Author: Tadevosian Garnik

PREMIER OF ARMENIA TO PARTICIPATE IN SITTING OF CIS GOVERNMENT HEADS IN ASTANA

ARKA
May 20, 2009

YEREVAN, May 20. /ARKA/. Premier of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan will leave
for a working visit to capital of Kazakhstan Astana on May 21-22 to
participate in the regular sitting of heads of government of the CIS
countries, ARKA was told on Wednesday.

The Armenian delegation headed by the Premier includes Chief of RA
Government Staff David Sargsyan, Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan,
Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan, Ambassador of Armenia to
Belarus Oleg Yesayan, Authorized Representative to Economic Affairs
Commission by the CIS Economic Council Artak Vardanyan and other
officials.

According to RIA Novosti, issues of cooperation in the sectors of
economy, humanitarian and safety will be discussed at the sitting.

Delegation from 11 CIS countries will arrive in Astana.

HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II, SUPREME PATRIARCH AND CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS, CONFIRMS THE VOTE OF CONFIDENTIALITY OF THE 82ND DIOCESAN ASSEMBLY TO THE PRIMATE FOR A SECOND SEVEN-YEAR TERM IN THE WESTERN DIOCESE

May 19, 2009

Following the vote of confidentiality of the 82nd Diocesan Assembly to
His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian for a second seven-year term
Primacy in the Western Diocese, on May 1, 2009, and in accordance with
the Bylaws of the Western Diocese, an official letter indicating the
decision of the 82nd Diocesan Assembly, signed by the 82nd Diocesan
Assembly Officials – Adrienne Krikorian, Chair; Ed Nikssarian, Vice
Chair; Zarouhi Der Mugrdechian, English Secretary; Rev. Archpriest
Fr. Sipan Mekhsian, Armenian Secretary – was sent to His Holiness
Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.

The Office of the Western Diocese is pleased to announce that in a
letter dated May 13, 2009, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch
and Catholicos of All Armenians, confirmed the decision of the
82nd Diocesan for a second seven-year term Primacy of His Eminence
Archbishop Hovnan Derderian in the Western Diocese

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT EXTENDS HIS CONDOLENCES IN CONNECTION WITH DEATH OF SEVDA SEVAN

ArmInfo
2009-05-18 17:28:00

ArmInfo. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan has extended his
condolences in connection with the death of writer Sevda Sevan.

The press service of the President quotes Sargsyan as saying that
"Sevan was a bright representative of Armenian literature. Her
works reflect the pain of hundreds of thousands of people who have
suffered from the Armenian Genocide. Her books were a weapon against
silence and indifference and a way to prevent the recurrence of such
tragedies. Her works will eternally remind us about the tragedy and
revival of our people. I extend my deep condolences to the relatives
and friends of Sevan."

The press service of the MFA reports that Sevda Sevan was born Nov
6 1945.

In 1974 Sevan graduated from Philological Department of Sofia
University. In 1974 she was appointed as head of Culture Department
of Youth magazine. In 1989 she was admitted into the Union of Writers
of Bulgaria. In 1992 Sevan was appointed as Chairwoman of Armenian
General Benevolent Union. Sevan is the author of several books. In
1993 she was appointed as consul of Armenia to Bulgaria. In 1999-2005
she was Ambassador of Armenia to Bulgaria.

Trend, Azerbaijan
May 16 2009

Azerbaijan, Armenia have many unresolved issues on the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: Minsk Group French co-chair

16.05.09 11:06

Azerbaijan, Baku, May 16 /Trend News, E. Tariverdiyeva/ The fact that
I came to the region and met with the Azerbaijani and Armenia
presidents a week after the Prague summit shows there are many issues
on the table that need to be resolved, OSCE Minsk Group French
Co-Chair Bernard Fassier told reporters at the Heydar Aliyev airport.

Fassier said each round of talks must not be viewed separately. "When
you look after one photo, you do not get any impression of
movement. One needs to see a film to get full view of the movement,"
the French co-chair said.

Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents will meet for the fifth time in
June. "If people meet so frequently, they have something to say each
other. We are hopeful of a constructive solution," Fassier said.

Fassier said the meeting in Prague was not failure as some observers
say. "If it was failure, I would not be here after several days to
continue talks. Maybe we do not have breakthrough, but we have made
some advance," Fassier said.

He said the co-chairs have determined some items together with
presidents. Once they are achieved, the work on next items of the
Madrid document can begin.

He said some items of this document arouse discussion. But the
co-chairs continue to work on them.

Fassier said his visit to Turkey is planned by the OSCE Minks Group
and is not directly linked with the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.

IRAN BEGINS DELIVERING GAS TO ARMENIA IN EXCHANGE FOR ELECTRICITY

Interfax
May 14 2009
Russia

Iran began delivering gas to Armenia on Thursday under a
gas-for-electricity deal signed in Yerevan on May 13, Armenian Energy
and Natural Resources Minister Armen Movsisyan told Interfax.

Four organizations are parties to the agreement: Yerevan Thermal
Electricity Station and Vorotansky Cascade Hydroelectric Station
(Armenia) and National Iranian Gas Company and Tavanir (Iran).

Only small amounts of gas are currently being delivered to the
Yerevan station, from which a portion will be passed on to other
thermal electricity stations.

The delivery volumes will be increased in stages. The volume announced
previously – 1.1 billion cubic meters (bcm) – is unlikely to be
reached in 2009, Movsisyan said.

Armenia will pay for the gas with electricity in the ratio 3 kWh per
1 cubic meter.

The gas is being delivered along the Iran-Armenia pipeline, which
represents an alternative to the North Caucasus-Transcaucasus pipeline
used to deliver Russian gas to Armenia via Georgia.

It was reported earlier that Iran agreed to deliver 1.1 bcm of gas a
year to Armenia beginning in 2009, and up to 2.3 bcm a year beginning
in 2019.

(Our editorial staff can be reached at [email protected])

WOMEN’S FOOTBALL TEAM WINS INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT IN ARMENIA

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
15.05.2009 13:09 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Estonian football national women’s team scoring a
3:0 victory over Armenians and 2:1 over Kazakhs has already won the
title of champion of the tournament.

The final match will be played between Armenian and Kazakh teams on
April 16.

TURKEY CANNOT BE MEDIATOR IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT PROCESS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
14.05.2009 18:05 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Great Brtitain welcomes any steps towards lifting
Armenia’s blockade. In that respect, normalization of Armenian-Turkish
ties is very important," UK Special Representaive for South Caucaus
Brian Fall told a press-conference in Yerevan. "We also hope for speedy
settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict in Minsk Group format and
excluively through peaceful methods. As regards Turkey’s involvement
in negotiation process, I don’t think Turkey can be mediator in
the process although it’s a key country in the region," the British
Ambassador stressed.

In the meantime, Mr. Fall noted that Great Britain builds its relations
with South Caucasian states on individual bases. "We are guided by our
own interests and prospects of cooperation with different countries. As
far as Armenia is concerned, I must say that Her Masjesty’s Government
is currently interested in developing bilateral ties. I hope both
countries’ Foreign Ministers should have consultative meetings twice
a year," he said.

SIEMENS AG AUSTRIAN COMPANY WILL BE RECONSTRUCTING VANADZOR 1 SUBSTATION

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
14.05.2009 18:13 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ RA Government ratified tender results for Vanadzor
1 substation reconstruction within the framework of crediting program
on Alaverdi -Gardabani power line restoration, to be implemented with
the assistance of KFW German Bank. SIEMENS AG Austrian Company was
announced the tender winner.

THREE KILLED, FOUR INJURED IN NAIRIT FIRE

ARKA
May 14, 2009

YEREVAN, May 14. /ARKA/. Fire broke out Thursday in Nairit, rubber
giant in Yerevan.

Three people were killed and four injured in the fire.

Rescue crews are searching other four workers.

Colonel Nikolay Grigoryan, chief of the rescue service affiliated
to Armenian Emergency Ministry, said the fire caused by an explosion
was seen from every corner of the city.

Twelve fire-fighting vehicles were sent to the scene.

According to unofficial information, Nairit’s chloroprene mill and
reactors were on fire.

The police immediately ringed the building at one-kilometer distance.

ARKA News Agency’s correspondent says there was burnt rubber smell
around.

People leaving in nearby houses were evacuated.

Health Minister Harutyun Kushkyan told journalists that one man was
rushed to Erebuni Hospital.

The minister promised to provide more detailed information later,
after seeing the situation on the site.

Head of "Emergency" Artem Petrosyan, in his turn, stated six emergency
crews, four medical and two crews for transportation of bodies are
working in the site of occurrence.

"People with light burns also turn to doctor’s help and the medical
assistance is rendered on the spot," he said.

Rescue service of Armenia is searching for four missing workers of
the Armenian "Nairit" plant who were in the factory at the20time of
the explosion.

Colonel Nikolay Grigoryan said no cases of harmful or toxic waste
were recorded in the result of the explosion and fire in the factory.

All responsible people are in the administrative building of the
factory.

Nairit was the only plant producing chloroprene rubber in the Soviet
Union’s territory.

The factory produces polichloroprene under "Nairit" brand since
1940. After a long stop the factory’s operation was resumed in
1992-1993.

In 2006, 90% of the company’s shares were sold to British "Rhinoville
Property Limited" for $40mln, with the remaining 10% belonging to
Armenian Government.

The average monthly capacity of the factory is 700-750tons of
production, however the real monthly production varies from 900-950tons
to 500tons of chloroprene rubber.

According to the last information (20:55) three people died and 17
rescuers were injured because of the fire.

NABUCCO DEAL EXPECTED ON JUNE 25

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.05.2009 10:59 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey and the European Union reached a
"breakthrough" agreement on the Nabucco natural gas pipeline without
conditions, officials said.

The Czech Republic hosted a regional summit in Prague last week on
the so-called Southern Corridor, a network of energy transit routes
that includes the heralded Nabucco gas pipeline.

Turkey would host a major portion of the 2,050-mile pipeline. Ankara
said in April it was waiting for European decisions on the pipeline,
with a deal expected in June.

European officials said the deal was now expected on June 25.

"This is a complete breakthrough," an unnamed official involved in
the Turkish negotiations told the newspaper. "The Turks have accepted
our terms. There is no conditionality."

Nabucco negotiations were complicated by Turkey’s efforts at joining
the ranks of the EU and its demands for a portion of the gas traveling
through the pipeline. European Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs
told The Guardian, however, that Ankara’s demand for 15 percent of
the gas is gone.

Europe sees Nabucco as the answer to its energy diversification
efforts. The $10.7 billion pipeline would bring gas supplies from
Central Asia and the Middle East to Europe without using Russian
resources or its territory, UPI reports.