The Ararat Valley could be deprived of grapes during the upcoming ten years, if fears are realized by some farmers over the spread of a deadly infection.

Phylloxera is caused by an insect that feeds on grape roots, and it spoils the vine within two years. The disease is mainly spread by wind and has been detected in Turkey and in Echmiadzin.

Participants of an Information Technologies conference in Yerevan say the IT sector in Armenia has grown, despite the world economic crisis.

A the conference put on by Competitive Armenian Private Sector Project (CAPS), funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID, USAID’s David Hall said reforms in customs and taxation were among reasons for the growth during difficult financial times.

The third mobile phone operator, French ‘Orange-Armenia’ Company, officially launched its operations in Armenia on November 5 with a promise to provide its services on very favorable terms.

As Orange-Armenia CEO Bruno Duthoit said at a press conference Thursday, Armenia became the 31st country where the company now has operations.

Orange-Armenia (a daughter company of France Telecom Group) has pledged to open and run at least one operations office in 42 towns of Armenia within two years, as well as GSM coverage within the territory of Yerevan and in 42 towns.

The third telecommunications operator will start its activity in the mobile sector of Armenia next week: France Telecom’s key brand, Orange, will face a strict competition.

Two mobile operators running in Armenia have already conquered the essential part of the market. According to the recent data stated by telecom operator VivaCell-MTS, it has more than two million subscribers, and as for another operator, Beeline, (as of data of June 2009) it has more than 480,000 mobile subscribers.

The bonus money in exchange for receipts that the State began to pay in July is currently one of the most discussed topics in Armenia, equally essential as the Armenian-Turkish protocols. As it is known, this way the government aims to raise citizens’ interest in demanding receipts while shopping.

And it turned out that in this sphere as in many others, the crafty appeared who tried to make a profitable business out of it for themselves.

A French telecommunications operator is well on track to launch the third mobile phone network in Armenia later this year. The entrance of one of Europe’s largest telecom companies into Armenia is expected to stimulate an even stiffer competition among the operators on the market and consequently result in less expense and better-quality services.

Armenia’s national air carrier hopes to see an increase in the number of its passengers this year primarily due to expanding to new markets and cooperating with a global airline alliance.

This week’s direct Armavia flight from Yerevan to Paris has become the first to be operated after a deal signed between the Armenian company and Air France, one of the world’s largest and most renowned airlines that has for decades been the primary French national flag carrier.