Author: Vardapetian Ophelia

ARMENIAN LEADER OPENS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON NUCLEAR POWER

Public Television of Armenia
May 26 2009

[Presenter-read report] The forth international scientific conference
on the topic of nuclear power and energy security opened today in
Yerevan. Directors Samvel Apikyan and David Dimond ascribed importance
to the use of nuclear power in the energy sphere, noting that it has
no alternative at least in the coming decade. Armenian President [Serzh
Sargsyan] welcomed the initiative in an address to participants of the
scientific conference. Sargsyan said that challenges of nuclear power
sphere are in the centre of attention of Armenia’s authorities. The
president also ascribed importance to the construction of a new power
unit of the [Armenia’s] nuclear power plant. The deputy minister of
energy and natural resources, Areg Galstyan, said that there are
numerous organizational issues before starting the construction
of the new block – feasibility studies should be accomplished and
construction will start after that.

[Samvel Apikyan, a director of the conference, speaking to journalists]
We hope that we will have co-investors- companies and countries,
which that we want to be with us.

[A correspondent speaking to Apikyan] Which are those?

[Apikyan speaking to journalists] At this moment, of course,
our Russian partners, our European partners, and we hope American
companies will take part.

[Areg Galstyan speaking to journalists] It is nuclear power engineering
for the coming decades. There will be other technologies in decades
– let’s say hydrogen, which will essentially solve issues. However,
at present the only alternative is nuclear power engineering – and
in particular for Armenia, which has limited resources.

ARMENIAN SUNDAY SCHOOL OPENS IN MINSK

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
27.05.2009 13:54 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ First Armenian Sunday school opened in Minsk,
capital of Belarus.

The pupils are taught the native language, literature and traditions of
their historical homeland. Raisa Aghvanyan, a talented and experienced
teacher heads the school, reported Yerkramas, the newspaper of
Armenians of Russia.

ADL LACKS MORAL HIGH GROUND IN ROBINSON CASE

Daily Nexus

May 26 2009
CA

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) lacks the moral standing to march
onto the UCSB campus and lecture Professor Robinson or anyone else.

The ADL has, after all, long colluded with a major human rights
violator, Turkey, to deny the Armenian genocide and stop the
U.S. Congress from acknowledging that genocide.

As a result, in a campaign that has made international news for two
years, 14 cities here in Massachusetts, as well as the Massachusetts
Municipal Association (MMA), have severed ties with No Place for Hate,
an alleged anti-bias program created, trademarked and sponsored by
the ADL.

Those 14 cities and the MMA recognized that, due to the national ADL’s
opposition to acknowledgment of the Armenian genocide, No Place for
Hate lacked credibility.

The campaign against the ADL also made news at UCSB a year ago when
Armenian-American students protested the presence of No Place for
Hate on campus.

I respectfully suggest that professor Robinson and UCSB tell the
ADL that an organization that lives in a glass house has no right to
throw stones at others.

David Boyajian is a freelance writer whose work initiated the campaign
against the Anti-Defamation League’s denial of the Armenian genocide.

RELATIONSHIP WITH CIS COUNTRIES IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOREIGN-POLICY PRIORITY FOR RUSSIA

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
26.05.2009 18:07 GMT+04:00

Relationship with CIS countries is the most important foreign-policy
priority for Russia, told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev during the
meeting with Farit Mukhametshin, head of the Federal Agency for CIS
affaires, counterparts living abroad, and international humanitarian
cooperation, Kremlin press office reports. "Unfortunately, not always
that priority is placed in the forefront, and that was the reason of
establishing the new Federal Agency for CIS affaires ," Mr.Medvedev
said. He stressed, that Russian scientific and cultural centers,
especially in CIS countries, must have qualified personnel. "Many
countries are very active in post-Soviet space, they do not spare
efforts and resources in order to finance the presence of their
personnel in other countries, " Medvedev said.

"We should be very attentive to these issues, since these are not
some countries at a distance , these are our close neighbors, we have
had a common past with them, I hope we will have a common future,"
stressed the president of Russia. In his turn Farit Mukhametshin
noted, that the Federal Agency for CIS affaires "today shows its
need" and perceived by foreign partners as one more affirmation,
that "CIS space is prior for Russia". This year Russian centers
have already been opened in Kishinev (Moldavia), Baku (Azerbaijan),
Yerevan (Armenia) with support of RF ministry of foreign affairs,
Mukhametshin said. On June 9 intergovernmental agreement will be
signed with Belorussia and a new center will open its doors in Minsk.

ARMENIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS POINTS TO VIOLATIONS COMMITTED BEFORE ELECTIONS

Noyan Tapan
May 25, 2009

YEREVAN, MAY 25, NOYAN TAPAN. During the election campaign of
Yerevan Council of Elders elections the Armenian National Congress
has recorded a number of gross violations, the authors of which are
the Central Electoral Commission (CEC), the Administrative Court of
Armenia, and the RA Defence Ministry. ANC Spokesperson Arman Musinian
reported at the May 25 press conference. He said that CEC without any
explanation refused to discuss opposition representative’s proposal to
put a stamp in voters’ passports and then made a decision to exslude
stamps in passports.

Reminding that voters’ passports were sealed during the 2008
presidential elections, A. Musinian said that thus the possibility
of rigging, in particular, repeated voting by one person, was limited
to some extent.

According to the ANC Spokesperson, the Administrative Court
groundlessly refused to accept for examination opposition’s application
that regards the fact that a smaller number of women are represented
in RPA and other pro-governmental parties’ proportional lists than
it is established by the law. It should be mentioned that according
to the law, 15% candidates on the lists should be women, while,
according to A. Musinian, the above mentioned parties did not ensure
that requirement of the law.

The ANC Spokesperson said that in order to falsify the elections
the authorities are going to use not only the criminal forces, but
also the army and the Police. According to him, the Defence Ministry
Spokesperson in essence confirmed that documents on involving the
army in the elections are circulated in the armed forces. According
to A. Musinian, in that connection ANC has already applied to the
Prosecutor General’s Office.

SUPERVISION REPORT ON BAKU-TBILISI-KARS RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION WAS SIGNED

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
25.05.2009 18:52 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia signed a supervision
report on Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway construction.

The report was signed by Turkey’s Transportation Minister Binali
Yildirim, Azerbaijan Transportation Minister Ziya Mamedov and
Georgian Economy Minister Lasha Zhvaniya. The project will be
launched in 2011. One million passengers and 6,5 tons of cargo will
be transported at the first stage of project launch. Total costs
for Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway exceeds $600 million, Cihan Turkish
information agency reported.

CIS chief threatens ex-Soviet states over joining EU program

news_id=12547
20-05-2009 14:50:32

The executive secretary of CIS, a Russian-dominated group of ex-Soviet
nations, has warned that the member countries participating in the
European Union`s Eastern Partnership program "may face difficulties."
Sergei Lebedev told a news conference in Minsk last week that "bringing
legislation into compliance with EU demands will require revisiting the
agreements reached within the CIS, and then these countries will have
to make a choice."
"As a person who is well-versed on the state of the economies, I can
see that, at this stage, the EU will not be able to compensate the
losses that countries might incur as a result of their participation in
the Eastern Partnership," the Russian diplomat said, according to local
media.
Lebedev added that program participants would not benefit, even from
"minute assistance" worth 600 million euros being offered by the EU.
Lebedev hopes that the participation of six former Soviet republics in
the initiative "will have no impact on their involvement within the CIS
and they will remain members of the Commonwealth."
The Eastern Partnership, floated by Poland and Sweden, covers
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus. The
participating states signed a declaration on joining the program with
the 27-member bloc in Prague on May 7. It envisages simplified visa
regulations, free trade and closer energy cooperation, although
membership in the bloc is not on the agenda at this point. The
participating countries are required to bring their laws into
compliance with EU standards, pursue economic reforms and bolster
democratic development.

ARMENIA CELEBRATES 85TH ANNIVERSARY OF CHARLES AZNAVOUR

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
22.05.2009 20:28 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ World known chansonier Charles Aznavour celebrated
his 85th birthday on April 22.

Aznavour’s jubilee was celebrated in Armenia with "For you, Armenia"
concerts, with the participation of Lis Saryan and chansonier’s
daughter Seda Aznavour.

The first open-air concert was held in May 17 in Stepanakert, attended
by Aznavour himself and RA FM Edward Nalbandian. The concert aroused
the interest of a numerous audience who were excited about the presence
of an outstanding Armenian in NKR.

The last concert will take place in Gyumri’s Vardan Anemon Dramatic
Theater.

s/eav052009.shtml

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

AZERBAIJAN: BAKU MAY DOUBLE GAS PRICE FOR TURKEY
5/20/09

Turkish and Azerbaijani media outlets on May 20 reported that
Azerbaijan is prepared to double the price it charges Turkey for
natural gas.

Both Turkey’s Haber7 newspaper and Azerbaijan’s APA news service
reported that the new fee will be in the $200-$250 range per thousand
cubic meters (tcm). That could potentially double the $120/tcm
currently paid by Turkey, which at present is the largest foreign
purchaser of Azerbaijani gas. There has been no official confirmation
of the hike.

During May 13 talks in Baku with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev,
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Recep Erdogan offered to purchase
greater volumes of Azerbaijani gas, tossing into the bargain Ankara’s
unwavering support for Azerbaijan’s claim to the disputed
Nagorno-Karabkah territory. Nevertheless, Aliyev said that a price
hike was inevitable.

FOREIGN MINISTER TO ATTEND NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL SESSION

Panorama.am
11:30 19/05/2009

The Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandyan and the Defense
Minister Seyran Ohanyan are leaving for Brussels tomorrow to attend the
28+1 format North-Atlantic Council session, the press and information
department of the Foreign Ministry reports.

According to the source, before the session the Foreign Minister
and the Defense Ministers have a scheduled meeting with the NATO
Secretary General.