Author: Nanijanian Alex

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT GIVES AMNESTY TO MOST JAILED OPPOSITION ACTIVISTS
Natalia Leshchenko

World Markets Research Centre
Global Insight
June 22 2009

The Armenian parliament voted on Friday (19 June) to declare an amnesty
for the opposition activists detained after the 1 March 2008 protests
over the results of the presidential election. Under the amnesty
legislation, some 90% of the detained protesters will be freed, or
around 2,000 people. Those who had sentences of less than five years
will be released immediately, and those with longer sentences will see
them halved. Concerns remain about an estimated 18 people who are still
under investigation or arrest on criminal charges; four of them, former
MPs and a foreign minister are of particular worry for the opposition.

Significance:The amnesty motion comes from President Serzh Sargsyan
himself; although described as an attempt to bring political
reconciliation to the country and not a result of any external
pressure, it is hard not to link the event to the forthcoming session
of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on 24
June on the situation in Armenia. PACE had previously demanded that all
political opponents of the authorities be immediately released. For
the Armenian leadership, the risk of having the protest participants
released is smaller than that of dealing with the damage to the
international reputation of the country should PACE make a critical
verdict. The U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation had already cut
its infrastructure assistance funding to Armenia over democratic
legitimacy concerns, an embarrassment for the government. The amnesty
will free nearly half of Armenia’s prisoners, but with the leaders of
the opposition still detained, this is not likely to affect security
in the country.

ARMENIAN FREE-STYLE AND GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLERS TO LEAVE FOR EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP ON JULY 1

Noyan Tapan
June 22, 2009

Free-style and Greco-Roman Wrestling European Youth Championships
will be held on July 2-6 in Tbilisi. Armenia’s national teams will
also take part in the competitions.

The Greco-Roman wrestling national team will leave for Tbilisi on
July 1 with 8 wrestlers and the free-style wrestling national team
with 5 wrestlers.

IRAN IRREGULARITIES HAMPERED MEETING OF WORKING GROUP ON IRAN-ARMENIA LINE CONSTRUCTION

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
22.06.2009 19:00 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The meeting of the working group on construction
of Iran-Armenia railroad was postponed because of the post-election
clashes in Iran, an Armenian official said.

"The meeting was scheduled for June but the Iranian delegation could
not arrive," head of the external relation department at RA Ministry
of Transport and Communications Gagik Grigoryan told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter.

The meeting is expected in late July at the level of Deputy Transport
Ministers of Armenia, Iran and Russia.

"The draft concept of the project will be presented during the
meeting. Presently, talks on $1 million financing are held with the
Asian Development Bank," Grigoryan said.

Final memorandum on construction of Iran-Armenia railroad was signed in
Tehran by Iranian Minister of Roads and Transportation Hamid Behbahani
and Armenian Minister of Transport and Communications Gurgen Sargsyan.

Construction may take more than 5 years. The project is estimated
some $1-1,2 billion.

AMNESTY NOT TO DRAW THE CURTAIN OVER MARCH 1 CASE

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
22.06.2009 20:02 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Parliament’s decision on declaring amnesty should
not be viewed from humanistic viewpoint only. The fact remains that the
step aims to consign March 1, 2008 incidents to oblivion. Authorities
persistently try to conceal that, attempting to show that amnesty
bears a more global nature," ANC representative Hovhannes Igityan
told a press conference.

The speaker expressed conviction that parliament decision mostly
applies to March 1, 2008 incidents. "Amnesty does not solve any
problems in terms of mitigating the country’s political tension
either. We are certainly happy that 2000 people, including most of
our friends, are already in freedom, but that doesn’t mean March 1
case should be considered closed," he noted.

Igityan finds that NA decision on declaring amnesty contains lots
of flaws, ambiguities and contradictions, especially from social,
political and legal viewpoints.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I MEETS THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF ITALY,
ECUMENICAL REPRESENTATIVES AND REPRESENTATIVES OF OTHER WORLD RELIGIONS

His Excellency Franco Frattini had a private meeting with His Holiness Aram
I during the G8 Preparatory Meeting in Rome. At this meeting, His Excellency
Frattini and His Holiness Aram I discussed the situation in the Middle East
with special reference to recent developments in Iran and Israel, and post
legislative elections in Lebanon, issues that the Ambassador of Italy to
Lebanon had raised earlier with the Catholicos.

At the end of the meeting, His Holiness Aram I offered the Minister a book
on the Armenian Genocide.

On this occasion Catholicos Aram I also met with the representatives of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Moscow Patriarchate, EKD (Germany), the
Canadian Council of Churches, and the General Secretary of World Conference
of Religions for Peace.

##
View the photos here:
tos/Photos387.htm#3
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

57 BRANCHES OF VTB BANK (ARMENIA) CONNECTED TO ON-LINE SYSTEM

/ARKA/
June 15, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, June 15. /ARKA/. The VTB Bank (Armenia), which has the largest
branch network in Armenia (78 branches), is successfully implementing
its program of expanding its on-line presence in the Armenian regions.

The bank’s press service reports that 57 branches of the bank have been
connected to the on-line system: 31 in Yerevan, two in Hrazdan, and
one in each of the following towns: Vedi, Artashat, Masis, Echmiadzin,
Gavar, Martuni, Vardenis, Dilijan, Yeghegnadzor, Jermuk, Vaik, Sisian,
Goris, Meghri, Kapan, Charentsavan, Ijevan, Tumanyan, Noyemberyan,
Artirk, Talin, Armavir, Berd as well as the village of Baghramyan.

Head of the Operations Department, VTB Bank (Armenia) A. Sargsyan said
that three to four branches of the bank are connected to the on-line
system daily. "Our task is to complete the process within two months,"
he said.

The VTB Bank (Armenia) is thus consistently implementing a new
program of enhancing service quality and a policy of developing bank
communication applying modern technologies.

ALEX YEMENIDJIAN LIKELY TO HEAD TROPICANA

LAS VEGAS
JUNE 15, 2009
NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY

Alex Yemenidjian, the President of Armenian American billionaire Kirk
Kerkorian’s MGM Grand company, is likely to assume the post of CEO
of Tropicana Resort & Casino Las Vegas.

According to Marmara newspaper, the Nevada Gaming Commission’s
branch has already approved his appointment to this post, and in all
likelihood on June 18 Yemenidjian’s appointment as CEO of Tropicana
Las Vegas will be also approved by the indicated commission.

Tropicana is now facing serious financial problems, and the work to
turn it into a profitable company will become a new challenge to Alex
Yemenidjian, a close friend of Kirk Kerkorian and the Chairman of MGM
movie studio in the past. Yemenidjian has greatly contributed to MGM
Grand’s overhauling.

PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA CONGRATULATES AHMADINEJAD ON REELECTION

armradio.am
15.06.2009 11:30

President Serzh Sargsyan sent a congratulatory message to Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad on the occasion of his re-election as President of the
Islamic Republic of Iran. The message reads:

"On behalf of the people of the Republic of Armenia and myself
I warmly congratulate you on the occasion of your re-election as
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran and wish you new successes
and achievements.

I’m confident that we will continue working towards deepening
and reinforcement of the Armenian-Iranian relations in different
spheres. This is what the traditional mutual respect between our
peoples dictates.

Once again I congratulate you on this remarkable occasion and wish
you robust health, happiness and productive activity."

IF THERE IS OIL, WHO CARES FOR MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE?
James Hakobyan

LRAGIR.AM
12:00:47 – 12/06/2009

The U.S. government expressed its attitude towards the Yerevan Mayor
election by stopping a part of the Armenian financing project of
the Millennium Challenge Corporation. The point is about a road
constructional project, which costs 70 million dollars, with the
help of which village roads were planned to be reconstructed. But
it is clear, that 70 million is nothing for the Armenian government,
moreover the prices for oil are increasing. The stronger Russia is a
stronger country is Armenia, as Serge Sargsyan believes. Consequently,
we do not care about the U.S. 70 million, regardless the fact that in
case the Russians lend money, while the Americans gift it. In addition,
during the 20 years of the Armenian independence, the U.S. gifted as
much money to Armenia, as the whole world with the Russia never lent.

But it is not our fault, but that of the U.S. government, which thinks
that the Armenian government needs only money to make the country
become a normal one. They do not understand that there is no wish,
no thinking. They do not understand that for the Armenian government
money is not a means but an aim. While the Russians understand it very
well, which is the reason why they never gift money to Armenia. They
understand that it will mean to lose money. But until they lend money,
they torture the Armenian government. And they see a very interesting
feature that the Armenian government has: when it borrows money it is
more excited and happy than when it is gifted. The point is that the
debt is to be paid off by money or property, but when money is gifted,
no one knows how it has to be recompensed, as civil thinking is needed
in this case. So it is a great loss for the Armenian government when
Russia does not give a loan to Armenia, but when the U.S. does not
gift money, the Armenian government feels even relieved.

Perhaps, it is difficult to understand all this for the Americans. It
is difficult to understand that a government does not want to better
elementary democratic measurements and take money for free and to
lessen the problems of its citizens. Or maybe they understand it,
or they just started to understand, which is the reason why they do
not give money any longer. Or they want to understand and only after
decide whether to give or not to give money. But it is their problem,
yesterday the oil cost 60 dollars, today it costs 70 and tomorrow it
will probably cost 80, Russia will become more powerful, and Armenia
does not need anything else.

DETAILS WILL BE KNOW ON JUNE 12

A1+
05:16 pm | June 11, 2009

Politics

The Armenian National Congress (HAK) met today to discuss its further
steps, HAK’s Coordinator Levon Zurabyan informed A1+.

The details will be reported during tomorrow’s rally organized by
the HAK near the Matenadaran at 7:30 p.m.