PREVIEW: BATTLE OVER HISTORY
CBC News
Feb 26 2010
The Armenians call it their holocaust – the 1915 forced deportation
and massacre of more than a million Armenians by the Turks. But the
Turks and our own government have refused to call it genocide.
RA OMBUDSMAN: THE GOVERNMENT MUST NOT BURDEN PEOPLE WITH ITS OWN PROBLEMS
PanARMENIAN.Net
25.02.2010 17:26 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today, during a news conference, RA Ombudsmen Armen
Harutyunyan touched upon the most urgent issues in today’s society,
specifically noting the increase of gas prices in Armenia. On February
24, RA Ombudsman, accompanied by representatives of NGOs, met with
Chairman of RA Public Services Regulatory Commission Robert Nazaryan
to discuss the increase of gas prices. "Unfortunately, the dialogue
between Nazaryan and NGOs was not successful," said Armen Harutyunyan,
adding that his office does not intend to intervene in that area.
According to him, the experts split into pro and con groups, believing
price increase either justified or not. "Once again we are facing the
monopoly problem. Lack of civilized market relations gives advantages
to the owners of larger business, destroying small and medium ones.
With principles of social justice violated, people stop caring about
calculations, which do nothing but increase the social burden,"
the Armenian Ombudsman added.
Whether the increase of gas prices is justified is of minor importance,
as the population has no opportunity to be involved in proper business
and earn enough money.
Mr. Harutyunyan urged RA government to form a social package for the
population, as even the medium business in Armenia is threatened.
"Until recently, we received no complaints from medium business
representatives. We do now," he stressed.
According to the RA Ombudsman, the government must not burden people
with its own problems; trying instead to ease the burden as much as
it can.
ARMENIAN PRESIDENT, TURKISH FM MEET IN KIEV
news.am
Feb 25 2010
Armenia
RA President Serzh Sargsyan, who attended the presidential inauguration
in Ukraine, held a meeting in Kiev on Feb.
25 with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.
The sides discussed the Armenian-Turkish normalization process.
NEWS.am reminds the readers that at his meeting with U.S. Assistant
Secretary of State Philip Gordon the Armenian leader presented
official Yerevan’s approaches, underlying Armenia’s readiness to
establish relations with Turkey without any preconditions. The U.S.
Assistant Secretary of State reaffirmed the United States’ willingness
to assist the Armenian-Turkish reconciliation.
DAVUTOGLU, CALMY-REY DISCUSSED PROTOCOLS
news.az
Feb 25 2010
Azerbaijan
Turkish FM held meetings in Kiev.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu met with United States
National Security Adviser James Jones and Swiss Chief of Federal
Department of Foreign Affairs Micheline Calmy-Rey in Kiev on Thursday.
Davutoglu and Jones discussed Turkish-US relations, Iran’s nuclear
program and the developments taking place in the Caucasus.
Minister Davutoglu and Calmy-Rey talked about Turkey’s upcoming term
presidency in the Council of Europe and the issues on the agenda of
the Council. Furthermore, Davutoglu and Calmy-Rey discussed the recent
developments between Turkey and Armenia visa vis the protocols signed
last year.
Davutoglu and Calmy-Rey also discussed a ban on minarets in
Switzerland. Minister Davutoglu conveyed Turkey’s sensitivity on the
minaret issue in Switzerland.
Minister Davutoglu is expected to return to Turkey later on Thursday.
CATHOLICOS ARAM I TO VISIT STATE
The Hindu
022351500300.htm
Feb 23 2010
India
KOTTAYAM: Aram I, Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia of the Armenian
Apostolic Church, will pay a visit to the State from Wednesday.
He will call on Baselius Marthoma Didymos I, Catholicos of the
Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, on Wednesday evening.
On Thursday, he will participate in the ecumenical dialogue organised
at the Orthodox Theological Seminary here, in association with the
Kerala Council of Churches. Catholicos Aram I will be accorded a
reception at the Archbishop’s House at Changanassery on Thursday
evening.
On Friday, he will address the synod of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian
Church at Devalokam before visiting the Puthuppally St. George’s
Church.
The Catholicos will address the gathering at the death anniversary
meet of Vattasseril Mar Dionysius Metropolitan on Saturday morning.
Order of St. Thomas
The Catholicos will be awarded the highest medal instituted by the
Orthodox church, ‘Order of St. Thomas’ by Catholicos Marthoma Didymos
I on Saturday evening at a public function Kolencherry.
Catholicos Aram I and his entourage will leave the State on March 1.
ARMENIAN MAGAZINE FOR KIDS LAUNCHED IN CALIFORNIA
2010 /02/24 | 13:22
Diaspora
"Gakavig" is a new children’s magazine that aims to fill the gap
between American-born Armenians and their heritage. The brainchild
of Juliette Davtian, the magazine is written in Armenian’s western
and eastern dialects and is said to be the first of its kind.
"What prompted me to start this was that something like this
does not exist in the Armenian community," Davtian said. "It’s a
much-needed venture." Stories, riddles, poems and songs complement
the publication. The first issue is a promotional issue, at 12 pages.
Subsequent issues are expected to publish at 16 pages.
"The activities are done in a way that will allow [kids] to use their
abilities. They use their logic," Davtian said in a conversation with
the Burbank Leader.
"This would serve not only as an activity tool for them, but also
for those kids who don’t have the chance to go to an Armenian school,
what happens is that they will get a chance to become familiar with
the language," Davtian said.
THEY ARE AFRAID OF ARMRUSGASARD
lrahos16941.html
14:15:13 – 24/02/2010
The Armenian former prime minister, member of the Armenian National
Congress Hrant Bagratyan says the government, the head of ArmRusGasArd
and the head of the Public Services Regulatory commission give
senseless explanations in relation to the gas price enhancement. Hrant
Bagratyan noted that five years ago gas was imported at 110 dollar and
now it costs 180 which in terms of dram is the same. But the company
sells it at a doubly higher price. Bagratyan says that ArmRusGasArd
is to explain its expenditures.
Bagratyan dwelt on the fact that the government allocated to the
company 40 million from the Russian loan and wonders how it happens
that the country gives a loan from the loan taken from another country.
According to Bagratyan, they try to mislead people when saying
that Russia increased the price by 17 percent. Russia, in reality,
increased the price by 7 percent.
Bagratyan says that the government does not dare to talk to the
ArmRusGasArd leadership. Besides all, there is a question on the
quality of the gas and the state has the right to set a standard.
According to him, the state is afraid of transparency as everything
will be revealed.
Hrant Bagratyan noted that as a result of the outrageous policy of
the Central Bank, ArmRusGasArd registered an income of 200 percent.
Hrant Bagratyan again raised the question on two cement factories
saying that it is impermissible to give gas free of charge to those
factories instead of subsidizing the population.
AZERI MEDIA MIXED UP BUNDESTAG MEMBERS
PanARMENIAN.Net
23.02.2010 17:17 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Eduard Lintner is not a member of the Bundestag.
Moreover he has never been the chairman of the PACE Monitoring
Committee, Bundestag press center told PanARMENIAN.Net.
"Mr. Lintner is a former deputy and all what he says is his personal
capacity," the source said.
Last week, Azeri media circulated information that "former chairman
of the PACE Monitoring Committee Eduard Lintner condemned the Khojalu
genocide and recognized territorial integrity of Azerbaijan."
THE STATE SHOULD PLACE INCOME TAX REVENUES WHERE IT CAN REACH THEM LATER
ArmInfo
2010-02-24 18:36:00
Interview of Vardan Bostanjyan, Chairman of the Armenian Parliamentary
Commission for Economic Affairs, MP from Prosperous Armenia Party,
with ArmInfo news agency
Mr. Bostanjyan, the bill On Income Tax submitted by the government
proposes uniting the income tax and compulsory social payments. The
government proposes 26% income tax, except a number of cases. What
state is the bill currently in and how much grounded are the tax rates?
The governmental bill, which is currently in circulation in parliament,
provides for increasing the income tax to create an Accumulative
Pension Fund. Every employee in Armenia will have to pay 5% of his/her
total income tax to the Fund. The governmental amendments suggest also
extending the list of taxes that now comprises 6. The bill suggests
dividing taxes into state and local ones. The first group will contain
the first 4 taxes and the second group will comprise land and property
taxes as the compulsory ones. The list of non-mandatory taxes will
be added to them. The local self-government will charge and register
local taxes. The non-mandatory taxes will be imposed by the local
self-government in each community alongside with the interest rate
within the upper and lower threshold to be determined by separate
laws. We are still studying it and the bill has not been put on the
agenda of parliament yet. The government has not provided us with
the necessary documents and we have no idea whether the income tax
will grow by 20%, 30% or 40%.
How much do this bill of the government and the bill on introduction
of Motor Third-Party Liability go with worsening of the social state
of Armenian population as a result of the crisis?
You are raising a very acute and important issue. Actually, one
thing is clear anyway. We have been stating for a long time that
Armenia’s population is polarized in terms of incomes, while the
overwhelming majority of our working population does not get the
required remuneration of labor to live worthily. Reduction of these
small earnings as a result of the global crisis, which affected
Armenia as well, has increased the tension even more. However, I
also understand that it is impossible to go on this way, since our
legislation gives no answers to a number of questions, particularly,
in the context of the governmental bill on introduction of Motor
Third-Party Liability in Armenia. Certainly, we understand that auto
insurance is traditionally applied in the whole world for security,
but at the same time we understand that that the amounts required
for annual contribution for these purposes may negatively affect the
under-privileged people, for the essential part of which an old car
is the only means of living. Actually, all these new funds that our
government intends to create should activate the financial market
of Armenia so much to create compensating mechanisms to increase the
population revenues; otherwise, it is even difficult to suppose what
may happen.
May the governments only try to receive funds from the population to
cover its constantly growing foreign debt? It is not clear yet where
and how these funds will be placed, is it?
We cannot yet forecast in what sectors the revenues from the new
accumulative pension funds will be placed. The financial market is not
stable in Armenia and government bonds are considered more guaranteed.
However, the bill submitted to us has no distinct emphases that the
funds received from the citizens will be placed through short-term or
long-term government bonds. That is to say, first of all, we should
fight for investing these funds in the sectors where risks have been
minimized and the growth of these funds will be ensured. Otherwise,
managed by private subjects, these funds may occur in risky zones
and just no longer exist, to put it mildly. You can guess yourself
what will happen in that case.
In February Central Bank of Armenia set up a new mortgage company
to implement the state programme on providing young families with
affordable housing. How much do the excessive terms of provision of
loans meet the goal of the state programme?
I will say directly that such a mortgage contains a number of
stimulating elements. However, for a small population stratum this
mortgage may have a positive effect. That is, the mortgage will allow a
young family with no house to gain some success via certain privations
and torments, and acquire a house. At the same time, the question about
how much the mortgage crediting conditions in Armenia really stimulate
development of families and the birth rate still remains without a
reply. Artificial stimulation of the mortgage market in Armenia may
have not a positive, but negative impact on Armenia’s economy.
WB and IMF experts forecast 2% economic growth in Armenia in 2010.
What do you think of their forecasts?
I think their predictions are quite realistic. If these experts
predicted bigger growth of the economical indices, I could cast doubt
upon them. These predictions are especially realistic, as in January
2010 we registered 2,5% GDP growth in the conditions when its nominal
indices had not reached a high level, and in the conditions when the
GDP fell almost by 15% in the republic in 2009. All this is evidence
of the fact that in Armenia as well as in the whole world the crisis
is gradually stepping back along with all its negative consequences.
In general, this gives us an opportunity to ensure 1,5-2% economic
growth in Armenia in 2010.
What field may become the locomotive of this growth in Armenia? Is
it again the constructions sector, taking into account the project
on construction of the new complex in Noragyugh?
I think the authorities of Armenia are again going to ensure
economical growth in the republic at the expense of the construction
sector. Simply, I have not noticed yet the tendencies which would allow
to suppose serious investments in the sphere of industry or any other
production. And the joint Armenian-Russian project on construction
of the new complex of residential buildings in Noragyugh is only a
part of these tendencies.
Late in 2009 Director of the WB Yerevan Office Aristomene Varoudakis
said that the economy of Armenia needs diversification, which is
impossible without liquidation of oligopolies. What does this loud
statement testify to?
I do not think this statement was too loud, since it was of axiomatic
nature. Monopolies hinder free competition worldwide and everyone knows
that healthy economic growth is possible only in the conditions of free
competition. Therefore, Varoudakis and other European economists have
not discovered anything new. This is known to everyone and to us. At
the same time, the given statement had a political subtext hinting
at the Armenian authorities that they should behave more modestly,
leave development of monopolies for better times, and ensure healthy
competition to overcome the crisis.
Interviewed by David Stepanyan
RUSSIAN ARMED FORCES CARRY OUT THEIR MISSION WITH HONOR IN TERRITORY OF ARMENIA, AMBASSADOR OF RF TO RA SAYS
Noyan Tapan
Feb 23, 2010
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, NOYAN TAPAN. "The Russian military units being
in the territory of Armenia carry out with honor their mission with
which they have arrived in the Republic of Armenia," Ambassador of
RF to RA Vyacheslav Kovalenko declared on February 23, after laying
flowers to the Eternal Fire at the Victory Park on the occasion of
the Day of Homeland’s Defender. In his interview to journalists he
congratulated all servicemen saying that February 23 is a holiday
which has been marked very emotionally, with responsibility and respect
for army for more than 80 years. "I am grateful to the whole Armenian
people for their attitude to the Russian army," V. Kovalenko said.
RA Defence Minister Seyran Ohanian said that February 23 is a popular
and military holiday first of all for RF. "I want to congratulate
the whole staff of the RF armed forces," the Minister said and added
that with joint efforts of Russian and Armenian servicemen a security
atmosphere has been formed today in the South Caucasus. In response
to the question "you personally have served in the Soviet army, do
you consider this day or January 28 your holiday?" S. Ohanian said
that under the USSR February 23 was considered the day of all men
and today January 28 is the most beautiful and honorary day for the
RA Armed Forces.