Author: Andres-Papazian

DIALOGUE BETWEEN ORIENTAL ORTHODOX AND ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHES

ARMENPRESS
JANUARY 31, 2011
ETCHMADZIN

ETCHMIADZIN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS: The annual meeting of the Joint
Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church
and the Oriental Orthodox Churches was held January 25-29, 2011 in
Rome, Italy.

An official from the information services department of the Mother See
of Holy Etchmiadzin told Armenpress that two main topics – ‘Christian
Unity and the Correlations of the Churches before the 5th Century’
and ‘Role of Clergies in the Church were touched upon’ – were touched
upon during the meeting.

His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Parsamian, Primate of the Eastern
Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America; and His Eminence
Archbishop Yeznik Petrosian of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin;
represented the Armenian Church at the meeting. The Armenian,
Coptic, Syrian, Ethiopian and Eritrean Churches represented the
Oriental Orthodox Churches; Vatican and Syrian Coptic, Armenian,
Marionite, Ethiopian Assyrian Malabar, Assyrian Malankara Catholic
Churches represented the Roman Catholic Church. With the blessing
of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians, His Eminence Archbishop Oshakan Choloyan and His Eminence
Archbishop Narek Alemezian represented the Catholicosate of the Great
House of Cilicia during the meeting.

From: A. Papazian

RA PRESIDENT ATTENDS ‘TALENTS OF ARMENIA 2010’ EVENING

ARMENPRESS
JANUARY 31, 2011
YEREVAN

RA President Serzh Sargsyan attended the ‘Talents of Armenia 2010’
evening, which was held today at Komitas Chamber Music Hall.

The Presidential press service told Armenpress that the children and
juniors, who achieved success last year in famous youth republican
and international music contests, performed with a concert program
at the evening.

From: A. Papazian

FRUITS OF FACELESS DIPLOMACY

28.01.2011

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe decided to
remake the council for Karabakh issue, and the council’s president
is spanish MP,member of “Alians of European democrats and liberals”
group Geordi Khulga i Costa. With the mediation of turkish president
of The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Mevlut
Chavoushoghlu, it’s been a year that they have been discussing
reopening the subcouncil of Karabakh issue.

During that time all the questiones raised by the armenian delegation
were ignored, and it’s obvious that Chavoushoghlu uses his position to
create a commitee which did not work till now without basic purposes.

And if the reasons do not vanish. then creation of such commitee will
affect the negotiation process. The armenian delegation comments on
the unexpedience of that kind of commitee.

“The EU’s attitude to this question was, if we must create a certain
commitee then the work process of that commitee must not cross with
and contradict the standarts of Minsk group”, represntative of ARF
Armen Rustamyan told us by phone from Strasburg. According to him,
the EU has accepted that the only mandate for regulation of Karabakh
issue is Minsk group, so instead of disturbing, we must promote the
work process of regulation.

“If there is a narrow line wher the EU can work, then it has to
be upon mildning the enmity atmosphere that exists in both sides”,
said Armen Rustamyan.

He believes that EU is involved in spteading documents where mutual
insult, enmity and all kind of false and forged news and declarations
exist, and Chavoushoghlu as a turkish offisial has a personal interest
in solving the problem his way.

” Chavoushoghlu has a year to work and will do anything with his
mediation to get acceptance of the announcments and resolutions
and will do it through the special commitee, that is the special
commitee will be means to accept needed announcments and resolutions
for turkish-azeri tandem”, said Rustamyan.

Armenian delegation will make a decision whether to participate in
the special commitee’s work after returning to Armenia, but Armen
Rustamyan told us that it is obvious what the armenian side has to say,
the commitee can not work crossing with work process of Minsk group.

Armenian delegation wrote a letter to the members of EU stating that
turning off an Element is unacceptable, the cochairs have announced
about that.

Armen Rustamyan told us that Armenia can not take Karabakh’s place
in the questions concerning straight to Karabakh, and any discussion
or resolution from Minsk group is unacceptable.

From: A. Papazian

KARAPETYAN WILL TAKE MEASURES

11:50 – 31.01.2011

>From 28th of February the president of ‘People’s Party of Armenia’
Tigran Karapetyan is going to take measures. But meanwhile, they will
present a written ultimatum to the authorities to hold out-of-turn
elections. Tigran Karapetyan announced at the press conferance today.

He added that despite “Armenian National Congress”, who demand for the
president’s resignation, parliamentary elections are more important
for them.

Tigran Karapetyan is sure that, “If we will be able to inform the
public, then our followers will be not only Armenia, but also the
diaspora”.

Tigran Karapetyan also said that after the last mass meeting
1200 people became members of the ‘People’s Party of Armenia’,
but Karapetyan is sure that whole Armenia is his sympathisers as
‘people’s patience is up’.

From: A. Papazian

PHILIP MORRIS GOING TO EXPAND ACTIVITY IN ARMENIAN CIGARETTE MARKET
Hripsime Hayrapetyan

PanARMENIAN.Net
January 31, 2011

In 2010, Armenian government took some measures to regulate the
cigarette market and determine approaches to local manufacturers and
importers. Regional manager of Armenian representation of Philip Morris
Management Services B. V., the major cigarette importer in Armenia,
Mr. Sargis Tsaghikyan commented on the company’s future plans in an
interview with PanARMENIAN.Net.

What performance indicators did the Company have by the end of 2010?

Does it manage to get the pre-crisis level of sales?

According Philip Morris Management Services B. V. Representative
Office (PMA) is an affiliate of Philip Morris International Inc
(PMI)3. With having strong and balanced brand portfolio in Armenia,
presented in most price segments and consumer preference categories,
we have responded to adult consumer needs. Our distribution partners
provided high level of service to our customers. We are pleased with
our business performance and will continue to work to grow our market
share in Armenia.

How do you estimate the tobacco market in Armenia? What is the share
of Philip Morris International in the Armenian market?

Armenia is a highly competitive and a very dynamic market. According
to AC Nielsen September â~@~P October 2010 retail audit, PMI brands’
share of market in Yerevan is 19.5%, the largest among international
tobacco manufacturers.

How many brands of PMI cigarettes are imported to Armenia? Are there
any plans to increase the given stock/volume? Which products of the
Company enjoy popularity in Armenia?

Currently PMI portfolio in Armenian market consists of 9 brand
families: Marlboro, Parliament, Virginia Slims, Muratti Ambassador,
Assos Slims, Chesterfield, L&M, Bond Street and Red&White. L&M brand
family is being the most sold among PMI brand portfolio.

Is the Armenian regulatory environment favorable for the tobacco
market? How do the recent amendments to the RA Law On Excise Tax affect
stiffening competition among the local and international manufacturers?

Armenia has a well-established legislative framework to regulate
tobacco products and we are keen to work with state authorities
and public health officials to agree on rules and regulations for
the industry. It is important that regulation is comprehensive,
evidenceâ~@~Pbased, is applied to all tobacco products and all tobacco
manufacturers and that adequate enforcement is in place. Such tobacco
regulation can help achieve government’s public health objectives.

Philip Morris Management Services B.V. Representative office in Armenia
welcomes recent tax changes, provided that they are implemented in due
course without any further delays, and welcomes Armenian government
initiatives to amend Tobacco Products Taxation to bring it in line
with WTO and FTA requirements.

Does the Company consider the possibility of establishing a raw
material base of its own in Armenia and manufacturing tobacco in the
Armenian market?

Currently there is no such intention. We do not discuss our future
plans to that end.

Nowadays more and more people are giving up smoking all over the world,
and is this fact has been noticed by Philip Morris proceeding from its
production volumes? In this regard what campaigns and programs have
been conducted and implemented by the Company in Armenia, including
smoking preventive measures?

PMI is the leading international tobacco company, with products sold
in approximately 160 countries. In 2009, we held an estimated 15.4
percent share of the international cigarette market outside of the
U.S., or 26.0% excluding the People’s Republic of China and the U.S.

There is no data on 2010 yet. For more information, see

On October 21, 2010 the President of Armenia signed amendments to the
Law on Excise Tax and the Law on Presumptive Tax for Tobacco Products
which provide for annual gradual reduction of tax rate differences
for imported and locally produced tobacco products as of 01.01.2011
and for full unbundling of presumptive tax for tobacco products as
of 01.01.2014 thus establishing equal treatment for both locally
produced and imported cigarettes.

Cigarette smoking is addictive and causes serious diseases in smokers;
we recognize that there is no such thing as a safe cigarette and
support strong and effective tobacco regulation. We agree with public
health authorities that cessation should be an integral focus of a
comprehensive tobacco policy. We do not target non-smokers or underage,
and our marketing activities are directed to adult smokers in order
to encourage them to choose our brands instead of competitor’s brands.

We believe that tobacco manufacturers can and should take action
to prevent youth smoking. Tobacco company actions can range from
supporting effective regulation to implementing their own youth
smoking prevention programs. Since 1999 Philip Morris Management
Services B.V. Representative office in Armenia has been implementing
youth smoking prevention programs informing trade about legislative
prohibition to sell cigarettes to minors and liability in case of
law infringement. In 2010 the program covered 2,500 trade outlets.

Tell about the plans the Company has for 2011…

We are confident that as a Company we have a strong potential and
we’ll continue to work to grow our market share in Armenia through
further development in our brand portfolio, distribution system,
investments in brand building and development of our employees.

From: A. Papazian

AVERAGE AGE OF WOMEN AND MEN AT MARRIAGE RISES BY 3 AND 7 YEARS IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
January 31, 2011 – 16:26 AMT 12:26 GMT

The average age of women and men at marriage has risen by 3 and 7 years
in Armenia to reach 25 and 29 respectively, the head of Sociometer
center for sociological studies stated.

As Aharon Adibekyan told a news conference in Yerevan, “many couples
delay childbirth at the initial stage of marriage. Later on, however,
they face serious fertility problems.”

The expert stressed the low birth-rate in Armenia, similarly to
Georgia, Ukraine Europe and Latin American countries.

In 2010, male and female birth rates in Armenia comprised 23,8 and
20,9 thousand respectively, increasing by 1% against 2009 index.

18 thousand marriages and 3 thousand divorces were reported in 2010.

From: A. Papazian

PRESIDENT OF KARABAKH DISCUSSED THE ISSUE OF BUILDING THE DISTRICT “ARTSAKH” IN STEPANAKERT

/ARKA/
January 31
STEPANAKERT

On Monday, President of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) Bako Sahakyan
conducted a working meeting for the discussion of the issue of building
houses and infrastructure in the district “Artsakh” and reconstruction
of memorial monument “Stepanakert”.

Sahakyan emphasized the importance of qualified and timely
implementation of construction works and gave relevant assignments
to the heads of interested companies.

Spokesman of National Assembly of NKR Ashot Ghulyan, Prime Minister
of NKR Ara Harutyunyan and other officials participated in the meeting.

From: A. Papazian

LATEST HUMILIATION
NAIRA HAYRUMYAN

Lragir.am
31 Jan 2011

If you want to see how people can be humiliated, go to post offices
where law-abiding citizens take cash for winning cash receipts.

The long queue of pensioners and bad-dressed people does not move.

People stand there for hours to get 2000 or even 500 drams for their
“winning” checks. According to the rules that the government set if a
cash register receipt has 2 coinciding digits, then you can get 500
drams, 3 figures – 2000 and so on. Almost no one has a coincidence
of more than 3 digits. And so pensioners stand in queues for their
2 thousand drams.

Besides Ararat Bank, the other banks seem to have refused to exchange
cash receipts with money. Post office workers are constrained to file
in numerous blanks, take copies of passports, checking each number
and the queue grows.

People are standing calmly because for many of them 2000 dram is the
10 percent of their pension. They collect each cash receipt hoping
to win something.

Many say they have never been so much humiliated before. “I am 75
years old, I have taught in school whole my life but I get a pension
of 28 thousand drams”, said one of the elderly people in the queue.

Those who enter post offices to pay for utilities, skip the queue.

“They pay to the state, and we “take”, and therefore we have to
stand in line”, says an elderly man with a smile, a former driver,
who was waiting for receipt of 2500 drams- 2 checks won.

Many houses have a vase, in which received checks are thrown. Then
they check whether they have won, and then, with a sense of trampled
dignity they go to get what state should pay.

Queues at the post office for the 500 drams are the final touch to
the picture of the humiliated Armenia.

From: A. Papazian

NATIONAL MINORITIES SEND LETTER TO UN AGAINST AZERBAIJAN

Aysor.am
Monday,January 31

The Coordinating Council of Authorized Representatives of Refugees,
Political, Religious and National Groups – Refugees from Azerbaijan
today is sending a complaint letter to the UN Security Council
demanding to intervene in Baku’s increasing persecutions against
national and religious minorities, Eduard Polatov, Secretary of
the Coordinating Council of Authorized Representatives of Refugees,
Political, Religious and National Groups – Refugees from Azerbaijan
told a news conference in Yerevan.

In his words, recently, Baku has increased pressures against political,
religious and national groups.

“Baku’s regime keeps seeding racial hatred, exerting efforts to
create even more hostile image of Armenians,” he said adding that
Azerbaijani-Armenians and other Armenian-based national minorities
are concerned over the increase of Azerbaijan’s military budget.

The letter calls on to reveal the falsehood of Azerbaijan – aggressor
and real occupant.

From: A. Papazian

T. KARAPETYAN: “NATIONAL FORUM” TO BE HELD ON 15 FEBRUARY

Aysor.am
Monday,January 31

Today at the meeting with the journalists the head of the “People’s
Party” Tigran Karapetyan announced that on February 15will be held a
“national forum”.

“It is not a convention but a forum,” the head of the party stressed.

Tigran Karpetyanmentioned that at this forum will be decided the right
sequence of the “right actions”. He also stressed that the sequence
of the right actions also includes the handing over of the written
ultimatum to the president of the country.

“We will decide right actions which includes also a written ultimatum
to the president of the country,” Tigran Karapetyan said.

According to him the ultimatum will also contain a demand for early
election.

“The ultimatum will not contain points and conditions but a demand
for early elections,” Tigran Karapetyan noted.

The head of the People’s party mentioned that in contrast to ANC
they demand to pass parliamentary and then only early presidential
elections.

Tigran Karapetyan announced that on February 28 the People’s Party
is planning to hold a meeting, “which will be followed with usual
political actions.”

From: A. Papazian