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Armenia Highlights

Armenia Highlights

Working visit of Presi- Syria’s Armenian quarter dent to PAGE 5 Tavush marz Page 2 HIGHLIGHTS

Weekly Digest of the

October 29-November 8 2010 THEMA

“Quote of attends the opening of “Digitech - 2010” the week”

“Instead of threaten- ing war, had better control the sit- uation at the frontline, otherwise subversives would have not made attempts to penetrate into the Armenian terri- tory “

Seyran Ohanyan Ra Defence Minister

rime Minister Tigran Sargsyan at- of information technologies. I think that at Ptended on October 29 the opening this stage of succession of events the role of 6th annual international technologi- the Government has essential value as hun- Upcoming Events cal exposition “Digitech - 2010”held dred thousand people become participants in the sports complex after Karen of this process and our citizens use infor- Demirchyan under the high patron- mation technologies. It raises productivity age of the Armenian Prime Minister. of cooperation and, on the other hand, it November 13: Concert of famous Congratulating the participants and those makes it convenient using state services.” tenor Placido Domingo in present on the opening of this already The Prime Minister noted that without in- traditional exhibition, Tigran Sargsyan formation technologies it is impossible to November 15: Concert of Bosnian stressed the importance of the forum as enhance the efficiency of the economic sys- composer Goran Bregovich it enables the representatives of the IT tem. The presence of foreign firms in Arme- sphere to showcase new products and nia may create new opportunities for infor- November 19: PM Tigran Sargsyan services, progress and achievements. mation technologies as a priority direction. wil participate in EvrAzes According to the head of government, It is remarkable that the Government of Digitech is an exceptional opportunity Armenia is in attendance of the event to see what prospects are opened up with its www.e – gov.am website. Ti- before the IT sphere and what the gov- gran Sargsyan was introduced to the ernment has to do to ensure progress. license, tax return and digital signa- USEFUL LINKS “From this point of view it is necessary ture receipt and processing systems. • www.president.am to note, that actions of the Government Strong with some 68 local and international • www.gov.am are serious stimulus in sphere of devel- participants, the exposition makes display • www.parliament.am opment of information technologies. of new IT systems and equipments to be • www.mfa.am Today you will see in our pavilion as used in everyday and business activities. • www.armenpress.am the Government renders the services to October 29, 2010 www.gov.am • www.panarmenian.net citizens and businessmen by way of use • www..am ARMENIA HIGHLIGHTS

CHRONICA Headlines of Working visit of President Serzh Sargsyan to Tavush marz the week n November 3 President Serzh Sargsyan toms procedures in accordance with mod- • november 1: 7.1% unem- Oconducted a working visit to Tavush marz. ern high standards and to make monitoring ployment rate recorded in Arme- The visited the fully of the checkpoint crossing more efficient. nia in January-September 2010 renovated and refur- During the tour of AH bished Ayrum-Jiliza the premises, Presi- • NOVEMBER 1: Levon Aronian re- checkpoint and ad- dent Sargsyan was tains 3rd position in FIDE ranking ministrative building informed that until AH of Ayrum train sta- the recent renovation • NOVEMBER 1: YSU opens cent- tion. The President of the Ayrum-Jiliza er for retraining of public servants familiarized with the checkpoint, customs AH working conditions of officials were work- • NOVEMBER 2: Bako Sa- the checkpoint, which ing in a small, one- hakyan: Diaspora allow to conduct cus- story structure built should visit Artsakh more often in the middle of the last century, which was not in line with current standards. From AH now on, the customs procedures will be conducted in a modern, two-story and tech- • NOVEMBER 3: Reconstruc- nically upgraded building which is almost two times bigger than the former one. tion of Noyemberyan booster sta- November 30 2010, full story www.president.am tion to be completed by March 2011 AH Furthered economic relationship with the Rostov Region • NOVEMBER 4: Tigran Sargsyan rime Minister Tigran Sargsyan re- the strengthening of traditional bonds announced as Honorary President Pceived today a delegation led by of friendship, the parties looked at the of Armenian Volleyball Federation RF Rostov Region Governor Vasily possibility of deepening economic ex- AH Golubev. changes. • November 6: Water level of Lake Welcoming the guests, the Prime Asked so by the guests, Tigran Sargsy- Sevan to reach 1903,5m by 2030 Minister said to be convinced that the an outlined Armenia’s economic status AH present visit will give a boost Armenia- in the aftermath of the global financial • NOVEMBER 9:RA Finance Minister Russia interregional cooperation. The and economic crisis and went on to paying working visit to Switzerland head of government further stressed state those key areas as in his opinion that the strengthening of direct ties be- needed expanded cooperation, inclu- • November AH 9: Religious chal- tween individual territories was high sive of agriculture, industry, education lenges discussed in Yerevan on the agenda of the Armenian-Rus- and research. sian intergovernmental commission’s Mindful of boosting tourism, as well as latest sitting which was held in Yeka- developing humanitarian and cultural The Armenian Foreign Affairs terinburg October 23, 2010. ties, both sides emphasized the impor- Minister received the members Pleased with the current pace of Arme- tance of holding Rostov Region culture of the delegation of the Euro- nia-Rostov Region cooperation, highly days in Armenia. pean Parliament appreciative of the role played by Ros- November 3, 2010 www.gov.am tov Region’s Armenian community in n October 29, the Foreign Minis- Oter of the Republic of Armenia Ed- ward Nalbandian received the delegation led by the deputies of the European Par- liament Michele Rivazi (Green Party of The Prime Minister visits Ko- France) and Damien Abad (the fraction tayk marz of the European People Party of France). rime Minister Tigran Sargsyan traveled Minister Nalbandian welcomed the guests Pto Kotaik marz to attend the opening and stressed the importance of the role of of Dzoraghbyur community kindergarten. the inter-parliamentary cooperation in deep- Dzorakhbyur lacked in a village kindergar- ening the relations between Armenian and ten. Under construction from 2008, the new the EU. The interlocutors touched upon the relations between Armenia and the EU building is due to host 60 children, with the and the prospects of their development. number of pupils expected to rise to 70-80 The Armenian Foreign Minister underlined in the years ahead. The pre-school establish- Tigran Sargsyan’s visit was wrapped up the importance of the visits of the European ment is provided with all modern ameni- with a briefing at which the journalists were Parliament’s delegation to Armenia, espe- ties. AMD 113mn was contributed by the told in part “Our infrastructure projects im- cially to Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh ) that community, with the balance of 20 million ply continued larger-scale activities: North- provides an possibility to closely acquaint earmarked on the part of the government. South Road Corridor investment program with the existing situation, problems and First, the Prime Minister toured the premises is on with the first tenders out already. We the rational perspectives of their solution. to get acquainted with the new-built facility. are convinced that a new road building cul- Upon the request of the guests, Edward Next, he headed to Garni where he attended ture is going to be introduced in our coun- Nalbandian presented the recent de- the opening of Yotnakhbyur-Garni gravity wa- try. Sizeable projects are scheduled in the velopments in the Artsakh (Nagorno- Karabakh) settlement process. The ter-main of vital importance to the community energy sector. New infrastructures will be sides discussed other regional issues.. which had been under construction since 2008. set up for power transmission purposes.” October 29, 2010 www.mfa.am November 5, 2010, www.gov.am 2 AH ARMENIA HIGHLIGHTS RES PUBLICA Presidential IT award granted to 37 university and high IMF advises Armenia to start school students winding down anti-crisis policy The grand-prix was awarded to the graduate student of Yerevan Engi- he economic upturn in the Caucasus and Cen- neering University Armen Gharibyan. Ttral Asia is gathering momentum, with growth To encourage young engineers Syn- for the region projected to increase to 5 percent in opsys Armenia CJSC has teamed 2010, up from 3½ percent in 2009, the International with Hayastan All-Armenian Fund Monetary Fund (IMF) said in its Regional Econom- to support the Armenian Presi- ic Outlook for Caucasus and Central Asia (CCA). dent’s annual awards of the IT sec- Among the oil and gas importers, Armenia and tor’s best and brightest students. are forecast to grow at 4 percent and 5 The annual Presidential awards for IT percent, respectively, in 2010, compared with n October 29, presidential resi- are given to the top students show- negative growth in 2009. In Tajikistan, growth Odence hosted the Students IT ing excellent achievements in their is estimated at 5½ percent for 2010—about Award ceremony, where 25 university studies and research work and serve 2 percentage points higher than in 2009. Bu- and 12 high school students were grant- as a strong incentive for the Arme- oyed by Russia’s recovery, all three countries ed with diplomas and cash bonuses. nian youth to further enhance their are projected to grow at 4–5 percent in 2011. Armenian President Serzh Sarg- expertise and keep the long lasting With regard to the policy response, the report rec- syan expressed hope for the traditions of engineering excellence. ommends that countries across the region use the awards to signal further profes- October 29, 2010 www.panarmenian.net current recovery to start winding down policies sional growth of the nominees. that were implemented in response to the crisis. When unwinding, the authorities should first exit from fiscal stimulus, in light of fiscal sustainability Armenian Prime Minister Armenian, Russian and Azerba- considerations, the report adds. This is particularly briefs European media repre- ijani Foreign Ministers fulfill true for oil and gas importers, which are facing sentatives on the country’s Astrakhan agreement rising public debt as a result of their policy re- economic and social policy sponse to the crisis and declining donor support. November 2 2010, full story www.panarmenian.net rmenian Prime Minister Tigran n November 6, Moscow hosted a Sargsyan met with European me- Oworking meeting between Arme- A nian, Russian and Azerbaijani Foreign : Armenian dia representatives on a visit to Arme- Ministers Edward Nalbandian, Ser- armed forces will continue nia. At the meeting, the Prime Minister gei Lavrov and Elmar Mammadyarov. coercing Azerbaijan into peace briefed the journalists on Armenia’s In accordance with the agreement economic and social policy, economic reached between Armenian, Russian and development prospects, as well as bi- Azerbaijani Presidents in Astrakhan, a lateral relations with other regional number of issues on Karabakh conflict states, ministerial press service report- settlement was included into the meeting ed. agenda, ministerial press service reported. November 2, 2010 www.panarmenian.net November 6, 2010 www.panarmenian.net

Tigran Sargsyan: fund is formed in Armenia to develop seed growing ellicose statements constantly made by the BAzerbaijani leadership are not new for Ar- Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sarg- menia, RA Defense Minister said. syan noted that a fund is formed for the “Instead of threatening war, Azerbaijan had bet- first time in the country to develop seed ter control the situation at the frontline, other- growing. During the first stage, seed wise subversives would have not made attempts growing enterprises will be formed to penetrate into the Armenian territory. Moreo- to provide reproduced wheat seeds to ver, it’s extremely strange when the Azerbai- farmers in future, he said. jani leaders present the subversives as heroes,” Armenia has already received 1,000t Seyran Ohanyan stated when commenting on of high-quality Russian wheat as part the recent threats of the Azerbaijani President. of the program. “Nevertheless, Armenian armed forces will “We aim to have enterprises produc- continue coercing Azerbaijan into peace,” the uring the November 4 sitting, the ing high-quality seeds in a couple of Minister stated. DArmenian government approved years,” Sargsyan said, adding that the Delivering a speech at the funeral of a raider, the procedure for servicing the spe- program will allow Armenia to reach Azerbaijan’s President said Baku cial account for implementation of the the level of self-sufficiency in 4-5 is ready for a new war, not only against Kara- Program on Development of Wheat years. bakh but against Armenia as well. Seed Growing and Seed Production for November 4, 2010, www.panarmenian.net 2010-2014. November 9, 2010, www.panarmenian.net

3 AH ARMENIA HIGHLIGHTS PRO PATRIA Syria’s Armenian quarter Al-Qassimi, Armenian PM dis- Karabakh conflict stays cuss trade cooperation frozen AE Minister of Foreign Trade USheikha Lubna Al Qassimi and Ar- agorny Karabakh is an Armenian- menian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan Nbacked and Armenian-populated have discussed trade and investments self-governing enclave inside Azerbai- relations between their two countries. jan. In the period since 1994, when its lat- Sheikha Lubna conveyed to Sarg- est truce came about, it has been catching syan greetings from Vice President breath after a six-year armed conflict in hen Hrant Manolian, a respected and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler which it defended an independence bid. Wofficer, was appointed Command- of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mo- The conflict is frozen, but with a pos- er of Syrian Police in the 1940s, Syrian hammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. sible re-eruption around the corner. newspapers gloated, using “Hrant Bey’s” Sheikha Lubna is leading a delega- To prevent this from happening, the appointment to prove just how diverse tion of around 50 business leaders Syrian society was and how accommo- and officials to Armenia to participate dating and respectful it was of the Arme- in the UAE- Armenia business fo- nian community in Syria. Hrant was an rum which started today in Yerevan. Armenian — clearly from the “ian” in She said the meetings with Armenian his family name — while the prime min- officials will discuss ways to further ister back then, Fares Al Khoury, was a promote trade and investment rela- Protestant Christian. Since then Syria has tions with Armenia as well as to real- had a colourful array of prominent offic- ize the outcome of her previous visit ers, businessmen, and members of par- to Armenia into joint investments by liament from the Armenian community, the private sectors in both countries. while Syria’s current parliament was con- For his part, the Armenia official ex- structed by Armenians back in the 1930s. pressed his government’s interest in Russian, Armenian and Azeri presi- Armenians famously came to Syria dur- providing all facilities and incentives for dents, Dmitry Medvedev, Serge ing the First World War, fleeing the Ot- UAE companies and investors willing Sargsian and Ilham Aliev sat down toman dragnet, to settle as refugees in to tap investment potentials and tens of for a discussion on Karabakh at the homes of Damascus and Aleppo. a meeting in the Russian Caspian Under the Ottoman Empire, they had a port of Astrakhan on October 27th. common destiny with their Arab coun- We have the details from the lead- terparts; both were struggling — each in ing analyst of the Russian ‘Reg- a different way — for freedom. A few num’ portal Dr Stanislav Tarasov: of them married into Syrian families — The summit produced agreements to some even wedding Muslims — while swap the bodies and the POWs from the majority of the community continued the Karabakh conflict. It also appeared to live in a very tightly-knit community to have opened the way to even deep- that has survived, with all upheavals that er Azeri-Armenian reconciliation. rocked Syria, over the past 90-years. Unfortunately, this was not to be. A de- cision by Karabakh to rename the city of Arabic-speaking schools projects in infrastructure, agricultural Agdam to Aknu prompted a thinly-veiled reclamation, water and food industry. threat of force from the Azeri president. Many Armenians, however, are still Later, Sheikha Lubna met with The American political scientist Dr Ariel ‘rough’ when it comes to speaking the Armenian deputy prime min- Cohen suspects domestic politics at work: Arabic language fluently, although they ister Armen Kevorkian. Apparent intransigence on both sides have lived among Arabs for decades In remarks at the meeting, Kevorkian and unwillingness to compromise are and studied at Arabic-speaking schools said the UAE is prioritized by the Arme- consequences of strong domestic oppo- throughout Syria. They currently number nian government’s plans to expand co- sition to reconciliation. The hopes are approximately 200,000 and most of them operation with the Arabian Gulf region. pinned on Russia. As an age-old pres- reside in Aleppo, Damascus, Der ez Zour He further urged UAE companies ence in the South Caucasus, it is interest- and the Hassake province in Eastern Syria. to tap opportunities provided by ed in lasting peace in this troubled area. Between the years 1918-1978, for ex- the Armenian economy in renew- Indeed, as America shows consider- ample, no less than 115 Armenian pe- able energy and technology as well able indifference, the strongest peace riodicals were published in Aleppo, as the logistic hub set up by the influences on the conflicting sides are specialised in politics, economics, and government to support agriculture. now Russia and . The former even child education. That shows just The UAE-Armenia Business Fo- is now on good terms with Azerbai- how serious the community was about rum was opened today in Yerevan by jan as well as Armenia, and the latter, contributing to Syrian society and re- Sheikha Lubna Al Qassimi and Ar- on the path towards neighbourhood fusing to live the life of refugees. They menian Prime Minister Tigran Sarg- with Armenia, as well as Azerbaijan. were naturalised as Syrian citizens when syan in presence of senior officials and November 8, 2010 english.ruvr.ru the Ottoman Empire collapsed in 1918. business leaders from both countries. October 29, 2010 www.gulfnews.com November 7, 2010 www.moft.gov.ae 4 AH ARMENIA HIGHLIGHTS DIASPORA

Mekhitarist Congregation in Vienna Publishes Reconstruction of Diyarba- Facsimile of Codex 543 kir’s St. Giragos Armenian he Mekhitarist congregation will be was a pioneer of church union. After many Church Nearly Complete Tcelebrating the bicentenary of its foun- years of preparation (correspondence and dation in Vienna in 2011. To mark the oc- meeting with Byzantine Emperor Manuel casion, the Vienna monastery - one of the I, Patriarch Michael and Prince Alex), he largest centres of Armenian culture outside hoped to accomplish the union with the of Armenia - will present the facsimile of Greek Church, but did not have the time an invaluable manuscript: Codex 543 from to carry it through. Codex 543 comprises the monastery’s own library. The small-for- “11 full-page miniatures, 11 text-inserted mat manuscript - one of the finest and most miniatures, 24 border miniatures, 3 deco- beautiful of Armenian manuscripts dating rated pages, 3 title bars, zoomorphous and back to the 15th century - measures 135x85 vegetal border decoration as well as swash mm, has 240 pages and was set down in letters... Taken as a whole, the small codex 1432 at the Armenian Monastery of Saint presents itself as an illuminated manuscript he $2.5 million reconstruction of Anthony near Caffa on the Crimean penin- of delicate, meticulous beauty. Two ver- Tthe St. Giragos Armenian Church sula in the Black Sea. The manuscript con- sions of the Codex 543 facsimile will be in Diyarbakir (Dikranagerd), Turkey is tains several writings by Catholicos Nerses published as limited edition: 13 Complete nearly complete. Restored by the Ar- IV Shnorhali (1102-1173), including his facsimile - limited to a numbered edition menian Patriarchate in Istanbul, St. Gi- opus magnum “Jesus, Son Only-Begotten of only 300 copies, printed on parchment ragos is the largest Armenian church in of the Father”, a sublime elegiac poem. with manually retraced ornaments, gild- the Middle East and one of the most im- Nerses Shnorhali (the Gracious) descend- ing. Hand bound in sheepskin on wooden portant works of . ed, on his mother’s side, from the noted boards, with blind embossing and two Seriously damaged and in ruins for princely Armenian family of Pahlavuni metal fasteners, packed in a casket made of decades, the first church at this site was which had given the country several states- cherry wood and accompanied by a digital built in 1515-1518. It was then repaired men but also 7 catholicoi who succeeded edition on CD and the commentary. 2. Par- in 1722 by Armenian Patriarch Bedros each other from 1065 to 1202. Catholicos tial facsimile - colour print with added gold Vartabed. In 1729, it was rebuilt with an Nerses Shnorhali -theologian, poet and on parchment, hand bound in imitation expanded plan by three Armenian ar- musician- became an industrious writer in leather, together with the digital edition. chitects Shahin, Sarukhan and Yarem. the field of theology, poetry, hymn, hom- The facsimile manuscript is accompanied It was completely burnt down during ily, prayers, sacred music, lettres, educa- by a commentary in German and English. the great fire of 1881 and reconstructed tional writings, parables, riddles, etc. He November 6, 2010 Lousabats N 859 again in 1883 to its present plan, with seven ‘khorans’ and a huge footprint of more than 15,000 square feet, to Report from Turkey: Hrant Dink’s Spirit Lives serve a large Armenian population in had been motivated to travel to Turkey as to know all about it. The young concierge the region. Its 100 feet high bell tower, Ia result of my association with the Arme- at my small hotel in the Sultan Ahment with a bell molded by the famed Zild- nian Mirror-Spectator, where I worked as district in Istanbul chatted quite cheerfully jians and a large golden cross at the the assistant editor for eight years and where with me about the occasion, without ex- top, was bombarded and toppled by I continue to work as a freelance writer. pressing any particular opinion about it. German/Ottoman cannon fire in 1915 I had been to Armenia back in 2001 and in And the newspaper reported that the reason because it was deemed to be higher the meantime had read countless articles the cross had not been raised was that it was than the mosque minarets in the region. about Turkey in the Armenian and Ameri- too heavy. This seemed like more than a bit of After the founding of the Turkish Re- can press, and hadmet some of the Turkish spin. A week or so later, another article in the public in 1923, it was used as a state scholars, writers and intellectuals who have English-language daily noted that local Turk- warehouse for canvas and fabrics, and acknowledged the — ish residents in Akhtamar had been fearful then, despite sporadic efforts by the people like Taner Akcam, Hassan Cemal, that the gathering of some thousand Armeni- dwindling Armenian community in Orhan Pamuk and Fatma Muge Gocek. I had ans who attended the ceremony would turn on Diyarbakir, it had been left to dete- reviewed books by Turkish writers such as them and demand their houses and lands back. riorate and decay until 2009, when a Pamuk and journalist Ece Temelkuran. It My first impression of Istanbul, driving in few Armenians born in Diyarbakir but was time, I thought, to see Turkey for myself. from the airport, was of a massive blanket living in Istanbul, formed a Founda- I arrived in Istanbul on September 19, the day of low rise buildings stretching as far as the tion Board under the auspices of the that the Armenian community held a mass eye could see on both sides of the Bosporus. Armenian Istanbul Patriarchate, with at Akhtamar. I did not arrive in time to at- Today, Istanbul is home to more than 15 mil- the goal of reconstructing the church, tend the ceremony, but it was written about lion people and the city is continuing to grow. as well as to start a legal process to re- the next day in the English- language Hur- I wondered if I would be able to make any claim title to the significant land hold- riyet daily and people in Istanbul seemed sense of this vast metropolis in a few days. ings originally belonging to the church. November 8, 2010 www.mirrorspectator.com October 29, 2010 www.asbarez.com

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