Author: Hunanian Jack

GEORGIA FORCED BENETTON TO BACKED AWAY FROM ITS ORIGINAL PLANS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
01.06.2009 18:31 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Benetton Turkey has backed away from its original
plan to open a store in Abkhazia, a breakaway region of Georgia,
after coming under heavy pressure from Tbilisi, the Wall Street
Journal has reported.

"The fashion company’s controversial plan to launch a fashion shop
in a war-ravaged corner of the former Soviet Union has drawn it into
a bitter political dispute," the newspaper wrote in its weekend
issue. "Benetton Group has revoked its decision to open the shop
in the disputed Black Sea region of Abkhazia after senior Georgian
politicians expressed anger and Benetton retailers in Georgia closed
their stores in protest. This is the first time an international
brand has been targeted over its links to Abkhazia."

The plan to open up shop in Sukhumi, the capital of Abkhazia, met
with protest from seven Benetton shops in Georgia, which closed their
doors in protest, the Journal wrote.

Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze described Benetton Turkey’s
proposed move as "outrageous," the newspaper reported.

Added the newspaper: "In Abkhazia, this will be seen as another example
of Georgian intimidation aimed at economically isolating the region
and thwarting its desires for genuine independence."

"THE OPPOSITION IS READY FOR ABRUPT STEPS"

A1+
08:51 pm | June 01, 2009

Politics

HAK Coordinator Levon Zurabyan today referred to yesterday’s vote
violations. "The authorities are doing their best for us to speak to
them in their language, i.e. in the language of violence and beating,"
said Mr. Zurabyan.

"The opposition is ready for abrupt steps but people should be
prepared, too. The most striking rigging came from Malatia-Sebastia
district," announced Mr. Zurabyan and handed the microphone to the
head of HAK’s pre-election office Vahagn Khachatryan.

"We witnessed the worst rigging in Malatia – starting from a voter’s
abduction to ballot stuffing. Everything was done to divert public
attention," said Mr. Khachatryan.

Vahagn Khachatrya thanked everyone who participated in the vote. The
opposition leaders remembered all those who were absent for good
reasons, including Nikol Pashinyan who celebrates his birthday on
June 1.

ARMENIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS WITHDRAWS FROM ITS MANDATES IN THE YEREVAN COUNCIL OF ELDERS

ArmInfo
2009-06-01 20:38:00

ArmInfo. The Armenian National Congress (ANC) withdraws from its
mandates in the Yerevan Council of Elders, the first president of
Armenia, ANC Leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan said at the all-republican
rally of his supporters in Yerevan, Monday.

According to him, the Congress has stated for several times that it is
ready to hold a dialogue with the authorities only in case of releasing
the political prisoners and holding normal fair elections. "However,
the Armenian authorities, in the person of Serzh Sargsyan, have ignored
both conditions, failed to release the political prisoners and held
the most awful election that had ever been held. They lost another
chance to improve psychological atmosphere in the country and burnt
all possible bridges for dialogue and consolidation of nation>, –
Levon Ter-Petrosyan said and added that from now on the ANC will not
hold dialogue with the authorities at any conditions. ‘Any document
signed by Serzh Sargsyan has no legal force for us especially it
is regarding Karabakh or the Armenian-Turkish relations’, – Levon
Ter-Petrosyan concluded".

The Jinishian Memorial Program (JMP)
a ministry of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.
CONTACT: Pat Cole
Patrick L. Cole
Associate, Mission Communications
Communications & Funds Development
General Assembly Council
Tel: 502-569-5172
Email: [email protected]

Jinishian Memorial Program sponsors study tour of Armenia
Participants will learn about program’s work and Armenia’s culture

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (May 29,2009) -The Jinishian Memorial Program (JMP), a
ministry of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) dedicated to improving
the lives of people of Armenian descent, is sponsoring a study tour of
Armenia Sept. 13-24.
The itinerary includes visiting community development programs
supported by JMP, meeting farmers using JMP micro loans to expand
production, getting to know participants in Armenia’s first high
school debate clubs (a JMP initiative), and seeing sites that tell
about Armenia’s history, culture and politics.
"We want to raise awareness of the work of the Jinishian Memorial
Program among Presbyterians and among the Armenian community in the
United States, and we hope to inspire people to become advocates and
supporters for the work of the Jinishian program," said Sara Todd,
program manager for JMP. The program works in the Middle East as well
as Armenia.
The $2,500 cost of the trip includes lodging, food and tickets for
cultural events. To learn more about the trip, visit
or contact Todd via e-mail at
[email protected]<mailto:[email protected] rg> or call her at
888-728-7228, x5291.

30 ARMENIAN COMPANIES TO PARTICIPATE IN ARMTECH CONGRESS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
01.06.2009 13:52 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Some 30 Armenian companies will take part in ArmTech
Congress to be held in California from November 5 to 8, 2009, General
Director of Armenian Development Agency Robert Harutyunyan said.

RA Economy Minister Nerses Yeritsyan remarked that despite economic
hardships Armenia will send more delegates this year.

Some 300-350 representatives from Armenia are expected to attend
the Congress.

AZERBAIJAN WILL NOT CHANGE ITS POSITION ON KARABAKH – ALIYEV

Interfax
May 28 2009
Russia

Azerbaijan will not change its position on Nagorno-Karabakh and
will actively work to find a peaceful solution to this conflict,"
President Ilham Aliyev said.

"Azerbaijan will not change its fair position, which is based on the
norms of international law. We will not take a step backward," Aliyev
said at the celebration of the 91st anniversary of the creation of
the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan held in Baku.

Aliyev recalled the four resolutions of the UN Security Council and
the documents of other international organizations, which are calling
for Armenia’s withdrawal of its troops from the occupied Azerbaijani
territories.

"We are trying and will try to strengthen our political and diplomatic
activities in all international organizations to resolve this issue
as soon as possible," Aliyev said.

BAGRATUNI SET TO WOW BAXTER AUDIENCES

Tonight
fArticleId=5003763&fSectionId=443&fSetId=2 51
May 28 2009
South Africa

World renowned cellist Suren Bagratuni will perform with Japanese
pianist Ayano Shimada for the Cape Town Concert Series on Saturday
at the Baxter Concert Hall at 8pm.

The duo will replace Czech pianist, Lukas Vondracek, whose concert
tour of South Africa was cancelled mid-way when he was selected
to participate in the Van Cli-burn International Quadrennial Piano
Competition, which started in Fort Worth, Texas, on May 18.

The Bagratuni/Shimada duo will play Schumann’s Fantasiestucke Opus
73, the Sonata Opus 40 by Shostakovich, Beet-hoven’s popular Cello
Sonata in A major Opus 69 and Five Pieces on Folk Themes by Georgian
composer Sulkhan Tsintsadze.

Bagratuni, who was born in Armenia, won the Silver Medal at the 1986
Tchaikovsky International Competition while still a student at the
Moscow Conservatoire.

Today he is a concerto soloist, recitalist, chamber musician and
recording artist.

Shimada, one of Japan’s leading pianists, won first prize at the 2001
Jean Francaix International Piano Competition in France and the 2003
Trani International in Italy.

Tickets are R120. There are concessions for senior citizens and
students on sale at the door.

IT IS TIME FOR MAJOR BUSINESS TO ORIENTATE ITSELF
Hakob Badalyan

LRAGIR.AM
11:11:41 – 27/05/2009

The rebellion of the enterprisers against the government in connection
with its intention to insert a tax representative within the major
enterprises, had a very interesting manifestation. Complaining and
protesting against the presence of a tax representative unanimously
or almost unanimously, none of the enterprisers had the courage to
criticize the Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan. Under such conditions,
it is even senseless to speak about criticizing Serge Sargsyan,
the ground for which there was, because Serge Sargsyan voices his
assistance to the steps of the government, though he has been silent
in connection with the tax representative yet. Maybe he is waiting
to see the middle length of the self-preservation instinct of the
Armenian enterprisers as well as Tigran Sargsyan self-reliance.

Judging by what happened so far we may state that Serge Sargsyan has
nothing to be afraid of the major business. The point is that the noise
and the complaints are not terrible if they contain some political
logic. The major business of Armenia is a little pregnant now. And such
a thing, as it is known, is impossible. The Armenian major enterprisers
are de jure involved in business, they are parliamentary members
or have sons who are parliamentary members or relatives, friends,
servants, who are parliamentary members, but the major enterprisers
do not wish to get engaged in business. Or they do not have enough
courage for it or they do not have enough intellect. In this case,
what we have is only noise and complaints, of which they get tired
first of the others, so they stop all the noise.

Probably, this time it is not an exception either. The government,
of course, is possible to compromise. But, the political question
will continue being a threat for the major business and the major
enterprisers will continue being hostages of the illegal state,
when they are not legitimate for the public either in politics, or in
economy. The major enterprisers think that being engaged in politics
is to do charitable actions and shoot TV-series about them. This is
not politics; this is escape from the reality, which cannot enhance
the level of their legitimacy.

The major business in the present state may do only one good thing for
the public and the government: to set its own status both in politics
and economy. The point is that appearing in the middle of something
the major business started creating troubles not only for the public
but also for the government. It is time for the major business to
orientate itself.

CSTO DEFENSE MINISTERS TO MEET IN MOSCOW

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
27.05.2009 13:31 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ CSTO Defense Ministers will hold their regular
session on June 3 in Moscow. Meeting agenda comprises around 20
issues. Officials will focus on the process of forming CSTO rapid
reaction forces.

It is also planned to review CSTO Defense Ministers’ report on the
implementation Coalition Military Construction Plan for 2010, as
well as draft agreements on the basic principles of hidden control
by collective security forces, material reserves for ensuring the
formation of forces etc.

CSTO member states will also review a joint action plan on assisting
in atmosphere stabilization in Afghanistan and counteracting threats
and challenges proceeding from Afghanistan and CSTO member states’
Consultation Plan on Foreign Policy, Security and Defense Issues for
the first half of 2009 and 2010, CSTO Press Service reports.

WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN ON JUNE 1: A SHIFT OF GOVERNMENT IS NECESSARY

LRAGIR.AM
13:22:52 – 26/05/2009

Will the Armenian social sharpening have any impact on the developments
after the Yerevan Mayoral election? On May 26, the reporters asked this
question the former Prime Minster, the member of the Armenian National
Congress (HAK) Hrant Bagratyan. He stated that the question is what is
going to happen on June 1, "Because we know what is going to happen
on May 31", stated Hrant Bagratyan. He agreed with the observation
of the reporters that some difficulties in paying the budget salaries
are registered and these payments may be prolonged after the elections.

"I don’t know if it is right, but people are coming to the HAK stating
that they have signed documents that they were paid the salaries
but in reality they did not get anything. You know that all the
information is closed, even the information relating to the stock
exchange". He noted that in Armenia the information is more closed
than in ’30s. And, the social situation, according to Hrant Bagratyan,
is very tense and the crisis is going to deepen even more. Hrant
Bagratyan stated that there are problems connected with the budget,
problems which are appearing in the bank system.

Hrant Bagratyan stated that the government with its television,
ministers and parliamentary members are trying to persuade that this
is the life and this is Armenia. He stated that the dollar exchange
rate is not floating now. Hrant Bagratyan stated that for example, the
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan states that the 30 million dollars from
the Russian loan of half a billion will be allocated to the small and
midsize businesses, but nothing is said about the resting 470 million.

"There is no intellect, no professional approaches. There are
five or ten real economists in Armenia, who are not present in the
processes". According to Hrant Bagratyan, solutions may be political,
a shift of government is necessary.