Author: Yeghisabet Arthur

NEW RESOLUTION ON ARMENIA PASSED IN PACE

ArmInfo
2009-06-25 10:59:00

ArmInfo. A new resolution on Armenia has been passed during the
debates in PACE on June 24, according to which Armenia will keep on
being under monitoring.

Co-rapporteurs of PACE Monitoring Committee John Prescott and
Georges Colombier hailed the fact of amnesty announcement in Armenia
and pointed out the role of the Armenian parliament speaker Hovik
Abrahamyan who headed the Armenian delegation in Strasbourg. They
also marked the political will by the country’s authorities. Along
with it, it was noted that the circumstances of death of 10 people on
March 1, 2008, have not been clarified so far. Moreover, a concern was
expressed over termination of the work of the Fact Collecting Group,
as well as the police system and actions of the Prosecutor General’s
Office were subject to criticism. As a result, a decision was made
to keep Armenia under monitoring.

To note, Head of the Armenian delegation to PACE David Harutyunyan
pointed out the positive changes in fulfillment of PACE requirements
and thanked the Assembly and co- rapporteurs for support to the
Republic. ARFD deputy Armen Rustamyan also emphasized the positive
changes and, simultaneously, pointed out the deficiencies of Armenia’s
election system. In her turn, member of the Armenian delegation from
"Heritage" party Zaruhi Postanjyan said Armenia did not fulfill the
requirements of PACE resolutions, and a sense of impunity takes roots
in the authorities. Z. Postanjyan also touched on March 1 events and
said ex-President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan violated Article 15 of
the European Convention on human rights and announced 20-day emergency
situation in the country on March 1, 2008, as well as violated the
Constitution and used armed forces. However, she thinks, the Assembly
has not yet given a serious assessment to the previous and incumbent
authorities’ actions.

The Resolution marked that the Assembly still insists on opening of
‘A1+’ TV Company. The proposal of Head of the Armenian delegation
to PACE David Harutyunyan for the amnesty in relation to the persons
wanted to last after delivery to the authorities and beginning of the
judicial process till July 31, was accepted. The Assembly rejected
all the three proposals of Z.

Postanjyan related to the prisoners on the case of March 1 events and
establishment of specific terms for fulfillment of the liabilities
by Armenia. The Assembly also called on all the political forces of
the country to dialogue.

FREE SCHOOL BOOKS FOR MINORITY SCHOOLS

Hurriyet
June 24 2009
Turkey

ANKARA – The Education Ministry will begin distributing textbooks
in other languages free of charge to minority schools this academic
year. The decision was made after an Armenian-origin citizen, Varujan
Turac, sent a petition to the presidency requesting that minority
schools in the country be provided textbooks in languages other than
Turkish free of charge. Minorities in Turkey are defined under the
terms of the Lausanne Treaty.

Turac had initially applied to Parliament seeking free textbooks for
the Armenian community. In February 2008, he also sent a petition
to the presidency that read: "Our state has been distributing free
textbooks for our 15 million students. Due to the non-publication of
Armenian textbooks for the Armenian student community of around 3,000,
they have to use photocopies to study in Armenian. If our state wishes,
it can fix this disgraceful situation. Please forward my letter to
our president." The presidency forwarded the letter to the Education
Ministry, which passed it to the publications wing of the ministry.

On Jan. 8, the ministry decided to distribute free textbooks in
languages other than Turkish to minority schools for the upcoming
academic year. It stated that the cost for the ministry would be 58,000
Turkish Liras.The issue was discussed at a meeting Monday between
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and European Union ambassadors
in Ankara. "We will start implementing the same process in minority
schools that we do in other primary and secondary schools," Erdogan
said.

ARMENIAN JANUARY-MAY GDP SUFFERS SHARP DROP
Venla Sipila

World Markets Research Centre
Global Insight
June 22 2009

The downturn of the Armenian economy is deepening. Indeed, according
to the latest national accounts data from the National Statistics
Service quoted by Reuters, Armenia’s GDP over the January-May period
contracted by no less than 15.7% year-on-year (y/y). Coming after
falls of 9.7% y/y during January-April and 6.1% y/y in the first
quarter, this result marks further acceleration in the annual rate
of output decrease. Moreover, it also compares unfavourably with the
growth rate of 9.8% seen in the first five months of last year. ARKA
News reports that, in May alone, however, GDP increased by 15.6%
from April. For last year as a whole, the economy expanded by 6.8%,
with easing of growth momentum becoming increasingly clear towards
the end of the year (seeArmenia: 23 January 2009:). This followed
several years of double-digit growth.

Significance:The latest figures confirm that the Armenian economy is
in the grip of a sharp downturn, and this year as a whole is expected
to see GDP fall clearly. Sector-specific data testify to broad-based
weakness, with the construction, industrial and agricultural sector
all contracting considerably. The official government forecast
specified in the budget still projects an annual growth rate of
9.2% – a forecast that is clearly too optimistic. Instead, the
Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) recently has cut its own projection
to show a fall of 5.8% in 2009 GDP, whereas a contraction of 3.0%
was foreseen previously. The Armenian economy is currently suffering
from unfavourable terms-of-trade developments, and most of all, from
the sharp drop in remittance and investment inflows from abroad,
due to the current global economic downturn.

IRGC THREATEN CRACKDOWN ON PROTESTERS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
22.06.2009 19:14 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Iranian protesters who "disturb the peace and stand
up to security forces" will be considered a threat to the regime and
will be met with a strong response, the country’s Revolutionary Guard
warned Monday, CNN reported.

"The guardians of the Islamic revolution and the courageous Basiji
together with the security forces following the orders of the
supreme leader and following him unquestioningly, are determined
to act strongly to return peace and tranquility to society … and
to clean the country of these plotters and hooligans," the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard is directly under the control of Supreme
Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and enforces the government’s Islamic
codes and morality. It was initially created to protect the leaders of
the revolution, but over the years, it has broadened its scope. With
more than 200,000 members, it is tasked with overseeing the country’s
crucial interests, including guarding its oil fields and missile
arsenals.

The Basij is a volunteer paramilitary force that takes orders from the
Revolutionary Guard. It plays the role of de facto morality police
and is often summoned to crack down on protests. It is unknown how
large the force is, though estimates are in the millions.

At least 19 people were killed in clashes in Tehran on Saturday as
Iranians took to the streets to protest the results of the June 12
presidential election, according to hospital sources.

Iranian-funded Press TV confirmed 13 fatalities, while unconfirmed
reports put the number as high as 150. Tehran’s prosecutor general’s
office said it has launched an investigation into the killings.

Italy said it’s willing to open its embassy in Tehran to wounded
protesters in coordination with other European nations, the Italian
Foreign Ministry said.

The move followed a Swedish initiative to look into whether European
Union nations can put together a plan to take in and provide aid to
demonstrators at their embassies in Iran.

POSTELECTION PROCESSES IN IRAN INTERNAL AFFAIR, MOSCOW SAYS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
23.06.2009 13:14 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russia respects Iran’s presidential election results
and will continue to develop mutually beneficial cooperation and
neighborly relations with Tehran, the Russian Foreign Ministry said
in a statement released on Monday.

The Foreign Ministry said the events that occurred in Iran following
the announcement of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s election victory
were an exclusively internal issue for the country.

"We believe that the disagreements arising after the elections should
be settled in strict compliance with Iran’s Constitution and law,"
the statement said, RIA Novosti reported.

NALBANDYAN: ARMENIA, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES SEEK CLOSER RELATIONS

ARKA
June 22, 2009

YEREVAN, May 22. /ARKA/. Armenia and United Arab Emirates are trying to
make ties between the two countries closer, Armenian Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandyan said Sunday in Yerevan, at a joint news conference
with his counterpart from United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah Bin
Zayed Al-Nahyan.

He said that the countries exchanged many visits, but relations
between them, especially economic, are developing slowly.

"There are many programs aimed at developing and strengthening
bilateral relations in this area, and the two countries’ foreign
ministers expressed willingness to do whatever necessary to raise
these relations to a new level and make them more comprehensive",
Nalbandyan said.

The foreign minister of United Arab Emirates, in his turn, said that
the two countries have enough capacity to develop bilateral economic
relations.

"Our companies can intensively cooperate in implementing joint
programs", he said expression gratitude to Armenian Government for
attracting investments from United Arab Emirates.

He thinks it is necessary to see that investments are used
effectively. If so, new investments will come to Armenia.

Both countries’ minister said that there is room for building up
economic and cultural cooperation.

An intergovernmental agreement was signed at that meeting on exchange
of land strips for embassies.

A memorandum on mutual under standing in exempting persons having
diplomatic passports from visa requirements was signed as well.

GRIGOL TABATADZE TO BECOME GEORGIAN AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA, ACCORDING TO SOME REPORTS

ArmInfo
2009-06-22 17:07:00

ArmInfo. Grigol Tabatadze will become Georgian Ambassador to Armenia,
according to some reports.

Gergian Kavkaz press reported that Tabatadze’s candidature has already
been submitted to the Parliament of Georgia.

The Georgian Embassy in Armenia has neither confirmed nor rejected
the reports to ArmInfo.

At present Charge d’Affairs ad interim Gocha Gvaramadze represents
Georgia in Armenia.

Tehran Times, Iran
June 19 2009

Armenian FM congratulates President Ahmadinejad on re-election

MOSCOW (IRNA) ` Armenian Foreign Minister, Edward Nalbandian, on
Friday congratulated President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on his landslide
victory in the 10th President Elections, held in Iran and overseas on
June 12.

In a meeting with Iran’s Ambassador to Yerevan, Ali Saqaian, in
Yerevan on Friday, Nalbandian hoped that Tehran-Yerevan ties will
expand in all dimensions.

Saqaian in turn informed the Armenian top diplomat of a visit to Iran
by an Armenian ranking parliamentary delegation, headed by Armenian
Speaker Hovik Abrahamian, next week and stressed expansion of mutual
cooperation.

The two sides in the meeting discussed host of issues relevant to
bilateral ties, regional developments and Karabakh enclave dispute as
well as recent meeting of Armenian and Azeri Presidents.

Andrei Makarevich put his signature on a Barrel of Peace
20.06.2009 18:34 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The legend of Russian rock, `Mashina Vremeni’ band
leader Andrei Makarevich is in Yerevan. Today Andrei Makarevich
visited Saghmosavank Church, where he was familiarized with its
history. Afterwards the musician visited Yerevan Cognac Factory where
he put his signature on a Barrel of Peace.
In the evening, at the Cilicia sailboat, displayed at Matenadaran, the
Ancient Manuscripts’ Institute in the center of Yerevan, Makarevich
will hold a news conference, whereupon a small concert will be
given. The artist’s visit is aimed to support his friends from Hayas
Naval Research Club.

ACCORDING TO HRACH BERBERIAN, ARMENIAN GRAPE JUICE WITH ITS HIGH SUGAR CONTENT CAN BE COMPETITIVE BOTH IN EUROPE AND RUSSIA

Noyan Tapan
June 19, 2009

YEREVAN, JUNE 19, NOYAN TAPAN. There are great prospects of
developing the wine-making sector in Armenia, but the free market
and business have their own rules so the state should intervene in
this business. Chairman of the Agrarian Farmer Union Hrach Berberian
expressed this opinion at the June 19 press conference. At the same
time he said that the wine-makers cannot regulate their market and
it is necessary to find some other ways in terms of ensuring high
quality production and export. "The state assistance is not necessary
for export, this issue is related to manufacturers’ marketing, which,
unfortunately, is at a low level in Armenia," he noted.

In his opinion, the grapes grown in Ararat Valley have a 30% sugar
content and for that reason the wines made from such grapes are strong
or "heavy" and are not in demand in European markets where many prefer
light wines.

Whereas, according to H. Berberian, grapes with a high sugar content
can be used in the production of grape juice, raisins and grape honey,
which is similar to natural honey in its quality. "It surprises me that
the local manufacturers do not develop this direction. For example,
grape juice is much in demand in Europe, and the Armenian grape juice
with its high sugar content will be competitive both in Europe and
Russia," H. Berberian said, adding that in the Soviet time there was
a brisk demand for Armenian grape juice in Russia.