PRESS RELEASE
St. Garabed Armenian Church of Louisiana
6208 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70806
Tel: 225-248-0627
Fax: 225-248-0628
Email: [email protected]
2005-09-18
Contact: Tamar Meguerditchian ~ Tel: (504) 723-2906

LOUISIANA’S ARMENIANS DEVASTATED BY HURRICANE KATRINA

Twenty-six Armenian Families Face an Unforeseeable Future

New Orleans, LA – Twenty-six Armenian families’ homes and businesses
were severely destroyed and damaged by Hurricane Katrina and its
devastating aftermath. During this period of reconstruction and
recovery, many of these families are faced with an unforeseeable
future.

The Armenian community of Louisiana is a unique community – unique in
size and spirit. The first Armenians settled here over thirty years
ago hailing from Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Armenia and Iran. In 1984, a
few community leaders gathered and decided the community needed to
start a parish and hold church services in Armenian. In an attempt to
foster growth in the community, Fr. Nersess Jebejian was appointed by
the Primate, Archbishop Torkom Manoogian of the Eastern Diocese of the
Armenian Church, as the mission parish priest to hold services in
churches in both New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The name St. Garabed
Armenian Church of Louisiana was given to the mission parish.

In January 2005, after months of fundraising, planning and
construction, St. Garabed Armenian Church of Louisiana opened its
doors as the first Armenian Church in Louisiana. This debut was a big
step for this community, which has progressed slowly over the years,
but nonetheless progressed.

Now many of the Armenians living in the New Orleans Metropolitan area
have been devastated, as many of their homes and businesses have been
damaged. The Armenian community in both LaPlace and Baton Rouge has
reached out to the affected community members by opening their homes
to them, providing them comfort and consolation. Many of the
community’s students – elementary, high school and college/university
students – have been displaced and are either registered elsewhere or
absent this semester. Faced with the daunting task of rebuilding their
homes and businesses, as well as the shocking sights in the area, it
will be a long time before some will be able to move back home. It
will be months before they sense or establish normalcy; and, even when
these families are able to move back home and businesses are repaired
and reopened, the uncertain economy will still create obstacles and
challenges.

Hurricane Katrina uprooted more than trees, homes and buildings, it
uprooted lives and divided families. It has, most definitely, divided
the Armenian community. Armenians nationwide have reached out to the
community, sending donations to the affected community members. The
Diocese of the Armenian Church, under the leadership of the Primate,
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, has sent money to the affected community
members. Numerous other donations have arrived from individuals and
organizations around the country as well. As Times-Picayune columnist
Chris Rose wrote, `…We thank you. For your money, your water, your
food, your prayers, your boats and buses and the men and women of your
National Guards, fire departments, hospitals and everyone else who has
come to our rescue.’

If you would like to help, please send monetary donations only, as so
many are unaware as to where and when they will have a permanent
address. Donations may be sent to: St. Garabed Armenian Church of
Louisiana, 6208 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70806. Any questions or
comments should be directed to Fr. Nersess Jebejian, the pastor, at
(727) 545-0380 or Parish Council Chairman Vasken Kaltakdjian at (225)
413-4620. You can also e-mail the Parish Council at
[email protected].

Soon, these `Cajun Armenians’ will celebrate Mardi Gras, host their
crawfish boils, and cheer on the Saints, but until then faith and
community will prevail. `When you meet us now and you look into our
eyes, you will see the saddest story ever told. Our hearts are broken
into a thousand pieces. But don’t pity us. We’re gonna make it. We’re
resilient. After all, we’ve been rooting for the Saints for 35
years. That’s got to count for something,’ Rose wrote.

-30-

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel: (374 10) 517 163
Fax: (374 10) 517 301
E-Mail: [email protected]
September 21, 2005
CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II
CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS
ON THE OCCASION OF ARMENIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY
September 21, 2005
We extend greetings and blessings from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to
all our sons and daughters in Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora,
congratulating them on the festive occasion of Independence Day of the
Republic of Armenia.
A new page opened in our history on September 21, 1991 – a day blessed by
God, whose great sacred mystery will be celebrated and commemorated by our
succeeding generations.
Our people did not yield to the difficulties and sacrifices of the
liberation struggle for Artsakh, the earthquake and the blockade; rather
with one heart and one will defended the right to live free without
hesitation. We have passed through a difficult yet ascending pathway on the
journey to create our new life and new statehood, a course which will become
broader and brighter through the united efforts, faith, devotion and love of
our people.
We shall nurture each day of free Armenia, for the sake of the development
and prosperity of our Motherland, in the name of the unified and glorious
future for all Armenians.
We offer prayers and wishes to heaven, that the Lord protect the Republic of
Armenia under His Fatherly Right Hand, and keep our people filled with grace
and reinforced with faith, to live and work for the love and glory of our
homeland.
May the grace, love and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us and will
all.

Azeri official rules out Ukraine-style revolution
By Lada Yevgrashina
BAKU, Sept 20 (Reuters) – The speaker of Azerbaijan’s parliament told
opposition parties on Tuesday they were wasting their time if they
hoped to turn the ex-Soviet state’s Nov. 6 parliamentary election into
a Ukraine-style revolution.
Opponents of President Ilham Aliyev say if the vote is rigged, huge
crowds of protesters will come out on the streets in an uprising like
the “Orange Revolution” that forced out Ukraine’s ruling elite a year
ago.
Mimicking their Ukrainian counterparts, Azeri opposition parties have
adopted orange as their colour and flew in a pro-democracy activist
from Ukraine to share his experience. He was deported at the weekend.
But Aliyev’s supporters — and many analysts — say a Ukrainian
scenario is unlikely in this Muslim nation of 8 million on the Caspian
Sea.
The ruling elite is buoyed by the petrodollars from its offshore oil
fields while its opponents are divided.
“Our opposition need not bother travelling to Ukraine and bringing
back activists, orange flags and T-shirts,” said parliamentary speaker
and Aliyev supporter Murtuz Aleskerov.
“They need to respect their own Azeri people and the laws of
Azerbaijan,” he said.
The U.S. military is considering setting up temporary bases in
Azerbaijan, which borders Iran and Russia.
BP has invested billions of dollars in Azeri reserves and is
weeks away from loading the first crude from a pipeline that stretches
from Baku to the Turkish Mediterranean coast.
Azerbaijan — ruled for three decades until 2003 by Aliyev’s late
father, Heydar — has yet to stage a vote deemed fair by Western
monitors.
But the Nov. 6 election is under unprecedented international scrutiny
after disputed votes brought thousands onto the streets and propelled
the opposition to power in Ukraine and also ex-Soviet Georgia and
Kyrgyzstan.
“We want to see fundamental changes in the country and if that does
not happen through transparent elections we will do it via peaceful
revolution,” said Namik Seidiyev, a leader of the “New Thinking” youth
group.
His radical group is a clone of Ukraine’s Pora movement that
spearheaded the “Orange Revolution.”
ORANGE TINGE
The mainstream opposition do not openly advocate revolution, but they
too look to Ukraine for inspiration.
At an opposition rally in Baku this month, party leaders wore orange
T-shirts. Days later, police seized a store of tents from one
opposition party office. A protesters’ tent city was a feature of
Ukraine’s revolt.
However, Aliyev supporters say all that is just window dressing to
mask opposition weakness.
For many voters, the main opposition leaders are tainted by having
served in a 1992-1993 government marked by economic chaos and
disastrous setbacks in a war with neighbouring Armenia.
And they are not united. There are two big opposition blocs running in
the election, each made up of several parties. No one has emerged as a
clear leader.
A few thousand people, claiming electoral fraud, demonstrated after
Ilham Aliyev’s victory in a 2003 presidential vote. But the protest
melted away after riot police violently dispersed the crowd and
arrested activists.
“Lacking any worthwhile ideas of its own, (the opposition) is copying
Ukraine’s example,” said Siyavush Novruzov, deputy head of the New
Azerbaijan ruling party. “There are none of the preconditions for that
sort of revolution here,” he said.
09/20/05 13:29 ET

ARMINFO News Agency
September 20, 2005
15 BEST I.T. STUDENTS AWARDED PRESIDENTIAL AWARDS
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 20. ARMINFO. The Synopsys Outreach Charitable
Foundation for Armenia and the President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan
held a reception today for the recipients of the President of the
Republic of Armenia Awards. The awards were given to the top 15
students and 3 pupils in the IT industry including two awards created
to honor the best female students in IT. The annual awards honor
students who demonstrate outstanding achievements in their study and
research projects in the Armeian IT sector, reports Synopsys.
The Armenian government and Synopsys are both interested in the
development of the national high tech industry, stated Lilit
Gevorgyan, assistant to President Kocharyan and member of the Armenia
Awarding Committee. We value Synopsys’ support of our specialized
high-tech education and realize that these efforts including
supporting the President of the Republic of Armenia Awards will
inspire new generations of students to cintinue the long-standing
Armenian tradition of engineering excellence.
The Synopsys Outreach Charitable Foundation for Armenia supports the
pursuit of the highest level of technology education for teachers and
students. By providing universities with the latest technology and
concepts in electronic design automation and semiconductor design,
teacher training and support. Synopsys helps enable the engineering
community to steadily increase the quality of its design work and
advance the high-tech industry. Furthering math and science education
around the world is a fundamental value at Synopsys.
Synopsys realizes that a thriving high0-tech industry within Armenia
requires support in the form of university and industry programs,
stated Rich Goldman, CEO of Synopsys Armenia. We are proud to be able
to he;lp recognize Armenia’s brightest students by funding the
President of the Republic of Armenia Awards through Armenia’s leading
technical universities.
The recipients of these awards represent the future of Armenia. These
awards stress the importance of education and honor those students
that have the potential to make significant contributions to the IT
economy in Armenia. Synopsys is proud to be associated with Armenia’s
best and brightest students. We look forward to seeing the continued
acheivements o these talented young engineers in Armenia, Goldman
said.

Voice of America
Sept 20 2005
Turkey an Example of Religious Tolerance for 500 years
By Miguel Angel Rivera
Istanbul

Turkey is 90 percent Muslim. But in parts of the large cities, there
are pockets of people of different faiths. VOA’s Miguel Rivera looks
at three houses of worship that share adjacent parcels in Kuzguncuk,
Istanbul.
Kuzguncuk is an ancient part of Istanbul, the only city in the world
that lies in two continents: Asia and Europe. For hundreds of years
its been inhabited by Muslims, Jews, and Christians; Turks, Armenians
and Greeks.
Kuzguncuk lies on the Asian side of the Bosporus Strait. There is a
church, a mosque, and a synagogue, right beside each other. The
priest of the Armenian Orthodox Church, using a key made in 1835,
opens the doors to a Christian world within a Muslim one. The priest
is one of a few who come from another part of Istanbul to serve the
faithful. And when he says `faithful,’ he is referring to Jews and
Muslims, as well as Christians, who enter this holy place to pray.
“There is no difference between us,’ says priest Mehmet Biraz.
‘Muslims come in here to light a candle. Yes, Muslims come to pray
here. They light the candle and they pray. There is no difference.
There is only one God and different paths to that God.”
The church leader says cooperating on every level is vital for
offsetting the religious negativity he finds in politics. He says
ties with others are still strong.
“We have good relations with the neighborhood. We are buying things
from this area because we want the local merchants to benefit from
our trade. In the political world there is the appearance that
religions have problems among themselves. But at the people level, we
have no problems among ourselves.”

A small park adjoining the mosque, synagogue, and church
A woman has been living in front of the church and mosque for 20
years.
“Very beautiful… We live in peace here,’ she says. ‘Everybody loves
each other. This mosque on this side, and the synagogue on the other,
being so close to each other, shows that Turks really accept
different religions and cultures.”
It is a fresh late morning, after a rain, and faithful Turks await
the arrival of the imam, or hoja — the religious leader to direct
them in midday prayers — and prepare to pray with ritual cleansing.
The land the mosque sits on was a gift — from the Armenian Orthodox
Church.
For hundreds of years, the Ottoman Empire promoted religious
tolerance. Modern Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal, also known as
Ataturk, rejected tying his new government to Islam, even prohibiting
the use of traditional clothing in favor of western wear. Religious
tolerance was also his government’s policy.
“We have good relationships with our neighbors the Armenians and the
Greeks. They come to our funerals. We go to their funerals,’ says
Mahmut Uslu, a worshipper at the mosque. `The Armenian Church is
older than ours. Ataturk’s new republic had an open door policy to
all religions. The Sufi’s with Mevlana (known in the Western world as
Rumi) also had the same idea hundreds of years before. No matter what
country or creed, you can come to our home. Religion is important,
not what religion you belong to.”
Imam Aydin Vatan has led prayers in the Kuzguncuk mosque for years.
“We are all very close, like the flesh and fingernail. We are all
together. Nobody can separate us, Christians, Jews, and Turks.”
There are more than 22,000 Jews in Turkey. Most of them live in
Istanbul. There was an influx into the Ottoman Empire during the last
years of the 15th Century, after Jews and Muslims were expelled from
Spain during the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella.

Jews held senior positions in the sultan’s government. Rabbi Cenk
Misraji is the highest-ranking Jewish leader in Asian Turkey.
“From the moment of our arrival more than 500 years ago, there has
been great religious tolerance in Turkey. We have been able to follow
our religion, and open our synagogues wherever we desired. We were
free to follow our traditions, practices and Jewish customs,” said
the rabbi.
There have been some glaring exceptions to the general tolerance of
Turkish society. The Christian Armenians say they were the victims of
Ottoman genocide in 1915, when thousands died. The Turks deny the
accusation. Turks and Kurds, fellow Muslims, have battled each other
for years in parts of the country where the Kurds are found.
And there have been terrorist attacks against Jewish targets, most
recently in 2003.
But in this neighborhood, there is a different history.
Here in Kuzguncuk, a Muslim — in a gesture of brotherhood —
designed, constructed, and donated a small park with its delicate
fountain in front of the doors of the synagogue, behind, and
adjoining, the mosque and the church.

EurasiaNet, NY
Sept 20 2005
YOUTH ACTIVISTS IN AZERBAIJAN SAY THEY ARE BEING TARGETED BY
GOVERNMENT
Khadija Ismayilova 9/20/05
As Azerbaijan’s November 6 parliamentary elections draw closer,
opposition and youth organization representatives say they are
feeling increased pressure from the government. Their concerns have
been stoked by the recent arrests of youth activists, one of them a
Ukrainian citizen.
On September 12, Yeni Fikir Deputy chairperson Said Nuri was detained
for 48 hours on suspicion of conspiring to stage a coup against the
Azerbaijani government. While attending a training session in Poland
that was sponsored by the National Democratic Institute, Nuri
allegedly received instruction on organizing anti-government protests
with the aim of overthrowing the established order, Azerbaijani
officials contend. Nuri had assumed responsibility for running Yeni
Fikir, a youth group loosely aligned with the opposition Popular
Front Party of Azerbaijan, shortly after the August arrest of Ruslan
Bashirli, the group’s leader. Bashirli was charged with conspiring
with Armenian special services to foment unrest in Azerbaijan. [For
background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. The same day as Nuri’s
detention, Ramin Tagiyev, another Yeni Fikir deputy chairperson, was
sentenced to a three-month prison term for his role in a supposed
coup plot.
The US State Department has sharply criticized Nuri’s arrest. In a
September 15 interview broadcast by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s
Azeri Service, Terry Davidson, a US State Department official,
expressed concern that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s
administration was trying to squelch legitimate domestic political
opposition. “The US government is concerned [by] the arrest of youth
leaders in Azerbaijan as well as the campaign against the Popular
Front Party,” Davidson said. `We urge the Azeri government to provide
basic civil liberties in preparation for the parliamentary elections,
including freedom of assembly, equal access to the media and not
being a subject of pressure.”
In an interview with EurasiaNet, Popular Front Party Chairman Ali
Kerimli stated that the arrests were motivated by the authorities’
fear of Yeni Fikir’s increasing popularity and the related need to
reduce youth activism in Azerbaijan. “They [authorities] think that
the only way to make these young people stop the struggle is to
isolate them,” Kerimli said “However, the opposition’s rallies
demonstrate that, more and more, orange-clad youth have joined the
nationwide struggle against dictatorship.” [For additional
information see the Eurasia Insight archive].
The Popular Front Party has responded to Nuri’s arrest with a blood
donation campaign for individuals suffering from thalassemia, a
series of genetic blood disorders from which the Yeni Fikir activist
suffers. Soon after his arrest, Nuri was taken to the Musa Nagiyev
Emergency Hospital in serious condition. Nuri’s family, friends and
lawyer have not been allowed to see the detainee since his
hospitalization. A statement released by doctors two days after
Nuri’s arrest said that the youth activist’s condition had
stabilized. The state prosecutor’s office has since reportedly
stalled its investigation out of consideration for Nuri’s health.
Nonetheless, the scandals surrounding Yeni Fikir show no sign of
abating. On September 15, organization members reportedly discovered
three hand grenades and a cartridge of TNT in the group’s main office
in Baku. Media reported that the police officer called to the scene
to investigate refused to remove the explosives. The building also
houses the offices of the opposition newspaper Azadliq and the
Popular Front. Azadliq Editor Ganimat Zahidov, reportedly accompanied
by foreign and local journalists, eventually took a bag with the
explosives to the local police station. Zahidov claimed that the
explosives were deliberately planted by authorities to provide
justification for another Yeni Fikir arrest, and to search the
organization’s headquarters. Zahidov has since ordered all
individuals entering the building to be checked. Police pledged to
conduct a thorough investigation of the incident, but have not issued
any updates.
Some human rights activists believe that the arrests of Yeni Fikir
members are designed to reduce the potential for a election-related
protest in Baku akin to those that occurred in Georgia and Ukraine in
2003 and 2004 respectively. Those protests resulted in regime-change
in Tbilisi and Kyiv. [For additional information see the Eurasia
Insight archive]. Georgian and Ukrainian youth groups played key
roles in organizing those demonstrations. [For background see the
Eurasia Insight archive]. “The former leaderships of Georgia and
Ukraine never took such tough action against youth leaders,” said
Saida Gojamanli, director of the Bureau of Human Rights and Law
Observance.
The arrest of a representative of the Ukrainian youth group Pora in
Baku has helped fuel speculation that the government plans to
discourage such organizations from playing any role in Azerbaijan’s
parliamentary elections. Azerbaijani authorities detained Sergei
Yevtushenko — an advisor to the Ukrainian foreign minister, and a
Pora leader – at Baku airport on September 15. Two days later, he was
forcibly returned to Ukraine. Yevtushenko had traveled to Azerbaijan
at the invitation of the opposition election bloc Azadliq to attend a
conference on democratization in Azerbaijan and Belarus.
No official reason was given for Yevtushenko’s detention. The
Ukrainian consul was allowed to meet with Yevtushenko only after the
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry lodged a formal diplomatic protest. In a
September 16 interview with Trend news agency, the country’s
ambassador to Baku, Igor Kizima stated that Azerbaijani officials had
violated international agreements by making the Ukrainian consul wait
five hours before seeing Yevtushenko. Ukrainian officials also
accused Azerbaijan of violating bilateral agreements that provide for
a no-visa entry to Azerbaijan for Ukrainian citizens.
Editor’s Note: Khadija Ismayilova is a freelance journalist based in
Baku.

Anatolian Times, Turkey
Sept 20 2005
Zurich Prosecutor Started Investigation Against Perincek
LAUSANNE – Labor Party (IP) leader Dogu Perincek gave evidence today
(Tuesday) to Lausanne Prosecutor regarding his statements about the
so-called Armenian genocide.
Perincek spoke to A.A. correspondent after his testimony in the
prosecutor’s office.
During interrogation, Perincek said the concept of genocide covered
under Swiss laws was irrelevant with the Turkish-Armenian problem.
Perincek said, ”I have told the prosecutor that such kind of
interrogations harmed friendship between Turkey and Switzerland,
which is a country of peace. I said allegations of so-called Armenian
genocide were unjust, and that this led to the humiliation of Turkish
nation in the international community. Those allegations also
contributed to the formation of a racist public opinion against
Turks.”
Perincek said the prosecutor stepped back during the interrogation
and said, ”we don’t have the authority to judge Turkish history. We
will not decide here whether Turks committed genocide. What we
examine is whether Perincek committed racism, discrimination and/or
humiliated peoples in his statements.”
-FOUR INVESTIGATIONS-
Meanwhile, Zurich Prosecutor’s Office started an investigation
following the press conference of Perincek in Zurich yesterday
(Monday).
At the conference, Perincek called on Swiss authorities to make a
serious investigation about the Armenian issue. He said it was unjust
to affirm that a nation ”committed genocide” without thoroughly
examining the events that had happened 90 years ago.
It was reported that investigations started by prosecutors of
Winterthur, Lausanne, Bern and Zurich would be combined in a single
file.
In July, Perincek was interrogated as he said that the so-called
Armenian genocide had never been happened. Lausanne Prosecutor called
on Perincek to come to his office on September 20th, to interrogate
him for a second time.
Perincek earlier had been detained in Winterthur city of Switzerland
as he said, ”Armenian genocide is nothing but an international lie”
at a news conference, but he was released after being interrogated.
A legal procedure was also opened in Switzerland against Prof. Dr.
Yusuf Halacoglu, the Chairman of the Turkish Historical Society,
because of his statement refuting the so-called Armenian genocide
allegations.

Anatolian Times, Turkey
Sept 20 2005
Postponed Conference On Armenians To Be Held On September 23rd-25th
ISTANBUL – The conference on ”Armenians in the Late Ottoman Empire:
Scientific Responsibility and Democracy Problems” will be held at
Istanbul’s Bogazici University from September 23rd to 25th.
The conference was previously scheduled to take place on May 25th,
but it was postponed.
Serif Mardin, Halil Bertay, Selim Deringil, Murat Belge, Ustun
Erguder, Osman Koker, Fikret Adanir, Fatma Muge Gocek, Nazan
Maksudyan, Hrant Dink are among participants of the conference.
A number of workshops will be organized during the conference on
several issues such as ”Order Before Balkan Wars”, ”Breaking
Point: 1912-1915”, ”Relocation and Aftermath”, ”Disaster and
Stories of Rescue” and ”Memoirs”.
Two panel discussions will be held on the last day of the conference
on ”Press Freedom” and ”Today and the Future”

ARMINFO News Agency
September 20, 2005
THERE IS BIG OPTIMISM FOR KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT: AZERI FM
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 20. ARMINFO. The last meeting of the Azeri and
Armenian presidents in Kazan Aug 26 2005 has given ground for
believing that there is a chance for the Karabakh conflict settlement
and that the Prague Process talks can be continued, the 525th
newspaper reports Azeri FM Elmar Mamedyarov as saying during the 60th
plenary session of the UN General Assembly.
At the same time there should be no illusions that Azerbaijan will
put up with the loss of its territories.
The UN Security Council’s immediate reaction to the occupation of
Azerbaijan’s territories (resolutions 822, 853, 874 and 884) give
ground for optimism. This is a basis for settling the conflict. The
last year’s UN SC discussing a point on the situation on the occupied
Azeri territories has drawn wide international attention to the
danger coming from Armenia’s operations on the territories.
Today there is big optimism for resolution and Azerbaijan remains
adherent to peace and compliant to the UN SC, CE and OSCE
resolutions. Azerbaijan hopes that Armenia will show constructive
approach and will not miss the opportunity to no longer be labelled
as aggressor and to resolve the conflict favorably.
Azerbaijan is ready to ensure security for the Armenian community of
Karabakh. Necessary conditions should be created for the return of
the Azeri community to Karabakh and other occupied territories and
for reviving the region economically.
If peace is attained the international community will have to support
it by peacekeeping, demining, recovery and security. The next but not
the last step is to create communication between the Armenian
community of Karabakh and Armenia as well as between Nakhchivan and
mainland Azerbaijan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMINFO News Agency
September 20, 2005
ROBERT KOCHARYAN: AFTER MOBILE COMMUNICATION MARKET,
INTERNET-SERVICES SPHERE WILL BE LIBERALIZED
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 20. ARMINFO. ‘ We have already solved part of the
problem with ArmenTel. It concerns the sphere of mobile
communication,’ Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said at a meeting
with the winners of a contest for IT-specialists, Tuesday.
The president noted the fall in the prices of mobile communication
services caused by the competition in the sphere. As regards
Internet, Robert Kocharyan said that years-long problematic talks
with ArmenTel resulted in some liberalization of the sphere of
international data transfer. The president said that when monopolist
ArmenTel directed the profits from the cellular communication
services to development of the fixed telephone network on the system
of cross financing. ‘Almost whole Yerevan is equipped wit digital
ATXs and the quality of the fixed communication in Armenia is the
best in the post- Soviet area. In this connection, Armenia has a big
progress in development of fixed communication, but it slackens as to
the level of mobile communication,’ Robert Kocharyan said. The
president expressed confidence that the whole country will be
provided with mobile communication as the second operator started its
activity “rather aggressively.”
The president said the next step with be an attempt to liberalize the
sphere of Internet services. In particular, the country will try to
lift the restrictions on Internet services, which is the prerogative
of ArmenTel at present.
To note, after the two-year conflict of the Government and ArmenTel,
a second operator entered the mobile communication market of Armenia
on July 1 2005 – K- Telecom. In the middle of September, K-Telecom’s
subscribers numbered 217,000, those of ArmenTel numbered 250,000.