Author: Garnik Tadevosian

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RECOGNITION KEY TO RENEWED U.S.-TURKEY RELATIONS

Healthcare Finance, Tax & Law Weekly
April 22, 2009

President Barack Obama’s trip to Turkey affords him an opportunity to
reset U.S.-Turkey relations based on a shared commitment to truth and
mutual respect, starting with a break from the gag-rule that Turkey
has long imposed on U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide – the
Ottoman Turkish Empire’s annihilation of over 1.5 million Armenians
from 1915-1923 (see also Armenian National Committee of America).

"President Obama is the right man at the right time to speak
honestly in Turkey about the Armenian Genocide," said Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA) Executive Director Aram
Hamparian. "President Obama, in honoring his pledge to recognize the
Armenian Genocide, will show the world that America’s leadership in
condemning genocide will never again be held hostage to threats from
a foreign government."

During talks with Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President Obama will discuss a range of concerns,
including Turkey’s 15-year illegal blockade of Armenia. Recent talks
between Turkey and Armenia remain tenuous, with Erdogan, as recently
as Friday, denying the Armenian Genocide and setting the resolution of
the Nagorno Karabagh conflict as a precondition for establishing ties
with Armenia. Armenian authorities have long called for normalized
relations with Turkey with no preconditions.

As a Senator and presidential candidate, President Obama pledged
repeatedly to recognize the Armenian Genocide and promised
"unstinting resolve" to end the Darfur Genocide, stating,
"America deserves a leader who speaks truthfully about the
Armenian Genocide and responds forcefully to all genocides. I
intend to be that President." View his record on the issue at:
_Genocide.pdf

The ANCA has launched the "Fierce Urgency of Now"
() campaign urging anti-genocide activists
to ask the Obama Administration and Congress to take action to end the
Darfur Genocide and to recognize the Armenian Genocide. The effort is
inspired by President Obama’s campaign remarks: "I am running because
of what Dr. King called ‘the fierce urgency of now.’ I am running
because I do believe there’s such a thing as being too late. And that
hour is almost here."

The Armenian Genocide is commemorated worldwide April
24th. U.S. presidents traditionally issue statements on this day
honoring the victims of this crime. More than 20 countries, including
12 NATO allies, have recognized the Armenian Genocide, along with 41
U.S. states.

Keywords: Armenian National Committee of America.

This article was prepared by Healthcare Finance, Tax & Law Weekly
editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Healthcare
Finance, Tax & Law Weekly via NewsRx.com.

THE OBSERVATORY URGES THE GEORGIAN AUTHORITIES TO GUARANTEE THE RESPECT OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS

AZG DAILY
07-04-2009

International; Georgia

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a
joint programme of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), requests
your urgent intervention in the following situation in Georgia.

The Observatory has been informed by the Human Rights Centre (HRIDC)
about acts of harassment against Mr. Arnold Stepanian, a defender
of the human rights of minorities in Georgia, Chairman of the human
rights NGO "Multinational Georgia" and co-founder of the Multiethnic
Resource Centre for Civil Education Development.

According to the information received, on March 19, 2009, a district
police inspector visited, for the first time, the offices of the
Multiethnic Resource Centre for Civil Education Development, though
they are located next to the Ministry of Defence in an area closely
monitored by law enforcement bodies, and asked questions about the
organisation and its leadership.

On the same day, a person, who refused to identify himself, called
and asked a staff member whether Mr. Arnold Stepanian was Chairman of
"Multinational Georgia", whether he was at the moment in the office
and when he would come to the office.

In addition, on March 19, 2009, the Tax Inspection Office of
the Ministry of Finance closed down a small business called
"Arnold Stepanian", which was established in 2000 and was run by
Mr. Stepanian’s father in his flat and a company called "Giperioni
Limited", which was co-established by Mr. Arnold Stepanian in 2006.

These acts follow the transmission to the Council of Europe,
early 2009, of a critical alternative report on the protection of
minority rights in Georgia, of which Mr. Stepanian, as Chairman of
"Multinational Georgia", is one of the authors. Mr. Stepanian is also
an expert in the field of inter-ethnic relations, an active member of
the Assembly of Tbilisi Armenians and Co-founder of the NGO Coalition
"For Democracy". Finally, Mr. Stepanian is a member of a group that
organised a demonstration held in Tbilisi on March 15, 2009 calling
for justice and freedom.

The Observatory expresses its deepest concern about these acts of
harassment against Mr. Arnold Stepanian, which seem to merely aim at
sanctioning his human rights activities.

The Observatory recalls that as a Participating State of the
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Georgia
must conform with paragraph 8 of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
Resolution on Strengthening OSCE Engagement with Human Rights Defenders
and National Human Rights Institutions, which states that the OSCE
Participating States recognise "the need for particular attention,
support and protection for human rights defenders by the OSCE, its
institutions and field operations, as well as by participating States".

The Observatory also urges the Georgian authorities to conform to the
Declaration of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on
Human Rights Defenders, so as to create an environment conducive to
human rights defenders, to take effective measures to protect, promote,
and respect them, to ensure their access to effective remedies and
to take action to prevent attacks and harassment against them.

Please write to the Georgian authorities urging them to:

– Take all necessary measures to guarantee, in all circumstances,
the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Arnold Stepanian;

– Conduct a prompt, effective, thorough, independent and impartial
investigation into the above-mentioned acts of harassment against
Mr. Arnold Stepanian, the result of which must be made public, in order
to identify all those responsible, bring them before a competent,
independent and impartial tribunal and apply to them the penal,
civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by the law;

– Put an end to any act of harassment against Mr. Arnold Stepanian
as well as against all human rights defenders in Georgia;

– Comply with the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights
Defenders adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1998,
in particular Article 1, which states that "everyone has the
right, individually or collectively, to promote the protection and
fulfilment of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national
and international levels" and Article 12.2, which provides that "the
State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by
the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association
with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto
or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary
action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the
rights referred to in the present Declaration";

– Guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms in
accordance with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and other
international human rights instruments ratified by Georgia.

The Observatory, a FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the
protection of human rights defenders and aims to offer them concrete
support in their time of need. The Observatory was the winner of
the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic. To contact the
Observatory, call the emergency line: Tel and fax OMCT : + 41 (0)
22 809 49 39 / + 41 (0) 22 809 49 29, Tel and fax: FIDH : +33 (0)
1 43 55 20 11 / 33 (0) 1 43 55 18 8, Email: [email protected]

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Armenians in mass rally to mark deadly clashes

March 1, 2009

YEREVAN (AFP) – Thousands of opposition supporters defied the Armenian
authorities Sunday to rally on the first anniversary of the country’s
deadliest political clashes since the 1991 break-up of the Soviet
Union.

More than 10,000 people gathered for the rally in central Yerevan,
which the authorities had refused to sanction, carrying placards
reading "Free Political Prisoners" and "For Early Elections", an AFP
correspondent reported.

Opposition leader and former president Levon Ter-Petrosian told the
crowd he would not give up his fight against President Serzh Sarkisian
and would use "constitutional means" to force early elections.

"After a year, despite total pressure from the authorities, the people
are instead stronger and ready to continue the struggle."

Ten people, including two police officers, were killed last March 1
when street battles broke out as police moved to disperse thousands of
Ter-Petrosian supporters. Dozens more were injured in the clashes,
many from gunshot wounds.

Opposition supporters had been rallying for 11 days to denounce
Sarkisian’s win in a February election where Ter-Petrosian finished
second in the vote.

Protesters called Sunday for the release of dozens of people jailed
following the unrest, including a former foreign minister and several
other senior opposition leaders who are still on trial.

"I came here today because I want justice," said one of the
protesters, 57-year-old Siran.

"I want those responsible for this tragic event and for the deaths of
these 10 people to be punished. The government refuses to punish them,
so it should go," she said.

Protesters later marched through Yerevan to the area near the French
embassy where the clashes took place, before laying flowers and
dispersing peacefully.

Ter-Petrosian said another anti-government rally would be held on May 1.

Dozens of Armenian police kept a close eye on Sunday’s rally but made
no move to interfere. Police said Friday they would allow the
protesters to gather peacefully but warned they would react harshly to
any unrest.

Sarkisian’s press service said in a statement that the president had
lit a candle in a church Sunday in memory of the victims of the
clashes.

New York-based Human Rights Watch on Wednesday accused Armenia of
conducting "politically motivated" trials against the opposition while
failing to investigate the use "excessive force" by police during the
clashes.

Analysts have warned that Armenia remains politically unstable and
that potential losses of thousands of jobs due to the global economic
downturn could spark further turmoil.

A mountainous country of about three million people wedged between
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran and Turkey, Armenia has seen repeated
political violence and post-election protests since gaining
independence with the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991.

Armenia’s next parliamentary election is due in 2012 and a
presidential vote in 2013.

21 CENTURY OF ARMENIAN ARCHITECTURE: ARCHITECTS FROM DIASPORA TO ATTEND CONFERENCE

Panorama.am
11:53 23/01/2009

In the Ministry of Diaspora the format and the agenda of the conference
on "21 century of Armenian architecture" have been discussed, reports
the press service of the Ministry.

Narek Sargsyan the chief architect recommended to discuss the following
topics in the conference – usage of new technologies in architecture,
experience exchange, architectural education, and the principles of
Armenian architecture.

It is planned to hold 3 exhibitions of national architects, as well
as from Diaspora. The conference will be hosted in 21-22 April.

PROJECT OF NKR STATE BUDGET 2009 WAS SUBMITTED TO PARLIAMENT

NKR Government Information and
Public Relations Department
December 27, 2008

Today, the NKR Government submitted the project of the State
Budget 2009 of the Republic to the joint session of the NKR
National Assembly’s permanent commissions. The main data included
in the document were announced by the NKR Deputy Minister of Finance
M.Hakobjanyan. It was noted that in 2009 the incomes and expenses are
anticipated to form correspondingly 54 mlrd 52 mln 14.4 thousand and
58 mlrd 542 mln 100 thousand drams. The Budget deficit is anticipated
to form a sum of 4 mlrd 490 mln 85.6 thousand drams.

During the session the NKR Prime Minister delivered a speech,
introduced a number of macro indices and touched upon the pivotal
references holding a place in the financial project.

The NKR Prime Minister underlined that according to the middle-term
expense programme in 2008 the GDP should have formed 87 mlrd drams,
today it is expected to form 86.1 mlrd drams, which has increased
by 14.9 percent against the index of 2007 in case of 5.9 percent of
deflator. According to the middle-term expense programme 103 mlrd
drams and according to the State Budget project equal to 102.1 mlrd
drams was planned for 2009, which corresponds to an increase of 14
percent under the conditions of 4 percent of deflatinn. The average
annual real growth of 14 percent anticipated by the NKR Government
activity’s programme will be retained as well under these economically
hard conditions. The rates of growth will be retained, first of all,
due to agriculture, construction services and other spheres. In 2007
the GDP per head formed 1489 USA dollars, in 2008 it will form 2023,
and in 2009- 2400 dollars. In 2007 the State Budget own incomes against
the GDP formed 20.6 percent, which corresponds to 14.5 mlrd drams,
in 2008 it formed 21.1 percent, corresponding to 18.1 mlrd drams, in
2009 it will form 20.5 percent, correspondingly 20.9 mlrd drams. For
2009 the tax revenues are planned with a decrease of 1.8 mlrd drams
and the expenses with that of 2.3 mlrd drams, as compared with
the middle-term expense programme, which is stipulated by the "Base
Metals", the greatest tax-payer company, and tax payment decrease. In
2007 the tax payments of this company formed more than 40 percent
of the receipts recruited by the State Budget, in 2008 they will
form 20 percent and in 2009 up to 10 percent. Without "Base Metals"
the tax receipts of 2008 will increase by 50 percent against 2007.

In concern with expenses the NKR Prime Minister noted that according
to the Budget project of 2009 the factual expenses will increase by
6.5 mlrd drams in comparison with 2008 taking into account as well
the 600 mln drams’ deficit of receipts from capital services. In 2009
the increase of the salary fund will be equal to 3.2 mlrd drams and it
will form 16.3 mlrd drams. The expenses in the social sphere (pensions,
allowances, indemnities, etc) will increase by 2.2 mlrd drams and will
be equal to a sum of 15.9 mlrd drams. The grants rendered to Community
Budgets will increase by 526 mln drams and will form 7.62 mlrd drams.

Subsidies allotted to community budgets will increase by 526 mn
drams and will form 7.62 mlrd drams. Means rendered to the sphere of
agriculture will increase by 900 mln drams, which will be used for
realization of different agricultural state programmes and in tote
will form 2.35 mlrd drams, credit programmes excluding.

"I want, in particular, note that allotment of 340 mln drams assigned
for protection of monuments and that of 150 mln drams for formation
of the state fisc, by the way, was envisaged for the fist time,
regardless of the fact that, within the year additional means for
forming the state exchequers will also be allotted..

It is foreseen to assign 9.3 mlrd drams, or 1.8 mlrd drams more, to the
sphere of education, from which 6.85 mlrd drams will be destined for
salaries (42 percent of total salaries), which is by 1.45 mlrd drams
more than in 2008. Sums assigned to the sphere of higher education
will increase by 183 mln drams.

According to the State Budget 2009 capital investments will form 12
mlrd drams, which is 1.2 mlrd drams less in comparison with 2008.

The Prime Minister announced that a hypothecary fund is foreseen to be
founded, which will finance more than 3 mlrd drams for implementation
of programmes by securing the process. Moreover, about 3 mlrd drams
of bank resources are foreseen to draw in for realization of capital
construction programmes at state guarantee, as well as 300 mln drams
of draw in means – for supply. "We shall issue governmental bonds
at the rate of 1 mlrd drams, which will be aimed at shortening of
budget deficiency,-A.Haroutyunyan noted. He has qualified the State
Budget 2009, both like social and crisis-proof one, which will allow
providing high tempos of economic growth.

"Taking into consideration total volumes of draw in and off-budget
means and guarantees of the Budget, draw in sums, hypothecary market,
assistance envisaged for development of SME, unprecedented sums
assigned to the sphere of agriculture, growth of capital investments
foreseen by the State Budget and the heavy economic situation we shall
manage to record high tempos of economic development satisfying us
by the end of 2009,- the head of the NKR Government stated.

On delivering the speech, the Prime Minister answered deputies’
questions, gave additional clarifications, in particular, with regard
to the NKR fisc, house construction and other issues.

At the session, the Chairman of the NKR National Assembly Ashot
Ghoulyan spoke with his considerations in concern with the State
Budget. He attached importance to active cooperation between
legislative and executive authorities both in adoption of the document
and its implementation activities.

Discussions of the State Budget project with separate commissions,
according to spheres, will continue in the Parliament, within the
next few days.

The document will be finally adopted by the NA by the end of the
current year.

Interfax News Agency, Russia
Oct 27 2008

Komi rights group reports illegal detention of two foreign nationals

SYKTYVKAR Oct 27

A human rights group in the Komi Republic has informed the Bulgarian
and Armenian consulates-general in Moscow of the poor conditions at
the Syktyvkar detention facility, where two citizens of these
countries are being held, the regional human rights commission
Memorial told Interfax.

Rights activists hope that the consulates-general’s intervention will
put an end to violations of the two foreign nationals’ rights and
liberties, it said.

Bulgarian citizen Ivan Genov and Armenian citizen Ashot Kirakosian
were sentenced by Komi courts to expulsion from Russia for violating
migration regulations, according to the commission. But they have been
held at a Syktyvkar detention facility for about four months now, in
prison conditions, the commission said.

"The foreigners are absolutely isolated from society. There is neither
a TV or a radio, and there is an open stall lavatory in their
cell. The detention regime rules out meetings with anyone except their
lawyer. Meanwhile, neither Kirakosian, nor Genov is under an
administrative arrest which requires complete isolation," Memorial
said.

The rights group urged the Bulgarian and Armenian consuls to intervene
and put an end to abuses of the Convention for the Protection of Human
Rights and Basic Human Liberties committed by the Syktyvkar interior
department in relation to their compatriots.

sd rp

ORANGE GETS ARMENIA MOBILE LICENCE [FRANCE TELECOM]

Total Telecom
October 8, 2008 Wednesday

Orange has been awarded the third mobile operator license (GSM and 3G)
in the Republic of Armenia. This announcement, which was made public
by the Armenian government today, follows Orange’s submission of a
formal bid of -??51.5 million on October 6.

Following a detailed analysis of local market conditions, Orange firmly
believes in the potential for the Group’s development in the Republic
of Armenia thanks to its experience and its know-how for offering
innovative and high-performance services. Commercial activities will
be launched in the coming months following the formal attribution of
the license and frequencies by the Armenian regulatory authorities.

The Republic of Armenia has a population of around three million
people, of which a third live in the capital city, Yerevan.

TRAVEL WARNING AND DEPARTURE RECOMMENDATION

The FINANCIAL
13/08/2008 12:55 (03:07 minutes ago)
Georgia

The FINANCIAL — "The Department of State warns U.S. citizens to defer
non-essential travel to Georgia and recommends that all U.S. citizens
depart Georgia," U.S. Embassy announces.

"To facilitate this process the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan is organizing a
third land convoy to Yerevan, Armenia. This convoy will depart Tbilisi
at 12:00 pm (noon) on Wednesday, August 13. U.S. citizens and legal
permanent residents, as well as their spouses and minor children, may
register to travel in the convoy. Minor children who are U.S. citizens
or legal permanent residents may bring one non-U.S. citizen adult
with them on the bus. Those persons interested in participating in the
convoy, including those driving their own vehicles, should come to the
consular section at the U.S. Embassy as soon as possible to sign up.

The U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi has also been informed that as of the
morning of August 13, the Government of Azerbaijan will have a consular
officer available at the Red Bridge border crossing between Georgia
and Azerbaijan to issue Azeri entrance visas. Americans interested
in traveling to Azerbaijan may wish to pursue this route; however,
there will not be an official convoy crossing into Azerbaijan at this
time. American citizens should stay current with media coverage of
local events and be aware of their surroundings at all times. Updated
information on Information on upcoming demonstrations can be found
on the Embassy website."

RA GOVERNMENT OFFERS TO INCREASE WATER DISCHARGES FROM SEVAN LAKE IN 2008 OVER TWICE

arminfo
2008-08-08 12:42:00

ArmInfo. At today’s session of the government, RA Prime Minister Tigran
Sarkisyan offered the Armenian parliament to hold special session
on August 19 to get permission for increase of water discharges from
Sevan lake.

He said that an emergency situation developed because of dry weather,
that requires immediate solution. He said that in case the problem
solution fails, serious economic and social problems may occur in the
republic as numerous farms may turned out to be without irrigating
water.

Chairman of the of RA water economy State Committee Andranik
Andreasyan said at today’s press-conference that the government asks
the Parliament to allow water discharges from Sevan lake in 2008 to
360 mln cub m, though the law envisages 170 mln. A. Andreasyan also
said that sharp lack of water has been stipulated by shallowness and
unprecedented dry climate. In view of this, the irrigating season
started two months earlier and 240,000 farms may face the problem
of lack of the irrigating water. He said that he has to apply to the
Parliament for the first time with request to make changes to the law
and increase water discharges from the lake. The Committee chairman
added assured that increase of water discharges will not endanger Sevan
as the level of water in the lake raised by 45 cm since the beginning,
2008. By his estimations, change of 1 cm of water is adequate to 13
mln cub m of water.

POLITICAL ANALYST: ARMENIAN PUBLIC COUNCIL SHOULD CONSTITUTE DIALOGUE INSTITUTION

ARKA
July 23

Public Council that is being formed now in Armenia must constitute
a dialogue institution, political analyst Alexander Markarov, who
is the deputy rector of Yerevan State University, said at a press
conference held in Novosti International Press Center on Monday.

On June 13, Armenian President Serge Sargsyan signed a decree on
establishing the council.

The council is planned to be formed before September.

He finds this an interesting initiative, but warns against transforming
the council into a formal institution.

"The council should be a dialogue institution, where interests will be
articulated and aggregated, since this agency can become a mediator
in establishing a dialogue between the society and the government",
Markarov said.

He said the council can lay ground for social equality and civil
society declaration.

It can also become an impetus for culture formation and civil society
development.

The council will consider all important issues, analyze laws and
presidential decrees.

It will be consultative agency in nature.