Author: Badalian Vardan

AZERBAIJANI MP SAYS MASS RESIGNATIONS IN ARMENIA DUE TO UPCOMING ELECTIONS

news.az
Nov 2 2011
Azerbaijan

The ongoing resignations in Armenian authorities are due to the
upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in the country.

The statement came from Azerbaijani MP, political expert Rasim
Musabayov.

“President Serzh Sargsyan tries to consolidate his power in a run up
to the elections in Armenia through resignations,” Musabayov said.

Sargsyan is trying to dismiss those who are known to be close to
former Armenian President Robert Kocharian, the MP added.

“There are still many people close to ex-President Robert Kocharian
in Armenian authorities. Anyway, the recent talks had it that the
former Armenian president may seek to regain the presidential post
as it is happening in Russia.

“Therefore, I believe that Serzh Sargsyan cleans the power in a bid
to maintain control in the country,” Musabayov noted.

STRENGTH OF ARMENIAN GROWTH AND EXPORTS PERSISTS IN SEPTEMBER
Venla Sipila

Global Insight
November 1, 2011

According to the latest estimates from the Armenian National
Statistical Service, economic activity in September soared by 9%
year-on-year (y/y), ARKA News reports, marking some moderation from the
August growth rate of 9.6% y/y. In month-on-month (m/m) terms, growth
reached 17%. These rates brought expansion for the January-September
period to 6.4% y/y. Annual industrial growth in September registered
16.6%, but construction activity fell by over a fourth from September
last year. Meanwhile, agricultural output increased by 18.6% y/y,
while it swelled by nearly 40% from August.

Further, the Statistical Service also reported on foreign trade data.

Goods exports in January-September increased by 33.5% y/y, amounting
to USD970 million, whereas import growth was clearly more modest, at
12% y/y. With imports totalling USD2.980 billion, the trade deficit
for the first three quarters of the year totalled around US2.0
billion. Most important export good groups included mining products,
non-precious metals, and precious and semiprecious stones. Key import
goods consisted of mining products and machinery and equipment,
among other things.

Significance:The latest estimates of Armenian economic performance
testify to persistent strength of economic expansion, while pointing
to some improvement in external balances. Encouragingly, annual
export growth somewhat accelerated from August while import growth
moderated clearly. This probably partly reflects lower growth of
food product imports, due to better domestic harvest than last year,
when agricultural output was badly hit by drought. Export value has
also benefited from high metal prices. While the Armenian economic
recovery recently has been surprisingly strong, it is now likely to
lose momentum. Moreover, risks increase going forward, given that the
global economic outlook is very uncertain, and any marked external
growth slowdown would restrict availability of crucially important
remittance inflows to Armenia.

ERDOGAN: TURKS DISAPPOINTED WITH GERMANY

Panorama, Armenia
Nov 2 2011

Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan having noted that Germany doesn’t
support Turkey to join the EU family said that Turks were disappointed
with Germany, reported Turkish “Zaman”.

“Germany is expected to do more for Turkey to join EU,” said Erdogan
stressing that the German policy doesn’t put forth enough efforts to
integrate 3 million Turks into its society.

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DEMANDS LETTER FROM TURKEY ON ANTI-ARMENIAN ACTIVIST

news.am, Armenia
Nov 2 2011

ISTANBUL. – The Turkish government sent a letter with regard to the
lawsuit, which was filed against Switzerland with the European Court
of Human Rights (ECHR), by Dogu Perincek, a sworn anti-Armenian
activist who is currently in prison in connection with Turkey’s
Ergenekon affair.

ECHR had demanded writing from Turkey, concerning the court proceedings
launched against Switzerland by chairman Dogu Perincek of Turkey’s
Workers’ Party. And it became apparent that Turkey has sent a letter
to ECHR, and in Perincek’s favor, Hurriyet daily of Turkey informed.

To note, the Swiss court had sentenced Perincek for denying the
Armenian Genocide.

Dogu Perincek is known for his extreme anti-Armenian activities. The
Talat Pasha organization, which Perincek founded, fights against the
Armenian Genocide’s recognition in Europe.

Also, Turkish journalists had found out that Perincek has Armenian
roots, as inhabitants of the village, where his mother and father
had lived, were entirely Armenians.

TURKEY, ISRAEL TO FACE NEW CRISIS OVER TURKISH SPY SATELLITE PROJECT

PanARMENIAN.Net
November 2, 2011 – 19:55 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Turkey and Israel are likely to face a new crisis
over Turkey’s Gokturk electro-optical satellite project, which will
pave the way for the Turkish military to gather its own intelligence.

The project will enable Turkey to acquire high-resolution images for
military intelligence in Europe, the Caucasus and the Middle East. It
will also strengthen Turkey’s hand in fighting the outlawed Kurdistan
Workers’ Party (PKK).

Concerned that the satellite will gather images of its territory,
Israel has pressured France, which is working on the construction of
the satellite in cooperation with the Italian-based company Telespazio,
to stop the project. Given the possibility that its efforts in France
may yield no results, Israeli officials are also lobbying in Ankara.

Once the satellite is launched in 2012, Turkey will be able to sell
the images it obtains to other countries as well. Israel is currently
attempting to negotiate with Turkish officials in order to ensure
Turkey does not sell images of Israel to other states and Palestine.

However, the response from Turkish officials was clear: “We will
decide how to use the images taken by our satellite.”

Speaking to Today’s Zaman, high-level officials from the Turkish
Defense Ministry said: “For years, Israel has obtained images of
our territory. For the first time, we will have a satellite for
intelligence. Reciprocity is essential in international relations. If
they observe Turkish soil, Turkey has the same right, too.”

PERINCEK V. SWITZERLAND GENOCIDE DENIAL LAWSUIT ONGOING

PanARMENIAN.Net
November 2, 2011 – 21:16 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – A delegation of 160 people has gone to Switzerland
to show support for the head of Turkey’s Workers’ Party, Dogu Perincek,
who is on trial there for publicly denying Armenian Genocide.

The general leader of the Turkish Workers’ Party, Perincek is on
trial in Switzerland for negating Armenian Genocide during a 2005
demonstration in Lausanne, Hurriyet reported.

Having been convicted by a Swiss court of law for denial of Genocide,
Perincek filed a return lawsuit against Switzerland with the European
Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

ECHR addressed Turkey, requesting a case-related letter, which was
sent today by Ankara.

The response of ECHR remains to be seen.

SASHA YENGOYAN KNOCKS DOWN NUGZAR MARGVELASHVILI

Aysor.am
Wednesday,November 02

Armenian professional boxer Sasha Yengoyan who was representing Belgium
took his usual victory on the ring. On November he met Georgian Nugzar
Margvelashvili and defeated him on the 8th round.

LET’S SPREAD A RUMOR THAT KARDASHIAN IS A TURKISH – NYT COLUMNIST

Tert.am
16:36 02.11.11

Nicholas Kristof, columnist for the New York Times has addressed
popular American-Armenian real time star Kim Kardashian’s divorce
with husband Kris Humpharies, criticizing her for spending too much
on marriage which lasted only 72 days.

“Kim Kardashian cld have spent her wedding money instead building
200 schools in poor countries,” Kristof said on his Twitter page. “On
behalf of Amernian-Americans, I apologize for Kim Kardashian. Let’s
start a rumor that she’s actually Turkish.”

According to The Atlantic Wire, Elmira Bayrasli, a writer for Forbes
responded to Kristof’s tweet by saying, “[Kristof] advocates for the
poor but is willing to malign an entire ethnic group (the Turks).

Disheartening & disappointing.”

But Kristof said in response that he had sought only to malign Kim,
not Turks.

“I didn’t malign Turks. I maligned Kim K and mocked Armenian-Turkish
tensions. No nastiness toward Turks,” he said.

10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE U.S. AMBASSADORS FUND FOR CULTURAL PRESERVATION CELEBRATED AT THE ARAM KHACHATURYAN HOUSE MUSEUM

armradio.am
02.11.2011 17:23

The U.S. Embassy in Armenia marked the 10th anniversary of the
U.S. Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) on November 2,
2011 at the Aram Khachaturyan House Museum in Yerevan.

During the celebration, the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern
and Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan took part in a ceremonial
signing for the restoration of the Garni Medieval Bridge, the 2011
AFCP initiative. The $110,000 U.S.-funded Garni Medieval Bridge
project is the largest AFCP project received by Armenia. Guests,
government officials, and Armenia’s past AFCP project recipients
recognized the role of the fund in preserving Armenia’s cultural
legacy and a shared world heritage.

Since its approval by the U.S. Congress in the fall of 2000, the U.S.

Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation has funded more than 640
cultural preservation projects in over 100 countries, representing
a contribution of nearly $26 million towards the preservation of
cultural heritage worldwide.

The Fund supports a wide range of projects that work to preserve
cultural heritage including the restoration of historic buildings,
assessment and conservation of museum collections, archaeological
site preservation, documentation of vanishing traditional craft
techniques, improved storage conditions for archives and manuscripts,
and documentation of indigenous languages.

In Armenia the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation has
supported the following projects:

~U 2005 – The Armenian National Film and Photo Archive: the creation
of climate controlled storage space for the Armenian film, photo,
and audio archives.

~U 2007 – The Tatev Scholarly Center in Syunik Region: the clearing
and preservation of the Center’s compound.

~U 2009 – Noratus Medieval Cemetery and Collection of Khachkars:
the mapping and cataloging of the site and fence installation.

~U 2010 – Documentation of Traditional Armenian Music and Dance
(in progress).

~U 2011 – Preservation of a Medieval Masonry Bridge in the Garni Gorge.

PROCEDURES FOR SME TO RENT REAL ESTATE WILL BE EASED FROM JANUARY 2012

ARKA
Oct 2, 2011

YEREVAN, October 2. / ARKA /. Procedures for small and medium-sized
businesses to rent real estate will be eased substantially from January
2012, the chairman of a non-governmental organization “Network to
protect business interests,” Gagik Poghosyan, said today.

“It is quite a complicated and expensive process now, but from the
1st of January 2012 small and medium-sized businesses will be able to
register the lease only via State Real Property Cadastre Committee,
and the requirement for notarization, which is mandatory now, will
be eliminated,” he said at the press conference on Wednesday after
a meeting of Council for the Development of SMEs.

According to Poghosyan, it is also important that from January 1 fees
for rent registration will be fixed.