Author: Basmajian Ani

NA CHAIRMAN WON’T HIDE NAMES OF ABSENT DEPUTIES

arliament
07:17 pm | September 01, 2009

Official

The standing committee on state-legal issues of the RA National
Assembly held a session today and gave consent to a number of bills
to be included in the draft agenda for the four-day sessions of
the sixth sitting of the NA’s fourth convening that will be held on
September 15-17.

Participating in the committee session was NA Chairman Hovik
Abrahmyan who noted that the people must know the names of deputies
not participating in the committee sessions. According to him, if
some deputies are not taking part in the committee sessions, it is
necessary to review the staff of the committees.

Out of the nine members, only six participated in today’s session.

WHAT WILL RUSSIA DO?

s&pid=15053
16:43:24 – 02/09/2009

On September 2, the former NKR foreign minister Arman Melikyan
hosted at the Novosti press club focused journalists’ attention on
the Russian foreign ministry’s reaction to the Armenian and Turkish
protocols where it is noted that the Armenian and Turkish relations
are not harmful for a third country. Arman Melikyan wonders whom
Russia means by saying third country – itself or Azerbaijan. In any
case, Arman Melikyan notes that it is interesting from the point
that in case the Armenian and Turkish relations are bettered and the
border is open by the end of the year, beginning from the next year,
Russia has to say when it withdraws its army from Armenia and when
the Russian soldiers leave the Armenian and Turkish border, as in
case of open borders their staying makes no sense.

Arman Melikyan thinks Russia had better say ready to denounce the
Russian and Turkish agreement of March 16, 1921 as well as all the
following Russian-Turkish agreements.

HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN WARNS

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16:32:56 – 02/09/2009

On September 2, the Speaker of the National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan
met with the leadership of the Armenian foreign ministry and the
heads of the Armenian diplomatic representations. According to the
message of the NA department for public relations, he stated, "The
Republican party headed by the Armenian president Serge Sargsyan is
majority in the National Assembly. I as a member of the executive
body of the party jointly with the parliamentary majority support
Serge Sargsyan’s foreign policy which is aimed at the protection of
the interests of our country".

WHO DOES NOT OPPOSITIONAL UNITY
Naira Hayrumyan

Lragir
hp?id=lrahos||country&pid=15025
09:17:31 – 01/09/2009

Five major information are informed by national TV channels: Serge
Sargsyan should go to Turkey, compromises are necessary in the
Karabakhi settlement, the economic situation in Armenia is leveled,
the opposition is not uniting and the fall will not be hot.

The whole end of summer, politicians and political scientists are
engaged in prophesying cool autumn. Without sparing effort and time,
they convince people that the fall will be the same like winter,
spring and summer. As proof of his opinion, they bring the fact that
had prophesied a hot spring in the winter, then a hot summer, but the
year is cool. Spectators blindly believe their words, not remembering
that spring, summer, and even winter were quite hot. It all depends on
what to compare with. In every season, there is something that has kept
the high temperature in the society and did not give the authorities to
relax. It is sufficient to recall the economic crisis, but there were
also many other domestic events. They may become "hotter", if as it
is expected the unity of the three oppositional forces takes place:
the Armenian National Congress, the ARF and the "Heritage". Tigran
Karapetich prophesies also Vardan Oskanyan’s adherence to them.

And in this case, the fall from a "velvet season" can turn into in a
"pair". The temperature will be raised by the same opposition that
has already proven that it is able to dictate terms. Despite the
"cool" winter and spring, the opposition managed to insist on the
adoption of 4 resolutions of the PACE, the amnesty of political
prisoners, the continuation of the work of the fact-finding group
and investigation of the events of March 1. The latest "dictation"
was the document attesting the participation of people from the
surrounding of high-ranking officials in the events of March 1,
which caused a serious stir.

What steps the opposition plans for the fall is not known. Obviously,
someone does not want the consolidation of the three opposition
forces with considerable authority. In the case of the consolidation,
expectations from them will rise to the order. Might they cope with it?

OPENING OF ARMENIA-TURKEY BORDER WITHOUT RESOLUTION OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT CONTRADICTS AZERBAIJAN’S NATIONAL INTERESTS: FOREIGN MINISTRY

ArmInfo
2009-09-01 14:25:00

ArmInfo. "Azerbaijan’s position on opening of Armenia-Turkey border is
based on numerous statements by Turkey’s senior officials," Azerbaijani
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Elkhan Polukhov said. "However,
given that this issue directly affects Azerbaijan’s national
interests, opening of Armenia-Turkey border without resolution of
the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict contradicts national
interests of Azerbaijan," Polukhov said, Day.az reported.

"Meanwhile, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry once again states that
determining relations with other states is a sovereign right of every
state," the source reported.

On August 31 Turkey and Armenia agreed on opening of the Armenian
border in 2 month after the Protocol On Development of Bilateral
Relations comes into effect, says the document "Measures of
Fulfillment" of the Protocol on Development of Bilateral Relations
between Armenia and Turkey. The document says that the parties have
agreed also to conduct regular political consultations of foreign
political departments of the two states. In addition, Armenia and
Turkey have pledged to launch a dialogue to settle historical disputes
and restore mutual confidence. The parties have agreed to set up an
impartial group to study the archived documents to define the existing
problems and develop recommendations, the document says.

WB: RECESSION OF ARMENIAN ECONOMY SUSPENDS

PanARMENIAN.Net
31.08.2009 14:15 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Decline of Armenia’s economy within June-July was
suspended, Aristomene Varoudakis , the head of World Bank Yerevan
Office, said. "Despite the significant slowdown of the economy, certain
positive trends in July compared with June, are encouraging," he said.

"Many of the changes are temporary in nature, but in general it
appears that the decline of the economy stalled," Mr. Varoudakis
said. According to him, in July compared to June 2009, construction
industry turnover (the worst affected sphere) increased by 4,5 per
cent, industrial production grew by 6 per cent, electricity output
grew by 2 per cent.

As for inflation, as the World Bank projects, at the end of the year
it will amount to about 6 per cent.

IMPORT OF SECOND HAND RUSSIAN MADE PLANES BANNED

AZG DAILY
01-09-2009

International

The Iranian Aviation Organization (IAO) has sent a circular to
all Iranian airliners instructing to buy or rent only new Russian
planes. The instruction which is valid from the last Sunday prohibits
the buy or rent of only second hand Russian planes and does not
include western made air planes.

IAO will try to merge Iranian small airliners for improving their
standards.

Regarding TU-154 which crashed near Qazvin several weeks ago,
Mohammad-Reza Ilkhani the new head of IAO stated that the Plane has
passed through an 1200 hours overhaul process 20 days before the
accident. He underlined that the crash was not due technical failure
and therefore two Iranian investigation teams will travel to Moscow
in near future to find out the reason for bursting the engine number
one the plane.

LOWERED REFINANCING RATE IN ARMENIA WILL STIMULATE LENDING BY COMMERCIAL BANKS: IMF REP.

ArmInfo
2009-08-27 20:04:00

ArmInfo. Lowered refinancing rate in Armenia is expected to
stimulate lending by commercial banks, says Nienke Oomes, permanent
representative of IMF to Armenia. "The lower refinancing rate will
make it cheaper for banks to borrow money from the Central Bank of
Armenia, and they can now do this also at a longer maturity", she
said. To remind, another measure by the CBA to stimulate the financial
market was increasing the maturity of the REPO operations from one
day to three months. "Unfortunately, in Armenia the link between
the refinancing rate and the actual lending rates of banks is not
very strong. But given the significant reduction in the refinancing
rate, we should expect to see some effect", she said. To remind, on
August 11 the Central Bank of Armenia lowered the refinancing rate
by 0,25% to 5,25%, compared to 7,75% before and immediately after
the depreciation of dram in March 2009.

The exchange rate of the Armenian currency, after a
significant depreciation in March, has not displayed any signs of
instability. While the share of dram deposits in total bank deposits
fell from about 65% before the depreciation to roughly 35% afterwards,
it has been broadly stable since then. "After the large depreciation
in March, there hasn’t been much further increase in dollarization
of the financial system, which is a very good sign, because it means
that people, on average, believe that the dram/dollar exchange rate
is approximately in equilibrium", she assumed.

ESSAYS ON HISTORY OF DIASPORAN ARMENIAN ART TO BE PUBLISHED ON MINISTRY OF DIASPORA’S INITIATIVE

Noyan Tapan
Aug 28, 2009

YEREVAN, AUGUST 28, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On August 27, RA
Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobian received the widow of renowned
American Armenian artist, painter Kajazuni Kechechian, literary
critic, author of the Kajaz book Satenik Kechechian, Director of the
RA National Academy of Sciences Art Institute Ararat Aghasian and
Deputy Director Anna Asatrian.

The Department of Diaspora opened at the Art Institute on the
initiative of the RA Ministry of Diaspora jointly with the Ministry
carries out publication of the Essays on History of Diasporan Armenian
Art series of books, the first volume of which, Kajaz’s Magic Lamp
monograph authored by Ararat Aghasian will be dedicated to life and
creation of painter Kajazuni Kechechian.

According to the RA Ministry of Diaspora Press and Information
Department, Art Institute Director A. Aghasian and Mrs Kechechian
thanked Hranush Hakobian for assisting them in the issue of publication
of the series of books and in particular, of the volume dedicated to
the renowned painter, as well as for organizing book’s launching.

It was mentioned that many books have been written about the renowned
artist, but it was the first time that such a monograph completely
including renowned Diasporan artist’s life and activity was made. "We
have taken a small Armenia to Greenwich, my husband’s creations are
the reflection of Armenian creative thought in the canvases, and
those pictures decorate our apartment in America," S. Kechechian said.

The Minister of Diaspora expressed gratitude to artists’ family,
who for years running have assisted the Art Institute, Yervand Kochar
Museum and many Armenian-based intellectuals, especially in the issue
of publishing the creations.

"The Ministry of Diaspora is the home of a Diasporan Armenian. We
do our best to assist intellectuals who keep high the name of our
Homeland in foreign countries," the Minister of Diaspora concluded.

GEORGIA SURPRIZED BY APPEARANCE OF ABKHAZIAN ADJIKA IN ARMENIAN MARKET

Panorama.am
16:50 25/08/2009

The Georgian Ministry of Economic Development tries to clarify how the
Abkhazian "Amtsa" adjika appeared in the Armenian consumers’ market. As
"Interfax" agency reports on this concern a representative of the
Georgian Ministry commented on the problem. "It’s not excluded that
the production is smuggled and is produced in Armenia. At present we
try to get the details by the help of the Foreign Ministry, after it an
official statement will be declared", – mentioned the representative.

Russian "News.ru" informs that it is the first case recorded when the
goods produced in Abkhazia officially appear in the Armenian consumers’
market. There are no political and economic relations between Armenia
and Abkhazia, although a great number of Armenians live in Abkhazia.

The site notes that the sale of the mentioned product in Russian market
especially in Moscow supermarkets is realized without any obstacle.