Author: Badalian Vardan

Armenian FM discusses partnership development with Russian envoy

news.am
July 04, 2012 | 21:33

YEREVAN. – Armenian FM Edward Nalbandian received the Special
Representative of the Russian President on relations with CIS member
states Constantine Kosachev, MFA press service informs Armenian
News-NEWS.am.

After welcoming the guest, Nalbandian mentioned that the Russian –
Armenian cooperation is developing through active and constant
high-level political dialogue.

The Armenian FM mentioned the special importance of humanitarian cooperation.

Steps towards strengthening Armenian – Russian partnership in
educational, cultural and scientific spheres were discussed.

Other topics of interest were also discussed during the meeting.

Azeri film directors refuse to visit Armenia for fear of being
persecuted when back home

arminfo
Wednesday, July 4, 19:05

Azeri film directors refuse to visit Armenia for fear of being
persecuted when back home, Director of Golden Apricot Yerevan
International Film Festival Harutyun Khachatryan told journalists on
Wednesday.

He said that in the last nine years he has invited five-six Azeri
filmmakers, but all of them have refused to come.

“If we select a film, our mandatory condition is that its author
should attend the festival,” Khachatryan said, adding that the
Armenian audience has lost nothing in fact.

“Their films are so unprofessional that I don’t even want to speak
about them. What is surprising is that some European commissioners
keep sending here some suspicious Azeri films about, say, Khojaly. I
believe that we must do all we can to protect our audience from such
films. We must protect the borders of culture from projects having
nothing to do with it,” Khachatryan said.

The 9th Golden Apricot will take place in Yerevan July 8-15.

NASDAQ OMX Armenia host the 1st Armenian-Georgian Financial Markets
Forum in Dilijan, Armenia The 1st Armenian-Georgian Financial Markets
Forum held in Armenia

03-07-2012 10:28:38 | | Press release

YEREVAN, July 2, 2012 – On June 29, 2012 NASDAQ OMX Armenia host the
1st Armenian-Georgian Financial Markets Forum in Dilijan, Armenia. The
Forum attracted 57 officials from over 30 companies, operating in
financial sectors of Armenia and Georgia, including representatives of
international organizations.

Exclusive Gold Sponsor of the 1st Armenian-Georgian Financial Markets
Forum was one of the leading banks of Armenia Ameriabank CJSC.
The Forum covered recent developments in Armenian and Georgian
financial systems, features of each market’s infrastructure and
regulatory issues, Armenian pension reform and its expected impact on
capital markets. Forum participants also discussed issues and ways of
mutual cooperation, noting that financial sectors of both countries
should be developed jointly, based on new technological solutions.
During the Forum NASDAQ OMX Armenia and Association of Banks of
Georgia concluded Memorandum of Understanding, aimed at establishing
relations and enhancing cooperation between both organizations.
About Ameriabank CJSC

Ameriabank is a dynamically developing bank and one of the most stable
financial institutions in Armenia. The first investment bank in
Armenia, Ameriabank has been providing a large package of innovative
investment services since 2007. Now Ameriabank is a universal bank
offering in addition to investment services also corporate and retail
banking services in a comprehensive set of banking solutions.
For more information visit

About NASDAQ OMX

The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. is the world’s largest exchange company. It
delivers trading, exchange technology and public company services
across six continents, and with over 3,900 companies, it is number one
in worldwide listings among major markets. NASDAQ OMX technology
supports the operations of over 70 exchanges, clearing organizations
and central securities depositories in more than 50 countries.

In January 2008, Nordic exchange operator OMX Group acquired 100% of
shares of the Armenian Stock Exchange (Armex) and the Central
Depository of Armenia (CDA). After the combination of NASDAQ and OMX
in February 2008, Armex and CDA have become fully owned by the NASDAQ
OMX Group, Inc. For more information on the NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc.
visit

On January 27, 2009, `Armenian Stock Exchange’ ojsc was officially
renamed as `NASDAQ OMX Armenia’ ojsc. On June 5, 2009, `NASDAQ OMX
Armenia’ ojsc became the owner of 100% of the shares of the `Central
Depository of Armenia’ ojsc.

NASDAQ OMX Armenia media contact:

– Press release
News from Armenia and Diaspora – Noyan Tapan

Project to enhance legal aid to torture victims launched in Armenia

July 4, 2012 – 17:48 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenia’s Ombudsman Karen Andreasyan and Christoph
Breuning, Chargé d’affaires of the embassy of the Federal Republic of
Germany in Armenia signed the Agreement commencing a joint project
`Access to Legal Aid for Victims of Torture and Ill-Treatment in
Places of Deprivation of Liberty’.

According to a press release, the project aims at enhancing access to
free legal aid and advocacy for victims of torture and ill-treatment
identified through the Ombudsman’s National Preventative Mechanism
team, in the military and places of deprivation of liberty, including
penitentiary institutions, police stations, orphanages, psychiatric
hospitals, etc. The program will be implemented in partnership with
Human Rights House NGO. The amount of the financial contribution of
the German embassy is EUR 22.300.

The Projects envisages establishment of a `Travelling Advocate’ scheme
in partnership with HRH NGO to visit places of deprivation of liberty
and provide free legal assistance to victims of torture and
ill-treatment.

It is expected to result in increased accountability in the military
and places of deprivation of liberty for incidents of torture and
ill-treatment, improved access to the courts and legal complaints
mechanisms and raised awareness among persons in places of deprivation
of liberty of their rights and the support services available to them.

People refuse to go to Armenian oligarchs’ restaurants – newspaper

news.am
July 04, 2012 | 07:45

YEREVAN. – These days some of Armenia’s local authorities and many
Diaspora Armenians have categorically refused to hold any event at the
restaurants belonging to ruling Republican Party-member oligarchs,
Chorrord Inknishkhanutyun daily writes.

`Specifically, our compatriots who have arrived from the US [and] who
are spending their holidays at [Lake] Sevan, have categorically
refused to set foot on Ruben Hayrapetyan’s Harsnaqar recreation
complex, considering it a path to hell.

Incidentally, some sports departments and self-respecting individuals
also refused to use the services of Harsnaqar [Restaurant].

And unbeknown to their `bosses,’ some local authorities have reached
an internal decision to stay kilometers away from Harsnaqar and [from]
Parvana [Restaurant], which belongs to Hayrapetyan’s best friend,
[oligarch MP] Samvel Aleksanyan,’ Chorrord Inknishkhanutyun writes.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, an incident occurred at
capital city Yerevan’s Harsnaqar Restaurant on June 17, where several
military doctors including Edgar Mikoyan, Arkadi Aghajanyan, Garik
Soghomonyan, Artak Bayadyan and Vahe Avetyan were brutally beaten by
the restaurant employees.

And Vahe Avetyan died in hospital on June 29.

A criminal case is launched, and the Police have detained six people.

The Restaurant’s owner is senior ruling party MP – who on Tuesday
submitted his resignation from his parliamentary seat – , Football
Federation of Armenia President, and businessman Ruben Hayrapetyan.

President of the European Council pays tribute to Armenian Genocide victims

armradio.am
04.07.2012 13:49

President of the European Council Herman van Rompuy visited the
Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex accompanied by Armenian Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian, visited.

President of the European Council laid a wreath at the memorial to the
Armenian Genocide victims, after which members of the delegation put
flowers at the Eternal Fire and honored the memory of the innocent
victims with a minute of silence.

President of the European Council Herman van Rompuy and his delegation
also visited the Armenian Genocide Museum where the director of the
Armenian Genocide Museum – Institute Hayk Demoyan introduced the
guests to the temporary exhibition titled `Book as a witness of the
Genocide’ dedicated to the 500th anniversary of the Armenian printing
and proclamation of Yerevan as 2012 World Book Capital City by UNESCO.

Armenia to have new metallurgical plant by year’s end

news.am
July 04, 2012 | 11:27

YEREVAN. – A new metallurgical plant – which is being built by the Aske
Group Company – will start operations by the end of this year, Armenia’s
Economy Minister Tigran Davtyan stated during Wednesday’s Cabinet
meeting.

He also informed that the plant is being constructed with technology
by the Siemens VAI Company.

The Government extended for three years Aske Group’s payment of the
value added tax accrued for importing investment goods. The total
investments amount to AMD 7.8 billion (approx. US$ 18,751,850).

And PM Tigran Sargsyan stated that this project will be monitored and
it needs to be widely covered by the media.

Javakhk Armenian Group Condemns Persecution by Georgian Authorities

hetq
12:00, July 4, 2012

A group calling itself the Coordinating Council for the Defense of
Javakhk Armenians Rights has publicly condemned what it calls the
recent wave of persecutions against Armenians in Javakhk, in
particular criminal charges launched against Melik Rayisyan, a former
member of the Georgian Parliament, and his supporters.

The group says that Georgian authorities are taking these measures
against Javakhk Armenian activists and government opponents in the
lead-up to parliamentary elections in that country.

The group argues that it is clear that such measures are intended to
create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation in Javakhk and to ensure
an election victory for the ruling political party.

NUMBER OF ARMENIANS VISITING GEORGIA INCREASES

news.am
July 03, 2012 | 21:44

YEREVAN. – From January to June, 294,951 Armenian citizens visited
Georgia, the Georgian National Tourism Agency informs stating that
the indicator has increased by 34 percent compared to last year.

During the first half of this year, overall 1,690,494 tourists have
visited the country. There was an increase of 53 percent compared to
last year. Most of the tourists who visit Georgia come from Turkey.

Turkey is followed by Azerbaijan, Armenia, Russia and Ukraine.

EGYPT MAY TAKE TURKEY’S COURSE OF TRANSITION FROM MILITARY TO CIVILIAN RULE – ARMENIAN EXPERT

news.am
July 03, 2012 | 14:47

YEREVAN.- Armenian historian Ruben Safrastyan considers that Egypt
may take the same way of transition from military to civilian rule
just as Turkey did.

Safrastyan, director of Institute of Oriental Studies at the Armenian
National Academy of Sciences, participated in Moscow-Yerevan space
bridge on the situation in the Middle East.

Nevertheless, Safrastyan considers that the U.S. still have
an opportunity to influence the political situation in Egypt as
Washington’s military aid amounting to $1.3 billion, which lines the
pockets of the Egypt’s military leadership, will be preserved.

This will preserve good relations between the military leadership
and new Egypt’s government headed by President Morsi.

“Morsi wants to reach a consensus with military leadership. It is
proved by the reports saying he does not plan to interfere with the
military budget,” he said.