Author: Nalbandian Albert

news.am, Armenia
Aug 8 2009

Armenian defeated Azerbaijani

14:07 / 08/08/2009Armenian judoist defeated Azerbaijani sportsman in
the World Junior Judo Championship in Budapest, Hungary.

Armenian judoist David Ghazaryan (60 kg) beat Azerbaijani Mahir
Jafarli in the 1/16 and moved into next round. Ghazaryan defeated
Bulgarian judoist Tudor Georgiev in 1/8. Beating Indian sportsman in
1/4 he moved to semifinal where was defeated by Brazilian Mateus
Machado, Armsport.am reports.

The Armenian judoist was defeated by Georgian sportsman Tugushi Beka
and finally took the fifth place.

Interfax, Russia
Aug 7 2009

Armenia slashes cut diamond production 64% in H1

YEREVAN Aug 7

Armenia slashed cut diamond production 63.5% year-on-year in the first
half of 2009 to 5.4 billion dram ($15.5 million), Gagik Kocharian, a
senior trade official at the Armenian Economics Ministry, told
Interfax.

Kocharian said output plummeted due to reduced demand for jewelry,
however Armenia had received a large consignment of rough diamonds in
August and output is expected to rise this month.

Armenia exported $22.3 million in cut diamonds in the half, compared
with $66 million in the same period of last year.

Diamond imports fell to $22 million from $68.8 million. This included
$10 million in rough diamonds and $12 million in cut and polished
diamonds for the jewelry industry.

Armenia has not imported Russian uncut diamonds since November 2008,
after Russian mining company Alrosa liberalized its prices, Kocharian
said. Armenia has been importing most of its rough from Belgium.

BOTH ARMENIA AND TURKEY TO BENEFIT FROM NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS BETWEEN TWO COUNTRIES, FORMER PRIME MINISTER SAYS

Noyan Tapan
Aug 5, 2009

YEREVAN, AUGUST 5, NOYAN TAPAN. Both Armenia and Turkey will benefit
from normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations, the former
Prime Minister of Armenia Hrant Bagratian said at the August 5
press conference. He considered as "boyish" Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan’s statement that he will go to Turkey only if the
Armenian-Turkish border is either opened or is close to being
opened. H. Bagratian expressed an opinion that S. Sargsyan must go
to Turkey without fail. "We should exercise caution in this issue.

Turkey is a more powerful state than Armenia in terms of its territory,
population and resources," he pointed out.

The Chairman of the United Labor Party (ULP) Gurgen Arsenian said
that considerable progress has been made in the relations between
Armenia and Turkey. According to him, the normalization of the
Armenian-Turkish relations proceeds from the interests of Armenia and
its citizens. At the same time G. Arsenian noted that the society is
not prepared yet for normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations
as the "nationalistic mentality" still prevails in society.

In the opinion of both speakers, the Armenian economy will definitely
benefit from the bilateral relations’ normalization as our economic
entities will get a new market with a population of about 80
million. According to H.

Bagratian, the opening of the Armenian-Turkish border will eliminate
somewhat the monopoly market in Armenia.

SARKISIAN URGED TO VISIT TURKEY
Ruben Meloyan

Armenialiberty.org
http://www.azatutyun.a m/content/article/1793316.html
Aug 5 2009

A prominent Armenian opposition politician urged President Serzh
Sarkisian on Wednesday to visit Turkey for the second football match
of the two countries’ national football teams, saying that failure to
accept his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul’s invitation would be an
"absolute stupidity."

"In my opinion, going [to Turkey] would be the right thing because
even with your enemy you have a normal enmity," said Hrant Bagratian,
a former prime minister and senior member of the main opposition
Armenian National Congress (HAK).

"We have no right to feel vexed," he told reporters. "On the line
are the interests of the state."

Sarkisian made clear late last month that he will not travel to
Turkey and watch the October 14 match with Gul unless Ankara takes
"real steps" to reopen the Turkish-Armenian border. He said the two
governments agreed on border opening during their year-long dialogue
that gained momentum with Gul’s historic September 2008 trip to
Yerevan.

"It was a boyish statement," said Bagratian. "Himself started the
process. Why is he antagonizing [the Turks] now?"

The HAK’s top leader, Levon Ter-Petrosian, and his close associates
have repeatedly denounced Sarkisian’s policy on Turkey as a gross
failure. Ter-Petrosian has accused Sarkisian of willingly sacrificing
U.S. recognition of the Armenian genocide while failing to secure
the lifting of the Turkish economic blockade of Armenia.

Levon Zurabian, the HAK’s central office coordinator, reaffirmed
the criticism on Tuesday. "Turkey has achieved its goal at Armenia’s
expense," he said.

Bagratian appeared more sympathetic to the Turkish-Armenian
rapprochement, even if he described as a "serious blunder" Sarkisian’s
apparent acceptance of a Turkish proposal to form a joint commission
that would look into the 1915 mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman
Empire. "I think Turkey committed a mistake in April-May by violating
agreements [reached with Armenia,]" he said.

Sarkisian said last week that those agreements envisaged the
normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations regardless of a resolution
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Turkish leaders, however, have
repeatedly stated in recent months that their country will not
establish diplomatic relations and reopen its border with Armenia
before a Karabakh settlement.

AMERICAN CONGRESSMEN SEND LETTER TO U.S. PRESIDENT ON ISSUE OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS

Noyan Tapan
Aug 4, 2009

WASHINGTON, AUGUST 4, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Under the
leadership of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Co-Chairs,
Representatives Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Mark Kirk (R-IL), along
with Congressmen Adam Schiff (D-CA) and George Radanovich (R-CA), 82
American congressmen sent a letter to President Barack Obama drawing
his attention to the fact that Turkey has refused to normalize the
relations with Armenia without preconditions, reported the Armenian
Assembly of America (Assembly).

In the letter the congressmen express anxiousness for the thing that
Turkey backpedals on the agreed upon roadmap to normalize relations
between Turkey and Armenia according to which the normalization should
take place without preconditions and within a reasonable timeframe.

"While the Government of Armenia remains committed to this roadmap and
has long offered to establish ties with Turkey without preconditions,
Turkey’s public statements and actions since April 24th stand in
sharp contrast to this agreement," the letter pointed out.

Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny commended this initiative
of the congressmen stating that Armenia has repeatedly offered
to normalize relations with Turkey without preconditions. We also
supported the position that the USA Administration should separate
the issues of normalization of the relations and adoption of the
Genocide. According to him, "U.S. adoption of the Armenian Genocide
should not be held hostage to normalization of relations."

MP HOVHANNES MARGARYAN SAYS RA PRESIDENT CONDUCTS CONSTRUCTIVE POLICY IN KARABAKH CONFLICT REGULATION ISSUE

ARMENPRESS
Aug 3, 2009

YEREVAN, AUGUST 3, ARMENPRESS: President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan
conducts a constructive policy in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
regulation issue and it corresponds to the principles of the Orinats
Yerkir Party, member of the parliamentary faction of the party
Hovhannes Margaryan said today at a press conference. According to him,
in the Karabakh conflict regulation issue the Armenian president will
not undertake any anti-Armenian step.

"In Karabakh conflict the party highlights three main principles –
NK self-determination, direct land communication with Armenia and
security guarantees by the international establishments. In all these
principles the president is successive and we defend and accept the
policy conducted by him," H. Margaryan said.

As to the mutual concessions in the conflict regulation process, he
noted that in case in any document it will be registered clearly what
for what will be conceded it will be possible to give comments. "It
is difficult for me to say what must be conceded but I am sure that
whatever decision the president will make it will stem from the
interests of peoples of NKR and Armenia," H. Margaryan said.

Referring to the process of regulation of Armenian-Turkish relations,
H. Margaryan said that there is a progress in small but clear steps. "I
am an optimist and I think we may witness certain progress," he said,
adding that as to the "football diplomacy" the president has clearly
presented in what conditions he will visit Turkey.

The member of parliament also referred to the recent activity of the
Orinats Yerkir Party. He said he does not agree with the opinion that
during the recent period the party is passive. "We have come forth
with various legislative initiatives and expressed our positions on
a number of important events," H. Margaryan said.

ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER: GOVERNMENT IS CONSISTENT IN CREATING FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESS

NOYAN TAPAN
JULY 31, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JULY 31, NOYAN TAPAN. At the July 30 sitting, the Armenian
government made amendments and additions to the Government Decision No
1246 of December 24, 2001, on Approval of the Procedure of Granting
Certificates of the Country of Origin of a Commodity and Making an
Expert Examination. By the amendments, the payment for a certificate
of the country of origin to be granted by the RA Chamber of Commerce
and Industry has been fixed at 2,000 drams (about 18.5 USD) in case of
transportation of agricultural foodstuffs of up to 2.5 tons by natural
and juridical persons through the customs border. The certificate
will be granted within a working day. For agricultural foodstuffs
of up to 2.5 tons made in Armenia, a certificate of the country of
origin will be given without an expert examination report.

By another decision of the government, an amendment and addition
were made to the Appendix No 1 to the Government Decision No 1093
of August 30, 2007, as a result of which the procedure of granting
a certificate of phytosanitary inspection has been simplified. It
has been established that a phytosanitary certificate for exported
plants and products of plant origin will be granted only through a
phytosanitary examination, free of charge and within a working day.

In the words of Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, these decisions bear
evidence of the fact that the government is consistent in creating
favorable conditions for small and medium business.

"Our studies showed that these amendments will play a significant
role in the agricultural sector. We have discussed this issue with
the chairman of the State Revenue Committee. The given regime allows
small and medium entrepreneurs to independently export and sell
their products in Georgia, with a simplified regime being used in
this process. When summarized, the results of the past six months
show that thanks to small and medium business, our resistibility has
considerably increased in conditions of the anticrisis measures – in
terms of both the financial resources managed by them and the amount
of goods they manufactured. Despite this circumstance, GDP fell by 16%,
while power consumption in small and medium business sector grew by 22%
instead of declining. This also indicates that the anticrisis measures
have had a positive impact because these are indices reflecting the
reality. I am convinced the indicated two decisions will significantly
promote exports of farmers’ economic goods," the prime minister said.

IRAN HAS NOTHING AGAINST AZERBAIJAN

LRAGIR.AM
13:06:16 – 01/07/2009

What the Iranian ambassador to Armenia would say in connection
with the information, that Azerbaijan is also involved in the
organization of the post-electoral events in Iran, which the Iranian
mass media spread. On July 1, reporters asked the Iranian ambassador
to Armenia Seid Ali Saghighyan whether the official Tehran confirms
this information and how the fact that the Iranian ambassador was
called back from Baku is interpreted by the Iranian mass media.

The Iranian ambassador to Armenia stated that considering the relations
Iran has with all the neighboring countries, including Azerbaijan, it
refuses this information. As to the Iranian ambassador to Azerbaijan,
he stated that it has a temporary character and the ambassador has
been called back only for consultations.

CENTRAL BANK OF ARMENIA: INFLATION IN ARMENIA TO MAKE UP 3.5% IN 2009

ArmInfo
2009-07-30 15:39:00

ArmInfo. The Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) forecasts 3.5% inflation in
the country by the end of 2009, and 2.7% inflation – by the end of II
qt 2010, the program of the CBA monetary policy for III qt 2009 says.

As a consequence of the global economic crisis, maintenance of big
negative severance in domestic demand will remain in the forecasted
12-month period the main factor conditioning the inflation tendency. At
the same time, restoration of economic growth rates may become possible
as a result of anti-crisis measures of the government and reduction
in interest rates.

As the results of the CBA model of quarterly forecasting, under
these conditions the current inflationary pressure will gradually
dampen and throughout the whole 12-month forecasted period inflation
will be maintained in the target corridor 4+1,5%. At the same time,
according to the CBA forecasts, there may be risks connected with
both reduction of inflation and its growth connected with the rates of
increasing liquidity by means of anti-crisis programs, terms of global
economy recovery, as well as with the processes of implementation of
large-scale regional transport and energy programs.

To note, in Jan-Dec 2008 5.2% inflation was fixed in the consumer
market of Armenia. Inflation was fixed at 5.2% in Jan-June 2009
as well.

WHO: THE GLOBAL SWINE FLU EPIDEMIC IS STILL IN ITS EARLY STAGES

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
30.07.2009 16:16 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Keiji Fukuda, WHO’s Assistant Director-General for
Health Security and Environment, said at WHO Geneva meeting that given
the size of the world’s population, the new H1N1 virus is likely to
spread for some time.

WHO earlier estimated that as many as 2 billion people could become
infected over the next two years.

"Even if we have hundreds of thousands of cases or a few millions of
cases … we’re relatively early in the pandemic," Fukuda said in an
interview at WHO’s headquarters in Geneva.

The global health agency stopped asking governments to report new
cases last week, saying the effort was too great now that the disease
has become so widespread in some countries.