Author: Kajoyan Gevork

KASPERSKY LAB CEO WARNS OF GROWING NUMBER OF CYBER THREATS

October 18, 2013 – 17:20 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Yerevan is hosting a Week of Friendship with
Kaspersky Lab October 14 through 19, on the occasion of the 80th
anniversary of the State Engineering University.

Eugene Kaspersky, Chairman and CEO of Kaspersky Lab, who arrived
in Yerevan to participate in the events, attended the opening
of Kaspersky Lab Training and Certification Center at the State
Engineering University.

The Center will help bridge the gap between theoretical and practical
education. It also provides future IT security professionals with
the necessary knowledge of contemporary technologies, enabling them
to gain Kaspersky Lab certification while studying at the university.

At the event, Kaspersky welcomed the choice of Kaspersky Lab as
the main IT security provider and urged students to work harder
since they’ll have to face rigid exams to receive the Kaspersky Lab
education certificate.

Also, Kaspersky received an honorary doctorate from the State
Engineering University for his outstanding services to science.

Kaspersky and the company’s top IT security experts met representatives
of the education and the business community, as well as students from
local technical universities. They spoke about current cyber threats
in Armenia and the wider world and discussed ways to combat them.

“The number of cyber threats is constantly growing, so it is especially
important to train more experts who can combat them. The world’s
next generation of specialists needs more than just good knowledge
of the IT security field and strong practical skills – they also
need to be able to think one step ahead and come up with something
really new. I am glad to see that today’s students in Armenia are
interested in cyber security and are willing to improve and develop
in this area. And I’ll be doubly happy if Kaspersky Lab can help them
do that,” said Eugene Kaspersky.

Kaspersky Lab is the world’s largest privately held vendor of endpoint
protection solutions. The company is ranked among the world’s top
four vendors of security solutions for endpoint users. Throughout its
more than 16-year history Kaspersky Lab has remained an innovator
in IT security and provides effective digital security solutions
for large enterprises, SMBs and consumers. Kaspersky Lab, with its
holding company registered in the United Kingdom, currently operates
in almost 200 countries and territories across the globe, providing
protection for over 300 million users worldwide.

PARLIAMENTARY HEARINGS ON THE THEME “PARLIAMENTARY ETHICS: THE MP’S BEHAVIOR RULES”

17.10.2013

On October 17 the RA NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs
jointly organized parliamentary hearings by the USAID-funded Support
Program to the Armenian National Assembly (SANAP) and the Organisation
for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Yerevan Office on the
theme “Parliamentary Ethics: The MP’s Behavior Rules.”

The RA NA Vice President Hermine Naghdalyan, deputies, representatives
of the RA state bodies, local and international organizations, civil
society and experts were taking part in the hearings.

The Committee Chairman Davit Harutyunyan has informed the attendees
that during its activity the NA Committee on Ethics has received 21
applications, and 16 of them have been refused, all the materials
are posted on the NA website and are accessible for the public. Davit
Harutyunyan has introduced the functions and problems of the Committee
and noticed that problems have been emerged, which will be solved. He
expressed hope that the hearings would help to improve the legislation
of the sphere.

Rick Stapenhurst, a consultant/advisor to the governance/parliamentary
program and a Professor of Practice at McGill University’s Institute
for the Study of International Development of Canada delivered a
speech “The International Standards in the Sphere Parliamentary
Ethics and the General Tendencies of Development.” He has noticed
that during the last decades in the whole world the trust towards
the parliament decreases, except Sweden and Denmark. The reasons
are numerous: lack of democracy, change of value systems, increase
of education, etc, thus system changes are necessary to be made,
which will control the MPs’ behavior and will boost the rise of the
trust towards parliaments. According to the expert, it is necessary
to have a Behavior Code, where the MP’s behavior rules are affirmed
and in case of their violation the applying punitive measures, which
in different countries are very diverse.

John Lyon, the British expert on Parliamentary Ethics delivered a
report “The Main Principles of the Regulation: Some Issues of the
Practical Use of the Rules.” Sharing his experience and knowledge
during his activity he has said that in Great Britain, for example,
the Behavior Code is changed every 4-5 years. Its goal is to have a
strong, reliable parliament, raise the trust of the public towards
the parliament. It was noted that 6-7 countries have officially
approved Behavior Codes. The expert has noted that in the Commission
for Standards in Great Britain the cases, when the MP’s behavior
negatively reflects on the prestige of the parliament become a matter
of examination.

Armen Khudaverdyan, the member of the Ethics Commission of the RA High
Ranking Officials delivered a speech on the theme “The Declaration
of the Property and Incomes: the Practice and the Problems.”

An exchange of thoughts was conducted, and the participants presented
their recommendations and positions through their speeches and
questions.

Summing up the hearings Davit Harutyunyan noted that the hearings
went on in the atmosphere of concerned and effective debates,
recommendations were sounded, which would promote the improvement of
the legislative sphere.

BOOK PRESENTATION IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

17.10.2013

On October 17 in the RA National Assembly the presentation of the book
“Armenia: Path of Millennia” by the member of the Federal Council of
the RF Federal Assembly Rafayil Zinurov was conducted.

The NA Vice President Eduard Shahnazarov presented the author and his
work to the presentation guests. He noted that Rafayil Zinurov with
historian’s skill and thoroughness has presented the History of the
Armenian People from the ancient times until our days being a lawyer.

The author is Bashkir by his origin, however the book “Armenia: Path
of Millennia” was born from big love towards the Armenian people. Mr
Sharmazanov highlighted the fact that for the creation of his book the
author made use of the works by Movses Khorenatsi, Koryun, Yeghishe,
Movses Kaghankatvatsi.

Presenting the author the Director of the RA NAS Institute of History
Ashot Melkonyan has noted that he has written the introduction of the
book and he thinks that Rafayil Zinurov is one of the best friends
of the Armenian people, the greatest connoisseur of the History of
the Armneian People and the propagator of the Armenian civilization.

The member of the Federal Council of the RF Federal Assembly Rafayil
Zinurov talked in Armenian about his book, noting that it had been a
great honour for him to write and speak about the Armenian people. In
his word, the book which is written in verse is a gift to the Armenian
people as a sign of love. He has said that the Mountain Ararat and
the Armenian people are synonyms.

The guests has noted that Rafayil Zinurov’s book has received a great
response in the Russian Federation, and has been discussed by the
intellectuals, historians and journalists.

ARMENIA’S PM POINTS ON NEGATIVE AFTERMATH OF NOT JOINING CUSTOMS UNION

14:42, 18 October, 2013

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Joining the Customs Union will
enable Armenia to establish strategic relations with Russia on a more
fundamental platform. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia
Tigran Sargsyan stated this at the course of the meeting with the
participants of international media-forum held in Yerevan on October
17-20 under the slogan “On the Foot of Ararat”.

As reports “Armenpress” among other things the Prime Minister of
the Republic of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan underscored: “It enables us
to get rid of a number of limitations, which may arise, if Armenia
stays out of the Customs Union. Recently intensive procedures are
ongoing within the framework of the Customs Union and it will course
new limitations between the Russian and Armenian economic entities,
if we are not integrated to the Customs Union.

We cannot afford ourselves such a luxury.”

In the result of the negotiations on September 3, 2013 in Moscow
the Presidents Sargsyan and Putin confirmed the aim of the Republic
of Armenia and the Russian Federation in the direction of further
development of economic integration processes in the Eurasian
territory. In that context the President of the Republic of Armenia
Serzh Sargsyan announced about the Armenia’s decision to join the
Customs Union and the necessity of implementation corresponding steps
for that aim and in future about participating in formation of the
Eurasian economic union. The President of the Russian Federation
Vladimir Putin expressed his support to the abovementioned decision
of Armenia and informed about the readiness of the Russian side to
support the process.

ARMENIA’S ACCESSION TO CUSTOMS UNION WILL NOT HINDER ARMENIA-GEORGIA GOOD TURNOVER – AMBASSADOR

October 18, 2013 | 13:30

YEREVAN. – Georgian Ambassador said Armenia’s accession to Customs
Union is not impeding goods turnover between Armenia and Georgia.

Georgian Ambassador to Armenia Tengiz Sharmanashvili participated
in the discussion “Georgia: Presidential elections and European
Perspectives,” organized in Armenia.

He recalled that Georgia and Armenia have an agreement on free trade,
and this was pointed out by Armenian and Georgian PMs during their
recent meeting.

“The parties have stated that we have a bilateral agreement on free
trade. Therefore, nothing can interfere with normal trade regime. If
Armenia enters the Customs Union, at the bilateral level, the Armenian-
Georgian goods will move freely across our border,” Sharmanashvili
assured.

“For this, we have developed a sufficient legal framework. If something
is missing, we will work on it, but the obstacles are out of the
question. And I am sure it will be so,” the diplomat added.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

PM SARGSYAN: IF WE DO NOT JOIN CUSTOMS UNION, THIS WILL CREATE NEW BOUNDARIES BETWEEN ARMENIA AND RUSSIA

October 18, 2013 | 14:52

YEREVAN. – Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan met with the
participants in the international media forum titled “At the Foot of
Mount Ararat.”

To note, the event is held between Thursday and Sunday in capital
city Yerevan.

The PM reflected on the Armenian government’s programs and policies,
the Armenian diaspora, and the vision of the Armenian world.

In Sargsyan’s words, ensuring security is of great importance for
Armenia.

“I believe it is comprehensible why we decided to join the Customs
Union and integrate into the Eurasian economic space. This enables
[us] to build relations with Russia-our strategic partner and main
investor-on a more fundamental platform, and allows for removing
numerous limiting factors.

“And if we do not join the Customs Union, this will create new
boundaries between the business entities of Armenia and Russia. That
is why a political decision was made that the economic development
of our country must be within the framework of the Customs Union,”
Sargsyan noted.

In the Prime Minister’s words, Armenia also has deep and centuries-old
roots with Russia.

To note, following the talks that were held on September 3 in
Moscow between Armenian and Russian Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and
Vladimir Putin, Sargsyan had announced that Armenia plans to join
the Customs Union and subsequently engage in the formation of the
Eurasian Economic Union. Aside from Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan
likewise are members in the Customs Union. And in response to this
development, the European Union had stated that the signing of the
Armenia-EU Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free
Trade Area agreement is now doubtful.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

COURSE AND RESOLUTION OF POSSIBLE REGIONAL CONFLICT WILL NOT DEPEND ON ONE STATE, SAYS EURASEC INSTITUTE DIRECTOR

16:10 18/10/2013 ” POLITICS

Armenia is not forced to join the Customs Union at this very moment.

Armenia should itself decide whether or not to join the Customs Union,
Vladimir Lepekhin, Director of the EurAsEC Institute, told a news
conference on Friday.

Asked what the three CU members – Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan –
will gain from Armenia’s entry into the organization, Mr Lepekhin
said that this is, first of all, important for Armenia in view of
economic interests.

“If a regional conflict breaks out, involving Armenia, its course and
resolution will depend not on one state, but on the global player. If
Azerbaijan decides to use force against Armenia, it will not be the
decision of Baku – a global player will be behind it. This is why it
should be considered in the context of a big game,” Lepekhin said.

Source: Panorama.am

RA NA PRESIDENT HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN RECEIVES THE NATO SECRETARY GENERAL’S SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR CAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA JAMES APPATHURAI

18.10.2013

On October 18 the RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan received the NATO
Secretary General’s Special Representative for Caucasus and Central
Asia James Appathurai.

Welcoming the guest the NA President highlighted the Armenia-NATO
cooperation and Armenia’s participation in the program of Partnership
for Peace. Touching upon the RA-NATO relationship, Hovik Abrahamyan
has noted that the relations with the NATO is one of the necessary
elements of the European integration policy and the political
component of European integration continues to remain one of the
important directions of Armenia’s foreign political agenda. “Armenia
intends to maintain and develops the current rates of cooperation,
paying special attention to the implementation of the Armenia-NATO
Individual Partnership Action program, as well as its involvement in
the international peace-keeping actions with the participation of
the NATO,” the NA President said. Hovik Abrahamyan highlighted the
support shown to Armenia by the NATO, and particularly, the provided
advisory assistance, the aid displayed to the procedure of the RA Armed
Forces reforms and their continuity. Talking about the parliamentary
dimension of Armenia-NATO relationship, the NA President expressed
confidence that the cooperation with the Parliamentary Assembly
would be of continuous character for the stability in the region,
establishment of security and development of democracy.

The NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for Caucasus and
Central Asia James Appathurai has noted that the NATO is concerned
about developing and deepening the cooperation with Armenia. “The
door of the NATO is open, and we are open for cooperation and we
are ready to support Armenia in the issues of further reforms and
European integration,” Mr Appathurai. He highly assessed Armenia’s
participation in the NATO peace-keeping forces, stressed the high
level of our military readiness. The NATO Secretary General’s Special
Representative highlighted the role of the National Assembly in the
spheres of oversight, providing transparency, the reforms in the
field of defense and public awareness, as well as the cooperation
within the framework of the NATO PA.

In the course of the meeting the sides discussed other issues of
bilateral importance and touched upon the regional issues.

KRIKOR-SEVAG MEKHITARIAN TAKES FIRST PRIZE AT MOGI DAS CRUZES TOURNAMENT

14:32, 18 October, 2013

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Brazilian-Armenian chess Grand Master
Krikor-Sevag Mekhitarian became the best participant of the Mogi das
Cruzes tournament. The Chess Federation of the Republic of Armenia
informed “Armenpress” that Armenian GM Krikor-Sevag Mekhitarian
(Brazil) had no defeat, scored 6 points out of 7 and took the first
prize among 87 participants at the tournament that was held in Mogi
das Cruzes, Brazil.

Another Armenian chess player from Brazil FM Armen Proudian took the
9th place with 5 points.

Mekhitarian was born in São Paulo in 1986. He learned playing chess
from his father at the age of six. He won Brazil’s junior (U20)
championship twice, in 2003 and 2004. He became a Grandmaster-the
highest title in chess-in 2010.

Grandmaster Krikor Sevag Mekhitarian won Brazil’s chess championship
in São Paulo. Mekhitarian secured the title with seven wins, three
draws, and one loss, finishing the championship with 8.5/11 points.

Krikor-Sevag Mekhitarian takes first prize at Mogi das Cruzes
tournament

SERZH SARGSYAN OFFERS CONDOLENCES TO PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT

12:57 18/10/2013 ” SOCIETY

President Serzh Sargsyan sent a letter of condolences to President of
Philippines Benigno Aquino on the earthquake which hit the country,
leaving hundreds of innocent victims and casualties and causing
enormous devastation.

“Sharing your and Filipino people’s grief and anguish, I wish the
families of all victims tenacity and a speedy recovery to the injured,”
the letter says.

Source: Panorama.am