Author: Tavakalian Edgar

ARMENIA-INDIA BUSINESS FORUM HELD IN NEW DELHI

Noyan Tapan

Dec 3, 2008

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. An Armenia-India business
forum took place in the hall of the Federation of Indian Chambers
of Commerce and Indistry (FICCI) in New Delhi on December 1-2. The
forum was organized on the initiative of the Armenian embassy in India.

At the plenary sitting on December 1, speeches were made by the FICCI
Deputy Secretary General Rajan Kohli, the First Deputy Minister
of Agriculture of the RA Samvel Avetisian, the Armenian Amassador
to India Ashot Kocharian, the Deputy Minister of Economy of the RA
Mushegh Tumasian, the Indian Ambassador to Armenian Mrs. Rina Pandei,
the Head of the Indian MFA Eurasian Department Divyab Manchanda,
the Head of the Export Development Unit of the Armenian Development
Agency Sergei Amatuni, the President of Agri Machinery Group Rajiv
Kumar, the President of Oriental Software Ltd. Amarnat Bhat, and the
Chief Designer of Avia Infotel Company Samvel Muradian. They pointed
out the importance of the business forum and presented in detail
the dynamics of development and deepening of bilateral relations,
the agricultural, economic and IT sectors of the two countries and
their investment policies.

A film on Armenia was demonstrated.

According to the RA MFA Press and Information Department, separate
meetings of Armenian and Indian businessmen took place. A number of
Armenian companies of IT industry, textile industry and food processing
sector represented Armenia at the forum.

Within the framework of the business forum S. Avetisian and M. Tumasian
had meetings with the Indian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
E. Ahamed and the Secretary of Textile Ministry A. K. Singh. They
exchanged ideas on foundation of an Indian information center
in Armenia and creation of a garden of Armenian apricot-trees in
India, and the agenda of the regular sitting of the Armenian-Indian
intergovernmental commission to be held in Yerevan in 2009. During the
meeting at the textile ministry, the sides outlined the prospects of
bilateral cooperation in the textile, food processing and agricultural
sectors.

On December 2 the Armenian delegation visited Noida’s free economic
zone of export promotion where the delegation members familiarized
themselves with the operation and products of IT, textile and
engineering enterprises.

ARMENIAN STUDENTS IN TURKEY ALLOWED TO TAKE VACATION DURING RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.12.2008 16:32 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The president of Higher Education Board (YOK),
Yusuf Ziya Ozcan, requested in the mandate sent to the offices of
university rectors that Jewish and Armenian students in Turkey be
allowed to take vacation during their religious holidays.

The mandate also extends to Jewish and Armenian academic staff being
able to benefit from the same right.

Therefore, the religious festivals of Jewish and Armenian students
were recognized at an institutional level for the first time. The YOK
also sent the mandate to the chief rabbi’s office and the Armenian
Patriarchal Presidency to inform of the decision, Hurriyet daily
reports.

"RESCUE WORKS DURING EARTHQUAKE" EXERCISES HELD IN GYUMRI

armradio.am
02.12.2008 12:09

On December 1-2 international educational exercises on "Rescue works
during earthquake" were held in Gyumri with participation of member
countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, Press
Service of the Armenian Rescue Service reported.

All scenarios possible during earthquakes were performed by
international rescuers and experts.

On November 3 an international conference on "Lessons of the Spitak
Earthquake" will take place in Yerevan.

TIGRAN SARGSYAN: PREFERENCE WILL BE GIVEN TO MACROECONOMIC AND
FINANCIAL STABILITY

YERE VAN, NOVEMBER 28, NOYAN TAPAN. According to the Armenian Prime
Minister Tigran Sargsyan, in conditions of the global financial and
economic crisis, the Armenian government has chosen the following
strategy: to give preference to ensuring macroeconomic stability which
will raise the country’s resistibility to various ordeals, as well as
to ensuring financial stability which creates an opportunity to attract
investments from the private sector and promote the economic growth by
using all the possible instruments. The prime minister stated this at
the discussion of the 2009 draft state budget at the National Assembly.

In his words, "we have presented to you an unprecedented list of
instruments which have not been used by our government in the past 17
years: to encourage national producers and exporters by giving state
guarantees, participating in capital of private enterprises,
subsidizing them, and to help them develop business plans".

The prime minister gave his assurance that the government has a
definite schedule of implementing these measures, and those resposible
for it. He said that the first program that he announced at the
National Assembly has already been implemented: the government has
allocated 17 billion drams to the Armenian-German Fund for crediting of
small and medium business. This money will enable to create thousands
of jobs in Armenia in 2009. Besides, all those large-scale projects
that the Armenian president announced at the National Assembly recently
have also been launched, in particular, the government approved the
bill on All-Armenian Bank that will be submitted to the NA soon. The
budget of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) envisages resources for
establishment of the All-Armenian Bank, and investment and mortgage
funds.

The prime minister said that the design of the new nuclear power
plant’s construction has already begun, and in December the government
will report on the first results at the National Assembly. "The
railway-related work also started, and we have presented this project
to all of our partners and discussed it with internatinal financial
organizations," he noted.

Speaking about the preferences of the government, he attached special
importance to development of infrastructures, first of all, in energy
and agricultural sectors and in water industry. With this aim the
government plans to spend at least 900 million dollars and it conducted
negotiations with the World Bank, the European Bank and the Asian
Development Bank. "We will receive long-tem credits on preferential
terms for infrastructures. Naturally, by spending money on
infrastructures, we will create favorable conditions for economic
development," the prime minister underlined.

He pointed out reconstruction work in the earthquake zone as another
important measure, on which 77 billion drams will be spent. "Work will
start in 2009, tenders for chosing construction firms have been
announced. The first stage is over, and the construction organization
which won the tender has begun preparatory work," the prime minister
announced, adding that nearly 5,000 jobs will be created in Gyumri.

"Our actions will be complex and effective, it means that in 2009 we
will hold consultations with international and Armenian NGOs and
deputies of the National Assembly," the prime minister said, noting
that the purpose is to "involve them in the implementation of
anticrisis measures".

ARMENIA, BELARUS CAN PARTNER WITHIN EASTERN PARTNERSHIP

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.11.2008 18:17 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia and Belarus have a huge potential of
bilateral cooperation but do not use it in full, Armenian Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian said Thursday during a meeting with his
Belarusian counterpart Sergey Martynov.

For his part, Minister Martynov said Belarus attaches importance to
relations with Armenia.

"Minsk is also positive about the idea of Eastern Partnership,"
he said, Belta news agency reports.

NKR PRESIDENT BAKO SAHAKYAN HELD A MEETING…

Azat Artsakh Daily
26 Nov 08
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]

On 24 November NKR President Bako Sahakyan held a meeting met in Los
Angeles with American -Armenian philanthropists Harout Broutyan, Hrach
Yadigaryan, Levon and Ashkhen Arsenyans. Vahe Karapetyan. Issues
related to the realization of different projects in Artsakh,
particularly those of related to training of medical personnel, as
well as socioeconomic situation in the republic were discussed during
the meeting. On the same day Bako Sahakyan visited residency of the
Western Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church and met head of the
see Archbishop Hovnan Teleryan, members of the Diocesan Council and
representatives of local Armenian community. The Head of the State
introduced to the participants socioeconomic situation in the NKR and
the Nagorno Karabagh conflict settlement process. Talking about ties
between the Diaspora and the Motherland, Bako Sahakyan put special
emphasis the role of the Armenian Apostolic Church in developing and
strengthening these ties. The President noted the invaluable role
of the Church in the formation of independent Armenian statehood. On
24 November President Sahakyan also met representative of Western USA
Central Committee of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Party Avetik
Izmirlyan and the Central Committee’s members Jan Kosakyan and Martik
Karapetyan. A wide range of issues related to socioeconomic situation
in the republic, the current stage and prospects of the Nagorno
Karabagh conflict settlement, further development of Artsakh-Diaspora
ties were discussed during the meeting. The President considered
important systemized work to respond effectively to the challenges
the Armenian people and statehood face. On the same day Bako Sahakyan
had a meeting with American -Armenian philanthropist, doctor Aramayis
Paronyan. Issues related to the realization of different projects in
Artsakh were discussed during the meeting.

CONFERENCE ON KARABAKH PROBLEM HELD IN FRANCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.11.2008 18:19 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On November 21, conference on the role of the
international law in the Karabakh conflict settlement process took
place in the mayor’s office of Alforville, one of the suburbs of Paris,
densely-populated with Armenians. The conference was led by the NKR
Permanent Representative in France Hovhannes Gevorgyan.

Mayor of Alforville, member of the French Assembly Rene Rouquet,
members of the local self-governing bodies, French deputies,
journalists, and members of the Armenian political and public
organizations, as well as citizens of Alforville participated in
the conference.

During the event, organized with the support of the mayor’s office
of Alforville, a documentary about Nagorno Karabakh was screened. At
the end of the event Hovhannes Gevorgyan presented book entitled
"Artsakh", published by the NKR Permanent Representation in France,
the NKR MFA reported.

PASSENGERS GET OFF ON THE BRIDGE

A1+
[04:47 pm] 24 November, 2008

The bridge of the remote frontier village Chinari needs emergency
repair. It has been tumbledown since 2004. Passengers usually get off
buses at the bridge. After the bus drives through the bridge they
again get on the vehicle. The width of the bridge is eleven metres
but only three metres are passable.

The head of the asphalt pavement department of the Tavush marzpetaran,
Artak Sargsyan, says the full repair of the bridge will cost 165
million drams. Artak Sargsyan ensures that the bridge will be renewed
in 2009 within the framework of the "Millennium Challenges" programme.

ARMENIAN PM HIGHLIGHTS COOPERATION WITH GOVERNMENT OF GREAT BRITAIN

ARMENPRESS
Nov 24, 2008

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsian received today British ambassador to Armenia Charles Lonsdale
and head of the British International Development Ministry’s European
and Central Asian department Pauline Hays.

Governmental press service told Armenpress that during the meeting
the prime minister highly assessed cooperation with the government of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland and considered the programs carried
out until now by the British International Development Ministry very
important for Armenia. They were aimed at improving the institutional
and management systems, particularly reforms in the public sphere,
expansion of budget programming, development of provinces etc.

Taking into consideration that in 2006 Armenia has been classified
in the row of countries having medium income and the Great Britain’s
International Development Ministry’s support is particularly directed
to the implementation of programs in countries with law income, the
government of Great Britain decided to end bilateral support program
in Armenia by the end of 2008.

Ambassador Charles Lonsdale and the head of the International
Development Ministry’s European and Central Asian department Pauline
Hays noted in this respect that with that the cooperation with Armenia
is not ending. "We will continue following with attention the further
pace of Armenia. Besides our assistance within the frameworks of
international organizations, embassy of Great Britain will continue
supporting the reforms carried out by the Armenian government as well
as will support the peaceful settlement of conflicts existing in the
region," they noted.

During the meeting they also referred to the global financial and
economic crisis.

RA FM: ARMENIA WELCOMES TURKEY’S EU BID

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.11.2008 16:05 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward
Nalbandian said Armenia’s welcomes Turkey’s EU bid.

"There are forces in Turkey and Armenia which oppose normalization
of relations between the two countries. Nevertheless, decisions are
made by political leaders. EU membership is a priority for Turkey
and Armenia welcomes this aspiration," he said in Istanbul.

Touching upon the Karabakh conflict, the Minister said that the talks
proceed correctly, Sabah reports.