Author: Hovhannisian John

VAHAN HOVHANNISYAN: IF BARACK OBAMA PRONOUNCES A WORD GENOCIDE, ACCORDING TO HIS PROMISE, WE SHOULD TURN THIS WORD INTO RESOLUTION AND SET NEW TASKS TO TURKEY

ArmInfo
2009-03-18 10:17:00

ArmInfo. ‘It will be very correct and fair if President of the United
States Barack Obama fulfills his promise and pronounces a word Genocide
on April 24’, Head of the parliamentary faction of ARF "Dashnaktsutyun"
party Vahan Hovhannisyan told ArmInfo.

‘It is also important for the Armenian people to show activity as
regards recognition of the Genocide. Unfortunately, there are people
both in the Parliament and in the government, as well as in the
different public organizations who are even unaware of what April 24
is connected with’, the parliamentarian emphasized. According to him,
the USA president gave a promise to his electorate during the election
campaign. Armenia is looking forward to see whether Obama will fulfill
his promise or not. ‘If Obama pronounces a word Genocide, according
to his promise, we should turn this word into a resolution and set
new tasks to Turkey’, V, Hovhannisyan emphasized. He also said the
primary target of B. Obama’s upcoming visit to Turkey is discussion
of the Armenian- Turkish relations.

‘Naturally, the Turkish party will claim that pronouncing of the word
Genocide hinders the process of establishment of the Armenian-Turkish
relations, however, the Armenian party must insist on the contrary’,
the parliamentarian emphasized.

18TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF ACEEEO TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN ON SEPTEMBER 3-5

Noyan Tapan
March 18, 2009

YEREVAN, MARCH 18, NOYAN TAPAN. A sitting of the Executive Board of
the Association of European Election Officials (ACEEEO) took place
in Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria. The sitting was chaired by
Garegin Azarian, the Chairman of the ACEEEO Executive Board and the
Central Electoral Commission (CEC) of Armenia. Issues related to
ACEEEO’s activities and current programs were discussed.

NT correspondent was informed by spokeswoman for CEC Tatev Ohanian
that an agreement on holding the 18th annual conference of ACEEEO
in Yerevan on September 3-5 was signed between G. Azarian and the
ACEEEO Secretary General Dr. Zoltan Toth. The chairman of the CEC made
reports on organization of the Yerevan conference and its subjects.

"THERE ARE TWO FORCES. I AM THE THIRD," TIGRAN KARAPETYAN SAYS
Sona Hakonyan

"Radiolur"
17.03.2009 14:34

Leader of the People’s Party of Armenia Tigran Karabpetyan declared
about his participation in the elections to the Yerevan City
Council. He will top the party list. "Our slogan is love, because
we live in Yerevan and love Yerevan. Serving the people of Yerevan,
and the Armenian people, in general, is a pride," Tigran Karapetyan
told a press conference today.

The leader of the People’s Party of Armenia expressed his opinion about
his rivals. Karapetyan identified the authorities and the opposition:
"Both the authorities and the opposition have the same objective
– power."

Mr. Karapetyan positively assess the nomination of Levon Ter-Petrosyan,
but "the problem is that Levon Ter-Petrosyan is a locomotive, who
hauls Stepan Demirchyan."

"There are two forces. I am the third," Tigran Karapetyan said.

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address:  Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact:  Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel:  +374-10-517163
Fax:  +374-10-517301
E-Mail:  [email protected]
Website: 
March 17, 2009

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ARMENIA’S STAR SUPERMARKET CHAIN, IFC NEGOTIATING OVER $8 MILLION LOAN FOR 2009-2010

ARKA
March 16, 2009

YEREVAN, March 16. /ARKA/. Armenia’s Star supermarket chain is
negotiating with the International Financial Corporation (IFC) over
US$8mln loan for 2009-2010.

The supermarket chain plans to cooperate with suppliers as part of
the factoring project the company is will implement together with
the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and one
of the local banks.

"Factoring has many advantages for our suppliers and is a very
important factor for us," said Vahan Kerobyan, executive director of
Star supermarket chain.

The program aims at extending well-timed loans to the company’s
suppliers at lower tariffs than similar banking products.

According to the company’s press service, this year, STAR-EBRD,
a Star supermarket chain shareholder, will extend $4.5mln loan for
the company.

Thus, the company will refinance short-term loans of local banks and
increase its capital investments.

Last week, HSBC Bank (London) extended a $3mln long-term loan to
Star. The money will help the supermarket chain fulfill commitments
to suppliers.

The company’s top management plans to hold press conferences to raise
public awareness of the 2009 financial program.

One of the largest supermarket networks in Armenia, Star has 13
supermarkets across the country. In October 2006, EBRD purchased
28.3% of the company’s shares, with the rest of the stocks owned by
an Armenian resident.

FIVE ARMENIAN CHESS PLAYERS SCORE VICTORY IN 9TH TOUR OF EUROPEAN INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.03.2009 16:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ 5 Armenian chess players won in the 9th tour of
European Individual Chess Championship.

Vladimir Hakobyan, playing with white pieces gained a victory over
Russia’s Sergey Grigoryants. Arman Pashikyan beat the Russian chess
player Anton Shomoev, Tigran Pertosyan scored a victory over Italian
grand master Michele Godena. Artashes Minasyan and Tigran Kotandgyan
beat the Australian Robert Kreisl and England’s Lorin D`Costa. Zaven
Andreasyan and Artur Chibukhchyan ended their games in a draw.

According to 9th tour results, Hakobyan, Andreasyan and Pashikyan
are 1 point behind Championship leaders, with 6 points to their
score. Petrosyan and Kotandgyan have gained 5.5 points each. Arthur
Chibukhchayn has scored 3.5 points. Russia’s Ernesto Inarkiev,
Netherlands’ Ivan Sokolov and Georia’s Baadur Jobava are leading with
7 points each.

2 tours remain to European Individual Chess Championship
completion. The closing ceremony will be held on Mar. 18.

GEGHAM VARDANIAN TO TAKE PART IN WORLD FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIP

Noyan Tapan

M arch 16, 2009

YEREVAN, MARCH 16, NOYAN TAPAN. World Figure Skating Championship
will be held between March 21 to 30 in Los Angeles. As Noyan Tapan
correspondent was informed by Samvel Khachatrian, the Chairman of
the Figure Skating Republican Federation, individual skater Gegham
Vardanian (Yerevan, coach Armen Asoyan) will take part in the
championship from Armenia.

IRNA, Iran
March 13 2009

Iran foreign minister discusses Caucasian issues with Armenian official

Tehran, 13 March: Iran’s Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki discussed
bilateral and regional issues with the Secretary of the National
Security Council of Armenia Arthur Baghdasaryan in Yerevan on Friday
[13 March].

During the discussions, Mottaki pointed to the extensive outcomes of
the recent developments in the Caucasus and said Iran adopted a
diplomacy at the time which aimed at promoting peace in the region and
defusing the tensions.

He also said transportation routes played a major role in enhancing
the level of bilateral relations.

Baghdasaryan stressed the role of the presidents of the two countries
in enhancing ties between the two nations which were based on old
historical common points.

He also highlighted Iran’s role in regional energy market and said
Tehran has always played a positive role in establishing peace in the
conflict zones

Ex-head of Central bank: impact of world crisis to peak on Armenia in
autumn 2009 and spring 2010

YEREVAN, March 12. /ARKA/. Impact of the world financial crisis to peak
on Armenia in autumn 2009 and spring 2010, ex-chairman of the Central
Bank of Armenia (CBA), representative of oppositional Armenian National
Congress Bagrat Asatryan told a press conference Thursday.

Substantial effects of the crisis will be felt in the country in the
next several months when remittances are reduced in particular, he said.

Asatryan pointed out that in 2008 a 30% increase in remittances was
recorded, whereas in January 2009 transfers reduced by almost 30% as
compared with January 2008.

The other problem to be faced by Armenia is unemployment as guest
workers are returning from Russia due to economic difficulties there.

`If no principal system changes and policy review are made, we will
face a complicated situation,’ he said adding that no substantial
economic development is possible in the next 3 years if the current
trends are maintained. N.V. `0–

PanARMENIAN.Net

Turkish-Armenian border may be opened in April?
13.03.2009 14:49 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian-Turkish border may be opened in April,
Star Turkish newspaper quoted a source in the ruling AK Party as
saying.

â??The talks between Armenia and Turkey have entered the
final stage. The document to be signed envisages opening of the common
border, establishment of trade relations and formation of a commission
for investigation of 1915 events,â?? the source said.

â??Karabakh issue is not a governing condition,â??
it added.

The report also said that Azerbaijan is aware of development of the
talks between Yerevan and Ankara.