Month: March 2007

IGOR LEVITIN TO REPRESENT RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT AT ANDRANIK MARGARYAN’S FUNERAL

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.03.2007 20:14 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Co-Chair of Armenian-Russian intergovernmental
commission, Russian Minister of Transport Iogor Levitin will head
the Russian delegation at the RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan’s
funeral, a source in Russian government told the PanARMENIAN.Net
journalist. The Russian delegation is supposed to arrive in Yerevan
in the morning of March 28, but it is not excluded that the flight
may be postponed to an earlier date, that is on March 27.

NATO SECRETARY GENERAL’S SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE TO ATTEND ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER’S FUNERAL

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.03.2007 20:43 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish Ambassador to Georgia Ertan Tezgor will
arrive in Yerevan March 28 for attending Armenian Premier Andranik
Margaryan’s funeral, RA MFA Acting Press Officer Vladimir Karapetyan
told the PanARMENIAN.Net journalist. He said, NATO Secretary General’s
Special Representative for South Caucasus and Central Asia Robert
Simmons also will arrive in Yerevan.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN CHURCH NOT TO TAKE PART IN THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE SURB KHACH CHURCH
By M. Makarian

AZG Armenian Daily
27/03/2007

By the mediation of the Foreign Ministry of Armenia, the Catholicosate
of St. Echmiadzin received an invitation on the name of Catholicos of
All Armenians Garegin II from Governor of Van Mehmet Niyazi Tanilir
to take part in the ceremony of opening of the Surb Khach church.

"Azg" received the following response of press center of the
Catholicosate: "Taking into consideration that the church, restored
by the Turkish Government, will be henceforth turned a museum and not
function as a church under the Armenian Patriarchy of Constantinople,
that the opening ceremony will be held in secular ways and not by
the order of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Catholicosate of
St. Echmiadzin shall not take part in the ceremony".

These action of the Turkish authorities, aimed against the religious
feelings of the Armenian people, cannot be considered as a step
towards improvement of the relations between Armenia and Turkey,
also says the message of the Catholicosate.

The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia also made an official statement
that no delegation on its part will be sent to take part in the
church’s opening ceremony, as "Turkey utterly denies the historical
deed of the Armenian Genocide".
From: Baghdasarian

RA PRESIDENT’S SPOKESMAN DENIES REPORTS ABOUT APPOINTMENT OF A NEW PRIME MINISTER

AZG Armenian Daily
27/03/2007

Spokesman of the President of Armenia Robert Kocharian denied media
reports claiming that defense minister Serge Sarkisian was appointed
Prime Minister instead of diseased Andranik Margarian, who had held
the office for 7 years. The spokesman, Victor Soghomonian, said these
rumors are not consistent with reality.

An earlier statement by Kocharian’s press office said the Government
resigned to meet Article 55 of the Armenian constitution under which
the governing cabinet shall step down in case the post of prime
minister becomes vacant. President Kocharian ordered all Cabinet
ministers to continue to fulfill their duties until a new government
is formed.

According to the amended Constitution of Armenia, the head of the
state has to name a new Prime Minister, backed by the majority of
Parliament deputies, within the next ten days, who has to form a new
government within 20 days.

KOCHARYAN’S FAREWELL TO MARGARYAN

A1+
[08:49 pm] 27 March, 2007

The road leading to Sayat Nova 8 building is impossible to pass. There
are wreaths along the road.

The civil requiem of the prime minister is still on.

The journalist of A1+ informs that not only high-ranking, but also
ordinary people have come to honor the premature death of RA Prime
Minister. In fact, they were also given the chance to go upstairs
and condole with the relatives personally.

Robert Kocharyan has just come to say farewell to Andranik Margaryan,
and stayed at the apartment for 10 minutes and left together with
his bodyguards and RA Regional Minister. Serj Sargsyan stayed with
the Margaryans for an hour.

All the leaders, ministers, deputies of opposition and acting
officialdom have come to honor the Prime Minister.

‘LONGEVITY WAS NOT MARGARYAN’S MERIT’
Interviewer Diana Markosyan

A1+
[07:11 pm] 27 March, 2007

"The prime minister’s post is a complete drama: out of 10 prime
ministers only 3 were able to survive the office. They were Gagik
Harutyunyan, Armen Darbinyan and Aram Sargsyan,’ RA ex-prime minister
Hrant Bagratyan mentioned taking into account the health state of
RA ministers.

He shared his contemplations with journalist of A1+.

– How do you see Andranik Margaryan both as a politician and economist?

– You know, besides being an Armenian, citizen of Yerevan, he was
also the figure to struggle for the RA independence. He had a gift
of balancing things in the government. He clearly cognized the issues
of our independence and respectively he would come to the conclusion
that independence, democracy and marketing were interrelated.

-What changes are due to come after his death?

– It is difficult to answer as I do not see any Armenian to have done
so much for the independence of the country. This doesn’t exclude
better prospective, either. In this respect, not only his family
suffers his loss but also the latter will still have its " yields"
for Armenia.

– The name of next prime minister is already circulating. Do you
think Serj Sargsyan is the right person to take over?

– He is likely to do it better than any other politician from
coalition.

– RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan has been in the post
the longest. Does this prove him to be the best or just the most
resilient one?

– We should realize two things: every period of prime ministry office
is both harder and more unique. After all, it is not the longevity
that should prove oneself. His principle merit was his strategic
viewpoints towards democracy and economy.

We should not make judgements on the longevity. He has lived both
hard times and good times: they are just incomparable.

SADOYAN HAS NOT WITHDRAWN HIS CANDIDACY

A1+
[08:25 pm] 27 March, 2007

Today 10 parties presented documents to the NA:’ Democratic Path’,
‘ National Unity Party’, ‘ Armenian Youth Party’, ‘Republican Party
of Armenia’, ‘ People’s Party’, ‘ Communist Party of Armenia’, ‘
Markcist Party of Armenia’, ‘Social-Democratic Party of Armenia’,
‘People’s Party of Armenia’ and ‘ New Times Party’.

By the end of the day CEC will make public the names of the candidates
to have self-refuted.: A1+ was informed that Nune Ghumashyan has
self-refuted in # 5 electoral area.

Arshak Sadoyan, "National Democratic Alliance" candidate though
announced to Mass Media, he hasn’t officially withdrawn his candidacy.

If Arshak Sadoyan doesn’t present the required papers for registration
in the CEC, it will turn out to be self-refute," Ruzanna Krunkyan,
chairman of # 12 electoral committee.

March 28, 6:00 p.m. is the deadline for the parties and candidates
to apply for the NA elections.

DELEGATION WILL NOT LEAVE FOR VAN

A1+
[05:43 pm] 27 March, 2007

"The delegation of Mother See of St.Echmiadzin will not participate
in the opening ceremony of Surb Khach church in Akhtamar," informs
Reverend Vahram Melikyan, director of information board. Van governor
Mehmet Niyazi Tanilir sent an invitation by the name of Armenian
Catholicos Garegin II to Mother See of St. Echmiadzin through the RA
Foreign Affairs.

Taking into account the fact that the restored church is going to
turn into a museum and will not serve its core mission under the
Armenian Holy Patriarchate, and the opening ceremony will be held
not according to the Armenian religious ritual, the Mother See is
firm not to be present in the ceremony.

FOREIGN DELEGATIONS ATTEND ADRANIK MARGARYAN’S FUNERAL

ArmRadio.am
28.03.2007 10:02

Delegations from Georgia, Lithuania, Greece, Canada and Belarus will
participate in the funeral of RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan.

Acting Press Secretary of RA MFA Vladimir Karapetyan told Armenpress
that the funeral will be attended by Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli
of Georgia, Minister of Environmental Protection of Lithuania Arunos
Kungrotos and Lithuanian Ambassador to Armenia Limanras Shilauskos,
Deputy Ambassador of Canada John Morison, Chairman of the House of
Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Vladimir Konoplyov
and the Deputy Foreign Minister of Greece, the Turkish Ambassador to
Georgia Ertan Tergyol, OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair, US Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State for Europe and Asia Matthew Bryza.

CIS Executive Secretary Vladimir Rushaylo and the Special
Representative of the NATO Secretary General for the South Caucasus
Robert Simmons will also be present.

ARMENIA MOURNING THE DEATH OF PM ANDRANIK MARGARYAN

ArmRadio.am
28.03.2007 10:30

On the occasion of the untimely death of RA Prime Minister Andranik
Margaryan March 28 has been announced a day of mourning in the
Republics of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. The state flags will fly on
half-mast on all the state establishments of Armenia and Karabakh –
ministries, agencies, local self-governance bodies. The flags will
be lowered also in the diplomatic representations of the Republic
of Armenia abroad, condolence books will be opened. All the cultural
arrangements and entertainment programs have been postponed.

Memorial Services will be held in the Dioceses of the Armenian
Apostolic Church.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress