Author: Jagharian Tania

SERZH SARGSYAN RECEIVED MIKHAIL SHVIDKOI

Panorama.am
17:32 23/04/2008

Today the president of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan received the chairman
of the RF culture and cinema federative agency Mikhail Shvidkoi. The
information is provided by the press and public relations department
of the president’s administration.

According to the source, the president notified that bilateral
cultural cooperation is very important for both countries and added
that cultural and art have always been key point in the relationship
of both countries’. The president stated that the relationship among
the cultural specialists and conduct of ceremonies and meeting are
very important which need to be developed more.

Mikhail Shvidkoi talked about Russian-Armenian cultural relationship
which is active and is being strengthened. He said that Armenia carries
out serious activities in the CIS humanitarian cooperation committee.

The officials notified that the decree signed between the RA Minister
of Culture and the RF Culture and Cinema Committee is very important
and the event of Russian films season in Armenia.

EVENTS DEDICATED TO 93RD ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO TAKE PLACE IN JERUSALEM

Noyan Tapan
April 24, 2008

JERUSALEM, APRIL 24, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenological
program of the Institute of Studies of Asia and Africa of the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem will organize a commemoration evening
and consultation dedicated to the 93rd anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide on April 29. Professor Israel Charney will be present at the
event. During the evening Armenian instrumental and vocal performances
will be sounded.

‘KUCUK WAS ERGENEKON’S NUMBER-EIGHT MAN’

Today’s Zaman
April 23 2008
Turkey

Retired Gen. Veli Kucuk was the Ergenekon criminal gang’s number-eight
man, says Tuncay Guney, a Turkish rabbi with suspected ties to the
group, according to a report in the Sabah daily yesterday.

Guney, currently serving as a rabbi at the Jacobs House Jewish
Community Center in Toronto, Canada, claimed there were seven people
within the Ergenekon gang superior to Kucuk, who has been under arrest
since late January as part of an investigation into the criminal
formation allegedly seeking to overthrow the government. "Kucuk
was serving as Ergenekon’s secretary-general," asserted Guney in an
interview with Sabah.

Guney came to prominence when the first documents related to the
Ergenekon gang were seized on his computer in a 2001 police raid. He
is also known as the person who revealed Kucuk’s ties with the gang.

"Important decisions in the gang were made by Kucuk. There were seven
people superior to him in Ergenekon till 2001. I am not aware of the
gang’s current formation. I don’t know what Kucuk’s current position
in the gang is, but I know the seven people who were superior to
Kucuk in the gang — but I cannot disclose their names due to my
personal security. Yet I can say that some of these seven names are
still active in the gang," he claimed.

So far about 50 suspects have been arrested as part of the Ergenekon
investigation, launched after the police found a house full of
guns and explosives in Ä°stanbul last June. Those arrested include
retired generals and army officials, as well as public figures such
as journalists and mafia leaders. The Ergenekon gang is believed to
be a shadowy and powerful neo-nationalist formation allegedly behind
a number of politically motivated murders, including the assassination
of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink in 2007.

"Ergenekon’s official religion is Shamanism. Kucuk used to speak
about Shamanism in the gang’s gatherings. He used to say Turks’
main religion was Shamanism," noted Guney.

He also claimed recent operations against Ergenekon were not thorough
enough.

"The gang was discovered after the documents on my computer were
revealed. But you cannot eliminate a gang with two prosecutors and
a few police department heads. I made a deposition to police for 11
hours related to Ergenekon in 2001, but no operation was launched
against the gang despite my testimony," remarked Guney.

–Boundary_(ID_TDwaCUg1SxoEBK/XeltitA)–

RUBEZH 2008 EXERCISE FOURTH STAGE DUE IN ARMENIA AUGUST 1-5

PanARMENIAN.Net
22.04.2008 21:04 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On April 22, Armenia’s Defense Minister Seyran
Ohanyan met with CSTO Deputy Secretary General Valery Semerikov.

The officials exchanged views on implementation of agreements in the
framework of the CSTO, army development, CSTO peacekeeping activity,
military, economic and technical cooperation, RA Defense Minister’s
Spokesman, Colonel Seyran Shahnazaryan told PanARMENIAN.Net.

They also discussed the agenda of the forthcoming 5th session of the
SCTO Defense Ministers and noted the importance Rubezh 2008 command and
staff exercise the fourth stage of which is due in Armenia August 1-5.

CONFERENCE ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TAKES PLACE IN TBILISI

Noyan Tapan
April 22, 2008

TBILISI, APRIL 22, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. On April 19, Tbilisi
hostED "Armenian Genocide 1915-1923: look from Tbilisi, Istanbul and
Yerevan" scientific conference. As reported the press office of the
Armenian center of cooperation Georgia, the event was held with the
assistance of the Armenian Genocide Institute-Museum.

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT IN LINE WITH INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS SHOULD FORM IN ARMENIA, PRIME MINISTER SAYS

Noyan Tapan
April 22, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 22, NOYAN TAPAN. The prime minister Tigran Sargsian
on April 22 presented the re-appointed minister Nerses Yeritsian to
the staff of the RA ministry of economy (previoulsy the ministry of
trade and economic development). According to T. Sargsian, henceforth
the minister will head a new ministry which should cooperate closely
with the ministry of finance.

T. Sargsian pointed out the formation of business environment as a
priority of the sector. At the same time he underlined that there are
a lot of unsolved problems in economy. In his words, measures should
be taken in order to create a favorable business environment through
regulation of the normative field and to raise the quality of service
and make them competitive. "We should form a business environment in
line with international standards, a business environment that will
give us a competitive advantage in the region," he stated.

In his opinion, today Armenia lags behind in the regional competition,
and neighboring countries have surpassed Armenia by many criteria. In
particular, rapid reforms have been made in customs and tax sectors
of Georgia, and it will take Armenia at least 18 months to overtake
Georgia.

Nevertheless, according to the prime minister, the Armenian banking
system is ahead those of its neighbors by 3 years, and he expects
the other sectors to make success too.

NET FOREIGN DEBT OF ARMENIA GROWS BY 295.35 MILLION DOLLARS TO 920.6 MILLION DOLLARS IN 2007

Noyan Tapan
April 21, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The gross foreign debt of Armenia
amounted to 2 bln 927.33 mln USD in late December 2007, growing by
917.33 mln USD as compared with late December 2006.

According to the RA National Statistical Service, 43% of the gross
foreign debt formed in the state governance system, 14.7% in the
private sector, 6.6% – in monetary and credit regulation bodies,
18.6% – in commercial banks, and 17.1% were foreign direct investments
received as intercompany credits from orgaizations engaged in various
sectors of the economy.

In late December 2007, the gross foreign assets of Armenia made 2 bln
6.73 mln USD, increasing by 621.98 mln USD as compared with December
2006. As a result, the net foreign debt of Armenia grew by 295.35
mln USD to 920.6 mln USD.

USA, RUSSIA NOT INTERESTED IN ARMENIAN PULLOUT FROM KARABAKH

168 Zham
April 3 2008
Armenia

Arman Melikyan, former aide to the leader of Nagornyy Karabakh, has
said that the USA and Russia are not interested in Armenia’s withdrawal
from the Azerbaijani territories controlled by the Armenian forces,
the Armenian opposition 168 Zham newspaper reported on 3 April.

Speaking at a news conference in Yerevan on 2 April, Melikyan,
who also stood in the 19 February Armenian presidential election,
said that with the establishment of peace in the region Europe will
become a serious competitor to the USA and Russia, as Europe will
get a bridge to the Asian countries, the newspaper added.

Asked about the possibility of Armenia’s recognition of Nagornyy
Karabakh, Melikyan noted that newly-elected President Serzh Sargsyan
will not consider this issue in the nearest future, the paper
concluded.

ARMENIAN LEADER SLAMS AZERBAIJAN FOR INCREASING ARMY SPENDING

Public TV
April 16 2008
Armenia

Armenia’s new President Serzh Sargsyan has come out for a more
proactive and vigorous foreign policy, Public TV reported on 16 April.

Speaking at a ceremony to introduce a new minister at the Foreign
Ministry, Sargsyan said that conditions should be created for the
peaceful and fair settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.

Sargsyan criticized Azerbaijan for trying to resolve the conflict
through beefing up its army.

"Azerbaijan is seriously mistaken if it thinks that its army can
become combat ready by merely investing dollars within a short period
of time and that it can resolve the issue of Nagornyy Karabakh with
the help of its army," Public TV quoted Sargsyan as saying. Sargsyan
said that the existence of the state of Nagornyy Karabakh was already
irreversible, adding that Armenia would continue to be the guarantor
of Nagornyy Karabakh’s security, TV reported.

GOVERNMENT SESSION AGENDA POSTED ON INTERNET

ARMENPRESS
April 17, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 17, ARMENPRESS: Visitors to the official website of
the Armenian government will have an opportunity to see the agenda
of its recurrent sessions and draft documents set for discussions.

The government press office said information about extra issues
which are placed on the agenda during the session can be obtained
from official press releases.