Author: Babajanian Karo

PM ATTENDS MCA-ARMENIA-FUNDED RE-COMMISSIONING OF ZOLAKAR AND MARTUNI PUMPING STATIONS

Aug 18, 2011
Armenia

On a trip to Gegharkunik Marz, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan attended
today the re-commissioning of Zolakar and Martuni pumping stations. In
attendance was U.S. Charge d’Affairs to Armenia Bruce Donahue.

Refurbished with funds available from the Millennium Challenge Account
– Armenia (USD 3.5mn and 2.5mn invested respectively), Zolakar and
Martuni pumping stations are situated in “Sevan” national park and are
powered with Sevan Lake waters. To cope with the problems arising due
to water level fluctuations, a new 2nd level pumping station was built
in Zolakar, with the former facility having been upgraded in Martuni.

The activities comprise installation of deep-water pumps, introduction
of automated management systems etc. As a result, 9000 water users
can enjoy reliable irrigation for about 800 hectares of land.

MCA-Armenia has invested a total of USD 8 million in the marz,
including the rehabilitated Vardenis gravity system and intra-community
networks in 9 communities.

The rehabilitation of 17 pumping-stations is the largest component of
MCA-Armenia’s activities, with over USD 40mn invested on the part of
the U.S. government. 61 modern pumps and engines, as well as automated
control systems were put in place in 17 pumping-stations.

Answering the journalists’ questions, the Premier stated in part:
“A total of USD 177 million has been invested under the Millenium
Challenge Account Program covering some 350 rural communities strong
with nearly 400.000 residents.

Infrastructures and irrigation systems were the main target leading
to higher water management efficiency and system modernization, in
general. The second major impact is that technical assistance has been
extended to the farmers through exchange of know-how and consultancy.

Lending was the second component aimed at promoting small and
medium-size enterprise in the region. In general, this project is among
the best ones carried out in our country for the past few years for
which a vote of thanks is due to the government of the United States
on behalf of the Armenian government.”

TATEOSSIAN TO OPEN STANDALONE STORE IN ARMENIA
Kate Donovan

Retail Jeweller

Aug 18, 2011

Tateossian is opening a standalone store in Yerevan in Armenia
in October.

The 700 square feet Tateossian store will be situated in a small
centre known as the Maliy Centre, and will be designed by Italian
architects Pls Design – Lino Lasanno and Lorenzo Perini – who are
also designers for Dolce and Gabanna and Valentino stores.

Elegance runs through the new boutique with glass, mirrors and
lacquered wood all contributing to a clean, minimal yet luxurious
shopping environment.

Robert Tateossian, CEO, said: “It’s fulfilling to be able to go back to
your roots and offer a London twist to the city of Yerevan. The store
opening is a reflection of the growing market of the Commonwealth of
Independent States and Armenia is the perfect first opening in this
part of the world.”

Tateossian’s celebrity following David Furnish, Eva Herzigova,
Naomi Campbell, Tracey Emin, Neve Campbell, Natasha Bedingfield,
David Gandy, Jamie Cullum, Jenson Button, Stephen Moyer, Mariella
Frostrup, Sinitta and Sophie Dahl.

CASINOS IN ARMENIA CAN FUNCTION ONLY IN RESORT TOWNS AND FREE TRADE ZONE

news.am
Aug 18, 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN.- Amendments to the law on casinos and gambling in Armenia
will come into effect from January 1, 2013.

According to the amendment, casinos and gambling halls can function
only in the territory of resort towns of Tsakhkadzor, Sevan and Jermuk,
as well as nearby Zvartnots airport and “Yerevan” free trade zone.

Minister of Finance Vache Gabrielyan introduced amendments providing
that casinos and gambling halls should be located 500 meters (0.3 mile)
away from schools, cultural and historical monuments, state buildings
and hospitals, to be confirmed by the government.

Besides, casino should be located in the territory of at least 250
square meters, whereas a gambling halls in at least 100 square meters.

Eighty-four gambling, 10 casinos and 3 lotteries’ licenses have been
issued in Armenia as of August 1, said the Finance Ministry.

SCUFFLE BETWEEN ARMENIANS AND YEZIDIS NOT AN ETHNIC CLASH

news.am
Aug 18, 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN.- Scuffle between Armenians and Yezidis which broke out in
one of Armenia’s regions was not of an ethnic character, head of
Union of World Yezidis Aziz Tamoyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

He stressed Yezidi community of Armenia experiences no problems of
ethnic character.

“Armenians and Yezidis have been in friendly terms for centuries,”
he said.

Tamoyan dismissed the reports saying an unknown threatened him with
a gun.

“The man had a mobile phone, not a gun,” he stressed.

Earlier press reported several people were taken to hospital injured
in a scuffle. Yezidis claimed Armenians had guns but no shot was heard.

BUSINESSMAN MARCEL VICHMANN TO DIG GOLD IN ARMENIA

Baltic Business News

Aug 18, 2011

Estonian businessman Marcel Vichmann has set up FIT Armenia, a company
that plans to explore and mine gold and copper in Armenia.

Vichmann started the gold mining project in Armenia after GILD
Arbitrage, an investment fund that had invested hundreds of millions
of kroons placed by some of Estonia’s richest businessmen in Armenia
in 2007 and 2008.

The investment fund had gold exploration rights for seven properties,
but soon went bankrupt when it could not meet its investors’ demands.

Vichmann now owns three of the seven licenses and has reportedly
invested additional amounts in the exploration.

He himself did not wish to comment the project saying that it did
not a public matter.

In 2010 Äripaev ranked Vichmann Estonia’s 12th richest businessmen
with assets worth some 1.24 billion kroons. He has extensive real
estate holdings, owns rail passenger and bus transport companies,
and industrial enterprises.

VILLARAIGOSA APPOINTS ARMOUDIAN TO TAXICAB COMMISSION BOARD
Maria Armoudian

asbarez
August 18th, 2011

LOS ANGELES-Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced the appointment of
Maria Armoudian to the Board of Taxicab Commissioners Wednesday.

“Maria Armoudian brings decades of experience in journalism, public
affairs, and government,” Mayor Villaraigosa said. “I am confident
that her years of public service and academic expertise will greatly
benefit the Board of Taxicab Commissioners.”

The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region welcomes Ms.

Maria Armoudian’s appointment to the Taxicab Commission by Mayor
Antonio Villaraigosa. We are pleased that a longtime activist and a
deserving member of the Angeleno community has been appointed to such
an important and prestigious position. In its role as the largest
Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the western
United States, the ANCA-WR looks forward to working closely with all
appointed and elected city officials to ensure that matters of concern
to the Armenian community in Los Angeles are properly addressed.

Maria Armoudian is a veteran journalist and author who has written
for Daily Variety, Billboard, and Business Week. Her work has also
been syndicated by both the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times
Syndicates. She is currently the host and producer of the weekly
public affairs show “The Insighters” on KPFK. Armoudian is a fellow
at the Center for International Studies at the University of Southern
California.

In addition to her decades in journalism, Armoudian also has nearly
twenty years of public sector experience having worked on a wide
range of legislative issues. Ms. Armoudian worked as a legislative
consultant in the California Legislature focusing on corporate reform,
environmental protection, government accountability and civil rights.

>>From 2005 to 2010, she served on the City of Los Angeles
Environmental Affairs Commission where she helped develop and oversee
the City’s sustainability plan.

Throughout her career, Armoudian has been actively involved in the
community and in civic engagement efforts. She is a board member
of the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters, has served on the
board of the Pacifica Foundation and is a past president of Southern
California Americans for Democratic Action.

Armoudian is a Ph.D. candidate in Politics and International Relations
at the University of Southern California. She graduated magna cum
laude with a B.A. in political science from Southwestern Oklahoma
State University.

GOVERNMENT SETS NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR CASINOS

Tert.am
18.08.11

Armenia’s government has set new standards and requirements for
casinos and facilities organizing games with wins.

At a cabinet meeting on Thursday the government decided that as of
now casinos must be located 500 meters far in a direct line from
educational and historical-cultural institutions, as well as from
government offices and hospital and have at least 250s/m area.

Facilities organizing games with wins are also under the same
regulations, but must have at least 100s/m area to be used for the
purpose.

Finance Minister Vache Gabrielyan, attending the cabinet meeting,
reminded that as of 1 January 2013 a new law comes into force that
allows casinos and organization of games with wins only in Armenia’s
resort town of Tsakhkadzor, Jermuk and Sevan.

EXPERT: NO PREMISES FOR TURKEY’S INVOLVEMENT IN KARABAKH PROCESS

PanARMENIAN.Net
August 18, 2011

PanARMENIAN.Net – Turkey’s attempts to create an illusion of interest
in resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict will to all appearance
fail, an Armenian expert said.

Commenting to a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter on the forthcoming meeting
between Turkish President Abdullah Gul and his Russian counterpart
Dmitry Medvedev, turkologist Ruben Melkonyan said that there are no
premises for Turkey’s involvement in Karabakh process.

“Turkey always strived to become a regional power but it will not
succeed as Ankara’s intentions are not sincere. Inclusion of Karabakh
issue in the agenda of Gul-Medvedev talks is an end in itself rather
than interest,” he said.

Turkish media reports say that Turkish and Russian Presidents will
discuss the Nagorno Karabakh conflict on the sidelines of a global
political forum to be held in Yaroslavl, Russia, on September 7-8.

Abdullah Gul and Dmitry Medvedev will also focus on Iran’s nuclear
program and the recent developments in Middle East.

The forum will be attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and
former Latvian President Valdis Zatlers.

WB INCREASES ARMENIA’S FUNDING OPPORTUNITY BY 55 MLN USD

ARMENPRESS
August 18, 2011
YEREVAN

The World Bank has increased Armenia’s funding opportunity by 55 mln
USD, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan stated at today’s governmental
session, adding that Asad Alam, WB Regional Director for the South
Caucasus, informed this to the government by a letter.

According to Tigran Sargsyan, this fact is conditioned by the quality
of loan portfolio, as well as by high level of management. “Armenia’s
performance index has been highly assessed, creating an opportunity for
addition of privileged means, the Prime Minster said, stressing that
the revealed flaws must not cast a shadow on cooperation level with the
bank, and just the other way, must increase the productivity even more.

According to the head of the government, a strategic decision has
been adopted, according to which Armenian Ministries must be included
in program implementation offices. Tigran Sargsyan said that it will
enable to increase efficiency of WB programs and Armenian management
system.

“We need time for full completion of integration. Having a portfolio
of about 305 million USD, we must be able to specify the timetable
of use of means. Ministries must complete the negotiations with the
WB till September 1 and present a distinct timetable to the Prime
Minister,” Tigran Sargsyan said.

122 million USD will be under custody of RA government in 2012 July,
and the realization process of those means will start in the spheres
of irrigation system, road construction, healthcare, education,
agriculture, automatization of tax and customs systems.

VIC DARCHINYAN LIKELY TO LOOK UP IN WEIGHT WITHOUT MARES OR DONAIRE REMATCHES
Scott Christ

Bad Left Hook

Aug 17, 2011

Keith Idec reports that Vic Darchinyan will probably move up in
weight after his September 3 fight in Armenia against Evans Mbamba,
as the exciting slugger is only looking to stay at 118 for rematches
with Nonito Donaire or Abner Mares.

Neither fight is likely for Vic, so another jump in weight, if he’s
serious about it, would probably be the move. Darchinyan and Donaire
have talked numerous times about a rematch since Donaire flattened
Darchinyan in July 2007 in one of the great upsets of recent years
(now doesn’t look like such an upset, of course), but the talks have
always fallen apart. The last time they spoke, Darchinyan was the
one who broke off the negotiations.

As for Mares, that could happen, but Darchinyan would have to wait a
bit, as the IBF yesterday ordered an immediate rematch between Mares
and Joseph Agbeko.

I’m skeptical about how Darchinyan would fare at 122 pounds, but I
thought the same about Jorge Arce, who had been less competitive at
118 than Vic has been, and he looked strong and refreshed in his May
win over Wilfredo Vazquez Jr, Arce’s best performance in years. If
Darchinyan does move up and looks for a title shot, a rematch with
Arce could be an option. Darchinyan dominated Arce in a long-awaited
but overdue fight in 2009.