TBILISI-YEREVAN PASSENGER TRAIN ATTACKED BY STONES
Panorama.am
04/05/2010
Tbilisi-Yerevan passenger train has been attacked by stones.
Panorama.am source told yesterday at Marneuli-Shulaver, Georgia,
at about 18:15 the train has been attacked by 20-25-year-old four
young people, in the aftermath of which two windows were broken. No
casualties or injuries are reported.
"SouthCaucasus Railways" Company said they weren’t as much informed,
and weren’t able to answer any question.
CAUCASUS MUSLIMS OFFICE: ARMENIAN RELIGIOUS LEADER DOES NOT VISIT HONORARY CEMETERY
Trend
May 3 2010
Azerbaijan
The Caucasus Muslims Office Chairman Sheik-ul-Islam Haji Allahshukur
Pashazade regrets that there was misunderstanding due to inaccurate
information of Armenian religious leader by accompanying people
from Azerbaijan.
"After further specifications, it became known that His Holiness
Karekin and people accompanying him have not visited the Alley of
Martyrs. The people giving false information, have already been
punished," the Caucasus Muslims Office said.
EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER FOR ENLARGEMENT AND NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY: EU WILL AIM TO STEP UP ITS SUPPORT TO ONGOING KARABAKH PEACE EFFORTS
ArmInfo
2010-05-03 15:34:00
ArmInfo. European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood
Policy Stefan Fule says EU will aim to step up its support to ongoing
Karabakh peace efforts.
"In taking forward our work in the South Caucasus and Ukraine, and
indeed throughout the European Neighbourhood, I believe the European
Parliament, this Committee and the Parliamentary Cooperation Committee
have a very valuable role to play," Stefan Fule when speaking at the
Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), European Parliament, after his
visit to the South Caucasus and Ukriane.
RUSSIAN GAS SUPPLIES WILL RESUME WITHIN 2-3 DAYS
Tert.am
30.04.10
Supplies of Russian gas to Armenia via Georgian mountainous region
of Kazbek will resume in 2-3 days.
Gas supplies through this major pipeline were disrupted on April 29
due to a landslide.
Workers of Georgian Gas and Oil Corporation started to repair the
damaged part of the pipeline yesterday.
The repair work is still underway.
Georgian consumers will not be affected by this disruption of gas
supplies as Georgia buys gas from neighboring Azerbaijan, the only
oil-rich country in the South Caucasus.
Georgian Gas and Oil Corporation had told Russian ITAR TASS news
agency yesterday that the pipeline was being repaired at the moment,
adding it would take 2-3 days to finish the repair work.
Armenian consumers will not be affected by this gas shortage as the gas
supplies in Armenia are secured by an underground gas storage located
in Abovyan, an industrial town near the capital city of Yerevan.
YEREVAN TO HOST MAY 18-19 GATHERING OF EXPERTS IN NUCLEAR ENERGY SECURITY
/ARKA/
April 28, 2010
YEREVAN
Yerevan will host on May 18-19 a gathering of experts in nuclear energy
security who will discuss Armenian Metsamor nuclear power plant’s safe
operation. Andrei Chupov from the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA), he is in charge of technical projects implementation, said
Tuesday in Yerevan that the participants of the meeting will discuss
a wide array of issues, including raising the plant’s seismic safety.
He said experts from the United States, the Czech republic, Russia
and some other countries have confirmed their participation. The
gathering is being organized by Armenian ministry of energy and
natural resources.
In a related development president Serzh Sargsyan spoke against
postponement of a visit to Armenia by Operating Safety Analysis Review
Team of the IAEA, planned for 2011 May. Speaking at the 11-th meeting
of the Presidential Atomic Security Council in Yerevan he said he
told the management of the Armenian nuclear power plant to look into
the issue and make sure that the mission takes place in 2011 May.
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. The new unit 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.
2010-04-27Edward Nalbandyan: "In case we hear trustworthy words and work from Turkey we will undertake relevant steps"
ARMENPRESS
APRIL 27, 2010
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS: According to the established order on
the next day of signing of decree by the Armenian President on the
suspension of the procedure of ratification of the Armenian-Turkish
protocols Armenian Foreign Ministry has notified the Turkish Foreign
Ministry about it, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan stated
about it in an interview to "Real Policy" program of the Public TV.
In response to the circulating opinion that the process of
normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations has entered a deadlock,
Nalbandyan responded that it was in a deadlock when on the initiative
of the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan it was taken out of the
deadlock. "We passed a certain road of establishing relations without
pre-conditions. From the point of view of both us and international
community this way is the only right way and the right ways do not
take to deadlock," the minister pointed out.
In response to the question whether the idea voiced in the address
of the president – "We shall consider moving forward when we are
convinced that there is a proper environment in Turkey and there
is leadership in Ankara ready to reengage in the normalization
process" refers to the expected elections in Turkey, Armenian foreign
minister said that the elections are inner affairs of Turkey. The
Armenian side has stated that it is ready to move forward after it
sees partners in Turkey ready to move forward, normalize relations,
meet the achieved agreements. "Whether they will be new partners or
the old ones, it is for Turkey to decide. The recent period was like
turning the sand-clock: with dropping of every sand both we and the
international community were losing the trust toward Turkey. In case
we hear trustworthy words and work from Turkey we will undertake
relevant steps," the minister said.
The voiced concerns according to which the Armenian diplomacy is moving
forward not taking into consideration the mistakes of the past, Edward
Nalbandyan said that when it is spoken about the successiveness of the
foreign policy, it does not mean that the mistakes must continue. The
mistakes must not be repeated and with that logic the president of
the country started the process. "We said what we have done and we
have never said what we cannot do," the minister said.
TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION CENTER FILES A SUIT AGAINST ARMENIAN NATURE PROTECTION MINISTRY
ArmInfo
2010-04-27 12:07:00
ArmInfo. Preliminary trial on the case Transparency International
Anti-Corruption Center against Armenian Nature Protection Ministry
is scheduled for today, April 27 in Yerevan.
TI press-service told ArmInfo the TI Anti-Corruption Center demands the
Ministry to appeal to the prime minister of Armenia for permission
to inspect "Tekhnika Plus" Company located in Kochar Street-5,
Yerevan. The company is engaged in stamp production that result in
emission of toxic chemicals to atmosphere. In addition, this illegal
production, having no relevant resolution by the ecological expertise
is located on the ground floor of a residential building. The Nature
Protection Inspectorate takes no measures motivating this with the
government’s decision banning inspection of facilities with annual
turnover below 70 million drams till Jan 1 2011. The same decision
says that to protect rights, life and health, the Inspectorate has
a right to carry out inspection on the basis of a written consent by
the prime minister.
ARMENIAN, ITALIAN POLICE TO COOPERATE
Aysor
April 27 2010
Armenia
Armenia’s Chief of Police Alik Sarkisian and Italy’s Interior Minister
Roberto Maroni have signed in Rome an agreement on cooperation
between the two countries, a spokesperson for the Armenian Foreign
Ministry said.
The agreement is aimed at preventing, controlling and neutralizing
transnational crime, terrorism, illicit drug trafficking, arms
smuggling, etc.
Within the framework f the visit, Armenian Chief of Police met with
Supreme head of the Armenian Catholic Church in Italy, Patriarch
Nerses-Petros XIX, and handed him over the passport of the citizen
of Armenia.
TURKEY-ARMENIA ACCORD CONCERNS EUROPE
United Press International UPI
April 27 2010
BRUSSELS, April 27 (UPI) — A decision by Armenia to suspend
ratification of a treaty aimed at normalizing relations with Turkey
is cause for concern, the European Union said.
The ruling coalition in Armenia issued a statement Monday saying
it halted ratification of an accord signed in October because of a
refusal by Turkey to move ahead with the deal without preconditions.
Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign
Affairs in the European Union, said through her office that the EU
was "pleased" that Armenia remains committed to normalization. "But
at the same time expresses concern about the loss of momentum in
this process."
Ashton said the European Union calls on both countries to remain
steadfast in the normalization process "without preconditions and in
a reasonable time frame."
Armenia accuses Turkey of committing genocide against its population
during the Ottoman Empire. Recent ties are strained further over
issues regarding the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, an area of dispute
between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Armenia is upset that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is
linking the normalization process to Nagorno-Karabakh.
"The EU will continue to provide its political and technical support
to this process and stands ready to help implementing the steps agreed
between the two countries," Ashton added.
LEGENDARY CHER IS GOING BACK ON TOUR
Tert.am
15:35 27.04.10
Famous American Armenian singer Cher (Cherline Sargsyan) has revealed
that when her contract ends at The Colosseum in Caesars Palace,
Las Vegas, she will hit the road again.
The 63-year-old entertainer and actress confirmed the news to the
Las Vegas Sun newspaper.
Cher revealed her new plans as she showed up with Playboy mogul Hugh
Hefner for the TCM Classic Film Festival screening of A Star Is Born
and the after-party at the lounge hotspot Kress.
Cher also has a new album set for release this year in two versions –
one with 14 tracks and a deluxe edition with 19 songs.
The debut single Already Been There will be launched at the World
Music Awards. And her new film Burlesque with Christina Aguilera and
Julianne Hough is due for release this Thanksgiving.