Sunday 25 October 2009

Armenian News

TURKISH GOVERNMENT SUBMITS ARMENIA PROTOCOLS
TO PARLIAMENT
armradio.am
21.10.2009 17:57


The Turkish government on Wednesday submitted the recently signed
protocols on establishing diplomatic ties with Armenia to Parliament
for ratification.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu briefed Parliament on
Wednesday afternoon on the protocols signed on Oct. 10 with Armenia,
which among other things foresee opening the borders between the two
countries. Davutoglu was trying to convince skeptical lawmakers of
the benefits of the recent agreements, as the pacts are coming up
for Parliament ratification.

"The southern Caucasus doesn't have a solid ground for political
dialogue," Davutoglu said. The government, however, believes
normalizing relations with Armenia will bring peace and prosperity
to the region.

Ahmet Davutoglu's speech Wednesday was frequently interrupted by
opposition lawmakers who accuse the government of making concessions
by signing the documents in Switzerland earlier this month, according
to reports by Associated Press. The government, however, holds a
majority in Turkey's 550-seat parliament and the accords are likely
to be ratified, the Hurriyet Daily News reported.

REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS RANKS ARMENIA 111TH PLACE
IN FREEDOM OF PRESS
Tert
Oct 21 2009
Armenia


The 2009 Press Freedom Index, published by Reporters Without Borders,
has ranked Armenia at 111 out of 175 countries ranked, as compared
to its last year ranking of 102nd place.

First place in this year's ranking is Denmark, followed by Finland
and Ireland. It is important to note that this year, a number of
European countries fell in their rankings.

"It is disturbing to see European democracies such as France, Italy
and Slovakia fall steadily in the rankings year after year," Julliard
said. "Europe should be setting an example as regards civil liberties.

How can you condemn human rights violations abroad if you do not
behave irreproachably at home?" said Reporters Without Borders
secretary-general Jean-Francois Julliard.

Armenia did better than other countries in the Caucasus, except for
Georgia who ranked at 81st place. The other countries in the region
ranked 123rd place (Turkey); 146th (Azerbaijan) and 153rd place
(Russia).

The United States recovered 20 places in the index, thanks to "the
Obama effect," said Julliard.

As noted on the Reports Without Borders website, serious concern has
been raised over press freedom in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Iran:

"Already at the lower end of the rankings in previous years, Iran
has now reached the gates of the infernal trio at the very bottom
- Turkmenistan (173rd), North Korea (174th) and Eritrea (175th) -
where the media are so suppressed they are non-existent."

Reporters Without Borders compiles the index every year on the basis
of questionnaires that are completed by hundreds of journalists and
media experts around the world. This year's index reflects press
freedom violations that took place between September 1, 2008 and
August 31, 2009.

To see the full report, visit their website at http://www.rsf.org


MORE TURKISH FLAGS OFF IN BAKU
Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am
Oct 21 2009
Armenia

Azeris keep on removing Turkish flags. This time a religious
organization, being a Turkish embassy division suffered that fate,
Turkish Haber7 website reports.

The Turkish advisor on religious issues in Baku Muzafer Sahin said
that on his way to work he saw the Turkish flags lowered in front of
the office. It is reported that the flags were removed by Azerbaijani
officers. Earlier, Turkish flags were removed from Shahid alley
in Baku.

October 22, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will visit Baku
to ease tension in Azerbaijani-Turkish relations after Armenia-Turkey
Protocols' signing.
NUMBER OF IMPORTED CARS TO ARMENIA SHARPLY DECREASED
ARMENPRESS
Oct 21, 2009


YEREVAN, OCTOBER 21, ARMENPRESS: In the nine months of the running
year 12,868 cars have been imported to Armenia against 30,641 of the
same span of the past year. State Revenue Committee's press department
told Armenpress that the 1656 of the imported cars are of Russian
production against 2008's 6229.

The customs fee of the imported cars reached 15,384 million AMD.
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