Author: Babajanian Karo

CASES OF ACUTE RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS KEEP GROWING

Friday, 22 March 2013 15:05

After the observation of the NKR healthcare ministry there was
recorded a growth of acute respiratory infections in the Republic,
the official website of the ministry writes.

>From March 1 to 19 2202 cases were recorded in the Republic, 1727 of
them among children from 0 to 18 years old.

>From March 1 to 19 201 patients with acute respiratory viruses were
hospitalized in the centres of medical assistance and service of the
Republic, among them 168 children from 0 to 18 years old. There was a
growth in the calls for ambulance for the acute respiratory infections,
in January 68 of the recorded 970 calls were for these viruses, in
February 98 of the 1085 and 157 of the 818 cases recorded from March
1 to 19 were of this kind.

The NKR ministry of healthcare informs that all the centers of medical
assistance and service of the Republic /policlinics and hospitals/ are
necessarily provided with viricides which by the doctor’s instruction
are given to the patients for free.

Everyday observations are carried out also in schools, kindergartens
where reasons for the children’s absences are being found out.

Absences because of illnesses form 4-9 percent.

“NO RETURN TO THE PAST EITHER IN STATUS OR IN THE REGIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE ASPECT IS POSSIBLE.”

Thursday, 04 April 2013 23:37

When summing up the NKR Foreign Ministry activities of 2012 foreign
minister Karen Mirzoyan marked out Ramil Safarov’s extradition, the
developments in connection with the reoperation of Stepanakert airport
and the NKR response to the events. In its letter addressed to the UNO
Secretary General the NKR foreign ministry specified the Azerbaijani
position on the airport reoperation as an obvious manifestation of
violation of human rights and profound freedoms and continuation of
group punishment policy against the civil population.

By the foreign minister’s estimation in 2012 the efforts aimed at
the international recognition of Artsakh were more efficient than
the negotiation process. According to Karen Mirzoyan the perspective
of shifting the country’s relations with the outside world to a new
level will not keep us waiting long. According to him the international
recognition of Artsakh has no alternative.

At the same conference touching upon the full-fledged participation of
the NKR in the negotiation process President Bako Sahakyan noted that
the restoration of the NKR participation could never be observed as a
matter of formality. “Artsakh must partake in all the stages of the
negotiation process beginning with the exchange of viewpoints round
the conflict settlement up to concrete steps and arrangements to be
made,” he said and added that the return round the negotiating table
must be bound up in a distinct standpoint, “Any slightest danger to
the security and independence of Artsakh is out of question. No return
to the past either in status or in the regional administrative aspect
is possible.”

RAFFI HOVHANNISYAN HAS LEFT FOR MOSCOW AT AN INVITATION

April 11 2013

New information about Raffi Hovhannisyan’s Moscow visit A short
while ago, Styopa Safaryan, the secretary general of the Heritage
Party, communicated new information to about Raffi
Hovhannisyan’s leaving for Moscow today. It turns out that Raffi
Hovhannisyan left for Moscow not on his own initiative, but at the
invitation of Moscow itself. In response to our question whether he
would meet with Vladimir Putin or Medvedev, Styopa Safaryan said:
“I don’t have information about the format of the meeting; I just know
that those are planned meetings. It was obvious at the very beginning
of the rally that he had planned such a meeting.” We cleared up whether
Vladimir Putin or Medvedev would receive him, however, or he had just
gone and didn’t know what would happen, Styopa Safaryan assured that
Raffi Hovhannisyan couldn’t have plunged into such adventures. “Before
the presidential election, he had also received an invitation from the
Elysee Palace and had gone there; he hasn’t left for either France or
Russia on his own initiative. I know one thing; this meeting in Moscow
is no accident, it is not on his own initiative. I know that they came
to meet with him in advance. I assume it was also related to bringing
the invitation and handing it over to him. I can be sure that it was an
invitation that was handed over.” We inquired what “I am going to bring
the people’s victory from Putin” meant, Styopa Safaryan explained:
“Raffi is, as it were, a fan of symbolism, folks.” Hripsime JEBEJYAN

Read more at:

© 1998 – 2013 Aravot – News from Armenia

THE RIGHT THING TO DO IS TO LEARN A LESSON

April 11 2013

Regardless of who will be the president of Armenia and who will be
the “chief oppositionist,” who will be radical and revolutionary,
and who will be conservative or indecisive, the worst result these
post-election developments can yield is disappointment. That word is
pronounced more often after April 9. It’s a great pity. I have said
many times already that one should not be excited to such an extent
that one can give way to major depression afterwards, furthermore,
one shouldn’t pin any hopes on this or that date. Tomorrow I will
lose 10 kilograms, on May 11, I will speak Japanese fluently, and,
say, on October 16, the rule of law and democracy will be established
in Armenia. And once these things don’t happen, “uh-oh” starts – I am
getting my stuff together, this is not a country, let me go and come
back when it improves. The issue is that such phenomena cannot happen
“now, now, now,” they happen “always, always, always,” but if you
don’t put effort every day, there will be a regress, and if you put
that effort, there won’t be the shining of a fertile lightning, but
traditions and culture will be formed that is a continuous process,
not a final result. One cannot be disappointed with that kind of
thinking, realizing that you progress building something at every
moment. To be ready, as Kipling said, that you can lose and start
again at your beginnings. And, certainly, to learn your lessons. The
main lesson that the opposition – not only Raffi Hovhannisyan –
should learn from April 9 is that in order to hold a rally or any
other event, one should have a clear program and clear organizational
structure. The model “my people and I” doesn’t work; it leads to a
situation, when a part of the people goes to 26 Baghramyan, another
part to the Armenian Genocide Memorial, another one may wish to go
to, say, the Garni Temple. The demonstration or the march of the
opposition, as far as I can understand, is to show the strength,
the decisiveness, and the unity of its ranks. In that sense, it
seems to me that it is more meaningful to take the route agreed on
with the police, but together, in a dense mass, than to improvise and
instigate meaningless clashes. No matter how unlawful the actions taken
by the police were, the propaganda effect of those is less powerful
than that of a really strong march. However, if the goal of different
opposition forces is a change of power, as a result of which, in their
opinion, justice and well-being will be established, they should not
be torn apart. In particular, the criticism of Raffi Hovhannisyan
should not be malicious. That is what is called “playing into the
regime’s hands.” About 10 years ago, during a press conference, when
impatient journalists were asking Stepan Demirchyan questions about
his tactical mistakes, one of experienced politicians of Armenia,
Babken Ararktsyan, remembered the well-known proverb “Don’t shoot
the piano player, he’s doing the best he can.” ARAM ABRAHAMYAN

Read more at:

© 1998 – 2013 Aravot – News from Armenia

2 ARMENIAN STATES DISCUSS COOPERATION IN ARMY BUILDING

09:38, 12 April, 2013

YEREVAN, APRIL 12, ARMENPRESS: The President of the Republic of
Artsakh Bako Sahakyan received the Minister of Defense of the
Republic of Armenia Seyran Ohanyan. As Armenpress was informed by
the Central Information Department of the Artsakh President’s Staff,
issues related to army building cooperation between the two Armenian
states in this sphere were discussed during the meeting. The Artsakh
Republic Defense Minister Movses Hakobyan and the First Deputy Head
of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia
Enrico Apryamov partook in the meeting.

The two sides called cooperation in this sphere between the Republic
of Armenia and NKR one of the pivotal preconditions maintaining peace
stability in the region.

THE GREAT (ARMENIAN) LENT: LESSONS LEARNED

ianyan Magazine
April 11 2013

Posted by Robert Fullam on April 11, 2013 at 3:02 pm

For some people the Lenten season passes without much thought, ending
on Easter with family and friends and people move on, go and mark
the next holiday on their calendar but I’ve spent the past week or
so mulling over what I’ve learned in this grand experiment of mine.

If you were not aware, I embarked a 40 day journey of fasting
throughout Lent, avoiding all animal products as dictated by the
Armenian Apostolic Church as well as reflecting on the values that go
along with it. My forty day trial of willpower may not have been as
epic as Jesus’ forty days and nights of being tempted by the Devil
in the Judean desert but in a world where giving up chocolate or
television is considered impressive, it’s worthy of mention.

The characteristics that mark Lent such as fasting, moderation and
discipline were all tangible to my atheistic mind while some, such
as reflecting on Jesus’ suffering and prayer are out of the question.

Nonetheless, much what I learned is universal and made me a better
person, even if haven’t emerged as a repentant Christian so I’ll
throw out some examples of what I have improved on.

â- I’ve managed to commit to an exercise regimen, working out at
least five times a week for more than a week! My past attempts used
to mirror the New Year’s resolutions of so many but now that I’ve
started a system it’s become much easier. I credit a lot of this to
the fasting and because of the mindset of sacrifice, I felt I could
just as easily sacrifice my time, my energy and my body to achieve
my goal, something I will continue going forward. (Seriously, if you
can keep yourself from eating cheese, you can do anything.) â- In a
bid for self-reliance I learned to cook my own meals, partially out
of desire and partially out of necessity because vegan fare is not
common in the average American household. Reading lists of ingredients
became a familiar ritual as I scanned for anything containing the
words “egg” or “milk” in it. I learned to be patient and not quit
the cooking process if something goes wrong like when I made my
eggplant burger patties to large and they didn’t cook all the way or
I overcooked the lentils are they became mush. (The eggplant patties
were actually fantastic when rolled up with lavash, the lentils on
the other hand were a lost cause.) â- Perhaps most significant for
a young adult, I made a hefty cut into my alcohol intake, partaking
in it’s consumption to just one or two days a week, with only a beer
or two in each sitting. I’ll drink to that. Dietary standards aside,
I found myself less abrasive, less likely to snap at people and an
eagerness to get out of my comfort zone.

The most poignant change came on Easter and the days preceding it, no,
not in a church pew but in my own home. Our family’s Easter tradition
does not have us dressing in our Sunday best but instead down on our
hands and knees wiping, cleaning and scrubbing everywhere imaginable.

My mother was given the responsibility to host Easter, a day that
was previously celebrated at my grandparent’s house when my mom was
growing up. Meanwhile, Thanksgiving and Christmas were hosted by
my grandfather’s brothers and now those days have been given to my
mother’s sisters. As I found myself scrubbing hard through the muck
and grime that has collected over the past year or so, I had not so
much a revelation but something close to it.

The simple process of cleaning the windows and floor of my deck
mirrored the changes I had made in my life during those 40 days. It
was clear that while this work was humbling I could not do I just a
couple of days out of the year, I have to do it everyday or at least
as often as I can. When I see trash on the ground I pick it up instead
of just complaining that people litter, after I’m done eating I’ll
clean the dish instead of letting it sit in the sink and I’ll take
the empty milk/juice carton out of the fridge instead of placing it
back in. These may seem like small things but they are a beginning
and they present an opportunity to live an active life instead of
a passive one, for the benefit of the environment, my family, our
community and myself. The journey did not really end on Easter,
it will go on as long as I allow it to and as far as I can tell,
I’m not stopping anytime soon.

MINISTER OF ECONOMY AGREES WITH ARMENIAN OFFICIALS ON ORGANIZING ROMANIAN-ARMENIAN BUSINESS FORUM

AgerPres news agency, Romania
April 10 2013

Bucharest, April 9 (Agerpres) – Romanian Minister of Economy Varujan
Vosganian agreed with officials from the Republic of Armenia on
holding the fourth session of the joint Romanian-Armenian commission
on economic cooperation in Yerevan, in June 2013, and organizing a
Romanian-Armenian business forum, reads a release the Ministry of
Economy sent to Agerpres on Tuesday [9 April].

The minister of economy on April 8-9 is on an official visit to Armenia
to attend the events occasioned by President reelect of the Republic
of Armenia Serzh Sargsian being invested.

Some of the fields of economic cooperation that were identified
during the talks held with the Armenian officials are delivering from
Romania installations and equipment for the mining industry of Armenia,
furniture and various items necessary for tourism, but also importing
building materials from Armenia. Other fields with a potential for the
development of the economic cooperation between Romania and Armenia
that were mentioned during the talks were cultural and recreational
tourism, the field of goods and passenger transports, agriculture,
small and medium-sized enterprises. An important part is to be
played by the Romania-Armenia Chamber of Commerce and by the Armenian
community of Romania in materializing the programs that were suggested.

Minister Varujan Vosganian had a number of meetings with high ranking
Armenian officials, from among whom mention should be made of Prime
Minister of the Republic of Armenia Tigran Sargsian, Minister of
Economy Tigran Davtian and Minister of Transports and Communications
Gagik Beglarian, who is the head of the Armenian side in the joint
Romanian-Armenian commission on economic cooperation. During the
official talks in Yerevan they made an exchange of opinions on the
current general situation of the economies of the two countries
in the context of the developments of world economy, the stage and
development prospects of the Romanian-Armenian economic and trade
relations and the possibilities to make some mutual investments.

ARMENIAN OFFICIALS, EURASIA ECONOMIC COMMISSION BOARD CHAIRMAN TO DISCUSS COOPERATION

ITAR-TASS, Russia
April 10, 2013 Wednesday 08:08 AM GMT+4

– Chairman of the Eurasian Economic Commission board Viktor Khristenko
will sign a memorandum of interaction with the Armenian government.

Khristenko arrives in Armenia on a two-day visit.

He will hold talks with the republic’s leadership over the prospects
of cooperation between the Customs Union and the Common Economic
Space and Yerevan.

While stating its readiness to participate in integration processes
in the post-Soviet space, the republic has taken a rather cautious
position on membership in the Eurasian Union. It regards the talks
with the European Union over a free trade area and a lack of common
borders as obstacles. A number of ambassadors and representatives
of EU countries stated that it was impossible for Armenia to combine
intensive cooperation with the European Union with membership in the
Eurasian Union.

Armenia is “interested in integration processes and considers them
from the point of view of complementarity,” Armenian Prime Minister
Tigran Sarkisyan said at a meeting with Khristenko in December 2012.

Commenting on participation in European integration, the premier
said Yerevan was in talks over creating a Deep and Comprehensive Free
Trade Area which would be ready in 2013.

The parties discussed the guidelines and prospects for cooperation
between Armenia and the Eurasian Economic Commission, as well as
regional integration processes, including integration in the Customs
Union.

RUSSIAN BASE IN ARMENIA DEPLOYS NAVIGATORS COMPATIBLE WITH GLONASS, GPS

ITAR-TASS, Russia
April 10, 2013 Wednesday 02:27 PM GMT+4

– More than 200 modern navigators have been delivered this year to
equip the Russian military base which has been stationed in Armenia
in accordance with an interstate agreement signed by the Russian
Federation and Armenia, an unnamed source from the Russian base told
Itar-Tass on Wednesday.

The navigators known as “Perunit”,” Grot” and “Briz” by the Russian
classification are compatible with the GLONASS and GPS systems,
which contributes to their reliability and ensures a high degree of
precision, it said.

The new navigators have a broad frequency band, an enhanced signal
power, are capable to establish a target’s coordinates with a high
degree of precision and are provided with an enlarged power source,
it said.

The navigators can operate in an intensive mode up to 12 hours under
air temperatures ranging from 30 degrees below zero to 55 degrees
Celsius above zero despite heavy humidity and precipitation. Besides,
they are capable to programme up to 200 routes. The new systems
enable to make preparations for shooting and gunfire control drills,
in particular, determine a target’s topographic parameters and correct
a shooting trajectory, it said.

The new navigators will be practically used during combat drills in
motorized rifle, reconnaissance, artillery and other units of the
Russian base during summer drills, the source said.

The Russian military base has been stationed in Armenia according to
an agreement Russia and Armenia signed in 1995. In 2010 the initial
agreement was amended to extend the presence of the Russian base in
Armenia from 25 to 49 years.

SLOVAKIA WANTS SETTLEMENT PROCESS OF KARABAKH CONFLICT TO BE RESTORED

Global Post
April 11 2013

Anakhanum Hidayatova; “At the meeting with Miroslav LajÄ~Mák we
discussed the regional problems, situation of Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, visa regime and level of economic relations,” Azerbaijani
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said at the joint press conference
following the meeting with Minister of Foreign and European Affairs
of the Slovak Republic Miroslav LajÄ~Mák, APA reports.

He said the sides consider the level of economic relations incompatible
with the level of political relations.

LajÄ~Mák noted that this is his fourth visit to Azerbaijan in the last
three years: “Azerbaijan plays an important role in ensuring the energy
security of Europe.” Slovak Foreign Minister expressed concern over the
tense situation of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: “We support the activity
of the OSCE Minsk Group, but want the settlement process of Karabakh
conflict to be restored, so that the citizens can see the results.”