CENN – JUly 13, 2005 Daily Digest – Armenia
Table of Contents:
1.. Armenians Ignore Doctor’s Calls for Measles Immunization
2.. Annual Catalogue “National Export Register – Armenia 2005″ to be
Released in Armenia in November 2005
3.. Pipeline Connections
4.. Iran Launches Huge Fiber Optic Network
5. Fire Destroyed 3.5ha of Forest in Razdan Gorge in Yerevan
1.. 2.6-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes in Armenia Tuesday morning
2.. Armenia: World Bank Supports Implementation of Government’s Urban
Heating Strategy
8. Full -Text Online Biomedical journals for Armenia’s Scientists
1.. Rusal Sums up Activity in First Half of 2005
1. ARMENIANS IGNORE DOCTORS’ CALLS FOR MEASLES IMMUNIZATION
Source: ArmenPress, July 11, 2005
Samvel Mnatsian, an epidemiologist from Erebuni medical center,
complained that many grown-up Armenians ignore doctors’ calls for their
mandatory immunization against measles prompted by a quick spread of the
disease among people from 15 to 25 year old. He said out of 650 people
in Erebuni community who the doctors identified must be immunized only
51 have visited clinics.
One ampoule of the vaccine is intended for 10 immunization shots, but
after the ampoule is opened it should be used within one day, becoming
ineffective otherwise Mr. Mnatsian said many explain their refusal
saying they had been immunized already, but he added that the vaccine
now is of far better quality. The most vulnerable group that may be
affected by the spreading disease is children who had been immunized 15
years ago by what he said was ‘unstable vaccines.”
He said the virus causing the measles now is different from what it was
some 20 years. Most children who get measles will have a rash, high
fever, cough, runny nose, and watery eyes. These symptoms last for 1 or
2 weeks. But measles also causes ear infections in nearly 1 out of every
10 children who get it. As many as 1 out of 20 children with measles
gets pneumonia. About 1 child in every 1,000 who get measles will get
encephalitis- inflammation of the brain that can lead to convulsions,
and can leave a child deaf or mentally retarded.
For every 1,000 children who get measles, 1 or 2 will die from it.
Measles can also make a pregnant woman have a miscarriage or give birth
prematurely. Measles spreads very easily from person to person. You can
get measles from an infected person who coughs or sneezes around you or
even talks to you.
2. ANNUAL CATALOGUE “NATIONAL EXPORT REGISTER-ARMENIA 2005″TO BE
RELEASED IN ARMENIA IN NOV 2005
Source: Anka, July 11, 2005
The annual catalogue “National export register – Armenia 2005” is to be
released in Armenia in November 2005. The Center for Promotion of
International Integration “Master” reports that the annual project
“National export register – Armenia 2005” is aimed at informing
prospective foreign partners of Armenia’s leading enterprises and
organizations interested in exporting their products in services. The
catalogue is disseminated to 50 countries by subscription. Among
subscribers are now over 200 business associations, including chambers
of commerce and industry, sectoral unions, big foreign exporters and
importers. The catalogue is simultaneously disseminated at forums,
congresses and business meetings held both in and outside Armenia. Among
subscribers in Armenia are representative offices of almost all
international organizations, foreign embassies, as well as top officials
of ministries and institutions. A CD- version of the “National export
register-Armenia 2005” catalogue is to be released. The information on
all the subscribers can be found on the web-site The
catalogue helps to find new sale markets, increase exports, popularize
Armenia goods and services, establish new effective ties between the
business communities of Armenia and other countries. The catalogue was
complied by the “Master” center, with official sponsorship of the RA
Ministry of Trade and Economic Development, RA Foreign Office and RA
Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen.
3. PIPELINE CONNECTIONS
Source: The Economist Intelligence Unit Business Middle East, July 11.
2005
Cross-border pipelines are notoriously difficult to negotiate. But two
such schemes are now making progress The Nabucco gas pipeline project
which aims to transport up to 25.5bn cu metres/year of Caspian gas to
Central and South Eastern Europe via Turkey has taken a step closer to
being realized with the signing of a formal joint-venture agreement.
The agreement allows for the establishment of Nabucco Gas Pipeline
International, in which each of the five partners – OMV of Austria, MOL
of Hungary, Transgas of Romania, Bulgargaz of Bulgaria and Turkey’s
Botas – each hold a 20% stake. The new company will be responsible for
general development of the project including securing necessary
financing, which is expected to be in the region of 4.6bn (US$5.5bn),
negotiating transit agreements and establishing five Nabucco
subsidiaries – one in each of the participating countries.
The five subsidiaries, to be established in Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania,
Hungary and Austria, will be founded later this year with each being
responsible for acquiring necessary licenses for the operation of their
section of the pipeline and for its subsequent operation. The line
itself will remain 100% owned by the parent company, which will retain
all rights for exportation and sale of gas, hence, providing a
`one-stop-shop’ for gas shippers wishing to export through the line.
Following the completion of a feasibility study for the line late last
year and the signing of the joint-venture deal, Nabucco will now move
into the development phase.
Reinhard Mitschek, managing director Nabucco Pipeline Study, told BME
that work on the first phase which involves the construction of a
56-inch line from the Turkish capital Ankara to Austria is due to
commence in 2008 and to be completed within three years. For the first
two years of operation the line will lease capacity from the existing
Botas-owned lines from Ankara to Erzurum and from Erzurum running to
Iran and Azerbaijan – construction of the latter being scheduled to
start later this year. During this two-year period Nabucco will complete
its second construction phase which will involve the laying of new
Nabucco-owned lines from Ankara to Erzurum, and from Erzurum to
Azerbaijan and Iran, to be constructed in parallel with the existing
Botas-owned lines.
Once complete the line will have an initial capacity of 25.5bn cu
meters/y, which can be raised to 31bn cu metres/y by the addition of
extra compressors if demand is sufficient. Mr Mitschek said that
negotiations with gas shippers have already begun, with the aim of
putting together a portfolio of supply contracts and securing
take-or-pay agreements for an initial 6bn-8bn cu meters/y of
gas-sufficient to allow financial closure on the project by 2007.
Discussions have been conducted with Azerbaijan for between 10bn-14bn cu
meters/y, with Iran for 10bn-26bn cu meters/y, with Egypt for 8bn-10bn
cu meters/y and with Iraq for an undisclosed volume, he said.
4. IRAN LAUNCHES HUGE FIBER-OPTIC NETWORK
Source: TMCnet (press release), July 11, 2005
Iran on Monday inaugurated a US$700 million (euro580 million) nationwide
fiber-optic network, which outgoing President Mohammad Khatami said
could turn this country into a regional telecommunications hub.
Khatami was quoted by state-run media as saying the network, which
started being built in 1994, was akin to a digital Silk Road, a
reference the medieval byway that linked China to Europe via Iran.
“Enjoying the network, Iran now is ready to be the regional
communication hub,” Khatami said at an inauguration ceremony. “From now
on we are capable to provide telecommunication services to the world.”
Telecommunications Minister Ahmad Motamedi said replacing the former
analog microwave backbone with a 56,000 kilometer (34,798 mile) long
fiber-optic network will advance regional and international
communications.
The network has initially connected Iran with neighboring Azerbaijan,
Armenia, Turkmenistan and the United Arab Emirates while broadening
telecommunications services in remote parts of Iran. It will also link
Iran to Pakistan, Kuwait, Afghanistan and Turkey in the future.
5. FIRE DESTROYED 3.5 HA OF FOREST IN RAZDAN GORGE IN YEREVAN
Source: Arminfo, July 12, 2005
A big fire broke out in the Razdan gorge in Yerevan July 11. As ARMINFO
was informed in the press-service of Armenia’s Emergency Department, the
information of the fire broken out in Tsitsernakaberd park at “Getap”
restaurant was received at about 17:00. About 3.5 hectare of forest
burned down. The fire was extinguished at about 20:45.
6. 2.6-MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE STRIKES IN ARMENIA TUESDAY MORNING
Source: Arminfo, July 12, 2005
A 3-4 magnitude earthquake struck in the territory of Armenia. ARMINFO
was informed in the press center of National Service of Seismic Defence
of Armenia; the earthquake with the 2.6 magnitude was registered at 5.02
a.m. 14 kilometers far from Vedi to the east of Khosrov reserve. The
strength of the tremor in the epicenter was 3-4.
Besides, the 4-5 magnitude earthquakes struck in the territory of Iran
at 2.05 a.m.
7. ARMENIA: WORLD BANK SUPPORTS IMPLEMENTATION OF GOVERNMENT’S
URBAN HEATING STRATEGY
Source: /noticias.info/ WASHINGTON, July 12, 2005.
The World Bank’s Board of Directors today approved an Urban Heating
Project (UHP) for Armenia in the amount of US$15 million. The project
will support the implementation of the Government’s Urban Heating
Strategy for multi-unit apartment buildings and will improve heating in
urban
schools.
The development objective of this four-year project is to increase the
use of clean, efficient, safe and affordable heating technologies in
urban schools and multi-unit apartment buildings. The project will
achieve this objective by removing barriers and creating market
conditions for the commercial provision of heating services; providing
long-term financing to service providers and consumers for their
investments in heat supply systems and energy efficiency measures;
building the capacity of local financial institutions in financing heat
supply and energy efficient systems to ensure sustainability after
project closing; promoting efficient and safe boilers, heaters, and
equipment to meter and control fuel and heat consumption; and
stimulating the creation and effective functioning of self-regulating
community organizations.
`We do hope that with the joint efforts of the Government of Armenia,
the World Bank, and other donors involved in the sector, that by the
completion of this Project the foundation for the sustainable
development of commercial heating services in Armenia will be laid,’-
said Gevorg Sargsyan, head of the World Bank team designing the
Project.
The Project combines investment, line of credit and technical assistance
financing:
The technical assistance component will be targeted at community and
private sector mobilization and development of an enabling environment
for effective and safe provision of heating services, including the
improvement of the legal and regulatory framework, the development of
safety norms and standards, and the certification of suppliers and
equipment, capacity building of heat service providers, local financial
institutions, and home owner associations, implementation of broad
information campaigns and public education programs, etc.
· Investment financing for heating of residential buildings will be
supported under two subcomponents. The first subcomponent consists of
lending to heat providers, home owner associations, municipalities and
individual home-owners for heating infrastructure investments. It is
estimated that about 7,000 households in multi-apartment buildings
without access to operational heating services would benefit from these
investments. The second subcomponent consist of capital grants to
finance investments for the connection of gas, heat and hot water supply
to the apartments of the poor households. Roughly 10,000 poor households
are expected to be provided with a basic level of service from clean
heat sources.
Installation and/or rehabilitation of gas-based local heating systems
for schools. Roughly 100 schools will receive funding under this
component. The primary focus of this component will be on urban schools
outside Yerevan.
The project will also be supported by a US$ 2.9 million co-financing
Grant from the UNDP/GEF project `Improving the Energy Efficiency of
Urban Heating and Hot Water Supply in Armenia’, which is designed as
technical assistance complementing the WB project.
The Credit will be made to Armenia on standard IDA terms, including 40
years maturity and a 10-year grace period.
Since joining the World Bank in 1992 and IDA in 1993, commitments to
Armenia total approximately US$896 million for 40 operations.
8. FULL-TEXT ONLINE BIOMEDICAL JOURNALS FOR ARMENIA’S SCIENTISTS
Source: Armenian Canadian Medical Association of Ontario; July 12, 2005
The Health InterNetwork Access to Research Initiative (HINARI,
) is a project administered by the
World Health Organization (WHO) in conjunction with the six major
journal publishers worldwide to provide free-of-charge full-text access
to institutions in developing countries. To meet the criteria of free
access, the country’s GNP per capita has to be less than $1000 US;
whereas institutions in countries with GNP per capita $1000-3000 pay a
fee of $1000 per year per institution. Armenia is included in the list
of countries eligible for free access, as its GNP per capita is less
than $1000 US
().
The Armenian Canadian Medical Association of Ontario (ACMAO) put
considerable effort in distributing information about the availability
of this resource. However, only 4 institutions from Armenia currently
have this most valuable scientific resource – American University of
Armenia, Emergency Scientific Medical Center, Yerevan State Medical
University (YSMU), Yerevan State University Library and the University
Hospital # 1, all located in Yerevan. The majority of Armenian
physicians and scientists are still unaware of this resource.
All research institutions, universities and hospitals in Armenia qualify
for free access through HINARI. All that is required is a director, a
librarian and a computer technician. As of July 12, 2005, HINARI
provides access to full-text articles from 2884 biomedical journals.
We urge all Armenian biomedical and health care institutions to register
with HINARI by accessing and following
the registration requirements.
9. RUSAL SUMS UP ACTIVITY IN FIRST HALF OF 2005
Source: RIA OREANDA Economic News, Moscow, July 12, 2005.
OREANDA. RUSAL, a top three global aluminum producer has today announced
production and financial results for the first half of 2005. According
to the RUSAL press service, for this period RUSAL raised a $200 million
unsecured loan to partially refinance its purchase of a 20% stake in
Queensland Alumina Limited, Australia. The loan has been extended by
Paris-based Natexis Banques Populaires at a low interest rate.
RUSAL also secured a 46.6 million export loan from German-based
Bayerische Landesbank (BayernLB) to fund a large-scale modernization
programme at RUSAL ARMENAL foil mill in Armenia.
RUSAL commissioned Lahmeyer International to conduct a banking
feasibility study for the first phase of the Rogunskaya hydroelectric
station construction project in Tajikistan. The company has opened two
representative offices in Arkhangelsk region – one in the region’s
capital Arkhangelsk and the second in the city of Plesetsk – to manage
the development of the three deposits of the North Onega bauxite group.
New casting pit started installed at Sayanogorsk Aluminium Smelter as
part of the plant’s foundry modernization program has reached its full
capacity of 90 000 tonnes of billets per year.
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