Armenian News
YEREVAN SAYS ARMENIA AND TURKEY CLOSE TO ESTABLISHING DIPLOMATIC TIES
Hurriyet
Jan 21 2009
Turkey
Armenia on Wednesday said it was "close" to establishing diplomatic
relations and opening borders with neighboring Turkey to end decades
of enmity.
"I share the opinion of my Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan that we
are close to establishing diplomatic relations and the opening of
borders," Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian was quoted by
AFP as telling reporters.
"We can make a new step forward if Turkey, like Armenia, accepts a
settlement without preliminary conditions."
Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic relations and their border
has been closed for more than a decade, as Armenia presses the
international community to admit the so-called "genocide" claims
instead of accepting Turkey's call to investigate the allegations,
and Armenia's invasion of 20 percent territory of Azerbaijan.
A warmer period began in relations when Turkish President Abdullah
Gul paid a landmark visit to Yerevan in September to watch a World Cup
qualifying football match between the two countries on the invitation
of his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan. The two countries have
been holding contacts at the minister level since.
Hurriyet
Jan 21 2009
Turkey
Armenia on Wednesday said it was "close" to establishing diplomatic
relations and opening borders with neighboring Turkey to end decades
of enmity.
"I share the opinion of my Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan that we
are close to establishing diplomatic relations and the opening of
borders," Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian was quoted by
AFP as telling reporters.
"We can make a new step forward if Turkey, like Armenia, accepts a
settlement without preliminary conditions."
Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic relations and their border
has been closed for more than a decade, as Armenia presses the
international community to admit the so-called "genocide" claims
instead of accepting Turkey's call to investigate the allegations,
and Armenia's invasion of 20 percent territory of Azerbaijan.
A warmer period began in relations when Turkish President Abdullah
Gul paid a landmark visit to Yerevan in September to watch a World Cup
qualifying football match between the two countries on the invitation
of his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan. The two countries have
been holding contacts at the minister level since.
DINK REMEMBERED AT SPOT OF ASSASSINATION
Hurriyet
Jan 20 2009
Turkey
ISTANBUL - Red carnations and a small sculpture of a brown pigeon
were lying on the ground in Istanbul's central district of Å~^iÅ~_li
yesterday just where Hrant Dink, the prominent Turkish-Armenian
journalist, was shot to death two years ago.
Candles were lit in front of the multilingual weekly Agos, where Dink
was the editor in chief. Banners reading "For Hrant. For Justice,"
were also on the ground marking the place of his death. Thousands of
people with one voice were chanting, "Just to spite fascism, you are
my brother Hrant," as they gathered to commemorate Dink on the second
anniversary of his murder.
Groups calling themselves anarcho-communists, other small leftist
groups, some members of the opposition Republican People's Party,
or CHP, or just ordinary people without any links to political groups
were there to commemorate Dink, along with many journalists.
"I am still so sad. My heart is burning," said 52-year-old Jale,
who declined to give her surname. Jale is a retired mechanics artist,
who said she has no connection with any political group. "I live in
Å~^iÅ~_li. I just came here as soon as I heard on TV that Dink was
murdered," she said. Jale was wearing a poÅ~_u, a type of scarf that
symbolizes the Palestinians, and held in her hands small photographs
of Dink and a handful of needles to attach the photographs. Members
of the crowd carried banners in Kurdish, Armenian and Turkish.
A famous song called "Yigidim Aslanım Burda Yatıyor" (My Brave Man
Is Lying Here) that used to be a symbol for murdered journalist Ugur
Mumcu was also played. Police took safety measures around the area,
while traffic stopped during the commemoration ceremony. Dink's family
was also at the site. Famous actor, Halil Ergun, addressed the mass
as a representative of Dink's friends and said he apologizes from
Dink and the Armenian community for what happened to Dink. "The fire
burns the place it falls," said Sona AÅ~_cı, 84, who said that Dink
was her mother's cousin.
The crowd gathered for Dink was somehow a relief for AÅ~_cı,
who said she was not hopeful that the murder would be solved in the
ongoing Dink case. Meanwhile near Harbiye Officer's Club, a group had a
conflict with the police after the crowd in front of the Agos building
dispersed. Some members of the group wanted to march to Taksim and
throw stones at the police. A police officer fired a gun into the air
to stop the group. Police also used tear gas and water. Group members
fled to nearby streets, while the conflict went on in Taksim Square.
Hurriyet
Jan 20 2009
Turkey
ISTANBUL - Red carnations and a small sculpture of a brown pigeon
were lying on the ground in Istanbul's central district of Å~^iÅ~_li
yesterday just where Hrant Dink, the prominent Turkish-Armenian
journalist, was shot to death two years ago.
Candles were lit in front of the multilingual weekly Agos, where Dink
was the editor in chief. Banners reading "For Hrant. For Justice,"
were also on the ground marking the place of his death. Thousands of
people with one voice were chanting, "Just to spite fascism, you are
my brother Hrant," as they gathered to commemorate Dink on the second
anniversary of his murder.
Groups calling themselves anarcho-communists, other small leftist
groups, some members of the opposition Republican People's Party,
or CHP, or just ordinary people without any links to political groups
were there to commemorate Dink, along with many journalists.
"I am still so sad. My heart is burning," said 52-year-old Jale,
who declined to give her surname. Jale is a retired mechanics artist,
who said she has no connection with any political group. "I live in
Å~^iÅ~_li. I just came here as soon as I heard on TV that Dink was
murdered," she said. Jale was wearing a poÅ~_u, a type of scarf that
symbolizes the Palestinians, and held in her hands small photographs
of Dink and a handful of needles to attach the photographs. Members
of the crowd carried banners in Kurdish, Armenian and Turkish.
A famous song called "Yigidim Aslanım Burda Yatıyor" (My Brave Man
Is Lying Here) that used to be a symbol for murdered journalist Ugur
Mumcu was also played. Police took safety measures around the area,
while traffic stopped during the commemoration ceremony. Dink's family
was also at the site. Famous actor, Halil Ergun, addressed the mass
as a representative of Dink's friends and said he apologizes from
Dink and the Armenian community for what happened to Dink. "The fire
burns the place it falls," said Sona AÅ~_cı, 84, who said that Dink
was her mother's cousin.
The crowd gathered for Dink was somehow a relief for AÅ~_cı,
who said she was not hopeful that the murder would be solved in the
ongoing Dink case. Meanwhile near Harbiye Officer's Club, a group had a
conflict with the police after the crowd in front of the Agos building
dispersed. Some members of the group wanted to march to Taksim and
throw stones at the police. A police officer fired a gun into the air
to stop the group. Police also used tear gas and water. Group members
fled to nearby streets, while the conflict went on in Taksim Square.
AVERAGE MONTHLY SALARY REACHES 91.331 AMD IN ARMENIA IN 2008
ARKA
Jan 20, 2009
YEREVAN, January 20. /ARKA/. RA National Statistics Service reported
the nominal of average monthly salary reached 91,331 AMD in 2008,
an annual increase of 17.4%.
The average monthly salary in government-financed organizations reached
64,836 AMD, an annual increase of 18.6%, with a 27.7% increase against
November 2007.
The average monthly salary in privately-owned organizations reached
113,882 AMD, an annual increase of 16.3%, with a 24.5% increase
against November 2008.
The average monthly salary increased by 25.5% in December 2008 against
November 2008. ($1 - 305.27AMD).
ARKA
Jan 20, 2009
YEREVAN, January 20. /ARKA/. RA National Statistics Service reported
the nominal of average monthly salary reached 91,331 AMD in 2008,
an annual increase of 17.4%.
The average monthly salary in government-financed organizations reached
64,836 AMD, an annual increase of 18.6%, with a 27.7% increase against
November 2007.
The average monthly salary in privately-owned organizations reached
113,882 AMD, an annual increase of 16.3%, with a 24.5% increase
against November 2008.
The average monthly salary increased by 25.5% in December 2008 against
November 2008. ($1 - 305.27AMD).
Armenian Remittances Drop Amid World Crisis
By Emil Danielyan
Cash remittances sent home by Armenians working abroad, a major driving
force of Armenia's economic growth, appear to have shrunk in the fourth
quarter of last year amid the deepening financial crisis around the
world.
The latest data from the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) show the total
value of non-commercial cash transfers processed by local banks rising
by 26.2 percent year-on-year to almost 1.5 billion in January-November
2008. The figure is equivalent to almost 14 percent of Gross Domestic
Product, highlighting its importance for Armenia's economy and
population. A comparable amount of money is thought to have entered the
country through non-bank wire transfer systems and in cash.
The bank remittances soared by 45 percent before stock markets in the
United States and elsewhere in the world began collapsing in late
September. The meltdown has been particularly acute in Russia, home to
hundreds of thousands of Armenian migrant workers and the main source of
the remittances. The Russian economy has also been hit hard by recent
months' sharp fall in international oil prices.
According to the CBA, the remittances totaled $102.6 million in November
2008, down by more than 7 percent from the November 2007 level. The bank
has yet to release remittance data for December.
CBA officials downplay the reported drop, saying that overall hard
currency inflows, which include money used for business transactions and
other commercial purposes, amounted to $2.1 billion in January-November
2008 and surged by 42 percent to $273.8 million last November alone.
Still, the Armenian government is worried that decreased remittances
would deepen the global downturn's impact on Armenia's economy and its
growth rate, which slowed into single digits in the four quarter. `If
economic growth in Russia slows, the incomes of our compatriots will
decrease and so will their private remittances sent to Armenia,' Prime
Minister Tigran Sarkisian said in October. `That could have a negative
impact on our financial sector and the level of consumption in general
because 80 percent of the remittances are channeled into consumption.'
The cash inflows have not only boosted consumer spending and thereby
stimulated the economy but also allowed Armenia to finance its massive
trade and current account deficits. The Armenian trade deficit was on
course to pass the $3 billion mark in 2008.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By Emil Danielyan
Cash remittances sent home by Armenians working abroad, a major driving
force of Armenia's economic growth, appear to have shrunk in the fourth
quarter of last year amid the deepening financial crisis around the
world.
The latest data from the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) show the total
value of non-commercial cash transfers processed by local banks rising
by 26.2 percent year-on-year to almost 1.5 billion in January-November
2008. The figure is equivalent to almost 14 percent of Gross Domestic
Product, highlighting its importance for Armenia's economy and
population. A comparable amount of money is thought to have entered the
country through non-bank wire transfer systems and in cash.
The bank remittances soared by 45 percent before stock markets in the
United States and elsewhere in the world began collapsing in late
September. The meltdown has been particularly acute in Russia, home to
hundreds of thousands of Armenian migrant workers and the main source of
the remittances. The Russian economy has also been hit hard by recent
months' sharp fall in international oil prices.
According to the CBA, the remittances totaled $102.6 million in November
2008, down by more than 7 percent from the November 2007 level. The bank
has yet to release remittance data for December.
CBA officials downplay the reported drop, saying that overall hard
currency inflows, which include money used for business transactions and
other commercial purposes, amounted to $2.1 billion in January-November
2008 and surged by 42 percent to $273.8 million last November alone.
Still, the Armenian government is worried that decreased remittances
would deepen the global downturn's impact on Armenia's economy and its
growth rate, which slowed into single digits in the four quarter. `If
economic growth in Russia slows, the incomes of our compatriots will
decrease and so will their private remittances sent to Armenia,' Prime
Minister Tigran Sarkisian said in October. `That could have a negative
impact on our financial sector and the level of consumption in general
because 80 percent of the remittances are channeled into consumption.'
The cash inflows have not only boosted consumer spending and thereby
stimulated the economy but also allowed Armenia to finance its massive
trade and current account deficits. The Armenian trade deficit was on
course to pass the $3 billion mark in 2008.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2 comments:
turkce biliyor musunuz? can ye speak turkish?
Yok, chock Turkce bilmem! No, I don't know a lot of Turkish, but what I know is a legacy left to me by my Parents and Grandparent, Aunt and Uncle. Who all spoke Turkish. They gave me a wealth of knowledge, and no details left out. This blog is manifest and dedicated to those memories, which confirms its authenticity.
Hartsoodzadzet inch gab ooni?
What connection does your question have? Or have I already answered you!
04 February 2009 13:35
Do you speak ARMENIAN?
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