ARMENIAN PM RECEIVES ADVISER TO IRAN’S PRESIDENT
Panorama.am
17:35 07/10/2009
Armenian PM Tigran Sargsyan received Wednesday the Adviser to the
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Saidikia.
The parties talked on the possibilities of cooperation in the sphere of
transport communication, the PR department of the Government reported.
EU DEEPENS COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA IN JUSTICE, FREEDOM AND SECURITY
PanARMENIAN.Net
07.10.2009 17:03 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ RA National Security Council Secretary Artur
Baghdasaryan October 7received a delegation headed by Luigi Sorek, head
of the Department of External Relations of the European Commission’s
Directorate General for Justice, Freedom and Security. The meeting
was also attended by the Head of Delegation of European Commission
in Armenia, Ambassador Raul de Lutsenberg.
The officials discussed establishment of a subcommittee on
justice, freedom and security at the Committee on Cooperation of
Armenia-European Union (EU), which will assist in deepening the
Armenia – the EU dialogue in these spheres.
At the suggestion of Artur Baghdasaryan, it was decided to develop a
working program of the subcommittee with a schedule for appropriate
actions.
During the conversation the sides also discussed issues of border
control and a more simplified system of visa regime between Armenia
and the EU countries.
The two sides touched upon the Armenia-EU cooperation in the framework
of the "Eastern Partnership" and on the whole praised the level of
cooperation between Armenia and the European Union, press service of
the NSS of RA reports.
PRIME MINISTER MET WITH KAPINOS
s15428.html
13:45:17 – 06/10/2009
The Prime Minster of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan met with the Head of
the OSCE Yerevan Office Sergey Kapinos.
The Armenian Prime Minister dwelt on the effective work of the Yerevan
OSCE office in Armenia, which embraces different fields, and a wide
range of issues at the same time expressing willingness to cooperate
on behalf of the Armenian government.
During the meeting, the OSCE Yerevan Office head touched upon the OSCE
Yerevan Office plans and works in connection with anti-corruption
policy, economic field and human right, the press office of the
government reports.
IMF TO QUIT AZERBAIJAN
news/eav100609c.shtml
10/06/09
The International Monetary Fund apparently is closing its office
in Azerbaijan, according to Azerbaijani media reports. Baku, which
continues to benefit from windfall energy-export profits, apparently
has little interest these days in working with international lenders
on new projects.
Unidentified members of the IMF office in Baku, cited by the Anspress
news agency on October 6, said that the Fund had recalled its resident
representative and laid off staff. The IMF representatives reportedly
said that, given the lack of ongoing programs in the country, keeping
an office open was not justifiable, Anspress reported.
The IMF website contains no public announcement about such a
decision. The IMF has funneled $600 million in aid to Azerbaijan
since 1993. Baku plans to repay a remaining debt of $40 million to
the IMF by 2014, the APA news agency reported.
IMF, WORLD BANK SEE QUICK IMPACT FROM TURKISH-ARMENIAN BORDER OPENING
Asbarez
/imf-world-bank-see-quick-impact-from-turkish-arme nian-border-opening/
Oct 6th, 2009
YEREVAN (RFE/RL)-The International Monetary Fund and the World
Bank have reaffirmed their strong support for the reopening of the
Turkish-Armenian border, saying that its positive impact on Armenia’s
recession-hit economy could be felt as early as next year.
Senior officials from the two multilateral US-led lending
institutions welcomed economic implications of the unprecedented
thaw in Turkish-Armenian relations which will result in the signing
of key fence-mending agreements between Ankara and Yerevan later
this week. Speaking to RFE/RL on the sidelines of the ongoing IMF
and World Bank meetings in Istanbul, they said that growing signs of
economic recovery around the world should also reflect positively on
the economic situation in Armenia.
According to the latest IMF projections presented during the global
forum, the Armenian economy will grow by 1.2 percent next year after
enduring one of the steepest declines in the world this year. The
World Bank also expects renewed modest growth in the South Caucasus
country in 2010.
Ratna Sahay, deputy director of the IMF’s Middle East and Central
Asia Department, said the growth rate could well be higher if the
Turkish-Armenian frontier is opened for commerce and travel soon. "Once
the border opens up we think that the impact would be pretty quick
because it would reduce [Armenia’s] transportation costs tremendously,"
she said. "There would also be a lot of indirect impact through trade
in goods and services with Turkey."
"I don’t know if it will happen in 2010," said Indermit Gill, the
World Bank’s chief economist for Europe and Central Asia. "But my
sense is that [positive effects of border opening] can happen very,
very quickly because there are entrepreneurs on both sides that are
very keen to take advantage of business opportunities on the other
side of the border."
"What we find is that countries that are globally integrated tend to
be also pretty regionally integrated as well," said Gill. "And both
of these integrations are very good things. Countries that are more
integrated tend to converge faster to higher income standards.
"So I think these are very positive developments, and if you want to
see a whole body of evidence of why this is a good thing you should
actually look at Western Europe, which was a very divided neighborhood
not so long ago. Now it’s the most integrated neighborhood."
Both officials emphasized the fact that Armenia is a landlocked country
with high transportation costs that hamper economic activity and badly
needed foreign investment. "Therefore, to have access in terms of
transportation through Turkey would be of great benefit to Armenia,"
said Sahay. "At the same time it would also benefit Turkey in terms
of cross-border trade and tourism."
The IMF official said an open border with Turkey would also make
Armenia more attractive to foreign investors. "Armenia has a lot
of advantages vis-a-vis the level of education and skills of the
Armenian people," she argued. "There is also, of course, a big Armenian
population that is outside, which is also going to be looking to see
how opportunities in Armenia are going to expand. So provided that the
policy environment is good, the opportunities to me seem quite a lot."
That border opening would lower the disproportionately high cost
of shipping cargos to and from Armenia is accepted by many local
businesspeople and analysts. But just how quick and positive its
impact on the economy as a whole would be is a matter of contention
in the country. Some Armenian economists believe that it would take
years before the country starts reaping tangible benefits.
The entire Armenian Diaspora and Armenia’s opposition political parties
are opposed to the protocols set to be signed this week, warning
that an open border with Turkey at this juncture would actually hurt
the economy. Armenia’s relatively tiny and weak economy will see its
domestic market flooded with cheap Turkish consumer goods and thereby
hurt many Armenian manufacturers.
President Serzh Sarkisian has ignored much of those concerns and is
continuing to push forward on the issue.
‘SEINFELD’ REUNION ON HBO; (PICS) SEXY KIM KARDASHIAN WARDROBE BUTT GRAB
By Ginger Marks and Sophie Eager
National Ledger
Oct 6, 2009
Who is grabbing Kim Kardashian’s butt? TV buzz has that, along with
the reunion cast of the popular television show Seinfeld. They have
reunited on the HBO show Curb Your Enthusiasm with ‘Seinfeld’ creator
Larry David. Michael Richards along with Julia-Louise Dreyfus and Jason
Alexander join Jerry and Larry for the fake reunion. Details below.
‘Seinfeld’ Reunion – Sexy Kim Kardashian Wardrobe Butt Grab (Image:
Splash News) ‘Seinfeld’ Reunion – Sexy Kim Kardashian Wardrobe Butt
Grab (Image: Splash News)
One – Reality star Kim Kardashian has said girls come up to her in
the street and ask if they can squeeze her bottom. Kim, 28, is well
known for her curvy figure and shapely behind and she admitted that
sometimes people go a little far. She said: "There’s constant interest
in my bottom! The paparazzi always want ‘butt’ shots – girls come up
to me and grab it and people ask to squeeze it. "I sometimes think:
‘Everyone’s got a butt, so why do you care about mine?’"
Kim, who is rumored to have reunited with boyfriend Reggie Bush, said
it is thanks to stars like Jennifer Lopez that she can embrace her
curves. She said: "I recently lost 6lb and toned up. My body shape
comes from my father’s side of the family – he’s from Armenia, where
all the women are voluptuous. "Thanks to role models like Jennifer
Lopez, I’m comfortable with my curves."
KARABAKH PROCESS DISCUSSED IN MOSCOW
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.10.2009 12:14 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Grigory Karasin, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and
Yuri Zubakov, Deputy Secretary of the RF National Security Council,
met Monday with Helga Schmid, director of Policy Unit of the General
Secretariat of the Council of the European Union to discuss Nagorno
Karabakh conflict settlement process.
The officials also exchanged views on the situation in the South
Caucasus, the RF MFA press office reported.
MORE THAN 12,000 ARMENIANS PROTEST PROTOCOLS DURING SERZH SARKISIAN VISIT TO LOS ANGELES
/PanARMENIAN.Net/
05.10.2009 11:06 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ More than 12,000 Armenian Americans from throughout
California converged on the Beverly Hilton Hotel to protes the
Turkey-Armenia protocols as Armenia President Serzh Sarkisian met
with representatives of Armenian American organizations to defend his
decision to sign the flawed documents. The protest was organized by
the Stop The Protocols Campaign.
Blockades and guardrails contained protesters who held signs
proclaiming, "Serzh Don’t Betray the Armenian People," "Turkey Accept
the Genocide!" and "No to the Protocols!" Meanwhile, planes overhead
were carrying banners which stated "Stop Turkish-Armenian Protocols,"
as large moving vans drove around the hotel with billboards picturing
presidents Sarkisian and Gul with the slogan "Don’t Betray us."
Prior to the beginning of the community meeting, Pres. Sarkisian’s
delegation stood out on their 12th floor balcony and watched
demonstrators, who called out in hopes that the President would
address them directly.
Pres. Sarkisian chose not to address the people. During the fourth
hour of the protest, several hundred frustrated demonstrators broke
through the barricades and stormed across the street to the hotel
entrance, yelling "votch, votch," stopping traffic on Wilshire Blvd.
Meanwhile ARF Western Region Central Committee member Hovan Tashdjian,
who had just left the meeting with the President, described a tense
Pres. Sarkisian faced with overwhelming opposition by representatives
of Diasporan organizations, attempting to defend the formation of
a so-called "historical commission" and arguing that the Protocols
would not affect the Karabakh peace process, asbarez.com reported
CULTURAL AGENDA
Today’s Zaman
04 October 2009, Sunday
EXHIBITIONS
Today is the last day to see "Octet," a selection of 110 works of
art by 66 students, lecturers and alumni of the New York School of
Visual Arts, at the Pera Museum in Istanbul’s Beyoglu district.
Works by Turkish conceptual artist Serkan Ozkaya and Romanian artists
Dumitru Gorzo and Mircea Suciu are being shown at "Without Hintersinn,"
a group exhibition on view until Oct. 12 at the Bilsar Building in
Istanbul’s Beyoglu district.
Istanbul’s Sabancı University art gallery hosts an installation
titled "Yapıların Ayak Ä°zleri — Istanbul" (Building Footprints —
Istanbul) by Osvaldo Romberg until Oct. 24.
A selection of portraits from "One Shot Ä°stanbul" by photo artist
Alexander Berg is on view at the Taksim metro station until Oct. 25.
Ä°stanbul’s Sakıp Sabancı Museum in Ä°stanbul’s Emirgan neighborhood
is home to an exhibition titled "Joseph Beuys and His Students: Works
from the Deutsche Bank Collection" until Nov. 1. The museum is closed
on Mondays.
The 11th International Ä°stanbul Biennial runs through Nov. 8,
offering works of art by around 70 artists at the old customs
warehouse, Antrepo No. 3, in Karaköy, the old tobacco warehouse in
Tophane and the Feriköy Greek School in Å~^iÅ~_li. Tickets can be
purchased at
US-based Romanian artist Serge Spitzer’s "Molecular Ä°stanbul"
installation is on view at the Mayor Synagogue in Ä°stanbul’s Hasköy
district on the Golden Horn through Nov. 11.
"Site," an exhibition of installations by Turkish-born Armenian
conceptual artist Sarkis Zabunyan, runs through Jan. 10, 2010 at
Ä°stanbul Modern. The museum’s movie theater also offers a selection
of films that influenced the artist’s career.
Paris-based Turkish artist Yuksel Arslan’s retrospective is on view
at SantralÄ°stanbul contemporary art center until March, offering
more than 500 works by the artist.
FILM SCREENINGS
Bogazici University’s Mithat Alam Film Center (MAFM) w ward-winning
films by young-generation Turkish filmmakers in a program that runs
from Monday to Friday. For more information, visit the MAFM Web site
at
A selection of 22 films by German directors is offered in a weekly
film program that runs through December at the Goethe Institute in
Ä°stanbul. Admission is free of charge. Showings take place each
Friday at 7 p.m.
The Ankara Cinematheque Society screens arthouse and classic films
in admission-free showings every Thursday at 7:30 p.m. as part of
its weekly program that runs throughout the year at the society’s
headquarters, located on Buklum Sokak, No: 16 in the Kavaklıdere
quarter.
FESTIVALS
Austri an pianist Alfred Brendel will open this autumn’s weekly
classical concert series at Ä°stanbul’s Bogazici University with
a conference-recital on Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m. at the Albert Long
Hall. Ticket price: TL 25, TL 20
The five-day Balkans Folk Dance Festival runs through Oct. 7 on
various squares of Ä°zmir, featuring shows by folkdance companies
from 10 countries.
The fifth edition of Visibility Project, a contemporary art and
performance art event held annually in the Galata neighborhood of
Ä°stanbul, will take place Oct. 10, featuring performances on the
streets, four alternative stages and the Okcu Musa Primary School in
Galata. For more information:
Turkish rockers Ozge FıÅ~_kın, Friendly Fire, TNK and Kurban will
perform at the TanıÅ~_arock 2009 Festival, scheduled for Oct. 11 at
the Macka Kucukciftlik Park. Ticket price: TL 34 (Biletix)
Armenia orchestra plans December show in Tehran
Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:56:06 GMT
The Youth Orchestra of Armenia, conducted by Sergey Smbatyan, has
scheduled a show in the Iranian capital, Tehran, to perform classical
pieces.
Accompanied by internationally-acclaimed Iranian pianist Mahyar
Moradi, the orchestra will present pieces by the world’s most famous
composers such as Tchaikovsky and Dvorak.
The concert, which is organized by the Armenian embassy in Tehran and
Iran’s culture ministry, will be held in December 2009, Fars News
Agency reported.
The Youth Orchestra of Armenia had previously visited Iran in July
2009, when it held concerts at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall.
The orchestra comprises of over 70 musicians, who are between the ages
of 16 and 24 and are also students of the Yerevan State Conservatory.
TE/MD
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