Month: October 2006

ARMENIAN NATIONAL CENTER OF ONCOLOGY DEVELOPS NEW METHOD OF BRAIN TUMOR TREATMENT

Noyan Tapan
Oct 30 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian National Center
of Oncology has developed a biodegrable polymeric film (BPF) to
deliver local chemotherapy agents for the brain tumor treatment
purposes. Levon Harutyunyan, Deputy Director of the center, stated
this. According to him, about 350 people are diagnosed as having a
brain tumor in Armenia annually, and about 200 die of this disease. In
the US, these indices make about 17.5 thousand and 12 thousand people
respectively. L. Harutyunyan said that the three-layer film developed
by their center is put at the place of the tumor removed from the brain
and is absorbed, thus securing the effective impact of the medicine
contained in the film (without any undesirable results). In his words,
the use of such methods for brain tumor treatment has just started in
international practice: particularly, the polymeric sponges developed
by the medical center of Baltimore University are not for market sale
and have been used in 500-600 patients.

Attempts to use polymeric films for brain tumor treatment have also
been made at John Hopkins Clinic, but, in the words of L. Harutyunian,
without much success, because these films tend to become active in
the liver, from where the intended substance reaches the brain with
difficulty. He said that films developed by their center have been
tested on animals and are now being used in the treatment of four
patients. It was mentioned that the cost price of a film developed
by the center makes 40 dollars, which is much lower than the prices
of similar ones used abroad. L. Harutyunyan noted that in case of
creating a laboratory with modern equipment in the center’s area
of 60 square meters, it will be possible to synthesize 12 thousand
organic polymeric films and make a net profit of 300 thousand dollars
a year. The center plans to cooperate with Nairit-2 OJSC for production
of the film’s polymeric components.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ONLY 50 OUT OF 195 YEREVAN COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOLS PROVIDED WITH LOCAL HEATING PRIVATE BOILER-HOUSES

Noyan Tapan
Oct 30 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN. Only 50 out of 195 Yerevan
comprehensive schools are provided with local heating private
boiler-houses. As Deputy Yerevan Mayor Kamo Areyan said at the October
30 press conference, the rest of 155 schools will be heated with
electric heaters, 120-130 of which will be given to schools by Yerevan
Mayor’s Office. K.Areyan also said that autumn and winter holidays
of 2-10-form pupils will be united and will last from December 25 to
January 21.

MEDICAL SERVICES OF 4.1 MLN USD RENDERED WITHIN FRAMEWORK OF STATE ORDER AT YEREVAN HOSPITALS IN JANUARY-SEPTEMBER

Noyan Tapan
Oct 30 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN. In 2006 January-September, medical
services of 1 bln 799 mln drams (about 4.1 mln USD) were rendered
within the framework of state order at hospitals and services of 2
bln drams at polyclinics within the jurisdiction of Yerevan Mayor’s
Office. As Deputy Yerevan Mayor Kamo Areyan said at the October 30
press conference, during the above mentioned months the number of
population’s visits to district doctors made 435368, which exceeds the
index of the same period of 2005 by 23.4%. 548656 visits to narrow
specialists were registered (growth 42%). The number of instrument
examinations also increased by 42% in the same period. In K.Areyan’s
words, in January-September, 18362 people received free treatment at
4 clinics within the jurisdiction of Yerevan Mayor’s Office and 7013
people received paid treatment.

6241 people were operated on, which exceeds last year’s index by 12%.

K.Areyan said that the number of ambulance calls also increased:
106558 calls were registered in 2005 January-September, whereas their
number was 114 thousand in the 9 months of this year. Yerevan Deputy
Mayor reported that 35 brigades of Ambulance CJSC show first aid
to Yerevan population. K.Areyan said that company’s 35 cars are not
enough to immediately respond to the calls and currently some steps
are being taken to increase their number. Besides, it is planned to
introduce a new communication system to the service.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERIS OF YAROSLAVL TOOK PART IN FESTIVITIES OF YEAR OF ARMENIA IN RUSSIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.10.2006 14:14 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Mass events marking the Year of Armenia in Russia
and 15th anniversary of creation of Nairi Armenian regional society
were held in Yaroslavl past weekend. As President of the Russian
Society of Friendship and Cooperation with Armenia Victor Krivopuskov
told PanARMENIAN.Net, at the end of these there was a concert and
consecration of the building of Surb Gevorg (Saint George) Armenian
temple. Nairi community Chair Valerik Palakyan stated at the meeting
that energetic and diligent Armenians have considerable positions in
the industry and building, services and other fields.

Vice Governor of the district Vyachesvla Blatov and First Deputy
Mayor of the City Valery Velichko in their turn underscored that
the Armenian community is the oldest one in that region and it
displays exemplary tolerance, internationalism, inter-ethnic accord
and friendship, actively participates in the work of the Assembly
of Peoples of Russia. Thus, it is natural, that representatives of
practically all other national communities, including the Azeri one,
were present at the Armenian holiday.

Envoy Extraordinary of the Embassy and Plenipotentiary Minister
of the Republic of Armenia Ashot Manukyan, President of the Russian
Society of Friendship and Cooperation with Armenia Victor Krivopuskov,
Vice-Presidents of the Union of Armenians of Russia Hapet Tapaltsyan
and German Ananyants were present at the events.

GUAM GOING TO CREATE PEACEKEEPING CONTINGENT BY MID-2007

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.10.2006 14:39 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Organization for Democracy and Economic
Development – GUAM will form a peacekeeping contingent by
mid-2007. Reported the Press Office of the Defense Ministry of
Ukraine, referring to the Minister Anatoly Gritsenko. We remind that
Presidents of Ukraine Victor Yuschenko, Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili,
Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Moldova Vladimir Voronin approved the GUAM
Statute May 23, 2006. In late May at the meeting of representatives
of General Staffs of the GUAM Defense Ministers of Ukraine and
Azerbaijan sponsored consideration of the issue of creation of a
joint peacekeeping detachment, reports RBK.

KOCHARIAN TO PAY OFFICIAL VISIT TO KAZAKHSTAN NOVEMBER 6-7

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.10.2006 15:19 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Robert Kocharian will pay an
official visit to Kazakhstan November 6-7.

According to Kazakh MFA official representative Yerzhan Ashikbayev,
within the framework of the visit Kocharian is scheduled to meet with
leadership of the country. "Signing bilateral documents, as well as
the holding of a round table with participation of business circles
Armenia and Kazakhstan are planned within the visit," he remarked.

At the same time November 5-6 the Kazakh-Armenian Commission on Trade
and Economic Cooperation will hold its second meeting. "Matters of
strengthening cooperation will be discussed during it," the Kazakh
MFA representative said, reports Kazakhstan Today.

UNFREEZING OF KARABAKH CONFLICT INEVITABLE

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.10.2006 16:31 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The situation in the South Caucasus is very unstable,
it is an unstable balance, at the verge of war and peace, which cannot
last long, Chief of the Department of CIS Countries of the Russian
Institute of Strategic Research, Candidate of Historical Sciences
Alexander Skakov said in an interview with PanARMENIAN.Net. In
his words, there is some military and economic balance between the
countries of the region, as well as inability of basic players –
world and regional superpowers – to pursue their own policy, not
looking back at the partners.

"Owing to these factors and inertia stability, there is still peace in
the region. Unfortunately, this "suspended" state cannot be eternal,
especially that it does not fit some people any more, for example
Georgia, Azerbaijan, the US and EU. To the contrary, Armenia, Russia,
Iran, Turkey, unrecognized states of the region are interested in
preserving the status-quo," he remarked.

"The powers wanting "unfreezing" of the region are rather influential
and their actions are becoming more and more persistent. It would be
a mistake to consider that it is possible "to unfreeze" conflicts and
sustain regional stability. "Unfreezing" of the Karabakh conflict
is inevitable, irrespective of the outcome. It will aggravate
Armenian-Azeri relations, while unfreezing of the Georgian-Abkhaz or
Georgian-Ossetian conflicts not only threatens further complication
of Russian-Georgian relations, but will also ricochet other countries
of the region.

"Unfreezing" is inevitable, moreover is it likely and one should
prepare to it," the Russian politician said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

YEREVAN-BAKU DIALOGUE NOT EXHAUSTED

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.10.2006 16:41 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Any meetings and talks – are already boon even
if they bring no result. Much worse if the sides have no wish and
possibility to meet and hold talks, let us take Georgia and Russian,
for example," Chief of the Department of CIS Countries of the Russian
Institute of Strategic Research, Candidate of Historical Sciences
Alexander Skakov said in an interview with PanARMENIAN.Net. In
his opinion the potential of the Armenian-Azeri dialogue has been
exhausted. "Meetings at the presidential and ministerial level are a
positive phenomenon but expecting the leaders to make halfway would be
impracticable now. In my opinion, the problem of the Armenian-Azeri
relations is the ill will of the peoples heated up by the history
and patterns of the politicians. At the same time we are neighbors
and will remain such," he said.

"The task of the peaceful process is to establish dialogue between
the publics. In this case the terms of the Karabakh settlement, let it
be 3 or 30 years, becomes not so important. The security zone and the
actual front line can be maintained until they become unnecessary. May
be it seems fantastic but I do not see any other way of settlement
at present. I do not think that the leaders of the two states should
dedicate their meetings to the search of a universal compromise. They
have better improve the atmosphere of the Armenian-Azeri relations. For
example, establishment of transport communication should precede the
conflict settlement," the Russian analyst said.

ARMENIAN AND RUSSIAN PRESIDENT MEET IN KREMLIN
By Nana Petrosian

AZG Armenian Daily
31/10/2006

"Russia occupies the shameful 3d place as a major capital investor in
Armenia. I say ‘shameful’ because it’s strange that Russia is not the
1st in the economy of a strategic partner," president Vladimir Putin
of Russia stated at the Kremlin yesterday where he hosted his Armenian
counterpart Robert Kocharian. Then the Russian president underscored
that he expects growth of Russian investments in the Armenian economy.

Putin also pointed out that trade between the two countries is on
the upward curve though numbers for Russia are not that high: 60%
in 8 months. President Kocharian, on his part, informed that all
agreements with Gazprom are being accomplished and expressed hope
that the situation with investments will change next year.

The Armenian president suggested elaborating mechanisms that would
help to get maximum use of the ties that emerged during the Year of
Armenia in Russia, ITAR-TASS reports.

This was the 4th meeting of the two presidents this year.

Armenian president’s next scheduled visit is to Kazakhstan in November.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

VOSKANIAN’S APPOINTMENT AS ROMANIA’S REPRESENTATIVE TO EUROPEAN COMMISSION MAKES TURKEY UNEASY

AZG Armenian Daily
31/10/2006

As we previously informed, senator and head of the Romanian-Armenian
community Varuzhan Voslanian was appointed Romania’s representative to
the European Commission. Hurriyet Turkish newspaper reports that this
fact stirred unrest in Ankara as Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the
European Commission, himself contributed to this appointment. Romania,
which is set to join the EU on January 1 2007, marks April 24 as
Armenian Genocide remembrance day thanks to the senator’s initiative.