Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

RA NA PRESIDENT HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN RECEIVES THE DELEGATION OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM

On September 18 the RA NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan received the
Vice-President of the British-Armenian All-Party Parliamentary Group
John Whittingdale and Stephen Pound. The Ambassador of Great Britain
to the RA Jonathan Aves and the Head of the NA Armenia-Great Britain
Friendship Group Karen Chshmaritian attended the meeting.

Welcoming the guests the NA President noted that Armenia greatly
highlights the further development of relations with the United Kingdom
in different directions. Hovik Abrahamyan highlighted the necessity of
activation of inter-parliamentary cooperation not only with bilateral,
but also multilateral formats. Highly assessing the activity of the
British-Armenian Group of the parliament of the United Kingdom in the
development of inter-parliamentary relations of the two countries
he expressed conviction that the parliamentary diplomacy is one of
the important levers for advancing the political dialogue between the
countries. The NA President expressed confidence that the British MPs’
visit would boost the relations between the parliaments of the two
countries and the activity of the parliamentary friendship groups. He
deemed necessary the implementation of the concrete programmes in
different spheres.

The NA President introduced the regional developments to the guests.

Hovik Abrahamyan touched upon the process of the NK conflict
settlement, the Armenian-Turkish relations, highlighting the
necessity of forming an objective opinion on them abroad and in
international structures. In this context he highly assessed the
British parliamentarians’ visit to Artsakh. Touching upon the decision
of Armenia’s joining to the Customs Union, the NA President noted
that it stems from the interests of our country and added that the
decision does not mean at all suspension or weakening of political
dialogue with the European Union. “The European Union has been and
continues to remain one of the most important counterparts of the
Republic of Armenia,” Hovik Abrahamyan noted.

Thanking for reception the Vice-President of the British-Armenian
All-Party Parliamentary Group John Whittingdale reaffirmed their
readiness to promote the activation and development of bilateral
inter-parliamentary relations and deepening of inner-state relations.

In his word, Great Britain highlights the role of Armenia in the
region, and Europe, particularly the United Kingdom are concerned of
developing and deepening the relations with Armenia. By the British
MPs’ conviction, the basis of Armenia-EU relations is well laid. They
expressed conviction that from now on those relations will develop
and deepen, noting that during the recent years considerable progress
had been registered in Armenia.

From: Baghdasarian

VICTOR HAMBARTSUMYAN MADE ARMENIA A COUNTRY OF ASTRONOMY – SCIENTIST

September 18, 2013 | 17:49

YEREVAN. – Great scientist Victor Hambartsumyan raised astronomical
science in Armenia to the current level, Director of the Byurakan
Observatory Hayk Harutyunyan said.

“Both the Armenian and foreign scientists consider Hambartsumyan one
of the greatest astronomers of the 20th century. Without him Armenia
would not have such a high level of astronomical science, as it has
now,” he said.

Hambartsumyan represented a rare fusion of Soviet Union and Armenia
patriot, the scientist added.

“We need to view him not only as a scientist, but also as a prominent
public figure,” he concluded.

The great Soviet-Armenian scientist was born 105 years ago.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: Baghdasarian

IN MEMORIAM: GERARD L. CAFESJIAN

Published: Wednesday September 18, 2013

Gerard Cafesjian. Photo courtesy of Cafesjian family

MINNEAPOLIS – Gerard Leon Cafesjian was a remarkable man. Born in
Brooklyn, New York on April 26, 1925 to Armenian immigrant parents,
Gerard fought in a war, made a fortune, saved a carousel and founded
a magnificent Center for the Arts in his ancestral home, Armenia.

After graduating from New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn, New York
(later the setting for the TV show “Welcome Back Kotter”), Gerard
joined the U.S. Navy and fought bravely in the South Pacific During
World War II. He met Cleo Thomas in 1946 In New York City; they were
both in uniform – he in his sailor blues, she in her nursing whites.

They married on July 4, 1947.

Gerard attended Hunter College and later St. Johns Law School,
courtesy of the G.I. Bill. After practicing law in New York City for
several years, Gerard joined the editorial staff of legal publishing
company Edward J. Thompson. In 1960 Gerard and his family moved to
St Paul Minnesota where he began his long and distinguished career
at West Publishing Company. As Sr. Vice President of Marketing,
Advertising and West Law, he helped usher in the age of computerized
legal research. As one of the owners of the privately held company,
he amassed a fortune upon its sale to Thompson Corp. in 1996.

In 1988 he donated one million dollars to prevent the dismantling and
sale of the historic State Fair Carousel which now bears his name. In
2000, he donated an additional sum to construct the building in Como
Park where it is now housed and enjoyed by thousands each year.

As a passionate and life long art collector, one of Gerard’s greatest
achievements was to create the Cafesjian Center for the Arts in
Yerevan, Armenia. Housed in a unique, ziggurat-style structure called
the Cascade, the Center is a hub for both visual and performing arts
and contains works by world renowned artists such as Dale Chihuly,
Stanislav Libensky and Jaroslava Brychtova, Pablo Picasso, Arshile
Gorky, Jaume Plensa and others. The Center also boasts a sculpture
garden containing works by artists such as Fernando Botero, Lynn
Chadwick, Barry Flanagan and others.

A fighter all his life, Gerard was finally dealt a blow from which he
could not recover when his beloved wife of 66 years passed away in
March of this year. Cleo Cafesjian was as vital to him as the beat
of his own heart and without her, broken hearted; he departed this
world on September 15, 2013.

Gerard was pre-deceased by his parents, Nora Tashjian and Levon
Cafesjian, by his son Gerard Cafesjian Jr. and by his beloved wife,
Cleo Thomas Cafesjian. He is survived by his sister Mary Dobbs,
his daughter Kathleen Baradaran (Jaff Baradaran), his son Thomas
Cafesjian, his Granddaughter Carrie Martinson (Ben Jones) and his
three Great-Grandsons, Sam, Eli and Jack.

No Memorial or funeral service has been scheduled. In lieu of flowers,
contributions can be made to Cafesjian Museum Foundation, Inc. 15
South 5th Street Suite 900 Minneapolis MN 55402.

From: Baghdasarian

ARONIAN TO COMPETE IN ZURICH CHESS CHALLENGE 2014

Wednesday,
September
18

Armenian GM Levon Aronian plans to take part in the Zurich Chess
Challenge 2014 to be held from January 29 till February 4. His rivals
will be Anand, Carlsen, Caruana, Nakamura, and Gelfand, according to
the website of Armenia’s Chess Federation.

TODAY, 19:04

Aysor.am

From: Baghdasarian

“FABULOUS ADVENTURE” WINS AWARD AT ARMENIAN PUPPET THEATER FESTIVAL
Art Desk

On Line: 18 September 2013 14:59
In Print: Thursday 19 September 2013

A poster for “Fabulous Adventure of the Big Bad Wolf and the Red
Riding Hood”

TEHRAN — “Fabulous Adventure of the Big Bad Wolf and Red Riding Hood”
from Iran has been crowned the best play in the New Look section of
the Toumanian Fairy Tale Day, an international puppet theater festival,
which was held in Armenia from September 7 to 14.

The Safety Pin Theater Group, led by director Salma Mohseni and Sina
Yelaqbegi, performed the play, the Persian service of ILNA reported
on Tuesday.

Troupes from Dagestan, Russia, France, Ukraine and Georgia gave
performances during the event this year.

The festival was organized by the Armenian Center of the International
Union of Puppeteers to commemorate the prominent Armenian writer
Hovhannes Toumanian.

It was held in the central square of the village of Dsegh, which is
Toumanian’s birthplace.

The festival aims to promote versatile aesthetic education and
harmonious development of the younger generation.

SB/YAW END

From: Baghdasarian

INACCESSIBILITY OF LOANS HINDERS DEVELOPMENT OF ARMENIAN SME

YEREVAN, September 18. / ARKA /. One of the biggest problems
hindering development of small and medium-sized businesses in Armenia
is inaccessibility of loans and the other big problem are gaps in
the tax administration system, according to Karen Gevorkyan, deputy
director of the National Centre for the Development of Small and
Medium-Sized Entrepreneurship.

He said the core activity of the National Centre for the Development
of Small and Medium-Sized Entrepreneurship is to help solve these
problems. According to him, the Center helps annually some 3000
beginners to get long-term and unsecured loans at affordable terms.

High interest rates on loans are also a problem, he added. ‘It is
desirable that banks provide a wider range of loan products,’ he said.

With regard to the tax legislation, Gevorgyan said the problems arising
from the legislation are not as important as the difficulties arising
in the course of tax administration, namely, the corruption.

Besides, he said development of SMEs is hindered by the fact that
many entrepreneurs are unaware of the changes in the tax law, of
their rights and responsibilities.

According to the National Union of Employers of Armenia, SME lending
in 2012 amounted to about $15 million, while in 2001-2002 the figure
stood at $30-$40 million, and at about $20 million in 2007-2008.

According to the ministry of economy, in 2007-2012 the
government released 98 billion drams for the promotion of
small and medium entrepreneurship. This year the government
has earmarked 778 million drams to that end. Also 6.6 billion
drams were to be provided for SME development by the Universal
Credit Organization. ($ 1 – 409.61 drams). -0- – See more at:

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN BONDS COULD BE NAMED KARDASHIAN

14:55, 18 September, 2013

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has just wrapped up its road
show drumming up interest for its debut dollar denominated bond, which
is expected to hit the market this week or next, as reports Armenpress,
Serena Ruffoni and Katie Martin write in The Wall Street Journal blog.

When it lands, expect intense interest in its funding costs, especially
now that the easy money days that have helped other frontier issuers
borrow at knock-down rates are coming to an end.

Dollar bonds issued outside the US often have nicknames. Kangaroo
Bonds from Australia. Samurai Bonds from Japan.

And Armenia, among many things, is famous for it’s apricots, which
are thought to have originated there, and, Los Angeles’s finest,
the Kardashians. Apricot Bonds has a nice ring to it. But alas,
it’s unlikely to catch on. Tim Ash, an emerging markets analyst
at Standard Bank, has already coined Kardashian Bonds in notes to
clients, quipping “that wrapper has gotta be worth a few basis points,
providing something of a bottom for this credit.”

From: Baghdasarian

POLISH MINISTRY PRESS STATEMENT: WHAT DID FOREIGN MINISTER SAY IN WARSAW?

September 18, 2013 – 14:07 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The visit of Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian
to Poland and seemingly protocolary reports of the two country’s
ministerial press services gave rise to harsh criticism of the Armenian
official. The stir was caused by a small yet significant difference
between the Armenian and Polish versions of press releases covering the
meeting of Nalbandian with his Polish counterpart RadosÅ~Baw Sikorski.

Thus, according to the Armenian Foreign Ministry statement, prospects
of further cooperation with the EU were discussed. As Nalbandian noted
in this context, Armenia is ready to develop close ties with the EU
“but not to the detriment and at the expense of our allied relations
with Russia.”

“This is the context Armenia’s decision to join the Customs Union
should be viewed in,” Nalbandian said.

However, Polish Foreign Ministry’s press service interpreted
Nalbandian’s statement in the following manner: “during his visit to
Warsaw, Mr Edward Nalbandian noted that his country wants to deepen
its cooperation with the EU as much as possible, but “it cannot be
directed against Russian interests.” He added that Armenia and Russia
are bound by a military alliance and a privileged economic cooperation,
especially concerning energy, which justifies the declaration made
in Moscow by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on Armenia’s accession
to the Russia-Kazakhstan-Belarus Customs Union.”

However, the Polish Foreign Ministry website soon posted a corrected
version of the statement: ” Nalbandian noted that his country wants
to deepen its cooperation with the EU as much as possible, but “it
cannot be at the expense of our allied relations with Russia”.”

What is it exactly that Nalbandian said in Warsaw? Was it that the
EU-Armenian ties should not be developed at the expense of relations
with Russia? Or was it that Russia will be the one to dictate the level
of Armenia’s cooperation with the EU? What is that the two ministries’
press services failed to agree about in when readying statements?

Those questions will probably never be answered.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN DM: ARMENIA KEPT IN MIND ITS NATIONAL SECURITY WHEN DECIDING TO JOIN CUSTOMS UNION

by Nana Martirosyan

ARMINFO
Wednesday, September 18, 14:16

Armenia kept in mind its national security when deciding to join the
Customs Union, Armenia’s Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan said during
a meeting with professors and students of Yerevan State University
on Wednesday.

He said that such decisions are passed with due regard for the security
of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. “Lets not forget that Russia is
our strategic partner and actively supports our military-technical
development,” Ohanyan said.

From: Baghdasarian

BAGHDASARIAN: JOINT AIR FORCES ARE VITAL TO ARMENIA’S SECURITY

Wednesday,
September
18

“A regular sitting of the Council and statutory bodies of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will be held in Sochi
on September 23. The sitting is important in terms of strengthening
the military component of CSTO as it is planned to sign a number
of agreements and establish Air Forces of the CSTO,” Secretary of
Armenia’s National Security Council Arthur Baghdasarian stated today.

In his words, the creation of joint air forces is vital to Armenia’s
security.

Baghdasarian also said that preparatory work is being done to hold
the 11th sitting of the CSTO Interstate Commission on Military
and Technical Cooperation in Yerevan on October 1-4. Besides,
‘Channel-Caucasus’ local anti-drug operation will be conducted in
Yerevan on October 1-4. The international coordination headquarters
are located in Armenia.

TODAY, 13:52

Aysor.am

From: Baghdasarian