Farmers’ Income Grows Thanks To Agricultural Fairs – Armenia’s Deput

FARMERS’ INCOME GROWS THANKS TO AGRICULTURAL FAIRS – ARMENIA’S DEPUTY AGRICULTURE MINISTER SAYS

ARMENPRESS
MARCH 28 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MARCH 28, ARMENPRESS. The number of agricultural products”
fair will go up this year, deputy minister Robert Makaryan told a news
conference Wednesday. According to him, the Yerevan Municipality is
working toward finding new convenient places for conducting fairs.

“Farmers will get free pavilions, weighing machines and the entrance
for re-sellers will be banned,” he stressed.

The deputy minister said last year 36 fairs were conducted, where
50-60 types of products were sold and the number of visits reached
6-7 thousand. “The conduction of this fairs aims at not eliminating
the mediators” institute but create an alternative for farmer to sell
products at higher price,” Makaryan said.

From: Baghdasarian

Armenia’s Balance Of Payments Still Pretty Large: IMF

ARMENIA’S BALANCE OF PAYMENTS STILL PRETTY LARGE: IMF

/ARKA/
MARCH 28, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, March 28. /ARKA/. Armenia’s balance of payments deficit in
2011 declined significantly, but still is quite large, head of the
Armenia Mission at IMF, Mark Horton, said Tuesday in Yerevan.

He said despite the fact that the volume of remittances from abroad
has grown almost to pre-crisis level and the improving structure of
exports and strong performance of the mining industry, the current
deficit of balance of payments remains high. He said therefore there
is a need to revise the medium and long-term development policies.

According to Horton, it is difficult to assert unequivocally whether
the Armenian national currency has lost or gained in value as it
depends on the method of calculation and some other factors.

“We tend to monitor the long-term and medium-term exchange rate
fluctuations,” he said.

Mr. Horton then commended the government efforts designed to improve
the business environment. He expressed hope that these efforts will
result in increasing investments. He said this should become the main
task of the new government that will be formed following the May 6
parliamentary elections.

From: Baghdasarian

Quake Hits Nearby Armenia’s Artashat City

QUAKE HITS NEARBY ARMENIA’S ARTASHAT CITY

NEWS.AM
March 28, 2012 | 14:10

YEREVAN. – A magnitude-2.7 earthquake was registered in Armenia,
on Wednesday at 11:43 am local time, 5 km north of Artashat city.

The tremor’s hypocenter was 7 kilometers beneath the surface, National
Seismic Protection Service informs Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The seismic activity measured magnitude 3-4 at the epicenter.

According to preliminary data, the quake measured 3 in Artashat,
Verin Dvin, and Aygestan.

From: Baghdasarian

Historian: First, Third Presidents Likely To Cooperate

HISTORIAN: FIRST, THIRD PRESIDENTS LIKELY TO COOPERATE

Panorama.am
28/03/2012

Election is the art of possibilities, and nothing can be ruled out
in respect of election alliances, candidate of historical sciences,
member of ARF Arshavir Gasparyan told Aravot daily.

“After all, they are political opponents, not rivals.”

The expert does not rule out, either, cooperation between the first
and third Presidents.

“Also, I think opposition is not yet fully established in the country.

To my mind, the authorities should feel the breath of opposition on
their back, while, unfortunately, our opposition is not in its proper
place, our opposition is not healthy,” said the historian.

From: Baghdasarian

Turkish Anadolu Advertises Armenia’s Historic Capital Ani

TURKISH ANADOLU ADVERTISES ARMENIA’S HISTORIC CAPITAL ANI

ARMENPRESS
MARCH 28 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MARCH 28, ARMENPRESS. Turkey”s semi-official Anadolu news
agency has advertised Armenia”s historic capital Ani, saying that
Ani is separated from Armenia by Arpa River.

Armenpress reports that the Turkish agency reminded tourists that
historic Ani is not snowy any more and is ready to host tourists. The
agency presented a number of photos of Armenian churches of Ani.

From: Baghdasarian

Armenian, Georgian Army Chiefs Discuss Cooperation

ARMENIAN, GEORGIAN ARMY CHIEFS DISCUSS COOPERATION

news.am
March 28, 2012 | 13:07

Head of the staff of Georgian Armed Forces Davi Chankotadze met with
Armenian Armed Forces’ Chief of Staff Colonel-General Yuri Khachaturov
to discuss prospects for development of bilateral relations on Tuesday.

The sides discussed the ongoing reforms in defense field and the issues
on military education. They touched upon participation in peacekeeping
operations and exchange of experience, Novosti Gruziya reports.

Yuri Khachaturov is on an official visit to Georgia.

From: Baghdasarian

Holy See To Demand Return Of Armenian Churches

HOLY SEE TO DEMAND RETURN OF ARMENIAN CHURCHES

Tert.am
27.03.12

The Holy See of St Echmiadzin confirms the media reports that the
Georgian Ministry of Justice has registered local Armenian diocese,
granting it the status of a legal entity.

Speaking to Tert.am, a spokesperson for the Holy See, Priest Vahram
Melikyan said their next step would be demanding the Armenian churches’
return to the diocese.

“Historically, the churches belonging to the Armenian Apostolic Church
[AAC] are necessary for meeting the spiritual needs of the diocese,”
he said.

The Georgian-Armenian spiritual leaders are calling for the return
of about six Armenian churches situated on the territory of Georgia
(St Nshan of Akhaltskhe and five churches in capital Tbilisi).

Asked about the Holy See’s measures to counteract the Georgian
scientists’ attempts to attribute the historical Armenian religious
monuments of Ani to the Chalcedonic culture, he said that the existing
records do not allow for questioning the Armenian origins of those
churches.

In 2011, the Georgian parliament passed a law enabling the ethnic
minorities to register their religious institutions in the country.

“The church in fact no longer functions illegally in Georgia. It is a
registered religious organization that has its rights and obligations.

And it can now operate as a full-fledged institution, doing everything
possible to organize the Armenians’ spiritual life,” Melikyan added.

The local daily Zhoghovurd said in its Tuesday issue that the problem
was considered settled after Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II’s
visit to the country.

“Last month, Georgia’s authorities declined the AAC diocese’s
application for registration. It was only due to additional
negotiations, with Armenian Ambassador to Georgia Hovhannes Manukyan’s
active role, that the AAC diocese eventually got the legal status,”
claimed the paper.

From: Baghdasarian

Rep. Sherman Presses USAID To Target US Assistance To Javakhk

REP. SHERMAN PRESSES USAID TO TARGET US ASSISTANCE TO JAVAKHK

armradio.am
27.03.2012 11:04

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) emphasized the importance of expanding U.S.
assistance to the Republic of Georgia’s Armenian-populated region
of Samtskhe-Javakheti (Javakhk) during a House Foreign Affairs
Committee hearing with US Agency for International Development (USAID)
Administrator Rajiv Shah on the Agency’s Fiscal Year 2013 budget,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

In his question to USAID Director Shah, Rep. Sherman outlined the
difficult economic conditions facing many of the regions in the
Republic of Georgia, and his efforts, in conjunction with the Armenian
American community, to focus targeted assistance to the population
in Javakhk.

USAID Director Shah noted that “On Georgia, and specifically the
Samtskhe-Javakheti region, that you were referring to, we have
been working with specific programs that deal with agricultural
modernization, social development, maternal health and certain health
and infrastructure efforts as well as support for civil society
groups. We have increasingly tried to do that work in consultation
with Armenian American communities and with an eye toward launching
specific public-private partnerships with those communities.”

Last week, Rep. Sherman was among over 30 House members who cosigned
a Congressional letter spearheaded by Congressional Armenian Caucus
Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and addressed to House Appropriations
Subcommittee on Foreign Operations Chairwoman Kay Granger (R-TX)
and Ranking Democrat Nita Lowey (D-NY) urging 10% of U.S. assistance
to Georgia in FY2013 to be targeted toward job creation efforts
in Javakhk.

From: Baghdasarian

Raffi Hovannisian Annonce Le Retrait De Sa Candidature

RAFFI HOVANNISIAN ANNONCE LE RETRAIT DE SA CANDIDATURE
Gari

armenews.com
mardi 27 mars 2012

Le leader du parti d’opposition parlementaire Heritage (Jarankoutioun)
Raffi Hovannesssian, a cree la surprise en annoncant qu’il se
retirait de la course pour les elections legislatives du 6 mai, au
cours de laquelle il aurait pu devoir affronter un autre responsable
de l’opposition.

Par ce geste, le leader du Parti Heritage entendait montrer l’exemple
d’une plus grande cooperation entre les differentes composantes de
l’opposition en lice pour l’attribution de sièges suivant le mode
de scrutin nominal, qui concerne 41 des 131 sièges de l’Assemblee
nationale d’Armenie, malgre d’ailleurs les critiques de l’opposition
qui reclamaient l’extension de la proportionnelle a tout le scrutin.

A echeance de la remise des candidatures le jeudi 23 mars, il est
apparu que M. Hovannisian non plus d’ailleurs que Nikol Pashinian,
patron de presse et personnalite en vue de la principale force
d’opposition, le Congrès national armenien (HAK, rassemblant des
partis non parlementaires sous la houlette de Levon Ter Petrossian,
ne figuraient sur la liste des candidates de la circonscription n°
7 de Erevan, soumise au mode de scrutin nominal.

Cette circonscription recouvre la plus grande partie du discrict
de Malatia-Sebastia a l’ouest de la capital, representee dans la
legislature sortante par Samvel Aleksanian, un homme d’affaires
influent soutenu par la Parti republicain d’Armenie (HHK) du president
Sarkissian et candidat bien place a sa reelection.

M.Pashinian avait propose sa candidature dans ce district avant que
ne soit annoncee celle de M.Hovannisian. Certains responsables du HAK
avaient alors accuse le leader de Heritage de vouloir deliberement
diviser l’opposition dans un district considere comme le fief de
M.Aleksanian. Le leader de Heritage avait recuse de telle allegations,
affirmant qu’il n’avait pas connaissance des visees du HAK sur le
disctrict. En se disant pret a renoncer a se retirer de la course au
profit de M. Pashinian, M. Hovannisian, dans le meme temps, a appele
a une cooperation plus active au sein des forces de l’opposition en
vue de se donner toutes les chances dans les circonscriptions regies
par le mode de scrutin nominal.

La formation de M. Hovannisian et d’autres forces majeures de
l’opposition ont designe des dizaines de candidats dans la plupart
de ces circonscriptions.

Certains d’entre eux devront s’affronter dans les urnes, ce qui ne
peut qu’arranger les affaires des candidats pro-gouvernementaux,
deja favoris.

S’exprimant devant la presse le 26 mars, M. Hovannisian a souligne
que son parti avait offert au HAK et a la Federation revolutionnaire
armenienne (Dashnaktsoutioun), l’autre parti d’opposition represente
au Parlement, de s’accorder sur le soutien d’un candidat unique de
l’opposition dans ces circonsriptions. Mais cette offre aurait ete
declinee par le HAK, tandis que le Dashnaktsoutioun se montrait
reserve.

From: Baghdasarian

Turkish American Community Starts Campaign Against Draft Resolution

TURKISH AMERICAN COMMUNITY STARTS CAMPAIGN AGAINST DRAFT RESOLUTION ON SO-CALLED “ARMENIAN GENOCIDE”, SUBMITTED TO THE SENATE

APA
March 24 2012
Azerbaijan

Baku. Anakhanum Hidoyatova – APA. Turkish American community has
launched a campaign against the draft resolution #399 on so-called
“armenian genocide”, submitted to the U.S. Senate, APA reports
quoting the official website of the Federation of Turkish American
Associations.

It was stated in the letter, sent to members of the Congress, senators
and representatives of the media that, the draft resolution, presented
by pro-Armenian Senators Robert Menendez and Mark Kirk, is another
attempt to damage US-Turkish relations.

Note that, the draft resolution was presented to the Senate on March
19. It will be discussed in the Committee on Foreign Relations of
the Senate. The document also includes a call for US President to
recognize the 1915 events as genocide.

From: Baghdasarian