Author: Chilingarian Babken

HSBC LOANS ELECTRICITY NETWORK OF ARMENIA $5 MLN TO FINANCE INVESTMENT PROGRAM

Interfax
Dec 17 2008
Russia

Electricity Network of Armenia and the Armenian subsidiary of HSBC have
signed an agreement under which the company will receive a six-year
loan totaling $5 million to finance its existing investment program,
Russian electricity importer/exporter Inter RAO UES said in a statement
on its website.

In addition, a part of the funds will be spent on refinancing
short-term loans the company took to cover investment expenses in
2006- 2007.

Electricity Network of Armenia has a monopoly on the sale of
electricity to consumers throughout Armenia. The company was privatized
in 2002. Inter RAO bought out the company in 2005 for $70 million.

The company had sales of $237 million in 2007 and investment of $35
million. The company predicts sales will grow to $275 million in 2008
and investment to $38 million.

HAS THE ARMENIAN-CAPTURED AZERBAIJANI SOLDIER DECIDED NOT TO RETURN TO HIS COUNTRY?

Today.Az
cs/49690.html
Dec 19 2008
Azerbaijan

Armenian mass medias claim that Armenian-captured Azerbaijani army
soldier Rafik Hasanov rejects to return to the country.

According to Novosti-Armenia, Hasanov’s appeal was shown on the
Armenian television. In his appeal Hasanov announced that in the
Azerbaijani army he was subjected to abuse and humiliation.

According to the TV material, Hasanov said that he not bearing the
humiliations he purposely wounded his leg, after which he was treated
in the hospital. Yet after this the humiliations did not stop.

The serviceman is said to tell that Armenians treat him well and sent
his warm greetings to the parents, relatives noting that he does not
intend to return to Azerbaijan.

It should be noted that earlier it was reported that Hasanov’s parents
said they got a letter from their son in which he wrote: "I thought
much and decided to return to the country, to my mom… See you soon".

Soldier of N military unit of the Azerbaijan Defense Minister Hasanov
Rafig (1989) was captured by Armenians on October 8 of this year on
the contact line in the direction of the Gazakh region.

PACE DRAFT RESOLUTION IS AIMED AGAINST REGIME ACTING IN ARMENIA, ARMENIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS STATES

Noyan Tapan

Dec 19, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN. The draft resolution approved by
the PACE Monitoring Committee "is aimed not against Armenia and its
people, but against the regime acting in Armenia." It was mentioned
in the statement of the Armenian National Congress.

According to the statement, "this decision’s whole responsibility lays
on the very regime, which disregarding both the commitments assumed
by the state and many appeals and requirements of Council of Europe,
European and other authoritative international structures, for many
months keeps in prisons dozens of political prisoners, grossly violates
the most important norms of meetings, marches, freedom of expression,
and human rights."

"Welcoming PACE monitoring group’s latest decision as a step
contributing to restoration of democracy and human rights in Armenia,
the Armenian National Congress once more officially calls international
structures for using only such sanctions, the target of which will be
not the country, but the anti-popular regime and the goal establishment
of democracy and legality in the country," the ANC statement read.

EDWARD NALBANDIAN RECEIVES A GROUP OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM FOREIGN NEWS AGENCIES ARRIVED IN ARMENIA ON THE OCCASION OF 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF "ARMENPRESS" NEWS AGENCY

ARMENPRESS
Dec 18, 2008
YEREVAN

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian received today a group of
representatives of foreign news agencies who arrived on the occasion
of 90th anniversary of "Armenpress" news agency.

Accompanied by the executive director of "Armenpress" news agency
Hrayr Zoryan, deputy editor-in-chief of ITAR-TASS Aleksey Berezhkov,
first deputy general director of Belarus’ "BELTA" news agency Igor
Lutski, deputy general director of "Ukrinform" Anatoli Mikhailov,
general director of "MOLDPRES" news agency Valeru Renita were hosted
in the Armenian Foreign Ministry.

Spokesman for the foreign minister Tigran Balayan said that
E. Nalbandian presented to the guests the main directions and
priorities of the Armenia’s foreign policy, the current round
of Nagorno Karabakh conflict regulation process, opportunity of
establishment of Armenian-Turkish relations, relations with EU,
approaches towards a number of regional issues.

LEADER OF DEMOCRATIC PARTY: ONE MORE REASON WHY THE ARMENIAN SOCIETY IS DISINTEGRATED IS THAT THE ARMENIAN OPPOSITION IS LED BY THE FIRST PRESIDENT LEVON TER-PETROSSYAN

ArmInfo
2008-12-17 13:13:00

One more reason why the Armenian society is disintegrated is that the
Armenian opposition is led by the first president of Armenia Levon
Ter-Petrossyan, the leader of the Democratic Party of Armenia Aram
Sargsyan said during a press-conference today.

Sargsyan said that, when today the entourage of Ter-Petrossyan is
complaining of repressions, he is experiencing a kind of deja vu. In
1995 and 1996 the Armenian National Movement led by Ter-Petrossyan
rigged parliamentary and presidential elections and, when the
opposition tried to protest, applied tough repressions. It was ANM
who gave start to this vicious system of terror, electoral fraud and
violence and now it has boomeranged on its own self. If the present
opposition was led by another person, the Armenian society would be
much more integrated.

The member of the ANM, ex chairman of the standing parliamentary
commission on foreign relations Hovhannes Igityan does not agree with
Sargsyan’s position.

In 1996, when the raging crowd stormed the parliament building and beat
the speaker of the parliament Babken Ararktsyan and the vice speaker
Ara Sahakyan, the authorities arrested just 6 people, including several
MPs. A few days later the MPs were set free and none of the detainees
was prosecuted. "What is going on today looks like revenge: almost
70 political prisoners are in jail just because 12 and 13 years ago
there were not very fair elections in Armenia," Igityan said.

Sargsyan said that the Mar 1 events in Yerevan happened because of
the first and the second presidents of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrossyan
and Robert Kocharyan. "All the others are just the executors of their
will. Until they are punished, there will be no unity in society,"
Sargsyan said.

As regards the Jan 2009 PACE session, Sargsyan said that, if Armenia
is deprived of the voting right, it will be a big blow for the
country. "What will we do then? Congratulate each other? We must get
together so as to jointly avoid this shame," Sargsyan said.

Igityan said that PACE’s tough assessments were enough and Armenia
must not be deprived of its voting right.

IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO RETURN

A1+
[07:59 pm] 16 December, 2008

Who must apologize on behalf of the Republic of Armenia for
disrespecting all Diaspora Armenians by denying Jirair Sefilyan and
when?" asked the administration today historian, Diaspora Armenian
Gevorg Yazrchyan taking into account the fact that the President,
the Catholicos of All Armenians, the Prime Minister, the Diaspora
Minister and others have already apologized for the deprivations
and issues that those who repatriated in 1946-1948 faced during the
conference "The Great Repatriation of 1946-1948 and lessons learned"
held December 12-14 in Tsakhkadzor.

Did you ask the state officials the question regarding Sefilyan’s
citizenship during the conference? In response to this, Yazrchyan said:

"No, that issue was raised in front of everyone by Syrian Armenian
Garbis Lepenjyan."

Yazrchyan marked that during the conference, the RA administration
accepted that the reasons behind the huge flow of emigration from
Armenia are not socio-economic, but rather legal. "People are not
coming back to the homeland due to scandalous injustices and they
leave for the same reason."

One of the members of the Armenian Volunteers’ Union Hayk Nahapetyan
made some references to the speeches made by state officials during the
conference. Serzh Sargsyan said: "Our government will do everything it
can to contribute to the establishment and preservation of Armenian
identity, as well as repatriation. The homeland of all Armenians is
always waiting for its children. It is never too late to return."

The prime minister’s speech was rather inspiring as well: "We are
witnessing the formation of a new world order and we don’t have
the right to make mistakes or wrong predictions so that we won’t
have to apologize again for implementing a fruitless repatriation
program." After making references to the speeches, Nahapetyan appealed
to the gathered:

"Do you think that our fellow Armenians in the Diaspora will take
these words seriously, or the reality that non-Armenian citizen
Lebanese Armenian Jirair Sefilyan is living in?"

Hayrapetyan considers the denial of Sefilyan’s appeals as the decision
of diminutive and evil people at the top of the ruling pyramid.

Sefilyan’s last appeal for RA citizenship was denied on November
18. "This attitude not only shows illegality and injustice out in the
open, but also the waywardness of Armenians, especially for somebody
dedicated to his nation. We will do everything we can to put an end
to the waywardness of this administration."

Members of the Armenian Volunteers’ Union explain the RA
administration’s decision to not grant citizenship to Sefilyan by the
enmity of the administration, which doesn’t forgive critics regardless
of whether they are locals or Diaspora Armenians.

FIGURE SKATING SCHOOL AFTER YEVGENY PLYUSHCHENKO TO OPEN IN YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.12.2008 15:16 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A figure skating school named after Olympic champion
Yevgeny Plyushchenko will open in the Yerevan Sports and Concert
Complex on December 27.

"We are negotiating with Mr. Plyushchenko, whose participation in the
project will be very helpful," Hovik Muradyan, a stockholder of Bamo
company, the owner of the SCC, told a news conference in Yerevan today.

"The fee will be affordable. Furthermore, lessons will be free of
charge for 25 per cent of pupils," he added.

Yevgeny Plyushchenko himself arrived in Yerevan to attend the opening
ceremony and give a master class. On December 27 and 28, he will
present his famous show.

"I want to make a contribution to development of figure skating in
Armenia. We are also negotiating to invite coaches and specialists
from Russia," he said, adding that the best Armenian pupils will take
part in his ice shows.

IS RADIO LIBERTY FUNCTIONING ON THE OCCUPIED AZERBAIJANI LANDS?

Today.Az
/49586.html
Dec 15 2008
Azerbaijan

The information about the operation of the Liberty radio on the
occupied lands of Azerbaijan has partially been confirmed.

Day.Az reports with reference to sources in the Liberty radio that
a correspondent started working as a freelancer for the Armenian
service of the radio in Khankendi.

It was noted that the correspondent point is not implied.

It should be reminded that on December 13 Day.Az reported with
reference to the Kavkazskiy uzel about the resumption of the activity
of the Azadlyg radio correspondent point in Khankendi which was
approved by the leaders of the separatist regime in the occupied
lands of Azerbaijan.

Sources in the official structures of Azerbaijan told our correspondent
that the intentions of the Liberty radio, which wants to get
information from the occupied lands of Azerbaijan are understandable.

Head of the Baku office of the Azadlyg radio Khadija Ismaylova told
Day.Az that Khankendi always had a freelance correspondent and in
this case one correspondent can just be replaced with another.

"Khankendi never had a correspondnet point of the Liberty Radio except
for a freelance correspondent. The information about the resumption
of activity of Liberty Radio in Nagorno Karabakh after 15 years of
interval is incorrect as all this time, the radio was present there",
said Ismaylova.

It should be noted that the plans of the Libery Radio with their
correspondent in Khankendi astonishingly "coincided" with the plans
of the National Television and Radio Council of Azerbaijan to halt
transmission of foreign radio stations, including Liberty radio on the
national frequencies of Azerbaijan, which is more likely a demarche.

On the background of the negative attitude of official Baku to foreign
companies, working in the occupied lands, we consider that this issue
will get due response.

COMMITTEE URGES HATSPANYAN TO STOP HUNGER-STRIKE

A1+
[03:21 pm] 15 December, 2008

The committee for the protection of Armenian political prisoners urged
political prisoner Sargis Hatspanyan to stop hunger-strike staged since
December 1. "Termless hunger-strike is the extreme and desperate form
of protest one resorts to in case he loses the faith in a successful
outcome of the struggle. We have no doubt and we are convinced that
you share our opinion that our struggle will end in victory. We need
not only devotees like you but also healthy and viable brothers-in-arms
to crown our victory," runs the Committee’s the appeal.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: info@armenianorthodoxchurch.org
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I MEETS WITH PATRIARCH SFEIR

His Holiness Aram I met with the Maronite Patriarch, His Beatitude Cardinal
Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir in Bekerke on December 12. The Primate of the
Diocese of Lebanon, Bishop Kegham Khatcherian and the Catholicosate of
Cilicia’s Ecumenical Officer Bishop Nareg Alemezian accompanied the Pontiff.

The meeting between the two spiritual heads coincided with the return of His
Holiness Aram I recently from an official trip to the Vatican, where he had
also extensively discussed issues related to Lebanon and the Christian
presence in the Middle East during his meetings with Vatican officials.

In addition to this Vatican visit, the talks between the two spiritual heads
included various issues related to the Middle East and Lebanon. His Holiness
Aram I told Patriarch Sfeir that during his talks with the Pope and with the
Secretary of State, he had highlighted the political situation in Lebanon
and the Middle East.

Referring to the current situation in Lebanon, the two spiritual leaders
emphasized the importance of giving more concrete manifestation to the
national unity.

##
View the photos here:
tos/Photos348.htm
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.