Armenianow

Sport: All eyes on Spain as Armenia prepares for an encounter with Europe’s best

Suren Musayelyan — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Armenia will be tested by another reigning champion in the forthcoming World Cup 2010 qualifying campaign. This became clear after Spain managed to pull off the European title by beating the mighty Bundes Team in the Euro-2008 final last weekend. This will be the third time since Armenia joined international football that its national team will play in the same qualifying group with either a reigning European or world champion. The records show, however, that on all previous occasions Armenians lost to the reigning champions. In 1996-1997, as part of the qualifying campaign for the 1998 World Cup, Armenia played against reigning European champions Germany and in 1998-1999, in qualification for Euro-2000, Armenia played reigning world champions and future European title winners France.

Cleaning House?: Prime Minister intent on sweeping out corruption

Arpi Harutyunyan — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The first three months Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan’s leadership have seen the former Central Bank chairman emerge as a new voice against Armenia’s old problem of corruption. Amid praise from the progressively minded, and charges of “showing off” from the perennially malcontent, Sargsyan has repeatedly spoken of his aim to clean up the system of bribery and shadowy deal making.

Air Apparent?: PACE decision no guarantee for A1plus

Gayane Mkrtchyan — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Point 6 of the original text of PACE Resolution 1620 on Armenia adopted in Strasbourg last week concerned A1 plus television and according to it, the Armenian authorities must immediately provide a broadcasting license to the oppositional television company. Nevertheless, point 6 in the final editing of the resolution was changed. David Harutyunyan, the head of Armenia’s parliamentary delegation to the PACE (Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe), said that the change was made considering the fact that under an Armenian law a broadcasting license is not awarded by the authorities directly.

Target of Convenience: Anti-Semitism on increase as provocation against Ter-Petrosyan

Vahan Ishkhanyan — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Rimma Varzhapetyan, chairwoman of the Jewish Community of Armenia, says there is no anti-Semitism in Armenia as such, however, sometimes anti-Semitic materials appear in the press and their number has grown in the recent days. Her statement was in response to a comment last week by US Assistant Secretary of State David Kramer, that some media outlets propagandize anti-Semitism. He said “It is unacceptable to have anti-Semitism in a country with historically friendly relations with Israel and the Jewish community.”

Stated Task: Government shows will to make customs service transparent body

Sara Khojoyan — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

For the last two months the State Customs Committee (SCC) of Armenia has been the focus of government efforts to fight corruption. Many Armenian residents say they have already seen the positive changes in structure which is believed to be one of the most corrupted in the country, while others are still skeptical that the lawful manner of work will continue. The government that chose reforms of the tax and customs bodies as the main directions of its activities is paying “centered attention” to all this.

Childbirth in Armenia: promote population, impoverish families

Naira Bulghadaryan — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

To promote childbirth and encourage large families the Armenian government has increased the one-time amount paid to families for the birth of a third (and more) child. Starting 2008 families get 300,000, ($970) as compared to 100,000 dram ($323) they were getting last year. However state policy of supporting large families and encouraging childbirths do not change the social conditions of the families. They continuously work to survive and turn even poorer.

Puppet Show: a group of enthusiasts keep idea alive without a theatre

Armine Avagyan — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The southern Armenian town of Kapan has a puppet troupe, but its fate is in limbo. The seven-member puppeteers perform only occasionally by invitation. They have no and no support. Nine years ago Vahe Arzumanyan opened this theater after coming across old threadbare puppets at one of the town clubs. He thought that the town lacked a puppet theatre (a popular attraction for Armenian children) and children didn’t even have any idea of what it was, so he decided to revive this genre of art.

Diplomatic Rumblings: Movements in relations seen as regional powers become more active

Aris Ghazinyan — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The past week was marked by a sharp activation of some regional processes in the South Caucasus, in particular along the axes Yerevan-Moscow, Yerevan-Ankara, Baku-Moscow, Baku-Ankara and Moscow-Ankara. The only exception is Yerevan-Baku as relations between the two are largely “being adjusted” by means of the aforementioned axes. Within days, meetings were held between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Moscow, the presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan in Baku, the foreign ministers of Russia and Turkey in Ankara.

On the Move: Ter-Petrosyan-led opposition announces lengthy sit-in before its next rally

Gayane Abrahamyan — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Armenia’s opposition on Friday signaled the start of a 28-day sit-in of about 50 of its supporters in Northern Avenue as a heavy cordon of police and water cannons was formed to surround the nearby Opera Square. As the opposition again rallied thousands of its supporters in the area adjacent to the ancient manuscripts depository, Matenadaran, police was on standby down Mashtots Avenue sealing off the area of Liberty Square, the scene of 10-day nonstop opposition protests following the disputed February 19 presidential election that were broken up in a predawn action by security forces on the first day of spring.

Politicians About Protection: Karabakh experts share their opinion on the issue of NKR security

Naira Hayrumyan — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Security of the Armenian population is a key issue in the Karabakh conflict settlement. In February of 1988 Armenians of the Autonomous Region of Nagorno Karabakh (ARNK) declared their will to become independent of Azerbaijani SSR, out of, among other reasons, the need to ensure their own security. Today, 20 years after the launch of the Karabakh movement, the conflict settlement process has come to a deadlock without anybody giving any real security guarantees to Armenians of Karabakh. The current generation of Karabakhis was under the threat of complete annihilation during the large-scale hostilities started in 1992. Only at the cost of numerous human and material losses they were able to stop the war, which had impacted practically every family in Karabakh, and as a result of which thousands of people suffered.

AZERIS TO ADD DRONES TO THEIR MILITARY ARSENAL

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Internet has carried headlines from Baku and Yerevan on the latest in military buildup . . . “Azeris May Buy Drones From Israel” “Azerbaijan to Buy UAVs to Watch Over Occupied Areas” “Armenia Takes Conuntermeasures in Response to Azerbaijan Buying Unmanned Aircraft” “Karabakh to enlarge Security Zone if Azerbaijan Attacks”

Accusations Continue: Ter-Petrosyan document says opposition was methodically persecuted

Marianna Grigoryan — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan this week turned up the heat in the country’s continuously volatile internal political situation as he published a document that he described as ‘diabolic’. The document dated March 5, 2008 and concerning the investigation into the March 1-related case is about an instruction of Special Investigation Service (SIS) Head A. G. Mirzoyan addressed to Vayots Dzor Regional Prosecutor H. S. Palyan.

Weekend trip: Government members visit Karabakh to study situation on the ground

Naira Hayrumyan — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

A delegation of Armenian government members led by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan was in Nagorno-Karabakh last weekend to hold meetings with their local counterparts and discuss further cooperation. The Armenian delegation’s visit was welcomed by Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) President Bako Sahakyan as an established tradition for senior officials to start their working visits from Karabakh. Sargsyan, for his part, pledged efforts of the Armenian government to assist Karabakh. Agriculture Minister Aramais Grigoryan, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Armen Movsisyan, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Arsen Hambartsumyan, Minister of Education and Science Spartak Seyranyan, Culture Minister Hasmik Poghosyan discussed issues of mutual interest with their Nagorno-Karabakh counterparts.