Author: Vorskanian Yeghisabet

HEAD OF THE OSCE YEREVAN OFFICE : WHEN IN ARMENIA THEY SAY ABOUT THE POLITICAL PRISONERS, THEY FIRST OF ALL MEAN THOSE SENTENCES AS A RESULT OF MARCH 1, 2008, EVENTS

ArmInfo
2010-04-09 18:01:00

ArmInfo presents apologies to the head of the OSCE Yerevan Office Mr.
Sergey Kapinos and the readers for serious technical mistakes made by
ArmInfo news agency over translation of the issue about the public
lecture delivered by Mr. Kapinos at the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic)
University, on 6 April , 2010, which have led to distortion of the
core of the lecture especially in the part regarding the prisoners
in connection with the 1 March 2008 events in Yerevan.

ArmInfo. The term "political prisoners" is used nowhere in the
international-legal documents. One cannot find it in PACE resolutions
on Armenia either. They just say about the prisoners in connection with
the 1 March events. However, when here, in Armenia they speak about
the political prisoners, they first of all mean those sentenced as
a result of 1 March, 2008, events, Head of the OSCE Yerevan Office,
Ambassador Sergey Kapinos said in the public lecture delivered by
him at Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University.

According to him, the report by OSCE Bureau for Democratic Institutions
and Human Rights on monitoring of judicial proceedings Has revealed
serious tight spots and faults in the work of the judicial system. This
report raises serious problems and causes doubts about impartiality
of a number of court decisions. ‘I am sure the issue will remain open
until these problems and doubts are not removed’, – the diplomat said.

When speaking about the initiative of the Heritage party on
organization of the roundtable with participation of the coalition and
opposition parties for the joint discussion of the problems which are
still relevant today and all the political forces are concerned about
them, Kapinos emphasized that this idea is very useful but should
not be limited by one political topic. There must be a dialogue. S.
Kapinos recalled that in 2008 the OSCE chairman-in-office Ilkka
Kanerva came forward with call to the political dialogue between
the Armenian authorities and the opposition. According to him, a
dialogue is the most civilized way of political struggle, therefore,
OSCE unambiguously stands for the political dialogue among different
political parties. He said this can really give positive results.

According to the diplomat, a dialogue will promote stabilization and
consolidation of the society.

Asked if it would be better for the country if the political process
was concentrated in the parliament, the diplomat replied that the role
of the Armenian parliament in the political life of the country could
be more essential. The parliament must discuss the most serious issues
the people are concerned about. The amendments to the Constitution
of Armenia, adopted in 2005, were also aimed at development of
the parliamentary democracy. There is a field for movement in this
direction. ‘I am for resolving of all the principal issues in the
parliament. The interests of different social layers as well as
the real social and economical structure of the society should be
reflected in the parliament. Moreover, the parliament actually becomes
an important center for making political decisions’, – he said. The
diplomat thinks that despite the popular belief, actually there is
the opposition in the Armenian parliament. According to the diplomat,
the opposition is available even because there is Heritage party,
being an oppositional one from the very beginning. Now, he said, there
is another oppositional party there – ARFD, and it’s another matter
that the opposition is weakly represented, while any democratic state
should be interested in having strong opposition. Kapinos emphasized
that strong opposition makes it possible to form a competitive field
which catalyzes development of the society.

Asked about freedom of mass media in the country, the diplomat replied
that everything is not so bad in Armenia as compared to another
countries. The real pluralism is available in the country’s print
media, which was evident during the presidential election. "However,
the international organizations say there are certain problems with
the electron media, as well as radio and TV broadcasting. And we are
working in that area. S. Kapinos recalled the decision of the European
Court on Human Rights on A1+ TV Company. "An OSCE Representative on
Freedom of the Media is expected to visit Yerevan in May.

We have information that the issue of A1+ will be on agenda. We think
that A1+ should be allowed to take part in the upcoming contest for
broadcast license. This participation must be in conformity with exact
procedures, and all the international organizations, including OSCE,
will observe the process, S. Kapinos said. "A two-year moratorium on
provision of frequencies is currently in force, so, A1+ cannot take
part in any tenders. This moratorium expires in July, 2010, and legal
basis is now developed for conduct of new tenders for TV-frequencies,"
the diplomat said.

RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN INNOVATION CENTER TO BE OPENED IN YEREVAN ON APRIL 15

ArmInfo
2010-04-09 16:12:00

ArmInfo. The Russian-Armenian innovation center will be opened in
Yerevan on April 15, Head of the Armenian Office of the Federal Agency
for CIS Affairs, Compatriots Abroad and International Humanitarian
Cooperation, Viktor Krivopuskov, told journalists, Friday.

According to him, the representatives of large Russian technological
companies will attend the ribbon- cutting ceremony of the center. The
center will allow Armenian scientists to sell their inventions and
patents in the market more effectively. "Our colleagues from the
Armenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry will confirm that they
receive a lot of patents for registration", he said and added that
Armenia’s task is to make innovators launch them not only in Armenia
and even CIS, but also other countries. "Nobody will deny that at
present innovations are one of the most valuable resources for any
country",- said Krivopuskov.

To recall, the center is to become the first joint center for
innovation cooperation within the frames of the Interstate target
program on innovation cooperation of CIS until 2020. According to the
members of the working group for elaboration of the Interstate target
program on innovation cooperation of CIS, the program will allow
CIS countries to enhance labor efficiency 2.5 times by 2020, reduce
GDP energy intensity by 70%, increase expenditures on science by 3%
of GDP, and those on education – by 6% of GDP. The priority spheres
of development are energy, machine building, aerospace industry,
transport, communication, agriculture, biotechnologies and medicine.

ARMENIA CONSIDERS TURKISH PARLIAMENTARIANS’ CONCERN WITH SECURITY OF ARMENIAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT TO BE GROUNDLESS

ArmInfo
2010-04-09 16:16:00

ArmInfo. The Armenian Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources has
responded to some Turkish parliamentarians’ excitement for the Armenian
Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP). The deputies of the Turkish Parliament
have recently made a groundless racket about the ANPP. They expressed
"concern with the fact" that the ANPP, which is 20 km away from
Igdir, operates in a seismic zone and endangers the eastern regions of
Turkey. They also pointed out that according to the classification of
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), from the security viewpoint,
the ANPP holds the last position but one out of 146 NPPs.

The press release of the Armenian Ministry of Energy and Natural
Resources says that these data are false as they are in not a single
document of IAEA.

The IAEA publication of 2009 "Nuclear Power Reactors in the World"
says that the number of nuclear power units in the world is 438,
and they are located on 200 platforms.

The issues related to the ANPP security are in the focus of constant
attention of the Nuclear Power Security Council under the Armenian
President, and the Council includes the best specialists of the world.

The measures on enhancing the ANPP security are coordinated by IAEA.

According to the requirements of the Convention on Nuclear Safety,
Armenia presents a "National Report on Nuclear Safety" to IAEA once
every three years. The report is available for all the IAEA member
countries.

As regards the seismic security, the seismic security of the ANPP
platform was monitored in 2009 with participation of international
experts. According to the monitoring, there are no reasons for any
concern.

In addition, within a radius of 50 km from the ANPP, the Armenian
population is 2,145 mln people, and the Turkish population is 126
thsd people.

TURKISH AMBASSADOR LEAVES FOR U.S. AFTER GENOCIDE ROW

Xinhua General News Service
April 6, 2010 Tuesday 4:10 AM EST
China

Turkish Ambassador in Washington Namik Tan left for the United States
on Tuesday, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported.

"Our interlocutors understood the message we wanted to give. We have
received satisfactory answers. It is time to return to my office,"
Tan was quoted by the report as saying.

On March 4, Turkey temporarily recalled its ambassador to the United
States minutes after a U.S. congressional panel approved a resolution
concerning Turkey.

The resolution on Armenian allegations related to the incidents in
1915 was adopted at the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on
Foreign Affairs in a voting of 23-22.

Turkey strongly rejected the genocide allegations and regarded the
events as civil strife in wartime which claimed lives of many Turks
and Armenians.

Tan said that "I will welcome Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in
Washington at the weekend."

Erdogan will travel to the United States to attend the International
Nuclear Security Summit due to be held in Washington on April 12
and 13.

Turkey and Armenia have been bogged down in the row over the deaths
of Armenians and have no diplomatic or economic ties since Armenia
declared its independence in 1991.

Turkey and Armenia signed two protocols in October to normalize
relations, however, parliaments of the two countries have not passed
them yet.

LOCAL RESIDENTS MAY BE ENGAGED IN CLEARING OF NEAR-SHORE TERRITORIES OF LAKE SEVAN

ArmInfo
2010-04-07 20:04:00

ArmInfo. The local residents may be engaged in clearing of the
near-shore territories of Lake Sevan, which may find themselves under
the water as a result of the lake water rising.

Chairwoman of the Association for Human Sustainable Development
Karine Danielyan said at today’s press-conference in Yerevan that
the measures on clearing the near-shore territories are not efficient.

"The trees and garbage find themselves under the water, and this
leads to bogging of the lake. During one of the discussions, Head of
the Agency of Biological Resources Management of the Armenian Nature
Protection Ministry Artashes Ziroyan said that the plants under the
water are no threat, as they become food for the fish. I disagree
with this pointblank and I think that the failure to clear the given
territories in due time is extremely dangerous for the lake",- stressed
K.Danielyan. She pointed out that earlier she repeatedly suggested
involving the local population in timber extraction, however, this
suggestion has been rejected as the residents would not be engaged
in the stubbing. "However, at a recent meeting Head of the Armenian
Presidential Administration Karen Karapetyan agreed with the fact
that the local residents can also be involved in clearing of the
territories, moreover, the control over the given work may be laid
on the Armenian Nature Protection Ministry",- she said.

To note, according to specialists, having risen to 1905 m above the sea
level, the Sevan will flood 2789 ha of forests about 1.2 bln AMD will
bee needed to carry out the clearing work. In 2009 600 ha of forest
were cleared, 257 mln AMD were allocated for the given work. At the
same time, Chairman of the Commission for Main Issues of Lake Sevan
Vladimir Movsisyan also admitted the fact that at the moment there
are plots under the water, which need to be stubbed.

RUSSIA AND ARMENIA SIGN AGREEMENT ON RESERVING EQUIPMENT FOR ARMENIAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT’S NEW REACTOR

ARKA
Apr 6, 2010

YEREVAN, April 6, /ARKA/. Russian state nuclear energy agency Rosatom
and Armenia’s ministry of energy and natural resources signed an
agreement late last month on reserving equipment for a Russian AES-92
pressurized light-water reactor that will be installed at the new
reactor of the Armenian nuclear power plant, Russian RIA Novosti news
agency reported. The agreement was signed March 26 by Rosatom chief
Sergey Kiriyenko and Armenian energy and natural resources minister
Armen Movsisyan. It came as a follow-up to an agreement reached by
the sides last October 23, RIA Novosti said.

Last year the Armenian government approved a decision on establishment
of a joint Armenian-Russian company to deal with construction of a new
unit for Armenian nuclear power plant. Construction of a new nuclear
power unit will be managed by the Australian Worley Parsons engineering
company that won a tender announced by the Armenian government.

Armenia wants to replace the aging Metsamor plant by 2017. With
a projected capacity of 1,060 megawatts, the new facility would be
more than twice as powerful as Metsamor’s sole operating reactor that
generates more than 40% of Armenia’s electricity and will serve for
60 years and secure European safety level.

The Armenian government has yet to attract funding for the project
which is estimated to cost as much as $5 billion. In an attempt to
attract foreign investors Armenian parliament revoked a state monopoly
on ownership of nuclear power facilities. Construction is expected to
start in 2011. Under a 2003 agreement Armenian nuclear power plant’s
financial flows are managed by Russian Inter RAO UES, owned by Russian
state-run Rosatom corporation. The agreement expires in 2013.

Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN)
T +995 32 75 19 03/04
F +995 32 75 19 05
<mailto:[email protected]> [email protected]
<;

International Conference on Climate Change Curricula in Higher Education

7-9 June 2010 Tbilisi

The U.S. National Science Foundation has funded a conference to bring
together expertise from the Southern Caucasus and the United States to
exchange international perspectives on climate change curricula in higher
education. The conference will also provide an informal forum for
participants to discuss climate change research and policy development. The
conference will provide multiple opportunities for participants to discuss
their work, including oral and poster presentations, panel discussions, and
field excursions to areas of climate change impact.

Applications to participate must be submitted by 3 May 2010. Support is
available for travel and lodging for applicants from Armenia, Azerbaijan,
and Georgia who are traveling from outside of Tbilisi. Further information,
including the application form, please visit the conference website at

DEPUTY MINISTER OF FINANCE: GROWTH OF IMPORTS AN ADVANCE AGAINST FUTURE ECONOMIC GROWTH IN ARMENIA

Arminfo
2010-04-06 10:24:00

ArmInfo. Growth of imports in Armenia may guarantee future economic
growth judging by its current structure, said Deputy Minister of
Finance Vardan Aramyan in a press conference on Monday.

Commenting on the 16.8% imports growth for Jan-Feb 2010 versus the same
period of the previous year, the deputy minister said that import of
equipment was the largest in total. "Last year the government extended
VAT for import of equipment in the amount of over 300 million drams
for 3 years. That decision encouraged many businessmen to modernize
their productions, which boosted the imports. All this implies more
active rehabilitation of economy and reduction of unemployment,"
V. Aramyan said. He recalled, the National Statistical Service
reported 7.3% unemployment for Feb 2010 which was the same as in Jan
2010. "Unemployment in the country grew till the end of 2009.

In January 2010 it grew as well, whereas in February the growth
stopped for the first time over a long period of time," the deputy
minister said.

In this context, Artsvik Minasyan, parliamentarian (ARFD), Vice
Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission for Finance and Budget,
came out for comparison of the theoretically right decisions with
their putting in practice. "There are several examples when the
customs authorities delayed import of equipment "backed by" all the
necessary documents just because of bureaucratic hurdles. For instance,
a businessman earlier declared he would import a 6-ton scales but
imported a 12-ton scales since he could buy them on more favorable
terms. However, this difference was enough for customs officers to
create serious obstacles to import," A. Minasyan said.

4 dead in ‘blood bath’ at Valley restaurant

At least two other people are injured as gunman opens fire at a mom-and-pop
cafe in Valley Village.

April 03, 2010|By My-Thuan Tran and Andrew Blankstein

A gunman opened fire at a mom-and-pop restaurant in Valley Village on
Saturday afternoon, killing four people and wounding at least two others,
Los Angeles police said.

The Hot Spot Cafe, a Mediterranean restaurant on Riverside Drive, was packed
with customers when a man walked in and opened fire around 4:40 p.m.,
according to police officials.

He remained at large late Saturday.

Police officials said the shootings occurred in a matter of moments.

After shots were fired, the customers ran out of the restaurant and
scattered on foot and in cars, they said.

The killer was a white male in his 30s, said Los Angeles police officer
Rosario Herrera.

Three people were declared dead at the scene, Herrera said. Several more
victims were taken to a hospital, where one later died, she said.

Police officials investigating the incident described the scene as a "blood
bath." They are examining evidence to see whether there was an accomplice,
according to officials.

"At this moment, it is an ongoing investigation," Herrera said. "We are
unsure of the motive and we don’t know exactly how it occurred." Law
enforcement sources, who asked not to be identified because the
investigation is ongoing, said they believe the shooting might have involved
Armenian gangs.But they also said that they have no evidence that the
victims were involved in gangs, noting that the case is in its early stages.

Several hours after the killings, police cordoned off Riverside Drive near
Colfax Avenue.

A large neon sign flashing "Mediterranean Restaurant" lit up as the sun set.
Tall leafy plants in pots sat in front of the windows.

A few hours before the shooting in Valley Village, two men were fatally shot
across town in the 160 block of E. 65th Street, Herrera said. The shooter
was at large Saturday night. Herrera said the two shooting incidents
probably were not related.

The shootings come after a series of killings in the last two weeks that
have diminished gains made this year in reducing the city’s homicide rate.

[email protected]
andrew.blankstein @latimes.com
Times staff writer Ruben Vives contributed to this report.

esctoday.com
April 3 2010

Warm welcome ceremony in Thessaloniki

Armenia: Eva Rivas visits Greece

Eva Rivas, who is going to represent Armenia in the Eurovision Song
Contest 2010, is already in Greece, promoting her song Apricot stone.

Eva Rivas was very warmly accepted by the Thessaloniki municipality
officials. Shortly after the welcome ceremony, the Armenian team
planted apricot trees, symbolizing a part of Armenia in Greece. Eva
was also interviewed by Greek TV channels, to which she said that she
is very happy to visit Greece, because this country is a part of her
motherland too, as far as her grandmother is Greek. Finally, she
performed a small part of her entry Apricot stone.

On the 3rd of April, she will perform in Thessaloniki along with other
Armenian singers. On the 5th of April, Eva will head to Athens.

You can watch Eva Rivas being welcomed in Thessaloniki in the video below.