Author: Andres-Papazian

Expert: Armenia can’t rely only on Stepantsminda-Lars motorway for
transporting its cargoes

YEREVAN, September 2. /ARKA/. Armenia can’t rely only on the
Stepantsminda-Lars motorway for transporting its cargoes, Vazgen
Safaryan, chairman of the Union of Domestic Commodity Producers, said
at a news conference on Tuesday.

The road section near Upper Lars border checkpoint was closed on
August 20 because of landslides. On August 30, traffic on this section
resumed.

“The latest landslide has affected trade turnover between Armenia and
Russia,” Safaryan said. “It is still a good thing that traffic here
has resumed quickly, but unfortunately, such problems occur
periodically.”

Before that, Kazbegi-Upper Lars section on Georgian Military Road was
blocked on May 17 and traffic here ceased for one month leaving
Armenia without its ground transportation link with Russia.

Safaryan is convinced that construction of a tunnel may solve the
problem. “The project of the tunnel construction is not new, but it
was hampered by two world wars and the Soviet Union’s collapse,” he
said.

The expert pointed out construction of a railway connecting Armenia
with Russia through Iran and resumption of railway traffic through
Abkhazia as other solutions to the problem.

It was reported earlier, that Abkhazia has no objections against this
prospect, but the idea can be discussed only after recognition of
Abkhazia’s independence. –0—-

From: A. Papazian

Davutoglu says Ankara will do everything to end “occupation of
Azerbaijani territories and Nagorno Karabakh”

by Tatevik Shahunyan

ARMINFO
Tuesday, September 2, 13:39

Ankara’s foreign policy priority in the Caucasus is settlement of the
regional conflict, establishment of peace and reduction of tensions,
newly appointed Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said
introducing the policy of the new government, Milliyet reports.

To this end, he said, Ankara will do everything to end “occupation of
Azerbaijani lands and Nagorno Karabakh,” as well as reduce tensions
between Armenia and Azerbaijan and establish peace in the region.
Davutoglu said that Ankara will continue “the steps towards
normalization of relations with Armenia.”

He said Turkey does not anticipate historical revenge from Armenia,
but search for the ways of cooperation and revealing justice in
response to Ankara’s “progressive offers”.

From: A. Papazian

Despite protests of environmentalists, Mego Gold Company gets
permission to launch construction of third Tukhmanuk tailing dump

by Karina Manukyan

Tuesday, September 2, 16:44

Despite protests of environmentalists, Mego Gold Company gets a
permission to launch the third Tukhmanuk tailing dump.
‘

Environmentalist Greta Gabrielyan told reporters, Tuesday, the Nature
Protection Ministry of Armenia approved the Tukhmanuk tailing dump
project’s Environment Impact Assessment on 30 June. Meanwhile, in the
following 1.5 month, environmentalists could not get official
information on whether the project would be approved or not. In fact,
they learned about the project’s approval on 23 August from the
website of Global Gold Mining.

“We deal with a unique situation when the project is approved amid
heated protests of the residents of the Melik community, where the
tailing dump will be built,” says lawyer Arthur Grigoryan. According
to him, the villagers have already sent a letter to the minister and
asked him to visit Melik community to get first- hand view of the
situation. The villages alarm that the two old tailing dumps were not
recultivated, which may cause risks of soil pollution.

The project caused displeasure both of ecologists and local residents.
In particular, “Mega gold” company did not implement recultivation
work at the two tailing dumps of Tukhmanuk, which contains the risk of
heavy metals penetration in soil.

Last year ecologists called on Armenian Prosecutor General’s Office to
revise the license on open pit mining of Tukhmanuk. Mego Gold Company
(subsidiary of GGM) was to submit a new project after two years of
open pit mining and start close pit mining. However, environmentalists
say the company managed to somehow extend the license for open pit
mining.

Ö6D33E0-329E-11E4-AEA60EB7C0D21663

From: A. Papazian

Armenian analyst unsure about Eurasian integration prospects

15:36 * 02.09.14

The Caucasus Institute’s director on Tuesday expressed his doubts as
to the success of Armenia’s Eurasian integration efforts.

“There are too many problems there, especially with Armenia,”
Alexander Iskandaryan told Tert.am, when asked to comment on his
expectations.

The analyst said he doesn’t think that the Treaty on Armenia’s
accession to the Eurasian Economic Union will be signed on October 10,
adding that the deal, if concluded at all, might bring about serious
changes in the country’s economy. “Let us wait and see what will
become of the Ukrainian conflict,” he said.

Iskandaryan noted the plan to create the Eurasian Customs Union was
initially targeted at Ukraine. “Unprecedented developments took place
over this period,” he said, pointing to the direct impact of the
changes on the EEU’s future fate.

“I do not positively treat the process; not because I treat the union
negatively, but because I don’t think it will be possible to create a
good functioning union in the near future in light of the Ukrainian
crisis,” he added.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: A. Papazian

BIRTHRIGHT ARMENIA
Contact: Linda Yepoyan
Email: [email protected]
Web:

Learn Eastern Armenian with Birthright Armenia’s Online Language
Tutorial

It’s back by popular demand! The Depi Hayk Language Tutorial has just
successfully undergone a thorough technological upgrade to ensure
usability across all desktop platforms and browsers. Registration is
simple, and within a minute you’re ready for your first Armenian
lesson or to brush up on what you already know.

With 12-unit multimedia lessons in all, this free online course is a
great tool if you or someone you know has been interested in learning
basic conversational Eastern Armenian. The course includes a pre-test
to assess your starting level, access to a built-in online dictionary,
practical vocabulary and dialogues, grammar sections including the
written Armenian, its English transliteration and translation,
exercises, songs and poems and a post-test to measure one’s progress
in basic level proficiency. A short introduction to the alphabet is
also provided, followed by a click and drag reading/comprehension
game.

Originally created over 10 years ago, the program’s primary intended
use is the same now as it was back then: to serve as a learning tool
for Birthright Armenia and Armenian Volunteer Corps volunteers to get
them acclimated to the Armenian language prior to their arrival to
Armenia. However, by making it free and available to everyone via the
Birthright Armenia website, members of the general public in need of a
top-quality Armenian tutorial for work, recreation or necessity also
find the program quite beneficial. Over the last decade the tutorial
has enjoyed quite a following of language takers over the years-over
2,850 have benefitted to date, the majority of whom were not
Birthright volunteers. The upgrade to keep pace with ever-changing
technology was a must in order to continue serving the growing
interest in Eastern Armenian.

Timothy Deets, a registered tutorial user from Chicago, IL, now living
and teaching English in Armenia at the American University of Armenia,
is an ideal example of the diverse non-volunteer demographic. “While
trying to learn Armenian, I’ve acquired dictionaries and other books,
and tried Mango as well as Pimsleur language programs. But the main
reason I use Birthright Armenia’s online language tutorial is because
it’s so interactive and has a nice, succinct summary of Eastern
Armenian grammar,” he explains.
“Presently, I am using the tutorial with the goal of learning Armenian
grammar, to improve my pronunciation, and to increase my vocabulary.
This practical knowledge assists me with getting around town via
public transportation and ordering food and drinks in restaurants with
ease,” he adds.

Using a method similar to Rosetta Stone, the language tutorial
utilizes the concept of dynamic immersion to introduce
English-speaking learners to the cultural intricacies of the target
language. Users of the program have all commented on the efficacy of
this method in learning a language not practiced in their daily lives.
Organized vis-à-vis the format of the Armenian map, each of the
tutorial’s lessons is named after a region in Armenia. As a result,
not only are users broadening their skills, they are becoming more
familiar with the geography of the Armenian Republic, its monasteries,
history and culture.

To use the Depi Hayk Language Tutorial, please visit
or
click on the button for the language tutorial from the main menu of
the Birthright Armenia site to get started. Hajoghutiun!

From: A. Papazian

One year on: The terms of Armenia’s accession to EEU still unclear

15:17 02.09.2014

Lena Badeyan
Public Radio of Armenia

A year after Armenia declared plans to join the Customs Union of
Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, the terms of Armenia’s accession are
still unclear, although some concrete dates have been mentioned on
several occasions. A few days ago Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan
Nazarbayev said the issue will be solved at consultations in Minsk
scheduled for October 10.

Chairman of the Armenian National Assembly’s Standing Committee on
Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs Gagik Minasyan predicts that
all CIS countries will finally join the Eurasian Economic Union. “This
is an additional security guarantee,” he says.

Gagik Minasyan says no customs checkpoint will be built between
Armenia and Karabakh, and there will be no changes in the relations
between the two after Armenia’s accession to the Eurasian Economic
Union

The MP says the name of the structure corresponds to its essence, i.e.
the Union will not solve political issues. His confidence further
reinforced after Kazakh President’s recent statement that his country
could quit EEU membership should it threaten Kazakhstan’s
independence.

Gagik Minasyan tries to find something positive in every negative
phenomenon. Thus, he sees the sanctions against Russia as another
opportunity for our businessmen.

“This opens new perspectives, because the Russian market provides good
opportunities for the export of our products. There are reports about
the rise of prices of the goods imported to Russia, and this is
another incentive for us to enjoy favorable conditions for the export
of goods to the Russian Federation by adopting a correct pricing
policy.”

From: A. Papazian

PRESS RELEASE
MEDIA CENTER in YEREVAN
30 Saryan str.
Tel: +37460 505 898
+37499 755 898
Email: [email protected]
Web:

September 3, 17:00: An online debate entitled `A Year after the
Decision to Join the Customs Union: Challenges and Prospects’ will be
held at the initiative of the Media Center and cybercast at A1plus.am.

The speakers include:

Anush Sedrakyan, political analyst;
Styopa Safaryan, MP of the 4^th Parliament session, political expert, analyst;
Artur Ghazinyan, head of the Center for European Studies at YSU;
Vardan Khachatryan, MP of the 4^th Parliament session, political expert;
Yervand Bozoyan, political expert;
Levon Shirinyan, political expert.

ATTENTION. The debate will be held at A1+ TV studio and will be
available for the journalists via live stream at a1plus.am
website. The online mass media can embed the broadcasting code or the
video recording of the debate on their websites.

From: A. Papazian

Armenian environmentalists against mine dump project

13:35 * 02.09.14

The nature protection minister’s decision to allow the launch of a new
tailing dump for a mine in Armenia’s Aragatsotn region has drawn
criticism by environmentalists.

At a news conference on Tuesday, several activists expressed their
concerns over the project that envisages the construction of a third
dump for the gold mine in Tokhmanuk. One of them, Seyran Minasyan,
described the plan as a mere deception. “I, as a specialist, wrote a
letter to the minister, and the response which came said the opinion
would be maximum considered. But a real response was sent to me by the
limited liability company, Akunk Firm,” he noted.

Greta Gabrielyan, another environmentalist attending the news
conference, said the group visited the community to evaluate the
situation on-site after the alarm was raised. She said that their
earlier letters to the National Assembly and the president never
received a proper attention.

“To continue the mining in the village Melik means to poison the water
in the area with heavy metals,” she noted.

Arthur Grigoryan, a lawyer also attending the news conference, said he
finds the earlier measure authorizing the launch of the second dump a
clear sign of a corrupt deal. He described the project as a unique
move giving the right evaluation to Minister Aramayis Grigoryan.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: A. Papazian

Azerbaijan Buying Coast Guard Vessels From Israel
by Joshua Kucera
Sept. 1, 2014

Azerbaijan is acquiring 12 new coast guard vessels from Israel and is
discussing the possibility of buying naval corvettes, as well.

The news emerged after Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev formally
opened [8] a new shipyard for the coast guard. No mention was made
publicly of the Israeli provenance of the ships, but online weapons
enthusiasts [9] and the experts at Jane’s [10]examined the photos that
were released on the president’s official site and came to the
conclusion that these were warships — six Shaldag Mk V patrol boats
and six Saar 62 offshore patrol vessels — that Israel had announced
it was building for an anonymous customer.

In addition, posters exhibited at the event suggested that Azerbaijan
was looking at a more heavily armed Israeli ship, the Saar 72 corvette
[11].

Azerbaijan has already made other naval purchases from Israel, notably
some Gabriel-5 anti-ship missiles [12], which became a source of
tension [13] between Azerbaijan and Iran: Tehran, fixated on Israel,
mistrusts Baku’s close military ties with its enemy.

That tension was reignited recently, when Iran claimed to have shot
down an Israeli drone on its territory, and then blamed [14] a “former
Soviet state to the North” for launching the drone. The reference was
unmistakably to Azerbaijan, but curiously Iran’s ambassador to
Azerbaijan then said that claims the drone was launched from
Azerbaijan were not made by Iranian officials but were Israeli media
disinformation [15]. Thus far, there seems to be no word from Tehran
on the news of Israeli boats on the Caspian.

[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]
[9]
[10]
[11] ‘ar_72-class_corvette
[12]
[13]
[14]
[15]

From: A. Papazian

La Ganzúa, España
1 sep 2014

Ara Malikian, concierto especial en festival Getxo Folk, Bilbao

Ara Malikian, vitalista violinista libanés de origen armenio afincado
en Madrid con éxito creciente, es el principal reclamo del Festival
Getxo Folk, que se celebrará en dicha ciudad fronteriza con Bilbao
entre los días 4 y 7 de septiembre, con los conciertos nocturnos de
pago. El suyo está previsto para el 4 de septiembre compartiendo
escenario ese día con Fernando Egozkue, Jose Luis Montón, Orexa TX y
Kalakan.

Las entradas para ese concierto especial para esta cita se venden de
forma anticipada a 7 euros y a 10 en taquilla. El festival también
cuenta con actuaciones de Chambao, Osibisa y Capercaillie [buenísima
banda escocesa con 30 años de carrera encabezada por la vocalista
Karen Matheson]

Malikian es de los músicos más solicitados por su polivalencia, igual
gira con Los Secretos, que con Kepa Junkera o con la llamada la
Orquesta en el Tejado, que agrupa a una quincena de personas en
escena, cuando no hace bolos individuales homenajeando a Pagagnini,
entre otras aventuras.

· Cartel del Festival Getxo Folk 2014 y video de Ara Malikian /
‘Preludio’ de Bach:
__Conciertos Principales (Plaza de la Estación de Las Arenas)
Plaza de la Estación de Las Arenas – 21.00 horas (domingo: 20.00 horas)
Entradas a la venta desde el 7 de julio 5 de septiembre: 10 EURO (Precio
reducido: 7 EURO):
4 de septiembre: 10 EURO (Precio reducido: 7 EURO)
5 de septiembre: 20 EURO (Precio reducido: 15 EURO)
6 de septiembre: 10 EURO (Precio reducido: 7 EURO)
7 de septiembre: 15 EURO (Precio reducido: 12 EURO)
Abono: 40 EURO (Precio reducido: 30 EURO)

Jueves 4
Ara Malikian – Fernando Egozkue Jose Luis Montón – Orexa TX – Kalakan:
“Sustraiak – Raíces” .

Viernes 5
Chambao

Sábado 6
Osibisa

Domingo 7
Capercaillie

__Conciertos de tarde
Parking de la plaza Estación de Las Arenas 19.00 (domingo: 18.00)
Entrada gratuita

Jueves 4
Garikoitz Mendizabal (Euskadi)

Viernes 5
Hexacorde & Vanesa Muela (Castilla y León)

Sábado 6
La Bazanca (Castilla y León)

Domingo 7
Fernando Valsega & Exilio New Tango (Argentina)

____Conciertos de la “Terraza del mundo”
Parking de la plaza Estación de Las Arenas 23.00 Entrada gratuita

Viernes 5
La niña Cabo: Noemí Maldonado (Madrid)

Sábado 6
Boc (Mallorca)

__Espectáculo infantil
Parking de la plaza Estación de Las Arenas 12.30 Entrada gratuita

Sábado 6
Ene kantak “Liburu magikoa” (Euskadi)

From: A. Papazian