The Armenian And Azeri Presidents Were Given A Deadline

THE ARMENIAN AND AZERI PRESIDENTS WERE GIVEN A DEADLINE

A1+
[03:16 pm] 14 April, 2006

Politician Stepan Safaryan, head of the Armenian Center for National
and International Studies commented on the words of the OSCE Minsk
group French co-chair Bernard Fassier. The latter represented the
events in Rambouillet as a half-full cup and highly appreciated the
fact that the cup was not broken.

Safaryan said, “This means that the previous arrangements are still
in power. After the Rambouillet meeting it was announced that they
sides agreed upon seven principles of nine, and the Armenian side
mentioned that the sides disagreed only upon one point”.

During the press conference Mr. Fassier also mentioned that if the
co-chairs manage to organize meeting of the two Presidents during June
or July, it will mean that the process has not exhausted itself. Stepan
Safaryan is convinced that the negotiation process with this format
has already failed and the co-chairs realize it well enough.

“The process of failing must be represented to the international
community, after which the serious conclusions will be made about the
fate of the two Presidents. The international community feels that the
Presidents do not mean to settle the conflict but are merely making
statements. The co-chairs are just trying to give another chance
to the sides. The stipulation of the issue of settlement within the
framework of the EU Neighborhood Program means that the sides cannot
avoid the settlement of the conflict wherever they go”.

Mr. Safaryan thinks that the year 2006 is not the deadline of the
settlement of the conflict but that of the Presidents of the two
countries.

Azerbaijan Does Not Meet Millennium Challenge Criteria

AZERBAIJAN DOES NOT MEET MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CRITERIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.04.2006 02:54 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ When choosing candidate countries for being included
in the Millennium Challenge Account, most attention was paid to
“quality of administration in the country” and corruption level on
the basis of data of international organizations, Jim Kolbe stated
at news conference in Baku. The congressman said that corresponding
steps are being taken in Azerbaijan presently.

Kolbe also remarked that the cancellation of amendment 907 can be
discussed during the forthcoming visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev to the United States however the final decision should be taken
by the Committee on Appropriations. According to Kolbe, the amendment
907 may be cancelled before the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement,
reported Trend.

Government Had No Right To Sell 5th Power-Engineering Unit Of”Hrazda

GOVERNMENT HAD NO RIGHT TO SELL 5TH POWER-ENGINEERING UNIT OF “HRAZDAN” THERMAL POWER STATION

Panorama.am
13:56 13/04/06

The head of “Human Rights – 96” party Rouben Torosyan has decided
to appeal to the Court demanding to invalidate the Government’s
resolution about selling the 5th power-engineering unit of Hrazdan
thermal power station. Rouben Torosyan addressed RA Defence Minister
Serge Sargsyan with an “Open suggestion”. In the above mentioned
note it was particularly stated: “Dear Minister, if you list the
Government members among those who have the right to possess state
property, then we advise you not to forget about law substantiation
while talking about that. According to the latter the Government has no
right to pass a resolution about sale of the 5th power unit of Hrazdan
thermal power station. While passing that resolution the Government
has ignored the RA citizen’s constitutional right to participate in
state government. We inform you and other coalitional Ministers that we
are going to take certain measures to call you to responsibility and
liquidate the results of the above mentioned violation. Best regards,
president of the party Rouben Torosyan.”

The latter also represents the list of the first measures taken. In
addition Rouben Torosyan has presented information to RF Ambassador
N. Pavlov about their initiatives to liquidate the Government’s above
mentioned resolution. And he has also presented information about
“just the usual kind of corruptive processes” to US Ambassador John
Evans and executive manager of “War-calls of Millennium” corporation,
Ambassador J. Danilovich.

Turkey Will Watch Today Atom Egoyan’s “Ararat” Film

TURKEY WILL WATCH TODAY ATOM EGOYAN’S “ARARAT” FILM

ArmRadio.am
13.04.2006 16:53

Today Turkey will watch Atom Egoyan’s “Ararat” film. Last year an
attempt was made to screen this film telling about the Armenian
Genocide in one of the cinemas of Istanbul.

However, its screening was canceled because of the protests raised
by nationalist groups. This evening the film will be aired by private
KanalTurk TV Channel.

How has the film found itself in Turkey? A Turk engaged in the sale of
films brought it to Turkey, and corresponding bodies did not prohibit
this. One of the Turkish Companies acquired the permission to screen
the film and attempted in 2005 to present it to the attention of
the public. Neither last year, nor this time the Turkish government
prohibited the screening of the film. The heads of the above-mentioned
companies were just afraid of the threats of the nationalists to set
the cinemas on fire.

Editor-in-chief of the Armenian “Agos” newspaper of Istanbul Hrant Dink
told “Radiolur” correspondent Maria Papyan that he watched the film at
the Kahn festival, after which he tried to bring it to Turkey. However,
he did not manage this again because of Turk nationalists.

“These days Turks raised a noise that Hrant Dink does not like the
film,” the editor noted.

KanalTurk will air the film without cuts and censorship.

According to Hrant Dink, the Spokesman of the above-mentioned TV
Company said that the decision to screen the film was taken after the
survey revealed 72 percent of the citizens willing to see Egoyan’s
film on the Armenian Genocide.

How did it happen that a private TV Company is airing a film
contradicting to Turkish history? Doesn’t Turkey, knocking the doors
of the European Union, try to present itself to the international
community in the most advantageous way?

At least for us, Armenians, the reasons of screening the film are
clear.

Armenian President Urges Crackdown On Smuggling

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT URGES CRACKDOWN ON SMUGGLING

Mediamax news agency
12 Apr 06

Yerevan, 12 April: Armenian President Robert Kocharyan held a meeting
today with the head of State Customs Committee, Armen Avetisyan. They
discussed the committee’s activity in last three months and the fight
against smuggling.

Armen Avetisyan told the president that customs duties collected in
the first quarter of 2006 had totalled 31.5bn drams which was 400m
drams more than planned.

The two men also discussed the recent agreement with Georgia on the
closure of the Bagratashen border market.

In this connection, Kocharyan instructed to draw a map of all transit
routes used by smugglers and establish full control over these routes
as soon as possible till the establishment of a relevant border zone.

OSCE MG Recurrent Meeting To Be Held In Moscow

OSCE MG RECURRENT MEETING TO BE HELD IN MOSCOW

Yerkir
13.04.2006 11:52

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group dealing with
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement are going to meet in Moscow,
Russian mediator Yuri Merzlyakov said.

He said the outcomes of the co-chairs’ April visits to the region
will be discussed at the meeting. Besides, they will discuss the
agenda of the regular visit to the region scheduled for early May.

According to Yuri Merzlyakov, the precise date and plan of the visit
have not been decided yet but most probablythe mediators will first
pay a visit to Baku, then Yerevan and Stepanakert. The co-chairs
will also discuss the possibility of the meeting of the Armenian
and Azerbaijani FMs in May. Yuri Merzlyakov refuted reports on his
separate visit to the conflict region.

Yuri Merzlyakov: There Are No Contradictions Between The Mediators

YURI MERZLYAKOV: THERE ARE NO CONTRADICTIONS BETWEEN THE MEDIATORS

ArmRadio.am
13.04.2006 17:39

“Fassier will explain everything to you. Ask him. Together we
shall pay a visit to the region in early May. The one who has the
opportunity visits the region. There are no other reasons for this,”
Russian Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Yuri Merzlyakov told in his
phone talk with “Radiolur” correspondent Tatul Hakobyan, in response
to the question why the mediators are visiting the region separately.

In response to the question whether Russia does not find itself in
an unequal position, when French and US Co-Chairs visit the region,
Merzlyakov responded, “I never think that way, I completely trust my
colleagues. Moreover, I’m not going to arrive in the region, since on
April 21 I’ll meet Armenian Foreign Minister in Moscow. You should not
ask me this question. Today Fassier will explain everything to you.”

Merzlyakov confirmed in his interview to “Radiolur” that there are
no contradictions between the mediators, they work as a team.

PACE Confirms The Decision To Send A Fact-Finding Group To The Regio

PACE CONFIRMS THE DECISION TO SEND A FACT-FINDING GROUP TO THE REGION

ArmRadio.am
13.04.2006 17:48

PACE Committee on Culture, Science and Education confirmed today
the decision to send a fact-finding group to the South Caucasus in
May. The group will be headed by the reporter on issues of cultural
heritage Edward O’Hara, member of the Armenian delegation to the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, President of the
Democratic Party of Armenia Stepan Demirchyan informed.

He noted that the major aim of the group will be to investigate the
place of destruction of Armenian khachkars in Nakhijevan.

Stepan Demirchyan the Committee on Culture, Science and Education
decided to call upon Armenian and Azerbaijani authorities to support
the activity of the group.

Safarov Sentenced To Life Imprisonment

SAFAROV SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT

Yerkir
13.04.2006 17:59

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Azeri officer Ramil Safarov was sentenced to life
imprisonment for murder of Armenian lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan that
he committed on February 19, 2004.

Budapest court judge Andras Vaskuti announced the verdict, according
to which Ramil Safarov is sentenced to life imprisonment without the
possibility of parole for the first 30 years, the Public TV Company
of Armenia reported.

It’s All The Same

IT’S ALL THE SAME
Aram Abrahamian

Aravot.am
12 April 06

The businessman Levon Poghosian refused of his deputy mandate on
Monday as business and legislative activities are forbidden to
combine. Earlier the deputy Khachatur Sukiasian refused of any post
of “Sil Concern” even of the post of its president. These actions
of business, state and human ethics are exceptions, which affirm the
appropriateness. In general our deputies and officials are indifferent
towards all kind of demands of the law. The deputy Alexander Sargsian
was telling the journalists proudly about his business in the USA
but it left no trace besides the replies of the press.

If we try to describe the general figure of the NA oligarch deputy we
can say that a/ he is too impudent, b/ illiterate, c/ has birdbrain,
d/ is sponsored by one of the officials of the ruling clique. Those
persons even don’t want to give their lost money back to casino,
why should we trust them in the state budget? But we don’t, they live
without our confidence very well.

As we haven’t elected the president, deputies, they don’t have any
dependence from us and don’t want to please us, the citizens. I have
written for four times in the newspaper that mountains of garbage are
appeared in Hambartsumian Street in front of my house. The situation
of yesterday is produced in the photo. And as the district mayor
isn’t elected by the population and isn’t going to be elected later,
he doesn’t worry about what we think of him. The time of elections
will come to an agreement with the ruling clique, will bribe some
people, and will fill some ballot boxes and will be reelected.

So it’s all the same whatever you write.