Edik Baghdasaryan
Larisa Paremuzyan
$21,500 for a Toilet

[September 10, 2007]

In 2007, the Alaverdi Municipality allocated 7,200,000 drams (US $ 21,500) to build a toilet near the entrance to the monastery in the village of Sanahin. Construction work on the toilet has yet to be completed. The idea to build a toilet on the territory adjacent to the monastery, right next to the entrance, was the brainchild of the Mayor of Alaverdi (see photo). Artavazd Nazaretyan, head of the department of architecture at the Mother See, was asked whether they were aware that such a structure was being built and whether they had approved ... [full story]

Hakob Samvelyan
Generals Battle Over Bus Route

[September 10, 2007]

According to a contract signed between the Etchmiadzin Freight Traffic Enterprise (FTE) and former parliament member Hakob Hakobyan, in effect until his term expired, 2,500 students from Etchmiadzin were entitled to use buses on the route between Etchmiadzin and Yerevan free of charge. The buses were provided by the Etchmiadzin FTE and Hakob Hakobyan paid for the service 6,000 drams a month on average for each student. Since 1995 the Etchmiadzin-Yerevan, Armavir-Yerevan, Margara-Yerevan and Masis-Yerevan bus routes have been serviced by the Etchmiadzin FTE owned by General Manvel Grigoryan's nephew, Member of Parliament Hrant Grigoryan ... [full story]

Laura Baghdasaryan
Russia’s “Neighborhood” Program

[September 10, 2007]

There was a loose link in the chain of renewed competition between Russia and America. Until recently, Russia's lone attempts to stop the extension of American military and economic presence in Eurasia were, at best, meeting with partial success. After the end of the Cold War, Russia no longer had the ideological basis to gather around itself not only those countries who play a serious role in Eurasia, but also the former Soviet countries who were in close cooperation with it within the CIS. Russia's words against NATO expansion could not have been enough to motivate anti-American solidarity ... [full story]

Edik Baghdasaryan
It’s Only “Politicized” Capital That’s Entering Armenia

An interview with Doctor of Economics, Professor Tatul Manaseryan

[September 10, 2007]

– The rise in value of the Armenian Dram relative to the U.S. Dollar continues to worry citizens of Armenia, importers and charitable organizations. No one seems able to provide the explanations they desire for this phenomenon. A mass outflow of capital from Armenia has begun and exporters find themselves in a hopeless situation. Who exactly profits from this? In your estimation, what are the factors involved in the appreciation of the Dram? ... [full story]

Lena Nazaryan
Made in Armenia

[September 10, 2007]

Hetq is beginning a new series of articles called Made in Armenia , aimed at presenting the activities of Armenian companies that export products to foreign markets and the problems and challenges they face. Armenian products are recognized in the international market by a unique 13-digit bar code, which Armenia received in 1996 from the international organization GS1 (www.ean-int.org). GS1 developed a coding system which has allowed the international recognition of products and services in a unique and accurate manner. In other words, this is a common language, which importers and exporters can use to gain information about a given country's products ... [full story]

Vahe Sarukhanyan
NSS Releases Alexander Arzoumanian

[September 10, 2007]

At 9:30 p.m. on September 6, 2007 former Foreign Minister Alexander Arzoumanian was released from the National Security Service (NSS) jail. Charged with “money laundering” Arzoumanian was arrested on May 7, 2007 and spent four months in an NSS jail cell. On May 10, July 2, and August 31, the Court of First Instance granted NSS petitions to keep Arzoumanian in detention for two months each time. The last court ruling has not come into force since it would have applied from September 7 ... [full story]

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Tigran Paskevichyan
Everyday Immortality

“Now we can definitely say that Armenians played a significant role in the development of photography in the Middle East,” said photographer Vahan Kochar ... [full story]

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