Month: December 2008

CONDEMNED

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
29 Nov 08
Armenia

The Assembly of the Supreme Religious Council by the honorable
presidency of Garegin II was convened in Holy See St. Echmiadsin
yesterday.

The Assembly touched upon the encroachment upon the Norashen
St. Astvatsatsin Church in Tbilisy and the desecration of the Armenian
graves.

The Supreme Religious Council came out with an appeal: "The Supreme
Religious Council is deeply concerned about the encroachment upon the
Georgian Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Armenian
churches.

We condemn all the actions against the Christian spirit, and friendship
between the peoples.

The Supreme Religious Council appeals to the sons of the Armenian
Apostolic Church to assist the Georgian Diocese of the Armenian
Apostolic Church in their efforts to protect the Armenian Churches
and the sacred values."

THE INTERESTS OF KHARABAKH ON TOP OF EVERYTHING

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
29 Nov 08
Armenia

"I don’t pursue a goal to support or not to support any politician,
especially when the conversation goes around the Karabakh issue. For
me, the interests of Karabakh are on top of everything, and in
this respect, we are really facing a serious problem, i.e. the
non-participation of Karabakh.

Therefore, we have to do all our best to change this situation as
quickly as possible.

Long-term non-participation is a serious obstacle in terms of changing
the situation, but it is necessary to make certain steps in that
direction. I am sure that in case of making those steps, it will
be possible to achieve that in future," TIGRAN TOROSYAN mentioned
yesterday in response to the question of "Hayots Ashkharh".

THE PRESIDENT OF BOXING FEDERATION

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
29 Nov 08
Armenia

Next week "Ararat" football club is planning to file a claim with the
RA Prosecutor’s, against the President of the Football Federation of
Armenia Ruben Hayrapetyan.

Besides that the club is planning to submit a complaint to the UEFA
against the extra game for the title of the Champion of Armenia and
in case of necessity even to Lozano Sports International Arbitration
Court.

During the press conference yesterday the leaders of the club announced
that after the 28th tour between "Pyunik" and "Ararat" on November 15,
the President of the Football Federation of Armenia Ruben Hayrapetyan
severely beat the Executive Director of "Ararat" club Varujan Simonov.

The latter said that he simply couldn’t resist his emotions after
the victory of his team, but he didn’t have any bad intentions.

DO NOT LOOK FOR ULTERIOR MOTIVES

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
29 Nov 08
Armenia

"The press conference I held yesterday in the Press Club found
a wide response in the press. I have to mention with regret that
instead of presenting first-hand information to the public, some
of our journalists are engaged in inventing materials mixed with
far-reaching conclusions," MIKHAIL BAGDASAROV said yesterday.

"The ideas I expressed during the press conference concerned
the problems in the sphere of economy, as well as the existing
opportunities, and there were no ulterior motives there.

Moreover, the main message I voiced was that all the problems related
to the financial crisis may nonetheless create for us new opportunities
which we must be able to use. This is what ‘Armavia’ company is going
to do, acting in compliance with the Government’s appeal to be more
active in conditions of the crisis," M. Baghdasarov mentioned.

PRESIDENT OF THE NKR ARRIVED IN GENEVA

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

On 29 November President of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic Bako Sahakyan
arrived in Geneva. On 30 November the Head of the State held a meeting
with entrepreneur Vardan Sermakes. 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 partook at
the meeting.

PRESIDENT NKR MET IN LOS ANGELES…

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

On 28 November President Bako Sahakyan met in Los Angeles with
American-Armenian entrepreneur Jerry Turpanjian. Issues related to
realization of different projects in the NKR socioeconomic sphere were
discussed during the meeting. The President rated high the Turpanjian
rural development program carried out in Artsakh within the frameworks
of the American University of Armenia, noting its significance
from both the economic and educational points of views. The Head of
the State considered important to diversify activities in Artsakh
which would have a positive impact on further strengthening the
Artsakh-Diaspora ties.

214 CORRUPTION CRIMES DETECTED IN JAN-NOV 2008

ARKA
Dec 1, 2008

YEREVAN, December 1. /ARKA/. Two hundred and fourteen corruption
crimes had been detected in Armenia by November 26, 2008, – a 2.7-fold
increase as compared with the corresponding period last year (79).

Speaking at a conference on the prevention, detection and investigation
of corruption crimes, Vice-Chief of the RA Police, Chief of the
Head Investigation Department, Gagik Hambartsumyan reported that 115
(55.6%) of the crimes were detected by the police, with 37 of them
by the Head Department for Organized Crime Control.

Hambartsumyan reported that 40 cases of bribery were detected this
January-November against three cases in the corresponding period
last year.

Eight of the 40 cases involved commercial bribery.

Nineteen cases of misappropriation and embezzlement, 15 cases of
abuse of office, and 45 other corruption crimes were registered this
January-November.

Despite considerable progress, the battle against corruption is far
from being satisfactory, Hambartsumyan said.

"It is no secret that they are latent crimes, and the battle
against them requirement of involvement of health forces both of
the law-enforcement and government agencies and of the public,"
he said.

RA PRIME MINISTER TIGRAN SARGSYAN RECEIVED AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY TO THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA ANDREA VICTORINI

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Friday, 28th of November, 2008

RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan received Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Republic
of Armenia Andrea Victorini and coordinator of German Technical
Cooperation Association’s "South Caucasian Private Business Stimulation
Program" Frank Tibitanzel.

Appreciative of the Armenian-German cooperation, the Prime Minister
noted with satisfaction that the FRG is the second largest investor
in Armenia behind the United States. In this context, both sides
highlighted the programs carried out by the GTZ in our country. The
parties have discussed such government priorities and relevant
proposals as should be taken account of while developing future
cooperation programs. The guests imparted their intention to open
a local office of German Technical Cooperation Association’s "South
Caucasian Private Business Stimulation Program."

Frank Tibitanzel spoke of the importance of new programs aimed at
boosting the operations of private companies, among which he mentioned
"South Caucasian Private Business Stimulation Program." With a view to
starting cooperating under the above-said program, the German side has
had several contacts with the representatives of public and private
sectors in Armenia in order to outline the cooperation areas. Export
stimulation, enhanced food security, community strengthening and the
removal of trade barriers were underscored by the guests.

Highlighting the above-stated principles, the Prime Minister said that
priority is given to such programs as may be conducive to economic
growth in the country. Tigran Sargsyan said that currently this issue
is important not only to Armenia, but also to the global economics,
as a whole. According to the Prime Minister, any investment program
should be viewed from this very standpoint in 2009.

Public Radio of Armenia

27.11.2008 17:58

Following worldwide protests of Armenians, the Panoramio, the partner
of Google Earth, eliminated the inscription `Talaat Pasha’ on the
Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan on the website, independent
correspondent Jean Eckian informed

It was reported earlier that a hacker posted the name of Talaat Pasha
on the Armenian Memorial of Tsitsernakabert in the Google Earth.

This intolerable profanation was signed Haluk Dolmayan. Actually, it
was the adulterated name of historian and Director of the Institute-
Museum of the Armenian Genocide, Hayk Demoyan.

By clicking on the location titled Talaat Pasha, one could see the
Yerevan memorial to the victims of the 1915 Armenian Genocide.

Focus News, Bulgaria
Nov 30 2008

Turkey plans Istanbul-Yerevan direct flights, considers Azerbaijan

30 November 2008 | 13:32 | FOCUS News Agency

Ankara. Turkey plans to schedule direct flights from Istanbul to
Armenia’s capital Yerevan in order to boost the recent process of
renewed relations between the two countries, Hurriyet reports on
Sunday.

The progress of this plan is directly connected to Armenia’s attitude
in relation to Turkey and Azerbaijan, Hurriyet Daily said citing
unnamed sources.

According to report, Ankara will also take Azerbaijan’s attitude on
the issue of direct flights consideration. "No concrete decision has
been taken as yet. The issue should be assessed as a mental exercise,"
sources were quoted as saying in the report.

Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic ties and their border has been
closed for more than a decade, as Armenia presses the international
community to admit the so-called "genocide" claims instead of
accepting Turkey’s call to investigate the allegations, and Armenia’s
invasion of 20 percent territory of Azerbaijan.