Author: Hovik Karapetian

A KID’S BOOK SALE -EXHIBITION IN YEREVAN

Aysor
May 10 2010
Armenia

Today in the children’s library after Khnko Aper took place the 4th
sale-exhibition of the children’s books. On the exhibition were
presented a series of publications which suggest books which are
colorful and full off images.

The presented pavilions are full of different kinds of books, with
contemporary approaches and the most important thing is that all those
things are presented with a design which will attract the children
and will be pleasant for them.

As Levon Ananyan, the chairman of the Union of the Armenian Writers
mentioned the good book brings up a generation and encouraged the
children to read a lot.

"After the lessons and the games, whenever you find free time read
books, because the book is a knowledge, we passing the future of our
country to you", mentioned L. Ananyan.

There were also children’s writers who also attached importance to
the role of the book in the life of people and advised the children
to read books.

On the event were present schoolchildren, teachers as well as
children’s writers.

KARABAKH PRESIDENT MEETS WITH ABKHAZIA ARMENIANS

Yerkir
15.02.2010 12:25

Yerevan (Yerkir) – Nagorno-Karabakh President Bako Sahakyan met
representatives of Abkhazia’s Armenian community at a Sukhum school
on February 12.

At the meeting, Sahakyan presented the social-economic situation and
development programs in the NKR to the participants, as well as the
current stage and prospects of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict
settlement, NKR President Office Central Information Department
has said.

He also spoke about the issues related to the further strengthening
of ties between the Motherland and Diaspora, and answered the
participants’ questions.

Armen Isagulov, an adviser to the NKR president, and others
participated in the meeting.

azerbaijan.az
Dec 6 2009

Novruz Mammadov: `The Process of opening the Turkish-Armenian Borders
became Positive Accelerator in the Solution to Nagorno Karabakh
Conflict’

Chief of the International Relations Department of the Presidential
Administration Novruz Mammadov gives an interview to some news
agencies of Azerbaijan.

The department chief spoke about the negotiation process over the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict, meetings between the presidents and foreign
ministers and etc.

– How do you see development of Munich meeting between the Azerbaijani
and Armenian presidents and Athens meeting between the foreign
ministers?

– Munich was the sixth meeting this year between the presidents of
Azerbaijan and Armenia toward the solution to Nagorno Karabakh
conflict. This statistics shows how the negotiation process was
intensified. Generally, Azerbaijani president has demonstrated very
concrete and principal position since the beginning of 2009 and
directed the attention of international community, particularly the
leading countries such as US, Russia and France and others, as well as
international organizations to the importance of the solution to the
conflict. This was very important process. Certain process took place
in the region and the president has showed very concrete position on
that since the beginning of the year. The president expressed his
position during the different contacts and meetings that it is time to
solve this conflict and it is very urgent and actual and has great
significance for the region. This issue was raised at the meetings
with the US President, Secretary of State and other officials, at the
different meetings with the Russian leadership, during the
correspondence with the French leader. The issue became urgent and
intensified the negotiations. At the same time, the process of opening
the Turkish-Armenian borders became positive accelerator in the
solution to Nagorno Karabakh conflict. If the world community,
powerful countries attach great attention to the South Caucasus and
make efforts for stability and security in this region, first issue to
be addressed here is the solution to Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.
The first issue is that. Then let them to solve other issues second
and third. Azerbaijani president made very strong statements
concerning the solution to the conflict and character of the talks in
this period, particularly in recent time. I think all these have an
impact on the negotiation process. Some statements alarmed the
Armenian leadership and on the other hand attracted the attention of
world leaders and leading countries to this issue. From this view,
comments made at the OSCE foreign ministers’ meeting mean that there
is a positive dynamic in the negotiation process. There were other
different statements too. Even Foreign Minister of France Bernard
Kouchner said under the present circumstances a framework agreement
might be signed. This is a very optimistic statement. I think while
making this statement he analyzed all processes thoroughly and
grounded his position from his point of view. I approach such
statements a little carefully, as I always observe hypocritical,
insidious position of Armenian leaders, have seen in the negotiations
held within 10-15 years, know that they are not principled in their
positions, express a certain position in one meeting and backtrack on
their position in another meeting. Azerbaijani President shows all his
efforts, takes all steps for the solution to the conflict. It has
always been so and is continuing. But I want to point out two
important factors as the recent moment of the negotiations carried out
with Armenia within a year. First, the main fact attracting attention
in these processes is that Obama, Clinton, Medvedev, Lavrov, Sarkozy,
Kouchner have issued statements. Second, at the background of these
processes Armenian leaders once more realized that this conflict must
be solved sooner or later and the solution to the conflict plays a
very big role in their future. This conflict is a serious obstacle to
most of their plans. This obstacle has always been, and if they did
not realize it, this is their tragedy. They should have realized it
when Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan project was realized. But in the last moment
they saw that this problem impedes the opening that they want to
realize even with the help of the world. Turkish Prime Minister has
today said that he will tell the Americans if they want all the
problems in the region solved, opening to be realized normally, first
of all Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno Karabakh should be
solved. I think the solution to Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over
Nagorno Karabakh will be one of the main themes of discussions between
Turkish Prime Minister and the U.S. President. In general, speaking of
the recent negotiations, the Athens meeting was as if a final, it
demonstrated a common position. Now the continuation of the positive
process is one of the urgent issues.

– The statement issued in Athens was negatively assessed by the
Armenian opposition. They accuse Armenian leadership of betrayal. How
does this document differ from the previous ones?

– Actually, this statement does not differ much from the previous
ones. Simply, the position of the Armenian leadership is not stable.
The situation in Armenia is complicated. There is an episode in tales:
The ogre has a glass, there is a bird in it and they say the bird will
fly away as soon as it is opened. And this is the end of the ogre’s
life. This is the same for Armenian leaders: no matter who is leading
the country, the solution to the conflict plays the role of a bird for
them. If the conflict is solved, each of them will become an ordinary
person, maybe the person hated by most in the society. That’s why they
are very careful. There are circles in the Armenian society that begin
to accuse their leaders of betrayal, when a new step is taken. If the
Armenian leaders had been wise enough, had not created this problem
early in the 90s, or those who backed them had told that it would not
be favorable for them, then maybe Armenia would have profited 5, 10,
or even 15 times more. The problems in economy, finance, security, and
in terms of the relations with Turkey would have been solved. The
Armenians comment on the self-determination as they want and regard it
as the establishment of a separate state. Whereas the
self-determination may be solved in various variants and this has been
widely spread in the world. In Russia tens of nations achieved
self-determination within the framework of the Russian Federation. We
can give tens of examples in other states, too.

Indeed the fortune of Armenians living in Karabakh was solved before
the collapse of USSR. Simply the Armenians didn’t understand that. If
they understood that, they would provide Nagorno Karabakh with large
autonomy and continue to live in other cities and regions of
Azerbaijan. No one had such opportunities they had in Baku in that
time. They would reach everything with support of their patrons,
Diaspora and lobby and achieve great opportunities. But now they lost
all that. They harmed Armenian state and people. They are in difficult
situation, but didn’t want to acknowledge that. Leading countries are
making efforts to save them now. It was possible to show financial
support to them earlier, but now during then financial crisis it
became difficult. Today 10-150 million dollars is quite enough normal
for any country. Therefore all over the world show their position to
pull out Armenia from this situation. It needs to open borders with
Turkey to save Armenia. There are two million people in Armenia who
can reach normal life with Turkey’s support. There is no principle for
them, they are acting faithless. According to their principles,
Armenians shouldn’t agree with that, but as you see, what steps they
are doing and what methods they are using. There is no sense to seek
faith and principles in the Armenian society. Their leadership,
political parties and different circles make ridiculous offers to
argue their position. It needs to accept it as political show.

via:

WORLD BANK REPORTS POVERTY RISE IN ARMENIA

AZG DAILY
2009-11-20 00:28:31 (GMT +04:00)

Poverty in Armenia has increased this year for the first time in over
a decade as a result of the ongoing economic recession, the World
Bank said on Tuesday, according to azatutyun.am.

In a detailed analysis partly based on government statistics, it
estimated that the proportion of Armenians living below the official
poverty line reached 28.4 percent in the second quarter of this year.

The official poverty rate stood at 25.6 percent during the same period
of last year, meaning that the number of poor people has since risen
by at least 90,000 since then.

According to the website, the bank said the level of extreme poverty
has nearly doubled to 6.9 percent, or by over 107,000 in absolute
terms, on the year-on-year basis. "These developments are a setback for
Armenia after a decade of nearly double-digit growth … and reduction
in poverty incidence from 56.1 percent in 1998/99 to 23.5 percent in
[late] 2008," it said.

Armenia’s economy contracted by 18.3 percent in January-September
2009, one of the steepest GDP declines in the world. According to the
World Bank, poverty was mainly pushed up by the resulting job losses
as well as a fall in seasonal migration of labor from the country.

"The data show a significant number of jobs lost, particularly in
construction and manufacturing, and a more discouraged work force,"
read its analysis. "However, there was no appreciable reduction in
wage rates and working hours among those continue to be employed."

"There were large flows of returning migrants from Russia and other
destinations for temporary migration. And migrants who would normally
head to Russia during the spring have likely stayed at home," added the
document mainly authored by Lire Ersado, a senior World Bank economist.

Ersado said the poverty rise would have been more drastic without
anti-crisis measures taken by the Armenian government. "The coping
measures taken by the government and households themselves may have
dampened the consequences of the financial crisis," he told a news
conference in Yerevan. "Without that, the poverty increase could have
been 7.6 percentage points."

The government has borrowed more than $1.3bn in emergency loans from
the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and other foreign
sources this year to try to finance those measures. That has allowed
it, among other things, to mostly offset a serious shortfall in tax
revenues resulting from the crisis.

"There is a strong case to be made to increase funding, not cut,
for targeted social safety net programs and for other pro-poor
spending programs," said the analysis. It also encouraged the
government to carry on with "employment intensive investments" in
public infrastructures.

ARMENIA STANDS FOR SOLUTIONS THAT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO LASTING PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT

armradio.am
20.10.2009 16:47

President Serzh Sargsyan today received US Deputy Assistant Secretary
of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Tina S. Kaidanow. During
the meeting the parties discussed the perspectives of development of
the Armenian-American relations, the process of normalization of the
Armenian-Turkish relations and questions related to regional security.

President Sargsyan welcomed Mrs. Kaidanow’s first visit to Armenia
and congratulated her on appointment. Mrs. Kaidanow conveyed the
greetings of US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.

Serzh Sargsyan said Armenia attaches great importance to the
Armenian-American cooperation and is grateful to the US for the
assistance rendered to Armenia ever since independence and the efforts
targeted at the establishment of stability.

The interlocutors attached importance to the progress registered in
the process of normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations and
underlined that the establishment of relations should take place
without preconditions and within a reasonable timeframe.

Serzh Sargsyan said Armenia stands for solutions that will contribute
to lasting peace and development.

The parties referred to the perspectives of expansion of the
Armenian-American relations and the democratic processes in our
country. Mrs. Kaidanow emphasized the great progress registered in
the field of democratization and the recent amnesty, noting that the
latter served as a great impulse for the democratization processes.

TER-PETROSIAN COALITION OFFER HAS ULTERIOR MOTIVES, SAYS HOVANNESIAN

-petrosian-coalition-offer-has-ulterior-motives-sa ys-hovannesian/
Sep 22, 2009

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)-A leader of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation on
Tuesday rejected fresh calls from former President Levon Ter-Petrosian
to form an opposition coalition behind his Armenian National Congress,
pointing to ulterior motives behind the opposition leader’s proposal.

Addressing thousands of supporters in Yerevan on Friday, Ter-Petrosian
said that his Armenian National Congress cannot topple President Serzh
Sarkisian without the support of other major political groups. In
a bid to win them over, he said he is ready not to contest a fresh
presidential election that would be called in the event of Sarkisian’s
resignation.

Vahan Hovannesian, the leader of ARF’s faction in parliament, shrugged
off the offer as a political move with ulterior motives. "It’s very
nice to say something which you know won’t happen," he said. "After
saying that you look noble."

Hovannesian brushed aside Ter-Petrosian’s criticism of Sarkisian and
his overtures to Ankara, saying that in reality the opposition leader
has very similar views on Turkish-Armenian relations.

"People [in power] are doing something which he wouldn’t mind doing,
and they will fail in that endeavor," the ARF leader told a news
conference. "He probably thinks that [in that case] he will take over
power and say, ‘Well, guys, they’ve already messed up everything and
there is nothing I can do, so let’s move on.’ But I think that’s also
a wrong calculation."

The ARF already rejected cooperation offers made by Ter-Petrosian
following the Congress’s worse-than-expected showing in the May 31
municipal elections in Yerevan.

The ARF opposed Ter-Petrosian in the early 1990s, when his
administration sought to enact conciliatory policies on Turkey
and Karabakh similar to those being pursued by the Sarkisian
administration. The party was controversially banned during
Ter-Petrosian’s 1991-1998 presidency.

The ARF is currently not seeking Sarkisian’s resignation but has
condemned his failing policy on Turkey.

Hovannesian did not exclude that the party, which quit Sarkisian’s
governing coalition in April, will campaign for regime change
if Armenia’s ongoing rapprochement with Turkey continues "in an
irreversible way."

COAF NEXTGEN TO HOST "GATSBY AT THE BOWERY" SEPT. 10

oaf-nextgen-to-host–gatsby-at-the-bowery–sept–1 0
Thursday August 20, 2009

New York – The Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) has announced Gatsby at
the Bowery, a fundraising event hosted by COAF NextGen, a new group
formed to educate and involve the next generation of philanthropists
in COAF’s work in rural Armenia.

The event, which includes an open bar, passed hors d’oeuvres, a raffle,
and 1920s-themed entertainment, will take place at The Bowery Hotel
Terrace on Thursday, Sept. 10 from 8 to 11 p.m. The net proceeds from
the event will benefit children and youth in rural Armenia.

Founded in 2000, the Children of Armenia Fund is an independent,
nonprofit, nongovernmental (501)(c)(3) organization. COAF seeks to
reverse the impoverished conditions affecting significant numbers of
Armenia’s children by revitalizing Armenia’s villages and implementing
projects that provide immediate and sustainable benefits to children
and youth.

Since its founding, the Children of Armenia Fund’s activities have
focused on revitalizing rural Armenia, with a comprehensive approach
to addressing the critical needs of children together with economic
development activities which enable people to acquire the necessary
tools to help themselves. COAF’s partnerships with UNDP, USAID
and the World Bank, along with many other local and international
organizations, have allowed us to effectively channel financial
resources where they are needed most.

Tickets are offered at two levels of support, the higher level
including a signed limited-edition photograph taken in one of COAF’s
villages by acclaimed photographer Hrair Hawk Khatcherian. Admission
prices will increase after August 28.

RUSSIA-TURKEY RELATIONS WILL HAVE POSITIVE IMPACT ON KARABAKH, SAYS DAVUTOGLU

Asbarez
10/russia-turkey-relations-will-have-positive-impa ct-on-karabakh-says-davutoglu/
Aug 10, 2009

ANKARA (Combined Sources)-The strengthening of relations between
Russia and Turkey will have a positive impact of the resolution of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu in a television interview over the weekend.

During his visit to Turkey last week, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir
Putin said active steps were being taken to resolve the Karabakh
conflict.

"Serious work is being done to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
and there is serious progress in this regard. Moscow is eager to see
quick resolution of the conflict," Putin added.

Davutoglu praised what he called positive steps taken by Russia in
the conflict resolution process.

During his visit to Turkey, Putin signed several energy agreements,
including an agreement to ensure Turkey’s participation in a planned
Russian oil and gas pipeline, known as the South Stream, which is
designed to rival the Western-backed Nabucco pipeline.

Turkey is also participating in the construction of the Nabucco
pipeline, which is a US and European venture, sidestepping Russia, to
ensure the flow Caspian natural resources to the West. Both proposed
projects side-step Armenia.

While on a weekend visit to his hometown of Konya, Davutoglu was
asked whether two major pipeline projects in which Turkey will play
an integral role, Nabucco and South Stream, were rivals.

"No. As we stressed several times before, we do not see such strategic
projects as rivaling each other but instead as complementary to
one another. We look at all developments in the fields of energy,
transportation, economy and trade with different perspectives,"
Davutoðlu was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency in response.

Earlier, Turkish officials and experts underlined that the natural gas
deals inked last week by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan
and Putin will help make Turkey a regional energy hub but will not
change its commitment to the Western-backed Nabucco pipeline project.

"Turkey’s course and priorities have not changed," said a senior
Turkish official on Friday, responding to suspicions likely to arise
in the wake of Thursday’s deal, under which Turkey has allowed Russia
to carry out feasibility studies in its exclusive territorial waters
in the Black Sea for construction of the South Stream pipeline.

Russia’s South Stream pipeline rivals Nabucco, which has the backing
of the EU and the United States and would provide Europe a supply of
gas not subject to Russian control.

Furthermore, Davutoglu stressed that Turkey is not a place for
rival projects but complementary ones, while noting that Turkey will
serve as a secure energy route, strengthening both regional economic
integration and global economic structure. "Any cooperation with the
European Union and the Nabucco project, which connects the European
Union and Turkey, is a strategic priority for Turkey. It should
be assessed as a whole. The Nabucco project that we signed in July
demonstrated Turkey’s central importance for energy suppliers and
energy consumers between the East and West," Davutoglu said.

He then continued saying that in line with agreements with Russia, the
South Stream and the Samsun-Ceyhan energy routes illustrate Turkey’s
integral role, connecting the East and West. "Being the intersection
of the East-West and North-South energy corridor is a natural result
of Turkey’s geography," Davutoglu concluded.

"Turkey will enhance its increasing role in world economic politics,
participating in both transportation and trade in the East-West and
North-South energy routes for years," he said.

RA President farewells the Ambassador of Germany in Armenia
04.07.2009 14:02 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan met with the
ambassador of Germany to Armenia Mrs. Andrea Victorine in Yerevan
related to completion of her diplomatic mission in the country.
During the meeting Serzh Sargsyan thanked the diplomat for her active
work for the development of the Armenian-German cooperation. Serzh
Sargsyan stressed, that in recent years the political dialogue between
Yerevan and Berlin has intensified, financial-economic, cultural and
educational programs have enlarged.
As the president stressed, Germany is the second trade partner of
Armenia and one of the major investors. In her turn, Andrea Victorine
emphasized the success of the Armenian-German cooperation. The
diplomat attached importance to the forthcoming meeting of
intergovernmental commission, and expressed confidence that it will be
the start of new initiatives. The officials sides expressed
satisfaction with bilateral cooperation in security and defense
spheres, the press office of RA president reports

BIOGRAPHY OF RA NA VICE PRESIDENT SAMVEL NIKOYAN

National Assembly of RA
May 19 2009
Armenia

Samvel Nikoyan was born on February 13, 1958 in the village of
Sarnaghbyur in the Ani region (now Shirak marz).

In 1982 he graduated from K. Marx Yerevan Polytechnic Institute, in
1987 – Armenian branch of Marxism-Leninism University adjunct to USSR
Central Committee. He is engineer-mechanic. He was awarded Andranik
Ozanian medal of the Ministry of Defense (2005), and commemorative
of RA Prime Minister (2006).

1982-1990 he worked as an engineer-constructor, and later as a senior
engineer, head of division, deputy head of production unit and head
of production unit in the Yerevan Hydro Apparatus Plant. In 1995
he was deputy chief engineer in the Yerevan Experimental Machinery
Plant. 1998-2003 he was head of division in the Chamber of Commerce
and Industry of Armenia. 1998-2003 he was deputy director of Haymamul
(Armenian Media) CJSC. He was involved in production of ammunition and
their delivery during the years of Artsakh freedom fighting He was a
member of National United Party (NUP) acting underground in the USSR,
later member of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA). He is a member
of RPA board.

2003-2007 he was a deputy in the NA (proportional system, RPA.). He
was a member of the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations. He
was a member of Ad-Hoc Committee Studying the Effectiveness of the
Use of Loans, Credits, Grants and Humanitarian Aid Received from
Foreign States and International Organizations. He was a member of
the Armenian delegation of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

On May 12, 2007 he was elected a deputy of the National Assembly by
the proportional system from the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA). He
was a member of the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations. He
was a member of NA Ad-Hoc Counting Committee. He is Chairman of Ad-hoc
Committee on the Events Occurred on 1-2 March 2008 in Yerevan and Their
Reasons of the National Assembly. He is Head of RA NA delegation in
Inter-Parliamentary Union. He is Secretary of RPA faction. He is a
member of RPA board.

On May 18, 2009 he was elected Vice President of the National Assembly
of the Republic of Armenia.

He is married, and he has three children.