Author: Babajanian Karo

EURASIANET: FALL OF OIL PRICES HITS RESERVES OF AZERBAIJAN’S CENTRAL BANK: AUTHORITIES HAVE NOT PREPARED PEOPLE FOR HARD TIMES

19:47 23/12/2014 >> POLITICS

With Brent crude oil, the benchmark for the oil market, now hovering
around $60 a barrel, Baku might well have something to fear. In an
interview with Russia’s Rossiya-24 TV channel earlier in December,
President Ilham Aliyev admitted that falling oil prices could have
a negative impact on the government’s budgetary plans, reports
informational – analytic portal EurasiaNet.

As noted in the article one-third of the 2015 budget is slotted for
investment projects; 20 percent of those investments are slated to
fund a presidential pet project, the May 2015 European Olympic Games
in the capital, Baku, economists estimate. Aliyev, however, stated
that infrastructure projects could be reduced, if need be.

The industry generates the most economic activity outside of the energy
sector, noted economist Samir Aliyev, editor-in-chief of the Economic
Forum Magazine, an analytical monthly. “If the government halts such
projects now, it will leave lots of people unemployed,” he predicted.

As it is noted in the article, where the price will go in the coming
weeks is hard to predict. What is certain is that the Azerbaijani
government’s margin for expansive spending is slim.

In comments to EurasiaNet, Oil Fund spokesperson Jamala Aliyeva
confirmed that “annual transfers and financing of strategic projects
…

may cause [a] deficit SOFAZ budget for 2015” as world oil prices
decline.

Economist Samir Aliyev claims the Azerbaijani Central Bank’s reserves
already have been impacted, too, writes the EurasiaNet and adds
that the Bank did not respond to a request for comment in time for
publication.

According to economist Natig Jafarli it was necessary to fight
corruption, diversify the state budget revenues, encourage small and
medium enterprises; however, the government never did that.

“For those who already struggle to make ends meet in Azerbaijan,
lower oil prices are a source of unease. Salman Guliyev, 74, who sells
candies in one of Baku’s backstreets, worries about what higher prices
will mean for his ability to support his disabled wife and himself,”
the portal writes.

Source: Panorama.am

ARMENIA, CHINA SIGN ECONOMIC AND TECHNICAL COOPERATION AGREEMENT

20:32 * 23.12.14

Armenia’s Deputy FM and Chinese Ambassador to Armenia Tiang Erlung
signed an intergovernmental economic and technical cooperation
agreement on Tuesday.

Under the agreement, the Chinese government is to render 60m yuan
assistance to Armenia.

LE DRAM ARMENIEN A CONTINUE DE BAISSER

ARMENIE

Le dram armenien a continue de baisser face aux principales devises
internationales alors que la Banque centrale a reduit la quantite
quotidienne de ventes aux enchères qu’il avait lance la semaine
dernière dans le but de consolider la monnaie nationale.

Selon les taux de la Banque Centrale, le dram a diminue en moyenne
de 8,97 point pour s’etablir a 471.78 drams / 1 USD, tandis que la
baisse face a l’euro et la livre britannique etait de 10,91 et 13,8
points respectivement (585,95 / 1 euro et 740,55 drams / 1 GBP).

Pendant ce temps, dans les banques commerciales et les bureaux de
change a la fin de la journee, le taux de change du dollar a baisse
a 500 Drams. La dernière fois que le coût d’un dollar a plus de 500
Drams en Armenie etait en 2004.

La depreciation actuelle du dram a commence a la fin Novembre.

Longtemps la monnaie nationale armenienne negociait a environ 410 a
415 contre un dollar.

Lundi, la Banque Centrale a reduit la quantite de dollars vendus de
6 a 4 millions d’euros.

mardi 23 decembre 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

GAGIK MAKARYAN: GOVERNMENT LACKS GOOD ECONOMISTS (VIDEO)

13:21 | December 23,2014 | Economy

Chairman of the Republican Union of Employers Gagik Makaryan says
2014 aroused both positive and negative moods for Armenians.’resulted
in changes.’

On the other hand, Gagik Makaryan singled out negative phenomena that
happened in the passing year.

“We have been unable to reduce the level of poverty and unemployment.

Export volumes have declined sharply, which in turn, affected
exporters. Many businessmen who were exporting canned products stopped
their business. There has been drastic decline in transfers and many
other factors the consequences of which will be felt in the coming
year,” he said.

Gagik Makaryan says the existing force majeure situation showed that
the government lacks skillful economists.

“Everyone in the cabinet is a good financier but not an economist.

None of them has economic and analytical abilities. The ruling faction
in parliament does not have good economists either. The economists
who can really make deep economic analyzes are called opposition.

Mr Makaryan says to overcome the force majeure situation the government
should consolidate its economic team, otherwise, the country will
suffer losses in its foreign policy as well.

Despite all these negative factors, the Chairman of the Republican
Union of Employers says the volumes of foreign investments have
increased in Armenia.

Speaking about the currency rate fluctuations, Mr Makaryan said the
Russian rubble will remain in agony in next six months.

“100 YEARS…TRUE STORIES” BOOK PUBLISHED

December 23, 2014 15:31

Yerevan /Mediamax/. The presentation of “100 Years…True Stories”
book was held in Yerevan today.

The book comprises 50 true unedited stories in which predecessors of
the Armenians who survived the Genocide speak on how their ancestors
had been rescued by Turkish neighbors or friends.

The stories were compiled with joint forces of European Integration
NGO and Armedia Information-Analytical Agency. The compilation of the
stories and publication were carried out within “Turk Who Saved Me”
project funded by the UK government.

Head of European Integration NGO Karen Bekaryan said at the
presentation of the book that the initiative pursued several goals.

“There are people among those Armenians who survived the Genocide and
were rescued by Turkish neighbors, friends or common Turkish people
witnessing the events. The project is aimed at making this public so
as the good step wouldn’t be forgotten. We intended to demonstrate
all the segments of fair memory”, said Karen Bekaryan.

With the efforts Tursu.tv production company, the Turkish partner of
the project, the stories were published in 8 Turkish media outlets-
Taraf, Zaman, Radikal, Demokrat haber, Evrensel, Yurt and T24.

“Due to the taboos existing in the Turkish society, the stories
were not available to larger masses of the Turkish society. Owing
to the publication of the stories, we attempted to build a bridge
of mutual trust between the Armenian and Turkish societies”, noted
Karen Bekaryan.

Columnist of the Turkish partner of the project, T24 media, Aris Nalj,
said in Yerevan today that the unedited version of publications of
the stories in the Turkish media outlets proved that there is nothing
impossible in Turkey.

“We presented what the predecessors of the survived people think
today. On the threshold of 2015, it’ll be very interesting to listen
to what the predecessors of the Turks who rescued Armenians during
the Genocide think”, said Aris Nalj.

The book is printed in Armenian, Turkish and English. The Turkish
version of the book was presented in Istanbul on December 16.

TURQUIE : ACHARNEMENT JUDICIAIRE CONTRE PINAR SELEK

Justice

On n’ose le croire. Après 4 acquittements, retour a la case depart
pour la socioloque Pinar Selek. Le procureur de la 15ème Cour penale
d’Istanbul disposait d’une semaine pour faire appel de la decision
du 19 decembre. L’affaire est renvoyee devant la Cour supreme de
cassation.

Le 5 decembre dernier, au terme d’une audience de 25 minutes pendant
laquelle aucun fait n’avait ete presente, le procureur avait requis la
reclusion a perpetuite contre Pinar Selek. Mais, contre toute attente,
le 19 decembre Pinar Selek avait ete acquitte après que son père,
avocat, eu demontre que des preuves avaient ete “fabriquees”.

Elle est accusee depuis 1998 d’avoir participe a un attentat a la
bombe sur le marche d’Istanbul, explosion qui avait fait 7 morts
et une centaine de blesses. On sait qu’il n’y a jamais eu de bombe,
mais une explosion consecutive a une fuite de gaz.

A la suite de la decision du procureur, le Collectif Solidarite avec
Pinar Selek ecrit :

SARGSYAN: ARMENIA’S COOPERATION WITH OTHER CSTO MEMBER COUNTRIES ONE OF ITS FOREIGN POLICY’S TOP PRIORITIES

YEREVAN, December 23. /ARKA/. Armenia’s cooperation with other CSTO
member countries is one of its foreign policy’s top priorities,
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan was quoted by a correspondent
of Novosti-Armenia in Moscow as saying Tuesday at a session of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization’s Collective Security Council.

AZERBAIJANI PASSENGERS LEAVE YEREVAN WITH GRATITUDE

13:28, 23 December, 2014

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. “Armenpress” News Agency managed
to get an official confirmation that the Azerbaijani passengers of
Kyiv-Tbilisi-Kyiv flight of Ukraine International Airlines spent a
night in Yerevan’s Zvartnots Airport.

The aircraft landed in Armenia on December 21-22 due to unsatisfactory
weather conditions in Tbilisi. First time there have been 24
Azerbaijanis in the aircraft and 13 second time.

The Press Secretary of the General Department of Civil Aviation Ruben
Grdzelyan stated: “We provided them with everything, including food.

On the second day 4 men refused to get out of the aircraft, but taking
into account that the aircraft gets colder at night, the aircraft
was heated for those four passengers and the crew.

They arrived at 01:00. The first one left for Tbilisi at 08:00 in the
morning, while the second one left at 06:00. They left with gratitude
and satisfaction for our security measures and thanked us for it. They
shook hands and left.”

As to the rumors circulating in the Azerbaijani media saying that the
passports were taken away, then such issue never aroused. They did
not cross the border. The passports were just checked up, when the
passengers went back to the aircraft. Among other things, the Press
Secretary of the General Department of Civil Aviation Ruben Grdzelyan
underscored that there was only one Azerbaijani passenger, who made
noise. In addition, Grdzelyan noted: “All the other passengers were
very satisfied and grateful.”

NATURE PROTECTION MINISTER’S FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE FOR 2014: PART 1- VIDEO

15:36 December 22, 2014

EcoLur

Nature Protection Minister Aramayis Grigoryan finalized the performance
of the minitry for year 2014 at the press conference held on 22
December. During his speech the Minister covered the most important
issues in the field – development of legal acts, water resources in
Ararat Valley, Lake Sevan, SHPPs, specially protected areas, soil
management problems.

EcoLur presents the materials of the press conference categorized
by topics:

Development of legal acts

The Nature Protection Minister mentioned that five laws regulating
the environmental fields were adopted in 2014 (2 laws in 2013),
30 governmental resolutions (27 in 2013) and 5 resolutions of the
Armenian PM (3 in 2013), 9 interdepartmental acts (6 in 2013).

In his speech the Nature Protection Minister said they experienced
problems in regard with these laws and outlined RA Law ‘On
Environmental Impact Assessment and Expertise’.

‘I don’t know why there were deputies in the National Assembly, who
sought to consider the law as improper and urgently prepared… ‘RA
Law ‘On Environmental Impact Assessment and Expertise’ had been in the
National Assembly for 1.5 years, so the MPs were able to read it, make
their proposals, which they hadn’t done…’Aramayis Grigoryan said.

To be continued….

KARABAGH : UN SOLDAT MEURT EN PREMIERE LIGNE

KARABAGH

Un militaire est mort dans le Haut-Karabagh le 21 Decembre annonce
le ministère de la Defense de la Republique du Haut Karabagh.

Selon le communique, David Koloyan, ne en 1995, est mort dans un
incident fatal dans l’un des postes de l’armee de defense stationne
dans la direction de l’est.

Une enquete est en cours afin de preciser les details de l’incident.

Le ministère de la Defense de la Republique du Haut Karabagh a presente
ses condoleances a la famille et amis du militaire.

mardi 23 decembre 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com