YEREVAN CHURCH DOME CRACKS
news.am
June 21, 2012 | 11:51
YEREVAN. – Armenia’s Rescue Service received a call, on Wednesday at
11:02am, informing that the facing stones could fall from the dome
of capital city Yerevan’s Holy Trinity Church.
And the Araratian Pontifical Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic
Church was made informed of this development, the Rescue Service told
Armenian News-NEWS.am.
It was found out, however, that there are cracks on the stones but
there is no danger of falling.
BSTDB TO DOUBLE THE INVESTMENTS IN ARMENIA
ARMENPRESS
21 June, 2012
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, JUNE 21, ARENPRESS: Black Sea Trade and Development Banks
will provide Armenian banks and business organizations around
50 million Euros until 2014. Armenpress reports that about this
declared the President of the Bank Andrei Kondakov during the press
conference on June 21. He informed that the bank since the day of
its foundation till today had invested around 50 million Euros in
different spheres of Armenian economy. “During the first two years
BSTDB will concentrate on commercial activities and infrastructure
as well as on development of energetic industry. The bank intends to
expand its continuing support to Armenian small and medium enterprises”
said Kondakov. Deputy Minister of Finance of Armenia Vardan Aramyan
informed that the Republic of Armenia is one of the founder countries
of the bank. “It is already the 4th national strategy established
with the bank. Our activity with the bank corresponds to our economic
reforms” said Aramyan highlighting that at present Armenia has 3.7
percent share of the bank.
SIUNIK MAKES ARMENIAN FOOD MORE ACCESSIBLE
By Kevin Pang
Chicago Tribune
,0,1025554.story
June 20 2012
IL
You point-they assemble service at restaurant is much like Chipotle
The first time I sunk my teeth into the pork kabobs at Siunik
Armenian Grill, glistened in its rich semi-rendered fat, speckled
with paprika-like dots of Aleppo peppers, it felt both welcomed and
unfamiliar. Something seemed out of place, like discovering cheese
at a Thai restaurant.
The incongruence soon became clear. You never see kabobs (in the Middle
Eastern sense) and pork together, per Halal laws. Whenever I taste
those region-specific flavors – chickpeas, parsley, dates, yogurt – my
mind fills in the blank with lamb or beef. But Armenia, a predominantly
Christian country surrounded on three sides by predominantly Muslim
countries, doesn’t observe such dietary restrictions. Its sparingly
spiced food reflects its crossroads Eurasian geography – peripherally
Middle Eastern, Turkish and Eastern European.
I wonder how Siunik Armenian Grill, an 8-month-old operation in
Glenview and Skokie, tackles the uphill task of introducing an
unfamiliar cuisine to reluctant Midwest American palates. They come
at it from several angles.
First, they serve items such as hummus, which is not Armenian, but
seemingly obligatory at Middle Eastern restaurants. So owner Levon
Kirakosyan added hummus to the menu, and his customer base grew.
Next, they hope to frame the cuisine as unintimidating and accessible.
I might have never stopped in Siunik if a friend hadn’t described
the restaurant as “an Armenian Chipotle.” That statement’s about 70
percent accurate. At its Skokie location, all that’s missing from
the concrete floor and two-toned wood panels are the funky Mayan wall
sculptures. Warm holding trays are stacked on the glass-partitioned
counter, where service is you-point-and-they-assemble.
Like Chipotle, an entree contains one each of meat, starch, vegetable,
side and sauce, which can be wrapped in a flour tortilla-like
lavosh flatbread, or heaped onto a plate. I’d suggest against the
wrap option here ($5-$5.75). Unfamiliar ingredients should be tasted
individually and not lumped into a haphazard mess. Go with the plate
instead ($7-$9.25), where you can see the vibrancy splayed out –
the Christmas colors of parsley and tomato tabbouleh, or chopped red
onions with the purple, lemony powder of ground sumac.
On my visits, there was one cashier and one cook. Here’s where Chipotle
aspiration ends and small business reality begins. A grandmotherly type
tended the grill, rotating stainless steel skewers to order. There
are no grab-and-go meals here. The food arrived when it did, which
was no more than five minutes. I later found out she was Hayastan
Kirakosyan, mother of Levon, who emigrated from Armenia six years
ago and helps at the restaurant.
She developed most of the dishes as a housewife. Levon said he’s
proudest of his mother’s mushroom pilaf, and I’ll second that – cous
cous-like cracked wheat steeped in mushroom and onion broth. Kasha,
too, is a family recipe: steamed buckwheat kernels, nutty and
gluten-free, rooted in Armenia’s Eastern European ancestry.
It’s a subtle thing, but I appreciate the varied textures on my plate
avoiding one-note mushiness. There’s a crunchiness to the cabbage
salad, a crumbly crispness to the honey cake, a gentle give to the
tender grilled meats. The made-in-house yogurt, smooth and tangy on
the intake, provides a cool counterpoint to the hot kabobs. The first
item listed on the menu (which I’d assume to be its proudest offering)
is the lula kabob. It’s a first cousin to kefta kabobs, ground beef
formed into cigars that tastes like your nana’s onion meatloaf. The
cubed steak and chicken breast kabobs both retained moistness, too,
a minor miracle. (A vegetarian plate of red beans and parsley is also
available, as is a $4.95 weekday lunch special of chicken, steak and
lula kabobs.)
Among dipping sauces, lolik is a spicy marriage of tomato salsa and
ajver, the Balkan red pepper sauce accompanying cevapcici (a second
cousin to lula kabobs). Garmiruk isn’t far off from bloody mary mix.
Taken as a whole, a forkful from each corner of the plate, the meal
transports you from the North Shore, though you’re not exactly sure
where it takes you. Middle Eastern? Persian Empire? A hint of Soviet?
I found it filling and exotically ambiguous.
Siunik Armenian Grill
1707 Chestnut Ave., Glenview, 847-724-7800 and 4839 Oakton St.,
Skokie, 847-329-4200
Open: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Sunday. Credit
cards accepted, though cash preferred. Most expensive entree item
is $9.25
Recommended: Pork kabob, combo plate, mushroom pilaf, hamov (sauteed
eggplant), honey cake
VAHRAM ATANESYAN: LOS CABOS STATEMENT PROVED THERE ARE NO DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN THE LEADERS OF THE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRING COUNTRIES
Lusine Avanesyan
“Radiolur”
20.06.2012 18:08
Stepanakert
Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the NKR National
Assembly Vahram Atanesyan supposes after the statement of the
Presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairing countries issued in
Mexico that there are no discrepancies regarding the Karabakh issue
between the leaders of the co-chairing countries.
Political scientist Hrach Arzumanyan considers that the United States
and Russia have reached an agreement on some issues, and the necessity
of abrupt changes in the Karabakh issue has lost its urgency. “That’s
why we have some time to understand what’s happening,” he said.
According to the political scientist, the Los Cabos statement changed
the opinion that in the context of disagreements between Russia and
the United States Washington will be trying to prove that the efforts
of the OSCE Minsk Group targeted at the settlement of the Karabakh
issue are not that effective.
TURKEY DEEPENS IMPRINT IN CENTRAL ASIA
Michael Moreland
Atlantic Sentinel
June 19 2012
By adding Turkey as a partner and Afghanistan as an observer, the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization pushed forward with its initiative
to strengthen the regional powers’ ability to combat terrorism,
extremism and drug trafficking.
Turkey has been a major factor in Central Asia’s development in
the aftermath of the Soviet collapse and has expressed interest in
creating even stronger ties with the region.
Turkey and Afghanistan will be an asset for Central Asia as it
struggles to overcome and destroy the expansive drug trade that
is undermining national institutions. By increasing aspects of
cooperation, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization hopes that regional
interdependence will grow and the region will be able to modernize.
Although much of its involvement in Afghanistan has been as a part
of the largely Western coalition operating in the country, Turkey
has taken a leadership role in many aspects of NATO operations and
has stated that it will pursue independent, close political ties
with Afghanistan even after the rest of the coalition packs up and
heads home.
As a new SCO dialogue partner, Turkey has expressed particular concern
about curtailing international terrorism in the region, as well as
crimes such as human and drug trafficking.
Analysis
Turkey is strategically positioning itself as the key player
bridging the SCO in the east and NATO in the west through its unique
relationship to Central Asia. Partnering with the SCO marks a logical
step towards Turkey’s pan-Turkic economic and strategic expansion
into the region.
Turkish expansion into Central Asia is driven by geopolitical forces
of Turkic identity, strategic interest and economic profitability. As
Turkey geographically bridges Asia with Europe, so will it bridge
the strategic blocs of NATO and the SCO in Central Asia. Moreover,
as the perceived standard bearer of Turkic ethnic identity, Ankara
is uniquely positioned to play a central role in Central Asia.
This could be beneficial for both NATO and the SCO, as Turkey can
facilitate productive avenues for cooperation between the two security
blocs. There are, however, several regional political entities that
will not be happy to see Turkey consolidate its spheres of influence
across Central Asia-Armenia, the Kurds and Iran.
Since the forced expulsion and unacknowledged genocide of ethnic
Armenians from Turkey in the early twentieth century, Armenia has had
a bitter relationship with the Turkish Government. Armenian diasporas
in Western countries, as well as in Russia, have proven to wield
considerable political influence in foreign policy decisions. The
violence and territorial dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh between Armenia
and Azerbaijan is one issue that may put Turkey at odds with SCO
member state Russia.
Ethnic Kurds throughout eastern Turkey, Iraq and Iran also have reason
to fear a Turkish partnership with the SCO. Ankara has long refused
to fully recognize Kurdish ethnic identity within its own borders
and has long fought against Kurdish nationalist and terrorist groups,
even going so far as to launch incursions into neighboring Iraq.
Iran is also interested in pursuing a similar strategy of expansion
into Central Asia, following historical ethnic paths to make strategic
inroads with ethnic Persians (i.e., Persian related speakers in
Afghanistan and Tajikistan). Iran, however, is already a key partner
with several SCO countries and an observer country itself.
As the only NATO member country within the SCO, Turkey could well
position itself as a useful dialogue state. With no credible assurance
of European Union membership and a unique NATO status, a place at
the inner circle of the SCO may leave Turkey with no other choice
but to become a third party broker state linking strategic blocs,
if not becoming a regional power unto itself.
GEGHARKOUNIQ COMMUNITY REPS OPPOSE TODAY’S LAKE SEVAN PARLIAMENTARY HEARING
news.am
12:19, June 20, 2012
The Ecolur Informational NGO reports that it has petitioned National
Assembly President Hovik Abrahamyan to nullify a parliamentary hearing
on Lake Sevan scheduled for today.
At today’s hearing, the issue of whether to draw down 320million
cubic meters of lake water will be discussed.
Ecolur has petioned Abrahamyan and Samvel Balasanyan, who heads the
parliament’s Standing Committee on Agricultural and Environmental
Issues, on behalf of twenty Gegharkouniq civic groups and local
community leaders who are against the measure and have already made
their opinion known to the parliament.
Ecolur says that these community representatives have been denied
access to today’s hearing, in violation of the RA Constitution and
the Aarhaus Convention.
U.S. FIRM TO BUY TEN RUSSIAN-MADE BE-200 JETS
PanARMENIAN.Net
June 20, 2012 – 17:58 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net – An American company has signed up to buy ten
Russian-made Beriev Be-200 amphibian aircrafts for use in the
fire-fighting “airtanker” role, in a breakthrough contract to the
U.S. market for the plane, RIA Novosti reported.
“We have contracted for 10 Be-200s to use by us under expected
federal and state fire fighting contracts,” says TTE’s President,
David Baskett.
TTE will lease the aircrafts to airtanker operators in the U.S.
The value of the deal has not been disclosed, but in 2010 Russia’s
Emergencies Ministry signed a $330 million deal for eight of the
planes configured for firefighting.
Neither Beriev, which makes the planes, or United Aircraft Corporation,
Russia’s aerospace holding company, was available to confirm the deal
on Wednesday, June 20.
The contract award follows months of trials for the U.S. Interagency
Air Tanker Board, which promotes safety of airtanker operations in
the U.S..
The aircraft was demonstrated in Taganrog, south Russia in May,
and made practice water-drop demonstration flights for United States
Forest Service officials, according to fireplanes.org. The Taganrog
trials were conducted jointly by International Emergency Services,
and Beriev, which funded the trials.
The Be-200 can land on water and scoop up 3,000 gallons (12,00 liters)
of water into its hull, and can then fly quickly to an affected area
and drop its load onto a fire. It can also be reconfigured for search
and rescue or passenger flying. Beriev is the world’s only maker of
large amphibious jet aircraft.
The United States has an urgent need to renew its air tanker fleet as
many existing planes in the role are obsolete and coming to the end of
their lives. The FAA, the country’s aviation watchdog, recently ordered
safety checks on Lockheed Neptune P2V air tankers operated by Neptune
Aviation after large cracks were found on a wing spar in one aircraft.
DOLLAR PASSES AMD 417/$1 AT ARMENIA’S STOCK EXCHANGE
news.am
June 20, 2012 | 16:14
YEREVAN. – The US dollar’s exchange rate against the Armenian Dram
(AMD) continues to soar in Armenia’s financial market.
Its average exchange rate comprised AMD 417.61/$1, at NASDAQ OMX
Armenia stock exchange on Wednesday, and this is the first time this
year that the US currency’s average exchange rate exceeded the AMD
417/$1 level at the stock exchange.
The total sales were $1.27 million.
And Armenia’s exchange offices raised the dollar’s buying exchange rate
up till AMD 416.5/$1 and the minimum selling rate is at AMD 419/$1.
ARMENIAN-IRANIAN RELATIONS NOT TO DEPEND ON POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT – EXPERT
news.am
June 20, 2012 | 14:16
YEREVAN. – Peculiarity of relations between Armenia and Iran is that
they do not depend on political environment, expert Gagik Harutyunyan
said at a press conference on Wednesday.
“I believe common and mutually beneficial relations will not suffer
many changes. They are developing steadily,” the expert added.
At the same time, relations between Iran and Azerbaijan have
deteriorated for the recent years. Moreover, the image of Iran is
associated with the enemy for the Azerbaijanis. The analyst recalled
the naval weapons purchased by Azerbaijan from Israel. He stressed
that naval weapons can hardly be used against Karabakh.
On the other hand, it seems like Azerbaijan is included in anti-Iranian
campaign, and Baku is not glad for it.
“Iran should not be compared with Libya or Iraq, everything is far
more serious there. And Armenia is in more beneficial position as no
one expects any steps taken by Armenia,” Harutyunyan concluded.
PM: “IF WE DO NOT MANAGE TO CREATE COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR LARGE BUSINESS, OUR PROGRAMS WILL BE RUINED”
17:07 . 20/06
Large business will work transparently in case there is political will,
Armenian PM Tigran Sargsyan said addressing the MPs on Wednesday,
news.am informs.
In response to a question by Prosperous Armenia Party MP Vartan
Oskanian, Premier said lack of equal opportunities for business is
a serious problem for economy development. It depends on success or
failure of government’s economic program, he believes.
“If we do not manage to create competitive environment for large
business, our programs will be ruined,” he added.
As to necessary mechanisms, Sargsyan stressed that the public must
be provided detailed information about large businesses dominating
the market.
“The first steps aimed to increase transparency have been made.
Reports of large companies, auditor’s report must be available.
Another step is to restrict the volume of cash transactions so that
business could not hide the real income through front companies. If
have political will, we will achieve success,” he said.