Author: Nalbandian Eduard

MORALITY OF ARMENIAN BUSINESSMAN NEEDS TO BE CHANGED, UMBA CHAIRMAN SAYS

Noyan Tapan
March 17, 2010

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, NOYAN TAPAN. "The financial and economic crisis is
over, but a longer and more difficult phase of overcoming the crisis
consequences has begun," Chairman of the Union of Manufacturers and
Businessmen of Armenia (UMBA) Arsen Ghazarian stated during the March
17 press conference, adding that it will take several years to deal
with the consequences of the crisis that lasted one year.

He said that a number of UMBA programs are aimed at overcoming these
consequences. According to him, the crisis and its consequences are not
the only hindrance to businessmen: his everyday contacts with Armenian
businessmen show that corruption prevents their work, especially the
activities of small and medium businessmen. "No doubt big business is
not free of corruption either, but its impact on big business is not so
considerable as on small and medium business," A. Ghazarian underlined.

In his opinion, it is necessary to raise awareness of those engaged in
small and medium, as well as in big business. Besides, the morality of
the Armenian businessman needs to be changed. Work in this direction
is being done by the UMBA and the government. A. Ghazarian said that
their union has developed a moral code of businessmen, while the
government is preparing a moral code of managers.

As for the tax reforms that have been carried out for two years, A.

Ghazarian said they are satisfied with them, but the changes are
quite slow.

PRESS RELEASE
The Union of Armenian Associations in Sweden
17 Marc 2010
Stockholm, Sweden
[email protected]

To: Speaker of the Riksdag, Per Westerberg March 16, 2010

Honorable Mr. Speaker,

On behalf of our members, the Union of Armenian Associations in Sweden
would hereby express our appreciation for the Riksdag’s recognition of the
1915 genocide against Armenians, Assyrians/Syrians/Chaldeans, and Pontic
Greeks. However, this issue is far from being limited to these ethnic
groups, but concerns the entire humanity. Thus, it must be recognized
openly in order to aid the future generations to take preventive measures
against it.

Many years of silence have passed before the affected ethnic groups have
received a dignified recognition for their sufferings. The scholarship has
finally gathered enough information which proves the reality of the
genocide, which also lays as the basis for the recognition by some twenty
countries, to which the Swedish Riksdag now has joined. Let others follow
Your example.

The history is not negotiable and it is a matter of course that the
Riksdag has chosen to base its decision on the conviction regarding the
existing scholarly research. This was hardly the first time the issue of
recognition has been put on the Riksdag’s agenda. It has taken more than
ten years for the discussion to mature enough so that the Members of the
Parliament can feel convinced of the information in order to confirm it.
This is a sign of the fact that they have chosen to rely on the
accumulated research rather than writing their own version of the history.

We are assured that the decision will foremost promote democratic forces
inside and outside Turkey as well as the reconciliation process with
Armenia, since the truth does not patronize undemocratic forces just as
well as the fact that covering up of the truth will impossibly promote
democracy and reconciliation.

With kind regards,

Erebouni Arakelian
Charinwoman, The Union of Armenian Associations in Sweden
Stockholm, Sweden

UNISTREAM TO DEVELOP INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITY IN 2010

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.03.2010 16:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Unistream international money transfer system has
expanded its network in Asia, increasing the number of service points
by 6 700 in 11 countries.

Integrating with ARY Forex – Speed Remit, the system entered the
markets of Yemen, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Syria, New Zealand and Iran,
Unibank’s press office told PanARMENIAN.Net.

"Unistream will develop international activity in 2010," said Suren
Ayriyan, Unistream General Manager. "In March 2010, Unistream started
operating in Greece. It’s the 4th branch in Europe. Earlier, the
system established subsidiaries in UK, Cyprus and Germany."

Unistream is the leading money transfer system in Armenia. The money
turnover totaled $53.1 million in January-February 2010.

GEORGIAN AUTHORITIES FILE NEW CHARGES AGAINST VAHAGN CHAKHALYAN

armradio.am
15.03.2010 10:51

The Georgian authorities have filed two new charges against the
Javakheti political activist- Vahagn Chakhalyan, who was sentenced
to 10 years of imprisonment on April, 2009.

The first charge is based on the failed attempt of Georgianization
of the Armenian Church in Javakheti village Samsar in July 2005,
the second one is based on the protest manifestation at the
Georgian-Armenian border checkpoint "Zhdanovakan-Bavra" in December
2005.

Vahagn Chakhalyan and his lawyers were informed about this on March 11,
2010 by the investigators of the Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda Police
departments- Spartak Khechoyan and Gevorg Kspoyan, who visited the
Javakheti political activist for interrogation in Rustavi colony of
strict regime.

According to the investigators, it was the recently published book by
Vahagn Chakhalyan "Prison-political notes" that served as a basis for
filing new charges against its author. The Akhalkalaki police allegedly
found in this book "such evidences" that allow bringing in 2010 new
charges against Javakheti political activist by the criminal cases
opened back in 2005," "Yerkir" Union of Non-governmental Organizations
for Repatriation and Settlement reports.

U.S. Defense Secretary: Armenian Genocide resolution can damage
U.S.-Turkish relations

14.03.2010 17:19 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Saturday
that the Armenian Genocide resolution can damage U.S.-Turkish
relations.

`We are hopeful that the Congress and the House of Representatives
will not advance the measure,’ Mr. Gates said in an interview with
al-Arabia TV channel.

`Turkey and Armenia are making progress toward a reconciliation,’ he
said.’The Protocols were drafted along those lines and the U.S.
supports this process.’

The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs
approved the Armenian Genocide resolution with a vote 23 to 22 on
March 4. Turkey recalled its ambassador to the United States minutes
after the congressional panel decision.

Turkish foreign minister critical of Swedish genocide resolution

armradio.am
13.03.2010 13:49

Turkey’s foreign minister said, "it is impossible to accept approval
of the resolution on Armenian allegations by the Swedish parliament."

Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu, who is currently in Lapland city of Finland to attend
the informal meeting of foreign ministers, met with his Swedish
counterpart Carl Bildt.

DavutoÄ?lu told reporters following the meeting, "We regret that the
Swedish parliament decided to approve the resolution. First of all, we
think that parliaments should not evaluate such historical events
since most of parliamentarians do not have adequate information about
those events. Politicization of the history leads to serious problems
for our societies. We consider this decision of the Swedish parliament
as a big mistake. It is impossible to accept it."

"Secondly, there were perfect relations between Turkey and Sweden.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an was scheduled to pay a visit to
Sweden next week to further improve our bilateral relations which we
described as a kind of strategic partnership. Under the light of
recent developments, we had to cancel Prime Minister ErdoÄ?an’s visit.
Also, we recalled our ambassador in Stockholm for consultations. We
did not expect such a decision from the parliament of a friendly
country," he said.

DavutoÄ?lu said, "I conveyed our views to Bildt. We hope that such
decisions which provoke developments in the region would not be made
in the future. Turkey will not allow anyone else to evaluate its
history. Others may consider the year of 1915 as part of an Armenian
issue, but for us, 1915 was the year when a nation defended its
country against big armies."

Carl Bildt, on his part, said that it was not rightful to politicize
historical issues with decisions made by parliaments. He said that
such decisions seriously damage rapprochement processes, and expressed
his sorrow, the Hurriyet Daily News reported.

CENTRAL BANK OF ARMENIA DOESN’T SEEK TO REACH PLANNED INFLATION IN 2010 AT ANY PRICE

ARKA
March 12, 2010

YEREVAN, March 12. /ARKA/. The Central Bank of Armenia doesn’t seek
to reach the planned inflation indicator in 2010 at any price, Arthur
Stepanyan, chief of Armenian central bank’s monetary policy unit,
said Thursday at a press conference.

In its monetary policy program for 2010, the Central Bank of Armenia
planned 7.4% inflation.

Stepanyan said that the central bank planned this indicator without
taking into account its steps.

"Our steps can lessen inflation to the indicator recorded in Armenia
in late 2009 – 6 to 7%."

According to National Statistical Service of Armenia, consumer
prices rose 6.5% in Dec 2009, compared with the same month of the
previous year.

Stepanyan said that Armenian economy is gradually recovering now
after the 2009 downturn.

He thinks it would be wrong to reach the targeted inflation rate by
taking sharp steps that could hobble economic development.

Stepanyan said that the central bank pursued a reasonable policy last
year and intends to continue it.

"This is necessary to stabilize economic growth, since stability of
inflation, even taking into account certain volatility, contributes a
great deal to stable economic growth. Our measures are aimed at this."

The chief of the central bank’s division said that the regulator
pursues long-term goals.

"If 6% inflation is recorded this year instead of the planned 4-5.5%,
but economic growth speeds up instead, it will be more effective and
better to all than intention to reach 4% inflation at any price,"
he said. "Believe me, we can reach this level, but at the account of
economic growth."

In the 2010 state budget, Armenian government planned 1.2% economic
growth.

"GENOCIDE" FANTASY AND LOST FUTURE
Rufiz Hafizoglu

Trend
March 12 2010
Azerbaijan

The resolution recognizing the so-called Armenian genocide was
unexpected for Ankara but for Armenia it was a step towards a
successful future.

Although the protocols signed between Ankara and Yerevan in October
2009 seem at first sight in favor of Ankara, the opposition of the
protocols by the Armenian lobby and Armenian nationalists indicates
that they are not doing any good to the country.

Using the tense Armenian-Turkish relations and complaints against
Turkey, Armenia seeks to stay afloat at any price. Claims regarding
the genocide and the territories are the most important issues for
the Armenian lobby’s activities.

Based on the signed protocol, Yerevan had to renounce all genocide
claims and set up a joint commission to investigate the 1915 events.

However, Yerevan has stated that it will not abandon the claims.

Armenia is a hostage of the Armenian lobby, not only in foreign,
but also in the domestic policy.

Naturally, it is meaningless to think about the ratification of the
Ankara-Yerevan protocols by the Turkish Parliament after Armenia’s
Constituently Court amendments.

Of course, if genocide did take place as Armenia believes, then many
countries would insist on the establishment of a joint committee to
prove this. The fact that such a requirement has not yet been done
either by Ankara or Yerevan demonstrates the absence genocide.

Although the Turkish Foreign Ministry officially urged the U.S.

government not to discuss the so-called genocide in the U.S. Congress,
a Foreign Affairs Committee adopted a resolution recognizing the
genocide with 23 to 22 votes.

Ankara did not wait to answer and the same week recalled its ambassador
in the United States, Namik Tan.

The events in 1997 were similar, despite the adoption of a resolution
by the U.S. Congress.

Jewish lobby is involved in the adoption of the so-called Armenian
genocide by the U.S. Congress, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan said during his official visit to Riyadh.

If you pay attention to this statement and what was happening in
the recent past between Ankara and Tel Aviv, you can clearly see the
dissatisfaction of the Jewish lobby with Erdogan’s government. In fact,
it was a "yellow card" for the Erdogan government.

I wonder whether Ankara will be able to resolve the genocide issue,
which has been a headache for Turkey for many years.

Given today’s strategic partnership between Ankara and Washington, and
in particular the cooperation in the Middle East, Iraq and Afghanistan,
we can say that the United States does not want to lose such a valuable
ally as Turkey.

The developments offer the Armenian government an opportunity to learn
because there is a reality that Armenia and the Armenian lobby can not
accept. This reality is that the superpowers have always manipulated
the future of the Armenian people through a bargaining chip and a
false genocide.

BERNARD FASSIER: THE SOONER REPRESENTATIVES OF KARABAKH ARE INCLUDED IN NEGOTIATION PROCESS THE BETTER

ArmInfo
2010-03-12 13:23:00

ArmInfo. Representatives of Karabakh will be sooner or later involved
in the settlement process, and sooner it happens the better, OSCE MG
French Cochairman Bernard Fassier said in Yerevan today.

Along with it, he emphasized that it should happen at the end of the
negotiation process, after resolution of issues, when the Armenians and
Azerbaijanis find an opportunity to live side-by-side in peace nd when
the citizens of the Azerbaijani origin are able to return to Karabakh,
where they lived before the war. Fassier emphasized that the consent
by Armenia and Azerbaijan are required for the Karabakh party to be
back to the negotiating table, that is quite difficult to achieve.

Moreover, the French cochairman recalled that the Karabakh party
was represented in the settlement process in the person of Robert
Kocharyan, who expressed desire to represent the stance of both
Armenia and Karabakh after being elected president of Armenia. B.

Fassier also recalled that OSCE MG cochairmen visit Stepenakert during
their visits and meet the NKR officials.

SWEDISH AMBASSADOR IN ANKARA SUMMONED TO TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTRY

People’s Daily Online
March 12 2010
China

The Swedish ambassador in Ankara was summoned to the Turkish Foreign
Ministry on Friday after the Swedish parliament passed an Armenian
genocide resolution, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported.

When leaving the foreign ministry, Swedish Ambassador Christer Asp
told reporters that he explained the Swedish government’s stance on
the issue to Turkish officials during his talks at the ministry.

Sweden’s parliament on Thursday passed a resolution recognizing the
killing of Armenians and many other ethnic groups in 1915 as genocide.

The 349-seat parliament passed the resolution with a narrow majority,
with 131 yes, 130 no and 88 abstention, according to the Swedish news
agency TT.

Asp said democratic institutions took decisions on their own, however,
Swedish parliament’s policy on the matter had not changed.

Noting the parliament’s decision was not binding for the government,
Asp said the Swedish parliament supported the examination of incidents
of 1915 by independent commissions formed by historians.