL SHARES
Noyan Tapan
Apr 04 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. The OTE company (Greece) announced
that following the negotiations with the Armenian government, it is
looking for a buyer to purchase 90% of its shares in the ArmenTel
company. According to the AFX news agency, it is not for the first
time that OTE is trying to leave Armenia where it previously has
serious problems. It was also noted that HSBC Holding has assumed
the role of OTE’s financial advisor. According to some information,
a number of large Russian companies have expressed an intention to
acquire ArmenTel’s shares and thus enter the Armenian telecommunication
market. To recap, in 1997 OTE acquired 90% of the shares of ArmenTEl
that previously had a monopoly in Armenia’s telecommunication
sector. The remaining 10% of shares are the Armenian government’s
property.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DEBATES ON DUAL NATIONALITY STARTED
Lragir.am
05.04.2006
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation signals the start of debates
on dual nationality, extending to the public a concept generalizing
its points of view. This was stated by the leader of the ARF faction
Levon Mkrtichyan and the chair of the Foreign Relations Committee
Armen Rustamyan on April. ARF believes that this concept may become
the core of the bill on dual nationality. And since the law is for
everyone, Dashnaktsutiun tried to work out a concept which would not
have a party bias, but would involve the national interest.
Levon Mkrtichyan and Armen Rustamyan say dual nationality is a
serious step, it is a self-defeating issue if it is not thought on
deeply. Solving national problems through dual nationality without
arousing new problems; this is the approach of the ARF representatives
to the issue, and from this point of view they consider their concept
acceptable.
However, the calmness with which Dashnaktsutiun is going to start the
public and political debate will soon fade away. Calmness will pass,
whereas the debate will be heated. The point is that the main troubling
nuances of the issue of dual nationality are not covered sufficiently
in the concept of Dashnaktsutiun. The prime trouble is eligibility.
The ARF believes that those dual citizens will have eligibility
who live permanently in Armenia and will fulfill all the duties of a
citizen. In this case, according to Dashnaktsutiun, nothing can prevent
a person, independent of his nationality, from becoming president of
Armenia. “If a person has lived in Armenia for ten years, fulfilled
all his duties of a citizen, we have no right to take away from them
the right to be elected president.”

IRANIAN GAS TO GET INTO ARMENIA TILL END OF THE YEAR
Regnum, Russia
April 5 2006
“Iranian gas will begin to get into Armenia till the end of the current
year,” Armenian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Gegam Garibjanyan
is quoted as saying by a REGNUM correspondent at opening ceremony of
“Iran. Armenian Look” International Scientific-Practical Conference
at Russian-Armenian (Slavic) State University in Yerevan.
According to him, several agreements, including one on construction
of Iran-Armenia pipeline, signed during visit of Armenian President
Robert Kocharyan to Iran in December 2005, are priorities for the
republic. Also, Gegam Garibjanyan mentioned similarity of approaches
of Armenia and Iran to problems, which appears with neighboring
countries. “Despite nearly 10-year-long war with Iraq, Iran carries
out diplomatic policy with the country, not using experience of
military solution of problems,” stressed the deputy head of the
Armenian foreign ministry.
According to Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Iran
to Armenia Ali-Reza Hagigian, Iran emphasizes its relations with
Armenia in context of regional peace and economic development. In
its turn, Rector of the Armenian Slavic University Armen Darbinyan
mentioned importance of the opened conference, adding Armenia would
not forget Iranian humanitarian aid rendered during difficult years
of the economic blockade. Armenian scientists and analysts presented
their reports at the conference.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

US BELIEVES 2006 CRUCIAL FOR KARABAKH CONFLICT
Yerkir
05.04.2006 11:48
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – The US believes that 2006 will be crucial year
for the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, United States
Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Reno Harnish said.
In his words, the US, as an OSCE Minsk group co-chair has always
supported the talks between the heads of states and foreign ministers
of the conflicting parties and will continue its role of the mediator
in the conflict. “We support the Azerbaijani and Armenian efforts
aimed at peaceful resolution of the conflict,” the Ambassador said.
Commenting on the US State Department advising its citizens to avoid
visiting the uncontrolled territories for their own safety, he added
that US has always admitted that “more than 16% of the Azerbaijani
territory are beyond the governmental control and human rights
matters on these territories cannot be controlled by Azerbaijan,”
Trend reports.