Author: Kanayan Tamar

EDWARD NALBANDIAN BELIEVES THAT ALL HUMAN VALUES WILL BE FINALLY ESTABLISHED IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS AND WILL UNITE PEOPLES

ArmInfo
2009-10-29 14:37:00

ArmInfo. "Armenia follows European values and we believe that all
human values will be finally established in our region and will unite
the peoples living there and Europe," Foreign Minister of Armenia
Edward Nabandian said during the conference in Yerevan devoted to
the Eastern Partnership Project.

The minister said the Armenian people have centuries-long ties with
Europe. Centuries ago the general history and geography of Armenia and
Europe were more limited and representatives of the Armenian people
made their contribution to the system known as the European Values.

The minister said Europe is now identified with peace, solidarity,
human rights protection and all human values. However, everyone knows
also the high price the European peoples had to pay for that. "Nowhere
else in the world wars and conflicts were as severe as in Europe. That
is why, probably, peace achieved by European peoples is especially
valuable. After so many confrontations and two world wars, Europe
found enough power and will to revive and unite after a century of
enmity between the peoples. And now Europe is a symbol of peace, unity
and solidarity for the international community," the minister said.

ARMENIAN MOGUL ACQUIRES BULGARIA’S WATER BOTTLER GORNA BANYA

Novinite
Oct 29 2009
Bulgaria

Armenian major businessman Gagik Tsarukyan have bought Bulgarian water
bottling company Gorna Banya in a EUR 25 M deal, which was sealed at
the end of last week, local reports say.

This is the first sale deal to be completed in the Bulgarian water
bottling sector this year.

About EUR 20 M of the sale price will be used for covering the
company’s debts, one of the former owners Evgeni Goranov told Dnevnik
daily.

The company owes EUR 12 M in long-term banking loans and another EUR
4 M in short-term funding.

It should pay a separate some EUR 3.5 M to a UK investment fund.

Gagik Tsarukian, arguably Armenia’s wealthiest man, owns more than
40 medium and large companies, making up a business empire, which
has seen an incredible expansion in recent years.

A former arm-wrestler, Tsarukian started out as a minority shareholder
in one of Armenia’s two largest breweries in the late 1990s.

Tsarukian has been a member of Armenian parliament since 2003, while
a year later he established the "Flourishing Armenia" party. Chairman
of Armenia’s National Olympic Committee.

The news of Gorna Banya’s sale comes a month after one of its nearest
rivals, Devin, majority owned by Austria’s Soravia Group, signed an
agreement for the sale of a 75% stake to global private equity fund
Advent International.

The deal price is said to be around EUR 21 M to 22 M. Its final value
will be fixed between the signing of the contract and its conclusion.

RUSSIA NOT CURRENTLY SUPPLYING S-300 SAM SYSTEMS TO IRAN

RIA Novosti
Oct 28, 2009

FRYAZINO (Moscow Region), October 28 (RIA Novosti) – Russia is not
supplying S-300 defensive surface-to-air missile systems to Iran,
a Russian deputy prime minister said on Wednesday.

"Presently, there are no such supplies," Sergei Ivanov told reporters.

He offered no clue as to whether supplies could begin later.

Last Thursday, the Federal Service for Military and Technical
Cooperation said Russia had no plans to cease military cooperation
with Iran.

The statement came amid media reports that Russia could cancel a
contract to deliver S-300 systems to Tehran.

An unnamed defense industry official said last Wednesday that Russia
would sustain significant losses if it decides to tear up the contract
for S-300 systems.

Russian military analyst Konstantin Makiyenko previously said a
decision not to go ahead with the contract would cost Russia about $1
billion in lost profits, plus $300-400 million in fines and penalties.

Reports of possible deliveries of S-300 missiles to Iran have aroused
concerns in the West and in Israel.

Iranian media, citing senior security officials, have reported that
Russia has started delivering elements of the advanced version of the
S-300 missile under a 2005 contract. However, Russian arms industry
officials have invariably denied such reports.

The latest version of the S-300 family is the S-300PMU2 Favorit,
which has a range of up to 195 kilometers (about 120 miles) and can
intercept aircraft and ballistic missiles at altitudes from 10 meters
to 27 kilometers.

It is considered one of the world’s most effective all-altitude
regional air defense systems, comparable in performance to the U.S.

MIM-104 Patriot system.

TWO SUBSIDIARIES OF METAL PRINCE CORPORATION INCLUDED IN MAJOR ARMENIAN TAXPAYERS’ LIST

PanARMENIAN.Net
28.10.2009 20:23 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ According to RA State Revenue Committee
January-September 2009 data, two subsidiaries of Metal Prince Ltd. were
included in major Armenian taxpayers’ list.

AMD 222,4 million worth taxes were paid by Akhtala ore-dressing plant;
AMD 160,7 million by Sagamar CJSC.

The Metal Prince Ltd. Corporation is registered in the British
Nevis Island. Through its joint-stock subsidiary companies, Akhtala
ore-dressing plant, Sagamar CJSC and Molibdenum World Ltd., it launched
its activities in the Armenian mining sector in 2000.

MEDVEDEV URGES RUSSIAN DEFENSE INDUSTRY TO CREATE SUPERIOR WEAPONS

RIA Novosti
Oct 26, 2009

REUTOV (Moscow Region), October 26 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian
president said on Monday that the country’s defense industry must
ensure the effective modernization of the military and provide it
with state-of-the-art weapons.

Dmitry Medvedev said "the restructuring of the Armed Forces should
be complete in two months," adding that the next task was more
challenging: "re-outfitting of the army and navy."

He stressed that the life of Russian soldiers depended "on the quality
of the weapon systems, on the quality of the defense industry,"
and that the quality of its products was crucial for Russia’s
competitiveness on world arms markets.

He said that "by 2012, very serious progress must be made" in
modernizing the Russian Armed Forces.

The president said there should be no difference in the quality of
military goods manufactured for export or for domestic consumption.

He warned that although significant government funds were provided
for defense, they must not be wasted.

"The most unpleasant thing is when money is spent on the
‘modernization’ of something that is obsolete or will become obsolete
in the next few years. This is self-defeating," Medvedev said,
stressing that priority should be given to superior, cutting-edge
systems.

YEREVAN CONTINUES STEPS TOWARDS STRENGTHENING TIES WITH EU

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.10.2009 13:09 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Luxemburg hosted the 10th session of EU-Armenia
Coordination Council. The meeting presided over by FM Edward
Nalbandyan was attended by Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Blidt,
Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy
Benita Ferrero-Waldner, State Secretary for European Affairs Diego
Lopez Garrido and EU Special Representative for South Caucasus Peter
Semneby, EU press service reports.

During the session, Armenian FM introduced Armenia’s recent steps
towards implementation of European Neighborhood Policy action plan,
stressing that its effective implementation was a priority for
Armenia-EU cooperation. Parties expressed satisfaction with the
results, noting at the same time that there were prospects for
broadening the scopes of the program.

They also exchanged views on Eastern Partnership initiative, attaching
significance to the full-fledged use of its potential, i.e.

elaboration of associate agreement, conclusion of comprehensive
agreement on free trade and simplification of visa regime. European
side introduced steps towards normalizations of Armenian-Turkish ties,
stressing the importance of speedy ratification of recently signed
Protocols and their implementation without preconditions. Upon the
request of European side, FM Nalbandyan introduced recent developments
in Karabakh settlement process, RA MFA press service reports.

Trend, Azerbaijan
Oct 22 2009

Society should resist opening of Turkey- Armenia border: Azerbaijani
opposition leader

Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct.22 / Trend News A.Huseynbala /

Azerbaijani opposition leader thinks that the society should protest
against opening of the Turkey-Armenia borders.

"Majority of Turkish people are against signing the protocols. The
Turkish government has taken this action under pressure of the U.S.A.
and the West. The society should resist to prevent this step," Head of
the National Independence Party of Azerbaijan (NIPA) Etibar Mammadov
told Trend News.

Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers Ahmet Davutoglu and Edward
Nalbandian signed the protocols Ankara-Yerevan in Zurich on October
10.

Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey have been broken due
to Armenia’s claims of an alleged genocide, and its occupation of
Azerbaijani lands. The border between them has been broken since 1993.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
lost all of Nagorno-Karabakh except for Shusha and Khojali in December
1991. In 1992-93, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and 7
districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed
a ceasefire in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia,
France, and the U.S. – are currently holding the peace negotiations.

The Turkish and Azerbaijani public should participate in protests to
put pressure on the Turkish government, Mammadov said. "But we can not
allow this issue to be abused," the leader of the NIPA said.

According to Mammadov, there is no need to raise the issue of the flag
in the statements on the Turkish government’s intention to open its
border with Armenia.

"The Azerbaijani flag was not allowed to be taken to the stadium under
the Turkish official’s decision in Bursa. The Turkish public opposed
it and criticized its government," he said.

Regarding the possibility of joint activities of the Azerbaijani
opposition parties to prevent the ratification of the protocols in the
Turkish parliament, Mammadov said that every organization should
express its position.

"You should not differentiate the power and the opposition in this
issue. This issue affects the national interests," Mammadov added.

NIPA, founded in 1992, is the first officially registered political
party in Azerbaijan. Etibar Mammadov was the founder and chairman of
the party until 2004. At present, Mammadov is the deputy chairman of
the International Democratic Society.

INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION DAY TO BE CELEBRATED ON OCTOBER 28

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.10.2009 13:58 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ International Animation Day is celebrated each year
on October 28

On October 28th, 1892, a French inventor Emile Reynaud (1844-1918)
made the first public performance of animation at the Grevin Museum
in Paris, using his own invention "optical theater".

In 2002, ASIFA (The International Animated Film Association) decided
to celebrate this historic day as "International Animation Day",
aiming to promote and develop animation art all over the world.

In 2004, many of the ASIFA National Groups started to hold the
celebration on and around October 28th, as a simultaneous manifestation
in various countries.

RETURN FESTIVAL TO ORGANIZE FINAL CONCERT ON OCTOBER 24

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.10.2009 17:02 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On October 24, Yerevan Chamber Music House will
host the sixth final classical music concert within the frameworks
of Return festival.

Audience will have the chance to listen to Vahagn Papyan (Israel)
and State Youth Chamber Orchestra (conductor: Sergey Smbatyan).

Graduate of Moscow Conservatory (instructor: Prof. Mikhail
Voskresensky), Vahagn Papyan started his career as pianist, after
successful performance in Viana Da Mota international piano contest
in Lisbon (1979). In 1982, he entered St. Petersburg Conservatory,
Conducting Department (instructor: Prof. Ilya Musin). In 1984, Valery
Gergiev invited Papyan as second conductor in Armenian Philharmonic
Orchestra, Three years later, he became art director and chief
conductor. In 2003, Vahagn Papyan was invoted to Moscow to conduct
New Russian Symphonic Orchestra. Since 2006, he has been Art Director
of Ashdodsk Symphonic Orchestra, Israel.

Sergey Smbatyan – violinist and conductor -was born in 1987 in
Yerevan. He is a laureate of international violinists’ contests of
Bucharest (2001), Kishinev (2004), Tokyo (2004) and Grand-Prix holder
in San Remo (Italy, 2001). Currently Smbatyan is a third year student
in Yerevan State Conservatory (instructors: B. Vardanyan, violin, Yu.

Davtyan, conducting). He studies violin under professors S. Kravchenko
(Russia), Z. Bron (Switzerland). G. Zhislin (violin), R. Ricci (Italy)
and conducting art under Yu. Davtyan (Armenia) and V. Spivakov.

Smbatyan has given violin concerts with Rostov and Yekaterinburg
Philharmonic Orchestras, Republic of Bashkortostan National Symphonic
Orchestra and Israel Youth Orchestra. He has also performed tour
concerts in England, Austria, Italy, Israel, Egypt, Lebanon and
Switzerland. Currently, Smbatyan conducts Yerevan State Conservatory’s
Youth Orchestra.

Return festival is aimed at drawing Armenians’ attention to problems
of repatriation, demonstrating recent achievements of qualified
musicians, encouraging and promoting development of creative ideas
and contemporary Armenian musicians’ works and generating demand for
contemporary classical music.

Opening of third classical music festival was held on October 22.

Return classical music festival organized by Art Galletry under the
high patronage of RA First Lady Rita Sargsyan (financial sponsor:
VivaCell-MTS).

WITHDRAWAL OF ARMENIAN FORCES FROM AZERBAIJAN’S OCCUPIED TERRITORIES IS MAIN CONDITION FOR RESTORING PEACE AND STABILITY IN REGION: AZERBAIJANI FM

Today.Az
72.html
Oct 23 2009
Azerbaijan

Withdrawal of the Armenian forces from the occupied Azerbaijani
territory is major condition to restore peace and stability in the
region, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said at a
meeting with U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European
and Eurasian Affairs Tina S.Kaidanow on Oct.23.

Mammadyarov noted that normalization of the Armenian-Turkish
relations and settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are closely
interrelated processes and the advances should be achieved in parallel
in both issues, the Foreign Ministry said.

Noting the importance of opening communication for consistent peace and
stability in the region, the minister said this requires the Armenian
armed forces to withdraw from the occupied Azerbaijani territories.

The U.S. administration places great importance to cooperation with
Azerbaijan and is interested in its further development, Kaidanow
said at the meeting.

The U.S. is ready to contribute to speedy settlement of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group,
Kaidanow added.

According to the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Washington
backs positive progress in resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
and normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations.