Author: Badalian Vardan

Bako Sahakyn congratulates Karabakh people on Independence Day

11:52 – 03.09.11

President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR, Artsakh) Bako
Sahakyan has congratulated his people on the 20th anniversary of the
country’s independence.

“It was our nation’s centuries-old dream to re-establish its lost
statehood and have a free and independent homeland. Artsakh has always
been the bearer and pioneer of these ideas. There is no coincidence
that it symbolizes unity and the revivial of national
self-consciousness of the world spread Armenians,” he said in his
congratulatory address delivered in Stepanakert on Friday.

Recalling Karabakh people’s long and difficult path to freedom and
independence, Sahakyan praised the heroes of the Karabakh war who
spared no effort for the liberation of their land.

“On this holiday, we bow down to the memory of the brave sons of the
Armenian nation, who sacrificed their lives for our homeland’s bright
future. Eternal glory and honor to them!

Recalling the friends of Artsakh, I would like to express a deep
gratitude to them and to all those who have been with us in the 20
years of independence and helped us make our voices heard by the world
community. We are thankful to them for the invaluable support to
Artsakh,” the president added.

Tert.am

CIS Summit opens without Azeri president

11:18 – 03.09.11

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is not taking part the CIS Summit
that kicked off in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on Friday.

The country’s prime minister, Artur Rasizade has attended the meeting
instead. The Azeri leader is said to be offended by Russia’s policies
on Karabakh settlement.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan left for the Tajikistani capital on
Friday to attend the 20th summit of the former Soviet republics.

Tert.am

Darchinyan vs. Mbamba: Yerevan gets ready for first-ever professional
boxing fight

armradio.am
03.09.2011 16:05

The first-ever professional boxing bout will take place in Yerevan tonight.

Three-weight world title holder Vic Darchinyan will fight in Armenia
for the first time in his career tonight as he fulfils a lifelong
dream of defending a world title in the country of his origin.

The 35 year-old puts his IBO bantamweight belt on the line against
South African southpaw Evans Mbamba, 29, at the Karen Demirchyan
Sports Complex in Yerevan.

NATIONAL GALLERY TO HOST EXHIBITION ON ARMENIAN FOOTPRINTS IN BRAZIL

news.am
Sept 2 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – Embassy of Brazil in Armenia and the Ministry of Culture
with the support of Armenian-Brazilian community will hold an
exhibition “Armenian Footprints in Brazil.”

The exhibition will open on September 7 at the National Gallery of
Armenia as a part of events devoted to the Brazilian national holiday
and the 20th anniversary of Armenia’s independence.

The exhibition will present the Armenian community in Brazil where
they found shelter. Armenians contributed to the development of
the Brazilian society dealing with various spheres: business, art,
politics, and education.

ACTIVE OPERATIONS IN ARMENIAN FINANCIAL MARKET

news.am
Sept 2 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – This week foreign currency transactions grew more actively
in Armenian financial market.

According to the Central Bank, banks purchased a total of $81,5
million and sold $93,2 million between August 29 and September 2.

Increase in foreign currency transactions basically accounts for
growth of demand for stationery and other educational staff.

On August 22-28 banks provided loans in national currency in the
amount of AMD 25, 5 billion (around $70 million) and dollar loans of
$42 million. These figures are considered rather high on weekly basis.

ASSETS OF ARMENIAN BANKS EXCEED $4 BILLION

news.am
Sept 2 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – 21 commercial banks with 418 branches functioned in Armenia
as per July 1, 2011, says the report of the Central Bank of Armenian
(CBA). Total assets of these banks are estimated as AMD 1,7 trillion
(around $4,3 billion).

The amount of loans provided to legal bodies make highest density
of banks’ assets with 35.9 percent. Density of loans allocated to
physical persons increased by up to 20.7 percent. The banking system
provided AMD 1,48 trillion (around $4 billion) to the economic sphere
of the country as per July 1, 2011.

ARMENIA MAKE LIGHT WORK OF ANDORRA
by Silvia Casals

UEFA.com

Sept 2 2011

Andorra 0-3 Armenia

Vardan Minasyan’s side retain a theoretical chance of reaching UEFA
EURO 2012 following a comfortable win in the Pyrenees.

Armenia kept up the pressure on the top three in UEFA EURO 2012
qualifying Group B following a comfortable away win against back
markers Andorra.

Jesús Álvarez’s side have yet to pick up a point in the section,
but failed to make chances count against Vardan Minasyan’s Armenia,
who will look to keep the momentum going as they take on Slovakia
in Zilina on Tuesday. Marcos Pizzelli put Armenia ahead ten minutes
before the break, with a Gevorg Ghazaryan strike and a late Henrik
Mkhitaryan penalty underlining the visitors’ dominance.

Andorra held their own until the 35th minute, when Brazilian-born
Pizzelli blasted past Jose Antonio Gomes in the home side’s goal.

Fernando Silva might have replied, but could not get a head to an
inviting Marc Pujol cross.

It took another half an hour after the interval for Armenia to break
through again, with Artur Sarkisov putting in a great cross for
Ghazaryan to dispatch in style. Andorra had an opportunity to reduce
the arrears once more, but Cristian Martínez fired just wide from a
lively counterattack.

A minute into added time, Andorra captain Ildefons Lima felled Karlen
Lazarian in the Armenia box to receive a straight red card, with
Mkhitaryan stepping up to make it 3-0 from the spot.

GORAN LENNMARKER: IT IS EASY TO START A WAR, BUT IT IS DIFFICULT TO END ONE

Today
Sept 2 2011
Azerbaijan

APA interviewed with former president of the OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly and chairman of the Jarl Hjalmarsson Foundation Goran
Lennmarker

Do you share the view that present status quo might result a new war
in the South Caucasus?

I don’t think there will be a new war in South Caucasus. It is easy
to start a war, but it is difficult to end one. Since most war plans
go wrong it is certainly difficult to predict the outcome. For example
air superiority is crucial in modern warfare and it depends on skills,
morale, strategy and tactics that are all difficult to assess.

Since war means that many, both young men and civilians, will be
killed and many more wounded and severely handicapped and the public
finances ruined, I am quite convinced that the responsible leaders
I have met from both countries will not take such a fateful decision.

What steps should be taken immediately – by Minsk Group of the OSCE
and the conflict sides- in order to rule out the deadlock?

The public opinion of both countries has to realize that a peaceful
solution must be a compromise. No side will get hundred percent of
its demands. But there will be substantial gains for both sides with
the solution that the Minsk group envisages. For example: hundreds of
thousands of IDPs and refugees would be able to retake possession of
their land and some even of their houses. The possibility to visit
family graves is also important. These are the wishes I have been
told about during my many visits to refugee camps.

For instant, Moscow is an actual and active mediator in the
negotiations, while the EU and the USA are staying aside, commenting
only on the ongoing developments. Why do you believe is the EU acting
passively in the issue?

It is good that Russia is an active mediator and I agree that EU
is too passive. Europe has a unique experience of building its own
peace, prosperity and democracy after a long history of wars and
aggression between nations that now are member states. EU is also
actively working on a peace-building process after the Yugoslav wars.

I think that EU should offer its most powerful support which is
membership perspective to the three countries of South Caucasus.

Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia are sovereign countries and if they
wish to be part of the European integration, and if they fulfill the
qualifications, this option should be open to them. I am convinced
that that would bring a lasting peaceful stability to the region.

BAKU STUDIES REPORTS ON SLOVAKIAN POLITICIANS’ LETTER TO KARABAKH SEPARATISTS

news.az
Sept 2 2011
Azerbaijan

The letter contains congratulations over the ’20th anniversary of NKR’,
while this date is the start of open occupation of Azerbaijani lands.

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry investigates information in the letter
of the former Slovakian Premier Jan Èarnogurský and former chairman
of the National Assembly of Slovakia Frantishek Mikloshko sent to
the separatist regime in Nagorno Karabakh.

The statement has come from the spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry Elman Abdullayev.

According to Armenian mass media, the letter contains congratulations
over the ’20th anniversary of NKR’, while this date is the start
of open occupation of Azerbaijani lands. Additionally, the letter
supports continuation of occupation of Azerbaijani lands.

IS PAVEMENT CAFE BAN A STEP ON THE ROAD TO ISLAMISM?
Alev Scott

The Times (London)
August 2, 2011 Tuesday

As August begins, which coincides this year with Ramadan and an
unusually hot summer, the streets of Beyoglu in central Istanbul are
empty. The cafes and restaurants have been stripped of their outdoor
tables – and the customers who sat drinking at them.

People mutter darkly that Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Enhanced Coverage
LinkingRecep Tayyip Erdogan, -Search using: Biographies Plus News
News, Most Recent 60 Days Turkey’s devoutly Islamic Prime Minister,
emboldened by his recent landslide re-election triumph, has begun
a Ramadan crackdown on decadent Western behaviour in the normally
bustling Mediterranean-style answer to Soho.

A week ago police swooped to remove the tables without notice after a
visit from Mr Erdogan. It is alleged that the Turkish Prime Minister
was exasperated that his motorcade, en route to a whirling-dervish
ceremony, was held up by restaurant tables spilling out on to the
streets. Worse still, he is said to have been enraged when one of the
alfresco drinkers raised an ironic (and highly offensive) glass to him.

Despite the local council’s loyal protestations that the tables were
removed because the restaurants were in breach of the quota for
the area, the action is widely believed to have taken place on Mr
Erdogan’s direct orders.

His increasingly eccentric and autocratic behaviour should surprise no
one. Last January, in Kars, eastern Turkey, he personally ordered the
destruction of a statue built to promote Armenian-Turkish relations,
calling it “a monstrosity”. And after his re-election in June he has
pressed ahead with plans to construct a gargantuan and unimaginably
expensive canal to divert shipping away from the Bosphorus. The recent
resignation of the entire leadership of the armed forces has served
only to reinforce Mr Erdogan’s position as an ever stronger populist
leader as he appoints their successors.

The restaurant owners and glitterati of Istanbul were so outraged
at his behaviour that thousands marched through Istanbul last week,
some defiantly carrying chairs and bottles of beer to show it. His
behaviour certainly won’t calm fears about his ruling AK Party’s
Islamist instincts nor will it endear him to the EU, which is already
extremely unenthusiastic about admitting Turkey.

But Mr Erdogan, who has presided over an economic success story,
is secure in the knowledge that most Turks admire his decisive
leadership. With such popular backing, the removal of the outdoor
tables in Beyoglu could prove to be a small milestone on the road to
a very different, more religiously zealous Turkey.

Alev Scott is a freelance writer based in Istanbul

Erdogan’s eccentric behaviour will not endear him to the EU