Month: November 2009

PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN HAILS AGREEMENT BETWEEN ARMENIA AND KUWAITI CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

ARKA
Nov 5, 2009

YEREVAN, November 5, /ARKA/. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan hailed
a cooperation agreement signed between Armenian and Kuwaiti chambers
of commerce and industry, the presidential press office told ARKA. The
agreement was signed during President Sargsyan’s visit to Kuwait.

Sargsyan welcomed the agreement during a meeting with the chairman of
Kuwaiti Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ali Mohammad Thunian al-Danim.

An agreement was reached that a delegation of Kuwaiti Chamber of
Commerce and Industry will pay a visit to Armenia to look into its
investment potential and explore cooperation prospects. Ali Mohammad
Thunian al-Danim invited Armenian businessmen to take part in Kuwaiti
five-year development plan.

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan arrived on a two-day state visit to
the State of Kuwait on Tuesday. His delegation comprised the Minister
of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian, Minister of Finance Tigran
Davtian, Minister of Diaspora Affairs Hranush Hakopian, Minister of
Culture Hasmik Pogossian, Minister of Education and Science Armen
Ashotian, Chairman of the Armenia-Kuwait parliamentary group Vahan
Hovannissian, Chairman of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs
Arsen Ghazarian, and Chairman of the Industrial and Commercial Chamber
Martin Sarkissian.

This was the first visit of the President of Armenia to a Gulf state
since Armenia’s independence. At the international airport of Kuwait,
the President of Armenia was welcomed by the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh
Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber Al Sabah, the Crown Prince of Kuwait Nawaf
Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and other members of the country’s
leadership.

On the first day of the visit, the President of Armenia met with the
Speaker of the National Assembly of Kuwait Jassem Mohammad al-Kharafi
and the Prime Minister of Kuwait Nasir Al-Muhammad Al-Ahamd Al-Jaber
Al-Sabah. President Sargsyan also met with the Chairman of the Kuwait
Investment Authority Bader Muhammad Al-Sahadin and the Chairman of
the Economic Development Fund Abdulwahab Ahmad al-Bader.

In the end of the day the President of Armenia and the Emir of Kuwait
had a meeting, after which the Republic of Armenia and the State
of Kuwait signed a number of documents on bilateral cooperation. At
the conclusion of the day, the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad
al-Jaber Al Sabah gave a state dinner in honor of the President
of Armenia.

On the second day of his visit, the President of Armenia visited the
Science Center of Kuwait and met with the President of the Commerce
and Industry Chamber of Kuwait Ali Mohammad Thunian al-Danim.

In the afternoon, the delegation headed by the President of Armenia
returned to Yerevan.

DETAILS OF PREPARATION OF YEREVAN FOR WINTER DISCUSSED IN MUNICIPALITY

ARKA
Nov 5, 2009

YEREVAN, November 5. / ARKA /. Details of the preparation of the
Armenian capital for the winter season were discussed in the Yerevan
mayor’s office in the presence of the mayor of Yerevan Gagik Beglaryan.

As it was noted in the press service of the city administration,
12 sanitary cleaning organizations with 254 units of machinery are
already prepared for the coming winter and the accumulation of salt
and sand is being continued.

In the process there are preparatory works for the restoration of
roofs and insulations in the entrances of the residential buildings.

These works are to be implemented until November 20. Issues related to
further expansion of the heating system of preschool and educational
institutions are also to be resolved.

In addition, the program for asphalting the yards in 2009 is still
taking place without any disruptions of the schedule and will be
completed in 2010.

At the same time, the restoration of street lighting network will
also begin.

The full coverage of light of subways will be completed in November
2009.

On behalf of the Mayor, the daily theatrical performances for
schoolchildren will soon be resumed.

The cost of the performances will be provided from the municipal
budget.

CIA AGENTS GUILTY OF ITALY KIDNAP

BBC NEWS
urope/8343123.stm
2009/11/04 19:31:47 GMT

An Italian judge has convicted 23 Americans – all but one of them
CIA agents – and two Italian secret agents for the 2003 kidnap of a
Muslim cleric.

The agents were accused of abducting Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr,
known as Abu Omar, from Milan and sending him to Egypt, where he was
allegedly tortured.

The trial, which began in June 2007, is the first involving the CIA’s
so-called "extraordinary rendition" programme.

The Obama administration has expressed its disappointment at the
convictions.

"We are disappointed by the verdicts," state department spokesman
Ian Kelly said in Washington.

He declined to comment further pending a written opinion from the
judge, but said an appeal was likely.

Three Americans and five Italians were acquitted by the court in Milan.

Symbolic ruling

The Americans were all tried in their absence as they have not been
extradited from the US to Italy.

" For us, this first case puts the war on terror on trial " Joanne
Mariner Human Rights Watch spokeswoman The CIA’s Milan station chief
at the time, Robert Lady, was given an eight-year term, while the
other 22 Americans convicted – one of them a US air force colonel –
were sentenced to five years in prison.

Lawyers for the 23 Americans said they would appeal against their
convictions.

The two Italian agents, who were convicted as accomplices to
kidnapping, were given three-year prison terms.

The court also ruled that those convicted must pay 1m euros ($1.5m)
in damages to Abu Omar and 500,000 euros to his wife.

CIA spokesman George Little in Washington declined to comment on the
convictions, telling the Associated Press news agency: "The CIA has
not commented on any of the allegations surrounding Abu Omar."

Secrecy laws

Italian prosecutors said Abu Omar was taken as part of a series of
extraordinary renditions carried out by the CIA – when terror suspects
were moved between countries without any public legal process.

They told the court he had been kidnapped in daylight on a Milan
street in February 2003 and flown to Germany, and then Cairo, where
he was held for years until being released without charge.

Judge Oscar Magi acquitted the CIA chief for Rome, Jeffrey Castelli,
saying he was protected by state secrecy rules, as were the former
head of Italy’s military intelligence agency, Nicolo Pollari, and
his deputy, Marco Mancini.

Mr Pollari, who resigned over the affair, told the court earlier this
year that documents showing he had no involvement in the kidnapping
were classified under secrecy laws.

Prosecutor Armando Spataro rejected the argument that legal provisions
could shield those accused from prosecution, saying any agreement to
carry out a kidnapping was "absolutely against Italian law".

He had sought a 13-year jail term for Mr Castelli and Mr Pollari and
12 years for Robert Lady.

Activist group Human Rights Watch welcomed the verdict, saying it sent
"a strong signal of the crimes committed by the CIA in Europe".

Spokeswoman Joanne Mariner said: "For us, this first case puts the
war on terror on trial."

UNISTREAM CLIENTS NUMBER REACHED 205 THOUSAND IN 2009 THIRD QUARTER

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.11.2009 14:37 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The number of UNIStream clients increased by 14%
and reached 205 thousand in the third quarter of 2009, with over $
167,8 million was transferred via the system.

"People prefer UNIStream thanked to its uniqueness, beneficial
tariffs and expanded network," said Suren Ayriyan, general manager of
UNIStream. "UNIStreamcovers over 55% of Armenian market. Our clients
may receive their transfer in any branch of Unibank."

ARMENIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY SUPPORTS PROTOCOLS’ RATIFICATION WITH RESERVATIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.11.2009 14:57 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "We already submitted our statement on Protocols’
ratification with certain reservations to RA NA Chairman Hovik
Abrahamyan," Armenian Democratic Party Leader Aram Sargsyan told a
news conference in Yerevan.

According to Sargsyan, the issue is more than urgent today, as Turkey
has frozen the ratification process, preparing to produce reservations
as well. "We believe, in the first place, reservations should refer
to bilateral obligations of non-interference with internal affairs
of the third state. Armenia’s failing to make the statement above
will spell further difficulties in KNR issue," ADP Leader emphasized.

Commenting on reporters question whether US, using the fact of
Armenian Genocide, could get Turkey to expedite ratification, he
noted that US is interested in ratification and could use different
methods of pressure to quicken the process. According to Sargsyan,
US Senate’s recognizing Armenian Genocide is a possibility, still
"US will undertake the step based on personal benefit only."

KARABAKH CONFLICT RESOLUTION IMPORTANT FOR OSCE, U.S.

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.11.2009 15:03 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Nagorno Karabakh issue acquired a new coloring in the
context of Armenian-Turkish reconciliation, said Richard Giragosian,
the director of the Armenian Center for National and International
Studies (ACNIS).

"With appointment of Robert Bradtke as Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk
Group, the U.S. returned to the policy it pursued in 2004. Resolution
of the Karabakh conflict is important for the OSCE U.S. now," he said
during "Armenian-Turkish Diplomacy and Nagorno Karabakh: Deal or No
Deal?" seminar on November 5.

"There is a new calendar drawn for resolution of the conflict. It
covers the period from the presidential meeting in Moldova till the
OSCE ministerial meeting in Athens. Nevertheless, I do not expect
progress in Karabakh talks till January 2010," he said.

At that, Mr. Giragosian emphasized that sides should act more
transparently and raise public awareness about the ongoing peace
process to avoid dissemination of disinformation.

BAKU’S MILITARY RHETORIC DOES NOT EXACTLY MATCH US PLANS

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.11.2009 15:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The information on Washington’s possible
recognition of NKR independence should be viewed in the context of US
administration high-ranking representatives’ statements on NKR, Andrey
Areshev, strategic culture foundation deputy director general told
PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. "Traditionally, US administration speaks for
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity within ex-Azerbaijan SSR borders.

Statements for or against NKR independence recognition possibility
should be viewed in the terms of a certain tactics aimed to provide
USA’s maximal influence in South Caucasus," he noted.

According to Areshev, Azerbaijan is tightly integrated in USA and
NATO military and political orbit. With Armenia-Turkey negotiations
intensified, Baku’s military rhetoric does not exactly match US plans.

"Should a new war be unleashed, neighboring states: Iran and Russia
could interfere, taking over USA’s initiative in South Caucasus and
offering their own settlement terms. This might be the reason we
witness unexpected news leaks from Washington. Still, Washington’s
official recognition of Stepanakert shouldn’t be counted on," the
Russian expert emphasized.

TURKISH PARLIAMENT WON’T RATIFY PROTOCOLS UNTIL MARCH 2010

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.11.2009 15:30 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ We must not expect Turkey to ratify initialed
Armenian-Turkey rapprochement Protocols until February-March 2010,
Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS)
Director Richard Giragosian said at "Armenian-Turkish diplomacy
and Nagorno Karabakh: Deal or no deal?" seminar. "Most probably,
Turkey will not ratify Protocols on the eve of the oncoming Armenian
Genocide 95th anniversary. Sure, Ankara’s conducting a risky policy,
as Armenia’s patience is not unlimited," the expert emphasized.

According to him, much is expected from Turkey, and this is exactly
what Brussels and Washington’s messages on reasonable ratification
terms suggest.

YEGHISHE SARGSYAN’S ST. ECHMIADZIN RELIGIOUS SEMINARY PUBLISHED

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.11.2009 15:32 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ By the consent of Catholicos of All Armenians
Karekin II, senior clergyman Yeghishe Sargsyan’s St. Echmiadzin
Religious Seminary was published.

Funding was provided by "Sargis Gabrielyan" foundation. In his book,
the author, who worked in seminary for many years and was one of its
first graduates, introduced the entire chronology of St. Echmiadzin
Religious Seminary, referring to archive materials.

The book is intended for teachers and individuals interested in the
history of Armenian Apostolic Church.

YEREVAN MUSTN’T ALLOW FOR NKR ISSUE TO BE SET AS ARMENIA-TURKEY RAPPROCHEMENT PRECONDITION

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.11.2009 15:39 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Initialed Armenia-Turkey rapprochement Protocols
contain no stipulations for NKR conflict settlement, depriving
Ankara of a possibility to raise Karabakh issue within Armenia-Turkey
negotiations’ framework, Armenian Center for National and International
Studies (ACNIS) Director Richard Giragosian said at "Armenian-Turkish
diplomacy and Nagorno Karabakh: Deal or no deal seminar.

"Washington, too, recognizes Armenia-Turkey rapprochement and NKR
conflict settlement as two different processes. I believe, NKR
conflict and Armenia-Turkey dialogue are interconnected, still it’s
important they’re not directly linked," ACNIS Director noted, adding
that Yerevan mustn’t allow for NKR issue to be set as Armenia-Turkey
rapprochement precondition.

He also stressed that despite Baku’s statements, OSCE MG remains
the only format for Karabakh conflict settlement and Turkey does not
belong there.