Author: Chaltikian Arsine

ARMENIAN FILM FESTIVAL IN TURKEY

Panorama.am
17:56 19/03/2009

Armenian films’ festival "23.5" will be conducted in Istanbul,
said Georgi Vanyan, the President of Caucasus Center of Peaceful
Initiatives. According to him Turkish-Azerbaijani working group
will arrive in Armenia to discuss the festival which is scheduled in
autumn. Georgi Vanyan said that they have colleagues from Azerbaijan
because they wish to inform the Azerbaijani society about the event
also. "We are long to present the Turkish youth the view points and
concerns of Armenian film producers regarding various problems,"
he said.

VANADZOR CHEMICALS PLANT NEEDS $4MLN FOR RESUMING ORGANIC FERTILIZER PRODUCTION

ARKA
March 18, 2009

VANADZOR, March 18. /ARKA/. The Vanadzor-based Prometey-Khimprom CJSC
needs $4mln to resume the production organic fertilizers, Director
General Alexander Snigeryev told reporters during RA Prime Minister
Tigran Sargsyan’s visit to the enterprise.

"This will enable the plant to annually produce 30,000 tons of
organic fertilizers, particularly carbamide, and 30,000 tons of potash
fertilizers," Snegiryev said.

He pointed out that the products are exclusively intended for domestic
needs. Snegiryev also said that the demand for organic fertilizers
reaches 120,000 tons in Armenia.

He said that the plant’s top priority task is to restore large-scale
production of organic fertilizers.

For decades the plant was one of the best plants in the former
USSR. Organic fertilizers were used in the production of saltpeter
and carbamide.

Snegiryev believes that the plant will produce the first lot of
carbamide in six months. According to him, the plant does not have
to operate at full capacity now.

"The present situation shows the need for several solutions for the
production of substitute goods," he said. Snegiryev pointed out
that the plant plans to offer the Government a program of potash
chlorine-free fertilizers and "raise the issue of a program of
phosphoric components."

"Phosphorus, nitrogen an d potassium are the three central factors of
agriculture which allow developed western countries to get high-quality
yield," Snegiryev said.

He pointed out that the plant expects the Government’s assistance in
resuming the production, creating customs facilities and preventing
the import of low-quality saltpeter to Armenia.

"We plant to present anti-crisis programs to the Armenian Prime
Minister and exchange views and present manufacturing equipment,"
Snegiryev said.

According to him, the plant is presently hardly operating – the one
ton of potash fertilizers daily produced at the plant is distributed
among the farmers free of charge.

Snegiryev reported that 480 of the 830 employees are currently
working at the plant, the rest have been laid off and have not
received wages for two months. He stressed that the carbide-producing
shop is not operating because of a two-fold decrease in the world
prices for carbide. "We are considering the possibility of resuming
carbide production because we used to export 95% of our products,"
Snegiryev said.

The Prometey-Khimprom CJSC resumed operation in 2005. After an abortive
attempt to transfer the plant to the Slovakian Dividend Group, the
plant was re-operated by it actual owner, Zakneftegazstroy-Prometey
OJSC (Russia), which purchased the plant for $1.5mln in May 1999.

PACE MONITORING MISSION ARRIVES IN BAKU

Panorama.am
11:38 17/03/2009

The Monitoring Mission of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe (PACE) arrives in Baku on 17 March. PACE mission will monitor
the referendum on the changes and amendments to the Constitution of
Azerbaijan on 18 March. The working party "Eni Azerbaijan" took the
initiative to hold the referendum.

SERGEY KHACHATRYAN: HE’S DAZZLED THE ORCHESTRAL WORLD – NOW THE VIOLINIST IS KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY
By Hugh Montgomery

The New Review
March 15, 2009
UK

"I never counted myself as a child prodigy," says violinist Sergey
Khachatryan. Others may beg to differ. Born in Armenia, he first
picked up the violin aged five, only because his mother, father,
and sister Lusine (pictured here with Sergey) were all pianists and
another would have been "too much for one house". Within five years
the family had moved to Germany and Sergey was playing concertos with
professional orchestras. By 15, he had become the youngest-ever winner
of the Sibelius violin competition in Helsinki.

A dizzy career ascent, then, but one during which he remained
level-headed. "You see other young violinists getting complexes
about going on stage because of the pressure put on them by parents
and teachers, but that was never the case with me," he says. "I was
going to a normal school and having a normal child’s life."

Now 23, Khachatryan has been repeatedly acclaimed for an
expressiveness beyond his years; one critic described his performance
of Shostakovich’s First Violin Concerto at the 2005 Proms as "one
of the most mature and complete interpretations of this piece it is
possible to imagine".

Aside from his orchestral work, he regularly partners his sister in
recitals: they’re at the Wigmore Hall this week, offering a programme
of Beethoven, Brahms, and Bach.

Whatever may lie ahead, his main concern is conserving the passion
that has propelled him this far. "You see many of today’s artists go
out on stage and you can tell they’re there because it’s their ‘job’
– I’m afraid of that word. Every time I go out on stage, I want to
be in a special state, to create a special atmosphere." *

Sergey and Lusine Khachatryan play the Wigmore Hall, London W1,
on Wednesday (, 020 7935 2141)

ILLEGAL TRADERS IN CURRENCY TRACKED DOWN BY ARMENIAN NATIONAL SECURITY

ARKA
March 16, 2009

YEREVAN, March 16. /ARKA/. National security officers have tracked
down a ring engaging in illegal trade in currency in Yerevan.

The press office of the National Security Service told ARKA News Agency
that the ring exchanged currency after beforehand arrangements with
foreign exchange offices in Yerevan and provinces and individuals.

According to the report, some officers at Armenian commercial banks
supported the offenders by exchanging great amounts of currency
on favourable conditions and provided them with information about
exchange rates.

The matter is under preliminary investigation now.

TURKISH DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER: TURKEY’S POSITION ON KARABAKH PROBLEM WILL CONTINUE AS BEFORE, NOTHING HAS CHANGED

APA
March 16 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku – APA. "The United States and Turkey have common targets on
a number of issues, including Caucasus," Turkey’s Deputy Foreign
Minister, former Turkish ambassador to Azerbaijan Ahmet Unal Chevikoz,
who ended his visit to Washington, said in his interview to Turkish
service of the Voice of America, APA reports.

Chevikoz had high-level meetings with the U.S. officials in Washington
and discussed President Barack Obama’s forthcoming visit to Ankara.

"Obama’s visit is very important. The relations between the two
countries were discussed during the recent visit of the Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton to Ankara. We saw that the two countries had
very significant foreign policy targets. We have a common agenda on
a number of issues, including our relations with Iraq, Afghanistan,
Caucasus and Russia," he said.

Commenting on Turkey’s policy with respect to Armenia Chevikoz said
the whole world witnessed everything.

"After September 6 visit of President Abdullah Gul to
Yerevan, high-level warm relations were formed between the two
countries. Foreign Ministers met seven times. The ways to improve
Turkey-Armenia relations were discussed at the meetings. We hope the
relations will normalize soon and it will be continuous. There are some
preparations in this respect and these preparations will be realized
with support of the Foreign Ministers of the two countries," he said.

Ahmet Unal Chevikoz also commented on Azerbaijan’s attitude towards
Ankara-Yerevan relations.

"Being our nearest neighbor in the region Azerbaijan is attentively
observing normalization of the relations between Turkey and Armenia. On
the other hand, there is unsolved Karabakh conflict between Armenia
and Azerbaijan. It is normal that Azerbaijan is observing these
processes. But Azerbaijan need not worry or doubt anything. Turkey’s
position on Karabakh problem will continue as before, nothing has
changed. Of course, normalization of the relations between Turkey and
Armenia is parallel to the process of settlement of Nagorno Karabakh
problem," he said.

Turkish diplomat said his country was not mediator, but played an
easing role in the settlement of the conflicts in the region.

Ankara has offered opportunities for contacts between Afghanistan
and Pakistan, Israel and Palestine and played an easing role in
Israel-Syria and Syria-Lebanon dialogues and European Union’s contacts
with Iran.

"All this is sourced from everybody’s confidence in Turkey," he said.

I APPRECIATE MY FREEDOM AT ITS TRUE VALUE

A1+
[02:21 pm] 16 March, 2009

The Chairman of the Civil Court of Appeal, Edward Muradyan, has
tendered a letter of resignation to Serzh Sargsyan. He did not ground
for his resignation in the letter.

Nevertheless, Edward Muradyan is said to be on good terms with the
ex chairman of the Court of Cassation, Hovhannes Manukyan, and his
resignation is somehow connected with Manukyan’s withdrawal from
the system.

"I lost interest in my job. I felt I couldn’t fulfill myself," says
Edward Muradyan. He says the system has recently been reformed. Today
he no longer finds contentment in his job. Edward Muradyan also
spoke about his achievements in the system, in particular about
the introduction of the right to a precedent. Mr. Muradyan says he
no longer reaps the fruits of his labour, or uses his potential,
therefore he has sent in his papers. "I appreciate my freedom at
its true value." Asked whether his resignation is somehow connected
with the discrediting of the judicial system in light of the recent
political trials, Edward Muradyan said: "I have no connections with
these trials as I preside over the Civil Court of Appeal. Besides,
I cannot say whether the system has been discredited or not. But I
know one thing for sure: the system has been sharply criticised."

Mr. Muradyan says he will continue to work in the sphere of justice,
and all his future efforts will be directed to its improvement. "I
don’t think I have done my bit before my country."

Note that Edward Muradyan was appointed Chairman of the Civil Court
of Appeal on January 1, 2008. He sent in his resignation on March
13, 2009.

Omnibus Bill Maintains military ad parity to Armenia and Azerbaijan,
increases aid to Karabakh

armradio.am
13.03.2009 11:05

2009 Appropriations bill, signed into law by President Obama earlier
this week once again maintained military aid parity between Armenia and
Azerbaijan, and included $48 million in assistance to Armenia and
another $8 million for Nagorno Karabakh, reported the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA).

"We would like to thank Chairwoman Lowey, Chairman Leahy, and all the
supporters of Armenian American concerns on their two panels for
reaffirming military aid parity, approving a robust aid package for
Nagorno Karabakh, and doubling the Bush Administration’s patently
insufficient $24 million aid request for Armenia," said Aram Hamparian,
Executive Director of the ANCA. "We look forward, in the coming year,
with a new Administration in the White House, to working with our
Congressional friends to restore U.S. aid to a level commensurate with
actual needs in Armenia, the many challenges she faces in the region,
and the scope of the growing U.S.-Armenia relationship."

The FY09 Armenia appropriation of $48 million is twice the amount
proposed by the Bush Administration, which consistently sought to
reduce U.S. support for Armenia, but still $10 million (17%) less than
the actual FY08 allocation, and $22 million (31%) short of the $70
million proposed by the Armenian Caucus.

The Congress, in rejecting the Bush Administration’s final attempt to
break the military aid parity agreement it reached with Congress in
2001, set Foreign Military Financing levels for both Armenia and
Azerbaijan at $3 million.

The $8 million aid figure for Nagorno Karabakh reflects the U.S.
House’s version of the foreign aid bill, crafted under the leadership
of Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY), the Chairwoman of the
Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related
Programs, and represents a historic high-water mark in direct U.S.
support for this program.

Interfax, Russia
March 12 2009

Document alleging Russia’s weapons supplies to Armenia fake – Lavrov

BAKU March 12

A document circulated by the media as if to confirm that Russia had
sold weapons to Armenia is a forgery, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov said.

"As regards the fuss that has been stirred around this document, which
has been circulated in both Azeri and Russian media outlets, it is a
fake. It actually does not meet any criteria set for such kind of
documents," Lavrov said at a press conference in Baku on Thursday.

The document contains such grammar mistakes that it puzzles one as to
where it was written, Lavrov said.

"Russia maintains military-technological cooperation with many
countries without violating any international obligations, without
violating its own laws, and without allowing any destabilizing
supplies to any region. It is on these very principles that we
cooperate in the military-technological sphere," Lavrov said.

Ambassador of Georgia leaves Armenia with feeling of person having done
his duty

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, NOYAN TAPAN. On March 12, RA President Serzh
Sargsyan receiving Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
Georgia Revaz Gachechiladze completing his diplomatic mission in
Armenia estimated Ambassador’s four-year activity efficient in the
respect of development of Armenian-Georgian friendly relations: the
political dialogue has become considerably active, the circle of
economic partnership has been expanded, cultural contacts have become
strong.

According to the RA President’s Press Office, R. Gachechiladze said
that he leaves Armenia with the feeling of a person having done his
duty and with unforgettable impressions.