Armenia abstained from voting on the last UN resolution on Syria.

The UN General Assembly adopted the document on May 15 by a recorded vote of 107 in favor to 12 against, with 59 abstentions.

Azerbaijan and Georgia voted pro. Russia, Belarus, Iran, China voted contra. Among the abstainers were Ukraine, India, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan. 

According to the UN News Center, by that text, the Assembly would strongly condemn the Syrian authorities' continued and escalating use of heavy weapons, ballistic missiles and cluster munitions, including indiscriminate shelling from tanks and aircraft, against population centers. It would condemn all forms of violence and call upon all parties to immediately end such acts, as well as demand that all violations of international humanitarian law cease.

The Assembly would demand that the Syrian authorities immediately release all persons arbitrarily detained; strongly condemn the shelling and shooting by the Syrian Armed Forces into neighboring countries; and demand that the authorities cooperate fully with the Independent International Commission of Inquiry and individuals
working on its behalf, granting them full and unfettered entry and access to all areas in Syria.  It would also demand that they grant the same access to the Secretary-General for his investigation into the alleged use of chemical weapons.  It would demand that the authorities strictly observe their obligations under international law with respect to chemical and biological weapons.

Further, the Assembly would deplore the deteriorating humanitarian situation and the failure to ensure safe, timely humanitarian aid to all affected areas; demand that the authorities facilitate access for humanitarian organizations to all people in need; strongly condemn all attacks and threats of violence against humanitarian personnel, and medical facilities and vehicles; condemn all attacks on, detentions of and threats of violence against United Nations personnel; and express grave concern at the increasing number of refugees and internally displaced persons as a result of the ongoing violence.

The Assembly would urge the international community to provide urgent financial support to enable host countries to respond to the growing humanitarian needs of Syrian refugees and affected communities; and urge all donors to expeditiously finance support to the United Nations, other humanitarian actors and host countries to implement the humanitarian response plan and the regional refugee response plan.

Moreover, the Assembly would reiterate its call for an inclusive Syrian-led political transition to a democratic, pluralistic political system.

It would ask the Secretary-General to provide support and assistance for implementing the transition plan set forth in the final communique of the Action Group for Syria.

The Azeri Parliament is discussing a bill "On Occupied Territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan," saying that citizens from countries having visa-free agreements with Azerbaijan and people that are not Azeri citizens may enter the "occupied territories" only after obtaining a visa from the Azeri Foreign Ministry or Azeri embassies abroad and permits from the Azeri interior and defense ministries. Those who will break this rule will be held criminally liable.

Though having no such law so far the Azeris have still been very negative to people visiting Nagorno-Karabakh. As a result a whole group of artists, writers, scientists, journalists and politicians have been declared personas non grata in Azerbaijan.

The ruling Republican Party of Armenia encourages the best falsifiers with $20,000-25,000 "bonuses."

Zhoghovurd newspaper reports that Republican MP Samvel Alexanyan is organizing big feasts in his Parvana restaurant every day to celebrate the RPA's victory in the last municipal elections in Yerevan, with the members who ensured the biggest numbers of votes being remunerated with $20,000-25,000.

The Republicans have refuted this information.

 As Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Erdogan continues his official U.S. state visit, a bipartisan group of U.S. Representatives introduced the Armenian Genocide Truth and Justice Act, a new measure calling upon the President to build upon the U.S. record of having recognized the Armenian Genocide by working toward improved Armenian-Turkish relations based upon Turkey's full acknowledgement of the facts and ongoing consequences of the Armenian Genocide, and a fair, just, and comprehensive international resolution of this crime, Asbarez.com reported, citing the Armenian National Committee of America.

"We welcome today's introduction of the Armenian Genocide Truth and Justice Act," said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. "This innovative bipartisan initiative, building upon the U.S. record of having recognized the Armenian Genocide, calls for a new U.S. approach to Armenian-Turkish ties that reflects our America values and recognizes that our national interests require an end to Turkey's denials and a truthful, just, and comprehensive international resolution of this crime."

The Armenian Genocide Truth and Justice Act, introduced by Representatives Michael Grimm (R-NY), Adam Schiff (D-CA), David Valadao (R-CA) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ), reflects and reinforces previous U.S. affirmation of the Armenian Genocide as a crime of genocide, citing the U.S. Government's May 28, 1951 written statement to the International Court of Justice regarding the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, President Ronald Reagan's April 22, 1981 Proclamation and Congressional adoption of Armenian Genocide legislation in 1975 and 1984.

Tbilisi. Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II considers that rally to support LGBT, planned for May 17 in the center of Tbilisi, is aimed at speculation with sexual minorities' problem  and calls on the City Hall and the authorities to cancel a permission for it.

Tbilisi. Georgia wants to be a strong link in economic relations between the West and the East, head of the Georgian government Bidzina Ivanishvili stated at the conference in Tbilisi, on Thursday, May 16.

Baku. SOCAR has been working on various options of efficient use of the Baku-Novorossiysk oil pipeline.  SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev told journalists that if he fails to find agreement on the Azerbaijani oil deliveries via the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline, the oil pipeline could be used in a reverse regime.

Baku. State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) is not opposed to pumping of its oil via the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline, Rovnag Abdullayev, SOCAR President, told journalists.  He added that the conditions of transit must suit Azerbaijan.  SOCAR President said that till the end of 2013 the deliveries will be based on the agreement.  The current transit tariff of $15.67 per ton remains in force. The sides will hold meetings and talks on the commercial conditions of transportation of Azerbaijani oil via the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline to fix new fees.  In particular, Abdullayev said the guarantee of the oil quality in Novorossiysk port, possibility of transportation of oil of the third parties via it and the possibility of reverse deliveries will be discussed. If the conditions suit SOCAR, the company will continue the deliveries.  SOCAR President explained that Azerbaijan has enough routes to export its oil to the world markets. The Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline was among those routes, therefore termination of the agreement will not be a problem for Azerbaijan.  "We have Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) route (it is loaded 55%), Baku-Supsa and the railway," Abdullayev said.

Baku. Since 2002 Azerbaijan failed to honor its commitments in the agreement between the Russian Federation and Azerbaijan Republic on transit of Azerbaijani oil through Russia signed on January 18, 1996, reads statement of Transneft posted on the official web site of the company.

Today night Armenia's Emergency Situations Ministry received a signal about plastic scrap burning at Spayka LLC. Some 17 minutes later the fire was already put out.

The same building was on fire just a day before, with 10,000 tons of goods and a refrigeration block of some 15,000 sq m damaged.

Spayka LLC is a leading international freight forwarding company and exporter of fresh and canned agricultural products from Armenia with sustainable supply contracts with the main wholesale organizations and retailers in CIS region. With regional representations in Russia, Georgia, Holland and Spain the company is covering wide range of transport servicing and food supply chain from all over Europe to CIS countries.

 Dorians, a rock band from Armenia, has qualified for Eurovision 2013 final.

Their Lonely Planet song has been composed by Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath.  Before the contest Iommi urged his fans to vote for Armenia.

The final will take place on May 18.

OJSC "RusHydro" has given banker's guarantee on the credit agreement made between Asian Development Bank (ADB) and CJSC "International Energy Corporation" (IEC) within "RusHydro", at $25 mln to finance the upgrading of the Sevan-Razdan Cascade power plant in Armenia, IEC reported.

Director General of CJSC "IEC", Arsen Grigoryan, thanked the leadership of "RusHydro", Asian Development Bank, Public Services Regulatory Commission and the Armenian government for preparing and organizing of the investment programme  and expressed hope for further fruitful work on upgrading of the Sevan-Razdan Cascade, which will make it possible to generate no-break power supply for the needs of the republic.

We hope that the first bargain with ADB will be the beginning of further effective relations between the bank and the group of our companies, Konstantin Bessmertnyi, a member of "RusHydro" board, said.

The upgrading of the Sevan-Razdan Cascade will rise safety of the power branch of the republic, will ensure generation of pure and affordable energy generated by
local water resources. It will also assist transformation of CJSC "IEC" into the company  which uses the most modern equipment and the best world practice, Michael Barrow, Director, Private Sector Infrastructure Finance Division 1 at Asian Development Bank said.

 The activity of the Akhtala mining and concentration complex owned by Metal Prince spells a real environmental disaster. Recently environmentalists and journalists
have visited Lori region of Armenia and saw the waste from the development of Shamlugh complex deposit falling right into the gorge, on the trees and bushes. The development of the Ayrum tailing dump also triggers questions: its territory is not fenced and the local residents tend the cattle a few meters from the tailing dump and pick culinary herbs. Both the residents and local administrations point out the release of tailings into the rivers, which are used for irrigation.        

During a meeting with journalists, Mayor of Akhtala Haykaz Khachikyan confirmed the information that the tailings of the Akhtala mining and concentration complex are regularly released into the river.  Khachikyan said that the River Akhtala is already rich in heavy metals. The mayor added that the tailings also pollute the river as a result of industrial accidents.  

When speaking to ArmInfo's correspondent, Sahak Nazaryan, Head of the Mets Ayrum Administration, pointed at the environmental risks. To note, the Ayrum tailing dump is only 100 meters from the rural community. "If the tailing dump continues being filled at such rates, the only drinking water source of our village will be endangered", he said. Nazaryan said that the water of the tailing dump mixes with the irrigation water.

Head of the Green Union of Armenia Hakob Sanasaryan told ArmInfo that Metal Prince, the owner of the complex, is developing the Shamlugh deposit through the open pit method, thereby destroying forestry. He said that the company lacks Shamlugh community's permit to develop the deposit through the open pit method. So, the development can be considered illegal, he said.   

Environmentalist Knarik Hovhannisyan pointed out the risk of contamination of ground waters with heavy metals. The fact that the company is throwing its waste into the gorge is certainly harmful for the flora and fauna, she said.  

To recall, on 17 November 2011 Serob Ter-Poghosyan, President of Metal Prince Corporation, Director General of the Akhtala mining and concentration complex, was sentenced to 15 years in jail for sexual abuse against minors. Now the complex is managed by his wife Madlen Tashchyan.

The election in Armenia have been followed by a rise in prices, Anahit Bakhshyan, a Heritage party member, told journalists on today.  "I am surprised that the election have been followed by a price rise. I mean the gas price, as well as prices for dairy products. And they are going to raise tuition fees as well," she said and added that the consequence of the process is emigration. "People are silently expressing their discontent by leaving the country," she said. 

On the other hand, Bakhshyan does not think the price rise may cause social unrest.

Anahit Bakhshyan thinks that total raising of prices in Armenia is conditioned by striving of oligarchs to return expenses at the past election.

To note, the tuition fee at Yerevan State University will rise starting the next academic year. The minimal fee will be 400 thsd drams ($1000) instead of $300 thsd last year. The tuition fee at judicial faculty of the University will grow from 700 thsd drams up to 800 thsd drams. The growth of the fee will touch only the students which entered the University in 2013. Pro-rector of the Yerevan State University, Aleksandr Grigoryan, said that salary of the University teachers will
grow thanks to the growth of the tuition fee.

 Leader of the People's Party of Armenia Stepan Demirchyan is not surprised at the latest statement by Gagik Tsarukyan, Leader of Prosperous Armenia Party, who declared that his party will not become opposition. Demirchyan made such statement in a press conference, Thursday. 

"Tsarukyan said nothing new. They have never declared themselves as  opposition. As for the People's Party of Armenia, it has always said that cooperation with Prosperous Armenia is possible only if the party joins the opposition," he said.

As regards the split of Armenian National Congress (ANC) bloc, Demirchyan said that blocs are usually made to participate in elections. He confirmed the information that parliamentarians from ANC Nikol Pashinyan and Hrant Bagratyan do not attend the meetings of the faction. He believes that establishment of Armenian Pan-National Movement public organization and Armenian National Congress Party creates chaos in the political field.

"I cooperate with them, we have good relations, but similar names of the party and the bloc confuse both media and the public," he said.

Government of Armenia will soften consequences of possible rise of the gas price for the population and envisages rise of salaries and pensions, Head of the Republican Party of Armenia Faction in the Parliament, Vice Chairman of RPA, Galust Sahakyan told ArmInfo.  He recommends not turning the problem into a subject for political speculations, as the authorities are not guilty that Russia has revised the tariff. 

"I think it is necessary to wait for the decision of the Public Services Regulatory Committee and make relevant measures to soften the consequences of the rising price. In addition, we are going to conduct public hearings in the parliament in order the responsible structures provide grounds for the rise of the gas price," he said.

Sahakyan said that the opposition has no ground for blaming the authorities for concealing the upcoming rise of the gas price on the threshold of elections. The opposition uses the given problem for political goals.

He called nonsense the statements that the authorities allegedly want to recompense their expenses on elections.

To recall, CJSC "ArmRusgasprom" and its subsidiary "Transgas" applied to the Public Services Regulatory Commission with an offer to revise gas tariff, and raise it from the present 132 drams for 1 sq/m of gas up to 221 drams for the consumers of up to 10,000 normal cu m gas monthly (mainly the population).

 Fire at Spayka Company building has damaged 10,000 tons of goods and refrigeration block occupying a 15,000 sq m area, Karen Baghdasaryan, Director of the company, told ArmInfo.

He said that fire has been extinguished. The damage and the reason of the fire are yet to be revealed.  Baghdasaryan said that the buildings next to the refrigeration block were not damaged.  To recall, 26 special vehicles and 110 rescuers were fighting the high severity fire. In addition, water- carriers of the Yerevan Municipality are used for uninterrupted water supply.

SPAYKA LLC is a leading international freight forwarding company and exporter of fresh and canned agricultural products from Armenia with sustainable supply contracts with the main wholesale organizations and retailers in CIS region. With regional representations in Russia, Georgia, Holland and Spain the company is covering wide range of transport servicing and food supply chain from all over Europe to CIS countries.

 Several dozens of participants in the action of protest against gas price hike moved from the building of the Armenian Government to the Public Services Regulatory Committee.

Head of the Committee Staff Mikael Soghomonyan met with the protesters. He said that they will study the application for revision of the gas tariff within 90 days and adopted a decision.  Asked why the Committee accepted the application for rise of the electric power tariff, Soghomonyan said that the applications are interconnected and must be studied simultaneously. However, no decision has been adopted on the gas tariff yet.

Earlier today, the Government of Armenia adopted a decision to subsidize the rise of the Russian gas tariff for Armenia by 30%, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said in the government that the gas monopolist in Armenia, ArmRusgasprom CJSC submitted an application to the Public Services Regulatory Committee for rise of the gas import tariffs to $270 per 1,000 cu m.

"I have sent a letter to the Chairman of the Committee informing that the Government will subsidize the new tariff by 30%," the prime minister said.

He also added that the Government will subsidize the rise of the gas tariff for the vulnerable families. Open public hearings will be held on the gas tariff, the prime minister said.


Wednesday, on May 15, the Public Services Regulatory Committee (PSRC) of Armenia has initiated revision of the electric power tariffs, PSRC press-service told ArmInfo.  The process was launched following forecasts of a growth of the gas tariffs for heating power plants, the AMD/USD exchange rate, the balance of electric power generation, and influence of some other factors in 2013-2014. The tariffs of electric power generation and services of energy companies of Armenia, as well as the electric power for final consumers will be revised.

To recall, ArmRusgasprom CJSC and its subsidiary Transgas LLC applied to the PSRC for revision of the current gas tariff for consumers using up to 10,000 cu m of gas monthly (mainly the population) from 132.00 drams inclusive of VAT per 1,000 cu m to 221,000 drams (a 67% tariff hike). By official statistics, in 2012 the share of electric power generation by heating power plants in total electric power generation, transmission and distribution (182.8 bln drams or $455.1 mln) totaled 45.1%. The share of HPPs in total power generation was 6.4% and that of the nuclear power plant is 9.8%. High-voltage power lines produce only 0.1% of total power generation, while power transmission and distribution totaled 38.6%.

At present, Electric Networks of Armenia CJSC, which is also a Russian asset, sells electric power to the population at the daily tariff of 30AMD per kWh and night tariff - 20AMD per 1kWh. Tariffs for the other final consumers are 17- 30 AMD/kWh.

Armenia gradually turns into an area of purpose-oriented cooperation of leading geopolitical actors having quite different interests when it comes to other issues. Many analysts say that Yerevan’s inertial foreign policy should be stopped sooner or later, as the country needs breakthrough decisions given the acute economic and political challenges. What do you think of that?

Public Services Regulatory Committee (PSRC) of Armenia has initiated revision of the electric power tariffs, PSRC press-service told ArmInfo.  The process was launched following forecasts of a growth of the gas tariffs for heating power plants, the AMD/USD exchange rate, the balance of electric power generation, and influence of some other factors in 2013-2014. The tariffs of electric power generation and services of energy companies of Armenia, as well as the electric power for final consumers will be revised.