Author: Tatoyan Vazgen

ARMENIAN LEADER SPEAKS OF "PROGRESS" IN KARABAKH TALKS

Second TV Channel
July 20 2009
Armenia

The Armenian president has said his country and Azerbaijan are making
progress towards the resolution of a dispute over the breakaway
Nagornyy Karabakh region.

"I can say that there has been progress [in talks]. We are progressing,
although with difficulty," Serzh Sargsyan was shown saying on Armenian
television on 20 July. He was speaking at a meeting with a visiting
EU delegation led by Swedish Foreign Minister Karl Bildt.

Sargsyan described Nagornyy Karabakh’s final status as the key issue,
which he said should be decided in a referendum.

"I believe it should be clear to everybody that the key issue is
the status of Nagornyy Karabakh, which should be decided by a free
expression of will, which should have legal obligatory force," the
Armenian president said.

Nagornyy Karabakh, which is home to around 140,000 ethnic Armenians,
broke away from Azerbaijan following a separatist war in the early
1990s. No country has recognized it as an independent state.

Sargsyan has met his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, six times
since his election as Armenian president in February 2008. The latest
meeting was held in Moscow on 17-18 July.

QUALITY OF LOAN PORTFOLIO OF AMERIABANK IS ONE OF THE BEST IN REGION

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
22.07.2009 16:40 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Volume of idle credits of Ameriabank reaches
0.7 per cent of the total loan portfolio of the bank, Tigran
Jrbashyan , Director of Development of Ameriabank told reporters on
Wednesday. ~SThe quality of credit portfolio of the bank is one of
the best in the region,~T he said.

According to Mr. Jrbashyan, confidence in the bank grows, resulting in
significant positive changes in the structure of bank liabilities. If
in the first quarter, demand deposits reached 32.6 billion AMD and
time deposits – 20.7 billion AMD, in the second quarter their ration
has changed: time deposits reached 32.2 billion AMD, while demand
deposits – 27.6 billion AMD.

The volume of deposits from legal entities has significantly
grown reaching 25.9 billion AMD. According to him, corporate
clients of Ameriabank have a significant share in the bank~Rs loan
portfolio. Mr.Jrbashyan positively estimated cooperation of the bank
with the insurance company ~SRosgosstrakh~T in the sphere of deposit
insurance of individuals, resulting in a 36.99 per cent increase of
deposit volumes within one quarter. The volume of deposits of private
person more than tripled since the beginning of this year amounting
to 6.3 billion AMD, which indicates the high level of confidence
towards the bank, he said. ~SThere is a desire to co-operate and it
is obvious that the bank is ready to realize serious credit program,~T
he stressed.

CJSC "Ameriabank" is a corporate investment bank offering corporate,
investment and some retail services as an integrated package. The
strategic partner of JSC "Ameriabank" is a "Troika Dialog" group,
one of the largest investment banking companies in Russia.

US WANT TO FOSTER ECONOMIC GROWTH AND PROSPERITY IN CASPIAN AND CENTRAL ASIAN STATES

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
21.07.2009 20:51 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ United States want to help Caspian and Central
Asian countries find new routes to market and foster their economic
growth and prosperity, US state Department says in a release, quoting
Richard Morningstar, US Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy.

Some people have portrayed our energy policy and Russia’s as the next
round in the Great Game in Central Asia. I reject this analogy. Energy
security should not be a zero sum game. Zero sum games are too
expensive and we need to find areas where we try to cooperate with
Russia," American senior official stated.

US wants to assist Europe in its quest for energy security, Morningstar
says. "Europe is our partner on any number of global issues. We have
an interest in an economically strong Europe. Of course, Europe is
composed of many different states and energy security is a more
pressing issue to some than to others. Some countries in Europe
do not have a diverse energy mix and depend to a great degree on
one supplier and one transport route. When that route is disrupted,
as we witnessed in January 2009, the consequences can be severe,’ US
Special Envoy noted, adding that US aims to encourage the development
of multiple energy sources with multiple routes to market.

ARS MOURNS IRANIAN AIR CRASH VICTIMS

Asbarez
Jul 20th, 2009

GLENDALE–It was with a very heavy heart that the Armenian Relief
Society of Western USA (ARS-WR) learned last week of the tragic news
of the crashing of Caspian Airlines Flight #7908 from Tehran, Iran
to Yerevan, Armenia which went down near the village of Jannatabad,
outside the city of Qazvin in north-western Iran.

According to reports from the Armenian Foreign Ministry, 40 of the
168 victims confirmed dead on board were ethnic Armenians, among them
being Dr.

Levon Davitian, a widely-known and respected psychologist and former
member of the Iranian Parliament, chairman of the Tehran Prelacy
Executive Council and the father of a former ARS employee.

Throughout the morning, our offices have been inundated with requests
and inquires related to this tragedy. Every effort has been made, on
behalf of the ARS, to accommodate these appeals. As its first order
of business, the ARS compiled and posted in three languages (Armenian,
English and Farsi) the names of all 42 victims on board who perished.

In realizing that the ARS-Western Region office has a significant
Iranian-Armenian constituency and having extensive background and
experience in reacting and responding to similar crises – as it did
during the Great Earthquake in Armenia 20 years ago and Hurricane
Katrina in 2005 and the assistance it has extended to Armenia, Javakhk,
Artsa kh over the years – immediately, the ARS leadership set in
motion the proper procedural apparatuses to provide, through both
its Social Services and Psychological offices, fitting and functional
information, guidance, counseling and assistance to anyone who sought
or required such services.

"As with any such tragedy, the ARS stands at the ready and is fully
prepared to employ all of its global resources to help the surviving
loved ones of those who needlessly perished today in this awful
airplane crash." Stated Sossie Poladian, ARS of Western USA Regional
Executive Chair. "We encourage anyone in need assistance to contact
the ARS immediately, having the full assurance that the ARS will help
any way it possibly can to ease the pain of their horrible loss."

The ARS extends its deepest condolences to all of the surviving
families, friends and loved ones of all of the victims of Caspian
Airlines Flight #7908. May God rest their souls and provide peace
and comfort to those they have left behind.

The ARS of Western USA, is one of the 12 regions of the ARS
international.

Its operations are coordinated through its regional headquarters
in Glendale, CA, with 26 chapters, five Social Service offices,
a Child, Youth and Family Guidance Center in Glendale, 17 Saturday
and after-School Programs, and one day care center in Montebello, CA.

AZERBAIJAN – THE MOST SERIOUS SECURITY THREAT FOR SOUTH CAUCASUS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
21.07.2009 16:06 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azeri President Ilhan Aliev’s recent statements,
particularly, his speech in London, proved that NKR conflict
settlement depends upon Baku, Director of Armenian Center for
National and International Studies (ACNIS) Richard Giragosyan told
journalists in Yerevan. "Azerbaijan has again returned to military
rhetoric. Aliyev’s statement in London was a kind of message for the
entire world. By making that statement, Azeri President proved that
his country demonstrates dishonest conduct in peace talks and strives
to take military revanche over Armenia," Armenian expert stressed.

After the August war in Georgia, MG American Co-Chair Matthew
Bryza announced many times that NKR conflict cannot have
military solution. "All those messages are directed against Ilham
Aliyev. Azerbaijan is currently the most serious security threat for
the region," the expert stated.

PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA MEETS WITH EU TROIKA

ArmInfo
2009-07-21 13:24:00

ArmInfo. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan received the delegation
of EU Troika, led by Carl Bildt, the Foreign Minister of Sweden,
which currently holds the rotating EU Presidency. The troika is on
a visit to the South Caucasus region.

The presidential press-service reported Serzh Sargsyan as welcoming the
EU Troika and saying: ‘You have launched your presidency with the visit
to the South Caucasus, which shows your attitude to our region and our
country. We believe it logical since Sweden is one of the originators
of the Eastern Partnership Project’. The president said that Armenia
has attached special attention to relations with the EU since its
independence. Now, Armenia believes these relations an important
component of its foreign policy. The president highlighted that under
presidency of Sweden the European Union will strengthen the bases of
the Eastern Partnership Project (EPP) that provides opportunities to
deepen the relations with the EU and launch cooperation between the
six states involved in the Eastern Partnership. For his part Carl
Bildt said that the first visit to the South Caucasus displays the
importance they attach to the region, its problems and the EPP.

The parties discussed the issues on agenda of the EU-Armenia
cooperation, in particular, the possible signing of an associated
agreement, the prospects of economic cooperation as well as the issues
related to the free trade agreement and promotion of democratic reforms
in Armenia. They touched upon facilitation of the visa regime. Serzh
Sargsyan called that problem urgent since many Armenians reside in
the EU member-states.

ALEXEY MITROFANOV: ARMENIANS WILL NOT GIVE BACK LANDS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
21.07.2009 12:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russia acts as a platform for meetings between
Armenians and Azerbaijanis, a Russian politician said.

"The influence of the United States and Russia should not be
overestimated. There is a conflict between two countries where
mediators have a limited commission. Armenia will not surrender lands,
Nagorno Karabakh will never be a part of Azerbaijan. What can they
do? Just wait some 20 or 40 more years?" said Alexey Mitrofanov,
member of Russian State Duma.

"Armenians will not surrender Karabakh even if Russia and the entire
world decide to support Azerbaijan. Nothing will change even if
Azerbaijan gifts its gas and $10 billion to Russia," he said.

According to Mitrofanov, a war is a way out but it will exhaust both
countries and produce no positive effect.

"The peculiarity of this conflict is the mentality of nations,"
he said, 1news.az reported.

US AMBASSADOR TO TAKE PART IN HOUSE CONSTRUCTION IN ONE OF ARMENIA’S VILLAGES

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
17.07.2009 19:37 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On July 18, US Ambassador to Armenia Mary Jovanovich
will join "Fulter House-building Center" international organization
constructing houses for homeless families.

A volunteer team consisting of 12 members is currently constructing
a house for the family of Arshakyans living in Hayatagh village,
Armavir province.

Arshakyan’s started building their house 10 years ago, but could not
afford to finish the construction. "Fulter House-building Center"
undertook the remaining work

RA MFA OPENED CONDOLENCE BOOK

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
16.07.2009 10:34 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In connection with yesterday’s air crash, RA Foreign
Ministry will today open a Condolence Book. All those who want to
leave their condolence notes may visit Ministry from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

On July 15, Caspian Airlines Company’s plane crashed down during
Tehran-Yerevan flight. All 153 passengers and 16 crew members
died. July 16 is declared a mourning day in Armenia.

AZERBAIJAN NOT MATURE FOR PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF KARABAKH CONFLICT

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
16.07.2009 16:01 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Reports on alleged illegal crossing of Azerbaijan’s
border appeared in Azeri media a couple of days ago. Azeri frontier
guards were reported to exchange fire with a group of people in
Belokan region bordering on Dagestan.

"This information could be quite ordinary but for a number of facts,"
Mitq analytical center expert Eduard Abrahamyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter.

"Belokan, Zakatal and partly Kakhi regions are settled by Avars. Afraid
of possible disorders in the regions, the Azeri leadership signals
their "criminality" so as to justify possible attacks against the
population," he said.

"Azerbaijan is openly to encroaching on rights of national
minorities. Watching this, how can any pledges or peace documents
signed by the Azerbaijani leadership ensure security of Karabakh
people? This country has not matured for peaceful solutions yet,"
Abrahamyan said.