Armenian News
PRESIDENT OF GEORGIA VISITS ARMENIA
armradio.am
25.06.2009 11:02
At the invitation of President Serzh Sargsyan President of Georgia
Mikhail Sahakashvili and Mrs. Sandra Roelofs arrived to Armenia on
June 24 for a two day official visit.
The official ceremony of welcoming the President of Georgia took
place at the Presidential Palace and was followed by the private
meeting of the two Presidents, President's Press Office reported.
The meeting of Serzh Sargsyan and Mikhail Sahakashvili was followed
by the meeting of the delegations in the extended format with.
Noting that few nations in the world can take pride in such
long-lasting and good-neighborly relations as those of the Armenian
and Georgian people, President Sargsyan said "We have inherited these
relations from our predecessors and we must develop them further."
Presidents Sargsyan and Sahakashvili noted that frequent contacts
and negotiations benefit allow to swiftly define issues of mutual
interest as well as to decide on the best avenues for their resolution.
During the negotiations discussed were issues related to the
cargo transportation through the territory of Georgia, transport
connection between Armenia and Georgia, tourism development, as
well as issues related to cooperation in the area of education and
culture. The parties also discussed the issue of demarcation of the
Armenian-Georgian border.
Implementation of joint projects in different are as and making
them traditional was viewed by President Sargsyan as an important
means for intensifying the interaction between the two peoples. As
an example of such a joint project he proposed, in particular, to
organize annual Olympiad for schoolchildren on different subjects as
well as sport events. The parties reached the agreement to conduct
the first Olympiad in the fall of this year.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the President of Armenia Serzh
Sargsyan awarded the President of Georgia Mikhail Sahakashvili with
the Medal of Honor, which is the highest state decoration awarded to
foreign citizens.
The medal was awarded in accordance with the June 24 decree of the
President of Armenia for President Sahakashvili's contribution to the
strengthening of the centuries-long friendship of the two peoples and
for the activities directed at the deepening of the Armenian-Georgian
cooperation.
armradio.am
25.06.2009 11:02
At the invitation of President Serzh Sargsyan President of Georgia
Mikhail Sahakashvili and Mrs. Sandra Roelofs arrived to Armenia on
June 24 for a two day official visit.
The official ceremony of welcoming the President of Georgia took
place at the Presidential Palace and was followed by the private
meeting of the two Presidents, President's Press Office reported.
The meeting of Serzh Sargsyan and Mikhail Sahakashvili was followed
by the meeting of the delegations in the extended format with.
Noting that few nations in the world can take pride in such
long-lasting and good-neighborly relations as those of the Armenian
and Georgian people, President Sargsyan said "We have inherited these
relations from our predecessors and we must develop them further."
Presidents Sargsyan and Sahakashvili noted that frequent contacts
and negotiations benefit allow to swiftly define issues of mutual
interest as well as to decide on the best avenues for their resolution.
During the negotiations discussed were issues related to the
cargo transportation through the territory of Georgia, transport
connection between Armenia and Georgia, tourism development, as
well as issues related to cooperation in the area of education and
culture. The parties also discussed the issue of demarcation of the
Armenian-Georgian border.
Implementation of joint projects in different are as and making
them traditional was viewed by President Sargsyan as an important
means for intensifying the interaction between the two peoples. As
an example of such a joint project he proposed, in particular, to
organize annual Olympiad for schoolchildren on different subjects as
well as sport events. The parties reached the agreement to conduct
the first Olympiad in the fall of this year.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the President of Armenia Serzh
Sargsyan awarded the President of Georgia Mikhail Sahakashvili with
the Medal of Honor, which is the highest state decoration awarded to
foreign citizens.
The medal was awarded in accordance with the June 24 decree of the
President of Armenia for President Sahakashvili's contribution to the
strengthening of the centuries-long friendship of the two peoples and
for the activities directed at the deepening of the Armenian-Georgian
cooperation.
Russian MPs Slam Yerevan For Honoring Georgia's Saakashvili
Georgia -- President Mikheil Saakashvili speaks at the opening of the
Mukhadverdi memorial to Georgian soldiers who were killed during the
August 2008 war with Russia, in Tbilisi, 26May2009
26.06.2009
Two senior members of the Russian parliament strongly criticized
Armenia on Friday for bestowing its highest state award for foreign
dignitaries upon Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.
Saakashvili received the Medal of Honor from President Serzh
Sarkisian at the start of his two-day official visit to Yerevan on
Wednesday. Sarkisian's office cited his contribution to
`strengthening the centuries-old Georgian-Armenian friendship.'
The move did not go down well with Armenian nationalist activists who
accuse the Saakashvili government of deliberately neglecting the
socioeconomic woes of Georgia's Javakheti region and violating the
rights of its predominantly Armenian population. Several dozen of
them tried to stage a protest on Thursday outside a Yerevan hotel
where the Georgian leader stayed during the trip.
Police used to force to disperse the protesters, many of them young
activists of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun)
that stands for granting Javakheti the status of an autonomous
region. `Giving Saakashvili the Medal of Honor was incomprehensible,'
said Giro Manoyan, a senior member of Dashnaktsutyun.
Some Russian politicians seem to have been even more irked by
Yerevan's warm reception of a man vilified by Moscow for his
staunchly pro-Western foreign policy. Valeri Bogomolov, a member of
the State Duma committee on foreign relations affiliated with the
ruling United Russia Party, called it a `very controversial event.'
`Every country is free to award anything to anything,' the Regnum
news agency quoted Bogomolov as saying. `However, it is important to
understand that you can't spit into a water well from which you will
need to drink on more than occasion.'
`The demonstrative granting of a high Armenian state award to the
Georgian president was an untactful and unfriendly step towards
Russia,' agreed Viktor Ilyukhin, another senior Duma member
representing the opposition Communist Party.
Both lawmakers were confident, however, that Sarkisian's gesture will
not inflict serous damage on close relations between Armenia and
Russia. `Russia is a great country which thinks that it should prove
its so-called tolerance everywhere and understands the sometimes
inexplicable actions of our partners,' said Bogomolov.
Speaking at Yerevan State University on Thursday, Saakashvili slammed
Russian policy on both Georgia and Armenia. He claimed in particular
that Moscow showed an utter disregard of `the interests of the
Armenian side' during its August 2008 war with Georgia.
Georgia -- President Mikheil Saakashvili speaks at the opening of the
Mukhadverdi memorial to Georgian soldiers who were killed during the
August 2008 war with Russia, in Tbilisi, 26May2009
26.06.2009
Two senior members of the Russian parliament strongly criticized
Armenia on Friday for bestowing its highest state award for foreign
dignitaries upon Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.
Saakashvili received the Medal of Honor from President Serzh
Sarkisian at the start of his two-day official visit to Yerevan on
Wednesday. Sarkisian's office cited his contribution to
`strengthening the centuries-old Georgian-Armenian friendship.'
The move did not go down well with Armenian nationalist activists who
accuse the Saakashvili government of deliberately neglecting the
socioeconomic woes of Georgia's Javakheti region and violating the
rights of its predominantly Armenian population. Several dozen of
them tried to stage a protest on Thursday outside a Yerevan hotel
where the Georgian leader stayed during the trip.
Police used to force to disperse the protesters, many of them young
activists of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun)
that stands for granting Javakheti the status of an autonomous
region. `Giving Saakashvili the Medal of Honor was incomprehensible,'
said Giro Manoyan, a senior member of Dashnaktsutyun.
Some Russian politicians seem to have been even more irked by
Yerevan's warm reception of a man vilified by Moscow for his
staunchly pro-Western foreign policy. Valeri Bogomolov, a member of
the State Duma committee on foreign relations affiliated with the
ruling United Russia Party, called it a `very controversial event.'
`Every country is free to award anything to anything,' the Regnum
news agency quoted Bogomolov as saying. `However, it is important to
understand that you can't spit into a water well from which you will
need to drink on more than occasion.'
`The demonstrative granting of a high Armenian state award to the
Georgian president was an untactful and unfriendly step towards
Russia,' agreed Viktor Ilyukhin, another senior Duma member
representing the opposition Communist Party.
Both lawmakers were confident, however, that Sarkisian's gesture will
not inflict serous damage on close relations between Armenia and
Russia. `Russia is a great country which thinks that it should prove
its so-called tolerance everywhere and understands the sometimes
inexplicable actions of our partners,' said Bogomolov.
Speaking at Yerevan State University on Thursday, Saakashvili slammed
Russian policy on both Georgia and Armenia. He claimed in particular
that Moscow showed an utter disregard of `the interests of the
Armenian side' during its August 2008 war with Georgia.
ARMENIA GDP TO CONTRACT 9.5 PCT IN '09 -IMF
By Hasmik Mkrtchyan
Reuters
June 24 2009
UK
YEREVAN, June 24 (Reuters) - GDP in Armenia is projected to contract
9.5 percent in 2009, the International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday,
revising an earlier forecast of 5.0 percent.
The IMF on Monday approved an increase in lending to the former Soviet
republic by $283 million to $823 million, citing a sharp contraction
in economic activity, falling remittances, an increase in unemployment
and difficult conditions in credit markets.
'We project GDP growth for 2009 to be minus 9.5 percent, but there
is a lot of uncertainty and the actual growth could be better or
worse depending on what happens to the world economy and in Russia
particularly,' IMF resident representative Nienke Oomes told Reuters
on Wednesday.
After a period of strong economic growth, landlocked Armenia has
been hit hard by the global economic crisis and the impact of close
economic ally Russia sliding into recession.
In March, the Fund approved a $540 million standby loan arrangement
over 28 months to support the country's 2009-2011 financing gap and
a drop in foreign exchange reserves. It followed the central bank's
decision to float the dram currency.
GDP contracted 15.7 percent in January-May 2009 in comparison with 9.8
percent growth in the same period last year, the National Statistics
Service said this month. The central bank has forecast a contraction
of 5.8 percent this year, citing falling chemical and metal prices
on world markets.
'We project a budget deficit of minus 6.5 percent because there is a
big drop in tax revenues,' Oomes said, adding that the IMF programme
allows the government to maintain expenditures at a level 'close to
the 2009 budget'.
'We believe that during this time of crisis it is appropriate for
the government to increase the deficit to stimulate the economy and
to provide fiscal stimulus while protecting social spending for the
poor,' Oomes said.
(Writing by Matt Robinson; editing by Stephen Nisbet) Keywords:
ARMENIA GDP/
By Hasmik Mkrtchyan
Reuters
June 24 2009
UK
YEREVAN, June 24 (Reuters) - GDP in Armenia is projected to contract
9.5 percent in 2009, the International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday,
revising an earlier forecast of 5.0 percent.
The IMF on Monday approved an increase in lending to the former Soviet
republic by $283 million to $823 million, citing a sharp contraction
in economic activity, falling remittances, an increase in unemployment
and difficult conditions in credit markets.
'We project GDP growth for 2009 to be minus 9.5 percent, but there
is a lot of uncertainty and the actual growth could be better or
worse depending on what happens to the world economy and in Russia
particularly,' IMF resident representative Nienke Oomes told Reuters
on Wednesday.
After a period of strong economic growth, landlocked Armenia has
been hit hard by the global economic crisis and the impact of close
economic ally Russia sliding into recession.
In March, the Fund approved a $540 million standby loan arrangement
over 28 months to support the country's 2009-2011 financing gap and
a drop in foreign exchange reserves. It followed the central bank's
decision to float the dram currency.
GDP contracted 15.7 percent in January-May 2009 in comparison with 9.8
percent growth in the same period last year, the National Statistics
Service said this month. The central bank has forecast a contraction
of 5.8 percent this year, citing falling chemical and metal prices
on world markets.
'We project a budget deficit of minus 6.5 percent because there is a
big drop in tax revenues,' Oomes said, adding that the IMF programme
allows the government to maintain expenditures at a level 'close to
the 2009 budget'.
'We believe that during this time of crisis it is appropriate for
the government to increase the deficit to stimulate the economy and
to provide fiscal stimulus while protecting social spending for the
poor,' Oomes said.
(Writing by Matt Robinson; editing by Stephen Nisbet) Keywords:
ARMENIA GDP/
STATE TV READIES TO AIR ARMENIAN
Hurriyet
June 24 2009
Turkey
ANKARA - The signal remains strong for reconciliation between Turkey
and Armenia as the Turkish state broadcaster's head of radio reveals
plans to begin TV broadcasts in the Armenian-language within a year. 'I
sincerely am working for the common future of the two peoples,'
says a member of the broadcasting team.
Just months since it began radio broadcasts in Armenian, state-owned
Turkish Radio and Broadcasting Corporation, or TRT, is now preparing
to launch an Armenian television channel.
According to a source, who declined to be named, initial efforts to
broadcast in Armenian began after a meeting between President Abdullah
Gul and his Armenian counterpart, Serge Sarkisian, last September
when Gul visited Yerevan for a football match between the national
teams of both countries. One team will prepare the television and
radio broadcasts together.
TRT Radio Bureau and Foreign Broadcasts Director Å~^enol Göka
confirmed that Armenian television broadcasts would begin within a
year. Göka refused to provide any details on preparations, but did
say the rate of work was accelerating.
In April, Ankara and Yerevan agreed on a "road map" deal for
U.S.-backed talks leading the way to normalizing ties and opening the
common border, which Turkey closed in a show of support of Azerbaijan
in 1993 after the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories in
the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Armenia accuses Turkey of failing to recognize the 1915-era killings
of Armenians within Ottoman Empire as an act of genocide. Turkey
says hundreds of thousands of both Turks and Armenians died at the
time due to communal violence and wartime conditions, but rejects
allegations of genocide.
"We are ready to normalize relations without preconditions and are
hopeful that Turkey too will take that path, "Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian said.
"As for Turkey's part, I can only express hope that Turkey will not
retreat," Nalbandian said in response to a question from an Armenian
reporter at a joint-news conference with Foreign Minister Sheikh
Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan of the United Arab Emirates on Sunday
in Yerevan.
The plan was to launch the radio channel in June but it was
brought forward to April 2 so that broadcasting could begin before
U.S. President Barack Obama's state visit on April 5.
Göka said the decision to launch a radio channel in Armenian was
made about 18 months ago. Broadcasts in Armenian carry a message
to Armenia and the world, said Göka. "We are tackling the common
history of the two nations. We are emphasizing our joint values in
order to strengthen the links between the two people."
Most popular broadcaster
He said TRT was proud to be one of the most popular broadcasters
in Armenia. But, he also criticized the head of the Armenian state
broadcaster, Alex Haroutunian, saying: "He was in Turkey a few
weeks ago and made a statement about how he did not know about TRT's
broadcasts in Armenian. To tell you the truth, I was very upset. The
only thing I will say is that they knew about the broadcasts." The
two signed a deal last year to prepare joint programs.
When asked about the Armenian broadcasts in the Eastern Armenian
dialect, which is used mainly in Armenia rather than the western
dialect used by Turkish Armenians and the Armenian diaspora, Göka
said: "In the beginning, when we decided to launch such a service, our
target audience was Armenia, not Istanbul. We see these broadcasts as a
key to developing good relations with Armenia." Speakers of western and
eastern Armenian dialects are virtually unintelligible to one another.
Göka also said he could not understand all the controversy surrounding
TRT's broadcasts in Armenian, noting that TRT radio broadcasted in
31 different languages. The team in charge of the Armenian broadcasts
has been kept away from the public's eye.
Armenia-born Ernest Margarian is a member of that team. Margarian,
who told the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review that he was making
public his identity for the first time, said he had moved to Turkey
in 2004 and decided to settle in Ankara. When asked why he chose
to hide his identity, he said: "I didn't really have a reason. I am
not really doing anything that will attract criticism. I just didn't
want to become a public person." Any potential criticism from Armenia
for what he is doing does not discourage him, he said. "Because I
sincerely am working for the common future of the two peoples."
Armenia Gears Up For Direct Flights To U.S.Hurriyet
June 24 2009
Turkey
ANKARA - The signal remains strong for reconciliation between Turkey
and Armenia as the Turkish state broadcaster's head of radio reveals
plans to begin TV broadcasts in the Armenian-language within a year. 'I
sincerely am working for the common future of the two peoples,'
says a member of the broadcasting team.
Just months since it began radio broadcasts in Armenian, state-owned
Turkish Radio and Broadcasting Corporation, or TRT, is now preparing
to launch an Armenian television channel.
According to a source, who declined to be named, initial efforts to
broadcast in Armenian began after a meeting between President Abdullah
Gul and his Armenian counterpart, Serge Sarkisian, last September
when Gul visited Yerevan for a football match between the national
teams of both countries. One team will prepare the television and
radio broadcasts together.
TRT Radio Bureau and Foreign Broadcasts Director Å~^enol Göka
confirmed that Armenian television broadcasts would begin within a
year. Göka refused to provide any details on preparations, but did
say the rate of work was accelerating.
In April, Ankara and Yerevan agreed on a "road map" deal for
U.S.-backed talks leading the way to normalizing ties and opening the
common border, which Turkey closed in a show of support of Azerbaijan
in 1993 after the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories in
the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Armenia accuses Turkey of failing to recognize the 1915-era killings
of Armenians within Ottoman Empire as an act of genocide. Turkey
says hundreds of thousands of both Turks and Armenians died at the
time due to communal violence and wartime conditions, but rejects
allegations of genocide.
"We are ready to normalize relations without preconditions and are
hopeful that Turkey too will take that path, "Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian said.
"As for Turkey's part, I can only express hope that Turkey will not
retreat," Nalbandian said in response to a question from an Armenian
reporter at a joint-news conference with Foreign Minister Sheikh
Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan of the United Arab Emirates on Sunday
in Yerevan.
The plan was to launch the radio channel in June but it was
brought forward to April 2 so that broadcasting could begin before
U.S. President Barack Obama's state visit on April 5.
Göka said the decision to launch a radio channel in Armenian was
made about 18 months ago. Broadcasts in Armenian carry a message
to Armenia and the world, said Göka. "We are tackling the common
history of the two nations. We are emphasizing our joint values in
order to strengthen the links between the two people."
Most popular broadcaster
He said TRT was proud to be one of the most popular broadcasters
in Armenia. But, he also criticized the head of the Armenian state
broadcaster, Alex Haroutunian, saying: "He was in Turkey a few
weeks ago and made a statement about how he did not know about TRT's
broadcasts in Armenian. To tell you the truth, I was very upset. The
only thing I will say is that they knew about the broadcasts." The
two signed a deal last year to prepare joint programs.
When asked about the Armenian broadcasts in the Eastern Armenian
dialect, which is used mainly in Armenia rather than the western
dialect used by Turkish Armenians and the Armenian diaspora, Göka
said: "In the beginning, when we decided to launch such a service, our
target audience was Armenia, not Istanbul. We see these broadcasts as a
key to developing good relations with Armenia." Speakers of western and
eastern Armenian dialects are virtually unintelligible to one another.
Göka also said he could not understand all the controversy surrounding
TRT's broadcasts in Armenian, noting that TRT radio broadcasted in
31 different languages. The team in charge of the Armenian broadcasts
has been kept away from the public's eye.
Armenia-born Ernest Margarian is a member of that team. Margarian,
who told the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review that he was making
public his identity for the first time, said he had moved to Turkey
in 2004 and decided to settle in Ankara. When asked why he chose
to hide his identity, he said: "I didn't really have a reason. I am
not really doing anything that will attract criticism. I just didn't
want to become a public person." Any potential criticism from Armenia
for what he is doing does not discourage him, he said. "Because I
sincerely am working for the common future of the two peoples."
Armenia -- A passenger jet belonging to the national Armavia airline.
24.06.2009
Hovannes Shoghikian
Armenia's national airline will likely start first-ever direct
flights to the United States by the end of this year in line with a
U.S.-Armenian `open skies' agreement signed in November, officials
said on Wednesday.
The agreement, which entered into force on June 16, entitles Armenian
and American airlines to operate regular flight services between any
cities in the two countries. They will be free to determine the
frequency of flights, the equipment used, and the prices charged.
Artyom Movsisian, head of the Armenian government's Civil Aviation
Department, told RFE/RL that Armenia's leading carrier, Armavia,
intends to fly to New York and Los Angeles and will soon apply to the
U.S. Department of Transportation for a relevant license. He said a
team of officials from the department's Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) will then arrive in Yerevan to look into
Armenian aviation facilities, safety rules and practices, and their
conformity with international standards.
Movsisian was confident that Armavia will get the green light to
launch the service that will allow thousands of Armenians traveling
to and from the United States each year to avoid lengthy layovers at
European airports. They account for a large part of passengers taking
daily flights between Yerevan and major European cities.
`Unfortunately, all these procedures necessary for the airline to
carry out flights [to the U.S.] are a bit slow,' said Movsisian.
`They could take up to five or six months.'
A spokeswoman for Armavia told RFE/RL that the private carrier, which
presently flies to 26 destinations in Europe, Russia and the Middle
East, is already preparing to acquire a long-haul jetliner for the
transatlantic service. `As soon as we get the permission, we will be
able to have a big plane in our fleet that will carry out those
flights,' said Nana Avetisova.
According to Movsisian, the U.S. side has yet to name an American
airline interested in flying to Armenia.
The U.S. Embassy in Yerevan, meanwhile, welcomed on Wednesday the
entry into force of the U.S.-Armenian aviation agreement. `The
agreement will strengthen and expand the already strong trade and
tourism links between the United states and Armenia, and provide
multi-million dollar benefits to American and Armenian carriers and
the traveling public, while preserving the United States' commitments
to aviation safety and security,' the embassy said in a statement.
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