Month: April 2007

LATVIA INTERESTED IN LARGER COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA – FOREIGN MINISTER

Arminfo
20 Apr 07

Yerevan, 20 April: The Armenian foreign minister and his Latvian
counterpart Artis Pabriks signed a memorandum of understanding between
the foreign ministries of Armenia and Latvia in Yerevan today.

Latvian Foreign Minister Artis Pabriks told a joint news conference
that the sides plan to initiate consultations and intensify the
dialogue soon. He also said that it would be very useful if the sides
could improve transport ties. "We will be working seriously on that,"
Pabriks said.

He said that after joining the European Union [EU], Latvia is supposed
to increase funds to be spent on cooperation with non-EU states. "We
would like to assess the possibility of closer cooperation with
Armenia. In brief, we are very interested in larger cooperation
with you – both regionally and internationally – and help you with
European integration and cooperation with the EU and NATO, as well
as with your neighbours. Thank you for a nice day," Pabriks said.

EU AGREES NEW RACE HATRED LAW: MINISTERS STOP SHORT OF BAN ON HOLOCAUST DENIAL BALTIC STATES DROP CALL TO INCLUDE ‘STALINIST CRIMES’
Ian Black

The Guardian – United Kingdom
Published: Apr 20, 2007

Incitement to racial hatred and xenophobia is to become a crime
across the EU, although the long-fought agreement avoids singling
out Holocaust denial and was watered down after differences between
member states.

Six years of often fractious negotiations ended in Luxembourg
yesterday with a compromise that struggled to balance freedom of
expression with a tough stance on anti-semitism and other forms of
racism and prejudice.

Justice ministers from all 27 EU countries agreed to punish incitement
to hatred or violence against a group or a person that is based on
colour, race, national or ethnic origin, by a sentence of between
one and three years’ jail.

But, disappointing anti-racism campaigners, Jewish groups and Germany,
which holds the EU presidency, the law neither bans Holocaust denial as
such, nor Nazi symbols. "Europe has a special historic responsibility
to combat anti-semitism and it is a shame that the final version did
not include this," said the European Jewish Congress.

Germany, France, Belgium, Austria, Spain and several eastern European
countries have laws banning Holocaust denial. These laws will still
apply. Britain, Ireland and the Nordic countries have always resisted
such a law so as not to compromise academic or artistic freedom unless
it specifically incites racial hatred.

There is no reference either to the mass killings of Armenians by the
Ottoman Turks in 1915, which Armenians insist should be recognised
as genocide.

Turkey, a candidate for EU membership, had made clear it would object
strongly to this.

The new EU legislation will need to be ratified by some national
parliaments. It criminalises "publicly condoning, denying or grossly
trivialising crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war
crimes . . . when the conduct is carried out in a manner likely to
incite to violence or hatred against a group or [group] member".

British officials insisted the EU provisions would mean no changes
because UK domestic law, including the 2006 Religious and Racial
Hatred Act, was tougher.

The final deal was only completed to the sound of bitter historical
controversy, with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania pressed into dropping
their demand for a reference to "Stalinist crimes" to balance the
attention given the Nazi atrocities.

The EU justice commissioner, Franco Frattini, said the commission had
agreed on public hearings in one of the Baltic states and Slovenia,
on "the horrible crimes of the 20th century". He added: "The fact
that the EU now has moral responsibility and not only on the economy,
is demonstrated by initiatives like this."

Lady Ashton, Britain’s constitutional affairs minister, said the
decision struck the right balance between all the issues.

"AS EXPERIENCE SHOWS, BALLOT-BOXES START TO GRADUALLY DISAPPEAR," CEC VICE-CHAIRMAN ASSURES

Noyan Tapan
Apr 20 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN. Ordering more ballot-boxes than
necessary for holding of voting at the May 12 parliamentary elections
is conditioned by the circumstance that they will be used at the next
elections, too, as well as by the circumstance that "as experience
shows, ballot-boxes gradually start to disappear." Abram Bakhchagulian,
CEC Vice-Chairman, RPA representative, said at the April 20 press
conference in response to Noyan Tapan correspondent’s question.

To recap, the day before CEC stored 5 thousand transparent ballot-boxes
brought from Syria, on which RA coat of arms is stamped. 3846
out of these 5 thousand ballot-boxes will be used on May 12: two
ballot-boxes will be given to each of 1923 polling stations of Armenia
for proportional and majoritarian voting. They will have apricot and
white covers, respectively. And smaller, transparent ballot-boxes used
during the previous elections will be used as movable ballot-boxes
in the forthcoming elections.

ARMENIAN AND LATVIAN FOREIGN MINISTERS POINT TO NECESSITY TO ACTIVIZE COOPERATION BETWEEN TWO COUNTRIES

Noyan Tapan
Apr 20 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN. "There are absolutely no problems
between our countries and we need to activize our cooperation for even
more." Latvian Foreign Minister Artis Pabrik stated at the April 20
joint press conference with RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian.

In his words, Latvia is very much interested in development of contacts
with Armenia and providing assistance to it in cooperation with the
European Union and NATO. "Latvia has always been disposed in a friendly
way towards the Caucasian region and Armenia: we lived together in
the same system. Today we can start implementing small projects, we
should just specify the spheres of mutual interests," A. Pabrik stated.

V. Oskanian, in his turn, highly estimated Armenian-Latvian relations
and pointed to the necessity to activize cooperation in all directions,
including spheres of politics, economy and culture. He also emphasized
that Latvia’s experience on integration to EU and NATO is very useful
for Armenia.

It was reported at the press conference that a Memorandum on
Cooperation was signed between the Foreign Ministries of Armenia
and Latvia.

"ZHARANGUTIUN" PARTY TO BE "SURPRISE" OF NEW PARLIAMENT THIS TIME, SAMVEL NIKOYAN SAYS

Noyan Tapan
Apr 20 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN. 6-7 parties will enter the parliament
after the May 12 elections. If the NA "surprise" the previous time was
"the ULP, Zharangutiun (Heritage) party will be this time." Samvel
Nikoyan, a RA NA deputy, member of the RPA Council made such a
statement at the April 20 press conference. But, in his opinion,
unlike the ULP, which did nothing new at the parliament and did not
bring freshness, "Zharangutiun will bring new speech, new approach
and new way of thinking to the NA." "I will be very glad to see Raffi
Hovannisian at the parliament instead of many many other. Finally,
he will not humble the picture of the parliament, but will raise it,"
S. Nikoyan emphasized.

He also mentioned that according to surveys, the Republican Party
of Armenia, Bargavach Hayastan (Prosperous Armenia), Orinats Yerkir
(Country of Law), Armenian Revolutionary Federation and Zharangutiun
parties will overcome 5%.

According to S. Nikoyan’s estimation, the propaganda mission is in
general held in civilized conditions, and there is no mutual hatred
or serious competition among the authorities and opposition.

"The opposition understood that it did not got a positive image
by scolding the authorities. That was the reason that the Bargavach
Hayastan party, entering the political field, immediately attracted the
society’s attention," the deputy mentioned, adding that the Bargavach
Hayastan party was created to take the votes of the opposition.

IT IS STILL EARLY TO GIVE FINAL ESTIMATE TO RESULTS OF BELGRADE MEETING, RA FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS

Noyan Tapan
Apr 20 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN. "The Belgrade meeting was a normal
meeting which was held in a rather calm conditions." Vartan Oskanian,
the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia stated about it at the
April 20 press conference, estimating his meeting with the Minister
of Foreign Affairs recently taken place in Belgrade.

The Minister at the same time mentioned that it is still early to give
a final estimate to that meeting as the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen
"presented their ideas concerning the principles involved in the
negotiation document."

Those, in V. Oskanian’s words, were not agreed yet and were presented
to discussion of the two countries’ Presidents. The Minister mentioned
that only after the Presidents present their position, it will be
clear if "we move forward or do not."

In V. Oskanian’s words, it is supposed that before the parliamentary
elections in Armenia, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen will separately
meet with the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. And after
the elections, probably, the Co-Chairmen will visit the region in order
"to discuss the problems in a more detailed way as well as to affirm
the next meeting of the two countries’ Presidents.

As for the statement recently made by him about the issue that "the
conflict sides have never been so close to the conflict solution,"
V. Oskanian mentioned that it must be observed in comparison with the
previous negotiation materials. In his words, the document relating
to the conflict settlement which is being discussed at present is
more realistic as if compared with the previous ones in the sense of
adoption of the sides as it is more balanced and a correct balancing
among different principles exists in that document. "If we compare
with the previous agreements, the agreed issues make the overwhelming
degree in the present document, some issues remain not agreed,"
V. Oskanian said.

RAFFI HOVANNISIAN: EVERYBODY TO WIN ON MAY 12: HERITAGE THAT ELDERS PASSED TO US TO WIN

Noyan Tapan
Apr 20 2007

KAPAN, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN. Raffi Hovannisian, the Chairman
of the "Zharangutiun" (Heritage) party met with voters on April
19 in Kapan. The latter presented the 12 main directions of the
"Zharangutiun" parliamentary activity: free expression and free person,
free country, establishment of legality, anti-corruption struggle,
etc. According to the characteristics of the first Foreign Minister of
Armenia, the power of law will win on May 12 as well as the "heritage"
"which elders passed to us" will win. "And we are obliged to pass to
our heirs such a country that is the country of our dreams, Raffi
Hovannisian stated. "Republicans, "Bargavach Hayastan" (Prosperous
Armenia), ARF, everybody will win on May 12. It will be not a victory
of a person, but we do all these for the holy tricolour and in front
of the obedient God, and we are the masters in our own country. All
fragmentary party lists which are for serving us, but not for ruling,
will get down after these elections," Raffi Hovannisian stated.

The latter inspired the Kapan population, mentioning that the people,
standing in the square, in front of the mountain of Khustup are heirs
of Nzhdeh and nobody "can and has a right to speak on behalf of the
Great Sparapet." "Let nobody humble Nzhdeh and his ideology. Let
them prove it on May 12 and say that "We are masters of our belief
and Fatherland," Raffi Hovannisian concluded his idea.

ATTEMPT IS MADE TO OBSERVE CRIMES OF EVERYDAY CHARACTER COMMITTED DURING PRE-ELECTORAL PERIOD FROM POLITICAL VEIWPOINT, SAMVEL NIKOYAN SAYS

Noyan Tapan
Apr 20 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN. "The hooliganism taken place in Erebuni
on April 19 has no connection with any party, particularly, with the
RPA and Bargavach Hayastan (Prosperous Armenia)," Samvel Nikoyan,
a RA NA deputy, Council member of the Republican Party of Armenia
(RPA) stated at the April 20 press conference. In his words, this
as well as the explosions in the offices of the Bargavach Hayastan
party are usual crimes.

S. Nikoyan at the same time did not exclude that criminals may be in
every party as "anybody who wants, becomes a party member."

In the deputy’s words, the number of crimes grew during the recent
period.

And in S. Nikoyan’s words, an attempt is made to observe the crimes
of everyday character committed during the pre-electoral period from
the political viewpoint.

IN SAMVEL BABAYAN’S WORDS, IT IS NOT AS A RESULT OF AGREEMENTS THAT HE WITHDRAWS HIS CANDIDATURE FROM ELECTORAL DISTRICT No37

Noyan Tapan
Apr 20 2007

ETCHMIADZIN, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN. "I have not allowed during my
whole life to speak with me with making conditions, irrespective
of the fact who will be the one making conditions, what post he
will have, a person of what level he will be." Samvel Babayan, the
Chairman of the "Dashink" (Alliance) party made such a statement at
the Etchmiadzin meeting with voters, disproving the rumours as if
he withdrew his candidature from electoral district No37 as result
of reaching agreements with some forces. In his words, one can not
agree with him: "it is another issue, if they ask."

Responding the question of one of voters, who, according to his
foresights, will be nominated at the 2008 president’s elections,
S. Babayan said that everything depends on results of the parliamentary
elections. And the president’s candidate to be nominated by the party
will be decided after the May 12 elections, at the "Dashink" congress,
with secret ballot.

The "Dashink" Chairman stated that in the case of coming to the
parliament, they will raise pensions on the account of reduction
of expenses of the state apparatus. In his words, those expenses
today devour 60% of the country budget. "Those normative acts must
be changed, and "the officials must tighten their belts," S. Babayan
stated.

As for the issue concerning possible control of the Karabakh war,
S. Babayan mentioned that Armenia is ought to have a professional army
which will suppress the opponent’s military ambitions. "If there is
a war or not depends on the fact what kind of army we shall have,"
he added.

Hmayak Hovhannisian, the Chairman of the Union of Politicians of
Armenia, involved in the 4th place of the "Dashink" proportional list,
explained in his speech why "Dashink" held its first pre-electoral
meeting in Etchmiadzin. In his words, "Etchmiadzin occupies the first
place in the country with the number of boors falling to the lot of
one person, but the flag of justice and belief must be hoisted just
in that city."

"ZHARANGUTIUN" IS PLEASED WITH ITS PRE-ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN

Noyan Tapan
Apr 20 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN. Representatives of the Zharangutiun
(Heritage) party are pleased with the visits paid to the marzes
of Syunik and Vayots Dzor as the population’s participation was
satisfying. As Press Secretary of the party Hovsep Khurshudian stated
at the April 20 press conference, it is felt that political interests
of voters gradually grow.

He at the same mentioned that they met some obstacles during the
propaganda mission. Particularly, the Areni village head stated in
the marz of Vayots Dzor that they were to beforehand inform him before
holding a propaganda mission in the village. And in V. Khurshudian’s
words, an atmosphere of fear reigned in Kapan: people were even afraid
of taking pre-electoral booklets. In his opinion, the Syunik Governor
created that atmosphere of fear.

V. Khurshudian stated that "Zharangutiun" was not given territories for
foreign political advertisement, by reasoning that all the territories
are already occupied. Whereas, they addressed on behalf of another
organization to the Nushikian Association which is engaged in giving
stands, and got a positive answer. It was also mentioned that there
are many falsities in the lists of voters.