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COUNCIL OF EUROPE READY TO HELP TURKEY-ARMENIA RAPPROCHEMENT

news.az
Nov 19 2009
Azerbaijan

Thorbjorn Jagland The Council of Europe is ready to help the
rapprochement process between Turkey and Armenia, Secretary General
Thorbjorn Jagland has said.

He was speaking at a press conference on Wednesday after Switzerland
took over the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers from Slovenia.

"I welcome Turkey-Armenia rapprochement and hope that it will help
us solve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," Jagland said.

He said that if Turkey and Armenia need the support of the Council
of Europe, the council is ready to help.

"We have not been approached on this issue yet," Jagland said.

ARMENIA, TURKEY LOOK FORWARD TO WHO IS TAKING FIRST STEP

Aysor
Nov 19 2009
Armenia

"Armenia and Turkey are awaiting who will take the first step,"
said at today’s press conference head of Yerevan Hay Dat (Armenian
Tribunal, or Armenian Court of Justice) Office and representative
for ARFD Political Affairs, Kiro Manoyan.

"At least some months won’t bring any serious changes in ratification
process," he said adding that Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Dashnaktsutyun still holds on to its position. Kiro Manoyan says:
"as soon as possible Armenia must announce is not going to ratify
Armenian-Turkish protocols."

Referring to regional processes, Kiro Manoyan said that those "don’t
give rise to statements on ‘Turkey’s quick move forward’.

"Turkey won’t take any steps till February-March, then on the eve of
Remembrance Day of April 24 they will act to perform that things are
‘in progress’," said the politician bringing round that Turkey will
stretch the process as long as possible until its expected results
in the issue of Karabakh appear.

KHOSROV RESERVE DIRECTOR MURDER -CRIMINAL REVENGE?

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
19.11.2009 15:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Revenge could become a reason for the assassination
of Khosrov reserve director Samvel Shaboyan.

On June 20, 2009, Samvel Shaboyan’s bother Perchik Shaboyan shot dead
a thief in law, 49-year old Marzpetuni Petrosyan, also known as Marso.

The incident took place in Goravan village of Ararat region. Perchik
Shaboyan was detained.

Director of Khosrov reserve, 51-year-old Samvel Shaboyan was
assassinated on November 19 night.

Police said Shaboyan’s Toyota Prado was shelled by unknown. Law
enforcers counted 30 bullet holes in the car. Shoboyan, who was
sitting on the backseat, died from numerous bullet wounds.

A criminal case was initiated.

ILHAM ALIYEV SPEAKS OF WAR AGAIN

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
18.11.2009 12:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ To resolve the Karabakh conflict, either peace or
war methods should be used, Azerbaijani President said.

"We can’t procrastinate any longer," Ilham Alive said. "We hold
talks and there is some progress. I should mention that withdrawal of
Armenian troops from seven regions and return of Azerbaijani refugees
in also on the agenda."

He also accused Armenia of dragging out time, 1news.az reported.

5 PEOPLE SENTENCED TO DEATH PENALTY IN IRAN

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
18.11.2009 13:28 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Iran has sentenced five people to death over the
unrest that followed the country’s disputed June presidential election,
state television reported Tuesday.

At least three others caught up in the turmoil have received death
sentences previously.

Iran began a mass trial in August of prominent opposition figures
and activists, accusing them of a range of charges from rioting to
spying and plotting what authorities have called a "soft revolution"
to topple the country’s Islamic rulers.

The opposition led massive street protests and clashed with security
forces in the weeks following the disputed June 12 presidential
election. The opposition claimed fraud after election authorities
declared President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the winner of a second term
and their anger unleashed the most serious internal unrest in Iran
in the 30 years since the Islamic Revolution.

A Justice Department statement said the five sentenced to death were
members of "terrorist and armed opposition groups," state television
reported. The statement said the courts have sentenced a total of 89
defendants since the process began and 81 of them got prison terms
ranging from six months up to 15 years.

"So far, 89 of defendants were tried and based on their cases, death
sentences were issued for five of them," the statement said.

It said that 81 people sentenced to prison terms were charged with
a range of offenses from security violations, agitating against the
Islamic Republic, violating law and order, damaging public and private
property, and assaulting civilians and security forces, AP reported.

ARMENIA APPRECIATES EFFORTS FOR RAISING FOOD SECURITY: PRIME MINISTER

ARKA
November 18, 2009
Yerevan

YEREVAN, November 18, /ARKA/. Addressing a FAO Summit in Italy on
November 17 Armenian prime minister Tigran Sarkisian said it was
common knowledge that food production is at high risk all over the
world including Armenia. He added that the current financial and
economic crisis adds its negative impact on the issue of food demand,
especially in developing countries.

In his speech Tigran Sarkisian said being a full member of the
FAO since 1993, Armenia has been involved in the activities of the
Organization for about twenty years now. The past years of cooperation
were those of effective work leading to numerous achievements.

"We are stating with pride that our country’s example was cited
among four other success stories in the FAO’s "Ways of Success"
report as a good experience of setting tasks and addressing them
with perseverance. Indeed, this does not mean that all the problems
are solved, so we should work with renewed effort to build on these
achievements and continue with progress in the sphere of agriculture,"
he said.

He said Armenia highly appreciates the decision to hold the 36th
Session of FAO’s European Commission on Agriculture and the 27th
European Regional Conference of FAO in Yerevan from May 10-14, 2010.

"We hope that the decisions adopted in Yerevan will contribute to
the considerable improvement of the level of food security. We are
looking forward to seeing you again in Yerevan,’ he said.

After the proceedings of the forum, Armenian prime minister had an
interview with Food and Agriculture Organization Director-General Dr.

Jacques Diouf to discuss a bilateral cooperation-related agenda,
the government press office said.

It said Tigran Sarkisian expressed Armenia’s appreciation of the
ongoing RA-FAO collaboration and the programs implemented in Armenia.

. The head of government reiterated Armenia’s readiness to host the
36th Session of FAO’s European Commission on Agriculture and the 27th
European Regional Conference of FAO in Yerevan from May 10-14, 2010.

The Prime Minister underscored the need for making joint efforts toward
grain, corn, potato seed breeding, pisciculture, cattle stock recording
and registration, as well as introducing a system of agricultural
insurance in Armenia.

The FAO Director-General said the new cooperation priorities may
result in a more efficacious collaboration between the Republic of
Armenia and his organization.

During the day, the head of government was also scheduled to meet
with President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development
(IFAD) Kanayo Nwanze and UN World Food Program (WFP) Executive Director
Josette Sheeran. Later on November 17 the Prime Minister-led delegation
was back to Yerevan.

MAXIMUM TARIFFS FOR WHOLESALE INTERNET FIXED FOR DOMINATING PARTICIPANTS IN THE MARKET IN ARMENIA

ArmInfo
2009-11-18 14:59:00

ArmInfo. Public Services Regulatory Commission of Armenia (PSRC) has
fixed maximum tariffs for transit of the international IP-traffic
(wholesale Internet sales). The tariffs have been fixed for the
dominating participants in the market – ArmenTel CJSC (subsidiary of
the Russian VimpelCom) and Fibernet Communication LLC.

According to the investigation by PSRC, these companies held 53,9%
and 46,1% of the indicated market, respectively (based on the data
for the 1st half year, 2009). According to the decision, the companies
should leave 10% of their cables’ carrying capacity as a reserve. The
decision takes effect on January 1, 2010. The decision does not cover
the third supplier of external Internet in Armenia – GNC Alfa Company,
as this company is not registered as a dominating market player (the
company started its activity on October 15, 2009). The maximum tariff
per 1 MB/sec will be calculated by the formula 374 x E x 28820, where
E is the Armenian dram rate to US dollar, published by Central Bank
on the day 25 of the month preceding the reporting month, and 28820 –
is the operator’s margin (in drams). The figure 374 derived as 280,4
(the average traffic purchase price abroad) divided by 0,9 ( with
account of 90% of the potentially acting cable capacity) multiplied
by 1,2 (with account of 20% of VAT). So, the maximum tariff per 1
MB/sec, calculated at 384,68 AMD/$1, published by CB on October 26,
will make up 172,69 thousand drams, or about $450.

Currently, ArmenTel’s tariffs for wholesale Internet per 1MB/sec vary
from 431,4 thousand drams (during purchase of 1 MB) to 306 thousand
drams (during purchase of 77824 – 102400 MB), VAT inclusive. Fibernet
tariffs make up 251 thsd drams (during purchase of 1 – 100 MB/sec) and
231,6 thsd drams (during purchase of 101 -155 MB/sec), VAT exclusive.

DISCUSSIONS OF 2010 DRAFT STATE BUDGET START AT PLENARY SITTINGS OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Noyan Tapan
Nov 18, 2009

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 18, NOYAN TAPAN. Discussions of the 2010 draft
state budget of Armenia started at the November 18 sitting of the
RA National Assembly. The government has submitted the draft state
budget’s preliminary version which was discussed at the joint sittings
of the NA Standing Committees in the period of October 30 to November
6. The draft state budget envisages revenues of 676.7bn drams,
expenditures of 859.7bn drams, and a deficit of 183bn drams. The
draft was calculated based on the settlement exchange rate of 376
drams per dollar. 1.2% economic growth has been forecast.

Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said in his speech that some
amendments will be introduced into the draft budget to be submitted
for final approval. In particular, the negotiations with the Millennium
Challenge Program have been completed, as a result of which the budget
expenditures will increase by 24bn drams at the expense of financial
resources to be received. A positive answer also came from the EU:
Armenia will get additional financial assistance of 100 million
euros for ensuring macroeconomic stability in 2010. These sums will
be included in the state budget.

Besides, the expenditures of the submitted draft budget will grow by
about 18bn drams at the expense of VAT. The prime minister said this
will make the 2010 draft budget comparable with the 2009 budget. By
instructions of the Armenian president, the taxes/GDP ratio will be
considerably improved, thanks to which the revenues of the draft will
increase by nearly 17bn drams. As a result, the 2010 draft budget
(taking the indicated additional sums into account) will exceed the
2009 indices by about 50bn drams.

T. Sargsyan expressed an opinion that these additional sums are in
keeping with the proposals and comments made by NA deputies during the
preliminary discussions, which will enable to deal with some of the
issues raised by deputies. In particular, in 2010 the expenses of the
Ministry of Defence will exceed the actual expenses in 2009, and in
2010 more money will be allocated to Nagorno Karabakh than this year.

There will be an increase in capital investments in school building,
also in sums for compensation of deposits with the savings bank.

NKR MFA S ISSUES A STATEMENT

armradio.am
18.11.2009 18:09

"Azerbaijani MFA Press Secretary Elkhan Polukhov made regular
attempts to introduce negatively the Karabakh party, stating this
time about Armenians’ destruction of the Azerbaijani cemeteries,"
the NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

"We should note that unlike our neighbors, who are barbarously
destructing the Armenian monuments in the territories under their
control so far, the NKR authorities took under their own protection all
the Muslim monuments over the NKR territory, including the Azerbaijani
cemeteries, from the first days of the war imposed by Azerbaijan,
which could be witnessed by numerous international and Azerbaijani
delegations visiting Nagorno Karabakh.

As of the photo-materials allegedly testifying to the destruction of
the Azerbaijani cemeteries by Armenians, it is obvious that certain
destructions at the noted cemetery were caused by the military
activities during the war unleashed just by Azerbaijan. Polukhov
tries to gamble just on this.

Unfortunately, such fabrications and forgeries have been practiced by
the Azerbaijani propaganda machine since long ago. Everybody still
remember the attempts of the Heydar Aliyev Fund, which is under the
top patronage of the Aliyevs family, to introduce the pictures taken
in Kosovo as those of the Khojalu events.

Polukhov’s statements can be evaluated as a regular attempt to cast
a shade on the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and draw the international
community’s attention away from the vandalism organized systematically
by the Baku authorities, in particular, the destruction of the
primarily Armenian Narimanov cemetery in Baku on the pretext of
building a highway, or the recent destruction of khachkars (cross
stones) in Old Jugha in Nakhichevan where no military activities
took place.

To confirm the abovementioned, let’s give an extract from the recently
published international report on religious freedoms of the USA
Department of State’s Bureau on Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor:
"The hatred towards the ethic Armenians made the majority of them
to leave the country in the period between 1988 and 1990, and all
the Armenian churches, the majority of which were destroyed during
the ethnic-base mass riots (over ten years ago), are still closed,"
reads the statement of the NKR MFA.

ARMENIAN YOUTH CELEBRATES THE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ DAY

Aysor
Nov 17 2009
Armenia

Today marks the International Students’ Day since November 17 1946
when World Students Congress made a decision to commemorate the
anniversary of the 1939 Nazi storming of the University of Prague
after demonstrations against killing of the Polish student Jan Opletal.

Aysor’s correspondents undertook a survey to find out whether Armenian
students know about this holiday and why November 17 marks IS Day.

Only some interviewed students have heard some congratulatory a day
before related to the celebrations, others haven’t ever heard about
IS Day at all, and only a few knew historical facts and heard about
Jan Opletal.

History is as follows: during late 1939 the Nazi occupants of the
Czechoslovakia, in Prague, suppressed a demonstration held by students
of the Medical Faculty of the Charles University on October 28 to
commemorate the anniversary of the independence of the Czechoslovak
Republic.

The peaceful demonstration was dispersed left one student dead. Jan
Opletal’s funerals turned into a protest rally. Seeing this great
force of students Nazi arrested nearly 1200 students and executed
nine. After all, Adolf Hitler ordered to close all Czech universities
which reopened their doors to students only after war ended. The
17th of November was first marked as the International Students’
Day in 1941 in London by the International Students’ Council which
had many refugee members.

Meanwhile, today Armenia marks the anniversary of Armenian Alma Mater.

Yerevan State University celebrates today its 90th anniversary. Thus,
the International Students Day coincided with great YSU’s holiday.