Author: Torosian Aram

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN RECEIVES JACQUES DIOUF

Panorama.am
19:01 13/05/2010

Economy

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan received today Secretary General
of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization Jacques Diouf who is
in Armenia to participate in the 27th regional conference of FAO,
President’s press office reported.

Welcoming the conduction of the conference in Armenia, President
Sargsyan highly evaluated the efforts of the organization directed
toward bringing the undernourishment rate in the world to the
minimum and its overcoming. The leader of the country highlighted the
contribution of the organization to the increase of the livelihood
level in rural areas, ensuring of food security, production of
agricultural goods and in general in the development of agriculture.

Noting that in one of its reports the organization highly assessed
Armenia’s efforts toward the development of agriculture, Serzh
Sargsyan said that "In these certain achievements we see the role of
your organization, these are the results of bilateral cooperation."

On behalf of the organization and its member states, Jacques Diouf
thanked for hosting and organizing the meetings on high level. "We
are glad from the level of bilateral cooperation," FAO Secretary
General said, considering the best testimony of it the volume of the
implemented joint programs and provided resources. He also greeted
Armenia’s progress registered toward overcoming the poverty.

Jacques Diouf assured that the organization is ready to continue
assisting the development of Armenia’s agriculture. President Serzh
Sargsyan highlighted the cooperation not only in respect of financial
assistance but also in respect of experience, working culture which
the organization brings to Armenia.

YEREVAN TO HOST PRESENTATION OF POLARIS GUIDE ON ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 12, 2010 – 15:06 AMT 10:06 GMT

10-day events aimed to facilitate tourism in the country, provide
networking opportunities and exchange experience in tourism industry
will kick off in Armenia on May 13, the press service of the National
Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia reported.

The 4th Armenian Tourism Competitiveness Conference,
CTS2010International Annual Tourism Fair, as well as presentation of
Italian Polaris guide on Armenia will be organized in the framework of
the initiative. Besides, the events will include thematic seminars and
courses for local and regional tour operators, as well as discussions
with participation of Armenian parliament members and representatives
of relevant ministries.

The events will bring together representatives of tourism industry,
educational establishments, hotels and restaurants, as well as experts
and journalists from Armenia, Georgia, Turkey and other countries. The
events are organized by the National Competitiveness Foundation of
Armenia, the USAID-funded Competitive Armenian Private Sector (CAPS)
Project in partnership with the RA Ministry of Economy.

ARMENIAN CENTRAL BANK EXPECTS MEDIAN WAGE TO GROW BY 7%

ARKA
May 12, 2010
YEREVAN

Armenian Central Bank said it expects the national median nominal
wage to increase this year by 7%. The bank said in its Money and
Credit Policy Program for the second quarter of 2010 that it expects
the median nominal wage to grow also a little in the first quarter
of 2011, to be backed by increasing wages both in public and private
sectors on the back of recovering economy.

The Central Bank has also forecast a 1.7% unemployment rise for 2010
to 7.3%, by 0.4% higher than in 2009. But in the first quarter of
2011 the unemployment rate is expected to fall to 7%.

The Central Bank said also developments in labor market will result in
inflationary pressure on consumer market (about 0.4%) because expenses
on a unit of labor force will rise by 2%. Simultaneously inflationary
pressure on the labor market will lower. In the first quarter of
2011 inflationary pressure on labor market will rise by 0.7% since
the average wage will be growing faster than the labor productivity.

NALBANDYAN: TURKEY BLOCKED RATIFICATION OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS

ARKA
May 12, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, May 12. /ARKA/. Turkey blocked ratification process of
Armenian-Turkish protocols in its Parliament, said Edward Nalbandyan,
Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs in his speech during the 120th
session of Committee of Ministers in Strasbourg.

Process of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations started in
autumn 2008 by the initiative of Serzh Sargsyan, President of Armenia.

Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Turkey Edward Nalbandyan
and Ahmed Davutoghlu signed "Protocol on establishment of diplomatic
relations" and "Protocol on development of mutual relations" on
October 10, Saturday, in Zurich. Then these documents should be
approved by the parliaments of both countries. But on April 22, 2010
Sargsyan signed a decree on the termination of ratification process
of Armenian-Turkish protocols saying that Turkey is not ready to
continue the started process.

After signing the protocols Turkey went back to pre-conditions
which it used before signing the protocols and in fact blocked their
ratification in the Turkish parliament. This is the reason why the
President of Armenia decided to terminate ratification process till
Ankara will be ready to continue the process without pre-conditions
and this step was positively accepted by the world.

He reminded that normalization process started by the initiative of
the Armenian President.

"Despite many difficulties we started the process by the support of
Switzerland and signed the protocols without any pre-conditions.

Intermediary countries and worldwide society share our position",
said Nalbandyan.

SAMVEL BABAYAN DID NOT SAY

Lragir.am
11/05/10

On May 11, reporters asked Ashot Manucharyan his opinion about the
statements of Samvel Babayan made weeks ago, as if the Karabakh
victory has been exhausted during the last 14 years. In answer to
reporters’ request to give names of those who exhausted it, Samvel
Babayan mentioned only Andranik Kocharyan and Ashot Manucharyan.

Ashot Manucharyan said that Samvel Babayan’s statement was a surprise
for him. "I met him a couple of months ago, and there was no word
about exhausting the victory", says Manucharyan.

As to the opinion that the victory has been exhausted, according to
Manucharyan, it is true. According to him, the depletion happened in
the form of selection of the philosophical life of the country. The
philosophical selection is to be blamed for the depletion, says
Ashot Manucharyan.

Dwelling on the issue of liberated areas, Ashot Manucharyan says that
the Armenian power did not have to dwell on them as a security belt.

"Only Karabakh could say such a thing. It could say that those are
territories, which Karabakh got as a result of a racist war. All
what is happening, solves only one question: separate people, who
say that they are the one to solve issues, solve their problems and
earn money, while Armenian and Azerbaijani youths may war and die",
says Ashot Manucharyan.

He brings the example of Chinese people, according to whom, good
commander is not the one which kills all the enemy, but the one, who,
thanks to their tactics, without fight, makes the enemy cede. Ashot
Manucharyan says that after war, Armenia had the chance to establish
peace in Caucasus but it did not use it.

SERYRAN OHANYAN OFF TO BERLIN FOR ISAF DEFENSE MINISTERS’ MEETING

armradio.am
11.05.2010 11:22

The delegation headed by the Defense Minister of Armenia, Seyran
Ohnyan left for Berlin on May to participate in the meeting of the
Defense Ministers of the countries contributing to the International
Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

Defense Ministers and Chiefs of the General Staff of ISAF participating
countries will discuss the situation in Afghanistan, Press Service
of the Ministry of Defense reported.

SERDYUKOV, ABIYEV DISCUSS KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

armradio.am
11.05.2010 12:16

Within the framework of the working visit to Azerbaijan, the Defense
Minister of the Russian Federation, Anatoly Serdyukov, met with
Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar Abiyev.

The perspectives of development of military-technical cooperation
between Russia and Azerbaijan and the military-political situation
in the region were discussed. Reference was made to the Karabakh
conflict settlement, APA reported.

Abiyev said "the OSCE Minsk Group activity didn’t give any results
in the process of solution to Nagorno Karabakh conflict, therefore
the efforts should be increased." He noted that all efforts had to
be directed to peaceful settlement of the conflict. "Otherwise, the
situation may become undesirable for the region," the Azerbaijani
Defense minister stated.

news.am, Armenia
May 8 2010

3,617 disabled war veterans in Armenia

10:58 / 05/08/2010The RA Statistical Service has finally reported the
exact number of pensioners in Armenia.

A total of 9,176 retired servicemen were registered in Armenia, with
4,248 of them being women (46.3%). 3,617 of them are disabled war
veterans and persons with equal status, 113 (3.1%) of them being
women.

The average monthly pension of war veterans and persons with equal
status is 29,370 AMD (about U.S. $80).

A total of 4,377 families receive pensions for their relatives killed
in the army or during hostilities, the average monthly pension is
11,611 AMD.

T.P.

Karekin II: we hope world will recognize Artsakh people’s right to
live freely

May 8, 2010 – 14:09 AMT 09:09 GMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians congratulated the Armenian nation on Victory Day.

`Armenian soldiers fought bravely and defended their homeland
during
the Great Patriotic War. Another example of our patriotism is the
liberation war in Arstakh. The liberation of Shushi and it’s
current
reconstruction inspire us with hope that the world will recognize
Artsakh people’s right to live freely. We are praying for universal
peace and glory,’ His Holiness Karekin II said.

ARMENIAN STUDENTS DEMAND TO RESTORE CUT MA AND PHD COURSE SEATS

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 6, 2010 – 13:04 AMT 08:04 GMT

Around 200 students organized a march towards the Armenian government
building to protest cut of MA and PhD course seats.

As one of the demonstrators, student of the department of physics at
Yerevan State University, Daniel Ioannisyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter, they will submit a letter to the government. He also said
that Police threatened to use force in case the students "make too
much noise." "Should police interfere, their actions will be illegal,
as the students are moving up the sidewalk and do not hinder the
traffic," he said.

Ioannisyan also emphasized that RA Education and Science Minister Armen
Ashotyan offered a meeting, but the students decided to postpone it
unless a response is received from the government.

"I can elaborate on further steps but the action might turn long-term,"
he said.