3 ARMENIANS ON THE INTERNATIONAL WINTER HAND-TO-HAND FIGHTING
Aysor
Feb 26 2010
Armenia
On February 27, in 2010 in Moscow the international tournament of
hand-to-hand fighting between of 15 countries will take place. The
sambo federation of Armenia has sent to the capital city of Russia
sportsmen Samvel Aloyan and Vahan Gevorgyan as well as Vardan
Hovhannisyan.
As the Sambo Federation informs the Armenian delegation is headed by
Mikayel Hayrapetyan.
WHO WILL DARE MAKE A BREAKTHROUGH
Naira Hayrumyan
ahos16981.html
14:44:29 – 26/02/2010
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, in Armenia the first
breakthrough was made in a new formation. Private property was
declared, land and means of production were privatized, and market
mechanisms were introduced. It was happening very roughly causing pain
but these steps took Armenia out of the Soviet system. Unfortunately,
the process was not taken up to the end, mainly, "thanks" to Russia
where Putin, fleeing nostalgic for Soviet, came to change the liberal
Yeltsin. The political, economic, gas and psychological dependence from
Russia did not let Armenia make another breakthrough and disengage
from the Soviet chains. The West and the Armenian Diaspora, which
supported Armenia’s liberation from the Soviet economic slavery,
had to abandon hopes when it became clear that in Armenia, soviet
nomenclature figures reached power in Armenia and they cannot and do
not want to govern otherwise.
In order to come out of the marsh, as Baron Munchausen advised, you
have to pull yourself from hair. Another breakthrough is needed. For
this, 100 and more steps are not necessary. Just, soviet times are
to be forgotten.
The invitation of the former prime minister of Singapore to Armenia
has offered hope that the government understood the need for such a
leap. In Singapore, just one day, they decided that they repeal any
kind of bribes – starting from "kickbacks" during the construction
tenders and ending with a bribe for a certificate from the housing
office. The penalty for bribery was set strict – until death penalty.
Once the Institute of bribes stopped working, market-based mechanisms
started working.
Apparently, the former premier of Singapore told his Armenian
counterpart about the need of a breakthrough. Possibly, such a version
was even discussed "above" but in the end, they did not have enough
courage and the "evolutionary" way was chosen- cash register machines,
tax inspectors etc.
Hardly the government does not know about the need of the 100 steps
proposed by Hrant Bagratyan – those who work there are not fools
either. They also understand something is to be changed. The question
is who will dare make that breakthrough.
SARGSYAN-GORDON MEETING IN KIEV
armradio.am
25.02.2010 17:50
Today President Serzh Sargsyan attended the official inauguration
ceremony of Ukraine’s president-elect Victor Yanukovich. The delegation
headed by President Sargsyan comprised leader of the Prosperous
Armenia Party Gagik Tsarukyan, Adviser to RA President Andranik
Manukyan and Armenian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
to Ukraine Armen Khachatryan.
Following the swearing-in ceremony President Sargsyan participated
in the official reception and dinner in honor of the heads of foreign
states and talked to his counterparts and other high-ranking officials.
At his residence in Kiev Serzh Sargsyan received US Assistant Secretary
of State Philip Gordon. Issues related to the process of normalization
of the Armenia-Turkey relations were discussed.
The President of Armenia once again presented the approaches of
official Yerevan towards the current stage of the process and noted
that "Armenia is committed to the principle of establishment of
relations with Turkey without preconditions." Philip Gordon reiterated
the US support for the process.
Highly appreciating the constructive position of the Republic of
Armenia in all stages of normalization, Gordon underlined that "the
ratification of the protocols in both parliaments without linking them
to other issues is important for reaching normalization of relations."
IN 2009 AMERIABANK BECAME THE LEADER IN BANKING SYSTEM BY GROWTH OF FIXED-TERM LIABILITIES
ArmInfo
25.02.2010
ArmInfo.In 2009 the volume of fixed-term liabilities of Ameriabank
increased 2.6 times to 54.3 bln AMD. The press-service of Ameriabank
told ArmInfo that by growth of the given index the bank held the
leading position in the banking system of the country.
According to the source, taking into account the fact that Ameriabank
raises funds also from international financial structures, and this
tendency will continue in 2010 as well, the structure of the bank’s
liabilities is balanced by periods and systematized by sources in
the following way: liabilities to Armenian government make up 17%,
fixed-term deposits of legal entities – 56%, deposits of individuals
– 27%. Though Ameriabank is a corporate investment bank and the
fixed-term deposits of individuals make up only 32.3% of the total
volume of fixed-term deposits of the bank, nevertheless, the volume
of individuals’ deposits increased 7.6 times, and by this growth
Ameriabank holds the first position in the banking system of Armenia.
In 2009 the deposits of resident individuals in the bank increased
7.7 times, and those of nonresident individuals – 7.4 times. This
is the result of not only the fact that individuals’ deposits are
by 100% insured, but also the wide range services offered by the
bank, flexible tariff policy, as well as growth of confidence in
the bank due to the stable growth in its financial indices. In 2009
the number of banking accounts of the individuals increased by 82%,
and the balance on the accounts doubled.
To note, the majority shareholder of Ameriabank is TDA Holdings
Limited, affiliated with Troika Dialog with 99.99% share of
participation in the capital.
ARMENIAN MPS ADOPT ‘EXIT STRATEGY’ ON TURKEY ACCORDS
Agence France Presse
Feb 25 2010
Armenia’s parliament on Thursday adopted legal amendments described as
an "exit strategy" for withdrawing from a landmark deal to establish
ties with Turkey after decades of hostility.
The amendments, passed by a vote of 70-4, will allow President Serzh
Sarkisian to suspend ratification and withdraw from previously signed
international agreements.
The move comes amid growing frustration in Armenia over the Turkish
parliament’s failure to ratify two protocols signed in October to
establish diplomatic ties and open the Armenian-Turkish border.
"The need for these amendments obviously stems from the current
situation with the process of ratification of the Armenia-Turkey
protocols," the chairman of parliament’s foreign affairs committee,
Armen Rustamian, said.
"Existing tools are not sufficient to protect our interests and these
changes create such a legal basis…. Armenia is today facing such
problems that it may withdraw from the process. We are now developing
an exit strategy," he told parliament.
The signing of the deals was hailed internationally as a key step in
overcoming decades of enmity stemming from World War I-era massacres
of Armenians under Ottoman Turks.
But ratification by both countries’ parliaments has stalled as the
two sides have traded accusations of trying to modify the deal.
Ankara has accused Yerevan of trying to set new conditions after
Armenia’s constitutional court said the protocols could not contradict
Yerevan’s official position that the Armenian mass killings constituted
genocide — a label Turkey fiercely rejects.
Armenia, for its part, is furious over Ankara’s insistence that
normalising Turkish-Armenian ties depends on progress in resolving
the conflict between Armenia and Turkish ally Azerbaijan over the
disputed Nagorny Karabakh region.
Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in solidarity with
Azerbaijan after ethnic Armenian forces wrested Nagorny Karabakh from
Baku’s control in a war that claimed an estimated 30,000 lives.
The conflict remains unresolved despite years of international
mediation.
MINISTER OHANYAN MEETS AMERICAN AND BRITISH EXPERTS
armradio.am
24.02.2010 15:22
Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan received the USA and GB experts
who visit Armenia within the framework of the Defense Strategic Review
Process. Greeting the guests Seyran Ohanyan stated with satisfaction
that great advisory work has been done by the experts especially in
order to make the international experience in the spheres of long-term
military planning and cost accounting available for the senior officer
staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia.
Touching upon the Defence Strategic Review Process the Minister stated
that the order to regulate the work regarding the military element
of this process has been approved, which will contribute to the
realization of the 3rd and 4th stages of the Defence Strategic Review.
At the end of the meeting the experts showed the outcomes of the
discussions and meetings in Armenia. They also came up with their
suggestions and evaluations about the Review Process, Information
and Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Defense reports.
BEELINE CLIENTS MAY USE 3G ROAMING IN 47 COUNTRIES
ArmInfo
2010-02-24 18:01:00
ArmInfo. ArmenTel CJSC (Beeline trademark) announces growth in number
of roaming partners by 3G and GPRS. At present 3G roaming is available
in 47 countries, and GPRS roaming – in 65 countries.
In February bilateral 3G roaming has been opened for Beeline
subscribers with a number of operators of Macedonia, Czech Republic,
Portugal, Hong Kong and Indonesia, as well as bilateral GPRS roaming
in Great Britain, Macedonia and Pakistan. The list of operators whose
subscribers can use 3G and GPRS roaming in ArmenTel mobile network
has been replenished with companies from Denmark, Sweden, Albania,
Romania, Bangladesh, Australia and Kirghizstan.
"ArmenTel is the traditional leader in Armenia by the number of roaming
partners. It is extremely important for us that our subscribers
should receive the proper level of comfort, including the access
to internet via a mobile phone wherever they are",- said Director
General of ArmenTel CJSC Igor Klimko.
The total number of roaming partners of ArmenTel is currently
498 operators in 220 countries. In early 2009 the company had 423
roaming partners in 185 countries. ArmenTel CJSC (Beeline brand)
is the Armenian subsidiary of VimpelCom Group, which includes
communication operators providing services of voice communication
and data transmission on the basis of a wide spectrum of wireless and
fixed communication, as well as broadband internet in Russia, Armenia,
Georgia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Vietnam, and
Cambodia. The licence of VimpelCom covers an area with population
of about 340 mln people. The services are provided under the Beeline
brand. VimpelCom CJSC has become the first Russian company listed by
the New York Stock Exchange. The company’s shares are rated VIP at
New York Stock Exchange.
KARABAKH HAD SEPARATE PAVILION AT TOURISM EXHIBITION
news.am
feb 22 2010
Armenia
For the first time Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh (NKR) was presented
in a separate pavilion at the BIT tourism international exhibition
in Milan held Feb. 18-21.
140 countries participated in the BIT exhibition.
Karabakhi exhibit was next to Russian and Turkish ones, presenting
historical and cultural heritage of the country and was highly assessed
by promoters and visitors, RA Foreign Ministry press service informs
NEWS.am. The sponsors say that this year the number of visitors
reached 200 000.
NKR delegation was led by Sergey Shahverdyan — the head of tourism
department in NKR Government.
AZERBAIJANI HOLD A PROTEST ACTION AT THE IRANIAN EMBASSY IN BAKU
Panorama.am
19:40 22/02/2010
Politics
The World Congress of Azerbaijanis and Civil Solidarity Party held
a protest action at the Iranian Embassy in Baku, Turan says.
They slammed official Tehran’s policy towards the Azerbaijani residing
in Iran, as well as the instigations to Azerbaijan’s Embassy and
Consulate to Iran.
The protesters urged to put an end to instigations and condemned
Tehran for its hypocritical policy.
Two protesters were detained.
DOZENS OF OFFICERS DETAINED IN TURKEY
PanARMENIAN.Net
23.02.2010 11:10 GMT+04:00
PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey’s once all-powerful military is facing the
biggest challenge to its authority in decades after 49 senior officers
were detained on accusations of plotting to topple the country’s
Islamist-rooted government in a violent coup.
A former deputy chief of the army, a retired air force chief, the
chief of the navy and several generals and admirals were among those
detained by police in a sweep carried out in eight Turkish cities. The
round-up included 17 retired generals, four serving admirals and 27
lower-ranking officers.
The detentions dramatically raised the ante in a rumbling power
struggling between the Justice and Development party (AKP) government
and the armed forces, and prompted the army chief of staff, General
Ilker Basbug, to call off a trip to Egypt.
They represented the boldest assault yet on the military’s elevated
status by prosecutors, who have been investigating alleged conspiracies
by secularists to unseat the AKP for more than two years.
The army, which has dispatched four governments in the past 50 years,
was once considered all but untouchable in its role as custodian of
Turkey’s secular state.
Several high-ranking officers, including retired generals, are
already being tried on accusations of belonging to a movement known
as Ergenekon, which is said to have plotted a military coup by stoking
civil unrest. Journalists, academics, lawyers and politicians are also
accused of being part of Ergenekon, which the government has depicted
as a cabal of secular elitists determined to maintain their privileges.
Although there was no official explanation, the latest arrests appeared
to stem from a separate alleged coup plot, known as Sledgehammer,
revealed by a Turkish newspaper, Taraf, last month.
According to testimony in 5,000 pages of stolen army documents, the
plan – dating from 2003 – envisaged a putsch against the AKP after a
campaign of destabilization involving bombing mosques and provoking
a war with Greece. The army has denied the documents represented a
coup plot and instead described them as a "scenario".
On a visit to Spain Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
refused to comment on the latest developments, saying: "It would not
be appropriate for me to talk about an issue that is already handled
by the judiciary."
But critics will depict the detentions as part of a witch-hunt by the
AKP aimed at politicizing the judiciary, undermining the military
and weakening the secular constitution handed down by Ataturk, the
founder of modern Turkey.
The arrests follow a row over the detention last week of the
chief prosecutor of the north-eastern province of Erzincan, Ilhan
Cilhaner, on charges of belonging to Ergenekon after he had ordered
an investigation of an Islamist group. Cilhaner’s arrest prompted
the strongly pro-secularist Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors
to strip the powers of the special prosecutor who had ordered it.
The detentions also followed a ruling last month by Turkey’s highest
court, the constitutional court, overturning government legislation
that would have allowed serving military officers to be tried in
civilian courts, rather than military tribunals as at present.
Analysts suggested that the arrests were aimed at trying officers
before the constitutional court’s ruling could be recorded in the
official gazette, when it would become effective.
Gareth Jenkins, an Istanbul-based specialist on Turkish military
affairs, said the arrests could trigger a major crisis. "The
prosecutors have four days to turn these detentions into formal
arrests and if they do that, there is no way the army will sit back
and not respond. This is a power struggle between two authoritarian
forces. The agenda behind Ergenekon is to reduce the power of the
military," he said, guardian.co.uk reported.