Armenian News
Albania Vows To Stop Arms Sales To Armenia
Reuters
Albania assured Azerbaijan on Wednesday it will take every measure to
stop the sale of weapons to countries in a state of conflict, after
Turkey sent back a shipment of Albanian weapons bound for Armenia.
"The Albanian government will use its authority with the utmost
seriousness to take all necessary measures to prevent the sales of
weaponry to countries in a state of conflict," Albanian Foreign Minister
Lulezim Basha said.
Basha made the pledge in a telephone conversation with his Azeri
counterpart Elmar Mamedyarov, a foreign ministry statement said.
Last week Turkey stopped and sent back to Albania's Durres port 60
containers with weapons destined for Armenia, which denied it had bought
weapons from Albania.
Armenia and Azerbaijan are in a state of conflict over the disputed
territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous region located within
Azerbaijan's internationally recognized borders. It broke away from
Azeri control during a war in the 1990s and has proclaimed independence,
though this has not been accepted internationally.
The head of Albania's state-owned weapons firm said he had sent the
shipment because there was no embargo on arms sales to Armenia, press
reports said.
Albania has been selling off its stock of Soviet-era weapons that were
either imported from China or produced domestically, including an aging
fleet of Mig airplanes.
Azerbaijan told Albania it considered the sale an act against Azerbaijan
and asked the Islamic Conference Organization to intervene on its behalf
with fellow member Albania.
Reuters
Albania assured Azerbaijan on Wednesday it will take every measure to
stop the sale of weapons to countries in a state of conflict, after
Turkey sent back a shipment of Albanian weapons bound for Armenia.
"The Albanian government will use its authority with the utmost
seriousness to take all necessary measures to prevent the sales of
weaponry to countries in a state of conflict," Albanian Foreign Minister
Lulezim Basha said.
Basha made the pledge in a telephone conversation with his Azeri
counterpart Elmar Mamedyarov, a foreign ministry statement said.
Last week Turkey stopped and sent back to Albania's Durres port 60
containers with weapons destined for Armenia, which denied it had bought
weapons from Albania.
Armenia and Azerbaijan are in a state of conflict over the disputed
territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous region located within
Azerbaijan's internationally recognized borders. It broke away from
Azeri control during a war in the 1990s and has proclaimed independence,
though this has not been accepted internationally.
The head of Albania's state-owned weapons firm said he had sent the
shipment because there was no embargo on arms sales to Armenia, press
reports said.
Albania has been selling off its stock of Soviet-era weapons that were
either imported from China or produced domestically, including an aging
fleet of Mig airplanes.
Azerbaijan told Albania it considered the sale an act against Azerbaijan
and asked the Islamic Conference Organization to intervene on its behalf
with fellow member Albania.
Another World Bank Loan For Armenian Irrigation System
By Hovannes Shoghikian
The World Bank has approved the release of a fresh $5 million loan that
will be used for upgrading Armenia's battered irrigation networks.
In a statement issued after a Tuesday meeting in Washington of its
governing board, the World Bank said the money will be disbursed as part
of its Irrigation Development Project (IDP) for Armenia which was
launched in 1994, at the height of the country's post-Soviet economic
slump. The bank has already provided about $100 million under scheme
designed to improve Armenian farmers' access to irrigation water.
`Armenia has achieved substantial progress in preventing deterioration
of its irrigation and drainage infrastructure,' the statement said. It
cited institutional and structural reforms implemented by the Armenian
government in the management of water resources.
The World Bank said most of the loan will be spent on the rehabilitation
of some 110 kilometers of canals supplying water to 37 communities
across Armenia.
According to Adibek Ghazarian, chief of the IDP implementation unit in
Yerevan, the canals cover about 10,000 hectares of agricultural land. He
said they have fallen into disrepair since the Soviet collapse.
The same is true for much of the country's entire irrigation system. Its
poor condition means that most Armenian farmers are essentially at the
mercy of weather conditions, regularly suffering losses as a result of
drought.
Speaking to RFE/RL, Ghazarian estimated that at least half of water
supplied through 15,000 kilometer-long networks of canals and irrigation
pipes does not reach farmers. About 200 kilometers of leaky canals have
already been repaired as a result of a previous World Bank loan provided
within the IDP framework, he said.
The agricultural sector will receive a more massive boost if the United
States presses ahead with the disbursement of $235 million in economic
assistance to Armenia under the Millennium Challenge Account program.
Most of the promised aid, $146 million, is due to be used for rebuilding
and expanding the irrigation system. Officials say that would increase
the total area of irrigated land by 40 percent.
By Hovannes Shoghikian
The World Bank has approved the release of a fresh $5 million loan that
will be used for upgrading Armenia's battered irrigation networks.
In a statement issued after a Tuesday meeting in Washington of its
governing board, the World Bank said the money will be disbursed as part
of its Irrigation Development Project (IDP) for Armenia which was
launched in 1994, at the height of the country's post-Soviet economic
slump. The bank has already provided about $100 million under scheme
designed to improve Armenian farmers' access to irrigation water.
`Armenia has achieved substantial progress in preventing deterioration
of its irrigation and drainage infrastructure,' the statement said. It
cited institutional and structural reforms implemented by the Armenian
government in the management of water resources.
The World Bank said most of the loan will be spent on the rehabilitation
of some 110 kilometers of canals supplying water to 37 communities
across Armenia.
According to Adibek Ghazarian, chief of the IDP implementation unit in
Yerevan, the canals cover about 10,000 hectares of agricultural land. He
said they have fallen into disrepair since the Soviet collapse.
The same is true for much of the country's entire irrigation system. Its
poor condition means that most Armenian farmers are essentially at the
mercy of weather conditions, regularly suffering losses as a result of
drought.
Speaking to RFE/RL, Ghazarian estimated that at least half of water
supplied through 15,000 kilometer-long networks of canals and irrigation
pipes does not reach farmers. About 200 kilometers of leaky canals have
already been repaired as a result of a previous World Bank loan provided
within the IDP framework, he said.
The agricultural sector will receive a more massive boost if the United
States presses ahead with the disbursement of $235 million in economic
assistance to Armenia under the Millennium Challenge Account program.
Most of the promised aid, $146 million, is due to be used for rebuilding
and expanding the irrigation system. Officials say that would increase
the total area of irrigated land by 40 percent.
NUMBER OF TRAVELERS TO ARMENIA GROWS 36.3% IN JAN-JUNE 2007
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
July 31 2007
YEREVAN, July 31. /ARKA/. The number of tourists who traveled to
Armenia over a period between January and June 2007 grew 36.3%,
compared with the same period a year earlier.
National Statistical Service of Armenia told ARKA News Agency that
total number of tourists who visited Armenia at the mentioned period
of 2007 rose 181.2thnd against 133thnd at the same period of 2006.
The number of people who left Armenia at the mentioned period grew
37.8% to 172.3thnd.
Armenian Trade and Economic Development Ministry says 450thnd tourists
are expected to visit Armenia in 2007. This tourist flow will ensure
20-percent growth, compared with previous year.
Official figures show 25-percent average annual growth since 2001.
Armenia is placed 74th among 124 countries in World Economic Forum's
tourism competitiveness ranking for 2006 and 2007.
Armenia is also placed third among CIS countries lagging behind
Georgia and Russia.
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
July 31 2007
YEREVAN, July 31. /ARKA/. The number of tourists who traveled to
Armenia over a period between January and June 2007 grew 36.3%,
compared with the same period a year earlier.
National Statistical Service of Armenia told ARKA News Agency that
total number of tourists who visited Armenia at the mentioned period
of 2007 rose 181.2thnd against 133thnd at the same period of 2006.
The number of people who left Armenia at the mentioned period grew
37.8% to 172.3thnd.
Armenian Trade and Economic Development Ministry says 450thnd tourists
are expected to visit Armenia in 2007. This tourist flow will ensure
20-percent growth, compared with previous year.
Official figures show 25-percent average annual growth since 2001.
Armenia is placed 74th among 124 countries in World Economic Forum's
tourism competitiveness ranking for 2006 and 2007.
Armenia is also placed third among CIS countries lagging behind
Georgia and Russia.
No comments:
Post a Comment