Author: Torosian Aram

US, FRENCH AND RF PRESIDENTS ADOPTED JOINT STATEMENT ON KARABAKH

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
10.07.2009 19:21 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ During the G8 summit held in L’Aquila, Italy, OSCE
MG Co-Chairing countries’ presidents proposed a statement which was
adopted this morning, OSCE MG Co-Chairs dealing with NKR conflict
settlement told today a news conference in Baku.

"We, the Presidents of OSCE MG Co-Chairing states, reiterate our
commitment to the peaceful settlement of NKR conflict and to that end,
call on Armenian and Azeri Presidents to smooth all divergences. We
recommend our mediators to submit to Armenian and Azeri Presidents
the final variant 2007 Madrid Principles containing the Co-Chairs
recent proposals."

Armenian and Azerbaijani governments should reach agreement over
basic principles by the end of 2007, Russian, American and French
Presidents find.

OSCE ADMITS ONLY DIALOGUE IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT: HEAD OF ORGANIZATION

Trend
July 2 2009
Azerbaijan

OSCE admits only dialogue in Karabakh settlement, chairman of the
organization, Greek foreign minister Dora Bakoyannis said during
briefing in Baku on July 2 after talks with Azerbaijani foreign
minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

"I am very proud of progress in Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and
constructive discussions. We admit only dialogue," Bakoyannis said.

Azerbaijan plays one of leading roles in stability and security in
Europe, as well as South Caucasus, she said. "We need strong and
stabile Europe," Bakoyannis said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
lost all of Nagorno-Karabakh except for Shusha and Khojali in December
1991. In 1992-93, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and 7
districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed
a ceasefire in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia,
France, and the U.S. – are currently holding the peace negotiations.

PRESS RELEASE
National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia
Komitas Chamber Music Hall
Isahakian 1
375025, Yerevan, Armenia
Contact: Sona Hamalian
Tel/Fax: (374 10) 526-718
E-mail: [email protected]

For immediate release

OPEN MUSIC FEST DEBUT TO CELEBRATE
Armenian, classical, and world music

Launch of summer festival draws broad local and international support

Yerevan, July 10, 2009 ` Open Music Fest, a new summer festival
dedicated to Armenian, classical, and world music will debut this
summer in Yerevan. Comprising 23 individual concerts and a number of
special events, the festival will take place at the Kino Moskva
open-air theater from July 30 through September 21.

Open Music Fest was conceived by the National Chamber Orchestra of
Armenia (NCOA), one of the Armenian republic’s most prestigious
musical institutions. Commenting on the key goals of Open Music Fest
2009, Aram Gharabekian, the NCOA’s artistic director and principal
conductor, said: `With the launch of Open Music Fest, we sought to
create a tradition that would first and foremost be a restatement to
Yerevan’s abiding spirit of cultural renewal.’

`As a longtime resident of the capital, I’ve come to know that its
people share a passionate desire for actions and values that speak to
the real joys of life art, and Open Music Fest is precisely the kind
of event that symbolizes Yerevan’s aspirations for artistic
excellence,’ Gharabekian continued. `At the same time, we wanted to
establish a festival of such high quality and artistic diversity that
it would help earn Yerevan ` and Armenia by extension ` recognition as
a musical center of global relevance.’

The launch of Open Music Fest has drawn an extraordinary level of
grassroots support. Earlier this year, when the NCOA appealed to the
public in Yerevan for assistance, hundreds of individuals and
businesses came forward in a spontaneous display of support,
volunteering their time and professional services, or pledging in-kind
donations. As significantly, the project received critically needed
financial assistance from a number of sources, including VivaCell,
Converse Bank, HayPost, the U.S. Embassy in Armenia, diaspora
benefactor Hovig Kurkjian, and others.

`These funders’ enthusiastic endorsement of Open Music Fest not only
translated into the seed money required to start the project, but gave
everyone involved an added sense of confidence and purposefulness,’
Gharabekian recalled. `Meanwhile, the volunteer services we keep
receiving from the people of Yerevan, including logistical assistance
from artists, designers, and other professionals, go a long way in
securing the nuts and bolts of the festival.’

True to the festival organizers’ stated goal of musical diversity, the
program of Open Music Fest 2009 comprises tributes to a plethora of
genres and traditions. These include classical, folk, ethnic, jazz,
fusion, and avant garde. `Open Music Fest will be just that: open to
the whole world and open to the wondrous mosaic of international
music,’ Gharabekian explained, adding that in addition to some of
Armenia’s most renowned musicians, the festival will feature guest
artists and groups from throughout the globe. Among them will be
accordionist and bandoneonist Mario Stefano Pietrodarchi, clarinetist
Michel Lethiec, mezzo-soprano Anna Maria Chiuri, and saxophonist
Federico Mondelci.

In honoring the cutting edge of world music, the festival will
dedicate four concerts to various American musical traditions, with
guest artists including the highly acclaimed Boxhead Ensemble and the
outstanding young jazz pianist Tigran Hamasyan, whose performance at
Open Music Fest 2009 will mark his debut in Armenia. According to the
organizers, this year a special emphasis is being placed on American
music, not only considering its outstanding merits, but to mark 20
years of partnership between the United States and Armenia, beginning
with the humanitarian assistance following the 1988 earthquake and
continuing to this day in many areas including culture.

Open Music Fest is also designed as an evolving conduit for fostering
professional growth and building cultural bridges with various
countries. Accordingly, the festival will offer a number of master
music classes throughout its run, taught by visiting artists. `Our
overarching goal is to provide a common ground for music to thrive on
a universal level,’ said Gharabekian. `With this in mind, currently
plans are underway to invite a greater number of artists from all over
the world for next year’s festival, asking them to teach our master
classes and/or performing at Open Music Fest. Moreover, we plan to
institute a multifaceted program in Yerevan but particularly in the
various regions of Armenia, with the purpose of recruiting musically
talented youths and providing them with training and guidance. It’s
all about preparing Armenia’s next generation of great musicians,
nurturing their talents, and ultimately enabling them to contribute to
the panoply of world music.’

Open Music Fest 2009
July 30 through September 21
Kino Moskva Open Air Theater
Yerevan

For more information about Open Music Fest 2009 and the full list of
concerts, visit ncoa.org.

DARCHINYAN WANTS TO ‘BREAK’ DONAIRE

ABS CBN News
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 07/09/2009 10:42 PM

MANILA — Vic "The Raging Bull" Darchinyan vowed to "break" Filipino
champ Nonito Donaire should they face again sometime in the future to
avenge his loss during their first meeting. Darchinyan, who currently
holds the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC)
and International Boxing federation (IBF) super flyweight titles,
maintained his hateful stance against Donaire. "If I meet him [again],
I’m gonna break him," he told sports writer Dennis Principe over
Sports Chat radio show in dzSR. The Australian-based Armenian said he
has fought better fighters than Donaire, who knocked him out in five
rounds in July 2007. "I fought better guys than him. I went to the
Philippines and fought Z-Gorres… then I took three world champions,
I knocked out all of them," said Darchinyan.

Darchinyan said his loss to Donaire is nothing but a fluke. "He beat
me by my mistake… that happens in boxing," he said. Donaire is
currently campaigning in the super flyweight division and even eyeing
a rematch with Darchinyan after three successful IBF/International
Boxing Organization title defenses in flyweight. He is scheduled to
fight Rafael "El Torito" Concepcion on August 15. "He can come back
and face my oppositions," said Darchinyan. "I mentioned Z-Gorres,
[Dimitri] Kirilov, [Jorge] Arce and [Cristian] Mijares. If he can beat
one of them, I’m gonna fight [him]." Darchinyan himself is preparing
for a clash with Joseph Agbeko on July 11. The fight, however, will
be for Agbeko’s IBF bantamweight title.

OBAMA MISSES A SHOT AT SOCCER DIPLOMACY
Alex Koppelman

Salon
Wednesday, July 8, 2009 18:01 EDT

WASHINGTON — President Obama had a full day of meetings with G-8
leaders scheduled today in L’Aquila, Italy. But if he’d stayed home,
he might have had a good chance to attempt a little bit of soccer
diplomacy.

The United States plays Honduras tonight at Washington’s RFK Stadium,
an easy 4-mile motorcade away from the White House, in the CONCACAF
Gold Cup, a tournament to decide the North and Central American
soccer champion. Honduras, of course, has been on the minds of
U.S. diplomats and national security aides since the military there
forced President Manuel Zelaya out of office — and into temporary
exile in the D.C. area — a couple of weeks ago. U.S. officials
have condemned the coup, even though Zelaya has been cozying up to
Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez and was apparently in the process of
trying to subvert the Honduran constitution to extend his term in
power. Republicans, meanwhile, have been flocking to the side of the
military coup — ironically, in the name of restoring democracy —
on the theory that any pal of Chavez’s can’t possibly be democratic.

With all that as the backdrop, the soccer game could take on more
importance than an early matchup in a regional competition might
otherwise have had. Honduras, after all, fought a war with El Salvador
that began with riots during World Cup qualifying games between the
two nations almost exactly 40 years ago. So if any country might be
open to diplomacy on the f¨²tbol field, it might be Honduras. It’s been
tried before, with limited success; the U.S. Soccer Federation recently
requested a match with Iran, though since Iranian authorities recently
banned players who wore green wristbands in support of protests there,
that may not happen. FIFA officials awarded Turkey and Armenia their
"Fair Play" prize last year, since the two countries — which don’t
have diplomatic relations — got their leaders to agree to attend a
World Cup qualifying match in Yerevan, Armenia, in September. Former
Liberian star player George Weah ran for president there in 2005,
losing in the second roun!

d, and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi — who Obama met
with today — was already well known to voters there as the media
mogul who owns soccer power AC Milan. CONCACAF officials told Salon
they weren’t sure whether Zelaya — who was in Washington this week
to meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton — would attend
tonight’s matchup. Regardless, if Obama had been in town, dropping
by the stadium might have been a good way to show Hondurans that he’s
thinking of them.

So far, though, Obama has shown only limited interest in using
soccer to promote U.S. interests abroad, even though it’s by far the
world’s most popular sport — and even though his sports-obsessed
administration recently launched an official White House Office of
Olympic, Paralympic and Youth Sport. Aides denied reports a couple
weeks ago that Obama had already committed to attending the World
Cup in South Africa next year, even though FIFA Commissioner Sepp
Blatter, the top international soccer official, told ESPN to expect the
president there. (The U.S. hasn’t yet qualified to make the tournament
next year, anyway.) When the U.S. unexpectedly made it to the finals
two weeks ago of FIFA’s Confederations Cup, a sort of mini-World Cup
also played in South Africa, Obama never contacted coach Bob Bradley
to cheer the team on. The U.S. beat European champion Spain, 2-0 in
the semifinals, and the international media focus on the Americans
was pretty heavy ahead of the final against Brazil. (The U.S. lost,
in heartbreaking fashion, 3-2.) A short phone call to Bradley could
have helped Obama shoehorn his way into some of the global coverage,
in a way that made the U.S. seem to have a common passion with the
rest of the world. And Obama hasn’t been shy about calling other
coaches, but apparently Bradley didn’t make the cut. Obama also hasn’t
yet dropped by RFK to see the local team, D.C. United, even though
they’re in first place in their conference in Major League Soccer. (He
hasn’t been to see the Washington Nationals play baseball yet, either,
but since they’re on pace for 113 losses, that’s n!

ot so surprising; he will make to baseball’s All-Star Game next week
in St. Louis.) "Of course he and his family are welcome at any game,"
United spokesman Doug Hicks said. "We’d love to introduce the First
Family to D.C. United, and we’d welcome his support."

What makes Obama’s decision not to use the sport to reach out to the
world a little surprising is that the administration is, generally,
pretty soccer-friendly — certainly more so than George W. Bush’s
was, though Bush rooted for the U.S. team in the 2002 and 2006 World
Cups. Obama is already on the record supporting the power of soccer
diplomacy. He sent a letter to FIFA officials in April urging them
to hold the 2018 or 2022 World Cup in the U.S., and a month later,
he told Univision that it would be a "diplomatic coup" to host the
tournament. The president grew up playing the game in Indonesia; his
press secretary, Robert Gibbs, was a goalie on the North Carolina State
University college team, and other press aides were sneaking peeks at
the Confederations Cup matches during the workday as the U.S. made
its surprising run. The Major League Soccer champions Columbus Crew
will visit the White House on Monday for a congratulatory photo op
with Obama.

And even though Obama wasn’t there to welcome them, and won’t be there
tonight to cheer them on against Honduras, U.S. national team forward
Brian Ching and defenders Steve Cherundolo, Jimmy Conrad and Heath
Pearce all toured the White House yesterday. The players met with some
aides and wandered the complex in the afternoon. "It was fantastic,"
a U.S. Soccer official told Salon. Maybe soccer diplomacy has a shot
sometime, after all.

ARKADY GHUKASYAN COMMENTS ON ALIYEV’S STATEMENT

AZG Armenian Daily
09/07/2009

Armenia’s Ambassador-at-Large, ex-President of the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic Arkady Ghukasyan commented on the recurrent harsh statement
of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who declared that he does not
see any opportunity for the existence of Nagorno Karabakh outside its
borders and the question of Karabakh’s status is not on the agenda
today. "Having inherited Azerbaijan, Aliyev jr. pretends not to see
and not to remember much," Arkady Ghukasyan said RIA Novosti. "He
does not see the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. Moreover, from the height
of his potentially unchangeable dictatorial power he does not see
the democratic development of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, does
not see the NKR territories occupied by Azerbaijan, does not see
the hundreds of thousands of Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan and
some regions of Karabakh, where his predecessors carried out ethnic
cleansings. Aliyev does not remember that the Nagorno Karabakh Republic
established itself as a full-fledged state in line with all norms of
international law. He does not remember the massacre of Armenians all
over Azerbaijani territory (Sumgayit, Kirovabad, Shamkhor, Baku…). He
does not remember that it launched a large-scale aggression against the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic, as a result of which both parties suffered
human and material losses. He does not remember how inglorious
that adventurism ended for Azerbaijan and does not remember with
whom it had to conclude a cease-fire agreement in 1994. Aliyev does
not listen to the calls of the international community to stop the
militant rhetoric, to take the snipers away from the line of contact,
to stop the hostile propaganda. He listens only to himself, but tries
to speak from the viewpoint of interests of the mediators, Armenia,
and even the people of Nagorno Karabakh. Even speaking about peace,
Aliyev threatens with war. Azerbaijan has already launched war once. It
would be logical for Aliyev to ask himself where he was hiding when
his peers were being sent to the front.The statements of Azeri lead
irm that they are not ready for mutual concessions. Living in the
world of illusions, Aliyev actually distorts the negotiation process."

GAS SUPPLY TO ARMENIA TO BE TEMPORARILY STOPPED ON 8-10 JULY

ArmInfo
2009-07-07 18:31:00

Arminfo. Gas supply to Armenia will be temporarily stopped on
8-10 July because of rehabilitation work at the ‘Krasniy most’
gas-measuring station at the territory of Georgia, press-service
of CJSC "ArmRusgasprom" told ArmInfo referring to gas transporting
company of Georgia.

Gas consumers of Armenia will receive gas uninterrupted and unlimited
at the expense of the Abovyan underground gas store. Natural gas is
delivered to Armenia via the main gas pipeline through the territory of
Georgia. CJSC "ArmRusgasprom" is the only gas supplier to Armenia. 80%
of its shares belong to ‘Gasprom’ and 20% – to the government of
Armenia.

MEMBER OF RPA TARON MARGARYAN APPOINTED AS FIRST VICE MAYOR OF YEREVAN

ArmInfo
2009-07-06 16:52:00

ArmInfo. Today Mayor of Yerevan Gagik Beglaryan held an extraordinary
meeting of the newly elected Council of Elders of Yerevan.

The press service of the Municipality of Yerevan reports that
the Council discussed the budget 2009, approved the staff of the
Municipality and 12 regional administrations and appointed the vice
mayors of Yerevan. The ex prefect of Avan community Taron Margaryan
has been appointed as First Vice Mayor, Kamo Areyan and Vano Vardanyan
as vice mayors. The commissions and groups of elders will be appointed
in Sept 2009.

Ameriabank becomes participant in IFC Global Trade Finance Program
(GTFP)

2009-07-04 20:40:00

ArmInfo. Ameriabank and IFC, a member of the World Bank Group signed a
contract of $5 million trade finance guarantee that will allow the bank
to expand financing of foreign trade transactions of its clients
throughout the country. "We are proud to join IFC’s trade finance
program which will given us more opportunities to generate
international business with out customers," said Artak Hanesyan,
General Director and Chairman of the Management Board of Ameriabank.
"Trade guarantees from such reputable institutions as IFC, particularly
during thee difficult times, have a positive impact on our bank’s
expansion. " He said that GTFP aims to provide import-oriented
enterprises with letters of credit and guarantee. Ameriabank will get
an opportunity to participate in the international network of GTFP
participant-banks numbering over 300, A.Hanesyan said. "Without
freezing funds, we will be able to provide credit guarantees and
letters of credits on preferential terms", he said. IFC will provide
guarantees at +3% annual interest, which the bank will provide to its
clients at 7% annual interest. The guarantee duration will depend on
the contracts made with the bank. "We can start financing under this
program immediately since the terms they are currently at the stage of
approval, " he said. Under this program, credit guarantees will be
provided mainly to corporate clients of Ameriabank, in particular, to
the legal entities engaged in import, including of raw materials. A.
Hanesyan said the bank has already received 68 applications for a total
of $.2 billion drams guarantees, including the share of import-oriented
guarantees is the largest (80%). For his part Thomas Lubeck, IFC
Regional Head for Caucasus, said that Ameriabank has a serious base of
corporate clients in Armenia, which will ensure large-scale activity
both for the IFC and the Bank. He said that IFC provided $2.5 million
under the program in 2009 including several millions to Armenia. "We
are glad to start our cooperation with Ameriabank. By joining the IFC
Global Trade Finance Program the bank will help Armenian companies
reach new markets and expand foreign trade in Armenia." T.Lubeck
highlighted that the IFC experts have studied the state of Ameriabank
before signing the contract and made sure in its sustainability. It is
the first step towards long-term and fruitful cooperation and the young
and professional leadership of Ameriabank will contribute to it, he
said. T. Lubeck said the IFC has been cooperating with the owner of
Ameriabank, Russian Troika Dialog Group since 1996. Assistance to the
banking system of Armenia in conditions of the global crisis through
provision of guarantees, financing or participation in the capitals of
the banks has a special place in the IFC strategy. The IFC attaches
special importance to the potential of the Armenian commercial banks
which are full- fledged and have rather developed mechanisms of SME
support, which generally contribute to economic development, T.Lubeck
said.

Freedom House: Armenia has semi-consolidated authoritarian regime
05.07.2009 01:14 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Democratic decline in Central Europe and Eurasia was
widespread in 2008, according to the Nations in Transit publication
released by the Washington-based Freedom House. Freedom House
researchers determined that democracy in 18 of 29 countries studied
suffered setbacks, the Armenian reporter reports.
Among the former Soviet states, Georgia and Ukraine were described as
"hybrid regimes" with both democratic and authoritarian tendencies,
and Armenia and Moldova as "semi-consolidated authoritarian regimes."
Kyrgyzstan and Russia joined Belarus, Azerbaijan, and other Central
Asian countries in a group that Freedom House calls "consolidated
authoritarian states." The report singled out "petro-state
Azerbaijan," which "recorded the most significant declines" in terms
of democratic development.
The researchers determined that perceived democratic gains made in
Georgia and Kyrgyzstan following the so-called Rose and Tulip
revolutions in 2003 and 2005 were fully reversed by 2008.
Freedom House also criticized international monitors "that issued
positive statements about elections in 2008 that were clearly flawed,
such as those in Azerbaijan and Armenia."
Another study, released the same day by the Washington-based Brookings
Institution and the World Bank, looked at evolution of democracy,
governance, and corruption in 212 countries and territories between
1998 and 2008.
According to Worldwide Governance Indicators, Armenia has been
backsliding in one of the six categories studied, "voice and
accountability," reflecting problematic handling of elections. Varying
degrees of progress were noted in five other areas studied, including
political stability, government effectiveness, regulatory quality,
rule of law, and control of corruption