Author: Kalantarian Kevo

AMBITIOUS PROJECTS THAT HAVE REAL GROUNDS
Norayr Hovsepian

Friday, 06 April 2012 05:41

During his recent visit to the Hadrut region, President Bako Sahakian
gave corresponding instructions for more efficient use of the
agricultural opportunities in the southern wing of the Republic. In
was followed by a meeting on the same issue convened by the President.

A working group was formed, which was in the Hadrut region just two
days after the President’s visit.

WATER OF LIFE

FROM MOTHER-ARAX

Thousands of hectares of crude land and ragged fields, a significant
part of which is covered with cane. This is the first impression from
the southern part of the Hadrut region. Another part of the bad mood
is “provided” by the long and dusty road. These areas, which seem
unsightly at the first glance, however, have huge unused potential for
development. The results of the first steps on its reveal are already
obvious. Cornerstone Company completely cleaned out an over 30-km-long
canal, for which the required amount was provided by the Government.

“Initially, the canal was in a poor state. Remaining unused
for many years, it was covered with bushes and reed-filled mud”,
said Director of Water Project Ltd. Harutyun Hakobian. “We started
the canal-cleaning late last year, removed the sediment, building
materials, and vegetation. We can confidently say that to date,
the Arax-fed main channel is fully ready for operation”, noted the
company’s chief of staff Armen Vardanian.

WITHOUT ANY CONCERN

The revived canal drives at best up to 8 cubic meters and as of today –
about 5 cubic meters of water per second from the Arax River to the
interior of the Hadrut region. The builders and experts consider
inappropriate the concern that the water coming from the river to
the canal can reduce in summer. “This canal is fed from Arax, which,
unlike most of the rivers in Artsakh, preserves a sufficient flow
rate the summer months”, assures Harutyun Hakobian.

“The water level may decrease, and as a result, the capacity of the
canal may reach, for example, 3 cubic meters per second, which can
irrigate the lands under the canal”, Armen Vardanian doesn’t either
exclude the worst option.

THE FIRST STAGE

The canal building can mean accomplishment of the first-stage works.

But, much efforts are still needed to bring the water to the arable
lands. “It is mainly the secondary canals. But, we must not forget that
just their good condition ensures the robust irrigation for sowing”,
said Water Project Company’s Director. Prospective are the works on
not only driving the water to the lands, but also on removing the
excess of moisture from the sowing areas. As a result of stagnation,
huge areas were covered with cane. One of the first steps in this
direction will be regulation of the drainage system. The works will
be carried out step by step. According to the Water Project Director,
the first year program will require about 100 million Armenian Drams.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

The expectations are great. Initially, it is planned to develop about
3 thousand hectares of land. In general, the agricultural programs
for the southern part of the Hadrut region are much more comprehensive.

“For the nearest future, it is about 5 thousand hectares, where it is
possible to provide a gravity-flow irrigation method. And when it is
possible to replenish the irrigation system with pumping stations, the
areas can reach 8-9 thousand hectares”, said Minister of Agriculture
Andranik Khachatrian.

AGRICULTURE

AND NOT ONLY IT

The potential for realizing such ambitious plans will be available in
place. Those responsible for the spheres, first, note the importance
of ensuring the technical equipment. The Minister of Agriculture and
Minister of Industrial Infrastructures spoke about the programs on
building machine-tractor stations and establishing a branch of the
water industry here. These structures will be located in one place.

The working group, which visited Hadrut, comprised also the Minister
of Urban Development. Karen Shahramanian had to choose the place
of locating the structures. The site in the canal’s neighborhood
was chosen. According to the Minister of Urban Development, in the
choice of the area a significant role was played by the availability
of corresponding infrastructures, first of all, roads, drinking water,
and electricity. The issue of drinking water can be resolved easily.

But the Minister of Industrial Infrastructures considered it
inexpedient to join the electric cords in the surroundings. This way of
the issue’s solution will be cheap, but not stable. The alternative is
to provide a new cord from one of the nearby settlements. The options
will be discussed yet. In any case, long-term and not temporary plans
are elaborated for these areas. These lands should be upgraded just by
their residents. Initially, corresponding dwelling conditions should
be created for the personnel of the technical park service.

COMPUTER FROM MR. EURNEKYAN, INTERNET FROM GOVERNMENT

NKR Government Information and
Public Relations Department
03.04.2012

3.500 computers presented by Argentine entrepreneur Armenian by birth
Eduardo Eurnekyan are being distributed to the pupils of elementary
classes and their teachers in the schools of Stepanakert, Shoushi
and Karin Tak.

On the first day, on April 2 the ceremony of presentation was
participated by the NKR Prime minister Ara Haroutunyan, the NKR
minister of education and science Vladik Khachatryan, president of
the Armenian General Benevolent Union’s (AGBU) representation in
Armenia Ashot Ghazaryan, coordinator of AGBU’s programs in Artsakh
Sasun Baghdassarian, head of “NUR” program Sebastian Arias Duval.

“NUR” program (“new educational strategy”) is Eurnekyan’s innovation.

In January 2011 an agreement was signed with the NKR Government
according to which program “NUR” will grant XO portable computers
to the pupils from first to fourth forms and their teachers. The
NKR Government in its turn undertakes to provide the schools with
high-speed internet, which is one of the program’s key aspects.

“NUR” program is realized jointly with the AGBU, which is the biggest
organization in the world not pursuing commercial advantage and
rendersing aid on-site to ensure program’s success.

After providing the schools with internet the fund will continue to
granting XO computers to the schools of other communities of Artsakh
as well: in the total in few years all the pupils of the Republic’s
elementary schools will have personal portable computers. They are
granted to them as a property.

AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT MEETS PROTEST ACTION IN PRAGUE

April 06, 2012 | 11:59

The first day of Azerbaijani president’s visit to Prague was marked
by a protest action organized by the Armenian community of the Czech
Republic.

Despite a heavy rain several dozens of Armenians held a protest action
near the building where Ilham Aliyev is residing. They carried the
posters with inscriptions “Aliyev – despot”, “Democracy is more
expansive than oil” and “Anti-Armenian hatred – Azerbaijan’s policy”.

The action was widely covered by the local media.

IL Y A 12 000 ANS, LES ARMENIENS FABRIQUAIENT-ILS DU VIN ?
Krikor Amirzayan

armenews.com
jeudi 5 avril 2012

Il y a peu, dans une caverne d’Areni en Armenie, les archeologues
decouvraient la plus ancienne fabrique de vin au monde datant de 6100
ans. Mercredi lors d’une conference de presse a Erevan, un chercheur
armenien, Sergueï Madatian auteur de 28 ouvrages, a affirme que 10 000
ans avant J.-C., les Armeniens avaient entrepose du vin dans des cuves
a Garmir Blour (la Colline rouge) sur les hauteurs d’Erevan. Ainsi, il
y a 12 000 ans, les Armeniens fabriquaient du vin. ” Ce sont des faits
prouves connus des scientifiques a l’etranger. Mais malheureusement la
majeure partie de ces cuves a vin est aujourd’hui detruite ou remplies
de gravats ” dit Sergueï Madatian qui a appele le gouvernement a se
pencher sur la question de la preservation du patrimoine archeologique
de l’Armenie.

S. Madatian a egalement accuse la Georgie qui se proclame la patrie
du vin. ” Si on se base seulement sur la Bible, nous remarquons que
le patriarche Noe a plante après le deluge la première vigne sur les
pentes de l’Ararat. Rappelons qu’on a decouvert en Armenie la plus
ancienne fabrique de vin au monde ” dit l’historien et ethnologue
Roupen Nahadaguian. Ce dernier, repondant aux Georgiens qui ont
decouvert sur le site de Borjomi des anciennes traces de vigne a
repondu que ” cela ne signifie pas qu’elles etaient le fait des
Georgiens car dans ces regions habitaient jadis les armenoïdes,
les ancetres des Armeniens “. Les Armeniens -ou armenoïdes, peuples
apparentes aux Armeniens- existaient-il y a 12 000 ans ? Une question a
laquelle repondent par l’affirmatif nombre de scientifiques d’Armenie
mais qui est en contradiction avec l’origine des Armeniens a travers
l’arrivee des peuples des Mers -venus des Balkans- dans ces regions
d’Anatolie et du Plateau armenien. A suivre.

KUWAITI SHEIKHA TO SUE MP OVER ARMENIAN CHURCH CONSTRUCTION CLAIMS

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 4, 2012 – 17:59 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The sister of Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad, the Emir of
the State of Kuwait, President of the Kuwait Association for The Ideal
Family Sheikha Freiha Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah has decided to sue MP Waleed
Al-Tabtabaei for the recent statement he made wherein he accused her
of supporting Armenian community in Kuwait to ensure that government
allows them to construct a church, Arab Times reported.

In a press statement, the counsel to Sheikha Freiha Ali Al-Ali said
his client will sue the lawmaker for defamation of character and
vicious attack as she was only attempting to promote the country’s
image regionally and internationally.

He explained that Armenian community in Kuwait wrote two letters to
the Amir and the Prime Minister requesting permission to convert a
building belonging to the community into a church.

He added that the community invited Sheikha Freiha for dinner during
which she declared that all communities residing in Kuwait have rights
and responsibilities according to the Constitution.

He pointed out that consistent defamation of ruling family members,
who are involved in voluntary activities, has become a strange
phenomenon in the country.

He agreed that the lawmakers have the constitutional right to monitor
activities in the country, but acceptable criticism is different
from defamation, which is what the transparent Kuwaiti judiciary will
look into.

SONYA ORFALIAN A SCAFATI (SALERNO)

Real Polverificio Borbonico, Centro per la Cultura e le Arti – Via P.

Vitiello, 93 – Scafati (Salerno)

VENERDI’ 13 APRILE 2012 – h. 18.30

In occasione della XIV Settimana della Cultura 2012, Sonya Orfalian
partecipa con alcune sue opere alla Mostra Internazionale d’Arte
Contemporanea organizzata dal Comune di Scafati e dall’Associazione
degli Artisti Armeni. La mostra – che vanta il patrocinio del Ministero
per i Beni e le Attivita Culturali e dell’Ambasciata della Repubblica
d’Armenia presso lo Stato Italiano – sara aperta al pubblico dal 13
aprile al 31 maggio 2012, e verra ospitata presso i prestigiosi spazi
espositivi del Real Polverificio Borbonico.

4 ARMENIAN POLITICAL FORCES TO ESTABLISH ELECTION OVERSIGHT HEADQUARTERS

NEWS.AM
April 04, 2012 | 14:28

YEREVAN. – The opposition bloc Armenian National Congress, the
ruling coalition’s Prosperous Armenia Party, and the opposition ARF
Dashnaktsutyun and Heritage party’s on Wednesday signed an agreement on
establishing a joint headquarters to oversee the forthcoming National
Assembly elections.

The agreement is open for all political forces that will run in
the elections.

But the ruling coalition’s Republican Party of Armenia representative
Galust Sahakyan did not sign under the agreement. “I will refrain,
because such documents must be examined by the coalition,” he noted.

The agreement will be forwarded to Armenia’s Police Chief, Justice
Minister, Central Election Commission Chairman, foreign ambassadors,
and others.

Also, the initiative members asked the relevant agencies to submit
to them the list of persons who are in the voters’ lists, but are
not in Armenia.

BAKU ALWAYS BLACKMAILS

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 13:44:36 – 04/04/2012

At the press conference with the foreign minister of Finland Erkki
Tuomioja, Armenian foreign minister Edward Nalbandyan, in answer to
a reporter’s question that the Azerbaijani leadership tries to seize
statements on the Karabakh issue settlement from all the European
officials arriving in their country with a stress on the territorial
integrity, said that unfortunately, Baku always tries to blackmail
the delegations visiting Azerbaijan seizing unilateral statements on
the Nagorno Karabakh issue settlement.

He said sure that such an approach can’t be effective for the Karabakh
issue settlement.

But one thing is sure that the international right, the right
to self-determination is one of the most important aims of the
international community which is proposed by the co-chairs. Nalbandyan
said that in all the statements and decisions adopted within the
OSCE mediation, the principle on the right to self-determination is
clearly set.

Azerbaijan’s tries don’t aim to promote the settlement of the
Nagorno Karabakh issue but to deceive the international community,
said Nalbandyan.

We hope the negotiations will go one with the support of the
international community and the co-chairs and will find the necessary
solution based on the principles that are proposed by the co-chairs
– non-use of force and threat to force, right to self-determination
and territorial integrity.

YEREVAN MAYOR, KUWAITI AMBASSADOR DISCUSS INVESTMENT PROJECTS

Tert.am
04.04.12

A meeting between Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan and Kuwaiti Ambassador
Bassam Muhammad Alqabandi earlier today focused on possibilities of
exchanging experience and broadening investment frameworks in the
municipal services sector.

Congratulating the newly-appointed diplomat, the mayor expressed
belief his tenure in Armenia would impart a new quality to bilateral
partnership.

The ambassador thanked for the warm reception, promising to contribute
to the development and broadening of relations.

Margaryan briefed the guest on interesting investment projects for
the capital city.

“The City Hall is always open for cooperation and ready to discuss
any proposal on developing partnership between the cities and towns
of our countries,” he said.

The ambassador promised to submit the package of investment proposals
to his country’s government bodies and investment companies.

According to the Municipality’s press service, the sides also discussed
other issues of mutual interest.

RED BOOK ALERT: URBANIZATION AND CHANGING BIOSPHERE AFFECT ARMENIA’S BIRD POPULATION
By Gohar Abrahamyan

ArmeniaNow reporter
News | 04.04.12 | 11:55

Karine Danielyan, Silva Adamyan (right)

Environmentalists keep warning that more and more bird species have to
be included in the Red Book every year because of Armenia’s changing
biosphere.

Silva Adamyan, in charge of Bird Lovers’ Center NGO, told the press
on Tuesday that if a decade ago there were 65 species in Armenia’s
Red Book, that number has now reached 110. (Armenia boasts the total
of 351 bird species.)

“The red-book number of species has increased considerably over the
past years. Among the highly endangered species are the black vulture,
the lammergeyer, the peregrine falcon, and several wader and water-bird
species that are in the world Red Book as well,” she says.

According to Adamyan, the main reason for the decrease of bird species
and their numbers is the change of landscape and natural environment
in Armenia, as well as urbanization.

For example white-headed vultures, whose nests could be seen along
the road to Dsegh (in the northern Lori province), have left the area
unable to stand the traffic noise and pollution or find food,” says
Adamyan, adding that birds mostly leave Armenia for neighbor Georgia.

In Syunik, which used to boast an extensive bird population,
the natural ecosystem for both birds and flora is destroyed as a
consequence of active mining industry.

“Mining explosions alone affect birds rather seriously,” says the
bird expert.

Adamyan also points out that the increased water level of Lake Sevan
has led to a big change in the list of bird species, because some
of the coastal areas have become “good nesting areas, and also quite
favorable resting areas for migrant birds”

However, Adamyan claims Armenia is also facing illegal export and
sale of even red-book bird species.

“Our most recent information has it that Peregrine Falcons have been
exported from Armenia to Iranian territory for $50,000. The whole
deal is realized through Iranians, but we cannot say what the final
destination is or what happens to the birds later,” says Adamyan,
adding that they have turned to the ministry of environmental
protection but with no result.

Environmentalists say Yerevan is facing a number of issues; urban
development has affected the number of insectivorous birds, which
are janitors of the kind, cleaning the air basin.

Ecologist Karine Danielyan, who heads the Association for Sustainable
Human Development, says that whereas in the 1980s there were around
180 bird species in Yerevan, today that number has dropped to 160.

“The loss of trees we had in the 1990s first because of the energy
crisis, then because of corruption, has reduced the number of bird
species, while they are responsible for exterminating insects and
pests; it means we have lost the sanitary role birds play in terms
of cleaning the air,” says Daniyelyan, adding that the presence of
a great number of crows in Yerevan, especially in the city center,
speaks of the city’s poor sanitary-ecological state.

“All we have to do is bear in mind, that if birds are leaving our city,
then living in such a place is bad for us, too,” she emphasizes.