Author: Khondkarian Raffi

JUNE 2009 AVERAGE MONTHLY SALARY IN ARMENIA TO BE 102,787 AMD, INCREASE OF 11.6%

/ARKA/
July 31
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, July 31. /ARKA/. According to preliminary estimates of
the National Statistical Service of RA, the nominal average monthly
salary in Armenia in June 2009, amounted to 102,787 drams ($ 280,
or 200 Euros), represents an 11.6% increase rate from June 2008.

At the same time, the average nominal wage in May 2009 in Armenia
was 98,834 drams, which is 12, 6% more than the May 2008 rate.

The highest average nominal salary was registered in Syunik region
of 110,248,3 AMD and the least paid workers were Tavush region
(75,900 AMD).

Nominal wages in Yerevan in May were 109,817 drams.

In general, higher average wages on the basis of May 2009 were
reflected in the financial sector in the amount of 252,589 AMD, in
the mining industry – 157,222 AMD, in the production and distribution
of electricity, gas and water – 134,657 AMD, in real estate – 125,937
AMD, and in construction – 124,455.

At the same time, most low-paid workers are employed in the fisheries
– 60,333 AMD, health and social services – 63,606 AMD, agriculture,
hunting and forestry – 67,335, provision of public utilities, social
and personal services – 72,899 AMD ($1 – 369,98 AMD).

FIRST BEAUTY CONTEST MISS SEVEN CONTINENTS 2009 HELD IN ARMENIA

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
31.07.2009 19:44 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The first beauty contest Miss Seven Continents 2009
held in Yerevan at the Sundukyan theater on July 29.

Sabina Ovareva from Slovakia became the winner of the Miss Seven
Continents 2009, Marika Tunyan from Armenia was recognized the second
Vice Miss, Nona Diakonidze from Georgia took the place of the first
Vice Miss.

The competition was attended by representatives of Armenia, Russia,
Georgia, Montenegro, Estonia, Nigeria, Latvia, Slovenia, Spain,
Britain, Lithuania, Slovakia, Moldova, Brazil, Belarus and Ukraine.

The event was organized by a Miss and Mister charity fund.

NY SPECIALISTS JOIN CONVERSE BANK COUNCIL

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
30.07.2009 11:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ New members of Converse Bank Council, John Tonelli,
Head of Emerging Markets Structured Finance, JPMorgan Chase, and
Robert Setrakian, Managing Director of The Helios Group, a New
York-based investment company, will take their seats upon approval
by the Central Bank of Armenia.

Bank shareholders say this will help improve professionalism of
employees and financial structure.

"The appointments will be useful both for Converse Bank and the entire
Armenian banking system," CBA President Arthur Javadyan commented.

TURKISH MODELS TO VISIT ARMENIA

AzerNews Weekly
July 28 2009
Azerbaijan

An international beauty contest will be held in Armenia. According to
Novosti Armenii, the Miss 7 Continents 2009 competition will be held
on Wednesday and include contestants from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Turkey, Serbia, Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, France,
Italy, Bulgaria, Poland, Tunisia, Germany, Slovakia, UK and Montenegro.

The contestants will also take part in the parade of limousines to
be held in the center of Yerevan. The show will be televised live by
a Turkish TV channel.

VTB BANK (ARMENIA) COMPLETES CONNECTION OF BRANCHES IN ARMENIA TO INTERNET

ArmInfo
2009-07-29 13:27:00

ArmInfo. VTB Bank (Armenia) has successfully fulfilled the plan on
extension of on-line presence in the country.

VTB Bank (Armenia) press-service told ArmInfo the bank completed the
connection of its branch network in Armenia to the centralized system
of client service. The policy of banking communication on the basis
of up-to-date technologies makes it possible for the bank to attain a
new quality of client service. VTB Bank (Armenia) clients will get an
opportunity to carry out certain banking operations and transactions
at any branch of the bank irrespective of their location as well as
to use the full range of on-line services "bank- client".

VTB Bank (Armenia) has the largest branch network in Armenia: 78
branches, including 31 in Yerevan and 47 in regions.

ARMENIA TO SEND MILITARY FORCES TO AFGHANISTAN

Wikinews
ary_forces_to_Afghanistan?curid=129717
July 24 2009

Armenia’s defense minister Seyran Ohanian has announced that nation
will contribute troops to the ISAF forces in Afghanistan.

Colonel Seyran Shahsuvarian told Radio Free Europe (RFE/RL) that
an Armenian military official is discussing the details of the
deployment at a NATO planning conference in Germany. Armenia, as
part of the USSR, has previously participated in the failed Soviet
invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s, and veterans have expressed a
willingness to return to the front according to the Associated Press
(AP). As of yet, no details have been revealed to the public of how
many servicemen will be sent and from which branch of service they
will come. Unnamed officials said Armenia is likely to send munitions
experts or communications officers.

Armenia has participated in other Western military operations,
including those in Kosovo and Iraq. About 50 Armenian sappers,
military doctors, and other non-combat personnel served in Iraq until
last autumn, leaving when the Polish contingent to which they were
attached was withdrawn.

SINCERITY, HOSPITALITY AND KINDNESS THE MAIN FEATURES OF TYPICAL ARMENIAN: ARMENIA IN THE EYES OF AMERICAN ARMENIAN WOMEN
By Aram Araratyan

ArmInfo
2009-07-23 17:05:00

ArmInfo. Armenian Assembly of America conducts Summer Internship
Program every year. This year 8 American Armenians studying at the
U.S. universities visited their historical motherland under this
program. Many of them have never been in Armenia before. As part of
the Summer Internship Program they will stay in Armenia for 2 months
starting from mid June till mid August.

AAA Regional Director for Armenia and Nagorny Karabakh Arpi Vardanyan
and Summer Internship Program Coordinator Vram Karaqeshishyan say
in an interview with ArmInfo. Students Talene Ghazarian and Kathryn
Mgrublyan shared their impressions of Armenia as well.

"In Washington this program was launched in 1977", Arpi Vardanyan
says. The program pursued several goals: to make it possible for
Armenian students in America get working experience; to promote
contacts between the American and Armenian youth and to work with
the Armenian Diaspora for the welfare of Armenia. In 1998 an idea
originated to implement a similar program in Armenia and already
in 1999 the first group of American-Armenian students visited their
historical motherland.

Arpi Vardnayan is sure that visiting Armenia students will better
understand the problems of our country and the challenges it has fa
ced. Some participants in the Program return to Armenia on permanent
residence, others remain in the USA learning more about their identity
and better realizing it. Due to this, they start contributing to
development of local Armenian communities, which is rather important,
Arpi Vardanyan says.

Vram Keshishyan, Summer Internship Program Coordinator, says
the students arriving in Armenia as part of this program work at
the Ministries, state and non-governmental institutions, medical
centers and other establishments for 2 months. At present students are
undertaking an internship at the ministries of culture, youth and sport
affairs, finance, economy, foreign affairs, education and science,
health, as well as at Nork-Marash Hospital, Nairi Center, Center of
National and International Studies, Ombudsman’s Office and others.

Student Talene Ghazarian will stay in Armenia longer than
envisaged. She is a nutritionist temporarily working at Nairi Medical
Center in Yerevan. She says Yerevan is a very beautiful European city
with ancient architecture and warm and hearty people. She is impressed
with the sights and nature of Armenia. She is going to return to
Armenia after graduating from the university and work in the regions
to apply her knowledge and skills in Armenia where nutrition problems
are not paid a proper attention. Talene is surprised that people in
Armenia smoke so much, even more than in California she is from. She
also co mplains of overloaded traffic.

Another student Kathryn Mgrublyanm, who is learning literature and
psychology in the USA is currently working at the Center of National
and International Studies and Diaspora Ministry in Armenia. She
is engaged in comparison of the stands of local Armenians and the
Armenians in Diaspora regarding the Armenian Genocide of 1915. "I
think that sincerity, hospitality and kindness are the main features
of a typical Armenian," she says.

The participants in the Summer Internship Program have visited many
sights in Armenia and Nagorny Karabakh as well as Golden Apricot
Film Festival.

HEAVEN WAY BOOK REPUBLISHED AT ANTELIAS PRINTING-HOUSE

Noyan Tapan
July 23, 2009

ANTELIAS, JULY 23, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Heaven Way
book was published at an Antelias printing-house the last, fourth
republication of which took place in 1907. Kurin teacher Manuk
Kakosian used his proofreading knowledge and skills having the aim
of acquainting the youth with the history of Christianity.

According to the Patriarchate of Antelias, with the efforts of
newly-converted monk of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia
Varand Kortmosian in order to make readable the contents of the book
in Ashkharhabar (New Armenian language) the volume was presented to
the youth as a valid guidebook.

ARMENIAN, AZERI PRESIDENTS COULD MEET IN LATE SEPTEMBER-EARLY OCTOBER – OSCE

Interfax
July 22 2009
Russia

The co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group, which is working to help
settle the conflict over Nagorno- Karabakh, plan to visit Armenia
and Azerbaijan in September.

The co-chairmen plan to visit the region in September in order to
assess the possibility of the next meeting between the presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan in late September-early October, the Minsk
Group co-chairmen said in a joint statement in Vienna on July 21,
which was posted on the OSCE website.

The latest meeting of the Armenian and Azeri presidents in Moscow
took place in a constructive atmosphere, the co-chairmen said.

All discussions proceeded in a free and constructive atmosphere, which
allowed the parties to give detailed consideration to the proposed
principles in order to overcome the remaining disagreements regarding
several elements of the basic settlement principles, they said.

The co-chairmen also informed the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan
that they would hold a working session in Krakow, Poland, at the
end of July to draw up an updated version of the Madrid document in
compliance with the joint statement made by the presidents of the
OSCE Minsk Group’s member-countries in L’Aquila.

ARMENIA PLANS AFGHAN CONTINGENT

Associated Press Worldstream
July 21, 2009 Tuesday 8:09 PM GMT

Armenia’s defense minister says the former Soviet republic will send
forces to Afghanistan by the end of the year.

Seyran Oganian said Tuesday that Armenia is discussing details of
the deployment with Germany.

He did not say how many servicemen would be sent to contribute to
NATO and U.S. operations.

Officials have said Armenia would likely send munitions experts and
communications officers.

Armenia had nearly 50 military personnel in Iraq but withdrew its
contingent earlier this year.

Oganian says some Armenians who fought in the Soviet Union’s
unsuccessful 1980s war in Afghanistan want to return as part of the
new force.