Month: November 2009

BUSINESS TRAININGS FOR REPATRIATE ARMENIANS ORGANIZED IN RA REGIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.11.2009 17:49 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On November 9, Kotayk region’s Migration
Informational Center hosted 2-day business training for repatriate
Armenians.

Within 7th "Migration flow increase in Armenia" program frameworks,
2-day business trainings were also conducted in Shirak’s regional
information center. According to program coordinator Arman Sahakyan,
training participants were interested in a number of issues on
business organization.

"Some of training participants expressed readiness to settle down in
Armenia. They have enough new ideas and knowledge to organize small
businesses in the region," he noted.

November 20 is application deadline for participation in Gyumri
trainings.

ARMENIA’S YOUTH SOCCER TEAM BEAT ITS IRISH RIVALS 4:1

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.11.2009 18:01 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In Euro 2011 qualification match, Armenian youth
soccer team beat its Irish rivals 4:1. Likewise the match with
Estonians which ended 1:1 Armenian sportsmen began the game actively,
scoring the first goal during the 30th minute. At the start of match,
Hovhannes Goharyan managed to keep the ball with the help of two
fullbacks, making a pass to Henrik Mkhitaryan. Half-back kicked the
ball to the rival’s fence with a strong blow. Henrik Mkhitaryan also
stood out in the second round, evening the score during the 61st
minute. Four minutes later Ireland’s Killian Sheridan scored the
only goal of his team. Match ended 4:1, with the third goal scored
by Goharyan and the fourth coming off hat-trick author Mkhitaryan’s
penalty kick

Second group’s standing for Euro-2011 qualification tournament is
as follows.

Switzerland (13 point) Turkey (9) Estonia (8) Georgia (5) Armenia
(4) Ireland (4)

VIVACELL-MTS AND GNC ALFA SIGN AN AGREEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.11.2009 18:03 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ VivaCell-MTS Armenia’s mobile operator and wholesale
Internet provider GNC Alfa signed an agreement that enables the
cellular operator to build its own high-speed fiber-optic backbone
network, press service of the company reports.

The contract will enable the company to acquire optic fiber cable
network owned by GNC Alfa, which stretch from the Armenian-Iranian
border to Yerevan.

BENITA FERRERO-WALDNER: CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM ADDS A NEW DIMENSION TO THE EASTERN PARTNERSHIP

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.11.2009 18:04 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ More than 200 Civil Society representatives from
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine,
the EU Member States, international organizations and networks as
well as third countries are gathering in Brussels on 16-17 November
for the first Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum.

The Forum demonstrates the EU’s commitment to take on board the views
and ideas of people of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries. The
Forum will work on recommendations to EaP ministers who will be
holding their first working meeting on 8 th December, in particular
on priorities for work next year in the EaP multilateral platforms.

Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner for External Relations and
European Neighbourhood Policy stated: "This civil society dialogue
adds a new dimension to the Eastern Partnership, which will enrich
in particular our multilateral activities in the EaP. The Forum
will provide fresh ideas as we work to address the challenges of
our partner countries". She added: "Civil society has a crucial
role to play in holding governments to their reform programmes. The
Forum will be important in helping to build confidence among civil
society organizations in partner countries, by providing a platform
to exchange experience."

The Civil Society Forum will be hosted by the European Commission, the
EU Presidency and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).

It responds to the need for more direct exchange between civil
society actors from EaP countries and EU Member States in order to
achieve the goals of the EaP: to promote democracy and good governance,
economic integration and convergence with EU policies, energy security
and contacts between people. By supporting civil society dialogue,
the EU aims to encourage increased contacts between organizations,
and dialogue with national authorities in the partner countries.

To ensure full transparency of the process leading to the establishment
of the Civil Society Forum, interested parties were invited via the
Eastern Partnership webpage to provide their opinions, as well as
express their interest to participate in the process.

Altogether, almost 450 expressions of interests were received from
grass root organisations, trade unions, employers’ organisations,
professional associations, NGOs, think tanks, non-profit foundations,
national and international networks and other relevant civil society
actors. For budgetary and organisational reasons the number of
participants in the first meeting of the Forum was kept to 220,
following the selection process made by a Steering Committee
composed of independent personalities, representatives of the
European Commission, the EU Presidency and the European Economic and
Social Committee (EESC). Altogether 141 organisations from Eastern
Partnership countries and 79 from EU Member States and other countries
have been invited.

TURKISH FM CRITICIZED THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT FOR KEEPING THE REGION UNDER CONSTANT TENSION

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.11.2009 18:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu criticized the
Israeli government for keeping the region under constant tension
with the use or threat of military force and said Tel Aviv’s current
policies are apparently in conflict with Turkey’s vision of peace
for the region. "Unfortunately the Gaza onslaught by Israeli defense
forces against Palestinian civilians had halted all ongoing peace
processes, including the Turkish mediated Syrian-Israeli indirect
talks," he lamented.

He warned that the continuing expansion of Israeli settlements in
Palestinian territories has been a source of tension between Turkey
and Israel for many years. Settlement is also a major concern for many
world powers including the US, the European Union, and Russia, all
of which have called for an immediate halt to all illegal settlement
expansion by the Israeli government.

As for the controversial status of Jerusalem, the Turkish foreign
minister said, "We do not recognize that Jerusalem is the capital
of Israel and believe that East Jerusalem is Palestinian territory,"
pointing out the fact that the Turkish Embassy is located in Tel Aviv,
which Turkey considers the official capital of the Jewish state.

Dismissing anti-Semitic accusations as baseless, Davutoglu stressed
that the Turkish government’s position is not directed against the
Israeli public or the Israeli state but rather aimed at the policies
adopted by the Israeli government. "We have no problem with the Israeli
state or the public," he remarked. The Turkish foreign minister pointed
out that despite recent tension with Israel, Turkey has not withdrawn
its ambassador from Tel Aviv.

Commenting on the exclusion of Israel from a NATO military exercise
Turkey hosted last month due to the ongoing humanitarian tragedy in
Gaza, Davutoglu said Ankara had waited until the last minute to make
the decision to bar Israel because Turkey was waiting on the result
of US President Barack Obama’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netenyahu. "If there was progress during that meeting, we
could have allowed Israel to participate in the military exercises,"
he said, Today’s Zaman reported.

HRANT MARGARYAN: RA LEADERSHIP INDIRECTLY INVOLVED IN SPLITTING ARMENIANS

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.11.2009 18:14 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In the framework of the movement "No" against the
Turkish-Armenian Protocols ARF Dashnaktsutyun (ARF) and the "Ramkavar
Liberal" party initiated a meeting bringing together various local
organizations. ARF Bureau representative Hrant Margaryan addressed
that meeting on November 16.

According to Hrant Margaryan, the states relying on their own people
referring able to confront the external pressure on Armenia. According
to him, the Armenian leadership has not made such an attempt, knowing
well that the people living in conditions of social injustice,
widespread corruption, can not become supporting power for any
government.

Hrant Margaryan said that ARF is ready to be consistent in establishing
democracy and social justice in Armenia. "Establishment of social
justice is an unavoidable necessity for any nation to preserve national
sovereignty," Mr. Margaryan stressed.

Speaking about the Armenian-Turkish Protocols, the representative of
ARF Bureau stressed that national divide is more dangerous than these
documents. He called the Armenian people to be alert, emphasizing
that Turkey seeks Armenians’ national disunity and wish to drive a
wedge between Armenia and the Diaspora.

"RA leadership indirectly involved in splitting Armenians," Hrant
Margaryan explained. He also noted that the signing of the Protocols
is a beginning of the new struggle. "We believe in our victory, after
all, the Protocols will be rejected by the Constitutional Court, and
then in parliament, because we have support of the Armenian people,"
Hrant Margaryan said.

CBA RATIFIED JANUARY-SEPTEMBER 2009 EXPENDITURES BUDGET

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.11.2009 18:26 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ CBA ratified January-September 2009 expenditures
budget and capital investments program, CBA press service reported.

The resolution was taken at November 17 Board meeting headed by CBA
President Artur Javadyan.

Financial report as of September 30, 2009 and information on the
structure and state of Armenia’s international reserves for the third
quarter of 2009 were also ratified.

SOVERSHENNO SEKRETNO RUSSIAN TV CHANNEL PROPOSES ARMENIANS TO SHOOT FILM ABOUT PARAJANOV

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.11.2009 18:30 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Sovershenno Sekretno Russian TV Channel has
proposed Armenians to shoot a film about Sergei Parajanov," Michael
Shvydkoy, President of Russian Academy of Television and RF Special
Representative on International Cultural Cooperation told today a
news conference in Yerevan.

At that he noted that there is no joint Armenian-Russian film about
Parajanov. "Parties’ cooperation in documentation sphere is quite
realistic, but big game projects are still questionable," Shvydkoy
noted.

In turn, RA Deputy Minister of Culture David Muradyan said that,
"Proposals on shooting a film about Parajanov are still under
consideration, but the project is good and attractive. We are
interested in it, and want to make it a joint program."

WHICH SON, OR WHICH FATHER
Hakob Badalyan

Lragir.am
17/11/09

During his visit to the U.S., the Armenian Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan meeting with the Armenian students studying in America stated
that Armenia is ready for economic relations with Turkey and has
necessary measures to eliminate possible dangers. The prime minister
stated that a strong wave cannot come and destroy Armenia after the
opening of the border. According to Tigran Sargsyan, we must not
think as losers, the time to lose has long ago passed and the time
for victory already came. So said Tigran Sargsyan and smiling tried
to assure the students that they are getting ready for a victory
studying in the U.S.

This victorious mood that either the students inspired the prime
minister or he was trying to inspire the students was impressive. But
there is something incomprehensible in this mood. Not because it does
not correspond to the content of the Armenian and Turkish protocols,
with which the border will be or will not be opened. The point is
not the content of the Armenian and Turkish protocols but the reality
present in Armenia. Looking at this realty, the simple question occurs
whom Tigran Sargsyan is going to defeat or whom we are going to win
in his opinion. Whom or what the Armenian students studying in the U.S.

are going to win.

Will we win Turkey with open borders and with the help of these
youths if of course after having completed their studies they return
to Armenia? If so, the prime minister’s approaches perhaps are as
serious as his pre-crisis observations that not the crisis but the
foreign capital escaping from the crisis will come to Armenia. Just
the opposite came out to happen: the crisis came to Armenia and
the existing capital rushed away from Armenia (for example, Gagik
Tsarukyan’s acquirement of 40 million in Bulgaria).

Whom other can we win with open borders besides Turkey? About what
other victory could Tigran Sargsyan speak? Maybe he intends a victory
over ourselves about which he noted in a TV interview saying that the
border opening will enable to overcome the oligopoly in the economy
and to change our life.

We have to note, that from this point, defeating Turkey seems more
real than winning ourselves. The point is that this possibility
would be more real if after numerous speeches of Tigran Sargsyan he
made a single step in his direction to register a local victory for
us to see how our prime minister registers a victory over a vicious
phenomenon of the governmental system. In turn, the Armenian students
studying in the U.S. may wonder how they can defeat for instance
Hovik Abrahamyan’s son who can be presented the post of the head of
a commune on the occasion of his wedding. Is Tigran Sargsyan able to
explain clearly and sincerely this reality, how, whom we are going
to win. Sons, cousins, daughters and relatives are many but posts
are few and Armenians are devoted to them.

AZERBAIJANI AUTHORITIES RECOGNIZE TURKISH JOURNALIST PERSONA NON GRATA

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.11.2009 18:33 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Journalist of Turkish Akcam newspaper Nagehan
Alcı was declared as persona non-grata by Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani
MFA Official Representative Elhan Polukhov said.

According to him, those who visit Nagorno Karabakh without obtaining
Azerbaijan’s consent are included in "persona non grata" list
regardless professional activity. "That applies to both journalists
and public organization representatives," Polukhov said.

As reported by Azerbaijani General Consulate in Istanbul, Akcam
editorial office said the journalist carried out a private visit
to Karabakh by their recommendation. According to Azeri official,
the issue of cooperating with newspaper would be reviewed, Trend
News reports.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress