FORMER HEAD OF CENTRAL BANK: ARMENIA MAY FAIL TO REPAY ITS FOREIGN LIABILITIES
30.03.2015 18:32
YEREVAN, March 30. /ARKA/. Armenia, with its present government
reserves, may fail to repay its foreign liabilities, Bagrat Asatryan,
former head of the central bank says in his ‘Armenia in Anticipation
of New Crunch’ analysis published in Chorrrord Ishkhanutyun Newspaper.
WORLD BANK APPROVES US$52 MILLION LOAN TO STRENGTHEN POWER SUPPLY RELIABILITY IN ARMENIA
12:42, 31 Mar 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan
The World Bank Board of Executive Directors on March 30 approved a
US$52 million loan for the Electricity Transmission Network Improvement
Project (ETNIP) for Armenia.
The new project will improve the reliability of the power transmission
network and system management, and support the Government’s efforts
in ensuring adequate electricity supply across the country, according
to the World Bank.
Armenia’s National Energy Security Concept prioritizes rehabilitation
of key power transmission network assets as a prerequisite for reliable
power supply in the country. This project through its first component
– strengthening of the power transmission network – targets two major
facilities which have the highest rehabilitation priority.
Rehabilitation of the Ashnak substation through replacement of all
key equipment will help reduce the number and duration of equipment
failures caused by technical reasons, and, thus, improve the
reliability of power supply for almost 120,000 electricity consumers.
The Ashnak substation was commissioned in 1983 and has undergone
no major rehabilitation since then. This substation is essential
for ensuring reliable power supply to consumers in Eastern and
North-Eastern parts of Armenia, including a large dairy products
company, an asphalt plant, and a diamond polishing and jewelry
production factory, which employ around 3,500 people.
Rehabilitation of the substation of the Yerevan Thermal Power Center
(YTPC) which accounts for 20 percent of total annual electricity
generation in Armenia will help reduce the incidence of equipment
failures. The overall cost of meeting the electricity demand in the
country will significantly increase if it is disconnected from the
grid due to failure of its substation. The substation was commissioned
in 1965, and has not been rehabilitated since then. Therefore, it is
essential for ensuring adequate and low-cost electricity supply to
all of the 1,040,000 electricity consumers in the country.
“Currently the power sector of Armenia faces a number of challenges,
including supply adequacy and reliability. The project focused
on rehabilitation of the selected substations will improve power
system reliability, and bring direct benefits to all power consumers
in Armenia,” said Laura E. Bailey, World Bank Country Manager for
Armenia. “This will allow avoiding increased incidence of power supply
outages, as well as associated significant social and economic costs.”
Under the second component – improvement of the power system management
– establishment of a back-up dispatch center is envisaged which will
allow improving the management of the power system.
Specifically, it is important for ensuring continuous management
and control of the power system in case the primary dispatch center
(located in down-town Yerevan) fails due to technical or other
reasons. The back-up dispatch center will allow to immediately restore
the control and management of the power system in case of such failure.
“Armenia’s power system will need around 500 MW of new gas-fired
generation capacity to preclude the emergence of a supply capacity
gap by 2020,” said Arthur Kochnakyan, World Bank Task Team Leader of
the Project. “Preparation of a new electricity generation project
is another critical activity that will be implemented within this
project. The Government plans to construct a new combined cycle gas
turbine, which will require a number of preparatory activities for
which no financing is available.”
Total financing of the project is US$69.16 million, of which US$17.16
million will be the Government’s contribution. The World Bank will
provide a US$52 million IBRD loan of variable spread with a 14.5-year
grace period and the total repayment term of 25 years.
Since joining the World Bank in 1992 and IDA in 1993, the commitments
to Armenia total approximately US$2,118.730 million.
SWEDISH CITY OF SODERTALJE TO HOST ARMENIAN GENOCIDE EXHIBITION
16:53, 31 Mar 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan
The City Hall of the Swedish city of Sodertalje will host an exhibition
dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
The exhibition aims to raise awareness of the historical events that
led to the genocide.
The exhibition is a product of cooperation between Sodertalje and
the interested public groups, including the Armenian Associations,
the National Assyrian Association, Chaldean Federation of Sweden,
Pontian Greeks compound and Syriac Federation.
The exhibition will run from April 15 to May 15. The event will be
inaugurated by Sodertalje Mayor Boel Godner, Mayor.
The event will feature a speech by Turkish publicist and writer Ragip
Zarakolu and short lectures by famous experts in the field. This will
be followed by a panel discussion with guest speakers.
ARMENIA’S FOREIGN TRADE IN JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015 SLASHES BY 28% TO $592.4 MILLION, NSS DATA
YEREVAN, March 31. /ARKA/. Armenia’s foreign trade turnover in
January-February 2015 slashed by almost 28% from the year before
to approximately $592.4 million, according to the latest numbers,
released today by the National Statistical Service (NSS).
However, the National Statistical Service said these numbers were
not complete and were subject to adjustments.
According to official data, exports in January-February 2015 were
25.2% down from the same time span of 2014 amounting to approximately
$163.1 million. Imports were also down 28.6% from the year before to
about $429.4 million. The resulting foreign trade was worth $266.3
million. The NSS said trade deficit in FOB prices was worth $200.2
million.
Armenia’s foreign trade turnover with CIS countries in the reporting
period fell by 33.9% to approximately $162.9 million. It constituted
27.5% of the total foreign trade. Trade with Russia dropped by 35.4%
$138.7 million.
Trade with Ukraine was said to have declined by 25.8% to $16.8
million. The trade with Belarus was down by 61 percent to a little
over $1 million.
At the same time Armenia’s trade with EU countries in January-February
slashed by 35.6% to approximately $147.8 million. (24.9% of the total
trade), while trade with other countries was down by 18% to $281.6
million. (47.5% of the total trade).
According to statistics, export of mining products declined by 5.4%
to about $56.6 million; export of non-precious metals and items fell
by 11% to about $42.4 million; the export of finished foods declined
by 44% to about $26.1 million.
Import of mining products declined by 13% to about $134.6 million;
import of machinery, equipment and tools fell by 20.2% to $51.2
million and import of non-precious metals and items grew by 3.3%
to $37.5 million. ($ 1 – 471.21 drams) -0-
S.O.S. AYRUM CAMPAIGN GETTING NEW STRENGTH
15:58 March 30, 2015
EcoLur
“Akhtala Ore Dressing Combine” CJSC intends to construct a new tailing
dump in the area of Tchotchkan and Mets Ayrum communities in Lori
Region using 40 ha of agricultural land areas in the communities. It
will be the second tailing dump for these communities, which will be
closer to the transboundary Debed River and Armenia-Georgia interstate
road. “To what extent it’s admissible to construct a tailing dump
in such active seismic zone in the viewpoint of national security,
which can flow at any time and block the Debed riverbed in the gorge
of the Debed River, the railwat and the road running to Georgia,”
said Seyran Minasyan, expert in environmental impact monitoring,
at the press conference held at EcoLur Press Club on 27 March.
Around 200 Mets Ayrum residents oppose to the construction of this
tailing dump, which have declared about launching SOS Ayrum campaign.
The campaign is getting stronger joined by EcoLur, journalists and
public figures.
Ayrum Resident Demanding to Suspend New Tailing Dump Construction
Project
Naira Bulghadaryan,
The authors of the letter insist that the Aldermen’s Council have
approved the project without taking their opinion into consideration.
Around 70% of the village population has put their signatures under
the open letter, as a matter of fact, opposing to the local government.
Out of 4 members of the Aldermen’s Council only Oleg Durgaryan
supports the villagers, “We, the residents of Mets Ayrum, oppose to the
construction of a new tailing dump in our land areas and demand to stop
this process, unless Akhtala Ore Dressing Combine solves the reclaiming
and compliance with safety standards of the old tailing dumps.”
Expert Group member Seyran Minasyan is angry with the irresponsible
approach of the government and mining company, “We already don’t
have Akhtala River, we have an Akhtala tail pipeline. They haven’t
reclaimed tails and dumps anywhere. Now they are filling the tailing
dump in Nahatak gorge, which already has the same height as the gorge,
while winds and storms spread the tails. They mine copper, as it was
mined in the Bronze Age. It’s impermissible, it’s 21st century.”
In reply to these concerns, Akhtala Ore Dressing Combine Executive
Director Martik Hakobyan informed the “Azatutyun” that they have
large programs – they plan to neutralize the current tailing dump
and to construct a new one with latest technologies.
“People in Akhtaka starve, while we help 700 people to work and to
get salary: if the average salary in 2010 was 130,000, now the average
salary is 250,000,” he said.
Most Peach Harvest in Mets Ayrum Community Contains Lead Exceeding
MPC 2-4 Times
Arthur Hovhannisyan, Nyut.am
“Since 2013 we have been studying peach harvest in Mets Aryum
community, soil, water and leaves, and I can clearly say that the
concentration of lead (heavy metal known as a very toxic substance) has
exceeded in most peach samples, 60-70%, 2-4 times sanitary and health
standard, which is directly the impact of the tailing dump of Akhtala
Ore Dressing Combine located in Nahatak Gorge,” Seyran Minasyan said.
For comparison we took the samples of peach from road sections in
Yerevan, Aramus, Akhtarak and Zovuni and analyzed them, as we thought
that lead concentration in dust may be high and we could have the
same picture. But no, our studies clearly show it’s definitely the
result of the tailing dump.”
Villagers address a letter to Armenian Prime Minister over a tailing
dump of Akhtala Mining Plant
Karina Manukyan, ArmInfo
195 residents of Mets Ayrum rural community have addressed a letter
to Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan over the situation around
the tailing dump of the Akhtala Mining Plant. The letter has also
been sent to all parliamentary groups of Armenia, the OSCE Office
in Yerevan, Armenian Ministry of Nature Protection and the Standing
Parliamentary Commission for Agriculture and Environment.
The letter expresses concerns about the Government’s decision to
change the category of farming lands into industrial lands in the
light of construction of a new tailing dump of the Akhtala Mining
Plant on an area of 40 hectares. The letter stresses that despite
the discontent of the Mets Ayrum residents, on March 26, 2015, the
administration of Mets Ayrum made a positive decision on that issue.
Meanwhile, the exploitation conditions of the tailing dumps in Akhtala
and Mets Ayrum fail to meet the main environmental and safety standards
and endanger the health of the local population.
In addition, the rural residents have repeatedly complained of their
deteriorating health due to the impact of the Nahatak tailing dump.
The authors of the letter specify that the community people receive no
compensation for the damage inflicted to their health and environment.
In this light, the residents of Mets Ayrum come out against
construction of the new tailing dump and urge the Akhtala Mining Plant
to solve the problems related to re-cultivation and safety norms at
the old tailing dumps. In addition, the residents demand declaring
the Feb 26, 2015 decision null and void.
On March 24 and 25, a group of independent experts from Yerevan
monitored the situation in the areas adjacent to the Akhtala Mining
Plant. At a press conference on March 27, expert Seyran Minasyan said
that the group revealed tails in Alaverdi, Akhtala and Mets Ayrum. The
current management of the Akhtala Mining Plant takes no measures to
clean the specified areas from the tails.
The operating Nahatak tailing dump of the Mining Plant is also
criticized. The surveys conducted since 2013 have revealed that the
lead content in the 60-70% of peaches in Mets Ayrum is 2-4-fold higher
than the maximum admissible limit.
To note, in summer 2014 the former director general of the Zangezur
Copper Molybdenum Combine Maxim Hakobyan became the new owner of the
Akhtala Mining Plant. The plant had previously belonged to the Metal
Prince Ltd.
FLOCKS OF IRANIAN TOURISTS HELP ARMENIAN DRAM REGAIN A LITTLE, NEWSPAPER
30.03.2015 17:53
YEREVAN, March 27. / ARKA /. The influx of Iranian tourists, who arrive
in Armenia in late March to celebrate the Iranian New Year-Nowruz- has
helped the Armenian national currency, the dram, to regain its value
a little, according to Armenian newspaper “168 Hours” (168 hours).
A story in the newspaper cites the data from the Central Bank of
Armenia which say that the cost of USD has dropped by 0.15 percentage
points on March 27 when compared to the day before trading at 471.63
drams. The cost of the greenback has dropped by 6 drams for the last
week, it says.
The newspaper says there are no other reasons but Iranian tourists
that can explain the rise of the dram’s value. Thus, the volume of
remittances from abroad sent home by Armenian labor migrants continued
to decline along with exports that declined significantly too.
Besides, the Central Bank did not force local banks to sell large
amounts of hard currency.
According to “168 Hours”, about 110,000 Iranians visit Armenia annually
and 20 percent of them flock to Armenia in the last decade of March,
spending here 7-10 days and about $1,000 each or a total of $20-25
million. The newspaper says given that thousands of Iranians are
still here one can expect them to spend another $20-25 million.
The newspaper says the strengthening of the Armenian dram in late
March is a short-term effect. In April, the dram will continue to
devaluate, as indicated by such factors as falling foreign trade,
investments and money transfers. -0-
SEVEN ARMENIANS AMONG RECIPIENTS OF 2015 ELLIS ISLAND MEDAL OF HONOR
19:44, 30 Mar 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan
Public Radio of Armenia
There are seven Armenians among the recipients of the 2015 Ellis
Island Medal of Honor. These include Christopher Atamian, Ted A.
Chaglassian, Mike O. Joulakian, Vahe Karapetian, Harry Nadjarian,
Mike M. Sarian and Simon Krikor Simonian.
The Ellis Island Medal of Honor is an American award founded by the
National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO), which pays homage
to the immigrant experience and the contribution made to America by
immigrants and their children.
The award ceremony of the Ellis Island Medals of Honor will be held
on Saturday, May 9th, 2015.
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan was awarded an Ellis Island Medal
of Honor in 2011.
RUSSIAN MP: KARABAKH ISSUE TO BE ALSO DISCUSSED AT MEETING OF RUSSIAN AND ARMENIAN PRESIDENTS
Azeri-Press news agency (APA), Armenia
March 29, 2015 Sunday
“The Karabakh issue will be also discussed at the meeting of the
Russian and Armenian presidents,” said Chairman of the State Duma
Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with
Compatriots Leonid Slutsky, APA reports.
Delivering a speech at the meeting held with the Committee of Foreign
Affairs of Armenias National Assembly in Yerevan, Slutsky said that
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a very delicate and sensitive issue:
“The negotiations are underway within the OSCE Minsk Group.
Furthermore, trilateral talks are also being held at the level of
presidents.”
Slutsky stressed that the settlement of the conflict was thoroughly
discussed at the meeting of the Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian
presidents in Sochi, in August 2014. “I am confident that it will
be also discussed at the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Serzh
Sargsyan on April 24.
Russian President Vladimir will visit Yerevan on April 24 to attend
the events on the 100th anniversary of so-called “Armenian genocide”.
TEN REASONS WHY OBAMA SHOULD TRAVEL TO ARMENIA ON APRIL 24
Huffington Post
March 30 2015
by Harut Sassounian , Publisher of The California Courier
Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan has invited several world leaders
to Yerevan on April 24 to commemorate the Centennial of the Armenian
Genocide.
The Presidents of France, Russia, Poland, Cyprus and Belarus have
already accepted Pres. Sargsyan’s invitation. The White House has yet
to make a public statement on whether Pres. Obama plans to travel to
Armenia on this most solemn occasion.
A Century ago, Henry Morgenthau, U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire,
described the systematic annihilation of 1.5 million Armenians as
“The Murder of a Nation.” Raphael Lemkin, a Polish-Jewish lawyer,
told CBS that he coined the term genocide based on the mass crimes
committed against Armenians during WWI and Jews during WWII.
Here are 10 reasons why Air Force One should make an auspicious
landing in Yerevan’s Zvartnots International Airport on April 24.
1. Pres. Obama would pay tribute to hundreds of thousands of
compassionate American citizens for having raised over $117 million —
today’s equivalent of over $2 billion — to aid destitute Armenians
in the aftermath of the Genocide. Initiated by Amb. Morgenthau and
supported by Pres. Woodrow Wilson, Near East Relief helped rescue
and care for 132,000 Armenian orphans. This massive charitable effort
was the first international humanitarian outreach in U.S. history.
2. By visiting Armenia on this occasion, Pres. Obama would be
reaffirming the longstanding US acknowledgment of the Armenian
Genocide — a settled historical fact recognized as genocide
by: — The U.S. Government in a document submitted to the World
Court in 1951; — The House of Representatives in 1975 and 1984;
— Pres. Ronald Reagan in a Presidential Proclamation issued on
April 22, 1981; — 43 out of 50 U.S. states; — Two dozen countries,
including France, Italy, Russia, Canada, Holland, Vatican, Switzerland,
Sweden, Argentina, Lebanon, Greece, Cyprus, Poland, and Venezuela; —
Several international organizations, including the UN Sub-Commission on
Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities; the European
Parliament; and the International Association of Genocide Scholars.
3. The Centennial could well be Pres. Obama’s last opportunity
to regain the trust of the American public in general and the
Armenian-American community in particular by honoring his repeated
pledges as Senator and Presidential candidate to acknowledge the
Armenian Genocide.
4. Pres. Obama could lay the foundation for improved Armenian-Turkish
relations based on truth and justice, in line with a pending resolution
in the House of Representatives, and his previous April 24 statements,
declaring that “a full, frank, and just acknowledgement of the facts
is in all of our interests.” Pres. Obama’s visit would also encourage
Turkish human rights activists to continue their arduous task of
assisting the Government of Turkey to reckon with the darkest pages
of its past.
5. The U.S. President could take advantage of this visit to urge
Turkey to lift the blockade of Armenia, while taking a glimpse at
the biblical Mount Ararat just across the closed border.
6. In response to mounting attacks by Azerbaijan on Nagorno-Karabakh
(Artsakh), Pres. Obama could stress Washington’s strong support for
a peaceful settlement of this thorny conflict.
7. Pres. Obama’s visit would help balance Armenia’s relations with the
West, particularly after its membership in the Russian-led Eurasian
Economic Union, and in view of Putin’s planned trip to Yerevan on
April 24. Armenia has enjoyed close relations with Western Europe and
the United States, and has participated in international peacekeeping
forces in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo and Lebanon. More recently, the
appointment of former Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan as Ambassador
to Washington, underscores the importance Yerevan attaches to its
relations with the United States.
8. Since Pres. Obama, due to the Ukraine crisis, is not planning
to travel to Moscow to take part in the World War II Victory Day
celebrations on May 9, he would have the opportunity to meet with
Pres. Putin in Yerevan, in a less conspicuous atmosphere.
9. Pres. Obama’s visit to Armenia would be a significant gesture of
goodwill toward the Armenian-American community. Last week, 16 major
Armenian-American organizations sent a joint letter to the President
urging him to participate in the Armenian Genocide Centennial events
in Armenia.
10. Pres. Obama would be making a historic first U.S. presidential
trip to Armenia, preceded by several high-ranking American officials:
Secretary of State James Baker III in 1992; Secretary of Defense Donald
Rumsfeld in 2001; and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2010
and 2012, when she laid a wreath at the Armenian Genocide Memorial
in Yerevan, as all U.S. Ambassadors have done on every April 24,
since the country’s independence in 1991.
FIRST FRIDAY FOREIGN FILMS, ‘ARARAT:’ STORIES OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE OF 1915
Georgia College News
March 30 2015
“Ararat” is a film by Atom Egoyan. In this multiethnic and multilingual
film, Egoyan presents a complex juxtaposition of the past and the
present in order to convey the everlasting messages of the Armenian
Genocide of 1915 to the viewer. The cinematographic techniques are
successful in heightening the viewer’s awareness of how recursive
the relationship between the past and the present could be.
Egoyan’s plot is painstakingly precise, which adds to his ability to
tell the story of what happened to the Armenians living under Ottoman
suzerainty during the first two decades of 20th century. This film
will be screened as part of the First Friday Foreign Film series
April 3. For more information, visit the event listing on the calendar.
The film will be introduced and moderated by Yeprem Mehranian,
College of Education.
Yeprem Mehranian Assistant Professor of Education, Lounsbury College
of Education [email protected] 413-687-9556