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Matthew Bryza says he does not know who will be new U.S. Co-Chair, praises his DAS replacement. "I do not know who will be the new OSCE Minsk Group U.S. co-chair, but I think that he or she will be a very experienced one," current U.S. Co-Chair Matthew Bryza said in Baku today. He described Tina Kaidenow, the person who will replace him as Assistant Secretary of State on European and Eurasian Affairs, as a "very experienced diplomat." Responding to inquires that he has been appointed U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan, DAS Bryza said that the President would have to make any such appointment. / HAYASTANI HANRAPETUTIUN
“NKR” would welcome DAS Bryza’s appointment as U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan. ARAVOT quotes "N-K Presidential Spokesperson" Davit Babayan as saying to Tert.am that the appointment of Matthew Bryza as U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan will signal a change of U.S. policy in the region. He notes that Bryza is unique when compared to other U.S. Ambassadors to Azerbaijan in that he has very good ties with all the presidents of the region and this will help him promote regional peace and integration by virtue of his personal ties.
DAS Bryza gives presentation at International Center for Human Rights. NEWS.am publishes the entire presentation and Q&A of U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Matthew Bryza at the International Center for Human Rights in Tsakhkadzor, Armenia. / find it at http://news.am/en/news/2445.html
U.S. Embassy to support Azerbaijani Film Festival in Yerevan. The Caucasian Center of Peaceful Initiatives is organizing an Azerbaijani Film Festival in Yerevan for October 2009. The festival will be held with the support of the U.S. Embassy in Armenia. / ARMINFO
Daily highlights “NKR” official’s decision to vacation in the U.S., contrasts it to call to stay local by PM. HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK writes that several days ago, “Commander of the Defense Army of Nagorno-Karabakh” Movses Hakobian and members of his family received visas from the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan. The daily says that while Prime Minister Tigran Sargsian is attempting to persuade Armenian officials to spend their holiday in Nagorno-Karabakh, the “Commander of the Defense Army of Nagorno-Karabakh” is going on vacation in the U.S. The daily wonders how a person whose salary is less than 1000 USD can even afford to vacation in the United States.
“NKR MPs” urge Armenian authorities to free French national of Armenian descent. Eleven members of Nagorno-Karabakh’s “Parliament” have signed a petition urging the Armenian authorities to free a French national of Armenian descent, Sargis Hatspanian, who actively participated in last year’s anti-government protests in Yerevan and was arrested on controversial charges in November. / Read the full article at http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/1798248.html / RFE/RL
Defense Minister visits N-K, holds closed door meetings with military officials. HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK claims that recently, Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian visited Nagorno-Karabakh where he held closed door meetings with high ranking military officials to discuss the N-K negotiations. The daily highlights the fact that there were no official releases of the meetings, fueling speculation that the topic discussed was the return of the liberated territories through the “road map” for peace.
Armenian peacekeepers and special forces hold joint exercise. INTERFAX reports that yesterday, Armenian peacekeepers and special forces held a joint exercise in which the following scenario was played out: An enemy onslaught drives the peacekeepers back, but the special forces intervene and force the enemy back. The peacekeepers then return to their original positions. Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian observed the exercise which was held at the Marshal Baghramian Training Grounds.
PM meets with representatives of the Armenian Journalists’ Union. HAYASTANI HANRAPETUTIUN reports that Prime Minister Tigran Sargsian met yesterday with editors of provincial and municipal newspapers on the initiative of the Armenian Journalists’ Union. During the meeting, the editors presented the Prime Minister with their concerns, drew particular attention to the effective use of the annual subsidy provided to the provincial press, highlighted the effective organization of subscriptions, and noted the support of territorial administrations and local self-governmental bodies. The journalists also inquired about government programs aimed at alleviating the difficult socio-economic conditions in the provinces. The Premier said that it is necessary to increase the authority of local press, as well as respond to issues residents are concerned with.
President appoints new Permanent Representative to the U.N. President Sargsian signed a decree on August 10 dismissing Armen Martirosian as Permanent Representative of Armenia to the United Nations. With a following decree, the President appointed Karen Nazarian as the Permanent Representative (residence in New York City)./ HAYASTANI HANRAPETUTIUN.
Tourism stagnates in Armenia for the first half of 2009. According to HAYASTANI HANRAPETUTIUN, about 207,729 tourists visited Armenia in the first half of 2009, which happens to be 0.1% more as compared with the same period last year. Head of the Tourism and Economic Development Department of the Economic Ministry Mekhak Apresian said that the tempo of visitors has slowed this year whereas last year, the growth rate was between 20-25%.
World’s largest plane delivers YTPP’s new turbine generator to Zvartnots Int’l Airport. A 198-ton gas turbine generator for the Yerevan Thermal Power Plant has been shipped to Zvartnots Airport by an Antonov AN-225 Mria plane. On August 14 or 15, the same plane will deliver the turbine's transformer. The modernized Yerevan TPP is supposed to resume operations in April 2010 and the modernization project has been financed by the Japanese Bank of International Cooperation, which has lent 26.4 billion JPY ($240-250 million). The Antonov AN-225 Mria is the largest plane in the world and was needed to deliver the 198-ton turbine. / HAYASTANI HANRAPETUTIUN.
Government may shelve plans to allow SRC to infiltrate large companies suspected of tax evasion. According to RFE/RL, the Armenian government may backtrack on proposed legislation which would allow the State Revenue Committee to infiltrate large companies suspected of tax evasion with SRC agents. In an interview with RFE/RL, Armen Alaverdian, a Deputy Head of the SRC, said on Wednesday that the SRC could significantly amend the controversial package before reintroducing it to the assembly next month. "I don’t exclude the possibility that the provision on the physical presence of tax agents will be replaced by another form of oversight which may be a type of informational oversight," Alaverdian said. In that case, he said, large companies would instead be required to present the SRC with more detailed information about their turnover and financial operations. / The full article is available at http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/1798251.html. |
