Author: Toneyan Mark

ARMENIAN MAJOR IMPORTERS CONFUSED

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.03.2009 13:01 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Manan Grain company, one of leading Armenian
importers of grain and flour, are waiting for stabilization of the
currency exchange rate

The management is embarrassed. Expectations are not optimistic.

"Central Bank’s new policy will have a negative impact of the company’s
activities, since we strike bargains in foreign currency. We need
several days to examine the situation," deputy director Armen Manukyan
told PanARMENIAN.Net.

According to 2008 data provided by the commission for protection of
economic competition, Salex Group belonging to MP Samvel Aleksanyan
and Manan Grain are major companies in Armenian grain and flour market.

PM VIEWS STABLE MACROECONOMIC SITUATION IN ARMENIA AS ADVANTAGE AMID GLOBAL CRISIS

ARKA
March 2, 2009

MOSCOW, March 2. /ARKA/. On Friday, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan, speaking at a meeting with a group of Armenian entrepreneurs
in Moscow, said the stable macroeconomic situation in Armenia is the
advantage the country enjoys amid the global crisis, ARKA News Agency
correspondent reports.

"The macroeconomic stability marks given by international agencies
remain high and forecasts positive", he said.

As another advantage, the premier pointed out the lessened outside
inflation pressure.

"Although our inflation was a little higher than planned, it was the
lowest indicator among CIS countries."

Among disadvantages, Sargsyan singled out shrunken export of raw
materials.

The reduction was due to precipitous fall in world prices for natural
resources

"Copper and molybdenum mines and five large enterprises face major
problems. They can hold out a few months thanks to the high profits
they have gained for recent tree years", the premier said.

Among outside disadvantages, he singled out tightened rules of import
and dwindling demand in partner countries.

He said that as a result, Armenia’s export shrunk.

"Import rules are growing stricter because of the policy of
protectionism all countries pursue openly or covertly and tightened
customs rules and control over quality of productsE2, he said.

That is why Armenian PM called growing unemployment and deteriorating
lives of ordinary people, who heavily rely on outside transfers,
natural.

"Transfers from Russia make 70% of total transfers received in Armenia.

Now we see the flow of transfers dwindling."

Sargsyan also said with regret that construction in the country stalled
because of pessimistic forecasts, flows of private investments in
Armenian economy dwindled, payments under international deals are
delayed and crime rate run high and, as a result, corruption risks
rose.

Ruben Vardanyan, chairman of directorial board of Troyka Dialogue
Group; Garegin Tosunyan, president of Association of Russian Banks;
Eduard Baghdasaryan, director general of Neftegastroykomplekt; Stepan
Hakobyan, president of Stroyservice; Mikhail Ananyants, director
general of Nanoindustria Concern; Arsen Balayan, marketing director at
Russian BMW; Levon Voskanyan, head of Stroybusiness; Vahe Yengibaryan,
a member of Alfa Strakhovaniya Company’s directorial board; Gagik
Zakharyan, president of Uniastrum Bank; Mushegh Mamikonyan, president
of Meat Union; Murad Muradyan, president of BAMO Group and Sergey
Kalenjyan, director of higher corporate management school affiliated
to Russian Government were among the meeting participants.

THE NKR PRESIDENT: BAKO SAHAKYAN UNDERLINED WITHOUT RESTORATION OF THE FULL-FLEDGED FORMAT OF NEGOTIATIONS AND DIRECT PARTICIPATION OF THE NAGORNO KARABAGH REPUBLIC AT ALL STAGES OF THE PROCESS IT WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE TO REACH COMPREHENSIVE SETTLEMENT OF THE CONFLICT

ArmInfo
2009-03-02 12:11:00

ArmInfo. General Information Department of the NKR president’s
administration has commented on the NKR President Bako Sahakyan’s
meeting with co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group Matthew Bryza (USA),
Yuri Merzlyakov (Russia), Bernard Fassier (France) and accompanying
them officials, which were in Stepanakert within the frames of the
regional visit from 28 February to 1 March.

A wide range of issues related to the Azerbaijani-Karabagh conflict
settlement were discussed at the meeting. Bako Sahakyan underlined
without restoration of the full-fledged format of negotiations and
direct participation of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic at all stages of
the process it will be impossible to reach comprehensive settlement
of the conflict. The co-chairs were also sure that participation of
Nagornyy Karabakh and its people are necessary for final settlement
of the conflict.

The head of state also touched on the topic of the anti-Armenian and
bellicose propaganda by Azerbaijan calling it one of the main obstacles
for peaceful settlement, press-release of the Department says.

Panorama.am
13:27 01/03/2009

`MARCH 1′ ` MUCH TO LEARN FROM IT

March 1, the first day of spring when we have so many expectations,
hopes to create, start everything from anew. But, unfortunately,
things have been changed for Armenia at least in 2009.

On the night of 2 March the legislative forces and a huge crowd of
local citizens opposed each other in the capital city of Armenia,
Yerevan. They attacked each other and left as an aftermath ten deaths,
hundreds of injured people, financial losses, limited rights and
feeling of shock and despair. The `political’ particle was important
but it was not the only fact. The basic reasons were social and public
ones. And the `political stream’ has just leaded them.

A year has passed since those famous bloody events of March 1,
2008. `March 1′ is much spoken about, discussed, and we try to find
the guilties, to understand what happened and to evaluate the
facts. `March 1’events are important to escape the same mistakes.

Source: Panorama.am

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I RECEIVES THE AMBASSADOR OF AUSTRIA

His Holiness Aram I received the Ambassador of Austria, Ms. Eva Maria
Ziegler, in Antelias on February 26. His Holiness and the Austrian diplomat
discussed the internal situation in Lebanon and the political developments
in the Middle East.

His Holiness stressed the need to strengthen the internal unity of Lebanon,
emphasizing that unity is the key to mutual trust and the security of the
country.

The Pontiff and his guest also spoke about the important role the
Catholicosate of Cilicia plays in the Diaspora.

##
View the photo here:
tos/Photos359.htm#5
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

GANDZASAR FOOTBALL TEAM BECOMES SEMI-FINALIST IN TURKMENISTAN PRESIDENTIAL CUP WITHOUT SINGLE VICTORY

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.02.2009 15:31 GMT+04:00

The Armenian football team Gandzasar has become a semi-finalist in
the international tournament Turkmenistan Presidential Cup, Gandzasar
vs. Ashkhabad, Turkmenistan football team champion, match ended in
a draw with the following score: 1-1.

The result of the third round of the match Parvoz(Tajikistan)
vs. Bahrein national youth team contributed to the success of
Gandzasar. The match ended again in a draw: 2-2. It is worth mentioning
that all three games of Gandzasar passed in friendly atmosphere and
ensured the second place in the group for the Armenian team.

Semi-final matches will be held on February 27 in the stadium
Olimpiyski in the capital city: Gandzasar will play vs. Latvian Sconto
which won the 1st place in Group A, whereas Ashkhabad football team
will play vs. International Turkmen-Turkish University team, which
won the 2nd place in group A.

ARMENIA, JORDAN TO DEVELOP RELATIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.02.2009 14:36 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In the framework of a formal visit to Jordan,
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian met Tuesday with his
counterpart Nasser Judeh to discuss bilateral cooperation.

"Armenia attaches importance to establishment of political dialogue
between our countries, formation of legal framework and development
of trade," Minister Nalbandian said, inviting Mr. Judeh to Armenia.

The officials also referred to stability issues in Middle East and
South Caucasus and discussed ways of cooperation within regional and
international organizations.

In Amman, Minister Nalbandian met with the Armenian community, the
RA MFA press office reported.

RUSSIA, IRAN TO DISCUSS BUSHEHR NUCLEAR POWER PLANT CONSTRUCTION

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.02.2009 20:49 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The head of Russia’s state nuclear power corporation
Rosatom is due to discuss the construction of the Bushehr nuclear
power plant in southern Iran on Wednesday.

Sergei Kiriyenko is scheduled to take part in a working meeting
with heads of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and
subcontractors. The meeting will take place at the construction site.

"Today we are starting large-scale work on launching the Bushehr
nuclear power plant. In particular, one of the elements will be
uploading dummy assemblies in the reactor of the first energy unit,"
Kiriyenko said.

Earlier, a spokesman for the AEOI said Iran was to start up the $1
billion Bushehr facility for a test on Wednesday.

The plant, which Russia undertook to finish as part of a 1998 contract,
was originally scheduled to go on line at the end of 2006, but the
date has been pushed back several times.

Russia has cited financial problems for the delay, but it has been
suggested Moscow was stalling due to Western suspicions that Tehran
could be seeking to build nuclear weapons.

The Islamic Republic insists it needs its nuclear program to generate
energy for civilian purposes.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said earlier the Bushehr plant
will go on stream in the first half of 2009. Russian Deputy Foreign
Minister Alexei Borodavkin said earlier the plant would be commissioned
according to the schedule agreed with Tehran.

In December 2007 – January 2008, Russia supplied nuclear fuel for the
plant under control of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),
the UN nuclear watchdog. Iran has agreed to return spent nuclear fuel
to Russia.

Russia, along with China, has been behind the watering down of UN
Security Council sanctions proposed by the United States and other
Western countries. The two countries have advocated diplomacy in
addressing the Iran nuclear issue, RIA Novosti reports.

BIA, Turkey
Feb 22 2009

UNESCO: 15 Languages Endangered in Turkey

According to the Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger published by
UNESCO prior to 21 February, International Mother Language Day, 15
languages are endangered in Turkey, and Turkey is doing nothing to
save them.

Bıa news centre – Paris 22-02-2009

Tolga KORKUT – [email protected]

21 February, International Mother Language Day, has been marked with
the publication of a new edition of the "Atlas of the World’s
Languages in Danger". The United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has published an interactive digital
Atlas based on information collected by over 30 linguists.

The degree of danger that languages face has been expressed in five
different categories:

-unsafe
-definitely endangered
-severely endangered
-critically endangered
-extinct
-Many languages affected

A staggering total of 2,500 languages is affected, a large percentage
of the 6,700 languages spoken today. Of these 2,500, around 230 have
been extinct since the 1950s. As for Turkey, the atlas says that 15
languages are endangered, and three more are extinct.

Fifteen endangered, three extinct in Turkey

Four languages in Turkey were categorised as unsafe: Zazaki, Abkhaz,
Adyge, and Kabard-Cherkes.

Definitely endangered are: Abaza, Homshetsma, Laz, Pontus Greek,
Romani, Suret (a language similar to Assyrian) and Western Armenian.

Three languages are severely endangered: Gagavuz, a language spoken
mostly in Moldova and by a diaspora in Turkey, Assyrian and Ladino,
the language spoken by the Sephardic Jewish community in Turkey.

One more language is critically endangered: Hértevin, a
language that used to be spoken in the province of Siirt in the
southeast of Turkey. In 1999, there were 1,000 speakers left.

The UNESCO Atlas says that three languages have become extinct in
Turkey. Cappadocian Greek is extinct in Turkey and critically
endangered worldwide. A language called Mlahso, which was spoken in
the Lice district of Diyarbakır became extinct when its last
speaker died in 1995. A language called Ubykh was lost with the death
of its last registered speaker in 1992.

Factors affecting language vitality
In order to measure the danger a language is in, UNESCOuses nine criteria:

-Absolute number of speakers
-Intergenerational language transmission
-Community members’ attitude towards their own language
-Shifts in domains of language use
-Governmental and institutional language attitudes and policies,
including official status and use
-Type and quality of documentation
-Response to new domains and media
-Availability of materials for language education and literacy
-Proportion of speakers within the total population

UNESCO runs safeguarding projects for languages in different
countries, working towards strengthening the use of languages in
culture, education, communication and science. However, no such
language protection programmes are run in Turkey.

How can a language be prevented from disappearing?
As UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura stressed, `The
death of a language leads to the disappearance of many forms of
intangible cultural heritage, especially the invaluable heritage of
traditions and oral expressions of the community that spoke it ` from
poems and legends to proverbs and jokes. The loss of languages is also
detrimental to humanity’s grasp of biodiversity, as they transmit much
knowledge about the nature and the universe.’

Thus it is important to protect languages. According to UNESCO’s
website,

"The most important thing that can be done to keep a language from
disappearing is to create favourable conditions for its speakers to
speak the language and teach it to their children. This often requires
national policies that recognize and protect minority languages,
education systems that promote mother-tongue instruction, and creative
collaboration between community members and linguists to develop a
writing system and introduce formal instruction in the language."

"Since the most crucial factor is the attitude of the speaker
community toward its own language, it is essential to create a social
and political environment that encourages multilingualism and respect
for minority languages so that speaking such a language is an asset
rather than a liability. Some languages now have so few speakers that
they cannot be maintained, but linguists can, if the community so
wishes, record as much of the language as possible so that it does not
disappear without a trace."

Readers interested in some of the many languages spoken in Turkey are
referred to the links on mother languages in Turkey to the right of
this article. (TK/AG)

0.7% annual GDP decrease in Jan 2009

YEREVAN, February 20. /ARKA/. This January Armenia’s GDP reached 99.3%
of last January’s level ` an annual decrease of 0.7%.

Head of the RA Statistical Service Stepan Mnatsakanyan reported that
the GDP exceeded 132bln AMD this January, the GDP deflator being 99.7%.
This January, the GDP was 37.2% of GDP last December, he said.

`We already have a number of indices affected by the global economic
crisis, especially in the industrial sector,’ Mnatsakanyan said.

He also said that the crisis affected the financial sector,
particularly the balance of bank accounts of the population.

`Last year we registered a rise in this index. However, over the last
few months, monthly decrease has been obvious though the credit
investments have shown a general increase,’ Mnatsakanyan said.

In fact, judging by initial and other indicators, the impact of the
crisis on individual sector is obvious.
4,169bln AMD GDP growth has been budgeted in Armenia this year, the
budgeted real GDP growth being 9.2%, deflator 4% and inflation rate 4%
(±1.5%) ($1/305.41 AMD). `0–