Author: Antonian Lara

Iran interested in the development of multifaceted relations with
Armenia

armradio.am
13.03.2009 14:34

On March 13 the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian, had a
meeting with the Foreign Minister of Iran, Manouchehr Mottaki.

Greeting the guest, Minister Nalbandian ranked high the friendly and
mutually beneficial cooperation between Armenia and Iran, which is an
important factor for reinforcement of security and stability in the
region.

Thanking for warm reception, Manouchehr Mottaki noted that Iran is
interested in the further development of multifaceted relations with
its neighbor and friend Armenia, and he is visiting Armenia to boost
the development of cooperation in different spheres.

In the context of discussion of issues related to trade-economic
relations between the two countries, Ministers Nalbandian and Mottaki
referred to the results of the 8th sitting of the Armenian-Iranian
Intergovernmental Commission held in Tehran at the end of 2008 and
discussed the process of accomplishment of the agreements reached.

Edward Nalbandian and Manouchehr Mottaki discussed issues related to
ensuring stability and security in the region.

The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Iran referred to the latest
developments in the settlement of the Artsakh issue. The Ministers
stressed that the issues existing in the region should be solved
exceptionally through peaceful negotiations.

Armenian financial ombudsman office receives 18 complaints in February

YEREVAN, March 12. /ARKA/. Over February the office of Armenia’s
Financial Ombudsman received 18 complaints. Ten of them involved
matters beyond the competence of financial ombudsman, as per the
country’s law about ombudsman of the financial system, says the press
release of the Financial Ombudsman office.

Four complaints were within the competence but were not submitted to
the office in a proper manner.

The remaining four complaints were submitted in written, were in
conformity with the legal requirements and are being considered.

Two complaints concerned settlement transactions by plastic cards
through ATMs and withdrawal of large amount from client accounts as a
result.

A complaint concerned violation of initial terms for bank deposit,
another has to do with refusal of an insurance company to compensate
for damage.

The financial system ombudsman started its activities in Armenia on
January 24 2009, under the respective law. N.V. `0–

Armenian prime minister: Armenia should have clear stance and goals
able to lead to overcoming of consequences of global financial and
economic crisis

2009-03-13 18:57:00

ArmInfo. Unfortunately, the events in the world market develop in a
negative zone and Armenia is not an exception, Prime Minister of
Armenia Tigran Sarkisyan told journalists.

According to him, the forecasts on the rates of growth of the Armenian
economy for 2009, made at late 2008, are currently revised per months.
The indicators of the country’s economy state turned out
much worse than it was predicted in summer, 2008, when the country’s
draft budget for 2009 was developed. Today, even the international
experts present more optimistic scenario of development of Armenia’s
economy, and presently it is impossible to make any new forecasts since
the world economy has turned out in a difficult situation. The experts
of the World Bank changed the forecasts regarding the world economy
development indicators four times over the last three months. ‘New
factors appear today in the world economy, which much enhance
uncertainty. It means that we should be ready for several possible
scenarios of the situation development in the world markets’, the prime
minister emphasized. At the same time, T. Sarkisyan said the government
approved a complex programme of development of the Armenian economy for
2009 on December 4, 2008. The programme reflected both the measures and
the persons responsible for the programme implementation.

‘Armenia should have a clear stance and goals able to lead to
overcoming of the consequences of the global financial and economic
crisis’, the PM said. According to him, it is necessary to believe in
possibility of implementing the anti-crisis measures programme, and
this belief should be got over to the public and economic subjects. ‘It
will be impossible to achieve the goals set without belief’, T.
Sarkisyan emphasized and added that the matter concerns not only the
government but also any economic subject, citizen or businessman. At
the same time, the prime minister confessed that just
belief is insufficient for solution of the problem set. ‘Nevertheless,
it is necessary as it impossible to achieve success without belief’, T.
Sarkisyan said.

Prime Minister of Armenia: We should fundamentally reform the system of
tax administration within 2 years

2009-03-13 19:01:00

ArmInfo. Armenian authorities were ready to the processes in the
domestic market that took place on March 3, Armenian Prime Minister
Tigran Sargsyan said at a meeting with a group of journalists Friday.

To recall, on March 3 Armenian dram devaluated by 20%, which resulted
in price hike in the consumer market, in particular the prices of oil,
petrol, sugar and flour hiked. Tigran Sargsyan said such developments
arouse certain mess among citizens. `It is characteristic not only to
Armenia. In all the countries even in developed one, essential
commodities may disappear from the shops within an hour. All this is
expectation of negative consequences’, the premier said. He underlined
that on March 3 relevant agencies were charged to minimize the panic
buying. As a result, within 2-3 days the situation in the consumer
market has been balanced. This panic in the financial market was
overcome even earlier. To prevent similar situations in future it is
time to create an anti-monopoly atmosphere, the premier said. `The
best way to settle the given problem is competitive atmosphere in the
country. To settle this task the government is going to take certain
measure to reform the system of tax administration, to create equal
conditions for management, fully execute laws. Within 2 years the
system of tax administration will be fundamentally changed, which will
allow preventing the problems that originated on March 3. There are
also some subjective reasons for monopolization of certain economic
sectors due to the limited domestic market, underdeveloped
communications including the only road linking Armenia with outside
world via Georgia. There are problems in Georgia with delivery of
cargoes’, the premier said. `Together with our Georgian partners we
have repeatedly raised this issue. It is much cheaper and easier for
Armenian carriers to deliver cargoes to Georgian ports than to further
deliver them from these ports to Armenia. This hinders development of
SMEs in Armenia. This problems can be settle by big business that has
a relative advantage in the domestic market often abusing its
position’, the premier said. He highlighted the importance of
increasing the role of the State Commission for Protection of Economic
Competition in the sphere as stipulated by the governmental
anti-crisis program. `We are ready to discuss any proposal that will
give more powers to the commission to fight this evil’, T. Sargsyan.

APA, Azerbaijan
March 12 2009

Secretary of State Commission: `The Armenian serviceman, who crossed
to Azerbaijan last year, has been sent to the third country’

[ 12 Mar 2009 13:57 ]

Baku. Kamala Guliyeva ` APA. Soldier of Armenian army Paruyr
Stepanian, who crossed to Azerbaijan in May last year, has left
Azerbaijan for the third country, secretary of State Commission on
Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons Shahin Sailov told APA.

He said the reports as to which country the Armenian had left were
confidential.

Sailov said Stepanian himself had chosen the country.

`He said he did not want to return to Armenia. He himself chose the
third country and the UN representation in Azerbaijan solved the
problem. UN representation to Azerbaijan applied to the third
countries to learn which of them might accept Stepanian. He has
already been sent to the third country,’ he said.

Prime minister: In conditions of global crisis Armenian government
should pass to cruelest economy regime

2009-03-12 14:39:00

ArmInfo. In conditions of the global economic crisis and worsening of
the economic situation in the country, the Armenian government should
pass to the cruelest saving of the public funds, Prime Minister of
Armenia Tigran Sarkisyan said at the government Thursday session in
view of the decision on reallocation of the budget revenue and
expenditure, 2009.

The prime minister said the world economy experiences decay, so, the
government should be ready to implement the worse development scenario.
"In the crisis conditions we have to save and make as much expenses as
we can collect taxes", the PM said. In view of worsening of the
economic situation in Armenia, the country’s government made a protocol
decision on Thursday on reallocation of the most risky budget revenue
and expenditure from early to late, 2009, Finance Minister of Armenia
Tigran Davtyan said at the briefing held after the government session.
According to him, as a result of the analysis over the first-two
months, the Finance Ministry has calculated that the State Treasury may
receive less than one is due – 131 bln drams of revenue ($354 mln at
the current average rate). The government decided to reallocate this
revenue from the 1-3 quarters to the 4th quarter. The minister also
said the tax receipts to the country’s budget over January-February
reduced as compared with the similar period, 2008, and made up less
than the scheduled level. So, the tax receipts over January, 2009,
reduced by 5 bln drams against January, 2008, and the receipts over
February – by 10 bln drams. "Development of the global economic
situation does not give rise to an optimism, so, the government
resolved to reallocate the most risky revenue", the minister said.

The budget expenditure for 2009 at the amount 93 bln drams ($251 mln)
will be also redistributed by the end of the year. He means revisiting
of expenditure for business trips, buying of the movable property and
real estate and holding of some state events. The protected articles of
the budget will not change, mainly for defence and social needs, the
minister said. He assured that salary of the budgetary sphere workers
will not change. Davtyan added that this decision of the government
will not touch fulfillment of the big pan-Armenian projects in 2009, in
which the government takes part. He means construction of the new
nuclear power block, Iran-Armenia railway and creation of Pan-Armenian
Bank.

He declined to predict further development of Armenian economy in the
present conditions, but beginning from March the government is
expecting certain growth of the business activity and tax revenues in
the budget. Davtyan also said that the approved credits of the IMF $540
mln and of the WB $525mln for the next four years, as well as the
expected stabilizing credit of Russia $500 mln will help Armenia
overcome consequences of the world crisis. Armenia has a good potential
to resist the crisis because of the low plan on deficit of the budget
2009 in an amount less than 1% GDP and low external state debt, which
does not exceed 14-15% of the GDP.

Milliyet, Turkey
March 9 2009

The Beautiful American

by Taha Akyol

Hillary Clinton has, I am certain of it, raised the image of America
in Turkey, which has been dragging along the ground.

Hillary is clearly a warm, smiling personality. Well, what is her
background? The answer of Professor Ahmet Davutoglu, who took part in
all of the discussions: "Mrs Clinton has gained great political
experience, first of all as "First Lady" [in English], then as a
Senator, and thereafter as a candidate in the Presidential
election. She has always concerned herself with foreign policy. She is
on top of the issues. Her strength comes not from her surname, but
rather from her personality and her experience. Her being open to
communication is very important."

A warm personality, and an open mind not set in concrete
ideologically, are no doubt harbingers of a better era in
Turkish-American relations.

[Former US President George W.] Bush, with his combative and
exclusionary policies, was the symbol of the concept of the "Ugly
American." But [current US President Barack] Obama and Clinton, with
their peaceful policies of dialogue, reflect the image of the
"Beautiful American."

In fact, the essence and the goals of American politics have not
changed, but in order to dissuade Iran from nuclear weapons, for
instance, Bush brandished threats of war, while Obama speaks of
dialogue, and is working to attract the forces in the region that
appear to be at Iran’s side -including Hamas [Islamic Resistance
Movement]!..

And this in fact has been what Turkey has been considering.

Policies Coincide

On Friday of the preceding week, the Prime Minister’s Foreign Policy
Adviser, Professor Ahmet Davutoglu, and Foreign Ministry Deputy
Undersecretary Unal Cevikoz had met with journalists. I am looking at
the notes I had taken at the meeting in the Konrad Hotel. Davutoglu
had said: "Obama’s foreign policy needs and Turkey’s potential
coincide. Turkish-American relations are going to enter into perhaps
one of their best eras in history!" From this standpoint, Davutoglu
said that "more areas of working in partnership" have come about
between Turkey and America for resolving the problems of the Middle
East, and that the relations would develop yet further. He also said
that, for this reason, he did not consider it very likely that Obama
would speak of [Armenian] "genocide."

At that time, it had not been known that Clinton would come to Turkey,
and, "within a month," Obama as well.

It is clear that the process is going to develop as Davutoglu had
foreseen. Indeed, when we look at Clinton’s statements, the views of
the two countries coincide in large degree on the topics of combating
terrorism, ending the isolation of the KKTC ["Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus"], energy issues, the EU [accession] process, and
resolving the problems of the Middle East.

"Moderate Islam"

And one very positive aspect of Clinton’s visit was its putting an end
to the paranoia over "moderate Islam."

The Bush administration as well had no policy of turning Turkey into a
country that "implements the shari’ah in a moderate way," but their
errors in terminology had given rise to a paranoia of this sort.

It was very good that Clinton put an end to this. She stressed values
like democracy, the secular Constitution, religious freedom, the
market economy, and the sense of responsibility, and said "we do not
categorize any country in accord with its religious identification."

Her conveying a message of "tolerating criticism" to the Prime
Minister was also very good.

Now we should study Turkey’s internal sociological dynamics and
Turkish-American relations as well without falling into the paranoia
of "moderate Islam."

The first steps towards peace in the Muslim Middle East can be taken
by putting paranoias aside and drawing Iran to the table, influencing
Israel towards common sense, and opening radicals to dialogue. It is
certain that, in this, the common efforts of Turkey and America will
play a major role.

[translated from Turkish]

577,375 subscribers connected to Armenia’s gas system as of March 1

YER EVAN, MARCH 10, NOYAN TAPAN. The number of actual gas consuming
subscribers of ArmRusgazprom CJSC grew by 1,531 in February and made
577,375 as of March 1, 2009.

According to the website of the company, with the aim of increasing the
safety of the gas consumption system, 36,130 safety devices were
installed in apartments of subscribers as of March 1, including 21,517
devices installed in February. This year the company plans to install
250,000 safety devices in apartments.

Toronto Star, Canada
March 8 2009

All’s well in the kingdom of Canada

Mar 08, 2009 04:30 AM
Haroon Siddiqui

In the five years since it was established by some students at the
University of Toronto, Israeli Apartheid Week has spread to 40 cities
around the world, according to its organizers.

Dr. David Naylor, U of T president, famously called it "the worst week
of a president’s life." Administrators are bombarded with demands by
pro- and anti-Israeli camps:

Ban the name; abolish the "hate-fest." It creates "a toxic
environment" for Israel advocates, who are "intimidated" by "mobs"
peddling anti-Semitism.

Uphold freedom of speech and assembly. Stand up to "pressure." Don’t
equate criticism of Israeli policies with anti-Semitism or use it as a
club to kill off debate.

This year, Carleton and Ottawa universities banned a pre-event poster
showing an Israeli helicopter firing a missile at a Palestinian child
labelled Gaza.

At York University, a dispute over the student union’s role in the
strike by teaching assistants became a proxy battle over Israel, given
the union’s pro-Palestinian tilt.

Two rallies, Feb. 12 and 17, prompted York to impose penalties on four
student groups for disrupting classes. An ugly Feb. 11 incident led to
an inquiry, still ongoing, into the behaviour of three students.

All this happened before the designated week.

On Monday, the U of T student paper, The Varsity, carried two columns:
"Why Israel is not an apartheid state," by Jeremy Bluvol, and "Why
Israel’s actions constitute apartheid," by Ahmed Mahmoud.

The kickoff event was that night at Ryerson University. I counted 14
people waving Israeli flags. Two guys were having an argument, drawing
no audience.

Inside a packed hall, the atmosphere was collegial, with the feel of a
1960s anti-Vietnam war rally. The audience was a mix of ethnicities
and, more pleasantly, of all ages.

The MC, Golta Shahidi, a U of T student, laid down the rules: No
heckling, no disruptions, no anti-Semitic or other racist remarks.

Author Naomi Klein said she was proud to be there "as a Jewish
Canadian, to stand in firm solidarity" with the Palestinians.

"We are here to speak about a great unspeakable. You can tell by all
the people telling us to shut up.

"Talk. Talk a lot. Debate. Make talking normal. Every transformative
movement goes through this stage: The silence is broken, long
suppressed truths are spoken. There is great rage and denial. And then
change begins."

On the banned poster: "You have heard the argument that the image of
the child under an Israeli missile incites hatred. It is the bombing
of civilians that incites the hatred. That poster makes our stomach
turn because it shows us something that’s true. Seeing those kinds of
images doesn’t incite hatred. It inspires righteous indignation."

Omar Barghouti, the well-known Palestinian activist, spoke next. He
also spoke softly but delivered a tough message about Canadian
complicity in Israeli "war crimes."

Events over the next three days at the U of T and York also went off
smoothly ` flag-waving; a mock wall here and barbed wire there,
depicting the Israeli security barrier; some sloganeering (against
both Hamas and Israel at York Thursday), but no untoward
incident. Police did not lay a single charge.

"All in all, a quiet week," said Robert Steiner, assistant
vice-president at U of T. Robert Tiffin, vice-president at York, and
Heather Lane Vetere, vice-provost at Ryerson, reported the same.

Naylor said campuses are places for passionate debate, within reason,
be it pro-choice and pro-life, or over the Armenian genocide, Sri
Lanka, the Middle East, etc.

He said the term apartheid could not be banned ` "if you Google it,
you’ll find 300,000 entries." Nor could he impose censorship. "We’d
rather focus on maintaining a reasonable climate." Which they did.

I found the officials at all three universities to be reasonable,
even-handed and calm in the face of provocation and pressure.

Contrary to all the claims and counter-claims, at times repeated by
gullible media, all is reasonably well in the kingdom of Canada.

8099

Banks of Armenia interested in certification of quality management
systems

2009-03-10 17:41:00

ArmInfo. The banks of Armenia are interested in certification of the
quality management systems, Chief Auditor of TUV Group representation
in Lebanon and Armenia Krikor Tchifjyan, being in Yerevan, told
ArmInfo. He introduced his assessment of the Armenian banks’ interest
in receiving a certificate of compliance of the bank quality management
system with requirements of ISO 9001 international standard.

According to the auditor’s assessment, the banks’ interest in
development and implementation of the quality management systems is
explained by the bank’s aspiration to render high-quality services to
their clients in conditions of the intensifying competition in the
banking sector of Armenia. He also said the compliance certificate is
required for the banks to confirm the bank’s ability to provide the
services meeting the clients’ requirements, as well as the requirements
of the legislation and the regulatory authorities.

He also said that standard ISO 9001:2008 is a guide which makes it
possible for organizations to optimize all the business processes
directed to satisfaction of the clients’ demands and ensuring
effectiveness of their activity. The idea of control and permanent
improvement of quality is based on such principles as orientation to
consumer, leadership, involvement of workers, the processing
approach, the systemized approach to management, endless improvement,
approach to adoption of decisions on the basis of facts and mutually
beneficial relations with suppliers.

At the same time he said that TUV Group, being one of the leading
international companies, has great experience in many countries of the
world, including Armenia. About 10 companies that got certificates of
TUV Group in Armenia, represent various spheres of economy, including
the financial sector.

Comparing privileges of the ISO 9001 certificate, given by the TUV
Group with certificates of other companies, he mentioned distinct work
peculiar to German companies and their authority in Europe and out of
it.

The goal of the auditor’s visit to Yerevan was to conduct a certified
audit of the quality management of Ameriabank CJSC for conformance to
the standard ISO 9001:2008. In case of a positive result, the bank may
become the first company in Armenia to be certified by the new standard
ISO 9001:2008 announced in November 2008 to replace ISO 9001:2000.

K. Tchifjyan brought the key differences of the new standard ISO
9001:2008 from ISO 9001:2000: extension of the product conception
including any result of the product sales (services); changed
approach to the structure of required documents; additional requirement
to taking measures adequate to the potential and real consequences in
case of revealing nonconforming products after
consumption or provision; as well as toughened requirements to
outsourcing organization and control at companies. TUV Group
(Technischer Uberwachungsverein – "Union of Technical Inspection
Groups) is one of the leading international companies engaged in
certification, consulting, and education. TUV’s annual turnover exceed
1.27 billion euro (1/5 of the company’s turnover is outside Germany).
The company has a strong position of leader among similar companies in
the European Union. TUV Group has over 500 service centers and
representations in Europe, the USA and Asia.