Author: Varazdat Torgomian

Culture: Comedy to be screened at Garni open-air hall on 17 Aug.

Varazdat Torgomian
Panorama, Armenia

Aug 15 2017
Society 17:51 15/08/2017Armenia

On August 17, at 20:30, The Gods Must Be Crazy, a comedy produced in the U.S., is set to be screened at the open-air hall of Armenia’s Garni Historical-Cultural Museum-Reserve, the press department of the Service for the Protection of Historical Environment and Cultural Museum Reservations reports.

The source informs that the South African comedy tells about the lifestyle of a remote African tribe called Bushmen in 1980s and their encounter with the modern civilization.

Armenia’s two military factories to be merged

Varazdat Torgomian 
Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
 Thursday


Armenia's two military factories to be merged



YEREVAN, AUGUST 10, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s government made a decision
to merge the 65th military factory CJSC and Garni-Ler
scientific-production unit OJSC, reports Armenpress.

As a result, the Republic of Armenia will be a 100% owner of the
Garni-Ler OJSC which will enable the company to be engaged in state
military-industrial development programs, according to which,
investments are expected to be made in priority 100% state
enterprises, as well as to take part in talks on company related
issues, in the processes of creating joint enterprises within the
frames of international agreements.

Defense minister Vigen Sargsyan said the decision aims at making the
repair and modernization process of military products effective by
merging the production and mobilization capacities of the two
companies. “Mr. Prime Minister, this decision is aimed at implementing
our government’s policy, increasing the efficiency of enterprises with
state participation”, the minister said.

65th military factory is a company with 100% state participation which
is mainly engaged in repair of small arms, artillery separate systems,
as well as in technical service works in the army.

Garni-Ler scientific-production unit is a company with 98.4% state
participation which is managed by the defense ministry. The company is
engaged in production of firearms, development of new types of
weapons.

U.S. Co-Chair calls for removal of snipers along Nagorno Karabakh Line of Contact

Varazdat Torgomian
Panorama, Armenia

Aug 11 2017

The U.S. Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Richard Hoagland has called for the removal of snipers along both sides of the Karabakh Line of Contact separating the Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) Republic and Azerbaijan. Hoagland’s comments came in an interview with Armenian and Azerbaijani Services of Voice of America.

“I understand that it is difficult to talk about full demilitarization at the moment. However, we need to reduce the likelihood of military clashes. First of all, it is necessary to withdraw snipers from the contact line and the border zone, increase the number of observers and deploy special equipment there. If two armed sides are facing each other, there is always the likelihood of military clashes”, the source quotes the U.S mediator as saying.

Education: Expert: 8266 out of 9559 applicants got admitted to Armenian universities

Varazdat Torgomian
News.am, Armenia

Aug 7 2017

Expert: 8266 out of 9559 applicants got admitted to Armenian universities
17:21, 07.08.2017

YEREVAN. – 9,559 higher education institution applicants were registered in Armenia in 2017, of which 8,266 got admitted.  

Head of Interuniversity Education Department of the Yerevan State University (YSU), Vachagan Gasltyan, told journalists on Monday.

According to him, this is 380 times less than last year. “This year the Yerevan State University allocated 3,000 paid and 368 free seats, including those for students who have a right to draft deferment,” Galstyan said.

He also added that informatics, cultural studies, law and social work are required specialties now. The competition for these specialties reached 2-3 people per seat. At the same time, the Department Head was sorry about the fact that the number of students applying for physical and mathematical, as well as natural science majors has strongly reduced. 

BAKU: Azerbaijan’s defense industry booming

Varazdat Torgomian
AzerNews, Azerbaijan

Aug 1 2017
1 August 2017 13:47 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Azerbaijan’s defense industry is booming, while defense production exports are on the up. Azerbaijan is now building its own snipers, UAVs, armored vehicles and etc seeking to ensure self sufficiency. And more foreign countries are keen to purchase kit. 

Over the past years, the country has embarked on a defense equipment policy which puts the emphasis squarely on indigenous manufacturing and development.

Defense Industry Minister Yavar Jamalov stressed that Azerbaijan exports locally made defense production to more than 10 countries.

The volume of defense products handed over to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry and other power structures grew by 1.3 times within these six months of 2017 compared to the same period last year, the minister said addressing a board meeting on the results of the first half of 2017.

 “Enterprises of the [Defense Industry] Ministry have increased the volume of defense production by 33.8 percent in the first half of this year,” said Jamalov.

The minister added that the range of defense products manufactured by the Ministry enterprises has reached 1,200 items.

Jamalov also noted that the Ministry enterprises have successfully completed the preparation and production of the mine-resistant national armored vehicle Tufan, and currently get ready for serial production.

Azerbaijan leaves behind many CIS and regional countries to take its place among the first 60 strongest militaries of the world, according to the U.S.-based Global Firepower survey center.

The country, which is in war with neighboring Armenia over the latter's groundless territorial claims during more than 20 years, keeps in focus the armament. Azerbaijan creates its own armament and works closely with leading companies and firms in various fields of military industry.

The Azerbaijani-made products transferred to the security forces include such weapons as mortars of various caliber and their ammunition, 5.45-millimeter machine guns, 7.62-mm general-purpose machine guns, sniper rifles of special purpose, Matador and Marauder armored personnel carriers. Moreover, Azerbaijani military factories produce 30-mm automatic grenade launcher complex, sight for ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft installation, ammo of various calibers, PG-7V grenade launchers, unmanned aerial vehicles, aerial bombs for a training exercise and many other weapons.

Last year, the Azerbaijani Defense Industry Ministry increased the volume of defense industry products by 1.6 times compared to 2015, while the product assortment rose by 1.8 times. Currently, twenty-eight military factories are operating within the Ministry.