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TODAY ARMENIA IS NEAR INFORMATION ISOLATION

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 6. ARMINFO. The development of information
technologies in Armenia is under a threat, as its main component - the channels of information transfers have small capacity. The director of the "ArmComputer" company Vahram Mkhitarian stated during the talk with an ARMINFO correspondent.

According to him, presently Georgia is in the lead in the region of the South Caucasus in the plan of telecommunication development, and Armenia with its channels at 2-4 megabits will not be able to have serious role in development of information technologies in the region. Mkhitarian informed that recently the Georgian "Geonet" company proposed Armenia a channel of communication at 2 gegabits, through which the republic got a communication with the Russian
"Rostelekom", which possesses intercontinental optic-fibre trunk, which links Asia and Europe. However, the Ministry of transport and communication of Armenia hindered this project.

Besides, by the "efforts" of the officials of the Ministry of transport and communication the project of creation of its channel in Armenia at 1 gegabits, with the help of which the realization of the main gegabit channel "Arpinet" (Armenian International network) was planned, which would give an opportunity to Armenia to go out the regional market of information technologies. Moreover, the fulfillment of this project now became senseless, as the Internet-technologies are constantly being developed and the planned
capacities are not enough for the Internet-protocol "IPnet", by which more companies, which provide telephone, television and Internet communication, begin to work. Thus, Mkhitarian concluded, now Armenia is close to a state of information isolation.

"ARMENTEL" HINDERS ACCESS OF ARMENIA'S POPULATION TO WORLD WEB

SEPTEMBER 6. The decision of the management of the "ArmenTel" company on introduction of per minute fee for intercity telephone talks may reduce the number of Internet users in Armenia by many times.

As the press office of the "ArmenTel" confirmed an ARMINFO correspondent, the introduction of the per minute fee also applies to the Internet users, who enter the Internet by modem communication with providers. Now the users of the Internet will have additionally to pay their presence in the world web by the tariff of telephone talk, equal to 4 drams per e minute. According to the simplest
calculations, the Internet users, besides the payment of treaty with the provider, will have to pay to "ArmenTel" additionally for telephone communication $60-80 per a month, which by three times increases the total cost of Internet-services in Armenia.

According to specialists from providers company, the "ArmenTel" was obliged preliminarily to allot special telephone numbers, by which the users were connected with providers, not paying for telephone communication. However, according to the information, the company refused to present this service, despite that it is not technically difficult to do it. The specialists consider this position of the "ArmenTel" company as a consecutive policy, directed to establishment of full monopolistic control over Internet-communication in Armenia and removing national providers from the market. During the last two
years the management of the "ArmenTel" has made such attempts, however, because of the negative reaction of the government, it did not succeeded to take the monopoly for the Internet-communication.

According to the specialists, the introduction of the per minute fee for telephone intercity communication became one more "occasion" for the "ArmenTel" to appropriate the Internet-communication in Armenia, the total number of users of which presently is 30,000 or totally the 1-1.5% of the whole population.

NATIONAL AGREEMENT FRONT DEMANDED RESIGNATION OF ACTING EXECUTIVE AUTHORITIES

SEPTEMBER 6. Armenian President Robert Kocharyan leads the country to a precipice. Such accusations against the executive authorities were made at the demonstration held in Ashtarak on September 5. The demonstration was organized by the "National Agreement Front" (NAF) oppositional public and political organization.

NAF Political Secretary, former chairman of the committee on national security Ashot Manucharyan called the demonstration participants to demand the resignation of Armenia's acting authorities. The demonstration organizers also came against a per-minute payment system introduced for local call phones by the "ArmenTel" company.

Besides, Robert Kocharyan was accused of committing sacrilege, as he swore on the Bible to serve for welfare of Armenia, but, in reality,
he allegedly ruins the country.

However, the number of the demonstration participants made several dozens. The organizer said that it was accounted for by the local authorities' having intimidated the people.

HAMIK AVANESYAN WON ELECTIONS FOR POST OF STEPANAKERT MAYOR

SEPTEMBER 6. According to the preliminary data received from the NKR Central Electoral Commission, Hamik Avanesyan, who was supported by the "Union Democratic Artsakh" public and political organization, won the elections for the post of the Stepanakert Mayor. Only 56.4% of electors participated in the elections.

According to the ARMINFO correspondent from Stepanakert, the official results of the elections will be announced today.

It should be noted that the elections were held in 230 communities of the country. 360 candidates were nominated to the post of heads of the communities, 1550 candidates - to the Council of Elders.

ORGANIZATION OF CORRIDA IN ARMENIA IS NOT ONLY COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE, BUT ALSO ACQUAINTANCE OF ARMENIAN PEOPLE WITH SPANISH CULTURE AND NATIONAL TRADITIONS

SEPTEMBER 6. The organization of the Spanish corrida in Yerevan on 7-9 Sept is not only a commercial enterprise, but also an acquaintance of the Armenian people with the Spanish culture and national traditions, the director of "X-group" firm whichorganized this show Khachik Khachatryan said during a press-conference.

According to him, the corrida will be carried out in the Portuguese style. In contrast to the Spanish style bulls are not killed during the fight. The manager of a group of matadors Alfredo Movina said this is the reason the organizers are attracted with this style in many countries, including the USA, Korea and Japan. By the way, Movina said, the Spanish style is more popular even in Portugal. Besides, the bull takes part in the fight only once.

According to the matador Jorge de Jesus Glisona, their arrival in Armenia is the attempt to acknowledge Armenians with Spanish traditions. To affirm it he said that matadors earn all the more in September, as the fights are mainly carried out in September. About 750 fights take place in Spain during July-August.

ARMENIAN CONSERVATORS CONSIDER ARMENIA'S PRESIDENT ONLY RESPONSIBLE PERSON FOR CONFLICT AROUND "ARMENTEL" COMPANY

SEPTEMBER 6.  Armenia's Conservative Party considers the country's President Robert Kocharyan the only responsible person for Armentel's decision to introduce a per-minute payment for local calls in Armenia.

The statement of the Armenian conservators received today by ARMINFO says it is Kocharyan who is responsible not only for giving monopoly to ArmenTel and signing an "illiterate contract defying Armenia's national security" but also for the dispute around ArmenTel, which prevents the people from using civilized means of telecommunications and makes them insolvent.

At the same time the document says that only a dictatorship may assume the right to organize and hold strikes of public structures and break lectures at educational establishments as well as to conduct other actions of protest. The authors of the document believe that those holdig power are not aware of the meaning and the role of the state. "Those political and public organizations which will try to distract the citizens' fair anger from the real culprit of the dispute with ArmenTel, Robert Kocharyan, will become the executors of the present regime's dull will," Armenian conservators said in their statement.

77-YEAR-OLD RESIDENT OF YEREVAN THREW HIMSELF FROM BRIDGE

SEPTEMBER 6. 77-year-old resident of Yerevan Yerdzhanik Aloyan threw himself from the bridge situated in front of the city rope-way. The suicide was committed yesterday about 6-7 pm local time.

As the press-office of Armenia's ministry of interior affairs told
ARMINFO, a note has been found in Aloyan's house, where the man asks not to blame anyone for his death. The prosecutor's office of Yerevan's communities Center and Nork-Marash conciders that Aloyan's may have killed himslef becaused of unlimited love towards his spousewho died recently. Evidently, the pensioner could not survive the pain of the loss.

It should be noted that 27 cases of suicide were registered in Armenia during the first six months of the current year.

KAREN MANUKOV APPOINTED AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ARMSAVINGSBANK

SEPTEMBER 6. Karen Manukov has been appointed the executive director of the State ArmSavingsbank. Armenia's minister
of finance and economy Vardan Khachatryan signed today an order to appoint him to this post. As the press-office of the ministry told ARMINFO today, the acting executive director will be presented today to the staff.

Karen Manukov is one of the practicing lawyers in the banking sphere. He occupied senior posts in the INECO and ArmCommunication banks (deputy chairman of Board). He was the adviser of Armenia's minister of industry and trade. He also was the head of the Armenian Investment Company. He is the author of over 15 largest investment projects carried out in Armenia, including the plant "Shoghakn", Hrazdan concrete plant and "Armenal".