Month: July 2007

Armenian FM does not want to even think about possible stoppage of
broadcasting of Radio Liberty in Armenia

2007-06-29 16:26:00

Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan does not want to even think
about the possible stoppage of the broadcasting of Radio Liberty in
Armenia.

When asked by journalists today to comment on the changes in the law on
TV and radio, Oskanyan expressed hope that the law would not be a
setback in the freedom of speech situation in Armenia. He called
"hypothetic" the question about the influence of the possible closure
of Radio Liberty Armenia on Armenian-US relations. He reiterated that
he would not like to think about closure of a radio station that is
making an important contribution to the development of democracy in
Armenia.

To remind, the changes propose prohibiting foreign companies to
broadcast their programs on the frequencies of the Public Radio Company
of Armenia and many say that this may result in the stoppage
of RL program in Armenia.

Armenian FM Takes a ‘Very Positive View’ of the Visit of Azerbaijani
Ambassador to Nagorny Karabakh and Armenia

arminfo
2007-06-29 16:18:00

Foreign Minister of Armenia Vardan Oskanyan took a "very positive view"
of the visit of Azerbaijani
Ambassador Polad Bul Bul oglu to Nagorny Karabakh and Armenia.

"Lack of trust between the two peoples is one of the obstacles to the
negotiations. The trust must be restored, otherwise it will be more
difficult to achieve a compromise. I consider the visit of the
Azerbaijani Ambassador just in this context and think positive the
visit by the group of intellectuals to Stepanakert, Yerevan and Baku,"
the minister said at a press conference, Friday. He also added that the
Armenian delegation returned from Baku early in the morning on Friday.
The minister said that the Armenian Ambassador to Russia Armen Smbatyan
highly appreciates the joint visit. "I hope this initiative will be
continued," the minister said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Candidate of Republican party to become RA president unambiguously: RPA
member

arminfo
2007-06-29 16:16:00

Candidate of the Republican party will become RA president in 2008
unambiguously, RPA member Galust Sahakyan said at today’s
press-conference.

As G. Sahakyan said, the Republican party will work in a more active
and organized way during summer to prepare for the presidential
election. He assured that the party will work more correctly before
2008 presidential election than it did before the parliamentary
election 2007. He said that the party’s election programmes will be
carried out after the presidential election. He also emphasized that
the end, 2008 – the beginning, 2009 will be crucial for Armenia in
economic aspect.

As for possibility of consolidating the opposition around a single
presidential contender, G. Sahakyan said: "It is still questionable if
the opposition will manage to do all this, everything will be clear in
autumn".

Azerbaijani Ambassador to Russia Visits His Paternal Home in Karabakh
Town of Shushi

arminfo
2007-06-29 16:15:00

"It is for the first time in 17 years that Azerbaijani delegation
overcomes a certain psychological barrier
and crosses a real border existing between the parties to the Karabakh
conflict," Head of the Delegation of Azerbaijani Intellectuals,
Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Russia Polad Bul Bul oglu said in NKR town
of Shushi. The Ambassador arrived in NKR together with the Armenian
Intellectuals headed by Armenian Ambassador to Russia Armen Smbatyan,
ArmInfo’s special correspondent to Stepanakert reports.

Ambassador Bul Bul oglu said that representatives of both parties
demined the relevant area on the boundary for safety of the
delegations. "This situation is becoming unbearable," the Ambassador
said. He also added that intellectual people in Europe have united and
become world citizens. As a result, no borders have been left in
Europe. He expressed hope that the Armenian and Azerbaijani peoples are
"wise enough to break the situation and settle the conflict by peace
methods, through negotiations and compromises to live together," the
Ambassador said.

For his part, NKR President Arkady Ghoukassyan said: "We have no
guarantees that these meetings will become traditional as there is no
relevant atmosphere and there are too many disagreements." He stressed
the importance of such visits for peaceful settlement of the conflict.
"Our Azerbaijani colleagues who are now in Karabakh share the given
opinion. We will not be able to create an atmosphere of mutual trust
and will be far from the settlement if we fail listening to each
other," the president said.

To recap, on June 28, the Azerbaijani delegation crossed the
preliminary demined section of the contact line of NKR and Azerbaijani
Armed Forces, near Martakert-Terter (Mir Bashir) road. Official
representatives of Karabakh received the Azerbaijani delegation in the
field of NKR Defense Army and accompanied them to Stepanakert. A
delegation of Armenian intellectuals headed by Armenian Ambassador to
Russia Armen Smbatyan also visited the capital of NKR. Both ambassadors
initiated the visit.

Amendments to the Law on Television and Radio is a direct threat to
freedom of speech in Armenia, independent experts think

arminfo
2007-06-29 11:08:00

Amendments to the Law on Television and Radio that at present are being
discussed in the National Assembly of Armenia are the direct threat to
freedom of speech in Armenia, expert of Yerevan press-club Mesrop
Harutyunyan said in Journalists’ Union, Friday.

He also added that the draft law is directed first of all against
broadcast of Radio Liberty. speech especially at the threshold of the
presidential election>, – Mesrop Harutyunyan said.

For his part, representative of the public organization "Internews",
David Sukiasyan, called this draft law and State Tax draft law as "made
hastily". All the arguments that balance will be reached in economic
field by means of these draft laws seem not serious, if they wanted
they could also find fault with broadcasting of such TV companies as
ORT, RTR, CNN and others at the territory of Armenia, but they did not
touch them and the blow is directed only against Radio Liberty. It is
inadmissible that for settlement of its political problems the state
interferes in the market rules, manipulating with such a strong
instrument as the state tax.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Sociopolitical forces condemn visit of Azerbaijan’s ambassador to
Nagorno Karabakh

arminfo
2007-06-29 11:01:00

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry decided to comment on the visit of Polad
Bulbul oglu to Nagorno Karabakh
(NK). "The trip to Karabakh is a personal initiative of the two
ambassadors, two former culture ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia,"
TURAN was told by the representative of the Azerbaijan’s Foreign
Ministry Khazar Ibrahim.

According to Ibrahim, in Khankend a meeting with representatives of the
NK community took place. This meeting cannot be considered as
recognition of NK as a side to the conflict because it was the
ambassador’s personal initiative, Ibrahim said. However,
representatives of civil society do not agree.

"It is a shame and disgrace," this is how the leader of the Karabakh
Liberation Movement Akif Nagi assessed the visit.

"The ambassador must respond for this. This question will be in
particular discussed at our meeting on July 3. Even now it is clear
that we will bring up the question to call the ambassador back," he
said.

Ex-advisor for foreign policy Vafa Guluzade considers that it was an
"inadmissible step" on the part of the Ambassador.

"It runs counter to appeals of the authorities not to make visits to
Armenia and NK until the conflict is settled. Though it is absolutely
clear that Polad Bulbuloglu would hardly go to NK on his own
initiative," Guluzade said. The leader of Musavat Party Isa Gamber was
surprised by this visit. Insufficiency of information does not allow
clarification of the situation to explain to society what is taking
place, said Gamber.

The leader of the Democratic Party Sardar Jalaloglu said that the
ambassador was not authorized to speak on behalf of the state. The
"dangerous" moment is to present the NK as a side to the conflict. At
the same time, he considers the citizens of NK Azerbaijan’s citizens
and "it is not reasonable" to give a political estimation to this trip,
Jalaloglu said. The leader of PPFA Ali Kerimli stated the authorities
must immediately explain why they sent Bulbuloglu to NK, at any rate
the meeting of an official with separatists is an attempt to present it
as a side to the conflict.

For many years Armenian diplomacy has tried to obtain success in this
direction, but could not manage. Now Azerbaijan has lost this only
privilege, Kerimli aid.

Human rights activist Murad Sadaddinov said that the visit to Karabakh
demonstrates the authorities’ hypocrisy. "If human rights activists do
this they throw eggs into them and insult them on TV. I wonder what
they will do now to our false patriots, if it was the ambassador’s
personal initiative to go to NK?" Sadaddinov said.

Azerbaijani nationalist is insulted because of Azerbaijani Ambassador
to Russia Polad Byulbyuloglu’s visit to Nagornyy Karabakh

arminfo
2007-06-29 11:00:00

The leader of the Azerbaijani Karabakh Liberation Organization [KLO],
the known nationalist Akif Nagi is
insulted because of Azerbaijani Ambassador to Russia Polad
Byulbyuloglu’s visit to Nagornyy Karabakh.

, – Nagi said and added that . He demanded to dismiss Byulbyuloglu from
his post and said that .

To recall, Armenian and Azerbaijani ambassadors to Russia headed a
group of intelligentsia representatives that visited Stepanakert,
Yerevan and Baku and met Arkadiy Gukasyan, Robert Kocharyan and Ilham
Aliyev.

VimpelCom Continues Negotiating with Armenian Bi Line for Joint Use of
Brand

arminfo
2007-06-29 16:24:00

VimpelCom, which is included in the Group of Companies Beeline,
continues negotiations with the Armenian IT Company Bi Line for joint
use of the brand, Dmitry Pleskanos, VimpelCom Executive Vice President,
Business Development in CIS, told journalists in Yerevan, Friday.

He said that ArmenTel brand is good enough for VimpleCom if the
negotiations bring no result. The company will continue using ArmenTel
brand. High quality communication is of prior importance, re- branding
is of secondary, he said. It is another matter that the Russian brand
Beeline operates in 6 countries.

ArmenTel Director General Oleg Blyznuk believes the hullabaloo in the
Armenian press artificial. "There is no problem connected with the
brand," he said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RA FOREIGN MINISTER AND SLOVAKIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY’S STATE SECRETARY
ATTACH IMPORTANCE TO POSSIBILITY OF ARMENIA’S USING SLOVAKIAN
EXPERIENCE OF MEMBERSHIP TO EU

YEREVAN, JUNE 29, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA Foreign Minister, Vardan
Oskanian, on June 29, received the delegation led by the State
Secretary of the Slovakian Foreign Ministry, Olga Algaerova, being in
Armenia on the occasion of the opening of the Slovakian Consulate of
Honor.

During the meeting, the sides touched upon Armenian-Slovakian bilateral
relations mentioning the necessity to develop bilateral political
dialogue, as well as activization of economic relations and expansion
of economic cooperation. Both sides attached importance to the
possibility to use Slovakia’s experience of membership to EU.

As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry Press and
Information Department, the interlocutors also discussed the
possibilities of bilateral cooperation with Slovakia within the
framework of the joint Actions Plan attaching importance to the
necessity of elaboration of concrete programs.

ARMENIAN ASSISTANCE FUND IS READY TO TAKE PART IN RESTORATION PROGRAMS
OF RURAL COMMUNITIES OF ARMENIA

YEREVAN, JUNE 29, NOYAN TAPAN. It was mentioned at the June 29 meeting
held between Robert Kocharian, the RA President, and the delegation
headed by Gevorg Hovnanian, the Founder Chairman of the Armenian
Assistance Fund of America, that the fund has implemented rather
serious programs since Armenia became independent.

Archbishop Khazhak Parsamian, the President of the Armenian Assistance
Fund and the Head of the U.S. Eastern diocese, declared that the
delegation has arrived in Armenia in order to take part in the opening
ceremony of the new building disposed for the activities of the
Armenian Assistance Fund in Yerevan.

The members of the delegation made assertions that the Armenian
Assistance Fund, true to its mission, will continue to contribute to
the development and progress of Armenia. They also mentioned that they
envisage to discuss the development programs of the fund for the coming
ten years at the end of the visit.

According to the members of the organization, it is time to pass from
assistance programs to development ones. The Armenian Assistance Fund,
headed by Gevorg Hovnanian, expressed a willingness to take an active
part in the restoration program of rural communities.

According to the information provided to Noyan Tapan by the RA
President’s Press Office, Robert Kocharian welcomed the benefactor’s
desire and considered the fact of overcoming the disproportionate
development of the capital and rural communities a problem of vital
importance for the government. He also mentioned that serious measures
are being taken in that direction and that there are great expectations
from different programs.