Author: Andres-Papazian

NKR FOREIGN MINISTRY: ARMENIA. DIASPORA, ARTSAKH EFFORTS MUST BE UNIFIED FOR FAIR SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH ISSUE

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 28, 2011 – 17:45 AMT 13:45 GMT

On February 25, within the framework of his visit to Washington,
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Georgy
Petrosyan visited the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in the
United States of America. After the meeting with the Embassy staff,
a private talk with RA Ambassador Tatul Margaryan took place.

Later, the Head of the NKR Foreign Office met with Executive Director
of the Armenian Assembly of America Bryan Ardouny and the organization
staff. Issues related to the Karabakh conflict and negotiation
process, as well as to life of the Armenian communities of Diaspora
were discussed during the meeting.

On February 26, Georgy Petrosyan had a meeting with Head of the
Washington Hay Dat Office Aram Hambaryan. Current situation of the
Karabakh conflict settlement negotiation process, as well as issues,
related to different spheres of life of Artsakh and regional problems
were discussed during the meeting. The NKR Foreign Minister presented
Karabakh’s official stance on some issues.

Georgy Petrosyan visited the Armenian churches of St. Mariam and St.

Cross, attended the service, and then talked to the clergymen and
representatives of the Armenian community. The NKR Foreign Minister
made a speech at St. Cross Church, during which he presented to the
members of the Armenian community the NKR stance on Karabakh conflict
and noted the necessity to unite the efforts of Armenia, Diaspora
and Artsakh for a fair solution of the Karabakh problem. The Head
of the NKR Foreign Office answered the questions the members of the
Armenian community were interested in.

During the visit, NKR Permanent Representative to the USA Robert
Avetisyan accompanied the NKR Foreign Minister, the press service of
NKR Foreign Ministry reported.

From: A. Papazian

RUSSIAN EXPERT: SITUATION IN KARABAKH CONFLICT RESOLUTION HAS A TENDENCY TOWARD DETERIORATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 28, 2011 – 17:46 AMT 13:46 GMT

Senior fellow at the Institute of Oriental Studies at the RF Academy
of Sciences, Andrey Areshev said that the situation in the Karabakh
conflict resolution has a significant tendency toward deterioration.

“The upcoming meeting of presidents in Sochi is important, as it is
aimed at either giving a new impetus to the negotiations or preventing
the worst scenario’s development,” Areshev said during Yerevan-Moscow
TV space bridge.

The Russian expert also expressed hope that both Azerbaijan and Armenia
will confirm the stance aimed at a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

Director of the Armenian branch of CIS Institute Alexander Margarov
noted for his part that Russia, as a mediator in the Karabakh conflict
settlement, tries to bring the parties to signing some preliminary
document, which could serve as a basis for the final agreement on
the conflict peace resolution in future.

From: A. Papazian

RA EX-MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: ARMENIA’S MAIN PROBLEM IS POLITICAL MONOPOLY

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 28, 2011 – 18:12 AMT 14:12 GMT

Armenian ex-minister of foreign affairs Vartan Oskanian said that
Armenia’s main problem is political monopoly.

Oskanian told a press conference in Yerevan that he negatively
estimates the signing of the new coalition memorandum, as Prosperous
Armenia party could become a counterbalance to the ruling Republican
Party of Armenia, if it preserves its independence.

However, Oskanian did not exclude the possibility of creating a
counterbalance system, if the opposition Armenian National Congress,
as well as ARF Dashnaktsutyun and Heritage parties become stronger.

From: A. Papazian

8 ARMENIAN WEIGHTLIFTERS TO GET PREPARED IN TSAGHKADZOR FOR EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 28, 2011 – 18:13 AMT 14:13 GMT

After completion of the Armenian Weightlifting Championships, Chief
Coach of Armenia’s men team Poghos Poghosyan has formed the team,
which will be getting prepared for the upcoming European Championships.

Specifically, Smbat Margaryan (56kg), Samvel Grigoryan, Vanik Avetisyan
(both in weight category 69kg), Araik Mirzoyan, Aghasi Aghasyan (both
in weight category 77kg), Edgar Gevorgyan (85kg), Gevorg Poghosyan
(94kg) and Arthur Babayan (105kg) are among the team members, who
will hold trainings in Tsaghkadzor.

According to Poghosyan, the most important thing is that the
weightlifters avoided injuries during the Armenian championships.

“If the sportsmen show good results during the trainings, all of them
will be provided with the opportunity to participate in the European
Championships,” Poghosyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

Kazan will host the European Championships on April 11-17.

From: A. Papazian

VARTAN OSKANIAN: THERE ARE ALL PREREQUISITES IN ARMENIA FOR PROTESTS LIKE IN ARAB COUNTRIES

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 28, 2011 – 18:25 AMT 14:25 GMT

Armenia’s ex-minister of foreign affairs Vartan Oskanian said that
there are all signs of the situation that preceded people’s protests
in Arab countries.

Armenia, like Arab countries, faces political monopoly, poverty,
corruption and unemployment, Oskanian told a press conference in
Yerevan.

He noted that the events in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya should serve as
an alarm bell for the Armenian authorities.

At the same time Oskanian noted that he does not want Armenia to
witness similar events as in Libya and Egypt.

From: A. Papazian

VARTAN OSKANIAN TO DECIDE ON HIS POLITICAL FUTURE SOON

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 28, 2011 – 18:42 AMT 14:42 GMT

Armenian ex-minister of foreign affairs Vartan Oskanian said that
he will decide on his participation in the upcoming parliamentary
elections during the next couple of months.

The decision will depend on political developments during this period,
Oskanian told a press conference in Yerevan.

Oskanian added that he is unaware of political plans of Armenian
second president Robert Kocharian and whether he intends to return
to big politics.

As for sharp criticism of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA)
addressed to him, Oskanian said that he is unaware of the reasons
behind it and offered journalists to find out it from RPA members.

Oskanian only added that RPA is supersensitive to his criticism due
to unknown reasons.

From: A. Papazian

EXPERT: THERE IS NO OPPORTUNITY FOR RAPID RESOLUTION OF KARABAKH CONFLICT

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 28, 2011 – 18:44 AMT 14:44 GMT

Director of Caucasus Institute, political analyst Alexander Iskandaryan
said that there is no opportunity for a rapid resolution of the
Karabakh conflict.

The settlement process will be basically aimed at maintaining
the status-quo in 2011, what is positive, Iskandaryan said during
Yerevan-Moscow TV space bridge.

He added that no significant changes will be recorded in the situation
on the contact line of the Azerbaijani and NKR armed forces.

“Despite the bellicose rhetoric, the parties will be have to state
that they will continue the peace negotiations,” noted Iskandaryan.

Director of the Armenian branch of CIS Institute Alexander Margarov
noted for his part that it will be difficult to speak about the final
resolution of the conflict in the near future.

“The only thing, to which we can refer, is the continuation of
negotiations within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group,” the
Armenian expert noted.

From: A. Papazian

BEIRUT HOSTS LITURGY FOR VICTIMS OF SUMGAIT MASSACRES

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 28, 2011 – 18:46 AMT 14:46 GMT

At Beirut’s Armenian Church, the Catholicos of the Great House of
Cilicia, Aram I served a liturgy for the victims of Sumgait massacres.

The liturgy was followed by speeches delivered by the Catholicos and
the Armenian Ambassador to Lebanon. They noted that the international
community failed to give adequate political and legal assessment to
Sumgait tragedy.

They characterized Karabakh, which earned its right for freedom at
the price of its people’s blood, as an independent state.

Parliamentarians, guests from NKR, representatives of Lebanon’s
Armenian community participated in the event.

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJAN TRIES TO LAY THE BLAME FOR SUMGAIT POGROMS UPON GORBACHEV AND USSR KGB

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 28, 2011 – 19:10 AMT 15:10 GMT

The head of the department on work with law-enforcement bodies of the
Azerbaijani President’s Administration of the President, Fuad Aleskerov
said that the Azerbaijani leadership states that the Armenian pogroms
in Sumgait in 1988 were organized by Armenian nationalists and their
promoters – Mikhail Gorbachev and USSR KGB.

At the same time Aleskerov tried to lay the blame for the events
in Sumgait also on the Armenian side, saying that the “Armenian
nationalists” allegedly have been trying to justify Armenia’s actions
against Azerbaijan for many years.

Aleskerov also stated that Azerbaijan possesses the so-called facts,
which prove that the Armenian pogroms in Sumgait were organized by
Armenian nationalists and their promoters – Mikhail Gorbachev and
USSR KGB, 1news.az reported.

From: A. Papazian

982 CASES OF HIV REGISTERED AMONG RA CITIZENS

ARMENPRESS
FEBRUARY 28, 2011
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS: From 1988 to January 31 of the
running year, 982 cases of HIV have been registered among RA citizens,
the 148 of who – during 2010.

An official from the Republican Center for AIDS Prevention told
Armenpress that the male representatives prevail among the patients
infected with HIV – 705 persons; among the female representatives
277 cases of virus have been registered. Twenty-one cases of HIV have
been registered among children.

The 58, 5% of the patients belong to the 25-39 age group. The most
common ways that people become infected with HIV in Armenia are the
heterosexual way (51, 5%) and the injection of drugs (39, 5%)

AIDS has been diagnosed among the 482 of the patients. Two hundred
35 cases of death have been registered from the beginning of the
epidemic. There are 40 women and 5 children among them. All the persons
infected through drug injection have been men: the majority of them has
temporary lived and perhaps been infected in Russia and Ukraine. And
almost all the women have been infected through sexual way.

The highest number of AIDS cases has been registered in the capital –
410 cases, which makes the 41, 8% of all the registered cases. Shirak
province is in the second place by the number of the registered cases –
11, 1%.

The assessment of HIV/AIDS situation proves that there are 1900 people
in the republic infected with HIV.

From: A. Papazian