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News, 21 Aug, 2009.
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Dashnaks to unveil political platform on September 2. ARF-Dashnaktsutyun Party MP Artsvik Minasyan announced that the party intends to hold a rally on September 2, 2009, dedicated to Nagorno-Karabakh Independence Day. According to Minasyan, ARF is preparing a political platform to be presented that day. "It [the platform] will enable you to become acquainted with our views on all foreign and domestic policy issues," the MP said, underlining that possible collaboration with opposition parties will depend on the ARF Supreme Council’s decision and the other parties' positions on the matter. Referring to the impact of the economic crisis on Armenia, Minasian criticized the government, saying that it has failed to minimize the impact of the global recession on Armenia. He described the government’s anti-crisis policy as inadequate and called for its revision."Using a five-point scale, I would give two points to the government’s anti-crisis policy," Minasian told a news conference. "I believe that it is still not too late to realize that we should accept recommendations of international organizations only to the extent that they help us build a national economy." / HAYOTS ASHKHAR, AZG, ARAVOT
Economic crisis deeper than previously thought. The National Statistical Service (NSS) released fresh statistical data that shows a further deepening of the country’s worst economic crisis since the early 1990s. According to NSS, the Armenian economy contracted by 18.5 percent year on year in the first seven months of this year. The NSS had registered a GDP decline of 16.3 percent in the first half of 2009. Armenian officials have said that the recession will ease in the second half thanks to wide-ranging anti-crisis measures taken by the government in recent months. / AZG, HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK
HRAPARAK daily publishes an interview with Matthew Bryza, who talked in his position of former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasian affairs and discussed issues related to relations between countries in the South Caucasus and the EU, NATO and the West, in general, as well as the Nabucco project. Touching upon Turkish-Armenian relations, Bryza stated that the U.S. policy has long been striving for opening the border between Armenia and Turkey. He also stated that, separate from Armenia-Turkey, there is hope for progress in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Bryza feels that advances on either issue will lead to improvement of the mood in the region and help generate progress on the other issue.
Armenia guarantees security of Azerbaijani judo team. Azerbaijan's judo team's (14 members) security will be ensured during their visit to Yerevan for participation in European Junior Judo Championship, Judo Federation Head Aleksan Avetisian stated."The Armenian side ensures the sportsmen’s security; there is no need to worry. The guarantees are valid not only for the Azerbaijani delegation, but other delegations as well," Avetisyan said, adding that, "the Azeri side submitted a delegation list, however they have not made reservations yet. We are unaware of their flight details. I suppose their delegation will let us know of the flight and reservations by August 31." European Junior Judo Championships will be held in Yerevan, 9-14 August, 2009 involving 500 participants from 40 countries./ HAYASTANI HANRAPETUTIUN
Air crash ascribed to engine malfunction. HAYOTS ASHKHAR, HAYASTANI HANRAPETUTIUN report that the commission set up to find out the causes of TU-154 plane crash has found that the engine of the jet suddenly malfunctioned in the air. The causes for the sudden malfunction are not yet clear.
Oil products from Tabriz. The Tabriz-based National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC) “Shahriar” will supply its products to Armenia, as well as several Central Asian and Caucasian countries, NIORDC representative Syed Hassan Kasem-Zadeh told Mehr news agency in an interview on August 19./ ARMINFO
Power plant construction on Iranian border to start in 2010. The Armenian Public Services Regulatory Commission will issue a license for construction of the Meghri power plant beginning in 2010, following a decision by the cabinet yesterday. Construction work should be finished by 2015./ AZG, HAYASTANI HANRAPETUTIUN
Mixed marriage makes the news. Quoting Turkish press, HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK reports on the marriage of an Armenian woman (32 year old Hermine) to a Turkish man named Ersin. The daily highlights that Hermine changed her religion and announced that she likes being a Muslim woman.
Over 1,000 benefit from amnesty. HAYOTS ASHKHAR and HAYASTANI HANRAPETUTIUN write that, as of August 15, the amnesty law has been applied to 1071 people.
Keeping dangerous people (like newspaper editors) off the streets. HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK highlights that the relatives of Oligarch MP Lfik Samo and the sons of rival oligarch Rostov Samov, all involved in a high profile shootout at a Yerevan restaurant on August 7, were set free. (Details in the August 11 media review). The daily also stresses that the Gyumri Mayor's son (who has been involved in other shootouts) was also released. The daily maintains that Gyumri Mayor Ghukasian once again saved his son from criminal charges. (Note: In 2007, Ghukasian's son was charged with instigating a shootout that coincided with the disappearance of a 12-year-old boy whose decomposed body was found later. Many think the boy was hit by a stray bullet or run over by one of the cars involved in the shootout. Meanwhile, Haykakan Zhamanak's Editor-in-Chief remains in prison after surrendering to authorities to face charges stemming from the March 1 protests. See below.)
No newspapers for newspaper man. The administration of the Yerevan Center Penitentiary refuses to allow Haykakan Zhamanak Editor-in-Chief Nicol Pashinyan to receive newspapers. Pashinyan’s lawyer Tigran Muradyan told Lragir.am that he visited the penitentiary every day except Sundays and Saturdays and handed him copies of the Haykakan Zhamanak, the Hraparak and the Aravot newspapers. / HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK
Guarding his privacy? HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK writes that yesterday's issue of the paper was removed from newspaper stands in the Erebuni and Kentron communities. Yesterday's issue had an article about the property owned by Deputy Prosecutor General Armen Danielian who lives in the Kentron community. (A summary of yesterday's article is available in August 20 media review)
Government salary increases outpace private sector. According to HAYASTANI HANRAPETUTIUN, the average monthly salary in Armenia in January-July, 2009 rose over the same period last year by 12.1% to 98 583 AMD. Government wages increased by 18.1% to 82 172 AMD and non-government came to 122 324 AMD (a growth of 6.9%).
GOAM seeks to collect duties on internet purchases. A specialized customs house will be set up affiliated to the State Revenue Committee which will deal with transportation of products via international postal and express delivery. “The decision of the government to establish this customs house is in accordance with the recent development of online trade throughout the world,” said State Revenue Committee Chairman Gagik Khachatryan, adding that for customs control of these items a new customs house with specialized equipment is necessary. /ARMENPRESS
IFI loans to upgrade Yerevan metro. The Armenian government announced on Thursday that it has secured 16.5 million euros ($23 million) in external grants and loans for modernizing Yerevan’s lightly uses underground metro system. According to Finance Minister Tigran Davtian, the funding will be provided by the European Union, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB). He said the European Commission will grant 6.5 million euros of the total, while the EBRD and the EIB will lend 5 million euros each to the state-owned subway. A spokeswoman for the Yerevan metro, Ninel Vartanian, told RFE/RL that the money will be spent on improving passenger safety by upgrading its rail cars, escalators and network of underground cables. "We have always ensured the network’s security," she said. "But since our facilities and equipment are 30 years old we need to take steps requiring more large-scale investments." |
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