Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

ARMENIAN FREE STYLE WRESTLERS GETTING PREPARED FOR THE WORLD CUP

ARMENPRESS
Aug 20, 2009

YEREVAN, AUGUST 20, ARMENPRESS: All the recent performances of the
Armenian wrestlers have been analyzed and later relevant conclusion
will be made, chief coach of the Armenian free style wrestling
team Arayik Baghdatyan told Armenpress that currently the Armenian
wrestlers are getting prepared for the World Cup which will take
place in September in the capital of Denmark – Copenhagen.
From: Baghdasarian

AUGUST 12 IS INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY

Noyan Tapan
Aug 13, 2009

YEREVAN, AUGUST 13, NOYAN TAPAN. The General Assembly of UN with its
decission of 17 December 1999 declared August 12 as the International
Youth Day. It was adopted with the assistance of the World Conference
of Ministers Responsible for Youth in Lisbon, on 8-12 August 1998
on the goal to raise the youth’s information about world program of
activities for youth. The International Youth Day was first marked
on August 12, 2000. This year the theme of the world youth is:
"Our Challenges, Our Future".
From: Baghdasarian

SCHMIDT DROPS FOUR FALSE STATEMENT CLAIMS AGAINST KRIKORIAN

dt-drops-four-false-statement-claims-against-kriko rian/
Aug 13th, 2009

CINCINNATI, Ohio-Attorneys for Jean Schmidt petitioned the court
Thursday to add a new claim after dropping four of her initial false
statement charges against her Democratic opponent David Krikorian.

"Jean and her friends at the Turkish Legal Defense Fund are on a
fishing expedition" said Krikorian "First she brought the charges,
then she realized that she could not win her case and petitioned the
court to drop the charges, now she is adding a new one. Typical Jean
Schmidt behavior, it’s a shame she is not putting forward this kind
of effort on the health care debate" said Krikorian.

The statements Schmidt claimed were false are in relation to her
denial of the Armenian Genocide. In dropping the charges, Schmidt
essentially conceded that she does deny the Armenian Genocide.

Jean Schmidt took more money from the Turkish Lobby during the 2008
election cycle than any other member of Congress. "Being #1 on the
Turkish Lobby scoreboard has financial advantages for Jean, but what
does it do for our district?" asked Krikorian adding, "We look forward
to the full commission hearing in a few weeks."

A total of five false statement claims will be heard at a full
commission hearing on September 3rd at the Ohio Elections Commission
in Columbus.

In a related matter, The Cincinnati Enquirer which endorsed Jean
Schmidt in the previous election is continuing to protect her with
its online story about today’s case emphasizing her new charge and
downplaying the fact that she dropped four of her initial frivolous
claims. The Enquirer changed its article after the campaign challenged
their first edition. The editors of the Enquirer have consistently
protected Representative Schmidt to the detriment of the citizens
of the 2nd district. The phone number for the Enquirer’s editorial
department is (513) 768-8359.
From: Baghdasarian

IRAN EXPANDING AIR FLEET

Fars News Agency
2009-08-11

Economy

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Minister of Road and Transportation Hamid
Behbahani said on Tuesday that the country has purchased 35 passenger
planes during the last year in an effort to renew and expand its fleet.

"During the last 11 months, an average number of 3.3 airplanes have
been added to the Iranian air fleet each month," Behbahani told
reporters, noting that 29 of the 35 purchased planes are western-made
and the other 6 have been manufactured in Eastern European.

He also reiterated that the ministry has recently bought 5 airplanes
from foreign companies which are all almost brand new.

Noting that purchasing planes needs ample time and energy due to
the special conditions created by economic sanctions against Iran,
Behbahani declined to explain more about the type, name or model of
the newly-purchased planes or the countries of their origin.

Iran witnessed two air crashes recently. The first incident happened
when a Tupolev-154M crashed shortly after take-off from Tehran en
route to the Armenian capital of Yerevan on July 15, killing all 168
passengers onboard.

Ten days later, 16 people were killed and 21 others were injured when
an Aria Air plane crash-landed in the northeastern city of Mashhad.

The Iranian government is urged by the aviation officials and the MPs
to take appropriate and rigid measures against the western sanctions
on Iran’s aviation industry.
From: Baghdasarian

301 AMNESTIED

ountry&pid=14900
18:08:42 – 11/08/2009

As of August 11, 301 people have been set free from the penitentiary
institutions of the ministry of Justice according to the decision of
the Armenian National Assembly of June 19 to declare an amnesty. The
press office of the Ministry of Justice informs.
From: Baghdasarian

VEB TO HELP FINANCE AEROFLOT JET PURCHASE
By Maria Antonova

The Moscow Times
Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Aeroflot, Sukhoi Civil Aircraft and VEB will sign an agreement next
week under which the bank will finance the delivery of Superjet
aircraft to Aeroflot, Industry and Trade Minister Viktor Khristenko
said Monday.

The sides will sign the contract at the annual MAKS Aviation Salon,
Khristenko said. The event will take place Aug. 18 through 23 in
Zhukovsky, a town in the Moscow region.

Aeroflot ordered 30 Superjets at a discounted price of $21 million,
which was later increased by about $1.4 million because of additional
equipment expenses. VEB is expected to finance 10 aircraft through
its VEB-Leasing subsidiary.

Aeroflot and Armenian airline Armavia are expected to receive the
first two Superjets by the end of the year.

Three aircraft are undergoing testing, and 13 more are in various
stages of completion, Khristenko said. Twenty Superjets will be
produced in 2010, and by 2013 Sukhoi hopes to produce as many as 70
per year.

Sukhoi currently has orders for 122 Superjets.

"I don’t want to speculate on how many more contracts will be
signed during MAKS," Khristenko said. "It’s not the best time to
sign contracts."

Since 2004, state support for the aviation construction industry
increased twentyfold, to about 90 billion rubles ($2.8 billion)
in 2009, Khristenko said.

The substantial government support is meant to "guide the corporations
through the difficult period," Khristenko said, referring to the
three main aviation construction concerns in Russia: the United
Aircraft Corporation, United Engine Building Corporation and Russian
Helicopters.

The restructuring of these industries is complete, but the next step,
which is raising capital through share sales, has been postponed
because "it’s bad manners to go public right now," he said.

Steady demand for Russian civilian aircraft can save the industry,
Khristenko said, expressing hope that planned airline Rosavia, a
joint venture between Russian Technologies and the Moscow government,
will become a significant partner for the local industry.

Some analysts have called Rosavia dead in the water, since little
progress has been made on its development. Khristenko was more
optimistic, however, saying of the airline, "I wish them more health
than I do myself."

The Russian industry hopes to take a 5 percent market share for
regional and mid-range planes in 2015 and up to 10 percent by 2025. But
there are currently only two Russian planes ready to begin operations
in this segment: the regional Superjet and the An-148, so "we will
have to work hard" to reach those goals, said Oleg Panteleyev, an
independent analyst.

"But it will be possible in the segments where UAC will have a
product," Panteleyev said.

UAC’s highly awaited candidate for the mid-range segment, the MS-21,
will likely be available only in 2020. Russia has no projects for a
long-range aircraft, Khristenko said.
From: Baghdasarian

MARCH ONE WAS SOME KIND OF SIEVE

Lragir.am
p?id=society&pid=14892
12:00:03 – 11/08/2009

Interview by Siranuysh Papyan

-In your opinion, what is intelligentsia? What is the civil stance
of the intelligentsia today?

-The word intelligentsia sounds very pathetic. When people are defined
as intellectuals, I always see some negative nuance. Intellectuals
are to be people whose stances are determined by the problems of the
society, the look of which is directed towards the society and who
struggle for civil freedom, who show the reality unlike those who are
said to be intellectuals, but who say, "you know we understand that
this is good, this is bad" but do not do anything. The great part
of this kind of intellectuals abandoned people at the most difficult
moment of their life.

-How many are those intellectuals who struggle?

-Before speaking about today’s situation, one must not forget March
1. At least for me March 1 is one of the crucial points in Armenia’s
reality. The movement, which started on February 19 and reached its
peak on March 1, showed people that they are not few, but those,
who bear civil principles are many, who are ready to struggle for
ideas. When my friends and I were going to rallies, we were afraid
not to find many people, who think as we do. But we found out that we
have a society with great potential. March one was some kind of sieve,
which revealed the essence of everyone. Those people, who state that
we have huge democratic problems in our country and that we have
political prisoners, are evident not to look for a soft pillow. And
those, who say that Levon Ter-Petrosyan is not an intellectual but
instead Gagik Beglaryan is an intellectual, surely look for a soft
pillow and are ready to serve any government.

-The artist-elders say that they have come to bring up issues from
inside. They also say that they have oppositional ideas.

-You know it is just a joke of words, because there is not half
opposition in politics, you are either opposition or you are not. A
bright example is the Dashnaktsutyun, which was a part of the coalition
and is not opposition out of it. In general, I can say that there
are two oppositions today, the HAK and the Heritage. I do not see any
other such strong opposition. There is the main vector of the power,
which is the Republican, and there are other artificial simulative
forces like the OYP, the Bargavach Hayastan, which do not differ
from the Republican party. And of course, the so-called artist-elders
cannot solve any issue because if you are in the political field you
have to perform as a political figure and you do not need the mask
of an intellectual.

-In other words, political figures have to be engaged in politics
and the artist in the art.

-I do not mean it. The City Hall is a clear political field, in my
opinion it is wrong to present there as an intellectual.

-After all, which is the reason why the Republican decided to include
them in its rows? Was there any question of representation?

-I cannot be sure. Probably, Beglaryan’s approach was to hold the
electoral campaign with the artists to create some imitation of
intellectuality, because there is a stereotype that a "good guy from
Yerevan" needs to have artist friends. This is some kind of tradition.

It is not important for me whether Beglaryan or someone else will be
the mayor; the important for me is what mechanism they will use. Our
mechanism is very bad. This is a tired system; I connect your question
with system changes rather than with persons.

-Do you believe the HAK affirmation that we will have extraordinary
presidential elections? On the other hand, many dwell on the fact
that the HAK has weakened.

-I think we will have neither extraordinary presidential election nor
parliamentary elections. We need serious preconditions for it, which
lack today. No tension is felt today among the public. I connect the
changes in the countries with economic changes. What was happening
a year ago was really a national movement. Today I do not think we
have the same. Today people got adapted and I do not see the tension,
which will give birth to shift of government.

-In what country do we live?

-We live in a corrupt, nomenclature system. I would like to say even
dictatorial country, because the dictatorship supposes for some
principles at least, but unfortunately, we live in a nomenclature
system, which is a lower structure, than the dictatorship.
From: Baghdasarian

CITY LAUDED FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Newtown
Boston Globe
August 10, 2009 03:12 PM

The National Association of County and City Health Officials has
awarded Newton’s Department of Health and Human Services a "Model
Practice Award" for its role in an intermunicipal flu clinic.

Newton worked with Arlington, Belmont, Brookline, and Watertown
to carry out large-scale flu clinics, and was selected among 116
applicants for the award. According to Mayor David Cohen, the five
communities tested emergency preparedness plans and each clinic was
evaluated for improvements that could be made in other later clinics.

The Model Practice Awards are used to showcase models that try to
learn from colleagues’ experiences and to ensure that resources are
used wisely on effective programs that have been implemented with
good results.

David Naparstek, the commissioner of Newton’s Health and Human
Services, said new and easy-to-understand signs and uniforms have
helped make the clinics run more smoothly.

"We have a better ability to work together and know what our
responsibilities are and for everyone to get where they should be,"
he said, noting that the signs comes in many languages from English
to Russian to Chinese to Armenian.
From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT TRAVELS TO JERMUK THIS WEEKEND

/ARKA/
August 10, 2009
Yerevan

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan traveled to Jermuk this weekend and
discussed issues related to development of that resort with Vayots
Dzor authorities.

The aim of the president’s trip was to see fulfillment of the
instructions given to the provincial authorities a year earlier.

Presidential press office says that Armenian General Architect Narek
Sargsyan presented schemes of future constructions in the territory
of Jermuk’s dysfunctional airport to the president.

The architect also showed plans of hotels and spa center to the head
of state.

The airport compound will be used for building hotels and entertainment
facilities, such as a chess center and a stadium for winter sports.

The government decided last year to develop Jermuk into popular
destination for tourists and vacationers.

Jermuk will also become a place for international chess tournaments
and youth camps.

The project is planned to be worked out this September.

The chief architect also said that construction of hotels with a spa
center has already launched and will be completed in 2011.

He said $15 million will be invested in the project.

Road construction plans were presented to the president as well.

Sargsyan, along with Kirsan Ilumzhinov, FIDE World Chess Federation
president, who came to Jermuk for Grand Prix FIDE international
tournament opening,=2 0tested Jermuk’s ropeway.
From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIA TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am

A ug 6 2009

At today’s session of Armenian Government chaired by Tigran
Sargsyan, the Ministers ordered the regional governors and heads
of communities to suspend construction and allotment of lands in
protection and restricted zones of Yerevan-Gyumri-Georgia and Yerevan-
Yeraskh-Meghri-Iran national motorways. The decision was made following
the "North-South" motorway and Armenia-Iran railway construction,
Armenian Government Press Service told NEWS.am.

Under another decree Government allocated AMD 18.5 mln from reserve
fund for the construction of Yerevan-Ashtarak section. The amount
will be repaid by the end of 2009 after ADB (Asian Development Bank)
allocates the credit estimated at U.S. $1.5 bln.

Government established "Railways Construction Directorate" CJSC to
manage Armenia-Iran railway construction and get credits assigned to
the project.
From: Baghdasarian