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Cost of Living in Armenia Nearly Twice As Much As 2005

Cost of Living in Armenia Nearly Twice As Much As 2005

Armenia experienced six percent inflation over the first half of this year, conditioned in part by up to 25 percent increase in cost of food products, compared to last year. Experts don’t see any decrease in the near future.

As compared to June, last year, vegetable prices rose by 21 percent, fruit by 17 percent, meat by 13 percent, and sugar by 6 percent, this year.

“Abrupt deflation was registered in July, last year; however, judging by the current tendencies, I do not think that seasonal food products [fruit, vegetable] will have such a deflation, this year,” Gurgen Martirosyan, Head of Prices Statistics and International Comparison Department of the National Statistical Service of Armenia, said in a press conference today in Yerevan.

Armenian Tourism Figures Questioned

Armenian Tourism Figures Questioned

Government claims that hundreds of thousands of foreign tourists visit Armenia each year are wide of the mark, according to private tour operators and other individuals familiar with the country’s tourism industry.

They estimate that the real number of such visitors may be ten times smaller than the one reported by the National Statistical Service (NSS) and cited by the Armenian government.

The official statistics show that as many 575,000 tourists visited Armenia from abroad last year. The government said earlier this year that the figure will surpass 620,000 in 2010.

“Our data for the first quarter of this year gives us reason to believe that we will have a growth of up to 8 percent this year,” Ara Petrosian, a deputy minister of economy dealing with tourism, told RFE/RL’s Armenian service this week.

Health Expert Expresses Concern Over The Number of Fake Drugs in Armenia

Health Expert Expresses Concern Over The Number of Fake Drugs in Armenia

Almost 10-12 percent of 3,700 types of medicines being imported to Armenia are fake, according to Emil Gabrielyan, Director of the RA Ministry of Health’s Center for Pharmaceuticals and Medical Technology Testing.

At the press conference on Wednesday Gabrielyan said the medicine market is not being properly controlled in Armenia yet since there is no constant monitoring held in the sphere.

“Our center is controlling and checking the drugs only legally imported to Armenia at the customs. However, the medicines imported in a roundabout way, is out of our control; and they must periodically be checked by means of monitoring at pharmacies, but we are not entitled to do it yet,” says pharmacist, professor Gabrielyan.

Will Armenia Implement the Council of Europe Recommendation To Combat Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation?

Will Armenia Implement the Council of Europe Recommendation To Combat Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation?

 ”The Secretary General of the Council of Europe welcomes the decision of the Committee of Ministers on Wednesday 31 March to adopt a recommendation to member states on measures to combat discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

“The recommendation is an expression of the Council of Europe’s commitment to the equality for all and respect for the dignity of all. I invite all member states to make all the necessary efforts to implement this recommendation”, Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland declared”.

At their 1081st meeting, 31 March 2010, the Deputies adopted Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)5 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on measures to combat discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity.

“Bruises to the soul”:Performance Dedicated to The Women’s Rights

November 26, 2009 Armenia, Life Style, Top News No Comments
“Bruises to the soul”:Performance Dedicated to The Women’s Rights

On the occasion of the international day of the fight against the Gender Violations, the Armenian center of the women’s rights will present the performance called “Bruises to the soul”, the employee of the press office of the “Women’s rights center” informed aysor.am.

The initiation of staging the performance was after the “Women’s rights center”. The performance was brought to life by a group of students from Yerevan Theatre’s and cinema state institute. The performance will take place today in H. Tumanyan’s theatre.

The performance is about a young married couple. Nina is living with the hard memories in her heart and Alek is not able to understand her, see the bruises that are in the soul of her wife. The only way of coming out of that situation is the leaving…

Life in Armenian Village of Brnakot – Deprived of Everything

October 21, 2009 Armenia, Life Style No Comments
Life in Armenian Village of Brnakot – Deprived of Everything

The Brnakot village used to be one of the renowned centers of Syunik. The village is known for its monuments, church, history and the people who were born here such as historian Nikoghayos Adonts. The village is known for its 4 heroes who participated in WWII, many scientists, as well as state and cultural figures.

Aramayis Sahakyan, 87, says that the village was once famous, but there are no more hospitable, humanitarian and nationalist villagers. “Nothing has changed for the good in our village. There is no birth rate. There were 90 births and 20 deaths in the village in 1963. A couple of days ago, the village council official Andranik said that there are only 7 births this year. How can the village survive like this?” says Aramayis Sahakyan.

Tendencies and Moods: Armenian- Turkish Relations Through Sociology And Psychology

October 7, 2009 Armenia, Life Style No Comments
Tendencies and Moods: Armenian- Turkish Relations Through Sociology And Psychology

Armenian ethno-psychologist estimating the six-week discussions over the Armenian-Turkish protocols, divide the social mood in Armenia into three groups.

Karine Nalchajyan says the first group immediately rejects any relation with Turkey. The second extreme group believes that they will finally live well, without any hostility with Turks. The third represents those who are for the normalization of relations but not by current means.

“I believe the second group, who are rather large in our country cause somehow danger for the society, because they run the Turkish preaching machinery within the country,”

says Nalchajyan, candidate of psychological science.

She believes that the problem refers to all Armenians, no matter where they live – in Armenia or in Diaspora.

Will high schools replace private tutors?

August 29, 2009 Armenia, Life Style No Comments
Will high schools replace private tutors?

14-year-old Shushan Hakobyan, schoolgirl of Yerevan’s Secondary School N 197, will no longer study with her classmates as the educational institution has no high classrooms.

In 2008 Armenia converted to a three-level educational system with the following sequence: elementary school, middle school and high school.

The formation of high schools is a gradual process.

Forty-eight high schools will operate throughout Armenia this year, seventeen of which are located in Yerevan. It means that each community of Yerevan City will have one or two high schools.

At present, there are 1169 secondary schools in Yerevan.

Vanik Misakyan, chief specialist of the RA Ministry of Education and Science, says the number of high schools will total 150 in two or three years.

Gyumri citizens prefer fresh meat

August 27, 2009 Armenia, Life Style No Comments
Gyumri citizens prefer fresh meat

There are a few companies importing meat to Armenia today.

The quality of imported meat is checked and tested in special frontier posts and samples are forwarded to laboratories.

The meat is allowed to be imported to the republic only after a positive answer is received.

Imported meat is used in various meat products sold throughout the country.

There is no meat-importing company in Shirak Marz and meat is usually taken to Shirak from the capital.

Local residents have different opinions on the quality of meat products sold in shops. Some sounded pleased while others said they always bought meat from acquaintances and “tested” butchers. There were people who complained of the quality of meat products and said they preferred fresh meat.

Apricot Stone: Eva Rivas in Eurovision 2010

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Commentary

On The Principles Of Self-Determination And So-Called “Territorial Integrity” In Public International Law (The Case Of Nagorno-Karabakh)

June 22, 2010

On The Principles Of Self-Determination And So-Called “Territorial Integrity” In Public International Law (The Case Of Nagorno-Karabakh)

By: Ara Papian – Head, “Modus Vivendi” Center

We are not going to negotiate over the right of the people of Artsakh (Karabakh) to self-determination.

Serzh Sargsyan, President of the Republic of Armenia, 1 June 2010

 

It is for the people to determine the destiny of the territory and not the territory the destiny of the people.

Judge Hardy Dillard, International Court of Justice, 16 October 1975

 

Is ‘Reconciliation’ Compatible with Justice?

June 2, 2010

Is ‘Reconciliation’ Compatible with Justice?

By Lucine Kasbarian

On Wednesday May 12, at the Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA) in Watertown, Massachusetts, editors Emil Sanamyan of the Armenian Reporter and Khatchig Mouradian of theArmenian Weekly spoke about their recent trip to Turkey sponsored by TEPAV – a Turkish think tank that has recently been promoting Turkish-Armenian relations. TEPAV is funded by TOBB, the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey.

 ALMA Executive Director Mariam Stepanyan welcomed the audience after which moderator Marc Mamigonian, Academic Affairs Director of the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR), opened by noting that there was no formal title for the evening’s program because the trip was not necessarily part of what would be termed “Turkish-Armenian reconciliation or relations.”

Davit of Sassoon is Undefeated or Once More on Foreign Language-Medium Schools in Armenia

June 2, 2010

Davit of Sassoon is Undefeated or Once More on Foreign Language-Medium Schools in Armenia

By Ara Papian – Head, “Modus Vivendi” Center

The changes proposed by the Government to the law on language has recently become subject to heated public debate. It is natural and good that society express many opinions. This implies that we are gradually surmounting the legacy of the not-too-distant past. It is unfortunate, however, that those in favour of the chan­ges to the law are not putting forth reasonable counter-arguments to the political, legal, economic, psychologi­cal and cultural facts presented by their opponents, but are instead simply warping the essence of the issue in attempting to present the case as a manifestation of xenophobia and advocacy for self-imposed isolationism.

An Investigative Report:The Woodrow Wilson Center Desecrates its Namesake’s Legacy and Violates its Congressional Mandate

May 20, 2010

An Investigative Report:The Woodrow Wilson Center Desecrates its Namesake’s Legacy and Violates its Congressional Mandate

By: David Boyajian

Is the Woodrow Wilson Center seeking to discredit the Treaty of Sèvres on its 90th anniversary by honoring Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu?

Woodrow Wilson, the 28th American president, is looking down in horror at what the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (WWC; WilsonCenter.org) is doing in his name.

Most Americans are not aware of the DC-based organization, or that their taxes comprise one-third of its multi-million dollar annual budget.

The WWC was created by Congress in 1968 through the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Act to commemorate the late president’s “ideals and concerns” and memorialize “his accomplishments.”

The WWC has in several ways, however, violated its Congressional mandate.

LATEST DIASPORA NEWS

USAID Provides $50 Million To Armenian For Economic Development and Social Reform

August 6, 2010

At an official ceremony held in the Republic of Armenia Ministry of Economy on August 6, 2010, Minister of Economy Nerses Yeritsyan, US Ambassador to Armenia Marie L. Yovanovitch and USAID/Armenia Mission Director Jatinder Cheema signed two Assistance Agreements under which the US Government will provide up to $50 million to the Government of Armenia for the period of 2010-2013 in support of the country’s economic development and health and social services reform, according to a release issued by US Embassy in Armenia .

Armenian Bread Price Set For Further Rise

August 6, 2010

The price of bread in Armenia looked set on Friday to soar further following the Russian government’s decision to ban all grain exports because of a severe drought that has devastated crops across Russia.

The move, announced by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Thursday, pushed international prices of wheat to the highest level since the 2007-08 global food crisis. They jumped by more than 12 percent in European commodity markets.

The wholesale and retail prices rose just as drastically in Armenia where one 50-kilogram sack of flour cost between 9,500 and 10,000 ($27.4) on Friday. The rise did not immediately push up bread prices. They are nonetheless expected to be adjusted accordingly in the coming days.

Armenian National Committtee of America (ANCA) Disbelieves Matthew Bryza Will Stand in The Way of Aliyev’s March To War

August 6, 2010

ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian commented on recent statement by political observer David Petrosian, who was cited as saying, “soonest appointment of a new U.S. ambassador to Armenia, – be it Matthew Bryza or someone else, is important in restraining Azerbaijan’s ambitions.”

Aram Hamparian responded as follows, “Just to be clear, this is the same Mr. Bryza who was the primary U.S. adviser to the Georgian government of Mikheil Saakashvili as he stumbled into war with Russia; the same diplomat with controversial ties to top Azerbaijani leaders (Foreign Minister Elmar Mammedyarov served as a groomsman in his Istanbul wedding to Caspian energy expert/advocate Zeyno Baran), the same nominee backed by senior Azerbaijanis close to the Aliyev regime and by leaders of the Azerbaijani American community, and; the same U.S. official who has, for more than a decade, turned a blind eye to Azerbaijani threats, military aggression, and acts of cultural desecration.

I Believe You Will: Mammadyarov and Davutoglu Discussed Karabakh Conflict

August 6, 2010

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov hopes that his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu will take very useful initiatives in the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, reports Azerbaijani news agency Trend.

“Turkey is highly respected in the international arena, and therefore I believe that Ahmet Davutoglu will take very useful initiatives in the Karabakh settlement”, Mammadyarov said at a joint press conference following a summit of Turkic-speaking countries.

The summit was held in Bodrum town in western Turkish province of Mugla on Thursday bringing together foreign ministers of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

US Secretary of State Extends Her Gratitude To The Cafesjian Center For The Arts in Armenia

August 6, 2010

The US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in a letter to the Director of Administration and the Acting Executive Director of the Cafesjian Center for the Arts Vahagn Marabyan thanked the Center for hosting her meeting with Armenian civil society leaders.

“The center is a magnificent landmark and a wonderful symbol of Armenian- American cooperation. Our tour of the Cafesjian sculpture garden and the Chihuly gallery was one of the highlights of my visit to Yerevan”, the letter of Secretary Clinton said.

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited the Cafesjian Center for the Arts on July 5th, 2010. In her honor, a glass sculpture by Sidney Hutter was placed on exhibit – similar to the one by the same artist, added to the White House Craft Collection in 1993. The sculpture, known as the “White House Vase”, is now in the William J. Clinton Presidential Library.

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