Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

ICRC CONFIRMS REPORTS ON CAPTIVITY OF AZERBAIJANI SOLDIER BY ARMENIANS

MilAz.info
Jan 25 2012
Azerbaijan

Representation of the International Committee of the Red Cross in
Azerbaijan confirmed the reports on captivity of Azerbaijani soldier
by Armenians.

Spokeswoman for the ICRC representation in Azerbaijan Shahla
Gahramanova told APA that Nagorno Karabakh’s de-facto authorities
informed the ICRC office in Khankendi about the captivity of an
Azerbaijani soldier. Gahramanova said ICRC officials would visit the
soldier as soon as possible.

Armenian newspapers reported about the captivity of the Azerbaijani
soldier in the contact line between the Azerbaijani and Armenian
troops near Upper Chayli village. The captured soldier is Akhundzadeh
Mammadbagir Talib.

From: Baghdasarian

RUSSIAN AND TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTERS DISCUSS NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT

MilAz.info
Jan 25 2012
Azerbaijan

Russian and Turkish foreign ministers met in Moscow.

APA~Rs Moscow correspondent reports that at their meeting, Sergei
Lavrov and Ahmet Davutoglu discussed the bilateral relations,
Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Middle East, Iran and Syria problems,
cooperation with the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization,
joint measures combating terror and other issues. Both countries
decided to increase their efforts towards the solution of these
problems. The Final Declaration was signed at the end of the meeting.

Sergei Lavrov underlined the high-level dialogue and mutual relations
between Russia and Turkey in other spheres and highly assessed the
activity of the group for strategic planning.

Davutoglu said that the establishment of Russian-Turkish Strategic
Alliance and the activity of the group for strategic planning had a
special significance in the history of relations of the two countries.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIANS NAME BABY ‘SARKOZY’ AFTER FRANCE VOTE

Agence France Presse
Jan 25 2012

YEREVAN – A couple in Armenia named their newborn baby after French
President Nicolas Sarkozy on Wednesday in thanks for the French Senate
vote to outlaw denial of the genocide of Armenians during World War I.

The family said the child was given the first name Sarkozy out of
gratitude to the French leader, who many Armenians have praised for
backing the bill.

“We were going to name the baby after his grandfather, but after
the French Senate passed the bill despite threats from the Turks,
we decided to name him in honour of the president of France, this
brave man,” the boy’s grandmother Alvard Manukian told AFP.

“Let our baby, Sarkozy Avetisian, become a man as brave and just as
his namesake,” his grandmother said.

Armenia has hailed Sarkozy for his commitment to the bill which has
infuriated France’s NATO ally Turkey, with President Serzh Sarkisian
saying on Tuesday that France had “reaffirmed its greatness and power,
its devotion to universal human values”.

Armenia and its diaspora in countries around the world have long
campaigned for international recognition of the killings by Ottoman
Turks during World War I as genocide, despite strong denials from
Turkey.

The issue has poisoned relations for decades between the two neighbours
whose mutual border remains closed.

Armenia says that planned massacres and deportations left more than
1.5 million of its people dead, but Turkey puts the number at up to
500,000, describing the bloodshed as civil strife.

From: Baghdasarian

WE HOPE TO QUALIFY FOR OLYMPICS – ARMENIAN GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLING TEAM HEAD COACH
By Garik Hovsepyan

news.am
January 26, 2012 | 16:04

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s Greco-Roman wrestling team commenced preparations
for the Olympic qualifiers. The squad, under head coach Levon
Julfalakyan, is currently training in Tsaghkadzor city.

In an interview with Armenian News-NEWS.am, Julfalakyan noted that
forty-eight wrestlers are taking part in this training. “They all
are in normal condition,” he added.

Levon Julfalakyan also informed that the team is now preparing for
the international tournament to be held in Bulgaria on February 2-7.

“[And] On February 22, we will head to Iran, where we will participate
in the next international tournament. With that we will end the
preparation phase for the European Championship, which will get
underway in Serbia on March 8. Following the European Championship, we
will take part in another tournament, after which it will become clear
as to who will compete for Olympics qualifiers,” Julfalakyan said.

He also assured that there are hopes for qualification.

To note, Arsen Julfalakyan, who is the bronze medalist at last year’s
World Championship, is Armenia’s sole Greco-Roman wrestler who has
qualified for the Olympics.

From: Baghdasarian

OPPOSITIONIST: ARMENIAN CEC SHOULD NOT ADMIT APPLICATIONS BY PROSPEROUS ARMENIA PARTY LEADER FOR PARTICIPATION IN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

arminfo
Thursday, January 26, 16:41

The Central Electoral Commission of Armenia should not admit
applications by Gagik Tsarukyan, Leader of the Prosperous Armenia
Party, for participation in the parliamentary elections, Karine
Hakobyan, Secretary of the Heritage Party Board, told media on Jan 26.

“If Serzh Sargsyan intends to separate business from the parliament,
he must prevent oligarchs from elections, and Tsarukyan is one
of them. Participation of the Prosperous Armenia leader and other
businessmen in the elections will testify to the insincerity of the
president,” Hakobyan said. Welcoming the 100% proportional electoral
system, the parliamentarian said that even the proportional system
of election will not remove oligarchs from the parliament. However,
it will help developing democracy in the country. Hakobyan said that
she sees no difference between the Prosperous Armenia Party and the
ruling Republican Party of Armenia, since they have no ideological
discrepancies. “I am against coalition memorandums. The country has
such experience and it is disastrous. The goal of all the coalition
parties is to stay in power to continue their no so correct activity,”
she said.

The parliamentary elections in Armenia are scheduled for May 6 2012,
the presidential election for Feb 2013.

From: Baghdasarian

IN 2011 HSBC BANK ARMENIA RECORDED THE BIGGEST NET PROFIT IN ARMENIA’S BANKING SECTOR

arminfo
Thursday, January 26, 16:48

In 2011 the assets of HSBC Bank Armenia grew by 23.5% to 179.1bln
AMD or $464.2mln (4th position in Armenia’s banking system).

According to the bank’s financial report, over 60% of the assets or
108.1bln AMD or $280.3mln were loans (4th position, 26% more than in
2010). Most of the loans were given to the economy (trade, industry,
SME), while most of the retail loans were mortgage loans.

The receivables from banks and other financial organizations (including
correspondent accounts) redoubled to 14.9bln AMD or $38.7mln (4th
position) – 8.3% of the assets. In financial investments the bank
was the 1st – 28.2bln AMD or $73.1mln (15.7% of the assets).

The liabilities grew by 23.7% to 148.7bln AMD or $385.6mln
(4th position), wherein the payables to banks and other financial
organizations redoubled to 16% while the payables to customers (call
and time deposits) grew by 14.4% to 80.6% of the total liabilities.

The capital grew by 22.7% to 30.3bln AMD or $78.6mln (5th position),
wherein the authorized capital did not change and made up 34.3%
while the accumulated profit grew by 38.2% to 62%.

The net profit was the biggest in the sector – 6.6bln AMD or $17.2mln.

HSBC Bank Armenia has six branches in Yerevan. The shareholders are
HSBC Europe B.V. (70%) and Wings Establishment (30%),

From: Baghdasarian

PUTIN WILL HAVE LESS PATIENCE TO SQUEEZE HANDS – ANALYST

Tert.am
26.01.12

The Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian leaders’ recent meeting in
Russia’s Sochi resort was the last trilateral presidential-level summit
over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, according to Richard Giragosyan,
the director of the Center for Regional Studies.

At a news conference on Thursday, the expert said the negotiation
format will change in case Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is
elected a president.

Giragosyan said the Putin-style regime will differ from his
predecessor’s as the incumbent Russian premier will probably be less
patient to waste time on squeezing hands with his counterparts.

According to him, Putin is more likely to invite the conflicting
sides to a separate room to exert pressure on them.

The expert said further that such relations would be more effective
for Armenia given that Putin does not maintain friendly relations with
Serzh Sargsyan as he did with the second president, Robert Kocharyan.

Speaking of the outcomes of the Sochi meeting, Giragosyan referred to
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s statement which reflected
disappointment at Azerbaijan in connection with what he termed the
country’s military diplomacy.

At the end, the expert called attention to Azerbaijani soldiers’
voluntary surrender to Armenia’s armed forces, a factor which he said
reveals the existing problems in the Azerbaijani army.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMY HAS KEY ROLE IN ARMENIA’S MODERN HISTORY – MP

news.am
January 26, 2012 | 16:27

YEREVAN. – The Army plays the most important role in the modern history
of the Armenian nation, head of the parliamentary standing committee
on defense, national security and internal affairs Hrayr Karapetyan
said at a press conference on Thursday. The press conference was
dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Army,
celebrated on Jan. 28.

“Thanks to the Army, we won the Artsakh liberated war. It is the
highest achievement in Armenia’s modern history,” the MP said adding
the current army’s important role is to protect country’s security.

According to the MP, the Army is constantly improving, there are many
initiatives on improving legislation.

From: Baghdasarian

BIRTH RATE IN ARTSAKH GROWS

ARMENPRESS
14:52, 26 January, 2012
STEPANAKERT

STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS: The birth rate in Artsakh
during the past years has increased by 30% thanks to the program of
improvement of ethnographic growth, NKR Social Insurance Minister
Narine Astsatryan said speaking to Armenpress. She said programs
addressed to the promotion of birth continued during the past year.

One-time allowances are being provided in case of marriage, birth of
children. Families having six and more children get new apartments.

“The efficiency of the program on promoting birth of many children is
obvious. During 14 years of the implementation of the program more
than 40% of the opened deposits has been registered in 2008-2011,”
the minister said, noting that if in 2000-2007 averagely 2000 children
were born, in 2009-2011 their number reached 2600.

The minister also informed that the program will be continuous and
for promoting marriages 300 thousand AMD one-time allowance will
be provided. For the birth of the first child 100 000 AMD one-time
allowance will be provided, for the second child 200 000 and for the
third 500 000 AMD. State deposit with the same amount will be open
for the child. In case of forth and next children 700 000 AMD will
be provided.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN PEACEKEEPERS ALWAYS HIGHLY PRAISED

ARMENPRESS
14:52, 26 January, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS: During the twenty years of its
existence the Armenian Army registered big success, at the same time
it has flaws the correction of which will promote its strengthening,
chairman of the NA’s Standing Committee for Defense, National Security
and Interior Affairs Hrayr Karapetyan told a news conference today,
adding that the development of military-industry and successful usage
of products at the Armenian Army is also a success.

“Our neighbors spent multimillion sums for buying different weaponry
and at the same time acquire expensive unmanned aircraft vehicles of
Israeli production, and thanks to the achievements of our scientific
mind we manage to produce cheaper armament but of higher quality,”
Karapetyan noted, stressing that the battle-worthiness of the army
is of huge significance.

Speaking about battle abilities of the Armenian militaries manifested
on high level at different hot points of the world, Karapetyan said
Armenian soldiers have always displayed themselves on highest level
within the framework of NATO and CSTO. “The Armenian peacekeepers have
been highly praised not only by us, but by international experts and
specialists,” he said.

From: Baghdasarian