ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER: ARMENIA WILL RECEIVE STABILIZATION LOAN FROM RUSSIA SHORTLY
Arminfo
2009-06-10 18:12:00
ArmInfo. Armenia will receive stabilization loan from Russia shortly,
Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said in response to ArmInfo’s
question on Tuesday.
account within the coming days>, the premier said.
Russia will provide Armenia with a $500 million stabilization loan
at LIBOR+3% for 15 years and a 4-year grace period.
EU INFORMATION CENTERS TO BE OPENED IN ARMENIA
armradio.am
10.06.2009 12:10
Secretary of the National Security Council of Armenia, President
of the Interagency Commission coordinating Armenia’s cooperation
with European structures Arthur Baghdasaryan received the Deputy of
the Estonian Parliament, Hannes Rummi, Head of the Armenian-European
Policy and Legal Advice Center (AEPLAC) Alexey Makarev, AEPLAC Deputy
Head Kate Kasemets and expert Tigran Chorokhyan.
The interlocutors discussed issues related to the Armenia-EU Action
Plan of the European Neighborhood Policy and the establishment of EU
Information Centers in Armenia.
Arthur Baghdasaryan informed that several task groups had already
been established with a presidential decree to work out doctrines in
different directions.
Attaching importance to opening of EU Information Centers in Armenia,
the guests expressed willingness to assist with the accomplishment
of the program.
"PROGRESS’ IN THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH PEACE PROCESS
Journal of Turkish Weekly
June 8 2009
A meeting on June 4 between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan
in St. Petersburg resulted in no concrete agreements, nothing like the
Moscow Declaration of November 2008. This was not surprising. Neither
side had made much of the meeting in advance, with Azerbaijan’s
foreign minister stating the day beforehand that he did not expect
much progress and official Yerevan making no optimistic claims (RFE/RL,
June 3).
For Caucasus-watchers the reaction to the summit was nothing that
had not been heard before. Emphasis is placed on "moving forward"
(Armenia), "creating a basis for the continuation" of the negotiations
(Azerbaijan), and on the "constructive atmosphere" in which the meeting
was carried out (the OSCE Minsk Group, tasked with mediating the
conflict). US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, at a press conference
with her Turkish counterpart in Washington (State Department, June
5), expressed satisfaction with the fact that "a lot of progress has
been made in a relatively short period of time" towards resolution of
the conflict – but, a cynic would ask, where is this progress? What
tangible results can be shown after seventeen years of mediation?
A pessimist would argue that nothing has been achieved. Hostile
rhetoric on both sides is still common. Azerbaijan insists that the
military option for the liberation of the occupied territories remains
on the table; Armenia insists that Nagorno Karabakh must determine its
own fate; Russia continues to use Armenia as an outpost of influence
in the South Caucasus. Overall, the geopolitical picture looks little
different to 1994. A slightly less cynical view would note the obvious
fact that there has been no resumption of large-scale hostilities
since 1994. This in itself, they would argue, is worth celebrating.
An optimist, like the jovial US co-chair Matthew Bryza, would say
that a solution is – if not around the corner – then certainly on the
horizon. Progress has been made, the two sides are closer together,
and some general outlines of a settlement have been agreed upon.
It is easy, as an outsider, to be very sceptical about this, given
the lack of any concrete results (the Moscow Declaration was the first
document to which the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders had put their
signatures in fifteen years).
But much of the progress towards peace has, by virtue of necessity,
been made behind closed doors, making it hard to quantify the
results. A diplomat involved in the discussions made this plain at a
meeting in London’s Chatham House back in February. He stressed that
much of the work of the Minsk Group is not reported publicly, largely
because the peace process is deeply politicised at a geopolitical and
a domestic level. Public opinion in both countries remains strongly
opposed to any form of compromise. Any willingness to give ground
would be politically disastrous, particular in Armenia, where a
willingness to make concessions on Karabakh cost Levon Ter-Petrosian
the presidency in 1998.
The irony is that the peace plan which toppled Mr. Ter-Petrosian is
now said to be broadly accepted by his successor’s protégé, Serzh
Sargsyan (Armenia Now, October 31 2008) – whilst the diplomat’s
point about secrecy is supported by the fact that the so-called
Madrid Principles (which constitute the basis for current talks)
have never been officially made public. What is known is that they
involve a phased withdrawal of Armenian forces from the occupied
zones, the deployment of international peacekeepers, the return
of internally displaced Azerbaijanis, and a referendum on Nagorno
Karabakh’s status at a later stage. It took nearly ten years for these
principles to be accepted as policy by Yerevan, and even today they
are only discussed vaguely. It is a further irony – and a sign of how
political the Karabakh issue remains – that Mr. Ter-Petrosian, now
a major opposition figure, has attacked the government of President
Sargsyan for selling out Karabakh by committing to the Principles.
For both Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Madrid Principles look like the
least-bad option, although how much progress has been made towards
agreeing on them (let alone implementing them) is unclear due to the
secrecy of the negotiations. There are certainly grounds for believing
that Armenia has been dragging its feet, unwilling to upset the status
quo which has served it relatively well for years. Increased diplomatic
traffic recently may, to an extent, reflect Yerevan’s realisation that
the tantalising prospect of an open border with Turkey is not going
to happen unless real progress is made on Karabakh. But Azerbaijan
may be holding out for a better deal as well, and the attitude of
its diplomats towards the Minsk Group has hardly been enthusiastic
(RFE/RL, May 13).
To get to a negotiated settlement, the murkiness of the peace process
needs to change. Both sides are using the confidential nature of the
negotiations to score political points. And pessimists can dismiss
meetings such as the one in St. Petersburg as meaningless, an easy
position to take given the vague, optimistic statements that the
co-chairs put out afterwards.
The Minsk Group needs to publicly outline the Madrid Principles and
declare the status of each one. The results of meetings between the
presidents and the co-chairs should be announced with reference to the
Principles, and the mediators should not shrink from pointing out areas
in which the politicians need to make more effort, as well as noting
the areas of progress to which they repeatedly refer. For their part,
Baku and Yerevan must be bold and controversial: they must publicly
accept the Principles and inform their respective publics that this
is the only way forward, that sacrifices will have to be made and
compromises brokered in order to build lasting peace.
The lack of transparency in the Karabakh peace process is, as
discussed, put down to the sensitivity of the discussions. But this
sensitivity stems mainly from an unwillingness to engage respective
populations about the need to make hard choices. Allowances should –
of course – be made for matters of real delicacy and national security,
but without admitting what goes wrong as well as what goes right,
the peace process will become viewed ever more cynically. The two
sides are due to meet again, perhaps as early as July. If the only
results of that meeting are more mentions of "moving forward’, the
response should be: where?
MINISTRY OF ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES: ARMENIA WILL NOT EXPERIENCE FINANCIAL PROBLEMS WHEN BUILDING NEW NUCLEAR POWER UNIT
ArmInfo
2009-06-08 11:55:00
ArmInfo. Parliament of Armenia passed a bill On Construction of a
New Nuclear Power Unit in the second and final reading, Monday.
Armenia will not experience financial problems when building a new
1000- 1200 MW nuclear power unit, Minister of Energy and Natural
Resources Armen Movsisyan told parliamentarians. By preliminary
evaluation, the project will cost $4-5 billion, the minister said. The
minister said many countries and organizations are interested in
the project and conduct regular consultations with the Ministry. In
particular, Turkey and a number of other states are ready to co-
finance the project. Many states are ready to co-finance and to
participate in the construction, the minister said.
A. Movsisyan submitted a bill On construction of a new nuclear
power unit or power units to the parliament Tuesday. The bill
regulates the selection of construction site as well as seismic and
ecological security. A. Movsisyan said the document meets all the
international technical norms and the IAEA standards. Research showed
that construction of the new power unit in the area of the operating
NPP is the most optimal, the minister said. He mentioned that only
one power unit of 400 MW is currently operating at the NPP whereas
the area is designed for 1600 MW.
The problems of seismic and ecological safety are in the center of
the government’s attention and much funds will be allocated for this
purpose from the cost of the project, Movsisyan added.
He also said the new nuclear energy block is called not only to
fully satisfy local electric power demand of Armenia but also to
organize export.
The minister said, in particular that all the four neighboring states
of the region: Iran, Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan have electric
power deficit and are watched as potential buyers. The minister said
that today Armenia is actively working for integration in the energy
systems of the regional countries. In particular, they are going to
build the third Iran-Armenia power lines and the new Armenia-Georgia
power lines. "I am sure in the near future we shall start building
power lines with Turkey and this is envisaged by the contract of
Armenian electric power supply to this country’, – Movsisyan said.
It was reported earlier that construction of the new nuclear power
block will start by the end of 2010 – beginning of 2011. It will
start functioning in 2017 and at present functioning energy block
should be shut down.
Azerbaijan Accuses Iran Of Interfering In Its Affairs
jan-accuses-iran-of-interfering-in-its-affairs/
By Asbarez Staff on Jun 5th, 2009 and filed under Azerbaijan,
International, News.
BAKU – Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov says Iran’s
latest statements about a planned visit to Baku by Israeli President
Shimon Peres are regrettable and should not have come from Iran’s
military forces.
Mammadyarov said on June 3 that Azerbaijan `does not interfere in
other countries’ foreign affairs and will not allow other countries to
do so.’ He added that `Azerbaijan pursues a foreign policy consistent
with its national interests.’
Peres is expected in Baku at the end of June or early July. Hasan
Furuzabadi, the chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, recently said
that Peres’s visit would create problems between Iran and Azerbaijan.
Mammadyarov said Baku does not comment on the visits to Iran by
high-ranking Armenian officials.
Ali Hasanov, the head of the presidential administration’s
socio-political department, reiterated on June 5 that Iran has no
right to meddle in Azerbaijan’s internal affairs, particularly in
light of Tehran’s relations with Armenia.
Google website reviewed, privacy link added
06.06.2009 20:10 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The announcement published by Google gives a
humorous motivation, saying the site should contain no more than 28
words, so the company ventured an unprecedented step – one word had to
be removed from copyright information to add privacy link.
The newly introduced link provides information on information Google
collects while providing products and services.
`We let you know what information we collect when you use our products
and services, why we collect it, and how we safeguard it. Our privacy
policies, videos, and product designs aim to make these things clear
so that you can make informed choices about which products to use and
how to use them,’ the website says.
Armenian version of the project hasn’t been upgraded yet.
Voice of America
June 7 2009
Lebanese Vote to Elect New Parliament
By Edward Yeranian
Cairo, Egypt
07 June 2009
Voter turnout is being described as "heavy" across much of Lebanon as
citizens turn out to vote for a new parliament. Local television
stations are reporting few incidents of violence in a country marred
by a history of sectarian conflict.
Voters lined up outside polling stations across Lebanon, from Chekka
in the north to Marjayoun in the south. Local television stations
spent the day reporting voter turnout percentages from each electoral
district and by most accounts, turnout was unusually high.
Lebanese police kept vigil outside of polling places, as young people
from various parties waved flags, donned party tee-shirts and urged
voters to vote for one side or the other.
Inside polling stations, voters marked their paper ballots behind
closed curtains, before dropping them into an opaque plastic
box. Civil servants overseeing the election then daubed voters’ thumbs
with indelible ink to prevent anyone from voting twice.
The outcome of the electoral battle between the ruling pro-Western
March 14th movement and the pro-Syrian Hezbollah appears to hinge on
voter sentiment in mostly Christian districts north of Beirut.
An unusual alliance between former Army Commander Michel Aoun, the
pro-Syrian Hezbollah and a powerful Armenian faction could tip the
balance in favor of Hezbollah.
Aoun quipped to journalists in his usual feisty tone that he thought
the election would "put an stop to four years of political quarrels"
and end what he called the "odd state of affairs in the country."
Hezbollah’s Manar TV played a patriotic jingle to urge voters to side
with what it calls the "resistance," in reference to its steadfast
military opposition to Israel.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, told reporters the
election is a referendum of support for Hezbollah and its political
strategy.
He says that today’s vote is a referendum to support the
(Hezbollah-led) resistance, and its political views, in addition to
supporting national unity and liberation of Lebanese territory.
The head of Lebanon’s pro-Western March 14th parliamentary majority,
Saad Hariri, son of slain former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, urged
everyone to vote.
He calls on God to protect Lebanon’s democracy and to make it
thrive. All Lebanese, he says, should vote for whom they please,
because (democracy) is not something many other peoples around the
world enjoy.
Dory Chamoun, who heads Lebanon’s National Liberal Party, an ally of
Hariri, says that the election appears trouble-free and that he thinks
the Pro-Western alliance has a slight edge.
"Generally speaking, it is going on quite well," Chamoun said. " I
have not heard of any major trouble, which is already a very good
sign. On the whole, the percentage of voters is very high, nearly all
over Lebanon, something that we have not seen for a very long
time. But, the atmosphere is good, and as far as we are concerned, I
think we will have a slight edge."
Results of Sunday’s parliamentary election, the first since 2005, will
not be officially published until Monday. Many analysts are expecting
a close vote that will result in some form of coalition government.
President Michael Suleiman, who is expected to win the support of
unaffiliated members of parliament could tip the balance in favor of
one side or the other. After casting his ballot,
Mr. Suleiman urged politicians to "tone down their political
squabbles" and help to "improve the state of the country."
THE ECONOMY IS CYCLICAL; THE ARMENIAN CAUSE IS NOT
By Pattyl Aposhian-Kasparian
/05/the-economy-is-cyclical-the-armenian-cause-is- not/
Jun 5, 2009
Donors sustained philanthropy with a mix of giving, volunteer time
and in kind services.
The experience of volunteering for the ANCA Endowment Fund Telethon
in Little Armenia, CA was surreal. If you can imagine a television
studio filled with pure passion and energy with no room to even take
a deep breath, it would be close.
One might think that after years and years of telethon efforts-from
Jerry Lewis’ MDA Telethon to the Armenia Fund, the process might
become mundane or almost calculated. On the contrary, as a supporter
of both mentioned telethons and the ANCA Endowment Fund Telethon,
I believe that each year is more intense than the prior.
For me, the ANCA Endowment Fund Telethon is about education,
motivation and hope. It gives me information to take action on issues
affecting Armenian Americans. It gives me the confidence to voice my
concerns. It empowers me to know that my voice – each of our voices –
makes the difference.
In 1999, I was an ANCA Leo Sarkisian Program intern in Washington,
D.C. Looking back, I was so young and inexperienced-thirsty for
knowledge and a fighting chance to make a difference. In those ten
years, I’ve made a difference. As a member of the ANCA Endowment
Fund Telethon committee, I committed the same passion and energy with
additional knowledge and certainty.
December, 2008. We started our work with a lean, core committee. I was
responsible for marketing and development efforts. The objective was
clear. The means and resources were left to us. The first action item
on my list was to publish and advertise the date of our Telethon. Of
all the work, I was most nervous about the first publication of the
date. With the current economy on everyone’s mind, I kept thinking-how
can we have a Telethon in the middle of a recession? How are we going
to pull this off? I sent an email with a Save the Date attachment
to our team. Folks must have sensed my nervousness in the written
text. Dr. Viken Hovsepian responded with one line. That line served
as the backbone I needed to move forward. He wrote, "The economy is
cyclical. The Armenian Cause is NOT!"
The months flew by. With direct postcards, newspaper ads, news
segments, letter campaigns, public service announcements, radio
spots and a deluge of articles, the community mobilized. Efforts
were underway. Schools eagerly brainstormed about how to contribute
to the telethon. As a parent of Tavlian Pre School in Pasadena,
I became witness to the dedication of the school administration and
parents to organize a lunch to raise money for the Telethon. Banners
hung. Emails blasted. Letters stuffed in student’s mailboxes-each
message urging everyone’s participation to the Cause.
As Genocide Commemoration activities past, all energy, coast to coast
was on the ANCA Endowment Fund Telethon. Meetings, conference calls,
corporate sponsorship packages, reception parties, presentations
and Internet messages emerged everywhere. The community was not only
mobilized, but energized.
An hour did not pass where my Blackberry buzzed with a Telethon-related
email. A day did not lapse without a phone call requesting additional
brochures and pledge cards. Not one organization said no to our
requests for resources and volunteers. We became a truly unified
machine.
As marketing and development efforts were in place, so was the
production. More than 20 video segments were taped on both coasts and
edited to provide viewers with current and enlightening information. A
team of professionals led by Ara Soudjian with legal mind Antranig
Kzirian worked past 2 am for weeks to ensure that all segments clearly
featured the passion, energy and spirit of the ANCA Endowment Fund.
As the weeks turned into days, phone banking and training took
place. The Horizon studios and our office became second homes to our
volunteers. It became the control center for all Telethon-related
activities. At one point, there was no room to walk, sit or stand in
the director’s office.
May 31, 2009. As I entered the double parked lot, I felt good. It’s
such a simple word to use, but it’s the right word. I thought about
how our organization can compete with so many other organizations and
21st century entertainment opportunities and rise above. I felt good
to know WHY Generation X floods our volunteer spots and projects the
spirit of Hai Tahd.
It’s good to feel good.
Seeing the transformed Horizon studios and the volunteer activity
made me feel like a million bucks.
The Telethon set glistened as the ANCA Endowment Fund logo took center
stage. The control room was buzzing with activity. The hosts looked
fantastic. The rest of us did not. Looking at the dark circles under
the eye’s of the production crew and seeing zombie-like expressions
on the committee member’s faces served as a reality check. We were
minutes away from the start of our program. I thought to myself… this
Telethon MUST be a success. This Telethon WILL be a success.
At 3:00 p.m., our logo flooded television screens all over the nation
and in many parts of the world. Minutes later, the phones started
ringing. Guests started to appear to fill in their time slots and
watch the tally board numbers rise. I think it was at the four hour
mark when we reached $1 million.
I took a couple of minutes to reflect. I stood a little taller,
prouder, and more confident. As I looked at the donor scroll and
listened to the announcements, I saw the names of our own volunteers. I
saw the names of our committee members, hosts, and organization
leaders. Our donors sustained philanthropy with a mix of giving,
volunteer time and in kind services. Amazing.
Nora Yacoubian donated thousands of dollars with her husband Vahe
Yacoubian, yet volunteered her time and talent to capture each and
every still moment of the Telethon. She did not leave the studio
until every photo was downloaded and color corrected. That’s the
passion behind the ANCA Endowment Fund.
Ara Soudjian and his crew worked tirelessly to produce the very best
segments featured at the Telethon. After downloading 20 segments
in to "the can" the morning of the 31st, he went home for a quick
shower. An hour later, he was back to volunteer his time and skills
to record a "Behind the Scenes" segment. That’s the talent behind
the ANCA Endowment Fund.
Team member, Dr. Viken Hovsepian, greeted every single donor and
volunteer and treated them with the same gratitude and respect he
showed long-time philanthropists. He didn’t need a list of dollar
amounts to exercise his appreciation. Under so much pressure, I
witnessed him kindly give up his seat to allow for an elderly donor
to take his place. That’s the pride behind the ANCA Endowment Fund.
Leonard Manoukian, the Executive Director of the Telethon left his
final production work minutes before 11 p.m. to walk me to my car-to
ensure that I was safety on my way home. That’s the people behind
the ANCA Endowment Fund.
Passion. Talent. Pride. People.
We all believe in a just cause. We all feel that we do our part for
the betterment of the community. However, being a part of the ANCA
Endowment Fund Telethon holds a special place for me and my family. As
a past intern, donor, volunteer and advocate, this Telethon served
as a reminder-to stay positive, true and involved because Hai Tad
needs people like me and you.
One Nation. One Future. One Cause.
NAGORNO-KARABAKH: ARMENIANS AND AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENTS HAVE PRODUCTIVE TALKS
Eurasianet
June 4, 2009
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev held face-to-face talks for about two hours on June 4 in
St. Petersburg, Russia, raising hopes for positive movement in the
Nagorno-Karabakh peace process.
Officials from both countries provided no details about the substance
of the presidential discussion. Earlier, Russian officials sought to
dampen expectations that the latest round of direct discussions between
the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents would make much progress toward
a peace settlement. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].
"We have not set for ourselves the utmost goal of preparing
new agreements or in-depth discussion of this process," Russian
presidential aide Sergei Prikhodko was quoted by ITAR-Tass as
saying. "We are trying to support the format of direct contact between
the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia."
US ASSISTANT SECRETARY TO VISIT ARMENIA ON JUNE 9
/PanARMENIAN.Net/
05.06.2009 11:43 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Dr. Philip Gordon, Assistant Secretary for European
and Eurasian Affairs, will travel to the South Caucasus next week,
visiting Armenia on June 9. The purpose of the visit is to discuss
regional and bilateral issues. During his visit, Dr. Gordon will meet
with government officials, civil society representatives, and other
local figures. Following his trip to Armenia, Dr. Gordon will visit
Georgia and Azerbaijan.
This is Dr. Gordon’s first visit to the South Caucasus as Assistant
Secretary. He assumed office on May 15, 2009, replacing Daniel
Fried. Before joining the State Department, Dr. Gordon was a Senior
Fellow from 2000-2009 at the Brookings Institution, in Washington, DC,
where he focused on European and U.S. foreign policy issues. Prior to
joining Brookings, Dr. Gordon served as Director for European Affairs
at the National Security Council in the Clinton Administration.