Author: Boshkezenian Garik

ARMENIA IS INTERESTED IN ENHANCEMENT AND CONSOLIDATION OF MUTUALLY PROFITABLE COOPERATION WITH ESTONIA

ARMENPRESS
June 11, 2009

YEREVAN, JUNE 11, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandyan met today with the Estonian Foreign Minister U. Paet who
is in Armenia on an official visit.

Media relations department of Armenian Foreign Ministry told Armenpress
that greeting the Estonian FM and the delegation headed by him
E. Nalbandyan expressed gratification on the dynamically developing
bilateral relations and stressed that Armenia is interested in the
enhancement and consolidation of mutually profitable cooperation
with Estonia.

U. Paet also highly assessed the established friendly relations
between the two states and noted that Estonia intends to undertake
practical steps towards the development of multilateral cooperation
with Armenia in different spheres.

During the negotiations the efficient cooperation between the Foreign
Ministries of the two states has mutually been stressed as important
as well as an agreement has been reached to hold the next political
consultations in autumn this year in Yerevan.

The Armenian FM expressed gratitude for the support provided by
Estonia towards the establishment of the diplomatic school in Armenia.

Referring to the steps to be undertaken towards boosting of the
economic relations the two Ministers with gratification noted that
the Armenian-Estonian economic forum which will open today in Yerevan
will create new opportunities for the cooperation between the Armenian
and Estonian businessmen.

Armenian and Estonian FMs discussed the opportunity of mutual
facilitation of the entrance visas and issues connected with the
improvement of legal-agreement field. They had a saturated conversation
about the process of cooperation between Armenia and EU and the steps
to be undertaken towards it as well as discussed issues connected
with the EU Eastern Partnership project.

With the request of Estonian Foreign Minister E. Nalbandyan presented
the latest developments of Karabakh conflict troubleshooting
negotiations and the process of regulation of Armenian-Turkish
relations.

During the meeting the sides also referred to a number of regional
and international issues.

After the meeting of the Ministers their joint press conference
took place.

NUMBER OF TOURISTS VISITING ARMENIA INCREASED BY 2,8% IN 2009 FIRST QUARTER

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
12.06.2009 13:24 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The number of tourists visiting Armenia increased
by 2,8% in the first quarter of 2009 as compared to the same period
of 2008, said Mekhak Apresyan, head of tourism division at the RA
Ministry of Economy.

"Tourist flows tend to increase annually. In 2000, some 45 thousand
tourists visited Armenia; in 2008, the number reached 558 thousand,"
he said.

Asked by PanARMENIAN.Net reporter whether it’s true that everyone
arriving in Armenia is registered as tourist, Mr. Apresyan said that
only 40% of those visiting the republic are tourists.

He also said that despite the global economic crisis, the figure
is expected to increase. The tourist season is open. Hotels offer
reduced prices," he said.

MAYOR TO RESIGN OFFICE

A1+
11:39 am | June 10, 2009

Politics

An early election will be held in the city of Nor Hachn.

According to some verified sources, the incumbent mayor Gevorg
Avetisyan is going to tender his resignation to Kotayk’s Marzpet
(Marz governor).

Gevorg Avetisyan is said to have problems with the City Council. He
is affiliated with the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK). Most Aldermen
are also BHK members.

Gevorg Avetisyan was elected City Mayor in the result of an early
election on December 11, 2005. Previously, he occupied the position
of Assistant Director of "Electric Networks of Armenia" CJSC.

The early election became a must after ex Mayor Armen Keshishyan who
was then taken under arrest with charges of murdering the head of
Arzni-based "Electric Networks" Company Ashot Mkhitaryan was reelected
to the post.

It was the first time an arrested person had been elected to a top
position in Armenia.

Anyway, the Territorial Election Commission found the election results
invalid, and a new election was conducted.

Armen Keshishyan was sentenced to a 3.6-year imprisonment. He was
released in May 2008.

FILMS HAVING CONNECTION WITH ARMENIANS WERE CHOSEN

A1+
05:35 pm | June 10, 2009

Culture

Renowned Armenian cinematographer Alain Terzian, one of the directors
of Cannes film festival, will arrive in Armenia within the framework of
"Golden Apricot" international film festival.

The festival will be opened by director Laurent Tuel’s film "First
Period" produced by Alain Terzian.

French noted actor Jean Renault stars in the film and plays the part
of an Armenian criminal.

Note that 430 films from 65 countries qualified for the festival but
only 110 of them were chosen by the jury.

"We have chosen films having some connection with Armenians,’ they say.

The festival is comprised of three traditional nominations-
International live-action films, documentaries and Armenian panorama.

An innovation has been introduced in the festival. The Armenian version
of "Colour of Pomegranate" will be screened within the frames of the
85th anniversary of Sergey Parajanov.

A few premiers will be screened out of the competition. Among them are
"Anna Karenina" and "Assa-2" by Sergey Salavyov. The producer will
arrive in Yerevan with actress Tatyana Drybich.

20 YEARS FOR DINK MURDER, 28 YEARS FOR BOOK ABOUT THIS MURDER

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
11.06.2009 15:27 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ More than two years after Agos editor Hrant Dink was
shot dead, a reporter stands trial for writing about the circumstances
surrounding the murder. For his alleged crimes, he faces 28 years
in prison, eight years more than what the murder suspect would serve
if convicted.

Milliyet daily reporter Nedim ªener’s book "Dink Murder and
Intelligence Lies" focused on the intelligence deficiencies by
security agencies before and after Dink was shot dead, leading to a
police officer and three senior Police Department intelligence chiefs
filing complaints against him.

Dink, who was prosecuted for insulting Turkishness, was killed in
front of Agos’s office. The chief suspect, a teenage nationalist,
is currently on trial along with several alleged accomplices who are
accused of influencing the culprit.

Milliyet daily reported that the complaints have led the Istanbul
Prosecutor’s Office to charge ªener with publication of secret
information and turning anti-terrorism officials into targets. The
reporter faces a maximum prison term of 28 years if found guilty.

ªener, speaking to Anatolia news agency on his way to the opening
hearing yesterday, said he is facing a total of 28 years in prison if
convicted in two cases on charges of obtaining classified documents
and insulting government officials.

ªener has two trials pending as a result of the complaints. Yesterday’s
trial at the Istanbul Second Court was on violating official
secrets. ªener, who faces up to eight years in jail on this charge,
defended himself by saying that the information in his book was from
phone conversations that were made public on televisions and newspapers
months before his book was printed. "These conversations are also on
the Internet and can be found when one searches Google," he said.

ªener said the trial aimed at preventing the public from learning the
facts about Dink’s murder and press freedom. He asked the court to
find him not guilty. The judge decided to postpone the trial to another
date for the defendant’s lawyers to prepare for the prosecutor’s case.

Milliyet Editor-in-Chief Sedat Ergin told Anatolia news agency his
presence at court was to support not only ªener but also press freedom
in Turkey. "We are showing this solidarity in order to ensure press
freedom in respected," he said. The Turkish Journalists’ Association,
or TGC, released a statement on the case, seeing it as "worrying"
and a problem for democracy, Hurriyet Daily News reported.

CURRENTLY ARMENIA HAS 47 DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATIONS ABROAD

NOYAN TAPAN
JUNE 8, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 8, NOYAN TAPAN. Currently Armenia has 47 diplomatic
representations abroad, two of which, in Hague (the Netherlands) and
Batum (Georgia) were opened in 2008. It is expected to open Embassies
in another 3 countries by the end of 2009, in Lithuania, Finland,
and Japan. Their opening was planned earlier, but was delayed because
of the financial-economic crisis. RA Deputy Foreign Minister Arman
Kirakosian reported at the discussion of the account of 2008 state
budget execution at RA National Assembly Standing Committees.

According to him, Armenia has only two commercial representations
abroad, in Brussels (Belgium) and Switzerland, which rather carry
out functions of representations at international organizations. It
was mentioned that RA Foreign Ministry’s position is the following:
Armenia’s Embassies should be engaged in development of bilateral
economic relations. In this respect it is desirable to have commercial
attaches at all Embassies.

It was also mentioned that Armenia strives for getting buildings
for its representations abroad with the ownership right as far as
possible. At present 14 of the buildings of Armenia’s representations
are the ownership of RA, 12 have been given to RA by various Diasporan
organizations for gratuitous use, the others are rented.

FRENCH MP FRANCOIS ROCHEBLOINE VISITED NAGORNO KARABAKH REPUBLIC
Lusine Avanesyan

"Radiolur"
09.06.2009 10:59
Stepanakert

Chairman of the French-Armenian Friendship Group Francois Rochebloine
visited the Nagorno Karabakh Republic at the invitation of the Speaker
of NKR National Assembly, Ashot Ghulyan.

Greeting the French Deputy at the National Assembly, Speaker Ashot
Ghulyan noted that Mr. Rochebloine had always been a friend of
Artsakh and supported the Karabakh people’s struggle for freedom
and independence.

In his turn, the French MP, who was paying the third visit to
NKR, said to be pleasantly surprised at the changes in Nagorno
Karabakh. According to him, the changes "obviously evidence the great
developments that have taken place in various spheres and branches
in Nagorno Karabakh."

Francois Rochebloine emphasized that Nagorno Karabakh people’s right
to self-determination could not be disputed, expressing his readiness
for further promotion of NKR’s international recognition. At the same
time, he declared about the necessity of introducing true information
about Nagorno Karabakh to the international community.

NEGOTIATIONS OVER OPENING KAZBEKI-UPPER LARS CHECKPOINT HAVE NOT YET BEGUN

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
08.06.2009 18:19 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Negotiations on opening a Kazbeki-Upper
Lars checkpoint have not yet begun, Georgian FM Grigol Vashadze
said. Despite Georgia’s willingness to conduct talks, the Russian side
has not yet made any response, the Georgian official added. "The
Georgian side proposed that Russia conduct talks in a neutral
zone. Georgian delegation will do its utmost to achieve agreement
over the issue, as that is in the interests of Georgian people,"
Civil.ge Vashadze as saying.

MODERNIZATION OF ARMENIAN RAILWAY CONTINUES

Noyan Tapan
June 5, 2009

YEREVAN, JUNE 5, NOYAN TAPAN. Modernization of Armenian railway
continues and large-scale changes will be made this year as well,
Director General of South Caucasus Railways CJSC Sheyket Shaydulin
stated at the June 4 press conference, summarizing the results of
one year of the assumption of the Armenian railway’s concessionary
management.

In his words, during the first year their activities have been carried
out in accordance with provisions of the concession agreement. The
company in cooperation with RA Ministry of Transport and Communication
has prepared a document on making additions and amendments to the
concession agreement. The document envisages raising the efficiency
of transport services provision and reforms.

S. Shaydulin said the work on modernization of railway infrastructures
and rolling stock is under way. In particular, this year they plan
to increase the speed of trains in Armavir-Yerevan direction and
improve the quality of services in Armavir-Yerevan-Sevan-Shorzha
sections. Starting from July 1, new rolling stock will be used for
transporting passengers between Yerevan and Batumi. According to
S. Shaydulin, the company will implement serious projects to modernize
the road industry and increase transportation safety.

It was announced that the turnover of goods by railway within the
country grew by 36% in 2008. Cargo transportation volumes by railway
fell by only 19%, including a 7% fall in imports, in January-April
2009 on the same period of 2008. Passenger traffic volumes grew by 46%
in January-May.

AGAIN WRITER FACES TRIAL IN TURKEY

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
04.06.2009

/PanARMENIAN .Net/ Turkish-French author Nedim Gursel still faces a
lawsuit for his novel "Allah’ýn Kýzlarý" (Daughters of God). The
novel, which was released last year in March by Doðan Publishing
House, is still being tried for insulting religious values under
Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code. Gursel was first tried for his
second novel. The storybook titled "Kadýnlar Kitabý" (Women’s Book),
which was released in 1983 and removed from shelves in the same week,
was charged with having offended the public, Hurriyet Daily News says.

Gursel left Turkey in the same year and moved to Paris, where he
still lives and serves as the president of France’s National Center
for Scientific Research, or CNRS.