Author: Kajoyan Gevork

MORE THAN 30 VEHICLES STRANDED IN ZONE HIT BY HEAVY LANDSLIDE

ITAR-TASS
October 3, 2011 Monday 12:01 PM EST
Russia

A total of 33 vehicles have been stranded on a motorway in the
northeast of Armenia hit by a heavy landslide. Three people were
reported missing, the Armenian Ministry for Emergency Situations said
on Monday.

Heavy freight trucks scattered like toys , overturned Zhiguli cars
stuck in the mud , wave-like hollows made in the ground and broken
asphalt is a classical picture of “the apocalypse” seen 250 meters
up the Vanadzor-Bagratashen motorway which connects the towns of
Alaverdi and Noemberyan.

All- in-all eight trucks with trailers, two automatic cranes and 23
cars remain stranded in the landslide zone. Two freight trucks from
Georgia and a car from Bulgaria are among the vehicles damaged by
the landslide.

The landslide damaged energy transmission lines, which cut power supply
to the settlements of Airum and Lchakadzor and a local railway station,
which seriously impedes search and rescue operations in the landslide
zone. Weather forecasts said that a heavy rain which began in this
area several days ago would continue for several more days.

Eight people who received minor injuries were hospitalized in Alaverdi,
said Director of a local medical Center Stepan Mosinyan.

They were given first aid and went home, Mosinyan said. Deputy Chief
of the Armenian Rescue Service Colonel Nikolai Grigoryan said that
they have information about three missing people. Two of them were
a passenger and a driver of a Mercedes car found with no people inside.

The Armenian regional Rescue Service has called on the Armenian
population to provide information about people who might have been
hurt after being trapped in the landslide zone. Thus, the wife of
the Mercedes car driver had informed that her husband was missing.

Armenian Minister for Emergency Situations Armen Yeritsyan arrived
in the emergency area. The Armenian Center for crisis management has
been working in an emergency regime.

ARMENIAN MP TO CAVUSOGLU: YOU’LL ANSWER FOR WILLFULNESS AND ABUSE OF OFFICIAL POSITION

Panorama
Oct 4 2011
Armenia

In the first day of PACE autumn session Naira Zohrabyan, member of
Armenian delegation to PACE, accused the chairman of the assembly
Mevlut Cavusoglu of “willfulness and abuse of official position”, Mrs.
Zohrabyan told Panorama.am.

“It’s not once that PACE chairman abuses his official position and
expresses willfulness hampers my, as a member of Armenian delegation,
activity in PACE. Making reference to a provision of theregulation,
Cavusoglu deprives my right,” said the MP.

Mrs. Zohrabyan called on CoE Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland
and PACE MPs to draw attention on this fact. The MP said that Mevlut
Cavusoglu had claimed he was acting according to the regulation.

Naira Zohrabyan has said she told PACE Chairman after the session that
he would answer for his willfulness and abuse of official position.

BRIDGE ARTSAKH – AN ECONOMIC BRIDGE BETWEEN THE NKR AND THE WORLD
Srbuhi Vanian

Tuesday, 04 October 2011 12:14

Between September 30 and October 3, BRIDGE ARTSAKH economic conference
took place in Stepanakert, which has been organized here for already
three years by the Armenian Union of Industrialists and Businessmen
and MASTER International Integration Support Center. It is organized
under the NKR President’s auspices. The official associate of the
conference is the Artsakh Investment Fund.

Also, on October 1, the ARTSAKH EXPO-2011 second trade-industrial
exhibition was opened, which was attended by RA Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsian who had arrived in Artsakh to participate in the conference.

The honor of cutting the red ribbon was given to NKR Prime Minister
Ara Harutyunian and Chairman of the RA Union of Industrialists and
Businessmen Arsen Ghazarian. About 15 RA and NKR industrialists’
production was represented at the exhibition, some of them being
popular not only among the RA and NKR, but also the foreign consumers.

According to the Artsakh Investment Fund, about 70 companies’
representatives, 65 official representatives of the NKR state bodies,
led by President Bako Sahakian, were invited to the exhibition. The
RA delegation comprised 47 people. Chairman of the RA Union of
Industrialists and Businessmen A. Ghazarian greeted the forum
participants, wishing them successful work. Then, the governmental
delegation familiarized with the exhibits, got interested in the
technology of producing the meat foods of the Good Samaritan, tasted
the milk products of the Artsakhkat and the canned food and jams of the
Artsakhfruit, visited the pavilions of the Artsakhbrand, Varanda, 55,
and other represented companies. Some companies-participants of the
exhibition – on producing plastic bags, processing stone, producing
metal-plastic windows and doors – have had successful business
in Artsakh for a few years. The tourism sphere was represented by
Gandzasar-Tour organization, with its Tsovin Kar and Eclectics hotels’
advertisement material.

Within the conference, a series of meetings took place between the
representatives of the state bodies and private organizations. After
the exhibition, a plenary session of ARTSAKH BRIDGE conference took
place, at which speeches were made by RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsian
and NKR Minister of Economic Development Karen Yesayan.

The NKR President expressed his gratitude and highly appreciated any
step aimed at the country’s prosperity, evaluating the NKR economic
development as a nationwide goal.

The conference participants discussed issues of special significance
for the NKR economy and the prospects of new investments; they tried
to research the issues impeding business development and to elaborate
corresponding ways for the sphere’s improvement.

The RA Prime Minister introduced the current situation in the
international and RA economic sphere, the coming years’ expectations,
and the basic steps of the authorities’ economic policy in certain
situations. Surely, Nagorno Karabakh will make a part of this policy.

Speaking of the significance of holding economic forums in Artsakh, S.

Sargsian noted the necessity of using additional efforts for increasing
the participants’ number every year and expanding the geography, as
the best business-projects are often born during similar contacts. In
his turn, K. Yesayan introduced the economic situation in Artsakh,
the prospects and potential for development, as well as the economic
policy of the NKR Government.

The organizers of BRIDGE ARTSAKH conference consider it another bridge
connecting Nagorno Karabakh with the world. Thanks to it, different
countries’ businessmen will have the chance to familiarize in place
with Artsakh’s economic potential and investment possibilities. It
will allow the Artsakh Republic to create new jobs and launch
numerous economic programs. The representatives of both Republics’
Governments called upon the businessmen to be more active in the
investment process, noting their readiness to discuss any constructive
proposal and to launch them if the state considers it expedient. After
the plenary session, the issues and proposals raised as a result of
different-topic sectional sittings were summarized.

The conference was completed on October 3.

LARISA ALAVERDYAN: WE HAVE SEEN NO PROGRESS OVER 3 YEARS OF ACTIVITY OF COMMISSION ON LAKE SEVAN ISSUES

arminfo
Tuesday, October 4, 19:06

“We have seen no progress over the 3 years of activity of the
Commission on Lake Sevan Issues”, MP from Heritage Party Larisa
Alaverdyan said at parliament on Tuesday.

Alaverdyan stressed that the Armenian Ministry of Nature Protection
fails to respond adequately to the illegal activities of a number of
ore mining companies. According to her, though the Ministry annually
releases small fish into the lake and has acquired expensive equipment
worth 600 thsd EUR to clear the bottom of the lake from the timber,
the situation remains desperate. “The situation is as follows: the
fish are disappearing from the lake, the water is losing its quality,
while the government positively assesses the relevant bodies’ work
every year. Nothing disturbs the Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the
facts of disappearance of the fish from Lake Sevan”, said Alaverdyan.

WHERE THE ABSORPTION WILL LEAD TO

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 15:36:21 – 04/10/2011

The Ucom company, operating in the field of telecommunications,
absorbed another provider, this time it was iCON. Prior to that
Ucom had engulfed the Armenian-American enterprise Netsys. By the
way, iCON is also based on foreign capital. In fact, in the field
of telecommunications, a process of absorption by Ucom of other
enterprises with foreign capital is ongoing. By the way, as reported
by the press, the actual owner of Ucom is the head of the Committee
of State Revenue Gagik Khachatryan, though there is no official
confirmation.

Ucom entered the Armenian market at a high speed, offering cable
internet, fixed telephony and internet television. Moreover, everything
was of high quality and with low prices. Because of this the company
managed in a short period to take a place in the communications market,
and now it is trying to expand the range of services.

In particular, the company offers a complete package of Netsys Internet
services: Dialup (phone internet) or high-speed DSL, WiMAX, Internet
services, mail and hosting (space on the Web) and registration of
domain names for servers and WEB MAIL. In fact, Ucom has incorporated
all of these services in its package.

iCON, in turn, provides mobile internet connection, which Ucom did
not have. And now Ucom can provide these services too.

In business this is quite a regular and natural process, of course,
but it can produce the opposite effect. A process of consolidation
is happening in the communications market in Armenia, though it is
one of the few markets where there is a subjective diversification.

Consequently, the matter shall be subject of study by the Commission
for the Protection of Economic Competition.

It is not excluded that the short-term economic benefits will stagnate
in the area, as happened in other monopolized industries also.

Similar processes have occurred recently in the market of eggs. One
of the companies dumped the prices, but the Anti-Monopoly Commission,
in fact, thwarted the attempts.

The Armenian economy is not competitive enough, and therefore there
should be a policy that would not hit the competition. And it was not
that Ucom monopolizes the market, though it is a logical desire for
business. It is about government regulation and clear mechanisms to
regular business for the desires not turn into a destructive process.

YOU WILL ANSWER

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 10:46:22 – 04/10/2011

Today, on the first day of the PACE plenary session, the member of the
Armenian delegation Naira Zohrabyan addressed the session, accusing
the PACE Chairman-in-Office Mevlut Chavushoglu of arbitrariness and
abuse of power.

“For so many times PACE Chairman-in-Office, abusing his power and
showing absolute arbitrariness, hinders my activities in the PACE as
a member of the Armenian delegation. Referring to some points of the
Regulations, Chavushoglu merely deprives me of the right to speech.

Such a behavior cannot but be assessed as abuse of power and
arbitrariness by the PACE Chairman. I am drawing the attention of
the CoE Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland and members of PACE to
the regular arbitrariness by Chavushoglu,” said Zohrabyan at the PACE.

In answer to her statements, Mevlut Chavushoglu, who presided over
the session, said that he acts in accord with the Regulations.

According to the Regulations, even if a PACE member is the first on
the list to deliver a speech or ask questions, the PACE Chairman is
rightful not to give them the possibility to speak at all, which
regularly happens with Zohrabyan. By the way, after the session,
Naira Zohrabyan approached Chavushoglu and said that he will account
for abuse of power and outrageous arbitrariness.

SERZH SARGSYAN UNAWARE OF DISABLED PILOTS?

05:43 pm | Today | Social

Nearly twenty disabled pilots today held a protest in front of the
presidential palace with the demand to receive their compensation.

President of the Disabled Pilots Union NGO, former commander of the
Il 86 plane Gagik Mirzoyan says they have been fighting for the past
five years, but haven’t reached their goal and the number of members
continues to decline.

“There used to be 137 disabled pilots, but that number has gone down to
90 in the past five years. We are all 2nd degree disabled. We have met
with different officials, including the Ministers of Social Affairs
and Justice, as well as the Ombudsman. They all have announced that
only Serzh Sargsyan can solve this issue, and that is why we decided
to meet him here,” Gagik Mirzoyan told “A1+”.

According to him, they are visiting the presidential palace for the
third time already and like previous times, they weren’t received
today either.

Gagik Mirzoyan mentioned that the “deputy head of some division” came
out of the presidential palace and mentioned that since the President
still doesn’t have a chief of staff, the President couldn’t receive
them. However, the pilot mentioned that they were demanding a meeting
with Serzh Sargsyan, not the chief of staff.

The pilots recalled that during the Soviet era, they were paid pensions
for the disabled, but Armavia Airlines, which came to replace the
Armenian Airlines dissolved by Robert Kocharyan, refused to perform the
function prescribed by the law and continue the payments. According to
the pilots, the government should be obliged to pay the compensation,
and the debt has already crossed the 1.5 million dollar limit.

OFFICER LED TO COMMIT SUICIDE?

09:15 pm | Today | Social

Artak Nazaryan, an officer serving at one of the military units in
Tavush province in 2010, was led to commit suicide. This is the final
conclusion of the preliminary investigative body.

The court held another trial for the case during which it became clear
that five people had been charged with leading Nazaryan to commit
suicide. Four of them are under arrest, one is in military service.

The representatives of the injured party and the alleged are discontent
with the trial. Artak Nazaryan’s family is trying to prove that
Nazaryan couldn’t have committed suicide no matter how much he had
been assaulted.

The alleged persons’ defendants mention that their clients are innocent
or that their guilt is exaggerated.

Artak Nazaryan’s lawyer Mushegh Shushanyan intends to send the
materials of the case to international experts.

GAT ACTIVISTS DISRUPT ARMENIAN ATHLETES’ PERFORMANCE AT WORLD BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP IN BAKU

October 3, 2011
Baku

BAKU. October 3, 2011: World Boxing Championship matches in Baku were
suspended yesterday evening because of Garabagh Liberation Organization
(GAT) actions against the Armenian athletes. Arriving at the Heydar
Aliyev sports complex, the GAT activists chanted anti-Armenian slogans,
and some hurled stones at the Armenians. As a result, the fights were
stopped, and the athletes and judges left the ring. Commenting on
the incident for Turan, the GAT leader Akif Naghi said the members
of his organization repeatedly stated that they would not allow the
participation of Armenian athlets in the competition in Baku and
demanded that permission not be given for their arrival.

“However, our demands were ignored, therefore, we resorted to such
drastic measures,” he said. The organizers were detained, taken to
the police, fined, and released several hours later.

The organizers of the championship have not commented on the incident.

Fighting at the championship continues, and security measures
have been enhanced. The Armenian delegation has not left Baku and,
apparently, will continue to participate in the World Cup. According
to unofficial information, the organizers of the championship promised
not to allow any repetition of what happened and guaranteed the safety
of the Armenian athletes, some of whom who represent not only Armenia
but also Russia (Turan).

SESSION OF NK SUB-COMMITTEE WITHIN PACE MANDATE THROWN DOWN

ARMENPRESS
OCTOBER 4, 2011
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS: Despite numerous groundings
of the Armenian delegation why Armenia is against existence of
the sub-committee on Nagorno Karabakh within the mandate of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the PACE,
under the head of Mevlut Chavushoglu, fixed a session of the NK
sub-committee. Member of Armenian delegation at PACE Naira Zohrabyan
told Armenpress that earlier during a plenary session, the Armenian
delegation had again explained that it cannot participate in that
session.

“We were not interested in that session, which lasted 20 minuets,
because nothing serious could be discussed during it, as none of
the participants mastered details of the negotiation process. For
the Armenian delegation did not participate in the session, the
issue has been deiced to send to PACE bureau for discussion,” Naira
Zohrabyan said.