Author: Kajoyan Gevork

EX US AMBASSADOR GIVES LOW RANKING TO ARMENIA’S DEMOCRACY

Tert.am
17:05 29.09.11

John Evans, a former US ambassador to Armenia, considers the democracy
in the country very weak.

A guest speaker at Civilitas foundation’s recent discussion titled
One Hundred Questions, One Hundred Answers, the diplomat evaluated the
democracy situation in the country based on the Millennium Challenges
Corporation’s criteria. He considered two components of the program
– human investments and economic freedoms – satisfactory. As for
the third component – fair governance – he said the country had
considerably slid back from its positions compared to 2006.

Evans said he’d give Armenia’s democracy 26 points in the 100-point
grading scale or 2.6 points in the 10-point grading scale.

STEPANAKERT AIRPORT – FIRST FLIGHTS BY NEW YEARS?
Knar Babayan

hetq
13:30, September 29, 2011

Those waiting for the much ballyhooed opening of the new airport in
the Artsakh capital of Stepanakert will have to wait some more.

The terminal has already been finished, complete with all the trappings
of a modern facility. But the widening of the runway is what is
holding back the airport’s operation. Work is only half complete.

Dimitry Adabashyan, Chief of the Artsakh Civil Aviation Department,
says the runway wasn’t properly built by Soviet Azerbaijan back in
the day.

It seems the surrounding hills have to be levelled in order to
ensure safe landings and take offs. Adabashyan says that the other,
more costly, alternative would have been to redirect the runway 10
degrees to one side.

He says that the airport now employs some 80 individuals, mostly
construction workers making between 80,000 to 100,000 AMD per month.

Plans are in the works to purchase one Canadian built CRJ 100/200
jet with a 50 passenger capacity.

Fares for the flights between Yerevan and Stepanakert have still to
be negotiated with the Zvartnots Airport administration in Armenia.

“We have proposed a fare of 12,000 to 20,000 AMD. Zvartnots would
pocket 40% of the fares,” said Adabashyan.

Regarding flight safety, Norayr Safaryan, director of the yet to be
registered Artsakh Airlines, said flights over territory monitored
by the Artsakh Ministry of Defense could be guaranteed.

Mr. Adabashyan said he had no idea when the first flight would
take off.

“I’m not holding anything back. I just can’t say when. You can see for
yourselves the amount of work that still needs to be done. Hopefully,
everything will be finished by the New Year,” he said.

ARMENIAN THEME AT INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE OF ALEXANDRIA

ARMENPRESS
19:46, 28 September, 2011

The fourth international scientific conference on the history of book
printing in the Middle East launched its works September 27 in the
renowned Library of Alexandria. Seventy-five specialists from nearly
20 countries of the world, including Egypt, Armenia, the USA, France,
the Netherlands, the Great Britain, Germany, Canada, Italy, Jordan,
Lebanon, Morocco, Turkey, Azerbaijan, participate in the conference.

Press service of the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told
Armenpress that taking into consideration the 500th anniversary of
Armenian book printing in 2012 and the circumstance of proclamation of
Yerevan a World Book Capital by UNESCO, Armenia had a special status
of an honorary guest at the conference.

In his welcoming speech Director of the Library of Alexandria
Ismail Serageldin referred to the historical path of Armenia,
Armenian-Egyptian warm and traditional ties. He specially stressed
the Armenians’ role in development of book printing in Egypt,
simultaneously attaching importance to world-spread Armenians’
outstanding contribution to their scientific-cultural life.

Ambassador Melkonyan expressed gratitude to the organizers of the
scientific conference on behalf of the RA Ministry of Culture for
giving a central place to the Armenian theme. The first two sessions
of the scientific conference were fully dedicated to the tradition
and history of the Armenian book printing.

Within the framework of the three-day scientific conference an
exhibition of the originals of Armenian old-model books selected
from the collections of two important scientific and cultural
establishments – Matenadaran and Museum of Literature and Art, was
held in the Library of Alexandria.

POLICE OFFICER ACCUSED IN ILLEGAL SALE OF NARCOTICS

epress.am
09.28.2011 16:40

The RA Special Investigation Service has completed its preliminary
investigation of the criminal case against a police officer for
carrying out the illegal sale of narcotics. The prosecutor supervising
the preliminary investigation of the criminal case has confirmed the
bill of indictment.

According to a statement by the RA Prosecutor General’s Office, the
preliminary investigation revealed that Lieutenant Stepan Tonoyan
worked as a police officer in Division 1 of the Criminal Investigation
Department of Yerevan Police. Lieutenant Tonoyan sold a considerable
amount of marijuana to N. Igityan in Nov. 2010. He also sold a
methylenedioxy-methamphenamine type of narcotic to N. Igityan and N.

Margaryan in Tsghotner restaurant in Jan. and Feb. 2011, as well as
a considerable amount of marijuana to R. Khachatryan on Mar. 11, 2011.

Furthermore, it was stated during the preliminary investigation that
Lieutenant Tonoyan’s brother Sergei Tonoyan, who had worked as a
head of division of the Avan territorial subdivision of the RA State
Committee of Cadastre, grew a cannabis type of narcotics from Aug.

2010 to May 2011 and through processing it got a considerable amount
of marijuana. Together with his girlfriend he sold the narcotic to
many people.

Lieutenant Tonoyan has been charged according to RA Criminal Code
Article 233 Section1, while Sergei Tonoyan has been charged according
to RA Criminal Code Article 233 Section 3 Parts 1 and 2. The criminal
case has been sent to the Court of First Instance of Arabkir and
Kanaker-Zeytun Administrative Districts.

YEREVAN TO HOST CANADIAN TOP TEN AWARD 2012 CEREMONY

ARKA
Sep 28, 2011

YEREVAN, September 28. / ARKA /. In 2012 Yerevan will host the ceremony
of awarding prestigious Canadian quality prizes Top Ten Award. The
ceremony is slated for April 26-28 April, Yenok Azarian, the director
of the National Institute of Standards, told a news conference today.

“The decision to hold the event in Yerevan was taken by organizers of
the event and the British International Standards Institute, whose
representative has arrived in Armenia to discuss the organizational
details,” Azarian said.

Dhangir Asadi, a representative of the British International Standards
Institute(BSI) said: “We were very pleased with the achievements of
three Armenian organizations that received the prize this year in Kiev,
so we decided to hold the next ceremony here in Yerevan.”

Three Armenian organizations – the National Institute of Standards
of Armenia cjsc, P. Abajian LLC and Hayasi Group were awarded today
in Yerevan Top Ten Award 2011 quality prizes.

According to Asadi, applications for participation are accepted from
all interested companies and organizations in Armenia. He said a
special commission will choose the best applications that meet all
international standards.

The National Institute of Standards is a member of the ISO Board for
the period 2011-2012. It joined ISO in 1997 and since 2008 is also
a member partner of the European Committee for Standardization. The
Institute also participates in the work of the CIS Interstate Council
for Standardization, Metrology and Certification, and is also a member
of the Committee for Conformity Assessment (CASCO).

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT, FRENCH SPEAKER DISCUSS KARABAKH SETTLEMENT IN PARIS

Tert.am
16:52 28.09.11

As part of his visit to France, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
met with the speaker of the French National Assembly, Bernard Accoyer
in Paris.

The parties discussed the Karabakh settlement process. The French
official attached a major importance to inter-parliamentary
collaborations, saying that they have good partners in Armenia
regardless of political affiliation.

President Sargsyan hailed French parliamentarians visit to
Nagorno-Karabakh. He noted that the country, as a mediator in the
Karabakh peace deal, always guides itself by the impressions gained
on site. He further said the visits inspire confidence in the local
population.

ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN MAY FACE NEW WAR – EXPERT

Tert.am
17:12 28.09.11

Svante Cornel, Research Director of the Central Asia-Caucasus
Institute, predicts a new war between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

In an interview with the Austrian newspaper Der Standard, the expert
referred to the 2008 Russia-Goergia war, saying that it had disrupted
the balance in the [South Caucasus] region.

“What we need to do at present is to prevent a heated conflict between
Armenia and Azerbaijan. However, we hear the US administration telling
Baku that the conflict is not in the world community’s interests,”
he noted.

Kornel said a growing number of people in Baku believe in the
likelihood of a victory in a possible war.

“Some time in future, the national leader may decide that launching
a war – be it fraught with defeat – is better than not doing anything
at all,” he noted.

ARRESTED “CRIME BOSS” HAD BEEN CHARGED WITH BALLOT STUFFING

HETQ
00:05, September 28, 2011

Readers of Hetq and the press in Armenia are surely aware of one of
the most covered stories recently making the rounds here in Yerevan –
the arrests of alleged members of a criminal gang charged with breaking
into the homes of past and present government officials and forcing
them to turn over their valuables at gunpoint.

On September 23, the police swopped down on a Yerevan restuarant and
arrested one Artoush Hakobyan, a suspected leader of the gang.

Hakobyan has had his share of run-ins with the law.

The last time his name appeared in the press was back in 2008 during
the presidential elections.

On elections day, February 19, Hakobyan was reported to have visited
a polling station in the Garni village in Kotayk Marz.

It seems he tried to stuff the ballot box with votes in favour of
the candidate of the ruling Republican Party.

A proxy of ARF candidate Vahan Hovhannisyan stepped in to prevent
Hakobyan from doing so, leading to a brawl outside the polling station
between the two opposing camps.

Days later, the RA General Prosecutor launched a criminal investigation
of the incident.

The outcome of the investigation has yet to be finalized.

HRAPARAK: ‘PRODIGAL SON’ FORGIVEN?

Tert.am
11:24 28.09.11

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has decided in favor of major
changes in party ticket to get rid of the most notorious criminal
and oligarchic members, including his favorite oligarch, MP of the
Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) Alraghatsi Lyovik, as well as others.

On the other hand, the newspaper reports, the president decided
that the ex-mayor of Yerevan, RPA member Gagik Beglaryan is to run
for Parliament from the Center constituency. The primary reason for
this choice is that Mr. Beglaryan has necessary contacts and levers
to ensure a high number of voters for the party. In fact, President
Serzh Sargsyan has decided to afford Mr. Beglaryan and opportunity
to “cover his sins” after the notorious incident. Months after
resignation, Beglaryan’s return to the RPA Council – he has attended
the Council’s recent sittings – is evidence that the “prodigal son”
has been forgiven.

TURKEY INTELLIGENCE SERVICE SEEKS ARMENIAN-SPEAKING EMPLOYEES

epress.am
09.28.2011 10:04

Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (Milli Ä°stihbarat
TeÅ~_kilatı in Turkish, or MÄ°T) is seeking employment candidates
who speak Armenian, Kurdish, Russian, Arabic, Georgian and a number
of other foreign languages, according to an announcement published in
the Turkish press. Job seekers are required to take an examination,
participate in an interview and obtain the relevant qualifications.