Month: October 2008

PRESIDENT BAKO SAHAKYAN SENT A CONGRATULATORY…

Azat Artsakh Daily
01 Oct 08
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]

President Bako Sahakyan sent a congratulatory letter to the newly
elected chairman of the National Assembly of the Republic of
Armenia Hovik Abrahamyan On 30 September President of the Nagorno
Karabagh Republic Bako Sahakyan sent a congratulatory letter to the
newly elected chairman of the National Assembly of the Republic of
Armenia Hovik Abrahamyan. The letter reads as follows: "I cordially
congratulate You on being elected chairman of the National Assembly of
the Republic of Armenia. I am confident that holding this position
of trust will enable You to give a new impetus to the activities of
the highest legislative body as well as further develop and deepen
parliamentary ties between Armenia and Artsakh. I wish You success,
good health and effective work for the prosperity of the Republic
of Armenia."

ARMENIA’S ANNUAL DIGITEC IT EXPO TO ENTER INTERNATIONAL ARENA

ARKA
Oct 1, 2008

YEREVAN, October 1. /ARKA/. Armenia’s DigiTec annual IT expo has fair
chances to become an international event, said Bagrat Yengibaryan,
director of the Enterprise Incubator Foundation (EIF).

"The exhibition helps understand latest trends of IT and high-tech
industries, guiding foreign companies in Armenia’s market", the EIF
Director said.

He underlined the interest of Russian and Iranian companies in the
expo, saying DigiTec can become a regional project.

The two-day IT expo will kick off in Yerevan on October 3.

Numerous workshops, including DigiTec-Start Up forum and DigiLive
seminar, will take place as part of the expo.

The organizers say 50 IT companies will showcase their products. Some
12,000 people are expected to visit the expo this year against 8,000
in 2007.

Among the participants are leading IT companies, including Cornet.am,
Smart Systems, U Com, IU Networks, ADS, MCS Caucasus, National
Instruments, HI End Center, Scancode, Altacode, Norq, CHS Verisel
Service, Unicomp, Virage Logic, Softline, Apaga Technologies, Microsoft
RA, T Helper, Synergy, Apple Centre, Paradigma Armenia, Instigate,
Firm Alpha, Sourcio, Spyur, Enterprise Incubator Foundation (EIF)
and others.

The organizers of the exhibition are UITE and EIF.

The event is sponsored by Microsoft Armenia and Virage Logic.

The expo will be covered by ARKA20News Agency, Panorama Information
Portal, Shnat TV, Yerkir Meida, Kentorn TV, as well as a number of
local newspapers.

OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF EXERCISES COOPERATIVE LONGBOW 08 AND COOPERATIVE LANCER 08 IN ARMENIA

p;p=0&id=670&y=2008&m=09&d=30
29.0 9.08

Yerevan, Armenia – Earlier today, an official opening ceremony held
by Armenia, NATO and Partnership for Peace Nations officially launched
two exercises called Cooperative Longbow 08 and Cooperative Lancer 08
(CO LW / CO LR 08) in Yerevan, Armenia.

Approximately 1,000 military personnel from Canada, Greece, Hungary,
Lithuania, Poland the United Kingdom, the United States of America,
Albania, Armenia (as the host nation), Austria, Bosnia Herzegovina,
the Czech Republic, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia1,
Kazakhstan, Moldova, Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates will take
part in the two exercises from September 26 – October 20, 2008.

"The exercises are hosted by the Republic of Armenia, as a full member
of the international community, and driven by our readiness to fulfill
our commitments to ensure international security," said Mr. Ohanyan,
Minister of Defence of the Republic.

"This COOPERATIVE exercise provides Alliance and Partner Nations
with the opportunity to build relationships, share experiences and
techniques, and enhance the professionalism of all our forces," said
Lieutenant General John Gardner, Deputy-Commander Land Component
Command, Heidleberg during the opening ceremony. "Multinational
operations are20challenging by their very nature, and the experience
and lessons learned here will enhance the effectiveness of all of
our armies and armed forces."

NATO’s Partnership for Peace exercises are a vital tool in developing
and enhancing the ability of diverse international forces to work
together effectively during NATO-led multinational peace support
operations and crisis response operations.

The exercise is designed to allow participating nations to work more
effectively and to better prepare for the challenging global security
environment.

COVERSEBANK: INTEREST RATE UPWARD TREND RECORDED IN ARMENIAN BANKING SYSTEM

ARKA
Sep 30, 2008

ARMAVIR, September 30. /ARKA/. An interest rate upward trend has been
recorded in Armenian banking system, Executive Director of Armenia’s
Conversebank Ararat Ghukasyan told journalists.

Increase in interest rates will depend on efficiency of steps taken
for rectifying the international situation, he said.

Earlier, the Vice-Chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) Vache
Gabrielyan said that change in interest rates in Armenia will depend
on sources of bank financing.

CBA is consistently raising interest rates. Currently the annual
refinancing rate is 7.75% against 5.75% in the beginning of the year.

CBA’s rates on deposits attracted from banks and pawn loans are also
growing and constitute 4.75% and 10.75% respectively against 2.75% and
8.75% in the beginning of the year. Along with increase in refinancing
rate, interest rates are growing also in REPO market.

PREMIER: AGRICULTURE MAKES 30 PERCENT OF ARMENIAN GDP

ARKA
Sep 30, 2008

YEREVAN, September 30. /ARKA/. On Tuesday, Armenian Prime Minister
Tigran Sargsyan, speaking at Armagroforum-Fruitful Armenia
international conference, said agriculture makes 30 percent of
Armenian GDP.

He said that Armenia was one of the first former soviet republics to
launch comprehensive agricultural reforms.

The premier said that the first land privatization program was worked
out in 1991.

As a result, thousands of farms have emerged. Now, developing
agriculture puts forward new objectives.

"The future role of agriculture in the national economy depends on
how we assume long-term prospects of its development", Sargsyan said.

He said that the agriculture sector faces grave problems.

The prime minister said that thousands of farms spread all over
the country.

Many of them are located in mountainous terrain. They have problems
with irrigation and infrastructures.

Tigran Sargsyan thinks that greater attention should be paid to
infrastructures, but this needs investments.

He also said that higher productivity is needed amid growing prices
for agricultural products.

"If we build up productivity, it will become possible to consider way
for merging small farms and thinking over the future for rural areas",
he said.

The premier also pointed out the necessity to cooperate with other
countries and use their experience.

He said that do mestic agriculture is heavily impacted by developments
on world markets.

Sargsyan said that expects experts are expected to voice their views
on the issues raised by the Government at this conference.

Armenia has 330 farms, and 46% of the country’s population works in
agriculture sector.

The conference was launched on Tuesday and is to be wrapped up on
Thursday.

Experts from France, Argentina, Italy, Morocco, Columbia and other
countries attend the conference.

RUSSIA, KAZAKHSTAN TO CONDUCT JOINT WAR GAMES ON OCT. 3

RIA Novosti
19:12 | 30/ 09/ 2008

ASTANA, September 30 (RIA Novosti) – Troops from Russia and Kazakhstan
will conduct joint maneuvers near the Kazakh city of Almaty on October
3, the Central Asian country’s Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

The drills, named Aldaspan-2008, will include command-and-staff
exercises and tactical maneuvers. They will engage Kazakh staff
officers and airmobile troops, as well as Russian Air Force officers
and aircraft, and a special-purpose group of the General Staff.

The two countries, both members of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization (CSTO), are set to conduct joint naval anti-terrorism
exercises in the Caspian Sea in 2009.

The CSTO is a security grouping also comprising Armenia, Belarus,
Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

Russia has recently been strengthening military ties with Eurasian
allies amid growing tensions over NATO expansion and U.S. missile
shield plans for Central Europe.

FIRST STAGE OF THE CRISIS – OVERCOME
Vardan Grigoryan

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
30 Sep 2008
Armenia

The bilateral and multilateral meetings held in New York on September
24-26 sketched the main tendencies of the developments expected in
the Karabakh peace process in the course of the upcoming months. And
those tendencies will become more clear and concrete following the
presidential elections to be held in Azerbaijan and the United States
on October 15 and November 4 respectively.

Prior to the above-mentioned meeting of the Armenian, Turkish and
Azeri Foreign Ministers, the OSCE Minsk Group sharply increased the
activeness of its work.

Before the start of the negotiations in New York, the three Co-Chairs
again gathered together, and warmly hugged and kissed one another in
front of the cameras like lovers who had separated from each other
temporarily.

This means that before the Armenian, Turkish and Azeri Foreign
Ministers’ meeting in New York, the OSCE Minsk Group intended to
show everyone that it was actually the only body responsible for the
Karabakh peace process.

And that intention became a reality due to the meeting with the
Armenian President on November 4, the repeated attempts of bringing
the Armenian and Azeri Foreign Minister close to the "cross bar" on
September 26 and finally, the joint statement of the Co-Chairs. The
adoption of such document testifies to the fact that t he format of
the OSCE Minsk Group is not only maintained but also applied.

Hence, during their meeting in New York, the Armenian, Turkish and
Azeri Foreign Ministers focused only on the discussion of the "regional
developments" and Turkey’s recent initiative in that connection. In
such conditions, it was quite natural that Azerbaijan, which had
great expectations of the meeting, would initiate the successive
propaganda provocation.

So, "Bakiliar.az" Web site recently disseminated the false information
that Armenia, in the person of its Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan,
has allegedly agreed to continue the talks in the trilateral format,
welcoming Turkey’s role as a mediator in the process.

This was immediately followed by MFA Spokesman T. Balayan’s September
27 statement, "The settlement of the conflict is possible only within
the frameworks of the OSCE Minsk Group, without the mediation of
other parties."

As regards the rumors (circulated by the Mass Media of Baku) that
Yerevan has agreed to Turkey’s role as a mediator in the Karabakh
settlement process, T. Balayan characterized this as something
"absurd".

The fact that no progress was observed as a result of the Foreign
Ministers’ trilateral meeting in New York was yesterday confirmed by
President Serge Sargsyan as well. "A meeting was held, but there is
no concrete result", the P resident said.

While during the press-conference held in New York, the Turkish
President reiterated his country’s "traditional" standpoint, "If the
existing problems between the two countries are resolved within the
frameworks of the Armenian-Turkish dialogue, extending the cooperation
and opening the border will become possible." That’s to say, Baku
and Ankara anticipated Russia to approve the Turkish-Azerbaijani
policy of imposing unilateral conditions upon Armenia. And because
nothing of the kind happened, everything is now returning to the same
"starting point".

All this testifies to the primitiveness and unilateral character of the
Armenian-Turkish dialogue and the viewpoints and assessments recently
expressed in our reality with regard to the expediency of the Armenian,
Turkish and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers’ meeting in New York. And
the reality is that every time there is any deterioration in the
Russian-American or the Russia-West relations, Armenia becomes faced
with the danger of the formation of a new "Lenin-Atatyurk" alliance.

To be able to resist such critical moments and demonstrate the required
flexibility, we should set aside all our narrow party interests and
primitive attempts of taking advantage of the threat faced by the
country and realize that the same situation may be repeated in the
near future as well.

Armenia should by all means have active mechanisms20for counteracting
the "Turkish card" raffled by Azerbaijan because the possible
deterioration in the Russian-American relations may really lead to
our country’s encirclement by Turkey and Azerbaijan.

GAS SUPPLY RESTORED

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
30 Sep 2008
Armenia

To provide the high level of "carrying capacity" of North Caucasus-
Trans-Caucasus gas pipeline, 500 millimeters in diameter pipeline
has been replaced by the one with 1000 millimeter in diameter.

The works have been implemented by the financial means allocated
by "ArmRusGasIndustry" CSC and Georgian specialized construction
organizations. During the realization of the works the gas allocated to
Armenia was temporarily stopped and the whole gas supply was provided
by Abovyan underground gas-store station.

"ArmRusGasIndustry" CSC informs there will be no limitation in the
supply market. The construction work was to finish yesterday evening
and the gas supply will be completely restored.

BY THE JOINT EFFORTS OF THE TWO PRESIDENTS
Gevorg Harutyunyan

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
30 Sep 2008
Armenia

The transportation knot, which connects Abovyan Park with Myasnikyan
Avenue by an underground route, and Saralanj highway, was handed over
for operation yesterday.

The construction of the knot that unloaded another overloaded highway
of the capital city was the idea of the Republic’s second President
Robert Kocharyan. The construction started in 2006 and was continued
under the personal control of the newly elected President Serge
Sargsyan. So it is not accidental that yesterday the country’s
President Serge Sargsyan and ex-President Robert Kocharyan both
participated in the solemn ceremony.

After watching Yerevan’s panorama from the top of the Victory memorial
and after familiarizing themselves with the construction of Saralanj
highway the country’s second President Robert Kocharyan and President
Serge Sargsyan responded to the questions of the journalists.

Robert Kocharyan

I’m Not Bored Of My Rest

"Mr. Kocharyan how do you estimate the process of the road construction
in the capital city?"

"I will not be wrong if I say that this is the last project of
road construction implemented in Yerevan. It is really regrettable
that the process is over. But we hope that the project will have
continuation. But not we are the ones to give as sessment to all
this work but the people. Whatever has been constructed is really
beautiful. Yerevan has indisputably become very comfortable. I’m
really grateful to Kirk Kirkoryan for providing this opportunity. In
my view this man’s activity will be appreciated."

"Mr. Kocharyan what are your personal programs?"

"This is the main topic of gossip. I’m not yet bored of the rest that I
finally got. I must confess that during the last six months it is for
the second time that I’m wearing a tie. First was on May 28, when I
participated in the ceremony organized in Sardarapat. I have no desire
to return to similar working schedule. Once I have such desire I will
let you know. I will not give ground to gossips. These gossips prevent
people from working. And it is also clear why these gossips spread.

Serge Sargsyan

We have strong and powerful compatriots

"Mr. Sargsyan which construction project do you consider the most
important one?"

"I highly appreciate all the construction works implemented during
the second stage of Lins program. I’m grateful to Kirk Kirkoryan and
Lins fund for financing these works. I really hope that Kirk Kirkoryan
and Lins will continue to implement their projects in Armenia.

I attach great importance to road construction, school construction
and the reconstruction of Yerevan streets. It will not be ri ght to
favor one over another, or to compare them. Because it is due to the
project of the school construction that our children have such modern
educational centers that we have never had in Armenia.

The project of road construction is also very important, because the
blood vessels that connect the Republic’s dwelling places with one
another finally opened. The reconstruction of the streets was the only
option to unload Yerevan streets, though usually there are complaints
at the first stage of the construction. Anyway Kirk Kirkoryan’s work
is definitely appreciated."

"Mr. Sargsyan how do you estimate your visit to the USA?"

"For two and a half days it was a rather saturated program. I had
various meetings. But the meeting with the Armenian community was
the warmest and the most exciting program, especially the one with
the pupils who visited St. Vardan church. I told the children that
they must be tolerant and competitive, and that our power is in
our diversity.

Diaspora seems quite different from Armenia. Armenians have quite
different image about the Diaspora. But when you are with these people
you really feel their power. And I’m really proud that we have strong
and powerful compatriots in the most powerful country in the world."

"Mr. Sargsyan did the meeting between the Foreign Ministers of Armenia,
Turkey and Azerbaijan show any results?"

"We didn’t h ave great expectations from that meeting. There is no
concrete result. But be sure these meetings are the rings of the
total chain and they will definitely show results."

IMPRESSIVE VOTE OF CONFIDENCE FOR HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN
Lilit Poghosyan

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
30 Sep 2008
Armenia

Yesterday, the National Assembly started its regular four-day session.

Considering Tigran Torosyan’s resignation accepted, the Parliament
initiated discussions for the election of a new Speaker, under the
leadership of Vice Speaker Hrayr Karapetyan.

Before passing on to the main subject of our material, let’s note
that Tigran Torosyan also participated in the session, already in the
status of an independent MP. However, after the person presiding over
the session announced the start of the voting, the ex-Speaker left
the hall and never returned. Neither did he participate in the voting.

Karen Karapetyan, leader of the Republican faction, proposed Hovik
Abrahamyan as the united candidate of the coalition.

Thereafter, "Heritage" faction, in the person of Armen Martirosyan,
proposed Larisa Alaverdyan’s candidacy as an alternative.

This imparted a noticeable liveliness and even certain acuteness to
the process. As to the results, they are quite impressive. Of the
115 MPs participating in the voting, 110 cast their vote in favor of
Hovik Abrahamyan.

Newly elected Speaker H. Abrahamyan promised "to create an atmosphere
of mutual respect, tolerance and partnership for ensuring the
normal and effective work of the Parliament. I believe all of you
will agree that representing the country’s20top legislative body and
especially, ensuring its normal work requires specific human qualities:
determination to take bold decisions, as well as ability and will to
make mutual concessions.

The coordination of the activities of the legislative body also
requires very plain and open personal contacts and certainly,
political experience."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress