Author: Navasardian Karapet

"BUSINESS SHOULD ABOVE ALL BE THE SUPPORTING TOOL OF EDUCATION’

LRAGIR.AM
10:11:42 – 27/05/2009

Today, at Gyumri Information Technology Center (GITC), VivaCell-MTS
General Manager Ralph Yirikian delivered a public lecture
"VivaCell-MTS – A Business with a Mission". Ralph Yirikian met with
the students and the faculty of Gyumri Information Technology Center
(GITC), State Pedagogical University of Gyumri and State Engineering
University. The purpose of the lecture was to provide the engineering
and science students with an opportunity to experience at first-hand
the operational processes and managerial culture in Armenia’s
leading mobile operator company, and also to learn more about mobile
communications technology. Gyumri is one of Armenia’s three cities,
where VivaCell-MTS’ 3G network was launched.

The choice of the institution was not random. GITC was established in
August 2005. The program offers a post graduate study to graduates
from higher technical educational institutions with engineering and
scientific backgrounds. The major focus of courses in the Center
is IT-related subjects. The Research and Development Laboratories
Center aim to grow the research potential of the Center and create
a basis for sustainable operations in the future. The main focus of
the Center is to develop the IT potential in rural areas, and major
cities other than Yerevan, as a means to create job opportunities
and utilize local human potential for growing economy.

In the course of the meeting VivaCell-MTS General Manager taught the
students about how mobile communication is set up, how the signal is
transmitted and how connection is made between subscriber’s phone and
base station. Ralph Yirikian also presented the Company’s successful
strategy of technical development of the network, billing system,
Value Added Services (VAS), customer development and Corporate
Responsibility agenda. After the lecture was over, Ralph Yirikian
answered a variety of questions regarding 3G, broadband Internet,
MMS, WAP and GPRS/EDGE technologies.

"Business should above all be the supporting tool of education;
any evolution is strictly connected to the level of education we
procure. Securing the synchronous development of IT education across
the whole country, and especially Gyumri, where there is a strong
potential already, is the right way to do it- said VivaCell-MTS
General Manager opening up the lecture. This is one of the means to
create job opportunities and utilize local human potential to keep our
young generation in our country and stop "brain drain" from Armenia."

AHMAD DAVUDOGLU: THE HISTORICAL MOMENT MUST NOT BE MISSED

armradio.am
26.05.2009 17:28

"Frozen conflicts in the region are like bombs that can explode
any time," Turkish foreign minister Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu said at a joint press conference with his Azerbaijani
counterpart in Baku. "So, the talk on resolution of the conflicts
must continue," he said, Trend News reported.

The Turkish foreign minister laid a special emphasis on the meeting
between Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents to take place in
St. Petersburg in early June. "This historical moment must not be
missed," Davutoglu said.

Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders plan to meet as a part of the
economic forum in St. Petersburg and discuss way of resolution of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

NORVIK UCO OFFERS CLIENTS TO REDEEM CREDITS VIA EDRAM PAYMENT SYSTEM

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
26.05.2009 15:06 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Norvik UCO CJSC, known in Armenian market for
innovational approach to client service, implemented a number of
innovations in credit redeeming via Internet technologies.

Norvik Universal Credit Organization offers its clients to redeem
credits via Internet technologies. Thus, Norvik clients need just to
visit the special self-service system at the website My.Norvik.am,
input personal data and choose the preferable way of payment.

In addition, it has become possible to redeem credits at any time due
to the systems ARCA and Edram. If a client is going to redeem the
credit via EDram system, he just needs to follow the offered link,
input his password and personal data and make a payment. Payment
via Internet should be made at least a day before the date of the
payment. Thus, up-to-date technologies have become a vital necessity
for easy service of clients and credit repayment. Given the active
development rates of information technologies in Armenia, one can
suppose that the greatest part of clients of credit organizations
will prefer just on-line services in the nearest future.

Norvik UCO Executive Officer Tigran Bostanjyan says the given
innovations aim to create more comfortable and easy conditions for
client service once more proving Norvik’s devotion to the principle
– care for the time and comfort of clients. "Norvik" UCO CJSC was
registered and licensed by the Central Bank of Armenia in July of
2006 with an authorized capital of USD 500 000 and started crediting
activities at the end of 2006 with an increased authorized capital of
USD 1,7 million. The company has had leading positions among credit
organizations in Armenia for already two years.

A Lion of Lang and Lit

The Never-Flagging Passion of Professor Peter Sourian

The Bardian
Quarterly Alumni/ae Magazine of Bard College (Annandale-on-Hudson, New York)
Spring 2009
pp. 18-19

By Mikhail Horowitz

Years ago, a new member of Bard’s faculty was introduced to Peter
Sourian. Upon being told what Sourian taught, the young man was taken
aback: `You don’t look like an English teacher!’

Indeed. There’s not even the faintest whiff of the academic about
Sourian, who has taught literature and writing at the College with
undiminished vigor for what seems like a geological epoch. A big,
craggy, bearlike man, he looks more like a former pugilist (which he
is not, contrary to rumor) than a sage who is able to discourse on the
novels of George Sand, or the films of Eric Rohmer, or the causes and
effects of the French Revolution ` and sometimes all in the same
sentence. By his own admission, he tends to `talk too much, envelop
people, and rant ` but for some reason I manage not to do that in the
classroom.’ And his long list of literary achievements
notwithstanding, the classroom is Sourian’s true arena ` the place
where he has inspired, infuriated, intellectually contended with, and
made an indelible impression on more than four decades of Bardians.

`As a teacher he could be very sympathetic and laid back, but he would
always call you on your weaknesses,’ says Chelsea Leigh Doyle ’05. `If
he thought a paper of mine was not up to the standards he expected
from me, he would let me know and give me a chance to try again. He
was always right, too!’

That last remark would no doubt rankle Sourian. `I tell you, I’m not
always right,’ he says, pointing his finger at an imaginary
student. `I warn you ` what I tell you in class, bury it under a tree,
the way hunters do in the spring, and then dig it up in the winter.’
The implication being that if it stinks, get rid of it, but if it
doesn’t, use it.

A visit to Sourian’s home on New York’s Upper East Side flannel shirt
rolled up at the elbows, his large hands as animated as birds, he held
forth on his long tenure at Bard and the joys and terrors of teaching,
with hearty good humor and an easy, unimpeded flow of literary and
historical allusions. The apartment, where Sourian has lived since
1938 ` and, since the late 1960s, with his wife, Eve, who teaches 19th
century French literature at the City University of New York ` was
renovated many years ago by his father, Zareh, and architect who
painted `when he couldn’t get work.’ His father’s oils ` sensuous
land- and seascapes ` vie for the visitor’s wandering eye with
religious icons and Asian, Greek, and Middle Eastern antiquities, as
well as a noble old Chickering piano that Sourian says he plays on
occasion, `pretending I can’t hear.’

Sourian arrived at Bard in 1965, a year that saw the College swell to
500 students from 320 at the beginning of the decade. `There were more
new faculty that September than the previous entire faculty,’ he
recalls. Today, he retains a fierce loyalty to his remaining
colleagues from that time, among them Luis Garcia-Renart, Robert
Kelly, Terence Dewsnap, Stuart Stritzler-Levine, and Justus Rosenberg.

`When I got here, literature, theater, and the arts were dominant at
Bard. There was a kind of innocence here,’ he says. `It was the only
place I applied to, perhaps because, as one friend told me, `It’s the
only place that would dream of having you.”

Forty-three years later, it’s hard to imagine Bard without him. Over
that span, Sourian has taught courses that cover the literary
waterfront ` the novel, poetry, short fiction, cultural reportage `
all of which echo his own multifarious career as a man of
letters.. Sourian has written six novels (three published; three in
manuscript), plays, short stories, book reviews and critical
commentaries on other media (he was The Nation’s television critic for
five years), and even poetry en français, in alexandrines and
other classical F his literary work, the critic Hrag Vartanian has
noted, `Sourian’s writing reveals a pensive soul that is always
looking for truth. His work is the record of this search for the
genuine and it is filled with quiet moments of surprise that appear
when he finds it in unexpected places. The fact that he has been able
to live a full life in words that chart that journey is a credit to
his intellectual energy and a testament to his curious mind.’

Sourian’s career as a teacher has been an extension of that search for
the genuine, and the passion that fuels that search has never
flagged. If he at times appears to be an overly demanding taskmaster
in the classroom, it is because he cares so much ` about literature,
about intellectual honesty, and about his students doing the very best
work they are capable of. Though some students may be put off by his
candor, the serious ones recognize it as a form of respect, and
appreciate it.

`I found that a lot of writing workshops at Bard were hampered by this
need for everyone to be incredibly polite to everyone else,’ says Adam
Janos ’06. `No one was willing to offer a really harsh critique `
unlike Peter. He can be very un-PC. He’d say something like, `This
story is very contrived ` and what a stinker of a final line! You
really dropped the ball on that.’ I don’t take criticism very well,
but it never really bothered me coming from him, because he was always
ready to lay it on the line.’

For his part, Sourian is well aware that coming down hard on a
fledgling writer’s poem or short story is very different from giving
the same student a bad grade in biology or math.

`In literature, yes, you are talking about his or her baby ` yet if
your criticism is implicitly informed by a passion for the subject,
that’s not being a crank,’ he insists. `I think I’m a pretty tolerant
teacher. And if you’re a tolerant teacher, no amount of harsh
criticism is going to decrease your pedagogical value.’

That `passion for the subject’ has ensured that, whatever else they
may be, Sourian’s classes and seminars are never boring.

`At the first meeting I attended of his Fiction Workshop, he talked
about the `show, don’t tell’ rule,’ remembers Amelia Cass ’05. `He
said that it’s sometimes better to `tell.’ He got up to demonstrate
the action of coming into the room. First he simply walked in and sat
down, exp at in a story such an entrance was probably best told
plainly: `Peter entered the classroom.’ Then he got up and went out
again. We heard him before we saw him, but it didn’t lessen the effect
when he appeared in the doorway crawling on all fours like a
gray-haired, long-legged toddler, somewhat clumsy, but moving
surprisingly fast. When he’d made it back into his chair, he told us
that an action like that ought to be `shown,’ but we didn’t really
need to be told.’

In 2000, some 35 years into his life in Annandale, Sourian was
presented with the Bardian Award, an honor bestowed upon veteran
faculty members by the Bard ` St. Stephen’s Alumni/ae
Association. Sourian’s longtime colleague, professor of English
Benjamin La Farge, concluded his written tribute for that year’s
Commencement program thus: `Peter is incapable of condescending to his
students.¦ [He] is always eager to engage his friends, students,
and colleagues in a never-ending conversation about the questions that
concern them from day to day. To engage in that conversation with him
is to speak with a moralist who never grows tired of trying to think
well, a man for whom thinking well is the only morality.’ Those words
capture the essence of Peter Sourian, both as a teacher and as a man.

TEBI YERGIR’ INFORMATION FAIR HIGHLIGHTS OPPORTUNITIES IN ARMENIA
By Juliette Davtian And Serouj Aprahamian

80%98tebi-yergir-information-fair-highlights-oppor tunities-in-armenia/
May 22, 2009

GLENDALE-From its very inception, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
came onto the world stage voicing the call of "Tebi Yergir." It
appealed to all Armenians to go to the homeland directly to take part
in its defense and development. As an organization, the ARF has always
believed that, ultimately, Armenia is the only place where we could
truly flourish as a nation.

Today, after seventeen years of Armenian independence, a new generation
of ARF activists is seeking to reinvigorate this age-old call to
return home and engage in our nation’s advancement. Led by the ARF
"Shant" Student Association (ARF Shant), an ongoing campaign has
been launched to encourage students and Diaspora Armenians to travel,
support, and ultimately resettle in their homeland.

The first event to kick off this Tebi Yergir campaign was an
"Opportunities in Armenia" Information Fair held on Thursday, May 14,
at the Glendale Hilton Hotel. A capacity crowd turned out for the
event, which featured over a dozen booths, four speakers, a video
slideshow, and a photo exhibit outlining the many opportunities
existing in Armenia.

"The turnout was extremely encouraging," said Vrej Haroutounian a
lead organizer in the ARF Shant "Tebi Yergir" Campaign. "The over
150 people who attended only encouraged our committee to push forward
with even more vigor towards our motherland. Each person there made
us want to work that much harder to help achieve our common goal of
returning to Armenia."

The first portion of the program consisted of representatives from
various organizations and institutions, which were stationed at booths
along the perimeter of the hall, offering information to attendees
about volunteering and moving to Armenia. Some of the groups involved
included Birthright Armenia, Hamazkayin, Land and Culture, AGBU, Vernon
Travel, AYF Youth Corps, Armenia Tree Project, the Armenian Consulate
of Los Angeles, and Imega Tour and Travel. Booths offering testimonials
from repatriates and information about job opportunities in Armenia
were also featured, as well as a special "Armenia in Seasons" photo
exhibit by noted repatriate photographer Arsineh Khachikian.

After about an hour of having everyone visit the booths and gather in
the hall, Armen Aboulian, the Chairperson of ARF Shant and MC for the
evening, welcomed the audience and invited them to take their seats.

Aboulian began his opening remarks by stating that this was only
the first of many events ARF Shant plans to organize to show that
moving to Armenia is a realistic possibility. "Our goal is to make
everyone realize that moving to Armenia isn’t just a dream for a few
fanatics and hopefuls," said Aboulian, "but a real opportunity for
every Armenian to enrich, not only themselves, but their homeland."

Aboulian then invited the winner of the 2009 "Visit Armenia, It’s
Beautiful" Essay Contest, Nanar Derderian, to the podium. Derderian,
an 11th grade student at Alex Pilibos High School, proceeded to
recite her 1st place essay, for which she was awarded a $500 dollar
prize. Written in Armenian, her paper was an expression of her
anticipation and desire to visit the land of her ancestors.

"I want to visit Armenia for the simple reason that it is my homeland
yet I have never seen it," said Derderian. "Armenia is all I really
think about when in class. I daydream about its rocky landscape,
green fields and ancient monuments on a daily basis."

Speaking about her own journey to Armenia, Anoush Tatevossian was next
to address the audience. She explained how she first traveled there
in 2004, upon graduating college, and described how she felt after
volunteering there for six months with the Armenian Volunteer Corps
(AVC).

"When I came back from Armenia, I worked in a boring, 9-to-5 consulting
job. It was very monotonous and uneventful," she recalled. "In Armenia,
I was making things happen and seeing the fruits of my labor right in
front of my eyes," Tatevossian exclaimed. "I was making a difference."

The relative emptiness in her US job led her to apply for the
Executive Directorship of the AVC. "I got the job, applied for a
10-year residency in Armenia and rented an apartment in Yerevan," she
said. "I went to work every day like I would here, the only difference
was that it felt like I was making much more of a difference."

In addition to the more meaningful impact one can have working
in Armenia, Tatevossian also insisted that life there is just as
promising. "It’s very possible to have the same type of life there as
it is here," she said, adding that repatriation is a very tangible
and practical approach to maintaining one’s Armenian identity at a
level that generations past could only dream of.

Many of the youth in the audience shared Tatevossian’s assessment
of repatriation. "Moving to Armenia is a very viable option for my
generation," said Greg Bandikian, a finance and real estate major who
volunteered at the Armenian Ministry of Finance in 2006 and worked
with the Central Bank of Armenia in 2007. "The jobs that have left the
United States in the last decade are not coming back and things are
not going to get better here any time soon," argued Bandikian. "But
Armenia is a developing country and has enormous untapped potential
for economic growth."

Following Tatevossian’s testimonial, the Vice-Consul of Armenia in Los
Angeles Sahak Sargsyan took to the floor. Mr. Sargsyan spoke about the
recent introduction of dual citizenship in Armenia and how one would
go about applying for such status. To apply, those interested should
make a request with the Consulate in Los Angeles, he explained, adding
that once the Consulate’s new website is launched, Armenians will be
able to apply for dual citizenship online. Accompanying his talk was
a detailed power point presentation outlining the key parameters of
the new law.

Concluding the program was the keynote speaker for the evening,
Dr. Stephan Astourian, Executive Director of Armenian Studies at UC
Berkeley. Drawing on his important study of the demographic challenges
facing the Armenian nation in the 21st century, Astourian spoke about
the changing landscape of both Armenia and the Diaspora.

According to his research, the traditional Diaspora of the Middle
East and Iran is "melting away" at a rapidly concerning rate. This is
a threat to the sustainability of the Diaspora as a whole, he said,
because those communities that best preserved the cultural traditions
and identity for generations are now shrinking and less organized. The
majority of these Armenian’s have left for the West-the US, Europe, and
Canada-where it is extremely difficult to maintain Armenian identity.

Meanwhile, Armenia’s population has been depleted since the collapse
of the Soviet Union, with at least 600,000 to 1 million Armenians
having left the country in recent years. "Today, it is highly unlikely
that Armenia’s population exceeds 2.5 million," Astourian explained,
noting that this is a serious problem for a country with a small
internal market and surrounded by enemies.

In this context, the Tebi Yergir movement becomes even more relevant,
according to Astourian. It is a task that should be taken seriously
if we care about the future of Armenians; something which should be
approached in a practical and realistic sense. "Tebi Yergir means we
should not just see Armenia in a romantic sense but also realize the
plight of our people," stated Astourian.

He also emphasized the importance of not just sending dollars but
engaging directly in the country’s development. "We must strengthen the
rule of law and the independence and accountability of institutions
because the economic progress and investments needed to make Armenia
a viable place to live will not happen until the government becomes
accountable to the people."

Attendees at the event were visibly galvanized by all of the talks
and information offered that evening. The vast majority of the
audience remained in the hall following the program, continuing
to visit the information booths and discuss the many points raised
regarding repatriation.

"As the inaugural event in our newly-initiated campaign, the
information fair succeeded in focusing our community’s attention on
the critical need for us to look to our homeland for our future,"
concluded Caspar Jivalegian, an organizer involved with the ARF Shant
"Tebi Yergir" Campaign. "We plan on using the interest and enthusiasm
generated from this event as a springboard for organizing a series
of future activities which will intensify the growing movement of
repatriation to Armenia."

For more information about the ARF Shant Student Association and
their Tebi Yergir campaign, visit

YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

MAY 15-21, 2009

HIGHLIGHTS:

"PRESS CLUB" CYCLE: SOCIAL, HEALTH CARE AND CULTURE ISSUES OF YEREVAN

ARREST PUT ON PROPERTY OF "HRAPARAK" FOUNDER

ISSUE OF "PAKAGITS" DAILY SUSPENDED

CORRESPONDENT OF "CHORRORD ISHKHANUTIUN" SENTENCED TO A FINE FOR DISRESPECT
TO COURT

CASE ON ASSAULT OF ARMENIA TODAY COORDINATOR REQUALIFIED

AYDIN MORIKIAN PASSED AWAY

"PRESS CLUB" CYCLE: SOCIAL, HEALTH CARE AND CULTURE ISSUES OF YEREVAN

On May 16 another "Press Club" show, dealing with the elections of Yerevan
Council of Elderly on May 31, 2009, went on the air of "Yerkir Media" TV
company. The "Press Club" cycle is produced under Yerevan Press Club
project, supported by the Open Society Institute. The guests of the program
were representatives of five parties and one party bloc which were
registered at the RA Central Electoral Commission for running in the
elections: Vardan Bostanjian ("Prosperous Armenia"), Sergey Gasparian
(Popular Party), Bagrat Asatrian (Armenian National Congress), Astghik
Drmoyan (Labor Socialist Party of Armenia), Derenik Dumanian (Republican
Party of Armenia), Henry Bakunts ("Orinats Yerkir"). Only the representative
of "Dashnaktsutiun" party did not participate in the program. Karineh
Danielian, Chairwoman of the Association "For Sustainable Human
Development", and architect Gagik Sukhudian took part in the show as
experts. The discussion centered on social, health care and culture issues
of Yerevan.

The next "Press Club" show will be aired on "Yerkir Media" on Saturday, May
23 at 17.25.

ARREST PUT ON PROPERTY OF "HRAPARAK" FOUNDER

On May 19 the representatives of the RA Service of Compulsory Execution of
Court Acts put an arrest on the property of "Hraparak" daily founder,
"Hraparak Oratert" LLC. The penalty was applied as a pre-award relief to
secure a suit. The suit was filed on April 2009 by "Gind" printing house to
the court of general jurisdiction of Arabkir and Nor Nork communities of
Yerevan. The plaintiff demands "Hraparak Oratert" LLC to recover the debt
and the fines for delay in payment in the amount of 1.2 million AMD (about $
3,200).

As Chief Editor of "Hraparak" daily Armineh Ohanian told YPC, the debt to
"Gind" printing house, over 3 million AMD, has been accumulated during
January- September 2008. According to Armineh Ohanian, since October
"Hraparak" has started to be issued at "Tigran Mets" publishing house, where
the printing costs are lower. At the same time, while "Hraparak" was
gradually recovering the liabilities to "Gind", the publishing house went to
the court, the Chief Editor stressed.

It should be noted that "Hraparak" continues to be published with the same
periodicity.

ISSUE OF "PAKAGITS" DAILY SUSPENDED

On May 15 issue of "Pakagits" daily was suspended. As the Chief Editor of
the daily Agapi Haykazuni said, "Gind" printing house quit publishing the
daily due to debts. According to Agapi Haykazuni, the debt was formed
through the arrest put on the property and financial assets of "Pakagits"
founder, "Agap-ARD" LLC, as a pre-award relief to secure the suit filed by
Martun Ivanian.

The conflict started in 2006. On December 14, 2006 the court of primary
jurisdiction of Erebuni and Nubarashen communities of Yerevan committed the
founder of "Pakagits" (at that time it was "Agap-Hrat" LLC) to repaying the
debt of 9.048 million AMD to Martun Ivanian, formed as a result of
contractual liabilities. The debt was not paid, and on February 20, 2007 the
publication of "Pakagits" was suspended. The representatives of the RA
Service of Compulsory Execution of Court Acts took away the property of
"Agap-Hrat" from the editorial office. On February 22, 2007 the daily was
resumed, but yet with a new owner – "Agap-ARD" LLC (see YPC Weekly
Newsletter, February 16-22, 2007).

In March 2009 Martun Ivanian filed a new suit, this time against Agapi
Haykazuni. As a pre- award relief the court of general jurisdiction of
Arabkir and Kanaker-Zeytun communities of Yerevan arrested the property and
financial assets of Agapi Haykazuni and "Agap-ARD" LLC. On May 18 the suit
was secured. The court committed Agapi Haykazuni to repaying Martun Ivanian
the debt, which, including percents, came to 9.54 million AMD (about $
25,500). Besides, the defendant has to compensate the sue charges in the
amount of 180,000 AMD.

CORRESPONDENT OF "CHORRORD ISHKHANUTIUN" SENTENCED TO A FINE FOR DISRESPECT
TO COURT

On May 14 court of general jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash
communities of Yerevan read out the sentence on the case of correspondent of
"Chorrord Ishkhanutiun" newspaper Gohar Vezirian, accused on Part 3 of
Article 343 of RA Criminal Code ("Disrespect to Court"). As it has been
reported, on August 6, 2008 during a session of the court of general
jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash communities of Yerevan Gohar
Vezirian was dismissed from the courtroom upon the order of Judge Gagik
Avetisian. For over 1.5 hours the journalist was kept in the room, intended
for defendants, and later she was taken to the Kentron Police Department.
Staying at the Police for over two hours the correspondent of "Chorrord
Ishkhanutiun" was released. The criminal proceedings were instituted in
September, and the charge was brought against correspondent of "Chorrord
Ishkhanutiun" on December 24, 2008. The court hearings started on March 31,
2009 (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, March 27 – April 2, 2009).

At the session of May 14 the court found Gohar Vezirian guilty and filed her
to a fine in the amount of 350,000 AMD (about $ 950). As lawyer Hovik
Arsenian said to YPC, he is going to appeal the verdict with the upper court
jurisdiction.

It should be noted that more than a month ago, on April 17, the same court
of general jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash communities sentenced
free-lance journalist Gagik Shamshian to a similar penalty (see YPC Weekly
Newsletter, April 17-23, 2009).

CASE ON ASSAULT OF ARMENIA TODAY COORDINATOR REQUALIFIED

The case upon the assault of Argishti Kivirian, Coordinator of ARMENIA Today
news agency, Director of "Bagin" legal company, was requalified to Article
34-104 of RA Criminal Code, i.e., murder attempt. As it has been reported,
on April 30 at about 5.00, strangers with bats attacked Argishti Kivirian on
his way home from the office which is located in the next entrance. Argishti
Kivirian in grave health condition and with multiple injuries, also on his
head, was taken to hospital, where he spent a week under in-patient
treatment. Right after the incident the police instituted criminal
proceedings on Article 117 of RA Criminal Code, "Intentional non-grave
health injuries", which was strictly criticized by lawyers, human rights
organizations. Later, the case was transmitted to the Investigative
Department of RA National Security Service. On May 8, free-lance journalist
Gagik Shamshian, convened to the National Security Service to give evidence,
confirmed the authenticity of the photos made at the site of attack, and
gave to investigators the source files of the digital photos. On Shamshian’s
photos the bloody bat and the gun shells are pictured (see YPC Weekly
Newsletter, May 9-14, 2009).

AYDIN MORIKIAN PASSED AWAY

On May 19 well-known journalist Aydin Morikian passed away at the age of 52.
The Deputy Chief Editor of "Avangard" newspaper since 1987, in 1990 Aydin
Morikian headed "Hayastani Hanrapetutiun", the daily of the first Parliament
in independent Armenia. He started from nothing with a group of associates
and has headed "HH" for 7 years. Being elected deputy of the RA Supreme
Soviet (in 1990-1995) and of the RA National Assembly (in 1995-1999), in
1995-1996 Aydin Morikian was the RA Deputy Minister of Information. From
2000, he ran "Hayatsk Yerevanits" magazine, later "Orran" newspaper, he was
also the Executive Editor of "Zhamanak Yerevan" daily. During the last years
Aydin Morikian taught to the future journalists. In 2007 he became nominee
of Yerevan Press Club Annual Award – for creating manuals on journalism.
Long years of cooperation and friendship had bound us with Aydin. Both were
a pleasure for us.

Yerevan Press Club expresses sincere condolences to the family, friends and
to the whole journalistic community with the untimely death of Aydin
Morikian.

When reprinting or using the information above, reference to the Yerevan
Press Club is required.

You are welcome to send any comment and feedback about the Newsletter to:
[email protected]

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this mailing list, please send a message to: [email protected]

Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
_____________________________________ _______
Yerevan Press Club
9B, Ghazar Parpetsi str.
0002, Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+ 374 10) 53 00 67; 53 35 41; 53 76 62
Fax: (+374 10) 53 56 61
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NAGORNO KARABAKH PREVENTS ALLIANCE OF TWO TURKIC STATES

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
21.05.2009 15:15 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Nagorno Karabakh conflict is a serious factor in
Armenian-Iranian relations, an Armenian expert said.

"It’s quite clear that Nagorno Karabakh prevents alliance of two Turkic
states – Turkey and Azerbaijan," professor David Hovhannisyan, Director
of ESU Center for Cultures and Civilizations, David Hovhannesyan said
during "Perspectives of Armenian -Iranian relations" discussion today.

"Formation of such an alliance will inevitably affect Iran, which
claim the position of a regional actor. So, rivalry between Iran and
Turkey is a question of principle," he said.

RUSSIAN TOP FINANCIAL OFFICIAL: TRADE IN RUSSIAN SECURITIES POSSIBLE IN ARMENIA

ARKA
May 20, 2009

YEREVAN, May 20. /ARKA/. Bembya Khulkhachiyev, Deputy Head of the RF
Federal Financial Markets Service, does not rule out trade in Russian
securities in Yerevan.

"I think it will be a very good step because out economies are
interdependent. So we must afford ampler opportunities for investors
to purchase securities and invest their money," Khulkhachiyev told
reporters during the 9th sitting of the CIS Council of Heads of
government agencies for securities markets held in Yerevan on May
19-20.

"We are well aware of our responsibility for not having pyramids in
our countries," he said.

Speaking of specific measures aimed to improve the situation on the
securities markets, Khukhachiyev cited Russia’s example and pointed
out lower taxes on operations with securities.

"This adds to the attractiveness of our instruments and, particularly
in Russia, gives rise to new bonds that do not require state
registration," he said. Khukhachiyev added that bonds to the amount
of US $1bln are sometimes registered during one day.

According to him, this is a serious alternative to bank crediting.

"Interest rates may be a little lower, and any issuers of such
securities creates a good credit history for himself, which will
allow him to borrow longer-term funds at lower interest rates from
both Russian and Western banks," Khukhachiyev said.

He also pointed out the necessity for creating a reliable exchange
trade system to reduce the present risks.

"It is clear we are of different weight classes, but each country’s
experience is quite interesting. We are considering the rules of
admitting professional participants licensed in a particular country
to other markets as well as rules of admitting foreign securities,"
he said.

The Council was formed by the CIS Heads of Government in 2003. At
present the Council includes representatives of Azerbaijan, Armenia,
Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and
Ukraine.

The primary task of the Council is economic integration of the
CIS member-states in the securities market, ensure cooperation in
forming international standards of securities market management,
create conditions for further liberalization of capital flow in the
CIS member-states, ensure effective protection of investors’ rights
and effective supervision over the securities market.

AVERAGE MONTHLY SALARY REACHES 96,875 AMD IN ARMENIA IN JANUARY-APRIL 2009

ARKA
May 20, 2009

YEREVAN, May 20. /ARKA/. The RA National Statistics Service reported
the nominal of average monthly salary increased by 13.2% and reached
96,875 AMD in Armenia this January-April against January-April 2008.

The average monthly salary in government-financed organizations reached
80,937 AMD, an annual increase of 17.9%. At the same time the average
monthly salary increased by 0.2% this April against this March.

The average monthly salary in privately-owned organizations reached
120,427 AMD, an annual increase of 7.4%, with a 2.2% increase against
the previous month.

The average monthly salary increased by 1.2% this April against
this March. ($1 – 373.18AMD).

DIASPORA MINISTRY ORGANIZED FIRST EVENT FROM "OUR GREAT PEOPLE" SERIES

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
19.05.2009 23:09 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Within the frames of "Our Great People" program,
Yerevan State University organized "Memorial Day to great Armenian
MaecenasAlec Manukyan. "Opening of Armenian schools, construction of
and assistance to Armenian churches, development of Armenology beyond
Armenia’s borders – this is what the great benefactor achieved over
many years’ hard work. And his motherland highly appreciated National
Hero’s deeds," YSU President Aram Simonyan mentioned in his speech.

Agreeing to the above-mentioned, Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobyan
attached importance to organization of such events aimed at introducing
youth to genuine values and breeding patriotism and diligence among
them.

Outstanding Armenian businessman and philanthropist Alec Manukyan was
born in Smirna (Izmir), Turkey in 1901. At the age of 20, he emigrated
to US. Settling in Detroit in 1924, he founded his own company –
transnational Masco Corporation, whose annual income comprised
USD 3 billion. In 1953, Manukyan was elected AGBU International
President, and held the post for over 30 years. After 17 years
of Presidency, Manukyan was elected as Assembly’s Life President
(1970). In that period, AGBU capital investments had increased from
USD 8 to 50 million. In 1989, Manukyan was elected as Honorary Life
President. Later, the great benefactor’s deeds were continued by
his daughter Louis Manukyan. By that time, AGBU capital exceeded USD
120 million.

Manukyan spouses are buried near St. Echmiadzin’s Museum-Treasury,
a construction built by their own donations.