ARMENIAN PRESIDENT MAKES FIRST CALL ON NETWORK OF SECOND OPERATOR OF
MOBILE COMMUNICATION
YEREVAN, JUNE 30. ARMINFO. Today the second operator of mobile
communication in Armenia – K-Telecom company under the brand VIVA-Cell
was ceremonially presented. The first call was made by president of
Armenia Robert Kocharyan.
Talking to journalists, Armenian Minister for Transport and
Communication Andranik Manukyan said that starting already from July
1, a new operator will issue 100,000 cards of mobile communication
to the market, which will help easing tension in the market of mobile
cards in Armenia. “No problems with cellular cards will be in Armenia
already tomorrow,” Manukyan said.
In his turn, Justice Minister David Haroutiunyan told journalists that
he had no personal ties with the leadership of K-Telecom. “Due to my
activity I am familiar to all the persons engaged in this sphere. But
I have just once had a dinner with Chairman of the Board of Directors
company Fathuch-Group (the owner of the main package of shares of
K-Telecom) Pieire Fathuch in Beirut,” the minister said. He added
that the new operator can serve as many subscribers as ArmenTel has
not served for several years of its activity.
In his turn, Pieire Fathuch said that the company’s network is ready
to serve some 300,000 subscribers already tomorrow and by the end of
2005 its capacity will grew to 400,000 subscribers. By present $75
mln were invested in the company since company’s creation. In his
welcoming speech, he several times expressed a special gratitude to
Armenian President.
It is interesting that Robert Kocharyan talked to P.Fathuch for some
half an hour and the difficult moments of the talk was translated
for them the newly appointed Chairman of the Securities Commission
Oleg Yesayan. Among some two hundred of the invitees, there were no
representatives of ArmenTel.
At the same time, a reliable source informs ARMINFO that the first day
of the work of K-Telecom (July 1), the traditional operator ArmenTel
prepared a “big surprise” for its rival.
It should be noted that the license for services of mobile
communication in Armenia was given to K-telecom by the Armenian
Government in November 2004. CJSC K-Telecom belongs to a Lebanese
investment holding Fathuch Group and is managed by the Board of
Directors. President of the company and one of the largest shareholders
is Pieire Fathuch. He is also the owner of the CKSC Karabakh- Telecom,
which provides services of mobile communication in the territory
of NKR.