Month: December 2008

ARMENIAN AND RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTERS TO DISCUSS ISSUES OF OVERCOMING NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF THE FINANCIAL CRISIS

ARMENPRESS
Dec 4, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 4, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsian will pay a working visit to Russia December 5.

Deputy Armenian Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharian told today
journalists that the meeting of Armenian prime minister with Russian
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will take place. The main theme of the
discussions will be the world financial crisis and the joint efforts
which must be exerted for overcoming the possible negative impacts
of the crisis on the two countries.

Sh. Kocharian considered natural that each country has its
peculiarities in the issue, and that steps will be discussed which
will give an opportunity to solve the issue with joint efforts. The
prime ministers of the two countries will also discuss issues of
mutual interest.

"Relations with Russia, our strategic partner, have a unique role
in the multilateral and balanced policy of Armenia. The relations
develop very dynamically especially during the latest period and the
frequent high level meetings testify this", Armenian deputy foreign
minister noted.

The Armenian prime minister will also meet with businessman in the
Armenian Embassy in Russia.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSIAN RECEIVES WORLD ABSOLUTE LIGHT WEIGHT BOXING CHAMPION VIC DARCHINIAN

ARMENPRESS
Dec 4, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 4, ARMENPRESS: Armenian President Serzh Sargsian
received today world’s absolute super light weight boxing champion
Vic Darchinian.

Presidential press service told Armenpress that the President
congratulated him on winning the exclusive title in the interesting
fight and stressed that "each sport, cultural and other victory on
the international arena makes our history and nation recognizable
and fills each Armenian with a feeling of pride".

In his turn V. Darchinian congratulated the Armenian president for
chess successes of our country and said that he had arrived in Armenia
to take part in the events of 20th anniversary of the 1988 earthquake.

The world’s absolute champion presented his future plans to S. Sargsian
and informed that the next fight will probably take place on February
7, 2009.

CARS AND FINANCIAL AWARDS TO THE WINNERS

A1+
[09:17 pm] 04 December, 2008

The celebration in honor of the award-winning athletes of the Olympic
Games, winners of the 38th World Chess Olympiad and medal-winners of
the European Boxing Championship at the Spendarian Academic Theatre
of Opera and Ballet is going on as we speak.

Athletes and winners of the 38th World Chess Olympiad will be awarded
the Niva, Hyundai and VAZ 21-07 brand name cars by the Armenian
National Olympic Committee, as well as government funds.

President of the Armenian National Olympic Committee Gagik Tsarukyan
noted that there is special attention and mutual respect towards
Armenian athletes and this year Armenia was able to show the world the
strength of the Armenian athletes and the wit of chess players. Serzh
Sargsyan was also present during the celebration.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NALBANDIAN, BABACAN AGREE TO CONTINUE TALKS FOR NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.12.2008 13:09 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Currently in Helsinki for participation in the
OSCE Ministerial Council summit, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandianmet Thursday with his Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan,
the RA MFA press office told PanARMENIAN.Net.

The Ministers agreed to continue talks for normalization of bilateral
relations.

CSTO FOREIGN MINISTERS TO MEET IN HELSINKI

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.12.2008 13:21 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Foreign Ministers of the Collective Security treaty
Organization (CSTO) will hold an informal meeting in Helsinki in the
framework of the OSCE Ministerial Council summit.

"The CSTO member states will demonstrate a unanimous position on the
new European Security Treaty at the summit. The Ministers have already
voiced support to Russia’s stand on the CFE during consultations in
the CSTO Secretariat in November," CSTO Secretary-General Nikolay
Bordyuzha said, the CSTO press office reports.

PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA ALEXY II DIES AT 79

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.12.2008 13:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II died
Friday at age 79, the church headquarters said.

Moscow Patriarchate spokesman, father Vladimir Vyazemsky said he died
at his residence outside Moscow, but did not give a cause of death.

Alexy II has headed Russian Orthodox Church since 1990. Born Alexei
Ruediger, he had ethnic ties to Germany and the Baltic region.

Alexy II had long suffered from a heart ailment.

TURKISH INTELLECTUALS CALL TO APOLOGIZE TO ARMENIAN PEOPLE FOR 1915 EVENTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.12.2008 13:44 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A group of Turkish intellectuals have apologized
for the "great disaster that Ottoman Armenians suffered in 1915"
but have fallen short of calling on the state to do the same, Today’s
Zaman reports.

Professors Baskan Oran and Ahmet Insel, journalists Ali Bayramoglu
and Cengiz Aktar personally apologized for the 1915 events.

The group is asking other people to sign the petition, which reads
as follows: "I cannot conscientiously accept the indifference to
the great disaster that Ottoman Armenians suffered in 1915, and its
denial. I reject this injustice and acting of my own will, I share
the feelings and pains of my Armenian brothers and sisters, and I
apologize to them."

The organizers of the campaign have underlined that first they will
collect signatures from intellectuals and they will then open a secure
website to collect signatures.

BAN KI-MOON: UN, OSCE HAVE TO REASSESS THEIR ROLES IN CAUCASUS

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.12.2008 14:05 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The United Nations and the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) may have to reassess their roles on
the ground following this summer’s fighting between Russia and Georgia,
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.

"Recent events in your region have riveted the world’s attention and
challenged existing arrangements for peace and security," he told the
16th OSCE Ministerial Council in a message delivered by his Special
Representative for Georgia Johan Verbeke in Helsinki.

"Indeed, following the tragic fighting in Georgia and the South
Caucasus in August, and in light of persistent instability in the
area, we may have to re-think our respective roles on the ground. The
hostilities also demonstrated that the lack of a meaningful political
process over an extended period of time can lead to conflict. This
lesson should be borne in mind when considering all protracted
conflicts in the OSCE area."

Calling for the "utmost" efforts to ensure the success of the Geneva
International Discussions on Georgia, Mr. Ban said all sides must turn
their immediate attention to "the most pressing short-term problems:
security and the return of refugees and internally displaced persons
(IDPs)."

He noted UN-OSCE cooperation during the past year to shore up peace and
stability in other areas such as Kosovo, Afghanistan and Central Asia.

"Our cooperation also extends to human rights, including the human
rights aspects of electoral processes and conflict and post-conflict
situations," he said. "We are working hard to prevent statelessness
in South-Eastern Europe and to strengthen border management capacities
in Central Asia."

Not least, he stressed, the UN attaches great importance to common
efforts to address environmental concerns in the OSCE region, in
particular regarding climate change, the UN News Center reports.

RA FM: ARMS RACE CAN LEAD TO RESUMPTION OF MILITARY CONFLICT

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.12.2008 14:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia is interested in continued cooperation
within the OSCE in all dimensions, Armenian Foreign Minister said.

"In human dimension we are ready to continue constructive cooperation
with the OSCE/ODIHR, yet at the same time we support the re-evaluation
of the role of the ODHIR and a higher level of its accountability
before the member states. We are ready to work with all interested
member states in this direction. We are prepared to work towards
developing a more consolidated approach in economic-environmental
dimension in order to ensure its continuity and sustainability,"
Minister Edward Nalbandian said in his address to the OSCE Ministerial
Council.

"We note the importance of the dialogue on the OSCE political-military
dimension. Conventional arms control is an issue of primary
importance. The situation in our region makes the maintenance of the
Conventional Arms Control Treaty more imperative. Full implementation
of commitments is crucial for the security and stability of the area
of application. Regrettably, Azerbaijan’s massive military build-up
conducted in violation of its international obligations has not
received an adequate reaction from the majority of the state parties
of the Convention.

"An arms race can lead to a resumption of a military conflict. The
situation becomes somehow classic – if there is a gun on the stage, it
has to fire. Europe obviously needs a new security architecture, which
will take into account all the existing concerns. With this in mind,
we think that a debate over a European security treaty can provide
a good forum for the development of a commonly acceptable system.

"That is why we support the proposal by Presidents of France and
Russia regarding the convening of a summit to launch the negotiations
on the implementation of the initiative to develop a European Security
Treaty," he said.

KARABAKH RESOLUTION SHOULD EMBRACE INTERESTS OF ALL SIDES, WITH AZERBAIJANI ‘TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY MAINTAINED’

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.12.2008 14:26 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijan needs a political resolution of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict which would embrace interests of all sides,
with the ‘territorial integrity of Azerbaijan maintained,’ the Azeri
Foreign Minister said.

"The Moscow declaration is a good basis for resolution of the
conflict. But a resolution on ceasefire is not enough," Elmar
Mammadyarov said in his address to the OSCE Ministerial Council
in Helsinki.

"The Karabakh conflict is a source of instability and the OSCE
should spare no effort for its resolution," he said, Trend Azeri news
agency reports.