Politics

2007-10-22 10:34:00 Head of General Staff of Greek AF arrives in Yerevan today

ArmInfo. Head of the General Staff of the National defense of Greece, General Dimitrios Grabsas will arrive in Yerevan today with a three-day official visit. The visit will be held by invitation of the first deputy Defense Minister, Head of RA AF General Staff, Colonel-General Seyran Ohanyan.

Meetings with RA Defense Minister Mikael Harutyunyan and Head of the General Staff Seyran Ohanyan are scheduled during the visit of D. Grabsas. It is also scheduled to visit the peacemaking
subdivision. On October 23, D. Grabsas and his wife will visit the Memorial to the Armenian Genocide victims, the Tsitsernakaberd. Armenia-Greece military cooperation programme for 2008 will be also signed during the visit.


2007-10-22 10:17:00 Armenia-Belarus military cooperation programme for 2008 signed

ArmInfo. Military cooperation programme for 2008 has been signed between Armenia and Belarus.

As RA Defense Minister's spokesman, Colonel Seyran Shahsouvaryan told ArmInfo, the programme has been signed within the frames of October 18-20 visit of RA DM Mikael Harutyunyan to Minsk. During
the visit, the delegation met Belarusian Defense Minister, Colonel-General Leonid Maltsev, Commander of the land forces of RB Armed Forces, Major-General Nikitin, Chairman of the military-industrial complex of RB Azamatov, as well as metropolitan of Minsk and Slutski, Archbishop Filaret. Members of the Armenian delegation also visited the 72nd united guard center on preparation of warrant officers and sergeants. During the visit, the parties discussed the present state of the Armenian-Belarusian military and
defense-industrial cooperation, as well as its development prospects.


2007-10-22 10:05:00 Many Republicans dissatisfied with prime minister's attempts to enlist foreign support instead of settling intra-party problems: oppositionist says

ArmInfo. < Many representatives of the Republican Party of Armenia are extremely dissatisfied that Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan tries to enlist the support of the international community before the presidential election by making long-term visits to abroad instead of settling the intra-party
problems, > Aram Sargsyan, Republic opposition party leader, says in an interview with ArmInfo.

He says that the internal problems in the party have been aggravated before the party congress in connection with the recent activity of the ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosyan. Many Republicans are my friends and we have common opinion i.e. they are also ready to support the first president. So, Serzh Sargsyan has serious problems inside his party. As long as he is seeking foreign support, he may lose the Republican Party of Armenia, > A. Sargsyan says.


2007-10-22 10:02:00 The Los Angeles Times interviews Armenian Prime Minister

ArmInfo. Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan met the editorial council of The Los Angeles Times on October 19 within the frames of his visit to the USA, Armenian Government's press release says.

In an interview to the newspaper, the Armenian premier answered many questions concerning the international recognition of Armenian genocide, Karabakh conflict settlement and governmental programs. The premier said that everything must be done to make all the elections following the last parliamentary ones better. Serzh Sargsyan also touched upon the anti-corruptions measures taken by the Government. Further in the interview, the Armenian premier said that arriving in the USA he could not but visit Los Angeles
and meet the largest and the most influential local Armenian community. The same day, he met Lincy Foundation leadership and Promoter Kirk Kirkoyan, who expressed intention to visit Armenia in future.


2007-10-19 17:48:00 Iranian president to pay an official visit to Armenia on October 22-23

ArmInfo. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will pay an official visit to Armenia on October 22-23.

The Armenian presidential press-service told ArmInfo that on October 22 Armenian and Iranian Presidents Robert Kocharyan and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will have a face-to-face meeting, which will be followed by an enlarged meeting of Armenian and Iranian delegations. The sides will sign documents on bilateral cooperation. Afterwards the presidents will give a joint press-conference. M.Ahmadinejad will also meet Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly Tigran Torosyan and make a speech in the Armenian parliament.
The Iranian president will visit the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide 1915 in Ottoman Turkey, and the Museum of Genocide. He will meet lecturers and students of the Yerevan State University, visit the Blue Mosque in Yerevan, and meet
representatives of the Iranian community in Armenia.

The Iranian delegation headed by President Ahmadinejad will leave Yerevan on October 23.


2007-10-19 17:48:00 Nikolay Ryzhkov: First President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan has very few chances to become a president

ArmInfo. The first president of Armenia, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, who has decided to run for president again, has very few voters, Russian Co-chair of the Armenia-Russia Inter-parliamentary Commission, member of the Federation Council of Russia Nikolay Ryzhkov said in Yerevan, Friday. He was asked by journalists to comment upon the chances of the first president of Armenia.

According to him, he knows Levon Ter-Petrosyan personally, however, "this acquaintance was not so warm as that with the present president of Armenia". N.Ryzhkov said he knows that according to the results of public opinion polls, the Armenian Pan National Movement Party led by Ter-Petrosyan obtained only 1% of votes. "This number is too small. I don't understand what forces are behind him. To become a president, one should rely on serious public and political forces," he said.


2007-10-19 17:48:00 Republic party leader: New Times party is against consolidation of opposition before elections, we are for maximal unification

ArmInfo. Republic party leader Aram Sargsyan says in an interview with ArmInfo.

He says that unlike New Times leader Aram Karapetyan who announced his intention to run for president immediately after the parliamentary elections without consulting with opposition forces, Republic party believes that it needs contacts with opposition for the latter's maximal consolidation. He says the public pins hope with presidential election and expects real changes in the country since the parliament has become a secondary body. Such situation in the country will not change for at least 50 years and we
have no right to lose this chance to offer the public a real alternative to the incumbent authorities, Aram Sargsyan says.

Asked to explain the joint organization of rallies at the end of the last parliamentary election campaign with Impeachment bloc and New Times party, the oppositionist says that in a situation when the country is considered occupied from the political point of view, it is not important who is Bolshevik and who is Menshevik, it is important to unite to liberate the country from occupants. To put it more clearly, it was not important how many votes would receive Republic, Impeachment or New Times we worked to leave
as little votes to the pro-government and near-government parties as possible.

A. Sargsyan says if there is no political culture in the country and political parties do not act in accordance with political principles, they cannot unite on the basis of ideology. It remains for them to unite for the common goal - fight against the regime.


2007-10-19 17:46:00 Refusal of home TV companies to cover events held by discussion clubs means that something is wrong with democracy in Armenia: representative of ARFD's Supreme Body

ArmInfo. Refusal of the home TV companies to cover the events organized by discussion clubs means that something is wrong with democratic values and standards in Armenia, representative of the Supreme Body of ARF "Dashnaktsutyun" party, Head of RA parliamentary Permanent Commission on Foreign Relations Armen Rustamyan said at today's press-conference in "Mirror" club. To note, this has been the 5th day already the press-conferences, held by the country's discussion clubs, are not covered by the home TV companies.

As A. Rustamyan said, he does not any logic in such actions carried out by TV companies. If it is done by somebody's instruction from above, this is inadmissible as it hits the country's image. You see, if Armenia declares of its adherence to the European values, including the freedom of speech, these values should be followed and not limited by declarative statements. If it is boycott, the discussion clubs and the public should be explained the reason for that boycott, the parliamentarian said. A. Rustamyan
called the talks saying that in such a way the TV fights the advertising of alcohol drinks and tobacco products, which are sometimes advertised by discussion clubs unserious.


2007-10-19 17:44:00 ARFD party sees a serious threat to country if representatives of one party occupy all power branches

ArmInfo. If representatives of one party occupy all the power branches in Armenia it will threaten with establishment of authoritarian regime in the country, Representatives of ARF Dashnaktsutyun party Supreme Body in Armenia, Head of the Armenian Parliamentary Permanent Commission for Foreign Affairs Armen Rustamyan, said at a press conference at Mirror Discussion Club,
Friday. In late November, ARFD extraordinary meeting will nominate Armen Rustamyan or Parliamentary Vice Speaker Vaan Hovhannissyan as candidate for president in Armenia in 2008.

Armen Rustamyan said the threat of authoritarian regime will originate irrespective of the persons and the positions they will occupy if they represent the same party. He stressed that the election system in the country needs serious reforms to prevent such factors as bribing and frightening of electors. it, > the parliamentarian said.








Economy

2007-10-19 17:57:00 Regulatory body registers speculative increase in oil and butter prices in Armenia

ArmInfo. About 50 economic entities engaged in sales of butter and vegetable oil in Armenia have been fined by the Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition of Armenia for speculative price boost.

The Commission's press-service told ArmInfo that the research of the butter and vegetable oil market revealed that trading firms have increased the consumer prices of these food products in Armenia not
in compliance with the increase in world prices. For instance, if the world prices of Finnish butter increased by 17%, in Armenia they increased by 80%. The experts of the Commission noted that often
Armenian trade companies increased the prices even in those cases when there were a lot of food products at the stockhouse, which were bought at former prices, or when the buying prices didn't change, or even when the customs value was decreased. The Commission proved the traders guilty of not only speculation, but also confederacy. About 50 trade companies have been fined for unfair competition. The size of the penalty is 2% of the annual receipts of each of the economic entities, but no more than 300 mln AMD.
The companies were instructed not to violate the law on competition any more.

To note, the increase in world prices of butter is conditioned by the fact that EU, being the main supplier of the product in the world market, has ceased subsidizing the butter export since August 1, 2007. As regards the increase in prices of vegetable oil, it is conditioned mainly by the raw material shortage caused by drought.


2007-10-18 17:08:00 Armenia planning to build a new nuclear power plant before 2016-2017

ArmInfo. Armenia is planning to build a new nuclear power plant and put it into operation before 2016-2017, Armenian Deputy Minister of Energy Areg Galstyan said at an international forum "Geothermal Energy: Potential and Perspectives for Armenia" in Yerevan, Thursday.

A.Galstyan said that the feasibility study of the new NPP's construction in Armenia will be ready in mid 2008. Afterwards the technical requirements will be specified. According to the preliminary estimation, a new up-to-date power unit with a capacity of up to 1000 MW will be built in the place of the present NPP. He added that the present NPP will be decommissioned before 2016, and the strategy on its decommissioning is ready. A.Galstyan noted that to close the NPP, the Armenian government has created a special
fund (account) and a council for the fund management. The fund is replenished with budget means and the money received from the sale of electric power generated by the NPP, he said.

Armenian Minister of Energy Armen Movsisyan told journalists earlier that the new NPP will be built in the place of the old one within 4.5 years, and the construction may need about $2 bln. To note, in September 2003, the ANPP was committed to trust of the "Inter RAO UES" CJSC, a branch of the RAO "UES of Russia", for 5 years. The ANPP has two VVER-440 power units with a total capacity of 815 MW. The first power unit was put into operation in 1976, the second one - in 1980. For political reasons, the NPP was
closed at the beginning of 1989. The second power unit with a capacity of 404 MW was re- launched at the beginning of 1995.


Finance and banks

2007-10-22 10:19:00 Exchange rate of dram against US dollar and EUR

ArmInfo Today, the maximum buying rates at commercial banks of Yerevan were 329 drams for 1 dollar, 468 drams for 1 EUR and 13,1 drams for 1 Russian ruble. The minimum selling rates stood at 330 drams for 1 dollar, 473 drams for 1 EUR and 13,2 drams for 1 Russian ruble.


Social

Ecology

Culture

2007-10-22 10:15:00 Estamp international art prints exhibition in Yerevan

ArmInfo. 'Estamp' international art prints exhibition opened in Yerevan on October 20. The event initiator is Armenian Art Group. The exhibition is the continuation of the exhibition 'Infinity' held in Minsk in 2006.

Artist Hayk Grigoryan told ArmInfo the major goal of the exhibition is to show the Armenian public the whole variety and palette of art prints.

Over 200 works by 6 graphic artists from Armenia and Belarus are exhibited. Moreover, there is a special exposition of the works by Italian, French, Russian Czech and Slovakia. The artist said the
exhibition is unlikely to become annual for only two companies so far Art group and Print-info sponsor it.


2007-10-19 17:59:00 A 13 years old painter from Armenia wins in UN competition

ArmInfo. A 13 years old girl from Armenia wins in the UN competition.

As the press service of Armenian Foreign Ministry reports, the painters' competition winners were distributed prizes in solemn ceremony at the UN Headquarters in New-York on October 17. The 13 years old Mariam Marukhyan from Armenia was among 6 winners. 12 000 works were presented at the competition, 471 of which- from Armenia. The works of the 6 winners will be printed on UN stamps. According to the source, Armenian General Benevolent Union, the Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and Armenian First Lady
Bella Kocharian helped the winner and her instructor Ruzanna Hakobyan to travel to New York.