Author: Kajoyan Gevork

OFFICIAL SAYS RUSSIAN WARHEADS FUEL HALF OF U.S. NUCLEAR POWER

October 10, 2013 – 10:13 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Decommissioned Russian warheads are fueling
“approximately half of the nuclear energy in the United States,”
a senior U.S. State Department official said Wednesday, Oct 9,
according to RIA Novosti.

“Over the past 15 years, nuclear fuel from this source has accounted
for approximately 10 percent of all electricity produced in the United
States,” U.S. Acting Under Secretary of State for Arms Control Rose
Gottemoeller told a United Nations committee in New York.

Under a landmark 1993 nonproliferation deal, the United States has
purchased uranium derived from around 20,000 Russian nuclear warheads
eliminated under the accord – informally known as the “Megatons to
Megawatts” program – and converted the material into nuclear fuel to
be used by nearly all U.S. nuclear power plants, Gottemoeller told
the committee.

A final shipment of low-enriched uranium derived from 500 metric tons
of highly-enriched uranium from Russian weapons is set to be loaded
onto ships in St. Petersburg next month in the presence of U.S.

officials and delivered to the United States, she said.

“We will meet again in the United States when that ship delivers this
important cargo in December,” Gottemoeller said. “We look forward to
jointly celebrating this historic achievement.”

In her remarks to the committee, Gottemoeller praised bilateral
nonproliferation efforts between the two countries but said what has
been accomplished “is not enough.”

“The United States and Russian Federation still possess over 90
percent of the nuclear weapons in the world, and it is time we move
beyond Cold War postures,” she said.

U.S. President Barack Obama said in a speech in Berlin in June that he
would negotiate to cut another one-third of U.S. and Russian nuclear
arsenals and seek “bold reductions in U.S. and Russian tactical
weapons in Europe.”

Russian officials at the time expressed doubts about the proposed
cuts, but Gottemoeller said Wednesday that Washington will “pursue a
treaty” with Moscow on negotiated cuts in the two sides’ respective
nuclear arsenals.

Since the New START nuclear disarmament treaty entered into force in
February 2011, the United States and Russia have exchanged more than
5,000 treaty notifications providing the two sides “day-to-day updates
on the status of each others’ nuclear forces,” Gottemoeller said.

“These are joined by the 97 on-site inspections that we have now
conducted under New START, which give us even more insights into
each others’ nuclear forces, thus enhancing predictability for both
countries,” she said.

The New START Treaty was signed by Obama and former Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev in April 2010 and was held up by both sides as the
centerpiece of their vaunted campaign to “reset” rocky US-Russian
relations. Hawkish U.S. lawmakers have criticized Obama for signing
the pact.

The respected Federation of American Scientists (FAS) said in a blog
post on its website last week that in the past six months, the United
States has increased its deployed nuclear forces and is moving slowly
to implement the New START nuclear disarmament treaty even as Russia
cuts its own forces well beyond treaty limits.

UNION OF ARMENIANS OF ISRAEL LAUNCHED CENSUS OF ARMENIAN POPULATION

October 10, 2013 – 14:00 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Union of Armenians of Israel Ararat launched
a census of the country’s Armenian population.

The census aims at further unification of the Armenian community,
with data collected not to be published.

“Armenian communities worldwide are a force to be reckoned with –
in public and political sectors as well. Let this census become the
first step towards its further unification,” the Union of Armenians
of Israel said in a statement.

Armenian Diaspora refers to communities of Armenians living outside
the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh. The total
Armenian population living worldwide is estimated to be over10,000,000.

Of those, approximately 3 million live in Armenia, and 7,000,000 in
Diaspora (with the largest populations centered in Russia, the United
States, France, Argentina, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Turkey, Canada,
Ukraine, Greece, and Australia). About 20000 live in Jerusalem.

Most Armenians in the Diaspora are not from the Republic of Armenia
but from Western Armenia (modern day Eastern Turkey), mainly those
who descended from the survivors of the Armenian Genocide.

LONDON TO HOST EVENT ON KARABAKH CONFLICT

October 10, 2013 – 13:44 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Foreign Policy Centre Westminster Seminar event
in London, supported by the European Friends of Armenia (EFoA), will
take stock of the current situation in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

The impact of 2013 Presidential election cycle in Armenia and
Azerbaijan, coupled with end of a period of Russian shuttle diplomacy
under former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev have contributed to a
period of inertia in efforts to resolve the conflict. Although the
OSCE’s long-running Minsk process has helped prevent a return to
war, it has not yet made significant progress in moving the parties
in the conflict towards a peaceful resolution, the EFoA said in a
press release.

The seminar will look at what opportunities exist in the new
negotiation cycle and at the possibilities for reform of the Minsk
Group to improve its effectiveness. Speakers are asked to consider
the role of both the EU and the UK in working to support conflict
prevention and progress in the peace process.

The seminar will look at the current situation in Armenia, Azerbaijan
and Nagorno Karabakh regarding attitudes to the conflict and some
of the continuing challenges including levels of military spending,
conditions in the armed forces, IDPs and refugees.

The event will discuss the role of people to people contact in
peace-building, looking at the work done by local and international
NGOs and the response of the governments in the region to such
initiatives. It will examine recent sources of tension between the
parties from the proposed re-opening of the airport in Karabakh to
the axe-killer Ramil Safarov affair, looking at how the international
community can help to reduce tensions.

The speakers are: Ambassador Philippe Lefort, the EU Special
Representative (EUSR) for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia;
Dr Laurence Broers, who joined Conciliation Resources as Caucasus
Projects Manager in November 2008. Before this he worked for more
than two years at Amnesty International as a researcher on Armenia
and Azerbaijan; Dr Michael Kambeck, co-founder of European Friends
of Armenia and its Secretary General; Craig Oliphant OBE, currently
a Senior Advisor on Europe & Central Asia at the London-based NGO
Saferworld; Con Coughlin, the Daily Telegraph’s Defense Editor and a
world-renowned expert on global security and terrorism issues; Gemma
Doyle MP, a Shadow Defense Minister, who was elected as the Member
of Parliament for her hometown seat of West Dunbartonshire in May 2010.

CATHOLICOS GAREGIN II TO CONSECRATE YEKATERINBURG CHURCH

11:10, October 10, 2013

Catholicos Garegin II will travel to the Russian city of Yekaterinburg
to consecrate the St. Karapet Armenian Apostolic Church.

The construction of the church was sponsored by Masis Nazaryan,
president of the local Armenian community organization.

MATT ANDERSSON. “MY FRIENDS ASK ME, AND WHERE IS THE OLD CITY?”

October 9 2013

Swedish freelancer (freelance journalist) Matt Andersson has a
unique hobby. Once or twice a year, he takes a tourist group of his
acquaintances-friends to Georgia and Armenia. The route mainly is as
follows: landing in Tbilisi, 5-day trip to Georgia, then to Armenia,
five days trip in our country and return back to Sweden from Yerevan.

Matt was the first time in Yerevan twelve years ago. I asked him
how Yerevan is changed. He says that it has changed a lot. “To the
best or the worst?”, I asked. “Well, how can I tell, – says Matt,
– Yerevan has become a modern European city. A very nice, but a
standard city. I love Yerevan very much, it’s not the matter, but
over the years I’ve noticed how it is becoming more and more modern
by losing the coloring. The members of my group say, well, now let’s
go to see the old city, where is the old city, and I have no answer
to them.” Matt emphasizes that because of their route, willy-nilly
all compared Tbilisi and Yerevan, and noting that Yerevan is more
modern and developed, they notice that the coloring of Tbilisi,
especially, in the last few years, renovated and new breath received
Old Tbilisi, makes the city unique. “Yerevan has a very beautiful
old precinct, the private houses behind the hill of Saryan street,
only it needs to be renovated a little bit, and an investment, and
it will become a favorite place for tourists,” says Matt. And when I
informed him that this precinct, Kond, is a territory on sale, and
these old houses should be demolished, building a new one instead,
Matt’s eyes became rounded surprisingly. It seemed to him that I did
not understand me correctly, I repeat my words for several times,
and then perplexed Matt was able to ask, why, when I explain that
our government does not like any old thing, and considers any old
building over ten-twenty years subject to demolition, Matt, hardly
recovering his ability to talk, asks, “But, don’t they understand
that it is your wealth? After all, it’s your history, it is much
more expensive than any newly built building. All we need is to
polish this precious diamond, and not to throw away because of being
dusty.” I remind Matt about his visit some six or seven years ago,
when the North Avenue was just being built. At that time, there was
an architect and film director in his group. When we were passing
along the dark and newly built constructions, but still not inhabited
buildings of North Avenue, they simultaneously cried: “we seem to be
in an Italian neorealizm films.” Matt is laughing and saying that now
the North Avenue is not former inanimate skeleton anymore, and has got
a bit of flesh and blood. “I see that young people like this district
very much, it is very important that it becomes a history, a memory,
and a treasure. But, to build the new one by demolishing the old one
that has life and history, is incomprehensible and incredible.” Matt
says that his favorite part in Yerevan is the Republic Square. “This
square is the most beautiful squares he has ever seen, and I can
stay here for hours, to look at the square surrounding buildings,
listen to the singing fountains,” says Swedish journalist and notes
that one of the characteristics of Yerevan is the presence of numerous
cafes and restaurants “and everywhere the food is very delicious.” He
also says that he does not like the appearance of standard European
store networks in Yerevan: our city becomes more and more alike other
European cities, but realizes that “Yerevan residents also have the
right to have such stores.”

Melania BARSEGHYAN

Read more at:

NEW TWIST IN US BAN ON ARMENIAN CHEESE

October 10, 2013 | 03:59

YEREVAN. – There is a new twist in the story with respect to the
recent banning of Armenia’s Lori-type cheese in the United States.

The head of a private laboratory in Armenia told Armenian News-NEWS.am
that one of the two companies, whose product was banned by the US
Food and Drug Administration (FDA), had applied to his laboratory to
have its next quantity examined, and the results came out negative.

To note, however, the Armenian Agriculture Ministry State Service
on Food Safety conclusion, in accordance with which the company had
exported the cheese to the US, was positive.

When the FDA banned the import of this cheese on September 13, the
State Service on Food Safety had noted in its clarification that is
not responsible for problems risen during the import.

To note, the conclusions of the private and the state-run laboratories
referred to the product of the same company.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

HRAPARAK: WHO WILL REPLACE VAHAN HOVHANNISYAN AS MP?

11:11 10/10/2013 ” DAILY PRESS

According to ARF Dashnaktsutyun, Vahan Hovhannisyan’s appointment as
Ambassador to Germany will take a long time, Hraparak reports.

Nevertheless, discussions take place over the candidate who will
replace Hovhannisyan as an MP. The most likely candidate, Aramais
Grigoryan, in all probability will be appointed governor. Mikayel
Manukyan is the next candidate. According to the paper, he will reject
that opportunity and will cede the seat to Karen Shahmuradyan, who
is the business partner of Andranik Manukyan, Ambassador of Armenia
to Ukraine.

Source: Panorama.am

ARMENIA REFUSED NPP AND SATELLITE NOT TO HURT RUSSIANS

Armenia could have cooperated with the United States over the
construction of a new nuclear reactor, communication satellite project,
civil aviation, said the ex-charge d’affaires to the United States,
ex-head of the Military and Political Department of the Armenian
Foreign Ministry, Washington-based political scientist Armen Kharazyan
says.

“This is not imagination, all the mentioned issues have been
considered with the United States over the past 15 years but Armenia
has continuously avoided proceeding with these matters and entering
into deals with the Americans. The reason, I think, was psychological
(Cold War stereotypes, reluctance to “hurt” Russians),” he noted,
adding that as a result no serious project has been implemented in
Armenia by any serious American company,” the newspaper reports.

10:59 10/10/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

DONORS POSTPONED DISBURSEMENTS FOR CITY HALL PROJECTS

One of the issues on the agenda of the extraordinary meeting of the
Council of Elders of Yerevan was the budget cuts.

According to the draft decision, estimates will be reduced by
9,275,721,500 drams as international donors postpone disbursements. A
cut of 3,748,495,000 drams is under the project of reconstruction of
the underground financed by EBRD, European Neighborhood Investment
Facility and the European Investment Bank. According to the City
Hall, two of the three projects of the second phase of the program
of underground reconstruction will be moved to the next year because
the sum agreed during the negotiations with the EIB and ENIF will be
disbursed after signing the grant agreement with the ENPI expected
to take place in October 2013.

4,388,943,400 drams was cut under the Urban Infrastructure and
Sustainable Urban Development Investment Program funded by the Asian
Development Bank. The City Hall explains that the project has been
partly moved to next year due to the advisor’s failure to meet the
deadlines and incorrect planning of estimates.

Technical assistance to water supply and drainage supported by the
French government has been postponed as well, resulting in another cut
of 896,923,300 drams. The City Hall explains the move of estimates
by the procedures of the French side which has officially notified
the government.

10:17 10/10/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

L’UNIVERSITE FRANCAISE DU VIN SUZE LA ROUSSE POURRAIT OUVRIR UNE REPRESENTATION EN ARMENIE

ARMENIE

L’Universite francaise des vins ” Suze la Rousse ” pourrait ouvrir
une representation en Armenie a annonce, Mekhak Apresian, chef du
departement d’un ministère de l’economie traitant des questions du
tourisme et du developpement regional.

Il a dit qu’une delegation conduite par le Directeur de l’Universite
Rene Payan est en visite en Armenie et devrait discuter avec les
autorites armeniennes des formes de cooperation.

La delegation francaise a rencontre les dirigeants de l’Universite
Agraire d’Armenie afin de se pencher sur les chances d’instaurer
une cooperation dans le domaine de la formation et du recyclage des
specialistes de la viticulture mais aussi des sommeliers et autres
specialistes dans le domaine.

La delegation de l’universite francaise est arrive en Armenie pour
participer a la cinquième fete traditionnelle du vin, qui s’est tenu
du 4 au 6 octobre dans trois collectivites d’Armenie – Rind, Areni
et Yeghegnadzor.

jeudi 10 octobre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com