Author: Tvankchian Parkev

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT THANKS HUNGARY FOR FAIR DECISION ON THE CASE OF MURDER OF ARMENIAN OFFICER GOURGEN MARGARYAN

ArmInfo
2009-11-09 18:16:00

ArmInfo. In a joint statement with his Hungarian counterpart, Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan thanked the Hungarian party for the fair
decision on the case of murder of Armenian officer Gourgen Margaryan
in Budapest in 2004.

As ArmInfo correspondent reports from Budapest, the Armenian leader
said that time he was the defense minister of Armenia, and this
monstrous crime deeply shocked him. "I am sure that this crime shocked
not only me, but any normal man in the whole world",- Serzh Sargsyan
stressed and added that it is a tragedy that some people qualify such
atrocious crimes as heroic deeds. "I am sure that but for the specific
decision of Hungarian justice, such crimes would continue in other
countries as well",- the president said. To recall, Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan is currently in Hungary on a three-day state visit.

On 19 Feb 2004, 26-year old lieutenant Gourgen Margaryan, who was
passing an English language training course at the National Defense
University of Hungary under a NATO program, was cruelly killed by
Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov. The Hungarian court sentenced the
Azerbaijani killer to life imprisonment without parole within the
next 30 years.

To recall, the National-Democratic Party of Azerbaijan acknowledged
Ramil Safarov the man of 2005. Safarov was also awarded the title of
an honorable member of the National-Democratic Party of Azerbaijan.

CENTRAL BANK LEFT 5% REFUNDING LEVEL UNCHANGED

PanARMENIAN.Net
10.11.2009 18:50 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In a board session convened today, RACentral Bank
made decision to leave current refunding level at 5%, RA CBA press
service reports.

According to the Bank’s release, inflation rate in September increased
by 0.5% compared to August and 3.5% – on annual level. Forecasting
further economic growth, CBA board finds that current interest rate
of refunding maximum contributes to economy’s rapid recovery, without
posing threat to stability of prices.

TURKEY’S FOREIGN POLICY MOVES IN THE WEST AND IN THE EAST ARE COMPLEMENTARY TO EACH OTHER

PanARMENIAN.Net
10.11.2009 11:23 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ President Abdullah Gul made clear on Monday
that Turkey’s foreign policy moves in the West and in the East are
complementary to each other, not contradictory. Gul’s remarks came in a
speech delivered at an economic summit during the 25th session of the
Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC)
of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in Ýstanbul. While
underlining the importance of favoring a two-state solution in the
Middle East process, thus the need for the recognition of Israel
as a state, Gul voiced Ankara’s firm support for the resolution of
the international dispute over Iran’s controversial nuclear program
through diplomatic means.

"Turkey is in intense commercial and economical relations with
both the Western world and Islamic countries. The European Union
membership process pursued by our country and its efforts within
COMCEC are complementary elements of our foreign policy, but are not
elements which exclude each other," Gul told the gathering in his
opening speech.

Citing recent intensified contacts with the Arab League and the Gulf
Cooperation Council as well as with neighboring countries such as
Iraq and Syria, with whom Turkey has established high-level strategic
cooperation councils, Gul urged support for Turkey’s foreign policy
moves.

While touching upon the stalled Middle East process, Gul delivered
separate warnings to the parties involved. Without having a resolution
of the Palestinian issue with the establishment of a Palestinian
state, the capital city of which is East Jerusalem and which lives
beside Israel with secure and recognized borders, it is impossible
to maintain peace and stability in the region, he said.

Turkey will continue playing a "facilitator" role in regards to
the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program, Gul said, while urging the
international community to use diplomatic means for solution of the
issue. Meanwhile, Gul asked OIC member-countries for support in order
to ease the international isolation of the KKTC, which is recognized
only by Turkey. KKTC leader Mehmet Ali Talat, who also delivered
a speech at the summit, complained that OIC member-countries were
hesitant to take concrete steps toward easing his people’s isolation,
Today’s Zaman reported.

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Nov 7 2009

Prime Ministry’s 100th publication a gesture to Baku

At a time when the Turkish government has been taking steps to
normalize relations with Armenia, which has led to concerns in
Azerbaijan, the Prime Ministry has allocated its 100th publication to
Nagorno-Karabakh, a region at the center of a long-standing dispute
between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Turkey and Armenia signed an agreement last month to reinstate formal
ties and reopen the closed border between two countries, a move met
with concern in Baku, who slammed its ally Ankara for agreeing to
normalize ties with Yerevan, suggesting that the protocols signed by
Armenia and Turkey have cast a shadow over the relationship between
Ankara and Baku.

In a gesture to Baku, the Prime Ministry recently covered the history
of Nagorno-Karabakh in its 100th publication, titled `Karabakh in the
Ottoman Archives.’ Speaking to Today’s Zaman about the publication,
The Prime Ministry’s State Archives General Director Yusuf Sarınay
said they planned to send copies of the book to the Azerbaijani
government. He said the 700-page book covers the relations of the
Ottoman Empire with the region starting from 1590.

07 November 2009, Saturday
ERDAL Å?EN ANKARA

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: EU should ask Turkey to become one of its members
07.11.2009 17:16 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that the
European Union (EU) should ask Turkey to become one of its members.

President Ahmadinejad said Turkey’s EU membership process that new
conditions and environments had emerged in the world and the era of
humanity, culture and moral had begun. He said that states with
deep-rooted cultures and civilizations such as Turkey and Iran would
develop in that period.

President Ahmadinejad said that the EU should ask Turkey to become one
of its members since Turkey’s accession would rise the Union’s
credibility with its history, culture and civilization.

He said that Turkey should also improve its relations with the eastern
countries, adding that it would not mean Turkey’s cutting its ties
with the west.

Calling on Muslim countries to support each other, President
Ahmadinejad said that Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh,
Nigeria, Malaysia and Indonesia could create a big market with their
great populations and economies, Anatolian news agency reported.

MAJORITY OF TURKISH CYPRIOTS WANTS TWO SEPARATE AND INDEPENDENT STATES IN CYPRUS

PanARMENIAN.Net
06.11.2009 20:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ According to a survey conducted in the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), 77.9 percent of people wanted
two separate states in the island and 63 percent did not believe the
talks (between Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders to find a solution
to Cyprus question) would be concluded successfully.

Four percent of Turkish Cypriots is against the current situation,
and 48.5 percent is against integration with Turkey while 42.6 percent
is supporting the integration, Anatolian News agency reports.

2010 DRAFT STATE BUDGET OF ARMENIA ENVISAGES FINANCING OF 125.4 MILLION DRAMS FOR RA OMBUDSMAN STAFF

Noyan Tapan
Nov 5, 2009

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 5, NOYAN TAPAN. The 2010 draft state budget
of Armenia envisages financing of 125.4 million drams for the RA
Ombudsman Staff – as compared to 136.1 million drams in 2009. 70% of
the indicated sum will go to the wage fund. The RA Ombudsman Office
has 47 employees with the average monthly salary of 119 thousand drams.

Speaking about the financing problems in 2010, RA Ombudsman Armen
Harutyunian said at the November 5 joint sitting of the National
Assembly Standing Committees that more reduction in financing had
been planned previously. However, taking into account the importance
of domestic business trips under conditions of the absence of regional
offices, the government complied with their request and mostly reduced
expenses on foreign business trips (by about 4 million drams).

According to A. Harutyunian, the envisaged financing will be enough
to visit all the marzes (provinces) at least once a year.

He said that in 2010, they will not be able to realize the program of
founding at least 3 regional offices – in Gyumri, Vanadzor, and Goris.

In the opinion of A. Harutyunian, the 2010 budget of the RA Ombudsman
Office will allow performing the main functions. He expressed a hope
that next year they will again manage to get material assistance
from international donors, although the latter do not usually provide
considerable grants to state bodies.

The draft state budget was calculated based on the settlement exchange
rate of 376 drams per dollar.

LACK OF SCIENCE FUNDING, SAYS ARMENIAN NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES PRESIDENT

Tert
Nov 4 2009
Armenia

In Armenia, funding for the sciences reaches 8 billion AMD, which is
less than 1% of the state budget expenditures, National Academy of
Sciences (NAS) President Radik Martirosyan told journalists today.

According to Martirosyan, all over the world, the amount of science
funding is calculated not by the state budget’s expenses, but by its
percentage in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Martirosyan presented
some data to compare science funding in Armenia to that in the rest
of the world.

Thus, science funding comprises 4% of the GDP in "developed" (editor’s
use of quotes here) countries and only 0.2% in Armenia. Among Armenia’s
neighbouring countries, in Georgia and Azerbaijan namely, the figure
is higher: 0.5% of GDP.

Martirosyan also added that according to international criteria,
annual expenses spent for a single scientist (including his or her
salary) amount to 120-130 thousand EUR, as compared to only 3, 000
EUR in Armenia.

Martirosyan added that the issue is also included in the 2020
Science Development Strategy. In this document, which, according to
Martirosyan, is rather declarative, gives preliminary estimates of
the desired financing.

According to president of the National Academy of Sciences, in 2020,
science funding will increase up to 2% of the GDP, which means that
the present funding amount will increase ten-fold.

Martirosyan also stated the general discussion on Science Development
Strategy will be held in December.

PRESS RELEASE
Gomidas Institute
42 Blythe Rd
London W14 0HA

Contact: Roland Mnatsakanyan
Email: [email protected]

Adana 1909 Focus of International Workshop in Istanbul

Gomidas Institute is proud to announce that it is co-sponsoring a
special workshop in Istanbul on "Adana 1909: History, Memory and
Identity from a Hundred Year Perspective." The workshop will take place
on Nov 6-7 on the premises of Sabanci University with participants from
Europe and North America. The other co-sponsors are Sabanci University,
Istanbul Bilgi University History Department, the International Hrant
Dink Foundation, and Bogazici University History Department.

"The Gomidas Institute originally organised such a meeting in London.
However, the London event was rescheduled for Istanbul, when Turkish
colleagues expressed interest in hosting a bigger meeting in Turkey,"
said Ara Sarafian, director of the Gomidas Institute. "In order to
attract new scholars, especially from Turkey, a fresh call for papers
was made in May 2009–in English, Turkish and Armenian languages. We had
a good response. The workshop now has some excellent presentations,
including papers by scholars using original Ottoman archival records."

Most of the papers have already been distributed amongst the
participants to promote fruitful discussion at the workshop. This
meeting also promises to promote lasting bridges amongst scholars of
different backgrounds who are interested in Ottoman history.

Earlier this month, Gomidas Institute co-sponsored a special multi-media
event, "Remembering Adana," in Glendale, California with a special
month-long photographic exhibition (from Colulmbia University Rare Book
and Manuscript Library) at Glendale Public Library. For more information

2.000 PEOPLE BECAME RA CITIZENS

news.am
Nov 3 2009
Armenia

In January-September 2009, 158.882 Armenian citizenship passports were
issued. 2.487 citizens were registered based on place of residence
and 2.260 people gained RA citizenship, whereas 227 foreigners were
given resident status, RA Police informed NEWS.am.

Eighty citizens emigrated from Armenia for permanent residence, of
which 45 adults and 35 children. The indicator compared to the same
period last year decreased fourfold.

Under RA Presidential decrees 3.514 people were admitted to RA
citizenship (in Jan.-Sep., 2008 — 688 people) and 255 gave up their
citizenship.