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UN launches competition for best short film on nuclear disarmament
01.08.2009 11:57 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On Saturday the United Nations is launching a
competition for the best short film on the issue of nuclear
disarmament and/or non-proliferation. This is part of the ongoing `We
must disarm campaign `and of the 100-day countdown to the
International Day of Peace on 21 September, launched by the UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on 13 June.

The UN is looking for short videos from anyone, regardless of skill or
experience, to submit their work by Thursday, 10 September 2009.

Winning films will be shown at UN Headquarters in New York and posted
on the online platforms supporting the Secretary-General’s campaign,
UN official website reported.

AAC Constantinople Patriarchate to mark 550th anniversary in 2011
01.08.2009 14:43 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Constantinople Patriarchate of the Armenian
Apostolic Church will mark its 550th anniversary in 2011. The clergy
met in the Patriarch’s residence on July 28 to discuss festivities to
be held on the occasion, Asbarez.com reported

TATUL MANASERIAN: COMMERCIAL BANKS RAISE INTEREST RATES OF STATE-OBTAINED CREDITS TO AN UNACCEPTABLE EXTENT

NOYAN TAPAN
JULY 31, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JULY 31, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenia-based commercial banks cease
operating as a commercial bank as soon as they start to use credit
resources provided by the state. The Advisor to the RA National
Assembly Speaker Tatul Manaserian said at the July 31 press conference
that by receiving credit resources, these banks become state agents,
while a state agent must act in accordance with certain conditions
of the state, which, however, does not happen.

T. Manaserian noted that the state obtains credits with difficulty and
allocates them for some projects. Whereas, the banks raise the interest
rates to an unacceptable extent and dictate their conditions, although
they do not have a moral right to do so. As for the government,
according to T.

Manaserian, it avoids laying down its conditions. "The concession
loan received by a commercial bank at a symbolic interest rate does
not exceed 1%, but when provided by a commercial bank, it amounts to
10-14% which is inadmissible," the economist said, adding that such
connivance of the government is inadmissible as well.

"You must not forget that these are the sums that have doubled our
foreign debt. We should be careful. The inefficient use of a credit
rather than its receiving poses a serious threat," T. Manaserian
underlined.

SARKSYAN REJECTS PRECONDITIONS IN TURKEY TALKS

Today’s Zaman
July 31 2009
Turkey

Armenia has put aside its historical grievances and worked in goodwill
for reconciliation with Turkey and now expects Turkey to put aside
preconditions to advance peace talks, Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan
has said.

Sarksyan, speaking to a group of Armenian students from Russia,
Egypt, Georgia, Ukraine and Turkey, said his country has exerted
its best efforts despite the "Armenian genocide" to normalize
relations with neighboring Turkey, an Armenian news report said on
Friday. He complained that Armenia’s goodwill was not reciprocated
by Turkey, which now appears to want to use the progress made to
normalize relations with Armenia to advance efforts to resolve the
Nagorno-Karabakh dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

"Within past years we conducted negotiations, signed two documents,
still, some Turkish officials decided to set preconditions and link
Armenian-Turkish relations with [the Nagorno-Karabakh] issue," Sarksyan
was quoted as saying by the PanARMENIAN news portal. "We can’t accept
preconditions … Turkey has to understand no preconditions should
be set in [the] 21st century, as preconditions lead to counteraction."

Turkey and Armenia reported progress in their talks to restore
their relations in April and said they reached an agreement on a
road map on how to normalize their ties. But the process has become
complicated since then, as Azerbaijan, a close ally of Turkey,
protested the Turkish-Armenian talks. In a subsequent visit to Baku,
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan assured Azerbaijan that Turkey will
not open its borders with Armenia, which have been closed since 1993,
unless Armenia withdraws from Nagorno-Karabakh, a region occupied by
Armenian forces in a 1991 war between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Earlier
this week, Sarksyan said he would not visit Turkey to watch a World
Cup qualifying game between national soccer teams of the two countries
in September if the border is still closed.

Responding to Sarksyan, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said
on Wednesday that the government was still committed to normalizing
relations with Armenia. "But at the same time, it is important for
us to see the same determination from the international community,
and especially from Armenia, on the conflict between Armenia and
Azerbaijan," he added.

RA MINISTER OF DEFENCE SEYRAN OHANYAN’S GREETING SPEECH ON THE OCCASION OF THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MILITARY INSTITUTE AFTER VAZGEN SARGSYAN

mp;p=0&id=940&y=2009&m=07&d=31
31. 07.09

RA Minister of Defence Seyran Ohanyan’s Greeting Speech on the
Occasion of the 15th Anniversary of the Military Institute after
Vazgen Sargsyan and of the Recurrent Flow of the Graduates of Military
Educational Institutions

Honorable President of the Republic of Armenia, Your Holliness,
Mr. Generals, officers and students, dear guests:

I am heartily greeting all of you on the occasion of the 15th
Anniversary of the greatest MoD officers’ educational establishment –
Military Institute after Vazgen Sargsyan, and of the Recurrent Flow
of the Graduates from higher military educational institutions. The
Military Institute after Vazgen Sargsyan was established in 1994 on
the borderline of war and ceasefire, when the Armenian army, based
on the voluntary detachments, had already gained gigantic experience
in battle activities.

That was one of the best times, when the experience of the regular
militants was merged with the unparalleled devotion of the volunteers,
which was to transform to a military experience and practical knowledge
from fight to fight and by every appliance of a new weapon. However,
like in every sphere, and even more than the other spheres, the Armed
Forces need regular recruitment and r enovation. For this reason it was
an imperious necessity to shape a new generation of officers, so that,
together with their seignior brothers, who had deserved the victory
in the front, they would continue the difficult and crucial task of
protecting our motherland and continuously increasing the fighting
capacity of the Armed Forces. Today, it is a gratifying reality that in
different commanding circles the responsibility of commanding in the
Armed Forces is already equally shared between our over four thousand
officers, who have graduated from RA higher military educational
establishments – motorized infantry, artillerists, tankers, scouts,
military doctors and pilots, officers specialized in aviation and
anti-aircraft defence, and they have almost all the commanding posts
in the army – from detachment commanders to regiment commanders. This
is to say that our military educational establishments, now for sure,
are well established and serve their purpose, which embodies the dream
of all of us and symbolizes its realization today. The passed years
have shown that the Armenian military educational establishments have
shaped worthy successors – officers – who both continue the heroic
tradition of the Armenian army and master today’s military business
at best. And the latter has a simple formula, "The direction of power
in time and space." Due to the science developments, today time and
space have decreased in battle activities. But, at the same time,
the role of the human has increased – the role of an officer who
is educated, masters in the complex technologies of the time, is
literate and devoted to his motherland. From this point of view, I’d
like to mention that we have expectations just like this, that you,
filling the rows of the officers in the Armed Forces, will promote
the development of the army building and, by sincerely loving the
motherland, you will assist to the invincibility of its borders and
the strengthening of its defence.

Our army has been and will always be subject to universal care. The
issues of the army – issues varying from army building and social
status of the militants to strategic issues – have always been in the
centre of the state’s attention. And the fact, that today our army is
protecting the borders of the motherland with honor and is ready to
face any challenge, is a result of the attention of the President,
the government of our country and the Armenian people towards the
Armed Forces. This attention also obliges us to continue improving and
developing by everyday studies, to increase the fighting capabilities
and walk parallel to the quite strict demands presented to the armies
of the 21st century.

Parallel to the present defence reforms, the personnel policy is also
quite important. And today one of our tasks is to recruit the Armed
Forces with professi onal personnel possessing modern knowledge. To
the solution of this topical problem assist not only the higher
educational institutions of the RA MOD and the foreign ones,
but also other educational institutions of the republic. I would
like to acknowledge the preparation of military doctors, military
bandmasters, medical psychologists, military instructors by the State
Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi, Armenian State Pedagogical
University after Khachatur Abovyan, State Conservatory after Komitas,
Gyumri Pedagogical Institute after Mikael Nalbandyan. By heartily
congratulating all the newly-converted officers, I wish you health,
peaceful service, will and determination to unfailingly walk up the
difficult path of a militant and conquer heights. Be informed, that
the profession of an officer is heroic! Be proud and be strong and
successful in all your undertakings! I wish that you and the whole
officers’ personnel have the devotion of your seignior brothers and
necessary commanding knowledge, so that the cherished idea of the
protection of the country and the distinct issues of its realization
will be merged in your service. The preceding generation of Armenian
officers that has had hard destiny, inherited you a rich tradition, and
I am sure, that you will enrich and pass it to the coming generation
of graduates from our military educational institution.

As a conclusion, in this ceremonial settings, I want to assure the
Commander-in-Chief that, today too, the Armed Forces is to act in
accordance to the demands of the time and is to continue to carry
out its mission with honor for the sake of the peaceful and creative
coexistence of our people.

ARMENIA TOOK BEST EFFORTS TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS WITH TURKEY

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
30.07.2009 21:17 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In the Process of RA-Turkish rapprochement RA took
its best efforts and showed good will despite its dramatic history
and Armenian Genocide, RA President Serzh Sargsyan said at the meeting
with RA Diaspora Ministry-initiated "Return Home" Program participants.

"Within past years we conducted negotiations, signed 2 documents,
still, some Turkish officials decided to set preconditions and
link Armenian-Turkish relations with NKR issue. We can’t accept
preconditions as we realize the role of Turkey in the region. Turkey
has to understand no preconditions should be set in 21st century,
as preconditions lead to counteraction," RA President emphasized.

"Return Home" Program aims at development of Armenia-Diaspora
relations. The program hosted 63 students from Russia, Turkey, Egypt,
Georgia and Ukraine. The next group of program participants will
Arrive in Armenia on August 1.

AZERI’S TRY TO LULL NKR SOLDIERS INTO DEFECTING WITH PROMISES OF U.S. RESIDENCE

2009/07/30 | 13:34

Society

Certain Azerbaijani news outlets have used the case of an Armenian
soldier who fell into the hands of Azeri forces along the NKR line
of contact to launch a new campaign designed to convince Armenian
soldiers to defect.

The RoA National Security Service issued a statement in response,
refuting Azeri claims that the Armenian soldier defected due to hunger
and the long-term goal of moving to Europe.

The statement also alleges that a certain Azeri expert has called
on NKR forces to defect in whole units since this way it will be
easier to relocat6e them to Europe. It labels these Azeri calls as
"figments of the imagination".

The statement goes on to say that Azerbaijan has even offered Armenian
soldiers advice on making their way through mine fields and how to
hand themselves over to Azeri forces.

During the past few years, eight Azeri soldiers have defected to
the Armenian side. Six of these eventually were relocated to a third
country via the auspices of the United Nations and the International
Red Cross.

CHURCH RUINS DISCOVERED IN STEPANAKERT DISTRICT
Anahit Danielyan

7/
2009/07/29 | 16:35
Nagorno Karabakh

The staff of the NKR Department of Tourism had an unexpected gift for
the Diocese of the Armenian Church in Artsakh on the occasion of the
20th anniversary of the reestablishment of the church.

Two weeks ago, the staff discovered the remains of an Armenian Church
in the Krkzhan neighborhood of Stepanakert, the NKR capital. The
find was reported to "Hetq" today by Sergei Shahverdyan who runs
the department.

He states that based on source materials the remains belong to the
Holy Savior Church built in the 19th century. The department staff
also uncovered stone crosses dating back to the 13th century on
the site. This would imply that a church existed on the same site
centuries ago.

Mr. Shahverdyan confessed that even after the liberation of Krkzhan,
no one in Karabakh was aware of the church since the former Azeri
residents had converted it into a stable and destroyed it.

An examination of the site is now underway.

PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA WILL NOT ACCEPT IMITATION

Panorama.am
14:03 30/07/2009

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan announced yesterday that he would
accept invitation to travel to Turkey only if Ankara started taking
visible steps to deblockade Armenia.

"I will only accept the invitation only if the agreements are observed
and visible steps are taken, i.e. I will go to Turkey if the border
is open or if we are on the threshold of Armenia’s deblockading,"
President said.

In fact President Serzh Sargsyan made similar statement a few months
ago in his interviews given to foreign media on the occasion of him
taking the office. In this respect, we are much interested in what
the need was to repeat the same statement. But there is such need. It
was necessary to make Ankara understand that their activities of
imitating things have been decoded by Armenia; hence Yerevan will not
allow thinking that certain steps have been made and that Armenian
side should give response. Serzh Sargsyan stressed that imitated
activities are unacceptable for him and that they can not be ground
for his visit to Turkey.

It’s worth reminding that a year ago Serzh Sargsyan took exclusive
initiative inviting his Turkish counterpart Abdulah Gul to travel to
Armenia to watch Armenia-Turkey football match. It’s obvious that the
mission of the invitation was to start the process of regulating ties;
the invitation has been accepted by Ankara under the influence of
several objective and subjective elements. Since then the initiative
has been called "football diplomacy".

In the framework of that process Yerevan and Ankara have had various
open and closed-door meetings in the aftermath of which a joint
statement was made in April on "road map" regulating the ties. Though
the content of the document is not published but it’s supposed that
Turkey should deblockade Armenian border without any preconditions
and should also set diplomatic ties with Armenia.

To suppose that if President Sargsyan defined October as the
deadline of implementing the process, then we should expect that the
processes should be implemented before that. But if we consider that
no other issue is defined by the agenda but to open the border and
set diplomatic ties, then the deadline will be defined October when
the football match will be under way.

And is it necessary to worry about Turkey to make imitation? Of course,
we do. To consider official Ankara’s statements it becomes obvious
that they have kept the formal part and have postponed the process
of making statements.

TADIC WITH ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER AND PATRIARCH

Radio Srbija
July 29 2009
Serbia

On the second day of his visit to Armenia, Serbian President Boris
Tadic will have talks in Yerevan with Armenian Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan. After that, Tadic will meet in Etchmiyadzin, the spiritual
center of Armenia, with Patriarch Karekine II. It is also planned for
Tadic to lay wreaths on the monument to Yugoslav pilots who died in
the plane crash in 1988, while transferring the humanitarian aid to
the victims of the catastrophic earthquake, which took 25 thousand
lives in the town of Spitak. Yesterday, during the meeting with
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, it was agreed that the regional
conflicts, such as those in Kosmet and Agorno-Karabakh must be resolved
without the use of force, solely through talks and in line with the
international law principles.