Financial Crisis Revealed RA Economy’s Weaknesses

FINANCIAL CRISIS REVEALED RA ECONOMY’S WEAKNESSES

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
16.09.2009 14:34 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The results of the report on Armenia’s
competitiveness showed that the financial crisis revealed weaknesses
of Armenian economy, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said.

"The number of private transfers has decreased sharply. The
construction industry suffered a slump. This means that the
diversification level of Armenian economy is very low," he said.

According to the Prime Minister, the report on the republic’s
competitiveness is of great value, since it prompts ways to overcome
the consequences of the crisis.

"The government is constantly working to resolve the issue but
science-production formula has not been found yet," Mr. Sargsyan said

Major Armenian-American Organizations Call On President Obama To Hol

MAJOR ARMENIAN-AMERICAN ORGANIZATIONS CALL ON PRESIDENT OBAMA TO HOLD TURKEY ACCOUNTABLE

armradio.am
16.09.2009 13:05

As Congress reconvened last week, the leaders of major
Armenian-American organizations called upon President Barack Obama
to hold Turkey accountable to its international obligations to lift
the blockade of Armenia and establish diplomatic relations without
preconditions.

They also urged President Obama to unequivocally reaffirm the Armenian
Genocide. The letter recalled what the late Senator Edward Kennedy
often said, "in order to know what to do in the future, you must
understand and remember the past."

The signatories represented the following four organizations: Armenian
General Benevolent Union; Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
(Eastern); Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Western) and
Armenian Assembly of America.

The letter was prompted by the August 31 release of the protocols
announced by the governments of Armenia and Turkey for the
normalization of relations between the two neighboring countries. The
letter reads:

"We are writing to you regarding the August 31, 2009 announcement by
the foreign ministries of Armenia, Turkey and Switzerland with respect
to protocols to be signed within six weeks to establish diplomatic
relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Turkey
and to open the border between the two countries.

We support the normalization of r elations between Armenia and Turkey
without preconditions. We appreciate your commitment in encouraging
reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia and feel strongly that the
United States has a major role to play in this regard. We also note
that in addition to the United States, France and Russia and the
European Union have welcomed this latest development.

We look forward to a positive outcome, but are concerned in view of
Turkey’s prior failures to uphold its international obligations. We,
therefore, call upon you and your Administration to hold the Turkish
government accountable with respect to Turkey’s commitments to lift
the fifteen year-plus blockade it has imposed against Armenia and
establish permanent diplomatic relations with the Republic of Armenia.

In addition, assertions by Turkey, for example, that the Nagorno
Karabakh peace talks proceed in parallel to Armenian-Turkish
rapprochement are not acceptable. They add an unnecessary dimension
to an already delicate process. In fact, linking two separate and
distinct sets of negotiations creates a dangerous precedent that
places both processes at risk.

As the late Senator Edward Kennedy so often said, "in order to
know what to do in the future, you must understand and remember the
past." To that end, true reconciliation will occur only when Turkey
comes to terms with its past. In that regard, we value your repeated
statements on the importance of r ecognizing the Armenian Genocide and
strongly urge you to directly and unequivocally affirm this terrible
crime against humanity.

In so doing, the United States will honor a proud chapter in
U.S. history when America responded by helping to save the survivors
of the first genocide of the twentieth century.

If this normalization process is used as a smokescreen for not
reaffirming the Armenian Genocide and the U.S. record, it will be a
blow to the rapprochement process and the expectations of people of
goodwill everywhere.

We all know and appreciate full well that respect for moral principles
and the pursuit of justice are essential for a peaceful world."

Poor, Ill People

POOR, ILL PEOPLE

.html
14/09/2009

Interview with the art critic Grigor Khachatryan

In your opinion what is government and what are its mechanisms of
formation and its functions?

I have to repeat, but I will say that the word "government" arouses
the worst associations in me. I prefer seeing it in the form of a
fish rather than the way it is usually seen. And it comes out that
the more the number of the fish ishkhan declines the worse and more
insupportable the officials become. And it is determined by the fact
that usually they are eating this type of fish.

In reality, I do not imagine government but only service but there
should be a radical realization in this connection. This idea is not
rooted in the leaders and nor in the society. Today the question that
first a society should be formed which will bring positive changes
is much discussed; I think first they are to understand that the
government did not come to govern us but to serve.

And how can the society be brought to this perception?

With difficulty. Only those whom I love, respect may govern on me,
a boy, a girl or a friend of mine, an artist or a politician, or
anyone else of any profession whom I love. This government does not
exist for me.

However, even if you say they do not exist nevertheless today they
are engaged in our home and foreign policies.

In reality, our Constitution runs that government is formed through
elections. In other words, I elect whom I love, like, respect,
and give them functions to fulfill for me. But for example I elect a
rabbit and instead I am given a rotten rat moreover I am also ordered
to love and respect it because it is my government. But here this
fundamental principle is mutated through election. We do not have
any right to vote today, it is very false.

What kind of government would you like to have in Armenia?

You know this is a utopian question. I think in every country, they
want their governments to be better. But for now we would like to be
on the same level with those countries who have a better government
that our one. In the end, people always strive for perfection. I
would like to love my president, my ministers but I do not have to
force me to, but they have to be the way for me to love and respect
them but not through force. In other words, they want to force us
love and respect towards them which is impossible.

If the vote of the voters is not decisive, how can the society return
its right to form government?

There is constitutional and not-constitutional order. We have
repeatedly faced this problem. Public riot is justified when an
insuperable situation is formed in the country. Today we have the very
insuperable situation and the public may take up this variant. On
March 1, the government did so to make the people confront the
governmental forces now they say they did it because the state was
in danger. Nothing was in danger they just provoke people to do what
they did.

Do you agree with the opinion that each nation deserves the government
it has?

We would deserve them in case we loved and respected them. But since
we hate them we do not deserve them. The type of people depends on
their choice. We did not elect them we do not deserve them, or it
would be better to say they do not deserve us.

If people hate the government what keeps them?

The problem of love is the most important. Just when they do not manage
to be loved through natural way they try to achieve it by force, here
the post is a lever to have power and power brings money and forced
respect. They need all this to be loved. They are unsatisfied, poor
people full of complexes for which they take revenge from the public.

Interview by SIRANUYSH PAPYAN

http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/interview15165

PM received well-known Brazilian actor of Armenian descent

RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan received well-known Brazilian actor
of Armenian descent

Frid ay, 11 September 2009

RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan received well-known Brazilian actor
of Armenian descent, Deputy Chair of Rio de Janeiro Council of Aldermen
Stepan Nercesyan who is taking his first courtesy trip to Motherland.
In attendance was Brazilian Ambassador to Armenia Marcela Maria
Nikodemos.

Greeting the guest, Tigran Sargsyan said to be highly appreciative of
the pro-Armenian activity carried out by the renowned Brazilian artist
and political figure and conveyed Armeniaâ??s interest in strengthening
bilateral cooperation with the help of the Armenian community of Brazil.

Stepan Nercesyan expressed conviction that this visit will inspire him
to new deeds for the sake of the Armenian people.

The parties have stressed the need for furthering Homeland-Diaspora
linkages, as well as strengthening cultural cooperation between Armenia
and Brazil.

http://www.gov.am/en/news/item/4861/

`Armenian ` Turkish relations are not only political issue’

Aysor, Armenia
Sept 12 2009

`Armenian ` Turkish relations are not only political issue’

Today the co-chairs of the `Stability’ group (Kayunutyun party) Sargis
Harutyunyan, Ernest Baloyants and Arshaluys Aghayan met the
journalists.

Sargis Harutuynyan thinks positively about the process of expressing
the opinions of the politicians over the last developments of the
Armenian ` Turkish relations. He is sure that `the public sector’
should also express its point of view and be more active.

`The Armenian ` Turkish relations are not only a political issue’, –
said S. Harutyunyan.

The speaker referred to the intellectuals, public organizations in
order to `tell each of them his own point of view and suggestions’.

A. Aghayan reminded the words of one of the Armenian diplomats which
said that Armenia should have normal relations with all the countries.

`The dialogue would bring a positive result’, – mentioned Arshaluys
Aghayan.

`Turkey, together with its diplomacy will not make a move concerning
Karabagh, which will hurt Azerbaijan’, – stressed Sargis Harutyunyan
on his turn.

S. Harutyunyan, however, didn’t publicize the point of view of the
`Stability’ party concerning the last developments of Armenian `
Turkish relations, saying that they will speak about it on September
26 on the conference where the leaders of dozens of public
organizations will be present.

He also mentioned that the Republic of Armenia `will have friendly
relations with all its neighbors’.

Coming up to the problems that Turkey faces on its way to EU Sargis
Harutyunyan said that `on the way to European Union Turkey has got two
obstacles which are the closed boarder and the Genocide issue’.

Suren Surenyants: Turkey Will Sooner Or Later Recognize Armenian Gen

SUREN SURENYANTS: TURKEY WILL SOONER OR LATER RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.NET
11.09.2009 20:22 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey will sooner or later recognize Armenian
Genocide, and that will be achieved through Armenian-Turkish dialogue,
Republic party’s board member Suren Surenyants told a news conference
in Yerevan. Expressing disagreement with certain Protocol clauses,
he particularly noted, "Some people say Protocols require Armenian
side to step back from Genocide recognition process. Such statements
are untrue."

With regard to Armenian-Turkish process being independent from Karabakh
settlement the speaker said that "Any process taking place in Armenia
will necessarily affect Karabakh issue."

If Turkey has ambitions for leadership, it mustn’t have unresolved
problems with other states. "See what happened to Russia. It lost
its dominating position in Caucasus following Russian-Georgian
conflict. Its influence on Caucasus diminishes by every day," he noted.

"Allegations that by signing Protocols Armenia recognizes Turkey’s
territorial integrity also sound absurd. If countries decided to
enter into diplomatic relations, they must recognize each other’s
territorial integrity," Surenyants said, adding that Armenia already
recognized Turkey’s territorial integrity when joining NATO and OSCE.

Russian Word Days Underway In Armenia

RUSSIAN WORD DAYS UNDERWAY IN ARMENIA
Marianna Gyurjyan

"Radiolur"
10.09.2009 17:17

The Armenian and Russian writers discussed literary and public
issues today.

Members of the Russian delegation expressed willingness to work jointly
towards realization of new initiatives targeted at the reinforcement
and deepening of relations between two friendly peoples.

"Today’s meeting is very important, since only through sincere dialogue
it will be possible to build programs around new ideas and realize
them," Russian Ambassador to Armenia Vyacheslav Kovalenko said.

"The Days of Russian Word in Armenia are the most large-scale literary
project all over the former USSR. We all were looking forward to this
event," member of the Russian Union of Writers and Journalists Viktor
Krivopuskov said.

IMF Specialists Say Opening Of Armenian-Turkish Border Will Lead To

IMF SPECIALISTS SAY OPENING OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER WILL LEAD TO COMPETITIVE GROWTH OF ARMENIAN ECONOMY

ArmInfo
2009-09-09 12:43:00

ArmInfo. Opening of the Armenian-Turkish border will contribute to
competitive growth of Armenian economy, IMF Resident Representative
Nienke Oomes told media on Wednesday.

She said that low competition is reflected in import of goods into
Armenia as well as in the blockade of roads by the neighboring
states. IMF believes that opening of the Armenian-Turkish border
will create additional opportunities to stiffen competition with
Turkey as well as will become a good impetus for Armenian economy,
IMF Resident Representative said.

National Statistical Service of Armenia reported that commodity
turnover between Armenia and Turkey in 2008 totaled $269.5
million. Credit balance in favor of Turkey made up $127 million. The
commodity turnover is mainly via territory of Georgia because of
closed Armenian-Turkish border.

World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2009-2010 ranked
Armenia the 97th out of 133 states involved in the report. Armenia’s
position was left unchanged as compared to the rating for 2008- 2009.

Azerbaijan was up from the 69th to the 51st position. Georgia was
left the 90th and Russia was down 121 positions to the 63rd.

Armenian Chapel Will Go Up At Poklonnaya Hill

ARMENIAN CHAPEL WILL GO UP AT POKLONNAYA HILL

RIA Oreanda
Sept 8 2009
Russia

Moscow. OREANDA-NEWS . On 8 September 2009 was announced, that the
city authorities of Moscow approved the project aimed at building an
Armenian chapel at Poklonnaya Hill.

Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov signed the decision to allocate a site for
the chapel development.

A source from City Hall reminded that the order to elaborate
construction documents on the object was approved in spring
2007. According to him, the chapel with the total area of 725 square
metres , including the 500-square-metre substructure, is to be erected
on the 0.11-hectare site. The construction period is not fixed yet.

When the chapel is commissioned, all its areas will be transferred
into the ownership of the Russian and Novo-Nakhichevanskaya Diocese
of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The source said there already was an Orthodox Church, a mosque and
a synagogue within Poklonnaya Hill memorial complex in Moscow.

BAKU: George Mason Univ. Prof: Turkey Is Not Serious About Normalizi

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR: TURKEY IS NOT SERIOUS ABOUT NORMALIZING RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA

Today.Az
s/55384.html
Sept 8 2009
Azerbaijan

Professor of Government and Politics in the Department of Public and
International Affairs at the U.S. George Mason University Mark Katz
spoke to Day.Az in an interview.

Day.Az: Turkey refuses to open the borders with Armenia without full
resolution of the Karabakh conflict, while the protocol between Armenia
and Turkey doesn’t mention the conflict at all. Do you believe that
the Nagorno Karabakh problem will be the main topic of discussion in
the Turkey-Armenia negotiations?

Mark Katz: Many here in Washington believe that because Turkey set
resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as a pre-condition for Turkey
opening its border with Armenia, the Turkish government is, in fact,
not serious about normalizing relations with Armenia. It doesn’t seem
likely that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can be resolved any time
soon. Turkey’s willingness to even talk about normalizing relations
with Armenia seems aimed more at improving Turkey’s relations with
the Obama Administration.

Q: The opposition parties of both Armenia and Turkey are against
normalization of relations between the two countries. Do you think
both countries are ready for the next step in their relations?

A: It seems that on a person-to-person level, Turks and Armenians are
able to deal with each other. Many Armenians now vacation in Turkey. I
understand that there are also now direct flights between Turkey and
Armenia. Trade between the two nations is also increasing. Still,
politicians on both sides who wish to cooperate with the other
are vulnerable to nationalist criticism in their own country. And
politicians are usually not likely to take risks if they see them as
jeopardizing their careers.

Q: The U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan has not yet been named. Given
the high interest in the South Caucasus region at this time, the
new ambassador will probably be named very soon. Among the possible
candidates is Matthew Bryza. Do you believe anyone else who could be
appointed to this position?

A: I have met Matthew Bryza on several occasions and believe that he is
exceptionally talented. He would certainly be a good U.S. ambassador
to Azerbaijan. I wonder, though, if the Obama Administration sees
him as a Bush Administration holdover, and would prefer to appoint
someone more closely associated either with Obama or Clinton. Of
course, the appointment process is moving so slowly that it may be
awhile before anyone is appointed.

http://www.today.az/news/politic