Author: nina hovnanian

POPULATION OUTFLOW INCREASES IN ARMENIA

Today’s Zaman
Aug 18, 2011
Turkey

Data from official Armenian sources have pointed toward an increase in
the country’s population outflow numbers for the first half of 2011,
as the general population has decreased by 8.7 percent over the last
20 years, the Armenian ARKA news agency reported.

Citing data from Armenia’s National Statistical Service, ARKA reported
that the Armenian population reached an estimated 3.57 million in 1991,
whereas the current figures reveal a sharp decrease in population,
currently pointing to 3.26 million.

The same report noted that the outflow of population superseded the
incoming in the first half of 2011, with 458,000 people leaving the
country and 368,000 entering in the first six months of the year.

According to the report, this rising trend is the biggest
socio-economic issue challenging Armenia at the moment, a point
previously stressed by Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan.

The report also indicated that the outflow was draining the workforce,
with more than 250,000 people leaving the country since 2000, reducing
the working population to 1,186,000 people.

According to a 2010 yearbook published on the National Statistical
Service website, population figures peaked at the beginning of the
1990s with around 3.5 million people, but have gradually declined in
the following years.

DEER CAN BE SHOT WITHOUT PENALTY – “GIFT” TO ARMENIAN FAUNA FROM GOVERNMENT

news.am
Aug 18, 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – From now on in Armenia it is allowed to kill striped
hyenas, deer, and pheasants, which are included in the Red Book,
without paying any fines.

On Thursday Armenian government approved the proposal of the Minister
of Environment Aram Harutyunyan to amend the bill “About the size of
the compensation of damage to fauna and flora due to environmental
violations,” which will be submitted for review and approval by the
Armenian parliament in due course.

The official website of the government of Armenia posted the bill,
which proposes to remove the striped hyena, deer, and pheasant from
the list, which informs on the fines for hunting / destruction of
fauna. Current law provisions fine of AMD 1 million ($ 2740) for
killing a deer, AMD 250 thousand ($ 685) for killing a striped hyena,
AMD 20 thousand ($ 55) for killing a pheasant.

ARMENIAN FEST IS AUG. 21
By DON STACOM

Hartford Courant
,0,3937451.story
Aug 18, 2011
New Britain

NEW BRITAIN — The Armenian Church of the Holy Resurrection will host
its annual Armenian Festival on Aug. 21 with food, live music and a
car show.

The festival runs from noon to 6 p.m. at the church at 1910 Stanley
St. Admission is free.

Shish kebab with pilaf, khema, tabooleh and other Armenian foods
will be available. There will be a youth dance ensemble, and music
by the Harry Bedrossian Ensemble featuring Harry Bedrossian, Michael
Kassabian, Roger Derderian, George Righellis and Haig Arakelian. -Don
Stacom

BUS CARRYING ARMENIAN TOURISTS FELLS INTO A GORGE IN GEORGIA

Tert.am
18.08.11

A bus carrying Armenian tourists from the Georgian resort Kazbegi
to the capital Tbilisi has turned over and fallen into a gorge,
the Georgian TV Channel Rustavi 2 reported.

According to preliminary reports, there are several injuries, including
children and elderly.

The accident took place in the vicinities of the Gudauri mountainous
resort.

Rescue teams and medical stuff are currently working at the place
of the accident, though attempts to pull out those affected from the
gorge have so far been to no avail.

According to preliminary reports, at least 12 have hade bone fractures
and should be hospitalized.

More rescue teams are rushing to the area of the incident from Kazbegi
and Tbilisi.

ARMENIAN DEPUTY MINISTER OF DIASPORA RELIEVED OF POST

Tert.am
18.08.11

The Information and Public Relations Department, Government of Armenia,
reports that Prime Minister Tigran Sagsyan signed a decree relieving
Stepan Petrosyan of the post of RA Deputy Minister of Diaspora on
the basis of his resignation letter.

HIGH-END HOTEL PLANNED FOR REPUBLIC SQUARE METRO STATION

hetq
August 18, 2011

At today’s cabinet session, the RA government approved a decision
that would allow it to allocate land parcels for “non-competitive
bid construction”.

Today’s decision is seen as a green light for the construction of a
high-end hotel in the vicinity of the Republic Square metro station
in downtown Yerevan.

ICRC EMPLOYEES VISIT AZERBAIJANI POW IN ARMENIA
K.Zarbaliyeva

Trend
Aug 17, 2011
Azerbaijan

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) staff visited
Azerbaijani POW Roman Huseynov in Armenia.

The employees of the ICRC Yerevan office assessed the conditions,
under which Huseynov is kept, ICRC Baku Office Spokesman Shahla
Gahramanova told Trend.

The ICRC employees handed over his family’s letter to Huseynov and
get Huseynov’s letter to his family.

The Armenian armed forces captured Azerbaijani army sergeant Huseynov
on Aug. 27, 2010.

There are three Armenian POWs and five members of one family in
Azerbaijan.

Previously, Azerbaijan transferred three Armenian soldiers to the
third party at their request.

Working under the Geneva Conventions, the ICRC has been operating
in the region since 1992, in connection with the Nagorny Karabakh
conflict.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

MORE PEOPLE LEAVE KARABAKH IN 2011

news.am
Aug 17 2011
Armenia

STEPANAKERT. – In the first half of 2011, in total 517 people arrived
and 353 people left Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), whereas 454
people arrived and 176 left the county in the relevant period of the
last year, NKR State Statistical Service told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

According to the source, this year 492 people came to Artsakh from
Armenia, 25 – from CIS courtiers. As for those who left, the essential
part of them went to Armenia and 12 – to CIS countries.

ILLEGAL DEFORESTATION OCCURRED IN DILIJAN NATIONAL PARK OF ARMENIA

news.am
Aug 17 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – In Dilijan National Park illegal deforestation increased
1.5 times in relation to previous year, said environment protection
activist Inga Zarafyan to a press conference on Wednesday.

According to her, the trees are brought down for construction reasons
because tourism and leisure time organization is authorized on the
territory of the park.

The head of Tourism Department of Armenian Ministry of Economy Mekhak
Apresyan argued that the nature is not given to us to gaze at it
from afar.

“The nature and historical monuments must be exploited in accordance
with set norms and use the income for the benefit of the same
nature and monuments. This is one of the principles for sustainable
development,” said the official.

“YERKIR UNION” CARRIED OUT RESEARCH IN HAMSHEN AND DERSIM

Noyan Tapan

17.08.2011

(Noyan Tapan – 17.08.2011) The Van research expedition of Yerkir
Union visited and carried out research in Hamshen, Dersim and other
settlements of Western Armenia on July 18 to August 4.

The expedition studied local traditional musical instruments, dances
and songs were shot, folk tales, legends, curses, blessings, prayers
were collected.

The aim of the expedition was to promote the preservation of ethnic
identity of Armenians living outside the Republic of Armenia in the
Armenian Highlands and the Black Sea Basin, to establish and develop
cultural ties.