Author: Kajoyan Gevork

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT: ARMENIAN PEOPLE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL TO NICOLAS SARKOZY

Panorama
Dec 8 2011
Armenia

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan described French President Nicolas
Sarkozy’s visit to Armenia a historical event, President Sargsyan
said in a meeting with Marseille Armenians, noting that Sarkozy made
statements in Yerevan that weren’t made by any other heads of states.

President Serzh Sargsyan stated that Armenians are backed by the
developed humanity in our appeal for justice. “The recent statements
unveiled France’s and French people’s dispositions. I’d like to ensure
my compatriots that French President Mister Nicolas Sarkozy’s visit
to Armenia was really a historical event. And before no one has ever
expressed words concerning Armenian-Turkish relations, the genocide,
and we should be grateful to the wise president of this wonderful
country.”

SLEIMAN: ARAB SPRING BENEFITS LEBANON

Zawya.com

Dec 8 2011

BEIRUT: President Michel Sleiman said Wednesday that the ongoing
developments in the region will move countries in the Arab world toward
a democratic political system and would serve the interests of Lebanon.

In an interview with a Yerevan-based Armenian TV on the eve of his
official visit to Armenia, Sleiman said that countries in the region
could not remain on the sidelines of the political transformation
that the world was going through as a result of globalization.

“Countries in the Arab world cannot stand outside of this
transformation and progress … the Arab world is currently going
through a transformation toward democracy and a system that Lebanon
would benefit from because it has had a democratic system for a long
time,” said Sleiman.

Since the beginning of pro-democracy uprisings in Tunisia in December
of last year, three Arab presidents have been overthrown and ongoing
protests in Syria continue to call for President Bashar Assad’s
departure from power.

“These developments will also result in a change in leadership,”
Sleiman added.

Sleiman said that changes in the Arab world should include a change
in the situation in occupied Palestine. “It is not enough to have
democracy in the Arab world, there should also be a solution to the
Palestinian struggle … who should regain their rights in a sovereign
Palestine,” said Sleiman.

ARMENIA PREDICTS GROWTH, RAISES TAX AMID CRISIS FEARS

Focus News
Dec 8 2011
Bulgaria

Yerevan. Lawmakers in Armenia approved a 2012 budget on Thursday that
forecasts modest growth but raises taxes to boost the small ex-Soviet
state’s revenues amid pressures on its fragile economy, AFP reports.

“Serious challenges await us in 2012,” Armenian Prime Minister Tigran
Sarkisian told parliament.

“We are obliged to take all possible preventative measures so that
the negative effects of the (global financial) crisis do not affect
the population’s standard of living,” he said.

The budget predicts that the country’s gross domestic product will
grow by 4.2 percent next year.

Taxes will be increased to 25 percent for all citizens with an
income of two million Armenian drams ($5,200/3,900 euros) or more,
with further tax hikes on luxury cars and expensive alcoholic drinks.

Total budget revenues for 2012 are predicted at 912 billion drams
($2.4 billion/1.8 billion euros), with expenditure at 1044 billion
drams ($2.7 billion/two billion euros).

Inflation is projected to be approximately four percent.

WEBSITE EXPLAINING DARWIN’S EVOLUTION THEORY BLOCKED IN TURKEY

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 9, 2011 – 13:40 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – A website explaining Darwin’s evolution theory is
blocked for children based on new internet filters, Hurriyet Daily
News reports.

The website is inaccessible for users applying a “Children Profile”
to their connection, a filter designed for underage users in accord
with the new internet regulations activated by the Turkish government.

The censor reportedly keeps children away from evolution theory,
but allows access to websites on creation.

The editor-in-chief of Bilim Teknik, a magazine published by the
Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey’s (TUBÄ°TAK),
stated that the ban was not against the theory of evolution
specifically.

“If that was the case, every website that used to word would have
been banned. This one may have been banned for containing harmful
material to children.”

The controversial new internet regulations work under two sets of
filters, “family” and “children”, that block access to all websites
containing material related to drugs, obscenity, terrorism and
prostitution.

GAGIK TSARKYAN NOT WITHOUT FORESIGHT – ARMENIAN EXPERT

Tert.am
09.12.11

At his Dec. 9 meeting with journalists, Hmayak Hovhannisyan, Chairman
of the Union of Political Scientists, answered a question about the
possibility of the Prosperous Armenian Party (PAP) accepting a proposal
for cooperation by the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC).

“The PAP has an advantage over the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA)
and ANC. The salt is competition between the parties. The PAP is a
more preferable partner for both the ANC and RPA.

“It would be short-sighted on the PAP’s part to use its advantage,”
the expert said.

PAP Chairman Gagik Tsarukyan is not so short-sighted as to “close
the door opened by Levon Ter-Petrosyan.” On the other hand, he will
not secede from the coalition.

In his turn, Rafik Petrosyan of the RPA parliamentary group, voiced
the opinion that Ter-Petrosyan;’s proposal was a attempt to drive a
wedge between the RPA and PAP. However, the PAP is committed to the
coalition memorandum, he said.

ARMENIAN CLASSES NOT RESTORED AT JAVAKHQ SCHOOLS

ARMENPRESS
DECEMBER 9, 2011
YEREVAN

A number of arrangements over Javakhq issue remained in the air and
are not being implemented, MP Shirak Torosyan, who is also chairman
of the “Javakhq” Patriotic Union, told the reporters today, reminding
the arrangement reached between the education ministers of Armenia
and Georgia to restore the hours of classes of Armenian language and
literature in Armenian schools in Javakhq.

“Unfortunately, it has not been done and the Georgian side left
everything as it is: the Georgian language classes came to replace
part of the Armenian language classes. The local Armenian community
greatly values the Armenian classes,” he said.

“An attempt is being made to turn the Armenian schools into bilingual
establishments and teach majority of lessons in Georgian. But the
level of knowledge of Georgian language does not allow the children
get proper knowledge,” Shirak Torosyan said.

BRITISH COMPANIES INTERESTED IN INVESTING IN ARMENIA

ARMRADIO.AM
09.12.2011 13:49

Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan received the Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland to Armenia Charles Lonsdale, who is completing his mission
in our country.

“I think you have made great efforts for the development and deepening
of Armenian-British relations. Great is your personal contribution
here,” the Prime Minister said.

The Ambassador noted that “Armenia has registered great progress in
this period in a number of directions.”

“I’m confident that the progress will continue. Britain is greatly
interested in the development of relations with Armenia,” Charles
Lonsdale said. He informed that British companies are interested in
making investments in Armenia.

The interlocutors touched upon the Armenia-EU relations, the reforms
implemented in our country and other issues.

The Prime Minister wished success to the Ambassador in his future
activity.

ARONIAN TIES GAME WITH CARLSEN AT LONDON CHESS CLASSIC

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 9, 2011 – 10:24 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian grandmaster Levon Aronian tied a game
against Norway’s Magnus Carlsen in the 5th round of London Chess
Classic

Aronian is currently 5th with 5 points. Hikaru Nakamura of the United
States keeps the lead with 10 points, followed by Carlsen (9 points).

In the next round, Aronian will face Michael Adams.

MP: ARMENIA RISKS LOSING ITS NORTHERN GATES

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 9, 2011 – 13:01 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – A member of the Republican Party of Armenia
(RPA), Javakhk expatriates’ union chair urged Armenian MPs of non-
Javakheti origin to address the issue of Armenian population outflow
from the region.

As Shirak Torosyan told a news conference, with Javakhk as the only
Northern gates of Armenia, the outflow is tragic to the country.

“We’re running the risk of losing our Northern gates,” the MP stressed
calling on Armenian authorities to extend more support to the region.

USAID CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY

armradio.am
09.12.2011 12:00

On December 8 at the Aram Khachaturian House Museum, U.S. Ambassador
to Armenia John Heffern, USAID Armenia Mission Director Dr. Jatinder
Cheema, Deputy Prime Minister Armen Gevorgian and guests celebrated
50 years of the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID).

Dr. Cheema noted at the event that ~SOver the past twenty years, USAID
has been working with Armenians to promote governmental accountability
and transparency, to improve the business environment, and to make
the country more competitive regionally and internationally. Our
programs have helped Armenia enhance essential public services in
important areas such as water and energy, develop better ways to
deliver social services to vulnerable populations, and reform primary
health care services.~T

On November 3, 1961, U.S. President John F. Kennedy established
USAID as the first U.S. foreign assistance organization focused on
long-range economic and social development assistance. Today USAID
operates in 110 countries around the world.

USAID~Rs assistance program in Armenia started in late 1980s, with
humanitarian aid to help Armenia address needs in the aftermath of
the devastating earthquake in 1988. As part of this assistance, over
6,800 families were provided permanent housing in the quake-affected
provinces of Shirak and Lori, and 120 sites were cleared for public
use.

USAID Armenia has since focused on the country~Rs longer-term
development and worked in close partnership with the Armenian
government, private businesses, non-governmental organizations, other
U.S. government agencies and international donors to advance Armenia~Rs
democratic reform process, economic growth, and regional integration.

USAID currently manages about 30 projects in Armenia, in the areas
of democratic governance, economic growth, social protection,
health care and Turkey- Armenia cross-border reconciliation. Over
the past two decades, the USAID has channeled over $1.3 billion of
assistance through its development programs to the benefit of the
people of Armenia.