Author: Toneyan Mark

PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN ATTENDS OPENING CEREMONY OF THE ARMENIAN PAVILION AT SHANGHAI EXPO-2010

Panorama.am
30/04/2010

The Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan attended the opening ceremony
of the Armenian pavilion at Shanghai Expo-2010. Armenian delegation
members, diplomats accredited in China, guests, exhibition visitors
were present at the opening ceremony.

Following the opening of the Armenian pavilion, President Serzh
Sargsyan took a tour around the pavilions of the United States,
Russia and China.

Panorama.am recalls that upon the invitation of the President of
the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Hu Jintao, the President of
Armenia Serzh Sargsyan is paying a visit to China to participate in
the opening of the Shanghai Expo-2010.

The delegation headed by the President comprises the Minister of
Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian, the Minister of Economy Nerses
Yeritsyan, the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Armen
Movsisyan, and other officials.

Within the framework of the visit, President Sargsyan will meet with
the representatives of leading Chinese corporations.

The delegation headed by President Sargsyan will also visit Suzhou
town in Jiangsu province May 1. Serzh Sargsyan will pay a visit to
the Suzhou center of science, culture and arts, the innovation center
for science and education, and HIGER bus factory.

On May 2, the meeting of Armenian and PRC Presidents has been
scheduled.

On May 3, in Datun town of Shanxi province President Sargsyan will be
present at the ceremony of inauguration of a major Armenian-Chinese
project – opening of the chloroprene rubber producing Shanxi-Nairit
plant.

The same day President Sargsyan and his delegation will return
to Armenia.

ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM ON TEGHUT DEVELOPMENT DISCUSSED IN YEREVAN

Arminfo
2010-04-28 19:00:00

An alternative program on Teghut development was discussed in Yerevan
today.

The author of the program, Rouben Shaghkyan, said that the program
consists of 11 items, including beekeeping development, creation
of blackberry and rosehip plantations, introduction of wasteless
wood processing, opening of wine-and-vodka production, as well as
establishment of cooperation with local canneries. The launch of
the given program will allow opening new job positions. According
to Shaghkyan, the representatives of the state structures he had met
earlier positively assessed the draft program.

To note, by the copper reserves, Teghut is the second largest
deposit in Armenia, after the Kajaran one. According to preliminary
estimations, ore reserves in the deposit make up 450 mln tons, copper
reserves – 1,6 mln tons, with the average content being 0,355%, and
molybdenum reserves make up 99 thsd tons, with the average content
being 0,021%. The ACP program on development of the Teghut copper-
molybdenum deposit was approved by the Armenian Government in
November 2007.

In summer 2009 Ecodar NGO, Helsinki Citizens Assembly Vanadzor Office
and Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center applied to the
Administrative Court against the Armenian Government. The ground for
the claim was that when approving the project on development of the
Teghut copper-molybdenum deposit, the Armenian Government violated
the Armenian legislation, as well as international conventions and
articles of the Armenian Constitution. On March 24 the Administrative
Court rejected the claim on Teghut.

APATHY REBELLION

Lragir.am
29/04/10

Are the events taken place in Kyrgyzstan lessons for Armenia? A
discussion in this connection was held on April 29 in the Armenian
Center for National and International Studies with the participation
of the ACNIS Director Richard Kirakosyan, ACNIS expert Manvel Sargsyan
and OSCE Yerevan office expert Grigori Mikhalski. Mikhalski stated
that judging by the violence that happened and the unpredictability
of the situation, what happened in Kyrgyzstan can hardly be called a
revolution. Mikhalski noted that he would be very cautious in making
general conclusions.

ACNIS senior expert Manvel Sargsyan noted that what happened in
Kyrgyzstan is a collapse of state and public systems this is the
reason why it worried all CIS countries including the Armenian
government. Manvel Sargsyan believes dynamic changes happening in
different countries of the world make other countries’ public systems
face the danger to collapse. At the same time he noted that no country
can be collapsed if it did not reach the edge of collapse.

Manvel Sargsyan says the power in Armenia should not rejoice at the
fact that the public is disappointed with the opposition. According
to the expert, if the public does not trust a political force,
it generates a rebellious mood, and the rebellion does not serve
political purposes, and it can be used by some political forces for
a rebellion that is not in the interests of the state.

Manvel Sargsyan noted that the Armenian authorities take no steps to
overcome public grievances through systemic democratic reforms, but
the power trusts external factors. At the same time, he noted that the
system of power in Armenia, unlike the one in Kyrgyzstan, is based on
the oligarchic conspiracy, so it is much stronger than the Kyrgyz one.

According to Manvel Sargsyan, this represses social activity.

The next factor repressing social activity, according to Manvel
Sargsyan, is the fear from external danger, that the authorities may
at any time inspire the public through their propaganda machine.

Manvel Sargsyan does not know where this indifference will bring,
but the expert believes, however, that apathy is not so far from
the rebellion.

He also noted that the events taking place in Kyrgyzstan and in other
countries, hint about the enhancement of the role of the opposition
in the world, and this role, in the sense of responsibility for the
situation, becomes equal to the role of the ruling elite.

CONCESSIONS OVER KARABAKH WILL RESULT IN POWER SHIFT

Tert.am
16:17 ~U 29.04.10

Armenia will not make concessions over the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement, an Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutiun,
ARF-D) MP Ara Nranyan said at a press conference today.

In his words concessions over the Karabakh issue will result in a
power shift in Armenia.

HARUTYUN HARUTYUNYAN WAS OUT OF COMPETITION

Aysor
April 29 2010
Armenia

On April 28 the Armenian table tennis championship ended. It
was launched on April 26. On the championship were also present
representatives of different regions of the republic, as well as
Yerevan and NKR. In the tournament of the girls the winner was Anna
Adamyan from Stepanakert, and in the match of the men the first place
was taken by Harutyun Harutyunyan.

By the assessment of Levon Grigoryan the organization and the
realization of the table tennis had one main aim, to resume the
traditions of this kind of sport and to promote its publicizing.

Today, at the evening, the Armenian sportsmen of the table tennis
are leaving for Batumi to partake in the world championship. On May
23-30 they will appear in Moscow’s world championship, informs the
information and public relations department of the RA Sport and Youth
Affairs Ministry.

ARMENIAN POTATOES ARE IN GREAT DEMAND IN TURKMENISTAN AND IRAN

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 28
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 28, ARMENPRESS: Armenian potatoes are in great demand
in Turkmenistan and Iran, RA Agriculture Minister Gerasim Alaverdyan
reported journalists today at the National Assembly. He informed
that he had been on an official visit to Ashgabat and met with his
Turkmen counterpart. The two sides made arrangements for exporting
potato to Turkmenistan. ‘We have already met with 7-8 farmers. Works
are currently implemented for organizing the exportation of potato,’
Gerasim Alaverdyan said. According to him, a big quantity of potatoes
(mainly from Gegharkunik and Shirak provinces) was exported last year.

RA PRESIDENT RECEIVED OSCE MG RUSSIAN CO-CHAIR

news.am
April 28 2010
Armenia

April 28, RA President Serzh Sargsyan received the newly appointed
OSCE MG Russian Co-Chair Igor Popov.

Sargsyan congratulated Popov on the appointment to the new position
and expressed hope he will significantly contribute to the peaceful
settlement of Karabakh conflict, RA Presidential press service
informed NEWS.am.

The officials discussed recent developments in Karabakh peace process.

POLICE OFFICER GETS 4 YEARS OF IMPRISONMENT FOR SCUFFLE WITH NIGHTCLUB SECURITY GUARD

ArmInfo
2010-04-28 10:31:00

ArmInfo. On Dec 18 2009, approximately at 3:30am, Gevorg Grigoryan,
the police officer of the Yerevan Police, in a state of alcohol
intoxication began to scuffle with the security guards of Omega
Nightclub.

Given the advantage in numbers of the security, the law-enforcer made
several sporadic shots from the service gun, pistol "Makarov". In the
course of investigation, G. Grigoryan pled guilty and was sentenced
to 4 years of imprisonment.

OBAMA FALLS 1 WORD SHORT
By Zain Shauk

Glendale News Press
April 27 2010
CA

Failure to use term ‘genocide’ in citing mass killings upsets
Armenians.

Armenians around the country voiced frustration with President Obama
on Monday, days after he again avoided the word "genocide" regarding
the 1915 mass killings of 1.5 million Armenians.

Representatives from Glendale, Burbank and Los Angeles — a region
that is home to the largest Armenian population in the United States —
called Obama’s statement to recognize Armenian Remembrance Day on April
24 the most recent disappointment from the administration on the issue.

Obama, when campaigning for president, repeatedly committed to
recognizing the mass killings as genocide if he was elected, but on
his first opportunity to do so in 2009, he referred to the atrocities
as the Meds Yeghern, the Armenian phrase for "the great calamity"
and did not use the word genocide.

His statement Saturday was similar.

"Today is a day to reflect upon and draw lessons from these terrible
events," Obama said. "I have consistently stated my own view of what
occurred in 1915, and my view of that history has not changed. It is
in all of our interest to see the achievement of a full, frank and
just acknowledgment of the facts. The Meds Yeghern is a devastating
chapter in the history of the Armenian people, and we must keep its
memory alive in honor of those who were murdered and so that we do
not repeat the grave mistakes of the past."

Although the statement called for remembrance of the mass killings, it
was a disappointment for Armenians who had supported Obama’s election
bid because of his prior stance, Glendale Mayor Ara Najarian said.

"He’s playing games with words and failing to live up not only to his
campaign promises, but to his role and obligations as president of the
freest country in the world to declare the events of 1915 a genocide,"
Najarian said.

Armenian Americans, who had largely supported Obama in the past,
have started to leave his corner after seeing him change his approach
after being elected, said Aram Hamparian, executive director of the
Armenian National Committee of America.

"I think that they looked to him to provide more leadership and to
honor his pledge, and that twice in a row now he’s fallen short of
his own standards," Hamparian said. "It’s a very frustrating thing,
and I think the primary way that Armenian Americans can express
their frustration in the civic arena is with their votes, and I think
they’re getting ready to do that."

In 2008, while campaigning for president, then-Sen. Obama criticized
President George W. Bush and his administration for not recognizing
the genocide and pressed then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on
the issue.

"I shared with Secretary Rice my firmly held conviction that the
Armenian Genocide is not an allegation, a personal opinion, or a
point of view, but rather a widely documented fact supported by an
overwhelming body of historical evidence," Obama said on Jan. 18,
2008. "The facts are undeniable. An official policy that calls on
diplomats to distort the historical facts is an untenable policy. As
a senator, I strongly support passage of the Armenian Genocide
Resolution, and as president I will recognize the Armenian Genocide."

The president’s most recent statement on the mass killings committed
at the hands of the Ottoman Turks came as a new resolution to recognize
the Armenian Genocide moves through Congress.

That resolution, written by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) was
narrowly approved by a key House committee after the White House
voiced concerns that a formal U.S. acknowledgment could jeopardize
fledgling relations between Armenia and Turkey, which began last year
with the establishment of a set of protocols.

But Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said last week he was suspending
his government’s ratification of the protocols because of inaction
on the part of the Turkish government.

"We consider unacceptable the pointless efforts of making the dialogue
between Armenia and Turkey an end in itself," Sargsyan said. "From this
moment on, we consider the current phase of normalization exhausted."

That move could help convert potential legislative opponents to the
Armenian Genocide bill into supporters, Schiff said.

"After a certain amount of time they’re going to have to have a
realization that Turkey was never serious about reconciling with
Armenia," Schiff said.

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks), a sponsor of the bill, echoed
the concerns of Schiff and Armenians who hoped the president would
call the mass killings a genocide.

"It’s the right thing to do, and he should have done it," Sherman said.

EDWARD NALBANDYAN, "CO-CHAIRING OF TURKEY IN THE OSCE MINSK GROUP IS EXCLUDED"

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 27, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS: Co-chairing of Turkey in the OSCE
Minsk Group is excluded, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan
stated in an interview to "True Policy" program of Public TV, noting
that it has been many times stated both by the Armenian President
and Foreign Minister.

In regard to the position of Armenia on participation of Iran in
Nagorno Karabakh conflict regulation process, E. Nalbandyan said that
Iran has expressed a wish to assist in the process, and it is quite
welcoming. "The balanced approach of Iran displayed for many years
on Karabakh issue is highly appraisable," the minister pointed out.

Commenting on the claims of the Turkish side that the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict is not touched upon in the Armenian-Turkish protocols, but
a relevant provision on consolidation of peace and stability in the
region must be considered in that context, and hence, it is concluded
that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict must be solved in parallel to
the improvement of Armenian-Turkish relations, E. Nalbandyan noted,
"If anyone wants to regulate relations with a neighbor living in the
same building, it does not mean that he/she must solve all the issues
of the building or district. If we follow that logic, we also can tell
the Turks, "solve your issues with Cyprus or solve the Kurdish issue,
and then we will refer to the Armenian-Turkish relations". I do not
think that this is a logical approach.

In regard to the current stage of the regulation process of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict E. Nalbandyan said that it runs normally.

"It is not news that Azerbaijan criticizes not only Armenia, but from
time to time the co-chairs and even its close ally Turkey as well.

Azerbaijan tries to put the responsibility of its political flaws on
others," the minister pointed out.