Author: Vorskanian Yeghisabet

To make Use of Favourable Opportunities

February 19, 2009

NKR Government Information and
Public Relations Department

At present annual community meetings take place in the residential
areas of Artsakh. Works implemented by rural district councils in 2008
are generalized and estimated, the forthcoming tasks are outlined. With
the aim of getting directly familiarized with the situation at spot,
the NKR Prime Minister Ara Haroutyunyan participates in separate
community meetings according to schedules, the residential areas having
a pivotal role in their regions have been chosen, there is a necessity
of making problems specified and newly elucidating the policy carried
out by the authorities.
The Prime Minister’s first meeting with the rural inhabitants took
place on February 18, in Askeran region’s Acknaghbyur and Avetaranots
villages. The certain similarity of social and economic, moral and
psychological state of the residential areas neighbouring each other is
accompanied by obvious and essential differences. According to the
account by the community head of Avetaranots K.Mickaelyan, the exaction
of taxes was successfully completed (103.3%), but only 370 hectares out
of 874 hectares of arable land was cultivated. Expressing his doubts
and anxiety in this connection, the Head of the NKR Government briefly
presented the state programmes aimed at development of the agricultural
sphere. Not to make use of this comprehensive support and t
o leave the
land uncultivated means to have little income and to hinder from the
general development of the village,- Ara Haroutyunyan emphasized. In
the village with former fine economic traditions an obvious passivity
is being recorded today, when the state renders an interest-free and a
mortgage-free credit for grain production, provides a compensation-free
aid for the organization of cultivation according to agricultural rules.
In Avetaranots turbulent dissatisfaction was expressed especially
in connection with those problems which are to be solved just by the
community efforts, without any outside support. The village is
gasificated, it has an ambulatory medical post, but the problem of a
doctor has not been solved for several years. In the village of more
than 1000 inhabitants the one-time active hospital is desired to be
seen a restored one with a good specialist. The Prime Minister
A.Haroutyunyan promised to support settling this problem, he visited
the medical post and got familiarized with the working conditions.
Distinguishing the rural problems needing state support, the Prime
Minister informed that the problem of drinking water will soon be
finally solved, necessary steps will be taken to open a second group in
the nursery school.
A.Haroutyunyan visited the culture home of Avetaranots as well.
Getting acquainted with the ramshackle building no longer fit for being
employed, the Prime Minister examined the problem
with the competent
bodies at spot and charged them with a task to prepare within a short
time-limit the necessary documents of projects and estimates for the
reconstruction works being implemented there in future.
A considerably quiet and more practical state dominates in
Acknaghbyur. Here the greater part of arable land is being cultivated,
soon gasification will be completed, there is a culture home in the
village. The primary demand of the people is to reconstruct the road to
the village, to secure in the community the work of a specialist in the
post of an agriculturist (these demands were sounded in Avetaranots as
well). Complaints in concern with not purposefully using the state
means allotted for improving the state of the village and
reconstructing the damaged houses were sounded as well.
The Prime Minister A. Haroutyunyan clarified to the natives that
the community councilor must operate actively, it must control the
village arrangements and the issues under its competence. `The local
self-government body must operate intensively and not avoid its own
rights and obligations’,- the Prime Minister noted.
In response to the inquiries of the rural inhabitants, the head of
the NKR Government announced that the state will soon render
hypothecary credits for the reconstruction of village houses. In 2009,
crediting of cattle breeding will be restarted. This year the
Government has allotted20corresponding means to community agriculturists
as well. Such posts will be rendered to the communities which have
corresponding specialists and a sufficient volume of work.
Generalizing the direct and sincere dialogue with the rural
inhabitants, the Prime Minister A.Haroutyunyan noted that the progress
of the Republic of Artsakh mainly depends on the agricultural
development, thus people of this sphere must widely use the favourable
opportunities provided by the state programmes and create a prosperous
worthy life for themselves and their community.

PUOIC REGRETS THAT NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT STILL REMAINS UNRESOLVED

State Telegraph Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan
February 19, 2009 Thursday

During its 11th meeting in Niamey, Niger, the Parliamentary Union
of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (PUOIC) member
states expressed regret that the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh still remains unresolved.

The meeting adopted a document on settlement of the conflict which
demands unconditional withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from
the occupied Azerbaijani territories. The document also calls for
Armenia to honor the UN resolutions on the conflict and other relevant
documents adopted by international organizations.

Head of the Azerbaijani Parliamentary delegation to PUOIC Govhar
Bakhshaliyeva, who attended the event, said that PUOIC called on
member states to break off all relations with Armenia. According to
her, the meeting participants condemned the Khojali genocide committed
by Armenians describing it as a grave crime against humanity.

She underlined that PUOIC also called on the world community to
contribute to reaching a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.

NEW FRONT IN TURK – ISRAEL WAR OF WORDS

Hurriyet
Feb 19 2009
Turkey

ANKARA – Before diplomatic friction between Ankara and Tel-Aviv
sparked by a senior Israeli general’s comments could be resolved,
Turkey and Israel face a new issue of contention with Prime Minister
Erdogan saying the recent remarks made by his Israeli counterpart
create a problem of confidence

Before already strained ties with Israel have had a chance to cool,
another front in the conflict opened yesterday when Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was asked about the way he was addressed
by his Israeli counterpart.

Erdogan said the recent remarks made by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert were inconsistent.

"Which part of his remarks will you believe in?" he said at a joint
press conference with his Croatian counterpart, Ivo Sanader, in Ankara.

In Jerusalem, Olmert said at a press conference last Sunday: "Why
should I say to any prime minister what the military plans of the
State of Israel are for defending its citizens?"

Olmert was speaking of Erdogan’s strong criticism for not being
informed about Israeli plans to launch a military offensive in Gaza
during an Ankara meeting that came a few days before the operation.

Problem of confidence

"I don’t find it appropriate right now to respond to this question,"
Erdogan said, referring to the remarks made by Olmert.

"All the facts are laid bare. You will first want a country (Turkey)
to act as mediator and then you will visit this country and discuss
the fifth round of (indirect talks between Syria and Israel). More
interestingly, you say you did not know about it (the timing of the
Gaza offensive) initially. Then you say ‘why should I inform you of
it,’" Erdogan said, addressing Olmert.

"These (statements) create problem of confidence regarding the
future. Leaders cannot create a problem of confidence. Politics is not
an institution that produces distrustÃ~I We’ve never had a tendency
to put a dent in international peace," he added.

Erdogan, who was frustrated by the Israeli operation into Gaza just
a few days after his meeting in Ankara, called the Israeli leader’s
failure to inform him an act of "disrespect."

The tension comes after another spark was lit by the recent remarks
of a senior Israeli general who called on the critical Erdogan to
look in the mirror, referring to the 1915 killings of Armenians and
the Kurdish conflict in Turkey. That caused a diplomatic rift between
Tel-Aviv and Ankara, which resulted in the Israeli ambassador here
being summoned by the Foreign Ministry and delivered a note of protest
demanding an urgent explanation.

On Sunday, Olmert had said there were two reasons why he did not
inform Erdogan about last month’s Gaza offensive during the meeting,
in which the leaders discussed Turkey-mediated indirect talks between
Israel and Syria.

Not the right thing to do

"One is that on Monday, I didn’t know that we would attack on
Saturday. How could I know? On Tuesday, Wednesday, they were shooting
50, 70 rockets and missiles a day against all our cities in the south,
and we just decided that enough is enough and we have to respond,"
he said.

"But I also said, quite frankly, I didn’t call the president of the
United States, my good friend, George W. Bush, at that time, and
say to him, I’m going to attack Gaza. I didn’t call my good friend,
Gordon Brown or Nicolas Sarkozy or Angela Merkel.

"Why should I say to any prime minister what the military plans of
the State of Israel are for defending its citizens? I don’t think
that it was the right thing to do. I don’t think that I had to do it
and I was quite unhappy with the feelings that were expressed by the
Turkish prime minister," he told Sunday’s conference.

HRANT VARDANYAN SUGGESTS NON-STANDARD SOLUTIONS TO ECONOMIC CRISIS

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.02.2009 19:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The world economic crisis in the result of improper
functioning of states’ economy, finance and banking sectors, according
to Grand Holding President Hrant Vardanyan.

"Under the circumstances, we need non-standard solutions and individual
approaches. We need a new policy of subsidizing weak market areas,
instead of ignoring them," Mr. Vardanyan told a news conference today.

He added that people dread the financial crisis, yet not all
organizations and spheres are affected by it and not all the
governments are subject to its direct influence.

"The hardships that befell us in the 1990s are not comparable to any
crisis. Thanks to Armenian Dram stability, Armenia was not subjected
to the shock therapy, and the government is conducting a protectionism
policy, raising import taxes and promoting the development of local
market.

Commenting on ruble zone creation, he said that he sees no obstacles in
using a single currency in trade with Russia and other CIS countries,
and suggested that Armenians keep their savings in U.S. dollars,
while Grand Holding keeps it savings in raw materials.

ACADEMICIAN AGHANBEGIAN CALLS ON TO CURB INFLATION

Noyan Tapan
Feb 17, 2009

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, NOYAN TAPAN. Overcoming the global financial
and economic crisis is a difficult and long process, and any
factors to promote growth of the global economy are not visible
so far, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Abel
Aghanbegian expressed an opinion at a round table on anti-crisis
management. According to him, the crisis is likely to enter a stage of
stagnation (the absence of economic growth), and a painful stagflation
– inflation under conditions of the absence of economic growth awaits
those countries that will not curb inflation in 2009-2010. A.

Aghanbegian attached importance to conducting a correct policy on
the Armenian dram with respect to foreign currencies in conditions
of curbing the inflation.

In his words, the crisis has invaded Russia in 5 directions and left
quite a serious impact on its economy. In particular, the turnover
on the Russian stock exchange has declined 4 times, and a liquidity
crisis has began as the conditions of credit provision to companies
have worsened.

Besides, as a result of the expected fall in prices of oil, metals
and gas, Russia’s exports will decline by about 100 billion USD,
while the state budget will have a deficit of 1.5-2% of GDP instead
of the previous surplus of 6% of GDP.

In parallel with the fall in prices of exported goods, the foreign
demand has declined as well, followed by a decline in the absolute
volumes of industrial production, construction and investments.

50% appreciation of the dollar against the Russian ruble has encouraged
the local production. At the same time the foreign reserves of the
country have decreased from 597 billion USD to 300 billion USD as
the Central Bank of Russia has allocated considerable resources to
control the panic moods caused by the dollar’s appreciation.

Academician Aghanbegian said that some crisis phenomena are more deeply
perceived in Russia than in the US, big European countries and China.

Deputies of the RA National Assembly, experts, and representatives
of the business community took part in the discussion on the subject
"Anti-Crisis Management in Current Conditions. Problems and Solutions"
organized by the Higher School of Corporate Management of the Republic
of Armenia.

According to analyst Vahram Ghushchian, the crisis in Russia may have
a considerable impact on Armenia because remittances of the annual
amount of 1.4 billion USD from Russia to Armenia may decline.

He underlined the importance of implementing the North-South
railway-motor way construction project in terms of job creation.

The Executive Director of the Republican Union of Employers Gagik
Makarian spoke about the necessity of measures for business development
and improvement of the business environment. In particular, he
proposed taking steps to create a united business database, ensure
the accessibility of financial resources, reduce bureaucratism and
red tape, and increase state assistance.

In the opinion of G. Makarian, the reduction of the current 20% rate
of VAT and the social payments for salaries of up to 100 thousand
drams will help improve the competitiveness of Armenian producers,
keep the current jobs and create new ones.

PanARMENIAN.Net

RA MFA: Bryza’s statements hamper Karabakh talks
14.02.2009 11:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The statements made from time to time by OSCE
U.S. Co-chair Matthew Bryza are incomprehensible, the RA Foreign
Ministry said.

`These statements can nothing but hamper the peace process, which
bases on Madrid proposals envisaging three fundamental principles of
resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict: non-use of force, the
right of nations to self-determination and the principle of
territorial integrity,’ said Tigran Balayan, head of the Ministry’s
media relations division.

`Armenia has numerously states that the resolution of the Karabakh
conflict should base on recognition of the NKR people’s right to
self-determination and independence. Talks are underway. No agreement
has been reached thus far. And it’s premature to speak of any now,’
Balayan commented.

In an interview with Voice of America, Ambassador Bryza said
resolution of the Karabakh conflict is not far away and that it’s
based on the principle of territorial integrity. `The right of
nation’s to self-determination and inadmissibility of use of force
should also be fixed in the agreement,’ he said.

TURKEY NEEDS CONSOLIDATION OF POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC TIES WITH HER NORTHERN NEIGHBOUR
Karine Ter-Sahakyan

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.02.2009 GMT+04:00

Energy carriers purchase accounts for the considerable part of
commodity circulation of Turkey and Russia: 2/3 of natural gas and
1/3 of oil Turkey imports from Russia.

Turkish President’s latest visit to Moscow was in June 2006 by
then president Ahmet Necdet Sezer. It should be noted that Turkish
presidents do not usually travel around the world; this advantage is
often taken by country’s prime-ministers. On the whole, the president’s
post has more representative functions in Turkey, but the situation
changed with the Islamists coming to power.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ As usual, international visits are paid by the
Prime-Minister, but President Abdullah Gul carries out rather an active
international policy too. Possibly, the reason is that current Turkish
President long occupied the position of the country’s foreign minister.

In the light of changing geopolitical situation the visit of Abdullah
Gul to Moscow is of great significance. Turkey needs consolidation
of political and economic ties with her northern neighbour, which
is also on allied terms with Armenia. Ankara realizes it best that
neither regulation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict nor normalization
of Armenian-Turkish relations is possible without Russia. Though
hardly anything can Moscow do in relation to the Armenian-Turkish
relations, it is only for the time being. In his interview to the
Russian program "Vesti" the President of Turkey underlined Russia’s key
role in peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "Turkey
hails the trilateral meeting of Moscow between the Russian, Armenian
and Azerbaijani Presidents in December 2008, at the end of which a
declaration was signed on peaceful resolution of the conflict. We
consider that Russia, as the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair on Nagorno
Karabakh, has a key role in this matter," Gul said.

In the words of the Turkish President, Ankara has long been seeking
ways to normalize relations with neighboring Armenia and has seized
every opportunity of a dialogue. "The World Cup qualifier between our
teams offered us a wonderful opportunity. I paid a visit to Yerevan
then and watched the match with my Armenian counterpart. After
the match we had an excellent and effective meeting with President
Sargsyan. I am happy that the dialogue we opened in Yerevan is going
on," Gul noted.

In this connection it should be noted that any step by Ankara towards
normalization of relations with Armenia is perceived rather nervously
by Azerbaijan, and the visit to Moscow was not an exception. Baku
won’t understand that brotherhood is good but personal interests
are more important. And if today Ankara needs intimacy with Armenia,
she can easily leave Azerbaijan aside. This is what we are gradually
coming to, and various statements of Azeri political scientists on
the conduct of Turkish officials, as well as the Turkish diplomats’
promises that Ankara will never leave Baku face to face with the
Karabakh issue pursue one goal – to mentally prepare the Azeri people
that Turkey Â"swindledÂ" them not only in the Karabakh issue but also
in transportation of energy carriers. And for Baku it is much more
serious than simply politics.

Another issue to be discussed in Moscow is the Caucasus Platform
of Stability and Cooperation posed by Turkish Prime-Minister
Erdogan. However, its implementation looks rather vague because of
Iran’s non-participation in it. Moreover, there are rumours that Iran
might put forth a similar proposal too.

The economic, or to be more precise, the energy constituent is
most significant in Moscow meetings. As Gul states, energy carriers
purchase accounts for the considerable part of commodity circulation of
Turkey and Russia: 2/3 of natural gas and 1/3 of oil Turkey imports
from Russia. Most likely, Moscow meetings will also dwell on the
project "Blue stream-2" that would allow southerly delivery of the
Russian gas through Turkey. First and foremost this means Turkey may
decline from the project Nabucco if the transit from Russia is more
profitable than, say from Azerbaijan or Turkmenistan. Remember that
the pipeline "Blue stream" was built in the shortest possible time
and functions successfully, contrary to the expectations of some
skeptics who believed it was impossible to transport gas through
the seabed of the Black Sea. It was especially thanks to the "Blue
stream" that Turkey suffered slightest losses during the "gas war"
between Russia and Ukraine. As for the delivery of gas from Russia to
Turkey, in 2009 it will probably amount to 25.5 billion cubic meters,
i.e. 1.7 billion cubic meters more than in 2008. Most likely RF will
also take part in the construction of Turkish atomic power plants,
which has been under discussion still since last year.

Turkish President’s visit to RF is somewhat directed against the
USA and Israel, especially after Erdogan’s ‘trick’ in Davos. The
new administration of the White House is too busy with the economic
crisis to listen to Turkey’s Â"threatsÂ" about cooling US-Turkish
relations. Roughly speaking, Barak Obama has neither time nor
the nerves to deal with it. He is trying to save the USA from
the crisis, withdraw part of his troops from Iraq and come to an
agreement with Moscow. Against this background Turkish statements
on the Â"undesirability and inadmissibilityÂ" of recognition of the
Armenian Genocide by the US Congress simply look naïve. It’s worth
mentioning that the RF State Duma recognized the Armenian Genocide
still in 1995 but Russian-Turkish relations did not suffer a bit,
similar to the French-Turkish relations. The only difference is that
Bush Administration was rather vulnerable and the Turkish Government
seized the opportunity.

TURKEY IS NOT A MEDIATOR

AZG Armenian Daily
13/02/2009

Karabakh conflict

To the question of ITAR-TASS news agency, "How will you comment on the
"Hurriet" newspaper news about an agreement on a solution plan for the
Karabakh conflict?" Head of the Department for Mass Media Relations
of RA FM press service Tigran Balayan answered, "The negotiations of
Karabakh issue are not conducted under Turkish mediation. Armenian
Foreign Minster Edward Nalbandian mentioned repeatedly that the
negotiations of Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement are conducted
under the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs on the basis
of Madrid Principles".

SCIENCE-INTENSIVE ECONOMY END OF ARMENIA’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

ARKA
Feb 11, 2009

YEREVAN, February 11. /ARKA/. The ultimate aim of Armenia’s economic
development is the formation of science-intensive economy, RA Minister
of Economy Nerses Yeritsyan stated at his meeting with students of
Yerevan State University.

Referring to international criteria, the Minister said that
science-intensive economy implies emphasis on laboratories, research,
education and financial infrastructures.

"If the infrastructures are integrated and constitute a critical share
in a country’s GDP, this country can be said to have science-intensive
economy," the Minister said.

Yeritsyan pointed out the necessity for highly skilled specialists
capable of advancing their own initiatives, and the Government will
be able to facilitate their development and attract large-scale
investments.

The Minister urged the students to advance their initiatives and
gain experience.

"One person’s initiative is tantamount to dozens of laws, and
entrepreneurial people make laws effective, which facilitates their
cooperation," Yeritsyan said.

IN TURKISH PARLIAMENTARIAN’S AFFIRMATION, CAMPAIGN I APOLOGIZE TO ARMENIANS IS SPONSORED BY EUROPEAN UNION

Noyan Tapan

Feb 10, 2009

BAKU, FEBRUARY 10, NOYAN TAPAN. Some initiators of the campaign I
Apologize to the Armenians launched in Turkey have received big sums
from European Union funds. According to the Merkez newspaper published
in Azerbaijan, deputy of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey,
member of the Nationalist Movement party Behic Celik stated this.

According to the Azeri newspaper, the Turkish parliamentarian stated
that the campaign I Apologize to the Armenians started in Turkey
by European Union’s order, and those conducting the campaign have
received big sums from European funds.

Thus, according to Behic Celik, among campaign initiators, Ahmed Insel,
Halil Berktay, Murad Belge, Serafettin Elci, Mehmed Ali Birand have
received 107 414 euros each, journalist Mine Kerekkanat 70 thousand
euros, professor Ibrahim Kaboglu 193 548 euros, professor Atilla
Yayla 449 620 euros, Ertugrul Kurkrcu 809 414 euros.

Agos newspaper’s editor-in-chief Etyen Mahcupian has received the
biggest sum, 1m 32 thousand 921 euros, on the list of the names
mentioned by the Turkish deputy.

"The above mentioned people for the sums received by them carry out
online signature collection I Apologize to the Armenians and ensure
assistance of greater number of people to that campaign," the Turkish
deputy stated.

It should be mentioned that in 2008 December four Turkish
intellectuals, Basken Oran, Ahmed Insel, Cengiz Aktar, and Ali
Bayramoglu came up with the initiative I Apologize to the Armenians,
within the framework of which an online signature collection was
organized.

More than 28 thousand people assist to the campaign I Apologize
to the Armenians. A website I Expect Apology operates in Turkey to
counteract to this campaign. According to the latest data, the website
has collected more than 116 thousand signatures.