Author: Torgomian Varazdat

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN’S ADDRESS ON THE OCCASION OF NAGORNO KARABAKH INDEPENDENCE DAY

armradio.am
02.09.2009 13:13

President Serzh Sargsyan issued a congratulatory address on the
occasion of the Nagorno Karabakh Independence Day, President’s Press
Office reported. The message reads:

"Dear compatriots,

I congratulate us all on the occasion of Nagorno Karabakh Independence
Day.

Thepast eighteen years reaffirmed the unambiguousness of the historic
decision adopted in 1991. Today, the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh is
a full-fledged state with its structures, army and most importantly,
with the citizens who are the masters of their own destiny.

Today, for us and for the international community Artsakh is a
modern republic which embodies the ideals of freedom, sovereignty
and democracy, and which is progressing despite all the obstacles
and artificially created hindrances and hardships, developing its
economy and culture, and defending peace.

Throughout these years the Republic of Armenia and the entire Armenian
nation have been and will continue to be Artsakh’s sturdy supporters. I
assure all the citizens of Artsakh and all Armenians that the peaceful
resolution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict will be first and foremost
based on the consent and free will of the people of Artsakh.

Dear people of Artsakh, We owe this holiday first of all to those who
stepped into immortality putting their lives on the altar of motherland
and freedom. Bowing to their memory, I once again congratulate you
on this holiday and wish you all well being, happiness and valor."

GOVERNMENT DOES NOT MIND VERIFYING THE AUTHENTICITY
Naira Hayrumyan

Lragir
hp?id=lrahos||politics&pid=15021
17:49:08 – 31/08/2009

The Armenian Prime Minister, Tigran Sargsyan has repeatedly recognized
that the greatest evil for the Armenian economy, and hence for the
state, is the major business, which does not wish to come "out of the
shadows". And in times of crisis the behavior of the major business
has become even more cynical, while reducing turnover by just 1%,
the tax collection from large enterprises decreased by 25%.

The point that we should free from big enterprisers or, in other words,
the oligarchs, assert all the time the European and American partners,
the international financial organizations hint, as well as the home
opposition. So, at a time when there are no elections, the oligarchs
indeed become a headache for the authorities. Moreover, they know too
much about the election. So, no one, except the oligarchs will be sad
if suddenly someone of them will start to roll the barrel "from above".

And such an occasion presented itself. The opposition gave into the
hands of government a paper, which clearly shows that on March 1,
the underlings of the oligarchs included in the "list" took part
in the events of March 1. The prosecutor’s Office issued a not very
convincing rebuttal, without requiring other evidence. The supporters
of the oligarchs outraged. And the top government did not respond,
moreover, it did not resist to the request to verify the authenticity
of the document.

It is possible that the verification will prove that the document
is authentic, and then nothing will be left, but to call for
responsibility those present in the list. This does not threaten the
government, the signature of the present government is not present
under the document.

NEW DISCOUNTS ON THE DAY OF KNOWLEDGE

Aysor
Aug 31 2009
Armenia

On the occasion of the new educational year the "South Caucasian
railway" CJSC announces 50% discount for the students traveling by
Yerevan – Armavir – Yerevan direction.

Armavir – Yerevan – Armavir electrical train launched on July 10 for
the first time. According to the timetable in that region the clock
electric train is functioning which is moving from the main station
of Yerevan 4 times in a day at 6:10, 11:30, 15:30 and 19:00, and from
Armavir to Yerevan at 8:12, 13:42, 18:02 and 22:02. The ticket price
is 300 drams. It’s taking 52 minutes from one point to another.

According to Head of the SCR Directorate of Passenger Transportation
Samvel Ghalechyan "This is the special feast gift of SCR the aim of
which is to promote the educational and social system’s development of
the Republic. This practice is used in the whole world, and we are not
an exception.", reported the public relations department of the SCR.

GEORGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MET ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR

Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am
Aug 27 2009
Armenia

Yesterday Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Nalbandov met
with Armenian Ambassador to Georgia Hrach Sylvanian. The officials
discussed topical issues on Armenian-Georgian cooperation, Foreign
Minister Press and Information Department reports. It is assumed, they
have also touched upon the Armenian-Georgian border conflict issue.

Georgian frontier guards push as far as for dozen meters to Armenian
land on Armenian-Georgian border (Shirak region sector).

ARMENIAN FINANCE MINISTER: NATIONAL BUDGET 2010 WILL BE BASED ON 1%-1.5% ECONOMIC GROWTH FORECAST

ArmInfo
2009-08-28 16:52:00

ArmInfo. The national budget 2010 will be based on 1%-1.5% economic
growth forecast, Minister of Finance of Armenia Tigran Davtyan said.

As regards the 18.5% GDP decline in Jan-July 2009, Davtyan said that
simply the growth rate of the basic pre-crisis period – 2008 – was
very high. The index of Q4 2009 will be compared with Q4 2008 when
the crisis was already existent. The basic index will be lower. As
a result, the decline will not be as dramatic.

In July 2009 as compared with June 2009 GDP grew by 6.3% to 1,417bln
AMD or 4.043bln USD. According to preliminary estimates, the economic
declined in 2009 will make up 10%-15%. In 2010 the Armenian economy
will revive.

Inflation will be very low. Some months will even see
deflation. According to the National Statistical Service of Armenia,
in Jan-July 2009 as compared with Jan-July 2008 inflation was 2.7%,
in July as compared with Dec 2008 – 2.4%. In July as compared with
June there was 2.7 deflation.

ARMENIAN MOBILE OPERATORS REACH AGREEMENT ON INTERCONNECTION
Michael Lacquiere

World Market Research Centre
Global Insight
August 27, 2009

Armenia’s Public Services Regulatory Commission has achieved
an agreement among the country’s mobile operators on termination
rates. SMS termination will be set at 9 drams ($0US.02) from 1 January
2010 until 30 June, 7 drams from 1 July 2010 until 31 December 2010,
5 drams from 1 January 2011 until 30 June 2011, and 3 drams from 1
July 2011. In terms of voice telephony, termination of a call from
a mobile network to a fixed network in the capital Yerevan will be
set at 9.72 drams per minute from 1 January 2010, and 9 drams per
minute from 1 July 2011. The termination rate for a mobile network to
a fixed network outside Yerevan in peak hours will be 17.8 drams from
January 2010, decreasing to 11.4 drams per minute from 1 July 2011;
and outside peak hours the rate will be 13.38 drams per minute from
1 January 2010 and 11.4 drams per minute from July 2011.

Significance:The Commission reported that negotiations had lasted some
three months, with the conflicting interests of each mobile operator
causing delays. However, the notion of interconnected SMS rates was
proposed by Orange France, based on the experience of European Union
(EU) countries. Orange has yet to launch mobile services in the
country, although it expects to do so by the end of the year. The
market is currently led by Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) unit K-Telecom,
operating under the "Vivacell" brand, while VimpelCom’s Armentel,
operating under the "Beeline" brand, is the second-largest operator.

"BIRTH OF TOROS ROSLIN" MINAS’ FRESCO RECOVERED

Panorama.am
16:57 28/08/2009

"Birth of Toros Roslin" fresco created by Minas Avetisyan in 1973
is recovered. About one year Italian specialists Lorenzo Kasameti
and Fabriccio Yakupini worked hard to recover the original colors
of Avetisyan.

Armena Avetisyan, the director of Minas Museum and the artist’s son
and Sona Harutyunyan, the consultant of culture minister met reporters
in Djadjur.

The fresco hanging over the wall is ready to perform its
originality. It is said that the recovering activities were difficult
enough. Artist’s son said that the fresco had 20% of loss when the
recovering activities were launched.

Specialists said that when they started their job they noticed it
was not an ease. The work differed as Minas used the unity of the
colors as a naïve painter, but at the same time his colors belonged
to a great artist.

In September the official opening of the fresco will be conducted. It
is said that Minas jubilee exhibition will be launched in Moscow also,
where the fresco will be performed.

TURKEY WANTS TO IMPROVE RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA AT THE EXPENSE OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.08.2009 20:54 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey wants to improve relations with Armenia at
the expense of Nagorno-Karabakh and through unilateral concessions
from the Armenian part. Statements that advancement of relations
between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the Nagorno Karabakh issue will
result in improvement of the Armenian-Turkish relations are not new,
political scientist David Babayan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

"As to the recent statement of the British ambassador in Turkey that
the Armenian-Turkish process can achieve real success only after
tangible progress in the Karabakh conflict, it can be treated as a
wish of any party," David Babayan said, stressing that the UK is not
a co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group.

According to Mr.Babayan, Stepanakert has acquired immunity to such
statements and responds to them calmly. "Similar statements were made
several times, but they have not changed anything", David Babayan said.

SHAKESPEARE INTERNATIONAL THEATER FESTIVAL TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN IN SEPTEMBER

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.08.2009 21:57 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Shakespeare International Theater Festival will be
held in Yerevan between September 8 and 20 in Yerevan. Starting from
this year Yerevan Shakespeare Festival will be named after the great
Armenian actor Vahram Papazyan.

Theatrical groups from Armenia, Russia, France, Georgia and Iran will
attend the Shakespeare Festival . Performances of Alexander Kalyagin
and "Et cetera" drama with the "King Kill" play and Irina Brook’s
"Don Quixote" play will be held in the fringes of the festival.

ERDOGAN AND GUL MAY FACE PROSECUTION

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.08.2009 13:08 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ By the demand of Osman Kacmaz, Chairman of Turkish
Court dealing with grave crimes, prosecutions against Turkish Premier
Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Abdullah Gul may continue within the frames
of the "lost trillion" case.

The case was filed after the loss of money from the deposits of
Prosperity Party (PP), a ruling political force at that time. In May
2009, the criminal court in Sinjan, Turkey, demanded that the case
be resumed. Being one of the leaders of ruling party which was later
resolved by Constitutional Court decision for attempts to Islamize
Turkey and accused of forging financial documents, Gul had political
immunity and avoided court prosecution which ended about 6 years
ago. Gul still enjoys political immunity. Under Turkish Constitution,
Turkish Preisdent may face trial only for treason.