Month: July 2009

STONES FELL ON RAILWAY

A1+
12:32 pm | July 30, 2009

Official

On July 29 at 12:05 a.m. pieces of stones broke off from a tunnel
and fell on the nearby high-voltage electric wire pole and damaged
the railway located on the 2nd kilometer section of the Spitak-Gyumri
highway due to heavy rains.

At 2:35 a.m. the locomotive of the Batumi-Yerevan train clashed into
the fallen pole and the damaged train wagons were transferred to the
"Gyumri" station in another locomotive.

The trains stopped due to restoration works and there are no injuries
or victims.

UN WORLD FOOD PROGRAM REPRESENTATIVE HOSTED AT MFA

Panorama.am
19:00 30/07/2009

Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan received today the representative
of the UN World Food Program Maha Ahmed on the occasion of handing
credentials, MFA PR department reports.

According to the source, the Minister thanked Mrs. Ahmed for the
World Food Program providing assistance to Armenia. Mrs. Ahmed has
highly assessed Armenian Government’s and WFP effective cooperation
and told about the projects to be implemented in Armenia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERBAIJANI LEFT-WING PARTIES URGE ARMENIAN COUNTERPARTS TO JOINTLY DEBATE NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT

Today.Az
cs/54251.html
July 30 2009
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan’s left-wing parties have expressed their readiness to
discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with their Armenian counterparts.

The Socialist Party of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijan Communist Party
and the Communist Party united on the Marxism-Leninism platform say
it is necessary to hold a meeting with Armenia’s left-wing parties
to discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict at the party level.

"Such meetings would also create a confidential way among political
parties and lead to unbiased decisions in the future. We believe
that such meetings will take place soon and we are ready to hold this
meeting in a neutral territory acceptable for both sides," said the
Azerbaijani left-win parties’ statement, sent to Armenian counterparts.

Azerbaijan’s left parties hope their Armenian counterparts will pay
a necessary attention to the statement and demonstrate an unbiased
approach to this issue for peace and stability in the Caucasus region.

PRESIDENT PAYS VISIT TO DEFENSE MINISTRY

Panorama.am
18:42 30/07/2009

President Serzh Sargsyan paid working visit to Defense Ministry on
the occasion of 15th anniversary of foundation of Vazgen Sargsyan
Military Institute, President’s Cabinet reports.

According to the source, the President was presented reports on various
aspects of the defense field and gave correspondent recommendations.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RUSSIAN PM TRAVELS TO TURKEY

Panorama.am
17:19 30/07/2009

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is going to travel to Turkey
on 6 August. Russian PM made agreements with his Turkish counterpart
during telephone conversation, Russian media reports referring to
government’s press service.

"The heads of the Governments have discussed various issues on
trade-economic aspect which have mutual interests for the sides,"
governmental official said.

DIVISION OF CABINET PORTFOLIOS AMONG POLITICAL PARTIES

Naharnet
July 30 2009
Lebanon

Although the process of allocation of cabinet portfolios is in its
early stages, it is now clear that the president’s share will include
Elias Murr as defense minister, Interior Minister Ziad Baroud and
Adnan al-Sayyed Hussein who will get the Shiite seat.

A Sunni minister from the president’s share and a fifth Catholic
remain to be chosen.

Sources following up cabinet formation told al-Mustaqbal daily that
Hussein’s nomination was made because the man is a respectable academic
who has previously worked with President Michel Suleiman in preparing
defense strategy and national dialogue files.

In terms of wrangling over cabinet portfolios, As Safir newspaper said
PM-designate Saad Hariri is seeking to give his Mustaqbal movement
the telecommunications ministry currently held by Jebran Bassil.

Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun has made it clear
that he won’t relinquish Bassil. MP Walid Jumblat is also asking for
the public works ministry which the Lebanese Forces is eying.

Meanwhile, the LF and Phalange are asking for two ministers each
although there is a tendency by Hariri to give both of them three
ministers only.

Aoun is holding onto naming two Maronite ministers and one Catholic,
which means that Suleiman Franjieh, who wants the health ministry,
has to name an Orthodox minister. The Tashnag, in its turn, would
choose the Armenian minister.

LF MP Antoine Zahra told As Safir that his party wants one normal
and another services portfolio.

SWINE FLU FOUND IN AZERBAIJAN

Panorama.am
17:15 30/07/2009

About 160 countries are announced to suffer swine flu. Currently
it is said that two cases of swine flu have been registered in
Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani Health Ministry reports that the virus was
recorded in Baku and Gianja. Those two infected with À/H1N1 arrived
in Azerbaijan from France and Great Britain, Azeri media reports.

Officials say one of the infected is a 40-year-old woman and the
other one a teenaged boy. Doctors say the infected are being cured
and assessed their health conditions satisfactory.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TURKISH GOVERNMENT REACTS TO ARMENIAN PRESIDENT’S STATEMENT

APA
July 30 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku – APA. "We are firm in the normalization of Turkey-Armenia
relations. But we want the international community, especially Armenia
to demonstrate the same firmness in terms of Armenia-Azerbaijan
conflict," Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said at the joint
press conference with Foreign Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina Sven
Alkalaj in Ankara, APA reports quoting Anadolu agency.

With this Turkish Minister reiterated Ankara’s stipulation that the
borders with Armenia will not open, unless Nagorno Karabakh conflict
is solved. Ahmet Davutoglu said the process of normalization should be
based on strong will and parties should have open, frank discussions
on all issues.

"We believe that there will be large-scale normalization in the region
soon," he said.

On July 28, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said he will visit
Turkey only after the borders are opened, or on the eve of opening.

YEREVAN-BATUMI TRAIN CRASHED: NO VICTIMS REGISTERED

Panorama.am
17:10 30/07/2009

At 02.35 by local time Batumi-Yerevan train has crashed over the
broken pole, MES service reports referring to "Vanadzor train station"
Ltd. According to the source at around 00.05 big rocks broken from the
tunnel after heavy rain were thrown on the high volt electric pole. In
the aftermath of the current situation Spitak-Gyumri road was damaged
as the pole had fallen down on the road and had broken the railway.

The carriages of the train were transported to "Gyumri" station by
another train. After the damaged sections were repaired the train
transportation has been resumed.

It is informed that no victims or injured have been registered.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SERBIAN PRESIDENT ENDED HIS VISIT TO ARMENIA
Nikos D. A. Arvanites

EMPortal – Economist Media Portal
.html
July 30 2009

In the closing of his two day visit to Armenia, President Boris
Tadic on July 29 met with Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan and Head
of Armenian Apostolic Church Karekin II. Serbian President visited
Armenia ogether with foreign and trade ministers, Vuk Jeremic and
Slobodan Milosavljevic, respectively.

In the closing of his two day visit to Armenia, President Boris Tadic
on July 29 met with Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan and Head of Armenian
Apostolic Church Karekin II.

Tadic and Sargsyan agreed that long-lasting solutions for regional
conflicts in the Caucasus and Balkans, such as Nagorno Karabakh and
Kosovo, can be sought only through talks, without the use of force
and in line with international law, according to the media.

During Tadic’s visit to Armenian’s spiritual center Ejmiatsin, Karekin
II underlined the warm and brotherly ties between Serbia and Armenia
and their peoples and expressed hope that the ties will strengthen
further after Tadic’s visit.

Karekin II also pointed to close ties between the Armenian Apostolic
Church and the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Tadic thanked his host for a warm reception and expressed admiration
for the Armenian culture and Christian values.Tadic added he hoped
ties between the two churches would further deepen, along with the
development of bilateral relations.

Tadic has departed from Armenia. On the first day of his visit,
the president met with his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan.

President of Serbia Boris Tadic during his official visit,
accompanied with the Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan
visited M. Mashtots Ancient Manuscript Institute-Matenadaran.

The top guest was presented about 170 manuscripts of 5-19
centuries. After getting acquainted with the manuscripts, he wrote
down his impressions in the Matenadaran memory-book.

Guide of Matenadaran Arpine Petrosyan said that the Serbian President
expressed great interest towards each manuscript, gave various
questions.

The top guest was donated an album with Armenian miniatures and on
his turn presented Matenadaran a book about Serbia.

He also laid a wreath today at a memorial dedicated to the Serb pilots
who died when an aeroplane crashed while carrying humanitarian aid to
victims of the 1988 earthquake in Armenia that claimed 25,000 lives
in the city of Spitak.

Tadic traveled to Armenia together with foreign and trade ministers,
Vuk Jeremic and Slobodan Milosavljevic, respectively.

Serbian FM Vuk Jeremic, pointed out that the two sides discussed
economic and cultural cooperation, as well as cooperation within
international organisations.

He said that the visit of the Serbian delegation, headed by Serbian
President Boris Tadic, to Yerevan is the best evidence that Serbia
is working on developing relations with Armenia.

Serbian Minister of Trade and Services Slobodan Milosavljevic, who
is also in the Serbian delegation, today met Armenian Minister of
Economy Nersess Yeritsian and discussed ways of improving economic
cooperation between their two countries.

Milosavljevic and Yeritsian discussed cooperation in the areas of
information technology, agriculture, the food industry, pharmacology
and tourism, as well as the possibility of working on joint projects
and organising business forums in the near future.