Author: Albert Nalbandian

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has issued a message on the International Day of Families:

The theme of this year’s International Day of Families – “Men in Charge?” – highlights the importance of gender equality and children’s rights in contemporary families.

Around the world, more women are becoming recognized as the equal partners and decision-makers in families that they should be, thus helping to ensure a conducive environment for the full and harmonious development of children.

Yet in too many countries, discrimination against women and disregard for children’s rights remain built into family laws and Government policies, and prevailing social norms often condone and justify many discriminatory practices.

The social and economic costs are felt by all.  Discrimination and neglect often lead to violence, threatening women’s and children’s health and limiting their chances to complete education and fulfil their potential.  The cycle tends to continue into the next generation, as children experiencing violence are more likely to resort to violence in their adult lives.

Equitable social and economic development depends on fair legal frameworks and social norms that support the rights of women and children.  Discriminatory laws and practices that do not give equal rights to all, and that suppress women’s and children’s rights, have no place in contemporary families, communities, societies and nations.

On this International Day, let us resolve to change legal and social norms that support male control over women, reinforce discrimination and prevent the elimination of violence against vulnerable family members.  As we shape a new sustainable development agenda and strive for a world of dignity for all, let us stand united for women’s and children’s rights in families and societies at large.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called for enhanced economic and political relations between Iran and Armenia, saying that stronger bilateral ties would benefit both nations, according to the President’s official website.

news.am, Armenia
April 24 2010

RA Parliament Speaker addresses message

16:12 / 04/24/2010Speaker of the RA Parliament Hovik Abrahamyan
addressed a message on the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
which particularly reads: `The greater part of a creative people was
destroyed, deported and bereft of its Homeland, their only guilt being
Armenians. That was a crime not only against the Armenian people, but
also against all humanity.’

The Armenian Genocide is not to be discussed `though some would like
to play this card.’ No document can call the fact of the Armenian
Genocide in the Ottoman Empire into question. No process must be
viewed as refusal to get the Genocide recognized. Steps forward must
not be made at the expense of historical facts, says the message.

`No one can nor has any right to forget the non-healing wound, the
Genocide, as restoring historical justice is interwoven with the
feelings of our souls. At the same time, it must give us strength to
find a future that would not impede Armenia’s progress, enhance our
role in international and regional processes,’ says the message.

T.P.

Christian Science Monitor
March 12 2010

Turkey cancels summit with Sweden over Armenian genocide resolution

A week after a US congressional committee passed an Armenian genocide
resolution, Sweden has followed suit. Swedish trade with Turkey has
increased significantly in recent years.

By Scott Peterson Staff writer / March 12, 2010

Anger over events of nearly a century ago has prompted Turkey to
cancel a top-level summit in Sweden next week, in the aftermath of a
decision by the Swedish Parliament to declare the mass deaths of
Armenians at the hands of Ottoman Turks in 1915 a genocide.

`We strongly condemn this resolution, which is made for political
calculations,’ said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who canceled
his visit to Stockholm next Wednesday for a Sweden-Turkey summit. `It
does not correspond to the close friendship of our two nations.’

`Those who think that historical facts and Turkey’s views of its own
past will change with the decisions made on the basis of political
interests of foreign parliaments are seriously deluded,’ he said.

US, Swedish resolutions passed by one vote
Turkey recalled its ambassador from Stockholm on Thursday, just a week
after recalling its envoy from Washington for consultations after the
US House Foreign Affairs Committee passed a similar non-binding
resolution.

Turkey disputes the term genocide for the deaths of up to 1.5 million
Christian Armenians, and says both Armenians and Turks died during
World War I fighting as the Ottoman Empire began to collapse.

The resolutions in both Sweden and the US congressional committee
passed by just one vote, with some politicians strongly criticizing
the move.

`Historical events should not be judged at the political level,’ said
Sweden’s Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, whose coalition government
opposed the genocide vote.

`The decision will not help the debate in Turkey, which has become
increasingly open and tolerant as Turkey has developed closer
relations with the European Union and made the democratic reforms
these entail,’ said Mr. Bildt, according to a Swedish government
website.

Swedish trade with Turkey, while modest, has increased significantly
over the past few years. According to the most recent data available
from the Swedish Trade Council, exports to Turkey increased 20 percent
from 2008 to 2009. Imports declined since 2008, but have stayed fairly
steady over the past few years.

‘Drastic effects’ on bilateral relations
Turkey and Armenia have taken steps to normalize relations in the past
year, and with fanfare presided over what was meant to be an opening
of the border. In mutual trust-building measures, top officials from
each side have also attended soccer matches in each others’ countries.

But the deal has not yet been approved by either government, and each
side has accused the other of revising the terms. After the genocide
vote in Washington, Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said
normalization efforts would be brought to a `standstill."

Turkey’s ambassador to Sweden, Zergun Koruturk, told a Swedish
television channel that the vote would have `drastic effects’ on
bilateral relations, according to Reuters.

`I am very disappointed. Unfortunately, parliamentarians were thinking
that they were rather historians than parliamentarians.’

/Global-News/2010/0312/Turkey-cancels-summit-with- Sweden-over-Armenian-genocide-resolution

The Economist: If the deal collapses, US Congress would pass Armenian
Genocide resolution

19.02.2010 14:37

Yerevan (Yerkir) – After Armenia-Turkey protocols were signed in
Zurich `it looked like a clear achievement for its policy of `zero
problems’ with its neighbors,’ an article in The Economist magazine
says.

It says that just a day after the deal was signed, `Turkey’s Premier
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that it could not be implemented until
Armenia withdrew from Nagorno-Karabakh, which it has occupied since
the war.’

Commenting on the Armenian Court ruling that the Protocols are
constitutional, the Economist mentions that `Turkey is throwing a
fresh tantrum.’

`Turkey looks isolated. America, its most important ally (and the
deal’s biggest backer), has taken Armenia’s side. Russia argues that
Turkish-Armenian relations should not be linked to Nagorno-Karabakh, a
view shared in Washington,’ the article reads.

`If the deal collapses, the way would be left open for Congress to
pass a resolution recognizing the 1915 killings as genocide, something
it has long threatened. This in turn could trigger anti-American
feelings in Turkey strong enough to leave Ankara feeling that it has
no choice but to retaliate. One option would be to kick the Americans
out from the strategically located Incirlik airbase,’ the author
concludes.

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER INVITES CE SECRETARY GENERAL TO VISIT YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.12.2009 17:57 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Foreign Minister, Edward Nalbandian
met Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjorn Jagland
in Athens.

The parties discussed normalization of Armenia-Turkey ties, with
Thorbjorn Jagland expressing approval for efforts towards strengthening
relations between CE member states. Armenian Foreign Minister invited
CE Secretary General to visit Yerevan, RA MFA press service reported.

ARMENIAN FINANCE MINISTER SAYS AT PRESENT THE ARMENIAN ECONOMY IS MANAGEABLE AND PREDICTABLE

ARMENPRESS
SEPTEMBER 28, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS: 2009 was a difficult year and
the economy totally suffered the impact of the crisis. The Armenian
government has worked and continues to work in the crisis conditions
which had a notable impact on the policy of the government as well as
on the budget drafting. During today’s extraordinary session of the
Government on the discussion of the draft state budget 2010 Armenian
Finance Minister Tigran Davtian informed that the Budget 2010 has been
formed based on the already recorded economic indexes and predictions
for the end of the year and the next year.

According to T. Davtian the registered 18.5% GDP fall is intended to be
reached to 15% by the end of the year. The Minister said that certain
tendencies of stabilization of the economy were noted yet in August,
which are intended to be continued and made more vivid at the end of
the year.

According to the predictions at the end of 2009 the GDP will reach
nearly 3 trillion 116 billion drams for nearly 15% less over the same
index in 2008. The volumes of taxes have notably decreased; at the
end of the year they will reach 510-530 billon drams instead of the
intended 727 billion. Reduction of nearly 200 billion taxes has its
negative impact. To cover the gap between the planned expenditures
and budget revenues the Government undertakes steps to boost the
economy. The Minister assured that the intended expenditures were on
the whole implemented.

The budget expenditures intended for the running year will reach
900-910 billion drams instead of the planned 945 billion. They will
mainly be implemented through the budget revenues and credit means
involved from the international institutions.

The Minister explains suspension of certain expenditures during
this year with the intention to make the budget procedures more
controllable, with which an intention is also made to balance the
reduction of volumes of taxation. Those expenditur t have a significant
impact on the economy.

T. Davtian said that according to the predictions the budget deficit at
the end of this year will reach 7%. He reminded that the legislative
body has passed a law increasing the upper bar of the budget deficit
to 7.5%. The Minister assured that everything is done to preserve
the deficit on the intended level.

"2009 is a rather tensed year; we have serious tasks to draw the
economy out of this situation. In this condition the Government
carries an expansion policy, which was on the whole successful. At
present the economy of Armenia is controllable and predictable. The
crisis has not ended yet but the tendencies of stabilization of the
economic fall are obvious," the Minister said.

YEREVAN INTERNATIONAL MUSICAL FESTIVAL TO BE HELD AT FALL

Panorama.am
13:41 31/08/2009

Yerevan international musical festival will be held in Yerevan,
11-23 September. 12 concerts are scheduled to be conducted in Aram
Khachatryan hall in the framework of the festival held the third times,
Culture Ministry reports.

Solo performers invited to participate in the festival are Kim
Qashqashyan (alt, USA), Wolfgang Mayer (Clarinet, Germany), Anahit
Chaushyan (piano, UK), Ilia Gringolts (violin, Russia), Juzzepe
Jakomini (tenor, Italy), Karine Babajanyan (soprano, Germany),
Daishin Kashimoto (violin, Japan), etc.

The conductor of Yerevan international musical festival is Edward
Topchyan, violoncello Alexander Chaushyan from Great Britain.

It’s worth reminding that the festival is supported by the Ministry
of Culture under the patronage of Armenian First Lady.

CHAIRMAN OF CONVERSEBANK BOARD OF DIRECTORS ARARAT GHUKASYAN RESIGNS

ARKA
Aug 4, 2009

YEREVAN, August 4. /ARKA/. Chairman of Board of Directors and Executive
Director of Conversebank closed joint stock company Ararat Ghukasyan
resigned.

The Press Service of Conversebank cjsc confirmed this information. No
official reasons have been reported for the resignation.

Deputy Executive Director and Head of Financial Markets Department
of the bank Tigran Davtyan is currently the acting Executive Director
of the bank.

"Conversebank" Closed Joint Stock Company was registered on December
20 1993. Since February 2007 Argentinean businessman of Armenian
origin Eduardo Ernekian has been holding 95% of the bank’s shares.

Armenian Apostolic Church owns the remaining 5%.

Conversebank has 25 branches, including ten branches in Yerevan.

EXPLOSIVES EN ROUTE TO HIZBULLAH CAUSED DEADLY IRAN PLANE CRASH
by Yehudah Lev Kay

IsraelNN.com
m/News/News.aspx/132682
Aug 2 2009
Israel

(IsraelNN.com) Explosives en route to the Hizbullah terrorist group
caused a Russian-made plane to crash in Iran two weeks ago, claiming
the lives of 168 people, according to a report in the Italian paper
Corriere Della Sera on Saturday.

The report quoted Middle East sources who said the plane, which took
off from Tehran and was headed for Armenia, was carrying in its luggage
compartment several metal cases with two kilograms of explosives and
detonators destined for the Lebanese terrorist group. The shipment
was meant to have continued by land from Armenia to Turkey, then to
Syria, and finally to Lebanon.

Only 16 minutes after takeoff, the pilot of the Tupolev jet reported
an emergency. Shortly afterwards, the plane crashed near the city of
Qazvin. Eyewitnesses reported hearing explosions in the plane before
it crashed into the ground.

The Italian paper also said that a member of the elite Iranian
Revolutionary Guards was on board the plane to monitor the delivery
of the goods to Hizbullah and that Iranian security forces arrived
at the plane crash site. Iranian authorities have said that they
recovered the plane’s three black boxes but have not yet offered an
explanation for the fatal crash.

The report also said that the explosives were meant to be concealed in
southern Lebanon, but after an explosion in a Hizbullah weapons depot
only a few days before the flight, the terrorist group decided they
would be safer north of the Litani river. Tensions rose in southern
Lebanon between Hizbullah and UNIFIL forces following the July 14th
blast which reportedly destroyed a Hizbullah weapons cache, including
numerous Katushya rockets.