Author: Nahapetian Samvel

1.6 BILLION TO SUBSIDIZE AGRICULTURE

Panorama.am
19:17 05/02/2008

This year 1.6 billion drams were disposed from the state budget to
subsidize the agriculture. According to Garnik Petrosyan of the
Ministry of Agriculture 50 thousands hectare territories need to
be cultivated.

He said that the regions are not selected yet.

"Whereas the same regions Aragatsotn and Gegharkunik will get
subsidy again as they are the most important centers in Armenia to
be cultivated," he said.

According to the head of the department 35 thousands drams should
be provided for each hectare. He said that people from villages get
money from the state fro cultivating 7 hectares.

He said that there will be no differentiation among the people from
the villages, those who present application they will get.

ZUBKOV TO YEREVAN TO DISCUSS RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN COOPERATION

ITAR-TASS
Feb 5 2008
Russia

YEREVAN, February 5 (Itar-Tass) – Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov
is embarking on a two-day official visit to Armenia on Tuesday evening
during which he will discuss a wide range of issues of Russian-Armenian
cooperation.

On Wednesday morning, the Russian government head will meet Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan and speaker of the National Assembly
(parliament) Tigran Torosyan, as well as will hold talks with the
country’s Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisyan. The sides plan to sign
bilateral agreements.

Zubkov will visit the Armenian Apostolic Church’s Mother See – Holy
Echmiadzin for a conversation with its head – Supreme Patriarch,
All Armenian Catholicos Garegin II. The Russian prime minister will
lay a wreath at the memorial to the victims of genocide of Armenians
of 1915 in the Ottoman Empire.

After the proclamation of independence and sovereignty of the two
states this is the fifth visit paid by Russia’s government head
to Armenia.

Yerevan officials hope that the arrival of the Russian prime minister
will serve as a stimulus for the development of, first of all,
bilateral economic relations.

"Russia is steadily assuming the positions of one of the main
investors in the Armenian economy," Russian Transport Minister Igor
Levitin who co-chairs the Intergovernmental Commission for economic
cooperation with Armenia said at a Russian-Armenian economic forum
that has recently been held in Yerevan by the Armenian government and
all-Russian non-governmental organisation Union of Armenians of Russia.

Levitin recalled that Russia’s major investment projects in Armenia
include the construction of gas-energy facilities, purchase by the
VimpelCom company of assets of the national communications operator
ArmenTel, buying by Russia’s Vneshtorgbank (VTB Bank) of Armsberbank
(Armenian Savings Bank), modernisation of the Yerevan aluminium plan
RusAl-ArmenAl, of energy capacities of the Sevan-Razdan hydropower
plant cascade, rehabilitation of a number of Armenian enterprises
by the company International Business Centre founded by the Russian
RASKO corporate group. The results of an international tender for
the concession management of the Armenian Railway Company have been
recently summarised. Russian Railways (RZD) was announced the winner.

The foreign trade turnover between the two countries in January-October
grew by 63 percent reaching 623.7 million US dollars.

The Russian and Armenian sides have been recently discussing
"possibilities for the implementation of new large-scale projects."

So their interaction in the sphere of the nuclear power industry is
advancing to a new stage. "The Russian side is ready to invest in the
follow-up exploration and industrial development of uranium deposits
in Armenia" that reach 60,000 tonnes, according to forecasts, as well
as to provide assistance to the country in the prolongation of the
service life of the Armenian nuclear power plant and construction of
a new nuclear power generating unit.

Direct industrial relations of Russian regions with Armenia are
developing involving over 70 constituent entities of the Russian
Federation.

The system of modern interaction bodies is working stably, in
particular, the Russian-Armenian Intergovernmental Commission for
economic cooperation. The Trade Mission of the Russian Federation in
Armenia was established in 2006 and the opening of an office of the
Rosoboronexport arms exporting company in Yerevan is planned.

"Russian capital is feeling very comfortable in Armenia," Prime
Minister Serzh Sarkisyan is certain. In the total volume of foreign
investments in the real sector of the Armenian economy made in the
period from 1991 to October 2007, Russian investments accounted for
almost one billion dollars or one-third of the total.

"The legal field regulating trade-economic relations between Armenia
and Russia, an atmosphere of effective cooperation between the
two countries’ governments, as well as the presence in Russia of a
large and active Armenian community give our businesspeople ample
opportunities for the development of mutually advantageous activities
in different sectors of the economy," believes Sarkisyan.

Nevertheless, "economic relations between Armenia and Russia so far do
not correspond to the level of political strategic partnership between
the two countries," President of the all-Russian non-governmental
organisation Union of Armenians of Russia and of the international
union of Armenian NGOs World Armenian Congress Ara Abramyan believes.

SAINT OF THE DAY: ST. BLASE

Catholic News Agency
Feb 3 2008
CO

Bishop Blase was martyred in his episcopal city of Sebastea, Armenia,
in 316. The legendary Acts of St. Blase were written 400 years later.

According to them Blase was a good bishop, working hard to encourage
the spiritual and physical health of his people. Although the Edict
of Toleration (311), granting freedom of worship in the Roman Empire,
was already five years old, persecution still raged in Armenia. Blase
was apparently forced to flee to the back country. According to a
legend, a mother came with her young son who had a fish bone lodged
in his throat. At Blase’s command the child was able to cough up the
bone. He was beheaded for not sacrifacing to pagan gods.

The Germans and Slavs hold him in special honor and for decades many
United States Catholics have sought the annual St. Blase blessing
for their throats.

VISIT OF OSCE MG CO-CHAIRS TO REGION TO BRING CONFLICTING SIDES TOGETHER: OSCE REPRESENTATIVE

Trend News Agency
Feb 4 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 4 February /corr. Trend K.Ramazanova / The visit
of the OSCE Minsk Group to the region is to bring the conflicting
sides closer together, said the OSCE Chairman-in-Office’s Special
Representative, Andzey Kasprzyk.

"Each meeting of the Co-chairs assists in devising such formulas
that are more achievable for both sides," Kasprzyk said, commenting
on the last visit of the Co-chairs to the region.

The OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs visited the region in January to
receive the responses to the written proposals which were presented
to the conflicting sides.

According to Kasprzyk, it is possible to speak of the next visit of the
Co-chairs to the region after the elections in Armenia and continue
talks with the newly elected President in Armenia. The Presidential
elections in Armenia will take place on 19 February.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began
in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since
1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. In
1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which
time active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group ( Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful
negotiations.

RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER ARRIVES IN YEREVAN

Lragir
Feb 4 2008
Armenia

In the evening of February 5 the Russian Prime Minister Victor Zubkov
will arrive in Yerevan. The delegation led by the Russian premier
includes the minister of transport Igor Levitin, the minister
of information technology and communication Leonid Rayman, the
minister of industry and energy Andrei Dementev, the head of the
federal customs service Andrei Belianinov, the deputy minister of
economic development and trade Cyril Androsov, the deputy minister of
foreign affairs Grigory Karasin, the deputy minister of finance Dmitry
Pankin, the deputy director of the federal service of military supply
cooperation Alexander Fomin, the deputy head of the federal agency of
federal property management Yuri Medvedev, and other officials. The
delegation also includes the president of the board of Sistema Vladimir
Yevtushenkov, the general manager of Atomredmetzoloto Vadim Zhivov,
the president of the Russian Railways Vladimir Yakunin, the vice
president of ALROSA Sergey Ulin.

On February 6 Victor Zubkov will meet with President Robert Kocharyan,
Speaker Tigran Torosyan, Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan, Catholicos
Garegin II. After the meeting with the Armenian prime minister and
signing of documents the prime ministers of Russia and Armenia will
hold a news conference. The Russian prime minister will also visit
the memorial to the victims of the Genocide.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

THE PRESIDENT OF AGBU VISITS ANTELIAS

His Holiness Aram I received the President of the Armenian General
Benevolent Union (AGBU) Berdj Setragian in Antelias on January 31. Hagop
Ateshian, a member of the Armenian Central National Committee also attended
the meeting.

The Catholicos and Mr. Setrakian, who had recently returned from a meeting
with His Holiness Karekin II of All Armenians in Saint Etchmiyadzine, held
talks for over an hour on a number of issues related to the relations
between Armenia and the Diaspora, as well as inter-communal relations within
the Diaspora.

Talks were also held on the prospects for developing the cooperation between
the Catholicosate of Cilicia and AGBU.

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

ABHaber, Belgium
EU-Turkey News Network
Feb 2 2008

European Turkey in the EU!

We have read the article titled `La Turquie dans l’UE? C’est toujours
non!’ in your newspaper dated as of 29.01.08, not without a certain
amount of resignation. Our surprise and indignation at similar
comments has indeed been steadily decreasing since French politics
entered its era of Sarkozian domination.

The authors of the passionate letter begin by stating the need for
clear geographical borders for the EU to exist as a political entity.
They then go on to claim that Turkey is not geographically European
because some of her territory is located in Asia Minor. This is a
much utilised argument by those against Turkish membership to the EU.
However, a certain EU Member State is currently situated much more to
the East than most of Turkey’s territory. This detail seems to be
always deliberately left out. Furthermore, some Member States regard
this phenomenon simply as a geographical aberration and try to
correct the matter. For example, recent Euro coins will not feature
Turkey on the map. Southern Cyprus, which should also disappear from
the map in all logic, has been literally fictionally moved westwards
and squeezed into the map . These Orwellian efforts would have been
extremely entertaining if they were restricted to the realm of
comedy. Since they are not, these are sobering indicators of the
level of xenophobia and political manipulation in the EU.
Fortunately, it is currently impossible to make Turkey disappear.
That being said, Turkey’s sense of identity is distinctly European.
With all due respect, it is not up to any politician or the authors
of the aforementioned comment to define Turkey’s identity.

The geographical `question’ aside, the authors go on to base their
objections to Turkey’s membership on seemingly more tangible
subjects. To put it simply, it is all about money. The authors claim
that Turkey’s membership to the EU would cost too much and disqualify
some current EU regions from structural funds. These assertions would
be true if Turkey’s accession happened today. However Turkey is not
expected to become a member before the next financial perspective of
the EU is prepared. Therefore, the earliest date for accession is
projected as 2014. This target was also confirmed by the Turkish
government in its harmonisation program published in April 2007. In
the meantime, Turkey continues to record very high growth rates year
after year. Consequently, by the time of accession these numbers will
no longer hold any significant meaning. The time for those
considerations is still a long way away. Furthermore, one of the
foundations of the EU is solidarity. Those considerations were never
voiced this loud with previous enlargements and the fact that they
are done so now raises suspicions of some pathological enmity.

This brings us to other assertions in the unfortunate letter. The
authors claim that it is impossible to integrate a state which does
not recognize the `Armenian genocide’. There is no legal basis to
that claim in terms of EU treaties and agreements, so we perceive
this assertion as a moral issue. That period of history was extremely
painful for everybody involved regardless of ethnicity. Recent years
brought a resurgence of interest about the subject in the Turkish
society. However, the insistence of some EU member states on the
recognition of the events as `genocide’ is seriously detrimental to
the reconciliation of the societies. Moreover such seemingly moral
claims look especially groundless when contrasted against the
historical conduct of some member states. Mr. Sarkozy himself said
that `leaders should focus on the future and not beat their breasts’
on a recent visit to Algeria . According to Mr. Sarkozy, `the sons
should not be hold accountable for the mistakes of their fathers’ .
Comments like these makes one wonder about the source of Sarkozian
moral authority. `The Kurdish question’, as the authors put it, is
intimately tied to the larger democratization process ongoing in
Turkey. More representative politics and respect for minorities is
the main issue here. To that effect, there have been many reforms
since the recognition of Turkey as a candidate in 1999 and new reform
packages are on the way.

The authors also make a point of the Cyprus question. What they omit
is that the current situation is the result of EU’s faulty strategy.
This much was admitted by EU leaders and bureaucrats of the time. It
was the Turkish Cypriots who voted for the reunification of the
island and the Greek Cypriots who refused in the referenda for the
Annan Plan in 2004. The EU however, went on to accept Southern Cyprus
as a member representing the whole of the island. One of the
fundamental tenets of EU enlargement policy concerns relations with
neighbours. Yet S. Cyprus was made a member regardless of its
problems with its neighbours. Besides creating double standards,
today the EU is isolating some of its own citizens! Turkey is still
supportive of a UN sponsored solution to the problem.

The 301st article of the penal code is a disgrace. The government is
working on a reformulation which will prevent abuses of the article.
Moreover, a new constitution is currently being prepared which will
bring new freedoms. That being said, the existence of restrictions on
freedom of expression is not particular to Turkey. While this does
not diminish the disgraceful nature inherent to articles limiting
freedom of expression, many EU member states have similar articles in
their penal codes .
Turkey cannot become an EU member state without completing the
necessary democratic reforms anyway, so the anxiety of the authors
about integrating an undemocratic Turkey is simply unfounded. What is
more, the democratization process coincides with the accession
process and sometimes the promise of membership acts as a catalyst.
But it is never intended solely as a compromise in return for
membership. It is realized for Turkish citizens, first and foremost.
Prime Minister Erdoðan said it best when asked what would happen to
Turkey’s reform process if accession negotiations were halted: `We
will transform the Copenhagen criteria into Ankara criteria and
continue on our way’.

The signatories to the letter go on to state that `negotiations with
Turkey should end up in a privileged partnership because it is
necessary to have commercial relations with your immediate
neighbours’. The tone of this sentence permeates the whole letter.
What the signatories fail to mention is that this `necessity’ has
already been taken care of by the Customs Union which went into force
in 1996. Turkey has been a `privileged partner’ of the EU for 12
years now. In fact without accession, the rules governing the Customs
Union offer no net `privileges’ to Turkey in the long run. The
accession negotiations between Turkey and the EU are part and parcel
of the acquis communautaire. Going back on that 45 year old promise
now would be the real death of the European idea, as it has been
conceived by Robert Schumann and Jean Monnet.

Turkey is European. It is becoming even more European with every new
reform it adopts. But there is a part of Europe which is
short-sighted, intolerant and xenophobic. Turkey wants nothing to do
with that part.

Economic Development Foundation
Ýstanbul, TURKEY

ABHaber 02.02.2008 Ýstanbul

PRESIDENT VISITED HEADQUARTER

Panorama.am
20:50 01/02/2008

Today RA president Robert Kocharyan visited Armenian Armed Forces
headquarter. He held a labor discussion with the heads of defense,
foreign affairs ministries and National Security service. The
information is provided by the press service department of the
president’s office.

During the labor meeting our officials covered numerous issues
important at the moment and also carrying out "Roubezh 2008" military
headquarter service in Armenia.

COMPETITION CHAMPION ANNOUNCED SOON

Panorama.am
20:51 31/01/2008

"Gibtelecom Chess Festival" came to its end. The 203 chess players
have only one game. Armenian Grand Master Tigran Petrosyan lost his
game with Nakamurai who presents the USA. Another Armenian Grand
Master Varujan Hakobyan who presents the USA played in draw with
American Bradfordi. Both Armenian Grand Masters have 6 scores each
on their account.

The leaders of the competition are Chinese Hangzhau Bou and Ukrainian
Zakhar Yefimenko. These players have 7.5 scores and share first and
second places.

Tigran Petrosyan plays with Polish Monika Soko in the tenth final
game and Varujan Hakobyan with English Robert Bellini.

The competition started in January 21 and finishes today.

SARKISIAN DENIES HEAVY RELIANCE ON KARABAKH NATIVES
By Anna Saghabalian

Radio Liberty, Czech Republic
Jan 31 2008

Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian defended himself against a common
line of opposition attack Thursday when he assured voters that he and
President Robert Kocharian never heavily relied on fellow natives of
Nagorno-Karabakh throughout their decade-long rule.

Opposition leaders have accused the country’s two top leaders of
placing Karabakh Armenians in key government positions in Yerevan and
giving them lucrative businesses in order to hold on to power. Some
of them have gone as far as to speak of a "Karabakh clan" governing
the country.

Former President Levon Ter-Petrosian picked up such allegations as
he ended his self-imposed political retirement last fall. He has
said in his speeches that privileged treatment allegedly enjoyed by
Karabakh Armenians loyal to the Sarkisian-Kocharian duo is driving
a wedge between the populations of Karabakh and Armenia proper.

Sarkisian laughed off such allegations as he campaigned in Yerevan’s
Ajapnyak district. "Wherever I worked, I didn’t pick people on the
basis of their place of residence," he told a campaign rally there.

"I picked people by taking into account their knowledge and human
traits."

Sarkisian argued that none of his ministers was born in Karabakh and
that only one major government agency, the State Tax Service (STS),
is headed by a Karabakh Armenian. "I think that on the contrary,
Karabakhis have the right to rebuke me, and they do," he said. "But
they are wrong too because it is shameful to talk about these
circumstances in the 21st century."

Ter-Petrosian was not the only opposition presidential candidate
attacked by Sarkisian on Thursday. The prime minister clearly referred
to former parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian in his speech at
a campaign rally in another Yerevan district, Davitashen, in which
denounced an unnamed "young candidate" promising to sharply raise
pensions and cut taxes.

"They are not ashamed of looking TV viewers in the eyes and saying
that they will raise pensions and return all [Soviet-era] bank savings
and at the same time cut taxes," Sarkisian told several hundred local
residents. "I don’t know who they will do such a magic."