Author: Kajoyan Gevork

NO POLITICAL ISSUES WERE DISCUSSED WITH ROBERT KOCHARYAN, HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN SAYS

Mediamax
Nov 2 2012
Armenia

Yerevan/Mediamax/. Chairman of the National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan
said today that he didn’t discuss any political issues with Robert
Kocharyan.

Answering journalists questions, he informed that he returned on
the same plane with Robert Kocharyan from Czech Republic to Yerevan,
Mediamax reports.

“We had a conversation with Mr. Kocharyan which didn’t concern any
political issue or format. We discussed the meetings of our delegation
in Czech Republic”, said Hovik Abrahamyan.

Answering journalists questions whether the meeting was planned or
not the Chairman of the National Assembly said that “there was no
any arrangement”.

“I think it’s not a good format for discussing such issues”, joked
Hovik Abrahamyan.

ARMENIA-BASED ARMAVIA MOVES YEREVAN-KYIV FLIGHTS FROM BORYSPIL AIRPORT TO KYIV AIRPORT

Ukrainian News Agency
November 1, 2012 6:30 AM EST

The Armavia airline company (Armenia) moved its Yerevan-Kyiv flights
from the Boryspil international airport (Kyiv region) to the Kyiv
international airport (Zhuliany) on November 1.

The Kyiv international airport announced this in a statement.

Flights to the Kyiv international airport will be performed two times a
week (on Thursdays and Saturdays), using a Bombardier CRJ 200 airplane.

As Ukrainian News earlier reported, the Armavia company is the
national carrier of Armenia. It was founded in 1996 and operates
regular flights to the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and North America.

NKR DEFENSE ARMY ANNOUNCED ITS SUPPORT TO THE FAMILIES OF THE DEAD

Fri, 11/02/2012 – 11:32

NKR DA informs with deep sorrow that on November 1 around 20:00
‘Ural-375/236’ car of the military unit N of Qarvatchar while
transporting 19 contract servicemen drove away from the road and rolled
off to the gorge called Harour as a consequence of the release of
lights of the counter coming car according to preliminary information,
as a result 4 people died.

1. driver, lance-corporal Arthur H. Yeremyan, born 1960, served
since 1998 2. soldier Gagik K. Vardanyan, born 1982, served since
2009 3. soldier Sanasar V. Piloyan, born 1969, served since 2006
4. soldier Manvel S. Abijanyan, born 1963, served since 2009

15 servicemen with different degrees of injuries were transferred to
the Vardenis military hospital at 23:45. At the moment the transfer
of 6 servicemen to Yerevan Central Military Clinical Hospital is
being arranged.

As the Media and Public Relations Department of the RA Ministry of
Defense informs:

1. soldier Sargis R. Zaqaryan, born 1973, in service since 2006
2. sergeant Gevorg M. Gevorgyan, born 1978, in service sine 2006
3. soldier Karen H. Hovhannisyan, born 1979, in service since 2006
4. sergeant Eric R. Khachatryan, born 1976, in service since 2007
5. soldier Arman M. Muradyan, born 1988, in service since 2008
6. soldier Sanasar R. Gomtsyan, born 1971, in service since 2009
7. sergeant Babken G. Taroyan, born 1982, in service since 2009
8. soldier Ashot K. Mnatsakanyan, born 1979, in service since
2007 9. soldier Karen K. Avetisyan, born 1989, in service since
2006 10. lance-corporal Armenak L. Sahakyan, born 1970, in service
since 2007 11. soldier Mkhitar V. Yeremyan, born 1983, in service
since 2009 12. soldier David R. Harutyunyan, born 1988, in service
since 2010 13. junior sergeant Arthur G. Yeghiazaryan, born 1987,
in service since 2008 14. lance-corporal Vrazdat G. Yegiazaryan,
born 1985, in service since 2008 15.soldier Manouk L. Khachatryan,
born 1974, in service since 2006

NKR DA shares the grief of the loss and sends its support to the
families, relatives and colleagues of the dead and wishes rapid
recovery to the injured.

KARABAKH PRESENTED AT WORLD TRAVEL MARKET EXHIBITION IN LONDON

news.am
November 02, 2012 | 20:25

YEREVAN. – Eleven Armenian travel agencies will represent Armenia at
the World Travel Market exhibition to be held in London on November
5-6.

The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) will be represented in the same
booth with Armenia, National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia
told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

More than 5,000 companies from 189 destinations will take part in
the fair.

Nagorno-Karabakh regularly participates in the international tourism
fairs. At the moment the NKR tourism department is working on a new
rout called “Southern corridor” which connects the Stepanakert cityto
the Republic’s south.

10-ROOM BATHHOUSE, APOLLO’S TEMPLE DISCOVERED IN ARTASHAT

News | 01.11.12 | 13:42

Photo:

President Serzh Sargsyan visiting the “Shengavit” excavation site

A 10-room bathhouse has been discovered in Artashat’s ancient
settlement over the last 9 years, according to a head of the
archaeological expedition.

Zhores Khachatryan said at a news conference on Wednesday that the
bathhouse dating back to Antique period symbolized the might of the
state, reported PanArmenian.net.

Enlarge Photo

The floor in 2 out of 10 rooms is covered with colored mosaic. A
mosaic shaped like a person’s face and a word “VER” (Spring) were
discovered in one of the rooms suggesting some connection to a worship
of the Spring.

The archeologist also stressed the importance of a building discovered
during excavations which served as a market, as well as a foundation
of Apollo’s temple.

On Wednesday President Serzh Sargsyan visited the excavation site in
the province of Ararat as well as similar sites in Yerevan called
“Shengavit” and “Erebuni” where he got acquainted with the work
conducted by archeologists.

ARMENIAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT’S SERVICE LIFE CAN BE EXTENDED FOR ANOTHER DECADE

YEREVAN, November 2. /ARKA/. Armenian Nuclear Power Plant’s service
life can be extended at least for another ten years, Ashot Martirosyan,
the head of the State Committee on Nuclear Safety, told journalists
on Friday.

In April 2012, Armenian government extended the service life of the
plant’s second unit. The government said that the license for the
second unit’s operation was provided to the plant in 2011 for ten
years, in accordance with the law although it was expected to be shut
down in 2016.

“Taking into account other countries’ experience in operating
nuclear power plants with a similar reactor, we can say that this
plant’s operation can be extended at least for another ten years,”
Martirosyan said adding that particular terms will be known after
appropriate studies.

He pointed out Finland as an example saying that its nuclear plant’s
service life has been extended for 15 years despite the plant generates
10% more electric power than projected.

Martirosyan said Armenia uses only 92% of its plant’s capacity,
and this makes the plant’s operation safer.

He added that if there were risks in terms of safety, there would be
no talk about extension of the plant’s operation.

The head of the committee also said that Japan’s Fukushima nuclear
disaster has forced the world to tighten requirements to nuclear
plants’ safety and to conduct stress tests at already functioning
nuclear plants and at those under construction.

He said the Armenia’s nuclear plant has already undergone stress
tests. The results of these tests will be sent to the European Union
in May 2013 as part of the national report, and later, in August,
the European Union will release its conclusion.

“I am convinced that the stress test results will be positive,
since our nuclear plant is under intense scrutiny, and its safety is
constantly watched,” he said.

Martirosyan said that the United States and IAEA support Armenia in
its efforts to ensure and increase safety of the plant.

The Metsamor plant, which accounts for about 40 percent of Armenia’s
electricity, is located some 30 kilometers west of Yerevan. It was
built in the 1970s but was closed following a devastating earthquake in
1988 that killed some 25,000 people and devastated much of northern
Armenia. One of its two VVER 440-V230 light-water reactors was
reactivated in 1995. The plant’s financial flows have been managed
since 2033 by Russian Inter RAO UES, owned by Russian Rosatom.

Armenian authorities said they will build a new nuclear power plant
to replace the aging Metsamor plant. The new plant is supposed to
operate at twice the capacity of the Soviet-constructed facility. -0-

HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN TOLD ROBERT KOCHARYAN THE DETAILS OF THE VISIT TO CZECH REPUBLIC

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS: The President of Armenian National
Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan on the request of the journalists commented
on his meeting with second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan
which took place in the plane. Armenpress reports that on November 2
Hovik Abrahamyan confirmed that he and Robert Kocharyan had been in
the same plane.

“My delegation and I were in the plane when Mr. Kocharyan came
in. The Chairman of the NA Foreign Relations Committee Artak
Zakaryan respecting the second president offered him his place”
told NA President. He noted about the conversation they had, but
also highlighted that no political topic had been discussed. Hovik
Abrahamyan told about his visit to Czech and denied the information
as if their meeting had been preplanned.

To the question of the journalist whether the candidacy of the first
President Levon Ter-Petrosyan could change the current situation in
the country, Abrahamyan noted that they didn’t underestimate any of
the candidates, but at the same time they already had their candidate.

He also informed that during the meeting on December 15 they would
nominate their candidate and that they were already getting prepared
for the elections. Hovik Abrahamyan assured that the authorities
were ready to organize transparent, fair and democratic presidential
elections.

EX-PREMIER OF ARMENIA THINKS STATEMENT BY GOVERNMENT ON FIGHTING CORRUPTION IS TOUCHING

arminfo
Friday, November 2, 15:59

The statements by the Armenian government to start deadly fight
against corruption, are rather touching and no more, ex-premier
of Armenia, deputy of the parliament from the opposition Armenian
National Congress parliamentary faction, Hrant Bagratyan, said at
today’s press-conference.

He also added that to truly eradicate corruption, it is necessary to
take taxes from all big economic entities, but not leave the whole
burden at the small and medium-sized business. “It is no secret,
that here is an instruction from the president of Armenia, who to
take taxes from and who not. It is not clear to me, what corruption
fighting they mean in such conditions”, – Bagratyan said.

WORCESTER PUBLIC LIBRARY EXHIBIT CELEBRATES 500TH ANNIVERSARY OF BOOK PRINTING

Arts | November 2, 2012 8:13 am

WORCESTER – The Worcester Armenian Book Commemoration Committee is
hosting an exhibit at the Worcester Public Library for the entire
month of November to commemorate the 500th Anniversary of Armenian book
printing. Yerevan, Armenia has been designated the “World Capital of
the Book for the Year 2012” by United Nations Educational, Scientific,
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in honor of this milestone occasion
in Armenian history.

Various displays explain, with essays and pictorial images, the
development by Saints Sahag and Mesrob of the Armenian alphabet,
resulting in an immediate availability of Western and Christian
knowledge in Armenia. The Armenian alphabet in various forms, copies
of early illuminated manuscripts, and the advancement of Armenian
printed books and materials are other features of the exhibit.

Worcester is the site of the first permanent Armenian Community
in the New World and the first Armenian Church to be built in the
Western Hemisphere. The city is fortunate to have the presence of the
Kaloosdian/Mugar Endowed Chair of Armenian Genocide Studies at Clark
University. Several texts on the Armenian Genocide by the first two
holders of the Armenian Genocide Studies Chair, Prof. Simon Payaslian
and Prof. Taner Akcam, reinforce the exhibit’s theme of the power
of the published word. Contributions of Armenian- American writers
include William Saroyan, Vrastad Kazanjian, and others.

A grand opening reception with refreshments is scheduled on Wednesday,
November 7, 7 p.m., in the library’s Saxe Room with a lecture
on Armenian book printing by two Armenian newspaper editors, Alin
Gregorian of the Armenian Mirror- Spectator and Khatchig Mouradian of
the Armenian Weekly. Their topic is “The Power Of The Printed Word:
Successes And Challenges, Past And Present.” Other programs will
follow throughout November. The event is free and open to the public.

The Worcester Armenian Book Commemoration Committee is comprised of
representatives from the Worcester Armenian Community with the support
of the Armenian Church of Saviour, the Armenian Church of The Martyrs,
and Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church. The Committee Chairman
is Van M. Aroian and Committee Members are Hrair B. Aprahamian,
Nevart Asadoorian, Charles K. Der Kazarian, Frank S. Minasian, Sarah D.

Moradian, Stephen J. Papazian.

KOHAR DEBUTS IN URUGUAY

Arts | November 2, 2012 9:12 am

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay – As part of a nine-concert, four city tour of
South America, KOHAR performed here on October 23 and 24, bringing
the audiences to their feet.

KOHAR’s 170 members traveled from Armenia to South America, beginning
with Uruguay, where its program, titled “All Time Armenian Favorites,”
were performed with many new songs that were orchestrated exclusively
for South American audiences. In Montevideo in particular, the song
La Cumparsita, a Uruguayan tango, brought tears to the eyes of the
audience when it was combined with Im Karavan, the renowned Armenian
song that yearns for the caravan to take the Armenian people on an
eternal journey destined to their homeland.

KOHAR mesmerized again with its charm, beauty, dance choreography
and presentation on stage. The audience applauded every appearance
of a solo performer, and at the end of each song applauded again with
chants of “bravo.”

The pinnacle of both concerts was the distribution of more than 1,200
Kingdom of Cilicia flags per show, which were waved by the audience
during the song Veraganknir Guiliguia that brought the stage to
emotional heights by boasting the ancestral roots of the dispersed
Armenians that still covet the return of their ancestral lands.

Jose Mujica, the president of Uruguay, and his wife, were seen enjoying
the first night of the concert.

KOHAR is the brainchild of Armenian cultural patron, Harout
Khatchadourian of Lebanon, who along with his brothers, sustains
the activities and concerts of KOHAR in memory of his father and as
tribute to his mother.

KOHAR continued its tour of South America in Buenos Aries (October
27, 28 and 29), Cordoba ( November 3) and will perform in Sao Paulo
(November 9, 10 and 11).