AZG Armenian Daily #052, 23/03/2006

Armenian Genocide

AFTER THE ANTI-ARMENIAN RALLIES IN LION

Prefect Jean Pierre Lacroix of Rouen, France, made a
statement on the ban of rallies of Turkish
organizations denying the Armenian Genocide. When the
Armenian Association of France accused Lacroix of
failing to stop the April 24 rally against erecting a
monument to the Armenian Genocide victims, the Rouen
perfect stated that the law did not allow him to do
so. Today he has the right to ban the rallies in view
of the last precedent. “I would not approve of such
rallies,” he said.

AZG Armenian Daily #052, 23/03/2006

Conference

GLOBAL SECURITY AND COUNTER-TERRORISM DISCUSSED IN BRUSSELS

Armen Sarkissian speaks at Worldwide Security Conference

BRUSSELS — More than 400 civic leaders, policymakers, experts and
delegates from around the world gathered in Brussels during the last
week of February for the annual Worldwide Security Conference,
organized by the East West Institute in partnership with the Russian
Foreign Ministry and the World Customs Organization.

Speakers and panels focused on a host of critical issues facing the
world today – from global responses to international terrorism, to
security infrastructures, the role of technology in security and
protection mechanisms, to prevention, civil protection, and energy
security.

Conference speakers included the President of European Commission Jose
Manuel Barroso, former Prime Minster of Canada Kim Campbell, Secretary
General of World Customs Organization Michel Danet, Head of
Anti-Terroist Centre of CIS Boris Mylnikov, Russian President’s
Special Representative Anatoly Safonov, Chinese Foreign Ministry
Director General for Security Gao Jian, Russian Camber of Commerce and
Industry President Evgeny Primakov, US Ambassador to the European
Union C. Boyden Gray, and many other leading figures in government and
world security issues.

Armen Sarkissian, former Prime Minister of Armenia and currently
advisor to global energy and telecom corporations, spoke at the
three-day conference and chaired a panel on energy security. The panel
discussed several key issues, including ways of balancing supply and
demand on the one hand and protection and security of infrastructure
on the other; the role of China and India and the various scenarios of
cooperation with these vast energy consuming countries.

In his address, Sarkissian emphasized the urgency of devising common
security goals by the international community and the significance of
a strategy of energy diversification in coming years.

“The era of easy oil has indeed ended”, said Sarkissian. He explained
that economic developments in India and China have led to an increased
demand for oil and contributed to the upward trend of prices. Whereas
in 1990 China accounted for only 3.5 percent of the worlds crude oil
demand, in 2004 it had increased to 9 percent. Sarkissian underlined
that in the last five years, the oil demand of the two most populous
countries in the world has grown at 8.8 percent in China and 4.5
percent in India. He contrasted these rates with growth in the world
in the same period which stood at 1.6 percent.

One obvious trend in the world is that certain oil producing countries
in the past are becoming consumers themselves. China, which has become
a net oil importer since 1993, is currently the second largest
consumer of oil, after the US. “Diversification and the search for new
sources of energy are increasingly crucial for energy security” stated
Sarkissian, adding that “the search and struggle for energy resources
will have significant influence on global security issues in the
coming decades”.

AZG Armenian Daily #052, 23/03/2006

Finances

CONVERSE BANK RECOGNIZED BEST BANK OF ARMENIA

Converse Bank plans to increase its capital by 25,2% due to growth of
profit and emission of shares. Smbat Nasibian, general director of the
bank, said at a press on March 21 conference. He informed that they
decided to issue banking bonds and to distribute them in the external
markets in 2006. Nasibian said that the bank will also strengthen its
leading position among the three leading banks of Armenia due to the
volumes of its actives and capital. He added that the bank will
enlarge the number of its clients to 75-80 thousand thanks to
improving the quality of banking services. Particularly, it is
envisaged that in 2006 the number of active clients will grow by
52,3%, while the actives will increase by 15%. At present, the actives
of Converse Bank make almost AMD 47 billions, while its credits amount
to almost AMD 4 billions.

The bank is also going to broaden the network of its branches. Thus,
five new branches of the banks will open in Yerevan and in the
economically active regions of Armenia, in 2006. The planned increase
of competitiveness for the United Transfer System will help the bank
secure annual 30% of growth for transfers’ volume. It’s noteworthy
that the bank occupied the first place among other commercial banks
due to 49,2% of its capital’s growth, in 2005.

According to the volume of the bank’s actives that made AMD 42
billion, Converse Bank occupied the third place.

The Bank plans to increase its mortgage crediting portfolio to $3
million by end 2005.

He said that the bank’s portfolio of mortgage credits totals to almost
$1 million, at present. Recently, the bank prolonged the terms for
repayment of these credits to 10 years. The maximal loan for real
estate purchase amounts to $30 thousand. The interest rate for
mortgage credits totals to annual 13%, while the minimal pre-payment
volume makes 30% of the real estate cost to be purchased. According to
the results of 2005, Converse Bank occupied the third place by the
volume of its actives that grew to 26% and totaled to AMD 42 billions.

The Bank is going to increase the number of its cards by 56,8%, in
2006. While the volume of municipal payments will grow by 25,6%.

Nasibian said that the bank will open 6 new bank machines and 80
POS-terminals. He added that the international payment system Visa
International gave the bank the certificate for rendering services
through Smart-card, that will help carry out services for chip cards
through the network of POS-terminals. It is also envisaged that the
bank will undergo certification for rendering services for chip Visa
cards through bank machines in 2006.

According to the bank, the number of issued ArCa and Visa cards grew
by 26,8% and made 11067, while the service network included 100
points, in 2005.The profits from operations with cards grew by 18,4%,
in 2005.

AZG Armenian Daily #052, 23/03/2006

People

MEETING WITH MIKHAIL PIATROVSKY

Our newspaper has already informed that The Caucasian Democracy
Institute invited Mikhail Piatrovsky, director of the Hermitage
Museum, to pay a visit to Armenia. Piatrovsky was born in Yerevan. His
parents were outstanding Soviet scientists and archeologists Hripsime
Janpoladian, and Boris Piatrovsky. Mikhail Piatrovsky is a specialist
of Eastern Philology, particularly, Arabian Literature. He
participated in many scientific archeological expeditions. Since 1991,
Mr. Piatrovsky is appointed the director of Hermitage Museum.

Piatrovsky is a member of RF Academy of Science, professor at
St. Petersburg State University, member of Russian Committee of
UNESCO, as well as member of the International Union of Museums.

Mr. Piatrovsky represented the current state of Hermitage Museum,
touched upon its exhibitions, the restoration works at yesterday’s
press conference in Yerevan. He also spoke the cooperation plans with
the Armenian museums. Mr. Piatrovsky emphasized the importance of
culture for development of human kind. Naturally, he spoke of the
collection of the Armenian exponents that are held in Hermitage that
amount to 500-1000 samples. He said that they proudly represent the
Urartu culture to the world.

By Melanya Badalian

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PanARMENIAN.Net

40% of Russian Frontier Guards in Armenia Serve on Contract

22.03.2006 21:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The number of Armenians serving in the Russian
frontier troops has already exceeded 50%, commander of the Russian
border-guard force in Armenia, General Lieutenant Sergey Bondarev
said. In his words, 40% of the Russian frontier troops in Armenia are
staffed with military serving on contract and the number of Armenian
servicemen is growing.

`This is a unique fact when citizens of another state serve in our
troops,’ Bondarev noted. According to a treaty, the expenses are
covered equally, reported the Military-Industrial Express.

PanARMENIAN.Net

BBC: Turkey-EU Talks May Be Suspended in Autumn 2006

22.03.2006 21:21 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Turkey-EU talks may be suspended in autumn
2006. Unless Turkey opens its ports it will fail a review of its
compliance with the customs union and its bilateral relations with
other member states, due this autumn. Most EU diplomats and
politicians do not want talks with Turkey to collapse in acrimony.

They do want to see Turkey open its ports to Greek Cypriot vessels,
but they also want moves to resolve the Cyprus problem. But the
Cypriots have much more bargaining power vis-a-vis Turkey now they are
inside the EU, and the other EU member states much less leverage over
them. Some diplomats worry that the Cypriot strategy is to
“Europeanise” the Cyprus dispute, moving the dispute away from a UN
framework where compromise is inevitable. Meanwhile, diplomats are
searching for possible moves on northern Cyprus that could encourage
the Turks to open their ports, says BBC.

PanARMENIAN.Net

OSCE PA Preparing Resolution on Nagorno Karabakh

22.03.2006 22:30 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A resolution on the Nagorno Karabakh settlement will
be adopted at the OSCE PA Summer Session, Armenian National Assembly
Vice-speaker, head of the Armenian delegation to the OSCE PA Vahan
Hovhannisian stated. In his words, OSCE PA rapporteur on Nagorno
Karabakh Goran Lennmarker will pay a visit to Azerbaijan in April to
get acquainted with the members of the Azeri delegation to the OSCE PA
and hand them the proposal of the Armenian party on formation of a
joint committee within the OSCE.

In Hovhanissian’s opinion, the formation of a committee on the
parliamentary level will render an opportunity to coordinate the works
with the rapporteur, exchange information and thus promote the
efficiency of the OSCE Minsk Group. The RA NA Vice-speaker reminded
that Lennmarker’s report was submitted in 2005, but the resolution was
no adopted since the Assembly rejected the project presented by
Azerbaijan. A new draft resolution will be elaborated till summer.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Greek FM Calls Turkish Military Doctrine `Anachronism’

22.03.2006 22:56 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey’s advance towards the EU will depend on
Turkey itself, Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyanni stated in an
interview with Greek media. In her words, Turkey has undertaken
certain commitments and should fulfill them. `It was a hard decision
for us to support Turkey’s aspiration to Europe,’ she added. Ms.
Bakoyanni considers the Turkish military doctrine to be `anachronism’.
According to Hurriyet newspaper, Turkey will perceive Greece’s
intention to set the border of its territorial waters in the distance
of 12 miles from the shore but not 6 miles as Turkey insists as casus
belli.

`I think this is anachronism. This position conflicts with the marine
right and is a matter directly connected with the European Union.
Proclamations of the kind do not help Turkey to come closer to
Europe,’ Bakoyanni said. She voiced hope that Turkey will respect the
status of Orthodox Constantinople Patriarchy and will allow to resume
the work of the theological school that was closed several dozens of
years ago.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Armenians Should Urge European States to Recognize Armenian Genocide

22.03.2006 23:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Anti-Turkish spirits grew in France in 2005. This is
conditioned by the start of EU-Turkey negotiations. The Armenian
Genocide recognition is one of France’s lines towards Turkey, ARF
Bureau’s Hay Dat and Political Office Director Kiro Manoian told
PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In his words, Armenians should take the
opportunity and urge the European states to recognize the Armenian
Genocide.

Manoian noted that the Hay Dat European Office carried out a great
deal of work thanks to which French students are aware of the
Genocide. According to him, genocide denying slogans and posters are
prohibited by the French law. Knowing this French students joined
Armenians, the representatives of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun youth branch.

PanARMENIAN.Net

French Ambassador to Armenia: Rambouillet Doesn’t Mean End of Talks

22.03.2006 23:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani President
Robert Kocharian and Ilham Aliyev in Rambouillet doesn’t mean the end
of the negotiations on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, French
Ambassador to Armenia Henry Cuny told journalists today. `The
activities for the conflict settlement will be continued this year,’
he added. In his opinion, the next years will be unfavorable for the
conflict settlement. The Ambassador noted that the Rambouillet meeting
did not conclude the negotiation process but allowed to outline the
discrepancies available. In his words, `a long way was passed’.