Author: Zaminian Bedik

ARMROSGAZPROM PLANNING IPO IN 2007-2008

Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Business and Financial Newswire
May 22, 2006 Monday

ArmRosgazprom is planning to hold an initial public offering (IPO)
in 2007-2008 in order to raise resources to develop the company,
Karen Karapetian, CEO and general director of the Armenian-Russian
company, said at a Monday press conference.

The company is planning to conduct an international financial audit
first, he said. ArmRosgazprom has charter capital of $280 million.

The Armenian government owns 45% of the company, Gazprom (RTS: GAZP)
has another 45% and Itera (RTS: ITER) has 10%. Gazprom is planning
to increase its stake in the company.

ArmRosgazprom shares are growing in price, Karapetian said. In any
case, Itera periodically brings up the issue of selling its shares
in the company and selling them at a price higher than par value,
Karapetian said.

Possible changes in the company’s owners will not have an influence
on ArmRosgazprom management, since it was agreed that there would
not be any changes in management, Karapetian said. “In this respect,
I don’t see any problems if Armenia decides not to increase its stake
in company charter capital,” he said.

Gazprom and the Armenian government signed in April a strategic
agreement for 25 years, establishing the strategic principles for
cooperation in gas-energy projects in the country.

The document deals with the acquisition by ArmRosgazprom from the
Armenian government of a 40-km section of the Iran-Armenia pipeline,
currently under construction, and the fifth power-producing unit
at Razdan thermal power plant. Also, according to the agreement the
Armenian government is obliged to give ArmRosgazprom the function of
client for the 197-km second section of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline.

Preliminary purchase and sales agreements had to be signed by April
14, 2006 and the final transfer of right of ownership for these assets
should be carried out by January 1, 2007.

After the deal the Gazprom share in the ArmRosgazprom charter capital
will amount to a qualified majority of more than 75%.

ARMENIAN POLITICIAN CALL FOR REVOLUTION NOT EVOLUTION AFTER SPEAKER’S RESIGNATION

Aravot, Yerevan
18 May 06

Opposition politician Aram Sarkisyan has said that the only way
to solve problems in Armenia is by means of “a revolution”. In an
interview to the Armenian newspaper Aravot, he commented on Speaker
Artur Bagdasaryan’s resignation and said that Armenia may be forced to
hold an extraordinary presidential election soon because of President
Robert Kocharyan’s failure to establish control over the situation
in the country. The following is the text of Margarita Yesayan’s
report by Armenian newspaper Aravot on 18 May headlined “There is no
evolutionary way” and subheaded “The chairman of the Republic Party,
Aram Sarkisyan, drew this conclusion after the recent events”:

[Aravot correspondent] How do you assess what happened to the
Law-Governed Country Party [LGCP]? Such stories happen to almost all
political forces of Armenia from time to time and this is becoming
a bad tradition.

[Sarkisyan] The incumbent authorities have privatized almost all
spheres of the Armenian economy, as a result of which a monopolist
economy has taken shape. They are running the economy. Now they are
doing the same thing in the political field, trying to privatize it.

But this is a way that certainly leads to a catastrophe. We live in
the 21st century, but unfortunately, they are guided by the logic of
the 19th century.

[Correspondent] Do you think it is normal for a political force within
the government to always criticize the government and then defect to
the opposition for some reason?

[Sarkisyan] Every political force has its programme, goals and ideology
to pursue. Unfortunately, there are many adventurers parties of the
pro-government camp. Believe me if a similar process starts against
the Republican Party of Armenia [RPA], very few people will remain
with [Prime Minister] Andranik Markaryan than with [Speaker] Artur
Bagdasaryan. If a similar process starts against [Armenian President]
Robert Kocharyan or [Defence Minister] Serzh Sarkisyan, nobody will
remain with them. Those who left the LGCP had joined the party not
because of its ideology, but because they wanted to have a “roof”
[protection racket] for their business, evade taxes and acquire
property. Now that this “roof” does not exist any more and they can’t
get their slice of the government pie, those people went where they
could get such a slice.

[Correspondent] Can Robert Kocharyan use the current situation in his
own interests by telling international organizations that since there
is such a situation in the country, he cannot settle any problem and
give clear answers to the Karabakh issue?

[Sarkisyan] I agree with this view. Excuses like I broke my leg while
skiing, a foundation has to hold a meeting in the country and the
purely childish explanation that his watch is broken, do not work
any more. There is only one excuse: it is impossible to control the
domestic political situation. In turn, this might lead to more serious
threats. I think Robert Kocharyan’s failure to participate in a NATO
summit can be viewed in this context. The international community is
putting forward demands to him. He has put himself a situation and
I can’t help but feel sorry for him.

[Correspondent] Some people think that as a result of what happened
to Artur Bagdasaryan, Serzh Sarkisyan has found himself in a more
favourable position in the forthcoming presidential election. The
government had two likely presidential candidates and they are trying
to knock one of them out.

[Sarkisyan] I do not think Serzh Sarkisyan has gained anything. This
will not give him public support. What he lacks is public support
and real votes. Sarkisyan has administrative and financial resources
anyway. But I am sure that Armenia will end up in a force-majeur
situation and an extraordinary presidential election will be held
before the parliamentary election.

[Correspondent] If Artur Bagdasaryan defects to the opposition, do
you think he will unseat other opposition leaders, among whom there
are too many presidential contenders anyway?

[Sarkisyan] That is not right. There is too much room in the
opposition and any party that joins the opposition above all proves
that not everything is in order in the government and there is a
crisis. The more forces defect to the opposition, the easier it
becomes to overcome this crisis. But in our country everything is
the other way round. The opposition and authorities are determined
in elections, and in our country the opposition has always won the
election. Why do you think I don’t go to parliament? Because I think
it is illegitimate. If someone thinks that the previous election was
accompanied by violations and that future elections must be fair,
I regard this as a positive thing. The Republic Party has clearly
said that in this country, the only way to solve the problem is a
revolution. Artur Bagdasaryan tried to prove that there is also an
evolutionary way to solve problems. And here is the result. I think
he saw for himself that there is no evolutionary way. The only way
is a revolution.

FRENCH DRAFT PROPOSAL DISCUSSION BEGINS IN PARLIAMENT
By Anadolu News Agency, Paris

Zaman, Turkey
May 18 2006

The draft proposal, which was submitted by the Socialist Party to
parliament in France, and criminalizes denial of the Armenian genocide,
will receive parliamentary discussion as a second topic at today’s
sessions in the parliament.

In the statement that was earlier posted on the parliament web site,
the draft proposal put forward by the Socialists had been announced
to be handled as the third topic.

If discussion over the draft proposal remained after 1:30 pm,
discussions would begin again after October next year, the beginning
of a new legislation year.

Reportedly, treating the proposal as the second topic increases its
chances of being voted on if its discussion in parliamentary ends
before 1:30 pm local time.

NEW EDUCATION MINISTER INTRODUCED TO PERSONNEL

Armenpress
May 18 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS: Prime minister Andranik Margarian
introduced today the new education minister Levon Mkrtchian from the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) to the ministry’s personnel.

Margarian was quoted by government’s press office as saying that an
extensive set of reforms launched in education sector go on in tune
with the government-designed plan. He said also no crucial changes in
education policy are expected and all leading experts who have been
involved in carrying out reforms will continue to work. Margarian
thanked the outgoing minister Sergo Yeritsian from Orinats Yerkir
party.

Levon Mkrtchian’s appointment to the post has boosted ARF presence
in the government. Mkrtchian had already served as education and
science minister in 1998-1999 and 2001-2003. The outgoing minister
thanked the president, prime minister and the staff for the support
they showed to him during his term in office.

LAVROV: RUSSIA SPEAKS FOR STRENGTHENING NEIGHBORLY RELATIONS IN THE BLACK SEA REGION

Regnum, Russia
May 17 2006

Issues of Russia’s chairmanship in the Organization for Black Sea
Economic Cooperation (in May-October 2006), as well as problems of
intensifying and raising effectiveness of the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation Secretariat have become main issue of a meeting between
Sergey Lavrov with Secretary General of the organization Leonidas
Khrisantopulos, who assumed office on May 1, REGNUM is told in the
Russian embassy in Armenia.

During the meeting, Sergey Lavrov confirmed Russia’s adherence to the
principal policy of strengthening neighborly relations and stability
in Black Sea region, providing favorable conditions for trade and
economic cooperation. Russia is also interested in implementing within
frameworks of the organization initiatives on practical cooperation, in
particular, in transports or engineering, as well as in other fields,
the minister noted. According to him, Russia is persistent in pursuing
a policy in the Organization for Black Sea Economic Cooperation to
implement projects on renewing regular service between ports of the
Black Sea, extending cooperation in power engineering by connecting
electricity supply networks of the region and promote synchronization
of functioning of electricity supply networks of East and West Europe,
coordinated developing of transport corridors around the Black Sea,
particularly, highways.

An agreement was reached at the meeting about close cooperation of
the Russian foreign ministry and the secretariat in implementing
action scheduled for Russia’s chairmanship in the Organization for
Black Sea Economic Cooperation.

NEGATION DU GENOCIDE: LOGIQUE D’HISTORIENS CONTRE DOULEUR DES ARMENIENS
Par Isabelle Ligner

Agence France Presse
16 mai 2006 mardi 2:45 PM GMT

Des historiens denoncent la proposition de loi socialiste visant a
sanctionner la negation du genocide armenien de 1915, examinee jeudi
par l’Assemblee, tandis que des Armeniens disent leur douleur de voir
la France “s’incliner devant le negationnisme d’Etat de la Turquie”.

“Cette proposition de loi, comme toutes les lois memorielles, est
redoutable car elle tend a imposer des verites officielles qui vont
geler l’Histoire, interdire le debat”, assure a l’AFP l’historien
Jean-Pierre Azema, l’un des auteurs de la petition “Liberte pour
l’histoire” lancee en decembre et signee par 700 historiens, chercheurs
et enseignants. “C’est tout simplement aberrant en democratie”.

Parmi les signataires de la petition qui va deboucher sur une
association “de veille et de recours”, figurent des universitaires
comme Elisabeth Badinter, Marc Ferro ou Pierre Vidal-Naquet.

“La loi ne saurait dire le vrai, il faut lutter contre la
judiciarisation actuelle”, rappelle M. Azema. Avec les lois memorielles
sur l’esclavage, la colonisation ou le genocide armenien “des mauvais
coucheurs vont pouvoir traîner des enseignants en justice sous des
pretextes divers”, deplore-t-il.

“On ne manie pas les memoires avec des desseins electoraux”, accuse
M. Azema qui relève que la France s’expose a des “surenchères
communautaires”. “Dans le cas du Rwanda, pour lequel la definition
de genocide fonctionne très bien, la France, impliquee, n’envisage
curieusement pas de legiferer”, souligne-t-il.

Cette proposition de loi, qui a peu de chance d’etre adoptee, prevoit,
sur le modèle des lois contre le negationnisme de la Shoah, un an
d’emprisonnement et une amende de 45.OOO euros pour les auteurs de
declarations niant que les massacres d’Armeniens perpetres sur ordre
du gouvernement ottoman des Jeunes Turcs pendant la première guerre
mondiale entre 1915 et 1917 soit un genocide.

Elle vise a “completer” la loi du 29 janvier 2001 par laquelle l’Etat
francais – comme l’Onu, la Grèce, la Russie et le Parlement europeen
– a reconnu les massacres d’Armeniens comme le premier genocide du
20ème siècle.

La loi de 2001, comme la proposition de loi actuelle, a suscite la
colère d’Ankara. La Turquie admet des massacres de 300.000 Armeniens
mais parle de legitime defense assurant que les Armeniens combattaient
aux côtes des Russes et refute categoriquement le genocide de 1,2 a
1,5 million d’Armeniens.

Pour Seta Papazian, presidente du Collectif Van (Vigilance armenienne
contre le negationnisme), ce “negationniste de plus en plus virulent”
de la Turquie “ne laisse pas le choix, il faut legiferer afin que
la France cesse de s’incliner devant la Turquie qui allie chantage
et menaces”. Ankara a fait jouer son poids economique et a rappele
son ambassadeur a Paris pour consultation en avertissant que les
relations bilaterales pourraient etre durablement affectees.

Mme Papazian trouve ironique que l’on mette en avant la defense de la
liberte d’expression pour s’opposer a la proposition de loi “alors
qu’en Turquie, le simple fait d’evoquer le genocide est passible de
10 ans de prison”.

En France recemment, des associations franco-turques ont celebre Talaat
Pacha, ministre de l’Interieur ottoman qui orchestra le genocide. “Pour
nous, c’est comme si l’on celebrait Hitler”, assure Mme Papazian. “Le
negationnisme nous tue en permanence dans les medias, sur internet. Il
n’y a pas a tergiverser, il nous faut une loi, il y a des limites a
la liberte d’expression”.

–Boundary_(ID_2MEufMWZ4x8Fq5CZ7dg 2FA)–

RUSSIA AND AMERICA TO RECOGNIZE INDEPENDENCE OF KARABAKH IF THEY REACH A CONSENSUS

Lragir.am
17 May 06

The South Caucasian states are not capable of solving the question of
peace and stability in the region, said political scientist Andranik
Mihranyan May 17 in Yerevan. He supports his words with the fact that
the South Caucasian countries do not have sufficient experience to be a
subject of the international law. Therefore, says Andranik Mihranyan,
regional stability and security was constantly maintained by centers
of power and great powers from the outside.

The Russian politician says the reality constantly shatters peace
in the Caucasus, and the problem longs for the intervention of
great powers. Emphasizing the fact of the race involving Russia
and the United States, Andranik Mihranyan suggests, nevertheless,
that these two countries may go on to cooperate and adopt mutually
favorable decisions.

“If Russia and the United States reach a consensus on the independence
of Kosovo, they may also recognize the independence of Abkhazia, South
Osetia and Nagorno Karabakh,” says Andranik Mihranyan. According
to him, it will allow resolving the minor conflicts in the South
Caucasus and focus on civilization problems related to the region,
such as the Iranian problem, says Andranik Mihranyan. He does not
exclude that after reaching a consensus on minor problems the great
powers may come to an agreement on global controversies.

AZERI AND TURKISH SCHOLARS UNITE IN ANTI-ARMENIAN STRUGGLE

PanARMENIAN.Net
15.05.2006 17:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ To make the international community “aware” of the
Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire Azeri and Turkish scholars
will form a joint working group. The decision was made at Armenian
Issue in the History of Azerbaijan and Turkey international conference
May 15. Head of the Department of Turkish History, professor Yusuf
Khalachoglu, and rector of the Baku State University, Abel Maharramov,
signed Baku declaration. The second item of the document envisages
the establishment of the joint working group. Along with Maharramov
and Khalachoglu, the head of the Institute of Azerbaijani History,
Yagub Mahmudov, and the chairman of ATIB, Ahmed Erentok are to be
other 2 co-chairs of the group.

The working group will meet every 3 moths in Baku and Ankara by
turn. The first gathering will be held in Ankara. Moreover, in
compliance with the Baku Declaration, with respect to inform the
international community about “the Khojaly tragedy, as well as those
that happened from the beginning of the 20th century to 1992,” it
was resolved to establish a Coordinating Center to be governed by ATIB.

BAGHDASSARYAN POSITIVE ABOUT TIGRAN TOROSYAN’S NOMINATION FOR NA SPEAKER

PanARMENIAN.Net
13.05.2006 17:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ As Artur Baghdassaryan told journalists yesterday
he positively assesses the nomination of vice-speaker Tigran Torosyan
for the post of the National Assembly chairman. To remind, May 11 at
the sitting of the political council of Orinats Yerkir party it was
decided that the party will secede from the ruling coalition. Yesterday
Artur Baghdassaryan announced of his resignation.

DRAUGHT YEAR 2001

Lragir.am
13 may 06

In 2011 the secondary schools of Armenia will not have alumni,
announced the deputy minister of education Norayr Ghukasyan on May
11. Fortunately, it will last for only a year. The `eclipse of alumni’
is determined by the transition to eleven-year secondary education in
2001. Children who went to school in 2000 will study for 10 years and
will leave school in 2010. Children who went to school in 2001 will
study for 11 years and will leave school in 2012, and the secondary
schools will have no alumni for a year. However, it is good that the
teaching staffs learn this several years ahead. It is bad for the
alumni of 2010, however. If no one is going to leave school in 2011,
and consequently fewer students will go to universities, the income of
the school and university teachers will go down, because there will be
no one to buy presents for teachers and there will be less bribing and
presents on admittance. And since the teaching staffs learned this
years ahead, the `scrupulous’ representatives of this system will
surely try to fill the gap of this drought’ year the year that will
come before, in other words, the alumni of 2010 will have to `pay’ for
the alumni-free year too. It is also possible, however, that the
scrupulous teachers and professors start thinking for themselves in
2006, to fill in the gap of 2011 little by little. In this case, the
burden of the alumni of 2010 will be divided to the upcoming five
years.

However, it is also possible that the burden of `compensation’ is laid
on the shoulders of the alumni of the year coming after the year of
`drought’.

In other words, they may begin spending more than the alumni before
2011. In that case we may be sure that it will become a fixed price,
and will never drop. And who knows, maybe the transition to an 11-year
school education in 2001 was intended to create an artificial deficit
of alumni to cause the prices go up. In economy when they want to
increase the price of a product, they create an artificial
deficit. And we know that by a tradition of decades the system of
education has come to form a visibly essential part of the GDP of
Armenia, even though its black structure.