Author: Nahapetian Zhanna

RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH TO OPEN OFFICE IN YEREVAN SOON – PATRIARCH KIRILL

Interfax
Jan 22 2010
Russia

Moscow, January 22, Interfax – Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All
Russia has said he hopes a representation office of the Russian
Orthodox Church would open soon in Armenian capital, Yerevan.

"I hope the Russian Orthodox Church will have a representation office
in Yerevan in the near future," Patriarch Kirill said at an awards
ceremony arranged by the Foundation for Unity of Orthodox Nations at
the Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow on Thursday.

Catholicos Karekin II of All Armenians was among those who were
honored with the 2009 award at the Thursday ceremony.

Russians and Armenians have been feeling like brothers for centuries,
"despite a difference in their languages and theological differences,"
Patriarch Kirill.

The opening of a Russian Orthodox Church office in Yerevan "would
provide another opportunity for dialogue between our Churches,"
he said.

Catholicos Karekin II expressed his gratitude for being honored
with the award and said he would donate its monetary component to
the construction of a new Russian church in Yerevan, which started
only recently.

MINISTERS SHOULD FOCUS ON MAJOR PROBLEMS AND SHORTCOMINGS OF 2009, PRIME MINISTER SAYS

Noyan Tapan
Jan 21, 2010

YEREVAN, JANUARY 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA ministers of education
and science, finance, economy, environmental protection, Diaspora,
agriculture, labor and social affairs, sport and youth affairs,
urban development, and transport and communication presented the 2009
reports on their activities at the Armenian government on January 20.

Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan reminded that the reports will
be published and posted on websites of the ministries. Prior to
discussing the reports, the prime minister said that he had instructed
all the ministers to focus on the following issues. First, the major
shortcomings and problems of 2009 that hindered the process of reforms
and affected negatively the index of economic growth. Second, the
lessons of the year 2009: "in 2010 we should point out the priority
problems to be under direct control of ministers, and the ministers
will present reports at the end of this year to show what positive
changes have been made in relation to these problems," T. Sargsyan
noted.

He once again underlined the significance of the programs implemented
and three major programs to be implemented in 2010 under immediate
control of the ministers. He reminded that the public must be informed
about the programs ensuring economic growth this year.

OPEN INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTURE COMPETITION TO BE HELD IN ARMENIA FIRST TIME.

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.01.2010 17:35 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ International open architecture competition for
the first time will be held in Armenia. International Association
of Architects’ Unions announces an open competition for the
multifunctional complex project in Yerevan at the place of the former
Youth Palace . The total land area is 4 hectares.

Avangard Motors, Municipality of Yerevan, Union of Architects of
Belarus, Ministries of Urban Development and Diaspora and Union of
Architects of Armenia organize the open competition.

Competition was approved by the International Union of Architects,
the official website of the International Association of Architects’
Unions wrote. The international jury consists of President of Avangard
Motors LLC Eduard Avetisyan (Russia), Yerevan Mayor Gagik Beglaryan,
President of the Union of Architects of Armenia Mkrtich Minasyan,
Michael Rotondi (U.S.), Makoto Watanabe (Japan), Enrique Sobejano
(Spain), Chairman of the Belarusian Union of Architects Alexander
Korbut.

The prize fund of the competition is USD 115 thousand.

As the Union of Architects of Armenia told PanARMENIAN.NET, 1150
applications were submitted from 70 countries and 300 projects for
open architecture competition. The program will be supervised by the
architect Levon Vardanyan.

ARMENIA SHOULD PRIMARILY BLAME ITSELF FOR ALL ITS TROUBLES

news.az
Jan 20 2010
Azerbaijan

Rasim Musabeyov "Armenia is creating all obstacles as it is a source
of these obstacles.

Therefore, it should first blame itself rather than Turkey and
Azerbaijan for all its troubles.

Even former prime minister of this country Grant Bagratyan has recently
said that Armenia will be near default in the next two years when it
will have to pay the debts accumulated last year after which it will
be vulnerable in the face of external pressure.

Let them set prerequisites, they will have nothing of it. By the way,
their behavior is rational in a sense, since after this the world
community will not view Turkey and Azerbaijan as responsible for the
failure of the Armenian-Turkish rapprochement", political scientist
Rasim Musabeyov said.

As for the attitude of the United States, Russia and Europe to this
process, Musabeyov said these countries can further support Armenia
if they want:

"By doing so these countries will lose a good partner in the face
of Turkey. Obama has already recognized everything in the Armenian
language and I do not think he will go further in his statements".

VICTIMS OF BAKU POGROMS OF 1990 COMMEMORATED IN TSITSERNAKABERD

Panorama.am
17:10 19/01/2010

A number of officials conducted a procession to Tsitsernakaberd
Memorial today to commemorate the memories of the victims of Baku
pogroms of 1990.

The participants, thus, expressed their protest against the offence
committed by the Azerbaijani government and condemned the Baku
massacres of January 19 committed 20 years ago.

PM Tigran Sargsyan, who was among the participants, said the Armenians
were killed just for being Armenians.

"When commemorating the victims, we should highlight this: the only
thing they are to blame for is being Armenians," PM said.

According to T. Sargsyan, Armenians should unite since serious hazards
and serious challenges are yet to come.

"The evidence to this come to be not only Baku pogroms conducted 20
years ago but also today’s reality – Azerbaijan’s official policy,
propaganda of hatred towards the Armenians," PM highlighted.

AZERBAIJANI HOSTAGE ON ARMENIAN TELEVISION

APA
Jan 19 2010
Azerbaijan

Baku. Ayaz Abdulla – APA. Azerbaijani hostage Eldar Taghiyev, taken by
Armenian servicemen, has been enforced to appear on Public Television
of Armenia. APA reports quoting "Novosti Armenia". The Azerbaijani
hostage said that he doesn’t have any intentions to come back to
Azerbaijan. If the Armenian authorities forbid him to stay at Armenia
then he’ll leave for third country" – he added. He messaged that he
would be back to his family.

E. Taghiyev also talked about his unemployment, poor life in the
village, and absence of the water sources for organizing a farm.

Eldar Taghiyev also noted that the main water sources of his native
Alibeyli village, Tovuz district, exceeded from Armenia, however,
with the beginning of the war water flow stopped.

We note that on December 28, 2009, at 18:00, as a result of ceasefire
violation by Armenian armed forces, the local resident Eldar Taghiyev
was fired near the contact line in the direction of the Alibeyli
village of Tovuz. Later, he was taken captive.

DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF ARMENIA: DECISION OF CONSTITUTIONAL COURT OF ARMENIA IS A CAMPAIGN AGAINST ILLITERACY FOR THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS OF ARMENIA

ArmInfo
2010-01-19 15:02:00

Arminfo. At today’s press-conference the leader of the Democratic
Party of Armenia Aram G. Sargsyan slagged off the activity of the
diplomatic corps of Armenia in the matter of the Armenian-Turkish
talks and bilateral protocols.

By its decision Constitutional Court has corrected the shortcomings
of the Armenian-Turkish Protocols, which different political forces
of Armenia, including Democratic Party of Armenia, paid attention at
for many times. This decision of Constitutional Court of Armenia is
a peculiar campaign against illiteracy for the diplomatic corps of
Armenia’, – Sargsyan said.

He added with regret that the level of the Armenian diplomacy is very
low and it is dangerous that the problem of protection of the state
interests is entrusted to the people with low professional level. He
thinks it is necessary to replace the diplomats which are negotiating
on the Karabakh conflict settlement and especially on normalization
of relations with Turkey. At the same time he said that Democratic
Party of Armenia is not going to demand somebody’s resignation. ‘We
just fix facts’, – he concluded.

SUPPORT OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS DROPS DRASTICALLY IN TURKEY: PUBLIC POLL

Tert.am
11:16 ~U 18.01.10

The number of supporters of Armenian-Turkish relations is gradually
decreasing in Turkey. As reported by Anakara Agency, upon Turkey’s
Democratic Left Party’s request, A&G research firm conducted a poll
among the Turkish public which indicated that 63.5% were against,
while 20% were for the establishment of Armenian-Turkish relations.

According to the poll results, the number of supporters of initiatives
to establish relations with Armenia and address the Kurdish issue
have sharply declined: in December 2009, as compared with June of the
same year, the number of supporters of both issues dropped from 69.3%
to 27.1% over the six-month period.

Interestingly enough, only 45.7% of the ruling Justice and Development
Party have spoken out against the "democratic initiative," while 47.5%
have expressed support for establishing relations with Armenia.

Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN)
T +995 32 75 19 03/04
F +995 32 75 19 05
<mailto:[email protected]> [email protected]
<;

United Nations Online Courses 2010

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is pleased
to announce its February to June 2010 e-Learning Course Calendar. Kindly
share this information with your training department or with your colleagues
who may be interested in taking our suite of online courses listed below:

FEBRUARY 2010

* Advance Risk Management
Course Dates: 8 February to 18 March 2010
* Arbitration & Alternative Dispute Resolution (Foundation Course)
Course Dates: 15 February to 1 April 2010
* Fundamentals of Capital Market Development & Regulation
Course Dates: 22 February to 2 April 2010

MARCH 2010

* International Negotiations: Practical Skills and Techniques
Course Dates: 1 to 26 March 2010
* Fundamentals of Corporate Governance
Course Dates: 8 March to 2 April 2010
* Cross-Cultural Negotiation
Course Dates: 15 March to 16 April 2010
* Fundamentals of Risk Management
Course Dates: 22 March to 16 April 2010
* Fundamentals of the Money Market
Course Dates: 22 March to 23 April 2010
* Negotiation of Financial Transactions
Course Dates: 29 March to 7 May 2010
* Negotiating for Conflict and Dispute Resolution
Course Dates: 29 March to 30 April 2010

APRIL 2010

* Fundamentals of the Foreign Exchange Market
Course Dates: 5 April to 7 May 2010
* Understanding International Contracts and Loan Agreements
Course Dates: 5 April to 21 May 2010
* Arbitration & Alternative Dispute Resolution (Introductory Course)
Course Dates: 5 April to 21 May 2010
* Global Financial Governance
Course Dates: 12 April to 7 May 2010
* Capital Market Development & Regulation – Advanced Course
Course Dates: 12 April to 21 May 2010
* Fundamentals of the Bond Market
Course Dates: 19 April to 21 May 2010
* Basic Course on Public Debt Management
Course Dates: 19 April to 28 May 2010
* Fundamentals of the Equity Market
Course Dates: 26 April to 28 May 2010

MAY 2010

* Drafting and Negotiating Clauses of Loan Agreements
Course Dates: 31 May to 2 July 2010
* Fundamentals of Anti-Money Laundering: International Standards and
Compliance Issues
Course Dates: 3 May to 4 June 2010
* Millennium Development Goals and Debt Management
Course Dates:3 May to 17 June 2010
* Fundamentals of the Derivative Markets
Course Dates: 3 May to 4 June 2010
* Introduction to International Intellectual Property Law
Course Dates: 10 May to 11 June 2010
* The Settlement of Disputes under the World Trade Organization (WTO)
Course Dates: 10 May to 11 June 2010
* Audit of Public Debt
Course Dates: 17 May to 18 June 2010
* Trade and Climate Change
Course Dates: 31 May to 25 June 2010

JUNE TO DECEMBER 2010 (more courses will be added)

* Debt Rescheduling with the Paris Club
Course Dates: 6 September to 22 October 2010
* Effective Public Debt Management
Course Dates: 13 September to 29 October 2010
* Legal Aspects of Public Debt Management
Course Dates: 20 September to 29 October 2010
* Managed Mobility: Trade, Migration and Labour Movement
Course Dates: 13 September to 8 October 2010
* New Frontiers in Agricultural Trade Regulation
Course Dates: 15 November to 10 December 2010

Registration procedure, fees, and other course details can be viewed from
our website at:

UNITAR courses are based on a decade-long experience in public finance and
negotiation training. Over the past seven years, thousands of finance-sector
and trade officials have already benefited from UNITAR e-Learning courses.

The e-Learning Team
United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)
Geneva, Switzerland

Interfax, Russia
Jan 14 2010

ARMENIA TO DEEPEN RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA – PRESIDENT SARGSYAN

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has promised to do his best for
deepening relations with Moscow."I am pleased to say that new elements
emerged in our strategic partnership in 2009. We reserved a high level
of the intensive political dialog and strengthened economic, cultural
and humanitarian relations.

Armenia will continue to deepen relations with Russia," Sargsyan told
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday.

Lavrov conveyed greetings from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, a
source at the Armenian presidential press office told Interfax.

"Medvedev hopes that the intensive and frank dialog, which progressed
last year, will continue to develop this year," Lavrov said.

"We value the level of the bilateral strategic partnership and the
allied relations in all spheres," he said.

Sargsyan and Lavrov stressed the importance of further strengthening
of bilateral agreements and said that new documents would create
additional possibilities for cooperation and strengthen contacts.

Sargsyan and Lavrov discussed the South Caucasian situation, including
the Karabakh settlement and the Armenian-Turkish normalization, a
source at the Armenian presidential press office told Interfax.

Sargsyan thanked Russia for assisting the Karabakh settlement and the
Armenian- Turkish normalization. "We are grateful to Russia for its
support to the Karabakh settlement and normalization of Armenia-Turkey
relations," he said.

"Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin once again reaffirmed the
Russian position at the January 13 press conference he shared with the
Turkish premier, the Russian foreign minister said. Putin stressed
that the two processes [the Karabakh settlement and the Armenia-Turkey
normalization] were not interrelated. He said the resolution of both
problems was rather difficult, and it would be wrong to link them,"
the press office source said.

Russia is interested in the solution of the Karabakh problem and the
normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations, Lavrov stressed. Armenia
and Azerbaijan can make progress in the Karabakh settlement if
‘positive dynamics’ persists, Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard
Nalbandian told a Thursday press conference.

"If positive dynamics are retained, the sides may progress in the
Karabakh settlement. The Armenian and Azeri leaders will soon resume
their meetings," he said.

There is no alterative to the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh
conflict, the minister said.

"Armenia has never threatened to resolve the conflict by force. It
adherences to exclusively peaceful settlement methods," he said.