Author: Khoyetsian Rose

ARMENIAN-TURKISH DIALOGUE CONTRIBUTES TO DEVELOPMENT OF TURKOLOGY

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
02.12.2009 18:13 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The current stage of Armenian-Turkish process
necessitates the development of Turkology in Armenia, says Professor
Ruben Safrastyan, Head of NAS Oriental Studies Institute. "We must
take advantage of political processes to develop the sphere in the
country," he told today a news conference in Yerevan.

At that, he noted Turkey’s increasing interest in Armenia. "A few years
ago, Turkey’s General Headquarters proposed initiative for teaching
the Armenian language in the country. Today, Turkish universities
have Armenian language chairs," he stressed.

TIGRAN SARGSYAN; "WE ARE PLANNING TO STRENGTHEN BOTH THE PRODUCTION OVERSIGHT AND EVENTS AGAINST ECONOMIC ABUSES,"

ARMENPRESS
Dec 1, 2009

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan visited today "Original distillery company" vodka factory to
assess the implementation of his assignments that referred to effective
work of importers and delivers, promotion of local production.

After walking around the factory Tigran Sargsyan answering to the
questions of reporters said, "I must note with delight that our
February meeting with importers gives positive results. Particularly,
the production which has been organized during the four months is the
response of importers to the call of the government. This is very
important. First we decrease the volume of import of vodka and are
having own production: 80 working places have been created and the
factory will expand making the number of employees reach 200.

Secondly, the competitiveness in the market will bring to the increase
of the quality of vodka in Armenia and it is important as we deal
with the health of our citizens. And the third the company is going
to export its product to neighboring countries, as well as to Russia,
Ukraine which means that the quality of vodka must be high to be able
to compete with well known Russian and Ukrainian brands."

In response to the question connected with the steps of the government
against copying by local producers the foreign brands, Tigran Sargsyan
noted that "Economic competitiveness commission is receiving such
calls. New strategy is being developed which on one hand must activate
the work of the commission, on the other new initiatives must be
forwarded according to which an opportunity will be given to the
commission in case of such abuses not only apply punitive measures
but also implement preventive measures so that people do not think
to cheat the customers selling low quality products under well-known
brands. This is inadmissible, dangerous phenomena. We are planning to
strengthen both the production oversight and events against economic
abuses," the prime minister said.

SCIENCE INTENSIVE ECONOMY AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES PROMISING AREAS IN ARMENIA

/ARKA/
December 1, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, December 1. /ARKA/. The science intensive economy and
innovative technologies are promising areas in Armenia, Vache
Kirakosyan, chief of Armenian economy ministry’s information
technologies division, said Monday at Novosti International Press
Center.

He said the government attaches importance to the venture conferences
in Armenia.

"These venture conferences create certain environment for development
of a new culture at companies and lay groundwork for introduction of
new technologies and innovations."

The ministry welcomes all the companies taking part in the
conferences and is happy about the growing number of participants,
ideas and solutions in engineering, biotechnologies and pharmaceutics,
Kirakosyan said.

The third venture conference will be held in Yerevan on December 2
as part of STEP science and business technologies program.

Fourteen investment programs worked out on the grants intended
for supporting development of business-science cooperation will be
presented at the conference.

Of them, five best programs will be selected to receive $15,000 each
in grants.

This is the third conference the ministry holds jointly with Enterprise
Incubator Foundation and the U.S. Civilian Research and Development
Foundation (CRDF).

Four of CIS member countries – Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine –
are included in the CRDF project.

Under this project, three programs were funded in Armenia.

Each of these programs cost $5,000.

In 2008, four companies were announced winners, and each of them
received $7,500.

It was decided in 2009 to enlarge the number of winners to five and
the sum of the prize to $15,000 for each winner.

TREATY OF LISBON COMING INTO FORCE WON’T AFFECT ARMENIA-EU RELATIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.11.2009 14:55 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ With Treaty of Lisbon coming into force, Armenia-EU
relations will not undergo any changes, Deputy Foreign Minister of
Armenia Karine Ghazinyan said.

"Collaboration between Armenia and the European Union has already been
established. Europe will face organizational issues only, I believe,"
she told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

Ms. Ghazinyan voiced hope that internal changes in Europe will help
development of Armenia-EU collaboration. "An EU delegation will arrive
in Yerevan on December 9 to discuss Armenia’s commitment to human
rights. This testifies our intention to get closer to the European
family," she said.

The Treaty of Lisbon is an international agreement signed in Lisbon
on 13 December 2007 designed to change the workings of the European
Union (EU). Having been ratified by all EU member states, the treaty
will enter into force on 1 December 2009.

Changes include more qualified majority voting in the Council of
Minister, increased involvement of the European Parliament in the
legislative process through extended codecision with the Council
of Ministers, eliminating the pillar system and the creation of
a President of the European Council with a term of two and a half
years and a High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs
and Security Policy to present a united position on EU policies. The
Treaty will also make the Union’s human rights charter, the Charter
of Fundamental Rights, legally binding.

President Sargsyan participated in the EurAsEC summit

armradio.am
28.11.2009 11:21

In the capital of Belarus President Serzh Sargsyan participated in the
sitting of the Interstate Council of the Eurasian Economic Community
(EurAsEC). Armenia holds an observer’s status in the organization.

The Presidents of Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and
Tajikistan also participated in the sitting. The agenda included about
twenty issues, including the implementation of the decisions taken
during the previous sitting of the Interstate Council, formation of a
common economic area and tax union over the EurAsEC territory, the
joint work towards eliminating the consequences global financial
economic crisis.

President Sargsyan also participated the international summit on
`Uniting the CIS’ targeted at the development of Information
Technologies over the CIS area.

DPA CALLS FOR NKR RECOGNITION

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.11.2009 14:41 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia should introduce conceptual changes in
Karabakh talks and recognize NKR independence, according to the leader
of Democratic Party of Armenia.

"In response to Ilham Aliyev’s warlike statements Armenia should have
suspended talks unless the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs gave their
assessment of the situation," Aram Sargsyan told a news conference
in Yerevan on Friday.

"Not recognizing independence of Nagorno Karabakh, Armenia can’t
explain the essence of the conflict to the international community,"
he said.

PAVEL KOGAN: MSASO CAN BE SAID TO BE BROUGHT TO ARMENIA BY ARAM KHACHATURYAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.11.2009 19:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "It’s incredible that over the 67 years of its
existence, Moscow State Academic Symphonic Orchestra (MSASO) yesterday
performed its first concert in Yerevan. Orchestra’s second concert
is scheduled for November 27," MSASO Art Director Pavel Kogan told
a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, impressed by the warmth and young spirit
of Armenian audience.

"MSASO can be said to be brought to Armenia by Aram Khachaturyan. We
all bow to his talent, and I think professional musicians will be
pleased to eternalise the great composer’s memory," Kogan said.

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN HOSTS EDUARDO EURNEKIAN

Aysor
Nov 25 2009
Armenia

Armenia’s President Serge Sargsyan has hosted Armenian-born Argentine
businessman Eduardo Eurnekian, Cabinet’s press office reported.

Eduardo Eurnekian told President Sargsyan about developing in process
of investment in various economical spheres and stressed that global
crisis hadn’t influence Armenia-related projects. All initiatives
are in progress, he said.

President Sargsyan praised the development in post services and
highlighted the importance of completed works in the Yerevan Airport
of Zvartnots. International Zvartnots Airport will serve nearly 3
million passengers each year since 2010, besides.

Armenian President also mentioned the importance of running and
planning projects of farm development and those projects which are
related to recycled food market. Armenia welcomes innovations and
other new ideas in agricultural sphere, said President.

"Injection of modern technologies, new ideas and views in agricultural
sphere can influence other sectors making them more developed and
can create good basis for general development in rural communities,"
said Serge Sargsyan.

RA DEFENSE FORCES MEDICAL OFFICERS’ CONSCRIPTION TO START IN DECEMBER 2009

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.11.2009 17:39 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On November 24, RA President Serzh Sargsyan signed
a decree on conscription and demobilization of RA Defense Forces
medical officers.

According to the decree, in December 2009, a conscription of medical
officers, aged under 35, will be conducted for 2-year military service.

At the same time, demobilization of medical officers serving in RA
Armed Forces will be held.

ISRAEL WANTS TURKEY BACK ON BOARD AS MEDIATOR WITH SYRIA

AZG DAILY
26-11-2009

International

Israeli Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor, Benjamin Ben-Eliezer,
is expected to propose to Turkey that it resume its mediation role
in peace talks between Israel and Syria, in exchange for a return
to more cordial relations between Israel and Turkey, according to
sources in Tel Aviv, almanar.com.lb reported.

The sources said that the policy was coordinated with Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Foreign Ministry in advance of
Ben-Eliezer’s departure on an official visit to Turkey Sunday evening.

The sources say that Ben-Eliezer will stress that Israel will view
Turkey as a mediator with Syria, but Turkey must first demonstrate
a return to the normal relations that existed with Israel before
a deterioration in ties at the beginning of the year in the wake
of Operation Cast Lead in Gaza. The normalization will have to be
shown through declarations and deeds, they say. Among such gestures,
Ben-Eliezer will propose that Turkish President Abdullah Gul pay a
visit to Israel and meet with President Shimon Peres.

In the course of Ben-Eliezer’s visit, he will attempt to return
economic, military, strategic and diplomatic ties to normal. The
official reason for the minister’s visit is the annual Turkish-Israeli
economic conference. In the course of his trip, Ben-Eliezer will
meet with the Turkish agriculture minister as well as the defense
minister, who heads the Turkish delegation to the conference. Efforts
have recently been underway to arrange a meeting with a high-level
Turkish political figure. In the absence of Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan, who is abroad, a possible meeting with President Gul
or with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is being explored.

"I hope my economic and political talks will make it possible to
get the important relations between Israel and its Turkish strategic
partner back on track," Ben-Eliezer said, adding, "Turkey has special
ties with Israel, and as a regional and democratic-Muslim power."

In the wake of Operation Cast Lead, Turkey found it difficult to
restrain its criticism of Israel in the face of pro-Palestinian public
opinion in Turkey. This was followed by public pressure, backed by
Erdogan, to halt cooperation between Israeli and Turkish companies.

In October Prime Minister Netanyahu rejected a Turkish proposal,
conveyed through Spain, to resume mediation efforts with Syria. About
a week later, Turkey canceled Israeli participation in air force
exercises on its soil. The anti-Israel Turkish policies have been
led by Prime Minister Erdogan, while President Gul is considered a
pro-Israeli figure in the Turkish leadership.

In reaction to recent declarations by Netanyahu regarding his readiness
to negotiate with Syria without preconditions, Syrian President Bashar
Assad’s senior political advisor, Bothaina Shaaban, said over the
weekend that Syria’s position on opening negotiations with Israel is
clear: Israel must first recognize Syria’s rights in the Golan Heights
and present guarantees that it will withdraw. From Syria’s standpoint,
she said, it is not a matter of preconditions but of rights that it
cannot relinquish.

At a lecture in Syria, Shaaban said the meeting between Assad and
French President Nicolas Sarkozy about 10 days ago dealt with the
peace process, the Iranian nuclear issue and Turkish relations with
Syria. She said Syria is insisting that Turkey serve as mediator in
any negotiations with Israel, and Turkey is an important country
that had a central and rational role in the indirect negotiations
with Israel. Negotiations under Turkish mediation, she said, proved
to the world that Syria wants an agreement and Israel is hindering it.