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ARMENIAN PRESIDENT ATTACHES IMPORTANCE TO DEEPENING COOPERATION WITH ALROSA

Noyan Tapan

M arch 5, 2009

YEREVAN, MARCH 5, NOYAN TAPAN. During the March 4 meeting of Armenian
president Serzh Sargsyan and the chairman of Alrosa diamond mining
company (Russia) Sergei Vybornov, the development tendencies of diamond
cutting industry under conditions of the global financial and economic
crisis were discussed. The sides addressed the cooperation with
Armenian diamond cutting companies, the opportunities and prospects
of assistance.

S. Vybornov presented Alrosa’s plans to expand its activities in
Armenia and implement new projects.

According to the RA presidential press service, S. Sargsyan
attached importance to deepening the cooperation with Alrosa and the
implementation of mutually beneficial programs.

TURKEY LEAVES AZERBAIJAN ALONE TO SETTLE KARABAKH PROBLEM

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.03.2009 20:16 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In fact, Turkey has already left Azerbaijan alone
in Nagorno- Karabakh problem settlement, Alexander Iskandaryan, the
director of Caucasus Institute said to the reporters. According to him,
the very fact of the start of Armenian-Turkish relations proves that
Karabakh conflict is no longer on the agenda for the normalization
of the relations. It became clear to everybody long ago that Armenia
will never exchange Karabakh for the border opening. The pledges by
Turkish officials regarding Baku that Turkey will always support
Azerbaijan in Karabakh conflict are nothing but pledges. They are
given not only for Azerbaijan’s sake, but also for Turkey’s sake-
for its internal benefit. Local authority elections are to be held on
March 29, in Turkey, and Recep Erdoghan’s ruling party must strengthen
its hand. Turkey is now undergoing the change of business-elites,
and every politician strives to look more nationalistic than its
opponent, Iskandaryan said.

ARONYAN STILL STANDS A CHANCE

A1+
[11:52 am] 06 March, 2009

Armenian GM Levon Aronyan stands a good chance to win the Linares
Chess Super Tournament. In the 12th round the leader of the tournament,
Russian GM Alexander Grishchuk, suffered a defeat giving his contenders
a chance to go ahead. Aronyan has been unable to beat his contenders
during the last four rounds.

Presently Aronyan is the 4th on the list with 6 points.

Alexander Grishchuk continues to head the super tournament with 7
points, followed by Vassily Ivanchuk and Magnus Carlsen with 6.5
points.

In the 13th round Levon Aronyan will play with Vassily Ivanchuk and
Grishchuk – with the World Chess Champion Vishwanatan Anand.

ARMENIA’S FIRST PRESIDENT OFF TO FRANCE

Trend
March 4 2009
Azerbaijan

On March 4, 2009, Armenia’s first President Levon Ter-Petrosyan and
ex Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Babken Ararktsyan left for
France to take part in the funeral of their friend, talented poet
Zulal Gazanjyan.

Zulal Gazanjyan lived in Armenia for the last 6 years and was an
activist of the Pan-national movement.

The Armenian National Congress (HAK) mourns over Zulal Gazanjyan’s
death and coveys condolences to his relatives and friends.

NEWLY APPOINTED AMBASSADOR OF AFGHANISTAN HANDS HIS CREDENTIALS TO RA PRESIDENT

Noyan Tapan

M arch 5, 2009

YEREVAN, MARCH 5, NOYAN TAPAN. Newly appointed Ambassador of
Afghanistan to RA Zalmai Aziz (residence Moscow) handed his credentials
to RA President Serzh Sargsyan on March 5. Noyan Tapan was informed
about it by the RA President’s Press Office.

S. Sargsyan expressed confidence that new Ambassador’s appointment
will record certain activity in the bilateral relations. He said that
Armenia attaches much importance to establishment of stability and
security in Afghanistan and highly assesses the efforts exerted in
this direction.

Mentioning that Armenia and Afghanistan had certain relations in the
Soviet years, the sides attached importance to their restoration and
development and emphasized that it is in the two countries’ interests.

AZAD AZERBAIJAN (ATV) BROADCASTING COMPANY TO BROADCAST IN ARMENIAN

ArmInfo
2009-03-05 18:20:00

ArmInfo. During a meeting today National TV and Radio Broadcasting
Council of Azerbaijan addressed the Azad Azerbaijan (ATV) Broadcasting
Company’s request for license of ATV International to be aired via
satellite, APA reports.

According to articles 14.1, 29.2 of the law on TV and Radio
Broadcasting, chapters 7.3, 8.1 of Regulations on National TV and
Radio Broadcasting, the Council gave a license to ATV International
for 6-year broadcasting.

ATV International will produce news and other programs in English,
Russian, Farsi, Turkish and Armenian.

ARMENIAN PREMIER: IT IS EARLY TO SPEAK ABOUT RADICAL CHANGES IN STATE BUDGET OF ARMENIA

ArmInfo
2009-03-05 13:08:00

ArmInfo. It is early to speak about radical changes in the state
budget of Armenia as the government is conducting flexible policy
of expenditure taking into account financial and economic changes,
Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisyan told journalists today when
visiting Erablur pantheon.

He also added it is still difficult to predict how the events will
develop over the current year. ‘Anyway, haste may hinder us. If the
events develop according to the optimistic scenarios, there will be
no need to recalculate Armenian budget, but if no, we shall discuss
the budget problems in the middle of the year’, – premier said and
added the reserves of the government make it possible to resist the
existing challenges over the two quarters of the year.

TURKS CAN BE TRIED FOR ARMENIA MASSACRE APOLOGY: COURT

Agence France Presse — English
March 2, 2009 Monday 5:13 PM GMT

A Turkish court ruled Monday that criminal proceedings could be
launched against the authors and signatories of a petition that
apologises to Armenians for 1915-1917 massacres under the Ottoman
Empire.

The decision by the court in Sincan, on the outskirts of Ankara,
repeals a January 26 ruling by the prosecutor general that bringing
charges would impinge on freedom of speech laws, the Anatolia news
agency said.

Criminal proceedings can now be launched against the organisers of
the Internet petition, which was launched on December 15, and the
subsequent 29,000 signatories, Turkish media reported.

The petition states that signatories regret "that we remain indifferent
to the Great Catastrophe that Ottoman Armenians endured… and that
we deny," and offers apologies.

Armenia and Turkey offer starkly different accounts of the events,
and the dispute has been a major obstacle in relations between the
two countries.

Armenians say up to 1.5 million people died between 1915 and 1917 in
orchestrated killings as the Ottoman Empire fell apart. More than 20
countries have recognised the killings as genocide.

Turkey rejects the genocide label and argues that between 300,000
and 500,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died in civil strife
when Armenians took up arms for independence in eastern Anatolia and
sided with invading Russian troops.

The petition, which does not use the term "genocide" to describe the
massacres, has been signed by more than 29,000 people, among them
intellectuals and artists.

A probe was launched in January after several Ankara residents filed a
complaint asking for those involved with the petition to be punished
for "openly denigrating the Turkish nation", an offence that carries
two years in prison.

Belgium, Canada, Poland and Switzerland are among the countries to
have officially recognised the killings as genocide.

But many others, including Britain and the United States, refuse to
use the term to describe the events, mindful of relations with Turkey.

Turkey has refused to establish diplomatic ties with Armenia because
of its campaign to have the killings recognised as genocide.

US AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA VISITS MAYORS OF DILIJAN AND VANADZOR

armradio.am
04.03.2009 15:54

U.S. Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch visited Dilijan and Vanadzor on
March 4, meeting with local officials in both places and reviewing U.S.

government-funded projects. In her talks with Vanadzor Mayor Samvel
Darbinian and Dilijan Mayor Armen Santrosyan, she spoke about issues
related to the current situation and needs of the communities, the
priorities and projects of the two municipalities, their efforts
to protect the environment, and their areas of cooperation with the
U.S. government and other donors.

Following her meeting with mayor Santorsyan, the Ambassador visited
Dili Ltd., a maker of cheese. Through the USAID/EBRD Business Advisory
Services (BAS) program, a consulting firm was contracted to help Dili
develop a modern tri-lingual website, which serves as a successful
marketing tool contributing to a 15-20% increase in sales.

After meeting Mayor Darbinian, Ambassador Yovanovitch stopped at the
Grisar Ltd. Pasta Company, another business that has benefitted from
the BAS program. BAS contracted a local consultancy firm to help
Grisar expand sales by conducting research on the Yerevan market,
develop company branding strategy and promotional materials and
identify potential merchandisers and supermarket chains for product
distribution.

The Business Advisory Services (BAS) program has helped small and
medium size businesses throughout Armenia. BAS operates on both the
demand side and on the supply side, stimulating demand by raising
the understanding in the private sector of the potential benefits
of using external consultants and directly increasing the supply and
quality of local advisory services.

In Vanadzor, Ambassador Yovanovitich also visited the Advocacy and
Assistance Center, established through the USAID Mobilizing Action
Against Corruption (MAAC) program. The Center provides support to
citizens to help them resolve corruption-related problems, including
legal advice and assistance in the legal processing of complaints. The
AAC will also provide citizens with channels for reporting corruption
and directing complaints to government agencies.

Launched in July 2007 as a comprehensive initiative aimed at
reducing corruption, the USAID MAAC program will provide support to
anticorruption activities of the Government of Armenia and civil
society by (1) establishing a mechanism to address grievances
and effect structural and procedural reforms, (2) designing and
implementing anti-corruption initiatives with targeted government
agencies, (3) supporting civil society organizations in developing
innovative approaches to mobilize action against corruption, and (4)
increasing awareness among youth and adults against corruption.

NAGORNO-KARABAKH DEFENSE MINISTRY: AZERI PARTY MAKES ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO MISTAKE THE WISH FOR THE REALITY

ArmInfo
2009-03-04 16:02:00

ArmInfo. The Azeri party makes another attempt to mistake the wish
for the reality, Press-secretary of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense
Ministry Senor Hasratyan told ArmInfo correspondent when commenting
upon the publication in Azeri mass media in which Head of the Azeri
Defense Ministry press-service Eldar Sabiroglu depicts the situation
in Karabakh (in Sabiroglu’s version – Armenian) army.

"Be it known to Sabiroglu that the food in the Karabakh army is good,
and the discipline is at the worthy level. The given propagandist
statement is nothing but a clumsy attempt to make advantage of the
"eligible" opportunity and mistake the wish for the reality",-
Hasratyan said.

To recall, Sabiroglu heartbreakingly depicts the "state" of the
Armenian army with reference to three soldiers who found themselves
in Azerbaijani territory on February 28. According to Azeri sources,
soldiers Hrant Markosyan, Alik Tevosyan and Artush Sargsyan voluntarily
went over to the rival’s side. The Armenian side still says that they
crossed the border under uncleared circumstances. The Azeri party
tries to present each of the Armenian captives as a deserter. At the
same time, Sabiroglu makes categorical statements that some person or
other doesn’t want to return, a terrible situation in the Armenian
army is depicted, etc. For instance, Hambardzum Asatryan "didn’t
want to return" either. However, it has been found out that Azeri
special services tried to press Asatryan introducing themselves as
ICRC employees. Asatryan successfully returned to Motherland.

At present, the Armenian and Azeri parties have one more captive as
well – Rafig Gasanov and Paruyr Simonyan. As it was reported earlier,
in an interview Gasanov expressed his reluctance to return to his
motherland.

Gasanov also said about the hideosity in the Azeri army and added
that the reason of his escape from the military unit and coming over
to the Armenian side was the attitude of his fellow soldiers and
commanders. Probably, Gasanov’s revelation played a certain role in
Sabiroglu’s eagerness "to depict" the state of the rival’s army.