Author: Nahapetian Zhanna

ARSHAK BANUCHYAN HAS BEEN OUSTED

hak-banuchyan
03:17 pm | September 02, 2009

Politics

Arshak Banuchyan, assistant director of the Matenadaran Institute of
Ancient Armenian Manuscripts, has been ousted from office because of
staff reduction.

Matenadaran’s Director Hrachya Tamrazyan says no one has been fired,
Arshak Banuchyan has been placed to another position according to
his decision.

Arshak Banuchyan says after he was made redundant he was offered a job
in another department and he accepted it. "The new post is connected
with my profession," said Banuchyan.

In reply to A1+ whether the reduction is politically motivated,
Mr. Banuchyan said: "As I take all my decisions and am responsible for
my steps let me refrain from comments. Surely, if someone is engaged
in politics everything connected with him is politicized, even the
legal proceedings. But I iterate that I don’t want to interpret the
reduction or its motives."

Remind that Arshak Banuchyan is charged under Article 205 of the
Armenian Criminal Code (money squandering) and Article 179 (evasion
of taxes).

Banuchyan has allegedly transferred money to publish a journal
dedicated to a sitting of the Institute’s Board of Trustees. The
journal didn’t come out as the President of the Board, Catholicos of
All Armenians announced the sitting cancelled.

During the Presidential election of 2009 Arshak Banuchyan was
presidential contender Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s representative in
Vayots Dzor.

GEORGIAN EXPERT: BORDER OPENING TO WEAKEN GEORGIA

Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am
Sept 2 2009
Armenia

Armenian-Turkish border opening contributes to the maintenance of
peace, meanwhile weakening Georgia’s position in the region, Georgian
expert on Caucasian issues Mamuka Areshidze told the journalists today.

According to him, the first-necessity goods supply was conducted
through Georgia that lays much importance to the country. "Georgia had
a chance to use its privileged position and succeed. Now the situation
changed and Georgia’s function is weakened. It is not good for us,"
Areshidze said.

In the meantime, he does not rule out that border opening will favour
the peace process, including the Karabakh issue settlement.

OSI AND VIVACELL-MTS ASSIST ORRAN

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19:15:32 – 02/09/2009

On August 31, the Open Society Institute (OSI) and Orran Benevolent
Organization signed a cooperative agreement calling for the
creation of an after school center which will serve the needs
of 50 vagrant children in the city of Vanadzor. The organization
will offer the children a daily hot meal, assistance with homework,
and extracurricular activities including a rich cultural program as
well as vocational training. It will also provide medical, dental
and psychological services. The agreement, in effect for one year,
calls for a 75% financial contribution from OSI and requires the
remaining 25% to be funded by Orran, which has garnered the support
of VivaCell-MTS.

The center will be modeled after the Orran center in Yerevan which
was founded in the year 2000. Since then, it has helped thousands of
children and hundreds of families. "We will not tolerate the abuse
of our children. We will not allow our children to beg for the bread
that is on their table. We will not stand by and watch our children
grow up deprived, uneducated and unhealthy. Our mission is clear: to
offer the needy children of Armenia a place of refuge, an education
and an opportunity to display their unique talents to the world and
live the happy life they deserve. We are blessed and grateful to
have partners like OSI and VivaCell-MTS who through their financial
contributions make sure that we are able to accomplish our goals"
stated Armine K. Hovannisian , founder of Orran.

The city of Vanandzor has been in economic dismay since the 1988
earthquake. The high rate of unemployment, the lack of investments,
and the large migration out of the city has left many in a difficult
financial position. The recent financial crisis has worsened the
situation. Many families are headed by single mothers who struggle
to provide their children with the bare necessities of a decent life.

The Open Society Institute’s grant to Orran comes from a special
Emergency Fund pledged by George Soros to help counteract the effects
of the global recession in the former Soviet republics, Eastern Europe
and the Balkans. The Fund was created to assist the many families who
face great difficulties in this recent economic crisis. As director of
the Open Society institute Larisa Minasyan explains, "The Fund is an
exceptional opportunity to meet urgent needs of people and communities
most hit by the economic downturn. The Fund aims to assist diverse
needs ranging from health and education to nutrition and culture".

VivaCell-MTS which is known for its continuous support to Orran has
agreed to provide the 25% of the annual budget. Mr. Ralph Yirikian,
General Manager of VivaCell-MTS states, "VivaCell-MTS as a Responsible
Corporate Citizen gladly joins hands with entities that are striving
to better integrate people in need within the society by providing
them with means to have a decent life".

The Vanadzor center is scheduled to open by the end of the month in
leased premises until the construction of its building, financed
by Mr. and Mrs. Krikor and Anna Krikorian of the United Kingdom,
is completed.

KNIFING

ifing
05:08 pm | August 31, 2009

Society

Ashot Gevorgyan, 1974, was taken to the "Armenia" Republican Medical
Centre in serious condition after a knifing at 6:30 p.m., August 29.

Ashot Gevorgyan turned out to have come to blows with his brother
Andranik Gevorgyan, 1969, earlier in the day. The latter knifed Ashot
during the scuffle.

Ashot Gevorgyan died in hospital without coming to himself

Andranik Gevorgyan is taken under arrest.

An inquiry is in progress.

LESSONS OF COURAGE BY DM SEYRAN OHANYAN
Marianna Gyurjyan

"Radiolur"
01.09.2009 14:46

"Lessons of courage" by the Minister of Defense: on the Knowledge Day
DM Seyran Ohanyan visited Yerevan School #125 after Smbat Byurat to
give a lesson to senior pupils.

"One of the peculiarities of contemporary history is the great
importance of the role of army in hard conditions. The strong
army was shaped from detachments consisting of people of different
professions. The Armenian nation has always been close to martial
arts," said the Defense Minister and referred to the liberation
of Shoushi, a reflection of selflessness of our skilled commanders
and soldiers.

"If the country is in danger, all of us should unite to protect it,"
Seyran Ohanyan said, and expressed hope that in case of danger the
young people present at the lesson would act more courageously.

HEADS OF ARMENIA’S DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATIONS TO MEET IN YEREVAN

armradio.am
31.08.2009 14:42

The annual meeting of the central apparatus of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and the heads of Armenian diplomatic representations will
take place in Yerevan from September 1st to 3rd. The meeting will be
opened by President Serzh Sargsyan’s speech.

Participants of the meeting will meet the Speaker of the National
Assembly, Hovik Abrahamyan, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, Secretary
of the National Security Council Arthur Baghdasaryan, Minister of
Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan and Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan.

On September 3 the heads of Armenian diplomatic representations will
leave for Artsakh to meet NKR authorities.

On September 1 the Armenian diplomats will deliver a lecture on
"Armenia and the outer world" at higher educational establishments
of Yerevan.

Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am, Armenia
Aug 29 2009

Aliyev is struck into same song

13:14 / 08/29/2009Nagorno-Karabakh should have a status, but Baku
would never accept any if it is not within Azerbaijani territorial
integrity, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated at iftar dinner
Aug. 28, APA agency reports.

`Our efforts are giving first results in the negotiation process. Our
unchangeable position is that this problem could be solved only within
the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. The people could live in
Nagorno-Karabakh within the status of autonomy and within the united
Azerbaijani state. These principles are basic today,’ President said,
underlining that any agreement can be reached based of these
principles only.

According to him, Karabakh conflict settlement is possible solely with
step-by-step approach: `We told all countries that the problem could
be solved phase-by-phase. All occupied regions will be liberated
successively and our compatriots will return to those regions. The
infrastructure will be restored there and after that the legal status
of Nagorno-Karabakh will be determined in the next phase,’ he
concluded.

WORLD BANK SUPPORTS FURTHER IMPROVEMENT OF RURAL ROAD NETWORK IN ARMENIA

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;Elemen t=News&TopicID=123&IMAction=ViewArticle&am p;ArticleID=210053
Aug 28 2009
Lithuania

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved a
credit of US$ 36.6 million equivalent of additional financing for the
Lifeline Road Improvement Project (LRIP-AF) for Armenia. This project
will assist the Government of Armenia in its on-going efforts to
drastically improve accessibility of the country’s main road network
for the rural population and to create employment. It will also help
Armenia mitigate the impacts of the global economic crisis on the
country’s economy and the well-being of its population.

The additional financing will further scale-up activities under
the on-going original project to improve the condition of 140 km of
roads. Over the years, insufficient investment in the rehabilitation
and maintenance of lifeline roads has made the overall road quality
poor, and left some roads difficult to use and others completely
impassable. The poor conditions and inadequacy of the lifeline roads
connecting rural communities to the main highways affects many aspects
of rural life and means that business opportunities are lost, it’s
harder for kids to get to school, and more difficult for people to
get urgent medical attention when they need it.

For example, the inability to bring crops to market in time has
resulted in losses of 40 percent or more, and in some communities up
to 80 percent. The rehabilitation of the road network will therefore
help farmers and small businesses in rural areas bring their products
to market more easily and at a lower cost, reducing the external
shock of the crisis.

"Rehabilitation of additional lifeline roads would also create
temporary jobs in rural areas which have been hard hit by the crisis,
and improve access to basic social services," said Asad Alam,
World Bank Regional Director for South Caucasus Countries. "While
this immediate impact is critical, the project will also improve
market connectivity for rural areas and build upon ongoing efforts
to strengthen the basis for growth and competitiveness."

"The direct and indirect job creation impact of the project is
estimated at about 10,000 person months of employment," added Satoshi
Ishihara, Head of the World Bank team designing the project. "The
implementation of the civil works will commence in late September
and be completed by the end of the next construction season. This
will provide an economic stimulus to rural communities, and ensure
benefits from improved roads."

The LRIP-AF has two main components. First, it will support
rehabilitation of approximately 140 km of the lifeline roads, located
in seven regions. In addition, a technical assistance component will
help the Armenian Government to modernize and increase the efficiency
of how they design their roads, and to support a road safety audit
manual as well as a "safe village" pilot that could be scaled up to
improve safety standards in other areas.

This project is part of the overall World Bank Group Country
Partnership Strategy (CPS) for 2009-2012 which was approved in early
June. The IBRD Flexible Loan has 25 years of maturity with 10 years
grace period. Since joining the World Bank in 1992 and IDA in 1993,
commitments to Armenia total approximately US$1, 313, 6 million.

148 SCHOOLS OF PROVINCES TO GET FREE COMPUTERS

ARMENPRESS
Aug 27, 2009

YEREVAN, AUGUST 27, ARMENPRESS: About 148 schools of the Armenian
provinces will get free computers from September of the running year.

Head of the applying information communication technology in secondary
education system sector of the "Educational Program Center" affiliated
to the Armenian Ministry of Education and Science Nune Voskanyan told
Armenpress that it is expected to support mainly insecure schools
of the Armenian provinces as Yerevan schools find other means for
acquiring computers.

While selecting schools not only their social condition was taken
into consideration but also the number of pupils and the technical
equipment. Each school will receive in average 3-4 computers. More
computers will be provided to schools of Lori, Tavush, Armavir.

In the sidelines of the center’s "Education Quality and Relevance"
credit program computers have been provided to schools of the
republic with available prices. About 80 schools have been included
in the program within the frameworks of which 6000 computers have
been provided.

ARMENIA TO PARTICIPATE IN INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL EXHIBITION IN KOLN

ARMENPRESS
Aug 27, 2009

YEREVAN, AUGUST 27, ARMENPRESS: Armenia is going to participate in
international agricultural exhibition in the German town of Koln
October 10-14 together with about 100 states.

Head of the Agriculture Ministry’s Foreign Relations and Marketing
Department Seyran Iritsyan told Armenpress that Armenia will present
alcoholic drinks, juices as well as chocolate covered dried fruits.

In the sidelines of the event "Ecoglobe" company will present in
the Armenian pavilion ecologically clean Armenian products – mainly
dairy foods.

Iritsyan said that German Technical Support organization covered
all the expenditures of the Armenian pavilion, renting 100
sq. m. territory.

Together with agricultural products, achievements in industrial,
tourism and other spheres will be presented. The event has been
planned not only for finding new markets but for the meeting of
political figures as well.