Author: Nahapetian Boris

RA President and members of his family already vote in Yerevan Council
of Elders elections

YEREVAN, MAY 31, NOYAN TAPAN. RA President Serzh Sargsyan and members
of his family, his wife and daughter, voted at polling station N 9/10
located at Yerevan Kentron community’s Spandarian school N 24 as of
11:00, May 31, in Yerevan Council of Elders elections.

"Today is a day of silence," the RA President said in response to
journalists’ questions and left the polling station.

As Arevhat Ghazarian, the Chairwoman of the polling station commission,
informed journalists, as of that moment, the RA President and members
of his family were the 189-191st citizens among 1936 voters included in
polling station’s list. In her estimation, the voting was active.

Czech Republic and Sweden for Turkey’s EU membership
30.05.2009 18:15 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey has a great geopolitical importance for EU,
Eva Filipi, the ambassadress of the Czech Republic to Turkey, said in
Ankara. `EU is not a Christian club, and has many universal principles
and values that are not related with religion.’ Filipi said.
The Czech Republic has been holding the rotating presidency of the EU
since the beginning of 2009, and will hand over the presidency to
Sweden as of July 1, 2009.
The ambassadress expressed her country’s full support for Turkey’s EU
membership bid and said both Turkey and the EU should be fair as much
as they could and fulfill their obligations, Anatolia News Agency
reports.
Eva Filipi, the ambassadress of the Czech Republic to Turkey, said
that there were many reasons to make Turkey a full member of the
EU. Filipi enumerated these reasons as Turkey’s geopolitic and
strategic importance and location.
Turkey became an EU candidate country in December 1999. The union
launched accession talks with Turkey on October 3, 2005. President of
France Nicolas Sarkozy’s and Germany’s Germany’s Chancellor Angela
Merkel have a strict positions in relation to Turkey’s joining the
EU. They repeatedly stated, that Turkey can aspire to privileged
partnership, at most.

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT RELIEVES SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESS OF ALL TYPES OF STATE AUDITS

ArmInfo
2009-05-29 18:46:00

ArmInfo. The Armenian Government relieves small and medium business of
all types of state audits until May 1, 2011. This decision was taken
by the executive power during May 29 sitting. The draft decision was
presented by Justice Minister Gevorg Danielyan.

According to him, by this decision state bodies and departments will
have to stop auditing the activity of small and medium enterprises,
whose annual turnover in 2008 didn’t exceed 70 mln AMD ($190 thsd).

He pointed out that audits will be implemented in exclusive cases,
for instance, when instituting a criminal case or liquidating
enterprises. Such audits should be implemented only by the prime
minister’s decision, he said.

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said during the Government’s
sitting that this decision is unprecedented and it will create more
favorable conditions for small and medium business and contribute
to overcoming the consequences of the crisis. "This will raise the
resistibility of enterprises",- Tigran Sargsyan said. He pointed out
that 22 state bodies and departments hold audits in Armenia.

ARMENIAN EX-PRESIDENT: ARMENIAN DIASPORA FULLY SHARES RESPONSIBILITY FOR ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES’ ACTIVITY

ArmInfo
2009-05-29 20:41:00

ArmInfo. The Armenian Diaspora fully shares the responsibility for
the Armenian authorities; activity, Leader of the Armenian National
Congress, the first president of Armenia Levon Ter- Petrosyan said
during May 29 rally in Yerevan.

"It is no secret that after March 1 night tragic events the
representatives of our organizations in Diaspora, Armenian priesthood
of Diaspora, practically all Armenian NGOs abroad completely supported
the position of the "newly-elected" authorities who shed the blood
of innocent people, who came to express their protest against the
outrage and presidential electoral fraud in 2008. Moreover, with the
help of ARF Dashnaksutyun organizations abroad, all of them believed
the official version of what happened in March 2008",- he said.

In this context, Ter-Petrosyan pointed out that the Armenian Diaspora
completely shares the responsibility for all the crimes committed
by the current regime against its own people with President Serzh
Sargsyan and his entourage.

Chers Amis,

Vous trouverez ci dessous le communiqué de presse en Français et en
Anglais sur la campagne préélectorale de l’UGAB Europe afin de
demander le point de vue des futurs candidats européens sur
différentes questions liées aux enjeux arméniens.

Dear Friends,

You will find below the press release in French and in English on AGBU
Europe pre-electoral campaign asking candidates in the European
elections for their position on key issues.

Communiqé de presse
UGAB Europe
Contact : Flora Hakobyan
Email : [email protected]

La campagne de l’UGAB Europe pour les élections européennes de
Juin 2009

Paris, 28 mai 2009 – L’UGAB Europe a lancé une campagne préélectorale
pour demander le point de vue des futurs candidats européens sur
différentes questions liées aux enjeux arméniens.

En juin 2009, parmi un million d’européens d’origine arménienne, un
grand nombre aura l’opportunité de voter aux élections européennes.
Leur vote pourrait influencer l’avenir de l’Arménie ou celui de la
Diaspora.

Cette campagne consiste à poser 7 questions aux candidats de tous les
pays européens sur les politiques de l’UE et à publier leurs réponses.
Elle aidera ainsi les européens, notamment d’origine arménienne, à
bien choisir leur candidat le jour des élections. Le but est de
sensibiliser les candidats et de leur rappeler que leurs électeurs se
préoccupent de ces questions.

Les 7 questions concernent la reconnaissance du génocide des
arméniens, la future intégration de l’Arménie à l’UE, le nouveau
partenariat oriental, les politiques concernant la culture, la langue,
la liberté et la justice, l’instauration de la paix dans le sud
Caucase et le futur du Nagorno Karabagh, ainsi que les critères
d’adhésion de la Turquie à l’Union Européenne.

Avec cette campagne, l’UGAB Europe souhaite encourager les arméniens
d’Europe à se faire une opinion sur les politiques de l’UE et à
utiliser leur vote en connaissance de cause. La campagne vise
également à susciter le débat et à sensibiliser les futurs
parlementaires européens sur ces questions importantes.

La diaspora arménienne dans l’UE est estimée à environ un million de
personnes. Bien que la diaspora ait une très longue histoire dans de
nombreux pays européens, la plupart des arméniens européens sont
originaires de la Turquie ou de l’Arménie. Pour plus de renseignements
sur les arméniens et l’Europe, visiter le site :

L’UGAB Europe encourage les particuliers et les organisations à
prendre contact avec leurs candidats pour aborder ces questions et
faire connaître leurs réponses. Toutes les informations sur la
campagne, y compris les 7 questions, les réponses reçues et les
coordonnées des principaux partis politiques dans chaque pays peuvent
êtres trouvés sur:

PRE SS RELEASE
AGBU Europe
Contact : Flora Hakobyan
Email : [email protected]

AGBU Europe asks Euro-candidates to state position on 7 key issues

Paris, May 28 2009 – The Armenian organization AGBU Europe has
launched a pre-electoral campaign asking candidates in the European
elections for their position on key issues.

In June 2009, many of the one million Armenians in Europe will have a
chance to vote in the European elections. Their vote could affect the
future of Armenia or that of the Diaspora: the European Union makes
important decisions for all Europeans, including Armenians around
Europe.

The campaign consists in asking candidates in every EU country 7
questions on relevant EU policies and in publishing their
answers. This will provide Europeans, Armenians included, with
information to help them choose between candidates on election
day. Crucially, it will raise awareness among candidates, and remind
them that their electors care about these issues.

Relevant EU policies include those that concern Armenia’s future
European integration and the newly launched Eastern Partnership,
policies on culture, language and freedom and justice; peace-making in
the South Caucasus and the future of Nagorno-Karabakh; and Turkey’s
accession prospects and the recognition of the Armenian genocide.

With this campaign, the organisation hopes to encourage Armenians in
Europe to form an opinion on EU policies and to use their vote
knowingly. The campaign also intends to generate debate and raise
awareness among future members of the European Parliament about these
important questions.

The Armenian Diaspora in the EU is estimated at around one million.
Though the Diaspora has a very long history in many European
countries, most European Armenians trace their roots to the Republics
of Turkey or Armenia. For more information on Armenians and Europe,
see <; .

Individuals and organizations interested in raising these issues with
their candidates to the European elections are encouraged to contact
them and publicize their answers. All information about the campaign,
including the 7 questions, answers received and the contact
coordinates of the main political parties running in the European
elections in each country can be found at:

FORMER RA PROSECUTOR GENERAL HENRIK KHACHATRIAN’S 70TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY MARKED IN YEREVAN

Noyan Tapan
May 27, 2009

YEREVAN, MAY 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The 70th birth anniversary of
former RA Prosecutor General Henrik Khachatrian was marked at
the RA Constitutional Court. In their speeches CC Chairman Gagik
Haroutiunian, RA Ombudsman Armen Haroutiunian, RA Deputy Prosecutor
General Mnatsakan Sargsian, Dean of Yerevan State University Law
Department Gagik Ghazinian characterized H.

Khachatrian as a talented scientist, gifted pedagogue and
statesman. Henrik Khachatrian’s jubilee was also marked at Yerevan
Davitashen community’s school N 199, which is named after him.

H. Khachatrian is the author of 20 books and nearly 100 scientific
articles.

Many researches dedicated to newly independent Armenia’s
state-legal status and development tendencies were conducted under
his leadership. He made a contribution to creation of both new laws
and the first RA Constitution.

According to his colleagues, as a member of the Constitutional Court he
spared no effort in the issue of full establishment of that important
institution building the new statehood.

TURKEY IS UNLIKELY TO LAUNCH NEGOTIATIONS WITH EU

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
26.05.2009 13:47 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Egemen Bagis, the state minister and Turkey’s chief
negotiator for EU talks, expressed fears that Turkey could not be an EU
member before 2014. According to the Turkish official, it is too early
to talk about a date for membership for a country whose negotiations
could be launched 45 years after its application. He stressed that
Turkey’s EU process had been problematic, therefore Ankara needed to
be very patient. The Minister also said that both Europe and Turkey
were aware that the process was a win-win one, World Bulletin reports.

OFFICIAL PRESENTATION OF NKR STATE BUDGET 2008 PERFORMANCE TO NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

NKR Government Information and Public Relations Department
May 25, 2009

On May 22, the annual account on the performance of the NKR State
Budget 2008 was officially presented in the NKR National Assembly,
by which the initial discussions of the document started.

Prime Minister Ara Haroutyunyan, members of the Government, heads of
the Standing Commissions and deputies of the Parliament were present
at the arrangement conducted by the NA Chairman Ashot Ghoulyan.

Holding a report on the State Budget performance by the Executive’s
authority, Vice-Premier, Minister of Finance Spartak Tevosyan presented
detailed information on the indices recorded in various spheres of the
Republic’s vital activity in the accounting year, noted the progress
and development tendencies.

The Head of the Government also briefly presented the prevalent
financial and economic state in 2008, as well as the current year’s
tendencies of financial and economic progress in the first quarter,
clarifying some problems concerning the separate spheres of the
Republic’s vital activity in response to the questions of the
participants.

By the completion of the session the Chairman of the Parliament had
announced that the parliamentary discussions on the performance of
the State Budget 2008 will continue in the NA Standing Commissions
and deputy groupings in accord with the preset schedule,- the NKR NA
Press Service informs.

New York to host conference on Hellenic Genocide
23.05.2009 15:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Hellenic League of America (HLA) is organizing
lectures on Hellenic Nationalist Perspectives in New York. During the
event, Nikolaos Taneris will present an overview of Turkey’s
activities in Asia Minor and Cyprus. The Hellenic Genocide and the
rise of Anti-Hellenism in the early 20th century will be presented by
Ioannis Fidanakis. Actor and activist Giovanni di Napoli will speak
about the identity of the Greeks living in the north of Italy.

MKHITARYAN WORTHY OF A HIGHER CALLING
Khachik Chakhoyan from Yerevan

UEFA.com
May 22 2009

Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been terrorising defences in Armenia FC Pyunik
coach Vardan Minasyan has admitted that he would love to see his
star player Henrikh Mkhitaryan "playing in a stronger league" after
the 20-year-old started the Armenian season with nine goals in eight
league games.

Star billing With his late father Hamlet Mkhitaryan – not to be
confused with the current Armenian international midfielder of the
same name – already recognised as one of Pyunik’s star players of
the late-Soviet era, young Henrikh is well on his way to becoming
a legend in his own right, with coach Minasyan telling uefa.com:
"He can win games on his own. He seizes control at the crucial moment
and scores for fun."

Cracking start Scorer of the winning goal in the recent Armenian Cup
final, Mkhitaryan has also scored nine of his side’s 21 league goals
to date, with Pyunik making a suitably emphatic unbeaten start to
their bid for a ninth successive local title. "He has made a huge step
forward," said Minasyan. "However, I would like to see him playing in
a stronger league. That would help him and the national team as well."

Arsenal fan Mkhitaryan for his own part is dreaming of the English
Premier League. "My favourite team is Arsenal," said the attack-minded
midfielder, who has played ten games for Armenia, scoring once. "I
like their attacking play and fast style. Moreover, Arsène Wenger
puts faith in young players while demanding results at the same
time. I like that and want to play there one day."

Inspiring examples Making that dream a reality may demand better
performances on the biggest stage, with Pyunik yet to progress beyond
the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League. Mkhitaryan
remains hopeful. "BATE Borisov and Anorthosis Famagusta showed we
shouldn’t be afraid of the big teams," he said. "If we can’t reach
the Champions League group stage I really hope we can play in the
Europa League."

‘Almost perfect’ In the meantime, Mkhitaryan is busy with domestic
matters, where he insists things are tougher than they look. "We
are top but it is no pushover – we have worked hard. Everyone is at
their best against the champions." Tougher games, though, can only
improve him, as Minasyan said: "He is almost perfect. All he needs
is confidence, but he has the time and skills to work on that."