Author: Antonian Lara

ARMROSGASPROM: CONSUMPTION IN ARMENIA FALLS 4.2% TO 344.6 MILLION CUBIC METERS IN 2009

/ARKA/
July 17, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, July 17. /ARKA/. Gas consumption in Armenia fell 4.2% to
344.6 million cubic meters in 2009, ArmRosgasprom company reports.

Industrial companies consumed 116.8 million cubic meters in 2009 –
37.2% greater than their gas consumption a year earlier.

Energy sector’s gas consumption reduced 26.7% to 157.4 million
cubic meters.

According to ArmRosgasprom’s report, Armenia has received 938.8 cubic
meters of natural gas over six months of this year – 14.8% less than
the 2008 volumes.

At the fist half of 2009, 867.7 million cubic meters of gas were
utilized – 14% less than at the same period of the previous year.

ArmRosgasprom enjoys the sole right to import and distribute Russian
natural gas in Armenia.

The gas comes through Georgia’s territory.

ArmRosgasprom was established in 1997.

Russian Gasprom holds 80% of the company’s stocks.

The remaining 20% belong to Armenian Government.

MEETING IN THE INSTITUTE FOR NATIONAL STRATEGIC STUDIES

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17.0 7.09

On the 17th of July, 2009 the delegation, which takes part in the
USA-Armenia Security Cooperation Planning Council, visited the RA
Ministry of Defence’s Institute for National Strategic Studies after
D. Kanayan.

In the delegation were the representatives of the Office of the US
Secretary of Defense, Defence Security Cooperation Agency, United
States European Command, United States Naval Forces Europe, US Air
Forces Command in Europe, Kansas Army National Guard.

The delegation was received by the chief of the INSS, counselor of
the Minister of Defence, Doctor of Political Sciences, Major-General
Hayk Kotanjyan. During the meeting Dr. Kotanjyan briefly but thoroughly
presented the whole process of the elaboration of the first RA national
security strategy, as well as the process of foundation and development
of the RA MoD Institute for National Strategic Studies, accompanied
with a slideshow. He thoroughly presented the structure of the INSS,
scientific activities and the prospects of development.

Major-General Hayk Kotanjyan highly appreciated the helpful and
active participation of the American colleagues in the process of
coordination of the interdepartmental elaboration of the RA national
security strategy. He also found it important that the guests were
ready to promote the cooperation with the INSS.

South Caucasus Railway intends to increase growth of long-distance
passenger flow by 18%

2009-07-18 16:01:00

ArmInfo. South Caucasus Railway (SCR) intends to ensure growth of
long-distance passenger flow at least at the level of 2008 – no less
than 18%, SCR Director General Shevket Shaydullin told journalists.

He pointed out that SCR is maximally trying to increase passenger
operations as this is the expenditure from proceeds and ticket sales.
"The measures taken allowed increasing the passenger turnover by 36% in
Jan-June 2009 as compared with the same period of 2008",- Shaydullin
stressed. He added that SCR is going to provide full complex services
with due regard for the price, quality, serving various categories of
population.

SCR CJSC is the 100% branch of Russian Railway OJSC. SCR is the
concessional manager of Armenian Railway CJSC. The term of the
concessional agreement is 30 years, and it may be prolonged for 10
more years.

ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE VISITS DNEPROPETROVSK REGION

Noyan Tapan
July 17, 2009

KIEV, JULY 17, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Armenian Ambassador to
the Ukraine Armen Khachatrian visited the Dnepropetrovsk region in
the Ukraine on July 13-14 on the occasion of the events taken place
in the region’s Marganets city. To recap, at the beginning of July
in an argument on domestic ground an Armenian who is a resident of
Marganets struck a deadly blow with a knife to an Ukrainian police
officer, after which some anti-Armenian activities and a brawl started.

According to the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the
visit Ambassador Khachatrian had meetings with the authorities of
Dnepropetrovsk region and the city of Marganets, some representatives
of the legal bodies, and discussed issues regarding the inquest of
the case.

The authorities of the region and the city told RA Ambassador that
the accident happened on domestic ground and it was qualified as
a hooliganism.

According to the local authorities, the situation now has been calmed
down and is under the full control of the legal bodies.

The authorities of the region mentioned that the Armenian community
of the region is a model one and the Armenians enjoy the respect and
sympathy of the region’s authorities. RA Ambassador expressed his
gratitude for the steps taken by the authorities of the region and
city and for taking the situation under control to avoid the further
undesirable developments.

During the visit Armen Khachatrian had a meeting with representatives
of Armenian community of the city of Marganets and discussed the
situation of the city.

The RA Ambassador convened a press conference on the results of the
visit and during it presented the goal of his visit, meetings taken
place there, issues which were discussed and answered the numerous
questions of local reporters.

OSCE HEAD DENIES PRESSURE ON AZERBAIJAN AHEAD OF KARABAKH TALKS IN MOSCOW

ANS TV
July 17 2009
Azerbaijan

[President] OSCE Secretary-General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut,
who is paying an official visit to Azerbaijan, met President Ilham
Aliyev today. At the meeting, they discussed the current state and
prospects of the negotiations held within the framework of the OSCE
Minsk Group on a peaceful solution to the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict
over Nagornyy Karabakh.

Marc Perrin de Brichambaut has explained his visit to Baku on the
eve of a meeting of the presidents of the two countries over the
settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict [in Moscow on 17 July]
while he did not go to Yerevan as follows:

[Brichambaut, speaking in English with overlaid translation
into Azerbaijani] I have been visiting countries of the region at
different moments. The main goal of my visits has always been to boost
relationship and cooperation between OSCE missions and state agencies
in those countries. My visit was scheduled two months ago. The fact
that this visit is happening at the time of the next meeting on the
settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict is a coincidence.

The OSCE does not put pressure on its member countries. It establishes
cooperation with member states in order to build stability.

MADRID PRINCIPLES HALVED AND OBSCURE

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
16.07.2009 17:02 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Trilateral statement by the leaders of OSCE MG
co-chair states, promulgation of Madrid Principles and agreement
on Nabucco signed in Ankara suggests that the decision on stepwise
political resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict was taken by
key regional actors and that the role of Armenia and Azerbaijan in
the process considerably decreased, an Armenian expert said.

"Nevertheless, Madrid Principles are halved and obscure. The first
provision envisages return of territories around Karabakh to Azeri
control. Does it mean that Azerbaijan will be granted the right to
deploy troops there? The provision on corridor is not understandable
either. Provision 4 does not clarify who will determine the status
of Nagorno Karabakh: one person or NKR people. The provisions on
peacekeeping forces and refugees are vague," Ruben Meghrabyan, an
expert at Armenian center of international and political studies,
told PanARMENIAN.Net.

This document may imply any solution: from formation of de jure
independent state up to de-Armenization of Karabakh, according to him.

"Armenia must be creative, cautious and cold-blooded. Upcoming
political battles will be a solidity test for the Armenian state
system, since the above mentioned provisions testify of fundamental
regional transformations," Meghrabyan said.

YEREVAN ATTACHES IMPORTANCE TO COOPERATION WITH OPEC FUND FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

/ARKA/
July 15, 2009
YEREVAN

Yerevan attaches importance to cooperation with the OPEC Fund for
International Development, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
said Tuesday at his meeting with OPEC (OFID) Director General Suleiman
Jasir Al-Herbish and other members of the delegation, the press office
of Armenian Government reports.

Henning Pedersen, the head of programs of International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD), was present at the meeting as well.

Stressing the importance of cooperation with the Fund, Sargsyan
pointed out the necessity to enlarge investments in rural areas,
to intensify support for farmers.

He thinks that joint efforts are needed to develop infrastructures,
particularly energy, construction of rural roads, modernization of
irrigation and gas-supplying facilities.

The premier also singled out support for small, medium and
system-forming enterprises as well as protection of vulnerable social
strata among other focuses.

He said that despite some economic decline was recorded recently
in Armenia as a result of the global recession Al-Herbish, in his
turn, expressed appreciation of the Fund’s cooperation with Armenian
Government and hope that it would be continued, the crisis gave room
for reforms and cooperation in various areas.

MOURNING DECLARED IN ARMENIA ON 16 JULY BECAUSE OF THE AIRCRAFT CRASH IN IRAN

ArmInfo
2009-07-15 18:27:00

According to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s decree, mourning
is declared in Armenia on 16 July because of the aircraft crash in
Iran on 15 July with numerous victims including Armenian citizens,
press-service of the president reported.

To recall, as deputy chairman of Armenian Civil aviation Department,
Arsen Pogosyan, said earlier, 6 Armenian citizens, 4 – passengers
and 2 members of the crew were on board of the crashed aircraft of
the Caspian Airlines company which was implementing Tehran-Yerevan
flight, Wednesday. Another 29 passengers had Armenian names, but they
were not Armenian citizens. The total of 168 people died as a result
of the crash.

Burlington Free Press
July 15, 2009

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TEHRAN, Iran – An Iranian passenger plane carrying 168 people crashed
a quarter-hour after takeoff Wednesday, smashing into a field
northwest of the capital and shattering to pieces. State television
said all on board were killed.

The impact gouged a deep trench in the dirt field, which was shown
littered with smoking wreckage in footage shown on state TV. It showed
a large chunk of a wing, but much of the wreckage appeared to be in
small pieces, and emergency workers and witnesses picked around the
shredded metal for bodies.

The Russian-made Caspian Airlines jet was heading from Tehran to the
Armenian capital Yerevan near the village of Jannatabad outside the
city of Qazvin, around 75 miles northwest of Tehran, state television
said. It crashed at about 11:30 am, 16 minutes after taking off from
Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport, TV reported.

The Qazvin emergency services director Hossein Bahzadpour told the
IRNA news agency that the plane was completely destroyed and shattered
to pieces, and the wreckage was in flames. "It his highly likely that
all the passengers on the flight were killed," Bahzadpour said.

Iranian Civil Aviation Organization spokesman Reza Jafarzadeh told
state television that 153 passengers and 15 crewmembers were on
board. State TV said all were killed.

A Caspian Airlines representative told AP in Yerevan that most of the
passengers were Armenians, and that some Georgian citizens were also
on board. The representative spoke on condition of anonymity because
she was not authorized to talk to the press.

Also among the passengers were eight members of Iran’s national youth
judo team, along with two trainers and a delegation chief, who were
scheduled to train with the Armenian judo team before attending
competitions in Hungary on Aug. 6, state TV said.

Caspian Airlines is a Russian-Iranian joint venture founded in
1993. Iran has frequent plane crashes often because of bad maintenance
of its aging aircraft. Tehran blames the problem in part on
U.S. sanctions that prevent Iran from getting spare parts for some
planes. Caspian Airlines, however, uses Russian-made Tupolevs whose
maintenance would be less impaired by American sanctions.

In February 2006, a Russian-made TU-154 operated by Iran Airtour,
which is affiliated with Iran’s national carrier, crashed during
landing in Tehran, killing 29 of the 148 people on board. Another
Airtour Tupolev crashed in 2002 in the mountains of western Iran,
killing all 199 on board.

The crashes have also affected Iran’s military. In December 2005, 115
people were killed when a U.S.-made C-130 plane, crashed into a
10-story building near Tehran’s Mehrabad airport. In Nov. 2007, a
Russian-made Iranian military plane crashed shortly after takeoff
killing 36 members of the elite Revolutionary Guards.

___
AP writer Avet Demourian in Yerevan, Armenia, contributed to this report.

SERZH SARGSYAN HOSTS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE FRENCH ASSOCIATION OF FILM PRODUCERS ALAIN TERZYAN AND HIS WIFE

ARMENPRESS
July 14, 2009

YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS: Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan today
hosted the chairman of the French Association of Film Producers,
president of the French Film Arts Academy and "Cesar" Academy,
Administrator of Cannes film-festival Alain Terzyan and his wife.

The presidential press office told Armenpress that on the July 13
decree of the President, Alain Terzyan has been awarded with the Order
of Honor for the significant contribution in the field of film arts,
as well as for the close cultural cooperation with the homeland and
the activity promoting to the deepening of Armenian-French friendship.

Noting that Armenia is proud to have a compatriot like Alain Terzyan,
Serzh Sargsyan noted: "It is thanks to people like you that Armenia
is being more recognized throughout the world. Our aim is that our
compatriots living abroad and being a good citizens of the given
country consider Armenia as their historical homeland at the same
time".

Serzh Sargsyan welcomed the world famous film director’s participation
in the "Golden Apricot" film-festival.

"I am very glad, proud and excited that I am in Armenia – in
my historical homeland. When I made a step on the Armenian land,
I had an unusual feeling. It can understand only the Armenian, who
has dreamed of being in Armenia during his/her whole life, and that
dream has eventually come true", – Alain Terzyan said.

The French-Armenian art figure noted that he is impressed by the
"Golden Apricot" festival, which attains greater reputation year
by year.