Author: Hakobian Adrine

NA SPEAKER TIGRAN TOROSYAN MET WITH HIS CZECH COUNTERPART

armradio.am
09.04.2008 12:51

On April 9 Speaker of eth National Assembly Tigran Torosyan received
the President of the Senate of the Czech Republic PÅ~Yemysl Sobotka,
who is in Armenia to attend the inauguration of RA President-Elect
Serge Sargsyan. The meeting was attended by Armenian Ambassador to
the Czech Republic Ashot Hovakimyan.

Greeting the guest, Tigran Torosyan appreciated the fact that
Mr. Sobotka is in Yerevan on this important day for Armenia, when
the achievements of the past ten years are being summed up and the
future deeds are being sketched.

The Armenian Parliament Speaker expressed confidence that the visit of
the President of the Czech Senate will also promote the development of
interparliamentary ties. Stating that traditional friendly relations
have always existed between the two peoples, Tigran Torosyan attached
importance to the relations with Czechia as a country that has passed
a difficult way as a result of post-Soviet transformation and the
experience of which is very useful for Armenia from the perspective
of European integration.

The President of the Senate of the Czech Republic PÅ~Yemysl Sobotka
noted said he is glad to be here on this remarkable day. He stressed
the importance of Armenia’s role in the region and noted that the
European Union pays great attention to our country.

During the meeting the parties turned to post-election
developments. Upon the request of the guest, Tigran Torosyan informed
him about the events of March 1, noting that those were tragic events
having nothing to do with the elections. He noted that investigation
is underway and the guilty will be held accountable. The Parliament
Speaker also noted that upon the suggestion of RA President-Elect Serge
Sargsyan, a coalition of political forces has been formed in Armenia,
the Prime Minister’s candidacy has been decided and the Government
will be formed next week. Mr. Sobotka wished success to NA Speaker
Tigran Torosyan and invited him to visit the Czech Republic, noting
that interparliamentary ties are an important component of interstate
relations and open way for cooperation in other spheres.

–Boundary_(ID_4R+/bAhs6ZLVClzdeWIZvQ)–

NORMALIZATION OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS UNLIKELY IN NEAR FUTURE

PanARMENIAN.Net
09.04.2008 14:43 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations
is hardly possibly during Serzh Sargsyan’s presidency, a Russian
expert said.

"Armenia’s new President will never agree to Ankara’s ultimatums,"
said Mikhail Alexandrov, head of the Caucasus Department at Russia’s
CIS Institute.

"I do not think that Armenia should feel Turkey’s tough position
keenly. It can develop the economy by means of strengthening
cooperation with other countries in the region," he said, reminding
about Turkey intention "to open the border and establish diplomatic
relations only after withdrawal of Armenian forces from the Azeri
territories," Strana.ru reports.

There are currently no formal diplomatic relations between Armenia and
Turkey, which demands to stop the process of international recognition
of the Armenian Genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire during
the WWI when some 1.5 million of Armenians were slaughtered.

Turkey has also taken a pro-Azeri position on the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict and has kept the Armenian border closed since 1993.

TIGRAN SARGSYAN APPOINTED RA PRIME MINISTER

armradio.am
10.04.2008 10:09

RA President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree on appointing Tigran
Sargsyan the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia.

Tigran Suren Sargsyan was born on 29 January, 1960 in Kirovakan
(Vanadzor).

Education:

1967-1977 – Secondary school #8 named after Pushkin, Yerevan

1977-1978 – Тechnical secondary school #14, Yerevan

1978-1980 – Economic Institute, Faculty of Management and Economics,
Yerevan

1980-1983 – Financial-Economic Institute named after N. A. Voznesenski,
Leningrad, Russia

1983-1987 – PhD at N. A. Voznesenski Institute

1994 – "Law making activities," Law International Institute,
Washington, USA

1996-1997 – "Effective Bank Management," Economic Development
Institute, World Bank, Washington, USA

2005- Honorable doctor of Yerevan State Economic Institute

Work experience:

1987-1990 – Scientific Institute of Management and Economy, senior
scientist, head of international economic relations

1988-1993 – President of Young Specialists and Scientists State
Committee

1990-1991 – Seminar coordinator of bankers in economic reforms

1993-1994 – Yerevan State University, NA deputy

1995-1998 – Bank Association Armenia, president

1995-2008 – Transferring Society Investigation Institute, President

1998 – Central Bank Armenia, President

2005 – Reassignment as CBA President

2005-2007 – Inter-state Bank Committee president

Married, has a daughter and a son

Author of more than 20 scientific articles

Non-party, reserve officer military status

–Boundary_(ID_C7bhgFRYKtQEKE8+kSEFHg)–

RA PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSIAN’S INAUGURATION HELD IN YEREVAN

DeFacto Agency
April 9 2008
Armenia

YEREVAN, 09.04.08. DE FACTO. April 9 the ceremony of inauguration of
the RA President-elect Serzh Sargsian was held in Yerevan.

According to Armenia’s Constitution, the Chair of the RA National
Assembly Tigran Torosian opened the Parliament’s special sitting to
hold inauguration of the country’s new President. The RA state flag,
RA Constitution and the ancient Gospel were taken to the hall.

In the course of the ceremony Armenia’s President-elect put his hand
on the Gospel and the country’s Constitution and swore an oath to
the Armenian people: "Taking over the duties of the President of
the Republic of Armenia I swear to unconditionally abide by the
Constitution’s demands: to respect the rights and freedoms of a
man and a citizen, ensure the Republic’s independence, territorial
integrity and security to the glory of the Republic of Armenia and
in the name of prosperity of the people of the Republic of Armenia".

After the oath the anthem of the Republic of Armenia was played. Then
Armenia’s new President received the blessing of Catholicos of All
Armenians Garegin II.

To note, the RA President Robert Kocharian with his wife, the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic President Bako Sahakian, as well as the
delegations of 58 countries of the world and the representatives
of international organizations were present at the ceremony of the
inauguration of Armenia’s new President.

ARMENIAN WOMEN POLITICIANS ARE CONVINCED THAT SOCIETY NEEDS WIDER INVOLVEMENT OF WOMEN IN POLITICS

arminfo
2008-04-07 16:04:00

ArmInfo. Armenian women politicians are convinced that the society
needs wider involvement of women in the politics.

Anahit Bakhshyan, an MP from the Heritage Party, said at the Mirror
discussion club that if there were more women in the Armenian politics
they would hold back their men colleagues from displaying brutality and
violating of the Constitution, cases of violence and infringement of
legislation, which is so characteristic of the Armenian society. "I
believe, the day will come when a woman will run for Armenia’s
president, and elections will be held more honestly and freely
than now", she said. For her part, Ruzanna Arakelyan, an MP from
ARF Dashnaksutyun, noted that the Armenian society is not ready for
full perception of a woman politician and increases the quote only
"in favor" of the CoE admission commitments. At the same time, she
stressed that though there are only 12 women deputies in the Armenian
parliament, they work as actively as men.

For her part, Ruzan Khachatryan, a member of the Political Council of
the oppositional People’s Party of Armenia, said that the society has
no mood to congratulate the Armenian women on the Day of Maternity and
Beauty as near the building of the Prosecutor-General’s Office many
Armenian women demand releasing their illegally arrested husbands,
brothers and sons. "It makes no difference who conducts the unlawful
policy – women or men. All the ministers or both vice speakers of
parliament may be women, nothing will change as long as unlawful
actions are done here", she said.

SKRIN Market & Corporate News
April 4, 2008 Friday 4:44 PM GMT

Deposit Insurance Agency and Armenian Deposit Guarantee Fund sign MOU

State Corporation "Deposit Insurance Agency" (DIA) and Armenian
Deposit Guarantee Fund signed Memorandum of Understanding and
Cooperation (MOU) in Feb. The parties confirmed their intent to
further develop bilateral cooperation and interaction on issues of
enhancement deposit insurance systems in their respective countries
on the basis of exchanging experience and information about banking
system operations in the Russian Federation and republic of Armenia.

The MOU stipulates possibility of establishing joint working groups,
as well as conducting seminars and consultations on issues of mutual
interest. Previously similar MOU were executed with Polish Deposit
Guarantee Fund and Deposit Insurance Fund of Bulgaria, DIA said.

ARMENIA’S PRESIDENT-ELECT MEETS OSCE MG IN BUCHAREST

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.04.2008 16:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia’s Prime Minister and President-elect Serzh
Sargsyan met Thursday with co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group dealing
with the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement.

The meeting held in the framework of the NATO summit in Bucharest was
attended by personal representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office,
Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk.

The mediators briefed Serzh Sargsyan on the outcomes of yesterday’s
meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Voicing concern about the recent moves of the Azeri diplomacy and
incidents at the line of contact, Mr Sargsyan confirmed Armenia’s
adherence to a peaceful resolution of the conflict, on the basis of
the document under negotiation.

"I will state my position after a meeting with the Azerbaijani
side. Anyway, the co-chairs are optimistic and I think they have
reason for it. I don’t mind meeting with Mr Aliyev during any summit,"
he said, the RA government’s press office reported.

VALUE ADDED TAX REVENUES AND EXCISE TAX REVENUES OF STATE BUDGET GROW BY 32.4% AND 29.6% RESPECTIVELY IN JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2008 ON SAME PERIOD OF LAST YEAR

Noyan Tapan
April 2, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 2, NOYAN TAPAN. Tax revenues of the RA state
budget amounted to more than 78.8 bln drams (aover 256 mln USD) in
January-February 2008, as a result of which the quarterly program
was executed by 66.8%. Tax revenues grew by 30% or 18.2 bln drams as
compared with the same period of 2007.

According to the RA ministry of finance and economy, VAT tax
collection amounted to about 42 bln drams, which made up 53.2% of tax
revenues. 25.8 bln drams of this sum was received from taxation on the
Armenian border, while 16.2 bln drams was received from taxes from the
domestic turnover of goods and services. VAT revenues grew by 32.4%
or 10.3 bln drams as compared with the same period of 2007. There
was an increase of revenues both from imports and domestic turnover.

8.2% of tax revenues of the state budget was ensured at the expense
of excise tax, whose collection made 6.5 bln drams. In particular,
4.5 bln drams was received from taxation of excise tax-liable goods
imported into Armenia, including 2 billion drams from gasoline and
diesel fuel import and 1.7 bln drams – from import of cigarettes. State
budgetary revenues from taxation of excise tax liable goods produced
in Armenia made 2 bln drams, including 982.8 mln drams from sales of
domestically produced cigarettes.

Excise tax revenues grew by 29.6% or 1.5 bln drams as compared with
the same period of last year, which was mainly due to a growth of
revenues from the sale of domestically made cigarettes and from the
import of gasoline and cigarettes. A growth of excise tax from the
import of alcoholic drinks and the sale of domestically produced
drinks was also registered.

US EMBASSY IN ARMENIA HOPES THAT HEARINGS IN US SENATE ON APPROVAL OF CANDIDACY FOR POST OF US AMBASSADOR TO RA WILL BE HELD IN THE NEAR FUTURE

arminfo
2008-04-01 16:22:00

ArmInfo. US Embassy in Armenia hopes that the hearings in US Senate
on approval of the candidacy of Marie Yovanovitch, proposed by the
White House for the post of US Ambassador to RA, will be held in the
near future, Head of PR Department of US Embassy in Armenia Thomas
Mittnacht told ArmInfo.

T. Mittnacht said that the exact date of hearings in the Senate has not
been fixed, they may be held very soon or postponed for several months.

Nevertheless, he added, they hope that the hearings will be shortly
held. T. Mittnacht confirmed the information in the Mass Media
about proposal of the candidacy of the incumbent US Ambassador to
Kyrgyzstan Marie Yovanovitch by the White House. He added that the
relevant official information was received from the White House in
Friday evening. To note, no official information was yet delivered
by the US Embassy in Armenia about the proposed candidacy. To note,
before appointment as Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan in 2005, Marie
Yovanovitch worked as a chief adviser of deputy US Secretary of
State on political affairs. Moreover, from 2001 to 2004, she worked
as deputy US ambassador to Ukraine, and from 1998 to 2000 – as US
State Department’s deputy director for Russia. Marie Yovanovitch
graduated from Princeton University , where she performed researches
on the history of Russia. She also studied in Pushkin Institute and
received a degree in the National Military School. The Ambassador
Yovanoitch knows Russian and French.

To note, the vacancy of US ambassador to Armenia is available since
September, 2006, after pre-term completion of the diplomatic mission
of Ambassador John Evans.

YEREVAN HOPES FOR PRESIDENTIAL MEETING IN BUCHAREST

PanARMENIAN.Net
28.03.2008 18:47 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Official Yerevan hopes that the Armenian and
Azerbaijani Presidents will meet in Bucharest during the NATO summit
April 2-4, RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said in Moscow on
Friday.

"Armenia is willing to continue talks for the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict resolution basing on the document at the table," he said,
Trend Azeri news agency reports.

In mid-March head of international relations department at the Azeri
presidential office Novruz Mammadov said Azerbaijan can consider the
possibility of a meeting in the framework of NATO summit.

Meanwhile OSCE Minsk Group U.S. Co-chair Matt Bryza said presidential
meeting is hardly possible since President-elect Serzh Sargsyan will
assume office no sooner than April 9.