Author: Andres-Papazian

ARMENIA HAS ALWAYS SAID IT IS THE GUARANTOR OF KARABAKH’S PEOPLE, SAYS MP

Tert.am
24.12.10

Armenia has for several times made it clear for Azerbaijan that
Armenia is the guarantor of the security of Karabakh’s population,
Artak Zakaryan of the Republican Party of Armenia told Tert.am.

Asked to comment on the fact that Azerbaijan’s representative to UN
Tofig Musayev sent a letter to the UN secretary general drawing his
attention to the fact that Armenian citizens are doing their military
service in Karabakh’s defense army, Zakaryan said that Baku had better
explain why it needs such an immense military budget.

“Azerbaijan’s representative to US had better mention in his letter
for whom exactly is Azerbaijan’s military budget – which is increasing
year by year – meant for and to whose security and peace it will be
posing a threat,” said Zakaryan.

“For him to know, I want to mention once again that Armenia has for
several times stated that it is the guarantor of NK’s population,
the UN knows about it,” he added.

Zakaryan’s remarks come after reports in the Armenian media that Tofig
Musayev sent a letter to the UN Secrete ray General Ban Ki-moon in
which he also spoke about Armenian Defense Ministry’ alleged control
on Karabakh’s defense army.

“Musaev has forgotten to mention that based on the data of the UN’s
2009 register of conventional weapons Azerbaijan has obtained, from
various countries, various surface-to-air and air-defense units,
which it does not even conceal that will be used for unleashing a
new aggression against Karabakh’s people,” said he.

From: A. Papazian

30% OF SEXUAL DISEASES IN ARMENIA CAUSED BY POOR KNOWLEDGE, SAYS DOCTOR

Tert.am
24.12.10

Thirty percent of sexual diseases in Armenia are a result of
poor knowledge about sexual life, and the Association of Armenian
Sexologists is making a lot of efforts to raise awareness about
the issue.

In a press conference today, Aram Hakobyan, the president of the
association, said that some of the problems related to sexual life
are caused by a worsening of socio-economic situation in the country
and psychological conditions of people.

To live a normal sexual life, according to him, people should first
of all be well informed and have a good sexual education.

“Given sexual life is very intimate … we decided to launch also an
interactive question-answer [section] on the association’s website,
where anyone can post questions and receive doctors’ professional
advice,” said he.

Ruzanna Azatyan, the director of the sexology clinic at the Mkhitar
Heratsi State Medical University, said that the number of the patients
visiting the clinic has almost doubled in the past five years.

Twenty per cent of the patients are women, 25% are couples, and 55%
are men.

Among the complaints women have as they consult doctors is the decline
of libido. Sexual phobias are another reason with women, while men
usually complain about infertility and premature ejaculation.

Most of the couples turn for help to this clinic before marriage in
an attempt to obtain relevant information about sex life and harmony
for carrying a joint life, Azatyan added.

From: A. Papazian

CABINET RESHUFFLING NOT TO PRODUCE EFFECTIVE CHANGES – OPPOSITIONIST

Tert.am
24.12.10

The authorities’ recent steps to reshuffle the cabinet will not produce
any changes in Armenia as the country’s problems are imposed by the
existing regime, Aram Manukyan, chairman of the opposition Armenian
Pan-National Movement, told journalists on Friday, during a protest
calling for political prisoners’ release.

“The reshufflings do not even resemble an imitation. Such changes
have just a zero value. When one is sick in the head, changing the
hair color will not be a remedy,” the activist said.

“It’s just ridiculous to hear them speak of such changes as reforms.

There’s nothing of the kind. They are too far from imitations,”
he added.

From: A. Papazian

MOBILE SERVICES IN ARMENIA HAVE OVER 2 MILLION CUSTOMERS

Tert.am
24.12.10

Armenia’s fixed telephone communications network currently has 620,000
customers, with 530,000 in Yerevan, while the mobile communication
network, with its three operators, has a total number of 2.77
million customers, according to Armenian Minister of Transport and
Communication Manuk Vardanyan.

At a news conference on Friday, he said 3G systems are gaining a wide
coverage over the entire territory of the country.

The minister noted that operators conduct a flexible price policy,
ensuring a wide coverage at low costs.

He also added that activities towards introducing the 4G system
are underway.

From: A. Papazian

14.5 DECLINE IN THE FIELD OF AGRICULTURE
Nvard Davtyan

“Radiolur”
24.12.2010 17:15

“A 14.5 decline was registered in the sphere of agriculture in
January-November 2010 as a result of unfavorable weather conditions,”
Minister of Agriculture Gerasim Alaverdyan told a press conference
today. Progress was registered only in the sphere of wine-making,
he added.

Agricultural fall was mostly observed in crop production, according
to the Minister.

Gerasim Alaverdyan hailed the Ministry’s work and added: “My team is
professional, and the employees are not responsible for the decline,”
he said.

From: A. Papazian

ARTAK DAVTYAN: THE POLICY OF ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES S REALISTIC
Alisa Gevorgyan

“Radiolur”
24.12.2010 17:21

2010 was a rhythmic year in the social-economic sphere, in the domestic
and foreign policy fields, Chairman of the National Assembly’s
Standing Committee on Education, Science, Culture, Youth Affairs
and Sport Artak Davtyan told a press conference today. He added that
there have not been essential deviations from the rhythmic sinusoid
curve there have been both positive and negative things in all spheres.

The most important achievement in the field of foreign policy was
the fact that everyone got convinced that the policy assumed by the
Armenian authorities was quite realistic.

“Over the year officials of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries
were declaring what the Armenian side had been declaring for a long
time. The question refers to the Karabakh conflict, particularly the
three basic principles, which are views as a whole. A full stop was
put at the OSCE summit in Astana, where the joint statement came up
to our expectations,” Artak Davtyan said.

Speaking about the negative developments in the foreign policy field,
he pointed to the information war unleashed by Azerbaijan and Turkey.

From: A. Papazian

RF MFA: RUSSIA’S MEDIATION IN KARABAKH PROCESS ASSESSED HIGHLY

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 24, 2010 – 13:52 AMT 09:52 GMT

In 2010, Russia continued efforts towards settlement of conflicts
throughout the CIS area, said Alexey Sazonov, deputy director of
the department of press and information at the Russian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs.

“Russia’s mediation in Karabakh processes were assessed highly.

Trilateral meetings between Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani
Presidents were held in Sochi, St. Petersburg and Astrakhan on January
25, June 17 and October 27 of the current year,” Sazonov said at the
briefing, summing up 2010 results.

From: A. Papazian

CONTROL SERVICE DISSATISFIED WITH GOVERNMENTAL CHARITY COMMITTEE WORK

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 24, 2010 – 15:47 AMT 11:47 GMT

Armenian government’s charity committee has violated its obligations by
including the partically or fully completed deals into the “charity”
category, according to the head of the control service Hovhannes
Hovsepyan.

As he told a December 24 news conference, the deals should be included
in the category before they’re concluded. “The committee just gave
those companies a chance to evade taxes, relaxing restrictions for
the sum involved in the charity action.”

As Hovsepyan noted, at present, control service is actively working
to reveal violations in the field.

From: A. Papazian

ARMAVIA TO LAUNCH REGULAR FLIGHTS TO BRATISLAVA FROM JAN. 17, 2011

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 24, 2010 – 15:21 AMT 11:21 GMT

Armavia national carrier will launch Yerevan-Bratislava-Yerevan
regular flights from January 17, 2011.

The flights will be implemented on Mondays at 09:20pm Yerevan time
in winter period, the company’s press service reported.

Moreover, Armavia will be implementing two flights per week to this
destination in summer period of 2011. Yerevan-Bratislava-Yerevan
flights will be scheduled for Mondays and Fridays.

From: A. Papazian

GERASIM ALAVERDYAN: 2010 WAS UNFAVORABLE FOR ARMENIA’S AGRICULTURE

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 24, 2010 – 15:19 AMT 11:19 GMT

Armenian Minister of Agriculture Gerasim Alaverdyan said that the
year of 2010 was rather unfavorable for Armenia’s agriculture.

14.5% decline was recorded in agriculture by the end of 11 months,
Alaverdyan told a press conference on December 24 in Yerevan.

The decline is basically reasoned by poor weather conditions.

According to the Minister, considerable problems were recorded in
crop production.

Cultivation areas reduced by 16,000ha in 2010 compared to 2009,
totaling 283,000ha. Drop was recorded in potato production, making
490,000t in 2010 against 590,000t in 2009.

The volume of fruits production dropped by 3 times, totaling 125,000t
in 2010 against 330,000t in 2009.

As for vegetables production, decline was recorded also here –
690,000t of vegetables were produced in 2010 against 800,000t in 2009,
Alaverdyan noted.

He added that positive figures were recorded in grape production.

Specifically, 218,000t of grapes were produced in 2010 against 207,000t
in 2009.

134,000t of grapes at an average price of AMD 124.5 were purchased
this year, while the total sum of purchase amounted to AMD 16.7bln,
Alaverdyan said.

From: A. Papazian