Author: Hambardsumian Paul

KAREN DEMIRCHIAN SPORTS AND CONCERT COMPLEX PUT INTO OPERATION AFTER MAJOR REPAIRS: 42 MILLION DOLLARS INVESTED INSTEAD OF ENVISAGED 15 MILLIONS

Noyan Tapan
Oct 31, 2008

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, NOYAN TAPAN. Karen Demirchian Sports and Concert
Complex was put into operation on October 31. It had been sold to
the BAMO Russian company in October 2005, by the decision of the
RA government.

According to company Director Murad Muradian, the company has fulfilled
its commitments on investing 4.5bn drams (nearly 15m USD) within
three years, on keeping the name and the functional significance. The
general figure of investment made nearly 42m USD, that is, more than
three-fold more investments than envisaged were made, the company
bought the landplot under the building, fundamentally repaired the
building, all engineer systems, hot, cold water, heating, sewerage
systems were renovated, the roof was renovated, development work was
done, it is planned to build new parking lots, equipment with modern
sound and light technologies were placed in all halls. The big hall
intended for nearly 8 thousand people and the small hall of the complex
intended for 2200 people were rapaired, a big conference hall will
function in the complex building, which can be also a place to hold
summits. The complex also has halls intended for football, volleyball,
fitness club, a skating-rink will function, hockey and figure-skating
schools will be opened in the building to develop these kinds of
sports in Armenia. The company created 427 jobs with employee lists,
which will be filled by the end of the year. According to M. Muradian,
one day rent of the big hall with all its proper infrastructures costs
80-10m drams (30-33 thousand USD), which, in his words, is 3-4-fold
cheaper than the world tariffs.

The Sports and Concert Complex was operated in 1983 under Karen
Demirchian as Armenia’s head, the complex was named after Karen
Demirchian in his memory.

RA President Serzh Sargsyan, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II,
Yerevan Mayor Yervand Zakharian were present at the event. The latter
emphasized that the BAMO company has repeatedly managed to exceed the
investment commitments envisaged by the contract signed with the state,
he also said that the work done is of high quality and high-level. "I
am sure that the complex will be turned into a sports and cultural
center in the whole region. Homeland’s doors are open before all
businessmen, including those from near and far Diaspora, they have all
possibilities to perfect, to miltiply our national wealth," he said.

Members of Karen Demirchian’s family were also invited to the
event. As K. Demirchian’s son, Stepan Demirchian, evaluated it, the
work done in the sports and concert complex in general is praiseworthy:
"positive work has been done."

ECONOMIST: FINANCIAL CRISIS UNLIKELY TO HIT ARMENIA IN NEAREST FUTURE

ARKA
Oct 28, 2008

YEREVAN, October 28. /ARKA/. Financial crisis is unlikely to hit
Armenia in the nearest future, Russian-Armenian Slavonic University
(Slavonic) University Deputy Rector Edward Sandoyan said in Novosti
International Press Centre on Tuesday.

He said that this certitude is grounded on underdevelopment of
Armenian financial institutions, particularly insurance, pension
security systems and capital market.

"Today Armenia has no financial institutions. Only banking system is
developing successfully", Sandoyan said.

He said that inter-banking credits make only 4% of the resources
attracted by Armenian banks. That is why even if all these means flow
away, it will have no major impact on banks.

Besides, banks’ investments on capital market can’t trigger crisis,
because of their scantiness.

"Banks have far greater money at their disposal than necessary for
ensuring normal activity", the economist said adding that solvency
of domestic banks is enough to cover banking risks.

"Our banks are capitalized at least twice more than necessary, and
well-secured credit assets make 65% of bank assets", he said.

The economist said that supervision system in banking sector is quite
reliable as well.

22 banks with their 367 branches function in Armenia now. Their assets
totaled AMD 954.1 billion, capital AMD 214.9 billion and liabilities
AMD 739.2 billion by late September.

COMAPRED TO NANCY PELOSI, GOVERNOR PALIN A "ROADS" SCHOLAR!
By John Lillpop

NewsBlaze
1028133542lill.nb/topstory.html
Oct 28 2008
CA

Liberals and their humble servants in the mainstream media have waged
all out war against Governor Palin by arguing that the governor does
not possess the requisite intellect to be president should disaster
befall her 72-year old boss, John McCain.

Mind you, the angst on the left is not (they say) driven by the
governor’s conservative politics and or her Republican heritage. Rather
it is a simple matter of wanting what is best for America, and
questioning whether or not Sarah Palin has sufficient gray matter to
take over the Oval Office should worse come to worse.

As with most liberal arguments, this one is a hypocritical hoot,
a real belly gusher in fact!

Think about it. Nancy Pelosi, a liberal Democrat, is third in line
for succession to the presidency!

Has there ever been a more frightening prospect in U.S. history? Nancy
Pelosi in the White House! She is the only living politician who
would confuse "Roads" with Rhodes.

We are talking about the diminished capacity Pelosi who claims to be
unaware of the fact that abortion is a no-no in the Catholic Church.

At sixty-six years of age and after a lifetime of being an active
Catholic all of her life, this air head contends that the doctors of
the Church have not yet decided whether or not killing an innocent
fetus is a sin?

That would also be the same Pelosi who favored a House resolution,
the Armenian Genocide bill that would have condemned Turkey for acts
that took place 90 years ago, from 1915 to 1917.

Pelosi’s mindless meddling in the Middle East threatened U.S. access
to a military base in Turkey that was a crucial staging ground for
supplies headed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

That would also be the same Pelosi who actually said the following,
in part, recently:

"If the Democrats win, and have substantial majorities, Congress of
the United States will be more bipartisan," said Pelosi

That "logic" makes about as much sense as telling a smoker to light
up more often, and inhale more deeply, to ward off lung cancer and
heart disease.

Or as intelligent as telling a morbidly obese person to triple his
or her fat intake while eliminating all physical exercise in order
to get rid of that protruding mid section and multiple chins.

ews/politics&id=6473426

Of course, Governor Palin has never done or said anything even remotely
as stupid as Nancy Pelosi!

To all those liberals who are worried about the White House falling
into the hands of a complete moron: Vote against Nancy Pelosi!

OCTOBER 27 WAS GREATEST DISGRACE OF AUTHORITIES OF THAT TIME, ARMENIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS STATES

Noyan Tapan
Oct 27, 2008

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 27, NOYAN TAPAN. On the occasion of the 9th
anniversary of the terrorist act committed on October 27, 1999 at
the RA National Assembly, the Central Office of the Armenian National
Congress made a statement, which read:

"The Republic of Armenia National Assembly and Government were executed
on October 27, 1999. National Assembly Speaker Karen Demirchian, Prime
Minister Vazgen Sargsian, deputies, government members were killed.

Five scoundrels raised their hand against the Armenian statehood, but
it was the greatest disgrace and shame of the authorities of that time,
in particular, of President Robert Kocharian and National Security head
Serzh Sargsyan, after which, if both of them had minimum political
and human dignity, both of them should have resigned. They not only
did not do it, but in particular, R. Kocharian, with their further
conduct deepened the doubt widely spread from the very first moment,
the doubt of their complicity in that crime. After the very October 27
crime, in a few months coming out of the grave situation formed for
them, this duet founded and led to perfection in the course of time
the criminal system, which today continues destroying the Armenian
state and its people.

October 27 will remain a stigma on the forehead of the Armenian
statehood, with its destructive consequences will continue acting until
the judicial farce done formerly is disclosed, until its organizers
and other accomplices are revealed and punished."

KURDS IN PRO-OCALAN PROTEST OUTSIDE UN BEIRUT HQ

=181027
October 28, 2008

BEIRUT (AFP) — Hundreds of Kurds demonstrated outside United Nations
headquarters in Beirut on Sunday to protest against the alleged bad
treatment in prison of rebel Kurd leader Abdullah Ocalan.

The protesters, who began their march at Borj Hammoud, a mostly
Armenian district in the northeast of the city, waved Kurdish flags
and photos of Ocalan.

Many carried placards and chanted: ""By our soul, by our blood,
we sacrifice ourselves for you, oh chief.""

They stamped on the Turkish flag in front of the central Beirut
building of the UN’s Economic and Social Commission for Western
Asia and issued a press release denouncing the ""inhuman treatment""
inflicted on their leader.

Lawyers for Ocalan, who heads the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party
(PKK), said this month that their client has been mistreated by
warders on the northwest Turkish prison island of Imrali, where he
is the sole inmate.

Turkish authorities have denied the allegations, but they prompted
pro-Ocalan rallies, often generating violent clashes, in several
Turkish towns where Kurdish communities live.

The PKK took up arms for self-rule in east and southeast Turkey in
1984, sparking a conflict that has claimed about 44,000 lives.

THERE ARE BOUNDARIES WHICH NOBODY CAN TRESPASS

Lragir.am
18:02:28 – 24/10/2008

"The current situation is problematic as the process of bringing
into being the principles of Madrid seem imminent. And certainly
our public is mainly responsible for this situation, namely the
political organizations, NGOs, etc. Our public policy today does
not reflect the real interests of the Armenian people, the Armenian
people do not consider how to place this policy on a normal track. A
situation has occurred when the moral foundations of our people are
shattered, we are decaying as a nation. This is the reason why the
current leadership of Armenia has appeared in the situation in which
it now. This is the reason why we "succeeded" in appearing in this
most undesirable situation," Sergey Shahverdyan, a member of the
ARF Dashnaktsutyun Artsakh, said in the round-table meeting at the
Armenia Hotel in Stepanakert with regard to the recent statements
and situation relating to the Karabakh conflict.

"Nevertheless I am convinced that the Armenian government is aware
that it is in a deadlock now, and people cannot allow such ending of
the talks.

Besides, I am sure that the president of Armenia will resign if
necessity arises, and will not send people into such a situation,"
he continued.

In this situation, Sergey Shahverdyan said, the most important thing
is to enhance the human factor. The society is silent, government
officials are silent too. And this situation should change, which is
possible only through a public protest. The people who are worried
about the future of their country should be able to bring the society
together.

One of the most important factors is certainly the public expression
of an unambiguous and clear stance on the settlement of the conflict
by the NKR government. "People must know about the stance of the
government of our country, independent from whether the Armenian
government will like it or not," the member of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun
Artsakh said. At the same time, he added that "there are boundaries
which nobody can trespass, and NKR is now at that boundary." Hence,
according to Sergey Shahverdyan, it is necessary not to be silent
and use every rostrum to express a stance.

ARMENIA’S 2009 BUGDET DEFICIT TO BE 1% OF GDP, MINISTER SAYS

ARKA
Oct 24, 2008

YEREVAN, October 24. /ARKA/. Armenia’s state budget deficit is
estimated at above 1% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2009,
compared to 2.1% in 2008, RA Minister of Finance Tigran Davtyan
reported at today’s parliamentary hearings on the draft budget 2009.

"Next year’s budget deficit will decrease by 1.9pct (23.2%), compared
to 2008," Davtyan said, adding budget receipts are estimated at about
22.2% of GDP in 2009, compared to 21.8% in 2008.

Budget expenditures will be 23.2% of GDP next year, compared to 23.9%
in 2008.

"Next year we expect a record-low deficit estimated at above 1%, which
will help us curb inflation pressure," the minister was quoted saying.

Consolidated budget receipts are expected to reach 927bln drams in
2009, with expenditures and deficit amounting to 967bln drams and
40bln drams.

Consolidated budget for 2009 is expected to total 50bln drams.

According to the draft budget, receipts and expenditures will reach
905.4bln drams and 945.4bln drams respectively, with deficit amounting
to 40bln drams.

The AMD (Armenian dram) exchange rate is set at 302.4 drams per USD.

GDP is expected to reach 4.1 trillion drams in 2009 ($13bln
year-on-year rise), with nominal GDP totaling 3.5 trillion drams
in 2008.

Armenia expects 9.2% GDP growth in 2009 (compared to 10% in 2008)
with 4% (±1.5%) inflation

–Boundary_(ID_M5OeqwnMU1bTHsW0Y3aD+A)- –

Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE

October 22, 2008
Contact: Michael A Zachariades
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (202) 393-3434

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA ANNOUNCES 2009 NATIONAL ADVOCACY CONFERENCE
POLICY PAPER COMPETITION

Washington, DC- The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) is pleased
to announce that entries are now being accepted for the 2009 National
Advocacy Conference Policy Paper Competition. The winner will receive an
all expense paid trip to Washington, DC to present their paper at the
Conference.

The Assembly’s 2009 National Advocacy Conference is a three day event,
March 1-3, designed to better prepare activists to promote community
issues to Washington’s most influential decision makers. Participants
will have a full day of meetings with Members of Congress and their
staff to advocate for critical legislation and strengthen the
U.S.-Armenia relationship.

To enter the competition, students will be required to choose one of
three paper topics; each topic concerns relations between the U.S.
government and Armenia. Papers cannot exceed 1,000 words. The
competition is open to all students currently enrolled in an accredited
undergraduate program. Entries must be received no later than January 2,
2009. Finalists will be announced on January 23, 2009. The questions,
rules and entry information are available online at AAAINC.ORG.

The winner will be the author of the paper judged most relevant to the
Assembly, with strong content and style. In addition to the presentation
at the Conference, the winner’s paper will be published on the
Assembly’s Website. Other papers of merit may also be published.

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding
and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
membership organization.

###

NR#2008-075

Armenia Joins World Nuclear Association
Monday, October 20, 2008 8:53 PM

(Source: Daily News Bulletin; Moscow – English)YEREVAN. Oct 20
(Interfax) – Armenia has become a member of the World Nuclear
Association, Deputy Energy and Natural Resources Minister Areg
Galstian told Interfax.

He said the accession agreement had been signed in Paris.

Armenia is the 25th member of the organization, which unites all the
nuclear powers, the official said on Monday.

The World Nuclear Association aims to promote peaceful uses of atomic
energy. It supervises nuclear generation, production, storing and
transportation of nuclear fuel and storing and disposal of spent
nuclear fuel.

(c) 2008 Daily News Bulletin; Moscow – English. Provided by ProQuest
LLC. All rights Reserved.

A service of YellowBrix, Inc.

CZECH PARLIAMENT SPEAKER CONGRATULATES HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN

armradio.am
20.10.2008 17:45

President of Senate of the Czech Republic Premysl Sobotka sent a
congratulatory message to Hovik Abrahamyan on the occasion of being
elected to the post of President of the National Assembly of the
Republic of Armenia. He expressed confidence that the parliamentary
relations between the two countries will continue developing in the
spirit of friendship.

Noting that he visited Armenia in early September, Mr. Sobotka assessed
as interesting and useful the exchange of views and experience during
the negotiations.

President of Senate of the Czech Republic Premysl Sobotka invited the
President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia to pay
an official visit to Czechia.