Armenian News

ARMENIAN DRIED FRUIT AND VEGETABLES IN GREAT DEMAND IN EUROPE
Noyan Tapan
Dec 12, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN. Chir company produced 500 tons
of dried fruit and vegetables this year, with 20% of its production
being exported to European countries. The production of dried fruits:
plums, apricots, peaches has grown by 20% as compared with last year,
and most of these products were sold in the domestic market, while the
dried vegetables and spices have been mainly exported, NT correspondent
was informed by Sandro Abovian, the chairman of the Assosiation of
Dried Foodstuff Producers, a Candidate of Technical Sciences.

He said that dried tomato is in especially great demand in
international market. However, because of prices it is not profitable
for the company to produce large number of dried tomatoes, and
this year the company had reduced the purchase of tomatoes and the
production of dried tomatoes due to the appreciation of the Armenian
dram. At the same time, it was mentioned that the company has reached
an agreement with foreign partners on establishing a new price of dried
tomato. Besides, dried egg-plants and red peppers will be exported.

The number of companies engaged in the production of dried fruit and
vegetables has increased in the country in recent years, and local
producers have reached great success in this sector. According to
S. Abovian, the sector is considered one of the most promising branches
of Armenian agriculture, while market relations presuppose production
of a large number of dried foodstuffs in line with international
qualitative indices. With this aim, as S. Abovian pointed out, state
assistance is needed in the provision of loans at low interest rates.

In his words, this sector started developing in Armenia in the
1990s. There are more than 220 solar drying houses in 9 Armenian
marzes. 500-1,200 tons of dried fruit and vegetables is produced by
using various methods in Armenia annually, which is enough for only
a small part of the population for consumption.

FAO - 21% OF ARMENIANS SUFFER MALNUTRITION
Panorama.am
17:09 12/12/2008

In 2003-2005 21% of Armenian people suffered malnutrition, is
written in "Need for Food in World" report 2008 of the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. According to the
report in 1990-1992 1.6 million people or 46% in Armenia suffered
malnutrition, in 1995-1997 - 1.1 million or 24% and in 2003-2005 -
0.6 million or 21%.

Regarding our neighbor country Azerbaijan the image of the figures
is as following - 1990-1992 - 2 million people (27%), 1995-1997 -
2.1 million (27%), 2003-2005 - 1 million (12%).

According to the report today 963 million people of the world suffer
from starvation. 26% of people don't manage to feed their families
as needed.

ARMENIA FOURTH BY CELLULAR COMMUNICATION COVERAGE
Panorama.am
19:13 12/12/2008

ComNews Research Company has published the results of its research and
figures on cellular communication in the CIS member countries in 2008.

According to the figures provided by the company, by the end
of 2008 Russia will be on top by its number of Cellular phone
subscribers. Ukraine is in the second horizontal, and is followed
by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Tajikistan,
Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Moldova and Turkmenistan.

According to the research Russia and Ukraine have more cellular
communication coverage. In these countries number of the
cellular communication subscribers exceeds the number of the
citizens. Kazakhstan and Armenia are the third and the fourth
regarding the cellular coverage, then comes Belarus, Georgia, Moldova,
Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.

ABOUT 4,000 ARMENIAN CHILDREN RETURN TO FAMILIES OVER LAST TWO YEARS
ARKA
Dec 10, 2008

YEREVAN, December 10. /ARKA/. About 4,000 Armenian children returned
to their biological families as a result of reforms in the country's
boarding school system in 2007-2008, RA Minister of Labor and Social
Affairs Arsen Hambartsumyan reported at parliament hearings of
childcare problems in Armenia.

"Seven hundred boarding schools are currently working in Armenia. The
Government is trying to support socially vulnerable families and
relieve the boarding schools by providing social guarantees," the
Minister said.

The Minister said that eight government-financed orphanages housing
900 children are currently working in Armenia.

The Ministry is trying to exercise supervision over privately-owned
child care agencies to form a universal supervision system.

Hambartsumyan pointed out that 243,000 children are currently involved
in the social vulnerability assessment system, with 208,000 of them
living in the allowance-recipient families. The Minister pointed out
the monthly child benefit rate is 6,000 AMD for each child.

Armenia's child population (children under 18) was about 1.3mln
at the end of last year, with the country's total population being
3.2mln. people.

ARMENIA JAILS CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS, DENIES

RELIGIOUS-FREEDOM VIOLATION
Catholic Culture
Dec 12 2008

The government of Armenia denies that it is violating religious
freedom by jailing conscientious objectors, although all 80 men
current imprisoned under the policy are Jehovah's Witnesses. Armenia
is ignoring a ruling by the human-rights commissioner for the
Council of Europe, who said that the country "does not provide for
a genuine civilian service" for those who object to military service
on religious grounds.

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