Author: Badalian Vardan

ARMENIA’S HEALTH MINISTRY TO RE-CONSIDER DOCTORS’ SALARIES AND MEDICAMENTS TURNOVER IN 2013

YEREVAN, December 26. /ARKA/. Armenia’s Health Ministry intends
to re-consider the salaries of medical workers and the medicaments
turnover in 2013, Derenik Dumanyan, Minister of Health, said Wednesday
summarizing the year.

“In the near future the employment contract will contain new
regulations controlling medical services and clarifying the minimal
salaries,” Dumanyan noted.

According to him, due to introducing new finance management models it
will be possible to increase the salaries through fair distribution
of bonuses.

“We may raise the salaries of polyclinic workers by 10%. We see
appropriate resources here,” he said reiterating the salaries in this
sector have not been increased for a long time.

He also highlighted the law “On medicaments” will be adopted ensuring
high-quality and affordable medicaments for the population. Before
adopting the law, it is necessary to improve medicament purchase
mechanisms and roll out monitoring of prices and databases.

Dumanyan said in 2013 the process of regional hospitals modernization
will continue. Particularly, the construction of a new regional
medical center in Meghri will be launched. Hospitals of Alaverdi,
Abovyan and Berd will be modernized, and a new multi-functional
medical center will be built in Vanadzor.

The improvement of the medical services in Armenia’s regions are also
of the main focus of the Ministry in 2013.

Free of charge treatment is also discussed, and soon the Minister
will approve the scheme of free treatment and free medicaments for
patients who have some particular diseases. -0-

PM’S FAILURE IN TRIUMPHANT FINAL ROUND
Levon Margaryan

Story from Lragir.am News:

16:07 26/12/2012

Prime Minister Sargsyan attended the presentation of qahana.am together
with Archbishop Navasard Kchoyan. The prime minister’s public activity
and efforts to be open and engage in non-political platforms are
commendable. Serzh Sargsyan, for example, is indifferent to this
aspect due to business interests. The church is the most convenient
place to get donations for the Diaspora, it is tax-exempt, it enjoys
the confidence of the Diaspora, it is a steady source of legitimacy
and so on. However, Tigran Sargsyan’s attitude to the church is not
based on mercantilism but on spiritualism. It seems to be something
normal. Man has the right to freedom of religion and exercises this
right. The problem occurs somewhere else, when these personal esthetic,
spiritual ambitions are presented as politics. In addition, the prime
minister is the most typical politician of Armenia who builds his
public political activities on non-political approaches.

Others also use this method, including the Republican ex-mayor of
Gyumri Vardan Ghukasyan and the chief of police Vova Gasparyan.

For some time Tigran Sargsyan’s love for rock music was presented as
a manifesto of modern policy in the result of which rock crystallized
in Armenia. Suddenly, the most “populist” discourses were circulated
in Prime Minister Sargsyan’s entourage. Then it became known that
the prime minister has a special love and respect for the church,
special church days and holidays. Earlier, following the practice of
his forefather, the ex-prime minister Hrant Bagratyan, Tigran Sargsyan
tried to author new terms and approaches in agriculture.

There are, certainly, a number of circumstances which will justify
Tigran Sargsyan’s appointment as prime minister. For example,
his legitimacy among international financial organizations. Or his
knowledge of the financial mechanisms of Armenia and ability to control
them. Or the RPA needed modernization and Tigran Sargsyan was therefore
introduced, marking his wing within the RPA. Tigran Sargsyan was able
to ensure some foreign legitimacy for Serzh Sargsyan but the economic
policy failed, and this decline was the most painful because in the
public discourse this government was taken more seriously than the
other governments.

The other aspect of Tigran Sargsyan’s policy – the idea of
knowledge-based economy – was the apogee of his apolitics. He tried to
explain the ongoing processes by the lack of knowledge. However, it is
interesting that Tigran Sargsyan used not so knowledge-based resources
to organize his own political management. Later, it was fashionable
to attribute gaps for which the government was responsible to the
nation’s mentality, lack of knowledge and other reasons. Elitism was
a way of escape from responsibility for the prime minister. Everyone,
including the prime minister, understood that there are no super-wise
and super-knowledgeable nations therefore political elites are elected
for self-organization of communities.

So what was the reason Tigran Sargsyan who enjoyed the positive
attitude of the society in his first year in office is going towards
the triumphant final round as total failure? It is often said that
he is not a politician and is not a political subject but performs
certain functions under internal and external political and economic
consensus. The other option is that Tigran Sargsyan, being a stranger
to the system and getting in touch with the system from a different
place, was unable to get adjusted to it, defeat it and so became its
victim. Tigran Sargsyan’s soft approaches made him vulnerable so he
had to recruit resources which would keep the modern prime minister
in the traditional image – church, Armenian world and so on.

Tigran Sargsyan’s example shows those transformation of the
intellectual resource which is going on in the system. Intellectual
texts transform to empty texts. Moreover, having more knowledge than
others started producing the opposite effect, and unlike others,
hide his own mistakes behind references to knowledge and Daniel Bell.

However, it is impossible to build such politics because even though
individual esthetic and intellectual abilities are important, they
must not be presented as politics especially that everything in
politics has failed.

Before Gagik Tsarukyan’s withdrawal the next prime minister after the
presidential election was discussed. It seemed to be the key point
of distance negotiations between the RPA and the PAP. It is already
difficult to tell whether Serzh Sargsyan will replace Tigran Sargsyan.

However, this system has already devoured Tigran Sargsyan, he is
an insider, he is a dangerous insider because unlike different
non-knowledge-based politicians the knowledge-based prime minister
is able to conceal his mistakes.

87 YEAR-OLD DR. YEVA BEZHANOVA: RUMORS OF THE PEDIATRICIAN’S RETIREMENT CAUSES CONCERN IN AMASYA
Yeranuhi Soghoyan

12:25, December 26, 2012

It takes our bus one hour to make the 25 kilometre trip from Gyumri
north to the sleepy village of Amasya.

The snow has been falling for the past two days and the roads are
a mess.

The inclement weather hasn’t stopped people lining up in the waiting
room of the Amasya health center. I open the door to the children’s
ward and spot a young woman sitting with two kids.

The woman doctor invites me in, thinking I’m the next patient. My
escort chimes in, “Sorry doctor, she’s a reporter, not a patient. She
called yesterday asking about you and here she is.”

It’s safe to say that 87 year-old paediatrician Yeva Bezhanova is
much beloved by Amasya residents. They don’t want to see her leave.

Doctor Bezhanova, however, has decided to finally retire in January.

Her decision has created a panic at the center since she’s the only
professional medical person on staff.

Yeva Bezhanova started to work at the center in 1988. She was born
in Baku in 1925. After graduating from the Medical Institute, she
worked for forty years in Nakhijevan.

The 1988 Karabakh movement was a turning point in her life regarding
her relocation to Armenia.

“They suddenly remembered that I was an Armenian. So they fired me
since I had already reached retirement. I could no longer live and
work in Nakhijevan. So I packed my bags and came to Armenia. I had
a married sister in Leninakan but decided to settle in Amasya. They
had a need for a paediatrician and were allocating an apartment,” Dr.

Bezhanova recounts.

Hripsimeh Gevorgyan brings her two kids in to see the doctor. Six
year-old Davit has a cough.

“I heard that the doctor will be leaving next month. We don’t know
what will happen. Hopefully the center will keep the nurse on staff,”
exclaims Gevorgyan.

As Dr. Bezhanova writes the prescription, she asks the young mother if
the instructions are clear regarding the dosage to be taken and when.

She says that she learnt to read and write Armenian so that she could
write out the prescriptions in Armenian, and not Russian, for the
mothers to understand. The good doctor adds that oftentimes the young
moms can’t even understand the Armenian, let alone a foreign language.

Vardishagh Serobyan, the nurse who will have her hands full when Dr.

Bezhanova leaves, says one can write tales about the picky and diligent
nature of the paediatrician.

“She will examine a child for one half hour. Her diagnosis can’t be
questioned and she is always right. Then she’ll look you in the eyes
and ask if you understand. She can tell just by looking at you. That’s
our Bezhanova, very attentive, caring and thorough.”

Dr. Bezhanova lives by alone in her one room apartment. She never
married and tells me the topic is off limits. All she’ll confess is
that she found true love just once in her life.

She tells me that being a paediatrician requires great patience and
skill. Luckily, Dr. Bezhanova loves children and her young patients
love her in return.

I ask myself how many others would chose to work as a paediatrician
in this outlying rural community. The obvious answer – very few.

“I always say we don’t work by the clock here. I rarely take a lunch
break even though my house is close by. People from the local villages
somehow make it to Amasya in all this snow. I can’t keep them waiting.

The calling of my profession is to treat the sick. It’s an obligation,”
Dr. Bezhanova says.

The 87 year-old paediatrician even makes house calls during the cold
and snowy winter months. On her off days, Dr. Bezhanova visits her
76 year-old sister in Gyumri.

“My sister also lives alone since her husband passed away. Her
daughter moved to Russia. I call several times a week just to check
up on her; to see if she hasn’t fallen and broken something. That’s
how it is when one gets up in years. My sister was just four when
our mom died. I was the one who raised her.”

Dr. Bezhanova doesn’t interact much with people outside of work. The
only ones she is close with is a family of distant relatives who live
in another section of her building.

The Haroutyunyan family also welcome the good doctor whenever she
visits.

Ashot Haroutyunyan, one of the relatives, tells me he’s constantly
amazed by the doctor’s sharp memory, even at her age.

“She remembers all our birthdays even when we don’t. The doctor will
always show up with a small gift to celebrate. She’s very attentive,
not only to us but to all her patients. Even in this winter chill
she goes on foot to all the homes just to see how the children are
feeling.”

Dr. Bezhanova was first recognized for her years of dedicated
medical service when working in Nakhijevan. She was awarded the
title “Honoured Physician”. In 2004, she was again paid tribute when
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan bestowed her with the title of
“Honoured Physician of Armenia”.

Anna Mkoyan, Director of the Amasya Medical Center, confesses that
it will be tough to get someone to fill Dr. Bezhanova’s shoes.

“Professionals today just do not want to work in a faraway place like
this. I’ve been searching for a replacement for a year now and still
no luck. Dr. Bezhanova hasn’t actually filed for retirement but if
she does there is nothing I can do to stop her. They say that no one
is irreplaceable but right now she is for us.”

Before leaving, I tell Dr. Bezhanova what her friends and colleagues
have said about her, how they respect and love her.

“Well, dear girl, what can I say? We all do what we can. But I have
grown old and I get tired. It’s only natural. I help people as much
as I can. You can understand my desire to take it easy now. I would
have liked to have prepared someone to take my place…”

The venerable doctor politely refuses my offer of help. It’s not
her way.

ARMENIA TO GRANT TEMPORARY RESIDENCE TO IRANIAN TRADERS

26 December 2012 – 1:16pm

Iran has launched share sales of the Iranian Free Trade Center in
Armenia. A maximum of 2000 shares will be sold for about $5 each.

Leon Akharunyan, chairman of the Iranian-Armenian joint trade chamber,
said that Armenia will grant Iranian investors banking benefits and
the right for long-term temporary residence in Armenia.

Shares will be sold in rials and converted to dollars. Iran will
invest in the industry of food, construction materials, detergents,
clothes, shoes, bags and others.

LE HAUT-KARABAKH ATTIRE DE PLUS EN PLUS DE TOURISTES

Courrier international |26 Décembre 2012| 0

Le monastère de Gandzasar, haut lieu du patrimoine national, est des
sites les plus visites d’Azerbaïdjan – Nina Stossinger/FlickR/CC En
2012, le Haut-Karabakh (l’enclave separatiste armenienne, independante
de fait depuis le cessez-le-feu de 1994) a attire 15 000 touristes,
soit 40% de plus qu’en 2011. Selon le site russe sur le Caucase
Kavkazski Ouzel, ce succès est dû a “une publicite active de la region
dans des expositions internationales, ainsi qu’a la publication
de brochures sur la region dans plusieurs langues et sur le site
Internet dedie”.

Parmi les monuments les plus visites, figurent les monastères de
Gandzassar, Amaraz et Dadivank et les vestiges archeologiques de la
ville armenienne de Tigranakert. Par ailleurs, l’origine des touristes
s’est diversifiee : ils viennent d’Europe, des Etats-Unis, d’Israël,
de Russie, de Singapour, d’Amerique latine ou d’Australie. Les
personnes qui visitent le Haut-Karabakh sans l’autorisation de
Bakou etant considerees comme persona non grata en Azerbaïdjan,
l’administration karabakhie accepte, a la demande des touristes,
de ne pas mentionner sur leurs passeports leur passage dans l’enclave.

ARMENIAN-TURKISH NORMALIZATION NOT EXPECTED NEXT YEAR – TURKOLOGIST

news.am
December 26, 2012 | 13:51

YEREVAN. – The Armenian-Turkish relations are not expected to normalize
in 2013, turkologist Artak Shakaryan stated during a press conference
on Wednesday.

“The Syrian and Iranian processes could somewhat impact the Armenian
Turkish relations, but a significant progress is not expected in the
normalization of relations,” the turkologist said.

In his words, no elections will held either in Armenia or in Turkey
after March 2013.

“Presidential elections are designated in Azerbaijan in fall. [And]
All this attests to the fact that there is no need to wait for any
normalization process in the Armenian-Turkish relations,” Shakaryan
stressed.

In his view, the Turkish state and society are not politically ready
for reconciliation, but business always opens closed doors.

“It is quite likely that the economic interests of both countries
would bring the authorities to a political agreement. But it should
be noted that Armenia’s economy is not too appealing for Turkey,”
the turkologist stated.

Also, Artak Shakaryan maintained that nothing will change until
2015-that is, the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide-, and,
subsequently, there will be a sharp decline in the Armenian-Turkish
normalization process.

FOREIGN POLICIES IN 2012: DEVELOPING TIES WITH EU, SAFAROV AFFAIR, MOVES IN KARABAKH, GENOCIDE RECOGNITION MARK ENDING YEAR FOR ARMENIA

POLITICS | 26.12.12 | 12:25

By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent

2012 may go down in history as the year of the revision by the Armenian
government of its pro- Russian foreign policy and unprecedented
rapprochement with Europe. Another major event that predetermined
Armenia’s policies was the so-called Safarov Affair, which led
to Armenia’s severing diplomatic ties with Hungary and created a
new situation in the Karabakh settlement process. Even though the
Karabakh conflict and relations with Turkey have not been priorities
in the pre-election year of 2012, they still provided a background
for other foreign-policy trends amid attempts by Azerbaijan to change
the status quo.

In particular, in January then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev hosted
in Sochi a meeting between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan,
but the two South Caucasus leaders did not accept his proposals.

After this meeting, which was called the failure of Russian mediation
effort, new trends appeared in the settlement process. In particular,
the expert community began to discuss the possibility of “cooperation
without resolution”, say, the opening of communications with no
signed treaties about a final settlement of relations with Azerbaijan
and Turkey.

Such allusions were made also during the visit to the region, including
to Armenia, by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton .

Besides, Armenia called on mediators to stimulate the signing of a
document guaranteeing the non-resumption of hostilities in the region.

Armenia, in fact, asked for security guarantees from the United States.

The Karabakh settlement process screeched to a halt after Azerbaijan
“persuaded” Hungary to extradite Ramil Safarov, a murderer who hacked
a sleeping Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan in Budapest eight years
ago. The extradition and glorification of Safarov in Azerbaijan
caused outrage and criticism from many countries and international
organizations . Armenia, meanwhile, suspended its diplomatic relations
with Hungary, accusing this Central European nation of making a deal
with Azerbaijan at the expense of justice.

The suspension of the negotiations led to the development of another
process – the international recognition of Karabakh . NKR has been
recognized by two small American states and the largest Australian
state of New South Wales.

Besides, Speaker of the Uruguayan Parliament visited the NKR . He
did not exclude the recognition of the NKR by Uruguay.

This led to the mediators trying to keep the parties to the conflict
away from action that could lead to renewed hostilities, including
the opening of an airport near Stepanakert , rather than trying to
bring them to an agreement.

At the end of the year, in Dublin, the Republic of Ireland, a meeting
of the OSCE Ministerial Council was held and there the co-chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group stated that no principle of international
law has advantage over the others. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu sent the Karabakh settlement “to bed” for a year, saying
that 2013 is an election year in Armenia and Azerbaijan and nothing
new can be expected.

As for the Armenian-Turkish relations, there was a tense period again
at the beginning of the year after the French Senate approved a law
criminalizing denial of the Armenian genocide , but after some time,
the Constitutional Council of France declared the law unconstitutional.

After that, there emerged an opinion in the world that now it is time
preparations were started for 2015, the centennial of the Ottoman-era
massacres of Armenians, when the United States can recognize the
Genocide and Armenia will present territorial claims to Turkey. That
Armenia is getting ready for 2015 was also reaffirmed by President
Serzh Sargsyan in his election program speech at the convention of
his Republican Party on December 15.

The foreign policy focus in 2012 was also on Syria where a sizable
ethnic Armenian community was caught in the middle of an internal
conflict.

However, the main trend of the year was the growing competition between
the West and Russia for influence in Armenia . 2012 has showed that
Armenian authorities feel like developing closer relations with the
West, but are not going to spoil relations with Russia. Moreover,
a certain division of labor could be noticed – Armenia seems to
have entrusted its security to Russia, as a member of the Collective
Security Treaty Organization, but is seeking to integrate with the
European Union and develop closer ties with the United States in
terms of economy and democracy.

President Sargsyan visited Brussels where he addressed the European
Parliament and spoke before officials at the NATO headquarters.

Then Armenia was visited by EU President Herman Van Rompuy and the end
of the year also by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

They announced that in November 2013 Armenia will sign an association
agreement with the EU and an agreement on the establishment of a deep
and comprehensive free trade area.

At the same time, during the year Armenia also played host to high
officials from Moscow, including the chairmen of both chambers of
the State Duma and ministers who persistently invited Yerevan to a
yet vague, but actively promoted Eurasian Union. Armenia politely
refused to commit itself to this integration project advocated by
Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Russian leader has not visited
Armenia since his reelection in March 2012.

The struggle between Russia and the West shifted into the economic
domain, and now Armenia is seeing increased opportunities for loans
and other preferences.

By year’s end it also became clear that no one yet is giving money to
Armenia to build a new reactor for the Metsamor nuclear power plant .

Moreover, the issue of Russian Gazprom’s raising natural gas price for
Armenia was expected to be solved by the end of the year. Apparently,
this means that Russia has chosen a stick to carrot.

VIVACELL-MTS GENERAL MANAGER: THE COMPANY HAS EXCEEDED ITS TARGETS FOR 2012

arminfo
Wednesday, December 26, 13:33

VivaCell-MTS has exceeded its targets for 2012, the company’s general
manager Ralph Yirikian said in an interview with ArmInfo.

He said that the company’s financial results in Q2 and Q3 are a good
basis for successful performance in 2013.

Yirikian said that the key event for VivaCell-MTS in 2012 was the
launch of a MobiDram payment system and the opening of a subsidiary.

He believes that the subsidiary will become a good financial wing
for VivaCell-MTS and that next year the company will become highly
competitive on the financial market.

Among the other important projects was the upgrading of VivaCell-MTS’s
mobile networks in six regions of Armenia (Aragatsotn, hirak, Lori,
Tavush, Kotayk and Gegharkunik). As a result of this project, to be
finished by mid 2013, the company will have one of the most powerful
and modern networks in the country.

Yirikian said that the use of new technologies will help VivaCell-MTS
to improve the capacity of its network and to be ready for innovations
and changes on the market with high traffic, coverage and penetration
rates.

Ralph Yirikian also pointed out that VivaCell-MTS is going to extent
the application of LTE (4G) technologies in its mobile network. At
present these technologies are only available in Kentron (Center)
and Arabkir administrative districts of Yerevan.

To note, in Q2 2012 the mobile communication subscriber base of the
company numbered 1.957 mln people (3.1% decline as compared with Q2
2011), and the number of broadband internet users totaled 70.7 thsd
(56.1% y-o-y growth).

According to the Analytical Bulletin “Financial Analysis of Largest
Manufacturing Companies of Armenia” by the Agency of Rating Marketing
Information (ArmInfo), in 2011 the assets of VivaCell-MTS totaled 107.7
bln AMD (approximately $266.7 mln); proceeds – 75.2 bln AMD (3.2% y-o-y
decline), and net profit – 12.8 bln AMD (almost 0.8% y-o-y defcline).

INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION OF NKR THE BASIC GOAL OF THE KARABAKH DIPLOMACY

10:18 27.12.2012

According to NKR Fo reign Minister Karen Mirzoyan, the most important
political event of the year was the July 19 presidential election
representing an important stage in the state-building process and
confirming the steadfast democratic development of the Republic,
which was also noted by the international observation missions.

Speaking of the Karabakh conflict settlement process at a press
conference in Stepanakert, the Minister regretfully stated the lack of
sufficient progress, mainly due to the destructive position of official
Baku actually driving the negotiation process into a deadlock. In
this context, Mr. Mirzoyan noted the pardon and glorification of the
Azerbaijani insidious killer, Ramil Safarov.

The Minister called the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict settlement
through peaceful negotiations and the achievement of the international
recognition of the NKR the basic goal of the Karabakh diplomacy.

Mr. Mirzoyan gave comprehensive answers to various questions of
the journalists related, in particular, to the current stage of the
Karabakh conflict settlement process and the impact that the global and
regional processes have on it, to the activities of the NKR Missions
to foreign states, to various humanitarian issues arisen as a result
of the military aggression of Azerbaijan against the NKR.

Minister Mirzoyan noted that all the issues within the Karabakh
conflict settlement required a comprehensive and package solution.

In conclusion, the NKR Minister of Foreign Affairs noted the importance
of continued cooperation with the mass media.

ARMENIAN CARPET TO BECOME UNIVERSALLY RECOGNIZED COMING YEAR: INTERVIEW WITH HASMIK POGHOSYAN

11:00, 27 December, 2012

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS: In the opinion of Armenian Minister
of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan the end of the year enables a good chance
to sum up the works implemented in the course of the passing year,
besides plan up the ones to be carried out in coming year. Armenian
cultural year was indeed memorable. Reportedly Armenia was recognized
world book capital, besides Armenia celebrated 500th anniversary of
first Armenian printed book. Armenpress had an interview with Minister
of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan on Armenian cultural year.

To Armenpress reporter question, what will be priorities for
coming 2013 year Minister was quoted as saying.” The necessity to
put into practice the law on libraries should be the main priority
of coming year. This is a law of great importance that will enable
those libraries possessing relevant funds and abilities to be united
around a net and receive state assistance. The next priority refers
to cultural education and aesthetic educational national projects,
adopted recently”.

The reporter wonders what national value the Ministry has targeted
for the next year and what kind of steps are being undertaken to call
into life the initiative. Minister Poghosyan stated before they have
targeted khachkar, book , and for coming year they have intentions to
make Armenian carpet universally recognized. In the words of the state
official permanent exhibition is scheduled to be opened in Armenia’s
History Museum next year. Paralelly carpet demonstration catalogue
was published. Carpet demonstration virtual museum was already created
and will be shown to the public in the near future. Besides a film on
Armenian carpets is scheduled to be shot and efforts are being exerted
to republish a Germany researcher album – scientific work on Armenian
carpet. In that connection a conference will be held with the Holy See.