Author: Karakhanian Suren

HANDBOOK ON CAPITAL MARKET AND PUBLIC DEALS IN ARMENIA TO BE PRESENTED IN YEREVAN ON FEB 27

ARKA
Feb 26, 2009

YEREVAN, February 26. /ARKA/. Presentation of a handbook on capital
market and public transactions in Armenia is to be held in Yerevan
on February 27, during the forum on capital market and public
transactions, partner of Grant Thornton Amyot (GTI) audit and
consulting company Gurgen Hakobyan told journalists Thursday.

It is an unprecedented handbook in Armenia, he said.

The handbook will help Armenian businessmen familiarize with activity
principles of capital market and its capabilities, as well as take
certain steps in the market, Hakobyan said.

The handbook is developed by experts of Grant Thornton Amyot, NASDAQ
OMX Armenia and USAID program on development of financial sector.

The forum is organized by Grant Thornton Amyot in cooperation with
the Central Bank of Armenia, Ministry of Economy, Union of Banks
of Armenia, NASDAQ OMX Armenia stock exchange, American Chamber of
Commerce in Armenia (AmCham), USAID’s Financial Sector Development
Program.

State officials and representatives of the private sector and
international organizations will participate in the event.

WB TO SUBSIDIZE $525 MILLION TO HELP ARMENIA MITIGATE FINANCIAL CRISIS IMPACT

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.02.2009 14:19 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The World Bank intends to subsidize Armenia with
$525 million to help mitigate financial impact upon Armenia’s economy.

"The WB projects will be aimed at infrastructure formation and
education systems reforms," Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
said during Bridge 2009 International Economic Forum.

The PM also informed that the Asian Development Bank subsidized
Armenia with $30,6 million for rural road construction (including
Northern-Southern highway), as well as an additional credit of $17,3
million.

"The European Regional Development Fund will be in charge of crediting
small and middle businesses and private sector-oriented programs,"
Sargsyan said.

President appoints two members of the of the Council of Public
Television and Radio Company of Armenia

armradio.am
21.02.2009 13:50

Taking as a basis Articles 29 and 31 of the Law of the Republic of
Armenia on Television and Radio, as well as taking into consideration
the decision of the commission set by the order of the President of the
Republic of Armenia on January 26, 2008, on February 20 President Serzh
Sargsyan signed a decree on appointing members of the Council of the
Public Television and Radio Company of Armenia.

Vahram Baghdasaryan and Stepan Zackaryan were appointed Members of the
Council for six years.

MINISTER VASHADZE IS READY TO TAKE EVERYONE TO GEORGIA

A1+
[07:09 pm] 20 February, 2009

On February 20 Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian received
his Georgian counterpart Grigol Vashadze. Along with other issues
of bilateral interest, the interlocutors referred to the problems of
Georgian Armenians.

"Javakhi Armenians encounter no problems in Georgia but socio-economic
one," says the Georgian FM.

With regard to the arrest of Armenian public activists residing in
Georgia, Mr. Vashadze said, "They are not imprisoned for their descent
but for the crime they committed. All their rights are reserved."

For his part, Minister Nalbandian noted that before Mr. Vashadze’s
arrival in Yerevan the Armenian government had applied to the Georgian
government to address the issue of Georgian Armenians. "The case is
under investigation, and the answers will be given after a thorough
inquiry into the subject matter."

Today Armenian reporters were displeased with the Georgian official’s
statement on the fate of 300 000 Armenians living in Georgia.

To make himself more convincing, Mr. Vashadze made a "constructive"
proposal in Russian, "I am ready to buy a ticket to Georgia and show
you the Georgian territory. After the August Russian-Georgian conflict
Georgia has appeared in a plight. Today the first and foremost issue
for us the integration of Javakhi Armenians in Georgia’s home life
as quickly as the Georgian government and Armenian people want.

Note that today’s press conference started with a 1.5 hours’ delay,
and the Foreign Ministers didn’t manage to answer all questions. The
FMs announced that they have drawn a conclusion that all issues
existing between the two countries can be settled with joint efforts.

ARMENIA, GEORGIA FMS DISCUSS BILATERAL, REGIONAL ISSUES

armradio.am
20.02.2009 17:57

On February 20 the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian,
received the Foreign Minister of Georgia, Grigol Varshadze.

Greeting Grigol Varshadze and his delegation, Edward Nalbandian
assessed the active and regular Armenian-Georgian relations as positive
and noted that they serve as a basis for the further deepening of ties.

The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Georgia discussed issues
related to the further deepening of political, economic and cultural
cooperation.

The interlocutors referred to the process of implementation of the
agreements reached during the Armenian president’s visit to Georgia
in 2008 and directed the heads of corresponding agencies to accelerate
their accomplishment.

Attaching importance to the effective cooperation between the Foreign
Ministries of the two countries, the Ministers agreed to hold regular
consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the two
countries.

Reference was made to the ways of promoting regional cooperation in
the South Caucasus. In this context Edward Nalbandian stressed that
the participation of all states of the region is the main guarantee
of ensuring effectiveness of any project.

Edward Nalbandian and Grigol Varshadze discussed issues related to
the cooperation between Armenia and Georgia within international
organizations, emphasizing that good preconditions exist for deepen
ing the cooperation between the two countries in both bilateral and
multilateral formats.

The Ministers dwelt on the Eastern Partnership Initiative of the
European Union and discussed the possible ways of cooperation within
the framework of that proposal.

The interlocutors exchanged views on issues on the agenda of the
Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization.

A broad range of issues concerning Georgian-Armenians was discussed

The meeting was followed by a joint press conference.

ARAM MANUKYAN DOES NOT EXPECT SERIOUS CLASHES ON MARCH 1
Lena Badeyan

"Radiolur"
20.02.2009 15:44

Member of the Pan-Armenian National Movement Board Aram Manukyan
reminded at today’s press conference that exactly one year ago the
opposition held its first rally. The ten-day rally started at the
Liberty Square on February 20, 2008. Aram Manukyan summed up the
past year, during which Armenia obtained the three PACE resolutions,
which he qualified as a "slap in the face" for the Republic of Armenia.

Turning to the rally expected on March 1, Aram Manukyan said he does
not expect serious clashes and added that he relies upon the wisdom of
the authorities and policemen. He said the opposition will determine
its future steps after the meeting.

Aram Manukyan said the opposition will possible declare whether they
are going to participate in the elections of the Yerevan Mayor on
May 31.

ABANT PLATFORM URGES MUTUAL TOLERANCE IN CLOSING EVALUATIONS

Today’s Zaman
Feb 18 2009
Turkey

In its closing evaluation, the Abant Platform called for tolerance
and further cooperation between Turkey and the Kurdistan Regional
Government of Iraq (KRG).

The evaluation mentioned both general principles, such as the
adherence to the rule of law, the responsibility of reinforcing ties of
brotherhood between the two parties and establishing and improving the
atmosphere of dialogue and tolerance, as well as some practical steps,
such as the facilitation of border passages, the opening of a Turkish
consulate in Arbil and a representation office of the KRG in Ankara.

Certain articles in the text were revolutionary vis-a-vis Turkey’s
understanding of Kurdish politics. The text referred to the regional
administration by its constitutional name, i.e., the Kurdistan Regional
Government of Iraq, previously referred to in the Turkish press as
the Northern Iraqi Government, the Regional Government in the North of
Iraq or even as the "formation" in the north of Iraq. In two articles,
the Iraqi Kurdish participants of the platform declared implicitly that
they rejected both the kind of terrorism the Kurdistan Workers’ Party
(PKK) is perpetrating and the kind of politics in which the Democratic
Society Party (DTP) is engaging in Turkey, e.g., ethno-nationalism. The
full text of the closure evaluation of the 18th Abant Platform states
the following:

The Abant Platform’s meeting in Arbil, "Searching for Peace and a
Future Together," held in cooperation with Salahaddin University and
the Mukriyani Institute, was conducted with goodwill and sentiments
of friendship felt by participants.

Gathered together and guided by the common denominators of human
rights, democracy, the rule of law, mutual security and stability, the
participants underlined the need to foster tolerance and friendship.

In the two-day discussions, it was strongly emphasized that mutual
relations and the freshly established dialogue process should be
maintained and expanded.

The Abant Platform, Salahaddin University and the Mukriyani Institute
hereby announce the following points as a text jointly approved by
all parties:

1. Developing relations between Turkey and the Kurdistan Regional
Government of Iraq will bring peace and stability not only to both
parties, but also to the entire region. This development will be to
the benefit of Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen, Assyrians, Syriacs, Chaldeans,
Armenians and all Middle Eastern peoples in Iraq.

2. History, geography and culture have made the Turkish and Kurdish
peoples sister peoples. It is our responsibility to reinforce these
ties of brotherhood.

3. All sorts of policies based on ethno-nationalism are rejected.

4. Iraq’s border with Turkey is a gateway to Europe for Iraq. Turkey’s
border with Iraq is a door to history and civilization for
Turkey. These doors must be kept fully open.

5. Close cooperation should be established between Turkey and the
Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq not only in politics, but also
in culture, economy, commerce, education and health.

6. Passage through border gates should be facilitated as soon as
possible.

7. Parties regard respect for human rights secured by the rule of
law as the most precious common denominator.

8. Every opportunity or occasion should be used to establish and
improve an atmosphere of tolerance and dialogue.

9. Parties believe that securing democratic rights and freedoms,
reinforcing democratic institutions and mobilizing democratic players
in these relations are inevitable.

10. Parties deem it a positive step to organize a conference where
Kurdish political groups may discuss issues through peaceful and
democratic methods.

11. Media organizations should use peaceful, respectful and
constructive language.

12. Parties reject violent methods in the settlement of all sorts
of problems.

13. Parties attach importance to organizing and popularizing meetings
of this kind by utilizing all available resources.

14. It is a generally voiced wish that a Turkish consulate should be
opened in Arbil and a representation office of the Kurdistan Regional
Government of Iraq should be opened in Ankara.

"MIKA" TO TRAIN IN SPAIN

A1+
[07:38 pm] 17 February, 2009

The Yerevan "Mika" football club will hold its last match
in the Spanish city of Malaga before the upcoming series of
competitions. Chief secretary for "Mika" Armen Petikyan told "A1+"
that the team will most probably hold three trial matches in Spain.

"Mika" is currently in the Turkish city of Antalia from where the
Armenian football players will return tomorrow night. "Mika" played
four trial matches and lost three of them-one of them being the match
with the Belarusian "Minsk" team (1-2).

Upon returning to Yerevan, chief trainer of "Mika" Ivo Shushak is
planning to give the players a two-day rest and then continue the
trainings in Yerevan. On February 27 the team will leave for Malaga
where it will hold its final instructional/sport match.

"Mika" added new players to the team since the Armenian championship in
2008. The club has signed contracts with 8 new football players who are
considered as candidates for the big league. Seven players have left
"Mika" and one of them is Arkadi Chilingaryan, who has transferred to
the Lebanese "Salam" team. Chilingaryan’s trainer is the former chief
trainer of "Mika" and the Armenian national team Suren Barseghyan.

MEMORY, TRAUMA AND GAZA
By Tanveer Ahmed

On Line opinion
rticle=8536
Feb 17 2009
Australia

Growing up as a Muslim, I was always amazed at the sheer psychological
space that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict occupied among other
Muslims, often at the expense of their home countries.

Any sense of personal victimhood was linked to the perceived injustice
the Palestinians were suffering.

Actual knowledge about the conflict was often slim and, like many
conflicts around the world, personal or local troubles were wrongly
conflated with global trends, worsened further by a well developed
reflex towards Jewish conspiracy theories.

At the crux of the anger towards Israel and Jews is not just their
treatment towards Palestinians, but it is their symbolic position as
history’s victims, epitomised by the Holocaust; a word controversial
Sheikh Taj Din al-Hilali has tried to link to the Palestinian
suffering.

Cultures and identity are often built upon tragedy, from India
and partition to Armenia and its genocide. Even President Barack
Obama invoked the deaths incurred during the American Civil War in
communicating the ideas that America was built upon.

The remaking of Anzac Day and Gallipoli is a craving for such an
identity rooted in blood, especially for younger Australians, as
evidenced by the huge turnouts to dawn services in recent years.

But there is no nation so founded on a collective trauma as that
of Israel. It is rooted in traumatic memories as the basis of its
renewal, like a war veteran or sufferer of abuse re-experiencing
their pain. This trauma arises from loss of feelings of safety and
protection in the "home", often corresponding with experiences of
betrayal and humiliation by those who were meant to provide protection.

And like the sufferer of traumatic stress who insist their woe is
special and justifies lashing out, Israel’s existence depends upon
the unique classification of Jewish pain.

The determination to honour these memories continues to drive the
disproportionate responses. The shame felt by the Jews in the face
of their Nazi oppressor has resulted a hardening and militarisation
of their identity.

It is often forgotten that during World War II, many Muslims reached
out to Jews fleeing the Holocaust, even though many would settle in
Palestine and help create the state of Israel.

But, as in so many instances in the past half century – the Lebanon
War of 1982, the "Iron Fist" response to the 1988 intifada, the
Lebanon War of 2006 – the Israelis have reacted to intolerable acts
of terror with a determination to inflict terrible pain, to teach the
enemy a lesson. Civilian casualties and suffering are predictable on
each occasion but it is unclear if the lessons were ever learnt.

In fact, with each Israeli show of force, their story of victimhood
becomes less and less palatable for large sections of the globe,
especially within the developing and Muslim world. What they
see, instead, is raw power and a determination to flatten any
resistance. They see a mercenary of the West in the heart of the
Middle East.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I RECEIVES AN INVITATION
TO ATTEND AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE PALESTINIANS

The Cultural Attache of the Iranian embassy in Beirut, Abbas Golrou, visited
His Holiness Aram I in Antelias on February 14. The Iranian diplomat brought
an official invitation to His Holiness to participate in the international
conference on the Palestinian cause to be held in Iran in March.

His Holiness and the Iranian diplomat also talked about the Armenian
community of Iran and the ties between Lebanon and Iran.

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View the photo here:
tos/Photos357.htm#8
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The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.