MosJan Posted September 27, 2006 Report Share Posted September 27, 2006 ARMENTEL WILL BE SOLD TO PUTIN’S DAUGHTER * Deputy of parliament, Arshak Sadoyan, expressed his opinion that “Putin’s daughter may become ArmenTel’s owner.” Moreover, he said an Arab company offers a higher price but it will be sold to Russians. If telephone fees are raised, millions of dollars will go into the pocket of the buyer, Sadoyan said. Sadoyan also called everybody to join a demonstration on October 6. He said they will march from Matenadaran to Public Services Regulatory Committee demanding from the committee even not to deliberate the proposal. The deputy believes even slightest pressure is enough to keep the tariffs as they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamavor Posted September 28, 2006 Report Share Posted September 28, 2006 Minchev vor Hayera Hayastanum chi haskanan vor Rusnera heru bedke bahen dundesagan niuterits Hayastan@ chi bi di shutkuvi. Na manavant Russ kakhakagan elitin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lev7 Posted September 28, 2006 Report Share Posted September 28, 2006 the only thing left to do is change the Armenian flag to a Russian one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamavor Posted October 2, 2006 Report Share Posted October 2, 2006 Russians and business are oxymoron at best. Look at the present Russian business elite: 90% are Russian Jews and the rest are Caucasians and representatives of Baltic States. It is absolutely incomprehensible as to why Russia is in such dire straits. How come the richest country in the world is among the poorest??? While communism was good excuse for decades, what is the excuse now? Russian Diaspora in the west is much older than Armenian or any other Diaspora and yet they produced zero in terms of solid capital investment and/or business enterprises in the free world where the number of excuses is close to zero. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted October 3, 2006 Report Share Posted October 3, 2006 Russians and business are oxymoron at best. Look at the present Russian business elite: 90% are Russian Jews and the rest are Caucasians and representatives of Baltic States. It is absolutely incomprehensible as to why Russia is in such dire straits. How come the richest country in the world is among the poorest??? While communism was good excuse for decades, what is the excuse now? Russian Diaspora in the west is much older than Armenian or any other Diaspora and yet they produced zero in terms of solid capital investment and/or business enterprises in the free world where the number of excuses is close to zero. Is it the VODKA factor? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted October 10, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2006 ARMENTEL BECAME OWNED BY ARAB CONSORTIUM ACCORDING TO UNOFFICIAL REPORTS * article's photo According to unofficial reports, 90% of shares of ArmenTel telecommunication company are sold to an Arab consortium at $600 million. According to RBC, 90% of ArmenTel shares, owned by OTE Greek Company are sold to Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (ETISALAT)/Istithmar PJSC/Emergent Telecom Ventures (ETV). ArmenTel Company neither denied, nor confirmed the reports. In the words of ArmenTel Press Secretary Hasmik Chutilyan, she does not have any information over who is the winner of the international tender. The Ministry of Transport and Communication of Armenia also does not have any information. Ministry Spokesperson Tamara Galchyan stated, “No one provided information to me over who is the winner of the contest, and the Minister is on a business trip, so I cannot get to know anything about the owner of the 90% of ArmenTel shares. This year OTE Greek company announced a tender for 90% shares of ArmenTel, it held. 16 companies took part in the contest. Russian VympelCom and MTC, as well as ETISALAT (Emirates Telecommunications Corporation/Istithmar ETV -Emergent Telecom Ventures) и VTEL Holdings/Knightsbridge Associates passed to the second round. The other day Armenian Minister of Transport and Communication Andranik Manukyan stated that the buyer of ArmenTel shares should refuse monopoly to a number of activities and those claiming the buying of the shares agreed to that condition, reports IA Regnum. * Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted October 10, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2006 ARMENIAN VICE-SPEAKER: COMMUNICATION QUALITY WILL ENHANCE UPON SELLING ARMENTEL * article's photo «I do not know for sure who bought ArmenTel, I do not know the details, but I am sure that our communication quality will enhance. Arab communication is just fabulous,» Armenian Vice-Speaker Vahan Hovhannisyan stated at a news conference in Yerevan. In his words, irrespective of who becomes the next owner of ArmenTel, the most important thing is effectiveness, transparency of the deal and absence of corruption. 90% of ArmenTel shares, that were held by OTE Greek company, according to unofficial reports, are sold to Arab consortium Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (ETISALAT)/Istithmar PJSC/Emergent Telecom Ventures (ETV). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Error 404 Posted October 10, 2006 Report Share Posted October 10, 2006 (edited) Before it was owened by Levon Ter-Petrosyan (through the greeks) now it is owned by Vano Siradeghyan (through the arab emirates) probably. I can't imagine how bankrupt our country and state are that they can't pay $600 Milion to keep this type of strategic and important asset to itself. Edited October 10, 2006 by Error 404 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boghos Posted October 10, 2006 Report Share Posted October 10, 2006 I disagree. No reason for Armenia to own Armentel. Actually exactly the contrary, all the reasons in the world to avoid a typically bloated, inefficient and slow state owned telecom. If it is a monopoly, all the worse. The issue here is regulation and its enforcement. If the buyer was really Etisalat I think Armentel will be in better hands than it was before. But, again, the issue is regulation. Armenia is a small market but obviously communication is very important for a landlocked country with a large diaspora. And one with a high level of education. Internet should be made almost free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Error 404 Posted October 10, 2006 Report Share Posted October 10, 2006 Boghos your opinion makes sense for the big free market like in US. Vodaphone is foreighn owned same with t-mobile (german) etc. But can't you see the difference? It's a free market there is a COMPETITION. Armentel is a monopoly it doesn't have competition. It is doing whatever it wants. There is no descent Internet Connection in Armenia yet. All you can get is 4-10 Kb/s dial up connection. Even that makes people happy if it works. They are paying $40-$50 monthly fees for that type of connection. Remember one thing. US or any other industrial developed country will not allow aforeign company to take over it's whole communication systems. It will be prevented! That's why it is shared between many foreign and domestic partners. I would be totally ok if for exmaple 20% or 30% of the communication were owned by several foreign parties but not 100% and owned by one company! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boghos Posted October 11, 2006 Report Share Posted October 11, 2006 I think there are two different issues here: monopoly and national ownership. Monopolies are usually not a good idea but as I said the question is regulation. As to national ownership give me just one reason for it. The question is again regulation, if properly regulated it is immaterial who owns it. A state company is by far the worst choice or don´t we have a memory for what services were in Soviet times? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamavor Posted October 11, 2006 Report Share Posted October 11, 2006 It doesn't matter who owns it as long as they don't belong to the same owner. What matters is to have AT LEAST three operators. In all countries where there were only two operators they ended up with fixed or increasing prices of telecomunication services. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alby Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 In a small country like Armenia, telecommunication should belong to a trusted internal organization for security reasons. I think it’s a huge mistake to give away one’s telecommunication to foreign entities. Certain things should not be sold to others, communication and energy are two of the most important items. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boghos Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 "trusted internal organization" ? Who would that be? I don´t want to extend this debate but there is no reason for energy or telecom to be a state monopoly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alby Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 You are right to question who that might be but then again communication is a very important part of a nation’s infrastructure and allowing a foreign entity to own it is a mistake, specially for a small country like ours but since there is a habit of selling everything that could be sold in Armenia, why should this be an exception. A foreign owned telecom company could paralyze all communications at will in times of crisis if they want to either by their choosing or by their government’s pressures. Critical communications could be eavesdropped very easily and so on. I don’t know, maybe I am paranoid a little but that’s the way I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boghos Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 Communications can be easily eavesdropped almost anywhere. Telecom services cannot be interrupted at whim especially given the fact that the great majority of employees at Armentel are Armenians. In case of war the government may intervene. So far the record in Armenia is: during Soviet times, poor service, poor availability, outrageous long distance costs, privatized Armentel, better availability, expensive. The state should get its hands off telecoms and let the private sector flourish: this is what mational security is all about. The rest is fluff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted November 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2006 Russian Firm Claims ArmenTel Takeover AP Russian mobile operator Vimpel-Communications said Friday it agreed to buy a 90 percent stake in Armenia Telephone Co. (ArmenTel) from Greece's Hellenic Telecommunications Organization SA for 341.9 million euros ($436.3 million) plus about 40 million euros (US$51 million) in debt. ArmenTel has about 600,000 fixed-line and 400,000 mobile subscribers. Completion of the deal is subject to the fulfillment of certain conditions, including approval by the government of Armenia. "With approximately 40 percent mobile market share, ArmenTel occupies a strong position in the Armenian market and we will work to enhance this position," said VimpelCom Chief Executive Alexander Izosimov. VimpelCom operates phone services in Russia and Kazakhstan and recently acquired cellular operators in Ukraine, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Georgia. The VimpelCom Group's cellular license portfolio covers a territory with a population of about 237 million. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted November 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2006 DO THEY BLAME SERGE SARGSYAN? * article's photo The RA Government will approve of the deal with «Vympelcom» from Russia about the sale of the 90% of the shares of «ArmenTel», Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan announced today in the NA. Mr. Sargsyan said that the growth of the Russian capital in the strategic points of Armenia is not dangerous as Russia has never abused its ways of economic control. Asked the question if there has been quarrel and shots in the Armenian plane which crashed in the Black Sea, Serge Sargsyan answered that the hypothesis has already been refuted. «Both Russian and French specialists have participated in the investigation. Do you think if they would hide it if they found evidence of anything of the kind? Any gossip must be at least a bit logical», he said. President of «Orinats Yerkir» Arthur Baghdasaryan had announced that the next President of Armenia must be born in Armenia by all means. How does Serge Sargsyan comment on it? «Of course, the President of Armenia must not be from Mexico». As for the accusations of leader of the New Times party Aram Karapetyan that the party is blackmailed due to the orders of Serge Sargsyan, the Minister answered, «People are of too great an opinion about themselves. Do you think I have nothing else to do? It's not only him; everyone and her brother blame me for something. Anyway, let them speak as much as they want». Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted November 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2006 GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS SELLING ITS STAKE IN ARMENTEL TO FUTURE BUYER By Astghik Bedevian The Armenian government is likely to sell its 10 percent stake in the Armenian Telephone Company (ArmenTel) to its future buyer if the latter vows to end its monopoly on Armenia’s telecom market. Armenia’s Minister of Transport and Communication Andranik Manukian, who was entrusted last week to manage the state-held share in the company, announced Wednesday that the government will not object to Vimpel-Communications buying the remaining 10 percent share if the Russian mobile operator rejects all types of monopolies currently enjoyed by ArmenTel. “We kept our shares to be able to influence somehow the company’s decisions during the meetings of its shareholders,” Manukian said, adding that if the monopoly provisions are reconsidered ‘prices will result from competition and there will be no question of tariff policy regulation.’ “It seems to me that the government’s participation with its 10 percent stake will not give anything. For us it is important that the monopoly provisions be removed,” the minister said, giving assurances that the government will not give up its stake otherwise. Vimpel-Communications agreed last week to buy a 90 percent stake in ArmenTel Greece's Hellenic Telecommunications Organization SA for 341.9 million euros ($436.3 million) plus about 40 million euros (US$51 million) in debt. ArmenTel has about 600,000 fixed-line and 400,000 mobile subscribers. Vimpel-Communications operates phone services in Russia and Kazakhstan and recently acquired cellular operators in Ukraine, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Georgia. The Group’s cellular license portfolio covers a territory with a population of about 237 million. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted November 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2006 THIRD MOBILE OPERATOR TO APPEAR IN ARMENIA BY 2009 YEREVAN, November 8. /ARKA/. The third mobile telecommunications operator will appear in Armenia by 2009, Andranik Manukyan told reporters Wednesday. He explained that the government has made a commitment that it will not grant a license to a new operator until 2009. "The Armenian market of mobile communications is so small that two operators fully share it," the minister said. The Russian VimpelCom OJSC (Beeline brand) signed an agreement with the Greek Hellenic Telecommunications Organization SA (OTE) on purchasing 90% shares of the Armenian ArmenTel Company for EUR 341.9mln. According to the report by VimpelCom, the company will take the debts and liabilities of ArmenTel for about EUR 40mln. ArmenTel Company is one of the two mobile operators in Armenia. It has the biggest number of subscribers in Armenia. The company holds 40% of the mobile communications market of Armenia. In July 1, 2005, the second mobile operator K-Telecom of VivaCell brand entered the Armenian market of mobile communications. R.O. -0-- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted November 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2006 VYMPELCOM TO REJECT MONOPOLY THAT ARMENTEL ENJOYED * Russian Vimpelcom Communications Company became the new owner of ArmenTel yesterday. The Commission Regulating Public Services gave its consent to the deal of selling 90% of ArmenTel and Greek OTE Company’s shares. The Commission’s decision reads that the deal does not go against Armenia’s national interests and that the new owner gets all the rights and obligations of ArmenTel. Yet, the new company will not enjoy the monopoly that ArmenTel used to enjoy anymore. Representatives of the two companies made statements during signing of the deal. ArmenTel Executive Director, Vasilis Fetsis, asked the Commission to agree to the agreement between OTE and Vympelcom. He emphasized that Vympelcom is a trustworthy company with a big representation in the communications sphere. Representative of Vympelcom, the candidate for ArmenTel general director Oleg Bliznuk said that the deal will be completed this week. He said that Vympelcom is going to introduce its experience and up-to-the-minute telecom technologies and to significantly improve the quality of phone services in Armenia. Bliznuk said that Vympelcom is negotiating with RA Government over the latter's 10% stake in ArmenTel. The Government requires that Vympelcom gradually renounces the monopolies granted to ArmenTel by license 60. "Monopoly spoils a producer and only competition allows him to achieve high quality standards," says Bliznuk. He notes that they are considering changing the brand from ArmenTel into Beeline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpa Posted November 15, 2006 Report Share Posted November 15, 2006 Get ready fro another Russian Revolution. This morning VimpelCom rang the opening bell at the NYSE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boghos Posted November 15, 2006 Report Share Posted November 15, 2006 THIRD MOBILE OPERATOR TO APPEAR IN ARMENIA BY 2009 YEREVAN, November 8. /ARKA/. ....ArmenTel Company is one of the two mobile operators in Armenia. It has the biggest number of subscribers in Armenia. The company holds 40% of the mobile communications market of Armenia. In July 1, 2005, the second mobile operator K-Telecom of VivaCell brand entered the Armenian market of mobile communications. R.O. -0-- Is it only me or there is a slight inconsistence in the news above? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.