Author: Toganian Liana

ARMENIAN COMMERCIAL ORGANIZATIONS GRANTED A RIGHT TO DETERMINE THEIR AUTHORIZED CAPITAL

ArmInfo
2008-12-26 12:18:00

ArmInfo. Armenian Parliament adopted a Bill ‘On Amendments to the Civil
Code’ in the first reading, Friday. In addition, parliamentarians
made alterations and amendments to the laws ‘On State Registration
of Legal Entities’, ‘On Joint Stock Companies’, ‘On Limited Liability
Companies’.

Deputy Minister of Justice Gagik Malkhasyan said the package
of bills that has been submitted by the Government aims to boost
ntrepreneurship. At present, the minimal size of authorized capital
for LLCs is 50,000 drams, for CJSCs – 100,000 drams and for OJSCs –
1 million drams. The government proposes exempted these companies of
compulsory standards of authorized and allowing them to determine
their authorized capitals. The bill liquidates another provision
pursuant to which the whole authorized capital is to be invested in
these companies. In addition, the present law stipulates that the
state register audits the documents of an enterprise to reveal the
compliance of the regulations of commercial organizations to the
effective legislation. This provision is liquidated as well. An
organization from now and on will be reorganized in a facilitated
regime. Liquidation of an organization requires just a reference on
social and tax payments.

Registration of liquidated organizations takes a day. The provision
on compulsory seals on documents is liquidated as well.

CONTEST FOR NUCLEAR ENERGY BLOCK IN 15 DAYS

A1+
[07:46 pm] 25 December, 2008

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan headed today’s government
session during which government officials passed the RA bill on
"Construction of new nuclear energy blocks in Armenia", which will
be presented to the RA National Assembly.

By another resolution, the government approved the contest package for
the "Selection of the company in charge of the construction of the new
nuclear energy block" and confirmed the staff of the inter-ministerial
contest committee. The prime minister assigned RA Energy and Natural
Resources Minister to make an official announcement regarding the
international contest 15 days after the official record of purchases.

MASTER PLAN APPROVED

The government approved the 2008-2012 Master Plan presented by the
owners of the "Zvartnots" and "Shirak" airports. The RA Government’s
N392-N resolution, which was passed in 2003 to confirm the Master
Plan presented by the owners of "Zvartnots" airport, was revoked. The
passing of the resolution was guided by the 72nd article of the RA
law on "Legal acts" and based on the propositions and requirements
signed on December 18, 2001 between the RA Government and "Corporation
America S.A." company.

HERITAGE PARTY IS FOR DISMISSAL OF MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND PROSECUTOR GENERAL

Lragir.am
16:00:01 – 25/12/2008

Does the Heritage Party, like the Armenian National Congress, demand
the resignation of the minister of justice Gevorg Danielyan? The
reporters asked this question to the chair of the board of the Heritage
Party Anahit Bakshiyan on December 25 at the Hayatsk press club. She
said they are for the dismissal of not only the minister of justice
but also the leadership of the judicial and law enforcement agencies
in general, including the prosecutor general.

In this context, Anahit Bakshiyan wondered why "the president does
not make a realistic evaluation of the activities of the prosecutor
general and tolerates the outrageous justice in the country." However,
according to her, the answer is known to everyone: it is tolerated
because those people with their actions do favorS to the government.

Anahit Bakshiyan said they are for the dismissal of the prosecutor
general and the minister of justice. She says the country would
benefit from every single day without those officials.

AMBASSADOR OF FRANCE IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

National Assembly of RA
Dec 23 2008
Armenia

On December 22 RA NA President Mr Hovik Abrahamyan received the
Ambassador of the Republic of France to Armenia Mr Serge Smessow.

Highlighting the development of cooperation with the parliament of
France RA NA President Mr Hovik Abrahamyan noted that he invited to
Armenia on an official visit the President of the Senate of France
Mr Gerard Larcher.

The NA President is confident that as a result of his visit to Armenia
and meetings in Armenia, the relations between the parliaments of
the two countries will be more strengthened and the cooperation
will deepen, which will in its turn promote the development of the
relations in other spheres.

The Ambassador of the Republic of France to Armenia Mr Serge Smessow
highlighted the development of the inter-parliamentary relations
and expressed willingness to support practically the organization
of Mr Larcher’s visit. According to the Ambassador’s assessment,
the French-Armenian inter-parliamentary relations dynamically
develop, the evidence of which was the visit of the Chairman of
the France-Armenia Friendship Group with the Parliament of Armenia
of the National Assembly of France Mr Francois Rochebloine and the
Deputy Chairman Mr Rene Rouquet at the beginning of December. In the
National Assembly and the Senate of France there are deputies, who
warmly treat Armenia and are advocates in deepening the cooperation
with Armenia. During the meeting the sides touched upon also problems
of internal and regional mutual importance.

TURKISH WEBSITE OZUR DILIYORUZ REMOVES THE 13.315 NAMES SIGNATORIES OF THE PETITION APOLOGIZING TO ARMENIANS

De Facto
Dec 19, 2008

YEREVAN, 19.12.08. DE FACTO. Yesterday, on December 18, after a 3 hours
interruption, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., website özur diliyoruz,
which diffuses the petition of the intellectuals Turks be sorry " to
the Armenians for the Great Catastrophe of 1915", erased the 73 pages,
on which were registered 13 315 signatories names brought together
in 3 days, an independent French journalist Jean Eckian told DE FACTO.

According to Eckian, one cannot prevent oneself from thinking that
the initiative is to be brought closer to the declaration of Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who declared yesterday "I do
not accept nor supports this campaign. We did not commit a crime;
therefore we do not need to present excuses". It thus seems, for this
hour, that the censure fell once more on the freedom expression in
Turkey, unless the authors of the petition considered it necessary to
protect the identity from the thousands of people come to give their
support for the declaration. Probable or not, the Turkish authorities
already had to raise them. Always it is that it is not possible any
more maintaining to join the 250 original signatories. The petition
is blocked on number 13.315.

For answer to the petition of the intellectuals, Turkish nationalists
also launched a similar website "www.ozurdi liyorum.com" with the
following sentence: "there was no genocide was to defend the nation,
we will no excuses." And in Germany, Union of European Turkish
Democrats denounced the "campaign initiated by a group of so-called
intellectuals".

In addition, Azeri Press Agency, reports that, according to Turkish
information, "Member of MHP, parliamentarian, Janan Aritman, dropped
has hint that the president’s mother was Armenian. "We see that the
president supports this campaign. Abdullah Gul should be the president
of the whole Turkish nation, not off his ethnic origin. Investigate
the ethnic origin off the president’s mother, and you will see,"
he said, adding "the organizers of this petition are traitors".

In Eckian’s words, summon claim in Turkey that Abdullah Gul’s mother
was born to year Armenian-origin family from Kayseri and father was
year Arab moved to Kayseri.

To note, that the petition of Turkish intelligentsia aroused a great
interest in the international press.

–Boundary_(ID_pADrtDh7PqkhBBjpVzYZ4w)–

YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER 12-18, 2008

HIGHLIGHTS:

"PRESS CLUB" AND "PRESS CLUB+": "EASTERN PARTNERSHIP" AND PROSPECTS OF LOCAL
SELF-GOVERNMENT

MEDIA ETHICS OBSERVATORY SUMMED UP ITS ACTIVITIES

"ARMENPRESS" NEWS AGENCY IS 90 YEARS OLD

"PRESS CLUB" AND "PRESS CLUB+": "EASTERN PARTNERSHIP" AND PROSPECTS OF LOCAL
SELF-GOVERNMENT

On December 17 the last "Press Club" show in 2008 went on the air of
"Yerkir-Media" TV company. The cycle was produced by Yerevan Press Club with
the support of the Human Rights and Governance Grants Program of the Open
Society Institute. The guests of the program host, YPC President Boris
Navasardian were the Chairman of the RA National Assembly Standing Committee
on Science, Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Issues Armen Ashotian,
political scientist, doctor of history Ashot Manucharian (Germany), observer
of "Aravot" daily Anna Israelian. The discussion subject was the new
initiative of the European Union, "Eastern Partnership".

On December 13 "Yerkir Media" aired the final program of "Press Club+"
cycle, produced by Yerevan Press Club with the support of the UK Embassy in
Armenia. The Chairman of the Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression
Ashot Melikian and "Press Club+" participants – Deputy Chairman of the RA NA
Standing Committee on Territorial Governance and Local Self-Administration
Rafik Grigorian and the President of the Association of Communal Finance
Officers Vahan Movsisian discussed the development of local self-government
in Armenia. In the discussion audience, representing the media of Armavir
and Kotayk regions, took part.

MEDIA ETHICS OBSERVATORY SUMMED UP ITS ACTIVITIES

On December 13-14 in Tsaghkadzor a seminar "Prospects of Media
Self-Regulation and Activities in the Sphere" was held by Yerevan Press Club
with the support of Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation-Armenia. In
the event members of the Media Ethics Observatory took part as well as the
heads of media who backed the YPC initiative to form a self-regulation
system.

At the seminar the activities of the MEO during the past year were summed
up, presentations were made on the trends of media accountability system
development in Europe, the professional ethics of Armenian media when
covering foreign affairs and regional problems. The participants also heard
about the findings of the survey administered by Yerevan Press Club in late
October 2008 in Yerevan, Gyumri, Vanadzor and Kapan to determine the
adequacy of Armenian TV companies’ work to the information demands of their
audience.

Within the seminar meetings with the RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsian and
the RA Human Rights Defender Armen Harutiunian were held.

The RA Prime Minister was presented the activities of Media Ethics
Observatory, the mission of which is to consider the complaints-appeals on
the violations of the Code of Conduct of Media Representatives and making
judgments on them. The head of the Government supported the idea of
resolving conflicts between the executive and media out of court, through
self-regulation mechanisms, such as the MEO. Referring to other topical
issues faced by the media community, the seminar participants expressed
their concern over the new draft law on freedom of information, developed by
the RA Ministry of Justice (see details in YPC Weekly Newsletter, October
17-23, 2008). The head of the Cabinet stressed that the draft would not be
submitted to the parliament without a discussion with all the stakeholders.

In the conversation with the RA Human Rights Defender Armen Harutiunian the
urgency and the necessity for establishing cooperation between the
ombudsman’s office and the MEO was stressed. In particular, Armen
Harutiunian proposed the participation of his representative in the sessions
of MEO. The RA Human Rights Defender also suggested to jointly study the
types of complaints that people have against media for violating their
rights.

Media Ethics Observatory was formed on March 10, 2007 by the heads of
Armenian media who supported the YPC self-regulation initiative and signed
the Code of Conduct of Media Representatives and its addendum, the
Declaration on Election and Referendum Coverage Principles (see YPC Weekly
Newsletter, March 9-15, 2007). Recently the initiative was joined by 4 more
media: "Noyan Tapan" News and Analysis Center, "Hrazdan" (Hrazdan, Kotayk
region) and "Last" (Goris, Syunik region) TV companies, "Zhamanaki Mitk"
newspaper. Thus, as of today the Code of Conduct is signed by 35 media. The
initiative is also supported by 8 journalistic associations.

"ARMENPRESS" NEWS AGENCY IS 90 YEARS OLD

On December 18 "Armenpress" news agency celebrated 90th anniversary since
its foundation.

Yerevan Press Club congratulates its colleagues on the jubilee and wishes
success and prosperity.

When reprinting or using the information above, reference to the Yerevan
Press Club is required.

You are welcome to send any comment and feedback about the Newsletter to:
[email protected]

Subscription for the Newsletter is free. To subscribe or unsubscribe from
this mailing list, please send a message to: [email protected]

Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
_____________________________________ _______
Yerevan Press Club
9B, Ghazar Parpetsi str.
0002, Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+ 374 10) 53 00 67; 53 35 41; 53 76 62
Fax: (+374 10) 53 56 61
E-mail: [email protected]
Web Site:

TURKISH RULING PARTY ENDORSES APOLOGY CAMPAIGN, AZERI EXPERT CLAIMS

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.12.2008 15:06 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The public apology for the Armenian Genocide is
supported by the ruling party which is engaged in a bizarre policy,
according to an Azeri expert

"The government’s attempts to beg a pardon from Armenians aroused
a wave of discontent among Turkish patriots. I think that Turkish
authorities’ mistakes can spoil relations with Azerbaijan," said
Mubariz Ahmedoglu head of the Azeri center for political innovations
and technologies.

"Turkish officials explain such pro-Armenian policy by attempt
to neutralize possible recognition of the genocide by the
U.S. Congress. Although, they say that Turkey will balance its foreign
policy and relations with Armenia proceeding from its own interests
and the interests of its partners, specifically Azerbaijan," he said,
1news.az reports.

Over 10 thousand people have already signed the public apology for
Armenian Genocide.

HRANUSH HAKOBIAN: WE DON’T KNOW OUR DIASPORA WELL

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.12.2008 16:36 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The RA Ministry of Diaspora Affairs will encourage
Armenians to return to the homeland.

"Ari Tun (Come Home) program includes not only physical return
of Armenians. Our task is to remind our compatriots that they
are Armenians. We are confident that once a young Armenian sees
his homeland, he will be eager to make his contribution to its
development. Our huge Diaspora, which numbers some 10 million people
throughout the globe, should use its spiritual and financial potential
for development of Armenia," Ms. Hranush Hakobian, the Minister of
Diaspora Affairs, said in an interview with PanARMENIAN.Net.

"We should unite not only in sorrow but also in order to build a strong
and prosperous Armenia. Many people say that the repatriation program
demands creation of special conditions but I think all Armenians
should live and work under equal conditions," she said.

The Ministry is also developing an annual project titled ‘Days of
Honor’, Ms. Hakobian informed.

"In 2009, these Days will be dedicated to renowned Charles Aznavour,
Kirk Krkorian and Alek Manookian. If the project succeeds, we will
dedicate a month to one of outstanding Diaspora representatives. Our
poor awareness about the Diaspora and vice versa is one of our gravest
mistakes. Everyone in Armenia must know who Alek Manookian was,"
she said.

Full text of the interview

Hranush Hakobian: Armenians should unite to build strong and glorious
country The establishment of the Armenian Ministry of Diaspora Affairs
aroused hopes for strengthening and development of cooperation between
the Republic of Armenia and Diaspora in various fields. Besides, the
Ministry intends to launch a repatriation program. PanARMENIAN.Net
has requested Ms. Hranush Hakobian, the Minister of Diaspora Affairs,
to comment on the plans and future activities of the Ministry.

17.12.2008 GMT+04:00 Addressing ‘Repatriation and its lessons:
repatriation today’ conference in Yerevan you said that the Armenian
authorities should encourage the repatriation program in every possible
way. What exactly should be done to that end?

Yes, we will encourage our compatriots to return to the
homeland. Ari Tun (Come Home) program includes not only physical
return of Armenians. Our task is to remind our compatriots that
they are Armenians. We are confident that once a young Armenian
sees his homeland, he will be eager to make his contribution to its
development. Our huge Diaspora, which numbers some 10 million people
throughout the globe, should use its spiritual and financial potential
for development of Armenia.

We should unite not only in sorrow but also in order to build a strong
and prosperous Armenia. Many people say that the repatriation program
demands creation of special conditions but I think all Armenians
should live and work under equal conditions.

There are plenty of talented people in Diaspora, who are not known
in Armenia. Does the Ministry plan any program to make them famous
in the homeland too?

This is a very topical question. The Ministry is developing an annual
project titled ‘Days of Honor’. In 2009, these Days will be dedicated
to renowned Charles Aznavour, Kirk Krkorian and Alek Manookian. If
the project succeeds, we will dedicate a month to one of outstanding
Diaspora representatives. Our poor awareness about the Diaspora and
vice versa is one of our gravest mistakes. Everyone in Armenia must
know who Alek Manookian was.

The most numerous Armenian community lives in Russia. Don’t you
think that it doesn’t use its potential completely for Armenia’s
development? How do you assess the level of its self-organization?

A great deal of work should be carried out with the Armenian community
of Russia. At that Armenians in each region of Russia should be
treated in a special way. Besides, I am glad that we can cooperate
with the Union of Armenians of Russia to achieve better results and
maintain Armenianhood. We know that the society and Diaspora have
big expectation from our work but we will need time to realize all
our plans.

"WE DON’T AGREE WITH COURT OF APPEAL"

Panorama.am
20:32 10/12/2008

"Bi-line" company has already applied to the European Court of Human
Rights by three claims, where all the three have been received and
registered, said Hayk Khandjyan the director of the company to the
reporters. According to him their right to be defended has been broken
by the court system of Armenia.

Remind that when "Wimpelcom" company applied to the Agency of
Intellectual Property to register "Beeline" brand they have been
rejected as the brand looked similar with another existing brand
"Be-line".

"Brand is an intellectual property and administrative body is not
authorized to deprive that brand, but in fact they did it. Opposite
to it the Constitution of Republic of Armenia defines that only court
is eligible to deprive intellectual property," said the director of
"Be-line" company.

PRIME MINISTER OF ARMENIA: WE HOPE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK WILL APPROVE YEREVAN-BATUMI HIGHWAY PROJECT IN EARLY 2009

ArmInfo
2008-12-10 13:29:00

ArmInfo. ‘We hope Asian Development Bank (ADB) will approve Yerevan-
Batumi highway project in early 2009>, Prime Minister of Armenia
Tigran Sargsyan said in response to ArmInfo question in Tbilisi
Tuesday after the 7th meeting of Armenian-Georgian Intergovernmental
Commission for Economic Cooperation.

It is of extreme importance that the two governments have positively
evaluated the idea, which will become a basis for development of ADB
project, the premier said. At the same time Tigran Sargsyan said the
construction of the highway will become the first large-scale project
of Armenia and Georgia. ‘Armenia welcomes any idea of integration
with Georgia.

I told my Georgian counterpart that it is necessary to implement big
joint projects, which we, unfortunately, lack at present’, Tigran
Sargsyan said.

Asian Development Bank is expected to approve a total of US$140
million credits to Armenia for 2009-2010.