Author: nina hovnanian

ARMENIAN YOUTH TEAM SCORES FIRST VICTORY IN EURO 2013 QUALIFIER SERIES

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 7, 2011 – 22:03 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The second half of Yerevan-hosted Armenia vs.

Montenegro EURO 2013 qualifier turned out to be a shock to Montenegro
team.

Although Halfback Artak Aleksanyan was handed 2 yellow cards in the
first half of the game, the numerical disadvantage didn~Rt prevent
a 10-member squad from making the best of the match by striking 3
more goals.

The only goal of the rival team was scored by Montenegro captain
Stefan Nicolic.

The match ended with a 4:1 victory of the Armenian squad; the next
match of the Armenian Youth Team is due September 3 in Andorra.

ARIEL COHEN: ARMENIA, BY BEING INTRANSIGENT IN TALKS, MAY LOSE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY

Trend News Agency
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News
June 6, 2011 Monday
Baku, Azerbaijan

June 06–JUNE 6 / , Azerbaijan, Baku — Azerbaijani Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov wrapped up a successful visit to Washington, Ariel
Cohen, a prominent Washington expert on the Eurasia and the Caucasus,
believes. Cohen is a Member of TREND Expert Council and the head of
Eurasian studies at the Heritage Foundation.

“Mammadyarov met with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is
deeply involved in prodding the two sides, Armenia and Azerbaijan, to
come up with basic principles for an agreement on the Nagorno-Karabakh
issue settlement,” Cohen told Trend.

The Minister has built excellent relations with foreign ministers of
the two key powers involved in the Minsk Group, Russia and the United
States, as well as with EU officials, Cohen added.

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 7 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 the 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.

Cohen said Hillary Clinton understands that Armenia may lose a
chance to come to a settlement, similar to how Yasir Arafat of the
Palestinian Liberation Organization, lost a chance for a deal with
Israel in 2000, called the Camp David II, a deal which he later
regretted he did not conclude.

“Hillary was at the side of her husband, then-President Bill Clinton,
who tried in the last days of his presidency to negotiate the deal,
and Israel was willing to give Arafat over 90 percent of what
he demanded. Similarly, the Armenian side, by being intransigent
and trying to go for a 100 percent of demands, may lose a unique
opportunity,” he said.

At the 9th trilateral summit in Kazan on June 25, Presidents Ilham
Aliyev, Dmitry Medvedev, and Serzh Sargsyan, may attempt to come to
an agreement on basic principles, and Foreign Minister Mammadyarov’s
visit had to do with the effort by Azerbaijan to keep the United
States abreast of the development, Cohen said.

However, the expert believes that Russia is currently in the lead
with regards to the effort to play the intermediary between the two
sides as Mr. Medvedev went out of his way to build trust with his
Armenian and Azeri counterparts.

“This is despite the fact that Russia is effectively a national
security patron of Armenia, having signed a long term agreement to keep
its forces at the Gyumri base until 2044, guarding its borders, and
supplying it with large amounts of cheap and sophisticated weapons,”
Cohen said.

The agreement was signed between Russia and Armenia, and renews
Moscow’s lease on the base for 24 years. The agreement was undersigned
by the Armenian and Russian defense ministers.

Russia’s 102nd Military Base has been accommodated in northern Armenia
since 1995. The base operates in the framework of the CIS United Air
Defense System. It is managed by the Russian troops in Transcaucasia —
Russia’s North Caucasian Military District.

ARMENIA: FIGHT BREWS OVER IAEA’S THUMBS-UP APPRAISAL OF METSAMOR
by Marianna Grigoryan and Anahit Hayrapetyan

EurasiaNet.org
June 7 2011
NY

Often depicted as a disaster waiting to happen, Armenia’s
35-year-old nuclear power station, Metsamor, has passed muster with
the International Atomic Energy Agency. But don’t expect the debate
over the plant’s safety standards to end any time soon.

Armenian environmentalists and some energy analysts are challenging the
IAEA’s initial findings as a pro-forma evaluation that does nothing
to address the risks posed by Metsamor’s age, geographical location,
outdated equipment and alleged lack of qualified staff.

“There is no industrial activity that does not pose any risk, but I
think the results of our inspection show that this risk [at Metsamor]
is acceptable,” Gabor Vamos, the Hungarian head of the 11-member IAEA
Operational Safety Review Team for Armenia, told reporters on June
2 after a 17-day review of the nuclear power plant.

One prominent Armenian environmental activist, Hakob Sanasarian,
director of the Greens’ Union of Armenia, called that assessment
ridiculous. “We didn’t have any other expectations about the experts,”
Sanasarian said. “It would be naïve to think that they would declare
Metsamor is dangerous [since the IAEA supports the use of nuclear
energy]. Anyway, we will continue our fight. The nuclear power plant
is dangerous in terms of environmental, seismic and safety risks.”

Aside from its age, critics like Sanasarian worry about the plant’s
location; situated roughly 30 kilometers from Yerevan, it is built
in a landslide and seismic zone near residential areas and water
reservoirs. Officials downplay these concerns, asserting that the
nuclear power plant is “safe.”

Metsamor’s operational safety has long been a target of international
criticism. The European Union and United States have both pushed for
the development of energy alternatives to Metsamor, which provides
about 40 percent of Armenia’s electricity. Next year, work will start
on a new unit at Metsamor; Russia has agreed to finance roughly 20
percent of the estimated $5 billion-$7.2 billion construction cost.

Optimism about plans for the new unit faded amid the international
outcry over the March meltdown at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power
plant. Later that month, the US magazine Foreign Policy ranked Metsamor
as one of the world’s five most dangerous nuclear power plants.

Responding to expressions of concern, the Armenian government called
in the IAEA to perform an in-depth operational safety review. The
Armenian Ministry of Energy allowed EurasiaNet.org to photograph the
nuclear power plant only after the IAEA team’s inspection.

State Nuclear Safety Regulatory Committee of Armenia Chairman
Ashot Martirosian told EurasiaNet.org that the IAEA experts’ 14
recommendations and proposals are “confidential,” but said that the
Committee expected that the final assessment of Metsamor’s operational
risk would be “similar” to the Committee’s own conclusion of no
operational risk. Inspection of the plant by local specialists will
continue until the end of the year, he added.

“These recommendations and proposals are not publicized yet, but
there is nothing extraordinary in them,” Martirosian said. “These are
objective proposals, and work will be done in accordance with them.”

For now, the IAEA team has identified the problem areas in general
terms: it has called for an improvement in daily equipment inspections
and plant maintenance and a need for observation of rules for equipment
use to guarantee the “safe and reliable functioning” of the plant. More
effective communication from plant management about “industrial safety
risks” and the use of “personal protective equipment” is also needed,
the IAEA found.

After the IAEA mulls comments from Armenia’s State Nuclear Safety
Regulatory Committее, the international experts’ final report will
be submitted to the Armenian government by September.

Regardless of what the IAEA finds, some experts, such as Slavik
Sargsian, chairman of the All-Armenian Association of Power
Specialists, will continue to have misgivings. On top of Metsamor’s
other problems, the plant lacks a sufficient number of nuclear
power specialists since most of them left to work abroad in recent
years, Sarkisian alleged. The number of such specialists employed
at Metsamor is not known, but the plant’s total work force has been
cited previously at some 1,200 employees.

“Several international experts conduct superficial studies and
say the level of risk is acceptable, but we have big problems
with specialists,” Sargsian said. “Japan, a super-developed and
well-prepared country, faced a disaster. God forbid, if a hazardous
situation emerges at our plant, we have neither the capabilities nor
the specialists to fight back.”

State Nuclear Safety Regulatory Committее Chairman Martirosian
countered that such criticism exaggerated Metsamor’s actual risk. “If
the nuclear plant lacked specialists, it just wouldn’t operate,”
he responded.

“The risk is always there, but we have no concerns in terms of safety,”
Martiosian said.

Editor’s Note: Marianna Grigoryan is a freelance reporter based in
Yerevan and editor of MediaLab.am. Anahit Hayrapetyan is a freelance
photojournalist also based in Yerevan.

ARMENIA U21 VS. MONTENEGRO U21 – PREVIEW

Sports betting previews
June 7 2011

Author picks 4 units.

Match start at 18:00 hour.

TIP: OVER 2.5 – WAITING FOR RESULT

Armenia is playing offensive football especially at home. They got 4
wins in their last 5 matches. Armenia has scored 13 goals in their
last 5 Internatioanl games, but in the same time their defence is
quite shaky with only 1 clean sheet in their last 10 games. Armenia
made goal/goal in 9 of their last 12 matches, and has made 9 overs in
these 12 games aswel.( 6 x over 3.5 goals )

Montenegro played their first qualificaiton game on 3rd of Jun and
smashed away from home Andorra with 0:5. Montenegro got 2 draws and 2
wins in their last 4 away games, scored 9 goals in them. Montenegro
got shaky defence too, conceding at least a goal in 8 of their last 12
away games.

I expect fast and agressive football from both sides and a couple of goals

LE FRERE DE ZARUHI POSTANJIAN LIBERE
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 8 juin 2011

Le frère de Zaruhi Postanjian, deputee de l’opposition, a ete libere
vendredi après avoir passe plus de trois mois en detention pour
des accusations de corruption qui selon le parti de l’opposition
Zharangutyun (Heritage) ont des motivations politiques.

Tigran Postanjian est sorti libre après son audition par un tribunal
de district a Erevan. Le juge Artur Mkrtchian, a declare que Tigran
Postanjian devait beneficier de l’amnistie generale decretee par les
autorites armeniennes a la fin du mois dernier.

Tigran Postanjian, qui a travaille pour l’administration du district
d’Arabkir a Erevan, a ete arrete a la fin fevrier et accuse d’avoir
recu 100 000 drams (275 $) pour couvrir des constructions illegales
realisees par un resident local. Il a nie les accusations, en les
reliant aux activites politiques de sa s~ur.

LE PRESIDENT SARKISSIAN N’ENTEND PAS CREER DE COLLECTIF POUR NEGOCIER AVEC L’OPPOSITION
Gari

armenews.com
mercredi 8 juin 2011

Le president armenien Serge Sarkissian, leader du Parti Republican
d’Armenie (HHK) a fait savoir lundi 6 juin qu’il n’entendait pas mettre
sur pieds une equipe sociale en vue de negocier avec la principale
composante de l’opposition, le Congrès national armeniens (HAK).

Des responsables du HHK ont aussi mis en garde le HAK contre les
menaces que faisait peser sur la poursuite du timide dialogue engage
entre le pouvoir et l’opposition sa revendication insistante sur la
tenue d’elections anticipees.

Le HAK avait nomme la semaine dernière 5 de ses membres pour le
representer lors des negotiations prevues.

L’alliance de l’opposition conduite par l’ancien president Levon
Ter-Petrosian attendait du gouvernement qu’il entreprenne une
demarche similaire. Mais Kaloust Sahakian, un vice-president du HHK,
a balaye d’un revers de la main de telles attentes, les qualifiant de
“ridicules.”

Il a estime que les negociateurs mandates par Ter Petrossian devraient
approcher les representants du pouvoir dans cet objectif.

“Nous voulons dire que nous sommes prets au dialogue. Nous avons nos
instances dirigeantes, alors allons de l’avant. Quel jour et quelle
heure preferez-vous ?”, a lance M. Sahakian avec une pointe d’ironie
lors d’une conference de presse.

YEREVAN’S LOVERS PARK TO HOST ARMENIAN NATIONAL PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE EXHIBIT

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 7, 2011 – 17:14 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – On June 8, Yerevan’s Lovers Park will host an event
to mark the jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.The event will feature
Armenian National Paralympic Committee exhibit, highlighting sport
achievements of Armenian Paralympians.

BMI British airline will cover Armenian team’s flight costs to London
for the latter’s participation in London 2012 Paralympic Games.

UK Embassy in Armenian has repeatedly extended assistance to Armenian
Paralympians. Thus, on May 2 , the British Embassy, and the British
Council, in partnership with the Armenian National Paralympics
Committee, took to the streets of Yerevan as part of the Sport Relief
Mile. Armenian people were invited to participate by joining Ambassador
Charles Lonsdale in running/walking/wheel chairing a Mile to raise
money for the Armenian National Paralympics Committee.

PA MEMBER, BRITISH EMBASSY OFFICIAL DISCUSS POLITICAL DIALOGUE IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 7, 2011 – 17:29 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The head of Armenian National Assembly Standing
Committee on European Integration Naira Zohrabyan met with the Head
of Political Section at the British embassy in Armenia, Mr. Gareth
Wynn-Owen.

During the meeting, Ms. Zohrabyan briefed on Prosperous Armenia’s
position on the recent political developments in Armenia.

As she noted, after the tragic events of March 2008, Prosperous
Armenia supported establishment of civil accord and tolerance in
the country. According to Ms. Zohrabyan, there are no issues in the
country’s domestic or foreign policy that might not be discussed with
even the most radical opposition.

Further, the parliamentarian shared her views on Armenia’s economic
policy and European integration process.

SECOND HENRIK AND GERONTY TALALYAN VIOLA AND CELLO FESTIVAL KICKS OFF IN GAVAR
Alisa Gevorgyan

“Radiolur”
07.06.2011 16:54

The second Henrik and Geronty Talalyan Viola and Cello Festival kicks
off today at the Henrik Talalayan Musical School of Gavar. The solemn
opening ceremony will take place at the Concert Hall of Kyavar TV
Company and will be aired live all over Gegharkunik marz.

This is the first time a classical music festival will be held outside
capital Yerevan. The festival is organized by the Gallery of Arts
Cultural Fund.

According to Mariam Shahinyan, President of the Fund, the festival
aims to raise the decreasing interest towards viola and cello in
musical schools. The art director of the festival is Aram Talalyan,
representative of the third generation of the Talalyan family.

Thirty musicians, including students of musical schools and the
conservatory, will participate in the festival. American Armenian
composer, conductor and pianist Yakov Yakulov will participate in
the festival as a guest of honor.

HACKERS ANNOUNCE ‘OPERATION TURKEY’
By Ayla Albayrak

Emerging Europe
June 7, 2011, 3:32 PM CET.

The online anarchist group Anonymous has threatened to attack Turkish
agencies that impose censorship, siding with Turkish Internet users
against a new filtering system that the government plans to roll out
this summer.

“Turkish government, expect us,” the group said in a video posted on
YouTube Monday.

Anonymous swamps its targets with so-called denial-of-service attacks
that disrupt and disable websites. Most recently, the group claimed
responsibility for disrupting the sites of MasterCard, Visa and
PayPal, after they stopped servicing WikiLeaks under pressure from
the U.S. government.

Reuters A demonstrator protests Internet censorship in Istanbul last
month.Turkey’s Internet regulator, the Information and Communication
Technologies Authority, or BTK, issued a directive earlier this year
in which it said that as of Aug. 22, Turkish Internet users would
need to sign up for one of four filters it would create: children,
family, domestic and standard.

The BTK said the filters aimed to protect families from inappropriate
material such as pornography, but the proposal triggered a significant
backlash among a public already wary of government censorship of the
Net. Since a new law was passed in 2007, the BTK has blocked thousands
of websites – including for over two years, YouTube. Porn sites are
already blocked for all users.

The BTK since clarified that sign-up for the filters would be
voluntary and that the “standard package” would be no different from
Web access today. However, no new draft regulation has been published
and Internet freedom advocates are skeptical. After the BTK statement,
tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest on May 15.

Anonymous is skeptical, too.

“(The filtering system) will make it possible to keep records of all
the people’s Internet activity. Though it remains opaque why and how
the system will be put in place, it is clear that the government is
taking censorship to the next level,” Anonymous said in an announcement
headed “Operation Turkey” its website. It accused the government of
ignoring popular protests against the filters.

Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party is expected to win
national elections on Sunday, but it has come under growing criticism
for suppressing media freedoms and censoring the Internet. The
government has dismissed such criticism as politically motivated.

A spokeswoman for the BTK said Tuesday she was unaware of the threat
and had never heard of Anonymous. She said there were currently no
plans to redraft the directive to make clear that the filters would
be voluntary, and said the standard option would not involve a filter.

“There is no censorship of the Internet in Turkey,” the spokeswoman
said, adding that websites were closed only because they were illegal
under Turkish law.

Turkish Internet users on Twitter greeted the announcement by Anonymous
enthusiastically Tuesday. “Now we know we are not alone,” one person
wrote in Turkish, echoing numerous similar Tweets.