Author: Dabaghian Diana

ARF DASHNAKTSUTYUN NOT PLANNING TO BRING ROBERT KOCHARIAN BACK TO BIG-TIME POLITICS

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.02.2009 16:01 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ ARF Dashnaktsutyun doesn’t make plans to return
ex-President Robert Kocharian to big-time politics.

"Robert Kocharian is a free man and he can do everything he wants. But
in my opinion, former President should not give up politics because
their experience and knowledge can be very helpful for the country,"
Armen Rustamian, MP and member of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun Supreme Body
told a news conference today.

Rumors fly that former President Robert Kocharian is planning to
return to big-time politics.

Mr. Kocharian himself doesn’t rule out such possibility.

MCC TO TRANSFER THE RECURRENT TRANCHE TO ARMENIA
Gita Elibekyan

"Radiolur"
04.02.2009 17:14

The Millennium Challenge Corporation complied with the 10th application
of Armenia, which totals $6.8 million. During its sitting of December
11 the Board of Directors of the Millennium Challenge Corporation
had expressed concern over democratic governance in Armenia and
decided not to provide the 10th tranche. However, MCA-Armenia CEO
Ara Hovsepyan told "Radiolur" that the works have already started.

The Directorate of the Millennium Challenge Corporation had warned
Armenia several times about the recurrent tranche and expressed
dissatisfaction on different occasions.

When Armenia signed the agreement in 2005, it undertook to
implement certain reforms in the fields of politics, democracy,
freedom of speech, human rights defense, environmental protection,
education, healthcare, social issues, etc. the agreement also
states that the financing will stop if the country fails to meet
the commitments. This time they did not suspend the financing but
cautioned Armenia. MCA-Armenia CEO Ara Hovsepyan noted that "our
application for the tranche for January-March has bee complied with
and we continue working."

Despite that, the Millennium Challenge Corporation is still worried
about the last elections in Armenia and the post-election situation
in the country.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SARGSIAN’S MEETING WITH TURKISH PRIME MINISTER ERDOGAN DIDN’T ROUSE A KEEN RESPONSE
By Hakob Chaqrian

AZG Armenian Daily
03/02/2009

Armenia-Turkey

Before that, Edogan upbraided Israeli President Peres

In our previous issue we mentioned that Turkish Foreign Minister
Ali Babacan and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan made obscure
announcements of the possible meeting with Armenian President Serzh
Sargsian in Davos, in order to keep the arranged meeting from the
counteraction of the opposition.

In spite of their watchfulness, on the threshold of the meeting Deputy
Chairman of the Republican People’s Party Onur Oymen delivered a speech
in the Turkish Grand National Assembly and blamed Erdogan’s government,
"The Armenian government hasn’t yet freed even a village in Nagorno
Karabakh. It hasn’t renounced its Karabakh strategy. The relations
with Armenia develop with unilateral concessions of Turkey".

Perhaps Oymen’s speech might be considered as an attempt to cast
aspersions on Sargsian-Erdogan meeting, if not Edogan’s participation
in the session of the World Economic Forum under heading "Gaza – a
model for the Middle East", when the Turkish Prime Minister upbraided
Israeli President Shimon Peres (live broadcast) and abandoned the
conference-hall demonstratively.

To all appearance, this sensational incident has cast aspersions
on Sargsian-Erdogan meeting that according to the Turkish Public
TV remained in the shadow of the incident. The meeting was hardly
touched on by the Turkish newspapers as well.

Moreover, PM Edogan met with Serzh Sargsian after abandoning the
conference-hall of the above-mentioned session, when he had already
decided to return to Ankara.

Perhaps it was the reason why the meeting between the Armenian
President and Turkish Prime Minister lasted for about 30 minutes,
according to Turkish sources. The sides spoke with each other with
the help of interpreters that actually shortens the duration of the
meeting in half.

Erdogan didn’t make any announcement at the end of the meeting,
that is why Turkish Public TV represented only RA President Serzh
Sargsian’s announcement mentioning briefly, "The first meeting of the
two leaders is an important step in Turkish-Armenian relations. While
assessing the meeting Sargsian said, ‘It was our first meeting. I am
sure that it was useful. It was a step forward on the way to solution
of available issues. Time will show the impact of the meeting on
Turkish -Armenian relations".

By the way, the same source informs that the previous day of
Sargsian-Erdogan meeting a conference wad held in the framework of a
forum under heading "Big game again". According to the Turkish TV,
a meeting was arranged between the leaders of Turkey, Armenia and
Azerbaijan in the framework of the conference, but in vain. Instead
of the Armenian President Serzh Sargsian RA Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian participated in the conference together with Turkish PM
Erdogan, Azerbaijani President Aliyev and Iranian Foreign Minister
Mottakki. The participants mainly concentrated on Armenia-Turkey and
Armenia-Azerbaijan relations.

According to the Turkish Public TV, in his speech Turkish PM Erdogan
said, "The aim is to contribute to the peace in the region. The sides
should take bold steps. It will be sad if those steps fall victim to
the activities of Diaspora".

In response to Erdogan, Armenian Foreign Minister Nalbandian first
demanded not to concentrate on those activities (Diaspora) in Davos
and then he reminded about the favorable atmosphere created after
Turkish President Gul’s visit to Yerevan underlining the necessity
of opening of the border and establishment of diplomatic relations
between Armenia and Turkey without preconditions.

What about RA President Serzh Sargsian, with not participating in the
above-mentioned conference he evidently failed Ankara’s plan to hold
a trilateral meeting of Armenian, Azerbaijani and Turkish Presidents
in Davos under the patronage of Turkish PM Erdogan; President Sargsian
had already met with his Azerbaijani counterpart in Zurich.

RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTER AGAIN REFUTES ARMS TRANSFER TO ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
31.01.2009 21:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov met in
Moscow with his Azeri counterpart Safar Abiyev. During the meeting,
Mr. Serdyukov assured Mr. Abiyev that Russia did not transfer arms
to Armenia.

Baku’s accusation campaign started after publication of some media
reports about delivery of Russian armament to the amount of $800
million to Armenia. Some two weeks ago, Azeri ANS TV quoted Russian
Defense Ministry’s spokesman Alexander Petrunin as saying that
"Russia delivered military hardware to Armenia in the framework of
a transnational agreement."

The Russian Foreign Ministry refuted the information. "Such untrue
anti-Russian publications undermine friendly relations between the
Russian Federation and Azerbaijan," it said in a note sent to the
Azeri MFA.

ARARATBANK BECOMES MEMBER OF NASDAQ OMX ARMENIA

ARKA
Fer 2, 2009

YEREVAN, February 2. /ARKA/. On January 30, 2009, "Araratbank" open
joint stock company became a member of NASDAQ OMX Armenia. Membership
status will give Arararatbank full access to all exchange markets,
including corporate securities, government bonds, REPO, and foreign
currency, NASDAQ OMX Armenia reported.

As of the end of 2008, the total capital of the bank amounted to
approximately 7.55 bln Drams, while total assets exceeded 29.7
bln Drams.

The bank’s liabilities were 22.2bln Drams, credit investments 12.2bln
Drams, liabilities to clients 16.4bln Drams and net profit reached
594.2mln in January-December 2008.

As of January 13, 2009 Araratbank had 25 branches operating throughout
the country.

Araratbank open joint stock company (assignee of "Haykap Bank")
was founded on 02.09.1991.

Nearly 75% of shares of Araratbank currently belong to "Flash" LLC,
one of the leading importers of petrol to Armenia, and around 25%
is held by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Araratbank has history as an issuer with securities traded on the
stock exchange: in particular, the second issue of its corporate
bonds is currently included in NASDAQ OMX Armenia’s Bbond list,
and the stocks of the company are admitted to exchange trading.

On January 27 2009 Armenian Stock Exchange open joint stock company
was officially re named as NASDAQ OMX Armenia open joint stock company.

The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. is the world’s largest exchange company. It
delivers trading, exchange technology services across the world. With
over 3,900 companies, it is number one in worldwide listings among
major markets.

NASDAQ OMX technology supports the operations of over 60 exchanges,
clearing organizations and central securities depositories in more
than 50 countries.

In January 2008, Nordic exchange operator OMX Group acquired 100%
of shares of the Armenian Stock Exchange (Armex) and the Central
Depository of Armenia (CDA). After the combination of NASDAQ and OMX
in March 2008, Armex and CDA have become fully owned by the NASDAQ
OMX Group, Inc.

As of January 30 2009, 21 companies, including 13 banks were members
of NASDAQ OMX Armenia.

Agence France Presse — English
January 30, 2009 Friday 9:31 AM GMT

Erdogan, Armenian president hold landmark meeting

YEREVAN, Jan 30 2009

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Armenian President
Serzh Sarkisian have held their first bilateral talks as they seek to
end decades of enmity, the Armenian presidency said on Friday.

The meeting, held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in
Davos on Thursday, was "positive", the Armenian presidency said in a
statement.

"President Sarkisian and Prime Minister Erdogan considered their first
meeting as positive and charged the foreign ministers of both
countries to put additional efforts into normalising relations," it
said.

Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic ties and their border has been
closed for more than a decade.

In September, Turkish President Abdullah Gul became the first Turkish
head of state to visit Armenia, boosting a tentative dialogue process
between the two countries.

Turkey was one of the first countries to recognise Armenia when it
gained independence in 1991 amid the collapse of the Soviet Union.

But Ankara has refused to establish diplomatic ties because of
Yerevan’s campaign to have mass killings of Armenians under the
Ottoman Empire during World War I classified as a genocide.

Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their people were systematically
killed by Ottoman Turks between 1915 and 1917 — a claim supported by
several other countries.

Turkey rejects the genocide label and argues that between 300,000 and
500,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died in civil strife.

In 1993, Turkey also shut its border with Armenia in a show of
solidarity with ally Azerbaijan over Nagorny Karabakh, an
Armenian-majority enclave within Azerbaijan that declared
independence.

INTERFAX: DAVOS FORUM WILL HELP ARMENIA NORMALIZE ITS RELATIONS WITH TURKEY

Focus News
Jan 29 2009
Bulgaria

Davos. Armenia describes the World Economic Forum in Davos as a place
for normalizing the dialog and developing the relations with Turkey,
Interfax informs.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edvard Nalbandyan said: "The forum can be
used also to develop the relations with Turkey. We are optimistic
and hope we will manage to normalize the relations. This stems from
the interest of Armenia, Turkey and the whole region."

CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE ON THE OCCASION OF THE ARMY DAY BY MR. HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN, PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA

National Assembly of RA
Jan 29 2009
Armenia

Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan, President of the National Assembly of the
Republic of Armenia, congratulates the compatriots on the occasion
of the 17th anniversary of the Army. The message reads:

"Dear compatriots,

The National Army of the Republic of Armenia has become the most
efficient army in the region because of the Armenian people’s love
for freedom, the will to realize the centuries-old dream of having
an independent state and the heroic efforts of the devotees of the
army-building and all Armenians.

The National Army is the defender and guarantor of our people’s
achievements, stability and peace.

On the day of the 17th anniversary of the creation of Armenian Army
we bow our heads before those who sacrificed their lives for the sake
of the liberation of Artsakh and the defense of Armenia’s borders.

On the occasion of the Army Day, I sincerely congratulate all our
people and wish a peaceful sky, a secure and deserved life, unity
in the defense of the country and a strengthening and raising of the
level of people’s prosperity."

‘POLITICAL PRISONER’ TERM WITHDRAWN FROM PACE NEW RESOLUTION

ArmInfo
2009-01-28 13:27:00

ArmInfo. There is no "political prisoner" term in PACE Resolution
1643 adopted on January 27.

"In its Resolution 1620 (2008) on the implementation by Armenia
of Assembly Resolution 1609 (2008), adopted on 25 June 2008, the
Parliamentary Assembly considered that progress had been insufficient,
despite the political will expressed by the Armenian authorities
to address the requirements set up in Resolution 1609. However, the
Assembly is still discontent and deeply concerned about the situation
of the people deprived of their liberty in relation to the events of
1 and 2 March 2008", the message of PACE press service says.

In general, the key points of the new Resolution 1643 are similar
to those adopted on December 17, 2008, in Paris. It says that the
Assembly considers that progress, fixed by the Armenian authorities in
fulfillment of the requirements of the earlier-adopted resolutions, has
been insufficient. In particular, the Assembly says that a significant
number of prosecution cases and convictions was based solely on police
testimony, without substantial corroborating evidence; a very limited
number of charges under Articles 225 and 300 of the Criminal Code of
Armenia has been dropped. The Assembly notes that doubts have been
voiced regarding the nature of the charges brought under Articles 225
and 300 of the Criminal Code, as well as with regard to the legal
proceedings against those convicted in relation to the events of 1
and 2 March 2008, including by the Council of Europe Commissioner
for Human Rights.

With regard to the requirement to ensure an independent, impartial
and credible investigation into the events of 1 and 2 March 2008,
the Assembly welcomes the establishment by the President of Armenia,
on 23 October 2008, of a "fact-finding group of experts to inquire
into the events of 1-2 March 2008", following a proposal by the
Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe. It equally
welcomes the decision of the opposition to fully participate in
the work of this group. The Assembly welcomes the decision of the
Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia, of 22 January 2009, to
establish a Working Group within the National Assembly, within a one-
month period, to draft, in co-operation with the relevant bodies of the
Council of Europe (notably the Venice Commission and the Commissioner
for Human Rights) amendments to Articles 225 and 300 of the Criminal
Code of Armenia, in order to address the legal shortcomings in these
articles as noted, inter alia, by the Assembly and the Commissioner for
Human Rights of the Council of Europe, and to bring them in line with
Council of Europe standards. The Assembly also notes the assurances
given by the Speaker of the National Assembly that these amendments
will be adopted and sent to the President for promulgation within
approximately one month after the Working Group has finalised its work.

The Assembly notes that, under the Constitution of Armenia, any
positive changes to the law would be retroactive with respect to
the charges brought against the persons deprived of their liberty in
relation to the events on 1 and 2 March 2008. The Assembly considers
that this initiative of the Speaker of the National Assembly of
Armenia, although belated, is a signal indicating the readiness of the
Armenian authorities to begin to address the concerns of the Assembly
in relation to the situation of the persons deprived of their liberty
in relation to the events of 1 and 2 March 2008.

The Assembly will keep on monitoring further fulfillment of the
Resolutions’ requirements by the Armenian authorities. Moreover, it
offered the Monitoring Commission to consider the progress, fixed by
the Armenian authorities in fulfillment of the requirements of the
present and the previous resolutions, prior to PACE spring session
and provide PACE with the relevant recommendations.

ANC FAMILIARISES PACE WITH ITS OPINION
Karine Asatryan

A1+
[06:59 pm] 28 January, 2009

The Armenian National Congress (ANC) expresses disappointment at PACE’s
attitude towards Armenia, in particular at the adoption of Resolution
1643 during yesterday’s session. Armenia’s senior oppositionists
Levon Zurabyan and Arman Grigoryan today handed the PACE delegates
ANC’s letter regarding Resolution 1643 as a "backward step" from the
Monitoring Committee’s draft resolution of December 17, 2008.

"The letter was given to all parliamentarians both in printed and
electronic versions," Levon Zurabyan said to A1+.

"The voting at the Monitoring Committee and Assembly was based on
unverified information," runs the ANC letter.

The Congress ensures that out of the 16 detainees granted a
Presidential pardon last week 14 are criminals and only two have been
recognised as political prisoners by the Armenian opposition.

The ANC is surprised that the Co- rapporteurs welcome the Presidential
decree when in reality most detainees appealing for pardon were forced
to sign the document.

The Congress states that 58 political prisoners are still jailed, and
their existence puts the verisimilitude of the report into question.

The letter says the authorities’ pledge to amend Articles 225 and
300 of Armenia’s Criminal Code is another trick to gain time.

Furthermore, the Congress voices concern that "the Co- rapporteurs’
activity lacks transparency, and they avoid any contact with the
Armenian opposition.

The co-authors say that the fact that the Co- rapporteurs didn’t
meet with the Armenian opposition during their last visit to Yerevan
"directly affected the quality of their report and the reputation of
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe."

The Armenian National Congress voices hope that the situation will
soon be remedied which will require "active involvement and assiduous
work of PACE relevant bodies and political groups."