Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

TURKEY’S ENVOY RETURNS TO USA

Anadolu Agency
April 6 2010
Turkey

Ankara, 6 April: Turkish Ambassador in Washington, D.C. Namik Tan
left for the United States on Tuesday.

Turkey had recalled Tan after the Foreign Relations Committee of the
United States House of Representatives adopted a resolution on March
4 that supported Armenian allegations regarding the incidents of 1915.

Tan said, "our interlocutors understood the message we wanted to give.

We have received satisfactory answers. It is time to return to
my office."

"I will welcome Mr Prime Minister (Recep Tayyip Erdogan) in Washington,
D.C. at the weekend," Tan said.

Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan will travel to United States to attend
the International Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, D.C. to take
place on April 12 and 13.
From: Baghdasarian

NKR PRESIDENT HELD CONSULTATIONS ON ALLOCATION OF FUNDS

news.am
April 5 2010
Armenia

April 5, NKR President Bako Sahakyan held consultations on rational
allocation of funds assigned from public budget.

Bako Sahakyan outlined the importance of control over managing the
funds, stressing the necessity for proper preventive measures, the
NKR presidential information department informed NEWS.am.

Sahakyan noted that cooperation between law enforcers and supervisory
agencies, as well as with NKR Ombudsman Office is a pledge of success.

NKR Vice-Premier, Finance Minister Spartak Tevosyan, law enforcers
and other officials also attended.
From: Baghdasarian

INTERNATIONAL LICENSING AND CONTROL PRINCIPLES TO BE INTRODUCED IN ARMENIA’S GAMBLING INDUSTRY

PanARMENIAN.Net –
April 6, 2010 – 14:42 AMT 09:42 GMT

RA Deputy Minister of Finance Vardan Aramyan said that the reformation
of Armenia’s gambling industry proceeds from the principles of Moneyval
Committee on combating money laundering and terrorism financing, as
well as from the international norms on consumers rights protection
adopted in all developed countries of the world.

Presenting a new concept for reforming the gambling industry,
Mr. Aramyan told reporters that the Armenian government approved the
concept on regulation of gambling industry in RA and implementation
of control over it, as well as a program of measures to be taken. The
concept aims to continue the gambling industry streamlining in Armenia,
taking into consideration the best international experience, as well
as to introduce mechanisms for specifying the control and licensing
conditions.

According to him, the concept foresees amendments to the current
legislation, as well as strengthening of fiscal requirements.

Specifically, it is planned to toughen the requirements towards
establishers of gaming houses, as well as towards those who deal with
organization of games with wins. If this is a physical person, he/she
shall have no previous convictions, precedents of bankruptcy or of
facilitation of some organization bankruptcy through his/her actions.

"During the first stage, it is planned to toughen the licensing
and improvement of accountability types with usage of the best
international experience that will be done within first two years,"
he said.

With respect to this, Mr. Aramyan added that currently the owners
of gaming houses submit only quarterly reports concerning their
liabilities to the budget, while this sphere licensing of is not on
an appropriate level.

The next stage of the concept implementation foresees introduction
of electronic document circulation and toughening of technical
requirements. The Deputy Minister clarified that the system will
allow fixing data of a separate gaming machine or gambler, having a
personal ID card. "The obtained data will be maintained by a relevant
authorized body, which will have the possibility to follow the work
of any machine at any time," he said.

Mr. Aramyan said that currently there are 11 licensed gaming houses
and 103 organizers of games with wins in Armenia, and tax payment
at the amount of around AMD 4 billion enter the state budget from
the field, while the monthly fixed payment totals AMD4 million per
gaming table and 125,000 per gaming machine. According to the concept,
starting from 2013 it is foreseen to collect a single state fee at
the amount of AMD1.2 billion from gaming houses that will decrease
up to AMD 400mln, depending on zones. "The toughening of fiscal and
legislative requirements will lead to the enlargement of players in
this field that will allow reducing shadow and securing their maximum
accountability," he noted.

As for toughening of restrictions for entering a gaming house, changes
will be introduced to limit the availability of the gambling industry
for state employees and high-ranking officials. Mr. Aramyan added
that certain restrictions will be made related to the organization of
advertisement in this field, specifically, there are countries, where
the gaming houses advertisement is prohibited in schools and cultural
centers, while in other countries it is completely prohibited. As
for Armenia, the Deputy Minister said that currently there are not
any legislative limitations forbidding a state employee to gamble
in casino.
From: Baghdasarian

NAMIK TAN TO ORGANIZE ERDOGAN-SARGSYAN MEETING

news.am
April 6 2010
Armenia

April 6, Turkish Ambassador to the U.S. Namik Tan returned to
Washington. Ankara recalled him after the adoption of Armenian Genocide
resolution by the U.S House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Before departure the diplomat told journalists that Turkey got relevant
messages from the U.S., that is why he goes back.

Namik Tan will organize meetings of Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan with
Barack Obama and Serzh Sargsyan, Turkish Sabah reports.
From: Baghdasarian

LE MAGAZINE ALLEMAND " DER SPIEGEL " CONSACRE UN LARGE DOSSIER AU GENOCIDE ARMENIEN

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN DANS LES MEDIAS

Le magazine allemand " Der Spiegel " dans son edition du 3 avril sous
le titre " Mefaits du passe " consacre un large dossier au genocide
armenien. Articles signes par trois journalistes allemands et illustres
d’une carte et de nombreuses photographies.

" 95 annees ont passe de ce mois d’avril qui marqua le debut du
genocide des Armeniens " ecrit " Der Spiegel " et donne le temoignage
de Dikranouhie Asatrian (100 ans) une rescapee du genocide habitant
Erevan. Cette armenienne qui a perdu la vue se souvient de son enfance,
" de l’autre côte de la frontière actuelle ". Elle temoigne " dans la
rue j’ai vu un jeune armenien assassine. Dans les maisons avoisinantes
on avait viole les femmes. A 8 ans, j’entendais leurs cris. Il y a
des Turcs sages et d’autres mechants. Ces derniers assassinaient les
jeunes Armeniens, et les gentils ont aide nombre d’Armeniens a fuir
avec leurs familles lors du retrait de l’armee russe ". " Der Spiegel
" ecrit qu’entre 1915 et 1918 " de 800 000 a 1,5 million d’Armeniens
furent tues. C’etait le Premier genocide du XXe siècle ".

Le magazine allemand explique egalement la diaspora armenienne formee a
la suite de ce genocide et s’etonne que jusqu’a present l’Allemagne n’a
pas reconnu ce genocide armenien. Et rappelle " en 2005 le Bundestag
allemand a invite la Turquie a accepter sa responsabilite historique
mais n’a pas utilise le terme genocide ". Un genocide qui a ete
" observe par des Americains et des Allemands ". " Der Spiegel "
interroge Haïg Demoyan, le directeur du Musee du genocide a Erevan
qui dit " le meilleur moyen de ne pas renouveler le crime, serait de
le condamner. Or les Turcs nes après ce crime dorment tranquillement ".

H. Demoyan rappelle l’importance de la reconnaissance du genocide
armenien par la France, le Parlement suedois et la Commission des
affaires etrangères de la Chambre des Representants du Congrès
americain. " A chaque fois Ankara profère des menaces sur les
consequences politiques d’une reconnaissance " ajoute H. Demoyan.

" Der Spiegel " raconte l’histoire de Fethiye Cetin, la celèbre avocate
turque " qui a decouvert ses racines armeniennes " au debut des annees
1980. Par sa qualite, le dossier de " Der Spiegel " invite le lecteur
a avoir une autre vision sur le genocide armenien que le negationnisme
d’Etat de la Turquie. Cette etude est d’autant plus importante que
l’Allemagne recense plus de 3 millions d’immigres Turcs qui peuvent
ainsi decouvrir la version historique et reelle du genocide armenien
ecarte des manuels scolaires turcs.
From: Baghdasarian

WE’LL HAVE OLD AND MODERN SHOUSHI

NKR Government Information And
Public Relations Department
April 05, 2010

On April 3, a regular out session of the Government was convened in
Shoushi. The agenda included account of the head of Shoushi regional
administration on works done in 2009. According to the data proposed
by head of the regional administration Georgy Hayriyan, the year of
2009 yielded poor results, especially, in the sphere of law machinery.

The number of criminal offences increased against that detected. We
have no desired results in the sphere of agriculture; year by year
cattle population is diminished. Pledge of success, according to the
head of the Government, is in effective work.

Achievements in field of construction, healthcare, education, culture
and sport are evident. Resettlement in the region is in process; in
2009, 10 families got the status of migrants. The number of unemployed
decreased, as compared with the previous year. 41 persons got fixed
up in a job.

AMD 315,95mln investment was made by of state budget means.

State assistance will be continued. We’ll spare no efforts for having
old and modern Shoushi,-assured the Premier. Streets, cultural and
educational institutions, multiple-dwellings will be reconstructed;
inner water-supply system will be built up by "Hayastan" all-Armenian
fund.
From: Baghdasarian

Heavens Game
April 3 2010

European Nations Cup 2010: Armenia V Andorra

Friday, 02 April 2010 03:58 Written by James Mortimer

The two bottom ranked teams in the European Nations Cup 3A division
battle in a game that will go a long way to determining who is
relegated next season.

Abovyan will play host to the two sides, a small city of 40,000 in the
Armenian province of Kotayk.

Armenia are a formidable team at home, having beaten Switzerland 35-15
way back on the 18th October 2008, while they lost to Lithuania ` the
current unbeaten top ranked side in 3A ` by only five points in May of
last year.

Over all the Armenians have showed some solid mettle throughout,
especially when considering they did not play their first
international until 2004, but the unranked nation has struggled of
late, only winning two of six matches. When considering that they
were runners up to Sweden in 3A two years ago, they have struggled
against four teams ranked higher than them on the IRB table (Lithuania
is ranked 37th in the world).

Their last two matches against Lithuania and Switzerland have resulted
in heavy defeats, losing 25-0 and 18-0 respectively.

As a consequence the Armenians are ranked last with two matches still to play.

Their opponents Andorra, sit fifth on the table, but have won (two)
and lost (four) the same as their rivals this weekend, but did defeat
Serbia at the end of November last year.

The small rugby nation from the Principality of Andorra (located in
the Eastern Pyrenees Mountains), are nicknamed `Els Isards’, and also
carry into the match a winning record against the Armenians, having
won 36-10 when playing in the Andorra la Vella, the capital city of
the Andorra last year.

European Nations Cup 3A so far

13-Sep-2008, Serbia – Armenia, 0 – 41 @ Smederevo, Serbia
18-Oct-2008, Armenia – Switzerland, 35 – 15 @ Abovyan, Armenia
08-Nov-2008, Andorra – Lithuania, 10 – 26 @ Andorra la Vella, Andorra
15-Nov-2008, Lithuania – Switzerland, 33 – 0 @ Vilnius, Lithuania
06-Dec-2008, Serbia – Andorra, 32 – 7 @ Smederevo, Serbia
14-Mar-2009, Switzerland – Andorra, 32 – 9 @ Bern, Switzerland
21-Mar-2009, Andorra – Armenia, 36 – 10 @ Andorra la Vella, Andorra
04-Apr-2009, Switzerland – Serbia, 6 – 12 @ Nyon, Switzerland
02-May-2009, Lithuania – Serbia, 50 – 9 @ Vilnius, Lithuania
09-May-2009, Armenia – Lithuania, 19 – 24 @ Abovyan, Armenia
10-Oct-2009, Lithuania – Andorra, 40 – 12 @ Siauliai, Lithuania
24-Oct-2009, Serbia – Switzerland, 13 – 8 @ Belgrade, Serbia
31-Oct-2009, Lithuania – Armenia, 25 – 0 @ Klaipeda, Lithuania
22-Nov-2009, Switzerland – Armenia, 18 – 0 @ Switzerland
29-Nov-2009, Andorra – Serbia, 21 – 7 @ Andorra la Vella, Andorra

a/european-nations-cup-2010-armenia-v-andorra
From: Baghdasarian

NORTH HOLLYWOOD HIGH SCHOOL TEAM WINS INTERNATIONAL MOOT COURT COMPETITION

Noyan Tapan
Apr 2, 2010

LOS ANGELES, APRIL 2, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Congratulations
to two seniors from North Hollywood High School in the Los Angeles
Unified School District (LAUSD) who recently traveled to Duke
University in North Carolina where they won first-place in an
International Moot Court competition. Of 42 competing teams, which
included eight additional two-person teams from North Hollywood High
School, Catherine Smith and Krikor Kouyoumdjian emerged victorious
and undefeated following five preliminary rounds in which they
successfully argued both sides of a complex constitutional legal
issue. Their coach is Paul Landau.

In addition to first-place honors, North Hollywood High School
won three top individual Best Speaker awards: Krikor Kouyoumdjian
finished first, Catherine Smith placed second, and Michael Rale
earned third-place honors. Kaya Zekioglu and Janna Lowensohn, also
representing North Hollywood High School, received fifth and seventh
place recognition, respectively, reported
From: Baghdasarian

WHY DOES THE USA HELP PRESIDENTS TO AVOID THE WORD GENOCIDE?

Aysor
April 2 2010
Armenia

The Armenian – Turkish discussions are encouraged if they do not
hinder the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, Levon
Zurabyan, the coordinator of the Armenian National Congress said
today touching upon the information that on 24 April the Armenian
and Turkish intellectuals will meet in Istanbul.

"Though such events theoretically are encouraged, they are very often
implemented just for one reason, to create an impression that there
is a reconciliation process going on and in this way to except the
upcoming statements on 24 April on Genocide recognition," he said and
added that such kind of meetings help the US Presidents to justify
why they avoid the word "Genocide".
From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN PREMIER PRAISES ANTICRISIS PROGRAMME RESULTS

Mediamax
April1 2010
Armenia

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan stated in Yerevan today that
the crisis prevention program of the government gave its positive
results.

Speaking at the session of the government, Tigran Sargsian stated
that due to the extensive tax-budgetary and monetary-credit policy,
in the first quarter, 2010, GDP index 2.5 times exceeded the index,
planned by the government for the given period.

According to him, following the results of the first quarter, tax
proceeds to the state budget made 126bn drams instead of the planned
117bn drams, and the social payments – 26bn drams instead of the
planned 22bn drams.

The Armenian prime minister informed that in the accounting period,
the salary in the country increased by 5.8 per cent. Tigran Sargsian
stated that in the first quarter, the increase in export made about
53 per cent, and import – 16 per cent.

"We managed to increase export volume due to growth in industry.

Mining raw materials industry increased by 45 per cent, the
processing industry – by 9 per cent, production of construction
materials doubled. Diamond and gold industry demonstrated high speeds
of growth, and all these sectors were the ones to improve the situation
in export", the prime minister of Armenia stated.

Tigran Sargsyan started that inflation is still the most problematic
issue. "We have entered a stage of quite high inflation speeds and
this is conditioned by the extensive tax-budgetary policy, which,
on the one hand stimulates economic growth, on the other – creates
inflationary pressures", the prime minister noted.

According to him, in February-March, 2010, inflation of 2.9 per cent
was registered. The prime minister noted that the government and the
Central Bank of Armenia possess certain tools to deter inflationary
pressures.

"An agreement is reached with the World Bank, according to which all
macroeconomic indices of 2010 will have neutral influence on inflation,
and if we manage to maintain high speeds in tax collection, we will
also manage to also realize deterring policy", he stated.
From: Baghdasarian