Author: nina hovnanian

ARMENIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS IS POLITICALLY BANKRUPT, SAYS MINISTER

14:24 * 13.02.14

Armenia’s minister of education and science, who is a deputy leader
of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), has slammed the
opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) for its plans to hold a
rally on March 1.

At a news conference on Thursday, Armen Ashotyan said he doesn’t think
the ANC has made any political capital over the past six years apart
from recalling the victims of the March 2008 post-electoral turmoil.

“Regrettably, an obscure force called the ANC has not so far made any
political capital or created any political arena except for recalling
what happened in the country six years ago. This is one of the most
striking manifestations of political bankruptcy,” he noted.

Following the February 19, 2008 presidential polls (that saw Serzh
Sargsyan win his first term in office), the ANC, which was then a
political alliance headed by first President Levon Ter-Petrosyan
(a central opposition candidate in the election), launched a series
of rallies in Yerevan’s Liberty Square to dispute the results of the
voting. Its peaceful protests escalated into a violent turmoil on
March 1 and 2, leaving 10 people killed in clashes with the police.

The ANC is going to hold a peaceful rally on March 1 to commemorate
the sixth anniversary of the tragic events.

Armenian News – Tert.am

EXPERT: ARMENIA’S BANKING SYSTEM STOPS SERVING ECONOMY’S INTERESTS DUE TO SHORTAGE OF “GOOD” CUSTOMERS

by Elita Babayan

Wednesday, February 12, 23:32

The banking system of Armenia is experiencing a severe shortage of
creditworthy borrowers and is surviving due to revolving credit
facilities. This is the dismal assessment of banking experts who
comment on the financial and economic situation in Armenia and its
impact on the condition of the banking sector.

Bankers themselves confess that the banking system of Armenia stopped
serving the interests of the real sector of economy a couple of years
ago and is surviving mostly due to the debt restructuring. “Armenia
lacks correlation between the GDP growth and the level of lending to
real economy. Occasionally, the correlation is even negative.

Meanwhile, the banks seem to continue financing economic entities.

This means that the bank money fails go to economy. What is really
going on is large-scale refinancing of loans and outflow of capital.

These two factors explain the negative correlation between the GDP
growth and the lending level”.

Bankers point out the deterioration of the social conditions of
citizens who are simply forced to apply to the banks repeatedly. At the
same time, the banks reproach the citizens for excessive prodigality:
“Our compatriots have acquired the debt bondage syndrome – an American
disease of living on credit. Moreover, people are borrowing money to
buy not only food and clothes but also expensive smartphones”.

According to the bankers, the system has come across the problem of
continued lending reduction due to the shortage of “good” customers.

Under the current conditions, experts expect the banks to become fewer
within the next three years. “There will be no more than 15 banks in
the market. In a perfect world there should be no more than 10 banks.

They will be able to ensure optimal distribution of customers among
themselves and to maintain the operating profitability at the same
time”, experts say.

Bankers believe that the inevitable consolidation will help restore
the former investment attractiveness of the banking system. “The
average Return on Equity (ROE) in the banking system dropped to 8%
in 2013. Not a single shareholder will invest money in the banking
sector with such a ROE. As regards investors, they would prefer
deposits with the yield of 12% p.a.”, experts say.

According to the Bulletin “Financial Ratings of Armenian Banks”
by the Agency of Rating Marketing Information (ArmInfo), over the
pre-crisis period (in 2007) the average ROE in the Armenian banking
system was 13%. During the active phase of the crisis (in 2008-2009)
the given index dropped to 5%. Afterwards, for two years running
(in 2010 and in 2011) the ROE in the banking system rose to 10%. At
the yearend of 2013, however, ROE fell to 8%.

Banking experts assure that the real condition of the Armenian banking
system is not reflected in the indices published by the banks. The
banks are exaggerating their financial indices and creating an illusion
that the banking system keeps on developing.

DIEUDONNE DOIT RESPECTER L’ENSEMBLE DES DECISIONS DE JUSTICE

Publie le : 13-02-2014

Info Collectif VAN – Le Collectif VAN vous invite
a lire ce communique de presse publie sur le site de SOS Racisme le
7 fevrier 2014.

SOS Racisme

vendredi 07/02/2014

Dieudonne relaxe après avoir appele a la liberation de Fofana et evoque
“la puissance du lobby juif”

SOS Racisme prend acte de cette decision de justice mais demande que
l’ensemble des condamnations soient respectees.

Cette decision ne vient pas signifier que les propos incrimines ne
sont pas antisemites mais que Dieudonne n’est pas responsable de leur
diffusion publique.

Dieudonne M’Bala M’Bala etait poursuivi pour une video dans laquelle
il appelait notamment a la liberation de Youssouf Fofana, le meurtrier
d’Ilan Halimi, sequestre, torture et tue, en 2006.

Par ailleurs, SOS racisme demande avec force que Dieudonne M’Bala
M’Bala respecte l’ensemble des très nombreuses decisions de justice qui
le concernent au-dela de celles qui semblent l’arranger, en cessant
de proferer des appels a la haine recurrents et en s’acquittant des
moults condamnations dont il a fait l’objet.

Retour a la rubrique

Source/Lien : SOS Racisme

UN ANCIEN COLONEL DE LA POLICE ACCUSE DE HAUTE TRAHISON EN FAVEUR DE L’AZERBAIDJAN

ARMENIE

Hayots Achkhar et Haykakan Jamanak relèvent que le Service de
securite nationale a arrete, le 31 janvier, un habitant de Erevan,
colonel en retraite de la Police, suspecte d’espionnage en faveur
de l’Azerbaïdjan. Le Service de securite nationale dit posseder
suffisamment de preuves revelant que le colonel aurait etabli un
contact avec l’Ambassade d’Azerbaïdjan en Georgie, s’engageant a
transmettre a la partie azerbaïdjanaise des informations militaires
contre une remuneration.

Extrait de la revue de presse de l’Ambassade de France en Armenie en
date du 6 fevrier 2014

jeudi 13 fevrier 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

LA BANQUE CENTRALE D’ARMENIE ABAISSE SON PRINCIPAL TAUX DE REFINANCEMENT

ARMENIE

La Banque centrale d’Armenie a declare qu’elle a reduit son taux de
refinancement de 0,25 points a 7,5%.

La banque a egalement dit que l’inflation en Janvier a augmente de
2,8%, ce qui fait que l’inflation sur 12 mois est de 5,5%. Selon la
Banque centrale, l’inflation a diminue au cours des derniers mois plus
rapidement que prevu en raison de la baisse de l’activite economique et
de la baisse des prix internationaux des denrees alimentaires de base.

La Banque centrale a egalement dit son Conseil estime que l’inflation
sur 12 mois dans les prochains mois continuera de diminuer, en
particulier au troisième trimestre.

La dernière fois que la Banque Centrale a modifie son taux de
refinancement c’etait le 24 Decembre 2013, le reduisant de 0,25%
a 7,75%.

Le gouvernement prevoit que l’inflation cette annee sera de 4% et la
croissance du PIB de 5,2%.

jeudi 13 fevrier 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

DESCRIPTION OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT AS FROZEN CONFLICT MISLEADING

Trend, Azerbaijan
Feb 12 2014

Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.12

By Elmira Tariverdiyeva – Trend:

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is sometimes described as a frozen
conflict and this is misleading, as the ceasefire breaches on the
contact line of Azerbaijani and Armenian troops continue, the UK
Foreign Office Minister Mark Simmonds said yesterday in a debate on
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the UK parliament.

The UK is concerned by the on-going ceasefire breaches along
both the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as on the
Armenia-Azerbaijan border, Simmonds said, according to the official
page in a social network of the UK embassy in Azerbaijan.

In his speech, Mark Simmonds said that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
continues to hamper development in both Armenia and Azerbaijan and
causes further instability in an already troubled South Caucasus
region.

The UK strongly supports the work of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group-led peace process, Simmonds said.

The Co-Chairs work hard to facilitate progress and the international
community stands ready to provide further support, according to
Simmonds.

The Minister also urged both sides to exercise restraint and assured
the British government is committed to doing everything it can to
foster efforts towards resolution of the conflict.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are
currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding
regions.

Edited by C.N.

ISRAEL SEEKS TO EXPAND COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Feb 12 2014

12 February 2014 – 2:53pm

Israeli President Shimon Peres said that Israel and Armenia had
potential for activation of economic and cultural exchange, News
Armenia reports. Peres believes that both nations have a lot in
common. Both of them are very old nations with their own culture and
language, both were persecuted and have a large diaspora.

Up to 3,000 Jews live in Armenia. The largest Jewish organization
in Armenia is the Jewish Community of Armenia chaired by Rimma
Varzhapetyan-Feller, a member of the General Council of the Euro-Asian
Jewish Congress. Yerevan has only one synagogue.

Israeli President Shimon Peres said that Israel and Armenia had
potential for activation of economic and cultural exchange, News
Armenia reports.

Peres believes that both nations have a lot in common. Both of them
are very old nations with their own culture and language, both were
persecuted and have a large diaspora.

Up to 3,000 Jews live in Armenia. The largest Jewish organization
in Armenia is the Jewish Community of Armenia chaired by Rimma
Varzhapetyan-Feller, a member of the General Council of the Euro-Asian
Jewish Congress. Yerevan has only one synagogue.

SOME 700-800,000 ARMENIAN LABOR MIGRANTS LIVE IN RUSSIA – MIGRATION SERVICE

YEREVAN, February 12. /ARKA/. There are 700-800,000 Armenian labor
migrants and members of their families living in Russia today, head of
migration service of Armenian ministry of territorial administration
Gagik Yeganyan said in commenting on recent amendments to the Russian
migration laws.

Amendments to Russia’s laws about entry-exit and legal status of
foreign citizens came into force in the beginning of this year.

According to the amendments, citizens from visa-free countries
(including Armenia) are allowed to stay in Russia for 90 days during
each 180 days’ period.

The head of Armenia’s migration service said Russia accounts for 96-97%
of short-term migrants, some 80,000 people who leave Armenia in the
beginning of spring and are back in late autumn.

Long-term migrants living in Russia with their families during a
year or more are 70% of all migrants. All together, there are about
700-800,000 Armenian labor migrants in Russia, Yeganyan told ARKA.

A study helped to obtain this information as migrants leaving Armenia
are not getting registered in any state body before the departure,
the head of the service said.

Yeganyan also said Armenian tourists are still allowed to stay in
Russia for 90 days without a visa. Migrants leaving for a job can
obtain a work permit for a certain fee. Foreign citizens who are
in Russia for education purposes can easily get a study permit,
Yeganyan said.

On January 22, Armenia’s minister of foreign affairs Edward Nalbandyan
said changes may occur in Russia’s entry-exit rules for citizens of
visa-free countries while negotiating accession to the Customs Union.

Secretary of Armenia’s National Security Council Artur Baghdasaryan
made a similar suggestion to his Russian counterpart Nikolay
Patrushev. -0–

– See more at:

EMPLOYEES OF YEREVAN METRO JOIN “I AM AGAINST!” MOVEMENT

by Marianna Lazarian

ARMINFO
Wednesday, February 12, 12:04

The employees of the Yerevan Metro have joined the “I Am
Against!” movement.

In its Facebook page the movement reports that some 30 employees
gathered near the Metro’s central office to inform their managers
that they are against the compulsory accumulate pension system and
to demand that the managers give back the money they have retained
from their wages this month.

“They didn’t even tell us they would retain the sum this month, nor
have we so far chosen the fund we want to send our contributions to,”
the protesters say.

The voluntary accumulative pension system was introduced in Armenia
on Jan 1 2011. The system became compulsory starting Jan 1 2014.

According to the new system, the minimum pension in the country will
be equal to the minimum wage, while the basic pension will total 150%
of the minimum wage. The compulsory accumulative pension system will
apply to the citizens born after Jan 1 1974 (the citizens below 40).

Starting Jan 1 2014, 5% of their salaries will be transferred to their
personal accumulative accounts. The government will transfer a similar
amount (but no more than 25,000 drams). It is noteworthy that 6.6%-13%
and not 5% of the monthly wages will be charged, as the charges will
be made from the so-called “brutto-salary.”

ANOTHER 270,000 ARMENIANS BECOME ELIGIBLE TO FREE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE

YEREVAN, February 12. / ARKA /. The number of people eligible to free
health care has increased by 270,000 from January 1, 2014 thanks to
a set of health reforms, deputy health minister Vahan Poghosyan told
a news conference today.

According to the official numbers, until January 1, 2014 around one
million citizens were eligible to state-guaranteed free medical care
and medical aid , including children under 7 and military personnel
and members of their families.

The reforms had been developed and presented to the government by
the ministry, he said. Poghosyan said also the reforms specified and
approved all the types of free and preferential medical services and
also the additional medical care provided to needy segments of the
population and targeted social groups.

The deputy minister mentioned also that according to the reforms,
prices for medical services must be approved based on the conclusions
of a minister-created pricing omission. -0-

– See more at: