Author: Nahapetian Zhanna

ARMENIA’S ECONOMY ENTERED STABILIZATION PHASE: RA FINANCE MINISTER

news.am
Dec 29 2009
Armenia

"2009 was a peculiar year – complicated and full of trials," RA
Finance Minister Tigran Davtyan stated at the Dec.29 press conference,
adding that "The year was difficult as country’s economy did not
experience such problems since nineties. It was definitely stipulated
by financial crisis and global regress, however we managed to come
out of a difficult situation with credit, preserving financial and
macroeconomic stability and continued the reforms though not in as
much as planned."

According to Davtyan, presently country’s economy entered stabilization
phase and will be back to development course in 2010.

Finance Minister underlined that in 2009 economic recession indicator
reached 15%, inflation — 5.5%, though growth in several aspects
was registered. The volume of retail trade increased by reduction of
shadow economy through application of cash tills. Overall the salaries
increased by 11%, and in public sector — by 16%.

Davtyan hailed positive the fact that budgeted expenditures 2009
are met and with no debts. Commenting on the remark that despite the
projected AMD 945bn expenditures, only AMD 900bn are met and GDP totals
AMD 8bn against the projected 12bn, Davtyan said, "If expenses of AMD
900bn out of 945bn are met, budget might be considered completed as
savings are set aside each year. Expenditures have never been fully
met. Surely, they are made at the expense of deficit raise and external
funds, but most significantly there is undebtedness."

HERITAGE PROPOSES PROGRAM OF COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS DEDICATED ARMENIAN POGROMS IN BAKU

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
28.12.2009 21:01 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Secretary of Heritage parliamentary group Larisa
Alaverdyan has addressed a letter to Armenia’s Government and National
Assembly Speaker in connection with the 20th anniversary of Armenian
Genocide in Baku.

In her letter, Alaverdyan proposed a program of commemorative events,
including gatherings, a round table discussion with participation
of NGO representatives and state agencies, photo exhibitions and
presentation of the film "Usual Genocide" on Armenian Public TV
channel.

According to Heritage faction Secretary, it is also planned to conduct
conferences with the involvement of refugees, foreign scholars
and political figures, as well as send written appeals to foreign
representative offices and embassies accredited Armenia.

The MP also proposes a function program in foreign states,
particularly, speeches by representatives of Armenian support group
in US Congress, events in Los Angeles and different towns of Europe
and speeches by Armenian delegates in PACE.

ARMENIA TO APPLY FOR ADDITIONAL $100 LOAN FROM RUSSIA

Aysor
Dec 25 2009
Armenia

Armenia’s Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian said at today’s press
conference the government had applied to Russia for a $100 million
loan for diamond cutting industry.

So, in case of successful negotiations with Russian government and
Russian Alrosa Company, the loan will be directed to improvement
of the diamond cutting industry, in particular, for creating the
necessary conditions and modern equipment in this sphere, supplying
with Russian raw materials, and some other activities.

Mainly, burden will fall on private sector, according to Prime
Minister. "We do not plan any other loan from Russia," he said.

Referring to a 185 billion drams loan from Russia, Prime Minister
said 45 billion drams were directed to construction works in damaged
zones of the Spitak Earthquake, an AMD 90 billion loan is directed
for small and medium business, and some 54 billion drams are deposited
at the Armenian Central Bank’s stabilization fund.

Armenian Church in Egypt one of the richest on the globe
23.12.2009 11:37 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Being the only in entire Africa, the Egyptian
Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church is rather Patriarchate than
Diocese. `Presently, some 3 thousand Armenians live in Cairo and
Alexandria. There are also Armenians in Sudan, Ethiopia and Republic
of South Africa.

The history of the Armenian community of Ethiopia is amusing.
Ethiopian King Haile Selassie once heard a chorus of Armenian orphans
in Turkey. He brought them to Addis Ababa and gave them dwelling and
education. These orphans based the Armenian community which now
numbers some 100 people,’ head of the AAC Egyptian Diocese, His Grace
Bishop Ashot Mnatsakanyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter on Cairo.

His Grace said the Armenian community is the only registered as
national minority in Egypt and the Armenian Church in Egypt is one of
the richest on the globe.

He also reminded that Nubar Nubaryan Pasha, the first prime minister
and foreign minister of Egypt, was of Armenian descent and was buried
at the Armenian cemetery in Heliopolis. His son, Boghos Nubar Pasha
was the founder of Armenian General Benevolent Union.

MORE THAN 10 HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS BEEN DEPRIVED LICENSES THIS YEAR IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
22.12.2009 18:04 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "This year 92 students graduated in teacher training
or pedagogics, only 56 out of them work. On the other hand, the number
of students from mountainous and bordering regions of the country
have reduced in pedagogy. Besides, the number of foreign students in
Armenia decreased," Armenian Minister of Education and Science Armen
Ashotyan told press conference on December 22 in Yerevan.

Telling that this year more than 10 educational institutions in
Armenia have been denied licenses, the minister informed, that
new effective methods will be applied to the licensing process of
educational institutions starting from the next year.

The ministry provided 74 thousand pieces of educational literature
to educational institutions of Armenian Diaspora 2009. In future
creation of electronic books for the Diaspora is envisaged, he said.

WILL NAP’S ANTI-AMERICAN CAMPAIGN BE EFFECTIVE?

Azadliq
Dec 17 2009
Azerbaijan

Rahim Haciyev: A state like the USA cannot change its decision as a
result of similar campaigns’ Sulhaddin Akbar: I do not believe the
government’s efforts to change the US decision will be fruitful’

A US [the US Congress allocated 8m dollars for the self-proclaimed
Karabakh] decision to allocate a financial aid to the Karabakh’s
separatist regime has paved the way for Azerbaijani government
representatives to kick off an anti-US campaign. For example,
[parliamentarian] Ali Huseynov has blamed the USA of political
corruption. MP Hadi Racabli and the head of the Strategic Research
Centre under the Azerbaijani President are viewing this decision as
a manifestation of the double standards by the USA. Nevertheless,
they have also expressed their hope that President Obama would prevent
the financial aid to the Karabakh separatist at the last moment. We
wonder, may the protests of the Azerbaijani authorities be effective
at the end?

Rahim Haciyev of the presidium of the PFAP [the People’s Front Party
of Azerbaijan] thinks there is no hope that a state like the USA would
change its decision following a similar campaign. Similar decisions
are accepted in line with the foreign policy course of the state,
Rahim Haciyev said, adding that the financial aid has been taken in
conformity with a decision shaped for a specific historic condition:
"The intriguing point is that in previous years, the USA allocated
up to 20m dollars in aid to Karabakh. Nevertheless, Azerbaijan did
not make similar accusations against the USA as charges against
America are not fully connected with the allocation of the 8m-dollar
in aid for Karabakh. Representatives of the Azerbaijani authorities
have been already airing numerous accusations against the USA for
several months."

The start of the government’s anti-American campaign causes regret
at a time when the USA is seriously engaged in the activities for
the resolution of the Karabakh problem, Rahim Haciyev said. He also
added that if the authorities want the resolution of the Karabakh
problem, it should cooperate in earnest with America, avoiding further
aggravation of the relations: "Everyone already knows that up until
now, the USA has made unprecedented efforts towards the resolution
of the Karabakh problem. The USA has also involved Turkey in this
process. The USA has also had serious contacts with Russia over this
problem. A recent statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry said
a certain agreement over the Karabakh problem might emerge next year.

This indicates that even Russia is ready to express its solidarity with
the USA over the resolution of the Karabakh problem. Therefore, even
if the USA is not completely fair about the Karabakh, the Azerbaijani
authorities have to further strengthen the relations with Washington."

The chairman of the Maclis [board] of the Musavat Party, Sulhaddin
Akbar, believes there is nothing new that the USA gives financial
aid to Armenia and the separatist Karabakh regime: "There has always
been similar financial aid. Simply, what is taking place now in the
relations between Washington and Baku is being viewed from a different
context. Despite all the efforts of the Azerbaijani authorities,
I do not think America would revoke its decision to give financial
aid to the separatist regime."

IRAN’S MEDIATION IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT CAN BE FRUITFUL

News.az
Dec 21 2009
Azerbaijan

Iran’s mediation in the issue of the Karabakh conflict settlement
can be fruitful, Iranian journalist.

Iran’s mediation in the issue of the Karabakh conflict settlement
can be fruitful, said Burhan Heshmeti, director of the Azerbaijani
department of Iranian Seher channel.

Heshmeti said Iran has official ties both with Azerbaijan and Armenia.

"These two countries are historically linked with Iran, especially
Azerbaijan. Iran has repeatedly stated on different levels that
Karabakh is an Azerbaijani land. Iran also signed different documents
confirming Karabakh’s belonging to Azerbaijan. In this sense, Iran’s
involvement to the conflict settlement can be useful for Azerbaijan",
she said.

As for Iran’s position in case of war, he said Iran has always been
against war.

"Certainly, Iran will speak against the conflict on the official
level. Iran will always support justice. In the past 30 years Iran
has always spoken for justice and the same will be here", he said.

The Iranian expert also commented on the information about the incident
on the border between Iran and Iraq.

"Information about the alleged occupation of one of the oil wells
in Iraq by the Iranian armed forces is false. Iranian officials have
dismissed the reports. Yesterday the country’s leadership announced
that enemies want to cause damage to relations between Iran and Iraq
and that the countries should be ready to it. It is not the first time
that external forces want to sow enmity between Iran and Iraq. The
disputes on oil wells are still preserved but no capture was observed.

Official sources cannot confirm this. Iran and Iraq maintain good
relations at present", he said.

CARD presents program of mobile mini-slaughter of sheep in early 2010
19.12.2009 14:21 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In early 2010 the Center for Agribusiness and Rural
Development (CARD) presents a program of mobile mini-slaughter of the
sheep, Gagik Sardaryan , director of the Center for Agribusiness and
Rural Development told a press conference in Yerevan. "The program is
ready, and soon we will show how you can use a mobile mini-slaughter
in good sanitary conditions to organize the slaughter of sheep and
sale of meat," he said.

He also said The organization continues to carry out training of
veterinarians on artificial insemination of domestic animals. "More
than 100 specialists have been retrained, with the use of modern
technologies they will be able to artificially inseminate domestic
animals in Armenia using frozen seed of high quality bulls imported
from the U.S, " he said.

news.az, Azerbaijan
Dec 19 2009

Turkey holds policy of conflict resolution in the region, ambassador
Sat 19 December 2009 | 07:30 GMT Text size:

Khalil Akınjı "If the relations between Turkey and Armenia are
normalized, this will not be targeting Azerbaijan.

Speaking about Turkish-Azerbaijani relations, one should mention the
historic "one nation, two states" phrase voiced by late Heydar Aliyev,
which is the essence and foundation of the fraternal relations between
Turkey and Azerbaijan", Turkey’s ambassador to Russia Khalil Akınjı
said commenting on the current level of bilateral relations.

According to him, there may be different issues on different problems
between our countries but all these issues can be solved, because we
are one nation, which is bound with brotherhood and spiritual
closeness.

"Our countries are always ready to provide mutual support. Turkey is
always ready to provide support to Azerbaijan, it continues this
policy of doing everything depending on this country. Turkey does not
intend to take any steps contrary to the interests of Azerbaijan as
this would contradict to the spirit and nature of our fraternal
relations ", said the Turkish ambassador.

Commenting on the issue of normalization of Armenian-Turkish
relations, Khalil Akınjı said if relations between Turkey and Armenia
are normalized, this will not be targeting Azerbaijan. "Along with
this, there is a provision that if there is no progress in the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict, the ratification of the signed protocols in the
parliament is highly unlikely. Then what harm can be caused to the
interests of Azerbaijan? ", said Mr. Akınjı.

Speaking of the Russian-Turkish relations and Turkey’s recent
intensification in the region, Khalil Akınjı noted that at present
Turkey maintains a policy of resolving conflicts in the region and the
restoration of lasting peace and stability.

According to the diplomat, in recent years Turkey and Russia have had
very close and partner relations in all spheres and there have been no
political problems between our two countries. Moreover, the successful
and dynamically developing Turkish-Russia relations have a positive
impact on other states in the region, especially in the Caucasus
region. And this rapprochement helps resolve the problems in the
Caucasus region. "Turkey does not view Russia as rival either in the
Caucasus or in other regions. On the contrary, we are two countries
that are closely cooperating on the basis of mutual understanding,
which is important for all regional countries", the ambassador said.

AzerTaj

Turkish journalist working on corruption case killed

press tv
Sat, 19 Dec 2009 23:01:59 GMT

Cihan Hayirsevener was shot on Ataturk Avenue in Bandirma, Balikesir province.
The chief editor of a local newspaper in the northwestern Turkish city
of Bandirma has been shot dead after death threats were made against
him over his coverage of a corruption scandal.

The 53-year-old editor-in-chief of the daily Life in Southern Marmara,
Cihan Hayirsevener, was walking to the newspaper’s office shortly
after 3 p.m. (1300 GMT) on Friday when he was shot in the leg three
times by an unidentified assailant, the Anatolia news agency reported.

The gunman escaped in a car and his whereabouts are unknown.

One of the bullets ruptured a vital artery in Hayirsevener’s leg,
causing him to lose an excessive amount of blood. His heart stopped
several times in the ambulance to Bandirma State Hospital, but
emergency medical staff were able to revive him.

He was later moved to the Uludag University Medical Faculty in Bursa,
where doctors struggled but ultimately failed to save his life.

The police have launched an investigation to apprehend the murderer.