Author: Andres-Papazian

MAXIMUM EFFORTS SHOULD BE MADE TO RESOLVE CONFLICTS IN SOUTH CAUCASUS: OSCE CHAIRMAN

Tert.am
14:50 13.08.10

It is important to make maximum efforts for dialogue in resolving
conflicts in the South Caucasus, and compromise should be reached
between the opposing sides, Kanat Saudabayev, OSCE Chairman-in-Office
and Secretary of State and Foreign Minister of the Republic of
Kazakhstan said in an interview to the Kazakh media outlets, reported
by Azerbaijani news agency APA.

“As the OSCE chairman, we have made many efforts to resolve the
prolonged conflicts in the former Soviet space. Transdnestria,
Nagorno-Karabakh, Georgia’s confrontation with Abkhazia and South
Ossetia – all of these conflicts have no easy solutions, especially
for one-year presidency,” said he, adding that Kazakhstan continues
to work in this direction.

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan began in 1988 when
Azerbaijan perpetrated pogroms and massacres of Armenianas in
Azerbaijan following an undeclared war against the predominantly
Armenian-populated region of Nagorno Karabakh that left Azerbaijan
defeated.

From: A. Papazian

TWO JIVANS IN ISTANBUL? DUDUK MASTER INVITED TO TURKEY

Tert.am
14:14 13.08.10

Famous Armenian duduk player Jivan Gasparyan has been invited to
participate in a peace concert to be held in Istanbul in September,
Mr Gasparyan told a press conference.

“I will have to think about it whether or not to participate in it;
I will consult my friends,” said he adding that as a renowned musician
and an Armenian national he must be careful in issues like this.

Musicians from other parts of the world are set to take part in it.

Mr Gasparyan further said he would perform with his namesake grandchild
Jivan Gasparyan, should he decide to attend this concert.

Another participant of the press conference, Arsen Grigoryan, known
as Mrro, said that despite the title of the concert “Turkey and Turks
do not change, they remain the same.”

“It is their cloths that change. Don’t believe that they can be peace
lovers,” said he, adding that Turkey is always pursuing a direct or
indirect benefit in all its steps.

From: A. Papazian

KARABAKH PRESIDENT AND ARMENIA’S MINISTER DISCUSSED ECONOMIC ISSUES

Tert.am
14:13 13.08.10

On 13 August President of the Artsakh Republic Bako Sahakyan welcomed
Armenia’s Minister of Economy Nerses Yeritsyan and Deputy Minister
Vahe Danielyan in S Stepanakert.

Issues related to economic cooperation of the two Armenian states
were discussed during the meeting.

Special attention was paid to the issues of personnel preparation
and training, introduction of contemporary technologies and exchange
of experience.

Finance minister of the Artsakh Republic Spartak Tevosyan and Minister
of Economic Development Karen Yesayan partook at the meeting.

From: A. Papazian

TROIKA DIALOG BRINGS FIRST EVER REVENUES TO STANDARD BANK

Tert.am
13:26 13.08.10

Troika Dialog Group has secured 70 per cent of all the proceeds South
African Standard Bank has had from all its joint enterprises.

According to Russian daily Kommersant, Standard Bank which had during
the global financial crisis acquired some of the Troika Dialog shares,
may now consider the acquisition a successful one as the shares are
bringing incomes.

Troika Dialog, whose Board Chairman and CEO is famous Armenian
businessman Ruben Vardanyan, had $66 million in net profits in the
first half of which $24 million went to Standard Bank.

The bank acquired 33 per cent of Troika Dialog’s shares in September
2009 and later raised them up to 36 per cent.

Troika Dialog had $49.67 million in losses 2009 against the $10.2
million in profits in 2008.

Standard Bank Group is Africa’s largest bank. Most of its shares (20%)
are owned by the Chinese ICBC. The bank has more than a thousand of
branches in 38 countries in the world.

From: A. Papazian

EDUCATION MINISTRY SHUTTING DOWN 14 UNIVERSITIES IN ARMENIA

Tert.am
11:42 13.08.10

On August 12 Armenia’s Ministry of Education reached a decision to
close down 14 universities in Armenia.

The Commission of the Licensing of the Implementation of Educational
Programs at the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of
Armenia held its next-in-turn session and discussed the results of
the monitoring conducted by the working groups formed upon Minister
Armen Ashotyan’s decree.

The Commission listened to all the clarifications of the
representatives of the organizations that implement higher vocational
education programs and decided by a secret vote to annul the license
of 14 private universities.

Among them are also some well known ones such as Russian-Armenian
Contemporary Institute of Humanities, Yerevan University of Management,
Yerevan University of Culture, etc?

From: A. Papazian

BAKU’S DEMONSTRATIVE PLAY IS THE RESULT OF PHYSICAL AND MORAL HARASSMENTS

Tert.am
10:40 13.08.10

Artsakh State Commission on Prisoners of War (POW), Hostages and
Missing Persons has issued a statement condemning Baku’s recent move
to politicize the humanitarian issue of war prisoners and hostages
for political gains and for undermining the prestige of the Armenian
army and the state in general.

Earlier a few Azerbaijani news websites publicized one after the
other alleged interviews with Armenian deserter soldiers who speak
about the harassments they were reportedly subjected to in Armenia,
as well as about the unbearable situation in the Armenian army and in
the country in general. An alleged interview with a deserter Armenian
family was also publicized.

“They [the deserters] who have become the target of the Azerbaijani
mass media are speaking [in those interviews] about the ‘unbearable
conditions in the Armenian army and about the good life in Azerbaijan’.

“There is no doubt that the demonstrative play of the Azerbaijani
special services is in fact the result of physical and moral
harassments.

“By cynically using the Armenian POWs, the Azerbaijani authorities
are violating the international humanitarian law, particularly the
norms of the Geneva agreements, which stipulate certain rules of
treatment toward this group of people,” reads the statement.

From: A. Papazian

LORIS TJEKNAVORIAN TO CONDUCT GLENDALE SYMPHONY

Tert.am
09:46 13.08.10

Glendale Symphony Orchestra has inked a temporary deal with an
internationally-renowned conductor ahead of what the organization
hopes will be a more long-term contract, reportes Asbarez.com citing
The Glendale News Press.

Representatives for the orchestra said they hope to hire Loris
Tjeknavorian, who has led orchestras in Vienna, London and Yerevan,
to serve as musical director. Details on a proposed one-year contract
are still being worked out, said Glenn Treibitz, president of the
board of directors.

In the meantime, Tjeknavorian has agreed to lead at least one
performance this fall as a guest conductor, Treibitz said.

From: A. Papazian

SOUTH OSSETIA WANTS S-300 MISSILE DEPLOYED IN ITS TERRITORY

GMTPanARMENIAN.Net
August 13, 2010 – 11:29 AMT 06:29

Following Abkhazia, breakaway South Ossetia asked for deployment of
S-300 missile in its territory.

“South Ossetia has a good air defense system but installation of
S-300 would not be unnecessary,” South Ossetian Defense Minister
Valery Yakhnovets said, Georgia Times reported.

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJAN MANIPULATES ARMENIAN POWS

GMTPanARMENIAN.Net
August 13, 2010 – 10:37 AMT 05:37

To gain doubtful propaganda dividends, the Azerbaijani authorities
manipulates Armenian POWs, the NKR State Committee on POWs, missing
and hostages said in a statement.

“Making them the heroes of media reports and telling about “intolerable
conditions in the Armenian army and comfortable life in Azerbaijan”,
the Azeri authorities cynically violate the norms of international
law,” the statement reads. “The committee condemns politicization of
the humanitarian problem of POWs by Baku.”

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA-ARSTAKH ECONOMIC COOPERATION DISCUSSED IN STEPANAKERT

GMTPanARMENIAN.Net
August 13, 2010 – 14:11 AMT 09:11

President of the Artsakh Republic Bako Sahakyan met Friday with
Armenian Economy Minister of Nerses Yeritsyan and Deputy Minister
Vahe Danielyan to discuss economic cooperation between the two
Armenian states, specifically staff training, introduction of modern
technologies and experience exchange.

Arstakh Deputy PM, Finance Minister Spartak Tevosyan and Minister
of Economic Development Karen Yesayan also attended the meeting,
reported the Central Information Department of the Office of the
Artsakh Republic President.

From: A. Papazian