Author: Kalashian Nyrie

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN MEETS WITH "LUYS FOUNDATION" SCHOLARSHIP RECEIPIENTS

2009/08/11 | 14:22

Society

RoA President Serzh Sargsyan met today with students who have received
scholarships from the "Luys Foundation" to continue their studies at
top colleges and universities abroad. Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
was also on hand to congratulate the students on their achievements.

Pointing out that such a funding program has been the dream of
deserving students for many years, President Sargsyan said, "Today,
such a dream has become a reality and the government not only declares
the importance of getting a higher education but is now assisting
with its funding. You are the first students to receive scholarships
from the "Luys Foundation" who have been accepted at 25 top foreign
colleges. I am sure that your example will encourage others to follow
and that many more Armenian students will go on to continue their
education at some of the world’s top institutions."

President Sargsyan stated that one of the functions of the government
is to ensure a quality higher education for all its deserving citizens
and that in this respect there are two paths of development. One is
the work carried out by organizations like "Luys" to fund deserving
students and that the other is to improve the level of higher education
in Armenia and bring it up to international standards.

Mentioning that Armenians have historically valued the obtainment
of knowledge, President Sargsyan pointed to the example of Mesrop
Mashtots, saying, "Then too, we must remember that after creating the
Armenian alphabet, Mesrop Mashtots sent his first students to the four
corners of the world with the mission to acquire knowledge and bring
it back to Armenia. I can say without exaggeration that our students,
who go abroad and then return, are doing the same. We all know that
in the 21st century, a low level of education also means having a
low standard of living."

President Sargsyan also stated that Armenia presently suffers from a
shortage of quality professionals and that there is a great demand
for young professionals who can translate their education into
practical usage.

WORLD SUPER POWERS WANT STABILITY IN SOUTH CAUCASUS FOR THEIR OWN INTERESTS: SENIOR OFFICIAL

Today.Az
10 August 2009

Head of International Relations Department of Azerbaijani Presidential
Administration Novruz Mammadov believes world’s leading countries
want stability on the South Caucasus for their own interests.

"Unfortunately, maybe the conflicts in the region appeared due to
the interests of these countries. The South Caucasus is on the
focus of attention of the world’s leading countries because of
its geo-strategic position. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s
statement on Russia’s support to solution of the conflicts on the South
Caucasus was expected," Mammadov told official website of ruling New
Azerbaijan Party.

During his visit to Turkey Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
said active work is underway to resolve [Armenia-Azerbaijan]
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Turkish Anadolu news agency reported.

"Serious work is being done to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
and there is serious progress in this regard. Moscow is eager to see
rapid resolution of the conflict," Putin added.

Mammadov appraised Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s statement
on solution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which he made during his
visit to Turkey. "This fact showed that Russia is supporter of the
solution," Mammadov added.

The sides have special interests on the solution of
Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Azerbaijan tries to
harmonize these interests and solve this conflict in the interests
of statehood, Mammadov said.

Major countries are also interested in solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. So, influence on Armenia by these countries is increasing.

Interfax, Russia
Aug 7 2009

U.S. diplomat, Armenian president discuss Karabakh

YEREVAN Aug 7

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and U.S. co-chairman of the OSCE
Minsk Group Matthew Bryza met in Yerevan on Friday to discuss the
Nagorno-Karabakh settlement process.

Sargsyan and Bryza exchanged their views on the conflict resolution
process, the Armenian president’s press office told Interfax.

The authorities in Baku lost control over Nagorno-Karabakh and seven
neighboring districts during a bloody conflict between Azerbaijan and
Armenia in the 1990s. As a result of the conflict, up to one million
Azeri people had to leave their homes. The UN Security Council adopted
resolutions denouncing the occupation of the Azeri territories and
ordering Armenia’s armed forces to leave the region.

The OSCE Minsk Group, which includes representative of the U.S.,
Russia and France, has been working to help Armenia and Azerbaijan
find a solution to the conflict.

Baku insists that the conflict be resolved gradually: at the first
stage Armenia will withdraw its troops from all seven occupied Azeri
territories around Nagorno-Karabakh and Azeri forced migrants will
return there. Economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Armenia
could also resume at this stage.

At the second stage the parties will discuss the political status of
Nagorno-Karabakh proper. A referendum has been suggested as one of the
possible ways to determine the status. Baku is against any attempt to
separate Nagorno-Karabakh from Azerbaijan and offers a high degree of
autonomy to this region.

Armenia, for its part, offers to resolve the issue by trading seven
occupied areas of Azerbaijan outside Nagorno-Karabakh in exchange for
the enclave’s security. Yerevan says the return of the areas and the
Nagorno-Karabakh status are the issues that must be decided
concurrently.

LOST, BLUE AND OTHER SONGS

LRAGIR.AM
13:17:05 – 07/08/2009

Rose Eken (1976) lives and works in London and in Copenhagen . She has
a Master of Art from Royal College of Art, London , UK . She works
in a variety of media focusing on drawing, embroidery, sculpture-
and video-installation. The aura, fragility and physical detritus
surrounding a (rock) performance is a source of inspiration. Her
hand-made style and miniature models references the DIY of punk
and the combination of audacity and fragility that comes with it;
suspending her work somewhere between the very sketchy and overtly
obsessive. Drawing on the melancholy and romance of music she unpicks
the processes through which particular spaces and pop-cultural
objects have become embedded within the collective consciousness
thus activating the viewers private memory and dreams allowing for
new and personal narratives to emerge.

Recent solo exhibitions include ‘Electric Ladyland’ at DUNK! in
Copenhagen DK and "Song with No Name" in conjunction with undertaking
an artist residency at SAIR; Sølyst Artists in Residence Center,
Jyderup, DK.

Recent group shows include ‘We Meet Under Tables’, Esplanaden 3,
Copenhagen , DK, Through The Looking Glass at SVG3 in Glasgow , UK and
‘John, I’m Only Dancing’ at The John Jones Project Space in London ,
UK . She is currently also exhibiting in a Fine Selection at Beaver
Projects in Copenhagen , DK.

ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER PREDICTS LOW INFLATION RATE FOR 2009

/ARKA/
August 6, 2009
Yerevan

Armenian prime minister Tigran Sargsyan predicted Wednesday a ‘rather
low inflation rate’ for 2009.

‘Naturally, as long as the economy is not out of the recession yet
the government’s priorities will be to ensure economic growth and
financial stability and only then to focus on curbing inflation, ‘
the prime minister said during a working visit to Vayots Dzor province.

The head of the government praised the Central Bank for lowering the
benchmark interest rate, which he said is in tune with the government’s
plan of actions to mitigate the fallout from the crisis. He stressed
that the Armenian economy is free now from inflation pressures.

‘The inflation rate fell three times against the past year. The
inflation rate in the first seven months of 2088 against the same
time span of 2007 rose to 10.5%, but it fell to 3.5% for the first
seven months of 2009,’ he said.

The prime minister said having in view that 1.5% of the inflation is
accounted for by price hikes of natural gas, petrol, power and public
utilities, the conclusion is that the inflation environment for this
year is favorable.

GOLDEN APRICOT 2009

Wedne sday, 15 July 2009 05:00

Vartan Oskanian has been Honorary President of the Golden Apricot
Film Festival since the festival’s inception. This year, Mr. Oskanian
presented the special ‘Master’ prize to the renowned American director
Rob Nilsson at the Moscow Cinema on July 14.

"When the organizers of the festival invited me to take on this
duty years ago, I accepted it with pleasure, because I believe that
film is the best medium for dialogue and mutual understanding among
societies," Mr.

Oskanian said in presenting the award. He spoke about Rob Nilsson’s
work as a shining example of the unique character of film. During
the course of a rich career, which included the notable independent
film Northern Lights, Rob Nilsson has helped individuals understand
themselves and societies understand each other.

Rob Nilsson thanked the organizers and said that, although he has
received many prizes, this one from Armenia will hold a special place
in his heart.

"It is an honor for me to receive an award from a country where the
streets are named after poets and authors, where even the currency
bears pictures of writers and painters," he said.

On the following evening, the Civilitas Foundation hosted the
organizers and participants of the festival. Some 100 guests, including
directors, screenwriters and act ors from Japan, Canada, Iran, Turkey,
Austria, the Netherlands, France as well as enjoyed beautiful rooftop
views of the center of Yerevan.

Interfax, Russia
July 31 2009

Armenia reduces electricity production 11% in H1

YEREVAN July 31

Armenia reduced electricity production 10.6% to 2.788 billion kilowatt
hours in the first half of 2009 compared to the same period of 2008,
the National Statistics Service reported.

Output was down 24.7% to 451.7 million kWh at thermal electric
stations in the period, down 10.2% to 888.7 million kWh at
hydroelectric stations and down 5.5% to 1.445 billion kWh at nuclear
plants.

Output from wind turbines increased 240% to 2.7 million kWh in the
period.

Armenia produced 546,900 Gcal of heat in the half, down 42.1% from the
first half of 2008.

CENTRAL BANK OF ARMENIA INVALIDATES LICENSE OF CASCADE-CREDIT UNIVERSAL CREDIT ORGANIZATION

/ARKA/
July 31
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, July 31. /ARKA/. The Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) invalidated
the license of Cascade-Credit Universal Credit Organization CJSC.

The CBA Press Service reported that the activities were ceased due
to re-organization of the credit organization.

According to the Central Bank, there were 26 credit organizations
and 51 branches operating in Armenia as of the end of June 2009.

FOR OR AGAINST CASINOS?

A1+
04:45 pm | July 31, 2009 | society

Director of the Armenian Center for Strategic and National
Investigation Richard Kirakosian and President of the "Reform"
NGO Karine Hakobyan raised concerns over the the latest government
resolution on casinos, but the presses perceived this differently.

According to the government resolution, casinos will be moved to
resorts in Tsakhkadzor, Sevan and Jermuk starting in 2013. According
to the guest speakers at the "Hayeli" club, the resolution is not
in the interest of the nation and will cause problems in terms of
national security. For example, Richard Kirakosian mentioned that
casinos may have an impact on Armenia’s development.

"This is a business aimed at corruption and causes a threat to
Armenia’s security."

"This is a bill for the unlimited development of casinos. Besides that,
when the Ministry of Finance was preparing this bill, the Ministry
of Economy was preparing the concept for development in Jermuk. Both
contradict one another and the casinos represent a danger within the
country," added Karine Hakobyan.

Richard Kirakosian called on Serzh Sargsyan to leave casinos aside
and work toward developing chess, which will have a positive impact
on Armenia.

After the speeches, journalists asked why they suddenly decided to
raise concerns over the issue of casinos when they have been existing
for a long time already. Wasn’t this lobbying for existing casinos?

"No, not at all. Don’t get the wrong idea. The issue is not about
hurting casino owners or declaring them bankrupt. The problem is
Armenia’s course of development," said Karine Hakobyan. Richard
Kirakosian said that he is against gambling and although he can’t
prohibit anybody from doing that, everyone has the right to express
his opinion.

CONTROL CHAMBER REPORT TO CLARIFY RA STATE BUDGET ISSUES

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
30.07.2009 19:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Work accomplished by Governmental Control Chamber
will be useful in drawing 2010 state budget, RA Prime Minister
Tigran Sargsyan said at Thursday’s governmental meeting. According
to Prime Minister, Control Chamber activities’ report was discussed
at the meeting with Chamber Chairman. "Mistakes and shortcomings of
last years show how our reserves cold be used for financial means’
economy," Tigran Sargsyan noted.

Sargsyan added that losses, inflicted on RA Government as a result
of mistakes made, should be recovered. In this connection the Prime
Minister assigned authorities in charge with a responsibility to
undertake measures for full recovery of financial means lost.