Author: Kajoyan Gevork

SOUTH CAUCASUS RAILWAYS EXPANDS COOPERATION WITH ARMENIAN COMPANIES

YEREVAN, March 19. / ARKA /. The South Caucasus Railway, a
Russian-controlled company operating Armenia’s railroads said as
part of its strategy of supporting and expanding domestic production,
last year it bought 3.65 billion drams worth goods and services from
35 Armenian companies. For comparison, in 2011 it bought 2 billion
drams worth goods and services.

The bulk of purchased goods are railway equipment, fuel, oil and
lubricants, clothing and footwear, spare parts necessary to ensure
the safe and smooth operation of the facility, it said.

“The South Caucasus Railway’s major requirement is quality. Thus,
it terminated contracts with three companies which broke the contract
terms by delivering products of lower quality,” it said in a statement.

It said also steady development of the facility leads to an increase in
purchases of goods and services. This growth, in turn, is instrumental
for suppliers which provide permanent jobs to their employees.

In addition the company supports small and medium-sized businesses,
facilitating their access to international markets.

Armenian Railways was handed over to the South Caucasus Railways on
February 13, 2008 for 30-year concession management with a right to
prolong the management term for other 10 years. -0-

DAVIT SAFARYAN WINS EUROPEAN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS GOLD

March 19, 2013 – 19:38 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian wrestler Davit Safaryan (66 kg) won the
European Championships gold, having beaten Turkish contender Yakup
Gor in finals.

To perform at the Tbilisi-hosted championship 1/16 final on March 20
are Armenia’s Mihran Jaburyan (55 kg) and Narek Sanoyan (60 kg).

THE FAMILY OF DEPENDENT CHILDREN MAY STAY WITHOUT SHELTER AT ANY POINT.

Tuesday, 19 March 2013 16:42

The single mother has been living with her children in other people’s
house for 20 years but today the flat owners demand that the family
should leave the flat and she does not know where and how she must
leave with her three under-age children. The other three children
don’t leave with her, the two daughters have been married and the
son is in Russia.

Now 46-year-old Anzhela Hambardzumyan together with her three under-age
children lives in a two-room apartment in Hadrout region which is
deprived of all the housing conveniences. I have been applying to
different state agencies as well as to the President for the solution
of my housing problem but, as you see, I am still in this awkward
flat where my children keep getting ill because of the dampness of
the house,” Mrs. Anzhela says sorrowfully.

The single mother who has to take care of the whole family says that
her monthly income of 54.000 drams does not suffice even half of the
month. That is why they have got into debts of 500.000 drams.

The family is sometimes financially supported by Anzhela’s mother.

As the lady of the house says at the end of winter when they have no
wood for fire they have to go to the ravine to gather some wood not
to stay in the cold.

The fourth child in the family, 11-year-old Christian, whose single
pair of shoes has already been worn and torn out, has only one dream
as opposed to his contemporaries. He dreams of growing older in order
to help his mother and take care of his two younger sisters.

Up till that the Arushanyans’ family will continue living with the
fear of staying without shelter one day.

Tatevik Khachatryan

JOINT OPPOSITION HEADQUARTERS COULD BE REAL THREAT TO RULING REGIME – POLITICAL ANALYST

NEWS.AM
March 19, 2013 | 14:25

YEREVAN.- A joint opposition headquarters could become a real threat
to the ruling regime, political analyst Yervand Bozoyan said.

This is reason why authorities rushed to stick negative labels to
the idea, even calling it “Kocharyan’s project.”

Even one additional percent in the parliamentary elections could be
beneficial for the opposition, and joint control over the legality of
elections could have helped a lot, Bozoyan said. One of the crucial
prerequisites for opposition’s victory is joint action.

In his turn political analyst Stepan Grigoryan said the authorities
have to display political will.

“A good example is neighboring Georgia where Saakashvili created an
ideal fraud machine. But, realizing that it is time to step down,
he found strength to leave,” he said.

HELENE SEGARA VISITS THE YEREVAN BRANDY COMPANY

19:00 19.03.2013

French singer of Armenian descent Helene Segara, who has arrived
in Armenia within the framework of the Francophonie month, visited
the Yerevan Brandy Company today accompanied by French Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Henri Reynaud. She
familiarized with the history of the Armenian Ararat cognac and the
process of its production.

The delegation stopped at the “Peace Barrel” founded in 2001 in honor
of the visit of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. The barrel contains
brandy spirit of 1994, symbolizing the year the ceasefire agreement
was signed. The barrel will be opened on the day the Karabakh conflict
is solved. Helene Segara left a note in the guest book.

Helene Segara will give a concert today at Aram Khachatryan Hall. The
event will take place under the high auspices of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of Armenia and with the support of the Ministry of
Culture and the French Embassy in Armenia.

PRESS RELEASE
RAFFI HOVANNISIAN HEADQUARTERS
31 Moscovian Street
Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+374 – 10) 53.69.13
Fax: (+374 – 10) 53.26.97
Email: [email protected]
Website:

20 March 2013

Raffi Hovannisian at Liberty Square: Day 11
Public forums become tradition at Liberty Square

Yerevan–s Raffi K. Hovannisian entered the eleventh day of his hunger
strike, more than a thousand citizens gathered to take part in the
latest in a series of public forums at Liberty Square.

Led by former Shushi commander Jirair Sefilian, joined by the
Sardarapat movement’s Garegin Chookaszian, and moderated by Levon
Bagramian, the day’s forum focused on the establishment of a true,
legitimate government in Armenia.

`Our goal is not merely to defeat the authorities,’ Sefilian said.
`Our principal goal is to bring about systemic changes–to replace the
foundations of our republic.’

Tomorrow at 4pm Raffi Hovannisian will hold a press conference at
Liberty Square. At 5pm Armen Martirosyan and David Sanasaryan will
address the week’s fifth public forum.

Links to Public Forum 20.03.2013

Raffi Hovannisian Headquarters

FRENCH PARLIAMENT TO ESTABLISH A FRIENDSHIP GROUP WITH ARTSAKH. WHO’S NEXT?

17:51 20.03.2013

A number of members of the French Parliament have signed a document
on establishment of a Friendship Group with the Parliament of Artsakh,
Yerkir Media reports.

The group will include the first Deputy Mayor of Marseille Roland
Blum and pro-Armenian MP Valerie Boyer.

Recall that a Friendship Group with Artsakh was recently established in
the Lithuanian Parliament, which led to a diplomatic scandal between
Baku and Vilnius.

WRITERS CANNOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF BREAD

03:48 PM | TODAY | SOCIAL

Being a writer in Armenia is a ‘luxury.’

“The writer has to reckon with the fact that his books are not sold, he
has to live on the limited means he has,” said writer Zaven Boyajyan.

He stressed that today writers face a major problem in Armenia as
they cannot earn their daily bread and there is no state care.

“Sometimes, writers have to do other work and compose in their spare
time,” he added.

Zaven Boyajyan also said that people cannot afford to buy books
because they do not have money.

Armen Martirosyan, Director of “Antares” Publishing House, said
that the level of people’s literacy is determined by that of the
authorities.

“Five percent will read, five percent will not, but 90 percent will
visit the places where the authorities go,” he said.

Yerevan was officially declared the World Book Capital 2012.

Writer Aram Pachyan says it did not give anything to him. “I would like
to see new bookstores in Yerevan and, more discussions on literature
instead of empty talks and formal events,” he said.

PART OF TERRITORY OF ARMENIA’S STATE ARCHITECTURAL UNIVERSITY TO BE PROVIDED TO YEREVAN STATE CHAMBER THEATRE

TERT.AM
16:24 ~U 20.03.13

Issue on taking 250 sq.m. territory from Armenia’s State Architectural
University will be on the agenda of March 21 cabinet sitting.

According to government’s website, this territory on Koryun street,
will be provided to the Yerevan State Chamber Theatre for building
a hall.

The bill says that the suggested construction does not impede the
university’s work.

It has been noted that thanks to it the theatre will have an additional
territory which will give an opportunity to create full conditions
for the organization of its work. The small hall will be used for
small format performances.

HAYRIKYAN NEEDS TREATMENT ABROAD

14:37 20/03/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

Ex-candidate for president Paruir Hayrikyan has health problems and
he needs treatment abroad.

Hayrikyan’s lawyer Levon Baghdasaryan said that those who ordered the
attempt against Hayrikyan are still in freedom. Baghdasaryan read out
Hayrikyan’s statement which in particular runs that detainees for his
case are only small elements of the monstrous crime against Hayrikyan’s
personality and the state. The ex-presidential candidate demands that
the relevant bodies reveal the crime in reasonable time. According
to the lawyer, the reasonable time may be up to six months.