Author: Kajoyan Gevork

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT IS RESOLUTE TO EXERT EFFORTS FOR CONTINUATION OF “MCA-ARMENIA” PROGRAM

ARMENPRESS
OCTOBER 4, 2011
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan has summoned today a reception on the occasion of successful
implementation of “Millennium Challenge Account-Armenia” (MCA-Armenia)
program. Welcoming the guests, Tigran Sargsyan said that the government
attaches high importance to the assessment of Executive Director
of “Millennium Challenge” corporation Daniel Yohannes, according
to which there is a bilateral resoluteness to expand the bilateral
relations. According to the head of the government, at the meeting with
Patrick Fine, Vice President for Compact Operations of the Millennium
Challenge Corporation, the results of the program were summed up.

“New standards and a methodology have been elaborated within
“Millennium Challenge” corporation, which will become the object
of study of our government, and we will try to correspond to those
standards. On behalf of the Armenian government I express gratitude to
the US government for the extended support. I am happy and proud of the
circumstance that the program implemented in Armenia by “Millennium
Challenge” has been assessed the best. It inspires hope that we are
able to come to agreement with the foundation and implement a new
program in future,” Tigran Sargsyan said.

Stressing that the most important standards of the program concern
not only the targets defined by the law, but also strengthening of
democracy in Armenia and creation of economic basis, the head of the
executive body said that the Armenian government is resolute to exert
efforts for continuation of this program in the Republic of Armenia.

The Prime Minister noted that “MCA-Armenia” program is one of the
most succeeded manifestations if Armenian-American cooperation.

Vice President for Compact Operations of the Millennium Challenge
Corporation Patrick Fine in his turn said that by making considerable
investments in irrigation infrastructures and agribusiness sphere
of our country, they have made a step in the direction of poverty
reduction. “We have had big achievements during the program, and we
are very happy for that. This example shows that Armenia undertakes
works for providing the welfare of its citizens,” he said.

A video telling about the works implemented by “MCA-Armenia” program
was shown during the reception.

MISHA ALOYAN MAKES IT TO WORLD BOXING CHAMPIONSHIPS 1/4 FINALS

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 4, 2011 – 20:39 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Russian boxer Misha Aloyan (52 kg) scored a 15:11 win
in a close struggle against Cuban Robeisy Ramirez at Baku-hosted AIBA
World Championships. With his victory, Aloyan made it to 1/4 finals,
also gaining an entry to 2012 London Olympics.

G.SAHAKYAN:MARCH 1 WILL BE REPEATED IF LEVON TER PETROSYAN WISHES

Aysor.am
Tuesday,October 04

The police should forbid the ANC meetings as they are illegal, said
RPA vice president Galust Sahakyan.

“They could stay even for ten days if they were allowed to,” he said
and added that it could have negative results for the people.

“Even after the presidential elections in 2008 the authorities
didn’t use the law and we so the uncontrollable mass which didn’t
obey to anyone, and as a result we got the March 1. The March 1 will
be repeated if Levon Ter Petrosyan wishes,” G.Sahakyan stressed.

PRICES FOR COMMUNITY-OWNED LANDS IN ARMENIA’S BORDER, MOUNTAINOUS AND REMOTE AREAS TO BE DOWNED

/ARKA/
October 4, 2011
Yerevan

YEREVAN, October 4. /ARKA/. Armenian National Assembly passed the
package of amendments to the land code today.

The amendments propose to lower prices for community-owned lands
in mountainous, remote and border areas in Armenia from current 50%
to 30% of the cadastre cost.

Justice Minister Hrayr Tovmasyan, presenting the bill to lawmakers,
said different property alienation mechanisms should be applied to
these lands, i.e. prices should be lower to attract buyers.

He said that contradictions in the current code created uncertainty in
the rules of disposal of lands in the above-mentioned types of areas.

“Unfortunately, we have problems with land cultivation,” the
minister said. “These changes will spur purchase and cultivation of
such lands.” The Parliament also gave its preliminary approval to
amendments to the local self-government law.

These amendments imply the requirement to the community councils to
indicate location, size, category and functional significance of lands
in their decisions on alienation and leasing of community property.

“Under the current law, community councils approve lists of the
property subject to sale and leasing,” Tovmasyan said. “The absence
of this information makes size, location and purpose of alienated
or leased lands unknown and gives community heads room for deciding
these parameters at their discretion.”

The bill specifies that community councils’ alienation or leasing
decisions will follow community heads’ proposals.

“Community councils must specify beforehand how much time is needed
for alienation,” the minister said. “Otherwise we may have the
expected money in the budget only by the end of the fiscal year,
while projects for which these funds will be spent are planned for
the beginning of the next fiscal year.”

The minister said that the bill also contains amendments to the local
self-government of Yerevan.

BERRI FROM ARMENIA: INTERNATIONAL POWERS TARGETING ARAB REGIMES TO SUBJECT THEM TO THEIR WILL

Naharnet Newsdesk
4 Oct 2011

Speaker Nabih Berri criticized on Tuesday the international community’s
“double standards” in dealing with Israel, accusing it of having
hidden agendas in the Middle East.

He said before the Armenian parliament: “International decision-makers
are placing all Arab regimes in the position of the accused in order
to subject them to their will.”

“They are is seeking to weaken Arab states, one country at a time,”
he added.

“Of course we don’t oppose granting the people their rightful demands
for democracy and transparency, but we cannot but confront powers”
seeking to manipulate these demands for their own interests, the
speaker continued.

Addressing Palestine’s U.N. bid to be recognized as an independent
state, Berri remarked: “The developments in the region indicate that
a long time will pass before stability is reached in the region.”

“The Middle East will not witness peace and the Palestinians will
continue on having the right to keep a comprehensive popular
resistance, as do the Lebanese against Israeli violations,” he
stressed.

“Syria also has the right to maintain its resistant positions in
attempting to restore the occupied Golan Heights,” he noted.

“I had previously warned that Israel is seeking to evade its
obligations towards fair and comprehensive peace … and facts have
demonstrated that peace that is not based on justice is doomed to
fail,” he stated.

“Lebanon and Syria are committed to the basic principles and values
that can guarantee their national sovereignty and right to take
advantage of their natural resources,” he remarked.

Given Israel’s ongoing violations of international resolutions,
Lebanon has the right to hang on to its resistance, Berri said.

“Abandoning the Resistance would invite Israel to occupy our land,”
he cautioned.

The speaker also welcomed the negotiations between Armenia and Turkey
that were launched in 2008, saying: “We object neighboring countries’
efforts to overpower the other and we oppose meddling in the internal
affairs of any state.”

“Attempting to create sectarian strife in Syria, or any other state,
will negatively impact the region and pave the way for its division,”
he warned.

“All sides should have an interest in making Syria a model country
for the Middle East through the establishment of a modern democratic
system there that can confront Israeli aggression and provide the
necessary balance to achieve fair and comprehensive peace in the
region,” he stressed.

On Lebanese-Armenian ties, the speaker noted that despite the
solid ties between the peoples of the two nations, the economic and
commercial ties between the two states do not reflect the depth of
the relations between Lebanese and Armenians.

Berri, accompanied by MPs Mohammed Raad and Arthur Nazarian, began
a three-day visit to Armenia on Monday.

TIGRAN DAVTYAN: ESTABLISHMENT OF ARMENIAN-FRENCH BUSINESS CLUB TO CONTRIBUTE TO STRENGTHENING OF ARMENIAN-FRENCH COMMERCIAL-ECONOMIC AND INVESTMENT ACTIVITY

ARMENPRESS
OCTOBER 4, 2011
YEREVAN

The Armenian-French business club (AFBC), in accordance with the
strategy it has assumed, will play an important role, assisting in
strengthening of relations between Armenia and France, integration to
international economic system, and formation of favorable environment
for any activity between the two countries in commercial-economic
and scientific-technical spheres.

“I am sure that establishment of the AFBC is a platform, which will
contribute to strengthening of Armenian-French commercial-economic and
investment cooperation and will promote solution of the issues of the
sphere,” Armenian Minister of Economy Tigran Davtyan told Armenpress,
adding that the cooperation of such format is very important for the
Ministry of Economy.

Pursuing the RA economic development and systemic integration of the
latter, among the goals of the club are strengthening of relations
between potential beneficiaries, elaboration of joint programs and
their implementation.

“France is the second investing state in Armenia, and in this regard
establishment of the Armenian-French business club is not casual,
French Ambassador to Armenia Anry Reno noted, adding that during the
recent meeting of Serzh Sargsyan and Nicolas Sarkozy perspectives of
economic cooperation of the two countries were also discussed.

“Years ago it was not easy to extend activity in Armenia in the
sphere of business, but I think the businessmen who have made
investments today, do not regret and serve example for the others,”
the ambassador said.

All French-Armenian companies interested in the activity of the club
may join it.

THE OSCE MISSION HELD SCHEDULED MONITORING OF THE NKR AND AZERBAIJANI ARMED FORCES’ CONTACT-LINE, IN THE MARTAKERT DIRECTION

Noyan Tapan

04.10.2011

On October 4, in accordance with the earlier agreement with the
authorities of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, the OSCE Mission
held scheduled monitoring of the NKR and Azerbaijani armed forces’
contact-line, in the Martakert direction.

>From the positions of the NKR Defense Army, the monitoring was held
by Field Assistants of the Personal Representative of the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office Antal Herdich (Hungary), William Prior (Great
Britain), and representative of the High Level Planning Group Michel
O’Connor (Ireland).

On the opposite side, the monitoring group comprised Coordinator
of the OSCE Office Imre Palatinus (Hungary), Field Assistant of
the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Chisto
Christov (Bulgaria), and representative of the High Level Planning
Group Vladimir Reznikov (Russian Federation).

The monitoring passed in accordance with the agreed schedule, and no
violation of the cease-fire regime was fixed.

>From the Karabakh party, the monitoring mission was accompanied by
representatives of the NKR Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense.

NKR MFA Press Service

ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER TIGRAN SARGSYAN RECEIVES LEBANESE SPEAKER

Noyan Tapan

04.10.2011

On October 4 Tigran Sargsyan received Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri.

Greeting the guest the Prime Minister expressed confidence that
Nabih Berri’s visit to Armenia would give a new impetus to the
development of relations between the two countries in different
directions. Tigran Sargsyan noted that mutual economic relations,
especially trade circulation volumes don’t correspond to the level
of Armenian-Lebanese high-level political relations. The head of the
government said that in the frames of the visit business forum would
be organised and businessmen from the two sides would participate
in it which would promote the development and implementation of
Armenian-Lebanese joint economic projects.

According to the department of information and public relations of the
RA Government, the sides considered light industry, pharmaceuticals,
jewelry, tourism the fields of prospective cooperation.

For his part Nabih Berri informed that in the future Lebanon’s
President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister would visit Armenia.

ANDRANIK HAKOBYAN WINS ENTRY TO 2012 LONDON OLYMPICS

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 4, 2011 – 17:33 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian boxer Andranik Hakobyan (75 kg) scored
a crucial win in AIBA World Championships to secure entry to 2012
London Olympics.

In 1/8 finals, the Vice World Champion and World Cup holder beat
Mexico’s Juan Mercado 9:4, 6:3, with the clash ending before time
because of the challenger’s back injury.

The remaining boxers, who dropped out of championship, have already
returned to Armenia.

ARMENIA, CZECH REPUBLIC MAY COOPERATE IN NUCLEAR ENERGY

Aysor.am
Tuesday,October 04

Armenia’s Ambassador to Czech Republic Tigran Seyranyan met with
Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg on Monday.

The two sides discussed political, economic and cultural ties between
Armenia and Czech Republic, MFA press office said.

Karel Schwarzenberg congratulated Ambassador Tigran Seyranyan on the
20th anniversary of Armenia’s independence.

The Czech FM stressed the importance of cultural cooperation and noted
that Armenia and Czech Republic may also cooperate in nuclear energy.

Tigran Seyranyan presented the latest regional developments, the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement process.