Author: Kalantarian Kevo

ARMENIAN FARMERS TO GET ABOUT 17MLN LITRES OF DIESEL FUEL AT SUBSIDIZED PRICES IN 2013

YEREVAN, January 24. /ARKA/. Armenian government approved a farmer
support program on provision of 17mln 41,000 litres of diesel fuel
at subsidized prices in 2013 at its sitting Thursday.

Armenian minister of agriculture Sergo Karapetyan said that farmers
will have an opportunity to buy diesel fuel for 350 drams per litre,
as per the lists submitted by the regional administrations. The costs
of transportation will be paid by the government, the minister said.

This program started last year upon president’s instruction: about
22 mln litres of fuel was provided to farmers under the program last
year. -0-

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SAYS PROMOTION OF TIES WITH IRAN IMPORTANT

Moscow, Jan 24, IRNA – Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan said Thursday
that his country attached great importance to expansion of relations
with Iran despite efforts made by the US-led western states to reduce
Tehran-Yerevan ties.

Addressing people in the city of Meghri where he went for his
presidential election’s campaign, President Sarksyan said Armenia
would continue efforts to promote bilateral cooperation with Iran.

The upcoming presidential election will be held in Armenia on February
18, 2013.

President Sarksya further appreciated Tehran for its effective
bilateral cooperation with Yerevan during the past years.

Referring to a 316-km railroad project between Iran and Armenia,
President Sarksyan said it was a strategic project for Yerevan.

The project was estimated to be completed with a three-billion-dollar
budget.

1483**1394

Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 1055524

DEFENSE MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON: HITTING CIVIL AIRCRAFTS INADMISSIBLE

arminfo
Thursday, January 24, 12:20

“Any civilized country that adopts a law to control its airspace
brings it in line with international conventions. And according
to these conventions it is inadmissible hitting civil aircrafts,”
says Armenian Defense Ministry Spokesperson Artsrun Hovhannisyan
in an interview with RFE/RL Armenia Service when commenting on the
Azerbaijan Cabinet’s Jan 18 decision.

To recall, Azerbaijan’s Cabinet on Jan 18 issued document on use of
airspace, which allows official Baku to shoot down civilian aircraft
deemed to violate Azeri airspace. The document, the use of which is
obviously intended to thwart plans to open the airport in Stepanakert,
allow the government of Azerbaijan to declare certain areas “banned
zones and limited zones,” hence allowing the government to randomly
shoot down aircraft it deems in violation of Azeri airspace.”If
the aircraft does not obey orders to land and there is no exact
information about innocent passengers onboard, the legislation permits
the government to shoot down the aircraft,” reported APA. Experts
and Mass Media report that the given decision of the Azerbaijan
Government applies first of all to the Stepanakert Airport. In
addition, Azerbaijani sources received the statement by Arif Mammadov,
Head of the State Department of Civil Aviation of Azerbaijan, saying
that yet during construction of the Stepanakert Airport they tried to
take preventive measures and sent a letter to the ICAO. “We informed
that the airspace of Nagorno Karabakh is closed and in line with the
Law On Civil Aviation we plan to hit the planes entering that space
and trying to land on that territory,” Mammadov said.

Artsrun Hovhannisyan believes that Azerbaijan has no legal grounds
to prevent flights from Stepanakert, which is also technically
impossible, since the Armed Forces of Armenia are authorized to
ensure security of flights, he said. “The anti-aircraft forces are
authorized to hit aircrafts of the enemy and also provide security
of civil aircrafts. As for the flights to Stepanakert, they are made
also today by helicopters,” he said.

Following the Azerbaijani Government’s decision NKR President’s
Spokesperson David Babayan called the given document as a display of
“state terrorism.” He said in a press conference that Stepanakert is
able to provide security of the airspace and the territory. Babayan
is sure that NKR and Armenia must voice this given issue from all
the international tribunes.

WORKING GROUP LOOKS INTO POSSIBLE WIDENING INDUSTRY’S ACCESS TO FINANCIAL SERVICES

YEREVAN, January 24. /ARKA/. A working group set up under premier’s
decree is currently studying the possibility of wider access to
financial services for industry, Armenian prime-minister Tigran
Sargsyan said at his meeting with industry representatives Wednesday.

According to entrepreneurs, bank financing terms are one of the main
problems, the government press service reports.

The working group involves reps of the country’s ministry of finance
and economy, as well as experts from the Central Bank of Armenia. The
group is expected to submit a program of complex measures for
widening businesses’ access to financial services within a month,
the prime-minister said.

“First of all we speak about interest rates, subject of pledge and
bureaucratic delays”, Sargsyan said. The World Bank analysis of
Armenia’s business environment pointed to three critical obstacles –
corruption, bureaucracy problems and accessibility of financing.

“In other words, accessibility of funds became a more serious problem
for business that tax and customs administering,” the prime-minister
concluded.

“We’re trying to study and understand what can be done to solve
the existing problems and lower interest rates”, Sargsyan said. The
government is ready to use all its instruments for the final aim of
promoting production, increasing output and exports, he added.

The prime-minister reminded of 2009 when the government was discussing
certain business projects to help overcome the crisis aftermath. At
that time loans had been provided to businesses. Apart from that,
the government had suggested to a number importers switching over
to exports.

“Quite many importers, in particular those importing alcoholic
drinks and juices, responded to the suggestion and started creating
new production facilities in Armenia and exporting products”, the
prime-minister said.

Sargsyan mentioned that the ministry of economy is instructed to
carry out a detailed analysis of the goods that Armenia is able to
produce on its own.

“Last year direct foreign investments in our economy dropped
significantly, and we provided economic growth at the expense of our
own resources. We will be focusing on this in 2013 as well, and we
will be trying to help you”, Sargsyan said.

Sargsyan stressed that priority will be given to competent managers
able to expand their businesses.

Entrepreneurs, in their turn, should discuss all the existing
opportunities in their teams so that “the state support is useful
and targeted”, he said.

2013 will be a year of intensive work for ensuring a 6.2% economic
growth, he said. -0-

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY CONTINUED WORKING ON INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

news.am
January 24, 2013 | 13:42

YEREVAN.- Armenia’s Foreign Ministry and diplomatic representations
of Armenia initiated a number of steps to enforce president’s decree
on creation of a state committee to organize events on the 100th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

Numerous events, conferences and exhibitions will be held in many
countries on the occasion of 97th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
with the support of Armenia’s diplomatic missions overseas, says the
2012 report of the Armenian MFA.

The fact of the Armenian Genocide is recognized by many states. It was
first recognized in 1965 by Uruguay. In general, the Armenian Genocide
in Ottoman Turkey has already been recognized by 21 countries and 43
out of 50 U.S. states.

ARMENIA ESTABLISHED DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH FOUR COUNTRIES LAST YEAR

Source: Panorama.am
13:33 24/01/2013

Armenia established diplomatic relations with four states last year,
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian told reporters, summing
up the year 2012.

In 2012, the Armenian President made 17 foreign visits, leaders of
three countries, as well as the Presidents of the Council of Europe
and the European Commission visited Armenia.

The Armenian parliament speaker made five foreign visits, parliament
speakers of three countries visited Armenia. The Armenian Prime
Minister visited five countries, Prime Ministers of two countries
visited Armenia.

The Armenian Foreign Minister made 44 foreign visits, 27 Foreign
Ministers and heads of international organizations visited Armenia.

Edward Nalbandian described the mutual visits as efficient. Armenia
made new friends as well as strengthened its position and authority
in the international arena, he concluded.

ARMENIAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF JERUSALEM HAS GREAT EXPECTATIONS FROM NEWLY ELECTED ISRAELI PARLIAMENT ON RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

20:23, 23 January, 2013

YEREVAN, JANUARY 23, ARMENPRESS: Armenian National Committee
of Jerusalem has great expectations from newly elected Israeli
Parliemant. Representative of the Committee Hakob Sevan noted in the
interview with Armenpress that despite it was early to speak about
concrete expectations therefore it was a crucal step that “Meretz”
party, presenting resolution on the recognition of Armenian Genocide,
doubled its power in Knesset.

“Almost 50 new people appeared in Knesset; a lot of them are advocating
Armenia. Their entrance to Knesset is a very positive phenomenon; works
will be carried out with other deputies of Parliament in two months. We
should take into consideration the changes that elections made in the
political map of Israel. Armenian National Committee of Jerusalem is
also going to cooperate with them,” Sevan said adding, in any case
they had positive expectations from the newly elected Parliament.

Elections for the 19th Knesset were held in Israel on 22 January 2013.

Originally, public debate over the Tal Law nearly led to an early
election in 2012, but this was aborted at the last moment after Kadima
briefly joined the government. The elections were later called in early
October 2012 after failure to agree on the budget for the fiscal year
2013. On 22 January 2013, exit polls showed Likud-Beitenu projected
to get 31 seats and Yesh Atid 19 seats.

EUROPEAN EXPERTS STUDY ARMENIAN CHESS TEACHING EXPERIENCE TO IMPLEMENT IT IN EU

12:06, 24 January, 2013

YEREVAN, JANAURY 24, ARMENPRESS. The Yerevan State Pedagogical
University after Khachatur Abovyan hosted the members of the European
Chess Union board. Rector of YSPU Ruben Mirzakhanyan welcomed the
foreign guests and introduced the activity of one of the largest
educational institutions in the Republic of Armenia. After, he
spoke about the implementation of “Chess” subject in the educational
programs.

The Yerevan State Pedagogical University after Khachatur Abovyan
informed “Armenpress” that the rector laid a heavy emphasis on the
fact that annually more than 4000 students have opportunity to study
chess alongside with the main profession and lecture in the schools.

Among other things Ruben Mirzakhanyan was glad to announce that Armenia
is the only country in the world to teach chess in the whole schools
providing general education.

In turn, the President of the European Chess Union Silvio Danailov
stated that he is glad for visiting one of the leading chess countries
of the world – Armenia. The President of the European Chess Union
stated: “We are like inexperienced pupils, who follow your success
in this realm and want to acquire experience to teach this subject
in the EU member-states.”

L’ARMENIE DEMANDE QUE LA MOSQUEE BLEUE SOIT INSCRITE A L’UNESCO

Le Ministère armenien de la Culture a recemment demande que la Mosquee
Bleue, egalement connue comme la Mosquee Gok, qui est situe au centre
de la capitale de l’Armenie d’Erevan, figure sur la liste du patrimoine
mondiale de l’UNESCO.

Cette information a ete reprise par le journal turc Zaman.

jeudi 24 janvier 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

GEORGIA’S VICE PM REMOVED FROM POST

tert.am
23.01.13

Georgia’s Defense Minister Irakli Alasania has been dismissed from
the office of deputy prime minister. According to Georgia Online,
the information is placed on the Georgian government’s website.

Alasania though will preserve the post of the defense minister.

Earlier today Alasania stated that he had a “hard conversation”
with Georgia’s PM Bidzina Ivanishvili.

“I am for the country with presidential system of governance under
strong parliamentary control. It is the main dispute we have with our
partner party. I think people are to decide the issue. It is early
to speak about it. Our coalition [Georgian Dream] has not conducted
such discussion but as far as the presidential elections are close we
have exchanged viewpoints in our Free Democrats party to understand
whether we are going to nominate a candidacy or not,” he said.