Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

METSAMOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANT USAGE EXTENDED FOR ANOTHER DECADE
by Hatem CabbarlÄ

Today’s Zaman
Nov 7 2012
Turkey

Armenia insists on continuing its use of the Metsamor nuclear power
plant, even though the plant’s technical and physical life span has
petered out.

This insistence is supported by Russia as well as the US and the EU;
the first sells nuclear fuel to Armenia, and the other two do not
wish to see Armenia experience energy problems. A statement made by
Armenian Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Armen Movsisian,
in the wake of the Oct. 18 accord marking new cooperative efforts
between Armenia and the US in the arena of energy, noted that use of
the Metsamor plant has been extended for another decade.

Movsisian made this statement in light of the announcement that work
on the newly constructed nuclear power plant will be completed 10
years from now. In the meantime, as the EU has strengthened controls
over nuclear power plants on its own lands — especially in the wake
of the disaster in Japan after last year’s earthquake and tsunami —
it has remained silent in the face of the twice-extended life span
of the Armenian nuclear power plant.

Construction on Armenia’s VVER-440/230-type Metsamor nuclear power
plant began during an era when cheap nuclear energy was being much
promoted, and came to an end in 1977. The plant is 40 kilometers from
the capital city of Yerevan, and just 16 kilometers from the border
with Turkey. Before the plant was built, some Soviet scientists opposed
the project, noting that the plans would place the plant right on
top of the fault lines for Mt. Agrı, and that it posed a high risk
of infiltrating important regional water sources with radiation.

When the second reactor at this plant was built in 1980, Metsamor
achieved production strength of 880 kilowatts per hour. In the
meantime, factors such as the power plant’s lack of safe, technical
equipment, the insufficiency of water used in its cooling system,
and the fact that the cooling system relied on old, first-generation
technology all place the local ecology at serious risk. Even though
the Armenian government asserts that the power plant could withstand
earthquakes up to magnitude 9 on the Richter scale, the fact that the
plant does lie on top of a fault line, that it was actually damaged
in the 1988 earthquake, and that it has had nearly 150 accidents in
the past decade all show the seriousness of the problem at hand.

In addition, it is known that during the Soviet era, there were four
models of reactors placed in nuclear power plants built at the time.

These were the VVER, PBMK, EGP and BN reactors, and after about
40 years of experience, it was proven that the VVER reactors in
particular were very unsafe. This is precisely the kind of reactor
that the Metsamor power plant works with, and it is the kind of
reactor found in the power plants that have had the most accidents.

Due to a perceived risk of radiation leaks, as well as serious damage
experienced in the 1988 earthquake, the option of closing down the
Metsamor nuclear power plant made it to the top of the agenda, and
the plant was in fact shut down in 1989. Built using old technology,
the plant had threatened the safety and ecology of not just Armenia
but in fact the entire region.

Armenia’s serious energy problems

With the December 1988 closure of the Metsamor nuclear power plant,
Armenia began to experience serious energy problems. When the Armenian
economy collapsed in the wake of the dissolution of the Soviet Union,
the Armenian government began to research alternative energy sources,
starting up talks with both Russia and Iran on the topic of obtaining
electric energy from these countries. When it became clear that
Armenia would have serious financial problems for these projects,
the government began talks with the Russian government about starting
up energy production at the Metsamor plant once again.

Insufficient finances for getting the Metsamor plant to work again
became thus a very serious new problem for the Armenian government.

What was needed was $70 million. Long-winded talks between the sides
involved wound up with a decision to see a delegation of 650 experts,
and for enriched uranium to be given to Armenia. At the same time,
though, the European Union and the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) objected strongly to these moves, on the basis that the plant
posed a great threat to the region. The US ambassador to Armenia
made a public statement about the threat posed by the plant to the
ecology and the region. In response to this, the Armenian minister of
energy noted that it would never be possible to see Metsamor equipped
according to European standards, and that the country did not possess
alternative energy resources.

Despite the fact that no other nuclear power plant in the world had
ever started up again after six years of full closure, the Metsamor
plant — damaged in the 1988 Armenian earthquake — was re-opened in
1995 by the Armenian government.

When both the EU and the IAEA brought up the issue of closing down
Metsamor — a plant that supplied 40 percent of Armenia’s electrical
power — Ashot Martirosian, head of the Armenia State Nuclear Energy
Control Committee, asserted the plant in fact posed no risk to the
region. He also pointed to the 1980 construction date of the plant,
noting that its life span was in fact 30 years, and that since it had
been shut down between 1989 and 1995, it could thus now be expected
to produce electricity until 2016. He also stated that the reactors
had been repaired every three to four years, and that no serious
problems with them had been encountered so far.

If the Metsamor nuclear power plant does, in fact, experience a
serious accident, the countries most at risk from this would be Turkey,
Iran and Azerbaijan. The plant lies in the Hoktamberian province of
Armenia, which is very close to the Turkish border. Though the Turkish
government has never engaged in any attempts to see the plant shut
down, in January 2003 Kars Mayor Naif Alibeyoglu applied to both the
IAEA and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), saying he would
be opening a legal case to push for closure of the plant.

If the Kars Municipality were to cooperate with the Green Party,
and pull further European environmental groups onto their side, it is
possible to say that they would have a chance at winning this case in
the ECtHR. This is because, most strikingly, this nuclear power plant
relies on outdated technology, and lies right on top of a fault line.

In addition, Armenia had promised in the past, as a member of the
European Council, that the plant would be shut down. If action were
taken by both Turkey and Europe to see this happen, it would no doubt
see results.

After construction was started on the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil line,
mass protests and rallies organized by Georgian environmentalists did
take place, with demands registered for compensations to be made for
residents of the region. We say with certainty that Turkey has the
same rights to push for the closure of this nuclear power plant. It
is also true that environmentalists around the world are sensitive to
topics such as these. Despite this, environmental groups in Turkey
do not seem to realize the real risks posed by the Metsamor plant
to the environment and those living near it. While the effective
measures taken by these same environmentalists when it comes to
preventing the pollution of the Bosporus should be applauded, it is
difficult to understand their silence when it comes to the possible
“second Chernobyl” looming next door.

*Dr. Hatem Cabbarlı is the president of the Eurasia Safety and
Strategy Research Center.

From: Baghdasarian

HOW TO START A FLASH MOB

Huffington Post
Nov 7 2012

Jennifer Brookland. Senior Content Producer, Counterpart International
Reporting contributed by Madlene Minassian.

On a sunny, breezy day in Yeghvard, Armenia, a teenager in a bright
white baseball cap walked along a park path reading a book. Then,
strangely enough, so did another one. White caps and books began
proliferating — white t-shirts, too.

As bemused passersby watched single-file lines of insistent readers
crisscross Armenia’s squares and streets with open books, it became
clear. This was a flash mob.

A flash mob is a group of people who suddenly appear in a public place,
perform an unusual — and, if you ask Wikipedia, seemingly pointless
act — and then disperse. Usually organized using social media, flash
mobs are a form of entertainment, but also artistic expression and
social commentary.

People in 14 communities across Armenia took their books outside
on the same June day to show that reading is important. But their
statement was even larger: Youth matter and they want to be engaged
in the civic lives of their countries.

“It was amazing to see so many people together around such a great
message,” said Hermine Gasparyan, who participated in a flash mob in
the northern city of Vanadzor. “For the first time, our youth felt
like they were a part of a global movement.”

It’s not always easy being a young person in Armenia. Sure there are
smart phones and movie theaters, but also a lack of jobs and limited
leisure activities, especially in remote villages.

The concepts of constructive engagement and advocacy are new here,
where limited resources and shaky policy makes it hard for the
government to meet expectations for democracy, rule of law and social
services.

To increase informed activism, and help the government respond to
citizen needs, the nonprofit Counterpart International began helping
Armenian organizations that were working on these issues in 2010.

It supported a youth organization — aptly named “Flash Mob Division”
— in training nearly 150 youths on how to conduct social activism,
from getting the word out online to using the event as a campaigning
mechanism.

“We shared ideas about flash mobs as alternative ways of promoting
your message,” said Eduard Levanyan, the founder and director of Flash
Mob Division. “We talked about how much we can do — even without a
budget, just with will — to get an idea going.”

“The training gave me the confidence that I could organize a flash mob
— and reminded me that we can move an idea forward without a budget,”
said Gasparyan.

Counterpart Country Director Alex Sardar says that drive paid off.

“In a society where standing out has not always been rewarded, working
with local groups to reach out to the most disaffected members of a
community and have them get involved in a fun, disruptive activity like
a flash mob demonstrates lessons that go far beyond the event itself,”
says Sardar. “Organizing, raising awareness, leading by example —
all are characteristics of a model citizen.”

Guys and girls who completed their book learning in flash mobbery went
forth to earn their street cred. They organized 14 flash mobs in seven
regions. Overall, 313 individuals showed up to read, and make a point.

Teenagers sat shoulder to shoulder on the raised stone encircling
a tree, others perched on curbs and benches. One girl read aloud,
her hair whipping lightly in the wind that removed the edges from
her words. On a thin sheet of plastic, a guy in a black t-shirt and
sunglasses sat in the middle of the path upright, then stretched out,
then — his favorite position, no doubt — surrounded by three girls.

“I loved the idea of reading in public with others,” said Aram
Grigoryan, a participant in the Yerevan mob. “Usually, when I am
reading on public transport, I am looked at in a negative way. An
old man once told me that I should go home and read if I want to read.”

Building Community Organizations

Though a flash mob might look like a flash in the pan, strengthening
and supporting the local organizations so they can deliver to and
advocate for their communities are the main goals of the activity,
says Counterpart’s Sardar.

The global nonprofit, which is supported by the U.S. Agency for
International Development, played a critical role in strengthening
Flash Mob Division, according to Levanyan. Funds acted like a megaphone
in helping spread the word about these particular events, and expanding
its platform in general.

The Armenian NGO is planning future events which, like the reading
mobs, will unite Armenian youth as engaged citizens and creative
advocates for their communities.

The government is noticing: a follow-on reading festival gained
support from the Armenian Ministry of Culture and turned into a
four-day read-a-thon in the heart of the capital.

With Yerevan as the UNESCO World Book Capital for 2012, the flash
mobs continue to be showcased and discussed. So does the role of
Armenia’s youth in standing up for something they care about and,
quietly as the turn of a page, insisting that they be heard.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIA TO TIGHTEN REGULATIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF NEW REACTOR

Power Engineering Magazine
Nov 7 2012

Armenia intends to tighten regulations for the construction of a new
generating unit at the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant, the chairman
of the government committee for regulation of nuclear safety, Ashot
Martirosian told reporters on November 2.

He said the draft will be submitted to the government for consideration
next week. It will take into account the global community’s new
approaches to the safe operation of nuclear power plants.

Martirosian said the new design requirements might increase the cost
of construction of the generating unit, which is currently estimated
at $5 billion, but he could not say by how much.

He said the draft of new procedures for assessing seismic risks will
also be submitted to the government for discussion. Regulations are
being tightened in light of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan.

Martirosian also said that in February-March 2013 the European Union
will submit its final findings and proposals following a stress test
of the Armenian NPP.

The level of safety at the existing generating unit of the NPP is
improving and it is being monitored by the International Atomic Energy
Agency and international experts.

“I don’t think that the results of the stress test will be so bad
that they will lead to the closure of the plant. This possibility is
virtually ruled out,” Martirosian said.

He recalled that in October the Armenian government decided to extend
the service life of the existing generating unit, which currently
expires in 2016. The government’s decision does not specify the
duration of the extension, but international experience indicates
that the service life of such VVER-440 reactors can be extended by
at least ten years, as has been done in Russia, Ukraine, Finland and
Eastern Europe.

Studies to be completed in May 2016 will determine the duration of
the extension. The IAEA and the United States support the extension
of the reactor’s service life, but the EU has been opposed.

Martirosian also said the generating unit at the Armenian NPP is
operating at 92% of capacity, with 8% left in reserve to ensure
safe operation.

Russia and Armenia signed an agreement on the construction of a
new 1,060 MW generating unit with a light water VVER reactor at the
Armenian NPP in August 2010. Armenia and Russia’s Atomstroyexport
(ASE) formed the 50-50 joint venture Metsamorenergoatom to implement
the project. The venture is also looking for investors for the project.

Construction was to begin in the second half of 2012 or in 2013
and to finish up in 2017. The cost of construction is estimated at
$4-$5 billion. In February of this year, Energy and Natural Resources
Minister Armen Movsisian said that there are plans to build the power
unit in 2019-2020.

The Armenian NPP now has one 400 MW generating unit, the intended
service life of which ends in 2016. However, Armenia has already said
that the reactor will only be mothballed after a new one is built.

The Armenian NPP generates 46-50% of the country’s electricity.

From: Baghdasarian

TEAM ARMENIA ANNOUNCES FIRST OFFICIAL TRAINING CAMP IN PRELUDE TO 2014 FIBA TOURNEY

BallinEurope
Nov 7 2012

Armenia,FIBA,latest news,national teams

Some good news from the fledgling basketball program in Armenia came
to BallinEurope today as the country’s federation announced the first
official training camp for the newly-established men’s national team,
set for the 2013 off-season in Yerevan. It’s the first step on the
path to the 2014 FIBA Europe Division C Men’s Basketball Championship,
Team Armenia’s first-ever appearance in the tournament.

Zareh Zargaryan, formerly of CSU Dominguez Hills, stated that “It’s
truly an honor to be able to play for Armenia. I have been dreaming
of this since my childhood days.” Team Armenia coach Carl Bardakian
echoed the sentiments in saying that “Our coaching staff and players
are fully aware of the significance and responsibility of competing
under the tri-colored flag of Armenia.”

From: Baghdasarian

NATO SHOULD CONTROL THE GROWTH OF ARMAMENTS IN THE CAUCASUS, ARMENIAN OFFICIAL SAYS

Mediamax
Nov 6 2012
Armenia

Yerevan/Mediamax/. “We are troubled with the uncontrolled growth of
armaments in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone, which may lead to
unpredictable consequences,” the head of the Defense Policy Department
of Armenian Defense Ministry, Levon Ayvazyan, said in Yerevan today.

“Azerbaijan, according to its own information, exceeds the norms set
by the CFE Treaty. For example, Azerbaijan can have 220 military tanks
but it officially declares 381 ones,” said Levon Ayvazyan addressing
a workshop within “NATO Week” in Yerevan.

“This situation shows that international arms control treaties do
not possess tools meeting modern realities, which, in conditions of
definite political speculations, allows neglecting or openly ignoring
the provisions of these treaties without any legal consequences,”
said Levon Ayvazyan.

“Being interested in the establishment of lasting peace and stability
in the region, the international community, and NATO in particular,
should make every effort to establish tough control over the
realization of provisions of mentioned treaties by the countries
of the region. Only through control and definite sanctions will it
be possible to sustain the arms race and aspirations to resolve the
problem in a military way,” Levon Ayvazyan concluded.

From: Baghdasarian

HANDS ACROSS BORDERS: THE SYRIAN CRISIS AND THE ARMENIANS
BY MARIA TITIZIAN

Monday, November 5th, 2012

The crisis in Syria promises to become a protracted human tragedy. The
brutality being exacted by both government and rebel forces has already
resulted in a level of devastation that to rebuild neighborhoods,
buildings, institutions and also lives will require years if not
decades. Rebel forces continue to battle on the streets of Aleppo,
Damascus, and other cities in order to topple the minority Alawite
regime of Bashar al Assad. International human rights groups are
already condemning the dozens of cases of war crimes being perpetrated
by both sides.

And the Armenian community who for centuries had been living in
relative peace and prosperity, whose numbers swelled following the
Armenian Genocide when hundreds of thousands found some initial
semblance of refuge, is now facing decimation. War, after all,
doesn’t discriminate.

I don’t pretend to be an expert on the Middle East nor do I always
understand the very complex configuration of religion and politics
that have contributed to tension and civil war in the region. I
continuously have to refresh my memory as to which country is Sunni
and which one is Shiite and who is covertly or overtly supporting
whom and so on. But one thing is clear, the competing interests of
the Huzbullah in Lebanon, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the
United States, Russia and others would seem to indicate that the war
in Syria is much bigger than Syria. What I do understand is the human
face of war because we here in Armenia are coming face to face with
it, on a personal and national level.

I remember the overwhelming feeling of pride laced with profound
sadness the first time I went to the Middle East. Over time and over a
course of different visits to different cities, I was struck not only
by the number of schools, churches and community centers we had built
but how we had contributed to the cultural mosaic, how we had played a
critical role in the establishment of trades and businesses and how we
had created a bastion of Armenian preservation and identity that had
sustained the Diaspora. The sadness came from the realization that our
numbers were dwindling and following the civil war in Lebanon, when
thousands of Armenians were forced to leave, often times with their
entire lives in a few suitcases and a few dollars in their pockets,
they left behind homes and businesses, and also a legacy that was in
danger of disappearing.

Our community in Syria is one of the most important and vibrant
Diaspora communities in the world. The majority of Genocide survivors
and their descendents can trace their rebirth following the attempt at
their annihilation to Syria. My mother was born in Aleppo and later
moved to Beirut where I was born. Her father, a survivor and orphan
had miraculously made it to Syria after being deported and losing his
parents. Our community in Syria therefore has a very important place
in our collective past and destiny. Our community in Syria was also
one of the first communities to extend its heart and resources and
energies to Armenia and Artsakh. And today, members of our community in
Syria are finding themselves in the middle of a war that has nothing
to do with them but one which they are having to confront.

In light of the difficult and threatening conditions in Syria,
the ARF in Armenia initiated the “Help Your Brother” program to send
assistance to the Armenian community. Many other Armenian organizations
around the world also consolidated their resources by raising money
to extend a helping hand to our compatriots there. A few days ago
Yerkir Media televised a special segment on the actions being taken
by the leadership of the Syrian-Armenian community as they struggle to
help one another, as they come together, putting aside their political
differences, to ensure their survival. Part of that segment showed the
hundreds of boxes of aid sent from Armenia by the Help Your Brother
campaign on a special charter flight from Yerevan to Aleppo.

Young Armenians in the homeland, members of the Armenian Youth
Federation, the Nikol Aghbalyan Student Association and dozens of
others spent days and weeks packing bags of rice, flour and other
food products including jams and preserves and cooking oil, placing
them in boxes and then loading them on trucks to be delivered to the
plane at Zvartnots Airport. These boxes of aid, packed by the hands
of young Armenians in the homeland were then unloaded by the hands of
young Armenians in Syria. It was a moving scene and a sentiment that
should not be lost on us: hands across borders, Armenia assisting
the Diaspora.

While many are unhappy with the way the Armenian government and
the Diaspora Ministry are handling the situation with the influx
of Syrian-Armenians who have come to Armenia to escape the war and
attempt to re-establish their lives here, the message that we must
take away from the Help Your Brother campaign is an important one. For
over two decades and beginning with the 1988 earthquake, the Diaspora
stood firm in its unconditional support of the Republic of Armenia,
raising millions of dollars and providing assistance and conveying
compassion. Today, when one of our Diaspora communities is under
threat, Armenia must show its unconditional support by raising money,
providing assistance and conveying compassion. These small tentative
steps being taken by the government and many organizations and
individuals in the homeland is a gesture that needs to evolve still.

After 70 years of Soviet rule which had deprived the dispersed
Armenians around the world of a lifeline to the homeland and one
which had deprived the Armenians of Armenia a connection with the
rest of the nation, the concept of reciprocal care and assistance
still needs to develop in the mindset of people here.

The experience of the Iraqi Armenians who fled to Armenia to find
shelter and safety served as an example of failure on behalf of the
government of Armenia and today many of our compatriots from Iraq have
left Armenia and those who remain continue to struggle desperately.

With the Syrian Armenian experience, officials are attempting to
design a structure of assistance, albeit with many shortcomings
and missed opportunities. There is no doubt that the Republic of
Armenia must begin to fulfill its mission as the parent, the one
who potentially has the resources and which must learn to take upon
itself the responsibility of coming to the assistance of those Armenian
communities that face physical danger.

The Diaspora who for decades organized itself, rebuilt lives and
institutions, who acted at times as a government in exile in order
to preserve Armenian identity and culture, who struggled to ensure
that the world not forget about the Armenian Genocide and struggled
ceaselessly to restore the Armenian people’s historic and legal rights,
intrinsically and naturally understands the need for collective action,
assistance and compassion. That is how we survived.

The Republic of Armenia must learn from the Diasporan experience and
using those tools must now act in an equally responsible manner.

Reimagining and redefining roles may be a difficult process. There
will be mistakes made and many misunderstandings. While we may be
unhappy or disappointed with actions taken or untaken, while we may
have expectations that are not realistic, while we may demand a more
comprehensive action plan on behalf of the government of our republic,
we must also remember the individuals who are genuinely trying to
help and all those young hands across borders who didn’t need to
understand any of this, all they needed to know was somewhere in the
world, a group of Armenians needed help and they rose to the challenge.

From: Baghdasarian

20 YEARS LATER: YEREVAN NATIVE RETURNS TO PUT DOWN ROOTS AND MAKE WINE
Sona Avagyan

13:51, November 6, 2012

After twenty years of living in the U.S., Varuzhan Mouradian has
returned to Armenia for good.

A Yerevan native who races his roots to Van, Varuzhan has brought
his wife and four children with him. He says it would be a mistake
to remain in the States even though that country has given him much.

~SSlowly, I have to put down roots here for good. After all, a person
can only feel happier on his own soil. I constantly surprised by
people who are amazed that I have returned. Hopefully, what I have
done will be regarded as natural and will be duplicated on a massive
scale,~T says Varuzhan, who was a CPA back in Glendale.

He opened his own company and has left it in the hands of his partner.

Varuzhan started making plans to return ten years ago. In his recent
years, the family would spend their summer vacations in Armenia so
that the children could see Armenia for themselves and integrate into
the local lifestyle.

Back in the States, Varuzhan immersed himself in viticulture. He
travelled to the wine centers of the U.S., France and Italy and took
courses in wine making at U.C. Davis. Varuzhan was thinking of buying
land in Santa Barbara but changed his mind and decided to invest his
money in Armenia. He~Rs purchased land in the Sasounik village in
Aragatzotn Marz.

~SMy aim is to change my profession and to start growing grapes. Many
can~Rt understand how I could leave my warm and secure office in
America, come here, and get involved in work that is quite demanding
and labor intensive. My friends who knew about the project really
pitied me when they saw the poor state of the land on which I would
have to make my dream come true. However surprising it may sound, their
troubled faces strengthened my backbone to confidently persevere,~T
Varuzhan recounts.

This is the land on which Varuzhan Mouradian will build his dream
wine taverna/factory

6.5 hectares of the sixty hectares he purchased has been planted
with wine grape varieties. His ultimate vision is to build a small
wine wine taverna/ production plant. The preliminary work is near
completion. It will be a multi-functional site with a wine tasting
hall, a wine cellar, so that visitors can see how the entire process
from grape to wine unfolds. There~Rll be a parking lot, fountains
and even horses. It will also serve as a club where jazz concerts
and harvest festivals will be organized.

~SIt~Rs not just a business but a way of life. At first, I approached
it as a hobby but later I was confident enough to invest a good deal of
love and work into it, knowing that in the end it would be successful.

It~Rs become the most important project in my life, something that
my children can carry on.~T

When I ask Varuzhan if he~Rs taken into account the risks of starting
a business in Armenia, the vintner says there~Rs risks in any new
business and you can~Rt foresee them all.

~SThe first question they ask me in the diaspora is ~Qwon~Rt they
create trouble for you in Armenia?~R I tell them so far I~Rve
only been helped, not hindered. So what if one day I meet up with
a trouble-maker?

Should I get disillusioned and leave Armenia? Of course not. Each
country has its own particular business climate. Just take the
government bureaucracy in France for example. Should that make someone
starting a business in France to declare that the country isn~Rt a
good business location?~T

Varuzhan says that wines produced in Armenia are looked down upon in
Los Angeles. Most of the wine exported from Armenia is purchased by
the Armenian market there. It~Rs really not up to American standards.

Armenia, he says, isn~Rt even marked on the maps showing international
wine making nations.

He says that things are slowly changing for the better in terms of
crafting quality Armenian wines.

Tracing his family tree back to Van, Varuzhan wants to study the grape
varieties and wine making techniques the Vasbourakan region was once
famous for under the Armenian rulers of the day.

Four years ago, when Varuzhan served as president of the Vasbourakan
Compatriotic Union in Los Angeles, he and several members travelled
to Western Armenia, including Van. Next year, he wants to visit the
villages of Van to see if any old grape varieties are still grown.

The vineyards in Sasounik

~SSadly, there isn~Rt much available literature about wine making in
Van, but being a grandson of Van I have set out to do more research.

Let~Rs see what happens,~T Varuzhan says.

Varuzhan says that there are many positive aspects of American life
he~Rd like to see here in Armenia. He mentions the comfortable roads
first of all. He~Rd also like to see more smiles on the faces of
people in Armenia rather than scowls, and for people to be a bit more
tolerant and good-natured towards others.

~SI~Rm not a newcomer and am fully aware of everything here. If
need be, I could count off more complaints and negative things than
the complainers I met. Can you name a country where corruption and
monopolies don~Rt exist? They will not disappear on their own. We
have to work together to remove them,~T Varuzhan says.

While he accepts the important role the Armenian Apostolic Church plays
in the diaspora, at the same time he can~Rt understand why millions of
dollars are being spent to build churches in foreign lands. Varuzhan
believes that the spiritual needs of diaspora Armenians could be
satisfied with more modest means and the vast savings directed
towards Armenia. A million dollars each could be thus invested in
border villages to build or renovate a school or small factory.

~SThe fact remains that in 3-4 generations Armenians in the diaspora
will cease being Armenian. They~Rre only kidding themselves when they
talk about preserving Armenian identify in the diaspora. Tragically,
the diaspora is already on the road of extinction,~T Varuzhan says,
noting the diaspora communities that already have assimilated.

When I commented that Armenians from the diaspora don~Rt come to
Armenia due to a lack of jobs, while at the same time local Armenians
are leaving, Varuzhan said those moving to the States won~Rt find many
offering them jobs right off the bat in these troubled economic times.

Ending on a positive note, Varuzhan believes there are many in Los
Angeles who want to relocate to Armenia. What~Rs preventing them from
making the move is the lack of social justice in Armenia and their
own tight financial resources.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIA’S FOREIGN OFFICE INSTRUCTED TO NEGOTIATE IMPORT OF PRODUCTS WITH IRAN

tert.am
06.11.12

Armenia’s government has instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
to start negotiations with Iran to settle the problem of import
of 52 product items, Krist Pilosyan, Vice-President of the Union
of Manufacturers and Businessmen (Employers) of Armenia (UMB(E)A),
told Tert.am.

“If it lasts long, we will bring products from Europe, but the cost
will rise by about 7%,” Pilosyan said.

Numerous enterprises are using polymeric raw materials imported from
Iran, said Mr Piloyan, who is Director of the Plastik Company.

“This situation developed 25 days ago and we should have applied to
the government long ago,” Pilosyan said.

The UMB(E)A member Eduard Kirakosyan told Tert.am that the
aforementioned 52 product items is not the entire list of products
Armenia imports from Iran.

As to whether economic sanctions against Iran are the reason,
Kirakosyan said that “it appears to be so. We suppose this is a
response to sanctions.”

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN STATE BUDGET ALLOCATES $122,636 FOR TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

news.am
November 06, 2012 | 12:18

YEREVAN. – AMD 50 million (approx. $122,636 )-which is the same as in
the year past-will be allocated from Armenia’s 2013 State Budget to
assist the country’s tourism sector, Economy Minister Tigran Davtyan
stated during Tuesday’s budget discussions at the National Assembly.

“These are not large amounts, but the sector is growing as normal,
with 10-12 percent per year, which is greater than the average economic
growth,” Davtyan said.

Also, the Economy Minister disagreed with opposition MP and former PM
Hrant Bagratyan’s remark that the number of tourists who are visiting
Armenia is declining.

From: Baghdasarian

ZVARTNOTS CENTER MAY HALT OPERATION OVER ARMAVIA DEBTS

November 6, 2012 – 16:07 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armavia company’s debts to Zvartnots air
meteorological center currently totals AMD 94 mln, the center’s deputy
director said.

“Armenia’s national air carrier must pay AMD 33 000 for each
meteorological forecast; however it has failed to fulfill the
obligation for the past two years. As a result, the center itself
owes AMD14,5 mln to tax agencies,” Pavel Manukayn said.

Lawyer Anahit Grigoryan, in turn, said that the center will halt
operation if it fails to pay the debts.

“This can’t go on like this,” she said, adding that the center will
file a legal claim if necessary.

Zvartnots air meteorological center’s technical service head Garnik
Petrosyan noted, “We will take ever legal measure to urge Armavia for
paying off the debts. Otherwise, we will be forced to halt operation,
thus resulting in suspension of flights altogether.”

From: Baghdasarian