Month: October 2008

HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN RECEIVES CONGRATULATION FROM HIS KAZAKH COUNTERPART

armradio.am
24.10.2008 17:41

The President of Parliament of Kazakhstan Kasim-Jomart Tokayev sent
a congratulatory message to the Speaker of the National Assembly of
Armenia Hovik Abrahamyan. Mr. Tokayev expressed confidence that his
rich experience in responsible state positions will contribute to the
realization of political tasks and the further prosperity of Armenia.

Mr. Tokayev is confident that the constructive dialogue between the
two parliaments will serve for the reinforcement of traditionally
friendly ties and mutually beneficial cooperation between Kazakhstan
and Armenia in the political, cultural and economis spheres.

U.S. TO COMPENSATE FOR LOSSES INCURRED BY ARMENIA AS RESULT OF RUSSIAN-GEORGIAN WAR

Noyan Tapan
Oct 23, 2008

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN. The U.S. will provide financial
and technical assistance to Armenia whose direct and indirect
losses amounted to 670 million dollars as a result of the 5-day
Russian-Georgian war, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsian
announced at the RA National Assembly on October 22. According to him,
during his recent visit to the U.S, this issue was discussed with the
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and heads of the World Bank
and the IMF.

T. Sargsian said that the issues of protecting Armenian economy
against such dangers in the future were also discussed with Russian
leadership, in particular, during the recent visit of Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev to Armenia. In the words of T. Sargsian, about 1,000
enterprises founded with Russian capital (fully or partially) operate
in Armenia. Part of these enterprises are of vital importance to the
Armenian economy and the matter concerned the necessity to ensure
their uniterrupted operation.

HAYASTAN ALL ARMENIAN FUND INITIATES GASIFICATION PROJECTS IN TWO BORDER VILLAGES IN TAVUSH

armradio.am
24.10.2008 17:45

All Armenian Fund has launched gasification projects in Tavush region’s
communities of Khashtarak and Lusahovit in the framework of the Fund’s
Rural Development Program. These projects will ensure that more than
two thousand members of these villages no longer need to confront
the dilemma of heating their homes during the long, cold winter months.

One of the key challenges facing Hayastan All Armenian Fund when
working in Armenia’s border villages is the obsolete condition
of the very basic infrastructure; infrastructure without which the
effectiveness of any economic stimulus is minimal. This infrastructure
includes schools, health care points, drinking and irrigation water
accessibility, community administration and support facilities, roads
and last but definitely not least the access to natural gas. This item
of infrastructure is sometimes overlooked as something villages can
very much do without. However, in today’s reality, the very future
of the village often depends on whether it has access to natural gas
or not.

Unavailability of natural gas is one of the main reasons mentioned by
people who have moved from their villages. It is the basic comfort of
being sure that your child wakes up in a heated home that people are
looking for and in this sense, every other difficulty takes a back seat
when you cannot ensure that. This is why, for many years now, people
have relied solely on the nearby woods for a source of heat. This has,
naturally, taken a heavy and painful toll on the environment.

"When looking at the needs of the villages that the Fund is working
in, our priorities lie with initiatives that the people living in
these communities consider most urgent," says Ara Vardanyan, the
Acting Executive Director of Hayastan All Armenian Fund. "After all,
this is what the Fund has always been about, extending a helping hand
to people and offering relief at the time when it is needed most."

THERE ARE BOUNDARIES WHICH NOBODY CAN TRESPASS

Lragir.am
18:02:28 – 24/10/2008

"The current situation is problematic as the process of bringing
into being the principles of Madrid seem imminent. And certainly
our public is mainly responsible for this situation, namely the
political organizations, NGOs, etc. Our public policy today does
not reflect the real interests of the Armenian people, the Armenian
people do not consider how to place this policy on a normal track. A
situation has occurred when the moral foundations of our people are
shattered, we are decaying as a nation. This is the reason why the
current leadership of Armenia has appeared in the situation in which
it now. This is the reason why we "succeeded" in appearing in this
most undesirable situation," Sergey Shahverdyan, a member of the
ARF Dashnaktsutyun Artsakh, said in the round-table meeting at the
Armenia Hotel in Stepanakert with regard to the recent statements
and situation relating to the Karabakh conflict.

"Nevertheless I am convinced that the Armenian government is aware
that it is in a deadlock now, and people cannot allow such ending of
the talks.

Besides, I am sure that the president of Armenia will resign if
necessity arises, and will not send people into such a situation,"
he continued.

In this situation, Sergey Shahverdyan said, the most important thing
is to enhance the human factor. The society is silent, government
officials are silent too. And this situation should change, which is
possible only through a public protest. The people who are worried
about the future of their country should be able to bring the society
together.

One of the most important factors is certainly the public expression
of an unambiguous and clear stance on the settlement of the conflict
by the NKR government. "People must know about the stance of the
government of our country, independent from whether the Armenian
government will like it or not," the member of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun
Artsakh said. At the same time, he added that "there are boundaries
which nobody can trespass, and NKR is now at that boundary." Hence,
according to Sergey Shahverdyan, it is necessary not to be silent
and use every rostrum to express a stance.

HOUSING PROBLEMS OF 6,985 FAMILIES TO BE SOLVED BY 2013

Noyan Tapan
Oct 20, 2008

YEREVAN, OCTPOBER 20, NOYAN TAPAN. Holiday of City was celebrated
in Gyumri, the second largest city of Armenia, on October 18. The
implementation of an urban development project was launched on the
same day, thanks to which 2,300-3,000 apartments as well as service
facilities will be built in Gyumri’s Ani and Mush districts. The
progam’s executives presented the project, which will be implemented by
Glendale Hills company – the winner of a tender, to Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan who visited Gymri.

The RA minister of urban development Vardan Vardanian said that as
a result of the project, the "disaster zone" will be transformed
into a zone of "development and proper life". According to him, since
Armenia’s independence, the housing conditions of more than 60 thousand
homeless families have been improved with state budgetary resources,
funds of the Lincy Foundation, "Hayastan" All-Armenian Fund and other
foundations, but the problem has not been solved completely. The
minister noted that the problem was one of the key issues included
in the pre-election program of Serzh Sargsyan and one of the first
tasks of S. Sargsyan as the newly-elected president. Based on it, the
Armenian government developed and approved the concept of solving the
housing problems of the families left homeless by the earthquake. Under
the concept, it is envisaged solving housing problems of 6,985 families
by 2013, including 4,420 families in Shirak marz, 2,403 in Lori marz,
149 in Aragatsotn marz, 13 families in Tavush marz, with the total
dwelling space of 600 thousand square meters to be constructed.

According to the minister, construction work to be done in Mush
and Ani districts will finish in 2010. Tenders were also announced
for apartment construction in rural communities of Lori and Shirak
marzes, and construction work will start in these communities by mid
November. About 40 billion drams will be allocated from the state
budget for construction work in Gyumri, and a total of 80-82 billion
drams will be spent on restoration of the earthquake zone.

The RA deputy minister of urban development, Chief Architect of Armenia
Narek Sargsian said that the project’s implementation will allow to
develop the center of Gyumri as a tourist zone, also developing the
traditional handicrafts such as blacksmith’s work, carpentry, carpet
making and others, and finally to achieve those features and colors
that existed in Gyumri before the earthquake.

The mayor of Gyumri Vardan Ghukasian informed reporters that the city
has a population of 200 thousand, whereas before the earthquake its
population made 350 thousand. In his words, the budget of Yerevan
makes 125 billion drams, that of Gyumri amounts to 3 billion 200
million drams. According to him, among the city’s problems are
asphalt laying, construction of cultural facilities, job creation,
small and medium business development, planting of greenery, and
street lighting installation.

KHANATE RULES ESTABLISHED IN ARMENIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
24 Oct 2008
Armenia

Real clarifications have started inside Armenian National Congress
after the speech delivered by Levon Ter-Petrosyan during October
17 meeting.

The leaders of the 18 parties and organizations that form part of the
congress were quite unaware that Ter-Petrosyan was going to appear
with an individual decision to stop the massive events. Moreover,
judging from the optimistic-inspiring announcements, it will become
evident that even his closest circles expected quite different tactics
from their leader.

The autumn "attack and storm," promised by the "pan-national movement"
in September was at first postponed under pretence of not hindering
the visit of the Turkish President to Yerevan, later they announced
that the overthrow previewed on September is shifted to October
month and finally on October 17 they simply send home the exhausted
participants of the meeting.

And it is absolutely not accidental that the complaints of the
representatives of different organizations appeared in the press. And
the "united camp" of the multihued forces gathered around Ter-Petrosyan
split into two wings.

To solve the internal discontent the central office of Armenian
National Congress came out with an announcement spiced with the best
Brejnev-Suslov traditions, where they were trying to utterly change
the facts and to hide the diversity of opinions about Ter-Petrosyan’s
last speech.

It turned out, because the October 17 meeting was the most "jam-packed"
it "proved that the movement is on its peak and continues to
grow. After 8 months people still continue their struggle."

Moreover, "the core of the movement, is ready to partake in fiery
massive functions by the appeal of Armenian National Congress", and the
strategy of the "criminal power" which is based on the calculation of
"freezing", has failed.

I wonder how many of our citizens believe in the simple fabrication
of the "nearest fall of imperialism". Who do the propagators of
Armenian National Congress cheat? Maybe those who were surprised
at Ter-Petrosyan’s posture displayed on October 17? Or maybe the
leaders of the organizations, member to the congress, who appeared
in a stupid situation.

It is especially ridiculous that the announcement of Armenian National
Congress refers to the "geopolitical developments" and gives quite
illogical commentaries regarding the exacerbation of the relations
between Russia and the West. It is really comical, because, for
unknown reasons, they link the closing of the massive events with the
"maintenance of stronger positions for Armenia, in the negotiations on
the settlement of Karabakh conflict." What has the before mentioned
intention to do with the fact that they simply sent home thousand
participants of the meeting and cheated their partners?

And when the before mentioned "wise" announcement is crowned with the
firm determination to continue the struggle for the establishment of
the "constitutional order and democratic freedom" a question arises
– "If the members and the leaders of the 18 organizations, member
to Armenian National Congress, learn about Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s
decisions only during the meetings, how are they going to establish
constitutional order and democratic freedom?"

Because the functions of similar institutions presumes collective
decisions taken after collective discussions. And if these things lack,
then how can the public trust a political force, which is guided by
similar principles, and moreover to think of bringing them to power.

Finally Ter-Petrosyan’s analyses regarding Mongol-Tatar Khanate were
based on the clause that the ruling power has seized the democratic
freedom belonging to him.

But at the moment Ter-Petrosyan has deprived all his allies and
companions-in-arm of the right to take decisions becoming the tyrant
of Armenian Pan National movement and he has earned the reputation of
"Mongol-Tatar" and "Khan".

WHERE ARE THE CURRENCY ASSETS OF THE CENTRAL BANK ALLOCATED?
Lilit Poghosyan

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
24 Oct 2008
Armenia

And how does the CB control its resources?

At yesterday’s Q&A session between the Government and the National
Assembly, RPA member A. Davtyan addressed the following questions
to the Prime Minister: in what way and to what extent has the global
economic crisis impacted the economy of Armenia? Has the Government
assessed the possible risks and what measures does it take to reduce
the negative impacts of the global crisis to a minimum?

The answer of Prime Minister T. Sargsyan did not sound convincing to
the author of the question; moreover, the MP was surprised. Below we
present Artak Davtyan’s considerations regarding the subject matter
of the issue.

"The NA Regulations-Law does not envisage any possibility for turning
the NA-Government question and answer session into a debate. And
naturally, it cannot contradict the clarifications of the Prime
Minister and discuss to what extent the arguments of the Government
are right or wrong, admissible or inadmissible. But I cannot help
saying that I am not, mildly speaking, satisfied with the answers of
the Prime Minister.

Especially considering his categorical accentuations and instructive
tone by which Head of the Government introduced the 4 clauses of the
"recommendations" of the World Bank and the International Currency
Fund.

According to the Prime Minister, the first recommendation or
"proposal" of the specialists is the following: to avoid, to the
greatest possible extent, speaking about the impending crisis or
disaster so as not to arouse negative expectations and anxiety among
the private entrepreneurs and citizens and hence, not to increase
the possible risks and negative consequences.

In my opinion, this approach is not absolutely acceptable. If the World
Bank and the International Currency Fund were convinced that the best
way out of the existing situation was not to see those risks and avoid
speaking about them, they would first of all give recommendations to
the countries that gave birth to such crises. First of all, I mean
the United States where all the media unanimously speak about the
global crisis and the ways towards overcoming its impacts.

I don’t know what goals the Prime Minister pursues by insisting that
everything in our reality is all right, and there are no threats to our
economy and financial system. He doesn’t even say to what extent those
recommendations will help overcome the possible negative consequences.

Personally I am not optimistic in that respect. After all, if there
is a problem, it is necessary to raise it, understand the causes and
then find solutions, instead of concealing everything and pretending
that nothing has happened.

Especially considering that we have had that experience. Just a
few months ago when the Georgian-Ossetian war had just begun, the
possibility of the so-called "global crisis" was not even sketched. The
general opinion at that time was that the Georgian crisis would not
produce any impact upon the economy of our country. And that happened
in a situation when it was obvious that the problem did really exist,
and it was necessary to undertake certain steps for mitigating the
negative impacts of the Russian-Georgian conflict.

Today, everybody already admits and the Government confesses that
we have really suffered serious losses. The events in Georgia have
caused a damage of 670 million dollars to our country. Had that
reality been presented to the international community in time, the
millions of dollars allocated to Georgia might have been partially
allocated to Armenia as well.

Therefore, regardless the clarifications of the Prime Minister, I stick
to the viewpoint that silence is not the best way for overcoming the
situation with minimum losses."

"While making remarks, you considered the approach adopted by the
World Bank vulnerable. According to that approach, it is senseless
to exchange some part of the CB reserves for gold because that is
not only unjustified but also harmful. Do you again consider the
clarifications of the Prime Minister unconvincing?"

"In my question, I did really mention that in the opinion of some
analysts, there were some discrepancies between the real and legal
status of gold, and those discrepancies did not absolutely contribute
to the viability of the financial system. It is also in consideration
of this factor that many countries keep some of their reserves in
the form of gold as a permanent value. Unfortunately, the humanity
has not invented a more reliable and permanent value yet.

And the problem here does not absolutely consist in whether or not
the Central Bank has sold its reserves of gold or whether it acted
the right way by getting rid of them or whether the country has lost
or gained anything as a result, considering the sharp devaluation of
the dollar over the recent years."

My question was the following: whether it isn’t time for us to keep
some part of our currency reserves in the form of gold. In contrast
to that, the Prime Minister referred to some simple copybook truths
and explained that the gold in the reserves of the Central Bank does
not simply fulfill the function of accumulating wealth. Secondly,
he pointed out the issue of profitability and realization.

I believe we really have a problem in this regard. In the 2007 report
of the Central Bank, "Assets in Currencies" are defined as follows:
"Financial tools measured by their real value; the gains and losses
obtained as a result of their repeated measurement are determined
by the report on the financial results." According to that article,
we had similar assets in the amount of 79 billion 440 million drams
at the end of 2006 and 318 billion 671 million drams or more than 1
billion dollars at the end of 2007. In such conditions, a question
arises as to where those assets were allocated.

Our currency reserves have been increasing since 2003, when the
valuation of the Armenian dram began. After such increase, relevant
sums are added in the sections concerning the expenses and losses as
a result of the re-evaluation. Is that clear? But if it is said that
keeping the reserves in the form of gold is not profitable, there
arises another question: what profitability is meant if the losses of
the Central Bank made up 28 billion 970 million drams in 2006, and 43
billion and 794 million drams in 2007? As regards the valuation of the
dram, the picture here is more awful. Those losses made up 37 billion
927 million drams in 2006 and 52 billion 984 million drams in 2007.

So the issue is how does the Central bank maintains, controls and
uses its currency assets? If everything in our reality is perfect,
then you are welcome to open the brackets and prove that it is true.

YEREVAN MAYOR’S OFFICE FULLY IMPLEMENTS PROGRAMS ENVISAGED FOR 2008

Noyan Tapan
Oct 20, 2008

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 20, NOYAN TAPAN. All the programs, which were
envisaged by Yerevan mayor’s office for this year, have been fully
implemented in January-September. The Head of the Construction and
Improvement Department of the Mayor’s Office Frunz Basentsian said
at the October 20 press conference that such activities as asphalt
laying and crack filling in several streets, construction of irrigation
networks, and reinforcement of ten 3rd degree accident prone buildings
have been completed.

In his words, in addition to this work, under extra programs of the
mayor’s office it is envisaged completing the reinforcement of two
bridges on Yerevan-Sevan highway, as well as repairing Riga Street
which links one wing of newly-built Saralanj highway with Kochar
Street by late November. The construction of a section of Isakov
Avenue will finish, and a new crossing in Heratsi Street will be built.

THEY CHEAT WITHOUT FEELING SHAME

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
24 Oct 2008
Armenia

According to the "news" which have appeared in the press belonging
to Armenian Pan National Movement, in his interview given to
"Tsayg" TV company, the incumbent Major of Gyumry, candidate for
Major V. Ghukasyan spoke about certain secrets which link him with
President Serge Sargsyan. To what extent does this hypothesis match
with the reality?

During our telephone conversation with V. Ghukasyan, the latter
expressed his indignation, saying that the press, which have put
into circulation that "information", simply cheat. "How could I say
something that doesn’t exist? I simply expressed my gratitude to the
country’s President that soon we are planning to open Area Studies
Museum and the works by Minas will be exhibited there and the building
will be reconstructed."

So the conversation is not about "secrets" but certain projects.

"It is not so easy to slander, because we have all the recordings."

The major said and added that he considers it normal that some people
trouble waters before the elections.

AGAIN THAT BRAISE

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
24 Oct 2008
Armenia

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairman
Mathew Braise announced yesterday that the USA is trying to reach
such an agreement on the settlement of Karabakh conflict, which will
defend Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

Next week the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen are planning to visit the
region of conflict.