Author: Vatche Chakhmakhchian

                                        Wednesday, 

Government Sees Potential For Faster IT Growth In Armenia


Armenia - Prime Minister Karen Karapetian speaks at the ArmTech 2017
forum in Yerevan, 27Sep2017.

Prime Minister Karen Karapetian said on Wednesday that his government
is ready to take "revolutionary" measures to help speed up the already
rapid growth of Armenia's information technology (IT) sector.

"We will consistently carry on with our policy of supporting the
development of information technology and will deepen and expand our
cooperation with local and transnational companies involved in this
area," he told an annual international conference held in Yerevan.

The Armenia tech industry has expanded by an average of over 20
percent annually in the past decade, making it the fastest-growing
sector of the domestic economy. Its annual turnover is now equivalent
to roughly 5 percent of Gross Domestic Product.

"Right now we have serious competitive advantages both in the region
and in comparison to other countries," declared Karapetian. He
insisted that growth in the sector employing around 15,000 people
could be even faster.

In particular, he said, major tax breaks introduced by the previous
Armenian cabinet two years ago should further accelerate the emergence
of IT startups. In his words, 100 such firms were already set up last
year.


Armenia - Employees of the Yerevan office of the Zangi instant
messaging operator, 4Aug2017.

Although there are currently some 500 IT firms operating in Armenia,
the sector is still dominated by the Armenian branches of U.S. tech
giants like as Synopsys, National Instruments, Mentor Graphics and
VMware. But its steady expansion is also increasingly driven by
homegrown Armenian companies.

Karapetian noted with satisfaction that more of them are switching
from outsourcing to development of their own products and innovative
solutions. "I want our local firms to be much more active and
audacious seeing as we have declared that the government is prepared
for any logical and, if necessary, even revolutionary solutions," he
said in a speech at the ArmTech 2017 forum organized by the
government.

The premier added that the government is specifically ready to
authorize the IT sector to manage computer science programs in
Armenia's schools and universities.

Industry executives have long complained about the inadequate
professional level of many graduates of IT departments of Armenia
universities. According to their estimates, there are now thousands of
vacancies in the sector because of that. They say the continuing
shortage of skilled personnel is the key challenge facing their
companies.

Earlier this year Karapetian met with a team of government officials
and tech executives that proposed a wide-ranging reform of engineering
education in Armenia. One of those executives said only half of 1,300
IT students graduating from Armenian universities each year are
qualified enough to work in the sector without undergoing further
training.



Karabakh Armenians Hail Kurdish Independence Vote


 . Ruzanna Stepanian


IRAQ -- Kurds celebrate during their independence referendum in
Kirkuk, September 25, 2017

Nagorno-Karabakh's leadership on Wednesday welcomed the holding of a
controversial referendum on independence in Iraq's Kurdistan region.

By contrast, Armenia's government reacted cautiously to Monday's vote
condemned by the Iraqi government as well as Turkey and Iran. A
spokesman for the Armenian Foreign Ministry said only that Yerevan is
"monitoring developments."

The results of the referendum have not yet been announced. However, an
overwhelming "yes" vote is widely expected.

"We welcome the conduct of the referendum on independence in Iraqi
Kurdistan an act of exercising peoples' right to self-determination #
upheld by the UN Charter and other fundamental international
documents," read a statement released by the Karabakh foreign
ministry.

"We hope that the situation that has emerged as a result of the
referendum will be settled peacefully, based on the need for stability
and security in the region," it added.

Karabakh's predominantly ethnic Armenian population similarly voted to
secede from Azerbaijan in a referendum held in 1991. The vote, which
was followed by a bloody war, was not formally recognized by any
country. Still, the United States, Russia and France seem to have
recognized the Karabakh Armenians' right to self-determination in
their peace proposals jointly made over the past decade.


Armenia - Knyaz Hasanov, the leader of Armenia's Kurdish community
speaks to RFE/RL in Yerevan, 27Sep2017.

The referendum in Kurdistan was also hailed on Wednesday by Knyaz
Hasanov, the leader of Armenia's small Kurdish community. Hasanov, who
was elected to the Armenian parliament in April, made clear at the
same time that he will not press the authorities in Yerevan to
recognize the vote and its outcome.

"Every state has its own interests and Armenia too has its own
interests," he told RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). "Armenia
has a good rapport with Iran, which opposes Kurdistan's independence."

"I'm not going to raise the issue of recognizing Kurdistan," Hasanov
said. "It's up to the Armenian authorities, not me, to decide."

Yerevan also maintains cordial relations with both the Iraqi central
government and the Kurdish regional administration in northern
Iraq. It formally decided in March to open an Armenian consulate
general in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. In February, Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian held fresh talks with Massoud Barzani, the
Iraqi Kurdish leader, on the sidelines of an international security
conference in Germany.


Germany - Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian (R) meets with
Iraqi Kurdistan's President Massoud Barzani (L) in Munich, 17Feb2017.

Armenia's trade with the Kurdish region and other parts of Iraq has
grown considerably in recent years. Armenian exports to the Middle
Eastern nation account for the bulk of bilateral trade which stood at
$138 million last year.

Incidentally, Iraq's Agriculture Minister Falah Hassan Zeidan
Al-Lahibi visited Armenia this week to explore ways of deepening
commercial ties between the two countries. He reportedly told Prime
Minister Karen Karapetian on Wednesday that Bagdad would like to
increase imports from Armenia. He singled out Armenian agricultural
products and electricity



Poland Offers More Defense Technology To Armenia


 . Sargis Harutyunyan


Armenia - Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Bartosz Cichocki speaks to
reporters in Yerevan, 27Sep2017.

Poland is ready to significantly expand joint manufacturing of
Polish-designed military equipment in Armenia, a senior Polish
official said at the start of a visit to Yerevan on Wednesday.

"I expect that defense cooperation will be one of the topics of our
consultations today and tomorrow in Yerevan. We are ready to present
our products and technologies," Deputy Foreign Minister Bartosz
Cichocki told reporters ahead of his talks with Armenian officials. He
indicated that the Polish government has already made corresponding
proposals to Yerevan.

Cichocki said Armenia could make greater use of Poland's "booming"
defense industry for its own security needs. "We believe that
development of the defense sector should not be based purely on import
of Western or other technology and products but want to develop
industries at home," he said.

"We are ready to provide Armenia with technologies and [create] jobs
here in Armenia and to share the same model of defense industry with
Armenia, which is an important pillar of your economic development and
security. I'm very much looking forward to discussing this," added the
official.


Armenia - A Polish defense industry official speaks at the
inauguration of a Polish-Armenian joint venture in Charentsavan,
16Oct2014.

A Polish defense company, Lubawa SA, and the Armenian Defense Ministry
already set up a joint venture in 2013. Their plant located in the
Armenian town of Charentsavan manufactures a range of protective gear
such as army helmets, flak jackets, big and inflatable tents,
camouflage netting and decoys for the Armenian military.

Cichocki said Lubawa is ready to offer Armenia more defense
"technologies and know-how." Asked what specific types of other
military equipment this and other Polish firms could produce in
Armenia, he said: "I believe that the government of Armenia is very
well aware of our offer, and we expect to hear answers to the
questions we have posed long ago."

Cichocki and Polish diplomats accompanying him met with Defense
Minister Vigen Sargsian later in the day. Sargsian was cited by his
press office as telling them that he sees "no obstacles" to deepening
relations between the Polish and Armenian defense ministries. No other
details were reported.



Parliament Panel Opposes Probe On Eurasian Union


 . Tatevik Lazarian


Armenia - The parliament committee on foreign relations meets in
Yerevan, 27Sep2017.

A standing committee of the Armenian parliament rejected on Wednesday
the opposition Yelk alliance's calls for a parliamentary inquiry into
consequences of Armenia's membership in the Russian-led Eurasian
Economic Union (EEU).

Representatives of the pro-Western bloc proposed earlier this month
the creation of the ad hoc commission after the pro-government
majority in the National Assembly objected to its draft parliamentary
declaration saying that the Armenian authorities must embark on a
"process" of invalidating their accession treaty with the EEU.

The proposed declaration says that EEU membership, effective from
January 2015, has hurt the country's economy and security. Yelk's
leaders decided to postpone parliamentary discussions on the document
for now and focus instead on the idea of setting up the commission.

One of them, Nikol Pashinian, made a case for an EEU-related inquiry
at a meeting of the parliament committee on foreign relations. All but
one members of the committee voted for a formal negative assessment of
the Yelk proposal after a heated debate with Pashinian. They are
affiliated with the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), its
junior coalition partner, Dashnaktsutyun, and Gagik Tsarukian's bloc,
which claims to be in opposition to the government.

"We should be a bit more careful in dealing with this issue," said
Ararat Zurabian, a deputy from the Tsarukian Bloc.

Dashnaktsutyun's parliamentary leader, Armen Rustamian, objected to
both the essence and timing of Yelk's initiative. He claimed that it
could endanger the upcoming signing of a landmark agreement between
Armenia and the European Union.

Artashes Geghamian, a pro-Russian lawmaker representing the ruling
HHK, claimed that Armenia would have endured the kind of armed
conflicts and turmoil that are continuing in Ukraine had President
Serzh Sarkisian not decided to join the EEU in September
2013. Sarkisian's decision scuttled an Association Agreement
negotiated by Armenian and EU officials earlier in 2013.

Pashinian seized upon to Geghamian's remarks as further proof that
Armenia's membership in the EEU is the result of Russian "blackmail."

Despite the negative verdict of the committee, Yelk is allowed by the
National Assembly statutes to initiate a 90-minute debate on the issue
on the parliament floor. Edmon Marukian, another Yelk leader, told
RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) that the bloc will force such
a debate.

Yelk holds 9 seats in the 105-member parliament. The three other
political groups represented in the legislature oppose Armenia's exit
from the EEU.



Press Review



"Zhamanak" reports that the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty
Organization (CSTO) will hold large-scale military exercises in
Armenia next month. "It is hard to tell whether or not those exercises
were planned [beforehand,]" the paper says. "But they seem to be
announced for the first time." Also in October, the prime ministers of
another Russian-led bloc, the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), will meet
in Yerevan. The paper notes that Armenia will host these "Eurasian
military and economic activities" ahead of the planned signing of its
landmark agreement with the European Union. It speculates that Russia
might use them to scuttle the deal at the last minute.

"Zhoghovurd" says that starting next year many products imported to
Armenia will no longer be exempt from the EEU's higher customs
duties. "This means that a new wave of price hikes is expected in
Armenia," writes the paper. "In particular, a number of basic goods
will become more expensive: butter, sugar, coffee, meat and so on." It
claims that the Armenian government has already pushed up the cost of
these products to make the price hikes gradual and less noticeable.

"Armenia's foreign debt has passed the $5 billion mark," writes
"Hayots Ashkhar." "Although this is not the highest level of debt seen
as permissible, possibilities of attracting new [financial] resources
are dwindling amid current economic developments. This is the reason
why steps have been taken of late to ease the foreign debt burden. In
particular, the government is going to give up state guarantees for
the implementation of some spending programs."

"Haykakan Zhamanak" reports that a clinic in the southeastern Armenian
town of Meghri, which was inaugurated last year, has stopped
functioning due to a lack of medical personnel."Medics do not want to
work in the remote town," explains the paper.

(Tigran Avetisian)


Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2017 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org

Please find the attached press release of the Ministry of Diaspora.

Sincerely,
Media and PR Department
(+374 10) 585601, internal 805

----------------------
Հարգանքով`
Մամուլի և հասարակայնության հետ կապերի վարչություն

(+374 10) 585601, ներքին 805

317. Տեղի ունեցավ «Արի Տուն» 7-րդ փուլի ��ացման արար��ղությունը.docx
application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document

IMG_5485.JPG
JPEG image

JPEG image

IMG_5511.JPG
JPEG image

IMG_5519.JPG
JPEG image

IMG_5526.JPG
JPEG image

IMG_5565.JPG
JPEG image

IMG_5624.JPG
JPEG image