Author: Frangulian Shushan

REAL ESTATE MARKET FROZE

5446.html
16:30:47 – 07/10/2009

In anticipation of the signing of the Armenian and Turkish protocols,
an expectant atmosphere has been formed in Armenia. The means of mass
media actively inform about the opinions of political and public
figures and almost no one pays attention to the opinion of the
public which apparently appeared in a complete bewilderment. There
could hardly be found someone in Armenia for whom the opening of the
Armenian-Turkish border is of no difference. Rather, people are not
informed enough to be able to make conclusions. They are perplexed
and prefer waiting.

Anxiety is felt primarily in the real estate market. As realtors
affirm, offer for house sale sharply declined in the last 15
days. Prices increased a little though no one is able to find a logic
explanation to this question. Buyers are also few, consequently,
few are also those who want a hypothec loan. The market is moving
forward by inertia rather it reminds stagnation. There are rumors
about an expected sharp dollar rise after October 10, and now many
try to buy dollars, although there is no rush.

EASTERN PARTNERSHIP NOT TO BE EFFECTIVE WITHOUT CONCRETE RESULTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.10.2009 19:21 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Eastern Partnership initiative is aimed at promoting
cooperation among 6 post-Soviet countries and establishing dialogue
among member states for strengthening security, Eastern Partnership
Czech coordinator Miloš Lexa told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter during
a news conference in Yerevan. "We realize that there is a conflict
between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and such policy is aimed at trying
to find long-term solutions," European diplomat said.

Czech Republic, he said, viewed Eastern Partnership as a key
issue. "We’ll try to convince our EU colleagues that Eastern
Partnership will not be effective without tangible and concrete
results," Lexa said.

With regard to establishing minimal ties with unrecognized states,
he said the issue will not be put to discussion for now, since there
was no concrete response.

LILIT MKRTCHYAN DREW

News.am
10:02 / 10/07/2009

Armenian Grandmaster Lilit Lazarian drew with Nana Dzagnidze (Georgia)
in the eighth round of the Women’s FIDE Grand Prix in Nanjing (China),
September 27-October 9.

The results of the eighth round are as follows: Sebag-Zhu Chen (1:0),
Xu Yuhua-Yildiz (1:0), Shen Yang-Ju Wenjun (0:1), Fierro-Munguntuul
(0:1), Lazarian-Dzagnidze and Zhao Xue-Kovanova drew.

The standings are as follows: Sebag-6 points; Dzagnidze, Xu Yuhua-5.5;
Zhao Xue-5; Lazarian, Munguntuul-4.5; Zhu Chen, Ju Wenjun-4 each;
Kovanova, Shen Yang-3.5 each; Fierro-2 and Yildiz-0.

FARHAD BADALBAYLI: "THE MEDIATORS SAID THAT AZERBAIJANIS SHOULD RETURN TO NAGORNO KARABAKH AND LIVE THERE"

APA
[ 06 Oct 2009 16:19 ]

Baku. Lachin Sultanova – APA. OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs met with
the members of the Management Board of the Public Union of Nagorno
Karabakh’s Azerbaijani Community, APA reports. Head of the public union
Bayram Safarov told journalists after the meeting that the mediators
clarified some questions about the returning of the Azerbaijanis to
Nagorno Karabakh. Safarov said now the Azerbaijani community is only
interested in this issue and considers that the status of the Nagorno
Karabakh should be solved after the return of the IDPs.

"The status can be considered after we return to our homes, work,
construct schools, medical facilities, buildings, create normal living
conditions. Maybe then Armenians will not want a special status and see
that living is wonderful in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is an international
country and there are a lot of national minorities here. We are ready
to live together with the Armenians having Azerbaijan’s passports. We
had lived with them before. We are neighbors regardless of our wish
and should live together," he said.

Member of the Management Board, people’s Farhad Badalbayli said he
asked the mediators about the safety of the people that will return
to their homes.

"The people will go there without weapons, Armenians have police and
army," he said.

Badalbayli said the co-chairs could not answer his question.

"Perhaps they do not know who will ensure the security of the people
and are not ready for this question. We are representatives of Nagorno
Karabakh’s Azerbaijani community. Unpleasant processes are observed
there, Armenians sell land plots. How will these problems be solved
after we return? The co-chairs said mines should be cleared off and
the IDPs may return after the process ends. I understood that this
process will last long and I got disappointed," he said.

Farhad Badalbayli considers that there is an improvement in "The
mediators said that Azerbaijanis should return to Nagorno Karabakh
and live there. They did not use to say so before," he said.

MP Rovshan Rzayev mentioned that the two communities had once lived
in Nagorno Karabakh and said Azerbaijanis and Armenians should live
together again.

"Of course this problem will be solved within the framework of
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity," he said.

RA OMBUDSMAN IN MANAGEMENT COUNCIL

men-harutyunyan
08:50 pm | October 06, 2009 | Politics

RA Ombudsman Armen Harutyunyan was elected as member of the management
council of the European Ombudsman Institute during the institute’s
annual conference held in the Italian city of Florence.

Participating in the elections were representatives from over 60
countries, including Ombudsman of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and
member of the institute Yuri Hayrapetyan.

During elections voters take into account the candidates’ regions,
as well as the nature of their activities on the national, local
and regional levels. The management council members are elected for
two years.

The European Ombudsman Institute was founded in 1988 in Austria. Among
issues of concern are research in human rights defense, defense of
civil liberties, support for Ombudsman institutes and assistance in
research. The Ombudsmen of all European countries are members of the
mentioned organization, as reported by the department of information
and public relations of the RA Ombudsman’s office.

OMBUDSMAN ELECTED

s15436.html
11:22:37 – 07/10/2009

On October 5, in the city of Florence of Italy, the annually conference
of the European Ombudsman Institute took place during of which the
Armenian Human rights Defender was elected member of the Management
Board of the European Ombudsman Institute. Almost 60 countries’
representatives partook in the election including the NKR Ombudsman
Yuri Hayrapetyan.

The European Ombudsman Institute is an association under Austrian
law, domiciled in Innsbruck, Tyrol. The association was founded
in 1988. The European Ombudsman Institute is a non-profit making,
scientific association; its purpose is to adopt a scientific approach
in addressing issues relating to human rights, civil protection an
the institution of ombudsman; to conduct research in those areas; to
promote and disseminate the ombudsman concept; to support Austrian
and foreign ombudsman structures from a scientific viewpoint; and
to co-operate with institutions advocating similar objective. Today
virtually all European ombudsmen are members of the association,
together with professors and other private individuals with a keen
interest in the subject matter.

OBAMA HAILED RA PRESIDENT’S INITIATIVE

PanARMENIAN.Net
06.10.2009 11:13 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ When in Los Angeles, Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan had a phone conversation with his U.S. counterpart Barack
Obama.

Mr. Obama hailed Mr. Sargsyan’s initiative to normalize relations
with Turkey and emphasized that United States’ position is that the
reconciliation should take place without preconditions and should
not be linked to Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process.

Commenting on the impressions from the tour, President Sargsyan said
that the concerns of the Armenian Diaspora are understandable.

He also assessed highly the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group and said
that it’s the people of Nagorno Karabakh who should take the final
decision on the issue.

RA PM, OSCE YEREVAN OFFICE HEAD DISCUSS COOPERATION PROSPECTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
06.10.2009 13:16 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan met Tuesday
with head of the OSCE Yerevan Office Sergey Kapinos.

PM Sargsyan appreciated highly the activity of the OSCE Yerevan Office
and voiced readiness to develop cooperation. For his part, Mr. Kapinos
briefed on the current activities, specifically implementation of
anti-corruption project, human rights and democracy development,
the government’s information center reported.

SCHOLARS FROM ARMENIA TO GET ACQUAINTED WITH PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM OF GERMANY

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.10.2009 21:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On October 6 vice-speaker of Armenia’s National
Assembly and Chair of the Armenia-Germany Parliamentary Friendship
Group Arevik Petrosyan in the framework of qualifying round of the
German International Parliamentary Scholarship will receive the German
Bundestag’s delegation headed by the Bundestag deputy Mrs. Lydia
Westrich. The German delegation will meet with representatives of
political, scientific and educational spheres.

120 fellows of International Parliamentary Scholarship from 28
countries will be able to learn about the German parliamentary system.

The program is aimed at providing immediate participation in democratic
decision-making process. The program is conducted under the auspices
of the Chairman of the Bundestag with assistance of three Berlin
universities.

"EVERYTHING IS OK, BOSS"

/vahan-hovhannisyan
06:54 pm | October 05, 2009

Politics

Today the National Assembly started its four-day session with 109
parliamentarians.

The agenda was adopted with 100 pros, 6 cons and two abstentions.

The NA deferred the discussion of ARF’s draft bill on the formation of
a monitoring group to study the report of the March 1st parliamentary
commission.

"The monitoring group shall supervise the implementation of the
parliamentary commission’s proposals and demands," chairman of the
ARF faction Vahan Hovhannisian told A1+.

"The liabilities of the monitoring group will be decided during
parliamentary discussions."

In reply to A1+ if Serzh Sargsyan’s pan-Armenian tour and protest
actions will affect the Protocols’ signing, Mr. Hovhannisian said:
"I cannot say whether they will affect or not. But all those who give
advice to the Armenian President are deluded. Either the ambassadors
didn’t convey the general moods of Diasporan Armenians or the Armenian
Foreign Ministry presented the information wrongly. The Ministry of
Diaspora was to clarify everything beforehand but as you see their
reports were groundless and wrong. They said "everything is OK, boss,"
and led the president to an awkward situation."