Author: Jabejian Elizabeth

RA PRIME MINISTER TIGRAN SARGSYAN RECEIVED A DELEGATION LED BY EC FOREIGN TRADE GENERAL DIRECTORATE’S BILATERAL TRADE AFFAIRES COORDINATOR EVA SINOVICH

Wed nesday, 18 February 2009

The parties discussed the process of drafting a free trade agreement
under the Free Trade Regime with the European Union, as well as the
possibilities for developing and expanding the cooperation under the
Eastern Partnership Concept of the European Neighborhood Policy.

Ms. Sinovich said that a broad-based and long-term cooperation
framework will be set up between Armenia and other partner States
thanks to the Eastern Partnership Concept. The signing of a free
trade arrangement between the Republic of Armenia and the European
Union was emphasized on either side. Getting a first-hand view of
Armenia’s current status and the preparation of the Agreement were
said to be the main goals behind her fact-finding mission. She thanked
the Armenian authorities for support and cooperation in this matter.

The head of the RA government said to be hopeful that once completed,
this process will give a strong impetus to the reforms underway in
our country.

Ms Sinovich noticed in this connection that the Armenian programs
are quite ambitious as the Government pushes ahead with its policy
of encouraging and facilitating strategic investments, and this is
highly appreciated by all its partners.

At the request20of the guest, Tigran Sargsyan stated the priorities
and the key points of his government’s anti-crisis program which are
aimed at revealing and using Armenia’s competitive assets in each
sector of economy. The Prime Minister assured that the government of
Armenia is open for a dialog with the European Commission regarding
the discussion of future action and cooperation programs.

IN OPINION OF MINISTER OF ECONOMY, PREPARATORY PROCESS FOR SIGNING ARMENIA-EU FREE TRADE AGREEMENT TO LAST 3-5 YEARS

Noyan Tapan
Feb 19, 2009

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 19, NOYAN TAPAN. On February 19 the EU’s fact-finding
group that arrived in Yerevan to map out a preparatory process for
future possible negotiations of signing a deep and comprehensive free
trade agreement has summarized the work done during its 3-day visit.

The 23-expert group met with representatives of various Armenian
ministries and departments. The obstacles to trade, issues related
to customs administration and trade facilitation, origin of goods,
etc. were discussed with Armenian experts. The head of the fact-finding
group, Director of the European Commission’s Directorate General
for Trade Eva Synowiec expressed satisfaction with joint work. She
proposed that Armenian side present exhaustive written answers to
the unclarified issues by March 15.

"I think on the whole, the fact-finding mission has been successful,
and we will succeed in forming an agenda because the ambitions we have
concerning development programs are in line with European standards,
legislation and correspond to their notions in the institutional
sense," the RA minister of economy Nerses Yeritsian told reporters. In
response to NT correspondent’s question, he said that taking into
account the scope of reforms necessary for membership, the whole
preparatory process for signing an Armenia-EU agreement will last
3-5 years. "During this period we will see serious changes in terms
of the business environment, establishment of certain institutions,
export promotion, entrance into EU markets," the minister said.

ARMENIAN SAMBO WRESTLERS WON NO MEDALS AT WORLD CUP

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.02.2009 17:17 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Ashot Danielyan (weight class: 74kg.) and Vache
Vardanyan (weight class: 68kg.) were a poor success at the World Cup
held in Minsk on Feb. 15-18.

The World Cup was a kind of training for our sambo wrestlers, Armenian
Sambo Federation President Levon Hayrapetyan told PanARMENIAN.Net.

Minsk World Cup was one of the stages of World Championship held
once in 6 years in different parts of the world. To fully deserve
the World Cup Champion title, the wrestlers need to participate in
all Championship tours.

"In Minsk, Ashot Danielyan fought 3 combats against Belarusian
wrestlers. He won two of them, but lost the third, failing to break
through to the semifinal," Levon Hayrapetyan said.

He also remarked that Armenian wrestlers lack international practice
and proper training because of unsatisfactory financing by the
government.

"We had no training either in December or in January. And before
the Championship due on May 14-18 in Milan, we’ll participate in one
international competition: a Tournament after Sambo Founder Arkadi
Kharlampiyev due Apr.24-27 in Moscow," Hayrapetyan said.

U.S-BASED ARMENIAN DIASPORA ORGANIZES PETITION GEARED AGAINST PROFESSOR RICHARD HOVANNISIAN CONSIDERING NAGORNO KARABAKH AS HISTORICAL LAND OF AZERBAIJANIS

APA
42
Feb 17 2009
Azerbaijan

Washington. Zaur Hasanov-APA. An online petition organized by a group
of disgruntled Armenian university students against what they call
"Falsifiers of Armenian History," alleging that there is a concerted
effort to falsify Armenian history within Armenian studies programs
across the US.

The group says that this petition that has been already signed by more
than 1,300 Armenians is "geared against the phenomena of falsification
and distortion of Armenian history. Throughout many years, the False
Armenological School claims:

1. That the Armenian people are "newcomers" and "colonists" in
historical Armenia and that the ancestors of Armenians arrived in
Armenian Highland in the 6th century BC and destroyed the ‘Urartians.’

2. They allege that the three outstanding Fifth Century historians
Pavstos Buzand, Movses Khorenatsi and Yeghishe are "pseudo-historians."

3. They state that the territory of Artsakh historically belongs to
Azerbaijan, since the Turkic Azeris are the direct descendants of
the Caucasian Albanians."

The "Against Falsification of Armenian History" petition says:
"There is only ONE Armenian History! We are convinced that the
Armenian students in Armenia and the Diaspora must have a singular
historical framework that represents genuine Armenian History and
Culture. The center of Armenology can only BE and IS our Homeland –
Armenia. Therefore, we demand that all Armenian Studies textbooks
in the US must be approved by the Armenian National Academy of
Sciences. We, the undersigned, call on the academic councils of
the universities in the US to remove from circulation the book "The
Armenian People: From Ancient to Modern Times."

The Armenian Investigations Program of the Michigan University and
program leader, Gerard Lebardian arranged discussions on subject
"The way of Karabakh after Kosovo" on January 30, 2009.Though Russian
expert Andranik Migranyan and Elin Suleymanov, the Consul General of
Azerbaijan in Los Angeles conducted serious discussions, organizers
of the seminar took enough objective position on the issue.

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:

PRESS RELEASE

Wednesday, February 18, 2008

AGBU Representatives Participate in Conference Devoted to the
Repatriation Movement

A conference devoted to "The Repatriation of 1946-1948 and its Lessons:
Basic Issues of Repatriation Today" took place December 12-14, 2008 at
the Writers House in Tsakhkadzor, Armenia. The event was organized by
the National Academy of Sciences, Yerevan State University and Noravank
Scientific-Educational Fund.

The opening of the conference took place in the Erebuni Plaza Hotel.
Messages from President of the Republic of Armenia Serge Sargsyan and
His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, were read.
Addresses were made by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsian, Diaspora Minister
Hranush Hakobian, as well as the general director of the VivaCell
Company, Ralph Yerikian, Ombudsperson of the Republic of Armenia Armen
Harutiunian, and National Academy of Sciences President Radik
Martirosian. Present at the opening of the conference was AGBU Central
Board of Directors member Vasken Yacoubian. During the opening of the
conference, a documentary film devoted to the repatriation was shown, in
which the critical role played by AGBU in that historic event was
highlighted.

Historians, scholars, representatives of political and public
organizations, as well as numerous repatriates, participated in the
conference.

Over the course of two days and in nine successive sessions, reports
were presented about the basic issues of the repatriation, Stalin’s
endeavors in favor of cosmopolitanism, historiography of repatriation,
its geography and demography, the role of Catholicos Gevorg VI
Cheorekchian, as well as repatriation and historical memory. Papers were
also presented about the oppressive measures to which the repatriates
were subjected, linguistic issues, the present intentions of
repatriation and topics of discussion pertaining to the issue of
repatriation in the current diasporan Armenian press. A few repatriates
from the late 1940s and diasporan Armenians currently living in Armenia
spoke about their experiences adapting to the Armenian homeland.

Edward Melkonian, principal scholar of the History Institute of the
National Academy of Sciences, read a scholarly report on "AGBU in the
Process of Repatriation," while AGBU Armenia Representation’s Deputy
Director Hovig Eordekian spoke about "The Repatriate about
Repatriation."

In the light of the discussions, debates and exchange of opinions that
took place, History Institute Director Ashot Melkonian brought a
conclusion to the conference’s work, saying that although the
repatriation story contains sad passages, it had important significance
from the standpoint of Armenia’s development and increase in population.

There are plans to publish the conference papers in the future.

Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU
preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through
educational, cultural and humanitarian program, annually serving some
400,000 Armenians on six continents.

VETERAN FRENCH SINGER TO BE ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR TO SWITZERLAND

World Radio Switzerland
Feb 13 2009
Switzerland

The veteran French singer Charles Aznavour has been named as Armenia’s
ambassador to Switzerland at the age of 84. The singer, who was
born in France to Armenian parents, obtained Armenian nationality
last December. In spite of having grown up in France, he’s always
kept ties with Armenia and set up a fund in 1988 to help victims of
an earthquake in Armenia which killed 25,000 people. He says he’s
honored to have been offered the Swiss ambassador’s post but did have
reservations before accepting it.

ANKARA REFUTES THE NEWS ABOUT TURKISH MEDIATION IN KARABAKH ISSUE

AZG Armenian Daily
13/02/2009

Karabakh conflict

Turkey is interested in Karabakh conflict settlement but the news
that Turkey is involved in the plan of conflict settlement does not
correspond to reality, Turkish Foreign Ministry Press Secretary Buraq
Ozugergin announced, according to Noyan-Tapan news agency.

The Spokesman of Turkish Foreign Ministry mentioned that Ankara
contributes the settlement of Karabakh conflict, as the solution of
that issue will have a positive effect on both Armenia-Azerbaijan
and Turkey-Armenia relations.

To recall, Turkish "Hurriet" informed February 11 that an agreement
on a solution plan for the Karabakh conflict was reached between
Armenia and Azerbaijan under Turkish mediation.

ARMENIAN SENIOR TROOPERS’ PENSIONS RISE 10.3%

ARKA
Feb 12, 2009

YEREVAN, February 12. /ARKA/. Armenia’s Government agreed today to
increase the monthly pensions of Armenian senior troopers by 10.3%
to 40,000 drams.

The government decision aims at raising money allowances of local
officers, warrant officers, private soldiers and their families,
said RA Minister of Finance Tigran Davtyan.

"The rise in the pensions of Armenian senior servicemen has been set by
the state budget for 2009," the minister added. ($1 – 305.51 drams?).

AMERIABANK POSTS 119.3% RISE IN DEPOSITS IN DEC 2008

ARKA
Feb 11, 2009

YEREVAN, February 11. /ARKA/. Ameriabank’s total time deposits grew by
119.3% in December 2008, the bank’s press service reports. Corporate
time deposits rose 150.4%, with retail deposits increasing by 14.6%.

Though Armenian banks posted a considerable plunge in deposits,
Ameriabank has increased its deposits thanks to its program of deposit
insurance aiming at strengthening trustworthiness of the country’s
banking system, Ameriabank says.

In January, the bank’s time deposits grew by 10.8%, with retail
deposits rising 46.4%. Year-over-year comparison also shows
considerable positive shift: as of January 31, 2009, time deposits
grew by 3.7pct year-on-year.

Retail deposits increased by 4.3pct year-on-year in January 31, 2009.

According to the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA), time deposits of
Armenian banks decreased by 5.4% in December 2008, with time deposits
attracted from residents rose 0.1%, due to foreign currency deposits.

Ameriabank CJSC is an investment bank offering a comprehensive set
of corporate and limited range of retail bank services and products.

The Chairman of the Ameriabank Board of Directors is Ruben Vardanyan,
and the Chairman of the Management Board-General Director is Artak
Hanesyan.

Ameriabank’s strategic partner is Troika Dialog Group – one of the
biggest investment-banking companies in Russia.

ARMENIA IS WAITING FOR REACTION OF RELEVANT INTERNATIONAL STRUCTURES AT UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH OF MILITARY POTENTIAL OF SOME COUNTRIES OF THE SOUTH CAUCASUS REGION

ArmInfo
2009-02-10 15:32:00

ArmInfo. President Serzh Sargsyan has received the delegation headed
by OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President’s Special Representative
for Nagorno Karabakh Goran Lenmarker.

As press-service of the Armenian president reported, over the
meeting they touched on the Karabakh conflict settlement process,
Armenian-Turkish political dialogue, the military and political
processes in the South Caucasus region as well as ‘Eastern Partnership’
initiative of European Union. President Sargsyan emphasized the role of
the OSCE in preserving peace lasting for 15 years and importance of the
OSCE MG in the Karabakh negotiating process. The president said that
Armenia is waiting for respond of the relevant international structures
at the unprecedented growth of the military potential of some countries
of the region as well as sounding militaristic statements.

Goran Lenmarker positively assessed the Karabakh conflict negotiating
process and welcomed the fact that Armenian president had initiated
discussion of the issue by him and the leaders of political
forces. He also welcomed the actions of Armenian government directed
to normalizing of relations with Turkey.

They also touched on ‘Eastern Partnership’ initiative. Sargsyan said
it is very much important to involve Armenia in this initiative and
added it supposes regional cooperation.