Author: Chalian Meline

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Aug 12 2009

Putin’s Turkey visit stirs mixed feelings in Yerevan

Wednesday, August 12, 2009
YEREVAN – Daily News with wires

Armenians watched Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s recent visit
to Turkey with a mixture of hope and suspicion amid the normalization
talks between Yerevan and Ankara, Eurasia.net reported Tuesday on its
Web site.

While many in Armenia see potential benefits arising from closer
Turkish-Russian relations, worries persist among Armenian leaders and
experts that Turkey’s importance in the eyes of the Kremlin may come
to outweigh that of Armenia, Eurasia.net wrote.

The Armenian government has adopted a neutral tone on the Aug. 6 to 7
visit and, officially, there was no indication that the issue of
Armenian-Turkish relations was discussed in any form during Putin’s
trip to Ankara. But after more than a year of attempts to normalize
relations with Turkey and reopening the Armenian-Turkish border, the
visit nevertheless stirred mixed feelings in Yerevan.

`Of course, it is not a pleasant thing to see your strategic partner
[Russia] building ambitious programs with countries with which Armenia
has problems,’ the online magazine new.am quoted Aram Safarian, a
member of parliament with the Prosperous Armenia Party, part of the
country’s government coalition, as saying.

Yet in the energy sphere, Armenian and Russian interests can easily
coincide with those of Turkey, noted Alexander Iskandarian, director
of the Yerevan-based Caucasus Institute. `Russia is a major
shareholder in the Armenian energy system and is interested in the
possibility of exporting Armenian electricity to Turkey,’ he
said. `This indicates that Turkish-Russian contacts are beneficial to
Armenia.’

Uncertain results

Electricity exports to Turkey were expected to start in April or May
2009, but have thus far not begun. There has been no official
explanation for the delay, but, presumably, diplomatic obstacles are
to blame, Eurasia.net wrote.

One opposition member, though, believes that Russia’s involvement in
Turkey may upset the existing balance of power in the South Caucasus,
with uncertain results for Armenia. `Russia has already somewhat
shattered the balance in the region by intensifying its contacts with
Turkey and, especially, with Azerbaijan,’ said political analyst
Styopa Safarian, a MP affiliated with the Heritage Party and a member
of parliament’s foreign-affairs committee.

Moscow recently signed an agreement with Baku on gas sales to the
Russian republic of Dagestan and named a price for gas purchases from
the second phase of the country’s ambitious Shah Deniz project.

Other experts are more optimistic, believing that the Kremlin will
push officials in Ankara to reopen Turkey’s border with Armenia. Such
a development would ease Armenia’s ability to export goods. `Russia,
in fact, is interested in opening the Turkish-Armenian border, as
after the August 2008 war, it lost Georgia as a route to Armenia, its
military and economic partner,’ said Iskandarian.

Armenian President Sergei Sarkisian made clear last month that he
would not accept Turkish President Abdullah Gül’s invitation to
watch the Oct. 14 return match of the two countries’ national soccer
teams unless Turkey takes `real steps’ to reopen its border with
Armenia.

The two presidents attended the first game played in Yerevan in
September of last year.

Armenia appoints new ambassador to Germany
22.08.2009 15:35 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree on August
22 on the appointment of Armen Martirosyan to the Ambassador of
Armenia in Germany office (residence in Berlin), press service of the
RA President reports.
This post has been vacant since February 21 this year, when Karine
Ghazinyan was relieved of Armenia’s Ambassador to Germany position by
President’s Decree and appointed to Armenia’s Deputy Minister of
Foreign Affairs office.

MASS WEDDING IN KARABAKH RESULTS IN BABY BOOM

Asbarez
ss-wedding-in-karabakh-results-in-baby-boom/
Aug 20th, 2009

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)-Medical services in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
are struggling to cope with a surge in child births more than nine
months after a mass wedding that was organized and sponsored by a
Moscow-based Armenian businessman.

The Karabakh-born entrepreneur, Levon Hayrapetian, had 678 local
couples marry in a single open-air ceremony on October 16, 2008
to assist in a government policy that seeks to boost Karabakh’s
population. Hayrapetian covered their wedding expenses and paid each
couple $2,500 as a bonus.

The results of the extraordinary event can be observed at the sole
maternity hospital in the Karabakh capital Stepanakert which is
grappling with a higher-than-usual influx of women preparing to give
birth. Doctors there had to cram extra beds into hospital wards and
draw up waiting lists for delivery.

"We may now have as many as 14 to 15 births a day," the hospital
director, Gohar Hakobjanian, told RFE/RL. "Last month we had a total
of 192 births. We are experiencing difficulties."

"Pregnant women are complaining about waiting lines," she said. "We
are coping with that with extreme strains."

The number of children born in Karabakh already rose by 16 percent to
1,306 in the first half of this year. "The tough war years are gone,
life has improved and people want to have more kids," said Hakobjanian.

Material incentives offered by the Karabakh government to newlyweds are
also a key factor behind the baby boom. The government pays 100,000
drams ($270) for a first and second child born in every family in
addition to a one-off payment of 300,000 drams made to a newlywed
couple. Families having a third child get 500,000 drams from the state.

"Judging from the indicators of the first seven months of 2009, the
results of our policy have been satisfactory," said Samvel Dadayan,
head of the family department at the Karabakh Ministry of Social
Security.

Official statistics show the number of marriages in the
Armenian-populated region nearly doubling in the first half of 2009
after reaching the highest level in 20 years in 2008. The authorities
in Stepanakert also reported a 29 percent drop in divorces during
the same period.

PERSONAL DEPOSITS WITH COMMERCIAL BANKS OF ARMENIA UP 18.2% FOR FIRST HALF OF 2009

ArmInfo
2009-08-19 19:29:00

ArmInfo. Personal deposits with commercial banks of Armenia up 18.2%
for the first half of 2009 (versus 22% growth for the first half of
2008), 15.2% per year and almost trice versus 2005.

As of June 30 2009, this indicator totaled 277.1 billion drams
($769.7 million).

Analysis and Ranking of Armenian Commercial Banks prepared by the
Agency of Rating Marketing Information (ArmInfo) says personal deposits
grew 3.4% for 2Q of 2009 versus 23% growth for the same period of
2008. HSBC Bank Armenia ensured the largest summary personal deposits
(call liabilities and time deposits) as of June 30 2009 – 63/5 billion
drams ($176.3 million).

Unibank was the second by 39.6 billion dram or $110 million and
Ardshininvestbank was the third by 28.3 billion drams or $78.7
million. ACBA Credit Agricole Bank was in the 4th position with
21.2 billion drams or $59 million and Converse Bank was in the
5th position by 20.1 billion drams or $56 million. Top ten of
leading banks by personal deposits comprises VTB-Armenia – 18.7
billion drams ($51.8 million), Armbusinessbank – 12.1 billion drams
($33.7 million), Armeconombank – 9.2 billion drams ($25.5 million),
INECOBANK – 9.1 billion drams ($25.4 million) and Areximbank-Group
GPB – 9 billion drams ($25.2 million). Unibank is the leader by the
share of personal deposits in general obligations – 61%. ACBA-Credit
Agricole Bank ensured the highest annual growth of personal deposits –
29,2%. Armbusinessbank is the second with 27.5% and HSBC Bank Armenia
is the third with 25%.

Almost 48% of personal deposits is the share of three banks: HSBC
Bank Armenia, Unibank and Ardshininvestbank. The share of top five
banks is 63% inclusive of the above three banks.

Fourteen banks ensured annual growth (first half of 2009 versus first
half of 2008) of personal deposits, whereas the indicator of the
remaining 8 banks suffered decline. Fifteen banks ensured growth of
personal deposits for 2Q of 2005 and 7 banks showed decline of this
indicator. ProCredit Bank ensured the highest annual growth of the
volume of personal deposits (almost 5 times to 2.9 billion dram or
$8 million), this indicator in absolute terms yields to the leaders
taking just the 17th position. ProCredit Bank entered the banking
market of Armenia in February 2008. Ameriabank was the second by the
annual growth of personal deposits (trice to 8.3 billion drams –
11th position) and ARARATBANK was the third (over twice growth to
5.4 billion dram – 13th position). Personal deposits with BTA Bank
suffered 45.4% annual decline to 364 million drams or $1 million
(the last 22nd position).

Prometey Bank ensured the highest growth of personal deposits for 2Q
of 2009 – 82% to 4.1 billion dram or $11.4 million (16th position)
whereas personal deposits with the Armenian Development Bank suffered
the most significant decline of 9% to 5 billion dram or $14 million
(15th position). Ameribank ensured the highest growth of personal
deposits for the first half of 2009 – almost trice, whereas this
indicator of BTA Bank suffered 42% decline.

HAKOB CHAKRIAN: UNLESS RA PRESIDENT LEAVES FOR TURKEY, DIALOGUE BETWEEN ARMENIA AND TURKEY WILL FAIL

Noyan Tapan
Aug 19, 2009

YEREVAN, AUGUST 19, NOYAN TAPAN. RA President’s possible visit to
Turkey became an occasion for serious disputes in Armenia’s political
circles. Some political scientists consider that the RA President
should not leave for Turkey, others are of opposite opinion.

Thus, according to well-known Turkologist Hakob Chakrian, in any
case the President can leave for Turkey on a return visit, take the
opportunity and say to the very President of Turkey Abdullah Gul
about keeping or breaking his word.

During an August 19 meeting with journalists H. Chakrian said that
if this dialogue fails, it will be rather difficult to create a
new occasion. In his words, if Armenia turns down the invitation of
leaving for Turkey on a return visit, the international community will
consider Armenia an unaccomodating country being against stability,
dialogue, and cooperation.

The Turkologist also said that straight after Serzh Sargsyan’s
statement the opinion was already spread in Turkey, according to which
Armenia puts forward preconditions. According to him, it is Turkey
that needs rapprochement as its hostile policy to Armenia has failed.

MARKING OF NONFOODS IN ARMENIAN TO BE STARTED IN ARMENIA

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
18.08.2009 19:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ About 80 per cent of non-food products imported to
Armenia at the time of their sale are not labeled in Armenian language,
Abgar Eghoyan , head of the "Protection of Consumer Rights" ngo told
a press conference in Yerevan today.

According to him, their organization has conducted monitoring of
products containing chemicals such as cleaners and detergents,
cosmetics and perfumes, as well as the monitoring of household
appliances. They have found that most of these products do not have
any markings in Armenian language, which violates the RA law "On
Protection of consumer rights".

According to Abgar Eghoyan, products that contain chemicals can
be harmful to consumers’ health and the latter should receive full
information about the product in a native language, before buying it.

Speaking of appliances, Abgar Eghoyan said that in addition to
marking the translation into Armenian of instruction manuals are
also required. There are plenty of household goods in the market,
which do not have instructions even in Russian. This could result in
breakage of the product and inability of the customer to repair it
on warranty card: failure occurred since the consumer was unable to
read instructions.

EXPO RUSSIA-ARMENIA SECOND ANNUAL INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION TO KICK OFF IN YEREVAN

ARKA
Aug 19, 2009

YEREVAN, August 19. /ARKA/. Expo Russia-Armenia second industrial
exhibition will kick off in Yerevan on October 29 and will close on
October 31, director of the exhibition Svetlana Zabelina told ARKA.

She said the RA Ministry of Economy by order of the Armenian Government
expressed readiness to assist in conducting the expo.

In his letter to the chairman of the expo organizing committee,
Deputy Minister of Economy Ara Petrosyan noted the Expo Russia-Armenia
2009 second industrial exhibition will spur the bilateral mutually
beneficial economic ties between businesses of Russia and Armenia.

IRAQI HACKERS ATTACK ARMENIAN WEBSITES

News.am
11:33 / 08/17/2009

Hackers vandalized Armenian Football Federation (FFA) home page,
that was shut down since yesterday. Hackers identified themselves as
Iraquis, considering they are "the best" in the world.

"Defacements of FFA website happen once in a while," FFA Press
Secretary Georgy Matevosyan told NEWS.am. "Last time it was cracked
in July, when the pages contained French encryptions. We have already
upgraded the website and it’s currently available."

Iraqi hackers previously broke into the BTA bank website, that is
presently fully functional.

TURKISH PRIME MINISTER MET WITH THE PATRIARCH OF ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH DIGNITARY IN TURKEY

armradio.am
17.08.2009 17:28

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with representatives of
Turkish minorities, as well as Orthodox Church Patriarch Bartholomew
and Armenian Apostolic Church Dignitary in Turkey, Archbishop Aram
Ateshyan.

According to Turkish mass media, Patriarchs raised the issues on
national schools and funds. Erdogan promised to undertake reforms to
improve the state of minorities in Turkey.

This cunning Novruz:

2009-08-15 14:11:00

ArmInfo. The status of Karabakh must be determined within the frames of
the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, Head of International
Relations Department of the President’s Administration, Novruz Mamedov
said in an interview with Turan.

Mamedov said.

The first response of any clear-headed man to this reasoning is a
question: what will the Armenia party in negotiations get in case his
plans are fulfilled. Moreover, a winner-party and not just a party in
negotiations. A winner in the war launched due the Azerbaijan’s
aggression? Does Novruz think that the winner-warriors, who protected
the peaceful population of Karabakh with lethal force and shed their
blood, will give the lands of their forefathers without ado?

status of Karabakh can be developed only in the frames of Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity. It can take up to 10 years>, Mamedov said. He
said it is early to speak about the exact time now, because it is not
known how the processes will develop. The return of only seven regions
around Karabakh will cause the return of 760,000 people>.

Apparently, there is no limit to the cunning of Novruz, as the number
of "60,000" Azerbaijanis in Karabakh in 1991 is unclear, if take into
account that their number there was no more than 20,000 as a result of
the population census in 1988. Apparently, the next step of Mr. Mamedov
in this connection will be the requirement to enter the names of the
Azerbaijani women, living in Karabakh in 1991, in the Guinness Book of
World Records in view of their no mean abilities in multiplying the
Azerbaijani people. The point is that it is a heroic deed even for them
to multiply three-fold during three years. , Novruz said and added that
it will be determined at the last stage, so nothing can be said now.

Apparently, Mr. Mamedov has to clean his memory, clouded with vapours
of and remember that the Constitution of Azerbaijan doe not stipulate
any status of any territory the frames of the territorial integrity> of
Azerbaijan.