Month: October 2008

BOOK "KARABAKH YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW" PRESENTED IN BAKU

Today.Az
21 October 2008 [17:53]
Azerbaijan

The book "Karabakh yesterday, today and tomorrow" has been presented
by initiative of the Organization for Karabakh Liberation.

According to Day.Az, the presentation of the book was held in the
office of the organization.

Head of the organization Akif Naghi announced that the book covered
materials of the 7th similar scientific and practical conference.

"In the book we have fixed the origin of the Karabakh conflict and
ways of its settlement in details. It is important to study the
conflict from the scientific point of view. We hope that this book
will become a manual for most people", noted he.

BREAKING NEWS – MEDVEDEV HITS OUT AT US

Straits Times
Oct 21, 2008
Singapore

YEREVAN – RUSSIAN President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday hit out at the
ill-effects of US financial policies and said the era of US economic
dominance was over.

‘The era of domination by one economy and by one currency has been
relegated to the past for good,’ Mr Medvedev said on a visit to the
Armenian capital Yerevan.

Mr Medvedev went on to praise Russia’s actions to prop up its currency
and support the banking sector from the effects of the global financial
crisis, in which Russian stock markets have taken a battering.

Measures taken by Russia, such as support for the ruble and credit
provided to banks, have been ‘sufficient,’ Mr Medvedev said, adding,
‘This does not mean we will rest there.’

As part of Russian stabilisation measures, authorities on Monday
provided the equivalent of 10.9 billion euros (S$21.45 billion) in
credit to more than 80 banks to support their operations, one senior
official said.

In a move welcomed by the more liberal wing of Russia’s leadership,
authorities on Tuesday announced the release from jail of a deputy
finance minister, Sergei Storchak, who had spent 11 months behind
bars on embezzlement charges.

The charges against Mr Storchak were widely seen as a politically
motivated attack by hardliners against his boss, Finance Minister
Alexei Kudrin.

Russia’s stock markets have lost two-thirds of their value since
posting record highs in May, while the real estate market has suffered
contagion from the US subprime crisis.

Russia’s dollar-denominated RTS stock market was up 2.8 per cent close
to the close of trading on Tuesday, while the ruble-denominated MICEX
was up 3.84 per cent.

SEMICONDUCTORS: STUDIES FROM E.A. KAFADARYAN ET AL HAVE PROVIDED NEW DATA ON SEMICONDUCTORS

Science Letter
October 14, 2008

"CdSe nanocrystals (NCs) embedded in SiO2 thin films were prepared
using RF-magnetron co-sputtering. The average NC size was estimated
to be 18 nm," researchers in Armenia report (see also Semiconductors).

"The dark and photocurrent temporal dependences have been measured as
a function of the magnitude of applied voltage (50-150 V). Annealing
the samples seems to improve the photoconductivity (similar to 10(-12)
Omega(-1)) that increases with the film thickness and slightly changes
under the bias voltage. Furthermore, the photovoltage measurements
showed that a concentration of CdSe in the range of 27 mol% leads to
the generation of a photovoltaic signal up to 5 V at 400 mu W cm(-2),"
wrote E.A. Kafadaryan and colleagues.

The researchers concluded: "These results demonstrate the potential
of silica films with embedded CdSe NCs for photovoltaic applications."

Kafadaryan and colleagues published their study in Semiconductor
Science and Technology (Investigation of photoelectrical properties
of CdSe nanocrystals embedded in a SiO2 matrix. Semiconductor Science
and Technology, 2008;23(9):95025).

For additional information, contact E.A. Kafadaryan, National Academy
Science, Institute Physics Research, Ashtarak 378410 2, Armenia.

Publisher contact information for the journal Semiconductor Science
and Technology is: IOP Publishing Ltd., Dirac House, Temple Back,
Bristol BS1 6BE, England.

LAST SHIFT OF PEACEKEEPERS TO RETURN FROM IRAQ TO ARMENIA ON OCT 7

Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Military Newswire
October 7, 2008 Tuesday 10:32 AM MSK
Russia

The last shift of Armenian peacekeepers will return from Iraq back home
on October 7, spokesman for the Armenian Defense Minister Col. Seiran
Shakhsuvarian told Interfax.

Armenian soldiers had been involved in a peacekeeping mission in Iraq
as part of the North-South international division under Poland’s
command since January 2005. The mission consists of 46 people,
including two staff officers, three doctors, ten minesweepers and
drivers.

ACCLAIMED SCHOLAR BLOXHAM TO LECTURE ON HOLOCAUST, VIOLENT TRADITIONS IN EUROPE

Targeted News Service
October 7, 2008 Tuesday 1:36 AM EST

Clark University issued the following press release:

The Clark University Modern History Colloquium and The Strassler
Family Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies will present
"Integrating the Holocaust into a European History of Violence,"
a talk by acclaimed scholar Donald Bloxham on Wednesday, October 22,
at 4 p.m. in the Rose Library at the Cohen-Lasry House, 11 Hawthorne
Street, Clark University Campus.

In his talk, Bloxham will discuss the moving away from the metaphysical
questions of the uniqueness of the Holocaust and will consider the
Holocaust in the context of a violent continent-Europe in the first
half of the 20th century-and will examine ways in which it fits and
does not fit into broader patterns of genocide and ethnic cleansing.

Bloxham is a professor of modern history at the University of Edinburgh
in Scotland. He recently spent a year with the United States Holocaust
Memorial Museum in Washington, DC conducting research for a book-length
project entitled "The Final Solution: A Genocide and its Contexts"
and was the Maurice C. Shapiro Senior Scholar-in-Residence.

Bloxham, 34, is the youngest full professor of history in the United
Kingdom. Prior to his appointment to the University of Edinburgh
faculty, Bloxham was research director of London-based charity the
Holocaust Educational Trust. In 2007, his book "The Great Game of
Genocide: Imperialism, Nationalism, and the Destruction of the Ottoman
Armenians" was awarded the Raphael Lemkin Award by the International
Association of Genocide Scholars.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information,
contact 508-793-8897.

The mission of the Strassler Family Center for Holocaust and Genocide
Studies reaches beyond the boundaries of the University: to educate
professionals of many fields about genocide and the Holocaust; to
provide a lecture series free of charge and open to the public; to use
scholarship to address current problems stemming from the murderous
past; and to participate in the public discussion about a host of
issues ranging from the importance of intervention in genocidal
situations today to the significance of state-sponsored denial of
the Armenian genocide and the well-funded denial of the Holocaust.

ARMENIA NEGOTIATING IRANIAN GAS SUPPLIES

Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Business and Financial Newswire
October 7, 2008 Tuesday 2:14 PM MSK
Russia

Armenia and Iran are negotiating the schedule for Iranian gas exports
to Armenia.

An Armenian delegation is currently in Iran to reach an agreement on
the issue, Armenian Energy Ministry spokeswoman Lyusine Arutyunyan said

Iran has proposed beginning deliveries on October 13. Armenia will
officially respond to the proposal this week, Arutyunyan said.

It was reported earlier that Iran and Armenia began operating a gas
pipeline linking the two countries last year. Initial capacity on the
pipeline is 450 million cubic meters a year, subsequently increasing to
2.3 billion cubic meters a year. Gas is not currently being delivered
on the pipeline. Most of the gas from the pipeline will be supplied
to Armenian power plants, with electricity being exported to Iran
along two high-voltage transmission lines (construction of a third
line is scheduled to begin later in 2008). Armenia can use any excess
gas for internal needs.

The arrangement provides some diversification of gas supplies for
Armenia, which has relied exclusively on Russia gas shipped through
Georgia.

Armenia and Iran have stepped up cooperation in the fuel and energy
and infrastructure in recent years.

GENERAL CHEMISTRY: RESEARCH RESULTS FROM R.D. KHACHIKYAN AND CO-AUTHORS UPDATE KNOWLEDGE OF GENERAL CHEMISTRY

Science Letter
October 14, 2008

"The example of vinylpyridinium salts to establish for the first
time the possibility of nucleophilic addition to the vinyl group in
quaternary ammonium salts, which provides evidence against the concept
that such reactions involve d orbitals. The nucleophilic addition
reaction was accomplished with triphenylphosphine and pyridine,"
researchers in Yerevan, Armenia report (see also General Chemistry).

"In the latter case, the suggested reaction scheme was confirmed by
the observation of the Wittig reaction under the action of carbon
dioxide and the Stevens reaggangement involving the double bond of the
pyridinium ring and migrating 2-phosphonioethyl group. Procedures for
preparing the starting vinylpyridinium salts," wrote R.D. Khachikyan
and colleagues.

The researchers concluded: "Reaction schemes were siggested."

Khachikyan and colleagues published their study in Russian Journal of
General Chemistry (Features of the reaction of 2,3-dihalopropanoic
acids with pyridines and nucleophilic addition to N-vinylpyridinium
salts. Russian Journal of General Chemistry, 2008;78(7):1452-1457).

For additional information, contact R.D. Khachikyan, National Academy
Science Armenia, Institute Organ Chemical, Ul Zakhariya Kanakertsi
167-A, Yerevan 375091, Armenia.

FRANCE TELECOM AFFILIATE WINS TENDER TO BECOME THIRD CELLULAR OPERATOR IN ARMENIA

Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Business and Financial Newswire
October 7, 2008 Tuesday 3:11 PM MSK
Russia

Orange SA, an affiliate of France Telecom, has won a tender for
the right to provide cellular services in Armenia, the Armenian
Transportation and Communications Ministry said in a statement.

Orange offered the highest price of 51.5 million euros in the tender.

The tender stipulates that Orange should register a company in Armenia
within seven days that will receive a license by December 15 following
all the required procedures.

The company will receive a 15-year license to work in GSM standard
with the opportunity to provide 3G services. The frequencies will
be provided in the range of 880-890, 925-935, 1745-1765, 1840-1860,
1910- 1915, 1950-1965, 2140-2155 megahertz.

Sweden’s M&A Tele2 AB also competed with Orange in the final stages
of the tender and offered 45.6 million euros, while British-Irish
joint venture Blackrock Communications offered 31.6 million euros.

Communications operator and Internet provider Orange SA has 90 million
subscribers and provides services in 23 countries.

At present, two companies provide GSM standard cellular services in
Armenia: Armentel (BeeLine trademark), a wholly owned subsidiary of
Russia’s VimpelCom (RTS: VIMP), and K-Telecom (VivaCell trademark),
in which Russia’s Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) (RTS: MTSS) owns 80%.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA ESTABLISHED FIRST READING ROOM FOR BLIND

RIA Oreanda
Economic News
October 7, 2008 Tuesday
Russia

Yerevan. ">OREANDA-NEWS . October 7, 2008. The ceremony of opening of a
special reading room for the convenience of blind and visually impaired
people took place in the National Library of Armenia. Services provided
at this special disabled-friendly reading room can benefit over 5000
blind and visually impaired people all over Armenia; special software
and computers installed in the Library have ability to recognize
characters and convert text into speech thus giving opportunity to
benefit from advanced technology. For the realization of the project,
as a socially-responsible company, VivaCell-MTS provided AMD 1.102
million, thanks to which special software was created as well as
computers and necessary accessory, were procured.

It is hard to imagine that nowadays in Armenia the blind cannot use
all the opportunities of computer to communicate with others, type,
even draw, write or download music and read, which is available for
people with low or no vision in other countries. There are a lot
of libraries across Armenia but the books specially designed for
the blind and visually impaired are old and outdated, while their
modern analogues are on hand abroad. And to enable the library to
cater to the blind and sight-impaired also, VivaCell-MTS supported
in adaptation of Arev software to their needs (created by Yerevan
Scientific Research Institute of Mathematical Machines). A person is
typing (first, the blinds will be trained to the typing skills) or
scanning the ready text and the computer technology converts almost
all typewritten or typeset material into easily-understood speech.

Reading and interacting with the outside world are the two major
wishes of the blind.

We hope that from now on they can have a real no-barrier reading
experience in this special reading room, said the General Manager of
VivaCell-MTS Ralph Yirikian. ‘It is vital that the society understands
the importance of accessibility of reading for the blind people. They
our compatriots, should be given equal access to books for recreation
and study. We are delighted to have supported with the creation of
such a well-equipped reading room in Armenia thanks to which the
blind and visually-impaired people will feel themselves closer to
the society and enjoy the pleasure in reading.

Now when Arev software is developed and the special-reading room is
set up, special well-thought-out training program will be organized
for the blind and visually-impaired people for them to learn how
to use computer, scanner and printer and how to surf internet and
communicate via e-mail in order to make them more independent in the
quest for information.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MARGIT EYRAUD RESIGNS AS CEO OF MARANI BRANDS, BOARD NAMES ARA ZARTARIAN AS SUCCESSOR

Business Wire
October 7, 2008 Tuesday 12:03 AM GMT

Marani Brands, Inc. (OTCBB:MRIB) announced today that its President
and Chief Executive Officer, Margrit Eyraud, has resigned to pursue
other interests, effective immediately.Ms. Eyraud will remain as a
Director of the Company.

The Board has selected Ara Zartarian to succeed Ms. Eyraud as the
Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, also effective
immediately. Mr. Zartarian is currently the Company’s Chief Operating
Officer.

"I have enjoyed my time with the Company, and wish the best of luck
to my successor and Marani Brands," said Ms. Eyraud.

AboutMarani Brands, Inc.

Marani Brands, Inc. brands, markets and distributes fine wine and
spirit products in the United States. Its signature product, "Marani
Vodka," is a premium vodka manufactured exclusively for Marani in
Armenia. Marani Vodka is made from winter wheat harvested in Armenia,
distilled three times, aged in oak barrels lined with honey and skimmed
dried milk, then filtered twenty-five times. Marani Vodka was awarded
the gold medal in the International Spirit Competition, held in San
Francisco, California, in both 2004 and 2007, and the 5 Diamond Award
by the American Academy of Hospitality and Sciences in March 2008.

Forward-looking Statements

Certain statements made in this press release contain forward-looking
statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. This
forward-looking information is based on certain assumptions,
including, among others, presently known physical data concerning
size and character of reservoirs and economic recoverability. Some
of these expectations may be based upon assumptions or judgments that
prove to be incorrect. In addition, operations involve numerous risks
and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Marani Brands’ control,
which could result in expectations not being realized or otherwise
materially affect the financial condition, results of operation and
cash flows. Additional information regarding these and other risks
are contained in Marani Brands’ filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission.