Author: Jalatian Sonya

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN RECEIVES MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC COUNCIL

646/lang/en
2010-02-24

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 24, ARMENPRESS: Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
received today members of the Public Council who presented to the
leader of the country issues connected with the development of
agriculture and internet quality.

The president said that he is aware of the extended discussions in
the Public Council starting from the process of normalization of the
Armenian Turkish relations up to the improvement of the quality of
TV broadcast. "The essential thing is that these issues pass a wide
discussion. This is an important circumstance as many see that there
are issues in the society: but one thing is to see and another suggest
solutions," the president of the country said.

Chairman of the Public Council Vazgen Manukyan noted that the council
wants to be useful for the public, so that a state based on national
values be built, civil society be formed. For reaching it besides
improving of many laws other issues also exist.

"There are issues of protection of human rights, development of
industry and agriculture. People must be able to work and keep family
with their salary," V. Manukyan said, highlighting also issues of
upbringing and those of educational system.

Referring to the development of agriculture, V. Manukyan noted that the
state support is necessary in this issue. "Without it no agriculture
may develop. We must think how to make agriculture effective and how
to keep the village. We suggest creation of rural cooperative farm,"
V. Manukyan said.

Member of the Public Council Khosrov Harutyunyan noted that since
independence extended investments have been made in the agricultural
sphere, the infrastructures have been upgraded, and particularly
the irrigation systems. According to him, not all investments have
registered enough results in respect of organization of effective
agriculture.

Another member of the Public Council Vladimir Movsissyan noted that
there is an issue of not-usage of certain infrastructures because
of which the invested means are not effective. According to him,
as to developed infrastructures they are not available for farmers.

"The irrigation system is quite developed but the water is not
available. The creation of cooperative is very important but it must
not be overestimated, the economy must develop in a diversified way,"
V. Movsissyan said.

Members of the Public Council also presented to S. Sargsyan the issues
connected with the increase of internet tariffs and its quality. V.

Manukyan noted that in Armenia the internet tariff is several times
higher than in neighboring countries, besides we have an issue of
internet availability.

Member of the Council Hovik Musayelyan noted that there are many
achievements in the IT sector. In the previous year the economy had
14.5% reduction but the IT sector had double digit growth. According
to him, the obstacle to the complete development of the sector is
not the tariff but the quality.

"If the quality of internet is bad we cannot normally export our
product. If in Armenia a product corresponding to international
standards is issued and we cannot export it because of bad quality
of internet it is already a serious issue," H. Musayelyan said.

According to him, the Public Council has adopted a decision which
establishes standards of special quality in case of violation of
which fines will be established.

RA Economy Minister Nerses Yeritsyan noted that the state will
implement a clear policy by establishing certain standards of providing
internet services. In that case certain events will be carried out
from the point of view of protection of interests of consumers.

S. Sargsyan considered the presented issues as very important, noting
that with one, two discussions huge progress cannot be expected.

According to him, the voiced suggestions will be taken into
consideration and the responsible of the spheres will display relevant
approach.

BY THE END OF THE YEAR THE PILOT PROGRAM ON CREATION OF FREE TRADE ZONE IN THE "ZVARTNOTS" AIRPORT TO KICK OFF

lang/en
2010-02-23

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS: By the end of the year the pilot
program on creation of free trade zone in the "Zvartnots" airport will
kick off. Head of the Armenian Economy Ministry’s Industry Department
Hayk Mirzoyan said today at the meeting with the reporters that the
goal of the program is to increase the volume of export of agricultural
products, promote the increase of productivity of agriculture, applying
new technology as well as formation of Armenian agricultural brand.

According to him, currently preparatory works of the program are in
process. In 2009 expert from "Flora Holland" was invited to Armenia
in 2009. Together with the expert business model of the logistic
center of the free trade zone has been worked out. The organizer of
the free trade zone – the manager of "Zvartnots" airport – together
with the expert and with the support Armenian Development Agency is
working out the business program of the logistic center.

H. Mirzoyan said that with the program it is expected to create a
pilot points for gathering of food so that the farmers quickly store
their product and then sell to the exporters. In the territory of
the airport store and packages points will function.

The head of the department said that 3 points of gathering of the
agricultural products will be created in the airport. Currently works
on creating council coordinating the program are in process. H.

Mirzoyan said that all the businessmen who will elaborate activity
in the free economic zones are duty free, customs free as well as
VAT free. Works are also being carried out toward developing a law
abut free economic zone.

KARABAKH ARMY ALWAYS READY TO REBUFF INTERFERENCE, SAYS SAKAHYAN

Yerevan Report
Feb 22 2010
Armenia

YEREVAN (Novosti-Armenia), February 22–"The Karabakh army is always
ready to rebuff any encroachment on state security," said the President
of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Bako Sahakyan, on Saturday when he
met with members of the National Assembly.

"We are deeply convinced that the issues currently existing in
the modern world can be solved solely by civilized means – through
negotiations and through direct dialog. The authorities of Azerbaijan
still continue to wage a war-mongering policy, keeping its own people
under constant pressure and threat of a renewed war. These actions are
futile and irrelevant. We have a capable army that is always ready
to rebuff any attacks on the security of our nation and people,"
Sahakian said.

According to him, the heroic people of Artsakh (the Armenian name
for Karabakh), together with all Armenians, managed to transfer the
trials that fell upon them and embarked on building a democratic state.

"For us, this path is constant and irreversible," the President said.

Sahakian also congratulated those present and all the people who on
Saturday celebrated the Day of Revival of Artsakh.

"Each of you bears the symbol of this day and has a personal
contribution to the implementation of the ideas of the national
liberation movement. Many of our friends gave their lives for the
triumph of these ideas," he said.

According to him, February 20, 1988 marked the beginning of their
national revival. "We came to the defense of our natural right to
live freely and independently in our native land, to determine our
own destiny in accordance with universal norms and principles of
international law."

"To our peaceful and fair demands, Azerbaijan replied with a brutal and
bloody war, which caused numerous human casualties and destruction,"
Sahakian said.

Translated from Russian by Yerevan Report

PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE STARTS DISCUSSING THE ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS
Lena Badeyan

"Radiolur"
19.02.2010 17:35

Discussions on the Armenian-Turkish protocols started in the National
Assembly’s Standing Committee on International Relations today. The
protocols will be included on the agenda of the four-day sitting to
start Monday. However, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee
Armen Rustamyan is going to apply to the Speaker of Parliament,
asking not put the documents on the agenda of the plenary session of
the National Assembly until the Head Committee issues its conclusion.

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan participated in the
sitting of the Foreign Relations Committee to present the initiative
of amending the Law on International Agreements. It was made clear
that the initiative is linked to the Armenian-Turkish protocols.

"The Law on International Agreements pursues a very clear objective.

It aims to provide the state with necessary tools to fdefend its
rights more effectively," Armen Rustamyan said.

SENIOR US OFFICIAL TO HOLD TALKS IN TURKISH CAPITAL

Feb 17 2010
Turkey

Burns is expected to be received by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu on Thursday afternoon.

Undersecretary of the United States Department of State, William Burns,
will hold talks in Turkish capital province of Ankara as part of his
regional tour on Thursday.

Sources said that Burns will proceed to Turkey from Syria.

William Burns will firstly visit the Turkish General Staff and hold
talks with the Undersecretary of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign
Affairs (MFA) Ambassador Feridun Sinirlioglu.

Burns is expected to be received by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu on Thursday afternoon.

During Burns’s talks in Ankara, issues such as Iran’s nuclear program,
a resolution to be brought onto the agenda of the U.S. House of
Representatives on the incidents of 1915 later in March and the
protocols signed by Turkey and Armenia, regional and international
issues pertaining to Turkey and the U.S. will be discussed.

A high volume of talks have been taking place between Turkey and the
U.S. in the past week.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with the U.S.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Doha, Qatar last weekend as
part of the "U.S.-Islamic World Forum".

Ambassador Sinirlioglu held talks in Washington, D.C. recently.

RA NA PANEL TO DEBATE ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS FEB.19

PanARMENIAN.Net
18.02.2010 12:34 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian-Turkish Protocols will be debated in
the committee on external relations of the RA National Assembly on
February 19.

"We offered the parliament speaker to develop a procedure of
preliminary discussions," Armen Rustamyan, chairman of the committee,
said.

He emphasized that the discussions will be maximally transparent.

"According to the NA charter, international agreements are included in
the agenda and then debated during the parliamentary session," he said.

Mr. Rustamyan added that ARF-Dashnaktsutyun can support ratification
of Protocols only in case certain reservations are introduced in them.

The Protocols aimed at normalization of bilateral ties and opening of
the border between Armenia and Turkey were signed in Zurich by Armenian
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet
Davutoglu on October 10, 2009, after a series of diplomatic talks
held through Swiss mediation.

On January 12, 2010, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of
Armenia found the protocols conformable to the country’s Organic Law.

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT SUGGESTS TO REPLENISH THE BUDGET VIA RAISING OF TAXES FOR TOBACCO PRODUCTION

ArmInfo
2010-02-18 16:18:00

ArmInfo. Armenian government has directed a package of draft laws to
the National Assembly according to which it suggests to raise taxes
for the tobacco production produced in Armenia and imported.

As a result of relevant changes, it is expected to raise annual
incomes of the state budget of the republic by 3 bln drams. Another
purpose of the government is humanitarian – fighting smocking.

At present tobacco production should pay the fixed 10% customs tax.

The government offers to fix zero custom duty and to transfer from the
fixed tax to the regime of VAT payment. Moreover, the government offers
to take excise tax from tobacco production (2850 drams), and importers
– 4000 drams. If the mentioned alterations are adopted by deputies
of the parliament, they will step in beginning from 1 January 2011.

Thus, according to experts, Armenian government is going the
traditional anti-crisis path, having shot two rabbits: it made a
correct step for replenishment of the state budget, and laid a tax
at cigarette smokers, as in that case cigarette prices will grow.

AZERBAIJAN ACCEPTS UPDATED KARABAKH PRINCIPLES

news.az
Feb 15 2010
Azerbaijan

MFA of Azerbaijan Baku accepts "in general" the updated basic
principles of a Karabakh settlement, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov said today.

"We consider the updated basic principles proposed by the OSCE Minsk
Group in Athens to be acceptable", Mammadyarov told a briefing today
after talks with the OSCE chairman-in-office, Kazakh Foreign Minister
Kanat Saudabayev, Interfax-Azerbaijan reported.

This does not mean, however, that Azerbaijan agrees with all the
points set out in the basic principles.

"Our position is that that the updated principles are accepted in
general, but there are elements that do not suit us and require
coordination and the continuation of negotiations," he said.

Mammadyarov said that he recently contacted Russian Foreign Minister
Sergey Lavrov, who said that the Armenian side had not expressed its
attitude to the updated guidelines, Interfax-Azerbaijan reported.

The Azerbaijani foreign minister said the status quo in the conflict
was unacceptable. "If we are building normal international relations
in the framework of the OSCE, the notion of ‘ethnic cleansing’ and
‘occupation of lands’ is unacceptable," Mammadyarov stressed.

The minister supported Kazakhstan’s chairmanship of the OSCE and the
country’s initiative to organize an OSCE Astana summit this year.

Mammadyarov said that Kazakhstan had firsthand experience of the
Karabakh problem, recalling that in the early 1990s, Kazakh President
Nursultan Nazarbayev and the then Russian president , Boris Yeltsin,
were personally involved in the settlement process and travelled to
the conflict region.

"We view Kazakhstan’s chairmanship of the OSCE as a positive factor.

It is positive that a country with which we, Azerbaijan and Armenia,
once lived together in a single state, is now the chairman of such
a prestigious organization," Mammadyarov said.

He said that during his six years as foreign minister he had seen
increased activity by the OSCE Minsk Group in the search for a Karabakh
settlement, according to Interfax-Azerbaijan.

"It is clear to the naked eye that there is movement in the process.

And it’s desirable for that movement to continue. We have an interest
in the confirmation of the updated principles [by the Armenian side
– Interfax-Azerbaijan], since this will mean that work can start on
preparing a comprehensive peace agreement."

"If the process does not bear fruit, then the question ‘What next?’
arises and all the players have to answer this," Mammadyarov said.

He said that the nub of the Karabakh problems was the "hardest part".

"And if we can make progress on this, then everyone will be a winner:
not only Azerbaijan and Armenia, but all the countries of the region,"
Mammadyarov said.

The basic principles as formulated earlier include the return of
the territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijani control,
an interim status for Karabakh providing guarantees for security and
self-governance, and the future determination of the final legal status
of Nagorno-Karabakh through a legally binding expression of will.

The status of Karabakh is thought to be the key sticking point in the
negotiations. Azerbaijan insists that Karabakh should remain within
Azerbaijan, as is recognized by international law, while Armenia
wants a different status for the territory.

Azerbaijani presidential official Novruz Mammadov said in December
that little had changed in the updated version of the basic principles
from the Madrid version already published.

ARMENIAN NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL SECRETARY GOES TO FRANCE

Tert.am
15:36 ~U 15.02.10

Today is the first day of a two-day business visit by RA National
Security Council Secretary, and former National Assembly Speaker,
Artur Baghdasaryan and his delegation to France.

The former National Assembly Speaker has plans to meet with France’s
National Defense Secretary General Francis Delon, diplomatic advisor
to the French President Jean-David Levitte and other officials.

ACCIDENT ON SLIPPERY HIGHWAY

/vtar
02:45 pm | February 12, 2010

Social

Yesterday evening a traffic accident was recorded on Meghri-Yerevan
highway. Karine Khachatryan, 22, died on the spot. The other passengers
of the crashed GAZ 3102 were taken to hospital with injuries of
various degrees.

The car is said to have gone off the road because of the slippery road.

Karine Khachatryan was to get engaged on February 13. She was going
to Sisian to visit her father’s tomb