YEREVAN
MAYOR ROBERT NAZARIAN SAYS SPANISH CORRIDA TO CERTAINLY BE HELD SEPTEMBER 7-9
 30.08.01. In response to ARMINFO correspondent's question Yerevan Mayor
Robert Nazarian said August 30 that Spanish corrida is certain to be held September 7-9,
as it was scheduled.
According to Nazarian, corrida is a secular arrangement and "everything will be held
as it was planed beforehand."
Armenian Apostolic Church is known to condemn the conduct of Spanish corrida in Armenia,
pointing out in a special statement that such bloody spectacles will negatively influence
the spirits of children, teenagers and youth, moreover, they are unacceptable from point
of view of the Christian morality.
Talking to journalists August 30, Catholicos of All Armenian Garegin II expressed hope
that this even will be canceled, taking into account the opinion of Armenian Church
ROAD CHARGE TO INTRODUCE IN ARMENIA
 AUGUST 30. A road charge will be introduced in Armenia. Armenia's government
adopted the concerning bill today. The document will be submitted to the discussion of the
parliament in the
established order.
According to Armenia's minister of transport and communication Andranik Manukyan, the
collected sources will be transferred to the maintenance and exploitation of roads. He
said that the volume of charge is not yet determined, but it will be only a symbolic one.
All the more, the paid roads will be only where are alternative ways, Manukyan said.
"ARMENTEL" INTRODUCES PER MINUTE FEE FOR INTRACITY TALKS
AUGUST 30. The national operator of communication of Armenia - the
telephone company "ArmenTel" today has spread an open letter, in which it
informs on introduction of a per minute fee since Sept 1 for intracity telephone talks.
This letter has been published in all the newspapers in Yerevan in Armenian.
The letter says that the fee for a minute of a phone talk makes 4 drams instead of
envisioned by the license 8 drams. However, the management of the company envisages
gradual raise of this tariff further. A free limit is allocated to physical persons for
the rate of 120 minutes a month.
The innovation will be used only in digital Automatic Telephone Exchanges, which according
to the facts of ArmenTel, in Yerevan include the 68.3% of subscribers, and in the regions
of the republic - 15.5%. Already 12 digital Automatic Telephone Exchanges are acting in
Yerevan, and 8 more ATX will be reunited with them by the end of the current year. The
letter mentions that the company has wasted $88 mln from the total volume of investments
for the rate of $127 mln for
1998-2001 for the modernization of the Automatic Telephone Exchanges.
The ArmenTel draws an attentions that at the same time with the introduction of he per
minute fee for intracity talks since Sept 1 the tariffs of international telephone
communication will be reduced by 40%. Now they make from 40 cents to $3 per a minute. The
company will reduce the tariffs for using Internet.
We'll add that in accordance with the license, the "ArmenTel" had a right to
introduce the per minute fee since Jan of 1999. The low level of life of Armenia's
population and the reluctance of the government to make this step hindered it. The
ministry of Transport and Communication and the National Assembly of Armenia now are
categorically oppose the innovation. According to the facts of the ministry, the debts of
the bodies of the state board to the "ArmenTel" company makes $4 mln. Besides,
expenses for payment of new services of the "ArmenTel" are not envisaged by the
state budget of 2001.
We shall remind that the 90% of shares of the "ArmenTel" company belong to the
Greek telecommunication firm OTE and only the 10% - to the government of Armenia. The
authorized capital of the company makes $158 mln.
TRIAL ON CASE OF EX MAYOR OF STEPANAKERT WAS TODAY BEGUN IN NAGORNYY
KARABAKH
AUGUST 30. The trial on the case of the ex mayor of Stepanakert Karen
Babayan was today started in the city court of the capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic under the chairmanship of the judge Nairi Hakopian.
We shall remind that Karen Babayan is the brother of Samvel Babayan,
sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment for the assassination attempt on the president of
Karabakh Arkady Ghoukassian.
The trial over Karen Babayan has been begun as far back as in Nov of
1999, but in March of 2000 the case has been sent to supplementary examination. The ex
mayor is accused of abuse of service position and illegal keeping of weapon. The defendant
is under arrest since March 23, 1999.
PRESIDENT KOCHARYAN: VISIT OF RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN TO ARMENIA IS
SURE TO TAKE PLACE
30.08.01. Talking to ARMINFO August 30, Armenian President Robert Kocharian
rejected the rumours spread by mass media recently about possible postponement of Russian
President's visit to Armenia.
Vladimir Putin's visit is known to be scheduled for September 14-16, 2001.
ARMENIA'S DEFENCE MINISTER WILL BE PRESENT AT ACTIVE AIR DEFENCE MILITARY
TRAINING OF CIS COUNTRIES
AUGUST 30. Armenia's defence minister left for Astrakhan to be present at
Active Air Defence military traning of CIS countries in the shoting-range Ashuluk. Defence
ministers of Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan will be also present.
Armenia's unit of C-125 "Wasp" will take part in the military shoting.
Armenia's defence minister will leave for Moscow on Aug 31 where the regular session of
the Russian-Armenian commission on economic cooperation will be held. Serge Sargsyan is
the co-chair of this commission. A package of documents which is scheduled to be signed
during the visit of Russia's president Vladimir Putin to Armenia is expected to be
discussed.
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