Author: Hunanian Jack

NAGORNO-KARABAKH: WAR NOT OVER, SAYS ALIYEV

Tert
Oct 19 2009
Armenia

Azerbaijani fundamental position is simple. The conflict must be
settled within Azerbaijani territorial integrity. Armenian armed forces
"must be withdrawn from the occupied territories. Our compatriots must
return to native lands," said Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev,
AzerTaj state news agency quotes as reported by Azerbaijani news
agency Trend News.

No other point of view is considered beyond this position. Azerbaijan
has repeatedly voiced its position on this issue, Aliyev said.

He said that presently, the conflict has not been solved yet.

Azerbaijani President said that at present, Azerbaijani economy can
not be compared with Armenian one. "We excel it in all spheres. We
have very broad political opportunities. Our international positions
are strong. But economic potential is several times higher.

"Regarding with military strength, I would like to stress again that
Azerbaijani Army is the strongest one in the region. We intensify
our military strength. To tell the truth, it needs huge funds. But
we must do it as we live in war terms.

"The war has not finished yet. Its first stage has been completed. We
must be ready for releasing our native lands from occupiers any
moment," Azerbaijani President said.

Interfax, Russia
Oct 16 2009

Armenian-Russian JV to start exploring uranium fields in Armenia in 2009

YEREVAN Oct 16

The Armenian-Russian Mining Company plans to start drilling operations
in Armenia in exploring uranium fields before the end of 2009,
Armenian Energy and Natural Resources Minister Armen Movsisian told
Interfax.

Weather in the Syuni region in southern Armenia, where the drilling is
planned, is so far good enough for such operations, Movsisian said.

If the company does not manage to start the drilling this year, it
will do this next year, he said.

It is difficult to say so far when uranium extraction could be started
in Armenia, Movsisian said. Preliminary estimates show that uranium
deposits in Armenia are sufficient for refueling the Armenian Nuclear
Power Plant and for exports, he said.

Rosatom chief Sergei Kiriyenko said earlier that additional
exploration of uranium fields in Armenia would be finished in 2010.

Specialists estimate uranium deposits in Armenia as varying from
10,000 to 60,000 tonnes. Uranium extracted in Armenia should be
processed at an international uranium enrichment center in Russia’s
Angarsk.

The Armenian-Russian Mining Company was registered in Armenia on July
16, 2008. The joint venture’s authorized capital is 92.241 million
drams (about $300,000) divided into 300 common registered shares, each
party holding 150 shares.

The Armenian-Russian Mining Company acquired a five-year license to
explore uranium fields in Armenia in April 2009.

ARMENIA NEEDS INTERNATIONAL LAW EXPERTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.10.2009 20:53 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia needs international law experts, RA National
Academy of Sciences President Radik Martirosyan said at round table
discussions in Yerevan. Radik Martirosyan gave high assessment to
Russian Armenians’ Union activities, especially noting research center
opening, held on the initiative of RAU Head Ara Abrahamyan.

In his turn, RA Writers’ Union Chairman Levon Ananyan noted that RAU
keeps supporting the union and participate in contests’ organization,
adding that in 2012 the union will celebrate the 500th anniversary
of Armenian literature. Ananyan also announced that the contest of
foreign Armenian writers will take place in Los Angeles, with Diaspora
representatives invited to present their works.

ARMENIANS IN ARGENTINA RELEASED A STATEMENT ON ARMENIAN-TURKISH RAPPROCHEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.10.2009 14:58 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Normalization of Armenian-Turkish ties has always
been a key issue for Armenians worldwide. Following Turkish President’s
last year’s visit to Armenia for watching soccer match between Armenian
and Turkish national teams, those relations acquired a new impulse,"
Armenian Cultural Union of Argentina says in a statement addressed
to PanARMENIAN.Net.

"As descendents of Armenian Genocide victims, Argentinean-Armenians
are for establishment of normal and good neighborly ties between
countries," says the statement.

ARMENIANS MUST REMEMBER

News.am
20:51 / 10/15/2009

"We are facing a challenge of building relations with Turkey. All
depends on what basis we lay. We should remember who we deal with. The
Genocide continues — the murder of Hrant Dink, Gurgen Markaryan,
Sumgait, Kirovabad and Baku events are the witness. Armenians should
always remember they have right for Hay Dat — as the world will not
respect us as a nation if we leave the scene," the renowned Armenian
artist Sos Sargsyan said during his visit to Stepanakert, NKR.

NKR President Bako Sahakyan and NKR Minister of Culture met with
Sargsyan to discuss a number of cultural and social-political issues.

DID SUPERPOWERS INTERVENE?

4/razmik-zohrabyan
04:49 pm | October 14, 2009

Parliaments of Armenia and Turkey may delay the ratification of the
Protocols till next spring, thinks deputy chairman of the Armenian
Republican Party (HHK) Razmik Zohrabian.

Turkey’s parliament will be the first to sign the Protocols.

The HHK representative couldn’t predict the outcome of the
Armenian-Turkish football match. "It is more unpredictable than the
Armenian-Turkish relations," he joked.

Razmik Zohrabian welcomed Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian’s
posture during the signing ceremony. "Nalbandian displayed his will
and didn’t yield to Turkey’s fraudulence."

Regarding the opening of the Armenian-Turkish frontier, Razmik
Zohrabian said: "The frontier opening is necessary for Armenia
and its people. As for me, I can suffice with a piece of bread and
cheese. Armenia’s economy will boost after the border opening as
we shall compete with Turkish economy. Though we are a small nation
we can follow Japan’s example which proved the whole world that the
country is economically unmatched for superpowers."

Asked whether the frontier is being opened under the pressure of
superpowers, Razmik Zohrabian answered: "It is not excluded. I wouldn’t
say that superpowers are almighty but the history has shown that the
strong have always dictated their will to the weak. If Armenian were
a mighty country it would have 340 000 square km as was during Tigran
the Great’s rule and not 29 000 square km."

"THE LIBERATED TERRITORIES ARE NOT SUBJECT TO SURRENDER"

/10/14/karen-abrahamyan
12:32 pm | October 14, 2009

An NKR serviceman does not trust the protection of his homeland and
family to anyone.

"Look! You can see my house from here. We have already experienced the
tides of war. We sleep under Azerbaijan’s bombarding every day. We
don’t need the help of peaceful forces," says Karen Abrahamian,
Lieutenant-Colonel of the NKR Defense Army.

Karen Abrahamian says Azerbaijan’s military announcements pursue
political goals but "if Azerbaijan were sure to win the country would
have taken military actions long ago."

The fifteen years of the ceasefire regime proved that Karabakhi lands
belong to Karabakhi people. "I can only trust the protection of my
homeland and family to my friends and me. We need no one’s support
in this sense."

NKR Army doesn’t take the allegations on territorial surrender
seriously.

"The lands liberated at the price of blood cannot be ceded," says
the Lieutenant-Colonel.

NKR serviceman David Eghiazarian says Azerbaijan’s announcements
raise the fighting spirit of Karabakhi soldiers.

"It is a great honour for me to serve my homeland," he said.

SWEDEN, TURKEY AND CROATIA OUT; FRANCE, PORTUGAL FACE WORLD CUP PLAYOFF
Andrew Lawn – AHN Sports Correspondent

HN
October 14, 2009 5:41 p.m. EST

Lars Lagerback’s long reign as Sweden manager came to a disappointing
end on Wednesday when his side became one of a number of high profile
World Cup casualties.

Sweden, beat Albania 4-1, however Portugal’s 4-0 win over Malta
condemned them to elimination.

Portugal celebrated, despite finishing runners-up to group 1 winners
Denmark, forcing them into the playoffs will be deemed, by many,
a failure.

Group 2 saw Switzerland confirm its place in South Africa with a 0-0
home draw with Israel.

That result coupled with Greece’s 2-1 win over Luxembourg, saw Israel
and Latvia knocked out, with the Greeks going into the play-offs.

Slovakia delighted their fans by topping Group 3 and sailing into
the World Cup.

Neighbours Slovenia will join them if they can continue their
impressive form of beating sides with bigger reputations.

Its second place finish sees the Czech Republic and Poland’s World
Cup hopes extinguished.

Group 4 had been wrapped up on Saturday when Germany went to Russia
and won 1-0, seeing the visitors off to South Africa, while the hosts
enter the playoffs.

Spain wrapped up group 5 along time before Wednesday, winning all 10
of its matches.

Bosnia go into the playoffs despite being trounced 5-2 by Spain,
and Turkey beating Armenia in a game which meant more than qualifying
points to the respective nations.

England were another side who had long sealed their place in next
summer;s tournament, and wrapped up group 6 with a 3-0 home win
over Belarus.

Ukraine pipped Croatia to the playoff spot, seeing England’s former
victors becoming the victims.

Group 7 saw another shock as Serbia travel to South Africa as group
winners while former world champions France will go into the playoffs.

Current world champions Italy will defend their crown next summer
after topping group 8.

The Republic of Ireland finished second to claim their playoff place.

The Neth alify having won group 9 with matches to spare.

Norway finished second, but are unlucky in that they are the worst
second place side out of all 9 groups and are thus eliminated.

The draw for the World Cup Finals groups take place in Cape Town
in December.

ARMENIA’S CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM TO BE BROUGHT INTO LINE WITH EUROPEAN STANDARDS

armradio.am
14.10.2009 15:25

Reforms will be implemented in the civil service system of Armenia
within the framework of Armenia-EU cooperation.

During today’s sitting chaired by Secretary of the National Security
Council Arthur Baghdasaryan, members of the interdepartmental
commission decided to work out a program of reforms corresponding to
EU standards.

The program aims to bring the Armenian civil service system into
line with those of EU member states, create a network of cooperation,
develop new mechanisms and frameworks of cooperation.

The commission decided to complete the development of the program by
June 2010.

PROBLEMS OF CUSTOMS LEGISLATION IN IT SECTOR WILL BE PARTIALLY SOLVED BY FEBRUARY 2010 – UITE

ARKA
Oct 14, 2009

YEREVAN, October 14. /ARKA/. Problems of customs legislation in
IT sector will be partially solved by February 2010, said Karen
Vardanyan, Executive Director of Union of Information Technologies
(UITE) to the journalists of ARKA.

He said that by the assignment of the Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran
Sargsyan a decision on the assistance of development of information
technologies was carried out on July 30 about the creation of working
group consisting of the representatives of IT sector and State Income
Committee.

He said that the main task of the working group which starts working
from the next week is the discussion of implementation of proposals
by the representatives of IT sector and the Government a month ago
which is related to reformulation of tax and customs legislation.

UITE and representatives of IT sector developed a package of customs
reforms, the aim of which is risk reduction in customs sector.

Representatives of IT sector think that there are four main issues –
problems of import, export, re-export and change of equipment.

"In fact we move into new phase of problem solving with State Income
Committee", said Vardanyan.

All problems will be sorted out by their priority, implementation
opportunities and impact on the situation in general. For finding
more optimal ways of problem solving, round tables and working meeting
will be conducted during which certain proposals will be developed.

He said that the most precise decision will be elimination of problems
related to export of goods of double assignment as the whole IT
production is going under this category.

"Today for exporting such products which requires engineering and
intellectual decision, we need about one month and significant
resources which brings to the loss of compatibility of Armenia in
the market", said Vardanyan. Such problems are already solved in
many countries and their experience can help Armenia to overcome the
obstacles and develop Armenia as an IT country. "By February positions
will be formulated regarding the main problems. Moreover, we plan that
some of them will be already solved before it", said Vardanyan.