Month: November 2009

30 THOUSAND DRUG ADDICTS REGISTERED IN ARMENIA
Marianna Gyurjyan

"Radiolur"
03.11.2009 17:36

About 30 thousand drug addicts are registered in Armenia. Up to now
1141 people have received treatment, 12 of which females. Director of
the addiction clinic Petros Semejyan told a press conference today
that hashish is the most widely spread drug in our country. It is
followed by opium and cocaine.

According to Mkrtich Minasyan, Deputy Head of the National Assembly’s
Standing Committee on Health Issues, Armenia is among the countries
where the issue of drug addiction is in the focus of government
attention. "The law does not launch a criminal case against the
addicts, but provides an opportunity to get treatment. The law has
been toughened for drug dealers," he said.

All contemporary treatment methods used in the best clinics of the
world are applied in Armenia today, Petros Semejyan said.

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN VISITS KUWAIT

armradio.am
03.11.2009 17:48

Today President Serzh Sargsyan arrived in Kuwait for a two-day
state visit.

The delegation headed by President Sargsyan comprises Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian, Finance Minister Tigran Davtyan, Diaspora Minister
Hranush Hakobyan, Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan, Minister of
Education and Science Armen Ashotyan, Chairman of the Armenia-Kuwait
Deputy Friendship Group Vahan Hovhannisyan, President of the Union
of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Arsen Ghazaryan, President of
the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Martin Sargsyan.

At the International Airport of El-Kuwait, the Armenian President was
welcomed by Emir Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah, Crown Prince Sheikh
Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, other senior officials.

President Sargsyan is scheduled to have a number of official meetings
within the framework of the visit. Besides, Serzh Sargsyan will meet
representatives of the Armenian community of Kuwait.

PETROL PRICE IN ARMENIA RISES BY 0.1% IN OCTOBER

ARKA
Nov 2, 2009

YEREVAN, November 2, /ARKA/. Petrol price in Armenia rose by 0.1%
in October against September, 2009, the National Statistical Service
told ARKA. It said the price of diesel fuel in October was 0.2%
higher than in September.

However, if compared to the same period last year, petrol and diesel
prices fell by 7.5% and 21.7% respectively, and rose by 22.5% and 4/8%
resistively if compared to December, 2008, the National Statistical
Service said.

In general, non-food prices in October rose by 0.55 from September,
the National Statistical Service said.

ARF REPRESENTATIVE CALLS FOR DIALOGUE
Anna Nazrayan

"Radiolur"
03.11.2009 18:07

Speaking about the possible establishment of Armenian-Turkish
relations, member of the ARF faction of the National assembly Alvard
Petrosyan said those who say "yes" and those who say "no" should sit
down and speak to each other in order to understand the truth.

According to Alvard Petrosyan, the Armenian Foreign Minister could
refuse from signing the document in Zurich and become a hero. She
does not agree with some officials, who think that the statements in
Turkey are meant for domestic consumption.

ARMENIA WOULD BECOME A TRANSIT COUNTRY IF TURKEY OPENS BORDERS: EXPERT

ARKA
Nov 3, 2009

YEREVAN, November 3, /ARKA/. A prominent Armenian expert in Turkish
studies defended last Friday president Serzh Sargsyan’s drive to
improve relations with Turkey saying Armenia would become a transit
country if Turkey opens the border.

After months of secret diplomacy, Armenia and Turkey took a significant
step on October 10 as Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan signed protocols in Zurich
to establish diplomatic relations and develop bilateral contacts. Both
countries should have the protocols ratified in their parliaments
within a `reasonable time frame.’

Speaking at a news conference Ruben Sarfrastian, director of the
Institute of Oriental Studies, an affiliation of the Armenian National
Academy of Sciences, said in terms of geopolitical location Armenia
is in the center of the South Caucasus and in this sense it can be
compared to Germany in West Europe.

"This is why any regional project will have to traverse Armenia and
once the border is open Armenia will get a third conduit to the other
world and its potential of a regional center will only increase,’
he said.

According to him, although it is still early to talk about concrete
projects, but Russia has showed its interest in the soonest opening
of the Turkish-Armenian border, which he said is an indication of
its far-reaching goals.

"Armenian-Turkish relations have not only political but also economic
impact on Turkish -Azerbaijani relations. This is something new and
very soon, more exactly, after a new round of Turkish-Azerbaijani
talks on the price of gas Azerbaijan ships to Turkey, it will be clear
whether we should expect Azerbaijan’s tough response to Turkish move
to improve relations with Armenia,’ he said, adding that Turkey will
lose interest towards normalization of relations with Armenia once
the United States lessens its pressure on Ankara.

The two countries have no diplomatic ties, the border is closed by
Turkey since 1993 and there is a history of animosity that stems from
the mass killing of Armenians in 1915 in the Ottoman Empire.

ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL FAIR OF TOURISM IN YEREVAN

ARKA
Nov 3, 2009

YEREVAN, November 3. Annual international fair of tourism will be
opened on November 6 in Yerevan, informed the press-center of Armenian
Association of Tour Agents on Monday.

Annual international fair of tourism opens large opportunities for
local tour agents and other representatives of businesses related
to tourism – meetings with local, foreign colleagues and regional
partners, as well as establishment of business relations, demonstration
and realization of their products and services.

The main goal of the organizers of the fair is development of local and
regional tourism in Armenia, increase of competitiveness of tourism
business, introduction and learning of new technologies applied in
modern tourism industry, expansion of business-contacts, promotion of
Armenia in foreign countries as attracting tourism zone through 3-5
days introductory tours organized for foreign operators and mass media.

This year the fair is organized by Armenian Association of Tour
Agents and Armenian branch of American Association of Tour Agents
with the assistance of Ministry of Economy of Armenia and the project
"Competitiveness of private sector in Armenia", Association of Armenian
hotels and Association of Development of Armenian Tourism.

STATE BUDGET WILL ALLOCATE 36 BILLION DRAMS FOR 2010 FOR THE NEEDS OF YEREVAN – DEPUTY MAYOR

ARKA
Nov 3, 2009

YEREVAN, November 3. "State budget of Armenia plans to allocate 36
billion drams in 2010 for the needs of Yerevan", said Kamo Areyan,
Deputy Mayor of Yerevan Municipality.

"Budget allocations for the needs of Yerevan are on the level of
the last year", said Deputy Mayor on Monday during the discussion
of draft state budget 2010 in standing committees of Parliament on
State-legal and Finance-credit issues.

He said that Yerevan Municipality plans to allocate 547 million
drams in 2010. Subventions for Yerevan Metropolitan and ground
electro-transport will be 276 million drams, expenses for education –
15,4 million drams. In 2010 Yerevan Municipality plans to allocate
6, 4 billion drams for the city programs, particularly expenses of
theatres, the Zoo and organization of out-of-school programs.

According to the draft state budget of Armenia for 2010, the income
is planned 676.6 billion drams which will be collected by the results
of 2009. In 2010 expenses of state budget of Armenia will be 859.6
billion drams from which 85.7% are current expenses. Tax entries of
the state budget of Armenia for 2010 are planned in the amount of
533 billion drams which exceeds the indicator of 2009 by 510 billion
drams. Dollar rate in dram equivalent is planned to be 376 drams for
one US dollar.

RUSSIA MAY UTILIZE AGGRAVATION IN TURKISH-AZERBAIJANI RELATIONS TO FURTHER ADVANCE ITS POLITICAL AGENDA IN SOUTH CAUCASUS

ArmInfo
2009-11-03 13:18:00

ArmInfo. Russia may utilize aggravation in Turkish-Azerbaijani
relations to further advance its political agenda in South Caucasus.

As American The Jamestown Foundation reports, Russia may utilize this
excellent opportunity to further advance its political agenda in the
region: the isolation of Georgia by cutting it off from new transit
routes; shelving the E.U. and U.S.-backed Nabucco gas pipeline project
by destroying the Azerbaijani-Turkish strategic partnership and thus
forcing Azerbaijan to sell its gas to Russia; drawing Turkey into
its own orbit of influence undermining the E.U.-U.S.-Turkey axis of
influence in the region. Before Washington realizes, it will be too
late to protect the South Caucasus as a sovereign and independent
region. For the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union,
the U.S. appears to underestimate what is unfolding in the region. A
lack of clear vision on the part of the U.S. administration clearly
plays into Russian hands. It is perhaps no coincidence that the
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov so actively pushed his Armenian
counterpart to sign the protocol with Turkey.

According to The Jamestown Foundation, it is clear that the
recent developments in the South Caucasus and the Turkish-Armenian
rapprochement have seriously damaged the Turkish-Azerbaijani strategic
partnership. This partnership has been the backbone of East-West
energy and its future transportation corridors, security, political
and geostrategic balance in the region as well as the overall Turkish
(or Western) entrance into the Caspian region. Without this strategic
partnership, the Turkish, E.U. and U.S. axis of influence in the South
Caucasus and further into the Central Asian region is at risk. This
geopolitical miscalculation on the part of Turkish, E.U. and U.S.

officials, all of whom have actively pushed for a one-sided
normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations without the consideration
of Azerbaijan’s interests and the resolution of the Karabakh conflict
will see a boomerang effect.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT LEAVES FOR KUWAIT WITH TWO-DAY STATE VISIT

ArmInfo
2009-11-03 12:29:00

ArmInfo. Today, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan is leaving for
Kuwait with two-day state visit.

As the presidential press service told ArmInfo, this is the first state
visit of the president to the country of the Gulf after declaration
of Armenia’s independence.

The Armenian president will be met by Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Jaber
al-Ahmad al-Sabah and other representatives of the country’s
authorities at Kuwait’s international airport. On the first day of
the visit, S. Sargsyan will hold meetings with Chairman of Kuwait’s
National Assembly Jasim Mohmmad Al-Kharafi and Prime Minister Nasser
Al- Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. President of Armenia will
also meet with Director of Kuwait Investment Authority Bader Mohammad
Al Saadi and Director of Kuwait Fund for Economic Development Fund
Abdulwahab Al Bader.

Afterwards, meeting of S. Sargsyan with Kuwait’s Emir will be held
to be followed by signing of a number of documents on cooperation
between Armenia and Kuwait. Dinner will be served in honour of
Armenia’s president on behalf of Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al- Sabah.

On the second day of the visit, President Sargsyan will visit Kuwait’s
Scientific Center and meet Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and
Industry of Kuwait. The Armenian presidential delegation will be back
to Yerevan in the second half of the day.

‘NOVIY REGION;: IF AZERBAIJAN ATTEMPTS TO RESUME MILITARY OPERATIONS IN KARABAKH, USA WILL RECOGNIZE INDEPENDENCE OF NAGORNY KARABAKH REPUBLIC

ArmInfo
2009-11-03 12:25:00

ArmInfo. The United States have actually made an ultimatum to the
leadership of Azerbaijan, "Noviy Region" reports referring to the
official website of the Azerbaijani Opposition Party Yeni Musavat.

The source reports that they in Baku say that Washington represented
by Tina S. Kaidanow, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European and
Eurasian Affairs, has responded to the frequent military statements by
official Baku regarding the Karabakh problem. In particular, the USA
hinted Azerbaijan that if it attempts to resume military actions in
Karabakh, the USA will recognize independence of the Nagorny Karabakh
Republic. In addition, the USA has information that Azerbaijan is
secretly preparing for war. It is noteworthy that Tina Kaidanow was
previously the U.S. special envoy to Pristina, Kosovo’s capital. She
is considered one of the "architects" of the Kosovo independence
scenario. Observers say the frequent military statements by Baku are
connected with the fact that the agenda of the Armenian-Azerbaijani
negotiations for the status of the NKR in mediation of Russia, France
and the USA does not contain the issue of territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan as President Aliyev demands, the source reported.