Author: Nalchajian Markos

PanARMENIAN.Net

Mammadyarov: observing international law norms, Baku recognizes right
to self-determination
01.11.2008 14:52 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On October 31, Foreign Ministers of Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Russia met in Moscow to discuss the Karabakh process.

`We base on the OSCE record saying that Azerbaijan and Armenia are
parties to Karabakh conflict. As to the Azeri and Armenian communities
of Nagorno Karabakh, they participated in talks until then-President
Robert Kocharian declared that Armenia will continue negotiations on
behalf of the Armenian community,’ Azerbaijani acting Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov said when commenting on Karabakh leadership’s
statement that NKR’s non-participation in talks will slow down the
settlement process.

`There is no need to change the format because we negotiate with
Armenia,’ he said, 1news.az reports.

Touching on RA President Serzh Sarsgyan’s statement that the problem
can’t be resolved unless Azerbaijan recognizes the right of Karabakh
people to self-determination, Mammadryarov said, `A signatory of the
Helsinki Final Act and observer of the international law norms,
Azerbaijan recognizes the right of nations to self-determination.
However, it doesn’t mean that territorial integrity can be violated by
armed intrusion. Moreover, the principle of territorial integrity
prevails over that of self-determination in international legal
documents.’

PanARMENIAN.Net

With no solution to Cyprus and Armenian issues, Turkey’s EU prospects
out of question
01.11.2008 15:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Daniel Gros, director of the Brussels-based Center
for European Policy Studies, warned Turkey it would need to get things
moving.

`Turkey is losing time,’ said Gros, adding that he has seen no
progress in Turkey’s reform process for EU membership. `The two big
stumbling blocks, Cyprus and Armenia, sooner or later have to be
resolved.’

`The later Turkey takes steps on the Cyprus issue, the more difficult
it will become as each year passes,’ Gros said. `If there is no
solution to the Cyprus and Armenian issues, we will not be able to
speak about Turkey’s EU prospects.’

The Armenian issue is, `a secondary question,’ because it is not a
member of the EU, Gros added, placing the emphasis on Cyprus. He said
he remained optimistic over the future of northern Cyprus. `As long as
northern Cyprus develops nicely, which it seems to be doing now, over
time it will become a de facto state and this reality will be
recognized,’ Gros said, the Turkish Daily News reports.

The football diplomacy and Israel

armradio.am
01.11.2008 13:48

The Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan received the Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Israel to Armenia Ehud Gol, who is
completing his mission in our country. The Prime Minister noted Armenia
attaches great importance to the development of relations with Israel
and expressed confidence that serious preconditions exist for it today.

Tigran Sargsyan spoke about the initiatives of the Armenian Government
targeted at the deepening of those relations. The Prime Minister
attached importance to the opening of Israel’s Embassy in Armenia,
which will serve as a new impetus for the reinforcement of
Armenian-Israeli relations and establishment of active cooperation
between the two countries in different spheres.

The interlocutors turned to the latest developments targeted at the
normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey ` the football
diplomacy, the meetings that took place as a result of it, Israel’s
role in normalization of those relations and contemporary regional
issues.

At the end of the meeting the Prime Minister of Armenia expressed
gratitude to Ambassador Ehud Gol for his efforts targeted at the
reinforcement of the Armenian-Israeli relations throughout his term in
office, expressing hope that wherever he is, Mr. Gol will continue his
mission targeted at the development of relations between the two
countries. The Israeli Ambassador assured he will do so, because he
considers himself a friend of Armenia.

HAIG SHAHINIAN, SOUTH AMERICAN PARTY ACTIVIST DIES

AZG Armenian Daily
01/11/2008

Diaspora

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — On Saturday, October 25, Haig Shahinian,
a member of the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party, Tekeyan Cultural
Association and Armenian General Benevolent Union of South America,
died after a short illness.

For the last 30 years, Shahinian was the main philosopher who helped
shape the policies of the ADL, AGBU and Tekeyan, and he was able to
work constructively with the ARF, Hunchakyan and Armenian Communist
Party of South America for the betterment of then-Soviet Armenia and
later, independent Armenia, as well as the Diocese of the Armenian
Church of that time, which was under the administration of the ARF. His
level-headed approach to the problems and their solution earned him
the nickname of "Machiavelli" from his friends.

He was one of the founders of Sardarabad trilingual weekly newspaper
in 1976, which is still going strong with the largest circulation
in the community. In 1987, Shahinian was a delegate to the Annual
Convention of AGBU held in Chicago. At that time, AGBU was going
through a transition period and its annual allocations to the AGBU
Buenos Aires School were dwindling. Through Shahinian’s suggestion
at the meeting, the statistics of the school history were presented,
which impressed the membership. The AGBU’s allocations to the school
continue strong until today.

In 1997, Shahinian represented South America at the meeting of ADL
leaders that was held in Boston. The meeting could not solve existing
party problems and Shahinian returned to Argentina and pressed harder
to strengthen the party in South America and convince other regions
to follow suit.

In 1984, he took the initiative to form an association of Armenian
professionals who through their representative, participated in the
United Nations Human Rights

Commissions’ Geneva meetings as an observer, with the help of
representative of Argentina, Ambassador Leonardo Despuis, who convinced
British historian Benjamin Whittaker to include the Armenian Genocide
as a Turkish state-sponsored act in his report.

During the last years of his life, Shahinian started work to declare
through United Nations all the destroyed churches in Turkey as Armenian
properties, with the intention of apply the international principal and
law that when a building belongs to a person, the land also belongs
to that person, Shahinian’s family members were also devoted AGBU
leaders. His uncle, Haig Emirian, an AGBU honorary member, was the
principal mover of the construction of Alex Manoogian Center; his
brother-in-law, Antranik Ekshian, was chairman of local AGBU chapter
and his wife’s brother, Hovsep Yousefian, as an honorary AGBU member
as well as the chapter’s chairman and a member of the group’s Central
Committee, based in New York. His brother, Vartan Shahinian went to
live in Karabakh, where he passed away few years ago.

Haig Shahinian was married to Eva Yousefian and had four children
Carlos, Rebecca, Caroline and Haiko and many grandchildren.

His funeral was from Saint Kevork Church in Vicente Lopez, Buenos
Aires on October 26.

RASIM AGHAYEV: "IF SERZH SARGSYAN AGREES TO RETURN THE OCCUPIED LANDS TO AZERBAIJAN, RUSSIA WILL HAVE TO ENSURE HIS SECURITY"

Today.az
politics/48558.html
Oct 28 2008
Azerbaijan

Day.Az interview with famous political scientist Rasim Aghayev.

– A terror act occurred in the parliament of Armenia nine years ago
on October 27 of 1999 and it caused death to Armenian Prime Minister
Vazgen Sargsyan, speaker Karen Demirchyan and several other political
figures of this country. Do you think today there is a possibility
of a terrorist act against the leading politicians of this country?

– As is knownб several political figures, political scientists and
journalists of Armenia blamed the working Karabakh clan, represented by
previous and working presidents of Armenia Robert Kocharyan and Serzh
Sargsyan of organization of the terror act in the Armenian parliament.

In other words, considering that the powers of this country are the
organizers of a terror act in the Armenian parliament, it may seem
that new terror acts against the leadership of Armenia are out of
the question as there is no one to commit these acts. But this is an
unfounded outlook, for since the moment of its consolidation as an
ethnic-political powers Armenians have taken terror as a method of
political pressure on their opponents before anyone else did.

And therefore, the one that once used terror as way to attain the
desired political result will become a victim of terror sooner of
later. Therefore, there is no guarantee that those who committed the
terror act in the Armenian parliament will not fall victims of other
Armenian terrorists.

– Which steps of the working powers of Armenia may provoke a terror
act from the side of other powers in this country?

– First of all, I think Serzh Sargsyan will not take the steps, which
may provoke the wide Armenian public to take radical measures against
him. He is aware that if he agrees to return the occupied lands of
Azerbaijan in exchange for the agreement of our country to put off the
status of Nagorno Karabakh, may be enough for the Armenian circles,
having a historical inclination for terror, to terminate the working
president.

– But isn’t the working president of Armenia able to attain guarantees
of personal security from the side of the leading world countries
before he launches possible steps aimed at the establishment of peace,
stability and good neighbor relations in the South Caucasus region,
as a goal for which the leading countries of the world strive so much
according to official statements?

– Practice shows that super states do not care much about those,
who served to them at a certain stage after they fulfill the due
work. Therefore, you are right to say that it is vitally important
for Serzh Sargsyan to attain guarantees of his own security in case he
agrees to promote establishment of peace, stability and good neighbor
relations in the South Caucasus region.

Moreover, he, as well as Robert Kocharyan, are casual figures in
politics and they can be easily replaced. This is how they differ
from Levon Ter-Petrosyan. So, it can be said that if Serzh Sargsyan
agrees to return the occupied lands to Azerbaijan, Russia will have
to ensure his security.

– What should Azerbaijan do to encourage the Armenian President for
return of the occupied lands of our country?

– Azerbaijan is holding a balanced, competent and effective external
policy. Azerbaijan must further continue the policy of Armenia’s
isolation from all regional projects and agree with the Georgian
leadership on blocking the communication corridor between this country
and Armenia.

We must also agree with the Turkish government to avert any
speculations about possible opening of the Armenian-Turkish border
before Armenia liberates the occupied lands of Azerbaijan.

Moreover, we must persuade the leaderships of the leading countries
of Europe, Russia and the United States that peace and stability in
the South Caucasus are impossible without the fair resolution of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno Karabakh. Only these steps
can make the Armenian leadership to realize the current balance of
powers in the region and take real steps to establish peace and good
neighbor relations in our region.

–Boundary_(ID_Swnb0supWuqKjygNsfq6lg)–

ARMENIA STRIVING TO GET CLOSER TO EUROPE

armradio.am
28.10.2008 11:15

President Serzh Sargsyan received the Special Representative of the
European Union for the South Caucasus, Peter Semneby, President’s
Press Office reported.

The President said Armenia is striving to get closer to Europe, and
attaches great importance to the expansion of its relations with the
European Union.

"In this regard we anticipate the EU’s assistance and support,"
he said.

Peter Semneby noted that the upcoming visit of President Sargsyan to
Brussels would allow to assess the relations and outline the general
agenda of interrelation.

The President of Armenia and Ambassador Semneby spoke about the
regional developments, the peaceful resolution of the Karabakh
conflict, and the Armenian -Turkish relations.

Noting that Armenia favors peaceful resolution of the Karabakh
issue based on the Madrid Principles, Serzh Sargsyan said, "Armenia
recognizes the OSCE Minsk Group as the format for the negotiations,
and the MG Co-Chair states – as the mediators in the process."

Peter Semneby welcomed Armenia’s initiative and determination to
normalize relations with Turkey and said that the European Union is
ready to provide whatever assistance is necessary for the regulation
of the relations between the two neighboring countries.

The EU Special Representative also hailed the decision to establish a
fact-finding group to probe into the events of March 1, and engagement
in its activities not only of the parliamentary but also of the
representatives of the non-parliamentary opposition.

DIRECTOR OF AMERIABANK’S DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT: INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL CRISIS WILL ALSO HAVE CURATIVE EFFECT ON ARMENIAN ECONOMY

Noyan Tapan
Oct 22, 2008

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 22, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenia will not be free from the
impact of the international financial crisis but the impact will be
small as compared with that on developed countries, taking into account
Armenia’s insignificant integration into international financial
markets. Expressing this opinion, the Director of Ameriabank’s
Development Department Tigran Jrbashian said that the effect of
the crisis on Armenia’s financial sector is already seen in the
form of rising interest rates, a slowing process of crediting and
deposit attraction, and a decline in the liquidity of financial
assets. The impact of the crisis will be felt in the real sector
of the economy as well – as a decline in exports and the inflow
of remittances. Nevertheless, in his opinion, Armenia has suffered
from the crisis to a much smaller extent than developed countries,
for example, Russia.

He explained that while having quite serious consequences and
causing complex problems in financial market, the financial crises
also have a curative effect on the real and financial sectors of an
economy. "During a crisis, strong economic entities become stronger,
while weak ones weaken.

Under conditions of falling prices, more efficient bodies start
operating in markets, and markets undergo positive structural
changes. It will happen in Armenia in the next six months," the
expert forecast.

T. Jrbashian noted that the competition field will not form very
quickly in the monopoly sectors of the economy, but these sectors
will face serious challenges in connection with the fall of prices in
international market. In addition, the price growth is also slowing
down in the real estate market, in which investments and sales are
related to the degree of activity of foreign participants in the
market, and investments will flow from the construction sector to
the sectors with a higher level of profitability, which will also
have a healing effect on the economy.

T. Jrbashian expressed an opinion that the Armenian economy’s real
sector, which has problems related to the decline in the inflow of
official transfers and the fall in prices of raw materials exported
from our country to international markets, may benefit from the fall
in prices of foodstuffs and power-bearing subsatnces. He said that
the competition between domestic and foreign producers will increase
in the country’s food market.

In the opinion of T. Jrbashian, no additional capital inflow to the
Armenian banking system is expected in the next few months as there is
a wait-and-see situation in the international financial market. This
was explained by the difficulties related to identifying the real
state of market participants.

"However, by the first quarter of 2009 everybody will understand how
each body endured the crisis and the situation will change. It is
clear that money cannot wait, it has to bring incomes. So in 2009
redistribution processes will start in the international financial
market where Armenia may also play its role because it will get out of
the crisis situation with less losses and in a more stable state as
compared with other countries," T. Jrbashian said. According to him,
more importance will be attached to the availability of stable and
reliable financial instruments, and all this will allow to be more
attractive for investors.

The expert said that however, the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) will
fail to reach the programmed indices of inflation: by CBA’s alternative
(pessimistic) scenario of inflation forecast, in the 3rd quarter of
2009, 12-month inflation will make about 5% against the basic scenario
of 3.5%, while in the 4th quarter of 2009 it will make 5.9% against
the basic scenario of 5.8%. According to T. Jrbashian, in late 2009,
the 12-month inflation will make 7-8% but the consequences of this
inflation will not be disastrous.

As for fluctuations expected in Armenian currency market, the Director
of Ameriabank’s Commercial Operations Department Sergei Shevchenko
expressed an opinion that these fluctuations will not exceed 10%. For
example, the exchange rate of the Armenian dram against the dollar
will make 300-320 drams within the next 12 months. S. Shevchenko
substantiated his forecast by the fact that the CBA is actively
regulating the foreign currency market where the fluctuations were
insignificant and rare in the past year.

WHERE ARE THE CURRENCY ASSETS OF THE CENTRAL BANK ALLOCATED?
Lilit Poghosyan

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
24 Oct 2008
Armenia

And how does the CB control its resources?

At yesterday’s Q&A session between the Government and the National
Assembly, RPA member A. Davtyan addressed the following questions
to the Prime Minister: in what way and to what extent has the global
economic crisis impacted the economy of Armenia? Has the Government
assessed the possible risks and what measures does it take to reduce
the negative impacts of the global crisis to a minimum?

The answer of Prime Minister T. Sargsyan did not sound convincing to
the author of the question; moreover, the MP was surprised. Below we
present Artak Davtyan’s considerations regarding the subject matter
of the issue.

"The NA Regulations-Law does not envisage any possibility for turning
the NA-Government question and answer session into a debate. And
naturally, it cannot contradict the clarifications of the Prime
Minister and discuss to what extent the arguments of the Government
are right or wrong, admissible or inadmissible. But I cannot help
saying that I am not, mildly speaking, satisfied with the answers of
the Prime Minister.

Especially considering his categorical accentuations and instructive
tone by which Head of the Government introduced the 4 clauses of the
"recommendations" of the World Bank and the International Currency
Fund.

According to the Prime Minister, the first recommendation or
"proposal" of the specialists is the following: to avoid, to the
greatest possible extent, speaking about the impending crisis or
disaster so as not to arouse negative expectations and anxiety among
the private entrepreneurs and citizens and hence, not to increase
the possible risks and negative consequences.

In my opinion, this approach is not absolutely acceptable. If the World
Bank and the International Currency Fund were convinced that the best
way out of the existing situation was not to see those risks and avoid
speaking about them, they would first of all give recommendations to
the countries that gave birth to such crises. First of all, I mean
the United States where all the media unanimously speak about the
global crisis and the ways towards overcoming its impacts.

I don’t know what goals the Prime Minister pursues by insisting that
everything in our reality is all right, and there are no threats to our
economy and financial system. He doesn’t even say to what extent those
recommendations will help overcome the possible negative consequences.

Personally I am not optimistic in that respect. After all, if there
is a problem, it is necessary to raise it, understand the causes and
then find solutions, instead of concealing everything and pretending
that nothing has happened.

Especially considering that we have had that experience. Just a
few months ago when the Georgian-Ossetian war had just begun, the
possibility of the so-called "global crisis" was not even sketched. The
general opinion at that time was that the Georgian crisis would not
produce any impact upon the economy of our country. And that happened
in a situation when it was obvious that the problem did really exist,
and it was necessary to undertake certain steps for mitigating the
negative impacts of the Russian-Georgian conflict.

Today, everybody already admits and the Government confesses that
we have really suffered serious losses. The events in Georgia have
caused a damage of 670 million dollars to our country. Had that
reality been presented to the international community in time, the
millions of dollars allocated to Georgia might have been partially
allocated to Armenia as well.

Therefore, regardless the clarifications of the Prime Minister, I stick
to the viewpoint that silence is not the best way for overcoming the
situation with minimum losses."

"While making remarks, you considered the approach adopted by the
World Bank vulnerable. According to that approach, it is senseless
to exchange some part of the CB reserves for gold because that is
not only unjustified but also harmful. Do you again consider the
clarifications of the Prime Minister unconvincing?"

"In my question, I did really mention that in the opinion of some
analysts, there were some discrepancies between the real and legal
status of gold, and those discrepancies did not absolutely contribute
to the viability of the financial system. It is also in consideration
of this factor that many countries keep some of their reserves in
the form of gold as a permanent value. Unfortunately, the humanity
has not invented a more reliable and permanent value yet.

And the problem here does not absolutely consist in whether or not
the Central Bank has sold its reserves of gold or whether it acted
the right way by getting rid of them or whether the country has lost
or gained anything as a result, considering the sharp devaluation of
the dollar over the recent years."

My question was the following: whether it isn’t time for us to keep
some part of our currency reserves in the form of gold. In contrast
to that, the Prime Minister referred to some simple copybook truths
and explained that the gold in the reserves of the Central Bank does
not simply fulfill the function of accumulating wealth. Secondly,
he pointed out the issue of profitability and realization.

I believe we really have a problem in this regard. In the 2007 report
of the Central Bank, "Assets in Currencies" are defined as follows:
"Financial tools measured by their real value; the gains and losses
obtained as a result of their repeated measurement are determined
by the report on the financial results." According to that article,
we had similar assets in the amount of 79 billion 440 million drams
at the end of 2006 and 318 billion 671 million drams or more than 1
billion dollars at the end of 2007. In such conditions, a question
arises as to where those assets were allocated.

Our currency reserves have been increasing since 2003, when the
valuation of the Armenian dram began. After such increase, relevant
sums are added in the sections concerning the expenses and losses as
a result of the re-evaluation. Is that clear? But if it is said that
keeping the reserves in the form of gold is not profitable, there
arises another question: what profitability is meant if the losses of
the Central Bank made up 28 billion 970 million drams in 2006, and 43
billion and 794 million drams in 2007? As regards the valuation of the
dram, the picture here is more awful. Those losses made up 37 billion
927 million drams in 2006 and 52 billion 984 million drams in 2007.

So the issue is how does the Central bank maintains, controls and
uses its currency assets? If everything in our reality is perfect,
then you are welcome to open the brackets and prove that it is true.

YEREVAN MAYOR’S OFFICE FULLY IMPLEMENTS PROGRAMS ENVISAGED FOR 2008

Noyan Tapan
Oct 20, 2008

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 20, NOYAN TAPAN. All the programs, which were
envisaged by Yerevan mayor’s office for this year, have been fully
implemented in January-September. The Head of the Construction and
Improvement Department of the Mayor’s Office Frunz Basentsian said
at the October 20 press conference that such activities as asphalt
laying and crack filling in several streets, construction of irrigation
networks, and reinforcement of ten 3rd degree accident prone buildings
have been completed.

In his words, in addition to this work, under extra programs of the
mayor’s office it is envisaged completing the reinforcement of two
bridges on Yerevan-Sevan highway, as well as repairing Riga Street
which links one wing of newly-built Saralanj highway with Kochar
Street by late November. The construction of a section of Isakov
Avenue will finish, and a new crossing in Heratsi Street will be built.

NAGORNO-KARABAKH GOVERNMENT PRESENTED PACKAGE OF PROPOSALS TO HAYASTAN FUND

DeFacto Agency
2008-10-24 15:11:00
Armenia

STEPANAKERT, 24.10.08. DE FACTO. Nagorno-Karabakh Republic government
presented a package of proposals mainly referring to the sphere of
health care, education and water supply to Hayastan All-Armenian Fund.

According to DE FACTO own corresponded in Stepanakert, following
projects are being proposed: the construction of a hospital in the
town of Martuni, the construction of an anti-epidemiological center in
Hadrut, mounting water-supply and sewer system in Askeran. Sponsors
are proposed to participate in the construction of outer and inner
water-supplies in the villages of Taghavard and Sargsashen, Martuni
region.

Last year the Fund finished a program on ensuring the village
of Spitakashen, Martuni region, on the means of Argentinean
philanthropists, an analogous program has been started in Berdashen,
the works will be continued this year.

As for programs in the sphere of education, new schools are planned to
be constructed in Gishi and Karmir Shuka. A school is to be constructed
in the village of Vagukhas and Khnkavan, Martakert region. There is a
necessity to build kindergartens in the villages of Drmbon and Nerqin
Oratag, Martakert region.

Nagorno-Karabakh government and Hayastan All-Armenian Fund have
already set to coordination of programs.

To note, a concert was held in Stepanakert on October 22, which opened
a national marathon targeted at fund-raising initiated by Hayastan
All-Armenian Fund.

According to Michel Tankres, the Fund’s representative in Karabakh, the
means gathered in the course of a current marathon will be targeted at
the development of rural communities of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.