Armenian national team participates in an international tournament in
Malta
armradio.am
02.02.2008 15:15
The Armenian national football team participate sin the International
Tournament that kicked off in Malta today. The tournament features also
the national teams of Malta, Belarus and Iceland. It will continueue
through February 6th.
This is the first tournament the Armenian team participates under the
guidance of the new head coach Jan Poulsen of Denmark.
ABHaber, Belgium
EU-Turkey News Network
Feb 2 2008
Ferrero-Waldner to open full-fledged EC Delegations in Armenia and
Azerbaijan
Troika visit to South Caucasus 4-6 February: Ferrero-Waldner to open
full-fledged EC Delegations in Armenia and Azerbaijan
European Commissioner for External Relations and European
Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, will participate in the
Ministerial EU Troika visit to Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia on
4-6 February 2008. Together with Dimitrij Rupel, Minister for Foreign
Affairs of Slovenia and EU Special Representative for the Southern
Caucasus, Ambassador Peter Semneby, the Commissioner will be holding
meetings at the highest level. On the agenda are the implementation
of the ENP Action Plans, regional and international issues. In
Armenia and Azerbaijan the Commissioner will also open full fledged
European Commission Delegations.
On the eve of her visit, Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner said: "Over a
year after we embarked into our joint Action Plans, the relations
between the EU and the countries of the Southern Caucasus are growing
ever closer. This is my third visit to the region, and I am looking
forward to discussing the implementation of our ENP Action plans,
energy security, regional issues including the frozen conflicts, as
well as international issues. ."
She added: `This time I am particularly happy to open fully-fledged
EC Commission Delegations in Armenia and Azerbaijan. This opens a new
chapter in our relations with these countries. It is a confirmation
of the Commission’s commitment to cooperate closely with the South
Caucasus countries, supporting reforms with a view to bringing the
whole region closer to Europe’.
The EU Troika visit will provide the opportunity to discuss a wide
range of topics with Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian authorities,
such as the implementation of the three ENP Action Plans, the
situation of human rights, fundamental freedoms and democratisation,
frozen conflicts, regional cooperation in the Southern Caucasus and
energy.
The European Commission contributes to the peaceful settlement of
frozen conflicts. The EU is already active in preventing and
resolving conflicts. The Commission can make an important
contribution by working around the conflict issues, promoting similar
reforms on both sides of the boundary lines, to foster convergence
between political, economic and legal systems, enabling greater
social inclusion and contributing to confidence building and the
financing of rehabilitation programmes. The EU is also
institutionally involved in conflict settlement mechanisms. The
Commission is also an observer to the Joint Control Commission, a
conflict settlement mechanism for South Ossetia. However, only
individual Member States participate in the Minsk Group
(Nagorno-Karabakh) and the UN Friends of Georgia (Abkhazia) peace
mechanisms.
The ENP Action Plans in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia were adopted
in late 2006. Implementation is supported by the European Community
bilateral ENPI assistance to the tune of EUR 92 million in
Azerbaijan, EUR 98,4 million in Armenia and EUR 120 million in
Georgia over the period 2007-2010, plus assistance initiatives
implemented in the context of ENPI Regional and Inter-Regional and EC
Thematic Programmes such as the European Instrument for
Democratisation and Human Rights – EIDHR.
The main focus of cooperation with Azerbaijan is good governance,
socio-economic reforms and energy.
For Armenia the three focal areas of bilateral assistance are support
for strengthening of democratic structures, and good governance,
support for regulatory reform and administrative capacity building,
and support for poverty reduction efforts.
For Georgia the focus is support for democratic development, rule of
law and governance, economic development and implementation of the
ENP Action Plan, poverty reduction and social reforms, conflict
resolution.
>From 1991-2004, the EC has allocated over 1.2 billion worth of
assistance, with Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia receiving
approximately an equal share of about 400 million each.
For more information on the EU’s relations with Armenia, Azerbaijan
and Georgia:
ndex_en.htm
s/azerbaijan/index_en.htm
ernal_relations/georgia/index_en.htm
ABHaber 02.02.2008 Brussels
Russia & CIS General Newswire
February 1, 2008 Friday 6:34 PM MSK
Armenia probing election-related offenses – spokeswoman
YEREVAN Feb 1
Armenia’s Office of Prosecutor General has put together three
criminal cases in response to 17 complaints made in relation to the
February 19 presidential election. Some complaints have been thrown
out while others are still under investigation, the office
spokeswoman said.
One of the cases follows an assault on presidential candidate Artur
Bagdasarian’s campaign office in the town of Vanadzor, Sona Truzian
told Interfax.
A second case is a response to a physical fight between an adversary
and supporters of another candidate, former president Levon
Ter-Petrosian, during a speech he was making in the town of Talin on
January 27.
The third follows an incident in which approximately 150 to 200 cars
that were accompanying Ter-Petrosian’s car ended up continuously
blowing their car horns, driving on the wrong side of the road and
ignoring demands by traffic police as they were driving through the
heart of Yerevan.
RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX FOR YSU TEACHING STAFF TO BE CONSTRUCTED BY 2010
ARKA News Agency
Feb 1 2008
Armenia
YEREVAN, February 1. /ARKA/. A residential building is to be
constructed for the teaching staff of Yerevan State University (YSU)
by 2010.
Speaking at the presentation of the program "Assistance to construction
of housing for YSU young staff members", Chairman of the Association
of YSU Graduates Arsen Karamyan said that the construction project
is to be launched this March to last 18-20 months.
He reported that the two-stage program envisages the construction of
a residential complex – two nine-floor buildings with a total area
of 10,350sq. meters.
Karamyan said that 150 applications have been received, and the second
stage envisages the construction of housing for 136 families.
He pointed out that the cost of the flats will be 50% as low as the
market price – 170,000 AMD (about $554) for 1sq. meter.
Speaking at the presentation, the RA Prime Minister, presidential
candidate Serge Sargsyan pointed out that the elaboration of the
program got under way long ago, and it was possible to launch recently.
"I would not like this initiative to be associated with the election
processes, as it is aimed at proving young lecturers with normal
housing conditions, which will allow them to educate the young
generation," Sargsyan said.
He stressed that he does not see any need for making the project more
attractive, as mortgage credits will be by the Conversebank under
the project at the lowest interest rates on the market.
The project was submitted to the YSU Board of Trustees on June 15,
2007. The construction is being carried out by the Glendale Hills
Company under the Conversebank’s sponsorship.
The RA Real Estate Register reports that the average market price
for flats was 280,000 AMD (about $910) in November 2007.
Specifically, the average price for flats in the Avan community in
Yerevan is 250,000 AMD (about $815) for 1sq. meter.
RE-LICENSING OF INSURANCE MARKET PARTICIPANTS IS CONNECTED WITH NEW LAW ‘ON INSURANCE COMPANIES AND INSURANCE ACTIVITIES’
arminfo
2008-01-29 18:36:00
ArmInfo. The board of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) adopted
decision at its January 29 session to re-license "Prime Insurance
Brokers" LLC. As ArmInfo was told at the press service of the CBA,
at the same session a decision was adopted to grant "Renessa" CJSC
a license for carrying out broker- dealer activity of currency
purchase-sale.
ArmInfo was told at "Prime Insurance Brokers" that the company’s
re-licensing is connected with the new law "On insurance companies
and insurance activities", adopted in April 2007 which came into
force from October 2007. According to the law, all the companies
engaged in insurance activity must be re-licensed within a definite
period. It is fixed in the new law, that the insurance market segments
are mentioned in the license, in which the insurance company or the
broker works. Moreover, one and the same insurance company cannot be
engaged in life insurance and non-life insurance simultaneously.
They also informed at the press service that a decision was adopted at
the session on suspension of the license of "Astvan" LLC for brokerage
activity, as well as on license invalidation of "First Insurance"
company for non-life insurance.
To note, "First Insurance" company, which had functioned on the
territory of Armenia since 1997 (the license was granted on November
3), dissolved at the end of December 2007. Moreover, part of the
company’s premium portfolio (contracts, valid at the moment the
license was granted) is to be passed to "Ingo-Armenia" insurance
company. Before that, portfolios of "Alliants -Flash" and "Fin
Trust" insurance companies, which came out of market, were passed to
"Ingo-Armenia".
PRESIDENT KOCHARYAN MET WITH THE GOVERNOR OF MOSCOW REGION
armradio.am
30.01.2008 18:35
President Robert Kocharyan received the Governor of Moscow region
Boris Gromov, President’s Press Office reports.
Robert Kocharyan voiced appreciation for the cooperation agreement
signed between the Governments of the Republic of Armenia and
the Moscow region and expressed confidence that it will become an
additional impetus for the development of Armenian-Russian cooperation.
Boris Gromov said that the Moscow region has a great potential and
they are ready to fully apply it for the development of bilateral ties.
71 EXPERIMENTAL LABORATORIES AND 23 CERTIFICATION BODIES FUNCTION IN ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan
Jan 30, 2008
YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, NOYAN TAPAN. 71 accredited experimental
laboratories and 23 certification bodies, including 14 production
certification bodies and 6 service certification bodies, currently
function in Armenia.
According to the Information and PR Unit of the RA Ministry of Trade
and Economic Development, in 2007, 33 bids on accrditation were
submitted by economic entities to the ministry’s Accreditation Unit,
including 6 bids for being accredited as a certification body and 27
for being accredited as an experimental laboratory. 5 certification
bodies and 21 experimental laboartories were accredited. 4 experimental
laboratories are now at various stages of accreditaion, 2 of which
applied for extension of the accreditation field.
The Quality Inspection of the ministry implemented control of
observance of technical regulations, metrological rules and norms
by 1,001 economic entities. 164 violations were revealed at 121
economic entities, including 128 violations of technical regulations,
25 violations of metrological rules and norms. Heads of 11 economic
entities prevented checkings from being made.
Based on results of state control, instructions were given to 40
economic entities to suspend sales of production not in line with
requirements of technical regulations, to 7 economic entities – to
ban the sale, to 92 entities – to ban the use of unchekced measuring
instruments. 120 persons in charge of economic entities were fined
in the total amount of 11.7 mln drams (over 34.2 thousand USD).
FREER SPEECH: IN TURKEY, DEMOCRACY IS A WORK IN PROGRESS
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
January 29, 2008 Tuesday
Pennsylvania
One sign of a democratic society is its tolerance of free speech. By
this standard, Turkey isn’t fully democratic despite its booming
economy, gleaming skyscrapers, educated citizens and increasingly
liberal sensibilities.
The biggest obstacle to the Muslim country’s inclusion in the European
Union is its hostility to free expression by its own academics and
artists. For decades, Turkish writers and intellectuals who expressed
opinions out of sync with the prevailing nationalistic orthodoxy have
been prosecuted under a vague statute called Article 301.
Orhan Pamuk, the Turkish writer who won the Nobel Prize for literature
last year, was prosecuted under Article 301 but not convicted. His
"crime" consisted of acknowledging as true the heartbreaking events
that led to the birth of the nation he loves.
Any mention of Turkey’s complicity in the Armenian massacre is usually
enough to generate a charge of "insulting Turkishness."
Dozens of Turkey’s most esteemed artists and intellectuals have been
prosecuted under the law for such offenses since 1951.
Questioning the actions of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Turkey’s founder,
is still a crime under 301, but there are growing indications that
the government is willing to weaken the law if it leads to European
acceptance.
Because Turkey’s citizens are as defensive about their past as their
government is, the process of intellectual liberalization will be
a slow one. Still, the journey to a more vibrant democracy where
freedom of speech is respected has begun in the pivotal country that
straddles the fault line between East and West.
NOTES FROM DAVOS
By Taha Akyol
Turkish Press
Jan 29 2008
MILLIYET- I was in Davos for the Turkish Night on Saturday. Victor
Halsberstadt, an international relations expert, compared Turkey
and Russia, saying both used to be empires, both countries are
nationalistic, the economies of both are rapidly growing, the strategic
positions and roles of both are impressive, and they~Rre both modern
countries. He said by ~Qmodern~R he meant they are governed by
elected politicians with a central, rational bureaucracy. Despite
this comparison, he said Turkey is on better ground, because it~Rs
open to postmodernism. In other words, Turkey is ahead of Russia
on such issues as the development of civil society, decentralized
administration gradually gaining ground, pluralism, openness to the
world, and a dynamic entrepreneurial class.
Hanzade Dogan Boyner of the Dogan Group touted Turkey’s role as
a strategic corridor by citing figures on international oil and
gas production and consumption. As a banker, Suzan Sabanci stressed
Turkey’s economic dynamism in the eyes of finance. Foreign Minister
Ali Babacan got positive reviews for his speech full of detailed
economic data and covering such issues as Armenia, the Kurds, Article
301, the military and democracy. Then I ran into UN Development
Program head and former Economy Minister Kemal Dervis and told him
Bill Gates’ ‘humane capitalism’ was like his ‘social-liberal
synthesis.’ ‘Yes, it’s like that in terms of humane pursuit and
sensitivity towards poverty,’ Dervis said. He added that but he
wouldn’t use the term capitalism, because, as its name indicates,
it’s pro-capital. Dervis also said that it’s something good that
this humane need is felt in the capitalist world. According to Dervis,
no economic crisis should be expected either in the world or Turkey,
but stagnancy will create problems.
Meanwhile, Sedat Ergin, the Ankara bureau chief of Milliyet daily,
was talking to Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Behram Salih. I joined in
their conversation and heard that they met each other when Ergin was
a correspondent in Washington. Salih told me that Iraq’s Kurds are
becoming more Iraqi and terrorism is on the wane. I told him that this
was a good development and that Turkey should support this process,
and he agreed. He believes relations between Ankara and Iraqi President
Jalal Talabani will develop. Babacan and the businessmen also showed
great interest in Israeli President Shimon Peres. I also joined them
and told Peres his presence shows the Turkish-Israeli friendship. He
told me he shared those feelings.
There was a French Night in the hall upstairs at the same time.
Everybody was going there as well and wondering which event was
better. There was French wine and music at the French Night. At the
Turkish Night, besides drinks, there was Turkish food, a whirling
dervish performance, a tabor concert by Burhan Ocal and songs by
Demet Tuncer and Kenan Dogulu. The guests flocked to scarves and ties
given out by Vakko as party favors. As the issue of religion was also
discussed in Davos this year, Protestant and Catholic clergymen from
France, whose secularism is mature, got a lot of attention. What
would happen if the head of our Religious Affairs Directorate or
high-ranking imams had come? I don’t know if our young secularists
would be angry. Maybe I’m speaking too emotionally, I don’t know, but
I think the more colorful and lively Turkish night was better than the
French night, and our businessmen paid $3 million to make it happen!
JAN B. POULSEN NAMED COACH OF ARMENIAN NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM
PanARMENIAN.Net
24.01.2008 14:54 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Veteran Danish coach Jan B. Poulsen has been named
as the man to lead Armenia through 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying,
coming in as a permanent replacement to Ian Porterfield following
the Scotsman’s death in September.
The 61-year-old Poulsen will couple the role with that of the Football
Federation of Armenia technical director, taking the reins from
Vardan Minasyan who took temporary charge after Porterfield passed
away following a long illness. "I’ve only seen two Armenia matches so
I’ll get to know the players and the team during training sessions,"
said the former Denmark Under-21 coach. "Our goal is to achieve good
results and play attractive football." Poulsen will get a taste of
what is to come at the beginning of February when Armenia compete in
an international tournament in Malta, alongside the hosts, Belarus
and Iceland, uefa.com reports.