Author: Badalian Vardan

FOUR SOLO CONCERTS ARE SCHEDULED TO BE LAUNCHED WITHIN “MY ARMENIA “FESTIVAL

ARMENPRESS
18 July, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JULY 18, ARMENPRESS: For the first time within the framework
of “My Armenia” pan Armenian festival duduk festival is set to kick off
in September. In the course of the briefing with the journalists on
July 18 the festival director Samvel Haroyan noted there are already
applications handed over by some countries.

” Duduk master Gevorg Dabaghyan is going to lead the participants
in Armenia” the interlocutor stated. The interlocutor told four solo
concerts are scheduled to kick off in Chamber music Hall in September.

Haroyan stated all Armenian provinces are included in the framework
of the festival.

“Mass festival events were held in Ashnak during the festival days. We
were very happy that local population partook in all the events,
we had crowded halls” he told.

Festival director expressed concern that dancing is in bad condition.

The costumes of the dancers did not correspond to Armenian national
dresses.

” Currently we are elaborating programs aimed at demonstrating Armenian
dance in appropriate way . If we lack in some aspects, the dance will
fail” Haroyan came up with.

The opening ceremony of “My Armenia” festival kicked off in June 29.

MORE ARMENIANS USE TRAINS FOR HEADING TO GEORGIA’S SUMMER RESORT AREAS – SOUTH CAUCASIAN RAILWAY

NEWS.AM
July 18, 2012 | 16:28

YEREVAN. – A total of 6,173 passengers were transported for the
first month of running of the Yerevan-Batumi-Yerevan route of the
“Armenia” train of the “South Caucasian Railway [SCR]” CJSC in. And
this figure is 27-percent higher than the data in 2011, when 4,848
passengers were transported for the period from June 15 to July 15,
“South Caucasian Railway” informs.

At the same time, the number of passengers of the Yerevan-Batumi
train was 3,804, which is 15-percent higher than last year. And
“SCR” CJSC transported 2,369 passengers in the opposite direction,
which is 53-percent more than in 2011.

To note, the average number of passengers in the trains during the
specified period was 21 per car, which is 62-percent higher than last
year, when the average number was 13.

In general, 14,117 tickets were sold for “Armenia” train, from June
1 to July 15, which is 9 percent above last year’s figure of 13,861
tickets. Moreover, from the tickets so far sold in 2012, 11,875
tickets were sold at the SCR ticket offices and 2,242 tickets were
sold at the ticket offices of the Georgian Railway.

Most tickets were sold in Yerevan, with 10,335. A total of 729
tickets were sold in Vanadzor, 646 tickets in Gyumri, and 112 tickets
in Armavir.

AZERBAIJANI SATELLITE TO BE LAUNCHED TO ORBIT IN EARLY NEXT YEAR

News.Az
Tue 17 July 2012 06:40 GMT | 7:40 Local Time

Within 23 January-23 February 2012, the Azerbaijani artificial
satellite will be officially launched to the orbit.

The statement came from minister of communication and information
technologies, Ali Abbasov, Gun.Az reports.

He noted that company Arian which will launch the satellite to the
orbit has officially confirmed the obligations.

“The launched is expected within one month. This term is associated
with weather condition,” the minister said.

Abbasov noted that all the work for the launch of the satellite is
carried out in accordance with the schedule.

“Thus, in August, the construction and installation of the land reserve
control station in Nakhchivan will be completed, in October, the land
satellite control system will be put into commission, and in November,
the Azerbaijani satellite will be produced and delivered to the launch
site,” the minister said.

SCANDAL: AZERBAIJAN BANS ISRAELI TOURISTS FOR TRAVELING TO KARABAKH

news.am
July 17, 2012 | 20:39

Close partner relations between Jerusalem and Baku were strained
by an excursion of a group of Israeli women who traveled earlier in
picturesque mountains and plains of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic,
Armenian News-NEWS.am informs.

The Director General of Magma – Travel in the World LTD Menachem Abadi,
who became the main reason of Israeli Ambassador’s visit in Baku,
explained Israeli portal IzRus all the nuances related to the visit
of Israeli tourists to Nagorno-Karabakh.

The trip of Israeli tourists to Karabakh has angered the official Baku,
Yedioth Ahronoth reports.

The Ambassador of Israel has even been given a note of protest. The
Ambassador Sam Michael Lotem told local media that the trip was of
a private nature and did not reflect the official position of Israel.

In his words a special warning has been placed on the website of FM
and the tourist have been well informed about the given issue.

“The ambassador did not even ask us not to visit Karabakh, he only
wanted to know why we were heading to Karabakh and I told him that
it was just tourism,” Menachem Abadi told IzRus.

Abadi said that if there was a ban on such visits, he would never
agree on such trips.

“We have not been forbidden to visit Karabakh, and there have been
no problems from the part of (official) Israel,” said Abadi.

JAPANESE ARCHITECTS’ EXHIBITION OPENS IN YEREVAN

news.am
July 17, 2012 | 19:27

YEREVAN.- An exhibition presenting Japanese architects’ works on
managing consequences of devastating earthquake opened in Yerevan
on Tuesday.

The exhibition was established by Japan Foundation a year after the
2011 tsunami and was first displayed in Sendai and later in Paris
and Moscow. The next destination after Yerevan is Rome.

“We wanted to hold an exhibition in Yerevan. We would like to develop
contacts between the experts taking into account local architects’
experience with overcoming earthquakes,” employee of Japan Foundation
KaseYukiko told the Armenian News-NEWS.am reporter.

The exhibition consists of three parts. The first tells about situation
immediately after disaster, the second shows possibility of deployment
of temporary housing camp and the third presents projects of restoring
earthquake-affected zone.

The exhibition which will last till August 15 brought together numerous
guests, including experts from Japan.

ARMENIAN NA VICE-SPEAKER RECEIVES CANADIAN MPS

tert.am
17.07.12

Vice-Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly (NA) Eduard Sharmazanov
received on Tuesday members of the House of Commons, Parliament of
Canada, Mr Jim Karygiannis and Mr Alexandre Boulerice.

Vice-Speaker Shamazanov noted that, despite the distance, Armenia
and Canada maintain friendly relations.

In the person of Canadian MPs, Sharmazanov expressed gratitude to
Canada for recognizing the Armenian Genocide and for its pro-Armenian
activities.

Eduard Sharmazanov stressed the importance of Canadian MPs’ visit
to Nagorno-Karabakh to monitor the forthcoming presidential election
in the country. This is evidence of Canada’s interest in democratic
development in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Canadian MPs noted that, despite many objections to their visit,
particularly objections by Azerbaijan, their wish is to witness
Nagorno-Karabakh’s democratic development.

Canada is greatly interested in developing democracies, they said. The
Canadian MPs pointed out the Armenian community’s activities.

They also pointed out the necessity for opening Canada’s embassy
in Armenia. The Armenian NA vice-speaker said that Armenia is only
interested in developing the bilateral relations.

The sides voiced the opinion that the Armenian and Canadian MPs need
to intensify mutual visits.

Armenia was the first South Caucasus state to open its embassy in
Ottawa, which was evidence of the importance Armenia attaches to its
relations with Canada.

The Canadian MPs expressed hope that the presidential election will
be held at a high level in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Armenian NA vice-speaker hailed the idea of a Nagorno-Karabakh’s
Friends group proposed by the Canadian MPs.

Eduard Sharmazanov expressed the confidence that Armenians throughout
the world will hail the idea as an outstanding example of supporting
nascent democracies.

The sides also discussed other issues of mutual interest.

GAS PRICE RISE PREGNANT WITH SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES – ARMENIAN POLITICIAN

tert.am
17.07.12

A rise in the gas price will cause a rise in all the other prices,
especially in the electric energy price, the economist Vahagn
Khachatryan, a member of the opposition bloc Armenian National Congress
(ANC), told journalists on Tuesday.

“A rise in the gas price will seriously affect the country’s economy.

It will first of all have an impact on the country’s industry,”
he said.

Armenia has until now purchased Russian gas at $180 for 1,000 cubic
meters, and the price may be raised up to $320 for 1,000 cubic meters.

“Then Russia gave Armenia time to improve the living standards. But our
authorities wasted that time,” he said. Russia may not raise the gas
price for Armenia if the latter sells something else. “I do not know
what else we can sell – only Armenia’s citizens,” Khachatryan said.

As to whether Russia plans to implement its policy of forming a
Eurasian Union by raising the gas price, Khachatryan said that it is
the most important thing. “This is a way to slavery. We are giving
[them] our citizens.”

Press reports say that Russia intends to raise its gas price for
Armenia from $180 up to $280 from October 1, 2012. Neither the Russian
nor the Armenian side has officially confirmed the reports.

In response to Tert.am’s question, Armenia’s Ministry of Energy said
that “negotiations with the Russian Gazprom company in progress.”

BAKO SAHAKYAN IS PARTIAL TO THE JUSTIFIED CRITICISM OF THE OPPOSITION

ARMENPRESS
17 July, 2012
YEREVAN

Bako Sahakyan is partial to the justified criticism of the opposition

Yerevan, July 17, ARMENPRESS: The NKR pre-election campaign is held
according to the demanded requirements, “Armenpress” reports calling
the interview of the NKR presidential candidate, current President
Bako Sahakyan with the “Liberty” radio station.

“You know that the political culture is ranked among the achievements
of our country and the experience accumulated from that previous
period contributes to the campaign to be well organized. All the
campaign participants may state that the campaign is held in quite
civil conditions. We are interested that these elections be the
continuation of the previous ones”, Sahakyan informed.

Coming to the opponents’ sharp criticism the president noticed that
the opposition, both in Artsakh and the world, builds its work mainly
on criticism. “During these years we have repeatedly noted that
like other civilized countries Artsakh also needs an opposition,
therefore we can only welcome the opposition in Artsakh. It is the
best civilized means to make government more efficient in its duties,
for the authorities to be vigilant. I have been against the formal
opposition, as it would be the rudest violation of the democratic
principles”, Sahakyan noted. He is ready to do his best for the
opposition to be able to carry out its normal activities. “As for the
criticism, I am partial to justified criticisms, as the opposition
also has responsibilities and it would be nice if it is formed with
the requirementsof the same political culture. This will be the next
recorded success in our lives”, concluded the NKR President.

NK presidential elections are scheduled to be held on July 19. Three
candidates are presented in the NKR presidential elections: NKR
current president Bako Sahakyan, vice-rector of the State Agrarian
University of Armenia Arkady Soghomonyan, non-partisan deputy of the
NKR National Assembly Vitaly Balasanyan.

PERSON WHO STABBED PROSTITUTES IN YEREVAN IS IDENTIFIED

news.am
July 17, 2012 | 16:56

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s Police have determined the identity of the person
who, on July 7, had stabbed several people in the capital city Yerevan,
the Police Press Service informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The aforesaid person came to a Police precinct on July 14 and confessed
to the crime.

An investigation is launched, but the Police do not disclose any
information on this person.

To note, an argument had started, near Yerevan Lake, among the
prostitutes working in the area. And they even used knives to
“settle scores.”

According to the information, three people were involved in this
incident, and a prostitute by the name of Suzy had stabbed her friend.

But she was injured, too.

The argument had started on the grounds of stealing “clients.”

ZHOGHOVURD: HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN DID NOT ATTEND MANVEL GRIGORYAN’S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

Panorama.am
17/07/2012

MP, retired general Manvel Grigoryan marked his birthday on July
15, Zhoghovurd writes. Even Serzh Sargsyan honored the guests by
his presence at a party hosted by Van Restaurant in the vicinities
of Etchmiadzin. 600 people had been invited to the birthday event,
but many of them did not come.

“According to our information, NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan did not
attend the birthday celebration.

Instead, the guests included Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan,
general’s best friends Seyran Saroyan, former Deputy Defense Minister
Arthur Aghabekyan, MPs Mher Sedrakyan, Khosrov Harutyunyan and others.

The party concluded with spectacular fireworks display,” the paper
writes.