Author: Ara Felekian

ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
 Friday
Mexica-Armenia lawmakers friendship group: Recognition of the
independence of Artsakh by the Parliament of Mexico in case of correct
and purposeful work is not far
Yerevan October 27
Tatevik Shahunyan. Recognition of the independence of Artsakh by the
Mexican parliament in case of correct and purposeful work is not far
off. This was stated in the conversation with the ArmInfo
correspondent by the head of the friendship group of Mexico-Armenia
Blanca Margarita Cuata Dominguez, who on these days visited the
Armenian and Artsakh delegations as part of the delegation of the
Mexican parliament.
According to her, in this direction it is necessary to conduct an
active information policy in order to correctly acquaint the Mexican
political circles with the real essence and genesis of the Karabakh
conflict. "We believe that the Karabakh issue should be settled
peacefully, taking into account the opinion of the people of Artsakh
and the principle of the right of nations to self-determination." The
eight US states are already recognizing Artsakh, and they are subjects
of international law, an indicator and example for all of us, "the
Lawmaker said.
Answering the question about the reason for the relative passivity of
the Armenian-Mexican relations and that, on this background, served as
an incentive for the visit of the delegation of the Mexican parliament
to Armenia and Artsakh, the parliamentarian noted: "The recent
intensification of the Armenian-Mexican relations is due to the
opening of the Armenian Embassy in Mexico City and the appointment of
the Ambassador (Ara Ayvazyan), who conducts very effective work.It was
his initiative and suggestion that the members of the Mexico-Armenia
de-group arrived in Armenia, and he also invited us to visit Artsakh,
divas us while on the "black list" of Azerbaijan, which includes all
foreigners visiting Artsakh. But this fact is not confused and did not
stop us, and we decided to visit Artsakh. "
The parliamentarian admitted that the visit to Artsakh made a great
impression on the members of the delegation: "I can say that this is
an independent state with its democratic institutions and attributes
of power, and in this context the fate of the people of Artsakh can
not but excite us." The will of the Karabakh people in the settlement
conflict must be taken into account without fail. "
Speaking about the possibility of recognition of the Armenian Genocide
by Mexico, the deputy noted that this is only a matter of time. "We
need to do some research work in this direction, and the Mexican
parliament will recognize the Armenian Genocide as well, as many Latin
American countries have already done."
She also noted that the opening of the Armenian embassy in Mexico, the
appointment of the ambassador, as well as their visit will necessarily
stimulate the activation of bilateral relations and mutual visits at a
high level. "I think that our visit is intended to be a preparatory
step towards the organization of the visit of the Armenian President
to Mexico," the parliamentarian said. She also reported that a report
will be prepared for the Chamber of Deputies of Mexico on the results
of the visits to Armenia and Artsakh, stressing that the first visit
at the level of parliamentarians took place, but this trend should be
continued at a higher level, since a great deal has already been done
in this direction Job. "We have to do a lot of work in the direction
of rapprochement between the two countries," the parliamentarian said.
Within the framework of the visit to Armenia and Artsakh, the Mexican
parliamentarians held meetings with the presidents of the two Armenian
republics, the leadership of the RA and NKR parliaments, as well as
with the heads of foreign affairs agencies.

Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
 Friday
President Sargsyan participates in session of Council for Nuclear Energy Safety
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 27, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan
on October 27 had a meeting with the newly-appointed chairman of the
Council for Nuclear Energy Safety, senior advisor of the International
Atomic Energy Safety (IAES) and World Association of Nuclear Operators
Miroslav Lipar who arrived in Armenia to take part in the 15th session
of the Council for Nuclear Energy Safety, press service of the
President’s Office told Armenpress.
The Armenian President congratulated Miroslav Lipar on his appointment
and wished him success and productive work, expressing hope that his
experience in nuclear energy field will contribute to the effective
work of the Council.
President Sargsyan and Miroslav Lipar discussed the program works
carried out for increasing the security level of the Armenian Nuclear
Power Plant, the events planned by the program of extending the
deadline for operation of the second energy bloc of NPP, as well as
the process of necessary works aimed at increasing the preparedness
level of the NPP staff.
Miroslav Lipar assured the President that the Council for Nuclear
Energy Safety consists of highly qualified specialists and can
continue providing significant assistance to the NPP. He informed that
the Council members visited the plant yesterday and noted that after
each visit new improvements and progress are being realized in the
NPP. The Council chairman said despite significant works have been
implemented, still a lot of actions are needed, and the Council with
full responsibility will continue keeping in spotlight the NPP’s safe
operation.
After the meeting President Sargsyan participated in the session of
the Council for Nuclear Energy Safety in the reception hall of the
government.
The President welcomed the Council members and the remaining
participants of the session. He said 20 years have passed since the
first session of the Council and thanked AdolfBerghoffer, unchanged
chairman of the Council, as well as the previous and current members
for professional assistance to the implementation of programs aimed at
increasing the NPP security. The President informed that
AdolfBerghoffer will no longer be able to continue his tenure, but
will remain in the Council staff. Serzh Sargsyan said the Council
highly appreciates AdolfBerghoffer’s achievements on implementation of
Armenian NPP security raising national program and awarded him with an
Honorary Order for the contribution and dedication on ensuring the
safe operation of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant.
Thereafter, the President introduced newly-appointed chairman Miroslav
Lipar to the Council members. The President also introduced new member
of the Council Peter Kelm (Germany) who has worked in the nuclear
energy field for a long time and is well familiar with the ANPP and
the objects of Armenia’s energy infrastructure. The President wished
success and productive work to the newly-appointed members of the
Council.
In his remarks the President said the maintenance and development of
the nuclear energy remains a strategic direction for Armenia in
accordance with the program of ‘Long-term development trends (until
2036) of energy system of the Republic of Armenia’ approved by the
Armenian government in December, 2015.
“The program envisages to extend the operation of the current power
plant up to 2027, and later to implement phased installation of new
nuclear blocks. Armenia and Russia have signed agreements on providing
state export loan to the Armenian government for the implementation of
a program on extending the term of operation of the NPP’s second
energy bloc and providing grant for financing that program”, the
President said.
The President highlighted that they attach a special importance to
cadre policy in nuclear field. The preparation of specialists will
contribute to maintaining infrastructures in the country.
In his remarks the President specifically attached importance to the
agreed work of Armenia’s nuclear safety regulating body and the
Armenian NPP.
Thereafter, General Director of the ANPP CJSC Movses Vardanyan
presented to the Council members the activity of the ANPP. Then,
chairman of the State Committee for Nuclear Safety Regulation Ashot
Martirosyan presented the report of Armenia’s nuclear safety
regulating body for 2015-2017. The presentation of reports were
followed by discussions.

                                        Tuesday, 
Armenia Told To `Prepare' For Visa-Free Travel To EU
 . Hovannes Movsisian
Luxembourg -- A street sign marks the beginning of the village of
Schengen, January 27, 2016
A senior European Union diplomat urged Armenia's government on Tuesday
to start "internal preparations" for the eventual lifting of the EU's
stringent visa requirements for Armenian nationals.
"The experience of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine shows that each
country needs to make many legislative and administrative changes in
order to meet the necessary [EU] requirements," said Piotr Switalski,
the head of the EU Delegation in Armenia,
"So don't lose time and do your homework. I hope that moment will
come," he added, appealing to the authorities in Yerevan.
The EU scrapped its visage regimes for the citizens of Georgia,
Moldova and Ukraine travelling to the Schengen Area, which covers most
of Europe, after signing Association Agreements with the three former
Soviet republics in 2014.
Armenia was on course to also sign such an agreement with the EU until
President Serzh Sarkisian unexpectedly decided in 2013 to make the
country part of the Russian-le Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). Brussels
and Yerevan are due to sign a less far-reaching accord during an EU
summit that will be held in Brussels November 24.
"I believe that there will be some good news coming for Armenia from
the Brussels summit," Switalski said at a round-table discussion in
Yerevan.
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian urged the EU to launch a "dialogue"
with Yerevan on visa liberalization when negotiations on the
EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA)
officially began in December 2015.
EU leaders expressed readiness to do that at a May 2015 summit in
Riga. They said that such a process is contingent on the "full
implementation" of an EU-Armenia agreement on "readmission" of illegal
immigrants.
The readmission agreement was signed in April 2013 shortly after the
EU eased some of its visa rules and procedures for Armenians. Armenia
unilaterally abolished its visa regime for the citizens of the EU
member states around that time.
First Toll Roads Planned In Armenia
 . Sargis Harutyunyan
Armenia - Trucks pass through a newly expanded highway running south
of Yerevan, 29Dec2015.
The government plans to introduce first-ever road tolls in Armenia in
a bid to complete an expensive project to upgrade the country's key
highways, Transport and Communications Minister Vahan Martirosian
revealed on Tuesday.
The project, supposedly launched in 2009, has fallen behind schedule,
with less than 10 percent of the national highways stretching over 550
kilometers to Georgia and Iran refurbished and expanded so far. Work
on two other road sections is due to be finished in the next few
years. These roadworks are mostly financed from loans extended to the
government by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Martirosian insisted that the government is committed to rebuilding
the remaining highways mainly passing through the mountainous Vayots
Dzor and Syunik provinces in the country's southeast. He estimated
that that will require as much as $1.5 billion in funding, a figure
equivalent to roughly half of the Armenian state budget.
Martirosian said the government hopes to attract the investments from
private firms, rather than seek more loans from the ADB or other
international lenders. "The decision has already been made and we are
working in that direction," he told a news conference.
This means, the minister went on, that the new highways stretching
over 350 kilometers from the southern town of Ararat to the Iranian
border would be toll roads operated by private firms. He said they
would run parallel to the existing toll-free roads.
Martirosian added that the government is already holding preliminary
talks with potential private investors but did not name them. As part
of the same effort, it plans to enact a new law on public-private
partnerships, he said.
The new figures cited by Martirosian raise the total cost of the
North-South transport project to more than $2 billion.Armenian
officials estimated it at less than $1 billion when they negotiated
the first loan agreement with the ADB in 2009. The Manila-based
development bank has disbursed $330 million to date.
The main official rationale for the highway upgrades is to facilitate
the landlocked country's access to the Georgian and Iranian ports. It
is also meant to enable Iran to use Armenian and Georgian territory
for large-scale freight shipments to and from Europe.
Teachers, Students Resume Protests Against Poor School Conditions
 . Anush Muradian
Armenia -- Teachers of a public school in Ashtarak go on strike,
26Sept2017.
Hundreds of teachers and students of a rundown Armenian school
boycotted classes on Tuesday to again demand urgent repairs of its
facilities.
The public school in Ashtarak, a town 30 kilometers northwest of
Yerevan, has two buildings constructed in Soviet times. One of them is
dilapidated and disused, while the other is too small to adequately
accommodate the school's 600 students. It is also in need of new
furniture.
The schoolteachers protested against a grave lack of space and
decaying facilities there when they went on a one-day strike in
May. They failed to force the Armenian government to allocate funds
needed for the repairs.
The teachers said on Tuesday that they will not resume their work
until the government acts on their demands. They said the government
should at least provide more adequate premises for their youngest
students aged between 6 and 10.
Most parents of these and the students backed the strike action,
saying that their children will boycott the classes indefinitely.
"There are no normal toilets, no canteen, you can't call it a 21st
century school," one of them told RFE/RL's Armenian service
(Azatutyun.am). "What do our provincial administration and education
ministry think? Would they send their kids to such a school?"
"I've been working in this school for 21 years and I've been hearing
promises for 21 years," said one teacher. "But nothing has been done."
The school principal, Grisha Gevorgian, sought to justify the
protest. "People don't trust me anymore because I was deceived [by the
authorities] and then deceived them," he said.
A senior official from the Ministry of Education visited the Ashtarak
school later in the day. The official, Ashot Arshakian, claimed that
Gevorgian has saved some of the budgetary funds allocated to the
school in recent years and could have spent them on refurbishing
it. The principal strongly denied that, saying that the school has
actually been underfunded by the government.
Ashot Simonian, the recently appointed governor of the surrounding
Aragatsotn province, also met with the protesting staff and
students. He said he too is concerned about the poor condition of the
school and is lobbying the government to set aside additional funds
for it in the 2018 state budget.
Last year, students of a school in an Aragatsotn village also
boycotted classes to protest against similarly poor conditions. The
government scrambled to provide funds for its urgent reconstruction.
Gyumri Students Back Embattled Professor
 . Satenik Kaghzvantsian
Armenia -- Students of Shirak State University boycott classes in
Gyumri, 26Sept2017.
More than a hundred university students in Gyumri boycotted classes on
Tuesday in a show of support for one of their senior professors who
risked losing his job after accusing the university rector of
corruption.
Hovannes Khorikian, the acting history chair at Shirak State
University, and another professor, Gagik Hambarian, made the
allegations in an open letter to President Serzh Sarkisian and Prime
Minister Karen Karapetian published last week. They requested an
urgent audit of the university's books.
The university's supervisory Scientific Council loyal to the rector,
Sahak Minasian, responded to the letter by expressing "no confidence"
in Khorikian. The decision paved the way for his dismissal.
The protesting students, most of them enrolled in the university's
History Department, condemned the move as illegal and arbitrary
retribution. A petition signed by them demands its reversal by the
council.
The professors' letter alleged various financial irregularities
committed by Minasian. In particular, it accused him of having misused
500 million drams (just over $1 million) in university funds since
taking over as rector a year ago.
"An audit would expose the real state of affairs here," Khorikian told
RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am).
"Enough is enough," Hambarian said for his part. He also complained
that university employees holding administrative positions are paid
much more than lecturers.
Minasian flatly denied any wrongdoing, calling the allegations
"slander."
Press Review
"Zhamanak" says that it is not clear whether the Armenian and
Azerbaijani foreign ministers made progress towards organizing a
meeting of their presidents when they held fresh talks in New York on
Saturday. The paper notes a lack of clarity in a statement on those
talks released by the U.S., Russian and French co-chairs of the OSCE
Minsk Group. It also distrusts official statements made by the
Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers.
"Azerbaijan is not interested in [peace] negotiations at the moment
because it would have to make concessions during them," a Russian
political analyst, Aleksandr Skakov, tells "168 Zham." "And Baku is
not going to make any concessions. Generally speaking, none of the
parties to the conflict is prepared for mutual concessions right now,
and negotiations are continuing just for the sake of negotiations."
Skakov is equally skeptical about the results of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani summit expected later this year.
"Armenia has again started pursuing a complementary [foreign] policy,"
writes "Hraparak." "An Armenian delegation headed by National Assembly
speaker Ara Babloyan is now visiting Georgia, while another one headed
by deputy speaker [Eduard] Sharmazanov is in Saint Petersburg. Also,
Russia's education minister is in Yerevan. We have sent a delegation
even to Azerbaijan." The paper claims at the same time that
"practically no issue is solved as a result of these mutual visits."
"Zhoghovurd" is concerned about Armenia's rising public debt, saying
that it is approaching a legal ceiling set at 60 percent. "This is
something the authorities have repeatedly been warned about," the
paper writes. "Countries with such a heavy burden are denied fresh
loans."
"Haykakan Zhamanak" says that even more worrying is the way the
Armenian authorities have used their foreign loans. The paper says
that infrastructure projects financed through such loans have not
really shored up Armenia's construction sector which is continuing to
decline.
(Tigran Avetisian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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