Month: October 2006

DEMONSTRATION OF COMPLAINT IN DEFENCE OF VAHAGN CHAKHALIAN HELD IN AKHALKALAK

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Oct 30 2006

AKHALKALAK, OCTOBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. A demonstration
of complaint in defence of Vahagn Chakhalian, a member of the
chairmanship of the "United Javakhk" democratic alliance, arrested
on October 11 in Yerevan, took place in the Freedom square of
Akhalkalak. As Javakhk-Info states, population of settlements
neighbouring to Akhalkalak also participated in the demonstration of
many thousands held on October 27. The rally participants expressed
their indignation on the occasion of the "absurd" accusation of
"illegally breaking the RA border" towards V.Chakhalian and demanded
to immediately set free Vahagn Chakhalian. A statement was adopted
at the end of the rally, where it was particularly, mentioned that
they will take other means in the case of not setting free Vahagn
Chakhalian within a short term.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BIOTECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE DEVELOPS NEW MILK-CLOTTING ENZYME PREPARATION

Noyan Tapan
Oct 30 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN. The scientific research institute
Biotechnology is developing a new highly-efficient milk-clotting
enzyme preparation, which will also have slight protein destruction
properties. Hakob Karagulyan, senior staff member of the institute,
said this. According to him, the indicated properties are necessary
for production of European kinds of cheese with long maturation. In
H. Karagulyan’s words, after achieving a certain degree of purity,
it is envisaged to introduce the production of the new milk-clotting
enzyme preparation in Nane CJSC (Armenia). The annual demand for the
new milk-clotting preparation may be 1-1.5 tons but there are also
opportunities to produce such preparation to meet the total demand
of 5-6 tons in Iran, Georgia and the south of Russia. H. Karagulyan
said that prices of 1 kg of low-quality milk-clotting preparations
currently used in Armenia range from 120 to 150 US dollars, while
prices of high-quality ones – from 180 to 200 USD.

According to him, the price of the milk-clotting enzume preparation
developed by Biotechnology may be up to 100 USD, while the annual
profitability of production of 1 ton – 25-30 thousand USD.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NATO CONSULTING GROUP WELCOMES DRAFT BEING WORKED OUT ON RA NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY

Noyan Tapan
Oct 30 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN. Serge Sargsian, the Chairman of
the interdepartment commission coordinating works of working out the
draft to the RA National Security Srategy, the Secretary of the RA
National Security Council attached to President, met on October 26 with
members of the NATO international consulting group. As Noyan Tapan was
informed RA Defence Ministry’s Information and Propaganda Department,
at the beginning of the meeting, representative of Great Britain,
Major General John Drewienkiewicz mentioned that the consulting group
welcame all the provisions of the draft being worked out on the RA
National Security Strategy concerning development of state and civil
society of Armenia. Touching upon issues relating to security, the
group members spoke about difficult geostrategic situation of Armenia,
facting that two of the four neighbouring countries, Azerbaijan and
Turkey, implement blockade towards Armenia, and the vital path tiing
with the foreign world pass through Georgia and Iran appeared in the
difficult geopolitical situation. Speaking about the foreign policy
of Armenia, the group members mentioned that it is greatly provided
by existence of the two most important problems for every Armenian,
Nagorno Karabakh and the Armenian Genocide. At the end of the meeting,
the guests facted that in such a situation Armenia made a decision
on leading balanced policy from both strategic or global and military
or regional viewpoint.

SOYA EAST CONTRIBUTES TO WIDER USE OF SOYA IN FOOD INDUSTRY

Noyan Tapan
Oct 30 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN. Soya East Ltd, a company set up
in Yerevan a year ago, produces milk, condensed milk and cheese,
as well as meat and cheese surrogates from soya, with all these
products being certified and corresponding to state standards of
Armenia and Russia. The company produces 80 kg of condenced milk and
20-30 kg of meat surrogates daily. The company’s director Doctor
of Technical Sciences Anahit Beglarian told NT correspondent that
over ten foodstuffs produced by Soya East have both preventive and
curative properties. For example, soya milk is a rare foodstuff of
plant origin and does not contain lactose and cholesterol. According
to her, the use of 25 grams of soya protein each day reduces the risk
of cardiovascular and renal diseases and helps prevent such diseases as
diabetes, diathesis and cancer. A. Beglarian said that Soya East is the
only Armenian company that tries to use soya in food industry. The
company provides part of the raw materials imported from Russia
to the local meat half-finished product manufacturing plants and
confectionery factories. "Soya is in great demand in many foreign
countries, whereas in Armenia only first steps in this direction are
being taken. Our purpose is to contribute to the spread of products
made from soya in the domestic market," A. Beglarian noted.

ITB STARTS PROVISION OF "MULTICURRENCY" DEPOSIT SERVICES

Noyan Tapan
Oct 30 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN. Since October 1, the International
Trade Bank (ITB) has provided a service of new kind – "multicurrency"
deposit service. Noyan Tapan was informed from ITB that the peculiarity
of this type of depositing is that by signing one contract with the
bank, the customer has the opportunity to deposit his/her savings in
one or three currencies (Armenian dra ms, US dollars and euros) at
the same time. This allows to protect one’s savings from devaluation
and inflation thanks to exhanging the money saved in one currency
for another. There are three types of multicurrency deposits at the
bank: time, cumulative and cumulative with the opportunity of partial
repayment. The term of time deposits is 365 days, the term of two
other deposits is 365-730 days.

ITB’s ASSETS MAKE 5.1 BILLION DRAMS AT END OF FIRST HALF OF 2006

Noyan Tapan
Oct 30 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN. As of June 30, 2006, the assets
of the International Trade Bank (ITB) made 5.1 bln drams (about 11.5
mln USD), its credit portfolio – 1.6 bln drams, and overall capital
– 2.98 bln drams. NT was informed from the bank that ITB has four
branches in Armenia. To recap, ITB was founded in 1992 on the basis
of Menatep-Yerevan Bank CJSC – the Yerevan branch of Menatep Bank
(Russia). In April 2000, several foreign companies acquired ITB’s
shares and later united in Makarious (MG) Holdings GMBH, and the bank
was renamed "International Trade Bank" (ITB). Since 2005, Makarious
(MG) Holdings GMBH has owned 99.91% of the bank’s shares. Makarious
unites about 60 companies registered in Austria, Great Britain,
Ireland, Switzerland, Cyprus and several CIS countries. The group
is composed of banks, leasing, investment and consulting companies
that implement big investment programs in construction, mining,
wood working, textile industry, precise technologies and trade.

In Armenia, the economic interests of Makarious Group are not limited
to the banking sector: the group has invested 22.5 million dollars
in construction of North Avenue in Yerevan.
From: Baghdasarian

SIXTH INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION ARMPRODEXPO TO OPEN IN YEREVAN ON OCTOBER 31

Noyan Tapan
Oct 30 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN. More than 60 companies from Armenia,
Russia, Ukraine and other countries will participate in the sixth
international exhibition "Armprodexpo" to be held in Yerevan on
October 31 – November 3. Armen Davtian, Director of the Agribusiness
Development Center, told NT correspondent that soft and alcoholic
drinks, confectionery, meat and milk products, juices and other
foodstuffs will be on display at the exhibition. According to him,
the purpose of the exhibition is to promote the export of local
products. During the event, an international competition-degustation
of soft and alcoholic drinks will take place, while the companies
recognized as best production manufacturers will be awarded medals
and other prizes.

AUTO-FOCUSING SYSTEM FOR LASER CUTTING AND ENGRAVING AUTOMATED CONTROL SYSTEMS DEVELOPED AT YSU OPTICS DEPARTMENT

Noyan Tapan
Oct 30 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN. A group of scientists of the
Optics Department of Yerevan State University (YSU) developed an
auto-focusing system for laser cutting and engraving automated control
systems. Artur Galstyan, a scientist of the department laboratory,
stated this. According to him, the auto-focusing system will solve
the problem of surface cutting without leaving burning marks. It can
be used during development of material of organic origin, as well
as metal surfaces with some initial curvature. Besides, the system
can be used in machine-tools with laser lamps which were produced in
the Soviet time and are not produced now. Their current price is 150
dollars, whereas only six months ago they cost 100 dollars. It was
noted that the cost price of the laser focusing system developed at
YSU makes 600 dollars and it can be sold at 1,000 dollars, while new
foreign machine-tools with an auto-focusing system cost as much as
50-150 thousand dollars. A. Galstian said that the Optics Department
of Yerevan State University has developed the laser auto-focusing
system in cooperation with Rubin Ltech CJSC (Armenia).

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE "ROLE OF POLICY OF COMPUTER PROGRAMS WITH OPEN CODE IN DEVELOPMENT OF INFORMATION SOCIETY" TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN

Noyan Tapan
Oct 30 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN. International conference "Role
of Policy of Computer Programs with Open Code in Development of
Information Society" will be held from October 31 to November 1 in
Yerevan. The conference is organized by Internews’ Information Right
and Policy Center, Institute of Open Society and Bulgarian Internet
Society organization ( and ). As Noyan
Tapan was informed from Internews Armenian office, the main goal of the
conference is to acquaint representatives of the Armenian government,
representatives of the civil society and production of information
technologies with application of computer programs with open code and
policy of this sphere. Experts of the sphere from Armenia, Russia,
Bulgaria, Macedonia, Tadzhikistan have been invited to the conference.

MIGRATION AGENCY IMPLEMENTS PROGRAMS OF REINTEGRATION OF RA CITIZENS WHO HAVE RETURNED FROM OTHER COUNTRIES

Noyan Tapan
Oct 30 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN. Currently the Migration Agency of
RA Territorial Government Ministry carries on negotiations with the
respective structures of ten countries in the direction of signing
agreements on organizing return of RA citizens irregularly residing in
these countries. Agency Head Gagik Yeganian said this at the October
30 seminar on the subject Problems of Dual Citizenship and Migration
in the Light of Integration Processes. The seminar was organized by
the European Integration NGO. G.Yeganian said that such agreements
have been already signed with Denmark, Lithuania and Switzerland.

Besides, the agency implements programs with France, Holland and
Switzerland aimed at reintegration of RA citizens who have returned
from these countries.

G.Yeganian also said that growth of passenger flows was registered in
2001-2006 in Armenia. In his words, in 2001-2003 the migration negative
balance gradually decreased and in 2004 and 2005 a positive balance
was registered, which made 2000 and 12500 people, respectively. Narine
Solomonian, chief specialist of RA Constitutional Court’s Staff, said
that approach towards dual citizenship has changed in some states
in the recent years. Armenia is also among these countries. Dual
citizenship was stipulated by the amendments introduced to RA
Constitution. However, in N.Solomonian’s words, "the provision on dual
citizenship does not clarify who should be granted dual citizenship,
will only dual citizenship or multi-citizenship operate in RA, how
will dual citizenship be granted, etc," she mentioned.