Author: Antonian Lara

AZERBAIJANI NATIONAL SECURITY MINISTER: NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT POSES THREAT FOR EUROPE

Today
974.html
Oct 28 2009
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan’s National Security Minister, Lieutenant-General Eldar
Mahmudov paid an official visit to Bulgaria at the invitation of
Director of Bulgaria’s National Intelligence Service, Major-General
Kircho Kirov, National Security Ministry’s public affairs center said.

Director of Bulgaria’s National Intelligence Service, Major-General
Kircho Kirov said Azerbaijani National Security Minister,
Lieutenant-General Eldar Mahmudov’s visit is of great importance in
improving the relations between Bulgaria and Azerbaijan in the sphere
of security.

Kirov, who visited Baku in April at the invitation of Eldar Mahmudov
on the occasion of the 90th jubilee of security agencies of Azerbaijan
Republic, shared his Baku impressions, especially the impressions
from the meeting with President Ilham Aliyev.

Eldar Mahmudov expressed his gratitude for sincere welcoming and
hospitality and spoke about the work done in the country to ensure
security, protect energy and transport infrastructures, combat
international terrorism, illicit drug turnover, illegal migration
and transnational organized crimes.

Mahmudov once more gave information about the Armenia-Azerbaijan
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict noting the problem poses serious threat not
only to the South Caucasus, but also to the whole Europe and underlined
the importance of solving the conflict within the framework of the
international legal norms.

Expansion of the cooperation in security was discussed and agreement
was reached to deepen exchange of information and experts.

ARMENIAN NA ADOPTS NUCLEAR BILL

news.am
Oct 27 2009
Armenia

The RA Parliament has adopted in the third reading the bill "On
construction of a new power unit in Armenia." RA Minister of Energy
and Natural Resources Armen Movsisyan, who presented the bill,
pointed out that the document provides for the construction of a new
power unit/units with a total capacity of 1.2MW and operating life
of 60 years.

The Minister said that the construction project is estimated at U.S.

$4.5-5bn. Movsisyan pointed out high importance of the new power units
for Armenia, as the neighboring states have energy deficit. Armenia
is the only country in the region that is capable of generating energy
not only for domestic needs, but also export.

During his recent visit to Yerevan President of the Rostom Corporation
Sergey Kiriyenko stated that Rosatom is ready to render its services
to Armenia, using the most reliable technologies.

BELARUS RATIFIES THE TREATY ESTABLISHING EURASEC ANTI-CRISIS FUND

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.10.2009 15:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Belarusian parliament on October 27 ratified the
Treaty on the establishment of the Anti-Crisis Fund EurAsEC . The
first deputy finance minister of Belarus Vladimir Amarin recalled
that the document was signed at a meeting of the EurAsEC Interstate
Council in Moscow in June. The fund will reach USD 10 billion. Russia
will contribute about USD 7,5 billion, Kazakhstan – USD $ 1 billion,
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Armenia – USD 1 million each, Belarus will
make a USD 10 million coontribution, ITAR-TASS reports.

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Oct 25 2009

MAG exhibit offers disturbing views of human body

‘Paint Made Flesh’ is a brave, disturbing exhibit
Stuart Low ¢ Staff writer ¢ October 25, 2009

"Paint Made Flesh," an exhibit opening today at the Memorial Art
Gallery, is for adults even though few of its paintings are erotic.

It offers unflinching, often disturbing views of the human body by
leading modern artists such as Pablo Picasso, Lucian Freud, Julian
Schnabel and Willem de Kooning.

They work with skin and bone like master surgeons, wielding brushes
instead of scalpels. Yet the flesh they lay bare reveals more than
their own virtuoso touches. They use the body as a mirror for the
political and social upheavals of the 20th century.

"These artists are in a certain amount of pain," says Marie Via,
director of exhibitions. "After World War II, their paintings
reflected existential angst in all areas of daily life."

Many artists in the show survived the Holocaust, firebombings in World
War II and Vietnam, or devastating personal crises.

Sometimes these experiences are physically branded on the subjects.

Chicago artist Leon Golub paints two men fleeing a napalm attack,
their naked bodies deeply charred. A more shadowy despair inhabits
Francis Bacon’s Head in Grey. He scrapes and smears his paint until it
fades to a ghostlike pallor, creating a face with no identity.

Several paintings stop you in your tracks by their enormous size ‘ up
to 12 feet long, filling an entire wall. Schnabel constructs a
larger-than-life nude with paint and broken dinner plates. Her
shattered body, flanked by a crucifix-like telephone pole, may
symbolize the Armenian massacres of World War I.

Just as disturbing and brilliantly executed is Hyman Bloom’s close-up
view of an autopsy. Like many surrounding masterpieces, The Hull
(1952) is uncomfortably memorable.

It’s also typical of this exhibit in its fusion of fascination and horror.

The artists’ intricate, flamboyant styles demand close attention.
Their lurid subjects prompt you to look away.
Still, "Paint Made Flesh" is beautifully and spaciously presented.

You can view giant works from a considerable distance, making their
frantic brush strokes blend into a coherent design.
Or you can take an audio tour featuring voices of 12 local artists and
doctors who discuss the themes and medical conditions pictured.

The wall texts are informative and concise. But surprisingly for an
exhibit with this title, they omit details about painting techniques.
Art students will have to guess these magicians’ secrets.

It took a certain amount of courage to host this unsettling show, on
tour from Nashville’s Frist Center for the Visual Arts. Visitors who
can handle its visceral emotional impact will find its artistic power
undeniable.

http://www.democratandchronicle .com/article/20091025/ENT01/910250317/1053/MAG+exh ibit+offers+disturbing+views+of+human+body

VTB BANK ARMENIA DECREASED MORTGAGE AND AUTOMOBILE CREDIT RATES

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
22.10.2009 11:24 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ VTB Bank Armenia announced mortgage and automobile
credit rates decrease, as well as crediting process expedition,
bank’s press service reported.

Annual real estate credit rates decreased from 19,5% to 14%, automobile
credit rates -from 18% to 12%.

Due to updated retail credit management system, automobile credit
applications processing is completed within 3 working days and
automobile credit applications -within 5 days.

RA AMBASSADOR ASHOT KOCHARIAN MEETS WITH LEBANESE PARLIAMENT SPEAKER NABIH BERRI

Noyan Tapan
Oct 21, 2009

BEIRUT, OCTOBER 21, NOYAN TAPAN. RA Ambassador to Lebanon Ashot
Kocharian on October 20 met with Speaker of Lebanese parliament Nabih
Berri. During the meeting the interlocutors positively estimated
the warm relations between the two countries, mutually beneficial
cooperation in many spheres and said that the Armenian community of
Lebanon has a considerable contribution in that issue.

According to a report by the RA Foreign Ministry Press and
Information Department, the sides also discussed ways of activizing
the interparliamentary contacts.

TURKISH BUSINESSES UNDER PRESSURE IN AZERBAIJAN

Tert
Oct 21 2009
Armenia

Complaints by Turkish businesses working in Azerbaijan still continue
to be discussed in Azerbaijani websites and forums. Turkish companies’
representatives state that when Turkish flags were removed in
Azerbaijan, they started to exert pressure on Turkish businesses.

Azerbaijani paper Azadliq quotes a Turkish businessman who appealed to
the paper’s editorial office: "Checks are carried out in the majority
of companies, starting from tax inspectors to doctors. The Azerbaijani
leadership has let it be known through different officials that
‘either you must be against Erdogan’s leadership or you must leave
Azerbaijan.’ We find ourselves in a deadlock. We are forced to sell
our buildings at very low prices, to abandon the property we acquired
over years and to return to Turkey. We aren’t politicians. We mustn’t
become victim to the disputes between Aliyev and Erdogan. And we can
neither come out against our homeland."

According to this Turkish businessman, Azerbaijani leaders also
involve Turkish citizens of Kurdish ancestry in these affairs.

"Turkish students also experience pressure in universities. In the near
future, Turkish students are going to organize a protest demonstration
against Turkey’s leadership. Azerbaijani leadership also makes use of
certain newspapers in order to dispose Turkish businessmen against
Turkey. Statements in our name appear in the press, that allegedly
Turkish businessmen are ready to act against Turkey, if they get
guarantees from Azerbaijani leadership. But we are businessmen. We
don’t want to participate in political games," the businessman stated.

CRIME DETECTION RATE IN ARMENIA’S PENITENTIARIES HAS INCREASED

PanARMENIAN.Net
21.10.2009 20:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On October 20, Heads of penitentiary institutions
met in Justice Ministry’s penitentiary department to conduct their
working discussion. Participants summed up the results of their
activities for the past 9 months.

They attached special importance to the role of operation service
which helped reveal and prevent crimes committed by inmates.

Over the past months of 2009, penitentiary services detected 57 crimes,
instead of the 31 registered for the same period of last year.

As regards crimes committed beyond penitentiaries, their number
makes up 33 compared to the 11 registered last year. Searches helped
confiscate prohibited items whose number reached 3035 in 2008. In
comparison with last year, the number of detected crimes has increased
twice, RA Justice Ministry’s press service reports.

RUSSIAN SUPERJET TO BE PRESENTED AT EXPO-RUSSIA 2009 ARMENIA

ARKA
Oct 20, 2009

YEREVAN, October 20. / ARKA /. Company Sukhoy Civil Aircrafts will
present a large-scale model of Russia’s new Superjet SSJ 100 in
Russia’s second industrial exhibition EXPO-RUSSIA 2009 Armenia.

"One of the most interesting sections will be devoted to
Russian-Armenian cooperation in the field of transport. In particular,
the world famous company Sukhoy will present a large-scale model of
Russia’s new Superjet SSJ 100," director of Russia’s second industrial
exhibition EXPO-RUSSIA 2009 Armenia Svetlana Zabelina told ARKA
NEWS AGENCY.

The appearance of this exhibit in Armenia is connected with the fact
that its prototype has recently successfully completed a program of
certification flight tests, test takeoffs, landing characteristics
and evaluations within the geographical conditions of the Armenian
highlands.

The tests took place in the area of the airport Shirak, which has a
special feature which is that every part of the airport is virtually
surrounded by mountains, so the takeoff and the landing approach is
possible only on the south side.

These tests demonstrated the ability of the aircraft to make safe
takeoffs and landings with the possibility of overshooting in difficult
circumstances.

Two Sukhoi Civil Aircrafts, which have 95 seats, will be put up by
the Armenian national carrier Armavia Company.

Russia’s second industrial exhibition EXPO-RUSSIA ARMENIA will be
held in Yerevan on October 29-31.

The aim of the exhibition is to promote the economic,
scientific-technical and cultural cooperation between Russia and
Armenia, strengthen the ties between the two countries, develop joint
businesses, trade and investment relations.

THERE WAS NO NEED TO PUT PRESSURE ON SERZH SARGSYAN TO DO SO: ARMENIAN POLITICAL EXPERT

Today
727.html
Oct 20 2009
Azerbaijan

Day.Az interview with Armenian political expert and Director of
Caucasus Institute Alexander Iskandaryan.

Day.Az:Turkey-Armenia Football match ended with the victory of
Turkey. What is the result of the "football diplomacy"?

Alexander Iskandaryan: It is too early to speak about outcomes as
the process is not yet complete, and it can develop in different ways.

Intermediate result is the separation of problems Armenian-Turkish
relations from the Nagorno-Karabakh problem.

Representative of the Turkish state signed documents to improve
Armenian-Turkish relations, in which there is no word "Karabakh",
or the word "Azerbaijan".

Q: Was Serzh Sargsyan’s visit to Bursa expected on the backdrop of
recent events?

A: Undoubtedly. It would be strange if having reached success in
signing the protocols Mr. Sargsyan would not go to Bursa for a
football match.

Q: The Armenian-Turkish protocols were signed in Zurich on October 10.

There is an opinion that Armenia has signed the protocols under the
pressure of external forces. What are your views on this issue?

A: No, I do not agree with this opinion. There are different views
on this issue in Armenia, but the president of Armenia and the wider
ruling elite, of course, favored normalization of relations with
Turkey and there was no need to put pressure on him to do so.

Q: The Armenian diaspora is dissatisfied and may discontinue
funding for Armenia. Dashnaks will fight against ratification of the
Armenian-Turkish protocols, as well as the parliamentary faction of
the Heritage Party will raise the question of the resignation of the
country’s leadership. Will Armenian parliament ratify the protocols
on the backdrop of such a scenario?

A: If such a decision is adopted, of course. Correlation of coalition
and opposition forces in the parliament enable to ratify them.

Q: Will the Armenian-Turkish border open in the near future?

A: This is quite possible.