The Information Channel Felist.Com -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear frends! Arminfo news agency inform HAPPY NEW YEAR! ARMENIAN PRESIDENT CONGRATULATES MIKHAIL SAHAKASHVILI ON ELECTION TO POST OF GEORGIAN PRESIDENT YEREVAN, JANUARY 8. ARMINFO. Armenian President Robert Kocharyan sent his congratulation message to Mikhail Sahakashvili on the occasion of the latter's election to the post of Georgian President. The Press Service of the Armenian President told ARMINFO that the message in particular says: "I am sure that the traditional fraternal relations between our peoples and states will even more strengthen and further develop in the atmosphere of mutual trust and cooperation." ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SENDS HIS CONDOLENCE TO PRESIDENTS OF FRANCE AND EGYPT IN CONNECTION WITH CRASH OF PLANE IN SHARM-EL-SHEIK YEREVAN, JANUARY 8. ARMINFO. Armenian President Robert Kocharyan expressed his condolence to the presidents of France and Egypt, Jacques Chirac and Hosni Mubarak, in connection with the crash of a plane in Sharm-el-Sheik on Jan 5. The Press-Service of the Armenian President told ARMINFO that Robert Kocharyan expressed condolence to the relatives of all the killed on behalf of the Armenian people. It should be noted that the crash of Boeing-737 flying from Sharm-el-Sheik to Paris resulted in death of 133 people, 133 of them were French citizens. ARMENIA AND NKR ARE PARTIALLY FREE STATES STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 8. ARMINFO. Armenia and NKR are partially free states, testify data of a report of an American human rights organization Freedom House for 2003. The report reflects the situation with political rights and civil freedoms in the world. The document based on the analysis by the organization's experts divides countries into three types: free, partially free and not free. American ombudsmen have qualified Azerbaijan as a not free country calling it among the states "lacking main political rights wherein civil freedoms are regularly violated." The comments to the report of Freedom House say that the given estimation is obviously result of unfair voting during the presidential election and mass rigging in that country. Experts of Freedom House consider Baku's regime more totalitarian than those in Burundi and Yemen. At the same time, Freedom House notes that in NKR the political rights and civil freedoms are protected better than in Azerbaijan. Karabakh included in a special list of unrecognized states and the so-called "disputable territories" is qualified as a region with a middle level of democracy. By the way, Abkhazia and Dniester region are recognized "not free." DEFENSE MINISTRY OF ARMENIA REFUTES INFORMATION OF AZERBAIJANI MASS MEDIA ON MURDER OF TWO AZERBAIJANI COWBOYS YEREVAN, JANUARY 8. ARMINFO. The Armenian Defense Ministry has categorically refuted information of Azerbaijani mass media on the murder of two Azerbaijani cowboys. According to the Azerbaijani Mass Media, on Jan 5 the Armenian party allegedly fired at the Azerbaijani one. The fire "was allegedly from the occupied party of the village of Horadiz, Fizouli region, at the village of Ashagi Abdurakhmanli, Fizouli region." As a result, the residents of the village, cowboys Oruj Dunyamali-oghli Shukyurov and his son Mukhubbat Shukyurov, were killed, Mass Media reports. At the same time, the Azerbaijani Mass Media reports that only the body of M. Shukyurov was founded so far. Press-Secretary of Armenian Defense Minister Colonel Seyran Shakhsouvaryan told ARMINFO that the given information does not correspond to reality. He said there is no information on the aforementioned fire from the Armenian party. Quite on the contrary, there is information on a fire from the Azerbaijani party in the Mardakert region registered yesterday at approximately 21.30 pm. However, the Armenian party did not responded to the fire. DIRECTOR OF IRU COMPANY ARMEN JAMGARYAN PROCLAIMED MOST POPULAR "COMPUTER" MAN IN RUSSIA YEREVAN, JANUARY 8. ARMINFO. The director of the IRU company Armen Jamgaryan has won the "Computers" nomination of the "People of the Year" hit parade held by Rambler holding "The world around us is changing very quickly. Things we thought impossible yesterday are now becoming ordinary. Today one cannot even imagine himself without Internet," says Jamgaryan. "To me Internet is free and quick access to information. The greater part of my work is communication with other people for getting information. Geography does not matter any more. Any man in any part of the world can become part of the global network at any moment." "Internet is a sea of information." It should be noted that in the same hit parade Russia's President Vladimir Putin has been proclaimed the Man of the Year.- BISHOP GUREGH KAPIKIAN ENTERS ETERNAL REST YEREVAN, JANUARY 8. ARMINFO. It is with deep sorrow that the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin conveys the sad news that His Grace Bishop Guregh Kapikian entered his eternal rest on December 30, 2003 in Jerusalem, following a long illness. He was 82 years old. His Grace was a member of the Brotherhood of St. James, and one of the most senior Bishops of the Armenian Church. Bishop Guregh was born in Jerusalem in 1921. He was ordained a celibate priest in 1951, and consecrated a bishop by His Holiness Vasken I, Catholicos of All Armenians of blessed memory, in 1976. He had served as the dean of the Holy Translators School in the Armenian Quarter of the Holy City for many years. In the 1980-s, he was instrumental in the restoration of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, the site of Christ-s crucifixion, burial and resurrection. He was widely respected as an expert on the ancient artifacts of Jerusalem. The Last Blessing and Burial Service for Bishop Guregh took place on Saturday, January 2, in St. James Cathedral in Jerusalem. He was laid to rest in the cemetery of the Holy Savior Monastery. His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, sent a letter of condolence to His Beatitude Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem. In the message, His Holiness offered prayers for the eternal rest for the soul of Bishop Guregh. The Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin, the staff of the Mother See and the faithful flock mourn the loss of His Grace, and pray for the repose of his soul. ANIP OPPOSED TO ARRIVAL OF ARMENIAN MILITARY TO AZERBAIJAN BAKU, JANUARY 8. ARMINFO-TURAN. ANIP is opposed to participation of Armenian military in NATO exercises in Azerbaijan in September 2004 and interprets that as "disrespect for territorial integrity of the country." The party's statement reads that official Baku's position to this issue causes "surprise." "ANIP always stood for Azerbaijan's integration into European Atlantic organizations. But the party always protested at refusal of western countries to recognize Armenia as an aggressor, which does not observe UN SC resolutions to liberate occupied territories of Azerbaijan," reads the statement. RUINS OF ANCIENT CAPITAL OF ARMENIA ANI OPENED FOR TOURISTS YEREVAN, JANUARY 8. ARMINFO. The general headquarters of the Turkish army made today a historical decision to allow filming and taking photos of the sights situated in closed military zones but representing certain interest for tourists, reports the Turkish newspaper Aksam. This refers to the ruins of the ancient capital of Armenia, Ani, the mosque near the Turkish-Georgian border and the area including the Mountains Ararat. A relevant bill has been submitted to the Turkish parliament by the country's defence ministry. HEADLINES OF JANUARY 8 THE HALO TRUST INTENDS TO CONTINUE DEMINING IN NKR TERRITORY IN 2004 ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER SENDS HIS CONDOLENCE TO NKR PRESIDENT IN CONNECTION WITH DEATH OF HIS FATHER ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR TO SYRIA DECORATED WITH HIGH-DEGREE ORDER FREEDOM OF SPEECH IN NKR SECURED PARTIALLY ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER MAKES CABINET RESHUFFLE 719 FOREIGNERS IN BELARUS, INCLUDING AN ARMENIAN CITIZEN, GIVEN STATUS OF REFUGEES GOVERNMENT VS ARMENTEL TRIAL POSTPONED ARMENIA'S CENTRAL BANK FIXES 18% DISCOUNT RATE OF BANKING INTEREST DISCUSSION OF KARABAKH PROBLEM IN PACE POSTPONED SELF-DETERMINATION UNITY EXERCISES INITIATIVE "COOPERATION FOR DEMOCRACY" 6% YEARLY GDP GROWTH PLANNED IN ARMENIA FOR NEXT THREE YEARS OSCE HOLDS REGULAR MONITORING OF CONTACT LINE OF ARMED FORCES OF NAGORNY KARABAKH AND AZERBAIJAN GDP STRUCTURE TO UNDERGO CHANGES SOON FRENCH GOVERNMENT PERSUADES BAKU TO RECOGNIZE NAGORNY KARABAKH's INDEPENDENCE: ISKANDER GAMIDOV JUSTICE BLOC TO CONSISTENTLY SEEK REFERENDUM OF CONFIDENCE IN AUTHORITIES YEAR 2004 WILL BE QUIET BOTH FROM GEOPOLITICAL AND DOMESTIC POLITICAL POINT OF VIEW: HEAD OF RPA PARLIAMENTARY FACTION HEAD OF RPA PARLIAMENTARY FACTION CALLS DEVELOPMENTS IN GEORGIA DANGEROUS PHENOMENON THAT HAPPENED IN CONFORMITY WITH WESTERN SCENARIO BAKU MUST USE FORCE FOR SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT: ISKENDER HAMIDOV GEORGIA NEEDS TO HAVE GOOD RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA: MIKHEIL SAAKASHVILI TOUGHENED LOTTERY LAW TAKES FORCE SPECIAL MEASURES OF SECURITY TO BE ENVISAGED FOR ARMENIAN SERVICEMEN WHO TO TAKE PART IN CONFERENCE OF PLANNING OF NATO EXERCISES IN BAKU 5.2% GROWTH OF CONSUMER PRICES REGISTERED IN DEC 2003 REPRESENTATIVES OF AZERI INTELLECTUALS URGE THEIR COMPATRIOTS TO JOIN ACTIONS OF PROTEST AGAINST FEBRUARY 26 ARMENIAN AGGRESSION AMENDMENTS TO RULES OF LISTING AND DELISTING OF SECURITIES COMES INTO FORCES IN ARMEX TILL JAN 20 SELF-DETERMINATION UNITY INTENDS TO APPEAL TO EUROPEAN COURT ARMEX ADOPTS NEW RULES ON TARIFFS 8.6% INFLATION RECORDED IN ARMENIA IN 2003 10 PEOPLE TO FORM BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF "ARMENIAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT" CJSC ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT SATISFIED WITH PROCESS OF TRANSFER OF PROPERTY TAX BASES TO COMMUNITIES 35.7% GDP DROP REGISTERED IN ARMENIA IN NOV, 2003 ELECTRICITY GENERATION IN ARMENIA GREW BY 12.1% IN NOVEMBER, 2003 AS AGAINST OCTOBER 2003 ARMENIA'S FOREIGN TRADE TURNOVER TOTALS $1,772.6 MLN IN JAN-NOV, 2003 IN ITS RECENT ACTIONS UNITED STATES RESEMBLES ELEPHANT IN CHINA SHOP RUSSIA's FOREIGN POLICY IN CAUCASUS HAS LATELY FOLLOWED EVENTS: ARMEN DARBINIAN IN JAN-NOV 2003 CARGO TRAFFIC IN ARMENIA DECREASED BY 7.4% POPULATION'S INCOMES INCREASED BY 14.5%, EXPENSES BY 16.6% IN JAN-NOV, 2003 UNEMPLOYMENT LEVEL FALLS IN ARMENIA KARABAKH PROBLEM IS ONE OF THE KEY FACTORS FOR GUARANTEEING SAFETY OF BAKU-CEYHAN PROJECT GROWTH OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION IN ARMENIA AT MADE UP 17.9% IN JAN-NOV, 2003 EFES INSURANCE COMPANY JOINT AGREEMENT ON TRANSNATIONAL GROUP INGOSSTRAKH 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&email= http://felist.com/ mailto:ask@felist.com