Author: Nahapetian Zhanna

Trend, Azerbaijan
Feb 5 2010

Russian president confirms his country’s readiness to contribute to
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution

Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 5 / Trend News /

Russia calls on all countries to refrain from confrontational foreign
policy and form a new joint approach to solve the actual problems,
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said at the ceremony of presentation
of credentials of foreign ambassadors to Russia today, ITAR-TASS
reported.

In particular, referring to the Armenian Ambassador, Medvedev
confirmed Russia’s readiness to contribute to the Nagorno-Karabakh
settlement.

"Russia is ready to further assist in positively promoting the
negotiation process on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement," he said
noting that he is confident that it fully meets the interests of
preserving peace in the Caucasus.

Russia considers as a priority to continue to work within the
framework of integration associations in the CIS and, of course,
substantive interaction on the international arena, he added.

"In foreign policy, we sought to ensure the necessary conditions to
work together to create a new design for work and to form a new joint
approach, instead of confrontational politics and archaic geopolitical
apportionments, to deal effectively with such major global challenges
such as terrorism, food shortages, climate change and create a fair,
balanced and stable peace and order, he added.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. – are
currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the
occupied territories.

ARMENIA BECOMING ATTRACTIVE FOR FOREIGN CRIMINAL GANGS: HEAD OF ARMENIAN POLICE

Arminfo
2010-02-05 14:50:00

ArmInfo. Armenia is becoming attractive for foreign criminal gangs,
said Head of the Armenian Police Alik Sargsyan at the meeting of the
Police Board on Friday.

He highlighted that in 2009 172 wanted foreign citizens were arrested
in Armenia. Several foreign criminal gangs were revealed and arrested
in Armenia, including a Romanian gang specializing in ATM robbery,
a Georgian criminal gang (flat robbery and attack on VTB Bank) and
Iranian criminal gangs.

In addition in 2009 57 citizens of Armenia were detained in abroad
and extradited, including 31 were wanted by the Armenian Police
for murders.

TURKEY HONORS DINK’S MURDERERS

news.am
Feb 5 2010
Armenia

Turkey keeps on honoring the assassinators. For instance, Ogun Samast –
killer of Agos daily chief editor Hrant Dink got married being in jail.

According to Turkish Ihlassondakika website, Samast married with
Selma Sahin being in strongly guarded Kojaeli prison. The wedding
was arranged by village headman Acakesey Mevlut Akdeniz who was also
the usher. Samast’s relatives also attended the ceremony. Security
officers were groomsmen.

As NEWS.am reported earlier, Erhan Tuncel accused of killing Agos
daily chief editor Hrant Dink applied for the position in state
security service.

Tuncel was put to Tekirdag court under cordon for an interview and
thereafter was taken back to prison. He will be contacted for the
feedback within three days.

HRANT DINK’S ASSASSIN MARRIED IN PRISON

Tert.am
10:37 â~@¢ 05.02.10

Ogun Samast, who was convicted of murdering journalist and editor of
bilingual Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos, Hrant Dink, in January 2007,
was recently married in prison.

According to Milliyet, the 20-year-old Samast married 19-year-old Selma
Å~^ahin. Their wedding ceremony took place yesterday in the Turkish
prison where Samast has been serving 3 years of his sentence thus far.

US INTELLIGENCE CHIEF SEES CHANCES FOR FRESH GARABAGH WAR

AzerNews Weekly
Feb 4 2010
Azerbaijan

The situation in the Caucasus region remains unstable, as fighting
could flare between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Upper (Nagorno)
Garabagh, the US intelligence chief was quoted by the Associated
Press as saying.

Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair said Tuesday America’s
relations with Russia could suffer as the United States seeks closer
ties with Georgia and other former Soviet states.

He said President Dmitry Medvedev’s viewing of Moscow’s former Soviet
neighbors as a "zone of privileged interests" could undermine relations
with Washington. Blair’s comments were made in a prepared testimony
for lawmakers.

Blair also commented on the process of normalizing Turkey-Armenia
relations.

"Though there has been progress in Turkish-Armenian reconciliation
over the past year, this rapprochement has had an impact on the
sensitive Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, which increases the risk of
renewed conflict in Upper Garabagh," Blair said.*

AGREED TO DISAGREE

WPS Agency
What the Papers Say (Russia)
January 26, 2010 Tuesday
Russia

BYLINE: Andrei Odinets, Irina Granik, Gamid Gamidov

HIGHLIGHT: NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN LEADERS IN
SOCHI LEAD NOWHERE; Meeting in Sochi ended with nothing to show for it.

The summit in Sochi became the first meeting between Dmitry
Medvedev Enhanced Coverage LinkingDmitry Medvedev -Search using:
Biographies Plus News News, Most Recent 60 Days (Russia), Ilham Aliyev
(Azerbaijan), and Serj Sargsjan (Armenia) this year. Arranging the
meeting, Moscow clearly intended to remind the international community
that it remains a leading intermediary in the process of Karabakh
conflict resolution.

Making arrangements for the meeting, Moscow spent longer negotiating
with Armenia than it did with Azerbaijan. Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov visited Yerevan to discuss Karabakh on January 13. Armenian
Defense Minister Sejran Oganjan and Karabakh President Bako Saakjan
visited Moscow then. Medvedev and Sargsjan themselves met on January
18. Last but not the least, Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan flew
over to Moscow where he met with Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir
Putin. Karabakh was discussed, among other matters.

Diplomats involved in preparations for the meeting, however, admitted
that nobody had expected a breakthrough – or even progress.

Azerbaijani negotiators were in a particularly bleak mood. Shortly
before the meeting in Sochi, they had discovered on Sargsjan’s official
web site a map of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh that listed occupied
Azerbaijani territories as Armenian. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry
issued a formal protest, and the map was adjusted.

The meeting lived up to all these expectations – or to the lack
thereof. The presidents never even met with journalists afterwards.

Presidential Aide Sergei Prikhodko’s briefing was cancelled. It
was Lavrov who finally talked to the waiting media. He said that the
presidents had discussed principles of the Karabakh conflict resolution
formulated by the OSCE Minsk Group in December 2007 (the so called
Madrid Principles). Lavrov flatly refused to outline moot points.

"By and large, they will merely put down whatever they disagree
over on paper, and that will be that," to quote a source close to
the negotiations. It is known meanwhile that the negotiating parties
cannot agree on the interim status of Karabakh, procedures that will
determine its ultimate status, width and status of the Lachi corridor
connecting Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh.

Source: Kommersant, No 12, January 26, 2010, p. 8

TERIAN DAY TO BE MARKED ALSO IN RUSSIA’S ORENBURG

Aysor
Feb 3 2010
Armenia

Many fans and enthusiasts of Vahan Terian, who was one of Armenia’s
greatest poets, will celebrate Terian Day on February 24 in occasion
of the 125th anniversary of the great poet.

Special celebrations will be held in Gandza village of Ninotsmindi
region of Javakheti (Georgia), where Vahan Terian was born. The
following day, a solemn meting will launch in Ninotsmind town, told
at the press conference Director of the Vahan Terian Cultural Center,
Arushan Hakobian.

Special celebrations will be held in Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital,
as the sides reached an agreement to mark poet’s 125th anniversary.

Actually, Vahan Terian translated from Georgian; he knew Georgia’s
history, culture, literature, and country’s outstanding persons.

Vahan Terian died in January 1920, in Russia’s Orenburg, where Terian
Day will be held in this year’s June.

"We always celebrate Terian Days in Yerevan; however, we found it
necessary to organize celebrations in regions as well. By Armenian
Prime Minister’s order, Armenia’s regions will be involved in
celebrations, too," said Arushan Hakobian.

The School after Vahan Terian will host a range of ceremonies since
February; and what is more important the Terian Scholarship will be
established to support students of Philological Departments.

Special pageants will be held at schools, followed by awarding
ceremony; the Yerevan State University, Literature Institute of the
National Academy of Sciences, and the House-Museum after Eghishe
Charents will host special ceremonies and celebrations to pay a
tribute to Vahan Terian.

ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS TO BE DISCUSSED IN BERN

Armradio.am
04.02.2010 13:13

A top Turkish diplomat will travel to Switzerland today to seek
support over an Armenian court ruling that Ankara says threatens
historic reconciliation deals with Yerevan.

Feridun Sinirlioglu, undersecretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
will later travel to the United States.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: INTERNATIONAL FINANCE CORPORATION (IFC) WORKS WITH INECOBANK TO EXPAND MICROFINANCE ACCESS IN ARMENIA

MicroCapital
Tuesday, February 2, 2010

With the assistance of performance-based grants from the International
Finance Corporation (IFC), Inecobank will expand its microfinance
services in Armenia’s rural sector.

IFC will release up to USD 700,000 of performance-based grants to
Inecobank. According to Microfinance Information Exchange, Inc. (MIX),
Inecobank has total assets equivalent to USD 147.5 million, a return on
assets of 4.29 percent and debt to equity ratio of 3.90. Through this
transaction, IFC is launching a new form of support, performance-based
grants structured in tranches, whereby microfinance institutions
are rewarded for achieving development targets. Specifics of the
development targets required to receive different levels of funding
have not been made public. These funds are expected to generate over
71,000 new microloans to individuals and small businesses in the
rural areas of Armenia. Inecobank’s Chief Executive Officer Avetis
Baloyan recently stated, "With the onset of the financial crisis,
microfinance proved to be one of the most sustainable products for
the bank and one of its strategic sector priorities."

About International Finance Corporation (IFC): The International
Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, supports
private sector development, mobilizes private capital, and provides
advisory and risk mitigation services to businesses. IFC website:

About Inecobank: Inecobank, a microfinance bank based in Armenia,
was registered in 1996 with the Central Bank of Armenia. Inecobank
provides comprehensive banking services in order to foster growth
of microenterprises and small and medium-size enterprises. IFC is a
shareholder of Inecobank, holding 10 percent of its shares. Inecobank
website:

Bibliography: IFC:
rse/tiki-index.php?page=International+Finance+Corp oration+%28IFC%29
Inecobank:
http://www.microcapit al.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=In ecobank

Additional Resources: [1] Original article:
/SelectedPR?OpenDocument&UNID=7956BC05D467AAC3 852576B60054FD0E
[2] Mix market data on Inecobank:

WEIGHTLIFTING TEAM CONFIDENT OF PROSPECT
Agnes Winarti

Jakarta Post
Wednesday, February 3, 2010 12:21 PM

Indonesian Weightlifting, Powerlifting and Bodybuilding Association
(PABBSI) is optimistic it will secure a medal at the upcoming inaugural
Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

PABBSI officials said they were expecting at least a bronze following
the weightlifting men’s team securing of a spot to qualify for the
prestigious event that runs from Aug. 14-26.

The spot was secured after the country’s weightlifting squad finished
12th at the first Youth World Championship for weightlifting in
Chiangmai, Thailand, last May, which served as the qualifier for the
Youth Olympics.

"We are currently grooming our three best male youth lifters. We
definitely have great potential for at least a bronze medal, especially
in the 56-kilogram and 62-kg classes," PABBSI secretary-general
Alamsyah Wijaya told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Alamsyah declined to name the promising youth lifters, however, he
acknowledged that their potential was obvious during the National
Students Games (POPNAS) in Yogyakarta last November.

16-year-old Sumariyanto, who in May ranked third among the men’s
56-kg class in the Youth World Championship in Chiangmai, won gold
in the same class at POPNAS.

He was followed by silver medalist Rifaldi Achmad K. and bronze
medalist Handoko P. Meanwhile, Andi Andrean won gold in the men’s
62-kg class, trailed by silver medalist Muh Kairul Anwar and bronze
medalist Punto Dewanto.

"Looking at Sumariyanto’s overall lift at the World Championship,
which was only one-kilogram below the runner-up, I think he is in
a solid position to get at least a bronze at the Olympics," PABBSI
deputy Syafriadi Tjut told the Post on Tuesday.

Sumariyanto lifted an overall 237-kg, trailing the runner-up from
Armenia, Margaryan Smbat, who lifted 238-kg, while the class champion,
Chen Xiong from China, lifted 262-kg.

PABBSI is also sending seven female youth lifters, including Dewi
Safitri (53-kg), Sri Wahyuni (44-kg), Sri Wirahayu (44-kg), Murni Simin
(58-kg), Sonia Febrianti (69-kg) and Novita Sherly (+69-kg) to showcase
their potential at the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF)
Youth Olympic qualification in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on April 7-11.

"We hope to have at least one female lifter qualify for the Youth
Olympics," said Alamsyah.

Meanwhile, the country’s youth shuttlers will also face several
tryouts, including the Asian Youth U-19 in Malaysia (March 21-28)
and the World Junior Championship (April 12-25) in Guadalajara,
Mexico, prior to their participation at the Youth Olympics.

The youth squad lineup include Suci Andini/Della Destiara and Gebby
Ristiyani/Tiara Rosalia in the women’s doubles, Renna Suwarno, Siti
Anisah in the women’s singles as well as Evert Sukamta and Hermansyah
in the men’s singles.

"We expect them to get at least a gold medal as they have a good
chance of qualifying for the Olympics," youth badminton coach Namrih
Suroto told the Post.

The Track and Field Association (PASI) received a quota of two athletes
to participate at the Asian Youth Athletic Championship in Singapore
on May 20-23, which serves as a qualifier for the Youth Olympics.

PASI athlete development head Budidarma Sidi said Riski Latip in the
men’s 100-meter sprint and Nurul Imaniar in women’s 100-meter sprint
and racewalk were prime medal contenders.

The Youth Olympics, which features 26 sports, will be contested by
3,600 athletes between the ages of 14 and 18 from 205 countries.