Author: Khoyetsian Rose

European Broadcasting Union to examine issue of interrogation of
Azerbaijani citizens that voted for Armenian song in Eurovision 2009

2009-08-29 11:07:00

ArmInfo. The EBU committee responsible for running the Eurovision Song
Contest, the so-called Reference Group, will examine the matter of
interrogation of Azerbaijani citizens that voted for the Armenian song
in Eurovision 2009 Song Contest at a meeting in Oslo on 11 September
2009, APA reports quoting the contest’s official website.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said it has received responses
from Azerbaijan that the Ministry of National Security had given
assurances that nobody had been questioned on voting in the
competition. The EBU’s Director General, Jean Reveillon, said he took
note of the statements. However, he stressed that the freedom to vote
for any song except the one of the country where you are watching is
one of the cornerstones of the contest. "Any breach of privacy
regarding voting, or interrogation of individuals, is totally
unacceptable," he added.

LOWERED RATING BY FITCH FOR ARMENIA SHOULD NOT HAVE A LARGE IMPACT ON THE COUNTRY’S ABILITY TO BORROW

ArmInfo
2009-08-27 20:06:00

ArmInfo. Lowered rating by Fitch for Armenia won’t have a large impact
on Armenia’s ability to borrow, says Nienke Oomes, IMF resident
representative to Armenia, commenting on the recent revision of
Armenia’s Country Ceiling by Fitch from BB+ to BB. "In general I
don’t think it will have a big impact on Armenia’s borrowing ability,
because it is only a minor downgrading and Armenia isn’t very open
yet to international portfolio investment, e.g., foreign investors
typically don’t buy Armenian bonds or stocks. Presently most loans
come to the country from international financial organizations like
the World Bank and the IMF, and bilateral donors like the EU and
Russia. I don’t think the lending decisions of these donors are much
influenced by whether the current Fitch rating is BB+ or BB. Of course
we do care about Armenia’s ability to repay the loan. Subject to the
constraint that Armenia’s debt should remain sustainable, our lending,
and most of the lending by international donors, is mostly motivated
by the needs of the country itself", says N. Oomes.

To remind the reader, by the end of 2008 the ratio of external debt
of Armenia to GDP was 13,2%, compared to 15,7% by the end of 2007. In
March 2009, Armenia signed a 28- month Stand-By agreement with IMF
which totaled $540 mln, and which was augmented at the end of June
to $822,7 mln (533,6 mln SDR).

WHY TO REST ABROAD?

Aysor
Aug 27 2009
Armenia

"Most of our citizens prefer to rest abroad because of the prices in
the Armenian resorts. Some of these people can be our clients if we
suggest lower prices", – said Mekhak Apresyan, the Head of the Tourism
and Regional Development Department of the RA Ministry of Economy,
to the reporter of Aysor.am.

According to the data of RA Ministry of Economy, since 2001 to 2008
the growth in the incoming tourism was 25 % and the inner tourism
comprised 20%.

Mekhak Apresyan also mentioned the importance of the service level
corresponding to the European standards, and added that much is still
to be done.

"We have an urgent issue on preparing and qualifying the personal",
– he said.

We have made a research to find out the price-lists of some rest-houses
in Armenia.

The manager of one of the rest-houses in Dilijan said that the ordinary
room costs 2000 drams, semi-first class 3000 and first class 4000,
if food is include 3000 drams are paid more.

"Our rest house comprises 30 people, and we will have fewer resting
people in September",-said the manager.

In one of the rest houses in Tsakhkadzor, a room designed for one
person costs 12 000 drams, and if food is include 3 500 drams are
paid more. A room comprising 2 people costs 13 000.

"This year we had 30 % sale, but the number of resting people decreased
as compared with that of the last year which is due to the weather
conditions. In other rest houses in Tsakhkadzor the situation is
even worse".

In one of the rest houses in Aghveran they said the decrease of the
number of resting people is not due to the weather conditions but to
the crisis.

"A room designed for two people costs 18 000, without food, and food
costs 5000 drams",- said the manager.

According to the data of RA Ministry of Economy in the first trimester
of 2009 the decrease in the growth of the resting people was registered
as compared with the last year.

When it was mentioned that there are rest houses where 20 000 drams and
more is to be paid daily, Mekhak Apresyan said that this question is
to be asked to private business holders for them to take into account
the data.

Contact: Haykuhi Khachatryan

Fuller Center for Housing Armenia
Yerevan 0033, Baghramyan str. 3rd lane, house 10a
Tel: (+374 10) 271 499

Millard Fuller Legacy Build

During the week of Aug. 30 to Sept. 4, Fuller Center covenant partners
across the U.S. and around the world will build, renovate and dedicate homes
with families in need as part of the inaugural Millard Fuller Legacy Build.
At least 100 simple and decent houses will be built or renovated in the
weeks and months leading up to the Legacy Build week.

The Fuller Center For Housing Armenia takes part at this project and has
committed to build 10 houses in the framework of that.

In Armenia, simultaneously to events in other 9 countries and 29 cities for
seven days, the Global Builders team and all the volunteers will be building
with Martirosyan family in Haytagh village, Armavir region. The week will be
finalized by a home blessing ceremony at the Ararat region Khor Virap
village.

The founder of Fuller Center For Housing and Habitat for Humanity Millard
Fuller, who has dedicated his life to eliminating housing poverty from the
face of the earth, has left this world for a better place in February. The
100-house build is now in celebration and honor of Millard Fuller’s life and
work.

All his life Millard Fuller with his wife Linda served the idea of helping
those in housing need, developing communities and giving opportunities to
thousands of families all over the world to feel the happiness of being a
homeowner.

In Armenia, where FCH operates since 2008 and has already helped 50 families
and hosted 10 GB teams, from August 30 to September 3 a Global Builders team
from USA, US Embassy employees as well as Peace Corps volunteers, alumni’s
from Educational and Cultural Affairs and local community members will join
the Fuller Legacy Build with FCH Armenia staff to help build with those in
housing need in Armavir and Ararat regions.

As God said the light which stayed inside the church will not be helpful to
anyone, it will only blind, but the light must be shared, for everybody
could hear and see God’s words and affairs.

By his style of life Millard gave an example how this light could be shared
and how it could light up the hearts and the nations, and how that light
could unite people from all walks of life, backgrounds and nationalities
around a simple idea that no one, created by the image of God, deserves to
live in shacks. The volunteers from around the world get together and join
families and help them realize that they are a part of a great identity,
they are not alone, and there is always someone who cares of them.

The Fuller Center for Housing Armenia is working to eliminate poverty
housing by providing long term, interest free loans and by assisting with
volunteers helping low-income families to build simple, sustainable,
affordable houses and renovate their houses. For more information, please
visit

FCHA address: Baghramyan 3rd lane, house 10/A, Yerevan 0033, Armenia,

email: [email protected], Phone: (374 10) 27 14 99.

AZERBAIJAN’S MINISTER OF YOUTH AND SPORTS TO VISIT ARMENIA

BSANNA NEWS
Aug 28 2009
Ukraine

BAKU, August 28 (AzerTAc). Azerbaijan`s Minister of Youth and Sports
Azad Rahimov and President of Judo Federation Fizuli Alakbarov will
visit Yerevan, Armenia to discuss organizational issues related with
participation of Azerbaijani athletes in European Judo Championship,
Ministry`s press service said.

A new agreement is expected to be signed here in accordance with the
contract concluded between Azerbaijani and Armenian sports structures
during the World Wrestling Championship held in Baku 2007.

Agreement envisages security of Azerbaijani athletes on the territory
of Armenia, information transmission, hoisting Azerbaijani flag,
sounding the hymn and other essential issues.

The document will be signed by Azerbaijan`s Ministry of Youth and
Sports, European Judo Union, European Olympic Committee and Armenia`s
relevant structures.

ELKHAN POLUKHOV: WHAT SHAVARSH KOCHARIAN SAID IS FAR FROM TRUE

APA
Aug 25 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku. Elnur Mammadli-APA. Almost everything Armenian Deputy Minister
of Foreign Affairs Shavarsh Kocharian said in an interview to Echo
Moskvy Radio is far from true, said Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry
Spokesman Elkhan Polukhov.

He said such a statement by Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister is
very surprising.

"Speaking of such a sensitive issue ignorantly, the senior government
official of Armenia has demonstrated his lack of knowledge. His words
about the absence of UN resolutions on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
and other issues prove his unawareness.

This probably comes from the fact that he did not participate in all
stages of the process of conflict resolution and has no idea about
its intricacies," he added.

According to him, Azerbaijan want to restore the normal lifestyle
of Azerbaijani citizens of Armenian origin living there, to ensure
the return of IDPs to their homeland and restore sovereignty over
its territory.

SERZH SARGSYAN HAS NOTHING TO DO IN TURKEY: AZERBAIJANI EXPERT

Today.Az
/54958.html
Aug 25 2009
Azerbaijan

"The Armenia-Turkey border will be opened when Armenia-Turkey and
Azerbaijan-Armenia relations are normalized," Azerbaijani political
expert Vafa Guluzade said commenting on situation around the return
match between Turkish and Armenian football teams to take place in
Turkey on October 14.

Recently Serzh Sargsyan stated he will visit Turkey to watch a return
football match between the two countries if only Ankara takes real
steps and either opens Armenia-Turkey border or makes a tangible step
towards lifting Armenia’s blockade.

"Turkey will not make any concessions and will not make the least
effort so that Sargsyan will visit the country. Armenia does not
comply with the terms of "road map". It should have give up charges of
"genocide" and give consent to consideration of this issue together
with the Turkish scholars. But it will never do so, because it could
call "genocide" into question in this way. Therefore it continues to
be an enemy of present-day Turkey," Guluzade said.

"On the other hand, Armenia will not afford normalization of relations
with Azerbaijan, because it is not depend on Armenia. Return of
20 percent of the occupied territories is up to Russia and depends
only on it. The Armenians are weak both before Russia and their own
diaspora. Diaspora does not want opening borders and does not want to
abandon the policy of "genocide" charged against Turkey. Armenia has
nothing to do about it. Generally, there is no state of Armenia. When
we talk about Armenia, we are engaged in self-deception," the political
expert said.

"So I think Armenia president Serzh Sargsyan will not go to
Turkey. Sargsyan just has nothing to do there," Guluzade added.

RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR HANDS CREDENTIALS TO ARMENIAN FM

Panorama.am
12:18 25/08/2009

The Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandyan hosted yesterday
the new appointed Ambassador of Russia Vyacheslav Kovalenko to receive
the credentials, MFA reports.

According to the source, the minister congratulated the diplomat
for taking up the office of Ambassador. Having highly assessed
the Armenian-Russian relations, Edward Nalbandyan said that the
mutual understanding and cooperation between Armenia and Russia have
strong basis for federative relations and reinforcement of military
cooperation.

ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW DISCUSSES MINORITY RIGHTS WITH TURKISH PM

Order of St. Andrew, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
p?id=326
Aug 24 2009
Istanbul, Turkey

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan
outside the Patriarchal Orphanage. The historic orphanage is the
largest single-structure wooden building in Europe and second largest
in the world having served as the Patriarchal Orphanage until the
1960’s. (Photo: AsiaNews)

His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew had a luncheon meetng
on the island of Buyukada with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan and other senior ministers concerning non-Muslim minority and
religious freedom rights on Saturday, August 15, 2009. The meeting
coincided with government reform aimed to address decades-old tensions
with the country’s 12 million Kurds. His All Holiness, joined by
leaders of the Armenian, Jewish, Assyrian Orthodox, and Catholic
communities, delivered a report on the main problems of religious
minorities and presented it to Erdogan.

The 88-article report includes such issues as reopening the Orthodox
Theological School of Halki, violations of property rights, and
bringing attention to cultural diversity and to the problems of local
administration on the island of Heybeliada (Halki).

While only reporters from the Anatolia News Agency and the state-run
Turkish Radio and Television Corporation were allowed to attend the
meeting, Prime Minister Erdogan promised democratic reforms to the
religious leaders. Turkey is passing through a transition period,
Erdogan said in his remarks, admitting that problems have been
experienced during this process along which the government has
been exerting efforts for further democratization of the country,
Anatolia reported.

The government is against both ethnic and religious nationalism, he
continued, underlining that they have kept an equal distance from every
ethic and religious group in society. "Are there not deficiencies
regarding implementation? Yes, there are. We will overcome these
[deficiencies] with a struggle to be carried out all together, and I
believe that this democratic initiative will change a lot of things in
our country. Only if we stand hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder."

Erdogan was quoted as saying by Anatolia. "Persians have a saying,
‘They gathered, talked and dispersed.’ We should not be of those who
gather, talk and disperse. A result should come out of this."

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Prime Minister later toured
the Haghia Yorgi Church, where they had a private conversation in
which His All Holiness voiced his community’s concerns. They also
visited the Patriarchal Orphanage on Buyukada, which was seized by
the Turkish state a decade ago. The European Court of Human Rights
issued a landmark decision last year that the Turkey Government had
wrongly confiscated the property. The government has yet to act on
that ruling. His All Holiness also raised the issue of the Halki
Seminary, but Erdogan made no statement on the issue. An Ecumenical
Patriarchate official later said. "We believe the prime minister is
looking for a way to open the school. There is movement on this. It
was a very positive, very friendly meeting."

Turkey signaled last month that the seminary may open after pressure
from the EU and U.S. President Barack Obama who, while visiting
Turkey in April said, "Freedom of religion and expression lead to
a strong and vibrant civil society that only strengthens the state,
which is why steps like reopening the Halki Seminary will send such
an important signal inside Turkey and beyond."

The EU has made reopening Halki Seminary a test of the government’s
commitment to religious freedom for non-Muslims. The Theological
institution was forcibly closed by the Turkish Government in 1971.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew voiced pleasure over the meeting with
the Prime Minister, saying "We have been inspired with hope; we are
optimistic." His All Holiness was also quoted saying the meeting was
"historical" and "a big step."

WE SHOULD FLUENTLY REFUSE MADRID PRINCIPLES

Aysor
Aug 24 2009
Armenia

"We should fluently refuse Madrid principles and present Yerevan
principles to the OSCE Minsk group co-chairs", which, after meeting
an approval, can be discussed as new conceptual approaches to the NKR
settlement issue", – stated the leader ADP Aram G. Sargsyan noticing
that "Just refusing is not good."

He informed that Armenian Democratic Party is going to send a
letter-apply to the RA President. In the upcoming days it will also
be presented to the public.

As to A. Sargsyan, none of the Madrid principles are acceptable
for Armenia.

Answering the question of Aysor.am why he thinks that Azerbaijan will
agree to discuss the new principles suggested by Armenia A. Sargsyan
answered, "If the Azerbaijani wish to come to come to terms with us,
they have to stop being enemies with us."

According to him when the two nations are enemies and when Azerbaijan
tries to present the Armenians as enemies to its own nation it means
that there cannot be any understanding. A.Sargsyan is sure that at
first Azerbaijan should forget the hostility.

Coming to the regional issues A. Sargsyan stated that "RA MFA is
frightened. If regional problems are being discussed Armenia has to
present its regional pretensions to Azerbaijan. Nakhijevan, except
all the regions that are left within Azerbaijan’s territories, can
no way be considered Azerbaijani territory."