Author: Maghakian Mike

VAHAN HOVHANNISYAN: "WE ARE THE REAL OPPOSITION"

Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am
Sept 15 2009
Armenia

18:05 / 09/15/2009Vahan Hovhannisyan, Head of the ARF parliamentary
faction stated that it is the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF)
that is actually the Opposition. He substantiates his statement by the
fact that the Yerevan Municipality prohibited ARF representatives from
staging a hunger strike in front of the office buildings of the RA
Government and RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs, whereas the Armenian
National Congress (ANC) was permitted to hold mass actions for five
days "on end." ‘This shows which one is the actual Opposition,"
Hovhannisyan said, making a traditional statement during the regular
four-day session of the RA Parliament. He must have forgotten that
several dozen rallies of ANC were prohibited while the ARF was in
the echelons of power.

Hovhannisyan also pointed out that the aim of the actions
(hunger-strike, sit-in, etc..) is to make the society awake and come
to realize the danger of the initialed Armenian-Turkish documents. "We
will try to get the dangerous points improved," he said.

ROAD OF AN AMERICAN AND AN ARMENIAN

os15166.html
14:05:52 – 14/09/2009

On July 30, the Festival of Open Music was open in Armenia with the
sponsorship of the U.S. embassy to Armenia. Classical, jazz and folk
music was included in the program. 16 concerts have been held so far,
another three are scheduled and the concert of closure will take
place on September 22.

Today the regular concert will be held where Brian Kaiser, Jessica
Kenny, Avon Ken and Cesare Smily will play headed by the guitarist
Michael Krisner.

Works unifying the eastern and western music are included in the
program, says Michael Krisner. Krisner will also compose the soundtrack
of the film directed by Breiden King. The latter says he is looking
for a place to shoot the film and in this connection, in 2004 he
arrived in Armenia for the first time. The film is about the trips
of an American cosmos engineer and an Armenian photographer. The film
is shot in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, says Breiden King.

ARMENIA, TURKEY NOT READY TO ESTABLISH DEEP RELATIONS
Karen Ghazaryan

"Radiolur"
11.09.2009 17:32

"It’s quite possible that neither Turkey nor Armenia wanted or were
ready to establish deep relations," expert of the Armenian Center of
National and International Studies (ACNIS) Manvel Sargsyan said at a
round-table discussion today. According to him, the improvement of
the Armenian-Turkish relations was dictated by the serious changes
in international relations.

"The Armenian-Turkish relations should be possibly views as some local
project of the Russian-Turkish or Turkish-American relations. Even
today it is obvious that Turkey has no wish to get involved in
an immediate dialogue with Armenia. It seems that all questions
are being discussed and all decisions are being taken jointly with
superpowers, and Armenia is imposed to accept this or that decision,"
Manvel Sargsyan said.

According to the expert, Armenia does not come forth with proposals,
while it has to make its own suggestions if it wants to improve
relations.

"Turkey suggests establishing diplomatic relations and opening of
the border. But it’s not clear what Armenia suggests. It has just
said there are no preconditions."

The expert considers that Turkey’s willingness to establish relations
with Armenia may mean two things: either there are unwritten agreements
or it has been dictated by superpowers, and Turkey has no other
way out.

Vardan Khachatryan said the Armenian people face a great danger,
since agreements are concluded behind Armenia’s back: Russia and the
West are trying to solve the issues of their energy carriers.

HOVHANNES IGITYAN: TURKEY LINKS ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS TO KARABAKH ISSUE

PanARMENIAN.Net
11.09.2009 13:32 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey does link Armenian-Turkish relations to
Karabakh issue, according to Hovhannes Igityan, Armenian National
Movement board member and former chairman of parliamentary external
relations committee.

"The protocols mention of regional stability. Furthermore, Turkish
Foreign Ministry said that it ‘welcomes normalization of bilateral
relations’ and that ‘Armenia will finally resolve the Karabakh
problem’," Igityan said.

"Armenian Foreign Ministry should make a statement that normalization
of Armenian-Turkish relations has no connection with regional stability
and Karabakh process," he added.

ACCORDING TO IMF FORECASTS, ECONOMIC RECESSION IN ARMENIA TO MAKE 10-15% THIS YEAR

NOYAN TAPAN
SEPTEMBER 9, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 9, NOYAN TAPAN. By forecasts of the International
Monetary Fund (IMF), the economic recession will make 10-15% in Armenia
this year, IMF Resident Representative in Armenia Nienke Oomes said
during a meeting with reporters on September 9.

(By the way, 10-15% recession in 2009 was also forecast by the Armenian
minister of finance).

She said that the review of Armenia’s economic indices is still under
way, but nevertheless, they agree to the government’s opinion that a
slight economic growth may be recorded in the country next year. The
IMF forecasts that the level of inflation will also be quite low – 3%.

N. Oomes said some positive tendencies have already been observed
in Armenia’s economy, in particular real estate prices are going
up. "This is important because the decline of the economy by two
thirds was due to the reduction of construction volumes," she noted.
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From: [email protected]
Subject: According to IMF forecasts, economic recession in Armenia to make 10-15%
this year

According to IMF forecasts, economic recession in Armenia to make
10-15% this year

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 9, NOYAN TAPAN. By forecasts of the International
Monetary Fund (IMF), the economic recession will make 10-15% in Armenia
this year, IMF Resident Representative in Armenia Nienke Oomes said
during a meeting with reporters on September 9.

(By the way, 10-15% recession in 2009 was also forecast by the Armenian
minister of finance).

She said that the review of Armenia’s economic indices is still under
way, but nevertheless, they agree to the government’s opinion that a
slight economic growth may be recorded in the country next year. The
IMF forecasts that the level of inflation will also be quite low – 3%.

N. Oomes said some positive tendencies have already been observed in
Armenia’s economy, in particular real estate prices are going up. "This
is important because the decline of the economy by two thirds was due
to the reduction of construction volumes," she noted.

ARMENIA FOR FRIENDLY RELATIONS WITH TURKEY

Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am
Sept 7 2009
Armenia

Armenia-Turkey negotiations aim to establish bilateral relations,
RA President Serzh Sargsyan said at the joint press conference with
his Croatian counterpart Stjepan Mesic.

Sargsyan stated that the two countries initiated a new phase of
internal consultations over the issued Protocols (the ‘Protocol on
the establishment of diplomatic relations’ and the ‘Protocol on the
development of bilateral relations’).

According to him, "Extended discussions should be held to get the
whole picture" before the actual ratification. "I am confident that
presently everything depends on the foresight and will of political
forces and first of all the leaders. Either we lay a road in the new
South Caucasus or contradictions, distrust and enmity will aggravate in
the region. I hope we will choose the right way," emphasized Sargsyan.

RA President is on a 2-day official visit to Croatia.

PACE PRESIDENT COMMANDED

olitics&pid=15062
12:51:24 – 03/09/2009

The PACE president Luis Maria de Puig commanded the Armenian-Turkish
protocols released on August 31.

"This is a step for which the PACE has waited for long and has worked
around it. The PACE where the Armenian and Turkish parliamentarians
work is ready to help with any issue which will promote the progress
between both countries. I am looking forward to the ratification of
the protocols by the parliaments of both countries which will testify
a new, bright day in the relations of the two CoE member countries",
says Puig

SERZH SARGSYAN APPOINTED ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR TO KOREA AND VIETNAM

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
04.09.2009 13:09 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On September 3, RA President Serzh Sargsyan signed
a decree on appointing Armen Sargsyan as Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary in People’s Republic of China (PRC) and part-time
Ambassador in South Korea and Vietnam. Residence of Ambassador to
the three republics is situated in Beijing.

ARMENIA SAYS INGA AND ANUSH WILL NOT GIVE CONCERT IN TURKEY

APA
Sept 4 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku – APA. "Inga and Anush Arshakyan will not give a concert in
Turkey", said their producer, associate director of Charm Company
Natalya Kazanchyan, APA reports. PR manager of the singers Anna
Ovannisyan said they didn’t receive official invitation for the
concert. She said they didn’t receive even online invitation.

Turkish participant of Eurovision 2009 Hadise acikgoz said that she
invited Armeian singers to Turkey and they would sing a song before
the football match between Turkey and Armenia in Bursa Ataturk stadium
on October 14.

ELDAR SABIROGLU: "IF POLITICAL TALKS FAIL, OUR ARMY WILL FULFILL ITS DUTIES"

APA
Sept 4 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku. Hafiz Heydarov – APA. "Armenian Armed Forces violated ceasefire
199 times in the past two months," spokesman for Azerbaijani
Defense Ministry Eldar Sabiroglu said at the press conference,
APA reports. He said Azerbaijani Army is the strongest army in the
Caucasus, large-scale exercises proved it.

"Our army is improving. Our target is to liberate our occupied
territories. Political talks are being held at present, and we are
hopeful concerning the results. Otherwise, our army will fulfill
its duties. Provision of the military units with modern weapons and
military equipment, battle readiness of our soldiers give reason to
say this," he said.