Author: Maghakian Mike

MOSCOW TO HOST EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARY GAMES

RIA Novosti
July 9, 2009
MOSCOW

Moscow is to host the first European parliamentary games on October
1-5, a Russian MP said Thursday.

European MPs will compete in mini football, tennis, table tennis,
chess, golf and volleyball. There are also plans to hold a race.

First deputy chairman of the Russian lower house’s sports committee
Dmitry Svishchev said Poland, Turkey, Ukraine, Hungary, Croatia,
Armenia, Lithuania and Slovenia had confirmed their participation in
the competition.

"Holding such sports events is one way to develop international
cooperation between European members of parliament," he said.

Invitations have been sent to all PACE members.

Anton Sikharulidze, the head of the State Duma sports committee, said
speaker Boris Gryzlov had agreed to head the organizing committee,
while Moscow mayor Yury Luzhkov would be a co-chairman.

AMERICAN EXPERTS COMMENT ON OBAMA`S SPEECHES ABOUT GEORGIA

Daily Georgian Times
2009.07.08 17:02

American experts say the speeches made by the US president during his
visit to Moscow have reduced the chance of new war in the Caucasus
to minimum. The experts of the Hudson University and the Heritage
Foundation, Andrei Pointkovski and Sali MCnamara have said Obama
expressed open support to young democracies in his speeches.

Pointkovsky says the recent act by the Armenian president was also
a very significant signal for Russia and the West, when he awarded
the president of Georgia with Honor Prize. It was a demonstration of
support to Georgia as the Caucasian state and a signal for Russia that
resumption of conflict in the Caucasus would not be hailed by Armenia.

`I think it was a big relief to see Barack Obama come out and say
`we support the territorial integrity of Georgia and we take a very
deem view of further military action between Russia and Georgia, so
I think it`s very good that he spoke in glooming terms of Georgia
and of American commitments to Georgia but he did not on it any
further. Essentially, we have a lot of analysts including Andrey
Ilarionov, who used to work for Vladimir Putin, saying we are expecting
to see Russian aggression in Georgia in the next 46 weeks and I don`t
think Americans have any plan how they will react,` Sally McNamara,
who is a Senior Policy Analyst in European Affairs at The Heritage
Foundation`s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom has told Rustavi2.

ARMENAL SHOWS 12% IMPROVEMENT ON ITS NOMINAL DESIGN CAPACITY

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
08.07.2009 12:05 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ UC RUSAL, the world’s largest aluminum and alumina
producer, announced a marked increase in output from its ARMENAL
foil mill, Armenia. In June, the foil mill produced nearly 2,500
tons of foil, a 12% improvement on its nominal design capacity,
taking ARMENAL’s half-year production to over 10,000 tons.

ARMENAL reported a 77% production increase from January to June 2009
compared to H1 2008 and said it expected to see its output double by
the end of this year.

ARMENAL, in parallel with the expansion of output, was making
improvements in practically every technical and economic indicator,
including a 60% reduction in production costs and minimization of
the rate of rejects due to production defects.

"The keys to success for ARMENAL’s workers were reduced material
consumption rates, firmer process discipline, and a comprehensive
program implemented to reduce costs and raise the yield ratio,"
said ARMENAL’s Managing Director Sergey Borovik. "The yield ratio
more than doubled in only twelve months to 72.4% and we are set to
improve that important performance indicator to 75%."

ARMENAL has enough orders on hand to keep the foil mill running until
the end of this year. Its products are mainly exported to the United
States with the Middle East becoming a rapidly growing market for them.

Founded in May 2000 as part of the Kanaker aluminum smelter, ARMENAL is
one of the largest industrial sites in Armenia and the only aluminum
foil mill in the Caucasus and Central Asia. After joining RUSAL in
2000 the foil mill became part of the Company’s Packaging Division,
which also includes SAYANA Foil, SAYANAL, and Urals Foil. ARMENAL
employs 670 people.

RUSAL is the global leader in the aluminum industry, accounting for
approximately 12% and 15% of global production of aluminum and alumina
respectively. RUSAL sells its products in 70 countries worldwide and
employs 90,000 people in 19 countries, across 5 continents.

HEAD OF WB OFFICE IN ARMENIA: SUPPORTING OF THE ORE MINING COMPANIES BY THE GOVERNMENT WILL NOT BREAK ECONOMICAL COMPETITION

ArmInfo
2009-07-07 14:57:00

ArmInfo. Supporting of the ore mining companies by the Armenian
government will not break economical competition, Head of World Bank
Yerevan Office Aristomene Varoudakis told Arminfo correspondent.

‘Armenia is doing the same as some other countries – it allocates
financial means to certain enterprises, but such a support is of
temporary nature, and this is very much important. Armenian ore mining
companies really needed support since the prices for the copper and
molybdenum processed by them reduced much. In this case temporary
balanced measures should be taken to support private companies. And
it is very much important if allocation of the funds is followed by
restructuring of companies and raising their competitive ability’,
– Varoudakis said and added the rules of the state supporting of
business, drawn out by European Union, are in line with all these
criteria. ‘They may be useful to Armenia’, – he said. Touching on
possible reduction of volumes of the governmental support, he said
that Armenia has created ‘factor of safety’ in the form of credits from
international financial organizations which may be used at this moment.

CYPRUS PRESIDENT: "MATENADARAN IS A TREASURE FOR ALL MANKIND"

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
06.07.2009 21:04 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Cyprus President Demetris Christofias has today
visited Matenadaran.

Mr. Christofias and his spouse were introduced to Matenadaran’s new
and permanent expositions.

Meeting the guests, Matenadaran’s Director Hrachya Tamrazyan gave them
the following souvenirs: the album titled "The Treasure of Armenian
Miniatures" and "Mesrop Mashtots" memory medal.

In his turn, Cypriot official handed the model of a sailing vessel to
Matenadaran director. "I hope that some time in future, such boat will
make it possible to sail round Cyprus island," he said. "Armenians
will heartily pray for that," Hrachya Tamrazyan stated in response.

At parting, Mr. Christofias left the following note, "Matenadaran is
a treasure for all mankind."

The residence of the Catholicos of All Armenians will be constructed
within 2 years
04.07.2009 15:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Yerevan hosted a soil consecration
ceremony. The residence of the Catholicos of All Armenians will be
reconstructed on the consecrated soil, nearby St. Katoghike Church at
the intersection of Sayat-Nova and Abovyan Streets. The ceremony was
conducted by the Catholocos of All Armenians, Garegin II.

On Holy Echimiadzin’s initiative, St. Anna’s Church, which will
complete a church complex of St. Katoghike, and the residence of
Catholicos of All Armenians, will be constructed in accordance with
architect Hrach Poghosyan’s project and with financial assistance of
Hrayr and Anna Hovnanyans.

The consecration ceremony was attended by RA President Serzh Sargsyan,
Yerevan Mayor Gagik Beglaryan, Hrayr and Anna Hovnanyans, public and
cultural workers.

St. Katoghike Church was located in the centre of the Shahar District
(presently at the intersection of Abovyan and Sayat-Nova streets). It
was built after the big earthquake, during the years 1693-1695. Built
with tufa-stone and cement, it belonged to the three-nave basilica
type without a dome. Considering the sizes of its prayer hall (14.0 x
19.3 m), and its outside perimeter (16.4 x 28.4 m), it was perhaps one
of the most capacious churches of old Yerevan. The church had
entrances on both the southern and western sides.
The walls of the Church lacked the usual means of architectural
expression, save the khachkars (cross-stones) that appeared on its
walls here and there dating back to the years 1679, 1693, 1694, and
1695.
When the walls were demolished, old khachkars were found in them
referring to the years 1472, 1641 and 1642. According to historical
studies there had been a church on the same site of the present church
traditionally called `St. Astvatsatsin Church’.
The hypothesis related to the existence of this old church was
completely confirmed during the demolition of the St. Katoghike
Church, when the southern and northern walls to which the two vestries
were annexed were opened.
The St. Astvatsatsin Church, which continues to bear the name of
`St. Katoghike’, is relatively of small size (5.4 x 7.5 m). Due to the
very limited facilities, it can offer for the required church rituals,
it serves only as a chapel – merely a prayer house.

ANNIVERSARY CONCERT TO FINALIZE THE YEAR OF MINAS ON JUNE 20 IN ARMENIA

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
03.07.2009 13:56 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Started with exhibition in the Armenia’s National Art
Gallery, commemorative events of 80th anniversary of Minas Avetisian
will be finalized with the concert on June 20.

Created by the German musician Pierre-Dominique Ponnelle, ‘Minas’
composition will be performed for the first time by the State orchestra
of soloists of Armenia. The anniversary concert will be attended by
the German musician Pierre-Dominique Ponnelle, In October the year of
Minas will start in Russia and in 2010 dwellers of 5 Italian cities
will get aquanted with the works of the famous Armenian artist.

AMBASSADORS OF ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN TO RUSSIA HAVE ARRIVED IN KARABAKH

ArmInfo
2009-07-03 12:14:00

ArmInfo. Ambassadors of Armenia and Azerbaijan to Russia, Armen
Smbatyan and Polad Bul-Bul Ogli as well as the leader of the Federal
Agency on Culture and Cinema Mikhail Shvydkoy are in Karabakh,
ArmInfo correspondent reported from Stepanakert.

Today morning they already met the NKR President Bako Sahakyan and
later journalists. They are going to visit Shushi town as well.

This is the second visit of the ambassadors to the NKR. On 28 June 2007
the ambassadors initiated the visit of representatives of the Armenian
and Azerbaijani intelligentsia to Stepanakert, Yerevan and Baku.

PREMIER: ADDITIONAL CASH INJECTIONS IN ARMENIA’S CONSTRUCTION SECTOR CAN MITIGATE ADVERSE IMPACT OF GLOBAL CRISIS

/ARKA/
July 1, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, July 1. /ARKA/. Additional cash injections in Armenia’s
construction sector will mitigate adverse impact of the global crisis
on the country’s economy, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said
Wednesday at the ceremony of credit agreement signing by European
Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Elite Group, Armenian
construction company.

"Important is that EBRD believes that construction programs will
be successful and keeps crediting them despite adverse impact of
the crisis.

Credits will help us to mitigate consequences of the crisis", he said.

Under the agreement, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
lends $5.5 million to Elite Group and provides â~B¬130,000 in grant
to encourage energy-saving innovations.

Sargsyan stressed the importance of the agreement saying it is
significant for several reasons.

First, this is the bank’s second cash injection in Armenian economy.

Earlier, the EBRD extended unprecedented credit to Armenia’s energy
sector.

The premier said that $5.5 million would be given to one of the
largest construction companies in Armenia.

On July 4, Armenian Government provided budget guarantee of 2.5 million
to Elite Group to enable the company to complete construction of some
buildings in Yerevan.

Tigran Sargsyan attache s special importance to governmental programs
in construction area, since construction sector’s share in GDP is
greatest, and construction sluggishness affects all the sectors of
the national economy.

In his words, Armenian Government makes every effort to pump funds
into construction.

He said that the government must do whatever necessary to attract
funds.

"Important is to restore private sector’s confidence in construction",
the premier said.

National Statistical Service of Armenia says 15.7% economic decline
was recorded in the country in Jan-May 2009, compared with the same
period of the previous year.

According to the statistical report, GDP in current prices amounted
to AMD 839356.6 million in Jan-May 2009, and GDP index-deflator was
101.4%, compared with the same period a year earlier.

Armenian construction sector’s 56.6% decline in Jan-May 2009 drove
GDP 10.3 percentage points down, while at the same period of 2008,
construction added 2.9 points to GDP.

The sector’s share in GDP was 10.8% in Jan-May 2009.

ENTRANCE OF DIASPORAN ARMENIAN ENTRANTS STARTS AT EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS OF ARMENIA

NOYAN TAPAN
JULY 2, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JULY 2, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The RA Ministry of
Education and Science started from July 1 acceptance of Diasporan
Armenian apllicants’ documents to initial, vocational and higher
educational and research institutions for the 2009/2010 academic
year. Documents for studying with a full compensation of the education
payment (free) by the state with the means of students’ benefits, with
bachelor’s education program are accepted till August 20 inclusive,
documents for studying at the initial department are accepted till
November 6 inclusive, and for studying with post-graduate programs
are accepted till September 30 inclusive.

Diasporan Armenian entrants must present documents to the RA Ministry
of Education and Science personally or with the help of RA diplomatic
representations at foreign states.

They must present an application under the name of the RA Minister of
Education and Science, the application-form given by the Ministry and
filled in, copies of all pages of the passport, a notarized copy of
the birth certificate or the christening certificate, a copy of the
secondary (full) general education cerificate certified by a consul
or a state notary, a health certificate, 4 photos at 3×4 size. Those
applying for the post-graduate professional education must also
present a scientific work on the theme of the chosen speciality.

As hayernaysor.am was informed by Sirvard Hambarian, the Head of
the Scientific-Educational Programs Subdivision of the All Armenian
Programs Department of the RA Ministry of Diaspora, about 3 thousand
Diasporan Armenian students studied at state and private higher
educational institutions, professional educational institutions of
Armenia during the 2008/2009 academic year. And 497 Diasporan Armenians
entered different educational institutions of Armenia only that year.