Author: Kajoyan Gevork

LE PRESIDENT ARMENIEN PARLE DES DEFIS ET DES OPPORTUNITES A VENIR

ARMENIE

Certaines des difficultes et des incertitudes au cours de l’annee en
cours qui ont des raisons objectives sont susceptibles de continuer
en Armenie en 2015 a declare le president armenien Serge Sarkissian
lors d’une reception pour la communaute des hommes d’affaires tenue
a l’occasion de la nouvelle annee.

Il a parle de nouvelles opportunites offertes par l’integration
eurasienne dans laquelle l’Armenie se prepare a entrer le 1er Janvier.

“Tout Etat, toute economie, meme les economies les plus puissantes
comme les Etats-Unis ou l’Union europeenne, peuvent toujours rencontrer
des difficultes. Dans les pays comme le nôtre ces difficultes peuvent
se produire plus souvent “, a declare le president Sarkissian cite
par son service de presse.

Le chef de l’Etat a souligne qu’il est important qu'”au moment de ces
difficultes que nous ne devrions pas chercher quelqu’un a blâmer ou
lui imputer la responsabilite, et si la situation se stabilise un peu,
nous ne devrions pas essayer de reclamer les lauriers pour cela.”

“Dans de telles situations, il est important que nous ne paniquions pas
et que chacun de nous continue ses fonctions. Ensuite, ces difficultes
seront plus faciles a surmonter “, a souligne le president.

Serge Sarkissian a egalement aborde les perspectives de l’economie
armenienne dans le contexte des nouveaux processus d’integration et
de l’adhesion imminente du pays dans l’Union economique eurasienne
dirigee par la Russie. Selon lui, de nouveaux processus d’integration
ouvrent de nouvelles opportunites et de nouveaux defis en meme temps.

“J’ai aucun doute que nos entrepreneurs seront competitifs et auront
aussi leur rôle dans la nouvelle union economique” a declare le
President Sarkissian.

mardi 30 decembre 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

WORLD BANK DISBURSES ARMENIAN POLICY REFORM AID

CISTran Finance
Dec 29 2014

December 29, 2014 5:00 AM
By CISTran Finance Reports

The World Bank on Tuesday disbursed a $75 million loan to the
Republic of Armenia to fund the implementation of reforms to help
its macroeconomic climate.

The reforms that are being taken on by the Republic of Armenia are
to expand opportunities to business in the country and to lessen
the regulatory burden placed on businesses. The country aims to
strengthen the business environment by improving access to credit
lines, implementing government efficiency and transparency measures,
and improving infrastructure and the management of it to foster a
more habitable commerce space.

The government also will be implementing social protections to allow
individuals less burdens in medical care in the form of waivers on
co-payments to households. The government of Armenia also plans
to scale back its regulatory inspections on business and start a
single point for customs clearance and reorganize the institutional
structure of the oversight on the aviation sector that will improve
accountability for both parties.

“Our commitment to the people and government of Armenia includes
supporting this package of reforms, which will help the Armenian
economy make the shift from an unsustainable reliance on inflows
towards export-oriented growth and a higher rate of job creation,”
said Laura Bailey, World Bank country manager for Armenia.

ARMENIA’S POPULATION NOT READY TO PAY HIGHER FARES – OFFICIAL

11:11 * 29.12.14

First Vice-Mayor of Yerevan, Head of the Fare Commission Vahe Nikoyan
agrees that the public transport situation is an indicator of the
general social situation in a country.

“Is our population ready to pay more for comfort?” Mr Nikoyan asks
in an interview with Tert.am. With the major transport problems
considered, the Yerevan Municipality is implementing mid- and
long-term programs.

“Certainly, transport has in common with everything else – from the
city’s exterior to social development.”

With respect to independent experts’ calculations, which set the
minimum fare at AMD 200 per passenger, Mr Nikoyan said:

“We have our own calculations. I can show them to you for you to see
what kind of transport you want and how much you have to pay.”

Asked about public transport reforms, the official said that major
problems are quality and new standards.

“Since standards are directly linked with fares, we have not yet
completed our survey and I cannot tell you the results. If we take
the previous standards as a basis, the fare will exceed AMD 100 per
passenger. But we think that people are not ready to pay.”

VAHAN HOVHANNESYAN TO BE BURIED AT YEREVAN CITY PANTHEON

[ Part 2.2: “Attached Text” ]

18:29 29/12/2014 >> SOCIETY

The government commission set up to organize the funeral of member
of ARF Dashnaktsutyun Bureau, Armenia’s Ambassador to Germany
Vahan Hovhannesyan met today in Yerevan, chaired by Prime Minister
Hovik Abrahamyan.

It was decided that memorial service for Vahan Hovhannesyan will be
held in St. Sargis Church in Nor Nork district of Yerevan at 5:00
pm on January 2. His body will lie in state in Komitas Chamber Music
Hall from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm on January 3. He will be laid to rest
on the same day at Yerevan City Pantheon.

Related: Armenia’s Ambassador to Germany Vahan Hovhannesyan dies

NAIRIT PLANT EMPLOYEES GATHER OUTSIDE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE

13:28 | December 29,2014 | Social

Employees of Nairit Plant have gathered outside the Presidential
Palace at Baghramyan 26 in Yerevan, demanding their unpaid salaries.

They have written a letter addressed to Serzh Sargsyan in which they
voice their proposals and solution to the salary problem.

Talking to A1+, the angered employees said the previous time when
they were holding a protest at Baghramyan 26, Serzh Sargsyan did not
receive them, though he talked to journalists.

Nairit Plant CJSC, which produces chloroprene rubber and was considered
a giant of its kind during the Soviet era, hasn’t been operating
since 2010. Only 500 of its 2500 employees work in the plant today,
others are on compulsory layoff. The plant was founded in 1940.

Nairit owes 5 milliard 768 million drams to its employees.

SEYRAN OHANYAN DIT QU’UNE REPONSE > A LA DESTRUCTION D’UN D’HELICOPTERE ARMENIEN A DEJA ETE DONNEE A L’AZERBAIDJAN

ARMENIE

La partie armenienne a fourni une reponse “disproportionnee” a
l’attaque meurtrière azerie contre son helicoptère qui avait ete
detruit le mois dernier a declare le ministre armenien de la Defense
Seyran Ohanian aux journalistes.

Un helicoptère armenien Mi-24 operant un vol d’entraînement le long
de la ligne de contact avec l’Azerbaïdjan avait ete abattu par les
troupes azerbaïdjanaises le 12 novembre.

Les trois pilotes armeniens ont ete tues a bord de l’appareil
accidente. L’Azerbaïdjan avait garde la zone où l’helicoptère s’etait
ecrase sous un feu intense pendant 10 jours ne permettant pas a l’armee
du Karabakh de s’approcher du site de l’epave. Les corps des trois
pilotes ont finalement ete recuperes grâce a une operation speciale
menee par un commando du Karabagh.

Dans l’intervalle, la partie armenienne avait promis de donner une
reponse > a l’Azerbaïdjan pour cette attaque,
mais n’avait pas revele quand et dans quelles circonstances cette
reponse serait fournie.

“Les reponses disproportionnees dans la plupart des cas sont des
secrets militaires. Tous les cas ne peuvent etre rendus publics. Cette
reponse disproportionnee a deja eu lieu, et nous avons en partie
informe le public a ce sujet” a declare le ministre Ohanyan, sans
plus de precisions.

Il a dit que l’enquete interne sur l’incident de tir contre
l’helicoptère a ete achevee et que l’Armee de defense du Karabagh et
les forces de l’ordre mènent des enquetes dans le cadre de l’affaire
penale lancee.

lundi 29 decembre 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

LA TURQUIE A LA PRESSE >, AFFIRME ERDOGAN

TURQUIE

La Turquie a la presse la plus libre du monde, a affirme vendredi le
president turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan, refutant les accusations selon
lesquelles la liberte des medias serait bafouee sous son regime. >. >, a-t-il ajoute. Ces commentaires interviennent deux
semaines après que la police a lance une operation coup de poing contre
les partisans de l’imam islamiste Fehtullah Gullen, ancien allie de
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, visant notamment le journal Zaman, l’un des
grands quotidiens turcs. Une trentaine de personnes, principalement
des journalistes, avaient alors ete arretes. L’Union europeenne a
denonce ces operations, estimant qu’elles etaient contraires > que la Turquie, qui aspire a rejoindre l’UE,
est sensee respecter. Le president turc a accuse Fehtullah Gulen,
qui vit en exil aux Etats-Unis, d’avoir orchestre l’an dernier le
lancement d’une enquete pour corruption contre les membres de son
cercle le plus proche. >
Ces declarations coïncident egalement avec la liberation vendredi
d’un lyceen de 16 ans mis en prison >
qu’il avait taxe de >, une affaire qui avait
suscite de vives protestations de l’opposition. >, a-t-il encore affirme.

lundi 29 decembre 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

HENRIKH MKHITARYAN >

FOOTBALL

Henrikh Mkhitaryan (25 ans) a decroche pour la 5ème fois le titre
de

Bundesliga – official website, Germany
Dec 28 2014

Mkhitaryan named Armenian Footballer of the Year

Yerevan – Borussia Dortmund attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan
has been named Armenian Footballer of the Year for 2014.

It’s the fourth time in a row the 25-year-old has scooped the prize –
voted for by members of the Football Federation of Armenia, as well as
the media – and fifth in total.

Mkhitaryan, who scored 12 times and laid on five assists for club and
country in 2014, is currently recovering from a thigh injury sustained
in BVB’s 1-0 defeat away to Hertha Berlin on 13 December and is
expected to return to action in February.

Honored to win Armenia’s best player award 2014 for the 5th time!
Thank you to my teammates and all my fans! pic.twitter.com/WFdqX7LTXp

ONEArmenia Partnering with ArmTab Factory for Upcoming Campaign

Friday, December 26th, 2014

Factory workers in Armenia

YEREVAN–This December, Armenia is entering a new phase of its
contemporary history. The country’s first tablet factory is opening
its doors to the public, producing domain-specific customized Android
tablets to individuals and businesses across the globe.

To mark this milestone, ONEArmenia (1A) is partnering with ArmTab
Technologies and the Orran benevolent family center to put the
factory’s first 100 tablets into the hands of 100 Armenian teens.
Through crowdfunding, 1A hopes to unite the future generation of
tablets with the future generation of young people.

The launch of these tablets are a valuable bridge into uncharted
territory on many fronts for Armenia. When Vahan Chakarian, Founder
and CEO of ArmTab Technologies, made the decision to include Armenia
in the production of customized educational tablets several years ago
through the American company called Minno, he recalled, “I told [my
colleague] that Armenia was known as the ‘Silicon Valley’ of the
Soviet Union, and to this day, has a strong IT sector with tremendous
untapped talent.”

A sign at the ArmTab factory

However, the hardware for these tablets was always purchased,
produced, and assembled in either China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Until
now, Armenia’s role had been limited to the development of software
and programming. ArmTab is the first real instance of Armenia acting
as an independent and competitive agent in the tablet industry. While
the factory still receives hardware from foreign countries, its
assembly and programming are now being done entirely in Armenia by
ArmTab’s hand-picked staff of experts.

The factory will not only provide a number of jobs to local IT
personnel in Armenia (a large portion of which are women), but it is
also setting the bar high for future factories in other industries to
emerge. Located a few steps past the Mergelyan Institute of
Mathematical Machine’s once-glorious gates, its humble exterior belies
an impressive and cutting edge interior.

Rafayel Ghasabyan, ArmTab’s Managing Director, confirms that the
factory was designed according to the highest international standards.
During its infancy, he and his colleagues visited over 20 leading
factories across the globe, selecting the best features from each and
incorporating them into ArmTab’s design.

It was important to ArmTab’s founders that the factory’s very first
tablets have an immediate impact inside Armenia. Organizers hope that
partnering with 1A will help raise awareness of the significance of
this turning point and what it means for the future. The 1A-sponsored
tablets, which have adopted the moniker 1tab, have been custom-made
specifically for the month-long campaign. Each tablet will be equipped
with educational programs and Armenian-language resources and plans
are in order to program digitized Armenian texts on the Android
operating systems. All of this will ensure the tablets’ continued
educational value, long after they have been distributed.

To support the campaign and be a part of this exciting development,
please visit 1A’s Indiegogo campaign. Together, we can teach through
technology.