STRIFE FOR ARMENTEL COMPANY STARTED BETWEEN RUSSIAN COMPANIES

Yerevan, July 3. ArmInfo. Today, July 3, Russian MTS company will have talks with HSBC Bank about the purchase of 90% ArmenTel shares, and on July 6 'Vympelkom' company is to negotiate.

According to certain sources, the competition for ArmenTel is the hottest between those two Russian companies. Analyzers consider that in case winning the tender the companies will share their business with others - MTS with 'Comstar' and 'Vympelkom' with Golden Telecom. The amount of the bargain will most probably make up $300-350 million.

At present Russian MTS and 'Vympelkom' companies as well as 2 international consortiums are pretending for the 90% of ArmenTel shares. One of the latter is Emirates Telecommunications Corporation and Istithmar, UAE, as well as Emergent Telecom Ventures, Switzerland, also the owner of Russian 'Synterra' company shares. The other consortium is VTEL Holding, India, and Knightbridge Associates, Guernsey Islands, reports Reuters agency.

VICTOR SOGHOMONIAN DOESN'T CONFIRM INFORMATION GIVEN BY ARAZ AZIMOV ON JULY 17 MEETING OF PRESIDENTS OF AMRENIA AND AZERBAIJAN

Yerevan, July 03. ArmInfo. Victor Soghomonian, Press Secretary of RA President, didn't confirm the statement of Araz Azimov, Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, about the July 17 meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

"We haven't planned anything yet for July 17," he said.

According to the Azeri mass media sources, Araz Azimov stated at today's press conference that a break through in the negotiations may take place during the July 17 meeting of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

IN KRASNOYARSK POLICE ARRESTS SKINHEADS WHO ATTACKED AN ARMENIAN CITIZEN

Krasnoyarsk, July 03. ArmInfo.The group of young people beat an Armenian citizen in Krasnoyarsk, in end June.

"Yerkramas" newspapers of the Russian-Armenians, informed that initially a criminal suit was instituted according to the article #213 of RF Criminal Code envisaged for hooliganism. The adult leader of the teens' group accused of the crime represented himself as the leader of the Krasnoyarks skinheads and motivated his actions by national hatred. After the arrest, the Federal Court of Sovetskiy district of Krasnoyarsk accused him of "stirring up national hatred and hostility, according to the article # 282 of RF Criminal Code. The case is being investigated at the Prosecutor's Office of Sovetskiy district.

VARTAN OSKANIAN: RF AUTHORITIES SHOULD TAKE DRASTIC MEASURES TO AVERT XENOPHOBIA

Yerevan, July 03. ArmInfo.The Armenian side will continue discussion with RF representatives on the issues of investigating the recent cases of attacking the Armenian residents of Moscow and punishing the guilty. Vartan Oskanian, RA Foreign Minister, said at today's press conference. He stated that this issue is still in the agenda of the meetings held by the Armenian and Russian representatives at various levels. "The Russian side is also concerned about the facts of attacking the foreign citizens in Moscow," he said. He added that xenophobia is of total character in Russia. "The Russian authorities should take drastic measures to avert xenophobia cases, otherwise that may become a threat to the publicity of very Russia, Vartan Oskanian said,

It's worth mentioning that on 2 July in the evening, a group of teens attacked two Armenians in a tube train. Both the Armenians, Vacheh Tovmasyan (20) and Varazdat Hakobyan (23) got knife wounds. At the underground station "Kuznetsky Most" they applied for first aid and were hospitalized. The attackers escaped. The injured say they were attacked by aggressive young people in black and with knives as soon as they came out of the train.

ALCATEL, SUN MICROSYSTEMS AND MICROSOFT ARE EXPECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN IT-MONTH IN ARMENIA

Yerevan, July 3. ArmInfo. Representatives of MICROSOFT, SUN Microsystems and ALCATEL are expected to visit Armenia to take part in a Month of Information Technologies scheduled for September-October 2006, Enterprise Incubator Foundation Director Bagrat Yengibaryan told ArmInfo.

He said over 20 events in the IT-sphere are to be held in the course of the IT- Month. EIF Director mentioned the key events: business-forum under Armenia- Diaspora Forum on September 20; World E-Content Congress scheduled for the first week of October; IT-exposition "Digitec-2006" on October 6-8 at K.Demirchyan Sport and Concert Complex.

TREASURES OF MOTHER SEE HOLY ETCHMIADZIN INACCESSIBLE TO ORDINARY CITIZENS OF ARMENIA

Yerevan, July 3. ArmInfo. Treasury of Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin is factually inaccessible to ordinary citizens of Armenia although it is open for foreign tourists. "Whoever you are, even the president, it is me who can allow you to the Treasury or not," the treasury custodian, who introduced himself as deacon Noy, told ArmInfo's correspondent. He explained that the issue is not regulated, and to see the treasury, one can just hope for a special attitude by him or by Museum Curator Paren or at least by Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II.

ArmInfo's correspondent failed to contact His Holliness Karekin II. The Chancellery of the Mother See explained that deacon Noy could allow them to the museum, hereby confirming that there are no relevant regulations.

To note, at many world confessional and historical centers (Vatican, Kremlin, etc..) visits to museum-treasuries are strictly regulated by international museum standards. It is very difficult to imagine that an average novice could chose who to allow to the museum the rich or the poor, natives or foreigners.

SKINHEADS ATTACK TWO ARMENIANS IN MOSCOW

Yerevan, July 3. ArmInfo. On 2 July in the evening, a group of teens attacked two Armenians in a tube train. Both the Armenians, Vacheh Tovmasyan (20) and Varazdat Hakobyan (23) got knife wounds. At the underground station "Kuznetsky Most" they applied for first aid and were hospitalized. The attackers escaped. The injured say they were attacked by aggressive young people in black and with knives as soon as they came out of the train.

To note, Rashid Nurgaliyev, RF Interior Minister, said at a press conference in Yerevan, that 4 Armenians have been killed in Russia since the beginning of the year.

Another citizen of Kazakhstan, student of Military-Engineering Academy of the Russian Defense Ministry, Amantay Yerbozov, and two citizens of Uzbekistan, were attacked and taken to hospital with wounds. The attackers escaped this time as well. Militia do not rule out that the attacks are a result of xenophobia.

ARMENIAN SPECIALIST TO TAKE PART IN SIMULATION OF CRASHED A-320 PLANE FLIGHT

Yerevan, July 3. ArmInfo. An Armenian specialist, representative of the Chief Department of Civil Aviation, deputy head of the department's Security Inspection, Gagik Galstyuan, left for Toulouse Monday to take part in the simulation of the flight of A-320 plane, which crashed near Sochi May 3. The press secretary of the Chief Department of Civil Aviation Gayane Davtyan told ArmInfo.

The simulation will base on the comparison of flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR). It may take few days. Afterwards, the International Aviation Committee will pass the final resolution.

To note, A-320 Airbus belonging to Armavia air line crashed on May 3 night killing all on board.

HEADLINES OF JULE 3

NKR DM REFUTES AZERBAIJAN'S REPORT ON CERASEFIRE VIOLATION

PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA TO PAY WORKING VISIT TO IRAN

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION LEAVES FOR BRUSSELS TO ATTEND PA OSCE SESSION

RPA MEMBER ELECTED JERMUK MAYOR: PRELIMINARY DATA

CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS LEAVES FOR MOSCOW

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE "GENDER NETWORK AND MEDIA" OPENED IN TBILISI

NATIONAL FORUM AGAINST RAILWAY CONSORTIUM

THE RESULTS OF DEALS AT THE INTERBANK CURRENCY MARKET FOR JUNE 30, 2006

'DASHNAKTSUTIUN' PARTY CALLS UPON THE ARMENIANS TO TAKE ACTIVE PART IN THE CELEBRATION OF THE 15-TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIA'S INDEPENDENCE

ARMENIA NEEDS $2 MILLION INVESTMENT TO PROVIDE WIRELESS INTERNET CONNECTION WIMAX: EIF DIRECTOR

AZERBAIJAN DID NOT GIVE CONSENT FOR REFERENDUM ON NAGORNO KARABAKH, SAYS ARAZ AZIMOV

STOCK EXCHANGE DOLLAR RATE TOTALS TO 418,29 AMD/$1

GEORGIY PETROSIAN:WE BUILD OUR POLICY TAKING INTO ACCOUNT OUR OWN INTERESTS AND PECULARITIES OF SITUATION AROUND PREDNESTORIYA, ABKHAZIAN AND SOUTH OSETIAN REPUBLICS

EFFORTS BY BAKU TO CONFUSE THE INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC SURELY DO NOT ASSIST ESTABLISHMENT OF MUTUAL TRUST BETWEEN THE SIDES OF THE KARABAKH CONFLICT

IN 12 YEARS AFTER CEASEFIRE 150 SCHOOL EDIFICES ARE RESTORED IN NKR

ELECTRONIC SYSTEM OF DOCUMENT CIRCULATION APPLIED AT THE FOREIGN MINISTRY OF ARMENIA

VARTAN OSKANIAN:WE HOPE AZERBAIJAN WILL RE-ESTIMATE THE SITUATION AND WE WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THE NEGOTIATIONS FOR NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

HEAD OF 'FRANCE CULTURE' ORGANIZATION SAID THAT PARIS AND ALL THE FRANCE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE START OF THE ARMENIAN YEAR IN FRANCE

TODAY PARTICIPANTS OF INTELLIGENTSIA FORUM DISCUSS CASES OF ATTACKING ARMENIANS IN RUSSIA

PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA SIGNED A LAW ABOUT ALTERING THE LAW ABOUT EDUCATION

MOSCOW PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE BELEIVES ATTACK AGAINST AMRNEIANS IN MOSCOW UNDERGROUND IS "UNFOLDING NATIONAL HATRED"

OSCE MONITORING TOOK PLACE ON THE BORDER BETWEEN KARABAKH AND ARMENIA

SPEAKER OF KARABAKH PARLIAMENT TOLD HIS COLLEAGUE FROM THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA ABOUT HIS VISIT TO THE USA

ON JULY 5-7 "LOGIC OF SUCCESS: STRATEGY AND TACTICS OF MEDIA-BUSINESS" SEMINAR TO BE HALD IN YEREVAN

COCHAIRMEN AGAIN CALL KOCHARIAN AND ALIYEV TO EXPRESS A POLITICAL WILL

HOSPITALS OF ARMENIA AND NAGORNO-KARABAKH RECEIVED EXPENSIVE ULTRASOUND EQUIPMENT