Author: Andres-Papazian

Mediamax, Armenia
Oct 13 2012

Obama vs Romney: Part 3

The U.S. Embassy gave an opportunity to Mediamax’s correspondent Aram
Araratyan to watch the process of presidential election campaign in
the U.S. As a result of his trip to the U.S., a special project was
born. We present you the final part of the project.

Barack Obama

October 4, early morning. Denver vicinity. Sloan’s Lake. Though it’s
still 7 a.m., many people gathered here and the paths to the lake are
cordoned off by policemen. Several hours later, U.S. President Barack
Obama will meet with his Colorado supporters.

Barack Obama preferred to meet with his supporters in an open air.
Despite the cold weather, about 12 thousand people came here to see
and listen to the President.

Unlike Mitt Romney’s rally, Obama’s one seems more simple. Modern
music is heard from the huge loudspeakers and people sing and dance –
not just because of to high spirits but to warm themselves up. Old
famous supporter of the President, American rapper and producer
will.i.am from `The Black Eyed Peas’, came to warm up the people. For
example, it was him who wrote songs `We Are the Ones’ and `Yes We Can’
in 2008. These words became the main mottos of Barack Obama at 2008
elections.

This time, “Forward” is the President’s motto. This inscription on the
blue background (official color of democrats) is featured both on a
big poster and the stage the President is going to speak on.

The President spoke about how he is going to lead Americans at the
debate with his opponent Romney a day before and as many people think
he was not convincing and was inferior to the rival. The local and
foreign journalists gathered there can only guess how Barack Obama
will appear in front of his supporters after the defeat experienced
only a few hours before.

It’s tough not to be enticed by personal charm of the American
President. If Mitt Romney is a very successful figure yet very far
away from them, Barack Obama is a pleasant and smiling fellow who can
drop in to a bar to have beer. He is supposed to lose a bit of his
huge magnetism and charm he used to have 4 years ago. However, many
people still think him the embodiment of the American dream: with
wonderful wife and charming children as though just landed from a
Christmas postcard. And the human factor as it was earlier mentioned
is rather strong in America. “In any other country of the world,
Barack Obama would have no problems with re-election”, an American
diplomat expresses his opinion a few minutes before the President’s
appearance on the stage.

Barack Obama comes up to the stage as though a football field, with an
immutable charming smile and welcomes the people. Hardly did he manage
to utter a word, his sports “fury” and mood already strike our eyes.
Obama seems to be completely confident, charged and energetic – in
fact, the way people used to see him.

`I love you’. A voice of a girl is heard once the applauds are
subdued after the President’s greeting. Obama makes a second pause and
smiles. `I love you back’, – says the President and starts his attack.

“When I entered the stage I met this most inspired guy who called
himself Mitt Romney. But he couldn’t be Mitt Romney as the real Mitt
Romney traveled the whole country promising reduction of taxes by USD
5tln supporting the rich. The guy on the stage said last night he
didn’t know anything about it”, the President started his speech.

Barack Obama spent the whole 24 minutes of his speech in the same
energetic and aggressive style. One can only get surprised where the
energy was during his “duel” with Romney. Obama’s speech was
periodically interrupted by `Four more years’ chanting.

Barack Obama delivered his speech on the same emotional wave and
finishes it with `God Bless America’. He then welcomed the people
below for a long time shaking hands with hundreds of people, hugging
the old people and children dazzled with endless flashes of photo
cameras.

If comparing only particular rallies of Obama and Romney, the U.S.
President was much brighter and convincing. If taking only the debate,
the republican was irrefutably more persuasive.

After Colorado, President Barack Obama and candidate Mitt Romney went
on a tour across the states. All the rallies of the candidates will be
held in the so-called swing states – Virginia, Wisconsin and Florida.
The next debate between Obama and Romney are scheduled for October 16
and 11 and will be held in New York and Florida respectively. The
presidential elections will be held on November 6.

Aram Araratyan
Yerevan-Denver

From: A. Papazian

ITAR-TASS, Russia
October 12, 2012 Friday 08:05 PM GMT+4

Russia’s investments in Armenia’s economy exceed $3 bln over 20 years
– RF minister

YEREVAN October 12

Russia’s investments in Armenia’s economy over 20 years exceeded three
billion U.S. dollars, including 2.5 billion U.S. dollars of direct
investments, Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov said on Friday.

The Russian minister arrived in Yerevan to hold a regular meeting of
the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation between
Russia and Armenia. Sokolov heads the Russian part of the commission.

He expressed satisfaction with the fact that the biggest part of the
investments are direct, in other words “Russia mainly invests in the
development of enterprises, technical basis and business. They are not
only the so-called portfolio investments.”

Touching upon the downward tendency in this sphere in the current
year, the minister is confident that it is early to sum up any
results. “We will analyse the statistics for the year. The investing
process has certain discreteness. Investors make their fiscal plans
proceeding from investments and the maximal concentration of funds by
the end of a year,” the Sokolov said.

“Based on this, we can assess the investment flows only at the end of
the year,” he added.

The minister reaffirmed that Russian-Armenian trade reached one
billion U.S. dollars in 2011. “This year’s statistics shows that the
two countries have already exceeded the threshold of 800 million U.S.
dollars in the first eight months of the year,” he said, adding,
“Therefore, we have all chances to exceed the indicator of 2011 by the
end of the current year.”

Touching upon prices for the supply of Russian gas to Armenia, the
minister said that the issue was considered at the intergovernmental
commission’s meeting. “The talks are underway. The management of
Gazprom and the Armenian Energy Ministry are attending the talks,”
Sokolov said. “We are dynamically moving to the achievement of
accords, which will be suitable for both sides,” he added.

The Russian Transport Minister and Armenian Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsian signed a program of long-term economic cooperation between
Russia and Armenia in the period up tp 2020.

“The document embraces almost all spheres of the Armenian economy, as
well as the social, cultural and humanitarian cooperation,” the
Armenian prime minister said. In his words, this comprehensive program
is a result of a very intensive and long-term activity of the two
countries’ working groups.

From: A. Papazian

Gazprom offered to elaborate long-term gas supply strategy for Armenia

news.am
October 13, 2012 | 22:00

YEREVAN.- Russia’s Gazprom was offered to elaborate a long-term gas
supply strategy together with the Armenian Government, Russian
presidential aide Igor Levitin said in Yerevan.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of Armenia-Russia interregional
forum, Levitin said all the proposals on price are agreed with the
plan discussed by the Armenian-Russian intergovernmental meeting held
in Yerevan on Friday.

He mentioned that Armenia-Russia relations in the field of energy are
`stable and have good potential.’

Talks on price of Russian natural gas supplied to Armenia are not yet
completed. At the moment, Armenia is purchasing gas for $180 for one
thousand cubic meters – lower than Gazprom market price.

From: A. Papazian

Aronian loses to Caruana, yet retains 3rd position

16:43 13/10/2012 » Sport

Armenian grandmaster Levon Aronian lost to Fabiano Caruana in round 9
in the second leg of Grand Slam Masters Final in Bilbao, Spain, yet
retained 3rd position in the tournament. This was his first defeat in
this tournament. Magnus Carlsen and Sergey Karjakin beat Viswanathan
Anand and Francisco Vallejo respectively.

Caruana and Carlsen continue to share the lead with 16 points each.
Aronian has scored 10 points, Karjakin 9, Anand 8, Vallejo 5 points,
Armenian Chess Federation website reported.

Source: Panorama.am

From: A. Papazian

Bako Sahakyan met with delegation of the Armenian Union of Russia

15:32, 13 October, 2012

On 13 October President of Artsakh Republic Bako Sahakyan met with
delegation of the Armenian Union of Russia headed by the president of
the organization Ara Abrahamyan.

As Armenpress was informed from NKR presidential press service issues
related to the implementation of different projects in the NKR as well
as deepening the Artsakh-Diaspora ties were discussed during the
meeting.

President Sahakyan rated high the role of the Armenian Union of Russia
and the World Armenian Congress in the socioeconomic development of
Artsakh, in the fair presentation of the Artsakh question, noting that
there are were all the necessary preconditions for the further
expanding and deepening mutual cooperation.

Primate of the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church
Archbishop Pargev Martirossyan, prime-minister Ara Haroutunyan and
other officials partook at the meeting

From: A. Papazian

Cooperation between regions essential for Armenia-Russia relations –
Maksim Sokolov

NEWS.AM
October 13, 2012 | 15:15

Cooperation between the regions of Russia and Armenia has an efficient
influence on development of bilateral relations, Russian Transport
Minister Maksim Sokolov said in Yerevan.

Speaking at the opening of Armenia-Russia interregional forum, Sokolov
noted relations between the regions may affect considerably bilateral
ties in general.

For this reason, a separate working group was set up to deal with
interregional economic cooperation. The group held its first meeting
in Gyumri this March. Regular meetings of the representatives from the
countries’ regions are held in Russian cities.

The first Armenia-Russia interregional cooperation forum was held in
Yerevan in April 2011.

From: A. Papazian

Russian cosmonauts present to Yerevan Mayor city’s photo taken from space

NEWS.AM
October 13, 2012 | 11:30

YEREVAN. – Armenian capital city Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan hosted
Russian cosmonauts Alexander Ivanchenkov and Sergei Treshchov, who are
in Yerevan to attend the Erebuni-Yerevan 2794th Anniversary
celebrations.

The Mayor noted that Yerevan’s doors are always open before all
friends. `You are true friends of Yerevan, and I am convinced that you
will love Yerevan so much that you will visit our hospitable city more
often,’ Margaryan said, Yerevan Municipality Information and Public
Relations Department informs.

In their turn, Ivanchenkov and Treshchov confessed that even though
they arrived in Yerevan just a day ago, they already came to love
Armenia’s capital city. `Your city is really wonderful and you have a
right to be proud. And we are simply marveled by Yerevan at night,’
the guests noted.

Subsequently, they presented to Taron Margaryan Yerevan’s photograph
taken from space.

Thanking for this unprecedented gift and the warm words, Taron
Margaryan suggested to the cosmonauts to take a souvenir-sculpture
decorated with Yerevan’s symbols to space and then to return it and
donate it to Yerevan HistoryMuseum. Cosmonauts Alexander Ivanchenkov
and Sergei Treshchov promised to do this in their next flight to
space.

From: A. Papazian

Tigran Sargsyan: “We must overcome poverty in Armenia”

12:44, 13 October, 2012

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 13, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of the Republic of
Armenia Tigran Sargsyan participated in annual conference of
Economical Union of Armenia in Yerevan State University.

As Information and Public Relations Department of the Government of
the Republic of Armenia informed “Armenpress” Prime Minister Sargsyan
greeted participants of the conference and underlined that the
participation of specialists from different countries is of a special
importance. Prime Minister said: “Meetings of this kind are unique
opportunities to discuss with Armenian economists current issues that
have an impact on the Republic of Armenia as well as on the region and
the world”.

Tigran Sargsyan said that taking into consideration the
particularities of the modern world new principals of economic policy
have been represented to the public and National Assembly. Tigran
Sargsyan said: “This is the first time in the history of the Republic
of Armenia that the state adopts the principal of economic policy
according to which the state is not merely responsible for creation of
favorable competitive atmosphere, but is obliged to realize precise
agricultural policy in cooperation with the private sector. Hence, I
would like to inform you, that considering this principal we developed
and represented a new strategy that was largely discussed in different
political parties and public organizations, but was welcomed by them”.

Summing up his speech the Prime Minister said that such dissusions are
very important underlining that research and suggestions of these
circles are useful for activities of the government.

From: A. Papazian

Armenian tycoon to run for presidency? – newspaper

NEWS.AM
October 13, 2012 | 07:33

YEREVAN. – Businessman Khachatur Sukiasyan likewise might run for
office in Armenia’s upcoming presidential elections, 168 Zham daily
reports.

`Sukiasyan, too, might be inspired by the precedent of Georgia’s
parliamentary elections, when the [political] party in power was
defeated by the Georgian Dream Party led by a billionaire businessman.

Sukiasyan’s nomination would give a new charm to the elections, since
a wide variety of political forces and individuals could form around
him. [Khachatur] Sukiasyan has good relations with forces and
individuals representing the opposition and the authorities alike,’
168 Zham writes.

From: A. Papazian

APA, Azerbaijan
Oct 12 2012

French Ministry of Foreign Affairs: It is important that the
negotiation process is not stopped against the background of
increasing tension between Azerbaijan and Armenia

[ 12 Oct 2012 12:25 ]
The ministry responded to the pro-Armenian parliamentarian’s
questionnaire on Ramil Safarov

Baku. Victoria Dementieva – APA. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
France responded to the questionnaire sent by the member of the
National Assembly, Valerie Boyer on the extradition and pardoning of
Ramil Safarov. Valerie Boyer had sent the questionnaire to MFA in
order to learn its position on the Ramil Safarov Case. APA reports
that in its response published in MFA’s Official Newspaper the French
Ministry says that it has already declared its position on the Case:
`It is very important that the negotiation process is not stopped
against the background of increasing tension between Azerbaijan and
Armenia’.

The report reads that as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group France
intends to continue to fulfill its obligations and do its best towards
the solution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict: `For this purpose, we
are going to negotiate with both countries at a high level’.

Valerie Boyer is the author of the draft law on penalizing denial of
the Armenian genocide.

From: A. Papazian