Author: Vorskanian Yeghisabet

STUDY RESULTS FROM V.V. HOVHANNISYAN AND COLLEAGUES IN THE AREA OF PHYSICS PUBLISHED

Science Letter
July 8, 2008

"The Ising approximation is proposed for the Heisenberg model with
two- and three-spin exchange interactions on a zigzag ladder placed
in a strong magnetic field. Using the transfer matrix technique the
magnetization is calculated and compared with the results obtained
in the dynamical recursive approach," investigators in Yerevan,
Armenia report (see also Physics).

"Magnetization plateaus are found at m = 0 and m = 1/3 with the
two- and three-spin exchanges. The magnetic susceptibility in
small and large zigzag ladders for various exchange parameters and
temperatures is also analyzed. As temperature decreases the magnetic
susceptibility versus magnetic field shows the formation of spin
pseudogaps and transformation from double to four peak structure,"
wrote V.V. Hovhannisyan and colleagues.

The researchers concluded: "Small clusters also exhibit characteristic
features of large thermodynamic systems."

Hovhannisyan and colleagues published their study in Physics Letters a
(Antiferromagnetic model and magnetization plateaus on the zigzag
ladder with two- and three-site exchanges. Physics Letters a,
2008;372(19):3363-3368).

For additional information, contact V.V. Hovhannisyan, Yerevan Physics
Institute, Dept. of Theoret Physics, Alikhanian Brothers 2, Yerevan
375036, Armenia.

The publisher of the journal Physics Letters a can be contacted at:
Elsevier Science BV, PO Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands.

RA PRESIDENT’S WORKING VISIT TO ASTANA FINISHES

NOYAN TAPAN

JU LY 7

RA President Serzh Sargsyan, who was in Astana on a working visit
on July 5-6, took part in the meeting of heads of CIS states, who
had arrived in Astana on the occasion of Kazakhstan capital’s 10th
anniversary, as well as was present at the solemn events dedicated
to city’s foundation.

Nursultan Nazarbayev awarded the Presidents, who visited Kazakhstan,
a memorial medal dedicated to Astana foundation’s 10th anniversary.

A solemn meeting took place with the Presidents’ participation,
during which Kazakhstan’s President from ten years’ distance summed
up the bold initiative of his time to move the capital from Almati
to Astana mentioning that though many people treated it distrustfully
and criticized it, nevertheless the case was a success.

According to the report provided to Noyan Tapan by the RA President’s
Press Office, the heads of states also visited Peace and Solidarity
Palace. S.

Sargsyan planted a tree in the "path of heads of states."

The Presidents who arrived in Astana in the evening took part in the
gala concert With Love from Moscow performed by art figures of Moscow.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Armenian opposition starts 28-day sit-down strike
04.07.2008 22:01 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian opposition started a 28-day sit-down strike
in North Avenue. "This protest action, which will last till August 1,
is decisive, because all arrested oppositionists will be released
after it, said Levon Zurabyan, representative of the National
Movement.

Armenia’s first President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, chairman of People’s
Party Stepan Demirchyan, chairman of Republic party Aram Sargsyan,
head of Hnchakyan Social Democratic party Lyudmila Sargsyan, member of
ANM board and representatives of other opposition forces have gathered
to lead the rally held in front of Matenadaran, the Depositary of
Ancient Manuscripts.

AZERIS TO ADD DRONES TO THEIR MILITARY ARSENAL
Jirair Haratunian

ArmeniaNow.com
04 July, 2008
Armenia

Armenian Assembly of America

Internet has carried headlines from Baku and Yerevan on the latest
in military buildup . . .

"Azeris May Buy Drones From Israel"

"Azerbaijan to Buy UAVs to Watch Over Occupied Areas"

"Armenia Takes Conuntermeasures in Response to Azerbaijan Buying
Unmanned Aircraft"

"Karabakh to enlarge Security Zone if Azerbaijan Attacks"

There’s more but the picture is clear. The war rhetoric from Baku is
now amplified by reports that 10 unmanned robotic reconnaissance
aircraft, popularly called "drones," are being purchased from
Israel. This news follows another report that Azerbaijan is raising
its annual defense budget to new heights: from $1 billion to $1.3
billion next year. Armenian responses are equally stark. Nagorno
Karabakh’s president warns that Armenian forces will seize more
territory to enlarge its security zone if Azerbaijan attacks. And
in Yerevan, Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian asserted that defense
counter-measures are being taken by Armenia’s military forces.

Drones have become increasingly employed in warfare today. Israel
uses them to track Hamas insurgents in Gaza, and Americans search
out al-Qaeda and other insurgents in Iraq and Taliban fighters in
Afghanistan. In one of the South Caucasus conflict zones, a Georgian
drone was shot down by a Russian jet over the disputed region of
Abkhazia. The Georgians protested loudly and criticism was heard from
Washington, but the Georgians were not about to go to battle against
Russian troops in Abkhazia over the incident.

However, one must wonder about the consequences if one of Azerbaijan’s
newly purchased drones was destroyed by an Armenian military
jet. Could that ignite large-scale warfare in the Karabakh region? It
certainly can and some analysts predict renewed fighting is becoming
inevitable. One Armenian political analyst, Levon Melik-Shahnazarian
has written: "As soon as Azerbaijan concludes that it militarily
surpasses Armenia it will not hesitate a second (to attack). In an
analysis on June 20, Trend News Agency wrote, "Azerbaijani experts
believe that if military expenditures continue to be expanded by both
countries, the resumption of military operations between Azerbaijan
and Armenia will be inevitable."

The reaction from United States officials to this danger ranged from
sharp questions in Congress, to more muted concerns from American
diplomats. In a June 18 congressional hearing entitled "The Caucasus:
Frozen Conflicts and Closed Borders" House Foreign Affairs Committee
Chairman Howard Berman (D-CA) expressed alarm over the situation
stating, "I’m deeply concerned by the increasingly bellicose statements
made over the past year about Nagorno Karabakh, by senior Azerbaijani
officials, as well as the steady increase in Azerbaijan’s defense
budget as that nation acquires more oil wealth. The serious breakdown
earlier this year in the 14-year-old cease-fire has been widely blamed
on Azerbaijani provocations."

Sharp questions were directed at Daniel Fried, Assistant Secretary
of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, who testified at the
hearing. In a more diplomatically nuanced response Fried said, in part,
"We hope that the Azerbaijani government will avoid the temptation
of thinking that renewed fighting is a viable option. In our view
it is not. We have noted our concern with persistent bellicose
rhetoric by some Azerbaijani officials." He carefully neglected to
note that President Aliyev is the most insistent Azerbaijani saber
rattler. Fried went on to say that the United States calls on Baku
"to focus on the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh dispute."

What is clear is that the moment is fraught with danger. It is
universally agreed that the sharp increase in the military inventory
of Azerbaijan and corresponding improvement of Armenia’s defense
arsenal intensifies the threat of a new Karabakh war.

One good sign was that peace talks brokered by the OSCE’s Minsk Group
co-chairs were resumed in St. Petersburg. It was President Serge
Sarkisian’s first opportunity to directly engage President Aliyev in
the peace process. No agreements were reached nor were any expected;
however, Aliyev did reiterate Baku’s commitment to the primacy of the
OSCE’s Minsk Group as the principal mechanism for the resolution of
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. That was a small but important shift in
tactics by the Azeri president. In recent months Baku had attempted
to circumvent the OSCE and move the Karabakh issue to the larger
diplomatic arena of the United Nations, where it had the automatic
support of virtually all the Islamic nations and those states that
are confronted by secession-minded minorities.

In sum, the atmosphere is extremely dangerous and the flicker
of hope for a peaceful settlement is dim. What is needed is for
the international community to more forcefully insist that the
resumption of war is unacceptable. New investments in the energy
and transportation sectors are at risk, as is the stability of the
entire region. As for Armenia, it must keep its military capabilities
at the highest levels of efficiency. But just as important, sane
minds must prevail so that the current internal political tensions
do not jeopardize the physical security of the people in Armenia and
Nagorno Karabakh.

STEPHEN REICHER PRESENTED RA FM HIS VISION OF PEACE AND SECURITY IN SOUTH CAUCASUS

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.07.2008 19:02 GMT+04:00

Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian met in Berlin with
Mr Stephen Reicher, chairman of Caucasus group at the Bundestag,
to discuss the current level of cooperation between he parliaments
of the two states, the RA MFA press office reported.

At Mr Reicher’s request the Armenian Minister briefed on Armenia’s
approach to normalization of relations with Turkey and perspectives
of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement.

For his part, Mr Reicher presented his vision of peace and security
in the South Caucasus. He also confirmed invitation to members
of Armenia-Germany interparliamentary group to visit Germany this
November.

This evening, on invitation of OSCE CiO, Finnish Foreign Minister
Alexander Stubb, Minister Nalbandian will head for Helsinki.

IMPRISONED JOURNALIST GANIMAT ZAHID’S FAMILY MEMBERS MEET HIM IN JAIL

Today.Az
30 June 2008

The family members of editor-in-chief of Azadlyg newspaper Ganimat
Zahid met his yesterday at prison No 17, said journalist’s wife
Ayanda Mursaliyeva, Day.Az reports with reference to the Institute
for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety.

She said they have no response to their appeal, sent to the
Penitentiary system of the Justice Ministry due to the return of
Ganimat Zahid’s manuscripts.

"This bothers my husband very much. In this connection, we intend to
appeal to the court", noted she.

Mursaliyeva said Zahid also worries about another issue as well.

"Zahid said while speaking to me that he intends to appeal to the
penitentiary system along with those sentenced for drugs. The appeal
states the need for them to allocate a special isolation ward for
them to under treatment and be healthy following their release",
noted Mursaliyeva.

She said Zahid has no complaints about the detainment condition or
his treatment by the jail administration.

It should be noted that chief of the Bail investigation ward Misir
Aliyev took Zahid’s manuscripts under pretense of reading and has
not returned them so far.

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS A DEMOCRATIZATION DECLINE IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS
Deidre Tynan

EurasiaNet
June 30 2008
NY

States in the South Caucasus are following a trend in the former
Soviet Union, under which abundant energy wealth is helping to grease
the wheels of a decline in democratic values, according to an annual
report prepared by the democratization watchdog group Freedom House.

The report, Nations in Transit 2008, establishes benchmarks for
democratization progress, with ratings based on a scale of 1 to 7,
with 1 representing the highest level of democratic progress and 7 the
lowest. As with the five states of Central Asia, Freedom House found
that authoritarian practices are making headway in the Caucasus. [For
background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

According to the report, Azerbaijan exemplifies a brasher approach
to governance. In an interview with EurasiaNet, Christopher Walker,
Director of Studies at Freedom House, said Azerbaijan’s energy-driven
boom had emboldened the political elite in Baku in a new way. "I think
the experience has been that these countries feel liberated from not
only international pressure to reform, but from domestic pressure to
reform. That’s one of the byproducts of this ‘paradox of plenty,’"
Walker said.

There were no elections in Azerbaijan in 2007, and no progress in
efforts to increase the participation of the opposition parties in
the electoral process either, the report stated. "The lack of any
significant changes on the legislative or policy environment leaves
Azerbaijan’s rating for electoral process unchanged at 6.50."

Azerbaijan’s rating for independent media also stagnated at 6.25 with
journalists facing harassment, arrest, fines and imprisonment. The
report added; "local governance in Azerbaijan is not democratic, as
the government continues its practice of directly appointing local
administrators." The country’s score in this category remains 6,
as does the country’s overall democracy score.

Azerbaijan made efforts towards creating a more transparent society
in 2007 but the report says more time is needed to determine if
the government’s initiatives are setting a "long-term trend that is
sustainable independent of international pressure." Political control
of anti-corruption investigations remains tight. The country’s rating
for corruption was 6.25.

The rating for judicial framework and independence remained at
5.75. Judges continue to enforce trial processes that violate civil
and political liberties and in turn, the government holds "substantial
authority" over the judiciary.

Armenia, with an overall score of 5.21, saw its rating for electoral
process for 2007 slightly improve, but it saw stagnation or decline
in every other category. The score for electoral process rose to 5.50
on the back of improved parliamentary elections in May 2007 although
there were still "significant shortcomings."

According to the report, changes to the electoral code allowed for
a fairer electoral process. "However, some parties exploited unclear
legislation related to campaign financing to their advantage, and the
counting and tabulation of votes remained problematic," it said. The
violence associated with Armenia’s 2008 presidential election will be
taken into account in Freedom House’s 2009 findings. [For background
see the Eurasia Insight archive]

Cronyism and rampant corruption hamper democratic reforms in Armenia
the report said. The President’s grip on power is still steadfast while
a series of new laws for improved governance wait to come into effect,
the report says. Armenia did not take "concrete steps toward a more
accountable political system and more even distribution of the balance
of power." Armenia’s rating for national democratic governance stays
at 5.25, its rating for judicial framework and independence declined
slightly from 5.00 to 5.25.

Georgia’s democratic credentials took a significant beating in 2007
exposing weaknesses in its institutions, report says. Its democracy
score fell from 4.68 to 4.79. President Mikhail Saakashvili’s handling
of widespread popular discontent last year is roundly criticized
and as a result, Georgia’s electoral process, independent media and
national democratic governance ratings all fell. [For background see
the Eurasia Insight archive].

Opposition protests followed by a state of emergency in November
and ongoing territorial disputes reveal Georgia’s inherit
instability. "Reflecting the political crisis caused by mass rallies
and the resulting setback to Georgia’s unbalanced system of governance,
the rating for national democratic governance is downgraded from
5.50 to 5.75," the Freedom House report stated. The nine-day state
of emergency and the temporary closure of Imedi TV were also serious
setback. The rating for independent media in Georgia falls from 4
to 4.25.

Panorama.am

15:18 28/06/2008

`Jermuk 2008’`Juvenile Championship Has Started

On the eve `Jermuk 2008′ Juvenile Chess Championship has been started
in Jermuk. It is being held third time. Before the beginning of the
tournament the participants showed an honor in memory of Karen Asryan,
Armenian thrice chess champion and the chess school in Jermuk is
called after him.

`Jermuk 2008′ brings together 8-20-year-old 100 chess players from
Armenia, Russia and Persia. It will be held by 9 stages with Swiss
system: The prize fund is 3.27 mln AMD.

The championship has been organized by `Chess’ chess academy. It was
founded by Smbat Lputyan in 2002 and was supported by former
prime-minister Serj Sergsyan. The academy has 30 branches and soon
will have ones in abroad.

Source: Panorama.am

ARMENIA-NATO RELATIONS NOT DIRECTED AGAINST RUSSIA, NATO OFFICIAL SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.06.2008 15:13 GMT+04:00

Armenia-NATO cooperation proceeds from interests of both sides and
is not directed against any third state, according to a NATO official.

"Cooperation between Armenia and NATO is not influenced from outside,"
Jean-Francois Bureau, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public
Diplomacy, said at a meeting with students of Yerevan State University.

"NATO doesn’t interfere in relations between member states
and aspirants to the Alliance but helps them to establish
cooperation. Russia should not concern over development of relations
between Armenia and NATO, since it doesn’t represent a menace," he
said, adding that the Alliance calls on Georgia to improve relations
with Russia.

Mr. Bureau also briefed on the Alliance’s activity, perspectives of
Armenia-NATO cooperation and implementation of the IPAP.

ARMAVIA AIRLINE MAKES FIRST FLIGHT TO SHEREMETYEVO AIRPORT

ARKA
June 25

An A-319 airplane owned by the Armavia airline (Armenia) made its
first official scheduled flight from Yerevan to the "C" terminal of
the Moscow-based Sheremetyevo-1 airport.

Thus, the Armavia airline started operating scheduled flights from
all the airports of Moscow. The first 35 passengers, accompanied
by President of the Armavia airline Mikhail Bagdasarov and Director
General Norair Bellumyan, arrived at the Sheremetyevo-1 airport.

Director General of the Sheremetyevo airport Mikhail Vasilenko,
Russian and foreign journalists participated in the meeting ceremony
for the first flight U8 508.

Vasilenko welcomed his Armenian colleagues and expressed his gratitude,
as the Armavia airline is among the first airlines to start carrying
out flights to the "C" terminal of Sheremetyevo-1.

President of the Armavia airline Mikhail Bagdasarov pointed out
that the airline welcomes the commencement of scheduled flights to
Sheremetyevo-1. He said that Moscow airports are competing, which makes
them improve the quality of services rendered both to passengers and
to airlines.

Bagdasarov said that Armavia is trying to make the best use of the
transit potential of each airport, and the new flight to Sheremetyevo-1
will afford passengers further opportunities to choose the best routes.

>From June 1, Armavia introduced an electronic ticket reservation
system for the convenience of Diasporan Armenians. The full-scale
operation of the new system has been delayed in Armenia because of
the technical unpreparedness of the Yerevan airport, he said.

Armenia’s national air carrier, Armavia Airline, was founded in 1996.

Armavia carries out flights to 15 countries.

In January-June 2008, Armavia transported over 200,000
passengers. Armavia is among the first foreign air carriers to place an
order for Sukhoi Superjet airplanes produced in Russia. The airplanes
are to arrive in Armenia early next year.