Author: Badalian Vardan

ARMENIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST ADDRESSES LETTER TO ALL MPS, GETS NO ANSWER

20:38 18.09.13

Head of the Helsinki Citizens Assembly Vanadzor office Artur Sakunts
addressed a letter to all the Armenian MPs, inquiring about their being
proponents or opponents of Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union.

However, none of the 131 MPs has answered his letter.

“I know that the MPs have received my letter, with the same questions
for all of them. Some of them called me and told they had received
my letter. But I have not so far received a written answer from any
of them,” Sakunts told Tert.am.

As to the answers MPs representing different political forces may
give, Sakunts said: “I cannot imagine until I see their answers. I
addressed individual letters to each of the MPs and each of them is
supposed to answer.”

He attaches importance to each MP’s opinion. “As representatives
of the Legislature making political decisions they are supposed to
answer me as a taxpayer, citizen, human rights activist. Each MP’s
answer is important for me.”

According to the law, the MPs are supposed to answer within one month,
Sakunts said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

RUSSIAN BILLIONAIRE SEARCHES COPPER IN KARABAKH

September 18, 2013 | 21:54

YEREVAN. – The affiliate of Sarkisov brothers’ has been involved in
geological survey in Nagorno Karabakh, RESO Garantiya Russian Insurance
Company President Sergey Sarkisov told Armenian News-NEWS.am reporter
on Wednesday. Sarkisov visits Yerevan to participate at the opening
of Armenia-RESO affiliate headquarters.

“We have an affiliate company, which is, or, to be clear, was
involved in geological survey in Nagorno Karabakh. The legal entity
is registered in the United States,” he added.

Earlier Armenian News-NEWS.am reported that an enterprise affiliated
with Sarkisov brothers is interested in copper deposits in Zardashen
region of Karabakh, and gold deposits in upper course of Touthun
river. In June 2012 Nagorno Karabakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan
attended Zardashen deposits.

Sarkisyan brothers own one of Russia’s largest insurance companies,
RESO Garantiya Insurance Company. According to Forbes, Sarkisyan
brothers’ fortune is $1.35 billion.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

PROSPEROUS ARMENIA, BAREV YEREVAN BLOCS SKEPTICAL ABOUT FARE COMMISSION

21:34 18.09.13

The Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) and Barev Yerevan (Hello Yerevan)
blocs in Yerevan’s City Council are skeptical about the role of the
commission set up to discuss the transport fare.

David Sanasaryan of the Barev Yerevan bloc told Tert.am that the bloc
will not be represented in the commission.

“Our representative will not participate in the discussions as Yerevan
Mayor Taron Maragryan’s letter does not say anything of the commission
member’s powers. We have applied to court for invalidation of the
decision raising the transport fare,” he said.

“Reliable sources informed us that the Yerevan Municipality is forcing
transport companies to address a letter and state they are no longer
able to render transport services at fare rates lower than AMD 150
per passenger,” he said.

Secretary of the PAP parliamentary group Naira Zohrabyan said:
“We must be well informed of the commission’s tasks. The letter we
have receives does not throw light on it. If the commission is going
to discuss the quality of transport services and the disgraceful
transport situation in Armenia’s capital, we show understanding.

However, if the commission’s task is to raise the transport fare
and simulate hard work, which will be followed by a statement that
a fare rise has no alternative, the PAP is not going to participate
in the discussions.

The PAP intends to discuss the issue and apply to the city authorities
for more detailed information.

“Our position remains unchanged: in the current social conditions
the fare cannot be raised at any pretext,” she said.

In his turn, Mr Sanasaryan said that a fare rise may cause public
discontent.

With respect to the claims that protests will not produce any results
as the decision will be made by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, he
said: “Why do you think that the previous decision was made without
Serzh Sargsyan’s consent? I am sure that Baghramyan 26 [Armenian
presidential residence] OK’d that decision and later demanded that
it be suspended.”

Sanasaryan stressed that the decision is not in citizens’ interests.

Ruzanna Grigoryan of the Paying 100 drams movement strongly objects to
the decision. “We must call to account the people that approved the
decision.” No public hearing has so far been held, and the decision
meets private companies’ interests, she added.

Actor Haik Marutyan believes that the decision is natural provided
Yerevan residents are richer now. “But if not, protests are natural. I
think it is a defense reaction,” he said.

Many people in Armenia “can hardly make both ends meet” and they will
have to stop using transport because of the fare rise.

“If the people could pay they would never protest,” the actor said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

RUSSIA ASSISTS US IN ACQUIRING MODERN MILITARY EQUIPMENT – ARMENIAN MOD

September 18, 2013 | 15:40

YEREVAN. – The security issue likewise is on the basis of Armenia’s
decision to join the Customs Union.

Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan noted the above-said Wednesday during
his talk with the students and faculty at Yerevan State University.

In his words, the decision to join the Customs Union was made by
considering the existing conflicts in the region, the Nagorno-Karabakh
issue, and the strategic relations with Russia.

“Our strategic partner assists us in acquiring modern military
equipment,” Ohanyan said.

He added that Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union will enable
to further deepen cooperation with Russia in the military sector, too.

To note, following the talks that were held on September 3 in Moscow
between Armenian and Russian Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Vladimir
Putin, Sargsyan had announced that Armenia plans to join the Customs
Union and subsequently engage in the formation of the Eurasian
Economic Union.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

TI CORRUPTION IN DEFENSE REPORT SILENT ON ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN

16:00 ~U 18.09.13

Armenia and Azerbaijan turn out to be the only countries in the South
Caucasus region not included in Transparency International’s 2013
Corruption in Defense report.

The index, published Tuesday, covers 82 countries which have been
classified into different groups (A, B, C, D (D+,D-)) depending on
the level of the legislative’s control over the military.

The authors of the document have found that the parliaments of most
countries do not manage to exercise a successful control over the
defense sector.

The findings suggest that 2/3 of the countries have failed to
ensure effective control mechanisms. The legislation in 70% of
weapon suppliers has been found to allow for loopholes contributing
to corruption.

Armenia’s northern neighbor, Georgia, is in Group D, together with
Russia and Turkey. Iran is in the highest group (E).

The lowest corruption risks have been observed in Germany and
Australia.

The full report can be accessed here

Armenian News – Tert.am

SEYRAN OHANYAN: HUMAN RELATIONS THE MOST IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF ARMY’S FIGHTING SPIRIT

16:31 18.09.2013

Alisa Gevorgyan
Public Radio of Armenia

Human relations are the most important component of the fighting
spirit of the army, and the leadership of the Armed forces today
focuses on ensuring a high level of such relations. This is possible
only through close cooperation with the field of education, Armenian
Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan said during a meeting with the faculty
and students of the Yerevan State University.

“Years ago Armenia managed to take the test in Nagorno Karabakh with
dignity, to get through an imposed war, and today the Armenian army
is properly protecting the security of the two Armenian states,”
the Minister said.

Seyran Ohanyan said the discipline in the army is improving as a
result of everyday work, but added that there is always much to do
in the sphere.

According to him, it’s impossible to avoid conflicting situations
in the Armed Forces. The Minister attaches importance to the
pedagogical skills and human qualities of the commanders in solving
the misunderstandings.

ARMENIA’S PARTICIPANT TO “JUNIOR EUROVISION – 2013” SONG CONTEST WILL BE DETERMINED SEPTEMBER 27

YEREVAN, September 18. / ARKA /. Armenia’s participant to “Junior
Eurovision – 2013″ song contest will be determined on September 27
evening live on Public Television of Armenia (PTA), PTA said today.

The song contest is scheduled to take place November 30 in Kiev,
Ukraine.

PTA received 82 applications, 12 of which went through the qualifying
round. The winner will be determined through tele-voting and jury
selection.

Armenia joined ” Eurovision Junior ” song contest
in 2007. The children’s ensemble “Arevik” won the
second place with the song “Dream.” -0- – See more at:

LORI CHEESE: UNSAFE FOR UNITED STATES BUT SAFE IN ARMENIA?

Marine Madatyan

14:44, September 18, 2013

In August of this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration blocked
the importation of a certain type of Lori Cheese from Armenia on
sanitary grounds.

The FDA website says the cheese in question, manufactured by the
Gyumri firm AMM LLC, is unsafe for consumption and appears to have
been contaminated.

On September 13, the FDA published alist of cheeses from imported from
various countries that based on FDA sampling and analyses appear to
contain microbiological contamination.

The list states that the Lori cheese in question appears to contain
Escherichia coli (Typical).

AMM LLC manager Astghik Hakobyan told Hetq that they started to export
the cheese to the U.S. this year.

“We know that the examination is ongoing and have received no final
results. But we have analysis results from Armenia and nothing was
found in the cheese,” Hakobyan said.

Hakobyan couldn’t say what laboratory in Armenia analyzed the cheese.

She added that the cheese had also been examined by the Ministry of
Health’s Food Safety Inspectorate.

Armenia’s Food Safety Inspectorate last published a report on AMM
LLC cheese in August, 2012.

That report found the cheese of 18 manufacturers out of the 59 sampled
as unsafe due to the presence of various bacteria including E. coli.

AMM LLC was one of the 18 manufacturers.

ARMENIAN NATIONWIDE MARCH OF INDEPENDENCE IS PLANNED FOR SATURDAY

September 18, 2013 | 10:18

YEREVAN. – A nationwide march of independence is planned for Saturday,
September 21, that is, on the anniversary of Independence Day of
Armenia.

The march is organized through Facebook.

“I propose for us to reaffirm, on September 21, our will and
determination to have an independent country, and as a proof of this
and as a manifestation of determination, let us organize a Nationwide
March of Independence through [capital city] Yerevan.

“[Say] no to the decisions imposed from outside! Long live Independence
and Sovereignty!” the initiators of the march specifically say in
their statement.

At present, some 1,000 people have expressed willingness to participate
in the march.

FOREIGN TOURISTS SPEND $115 A DAY IN ARMENIA

September 18, 2013 – 13:20 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenia posted a tourist inflow of 321 279 people
in January-June 2012, up 14,3% from 2012 results. In the reporting
period 343 263 left the country to travel, up 13,6% from 2012 results.

According to data provided by the hotels, the majority of tourists are
arriving from CIS, most of the from Russia (23,7%); European tourists
are second in the list, with 8,7%; 6,6%; 6,3% arriving from France,
Germany and Italy respectively. 11.8%; 6%; 3%; 1,1%; 0,7% of tourists
were travelling from the U.S., Iran, Georgia, Canada and Turkey.

Tourists who visited Armenia over the reposting period were spending
$115 a day if using the tourist agency’s services and twice as less
if traveling on their own.