Month: May 2008

MINISTER NALBANDIAN LEAVING FOR BRUSSELS

armradio.am
27.05.2008 10:53

RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian is leaving for Brussels today.

On May 28 at the NATO headquarters Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian
and Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan will participate in the sitting
of the North-Atlantic Council in the 26+1 format, where the process
of accomplishment of the Armenia-NATO Individual Partnership Action
Plan will be discussed.

On May 29 Edward Nalbandian will pay a three-day official visit
to Moscow, where the Minister will have meetings with his Russian
counterpart Sergey Lavrov, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS
Affairs Alexey Osarovsky and the Secretary General of the Collective
Security Treaty Organization Nikolay Bordyuzha.

Minister Nalbandian is also expected to meet with representatives of
the Armenian organizations of Russia.

Within the framework of the visit Minister Nalbandian will make a
speech before the students and faculty of the International Relations
Institute of Moscow.

Minister Nalbandian will return to Yerevan on the 1st of June.

90TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SARDARAPAT BATTLE

armradio.am
27.05.2008 12:44

According to the decision of the government commission formed to
organize the arrangements dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the
Sardarapat battle, most of 100 events planned to be held in marzes
and all over the republic have already been conducted. The main events
are planned for May 25-28.

The festive events will start in Sardarapat tonight and will continue
tomorrow. Military parades, concerts and performances are scheduled
for May 28.

The 90th anniversary of the Sardarapat battle was celebrated in Aparan
on 25 and Vanadzor – on May 26. The idea of unity of Armenian spirit
and strength lied in the basis of all the arrangements.

KHAZAR IBRAHIM: CONDITIONS CREATED TO CONTINUE PEACE TALKS

armradio.am
27.05.2008 13:08

The conditions have been created to continue the peace talks on
settlement of the Karabakh conflict, Khazar Ibrahim, the spokesperson
of the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan, said to media while commenting
on the upcoming meeting of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia
in St Petersburg on 6 June.

"Azerbaijan expects a constructive position from the new Armenian
government on the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict,"
Ibrahim said.

According to Ibrahim, Armenia should demonstrate a will, understand
realities, and should take steps for the solution of the conflict. "The
new conditions to continue the peace talks can contribute to the
solution of the conflict," said Ibrahim.

The Resolution on Nagorno-Karabakh passed by the UN General Assembly
has created favorable conditions to continue talks between Azerbaijan
and Armenia, Ibrahim stated.

HERITAGE’S REPUBLIC DAY STATEMENT

armradio.am
27.05.2008 14:05

On this glorious 90th anniversary of the founding of the Republic
of Armenia, the Heritage Party extends its sincere congratulations
to the citizens of the Republic and to the Armenians of Artsakh,
Javakhk, and the Diaspora.

In the millennia-old history of the Armenian nation, May 28, 1918
stands as a beam of light which has come to balm the enormous pain
of 1915 caused by the Great Crime and its resulting dispossession
of most of the Armenian homeland. Despite its short lifespan, the
First Republic succeeded in succoring the Armenian people with the
strength to reestablish a statehood long lost. And thanks to the
just quest for Artsakh and its ultimate liberation decades later,
this process found its contemporary continuation.

Today the Armenian nation and the Heritage Party, which is unwavering
in its service, affirm yet again their commitment to the values of
liberty, sovereignty, and the rule of law, the substantive absence of
which could diminish the concept of Fatherland so earnestly cherished
by successive generations.

The recent turmoil in Armenia dealt a heavy blow to our country, its
regional endurance, and its international standing. It is our deep
conviction that the only way out of the current crisis is through the
consolidation of the precepts of democracy and the full reinstatement
of freedom and justice across the Republic.

Pursuant to the letter and spirit of this Republic Day, the Heritage
Party underscores its long-standing call for the immediate release
of all political prisoners, the complete and credible investigation
of this year’s tragic events, the rendering to account of those
responsible and, in keeping with the ancient wisdom and true ethical
mores of the Armenian nation, realization of the high imperative to
anchor political and civil liberties in every dimension of society.

We hold in our hands the spirit, the lesson, and the legacy of May
28. In our deeds and by our union, let us be worthy of them.

KAZIMIROV: THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR REACHING REAL, TANGIBLE PROGRESS IN THE KARABAKH SETTLEMENT ARE NOT BIG

armradio.am
27.05.2008 15:01

The opportunities for real, tangible progress in the settlement of the
Karabakh conflict are not big now, former Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk
Group Vladimir Kazimirov told a press conference today. According
to him, "the "key" to the resolution of the Karabakh conflict is not
allowing the military actions to resume. Until this danger persists,
and Azeris think about the opportunity of a military solution to
the conflict, Armenians, naturally, also maintain more privileged
military position, reinforcing the line of contact. Thus, the issue
still remains on the military field, not the political one."

"It is necessary to exclude any opportunity for resumption of military
actions. Unlike the relatively young conflicts existing in the region,
the Karabakh issue has a grounded and deep prehistory, which results
in mistrust and even hatred between the parties. The functioning
of the agreement on the non-resumption of military actions should
be guaranteed by both parties, both sides should be ready for that,
which is not the case now," Vladimir Kazimirov said.

According to Mr. Kazimirov, this is connected with a number of
peculiarities of the conflict: the party that won the in the war
did not seem stronger than the losing side, and this has caused a
natural desire for revenge. He pointed out that none of the parties
to conflicts over post-Soviet space focuses as much on military
solution as Baku does on the highest official level. "First of all,
this approach must be eliminated: this is the milestone of the issue,
and only its solution will exclude the further resumption of war,"
Vladimir Kazimirov added.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PUBLIC FORUM TO BE HELD ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES FOR ARMENIA’S FUTURE

armradio.am
27.05.2008 15:25

According to studies by international forestry experts, Armenia is
one of the vulnerable countries with a forest cover of less than 10
percent. As a result, Armenia faces challenges caused by erosion,
landslides, water management, climate change, and desertification. A
number of factors have contributed to this crisis, some of which are
related to geopolitics, poverty, corruption, and poor land management
practices.

Since 1994, Armenia Tree Project (ATP) has been working to implement
solutions to these problems by planting trees at hundreds of urban and
rural areas around the country. To highlight the next phase of this
work, ATP and a number of cosponsoring organizations will be hosting
a public forum on Thursday, June 19 titled "Sustainable Development
Strategies for Armenia’s Future."

The program will begin with the screening of a recent documentary
film by Vem Media Arts of Yerevan, followed by a presentation by
ATP Executive Director Jeff Masarjian and Zachary Parisa of the Yale
University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

Mr. Parisa has done field work in the forests of northern Armenia,
near ATP’s 15-acre Mirak Family Reforestation Nursery in Margahovit
Village, and he is drafting a sustainable forestry manual for Armenia.

This event is cosponsored by Armenia Tree Project, Armenian Assembly,
Armenian Cultural Foundation, Armenian Environmental Network,
Armenian National Committee, and Vem Media Arts. "We are very excited
to be collaborating with these organizations, all which have recently
partnered with ATP to spread the message about sustainable development
and the threat of deforestation," added Masarjian. "It is our sincere
hope that the list of organizations grows in the coming years as we
advance our reforestation programs in Armenia."

PUBLIC COUNCIL AS A MEANS FOR LAUNCHING DIALOGUE BETWEEN DIFFERENT LAYERS OF SOCIETY

armradio.am
27.05.2008 15:51

RA President Serzh Sargsyan attaches great importance to the formation
of the Public Council and its future role. In the formation of
the Public Council the President sees the launching of dialogue
between different layers of society for coordination of views and
approaches. RA President’s Spokesman Samvel Farmanyan said during
today’s briefing that the President’s Staff has been instructed to
organize discussions with all interested parties – political and
public organizations, specialized companies and intellectuals to form
a working group.

Samvel Farmanyan clarified that the in the current stage the matter
refers to listening to the opinions of different parties on forming
the working group. The process will be completed within the coming
4-5 days and proposals on the formation of the working group will be
presented to the President. According to him, one factor is important
here: "the Public Council is the property of the society" and the
more level of society are represented in it, the better.

Samvel Farmanyan noted also that the expectations from the Public
Council are great, and it is pleasant that the President’s initiative
received a broad public response: hundreds of letters, proposals are
arriving every day. The President’s Staff will try to sum up these
and present the suggestions to the President in 4-5 days.

The President’s Spokesman called on citizens, the interested
organizations, the parliamentary and non-parliamentary forces,
specialized companies, individuals, intellectuals who want to get
involved in the formation of the working group to present opinions on
the formation of the Council. According to him, these can be useful
and contribute to the establishment of a correct structure that will
become a mechanism of coordinating all opinions and approaches and
finding the shortest and most effective solutions to the problems
the country faces.

The name of the structure still needs to be clarified. The names
"Public Chamber" and "Public Council" are being discussed.

PRESIDENTIAL MEETING: NOT ACHIEVEMENT, BUT PROGRESS

armradio.am
27.05.2008 16:39

"I don’t think that the meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani
Presidents scheduled for June 7 can be assessed as an achievement,
but it can be viewed as progress," President of the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan said, commenting on the importance
of the meeting between Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev in view
of continuousness of the negotiation process on the Karabakh
settlement. According to Bako Sahakyan, the negotiations are already
progress.

Asked about the situation at the contact line, the NKR President noted
that there have always been shots, but everything is being done to
reduce them.

"The NKR Defense Army and the authorities of the country are always
taking joint measures in this direction," the President assured.

PRESIDENT CONFIRMS THE STATUTE OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

armradio.am
27.05.2008 16:59

On May 26 RA President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree on ratifying the
Statute of the National Security Council. According to the decree,
the National Security Council shall reveal the problems existing in
the domestic, foreign, military, political, social, food, energy,
ecological, informational, demographic, scientific-technical and other
spheres referring to security and protection of national interests,
organize, coordinate and control the works carried out in the direction
of implementing the doctrines and state programs envisaged by the
National Security Strategy Program.

The National Security Council coordinates the activity of state bodies
and assesses their effectiveness in the direction of implementing the
decisions adopted in the sphere of ensuring national security, sets
the main directions of the state’s strategic development, national
security and raising national competitiveness, takes decisions in the
direction of their implementation. In compliance with the National
Security Strategy, it implements the strategic reforms of the armed
forces, the law-enforcement bodies, the tax and customs systems and
assesses their effectiveness.

The President of the Republic of Armenia heads the Council ex
officio. The President of the Council confirms the Council’s annual
program, ratifies the Council’s decisions. The responsibilities of
the Council’s Secretary are also set by the decree.

EU ANXIOUS ABOUT POSSIBLE RESUMPTION OF WAR IN KARABAKH

armrdio.am
27.05.2008 17:13

The European Union is more anxious about possible renewal of war in
Karabakh with regards to energy security, as some communications
are only 20 kilometers away from the conflict area, Johannes Rau,
German expert, doctor of philology, professor, member of the Forum
on international security under the academy of leading staff of
Bunderswer, said in an interview with Day.az.

Speaking about the threat of resumption of military actions,
the expert said this way of conflict resolution is possible, but
extremely dangerous.

"All communications are passing via Azerbaijan. Some of them are
only 20 kilometers away from the conflict area. Therefore, the energy
security of Europe requires peaceful resolution of the conflict. But
I do not rule out the second variant as well," he said.

According to Johannes Rau, the resumption of war is dangerous,
primarily, for the European Union and the United States. "Perhaps,
even Russia would be less anxious about the renewal of hostilities,
while the European Union and the United States will have a serious
reason to be anxious," the expert noted.