Author: Chakhmakhchian Vatche

ADB TO PROVIDE $40 MILLION LOAN HELP BUILD A NEW TERMINAL AT ZVARTNOTS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
30.03.2010 15:09 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing a
loan of up to $40 million to help build a new terminal at Zvartnots
International Airport in Yerevan, Armenia.

The loan marks ADB’s first private-sector infrastructure investment
in Armenia and the Caucasus region and comes at a critical time for
the Armenian economy. After growing 13.8% in 2007, the country’s
gross domestic product expanded only 6.8% in 2008 and the National
Statistics Office has reported a 14.4% contraction in 2009, the Bank
said in a press release.

"Commercial funding for this and other projects dried up because of
the global financial crisis so this loan is critical in bringing
in much-needed external investment that we hope will increase the
confidence of the international business community in investing in
Armenia," said Philip Erquiaga, Director General of ADB’s Private
Sector Operations Department.

The loan will help fund the $173 million cost of a new two-storey
terminal building to supplement an existing concourse, helping
Zvartnots International Airport to increase the number of destinations
it serves and boost the frequency of flights. By the time the terminal
is operational in 2012, the airport should be able to handle about
3.2 million passengers a year, up from the current 1.8-2.0 million.

Armenia’s estimated 7-million-strong diaspora, which still has strong
social and economic ties with its homeland, is also expected to take
full advantage of the improved air services.

"For a landlocked country, good infrastructure – and civil aviation
in particular – is vital as a means of quickly distributing goods and
services. Faster transport should fuel economic growth and increase
tourism," said Shantanu Chakraborty, Senior Investment Specialist in
ADB’s Private Sector Operations Department.

Armenia has a very limited railway system and the road infrastructure
is in urgent need of fresh investment. As well as this latest loan,
ADB has also provided $550 million in loans and technical assistance
to the road sector alone to improve the country’s transportation links.

Zvartnots International Airport, privatized in 2002, is operated by
Armenia International Airports (ArIA) under a 30-year concession
granted by the government. ArIA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of
American International Airports, a New York-based airport holding
company that holds concessions to manage airports in Argentina,
Ecuador and Uruguay.

The floating-rate loan from ADB’s ordinary capital resources
carries a 10.5-year maturity with a grace period of 3.25 years. The
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Deutsche
Investitions-und-Entwicklungsgesellschaft are also providing loans
equivalent to $40 million and $20 million respectively to the project.

ArIA will finance the remainder of the project cost through equity,
subordinated loans and internally generated funds.

UN OPENS UN CORNER IN THE ARTASHAT CENTER FOR ORGANIZING YOUTH ACTIVITIES

armradio.am
30.03.2010 11:20

Public in Ararat region will have access to more information on
United Nations values and UN work in Armenia, since a UN Corner was
launched today in the Artashat based Ararat Center for organizing
youth activities.

Young people, civil society activists and local authorities jointly
with their UN partners will have an opportunity to organize UN-related
cultural, educational, and other events for the community and discuss
joint solutions to local problems.

"We welcome the launching of this UN Corner in Artashat and we are
sure it will serve as an additional stimulus to raise the activeness
of youth population of the province. We appreciate this initiative and
look forward to continue our cooperation with the UN Armenia Office",
said Ms. Anahit Tahmazyan, representative of the Artashat Youth Center.

Maria Dotsenko, UN Department of Public Information Representative
said: "This is an important initiative for UN, as the UN Corner in
the Youth Center will contribute to the promotion of the UN values
and activities in Armenia. We are trying to come closer to ordinary
people in the regions."

The launching of this UN Corner is a result of the trilateral
cooperation between the "Center for Organizing Youth Activities"
governmental non-profit organization of the Ministry of Sport and
Youth Affairs, UN Department of Public Information and "Armenian UN
Association" NGO. This is the fifth UN Corner functioning in Armenia.

Other UN Corners exist in Gyumri, Hrazdan, Ijevan and Kapan.

PROSPECTS OF SOLUTION TO SOUTH CAUCASIAN CONFLICTS TO BE DISCUSSED IN FRANCE

news.az
March 29 2010
Azerbaijan

Elkhan Nuriyev Elkhan Nuriyev, chief of the Strategic Research Center
(SRC) under the President of Azerbaijan is on a visit to France.

Nuriyev will be a key reporter at the round table hosted by the
International Institute of International Relations and Strategic
Researches on March 31, which will focus the prospects of solution
to the conflicts in the South Caucasus in terms o Nagorno Karabakh,
SRC press service said.

Members of the French parliament, well-known political scientists,
economists and representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in
France will attend the round table.

Nuriyev will also hold working meetings with the officials of the
French Presidential Administration, Parliament, the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and representatives of the French think tanks.

Contemporary geopolitics in the South Caucasus, Azerbaijan’s role in
the European energy security, impact of the unresolved conflicts on the
global security, as well as regional projects within the scientific
cooperation between the analytical centers of the two countries will
be discussed at the meetings.

There will be wide exchange of opinions about the Azerbaijan’s domestic
and foreign policy, current state and prospects of the development
of Azerbaijan-Europe relations, particularly the Azerbaijan-France
relations.

NKR’S INDEPENDENCE AND SECURITY NOT SUBJECT TO ANY SPECULATION: BAKO SAHAKYAN

Tert.am
11:21 29.03.10

On 28 March, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) President Bako Sahakyan
met OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs Robert Bradtke (US), Yuri Merzlyakov
(Russia), and Bernard Fassier (France), as well as the officials
accompanying them, reports the NKR President’s central information
department.

Issues related to the current stage and prospects of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement were discussed during the meeting.

Sahakyan once again stressed that without NKR’s full participation
it would be impossible to reach a final and comprehensive settlement
of the conflict.

Sahakyan noted that Azerbaijan’s unconstructive, militaristic
approaches and its denial of mutual confidence initiatives are the
main obstacles to settling the conflict. The NKR president once again
underlined that NKR’s independence and security are not subject to
any speculations and any attempt to bring back the past are full of
unpredictable consequences.

Sahakyan reiterated NKR’s adherence to a peaceful settlement of the
conflict within the framework of the Minsk Group. The co-chairs also
underlined that any solution of the conflict through military means
is absolutely unacceptable.

Touching upon Armenian-Turkish relations, the NKR president noted
that this process does not have any relation to the settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and attempts to tie these processes
together cast a negative impact on both processes.

Issues related to the situation along the line of contact were also
discussed at the meeting.

NKR foreign minister Georgy Petrosyan and Personal Representative
of the OSCE Chair-in-Office, Andrzej Kasprzyk were also present at
the talks.

FLOWERS ON TOMB

12:22:56 – 25/03/2010
hos17290.html

At the occasion of the second year of Andranik Margaryan’s death,
Serge Sargsyan accompanied by the ruling elite of Armenia, visited
Komitas pantheon and put flowers on the tomb of Andranik Margaryan.

THREE BIG FUNERALS OF TURKEY

s17259.html
14:10:39 – 23/03/2010

The ratification of the Armenian and Turkish protocols is frozen and
it will hardly take place before April 24, said in Yerevan, the head
of the Turkish Liberal-Democratic party Jem Tocker.

According to him, they are supposed not to be based on preconditions,
but the Turkish prime minister poses preconditions – Karabakh
issue, the government uses the decision of the Armenian CC, and the
legislative acts adopted recently in Sweden. He says the international
repression on Turkey in connection with the ratification of the
protocols is wrong. At the same time, Tocker affirms Turkey has enough
resource to resist that pressure.

Tocker thinks the fact that the Turkish government connects the
ratification of the protocols with the NKR issue is wrong. He says
by ratifying the protocols, Turkey will have more levers to influence
the Karabakh issue settlement. Tocker does not think the Armenian and
Turkish process will disappear. He says he knows three big funerals in
Turkey – the one of Kemal Ataturk, the president Ozalin and Hrant Dink.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: JERUSALEM NOT A SETTLEMENT BUT OUR CAPITAL

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
23.03.2010 15:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told AIPAC
activists Monday night that "Jerusalem is not a settlement," and also
depicted the Palestinian Authority as not taking steps for peace.

During the comments on Jerusalem, the 8,000 American Israel Public
Affairs Committee activists packed into the Washington Convention
Center burst into lengthy cheers, underscoring how the U.S.-Israel
tensions over Israeli building in the eastern part of the city have
yet to subside.

"The Jewish people were building Jerusalem 3,000 year ago and the
Jewish people are building Jerusalem today," he said. "Jerusalem is
not a settlement. It is our capital."

Netanyahu also criticized the Palestinian Authority. "What has the
Palestinian Authority done for peace?" Netanyahu said. "They have
placed preconditions on peace talks, waged a relentless international
campaign to undermine Israel’s legitimacy, and promoted the notorious
Goldstone Report that falsely accuses Israel of war crimes," he said,
JTA reported.

A1 + LAUNCHES "ADVANCED COURSES FOR TV EMPLOYEES"

3/22/a1
11:55 am | March 22, 2010

Social

"A1 +" TV Company announces "Advanced Courses for TV Employees"
(License N 059) specializing in "TV journalism"

The course covers 6 months and is payable.

Address: Floor 5, 1/3 Buzand, Yerevan tel.: 54 37 67

All interested candidates can contact the company from 10:00 a.m. to
5:00 p.m.

PASADENA ANC PLANS BLOOD DRIVE TO COMMEMORATE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Armradio.am
19.03.2010 11:11

The City of Pasadena’s largest and most powerful Armenian American
public affairs organization is planning to hold a blood drive this
year to commemorate the Armenian Genocide. The Pasadena Armenian
National Committee will be hosting the blood drive at the Pasadena
Armenian Center with a number of prominent community organizations
and welcomes additional organization to join the effort to mark the
genocide by giving the gift of life to those in need of blood.

"Commemorating the Armenian Genocide by giving the gift of life, blood
to those in need, is a fitting tribute to our martyrs and survivors,"
commented Ishkhan Boghossian, Pasadena ANC Executive Director. "We
believe that all Armenian Americans in the City of Pasadena will
appreciate the opportunity to save a life this year as they mark the
95th commemoration of our genocide. What better way to say thank
you to America, which was among the first nation in the world to
provide humanitarian aide to survivors of the Armenian Genocide,"
Boghossian added.

ARTSAKH’S PRESIDENT AWARDS ZORY BALAYAN WITH ORDER

Aysor
March 17 2010
Armenia

President of Republic of Artsakh Bako Sahakian participated Tuesday
in the ceremony, dedicated to writer and publicist Zory Balayan’s 75th
birth anniversary, a spokesperson for Press Office of the Presidential
Administration of Nagorno-Karabakh said.

The ceremony was held at the Culture and Youth Palace in Stepanakert.

President Bako Sahakian congratulated Zory Balayan and awarded him
with Order of Mesrop Mashtots.