ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
March 11, 2004

Ingosstrakh intends to develop Armenia’s insurance market

By Tigran Liloyan

Russia’s Ingosstrakh Insurance Company has acquired 75 percent of the
shares of the Armenian insurance firm Efes, which accounts for about
20 percent of the country’s insurance market.

Ingosstrakh General Director Vyacheslav Shcherbakov stated here on
Thursday, “We expect to promote the development of the insurance
market of Armenia.” He said the decision to appear on the Armenian
market is prompted, to a larger extent, by an active development of
Russo-Armenian economic cooperation. Russian capital investments in
Armenia have amounted to 200 million US dollars, with a number of big
Russian companies operating in this country, Shcherbakov pointed out.

“This is why a further economic development is impossible without a
sizeable insurance component,” Shcherbakov maintains. He is convinced
that the insurance market here, despite its not large volume, has a
considerable potential. The Ingosstrakh intends to take up the
insurance of the property of Armenia’s enterprises that have been
turned over to Russia in repayment of the interstate debt, he said.

The Russian company will also offer an extensive package of services
in Armenia. These are regular products of Ingosstrakh, primarily the
insurance of the property of natural persons and legal entities, air
transportation, and liability car insurance. The latter is not
compulsory in Armenia so far but the Ingosstrakh hopes that a
respective law will also be adopted in Armenia soon.

RosBusinessConsulting Database
March 11, 2004 Thursday 1:34 am, EST

New gov’t to meet today

Today the Russian government will discuss measures aimed at
implementing the Russian President’s decree on the system and
structure of federal government agencies signed on March 9. Deputy
Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov will deliver a corresponding report,
the Government Information Department reported.

The Cabinet will also consider issues concerning some international
agreements and protocols with Armenia and Ukraine. Deputy Interior
Minister Alexander Chekalin and Deputy Foreign Minister Valery
Loshchinin will make corresponding reports.

This meeting will be presided by Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov.

Prime-Tass English-language Business Newswire
March 11, 2004

OSS-Zvezda wants to attract 1.2 mln Armenian mobile users

YEREVAN, Mar 11 (Prime-Tass) — Russian-Armenian telecommunications
joint venture OSS-Zvezda is expected to attract up to 1.2 million
subscribers if allowed to launch its mobile service network, the
company’s General Director Eduard Akopyan told a news conference
Thursday.

OSS-Zvezda has submitted a bid to Armenia’s Transport and
Communications Ministry for a license to provide GSM 1800 mobile
services, he said adding that after the national telecommunications
monopoly ArmenTel is stripped of its monopoly rights, the bid could
be considered by the ministry.

Currently, OSS-Zvezda is completing the construction of its mobile
network and is awaiting the license, he said.

The total investments into the project are estimated at 60 million
euros, he noted. No other details were available. End

RIA OREANDA
Economic News
March 11, 2004 Thursday

Russian Government to Discuss Presidential Decree

Moscow. The regular meeting of the cabinet with Mikhail Fradkov as
its head will be held on March 11. It will be devoted to the
discussion of presidential decree N314 as of March 9 2003 On system
and structure of federal bodies of executive authorities. The report
is to be made by Alexander Zhukov, the Russian cabinet deputy
chairman.

The following issues are reported to be brought up to the discussion
as well: the signature of the protocol between the Russian and
Armenian government on extending the validity term of the Treaty
regulating the voluntary migration as of August 29 1997 . The report
will be made by Alexander Chekalin, the deputy Home Minister, the
chief of the Federal migration department of the Russian Internal
Affairs Ministry.

More over, they are to think over whether they should approve and
introduce the Treaty between the Russian and Ukrainian governments to
settle claims laid after the air crash on October 4 2001 before the
State Duma for its ratification. Such a report is to be made by
Valeriy Loschinin, the Secretary of State, first deputy of the
Russian Foreign Minister.

Ruslan Shlikov, the deputy of Russian Minister of Civil Defense,
Emergencies and Natural Disasters, is to make a report on providing
the Ingush republic government with housing certificates.

Agence France Presse
March 11, 2004 Thursday

Murder scandal to impact Karabakh peace talks: Armenia

YEREVAN

An Azeri officer’s alleged murder of an Armenian colleague during a
NATO training course in Hungary will affect the talks between the two
countries over the separatist enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan said.

“This is a disgrace for every country and society. Anti-Armenian
phobia found its physical outlet,” Kocharyan told students at
Yerevan’s university Wednesday, adding that “this murder will
certainly impact the talks.”

Armenian Lieutenant Gurgen Markarian was hacked to death with an axe
while he slept in a student dormitory in the Hungarian capital,
Budapest.

Police there have arrested Azeri officer Lieutenant Ramil Safarov,
who was studying alongside Markarian, in connection with the killing.

Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a war between 1989 and 1994 over
Nagorno-Karabakh, in the course of which about 35,000 people were
killed on both sides and over a million had to flee their homes.

A ceasefire was agreed in 1994, by which time Armenian forces had won
control of the mostly Armenian populated enclave within Azerbaijan.
But Azerbaijan has vowed to regain control and the two sides are
still formally at war.

Armenia attributed the murder to the “anti-Armenian hysteria” fanned
by the Azeri government, while Azeri officials countered that the
alleged killer was himself a refugee from the conflict with Armenia
and that the victim had taunted him over the conflict.

The murder in Budapest has unleashed a new round of verbal sparring
between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which are still locked in a tense
military stand-off.

RIA Novosti, Russia
March 11 2004

GEORGIAN PRESIDENT TO PAY OFFICIAL VISIT TO ARMENIA

YEREVAN, March 11, 2004. (RIA Novosti). Georgian President Mikhail
Saakashvili will arrive in Armenia on Friday on a two-day official
visit at an invitation from his Armenian counterpart Robert
Kocharyan.

The Georgian delegation includes the ministers of foreign affairs,
energy, infrastructures and development, the President’s
representative in Samtse-Dzhavakheti (a Georgian region inhabited
mainly by Armenians) and parliamentarians, the press service of the
Armenian President said on Thursday.

On Friday the two leaders will hold private and extended talks.

Mikhail Saakashvili is to meet with Armenian parliamentary speaker
Artur Bagdasaryan and Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan.

The Georgian President is also scheduled to meet with Catholicos of
All Armenians Garegin II and to attend the memorial to the victims of
Armenians genocide in the Ottoman Empire in 1915.

Mikhail Saakashvili’s visit will focus on a wide range of bilateral
and regional issues, in particular, transit tariffs on Armenian
cargoes.

RIA Novosti, Russia
March 11 2004

PUTIN TAKES UPON HIMSELF FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR GOVERNMENT’S
ACTIVITY, ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARIAN SAYS

YEREVAN, March 11, 2004. (RIA Novosti correspondent Gamlet
Matevosyan) – Russia’s incumbent President and the presidential
candidate at the coming elections on March 14, Vladimir Putin has
taken upon himself the full political responsibility for the
government’s activity. This opinion was expressed to RIA Novosti on
Thursday by Amayak Ovannisyan, chairman of the Armenian Association
of Political Scientists, member of the republican National Assembly
(parliament) when he commented on the formation of a new Russian
government.

“At the same time, being a charismatic leader, Putin underscored his
adherence to the principle of a collective leadership of the country,
believing it necessary to show to the constituency before the
elections with what team he was going to work after his election to
the second presidential term,” Mr. Ovannisyan said.

According to him, looking at the composition of the new Russian
government, one notices that it has been formed not on a party basis,
but on the principle of professionalism.

“All members of the Cabinet, beginning with its chairman Mikhail
Fradkov, who has a big experience in governance, and Vice Premier
Alexander Zhukov, and ending with all the ministers, all of them are
highly skilled professionals in their fields,” noted Mr. Ovannisyan.

In his opinion, time will confirm the correctness of Putin’s point of
view to form the government on the principle of professionalism, not
on the party-coalition basis, which typical of the present situation
in Armenia.

The Armenian government, said the parliamentarian, is a coalition
government and has been formed from among the representatives of
three parties, Republican, Orinatz Yerkir and Dashnaktsutyun.

RIA Novosti, Russia
March 11 2004

NEW CABINET’S FIRST SESSION LASTED 40 MINUTES

MOSCOW, March 11, 2004. (RIA Novosti) – The first session of the new
Russian government chaired by Mikhail Fradkov lasted forty minutes.

For this time, the cabinet members considered four issues. The main
issue dealt with measures to implement the Russian President’s decree
“On the System and Structure of Federal Bodies of Executive Power.”
Besides, the government approved the agreement with Ukraine’s
government on settlement of claims that aroused in the wake of the
air crash on October 4, 2001.

The protocol on extension of the term of validity of the agreement
between the Russian and Armenian governments on the regulation of the
voluntary migration process was approved as well. Besides, the
government took a decision on giving state housing certificates to
the North Caucasian autonomy, Ingushetia.

Anadolu Agency
3/10/2004

Talat: Give-and-take Process Will Start On Friday

LEFKOSA – TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said on Wednesday that
give-and-take process in Cyprus negotiations would start on Friday.

Talat said that they were at a different and important stage, and
there was the need to make an assessment prior to that stage, adding
that they would visit Ankara due to that reason.

Talat received the same day a crowded delegation composed of
Azerbaijani and Armenian journalists who came to the island to cover
the developments about Cyprus in the right place.

Speaking during the meeting, Talat said that they desired to reach an
agreement which could be accepted by the two sides, particularly by
the Turkish Cypriot people, and they worked to this end. ”We’ve
entered a road with no return,” he said.

Talat stated that people would say the final word and give the
decision. ”We are trying to bring out an agreement text which could
be accepted and which would give a positive result,” Talat said.

Talat stressed that they felt the need to make consultation at this
stage and they would go to Ankara this evening together with TRNC
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Serdar Denktas. Talat said
they would have meetings in Ankara all day tomorrow and return back
to TRNC in the evening.

Syrian Arab News Agency
Wed 10 Mar 2004

Syrian Students in Warsaw and Yerevan/ Celebration

Yerevan, Warsaw, March. 10 (SANA)

The Administrative Office of the National Union of the Syrian
Students (NUSY) in Armenia and the Organization of al-Baath Arab
Socialist Party (OBASP), in cooperation with the Syrian Embassy in
Yerevan, held on Wednesday a speech rally on the occasion of the 41st
anniversary of March 8 Revolution.

Participants disclosed the American false pretexts used to justify
the war on Iraq , pointing out to the dangerous situation in the
Middle East.

They also stressed Syria’s firm national stances under the leadership
of President Bashar al-Assad.

Attending the rally were Charge D’ Affairs at the Embassy Ghassan
Raslan , Embassy staff and Arab ambassadors in Armenia.

Also in Warsaw the NUSY and OBASP in Poland held a similar
celebration on this occasion.

Attending the celebration were the Syrian Ambassador Mohammad Ali
al-Hamwi, Embassy Personnel, members of the Syrian community.

Batoul