Author: Virabian Jhanna

US ADMINISTRATION TRYING TO BUY TIME FOR TURKEY’S PARLIAMENT TO ACT

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.03.2010 00:25 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ White House spokesman Robert Gibbs suggested the
administration was trying to buy time for Turkey’s parliament to act.

In October, Turkey and Armenia signed Protocols for normalization of
relations, but Turkey has yet to ratify it, AP reported.

"Our focus is on continuing to make progress on an issue that has,
for almost 100 years, divided two countries," Gibbs said. "Through some
very tough diplomatic work by Secretary Clinton, we’ve made progress.

We’re on the cusp of normalization."

UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT COALITION BREAKS UP – SPEAKER

576/lang/en
2010-03-02

KIEV, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. The coalition in the Ukrainian parliament
has broken up, speaker Vladimir Litvin said on Tuesday. The coalition
comprised Yulia Timoshenko’s bloc (BYuT), Our Ukraine – People’s
Self Defense (NU-NS) bloc and Litvin’s bloc, Armenpress reports
citing Itar-Tass.

"The parliament has not gathered up to date the 226 signatures of the
lawmakers confirming the existing of the tripartite coalition. This
gives me the reason to make such a statement," the speaker said after
a conference with faction leaders.

Earlier on Tuesday, NU-NS faction leader Nikolai Martynenko stated
his faction’s readiness to for talks with the Party of Regions over
forming a new coalition.

He noted that NU-NS had come up with it own nominee for prime minister.

U.S. SNOWBOARDERS TO CONDUCT TWO SNOWBOARD CLINICS IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.03.2010 14:31 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational
and Cultural Affairs SportsUnited office, in partnership with Roxy,
a brand of Quiksilver, is conducting a snowboarding Sports Envoy
program in Armenia, March 3-7, 2010. Professional snowboarders and
Roxy team riders Amber Stackhouse and Erin Comstock will be the
first action sports athletes to be sent abroad as Sports Envoys by
SportsUnited, Office of the Spokesman of the U.S. Department of State
told PanARMENIAN.Net.

During their five-day trip, Stackhouse and Comstock will visit Yerevan
and Tsaghkadzor. While in Yerevan, the Envoys will meet with middle
school students, university film students, and female athletes to
discuss the importance of participation in sports for women and girls.

In Tsaghkadzor, the Envoys will conduct two snowboard clinics, give
a snowboarding exhibition and judge a snowboard cross event.

Amber Stackhouse is the 2003 winner of the American Snowboard Tour
in slopestyle (freestyle). Since then, she has consistently honed her
skills to gain a reputation as one of the best slopestyle contenders
on the circuit. In 2007, she defended her title and was ranked as
the #1 boarder on American Snowboard Tour in slopestyle. Outside of
snowboarding, Stackhouse is an accomplished film producer who has
produced several films, including "Labor of Love" and "Refreshments,"
as well as two groundbreaking all-girl snowboarding films, "As If"
and "Ro Sham Bo."

Erin Comstock is a professional snowboarder whose list of
accomplishments includes numerous podium wins, including first place
in the Abominable Snow Jam (ASJ) slopestyle contest in 2008. Comstock
is a six-time participant in the ESPN U.S. Winter X-Games, and is
also a familiar face in snowboarding films. Comstock’s list of film
credits includes appearances in "As If," "RoShamBo," "See What I See,"
"I Ride Park City," "City, Park City," "Stance" and "LaLaLand."

Sports Envoys serve as ambassadors for their sport in overseas programs
that include drills and team building activities, as well as engaging
the youth participants in dialogue on the importance of leadership
and respect for diversity.

THEATER X FESTIVAL TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN

Aysor
March 2 2010
Armenia

The Third State Theater X Festival will be held in Yerevan, being
organized with the support of Armenia’s Ministry of Culture and the
National Theater Association. Theater troupes from Armenia and the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic will participate in the Festival.

Festival’s director Ruben Babayan told journalists that sponsors are
focusing more on the applied and practical components than solemnity
of the festival.

"We’ve got enough solemn events in our lives in contradistinction
to practical ones," said Ruben Babayan. He pointed that the Festival
has a state status and involves various theater troupes from Armenian
and NKR regions.

According to Ruben Babayan, the theatre troupes will perform their best
performance of 2009, which will then be discussed by jury and viewers.

"ARMENIANS AROUND THE WORLD HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN ANYTHING AND ARE READY TO COUNTER FALSE PROPAGANDA OF AZERBAIJAN": DEMONSTRATIONS HELD IN ARMENIA AND ABROAD ON FEBRUARY 27 TO MARK 22ND ANNIVERSARY OF SUMGAIT MASSACRES

Noyan Tapan
March 1, 2010

YEREVAN, MARCH 1, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. In connection with
the 22nd anniversary of the Sumgait massacres, numerous demonstrations
in remembrance of the innocent victims took place in Armenia and
abroad. The demonstrators demanded that both the perpetrators and
organizers of those massacres be brought to justice. Haylur Program
of the Public Televion Company of Armenia reported that marches,
demonstrations and rallies were held in many capital cities across
the world. Armenian youth staged a protest outside the Azerbaijani
embassy in Washington, demanding that the perpetrators and organizers
of genocide in Sumgait, subsequently in Baku, Kirovabad, Shahumian,
Maragh and other areas populated by Armenians be punished, and
anti-Armenian hysteria as well as speeches against Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh in international organizations be stopped.

On February 27 – Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Sumgait
Massacres, dozens of Armenian Americans gathered outside the
Azerbaijaini mission in Washington to demand justice and recognition
of the historic facts. They carried flags and maps of Armenia and
Nagorno Karabakh and chanted the slogans: "Azerbaijan is responsible
for the Sumgait crime", "We will never forget Sumgait", "Put an end to
Armenophobia", "Freedom to Nagorno Karabakh", etc. They demanded that
the Azerbaijani government say the truth about Sumgait and Khojalu.

"We will continue staging protests until our demands are met," the
protesters said.

In the words of Yerevan-based scientist Harutyun Marukhian who was
sent on a mission to Washignton, he conducted a study on national
recollection. "The Sumgait events evoked our people’s memories of the
1915 Genocide, and this consciosness became the driving force of our
national struggle 22 years ago," he said. The priests of two Armenian
churches in Washington offered prayers in remembrance of the Armenian
martyrs of the Sumgait massacres.

Members of the Armenian community of Poland also organized a protest
action. Rafael Amirian – one of representatives of the Armenian
community in Warsaw – read a letter of protest outside the Azerbaijani
embassy, while the Armenian protesters demanded that the Azerbaijani
authorities should take responsibility for the Sumgait massacres,
and the international community should condemn these massacres and
consider them as a continuation of the 1915 Armenian Genocide.

After reading the letter of protest, R. Amirian accompanied by director
of Musa Ler enthongraphic ensemble Hakob Baghdasarian made an attempt
to hand the letter to a representative of the Azerbaijani embassy,
but the embassy employee declined to take it, explaining that he does
know Polish, so the letter was put in the embassy’s mailbox.

The community members also lit candles at the khachkar in the yard
of the Armenian embassy. Armenian Ambassador to Poland Ashot Galoyan
stated that the protest outside the Azerbaijani emabassy bears evidence
of the fact that the Armenians around the world have not forgotten
anything and they are ready to counter false propaganda conducted by
Azerbaijan and all anti-Armenian provocations.

Armenian youth organizations of Greece also organized protest actions.

The protesters held the flags of Armenia and Artsakh in front of
Azerbaijan’s mission. They demanded condemnation of the Sumgait
tragedy, justice and compensation.

In Yerevan, Armenian youth gathered at the Monument to the Sumgait
Victims in the Tsitsernakaberd Complex, condemning the Sumgait crime
and demanding its condemnation by the international community. The
Armenian youth sent letters condemning the Sumgait massacres to the
Yerevan Offices of the UN, the OSCE, and the Council of Europe. It is
said in these letters that during the acts of violence committed over
3 days in the city of Sumgait, in the vicinity of Baku, in February
1988, several dozen people were killed, 200 were injured, nevertheless,
no legal and political assessment was given to those events.

The Switzerland-Armenia Association issued a statement with
condemnation of the Sumgait events, considering Azerbaijan’s agression
against Nagorno Karabakh and the destruction of khachkars in Jugha
as an expression of its continuing propaganda of an atmosphere of
hatred for Armenia and the Armenian people.

The pogroms of Armenians in Sumgait were planned and serious
preparatory works were carried out

2010-02-26
/id/592050/lang/en

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 26, ARMENPRESS: The pogroms of Armenians in Sumgait
were planned and serious preparatory works were carried out, head of
the State Migration Agency of the Territorial Administration Ministry
Gagik Yeganyan said today at the meeting with the reporters. According
to him, what happened in Sumgait February 27-29, 1988 was genocide as
a result of which thousands of people became handicapped, houses
belonging to Armenians were robbed.

After these February events, Armenia received the first group of
refugees. G. Yeganyan said the fact that such situation was possible
was unbelievable as the main motto of the USSR was `friendship of
peoples’. During these years Armenian government was able to be useful
for the displaced Armenians. `They were suffering a great pain as many
of them lost their relatives, property, they were morally pressed. The
government managed in short period of time ensure more or less
bearable conditions for the great mass of people providing them all
the resources,’ Yeganyan said.

After the Sumgait, pogroms of Armenians continued in the other regions
of Azerbaijan, as a result of which half million of people were
displaced. People who were living there from generations to
generations during a few days lost everything. From this half a
million the 300,000 chose Armenia as an asylum and tried to start a
new life. In future flow of refugees started from Armenia as well.

G. Yeganyan speaking about the issues of refugees, noted that the
prior issue still remains the ensuring of apartments, the issue of
their employment also exists. In 2004 the government approved a
program with which it assumed a commitment to solve the apartment
issues of 3470 refugees from Azerbaijan who were temporarily living in
hotels or hostels. About 1000 of them received apartment purchasing
certificates 700 of which have already acquired apartments.

Currently 1200 needy refugee families needing apartments are
registered. About 40 million USD is necessary for ensuring apartments
for them.

For the implementation of the program on providing apartments to the
refugees and finding financial means a conference of international
donor organizations will be organized in Armenia in the fall of the
running year during which the issues will be presented, further steps
pointed out.

AGHDAM RESIDENT INJURED BY ARMENIANS

news.az
Feb 26 2010
Azerbaijan

Aghdam Armenian armed forces violate ceasefire again.

A resident of the frontline Azerbaijani village Mirashelli has been
injured due to the violation of ceasefire by Armenians from the side
of occupied Bash Gervend village of Aghdam.

Later Asif Guliyev, born in 1971, has been brought to the military
hospital of Sarijaly.

Reports say Asif Guliyev got two wounds. He is currently at the
reanimation department of the hospital.

One wound is at his elbow and another is on his body. He called the
fellow villagers who urgently hospitalized him.

37.5% GAS PRICE HIKE COME APRIL 1

2010/02/26 | 15:00

Society

The RoA Public Services Regulatory Commission today gave the green
light for "HayRusGazArd" to hike its natural gas rates to 132 AMD
per cubic meter as of April 1, 2009.

The utility’s current rate for residential gas customers is 96 AMD.

"HayRusGazArd" had sought a price of 136 AMD from the Commission.

Prices for larger commercial enterprises are to go up by 17%.

HayRusGazArd pointed to the depreciation of the Armenian AMD by more
than 25% over the past year to substantiate its request to raise gas
prices. The utility also claimed that the cost of imported Russian
gas would rise almost 17% come April and said that natural gas from
Iran is even more expensive.

FORMER ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER DOWNPLAYS GOVERNMENT’ PROJECTION OF 1.2 % ECONOMIC GROWTH

ARKA
Feb 24, 2010

YEREVAN, February 24, /ARKA/. A former Armenian prime minister
downplayed today the government’ projection of a 1.2 % economic growth
this year. Speaking at a news conference Hrant Bagratian, who served as
prime minister in ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosian’s administration,
said the real GDP will not grow this year and the projected 1.2%
growth will be pictured by the authorities.

The IMF and EBRD have projected a 2% GDP growth for Armenia this year.

Bagratian claimed also that the authorities will post an understated
inflation rate for the full year, which he said will be 10%.

According to the government budget, the inflation this year will be
4 ±1,5%. The IMF projected a 6% inflation. According to the official
figures, Armenian economy declined last year by 14.4%.

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT AGREES TO REDUCE PREVIOUSLY PROPOSED LIST BY SIX LOCAL TAXES

Noyan Tapan
Feb 22, 2010

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA National Assembly on
February 22 passed in the first reading the amended version of the
legislative package envisaging amendments and additions to the Law
on Taxes, the Law on the Budget System of the RA, and the Law on
Local Self-Government. The package was passed with 71 votes in favor,
20 votes against, and 7 abstentions.

The package had been discussed at the previous four-day session,
and the vote had been postponed based on NA deputies’ proposals
to amend it. The preliminary version envisaged a list of local
taxes. In addition to property tax and land tax considered as state
taxes, that version proposed 8 new local taxes: hotel tax, sales tax,
incompleted construction tax (or tax on improperly kept real estate),
tax on uncultivated agricultural lands, tax on no-purpose use of
lands envisaged for development, tax on placing advertisement on
facilities considered as community property, tax on vehicle parking,
and tax on occupation of public areas.

After additional discussions with NA deputies, the government agreed to
reduce the list of local taxes by removing 6 new taxes from it. The
amended version included 4 local taxes: property tax, land tax,
hotel tax, and tax on vehicle parking.

By the legislative package, the use of land tax and property tax
is mandatory in each community, while the use and the rates of the
other local taxes will be determined by the community council on
recommendation of the community head. Later a separate law on each
of these taxes will establish their peculiarities, including the
upper and lower limits of their rates. Local taxes as revenues will
be transferred to the budget of the community where they have formed.

ARF faction and a number of independent deputies voted against this
legislative initiative of the government, while Heritage faction
abstained from voting.