Author: nina hovnanian

UN IMAM ARMENIEN ABATTU A YAROSLAVL (RUSSIE)
Krikor Amirzayan

armenews.com
samedi 12 novembre 2011

C’est l’un des faits divers les plus singuliers qui nous est parvenu.

Les autorites policières de Yaroslavl (Federation de Russie) mènent
une enquete pour rechercher les criminels qui ont abattu l’imam de
la mosquee de Yaroslavl, un imam armenien du nom d’Arthur Manoukian
(29 ans). Les medias russes rapportent que l’imam Arthur Manoukian est
mort des suites de blessures provoquees par une arme a feu. Son corps
etant decouvert près de sa maison le matin du 9 novembre. Il aurait
ete abattu devant l’entree de son domicile le soir du 8 novembre.

L’imam armenien revenait de sa mosquee. Les assassins lui ont tire
trois balles dans la tete. Qui pouvait en vouloir a cet imam ?

OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE FREE ACCESS TO EUROPEAN MARKET, SAYS PM SARGSYAN

Tert.am
11.11.11

Armenia’s goal is to have free access to European joint markets,
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan has said.

Sepaking at a conference held in Yerevan, Sargsyan said that another
goal is to introduce European standards in the country’s social life
through reforms that are yet to be made.

“Our goal is to have free access to European joint market and ensure
free movement for the people across the entire Europe,” said Sargsyan.

“This process will require us three to four years of work and
correspondence to EU standards,” he added.

Further, Armenia’s premier said that those works are underway and
would contribute to inceasing life-quality in the country.

Sargsyan also said Armenia has chosen the European integration path as
the best model of building a state and society where justice prevails
is practised in Europe.

“Our objective is to study Europe’s experience, find out the existing
problems there and introduce European standards in Armenia,” said
Sargsyan.

ARMENIA WOMEN’S SQUAD TO FACE POLAND AT EUROPEAN CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS

PanARMENIAN.Net
November 11, 2011 – 16:01 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenia will face off against Poland in the last
round of Porto Carras-hosted European Team Chess Championships.

The board pairings were announced as follows: Elina Danielian-
Monika Socko, Lilit Mkrtchian- Jolanta Zawadzka, Lilit Galoyan-
Joanna Gajewska, Maria Kursova- Karina Szczepkowska.

After the 8th round, Armenia women’s squad is placed 6th with
17 points; Poland is 2nd with 21 points; Russia is leading the
championship with 22, 5 points.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT MEETS WITH EURONEST CO-PRESIDENT

Tert.am
11.11.11

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan held a meeting Nov. 11 with EURONEST
Co-President Kristian Vigenin.

The Armenian leader stressed the importance of Mr. Vigenin’s visit
to Armenia. It is a good opportunity for getting acquainted with the
developments in Armenia and in the region, as well as with present
challenges. President Serzh Sargsyan expressed hope that Mr. Vigenin’s
visit will give impetus to the development of Armenia-EU relations.

With respect to parliamentary cooperation between the EU member-states
and their eastern neighbors under the Eastern Partnership project,
as well as EURONEST activities, the sides noted it is a good platform
for promoting dialogue, closer ties and cooperation between the
participating countries.

Mr. Vigenin noted that results of cooperation between MPs are
appreciable, and the aim of his visit is to encourage this cooperation.

The sides also addressed the reforms being implemented in Armenia. The
Armenian leader stressed that Armenia’s ties with the European Union
are based on a common value system. He noted that the reforms being
implemented in the country are of high importance for the development
of Armenia’s cooperation with the EU.

UN CERTAIN MOIS D’AVRIL A ADANA
Daniel Arsand

Telerama.fr
,74730.php
8 nov 2011
France

C’est l’histoire d’un genocide redoute, annonce et arrive. Celui,
dès avril 1909, des Armeniens d’Adana, ville industrieuse de Cilicie,
dans le sud de la Turquie. Qui croirait qu’un ecrivain d’aujourd’hui
sache encore faire envoûtant poème epique de pareil massacre,
y retrouve les secrets de l’antique Grec Homère dans L’Iliade ou
du Latin Virgile dans L’Eneide ? Daniel Arsand a cette grâce, dans
un recit tout ensemble delicat et furieux, intimiste et lyrique,
qui conte comment, du 5 au 27 avril 1909, 30 000 Armeniens seront
elimines par de Jeunes-Turcs furieux.

L’ecrivain nous fait penetrer dans les foyers reinventes de
quelques-uns d’entre eux, chretiens et musulmans meles. Orfèvre, poète,
prostituee, dirigeant, mendiant : Arsand recree leurs maisonnees avec
une tendresse melancolique. Les deux communautes se savent condamnees
au combat et semblent attendre de s’entre-tuer pour accomplir leur
destin. De page en page, la tension monte. Hommes et femmes s’appretent
au desastre avec des sentiments bizarres. Daniel Arsand rend toute sa
complexite a l’epouvantable guerre fratricide. Au milieu d’un recit
choral, eclate, son heros n’est-il pas un traître ?

Et celui par qui advient la tragedie, un inconscient ? De magnifiques
figures – heroïques ou lâches – se confrontent dans la fresque noire
decoupee en chapitres aussi tranchants que l’Histoire, la Mort, le
Temps… Très peu d’Armeniens rechapperont de ces premiers massacres
et ils ne s’en remettront jamais. Après avoir detaille l’horreur –
sans voyeurisme -, Arsand montre des exiles solitaires ou sans desirs.

Des vivants n’aspirant qu’a rejoindre leurs morts. Omnipresents
autour d’eux…

Fabienne Pascaud

Telerama n° 3226 – 12 novembre 2011

PARTICIPATING AT UN SC LEVEL GENERATES GREATER INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION

news.az
Nov 10 2011
Azerbaijan

News.Az interviews Gerald Robbins, Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy
Research Institute.

What do you think of the future of the U.S.-Azeri relations with a
Matt Bryza as an ambassador?

Matt Bryza, the new US ambassador is a very good choice. His prior
experience makes him uniquely qualified for dealing with the various
issues confronting Azerbaijan and the Caucasus region. He doesn’t need
a “learning curve” to understand the environment, which is often the
case with ambassadorial appointees. Such a background is beneficial
to U.S.-Azerbaijani relations.

How would you estimate election of Azerbaijan as a non-permanent
member of the UN Security Council?

It’s a prestigious accomplishment. Participating at the Security
Council level generates greater international attention regarding
Azerbaijan’s concerns. At the same time there will be greater scrutiny
of the nation’s diplomatic behavior, which can include the overall
issue of basic governance.

What are chances for Azerbaijan to use UN Security Council successfully
for the Karabakh settlement?

The Karabakh issue will receive heightened exposure, but there are
many other long-smoldering disputes (ie. Arab-Israeli conflict)
which take precedence.

What are possible spheres the U.S. and Azerbaijan may collaborate on
in the UN SC?

The various disputes throughout the Middle East seem an appropriate
sphere for cooperation. Azerbaijan is uniquely qualified by its next
door location to Iran and being a Muslim society without Islamist
imprints. It maintains cordial relations with the Arab world and
Israel, potentially serving as an objective intermediary for both
sides viewpoints. It was a position which Turkey held until recent
controversies, creating a void which Azerbaijan might conceivably
fulfill.

Did events in the Middle East and the Sought Africa concern somehow
the South Caucasus and American policy in this region?

Undoubtedly it has a resonance throughout the South Caucasus, and
Azerbaijan should pay heed to what has transpired. The respective
legacies of the Caucasus and the Arab world are very different however
– it would be the equivalent of mixing apples and oranges for guiding
US policy throughout the Caspian region.

ARMENIA-NETHERLANDS FIRST GAME ENDED IN DRAW: EUROPEAN TEAM CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP

news.am
Nov 10 2011
Armenia

In the penultimate round of European Team Chess Championship
Armenia-Netherlands first game (Sergy Movsisyan- Luc van Valley)
ended in a draw on the 20th move.

Levon Aronyan, Vladimir Hakobyan and Gabriel Stepanyan continue
their games.

After 7 rounds Armenia holds 2nd place with 11 points. Germany has
gained points and is now competing with the leader of the Championship
Azerbaijan (12 points).

CENTRAL BANK OF ARMENIA KEEPS INTEREST RATE STABLE AS INFLATION EASES AGAIN
BYLINE: Venla Sipila

Global Insight
November 9, 2011

The Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) has in its November meeting decided
to hold on to the current level of the refinancing interest rate,
Reuters reports. Thus, the policy rate remains at 8.0%, where it
had been taken by a 50-basis-point cut in September (seeArmenia: 7
September 2011:). The decision was taken following some renewed easing
in inflation. Indeed, the latest consumer price inflation figures from
the Armenian Statistics Service show that annual inflation in October
fell to 5.7%, from 6.2% in September. Thus, inflation just remained
above the upper limit of the CBA’s target range of 1.5 percentage
points on either side of a central rate of 4%. Annual inflation had
retreated within the target range in August, posting 4.8% year-on-year
(y/y). In month-on-month (m/m) terms, consumer prices in October rose
by 0.3%. Food prices still rose by the fastest rate in annual terms,
but their m/m gain was outpaced by price growth of non-food goods.
Cumulative price growth since the beginning of the year stands at
5.1%, while the annual inflation rate for the January-October period
was reported at 8.3%.

Significance:The latest inflation data confirm that the downward trend
in inflation is continuing, as we expected. The target range should
be within reach in the final months of the year. Price pressures have
eased with the improved agricultural harvest compared to last year,
and given the large share of food items in the Armenian consumption
basket. Demand-side pressures at present remain fairly modest as well.
The reasonably encouraging inflation outlook comes with rising risks,
however. Overall, global commodity prices still remain high, and the
external environment is volatile. In the case of a major slowdown in
global and European growth, private foreign currency inflows would
be suppressed, and this would potentially add to inflation pressures
also via the exchange rate channel.

OPENING REMARKS AT SEMINAR: NORWEGIAN-ARMENIAN COOPERATION IN SMALL-SCALE HYDROPOWER

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Nov 9 2011
Norway

Dear Minister, Rector, representatives of civil society and business,
dear friends,

It is an honour for me to visit Armenia and it is a pleasure for me
to address you here today. We are launching an important cooperation
project between our two countries. Energy supply, energy security,
is on our agenda.

My country knows well the importance and potential of hydropower.

Hydropower lies at the foundation of Norway’s industrial development,
and accounts for almost all of our electricity production.

Hydropower plays an important role in our energy supply, with about
60% of Norway’s total energy consumption covered by renewable energy.

Over a time span of generations, Norway has acquired considerable
experience in many areas of hydropower development: ~Upredictable
and transparent rules, ~Uan open market system ~Uan appropriate tax
regime, ~Utogether with the essential human factor, such as highly
competent engineers and managers.

All these areas play a crucial role in facilitating successful growth.

Armenia has created a favourable regulatory framework for
the development of small-scale hydropower. I hope that this
Norwegian-Armenian cooperation will contribute to environmentally
friendly and efficient natural resources management in the further
development of the hydropower sector in this country.

Economic growth must always be based on sustainable use of resources.

I also welcome the emphasis in this project on transparency and
public participation. I am very pleased that Armenia has ratified
the Aarhus Convention. Through this cooperation, Armenia is taking
further steps towards full public access to environmental information
and participation in decision making.

Transparency is also important for both local and foreign investors.

The bilateral relations between Norway and Armenia are good, and there
is scope for more cooperation between our countries. Later today,
I will visit Yerevan State University, which cooperates with the
University of Bergen on a programme on environmental microbiology.

I hope that cooperation between Norwegian and Armenian academic
and technical milieus will contribute to further strengthening our
relations.

I thank you all for your contributions to this promising endeavour. I
look forward to seeing future results, and wish you every success in
turning this project into practical results on the ground. Thank you.

PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN PARTICIPATED AT THE CEREMONY OF UNVEILING OF THE MONUMENT DEDICATED TO FRITYOF NANSEN

Office of the President of the Republic of Armenia

Nov 9 2011

Today, President Serzh Sargsyan participated at the ceremony of
unveiling of the monument dedicated to Frityof Nansen which has been
installed in the center of Yerevan. Opening of the monument dedicated
to the celebrated Norwegian polar explorer, great humanist, Noble
Peace Prize winner, and friend of the Armenian people Frityof Nansen
has been organized in the framework of the events dedicated to his
150th birth anniversary.

Present at the ceremony were also the Minister of Foreign Affairs of
the Kingdom of Norway Jonas Gahr Store and granddaughter of Nansen
Marit Greve.

After the opening ceremony, President Serzh Sargyan handed to Mrs.

Marit Greve the passport of the Republic of Armenia which provides the
holder with special status and on behalf of the people of Armenia and
his own behalf expressed gratitude for the fact that Frityof Nansen
provided thousands of Armenians through this kind of passports of
special status with an opportunity to find their place in the world.