Mailing List Service Felist.Com -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear frends! Arminfo news agency inform HAYDAR ALIEV UNDERGOES OPERATION IN U.S. FEBRUARY 15. Azeri President Haydar Aliev underwent an operation in a clinic of Cleveland (U.S.) Feb 14. An earlier medical examination had shown that Aliev had prostatic hypertrophy. Alive's health condition is normal and he will return home after a course of rehabilitation, his press service reports. Meanwhile, the Zerkalo daily in Baku notes that several hours before the operation Azerbaijan's Ambassador to the U.S. Khafiz Pashaev said he had met with Aliev on the previous day and he was OK. Asked if the rumors that Aliev was operated on are true, Pashaev said official statement will be made on his health condition later. He could not answer the question when Aliev will leave the clinic noting that "doctors do not specify dates." At the same time Pashaev said Aliev will not stay in the clinic too long. YBC CHARGES ARMENIA'S GOVERNMENT WITH ILLEGAL PRODUCTION OF BRANDY AT MOSCOW "ARARAT" FACTORY FEBRUARY 15. The Yerevan Brandy Company (YBC) is charging the Armenian government with failing to meet contract commitments: the Moscow-based "Ararat" factory is engaged in illegal production of brandy. At the same time, the Ministry of Agriculture is denying the YBC's charges as groundless. According to the information reported to ARMINFO by the YBC press service, in defiance of the Armenian government's resolution of December 2001, the Moscow-based "Ararat" brandy factory has not been renamed, continue the production and increases the reserves of alcohol. The YBC, which is the owner of the "Ararat" trade mark, expects the Armenian authorities to give explanations and meet their contract commitments. It is to be noted that Zaven Gevorgian, who was recently relieved of the post of minister of agriculture, told ARMINFO before that under the government's resolution the Moscow-based "Ararat" brandy factory is to be renamed "Armwine" and committed to a third side's trust. That resolution was made to re-operate the factory, which has been idle for over a year as because of debts. The Russian "Levko" bank and the Moscow government are the principal creditors of the enterprise. Gevorgian pointed out that the factory will be committed to the trust its incumbent management, which will allow it to attract investments for resuming production of wine and vodka, as the Armenian government's resolution prohibits the production of brandy. At the same time, the Ministry of Agriculture told ARMINFO that the YBC's claims are groundless. The ministry points out that the Moscow-based "Ararat" factory has suspended the production of brandy. 72 tons of brandy are stored at the factory and not being sold, and factory is not increasing its production. OFFICIAL YEREVAN SENT A NOTE OF PROTEST TO TEL AVIV FEBRUARY 15. The Foreign Ministry of Armenia today sent a note of protest to the Foreign Ministry of Israel connected with the statements of the Israeli ambassador Rivka Kohen, who said that inadmissible to compare the Jewish Holocaust of Armenians' Genocide. As the press office of Armenia's Ministry of foreign affairs informed ARMINFO, the note in particular says about that the official Yerevan considers unacceptable the attempts to deny or to belittle the fact of Armenians' Genocide, for what reasons they have taken place. Armenia has never put an aim to draw parallels between the Genocide of Armenians and the Holocaust, considering that any crime against humanity is without precedent on in its essence, underlined in the note of protest. MASS MEDIA REPS SLATE GOVERNMENT-APPROVED BILL ON MASS MEDIA FEBRUARY 15. Representatives of Armenia's mass media harshly criticized today the bill on mass media recently approved by the Armenian government. During a meeting at the National Press Club they stressed that the bill imposes restrictions on the mass media's activities and contradicts all the principles of democracy. The journalists stressed that the document actually restores censorship over mass media. According to them, the adoption of this bill will result in numerous mass media's terminating their activities. In this connection, mass media representatives insist on the bill being excluded from consideration of the National Assembly. Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Commission for Education, Culture, Sport and Youth Affairs Shavarsh Kocharian stressed that the document is nothing but absurdity. Sh. Kocharian stressed that the bill contradicts the European Convention on Human Rights and Freedoms. According to him, it is no coincidence that the government has up to now concealed this bill from the Commission, and the latter did not even participate in drafting the bill. Sh. Kocharian proposed drafting an alternative bill based on the variant prepared by the National Press Club. Deputy Minister of Justice Armen Abovian failed to convince the journalists of the necessity for adopting the government-approved bill. He was unable to advance any counter-arguments to the journalists' remarks. Abovian promised to consider all the proposals advanced by the meeting participants. "NAIRI" CINEMA RE-OPENED FEBRUARY 15. The "Nairi" multiplex opened in Yerevan today. The multiplex was opened in the building of the "Nairi" cinema, which has not been functioning for several years. Besides several halls equipped with the "Dolby Surround" system, the multiplex has a cafe and other entertaining facilities. The "Nairi" multiplex was opened by the "Ulis" company. The area of the building is 1,060.3sq. meters. It is to be noted that one of the leading banks of Armenia, "Conversebank", acted as a guarantor of the credit allocated for the reconstruction of the building. The investments totaled 600,000 USD. DAYS OF ARMENIA'S CULTURE BEGIN IN VELIKY NOVGOROD FEBRUARY 15.Days of Armenia's Culture will open at the Novgorod Regional Philharmonic Society today, the Novgorod Committee for Culture told the RIA "Novosty" news agency. The opening ceremony will be attended by President of the Union of Armenians of Russia (UAR) Ara Abrahamian, cultural workers from Armenia and representatives of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The Days of Armenia's Culture were organized by the Armenian community in the Novgorod region. During the arrangement, The People's Artist of Russia, composer Georgy Movsessian, and the Honored Artist of Russia Bedros Kirkorov will give performances. An exhibition of pictures of the member of the Union of Painters of Russia Voskan Asatrian will open at the Novrogod regional philharmonic society, and an exhibition of new books on history and culture "Good morning, Armenia!" will open at the Novgorod regional library. A retrospective show of Sergey Parajanov's films is also planned. HEADLINES OF 15 FEBRUARY SPIRITUAL LEADER OF AZERBAIJAN INDIGNANT ABOUT MARGARET THATCHER'S ATTACKS ON ISLAM CE SECRETARY GENERAL TO VISIT AZERBAIJAN DROUGHT: PASTURES MOVE UPHILL NUMBER OF ROAD ACCIDENTS GROWS IN ARMENIA ARMENIA'S PRIME MINISTER MEETS WITH SYRIA'S AMBASSADOR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY ESTABLISHED IN YEREVAN DEFENSE MINISTER MEETS WITH FRENCH AMBASSADOR ARMENIA TO RECEIVE HUMANITARIAN AID FROM GREECE 1,662 OFFICIALS OF ARMENIAN MINISTRY OF INTERIOR AFFAIRS HELD DISCIPLINARILY RESPONSIBLE IN 2001 ARMENIAN FM MEETS WITH KIRGHIZ AMBASSADOR DELEGATION OF RUSSIAN SUPERVISORY CHAMBER TO VISIT ARMENIA ARMENIAN PREMIER MEETS WITH KHIRGHIZ AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA ARMENTEL'S INCOMES MUST MAKE 79.4 BLN DRAMS, AND IN 2003 - 97.2 BLN CASE OF FORMER HEAD OF DEPARTMENT FOR EXECUTION OF CRIMINAL PUNISHMENTS OF MINISTRY OF INTERIOR SUBMITTED TO COURT IN 2001 ARMENIA'S MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS DIRECTED ALMOST 4 BLN DRAMS TO STATE BUDGET UNEMPLOYMENT LEVEL HIGHEST IN ARMENIA AMONG CIS COUNTRIES WORKS ON LAYING FIBER-OPTIC CABLES ALONG BOTTOM OF BLACK SEA NOT COMPLETED 14 NEWLY APPOINTED JUDGES OF NKR SUPREME COURT AND COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE TOOK AN OATH MEETING ON YOUNG PEOPLE'S PROBLEMS CHAIRED BY PREMIER HELD TODAY NKR PRESIDENT MET WITH HEAD OF PROGRAM OF CONSTRUCTION OF NEW HEALTH-IMRPOVEMENT COMPLEX WB NEXT MISSION TO VISIT ARMENIA AT THE BEGINNING OF MARCH NAIRI HUNANIAN INTENDS TO APPEAL TO PEOPLE PPA LEADER DOESN'T AGREE WITH STATEMENTS THAT OPPOSITION BEHAVES PASSIVE LATELY PPA LEADER DOES NOT ELIMINATE POSSIBILITY OF CREATION OF NEW DEPUTY GROUP IN ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT PPA LEADER IS SURE THAT IT IS NECESSARY TO KEEP DEATH PENALTY OTE OVERSTATED INVESTMENT VOLUMES IN MODERNIZATION OF ARMENIA'S TELECOMMUNICATIONS NET 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