Author: Nalbandian Eduard

ACCORDING TO PRESS SERVICE OF GREAT VALLEY COMPANY, MASS MEDIA DISTORTS REAL FACTS OF INCIDENT WITH TIGRAN ARZAKANTSIAN IN MOSCOW

Noyan Tapan
May 03 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 3, NOYAN TAPAN. In connection with the incident that
happened in Moscow wih Tigran Arzakantsian, RA National Assembly
deputy, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Great Valley company, the
company’s press service issued a statement “Deputy Tigran Arzakantsian
refutes fabrications”, which is presented below: “The Armenian mass
media covered in April the incident that happened in Moscow with
RA National Assembly deputy, Chairman of Board of Directors of the
Great Valley company Tigran Arzakantsian. The published information
completely distorts the reality, discrediting Mr T. Arzakantsian. In
this connection the press service of Great Valley company considers
it necessary to provide the following explanations. T. Arzakantsian
was in Moscow in March 2006. Late March 28, at the request of a
friend’s family members, he had to go to the Kutuzov Hall Casino in
order to keep a close acquaintance, who was capable of losing his
self-control in gambling excitement, from wasting a large amount
of money. Mr Arzakantsian himself did not participate in the game
but his actions aroused discontent of the casino management. They
invited Mr Arzakantsian to the office of one of the casino owners
under the nickname of Arik Grek to have a talk with him. In the office,
more than 20 armed bullyboys suddenly attacked T. Arzakantsian in the
presence of Grek, as a result of which Arzakantsian received serious
injuries, including brain injuries, and lost his consciousness. The
attackers also stole T. Arzakantsian’s valuable items. Their criminal
actions were stopped by the deputy’s friend who took him to hospital
where he received the necessary medical aid. When a few days later
T. ARzakantsian regained consciousness, Moscow law enforcers had
already opened a criminal case on the charges of inflicting severe
bodily injuries and robbery. The Russian colleagues of the deputy
– members of the Armenian-Russian interparliamentary cooperation
commission sent a letter to the RF Minister of Internal Affairs
R. Nurgaliev, Director of the Federal Service of Security N. Patrushev
and the Private Security Service of the RF Ministry of Internal
Affairs. “In connection with high status of the sufferer, we request
to give an assignment to check the process of investigation into the
criminal case,” the letter of a group of deputies reads. Mr Tigran
Arzakantsian is currently undergoing treatment in Moscow medical
institutions. He flatly refutes any discrediting information about
his debts and nonpayments, saying that he has no debt to any casinos
or their customers. Now he is only concerned with the problem of his
health, and the recovery will be a lasting one due to the serious
injuries he suffered. But Mr Tigran Arzakantsian intends to demand
printed refutation of the incorrect information spread by mass media,
while in case of refusal he is going to achieve restoration of his
honor and dignity by legal means. Deputy T. Arzakantsian is prepared
to provide explanations in person to the press after he returns
to Yerevan.”

HUNT FOR ARMENIA AIR CRASH BODIES

BBC NEWS:
europe/4967464.stm
2006/05/03 11:12:35 GMT

Bad weather is slowing recovery of the bodies of 113 people killed
when a plane flying from Armenia to southern Russia crashed into the
Black Sea.

The Airbus A320 crashed at about 0215 local (2215 GMT) as it made
a second attempt to land at an airport near the Russian resort town
of Sochi.

It was initially refused permission to land because of poor weather,
which investigators blame for the crash.

All aboard died but only 38 bodies have been recovered from the water
so far.

Both Russia and Armenia have declared a day of mourning on 5 May,
the Kremlin said.

I was waiting for a call from my mother that she had arrived OK. But
she did not phone, so I phoned myself and heard that this accident
had happened Khapet Tadevosyan Victim’s relative

Officials co-ordinating the recovery effort say that emergency teams
have discovered baggage, life jackets, body parts and wreckage at
the spot where the aircraft plunged into the water.

Russian television showed footage of small boats returning to shore
with debris that they had picked up from the crash scene.

More than 20 vessels are involved in the recovery operation, but
weather conditions are preventing the use of aircraft.

‘Disappeared from radar’

The plane had been making a short flight of about an hour from the
Armenian capital Yerevan.

Reports said it was carrying 85 Armenian citizens, 26 Russians, one
Georgian and one Ukrainian. Among those on board were eight crew and
five children.

According to a Russian emergency official, the aircraft “disappeared
from radar screens as it was making another emergency landing attempt”.

“It plunged into the sea at an angle of 60 degrees,” Viktor Beltsov
said.

Armavia, the airline which owned the plane, say that it was in good
condition and that the crew were experienced.

The chief of the main civil aviation department in the Armenian
government also said the plane had passed planned checks and repairs
in April, Itar-Tass news agency reports.

Terrorism has been ruled out as a cause.

“The only thing that can be said about versions of what has happened
is that the version of a terrorist act has been fully excluded,” a
spokesperson for the Russian prosecutor-general’s office was quoted
as saying by Itar-Tass.

The Russian prosecutor general’s office announced it had launched
criminal proceedings for violation of air traffic procedures leading
to loss of life, according to the AFP news agency.

Sochi is a popular Russian seaside resort, near the border with
Georgia.

Stunned relatives sat quietly awaiting news at Adler airport just
outside Sochi and at the airport in Yerevan.

“I was waiting for a call from my mother that she had arrived OK. But
she did not phone, so I phoned myself and heard that this accident
had happened,” Khapet Tadevosyan, 32, told Reuters news agency as he
stood in the Yerevan airport building.

“She flew to Sochi to see her sisters, whom she hadn’t seen for 15
years,” he said.

RA AMBASSADOR TO EGYPT VISITS SOUTH AFRICA TO HAND CREDENTIALS TO PRESIDENT OF REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA AND TO HAVE OFFICIAL MEETINGS

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 03 2006

PRETORIA, MAY 3, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Ambassador of Armenia
to Egypt Ruben Karapetian was in South Africa on April 17-26 to hand
credentials to the President of the country and to hold official
meetings. The official ceremony of handing credentials took place
in Pretoria on April 18. Ambassador of Armenia Ruben Karapetian and
President of South Africa Thabo Mbeki exchanged greetings during
what the President appreciated appointment of the RA Ambassador to
the Republic of South Africa for the first time, expressing a hope
that development of bilateral relations will be of a more practical
and successive character from now on. Then a private conversation
took place between the Ambassador of Armenia and the RSA President,
during which the necessity of activizing cooperation in all directions
was bilaterally emphasized, those long-lasting spheres were mentioned
where a great potential exists, particularly, in the spheres of diamond
manufacturing, information technologies, agriculture, wine-making,
food industry as well as health care, tourism and education. Ruben
Karapetian presented Thabo Mbeki the fundamental principles and primary
tasks of the foreign policy of Armenia, relations of Armenia with
countries of the region and the present stage of settlement process
of the Nagorno Karabakh problem. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the
RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information Department, in Pretoria
the Ambassador had meetings with the Health Care Minister, Deputy
Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Industry, Agriculture,
the Chairman of the Commerce and Industry Chamber and businessmen. The
Ambassador participated and had a speech in Johannesburg on April
23 in the event dedicated to the memory of the Genocide victims. The
event was organized by the newly founded Armenian Association of South
Africa. Ruben Karapetian visited Cape Town on April 24-26 where he met
with the Chairman of the Western Cape Investment and Trade Promotion
Agency (WESGRO), the Director of the Center for Agricultural
Researches. The Ambassador visited wine-making regions out of Cape Town
and had practical discussions with heads of big companies of the sphere
of wine-making, concerning possibilities of implementing technological
investments, exchange of exprience and joint researches. During his
visit to South Africa, Ambassador Ruben Karapetian gave two interviews
to Pretoria and Cape Town dailies with the biggest print run.

“GRAND” INSURANCE COMPANY WILL PAY COMPENSATION TO “ARMAVIA” AIR COMPANY

Panorama.am
16:06 03/05/06

“Grand” Insurance Company is ready to pay the compensation to air
companies “Armavia” in accordance to the Insurance agreement clause
on third party liability – the managing director of “Grand” Artak
Antonyan said to Panorama reporter. In his words the air-craft A-320
was insured also by CASCO (insurance of vehicles against total loss
or partial damage, resulting from fire, theft, malicious acts of
third parties, natural disasters, road accidents, etc).

Presently the amount of the insurance indemnity is being
defined. Antonyan reported that “Grand “reached preliminary agreement
with re-insuring company about compensation payment.

PARIS MUNICIPALITY MARKS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ANNIVERSARY

Armenpress
May 1 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 1, ARMENPRESS: Some 1,500 government officials, diplomats,
religious leaders, members of the Armenian community and journalists
were present at an April 28 reception organized by the municipality
of Paris to commemorate the victims of the Armenian genocide.

The municipality has been holding this reception for six years
now. Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoe and Armenian ambassador to France,
Edward Nalbandian, addressed the present. The solidarity of the French
people with Armenia, reflected particularly, in France’s official
recognition of the Armenian genocide, was highlighted.

Special events to honor the genocide victims were also held in many
towns of the Paris region. The authorities of Iles de France, that
embraces Paris with all its suburbs, have decided to print 500,000
copies of a booklet educating the Armenian genocide and distribute
it to schools.

TURKEY’S ACCESSION TO EU WILL AUTOMATICALLY MAKE ANKARA RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.05.2006 21:46 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey’s accession to EU will automatically make
Ankara recognize the Armenian Genocide of 1915, head of the Center for
Military Forecasting of Moscow Institute for Political and Military
Analysis Anatoly Tsyganok told journalists.

“Besides that problem Turkey has a number of unsettled problems
and disputes today, including territorial ones and those with
neighboring countries,” he remarked during his speech at Caucasus 2005
international conference in Yerevan. Besides, in Tsyganok’s opinion,
in case of accession to the EU Turkey will have to reconsider its
attitude towards opening of the border with Armenia, as well as
towards mass destruction of Armenian monuments in the territory of
Nakhichevan by Azeri military, reports Novosti Armenia.

PM MARGARYAN: CREATION OF WORK PLACES IN JAVAKHETIA PRIORITY ISSUE

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.05.2006 22:00 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Republican Party of Armenia has many times
expressed its position on the situation in the Armenian-inhabited
Samtskhe-Javakheti region of Georgia, Armenian Prime Minister
Andranik Margaryan stated in an interview published on his party’s
website. First of all, he said, socio-economic conditions should be
created to prevent Armenians from leaving Javakhetia. “Hard social
conditions are common to all the regions of Georgia, however during
the meetings with the Georgian authorities we raise this issue and
urge a special attitude towards Javakhetia,” Andranik Margaryan
said. According to him, Armenia is ready to render assistance to the
projects implemented in Javakhetia. “Unfortunately the Georgian party
did not undertake any steps except promises. Although the restoration
of the roads in the region is included in the Millennium Challenges
Account we should create new work places and economic infrastructures
in Javakhetia, since many Armenians will remain unemployed after the
withdrawal of the Russian military base. In his words, it not the
time to introduce any political claims but if the bill calling for
the model of a federal state is discussed in Georgia, the Javakheti
issue should be taken into account.

ARMENIA IN MOST FAVORABLE STATE AS TO CONFORMITY TO MAASTRICHT CRITERIA

Yerevan, April 28. ArmInfo. Armenia is in the most favorable state as
to conformity to Maastricht Treaty criteria. The treaty, which came
into force in 1993, determines the fiscal convergence criteria and
single currency for EU member-states. Armenian Central Bank Chairman,
Tigran Sargsyan, stated in his report at the International Conference
“Caucasus 2005,” Friday. The event organizer is Caucasus Media
Institute (CMI).

According to Tigran Sargsyan, Armenia is in the low inflation zone due
to an effective monetary policy, international organizations
say. Moreover, unlike Azerbaijan and Georgia, the Armenian CB has
toughened its policy in the period of heavy pressure by political
circles and economic entities demanding stable foreign exchange rate
and not low inflation. Armenia displayed a strong political will
starting inflation targeting in 2006, T. Sargsyan believes. It
required introduction of necessary monetary policy instruments. Both
Azerbaijan and Georgia need at least 3 years to start targeting
inflation, Tigran Sargsyan said.

As regards the monetary policy of Georgia, T. Sargsyan thinks that one
can expect serious problems with inflation and the macroeconomic
situation, on the whole, within the coming years. The National Bank of
Georgia may face such problems for lack of relevant instruments of
effective monetary policy. In addition, state budget deficit
management remains a real problem as in 2005 the Georgian Government
resolved to stop budget deficit financing at the expense of the
internal debt and had to curtail the market of government treasury
bonds. It may aggravate the monetary policy problems in
future. “Monetary authorities can not manage the instruments
effectively without the secondary market,” T. Sargsyan said.

Regarding Azerbaijan, due to the high level of dollarization and the
existing monetary policy, it will evidently occur in the most
vulnerable position within the coming 5 years, T. Sargsyan
said. “Curbing of the US dollar will inevitably result in an inflation
pressure on economy and, in fact, on a long-term interest rate. The
Azerbaijani Government prefers fighting inflation by administrative
measures that lead to accumulation of inflationary potential and to
future marcoeconomic problems,” Tigran Sargsyan said.

In his words, only Armenia could successfully establish an effective
market of long-term internal acknowledgement of debt. Now, Armenia is
the only country in the South Caucasus to place long-term bonds for 15
years and at an interest below 10 percent. “Our neighbors will fail to
do the same as they operate in quite a different direction curtailing
the activity in the sphere only because of ineffective previous
years,” he said.

Development of financial sector and increase in the financial
mediation remains one of the major problems of the South Caucasian
states. These indicators are rather low in all the three states,
Tigran Sargsyan said. Thus, bank assets-GDP ratio in all these states
are below 20%, which hampers the effective monetary policy and has
quite an unfavorable impact on the long-term interest rate. All the
three states lack institutions regulating collective investment
schemes i.e. they lack corporation securities market. Insurance
markets are in embryo. The pension reform to enhance accumulation of
financial resources is underway only in Armenia, and the
implementation rates are not satisfactory, he said.

Nevertheless, given the investment attraction policy of the three
states, the harmony of their indicators with Maastricht Criteria
within the coming years will much depend on their macroeconomic and
monetary policy in conditions of an intensive influx of capital.

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
April 28 2006

PRESIDENT MEETS WITH AZERBAIJAN COMMUNITY
[April 28, 2006, 17:35:55]

President Ilham Aliyev on 27 April in his residence in Washington has
met with members of the Azerbaijan community in the United States.

Ambassador of Azerbaijan to USA Hafiz Pashayev, opening the meeting
said Heydar Aliyev constantly took care of the Azerbaijan Diaspora
and regularly met with them during his visits to foreign countries.
Noting that currently the Azerbaijan state gives great importance to
relations with Diaspora, the Ambassador expressed gratitude to
President Aliyev to meet with compatriots. Hafiz Pashayev said the
compatriots had become very active last years, taken part at the 2nd
Congress of World Azerbaijanis in Baku, held a meeting of protest in
the United States, including on the Khojaly genocide.

President Aliyev gave speech at meeting, noting Azerbaijan is quickly
developing country. Its ties with world countries expand day by day.
Azerbaijan has efficient cooperation and with the United States and
these relations rapidly develops, he stressed.

President said along with diplomatic means Azerbaijan also needs
strong Diaspora to rise image and hold up Azerbaijan’s position over
the world.

Head of the Azerbaijan state said the main efforts are directed to
settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict. He
stressed necessity of strengthening activity in this direction. To
this end, President of Azerbaijan said activity of the embassies in
foreign countries becomes very important. The establishments should
communicate the world with the truth about the conflict and its
sequences, the reason of the Armenian claims. `Our propaganda should
base on reality’, he stressed.

President of Azerbaijan also necessitated the close coordination
among the Azeri communities and act on common plan, from common
position.

President of Azerbaijan Society of America (ASA) Tomris Azeri,
President of America-Azerbaijan Council Ceyhun Mollazade, the
American representative of the World Azerbaijanis’ Congress and
others spoke of the importance of meeting, and told their
suggestions. President Ilham Aliyev appreciated the offer on creation
of America-Azerbaijan Federation.

The President once again emphasized the importance of coordination of
efforts for common goals, gave his recommendations to set in motion
the more and more people around the Diaspora.

OFFICIAL OPENING OF NEW SEASON OF YEREVAN ZOOLOGICAL PARK TAKES PLACE
ON MAY 1

YEREVAN, APRIL 28, NOYAN TAPAN. The official opening of the season
will take place in solemn conditions in the Zoological park of Yerevan
on May 1. As Sahak Abovian, the Director of the park informed the
Noyan Tapan correspondent, works of cosmetic restoration, tree
planting were implemented in the park this year as well, for what the
Yerevan Mayor’s Office allocated 3 mln drams (about 6.7 thousand
U.S. dollars). It was also mentioned that there are 2300 animals of
190 types in the park at present.