Author: Kajoyan Gevork

DIPLOMATS SUM UP THEIR GATHERING

ARMENPRESS
10:00, 1 September, 2011

The meeting of the central apparatus of the Armenian Foreign Affairs
Ministry and heads of diplomatic representations wrapped up its work
August 31.

MFA press office reported that the diplomats discussed the recent
developments in the Artsakh conflict settlement process, referred
to the bilateral and multilateral relations of Armenia with other
countries, touched upon the regional and international issues.

Summing up the results of the consultation Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian conveyed corresponding instructions given by the President
Serzh Sargsyan.

The participants of the meeting visited Tsitsernakaberd, paid tribute
to the victims of the Armenian Genocide. The attendees were also
received by Catholicos Karekin II.

Today the diplomats are going to give lectures “Armenia and Foreign
World” at the universities.

CATHOLICOS KATEKIN II DEPARTS FOR NKR

ARMENPRESS
15:01, 1 September, 2011

His Holiness Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II has departed
for Nagorno Karabakh on a two-day visit to attend the celebrations
dedicated to the 20th anniversary of independence of the NKR.

Holy See press department reported that the Catholicos is accompanied
with Primate of the French Diocese Archbishop Norvan Zakaryan,
Primate of the New Nakhichevan and Russian Diocese, and others.

“SHOUSHI GRAND HOTEL” OPENS IN SHOUSHI

ARMENPRESS
15:28, 1 September, 2011

President of Artsakh Republic Bako Sahakyan partook September 1 at a
solemn ceremony of opening “Shoushi Grand Hotel”, Central Information
Department of the Office of the Artsakh Republic President reported.

The NKR president considered important putting into operation a
new hotel in Shoushi, corresponding to international standards in
developing the town and turning it into a tourism centre.

Bako Sahakyan expressed his gratitude to the philanthropists from
Lebanon and the USA who financed the construction of the hotel,
underlining the nation-wide significance of consolidating the world
spread Armenians efforts for the development of Shoushi.

Head of the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Archbishop
Pargev Martirosyan, speaker of the National Assembly Ashot Ghoulyan,
prime-minister Ara Haroutyunyan, other officials, guests from Armenia
and abroad were present at the ceremony.

ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER VISITS IN GEGHARKUNIK REGION TO OBSERVE WHEAT HARVESTING

ARKA
Sep 1, 2011

YEREVAN, September 1. / ARKA /. Armenian prime minister Tigran
Sarkisian visited today a farm in the village of Lchashen in
Gegharkunik region to observe wheat harvesting. The seeds had been
earlier provided to this farm free as part of a government program
to boos grain production.

Tigran Sarkisian watched harvesting of wheat and sugar beet on a farm
belonging to Ranchpar company. He also talked with local residents.

According to Ranchpar director Onik Sargsyan, the government provided
it with 6 tons of wheat seeds on condition that it returns 12 tons
after gathering this year’s crop.

“Thanks to elite seeds we could collect an average 5 tons of wheat
per hectare, twice as much as we used to gather in the past,” he said,
adding that they used organic fertilizers to grow the crop.

Ranchpar owns 50 hectares of irrigated land cultivating sugar beets,
potatoes, cabbage, carrots and wheat..

In 2010 the government released $1.5 million for import of 1000 tons
of elite wheat seeds to ease the country’s heavy dependence on wheat
imports. The government bought another 500 tons from domestic farmers.

All 1,450 tons were distributed free among farms that have no less
than 7 hectares of land.

Officials say Armenian farmers should be able to meet more than half
of the demand already in 2013. The country annually consumes up to
650,000 tons of food grains and relies on import for nearly two thirds
of its grain consumption.

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN SAYS RURARL COMMUNITIES AND AGRIÑ~AULTURE MAKE BASIS OF COUNTRY’S DEVELOPMENT

ARKA
Sep 1, 2011

TAVUSH PROVINCE, September 1. / ARKA /. Armenia’s president Serzh
Sargsyan said today that the country’s rural communities and the
agriculture make the basis of Armenia’s development.

“I understand that many of you would like to move to the capital, but
if there is no village, there will be neither Armenia, nor Yerevan,”
he said at a meeting with residents of Voskevan village during a
symbolic opening of a new gravity irrigation system.

Sargsyan stressed that farmers should not leave their land and continue
to work because after a few years the difference between the village
and the capital will be reduced significantly. But he added this
requires a strong will and love for the land.

The irrigation system was commissioned on June 15. It was built on a
$5.4 million loan provided to Armenia by the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD).

NAGORNO-KARABAKH REPUBLIC PRESIDENT FINDS IMPROVEMENT OF LIVING STANDARDS NECESSARY

ARKA
Sep 1, 2011

YEREVAN, September 1. /ARKA/. Nagorno-Karabakh Republic President Bako
Sahakyan views improvement of living standards as one of top-priority
economic objectives.

In his interview with Nezavisimaya Gazeta, he said that especially
socially unsecured people’s lives should be improved.

The president also singled out improvement of demographic situation
and development of energy, mining, agriculture and tourism areas
among strategic objectives.

He stressed special importance of the necessity to attract investments.

“Favorable environment for investment is created here – tax laws
are quite liberal,” Sahakyan said. “Special attention is paid to
legislative ground of protection of investors’ rights.”

TWO SERVICEMEN DETAINED ON SUSPICION OF COMPLICITY IN MURDER OF AGHASI ABRAHAMYAN

arminfo
Thursday, September 1, 11:43

Two servicemen have been detained on suspicion of complicity in the
murder of serviceman Aghasi Abrahamyan. One of them is an officer.

Spokesman of Armenia’s Defense Ministry David Karapetyan says that
the Defense Ministry has sent a group of investigators to the area.

Military Prosecutor of Armenia Gevorg Kostanyan is also in Nagorno-
Karabakh.

“Armenia’s Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan personally controls the
investigation. His deputy Vladimir Gasparyan will go there too,”
says Karapetyan.

The names of the detainees have not yet been made public. “The
investigation is underway, so, we may arrest more people,” says the
Defense Ministry’s Spokesman.

A group of mothers of soldiers killed in the army will assemble in
front of the Government building on Thursday at 11:00 AM. Their slogan
will be “Army without Murderers!”

To note, a number of Facebook users have created a group demanding
that those guilty of the death of Aghasi Abrahamyan should be found
and punished. The official report by Armenia’s Defense Ministry says
that the unconscious soldier was brought to a hospital, where he
later died. The causes of the death are not specified.

Meanwhile, a number of news agencies claim that Abrahamyan is a
victim of violence in the army. The incident took place in the 7th
defensive area in Nagorno-Karabakh (better known as “Yeghnikner”
(“Deer”)). The boy’s parents say that the body of their son was all
bruised up and one of his ears was almost torn off. They warn that
they will put the pictures of the dead boy on the internet if nothing
is done to find and punish the murderer.

DEFENSE MINISTER NOT TO LEAVE ARMY MURDERERS UNPUNISHED, RA POLICE CHIEF SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 1, 2011 – 13:26 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian Police Chief, lieutenant general Alik
Sargsyan met with the parents of soldiers murdered in the army.

Speaking to the parents, who are holding a protest action in front of
the government building, Sargsyan promised them to organize a meeting
with Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan, PanARMENIAN.Net correspondent
reported from the ground.

~SMinister Ohanyan is a man of intellect and patriotism and can
openly answer your questions,~T Sargsyan emphasized. ~SThe Minister
is the first to condemn murders in the army and will not let them go
unpunished,~T he added.

Sargsyan, however, refused to comment on any of the army incidents,
alleging their being beyond his competence.

~SAn Army Without Murders~T NGO is holding protests in front of the
government building. Parents of the murdered soldiers have joined the
demonstration. They demand punishment for the accomplices in the death
of their sons and urge a meeting with Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan.

ALMA SPONSORS “KARSH IS HISTORY” DOCUMENTARY

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 1, 2011 – 14:19 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian Library And Museum of America (ALMA)
announced its sponsorship of the WGBH Channel 2 documentary titled
“Karsh Is History”.

“Karsh Is History: Yousuf Karsh And Portrait Photography” traces the
remarkable, six-decade career of Karsh, during which he made 15,312
portraits, among them some of the most celebrated figures of the
20th century.

His subjects were the great personalities of his generation:
statesmen, artists, musicians, authors, actors, and scientists –
and every American president from Roosevelt to Clinton. Karsh had a
remarkable gift of capturing their essence in an instant. Even more
impressive, Karsh shot his photographs with film, which still required
careful development and processing. One of his most famous shots was
his iconic 1941 portrait of Winston Churchill, which (like so many of
his others) appeared on the cover of Life magazine and sealed Karsh’s
place in history.

TRANSDNIESTRIAN DELEGATION VISITS NAGORNO KARABAKH

Tert.am
13:41 01.09.11

The Transdniestrian delegation headed by Moldovan Foreign Minister
Vladimir Yastrebchak has visited the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
to attend celebrations dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the
country’s independence.

On August 31, the delegation members met with NKR acting foreign
minister, Vasily Atajanian.

According to a press release by the Nagorno Karabakh’s Foreign
Office, the parties discussed issues on their countries’ social and
political agendas. They particularly addressed the Nagorno Karabakh
and Transdniestrian conflicts, reiterating their commitment to settle
them exclusively through peaceful methods.

They also considered possibilities of developing cooperation.