Author: Kajoyan Gevork

“YEREVAN-JUR” INFORMS ABOUT OVERFULL FILLED OF THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT ON CONTINUITY OF WATER SUPPLY TO 88.6%

ARKA
Sep 27, 2011

YEREVAN, September 27. /ARKA/. The company “Yerevan-jur” in five
years of its activity overfull filled the terms of leasing regarding
continuation of water supply in Yerevan, said Legal Director of the
company Artak Malkhasyan.

Average continuity of water supply in Yerevan reached to 88.6%
or 21.26 hours daily instead of envisaged 82.5% by the agreement
for this period. “Audit of the company showed that “Yerevan-jur”
overfullfiled its contractual obligations and there are no problems
of water supply”, said Malkhasyan to the journalists.

Prior to implementation of the agreement, continuity of water supply
in Yerevan was 72.3% or in average 17.35 hours.

The focus was on improving the water supply of citizens who receive
a smaller amount of water daily. Such a result was achieved in the
conditions of economy mode of water.

During the last year, selection of water from sources reduced by 6%
or 20 million cubic meters, in the result of which it became possible
to reduce the expenses of energy in the system by 26%. At the same
time, the company decreased losses in distribution networks by 22
million cubic meters.

There are many and different complaints by the citizens, but their
majority refers to internal networks being outside the scope of
the company.

Malkhasyan said that the number of subscribers is 345609, and loss
of water in the network reduced by 19.9 million cubic meters making
276.281 million cubic meters.

CJSC “Yerevan-Jur” is resident of Armenia which was founded by French
company Generale des Eaux. In 2005 it won the tender announced by
the World Bank for leasing “Yerevan Water Channel” for 10 years.

The company has a right to manage the water system of Yerevan with
the aim of provision of drinking water, water drain and waste water
also in Ararat, Aragatsotn and Kotayk regions of Armenia.

“Yerevan-Jur” has 339 369 subscribers. Water supply network of the
company stretches for 2120 km.

TURKISH-ISRAEALI TENSION IS POLITICAL GESTURE, SAYS IRANIAN MAJOR-GENERAL

Tert.am
15:40 27.09.11

Iranian Supreme Leader’s top advisor for military affairs Major
General Yahya Rahim has downplayed the current tension between Turkey
and Israel, characterizing it as a political gesture.

“Turkey’s gestures against the Zionists are political and they [the
Turks] have maintained their relations [with the Zionist regime]
behind the scene,” he said on Monday, according to the Iranian news
agency Fars.

NO POLITICAL FORCE CAN AFFECT RUSSIA’S INFLUENCE IN ARMENIA – EXPERT

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 27, 2011 – 13:17 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Russia’s influence in Armenia will remain unchanged,
even if the Armenian National Congress (ANC) opposition bloc rose to
power, a political analyst at European Integration NGO believes.

As Manvel Ghumashyan told a news conference in Yerevan, “I don’t see
how any political force could change Russia’s influence when coming
to power.”

The expert further listed Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), ANC and
Prosperous Armenia party as possible winning candidates at oncoming
parliamentary elections.

PUTIN-MEDVEDEV SWAP NOT POSSIBLE IN ARMENIA: MANOYAN

epress.am
09.27.2011 15:25

We cannot expect anything positive – either in the process of
normalizing Armenia-Turkey relations nor in the Nagorno-Karabakh issue,
ARF (Armenian Revolutionary Federation) Dashnaktsutyun Armenian Cause
Bureau Director Giro Manoyan told journalists in Yerevan today.

Manoyan asserted that it is very beneficial for Turkey that the
Armenia-Turkey Protocols exist as a signed document. “Turkey has the
advantage. We’ve satisfied the preconditions and received nothing,”
he said.

According to him, in terms of Armenia-Turkey relations, the US commends
the work of Armenia’s authorities.

Weighing in on the Karabakh conflict, Manoyan believed that the
“negotiations as a way will continue” – the Minsk Group co-chairs in
the coming months will continue their work with the foreign affairs
ministers of both countries.

During the press conference, the Dashnak representative also addressed
recent developments in Russia, stating that the scenario of Putin
and Medvedev changing places is not possible in Armenia. He sees no
grounds for this.

Manoyan, however, did note that if current PM Vladimir Putin is elected
president, there might be a change in Armenia’s foreign policy,
taking into consideration the fact that with Putin’s return there
might be changes in the entire region.

TURKEY WAITS FOR 2015 TO SIGN PROTOCOLS – ARMENIAN EXPERT

Tert.am
14:34 27.09.11

At his Sept. 27 meeting with journalists, Manvel Ghumashyan, an expert
for the European Integration NGO, expressed his opinion on Armenia’s
domestic and foreign policy.

No immediate results should be expected from the dialogue between
Armenia’s ruling coalition and the opposition Armenian National
Congress (ANC). “Of importance are the grounds for the dialogue,
which, although does not produce any results now, will certainly
produce results in the future,” Ghumashyan said.

With respect to the military parade on the occasion of the 20th
anniversary of Armenia’s independence, the expert said that “we are
gradually getting rid of the refuse of the soviet period.”

Specifically, all the people that contributed to Armenia’s independence
– irrespective of their political views – were named during the parade.

As regards Armenia’s domestic and foreign policy, Ghumashyan
touched on the Armenian-Turkish protocols and noted that Turkey
will “drag” the protocol until 2015, the 100th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide, and make use of them at that time because “the
response will be quite different.” Turkey may implement some points
of the protocols. It may, for example, reopen the border or establish
diplomatic relations. However, it will not implement all the points,
the expert said.

ZVARTNOTS’ NEW ARRIVAL TERMINAL WILL BE OPERATIONAL IN OCTOBER

Tert.am
26.09.11

Armenia International Airports, LTD has issued a statement, saying
that the new arrival terminal of the Zvartnots International Airport
will be operation in October.

The company also said that the new departure terminal will operate
a little later.

Armenian International Airports, LTD further said that the delay is
caused by logistic issues, adding that it is also taking into account
the demand of air carriers.

It comes after a youth initiative called We Will Not Keep Silent said
in a statement that the new arrival terminal that President Serzh
Sargsyan opened at a solemn ceremony on September 16 is still closed.

ERDOGAN: ASSAD WILL BE OUSTED “SOONER OR LATER”

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 26, 2011 – 14:49 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Syrian President Bashar Assad will be ousted “sooner
or later” by his own people as the time of dictatorial rule fades
around the world, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

Erdogan, in an interview on CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS” to be aired
on Sunday, October 2, maintained his stern tone towards Israel and
warned relations may “never become normal again” but he had warm
words for US President Barack Obama as Turkey rises as a diplomatic
power in the Middle East.

“You can never remain in power through cruelty. You can never stand
before the will of the people,” Erdogan said in a transcript released
by CNN on Saturday.

“This process might be extended a little bit more but sooner or
later in Syria, if people take a different decision, that decision
is going to be catered to. Such as in Egypt, such as in Tunisia,
such as in Libya. People want to be free,” The Jerusalem Post quoted
him as saying.

PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA VISITS GLENDALE
By Kelly Corrigan, [email protected]

Glendale News Press
Sept 26 2011
CA

Serzh Sargsyan made the trip to herald the arrival of nation’s new
consulate.

The president of Armenia on Sunday helped christen his nation’s new
consulate in Glendale, drawing hundreds of onlookers.

At the grand-opening ceremony for the consulate, which moved from
its Glenoaks Boulevard location to 346 N. Central Ave., Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan called on members of the Diaspora to visit
their homeland “regardless of whether they like our government or not.”

“One thing is eternal, and it’s your fatherland,” he said.

Roughly a dozen people were at the event to protest Sargsyan’s
government, police said, but no incidents were reported.

The Armenian flag was raised in Sargsyan’s honor as residents, Boy
Scouts and schoolchildren looked on from across the street. Glendale
and Los Angeles city officials mingled in the consulate’s courtyard
and sipped champagne.

“This is a double celebration for us,” Glendale City Councilman Ara
Najarian said, referring to the president’s visit and new consulate
location. “This is a very distinguished presence right on Central,
right in the heart of downtown.”

Mayor Laura Friedman also expressed gratitude for the contributions
Armenian residents have made in politics, business, education and
the arts.

“We are a far richer community due to the presence of so many Armenians
in Glendale,” she said. “As the mayor of the city that boasts one of
the largest populations of Armenians outside the Republic of Armenia,
I’m very, very proud.”

Speaking through a translator, Sargsyan thanked the United States
“for hosting our people in times that were very difficult for us,
for allowing them to settle and develop and reach prosperity here.”

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ARMENIAN MP ADVISES AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT NOT TO EXPERIMENT

news.am
Sept 26 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – In terms of the Azerbaijani President’s proposal of
“European model of autonomy” for Nagorno-Karabakh, I would advise
Ilham Aliyev not to experiment because a negotiation format exists,
Armenian MP and member of Armenia’s delegation to the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Naira Zohrabyan told
Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“There is a clear format on the negotiation table. If the Azerbaijani
President does not attempt to come up with experimental proposals every
time, the Karabakh problem would definitely be resolved,” Zohrabyan
said. She also noted that the international organizations have begun to
more emphasize the nations’ right for self-determination as paramount
and priority value specified by UN Charter. “Aliyev must reconcile with
the idea that, aside from his very much loved principle of territorial
integrity, there exists another equal international norm: the nations’
right for self-determination. And in a greater sense, it is already
time for the Azerbaijani political elite to prepare its people not
to war, but to the idea that Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence has no
alternative,” Naira Zohrabyan noted.

Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier that Azerbaijani President
stated Karabakh is the biggest issue for Azerbaijan and the conflict
threatens the region. Aliyev blamed Armenians for ethnic cleansing,
as a result of which “millions of Azerbaijanis became homeless and
refugees,” but he kept silent on hundreds of thousands of forced
Armenian refugees; the situation still continues.

I AM NOT ARMENIAN- GEORGIAN PRESIDENT

news.am
Sept 26 2011
Armenia

TBILISI. – In his interview with “Special Report” program, Georgia’s
President Mikheil Saakashvili stated that he is not Armenian and even
his mother is surprised that “no one speaks” about him not being of
Armenian descent.

“Representatives from one of Armenia’s television companies had come
for an interview. They told me they knew about my Armenian ancestry,
adding they were afraid I would have complexes in that regard. I
replied to them: ‘It would be a great honor for me to be Armenian,
but the only problem is that I am not Armenian,'” Saakashvili noted.

“There was another television program during which a Soviet-era remnant
stood up and said Saakashvili is Armenian. My mother called me and
said: ‘Why didn’t anyone there say that you are not Armenian? We are
a blend of all ethnic groups, a country with a great civilization,'”
Georgia’s President underscored, Gruzia Online news agency reports.