Month: November 2009

VIVACELL-MTS LAUNCHES MOBILE TV IN AN UP TO ONE MONTH FREE TRIAL VERSION

ArmInfo
2009-11-12 18:05:00

ArmInfo. VivaCell-MTS announces today the launch of its Mobile
TV service.

As the Company Director General Ralf Yirikian said at today’s
press-conference, the service will be provided during a month in a
free trial regime.

This service brings the most favorite and other full-length TV programs
right to the 3G mobile phone of the subscriber. VivaCell-MTS subscriber
has to follow links tv.mts.am or tv.vivacell.am from the mobile phone
browser to enjoy popular programs broadcasted by leading Armenian TV
channels from a user friendly application.

The majority of TV program broadcasts is available now to the
population of Armenia over VivaCell-MTS network in real time. During
the initial period, VivaCell-MTS Mobile TV service currently offers a
selection of 12 live channels including popular channels such as H1,
H2, Armenia, Yerkir Media, Kentron, Shant, Hay TV, TV 5, ATV, ArmNews,
Ararat TV and Dar 21, featuring the mix of sports coverage, music,
serials, entertainment, news bulletins and documentary programmes.

After the one month free trial period a selection of prerecorded
videos, clips, etc., will also be available to the users. "Innovation
is our driving force. We strive to provide our subscribers with the
state of the art technologies for their leisure. With an increasing
number of 3G mobile handsets, a cutting-edge technology enabling an
easy- to-use service and a rich portfolio of television programming,
the launch of Mobile TV is an intriguing proposition for our customers
as it is an enjoyable way of filling free time and also an opportunity
of watching important business, social and political TV programs just
on the move. The future is with Mobile TV," says VivaCell-MTS General
Manager Ralph Yirikian.

ARMENIA TO FULLY TRANSFER TO DIGITAL TV AND RADIO BROADCASTING TILL

ArmInfo
2009-11-12 18:00:00

ArmInfo. Armenia will fully transfer to the digital TV and radio
broadcasting till 2015, Economy Minister of Armenia Nerses Yeritsyan
said at Thursday briefing.

According to him, this provision is based on the concept of transfer
to the digital television and radio broadcasting approved by the
Armenian government on November 12. N. Yeritsyan also said we shall
have to refuse of the analogue technologies by that time, as they
are not able to assure further development of the broadcasting system.

Digitization will allow to efficiently use the radio frequencies and
significantly extend the technical capabilities of broadcasting.

Moreover, it will make the Internet- communication more available
and will assure high-quality video image and sound. Interactive
broadcasting technologies will also be implemented due to digitization,
the minister said. As he said, by preliminary estimations, Armenia
will need about $200 mln to fully transfer to the digital TV and
radio broadcasting. Part of funds will be invested by the state and
another part will be attracted due to the technical assistance by
the donor-countries and international organizations, Yeritsyan said.

According to the minister, it is scheduled to organize public debates
till late, 2009, as well as pass alterations to the current legislation
till summer, 2010, develop a technical plan and licensing terms. The
minister said that it is scheduled to preserve 6-10 TV channels and
some Radio channels free-of-charge within the frames of the social
package, while the rest will be paid. It is scheduled to start the
first stage of digitization by the grant funds at late, 2010, as well
as implement HDTV experimentally, the minister said.

ARMENIAN FONTS WILL ‘OCCUPY’ INTERNET

ArmInfo
2009-11-11 18:54:00

ArmInfo. The standards of Armenia text fonts approved this year
will be applied in Internet and mobile phones, Garnik Guyumjyan,
Department of State Programs, Culture Ministry of Armenia, said in
a press conference on Wednesday.

"We are concerned that Armenian users send messages and write in
Internet using Latin letters. I am sure that our current negotiations
with Microsoft Corporation are extremely important for changing the
situation. We expect that the next version of Windows will contain
Armenian fonts meeting the approved standards, " he said. Before that,
the given standards will be compulsory for the literature published
as part of the government order, he said.

ANCA REPRESENTATIVE CONFRONTS AZERBAIJANI DIPLOMAT ON SUBJECT OF NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT

Noyan Tapan
Nov 12, 2009

NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. ANCA Eastern
Region Executive Director Garo Manjikian confronted Azerbaijani Deputy
Foreign Minister Araz Azimov on the Aliyev government’s track record
of war mongering and aggression towards Nagorno-Karabakh, at an event
hosted by the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to the United Nations
and the Harriman Institute of Columbia University last week.

Manjikian said in his speech that the Azeri government is working
hard to portray itself as a stable, reliable and peaceful country in
the Caucasus, while at the same time having an extensive track record
of aggression and war mongering towards Nagorno Karabakh. Manjikian
then cited three specific statements that President Aliyev made in the
past two years with direct threats to take Nagorno Karabakh by force.

A. Azimov, in his turn, said that statements coming from Azerbaijan
are are just a reaction to Armenia and that there can only be self-rule
of Nagorno Karabakh within Azerbaijan.

Another participant of the event, Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan, from
the Permanent Mission of Turkey to the United Nations expressed the
hope that the recent rapprochement between Armenia and Turkey will
spark positive developments between Armenia and Azerbaijan to settle
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

ARMENIAN-BELARUSIAN COOPERATION IN MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL SPHERE TO DEVELOP

Noyan Tapan
Nov 12, 2009

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN. A delegation led by Deputy State
Secretary of Belarusian Security Council Stanislav Zas is in Armenia
on a three-day working visit. A private talk between RA National
Security Council Secretary Artur Baghdasarian and Stanislav Zas took
place on November 12, after which working discussions in an enlarged
staff took place.

The sides discussed issues related to cooperation within the framework
of CSTO, cooperation between Armenian and Belarusian Security Councils.

A. Baghdasarian expressed satisfaction that cooperation within
the framework of CSTO develops actively, joint efforts are made to
activize military-technical cooperation, to exchange information in the
security sphere, to train specialists of law enforcement structures,
Ministry of Emergency Situations, to deepen cooperation between the
special services and law enforcement structures.

S. Zas attached importance to the tradition existing in CSTO, that is,
initiatives are formed at the interstate level, then one of the sides
presents them during discussions by the format of CSTO.

The sides mentioned that Armenian-Belarusian cooperation develops
rather efficiently within the framework of the Memorandum On
Cooperation signed between the Security Councils, practical steps
are undertaken to deepen cooperation in the military-industrial sphere.

Possibilities of creation of joint ventures in this sphere, issues
related to implementation of joint programs and mutual assistance
were discussed.

According to the agreement reached between the Armenian and Belarusian
Security Councils in September in Brest, the Committee of CSTO Security
Councils’ Secretaries made a decision within the framework of CSTO
to work out an interstate target program of technical reequipment
of rapid reaction special subdivisions. An agreement to undertake
concrete steps to fulfill the decision was reached during the meeting.

Responsible persons from Armenian and Belarusian sides were appointed
to follow fulfillment of the agreements reached.

According to the RA National Security Council Secretary Press
Office, the Belarusian delegation, which also included heads of
big military-industrial enterprises, got acquainted with their
possibilities on the spot and reached concrete agreements of
cooperation.

RA GOVERNMENT DISAPPROVES BILL ON RECOGNIZING NAGORNO KARABAKH REPUBLIC

Noyan Tapan
Nov 12, 2009

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN. RA government at the November
12 session disapproved RA bill On Recognizing the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic. As RA Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharian declared
at the session, "recognition of the NKR independence is inexpedient
at present."

THERE ARE NO PEOPLE SEARCHED FOR INTERNATIONALLY FOR POLITICAL REASONS, HEAD OF INTERPOL ARMENIAN BUREAU ASSURES

Noyan Tapan
Nov 12, 2009

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN. Currently there are no
people searched for internationally for political reasons. Vardan
Yeghiazarian, the Head of Interpol National Central Bureau in Armenia,
stated at a November 12 press conference.

He said that two years ago Azeris put into circulation data of nearly
50 Armenians, including citizens of Armenia, as persons searched
for by Interpol for terrorism and grave crimes. Armenia immediately
responded to it and a special commission was sent to Armenia and
Azerbaijan, the issue was studied and all mentioned persons were
considered persons searched for for political reasons and the search
was stopped. V. Yeghiazarian clarified the issue saying that Interpol
Regulations’ Article 3 categorically prohibits to prosecute people
for political, military, racial, religious reasons.

LEVON ARONIAN CURRENTLY IN THIRD PLACE IN MIKHAIL TAL COMMEMORATIVE TOURNAMENT

Noyan Tapan
Nov 11, 2009

MOSCOW, NOVEMBER 11, NOYAN TAPAN. Levon Aronian (Armenia) drew the
game with Alexander Morozevich (Russia) in the 5th round of Mikhail
Tal Commemorative Tournament held on November 10 in Moscow.

Vladimir Kramnik (Russia) and Viswanathan Anand (India) head the
tournament table with 3.5 points each. L. Aronian is currently in
the third place with 3 points.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

10 ARMENIAN BOXERS PRIZE WINNERS IN NOVOROSIYSK INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT

Noyan Tapan
Nov 11, 2009

NOVOROSIYSK, NOVEMBER 11, NOYAN TAPAN. An International Boxing
Tournament in four age groups was held between November 5 to 9 in
Novorosiysk, RF. More than 100 sportsmen from Russia, Abkhazia, and
Armenia took part in the competitions. 10 boxers representing Armenia
passed to the final. Avetis Aghajanian (50 kg) and Karen Mkhitarian
(54 kg) won the juvenile tournament, Vahe Alaverdian (60 kg) the youth
tournament, and Samvel Voskanian (75 kg) the grown-ups’ tournament.

The rest 6 boxers of Armenia took the second place.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

U.S. PROVIDES ADDITIONAL 15 MILLION DOLLARS FOR REHABILITATION OF MAIN CANALS IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Nov 11, 2009

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 11, NOYAN TAPAN. The Millennium Challenge
Account-Armenia (MCA-Armenia) SNCO on November 11 signed a contract
with the consortium consisting of Arpa-Sevan OJSC (Armenia) and
SADE company (France). Under the contract, the consortium will
rehabilitate 35.4 km of sections of Arzni-Shamiram, Lower Hrazdan,
Artashat, and Shirak main canals and about 70 hydraulic structures.

Noyan Tapan was informed that along with the work included in the
first package of the main canals rehabilitation, 39.6 km of the canals’
sections will be reconstructed, while the total amount of investments
in main canals will amount to over 20 million dollars.

More than 110 thousand beneficiaries in 200 communities of Ararat,
Aragatsotn, Armavir, Kotayk, and Shirak Marzes will have a more
reliable irrigation network.

The cost of the contract is 14,618,601 USD, its duration is 18 months.

The Irrigated Agriculture component of the MCA-Armenia Program
envisages reconstruction of 17 pumping station, construction of 4
gravity-fed systems, improving of networks in about 70 communities
and the drainage system in Ararat Valley. By the completion of the
MCA-Armenia Program, investments of 180 million dollars will be made
under the 2010 project.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress