Author: Nahapetian Boris

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT AWARDS 10 ORGANIZATIONS FOR HIGH QUALITY OF GOODS AND SERVICES IN 2008

ARKA
March 20, 2009

YEREVAN, March 20. /ARKA/. Armenian Government awarded ten
organizations for high quality of goods and services in 2008.

Armenian Deputy Minister of Economy Vahe Gabrielyan reported that
the following are the organizations that received the government
award for 2008 for their achievements in ensuring quality of goods
and services and for applying efficient methods of quality control:
state service of hydrometeorology and monitoring state non-commercial
organization, institute of

obstetrics and gynecology, Yerevan brandy, wine and vodka factory
"Ararat" open joint stock company, "Jermuk" lead factory closed
joint stock company, "Multi-agro" research and production center LLC,
"Spitak tnak" LLC, "LMPG Group" LLC, "V.Aghababyan" LLC, "Semur and
Co." LLC and "Bari Samaratsi" LLC.

‘ARMENTEL’ ACTIVATES FIXED COMMUNICATION CLIENT SUPPORT CENTER

ArmInfo
2009-03-20 14:13:00

ArmInfo. "ArmenTel" has activated the fixed communication client
support center, "ArmenTel" press service told ArmInfo. The subscribers
have just to dial ‘1-00’ number and contact the company specialists for
a qualified assistance. Prior to launching this service, the technical
problems of the fixed communication subscribers were solved through the
calls to the ATS at subscriber’s place of residence. Henceforth, along
with the old numbers (XX (ATS number)-12-12), the subscribers may use a
new common number served by a group of trained specialists. As Head of
the Client Service Department of "ArmenTel" Burastan Movsisyan said,
the specialists consult the subscribers every day from 9:00 AM till
8:00 PM and draw up applications for elimination of failures. ‘Due
to such a unification of the information flow the Company receives
additional opportunities for tracing the execution of requests
and efficient diagnistics of our network. We think this is too
important for permanent improvement of the quality of our services’,
B. Movsisyan said.

CONSTRUCTION OF AMIRIAN PLAZA TO FINISH IN TWO YEARS

Noyan Tapan
March 20, 2009

YEREVAN, MARCH 20, NOYAN TAPAN. Over 15 million USD was invested by
the Amirian Plaza business and cultural center construction project,
while the total amount of investments will make about 30 million USD:
35% of overall work, and more than 50% of overall construction work has
been completed, Gagik Zakarian – director of Uniinvest construction
company, chairman of the board of Unibank (Armenia) and chairman of
the bank’s founder – Uniastrum Bank (Russia) announced at the March
19 press conference.

According to him, negotiations are being conducted to involve
Western experts in marketing, design and project management in the
implementation of the project. He said that the Amirian Plaza will
have two buildings, "interesting architectural solutions, an atrium
(internal winter garden) of 1,200 square meters – there have been
no such atriums in Yerevan so far". A library after A. Isahakian,
trade and office areas, restaurants with cuisine of various nations,
a hotel, a fitness center and a swimming pool will be available at
the Amirian Plaza.

He added that the construction of the Amirian Plaza started three
years ago and will finish in about two years.

ALEXANDER MANASYAN: OSCE MG DRAGS OUT KARABAKH PROCESS

PanARMENIAN.Net
20.03.2009 17:20 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The OSCE Minsk Group is dragging out resolution of
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, an Armenian expert said.

The intermediaries will not settle the conflict until they get a
right moment to settle it in their favor.

"During the past 20 years, the mediators were doing their best to
represent the conflict as a dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan,"
Alexander Manasyan , head of Academy of Political Research NGO,
told a news conference in Yerevan.

"The OSCE MG does not observe neutrality in talks. Periodically,
Co-chairs make statements which conflict with the negotiations
spirit. As result, these statements gradually change the essence and
type of the conflict," he said.

Manasyan also reminded that after the Budapest summit in 1994 the
sides have not signed any document saying that the negotiations must
be held only by Armenia and Azerbaijan only.

"Presently, consultations but not negotiations are being held,"
he said.

NO OFFICIAL APPLICATION OF PARTICIPATION IN THE TENDER OF CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW NUCLEAR UNIT IN ARMENIA RECEIVED FROM TURKEY

ARMENPRESS
March 20, 2009

YEREVAN, MARCH 20, ARMENPRESS: The tender of construction of a new
nuclear unit in Armenia will be open and transparent.

Armenian Energy and Natural Resources Minister Armen Movsisian told
today the reporters referring to the issue of possible participation
of Turkey in the project of construction of a new nuclear unit, said
that it will be a project which will be implemented as a result of an
international tender, "each country may take part in this construction,
including Turkey and there are no issues here".

In response to the question weather Turkey has already presented an
application of participation, A Movsisian noted that yet no official
application has been received.

"There was a discussion what kind of an institution it will be, what
level of transparency it will have and how available it will be for
the countries, companies and individuals of the whole world.

A corresponding decision has been made according to which everyone
may participate in the construction of a new nuclear unit, that’s
to say to be a shareholder of the new unit of the atomic station",-
the Minister said.

HOOLIGANISM OR VANDALISM?

A1+
04:06 pm | March 16, 2009

Regions

The statue of Armenian prominent prosaist Hrant Matevosyan is reported
to have been vandalised in the town of Vanadzor on March 15. Policemen
arriving on the scene found a 12-year-old teenager painting the statue
red. Rudik Varosyan, Head of Juvenile Department of Vanadzor Police,
says the boy simply wanted to "beautify" the statue. In the meantime,
the adults indifferently watched the boy. An inquiry into the case
is in progress.

CO-CHAIRS DISTORTED CORE OF ISSUE

A1+
09:01 pm | March 19, 2009

Politics

The "Refugees and International Right" system expresses its concerns
about the approaches of the co-chairs of the Minsk Group, the Azeri
authorities, as well as the stance of the Armenian and Karabakh
authorities.

As stated in the statement of the system, during their last regional
visit the co-chairs of the Minsk Group distorted the core of the
issue regarding refugees and scrutinized it within the context of
the return of Azeri refugees to their previous homes in the current
Nagorno-Karabakh territory and evaded recalling the need to defend
the rights and interests of half a million Azeri refugees.

"All sides of the peace talks remind that according to the official
statistics of Azerbaijan, the number of refugees registered in
the country makes up only 8,000 people of which a large part is
Azeri. The co-chairs "revived" the still-born idea according to which
the participation of NKR in the talks will be possible only under
the condition of complete participation of the "Azeri district of
Nagorno-Karabakh" NGO.

Judging from the logic of the co-chairs’ proposals, all Azeri who
have left their residencies must return, while the Azeri who used
to live in the former Autonomous Region of Nagorno-Karabakh will be
considered the Azeri community of Nagorno-Karabakh. However, there
is nothing mentioned about the rights of native Armenians of Northern
Artsakh or at least the need to secure the right of tens of thousands
of Armenians who have been deported from the Shahumyan region and the
Getashen sub-region to return to their homes. It is noteworthy that
when the RA Minister of Foreign Affairs is asked about the fate of
the Azeri-Armenian refugees, he avoids giving an answer and justifies
that by the need to keep the details of the talks confidential.

We insist that Armenian and NKR officials connected to the peace talks
must attach special importance to the issue of defending the rights
of Armenian refugees. We demand the release of information on the
details of the peace talks, which will help prevent the possibility
of sealing a secret deal by violating the interests of our half a
million fellow Armenians," as stated in the statement.

ARMENIAN SOCCER TOP DIVISION 18TH CHAMPIONSHIP LOGO 2009 APPROVED

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.03.2009 19:26 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Football Federation of Armenia has approved
the logo of the 18th championship of the top division.

There is no Armenian flag depicted on the logo, unlike the last
year’s emblem.

The top division championship started on March 21 with Kilikia-Ulis
match.

Shirak-Ararat, Gandzasar-Mika and Pyunik-Mika matches are scheduled
for March 22.

ARMENIAN GENERAL PROSECUTOR OFFICE: EMBEZZLEMENT CASE UNDER INVESTIGATION

ARKA
March 18, 2009

YEREVAN, March 18. /ARKA/. M. Garajyan, the head of Gobardzi village,
Lori province, is under the police’s scrutiny now, the press office
of Armenian Prosecutor General’s Office reported on Tuesday.

The thing is that Garajyan, abusing his powers, has pocketed AMD
560,000 ($1,500) from the community’s funds intended for the village’s
residents as social benefits.

The prosecutor office sent the case to the provincial police department
for investigation.

MICROSOFT NEW PROGRAM IN ARMENIA

Panorama.am
16:44 18/03/2009

A month ago "Microsoft" Company launched "BizSpark" program which is
already available in Armenia, said Grigor Barseghyan, the director of
"Microsoft" Company office in Yerevan. According to him it is a new
program and is aimed to support the new born companies giving them a
chance to use world technological resources. "First of all the project
will provide accessibility and modern technologies to the companies,"
said G. Barseghyan. The companies, which will become a part of the
program, will be available on "Microsoft" web site; hence they will
be available for the world also. "In these days of the crisis it is
a unique chance for our companies to come out in the international
markets," he said.