Author: Badalian Vardan

ARMENIA’S ECONOMIC LAWS SHOW PROGRESS – ECONOMISTS

11:54 * 22.12.14

Gagik Makaryan, Chairman of the Republican Union of Employers of
Armenia (RUEA), notes progress in Armenia’s business environment for
a number of reasons.

“The first positive change is the ‘one-window’ principle and simplified
laws. Besides, progress has been recorded due to reforms in supervisory
bodies,” Mr Makaryan told Tert.am as he commented on the Forbes Best
Countries for Business list, which ranks Armenia 56th.

With respect to business environment problems, Mr Makaryan said:

“One of the major problems is that, however hard the government tries
to reform laws, certain cases require more aggressive intervention,
without hopes for self-regulated market.”

Although in other states the government is supposed to ensure
favorable conditions, in Armenia such factors as black economy, unequal
conditions for competition and inspections, management quality and
personnel problems impede the process.

“I would like the government to pay more attention to such problems,”
Mr Makaryan said.

He points out the need for work with banks in simplifying loan terms,
– ensuring low-interest loans or subsidies.

“Unfair competition does not imply punishment of businessmen for
changing prices in certain cases.

Rather, it is unequal attitude by officials, inspections and local
government bodies. The situation needs improvement.”

The government should pay more attention to innovative research
centers, which would be more efficient in terms of management and
economic stability, technologies and export.

“Such companies will prefer transparent activities due to high
profits,” Mr Makaryan said.

According to him, Armenia’s incumbent government is more active,
especially Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan.

“Half of the ministers are passive, but the premier, although he is
not an economist, is taking practical steps. He does not waste time
and makes prompt decisions.”

Vice-Chairman of the Heritage party, economist Armen Martirosyan
believes that although the Forbes Best Countries for Business list
ranks Armenia 56th, it does not reflect the reality.

“I think any economic practice is evidence, and it shows quite a
different picture,” he said.

The latest developments are clear evidence that Armenia cannot be
said to have a favorable business environment.

“We see pressure on small and medium businesses year by year, with
their share decreasing, and a lack of large-scale investments in
Armenia,” Mr Martirosyan said.

With respect to international organizations’ assessments, he said:

“For advisability reasons they may make positive assessments, but
the real situation does not change.”

Only top-ranking officials own big businesses in Armenia, and they
are in the authorities’ hands.

“Market competition is out of the question here. Small and medium
businesses are unprotected, and, despite cheap labor forces,
large-scale investments are few in number in Armenia,” Mr Martirosyan
said.

“Some legal reforms may have been implemented, but the reality is
strikingly different from the official documents.”

Despite the fact that Armenia gets huge amounts to implement education
and health reforms, but the real situation is worsening in the country,
Mr Martirosyan concluded.

SOUTH CAUCASUS RAILWAY WILL INVEST 6.5 BILLION DRAMS NEXT YEAR INTO FACILITY’S UPGRADING

YEREVAN, December 22. / ARKA /. The South Caucasus Railway (SCR),
a Russian company operating Armenia’s railroads, will invest 6.5
billion drams next year into the upgrading of the facility, SCR CEO
Viktor Rebets told a news conference today.

He said the investment program’s focus will be on the rehabilitation of
the infrastructure, and its priorities will be track facilities, power
systems, signaling, centralization, blocking and communication systems.

He said the company has invested as much this year as stipulated by
the contract and despite a drop in freight volume it decided not to
cut on next year’s investment.

The company expects that the freight traffic in 2015 will grow by
0.9%, the number of locally transported passengers by 0.6% and the
number of passengers traveling to neighboring Georgia by 0.1%. It
also expects its profit to increase by 151.9 million drams. Labor
productivity is projected to increase in 2015 by 3.3% and the median
monthly wage will grow as much to reach 201,000 drams.

The company said it will work also to improve the company’s position
in the transport market, its fiscal management, raise the safety on
the railway and introduce the automated 1C accounting system.

The South Caucasus Railways is run by Russian Railways. The
concessional agreement was concluded in 2008 for 30 years, with a
right of extension for another 20 years after the first 20 years of
operation. .($1 – 455.75 drams). -0-

BEELINE TO COMPLETE DIGITIZATION OF THE NETWORK IN METSAVAN, NORASHEN AND KUCHAK COMMUNITIES

by Mariam Lazarian

arminfo
Thursday, December 18, 17:09

By the end of the current year, Beeline will complete landline network
digitization in Metsavan community in Lori region, Kuchak community in
Aragatsotn region and Norashen community in Armavir region. Beeline
informed that from then on, high-quality digital network services
will be available for the residents of these communities, broadband
Internet quality will be enhanced, while Kuchak community residents
will start taking advantage of broadband Internet services. During
digitization works, the equipment will be also replaced and modernized.

“Beeline remains committed to its strategy of across-the-board
development and this year has considerably enlarged the digitization
geography of its fixed network. Digitization works will continue next
year as well, and we will provide simple, convenient and high-quality
network services for our subscribers in Armenian regions”, said
Beeline Armenia CEO Andrey Pyatakhin.

The digitization index exceeds 87% in Armenia, while the total wire
length is over 8.5 thousand km.

Fixed networks of 16 Armenian settlements were digitized in 2014. The
company believes reduced landline network tariffs are one of its
achievements in 2014. Since 1 September 2014, the tariff of an
outgoing call from Beeline to the NKR and international numbers has
cost 5 AMD/ min.

ArmenTel CJSC (Beeline brand) is the subsidiary of VimpelCom Group.

The VimpelCom Group consists of telecommunications operators
providing voice and data services through a range of wireless,
fixed ArmenTel CJSC (Beeline brand) is the subsidiary of VimpelCom
Group. The VimpelCom Group consists of telecommunications operators
providing voice and data services through a range of wireless, fixed
and broadband technologies. The Group includes companies operating
in Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Georgia and
Armenia as well as Vietnam and Cambodia, in territories with a total
population of about 345 million. The Group companies provide services
under the “Beeline” brand. VimpelCom was the first Russian company to
list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). VimpelCom’s
ADSs are listed on the NYSE under the symbol “VIP”.

A1+ JOURNALIST DENIED ACCESS TO PRESS CONFERENCE ON MARCH 1 TRAGEDY

17:25 | December 22,2014 | Politics

A journalist of A1+ TV Company has not been allowed to participate
in a press conference held at the office of Artur Baghdsaryan. She
was told that the event was only open to several media outlets.

According to Aravot.am, Artur Baghdsaryan am, Arthur Baghdasaryan
had invited journalists to say that his Country of Law Party (OEK)
had no connection with the March 2008 tragedy that left ten people
killed in the Armenian capital.

“Who gathered those people at [Liberty] Square? And who gave the order
to open fire at them? Both answers are known. The OEK had no connection
to the bloody events. We did not have such levers. We have nothing
to do with the bloodshed and plunder in the country. They blame us
for forming a coalition government with Serzh Sargsyan. We agreed
because we wanted changes. But when we did not have any changes we
withdraw from the coalition,” said Mr Baghdasaryan.

HOMESTRETCH: EEU MEMBER STATES’ PRESIDENTS TO CONFIRM ARMENIA’S ACCESSION

ANALYSIS | 22.12.14 | 11:21

By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent

On December 23, Moscow will host a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian
Council and the Collective Security Treaty Organization. At the meeting
of the Eurasian Council it is expected that Armenia’s accession to
the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) will be confirmed and an agreement
on Kyrgyzstan’s accession will be signed.

However, the day before these important meetings the presidents of
Belarus and Kazakhstan, Alexander Lukashenko and Nursultan Nazarbayev,
have decided to visit Ukraine, which, in fact, is at war with the
third member of the EEU – Russia. Moreover, Lukashenko already on
Sunday arrived in Kyiv and pledged full support for Ukrainian leader
Petro Poroshenko.

Nazarbayev also expressed a desire to become a mediator in settling
the Ukrainian-Russian dispute. Experts are wondering what these visits
are related to and how they will impact decisions on December 23.

The devaluation of the Russian ruble and the sharp economic downturn in
Russia have weakened the position of Russian President Vladimir Putin
in the Supreme Eurasian Council, and, as Western analysts suggest,
Belarus and Kazakhstan are trying to achieve greater rights for
themselves in the emerging EEU. Moreover, they often use for this
the factor of Armenia’s membership, which has been sought by Putin
and for his consent to this membership Belarus President Lukashenko
already appears to have received a lot of discounts and incentives.

The parliaments of all three EEU member countries have ratified the
treaty on Armenia’s accession, but the president are yet to sign the
ratification bills on December 23 and, apparently, Lukashenko and
Nazarbayev intend to achieve new preferences on the account of Armenia.

But what is the goal of the Belarus and Kazakh presidents’ visits
to Kyiv? Maybe Lukashenko and Nazarbayev have decided to talk to
Poroshenko about the establishment of a kind of free trade zone?

Earlier it was reported that Russia had appealed to the European
Commission with a proposal to create a free trade area between the EU
and the EEU. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that it is quite
possible if Russia withdraws from Ukraine. Maybe Lukashenko went to
Kyiv to convey conditions of Russia’s “withdrawal” from Ukraine?

Forecasts about the EEU that will be formally launched from January
1 are different – some view it as a “stillborn” project or a formal
alliance like the CIS, others argue that the project is too important
for Putin, and he will achieve its implementation at any cost.

However, one question remains open – will the international community,
particularly the United States, Europe and major Asian nations, wish
to recognize the EEU as an entity of international law? Will they wish
to conclude agreements not with different member nations of the EEU,
but with the Union itself, thus confirming the re-establishment of
a mini-USSR?

Cinema Blend
Dec 21 2014

This Unexpected Comedy Star Will Play Robert Kardashian In The O.J.
Simpson Series

By Jessica Rawden

Ryan Murphy’s next small screen endeavor, following the famous O.J.
Simpson murder trial, is coming together much faster than we thought.
FX’s American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson has already cast
some unexpected actors in Sarah Paulson and Cuba Gooding, Jr, and this
week the show signed on a famous comedic actor to play Robert
Kardashian. Friends actor David Schwimmer has joined the show.

The first season of Ryan Murphy’s new anthology series will take place
during the famed O.J. Simpson trial and will be framed around the
courtroom, and will be told through the perspectives of the lawyers,
so David Schwimmer’s role should be a fairly large one in American
Crime Story. For those of you not in the know about Robert Kardashian,
he is the famous father of Kim, Kourtney and the gang, and he
befriended Simpson long before his friend was ever accused of
murdering his wife, Nicole Simpson Brown. Later, he was part of O.J.
Simpson’s extensive trial team. Last I checked, Schwimmer’s not
Armenian, but I don’t expect this to be a Exodus-level problem.

Surprisingly, the gig should prove to be Schwimmer’s largest TV role
since Friends ended its epic run back in 2004. In the time since, the
actor has appeared in movies, including John Carter and the Madagascar
franchise films. He’s also taken small TV roles, including appearances
on 30 Rock and Web Therapy–which stars his former Friends co-star
Lisa Kudrow. American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson should
give him a chance to really flex his acting muscles.

FX picked up American Crime Story to series back in October and has
been steadily moving forward since then. As noted prior, Cuba Gooding,
Jr. has joined the cast. He’s set to play O.J. Simpson himself, which
is about the strangest casting I could imagine, although I don’t know
who else would fit the bill. Then Paulson is signed on to play
prosecutor Marcia Clark.

The anthology series will be comprised of 10 episodes and while FX
hasn’t announced an official date for the series yet, per Deadline,
with casting well underway, we should be seeing the new drama sooner
rather than later.

It’s hard to tell whether or not another anthology series will work
out for Ryan Murphy, but he’s been working hard to make the anthology
series a more regular thing. Murphy also has an anthology series
called Scream Queens set to hit the schedule in the fall of 2015 over
at Fox. We’ll keep you posted as the prolific producer’s latest shows
move forward.

Edward Nalbandyan to visit Moscow

13:02, 20 Dec 2014

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, Edward
Nalbandyan will visit Moscow on December 22, to take part at the
session of Foreign Ministerial Council of the Collective Security
Treaty Organization (CSTO), Armenian MFA’s press service reported.

The Armenians of Singapore

By Ric Gazarian on December 18, 2014

Singapore is an incredibly successful country on the southern tip of
Malaysia. More than 5 million people are packed into this compact
area. It is a veritable smorgasbord of ethnicities, languages, and
religions. For instance, Singapore recognizes four languages: English,
Malay, Tamil, and Mandarin. While 75 percent of the population is
Chinese, with the remainder being mostly Malay and Indian,
surprisingly a small Armenian community played an outsized role in
this city-state. Singapore is the model of a successful free market
economy, rated in 2013 as the second freest economy. It has a per
capita income that ranks third in the world. To put that in
perspective, one out of six citizens has a net worth of over a million
dollars even while excluding property!

Marina Bay Sands, an iconic new addition to the Singapore skyline, is
the most expensive building in the world at close to $5 billion. It
was premiered in 2010, and 3 towers that comprise the complex stand at
55 floors with a platform known as the Sands SkyPark on top connecting
the three towers. The Sands SkyPark includes an observation deck,
restaurant, and an infinity pool (guests only!). The complex, which
sits on reclaimed land, has more than 2,500 rooms and a casino.
Remember to double down!

Marina Bay Sands

The view from Marina Bay Sands

Adjacent to the Marina Bay Sands is Gardens By The Bay, which was
created in 2012. Over 200 acres of green space are packed in the
middle of the dense city-state of Singapore. Two giant greenhouses
rise into the sky. The first is the Flower Dome, which is a giant,
enclosed three-acre space containing seven unique gardens. The second
is the Cloud Forest, which showcases a 115-foot tropical waterfall. As
I strolled though the greenhouses, I spied the Sands SkyPark in the
distance. I felt like I was in the flotilla in Battlestar Galactica,
looking at a passing spaceship the SS SkyPark. The highlight of the
garden is the Supertree Grove, a series of “trees” that rise to
heights of 160 feet. At night these trees are lit up, and twice during
the evening there is a light and music show.

Gardens By The Bay

A very dark period in Singapore history is the Japanese occupation
during World War II. Singapore was a British colony at the time, and
the British were quickly routed by the Japanese. Upon occupation,
3,000 civilians were marched directly from the city to Changi Prison.
The prison was meant to hold 600 criminals, but the Japanese managed
to squeeze in 5 times more including children. Nearby the prison,
50,000 POWs, mostly British and Australian, were held. Today, a museum
memorializes these victims and survivors, and includes a replica of a
chapel that was built by the POWs in 1944 using rudimentary tools.

The Changi Prison Chapel

Singapore is a great city to walk and explore. If need be, simply jump
on the MRT, its unbelievably efficient and expansive subway system.
One fun neighborhood to get lost in is Chinatown. A new addition to
the skyline is the 2007 Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. The four-story
temple is said to host a tooth of Buddha Shakyamuni. This vibrant and
colorful temple is well worth the visit.

The 2007 Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

A special place to visit is the oldest remaining church in Singapore.
This modest, white church was consecrated in 1836. The church happens
to be the Armenian Apostolic Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator
located on Armenian Street. It was established for the benefit of a
small Armenian community, which at its height in the 1880’s reached
approximately 100 families. Armenians had established a preliminary
foothold in Asia, including in India, Burma, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
They played influential roles as traders and merchants in the region.
The last Armenian parish priest left in the 1930’s. By the 1950’s,
most of the Armenian community had slipped away, many immigrating to
Australia. Today, the church is a national monument.

The grounds of the Armenian Apostolic Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator

The Armenian Apostolic Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator located
on Armenian Street

On the grounds of the Armenian Apostolic Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator

Despite representing a small fraction of the Singapore community, the
Armenians played a significant role in Singapore. In 1845, Catchick
Movessian co-founded the Singapore Straits Times. Today, this paper is
the highest-selling paper in Singapore. A quartet of brothers from
Isfahan, Iran, also made an impact. The Sarkies brothers over a
45-year period founded or managed 6 hotels in Southeast Asia. Their
properties were considered the most prestigious hotels in the region.
Most well known is the legendary Raffles Hotel founded in 1887 in
Singapore. While rates start at $500, you might consider quaffing a
Singapore Sling at the Long Bar. Both the drink and the bar are iconic
landmarks in Singapore. Agnes Joaquim, a horticulture enthusiast,
unveiled her flower at a competition there, and won the $12 prize in
1899. The Vanda Miss Joaquim was later designated Singapore’s national
flower.

The Raffles Hotel (Photo by Richard Moross/Creative Commons)

The Vanda Miss Joaquim (photo by AJ Cann/Creative Commons)

So, as you stroll down the streets of the ultra-modern metropolis,
remember the impact this small community of Armenians had on this
nation-state.

Find out more about Ric’s work and travels here.

Armenia ends the year with robbery – Levon Shirinyan

13:00 / 20.12.2014

The year in Armenia ended with robbery, political analyst Levon
Shirinyan told the reporters on Saturday.

“If we were a normal state we would have created a commission to found
out the objective causes of USD-AMD exchange fluctuations and the
speculative part in it,” he stressed.

“Look how Georgian currency was kept in Georgia while our state did
not do anything. Why have the Georgians succeeded in it? Because they
have improved their state and today are seeking to create a state with
European standards. They succeed in it and this is in case when we can
say that about ten years ago there was no state there,” the political
analyst stressed.

Shirinyan said that the Chinese experience must be used: during Mao
Zedong rule, after the trial over the cheaters, their crimes were
presented on boards and the guilty person was being taken on truck
from one part of the city to the other for everyone to see him.
According to Shirinyan it should be applied in Armenia as this country
will not normalize in any other way.

Nyut.am

Access to education expanded in Armenia in 2014 – minister

YEREVAN, December 20. /ARKA/. 2014 became a year of expanding access
to education in Armenia, minister of education and science Armen
Ashotyan said at a 2014 summarizing press conference on Saturday.

New educational initiatives were launched in the country during the
year, he said.

Five priority educational programs included a student support project
that provided social aid from the government to about 2,000 Armenian
students.

Under the second program, $3.2 million was provided to some ten
Armenian higher schools to introduce innovative and competitive
curricula.

The third program has been really a pioneering one and aimed at
introduction of a new general education curriculum, the minister said.

In May Armenia’s parliament passed, in the first reading, the
amendments to the law about education that sets the 12-year education
as a requirement, as compared to the current 9-year compulsory
education.

The new law about general education has been another step toward full
transfer to inclusive education, according to the minister. Under the
law passed in September, all secondary schools and kindergartens in
the country will be providing inclusive education services.

And the last achievement was the nineteen medals won by Armenian
schoolchildren in international Olympiads, the minister said.

Ashotyan also said the introduction of “Chess” study groups in
secondary schools has been completed.

The number of inclusive schools in the country increased to 139 this
year, the minister said. -0–