Author: Nalbandian Eduard

T. SARGSIAN AND CONSUELO VIDAL SIGN AN AGREEMENT ON ALLOCATING ARMENIA $72 MILLION BY UNO

ARMENPRESS
July 24, 2009

YEREVAN, JULY 24, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsian
and UN Permanent Coordinator to Armenian Consuelo Vidal signed today
a contract in the Armenian Government with which Armenian will be
provided with $72 million for the implementation of a number of
projects in 2010-2015.

After the contract was signed the Prime Minister Tigran Sargsian
expressing gratitude personally to C. Vidal for the efficient
cooperation and great personal investment, noted that the sums will
be directed towards several major projects.

Among them t. Sargsian pointed out to the sustainable and durable
development, social projects, development of democratic institutions,
protection of the environment and from the disasters as well as the
proportional territorial development.

The Prime Minister stressed the importance of implementation of
these projects stressing that they have a significant role for the
development of Armenian economy. He also reminded that the cooperation
of Armenia with the UNO started in 1992. At present 14 agencies
and offices operate in Armenia affiliated to the UNO. Hereafter
they will implement their activities within the frameworks of one
general project.

In her turn among the range of works implemented with the allocated
means C. Vidal pointed out to the fight against corruption, projects
addressed towards the elimination of poverty, creation of new job
places as well as the intensification of the participation of the
citizens in the national processes.

According to her with this the UNO continues its support addressed to
the solution of the issues of the vulnerable sections in Armenia. She
said that the UNO makes assessments on the impact of the crisis on
the vulnerable sections which will serve as a base for the further
projects of this institution.

ARF RESPONDS TO FOREIGN MINISTERS CRITICISM

Asbarez
Jul 22nd, 2009

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–The Armenian Revolutionary Federation on Wednesday
reiterated that the current administration is pursuing an erroneous
foreign policy in response to remarks by the foreign minister Monday
accusing critics of "speculating on national issues."

Armen Rustamian, the chairman of the ARF’s Supreme Body in Armenia,
said he hoped the accusations made by Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian, whom the ARF had urged to step down, did not refer to
his party.

Answering RFE/RL’s question regarding the recent calls for his
resignation over "a failed foreign policy", in particular in the
continuing Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations over Karabakh, Nalbandian
described them as "pointless noise" and "speculation" over matters
of national importance.

In response to the minister’s retaliation, Rustamian told RFE/RL that
the ARF "has no such purpose."

"We have never used, nor are going to use national issues to solve
any narrow party problems. On the contrary, the logic of all our
statements is that our priority is to form a united front no matter
what partisanship," he said.

Rustamian, however, again called the situation ‘alarming’ and blamed
it on foreign policy blunders.

"We think it would be right of the Foreign Ministry to assist in20the
efforts on forming a national front," said Rustamian.

In view of the "drastically changed situation" in the
Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations, Rustamian said: "When the so-called
Madrid principles are officially disclosed at such a high level,
it already ushers in a new stage in the negotiating process. It is
only logical and natural that the society should be engaged at this
stage and all should be able to express their opinions clearly and,
most importantly, point out what is unacceptable in this process."

DINAMO HURDLE PYUNIK OBSTACLE

uefa.com
July 21 2009

NK Dinamo Zagreb overcame a tricky test from Armenian champions FC
Pyunik to run out 3-0 winners and progress out of the UEFA Champions
League second qualifying round.

Early scares

The visitors gave Dinamo a couple of early scares but, led by man of
the match Pedro Morales, the Croatian side wrestled the initiative
and goals from Marijo MandžukiÄ~G, Milan Badelj and Dejan Lovren
helped them secure a tie against either FC Salzburg or Bohemian FC
in the next phase.

Morales influence Pyunik had held Dinamo to a goalless draw last week
and started off in impressive fashion at the Maksimir Stadium. However,
their early vim received a blow on the half-hour mark as Morales set
up MandžukiÄ~G to give the hosts the lead. Morales was involved again
as Dinamo doubled their lead in the 61st minute, Badelj benefiting
from the Chilean’s vision on this occasion, and Lovren completed the
night’s scoring soon after.

CEREMONY OF AWARDING OF ARMENIAN PEACEKEEPERS TAKES PLACE IN YEREVAN

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
21.07.2009 18:08 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today the awards ceremony of the Armenian
peacekeepers was held in Yerevan in the permanent deployment of the
peacekeeping base in Armenia.

The awards ceremony was attended by RA Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan,
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Marie Jovanovich, Ambassador of Poland
Tomasz Knothe, Major General Tod Bunting.

Armenian peacekeepers have been awarded with Armenian, American
and Polish medals, as well as diplomas and valuable gifts for their
excellent service in Kosovo and Iraq.

Scoop.co.nz (press release), New Zealand
July 20 2009

Yan fruit "juice" products voluntarily recalled

Monday, 20 July 2009, 12:56 pm
Press Release: Commerce Commission

A distributor of a range of imported products marketed as fruit juice
has agreed to recall all their products after tests as part of a
Commerce Commission investigation found that at least two of the
products had inaccurate labels.

Armenian Imports Limited trading as Super Juice distributes four juice
products imported from Armenia under the brand name Yan. As part of
the Commission’s investigation tests were carried out on beverages
described as 100 per cent blackcurrant juice, 100 per cent peach juice
and 100 per cent pomegranate juice. All three beverages had labels
claiming that they contained:

Testing at an independent laboratory showed that the products which
claimed to be 100 per cent blackcurrant juice and 100 per cent peach
juice contained little or no traces of fruit of any kind, let alone
the fruit that was claimed on the labels. Testing for the product
claimed to be 100 per cent pomegranate juice indicated that although
it may contain some pomegranate juice, it is unlikely that it is 100
per cent pure pomegranate juice. Another Yan product described as 100
per cent apricot juice has not been tested.

Additionally, the test report questioned whether the vitamin C claims
on the labels were correct as they do not align with the typical
vitamin C levels found in blackcurrants, peaches or pomegranates.

"The testing shows clearly that the information on the labels relating
to these products is incorrect. The distributor has agreed to recall
all of their products until further testing has been undertaken to
ascertain the exact nature of the products they have imported," said
Adrian Sparrow, Commerce Commission Director of Fair Trading.

"As the exact nature of the products is unknown there is not only
potential contravention of the Fair Trading Act but risk to
consumers. Although at this stage of the Commission’s investigation,
there is no evidence to suggest that these products are unsafe, given
the uncertainty as to the products’ ingredients, the Commission
advises consumers to exercise caution if they have known allergies,"
said Mr Sparrow.

"Accurate labelling on food and drink products is vital so that not
only can consumers make informed purchasing decisions based on
accurate information but so they can make choices about the
ingredients they consume, especially in regards to ingredients to
which they may have some sensitivity," said Mr Sparrow. "In this case
both stockists and consumers may have been misled by inaccurate
descriptions on the labels."

The distributor has agreed to contact all retail outlets stocking
their products requesting an immediate recall.

If affected consumers wish to seek a refund, they should do so from
their purchasing retailer providing either proof of purchase or
packaging. Products imported by Armenian Imports were stocked at
around 30 stores and supermarkets nationwide.

The Commission’s investigation will continue and there will be no
further comment at this time about possible action at the conclusion
of the investigation. The New Zealand distributor has been cooperating
with the Commission’s investigation.

Background

The Fair Trading Act. Court penalties for breaching the Fair Trading
Act can include fines of up to $200,000 for a company and $60,000 for
an individual. Only the courts can decide if a representation has
breached the Act.

Leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia to discuss Karabakh
principles

armradio.am
18.07.2009 15:15

The Presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia will meet on Saturday
for trilateral talks on the basic principles of a settlement for the
Nagorny Karabakh conflict, a Russian presidential adviser said.

Sergei Prikhodko told journalists that there were no plans to sign any
agreements after the presidents’ discussions, RIA Novosti reported.

The Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham
Aliyev held one-on-one talks in Moscow on Friday.

Agence France Presse, France
July 18 2009

Medvedev hosts Armenia, Azerbaijan peace talks
(AFP)

MOSCOW ‘ Russian President Dmity Medvedev hosted talks Saturday
between his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts in the latest
Moscow-mediated bid to end their dispute over a separatist enclave.

"The meeting was long and as far as our side was concerned, very
constructive," Interfax news agency quoted Kremlin diplomatic adviser
Sergei Prikhodko as saying.

"We continued the discussion of unresolved questions," he said,
implying that no concrete result had been achieved on the future of
the Azerbaijani enclave of Nagorny Karabakh.

Armenian leader Serzh Sarkisian and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham
Aliyev had face-to-face talks with other mediators on Friday and met
again earlier Saturday at an informal summit of heads of former Soviet
states at a Moscow racecourse.

Armenian state-run television quoted Sarkisian as saying earlier that
"no document will be signed" in Moscow

Keen to burnish its credentials as a powerbroker, Russia has been
mediating talks between the two countries over the enclave, now
controlled by ethnic Armenian separatists backed by Yerevan.

At the Group of Eight summit in Italy last week, Russia, France and
the United States, making up the so-called Minsk group of mediators,
pledged to continue supporting the peace talks and called on Aliyev
and Sarkisian to iron out their disagreements.

Prikhodko said Saturday that Medvedev, who has brought the two sides
together four times since November, "confirmed the goodwill of Russia,
as co-chair of the Minsk group, in efforts to find mutually acceptable
solutions in the Karabakh conflict."

Nagorny Karabakh, an enclave of Azerbaijan with a largely ethnic
Armenian population, broke free of Baku’s control in the early 1990s
in a war that killed nearly 30,000 people and forced two million to
flee their homes.

Shootings between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces in the region remain
common despite a 1994 ceasefire.

ALLAN WANGA’S MOVE TO ARMENIAN SIDE PYUNIK STALLS

Goal.com
/2009/07/17/1387352/allan-wangas-move-to-armenian- side-pyunik-stalls
July 17 2009

The Kenyan international’s chances to star in a European league team
this coming season have gone up in smoke as no transfer fee could
be agreed.

Related LinksKenya striker Allan Wanga’s move to Armenian giants Pyunik
from Petro Atletico has collapsed after the two clubs disagreed on
the transfer fee.

According to Wanga, who spoke to Kenyan paper The Standard, Champions
League contenders Pyunik were willing to offer â~B¬250,000 for his
signature but his employers, the Angolan champions, insisted on
squeezing â~B¬350,000 from the Armenian champions.

"Pyunik FC have officially given up signing me after my club declined
the offer. I really wanted to play in Europe but I hope now my time
could come another day," he said.

The 2007 Kenya Premier League top scorer moved from Tusker FC to
Petro in 2008 in a transfer deal worth â~B¬40,000.

The striker has since been a revelation for the Angolan champions,
who, as expected, were unwilling to release him unless their asking
price was honoured.

NKR PRESIDENT CONDOLES WITH HIS ARMENIAN, IRANIAN COUNTERPARTS

armradio.am
16.07.2009 14:49

In connection with the crash of the Tehran-Yerevan flight airliner
NKR President Bako Sahakyan sent a letter of condolence to President
Serzh Sargsyan of the Republic of Armenia. The message reads:

"Honorable Mr. Sargsyan, Artsakh has learned with a heavy heart about
the crash of the Tehran-Yerevan flight airliner that caused the death
of our compatriots.

Together with the whole Armenian people mourn over these tragic
deaths and extend our boundless condolences and moral support to their
relatives and friends. At this difficult moment we stand next to you
and bear the brunt of this irretrievable loss.

NKR President Bako Sahakyan sent another letter of condolence to
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

"Honorable Mr. Ahmadinejad, On behalf of the people and authorities
of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic please accept my condolences and
moral support to the people of fraternal Iran in connection with
the accident.

During the nationwide sorrow we grieve together with you over the
tragic death of the Tehran-Yerevan flight passengers and wish strength
and courage to their relatives and friends."

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Chris Zakian
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

July 15, 2009
___________________

ARCHBISHOP BARSAMIAN ASKS COMMUNITY TO PRAY FOR VICTIMS OF CASPIAN
AIRLINES CRASH

In response to the tragic crash of Caspian Airlines Flight 7908, en
route from Tehran to Yerevan, in which all crew and passengers lost
their lives, Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, issued a directive to the
leaders of all Diocesan parishes. He asked the community to offer
prayers for the victims, among whom were numerous Armenians. What
follows is the text of that message, issued on July 15, 2009:

`This morning, we awoke to the terrible news that an airliner had
crashed in Iran, taking the lives of all onboard. Such news is always
tragic, whatever the circumstances; but for us as Armenians, it was
especially dispiriting to learn that the flight had departed from
Tehran en route to Yerevan, and that so many of the people on board
were our fellow countrymen.

`News reports cite six Armenian nationals – that is, citizens of the
Republic of Armenia – among those who lost their lives today. But to
read the flight manifest is to become aware of numerous Armenian
surnames and given names among the 156 passengers and 12 crew members
– several crew members, and at least a third of the passengers –
indicating that many Iranian-Armenians were also on board the doomed
flight.

`Our hearts go out to all the victims of Flight 7908, and their
families. May God be with them, and comfort them in this time of
grief.

`Our special prayers go for the souls of our lost brothers and
sisters, who only a few hours ago said goodbye to their families, or
expected to shortly be reunited with them – but now will never be seen
again. We ask our risen Lord to remember them on the day of his
judgment, and to console and strengthen their loved ones.

`With this directive, I am asking our parishes to hold a special
hokehankisd service this Sunday, July 19, for the repose of the souls
of the crash victims.

`May God bless you and all our people.’

–7/15/09

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