Author: Kajoyan Gevork

ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN INTERDEPARTMENTAL CONSULTATIONS HELD

ARMENPRESS
MARCH 13, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MARCH 13, ARMENPRESS: Interdepartmental consultations were
held March 13 in Yerevan between the foreign political departments
of Armenia and Russia, press service of Foreign Affairs Ministry of
Armenia told Armenpress.

>From the Armenian party the negotiations were conducted by advisor
to Foreign Minister, head of the Department for CIS countries Armen
Ghevondyan and Head of the Department for Neighboring Countries
Karen Mirzoyan, and from the Russian party – by Alexey Povlosvksy,
Director of CIS States Department (Fourth).

Bilateral relations and regional issues were thoroughly discussed
during the consultations.

KARDASHYAN PERSUADES HER SISTER AND HER SISTER’S HUSBAND NOT TO GO TO TURKEY

17:43 . 13/03

American show business star Kim Kardashyan has pressed her sister’s
husband, basketball player Lamar Odom to drop his intention to leave
for Turkey and to play in the Turkish team.

As the latest episode of the reality show of the Kardashyans proves,
Odom’s wife Khloe Kardashyan has yielded to Kim’s objections to Odom’s
move to Turkey and has changed her and her husband’s intentions.

To recall, in April 2011 Kardashyan had initiated a lawsuit against
the known international “Cosmopolitan Turkey” journal for covering
the front page of the April issue by her picture.

GEORGIA DETAINS ARMENIA’S CITIZEN FOR ILLEGALLY CROSSING BORDER

news.am
March 13, 2012 | 16:03

TBILISI. – The Georgian border guards detained Armenia’s citizen Armen
Barseghyan while attempting to illegally cross the Armenian-Georgian
border.

Barseghyan tired to cross the border from a disallowed area, and
therefore was arrested by the police. A criminal case is launched,
and an investigation is underway, Gruzia Online news agency of
Georgia reported.

Also on the same day, the Azerbaijani resident Gulnaz Badirova
likewise was detained, but this time for attempting to illegally
cross the Georgian-Azerbaijani border.

Badirova was handed over to the investigation department, for future
investigation, and to ascertain the motives for her action.

GEOTEAM CJSC EXPLAINS REASONS OF ITS REFUSAL FROM PARTICIPATION IN DISCUSSIONS ON IMPACT OF AMULSAR GOLD PROJECT ON JERMUK

arminfo
Tuesday, March 13, 15:55

Geoteam cjsc will not participate in today’s discussions on the
impact of Amulsar gold deposit development on the town of Jermuk,
for the company has received no official invitation, the statement
by Geoteam Company says. The discussions are organized by Jermuk
Development Center. The company reports that a representative
of Geoteam cjsc was included in the list of the invitees without
preliminary notification of the company. Geoteam has never avoided
public hearings and had conducted such hearings in the Gorayk,
Saravan and Gndevaz communities. The last hearing was held on March 12.

‘We have repeatedly mentioned that surveys by local and foreign
specialists show that Geoteam’s activity cannot cause any environmental
or other damage to Jermuk. The results of the environment impact
assessment are available on our website. We are sure that discussions
should be aimed at revealing the truth. We have grounds to think
that the goals of the discussions held by Jermuk Development Center
are quite different,” the statement reads. The company recalls that
Geoteam suggested the Jermuk authorities to help developing the
tourist infrastructures. It was reported earlier that in 2012 Geoteam
cjsc, Armenia, is expected to invest $52 million in the geological
exploration and preparation of the Amulsar gold deposit in the south
of Armenia for exploitation. Geoteam CJSC is a 95% owned subsidiary
of Lydian International Limited. Geoteam CJSC, was incorporated in
2005. By preliminary data of the company, it plans to recover over 40
tons of gold from the Amulsar deposit. Lydian’s largest shareholders
are the International Finance Corporation – 16.5%, and the European
Bank for Reconstruction and Development -7.5%.

OPEN-AIR TRIAL IN YEREVAN PARK?

Tert.am
13.03.12

Before starting their scheduled sit-in protest, the activists in
Yerevan’s Mashtots Park convened what they called an open-air court
trial, calling upon the municipal authorities to dismantle the kiosks
being built in the area.

The protesters said this is the first open-air hearing in Armenia,
which is aimed at promoting the development of a civil society.

“The ruling to be pronounced here will have a legal effect for us, and
we will abide by the decision of our free and independent court. This
court is more like a panel of sworn jurors as the ruling here does
not depend on a single judge,” an environmental activist said.

The symbolic court heard today the plaintiffs. No one from the Yerevan
City Hall was present though the attendees said they had duly notified
the municipality officials of the event.

The police patrolled the area throughout the “trial”.

The public event had brought together intellectuals, and public and
political figures who were closely following the entire process.

FRANCE, TURKEY SIGN AIRPORT DEAL DESPITE RECENT CHILL IN RELATIONS

news.am
March 13, 2012 | 15:09

PARIS. – French Aeroports de Paris (ADP) Company paid $874 million
for 38% of the shares of TAV, Turkish first airport operator which
manages Istanbul’s major airport Ataturk.

The deal was carried out despite chill in relations between Paris
and Ankara caused by the bill criminalizing denial of the Armenian
Genocide, French La Tribune reports.

ADP-TAV group will include direct and indirect management of 37
airports, serving over 180 million passengers annually. ADP strives
to enlarge its management over international major airports, serving
over 10 million passengers in various developed states, as well as
in Brazil, Russia, India and China.

NATURAL GAS SUPPLY TO ARMENIA RESUMED

arminfo
Tuesday, March 13, 13:22

Natural gas supply to Armenia was resumed at 11:00pm on March 12.

Ealrier on March 9 gas supply to Armenia was suspended because
of the repair on Kazakh-Saguramo section of the 1000mm gas main,
ArmRusgasprom cjsc reported.

The consumers were supplied with gas from the underground gasholder
without interruption.

ArmRusgasprom cjsc is the sole importer of gas to Armenia. Gazprom
ojsc, Russia, hold the 80% stake in the company, with the remaining
20% belonging to the Government of Armenia. Armenia imports gas also
from Iran in exchange for electric power.

DEMOLISH KIOSKS NOT IN 3 YEARS, BUT NOW: ENVIRONMENTALISTS APPEAL TO PRIME MINISTER

epress.am
03.14.2012

Among the environmental activists who have been protesting in Mashtots
Park for nearly a month, human rights attorney Meri Khachatryan
today delivered a letter to Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan,
asking him on behalf of the group to remove from tomorrow’s government
meeting agenda the item on dismantling the kiosks in the park after
three years and opt to dismantle the kiosks immediately instead.

Recall, according to the Armenian government’s official website,
a government decision on “retaining the Yerevan mayor’s authority”
authored by Yerevan mayor Taron Margaryan is included in the Mar. 15
government meeting agenda.

“The contents of this draft [item] proves that Yerevan city and
Armenia’s executive authorities have not CORRECTLY [caps in original]
understood our, the public’s, demand in the matter of Mashtots Park.

“We emphasize again the construction and placement of pavilions/kiosks
in the aforementioned area is ILLEGAL [caps in original] and
contradicts Yerevan’s master [city] plan. We are convinced that
there is no construction project that includes the installation of
the retail pavilions moved from Abovyan St. to the Mashtots Park
segment of the main avenue’s public green space as part Yerevan’s
master plan and concept with the zoning plan in the Kentron [central]
administrative district,” reads the letter, in part.

Recall, the activists yesterday began a non-stop sit-in in the central
Yerevan park. Last night, police allowed only one tent to be pitched,
while 27 activists spent the night.

ARMENIA, IRAN TO FOUND ORCHESTRA OF FRIENDSHIP AND PEACE

Panorama.am
14/03/2012

Armenia and Iran will found a joint orchestra of friendship and peace,
Iran’s Embassy in Armenia said in a statement posted on their official
website (yerevan.icro.ir).

The statement says Mehran Shirvand, head of culture center of Iranian
Embassy in Armenia and Samvel Galstyan, director of Conservatory
Orchestra, reached an agreement during a meeting to found a joint
orchestra of friendship and peace.

TYCOON SAMVEL ALEXANYAN DEMANDS HIS EMPLOYEES’ PASSPORT DATA, PAPER SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 14, 2012 – 09:39 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – According to reports spread in Yerevan’s
Malatia-Sebastia district, the staff of companies belonging to tycoon
Samvel Alexanyan is forced to submit certain number of passport data.

In particular, junior staff like sales assistants and workers is
instructed to provide passport data of 35 people each, Haykakan
Zhamanak daily says.

The higher an employee’s position, the larger the volume of data to
be provided, amounting to 100, 200 and more passports.

Same rumors say that Alexanyan’s wife, Shogherina Lazarian is the
one who manages the process; she specifies the required “amount”
of data and oversees that the instructions are followed.