Author: Chaltikian Arsine

YEREVAN MUNICIPALITY TO BUILD UNDERGROUND PARKING LOTS

ARMENPRESS
Feb 5, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 5, ARMENPRESS: Yerevan’s chief architect Samvel
Darbinian said Monday the authorities plan to build several underground
parking lots in the city to alleviate the traffic frenzy.

He said more and more motorists use streets not for driving but as
parking lots. He said the program will be implemented in 2008-2014. The
first underground parking lots will appear in downtown Yerevan and
spread gradually uptown.

According to the chief architect, underground parking lots in central
Yerevan will accommodate up to 10,000 vehicles.

PROCREDIT BANK OPENS IN ARMENIA

armradio.am
05.02.2008 16:49

Today, a new bank opened in Armenia, which will serve the small
businesses and "ordinary people" of the country: ProCredit Bank. The
opening ceremony took place today with an official ribbon cutting
performed by Mr. Tigran Sargsyan, the Chairman of the Central Bank of
Armenia; Mr. Vardan Sukiasyan, ProCredit Bank’s first client, a local
small business owner who will open a savings account with the bank; and
Mr. Bertolt Hertzfeldt, the General Manager of ProCredit Bank Armenia.

ProCredit Bank seeks to be a "neighbourhood bank" which will serve
the local community in Armenia. ProCredit Bank in Armenia, like
the ProCredit institutions in all other countries where the group
operates, will be a customer-oriented, socially responsible bank,
providing high-quality and affordable services to ordinary people,
placing emphasis on lending to very small, small, and medium-sized
businesses and developing a savings culture among ordinary people. "We
will be your bank around the corner that offers the best service to
all its customers. We welcome everyone to start saving with us or to
take out a loan to develop his or her business.

The whole ProCredit team is looking forward to starting operations
in Armenia. We want to be your neighbourhood bank and a bank that
makes a difference," says the General Manager of ProCredit Bank,
Mr. Bertolt Hertzfeldt.

ProCredit Bank will focus on lending to very small, small and
medium-sized enterprises, as it is convinced that these businesses
create the largest number of jobs and make a vital contribution to
the economic development of Armenia. The bank will offer business
loans starting from USD 100 for small entrepreneurs and transparent
banking services for private individuals, such as saving accounts
with no minimum deposit amount.

The Central Bank of Armenia granted ProCredit Bank a licence to conduct
banking operations in Armenia on December 7, 2007. The shareholders
of ProCredit Bank are ProCredit Holding AG, the majority shareholder,
with a 66.66% stake; KfW, which holds 16.67% of the shares; and the
EBRD, which holds 16.67% of the shares. By the end of 2008 ProCredit
Bank Armenia will be represented in three regions of Armenia with
six branches: four in Yerevan, one in Vanadzor, and one in Artashat.

ProCredit Bank in Armenia is part of the ProCredit group, which
consists of 22 financial institutions in Eastern Europe, Africa,
and Latin America. They are led and supervised by ProCredit Holding,
an investment company based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, which
is the majority shareholder in each institution. The company is not
associated with any commercial or political group. ProCredit Banks
all over the world have similar management systems, operate according
to the same ethical standards and values, and offer their customers
similar banking services.

ARAM HAROUTIUNIAN SEES NO PRECONDITIONS FOR UNIFICATION OF OPPOSITION FORCES YET

Noyan Tapan
Feb 4, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 4, NOYAN TAPAN. Giving assurance at the February
4 press conference that it is very important how the President comes
to power, RA presidential candidate Aram Haroutiunian, the Chairman
of the National Consent party, added: "If you come by destroying
everything on your way, you endanger country’s security." In his words,
the presidential candidates should dispute not over the issues "which
of them is more handsome or whose picture is bigger," but over ideas.

A. Haroutiunian did not wish to speak about the possible unification of
the opposition political forces, as he does not see its preconditions
yet. He only said that "if the events develop in the same direction,
the second tour is inevitable."

The candidate does not treat sociological surveys seriously. "Some
people benefit from every phenomenon: and the sociologists’
benefit is earning money during the elections," he said. And the
international observers’ estimation, according to him, is dictated
by their countries’ political interests and it is not them who are
to decide how the elections were held.

A. Haroutiunian is convinced that in case of providing equal conditions
during the election campaign his chances of becoming a President
are much.

He said that his meetings with voters are rather interesting. "We do
not take people by 50-60 cars or buses with us. The people, who wish
to see Aram Haroutiunian, come," he said.

USA, CHRISTIANS AND ZIONISTS ARE TO BLAME FOR ALL, OUR ISLAMISTS ARGUE
by F. Teymurxanli

Zerkalo
Jan 31 2008
Azerbaijan

"Our departure from Islamic values is the source of all our
troubles." This concise and brief statement might aptly open and
conclude a story about yesterday’s news conference organized by the
Islamic Party of Azerbaijan (IPA). The theme under discussion was
"Occupation of Azerbaijani lands as a result of the international
community’s policy of double standards". Yet out of respect for IPA
members we will give the readers a fuller report on the event.

The IPA press secretary, Akif Heydarov, set out his vision of the
Karabakh problem as follows. "We have always spoken for our occupied
lands to be liberated at any cost. The Azerbaijani people should at
last unite and re-conquer their territories". The developments have
shown, he said, that the international community including the Minsk
Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
[OSCE] are taking no efforts to settle the Karabakh problem. "We
should pin our hopes just on ourselves," Heydarov added.

Then the news conference took an odd course. IPA chairman Movsum
Samadov took the floor to condemn the Zionist world waging war against
Islam. He touched upon too wide a range of problems from the Prophet
Muhammad cartoons to articles by Rafiq Tagi in which the author
insulted God’s last envoy.

For some unclear reasons again, our Islamists paid the greatest
attention to the problem of Palestinians suffering "from Israel’s
aggression". Still the organizers would recall our own problems now
and again. "Europe is indifferent to the destiny of Palestinians
who have been suffering from Israeli aggression for more than half
a century. So one can safely say that the Karabakh problem is of no
importance for the West altogether," Movsum Samadov said.

Apart from this, participants in the event voiced an idea that is
difficult to quarrel with, precisely, that the Azerbaijani people are
unprepared for war. They are not ready to regain our occupied lands
at the cost of their sons’ lives.

Any patriotic spirit among Azerbaijanis is out of the question, IPA
deputy chairman Eldar Samadov said in his speech. "There is not a
single billboard in Baku to reflect the whole truth about Nagornyy
Karabakh," he said.

All the blame should be laid, according to Islamists, on the West in
general, the USA in particular, the Christian world and the damned
Zionists. But is it really right to blame all that on the West,
the Zionists and the Christian world?

Anyway, the political analyst Hikmat Hacizada holds another view. "I
think the Armenians are the first to be blamed for the Karabakh
problem," Hacizada said in an interview with Zerkalo. According to
Hacizada, it is the West that takes every effort to resolve the
protracted conflict. "The problem is that the West is just short
of strength to settle this conflict. The West is far away while
Russia is next door to this region. Therefore it is just Russia that
plays a dominant role in setting back the Karabakh settlement. The
Islamic Party blames all that on the West because of its leadership’s
inadequate approach to settling existing problems," Hacizada said.

Meanwhile it should be pointed out that the Minsk Group of the OSCE
has shown its inability to settle the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict
ever since it was set up.

Hacizada expressed his attitude to the Minsk Group’s activity in the
following way. "To start with, the Minsk Group was based on wrong
principles, on a wrong premise from the very outset. The premise is as
follows: Armenia and Azerbaijan have quarrelled and some moderators,
not even judges, will come and help to settle the conflict between
the two states. This approach is wrong. It has resulted in Russia,
one of the main initiators of the Karabakh conflict, being co-president
of the Minsk Group. Should Russia work against itself? It’s absurd."

Hacizada also said that the Minsk Group has the authority to mediate
but not to judge. "So this structure may only assist but not coerce
in conflict settlement," he said.

So some people blame all our troubles on Russia while others do
on the West. It is very easy to seek someone to blame outside and
thereby acquit oneself of one’s own responsibility for what is going
on. Nonetheless we should not forget Balzac saying that conscience
is a stick with which everybody tries to strike someone else but not
themselves. Therefore let us try and recall our own responsibility
and conscience. That might help us resolve our problems?

Armenian Environmental Network
1543 N. Falkland Lane #120
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Web:

Contact: Serda Ozbenian
Tel: (443) 850-0146
Email: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE
January 31, 2008

AEN to Host Policy Discussion at World Bank on the Environment and
Public Health in Armenia

WASHINGTON, DC–The Armenian Environmental Network (AEN) is hosting a
policy discussion on `Current Challenges to Environment and Public
Health in Armenia: A Policy Discussion’ on Wednesday, February 6, 2008
at the World Bank in Washington.

The main speakers will be Dr. George Jakab and Dr. Charles Dunlap, who
will discuss recent research on emerging environmental health threats
in Armenia, and threats to public health in Armenia from lead
pollution and pathogens in public swimming waters.

`AEN’s mission is to present to the diasporan community urgent
environmental issues that are impacting the Armenian nation,’ said AEN
Director Ursula Kazarian. `We are proud to be one of the first groups
in the Armenian Diaspora to present original environmental research as
a live event for public review and discussion. We hope the community
will take advantage of the participation of these knowledgeable
experts and bring questions of science as well as of policy.’

George Jakab is a professor in the Department of Environmental Health
Sciences at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. He is a
respiratory toxicologist who teaches and researches environmental
health at Johns Hopkins as well in Armenia and Pakistan. Dr. Jakab is
experienced in environmental health problems in transitional societies
and will present data from recent research by his public health
masters students in Yerevan.

Charles Dunlap is a senior program manager at the US Civilian Research
and Development Foundation. He was an assistant professor at American
University of Armenia from 1999-2004 and director of AUA’s
Environmental Conservation and Research Center. Dr. Dunlap’s research
includes the use of lead isotope analysis to trace the origin and
movement of lead contamination, and he currently oversees
international science programs at the US Civilian Research and
Development Foundation.

This is the second in a series of environmental discussions hosted by
AEN in Washington. The first, `Deforestation in Armenia and the Path
to Recovery,’ was held at the World Bank on April 9, 2007. Panelists
included Frauke Jungbluth, senior rural development economist at the
World Bank, Jeffrey Tufenkian, president of Armenian Forests NGO, and
Jeff Masarjian, executive director of Armenia Tree Project.

The February 6 event is open to the public and it will be held from
6:30 to 8:00 pm at the World Bank, Building J (across 18th Street from
the main building), Room J-1-050 (Info Shop), in Washington. For more
information and to RSVP for the event, contact AEN Assistant Director
Serda Ozbenian at (443) 850-0146 or [email protected].

AZERI CAPTIVE SET FREE

armradio.am
01.02.2008 17:03

At the end of January 2008 Azerbaijani captive Samir Nazim-ogli
Mamedov was set free and sent to one of European countries, Press
Centre of RA National Security Service informed Radiolur.

Samir Mamedov was born in 1987 in Kirovabad city. According to him,
he grew up at children’s home and was deprived of parental care. On
December 24, 2006 Mamedov left the Azerbaijani army and passed to
the Armenian side from Ijevan region.

After yielding himself prisoner Mamedov refused to return to
Azerbaijan. As a result of discussions with representatives of
international organizations, Samir Mamedov chose one of the European
countries as asylum.

Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross
periodically visited Mamedov without any obstacle.

Press Centre of RA National Security Service informs that Samir
Nazim-ogli Mamedovleft Armenia completely healthy.

ACCORDING TO CONCLUSION OF MONITORING GROUP OF LEVON TER-PETROSIAN’S PREELECTION HEADQUARTERS, PERIOD OF PREPARATION OF ELECTIONS PASSED WITH MANY VIOLATIONS

Noyan Tapan
Jan 30, 2008

YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, NOYAN TAPAN. The period of preparation of the
elections, from December 9 to January 20, passed with many violations
of the requirements of the RA legislation, which can have an essential
impact on the electoral processes and voting results. The monitoring
group of the preelection headquarters of Levon Ter-Petrosian, a
candidate for presidency, drew such a conclusion. According to the
report provided to Noyan Tapan, the period under review is estimated
as obvious regress even in comparison with the previous elections.

According to the group’s conclusion, many violations were committed
by Public Television, mainly unprecedented anti-propaganda was carried
out against first RA President Levon Ter-Petrosian.

"The RA President instead of fulfilling his legislative commitments
in the direction of keeping the elections’ legality, made a
statement contradicting the law: if the first President runs for
the elections, we will adopt new tactics, new methods of struggle,"
the report mentioned. And candidate for presidency, Prime Minister
Serge Sargsian, according to the document’s authors, openly abuses his
official position using the state resources for his election campaign.

The monitoring group offers the state competent bodies discussing
the raised questions and immediately undertaking measures in the
direction of keeping elections’ legality. In particular, it is proposed
stopping Serge Sargsian’s commissions of Prime Minister and calling
the Chairman of the Constitutional Court for ensuring unreserved
fulfilment of requirements of the Constitution and Electoral Code by
the Constitutional Court.

LEGITIMATE PRESIDENT 2008 MOVEMENT DEMANDS THAT PROSECUTOR INVESTIGATE THREATS OF PRIME MINISTER’S BROTHER ADDRESSED TO OPPOSITION

Noyan Tapan
Jan 30, 2008

YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, NOYAN TAPAN. Today, on January 30, the
Coordination Council of the Legitimate President 2008 public-political
movement will send a letter to Aghvan Hovsepian, the RA Prosecutor
General, on the fact of threats addressed to the opposition by RA NA
Deputy Alexander Sargsian.

Garnik Margarian, the Chairman of the Homeland and Honor party,
said at the January 30 press conference of the movement.

In his words, in the letter the Coordination Council demands that the
Prosecutor institute criminal case against Sargsian or against medium,
which has published this information.

It should be mentioned that according to the December 27 publication
in the Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper, the Prime Minister’s brother,
RA MP A. Sargsian has stated in the presence of many people: "We have
laid out so many people in the parliament not for easily and calmly
letting others have the power.

We will lay out as many people as we did if necessary."

Gurgen Yeghiazarian, the former Deputy Head of the National Security
Service, expressed bewilderment about the negligence of the law
enforcement bodies. "If there is information about keeping arms or
threats to life in press, the Prosecutor’s Office is obliged to check
this information within 24 hours. Why hasn’t this been done by now,
while the case on the October 27 terrorist act is still being examined
by the Prosecutor’s Office?"

The participants of the press conference harshly criticized
the authorities for hampering the election campaign of the first
President. Among such steps they mentioned the arrest of four members
of Levon Ter-Petrosian’s headquarters in Talin with the accusation
of beating provoker Sargis Karapetian, who hampered holding of the
opposition rally in Talin, the arrest of the bodyguards of Aram
Sargsian, the Chairman of the Hanrapetutiun (Republic) party, and MP
Khachatur Sukiasian.

COMPLEMENTARY BUT ONLY WITH GEORGIA

Lragir
Jan 29 2008
Armenia

The presidential candidate Tigran Karapetyan complained of the foreign
policy of Armenia on January 29 at the Pastark Club.

According to Karapetyan, there is no foreign policy if the society
does not know what Robert Kocharyan and Ilham Aliyev discuss when
they meet. The candidate wonders why the records of their talks are
not released.

In presenting his idea of the foreign policy Tigran Karapetyan endorsed
the complementary policy with neighbors but only with Georgia, not
even with Iran. Why Mahmud Ahmadinejad avoided paying homage to the
victims of the Genocide at Tsitsernakaberd, Tigran Karapetyan asks
and concludes that in the Armenian and Iranian relations respect is
not mutual.

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Jan 26 2008

Turks "deeply hurt" by US election candidates’ comments on Armenian
allegations

Ankara, 26 January: Levent Bilman, spokesman of the Turkish MFA
[Ministry of Foreign Affairs] said Turkey felt regret over recent
statements of the US presidential candidates supporting the Armenian
allegations regarding the incidents of 1915.

The press release issued by Bilman said, "The attempts to cast a
shadow over our history in the name of competition among candidates
within a political party, deeply hurts the Turkish nation. We invite
the US presidential candidate nominees to act responsibly in regards
to both the past and future, to pay attention not to hurt an ally
country and its nation with baseless statements, and keep in mind in
this respect the delicacy of the Turkish-American relations."