Author: Jidarian Alex

MATTHEW BRYZA: AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN PRESIDENTS MAY MEET IN RUSSIA IN THE MIDDLE OF JULY

ArmInfo
2009-06-27 13:05:00

ArmInfo. The next meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents may
be held in Russia in the middle of July, said US Co-chair of OSCE
Minsk Group Matthew Bryza, Azerbaijani media reported.

The working meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia
Elmar Mammadyarov and Edward Nalbandian was constructive and aimed to
discuss the next meeting of the presidents. ‘We have coordinated our
approaches to the peace process and continued the preparations for
the next meeting of Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan’ ,Bryza said. The
two foreign ministers met on Friday in Paris.

MIKHEIL SAAKASHVILI: GEORGIA – HOMELAND FOR ALL ETHNIC MINORITIES

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
25.06.2009 16:21 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Georgia is a homeland for all national minorities
living on its territory, and this accounts for the country’s strength,
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili told YSU students and professors
on June 25. "We do not divide Georgia on ethnic bases. Everybody
enjoys equal rights in the country. Georgia is a multi-ethnic state,
and we are proud of that," Saakashvili stressed.

Touching upon social-economic situation is Samtskhe-Javakheti,
Georgian leader noted that most large-scale investments were made
in Javakhk. "We implement road construction and school building
programs in the region. We also plan to make Javakheti a ski resort
and construct a power plant and a road connecting the region with
Black Sea," Georgian President noted.

Commenting upon the recent incident with Armenian MP Shirak Torosyan,
Georgian President said that politicians who try to undermine
Armenian-Georgian ties should be suppressed. Both inside the country
and on its borders we’ll take tough measures in relation to those
who attempt to spoil our friendly relations with Armenia," Mikheil
Saakashvili said.

ARMENIA TO LAUNCH "EDUCATION AGAINST CORRUPTION" PROJECT

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
25.06.2009 21:06 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ RA Education and Science Minister Armen
Ashotyan. Director of National Education Institute Norayr Ghoukasyan
and Chairman of "The Future is Yours" NGO Norayr Ghoukasyan signed
cooperation memorandum on implementing "Education against Corruption"
project.

The program will be funded by US Agency for International Development
in the frames of "Anti-Corruption Movement’s Mobilization Program".

The project is aimed at providing anti-corruption education to children
studying in comprehensive schools of Armenia.

It includes 3 stages of implementation.

The first stage envisages the publication of a manual for teachers. At
the second stage, the manual will be experimented in 8 regional
schools of Armenia. And the final third stage will be devoted to
qualification raising seminars.

FIDH TO HOLD THE 37TH CONGRESS IN ARMENIA
Lusine Vasilyan

"Radiolur"
26.06.2009 18:18

The delegation of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
headed by President Souhayr Belhassen is in Armenia on a visit. The
Federation that unites about 150 organizations from more than 100
countries of the world has decided to convene its 37th congress in
Yerevan in April 2010. The current visit of the delegation is aimed
at preparing the conference.

FIDH has held congresses in different countries of the world, and
the congress in Armenia will be the first one in Eastern Europe.

More than 400 human rights advocates will gather in Armenia in April to
participate in the forum dedicated to issues of human rights defense.

According to FIDH President Souhayr Belhassen, the choice of the
country was conditioned by a number of factors. "The first factor
is the growing role of this region in geopolitical developments. On
the other hand, the decision to hold the congress in Armenia is an
initiative targeted at expressing solidarity with the Armenian civil
society and advocacy organizations," she said.

RALF YIRIKIAN DEFLATES RUMOR ABOUT BEING ATTACKED

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
24.06.2009 20:26 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ VivaCell (MTS) company’s Director General Ralf
Yirikian deflated a rumor about being attacked. "I learnt about it
yesterday, after numerous phone calls to the company and to members
of my family. It isn’t worth paying attention to such mean jokes
and disinformation, it’s better focus on the forthcoming work and
to realized what have been projected, " General Director of the
company said.

Today Ralf Yirikian was reported to have been attacked on the night
of June 24. The PanARMENIAN.Net agency checked that information and
revealed, that rumors do not correspond to reality. Such rumors
are pure disinformation, the company’s press service reported to
PanARMENIAN.net. "No assault was committed against the General
Director," VivaCell’s PR Service Manager Vahe Sahakyan said.

QUALITY MONITORING FOR DRINKING WATER CONDUCTED IN YEREVAN

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
24.06.2009 21:51 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Consumers’ Right Protection NGO is implementing
quality monitoring for drinking water in Yerevan.

Microbiological and physicochemical laboratory testing will be
conducted within monitoring framework.

All those consumers who have complaints about drinking water quality
may contact Consumers’ Rights Protection NGO at 010 543-818 or visit
at Hanrapetutyan 76/1-28.

U.S. AMBASSADOR YOVANOVITCH VISITS ARMAVIR MARZ

US State News
June 22, 2009 Monday 5:24 PM EST

YEREVAN, Armenia, May 27 — The U.S. Embassy issued the following
press release:

U.S. Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch visited Armavir Marz on May
27. She met with the Mayor of Armavir, Ruben Khlghatian, learned
about the current social and economic situation, and discussed
U.S. Government assistance programs in the region. The Ambassador
toured the Nuclear Power Plant at Metsamors. Afterwards she met with
the representatives of Armavir Development Center. Concluding her
visit to Armavir Marz, the Ambassador had a meeting with the local ALT
TV director.For more information please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar,
Email:- [email protected]

"UNIBANK" CONTINUES MODERNIZING ITS BRANCHES

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
24.06.2009 15:23 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Unibank’s "Stepanakert" branch has moved to a new,
modern and corporate style chamber, the bank’s press service reports.

Unibank’s branch building strategy not only envisages the creation of
service centers in all the relatively big towns of Armenia and the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR), but also modernization of existing
branches and introduction of uniform service and corporate style
standards. Changes apply to both the branches’ exterior design and
work organization process.

Changes are mostly aimed at functional partition of operational
chambers.

Unibank staff is sure that providing a list of services is not
enough for a bank, in conditions of present-day harsh rivalry. Today,
a client choosing a bank also considers service level and location.

Recently, "Stepanakert" branch of NKR moved to a new, modern and
corporate style chamber.

Let’s note that modernization work in all branches was carried out
without violating regular working regime and causing inconvenience
to clients.

Unibank currently 30 branches. By the end of the year, the bank is
planning to open 10 new branches. One of them – "Zvarthnots" (situated
in Zvarthnots airports arrival hall), will start operating soon.

MOSCOW TAKES ACTION TO PREVENT XENOPHOBIA AND EXTREMISM

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
23.06.2009 10:36 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The first meeting of newly formed council of
nationality issues at the government of Moscow took place on June 22,
2009. Under chairmanship of deputy mayor of Moscow Sergei Baydakov,
the council members discussed formation of student associations and
extra measures to prevent xenophobia and extremism among youth.

"We dwelled on the mechanisms to exterminate these phenomena in our
society. With appointment of Sergei Baydarkov and Mikhail Solomentsev
as curators, we witness considerable progress," commented Gegham
Khalatyan, deputy chairman of the council.

Working groups will be formed in all prefectures of Moscow. Their
activities will be coordinated by the Moscow Integration Center.

According to Levon Mukanyan, vice president of the Union of Armenians
of Russia (UAR), the government of Moscow demonstrates a new approach
to the problem of xenophobia and radical extremis.

ANKARA CANNOT SOLVE PROBLEMS OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS BY DOING CONTROVERSIAL STATEMENTS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
22.06.2009 11:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Ankara will not solve current problems of
Armenian-Turkish relations by doing controversial statements, RA
foreign minister Edward Nalbandian told a news conference jointly
organized with UAE foreign minister Abdulla bin Zayed Al Nahyan on
June 21 in Yerevan.

" Differences in Armenian-Turkish relations must be settled in
talks. Armenia will continue making efforts in that direction,
" RA foreign minister said.

Dwelling on the recent statement by the US Assistant Secretary
of State for European and Eurasian affairs Philip Gordon about
establishing a committee of historians between Armenia and Turkey,
Mr. Nalbandian said, that official Yerevan seeks to normalize
relationships with Ankara and establish diplomatic relations without
pre-conditions. "Armenia intends to establish intergovernmental
committee with Turkey to deal with various issues of bilateral
relations," the RA foreign minister stressed.

In his turn Abdulla bin Zayed Al Nahyan said, that Armenian-Turkish
reconciliation issues were discussed during negotiations with the
Armenian side. "We are very happy that "football diplomacy" created
basis for talks between Yerevan and Ankara. We understand that the
sides are to achieve solutions to complicated problems and we support
their steps towards improving relationships", UAE foreign minister
said, adding that after completing his visit in Yerevan he will leave
for Ankara.