Author: Taslakhchian Andranik

PanARMENIAN.Net

Government decides to curb budget expenditures
12.03.2009 20:41 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ At Monday meeting the government of Armenia came up
with the decision to cut down on the budget expenditures. `We need to
use the State resources sparingly and to carry out the expenditure
commensurate with our revenue. We must be ready for the worst scenario
to come, said Tigran Sargsyan, Armenia’s Prime Minister. The
uncertainty of the situation is too big and under the current
situation Armenia will move to a quarterly budget planning.

The head of the Government said that the following items regarding the
economy are protected, namely social expenses, pension expenses,
allowances, salaries, defense expenses; the rest of the expenses will
be carried in the regime of rigid economy.

Since the world crisis is developing by a no good scenario, and the
forecasts by WB and IMF have been reviewed four times for the last
month. That is why need to work more efficiently, be prompt to spend
as much as we can get from taxes,’ said the Prime Minister.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Iran expect changes in U.S. foreign policy
13.03.2009 15:28 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Tehran expects changes in the U.S. foreign policy,
Iran’s Foreign Minister said.

`As the new U.S. administration pledged to reconsider its foreign
policy, we are waiting,’ Manouchehr Mottaki told a news conference in
Yerevan today.

`If the changes are in word and deed, Tehran will give a fitting
response,’ he said.

Bureau Veritas introduces quality management system at Diagen Plus
diagnostic laboratory

2971

YEREVAN, MARCH 14, MOYAN TAPAN. Bureau Veritas corporation, an
international leader in certification sector, has introduced a quality
management system in line with ISO 9001:2000 international standard at
Yerevan-based Diagen Plus laboratory. The introduction process lasted 6
months, after which the certification of Diagen Plus was carried out in
2008, NT correspondent was informed by Stepan Barakian, Head for
Development of Bureau Veritas in Armenia.

He said that the introduction of the quality management system has
resulted in great positive changes in work of Diagen Plus: "jointly,
step by step, conducting internal audits, measuring the results,
correcting the deviations, improving the processes and controlling them
by means of analysis, Diagen Plus has a potential opportunity to
conduct a lot of diagnostic tests".

According to the co-founder of the laboratory, Prof. Levon Karabalian,
the purpose of introducing a quality management system at Diagen Plus
founded in 2004 was that to organize work at the laboratory in such a
way that "first of all, the staff will be sure that the results of the
tests are correct".

The Director of Diagen Plus, Doctor Arsen Zakarian informed NT
correspondent that a mechanism of weekly control is now used at the
laboratory: every week a test done during that period is checked as an
"attested control serum", which enables to analyse all the processes at
the laboratory. Besides, another mechanism of control was recently
introduced at the laboratory: for example, out of 100 serums subjected
to tests during a day, 2-3 "anonymous" serums are tested the next day
too. According to A. Zakarian, there was only one case of inaccuracy,
which was corrected before the patient received the test results.

The scope of control has a third mechanism as well. In 2008 Diagen Plus
was included in the system of international external control of quality
of medical laboratories, under which the reference institute – German
DGKL (Deutcshe Variente Gesselschaft fur Klinische Chemie und
Laboratoriumsmedizin e.V.- Referenzinstitut fur Bioanalytic) regularly
sends Diagen Plus 2 pairs of serums already subjected to analysis.
Diagen Plus has already passed 3 checks receiving the respective
certificate of DGKL. It plans another 6-8 checks in 2009.

L. Karabalian said that thanks to such attention to the quality of
their services, the number of those visiting Diagen Plus has grown in
the past 3-4 months. Diagen Plus carries out almost the complete range
of laboratory diagnostic tests: urine analysis, blood test, clinical
biochemical analysis, as well as tests of all the chemical substrata,
ferments, electrolytes, diabetes, thyroid gland, coagulability,
infections, lipid metabolism, reproductive function, myocardium,
oncological markers.

"I as a founder is quite satisfied that the quality management system
is used at Diagen Plus, and we envisage continuing work in this
direction as we have a bit more complex problem," L. Karabalian said.
S. Barakian explained that as a result of introduction of the quality
management system at Diagen Plus, the problem of introducing ISO 17 000
laboratory certification standard has matured. "Bureau Veritas can make
comparisons with Europe, and I as an expert who has worked both in
Europe and Armenia can say that there are only insignificant
differences in the work style of Diagen Plus and those European labs
that I have seen in the past 30 years," S. Barakian noted.

As for the connection with medical institutions, L. Karabalian said
that tests on mutations of the blood coagulability system are quite
specific and considered as important by surgeons, but few medical
institutions previously required that patients have such tests prior to
an operation. However, after the seminars held at Diagen Plus, several
hospitals began sending regularly their pateints for tests on such
mutations. "It is one example of establishing a medical institution –
patient – laboratory link, but there are other ways to create links,
ranging from dissemination of print materials to individual talks with
doctors". The scientist added that many doctors call to receive
comments on test results, but the laboratory is not an institition to
make diagnosis: it is a generally accepted principle.

Panorama.am
16:55 11/03/2009

ARMENIAN SINGER WON IN INTERNATIONAL SONG CONTEST

International song contest `Golden Voices – 2009′ finished in
Moldova. Armenian representative to the contest Lusine Aghabekyan
received the first prize.

Note that 20 representatives from nine countries aged 15-30 took part
in the contest. In the finals the young singers chose two songs to
present.

Irina Kostina presenting Moldova in the contest has been awarded
`Grand Prix’. The first horizontal is shared by Armenian singer and
the Moldavian.

Source: Panorama.am

PanARMENIAN.Net

Iran’s Foreign Minister arriving in Yerevan
12.03.2009 14:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On invitation of Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian, Iranian FM Manouchehr Mottaki is arriving in Yerevan on
March 13.

Mr. Mottaki is expected to meet with RA President Serzh Sargsyan,
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, National Security Council Secretary
Artur Baghdasaryan, Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and Energy
Minister Armen Movsisyan.

President Sargsyan visits Likvor Company
07.03.2009 14:48

Anna Nazaryan
`Radiolur’

Likvor pharmacological company has presented a business program to the
Government, with which it expects to get financing for the construction
of a new factory.

Likvor Company, located at the `Armenia’ medical center has been
functioning for 17 years and produces 60 types of medicine. President
Serzh Sargsyan today visited the pharmacological company to familiarize
with working conditions.

Director of Likvor Company Sergey Matevosyan said they will put the new
enterprise into commission in case they get assistance.

ARMENIA TO TAKE PART IN THE PARIS BOOKS FAIR FOR THE FIRST TIME

ArmInfo
2009-03-06 11:07:00

ArmInfo. Armenia will take part in the Paris books fair for the first
time, press-secretary of Armenian Culture Ministry, Gayane Durgaryan,
told ArmInfo correspondent.

In 2009 Salon du Livre will be held on 13-18 March and 3,000 authors
and representatives of more than publishing houses will take part
in it.

GAGIK BEGLARYAN APPOINTED MAYOR OF YEREVAN

armradio.am
05.03.2009 11:18

President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree on releasing Yervand Zakharyan
from the post of Mayor of Yerevan and appointing him Adviser to
the President of the republic of Armenia, President’s Press Office
reported.

According to another decree, Gagik Beglaryan was appointed Mayor
of Yerevan.

ECONOMIC ENTITIES SHOULD NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF CURRENCY SITUATION TO RAISE PRICES

ARKA
March 4, 2009

YEREVAN, March 4. /ARKA/. Economic entities should not take the
advantage of the situation on the Armenian currency market for raising
the prices, Press Secretary of the country’s State Commission for
Protection of Economic Competition (SCPEC) Armine Udumyan said in
commenting the fever caused by fall in national currency rate and
rise in process for some foodstuffs.

Tuesday, the Board of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) decided to
return to the policy of the floating rate due to worsening trade
conditions under the global financial and economic crisis, as well
as due to slowing down capital inflow. According to CBA experts,
exchange rate is expected to range between 360 Drams and 380Drams
for $1 in 2009.

A rise in prices for some foodstuffs has already been recorded
and people, giving way to panic, started buying first priority and
foodstuffs in supermarkets and shops.

The Press Secretary of the Commission said that nobody has a right
to dictate economic entities under market economy conditions, but
price rise should be in proportion to the processes going on. The
current situation should not be used as an occasion for abuses and
anti-competitive agreements between economic entities with dominating
positions on the market, she said.

All cases reported to the Commission are currently considered. Economic
entities applying20inadequate price rise, will be called to account
under the law, she said. The previous 25-item list of goods to be
monitored is currently extended and contains up to 40 articles. The
monitoring will be implemented on an hourly basis, with the monitoring
results to be summarized at the end of the day. The target group set
up is to take particular measures based on the monitoring results.

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION BACKS AWAY FROM FURTHER CONFRONTATION WITH GOVERNMENT
Emil Danielyan

Jamestown Foundation
he=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=34656&tx_ttnew s%5BbackPid%5D=7&cHash=38155a5cf4
March 4 2009

Armenian protesters in Yerevan following the controversial 2008
presidential election (Photo: NYTimes) Armenia has marked the first
anniversary of its worst political violence ever amid signs of easing
tension between its leadership and the main opposition forces. The
top opposition leader, former President Levon Ter-Petrosian, has
made it clear that he will no longer seek to topple the government
with the kind of street protests that nearly catapulted him back to
power following the disputed presidential election of February 2008.

The protests ended on March 1, 2008, in vicious clashes between
security forces and opposition protesters who barricaded themselves in
central Yerevan. Ten people were killed and more than 200 injured in
what the Armenian authorities call an attempt to "usurp state power
by force" but what the opposition regards as a bloody suppression of
a popular revolt against the alleged falsification of election results.

Thousands of opposition supporters rallied in the Armenian capital
on the first anniversary of the unrest. It was the first opposition
demonstration since a moratorium on antigovernment protests declared by
Ter-Petrosian last October. At the time, Ter-Petrosian cited the need
not to weaken President Serzh Sarkisian in the ongoing peace talks
with Azerbaijan, which he said would soon result in the resolution
of the Karabakh conflict.

The charismatic opposition leader made no mention of Karabakh as he
addressed more than 10,000 people who gathered in downtown Yerevan
on March 1. Many of them hoped that the rally would mark the start
of renewed "decisive actions" promised by Ter-Petrosian’s Armenian
National Congress (HAK) alliance in the summer and early fall of
2008. Ter-Petrosian stated, however, that he would not seek to stage an
antigovernment "revolution" but made a case for a "prolonged struggle"
against the ruling regime "through solely constitutional means." "The
old-fashioned ideas of revolution or uprising must finally be driven
out of our country’s political agenda," he said. "As long as that
hasn’t happened, Armenia can have no chance of becoming a rule-of-law
and democratic state. History knows virtually no revolutions that
have engendered democracy and welfare" (witnessed by Jamestown).

Ter-Petrosian went on to denounce unnamed opposition elements
advocating radical actions, saying that some of them "usually flee
the scene at decisive moments" while others might be government
"provocateurs." He also claimed that the Armenian authorities "will
destroy themselves" in a matter of months because of the growing
fallout from the global economic recession, which he said would thrust
Armenia into a "humanitarian crisis." "I am deeply convinced that the
country is simply descending into an abyss," he stated, predicting
a plethora of catastrophic economic consequences. "The calmer we
stay, the more we save our nerves, the quicker [the authorities]
will collapse," added Ter-Petrosian.

The 45-minute speech clearly failed to live up to the expectations
of many diehard opposition supporters. Some of the ensuing opposition
press commentaries reflected their disappointment. The pro-opposition
daily Hraparak openly blasted Ter-Petrosian in a March 3 editorial,
saying that he gave the impression of a "weak, unconfident, and tired
person." "Rejecting a revolt or a revolution is a sign of weakness and
indecision, rather than a commitment to civilized methods of struggle,"
it said.

"In any case, the authorities have no reason to worry about the
opposition at the moment," wrote a commentator for another, more
neutral newspaper, 168 Zham. Indeed, a spokesman for Sarkisian’s
Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), Eduard Sharmazanov, reacted to
Ter-Petrosian’s speech saying that the opposition movement was now
"in decline." "I appreciate that the first president has at last
accepted the view, repeatedly expressed by the authorities, that a
revolt or a revolution is not the way to go for Armenia," Sharmazanov
said (Iravunk, March 3).

For his part, Razmik Zohrabian, an HHK deputy chairman, said that
Ter-Petrosian had increased the chances for the release of more than
50 oppositionists who were arrested in the wake of the 2008 election
and remain in prison. Zohrabian said that Sarkisian could grant them
amnesty "in the near future" (RFE/RL Armenia Report, March 2). The
release of all "political prisoners" remains the Armenian opposition’s
main precondition for engaging in a dialogue with the authorities. The
latter implicitly pledged to free at least some of these prisoners as
they managed to avoid embarrassing sanctions by the Council of Europe
Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) in January. The Strasbourg-based body
is due to reexamine the issue at its next session in late April.

Incidentally, the Ter-Petrosian-led opposition scheduled
its next rally for May 1. The announced change in its tactic
should give the authorities a further incentive to comply with
PACE resolutions demanding the liberation of all members of the
opposition arrested on "seemingly artificial or politically motivated
charges." Ter-Petrosian’s March 1 speech was also an indication that
his HAK alliance is gearing up for the May 31 first-ever elections
of a municipal assembly, which will choose a new mayor of Yerevan
(Yerevan mayors until now have been appointed by the president of
the republic). A strong showing in the polls would give the HAK some
stake in the country’s existing political order and push it further
away from street politics. Conversely, blatant vote rigging could
reignite the year-long standoff between the authorities and the
opposition that seems to be subsiding now.