Author: Andres-Papazian

“AUSTRIAN AIRLINES” TO DEFINE SPECIAL PRICE TARIFF FOR ARMENIAN TOURISM INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES REFER TO TWO-WAY TICKETS

13:32, 6 December, 2012

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS: Armenia’s National Competitiveness
Foundation and “Austrian Airlines” JSC Armenia branch signed a
memorandum of understanding on December 6.The memorandum was signed
by National Competitiveness Foundation executive director Arman
Khachatryan,National Competitiveness Foundation executive director
and Deputy Minister of Economy Ara Petrosyan.

As Foundation informed Armenpress, taking into consideration the need
to promote Armenian tourism an agreement was reached to determine
special price tariff for two -way tickets to the representatives of
Armenian tourism, who participate in international tourism events
organized by the efforts of National Competitiveness Foundation.

Accordingly the price to the direction of Europe will be determined 99
euro worth AMD, 399 euro worth AMD for Beijing and Tokyo destinations,
whether US direction will cost 299 euro worth AMD. The rates do not
include airport taxes.

From: A. Papazian

25 NATURE SITES GET PASSPORTS 2 ARMENIAN REGIONS

TERT.AM
06.12.12

The Armenian environmental group, which had earlier campaigned for
the conservation of Trchkan, a waterfall in the south of Armenia,
has embarked on the registration of the natural heritage sites in
the regions of Tavush and Lori.

The state non-commercial company Zikatar, which is in-charge for
the process, has singled out the natural heritage sites subject
to registration. It has issued passports to 25 monuments, with 230
others still pending registration, the company’s director, Andranik
Gukijanyan, told reporters on Thursday.

“A bid for 230 monuments has been submitted to the Government’s
approval, but they do not have passports yet. We have now set a task
to decide who will control or take charge of them. There are many
valuable monuments that need protection today, ” he said.

Speaking of ecotourism opportunities, Samvel Baloyan, a deputy head
at the Environmental Projects Implementation Unit, said the tourists
visiting Armenia today are introduced to the well-known natural
heritage sites.

“All this still bears a temporary nature as long as we have no
passports. We are hopeful the problem will be resolved soon. Material
values unfortunately often replace the natural and cultural ones,
giving rise to vandalism. A state-based approach will only be of a
help in eradicating vandalism,” he noted.

From: A. Papazian

PEOPLE’S DISTRUST TOWARD ELECTIONS REACHES UNPRECEDENTED LEVEL – ARF-D MP

07.12.12

Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktustyun (ARF-D) is not
offering its 7-point platform for playing games, head of ARF-D faction
Armen Rustamyan said at a briefing today.

“We have not come here to play games. We are presenting to the people
the agenda with which we are coming forth,” he said, adding that
they believe in mechanisms and prefer the public interest to narrow
personal interests.

Asked why during the previous elections the ARF-D oriented speedily,
while now it hesitates, Rustamyan said the change of the situation
is clear.

“It cannot be compared with the previous ones as public’s trust toward
electoral processes reduces more and more. The degree of distrust is
unprecedented, nothing like this has ever been registered,” he said,
adding that they do not see any reason to hurry.

“What’s the sense of hurrying, when many issues have remained unsolved,
when there is no consolidation. There cannot be a consolidation over
personality,” he said, adding that the easiest thing for them is to
give the name of a candidate.

“The thing is how useful these elections are for the people and in
general whether to participate in the elections or not. It would not
be bad if we have managed to apply a mechanism and learn the people’s
wish over the united candidate,” he said.

Rustamyan said he is convinced that if any force accepts the road
map they have proposed, irrespective whether the ARF-D is elected or
not, it [the political force] is obliged to bring these provisions
into life.

Asked if they will back Gagik Tsarukyan in case the Prosperous Armenia
party accepts ARF-D’s proposed points, Rustamyan said they all are
contender candidates and cannot be separated. “As soon as we are
talking about objective things you bring forward the subjective ones.

Let’s not speak about it and not run forward,” he said.

The ARF-D MP stressed that they do not have any hostility toward any
candidate and their cooperation proposal is not personalized.

From: A. Papazian

UN ORGANISME DU GOUVERNEMENT PROPOSE DES CREDITS BON MARCHE POUR LES ARMENIENS DE SYRIE

armenews.com
vendredi 7 decembre 2012

Un organisme gouvernemental charge de soutenir les petites entreprises
a offert de prolonger des prets a faible interet aux Armeniens de
Syrie qui se sont refugies en Armenie et qui souhaitent demarrer une
entreprise dans le pays.

Des hauts fonctionnaires du Centre national pour le developpement des
petites et moyennes entreprises ont fait cette offre lors d’une reunion
avec un groupe d’Armeniens de Syrie residant actuellement a Erevan.

Le directeur du centre, Varazdat Karapetian, a declare qu’ils pouvaient
emprunter, sans garantie, jusqu’a 5 millions de drams (12350 $) chacun
a un taux de 5 pour cent d’interet fixe bien en dessous des niveaux
des marches. Le taux de pret de l’agence pour les entrepreneurs locaux
est de 10 pour cent par an, a-t-il dit. En outre, le pret unique prevu
pour les residents du pays ne depasse pas les 3 millions de drams.

” Nous avons realise 15 projets cette annee pour soutenir les
entrepreneurs pour la première fois. Plus de 100 entreprises ont ete
creees grâce a ces projets ” a declare Varazdat Karapetian au service
armenien de RFE / RL (Azatutyun.am).

” Nous offrons aux Armeniens de Syrie les memes possibilites a de
meilleures conditions “a-t-il dit.

Selon le gouvernement armenien, le nombre d’Armeniens de Syriens qui
vivent actuellement dans le pays a depasse le nombre de 5000. Beaucoup
de ces refugies appartenaient a la classe moyenne en Syrie et
possedaient des petites et moyennes entreprises qui ont cesse de
fonctionner en raison de la persistance des troubles sanglants dans
le pays du Moyen-Orient.

La plupart des Armeniens de Syrie ont du mal a trouver un emploi
en Armenie c’est pourquoi il a ete suggere que certains d’entre eux
pourraient s’installer la-bas et ainsi creer des sources de revenus
durables pour eux-memes et pour d’autres.

” Le demarrage d’une entreprise est difficile ici parce que 10 a 15
personnes contrôlent les marches. Nous allons voir ce que nous pouvons
faire ” a declare l’un des Armeniens de Syrie qui a pris part a la
reunion organisee par l’organisme du gouvernement.

vendredi 7 decembre 2012, Stephane ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

VIVE POLEMIQUE ENTRE TSARUKIAN ET LE GOUVERNEMENT ARMENIEN
Ara

armenews.com
vendredi 7 decembre 2012

Gagik Tsarukian, le leader du Parti Armenie prospère (BHK) a fait
face a une violente reaction de colère du gouvernement après qu’il
ait allegue, dans une declaration faite lors d’une visite a Bruxelles,
que son pays etait dirige par des individus corrompus. Ces declarations
publiees lors d’une rencontre mercredi avec Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca,
vice-president du Parlement europeen, pourraient porter un coup
irreparable a sa relation avec le president Serge Sarkissian .

Dans un communique le BHK indique avoir discute de la situation
politique et socio-economique en Armenie. ” Au cours d’une discussion
libre, Gagik Tsarukian a exprime l’opinion selon laquelle il est
impossible de lutter contre la corruption dans le pays si ce combat
est mene par ceux-la memes qui sont corrompus “, est-il ecrit.

Eduard Sharmazanov, porte-parole du Parti republicain de Sarkissian
(HHK), a denonce la declaration BHK comme ” honteuse “. Selon lui, le
BHK, qui faisait partie du gouvernement armenien jusqu’en juin dernier,
pâtit lui-meme d’une mauvaise reputation parmi les fonctionnaires de
l’Union europeenne. Une situation que le HHK n’a pas rendue publique
pour des raisons ethiques.

“Nous ne disons pas qu’en Europe, selon les avis de nos partenaires
europeens, le Parti Armenie prospère est considere comme une force
artificielle,” a declare Sharmazanov a RFE / RL (Azatutyun.am). “Nous
ne disons pas que le Parti Armenie prospère, toujours selon les
deputes europeens, a connu un certain succès en raison de politiques
populistes.

“Nous ne disons pas que, selon certains deputes europeens, le chef du
Parti Armenie prospère a une connaissance assez vague de la politique
internationale et de l’actualite politique en general.”

Cette visite de Tsarukian et plusieurs figures BHK qui l’accompagnaient
a Bruxelles au debut de cette semaine pour des entretiens avec
des representants de l’UE, intervient alors que des informations
concordantes le presentent comme le challenger principal de Sarkissian
a la prochaine election presidentielle de fevrier. Il n’a cependant
pas annonce pour le moment sa candidature.

Les relations de Tsarukian avec le parti au pouvoir se sont
considerablement deteriorees au cours de la dernière annee en raison
de sa reticence a soutenir la reelection du president en titre. Le
chef BHK, qui est l’un des hommes les plus riches d’Armenie, a retire
son influent parti de la coalition au pouvoir, après les elections
parlementaires de mai 2012.

La declaration BHK indique que le scrutin presidentiel a ete a
l’ordre du jour de ses reunions avec les parlementaires de l’UE,
Vidal-Quadras et autres. Elle cite des propos attribues a Vidal-Quadras
qui estimerait que Tsaroukian ferait un ” candidat exceptionnel ”
en raison de ” son optimisme et de ses qualites humaines. ”

L’ancien ministre des Affaires etrangères Vartan Oskanian, l’un
des membres dirigeants du BHK qui accompagnait le magnat, a insiste
mercredi soir sur le fait que la visite a Bruxelles n’etait pas liee a
l’approche des elections. Il a affirme que les fonctionnaires europeens
ont de soulever la question parce qu'” ils savent qu’Armenie prospère
est un parti très fort.”

Oskanian a egalement suggere que la decision attendue de Tsarukian
concernant sa candidature a la presidence serait annoncee la semaine
prochaine. ” Cette visite ne prefigure en aucun cas la nature de
cette annonce,” a-t-il declare a RFE / RL (Azatutyun.am).

Tsarukian n’avait pas jusqu’a present denonce la corruption
gouvernementale a haut niveau. Alors qu’on lui demandait pourquoi
il a decide de proceder a de telles allegations a ce stade, Liova
Khachatrian, un depute BHK, a declare : “Peut-etre qu’il en a assez.

Peut-etre qu’il esperait que les gens allaient se corriger. ”

Le magnat a construit une grande partie de sa fortune durant de
1998 a 2008, durant le mandat du president Robert Kotcharian, avec
qui il est cense maintenir un rapport chaleureux. Les politiciens
de l’opposition et les medias l’ont longtemps accuse d’utiliser ses
liens avec le gouvernement pour echapper aux impôts, une accusation
qu’il a toujours niee.

vendredi 7 decembre 2012, Ara ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA-RESTORATION OF DEGRADED FOREST LANDS THROUGH IMPLEMENTATION OF SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY PRACTICES IN CHAMBARAK COMMUNITY OF GEGHARKUNIK REGION PROJECT

TendersInfo – Project Notices
December 5, 2012 Wednesday

LENGTH: 502 words

Start Date: 5/2012
End Date: 5/2013
Grantee: Chambarak Branch of the Council of Mothers and Wives of
Deceased Soldiers
Country: Armenia
Area Of Work: Climate Change Mitigation
Land Degradation
Operational Phase: Phase 5
Grant Amount: US$ 26,607.00
Co-Financing Cash: US$ 21,982.00
Co-Financing in-Kind:US$ 11,227.00
Project Number: ARM/SGP/OP5/CORE/CC/12/08
Status: Currently under execution

Former Krasnoselsk settlement received a status of a town and was
renamed to Chambarak in 1994. Despite the status of a town with a
population of 7,000, the majority of residents still continue their
rural lifestyle, where the main activity is animal husbandry.

Chambarak population primarily consists of socially vulnerable
resettled people, families of deceased soldiers, which is the direct
effect of the 1990s armed conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.

In early 1990s the forests and urban green areas of Armenia suffered a
lot due to the energy crisis caused by the economic and energy
blockade. The same was true for Chambarak forest areas; in order to
survive the cold winters, the population began cutting down the trees
to use them as firewood. As a result of massive loggings in a typical
alpine area of Chambarak, especially on steep forested slopes, the
area faced the problem of landslides as a dominant erosion process.

Therefore, if in 2009 the landslides were in Aygut community, which is
22 km far from Chambarak, in 2011 the landslide prone areas expanded
intensively and reached to Ttajur community which is only 7 km far
from Chambarak. Besides, the landslides are quite active, destroying
and damaging many houses.

Currently, Chambarak and the surrounding areas lack forests. The
clear-cut forest areas are being used for cattle grazing which further
exacerbates land degradation. During USSR era, there was a state
forest planting programme which included Chambarak and neighboring
Getik communities. These activities had started but failed to complete
– instead of 25 ha forests, only 6.4 ha were planted which were later
cut by the neighboring households for firewood. Nowadays, this
mountain slope area is exposed to water and wind erosion. Moreover,
this area is used for cattle grazing and haymaking, which further
deteriorates the problem.

Several problems typical for Chambarak town with its neighboring rural
communities can be grouped into:

The vast majority of agricultural land is either not being used or is
used unsustainably;

The horticultural practices are not in place as the main activity is
cattle breeding;

Application of wrong grazing practices in agricultural lands:
farmlands, pastures, meadows;

Illegal loggings of the neighbouring forests continue.

These problems are caused by poor socio-economic conditions of the
population of the region. Besides, local population lack knowledge on
community forestry and effective use of natural resources, in
particular land and water. Also there is a lack of information about
anti-erosion, anti-

country :Armenia

From: A. Papazian

OSCE CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE URGES THE SIDES TO “SERIOUS WORK”

Mediamax
Dec 6 2012
Armenia

Yerevan/Mediamax/. OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Irish Foreign Minister
Eamon Gilmore urged the sides of the Karabakh conflict to serious
work with each other and OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.

He stated this during his speech at the OSCE Ministerial Council in
Dublin, Mediamax reports.

“The upsurge in violent clashes in April and during the summer on
the line of contact and on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, as well as
other worrying developments, show clearly the continuing and urgent
need for progress to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. I call on
all sides to engage seriously with each other and with the Co-Chairs
of the Minsk Group to end this conflict”, stated Eamon Gilmore.

The OSCE Chairman-in-Office said in his interview to Mediamax in
February 2012:

“No conflict can be resolved unless there is genuine will on the part
of those directly involved, and a readiness to accept the sacrifices
and compromises resolution inevitably entails. What Ireland and the
international community can do is provide a forum and support the
sides to uphold their pledge to seek a lasting peace”.

From: A. Papazian

LOOKING BACK, MOVING FORWARD

Pasadena Weekly
Dec 6 2012
CA

Group reviews designs for Armenian Genocide memorial at Pasadena park

Over the objections of Turkish dignitaries, the Pasadena Armenian
Genocide Memorial Committee (PASAGMC) is moving forward with plans
to place a monument honoring the victims of the Armenian Genocide in
Memorial Park.

On Dec. 1, committee members received 17 design proposals for the
memorial, including six from students at Pasadena’s Art Center College
of Design, according to member Chris Chahinian. The memorial would
be financed with private funds, he said.

“We are excited. The process is not done yet, but in a few months we
will have a final selection,” Chahinian said.

Between 1915 and 1923, nearly 1.5 million Armenians were slain in
what was then part of the former Ottoman Empire. Turkish officials
have long denied the event occurred. Despite the denials, 40 states –
including California – have formally recognized the Armenian Genocide.

Last August, a contingent from the Turkish consul in Los Angeles
visited Pasadena and called the proposed memorial offensive, a remark
that drew the ire of Pasadena’s Armenian community.

The PASAGMC has put together a three-person judging panel to review
the designs. After that, judges will forward their recommendations
to committee members, who will then make the final decision.

If the monument were to be placed in Memorial Park, located at the
corner of Raymond Avenue and Walnut Street in Old Pasadena, it would
be the first non-war-related memorial on the grounds, currently home
to other memorials dedicated to Americans who lost their lives in
the country’s major wars.

According to City Manager Michael Beck, the group originally wanted to
place the memorial in Victory Park, located in East Pasadena, an area
of the city that has a large enclave of Armenian-American residents.

However, city staff members believe Memorial Park would be more
appropriate, Beck said.

“A number of community groups have been proposing Genocide memorials,”
said Beck. “Originally, there was talk about placing it in Victory
Park, but the talks have ended up focusing on Memorial Park.”

From: A. Papazian

NUMEROUS ARMENIAN SCHOOLS NEED TO BE STRENGTHENED, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE NATIONAL SEISMIC PROTECTION SERVICE STATES

Mediamax
Dec 6 2012
Armenia

Yerevan/Mediamax/. Head of the Northern Service of “National Seismic
Protection Service” at the Ministry of Emergency Situations Sergey
Nazaretyan stated today that the it’d be better to avoid construction
of multi-storey buildings in Armenia.

During a meeting with journalists today, Sergey Nazaretyan stated
that “we don’t have enough experience and culture of construction of
high-quality multi-storey buildings”, Mediamax reports.

“If comparing multi-storey buildings constructed in the Soviet period
with those built over the past years, the new ones will prove more
advantageous from the standpoint of quality. They are more reliable in
terms of seismic stability but in case of a minor error in the work,
the building will suffer”, stated the specialist.

According to the data provided by Sergey Nazaretyan, there are over
3 500 multi-storey buildings in Armenia and their stiffness doesn’t
meet current seismic security standards. According to him, about
USD15bln should be allocated to strengthen them.

The specialist assures that schools should be strengthened first of
all. “About 2000 pupils died during the Spitak earthquake. Only 40 out
of 1 500 schools currently running in Armenia are strengthened. The
remaining schools are in the risk zone”, said the representative of
the agency.

He also noted that seismic protection rules should be included into
the school program and children should be taught what to do during
an earthquake.

“It will allow considerably reduce the human losses in case of a
possible earthquake”, Sergey Nazaretyan said.

From: A. Papazian

FOUR NEW ITEMS INSCRIBED ON UNESCO’S REPRESENTATIVE LIST OF THE INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF HUMANITY

Targeted News Service
December 5, 2012 Wednesday 7:32 PM EST

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
issued the following news release:

The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible
Cultural Heritage meeting at UNESCO Headquarters until 7 December today
inscribed elements from Algeria, Armenia, Austria and Azerbaijan on the
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The following elements have been inscribed so far:

Rites and craftsmanship associated with the wedding costume
tradition of Tlemcen, Algeria–During the wedding ritual of Tlemcen
in northwestern Algeria, the bride is dressed in a traditionally
woven golden silk dress, surrounded by her friends and married
female relations; symbolic henna designs are applied to her hands,
and an older woman helps her don a caftan of embroidered velvet,
jewelry and a conical hat. Girls in Tlemcen are initiated into the
costume tradition at an early age, while the craftsmanship involved
in making the precious wedding costume is transmitted from generation
to generation.

Performance of the Armenian epic of ‘Daredevils of Sassoun’ or
‘David of Sassoun’, Armenia–The traditional Armenia epic Daredevils
of Sassoun recounts the story of David of Sassoun, a defiant youth
who defended his homeland in an unequal duel against the evil. This
heroic epic is recounted and sung in sections in a lyrical voice with
rhythmic enunciation. It is performed, usually sitting, to the musical
accompaniment of a duduk during weddings, birthdays, christenings and
major national cultural events. There are 160 variants and performances
may last up to two hours.

Schemenlaufen, the carnival of Imst, Austria–The city of Imst
celebrates its Fasnacht carnival every four years on the Sunday
before the Christian season of Lent. The central festivity is
Schemenlaufen, a procession of masked, costumed dancers. The main
characters wear bells and perform a special musical dance of jumps
and bows. Masked chimney sweeps climb houses, witches shout at the
audience accompanied by a band playing dissonant melodies, and bears
demonstrate their strength. The carnival unites the whole population
of Imst in a common goal: organizing the Fasnacht in accordance with
long-standing tradition.

Craftsmanship and performance art of the Tar, a long-necked string
musical instrument, Azerbaijan–The Tar is a long-necked plucked
lute crafted and performed throughout Azerbaijan. It features in
numerous traditional musical styles and is played at weddings and
socials gatherings, festive events and concerts. The hollow body,
made of mulberry wood, is shaped in the form of a figure eight and
is held horizontally, while the eleven metal strings are plucked
with a plectrum. Craftspeople pass on their skills to apprentices,
and players transmit their skills by word of mouth and demonstration
to young people within their community.

The Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
covers cultural expressions which are testimony to the diversity of
intangible heritage. It is designed to help raise awareness of the
importance of this heritage. More inscriptions are scheduled to take
place later in the day.

From: A. Papazian