Author: Nalbandian Albert

TOURISM DEVELOPMENT REQUIRES SERIOUS INVESTMENTS IN ARMENIA

/ARKA/
April 22, 2009
YEREVAN

The development of the tourist industry in the Kotayk region of
Armenia requires serious investments.

At a news conference held in the RA Ministry of Territorial
Administration, Kotayk Governor Kovalenko Shahgaldyan stated that
the Kotayk region has the largest number of historical and cultural
monuments in Armenia. Arzni, Tsakhkadzor, Aghveran, Garni and Geghard
are touristy places.

Shahgaldyan reported that it is the Kotayk region that is visited by
over 70% of foreign tourists in Armenia.

"The Kotayk region has great potential for tourism development, which,
however, requires serious investments – both government and foreign
investments, as well as donations," Shahgaldyan said.

ABDULLAH GUL GOING TO VISIT AZERBAIJAN SHORTLY

ArmInfo
2009-04-21 16:14:00

President Gul is expected to visit Baku to inform the Azerbaijani
administration about the decisions Turkey has made regarding
normalization with Armenia.

Today’s Zaman reported that The National Security Council (MGK)
will convene to discuss three critical issues — the developments
in neighboring Iraq and a possible amnesty for the members of the
outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the normalization of relations
with Armenia and the deployment of Turkish troops in Afghanistan —
in its April 28 meeting,

The second item on the agenda of the MGK will be Turkish-Armenian
relations and the Azerbaijani reaction against the possible opening
of Turkish-Armenian border.

‘Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in solidarity
with Azerbaijan, which was then fighting a war with Armenia over
Nagorno-Karabakh, but ended up losing the Armenian-dominated enclave as
well as the surrounding region — almost 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s
territory. Until recently, Ankara said Armenian withdrawal from
Nagorno- Karabakh, or at least the region surrounding it, is a
precondition for the restoration of ties with Yerevan. But now Ankara
is engaged in closed-door negotiations with Armenia to normalize
relations. The General Staff and the government agree that Turkey
should not open its border with Armenia without the settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute. As the first step for normalization,
Ankara has asked Yerevan to allow Azerbaijanis who were displaced
from five settlements in Karabakh to return to these places.

The formation of a security corridor in Karabakh is among the proposals
of the Turkish government’, the newspaper reported.

‘If Armenia decides to take a step forward regarding the Azerbaijani
refugees, Turkey will initially open the Turkish-Armenia border once
a month and then twice a month. Once there are established ties with
Armenia and the area is secure, the border gate will be open 24 hours
a day.

Following the MGK meeting, President Gul is expected to visit Baku
to inform the Azerbaijani administration about the decisions Turkey
has made regarding normalization with Armenia’, Today’s Zaman reported.

SILENCE SPEAKS VOLUMES
MICHELE ANGERMILLER

Times of Trenton
base/news-16/1240286745138260.xml&coll=5
April 21 2009
NJ

As a child, Ida Beth Malloy would complain to her parents that she was
"starving" when it was time for dinner.

This would annoy her father, who informed her that she didn’t know
what it was to truly starve.

"I had parents that made me realize when I was young that we couldn’t
waste things," said the Trenton resident, now a teacher at The
Pennington School. "My father would tell us that we never starved a
day in our life."

As an adult, Malloy teaches a course, "Genocide and Hate Crimes,"
designed to inform students about atrocities around the world. Through
instruction, videos, and books, Malloy’s students are well informed
about the mass murder and horrid conditions affecting Darfur,
the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Cambodia, and
Armenia. For her efforts, Malloy has been awarded the Carl Wilkins
Fellowship, a selective year-long, part-time program that aims to
give recipients the tools and resources to build sustained political
will to end genocide.

"When I was a kid, my parents wanted me to look outside of myself
and know what I do can affect others, and that I should want to
make changes in the world to make things better," said Malloy, who
is earning a master’s degree in holocaust and genocide studies at
Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.

Today, Malloy’s students will voice their concerns for the world
through their silence with the "Silence for Salvation" program. Almost
30 students will not speak for a 24-hour period, while others will
observe silence during the school day but will talk after school for
sports or other reasons.

The program was founded in 2005 by Ruba Shweihat, a Jordanian student
who was taking the course taught by Malloy. Shweihat organized other
students, raising $1,000 for Darfur genocide victims. Shweihat was
inspired by a book that included a story about an Armenian boy who
pretended to be mute during the genocide in his land, so that he
couldn’t be identified as Armenian. In the future, Malloy hopes to
expand the program to other schools.

"The students are going to take a stand for people who don’t have a
voice," Malloy said.

In addition to their symbolic show of silence, each student
was required to raise a minimum of $100 in the hopes of raising
funds for organizations dedicated to assisting victims affected
by genocide. To do this, students e-mailed video clips of genocide
victims to perspective donors, educating them about the plight of
people in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sri Lanka. Malloy
says the money will be divided between two charities — Women for
Women International, which will distribute the funds to women who
are victims of rape in the Congo, and Oprah Winfrey’s Angel Network.

The students taking Malloy’s class who are participating are
Maria Kane, Newtown, Pa.; Andre Jackson, Ewing; Quashon Nolan,
Trenton; Cyril Akita, Fresh Meadows, N.Y.; and Jordan Casillas,
Lawrence. Additionally, students who participate in Malloy’s
after-school program, "United People of Many Colors," will take the
code of silence. Students will additionally wear T-shirts to remind
people of the stance they are taking today. Kane raised almost $700
from friends and family, with one donor so moved by a video clip of
rape victims in the Congo they donated $500.

"What I learned about genocide through the class and all the videos is
enough for me to be silent," said Kane, who will attend Elon University
in the fall with a concentration in elementary education. "I am hoping
that more people will donate money, which is why I am doing it —
so I can make them aware of how horrible genocide is."

Nolan, who has aspirations of becoming a doctor, says he learned a
great deal about genocide from Malloy’s class.

"I didn’t know these things were going on, that people aren’t doing
anything to help them, and it’s not a thing of the past," said Nolan,
who may attend Rider University or St. John’s University in the
fall. "This has opened my eyes that there are people in the world
that need help."

Nolan added that remaining silent will be difficult, but his family
and friends are being especially supportive.

"I’m going to try," he said. "It’s not going to be hard during the
school day, but it may be a challenge after school with my friends."

Cyril Akita, a senior from Queens, N.Y., says that although they must
be dead silent (laughing is not permitted), there are some rules with
the vow of silence that may make it easier.

"We can write notes and we can text," he said. "I am sure there will
be people who will try to distract me and get me to talk, but I am
going to do what I can do keep quiet."

Akita has high praise for Malloy’s class, saying that he will carry
her lessons into life.

"I have learned not to take anything for granted," he said.

Those who are interested in contributing to Silence for Salvation
should send checks to the attention of Ida B. Malloy, but the checks
must be made out to The Pennington School. The mailing address is
The Pennington School, 112 West Delaware Ave., Pennington, NJ 08534.

TURKISH MINISTER BELIEVES TURKEY’S MEMBERSHIP TO BE EU’S PRIORITY

Anadolu Agency
April 17 2009
Turkey

A Turkish state minister expressed his belief on Friday that Turkey’s
membership would be the priority of the European Union (EU).

Turkey’s State Minister Egemen Bagis, who is also the chief negotiator
for EU talks, said that he believed Turkey’s membership would be EU’s
priority more than Turkey’s when negotiations were completed.

"We are self-confident that we will open and close chapters in coming
days," Bagis said during the Turkish-Italian Media and Economic Forum
held by the Turkish-Italian Friendship Association in the Turkish
city of Istanbul.

Bagis said that Turkey was facing some obstacles before negotiations
and membership, but there were not any countries that could not
complete negotiations.

The minister said that EU membership was a strategic target for Turkey,
an important project to become more contemporary but was not a sine
qua non condition.

"Turkey is not a country that would say ‘yes’ to every thing imposed
before it, just to become an EU member," Bagis said.

On relations with Armenia, the minister said that Turkey would continue
to assume a peaceful attitude, taking regional sensitivities into
consideration.

Turkey became an EU candidate country in December 1999. The union
launched accession talks with Turkey on October 3, 2005. (BRC)

LEADER OF OPPOSITION ‘HERITAGE’ PARTY DISPLEASED WITH FOREIGN POLICY CONDUCTED BY ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES

ArmInfo
2009-04-17 14:29:00

Both parties should be guided by the principle’without any
pre-condition’ in the matter of normalization of the Armenian-Turkish
relations, or every party should offer its conditions, the leader
of the opposition Heritage party, deputy of the parliament Raffi
Hovannisian said at today’s press-conference in Hayastsk club.

He also added he does not accept an expression ‘football
diplomacy’. ‘One must not compare the Armenian-Turkish relations with
the American-Chinese ones, where sport was of great significance,
but there is asymmetry in our case’, – the leader of the Heritage
party said and added ‘there is no content’ in the policy conducted by
the Armenian authorities. Asked why the relevant expected document
was not signed by the foreign minister of Armenia and Turkey, Raffi
Hovannisian replied: "I had no information about possible signing of
such a document. But if the document which does not reflect the core of
the Armenian-Turkish relations will be signed, it means it contradicts
our national interests’. He also said Russia and Azerbaijan play a big
part in the relations between Armenia and Turkey. ‘In this direction
Armenian authorities should first of all protect the interests of
our state’, Raffi Hovannisian said.

DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER OF AZERBAIJAN: ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS SHOULD DEPEND ON SETTLEMENT OF ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI CONFLICT

ArmInfo
2009-04-16 16:48:00

Normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations should depend on
settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, Deputy Foreign
Minister of Azerbaijan Mahmoud Mammadguliyev said at a press conference
after the meeting of BSEC Ministerial Council in Yerevan Thursday.

He said the contacts and negotiations between Armenia and Turkey are
the business of these two states and Azerbaijan does not interfere into
internal affairs of other states. ‘However, given the conflict between
Azerbaijan and Armenia, we attentively follow the developments. Our
stand is that restoration of Turkish- Armenian relation should depend
on settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict’, he said.

SYNOPSIS ARMENIA DEVELOPS NEW SOFTWARE TOOL TO ACCELERATE SEMICONDUCTOR DESIGN

Noyan Tapan
Apr 14, 2009

Yerevan, April 14, Noyan Tapan. A new yield management tool for
designing microelectronic products was developed by engineers of
Synopsis-Armenia, one of the main branches of Synopsis Inc, a world
leader in software and intellectual property for semiconductor design
and manufacturing.

This was announced on April 9 by Armenia’s branch CEO Rich Goldman,
who is also vice-President for Strategic Market Development at parent
company, at the event devoted to the launch of the new educational
program "Semiconductor physics and microelectronics" at the State
Engineering University of Armenia (SEUA). According to him, "Yield
Explorer" has been used by producers since March 2009 and showed
good performance. Yield Explorer enables considerably accelerate
and increase efficacy of detecting and analyzing errors in the
process of semiconductor design. Particularly, it expedites the
discovery and mitigation of yield limiters in leading-edge integrated
circuits. As R..Goldman mentioned, the expectations of Synopsis,
which had purchased several years ago the US-based HPL Technologies,
were rewarding, since the expenses of creating Yield Explorer were
worth it. He also mentioned, that one the main engineering centers
of HPL was based in Yerevan. "Yield Explorer" is the second software
tool, developed by the Armenia branch, told R.Goldman. As R..Goldman
mentioned, a new four-year program of the Educational Department of
Synopsis-Armenia will prepare engineers in the area of "Semiconductor
physics and microelectronics". This is another program carried out in
cooperation with SEUA, which is aimed at developing high technology
in Armenia. According to Vostak Marukhian, rector of SEUA, a new
educational model of "university-industry" cooperation will enable to
prepare professionals of a high standard, who meet the requirements
of semiconductor industry: Má and postgraduate study are supposed
to be offered in the near future in this field. In the fringes of a
new program super-modern software tools and educational packages for
electronic design will be applied, told Marukhian. According to him,
Synopsis has started implementing educational and training programs
at SEUA since 2001. Within that cooperation the baccalaureate of SEUA
produced 23 graduates only last year, and currently 191 students
are trained at company’ s microelectronic circuits and systems
department. 10 graduates have already defended their thesis and another
six will defend this year. Teaching materials of Synopsis-Armenia’s
educational program have been translated from Armenian to many
languages and are applied in universities of Russia, China, US and some
European countries. The University Program of Synopsis is carried out
in more than 450 universities in the world. The educational department
of Synopsis-Armenia cooperates with Yerevan State University, American
University=2 0of Armenia, Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University in
Armenia and Institute of Electronic Technology of Moscow in Russia:

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MONEY FOR STREETS CLEANING

LRAGIR.AM
15:26:13 – 13/04/2009

The Armenian government at its April 9, 2009, session decided to direct
the 936 million 500 thousands drams of Yerevan City significance to the
implementation of other projects. This sum is directed to the district
communes of Yerevan for contributing the wide scale street cleaning,
is said in the governmental official message. In connection with the
decision, the Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan particularly noted: "I
think that this is a right distribution, because the number one problem
which bothers the Yerevan residents is that of the street cleaning".

Though, a number of questions occur in connection with this
decision. Particularly, what happened to Tigran Sargsyan as he
gave up his almost cosmic projects aimed at the future and focused
his attention at the street cleaning. Especially in case, 963, 5
million drams, were scheduled for the construction of a road bridge
on the Hrazdan River, which would surely be a useful structure for
the capital. In addition, the heads of Yerevan district communes,
which are mostly Republicans, get rather big money right for street
cleaning and sanitary works. Where are these sums that another almost
3 million drams is allocated from the budget for the same purpose,
what the district heads have been engaged in so far, has the government
ever wondered?

Perhaps, Tigran Sargsyan wanted the street cleaning to become an
all-Armenian topic of almost cosmic strength. In addition, that the
Yerevan Mayor election is scheduled for May 31, and the candidate of
the Republicans, Serge and Tigran Sargsyans is Gagik Beglaryan who has
to carry out large scale sanitary works. According to the governmental
logic, the residents of Yerevan are interested only in street cleaning
and the capital needs a good manager for street cleaning and that is
all. And now another 936, 5 million drams are taken from the budget
and thrown into the cask of Danaides of the electoral campaign.

Armenian president due in Tehran Monday

Moscow, April 11, IRNA — Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan is to start
a two-day visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran on Monday to review
issues of mutual interest with senior Iranian officials.

The Armenian president is to meet the Supreme Leader of the Islamic
Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and a
number of other high-ranking officials.

He is also expected to meet Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani and Secretary
of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Saeed Jalili.

According to the report, Tehran-Yerevan cooperation will top the agenda
of bilateral talks.

The Armenian president will be accompanied by a number of ministers and
several MPs.

Several documents on cooperation, including the final document on
Iran-Armenia railways, will be inked by the two sides.

MAJOR BUSINESSES SHOULD NOT EXPECT MAJOR PROFIT

16:42:58 – 10/04/2009
LRAGIR.AM

Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan stated several months ago that the
target of the governmental tax service will be the major businesses in
2009.The reporters asked a question to Serge Sargsyan during the press
conference on the anniversary of his inauguration. Serge Sargsyan was
asked to evaluate the activities of the government in this direction.

`These kinds of statements cannot be evaluated after a short time. A
year or a year and a half are needed to be able to assess such a
statement and the effectiveness of the work. But, I think, the steps
that are being taken now, from the demand of the external audit for
the big enterprises to the use of cash machines. I think the head of
the tax service will do his job very well the meaning of which is the
following: every time addressing the public, he should mention the
name of a major businessman who paid more taxes,’ Serge Sargsyan said.

According to him, the difference will be obvious within a short
period. `We cannot improve the tax sphere, I’m saying this consciously
realizing the importance of speech, unless major enterprises, major
taxpayers are the forerunners of this process. We always state to be
going to be hard on major businesses, major taxpayers. People may
think that we are doing this out of populism. That is not true. At
least, I myself do not have such a reason. I consider that the major
businesses are the locomotive of our economy but at the same time I
think that the major businesses must be in the tax field. And
especially under such conditions, in the time of crisis, the major
businesses should not expect major profit,’ stated Serge Sargsyan.