Author: Tambiyan Samvel

IT WILL BE HARD WITH AZERBAIJAN

A1+
[08:07 pm] 18 November, 2008

"Our teams started out well in the Olympiad and we hope that it will
go on like that until the last tournament," told "A1+" well-known
chess player, grosmeister Smbat Lputyan.

Current vice-president of the Armenian Chess Federation Smbat Lputyan
played in the 2006 Olympiad and this time he is simply following-up
on the games from Yerevan.

Starting tomorrow, Lputyan and international expert Norair Kalantaryan
are getting ready to observe the games of the Armenian teams live
every half an hour starting from 7 p.m. Chess fans can follow-up at
," noted Smbat Lputyan.

Armenia’s men’s chess team will face-off with Azerbaijan during
tomorrow’s game.

"It’s going to be a rough game," said Smbat Lputyan in closing.

Armenia is at 2nd with 9 points and falls back from Russia, which
has extra points. Germany, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and England all have
9 points each. The Armenian women’s chess team will compete against
Ukraine in the 6th tournament. In the 5th tournament, Armenia won
France 2.5:1.5, although the organizers noted that the Armenian women
chess players lost 1.5:2:5. This information was spread to a number
of mass media outlets, but in reality, Armenia won and is at 7th
place with 8 points.

ARMENIA FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT BALTIC STATES

armradio.am
17.11.2008 13:30

The Foreign Minister of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian, is leaving for
an official visit to the Baltic States today.

November 17-19 the Armenian Foreign Minister will visit
Lithuania. Within the framework of the visit Edward Nalbandian will
have meetings with the President of the Republic of Lithuania Valdas
Adamkus, Foreign Minister Petras Vaytekunas and representatives of the
Armenian community. The Minister will visit also the State University
of Lithuania.

November 19-20 Edward Nalbandian will visit Latvia. During the visit
the Foreign Minister will give a joint interview with his Latvian
counterpart Maris Riekstins. Minister Nalbandian is scheduled to
meet with the President of the Republic of Latvia Valdis Zatles and
Speaker of Parliament Erika Zunda, as well as representatives of the
Latvian Armenian community.

November 20-21 Minister Nalabndian will visit Estonia, where he will
meet the President of the Republic of Estonia Toomas Henrik Ilves,
President of Parlaiment Ene Ergma and Foreign Minister Urmas Payet.

DRESDEN CHESS OLYMPIAD: ARMENIA 2:2 UKRAINE

armradio.am
17.11.2008 13:20

The men’s chess team of Armenia played a 2:2 draw with Ukraine in
the 4th round of the 38th Chess Olympiad in Dresden. All four games
ended in a draw.

After four rounds the Armenian team ranks 3rd along with six other
teams.

Germany and Russia share the first and second places.

In the women’s section the Armenian team lost to China 3.5:0.5. The
Armenian women’s team is currently 16th with six points. Teams of
China and Poland are leading with eight points.

MOSCOW DECLARATION IS A VICTORY OF RUSSIAN DIPLOMACY

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.11.2008 16:44 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Adoption of the Moscow declaration on peaceful
resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is a victory of Russian
diplomacy, an Armenian MP said.

"Russia is strengthening positions in the Caucasus, specifically
in Armenia and Azerbaijan. The declaration has become a starting
point for political discussions," Armen Ashotyan told a conference
in Yerevan today.

"The most important fact is that this document has fixed the right
of nations to self-determination. In my opinion, it’s for most part
admissible for Armenia," he said.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Sergei Lavrov: Russia values current format of Karabakh talks
15.11.2008 15:13 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he sees
prospects of the Karabakh conflict resolution.

`The Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan confirmed their willingness
to continue meetings and instructed their Foreign Minister to search
for a compromise,’ he said in an interview with the Echo of Moscow.

`There were doubts that Russia wants to create a new format. However,
Russia values the OSCE MG format and the Moscow declaration reflects
this principle,’ he said.

During the November 2 meeting, the Presidents Dmitry Medvedev of
Russia, Serzh Sargsyan of Armenia and Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan
pledged to intensify negotiations to end the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict.

The declaration envisages resolution of the conflict on the basis of
principles and norms of the international law as well as agreements
and documents concluded in this framework.

TEXT OF ARMENIAN-CAPTURED AZERBAIJANI SOLDIER’S LAST LETTER TO HIS FAMILY ANNOUNCED

Azeri Press Agency
Nov 13 2008
Azerbaijan

Agdam. Teymur Zahidoglu -APA. Text of Armenian-captured Azerbaijani
soldier Rafig Hasanov’s letter to his parents was announced. The
soldier asked his parents not to concern about him, APA Karabakh bureau
reports. He said: "Dear father! I am greeting all of you, my father,
mother and brothers Azer and Afig…their wives and my sister. Say my
great greetings to little Rahman, my nephew… I congratulate Rahman
on his upcoming birthday on December 4 and brother Afig’s on December
20. I wish happiness to both of them. Please buy present for little
Rahman on behalf of me and kiss him. Don’t concern about me. I am
all right".

Staff members of the Barda office of International Committee of
Red Cross (ICRC) delivered Rafig Hasanov’s letter to his family on
Thursday. ICRC representatives in Armenia visited Rafig Hasanov
on November 7 for the third time and monitored conditions of his
detention and received his letter.

Soldier of the Defense Ministry’s N military unit Rafig Hasanov, 19
was captured by the Armenian militaries in unknown conditions on the
contact line between the troops in Kamarli Village of Gazakh Region
on October 8, 2008.

PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV: FUTURE STATUS OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH MUST BE RESOLVED WITHIN AZERBAIJAN’S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY

State Telegraph Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan
November 8, 2008 Saturday

The recent tense developments in the South Caucasus once again show
that peace is very fragile in the region. Actually, peace has not
been established in region though ceasefire regime is available, said
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in his speech in Turkish Grand
National Assembly. The President said: We can not say confidently
that the situation has already been stabilized. The greatest source
of threat in the South Caucasus and generally in region is the
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. About 20 years
Azerbaijan`s territories have been under occupation.

We hope the new situation in the region will make all parties
dealing with the conflict`s settlement be more active. I am hopeful
that Armenia`s new leadership will accurately analyze the ongoing
processes in region and be ready to new realities. After that,
the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh can find its
solution, the President noted.

The Head of State stressed the dispute must be resolved through
stage-by-stage settlement plan, adding first of all, Azerbaijan`s
occupied territories must be freed from aggressors and Azerbaijani
citizens must return to their homes. If these issues are resolved,
Nagorno-Karabkh`s future status can be discussed, the President said.

President Ilham Aliyev also underlined the future status
of Nagorno-Karabakh must find its solution within Azerbaijan`s
territorial integrity.

CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE FROM THE RA NA PRESIDENT HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN ON THE OCCASION OF THE 12TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FORMATION OF THE RA SELF-GOVERNMENT BODIES

National Assembly of RA
Nov 11 2008
Armenia

President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Mr Hovik
Abrahamyan congratulated on the occasion of the 12th anniversary of
the formation of the RA self-government bodies:

"In the formation and strengthening of the statehood of the newly
independent Republic of Armenia the self-government bodies had their
invaluable role, that getting formed in 1996 this day, they fulfill
their most important role of the community governance. Being the
primary link in the contacts with the people the self-government
bodies are called to solve their everyday problems, bearing the whole
responsibility of providing regular activity.

The past 12 years have been a period of overcoming and achieving
the hardships, when the self-government bodies of the Republic of
Armenia were formed as one of the most important institutes of the
civil society of democracy and republic.

Joining the Council of Europe in 2001 Armenia assumed in the sphere
of the self-government obligations directed to the settlement and
improvement of the relations, which were harmonious with the political
programmes of the Armenian authorities. Today the improvement of the
self-government system is at the center of attention of the National
Assembly and the government. In this issue the international and
public organizations greatly help with their financial, technical
and professional support, promoting the development of the system
and complying it with the requirements of time.

For 12 years the heads and employees, members of the elders of
the communities of the Republic of Armenia have been next to the
residents of their communities, shoulder to shoulder overcoming
the difficulties, step by step moving from the solution of everyday
problems up to the provision of welfare and dignified life of the
community members. Giving proper respect to their fulfilled huge
work I would like to congratulate the heads and members of elders,
thousands of employees of the system, wish them success in the
fulfillment of their hard and responsible mission, be with the people
in their moments of joy, concerns and difficulties. I would like also
to ensure that the improvement of the legislative field regarding the
self-government bodies, and their compliance with European standards
will remain at the center of attention of the National Assembly,
taking into account our peculiarities of self-government, making sound
the laws of Armenia with the legislative culture formed long ago in
this direction in the world. Making harmonious the state government
with the self-governance is one of the most harmonious problems for
having the state as a partner.

I congratulate once again the employees of the self-government bodies
of the republic wishing new successes and fruitful activity."

ARMENIAN SYNTHETIC CORUNDUM PRODUCER HALTS OUTPUT DUE TO CRISIS

Interfax
Nov 6 2008
Russia

Vanadzor Chemicals Complex, an Armenian producer of synthetic corundum,
shut down production on November 1 due to the global financial crisis,
general director Alexander Snigirev told Interfax.

Core production of synthetic corundum for jewelry, which was exported
to Thailand, has been shut down because there is no demand, he said.

"The time has come to stop and think about a new development strategy
for the company," Snigirev said.

He said that on November 20 the plant intends to start producing
leucosapphires, for which there is greater market demand at the moment.

These are so-called blue diodes that are used in electronics,
including in production of billboards, screens and other products
for which demand is growing rapidly.

The company had planned to obtain the raw material for their production
locally, but eventually decided to rely on imports, Snigirev said.

Vanadzor Chemicals produced 6,284 kg of synthetic corundum in the
first nine months of 2008, 180% more than in the same period last year.

Zakneftegazstroi Prometei, a company owned by businessman Senik
Gevorkian, acquired 100% of Vanadzor Chemicals in May 1999 for $1.5
million, but the plant never operated continuously. Russia’s Roding
International Limited bought the plant in May 2007 for $25 million.

Snigirev said that the plant has been operating since May 2007,
and also monthly produces 1,000-1,200 tonnes of carbide, which until
recently was exported to India and Saudi Arabia.

TATIANA FERAHIAN PRESENTED WITH GOLD MEDAL AT OLYMPIC ARTS EXHIBITION, ALONG WITH THREE OTHER CYPRIOT ARTISTS

Noyan Tapan

Nov 7, 2008

NICOSIA, NOVEMBER 7, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. Four Cypriot
artists: Rinos Stefani, Maria Koudouna, Anetta Stylianou and our very
own Tatiana Ferahian have each been presented with a gold medal for
their artistic contribution to the official Olympic Fine Arts 2008
exhibition. The event which was designed to extend the spirit of the
games took place in China Exhibition Centre in Beijing, from 9 August
17 September 2008, and is expected to tour the world for the duration
of a year.