Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

AZERI EXPERTS SUPPORT IDEA OF CHANGING KARABAKH MEDIATORS

Yeni Musavat
March 27 2008
Azerbaijan

Official Baku’s position on changing the OSCE Minsk Group Karabakh
mediators has caused "a serious uproar", the Azerbaijani opposition
Yeni Musavat newspaper reported on 27 March.

"If Azerbaijan has taken this step, then it should only be welcomed.

Nothing will change with the current format if [the co-chairs] visit
[to the region] even for 150 years," political analyst Vafa Quluzada
told the paper.

Quluzada believes that the only mediating country satisfying
Azerbaijan’s interests today is the USA, the paper reported.

"If Azerbaijan has turned to the OSCE Secretariat with an appeal
after consultations with the USA, then it would take a very useful
step. Because the work of the Minsk Group with this composition is
impossible from now on," Quluzada said.

The expert thinks that Russia has no moral right to remain in the
group as "Russia has taken an active part in occupying our territories
and arming secretly and openly Armenia". He stressed the presence
of a military agreement between Armenia and Russia, adding that as
"Russia supports separatism", this is the main obstacle to the
problem’s solution.

"Russia may be exposed after the composition changes. It is impossible
to do this when Russia is in the OSCE Minsk Group. We can at least
get rid of this hypocritical position," Quluzada added.

Speaking about France’s role in the group, Quluzada said that the
French presence in the group as a mediator is pointless as "[late
President] Heydar Aliyev personally fought seriously against France
being a co-chair formerly. Paris suddenly became a co-chair by
skilfully deceiving everybody".

He added that the Azerbaijani government should immediately start
serious consultations with the USA and Turkey and think about a
new format.

Another political expert Arif Yunus said that the demand concerning
the change of format promises Azerbaijan no problem.

"On the contrary, we will only win from this," Yunus said. The expert
thinks that Russia and France are not objective in their positions.

"Therefore, one of them should either leave the group or any
other country sticking to a completely neutral position should be
included… Let Germany or the UK be a co-chair," he said.

On 26 March, Yeni Musavat quoted US co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk
Group Matthew Bryza as telling the New York-based Armenian Reporter
newspaper that Azerbaijan has turned to the OSCE Secretariat over
the change of the Minsk Group’s composition.

In an interview with Azadliq on 27 March, the deputy chairman of
the Musavat Party, Arif Hacili, said that the recent Azeri-sponsored
resolution on the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, which was adopted at the
UN General Assembly, is a "step back". The OSCE Karabakh mediators –
USA, Russia and France voted against the document.

"The Azerbaijani government had better be involved in the resolution
of the Karabakh problem rather than fall into euphoria. The attitude
of the three mediating countries to Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity
can in no way be accepted," Hacili said.

BBCM Note: The UN General Assembly approved the resolution on 14
March by 39 votes to seven, with 100 countries abstained from voting.
From: Baghdasarian

LEVON ABRAHAMIAN TO GIVE LECTURE IN BELMONT

Noyan Tapan
March 25, 2008

The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR)
will present an illustrated lecture by Dr. Levon Abrahamian entitled
"Fighting with Memory and Monuments: Re-Shaping Post Soviet Armenian
Identity" on April 3, at the NAASR Center.

Dr. Abrahamian is currently Visiting Professor in the Department of
Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at the University of California,
Los Angeles.

He is the Head of the Department of Contemporary Anthropological
Studies at the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Academy
of Sciences of Armenia. He has also authored a series of books and
many articles in the Armenian and English languages.
From: Baghdasarian

WEEK OF CHILDREN’S AND YOUTH BOOK TO BE HELD BETWEEN MARCH 31 TO APRIL 7 IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
March 25, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 25, NOYAN TAPAN. A Week of Children’s and Youth Book
will be held between March 31 to April 7 in Armenia on the initiative
of the Book Publishing Agency of the RA Ministry of Culture and the
Union of Writers of Armenia. As Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed
by Levon Ananian, the Chairman of the Union of Writers of Armenia,
it is the 6th year the Week starts in the regions for the purpose of
making active literary and cultural life: this year it will start in
Vayots Dzor.

Launchings and discussions of children’s books, Armenian children’s
writers’ meetings with pupils will be organized in country’s schools,
libraries, and cultural centers in the days of the Week of Children’s
and Youth Book.

L. Ananian said that the ceremony of awarding of the annual prize of
the Union of Writers of Armenia will take place on April 7 in Khnko
Aper Children’s Library. By the Union’s decision this year the prize
will be given to children’s writer Henrik Sevan.
From: Baghdasarian

AZERBAIJAN’S AMBASSADOR TO RUSSIA: OSCE MINSK GROUP FINDS THEMSELVES IN DILEMMA

Azeri Press Agency
March 25 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku. Tamara Grigorieva-APA. In an interview to Nezavismaya Newspaper,
Polad Bulbuloghlu, Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Russian, spoke about
the prospects of the conflicts in the post-Soviet area.

Referring to Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin’s statement that a
solution to the Transdniester dispute through a mechanism of peace and
mutual understanding within the territorial integrity of the country
may be nearing, Polad Bulbuloghlu said this precedent, but not that
of Kosovo, would be a key to the settlement of the other conflicts.

He added that Azerbaijan will resort to any possible options to
achieve the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Touching upon an Azerbaijan-authored recent resolution adopted by the
United Nations General Assembly that calls for immediate, complete,
and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian forces from all the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan, Polad Bulbuloghlu noted that it is obviously
known who put pressure on some countries to abstain in the voting.

"The OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs (a three-member group of co-chairs from
Russia, the United States and France working to lead to a peaceful
resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict between Azerbaijan and
Armenia) put themselves in a difficult situation, by voting against
the resolution. They violated the core principle of the mediation –
neutrality. How can they now mediate between to find a solution,"
he added.
From: Baghdasarian

LATE ANDRANIK MARGARYAN COMMEMORATED IN YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.03.2008 16:05 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian leadership honored the memory of former
Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan who died of a cardiac arrest a
year ago.

The Armenian President Robert Kocharian, Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan
and NA Speaker Tigran Torosian laid wreaths to Andranik Margaryan’s
grave in the Pantheon.

"Andranik Margaryan was a good friend and reliable politician," said
Tigran Sargsyan, chairman of the Armenian Central Bank. "It’s hard
to think that he is not with us any more. The year passed so quickly
and the wound is still too fresh," he said, Novosti Armenia reports.

Andranik Margaryan, chairman of the Republic Party of Armenia, served
as Armenia’s Prime Minister in 2000-2007. He died at age of 56 on
March 25, 2007.
From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT TARGETS AMD 15 BILLION FOR REPAIRING SCHOOLS

ARKA
March 24, 2008

YEREVAN, March 24. /ARKA/. Armenian government targets AMD 15 billion
from the 2008 state budget for repairing schools, Onik Vatyan, chief
of Yerevan municipality’s education unit, said on Monday at a press
conference.

He said that the government earmarked AMD 6.4 billion for schools
reconstruction in 2004 while in 2008 it allocates AMD 15 billion.

Vatyan said that investment program worth 10 million is being
implemented now. Under this program, five dilapidated schools will
be reconstructed.

Vatyan also said that AMD 330 million is allocated for purchasing
furniture for schools in 2008.

For comparison, he pointed out that in 2007only 90 million was
earmarked for that. He said that another 6.4 million is allocated
for boiler houses.

Vatyan said that Yerevan municipality is planning to repair 50 boiler
houses in 2008. He said in 2007, 49 boiler houses were repaired a
year earlier.

In his words, the city authorities intend to increase the number
of the schools provided with own boilers to 153. This is 75% of 205
municipality-controlled secondary schools. ($1 = AMD 308.78)
From: Baghdasarian

NEW AMBASSADOR OF VIETNAM PRESENTS HIS CREDENTIALS TO ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER

Noyan Tapan
March 24, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 24, NOYAN TAPAN. The newly-elected ambassador of Vietnam
Bui Dinh Dinh on March 24 presented a copy of his credentials to the
Armenian foreign minister Vartan Oskanian. Welcoming the ambassador,
V. Oskanian wished him success in performing his mission and expressed
a hope that during his tenure the Armenian-Vietnamese relations will
further develop.

While evaluating the bilateral relations, both sides stated that
political relations between the two countries are at a high level,
while their cooperation in international organizations is proceeding
successfully. As for economic links, the interlocutors said that
although there is a legal and contractual field, it needs to be
extended in order to promote economic relations and create favorable
conditions.

According to the RA MFA Press and Information Department, the sides
also discussed issues related to cooperation in the tourism sector
and to the signing of an agreement allowing visits of diplomatic
passport holders without an entry visa.
From: Baghdasarian

ALL ARMENIAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION FESTIVAL TO BE HELD IN WOODBURY UNIVERSITY

Noyan Tapan
March 24, 2008

LOS ANGELES, MARCH 24, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Woodbury
University Armenian Student Association in collaboration with several
other Armenian Student Associations from the local colleges and
universities envisages to hold an Armenian Festival at the Woodbury
University, on April 6. The Western Diocese is one of the sponsors
of the festival. Numerous members from the youth organizations of
the Western Diocese will join the organizational work of the festival.
From: Baghdasarian

Armenian Defense Minister: President will tackle issue of Manvel
Grigoryan

2008-03-22 21:48:00

ArmInfo. ‘Manvel Grigoryan is on the leave till April 1. The country’s
president as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief will tackle his issue’,
Defense Minister of Armenia Mikael Haroutunyan told journalists,
Saturday. To recall, Deputy Defense Minister of Armenia, Lt. General
Manvel Grigoryan privately supports the first president of Armenia
Levon Ter-Petrosyan.

Asked to assess the developments, the minister said he ‘cannot give an
assessment instead of the president’.
From: Baghdasarian

RPA, "ORINATS YERKIR", "PROSPEROUS ARMENIA" AND "DASHNAKTSUTIUN" SIGNED AN AGREEMENT ON FORMING A POLITICAL COALITION

Mediamax
March 21, 2008

Yerevan /Mediamax/. The Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), "Orinats
Yerkir" (OYP), "Prosperous Armenia" (PAP) and "Dashnaktsutiun"
parties signed a four-sided agreement in Yerevan today on forming a
political coalition.

Mediamax reports that the agreement was signed by the leaders of
the parties Serzh Sarkisian, Artur Baghdasarian, Gagik Tsarukian and
Armen Rustamian.

Speaking at a briefing after the signing ceremony, Serzh Sarkisian
described the signed agreement as "unprecedented".

"The formation of a political coalition aims at realization of
large-scale and serious reforms in Armenia", Serzh Sarkisian stated,
adding that the government needs wide public support for that.

Armen Rustamian informed that the document of the coalition agreement
registers all the urgent tasks of Armenia, solving which, the country
step by step will move along the path of real reforms and preservation
of stability.

"The sides, which signed the given agreement, take upon themselves
political responsibility for the activities of the authorities,
which is one.
From: Baghdasarian