Author: Badalian Vardan

SCR ASSESSES TRAIN SAFETY AS PRIORITY -REBETS

YEREVAN, February 6. /ARKA/. Train safety is the key objective of the
South Caucasian Railway company, CEO Viktor Rebets said Tuesday at
“Road safety – focus on quality” meeting.

“This is not a slogan of our activities but the most important
requirement,” – the company quoted Rebets.

The meeting participants also discussed the traffic safety, steps
taken to improve safety, the qualifications and training of the staff,
maintenance of the railway infrastructure, information provided on
the use of the latest infrastructure diagnostic tools.

Moreover, the participants of the round-table elaborated the use of new
technologies for repairing the rolling stock, the track diagnostics
and commission checks, the interaction of departments in case of
accidents on the railways.

The meeting was attended by the representatives of various departments,
directorates and divisions of SCR, the Ministry of Transport and
Communications, Ministry of Emergency Situations of Armenia, Georgian
Railway, as well as domestic and Russian companies supplying technology
and equipment to SCR.

Traffic safety is fundamental to operating railway passenger and
freight traffic. All organizational and technical measures in rail
transport must comply with the safe and uninterrupted traffic of
trains. Traffic safety is provided by the content of the permanent
health of all railway facilities, road, rolling stock, equipment and
machinery, communication equipment, centralization and blocking.

“The recent trend in Armenia of increasing the intensity, speed
and volumes of trains supposes strict requirements for quality and
reliability of traffic safety and skilled personnel activities,”
the company said.

South Caucasus Railways, a 100-percent subsidiary of Russian Railways,
runs Armenian Railway.

Armenian Railways was handed over to the South Caucasus Railways on
February 13, 2008 for 30-year concession management with a right to
prolong the management term for other 10 years. -0-

GTI: 68% OF ARMENIAN BUSINESSES FIND IT DIFFICULT TO RECRUIT SKILLED WORKERS BECAUSE OF SHORTAGE OF TECHNICAL SKILLS

YEREVAN, February 6. /aòëa/. Grant Thornton International, one of the
flagship audit and consulting companies, says in its International
Business Report that 68% of Armenian businesses find it difficult to
recruit skilled workers because of shortage of technical skills.

A lack of work experience (86%) and increased migration out of Armenia
(60%) also cited as the primary problem for recruiting qualified
people.

The reported shortage of technical skills is as much an issue in
developed as emerging economies. It is cited by 61% of the BRIC
businesses and 65% of their peers in the G7.

Almost four in ten (39%) businesses around the world are struggling
to recruit the right people, with a lack of technical skills cited
as the primary problem (64%).

The concern is that a lack of talent will dampen business productivity,
ultimately threatening future growth and profitability.

The impact of these workforce issues on business growth prospects is
evident: the IBR reveals that more than one in four businesses (28%)
expects their 2013 expansion plans to suffer as a result of skills
shortages, rising to more than one in three in the BRIC economies
(36%).

Paul Raleigh, Global leader of growth at Grant Thornton International,
said: “With unemployment running so high in many mature economies,
it is somewhat ironic that business leaders are concerned by a lack
of skills. In the short-term they will need to plug these skills gaps
with people from outside the organisation as best they can. But in the
longer-term they need to invest in their internal training programmes
to mould the people that will help them deliver on strategy, innovate
and ultimately grow.”

He added that a business is nothing without its people. “A great
team with an average plan will be far more successful than an average
team with a great plan. The best people increase productivity, save
an organisation time and money and ultimately grow the business. So
in the long-term, business leaders need to be confident that their
own training programmes will be able to deliver talent sustainably.”

Paul Raleigh said that some evidence of improved dialogue between
educational institutions, governments and business leaders is
seen today, “but this research should give fresh impetus to their
discussions”.

“There is clearly a disconnect when, on the one hand, business leaders
are crying out for more skilled labour, and on the other, swathes of
unemployed people are crying out for a job,” he said. “The situation
amounts to a huge waste of human capital, which is good for neither
businesses nor the unemployed. Ultimately economic growth suffers:
businesses are constrained from expanding and people without work don’t
have sufficient income to create demand for products and services –
it’s a vicious cycle. Efforts to boost skills should be high on the
public policy agenda.” -0-

HACKERS TARGET RAFFI HOVANNISSIAN’S WEBSITE

February 6, 2013 – 17:08 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian presidential candidate, Heritage party
leader Raffi Hovannissian’s official website raffi4president.am has
been attacked for the second time, the party’s spokesman said.

As Hovsep Khurshudyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, the site was
targeted by an Armenia-based hacker. “The provider the hacker used
has been specified. Details will be divulged later,” he said.

It’s noteworthy that the website was first targeted when newly
launched, with Azerbaijani hackers suspected in the attack.

RUSSIAN TV STAR WEARING BIJOU BY ARMENIAN DESIGNER

FEBRUARY 6, 14:53

Famous Russian fashion expert and TV host Evelina Khromchenko is
wearing bijou made by Armenian designer Inga Kazumyan.

For one of her TV shows Evelina wore a black skirt and pink top with
Inga Kazumyan’s handmade bijou.

“I do like how Evelina combines her clothes with my bijou,” Kazumyan
told NEWS.am STYLE.

The Inga Kazumyan collection is fully created by the designer, whose
aim is to create a modern bijou, which will suit not only the everyday
cloths but also the evening dresses by giving them a unique image.

NEWS.am STYLE

GRAZING ROW: OFFICIALS IN YEREVAN SAY SPEAKING ABOUT LEASING PASTURES TO IRANIANS INAPPROPRIATE YET

NEWS | 06.02.13 | 15:27

Photolure

By SIRANUYSH GEVORGYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter

Environmentalists and some politicians are concerned over the possible
lease of pastures in Armenia’s southern Syunik province to the
neighboring country, Iran, and point out two major objections –
potential overgrazing and national security issues.

However, while many claim that the lease of Syunik’s grazing lands to
Iran is a done deal, the Ministry of Territorial Administration of
Armenia released a statement Wednesday according to which no
“agreement implying any legal consequences” has been signed between
Iran’s Eastern Atropatene and Armenia’s Syunik provinces.

The Ecololur environmental NGO posted two documents on its site on
February 1 (these documents cannot be found on the government
website), one of which is titled “Memorandum of understanding between
Iran’s Eastern Atropatene province and RA Syunik province”. The NGO
especially highlights Point 3 in this document signed by the governors
of Syunik and Eastern Atropatene on July, 2012: “The Iranian side has
expressed its willingness to use the pastures and agricultural farming
lands.” The second document was signed on January 15, 2013, during the
Armenian delegation’s visit to the Eastern Atropatene and is called an
Agreement. In particular, it becomes clear that Iranians want to rent
50,000 hectares of grazing land for the minimum of 10 years and pay
$25 per hectare of land per month. The NGO draws a conclusion that
“the process has started, and the plan is to make it happen on a local
level to avoid undesirable publicity”.

Dashnak MP Aghvan Vardanyan voicing his concerns (related to these
documents) from the parliament rostrum on Tuesday, asked: “What’s in
this deal for our country? How does it benefit? Will the neighboring
farms win or lose? What will be the political, psychological, and
environmental consequences?”

The territorial administration ministry, however, stated today that
the two documents posted by Ecolur are merely records of the results
achieved in the meeting between the two delegations – offers,
negotiation points, the approaches to the issues discussed, etc.

“The issues registered in those documents need final solutions on
interstate level, and if necessary go through legally prescribed
procedures,” reads the statement, further saying that until respective
rent/lease agreements are signed as required by the legislation
regulating the field, it is improper to speak about the lease of
pastures in Syunik.

Remarkably, Iranian presidential candidate Ayatollah Mohammad Baqir
Kharrazi, the secretary-general of Hezbollah, made a curious statement
Monday concerning the Armenian lands. REGNUM news agency cites him
introducing the cornerstone of his election platform: he has vowed he
would return Armenia, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan to Iran without
shedding a single drop of blood.

PRESS RELEASE
RAFFI HOVANNISIAN CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS
31 Moscovian Street
Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+374 – 10) 53.69.13
Fax: (+374 – 10) 53.26.97
Email: [email protected]
Website:

06 February 2013

Raffi Hovannisian Presents Platform to Thousands in Yerevan

Yerevan–Raffi K. Hovannisian today addressed thousands of supporters
today who packed the Government Hall of Sessions. As the crowd erupted
in spontaneous chants of `President Raffi!’ Hovannisian described the
main policies of his presidential platform and outlined the path for a
new, fair, and democratic Armenia.

`This is not a contest between Raffi and Serzh, or between Heritage
and Republicans. This is a chance for the Armenian people to revive
their nation and become masters of their homeland for the first time
in our republic’s history,’ Hovannisian said. `I am sure that we will
celebrate our victory together on February 18.’

Following the speech, Arto Tuncboyaciyan performed a concert of moving
songs that culminated with `Ararat.’

Raffi Hovannisian Campaign Headquarters

NKR FOREIGN MINISTER CONGRATULATED THE NEW US SECRETARY OF STATE

13:17 06.02.2013

Foreign Minister of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Karen Mirzoyan
sent a congratulatory message to John Kerry on the occasion of his
appointment as US Secretary of State.

The message reads, in part: “On behalf of the people and Government
of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic I would like to congratulate you on
your appointment as Secretary of State of the United States of America.

We highly appreciate the mediation efforts of the United States and
are confident that during your tenure the US, along with the Russian
Federation and France, will further contribute to the peaceful
settlement of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh
based on principles of international law, respect for human rights
and fundamental freedoms.”

In his letter, the NKR Foreign Minister also expressed his gratitude
for the assistance the SA rendered to the young statehood and the
people of Artsakh.

“We are looking forward to a continued, close and good cooperation and
believe that your outstanding vision and experience will contribute
to promoting democracy, peace and stability in the region of South
Caucasus,” reads the message of the NKR Foreign Minister.

SIGNATURE CAMPAIGN FOR OPENING ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER COMPLETED

PanARMENIAN.Net – Signature campaign for the petition urging Turkey
to open the border with Armenia for Syrian Armenians is completed.

776 signatures were collected in 30 days, with 25 thous. needed for
Obama administration to discuss the issue.

As one of the campaign organizers Daniel Ionisian told a
PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, the number of the signatures collected
didn’t justify the expectations.

“On the one hand, it’s not that easy to participate in signature
campaign. On the other hand, many in Armenia are against the opening of
the border with Turkey,” Mr Ionisian said, adding that attempts will be
taken to raise awareness on the issue following the presidential polls.

“More than 60.000 people have been killed in Syria war. 500.000
refugees have escaped from war and death…Yet many millions are
unable to do that.

Only few air companies still fly there and tickets are strongly
limited.

People mostly flee Syria by buses and cars.

There are 200.000 Syria-based ethnic Armenians; most of them willing
to escape to Armenia where they can feel safe, comfortable, with
accommodation, employment and education opportunities provided.

Тhe road from Syria to Armenia goes through Turkey which closed its
border with Armenia in 1993. It causes a big problem for Armenian
refugees.

Thus, we are kindly asking to urge Turkey to open the land border
with Armenia (at least, for refugees) without any preconditions.

There should be no closed borders in the 21 century,” the petition
read.

ILLEGAL LEASE OF ARMENIAN CHURCH IN OCCUPIED CYPRUS REVOKED

15:05 07.02.2013

Officials at Near East University in Occupied Cyprus announced that
they were backtracking from the illegal lease of the historic 14th St.
Mary’s Church and Monastery after protests from the US, Asbarez
reports quoting the Milliyet newspaper.

The 10-year lease, which was unfairly granted by an organization
for religious foundations in Occupied Cyprus to Near East University
was criticized by the United States and United Nations Development
Program-Action for Cooperation and Trust (UNDP-ACT), which had funded
the restoration of the Armenian Church.

When the leader of Occupied Cyrprus Dervish Eroglu attended the UN
General Assembly, he was pressed for an immediate resolution of the
matter, with UN officials stressing that the lease went counter to
the intent of the project.

The US Ambassador to Cyprus John Koenig also urged leaders of Occupied
Cyprus to immediately remedy the situation saying that it would be
wrong to turn the Armenian Monastery Complex into a Turkish studies
center.

In November, Vartkes Mahdessian, the Armenian representative in
parliament, said such a move goes against the project’s original
intention.

“The objective was to have a multi-communal area where communities
could come together and for the church to be used as a place of
worship by the Armenian community,” he said yesterday.

UNDP-ACT echoed Mahdessian’s concerns in a news release at the time.

Stakeholders worked “to restore the site to international standards
so that it could encourage peace and reconciliation between all of
the communities in Cyprus,” said the statement from UNDP-ACT and the
United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Although UNDP-ACT and USAID did not name the tender winner, they
recently said that they learned that “the site had been leased by
EVKAF through a tender process that was neither fair nor transparent.”

“We have expressed our serious concerns to EVKAF about this
unacceptable result,” the news release said.

The St. Asdvadzasin Church complex includes historic buildings
partially surrounded by a tall masonry wall and including a Gothic
masonry church and part of a monastery complex. It was in poor
condition when the decision to fix it was taken.

KARABAKH BUDGET REVENUES FROM TAXES HIT AMD 1481,1 MLN IN JANUARY

STEPANAKERT, February 7. /ARKA/. Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s budget
revenues from taxes, duties and mandatory social payments amounted
1481,1 million drams exceeding the projected revenues by 5%, according
to the preliminary data of NKR State Tax Service.

It is said to be higher from a year earlier by 0.4% or 5.7 million
drams.

Revenues from taxes and duties stood at 1134 million drams against
the forecasted 1078 million (5.2% up).

“State budget was replenished with nearly 347.2 million drams through
mandatory social payments exceeding the anticipated amount by 15.2
million drams,” the source states. ($1 – 406.03 drams). -0-