Mailing List Service Felist.Com -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear frends! Arminfo news agency inform U.S. EMBASSY IN ARMENIA ENHANCED ITS SECURITY SEPTEMBER 12. The US embassy in Armenia has enhanced its security beginning in 6 am Sept 11. As ARMINFO learned from a source at Armenia's interior ministry, Yerevan's state department for internal affairs has provided the embassy with 4 armed sub-divisions to this end. It should be noted that the embassy is closed at the moment, however, all its employees are at working places. ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY DATA THERE ARE NO ARMENIAN CITIZENS AMONG VICTIMS OF ACTS OF TERRORISM IN UNITED STATES SEPTEMBER 12. According to preliminary data, as of now there are no Armenian citizens among the victims of the acts of terrorism in the United States, ARMINFO learned from Armenia's foreign ministry with reference to Armenia's diplomatic representation in Washington. However, the list of victims is not final. Meanwhile, unofficial reports by western media say the number of victims may have reached 5,000-6,000 people. ACTS OF TERRORISM IN UNITED STATES NOT TO AFFECT FLIGHTS BY ARMENIAN PLANES SEPTEMBER 12. The acts of terrorism in the United States will not affect flights by Armenian planes, ARMINFO learned from the press-office of the chief department of civil aviation of Armenia. The source says the schedule has not been changed in any way and will hardly be changed. However, security measures have been toughened at the Yerevan Zvartnots airport as many people are supposed to come to Armenia to take part in the celebration of the 1,700th anniversary of Christianity's being adopted as state religion in Armenia. No additional measures are being taken. EMPLOYEES OF ARMENIA'S EMBASSY IN UNITED STATE STAY AT HOME SEPTEMBER 12. Employees of Armenia's embassy in the United States stay at home. As ARMINFO learned from the embassy, on the day of the tragedy Armenia's ambassador in the United States Armen Kirakosyan began his working day at his residence, his wife Sousanna was at home and 12-year old son at school. After the act of terrorism, the embassy employees were notified by the directorate of the school where their children study that the children would be evacuated to a safe place. Several hours later each of the children was personally escorted to his or her house. Only after the tension abated were the Armenian diplomats able to return to their houses. Many of their children were terrified. Nevertheless, Kirakosyan said there is no reason for relatives and friends of the Armenian diplomats to worry about them any longer. ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT UNABLE TO DEPRIVE ARMENTEL OF MONOPOLY ON COMMUNICATION SEPTEMBER 12. Armenian Government is unable to deprive the "ArmenTel" Company of monopoly on communication, the statement was made by Chairman of an Interim Parliamentary Commission for ArmenTel Vazgen Manukyan. He said that a monopoly is unacceptable at the Armenian market of telecommunication, and each international court will consider as a priority depriving ArmenTel of monopoly. It should be noticed that even the OTE Greek Company holding 90% of ArmenTel's shares has no monopoly on communication in Greece, nevertheless, the Armenian government granted this right to the company in 1997 for 15 years and legalized it. The problem is that in the event of ArmenTel's being deprived of monopoly, it can demand the compensation for the damage. As the OTE company paid $150 mln for 90% of ArmenTel's shares to get a right of monopoly at the Armenian market of telecommunication. As regards the introduction of a per-minute payment for local calls by ArmenTel, Manukyan considers this step premature, as the contract terms have not been fulfilled yet. Meanwhile, Manukyan pointed out that the Interim Parliamentary Commission has no opportunity to get necessary information about relevant documents and applied today to deputies to prolong its powers for 2-3 days for final consideration of the contract concerning ArmenTel's sale. THERE WERE ARMENIANS AMONG PASSENGERS OF HIJACKED PLANE OF BOSTON - LOS-ANGELES FLIGHT SEPTEMBER 12.There were Armenians among the passengers of the plane of Boston - Los-Angeles flight, hijacked by the terrorists. ARMINFO learned from well-known informed resources in New York. It is not known yet, whether there were Armenian citizens among the passengers. According to the resources, the majority of victims of this flight were U.S. citizens of Armenian nationality. There were totally 156 people in the plane. Besides, the "United Airlines" company, to which the planed, belonged, informed that according to preliminary facts, there were no Armenians among the died. ARMENIA'S CITIZENS BRING FLOWERS TO US EMBASSY IN YEREVAN AS SIGN OF MOURNING FOR VICTIMS OF TERRORIST ATTACK ON 11 SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER 12.Armenia's citizens bring flowers and burn candles near the US Embassy in Yerevan as a sign of the mourning for victims of the unprecedented terrorist attack carried out on 12 Sept in the USA. Among them who came to express their condolences to the American people are known figures of science, culture and art, as well as a number of country's political leaders. As to the official data, over 5,000 people were killed as a result of the attack in New York and Washington, the list of victims continues to increase. PANIC DECREASE OF DOLLAR RATE IN CHANGES OF YEREVAN CAUSED BY TERRORIST ACTS IN USA HAS SPECULATIVE CHARACTER SEPTEMBER 12. A panic decrease of the dollar rate in the Yerevan changes yesterday night is looks like a speculation. Taking advantage of the panic among the people because of the terrorist acts in the USA, the Armenian changes earned enough money. The buy and sale margin reached 25 points instead of the previous 1-1.5. According to dealers of the "black market," the selling rates increased by 15-20% as compared with the other days. Nevertheless, by the afternoon the dollar rates were stabilized and made 550/555 drams for US $1. Talking to ARMNIFO, the banking experts said that the rate of the US dollar yielded its positions to the leading world currencies at the international markets, but it was stabilized owing to imposing interventions. The situation did not affected the Armenian banking system, as the information about the terrorist acts in the USA reached Armenia late at night, when all the banks were closed. Today the dollar rate makes 550/555 drams as against yesterday's 554/557 drams. As for the interbank rate, it decreased from 556 to 554.5 drams for the US $1. According to the experts forecasts, the dollar rate is stabilizing in the near 2-3 hours, and it will be equal to yesterday's rate in the afternoon (552/556 drams). The Armenian Central Bank's position shows that the terrorist acts in the USA did not shake America's positions in the world economy, and there was no essential dollar fluctuation observed at the world markets. As regards Armenia, no changes in the influence of the international market on the Armenian economy and financial market are forecasted there. At 9:00 the official dollar rate fixed by the CB was 554.77 drams for the US $1, which exceeded yesterday's indicator by 0.35 points. The buy and sale rate made today 551.4/558.1 drams. PETROL PRICES IN ARMENIA MAY BEGIN TO GROW BEGINNING IN SEPT 13 SEPTEMBER 12.Following the increase in oil prices worldwide as a response to the tragic events in the United States, petrol prices in Armenia may start growing from Sept 13 on, ARMINFO learned from the management of one of the largest Armenian oil-traders, the Flash company. The source says the petrol reserves bought at former prices will suffice for one week at most. However, as a rule, businessmen begin to raise prices beforehand to avoid losses. The new lot of petrol will be bought at higher prices, the source says. It should be noted that as of today oil prices have risen by $10 and have reached $33 for one barrel. 1"> ADVISOR OF ARMENIA'S PRIME MINISTER MAY HAVE BEEN KILLED BECAUSE OF HIS PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES SEPTEMBER 12. Advisor of Armenia's prime minister and head of the governmental control service Gagik Pogosyan may have been killed because of his professional activities, ARMINFO learned from the prosecutor general's office. The office's investigative group is probing into this very version. Some sources say Pogosyan was instructed by the prime minister to start large-scale inspections at a number of state institutions. Reliable sources say he held inspections at the health care and state property ministries. Meanwhile, according to the official sources the investigative group is inquiring into the version of assassination attempt on Pogosyan's 20-year old son, Khachatour. To recap, Sept 11 morning Gagik Pogosyan was killed by an explosion while leaving his house. His son Khachatour was wounded by a splinter from the explosive device. But he survived. 1,700TH ANNIVERSARY OF ADOPTION OF CHRISTIANITY AS STATE RELIGION IN ARMENIA CELEBRATED IN UKRAINE SEPTEMBER 12. The 1,700th anniversary of Christianity in Armenia is being celebrated in Ukraine as well as worldwide. As ARMINFO learned from the press-office of Ukraine's embassy in Armenia, the anniversary was celebrated in Kharkiv in early July. Representatives of the local administration, Ukraine's Supreme Rada and other Ukrainian departments took part in the celebrations. The construction of St Aroutyun Church was consecrated. Ukrainian and Armenian artists gave a concert in a local theatre. A chapel of the Armenian Apostolic Church was opened in the territory of the Inter-regional Academy of Management and Law in Kiev in late Aug. In all there are 16 communities of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Ukraine and one community of the Armenian Catholic church. A scientific conference "Ukraine-Armenia: history and modern times" was held at the Institute of Oriental Studies of Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences at the same period. A report of Catholicos of All Armenians Garerin II was read out during the conference, in which he noted that Kiev has been the center of one of the most ancient dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Church since XI. No information from Site can be used without prior permission of ARMINFO http://www.arminfo.am -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: http://felist.com/member/unsub?grp=media.arminfo http://felist.com/ mailto:ask@felist.com