Author: Nahapetian Samvel

STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF GREEK OSCE PRESIDENCY REGARDING NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT

APA
Dec 2 2009
Azerbaijan

Athens. Victoria Dementyeva – APA. OSCE foreign ministers issued a
statement concerning the statement by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs
and Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers on December 1, APA
correspondent reports from Athens.

The statement welcomed positive dynamic in the negotiations on the
settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict and called on the sides to
prepare preliminary draft of peace agreement acceptable by all sides.

"We are welcoming the statement by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs –
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, Russian Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov and US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, as
well as by the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia and call
on both sides to develop positive dynamic of the negotiations. We are
also supporting their decision to finalize the work of determination
of the basic principles based on Madrid document, as well as the
decision for preparation of peace agreement satisfied all sides".

The OSCE foreign ministers expressed their willingness for intensive
activity to make the sides to agree on the principles described in
the Helsinki Final Act, non-use of force, territorial integrity of the
country, equal rights of the peoples, as well as self-determination.

"We believe that there are real opportunities in the region to lay
foundation of peace, stability and prosperity in future".

AUTHORIZED CAPITAL OF VENTURE FUND TO MAKE $40 MILLION

ARKA
Dec 1, 2009

YEREVAN, December 1, /ARKA/. Vache Kirakosian, head of an economy
ministry department in charge of information and high technologies,
said Monday the authorized capital of a venture fund to be established
in Armenia will make $40 million.

Speaking at a news conference at Novosti Armenia International Press
Center, he said the venture fund is being established by the government
of Armenia and the Russian Sitronix company. He said the venture fund
will be registered soon and the initial $40 million are expected to
double in the second and future stages of the project. The Armenian
government’s share in the project will be between 10-15%, he said,
adding that the government will insist that its funding be directed
at financing new companies and fresh ideas.

He said the World Bank and some other international organizations
are taking interest in this project.

The venture fund is supposed to be established on the basis of Mars
electronic plant that was handed to Russia as part of a deal christened
Assets for Debt whereby Armenia handed five enterprises to Russia to
clear its almost $100 million debt.

According to estimates, from $3 to $6 million of the venture fund may
be spent on creation of the seed fund for development of projects at
the initial stage. The selected projects will be implemented at Mars
plant, which was built in 1988-94 for production of printed-circuit
boards. Currently the plant operates at a fraction of its capacity. In
2008 Mars plant, as well as the Institute of Material Science,
Institute of Mathematical Machines and Automated Systems were handed
to Russian Sitronix company, which plans to merge them into a single
research center.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN VISITED TODAY "LORI" COMPANY

ARMENPRESS
Dec 1, 2009

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS: Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
visited today "Lori" company’s diamond processing factory which was
established in 1992 in Nor Hatchn. The president got acquainted with
the issues of the factory, the implemented works. After walking in the
factory the president conducted a consultation with the participation
of the owner of "Lori" company, Economy Minister Nerses Yeritsyan,
representatives of Indian "Fire Stone" diamond processing company.

During the consultation the participants discussed issues on expansion
of investment volume.

Director of the "Lori" company Isaak Aghajanyan told the reporters
that the diamond processing company started working with 20 workers
and during years expanded the circles of its activity making the
number of workers 500. During the recent period as a result of global
economic crisis, employees have been dismissed and production volume
reduced. This year the company is planning to make the production
volume reach 40-42 million USD. "Our product is mainly being exported
to USA and partially in Europe. Because of the crisis the demand has
decreased but during the recent period stabilization tendencies are
becoming notable," Aghajanyan said. Annually the company in average
produces 50,000 carats.

Nerses Yeritsyan noted that in the diamond processing the interest
of investors is big. The Indian "Fire Stone" company wishes to make
investments in this sphere. According to the minister, because of the
economic crisis the sphere maintains its tempos but the availability
of raw gradually decreases.

President of the "Lori" factory Shahen Aslanyan noted that they are
aimed at empowering the factory and create a new one.

ARF 119TH ANNIVERSARY MARKED IN JULFA

Yerkir
30.11.2009 13:01
Yerevan

Yerevan (Yerkir) – An event marking the 119th anniversary of the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation was held in Julfa, Iran, organized
by the Hay Dat committee of Julfa, the Alik daily reported.

ARF Supreme Body of Armenia chairman Hrach Tadevosyan delivered a
speech, followed by a concert featuring Armenian singers Mkrtich
Lazarian and Davit Amalyan. An exposition of photographs on the ARF
presence in southern Iran was held afterwards.

WEIGHTLIFTER HRIPSIME KHURSHUDIAN BECOMES WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BRONZE EDAL-WINNER

NOYAN TAPAN
NOVEMBER 30, 2009
GOYANG

GOYANG, NOVEMBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN. The 7th representative of Armenia,
Hripsime Khurshudian (75 kg, Kasakh) performed on November 28 in the
World Weightlifting Championship being held in the city of Goyang,
South Korea. In the women’s tournament she became the 3rd in the clean
(120 kg) and jerk (147 kg) exercises and in the biathlon (267 kg).

And Svetlana Pobedova (Kazakhstan) became a champion (132 kg + 160 kg =
292 kg). She also established 4 world records.

Armenia’s weightlifting national team returned to Yerevan on November
30. The Armenian national team gained 12 medals in Goyang Championship,
3 gold, 4 silver and 5 bronze. It took the 4th place in the team
competition.

119 MLN DRAMS HAVE BEEN ALREADY DECLARED

NKR Government Information and
Public Relations Department
November 27, 2009

Inhabitants of Artsakh show concerned participation in nationwide
fund-raising initiated by "Hayastan" All-Armenian Fund. They actively
involved in the action as early as from November 18. As informed from
the coordinating republican headquarters, during the passed week to
the corresponding account of the fund 7mln 202 thousand and 266 drams
were transferred. By November 26, the size of the declared sum formed
119 mln drams.

The fund-raising in Artsakh will go on. In future as well benefactors
may make any desired payments.

Donated funds will be directed at Shoushi restoration programmes.

KURDISH NAMES FEATURED AT ROAD SIGNS IN DIYARBAKIR

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.11.2009 11:43 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Diyarbakir Metropolitan Municipality, controlled
by the Democratic Society Party, or DTP, has replaced signs on roads
that lead to villages with new signs that feature their Turkish and
Kurdish names together. The move came amid the government’s democratic
initiatives, which suppose granting Kurds some civil rights.

Besir Atalay, minister of internal affairs made a statement recently
about the government remaining positive about displaying the Kurdish
names of villages. The letters of "x", "q" and "w," which are not
featured in the Turkish alphabet, can now be seen on the signs,
Hurriyet Daily News reported.

GRANT ABOLITION INAUGURATES HIGHER EDUCATION REFORMS IN ARMENIA

news.am
Nov 27 2009
Armenia

The Mir interstate TV Company has addressed the reforms of Armenia’s
higher education system launched in Armenia. The source reported that
the reforms will be completed in the country in 2014, but the first
steps, abolition of student grants, has been made.

Referring to the RA Ministry of Education, the TV Company reports
that the current system is "obsolete." "The problem is that the
number of insolvent students is increasing year by year. The annual
tuition fee ranges from U.S. $1,000 to $1,500. Officials say that the
abolition of grants will allow them to support insolvent straight A
students. But students did not support the idea of assistance fund,"
the TV Company reports.

HAYK YOUTH AND STUDENT UNION CALLS ON NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF ARMENIA TO IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZE NAGORNO KARABAKH REPUBLIC

Noyan Tapan
Nov 27, 2009

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27, NOYAN TAPAN. On November 27, Hayk Youth
and Student Union of Heritage Party issued a statement, which in
particular reads:

"The Azerbaijani leadership’s belligerent rhetoric and threats to
resume the war have become more frequent recently. On the eve of
the November 22 Munich meeting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani
presidents, Ilham Aliyev stated that in case the meeting fails again
to produce progress in the Karabakh settlement this time, Azerbaijan
will resort to settling the conflict by military means. On November
25, Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar Abiyev said that Azerbaijan
sees no other way of settling the conflict than by military means.

Under these circumstances, we consider it very dangerous that the
serious challenges that the republics of Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia
are facing are ignored, and that those statements are deemed as
propaganda only.

We, the young members of the Heritage party, considering peace as
precious value, and realizing that a war would lead to significant
destruction and loss of lives to the both sides, reject any military
settlement of the conflict, and condemn the Azerbaijani leadership’s
attempts to provoke a war by engaging its own people in a war
hysteria. Nevertheless, we think that the best way to prevent a war
is to be prepared for one. To be ready for a possible resumption of
the war on the Artsakh front, the two Armenian states and societies
should initiate adequate extraordinary actions.

We call on: – The National Assembly to immediately recognize the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic, setting up conditions for recognizing the
NKR by the Armenian government at an appropriate time, as well as
for signing bilateral agreements between the Republic of Armenia and
the NKR in all fields, including the defense and security fields; –
The Armenian cabinet to review the 2010 state budget and, at least,
reinstate defense expenditure of the 2009 budget, as well as increase
significantly the overall size of loans to the NKR;

– The Republic of Armenia and NKR defense ministries: 1. Organize
trainings and exercises among the entire adult population for enhancing
civil defense combat skills; 2. Develop a functional plan for the
government-civil society cooperation in war time and present this
plan to the public;

– The Armenian Foreign Ministry to send an official note to the
Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation, that is considered to
be Armenia’s ally and strategic partner in the Collective Security
Treaty Organization, demanding that any military supplies and
cooperation under the 2006 and 2008 agreements between Moscow and
Baku be discontinued immediately".

ARMENIAN AND ITALIAN FMS DISCUSSED VISA REGIME

news.am
Nov 24 2009
Armenia

November 23, in the frames of his working visit to Italy RA FM Edward
Nalbandyan met with his Italian counterpart Franco Frattini. Italian
FM underlined that his country is interested in the development of
cooperation with Armenia and is ready to take effective steps in
this direction. The officials discussed Armenia-EU cooperation in
various fields, the measures taken towards the promotion of bilateral
collaboration in the frames of European neighborhood policy and
Eastern partnership program.

Frattini welcomed the activities on Armenia-Turkey reconciliation,
expressing hope that Protocols will be ratified shortly entailing
the border opening.

Nalbandyan and Frattini discussed the facilitation of visa
regime between EU and Armenia, noting it will contribute to the
intensification of ties.

RA Foreign Minister presented the recent developments in Karabakh
conflict settlement and the outcomes of Armenian and Azerbaijani
Presidents’ meeting in Munich. Receiving invitation to visit Yerevan,
Frattini assured that plans to arrive in Armenia in the first half
of 2010.

The Foreign Ministers signed a number of agreements before the meeting.