Nairit chemical plant employees rally to demand salary refundSeptember 19, 2013 - 13:05 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Over 300 employees of Nairit chemical plant took to the streets to demand salary refunds. The refunds are pending 13 months with the last salary paid in June 2012, one of the protesters told PanARMENIAN.Net As the plant press secretary Anush Harutyan, in turn, told PanARMENIAN.Net a meeting between the labor union chair and Energy Ministry is currently in progress. The protesters will next be marching to the presidential residence unless the parties come to an agreement. In early September, Russian oil major Rosneft agreed with Italian Pirelli to visit Armenia’s Nairit to assess possible lines of cooperation. At the meeting with Nairit director general Hovhannes Akhinyan, Rosneft President Igor Sechin discussed potential possibilities of Rosneft participation in production of chloroprene rubber at Nairit. Rosneft will decide on participation in the project after an audit, as well as upon completion of talks with the Armenian government. According to earlier reports, Rosneft and gas producer Itera were in talks with the Armenian government to make investments in the country’s largest petrochemical plant. Armenian Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Armen Movsisyan repeatedly noted that $400-500mln is needed to upgrade Nairit plant. Nairit specializes in the production of chloroprene rubber. In 2006, 90% of Nairit’s shares were sold to British Rainoville Property Limited for $40 million. The remaining 10% belong to the Armenian government. According to some estimates, a comprehensive upgrading of this facility will require hundreds of millions of dollars. Nairit has been operating at minimal capacity since a gas price hike in 2010 made production unprofitable. Related links: Top stories Yerevan has dismissed Turkey’s demand to shut down the Armenian nuclear power plant as “inappropriate”. Armenia will loan 2.9 billion drams to Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh), according to a draft government decision. The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan has “strongly condemned” Armenia’s decision. Kerobyan has said that for the first time in the history of Armenia, the volume of foreign direct investments amounted to about $1 billion. Partner news | Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. Aliyev says no need for mediators in Armenia-Azerbaijan process Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev believes that Baku and Yerevan do not mediators in the process of normalizing relations. Aram I supports Karekin II’s “patriotic position” Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I has expressed support for the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. |