Author: Topchian Jane

CZECH PRESIDENT SIGNED EUROPEAN UNION’S LISBON TREATY

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.11.2009 21:35 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Czech President Vaclav Klaus has signed the European
Union’s Lisbon Treaty, the final step in its ratification.

The treaty was drawn up to streamline decision-making in the EU,
and is a watered-down version of a draft EU constitution rejected
four years ago.

Among its measures, it creates a European Council president and alters
the way member states vote.

The treaty could now come into force as early as December.

The Lisbon Treaty’s supporters say it will allow the EU to operate
more efficiently and give it greater influence in world affairs.

Critics say it will cede too many national powers to Brussels.

Britain’s opposition Conservative Party, which has argued the treaty
should be put to a referendum, said it would announce its response
on Wednesday.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown welcomed the ratification, and
said it marked the end of years of debate.

"Today is a day when Europe looks forward," he said.

The Czech Republic was the last of the EU’s 27 member states to ratify
the treaty.

Mr Klaus signed it shortly after the Czech constitutional court
rejected a complaint against it, ruling that it was in line with the
Czech constitution.

A BBC correspondent says Mr Klaus accused the court of bias and said
the Czech Republic was no longer sovereign.

The Eurosceptic Czech leader had recently said he would no longer
attempt to block the treaty, after receiving the promise of an opt-out
from the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights.

Mr Klaus said the opt-out was needed to avoid property claims from
ethnic Germans expelled from Czechoslovakia after World War II.

The Lisbon Treaty replaced an earlier draft constitution that was
rejected in referendums in France and the Netherlands in 2005.

It would create the post of a new European Council president who
would serve a term of two-and-a-half years.

It also provides for a new foreign policy chief, combining the posts
of the existing foreign affairs representative and the external
affairs commissioner.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said earlier that he
hoped the EU could move "as quickly as possible" to make appointments
to the new posts, BBC News reported.

HOLIDAY MOVIE SNEAKS: THE ACTORS: A LOVE STORY SEEN THROUGH THE FILTER OF WAR
by Michael Ordona

Los Angeles Times
November 1, 2009 Sunday

Ben Foster is standing on a boulder in a field in Armenia.

That’s not some trendy new Zen practice and he’s not shooting a scene
(although he’s there working on "Here," his next film); he’s just
trying to manage some decent cell reception. Normally soft-spoken,
he gamely shouts into the wind about his turn as an Army casualty
notification officer in Oren Moverman’s "The Messenger."

"If you can remove the filter of war, it’s about feelings we all
have — falling in love with someone in a difficult situation; we’ve
all experienced loss; we will make the phone call to loved ones and
have to break the news. At some point in our lives, someone will do
that for us," he says. "So it felt like a humble question of: How do
we connect?"

In the film, which opens Nov. 13, Foster plays Staff Sgt. Will
Montgomery, recently returned from Iraq after catching some shrapnel
in the face and leg. The Army assigns Will to finish out his service
in the company of Capt. Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson), breaking
horrible news to the next of kin of freshly fallen soldiers. The
directionless Will finds it difficult to remain detached from the
bereaved, especially the widowed, enigmatic Olivia (Samantha Morton).

"We had the full support of the Army. We had the head of casualty
notifications, [Lt. Col.] Paul Sinor, with us every single day. We
spent time at Walter Reed hospital with the boys and girls who came
back . . . ," Foster measures the words, " . . . missing pieces. Some
come back with visible scars and some are internal."

He apologizes in advance for the cliche, then convincingly describes
making "The Messenger" as one of his best acting experiences so far,
especially because of his costars.

"It is its own kind of love affair, I suppose. He’s my brother,"
he says of working with Harrelson.

"All the notifications were done in one take. Oren would talk to
those we were going to notify and to us separately; we wouldn’t meet
until that moment. When you go through something and you’re taking
an emotional leap with someone else, you’re either going to connect
or not. It just so happens that he’s a remarkable human being. I’ve
never cried or laughed in someone’s arms so much as Woody Harrelson’s."

For Olivia, Foster says he and Moverman thought only of Morton for
the role.

"I’ve had a severe actor crush on her for years. So getting the
opportunity to play with her — she’s Samantha . . . Morton. A woman
who’s very easy to fall in love with."

In a key scene in Olivia’s kitchen, palpable awkwardness blossoms
into a beautiful example of actors communicating. The scene wasn’t
rehearsed.

"We did four takes, blocked it lightly, didn’t over-talk it. Oren
created an environment where we had to listen to each other and be
with each other. So, no, it’s not a traditional Hollywood approach."

Between "The Messenger" and "Here," Foster skipped off to Germany
for some cinematic culture shock on "Pandorum," the science-fiction
thriller released earlier this fall.

"It’s a throwback, ’70s, haunted-house thrill ride — on a spaceship.

I think audiences who like that will respond to it," says the star of
"3:10 to Yuma" and "X-Men: The Last Stand." "But I’m happy to be off
the spaceship and in Armenia. Standing on a boulder."

Despite the distance, the actor still carries close the experience
of making Moverman’s film.

"There wasn’t a day that went by on set when we didn’t feel exposed,"
he says. "Working with Sam, working with Woody, with the day players
who came in to be notified, I guess I still haven’t recovered from
that job. And I hope I don’t."

MEDIAN ARMENIAN WAGES RISE BY 7% IN Q3

ARKA
Oct 29, 2009

YEREVAN, October 29, /ARKA/. Despite the worst economic downturn
median Armenian wages rose by 7% in Q3, the Central Bank of Armenia
said in its monetary and credit policy for Q4 of 2009. It said median
wages grew both in public and private sectors.

The unemployment rate rose by 1% to 7.5%. Labor productivity fell
by 16% in Q3, which in combination with growing wages resulted in a
significant increase of expenses on a work force unit. As a result
inflation pressures at consumer market rose by 1.5 points.

According to Central Bank experts, developments in Armenian labor
market in Q4 continue to generate inflationary pressures at the
consumer market.

The Central Bank said also it expects median wages to decrease by
0.1% in Q4 and the unemployment to rise by 1.7 percent. The labor
productivity is forecasted to fall by 7%.

The Central Bank does not expect the median wages to grow in the
first three quarters of 2010, but the labor productivity is expected
to grow by about 2% and the unemployment by 1%.

According to the official figures of the National Statistical Service,
Armenia median nominal wages in January September rose by 12% to 98,400
Drams. The number of officially registered jobless people rose by 10.3%
to 83,100 people.

ARAM SARGSYAN "ALIEV IS CONFUSED"

Aysor
Oct 28 2009
Armenia

The President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliev by his statements shows that
he is confused by the process of the regulation of the Armenian –
Turkish relations, said the head of the Armenian Democratic Party
Aram Sargsyan today on the press conference. By the request of the
reporter of Aysor.am he commented on the statement of the Azerbaijani
President saying that Armenia is delaying the Artsakh conflict
negotiation processes.

"Aliev is confused, as his theory and ideology by which he conducted
the last few years are broken now", – mentioned the speaker.

According to the politician, it doesn’t matter how long the Azerbaijani
and the Turkish people will announce that they are one nation and
one state, it will never be like that.

"Ankara has its own policy. And in this case the concerns of Aliev
are clear", – said the head of the Democratic Party and mentioned
that Baku will have to change its policy one day.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

MEETING BETWEEN HIS HOLINESS ARAM I
AND SHEIKH AHMAD BADREDDINE HASSOUN, THE GRAND MUFTI OF SYRIA

On Tuesday 20 October 2009, His Holiness Aram I and his delegation held a
formal meeting with the Grand Mufti of the Republic at the Ministry of
Religious Affairs. They discussed concerns arising from His Holiness’
conversation with H.E. Dr. Bashar al-Assad, President of the Republic. These
concerns included: The presence of Armenians in Syria, globalization and the
urgency for dialogue between Christians and Muslims, different cultures and
people. They also discussed the role of His Holiness Aram I and the
Catholicosate of Cilicia in interfaith dialogue regionally and globally. At
the end of the visit the two leaders exchanged gifts.

##
View the photos here:
tos/Photos409.htm
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

Aysor, Armenia
Oct 24 2009

Launched the second stage of the `Pomegranate Seeds’ festival

Today the stage 2 of `Pomegranate seed’ children’s republican 9th
theatre festival launches in Yerevan and will last till November 1.

This year the festival is dedicated to Hovhannes Tumanyan’s 140th
anniversary. Today at 12 o’clock it will be launched in H. Tumanyan’s
museum then it will continue in the `Metro’ theatre.

Next day performances will be presented by `Bridge of Hope’ theatrical
group, `Humorik’ theatre-studio, `Little Mask’ theatrical group of
18th special school of Yerevan, the theatrical group of the school 1
in Ayntap of RA Ararat region and other schools and theatrical groups.

There are theatrical groups involved in the festival from Armenia,
Diaspora, the NKR, Javakhq, 25 theatrical groups all in all of which
12 will appear for the first time, informs the information and public
relations department of the RA culture.

news.am, Armenia
Oct 24 2009

Another Azeri hoax

16:40 / 10/24/2009

Armenian side holds the cease-fire, NKR Defense Ministry Spokesman
Senor Asratyan told NEWS.am commenting on the information spread
Oct. 10 by Azeri-media, that an Azeri soldier was killed.

`The information about an Azeri soldier being sniper-shot does not
correspond to reality. The Karabakhi side has not violated the
cease-fire,’ he stated calling the information another Azeri `hoax’.

Today, all Azeri news agencies say that cease-fire was violated by
Armenian side in the Aghdam frontline. However, the source added the
Azeri Defense Ministry did not confirm the information.

ARMENIA’S COMMISSION VERIFIES INFORMATION ABOUT STAY OF A MISSING MAN IN THE TERRITORY OF AZERBAIJAN

ArmInfo
2009-10-23 10:21:00

ArmInfo. Armenia’s State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and
Missing Persons is verifying the information about stay of missing
man in the territory of Azerbaijan.

As Head of the Working Group of the State Commission Armen Kaprielyan
told ArmInfo, a resident of Haghartsin village of Armenia’s Tavush
region Artur Badalyan has been missing since May, 2009. ‘Information
about his stay in Azerbaijan has not been confirmed yet, however, we
have all the grounds to think that he is captive in Azerbaijan. We are
currently verifying this unconfirmed information’, A. Kaperielyan said.

He recalled that six servicemen have been taken captive by Azerbaijani
party since early 2009.

PAINTER ARSHAK SARGSYAN TO HOLD EXHIBITION IN LONDON

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
22.10.2009 21:24 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On November 5-28, Albemarle National Art Gallery of
London will host the exhibition of two young artists, Luigi Benedicenti
(Italy) and Arshak Sargsyan (Armenia).

In this connection, UK Ambassador to Armenia Charles Londsale organized
reception in honor of Arshak Sargsyan.

Wishing success to the young artist, Ambassador particularly said,
"It’s incredibly hard for artists to get shown in the UK, so it’s a
real tribute to Arshak’s achievements and talent that he has secured
this show at a very serious gallery in London. We wish Arshak enormous
personal success with this show, but I hope it can also pave the way
for other Armenian artists to become better known in the UK and to
arouse interest in Armenia more generally."

In an interview with a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, British diplomat
attached much significance to cultural events, such us British rock
musicians’ concert and RA Ambassador’s exhibition in Britain.

Arshak Sargsyan said in turn, "I am sure exhibition will be held in a
good atmosphere. I often visited London, so the idea matured long ago.

This is my first exhibition in London. I want to listen to new opinions
and get to know people who are professionals in the sphere."

Arshak Sargsyan has been awarded Gold Medal for his achievements in
the sphere.

Since 1999, his works have been exhibited throughout the world. Most
recently he completed a residency at New York’s Art Omi International.

WE WILL SUPPORT AZERBAIJAN’S INTERESTS AS TURKEY’S: TURKISH PM

Trend News Agency
Oct 20 2009
Azerbaijan

"We will maintain Azerbaijan’s interests as Turkey’s," Turkish Prime
Minister Receb Tayyib Erdigan said at a meeting of the ruling Justice
and Development Party (AKP), the CNN Turk reported.

Turkish and Armenian Foreign Ministers, Ahmet Davutoglu and Edward
Nalbandian signed the Ankara-Yerevan protocol in Zurich on Oct. 10.

Armenian-Turkish ties have been severed since 1993 due to Armenia’s
claims of an alleged genocide, and the country’s occupation of 20
percent of Azerbaijani lands.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Turkey will support Azerbaijan’s interests as its own, Erdogan added.

Erdogan also said that he is loyal to his statements made at the
Azerbaijani parliament.

Turkey will never take steps contradicting Azerbaijan’s interests,
Erdogan said.

Some forces want to damage the Turkey-Azerbaijan relations and they
are within Turkey, Erdogan said.

"I want to tell the Azerbaijani people that your joy is Turkey’s joy
and your grief is Turkey’s grief," Erdogan added.

Erdogan asked not to believe those who want to damage the
Turkey-Azerbaijan relations.

Erdogan also mentioned that he had a very sincere meeting with the
Azerbaijani MPs.