Month: April 2007

TURKISH LAWMAKERS AGAIN DEPARTED FOR U.S. TO "STRUGGLE" AGAINST GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.04.2007 13:44 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The last group of a parliamentary delegation
made up of deputies from the ruling Justice and Development (AKP)
and opposition parties departed for the United States over the
weekend to lobby against H. Res. 106, which recognizes the Armenian
Genocide. Speaking to reporters before departure, Yaşar Yakiş
of the Justice and Development Party said they would seek support in
Washington against the resolution, Anatolian news agency reports.

ARMENIA JOINED GLOBAL INITIATIVE ON STRUGGLE AGAINST NUCLEAR TERRORISM

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.04.2007 13:49 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia officially informed Russia and the United
States as Co-Chairs of the Global Initiative on the struggle against
attacks with nuclear terrorism about her approval of the Statement
on the principals of this Initiative. The Global Initiative was
announced by Russian and U.S. Presidents during the G8 Summit in
Saint Petersburg.

>>From that time on two meeting have been organized with the
participation of initial member countries of the Initiative and the G8
states – Australia, Turkey, China, Kazakhstan and Morocco. At the first
meeting in Rabat in October 2006 founding documents of the Initiative
were approved by participants – Statement on Principals and Regulations
on Realization and Assessment. At the second meeting in February in
Ankara the working schedule for 2007-2008 was coordinated. After
the meeting in Ankara Georgia, Ukraine, Palau, Israel, Macedonia,
Cambodia and Romania have already joined the Initiative.

"Russian MFA welcomes RA’s decision on joining the Global Initiative
and expects Armenia will make a significant contribution to the
realization of the initiative. Russia also hopes other states in the
world, which share Initiative’s common goals and actively adhere to
the struggle against nuclear terrorism, will also join the Initiative,"
says the statement of the RF MFA Press Office.

AUSTRIA GIVES GREAT IMPORTANCE TO HOLDING FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.04.2007 14:00 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, currently
in Austria with a working visit, met with Ursula Plassnik, Austrian
Minister for European Affairs and International Relations. At the
meeting the two highly appreciated Armenia and Austria’s bilateral
relations, which significantly activated recently. Vartan Oskanian
and Ursula Plassnik gave a positive assessment to the results of
consultations between foreign ministers of both countries that took
place in Yerevan in March 2007.

"Austrian government’s decision to appoint a news Ambassador to Armenia
(residence in Vienna) will benefit activation of bilateral ties,"
the Armenian FM underlined. He also stressed Armenian-Austrian ties
have good perspectives for development in different spheres. "The
realization of Armenia-EU Action Plan in the framework of the
European Neighborhood Policy may open ways for effective cooperation
with Austria in spheres of High Technologies, tourism, banking and
agriculture," Vartan Oskanian noted.

In her part Ursula Plassnik underlined Austria gives a great importance
to holding free and fair parliamentarian election in Armenia and is
going to participate in the watchdog mission.

By her request the RA FM introduced the Austrian side with the current
situation in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process and
perspectives for its development. At the meeting the two sides also
touched upon the coming meeting between Armenian and Azeri FMs in
Belgrade.

The Armenian Foreign Minister also met Austrian MFA State Secretary
Hans Winkler and delivered a lecture in Vienna Diplomatic Academy
titled "Armenian foreign policy in hard times and in unfavorable
circumstances", the RA MFA Press Office reports.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ANKARA INTENDS TO CONTINUE ACTIVE PROGRESS ON WAY TO EU INTEGRATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.04.2007 14:25 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey will actively continue the EU integration
process, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul stated. He said,
Ankara will keep on active and decisive progress on the way of
country’s integration to the European Union. "Nobody must doubt in
it. The document that we’ve prepared includes practical spheres of
our everyday activities. Its goal is to bring our standard to the
European level," the Turkish FM underlined.

He also noted the document, which is otherwise called "road map for
country’s integration to the EU, includes 33 directions of negotiation
process. In his part Minister of State and Chief Negotiator of Turkey
for the European Union Affairs Ali Babacan said, the documents includes
reforms on 8 technical subjects, because of which talks with Ankara
were partially frizzed, RIA "Novosti" reports.

Last year at the EU summit that was held December 14-15, a decision was
made to partially frizz talks with Ankara over Turkey’s membership to
the European Union. Negotiations with Ankara that are being carried
out since October 2005, were stooped on 8 of 35 technical subjects,
which concern Turkey’s commitments on Cyprus in the framework of the
additional protocol on customs union. The agreement supposes that
Turkey must open its ports and airports for the Republic of Cyprus,
which is an EU member-state since 2004.

Earlier official Ankara declared he would do that only after
international recognition of the North Cyprus.

POLICE PROMISE TO ELIMINATE DEFECTS IN PRE-TRIAL PRISONS

ARMENPRESS
Apr 17 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 17, ARMENPRESS: The deputy head of a police department
in charge of overseeing public order, Colonel Karen Mehrabian said
an inner investigation confirmed the findings of a public monitoring
group, an alliance of 11 non-governmental organizations, set up to
monitor the situation in pre-trial and detention centers.

Mehrabian said police are working now to eliminate the most crying
shortcomings and defects, revealed by the group, while it was visiting
the detainees between April-October 2006.

The findings of this monitoring, embracing 50 detention and pre-trial
prisons across the country, were presented today in a report, compiled
by the group.

Arsen Fidanian, coordinator of the group, said the monitoring was made
largely through visits to pre-trial prisons and detention centers,
some of which were surprise visits. He said the report was based also
on findings of the Office of the Human Rights Defender and information
from some detainees.

He said the main subject of the monitoring was whether people in
detention centers were kept legally, what kind of food and medical
assistance they received and whether they were subjected to torture.

The report was sent to police, which examined it for three months
and promised to take action to eliminate the reported defects.

NAGORNO-KARABAKH GETTING READY FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

ARMENPRESS
Apr 17 2007

STEPANAKERT, APRIL 17, ARMENPRESS: The Central Election Commission
(CEC) of Nagorno-Karabakh said it will be receiving bids for contesting
presidential election from April 20 to May 5. Sergey Nasibian,
chairman of the CEC, said registration of candidates will be made
between May 30 to June 9. The presidential election is scheduled to
take place on July 19.

The CEC has also decided that the election campaign will last from
June 10 to July 17.

Nasibian said a polling station will open for Nagorno-Karabakh citizens
in Yerevan and in all likelihood in Russia’s capital Moscow. He said
authorities in Stepanakert are working now to verify all voter lists
and eliminate inaccuracies.

Nasibian said the chief of the local nationals security service Bako
Sahakian has indicated he will contest the presidential election.

The previous presidential election in Nagorno-Karabakh was held on
August 11, 2002 and was conducted freely and transparently, according
to a report by the Independent American Monitoring Delegation.

"Nagorno Karabakh has made demonstrable progress in building democracy
and its authorities have made a serious effort to conduct the 2002
polls by democratic means. The voters and candidates have demonstrated
a great commitment toward bringing democracy to Nagorno Karabakh. The
voting environment was calm and absent any reports of intimidation,"
the report said.

The current president Arkady Ghukasian, will step down after serving
two consecutive terms. He announced several times he will not contest
the poll for the third term.

VAHRAN BAGHDASARYAN IMAGE

A1+
[02:54 pm] 17 April, 2007

Vahram Baghdasaryan, secretary of NA "Deputy" faction advises to follow
his preaching and make sure that he makes no similar announcements
other political figures do.

Vahram Baghdasaryan is nominated for the election station # 30 in
Vanadzor. Not once has he mentioned about this nomination. In answer
to the question why he has been nominated in this very station, he
responded, ‘ Over 60% of my electors are voting in this area. Besides,
this is the center of the city where the intellectuals live. There are
so many post-election interesting comments in Vanadzor: some people
say that they would become deputies if nominated, and the like. Hence,
the post of deputy has become very modern.’

Mr. Baghdasaryan does not reject that there are social and economical
problems in the country, but he wants such a situation in which ‘a
politician deals only with politics’ and that adequate structures
should solve certain issues. This is true especially for marz
residents: 90-95 % of peasants are more anxious about earning their
living rather than political issues. In this respect, he has adopted
the following slogan,’ Together with people, equally perceived not
more or less.’

‘I have been in the sphere of politics for 15 years, I have been voted
for 5 times and my suggestions have always been real. I have never been
captured by any party ideology. I have never turned to any party with a
request as I have always been reluctant of cooperating with political
body. I cooperated with both the acting powers and opposition, if
they offered any constructive approaches,’ he tried to present an
extract from his campaign program to the reporters and assured them
that there was no active struggle in the above mentioned station.

IS COURT SUIT INEVITABLE?

A1+
[12:55 pm] 17 April, 2007

Today, UEFA Executive Committee will hold its consecutive meeting in
Cardiff, capital city of Wales.

A number of European football matters will be addressed at the
meeting. The Executive director of RA Football Federation, Armen
Minasyan informed ‘A1+’ that the area for Armenia-Azerbaijan matches
would be known at the committee meeting on April 18. He hoped UEFA
to make the decision due to the Regulations, i.e., the matches should
be held under their roofs not in a neutral area.

Azeri’s hope the matches to be held in a neutral area.

They are pretty much afraid of the statement made by Ruben Hayrapetyan,
chairman of RA Football Federation.

He claimed that he would turn to CAS in case UEFA decide in favor
of Azerbaijan. The court is in Lozan; it is 23- year old. As an
independent court, CAS is very famous among all kinds of sport
structures.

RA granted safety security guarantee to UEFA a year ago, thus the RA FF
believes there is no grounds for holding the meeting in a neutral area.

CIS IPA MONITORING GROUP TO ARRIVE

A1+
[01:35 pm] 17 April, 2007

On April 19, CIS IPA of RF delegation headed by Anatoly Torshin,
vice-chairman of FC ( Council of Federation) as well as Michael Krotov,
General Secretary of CIS IPA is due to come.

According to RA NA PR information, meetings with Garegin Azaryan, CEC
chairman as well as with members of Republican Party, Dashnakcutyun
Party, United Labor Party, ‘ Prosperous Armenia’ and those of
‘Justice’, ‘Country of Law’ factions are expected on the very day of
their arrival.

On April 20, meetings are also expected with RA Attorney General Aghvan
Hovsepyan, NA chairman Tigran Torosyan, RA president Robert Kocharyan.

The delegation will hold a debriefing at NA press conference.

SECURITY MINISTER URGES ICRC ON THE CAPTIVE SOLDIER’S CASE

Today, Azerbaijan
April 17 2007

Head of the State Commission for prisoners of war, hostages and
missing persons, National Security Minister Eldar Mahmudov met with
Martin Amasher, head of the International Committee of Red Cross
(ICRC) office in Azerbaijan.

He raised a question on Azerbaijani soldier Samir Mammadov, who was
captured by Armenian forces, the commission told the APA.

Eldar Mahmudov said Samir Mammadov was captured on December 24, 2006
and since then Armenian officials spread groundless information that
Azerbaijan soldier does not want to return home. It is the visual
example of violation of international humanitarian law principles by
Armenia. The Minister said he applied to ICRC and other international
organizations to free Azerbaijan soldier and regretted that positive
result has not been achieved until. He called ICRC to enhance its
activity on this way.

The meeting also stressed 4,504 Azerbaijanis are still missing due
to the Karabakh conflict and emphasized needs for the new ways of the
settlement of conflict. From this point of view, he appreciated ICRC
promoted "Ante Mortem" plan.

Martin Amasher said ICRC will continue effective cooperation with
the State Commission regarding prisoners of war and missing persons.

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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress