Author: Khoyetsian Rose

ERDOGAN’S GOVERNMENT WAS WRONG IN ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS: FIKRET SADIKHOV

Tert.am
12:11 ~U 16.12.09

"The latest events in Turkey showed that there are serious
contradictions in the policy of this country.

"Erdogan’s government went wrong both in the issue of Kurds and the
Armenian-Turkish Protocols. It was not able to evaluate the real state
of affairs," said Fikret Sadikhov, political scientist and professor at
Western University, commenting on the recent clashes between Kurds and
police in Turkey, in an interview with Azerbaijani news source News.az.

According to the political scientist, he has great doubts about the
ratification of the Turkish-Armenian protocols:

"The votes of the ruling party will not do for the parliament to ratify
these protocols. The support of oppositional parties is needed but
they are extremely negative on these protocols. The ruling party is
also extremely negative on them. Some powers in Turkey thought that
Azerbaijan will not react to these processes, but Azerbaijan took a
firm stance against these protocols, thus raising more powers inside
Turkey against these processes. Thus, it was too early for Armenians
to be happy in connection with signing these protocols."

SERZH SARGSYAN CONFUSING HIS OWN INTERESTS WITH PEOPLE’S INTERESTS: ARMEN AGAYAN

Tert.am
15:09 ~U 16.12.09

"Armenian-Turkish Protocols or ‘Football Diplomacy,’ from the
beginning, would lead to nothing," said political analyst Armen
Aghayan at at press conference in Yerevan today.

According to the analyst, the losses are currently unknown. "In
particular, with the signing of the Protocols, Armenia recognized
Turkey’s hegemony with respect to western Armenia on quite a high
level." In Aghayan’s opinion, if the Armenian-Turkish Protocols are
ratified, the losses will be even greater.

"Even greater endeavours will be demanded from Armenia’s next governing
leadership, to announce the measures taken during these days to be null
and void," noted the analyst, who also pointed out the psychological
losses: "We lived a short life as a winning nation and now we are
already easily adjusting to swallowing our losses."

Asked whether the Armenian president had made a mistake or whether
he knew from the beginning that it would be this way, Aghayan said
that Sargsyan continues to affirm the idea of cohabiting with the
Turkish people, believing that it will bring a great benefit to the
Armenian people. "In reality, it justifies that in a way and it is a
way of confusing his own interests with that of the people’s," he said.

Despite numerous opinions that Sargsyan was persuaded into playing
this complicated game with Turkish diplomacy, Aghayan believes that
the president knew about that from the beginning: "He knew that the
Turks had to talk about Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh] and [he] knew how
he was going to respond to them. The Turks knew as well."

The political analyst considers the current Armenian-Turkish process
to be "a joint presentation organized for the people."

AMBASSADOR MARIE YOVANOVITCH TO RECEIVE 2009 DIPLOMACY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD

armradio.am
14.12.2009 14:16

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has recognized US Ambassador to
Armenia Marie L. Yovanovitch as the recipient of the 2009 "Diplomacy
for Human Rights Award."

The annual "Diplomacy for Human Rights Award" recognizes a
U.S. Ambassador who has demonstrated extraordinary commitment
to defending human rights and advancing democratic principles of
government in his or her host country.

In making her selection, Secretary Clinton recognized Ambassador
Yovanovitch’s principled leadership and innovative use of diplomatic
tools in promoting and defending human rights and democracy as an
essential component of the United States’ bilateral relationship
with Armenia.

Secretary Clinton singled out Ambassador Yovanovitch and her embassy
team for their advocacy of due process and transparent investigations
of those arrested after the contentious February 2008 elections,
and for the Ambassador’s efforts to improve the electoral process in
Armenia, while maintaining a positive relationship with the Armenian
Government.

This award has been announced as part of the U.S. government’s efforts
to mark International Human Rights Day on December 10. The award will
be presented early next year.

Upon learning of her selection, the Ambassador said: "While I am
honored to be selected for this award, this award really honors human
rights reformers in Armenia, whether they are in government, civil
society, or the media. As Secretary Clinton stated, ‘human rights and
fundamental freedoms … are the birthright of every human being. They
are the basis of human dignity, and they underpin international peace
and progress.’ As long as I have been a diplomat, I have believed in
these principles, and worked to promote them wherever I have served. I
believe Armenia has made much progress in 18 years, but that there
is still much more work to do on human rights. I want to help with
that process, and I want to do it constructively."

ARMENIA, LATVIA INTERESTED IN DEEPENING BILATERAL TIES

armradio.am
11.12.2009 12:56

Today Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan had a meeting with the President
of Latvia, Valdis Zatlers.

The parties discussed the development of the Armenian-Latvian
relations, the possible directions of cooperation in different spheres.

In this context the interlocutors attached importance to reciprocal
contacts and the establishment of business ties and voiced hope that
the Armenian-Latvian Business Forum in Yerevan would create good
preconditions for the development of trade-economic relations.

The parties prioritized the cooperation in the fields of tourism,
trade, environmental protection, information technologies and
pharmaceutics. They attached importance to cultural contacts,
establishment of ties between higher educational establishments and
scientific institutions, as well as the exchange of experience in
other fields of mutual interest.

ARMENIAN MUSIC SOUNDS IN WASHINGTON

Aysor.am
11/12/09

The Armenian Embassy in U.S. in collaboration with the Smithsonian
Institution presented Armenian Musical Evening in the National Museum
of Natural History.

World-renowned violist Kim Kashkashyan teams with composer and
pianist Tigran Mansuryan and percussionist Robyn Schulkowsky to
perform compositions by Mansuryan, and Sayat-Nova.

The concert certainly promised to be one to remember and was attended
by more than 350 musicians, artists, and art historians worldwide,
and by resident members of the Armenian Community.

AN ANTI-CORRUPTION FORUM KICKS OFF IN ARMENIA
Lusine Vasilyan

"Radiolur"
09.12.2009 14:42

An anti-corruption forum, organized by the USAID Mobilizing Action
Against Corruption (MAAC) Activity in cooperation with the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Office in Yerevan and the
Prosecutor General’s Office of RA marked International Anti-Corruption
Day on December 9.

Over 150 representatives of the Armenian government, civil society,
private sector, and international organizations attended the forum.

Guest speakers at the event included Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan,
U.S. Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch, Prosecutor General of Armenia
Aghvan Hovsepyan, United Nations Resident Coordinator, a.i. Maria
Dotsenko, Head of ENP, European Commission Delegation to Armenia
Uffe Holst Jensen, Special Representative of the Secretary General,
Council of Europe Silvia Zehe, Deputy Head of the OSCE Office in
Yerevan Carel Hofstra and USAID MAAC Chief of Party Francois Vezina.

In his opening remarks, Prime Minister Sargsyan emphasized the
critical role of the Government’s 2009-2012 Anti-Corruption Strategy
and Action Plan, adopted in October 2009, in fighting corruption
in the country. In turn, Ambassador Yovanovitch noted the successes
of the Advocacy and Assistance Centers (AAC) in combating corruption
countrywide. "Here in Armenia, within the last year, there is a rapidly
growing number of examples in which local people working together,
exercising their rights, and demanding that government officials be
held accountable are making a real and tangible difference in the
fight against corruption," she said, "In the last year, over 2,000
people have come to MAAC-supported Advocacy and Assistance Centers and
MAAC grantee-NGOs for help, and the Centers, working with prosecutors
and the courts, are achieving real and positive results." The AACs,
established with the support of USAID/MAAC between 2008-2009 in all
marzes of Armenia, represent NGO-run citizen complaint offices where
victims of corruption can receive free legal advice and assistance.

Within the framework of the forum, the Head of the Corruption and
Organized Crime Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office, Armen
Ashrafyan, presented the "Prosecution Against Corruption" book to
event participants. In addition, the Caucasus Research Resource
Center-Armenia presented the findings of the MAAC 2009 Corruption
Survey of Households while drawing parallels with MAAC’s survey
in 2008.

ARMENIA ONE OF WORLD’S LEADERS IN EARTHQUAKE PREDICTION, SAYS ANALYST

Tert.am
16:59 ~U 07.12.09

One can never be 100% prepared for an earthquake, said president of
Armenia’s National Survey for Seismic Protection (ANSSP), Dr. Alvaro
Antonyan, today.

Presenting certain facts, Dr. Antonyan noted that the survey has
registered 50-60 earthquakes in the last few years: in 2007, there
were 11 earthquakes registered; in 2008, 10; and in 2009, 7.

Asked about the seismic stability of buildings, Dr. Antonyan said
there are no such data. "Not all builders appeal to us in these
issues." In particular, Dr. Antonyan stated that inaccurate policies
in city building are being put forth in central Yerevan.

Furthermore, Dr. Antonyan stressed the importance of equipping the
seismic stations with appropriate equipment.

Dr. Antonyan considers the issue of earthquake prediction to be
pressing and timely. Though the issue hasn’t been resolved in the
entire world, "we are working toward this direction," says the ANSSP
president. The Armenian organization is considered to be one of the
world leaders in earthquake prediction, concluded Dr. Antonyan.

HEAD OF THE ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT ATTACHES IMPORTANCE TO STRENGTHENING AND DEEPENING OF MULTI-CONTENT RELATIONS WITH THE UAE

ARMENPRESS
Dec 7, 2009

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS: Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
received today Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Anvar Mohamed Gargash and the delegation headed by him.

Governmental press service told Armenpress that welcoming the
guests the head of the Armenian government attached importance to
strengthening and deepening of multi-content relations with the United
Arab Emirates, which have already registered notable results in the
spheres of mining industry and real estate.

Anvar Gargash expressed his condolences on the anniversary of the
earthquake. Noting that the relations between the two countries
run positively, UAE foreign minister referred to the efforts exerted
toward making the trade-economic relations continuous, in that context
attaching importance to the idea of setting up an intergovernmental
commission, by the realization of which an opportunity will be afforded
to coordinate the reached agreements and to implement projects of
mutual interest.

Noting that the cooperation between the two countries is extending
involving new spheres, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan expressed
gratification on the readiness of co-financing the reconstruction
works of Arpa-Sevan channel, spoke of the possible investment programs
in the sphere of different branches of economy, particularly in the
fields of agriculture, jewelry, diamond work, chemical industry,
infrastructures, energy, etc.

With the guest’s request Prime Minister Sargsyan presented the latest
developments of the Armenian-Turkish dialogue, ideas were exchanged
over the development of relations with the states of the region.

LET’S LEARN THE LANGUAGE OF SOIL:

Azat Artsakh Newspaper NKR
December 04, 2009

… this is the advice of the highly experienced agronomist In
one of the district centre’s streets we met the merited agronomist
Jury Aramyan. He was returning from the allotment. During our
talk, he expressed dissatisfaction from the youth, finding, that they
didn’t use all their chances of working and had not love towards the
soil. `In this age I am keeping a hotbed, I am trying to be useful for
my country, people and family, but a part of our youth is too lazy to
work’,- he said. He considers very necessary stating the agriculture
as the main branch and realizing development programs in this
direction by the authorities, finding, that for such agrarian country
as NKR, agriculture’s administration must be kept. `In Soviet years
countrymen were robots, who, inspite of working too much with soil,
have not any idea of working out and organizing correctly the care of
plants,- Ju. Aramyan said,- The specialists with finished
prescriptions have organized all the measures at necessary moment,
using countrymen as wholly labor force. For this, when today the owner
remains lonely with soil, doesn’t know his task. For this reason we
have to learn them even putting arsenic’. To our question, what he
suggests for setting the situation right, the agronomist noted. `We
are agrarian country, but our children have not even any idea of soil,
they avoid working with soil. I suggest to lay down the foundation in
school, otherwise, the cart will not move from the place. In the
second turn, it’s necessary to put the preaching car in order, which
doesn’t work well’. To our question, how Ju. Aramyan lives, he
smiled significantly: In Askeran there is no a hungry man, there is
water, soil, he who works, will live, our bread comes from soil. The
agronomist again has advices: `Last years the progress is obvious. As
in Soviet years it has been admited to say, the soil has been given a
countryman. Unfortunately, he does not know what to do with this
wealth. It’s necessary to study the present day owner to work Wheel
tractors don’t justify themselves in Karabakh, especially in
mountinous zones. Caterpillar tractors must be acquired.
Unfortunately, each year we lose much more arable lands, meanwhile,
they must be added year by year. This is the foundation. `It’s
necessary to begin from here’,- he said and directed his steps towards
the nearest croft.

Ameriabank continues assistance to newlyweds in NKR
05.12.2009 14:03 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Joining benefactor Levon Hayrapetyan’s initiative on
assisting newly-wed couples in Nagorno Karabakh (700 families),
Ameriabank’s board of directors chairman Ruben Vardanyan donated USD
2000 to each new family. Besides, those couples whose children are
born after October 16 will also get USD 2000, the bank’s press office
reported.

In December 2010, Ameriabank will make a surprise for those newly
married couples who deposit money for a 1-year term.

Families which have already deposited money in Ameriabank participated
in a drawing. All newlywed investors received the bank’s corporate
prizes. One couple won a 11-day tour to Egypt.