ARF-D TO ALSO VOTE AGAINST PLAN
08:28 pm | June 19, 2012 | Politics
Deputy of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D)
Artsvik Minasyan says the ARF-D will vote against the government’s plan
tomorrow and will give explanations during the parliamentary session.
Artsvik Minasyan didn’t comment on the Prosperous Armenia Party’s
(BHK) decision to vote against the government’s plan.
For more details, visit
RESIDENTS OF GEGHARKUNIK ARE DISCONTENT WITH PROPOSAL TO INCREASE WATER RELEASE FROM LAKE SEVAN
arminfo
Tuesday, June 19, 17:58
The communities of Geghrakunik region located near the littoral
area of Lake Sevan have started collecting signatures against the
governmental proposal to increase the water release from Lake Sevan,
EcoLur NGO reports.
To recall, the Government of Armenia suggests increasing the water
release from Lake Sevan for irrigation in 2012 from the earlier fixed
170 mln to 320 mln cu m. In accordance with the legislation, 170 mln
cu m is the maximum admissible volume, and in order to increase the
release, the government has to amend the law and to submit it for
approval of the National Assembly. The State Water Resource Committee
says that this year the irrigation season started amid high air
temperature and few elements, which caused shortage of irrigation
water. At the same time, the environmentalists disagree with the
given statement of the Committee. EcoLur has analyzed the volume of
water in Aparan and Azat reservoirs and revealed interesting facts.
In 2008, when the water release from Lake Sevan was increased to
303 mln cu m, the fullness of Aparan reservoir was 27.93 mln cu m,
the fullness of Azat reservoir was 46.36 mln cu m, i.e. a total of
73.66 mln cu m for both reservoirs. In 2009 the total fullness of
the reservoirs was 97.72 mln, in 2010 – 153.72 mln, and in 2011 –
146.45 mln. As regards 2012, this index is 93.4 mln cu m, i.e. by 33%
more than in 2008.
INTELLECTUALS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SECURITY OF ARMENIANS IN SYRIA
Nvard Davtyan
“Radiolur”
19.06.2012 18:10
A group of intellectuals have expressed their concern over the security
of Armenians living in Syria. They demand from the government to
create a council to coordinate the support to Syrian Armenians and
work out a rapid-reaction action plan.
Presenting the text of the statement, publicist Karine Hakobyan said
not only the government, but also the Armenian Apostolic Church,
the traditional parties functioning in Syria representatives of the
civil society should participate in the work.
EDWARD NALBANDIAN: ARMENIA RESOLUTE TO SETTLE THE KARABAKH ISSUE EXCEPTIONALLY IN A PEACEFUL WAY
armradio.am
19.06.2012 15:14
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian issued a statement
regarding the joint statement of the Presidents of the OSCE Minks
Group Co-Chair countries, Barack Obama (US), Francois Hollande (France)
and Vladimir Putin (Russia), issued Monday during the G-20 Summit in
the Mexican city of Los Cabos.
“We highly appreciate the efforts of the heads of OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairing countries – Russia, the United States and France –
targeted at the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
The Los Cabos statement issued by Presidents Vladimir Putin, Barack
Obama and Francoise Hollande is the fourth statement on Nagorno
Karabakh adopted by the heads of OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairing
countries, which can promote the negotiation process.
Armenia is united with the co-chairing countries and is resolute to
settle the issue exceptionally in a peaceful way.
Like Russia, the United States and France, we regret that that despite
the calls of the Deauville statement of May 26, 2011, we failed to
achieve progress at the Kazan summit of June 24, 2011 because of
Azerbaijan’s non-constructive and maximalist position.
Committed to the agreements reached by the Presidents of Armenia,
Russia and Azerbaijan on January 23, 2012 in Sochi, Armenia will
continue its efforts towards progress on the Principles of conflict
settlement.
Like the co-chairing countries, we have urged on many occasions to
respect the ceasefire agreement reached in 1994 and refrain from
bellicose statements that incite tension. Unlike Armenia, Azerbaijan
has always rejected and continues to reject the proposals of the
co-chairing countries targeted at the reinforcement of the ceasefire
regime, namely withdrawal of snipers from the line of contact,
creation of mechanisms for investigation of ceasefire violations
and border incidents. Azerbaijan last did it during the visit of the
OSCE Chairman-in-Office a week ago. Azerbaijan not only turns down
the proposals, but also grossly violates the ceasefire and continues
to organize provocations.
Unlike Azerbaijan, Armenia has declared on many occasions that it is
ready to continue the negotiations on the basis of the statements of
the leaders of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries adopted in
L’Acquila, Muskoka, Deauville and Los Cabos to reach a final solution.”
ARMENIAN NATIONAL CARRIER TO GET SECOND SUKHOI SUPERJET 100 PLANE SOON
news.am
June 19, 2012 | 15:00
Armenian national carrier Armavia will get the second Sukhoi Superjet
100 plane in the near future. The plane with the tail number EK95016
will be named after Armenian famous actor Frunzik [Mher] Lazarian,
Spectrum Air Service CJSC reports.
It is the second plane to be transferred to the national carrier. The
first one was named after the cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin and was
transferred last year.
ARMENIA STARTS THE FIRST ROUND OF TALKS ON DCFTA
ARMENPRESS
18 June, 2012
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, JUNE 18, ARMENPRESS: The first round of negotiations between
the Republic of Armenia and EU will declare their launch on June 19.
In accordance to the info provided by the Ministry of Economy the
delegation headed by Armenian Deputy Minister of Economy ,DCFTA chief
negotiator Garegin Melqonyan is scheduled to leave for Brussels to
participate two-day talks. The issues related to the DCFTA various
aspects are set to be discussed at the course of the negotiations.
As Armenpress reports, Armenian delegation comprises Ministers of
Foreign Affairs, Finance, Energy and Natural Resources, Agriculture,
Transport and Communication , Justice as well as State Commission
for the Protection of Economic Competition , Central Bank and State
Revenue Committee.
The implementation of the main priorities pertaining to the trade
technical barriers, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, intellectual
property rights and general coordination sphere are the general
preconditions for Armenia to start the DCFTA negotiations.
“TV ARM RU” WILL SOON HAVE ITS STUDIO IN ARTSAKH
Karabakh-open.info
Saturday, 16 June 2012 12:48
At the beginning of July the first Russian-Armenian television company
“TV ARM RU” will open its studio in Artsakh.
“Our mission is to broadcast distinct news from Karabakh to the
Armenians and, particularly, to the Karabakhians living in the CIS
countries. The Armenians living outside Armenia and Karabakh also
have such a significant role in the government policy of the country
as we do,” Executive Director of the TV company branches of Artsakh
and Armenia Vahan Ghazaryan thinks.
According to him they will start with quite a small teamwork
/comprising 2 journalists, 2 cameramen, an editor, a driver, an
engineer and a systematizer/ and will elucidate the local events
including all those of the cultural, political, social and economic
spheres.
“At the initial stage the reports of our correspondents from Karabakh
will be included in the “ВеÑ~AÑ~Bи” news programme broadcast from
Armenia,” V. Ghazaryan informed and assured that the Artsakh Public
Television is not considered a competitor as in contrast to the local
TV company 70-80% of the “TV ARM RU” audience are the Armenians living
in the CIS countries.
“Yesterday we had a meeting with Prime Minister Ara Haroutyunyan
who promised to involve “TV ARM RU” into the social package as a TV
company free broadcasting in the whole territory of Karabakh,” V.
Ghazaryan noted in his interview to Karabakh-open.info.
Corresponding courses for the employees chosen are going to be
organized in about a month.
ARMENIA’S GOVERNMENT TO HAVE 3 PRIORITIES – PM SARGSYAN
news.am
June 18, 2012 | 12:26
YEREVAN. – The Armenian Government’s program includes three priorities,
Premier Tigran Sargsyan said Monday during special session of the
Cabinet of Minister. And these priorities are:
1) Economic competitiveness growth, as the main condition for a
long-term sustainable growth;
2) Human capital development; and
3) Institutional capacity building.
As per the PM, the basis of the Government’s program is the notion
that the state is obligated to establish for the people the best
opportunities to create and to live in dignity.
“Each and every one must see and feel the results of the changes made
by the Government,” stated Tigran Sargsyan.
AZERBAIJAN’S VICE PREMIER: WE EXPECT RUSSIA TO PUT AN END TO GARABAGH CONFLICT
Azerbaijan Business Center
June 18 2012
Baku, Fineko/abc.az. The key for settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict over Nagorno Garabagh conflict is in the hands of Russia,
Baku believes.
Deputy Prime Minister Ali Hasanov has stated that Russia should define
its position on the conflict settlement.
“Today, the territory of Armenia to date has no significance for
Russia. Perhaps, once for the Tsarist Russia and the Soviet Union,
Armenia played a kind of role, but today Azerbaijan is a hundred
times more important in the strategic plan for Russia than Armenia.
Recently, the Ministry of National Security of Azerbaijan made a
film based on archival documents, in which the archival record shows
Hitler’s appeal to Himmler that the Armenian intelligence is the most
reliable for Germany. This suggests that most of the losses during the
World War II were incurred through the fault of the Armenian spies,”
he emphasized.
According to Hasanov, today no one needs Armenia that has no democratic
progress, does not adhere to democratic principles and human rights,
has no natural resources, has lost geographical environment and is
a country isolated from the world.
“So we expect from Russian President Vladimir Putin to determine his
country’s position in solving this problem as its settlement is in
the hands of Russia, as it was once noted by Heydar Aliyev during the
visit of Vladimir Putin to Azerbaijan. We hope Russia, with taking
into account the position of Azerbaijan in the region, integration,
and influence of our country in the international community, will put
an end to this conflict, and our citizens will be able to return to
their native land,” he said.
ON THE BOTTLE
by BOB TYRER
The Sunday Times
June 17, 2012 Sunday
London
As I’m feeling guilty for being absent from this column so frequently
recently, I’m determined to get this written before Cliff Richard comes
on the telly and I lapse into a frenzy. Yes, it’s two weeks ago; we’re
still in the grip of the jubilee and the Buckingham Palace concert is
beginning. I’d planned to write while waiting to see the Queen on her
boat, but standing on a ledge in the rain, with a tiny chink of the
river in view, wine was the last thing on my mind and I couldn’t hold
my iPhone, let alone use the keys. So here we are: it’s freezing June,
the roses at lunch didn’t help, and I’m in need of some adventurous,
soul-warming reds. In honour of Prince Philip, and, as this will be
appearing on Father’s Day, let’s say the theme is patriarchs.
Noah has, I think, a fair claim to be the daddy of all patriarchs. As
his ark apparently made landfall on what is now the Turkish-Armenian
border, it’s not far-fetched for the makers of a new super-premium
Armenian wine, Zorah Karasi, to point out that it comes from vineyards
“nestled in the shadows of biblical Mount Ararat”. This is serious,
expensive and exceptionally tasty stuff, made from a local grape and
aged in amphorae, the huge clay pots of antiquity. Zorah was set up
by an expatriate Armenian living in Milan, who brought in an Italian
winemaker – who just happens to have worked for my next patriarch.
There can’t be many wine drinkers who haven’t bought a bottle of
Mondavi over the years. Robert Mondavi, who set up his Napa Valley
winery in 1966, was most certainly the daddy of the modern Californian
wine industry. Towards the end of his life, he regretted that his
company had shifted its focus from top quality to mass market.
Constellation, the global conglomerate that bought it in 2004, has,
counterintuitively, bolstered the top-end quality. There are some
super single-vineyard bottles, but I prefer the straight Napa Valley
Cabernet, which has all the old man’s virtues while being just about
affordable.
My third morale-boosting bottle comes from two trainee patriarchs,
Chilean schoolfriends turned business partners who set up the Anakena
vineyards under the Andes mountains. They’ve created a warming
super-premium called Alwa (sunrise in the indigenous language, they
say). A glass or two of this would surely have saved Prince Philip
from hospital.
LIQUID HUNCHES
Zorah Karasi Areni Noir 2010 (£24.15) An elegant and slightly exotic
beauty ().
Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Cabernet 2008 (£19.99) Extremely drinkable
dark fruit and spices (cellarviewines.com).
Anakena Alwa 2007 (£20.49) Coffee, chocolate and loganberries
().