Author: Nadirian Emma

APPRECIATION OF US DOLLAR IN ARMENIA WILL NOT LEAD TO INCREASE OF EXPORT FROM ARMENIA, LOCAL ECONOMIST SAYS

ArmInfo
2009-03-04 12:16:00

ArmInfo. The appreciation of US dollar against Armenian dram will
not increase export from Armenia, local economist Tatul Manaseryan
told ArmInfo when commenting on the sharp fall of Armenian dram.

‘Devaluation of Armenian dram is not enough to increase the falling
export.

This process needs complex measures in this dimension>, he said. T.

Manaseryan said that in conditions of non-interference by the
Central Bank into the transactions at foreign exchange market as
well as the floating rate of Armenian dram, the exchange rate of
national currency will rely on the real sector, which is in poor
state. Given the constantly negative trends of export from Armenia and
the constantly growing unfavorable balance of trade in the country,
it is very difficult to make any forecast of the ratio of dram to
dollar for the nearest future’, Manaseryan said.

By data of the National Statistical Service of Armenia unfavorable
balance of trade in Armenia fopr 2008 totaled $3,342.6 million or 28%
of GDP.

Foreign trade turnover was up 24% for 2008 and 3.3% in December as
against November to $5480.8 million (1676.2 billion drams).

Unfavorable balance of trade in Armenia for Jan 2009 totaled $185.9
million or 43.3% of GDP. Foreign trade turnover fell by 24.5% for
Jan and by 47.9% as compared to Dec 2008 totaling $245.3 million
(77.9 billion drams).

WORLD BANK SUPPORTS ARMENIA’S RETURN TO FLOATING EXCHANGE RATE POLICY

ARKA
March 3, 2009

YEREVAN, March 3. /ARKA/. The World Bank (WB) voiced its support to
Armenia’s return to the policy of floating currency exchange rate
and the required measures to ensure the transfer.

Adjusting the rate is necessary for improving Armenia’s competitiveness
and mitigating global shock effects, says the press release of WB
Yerevan Office.

Armenia is quite strong in resisting the effects of the global
economic crisis owing to its balanced macroeconomic policy, low level
of national debt and effective banking system, says the press release.

According to the report, the World Bank group will continue its
assistance to Armenia in the scope of cooperation strategy for
2009-2012 through $525mln worth loan programs of the International
Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International
Development Agency (IDA).

Apart from this, International Financial Corporation (IFC) expressed
its readiness to substantially expand its cooperation with banks and
other organizations of Armenia.

The policy followed by Armenia to ensure macroeconomic stability and
form free market produced considerable economic results and the WB
is ready to further support the reforms in Armenia, says the report.

Tuesday, the Central Bank of Armenia reported restraining its
intervention on the currency market and returning to floating rate
policy.

AREVIK PETROSYAN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY MET WITH THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UN

National Assembly of RA
March 3 2009

On March 2 Ms. Arevik Petrosyan, Vice President of the National
Assembly received the UN Permanent Representative in the Republic of
Armenia and UNDP Resident Coordinator Ms. Consuelo Vidal- Bruce.

During the meeting it was mutually highlighted the cooperation of the
Yerevan office of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia
and the United Nations.

Ms. Consuelo Vidal-Bruce said that their organization with the Republic
of Armenia was debating a project of six-months support, and asked
for Ms. Petrosyan to present proposals on concrete directions with
the cooperation of the National Assembly.

Ms. Petrosyan noted the necessity of realizing comparative, analytical
and expert works, on the support of retraining of experts, exchange
of experience as well as on technical assistance. She also highlighted
the further projects with the NGOs and Youth. It was decided to enact
the debated issues as written offers, in order to include them in
further projects.

On the same day Ms. Arevik Petrosyan received Ms. Laylee
Moshiri-Gilani, Head of the Armenian Office of the United Nations
Children’s Fund.

Ms. Laylee Moshiri-Gilani noted that the United Nations Children’s
Fund pays more attention to the cooperation with the parliaments in
three directions – improvement of the legislation, implementation of
relevant laws with application of the mechanisms of the parliamentary
control and social financing of children. She said that an important
place will be given to the analysis of the situation, children’s
poverty and mechanisms of protection of children, in the projects of
the current year having added, that the report, on the role of the
parliament in the Committee of protection of children, Armenia will
present at the end of the year.

Ms. Petrosyan touched upon the legislation, related to the children’s
protection. She asked the guests to present the urgent cycle of the
issues by United Nations Children’s Fund and also the proposals,
which were not adopted for this or that reasons, and the issues
that need to have comprehensive regulation, could be solved by joint
work. The Vice President of the National Assembly noted that though
the breaches of the children’s rights are not common in our country
they need serious attention and the productive solution of those
issues are considered with active cooperation of all institutions
dealing with the protection of children’s rights.

Also other issues, related to awareness of children, education of
children, requiring special care, the development of their skills
and protection of children were debated during the meeting.

It was decided the meetings to be continuous, to develop concrete
projects of cooperation, which would have purposeful solutions.

IMF ANNOUNCES MANAGEMENT SUPPORT FOR $540 MILLION LOAN TO ARMENIA, WELCOMES MOVE ON EXCHANGE RATE

States News Service
March 3, 2009 Tuesday

The following information was released by the International Monetary
Fund:

Mr. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Managing Director of the International
Monetary Fund (IMF), issued the following statement on Armenia today:

"After many years of strong economic performance, Armenia has been
adversely affected by the global economic and financial crisis. In
response, the Armenian authorities have put together a strong and
credible economic program to address the deterioration in Armenia’s
external outlook, restore confidence in the currency and financial
system, and protect the poor.

"I will therefore recommend that the IMF Executive Board approve
a request for a $540 million, 28-month Stand-By Arrangement. The
Executive Board is expected to meet to discuss the program later this
week. Armenia would be able to draw about US$ 239 million immediately
after Board approval.

"The comprehensive policy package developed by the Armenian authorities
in consultation with IMF staff includes the return to a floating
exchange rate regime, allowing the exchange rate to move in line with
market fundamentals so as to cushion the economy from the external
shocks and safeguard foreign exchange reserves.

"The authorities will also implement supporting monetary, fiscal, and
financial sector policies, and well-targeted structural reforms. They
are also taking measures to help offset the economic downturn and
mitigate the impact of the economic crisis on the poor.

"These strong measures justify the exceptional level of access to Fund
resources (equivalent to 400 percent of Armenia’s quota) and deserve
the support of the international community," Mr. Strauss-Kahn said.

CAMPAIGN AGAINST ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION LAUNCHED IN U.S. CONGRESS

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.03.2009 14:19 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A member of the U.S. Congress has warned other
congressmen to heed the importance of cooperation with NATO ally
Turkey for achieving U.S. objectives in Afghanistan and Iraq.

In a letter to 434 members of the House of Representatives, Rep. Bill
Shuster (R-Pa.) said Turkey has a critical role in helping the
U.S. reach its goals in these two troubled countries, Christian
Science Monitor reports.

Shuster’s initiative comes along with efforts of the Armenian lobby
to introduce a genocide resolution to the house floor.

Los Angeles Congressman Adam Schiff said he and several others in
Congress are reviving the Armenian Genocide resolution.

He said he has high hopes that the bill will pass Congress despite
fierce opposition from Turkey, and finally will be signed into law
by the nation’s new president.

Speaking to 75 people from the Armenian National Committee Central
California Chapter in downtown Fresno on Monday, Schiff pledged to
reintroduce his Genocide resolution soon.

Schiff said virtually every member in Congress knows that the
Armenian Genocide is a fact of history, and that President Barack
Obama understands the issue.

"Obama spoke out against the firing of the ambassador," Schiff said,
referring to the dismissal of the American ambassador to Armenia for
publicly using the term Armenian genocide," Schiff said.

OSCE MG CO-CHAIRS AGREE THAT PROBLEM OF REFUGEES ONE OF KEY ELEMENTS OF NEGOTIATIONS

ArmInfo
2009-03-03 12:15:00

ArmInfo. The problem of refugees is one of the key elements of the
negotiations, US Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Matthew Bryza said
in Yerevan Tuesday.

He said that in Stepanakert the co-chairs met with groups representing
the rights of refugees. All the refugees irrespective of their
nationality have rights and needs and their problem must be resolved,
he added.

For his part the French Co-chair Bernard Fassier agreed with his
colleague and said that the problem of refugees and internally
displaced persons is one of the key elements in the negotiating
process.

PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA MEETS CSTO SECRETARY GENERAL

armradio.am
03.03.2009 10:44

President of Armenia, Chairman of the Council of the Collective
Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Serzh Sargsyan received the
Secretary General of the CSTO Nikolay Bordyuzha, President’s Press
Office reported.

The President of Armenia and Nikolay Bordyuzha discussed issues
related to the package of legal documents pertaining to the decision
of the CSTO extraordinary session on the establishment of the Rapid
Response Force.

Nikolay Bordyuzha briefed President Sargsyan on the works conducted
by the experts of the CSTO member states, the Secretariat and the
Joint Staff in that direction.

A SUBJECTIVE EQUIVALENCE

Azat Artsakh Daily
02 March 09
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]

Or Why Does Matthew Bryza Maintain a Sickly Agiotage Around The
Negotiation Process As is well known in the function of OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairman around Nagorno Karabakh besides especial search of
ways for settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict and for obtaining a
compromise between the three conflicting parties, the maintenance of
intensity of the process of negotiation also enters, for in order not
to give it to enter the state of stagnation. I dare to hope that all
the three Minsk Group co-chairmen will realize this mission in full
measures who continue to apply considerable efforts for approaching
to a final peaceful decision of the problem.

However, American OSCE Minsk Group co-chairman saw the intermediary
problem wider in spite of his French and Russian colleagues. Namely,
to maintain not only the negotiation process, but a sickly agiotage
around it. It has already become an original regularity that Bryza
periodically announced strange but contradictory announcements
which didn’t do good to the peaceful process in no way. According
to Azerbaijani Agency, American diplomat announced, "The agreement
of the regulation of Karabakhian problem must be balanced and just
and answer the most important demand of Azerbaijan that is, securing
its territorial integrity". For the sake of truth, it should be not
ed that in the interview of "Golos America" Matthew Bryza mentioned
also the principles of rights of self -determination and non-usage of
forces together with "the most important demands of Azerbaijan". As
they say, that is something at least. If we take it seriously, this is
not the first case when the diplomat has emphatically over-stressed
"the territorial integrity" to the prejudice of self-determination,
which is "the most important demand" of NK. More precise, NK has
already incarnated this right, now its demands consist only in that
this act of desire by the way, is perfect in perfect accordance with
the norms of international law, which has again been recognized by
the international norms and consolidated by de-jure. In the process
of regulation of Karabakhian conflict, an amusing situation has
already been watched in a certain sense. All the participants of
the process, the three conflicting parts and the mediators appeal
to the international law; however, the conclusion is not seen. The
reason is in that everybody treats this right in one’s one way. "The
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh cannot be the part of Azerbaijan,
there is neither juridical nor historical presupposition for this,
and the most important is that the nation of Artsakh has no desire",
the president of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan said. Every inhabitant of
independent NK may sign unde r these words, because such position bases
on the right basis which not only Azerbaijan but also mediators have
not managed to contest. The president of Azerbaijan understood and
treated the international law in a very peculiar way. In the interview
to Reuter Agency given by the president of Azerbaijan in Davos, on
January 29, Ilham Aliyev complaining to the absence of the results
in the process of negotiation, stated the following "The problem
can be solved only by the basis of principles of the international
law. The given principles of the international law are foreseen by
the conclusion of the Armenian forces from our lands and the return
of forced resettles to these lands". We may agree that this new word
in the international jurisprudence, so to speak, international law
by Azerbaijani completely rejecting not likely all Helsinki final act
of OSCE. Here it is important to know the point of view of OSCE to the
international principles, on basis of which the given Euro-organization
is going to decide Karabakhian problem. "For OSCE the principle of the
nation’s right to the self-determination and the state’s territorial
integrity are equal", said Goran Lenmarker, a special co-chairman of
Parliamentary Assembly of OSCE by NK, during his regional visit on
last week. Probably, I cannot say more particularly, and the question
about the priority of either one or another principle=2 0 is taken
away. However, another one is arisen. Why does M. Bryza, presenting
OSCE as G. Lenmarker, invariable underline the primacy of the principle
of territorial integrity to the right of self-determination? Doesn’t
such an open Azerbaijanian position keep an oil-hidden motive? As
is well known, Mr. Bryza promotes oil interests of Washington in
Azerbaijan, besides especial intermediary missions in the frame of
OSCE Minsk Group. However, his, such kind of announcement, first,
distrust is cast upon the two Armenian parts to the intermediary
mission. Second, they allow Azerbaijan to take an uncomplying position,
pulling out macsimalistic and demands treated from reality. It means
that they disturb to the regulation of the process, still more hold
away the prospects of all-embracing, balanced and just agreement,
as M. Bryza said. Moreover, we have to treat skeptic to the words
of G. Lenmarker about that he has seen good opportunities for the
regulation of Nagorno Karabakh conflict in this year.

"SAVE THE ANIMALS SHELTER"

AZG DAILY
03-03-2009

More than 220 dogs live in the "SAVE THE ANIMALS SHELTER". These dogs
are saved from murder and cruel behavior of people.

"Save the Animals" shelter exist only thanks to animal lovers and
until now hasn’t receive any support from government, we need any
single support for the shelter go on existing.

How can you help?

"Save The Animals" shelter has a found, where you can do your
donation. You can donate beginning from 2$. Any amount of donation
every month will help us to save the lives of already saved animals
and save more new lives.

You can donate also

– food (rice, buckwheat, dry feed, bread)

– clothes (it will help us to make their cages warmer in winter)

– building material (for building new cages)

To know more about the shelter please visit

FEEL YOU ARE ALIVE BY HELPING THOSE WHO NEED YOU

PLEASE USE FOLLOWING BANK DATA IN USD, TRANSFER:

BENEF ICIARY: "SAVE ANIMALS" ACCOUNTS 2470100701560001 BENIFICIARY
BANK: ARDSHININVESTBANK, ARMENIA, SWIFT Code: ASHBAM22, 13 GRIGOR
LUSAVORICH Str., 375015, Yerevan, Republic Of Armenia INTERMEDIARY
BANK CORR. ACCOUNT: No. 36209105 with, CITIBANK, NEW YORK FOR USD
SWIFT Code: CITIUS33

POSTCARD DEDICATED TO MONTE MELQONYAN

Panorama.am
18:30 27/02/2009

A postcard with a stamp on it is produced dedicated to National
Hero of Armenia and Karabakh Monte Melqonyan (1957-1993), reports
the press service of "Armpost" Company. According to the source,
the author of the postcard is Harutyun Samuelyan, it is colorful,
its sizes are 148/104 mm, nominal value is 240 drams, print – 1200
copies. The postcard is available in post services of "Armpost".