Author: Nalbandian Eduard

THOSE WHO WORK CAN MAKE MISTAKES

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
30 Oct 08
Armenia

"I exclude that from now on any state body will refuse or fail
to give information to the Committee. Similar course of action is
condemnable. If the committee needs additional technical assistance
we are ready to allocate means also from NA budget. If there is any
official who refuses to respond to the invitation of the Committee,
we will give assessment to such manifestations. As regards the cases
of finding fault with the Committee I must say that they are the
assessments of idlers. It is easy to find fault with others and it is
difficult to work. And those who work can also make mistakes. We will
never hide the wrongdoings of any official and we are ready to punish
them for their mistakes." Hovik Abrahamyan said during his meeting
with the NA Interim Committee Investigating the March 1 developments
and their Causes.

CREATION OF RA MINISTRY OF DIASPORA IS OF MUCH NATIONAL IMPORTANCE, HRANUSH HAKOBIAN SAYS

Noyan Tapan
Oct 29, 2008

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, NOYAN TAPAN. The creation of the RA Ministry
of Diaspora is of much political, moral, psychological, national
importance, the basis of which should be all-Armenian way of
thinking. Minister Hranush Hakobian stated at the October 29 press
conference. According to her, this Ministry as if embraces the main
idea of Armenian people’s unity, which was created for the sake of
prosperity of RA, NKR, and all Armenians spread all over the world.

H. Hakobian said that RA President Serzh Sargsyan envisaged very
important problems connected with the Diaspora in his preelection
program, and the Ministry was created to fulfill them. According
to her, working out and carrying on state policy of development of
Diaspora-homeland partnership and coordination of activity of executive
power bodies under the general leadership of the RA President are
among the main missions of the Ministry.

The Minister said that Ministry’s Regulations, structure have been
already established, a serious working group has been created, and
the Conception of Diaspora-Armenia Cooperation is ready by 80%.

H. Hakobian also said that preservation of the Armenian nation is
one of the main tasks of the Ministry. "The Diaspora has a first and
foremost task from the very first day of its existence, to struggle
for remaining Armenian," she said adding that the Ministry considers
problems of Armenians and preservation of the Armenian nation in the
context of four goals, knowledge of the mother tongue, Armenian family,
Armenian culture, and belief.

In H. Hakobian’s opinion, the Diaspora, especially the traditional one,
is well-organized, has hundreds of structures, organizations. However,
according to her, their professional potential need to be revealed,
for instance, the Union of Armenian Doctors, which today functions in
more than 30 countries. "To create a professional network and to try
to move all international tendences and processes to the homeland
and to contribute to Armenia’s development and strengthening,"
H. Hakobian said.

ARMENIA INTENDS TO IMPROVE COOPERATION WITH DIASPORA

PanARMENIAN.Net
29.10.2008 16:36 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian met
in London with representatives of the Armenian community of the UK,
the RA MFA press office told PanARMENIAN.Net.

During the meeting, Minister Nalbandian presented priorities of
Armenia’s foreign policy, prospects of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
resolution and normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations.

"Armenia intends to improve its cooperation with the Diaspora. The
Ministry of Diaspora Affairs was formed to that end," he said.

The Minister also responded to the questions concerning the Armenian
community.

PRIVATE BUSINESSMEN ENGAGED IN PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION BY ONE TAXI TO PAY STATE DUTY OF 25 THOUSAND DRAMS ANNUALLY

Noyan Tapan
Oct 23, 2008

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA National Assembly on
October 23 passed in first reading the draft law on defence, and
made amendments and additions, in second reading and completely,
to a number of current laws.

In particular, by the addition made to the Law on the Use of Cash
Registers, the use of cash registers is not mandatory in case of
passenger transportation by a taxi if the vehicle has a taximeter. The
RA minister of transport and communication Gurgen Sargsian said that
this is done in order to rule out double investments by economic
entities and allow taxi service providers to choose either a cash
register or taximeter on their own initiative. In case of not
choosing the use of a cash register, no difficulties will arise
from the viewpoint of taxation as a fixed payment is collected for
taxi services.

Along with this addition, amendments were made in the Law on
Licensing and the Law on State Duty, based on which there will be
a differentiated approach to the granting of licences to private
businessmen engaged in passenger transportation by one taxi and the
issue of state duty: they will pay a state duty of 25 thousand drams
annually for organization of passenger transportation. The state
duty of 200 thousand drams will again be collected for organization
of passenger transportation – with respect to private businessmen
using more than one vehicle, and organizations, regardless of the
number of their vehicles.

IRANIAN PROVINCIAL GOVERNOR PRAISES ARMENIANS’ ROLE IN SOCIETY

Islamic Republic News Agency
Oct 21 2008
Iran

Tabriz, 21 October: The archbishop of Armenian Christians based in
Tabriz has said that the community of Iranian Armenians is living in
peace with their brothers in various parts of the country.

At a meeting with the governor-general of East Azarbayjan on Tuesday
[21 October], Nishan Topouzian said that the community of Iranian
Armenians in the Islamic Republic has a high position among their
Muslim fellow citizens, IRNA reported.

He added that the East Azarbayjan community of Armenians living in
Tabriz is ready to help develop this part of the country.

Pointing to the registration [as world heritage] of nine Armenians
historical sites in East and West Azarbayjan, Topouzian thanked the
governors-general and the heads of the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts
and Tourism Organizations of the two provinces for their efforts
regarding this issue.

At the meeting, the governor general of East Azarbayjan pointed
to the participation of the Armenian community in various events
in the country, saying that despite biased propaganda by enemies,
as followers of one of the monotheistic religions, the Armenians are
free to practice their religion and engage in political issues.

Ahmad Alireza Beygi expressed the hope that along with their Muslim
brothers, East Azarbayjan’s community of Armenians will make efforts
to develop this part of Islamic Iran.

LITTLE PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Steven Mazey

Canada.com
October 22, 2008
Canada

Seven concerts, seven cities, seven different pianos, so little time.

That sums up the challenge that Canadian pianist Jon Kimura Parker
faces when he hits the road with the National Arts Centre Orchestra
Friday for a 20-day tour of Western Canada.

Parker will perform as soloist in seven of the evening concerts
the orchestra is presenting through British Columbia, Alberta,
Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Yukon.

Like conductors Pinchas Zukerman and James Judd, and the orchestra
musicians, Parker will also offer master classes and post-concert
talks.

Parker, 48, says he has to be careful to allow time each day to get
to know the instrument he’ll be playing — a lesson he learned in the
1980s when he walked out on stage in Guelph, Ont., for a concert with
the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, only to find the piano’s pedals on
the floor — not attached to the Steinway. That audience was treated
to the sight of Parker and conductor Raffi Armenian getting down on
their hands and knees to correct the situation.

On hectic tours Parker sometimes finds himself wishing he had chosen
a more portable instrument.

"I’m always desperate for piano time. I’m so envious of violinists,
who can get up in their hotel room in the morning, pull out the violin,
make coffee and practice scales for 15 minutes. I can’t do that so
easily, and it drives me crazy," Parker said recently from Wisconsin,
where he was performing.

"On tour, we often travel on the same day as the concert, so there is a
limited amount of time before the concert that I can actually work at
the piano. Ideally, I like at least a few hours on a concert day, but
on a tour you sometimes don’t get it, so you take what you can get."

Parker says improvement in high-quality electronic keyboards in recent
years has made his life easier when he’s on the road. He sometimes
rents a keyboard from a local music shop. On tours, he asks the
orchestra to provide one he can use in his hotel room so that he can
at least warm up, if not get to know the actual instrument he’ll be
playing that night.

Parker, who will perform with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in
Prince George, B.C., Whitehorse, Kamloops, B.C., Calgary, Regina,
Saskatoon and Winnipeg. Parker will give five master classes, and
take part in a post-concert talk with the audience in Prince George.

"If I perform in a city and haven’t interacted with music students,
I always feel that a bit more could have been made of that trip. Doing
this with the NACO makes me feel I’m a bit more a part of the musical
community."

Jon Kimura Parker’s Canadian Tour Dates:

October 22, Ottawa

October 28, Prince George

October 29, Whitehorse

November 2, Kamloops

November 7, Calgary

November 8, Regina

November 9, Saskatoon

November 10, Winnipeg

December 4, Kitchener

SARGSYAN, MEDVEDEV PARTICIPATE IN OPENING OF RUSSIA’S SQUARE IN YEREVAN

ARKA
Oct 21, 2008

YEREVAN, October 21. /ARKA/. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and
his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan participated today in the
opening ceremony of the Square of Russia in downtown Yerevan.

"I am sincerely happy to be in Armenia again and to open with you
a new square in Yerevan," Medvedev said, adding this landmark event
testifies to sincere friendship between Armenian and Russian people.

The Russian president expressed his gratitude for opening the Square
of Russia in the heart of Yerevan, saying Armenia gives honor to
democratic Russia and the centuries-old friendship of both nations.

Medvedev said Russian people also trust and respect Armenians. "We
highly appreciate Armenian-Russian friendly relations," the president
said, vowing staunch support to strategy partnership, cultural and
humanitarian projects.

To establish closer relations, Armenia and Russia must boost bilateral
cooperation and try to meet together global and regional challenges,
according to Medvedev.

The Russian leader stressed the importance of coordinating steps in
the world arena to ensure stability in the region.

"Dear friends, good old neighbors always rejoice at each others’
success, and we are happy to see Armenia prospering every day,"
Medvedev said, underlining Armenia’s progress in the past ten
years. "We are interested in an economically robust, prosperous and
strong Armenia," the president added.

The Russian president said he believes Armenia also wishes Russia well.

"Making progress, we guarantee effective cooperation for both the
welfare of both nations," Medvedev said, adding both countries have
a political will and desire for boosting business relations and help
each other.

The Russian leader said he enjoys the sunny autumn of Armenia and
the warm welcome of Armenian people.

This is Medvedev’s fist two-day official visit to Armenia. The Russian
president arrived in Yerevan on Moday.

EUROPE IS EAGER TO GET RID OF THE US DIKTAT IN ECONOMY AND FINANCE
Karine Ter-Sahakyan

PanARMENIAN.Net
21.10.2008 GMT+04:00

"The US is to blame for everything". Nicolas Sarkozy and Russian
President Dmitri Medvedev regularly voice this accusation in their
recent statements.

In the face of the global financial crisis ex-allies are even more
loudly declaring about their right to independently solve their
problems, which arouse as a result of the myopic US policy in the
field of mortgage lending and spread over the other spheres of banking
operations. Still at the beginning of the current year the biggest
US banks raised alarm declaring that granted mortgage loans were not
reimbursed. However, no one listened to them and the result for it
was the crisis that we now face. The EU decided to immediately hold
a world summit for saving the financial and banking structure in the
format of extended G-8 with participation of such emerging economies
as India, China, Brazil and others.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ According to Nicolas Sarkozy the summit should
preferably be held in New York, "where everything started". In fact,
the European Union is going over the Bretton Woods agreements of
1944, which laid out the present monetary system and founded IMF
(International Monetary Fund) as American instruments of exerting
pressure on weak and poor countries.

Experts believe that there will be no second Bretton Woods. Firstly
because the preparations of the Â"originalÂ" Bretton Woods took
rather long and it was held for about a month (from 1 July to
22 July 1944), whereas participants of the summit are short of
time. Secondly, the Bretton Woods conference was held in the frames
of the UN and was formally called the United Nations Monetary and
Financial Conference, while the summit will be held outside the
UN framework. Thirdly, Bretton Woods conference was a gathering of
delegates from 44 nations, whose decisions were not then compulsory
for their governments. However, the major difference between 1944
and 2008 is the position of the United States. In 1944 the US was an
indisputable leader of the West, while today it has lost its label of
a leader. Under current circumstances the USA will struggle against
France and Great Britain, if not against the whole European Union. And
it is difficult to say who will win the fight.

Calling of the summit was suggested by the US President, while
the initiative is still on the side of Europe. According to Fred
Bergsten, Director of the Peterson Institute for International
Economics, unlike the USA Europe has a great experience of industry
nationalization. English laborists, French socialists and German
social-democrats all take up to this when coming to power. However,
under the pressure of the current financial crisis the other side of
the Atlantic has to follow their European counterparts. Professor
of the Princeton University Andrew Moravcsik considers that "The
experience of following the European example, for once, could have
domestic political implications for the United States. Americans,
especially conservatives have a particular view of Europe as
overregulated, therefore suffering from weak growth and Euro-sclerosis
that delays rapid economic growth in Europe. The current crisis
may change that view, and create more respect for the European view
of regulation".

With his suggestion to extend the limits of G-8 meeting with the help
of the "emerging countries", particularly China and India, Bush first
of all removed the UN from the process. By replacing the G-8 meeting,
where the US is a minority, by a wider forum, Bush in fact tried to
seize the joystick from the hands of Europeans who have taken refuge
in the global character of the crisis. "Since the world has never
been so interdependent before, it is essential that we work together
because we’re in this crisis together. For the summit to be a success
we must welcome good ides from all over the world," the US President
said. In his turn, Sarkozy said: "Now we have a great opportunity to
put an end to the odious practice of the past, a practice that led to
the current crisis. We cannot go on the same way otherwise we shall
face the same problems that provoke the same catastrophe."

Meanwhile with the opening of European markets, stocks of French
banks and oil have increased in price. Moscow markets opened with a
rise of basic indices reaching no more than 3%.

The common rise in European markets is connected with the optimism of
American and Asian markets, which, despite the reserved conclusion
of the session are disposed positively. The reason for it is the
statement of Chairman of the US Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke, who spoke
on Monday of a "new economic stimulus package to help cash-strapped
Americans". However, Sarkozy believes that the European Union should
consistently speak with one voice only, if it wants to play an active
role in the solution of political and economic crises.

In a word, the US is to blame for everything. Nicolas Sarkozy and
Russian President Dmitri Medvedev regularly voice this accusation in
their recent statements. "The financial crisis did not pass around
anyone, we suffered great losses. However, Russia is trying to overcome
it with minimal damage. Perhaps, fifteen years ago we wouldn’t be
faced with crisis, but globalization and open economy have played
their role in this process and now everyone is paying for the gross
mistakes made by a number of states, and first of all the USA. Yet,
I think we shall come over the present situation," Medvedev noted.

–Boundary_(ID_d0orMz2YVg6/3oLa7FeUlA)–

COMSTAR UTS LAUNCHES A WIRELESS BROADBAND NETWORK IN ARMENIA

armradio.am
21.10.2008 17:17

The Presidents of Armenia and Russia Serzh Sargsyan and Dmitry Medvedev
today launched a wireless broadband network based on 802.16e WiMAX
technology in Armenia.

>From today on the "COMSTAR – United TeleSystems" JSC, the largest
integrated telecommunications provider in Russia and the CIS and
the "Cornet-AM" CJSC – the affiliate company of "COMSTAR – United
TeleSystems" – will start operating in Armenia, applying the wireless
broadband technologies in Armenia.

Comstar’s WiMAX network in Armenia is used to provide a broad range of
telecommunications services, including digital telephony, broadband
internet access, data transmission, conferencing and virtual private
networks (VPN) for corporate subscribers. The activity of the company
was presented to the Presidents of Armenia and Russia today.

POLITICS FOLLOW TURKEY TO FRANKFURT’S BOOK FAIR

Deutsche Welle
20.10.2008
Germany

Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Pamuk said the habit
of penalizing writes for what they write is still alive in Turkey As
guest nation at the world’s largest book fair, Turkey bathed in the
literary limelight, but the Frankfurt Book Fair, which ended Sunday,
couldn’t wash away all the stains of limits placed on freedom of
expression.

Nobel literature laureate Orhan Pamuk was greeted as a "pop star,"
according to Turkey’s Hurriyet newspaper, while contemporary Turkish
authors trying to improve their international reputations were
almost mobbed.

Under the motto "captivatingly colorful," the book fair’s guest
nation held a myriad of events that gave the impression of a lively,
cultural way of life, without resorting to belly dances and other
gimmicks that tourists to Turkey often find so appealing.

"This country is in motion, both culturally and politically," book
fair director Juergen Boos said.

Turkey had made full use of the opportunities that "appearing on the
greatest literary world stage has to offer," Boos said.

More than the "well-known problems"

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:
The last visitors left the book fair on Sunday, Oct. 19 The Turkish
Organizing Committee was visibly anxious to exclude all political
elements from its events.

"The name Turkey should evoke more than just the well-known usual
problems," Istanbul publisher Muge Gorsoy Sokmen said.

Many of the freedom of expression issues other nations have with Turkey
deal with a section of Turkish penal code that makes it a crime to
"denigrate Turknishness" and threatens violators with up to three
years in prison.

But Sokmen said it was important for her that Turkish writers
were perceived "simply as artists" and not as "mouthpieces for the
government or dissidents."

Turkish politics in three acts

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:
Turkish literature was in high demand in Frankfurt The contradictions
of Turkish life and the political problems in which the country is
embroiled were acted out during the five-day book fair.

Pamuk entered the stage for the first act at the beginning of the
fair with a soliloquy in which he said, "The propensity of the Turkish
state to ban books and punish writers is unfortunately continuing."

President Abdullah Gul commanded the second act when Turkish
journalists asked him shortly before he left for Frankfurt to react
to Pamuk’s comments and to "negative reports" in the German press.

The questions allowed Gul to portray himself as a defender of criticism
and Turkey as a land of free speech by saying there was no book that
could not be published and "equally extreme views" would be expressed.

"Turkey is not a country of prohibitions," he added.

Turkish publishers took charge of the third act, like children who
had been burnt, but were still unafraid of fire.

They spoke of the state’s and the military’s paternalism and said
that not much had changed.

More changes needed

As long as this "authoritarian mentality" remained, freedom
of expression would remain limited, Etyen Mahcupyan of the
Armenian-Turkish weekly Agos said.

There would be no freedom of expression without a fundamental change
in mentality, publisher Ragip Zarakolu said.

In order to achieve this, he said "much more radical changes" were
needed "than have happened so far."

For its part, Amnesty International said the book fair could have a
lasting, positive effect on the condition of human rights in Turkey
even if the improvements weren’t immediately visable.

"It doesn’t change the situation in Turkey yet, of course, but it is
a step on the path towards breaking taboos," Amnesty’s Turkey expert
Amke Dietert told German news agency DPA. "As long as there are serious
restrictions in Turkey, we can’t talk about freedom of expression."

–Boundary_(ID_uAIRI9f73OKtFhGq rwgwTQ)–