Author: Ani Tigranian

The agreement on the sale of the Vorotan Hydro Cascade was signed today between the Armenian Government, the Vorotan Hydropower Complex, the ContourGlobal Hydro Cascade, the ContourGlobal Terra Holdings and CG Solutions Global Holding Company.

Before the document would be signed Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan received CG Solutions Global Holding Company CEO Joseph Brandt. The Prime Minister welcomed the signing of the deal as an important step towards reinforcement of bilateral economic relations.

In the context of expansion of economic ties Hovik Abrahamyan also attached importance to the US-Armenia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, which creates favorable conditions for attracting investments, boosting the commodity turnover and trade.

Joseph Brandt said, in turn, the Vorotan Cascade deal was unprecedented and stressed their interest to make large investments for the modernization and full commissioning of Hydro Power Plant.

The parties stressed their commitment to continue the constructive and transparent partnership.

A Canadian court has ordered British American TobaccoPLC, Philip Morris International Inc. and Japan Tobacco Inc. to pay 15.6 billion Canadian dollars ($12.5 billion) in damages to Quebec smokers after a 17-year legal battle, in the latest case to roil the global tobacco industry, reports.

More than one million Quebecers—comprising smoking addicts and people who had become sick from smoking—were represented in class-action suits claiming tobacco companies should be held responsible for selling a harmful product and obscuring the health impact of smoking.

Imperial Tobacco Canada, a unit of British American Tobacco, was ordered to pay 10.4 billion Canadian dollars. Rothman’s Benson & Hedges—a unit of Philip Morris—and JTI-Macdonald Ltd., a unit of Japan Tobacco, were also ordered to make payments. The case stretched back to 1998 and went to trial in 2012.

The judgment called on the companies to pay initial compensation of at least 1.13 billion Canadian dollars within 60 days, regardless of whether they appeal the ruling. Imperial Tobacco Canada’s share is $743 million Canadian dollars.

The firms argued that Canadian smokers have had a high awareness of smoking health risks for decades, not least through health warnings on cigarette packaging.

The St. Vartan Armenian Apostolic Church of Oakland, Calif., will host a reception and book signing for Author Matthew Karanian and his groundbreaking new book “Historic Armenia After 100 Years” at noon on Sunday, May 31, Asbarez reports.

Karanian’s presentation will include photographs from Western Armenia and a discussion about the journey of creating this first-ever photographic guide to the historic and cultural sites of the Armenian homeland.

Karanian’s book, “Historic Armenia After 100 Years: Ani, Kars, and the Six Provinces of Western Armenia,” was released this year, and is the first book of its kind. The book features 125 color photographs and maps that illustrate the current condition of the churches and monasteries that still exist in Western Armenia.

Antique photographs from one century ago are also included, and demonstrate the destruction and vandalism that has occurred during the 100 years after the genocide.

Karanian says that the book “shines a light on the Western Armenia that defies eradication.” He portrays the book as a celebration of the historic Armenian homeland that has survived.

The book presentation is immediately following church services, and includes an optional lunch. Lunch tickets are available at the door for $15 adult, $10 child. The event is open to the public.

Islamic State fighters have seized the northern part of the ancient World Heritage-listed city of Palmyra in Syria, a monitoring group has said, the BBC reports.

Militants seized part of the town of Tadmur located on a strategic east-west route next to Palmyra on Saturday but had been pushed back from the ruins.

Palmyra contains architecture of one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world, according to Unesco.

Now they have reached Palmyra, it is feared IS fighters may destroy it.

IS demolished the Unesco world heritage site of Hatra in Iraq in March, seeing it as a symbol of idolatry.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said a third of Palmyra had been taken after battles with government forces.

The site features a colonnaded street, major public buildings and funerary monuments.

It dates back to the 1st and 2nd Century, mixing Graeco-Roman techniques with local traditions and Persian influences.

At the invitation of Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu, Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan will be a guest of honor at the May 9 Parade at the Red Square dedicated to the 70^th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, Press Service of the Ministry of Defense informs.

PRESS RELEASE
Haigazian University
Mira Yardemian
Public Relations Director
Email: [email protected]

Haigazian University: Lens on the Middle East by Harry Koundakjian

Beirut, 19/05/2010 – The Middle East was the focus on Thursday, May 19,
2010 in Haigazian University, during an evening with international
photojournalist Harry Koundakjian, an event organized by Haigazian
University on the occasion of the Lebanese Martyrs’ Day.

The former chief Middle East photographer for the Associated Press Harry
Koundakjian was introduced to the audience by University Public
Relations Director, Mira Yardemian, who reflected on the sacrifices of
journalists in general and photojournalists in particular, while trying
to capture and seize moments in history throughout their lifetime
career.

Through an engaging slide presentation featuring historic photos of
events and people that have shaped the latter part of the 20th century,
Harry Koundakjian, a.k.a. "Harry the Horse" by his colleagues and
superiors, touched the audience with his unique humor, deeply moving
them by the saddest and happiest of events.

The audience was attentively captured by the lens of Koundakjian, who
commented on photos taken during a period of more than 50 years,
covering conflicts, historical moments, political and religious figures,
as well as famous stars; political leaders such as presidents Chamoun,
Assad, Sadat, and Clinton. Kings such as King Hussein, King Saoud, Queen
Elizabeth and the Shah of Iran. Political leaders such Arafat and late
Prime Minister Hariri. Celebrities such as Gary Cooper, Shirley Temple,
Dizzy Gillespie, and Laurence of Arabia, and William Saroyan. The show
also featured tragic events, such as earthquakes, famines, and wars.

Veteran photographer, Harry L. Koundarkjian is considered to be one of
the first press photographers in Lebanon. He joined the Associated Press
in 1967, and was appointed chief of the A.P. Middle East photo staff in
1969.

Throughout his career, Koundarjian has been on a first name basis with
many of its leaders. His photos- many, front page- have won him honors,
including the AP Managing Editor’s plaque, and the World Press Photo
Award.

DEPOSITS RAISED BY ARMENIAN COMMERCIAL BANKS GROW BY 4,5% TO $1.7 BLN OVER MARCH 2010

ArmInfo
03.05.2010

ArmInfo. Deposits raised by Armenian commercial over March 2010 were
up 27% as compared with March 2009, and up 4.5% as compared with Feb
2010, having amounted to 694.1 bln AMD ($1.7 bln) by 1 April 2010.

In the structure of raised deposits, the share of deposits in Armenian
dram was 23% or 159.7 bln AMD ($398.7 mln), the share of deposits
in foreign exchange was 77% or $1.3 bln (534.4 bln AMD). The share
of deposits in drams was up 2,3% for March 2010 and down 4.1% as
compared with March 2009.

By preliminary data of Armenian Central Bank provided to ArmInfo by
the National Statistical Service of Armenia, the share of deposits
of non-residents was 18% or 125.6 bln drams (5,7% decline for March,
3,4% annual growth), including 7.5 billion AMD deposits in drams
(0,4% growth for March, 24,1% annual growth). The share of deposits
of non-residents in foreign exchange totaled 118.1 bln AMD (6,1%
growth for March, 2,2% annual growth).

Deposits of residents made up 82% of the total volume of deposits,
or 568.5 billion drams, including 152.2 billion drams deposits in
terms of Armenian dram (5,2% decline for March, 7,2% annual growth).

Deposits of residents in foreign exchange totaled 416.3 billion
drams (8,1% growth for March, 47% annual growth). The share of call
liabilities in deposits of residents was 57% or 234.2 bln AMD (4,5%
growth for March), the share of time deposits was 58,8% or 334.3 bln
AMD (4% growth for March).

Call liabilities in drams grew 8,2% in March and by 7,1% as compoared
with March 2009, having amounted to 93.5 billion drams, whereas call
liabilities in foreign currency grew by 15% in March and by 72,8%
as compared with March 2009, having totaled 140.7 billion drams. Time
deposits in drams grew by 0,02% to 58.7 bln AMD, whereas time deposits
in foreign exchange grew by 5% to 275.6 bln AMD.

Balance of population deposits as of April 1 2010 totaled 313.7
billion drams, having increased by 3,7% in March 2010 and by 39,3%
as compared with March 2009. Time deposits of the population grew
by 4,7% in March 2010, and by 35,3% as compared with March 2009,
having totaled 234.9 bln AMD.

Interest rates on deposits in terms of Armenian dram were down from
8,56% to 8,54% in March 2010, and by 1.1% as compared with March 2009.

OPERA BOUFFE "GARINE" AU THEATRE SAINT-MAUR
Jean Eckian

armenews
avril 2010

" Garine ", Opera-bouffe en 3 actes de Takvor Nalian et Dikran
Tchouhadjian (1875), au Theâtre de Saint-Maur (Val-de-Marne)

Opera bouffe en trois actes, de Dikran TCHOUHADJIAN Livret et
adaptation de Gerald Papasian, librement adaptee de l’oeuvre de Tavkor
Nalian Direction artistique et mise en scène de Gerald PAPASIAN avec
la complicite d’Irina BROOK

Direction musicale et orchestration de Vincent BONZOM

Resume de l’histoire :

ARMEN, jeune homme impetueux, reve de creer le premier grand Theâtre de
sa ville natale, Constantinople, et d’y jouer les plus grands auteurs,
rompant ainsi avec la tradition populaire du theâtre de rue.

Mais a la veille de la Première en public, son premier rôle feminin
demissionne pour rejoindre la troupe de son concurrent. Mais trouver
une remplacante au pied leve s’avère impossible. Le meilleur ami
d’ARMEN, MARKAR, comedien de foire, veut lui preter main forte en
lui offrant ses acrobates, mais ARMEN n’en a que faire. Finalement,
ARMEN et MARKAR decouvrent une jeune femme a la voix enchanteresse,
voguant sur une barque : GARINE. Les choses se compliquent car le père
de GARINE, HOR HOR AGHA, vendeur de pois chiches, l’a effrayee en lui
parlant de l’immoralite des artistes. ARMEN, qui essaye de convaincre
GARINE qu’au theâtre il n’y a que de belles histoires et beaucoup de
poesie, entonne un duo avec elle : c’est la genèse de leur amour…

Le pari de monter l’opera bouffe "Garine" de Dikran Tchouhadjian,
compositeur armenien du XIXe siècle, est une aventure unique en son
genre. Elle reunit deux equipes artistiques passionnees : La Compagnie
Les Amoureux Transis et le Centre de Recherche Dikran Tchouhadjian
(CRDT). Ensemble, et soutenus par Irina Brook, ils ont eu envie de
rendre hommage a ce compositeur passe maître dans l’art de marier
melodies occidentales et "turqueries". Tchouhadjian est en outre
considere comme le père de l’opera turc et armenien.

"Garine" a sillonne les cultures, les pays, les mers et les oceans,
mais n’a encore jamais ete joue en France où son compositeur,
originaire de Constantinople, etait considere en 1880 comme
"l’Offenbach oriental" ! Gerald Papasian adapte aujourd’hui pour la
première fois ce chef-d’oeuvre en francais et vous invite a decouvrir
une musique brillante, un patrimoine injustement meconnu au croisement
de l’occident et de l’orient, plein de saveur exotique, de poesie,
de drôlerie et toutes sortes de surprises…

TURKEY PRE-EMPTS ANY EXCLUSION OF BAKU IN ARMENIA NORMALIZATION

Trend
April 6 2010
Azerbaijan

Ankara believes Azerbaijan is an integral part of a solution to the
problem in the Caucasus and says its exclusion from the process is
out of the question, Hurriyet Daily News reported.

With speculation abounding about the Obama administration’s alleged
quest to neutralize the Azerbaijan factor in the Turkish-Armenian
normalization process, Ankara said it is out of the question for
Turkey to be involved in any formulation that excludes Baku.

"It is unquestionable for Turkey to leave Azerbaijan out of the cycle
in any manner," Foreign Ministry spokesman Burak Ozugergin told the
Hurriyet Daily News on Monday.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced last week he would
participate in an international nuclear security summit in Washington
on April 12-13, which took him a while to decide after a United States
committee passed a resolution labeling the 1915 killings of Armenians
as genocide.

But the margins of the summit will see diplomatic traffic between
Turkey and Armenia to revive the stalled normalization process.

Erdogan is expected to meet with Armenian President Serge Sarkisian,
and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu does not rule out a meeting with
members of the Armenian diaspora. Although diplomats say the program
is not yet clear, Erdogan may meet with U.S. President Barack Obama
for brief talks on the Ankara-Yerevan reconciliation before April
24, a day of commemoration for the 1915 events when U.S. presidents
deliver an annual message.

Azerbaijan’s absence at the summit, however, is strengthening the
argument of Washington’s so-called plans to eliminate Azerbaijani
pressure on Turkey, so that Ankara could take more progressive steps to
normalize ties with Yerevan. Turkish diplomatic sources told the Daily
News it is up to the host country, namely the United States in this
case, to decide which country to invite to the summit. The diplomats
added Azerbaijan’s non-participation should not be interpreted as
Baku’s exclusion.

Heads of state and government from more than 40 countries are expected
to attend the summit.

"We have not announced the full list of participants to the
international summit yet," U.S. Embassy spokesperson Deborah
Guido-O’Grady told the Daily News when asked if Baku was invited.

She denied the reports over the alleged U.S. plan to exclude Baku
from the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement as "incorrect."

"Azerbaijan and the United States work closely on a wide range of
issues, including the Minsk process, as well as with other countries
in the region including Turkey and Armenia," stated the spokesperson.

Together with Russia and France, the U.S. co-chairs the Minsk Group
of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE,
which aims to find a settlement for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Turkey says any solution to the problem will facilitate the
Turkish-Armenian relationship, while Armenia opposes the Turkish
linkage of normalization in ties to the conflict with Baku.

In a briefing last Monday at the Foreign Press Center in Washington,
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg said, "Azerbaijan is
a very important partner to the United States. It’s a strong force
for peace and stability in the Caucasus."

Steinberg said he appreciated Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s
efforts to support the Minsk process.

"We know these are difficult issues for all of the parties concerned
and that we need to find creative ways to overcome the differences
because, in the long term, deeper integration in the Caucasus, just as
we’ve been discussing in the Balkans, is in the interest of all the
region, and we want to see improved ties among all the key countries
in the Caucasus along with Turkey. There has been an opportunity to
move that forward," he added.

The official also praised the leadership of both Erdogan and Sarkisian
to move forward with the protocols. "We want to support that process.

At the same time we move forward on the Minsk process to try to
resolve the differences between Armenia and Azerbaijan."

GERMAN CHANCELLOR REPEATS TURKEY NOT SUITABLE FOR FULL EU MEMBERSHIP

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
30.03.2010 12:57 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ German Chancellor Angela Merkel has repeated her
belief that Turkey is not suitable for full EU membership, on the
first day of an official Turkish visit.

She said Turkey should not view her offer of a "privileged partnership"
– rather than full membership – negatively.

Turkey, which began negotiations to become a member in 2005, has
dismissed that offer as an insult.

There were also disagreements over Iran, Cyprus and educating Turkish
children in Germany in Turkish.

Germany is Turkey’s biggest trading partner, its biggest foreign
investor, its biggest source of tourist revenue, and nearly three
million Turks live in Germany.

For two countries with such deep-rooted historical and economic ties,
Germany and Turkey struggled to find a common voice during Mrs.

Merkel’s visit. On every important issue, Chancellor Merkel and
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan seemed to be at odds with
each other.

After months of avoiding the subject, Chancellor Merkel chose
this moment to revive her idea of offering Turkey what she calls a
privileged partnership with the EU, rather than full membership. Mrs.

Merkel has stressed that she does see integration as possible in up
to 28 of the 35 so-called chapters of EU law with which Turkey has
to comply before it can become a full member of the union.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Ankara, she said that the rules
of the game have changed since 2005. "The (accession) negotiations are
an open-ended process. We should now pursue this open-ended process,"
she said.

Mr. Erdogan said nothing – but has in the past expressed his outrage
over what he calls "shifting the goalposts".

The German proposal has been firmly rejected by the Turkish government
as a breach of the terms agreed when membership negotiations began
five years ago.

"Such a thing as privileged partnership does not exist," said Egemen
Bagis, Turkey’s Minister for European Affairs.

"So we do not take that option seriously because there is no legal
foundation of it. At times I feel insulted for being offered something
which does not exist."

Turkey’s sometimes fraught relationship with the European Union will
not be helped by this visit.

On Iran, Mrs. Merkel wants Turkish support for international sanctions,
which Mr. Erdogan argues are counter-productive and hypocritical.

Turkey has recently strengthened its relations with Iran and opposes
the tougher sanctions threatened by Western governments.

"We are of the view that sanctions is not a healthy path and… that
the best route is diplomacy," Mr. Erdogan said at the joint news
conference.

The two leaders also disagreed about Cyprus, with the German chancellor
calling for the issue of Turkey’s refusal to recognize the government
on the divided island to be resolved quickly, BBC reported.