Author: Kanayan Tamar

"WE ARE IN THE MOOD TO HOLD GOOD ELECTIONS AND WE BELIEVE THAT THE PRESENCE OF THE OBSERVERS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THAT", ARMENIAN PRESIDENT STATED

Mediamax
January 30, 2008

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Armenian President Robert Kocharian received
in Yerevan today the Members of the Temporary Commission of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on observing
the presidential elections in Armenia.

As Mediamax was told in the press service of the President, Robert
Kocharian stated that he attaches great importance to the work of
the observation mission.

"We are in the mood to hold really good elections and we believe that
the presence of the observation mission will also contribute that",
the Armenian President stated.

Head of PACE Temporary Commission John Prescott expressed hope that
the upcoming presidential elections on February 19 will become a
"step forward".

BAD WEATHER CAUSES WATER-SUPPLY PROBLEMS IN YEREVAN

ARKA News Agency
Jan 30 2008
Armenia

YEREVAN, January 30. /ARKA/. Bad weather has caused water-supply
problems in some of Yerevan’s communities. The press service of the
Yerevan-Jur company reports that specialists are working to resume
normal water supply from 7:00 p.m. on January 31.

The company apologizes to consumers.

Since 2005 the Yerevan Jur Company has been the exclusive manager of
Yerevan’s water-supply system.

FINDINGS OF MONITORING WERE RELEASED

Lragir
Jan 30 2008
Armenia

The State Commission for Fair Economic Competition has summed up
the findings of the monitoring of prices before and after New Year,
the press secretary of the commission reports.

The monitoring of consumer goods lasted from December 15, 2007 to
January 15, 2008.

According to the conclusion of the commission, the prices of 30 kinds
of goods (46 brands) were monitored. The retail price of 19 brands
did not change, whereas the prices of 26 brands, including butter,
cheese, eggs, vegetable oil, meat products went down by 0.1 to 9.7
percent. At the same time, the retail price of 11 brands went up by
0.4 to 3 percent, the prices of 4 brands went up by 12.6 percent,
including bananas, sausages, rice.

NEW AMBASSADOR OF IRAN PRESENTED HIS CREDENTIALS TO PRESIDENT KOCHARYAN

armradio.am
29.01.2008 16:50

The newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the
Islamic Republic of Iran Seid Ali Saghaian presented his credentials
to RA President Robert Kocharyan.

Congratulating the diplomat on assuming office, President Kocharyan
assessed the Armenian-Iranian relations as brilliant and said that the
newly appointed Ambassador has inherited a good legacy in this regard.

According to Robert Kocharyan, the bilateral cooperation has been
effective especially over the past years and has been dynamically
developing in all directions.

Ambassador Saghaian conveyed to Robert Kocharyan the warm greeting
of the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The diplomat also
appreciated the active cooperation between Armenia and Iran and noted
that it has developed especially during Robert Kocharyan’s tenure in
office. He assured he will spare no effort to expand the existing ties.

TERRY DAVIS: COE DOESN’T FOLLOW U.S. IN KOSOVO ISSUE

PanARMENIAN.Net
29.01.2008 14:21 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The council of Europe is not guided by the United
States as regards the Kosovo problem, CoE Secretary General Terry
Davis said.

"The U.S. wields no influence on decisions of the Council of Europe. If
Kosovo proclaims independence, 47 members of the Council of Europe
which is represented by 27 EU member states will make decision on
the issue. I can’t say what decision it will be, since the opinions
of the member states differ," he said.

At that Mr Davis said that it’s hard to tell how the proclamation
of Kosovo’s independence will affect resolution of other conflicts,
including the Nagorno Karabakh one. "I have numerously stated that
the CoE will support the UN decision, which is unlikely in the near
future. However, the Council of Europe will arrive at an agreement and
continue monitoring of human rights, education, local self-government
and cultural heritage in Kosovo," he said, Trend reports.

David Honigmann
By David Honigmann

FT
January 26 2008 02:00

K.D. Lang

Watershed

Nonesuch ****

In the 1990s, Lang parlayed her combination of retro country swing and
swooning torch singing into the mainstream. Since Ingénue , however,
she has made quirkier concept records, celebrating vegetarianism,
smoking and Canadianism. Watershed revels in lush textures: vibes on
"Je Fais La Planche", piano on "Shadow And The Flame". Strings heighten
the drama, but there is also pedal steel guitar, banjo and trumpet from
Jon Hassell. Lang’s voice still swoops and plunges in paradoxically
reflective ecstasy.

Djivan Gasparyan

The Soul Of Armenia

Network (2 CDs) ****

One of the most distinctive sounds in the world of music is the duduk,
the twin-reeded flute of apricot wood that is recognised by UNESCO as a
"masterpiece of intangible cultural heritage". Its prime exponent is
the Armenian musician Djivan Gasparyan, whose melancholy folk melodies
won him admirers who stretched from Brian Eno to the Queen. This
compilation includes nine new recordings, and a range of Gasparyan’s
previous work, including collaborations with Michael Brook and Nusrat
Fateh Ali Khan.

PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung), Austria
Jan 27 2008

Report: Turkish court charges 8 members of gang allegedly provoking
armed rebellion

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) – A court on Saturday charged eight members of
a so-called patriotic gang, including a former high-ranking military
officer, with provoking an armed rebellion against the government,
the private news agency Dogan said.
The crackdown follows a promise by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan to eradicate clandestine hardline nationalist groups who
allegedly target people they deem a threat to the country’s unity.
The group includes a retired brigadier general, Veli Kucuk, and a
nationalist lawyer who are accused of plotting to murder Nobel
literature prize laureate Orhan Pamuk as well as Kurdish politicians,
newspaper reports have said.
A court has issued a news blackout on the investigation into the gang
and officials would not comment on the arrests.
The accused were among dozens of people detained in police raids on
homes in Istanbul and other cities since Tuesday. Private CNN-Turk
television said previously that five other people had been arrested
in relation to the same investigation, but the report did not
elaborate. Some of those detained, including a prominent journalist,
have been released, Dogan said.
The crackdown was part of a widening investigation into dozens of
hand grenades seized at the home of a retired noncommissioned
military officer in Istanbul in June. The grenades, some of which
were made by a state-run factory, had been issued to the security
forces.
The suspects are allegedly members of a secretive gang called
«Ergenekon» that allegedly planned to create an «atmosphere of chaos»
by attempting to kill Pamuk and prominent Kurdish politicians, Sabah
newspaper reported this past week. Several other newspapers reported
the same.
They reportedly hoped that the chaos after the murders would provoke
a military coup that would topple the Islamic-rooted government of
Erdogan, which patriotic groups accuse of making too many concessions
to Christian and Kurdish minorities as part of the nation’s bid to
join the European Union.
Those charged include Kemal Kerincsiz, an ultra-nationalist lawyer
who gained notoriety for instigating a court case against Pamuk,
accusing him of the crime of insulting Turkishness. The case was
opened after the novelist told a Swiss newspaper «thirty-thousand
Kurds and one million Armenians were killed in these lands, and
nobody but me dares to talk about it.» Pamuk was prosecuted but the
case against him was later dropped.

Kerincsiz also launched court cases against ethnic Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink _ who was murdered a year ago _ and against
author Elif Shafak on the same charges.
Nationalists like Kerincsiz see comments such as those made by Pamuk
as a serious threat to Turkey’s unity, believing they aim to carve
the country into pieces.
Police reportedly moved against the group following intelligence that
the gang’s list of people to be assassinated was handed over to a hit
man, newspapers claimed. (AP)

ARMENIA ACQUIRES RELIABLE PARTNER IN PERSON OF GAZPROMBANK, CHAIRMAN OF BANK SAYS

Noyan Tapan
Jan 25, 2008

YEREVAN, JANUARY 25, NOYAN TAPAN. Gazprombank faces serious competition
in Armenia: the country’s banking system is developing rapidly,
in 2007 alone, branches of five foreign banks started operating in
Armenia. The RA president Robert Kocharian said this when receiving
Gazprombank’s chairman Andrey Akimov and the board chairman Farid
Kantserov on Janaury 25.

According to a press release of the RA president’s press service,
R. Kocharian stated that being quite liberal, the Armenian banking
legislation also envisages strict supervision of activities of banks.

Presenting the work of Gazprombank, A. Akimov said that it is one
of Russia’s largest banks, which makes considerable investments in
the economy along with carrying out banking activities. In his words,
the bank is not pursuing immediate goals in Armenia but it intends to
do serious work and has far-reaching goals and long-term programs. He
assured the Armenian president that Armenia acquires a realiable and
reasonable partner in the person of Gazprombank.

ACCORDING TO VARDAN KHACHATRIAN, STABLE BASES EXIST FOR ARMENIA’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Noyan Tapan
Jan 24, 2008

YEREVAN, JANUARY 24, NOYAN TAPAN. The main economic indices of Armenia
in 2007 show that the country’s economic development has stable bases,
the RA minister of finance and economy Vardan Khachatrian said at
the January 24 press conference.

He underlined the importance of high economic growth indices in
conditions of macroeconomic stability. These indices are conditioned
by, among other factors, a balanced tax and budgetary policy in 2007.

The minister reminded that in 2007 economic growth made 13.8% in
Armenia – against the average economic growth of 12.6% in the past
three years. The growing investments also had an impact on this
economic growth: these investments made up 34.4% of GDP in 2007 (1
trillion 83 bln drams or 3 bln 166 mln USD) – against 33,6% in 2006 and
18.6% in 2000. The minister said that the economic growth is mainly
encouraged by contruction and service sectors, which contributed to
economic growth by 4.6% and 3.6% respectively in 2007.

It was mentioned that the consumer price index made 6.6% in December
2007 on the same period of 2006, while the average annual index made
4.4%. In 2000-2006, the annual inflation was mainly stable and did
not exceed 3.4%.

The minister announced that in 2007 the consumer price index in
Armenia was the lowest among CIS countries.

He added that in 2007 Armenia’s real GDP exceeded by 47% the 1989
level and threefold the 2000 level. By preliminary data, in 2007
nominal GDP made 3 trillion 140.4 bln drams or 981 thousand drams
(2.848.4 USD) per capita. In 2007 per capita GDP expressed in dollars
grew 3.3fold on 2003 and 4.8fold on 2000.

It was stated that in 2007 Armenia’s foreign trade growth made 40.7%
– against the average annual growth of 20.1% in 2000-2007. Foreign
trade grew 3.8fold in 2007 on 2000, exports – 4.1fold, foreign direct
investments – 3.6fold, with their amount making 4 bln 500.3 mln USD,
1 bln 218.5 mln USD and 375 mln USD respectively. In 2007, exports
grew by 23.7%, while imports grew by 49.7% – agaisnt the average
annual growth of 23.1% and 19.1% respectively in 2000-2007.

In the opinion of V. Khachatrian, there are good bases in Armenia
for continuing the efficient macroeconomic management, and the focus
mill be on ensuring a high sustainable economic growth in the medium
term, reduction of unemployment and maintaning a controllable level
of inflation.

DEVELOPOMENT PROSPECTS OF ARMENIAN GEM AND JEWELRY INDUSTRY CONNECTED WITH "ALROSA"

Noyan Tapan
Jan 24, 2008

YEREVAN, JANUARY 24, NOYAN TAPAN. The development prospects of the
Armenian gem and jewelry industry are connected to cooperation with
Alrosa compamy (Russia), with the focus to be shifted from diamond
cutting to jewelry making where Armenia will have relative advantages,
the RA minister of trade and economic development Nerses Yeritsian
stated at the Janaury 23 press conference.

An agreement on cooperation in the gem and jewelry industry was signed
between Alrosa company and the Armenian government in late 2007. The
agreement envisages supplying Armenian companies with rough diamonds
by Alrosa through direct contracts – for their later sale to Russian or
Armenian jewelry making companies on the instructions of Alrosa OJSC.

The ministry’s monitoring showed that production of 43.2 bln drams
(about 126.3 mln USD) was made in Armenia in 2007, production of 38.4
bln drams was sold, that of 41.5 bln drams was exported. The sector
employs about 2 thousand people, whose average salary makes 64 thousand
drams. A complex program of the sector’s reforms is being developed.