Month: November 2009

ARMENIAN, TURKISH PARLIAMENTS TO ESTABLISH COOPERATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.11.2009 10:47 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian National Assembly Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan
met Monday with his Turkish counterpart Mehmet Ali Sahin on the
sidelines of PABSEC plenary session in Moscow to exchange views on
the process of normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations.

The two men assessed highly presidential efforts to establish ties
and agreed to encourage contacts between members of Armenian and
Turkish parliaments.

At that, Mr. Abrahamyan stressed the necessity of ratification of
the Armenian-Turkish protocols within reasonable terms.

ARMENIA ATTACHES IMPORTANCE TO REGIONAL COOPERATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.11.2009 11:17 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Multilateral cooperation and interparliamentary
diplomacy are gaining importance, according to Armenian National
Assembly Speaker.

"The BSEC Parliamentary Assembly expands activities year by year,
ensuring political and economic stability throughout the region. As a
BSEC member, Armenia will work for development of economic and trade
cooperation, for resolution of domestic and regional problems," Hovik
Abrahamyan said when addressing the PABSEC plenary session in Moscow
on Monday.

Attaching importance to transport communication, he emphasized that
integration of transport system will become more efficient if all
12 BSEC member countries are involved in the process. "Transport
corridors and energy security are essential for even development of
BSEC member states," he said.

ARMENIA, ITALY TO INTENSIFY POLITICAL DIALOGUE

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.11.2009 11:52 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian met
Monday in Rome with his Italian counterpart Franco Frattini to discuss
bilateral cooperation, Armenian-Turkish reconciliation and some other
regional issues. Armenia-EU relations, specifically the European
Neighborhood Policy and Eastern Partnership, were also in focus.

The Italian Minister hailed the signature of Armenian-Turkish protocols
and voiced hope for soonest opening of the border.

The two men also stressed the necessity to intensify political dialogue
between Armenia and Italy.

BORDYUZHA: ARMENIA IS CSTO ACTIVE MEMBER

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.11.2009 11:58 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Yerevan is hosting a roundtable discussion titled
"CSTO as a factor of stability and security in the Caucasus."

"The purpose of the event is to hear out the opinions, assessments and
forecasts of political scientists and experts to resist the challenges
we face. This is the first conference of the kind held in Armenia,
an active member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization,"
CSTO Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzha said in his opening remarks.

Armenian National Security Council Secretary Arthur Baghdasaryan,
for his part, said that Armenia stands for establishment of lasting
peace in the region. "Official Yerevan’s position is unchangeable.

Establishment of diplomatic relations with Turkey without preconditions
will create a new situation in the region," he said.

VTB BANK ARMENIA TEMPORARILY SUSPENDS PLASTIC CARD SERVICE

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.11.2009 12:30 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ VTB Bank Armenia CJSC warns about temporary
suspension of processing center on the night of November 25
(00:30-02:30). Due to improvement works, the bank’s automatic teller
machines and terminals will not function during the above-mentioned
period.

Apologizing for the inconvenience, the bank calls for understanding.

ARMENIAN CULTURE MINISTER IS CONCERNED FOR COLLAPSE OF ARMENIAN CHURCH IN GEORGIA

ArmInfo
2009-11-23 19:18:00

ArmInfo. Minister of Culture of Armenia Hasmik Pogosyan has told her
Georgian counterpart, Minister of Culture, Protection of Monuments
and Sport Nikoloz Rurua that she is concerned for the collapse of
ancient Armenian church St.Gevork Mughni in Georgia.

Pogosyan asked Rurua to tell her what his ministry was doing to solve
the problem and expressed commitment to help.

Rurua said that the church was actually in a deplorable state and
his Ministry was taking measures to reconstruct the building. He
suggested doing this together with Armenian specialists.

During a meeting with Deputy Ministry of Culture of Armenia Arev
Samuelyan, Director of the Agency for Protection of Cultural Heritage
of Georgia Nikoloz Vacheishvili said that the survived part of the
church was being reinforced. The design work for the restoration
project will be carried out by Architex architects office.

MEDVEDEV, ALIYEV TO MEET NOV. 24

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.11.2009 12:47 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Azerbaijani
counterpart Ilham Aliyev will discuss bilateral cooperation and
Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement at a meeting in Ulyanovsk in
the Volga Region on Tuesday.

Aliyev will pay a working visit to Russia on an invitation from
Medvedev.

"The meeting between Dmitry Medvedev and Ilham Aliyev will become a
continuation of the rich Russian-Azerbaijani political dialogue. This
year, the heads of state have repeatedly met in various formats,"
a Kremlin source said prior to the meeting.

Russian-Azerbaijani trade and economic relations have been developing
successfully, with trade in the first nine months of 2009 reaching
$1.26 billion, and Russian exports exceeding $1 billion.

The source said Aliyev’s visit to Russia in April and Medvedev’s
visit to Azerbaijan in June were important.

Medvedev and Aliyev are also expected to discuss energy issues,
RIA Novosti reported.

ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT ARMENIA IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2010

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.11.2009 13:34 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Relaxation of visa requirements between Armenia and
EU was in focus of talks Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian
held Monday in Rome with his Italian counterpart Franco Frattini.

The Ministers touched upon decentralized cooperation issues and
possibilities of organizing an Armenian-Italian forum. Both agreed
that direct flights between the two countries would promote development
of tourism industry.

They also signed a memorandum of understanding "On Conducting
High-level Political Consultations between Italian and Armenian Foreign
Ministries" and an agreement "On Economic Cooperation Between Italy
and Armenia."

At Mr. Frattini’s request, Minister Nalbanidan briefed on the Karabakh
settlement process and the outcomes of Armenian and Azeri Presidents’
recent meeting in Munich.

It was also agreed that the Italian Foreign Minister will visit
Armenia in the first half of 2010, RA MFA press office reported.

MKHITAR MNATSAKANYAN APPOINTED AS RA MINISTER OF LABOR AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.11.2009 13:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has signed a decree
on relieving Gevorg Petrosyan of the post of Minister of Labor and
Social Affairs. By another presidential decree, Head of NA Standing
Committee on Human Rights, member of Prosperous Armenia party Mkhitar
Mnatsakanyan was appointed to the post, RA government’s information
center reported.

In 1994, Mkhitar Mnatsakanyan was the Director of Red Cross
International Post Traumatic Center. In 1995, he became Director
General of Armenian Red Cross Society and in 2001 assumed the
presidency of the organization.

He was honored with USSR and RA orders. On May 12, 2007, Mkhitar
Mnatsakanyan was elected to the National Assembly from Prosperous
Armenia Party.

AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT CAN FALL INTO HIS OWN TRAP

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.11.2009 13:59 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Sargsyan-Aliyev meeting in Munich should
be considered, keeping in mind the recent statement made by the
Azerbaijani President, ARFD Bureau Hay Dat and Political Affairs
Director said.

"Aliyev’s threats can’t be neglected. However, should Azerbaijan be
confident of victory, it would have launched a war long ago," Kiro
Manoyan told a news conference on Tuesday.

He also emphasized that the Azerbaijani President can fall into his
own trap. "Preparing his people for war, Aliyev will once have to
launch it,"