Month: November 2009

GEORGIAN FM LAYS DOWN RUSSIAN CITIZENSHIP

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.11.2009 14:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze said he
renounces his Russian citizenship, Interfax reported.

"I have already sent a request to Russian President and attached my
Russian passport," he said on November 4. "I just want to ease the
procedure for the Russian side, since the RF Constitution doesn’t
envisage deprivation of citizenship."

Earlier, Russian Dima member Semen Baghdasarov urged relevant
government agencies to deprive Vashadze of Russian passport. The
deputy was indignant with the fact that "Saakashvili’s team-mate
travels across our country with a Russian passport."

The Duma rejected the proposal as inexpedient and provocative.

ALEXANDER ISKANDARYAN: INFORMATION ON WASHINGTON’S RECOGNIZING NKR IS IMPLAUSIBLE

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.11.2009 17:19 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "In my view, information on ‘Washington’s recognizing
NKR independence’ is far from plausible," Caucasus Institute Director,
political scientist Alexander Iskandaryan told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter. "Perhaps, it’s beneficial to Russia, but nothing can be
said for sure since the source is unreliable," Armenian expert noted.

In the meantime, an anonymous Armenian expert said such information
might have been disseminated by Russian intelligence services.

Washington has actually imposed a tough ultimatum on Azerbaijan,
saying that "US will recognize Nagorno Karabakh’s independence in case
the country attempts to resume military operations," Yeni Musavat
Azerbaijani pro-opposition party’s official Web site reported. The
information was later disseminated by other media.

Baku claims that Washington, in the person of Deputy Assistant
Secretary Tina Kaidanow, responded to Baku’s bellicose statements on
Karabakh conflict settlement. Furthermore, Americans insist that they
possess information on Azerbaijan’s making secret preparations for war.

Observers believe Baku’s rhetoric is accounted for by the fact that
territorial integrity issue is not included in the agenda of talks
over Karabakh status, NEWSru.com reports.

ARMENIA: 31 BILLION AMD FALL IN PUBLIC FUNDING OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.11.2009 17:52 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "The expected cost of education and science in
2009 wil amount to 108 billion AMD, however, the budgetary funding
of education and science has fallen by 31 billion AMD this year. RA
NA decided to allocate 95 billion AMD for the education and science
in 2010, " Artak Davtyan, chairman of the National Assembly Standing
Committee for Science, Education, Culture, Youth and Sports told a
press conference on November 4.

According to him, the projected budget cuts will not affect teachers’
salaries and school funding.

The Chairman called the issue of poor quality of as very painful and
promised that the commission will work in this direction.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

US STATEMENTS AIM TO ENSURE COUNTRY’S POSITION IN REGION

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.11.2009 18:02 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ US positions itself as a country concerned with
issues of the world, an expert at St. Petersburg Center for Middle
East Studies Alexander Sotnichenko told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter,
commenting on the information of Azerbaijan’s starting a war in case
US recognizes NKR independence. "US is most probably concerned over
Russia’s and Turkey’s increasing influence in the region. Besides,
the presence of Iran makes South Caucasus a strategic region. There’s
no country in the world whose policy is not influences by US,"
Sotnichenko noted, adding that by its statement US is not trying
to support positions of either Armenia, Karabakh or Azerbaijan,
but rather aims to ensure its position in region.

Washington has actually imposed a tough ultimatum on Azerbaijan,
saying that "US will recognize Nagorno Karabakh’s independence in case
the country attempts to resume military operations," Yeni Musavat
Azerbaijani pro-opposition party’s official Web site reported. The
information was later disseminated by other media.

Baku claims that Washington, in the person of Deputy Assistant
Secretary Tina Kaidanow, responded to Baku’s bellicose statements on
Karabakh conflict settlement. Furthermore, Americans insist that they
possess information on Azerbaijan’s making secret preparations for war.

Observers believe Baku’s rhetoric is accounted for by the fact that
territorial integrity issue is not included in the agenda of talks
over Karabakh status, NEWSru.com reports.

CULTURE OF CONSUMING INFORMATION – ON A LOW LEVEL IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.11.2009 18:08 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Very often, people in Armenia trust unreliable
foreign sources rather than local media," Deputy Head of Armenian
Public Relations Association Arman Saghatelyan said.

To avoid such sources’ influence on public in information
war circumstances, Sagatelyan emphasized journalists’ role and
professionalism which may help society distinguish between information
and disinformation. "Secondly, it is necessary to disallow publication
of low quality analytical works which also produces a negative impact
on Armenian society’s culture of consuming information," he noted.

Saghatelyan also stressed the importance of not confusing journalism
with information warfare since these are different spheres with
different methodologies and mechanisms. "It would be good if our
journalists were aware of such mechanisms to be able to differentiate
reliable information from propaganda," he stressed.

With regard to Armenian media’s current situation, Deputy Head of
Association noted that over the past year the number of Armenian Web
sites has increased by 5-6 times, while the number of satellite TV
channels has increased from 1 to 3. "That’s a fair example that we
are making progress in the sphere," Saghatelyan added.

WILL FROCH BECOME WBA AND WBC CHAMPION BEFORE COMBAT AGAINST ARTHUR ABRAHAM?

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.11.2009 18:21 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ WBC super middleweight champion Carl Froch is looking
forward to his next fight in the Super Six tournament. Whether or not
WBA champion Mikkel Kessler is able to beat Andre Ward on November 21,
he has to fight Froch in the first quarter of 2010.

Unlike Dirrell who is a mover, Froch expects Kessler to stand and
trade in war-like fashion when necessary.

"I’m looking forward to it. Win, lose or draw when he fights Andre
Ward he will be next for me, and he’s getting knocked out then as
well! He’ll stand and fight and when I catch him he’ll go, unlike
Dirrell who wanted to play kiss chase. Kessler’s a proud man. He’ll
box and move," Froch told Ralph Ellis of Betfair.

Froch loves the idea of the Super Six because it causes him to be
in position for a possible unification bout, which isn’t easy to get
at 168-pounds.

"When I beat Kessler I’ll be the WBA and WBC champion. It’s a
unification fight, I can be undisputed champion. These fights don’t
really happen all that often, it’s difficult in pro-boxing to get the
fights you want. He was due to fight me before but it never happened,
the same way the Joe Calzaghe fight never happened. In this tournament
I’m guaranteed it," Froch said, boxingscene.com reported.

Carl Froch will combat against Armenian boxer Arthur Abraham in 2010.

JEMMA BAGHDASARYAN APPOINTED AS RA DEPUTY MINISTER OF LABOR AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.11.2009 18:22 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today, by Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan’s
decree, Jemma Baghdasaryan was appointed as RA Deputy Minister of Labor
and Social Affairs. Prior to appointment, Jemma Baghdasaryan occupied
the position of head of the Department of Elderly and Disabled People
of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

By another decree, Hovhannes Hovhannesyan is dismissed from the
position of RA State Committee of Real Estate Cadastre Chairman. Karen
Davtyan , previously Yerevan Vice Mayor, was appointed as RA State
Committee of Real Estate Cadastre Chairman, governmental press
service reported.

KAYDENAU’S STATEMENT ON POSSIBLE RECOGNITION OF NKR HAS ALSO MESSAGE FOR ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.11.2009 18:32 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "The risk of renewed hostilities along the
contact line between Armenia and Azerbaijan is large enough. This
is evidenced by recent statements of the EU Special Representative
for South Caucasus Peter Semneby, the Deputy Assistant Secretary
of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Tina Kaydenau and the
report of the International Crisis Group, which mentioned that open
confrontation may happen by the end of this year," Stepan Safaryan ,
head of the parliamentary faction of "Heritage" told a press conference
in Yerevan today.

He commented on the latest statement made by Kaydanau that the U.S.

recognizes the independence of NKR if Azerbaijan renewes hostilities.

Stepan Safaryan said that this is certain leverage of pressure
against Azerbaijan. "This is also a message for Armenia no longer
to procrastinate the time, and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should
be solved through mutual concessions," the head of the "Heritage"
faction said.

According to Stepan Safaryan, the best way out of this situation for
Armenia is to recognize the independence of NKR or leave the issue
in the agenda of the Parliament.

Replying to the question addressed by a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, if
NKR recognition would provoke a renewal of hostilities by Azerbaijan,
Stepan Safaryan said, that possibility of war does not depend on the
recognition of independence of NKR, but on the military-political
potential of Azerbaijan.

ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS NOT TO BECOME BURDEN FOR NEW GENERATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.11.2009 19:06 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian nation has experienced a lot of hardships,
but the one the country is facing now is the most complicated,
United Communist Party leader Yuri Manukyan told a press conference
in Yerevan, commenting upon RA-Turkish rapprochement process. "We
cannot transfer such heavy burden to the next generation. So if
we do not settle the problem now, when are we expected to do it? "
Manukyan noted.

In his view, opening of RA-Turkish border will positively affect
Armenia’s economic and tourism spheres.

Highly appreciating Serzh Sargsyan’s role in Armenian-Turkish
normalization process, he noted that President Sargyan does not
imitate the process, as did his predecessors. "Those who live in
Armenia should support President’s initiatives, " Manukyan said.

Armenian side, according to him, should follow Turkey’s steps. "If
Turkish Parliament ratifies Protocols, we’ll act likewise, if not,
we won’t ratify them either."

Touching on Karabakh conflict settlement, Manukyan mentioned that
NKR’s de facto status was determined long ago and the only problem
was jure recognition.

ARMENIAN GM BECOMES WINNER IN CHIGORIN MEMORIAL

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.11.2009 14:32 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian GM Hrant Melkumyan scored 7 points out of
9 and shared the 1st-5th places with GMs Volkov (Russia), Zhou Weiqi
(China), Rychagov (Russia) and Deviatkin (Russia) in Chigorin Memorial
which was held on November 3 in St Petersburg (Russia).

IM Robert Hovhannisian scored 6,5 points; GM Zaven Andriasian, IM
Levon Babujian and Vardges Tovmasian scored 6 points each.

There were 159 chess players taking part in the tournament, armchess.am
reports.

Mikhayil Chigorin was an outstanding Russian chess-player at the
turn of the XIX-XX centuries. He is considered on of the founders
of Russian-Soviet chess school. Chigorin is the author of many chess
debuts, including Queen Gambit otherwise known as Chigorin Defense.