Author: Andres-Papazian

TURKISH COLLEGE OF ABKHAZIA STOPPED ITS ACTIVITIES

05/08/10

Parents of students of the Turkish college of Abkhazia are indignant
at the statement issued by the founders of the college.

Representatives of the parents’ committee appealed to the president
of the country Sergey Bagapsh, the Speaker of the Parliament Nugzar
Ashub, the Prime Minister Sergey Shambay demanding to solve the issue.

The Turkish founders made a statement in connection with the closure
of the school on April 23 reasoning their decision by the financial
crisis. The college has been established in 1995 with the support
of the first president of Abkhazia Vladislav Arzindah. The college
provided 5-year education in Turkish, English, Russian and Abkhazian
languages. Yerkramas Armenian paper of Russia writes.

From: A. Papazian

2500 EURO DECIDED BY THE EUROPEAN COURT

05/08/2010

European Court of Human Rights, according to its decision relating to
the complaint “Asatryan vs. Armenia” on February 9, 2010, allocated to
the Ministry of Justice over 2,500 euro equivalent Armenian dram. The
amount will be given to the citizen.

From: A. Papazian

HALIDZOR AND SHINUHAYR VILLAGES TO BE BETTERED

05/08/10

During today’s session of the government, 32,279.621.4 dram was
allocated to the Regional Council of Syunik Marz for Halidzor and
Shinuhayr villages. The aforementioned villages will be bettered with
this sum. The works are planned within the Tatev ropeway construction
works.

The Ministry of Economy has been allocated 65475.00 thousand dram
for the creation of videos about Tatev-Halidzor ropeway and their
presentation by Euronews TV channel, as well as other 27670.00 to
the regional representatives of National Geography Travel monthly for
the organization of a symposium. The press service of the government
reports.

From: A. Papazian

WHAT WILL ARMENIA TELL IRAN?

05/08/10

According to the message by the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
the Armenian deputy foreign minister Arman Kirakosyan participated
in a conference in Tehran, after which he had a meeting with the
Foreign Minister of Iran Manuchehr Mottaki. No details about the
topics discussed during the meeting.

Iran, of course, cannot but be worried with the recent developments, in
particular with the supply of C-300 zenith complexes to Azerbaijan as
well as with the extension of Russian troops’ term to stay in Armenia.

In connection with the first issue, Iran made a rough statement at a
very high level. The point is that the complexes were supposed to be
sold to Iran, which has already paid for them. But Russia changed its
decision under the pressure of the West. The other side of the issue is
that those complexes are meant to be used against Iran. In the recent
period, political figures warn Azerbaijan about “the threat from the
sea and the need to defend Baku”, meaning the Iranian direction.

As for the Russian bases, there is an opinion that the change of
their status enables the Russian party to have more possibilities
to act in the region. We can remember the talks on the deployment
of Russian and Western peacekeeping forces in the conflict zone,
in answer to which the Iranian ambassador to Armenia said that Iran
will not tolerate foreign forces near its borders.

What is Armenia going to tell in this connection to Iran, the positions
of which on regional issues coincide with the Armenian interests:
Karabakh within the present borders must not be in the composition
of Azerbaijan and the Armenian and Iranian border must be defended by
Armenian troops? Is Armenia able to give guarantees in this connection?

From: A. Papazian

OUR OLIGARCHS WILL GET SAD

05/08/10

40 U.S. millionaires, headed by the two richest people in the world
Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, united around “The giving pledge”
initiative. They agreed to allocate half of their wealth for charitable
purposes. Film director George Lucas, Mayor of New York Michael
Bloomberg, CNN founder Ted Turner, David Rockefeller, Paul Allen and
others are among them. Measures will be directed to the sphere of
study of a number of diseases, other educational charitable projects.

Gates and Buffet made such an appeal in June, 2010. Their appeal
received a wide response. Millionaires agreed to allocate money during
their lives, as well as add such a point in their will.

Overall, there are 400 billionaires in the U.S. Armenian millionaires,
doubtlessly, will take such philanthropy manifestation with a
contemptuous smile. However, in a short while, they will get sad. The
point is that unlike Armenian millionaires, those in the U.S. do
not need to kill people, make breaches, have shaved-head bodyguards,
make their co-citizens slaves, pay “black” taxes in order to preserve
and to double their wealth: at the same time even after all this live
under the threat of becoming a bum.

From: A. Papazian

CHANGING THE STATUS OF THE RUSSIAN BASE IS NOT EXPEDIENT

05/08/10

On August 4, a regular session of the “Committee on Foreign Relations”
of the National Assembly to be set up by the Sardarapat initiative,
took place on the topic “Armenia under the light of recent regional
developments”, expert David Petrosyan was the main speaker.

The speaker, evaluating the agreement signed on February 4, 1995,
between the republics of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh
at the initiative of the Special Commissioner of the Russian
president Vradimir Kazimirov to “prevent incidents in the territory
of Nagorno-Karabakh”, proposed to remember and once again realize
it in order to reduce the number of incidents happening on the
Armenian-Azerbaijani contact line.

During the discussion, David Petrosyan attached importance to the fact
that Russia sells two C-300 zenith complexes to Azerbaijan underlining
that such a deal can cause change of correlation of forces in the
region, which is also proven by the fact that ambassadors in Azerbaijan
have been instructed not to give visas to 18-45-year-old men.

According to the speaker, the situation in the NKR issue is hard and
anxious which can become a reason to resume the hostilities. In this
sense, the influence of the U.S. on Azerbaijan becomes very important
as well as the figure of who implements that influence, that is the
U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan: an issue that is currently discussed
in the U.S.

David Petrosyan grounded the opinion according to which, the change
of the status of the Russian military bases in Armenia cannot be
expedient for the Armenian party if Azerbaijan resorts to violence
against Nagorno-Karabakh.

The participants of the discussion once more underscored the reality
that in order to give an adequate response to any kind of attack
against Armenia, unification of Armenians, creation of just social
system is necessary.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN KNOT
HAYK ARAMYAN

05/08/10

The information about extending the term of Russian bases stay in
Armenia did not receive an unequivocal response within the Armenian
society. In general, in the last decade, Russians owned everything
possible in Armenia. It is natural – Armenia is an important area for
Moscow and has a vital value for Russia. If Russia loses its influence
in Armenia, the future of the Russian state will be unpredictable.

Clearly, this does not mean equal strategic partnership, which is
proved by the Russian-Armenian relationship over time. Generally,
Russia does not perceive Armenia as an ally and rules it out by
obtaining full political and economic influence on the systems in
our country. The most important lever of Moscow, which is up to now
rooted in the conscience of the Armenian people, is the stereotype
as if Russia is our savior and defender.

Though, history shows that the Armenian-Russian relationship recorded
a very interesting episode: interests are too different and maybe
even contradictory. Even the biggest advocates of the Armenia-Russia
relationship, starting from Israel Ori and Khachatur Abovyan, came to
the point of trying to take Armenia out of the Russian orbit. The point
is that getting stronger in the region with the help of Armenians,
in the future, the Russian state resolved all its issues on account of
Armenians. As a result, after 6 or 7 Russian-Turkish wars, Armenians in
the end lost their historical homeland – the Western Armenia. Armenians
were “close to this” even in connection with the Eastern part of our
country when the Russian army started displacing people from Karabakh.

Hence, extension of the term for the Russian troops to defend
Armenia’s security cannot but cause worries both from the point
that Armenia gives up being an independent country and the historical
experience. For example, experts note that in a possible Armenian-Azeri
war, Russian bases may play rather a negative role.

Of course, in the nature, no unilateral dependence can exist. As
Armenia depends on Russia, so Russia depends on Armenia. Perhaps, the
major issue for the national elite should be to use this circumstance
and to build equal, dignified partnership relations. In order to
exclude such a possibility Russia has done anything possible: there
are no pro-Western forces in Armenia, threads of the Armenian home
political life take to Moscow, the power and the opposition, the whole
economic system, the whole information-analytical field is “Russian”,
about two million Armenians, like hostages, live and work in Russia.

It is another issue that this situation is not expedient for Russia
itself, because so it will lose Armenia once and for ever. The issue
is we and our faith in our own forces and possibilities. The Armenian
nation has such forces but manifests them only in extremely cases
when it is alone in front of the tired leadership, which seeks its
own salvation, and foreign challenges. However, there is no need to
bring the situation to this point.

From: A. Papazian

TENTH UNIVERSAL EXPO-FORUM “ARMENIA EXPO 2010” WILL TAKE PLACE FROM SEPTEMBER 3-5 IN YEREVAN

/ARKA/
August 5, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, August 4. /ARKA/. Tenth universal regional trade-industrial
expo-forum “Armenia EXPO 2010” will take place from September 3-5
in Yerevan, press service of LOGOS EXPO Centre informs which is
co-organizer of the event jointly with the Union of Manufacturers
and Entrepreneurs of Armenia.

Concept of the exhibition is unification of regional and branch
expositions demonstrating the industrial potential of Armenia.

“ARMENIA EXPO 2010” is the largest exhibition in the region. In
difference with not large events which give only partial introduction
of certain segments of industry, specter of this forum covers all
the industries of Armenia.

Each year Armenia EXPO introduces large opportunities for presentation
of technologies, systems and components, innovative solutions of
different production.

More than 150 local and foreign organizations, companies and
associations from Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Russia, Belarus,
Iran, UAE, Germany, Georgia, Turkey, China, Poland and Italy will
participate in the forum. Total square of the exhibition is more than
1500 sq. meters.

The goals of the forum are: search of new consumption markets,
involvement of foreign investments in the Armenian economy,
demonstration of economic potential of the country and search of
business partners.

Official bulletin of the exhibition “ARMENIA EXPO 2010” will be
published in Russian and English languages and sent to more than 50
countries of the world.

Parallel to the forum, exhibitions by the following branches will be
organized – “Industrial Armenia åèòï 2010”, “Construction åèòï 2010”,
“Food products and drinks åèòï 2010”, “Trans åèòï 2010”, “Comp åèòï
2010”, “Furniture saloon åèòï 2010”, “Finance, credit, insurance and
audit åèòï 2010” and “Rest and entertainment åèòï 2010”

LOGOS EXPO Centre is the first private exhibition company (1999) which
is the leader in the sphere of organization of branch, industrial,
national and international exhibitions and congresses in Armenia
and abroad.

During the last 10 years LOGOS EXPO Centre had organized more than
hundred specialized and international exhibitions regarding different
spheres of economy.

Each year LOGOS EXPO Centre organizes up to 15 specialized exhibitions
by the support of the Armenian Government, ministries, unions and
foreign embassies.

From: A. Papazian

CIS STATISTICAL COMMITTEE: ARMENIA’S RETAIL TRADE GROWS 0.7% IN JAN-JUNE 2010

/ARKA/
August 5, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, August 5. /ARKA/. Armenia’s retail trade turnover less
catering grew 0.7% in Jan-June 2010, compared with the same period a
year before, Statistical Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent
States reports. Armenia was last but one in the CIS ranking.

The year-on-year growth of the commonwealth’s retail trade turnover
averaged 4% in Jan-June 2010.

According to the statistical report, Turkmenistan enjoyed the fastest
growth (15.9%).

Belarus, with its 15-percent growth, came after Turkmenistan and
Kazakhstan, with 13.1%, followed Belarus.

Tajikistan showed 12% year-on-year growth, Azerbaijan 8.4%, Moldova
7.6%, Russia 3.4% and Ukraine 2.3%.

Kyrgyzstan faced 4% decline.

From: A. Papazian

THE TIME BETWEEN YEREVAN- GYUMRI REDUCED BY 40 MINUTES BY TRAIN

/ARKA/
August 5, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, August 4. /ARKA/. The time of Yerevan-Gyumri train is reduced
to 40 minutes from August 1.

The train will leave from Gyumri station at 7:10 a.m. and arrive to
Yerevan at 10:39 a.m. daily.

Earlier, due to the effective work of Road Service and Service of
electrification and energy supply of CJSC “SCR”, the time between
the stations Artashat-Yerevan was reduced to 32 minutes.

The given time reductions positively influence on passenger flow.

Concession management of “Armenian railway” is implemented by CJSC
“South Caucasian Railway” which is 100% affiliate of Open JSC “Russian
Railway”. SCR accepted the railway stock of CJSC “Armenian railway”
on its balance from June 1, 2008 according to Concession Agreement
signed on February 13, 2008. The terms of concession management is
for 30 years with the right of prolongation for another 10

From: A. Papazian