Author: Karapetian Hovik

$60.2 MILLION BOUGHT AND $57.9 MILLION SOLD BY ARMENIAN BANKS ON INTRA-BANKING FOREX BETWEEN DEC 14 AND 18

Noyan Tapan
Dec 18, 2009

YEREVAN, December 18. /ARKA/. Banks have bought some 60.2 million US
dollars at AMD 379.87 per one dollar exchange rate and sold $57.9
million at AMD 381.73 per dollar on Armenian intra-banking forex
over the period between December 14 and 18, the press office of the
Central Bank of Armenia reported on Friday.

According to the report, $4.2 million was sold and bought on
inter-banking foreign exchange at AMD 382.5 at the same period.

Dollar deals concluded on NASDAQ OMX Armenia Stock Exchange at AMD
375.24= $1 exchange rate over the same period total $13.5 million.

Loans extended by banks in Armenian national currency between December
7 and 13 totalled 13.3 billion, and those extended in dollars amounted
to $26 million. ($1 = AMD 375.14).

RUSSIAN HOPES FOR PROGRESS IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT IN 2010

news.az
Dec 18 2009
Azerbaijan

Vladimir Dorokhin Russian ambassador in Azerbaijan Vladimir Dorokhin
hopes for progress in Karabakh settlement in 2010.

Russian ambassador in Azerbaijan Vladimir Dorokhin hopes for the
preservation of the dynamics in the negotiation process on Karabakh
settlement next year.

He considers that this may help attain progress in the resolution of
this problem.

"If the negotiation process proceeds so quickly and smoothly as it did
in 2009, there are chances for attaining some agreement (in 2010)",
Dorokhin told reporters Friday.

THE EXCITED VERDICT OF THE JUDGE

Lragir.am
18/12/09

What happened today at the court of general jurisdiction of the region
of Aragatsotn was a sensation for the Armenian judicial system. The
judge Ruzanna Barseghyan brought in a verdict of non-guilty to Sasha
Davtyan who was accused of raping his daughter.

The judge was reading the verdict with an excited tone of voice
"The investigation did not prove Sasha Davtyan’s guilt". But the
judge sentenced Davtyan to 4 years of imprisonment accusing him of
as if torturing his elder 22-year-old daughter T.D. Sasha Davtyan’s
both daughters came to the courtroom with white flowers in their hands
being sure that the court was going to justify their father. The trial
ended sadly for them. They threw away the flowers and were crying
hugging each other. "My father slapped me, this is our business. And
what about the investigator Ruben Vardanyan and others who tortured
us for days, will they answer?"

This is a question the answer of which need not only the poor girls
but also the whole society. The atmosphere of impunity in Armenia
is so much rooted that justice provokes a sensation. The point is
about the activities of the law enforcement bodies and in this case,
about Erik Poghosyan and Ruben Vardanyan who treated this poor family
the way they wanted for days running.

Sasha Davtyan’s lawyer Khanum Lazarian assessed as unprecedented
high this step of the judge Ruzanna Barseghyan. "Few judges could
resist prosecutor’s office repressions and justify a person".

The lawyer is going to appeal to the court of appeals.

UN representatives, journalistic groups from H1 and Shant TVs were
present at the court hearing process. Those present at the trial
did not rule out the possibility that the office of the prosecutor
general may start persecuting the judge.

ARMENIAN AND TURKISH JOURNALISTS DISCUSS ARMENIAN-TURKISH DIALOGUE IN YEREVAN

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
17.12.2009 20:21 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Eurasia Foundation and GPOT initiated a meeting
of Armenian and Turkish journalists in Yerevan as a part of
Eurasia Foundation’s program of cooperation aimed at strengthening
impartiality in Armenian and Turkish media and establishing contacts
and communication between citizens of Armenia and Turkey.

"Armenia and Turkey are on the way to establish relations. The
political elites of both countries have shown political courage by
signing the Protocols on normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations.

The process of Armenian-Turkish reconciliation should be facilitated
by civil societies in Armenia and Turkey," director of GPOT Mensur
Akgun said.

The government of Norway and the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID) supported the meeting. As the Honorary Consul
of Norway in Armenia Timothy Strait said during the meeting, the
government of Norway is interested in promoting dialogue between
Armenia and Turkey, and understands that it is difficult and emotional.

Under this program, Armenian and Turkish journalists and editors
first met in Bursa on October 13-14 this year.

WE ARE WATCHING YOU
by Simon Aynedjian

Gibrahayer
Dec 09

The old guard running our community for decades, made a last desperate
and unsuccessful attempt to have its way, through vindictive and
medieval practices by interfering in the decision-making process of
the Nareg School Hokapartsoutiun and collected the firm answer of
the community.

In an unprecedented "mob-like" intervention, the old guard wanted to
have their say on a recommended Hokapartsoutiun list, given to the
Cyprus government by Armenian MP Vartkes Mahdessian – the elected
Representative of the Armenian community.

As time passed, and the list was not being verified, it became evident
that an effort was being orchestrated by the old guard to simply have
their say and to use the sacred forum of the last remaining school
of our community as a spring-board for their political ambitions and
an arena for settlement of old scores.

There is plenty of literature on Armenian-language monthly
regarding the matter, a press release by the
Armenian MP and a rich commentary by columnists.

The discussion continuous on Gibrahayer Facebook.

As an e-magazine which has voiced its concerns over Nareg-related
educational issues, we commented on the "fall from grace" of Nareg
school as early as 2005.

Four years later, after Nareg took a number of blows and took several
steps back, very few of the ISSUES we touched and commented on, have
been addressed – let alone solved – despite the numerous attempts
by members of the minority Hokapartsoutiun, the Parents’ Association
and the Armenian MP.

The newly appointed Hokapartsoutiun members need to first stop the
decrease in the number of pupi ls attending the school and at the
same time to bring quality back to the school.

The Armenian community of Cyprus cannot afford another blow to the
only remaining educational fortress.

To that end – Gibrahayer e-magazine – will be watching you.

Hachoghoutiun to the new Hokapartsoutiun.

Simon Aynedjian – Gibrahayer e-magazine

Click here for the announcement by the Armenian Representative Vartkes
Mahdessian and the list of the newly appointed Hokapartsoutiun members.

STEPAN DEMIRCHYAN: MADRID PRINCIPLES CAN NOT BE CONSIDERED ACHIEVEMENT FOR THE ARMENIAN SIDE

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
16.12.2009 15:54 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In terms of the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement Madrid
principles can not be regarded as progress, since this document resolve
almost all issues, while a referendum on the status of Nagorno Karabakh
is postponed indefinitely, Span Demirchyan, leader of People’s Party
of Armenia (PPA) told a press conference in Yerevan today.

According to Mr. Demirchyan, in 2010 the international community to
increase pressure on Armenia to achieve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
settlement, Armenia must be ready to it. "It becomes clear from the
statements of OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, who assessed the current
stage of negotiations as progress and say that conflict resolution
can be reached in 2010," he said.

GEORGIAN AUTHORITIES CHANGING TOPONYMY OF JAVAKHK

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
14.12.2009 15:36 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Significant changes in the toponymy of Dzhavakhk are
taking place: names of mountains, rivers and geographical locations
are completely changed. For instance, the mountain Tavshanka is now
called Amiranis, Vahe Sargsyan, expert of the Mitq analytical center
told a press conference in Yerevan today. Toponymy is also changed
by partial edition of names, that is, adding "I" at the end of the
original name, like the river Parvana is now called "Paravani".

"Even such adjectives as "great" or "small" translated into Georgian.

For example, Small Samsar, is now called "Didi Samsari"," Mr. Sargsyan
said.

Vahe Sargsyan noted that the Georgian authorities are violating the
Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National
Minorities, ratified by the Georgian Parliament in 2005. According
to the Convention in areas traditionally inhabited by national
minorities it is necessary to ensure usage and application of
traditional place names.

Vahe Sargsyan stressed the Armenians of Javakheti perceive the local
place names as Armenian and do not accept the changes.

ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER TIGRAN SARGSYAN WAS PRESENT AT THE CONFERENCE ON REPORT ON "DECREASE OF DISASTER RISKS AND MANAGEMENT OF EMERGENCY SITUATIONS IN ARMENIA"

ARMENPRESS
DECEMBER 14, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan was present today at the conference on report on "Decrease
of Disaster Risks and Management of Emergency Situations in Armenia"
prepared by the World Bank. Representatives of interested ministries,
local and international experts and others were present at the event.

Governmental press service told Armenpress that speaking about
the possible risks of natural disasters, their social-economic
consequences, empowering of skills on confronting the disasters, the
prime minister said "We must learn to live in conditions of emergency
situations. Armenia, more than any other country, realizes to which
consequences the disasters bring. 21 years passed from the Spitak
disastrous earthquake but we still feel its economic, social and
psychological consequences".

According to him, by studying the international experience we must
learn to manage the risks which means that we must have a comprehensive
system of management which gives an opportunity to forecast disasters,
which is very hard to do.

"The second direction is the preventive events. Taking into
consideration the circumstance that in Armenia often earthquakes,
landslides take place from the very beginning it is necessary to
develop and implement such programs which decrease the negative
consequences of manifestation of risks," the prime minister said.

During the events suggestions have been presented for development of
the national comprehensive program on decrease of the risk of natural
disasters in Armenia.

Any attempt of military action by Azerbaijan will bring it in direct
confrontation with the international community

By Aram Araratyan, ArmInfo, 10.12.09

2009-12-13 14:12:00

ArmInfo’s exclusive interview with Dennis Sammut, Executive Director
of the LINKS NGO

Will the Armenian-Turkish Protocols be ratified and will it result in
opening of the border?

Signing of the protocols between Armenia and Turkey on 10 October in
Geneva was an important moment in history. For the first time since
the Kars Treaty the two countries have sat together and agreed on
future relations. It took over 80 years for this to happen so I think
that waiting a few more days until the process of ratification is
properly completed in the two countries is not the major issue. It is
important for the two sides to understand that they should not lose
the momentum. The sooner the protocols are ratified, the better. I
would like to see the opening of the border between
Armenia and Turkey as soon as possible, for I think this will be a
very significant gesture that will change the current situation to
better.

Do you think that the Armenian-Turkish reconciliation is an
independent process or it depends on progress in the Karabakh peace
process?

Indeed, relations between any two countries are their own business.
However it would be naive not understanding that what happens in the
relations between Armenia and Turkey impacts the Karabakh peace
process and vice versa. But I would prefer being more optimistic about
this situation. Progress in either of the processes will help ensuring
progress in the other one.

Ilham ALiyev again threatened Armenia with military actions during the
recent meeting at the top level in Munich. Do you believe that it was
a regular rhetorical statement or blackmail to make Armenia go on
concessions in the Karabakh process?

War is not a solution to any of the problems in the South Caucasus and
it should be avoided at all costs. LINKS published a report on
settlement of the Karabakh conflict on December 1. It, particularly,
says: `It is now time for the international community to speak with
one voice and in more robust tones to both sides. Some messages that
have been transmitted before, but in cautious diplomatic language need
to be repeated in more clear terms and without ambiguity in such a way
that not only the leaderships, but
also the populations of the two countries, will understand clearly.
Armenia needs to be told that the continued occupation of the
Azerbaijani territories around Nagorno Karabakh is neither acceptable
nor sustainable. Azerbaijan must be told that any attempt or talk of
regaining these territories by force without a UN Security Council
resolution will bring Azerbaijan in direct confrontation with the
international community. Both sides must be reminded of the right of
all refugees and IDPs to return to their homes in safe and dignified
conditions.

In case Azerbaijan unleashes war in Nagorny Karabakh again, what will
be the scenario of developments in the region and the response by the
international community?

Armenia and Azerbaijan will hardly start a new war. I think we are on
the threshold of an important breakthrough. I believe that everybody
should put their maximum effort towards this and coordinate basic
principles on which peaceful processes may be based. It is also time
to build a national consensus for peace in both countries. Some say
that there is already a national consensus but in reality this is a
consensus built on slogans and maximalist positions. What is needed
now is something more real and
more serious. In this the responsibility is not only with the
governments but also with politicians and public leaders of all
parties.

There is now a need for a different engagement by the international
community. Support for the Minsk process must increase, but other
things also need to be done beyond that. If there is a breakthrough in
the next weeks this will not be the end of the story, but the
beginning of a new stage.

Both the governments and the international community have still much
to do for an agreement on paper to be turned into a proper peace
process. The ownership of such an agreement must not remain a monopoly
of a tiny political elite but be shared within the wider community on
both sides.

I believe that everybody should put their maximum effort towards this
since a solution to the Karabakh conflict will bring a new dawn to the
Caucasus region and will start the process of finally fully
integrating the region within the global processes for the benefit of
both the people of the region and of other nations with a stake in its
success.

ARPA INSTITUTE
18106 Miranda St., Tarzana CA 91356 . PHONE/FAX (818) 881-0010
26/1 Vazgen Sagsyan Str., Yerevan 0010, Armenia. Tel: (374 2)545538
Jointly with
UCLA Armenian Educational Foundation Chair in Modern Armenian History

Present : Panel Discussion/Seminar

"The Armenia-Turkey Protocols,

Pros & Cons"

Thursday, December 17, 2009 @ 7:30PM

Merdinian Auditorium

13330 Riverside Dr., Sherman Oaks, CA 91423

Panelists: Prof. Richard Hovannisian (Moderator), Hon. Grigor Hovhannisyan
, Consul General of Armenia, Dr. Razmig Shirinian, and Dr. Joseph
Kechichian

Directions: On the 101 FY Exit on Woodman, Go North and Turn Right on
Riverside Dr.

Abstract: The normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations is a natural
and necessary goal, but the road to that goal may have desirable and
undesirable implications for independent Armenia and the Diaspora. It may
impede or lead Turkey to move closer to recognizing its moral and material
responsibilities, and may even affect the formulation of policies involving
the Armenian Genocide. Analysis of the political and economic advantages
that the Protocols may provide will be addressed and the potential threats
to Armenia’s security, survivability and ethnic identity they may present
will be discussed, The question, whether Armenian chrono-politics has
yielded to the current geopolitical reality, disrupting the prospects of a
balanced development course for Armenia, will be addressed. The political
and legal implications of the Armenian-Turkish Protocols will also be
considered, focusing on obligations that Yerevan may have to assume as it
absorbs its latest commitments.

(Moderator) Dr. Richard G. Hovannisian is Professor of Armenian and Near
Eastern History and the AEF Chair in Modern Armenian History at the
University of California, Los Angeles. From 1978 to 1995, he was Associate
Director of the G.E. von Grunebaum Center for Near Eastern Studies. He has
been on the UCLA faculty since 1962, where he organized the undergraduate
and graduate programs in Armenian and Caucasian history. Dr. Hovannisian is
the author or editor of numerous books on the Republic of Armenia; the
Armenian Genocide; historic Western Armenian cities and provinces; and
Armenian and Near Eastern societies and culture. Richard Hovannisian is a
Guggenheim Fellow and founder and six-time president of the Society for
Armenian Studies. Honorific medals and encyclicals for the advancement of
Armenian studies have been bestowed on him by His Holinesses Karekin I and
II of the Holy See of Echmiadzin, and Karekin II and Aram I of the Great
House of Cilicia, as well as by the Republics of Armenia and Artsakh.

(Panelist) Hon. Grigor Hovhannisyan was born in 1971 in Yerevan. In
1992 he graduated from the department of Arab Studies at the Yerevan State
University (YSU); he holds an MA degree from the Fletcher School of Law and
Diplomacy, Tufts University (MA) and has received training in numerous post
graduate programs, notably at the Haigazian University of Beirut. From 1994
to 2006, Mr. Hovhannissian held responsible positions with the secretariat
of the United Nations in a number of countries, including the Great Lakes
region of Africa, the Republic of Congo (Zaire), Israel, the Palestinian
territories, and Lebanon. From 2006 to 2008, he headed the `Shushi Revival’
fund and taught Middle East politics at the YSU. In January 2009. Mr.
Hovhannissian was appointed advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Armenia and since February 2009 serves as Consul General of the Republic of
Armenia in Los Angeles. He is fluent in English, French, Arabic and
Russian.

(Panelist) Dr. Joseph A Kéchichian is the editor of the Journal of the
Society for Armenian Studies, a syndicated columnist based at Gulf News in
Dubai, as well as the Honorary Consul of the Sultanate of Oman in Los
Angeles. He is also an author of various publications, including Faysal:
Saudi Arabia’s King for All Seasons (2008), Power and Succession in Arab
Monarchies (2008), Political Participation and Stability in the Sultanate of
Oman (2005), The Just Prince: A Manual of Leadership (2003), Succession in
Saudi Arabia (2001), and Oman and the World: The Emergence of an
Independent Foreign Policy (1995). The author of numerous chapters in
edited books and in refereed journals, his most recent essay is on `Armenia
and the Gulf States: Foreign Policy Fundamentals and Choices,’ in Marat
Terterov, ed., Russian and CIS Relations with the Gulf States: Current
Trends and Economic Dynamics (2009), pp. 113-146. He is a past president of
the Society for Armenian Studies.

(Panelist) Dr. Razmig B. Shirinian received his Ph.D. in Political Science
from the University of Southern California. He has published two
books: Politics
of Transnational Minorities: Social Welfare and Human Settlements (English)
and Contemporary Political Thought (Armenian) and numerous articles. Dr.
Shirinian has taught political science at the California State University
(CSU), Northridge, CSU, Fullerton; Cal-Poly, Pomona; and the University of
La Verne. He is currently a professor at the College of the Canyons. He is
a founding member and president of Scholars for Scientific, Educational, and
Cultural Development, Inc. (SSECD), a charitable non-profit organization
that aims to work with scholars in developing countries.

For more Information Please call Dr. Hagop Panossian at (818)881-0010 or
e-mail at [email protected], or Prof. Richard Hovannisian at
[email protected]