Author: Andres-Papazian

ARMENIA, UAE INTERESTED IN THE REINFORCEMENT OF BILATERAL TIES

armradio.am
03.11.2010 18:45

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian received Sheikha Lubna
Al Qasimi, the Minister for Foreign Trade of the United Arab Emirates.

Greeting the guest, Minister Nalbandian noted that Armenia attaches
importance to the further deepening of multifaceted cooperation with
UAE and voiced hope that the periodic visits of the Minister for
Foreign Trade to Armenia and today~Rs Armenia-UAE business forum will
give new impetus to the development of cooperation and expansion of
the investment field.

Edward Nalbandian stressed that the opening of the Embassy of the
United Arab Emirates in Armenia would contribute to the reinforcement
of bilateral ties.

Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi said the UAE businessmen participating in the
forum are interested in establishing ties with their Armenian partners.

From: A. Papazian

PREGNANT THOUGHT: ARMENIAN LAWMAKERS INTEND TO CHANGE MATERNITY POLICY
By Sara Khojoyan

ArmeniaNow
03.11.10 | 16:34

Social

An open letter, expressing more than ten NGO’s discontent over the
draft law on ‘Temporary Unemployment Benefit’ has been submitted
to the RA president last week by organizations dissatisfied with the
proposed law’s shortening of maternity leave.

Currently new mothers are allowed 140 calendar days for which the state
gives them allowances. The new law envisions only 100 days, cutting
out the non-working days that are presumed in the 140 days now covered.

The amount of compensation she would receive would also change. A
ceiling on compensation would be set at 150,000 drams (about $420)
a month, even if the mother’s salary exceeded that amount.

Armen Hayrumyan, Head of Armenian Center for Youth and Student
International Relations and Exchange (ACE) NGO, the initiator of the
open letter to the President of Armenia, told ArmeniaNow the new law
violates not only all pregnant women’s rights, but also the rights
of those get a high salary.

“Women who get high salaries, pay a considerable amount of money
to the social welfare fund for this very purpose. And during their
whole life they may have only one, or two-three children, and their
money won’t be returned in this case,” Hayrumyan says.

One of the arguments of the initiators of the draft law and specialists
is that by the new law they will try to fight against the illegality
committed by employers who hire women during the last months of their
pregnancy, for them to get maternity allowances at the expense of
the state.

Jemma Hasratyan, head of the Armenian Association of Women with
University Education NGO, says this way the state wants to improve
its social policy by increasing women’s burdens.

“Go, check, punish the [committers of the] illegality! Women should
not suffer because some 10 employers have taken advantages,” she says.

From: A. Papazian

Sardarabat” Claims Government Pressured Tekeyan Into Pulling Out

2010/11/03 | 14:34

society

The Sardarabat civic association claims the Armenian government
pressured the Tekeyan Center into rescinding its promise of giving
the opposition group hall space for a debate that was scheduled
for tomorrow.

Entitled “The Necessity of Systematic Change; Via the Ballot Box or
Not?”, the debate was to have been moderated by political activist
Petros Makyan with the participation of political and social figures
known for their iconoclastic views.

From: A. Papazian

ORANGE ARMENIA HIT WITH “UNFAIR MARKETING” CHARGE

2010/11/03 | 15:23

society

Based on an article that recently appeared in Hetq, entitled “Orange
Armenia: Their Success and My “Bad Luck”, the RA State Committee for
Economic Protection (SCEC) today launched an case against the French
mobile communications company, charging possible unfair marketing
practices.

The SCEC has also been deluged with complaints from consumers.

The oversight agency has given Orange Armenia seven days in which
to hand over advertising material dating back to the start of the
company’s operations in Armenia. The SCEC says it must review the
ads for possible misleading information.

The committee has also required Orange to supply the number of its
subscribers who severed service with the company before the contract
expiration date.

No Orange Armenia representative was present when the SCEC announced
its ruling.

From: A. Papazian

STATE OVERSIGHT AGENCY TO INVESTIGATE CHEESE PRICE HIKE

2010/11/03 | 15:52

economy

Armenia~Rs State Committee for Economic Protection (SCEC) has decided
to conduct its own investigation of why the price of domestic cheese
has drastically jumped recently.

SCEC President Artak Shaboyan said that the price rise has cause an
avalanche of consumer protest, given that cheese is a daily staple
for many. He also left open the possibility that spot checks would
be made at cheese producing facilities.

Mr. Shaboyan called on all experts in the field to furnish detailed
information to the committee on the matter.

He said that the cheese sector wasn~Rt as monopolized as other food
sectors and that there were 78 firms registered with the State
Revenue Committee operating in the market, not counting numerous
rural manufacturers.

From: A. Papazian

FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER – ARTSAKH RECOGNITION BILL SENDS IMPORTANT MESSAGE
Inga Martinyan

2010/11/03 | 16:11

politics

Former RA Foreign Minister Alexander Arzoumanian labelled the recent
bill proposed by the Heritage Party to have Armenian officially
recognize the independence of Artsakh, as a good thing.

He said it would send a much needed message to the Armenian society
and the international community that the issue was seriously being
debated and that the Armenian parliament would go down that route if
ongoing negotiations proved fruitless.

Mr. Arzoumanian went on to say that Russia uses Armenia merely as a
backdrop for various initiatives and brought the example of Moscow
extending its military base deadline in Armenia without taking the
opinions of the authorities in Yerevan into account.

“Thus, it is sending a message to the world that Moscow holds the
key to any Karabakh settlement. The negotiations process has matured
to the point of producing a break-through, so the sides must limit
themselves to general pronouncements. They will once again proclaim
that the Minsk Group forum is the only one for a resolution of the
conflict,” Mr. Arzoumanian said.

From: A. Papazian

J.J. VAN AARTSEN DENIES THE AZERBAIJANI DISINFORMATION

Aysor.am
Wednesday,November 03, 2010

In response to recent reports in the Azerbaijani media regarding
the decision of The Hague to refrain from setting up a monument
commemorating the Armenian Genocide J.J. Van Aartsen appeared with
a denial letter.

“To my great regret I read in a conscious newspaper
() article that I have
personally rejected the request for the monument as a result of
20,000 signatures gathered by the NATCV against the placement of
the monument. I deeply regret this incorrect reporting, given the
fact that both parties have been informed several times by letter
and phone on the conscious question and that the request by NATCV
for delivery of the collected signatures are not accepted.

The letter also reads that the above decision of the Municipal
Executive of The Hague was already taken before the summer and is
entirely separate from the collected signatures by NATCV and in 2001
in Assen a monument was erected to support remembrance of the families
of the victims of the Armenian genocide.

However the Armenian-Netherlandish organization, the
Armenian-Netherlandish Federation and the Commission of the Armenian
Case are not pleased with the argumentation of the mayor of not
setting up a monument and now discuss the future steps.

From: A. Papazian

SHAHNAZARYAN: ASTRAKHAN DOCUMENT POSES THREATS

Aysor.am
Wednesday,November 03, 2010

The joint declaration adopted by the Presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan on Russian President~Rs initiative in Astrakhan was
positive due to its humanitarian nature, meanwhile it poses threats,
representative of the Armenian National Congress, ex-head of the
National Security Service David Shahnazaryan told reporters in Yerevan.

According to him, the threats relate to political and legal fields.

~SThe document confirms that Armenia has been at war with Azerbaijan,
besides, the third party in the conflict is not represented,~T
Shahnazaryan said adding that notion ~Sprisoner of war~T stipulated
by Astrakhan document only relates to countries making war.

~SThis document opens a new phase in the negotiations of the conflict
resolution.~T

From: A. Papazian

UAE INTERESTED IN ARMENIA’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POSSIBILITIES

Aysor.am
Wednesday,November 03, 2010

On November 2, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan hosted delegation led by
UAE Minister of Foreign Trade HE Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi.

The delegation arrived in Armenia to attend the first Armenia-UAE
business forum, government press office reported.

Welcoming the guests the Prime Minister expressed hope that Minister’s
representative visit to Armenia will further develop Armenia-UAE trade
and economic contacts. The parties stressed importance of holding
a session of Armenia-UAE intergovernmental commission scheduled for
early 2011 in Yerevan.

Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi said the delegation including
40 businessmen is interested in Armenia’s economic development
possibilities and in making investments in Armenia’s economy.

The parties stated that bilateral cooperation in the spheres of high
technologies, agriculture, tourism has prospects.

Tigran Sargsyan hailed Fly Dubai airline’s entrance to Armenia saying
it will contribute to expansion of trade and economic relations
between Armenia and UAE.

From: A. Papazian

“MILITARY RESOLUTION OF NKR CONFLICT HAS NO PROSPECTS”

Aysor.am
Wednesday,November 03, 2010

National Security Council Secretary Arthur Baghdasaryan’s delegation
started official visit to Poland on November 2, at the invitation
of Head of the National Security Bureau of Poland, Stanislaw Koziej,
NSC press office said.

Stanislaw Koziej’s and Arthur Baghdasaryan’s private talk was followed
by enlarged negotiations addressing opportunities of further deepening
Armenian-Polish cooperation in the security sphere.

Touching upon regional and international security the parties stressed
importance of overcoming disagreements through negotiations.

“We condemn bellicose statements of Azerbaijan’s leadership, consider
unacceptable Azerbaijan’s strategy of negotiating and meanwhile
voicing threats,” A. Baghdasaryan said.

S. Koziej attached importance to peaceful resolution of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict by confronting principles of self-determination of
nations and territorial integrity noting that military resolution of
the conflict has no prospects and is unacceptable to the international
community.

Stanislaw Koziej hailed the latest meeting between Armenian and
Azerbaijani Presidents held with Russian President’s mediation.

The National Security Council of Armenia and National Security Bureau
of Poland signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in the security sphere.

Arthur Baghdasaryan and Stanislaw Koziej held a joint press conference.

From: A. Papazian