Author: Chatinian Lara

MINARETS BANNED IN SWITZERLAND

Yerkir
30.11.2009 14:00
Yerevan

Yerevan (Yerkir) – The ban on minarets construction proposed by
rightwing parties was approved by 57% of Swiss voters in Nov. 29
referendum. However, the idea was opposed by the government, as well
as most political parties and businessmen.

Although the initiative was welcomed by Swiss majority, it aroused
concerns amid society. The opponents of the ban say it will boost
extremist tendencies and contradict democratic principles that
stipulate freedom of religion and human rights. Meanwhile, those
backing proposal consider minarets’ building as Muslims’ claim
for power.

There are four mosques having minarets in the country, beyond two
other scheduled to be constructed. However, it is forbidden for a
mullah to call Muslims for a prayer. There are about 400 000 Muslims
in 7-million Switzerland.

Poland closely monitors Armenia-Turkey dialogue
28.11.2009 18:46 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Poland closely monitors the Armenia-Turkey dialogue,
Poland’s Defense Minister Bogdan Klich told a news conference jointly
organized with the RA Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan in Yerevan. "We
believe that ratification of the Protocols will facilitate the
settlement of conflicts in the South Caucasus, `the Polish minister
said.

According to him, the process of normalization of Armenia-Turkey
relations will also facilitate Armenia-NATO dialogue. "I am deeply
believe the consultations taking place between Armenia and NATO
proceed from the interests of both parties. The North Atlantic
Alliance is not an aggressive alliance. This is a defense pact, "
Bogdan Klich said.

RUSSIA, IRAN TO PRESS "RESTART" BUTTON IN BILATERAL TIES

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.11.2009 18:35 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A lot of facts testify to Russia and Iran’s
willingness to enhance bilateral cooperation. Inter-parliamentary
committee’s upcoming plenary session is deemed as an extremely
important event, said Alexander Karpich, Deputy Head of Department
for Asia, Africa and Australia at RF Ministry of Economic Development.

Russian official anticipates a broad discussion and opinion exchange
between both parties’ government experts. "Our energy Minister
will meet not only with his counterpart but also with Iranian
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki who heads the Iranian part of
intergovernmental cooperation committee," he noted. "Issues to be
discussed during negotiations are already being outlined. Let me note
this practice is not something frequent and not common to all states,"
Russian official stressed.

"The upcoming discussion with our Iranian colleagues will cover a
broader range of issues, including nuclear energy," iran.ru quotes
Karpich as saying.

ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER TIGRAN SARGSYAN CALLED AT ITS TODAY’S SESSION TO ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN THE DONATION ORGANIZED BY THE "HAYASTAN" ALL-ARMENIAN FUND

ARMENPRESS
Nov 26, 2009

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan called at its today’s session to actively participate in the
donation organized by the "Hayastan" All-Armenian Fund. He reminded
that the NKR prime minister is in USA these days where the donation
is being organized.

"This year’s topic is Shushi, Shushi restoration works. This is
the issue of national dignity for us. In this respect we all are
obliged by making our own contribution, lead, guide our relatives,
friends to ensure wide participation in the program. I think all
the high-ranked officials with their own example must inspire their
friends, relatives. Our personal duty is to participate in this
donation," the prime minister said, calling on the officials present
in the session convey this mood to their colleagues.

S. CAUCASUS PROBLEMS CAN BE RESOLVE ONLY THROUGH COOPERATIVE EFFORTS – ARMENIAN OFFIICAL

Interfax
Nov 24 2009
Russia

Problems in the South Caucasus can be resolved only through joint
efforts of all the region’s countries, Armenian National Security
Council Secretary Artur Bagdasarian said.

"Regional processes pose problems, the resolution of which requires
consolidated efforts of all countries in the region. The consolidation
of these efforts is possible only on condition of mutual confidence
between the region’s countries and open and committed dialogue,"
Bagdasarian said at a roundtable conference dealing with the Collective
Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) as a factor of stability and
security in the Caucasus region in Yerevan.

The CSTO is an important factor of comprehensive security and stability
in the Caucasus, he said.

"Programs on combating trans-frontier organized crime, drug
trafficking, a terrorist threat, and illegal migration have been
taken and are being pursued within the organization," he said.

CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha said, "Armenia is among the
most active CSTO members. When it held the rotating chairmanship of
the organization, a number of interesting and extremely productive
initiatives and proposals were implemented. It is in that very period
that the CSTO Collective Operational Reaction Force took shape."

Taking part in the roundtable conference are also political analysts,
experts, members of the CSTO Institute, the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe, the European Union, and NATO.

CCAF URGES FRENCH SENATE TO ADOPT A BILL SANCTIONING DENIAL OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.11.2009 17:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations of
France (CCAF) calls on French Senate to pass a bill criminalizing
denial of Armenian Genocide.

In one of Nancy lyceums, 13-year-old schoolboy Mustafa Dogan
announced with other 5 schoolchildren of Turkish decent that there
was no Armenian Genocide. Thereafter, the boys were expelled from the
classroom. During a history lesson that followed, Mustafa announced
"even if it happened, they deserved it". The boy was suspended from
classes for two days.

After the intervention of "Cojep International" Turkish NGO, the
pupil apologized on Friday, November 20.

In a letter addressed to the school earlier, Cojep International
mentioned that the law on the negation of the Armenian genocide was
not ratified by the Senate. Moreover, it said that "the international
context is very badly selected if we take account of the current
rapprochement between Armenia and Turkey which help countries to
achieve final solution with regard to 1915 incidents."

"Considering this serious incident unacceptable in a country which
recognized the Armenian genocide, CCAF sent on November 24 a letter
to French Senate President Gerard Larcher to draw his attention to
the damage which the denial causes France and elsewhere," French
journalist Jean Eckian told PanARMENIAN.Net.

France is one of the countries which recognized the 1915 Armenian
Genocide. In October 2006, the country’s National Assembly passed
a bill criminalizing denial of Armenian Genocide with a vote of 106
"for" and 19 "against". To enter into force, the document has yet to
be approved by Senate and signed by President. The bill envisages
1-year imprisonment or fine in the amount of 45 thousand Euro for
genocide deniers.

VICE SPEAKER: ARMENIA DOES NOT ACT AS A SERIOUS STATE

news.az
Nov 24 2009
Azerbaijan

Ziyafet Askerov Armenia lingers the resolution of the Karabakh
conflict, first vice speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament Ziyafet
Askerov says.

"Armenia is interested in the preservation of the quo status and does
not fulfill four resolutions of the UN Security Council, does not
follow international legal norms and principles", the news service
of Milli Medjlis quoted Askerov as saying during the meeting with
member of British House of Lords John Desmond Forbes Anderson Waverley
in Baku.

Askerov said the meetings on the level of parliamentarians have been
held for more than ten years yet aggressor Armenia does not act as
a serious state and rejects positive tendencies reached during the
negotiations thus lingering the conflict resolution.

Askerov said despite 18 year activity of the OSCE Minsk Group, there
are still no results.

Askerov said Azerbaijan supports peace and wants the peaceful
resolution of the conflict.

"But if Armenia continues to linger the peaceful resolution of the
Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijan will be obliged to use military way of
liberating its lands", he said.

According to him, the international community treats the Karabakh
conflict as an observer. Askerov said the world countries should
differentiate between aggressor Armenia and victim Azerbaijan.

"These two states should be assessed for their actions and the
conflict settlement should be viewed in this very prism", the first
vice speaker said.

In turn, Lord Waverley agreed on most statements of the first vice
speaker of parliament. He noted that the settlement primarily requires
the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, return of refugees and IDPs to
their homes and provision of Armenians’ security in Nagorno Karabakh.

TURKEY INCREASES ITS INFLUENCE IN THE REGION, FINANCIAL TIMES WRITES

Focus news
Nov 24 2009
Bulgaria

British newspaper Financial Times has published Tuesday detailed
analysis, entitled "Turkey: Ottoman mission,", Turkish Zaman newspaper
writes. The analysis has taken up the present foreign policy of the
country. Turkey’s history has been mentioned and it this relation the
following comment has been made: "Turkey, who has been turned towards
West for a long time, now, the ruling Justice & Development (AK)
party is re-engaging with territories once ruled by the sultans,
from the Balkans to Baghdad, in a drive to return Turkey to a
place among the leadership of the Muslim world and the top ranks of
international diplomacy." It was noted the architect of the policy was
the Turkey foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu, despite he has rejected
the expansionist tag of "neo-Ottoman" preferring his well-used slogan,
"zero problems with neighbours".

It was noted in the analysis that with the growing of its economic
power and with its diplomacy the country has increased its influence
on hard and problematic issues like Caucasus, Iran and Iraq noting
the recent development of the relations between Turkey and Cyrus,
Iraq and Armenia.

The analysis also reads Davutoglu will pay a visit to European capitals
to assure them that "Turley has not changed its aim to access the
EU" and to present its good relations in the region as a "value"
for the West.

ARMENIAN GDP, EXPORTS CONTINUE RAPID CONTRACTION DURING OCTOBER
Venla Sipila

World Markets Research Centre
Global Insight
Nov 23 2009

According to the latest national accounts figures from the Armenian
National Statistical Service, the country’s economy collapsed by
17.5% year-on-year (y/y) in January-October, ARKA News reports. In
October alone, GDP contracted by 5.1% from September. Coming after
the January-September contraction of 18.3% y/y, these most recent
figures suggest some moderation in the rate of annual output decrease
in October.

However, this does not provide much reason for cheer, especially
compared with the very respectable economic growth rate of 9.2%
y/y seen in the first 10 months of last year. Industrial output in
January-October fell by 11.4% y/y, whereas activity in the construction
sector plummeted by 41.6% y/y. Meanwhile, agricultural production fell
by 0.8% y/y. Further, it was reported that exports from Armenia in the
first 10 moths of the year suffered a fall of 40.7% y/y, amounting
to $551US.6 million, while imports at the same time contracted by
28.5% y/y, totalling $2US.57 billion. Thus, the trade deficit for
the January-October period came in at $2US.018 billion. The figures
suggest some deceleration in the annual exports contraction in October,
whereas the fall in imports slightly accelerated. In October alone,
exports decreased by 1.4% from September, while imports increased by
6.1% from the previous month.

Significance:Whereas the severe collapse of the Armenian economy now
should start to ease, as cautiously suggested by the latest data, the
still worse-than-expected performance in the third quarter justified
yet another downward revision in IHS Global Insight’s Armenian GDP
forecast in the November round. We expect 2009 annual contraction to
somewhat exceed the lower end of the government’s forecast of a 10-15%
fall. The extreme severity of the current Armenian economic conditions,
including its major liquidity pressures, has been underlined by the
fact that it has had to seek revisions to its stand-by arrangement with
the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has approved changes to
programme terms and payment schedules (seeArmenia: 3 November 2009:).

FRUITFULL ARMENIA FORUM GETS UNDERWAY IN YEREVAN

Aysor
Nov 23 2009
Armenia

The fifth Fruitfull Armenia Forum launched today in Armenian capital
city of Yerevan. Armenia’s Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan alongside
with Executive Director of Fruitfull Armenia Company, Anna Shirinyan,
representative of the Public Information Department of the UN Office
in Armenia, Maria Dotsenko, representative of the Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) Gayane Nasoyan, Armenia’s Minister of Agriculture,
Gerasim Alaverdyan, welcomed the participants and guests.

"This jubilee meeting makes clear that Fruitfull Armenia forums
are effective and that the ongoing works are very important for the
development of agriculture in Armenia. We are closely watching all
discussions as its results are very useful for government," said
Prime Minister Sargsyan adding that dedication to youth makes this
forum a symbolic.

Agricultural reforming in Armenia was implemented effectively, said
Tigran Sargsyan citing FAO assessment. "However, this doesn’t matter
we should not see the existing problems," he added.

The Fruitfull Armenia Forum has a clear objective to stimulate
innovative proposals and to find talented young adults among Armenians
worldwide to expand agricultural sector and those of marketing,
trade, finance, etc. Forum has its money prize fund as well as gifts
for winners. Thus, gold winner will be awarded by 3 million drams,
while the second-seeded will receive 750 thousand drams and the
third-seeded will get 300 thousand drams.

The forum involves some thematic discussions about finance, financial
programs in Armenia, small and middle business, key agricultural
matters and so on. The participants were awarded by certificates,
and the ceremony of awarding will be hold tomorrow.