Director of MTS subsidiary invests in Nagorno-Karabakh - PHOTO

MTS is the largest mobile operator in Russia and CIS and ranks among the ten largest mobile operators for number of subscribers and market share. Together with its subsidiaries, the company serves more than 85 million subscribers in Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

In September 2007, MTS acquired a 80-percent stake in the leading Armenian operator K-Telecom (VivaCell brand) and concluded an option deal for to acquire and sell the remaining 20 percent.  

First, VivaCell-MTS mobile operator which is a subsidiary of MTS cooperates with Nagorno-Karabakh separatists. The list of countries where roaming services are available on the VivaCell-MTS Web site indicates also the so-called “Nagorno Karabakh Republic.”

The Web site says VivaCell-MTS partner in Nagorno-Karabakh is notorious Karabakh Telecom. Thus, any MTS subscriber will easily be able take advantage of roaming in the occupied lands of Azerbaijan.

But that's not all. The second fact deserves even more attention. The official Web site of VivaCell-MTS says Director General of the mobile operator is Ralph Yirikian. As surprising as it may sound, but CEO of Karabakh Telecom, which is illegally operating in Nagorno Karabakh and is the biggest investor in economy of Karabakh, is also Ralph Yirikian.

In other words, director of the subsidiary company of Russian MTS is working concurrently in Nagorno-Karabakh while no company has a right to offer roaming services in the occupied Azerbaijani lands without country’s permission. Moreover, Yirikian sponsors various charitable activities in Karabakh.

Appointment of Ralph Yirikian as Director General of VivaCell-MTS is, at least, ill-considered step, because the person violating all international norms and principles invests in occupied lands.

/Day.Az/

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