Author: Dabaghian Diana

GETTING EXPENSIVE

A1+
[12:12 pm] 09 December, 2008

Starting January 1, 2009, residents of Vanadzor will pay 150 drams
for garbage disposal service instead of the previous 100 drams.

According to chief expert of the Communal Economy and Development
department Pavlik Gevorgyan, the decision was made taking into
account the increase in garbage disposal in the community and
the rise in prices for services. The average citizen of Vanadzor
expects a rise in quality and productivity in exchange for the price
increase. The garbage disposal service must dispose the garbage cans
in the city every day and three times a day near the multi-story
buildings. According to Pavlik Gevorgyan, garbage disposal trucks will
dispose all garbage in a week. Proceeds from the garbage disposal
service will help not only increase the number of times the trucks
go around, but also purchase new containers.

NIKOLAY RIZHKOV GIVEN TITLE OF NATIONAL HERO OF ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan

Dec 8, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 8, NOYAN TAPAN. For the considerable personal
contribution to organization of restoration work done in Armenia after
the 1988 disastrous earthquake, exclusive moral assistance provided
to the Armenian people at the difficult moments, under RA President
Serzh Sargsyan’s December 6 decree, member of RF Federal Assembly
Federal Council Nikolay Rizhkov was given the title of the National
Hero of Armenia being awarded the Homeland Order.

According to the report provided to Noyan Tapan by the RA President’s
Press Office, under S. Sargsyan’s other decrees of the same day, for
the considerable contribution to liquidation of the consequences of
the 1988 disastrous earthquake, providing humanitarian aid to those
suffered, organization of restoration activities, Anania Shirakatsi
medal was awarded to:

Yuri Batalin (Russian Federation)

Valery Rudakov (Russian Federation)

Nikolay Bekh (Russian Federation)

Leonid Polonski (Russian Federation).

FMs OF OCSE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRING COUNTRIES REITERATE THEIR RESOLUTE VIEWPOINT THAT KARABAKH CONFLICT HAS NO MILITARY SOLUTION

ARMENPRESS
Dec 5, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS: The working visit of Edward Nalbandian
to Helsinki continues. Armenian Foreign Ministry press service told
Armenpress that on December 4 in the morning the meeting of the council
of CSTO foreign ministers took place on the initiative of the chairman
of the council, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

Opening the meeting Armenian Foreign Minister said that within the
framework of the international conferences the meetings of the CSTO
foreign ministers give opportunity to consolidate the partnership
and combination of the activity of the CSTO foreign ministries.

The ministers discussed issues connected with OSCE reforms and
European security system, exchanged thoughts over the agenda of the
16th session of the council of the OSCE ministers.

On the same day Edward Nalbandian met with his Turkish counterpart
Ali Babacan. During the meeting the sides continued negotiations
directed towards regulation of Armenian-Turkish relations.

The two ministers agreed to continue the meetings.

During the meeting of Edward Nalbandian and Luxemburg Foreign Minister
Jan Aselborn the interlocutors discussed Armenia-EU relations. With
the request of J. Aselborn, Armenian foreign minister presented the
latest developments over Nagorno Karabakh conflict regulation.

Next meeting of the Armenian foreign minister was with his Swiss
counterpart Micheline Calmy Rey. They discussed issues on further
development of relations between the two countries as well as a number
of regional and international issues.

On December 4 meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers
and foreign ministers of Russia and France Sergey Lavrov and Bernard
Kouchner and Assistant U.S. State Secretary Daniel Fried took place. At
the end of the meeting the foreign ministers of the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairing countries presented a joint declaration in which they
reiterated their resolute viewpoint that Karabakh conflict does not
have a military solution and called on the parties to reconfirm their
readiness over the peaceful settlement of the conflict.

Today Edward Nalbandian is expected to deliver a speech at the session
of the council of OSCE ministers and meet with Foreign Minister of
Finland, OSCE chairing country, Alexander Stub.

RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH LEADER ALEXY II DIES

RIA Novosti
15:22 | 05/ 12/ 2008

MOSCOW, December 5 (RIA Novosti) – Patriarch Alexy II, who led the
Russian Orthodox Church for 18 years, died at the age of 79 in his
residency near the Russian capital on Friday morning, the Moscow
Patriarchy said.

A senior church official said heart failure was believed to be the
cause of death. The patriarch was known to have suffered from health
problems in recent years.

Alexy II became patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, now the
world’s largest, in 1990, shortly before the collapse of the atheist
Soviet Union, and presided over a religious revival in Russia, with
thousands of churches and monasteries being restored and hundreds of
new ones built across the country.

Under his leadership, Russia’s last tsar, Nicholas II, and his family
shot by the Bolsheviks in 1918, were canonized as well as many New
Martyrs who suffered under communism.

Alexy II openly objected to then Pope John Paul II’s visit to Russia,
accusing the Catholic Church of attempts to poach converts in Russia
and neighboring Ukraine.

In 2007, he signed a reunification act with Metropolitan Laurus,
head of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR), after
almost 90 years of separation. The foreign branch broke away in 1921,
after accusing fellow clergymen in Soviet Russia of collaboration
with the country’s communist regime.

Alexy II voiced his open support for fellow Orthodox Serbs during
the Kosovo conflict and called the declaration of independence by
the Albanian province "an anti-historic event."

Alexy II also sought closer contacts with political leaders. The
country’s leadership, including Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev,
attended church ceremonies led by the patriarch in Moscow’s main
cathedral.

Following news of the death, President Medvedev postponed a visit
to Italy, due to have started on Saturday, and will return to Moscow
from India later on Friday, the Kremlin said.

"The rise of the Russian Orthodox Church, the real establishment of the
principles of freedom of conscience and faith are directly connected
with him and his name," the Kremlin quoted Medvedev as saying.

Speaking in Armenia, Prime Minister Putin said: "He was a fair man,
his death is an enormous loss, a tragic event."

In a statement on the patriarch’s death, the Vatican said Alexy
II had led the Russian church at a time of great change, and his
leadership had helped the church withstand the hardships of post-Soviet
transition.

Alexy II suffered a severe stroke in 2002. In April 2007, media
reports said he was in a Swiss clinic in a serious condition or even
dead. Church officials then confirmed the patriarch had undergone
medical treatment in Switzerland, but denied the condition was serious.

On Thursday evening, Alexy II held a church service in one of Moscow’s
central cathedrals to mark a major religious holiday.

The church’s ruling body, the Holy Synod, is due to gather for an
urgent meeting in Moscow on Saturday to pick an acting leader and
make arrangements for the funeral, Bishop Mark, deputy head of the
patriarchy’s foreign relations department said.

The patriarch, Alexei Rediger, was born on February 23, 1929, in
the Estonian capital, Tallinn, into the family of a Russian Orthodox
priest of German descent. He became a priest in 1950.

ARMENIAN STOCK EXCHANGE EXTENDS ITS TRADING HOURS FOR CORPORATE SECURITIES FROM ONE HOUR TO FOUR

ARKA
Dec 4, 2008

YEREVAN, December 4. /ARKA/. Starting December 4, the Armenian Stock
Exchange (Armex) will extend its trading hours for corporate securities
from one hour to four, NASDAQ OMX Armenia told ARKA News Agency.

"This means that exchange trading in equities and corporate bonds
will now take place each business day from 11:00 to 15:00 – just
like exchange trading in currency and Government bonds", the press
release says.

According to the press release, this significant improvement has
become possible thanks to the deployment of new software modules that
help automate pre- and post-trade processes. The modules developed
by NASDAQ OMX Armenia are fully integrated with the clearing and
settlement system operated by the Central Depository of Armenia (CDA).

"As part of the new streamlined pre-trade procedure, orders to block
securities received by the CDA from Armex member companies prior to
the opening of the exchange trading are now automatically entered
into the CDA’s securities settlement system.

After the close of trading, the obligations of the parties resulting
from the trades are determined and compiled into electronic payment
orders with no manual intervention, and then transmitted to the
Central Bank of Armenia for final settlement", the press release says.

The introduction of this improved proc ess ensures a more convenient
and technologically capable trading environment for Armenian investment
companies and banks, and represents yet another step on the path
chosen by NASDAQ OMX Armenia – to continuously develop the Armenian
securities market through innovation, technology improvement and
close cooperation with all stakeholders in the market.

In January 2008, Nordic exchange operator OMX Group acquired 100%
of shares of the Armenian Stock Exchange (Armex) and the Central
Depository of Armenia (CDA). After the combination of NASDAQ and OMX
in March 2008, Armex and CDA have become fully owned by the NASDAQ
OMX Group, Inc.

The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. is the world’s largest exchange company. It
delivers trading, exchange technology and public company services
across six continents, and with over 3,900 companies, it is number
one in worldwide listings among major markets.

NASDAQ OMX technology supports the operations of over 60 exchanges,
clearing organizations and central securities depositories in more
than 50 countries.

OSCE CHAIRMAN OPTIMISTIC ABOUT KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

armradio.am
03.12.2008 12:33

Azerbaijan and Armenia have made progress in resolving the
long-standing dispute over Nagorno Karabakh and the OSCE hopes for a
regional declaration on the issue at its annual meetings later this
week, its chairman said on Tuesday.

"Things are looking quite good on Nagorno-Karabakh," Finnish Foreign
Minister Alexander Stubb, who is leading the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe under the Finnish chairmanship, told Reuters
in an interview.

"I think that we are moving away from a frozen conflict towards a
permanent solution, but of course we are not there yet, and it is
very important that the Minsk Group works on this," Stubb said.

KARABAKH CONFLICT OBSTACLE FOR EASTERN PARTNERSHIP

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.12.2008 17:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Nagorno Karabakh conflict is an obstacle for the
European Partnership, according to the head of the European Commission
delegation to Azerbaijan.

"The European Union will brisk up activities for soonest resolution of
the conflict," Amb. Alan Waddams said. "At that, the EU will endorse
the OSCE Minsk Group," he added, Trend Azeri news agency reports.

The European Commission is to propose pulling the EU’s six post-Soviet
neighbors closer to the West by recognizing their "European
aspirations" and creating a new "European Economic Area."

The new EU policy – first floated by Poland and Sweden in May –
proposes signing "Association Agreements" with Belarus, Moldova,
Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in the next few years and to
"acknowledge the European identity and aspirations of these countries."

The draft communique underlines that the new pacts, which recall
the association treaties signed with Poland or Lithuania prior to
the 2004 round of enlargement, do not amount to a promise of future
accession. "The conclusion of Association Agreements will be without
prejudice to the partners’ European aspirations."

The draft communique proposes holding an "Eastern Partnership
Summit" in June 2009 to launch the project. Follow-up meetings of
EU and Eastern Partnership foreign ministers are to take place each
Spring. "Senior officials" from the "27 + 5 (6)" countries are to
meet twice-yearly to prepare for the ministerials.

NATO: GEORGIA, UKRAINE NOT READY TO JOIN THE ALLIANCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.12.2008 17:28 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ NATO is expected to encourage Georgia and Ukraine
to pursue reforms needed to eventually join the alliance but stop
short of offering formal roadmaps at a meeting of the bloc’s foreign
ministers on Tuesday.

At an April NATO summit held in Bucharest, France and Germany, worried
about the reaction of key energy supplier Russia, blocked Membership
Action Plans (MAP) – also called roadmaps – for the former soviet
states, Reuters reports.

However, under U.S. pressure, NATO leaders promised them eventual NATO
membership and to review their cases in December, though Germany’s
Foreign Minister said his position had not changed since Bucharest.

Mr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier told business daily Handelsblatt that
Georgia and Ukraine and not ready to join the Alliance.

"We gave Georgia and Ukraine a NATO prospect, but also stressed both
don’t yet satisfy conditions for joining. We will help, but I see
no reason just now to go beyond what was agreed then," he said in an
interview in the paper’s Monday edition.

"Internal political problems in Ukraine have increased if anything,
and the attitude toward NATO certainly hasn’t become more positive,"
Steinmeier added.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is also a strong opponent to accession
of the two former soviet states to NATO.

ADOLPH BIRKHOFEN: ARMENIA ANPP HAS A HIGH SECURITY LEVEL

armradio.am
02.12.2008 14:58

The President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, received today the President
of the Nuclear Energy Safety Council Adolph Birkhofen (Germany).

The President highly appreciated Mr. Birkhofen’s efforts targeted
at the safe exploitation of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP)
and noted that he has been doing an important work for 12 years.

Noting that issues of energy security, in general, and nuclear energy
security, in particular, are of special importance, Serzh Sargsyan
said those have always been in the focus of attention of the President
and the Government of Armenia. He emphasized Armenia’s willingness
to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, modernize the existing
nuclear power, build new hydroelectric plants and presented the work
done in this direction.

Speaking about the security of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant, Adolph
Birkhofen said: "You can be proud of the work done over the past years
in the direction of secure exploitation of the power plant. Due to the
efforts and knowledge of your government, you executed management,
as a result of which the ANPP has been fully renovated, has a high
level of security and has been best preserved as compared to other
similar plants in the world.

The parties discussed issues connected with the further exploitation
of the ANPP and construction of a new energy un it.

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO LEAVE FOR HELSINKI ON DECEMBER 3

Noyan Tapan

Dec 2, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian will leave for Helsinki on a three-day visit on December
3 to take part in the sitting of OSCE member-countries’ Foreign
Ministers’ Council. In Helsinki E. Nalbandian will meet with OSCE
Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut.

As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry Press and
Information Department, E. Nalbandian will also meet with Azeri
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadiarov and OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs
Yuri Merzliakov (Russia), Bernard Fassier (France), Matthew Bryza
(U.S.), and Personal Representative of OSCE Chairman-in-Office
Andrzej Kasprzyk.

During the visit the RA Foreign Minister will have meetings with
Foreign Minister of Luxemburg Jean Asselborn, Foreign Minister of
Ireland Michael Martin, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations
for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe.

As the Foreign Minister of a country presiding in CSTO E. Nalbandian
will organize a meeting of organization member-countries’ Foreign
Ministers in Helsinki.

He will also meet with Foreign Minister of Turkey Ali Babacan in
Helsinki.