Author: Torgomian Varazdat

REPORT SUMMARIZES ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS STUDY FINDINGS FROM M.H. YAMUKYAN AND CO-RESEARCHERS

Science Letter
May 19, 2009

"In the work the laws of copper oxide, CuO, reduction by hydrogen to
metallic copper under the self-propagating mode have been studied,"
investigators in Yerevan, Armenia report (see also Alloys and
Compounds).

"It was shown that reduction process may be performed under the
combustion mode even at low hydrogen pressure 0.01 MPa. At constant
hydrogen pressures the reduction of samples prepared from initial
copper oxide occurred under the surface combustion regime resulting
in non-uniform Cu/CuO product, followed by complete reduction of the
oxide," wrote M.H. Yamukyan and colleagues.

The researchers concluded: "The results of researches have allowed to
determine the main factors influencing on the basic characteristics
of combustion process."

Yamukyan and colleagues published their study in the Journal of
Alloys and Compounds (Copper oxide reduction by hydrogen under the
self-propagation reaction mode. Journal of Alloys and Compounds,
2009;473(1-2):546-549).

RA PUBLIC COUNCIL’S BOARD STAFF WAS APPROVED

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
21.05.2009 18:22 GMT+04:00

On May 20, RA President Serzh Sargsyan signed decree on approving
Public Council’s board staff. As a result of previous votings,
the following members were elected as Committee Chairs: Artyush
Ghyukasyan (science, education, culture, youth and sports), Grigor
Badiryan (State-Legal Affairs), Hovhannes Hovhannisyan (civil society
building), Vazgen Safaryan (Financial-Economic and Budgetary Affairs),
Yurik Djavadyan (Agriculture and Ecology), Derenik Doumanyan (Health
and Social Issues), Koryun Arakelyan (territorial administration and
local self-government bodies), Carlos Khazaryan (Defense, National
Security and Home Affairs), Arshak Sadoyan (entrepreneurial activity
and consumers rights), Grigory Asatryan (national minorities), Yelena
Vardanyan (demography and gender issues), Ruben Safrastyan (religion,
diaspora and international integration).

JAVAKHK ARMENIANS REITERATE CALLS FOR AUTONOMY IN TALKS WITH EU REPRESENTATIVES

/javakhk-armenians-reiterate-calls-for-autonomy-in -talks-with-eu-representatives/
May 21st, 2009

AKHALKALAK (A-Info)-Representatives of several Javakhk Armenian
organizations met in a closed-door session Wednesday with
representatives of the European Union in Georgia to address issues of
concern to the predominantly Armenian population in Samtskhe-Javakheti
and urge support for the granting of autonomy to the region.

According to sources at the meeting, the local organizational
leaders reiterated their call for the creation of federated
Georgian republic, whereby Javakhk would be granted autonomy under
the proposed federation. They assured that this proposal would not
threaten Georgia’s territorial integrity, but rather facilitate a
quick resolution to concerns facing local populations.

They also assured the EU representation that the Armenian population
of Javakhk was fully integrated within Georgian society and were
striving to live their lives as Georgians by taking part in local,
state and federal elections and other similar processes.

The Armenian organizational leaders told the EU representative that
their continued appeals to Tbilisi have gone unanswered, indicating
the government’s unwillingness to address the concerns of its citizens
in Javakhk.

The EU representatives, for their part, acknowledged receipt of a
report from an EU fact-finding mission to the area several months ago,
adding that the report served as the impetus for the representative’s
visit to the region.

Javakhk Armenians are mainly seeking the adoption of Armenian as
an official language in the region, the inclusion of Armenians
in local governmental structures and the establishment of a joint
Armenian-Georgian state university in the area.

The requests come in response to the deteriorating socio-economic
conditions in the province. Residents in Javakh say the central
authorities in Tbilisi have been engaged in a systematic campaign of
discrimination against the Armenian population.

This sentiment was discussed at the meeting with the Armenian leaders
expressing concern over government policies aimed at ridding the area
of its indigenous Armenian population.

Official inaction toward the deliberate rejection of Armenians in
public institutions and the hiring of Georgians in local government
offices, as well as the continued conflict between the Armenian and
Georgian churches were cited as examples.

"ARMENTEL" KNOWS COMPANY YEILDS ITS COMPETITOR

Panorama.am
17:53 21/05/2009

The new appointed general director of "ArmenTel" company Igor
Klimkoi has been presented to the journalists in a press conference
by the executive vice president of "Vimpelcom" in CIS countries
Dmitry Pleskonos. Mr. Pleskonos told the reporters that "Vimpelcom"
has been implementing various social projects in Tajikistan and that
they have been announced a social operator there.

To a reporter’s question what social projects the company is going to
implement in Armenia, the vice president said: "We know that we yield
as social operator our competitor. This is the objective reality. We
are going to work on that problem."

PUTIN TO VISIT TURKEY NEXT MONTH

Today’s Zaman
May 20 2009
Turkey

Turkey’s ambassador in Moscow has announced that the prime ministers
of Turkey and Russia, who have held bilateral talks eight times in
the last five years, will meet once more next month when the latter
pays a visit to Turkey.

The Turkish ambassador in Moscow, Halil Akıncı, was delivering a
presentation at a round-table meeting held in Moscow on Monday when
he spoke of rising momentum in the bilateral relations between Russia
and Turkey.

"[Vladmir] Putin will visit Turkey next month. Not to even mention
the other visits," Akıncı said, after noting that Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Putin, who took over as prime
minister after eight years as president, held bilateral talks eight
times in five years.

The two leaders most recently met over the weekend in Sochi, Russia,
where they discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh problem between Azerbaijan
and Armenia, as Ankara seeks to normalize its ties with Yerevan
without alienating Azerbaijan.

ARMENIA’S SOFTWARE PIRACY RATES SECOND HIGHEST IN THE WORLD

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
20.05.2009 18:54 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ According to research conducted by International
Data Corporation (IDC) International Company in 110 countries, this
year’s leaders for use of pirate software are Georgia (95%), Armenia
(92%), Bangladesh (92%), Zimbabwe (92%), Moldavia (90%), Azerbaijan
(90%) and Sri Lanka (90%).

According to Softline International Armenia General Manager, Armen
Karapetyan software piracy rate in Armenia is 85-90%. He also added
that within the last 2 years use of unlicensed software decreased 2-5%
in Armenia through the efforts of Microsoft Armenia and RA Government.

According to 2008 results, average level of software piracy in the
world comprised 41%, exceeding 2007 results by 3%. The lowest piracy
rate is registered in US -20%, Japan and Luxemburg – 21%. Losses from
the use of unlicensed production are estimated at USD 35 billion,
IDC reported.

PETER SEMNEBY: WE WELCOME THE ACTIONS DIRECTED TO NORMALIZATION OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS AND HOPE THIS PROCESS WILL POSITIVELY AFFECT NAGORNYY KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

ArmInfo
2009-05-16 11:46:00

ArmInfo. Today opportunities appeared in the South Caucasus region
which were absent earlier. We welcome the actions directed to
normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey and hope this
process will positively affect Nagornyy Karabakh settlement, special
representative of European Union to South Caucasus Peter Semneby said
in Yerevan today.

He also added European Union is ready to support further positive
actions in the normalization process of the Armenian-Turkish relations
as well as the Karabakh conflict settlement.

‘After reaching the roadmap there are very good opportunities between
Armenia and Turkey for further progress. This is a vitally important
issue.

And it is necessary to continue the talks on the basis of the
arrangements made", – Peter Semneby concluded.

ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES ARE TO BLAME FOR ACCIDENT AT NAIRIT PLANT: ANC COORDINATOR

ArmInfo
2009-05-15 19:19:00

ArmInfo. The Armenian authorities are to blame for the accident at
Nairit Plant, the coordinator of the Armenian National Congress Levon
Zurabyan said during an opposition rally today.

In the late 1980s Nairit was shut down to be restarted in 1993 because
of hard economic situation in Armenia. Then it was already clear that
the plant would be able to work for no more than 10 years.

10 years have passed but nothing has been done to modernize the
facility.

To remind, the May 14 explosion and fire at Nairit claimed 4 lives. 8
people were wounded.

ARMENIAN FM AND OSCE MINSK GROUP FRENCH CO-CHAIR DISCUSS KARABAKH CONFLICT REGULATION ISSUE

ARMENPRESS
May 14, 2009

YEREVAN, MAY 14, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandyan received today OSCE Minsk group French co-chair Bernard
Fassier. Foreign Ministry press service told Armenpress that during
the meeting the sides referred to the issue of regulation of Nagorno
Karabakh conflict.

The interlocutors also exchanged thoughts over regional issues.

TURKISH PREMIER VOWS TO PROTECT AZERI INTERESTS OVER CONTESTED KARABAKH REGION

Anadolu Agency
May 13 2009
Turkey

BAKU (A.A) – 13.05.2009 – Turkish premier sought to ease on Wednesday
Azeri concerns over what is seen as a Turkish-Armenian raprochement
as Azerbaijan fears that would weaken its leverage on the disputed
region of Upper Karabakh.

"We have not taken any step which would hurt Azerbaijan’s national
interests and we will not. We have never ignored the well-being
and interests of the Azeri people and we will not," Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Azeri lawmakers at the National Assembly
in capital Baku.

Armenia and Azerbaijan waged a six-year war over Upper Karabakh in
Azerbaijan. The region has been occupied by Armenia since a 1994
cease-fire, but is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.

Turkey cut all diplomatic ties with Armenia after the occupation, and
a border gate between the two countries has remained closed since then.

"All countries in the region know very well that it is impossible to
maintain normal relations unless the occupation of Azeri territories
is over. Peace and stability cannot be restored in the South Caucasus
unless progress is made with regard to the Upper Karabakh," Erdogan
said.

"Our only goal is to create proper circumstances where the Upper
Karabakh problem is resolved on the basis of Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity as we make progress in the normalization of relations
between Turkey and Armenia," Erdogan said.