Author: Hovik Karapetian

Indian Oil and gas news
June 21, 2017


Alexey Miller and Serzh Sargsyan express appreciation for robust use
of natural gas in Armenia

New Delhi

New Delhi, Jun. 21 -- Yerevan on 16 June 2017, hosted working meetings
of Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, with
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Armenian Prime Minister Karen
Karapetyan.


The meetings addressed the development of Armenia's gas industry.
Specifically, the meeting participants noted a high level of gas
penetration in the country, amounting to 96 per cent. They also
expressed their appreciation for a robust use of natural gas in
different economic sectors, including transportation. At present,
around 80 per cent of vehicles in the country run on natural gas.
Russian gas exports to Armenia stand at some 1.9 billion cubic metres
per year. Armenia's gas consumption is growing this year, with gas
supplies from Russia already exceeding 1 billion cubic metres over the
first five and a half months of 2017 (+35 per cent compared to 2016).

The meeting also touched upon the issues regarding Armenia's gas
supply network development and gas grid expansion, focusing, inter
alia, on the General Scheme prepared by Gazprom. The parties discussed
the prospects for the construction of a new compressor station at the
Abovyanskoye underground gas storage facility and gas trunklines
inside the country, as well as for the overhaul of Armenia's existing
gas transmission and distribution infrastructure.
Background

Gazprom Armenia, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gazprom, is focused on
natural gas supplies to the Armenian market. In addition, the company
transports, stores, distributes and sells natural gas, as well as
upgrades and expands the gas transmission system and underground gas
storage facilities in the Republic of Armenia.

In 2013, Gazprom and Gazprom Armenia signed the contract for up to 2.5
billion cubic meters of Russian gas to be supplied annually to Armenia
in 2014-2018. On April 7, 2016, an addendum to the contract was
signed. Gas is delivered to the Armenian border by Gazprom Export.

The General Scheme of Gas Supply to and Gasification of the Armenian
Republic provides for large-scale overhaul, upgrade and modernisation
of the country's gas transmission infrastructure and underground gas
storage capacities.

The Daily Telegraph (London)
June 3, 2017 Saturday


JEWEL PURPOSE

Villa empain in Brussels has had a chequered past. But now it has
regained its former art-deco glory thanks to the Boghossian family,
famous for creating exquisite east-meets-west jewellery, and now
cultural events

With its granite and gold leaf exterior, the Villa Empain must be one
of the most distinctive and beloved buildings in Brussels.

Louis Empain - son of billionaire industrialist and railway pioneer
Edouard Empain - commissioned architect Michel Polak to design the
villa as a private residence in 1930. Four years later it was
completed, combining the simple lines of Bauhaus architecture with the
luxurious materials and detailing of art deco.

The villa was designed as a home of Gatsby-esque grandeur - except no
wild parties were ever held there; Louis Empain was a very sober young
man - so reclusive it was rumoured at the time that he never actually
moved in. In reality, he did live in the villa for at least four
years, and the few who were lucky enough to step inside would have
seen yet more splendour. Floors and walls are rendered from five
different types of marble; there is panelling in walnut, rosewood and
oak, as well as the more exotic African bubinga and Venezuelan
manilkara; bathrooms are tiled with intricate mosaics; and
stained-glass panels and magnificent wroughtironwork feature
throughout. The swimming pool, which extends the entire length of the
villa and boasted a thermostatically controlled heater, was one of the
most impressive of its era.

As such, Villa Empain is an aptly decorative home for the Boghossian
Foundation, established as 'a centre for art and dialogue between the
cultures of the east and the west'. Opened by the high jewellery house
in April 2010, what might be dismissed as a glitzy vanity project for
a luxury goods brand is, in fact, a heartfelt endeavour to use art as
a force for good.

Caught up in the conflicts that have afflicted the Middle East
throughout the 20th century, the Boghossian family found themselves
fleeing from Armenia to Syria and then Lebanon, before finally
settling in Belgium and Switzerland. 'I had the good fortune to grow
up in the magnificent country of Lebanon but I lived through the
damage caused by civil war,' explains Jean Boghossian, a
Brussels-based artist (who represented Armenia at this year's Venice
Biennale). 'I witnessed the brutality with which a peaceful
coexistence can turn into a murderous hatred, and the wound it causes.
Before, during the genocide that they suffered in 1915, my Armenian
forefathers also lived through a nightmare.' In 1992, Jean was moved
to set up the Boghossian Foundation with his brother Albert - the
company's CEO - and their father Robert, in order to undertake
charitable work in the Middle East. 'We have been involved with
humanitarian and educational projects for many years but we wanted to
do something larger - shine a light on new ideas,' says Albert's son
Ralph, the company's production director. 'The result is the
Foundation in Brussels, which works to promote understanding between
different cultures. Being Armenian, we drew inspiration from the Silk
Road - it's the universe around which the Boghossian house revolves.'
Descended from six generations of gem dealers, the Boghossian family
has forged a unique identity in the world of high jewellery. Famous
for the 'art of inlay', a technique of setting one stone within
another - Boghossian was known as Bogh-Art before being renamed in
2007 - the company's colourful aesthetic, extraordinary gems and
attention to detail produce pieces akin to works of art.

'We start with the stone because we're gem experts and that's what
we're passionate about,' says Ralph. 'We have developed many types of
setting because it's the mount that emphasises and highlights the
qualities of a stone.' Designs are influenced by both the Boghossian
family's Middle Eastern roots and European lives today. Unusual stones
are sometimes bought and stored for years before being turned into one
of the handful of pieces that the house creates annually in
Switzerland and Italy.

'We have loyal clients who buy several pieces on a regular basis,'
adds Ralph. 'When you know that, for them, peerless beauty is the only
thing that counts, you are able to push your abilities and create
something special.' In contrast to the rarified world of Boghossian
jewels, the Foundation at Villa Empain is open to all, and its general
manager Louma Salamé (Jean's niece) is 'very much into opening things
up. Our shows and workshops are intended to make the visitor feel at
home and we give everyone the same attention, whether it's the
minister of foreign affairs or a Syrian refugee.' Louis Empain would
surely approve of the current use of his former home. In 1937 Empain
donated his mansion to the state as the site of the Royal Museum of
Contemporary Decorative Arts of Belgium, but the Second World War
brought a premature end to the museum's activities when the villa was
requisitioned by the German invaders. It is rumoured to have been
occupied by the Gestapo.

After the war, despite the conditions attached to Empain's gift to the
Belgian state, the villa was handed over to the USSR to serve as its
embassy. After much campaigning the building was returned to Empain in
the mid-1960s and he staged exhibitions dedicated to kinetic and op
art, before selling it in 1973, three years before his death. It was
rented by the television station RTL for 20 years then, following
another sale, the villa was abandoned and fell into disrepair.

When the Boghossian Foundation acquired Villa Empain in 2006, it was
in a completely dilapidated state. After two years of site surveys and
extensive research, complex restoration works took a further two.
Walking through the building now it's difficult to imagine that it
hasn't always looked the way it does.

'By restoring this magnificent piece of art-deco architecture and
using it to house the headquarters of the foundation, we think that
our projects will, in their own way, fulfil Baron Empain's wishes,'
says Jean Boghossian.

Having worked at the Guggenheim, the Mudam and the Abu Dhabi Louvre,
Salamé is eminently qualified to run the Foundation. 'It's a dream
project for me - I found the idea of a bilateral east-meets-west
project tremendously exciting,' she says. 'I've followed its progress
for over 10 years, but I thought I had to do things on my own for a
certain time and tried to learn everything you have to know to become
the director of a cultural institution. ' The first show that Salamé
curated at the foundation was called Imaginary Borders. 'There's an
increasing stigmatisation of different groups of people for their
religion, social background or nationality and the building of social
barriers. All these walls are what we are fighting against.' The
foundation's 'mission' to encourage cultural exchange is carried out
through exhibitions, events and residencies, with writers, artists,
designers and curators living on site. The rooms in the villa are
still referred to according to their original purpose and the hum of
activity means it is far removed from a sterile gallery space.

'It's very much a living building - we want visitors to use the space
and feel at ease,' says Salamé. 'It's a unique house, an amazing jewel
and the perfect home for our mission. Genuinely, every morning when I
put the key into this gorgeous front door, I feel like I've come
home.' www.villaempain.com

Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
 Wednesday


Sevan National Park reform and development concept discussed at Government



YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. Chaired by Prime Minister of Armenia
Karen Karapetyan, a consultative meeting on the reform of Sevan
National Park was held at Government on May 31. As “Armenpress” was
informed from the press service of the Government of Armenia, the
meeting specifically focused on the draft concept of Sevan National
Park reform and development.

Acting Minister of Nature Protection Artsvik Minasyan noted that the
concept is meant to achieve investment-driven increase in economic
activity and tourism in the region based on the right balance of
economic and environmental benefits. To achieve these objectives,
steps will have to be taken to conserve the Lake as a freshwater basin
of national and regional importance, restore and improve the
ecosystem’s ecological balance, expand the recreational zone and
develop an investment-conducive legal (fiscal) framework that may help
address problems related to economic management, environmental
protection, urban planning, land use etc.

The meeting discussed the stakeholders’ recommendations on Sevan
National Park’s management system, lakeside area development vision
for 2018-2030 and the proposed investment projects. The Prime Minister
was reported progress in the implementation of his previous
instructions concerning the activities of Sevan National Park.

Appreciating the solutions and approaches set out in the concept, the
Premier stressed the importance of clear definition of rules for
business operations and issued appropriate recommendations.