Author: Dabaghian Diana

ECONOMIC STABILITY IN ARMENIA FAVORABLE TO BUSINESS

/ARKA/
June 15, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, June 15. /ARKA/. The economic stability in Armenia is
favorable to business, Rajana Madhui, Head of the India-CIS Chamber
of Commerce and Industry, says in the introductory article of the
April-May 2009 issue of the Chamber-published journal.

The press service of the RA Foreign Office told Novosti-Armenia that
Mr. Madhui also pointed out the avilabili9ty of skilled labor force
and necessary technical resources in Armenia.

RA Ambassador to India Ashot Kocharyan addressed Armenian-Indian
relations and their potential.

The newly released issue of the journal contains reports on Armenia’s
investment policy, business opportunities, information technologies,
agriculture, chemical, jewelry, food and pharmaceutical industries,
as well as on the Armenian-Indian trade and economic relations. The
information was provided by the Armenian Embassy in India.

The journal is popular with the Indian political and business
circles.

SPITAKASHEN VILLAGE SCHOOL TO BE BUILT WITH FUNDS RAISED AT TORONTO BANQUET

NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY
JUNE 15, 2009
TORONTO

At the Armenian Community Centre, Mr. Ara Vardanyan, the Executive
Director of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund, the key-note speaker at the
annual banquet of Armenia Fund Toronto, kicked off the fundraising
for the completion of another school project in Artsakh.

According to the Hayastan All Armenian Fund, the banquet started with
Rev. Father Meghrig Parikian’s blessing. Fund’s Executive Director
Ara Vardanian made an opening speech. He presented the guests with
the work done by the Fund lately.

Migirdic Migirdicyan, the chairman of Fund’s Toronto Chapter, members
Ara and Calabrina Boyajians, Tenny Nigoghossian, benefactors Kourken
Sarkissian and Sarkis Yacoubian, other guests of honor took part in
the banquet.

The sum donated to the construction of Spitakashen school amounted
to 200 000 Canadian dollars. Another 5000 Canadian dollars were
transferred to the Fund by Armenian schoolchildren raised within the
framework of the action From Pupils of Toronto Armenian Schools to
Pupils of Artsakh Schools.

Mrs. Calabrina Boyajian announced Bike-a-thon 2009 from Monterey to
Los Angeles, again for the construction of the Spitakashen school.

"We are very excited about building our fifth school in Artsakh
because we are convinced that in 2040, the president of the Republic
of Armenia or NKR will be from one of the graduates of our schools. If
not the position for the president, we believe that our schools will
graduate students who would become renowned scientists, diplomats,
artists, doctors and other professionals," said Migirdic Migirdicyan,
the chairman of the Toronto Chapter.

The Fund also reported that Spitakashen school construction work was
launched in 2008 October. The school intended for 130 pupils will
open its doors before children in the 2009-2010 schoolyear.

UNIBANK TO OPEN 10 NEW BRANCHES BY THE END OF YEAR

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
15.06.2009 13:06 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ By the end of this year, Unibank will open 10 new
branches in the country. The first branch will open in a few days
in the arrival hall of "Zvartnots" Airport, press office of the
Unibank reports.

The branch will function 24 hours a day and with no days off. According
to the Chairman of Unibank’s Board of Directors Vardan Atayan, the
main function of the new branch will be maintenance of transfers by
"Unistream" system.

A point of currency exchange will function in the new airport branch,
it will offer exchange rates in accordance with Yerevan-based
branches of "Unibank". By the end of the year, "Unibank" plans to
open new offices in Yerevan communities: Zeytun, Davtashen, Ajapnyak,
Erebouni and Avan, as well as in Ararat and Tashir towns. Locations
of all new branches are chosen with a glance of population’s need in
banking services, Vardan Atayan said.

As of today, the "Unibank" has 30 branches, 2 out of which function
in Nagorno Karabakh Republic.

ARMENIA POSTS 2.8% RISE IN TOURIST VISITS IN Q1

ARKA
June 15, 2009

YEREVAN, June 15. /ARKA/. Armenia posted a 2.8% (85,000) year-on-year
rise in tourists visits in Q1 2008, reported Mekhak Apresyan, head
of the tourism department, RA Ministry and Economy.

The private sector and the RA Ministry of Economy are combining their
efforts to alleviate the negative impact of the global recession on
Armenia’s tourism business.

"Armenia’s resorts are planning to lower prices for their services this
year, with some travel agencies standing ready to offer discounts,"
Apresyan added.

The official stressed the importance of boosting alternative tourism
in Armenia. "We are capable of expanding non-hotel tourism by building
villas for tourists," he said.

About 588,000 tourists visited Armenia in 2008 – a 9.4% year-on-year
rise, with tourist visits to Armenia increasing by around 25%
since 2001.

Documents on March 1 events to be open for NA committee on Monday
13.06.2009 16:03 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `Elimination of a fact-gathering group was projected
and has a purpose to prevent group members from revealing the true
picture of what happened, and what some people related to authorities
did on these days, who had been immediately involved in organizing the
events of March 1-2, 2008,’ leader of the `New times’ political party,
member of NA committee examining March 1, 2008 events Aram Karapetyan
told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.
According to him, despite some obstacles the dissolved fact-gathering
group worked very well.
According to Aram Karapetyan, all facts and documents, passed to the
chairman of NA committee Samvel Nikoyan, on Monday will become
accessible.
According to Aram Karapetyan, documents passed to committee contain
2000 pages of print texts and 10 hours of video recording, and one
month is not enough to prepare a final report.

ARMENIAN FM: WE ARE AWARE OF THE STATEMENTS OF THE TURKISH FM ABOUT TURKEY’S INTENTION TO SETTLE RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA

Today.Az
s/53055.html
June 11 2009
Azerbaijan

Armenian FM Edward Nalbandyan again reiterated country’s readiness
to settle relations with neighbor Turkey without prerequisites.

"Armenia can say the only thing: it is ready to settle its relations
with Turkey without any prerequisites and if the recent statement
of the Turklish FM is made in this context and Turkey is ready to
move in this direction, we can do nothing but welcome this process",
said Nalbandyan at a press conference Thursday.

At the same time, he assured that Armenia is informed about the
statements of Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoghlu about
the intention of the Turkish side to settle relations with
Armenia. According to the Minister, Armenia welcomes such statements.

At the same time, the Foreign Minister recommended to distinguish
between emotional and rational and understand to whom such statements
are addressed – to the Turkish public, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Washington,
Moscow or Brussels. Nalbandyan reminded that the statements of the
Turkish side had been completely different before.

GROUP DISSOLUTION MECHANISMS WERE ELABORATED BY ITS CHAIRMAN

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
11.06.2009 18:23 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ During a press conference held today, Andranik
Kocharyan, member of the fact-finding group investigating March 1,
2008 incidents, said that only during the March 19 session had they
become aware of the request on giving commission members 9-day leave
permits. The letter addressed to RA President’s administration was
signed by Vahe Stepanyan who headed the group’s activities.

As noted by Kocharyan, group chairman could send such letter to
President only after receiving the agreement of all members. "Our
demand for clarifying the reasons for group dissolution remained
unanswered by Vahe Stapanyan. Next day, he made a telephone call,
declaring of his intention not to take part in group’s activities,"
Andranik Kocharyan told journalists.

Right after Vahe Stepanyan’s official statement, coalition
representatives who were involved in the group’s activities ceased
attending sessions. Thereafter President issued a decree on dissolving
the group, Kocharyan said. Commenting upon the decree, the speaker
further noted that there were many unsettled issues. In particular,
it was unclear what the fate of the documents would be and whether
group members would have the opportunity to continue their work.

Touching upon the rumors on tense relations among group members,
Andranik Kocharyan considered them ungrounded. "I emphasize that the
group was set up for investigating facts vs. clearing up personal
matters. Tensions rose after policeman Hamlet Tadevosyan’s death
circumstances were disclosed," he stated.

The group, according to Kocharyan, has proven that it is capable of
not only collecting facts but also submitting a report that might
change the situation.

CURRENT PRESIDENT IN THE FRAMEWORKS OF THE PREVIOUS ONE

LRAGIR.AM
16:03:23 – 10/06/2009

The activities of the fact-finding group were expedient for
the government too, they could promote the legitimacy of the
government. The secretary of the Heritage faction Larisa Alaverdyan,
dwelling on the dissolution of the fact-finding group to study the
March 1 assassinations, expressed this opinion on June 10.

Larisa Alaverdyan stated that when we dwell on the legitimacy we
understand only legitimacy through elections, but the government
should prove its legitimacy with its everyday work and the activities
of the fact-finding group could promote it, the dissolution of which,
according to Larisa Alaverdyan is a miss of the biggest chance.

According to her, the consequences of the dissolution of the
fact-finding group may be very serious and grave, and also long
lasting. Larisa Alaverdyan believes at least the two of the members
of the fact-finding group, the oppositional Seda Safaryan and Andranik
Kocharyan, fulfilled their job, and as the members stated the same was
done by the head of the group, the representative of the Ombudsman,
who made the first step and resigned.

Larisa Alaverdyan stated that the stop of the work of the fact-finding
group was determined by the fact that the governmental machine was
scared of the content of the cases, which were being revealed. Larisa
Alaverdyan stated that the governmental machine did not let another
body to correct what seemed to be uncorrectable, and the current
president was perplexed by the limits, or frameworks obliged by the
previous president, stated Larisa Alaverdyan. She added that the
present government did not want to offense the previous one.

In answer to the question, why the present government did not worry
about it before, Larisa Alaverdyan stated that she has two versions
of it: first, the government hopes that time will pass and no one
will be interested in it any longer, there will be new election, new
scandals or the political field will be re-formed. And the second
version Larisa Alaverdyan proposed was that the government thought
that the group, having the 2+2+1 form, would not be able to come to
a common conclusion.

She also stated that the amnesty cannot close the March 1
episodes. According to her, the amnesty, would have to compile the
work of the fact-finding group, and would have to serve for the release
of the innocent people and for calling for responsibility those guilty.

She said for the possibility that the opposition publishes the
material, which the fact-finding group gathered so far, because it
is a public demand, and if the government does not want to hear it,
the public wants.

PRIMATE CELEBRATES ‘HAMPARTZUM’ IN LITTLE ANGELS SCHOOL

lebrates-hampartzum-in-little-angels-school/
Jun 02 2009

On May 21, 2009, His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate,
presided over a Hampartzum celebration at Little Angels Art School
in Burbank, California. Principal Maggie Blikian, school staff and
students greeted the Primate in the school hall.

As part of the program, a segment from the Anoush Opera was performed
by children. The Primate in his remarks spoke about the significance
of Hampartzum as a Feast Day when Christians celebrate the Ascension
of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Primate then presented the
students and staff with beautifully made wooden crosses from Armenia.

RA DEFENSE MINISTER TO VISIT NATO HEADQUARTERS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
09.06.2009 16:24 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On June 10 RA Defense Ministry Delegation, headed by
Minster Seyran Ohanyan will depart to Brussels to participate on NATO
and OSCE Ministers Council to take place in NATO headquarters. A number
of bilateral meetings between RA Defense Minister and his colleagues
are scheduled, upon council completion. Next, RA Defense Minister
will leave for Moscow as a part of RA President-headed delegation to
attend OSCE Collective Security Council meeting due on July 14.