Month: December 2008

BAKO SAHAKYAN DISCUSSES WORKS CARRIED OUT IN ARTSAKH AND INVESTMENT PROGRAMS

ARMENPRESS
Dec 1, 2008

STEPANAKERT, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS On 29 November President of the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan arrived in Geneva where on
30 November he met with entrepreneur Vardan Sermakes.

Central information department of the office of NKR president told
Armenpress that a wide range of issues related to activities currently
being carried out in Artsakh and prospects of new investment projects
were discussed at the meeting. Special attention was paid to the
development of banking and sports spheres.

NKR finance minister Spartak Tevosyan, executive director of Artsakh
Bank closed joint stock company Kamo Nersesyan and other officials
also took part in the meeting.

ANCA: FOR THE FIRST TIME IN RECENT MEMORY, AN INDIVIDUAL WITH A STRONG RECORD IN SUPPORT OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RECOGNITION WILL SERVE AS AMERICA’S SECRETARY OF STATE

ArmInfo
2008-12-02 16:41:00

ArmInfo. President-elect Barack Obama’s choice of Senator Hillary
Clinton (D-NY) to serve as his Secretary of State was welcomed today
by the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

"We extend our thanks to President-elect Obama for this choice
and our congratulations to Senator Clinton on her appointment to
our nation’s top diplomatic post," said Aram Hamparian, Executive
Director of the ANCA. "We are certainly pleased to see that, for
the first time in recent memory, an individual with a strong record
in support of Armenian Genocide recognition will serve as America’s
Secretary of State."

During her tenure in the U.S. Senate, Hillary Clinton has both
called upon President Bush to honor his campaign pledge to recognize
the Armenian Genocide, and also cosponsored every Armenian Genocide
Resolution since coming into office in 2001. On January 24th of this
year Senator Clinton issued a campaign statement outlining her views
on U.S.-Armenia relations. The full text is provided below.

TAXIMEN ARE DISCONTENT WITH GOVERNMENT

A1+
[03:32 pm] 01 December, 2008

Some 100 taxi-drivers staged a protest action in front of the
government building on December 1. As usual they protested a government
decision according to which only the cars manufactured over the past
ten years can serve as taxis.

The protesters stated that after a successful checkup the government
found that their cars are outdated.

The taximen say that the cars of taxi services are still older but
as they work for the service they ignore the date of production.

Taxi-driver Karen says that he has three underage children but he
doesn’t get family benefit as they say he has a car costing 100
000 drams.

"If I were able to afford a car, why should I drive a
taxi?" 27-year-old Armen Grigoryan said to A1+.

I beg for a licence as to keep my family. They say they cannot give
me one. What is to become of me? Should I rob others to keep my
children?" said indignant Karen.

Three taxists were allowed to the government building today to present
their demands.

The taximen stated they had been offered to work for taxi services. The
protesters are going to submit a written-compaint to the prime
minister.

PUPILS OF SPECIAL SCHOOL STAGE PROTEST ACTION

A1+
[05:19 pm] 01 December, 2008

The pupils of Yerevan’s special school N9 staged a silent protest
action in front of the President’s residence on December 1. The
children were accompanied by their parents. The protesters refused
to utter a word. Chairman of the "Community and Right" NGO, Advocate
Samvel Lazarian presented their demands and concerns. "The government
doesn’t allow them to speak up!" he said.

Note that under a government decision the school of hard hearing
children must unite with special school N15 for deaf and mute. The
parents say their children have an ability to speak, they simply
have hearing problems and if the schools are united they will have
to use gestures.

"These children cannot get adapted to the new surrounding. They will
feel depressed in the new atmosphere," said Samvel Lazarian.

Over 117 children from different Armenian marzes, as well as from
Karabakh, Georgia, Javakhk and Russia, attend School N9.

The demonstrators were promised to be given a chance to pose their
demands during an upcoming meeting with the deputy Minister of
Education and Science.

"We hope that the problem will be addressed otherwise the parents
will go on a termless strike," ensured Samvel Lazarian.

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY WELCOMES SELECTION OF HILLARY CLINTON AS SECRETARY OF STATE

ArmInfo
2008-12-02 16:29:00

ArmInfo. Armenian Assembly welcomes selection of Hillary Clinton as
Secretary of State.

According to the message of the Armenian Assembly of America (AAA)
received by ArmInfo, Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny said in
view of selection of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State: "During her
tenure in the U.S. Senate, Senator Clinton has consistently supported
affirmation of the Armenian Genocide" . "Never before have we had
such an alignment whereby the incoming President, Vice-President and
Secretary of State have a clear and demonstrated record of support for
affirmation of the Armenian Genocide, as well as genocide prevention,"
continued Ardouny.

First elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000, Senator Clinton consistently
supported efforts to reaffirm the historical truth of the Armenian
Genocide.

In addition to co-sponsoring resolutions affirming the Armenian
Genocide, Senator Clinton also repeatedly urged President George
W. Bush to reaffirm the Armenian Genocide in his annual April 24th
statements.. In 2006, for example, Clinton signed a letter to President
Bush stating: "The memory of the Armenian Genocide underscores our
responsibility to speak forcefully about our respect for fundamental
human rights and opposition to mass slaughters. It is in the best
interests of our nation and the entire global community to remember
the past and learn from these crimes against humanity to ensure that
they are never repeated. We respectfully request that you refer to
the mass slaughter of Armenians as genocide in your commemorative
statement." Senator Clinton also supports expanding and improving
U..S.-Armenia relations and "a fair and democratic resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabagh conflict."

Throughout the 2008 presidential election, President-elect Obama
repeatedly pledged to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide
and with the nomination of Hillary Clinton, President-elect Obama
has an ally in Genocide affirmation and prevention. In making the
announcement today, President-elect Obama said, "The time has come
for a new beginning, a new dawn of American leadership to overcome
the challenges of the 21st century."

During the campaign trail, Senator Clinton stated: "I believe the
horrible events perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire against Armenians
constitute a clear case of genocide. Our common morality and our
nation’s credibility as a voice for human rights challenge us to
ensure that the Armenian Genocide be recognized and remembered by
the Congress and the President of the United States."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

"GENOCIDE WITHOUT COMMENTS" FILM IS DENIED

Panorama.am
17:14 01/12/2008

"There are many films on Armenian Genocide shoot in many
countries. They express different view points of our tragedy, but
all those films have one similar character – there is a person who
applies, who cries and the facts are presented too emotional. We don’t
need that as we know it quite well, still others criticize us saying
we are too emotional and we present facts under our own interests,"
says director Alexander Sardoor, who is the director of "Genocide
without Comments" film.

According to him, no Armenian plays in the film, and the hero of it
is Wolfgang Gust (he discovered new facts about Armenian Genocide
and wrote a book) and everything is based on pure facts which are
provided by the Foreign Ministry of Germany. Those materials have
been found from the archive of the Ministry in 4 years.

The documentary film which lasts 2 hours and 7 minutes is in German
and Armenian, but the director wants it to be in 7-8 languages. In
this regard he says they have applied to many instances but in vain.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT: ARMENIA HOPES CONSTRUCTION OF THE FIFTH ENERGY BLOCK OF RAZDAN POWER PLANT TO END IN THE FIRST HALF-YEAR 2010

ArmInfo
2008-12-02 16:27:00

Arminfo. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said at today’s sitting
of Presidential Atomic Energy Council that Armenia hopes construction
of the fifth energy block of Razdan power plant will end in the first
half-year 2010.

He also added construction of the new block with a capacity 270
megawatt has been started at Yerevan power plant. This project is just
the first step of the programme directed to full upgrading of the
power capacities which are won out and outdated. Several important
decisions were made in the sphere of nuclear energy. In particular,
Armenian Energy and Natural Resources activity programme was endorsed
in November 2007. The programme was drawn out taking into consideration
national security strategy of the country. It stipulates construction
of the new nuclear power block in the republic. The project gained the
status of the priority national project and actions have been already
implemented in this direction. Armenia has initiated the process of
joining the project setting up of international uranium enrichment
centre in Angarsk. In October 2008 Armenia signed the agreement of
‘Universal partnership in nuclear energy’.

AZERI CHESS PLAYERS UNDER PRESSURE

Panorama.am
17:22 01/12/2008

Zeiynab Mamediarova, who is the best chess player of Azerbaijan,
said that Azeri women chess players were under pressure as "enemious
character" against Armenians is sowed among them.

According to Azeri media, Mamediarova admitted that the most difficult
meeting in Dresden was the one with Armenians when they have been
crucially defeated by 4-0 points.

"The only reason of that defeat was the pressure on us. Armenians
did not have such feelings and they managed to get well prepared to
the game. Any game with Armenia is much spoken in our country and
everything is accepted not as it is to be," she said.

MEMBERS OF "PYUNIK" NGO – DONORS

Panorama.am
17:33 01/12/2008

The members of "Pyunik" NGO of disabled people have become blood
donors, today, said Sevak Avagyan, the executive director of National
Register of bone marrow donors, to Panorama.am.

"This is a wonderful chance to prove that the disabled people are
important part of our society. All the democratic countries talk
about a natural balance between the disabled and physically healthy
people. They were not offered to become a hope to save a child or an
adult," he said.

The proposal of the organization has been accepted by the NGO and today
22 members of it became blood donors. Besides, Mr. Avagyan mentioned
that their proposal coincided with December 3, the International Day
of Disabled People.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA: MACROECONOMIC SITUATION IN ARMENIA EVALUATED AS SUSTAINABLE AND PREDICTABLE

ArmInfo
2008-12-02 16:25:00

ArmInfo. Despite the expanding world economic crisis, Armenia still
hopes for maintaining high rates of economic growth and low inflation,
President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan said at the 10th meeting of the
Presidential Atomic Energy Council Tuesday.

He said that high capitalization of Armenian banks may soften the
damage caused by the crisis. ‘We understand that it is impossible
to avoid the crisis, however, it is possible to minimize the loss’,
the president said. Today the macroeconomic situation in the country
is evaluated at sustainable and predictable in general.