Author: Kajoyan Gevork

FINANCING PROBLEMS MAY POSTPONE ARMENIAN NUCLEAR PLANT PROJECT

Interfax, Russia
June 13 2013

Financing difficulties may force Armenia to postpone construction
of a new nuclear power block for at least three-four years, Deputy
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Areg Galstyan told Interfax.

The new block was scheduled to enter service in 2019-2020, according
to previous reports.

The postponement would also move back the date for decommissioning
the existing block at the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant, which is
operating under a 30-year license that expires on September 1, 2016.

“Construction of a new atomic power block is a crucial task for the
nation’s energy security and we are trying to conduct negotiations
with investors in a conversational mode. The search for investors is
the most important issue,” he said.

Russian state corporation Rosatom, the supplier of the nuclear
equipment and systems (the “nuclear island”), will provide 50% of
the total project cost of roughly $5 billion. Other investors need to
be found for the “turbine island” and other facilities at the plant,
he said.

“Clearly we will not manage to build the new block before the service
life of the existing block expires. Therefore, a decision needs to
be made on extending the life of the block for at least three or four
years. We are synchronizing the dates for adding and withdrawing the
nuclear power station from service,” he said.

Russia and Armenia signed the agreement on construction of the new
block, which will be equipped with a 1,060-megawatt VVER reactor,
in August 2010. Armenia and Russia’s CJSC Atomstroyexport created a
50-50 joint venture, Metsamorenergoatom, to carry out the project.

The new block will be built adjacent to the existing block. In 2006,
Armenian lawmakers canceled the state’s monopoly on ownership of
nuclear power plants in order to help raise financing.

The two existing power blocks are equipped with first-generation
VVER-440 reactors. The first block is closed. The second, which
generates 407.5 MW, accounts for about 40% of Armenia’s total
electricity production.

The Metsamor nuclear plant entered service in 1980. It was shut down
in March 1989 in the wake of the Spitak earthquake that hit in December
1988. The second block was restarted in 1995.

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ONE MORE ‘OPTIMISTIC STATEMENT’ – ARMENIAN MP ON EXPECTED STATEMENT ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH

22:08 ~U 14.06.13

A joint statement by the Russian, US and French presidents at the
G8 Summit in Northern Ireland, June 17 and 18, will be one more
“optimistic statement,” Armenia’s ex-FM and Parliament member Alexander
Arzumanyan told Tert.am.

The international community has no expectations in this respect
because it is waiting for the presidential election in Azerbaijan.

“It is going to be in the spirit similar to that of Deauville and
Moscow or of all the previous statements. I do not think there will
be any essential difference,” Arzumanyan said.

The mediators are trying to intensify the Armenian-Azerbaijani
contacts.

“They achieve a number of objectives. On the one hand, they re-affirm
the Madrid principles and approve a text in the spirit of their
previous statements. On the other hand, they re-affirm the need
for a peaceful settlement and call for further top-level meetings,”
Arzumanyan said.

Chairman of the Political Scientists’ Union of Armenia Hmayak
Hovhannisyan shares Arzumanyan’s opinion. “They are trying to find
the way of breaking the stalemate in the peace process. It is clear
that the peace process is frozen now, and the Armenian and Azerbaijani
presidents are not holding meetings,” he said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

PRESSE ARMENIENNE : REVUE DU 13 JUIN 2013

Publie le : 14-06-2013

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
presente cette Revue de Presse parue sur le site de l’Ambassade de
France en Armenie le 14 juin 2013.

Ambassade de France en Armenie

Revue de la presse armenienne du 13 juin 2013

I. Politique interieure

1. Le PM dement categoriquement avoir des parts dans une societe
offshore enregistree a Chypre/L’ensemble de la presse rend compte
de la session de l’AN qui a tourne a la dispute entre le PM Tigran
Sarkissian et les deputes d’opposition, ceux-ci l’interrogeant sur une
recente publication de presse accusant le PM de posseder des interets
dans une societe offshore. Celui-ci, qui a saisi le Parquet general
contre les auteurs de cet article, a categoriquement nie tout lien
avec une societe offshore qualifiant ces informations ” d’absurdes “.

Il a dit parfaitement savoir, en qualite d’ancien President de la
Banque centrale, ce qu’est un compte offshore ou le blanchiment
d’argent et surtout que l’on peut enregistrer une societe au nom
d’autrui, sans que celui-ci le sache… Il a voulu voir dans cette
polemique une tentative de porter atteinte a son image. Il a, dans ce
contexte, rappele avoir ete a l’origine des amendements legislatifs
preconisant la declaration officielle, par les personnalites haut
placees, de leur patrimoine.

Les quotidiens rapportent par ailleurs les critiques de plusieurs
elus, dont des partis Armenie prospère et Dachnak, a l’encontre du
Gouvernement, de la “faillite” de sa politique economique et des
statistiques de croissance ” gonflee “.

2. Les habitants de Erevan payeront-ils moins pour l’eau a partir
du 7 juillet ?/ Selon Hayots Achkhar et Hayastani Hanrapetoutioun,
la societe “Yerevan Djur” (filiale de Veolia en charge de
l’approvisionnement en eau de la capi tale) a saisi la Commission de
regulation des services publics pour lui demander de ramener, a partir
du 7 juillet, le prix de l’eau de 174 drams a 166 drams le mètre cube.

Selon Arminfo , cette baisse s’inscrit dans le cadre des engagements
contractuels de Veolia, qui, d’ici 2016, doit proceder a une baisse
des tarifs de l’eau.

3. Le President Sarkissian est en conge/ Durant cette periode il
participera, le 20 juin, au sommet du PPE en Autriche. / Hayots Achkhar

II. Relations exterieures

1. Une compagnie d’energie americaine est susceptible d’acquerir
trois grandes centrales hydroelectriques en Armenie/ La societe
ContourGlobal basee a New York a declare qu’elle etait en train
de negocier avec le Gouvernement armenien la reprise des centrales
construites le long de la rivière Vorotan dans la region du Siounik.

Selon elle, cet investissement est urgent compte tenu de l’âge des
centrales. Selon RFE/RL, il s’agit de la plus grande installation de
production d’energie avec une capacite operationnelle de 400 megawatts,
presque aussi importante que celle de la centrale nucleaire de Medzamor
qui fournit environ 40% de la production d’electricite armenienne.

RFE/RL relève que le Ministère armenien de l’Energie a refuse de
commenter la future prise de contrôle des centrales par ContourGlobal.

Le Ministre Armen Movsisian n’a toutefois pas nie la privatisation
imminente des centrales. /RFE/RL

2. Le president en exercice de l’OSCE en Armenie les 19 et 20 juin/Le
Ministre ukrainien des AE, assumant la presidence de l’OSCE, Leonid
Kozhara, se rendra en Armenie dans le cadre d’une visite regionale
dans le sud Caucase du 17 au 20 juin.

3. Le pays le plus pacifique de la region/Dans un rapport ” Global
Peace Intex 2013″ de l’Universite de Sidney, l’Armenie occupe la 98
ème place parmi 162 pays (une amelioration de 17 points par rapport
a l’annee dernière) devancant ainsi les pays voisins (l’Azerbaïdjan
est 126 ème, la Turquie 134 ème et la Georgie 139 ème). Sont pris
en compte le niveau des equipements militaires, la securite et les
conflits internes et externes des pays. /Hayots Achkhar, Hayastani
Hanrapetoutioun, Jamanak

III. Questions regionales

1. Un homme d’affaires armenien tue a Moscou Il s’agit de l’un des
frères Mouradian proprietaires de l’une des plus grandes societes de
construction ” BAMO “. Il est le frère de l’Ambassadeur d’Armenie
en Irak. Il a ete poignarde devant un hôtel. Les medias avancent
comme principal motif du meurtre les activites professionnelles de
la victime. / Azg, Haykakan Jamanak

IV. France-Armenie

1. Le Ministre des Finances et l’Ambassadeur de France ont signe deux
accords/Azg, Arminfo et Armenpress font etat de la signature, par le
nouveau Ministre des Finances, Davit Sarkissian, et l’Ambassadeur de
France, accompagne du Chef du Service economique du Sud-Caucase, M.

Daniel Patat, de deux accords de cooperation economique et
financière portant, l’un sur la poursuite de la realisation du projet
d’amelioration des eaux de Erevan dans le cadre d’un financement
confessionnel francais de 25 millions d’euros, le second ouvrant des
facilites financières par l’Agence Francaise de Developpement pour un
montant total de 500 000 euros, qui permettront la realisation d’etudes
de faisabilite de projets cibles dans les secteurs de l’agriculture et
de l’amelioration de l’accès a l’eau potable. En marge de la signature
de ces accords, le Ministre et l’Ambassadeur se sont entretenus des
perspectives macroeconomiques de l’Armenie pour les annees a venir,
de la reforme fiscale et de l’amelioration des procedures douanières.

Redaction : Meri Hakobian

Retour a la rubrique

Source/Lien : Ambassade de France en Armenie

NO HOPE-INSPIRING INVESTIGATION INTO GORIS INCIDENT – OPPOSITION ARMENIAN MPS

17:44 ~U 14.06.13

Given the current developments, Zaruhi Postanjyan, an MP from the
Heritage party, cannot believe that the persons actually guilty of
the deadly incident in Goris on the night of June 2 will be punished.

“If we follow the reports by the prosecutor’s office, I do not think
the crime will be solved in a way clear to society. We do not see
any hope-inspiring investigation,” she told journalists on Friday.

Armen Rustamyan, an MP from the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D), believes that all those guilty must be punished
irrespective of who or what they are.

“This is the result of the authorities’ reproduction, when some think
they can do whatever they want,” he said.

“The Syunik region has always been notorious for its ‘high reproduction
rates.’ We see those serving for a long period turning into evil to
the people,” he said.

“We must realize the fact that such a great amount of arms and
ammunition was found. They can form their own armies,” Rustamyan said.

The ARF-D group proposed a bill to regulate the field, but its
discussion has been put off.

“The problem needs a comprehensive solution. We must say ‘enough’
and ‘everyone is equal before law’,” Rustamyan said.

This Is Anfield, UK
June 15 2013

Henrikh Mkhitaryan move to Liverpool looking `increasingly optimistic’

By This Is Anfield on June 15, 2013

Highly rated Armenian international midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s
link with a move to Liverpool this summer is growing stronger by the
day.

This morning’s (Saturday) Guardian claim Liverpool are `increasingly
optimistic’ about reaching a deal.

Mkhitaryan scored 25 goals from his attacking midfield position of
Shakhtar Donetsk in the Ukranian Premier League last season.

The Guardian’s Andy Hunter reports, `an approach is believed to have
been made and Anfield officials are hopeful about concluding the
signing.’

Mkhitaryan could be seen as a big `marquee signing’ by Liverpool’s
owners and will cast more speculation on the future of Luis Suarez,
who has hinted he may pursue a transfer to Real Madrid.

However, Chris Bascombe, formerly of the Liverpool Echo and now of the
Telegraph also picks up the story this morning saying

Initially, there were suggestions Liverpool would have to fund such a
move with the proceeds of the sale of Luis Suárez, but that is not the
case.

Indeed, the club is prepared to sign a player they have coveted in the
hope it will convince the Uruguayan to remain on Merseyside, although
that remains an optimistic hope at this stage given Suárez’s public
comments asserting a desire to move to Real Madrid.

Meanwhile Andy Carroll is still locked in negotiations to complete his
move to West Ham, after the Hammers agreed a £15.5million deal to make
his season-long loan spell at Upton Park permanent.

Liverpool this week agreed a £7.7million deal to sign Celta Vigo
striker Iago Aspas, whilst Manchester City defender Kolo Toure will
also arrive at the club this summer.

Related Stories:

Armenian health authorities warn tourists heading to Georgia against
catching measles

YEREVAN, June 14. /ARKA/. Armenian medical authorities said no cases
of measles were reported in the country, but warned the citizens
planning to spend their vacations in the neighboring Georgia, against
the threat of catching the disease.

Gayane Sahakyan, head of the national public immunization program of
the ministry of health, told ARKA the epidemiological situation was
under control and no cases of imported disease were reported.

According to the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health
of Georgia, the number of people infected with measles reached 4,611
people, of which 1,308 were hospitalized because of complications.
An 11-month child was reported to have died of the illness.

Sahakyan said people older than 34 planning to spend vacations in
Georgia are at risk. A massive vaccination of Armenian citizens in
2007 involved citizens of up to 28 years, she explained.

“We advise all travelers to be vaccinated against measles at least
four weeks before the trip,” she said.

Ms. Sahakyan denied rumors that all people crossing the border from
Georgia into Armenia are subject to mandatory vaccination against
measles , saying the authorities have only stepped up control for
early detection of persons with symptoms of the disease to prevent its
spread.

Measles (also known as rubeola is an infection of the respiratory
system caused by avirus, specifically a paramyxovirus of the genus
Morbillivirus.

Morbilliviruses, like other paramyxoviruses, are enveloped,
single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses. Symptoms include fever,
cough, runny nose, red eyes and a generalized, maculopapular,
erythematous rash. Measles is spread through respiration (contact with
fluids from an infected person’s nose and mouth, either directly or
through aerosol transmission), and is highly contagious – 90% of people
without immunity sharing living space with an infected person will
catch it. -0-
– See more at:

Russian expert says Kremlin content with Karabakh status quo

21:14 – 15.06.13

Russia’s somewhat passive stance on the continuing status quo over
Nagorno-Karabakh is apparently explained by the Kremlin’s content with
the current situation, according to Igor Dmitriev, a prominent Russian
analyst and political commentator.

In an interview with Vesti.az, the expert said that he doesn’t think
any other decision would satisfy Russia in the present circumstances.

`I think the Kremlin, in general, is content with the current
situation, with Russia being a key mediator in the Karabakh conflict
settlement talks as a co-chairing country of the OSCE Minsk Group. No
decision on the question will leave either of the conflicting sides
satisfied at the current stage,’ he said.

Dmitriev added that in case of a new war in the region, Russia will
undertake Armenia’s protection in pursuance to its commitments under a
2010 agreement on the Russian military base on Armenia’s territory and
the amendments to a 1995 bilateral deal.

Asked whether he thinks a resolution possible in the foreseeable
future, the Russian analyst said that the scenario is absolutely
likely in the light over the recent exacerbations around Iran.

`The western position on Nagorno-Karabakh – particularly by the United
States and Turkey – has become clearer over the recent period; they
are asking Armenia to make unilateral concessions. Secretary of State
John Kerry said the US is not satisfied with the status quo. In return
for giving up ambitions for Karabakh, Armenia is offered an
elimination of the economic blockade by Turkey, a quite attractive
plan for Yerevan. And the West too, will strengthen its influence in
the South Caucasus region in that case, which is strictly necessary in
the context of a possible launch of attack against Iran,’ he
explained.

Armenian News – Tert.am

Shevchuk ready to give concert in Nagorno-Karabakh

June 15, 2013 – 18:51 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The vocalist of famed Russian rock band DDT Yuri
Shevchuk dubbed `Armenia-Russia-friendship-love’ as the band’s policy.

Asked if the absence of the invitation was the reason he didn’t visit
Armenia in the past years, Shevchuk said he might have visited the
country without it.
He further expressed a wish to meet representatives of the Armenian
rock, noting it as one of the key goals of his visit.

Dwelling on the concert scheduled for June 16, the singer said the
event will feature modern rock performances.

Asked about giving a concert in Nagorno Karabakh, Shevchuk said he was
not concerned about Baku’s reaction, as he is not afraid of anything.

Armenian Red Cross Society to allocate 100 million AMD to
hail-affected communities

11:15, 14 June, 2013

YEREVAN, JUNE 14, ARMENPRESS: The Armenian Red Cross Society will
allocate 100 million AMD to the population of the hail-affected
communities. As Armenpress was reported by the ARCS Press Department,
the Armenian Red Cross Society launched very serious activities to
provide humanitarian aid to the hail-affected communities. About 100
million AMD or 224,400 Swiss Francs were transferred to provide 4,000
people from 14 communities with packages with food and hygienic
products.

Every package of the humanitarian aid is to satisfy the needs of the
hail-affected families for three months. The distribution of the
humanitarian aid will be carried out since the first week of July
2013.

The heavy hail, fell in the Republic of Armenia on May 12-17, caused
great damages to 46 communities of the Armavir Marz. According to the
reports of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Armenia and
the Consequences Evaluation Commission of the Emergency Situations of
the Armavir Marz, the fields and gardens of 46 communities were
damaged fully or partially. 12,800 families suffered from the hail and
the average sum of the damages makes about 25,268,56 billion AMD or 60
million USD.

The Armenian Red Cross Society is a humanitarian organization with the
mission to reduce vulnerability of the population through mobilization
of the power of humanity, to be prepared to cope with situations,
which may cause vulnerability among the population, to provide
essential support by assisting people made vulnerable by harsh
socio-economic conditions.

The primary goal of the Armenian Red Cross Society is to prevent and
alleviate human suffering, regardless of nationality, race, gender,
religious, class affiliation and political views.

Rouhani’s success in Iran presidential poll was due to Arefi’s
withdrawal and support from former presidents – expert

15:06 – 15.06.13

Hassan Rouhani’s success in Iran’s presidential election was due to
former candidate Reza Arefi, who pulled out of race in his favor, as
well as the former presidents, Mohammad Khatami and Akbar Hashemi
Rafsanjani, who backed him in the course of the campaign. says an
Armenian expert specialized in Iranian studies.

Speaking to Tert.am, a researcher at the National Academy’s Oriental
Studies Institute, Gohar Iskandaryan, explained that Rouhani won the
votes of those Iranian citizens who were either eager to have a
reformist leader or wished to see Rashasnjani in the president’s role,
or were otherwise discontent with the situation in the Islamic
Republic.

`Besides, Rouhani also received votes from those Iranian citizens who
wished Iran to start negotiations with the West, because his campaign
focused on the idea of conducting talks with the west and thus
reducing the sanctions’ format. They will be able in this way to
improve Iran’s economy a little bit,’ she said, adding that Rouhani
had proposed long- and short-terms plan for healing the country’s
economy.

Tert.am had earlier cited expert opinions as saying that the race for
the Iranian president’s post will see tough struggle between Rouhani
(who supports reforms) and one of the conservative candidates.
Specialists predicted a run-off scenario, expecting none of them would
to cross the necessary 50% threshold.

The 11th presidential election in Iran saw a campaign among six
candidates, including Ali Akbar Velayeti (ex-foreign minister and an
advisor to the country’s supreme religious leader), Mohammad Bagher
Ghalibaf (who is the mayor of Tehran), Mohsen Rezee (secretary of the
Expediency Discernment Council ), Hassan Rouhani (director of the same
council), Mohammad Gharrazi (ex-minister of communication) and Saeed
Jalili (secretary of Supreme National Security Council).

If a final vote tabulation reveals that Rouhani has garnered over 50%
of votes, he will be declared the country’s president in the first
round. The preliminary vote results place Ghalibaf (18.22%) and Jalili
(18.22%) as the second and third candidates, respectively.

Iskandaryan noted that the Tehran Mayor has also stood out with his
work over the past years, especially in the development sector
(hospitals, roads and schools were built in Iran’s capital under him).

`And he promised to recover Iran’s economy in two years. His
management [talent] is very good. And it is, in major part, focused on
Tehran,’ he said, noting that Ghalibaf, the other candidate with a
majority votes, is mostly favored by the youth whose problems are
under his permanent spotlight.

It is noteworthy that Iranian presidential elections are not monitored
by International observers. Asked how theorists decide whether the
polls met the democracy standards, the experts said they normally base
their evaluations on local or foreign materials.

Iran’s former president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, won his new term in
office in the 2009 presidential elections .

Speaking further on the electoral developments in the country,
Iskandaryan said she doesn’t rule out the possibility of frauds..

`Irregularities are quite likely,’ she said noting that the election
frauds in disclosed 2009 caused the authorities to declare ballot
boxes invalid and conduct a new voting.

The expert said further that she doesn’t expect Armenia’s southern
neighbor to change its foreign policy course given that a huge power
is exercised by the country’s supreme religious leader, who is the
second after the president.

`As it [the foreign policy] is determined by the religious class –
under the leadership of the supreme patriarch – and implemented by the
Foreign Ministry and naturally with the knowledge and under the
guidance of the president, it remains the same,’ she added.