Author: Badalian Vardan

There is a chance of breakthrough in the Karabakh issue, ex-US Envoy
Matthew Bryza says

armradio.am
11.02.2012 14:27

`It’s a huge mistake to explicitly say there is no connection at all
between Turkish-Armenian normalization and a settlement to the Nagorno
Karabakh problem. I always believed that the two issues will help each
other; as there is progress on the Turkish-Armenian front, that will
help create progress on Karabakh and progress on Nagorno Karabakh will
help normalize relations between Turkey and Armenia,’ ex-US Ambassador
to Azerbaijan and former Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Matthew
Bryza said in an interview with Hurriyet Daily News.

`The Turkish leadership realizes that by opening the border with
Armenia totally outside the context of Nagorno Karabakh, Turkey was
moving in a new direction because Turkey closed the border in the
context of the NK conflict. Azerbaijanis will never forget that.
Azerbaijanis have significant political influence in Turkey,’ he said.

Bryza said he believes there has been an evolution in Turkey’s
approach to the Armenian genocide. `There has been a progression.
There is more acceptance of an open discussion of what happened. I
think the Hrant Dink murder was a huge awakening for millions of
Turks. It’s not just the government, it’s society that has moved
forward to consider that terrible killings were committed by Ottoman
troops. But what has not changed at all for legitimate reasons is the
firm Turkish view that this should not be recognized politically as
genocide.’

Matthew Bryza says there is a chance of breakthrough in the Karabakh
issue. `There has been huge progress. The sides are extremely close to
a breakthrough. There are a couple of core, key details that can only
be agreed upon if the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan make a very
difficult and risky political decision. They would not do that until
they feel they receive political support from the U.S. and France.’

La Repubblica, Italia
10 febbraio 2012

Unicef, le riforme sociali in Armenia e l’equità delle politiche sui bambini

Qui i più poveri sono tra i poveri. L’esperienza dell’Agenzia delle
Nazioni Unite nel paese dell’Asia occidentale (a medio reddito) dove
il lavoro degli operatori concentra l’attenzione su interventi che
garantiscano parità di accesso ai servizi sociali. Relazioni dirette
con il governo su programmazione finanziaria e trasparenzadi

CHIARA LUTI

ROMA – Non è una novità che siano sempre i bambini, in ogni parte del
mondo, a pagare il prezzo più alto della povertà. Ma se il paese in
cui si trovano è uno di quelli considerati “a medio reddito” dalla
comunità internazionale, quel prezzo assume anche un altro
significato: quello della laconicità di certe definizioni, che poco o
niente rivelano della qualità della vita e dell’accesso a servizi
essenziali come la cura, l’educazione, la salute. L’Armenia è,
appunto, un paese “a medio reddito”; segnata da una condizione di
conflitto latente (si pensi alla situazione di “guerra fredda”
permanente con l’Azerbaijan per il controllo del territorio del
Nagorno Karabakh), ha visto in realtà, nel corso degli anni che sono
seguiti all’indipendenza del 1992, un drastico declino economico e il
deteriorarsi delle infrastrutture sociali. Il PIL pro-capite è di
3.000 dollari l’anno (circa un decimo di quello italiano), e la
crescita esponenziale della diseguaglianza tra una piccola élite
coinvolta in affari e politica e il resto della popolazione – che in
molte aree del paese vive in estrema povertà – getta la sua ombra
lunga sulle vite dei bambini.

Lo sa bene l’UNICEF 1. Che è presente nel paese da diversi anni, che
avverte come siano proprio loro, qui, la categoria più vulnerabile,
nonostante una cultura fortemente tradizionale, che vede la famiglia
come elemento determinante
nell’organizzazione sociale. L’indice di povertà per il 2010 raggiunge
il 38% della popolazione, e il 41% dei bambini; tra le famiglie con
quattro figli o più, la povertà riguarda il 70%. La situazione si fa
allarmante se si prende in esame i bambini disabili, che sono più
della metà dei 5.000 ancora ospitati in istituti residenziali: per
loro non c’è molta scelta: sono costretti, nel migliore dei casi, a
frequentare scuole “speciali”, anch’esse per la maggior parte
residenziali perché concentrate solo in alcune aree del territorio, in
particolare nella capitale, Yerevan.

La de-istituzionalizzazione. Lo sforzo di Unicef è quello di
indirizzare le riforme delle politiche sociali in una prospettiva di
progressiva de-istituzionalizzazione. “È un settore di recente
espansione per l’UNICEF 2, rispetto alle tradizionali aree di nostra
competenza: sanità e nutrizione, educazione, protezione dei bambini da
violenza e abuso”, osserva Cristina Roccella, dal 2009 coordinatrice
del programma Unicef in Armenia. “Negli ultimi anni, la nostra
attenzione si è concentrata sempre di più su interventi che
garantiscano soprattutto una maggiore equità di accesso ai servizi
sociali, con un avvicinamento ai settori della popolazione più poveri
e marginalizzati, attraverso un lavoro “mainstreaming” che – a
differenza di quel che fanno le Ong – si caratterizza per una
relazione diretta e costante con il governo e altre controparti, su
questioni direttamente legate alla programmazione finanziaria, alla
trasparenza del budget nei settori che riguardano il benessere di
bambini e famiglie, e la protezione sociale più in generale”.

La mancanza degli assistenti sociali. Nel 2010 il ministero del lavoro
armeno ha presentato un progetto di riforma dei servizi sociali,
ispirato dalle linee guida del Consiglio d’Europa, al quale l’Unicef
ha aderito con entusiasmo, nella convinzione che il maggiore elemento
di debolezza dei servizi di protezione sociale armeno consistesse
nella mancanza di una figura professionale di centrale importanza:
quella dell’assistente sociale. “In risposta alla richiesta del
ministero di aiutarli nel definire un modello di servizi sociali
integrati per l’Armenia, e di formare il personale da coinvolgere”,
ricorda Roccella, “mi sono rivolta a EducAid 3, una Onlus di Rimini
che promuove una formula di intervento che riassume l’essenza della
cooperazione internazionale: il coinvolgimento di operatori di servizi
di diversi paesi in uno scambio “alla pari” sulle loro esperienze
professionali. In Armenia, EducAid ha coinvolto manager e operatori
dei servizi sociali di Imola, che hanno realizzato seminari con
dirigenti, amministratori regionali e con operatori dei servizi
territoriali”.

Obiettivo: l’autonomia della famiglia. “Volevamo avviare una
sperimentazione che, invece di concentrarsi sulla prestazione di un
servizio predefinito, privilegiasse l’analisi dei bisogni delle
persone, ed il coinvolgimento di tutte le risorse possibili, formali e
informali, nella definizione di un progetto di supporto alla famiglia,
con l’obiettivo finale di una ritrovata autonomia della famiglia
stessa”. Una condivisione che secondo la rappresentante dell’Unicef
“ha consentito agli operatori armeni di comprendere sempre di più un
approccio che ribalta i parametri della relazione d’aiuto e permette
di ottenere risultati senza investimenti aggiuntivi”.

I risultati ottenuti. Un lavoro che sta dando i suoi frutti: in
Armenia sono aumentati i servizi di assistenza sanitaria neonatale e
di assistenza sanitaria primaria e secondaria all’infanzia; è iniziato
un processo di apertura all’educazione inclusiva, che consente aanche
a bambini disabili di frequentare la scuola assieme a tutti gli altri;
è stato ridotto il numero di bambini rinchiusi in istituto, mentre
crescono servizi comunitari di assistenza a minori e famiglie, che
coinvolgono spesso Ong locali. Ci sono adesso 63 scuole inclusive dove
sono iscritti 1700 bambini con disabilità. È inoltre aumentata la
produzione di dati sulla condizione infantile, con particolare
attenzione ai livelli di povertà.

“Ma i bambini non votano”. Avverte Roccella: “Non hanno voce in
capitolo, ed è per questo che la promozione dei loro diritti, compreso
quello di crescere in un ambiente familiare anche in assenza della
famiglia biologica, è un lavoro continuo, che va rafforzato per
evitare il calo di attenzione di politici e amministratori. Noi
cerchiamo di essere i loro sostenitori, i loro “avvocati” nel
significato inglese – advocate – del termine. Dobbiamo più in generale
renderci conto che i progressi nel welfare riguardano gli strati più
alti della popolazione, e non i gruppi più marginalizzati. Non a
caso, l’acronimo usato per indicare gli Obiettivi del Millennio 4
(MDG) viene spesso usato per un’altra espressione: Mind the
Development Gap, ovvero, con una traduzione un po’ forzata,
“attenzione ai buchi (o ai vuoti) dello sviluppo”. Vuoti nei quali
troppo spesso scorre la vita dei bambini”.

ANSA, Italia
11 febbraio 2012

Italia-Armenia: Sindaco Honsell riceve delegazione a Udine
Per il capoluogo friulano transitarono 100 mila armeni

(ANSA) – UDINE, 11 FEB – Il sindaco Furio Honsell oggi ha incontrato
in Municipio la ministra armeno per la Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan e
l’ambasciatore della Repubblica Armena in Italia Rouben Karapetian,
per celebrare la vicinanza della città e del Friuli. “Udine è sempre
stata sensibile alle tragedie dei popoli che, come quello armeno – ha
detto il sindaco – sono stati perseguitati e costretti all’esodo nel
corso della loro storia.Ieri abbiamo doverosamente ricordato l’esodo
delle popolazioni giuliane, fiumane e dalmate – ha proseguito – e i
100.000 profughi che transitarono per Udine. Siamo ugualmente vicini a
questo popolo per la sua tragedia”. (ANSA).

Institute for War and Peace Reporting IWPR, UK
CRS Issue 629
February 11, 2012 Saturday

Armenian Politicians Claim Credit for France’s Genocide Law

Others say French decision was not really influenced by Yerevan.

By Hasmik Hambardzumyan

As politicians in Armenia vie to prove they prompted France to pass a
genocide denial bill, some analysts say the vote probably had more to
do with French politics than any pressure coming out of Yerevan.

On January 23, France’s Senate approved a bill making it a criminal
offence to deny that a genocide of Armenians took place in Ottoman
Turkey in 1915-16. The lower house of parliament passed the bill in
December.

“This day will be written in gold letters, and not just in the history
of friendship between the French and Armenian peoples – it will enter
the global history of human rights and create fresh mechanisms for the
prevention of crimes against humanity,” Armenian foreign minister
Edward Nalbandyan wrote in a letter to his French counterpart.

The vote was the outcome of a process lasting over two decades, driven
along by France’s half-a-million-strong Armenian diaspora.

The law would need to be signed by President Nicolas Sarkozy for it to
come into force. He is in favour, but the bill has been put on hold
following a request by some lawmakers to have France’s top
constitutional body review its legality.

The Senate decision met with hostility from Turkey, which has always
denied that genocide took place.

Some 20 other countries have officially recognised the events of
1915-16 as an Armenian genocide, though far fewer have opted to
criminalise denial.

In Armenia, the Senate vote was met with delight, with a spontaneous
demonstration outside the French embassy.

Eduard Sharmazanov, spokesman for President Serzh Sargsyan’s ruling
Republic Party, seized the initiative in claiming a diplomatic
triumph.

“I can say that the Senate’s approval of this bill demonstrates that
the Armenian authorities headed by President Sargsyan have for all
these years pursued a flexible, a correct and most importantly a
pro-Armenian foreign policy,” he said.

Levon Zurabyan of the opposition Armenian National Congress disputed
the importance of the Yerevan government’s role, saying the decision
was prompted instead by lobbying from the Armenian diaspora, as well
as by France’s desire to take a lead on human rights issues and on
change in the Middle East.

“It was these specific factors that played the decisive role,” he
said. “It’s therefore immoral for the current Armenian regime to grasp
at the laurels for this historic decision.”

Most of the Armenians in France are descended from refugees who fled
the Ottoman Empire. The community is centred on Marseille, which at
100,000 has the largest Armenian diaspora group in Europe, and
numerous cultural centres, schools and churches.

Some French politicians argued against the bill on the grounds that
Sarkozy was using it to win the Armenian vote in the run-up to the
April election. Opinion polls show Sarkozy lagging behind socialist
rival Francois Hollande.

Giro Manoyan, a leading figure in Armenia’s opposition Dashnaktsutyun
party, said campaigning for the French presidential election had
undoubtedly been a significant factor in the vote, although by no
means the only one.

Richard Giragosian, a leading analyst and director of the Regional
Studies Centre in Yerevan, said the real driving forces behind the
decision had a lot to do with French politics, both domestic and
external.

“In many ways it was about French domestic politics – Sarkozy’s
re-election. It was also a way to damage Turkey’s attempt to join the
European Union. And there is France’s desire to enhance its role in
international politics,” he said.

Giragosian suggested that the French vote might ultimately be good
rather than bad for Armenian-Turkish relations.

The two countries do not have formal diplomatic relations and the
border between them remains closed. Attempts at a rapprochement have
ground to a halt and there appears to be little impetus to revive it
at the moment.

“In the short term, because of Turkish over-reactions on the issue, it
makes diplomacy difficult,” he said. “In the medium term, however, it
may push Turkey towards restarting the normalisation of ties with
Armenia, for two reasons. First, because Turkey will start looking
east, rather than west towards the European Union. Second, Turkey may
opt to return to diplomatic engagement with Armenia as a way of
addressing the genocide issue, because it’s facing increasing pressure
over genocide recognition following the [French] vote.”

Hasmik Hambardzumyan is a journalist working for the
news site. Lusine Avagyan and Seda Muradyan from IWPR also contributed
material for this article.

Source: IWPR

Link:

OPINION: LA REVOLUTION FRANCAISE – REPRISE
By Haldun Anil

The MIT Tech

Feb 10 2012

How the country that once put freedom first butchered it thoughtlessly

In 1789 the French people overturned their government in one of the
bloodiest revolutions that Europe has ever seen. With it came the
downfall of much of the feudal government of the past, swept away
by the rise of nationalism and demands for liberty. At this time,
the French coined their famous motto, “Liberte, egalite, fraternite”
(liberty, equality, fraternity), which served as a potent example
for the rest of Europe. Over 150 years later, France was party to the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the European Convention on
Human Rights, which have been ratified by the United Nations and the
EU, respectively.

History clearly demonstrates that the French care about their civil
liberties – which is why I find it so hard to believe that a law about
genocide denial in France passed through both houses of the French
Parliament last week. This law makes it illegal for French citizens
to deny that a genocide against the Armenian people occurred shortly
after the First World War. In 1915, many Armenians were killed in a
confrontation with the then-crumbling Ottoman Empire. These events
have been dubbed the “Armenian Genocide” – the deaths of hundreds of
thousands of Armenians who were trying to escape the war. Whether or
not this confrontation can be considered genocide has been a matter
of debate, among some, for nearly a century.

I do not presume to know whether those events constituted a genocide or
not. This question is one for historians and philosophers to debate;
it is the job of the academic world and those knowledgeable about
the time to think about it. We are all entitled to our opinion,
it is perfectly acceptable for the French people to believe that a
genocide occurred. It is also OK to think the opposite. This debate
is not why I am dismayed.

I’m appalled is because if the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy,
signs the bill into law, it will be illegal for anyone to deny that
the events of 1915 were genocide. Further, the denial of the events
will be punishable with a one-year prison sentence and a fine of
up to $58,000. Please take the moment to read that again, because
every time I do, I am once again horrified that the government of a
country supposedly in love with the ideals of freedom, equality, and
brotherhood is willing to throw all three of these out the window. I

If we examine the original French revolutionary document, the
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, Article 11 reads
as follows: “The free communication of ideas and opinions is one of
the most precious of the rights of man.” But wait, one quote isn’t
enough, so let’s look at the European Convention on Human Rights’
Article 10: “Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This
right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart
information and ideas without interference by public authority and
regardless of frontiers.”

So how did the French government let the law get this far? I cannot
comprehend how they let themselves be swayed to massacre the freedom
of expression, to view those who believe in a way that does not agree
with their opinions as second-rate citizens, and to forsake important
political, strategic, and cultural ties. Ladies and gentlemen,
I present to you the oppressive, dark-ages style way of thought in
which opinion has lost meaning and expression has been replaced with
a pitch-black void.

With this new law, France has taken the first step in starting a
new revolution: one in which basic human rights are ignored out
of self-interest. Having opinions is a fundamental and essential
reality of the human condition. Believing that the events of 1915
were genocide is perfectly acceptable; it is an opinion and just like
every opinion, it has merit. Criminalizing those who disagree with this
opinion, however, is unjust and hypocritical. I hope that the French
Constitutional Court, which has been called upon by French lawmakers
to reexamine the constitutionality of the bill, quickly comes to the
realization that such a law would not only be devastating by itself,
but would also set a precedent asserting politics’ dominance over the
citizens’ thoughts and opinions. I don’t know about you, but that’s
an Orwellian future that I am not willing to accept.

RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION AND ETHNIC GENOCIDE OF ASSYRIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

Friday, February 10, 2012 at 10:01 PM in Nineveh, Assyria

Genocide is defined as the deliberate and systematic destruction of
a racial, religious, political, or ethnic group. The word, from the
Greek genos, meaning “race,” “nation,” or “tribe,” and the Latin cide,
meaning “killing,” originated from the tragic events in the Middle
East during the end of the Ottoman empire from 1910 to 1933, which
called for a legal concept to describe the deliberate destruction of
large groups.

Holocaust is defined as the deliberate and systematic destruction by
fire of a racial, religious, political, or ethnic group. The word
derives from the Greek holos, meaning “whole” and kaustos, meaning
“burnt”.

>From 1843 to 1945, the Turks, Kurds, Arabs and Persians committed
genocides against the Assyrian nation and other Christian peoples in
Asia Minor [Middle East]. These international human rights violations
were crimes against humanity and served as examples for future
atrocities of this manner against the Jewish people in Europe. In
these genocides, 750,000 indigenous Christian Assyrians living in
their ancestral homelands (known today as the republics of Turkey,
Syria, Iraq, and Iran), including 1½ million Christian Armenians and
300,000 Hellenes were burned, slaughtered, and shot systematically.

Defenseless men, women, children and the elderly all became victims
of these genocides.

Assyria, the land of the indigenous Assyrians, was partitioned after
World War I by the victorious Allies, and is currently under occupation
by Kurds, Turks, Arabs and Persians.

The Assyrians are a stateless people and continue to be religiously and
ethnically persecuted in the Middle East due to Islamic fundamentalism,
Arabization and Kurdification policies, leading to land expropriations
and forced emigration to the West.

ARMENIA’S EX DEFENSE MINISTER: IT IS NOT RIGHT TO USE ARMY IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS

arminfo
Friday, February 10, 19:15

It is not right to use the army in emergency situations, especially as
our police have quite efficient troops, Armenia’s Ex Defense Minister,
member of the Hnchakyan Social-Democratic Party Vahan Shirkhanyan
said during a press-conference on Friday.

“The bill on the state of emergency reminds many of the tragic events
of March 2008. It should have been adopted last year so that the people
do not associate it with the forthcoming elections,” Shirkhanyan said.

He said that the Armenian authorities have done much to alleviate the
political tensions and to improve people’s lives. “So, we should not
expect new March events,” Shirkhanyan said.

The bill adopted by the Armenian Parliament on Feb 8 stipulates that
the state of emergency in Armenia should be declared only if there
is a threat to the country’s constitutional order: armed riots,
public disorders and acts of terrorism.

Armenia’s Justice Minister Hrayr Tovmasyan believes that the army
should be used only if the police and the national security troops
prove unable to cope with the emergency.

ARMENIAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT REOPENED

news.am
February 10, 2012 | 17:52

YEREVAN. – Armenian international Zvartnots airport reopened and
flights operate in accordance with schedule, spokesperson of General
Department of Civil Aviation of Armenia Nelli Cherchinyan told
Armenian News-NEWS.am.

According to her, Gyumri airport also reopened and visibility is
normal with no delayed flights. If snow intensity is not increased,
flights will operate as usual.

As was informed earlier, Yerevan and Gyumri airports were closed
since 10.00 a.m. due to snow.

GEOPROMINING INVESTS $1,5MN TO ARMENIAN SOCIAL PROJECTS IN 2011

/ARKA/
FEBRUARY 10, 2012
YEREVAN

The exclusive interview of GeoProMining – GPM company president Roman
Khudoly with “ARKA” news agency.

“ARKA”- Mr. Khudoly, what funds does the company injects into
implementing social programs in Armenia?

R. Khudoly- The company continues developing its active operation
on the enterprises in Armenia, Georgia, and Russia that is estimated
through the company’s careful attitude to its staff and the residents
who live in the regions where these enterprises work. The total
amount of GPM Gold’s and Agarak copper-molybdenum plant’s social
investments in 2011 hit more than $1.5 million in Armenia.Also the
company permanently interacts with the State authorities as well as
local administrations that allows GPM to respond advertently to the
needs of the residents in the regions, where the company operates, and
to inject charity funds into the projects which are more actual for
the local population. The company regularly finances social projects
targeted at the infrastructure development, fire and rescue services,
energy and water supply, repair of hospitals, schools, kindergartens.

Also one of the GPM social activity priorities is to traditionally
support the socially vulnerable population groups.

We have regardfully analysed the projects of the last year and
received recommendations from the international specialists working
in the sphere of corporate social responsibility (CSR), after what
we consulted local administrations to determine the most urgent needs
of the local population.

This information appeared as a basis for composing 2012 budget. We
will keep on developing the principal course of our ” Resources
for the benefit” corporate program paying special attention to the
projects directed to working with our staff and their families as
well as ecology issues.

“ARKA”- Would you, please, depict in more details the goals and
implementation process of “Resources for the benefit” program?

R. Khudoly- Keeping in mind that the sustainable development is one of
GPM main strategic principles, we shifted in 2011 from non-methodical
projects to systematic ones within Corporate Social Responsibility. As
a result the company launched “Resources for the benefit” complex
program.

The program embraces all the aspects of social responsibility
that includes the attentive attitude to the staff, minimization
of environmental impact, concern about local communities and close
interaction with the State authorities in the scope of social-economic
development. These spheres will become the CSR priorities of the
company in 2012.

“ARKA”- Which structures does the company cooperate with while
implementing its social projects?

R. Khudoly- During several years GPM in cooperation with Social
investment Fund of the Armenian government, which implements World
Bank projects in the country, has been realizing projects aimed at
the social development of the regions.

The agreement endorsed between GPM and Fund as well as administration
of Ararat region on February 8 authorizes implementation of the
charity project directed to building a kindergarten. This project was
initiated by the president of Armenia Serge Sargsyan on his visit to
Ararat region in the middle of the last year to respond to the needs
of the region’s residents.

Thus, the kids are already expected to have a new kindergarten in the
beginning of 2013 due to Social Investments Fund and $250 thousand
investments by GPM.

GPM also supports local administrations to organize different
environment protection events as well as create improved and favourable
conditions for residents in Vardenis, Ararat and Agarak.

In 2011 significant funds were spent on the purchase of garbage
equipment and snow removal trucks. In 2012 we plan to buy sweeper
trucks for keeping town streets clean.

“ARKA”- What kind of social projects and facilities does the company
offer to the workers on its enterprises?

R. Khudoly- Currently 815 people work in GPM Gold company which
explores Sotsk gold mining and runs Ararat Gold Recovery Factory.

After we launch the new trend in the factory, based on the unique
modern technology “Albion,” the construction of which started in 2011,
we can hire more people. Agarak copper- molybdenum plant employs 930
workers. GPM enterprises in Armenia are specialized in single-industry
and provide with jobs 70-80% of the working- age population in Agarak,
Vardenis, and Ararat.

The company acts as a responsible employer: our wage is one of the
highest in this field. We often organize qualification trainings for
the workers with different specializations. It helps to stimulate their
professional development. Our employees receive an appropriate social
package and get annual medical examination in the best medical centres
of the country. The company organizes also bright New Year celebrations
as well as sport and cultural events for the children of our workers.

“ARKA” – Does the company follow ecological norms while implementing
its projects?

R. Khudoly- Any industrial production has an impact on environment
and our company’s responsibility is to try to minimize that negative
impact. We regularly check the level of impact on the environment
and take a regardful look at following all the normative indicators.

Every event that is targeted to the company’s development is organized
only after we have detailed consultations with the specialists scoping
in the environment protection sphere. Our main priority is to do our
work in accordance with the legislature.

Events organized in the frame of the industry modernization program
respond to the best international ecological standards. This is proved
by the fact that the world best ecology experts from such companies as
Fraser Alexander, Epoch E Digby Wells Environment participate in our
project. The new unique and modern technology “Albion” which will be
exploited in Ararat Gold Recovery Factory, corresponds to the world
best ecological standards.

“ARKA”- Does the company organize any cultural or educational events?

R.Khudoly- GPM pays great attention to preserving national traditions,
culture and art in all the regions it operates. We were one of the
general sponsors of the celebrations dedicated to the 20th anniversary
of independence in Armenia. The company also actively participated
in organizing and preparing celebration events.

When visiting Yerevan GPM administration never misses the opportunity
to get introduced with the historical heritage of the Armenian nation.

At the end of the last year when I visited Armenia with Siman
Viktorovich ( Siman Povarenkin, the chairman of GPM Board of Directors
– “ARKA”) we had a chance to go to National History Museum and get
introduced to the exposition dedicated to the Armenian mining history.

Being an international company, GPM participates enthusiastically
in the projects goaled to strengthen mutual understanding and
expansion within the international cooperation between Russia and
Armenia. Since 2009 the company has been backing the project on Russian
language knowledge improvement in Armenia, which is implemented by
the Charitable Foundation for Russian Language promotion under the
auspices of the Embassy of Russian Federation in Armenia.

GPM finances opening computer classrooms for interactive teaching
of Russian language. The classrooms are equipped with the modern
technical tools for communication and detailed teaching books. This
charity project promotes Russian language learning as well as its
spread and popularization in Armenia as an inseparable part of the
world culture, present instrument of international communication and
CIS business language as well as economic cooperation development
between Armenia and Russia.

GPM in cooperation with Russian Embassy also backs Russian Drama
Theater after K. Stanislavsky in Yerevan, which is one of the brightest
cultural establishments in Yerevan and a popular place for staging
Armenian and Russian playwrights’ works. In December 2011 the theater
showed the first night of Sergey Dovlatov’s play “Abanamat”.

The staging became possible due to financing made by the company.

ARMENIA RANKED THIRD IN CIS BY NUMBER OF REGISTERED UNEMPLOYED IN DECEMBER 2011

/ARKA/
FEBRUARY 10, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, February 10. /ARKA /. Armenia was ranked third among the CIS
countries in terms of the number of registered unemployed in December
2011, according to the CIS Statistics Committee.

According to its data, as of December 30, 2011 the overall number
of registered jobless people in Armenia dropped by 11.9% from a year
earlier to 69,400 people.

“The unemployment rate in the CIS dropped in December 2011 to 6.4% of
the economically active population (according to the criteria of the
International Labor Organization that includes the number of unemployed
job seekers who do not turn to employment centers),” it said.

Russia had the largest number of unemployed people -1,285,600, down
by 19.1% compared with December 2010. Russia was followed by Ukraine
– 482,800 (a drop by 11.4%), Kyrgyzstan -61,100 (a drop by 3.7%),
Moldova – 38,800 (4.8%), Azerbaijan – 38,300 (1.5%), Kazakhstan -36,600
(an increase of 3.5%).

The number of economically active population across the CIS (employed
and unemployed) in 2011 was estimated at 138.5 million people, roughly
half of the total population. In Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Ukraine, the proportion of economically active
population ranged between 45% to 53% of the total population, in
Armenia, Moldova and Tajikistan 40% or less.