Month: December 2008

ASSEMBLY WELCOMES HILLARY CLINTON APPOINTMENT U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.12.2008 13:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly)
welcomed the appointment of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY)
as the U.S. Secretary of State.

"During her tenure in the U.S. Senate, Senator Clinton has consistently
supported affirmation of the Armenian Genocide," stated Assembly
Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. "Never before have we had such
an alignment whereby the incoming President, Vice-President and
Secretary of State have a clear and demonstrated record of support for
affirmation of the Armenian Genocide, as well as genocide prevention,"
he said.

CSTO SECURITY COUNCIL SECRETARIES TO MEET IN ARMENIA

armradio.am
02.12.2008 15:44

The sitting of the Committee of National Security Councils of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization will take place in Armenia
December 9-10.

CSTO Deputy Secretary General Toktasin Buzubayev informed that the
agenda includes issues of further development of the organization.

"The Security Council Secretaries will discuss issues connected with
the intensification of efforts for fighting terrorism and radicalism,
strengthening of the struggle against drugs trafficking, resisting
illegal migration, preventing technical and natural disasters, etc.,"
the Deputy Secertary General said.

The sitting of the Committee of CSTO National Security Secretaries
will be chaired by the Secretary of the National Security Council of
Armenia, Arthur Baghdasaryan.

DECEMBER 2ND IS THE INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY
Gita Elibekyan

"Radiolur"
02.12.2008 16:28

Today is December 2nd, the International Day for the Abolition
of Slavery.

It recalls the date of the adoption, by the General Assembly, of
the United Nations Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic
in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others on
December 2nd, 1949.

According to different estimations, about 27 million people in the
world are in slavery today. Trafficking is considered the white
slavery of the 20th and the 21st centuries.

People in Armenia first spoke about white slavery in 2002, when
it became clear from the report submitted to the US Congress that
Armenia was included in the third-rank countries, which meant that
the phenomenon existed in the country, but the government was not
struggling against it.

"Today Armenian citizens undergo sexual exploitation in Turkey and
the United Arab Emirates and do forced labor in Russia," said Marina
Solakhyan, Coordinator of the UN Anti-Trafficking Programme. According
to her, we have no exact numbers, since the victims of trafficking
are ashamed or afraid of talking about it.

According to Marina Solakhyan, 92 victims of trafficking received
assistance between 2003 and 2006. It’s worth mentioning that according
to the 2005 report, Armenia was included in the list of second-rank
countries, and this means that=2 0the Government is already taking
measures to fight trafficking and people become more aware of how to
avoid it.

10TH SITTING OF THE COUNCIL ON THE NUCLEAR ENERGY SECURITY OF ARMENIA HELD IN YEREVAN
Alisa Gevorgyan

"Radiolur"
02.12.2008 16:52

The 10th sitting of the Armenian Presidential Council on the Nuclear
Energy Security was held at the Government House of Receptions.

Issues related to the energy system of Armenia, and particularly
issues of nuclear energy were discussed at the meeting.

The President of Armenia made opening remarks and spoke briefly about
the development and prospects of the energy system of Armenia. "Today
the Nuclear Energy Security Council plays an essential role in
ensuring the energy security of the republic. We are pleased with
the fact that due to the diligent work of the experts of the Council
the level of security of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (NSSP)
corresponds to international standards," President Serzh Sargsyan
said in his opening speech.

The Chairman of the RA Presidential Council on the Nuclear Energy
Safety Adolf Birkhofer congratulated the leadership of Armenia with
the progress registered in the development of the energy system of
Armenia. "You can be proud of the work done over the past years in
the direction of secure exploitation of the power plant. Due to the
efforts and knowledge of your government, you executed management,
as a result of which the ANPP has been fully renovated, has a high
level of security and has been best preserved as compared20to other
similar plants in the world," he said.

The Director General of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant, Gagik
Markosyan, presented the report on the activities conducted last
year. According to him, the ANPP was reconstructed twice in 2007
and 2008. Eight security measures were taken over the past two
years. Last year more than $10 million was invested to ensure the
proper security level.

DATE AND HOUR OF STARTING TRIAL ON "CASE OF SEVEN" TO BECOME CLEAR IN NEARLY 25-DAY PERIOD

Noyan Tapan

Dec 2, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The criminal case filed against 7
people on the fact of the March 1 events in Yerevan has been already
accepted for examination by Yerevan Criminal court judge Mnatsakan
Martirosian. Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed about it by the
RA Cassation Court’s Press Service.

According to the RA Code of Criminal Procedure, a decision on
fixing a trial is made in a 15-day term after accepting the case for
examination and on fixing the date and hour of the trial is made in
another 10-day period.

It should be mentioned that the seven people accused of organizing mass
disorders accompanied by murders are Sasun Mikayelian, Hakob Hakobian,
Myasnik Malkhasian, former Foreign Minister Alexander Arzumanian,
as well as Suren Sirunian, Shant Haroutiunian, and Grigor Voskerchian.

"CASE OF SEVEN" SENT TO COURT

Noyan Tapan

Dec 2, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The case against the three RA NA
deputies, former RA Foreign Minister, and the others in connection
with the March 1 events in Yerevan has been sent to Yerevan Criminal
Court. Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed about it by Spokesperson
for RA Prosecutor General Sona Truzian. It should be mentioned that
RA NA deputies Sasun Mikayelian, Hakob Hakobian, Myasnik Malkhasian,
former Foreign Minister Alexander Arzumanian, as well as Suren
Surunian, Shant Haroutiunian, and Grigor Voskerchian are accused of
organizing mass disorders accompanied by murders.

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO LEAVE FOR HELSINKI ON DECEMBER 3

Noyan Tapan

Dec 2, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian will leave for Helsinki on a three-day visit on December
3 to take part in the sitting of OSCE member-countries’ Foreign
Ministers’ Council. In Helsinki E. Nalbandian will meet with OSCE
Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut.

As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry Press and
Information Department, E. Nalbandian will also meet with Azeri
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadiarov and OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs
Yuri Merzliakov (Russia), Bernard Fassier (France), Matthew Bryza
(U.S.), and Personal Representative of OSCE Chairman-in-Office
Andrzej Kasprzyk.

During the visit the RA Foreign Minister will have meetings with
Foreign Minister of Luxemburg Jean Asselborn, Foreign Minister of
Ireland Michael Martin, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations
for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe.

As the Foreign Minister of a country presiding in CSTO E. Nalbandian
will organize a meeting of organization member-countries’ Foreign
Ministers in Helsinki.

He will also meet with Foreign Minister of Turkey Ali Babacan in
Helsinki.

SERZH SARGSYAN: WE STILL HAVE HOPES OF MAINTAINING HIGH RATES OF ECONOMIC GROWTH AND LOW INFLATION

Noyan Tapan

Dec 2, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. "Despite the spreading global
economic crisis, we still have hopes of maintaining high rates of
economic growth and low inflation. The capitalization of Armenian
banks is likely to allow reducing the losses to be caused by the
crisis in Armenia," the Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan stated at
the December 2 opening ceremony of the 10th sitting of the Atomic
Energy Security Council under the RA president.

In his words, it is almost impossible to get out of the crisis without
losses, but it is possible and necessary to reduce these losses to a
minimum. On the whole, according to the president, the macroeconomic
situation in Armenia is assessed as stable and predictable.

Speaking about the programs on energy sector, he said that work is
being done to increase the capacities of the Abovian underground
gas storage, and construction of a combined steam-and-gas power unit
with the capacity of 270 megawatts has begun in the area of Yerevan
Thermal Power Plant. It is envisaged completing the building and
assembly work of 5th power unit of Hrazdan Thermal Power Plant at
the end of the first half of 2010.

Noting that Armenia has one of the world’s highest indices of
gas network installation, S. Sargsyan reminded that recently the
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline was connected to the internal gas supply
system of Armenia. It was mentioned that in 2008 Armenia initiated
the process of joining the agreement on creation of an international
uranium enrichment center in the Russian city of Angarsk, and a joint
Russian-Armenian venture on geological exploration of uranium mines
in Armenia, and uranium mining and processing was set up.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ADOLF BIRKHOFER: SECURITY LEVEL OF ARMENIAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IS QUITE HIGH

Noyan Tapan

Dec 2, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The work done by the Atomic Energy
Security Council (AESC) under the RA president in the sphere of
security of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP) enables to keep
Armenia’s energy security at a properly high level, the Armenian
president Serzh Sargsyan stated at the opening ceremony of the 10th
sitting of AESC.

In his words, the proposals and advice of the Council are subjected
to detailed analysis, and many of them were carried out later. In
particular, at the Council’s suggestion to raise the status of
Stateatomcontrol – the regulatory body of Armenia’s nuclear security,
this body was reorganized into the State Committee for the Regulation
of Nuclear Security adjunct to the Armenian government.

The Chairman of AESC, a leading expert in atomic energy Adolf Birkhofer
(Germany) told reporters that the security level of Armenia’s atomic
energy is currently much higher than at the time when AESC started
its activities.

In his opinion, the security level of ANPP is fully
comparable with that of the nuclear plants of this type in other
countries. A. Birkhofer said that the currently operating 2nd power
unit of ANPP should continue working for 7-8 years, while measures
to increase its security should be taken for another 3-4 years.

The Director General of ANPP CJSC Gagik Markosian said that the
results of the 2007-2008 measures to raise the security of ANPP
will be discussed at the 10th sitting of AESC. These measures were
implemented with allocations of a total of more than 10 million USD
provided by the EU, the U.S, Great Britain and the Czech Republic.

He announced that during the consultation held at the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) a week ago with the participation of local,
Armenian and Russian experts, the directions of increasing ANPP’s
security were chosen, on which 240 million rubles (about 10 million
USD) allocated by Russian government for this purpose this year will
be spent. All the proposals of the Armenian side on implementation
of a 3-year program including 12 projects were taken into account
at the consultation, and the Armenian side is now waiting for the
program’s approval by IAEA.

The director general of ANPP CJSC informed those present that last week
the company announced a tender for seismic studies of the building site
of ANPP’s new power unit. He said that he is in favor of operating
the current power unit after the end of its planned operation period
of 30 years – in 2016 if no new power unit is built by that time.

According to him, there has been a precedent of operating 4 power units
with this type of reactor for 45 years in Russia, there have also been
precedents in Europe and the U.S, and the respective experience may
be used for raising the security of the operating power unit of ANPP.

The AESC is composed of Russian experts in atomic energy security (3),
Armenian experts (2), French (2), U.S. (1), Czech (1) and Austrian (1).

ONE OF REASONS FOR ECONOMIC CRISIS THREATENING ARMENIA IS THE POLICY CONDUCTED BY AUTHORITIES, ANDRANIK TEVANIAN SAYS

Noyan Tapan

Dec 2, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. "The global economic crisis will
affect Armenia’s economic system without fail," the chairman of
the National Assembly Standing Committee of Economic Issues Vardan
Aivazian said during the December 2 debate, noting that with the aim
of preventing the consequences of this crisis, the Armenian government
has prepared a series of measures, in particular, a new investment
program, creation of an all-Armenian bank, construction of a new
nuclear power plant. In the opinion of V. Aivazian, the government
took a bolder step by deciding to participate in these programs.

The head of Political Economy research center, economist Andranik
Tevanian in his turn said that the reasons for the crisis threatening
the Armenian economy should be sought not only in the international
financial fluctuations but also in the economic policy being conducted
by the country’s authorities. "I’d like to know how the creation
of an all-Armenian bank and other programs will help our economy,"
the economist noted. He also asked his opponent what resources will
be used for implementation of all these programs. V. Aivazian said
these resources will be provided from the reserve fund of the Central
Bank of Armenia.

According to A. Tevanian, today the state is engaged in "collecting
money and distributing money", which is done by increasing the tax
burden, which in its turn directed mainly at small and medium business,
whereas the big businessmen to have united with authorities do not
pay taxes. In response, V. Aivazian reminded that 92% of the state
budget is ensured by 300 big organizations of the country.