Author: Hunanian Jack

ANS TV, Azerbaijan
Oct 21 2008

Azeri official says Armenia should change its stance on Karabakh
conflict

[Presenter Afat Telmanqizi] The suggestion of Russian President
Dmitriy Medvedev that a meeting be held between the Armenian and
Azerbaijani presidents can be very productive, Novruz Mammadov, head
of the foreign relations of the presidential administration, has told
APA news agency.

He said that the time has come to resolve the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict. Armenia should demonstrate wisdom and determination and take
a constructive position for resolving the conflict.

As for Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s statement that Armenia is
ready to resume negotiations within the Madrid principles that allows
for self-determination of Nagornyy Karabakh, Novruz Mammadov said that
the Madrid principles are not fundamental principles of international
law. The Nagornyy Karabakh conflict must be resolved within the
framework of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. The issue of
self-determination of Armenians in Nagornyy Karabakh can be looked at
within this framework. The entire world realizes this today and there
is no other option for resolving the issue, end of quote.

[Presenter Ayaz Nizamioglu] In an interview with ANS Novruz Mammadov
voiced his view on remarks by US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel
Fried that the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict could be resolved by the end
of the year. Novruz Mammadov said that the events in Georgia
demonstrated to the international community that the lack of solution
to the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict is a threat to global
stability. Resolution of the conflict depends on what position Armenia
takes.

[Novruz Mammadov] Should Armenia display a little more determination
and take a constructive stance, then the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict
can be resolved soon. Novruz Mammadov, head of the foreign relations
of the presidential administration, told this to ANS while commenting
on remarks by US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried that the
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict could be resolved by the end of the year.

PanARMENIAN.Net, Armenia

MA curator for Byzantine art talks Thursday
Sat Oct 25, 2008, 02:30 PM EDT

Belmont, Mass. –

Dr. Helen Evans, Mary and Michael Jaharis Curator for Byzantine Art at
the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, will give an
illustrated lecture entitled `Armenia and Byzantium: The Larger
Picture,’ at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 30, at the National Association
for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) Center, 395 Concord Ave. in
Belmont. This lecture will be co-sponsored by the Ararat Lodge of the
Knights of Vartan and NAASR.

Dr. Evans’ lecture, `Byzantium and Armenia: The Larger Picture,’ will
explore some of the many important historic, cultural, and artistic
connections between these two cultures within the context of the
larger world picture of the medieval period. A monumental khachkar
(stone cross) that has been lent to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in
New York City by the Republic of Armenia will be used as the locus
from which the larger picture of the characteristics of Armenian art
and their interaction with Byzantium and other regional powers will be
explored. The lecture will consider works of art ranging from the age
of the Byzantine emperors Justinian and Heraclios through the time of
the masterpieces of medieval Armenian art in Greater Armenia and in
Cilicia.

Evans is a specialist in Byzantine and Armenian art who has been a
member of the Department of Medieval Art at the Metropolitan Museum of
Art since 1991. She curated the exhibition Treasures in Heaven:
Armenian Illuminated Manuscripts at the Morgan Library in 1994 and at
the Metropolitan Museum her major exhibitions have been the acclaimed
`The Glory of Byzantium (843-1261)’ in 1997 and `Byzantium: Faith and
Power (1261-1557)’ in 2004. She installed the museum’s Mary and
Michael Jaharis Galleries of Byzantine Art in 2000 and recently
completed its expansion and reinstallation this year.

NAASR trip to Sunday at the Met Program in November
Dr. Evans is also the organizer of a special `Sunday at the Met’
program that will take place on the afternoon of Nov. 23 in
celebration of the arrival Armenian khachkar as a long-term loan to
the Museum. The program, which begins at 1:30 p.m., will include talks
by Dr. Nina G. Garsoïan, Gevork Avedissian Professor Emerita of
Armenian History and Civilization, Columbia University; Dr. Thomas
Mathews, John Langloth Loeb Professor Emeritus of the History of Art,
Institute of Fine Arts, New York University; and Dr. Lynn A. Jones,
assistant professor, Department of Art History, Florida State
University. There will also be a performance by Nora Armani of
Armenian poems and songs accompanied by David Bakamjian on the cello.

NAASR is organizing a bus trip to New York for the Sunday program. The
bus will depart from the NAASR Center in Belmont at 7 a.m. for New
York. Capacity is limited to 48, with priority given to current NAASR
members. Dr. Christina Maranci, the newly-appointed Arthur H. Dadian
and Ara Oztemel Professor of Armenian Art and Architectural History at
Tufts University, will accompany the group and give a talk during the
ride to New York City. The price for the daytrip is $100 per person
(includes transportation, admission to the museum, and continental
breakfast and refreshments). We strongly encourage interested parties
to reserve a seat by Oct. 31 by contacting Administrative Director
Cathy Minassian at NAASR at 617-489-1610 or [email protected].

Admission to the Oct. 30 lecture at NAASR is free (donations
appreciated). The NAASR Center is located opposite the First Armenian
Church and next to the U.S. Post Office. Ample parking is available
around the building and in adjacent areas. The lecture will begin
promptly at 8 p.m.

More information about the lecture is available by calling
617-489-1610, faxing 617-484-1759, e-mailing [email protected], or writing
to NAASR, 395 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA 02478.

ARMENIAN CENTRAL BANK SANGUINE ABOUT GLOBAL CRISIS
Shakeh Avoyan

Daily Georgian Times
2008.10.23 16:03
Georgia

The chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) on Friday echoed
government assurances that the global financial crisis will not spill
over into the Armenian banking sector.

Artur Javadian told President Serzh Sarkisian that Armenian banks
continue to be trusted by the population and have sufficient capital
to avoid major losses. "The CBA assured that Armenia has sufficient
potential to cope with and prevent crises," Sarkisian’s press service
said in a statement.

Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian, who headed the CBA until last April,
said on Thursday that the crisis poses no immediate threat to Armenia’s
banking sector because "the reliability of our financial sector is
extremely high." Sarkisian cautioned at the same time that the crisis
could ultimately hurt the Armenian economy if it hits the European
Union and Russia, Armenia’s main trading partners, harder.

Javadian was reported to tell Sarkisian that the CBA devised three
contingency plans of "pre-emptive measures." With the presidential
office giving no details, it was not clear if those measures are
in tune with steps suggested by Armenia’s main opposition alliance
earlier this week.

Sarkisian instructed the CBA chief to brief him on "developments in
the international markets" on a weekly basis.

HOW I BECAME A CAMPUS DIVA
Christina Varga

Globe and Mail
October 23, 2008
Canada

Opera star Isabel Bayrakdarian recalls her undergrad struggles
balancing a tough engineering program with her true passion in life

I was always good at math and sciences, ever since I was very
little. It was just a natural fit that I would go into something
that a) provided me with scholarships and b) was something I’m
good at. I come from a family of doctors. Even my great-grandmother
was a midwife. That’s one of the reasons I decided I wanted to go
into biomedical engineering. But, I found it extremely, extremely
difficult, especially the more advanced we got in the classes and
the more I realized that my passion wasn’t really this. I must admit
that I also took it too seriously. In high school, I was very active
in music. In my community, the Armenian community, I used to sing in
church a lot. And when I entered the University [of Toronto], I said,
"No, no, no, no, this is very serious now. I have to concentrate on
my studies." And I almost cut back and cut out all my extracurricular
activities. And you know what? That made me more miserable. And in
my second semester I said, "Enough. I need some creative outlet." I
went across the street to the Royal Conservatory of Music. I said,
"I want to take singing lessons."

Finding my voice

So [in] that first year of engineering, the second semester, all
of a sudden, was lighter, happier and brighter because I had another
outlet and it wasn’t just technical things. I continued to take singing
lessons on and off for the first two years. In my third year I decided
to take a year off for an internship. In that year, I finally had a
regular timetable. I could take singing lessons regularly. And all
of a sudden my singing went to another level.

And then I realized I was bitten by the bug: I really, really,
really liked to sing. But I wasn’t sure I could do it as a living
and that was one of the reasons why I headed back to the third year
of engineering. In my fourth year…I entered the Metropolitan Opera
competition. And against all odds, I won.

What I learned

I’m happy that I took the risk because taking the path of art when
you come from engineering and the technical world is a big risk. But
I decided to take the risk for the simple reason that I didn’t want
to be 40 years old and say, "I wish I had," or "What if."

I think it must be one of the most difficult decisions that a
17-year-old or a 16-year-old has to make, about what to do in
university. …But a good start for anybody is to capitalize on what
you’re good at. If you’re miserable in university, you’re more likely
to drop out or more likely to be aimless. Always keep in mind what
you’re good at and what you like, and hopefully find something that
combines both.

EU STATEMENT ON PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAUSED BAKU’S BEWILDERMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
22.10.2008 17:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The EU statement that the Azerbaijani presidential
election did not meet international standards received a diverse
feedback, for all other international organizations announced that
the election was well organized and democratic, an Azeri official said.

"The Azeri government protests the EU statement," said Novruz
Mammadov, head of international relations division at the Azeri
president’s administration. "This statement is disrespect for the
other international observation missions."

"1258 international observers from 59 countries watched the
election process and concluded that it was an advance toward
democratization. Although, the absence of opposition candidates was
marked as the main shortcoming, the EU statement caused surprise,"
Mammadov said, 1news.az reports.

Commenting on the presidential election in Azerbaijan, Chair of the
EP Delegation, Mrs. Marie Anne Isler Béguin, stated: "According to
our observations on Election Day, the election was well prepared and
largely carried out smoothly. However, we deplore the lack of genuine
competition, due to the boycott by major opposition parties and the
absence of a real campaign".

–Boundary_(ID_apRayC2EG4VHu1mUnV FxYA)–

GAS SUPPLY TO ARMENIA TO BE TEMPORARILY STOPPED DUE TO REPAIRS ON GAS MAIN, ARMROSGASPROM SAYS

ARKA
Oct 20, 2008

YEREVAN, October 20. /ARKA/. Russian gas supplies to Armenia will be
stopped for two-three days due to scheduled repairs on the gas main,
ArmRosgasprom reports.

Gas supplies to Armenia were suspended on October 19 at 01:00.

"The temporary cut in gas supplies will not affect domestic market,
as the underground gas storage in Abovyan city will help meet the gas
demand," the press service of ArmRosGasProm said, adding preventive
repairs are necessary for undisturbed operation of the gas main
in winter.

Monopolist in Armenia’s gas supply market, the ArmRosgasprom CJSC was
established in 1997. The company’s capital amounts $253.8 bln. Its
shareholders are the Gasprom OJCS (67.94%), the RA Ministry of Energy
(26.23%) and the Itera Oil and Gas Company (5.82%).

ARMROSGASPROM TO INVEST 52BLN AMD IN ARMENIA’S GAS TRANSMISSION SYSTEM BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR

ARKA
Oct 20, 2008

YEREVAN, October 20. /ARKA/. The ArmRosgasprom Company plans to invest
a total of 52bln AMD in the expansion of Armenia’s gas transmission
system.

"The implementation of ArmRosgasprom’s system expansion program has
necessitated the construction of a new 197.4km-long Iran-Armenia gas
main, as well as the renovation of the currently operating 120km-long
gas main," the company reported.

The company has carried out necessary research and project work. The
project will allow ArmRosgasprom to be involved in regional gas
projects and enhance gas-supply safety sue to alternative sources.

The second section of the gas main, Kajaran-Ararat, runs at an
altitude of 3,000 above sea level through the Syunik Vaiots Dzor and
Ararat regions. The construction and assembling operations are to be
completed late this month.

By October 1, 2008, 36,769.6mln AMD work had been carried out –
176.7km of pipeline had been laid and 180km of pipeline trenches had
been carried.

The first 40km-long section, Meghri-Kajaran, was put into operation
on March 19, 2007.

EXPERT FORECASTS 7-8 PER CENT INFLATION IN ARMENIA FOR 2008

ARKA
Oct 20, 2008

YEREVAN, October 20. /ARKA/. An inflation rate of &-8 per cent is
expected in Armenia this year.

At a press conference at the Novosti international press center,
Tigran Jrbashyan, Director for Development, Ameriabank CJSC, said
that the planned inflation rates will not be registered this year,
but "there will be no disaster either".

Despite the current relatively high inflation rates, they will fall
down to 7-8 per cent toward the end of the year, Jrbashyan said.

In its protocol on forecasts and monetary policy for the 4th quarter,
the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) forecasts an inflation rate of 5.8%
for the 4th quarter of 2008 and an annual inflation rate of 3.5%
for the 3rd quarter of next year.

Ion the other hand, an alternative, pessimistic, scenario of
developments on international markets, forecasts an inflation rate
of 5.9% for the 4th quarter of 2008 and 5% for the 3rd quarter of
next year.

An inflation rate of 0.5% was registered in Armenia this September
as compared with August, with an annual inflation rate being 11.3%
– a fall of 0.2%.

An inflation rate of 4% ((±1.5%).is budgeted in Armenia for 2008

–Boundary_(ID_lxs7cvSMStt6YK/pkH79AA)–

ARMENIAN FOOTBALL NATIONAL TEAM ONCE MORE DEFEATED IN WORLD
CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATION TOUR TOURNAMENT

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The 4th tour’s match of Football
World 2010 Championship group tournament between national teams of
Bosnia and Armenia took place on October 15 in the city of Zenica. It
ended with the score of 4 to 1. Central full-back Vahagn Minasian
scored the only goal from the Armenian national team.

After 4 matches the six is arranged in the group tournament by the
following succession: Spain 12 points, Turkey 8 points, Belgium 7
points, Bosnia 6 points, Estonia 1 point, Armenia 0 points.

Group tournament’s next tours will be held in 2009. Armenia’s national
team will receive Estonia’s team on March 28. Belgium-Bosnia and
Spain-Turkey pairs will also compete the same day.

Nouvelles d’Arménie, France

KARABAGH

14 % de croissance économique attendue cette année au Karabakh

dimanche19 octobre 2008, par Stéphane/armenews
Dans les années 2005 à-2007 la croissance
économique dans la république du Nagorno-Karabakh a
été d’une moyenne de 11 %.

Selon le ministre des Finances Spartac Tevosian une croissance de 13,8
% est attendue dans la République cette année.

Le Ministre des Finances a précisé que l’inflation avait
été contenue ces dernières années. Entre
2000 et 2007 elle était d’une moyenne de 4,3 % soumise aux
fluctuations mondiales des prix.

Pour les années 2009-2011 le budget de la république
sera de 22,2 milliards de drams.