Author: Chmshkian Vicken

RA MINISTER OF DEFENSE RECEIVES DELEGATION OF NATO

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, NOYAN TAPAN. On February 7 Mikael Haroutiunian,
the RA Minister of Defense, received the delegation of NATO’s
Individual Partnership Action Plan and the estimation group of the
Planning and Review Process, headed by Yaroslav Skoniechka, the Head of
the European-Atlantic Integration and Cooperation directorate of NATO’s
International Headquarters, and Frank Boland, the Director of the Force
Planning Defense Policy of NATO’s International Headquarters. According
to the information provided to Noyan Tapan by the RA Ministry of
Defense, during the meeting the parties exchanged ideas concerning a
number of issues with regard to the regional security and stability,
and pointed out the tasks of the near future.

Mikael Haroutiunian mentioned that NATO’s role in the region is
considerable and the development of a multi-side cooperation with the
latter is of primary significance for Armenia. The Minister declared
that Armenia highly appreciates the efforts of the organization in the
development of the Armenia-NATO cooperation, a proof of which is the
application of the goals of the RA-NATO Individual Partnership Action
Plan and NATO’s Planning and Review Process cooperation in the
implementation of the RA defensive reforms.

According to Mikael Haroutiunian, the first two-year stage of the
implementation of the Individual Partnership Action Plan can be
considered finished, the results of which will be discussed in April by
26+1 format during the sitting of the North-Atlantic Treaty
Organization. He mentioned that a new process, that is to say, the
strategic review of defense, will already start this year. Mikael
Haroutiunian made assertions that the Armenian side is firm with regard
to the decision on the development of the cooperation with NATO in the
implementation of defensive reforms. He expressed hope that the
cooperation will become still more expanded during the coming two years
by comprising new spheres.

Armenia is switching to electronic ticket system

2008-02-07 20:54:00

ArmInfo. Armavia air company is preparing to introduce an electronic
ticket system, the owner of the company, the president of MIKA Armenia
Trading Mikhail Bagdassarov has told an ArmInfo correspondent. Armavia
has already made all necessary preparations and is waiting for the
Russian airports. In Europe e-ticket is widely accepted practice.

Baghdassarov mentioned March-April, 2008 as the final date, when it
will be possible to buy tickets from any part of the world. He
emphasized that the system of electronic tickets has been prepared over
two years, already. Increase of passenger channel of "Armavia" company
is predicted with the introduction of the mentioned system.
Irrespective of this process, according to Baghdasarov, it is also
planned to increase the frequency of the flights.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT, RUSSIAN PREMIER PRAISE BILATERAL COOPERATION

Public TV, Armenia
Feb 6 2008

[Presenter] The president of the republic [Robert Kocharyan] today
received Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov Enhanced Coverage
LinkingViktor Zubkov -Search using: Biographies Plus News News, Most
Recent 60 Days and his delegation. The meeting was attended by Prime
Minister Serzh Sargsyan and other officials.

Stressing the growing Armenian-Russian relations, Robert Kocharyan
said that those relations have a bright future. Kocharyan said that
economic ties have become the locomotive of bilateral cooperation,
resulting in Russian capital’s involvement in many sectors of the
Armenian economy. Major projects have been implemented and it is
expected that more capital will be involved.

Kocharyan noted the rapidly developing cooperation on infrastructure.

The parties noted that the trade turnover which has reached about 1bn
dollars has created good grounds for larger projects. They attributed
the economic success, among other factors, to the effective work
of the Armenian-Russian intergovernmental economic commission. They
also noted the importance of active cooperation in the humanitarian,
cultural and educational sectors in the context of bilateral ties.

GOVERNMENT WILL PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO PUBLIC TELEVISION

KarabakhOpen
07-02-2008 10:41:04

We have learned that Marcel Petrosyan has been appointed director of
the Public Radio, Mary Davtyan is director of Public Television and
Sofie Ivanidis is the editor of the news program.

On February 5 President Bako Sahakyan met with the staff of the
Public Television, the General Information Department of President
Administration reports. The head of state said the conditions of work
of the only TV channel in Karabakh are unsatisfactory. He noted that
the government is likely to provide assistance for modernization of
television and radio, improve the social and financial situation of
the staff.

Bako Sahakyan urged the journalists to focus on the negative sides
of life in the country and help reveal and eradicate them.

THIRD BY MISTAKE AND ALONE BY FATE
James Hakobyan

Lragir, Armenia
Feb 7 2008

An interesting thing is observed about the campaign of the presidential
candidate Serge Sargsyan. When the other main or influential candidates
address people, a group of activists stand beside them who are usually
referred to as the political team of the given candidate. The quality
of those teams is another issue, of course, but it is a fact that
they are there and they are behind the back of their candidate, in
the direct sense of the word because only future will show how they
back their candidate.

In the case of Serge Sargsyan, at least judging by his televised
images, behind his back is only his slogan "Go Armenia" and nothing
else. Meanwhile, the Armenian TV channels would hardly spare
nice images to cover Serge Sargsyan’s campaign. In other words,
if there were a team, it would be shown immediately. Consequently,
either Serge Sargsyan’s team is not worthwhile to show or there is
no team at all. Many would consider the Republican Party, activists,
leadership as a team. Meanwhile, amazingly the MIAK Party participates
in Serge Sargsyan’s campaign more assiduously and actively than the
Republican Party. Moreover, the MIAK Party was honored to launch the
campaign earlier, which is certainly a violation of the law but we
know that it is the greatest honor for the government: the beloved
is allowed to violate the law more.

The fact that Serge Sargsyan dislikes the Republican Party became
evident from the parliamentary campaign when the leader of the party
held the campaign almost alone, at least no less lonely than his own
presidential campaign. Maybe the presidential candidate is trying to
appear to the public as non-partisan, therefore he is conducting an
individual campaign, and calls for solidarity and consolidation of the
nation’s potential. However, since the same was in the parliamentary
election which is a race of political parties, it is evidence that the
problem is other. Serge Sargsyan is a realist and realizes that the
personnel of the Republican Party are not fit for a campaign and for
winning the support of the society. Therefore, perhaps, the choice
was between worse and the worst, and it was decided that the prime
minister will electioneer alone, having no one at the background.

Not only does it keep away from people’s eye the activists who cannot
win any support and may even cause one’s rating to fall, but also it
will Serge Sargsyan freedom in the political developments after the
election. In other words, if Levon Ter-Petrosyan says in case he is
elected president, he will make appointments in accordance with the
work they do, Serge Sargsyan prefers doing all the work alone. Not in
order to appoint himself to all the posts later. Serge Sargsyan has
enough posts in public administration, sports, science and education.

The reason is that Serge Sargsyan realizes the importance of shaping a
new political team after the presidential election because you cannot
go too far with that "vehicle of the past", meanwhile Serge Sargsyan
will hardly be satisfied with a single nomination for presidency. The
year 2013 is still ahead, and a new team is needed to reach the
destination. However, perhaps this awareness is not full because
otherwise shaping a new team would have been considered before the
election rather than after the election. Although it is also possible
that Serge Sargsyan does not forbid his team from appearing behind
him but the team avoids doing that.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

THE LEBANESE ECUMENICAL COMMITTEE OF THE WORLD STUDENT CHRISTIAN FEDERATION
MEETS IN ANTELIAS

The Lebanese member movements of the World Student Christian Federation held
a prayer for unity at the Armenian Orthodox Church in Antelias on Sunday 2
February. Representatives from the different churches (Greek Orthodox, Greek
Catholic, Maronite, Armenian Evnagelical and Armenian Orthodox) participated
in the ecumenical prayer.

After the prayer, the lebanese ecumenical committee members had their
meeting in Antelias and discussed the upcoming regional secretary elections
as well as the participation of the Middle East delegates at the General
Assembly of WSCF that will take place in Canada, Montreal in August 2008.

The Armenian Orthodox Church was represented by Carla Khijoyan as WSCF
executive committee member and Rita Sagherian as ACUSA delegate.

##
View the photo here:
tos/Photos194.htm#2
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

NUMBER OF MARRIAGES AND DIVORCES RISE

ARMENPRESS
Feb 4, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS: The number of registered marriages
last year grew by 7.4 percent over the previous 2006 to 18,145 and
the number of granted divorces also rose 4.8 percent to 2,931. Thus,
out of 1000 registered marriages 148 ended with divorce.

Over 95% of the 3.3 million population are ethnic Armenians. In
addition, Russians, Yezidis, Kurds, Greeks, and Assyrians are among
the minorities who call Armenia home.

Two third of the residents live in urban areas, while about one third
are in rural communities. The rapidly developing capital, Yerevan is
home to slightly over a million people. The average life expectancy
in Armenia is about 72 years.

Armenia has a relatively large Diasporas, 8 million by some estimates,
greatly exceeding the population of Armenia itself, with communities
existing across the globe. The largest Armenian communities outside
Armenia can be found in Russia, France, Iran, the United States,
Georgia, Syria, Lebanon, Argentina, and Ukraine.

RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER TO VISIT ARMENIA

armradio.am
04.02.2008 17:11

In the evening of February 5 Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov
will arrive in Armenia on an official visit. The delegation headed by
the Prime Minister will comprise Minister of Transport Igor Levitin,
Minister of Information Technologies and Ebnergy Andrey Dementev,
Head of the Federal Tax Service Andrey Belyanikov, Head of the Federal
Atomic Agency Sergey Kirienko, Deputy Minister of Economic Development
and Trade Kirill Androsov, Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin,
Deputy Minister of Finance Dmitri Pankin, First Deputy Director of
the Federal Service of Military-Technical Cooperation Alexander Fomin,
other officials.

On February 6 Viktor Zubkov is expected to meet with RA President
Robert Kocharyan, Speaker of the National Assembly Tigran Torosyan,
Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan and the Catholicos of All Armenians
Garegin II.

Following the meeting the Prime Ministers of Armenia and Russia will
sign documents and will give a joint press conference. The same day
the Prime Minister of Russia will visit Tsitsernakaberd to lay flowers
at the memorial to the Armenian Genocide victims.

In 2007 the volume of retail turnover in Armenia increased by 10%

2008-02-02 13:24:00

ArmInfo. In January-December 2007, the retail turnover in Armenia
totalled 934 bln AMD, or $2.7 bln at present prices, having increased
by 10 % as compared with the same period of 2006. The share of shops
made up 50,9%, or 475 bln AMD ($1.4 bln), the share of markets of
consumption goods – 27,9%, or 261 bln AMD ($763 mln). The share of
retail turnover in Yerevan only made up almost 85% (782,5bln AMD) of
the total volume.

As ArmInfo was told at the National Statistical Service of Armenia, in
the structure of retail turnover the share of stalls made up 4,6%, or
43,2 bln AMD ($126 mln), the share of markets of farm products – 2,5%,
or 23,5 bln AMD ($69 mln) in 2007.

In January-December 2007, the total volume of trade turnover made up
1422 bln AMD ($4.2 bln) at present prices. The share of car trading
(including cars sold by official dealers, spare parts, as well as
technical service and repairs) made up 6%, or 84 bln AMD ($247 mln).
This index is by 39,4% higher than that of the same period of 2006.

The volume of wholesale trade increased by 3,1% as compared with
January- December 2006, and totalled 403.1 bln AMD ($1.2 mln), or 28,3%
of the total volume of trade turnover.

LONDON DOESN’T SUPPORT ATTEMPTS TO PREVENT TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.02.2008 16:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The UK doesn’t support Germany and France in their
attempt to prevent Turkey from EU membership. "My opinion is the
official position of Great Britain, which sees Turkey a member of the
European Union," said Alan Waddams, European Commission representative
in Azerbaijan.

"I am hopeful Turkey will be accessed to the Union soon," he said
adding that he doesn’t think that protraction of talks can be caused
by religious issues, Trend reports.

Addressing a UMP conference, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and
German Chancellor Angela Merkel have reaffirmed their opposition to
full membership of Turkey in the European Union.

France and Germany understand that Turkey’s membership will press three
informal EU leaders – France, Germany and UK. With its vast territory,
population of many millions, tremendous economic and geopolitical
significance will comprise the leading ‘four’ of Europe, experts say.