Author: Babajanian Karo

Interfax, Russia
Sept 23 2011

IMF keeps Armenian 2011 GDP growth forecast at 4.6%

YEREVAN. Sept 23

The International Monetary Fund has kept its 2011 GDP growth forecast
for Armenia at 4.6%, but lowered the 2012 forecast to 4% from 4.3%.

“Overall macroeconomic conditions have improved. As a result of a
rebound in the agricultural sector and dynamic industry and services
sectors, growth outturns are set to improve this year in line with our
previous projection of 4.6% growth,” the IMF office in Yerevan said in
a statement, citing Mark Horton, who led the recent IMF Mission to
Armenia. However, due to less than favorable external conditions, the
forecast for 2012 has been lowered to 4%.

The IMF said the fiscal balance has continued to improve, with the
overall deficit expected to come down to below 4% in 2011 from 5% in
2010. In order to ensure debt sustainability, the deficit is expected
to continue to be reduced in 2012.

“The Central Bank continues to show a commitment to a flexible
exchange rate and the inflation targeting regime, engaging in limited
foreign exchange interventions to smooth volatility,” the statement
said. Inflationary pressure is being eased through recovery in
agriculture and lower international prices for raw materials. Annual
inflation in August was 4.8% and it is expected to remain low in 2012.

The IMF Mission visited Armenia from September 7 to 20 to monitor
implementation of the EFF/ECF program.

The EFF/ECF program, worth 266.8 million SDR ($419 million), was
approved by the IMF board in June 2010.

ANCA chairman discusses plight of Georgian-Armenian community in Georgia

12:16 – 24.09.11

Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Chairman Ken Hachikian
conducted has conducted a series of high-level meetings with Georgian
authorities and Armenian community leaders in Samtskhe- Javakheti.

According to Asbarez.com his visit to the Armenian-populated Georgian
region aimed to expand assistance to Armenian Communities in Javakhk
and Tbilisi.

`This trip was an excellent opportunity to have a frank and open
discussion with Georgian authorities and our own US representatives in
that country about the opportunities and challenges facing the
Armenian communities in Javakhk and Tbilisi,’ said Hachikian. `In the
upcoming months, we look forward to working with the Administration
and Members of Congress and exploring ways to expand cooperation with
our compatriots in the region.’

In a week-long trip to Georgia’s capital Tbilisi and
Samtskhe-Javakheti (Javakhk) region, Hachikian was joined by ANCA
Communications Director Elizabeth Chouldjian in discussing the
Armenian American community’s concerns about the socio-economic
situation in the regions and efforts to maintain the Armenian culture
and language of the community in the broader tapestry of Georgia’s
cultural diversity.

Hachikian and Chouldjian met with Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol
Vashadze, Cultural Minister Nikoloz Rurua, and representatives of the
Ministries of Education, Justice, Regional Development and
Infrastructure, Regional Integration and the National Security
Council, which assisted in coordinating the meetings. They also
discussed US policy and assistance efforts in the region with US
Ambassador to Georgia John Bass, outgoing USAID Country Director Jock
Connelly and Millennium Challenge Corporation Resident Country
Director Jim McNicholas.

ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian and Communications Director Elizabeth
Chouldjian with youth and activists from the Armenian Community of
Georgia NGO.

In Javakhk as in Tbilisi, the ANCA representatives spoke with a broad
range of Armenian representatives of non-governmental organizations
and the Armenian Church. The ANCA looks to continue this dialogue with
Armenian community leaders, the Georgian government as well a US
Administration and Congressional leaders in an effort to help address
the needs of the local community.

Tert.am

news.am, Armenia
Sept 24 2011

Scandal in Armenian-Georgian relations? – newspaper

September 24, 2011 | 09:55

YEREVAN. – A scandal is brewing in recent days in Armenian-Georgian
relations, Haykakan Zhamanak daily writes. `Georgia’s President
Mikheil Saakashvili did not congratulate [Armenian President] Serzh
Sargsyan on the occasion of 20th anniversary of Armenia’s
independence, in the case when such congratulations were made even by
Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul.

And gas supply from Georgia to Armenia was suspended yesterday
[Friday], and, against the backdrop of the abovementioned, the
official explanations – that the shutdown is for technical reasons – play
second fiddle.

According to the newspaper’s information, for a long time Georgia also
is not allowing the transfer of weapons and ammunition from Russia to
Armenia,’ Haykakan Zhamanak writes.

Times.am, Armenia
Sept 24 2011

S. Sargsyan: `Without recognition and condemnation Genocide, it will
be impossible to develop and implement effective mechanisms of
prevention’

By Times.am at 24 September, 2011, 10:26 am

Armenian President spoke about genocides and the importance of the
genocide’s recognition during his speech at the 66th session of the UN
General Assembly, press service of Armenian President informs.

`Mr. President,

In the frameworks of this Assembly, alongside debates on some of the
most vital and urgent issues of our time, a high-level meeting took
place yesterday on the 10th anniversary of the Durban Declaration,
which reiterated the urgent need to eliminate racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and all forms of intolerance.

Unfortunately, such intolerance is known to us, Armenians, not only
through the examples I mentioned earlier. As a nation that has
survived a genocide, the most extreme form of racism and xenophobia,
we are morally obliged to act for the prevention of future genocides’,
S. Sargsyan noted.

‘The elimination of racism and xenophobia and the inculcation of
tolerance can become a truly effective mechanism if accompanied with
clear prescription of liability. Impunity and avoidance of liability
give birth to yet new crimes. Hence, it is incumbent upon us in the
international community to identify and denounce without delay any
expression of intolerance, but especially its extreme forms.

The Genocide of the Armenians perpetrated in the Ottoman Empire has
been recognized and condemned by numerous countries, parliaments,
international organizations, and genocide scholars’ community.
Unfortunately, the same does not hold true for the Republic of Turkey,
which continues to engage in a policy of denying this atrocious crime
committed against humanity.

We unequivocally welcome the clear position adopted by the
international community in precluding any possibility of immunity or
pardon for perpetrators of genocide or other crimes against humanity.

Without recognition and condemnation, it will be impossible to develop
and implement effective mechanisms of prevention, which is one of the
UN’s priorities. Armenia will contribute its most to the recognition,
punishment, and prevention of genocides.

These references to the Armenian Genocide lead me to recall another
important celebration marked this year: the 150th birthday of Fridtjof
Nansen, the first High Commissioner for Refugees. In the most
difficult period for my nation, the great humanist rendered priceless
support to the survival of the homeland-deprived fragments of the
Armenians fleeing from the Genocide. Holders of the Nansen passports
settled in various countries of the world, reaching as far as South
America. They rose to their feet and partook in the development of the
countries and peoples hosting them.

I believe that justice and the equality of rights between states have
become standards in international relations owing to such powerful
individuals who promoted their vision of morality in that cruel world
of the `realpolitik,’ Armenian President said.

/Times.am/

news.am, Armenia
Sept 24 2011

Armenian MOD and OSCE discuss cooperation prospects

September 24, 2011 | 11:26

YEREVAN. – Armenian Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan on Friday
received Ambassador Sergey Kapinos, Head of the OSCE Office in
Yerevan, in connection with the end of Kapinos’ diplomatic mission in
Armenia. During the meeting, the interlocutors discussed the
prospects for expanding cooperation between OSCE Office in Yerevan and
Armenian MOD. They both underscored the implementation of joint
programs toward protecting human rights in the armed forces and
raising military servicemen’s awareness of laws.

The defense minister also thanked Ambassador Kapinos for OSCE Yerevan
office’s expert assistance, as a result of which, changes are
envisioned in the Disciplinary Code of Armenia’s Armed Forces, the
`Leadership in the Armed Forces’ study course is added in the
military-educational programs, and the `Human Rights in the Armed
Forces’ course will also be included in the near future.

For his contribution to effective cooperation in recent years between
OSCE and Armenian MOD, Minister Ohanyan awarded Ambassador Kapinos the
`Military Cooperation’ Administrative Medal, Armenia’s MOD informed
Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Sargsyan speaks at UN: Armenian president blasts Azerbaijan, Turkey
from high tribune

Politics | 24.09.11 | 10:29

Photo:

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on Friday delivered a speech at the
66th session of the United Nations General Assembly in which he, in
particular, spoke about the Karabakh peace process and the recent
Armenian-Turkish normalization efforts.

In his far-ranging remarks from the high tribune, the Armenian leader
effectively accused Azerbaijan and Turkey of impeding progress in both
processes.

`Azerbaijan’s utter unwillingness to reach an agreement and its
`everything or war’ position have stalled progress in the peace talks.
Despite the expectations and the high-level advice from the
international community, Azerbaijan took yet another step back during
the last meeting in Kazan by rejecting the previously elaborated
arrangement and trying, in fact, to break down the negotiation
process,’ Sargsyan, in particular, said in reference to the latest
developments in the internationally mediated peace talks.

Regarding the unsuccessful attempt of recent years at a rapprochement
with Turkey, the Armenian head of state again accused Ankara of
`aborting’ the ratification and implementation of the normalization
protocols initialed in 2009. He also stressed that Turkey continues to
engage in a policy of denying the Ottoman-era genocide of Armenians.

Read President Serzh Sargsyan’s full speech at the UN in English here:

And in Armenian here:

NKR REPRESENTATIVE TO FRANCE DECORATED WITH MARSEILLES CITY ORDER

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic

2011-09-24 11:42
During the festive event dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the
proclamation of the Republic of Armenia’s independence and taken place
in Marseilles city, Representative of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic to
France Hovhannes Gevorgian was decorated with the order of Marseilles
city.

The order was handed by Vice-Mayors of Marseilles, Deputies of the
National Assembly of France Gee Tessier and Valery Buae who noted that
with such a step, the city’s Mayor’s Office expressed its political
positions towards the NKR.

ORGANIZED CRIMINAL GANG NEUTRALIZED IN ARMENIA

news.am
Sept 23 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – An organized criminal gang suspected of committing several
serious crimes in the capital was neutralized early this morning,
the spokesperson for Armenia’s Prosecutor General Sona Truzyan told
Armenian News-NEWS.am.

According to her, the police possessed secret information that the
gang is planning a new crime. The criminals showed armed resistance
that was suppressed and the group disarmed. A large quantity of
ammunition was discovered and confiscated.

A criminal case was instituted under Article 316 (violence against
a government representative) and 235 (trafficking of arms and
ammunition). 13 citizens, allegedly gang members, have been detained.

According to Truzyan, rumors that sons of several high rank officials
have been detained are not true. Son of Deputy Chief of the Special
Investigation Service was detained later, near the building of Yerevan
State University, as a result of vehicle check. A group of other
people who were noticed near a vehicle presumably used by suspects
was also detained.

Truzyan said the son of Special Investigation Service Deputy Chief
is still in the Police.

“Investigation is underway, the results will be announced later,”
said the spokesperson for Prosecutor General.

Yerevan has been actively discussing the morning police operation and
neutralization of the criminal group. According to circulating rumors,
sons of famous people might be implicated in it. The names of Judge
Tigran Sahakyan’s son, the son of a Defense Ministry Investigation
Service official and the son of Special Investigation Service Deputy
Chief Marsel Matevosyan were particularly common in this discourse.

As reported earlier, the alleged gang members tried to escape on
Mercedes-Benz vehicle with plate numbers of 60 OO 086 but failed and
crashed into a pole. In a futile attempt to escape on foot one of them
fell off a cliff and crashed. His identity is already established as
49-year-old Gurgen Hayrapetyan.

It is assumed that the criminal group is the one that recently
attacked the houses of several famous people, in particular the
mansion of former director of Lincy foundation programs and current
vice-chairman of Yerevandorstroy LCC Eduard Bezoyan and the house of
former MP Napoleon Azizyan.

ROMANIA SUPPORTS DECISIONS OF PARTIES TO KARABAKH CONFLICT – AMBASSADOR

news.am
Sept 23 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN.- Romania fully supports decisions of the parties to the
Karabakh conflict and does not accept decisions that come from
elsewhere, said Romanian Ambassador to Armenia Crina Prunariu.

Romania fully supports the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group considering
that its mediatory efforts are not exhausted, she said.

“Only decisions made by the parties can provide long-lasting peace
and development of the states,” Prunariu said.

The diplomat stressed that the conflicts can be different but in all
cases solutions must be in conformity with the international law.

MOLDOVA SELLS ARMS WITH EXPIRED SHELF LIFE BUT NOT TO LIBYA – DEFENSE MINISTER

Interfax
Sept 22 2011
Russia

An Ilyushin Il-76 jetliner, which came to Moldova from Libya’s Benghazi
on September 12, departed to Armenia on September 14, Moldovan
Defense Minister Vitalie Marinuta said at a special meeting of the
Parliamentary Commission for National Security, Defense and Public
Order on Wednesday.

He said the plane took aboard 30 tonnes of armaments and ammunition
with the expired shelf life.

“The entire national administration was informed about that arms deal.

We complied with the Moldovan laws and international conventions. The
plane was empty when it arrived in Moldova, and all the countries of
transit issued permits for that flight. When the arms were loaded,
the plane departed to its point of destination, Armenia,” he said.

“The deal has nothing to do with Libya. It is just that the plane
came from Benghazi after having fulfilled another order,” he said.

“The Moldovan Armed Forces are selling armaments with the expired
shelf life. The process started over a decade ago and continued by
the decision of the parliament and the government. We cannot dispose
of these armaments and hardware here, because we have no relevant
infrastructure. We are also unable to modernize them. Other countries
can do that, so we have decided to sell the arms,” he said.

“The arms deal has a value of millions of dollars,” the minister said.

He refused to give the precise sum.