Author: Vardanian Garo

FOREIGN MINISTER OF LITHUANIA VYGAUDAS USHACKAS TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA ON TWO-DAY OFFICIAL VISIT ON NOVEMBER 20

NOYAN TAPAN
NOVEMBER 19, 2009
YEREVAN

Foreign Minister of Lithuania Vygaudas Ushackas will arrive in Armenia
on a two-day official visit on November 20 at RA Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian’s invitation.

According to the RA Foreign Ministry Press and Information Department,
Vygaudas Ushackas will meet with RA National Assembly Speaker Hovik
Abrahamian, National Security Council Secretary Artur Baghdasarian,
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, and Minister of Economy Nerses
Yeritsian during the visit.

ARMENIA TO OVERCOME GLOBAL CRISIS FIRST: DAVTYAN

news.am
Nov 19 2009
Armenia

Armenia will be first to overcome consequences of global crisis and
restore its economy, RA Finance Minister Tigran Davtyan said speaking
at the National Assembly.

According to him, Armenia was hit by global crisis later than other
states and will be capable to overcome it faster, despite the heaviest
economic slump rate registered in the country. "However, the economic
recession rate is a technical indicator that reflects only technical
aspect of the situation," Minister said, adding that irregardless
the crisis, the two-digit wage raise was recorded in Armenia in 2009.

Tonight, November 19, RA National Assembly special session aimed at
summarizing the discussions on 2010 draft budget will take place.

SYRIAN PM HOLDS TALKS WITH TURKISH MINISTER, ARMENIAN PATRIARCH

Syrian Arab News Agency SANA
Nov 16 2009
Syria

Damascus, 15 November (SANA)- Prime Minister Muhammad Naji Itri
discussed Sunday [15 November] with Turkish Minister of State for
Planning Affairs Cevdet Yilmaz the growing cooperation relations
between Syria and Turkey and the joint desire to develop and upgrade
this cooperation in various domains. Bilateral cooperation and
benefiting from the joint expertise on the level of the development
planning, construction organization and issues connected with the
random housing and mechanisms of tackling it were also discussed.

Talks during the meeting touched upon fields of cooperation in the
economic, trade, tourism and investment sectors and the role of
businessmen and economic circles in bolstering this cooperation.

Yelmiz said during a meeting with the Syrian Minister of Housing
and Construction Umar Ghalawanji that the ongoing development of
the Syrian-Turkish relations has set an example to follow on the
international level. He expressed desire to cooperate with Syria in the
fields of developing airports, metros, contracting and infrastructure.

Ghalawanji said that Syria looks forward for more cooperatio n with
Turkey in all aspects. He invited the

Turkish companies which have already secured a notable place in Syria
on the economic level to take part in the development process going
on in Syria.

Naji Itri also discussed on Sunday with Catholicos of All Armenians
His Holiness Karekin II and the accompanying delegation the role
of clergymen in building principles of fraternity, tolerance and
communication among nations and cultures.

During the meeting, Itri reviewed the steps taken by Syria for
achieving comprehensive development, Syria’s pivotal role in the
regional issues and its keenness to achieve just and comprehensive
peace. For his part Catholicos Karekin II, hailed the qualitative
leaps achieved by Syria and security, stability and national unity
enjoyed by the country. The meeting also touched on cooperation
prospects and Syrian-Armenian relations in different domains.

TURKISH STUDENT PUNISHED OVER ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DENIAL IN FRANCE

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
18.11.2009 14:14 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Mustafa Dogan, a 13-year-old Turk, was suspended from
a school in Nancy for two days for denial of the Armenian Genocide,
Today’s Zaman reported.

Dogan’s history teacher asked a question about the Armenian Genocide
in a written exam. Having previously argued with the teacher over
the issue, the Turkish student wrote, "Even if it did happen, they
deserved it."

Following the quarrel, the school’s disciplinary committee suspended
Mustafa Dogan for two days and gave him an assignment in which he
was to recognize the validity of the genocide within two days. The
principal of the Jacques Marquette secondary school, Francis Vignola
said he supported the sanctions placed on Mustafa Dogan.

Mustafa’s father Mehmet Dogan said he does not recognize the Genocide
either and supports his son. Anyway he noted, "I wish he hadn’t
written ‘Even if [the genocide] did happen, they deserved it.’ This
made them angry."

Officials from COJEP, a Strasbourg-based civil society organization
established by Turks, and Mehmet Dogan will meet with school
authorities on Friday to discuss Mustafa Dogan’s case.

The French Parliament recognized the Armenian Genocide in 2001, which
resulted in short-lived tension between France and Turkey. In 2006
the French National Assembly adopted a bill proposing a punishment
for Armenian Genocide deniers. However, it has been three years,
and the bill has yet been passed by the Senate.

NUMBER OF H1N1 CASES IN ARMENIA HAS GROWN

ArmInfo
2009-11-18 20:06:00

ArmInfo. The number of H1N1 cases in Armenia has grown.

The press service of the Ministry of Health Care of Armenia reports
that they have registered the 21st case. 12 people have already been
discharged from Nork infectious diseases hospital.

The first case in Armenia was registered Nov 10: it was a citizen of
Iran. The symptoms of the flu is high temperature, cough, sore throat,
runny nose, aching muscles, unusual tiredness, diarrhea or vomiting.

Swine flu has so far been registered in 199 countries. WHO reports
over 6,000 lethal cases.

ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER OPENING WILL BE FOLLOWED BY OPENING OF BORDER WITH AZERBAIJAN

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
17.11.2009 15:53 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Opening of Armenia -Turkey border will introduce
drastic changes in the region, Haykazun Alvrtsyan, Director of the
Western Armenians’ Studies Center told a news conference in Yerevan.

"After successful RA-Turkey rapprochement process and border opening,
opening of Armenia-Azerbaijan border will become the next western
initiative, promoting implementation of western communication projects
in the region. Otherwise, opening of border with Turkey would be
pointless," Haykazun Alvrtsyan said.

According to him, future of Armenia and NKR should not be risked
for communication advantages’ sake. "I hope our government realizes
the threats of current process with Turkey and will be capable of
resisting it," Haykazun Alvrtsyan noted, adding that the status quo
will be reestablished unless Armenian -Turkish border is opened.

ERDOGAN TO ADDRESS PARLIAMENT ON NATIONAL MINORITIES

PanARMENIAN.Net
13.11.2009 16:39 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
will address the Grand National Assembly on Friday to present the
government’s democratic principles. According to Sabah newspaper,
Erdogan will dwell on normalization of relations with Armenia as well
as on Kurdish and Alevi issues.

THE EXHIBITION OF SAMVEL SEVADA’S WORKS OPEN IN YEREVAN

Aysor
Nov 13 2009
Armenia

On November 17 at 16:00 in the first floor of the Armenian Painters’
Union will take place the opening of the exhibition of the works of
art and photos of Samvel Sevada dedicated to the 60th anniversary of
the painter.

The organizer of the exhibition is the "HayArt" cultural center of
Yerevan Municipality.

The presentation of the album of Sevada’s artistic paintings will
take place on the same day. The album includes 200 artistic photos
discovering the mysterious union of light and shadow and 30 poems.

MP FROM HERITAGE CONCERNED ABOUT REDUCTION IN ARMENIA’S DEFENSE SPENDING IN 2010

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.11.2009 17:25 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The draft state budget-2010 of Armenia has no
connection to regular citizens, Armen Martirosyan , chair of the
"Heritage" party and member its parliamentary faction told a press
conference in Yerevan today. According to him, the state budget
envisages reduction in the social spending.

In addition, Mr. Martirosyan expressed concern about the decrease in
defense sphere in 2010 and increased costs to maintain public order.

"State Budget-2010 will provide the defense ministry 116 billion AMD,
while in 2009 that figure was only 146 billion AMD. In the current
situation, security issues need more attention, he said.

"SOUTH CAUCASUS RAILWAY" CJSC HAS APPLIED TO ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT PROPOSING TO GIVE IT A STATUS OF A NATIONAL COMPANY

ARMENPRESS
NOVEMBER 12, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS: "South Caucasus Railway" CJSC has
applied to Armenian government proposing to give it a status of
a national company. Director General of "South Caucasus Railway"
Shevket Shaydulin told Armenpress that achievement of the status
of a national transport company, insurance with the right to enter
in international transport logistic organizations will enable to
cooperate with the railway companies of neighbor countries in equal
rights. Sh. Shaydulin said that it will also enable to defend Armenia’s
profits in the mentioned organizations and to become more attractive
in involving investments.

"The hot developments taking place in South Caucasus connected with
the opening of the border and construction of Iranian-Armenia railway
can radically change external and internal environment of the whole
economy, including the role of the railway in the country’s economic
and political life.

With such development of events it is necessary to look upon the
Armenian railway as a transit link in Europe-Asia and North-South
international transport passage. It seems us real that the railway
can play the role of a locomotive for bringing the other spheres of
economy to external market. The solution of these issues is possible
only in case of mutual cooperation with Armenian government", he noted.

An official from the company told Armenpress that Sh. Shaydulin
presented the issue on acquiring the status of a national company
also at the session of Inter-Parliamentary Commission on Cooperation
between Russian Federal Assembly and Armenian National Assembly,
which was conducted November 9. Sh. Shaydulin’s proposal received a
written approval by parliament members.