Author: Karabekian Emil

MAXIM PANOSSIAN TO PERFORM AT ANC AUSTRALIA DAY

Noyan Tapan
Nov 13, 2009

Internationally-renowned United States-based Armenian singer Maxim
Panossian will perform at ANC Australia Day on November 15. Galstaun
College students will also perform acts from stage, which include
singing and dancing.

Community organisations, including Hamazkaine, the Armenian Relief
Society, the Armenian Youth Federation and Homenetmen have united to
help celebrate what organisers are calling "a day for all Armenians",
armenia.com.au reports.

ARMENIAN SECURITIES MARKET SHOWS SIGNS OF REVIVAL

news.am
Nov 13 2009
Armenia

Numerous Armenian companies are ready to issue shares, but they are not
sure the capital market and public trust securities, Armen Melikyan,
Director General of NASDAQ OMX Armenia told NEWS.am. According to
him, bonds of ten companies and shares of 11 companies are currently
listed on NASDAQ OMX Armenia. Melikyan pointed out a number of reasons
for the underdevelopment of Armenia’s securities market. First, the
capital market and the public do not trust shares. "In 1993, when
the privatization process got under way, people were not informed
of what a share was. Later, securities were bought from them dirt
cheap. Time passed and the same people learnt that a share they sold
at 500 Armenian drams is worth 200 U.S. dollars now," Melikyan said.

Another problem is the lack of money on the capital market. The
companies issuing shares may have doubts about yield because of scanty
demand. Melikyan pointed out some movement on the securities market
from early 2008. "Companies began issuing bonds. That enabled them
to repay high-interest bank credits, and they were thus changing the
credit structure," Melikyan said. Since mid-2008, however, as the
global crisis was developing, the activity has been getting lower.

Melikyan said that the financial crisis made foreign investors, who
are mostly shareholders in the companies issuing shares, suspended
their investments in the Armenian economy.

"We expect activity on the exchange from mid-2010, as economic recovery
is expected in many countries," Melikyan said. He believes pension
reforms will boost the Armenian capital market as well.

BUDGET ALLOCATES UP TO 1 BILLION AMD FOR ANTI-HAIL STATIONS IN 2010

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.11.2009 14:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Anti-hail stations are important for Armenia,
state budget allocates up to 1 billion AMD for anti-hail stations in
2010, RA prime minister Tigran Sargsyan told a government meeting on
November 12.

The Armenian government approved measures to develop the system of
anti-hail stations on the territory of Armenia in 2010-2011.

Minister of Emergency Situations Mher Shahgeldyan informed that
this program is also aimed to prevent and combat the influence of
atmospheric effects on the environment. In addition, the development
of anti-hail stations will help to introduce new technologies, as
well to stations abroad.

CONSUELO VIDAL ENDS HER DIPLOMATIC MISSION IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
10.11.2009 20:44 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On November 10, NA Speaker Hovik Abrahmyan received
Consuelo Vidal, permanent representative of UN Headquarters in Armenia.

Armenian parliament speaker highly appreciated many years’ close
cooperation with diplomat and expressed Armenian leadership’s gratitude
to UN structures.

Summing up discussion results, Mr. Abrahamyan wished Vidal success
in her future endeavors and expressed hope that she would maintain
friendly ties with Armenia after finishing her mission, RA NA press
service reports.

ARMENIAN-HUNGARIAN AGREEMENTS SIGNED

News.am
Nov 9 2009
Armenia

On November 9, 2009, RA President Serzh Sargsyan paid the first visit
to Hungary in the history of independent Armenia.

The RA presidential press office reported that the official ceremony
was followed by the Armenian and Hungarian President’s talks, which,
in turn, were followed by an enlarged meeting.

Hungarian President László Sólyom pointed out that Hungary views
Armenia as an important partner and is ready to develop bilateral
cooperation in all fields.

The Armenian and Hungarian leaders stressed that, despite the progress
in bilateral relations, the bilateral economic and trade ties do not
fulfill the true potential. The two leaders expressed the confidence
that the documents signed during the Armenian President’s visit,
as well as the Armenian-Hungarian business forum in Budapest, will
contribute to the development of bilateral relations. The sides
also pointed out the importance of bilateral cooperation within
international organizations and the European Neighborhood Policy.

The Armenian President informed his Hungarian counterpart of the
current stage of the Armenia-Turkey normalization process and of
the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. "We are willing to resolve the
problems, without any preconditions and in a peaceful way, and
establish relations with our neighbors, using the potential for
stable and peaceful development of the region. I am sure that it
is only through cooperation that long-lasting peace, stability and
development can be established in the region," Sargsyan said.

President László Sólyom welcomed the progress in the Armenia-Turkey
normalization process. The sides also exchanged views on regional
security problems.

President Serzh Sargsyan invited his Hungarian counterpart to visit
Armenia.

The sides signed a number of agreements on economic cooperation.

SIMON KAMSARAKAN APPLIES TO PROSECUTOR GENERAL IN ANTICIPATION OF ARMENIAN FMS’ ANSWERS

PanARMENIAN.Net
09.11.2009 18:30 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Member of RA Public Council on Defense and National
Security, physicist and Director of Institute of Fundamental Sciences
Simon Kamsarakan has published his open letter addressed to Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandyan. In his letter, Kamsarakan informs Armenian
FM that he has already requested Prosecutor General to institute
a criminal case against him for violating constitutional order and
abusing authority to the detriment of the Armenia’s national security
and defense.

Kamsarakan finds that Armenian FM is obliged to provide information
on who initialed RA-Turkish Protocols and where, who elaborated
the so-called press release on behalf of Armenian, Turkish and Swiss
Foreign Ministries and why parties’ signatures are missing. Kamsarakan
is also interested to know whether the press releases on initialed
protocols were available to President on August 30, and why public
has no access to the Protocols signed. Besides, activists wonders who
undersigned the shorthand reports, how long they are going to be kept
confidential etc.

In his letter, Kamsarakan also says that in case the questions above
remain unanswered, he’ll submit relevant conclusions to RA Prosecutor
General as an argument proving his accusations.

news.az, Azerbaijan
Nov 7 2009

Ahmet Davutoghlu: Armenian-Turkish accords not to be ratified without
Karabakh conflict settlement
Sat 07 November 2009 | 07:16 GMT

"We have clearly expressed our position to our Russian, US and
European partners: they should not expect ratification of the
Armenian-Turkish accords without a breakthrough in the Karabakh issue.
This is an opinion of our deputies and we respect them", Hurriyet
quotes Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoghlu as saying in Paris.

"Yes, we want peace in the region, but all processes should occur in a
single complex. I have told Kuschner during the meeting with him that
France, as the OSCE MG co-chair, along with other co-chairs should
intensify efforts for the resolution of the Karabakh conflict", the
Minister said.

Davutoghlu had a debate with the Armenian journalist at a joint news
conference in Paris. When the journalist again asked him about
"genocide", Davutoghlu said nervously "and what about the occupation
of Azerbaijan’s lands and deprivation of hundreds of thousands of
people of their homes in Karabakh? Our only aim is to help these
people return to their native lands", CNN-Turk reports.

1 news.az

ABAJI: ORIGINE ORIENTS
By David Honigmann

FT
November 6 2009 23:54

Origine Orients sees the Lebanese musician Abaji touring the Eastern
Mediterranean, singing in Turkish, Greek, French, Arabic and in his
grandfather’s Armenian.

But this is essentially an instrumentalist’s album: Abaji plays all
the instruments here, from a hybrid oud-guitar to a bamboo flute. All
mingle: ‘Menz Baba’, about his grandfather, has a strummed bouzouki
melody but hard on its heels follows ‘Hidden Soul’, with Armenia’s
characteristic mournful bass duduk; the bowed lyre of ‘Steppo’ chimes
with sequins tinkling around the hips of a dancer.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT ARRIVES IN KUWAIT, RECEIVED BY HH THE AMIR

KUNA – Kuwaiti News Agency
Nov 3 2009
Kuwait

KUWAIT, Nov 3 (KUNA) – Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and the
delegation accompanying him arrived here Tuesday [3 Nov] for a two-day
official visit, during which he will hold talks with His Highness
the Amir Shaykh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah.

At the president’s reception at Kuwait International Airport was HH the
Emir, HH the Crown Prince Shaykh Nawwaf al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah,
National Assembly Speaker Jasim Mohammad al-Khurafi, Deputy Chief
of the National Guards Shaykh Mish’al al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah, HH
the Premier Shaykh Nasir al-Mohammad al-Ahmad al-Sabah, Minister of
Emiri Diwan Affairs Shaykh Nasir Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, advisers,
governors, senior government and security officials.

A mission of honour, head by Emiri Diwan Adviser Mohammad Dheifallah
Sharar, Was formed to escort the guest.

Escorting the visiting guest is an official delegation comprising of
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, Minister of Finance Tigran Davtian,
Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobian, Minister of Culture and Youth
Hasmik Poghosian, Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotian,
as well as senior government officials.

NO ORANGE REVOLUTION TOOK PLACE IN ARMENIA
Marianna Gyurjyan

"Radiolur"
06.11.2009 18:06

"No orange revolution took place in Armenia, although everyone expected
it," Director General of the ArmenTel CJSC Igor Klimko said, speaking
about the entry of the Orange to Armenia.

"Therefore, mildly speaking, it would be wrong to say that an
exceptional operator has appeared on the market, which suggests
unprecedented low prices," he said.

"I don’t think that the prize offered by our competitor is a serious
threat to us," he said.

Instead, ArmenTel makes a revolutionary offer with its "For you" and
"For you Exclusive" tariffs.

"If you look attentively at the fees offered by our competitor,
you’ll get convinced that they do not propose extremely beneficial
fees to the subscribers," Igor Klimko said.