Author: Felekian Ara

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT: SARGSYAN MADE A COURAGEOUS STEP BY INVITING GUL TO ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
21.07.2008 18:49 GMT+04:00

Armenian President made a courageous step by inviting Abdullah Gul to
Armenia, said Matt Bryza, U.S. Deputy Assistance Secretary of State
for European and Eurasian Affairs.

"Certainly, I can’t speak on behalf of Turkish President or government
but the .S. hopes that Abdullah Gul will take this golden opportunity,"
Bryza said, RFE/RL reports.

In a sign of readiness to normalize ties, Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan proposed "a fresh start" in relations with Turkey
in an article published in The Wall Street Journal earlier this
month. Sargsyan also invited Gul to a World Cup qualifying match
between Armenian and Turkish teams in September. Turkish officials
say the invitation is still under consideration and that the president
will decide according to developments.

No ethnic crime in Russia remains untrammeled

2008-07-19 11:35:00

ArmInfo. No ethnic crime in Russia remains untrammeled since any fact
of xenophobia is investigated, Solicitor General of RF Yevgeny
Zabarchuk told ArmInfo during his unofficial visit to Armenia. ‘We pay
special attention to any display of nationalism and racism and respond
to and investigate every such case’, he said.

Y. Zabarchuk said the criminal code has already been amended to toughen
the responsibility for racial and ethnic crimes. Relevant divisions are
operating at the RF Prosecutor General’s Office and at other structures
and the work is coordinated.

‘I would not say there is splash of nationalism against Armenians in
Russia. I would call the developments as display of intolerance among
youth. It is more characteristic to St. Petersburg and Moscow. These
are two cities with many problems’, he said. RF Solicitor General
underlined that a series of operations conducted in St. Petersburg
resulted in arrests and proceedings on facts of nationalism. Y.
Zabarchuk outlined the great difference between the militia and
judicial assessment of the developments. ‘It is clear that militia
tries to evade responsibility and soften the importance of incidents,
which is characteristic of all the law-enforcement agencies’, he said.

By data of All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) in 2004
respondents named mostly Caucasian among the peoples arousing
displeasure and bewilderment: Chechens (14.8% of the polled),
Azerbaijanis (5.1%), Armenians (4.1%), Caucasians in general (6.0%), as
well as Szgany (5.1%) and Jews (2.5%). Sociologists say the situation
has not much changed since 2004.

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
July 19 2008

Turkish embassy in Azerbaijan makes a report on secret negotiations
with Armenia

[ 19 Jul 2008 12:16 ]

Baku. Ramil Mammadov `APA. Turkish embassy in Azerbaijan has made a
report on secret negotiations with Armenian diplomats today, Embassy’s
Press Service told APA that Turkey recognized Armenia as a state since
1991.

`Relations have been between the two sides at times within the
framework. Here also includes relations between Foreign Ministries’
officials of the two countries,’ said in a report. Embassy’s Press
Service told that it is nonsense to look for a different meaning in
such meetings between Turkish and Armenian diplomats.

TURKEY AND ARMENIA HOLD SECRET TALKS IN SWISS CAPITAL

armradio.am
18.07.2008 14:48

Turkey and Armenia held a series of secret meetings in the capital of
Switzerland on July 8, Hurriyet daily reported. A high-level official
from the Foreign Ministry headed the Turkish delegation during the
talks which led to a positive atmosphere between the two countries,
according to the report.

This meeting came after Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s proposal
for "a fresh start" with the goal of normalizing relations with Turkey
and opening the border. Sargsyan also invited Turkish President
Abdullah Gul to watch a football match between the two country’s
national teams on Sept 6 to mark "a new symbolic start in the two
countries’ relations".

NEARLY 90% ARMENIAN LABOR MIGRANTS LEAVES FOR RUSSIA

NOYAN TAPAN

JU LY 17

A discussion under the title Efficient Labor Migration Management in
Armenia: Migration and Development, Migration and Money Transfers took
place on July 17 in Yerevan on the initiative of the International
Labor Organization and with the financial support of the European
Union. According to the statement spread by the organizers, over
760-780 thousand people emigrated from Armenia in 1991-1998, which
makes 20% country’s population as of 1991. The study conducted by OSCE
in 2002-2005 shows that over 90% labor migrants leaves for Russia,
in particular, RF capital Moscow.

Boris Kharatian, the Vice-Chairman of the Confederation of Trade Unions
of Armenia, said that one of the reasons of labor migration is not
finding a job in the homeland, the other is low salary. According
to Gagik Makarian, the Executive Director of the Republican Union
of Employers, in the past years the Union has been exerting efforts
especially to provide young people with jobs to prevent their possible
emigration. For that purpose the Union assists establishment of
educational institutions-employer permanent contact. G. Makarian said
that employers are willing to hire honest and duteous specialists.

Russia and Kazakhstan to hold joint war games in 2009-2011

14:30 | 14/ 07/ 2008

MOSCOW, July 14 (RIA Novosti) – Russia and Kazakhstan will hold joint
military exercises in 2009-2011, the two countries’ defense ministers
announced in Moscow on Monday.

Anatoly Serdyukov and Danial Akhmetov ordered their respective offices
to draft the details of the joint drills, including the timeframe,
locations and forces to be involved. The military exercises will be
held on the territories of both states.

The two ministers said that joint tactical drills to be held this
autumn as part of Center-2008 staff exercises in the Chelyabinsk Region
in the Urals, "will contribute to the further development of a united
outlook and approach to the planning of joint actions to maintain the
national security of the two countries."

Serdyukov and Akhmetov, who is currently on a two-day trip to Moscow,
also praised the military skills displayed by around 2,000 Russian and
Kazakh paratroopers who took part in a joint counterinsurgency tactical
exercise last Friday.

A Kazakh Defense Ministry spokesman said earlier that the 2008
Kazakh-Russian military cooperation program included a series of joint
operational and combat training activities.

Russia, which is a member of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization (CSTO), has been strengthening military ties with its
allies amid growing tensions over NATO expansion and U.S. missile
shield plans for Central Europe. An agreement was recently signed by
Washington and Prague on deploying a U.S. radar in the Czech Republic,
a move that did little to assuage Russian concerns for its national
security.

The CSTO is a post-Soviet security alliance, which also comprises
Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.

About 4,000 troops from Armenia, Russia, and Tajikistan will take part
in the four-stage Rubezh-2008 military exercises in Armenia and Russia
this summer / fall.

Panorama.am

16:37 12/07/2008

TOTAL CONSTRUCTION AMOUNT ` 135.3 BILLION DRAMS

The total construction of Armenia in January-May of this year cost
135.3 billion drams, said Arevik Avanesova the deputy director of
`Master’ international integration aids center, in the opening
ceremony of `Construction-2008′ fourth international congress.

According to her 116 billion drams cost the constructive materials and
46.7% other expenses. 206% of the complete construction is conducted
in transport field.

In production field the construction forms 5.5% and in agriculture
1.1%. In electro energy, gas and water the total amount is 6 billion
drams.

`Constrauction-2008′ congress started in Tsaghkadzor and will continue
till July 14.

Source: Panorama.am

TURKISH PRESS RESPONDS TO PRESIDENT SARKISIAN’S ARTICLE

AZG Armenian Daily
12/07/2008

Armenia-Turkey

The Turkish press keeps an attentive eye upon President Serge
Sarkisian’s statements regarding the Armenian-Turkish relations. After
commenting on the Armenian Presodent’s June 23 speech in Moscow,
the Turkish newspapers proceeded to his article published in July 9
in the Wall Street Journal.

The Wall Street Journal is the mouthpiece of the "Neo-conservators",
who order the activities of Washington, therefore articles are
published in that magazine by chance.

Surely, this fact is known to the Turks. That is why the "Radikal"
newspaper published the Turkish translation of the article on July
10. On the very same day "Eni Safak" and "Vatan" published comments
on the article, and "Sabah" a day later.

When speaking about President Sarkisian’s article, the Turkish
journalists are most of all interested in the statements regarding
the joint Armenian-Turkish commission.

Most probably, the President of Armenia saying that "establishment of
normal relations will permit us to create a joint commission in order
to study all the complicated matters concerning Armenia and Turkey",
meant an intergovernmental commission, not a scientific one. Even
in 2005 when Erdogan suggested establishing a joint commission of
historians, Robert Kocharian answered with proposition of creating an
intergovernmental commission after diplomatic relations start between
Armenia and Turkey.

In case of establishing an intergovernmental commission, the sides will
be able to consider such matters as the international recognition of
the Armenian Genocide, the inconsistence of Turkish negationism, or the
elimination of the consequences of the Genocide. This are political,
not historical issues, therefore their discussion cannot provoke any
doubt regarding the truthfulness of the fact of the Armenian Genocide.

SERGEY BOROVIK APPOINTED GENERAL DIRECTOR OF RUSAL-ARMENAL PLANT

ARKA
July 11

Sergey Borovik has been appointed General Director of the Armenal
aluminum foil mill, subsidiary of the Russian giant RUSAL.

Borovik was formerly Executive Director of the Ural Foil (subsidiary
of RUSAL), RUSAL has told RIA Novosti.

The United Company RUSAL has launched shift rotation to increase its
output and enhance management, as well as to introduce eco friendly
technologies.

Georgiy Avetikyan, former general director of Armenial, has been
appointed Chairman of the company’s Directorial Board.

United Company RUSAL, the world’s largest aluminum producer, was
established in March 2007, following the merger of assets of three
companies: RUSAL, previously the third largest global aluminum company;
the aluminum giant SUAL and Glencore (Switzerland).

RUSAL rejected in April a proposal by Norilsk Nickel and Onexim Group
on a full merger of the companies.

"CONSTRUCTION – 2008" CONGRESS STARTS

Panorama.am
11:32 11/07/2008

On July 11-14 "Construction-2008" fourth international congress will
take place in Tsaghkadzor, reported the organizer of the congress
"MASTER" international integration aids center.

In the frames of Congress development strategies of construction
affairs in Armenia will be discussed, as well as investment,
development of technological market, international and inter regional
cooperation.

More than 70 Armenian organizations will take part in the congress
which present the fields of construction and investment market in
Armenia. Organizations from NKR, Russia, and Turkey will also take
part in the congress. The official supporters of the congress are
the Ministry of Urban Development, the Unity of Manufacturers and
businessmen and the Unity of Constructors.