FRUIT TREES WERE FROSTBITTEN
A1+
April 20, 2009
In the result of an abrupt drop in temperature cases of frostbite
were reported on April 10-13.
According to preliminary data fruit trees in the villages of Tatul,
Partizak, Oshakan, Voskevaz, Voskehat, Ushi, Aghdzk, Sasunik, Aruch,
Nor Edesia, Kosh and Arten were frostbitten.
EXPERT SAYS COOPERATION WITH IRAN TO UNBLOCK ARMENIA
Panorama.am
14:02 18/04/2009
"We are currently having developed relations with Iran in trade,
business and tourism," political expert Stepan Grigoryan told
Panorama.am. Expert says that the basic aspects of the developing
Armenian-Iranian relations are transport communication and energy. "We
have done the first steps in energy cooperation by the construction of
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline. Unfortunately, no gas still flows through
the pipeline but we should solve that problem as soon as possible
to guarantee our energetic security and to make it useless to keep
Armenia in blockade," said the expert. According to him if we manage
to make another step forward in Iran-Armenia gas pipeline, then Turkey
would become more interested to improve its relations with Armenia.
SERZH SARGSYAN RECEIVES RUSSIAN FM SERGEY LAVROV
Gaziantep Haber 27
April 17 2009
Turkey
President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan received today Foreign Minister
of Russia Sergey Lavrov who arrived in Armenia to participate in
the 20th session of the council of foreign ministers of the BSEC
member countries.
17 Nisan 2009 Cuma 18:20
Presidential press service told Armenpress that during the meeting
the interlocutors discussed issues on strategic relations between
Armenia and Russia as well as issues connected with the coming visit
of the Armenian president to Russia.
The sides also referred to a number of regional and international
issues.
IS A BREAKTHROUGH IN NKR CONFLICT SETTLEMENT POSSIBLE IN MAY OR JUNE?
PanArmenian
April 16 2009
Armenia
RA and Azeri Presidents are studying each other’s positions and
painful concessions they will have to make, Mathew Bryza MG OSCE
Co-Chair stated.
According to him, the parties are considering possible concessions. "A
breakthrough in NKR conflict settlement is possible in May or
June. We’ll do all we can for presidents to come to an agreement,"
the diplomat stressed.
Touching upon the policy of new American administration in South
Caucasus, the diplomat stated that it hasn’t been altered much. "Some
new activities and contracts’ intensifications were registered though,"
added Bryza referring to visits of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama
to Turkey and intensification of MG OCSE activities, VOA News reported.
ISSUES ON PUTTING THE CSTO FORCES OF FAST REACTION AND THE COOPERATION BETWEEN THE INTERIOR MINISTRIES ON A NEW LEVEL DISCUSSED
ArmenPress
April 15 2009
Armenia
YEREVAN, APRIL 15, ARMENPRESS: First session of the Interior Ministers
of Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) took place today
in Yerevan. Representatives of CSTO member states – Armenia, Russia,
Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, besides Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
took part in it.
During the press conference after the session the head of Armenian
Police Alik Sargsian informed that it passed in a warm, practical
atmosphere of mutual agreement. Issues connected with putting the CSTO
forces of fast reaction and the cooperation between the home ministries
on a new level, fight against the challenges and threats – terrorism,
illegal circulation of drugs and illegal migration have been discussed.
"A new legal field must be established between the CSTO member
states to confront these challenges", – head of Armenian Police
noted. According to him representatives of all the member states
of the organization expressed their readiness to continue the close
cooperation not only within the CSTO but also within the frameworks
of CIS. From Armenia 30 representatives of the sixth department of the
Armenian Police will be involved in the CSTO forces of fast reaction.
According to the Russian Home Minister Rashid Nurgaliev more efficient
mechanisms are necessary to be worked out for confronting the
challenges. He said that the cooperation between the home ministers
of the CSTO member states in the issues of discovering the crimes
and people who are in quest as well as in the fight against illegal
circulation of drugs and illegal migration is on a high level.
The Minister informed that only during the last year 300 criminals,
including 40 Armenian citizens, have been discovered in Russia who
have been in a quest by the polices of CSTO member states.
During the mentioned period 108 Russian citizens have been discovered
who were in a preliminary trial. According to the Russian Home
Minister the fight against cyber crimes has become up to date and
it is necessary to be activated. R. Nurgaliev noted that different
events have and will be conducted towards ensuring the security of
CSTO member states to confront to all these challenges.
Answering to the questions of journalists the CSTO Secretary
General confirmed the intention of Iran to make the relations
with CSTO closer. "We are glad and express our gratification that
Iran and other states wish to enhance their cooperation with the
organization. Moreover, the Iranian Special Forces will in the future
take part in the events organized by the CSTO. Our actions only aim
at ensuring the security of our states", – N. Bordyuzha underscored.
TURKEY SENDS COMMISSION TO BAKU TO RELIEVE TENSION DUE TO THE POSSIBLE OPENNING OF THE ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER
Noyan Tapan
Apr 15, 2009
Ankara, April 15, Noyan Tapan: The Grand National Assembly of Turkey
made a decision to send on an assingnment a commission to Baku: to
relive the tension in Turkey-Azerbaijan relationship arose from the
possible opening of the Armenian-Turkish border. The commission will
leave for Baku this week, reports the Ankara agency.
Members of the Turkish parliamentarian commission will meet in
Azerbaijan to their colleges, as well as to representatives of
non-governmental organizations and mass media.
Mustafa Kabakci, the head of the Azerbaijan-Turkey friendship group
of the Turkish parliament, who also is involved in the commission
visiting Baku, declared, that Turkey would not undertake anything
unless the Karabakh conflict would be settled. "In spite of this,
certain negative approaches are demonstrated, which can hurt the
friendship between two countries," mentioned Turkish lawmaker.
According to some information, this week another commission
of parliamentarians and NGO representatives will visit Turkey
with the same purpose: to resolve the differences appeared in
Turkish-Azerbaijani relations due to possible opening of the Armenian
Turkish border.
ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT’S ANTI-CRISIS PROGRAM TO ALLEVIATE SOCIAL IMPACT OF CRISIS, PREMIER SAYS
ARKA
Apr 14, 2009
YEREVAN, April 14. /ARKA/. The Armenian government’s anti-crisis
program aims at alleviating the negative impact of the global financial
crisis on Armenian society, RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said.
"The economic downturn first of all hits the socially vulnerable, with
the current unemployment rate being the most vivid testimony to this.
Watching over the unemployment rate, we have a clear view on how
economic indicators affect the social system, and, naturally, we must
turn a spotlight on these indicators," the premier was quoted saying.
Mining industry with around 6,000 workers was the first to receive a
strong blow as the crisis bit into Armenia. This is why, the government
launched its anti-crisis measures from this sector.
"Our consultations with investors have shown that the dividends and the
profits they heave made allowed them to avoid job cuts," Sargsyan said,
adding those enterprises regularly paid salaries to their employees.
The five leading mining enterprises have agreed that they would make
no job cuts in summer, Sargsyan said.
"We assisted first the Kajaran-based Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum
Plant, so that it could overcome all difficulties and obtain new
equipment, which was designed by the 2009 program," the premier said.
The RA Government extended a $10mln loan (on Libor + 6% terms) to
the Kajaran-based Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Plant, so that the
copper giant could weather the crisis storm.
According to Sargsyan, the Armenian government gives priority to
system-making enterprises to be able to solve a range of social issues
amid the global recession.
YOVANOVITCH. THE UNITED STATES HAS A LONGSTANDING COMMITMENT TO SPREADING THE IDEAS AND VALUES OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY
LRAGIR.AM
17:52:45 – 14/04/2009
On April 14, the U.S. Embassy marked the re-opening of the Yerevan
American Corner at the City Central Library’s new location by the
Republic Square Metro Station (or some other description of the
location). The inauguration also marks the Corner’s fourth year of
operations in Yerevan.
In her remarks, Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch said, ‘The United
States has a longstanding commitment to spreading the ideas and values
of American democracy, and to engaging and maintaining an open dialogue
with people throughout the world.’
American Corners are small American-style libraries that provide
information about America in a variety of formats, including reference
books, works of fiction, journals, and videos. The Corners also provide
computers with Internet access, and offer a variety of public programs
including speakers and workshops. The American Corners are open to the
general public and access is free of charge. A network of over 400
American Corners is operating globally through partnerships between
the U.S. Department of State and local host organizations.
The American Corner program officially began in Armenia in April 2005
when the U.S. Embassy inaugurated the first Corner in Yerevan. Over the
past four years, over 35,000 people have visited the corner. Additional
Corners are located in Gyumri, Vanadzor and Kapan.
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT: DEFOREST STUDENTS SPREAD THEIR STUDY OF GENOCIDES
By Pamela Cotant
Wisconsin State Journal
Apri l 13 2009
DEFOREST — Students in the New Reflections program of DeForest High
School not only tackled the wrenching subject of genocide, they put
on a symposium to let others know about the atrocities they researched.
The 20 juniors and seniors in DeForest’s alternative high school
program set up informational booths in the basement of the DeForest
Public Library, where their classes are held. They invited parents,
school staff members, School Board members and others to view their
displays and multimedia presentations.
"Most high schoolers are never in that position where they are the
experts," said alternative school teacher Jen McGorray. "They took
this project and ran with it and made it their own."
McGorray said the idea was to extend the traditional study of
the Holocaust by looking at other genocides. The students studied
genocides, a massacre and other human rights violations against the
Hmong, Cambodians, Congolese, Rwandans, Muslims in India in 2002,
Chechens, Kurds, Armenians, American Indians and Sudan and China.
Senior Jackie Holland and junior Crystal Pullen said it was difficult
to study the Nanjing, China massacre, finding it "disgusting" and
"gross."
"I didn’t even know about this," junior Eric Debrow said about studying
the killing of the Congolese with classmate Levi Bingham. "It affected
me because people were being killed for no reason."
The students also got lessons on research. Senior Michelle Schumacher
and junior Kate Wagner found it difficult to obtain information on
the violence against Muslims in India from books so they turned to
the Internet — but found that unreliable at times, too. Senior Ted
Waggoner, who studied events in Chechnya along with junior Nicole
O’Donnell, said he learned about propaganda and wasn’t sure if he
could trust everything he found on the Internet.
The genocide unit is being taught every other year by McGorray and
Michelle Kruse, who teaches 20th century history and literature at
New Reflections, along with English at the high school.
Research for the unit was funded by a grant obtained by McGorray,
Kruse and Lisa Aldrich, German teacher at DeForest High School. The
three went to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington
and a synagogue in the Milwaukee area, where they received curriculum
materials.
STATE DUTIES AMOUNTED 135 MILLION IN 2009 INITIAL QUARTER
PanARMENIAN.Net
10.04.2009 15:26 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian Ministry of Finance issued two licenses
on organization of achievement games, the Ministry’s press office
reported.
At that, state duties amounted 135 million (85 million from casinos
and 50 million from achievement games) in the initial quarter of 2009.