Author: Andres-Papazian

PM SEEKING MONEY ABROAD FOR BUDGET

04:30 pm | September 29, 2011

Starting in 2012, pensions and subsidies will go up and civil servants
will receive social security. This is what RA Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan announced during today’s government session. He informed
that the draft budget had been discussed with Armenia’s main donors,
that is, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, and
that Armenia expects additional assistance from them. Sargsyan said
Armenia also expects to receive support from the European Union to
reduce the risks of the 2012 budget’s executive.

“If Armenia manages to do that, it will receive twice as much funding,”
Prime Minister Sargsyan said and mentioned that additional funding
will give Armenia the chance to increase social expenditures.

“Based on the scenario introduced in the state budget, Armenia will
receive additional funding from the International Monetary Fund,
the World Bank and the European Union, but only under the condition
that it completes the programs,” the prime minister said.

Tigran Sargsyan also informed that for the first time, the Republic
of Armenia will change salaries. “Civil servants will be provided
with social security in 2012,” the prime minister said.

Tigran Sargsyan also warned government officials that the global
economy would be more at risk in 2012.

“This means that the global economy is not in a good state and the
risks may be seen in 2012. It means that in 2012, the government
should place emphasis on identifying its reserves and resources. All
heads of departments must be guided by this principle,” the prime
minister announced.

From: A. Papazian

EDWARD ANTINYAN: ROBERT KOCHARYAN IS NOT GOING TO RUN FOR PRESIDENCY

arminfo
Thursday, September 29, 18:34

If the acting President Serzh Sargsyan and the ex president Robert
Kocharyan fail to come to terms, the presidency will go to a third
person, but this is hardly possible, the former leader of the Ramkavar
Azatakan Armenia party Edward Antinyan said during a press-conference
on Thursday.

“If Kocharyan happens to express wish to come back, he will have to
produce some strong arguments as he was not going to do it before,”
Antinyan said.

He said that the situations in Armenia and Russia are not the same.

“In Russia everybody knows that Putin is a prime minister with
presidential powers, which is not the case with Armenia, where
Kocharyan has never sought the post of prime minister,” Antinyan said.

From: A. Papazian

FALSE ELITE IN ARMENIA IS IN PANIC

arminfo
Thursday, September 29, 18:38

The Putin-Medvedev reshuffle has sent into a spin the false Armenian
elite, one of the most active members of the Karabakh committee Ashot
Manucharyan said during a press-conference on Thursday.

“Their major concern now is who will be Russia’s servant in Armenia
now and what kind of personality Putin will be as the second-time
president,” Manucharyan said.

From: A. Papazian

AGAIN ABOUT LEVON TER-PETROSYAN

yerkir.am
16:10 – 29.09.2011

Former US ambassador to Armenia John Evan turned to the announcement
made by Germany’s ambassador to Armenia Hans Yohen Schmidt, when he
announced that the situation Armenia is in today is inherited by the
first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan.

“I would not oppose German ambassador’s announcement”, said Evans.

He also said that the there are many reports on the presidential
elections of 1994-1996 that are made by international observers.

From: A. Papazian

FRENCH INVESTMENTS IN ARMENIA’S ECONOMY REACH $685 MILLION

ARKA
Sep 29, 2011

YEREVAN, September 29. /ARKA/. French investments in Armenia’s
economy reached $685 million in July 2011, Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan said Thursday during a breakfast with Armenian and French
entrepreneurs, the president’s press office reports.

He said that Armenia attaches importance to trade and economic
relations with France, which is the second largest investor in
Armenia’s economy.

The head of state said that 155 Armenian-French joint ventures operate
in telecommunication, drink-producing, banking, pharmaceutical,
healthcare, tourism, agricultural and light industry sectors in
Armenia.

He singled out some of them – Credit Agricole Bank, Orange,
Pernod Ricard, Alcatel and Grand Thornton Amyot – saying they set
a classical example of successful investments. Sargsyan said that
necessary legislative groundwork is already laid for development of
these relations.

Sargsyan said that despite particular achievements, Armenia and
France still have plenty to do to use capacity for cooperation to
its full extent.

He voiced regret at the fact that France is not among Armenia’s top
ten trade and economic partners. He finds it inadmissible, given the
present level of cooperation between the two countries.

From: A. Papazian

TURKEY MAY END RUSSIA GAS CONTRACT UNLESS IT SEES PRICE CUT

epress.am
09.29.2011 18:08

Turkey may terminate a contract to buy 6 billion cubic metres of
natural gas from Russia’s Gazprom unless it obtains a sufficient
price reduction, Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said on Thursday,
Reuters reports.

Turkey has take-or-pay contracts to buy up to 30 billion cubic metres
of gas annually from Russia but has been buying less. Gazprom says
it sold 18 bcm to Turkey last year.

This year, Turkish officials expect to take delivery of more than
the 75 percent of the contracted amount to avoid take-or-pay penalties.

One way to bring down that required amount is to cut contracts.

“There is a 6 bcm contract on the West pipeline that’s about to end.

We will terminate the contract if we don’t see a sufficient price
reduction,” Yildiz said.

He said Turkey was reevaluating contracts to make savings after seeing
a 39 percent increase in natural gas prices in the past 29 months.

It has pressed Russia for discounts, but the two sides failed to
reach an agreement in March when the subject came up during talks
in Moscow between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

The export arm of Russian gas producer Gazprom said on Thursday it
was in talks with Botas, Turkish pipeline operator and gas importer,
on supply contracts and that the Turkish Energy Ministry was not
involved in negotiations.

“Gazprom Export has not received any information from its Turkish
partner, Botas, on its position over prolonging the contract,”
Gazprom said in emailed comments.

From: A. Papazian

SUICIDES INCREASED, WE ALL HAVE OUR SHARE OF GUILT

Sep 28, 2011

There has been a dramatic increase in the number of suicides in
Armenia.

“We all have our share of guilt, and our greatest sin is indifference”
spiritual pastor of Arabkir district, priest Babken Hayrapetyan told
a news conference on Wednesday.

“Not only the man who kills himself, but also his family, relatives
and friends are to blame for the crime,” he said.

To prevent further suicides, the priest suggests that a person should
receive spiritual education from an early age.

Babken Hayrapetyan notes that by law spiritual fathers have no access
to school though churches organize spiritual classes for children.

“God grant that spiritual values are taught at school,” the priest
said in conclusion.

From: A. Papazian

EXPERTS OF FRENCH WINE ACADEMY TO CONSULT ARMENIAN PEERS

ARKA
Sep 28, 2011

YEREVAN, September 28. / ARKA /. Experts of the French Wine Academy
from Rhone-Alpes region, known for its viticulture, will advise
Armenian winemakers, Emin Yeritsian, the chairman of the Union of
Legal Entities ‘Association of Communities of Armenia’, told a news
conference at Novosti International Press Center.

He said French experts will arrive in Armenia to participate in Wine
Festival held annually in the Armenian village of Areni in southern
province of Vayots Dzor. They will be shown local production and then
are expected to develop and offer their proposals for promotion of
the festival.

He also said a six-year contract was signed with the French Wine
Academy whose experts will show support for Armenian wine makers. This
year the Wine Festival in Areni will be held October 8.

From: A. Papazian

U.S. BROADCASTER DAVID BARSAMIAN REFUSED ENTRY TO INDIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 28, 2011 – 16:10 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – David Barsamian is an Armenian-American radio
broadcaster, writer, and the founder and director of Alternative
Radio – the Boulder, Colorado-based syndicated weekly talk program
heard on some 125 radio stations in various countries.

He was deported on arrival from the Indira Gandhi International Airport
on September 23/24, i.e he was denied entry into India and was put
on a return flight to the U.S. The authorities said the action was
taken because he had been misusing his tourist visa. Mr Barsamian is a
regular visitor to India, speaks fluent Hindustani, and has also been
learning music from Delhi-based sitar maestro Pandit Debu Chaudhuri.

Mr Barsamian has done several radio programs criticizing India’s
position on Kashmir and has commented on the Maoist movement in central
India. He is also a fierce critic of U.S. foreign policy and is best
known for his series of interviews with Noam Chomsky, which have been
published in book form and translated into many languages.

According to Khurram Parvez, coordinator of Association of Parents
of Disappeared Persons (APDP), Mr Barsamian was scheduled to travel
to Srinagar this week to report on over 2000 unmarked graves found
in north Kashmir recently, Pacific Free Press reported.

From: A. Papazian

RELIGIOUS AUTHORITIES DISCUSS CHALLENGES FOR ARMENIAN CHURCH

Tert.am
15:33 28.09.11

The Holy See of St Echmiadzin hosted yesterday a meeting of diocesan
prelates from Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh).

The discussion, chaired by Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II,
focused on challenges of the present-day church. Administrative
and disciplinary issues were also addressed at the meeting. The
participants particularly focused on the pastoral services, stressing
the importance of establishing closer ties between priests and
communities or families.

Expressing concerns over sectarian organizations’ devastating impact
on the society, they also emphasized the importance of carrying out
active work with the families and individuals who suffered as a result
of their activities.

From: A. Papazian