Author: Boshkezenian Garik

AS A RESULT EVERYONE BENEFITS
Lilit Poghosyan

Hayots Ashkhar
Published on March 11, 2008

While Armenia is concentrated on overcoming the "big confrontation"
imposed by Levon Ter-Petrosyan, in Azerbaijan they are happy to state
that it is too early to speak about the stabilization of the situation
and that civil war is unavoidable.

Meanwhile they sound cymbals that Armenian society is split and 1/3
of Armenia is ready to cede Karabakh.

In response to our questions RPA vice Chair Razmik Zohrabyan touches
upon these issues.

"Actually in Azerbaijan they are really enthusiastic about the tragic
events that took place in Armenia on March 1-2 and with evident
happiness they announce that a leader appeared in Armenia who raised
issues concerning Karabakh, Armenia, and in general the region, and
1/3 of Armenians (the conversation is about the 21%) has voted for
reducing the number of the army, establishing "friendly relations
with Turkey and Azerbaijan, and solving Karabakh issue in favor of
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

And unfortunately there is certain truth in all this. From now on
both Azerbaijan and the West can state that the 350 thousand citizens
who voted for Levon Ter-Petrosyan are tired of Karabakh and consider
the failure of the solution of this issue the main reason of their
social problems, and that these people are ready to settle this issue
as soon as possible and at any price. But this is not true.

Among those 350 thousand voters there are different layers of
disapproved.

Some of them are disapproved of their social condition, and they
accuse the authorities of their bad social condition, that is why
they voted against the authorities and they gave preference to the
radical candidate.

There is another layer of the disapproved. From the beginning Levon
Ter-Petrosyan started a total anti-Karabakh campaign, announcing
that "Karabakh clan" has occupied the power, has established a
"Mongol-Tatar khanship", thus attracting the voters who don’t like
Karabakh Armenians for this or that reason. By the way this phenomenon
is not particular only to Armenia. In the same Azerbaijan for example,
"nakhijevan clan" is against Baku wing. In Ukraine the west is against
the east, etc. And Ter-Petrosyan managed to use this factor.

The third condition, which is less spoken about is the psychological
factor.

The ex-President masters the methods of psychological influence. In
the books about black magic you can read how these magicians managed
to create a corresponding psychological atmosphere by means of
poetry. When during one of his demonstrations Levon Ter-Petrosyan
recited Charents (Armenian great poet) many people were shocked. What
did Charents have to do with politics or with that layer of society?

There were many other orators there, who also master this power and
they managed to keep the people in the square, for many days.

All this led to the fact that 350 thousand electors voted for Levon
Ter-Petrosyan but only part of them did this based on ideological
generalities.

After all their objective was a coup d’état and they were well aware
that Levon Ter-Petrosyan doesn’t have any chances to win the elections
and from the beginning they have chosen that tactics, manipulation
of masses, accumulation of the disapproved around him and the use of
the psychological influence."

"After all what task did Levon Ter-Pterosyan set by spoiling the
elections? What was his purpose?"

"Levon Ter-Petrosyan was simply a tool in the hands of the west, to
realize their goals in the region. Pay attention that these events
coincided with the declaration of Kosovo’s independence. After all
we are facing the problem of the recognition of Karabakh independence
and the west that did its best to achieve the recognition of Kosovo’s
independence, continuously announces that the latter can’t be a
precedent for Karabakh.

Thus they are trying to put pressure on us, so that we will not
be able to raise this issue while the issue of the recognition of
the independence of Abkhasia, South Osia and Trans-Dnester is in
the process of discussion in Russia. Thus they needed someone to
create tension, to split the society and to make Armenian authorities
concentrate on internal issues. And Levon Ter-Petrosyan was the one
to take this role.

–Boundary_(ID_cwn5tpUBIrFPP1644qnw2w)–

OSCE/ODIHR THIRD INTERIM REPORT REAFFIRMS ASSESSMENT OF ARMENIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

PanARMENIAN.Net
10.03.2008 14:22 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed that
OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission has released its third interim
report on Armenia’s presidential elections. The report reaffirms the
ODIHR Election Observation Mission’s assessment that the February 19
Presidential election "was administered mostly in line with OSCE and
Council of Europe commitments and standards."

The government of Armenia notes that some of the problems cited in
this post-election interim report have already been at the center of
attention by certain law enforcement bodies, and that appropriate
steps are taken to respond, including to criminally charge some of
those responsible for certain electoral irregularities.

At the same time, Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that in
spite of the government’s repeated inquiries, the government has not
been provided with the identifying numbers of 13 of the 17 precincts
where, according to the report, the counting process was "bad" or
"very bad", and therefore, without such information, the government
is unable to conduct the appropriate investigation.

The interim report also includes interpretative statements based on
unverified data. Thus, the report expresses doubt about the high
turnout in precincts 37/18, 37/29, 37/38 and 37/39. Prior to the
issuance of the report, the authorities had explained that there are
military posts in those precincts which naturally raises the numbers
of those voting, and thus the percentage of voter turnout in those
precincts can be not just near 100, but also in excess of 100 percent.

The Armenian government will closely examine each problem, as well
as inconsistency and error cited in the report, and will provide
comprehensive information about each both to the Armenian public and
to OSCE/ODIHR in order to assure that the final report is even more
objective and complete, the RA MFA press office reported

Azeri troops again fire the positions of the NKR Defense Army

armradio.am
07.03.2008 15:00

The night of March 6 the Azerbaijani armed units again violated the
cease-fire regime at the contact line between the Armed Forces of
Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan near Hadrut, Press Service of the NKR
Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.

According to the data of the Ministry of Defense, an intensive fire was
opened in the direction of positions of the NKR Defense Army from
different weapons: fire-arms, mortars and sniper guns.

Committed to the cease fire regime, the divisions of the NKR Defense
Army did not open response fire.

THE ONLY WAY TO CURE `HEADACHE’
LILIT POGHOSYAN

Hayots Ashkhar
Published on March 07, 2008

To Continue The Process Of Reforms

In response to our questions, MP from `Bargavach Hayastan’ fraction,
Chair of the standing Committee on the Issues of European Integration
Avet Adonts touches upon the responses of the European structures, and
the officials of the US State Department regarding the mass disorder in
Yerevan.

`The first reaction of the international community and the European
structures was naturally going to be negative. What happened was really
unprecedented: lots of injured, 8 people died, by the way, not 80, 100
or 200, as it is speculated these days. And after all this, it is
impossible to expect other assessments.

It is another issue that these assessments are not always adequate to
the reality. And lack of information is also evident. People hear
rumors from different sources, which is far from reality. When they
familiarize themselves with the real developments of the events their
response to what has happened is more reserved and impartial.

For example the Special Representative of OSCE Chairman, Heike
Talvitie, visited Armenia he met the President of the Republic, Levon
Ter-Petrosyan and leaders of other political powers, after which he
drew certain conclusions and by the way his assessment was rather
unbiased. We have set a task to provide international organizations
with complete information and Foreign Ministry works actively in this
direction.

I’m confident at present they have the clear picture of what happened.
They know that an uncontrolled, armed crowd resisted the police,
something that is more than intolerable for any country. We have seen
lots of cases in the same democratic countries, how they treat those
who try to resist law enforcement bodies. But in this case we deal with
an organized confrontation. It is difficult to call these people
opposition. Opposition should not be armed with explosives, iron
sticks, guns and grenades. It was a special group with self-made
equipments to cause bodily injuries to start `war’ with the police.
What happened near the Municipality, was before planned and not 10 days
back, it was a consequence of many months’ purposeful planning.’

`Is it possible to restore the atmosphere of trust in society, in case
when Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s supporters do their best to make the
situation more tensed and to intensify the confrontation?’

`Unfortunately they use dirty technologies, which were prepared long
before the elections. Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s team masters these
technologies. And they are ready to act even in state of emergency, by
means of gossips, rumors. And by the way they partially manage to
achieve their end. The situation is tight; when you walk in the streets
you don’t see smiling faces. And in such circumstances similar rumors
spread very swiftly and in many cases people don’t treat them sensibly.’

Zerkalo, Azerbaijan
Feb 27 2008

Azerbaijani peace keepers are leaving Kosovo

However, members of the Azerbaijani public are divided on this issue

C. Bayramova and R.Habiboglu

Azerbaijani peacekeepers will be recalled from Kosovo, a member of
the permanent commission of the Milli Maclis[Azerbaijani parliament]
on security and defence issues, Zahid Oruc, has told APA [news
agency]. [Passage omitted onreported details]

The member of parliament stressed that this move of Azerbaijan is
very important: "Azerbaijan is taking militarysteps in accordance
with its political position."

Dilemma

It should be mentioned that the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has
recently said that the status of Azerbaijanipeacekeeping troops
remains as it is. In other words, they will continue carrying out
their peacekeeping mission asbefore irrespective of Baku’s position
on the recognition of Kosovo’s sovereignty. Nevertheless, the
presssecretary of the Foreign Ministry, Xazar Ibrahim, told Zerkalo
that the change in the political situation in Kosovo may tell on the
status of not only Azerbaijani peacekeepers in the region, but also
the entire peacekeeping contingent as a whole.

"There were times when the political situation in Kosovo was quite
different. Now, it has changed fundamentally.Therefore, such a change
in the situation leads to a variety of consequences, including [those
concerning] the presence of peacekeeping forces," he said.

According to him, "anything may happen tomorrow, but today the status
of Azerbaijani peacekeeping forces remainsas it is". He added that it
is up to the parliamentarians to decide on sending and recalling
peacekeepers and theMilli Maclis should make a relevant decision.

It seems that there is nothing to think about here. If Azerbaijan
does not recognize Kosovo’s independence, our peacekeepers have
nothing to do there. In essence, this is not the main issue. The
presence of Azerbaijani peacekeepers in the region in connection with
the changing political situation as our above mentioned interlocutor
rightly said risksassuming quite contradictory nature. It is quite
evident that the change in the status of the region is leading to
achange in the status of the peacekeeping contingent in both
political and military terms. In other words, the positionof
peacekeepers is becoming unclear: some will regard them as the
protectors of Kosovo residents, while others have aright to think
that they act as the rivals of Serbians.

Diverging views

This may be why the opinions of members of the Azerbaijani public are
fundamentally divided. For example, the deputy executive secretary of
the ruling New Azerbaijani Party, Mubariz Qurbanli, believes that it
is not appropriate to pullour peacekeeping forces out of Kosovo for
the time being. According to him, our country has joined the
anti-terrorcoalition and within its framework Azerbaijani soldiers
are involved in peacekeeping missions not only in Kosovo, butalso in
Afghanistan and Iraq. In a word, there is no such necessity. The
representative of the ruling party also saysthat it would be quite
erroneous to relate the presence of Azerbaijani peacekeepers in
Kosovo to Azerbaijan’sofficial position to refuse to recognize the
region’s independence.

"It does not change anything even if a number of states have
recognized Kosovo’s independence,"Qurbanli noted. Moreover, our
interlocutor says that the Azerbaijani contingent is located far from
those areas wheredisorder and clashes with Serbs are taking place.
That is why they are not involved in the situation, which can seem to
be contradictory at first glance, from the military point of view.
With this being the case, Qurbanli thinks that if theAzerbaijani
government considers it necessary to recall its peacekeeping troops
from Kosovo, there is a need for thisand it should not be discussed.

Political analyst Rasim Musabayov thinks a little differently, but in
the same way. He looks at this issue as part ofAzerbaijan’s
commitments to NATO. He believes that our country first of all needs
to focus on the mutualcommitments within the framework of the
partnership programme with NATO. "It is up to them to say or think
aboutanything they want. This [presence of Azerbaijani troops] will
not mean recognizing Kosovo," the political analyst said.

The leader of the opposition Musavat party, Isa Qambar, recommends
that we should not hurry to make a decision on thestatus of
Azerbaijani peacekeepers. "Our party made an appeal to the
Azerbaijani government, saying that it is not appropriate to make a
hasty decision to refuse to recognize Kosovo’s sovereignty.
Azerbaijan should have taken await-and-see position in the difficult
geopolitical situation, in which the Western countries are on one
side and Russiais on the other. But unfortunately, they did not
listen to our opinion. The same applies to the status of
Azerbaijanipeacekeeping troops in Kosovo. Azerbaijan should not hurry
in this issue," Qambar warned.

Political analyst Vafa Quluzada has an opposite opinion. According to
him, the Azerbaijani contingent in Kosovo hasnothing to catch, the
mission has been accomplished and they need to come back. "Azerbaijan
does not recognizeKosovo’s independence and it says everything. It
should not have peacekeeping troops there. This is an
absolutelynormal move and neither Kosovo residents and Americans nor
Turks have a right to get offended. So, I do not see anyproblem here.
Moreover, the presence of Azerbaijani soldiers in the peacekeeping
contingent in Kosovo is simplymeagre," Quluzada said.

Political analyst Ilqar Mammadov said that the presence of
Azerbaijani peacekeepers in Kosovo is inappropriatebecause of
Azerbaijan’s interests in the Karabakh issue. He says that
Azerbaijan’s position on peacekeepingshould be fundamentally
reviewed. "We saw the role of peacekeepers in Kosovo. In fact, they
arrived there withBelgrade’s consent, but eventually became the
guarantors of Kosovo’s independence. The same may happen withthe
Karabakh issue if we agree to the presence of a peacekeeping
contingent in the region," Mammadov stressed.

Decision to recall comes from Moscow?

It would be illogical to keep Azerbaijani peacekeepers in Kosovo
after Baku has refused to recognize theregion’s independence. It is
not about the quantity or location of Azerbaijani peacekeepers. It is
a matter ofprinciples. In any case Azerbaijan can not act as a
military guarantor for the independence of the country, which
itrefuses to recognize.

But another thing is worrying. The decision to recall Azerbaijani
peacekeepers from Kosovo was announced after theinformal summit of
the CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States] in Moscow. We would not
like to think that the decision to pull our peacekeepers out of
Kosovo was made following the consultations in Moscow, especially
with [RussianPresident Vladimir] Putin’s service.

Yes, it is true that the outgoing Russian president did not mention
Nagornyy Karabakh among the separatist formationsin the CIS which can
use the Kosovo model to implement the plan of "independence".
However, it is hardly worthbeing happy about it. It would have been
quite logical for the Russian president to name Nagornyy Karabakh and
warnArmenia against such a hasty move. As "Zerkalo" suggested,
President Putin named those separatist formationsin which Russia has
the so-called "direct interests" South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Dniester
Region. Formally,Russia has nothing to do with the conflict over
Nagornyy Karabakh. It can act through its ally in the
CollectiveSecurity Treaty Organization, which is Armenia, if needed.
As for a military and diplomatic cover, Armenia may receivesuch
support at any time, at least within the framework of the Collective
Security Treaty Organization, and even fromthe UN Security Council if
necessary.

Moreover, the groundwork for the propaganda in this direction is
being laid. The secretary-general of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization, Nikolay Bordyuzha, has openly declared recently that
the intensive arms race in Azerbaijanand Georgia threatens the
security of the states included in this military-political alliance.
In addition, the Russian State Duma is expected to hold discussions
on the "frozen conflicts" in the CIS and also inviterepresentatives
from the "Nagornyy Karabakh Republic" there…

DON’T READ ALL ABOUT IT
by Jean-Christophe Peuch

Transitions Online
March 6 2008
Czech Republic

Old pros in the CIS are getting more adept at quashing independent
voices. From EurasiaNet.

The ongoing effort by Armenia’s government to dam the free flow of
information during the country’s post-election state of emergency fits
into a distressing pattern concerning press freedom in Commonwealth
of Independent States. Far from thriving, independent media in most
CIS nations are struggling merely to keep operating.

Independent-minded journalists and media often face adversity and
retribution if they strive to fill a traditional watchdog role. In
Azerbaijan, for example, a Baku district court on 18 January sentenced
Avaz Zeynalli, the editor in chief of the Xural newspaper, to 18
months of corrective labor and a hefty fine on charges of defaming
the director of a state-owned publishing house in a series of critical
articles.

A few days later, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists
reported that Uzeyir Cafarov, a journalist for Azerbaijan’s Baki
Zaman daily had received numerous death threats from anonymous callers
after he had written critical reports on the army and Defense Ministry.

In Kazakhstan, an Astana court on 14 February ordered the closure
of the Zakon i Pravosudiye weekly, alleging that mistakes had been
made during its registration. Staffers insist the court ruling is
merely a pretext for muzzling an independent newspaper known for its
investigative reports on corruption.

Oleg Panfilov, director of the Center for Journalism in Extreme
Situations, says the media environment in most of post-Soviet
countries – including Azerbaijan, Belarus, Central Asia, and Russia –
is "appalling." Panfilov’s Moscow-based media watchdog specializes
in monitoring and protecting the rights of journalists across the CIS.

By contrast, Georgia has expunged its criminal code of repressive
articles traditionally used against journalists. Yet Panfilov says
that even there the situation "is not ideal."

"Many post-Soviet countries are following Russia’s example, as if they
were competing among each other to create the worst possible conditions
for independent journalism," Panfilov told a roundtable discussion in
Vienna last month. The event was organized by the Organizations for
Security and Cooperation in Europe’s representative on media freedom,
Milkos Haraszti.

In Panfilov’s view, independent journalism in Belarus and Uzbekistan
now faces "total disappearance," while in Turkmenistan there are
still no indications that the economic liberalization initiated by
President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov will allow for even partially
independent media to emerge.

In Tajikistan, the media remain "economically very weak" and,
therefore, vulnerable to official pressure. According to Panfilov,
President Imomali Rahmon’s administration in Dushanbe "is unwilling
to allow competitors [to] challenge state propaganda."

Media conditions in Kazakhstan, a country where the influx of energy
wealth is helping to create a middle class, have deteriorated in
recent years. Most major media holdings are now either in the hands
of the state, or are controlled by close friends and relatives of
President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

Following the fall into disgrace of Nazarbayev’s now former son-in-law
Rakhat Aliyev, the latter’s extensive media holdings – including
the Kazakhstan Today news agency, the Karavan newspaper, and the KTK
television channel – were transferred to the state under the direction
Nazarbayev’s former spokesman Zhanai Omarov.

Kazakh authorities in 2007 temporarily shut down several
opposition-leaning websites for publishing documents pertaining to
the Aliyev-Nazarbayev feud, and the government is now striving to
finalize plans to put domestic Internet content under strict control.

"The government wants to be an active player in Internet technologies
from a content perspective. We must offer [users] content,"
Kazakhstan’s State Computerization and Communications Agency head
Kuanyshbek Yesekeyev said in December.

FINANCIAL PRESSURE

Post-Soviet governments are particularly adept at putting financial
pressure on independent media.

Addressing the OSCE roundtable discussion, Council of Europe Human
Rights Commissioner Thomas Hammarberg mentioned Azerbaijan, where
he said businessmen are being advised to not place advertisements in
newspapers that are critical of authorities.

Another favored weapon of post-Soviet governments is the denial of
frequencies, or the revocation of licenses to independent radio and
television broadcasters – a practice that is common in Azerbaijan
and Tajikistan, among others.

Yet it is physical violence that poses perhaps the greatest threat
to independent journalists.

Alisher Saipov According to the Almaty-based Adil Soz media watchdog,
three independent Kazakh journalists – Yernazar Ibrayev, Tolegen
Kibatov and Ilyas Gafurov – were murdered in 2007 under mysterious
circumstances. Another 10 reporters were physically assaulted and
Zakon i Pravosudiye corruption expert Oralgaisha Zhabagtaikyzy has
been missing for almost a year.

In neighboring Kyrgyzstan, ethnic Uzbek journalist Alisher Saipov
was gunned down in the southern city of Osh in October 2007, in what
observers believe was a politically motivated act. The Brussels-based
International Crisis Group says it suspects Tashkent of involvement
in the murder. A member of Uzbekistan’s exiled Erk opposition party,
Saipov was the editor in chief of the Siyosat weekly. The Kyrgyz
government suggests the journalist may have been killed because of
his alleged involvement with banned radical Islamic groups and has
stopped investigating the case. CPJ and other international media
watchdogs remain skeptical of the Islamic radical-connection claim,
and demand that the official probe resume.

Whether there is a link between Saipov’s assassination and Uzbekistan’s
23 December presidential ballot is unclear. Yet, as a rule, the number
of attacks on independent and opposition media in the former Soviet
Union tends to increase around elections.

In Georgia, for instance, security forces in November raided the
headquarters of the opposition Imedi TV amid a general crackdown
on opposition protesters, ransacking the premises, and ordering all
staff out of the building.

Panfilov told the OSCE media panel that in Armenia more than 10
journalists were physically assaulted during the months preceding
the 19 February presidential polls. He said similar incidents took
place in Kyrgyzstan prior to the 16 December legislative ballot.

Firdevs Robinson, editor of the BBC World Service’s Central Asia
and Caucasus Service, in turn noted that with presidential elections
approaching in Azerbaijan "there seems to be less and less room for
dissenting voices."

On 28 December, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev pardoned five
of eight opposition journalists convicted under criminal charges
described as politically motivated by human rights groups. The three
who remain in jail – Qanimat and Mirza Sakit Zahidov of the Azadliq
daily and Eynulla Fatullayev, editor of Realny Azerbaijan and Gundalik
Azarbaycan – were joined by Bizim Yol daily reporter Musfiq Huseynov,
who was handed a six-year jail sentence on bribery charges in January.

The OSCE’s Haraszti told a 13 December hearing of the U.S. Commission
on Cooperation and Security in Europe that the moratorium on the
criminalization of journalists Aliyev had declared in 2004 seemed
to be no longer in force. In addition, he said "critically-minded
reporters" were now being sentenced for alleged criminal offences
unrelated to their professional activities, such as hooliganism,
or possession of drugs.

Criminalization of journalists – which is also a common practice
in Kazakhstan – can only encourage rampant violence against
representatives of the media and must therefore be banned, Haraszti
said during the OSCE panel discussion.

Jean-Christophe Peuch is a Vienna-based writer who specializes in
the Caucasus and Central Asia. A partner post from EurasiaNet.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT-ELECT BELIEVES THE GOVERNMENT MEMBERS ARE "PASSIVE" CONCERNING THE ISSUE OF PROVIDING INFORMATION TO INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Mediamax
March 6, 2008

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Elected Armenian President, Prime Minister Serzh
Sarkisian stated today that the government members are "passive"
in the issue of providing objective information on the situation in
the country to international organizations.

Mediamax reports that Serzh Sarkisian said this at the session of
the government today. The Prime Minister proposed the members of
the cabinet to carefully study all materials, received by official
channels.

"I assure you that this information is true, and you can base on
those facts without doubts", Serzh Sarkisian stated.

"Thank God, our Army managed to once again prove that it is an
established institution and it actively reacted to the existing
threats. We described the given situation in the National Security
Strategy, when many people thought that it was only a theoretical
situation, that such a thing is impossible. Unfortunately, it is
possible", Serzh Sarkisian noted.

"I urge all of you to be active. We will be consistent for all the
guilty to be punished. This is not even a promise; this is the duty,
which I fulfill", the Prime Minister stated.

AZERBAIJAN ASSAILS ARMENIAN FORCES IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH
By A. Haroutiunian

AZG Armenian Daily
05/03/2008

National Security

According to Foreign Minister Oskanian, Azerbaijani Diplomacy has
also Taken an Aggressive Stance

On March 3, 2008, in the Martakert Region of Nagorno-Karabakh, the
Azerbaijani armed forces attempted a serious attack on the Armenian
positions.

"This incident quite differs from all the previous violations of the
armistice, to which we are used to.

In sense of weapons and military machinery engaged, this attack differs
from the others a great deal," stated on a press conference the same
day Foreign Minister of the Republic of Armenia Vardan Oskanian.

As of yesterday, the skirmish still continued on the frontline, the
Azerbaijani side announced the loss of two soldiers. The Minster added,
"At a certain moment we lost a position, but regained it and restored
the status quo on the frontline. We strongly condemn this action of
violence and consider it as a provocation of the Azerbaijani side in
connection with the destabilized political situation inside Armenia.

Probably Azerbaijan counted upon taking advantage at the moment
when all of Armenia is focused on its internal problems. Luckily,
Azerbaijan’s plans failed".

The Co-Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group, as well as representative
of OSCE Chairman in Office Andrzey Kasprszyk were immediately
informed about the incident. Yesterday Co-Chair Bryza and Special
Representative Kasprszyk left on an official visit to Baku and are
returning to Yerevan in a day or two.

They negotiate for restoring the armistice regime with the Azerbaijani
authorities.

"At first the negotiations were about the point that Azerbaijan
consented to cease the fire without giving up the occupied
position. This question was naturally settled by the fact that the
Armenian forces succeeded to take it back." In such circumstances,
according to Vardan Oskanian, the restoration of armistice will be
much easier.

Foreign Minister Oskanian also said that the diplomacy of Azerbaijan
has also taken an aggressive stance. The Azerbaijani side has proposed
a new resolution draft on Karabakh issue, based upon the precedent
of Kosovo.

The resolution draft is to be voted on March 14. The Foreign Minister
assured that the Armenian diplomacy is working to prevent the passing
of the resolution and stated that the proposal of it was another
Azerbaijani provocation, caused by the unrest in Armenia.

"The Chairing countries are trying to persuade Azerbaijan to call
the resolution back. If even those attempts fail, I hope at least
that the Chairing countries will not support the resolution," said Mr.

Oskanian. He also stated that the Azerbaijani authorities are trying to
put the newly elected President of Armenia into a difficult situation
with such measures.

Mr. Oskanian informed that in the state of emergency the Foreign
Ministry of Armenia shall work in a special regime, so as to ensure
providing verified and objective information.

The Foreign Minister reminded that OSCE Chairman in Office
representative Heikki Talvitie and EU Special Representative to South
Caucasus Peter Semneby are on a visit to Armenia and have met with
the President, Prime Minister, Parliament Speaker and opposition
political figures.

Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
Email [email protected]
Internet

PRESS RELEASE

March 3, 2008
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

ANCA CAPITAL GATEWAY PROGRAM WELCOMES NEW PARTICIPANT; SALUTES
ACHIEVEMENTS OF PROGRAM ALUMNI

WASHINGTON, DC — Talar Shekherdimian, a native of La Crescenta,
California, is the latest young Armenian American to travel to
Washington, DC for the Armenian National Committee of America’s
(ANCA) Capital Gateway Program. In less than a week following her
arrival in the nation’s capital, she successfully secured an
internship with the office of California Congresswoman Grace
Napolitano (D-CA-38), is soon to begin work with a prominent law
firm in the area.

Shekherdimian arrived in Washington, DC in January under the
auspices of the Hovig Apo Saghdejian Memorial Fellowship, a special
fund established to open up doors for young Armenians seeking
opportunities in politics and public service. The fellowship is
named in honor Hovig Saghdejian, a 23-year-old youth leader from
Fresno, Calif., who tragically passed away in 2004. It was
established by his family to serve as a tribute to the their son’s
legacy of activism in the Armenian American community.

As a long-time member of the AYF and Homenetmen in Southern
California, Shekherdimian was aware of Hovig’s involvement and
became acquainted with the program his memorial fund helped
establish. She decided to apply for the program after finishing a
Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from California State
University, Long Beach. "I wanted to come to DC to gain experience
on the Hill and explore civil and criminal issues in more depth,"
said Shekherdimian. "The ANCA Capital Gateway Program provided the
perfect opportunity for me to come out here and get a head start on
achieving my career goals."

In addition to exposing Shekherdimian to a host of constituent
civil rights issues, working for Rep. Napolitano has given her
insight into the inner workings of the American Congress.
"Interning on the Hill allows you to really understand how the
political system operates and gives you the chance to interact
directly with the major decision makers of this country," she
explains. Shekherdimian hopes to use her experience in DC as a
stepping-stone for further opportunities in the Department of
Justice, and plans to eventually pursue a law degree in Criminal
and Juvenile justice.

Two other recent Capital Gateway Fellows, Astine Suleimanyan and
Daniel Stepanian-Bennett, have also succeeded in establishing
themselves in the nation’s capital. Suleimanyan recently accepted
a field-working position with the American Civil Liberties Union
(ACLU) and Stepanian-Bennett found a full-time position with SRCP
Media, a Republican-oriented political marketing firm. All three
Fellows reside in a two-story apartment provided by the program and
located conveniently in the heart of northwest DC.

In the coming months, Capital Gateway Program Director, Serouj
Aprahamian, will be looking to expand efforts to promote this
unique program on college campuses throughout the country. He
recently returned from a trip to New Jersey where he gave a
presentation about the program to the Rutgers University Armenian
Club and will be making similar presentations at various other
schools. The newly launched CampusCause.com ()
will also directly provide students regularly updated information
about the program.

For further details or to access an application for the program,
please visit and click on the "Capital Gateway" link,
or call (202) 775-1918 and ask for Serouj Aprahamian. Applications
are accepted on a rolling basis.

####

Photo Caption: Capital Gateway Fellow Talar Shekherdimian,
volunteering time at the ANCA, following her Congressional
internship.

STARA ZAGORA CITY COMMUNITY COUNCIL RECOGNIZED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.03.2008 18:28 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The community council of Stara Zagora, the 5-th
biggest city in Bulgaria, has recognized the Armenian Genocide at
the hands of the Ottoman Empire in 1915. The motion was passed with
28 votes ‘for’, 2 ‘against’ and 10 abstentions, the RA MFA press
office reported.

Several days ago the Armenian Genocide was recognized by Burgas.