Author: Toganian Liana

SHADOW EMPLOYMENT MAKES 29% IN ARMENIA

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
21.12.2009 14:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The control service of Armenia does not supervise
issue of sales slips in entertainment facilities and restaurants,
said Hovhannes Hovsepyan, the head of control service at the RA
presidential administration.

He informed that the state revenue committee has already addressed
the problem.

Mr. Hovsepyan also said that shadow employment makes 29% in Armenia.

"There are companies which register elderly or disabled people as
owners in order to avoid tax payments," he said

ARMENIA: RULES FOR NATIONAL FINAL PUBLISHED
by Marco Brey

Eurovision.tv
news?id=7703&_t=Armenia%3A+Rules+for+national+ final+published
Dec 18 2009

Yerevan, Armenia – Today, the Armenian public broadcaster has published
the rules of the national selection for the 2010 Eurovision Song
Contest. Songwriters both from Armenia and from abroad can send in
their songs.

The Armenian entry for the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest will be chosen
in a public national final again, to be broadcast on the First Channel
of AMPTV before the 15th of February. The deadline for submissions
is the 1st of February. Both Armenian and foreign songwriters are
asked to send in their songs, and on th 10th of February, a jury will
pick the ten best submissions. Those acts will get the right to take
part in the national final, the outcome of which will be decided by
a 50/50 combination of televoting and the verdict of an expert jury.

Armenia has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest since 2006,
with the best placing to date being reached by Sirusho in 2008 –
she came 4th with Qélé Qélé. In the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest,
Armenia was represented by Inga & Anush, who came 10th with Jan Jan.

What do you think about the Armenian national selection?

ARMENIA WANTS NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS WITH TURKEY BUT IT CAN RUN OUT OF PATIENCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
18.12.2009 14:28 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Member of RPA parliamentary group Gagik Minasyan is
hopeful that progress will be registered in the process of ratification
of Armenian-Turkish protocols before April 24, the Armenian Genocide
Commemoration Day.

"Armenia wants normalization of relations with Turkey but it can run
out of patience. The republic will stop negotiations if Turkey goes
beyond reasonable terms of ratification of protocols," Minasyan said.

YOUNG SCHOLARS RECEIVE GRANTS IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
18.12.2009 20:14 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The National Foundation of Science and Advanced
Technology (NFSAT) and Yerevan State University will organize
conference in the framework of "Creation of University Research
Centers" program on December 22, 2009 in the Armenian resort
town of Tsaghkadzor . The conference will also summarize a joint
Armenian-American competition "Promoting research of young scientists
– 2009". The conference will be attended by representatives of RA
Ministry of Education and Science, U.S. Embassy in Armenia.

Holders of grants under "Creation of University Research Centers"
program within two years will receive USD 100 thousand to purchase
equipment, repair laboratories and participate in international
conferences.

GAGIK YEGANYAN SAYS PRESENTED NUMBER ON ARMENIAN CITIZENS WORKING IN TURKEY DOES NOT CORRESPOND TO REALITY

ARMENPRESS
Dec 18, 2009

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS: On different occasions it is spoken
that the Armenian citizens leaving for Turkey to work comprise a
great number. Turkish political leaders even note concrete numbers
– 50,000-70,000, but recently the Armenian office of the "Eurasian"
Foundation issued a research devoted to the issue, according to which,
the numbers about the Armenian citizens working in Turkey do not
correspond to reality, head of the Armenian Territorial Administration
Ministry’s Migration Agency Gagik Yeganyan said today at a press
conference called on the International Day of Migrants.

He said according to the information, taken from the official web
page of the Turkey’s Statistical Institute it is seen that since
2000 about 294,000 Armenian citizens entered Turkey and 288,000
returned back. He noted that the eight years’ dynamics shows that a
sharp increase of Armenia-Turkey passenger transportation has been
registered. The stable growth, according to him, is in the limits of
15-20% and if in 2008 for Armenia the total number of passenger-flows
in all the directions decreased in case of Turkey it remained the same.

G. Yeganyan, referring to the December 9-10 Geneva gathering dedicated
to the issues of refugees, noted that Armenian Vice Prime Minister,
Territorial Administration Minister Armen Gevorgyan reached agreement
with the UNHCR High Commissioner on finding necessary financial
means for the implementation of program on ensuring apartments to the
1988-1992 resettled people from Azerbaijan and program on organization
of return of inner displaced people from Armenia’s remote areas to
their settlements.

The first program is currently being implemented in Yerevan where
the number of stakeholders reaches 1000 refugee families and for the
solution of the issue around 40 million USD is needed. The total cost
of the second program is 38.5 million USD.

In 2000 the UN General Assembly declared December 18 International
Day of Migrants.

ANUSH HOVHANNISSYAN AND ANNA MAYILYAN TO PERFORM WITH ARMENIAN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA ON DECEMBER 18

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
14.12.2009 18:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On Friday, December 18, Aram Chachaturian Concert
Hall in Yerevan will host joint performance of Anush Hovhannissyan
and Anna Mayilyan with Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra.

The concert will feature music compositions of Mozart, Strauss,
Mahler and Berlioz, performed by Armenian singers Anna Mayilyan
(mezzo soprano) and Anush Hovhannissyan (soprano).

The concert is organized by RA Ministry of Culture, with financial
assistance of Armenian Great benevolent Union (AGBU).

Erdogan: Turkey will strongly retaliate if Israel violates its airspace

[ 09/12/2009 – 08:35 PM ]

ISTANBUL, (PIC)– Turkish premier Recep Erdogan warned that his
country would strongly respond if Israel violated its airspace, saying
that this retaliation would be like an `earthquake.’

Erdogan’s remarks were a reply to a question in an interview with
Egyptian journalist Fahmi Huwaidi, over the accuracy of information
indicating that Israel had violated Turkish airspace in order to spy
against Iran, the thing which angered Turkey and made it reject
Israel’s participation in joint military drills.

Erdogan continued, saying that this information is incorrect, but he
stated that, `if Israel did so, it will receive a response equal to
that of an earthquake.’

He also said it was not reasonable that Israel went to Gaza and
`swept’ its people and later had the audacity to believe that they
would still be allowed to train with Turkish defense forces after they
wrought havoc on the Gaza Strip.

`We, the elected government, came into being due to the will of our
people. We cannot then challenge the feelings of the Turkish people,
who were greatly affected by what happened during the aggression on
Gaza. Our respect for the feelings of the Turkish people played a
decisive role in the background of our decision in refusing to conduct
the drills of Anatolian Eagle,’ the Turkish premier underlined.

`Furthermore, the Israeli’s cannot use the relationship they have with
us as a card to wage aggression on a third party and expect us to
stand neutral or with folded hands,’ the premier added.

Cilicia Museum of the Great House of Cilicia hosts evening dedicated
to Grigor Norikyan
12.12.2009 16:32 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Cilicia Museum of the Great House of Cilicia
yesterday hosted an evening dedicated to artist Grigor Norikyan.

During the evening many Armenian and foreign artists as well as art
critics had a chance to access Grigor Norikyan’s works.

Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I awarded Grigor
Norikyan with `St. Mesrop Mashtots’ medal.

ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN ON A WAY TO BREAKTHROUGH IN NKR ISSUE: NESTERENKO

NEWS.am
18:07 / 12/10/2009

If positive dynamics reached this year in Karabakh peace process
progresses in 2010, there is weight of evidence to reckon on early
and final settlement as well as elaboration of the peace treaty based
on fundamental principles. December 10, official representative of
Russian Foreign Ministry Andrey Nesterenko stated at the briefing.

According to him, Armenia and Azerbaijan are on the way to significant
breakthrough in Karabakh peace process.

The official said that OSCE MG Co-Chairs will hand to Armenian and
Azerbaijani presidents the updated version of Madrid document that
contains fundamentals on Karabakh conflict settlement. According to
Nesterenko, decision on Karabakh issue should be made on the basis
of basic principles with further drafting of peace agreement.

He noted that Azerbaijan is content with OSCE Minsk Group efforts,
"Russian side received no alerts of dissatisfaction with Minsk Group
activites."

NEW STAMPS PUT INTO CIRCULATION

armradio.am
11.12.2009 17:33

A souvenir sheet with three stamps dedicated to Armenian Olympic
Champions Hrant Shaninyan, Igor Novikov, Albert Azaryan, and a similar
sheet with one stamp dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the erection
of the monument to the epic hero Sasuntsi David were cancelled and
put into circulation today at the premises of the Armenian National
Olympic Committee.

The official ceremony was attended by RA Minister of transport and
communication Gurgen Sargsyan, RA Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs
Armen Grigoryan, "Haypost Trust Management"company director Juan Pablo
Gechidjian, Haypost CJSC acting director general Arman Khachaturyan,
President of the Philatelist’s Union of Armenia Hovik Musaelyan as
well as other esteemed guests.

The speakers emphasized the importance of the stamp issues in terms
of praising Armenian sports’ masters as well as in terms of the
development of postal sector and philately. Also, words of appreciation
were expressed to the management of "Haypost Trust Management" and
to the ministry of Transport and Communication and to the minister
Gurgen Sargsyan in particular.