Author: Yeghisabet Arthur

ARMBUSINESSBANK’S CREDIT PORTFOLIO MAY RISE TO 45 BILLION DRAMS

/ARKA/
September 22, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, September 22, /ARKA/. Armbusinessbank Board president Ara
Kirakosian said Saturday the bank’s credit portfolio will grow from
current 35 billion Drams to 45 billion Drams in three months.

Speaking to journalists after the inauguration ceremony of the
repaired building of the bank in downtown Yerevan, he said the bank
has succeeded in the last 3 years in improving its major financial
indices and expanding the network of regional branches to 20 across
Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR).

Ara Kirakosian said the bank’s assets have grown in the last three
years 15 times to 89 billion Drams and its authorized capital has
increased this year by 9 billion Drams to 16 billion Drams.

"Our immediate plan is to improve the quality of our services, to
incorporate the latest banking services and to shift to aggressive
crediting policy,’ he said.

Armbusinessbank is one of several commercial banks, chosen by
the National Mortgage Company as a partner in providing mortgage
credits. The bank offers mortgage credits also from its own resources.

According to Central Bank governor Arthur Javadian, in the last three
years the bank has been doubling the amount of extended credits.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by presidents of Armenia and
Nagorno-Karabakh Serzh Sargsyan and Bako Sahakian, Armenian prime
minister Tigran Sa rgsyan and other officials.

Armbusinessbank was registered in 1991. In 2006 Ukrainian-based
Ukrprombank obtained 35% of its shares, another 35% were obtained by
Ukrainian insurance company Alfa Garant, the rest is held by Kristi
Management Society. ($1 – 381.96 Drams).

TRAGEDY’S LINGERING EXPLOSIONS

Argus Weekend (South Africa)
September 20, 2009

Catastrophe is the internal combustion of Atom Egoyan’s movies. Recall
the skidding school bus from 1997’s The Sweet Hereafter, in which
a small town reels from the deaths of 14 children, or the legacy of
the Armenian genocide that dizzies the characters in 2002’s Ararat.

In Adoration, which feels like the completion of a trilogy of grief,
the catastrophe is prevented. Four hundred people do not die on an
aeroplane bound for Tel Aviv because security catches a bomb that
was placed in a pregnant woman’s bag by her Arab husband.

The film follows a Toronto high-schooler named Simon, who is encouraged
by his teacher to translate and retell the old news story in French
class – as though he were the unborn child of the woman unintentionally
carrying the bomb.

The class is rapt, and Simon suddenly becomes a symbol in a debate
about martyrdom versus mass murder. His story hits the web, and then
everyone is in on the discussion (even passengers from that aborted
flight).

The bomb that didn’t go off aboard the flight instead goes off years
later in the classroom, on the internet and at home, where Simon has
been raised by his brooding uncle since his mother and father died
in a car crash a decade earlier.

The complex story structure teeters between the revelatory and the
absurd, depending on how much you buy the irritating-then-intriguing
performance by Arsine Khanjian, who plays Simon’s teacher.

Lending much-needed realism are Devon Bostick, smart and searching as
Simon, and Scott Speedman, pained and cynical as Simon’s guilt-ridden
uncle.

Adoration is a delicate rumination on how innocence and truth evolve
in the aftermath of catastrophe, as people stake their emotional
ownership in tragedy.

Simon finds himself without territory to claim in his parents’ death,
and his teacher thinks the best way to the truth is through a lie. Some
might call this manipulation – of character and of viewer. Others would
rightly call it an exercise. A provocation of debate. – Washington Post

Adoration Directed by: Atom Egoyan Starring: Devon Bostick, Scott
Speedman, Rachel Blanchard, Noam Jenkins Running time: 100 minutes

New Europe
Sept 20 2009

Azeri participation in Nabucco hinges on its consumers

20 September 2009 – Issue : 852

Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan Lyatif Gandilov talked to New
Europe about energy ties with Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbaev is expected to pay an
official visit late this month to the capital of Azerbaijan,
Baku. Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan Lyatif Gandilov talked to
New Europe correspondent in Astana Kulpash Konyrova in an excusive
interview about the matters to be discussed between the leaders of
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.

Ambassador, energy is leading the cooperation between the two
republics. And, as is known, US Department of State Special Envoy for
Eurasian Energy Richard Morningstar has recently visited just these
two former Soviet republics ` Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan…

That’s not surprising. Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are of a great
interest today not only to overseas partners, but also to many other
countries worldwide. And the reason for that lies not only in the rich
resources of our lands, but also in the fact that the two republics
are the leaders in their respective regions: Kazakhstan – in Central
Asia, and Azerbaijan – in the South Caucasus.
Both our countries are promising hydrocarbons supplies. Both
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are also transit countries through which oil
and gas from the Caspian region can be shipped to the world
markets. Currently, over 10 agreements are in the works that may be
signed during the forthcoming visit of the Kazakh president to
Baku. They concern cooperation in the above-mentioned energy sector,
transport, agriculture, emergency situations, and consular services.
However, I would like to mention that the base document that defines
the nature of our relations is an agreement on strategic partnership
and allied relations signed in 2005.
Over the four years since the agreement, the two former Soviet
republics have done a lot to mutually strengthen our positions. First
of all, speaking of energy, I mean the oil pipeline
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan.
The same in 2005, Kazakhstan signed a document expressing its support
for this project. In November last year, the first 300,000 tons of
Kazakhstan crude were pumped through this pipeline. Today, this volume
has grown to almost one million tons. On the whole, including railway
transport, almost three million tons of crude transit through
Azerbaijan.
The second, but not less important, energy project is the Kazakhstan
Caspian system of pipelines (KCTS) jointly implemented by our two
national oil companies. As you know, once Kashagan become operative,
this system will make it possible to transport your crude up to Baku,
from where it can go to the world markets either by the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan or by the Baku-Supsa.
I would like to note that when the oil price fell to 40 dollars, our
two countries did not stop for a minute to work on KCTS. Both
countries understood that KCTS was not just an alternative route, but
a way out of the crisis. As far as I know, the project feasibility
study is practically ready. And this project will be in the centre of
attention at the meeting of the two leaders in Baku.
As is known, while visiting Astana, Mr. Morningstar, who you mentioned
earlier, clearly expressed the White House’s position with respect to
KCTS. They pin big hopes on it for supplies of our crude to Europe.

It’s clear about oil. What about gas? Azerbaijan is known to support
the Nabucco project.

Many countries have expressed their interest in this project, first of
all, the European Union member states. And if the consumers will want
to see it implemented, Azerbaijan will do everything possible to
fulfill this project.
Currently, all technical details of the project are being verified. If
the project is approved, our republic will be prepared to provide to
Nabucco some eight to ten billion cubic meters of its gas, with
possible growth in the future.

Speaking of pipelines, your president, Ilham Aliev, often mentions
that the future of all oil and gas projects in the region will depend
of security and stability in the Caucasus. What is the status of the
frozen Nagorno-Karabakh conflict?

It should be noted that the Nagorno-Karabakh issue has been actively
discussed lately. However, in my opinion, after the Georgian events,
more commitment to the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
should be expected. Yes, everybody agrees that it should be resolved
peacefully, but the process of resolution should not be so long and
endless that it would force the sides to use arms to resolve it. In my
view, it is necessary to speed up this process, as complex as it may
be. But its resolution will give an impetus to good developments in
solving other frozen conflicts.

hp

So that the Whole Harvest be Realized

NKR Government Information and
Public Relations Department

September 14, 2009

Grape harvest has been started in the Republic, and about 15 thousand
tons of vintage is expected this year. How to organize the crop
procurement for the whole harvest to be realized and vinedressers to be
properly compensated,- this was the central issue the conference
convened at NKR Prime Minister Ara Haroutyunyan was dedicated to. Vice
Premier S.Tevosyan, Minister of Agriculture A.Tsatryan, Directors of
Artsakh Investment Fund and the Fund of Agricultural Support, Chairman
of "Artsakhbank" CJSC and directors of the Republic’s wineries partook
in the conference.
Representatives of blank production companies informed that they
will receive grape wine material at cost of AMD 100 per 1 kg and
reported about the storage volume capabilities of their wineries. They
do no suffice for the storage of the whole crop to be gathered,
therefore, Prime Minister A.Haroutyunyan charged the Minister of
Agriculture with a task to examine and register the minor wine
industries operating in Artsakh as well. Together with large-scale
companies they will be provided financial aid in form of preference
credits by the state for the winegrowers’ payments to be made in time.
There will be 6% interest rate credits allowed for a three-year
repayment period. Negotiations on Artsakh grape realization will be
held with Armenian companies as well. Some arrangements towards the
realization of table grape will be taken.
The Prime Minister assigned the competent bodies a task to gather
everyday information on vintage and the storage process as well as to
prepare legislative changes on exempting domestic wine production from
the excise tax. The Government pursues favorable conditions to be
created for minor industries,- A.Haroutyunyan noted.

State-of-the-art equipment provided by VivaCell-MTS and BirthLink, is
delivered, assembled and immediately put into use in the Institute of
Perinatology, Obstetrics and Gynecology

2009-09-18 16:14:00

ArmInfo. VivaCell-MTS, a subsidiary of Mobile TeleSystems OJSC (NYSE:
MBT), announces the launch of neonatal care project in neonatal
department at the Republican Hospital (The Institute for Perinatology,
Obstetrics and Gynecology), VivaCell-MTS press-release says.

The Republican Hospital receives a large number of women with high risk
pregnancies from Yerevan and the region. As a result it sees a high
number of babies requiring neonatal intensive care. This necessarily
means that this unit has a constant need for a high quantity and
quality of equipment for the number of babies in their care.

Two days ago the medical community of Armenia was introduced to a new
large-scale neonatal care project in the country implemented by
VivaCell-MTS and BirthLink NGO. "It is distressing that such huge
number of children die every year in our country. Through this
dedicated corporate responsibility effort by VivaCell-MTS it will be
possible to improve and bring the infrastructure and standards of
neonatal care in Armenia to the high levels," said VivaCell-MTS General
Manager Ralph Yirikian.

"As part of the continuing implementation of the Neonatal Care Project
in Armenia, the state-of-the-art equipment package designed for the
neonatal units in Yerevan was delivered, assembled and immediately put
into use after training for the staff in the Institute of Perinatology,
Obstetrics and Gynecology. A very important part of the Armenian
neonatal project is that all the neonatal units will be able to work
together, sharing experience and practice using the same equipment,
protocols and training, establishing a standard for care and facilities
across Armenia," Kathy Mellor, BirthLink’s Director and founder stated.

More than 4 million babies in the world die annually in their first
year of life. Not only do a staggering 98% of these deaths occur in
developing countries, but 65% of these deaths occur in the first month
of life, with more than two-thirds happening in the first week, and of
these babies, more than 50% die in the first 24 hours.

Based on WHO statistics, Armenia’s infant mortality rate is more than
four times higher than in countries like the US and UK.

With more than 40% of births in Armenia taking place in Yerevan, this
project is supporting ten maternity departments in the city, as well as
one Children’s hospital, which receive sick newborns. A total of 101
pieces of essential equipment that can support vulnerable newborn
babies were distributed to hospitals including incubators, respiratory
support, monitors and other essential supplies for delivering safe and
appropriate care.

RAPPROCHEMENT WITH TURKEY REQUIRES PUBLIC DEBATE – ARMENIAN PRESIDENT

Interfax
Sept 17 2009
Russia

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said he would promote a public
debate on the normalization in Armenian- Turkish relations.

"Various formats have been offered for the coming weeks, and I myself
will be an initiator and participant in the discussions," Sargsyan
told political party leaders during consultations on ways to settle
relations with Turkey, according to the presidential press service
on Thursday.

"I have thoroughly studied various opinions, [which have been] voiced
publicly. I have heard positive and encouraging calls, I have heard
criticism, including sharp criticism, and I have heard concerns.

If course, I see the risks and I have my own concerns. But in order to
compare our concerns, to assess the risks correctly and to understand
them we will have to do a great deal of work, we must manage to bring
all our criticism together, he said.

"When inviting the Turkish president to Armenia and initiating the
whole process, I pursued two goals – to open a window of opportunity to
settle bilateral relations, and to demonstrate that Armenia as a nation
that has gone through the horrors of genocide, and being faithful and
committed to the pain of its people, is strong enough to be the first
to hold out its hand and say that it is senseless to move against
the current development of the world," the Armenian president said.

Tensions between Armenia and Turkey "are not a war between the upper
leaders," he said.

"I do not deem the assertion of diplomatic relations with Turkey and
the opening of the border to be the minimum or maximum programs. I
see the finalization of these processes exclusively as the minimal
environment for starting a dialogue with the Turks," he said.

On August 31, Armenia and Turkey announced they had tentatively signed
protocols on the establishment of diplomatic relations and promotion
of ties between the two countries. Before the protocols are signed
and ratified by the two parliaments, they must be discussed nationwide.

The Armenian president’s consultations on Thursday involved the
leaders of 52 political parties.

Meanwhile, the Armenian revolutionary federation Dashnaktsutyun
expressed discontent with the current consultations and its spokesman
Armed Rustamian told the press that no changes will be made in the
Armenian-Turkish protocols before their signing.

BIN LADEN STATEMENT TO AMERICAN PEOPLE

Panorama.am
11:31 14/09/2009

An audio message purportedly from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden
emerged on radical Islamist Web sites on Sunday, just two days after
the United States marked the eighth anniversary of the September 11,
2001, terror attacks, "France Press" reports referring to Intel Center
American organization.

The message, entitled "a statement to the American people", was about
10 minutes long and was accompanied by a still image of Bin Laden
but no video.

The 10-minute long audio message was posted by As-Sahab Media —
al Qaeda’s production company.

SEN. ROBERT MENENDEZ TO RECEIVE 2009 ANCA-ER FREEDOM AWARD

Asbarez
en-robert-menendez-to-receive-2009-anca-er-freedom -award/
Sep 11, 2009

NEW YORK-The Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region
will be honoring United States Senator Robert Menendez with its highest
honor, the prestigious Freedom Award, at the Third Annual ANCA Eastern
Region Banquet hosted by the Armenian Cultural Association of America
on Saturday, October 3, 2009 at Espace in New York City.

"We are proud to be honoring Senator Menendez," commented ACAA
Board Member George Aghjayan. "The Senator from New Jersey acted with
distinction when he placed a hold on Richard Hoagland’s nomination and
has repeatedly demonstrated his commitment to the Armenian American
community."

For more than 16 years, Robert Menendez has been an ardent advocate
of Armenian American concerns in the State of New Jersey and
nationally. From ensuring that the United States honestly addresses
the issue of the Armenian Genocide to speaking out on the right
of self-determination for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, Senator
Menendez has championed truth, justice, and the principles of freedom
so cherished by the Armenian American community.

During the 109th Congress [2005-2006], Senator Menendez received
nationwide attention after making history by placing a hold on the
appointment of Ambassador designate to the Republic of Armenia,
Richard Hoagland. The Armenian American community had overwhelmingly
expressed its concern regarding Hoagland’s testimony before the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee in which he used language denying the
Armenian Genocide. Throughout 2006, the Armenian National Committee
of America led a nationwide campaign to call attention to this matter
and demand that the State Department remove the Hoagland nomination,
offer a complete explanation surrounding the controversial firing
of former Ambassador to Armenia John Marshall Evans, and clarify the
Turkish Government’s influence in the removal of Ambassador Evans.

When the 110th Congress convened in January 2007, President Bush once
again nominated Hoagland to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Armenia without
addressing any of the concerns outlined by the ANCA and the Armenian
American community. The very next day, Senator Menendez placed a second
hold on the nomination. On August 3, 2007, the Hoagland nomination
was withdrawn by President Bush.

When asked about his motivation for placing a hold, Senator Menendez
stated, "I believe that the United States, Armenia, and all who are
committed to human rights should support an ambassador to Armenia who
recognizes the genocide that took place there more than 90 years ago."

In a statement released when he placed the hold on Richard Hoagland in
2006, Senator Menendez said that, "the State Department and the Bush
administration are just flat-out wrong in their refusal to recognize
the Armenian Genocide. It is well past time for American diplomacy to
drop the euphemisms, the wink-wink, nod-nod brand of foreign policy
that overlooks heinous atrocities committed around the world. If
there is any sincerity behind the Bush administration’s rhetoric about
‘liberty on the march’ – if ‘never again’ is to be more than a bumper
sticker slogan – then American diplomacy should consist of nothing
less than unvarnished honesty with our friends and enemies alike. And
we must call genocide by its name."

In June 2008, Senator Menendez led the effort in questioning
the Administration’s nominee, Marie Yovanovitch, to serve as
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia during a Senate Committee on Foreign
Relations confirmation hearing. Senator Menendez forcefully questioned
the Administration’s policy on the Armenian Genocide and submitted
numerous questions concerning the Armenian Genocide, Turkey and
Azerbaijan’s blockades of Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh, and foreign aid
to Armenia. Several months later, in September 2008, Sen. Menendez led
the effort in questioning the Administration’s nominee, James Jeffrey,
to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Turkey during his confirmation hearing.

Most recently, in January 2009, Sen. Menendez questioned President
Obama’s nominee, Senator Hillary Clinton, to serve as Secretary
of State during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation
hearing. During the nationally televised hearing, Sen. Menendez stated
"I hope that the support that you gave while you were a Senator to
the question of the Armenian Genocide, that the President-Elect has
himself supported, recognition of that. You know, if we are to say
never again, part of that is ultimately the recognition of what has
happened so that we can move forward. And I hope that you will be an
advocate of having us get off of where we have been and move forward
to a recognition of that part of history that is universally recognized
so that we can move forward in that respect."

Robert Menendez grew up the son of Cuban immigrants in Union City,
New Jersey. He has served as a school board member, a mayor, and a
state legislator. In 1992, he was elected to the United States House of
Representatives. Sen. Menendez has cosponsored every Armenian Genocide
resolution introduced in Congress since his arrival in 1993. He served
on the House International Relations Committee where he twice voted
for passage of the Armenian Genocide resolution in 2000 and 2005. He
became the highest-ranking Hispanic in Congressional history and
the third-highest ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives
when his colleagues elected him the Chairman of the House Democratic
Caucus in 2002. While serving as a Representative, Senator Menendez
repeatedly offered remarks on the floor of the House in commemoration
of the Armenian Genocide.

Senator Menendez was appointed to the United States Senate
by New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine and sworn in on January 18,
2006. In November of that year, he was elected by the people of New
Jersey to serve a full six-year term as United States Senator. He
currently serves on the Senate Committees on Banking, Housing and
Urban Affairs; Energy and Natural Resources; Budget; Finance; and
Foreign Relations. Senator Menendez is also the Chairman of the
Subcommittee on International Development and Foreign Assistance,
Economic Affairs, and International Environmental Protection of the
Committee on Foreign Relations.

As a mark of his longstanding bond with the Armenian American
community, in 2005 then-Representative Menendez joined hundreds of
Armenian Americans at a reception in New Jersey honoring His Holiness
Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia. In April 2008,
Senator Menendez met with His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan,
Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of
America. For his outstanding commitment to the community, Senator
Menendez was honored in 2007 by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Dro Gomideh of New Jersey and the ANC Western Region, and most recently
in 2009, by the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern).

Every year, close to 400 Armenian American community members and
leaders join prominent Members of Congress, statewide officials, and
state legislators for the ANCA Eastern Region Annual Banquet. The
2009 Banquet will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a cocktail reception and
silent auction, with the formal program beginning at 8 p.m. For more
information about the Banquet, please contact Nairee Hagopian at
(312) 615-7698 or visit to purchase tickets.

Established in 1969, the Armenian Cultural Association of America
(ACAA) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that assists and supports
impoverished people of Armenian origin; welfare institutions that aid
those of Armenian origin; and educational and charitable organizations
that encourage and develop the Armenian cultural heritage. The ACAA
also aids students, authors, artists and researchers who are pursuing
intellectual efforts in Armenian culture and education, and publishes
educational, scientific and literary books that raise the educational,
cultural and intellectual standards of the community. The ACAA sponsors
projects both in the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora. It
also serves as a repository of historic Armenian national documents
and archives.

"Armenian-Turkish Protocols must be discarded"

/09/11/ara-papian
05:25 pm | September 11, 2009 | Politics

Orientalist Ara Papian has found scores of preconditions in the
Protocols between Armenia and Turkey.

The diplomat says the fifth provision is enough to discard the whole
document.

It suggests "confirming the mutual recognition of the existing border
between the two countries as defined by the relevant treaties of
international law" and implies that the sides should connect
establishment of diplomatic ties with the mutual recognition of the
existing border

"Obviously, the negotiators have exceeded their liabilities and
violated the president’s instructions. They have stepped a field which
is beyond their competence," Mr. Papian said to A1+.

"Armenia must be consistent and reconfirm its readiness to better
diplomatic ties with Turkey without preconditions and to open common
frontier points," said Mr. Papian.

"Both President Serzh Sargsyan and Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian
have said many times that normalization of relations suggests opening
of the Armenian-Turkish border and establishment of diplomatic ties
between the two countries. Naturally, we have some expectations from
Turkey and therefore we shall seek cooperation. But after we open the
border we shall find our expectations frustrated. But I think it won’t
matter as Armenians are used to disappointments."

Any attempt to violate NKR border will be suppressed
12.09.2009 13:20 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Ministry of Defense refuted media reports
about violation of contact line by Azeri helicopters on September
11. Quoting NKR Defense Ministry spokesman, colonel lieutenant Senor
Hasratyan, the RA Ministry informed that the NKR defense army fixed
Azeri helicopters at a distance of 6-7 km from the contact line.

As the flights were exercised over the Azerbaijani territory, the
Armenian side did not take any action.

As RA Defense Minister’s spokesman, colonel Seyran Shahsuvaryan told
PanARMENIAN.Net, NKR airspace is under control of the defense army and
any attempt to violate NKR border will be suppressed.