Author: Vasilian Manouk

SAVE YOUR NECK!

news.am
Feb 22 2010
Armenia

Last year saw a collapse of the economic policy implemented in Armenia
and actually approved of by influential international banks, including
the World Bank (WB). All the economic sectors registered decrease –
from 0.1% in the agricultural sector up to 36.4% in the construction
sector. As a result, the gross domestic product (GDP), a barometer
of economic situation, showed a decrease of as much as 14.4%.

The decrease in tax revenues caused external financing, namely,
credits of international banks, to be attracted for the budget gap to
be filled. With the previously borrowed funds considered, Armenia’s
external debt reached an unprecedented level. As of September 30,
2009, it exceeded U.S. $2.7bn – an increase of U.S. $1,1190m or 77.7%
as compared with the corresponding date the previous year. Armenia’s
second largest debt after the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
(U.S. $823m) is that to the WB (U.S. $545).

WB Regional Director for the South Caucasus Asad Alam, who recently
visited Armenia, stated that the WB is elaborating a new assistance
strategy for Armenia. According to him, Armenia ranks among the
countries that have shown the best program performance indices over the
past 10-15 years. The WB renders assistance to Armenia in resolving
public health, education, road construction, irrigation channels
renovation and social security problems. Armenia is to receive a
total of U.S. $550m from 2009 to 2012, with U.S. $100m intended for
the country’s state budget, and U.S. $450m for government investment
programs.

Lack of irrigation water is one of the grave problems of Armenia’s
agricultural sector. Both objective and subjective reasons account for
this. At one time, to resolve the problem, the authorities launched
a utopian program of using the water reserves of Lake Sevan for
irrigating the fields in the Ararat valley. At present, more efficient
methods are applied – well water is used for irrigation as well.

Dozens of millions of U.S. dollars have been spent on numerous
irrigation programs in Armenian rural areas over the years.

In 2009, however, crop production showed a 0.7% decrease instead of
an expected increase. It would be absurd to account for this by the
global crisis. Armenia is not going to "suffer from an overproduction
crisis" due to an extremely low total output per farm.

Rather, the reason is the Government’s poorly developed sector
management policy, and other factors, including the lack of water. Or
its price, which is quite high for Armenian farmers, who are not at
all doing well! In this context, the claims that Armenia is among
the countries that have shown the best program performance indices
over the past 10-15 years sound as though diplomatic compliments.

All this would seem harmless but for the huge debts that have to be
repaid soon.

TIGRAN SARGSYAN RECEIVES DELEGATION HEADED BY ASAD ALAM

Noyan Tapan
Feb 22, 2010

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenian Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan on February 19 received the World Bank’s delegation headed
by WB Regional Director for the South Caucasus Asad Alam. According
to the press service of the government, a number of issues related
to cooperation between the Armenian government and the World Bank,
particularly the implementation of the North-South program and the
World Bank’s possible participation in it, were discussed. Special
importance was attached to rehabilitation of the rural road to Tatev
Monastery. The sides also discussed the problems of efficient use
of energy and the development of agricultural sector. The project
of raising seismic resistance of buildings in Armenia with the
assistance of the World Bank was considered as long-term. The
interlocutors exchanged ideas about the model of Armenia’s future
economic development.

AZERBAIJAN TO INVESTIGATE INFORMATION IN ARMENIAN MASS MEDIA

news.az
Feb 23 2010
Azerbaijan

Elkhan Polukhov Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry to investigate information
in Armenian mass media.

"The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry will clarify the information in the
Armenian mass media", said spokesman for Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry
Elkhan Polukhov, commenting on the information in Armenian mass media
about participation of the separatist "NKR" in the international
exhibition in Milan.

According to the Armenian mass media, the self-declared "NKR" took
part in a separate pavilion in the international tourism exhibition
BIT held in Milan on February 18-21.

"The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry will instructed our embassy in Italy
to check the reliability of this information. Depending on the results,
the Azerbaijani side will take due measures", Polukhov said.

"The event has already been held, but if the unrecognized Nagorno
Karabakh has been represented there, the event organizers will be
informed about Azerbaijan’s position", he said.

U.S. WILL DO NOTHING FOR RESOLUTION OF FROZEN CONFLICTS IN POST-SOVIET TERRITORY: JOHN BOLTON

news.am
Feb 23 2010
Armenia

U.S. will do nothing for resolution of frozen conflicts in post-soviet
territory and will seek no dispute settlement for sovereign states,
that are still under Russia’s influence, said former U.S. Ambassador
to the UN John R. Bolton speaking at the American University for
entrepreneurship.

According to him, Obama’s policy toward Russia proves his words: "I
know it sounds weird, but I believe this is how things will develop."

Bolton was also optimistic about the process of diplomatic relations’
establishment between Armenia and Turkey. "It is a positive trend,
but I wound not exaggerate its consequences. This is a positive move
that Turkey establishes ties with a country after these many years. And
definitely this is symbolic," Bolton stated.

In his opinion, resumption of US-Russia relations affects also other
post-soviet countries, including Georgia and Azerbaijan. "Obama
administration steps are directed to becalming of Russia, but so far
no avail – mutual relations are still complex," the official declared.

CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS OF NKR PRESIDENT BAKO SAHAKYAN IN CONNECTION WITH THE MOTHERLAND DEFENDER’S DAY

armradio.am
23.02.2010 12:00

"Dear compatriots,

I cordially congratulate the personnel of the NKR Defense Army,
veterans of the Great Patriotic and Artsakh Liberation wars as well
as our whole people on the Motherland Defender’s Day.

This day is a holiday for the Artsakh people as it was our generation
to defend in arms our native land and open a new chapter in the heroic
history of our people. The glorious victory of Shoushi, which was
won by blood of our sisters and brothers, has been added to those of
Avarair, Sardarapat and the Great Patriotic. Eternal glory and honor
to them.

The younger generation now continues with honor the immortal work
of their fathers and grandfathers. They have mastered lessons
of patriotism and courage and today keep firm the borders of the
Fatherland. Due to high fighting spirit and preparedness the NKR
armed forces are considered the main guarantee of our independence
and security as well as play an important role in maintaining peace
and stability in the region. Artsakh is strong and invincible by its
heroic people and efficient army.

Dear friends,

I congratulate all of you once again and wish you robust health,
happiness and all the best. May our people always live in peaceful,
strong and prosperous Fatherland."

EXHIBITS: SHOW EXPLORES GORKY’S ABSTRACT ART
By Martin Gayford

Reading Eagle
92
Feb 22 2010

LONDON – Arshile Gorky (1904-1948) had a tragic life and a poignantly
short career as a mature artist. It seems hardhearted, therefore, to
say that the new retrospective of his work at Tate Modern is too big,
all the more since Gorky was, at his best, a great painter.

On the evidence of this London show, his work is a case in which fewer
exhibits would have meant more impact. Almost half the exhibition is
over before we reach his breakthrough into originality in the early
1940s. Several rooms are filled with his emulations of Paul Cezanne,
Pablo Picasso, Jean Miro and others. While everyone has influences,
this makes a discouraging beginning.

After these long struggles to find himself as a painter came a period
in which, along with Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning, Gorky was
at the forefront of the most exciting movement in art. He invented
a novel type of abstraction, or near-abstraction: loose and free,
yet filled with floating objects, sexual, organic and mysterious. The
effect is of a psychological magic garden, with hints of the Anatolian
countryside of his childhood.

One of the most glorious is the Tate’s own "Waterfall" (1943),
sparked off by a period in the countryside of Connecticut after
decades in New York. Looking at it, you accept it as a landscape,
though Gorky has actually described almost no actual object in paint,
let alone a waterfall.

Like a character in Greek mythology, from which he took his adopted
first name "Arshile," the Russian form of "Achilles," he seemed
pursued by the fates. Afflicted with cancer, he lost the work of an
entire year in a studio fire, and was later injured in a car accident.

Gorky feared he might be unable to paint again, and on July 21, 1948,
he hanged himself.

The critic Clement Greenberg remarked that Gorky had his greatest
pictures to come.

He was Born Vosdanig Adoian at some point between 1902 and 1905,
in the Armenian area of what was then Ottoman Turkey.

In 1915, he and his family fled the massacres then taking place in
Turkey. he later took the name "Gorky" in homage to the revolutionary
writer, Maxim Gorky.

ARTSAKH PARTOOK IN THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION ON TOURISM

Aysor
Feb 22 2010
Armenia

On February 18 – 21 in the BIT international Tourism exhibition in
Milan for the first time participates also the Nagorno Karabakh with
a separate pavilion.

According to the press and information department of the RA MFA, on
BIT there are 140 countries presented on the exhibition. It occupies
an area of about 57.000 square meters with 9 halls.

The pavilion of "Karabakh" which is situated next the pavilions of
Turkey and Russia, and where are introduced the history and cultural
rich heritage, has attracted the organizers and the visitors.

According to the organizers the number of the visitors will make
200.000 people.

The NKR delegation is headed by Sergey Shahverdyan the head of the
NKR tourism department.

"ARARAT NOT PARTICIPATING IN CUP"

Aysor
Feb 17 2010
Armenia

The deadline for the applications for participating in Armenian
football championship was 16 February. As the Armenian Football
federation told us "Ararat" team has refused to partake in the cup
presenting an official apply. This team which was left out from the
list of the leaders on the previous match had to contest with "Impuls"
Dilidjan team.

The reason of refusal of "Ararat" team was the complete disbandment of
the team. In fact it doesn’t exist, and today it is still a question
how it will take part in the championship of the first group.

Thus in the highest groups of Armenia will be presented "Pyunik",
"Miak", "Ulis", "Banants", "Gandzasar", "Kilikia", "Shirak" and
"Impuls" teams. "Ararat" has confirmed its participation only in the
first group championship.

KAZAKHSTAN HAS SET TO WORK OVER OSCE SUMMIT, SAYS SAUDABAYEV

Aysor
Feb 16 2010
Armenia

Kazakhstan has set to work over the agenda and details of the OSCE
summit, announced at today’s press conference OSCE Chairman-in-Office,
Kazakhstan’s Secretary of State and Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev.

He added that almost all states had supported Kazakhstan’s proposal.

"Actually, we’ve set to work over the summit’s details and time frame,"
told journalists Kanat Saudabayev pointing that the last OSCE summit
was held on November 18-19 1999, in Turkey.

"Lots of challenges and threats have put in appearance over these
years. Some of them completely overturned the traditional perception
of war. Unfortunately, the long-drawn conflicts haven’t been solved,
while new ones arose," he said.

According to Kanat Saudabayev, the OSCE summit should focus on
following highlights: continuation of dialogue on building of the
single trans-Atlantic and European security structure, and issue
of Afghanistan, which is still a source element of international
terrorism and drug supplies.

It’s worth mentioning, that Armenia has supported Kazakhstan’s
proposal to hold OSCE summit. Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Edward Nalbandian, added that Armenia had also supported a proposal
to hold a non-official ministerial meeting in Astana.

FRANCE TO ASSIST REFORMS IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.02.2010 19:25 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ As part of his visit to France on February
15 Secretary of the National Security Council of Armenia Arthur
Baghdasaryan met with French State Secretary for European Affairs
Pierre Lellouche. During the meeting they discussed issues related
to Armenia’s cooperation with European structures.

The officials agreed that in the frame of Armenia-EU cooperation,
France will assist in the implementation of reforms in Armenia in
several spheres. The two sides also discussed issues related to the
South Caucasus.

Baghdasaryan also met with Bernard Bajolet, the French intelligence
coordinator. During the meeting the parties reached an agreement on
cooperation between law enforcement agencies of Armenia and France,
press office of NSC of RA reported.