Author: Kafian Jirair

CONSOLIDATION IN ARMENIA’ BANKING SECTOR IS NATURAL PROCESS

PanARMENIAN.Net
31.03.2010 18:54 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Consolidation of the Armenian banking sector is a
natural process, Cascade Bank executive director Aharon Levonyan said.

"Against a 3 billion market of total banking assets 22 banks mean a
tightened competition, preventing its development," he told a joint
news conference in Yerevan.

According to Artak Hanesyan , Ameriabank chairman of directorate and
director general, this merger could serve a good example for other
financial institutions. The merger is a good opportunity to address
growth issues within 2-3 months instead of projected 1-1.5 year,
he said.

The sole shareholder of the Cascade Bank JSC is the Cascade Capital
Holdings, founded in 2004 by the Cafesjian Family Foundation (CFF)
with the aim to encourage foreign investment in Armenia and the
Caucasus through a group of commercial companies providing financial
services in line with Western standards.

Ameriabank is a corporate investment bank providing investment,
corporate and limited retail banking services in the form of a
comprehensive package of banking solutions. Ameriabank’ strategic
partner is Troika Dialog" group, one of the largest investment banking
companies in Russia.

ARMENIA ACCEPTED 2 YEARS AGO

339.html
10:53:20 – 30/03/2010

On March 29, the Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward
Nalbandyan met with the OSCE Minsk group co-chairs Yuri Merzlyakov,
Bernard Fassier, Robert Bradtke as well as the OSCE Chairman-in-Office
special representative Anjey Kasprchik.

Edward Nalbandyan condoled with the Russian co-chair in relation to
the blasts at Moscow underground.

In the course of the meeting, the latest developments concerning the
Artsakh issue settlement, as well as the possibilities to make the
positions of the parties in connection with the updated principles
of Madrid were discussed.

The co-chairs informed Edward Nalbandyan about their meeting with
the NKR leadership taken place earlier.

The Armenian Foreign Minister said that Armenia accepted the principles
of Madrid as bases of the negotiation two years ago, and still accepts
them so. The MFA press service reports.

U.S. EXPECTS TURKISH PM TO NUCLEAR SECURITY SUMMIT IN WASHINGTON

Xinhua General News Service
March 29, 2010 Monday 11:55 AM EST
China

The U.S. administration expects Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan to participate in an international security summit in
Washington slated for next month, Turkey’s Daily News reported on
its website Monday.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Turkish Foreign Minister
Ahmet Davutoglu, underlining that Erdogan’s participation is expected
in the International Nuclear Security Summit to be held in Washington
on April 12 and 13 and that his attendance carries great importance
in every respect, Foreign Ministry spokesman Burak Ozugergin said in
a written statement issued Monday.

"Davutoglu stated that the evaluation process on this subject was
still continuing and that Prime Minister Erdogan would make his final
decision on this matter in the coming days," Ozugergin added.

The main agenda of the telephone conversation, which took place upon
the request of the U.S. side, according to the spokesman, was the
Armenian "genocide" resolution that a U.S. congressional committee
passed on March 4.

Davutoglu explained the reasons for the deep disappointment and strong
reaction by Turkish public opinion to the adoption of the resolution
and underlined that it is critically important that the measure not
go any further, said the spokesman.

Clinton stated that she understood Davutoglu’s concerns, and stressed
that the U.S. administration is opposed both to the House Foreign
Affair Committee’s decision and to further action on the " genocide"
bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to the spokesman.

On March 4, Turkey temporarily recalled its ambassador to the United
States following a U.S. congressional panel approved a resolution
labeling the incidents of 1915 as "genocide."

Turkey strongly rejects the genocide allegations and regards the
events as civil strife in wartime which claimed lives of many Turks
and Armenians.

news.am, Armenia
March 27 2010

Baku arms race hurts Karabakh talks

15:01 / 03/27/2010 March 27, RA Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan
received delegation headed by OSCE MG U.S. Co-Chair Robert Bradtke.
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch also attended.

The officials touched upon Karabakh peace process and regional
security issues. Ohanyan stressed that Armenian side admits only
diplomatic solution to the conflict, whereas warlike statements voiced
by Baku and constant arms race brings tension and hinders the talks.

RA Defense Minister expressed hope that mutually acceptable solution
to the conflict will be reached in the frames of OSCE Minsk Group,
Defense ministry press service informed NEWS.am.

The sides reaffirmed their stance on unacceptability of Karabakh
conflict settlement linkage with Armenia-Turkey reconciliation.

Ohanyan also informed the participants that under RA President’s
decision, bodies of two Azerbaijani saboteurs (found in Armenian
territory on March 3 sabotage) and a captive detained earlier will be
given to Azerbaijani side through International Committee of the Red
Cross.

A.G.

Worship allowed at Aghtamar church

25.03.2010 16:04

Yerevan (Yerkir) – The Culture and Tourism Ministry of Turkey will
allow worship once a year at a church in Van, according to a statement
released Thursday, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

The historical Surp Khach (Holy Cross) Church on Aghtamar Island in
the eastern district of Van was renovated and opened as a museum in
2007 by former Culture Minister Atilla Koç. Since then, debate has
centered on whether the church would once again be opened for prayer.
Buildings designated as museums are not allowed to host religious
services under Turkish law.

The church remained a topic of considerable debate especially around
speculation surrounding whether a cross would be set atop the church.
The decision on the cross is still pending.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Director
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Watch our latest videos on YouTube here:

THE BUREAU OF THE ARMENIAN REVOLUTIONARY FEDERATION
DISCUSSES ARMENIA-DIASPORA PROJECTS

The Bureau of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, headed by Mr. Hrant
Markarian met with His Holiness Aram I on Thursday 25 March 2010, in
Antelias.

The members of the Bureau discussed projects aiming at strengthening
Armenia-Diaspora Relationships, and advocating for the Rights of the
Armenian people in demanding the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

At the end of the meeting, His Holiness Aram I expressed his satisfaction
with efforts to strengthen collaboration between all Armenian Political
Parties in the pursuit of the Just Cause of the Armenian People.

##
Photo here:
tos/Photos458.htm#2
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

11:11 26/03/2010 » Politics
Nalbandyan and Lavrov talk on resolution of NKR conflict based on
Madrid principles

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan had a meeting yesterday
with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, Armenian MFA PR department
reported.

According to the source a few bilateral, regional and international
issues have been discussed during a warm and cordial talk.
Armenian and Russian FM-s have had a comprehensive talk related to the
resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based on Madrid principles.
Both ministers underscored that the conflict’s peaceful resolution has
no alternative.

Edward Nalbandyan visited Armenian Embassy to Moscow and had a
consultation with Embassy staffs. The issues of top priority of
Armenian foreign policy have been discussed at the meeting.

Source: Panorama.am

Foreign minister of Armenia takes part in OSCE FMC informal session

2010-03-26 11:49:00

ArmInfo. Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandyan, being in
Moscow on a working visit, took part in the informal session of CSTO
Foreign Ministerial Council.

As Armenian Foreign Ministry press service reports, participants in
the session discussed the course of implementation of decisions of
CSTO Collective Security Council, further steps in foreign political
coordination of CSTO member-states and assistance to the initiatives
of Kazakhstan as a country presiding in OSCE in 2010. The ministers
also touched on the current situation in Afghanistan and attached
importance to the efforts aimed at strengthening of stability in this
direction. Armenian FM made a report at the session. He attached
importance to the growing authority of CSTO in the international
arena, that is testified by a resolution on UN-CSTO cooperation,
adopted at UN General Assembly, as well as by signing of a declaration
on cooperation between the two organizations’ secretariats. E.
Nalbandyan touched on the project of development of the European
Security Treaty and emphasized that Armenia considers this initiative
by the Russian party important. "Equality of all the principles of the
international law should be fixed in the Treaty", E. Nalbandyan said.

Armenian FM met Sergey Lavrov on the same day. The parties discussed a
number of issues of the bilateral agenda, as well as regional and
international problems. The Karabakh problem was also touched on. E.
Nalbandyan also visited the Armenian Embassy and held a working
meeting there, during which the main problems of Armenia’s foreign
policy were discussed, as well as corresponding instructions were
given on further tightening of partner relations with Russia.

Microsoft Armenia to hold roundtable on interoperability of
information systems

2010-03-26 13:37:00

ArmInfo. Microsoft Armenia will hold a roundtable in Yerevan on a
topic "Information Systems Interoperability Management" on March 29
with participation of the Microsoft person in charge on Information
Security Standards in Central and Eastern Europe Andreas Fuchsberger
and Head of Microsoft Armenia Grigor Barseghyan.

As Microsoft Armenia told ArmInfo, this event is annual and aims at
introduction of the Microsoft experience on assurance of
interoperability of information systems and interaction of different
platforms in one common system. Microsoft specialists will present to
the tools and approaches for application of the interoperability of
systems to local companies. Representatives from Armenian state
agencies, local and foreign companies will take part in the
roundtable.

To note, interoperability of information systems becomes more
important in view of the growing preference of a new generation in use
of the network services – mobile phones, mappings, search systems and
purchases through electron systems. Therefore, it is necessary for the
platforms of different structures, including the state ones, to be
intercompatible. Integration of information systems requires
interoperability at several levels – from the technical level,
including general formats and protocols for information
representation, storage and transfer to the political, legal,
organizational and cultural level.

HULIQ, SC
March 25 2010

The Soap Bubble of Turkey’s Anger

The inconsistency of Turkish threats after France years ago and now
Sweden, adopted the Armenian Genocide resolutions in their
parliaments.

According to the recent information, Turkey’s Ambassador in Stockholm
Zergun Koruturk will return to Sweden at the beginning of next week.
Speaking in a program on CNN Turk TV channel, the Turkish Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that the diplomat, who was recalled
after the Swedish Parliament had adopted a bill on the incidents of
1915 earlier in March, will go back to Stockholm soon.

This move to reconciliation was expected. When France officially
adopted Armenian Genocide in 2001, Turkey’s reaction was as hysterical
as now in response to the U.S. Congressional Foreign Affairs
Committee’s approval of a resolution labeling the incidents of 1915 as
"genocide" and Sweden’s decision. However, within several months the
development of the relations within all spheres was rebuilt. The same
will happen today. Turkey obviously needs time to understand two basic
factors: the governments have no control over their countries’
parliaments and the decisions are not directed towards contemporary
Turkey but refer to putting the historical record straight.

Incidentally, it is appropriate at this point to recall a couple of
other inconsistencies in Turkey’s foreign policy. After the American
Congress panel’s resolution draft, the Turkish officials declared they
would turn to Russia all their planned economic and military
cooperation with the US. Is there logic in this statement? The Turks
might have forgotten that Russia adopted Armenian Genocide without any
reservation in 1995. Next, let’s remember the place where the
negotiations with Armenia were held. It was Switzerland ` the country
that not only recognized Armenian Genocide in 2003 but also adjusted
its legislation to criminalize Genocide denial. It’s another paradox,
isn’t it?

Thus, there is no sense to consider Turkey’s angry reaction seriously.
They know that other countries need them as much as they need those
countries. At least, history shows that none of the world nations that
had qualified the massacres of Armenians as Genocide brought this
subject into their relations with Turkey. This is a moral issue only.

Written by Ashot Vardanyan
Mr. Vardanyan holds a teaching position at the University of Iowa.

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