Author: Tatoyan Vazgen

ARMENIA READY FOR PRACTICAL STEPS TO EASE ECONOMIC CRISIS, PRESIDENT TELLS IMF

Mediamax
Feb 18 2009
Armenia

Yerevan, 18 February: Armenian authorities are ready to take up
active practical steps to mitigate the consequences of the global
financial-economic crisis.

As Mediamax was told in the presidential press service today, Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan said this today during his meeting with IMF
delegation, headed by Chief Executive Officer Age Bakker.

The sides discussed programs and prospects of Armenia’s partnership
with IMF in conditions of the global crisis. The President gave a
high assessment to cooperation between Armenia and IMF and thanked
for the assistance rendered.

ARMENIAN MINISTRY DENIES ARMY INVOLVEMENT IN OPPOSITION RALLY DISPERSAL

Mediamax
Feb 19 2009
Armenia

Yerevan, 19 February: The Defence Ministry has denied the [18 February]
statement by the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) that
the armed forces took part in the dispersal of an opposition rally
on 1-2 March 2008 and were brought into the capital before the state
of emergency was declared.

Units of Armenia’s armed forces took state entities of special
significance under their protection at 2225 [1825 gmt] on 1 March
2008, after the president [former President Robert Kocharyan] signed
a decree declaring a state of emergency, the ministry’s press service
told Mediamax news agency.

The press service emphasized that units of the armed forces received
an order not to use force. They also noted that army units neither
used arms nor took part in any actions aimed at restoring public order.

"Such actions are carried out by police units, including police
troops. Representatives of police troops wear the same field uniform as
the armed forces. Because of this, some people form a mistaken opinion
about the armed forces’ participation in restoration of public order,"
the press service of the Defence Ministry said.

RA FOREIGN MINISTER EDWARD NALBANDIAN PAYS VISIT TO CZECH REPUBLIC

Noyan Tapan
Feb 19, 2009

PRAGUE, FEBRUARY 19, NOYAN TAPAN. On February 18, RA Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian met with Premysl Sobotka, the President
of Czech Republic Senate, in Prague. Emphasizing the tendencies of
development of cooperation between the two countries recently, the RA
Foreign Minister said that parliaments have an important role in the
process of strengthening and deepening of bilateral cooperation. As
a successful example of cooperation between parliaments he mentioned
the organization of an event dedicated to Spitak earthquake 20th
anniversary in 2008 December in Czech Republic Senate and thanked
the Senate President for that initiative.

During the meeting Premysl Sobotka and E. Nalbandian touched upon the
relations between Armenia and the European Union. The interlocutors
stressed that the EU Eastern Partnership proposal opens new ways for
deepening the cooperation.

Issues regarding Armenia-European Union relations, regional and
international problems were on the agenda of E. Nalbandian’s meeting
with Karel Schwarzenberg, the Czech Republic Foreign Minister,
the Chairman of the EU Council of Foreign Ministers held the same
day. Highly assessing the tendencies of development of Armenian-Czech
relations, the Ministers mentioned the necessity to enlarge the
legal-contractual sphere as an important circumstance for giving a
new spirit to cooperation.

The interlocutors also touched upon ways of deepening trade and
economic partnership. E. Nalbandian said that the results of the
Armenian-Czech business forum held in 2008 July in Yerevan are
evidence of an important potential for deepening partnership in the
economic sphere.

Different spheres of Armenia-European Union cooperation were also
discussed in detail during the meeting. K. Schwarzenberg said that
before the Eastern Partnership summit to be held in May in Prague
the European Commission and the EU presidency will work out concrete
proposals in that direction.

E. Nalbandian also discussed the latest developments of the Nagorno
Karabakh settlement negotiations with the Foreign Minister of Czech
Republic. In that context he drew attention of EU Council of Foreign
Ministers Chairman to Azerbaijan’s bellicose policy emphasizing that
it damages EU’s steps aimed at strengthening stability and security
in the South Caucasus.

The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Czech Republic also touched
upon the negotiations on normalization of Armenian-Turkish
relations. K. Schwarzenberg on behalf of EU expressed assistance to
the steps undertaken by Armenia in that direction.

According to the report of the RA Foreign Ministry Press and
Information Department, the same day E. Nalbandian returned to Yerevan.

"TUMANYAN’S POLITICAL ESSAYS IN MODERN PARALLELS" CONFERENCE OPENED IN YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.02.2009 20:51 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A 2-day "Tumanyan’s Political Essays in Modern
Parallels" conference dated to Hovhannes Tumanyan’s 140th birthday
and ESU 90th anniversary has kicked off in Yerevan State University.

The first day of the conference featured lectures of ESU Armenian
Literature Department Head Samvel Martirosyan, Tumanyan Expert Susanna
Hovhannesyan and some others.

The conference opening was attended by Armenian Minister of Culture
Hasmik Poghosyan, Minister of Science and Education Spartak Seyranyan,
Tumanyan Museum House Director Lilit Tukhuikyan and ESU professors.

The conference was organized by Yerevan State Univesity and Hovhannes
Tumanyan Museum House with the assistance of Armenian Ministry
of Culture.

Vernatun reading hall was set up in ESU to encourage deeper study of
Tumanyan’s works.

CONCLUSIONS IN MEMORANDUM

A1+
[07:49 pm] 17 February, 2009

RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan met today with the International
Monetary Fund delegation, which includes IMF Representative in Armenia
Ninke Omes, Vice-president of the Department for the Middle East and
Central Asia Lorenzo Perez, IMF Executive Director Ah Bakker, leader
of the IMF mission in Armenia Mark Luis and a number of economists
of the mission.

The visit of the IMF mission, according to the delegates, is aimed
at discussing issues relating to future partnership with the RA
Government during the current global financial-economic crisis and
with the perspective for the years to come, as stated in the draft for
"Memorandum on economic and political policies".

Head of the RA Government and the IMF representatives touched upon
the fund’s evaluations, conclusions and proposals presented in
the Memorandum and with an agreement to discuss the details of the
proposals with regard to approaches.

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
Feb 14 2009

Turkey, Russia to exert efforts to continue negotiations between Baku,
Yerevan
14.02.09 12:40

Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev
agreed to continue their efforts to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, the Turkish daily Milliyet reported.

Gul told journalists that he thanked Russia for promoting
Azerbaijani-Armenian negotiations. Ankara and Moscow will continue
their efforts to resolve the conflict.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
lost all of Nagorno-Karabakh except for Shusha and Khojali in December
1991. In 1992-93, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and 7
districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed
a ceasefire in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group ` Russia,
France, and the U.S. ` are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Sonya Orfalian

La cucina d’Armenia

Viaggio nella cultura culinaria di un popolo

Ponte alle Grazie

Un nuovo libro della collana diretta da Allan Bay IL LETTORE GOLOSO
A fine FEBBRAIO in LIBRERIA

pp 272.
euro 18.60


IL LIBRO

Si comincia chiedendo a una parente "quanto" di una certa cosa va in
"quella" ricetta; si prosegue cercando una serie di ingredienti,
confrontando versioni, ascoltando consigli spesso divergenti. E si
finisce mettendo insieme il tutto con anni di ricerche storiche ed
etnografiche e traduzioni di testi rari e pressoché introvabili. In
questo modo Sonya Orfalian ha intrapreso e concluso un’opera
monumentale in cui sono custodite, insieme alle oltre centotrenta
preparazioni, le radici e le ramificazioni di una cultura millenaria
tanto più meritevole di essere catalogata e raccontata in quanto
offesa, misconosciuta e strappata dalla sua terra d’origine. Ecco
allora, chiamati per nome e pronti per essere sperimentati e gustati,
gli ingredienti e i piatti della tradizione, accompagnati dalla
ricostruzione della vita quotidiana in terra d’Armenia – luoghi, usi,
proverbi, leggende e ricorrenze religiose e civili, in un repertorio
in cui il piglio rigoroso della studiosa si stempera nei ricordi,
richiamando luoghi e figure di famigliari e amici, mescolandosi al
peso dolce e amaro di un’eredità da onorare.

L’AUTRICE

Sonya Orfalian, figlia della diaspora armena, è nata cinquant’anni fa
in Libia. Artista, scrittrice e traduttrice, ha dedicato una grande
parte del suo impegno e della sua ricerca al ricchissimo patrimonio
culturale e alle tradizioni antiche della sua gente.Attualmente vive e
lavora a Roma.

DAL LIBRO

Considerando la posizione geografica dell’Armenia, è facile
comprendere come la sua cucina abbia subito influssi sia da oriente
che da occidente. L’avvicendarsi delle dominazioni persiana e
bizantina, due culture di grande ricchezza, ha indubbiamente
impreziosito anche l’arte culinaria autoctona. Grano e riso vi
regnano sovrani. Attraverseremo dunque la cucina armena in un viaggio
ideale tra profumi di aglio e di cipolla che soffriggono, di carni
arrostite, tra i rumori delle stoviglie. Il mio pensiero va al suono
del mortaio di casa quando ancora l’uso del mixer non era
diffusissimo e mia madre doveva preparare delle pietanze speciali:
nessun altro strumento come il mortaio di legno col suo pestello può
schiacciare a dovere l’aglio riducendolo in poltiglia. Da bambina
era quello il mio compito in cucina e mi piaceva tanto guardare gli
spicchi d’aglio che via via si frantumavano; poi, dietro
suggerimento di mia madre, aggiungevo un po’ di sale, e ancora
pestavo e schiacciavo, schiacciavo e pestavo=80¦

Ufficio stampa Ponte alle Grazie –
[email protected] – 02 34597632 – 349
1269903

REGISTRATION PROCEDURES FOR BRAND NAMES OF BANKS, CREDIT INSTITUTIONS SIMPLIFIED IN ARMENIA

ARKA
Feb 12, 2009

YEREVAN, February 12. /ARKA/. At its sitting today the RA Government
approved draft amendments to the RA Law "On brand names".

RA Minister of Economy Nerses Yeritsyan reported that the amendments
are supposed to settle a number of problems.

The amendments are to regulate the procedure of preparing applications
for brand names for banks, credit, investment and insurance
organizations, as well as the order of submission, discussion and
registration.

At present the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) is entitled to register
applications for brand names, which is not stipulated by the Law
"On brand names".

The law stipulates common procedures of registration of brand names
by the State Register, said the Minister.

ARMENIA-EU CONSULTATIONS IN BRUSSELS

armradio.am
12.02.2009 17:03

Armenia-EU consultations on the level of the "troika" of the Political
and Security Committee of the Council of Europe were held in Brussels
on February 12.

The Armenian delegation was led by the Head of the Armenian
Representation at the European Union, Ambassador Vigen Chetichyan. The
European delegation was headed by representative of the EU
Presidency, Czech Ambassador to the Political and Security Committee
I. Shramek. The consultations featured representatives of the EU
Czech Presidency, the Secretariat of the EU Council, the European
Commission and Sweden, the next EU chair-country, as well as EU
Special Representative for the South Caucasus Peter Semenby.

During the consultations the parties discussed issues related to the
political cooperation between Armenia and the European Union. Attaching
importance to the steps taken by the Armenian authorities in the
direction of improving the domestic political situation in the country,
the European side expressed willingness to continue the support to
Armenia in the implementation of reforms. The group of EU advisers
to be sent to Armenia in the near future and the establishment of
the sub-committee on issues of judicial cooperation will contribute
to raising the effectiveness of the work. The signing of the free
trade agreement between the parties will contribute to the deepening
of economic cooperation.

It was noted that EU’s financial assistance to Armenia will
considerably rise in the near future.

Special reference was made to the Nagorno Karabakh issue and the
normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations. Excluding the military
solution of the issue, the European Union reconfirmed its support to
the continuation of the talks within the framework of the OSCE Minsk
Group on the basis of the Madrid Proposals. The parties welcomed the
adoption of the Moscow Declaration, which has given new dynamics to
the settlement process.

The European side also welcomed the steps of the Armenian authorities
in the direction of normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations
and expressed hope that real progress will be registered in that
direction in the near future.

The European Commission presented the current state of discussions on
the Eastern Partnership initiative. In this context importance was
attached to multilateral regional cooperation, due to which it will
be possible to exclude the implementation of infrastructure programs
because of political reasons. Such cooperation will contribute to the
formation of an atmosphere of trust and solution of political issues.

ARMENIA: EUROVISION FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

esctoday.com
Feb 12 2009
Netherlands

Armenian broadcaster ARMTV announced the hopefuls for this year’s
Eurovision Song Contest. 21 acts were presented and the running order
is already known. The Armenian final will take place on February 14th.

Armenia will choose their 4th Eurovision entry through a TV show to be
aired on the national broadcaster’s Channel One. 21 selected finalists
will compete in the national selection on Saturday 14 February and
one of them will get the opportunity to represent the country at the
2009 Eurovision Song Contest.

On the press conference held today, ARMTV introduced the 21
participants of the Armenian national selection and the draw for the
running order was held. The Armenian national hopefuls are:

Iren Hasmik Margaryan The Beautified Project Gayane Arzumanyan Marta
Bulbulyan Inga & Anush Arshakyanner Oxygen Artyom Hakobyan Shprot
Hayk Kasparov Arman Harutyunyan Guj Lilu Davit Minasyan Mher Dorians
Bambir Hripsime Hakobyan Davo Tigran Petrosyan Sergey Grigoryan

The winner will be selected this Saturday, 14 February by a mixture
of jury vote and televote.