Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

news.am, Armenia
Sept 17 2011

When Europe sneezes, Armenia catches flu – ARF MP

September 17, 2011 | 12:31

YEREVAN. – The new wave of recession in international market will
directly impact Armenia’s economy, which continues to be based on
remittances and the mining industry, ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party MP
Artsvik Minasyan said during a press conference on Saturday. And in
his words, `as a consequence of the government’s inept policy, our
economy will not be ready for that.’

According to Minasyan, the latest adverse developments in
international market are conditioned on the `change in one-center
monetary policy.’ That is to say, the US dollar and the American
economic policy are yielding to European and even African and Asian
economic policies. As a result, the dollar is weakening, but the
American government is attempting to strengthen the dollar, in order
not to lose its dominance.

As per Artsvik Minasyan, this problem becomes more complicated when
most countries are unable to substantially reduce social spending.

From: Baghdasarian

news.am, Armenia
Sept 17 2011

Memorandum of understanding to be signed between Armenia and Argentina (video)

September 16, 2011 | 19:55

YEREVAN. – Two technical cooperation agreements will be signed between
Armenia and Argentina, said the president of `American International
Airports’ company, a well-known Argentine-Armenian entrepreneur
Eduardo Eurnekian during the opening ceremony of “Zvartnots”
international airport’s new terminal.

Welcoming the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, Catholicos of All
Armenians Karekin II, guests of social, cultural and business sectors,
he noted, that with great pleasure conveys Argentina’s President
Cristina Kirchner’s greetings to the President of Armenia, and added
that Argentina is ready to deepen the cooperation with Armenia.

One of the agreements will refer to the development of water
resources. Argentina will provide human and technical resources for
the development of Armenia’s water supply. The second agreement will
refer to agricultural development. The memorandum of understanding
will also be signed between the two countries.

From: Baghdasarian

news.am, Armenia
Sept 17 2011

International response to Azerbaijani wish does not matter – expert

September 17, 2011 | 03:13

YEREVAN. – It does not matter at all, whether the international
organizations will respond to Azerbaijan’s wish to send drones to
Nagorno-Karabakh or not, everything is already solved by the man, who
destroyed the spy device, the director of Caucasus Institute,
politician scientist Alexander Iskandaryan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

`It is hard to destroy such a device. They are so little and it is so
hard to follow them. Finding a flying drone and destroying it, already
explains to intelligent people, the state of condition of air defense
in Nagorno-Karabakh. This in its turn indicates the status of the
armed forces. It is most important, and everyone understood it. The
next step, I think, will be the military parade for the 20th
anniversary of independence. It will be a demonstration not for
international institutions like [OSCE] Minsk Group or UN, but for
military professionals who understand the signals. That is important.
The important is that the device is destroyed,’ summed up the expert.

From: Baghdasarian

news.am, Armenia
Sept 17 2011

3,000 tons wheat seeds to be imported to Armenia – Agriculture ministry

September 17, 2011 | 01:04

Armenia’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture Samvel Galstyan met on Friday
with farmers of the Shirak Region and informed that 3,000 tons of
wheat seeds are planned to be imported to Armenia this year.

According to the deputy minister, these seeds will be provided to
those farmers who have 7 or more hectares of land where grain crops
were not previously grown. 687 tons will be supplied to Shirak’s
farms, and a total of 145 beneficiaries in Armenia will receive these
seeds.

During their discussion with the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, the
farmers informed that the current year was not very favorable for them
as a 30-percent crop reduction was registered in some communities, and
the croplands had reduced in many communities. `The irrigation water
problem of the communities is not resolved, and there is also a
shortage of agricultural machinery. Working with the land is risky,’
they noted.

The farmers also informed the deputy minister that not many people in
their Region owns large plots of land, whereas the deputy minister
stated this is not a social program, and the state will supply the
seeds solely to those from whom it will receive double the amount.

From: Baghdasarian

Argentina to provide Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh with technical
assistance in developing agricultural production

arminfo
Saturday, September 17, 20:11

Argentina will provide Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh with technical
assistance for developing agricultural production, with two bilateral
Master Technical Cooperation Agreements already completed and ready to
be signed by the Governments of Armenia and Argentina, Eduardo
Eurnekian, Argentinean businessman of Armenian origin, said during the
opening of a new passenger terminal at the Yerevan Zvartnots Airport
on Saturday.

Referring to Argentinean President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner,
Eurnekian said that Argentina will provide Armenia with human and
technical resources to develop, execute and operate new water supply,
distribution and irrigation systems.

“These new initiatives will help Armenia accomplish its objective of
fully developing its agricultural potential,” Eurnekian said.

The first agreement will extend the services of experts from the
Argentine State Water Agency, which manages the drinkable water supply
and sewage treatment for the City of Buenos Aires.

The second agreement is about Agricultural and Livestock Cooperation,
which will provide substantive support related to production,
innovative technology, rural development, commercialization and
promotion of bilateral economic relations in this sector.

Finally, a Memorandum of Cooperation will be signed between the Union
of Industrialists of Armenia and Argentina.

To note, Eduardo Eurnekian is the concessionaire of the Yerevan
Zvartnots Airport and has so far invested a total of $320mln in its
modernization. He also owns vast vineyards and orchards in Armenia.

According to the National Statistical Service of Armenia, in Jan-June
2011 Armenia invested $5.8mln in Armenia’s economy (1.4% of the total
investments and 25.6% more than a year before).

From: Baghdasarian

Armenia expects the last grant amounted $16.7 million from `Millennium
Challenge’ corporation

YEREVAN. September 17. /ARKA/. Armenia expects to get the last grant
amounted $16.661 million from the American corporation `Millennium
Challenge-Armenia’, press-service of the Armenian government informs.

Application for getting the last grant was approved on Friday in the
last meeting of the board of the fund `Millennium Challenge-Armenia’
headed by the Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan.

The last grant is planned to get in the period from October 2011 to
January 2012. It will be fully targeted at the implementation of the
last payments to construction companies by irrigation program of
agriculture.

Program of corporation `Millennium Challenge-Armenia’ on the reduction
of rural poverty through rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructures
vital for Armenia will be ended in January 2012. Total cost of the
program after its completion will be $176.491 million.

`During five years a large amount of work was implemented. The results
are really obvious and visible for our citizens. If there are even the
slightest doubts about the effectiveness and implementation of the
projects, any issue is submitted for public discussion, which formed a
special atmosphere of trust’, said Sargsyan.

The Prime Minister on behalf of the Board thanked the corporation for
funding and implementation of the program, as well as the employees of
the American Embassy and representatives of Armenian office of
corporation `Millennium Challenge-Armenia’.

`We also thank the board members, including representatives of private
sector organizations, beneficiaries who have been with us for five
years giving an objective assessment to the work of the Board,
implemented control to make sure that decisions are made strictly by
the rules, openly and transparent’, said Sargsyan.

Noting that the work was hard, Sargsyan stressed that it is,
nevertheless, a success.

The goal of the program of corporation `Millennium Challenge-Armenia’
is to reduce rural poverty through rehabilitation of critical
irrigation infrastructure in Armenia, as well as provide financial
assistance and advice to farmers, representatives of processing
industry and management structures of irrigation system.

According to the agreement of March 27, 2006, the American corporation
`Millennium Challenge’ planned to allocate $235.65 million to Armenia
for five years for rehabilitation programs of irrigation systems and
community roads. On June 10, 2009 the Board meeting decided to suspend
funding of the program of road construction, in the result of which
its cost was reduced to $176.5 million. –0–

From: Baghdasarian

Armenian delegation puts a veto on document in Euronest

15:38, 17 September, 2011

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS:

At the first plenary sitting of the Euronest September 14-16 in
Strasburg a concluding report was not adopted because of disagreements
of the Armenian delegation over certain formulations put into
circulation at the political committee. Member of the Armenian
delegation Naira Zohrabian told Armenpress that our delegation has
applied a veto to the presented document as the international norms
presented in it were edited, the report includes the territorial
integrity principle, instead the principle of self-determination was
not fixed.

“The report related to the European integration, EU’s role in the
settlement of regional conflicts. The report also has formulations
which related to international norms and don’t’ know why our eastern
partners, and why not with the efforts of Georgia, as the co-author of
the report is Georgian Davit Darcheashvili who together with the
Azerbaijani member, edited the international norms”, Zohrabian said.

According to her, the Armenian delegation tried to return its partners
in Euronest to a constructive field, noting that they do not want the
first plenary sitting of Euronest have an unpleasant end but they want
the report to be adopted and sent to the Eastern Partnership Summit in
Warsaw September 29.

“We have suggested not edit the international norms, which is a
natural demand. All the international documents stress the principles
of self-determination of people, territorial integrity and non-usage
of force, but the report ignores them. Unfortunately, our partners
spoke against the inclusion of the right of people to
self-determination and naturally we had nothing to do but use our
right to demand consensus as a result of which the report was not
approved”, Zohrabian said.

She noted that the Armenian delegation has never had illusions that
Euronest will be an easy platform for us. “It was clear for us that in
many cases we would face many issues. But it was unexpected that
during the very first sitting we would have to overcome the stubborn
confrontation of our certain eastern partners”, the parliamentarian
said, adding that the European integration is very important for
Armenia but “no integration may be higher for us than our national
interest”.

From: Baghdasarian

Argentine to share winemaking experience with Armenia

September 17, 2011 – 13:28 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian Agriculture Minister Sergo Karapetyan met
with Argentinean delegation led by Secretary of Agriculture Lorenzo
Basso.

At the meeting, Karapetyan stressed the importance of
Armenia-Argentine cooperation in the sectors of animal breeding, seed
farming and wine-making.

The Secretary of Agriculture, in turn, briefed Karapetyan on
Argentine’s experience on the use of modern technologies in hail
management.

In accordance with earlier agreements, Argentinean winemakers have
sheduled a visit to Armenia to share experience with local experts.

From: Baghdasarian

REVUE DE PRESSE
Charles Aznavour : Je n’ai jamais, jamais prononcé le mot adieux
SDA – Service de base français 5 septembre 2011 lundi 12:12 PM CET

Charles Aznavour : `Je n’ai jamais, jamais prononcé le mot adieux`

A 87 ans, le dernier monstre sacré de la chanson française, Charles
Aznavour, entamera le 7 septembre un récital d’un mois avant de partir
une nouvelle fois en tournée. Mais ne lui dites pas que ce sera la
dernière : `Je n’ai jamais, jamais prononcé le mot adieux !`,
assure-t-il à l’AFP.

`Certains médias racontent n’importe quoi ! J’ai dit que j’allais
faire une de mes dernières tournées. Quand M. (Martin) Scorsese
présente son dernier film, on ne dit pas qu’il ne va plus en faire
ensuite. Alors, on parle français ou pas ?`, s’emporte le chanteur.

Charles Aznavour avoue aborder ce marathon – sa résidence à l’Olympia
sera suivie d’une vingtaine de dates en province – `pas dans le trac,
mais dans l’angoisse`. `Le trac, je l’avais au début quand le public
ne venait pas pour moi, mais dès qu’il a commencé à venir pour moi, je
l’ai éliminé`, confie-t-il.

En revanche, l’angoisse, `c’est une question de mise en place, de
chansons. Est-ce que j’ai eu raison de faire ceci ? Est-ce que ce
n’est pas une rentrée de trop ?`, explique-t-il.

Une seule date est agendée en Suisse : le 3 novembre, à Genève.
Charles Aznavour, qui se produira à l’Arena, n’était plus revenu en
Suisse romande depuis quatre ans.

D’origine arménienne, `le grand Charles`, lancé par la chanteuse Edith
Piaf, a vendu plus de cent millions de disques dans le monde. Il est
depuis 2009 ambassadeur d’Arménie en Suisse et représente également
les intérêts de son pays d’origine auprès du bureau européen des
Nations Unies à Genève.

Tournée adaptée à son ge

L’auteur d’`Emmenez-moi` est conscient de ne plus être en mesure de
`faire un tour de chant comme auparavant` et reconnaît sans gêne qu’il
va adapter son jeu de scène aux contraintes que lui imposent son ge.

`Si j’ai besoin de m’asseoir, je vais m’asseoir, si j’ai besoin de
chanter debout, je chanterai debout. Ca ne veut pas dire que je suis
impotent, mais il faut vivre avec son ge`, dit-il.

De même, `j’ai de moins en moins de mémoire, alors je vais dire au
public la vérité : j’aurai probablement un prompteur quelque part`,
poursuit le chanteur.

`Je ne complique pas les choses, car le public n’est pas compliqué. Je
lui ai tout dit jusqu’ici, y compris quand je me suis fait planter des
cheveux`, sourit-il.

En préambule à sa tournée, Charles Aznavour publie ces jours-ci `D’une
porte à l’autre` (éd. Don Quichotte), un recueil de pensées et de
souvenirs, et `Toujours` (EMI), un nouvel album de chansons
originales.

On y retrouve la patte de l’auteur-compositeur qui y aborde le temps
qui passe, la guerre, le désir et l’amour.

`Je dois tout à la littérature française, je lis énormément, j’achète
énormément de livres et des beaux livres car j’aime que ma main touche
quelque chose d’aussi beau que ce que mon oeil voit`, raconte
Aznavour.

Sur sa table de chevet se trouvent en ce moment `Maudit soit
Dostoïevski`, d’Atiq Rahimi, de la littérature turque et `une touche
de Bible, de Coran et d’aphorismes`.

dimanche 18 septembre 2011,
Sté[email protected]

From: Baghdasarian

MANIFESTATION
Althen des Paluds à l’heure arménienne aujourd’hui

Aujourd’hui Althen des Paluds (près d’Avignon dans le Vaucluse) est à
l’heure arménienne. L’association ARA (Althen rencontre l’Arménie)
chère au président Mooshegh Abrahamian, l’association
Franco-Arménienne d’Avignon et de sa Région (AFAAR) ainsi que la
mairie d’Althen des Paluds avec le maire Lucien Stanzione appelent à
une journée de rencontre, d’échanges et de fête. Après la messe
arménienne à l’église d’Althen (10h30), le 6ème anniversaire de la
statue de Jean Althen sera célébrée place de la Mairie. Jean Althen,
Arménien qui au milieu du 18e siècle donna à la région une richesse
avec la culture de la garance. Après la réception organisée par la
municipalité, un repas arménien sera accompagné de chants, spectacles,
danses et musiques arméniennes. Christine Kiffer proposera à la Mairie
« Contes des quatre coins du monde » pour les enfants et les parents.
A 16 heures, à la salle René Tramier, Jean-Bertrand Barsamian emmènera
le public vers l’Arménie à travers une exposition de photos. A 17h30,
en présence de l’acteur Jacky Nercessian sera projeté (salle René
Tramier) le film « Azad » diffus l’été 2010 sur France 2. Repas 15 ,
réservations 06 47 39 02 70.

Krikor Amirzayan

Statue de Jean Althen l’Arménien dimanche 18 septembre 2011,
Krikor [email protected]

From: Baghdasarian