ARMENIA’S CENTRAL BANK REGISTERED NEW BRANCHES OF "GLADZOR" CREDIT ORGANIZATION
/PanARMENIAN.Net/
14.12.2009 18:41 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Central Bank of Armenia has registered new
branches Gladzor Universal Credit Organization: "Khanjyan" and
"Khorenatsi", press office of the Central Bank reported. This decision
was taken on December 14 by the Central Bank chairman Arthur Javadyan.
DELEGATION HEADED BY THE ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER LEAVES FOR ST. PETERSBURG TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 24TH SESSION OF THE INTER-STATE COUNCIL OF EURASEC
ARMENPRESS
Dec 11, 2009
ST. PETERSBURG, DECEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS: Delegation headed by the
Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan left today for St. Petersburg
to participate in the 24th session of the Inter-State Council of
EurAsEC.
The delegation consists of the head of the staff of the government
David Sargsyan, deputy foreign minister Shavarsh Kocharyan, deputy
finance minister Vardan Aramyan, deputy economy minister Mushegh
Tumasyan, deputy economy minister Artashes Avetisyan and other
officials.
Members of EurAsEC are Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia,
Tajikistan and Uzbekistan: Armenia and Moldova have status of observer.
June 9 of the running year the member countries of the organization
signed an agreement on creation of anti-crisis fund signed by Russia,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Belarus and Uzbekistan with the
participation of Armenia.
The anti-crisis fund is called to assist the member countries in
overcoming the negative impact of the global financial-economic crisis,
ensuring post-crisis restoration and further development.
Among a number of different issues to be discussed in the session,
the participants will also refer to the ones relating to overcoming
the financial-economic crisis and its consequences.
ARMENIA THREATENS TO ANNUL AGREEMENTS WITH TURKEY
Asbarez
Dec 10th, 2009
President Serzh Sarkisian and visiting Latvian President Valdis Zatlers
YEREVAN (RFE/RL)-Armenia on Thursday explicitly threatened to walk
away from its landmark agreements with Turkey if Ankara continues
to make their implementation conditional on the resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
President Serzh Sarkisian issued the warning in response to Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s latest linkage between the
normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations and a Karabakh settlement
acceptable to Azerbaijan.
"I am stating again that the Republic of Armenia is prepared to
properly honor its international commitments. Namely, to ratify the
Turkish-Armenian protocols," Sarkisian told a joint news conference
with his visiting Latvian counterpart, Valdis Zatlers.
"But you will recall that I have also stated before that if Turkey
drags out the ratification of the protocols, then Armenia will
immediately make use of possibilities stemming from international law,"
he said. "And so I am declaring now that I have instructed relevant
state bodies to prepare amendments to those of our laws that pertain to
the signing, ratification and abrogation of international agreements."
The two protocols signed in Zurich in October commit the two neighbors
to establish diplomatic relations and reopen their border within two
months of the documents’ entry into force, which in turn is contingent
on their ratification by the Armenian and Turkish parliaments.
Although the protocols make no direct reference to Karabakh, Turkish
leaders have made clear that Turkey’s Grand National Assembly will not
endorse them unless Armenia agrees to a resolution of the Karabakh
conflict acceptable to Azerbaijan. Erdogan, whose government has a
clear majority in the assembly, reiterated that precondition after
talks with U.S. President Barack Obama in the White House on Monday.
"Turkey’s objective is to link Turkish-Armenian relations with the
Nagorno-Karabakh problem," Sarkisian said, commenting on Erdogan’s
statements. "I must once again repeat that those attempts are a priori
doomed to failure."
Sarkisian set no deadlines for the Turkish ratification of the
agreements welcomed by the international community. Like Obama and
other top U.S. officials, he has previously stressed the need for
their implementation within a "reasonable time frame." According to
some pro-government politicians in Armenia, by that Yerevan means
the beginning of the next spring.
EUROPEAN UNION CONFIRMS DECISION TO PROVIDE ARMENIA WITH 100 MILLION EUROS ASSISTANCE
/ARKA/
December 10, 2009
YEREVAN
The European Union has confirmed its decision to provide Armenia with
100 million euros assistance designed to help it alleviate the worst
economic downturn since the early 1990s.
The Armenian foreign ministry told ARKA that the decision was
confirmed during Armenia -EU consultations on the level of Political
and Security Committee.
Sixty-five million euros will come as a loan and 35 million euros as
a grant. An earlier press release of the European Commission said the
assistance would be provided in two installments, tentatively in the
first and fourth quarter of 2010.
`The assistance supports, and is conditional on the respect of the
adjustment program agreed between Armenia and the International
Monetary Fund. It complements the latter’s financial assistance to
the country. `The proposed financing will complement the financial
resources provided by the EU, in the form of budget support programs
financed under the European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument,’
said the EU statement.
The Armenian foreign ministry said a European Union delegation will
visit Armenia in February to sign a memorandum of understanding that
will precede the disbursement of the installment.
Number of infected with A/H1N1 reaches 54 in Armenia
10.12.2009 15:10 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ There are currently 54 people infected with A/H1N1
(swine flu) in Armenia, according to chief infectiologist Ara Asoyan.
`All patients undergo treatment in Nork hospital, and so far, we’ve
had no death cases,’ he said and recommended population not to panic
and improve personal hygiene.
`The incidence of various forms of flu tends to decrease,’ Asoyan said.
According to Vahan Poghosyan, Head of Healthcare Management Department
at Ministry of Health, all preventive measures have been undertaken.
`Polyclinic attendance over the recent days has increased three times,
and we find it quite normal,’ he said.
At that, he noted that all Armenian citizens, regardless of age and
social status, have the right to receive free treatment of flu, and
the medicines and other resources available in the country are enough
for both preventing and treating the disease.
OBAMA-ERDOGAN MEETING FAVOURABLE FOR TURKEY: MANOYAN
Tert.am
12:09 ~U 10.12.09
The Obama-Erdogan meeting, as much as can be gathered from what’s
been publicized and from the point of view of issues of interest
for Armenia, has been favourable for Turkey, said Armenian Cause
(Hay Dat) Director of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF-D,
Dashnaktsutyun) political affairs bureau Giro Manoyan.
According to Manoyan, during the Obama-Erdogan meeting, Turkey’s prime
minister, while in Obama’s company in the White House, announced that
he passed on to President Obama Turkey’s point of view, according to
which Turkey will secure development in Armenia-Turkey relations only
if it sees a positive shift in Armenia-Azerbaijan relations.
On the other hand, according to Manoyan, Obama, in response to a
letter by Armenian-Americans, noted that Armenia-Turkey relations must
be established without preconditions and in due time. The American
leader, however, didn’t mention a specific date during his meeting
with Erdogan.
During his address in the U.S., the Turkish prime minister, according
to the ARF-D representative, announced that the executive leadership
cannot oppress the legislative power in Turkey.
"This is an absurd and ridiculous statement, because in countries
with a parliamentary system, it’s the parliamentary majority which
makes up the governing system, as is the case with Turkey, and that
system’s leader is Erdogan himself. In this way, by absolving himself
of responsibility, Erdogan once again affirmed they are completely
conditioning the Nagorno-Karabakh issue with the ratification of the
Armenia-Turkey Protocols," noted Manoyan.
The ARF-D representative is convinved that the statement by Erdogan
is one other opportunity for Armenia’s governing leaders to announce
that Turkey is violating the agreement and continuing to tie the
process of Armenia-Turkey rapprochement with the settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
"Consequently, because of Turkey this process has failed": according
to Manoyan, Armenia’s governing leaders must proclaim this statement.
ARMENIA TREE PROJECT
65 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472 USA
Tel: (617) 926-TREE
Email: [email protected]
Web:
PRESS RELEASE
December 8, 2009
ATP Breaks Record by Planting One Million Trees in Lori Region
YEREVAN–Armenia Tree Project (ATP) has been collaborating with World Wide
Fund for Nature Armenian Branch (WWF Armenia) on an unprecedented
large-scale reforestation program in the communities of Jrashen and
Tsaghkaber in the northern region of Lori.
"Mitigating Impacts of Climate Change through Forest Protection, Management
and Restoration in Southern Caucasus" is a project implemented by the
consortium of WWF Germany, WWF Caucasus, and WWF Armenia in cooperation with
the Ministry of Nature Protection, the Ministry of Agriculture ("Hayantar"
Armenian Forest SNCO) of the Republic of Armenia, Armenia Tree Project
Foundation, Jrashen and Tsakhkaber communities financed by the Federal
Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU)
of the Federal Republic of Germany through KfW in the framework of the
International Climate Protection Initiative.
The project was initiated in late 2008, and since then ATP has planted
1,000,000 indigenous tree seedlings for the program, which is the largest
number of trees planted by the organization in a single year. The planting
site covered a total of 400 ha (1,000 acres) of deforested land in Lori,
near the earthquake region of Spitak.
"Climate change is happening globally and Armenia is not an exception.
Weather extremes that are so common in Armenia have serous implications for
forests. We are proud to collaborate with the German KfW Bank and WWF to
make a difference and create a better future for the environment and
people," stated ATP Yerevan Director Mher Sadoyan. "We hope we can fight the
adverse impacts of the climate change in those territories of Armenia which
are most affected, and reforestation is one way to achieve this goal."
This environmental program has created hundreds of jobs for villagers who
are often forced to migrate to earn a living abroad in countries such as
Russia. As part of the goal to address the socio-economic status of the
communities in the project area, ATP has provided seasonal tree planting
jobs for more than 300 people from Tsaghkaber, Jrashen, Margahovit, and
neighboring villages.
The tree seedlings for the project were grown in ATP’s Mirak Family
Reforestation Nursery in Margahovit, as well as by families participating in
the Backyard Nursery Micro-Enterprise Program in the Getik River Valley.
This new forest was established with oak, pine, ash, maple, and apple
seedlings which are indigenous to the region.
"Armenia Tree Project is honored to cooperate with the German KfW Bank and
World Wide Fund for Nature. Together we are fighting climate change and
creating a green future for future generations of Armenians," emphasized
Sadoyan.
Since 1994, Armenia Tree Project has planted and restored more than
3,500,000 trees at over 800 sites around the country and created hundreds of
jobs for impoverished Armenians in tree-regeneration programs. The
organization’s three tiered initiatives are tree planting, community
development to reduce poverty and promote self-sufficiency, and
environmental education to protect Armenia’s precious natural resources. For
additional information and to support ATP’s mission, visit the web site
PHOTO CAPTIONS
ATP New Forest.jpg
Armenia Tree Project has been collaborating with World Wide Fund for Nature
Armenian Branch on a large-scale reforestation program in the communities of
Jrashen and Tsaghkaber in Lori, where ATP has planted 1,000,000 indigenous
seedlings on 400 ha (1,000 acres) of deforested land
ATP New Pine Tree.jpg
Armenia Tree Project provided seasonal jobs for more than 300 people from
Tsaghkaber, Jrashen, and Margahovit villages in 2009 to plant trees grown at
the Mirak Family Reforestation Nursery and in the Backyard Nursery
Micro-Enterprise Program
SERZH SARGSYAN VISITS GYUMRI AND PAYS TRIBUTE OF HIS RESPECT TO MEMORY OF 1988 EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS ON DECEMBER 7
Noyan Tapan
Dec 7, 2009
GYUMRI, DECEMBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN. RA President Serzh Sargsyan visited
Gyumri on December 7 to pay the tribute of his respect to the memory
of 1988 destructive earthquake’s victims. He laid a wreath in the
Memorial to Innocent Victims, Merciful Hearts, was present at a
requiem served for victims’ memory.
Then S. Sargsyan visited the sugar plant being built in the Akhurian
community, got acquainted with the process of works and preparatory
measures of sugar beet procession.
The sugar plant construction started in 2006 summer, an investment
of over 92m USD has been made so far. It is planned to finish the
construction by 2010 April and to start sugar production in mid-May.
The enterprise will work for 24 hours. It is planned to reprocess
both imported half-finished raw materials and beet grown on the spot.
According to RA President’s Press Office, S. Sargsyan also visited the
Isahakian community of Ani region and participated in the ceremony of
completion of the gas supply program of 21 communities of Ani, Artik,
Ashotsk, and Amasia, which was marked by symbolic gas burning. The
gas supply program was implemented in these territories by the program
under the title Economic Development of Rural Areas.
Natural gas supply systems of 25 communities were restored or built
in the Shirak region under the program in 2009. The construction
in 21 of the communities has been already finished and in 4 will be
finished by the end of the year. Thus the number of beneficiaries of
25 communities supplied with gas will be more than 21 thousand people.
AZERBAIJANI DETAINED OVER EXPLOSION IN NEVSKY EXPRESS TRAIN
Panorama.am
15:41 07/12/2009
Three have been detained in connection with the explosion in the
Nevsky Express train.
APA reports quoting one of the Russian media that one of the detainees
is Azerbaijani Zaur Guliyev. Solnechnogorsk special police detained
Zaur Guliyev and Chechen Amirkhanov brothers. All were brought to a
detention facility in Moscow. Their link to the explosion in Nevsky
Ekspress is being investigated.
Armenia was presented as eco-tourism destination in Buenos Aires and Montevideo
06.12.2009 17:34 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Capacity crowds turned out at the Union General
Armenia de Beneficencia (AGBU) headquarters in the capitals of
Argentina and Uruguay to hear author-photographers Matthew Karanian
and Robert Kurkjian present Armenia as an eco-tourism destination and
to celebrate Armenian heritage.
The authors illustrated their presentation with a photography slide
show of the people, countryside, and historic sites of Armenia and
Artsakh. The event in Buenos Aires on November 19 was held under the
auspices of Argentina’s Armenian Embassy and was co-sponsored by the
AGBU Young Professionals. Uruguay’s AGBU Youth League was the sponsor
of the event in Montevideo on November 26.
Karanian and Kurkjian told the audiences in Buenos Aires, Argentina,
and in Montevideo, Uruguay, that the Diaspora’s continued support of
Armenia and Karabagh is vital to the country’s success, and that
traveling to Armenia also allows the Diaspora to understand its needs.
The authors discussed the state of conservation and environmental
awareness in Armenia, including the steps toward the tentative
recovery of the Lake Sevan ecosystem.
Kurkjian and Karanian are the creators of `The Stone Garden Guide:
Armenia and Karabagh,’ which is the first photography-based and
conservation-themed commercial travel guide to the region.
`Armenia and Karabagh’ has won three national book awards and has been
one of the best-selling books on the subject of Armenia for the past
several years.