Author: Boshkezenian Garik

CE SECRETARY GENERAL CONCERNED ABOUT LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN YEREVAN

arminfo
2008-03-03 12:09:00

ArmInfo. Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis is very
concerned about the latest developments in Yerevan and the declaration
of the state of emergency. As the press service of CE head headquarters
told ArmInfo, CE Secretary General said: "I am shocked to learn that
at least 8 people have been killed, and I call on the authorities to
investigate all these deaths and the allegations of excessive use
of force. Obviously, the investigations should focus on finding
the Ñ~@erpetrators of crimes and should not be used to harass
political opponents. Both the authorities and the opposition should
do everything they can to prevent any further violence. I hope that
the state of emergency will be lifted very soon. Meanwhile, I call
on the authorities to review the justification for the restrictions
imposed – especially on media, political parties and non-governmental
organisations.

These restrictions are an obstacle to political dialogue, which is the
only way to find a political solution to the present situation. The
state of emergency suspends the application of several rights and
freedoms protected by the European Convention on Human Rights. Under
Article 15 of the Convention the Armenian Government must inform me
of the measures which it has taken and the reasons therefor. I expect
that they will do so without any delay".

–Boundary_(ID_SjwfhGJdK+UVDexeDGAFA A)–

PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA CONGRATULATES DMITRY MEDVEDEV ON ELECTION TO POST OF RF PRESIDENT

arminfo
2008-03-03 12:05:00

ArmInfo. President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan congratulated First Vice
Premier of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev on election to the
post of RF President. Armenian Presidential press-service reports,
President Robert Kocharyan particularly says in his congratulation
message: sincerely congratulate you on election to the post of RF
President. Armenia highly appreciates the alliance and partnership of
our countries and the versatile strategic cooperation. I am sure that
our countries and people will further fortify the friendly ties and
partnership and will extend the mutually advantageous cooperation. I
note with satisfaction your personal contribution to development
of Armenian-Russian relations. I am sure that on the high post of
RF President you will boost these relations. I wish you health,
welfare and success in the work for the welfare of the fraternal
Russia. Earlier, D. Medvedev expressed an intention to make his
first visit as RF President to one of the CIS member-states.

Voice of America
March 1 2008

Armenian Government Declares State of Emergency Following Police
Clashes With Protesters

By VOA News
01 March 2008

Armenian President Robert Kocharian has declared a 20-day state of
emergency, following clashes between police and activists on the
eleventh day of protests in the capital, Yerevan, over a contested
election.

News reports say at least one person died as police broke up
Saturday’s demonstration in the city center. Riot police fired tear
gas and automatic weapons into the air to disperse thousands of
protesters. Police and protesters had clashed earlier in the morning
when police raided the city’s Freedom Square to clear out
demonstrators.

Tens of thousands of activists have held large-scale daily protests
in Yerevan, following the February 19 presidential election. They
said the official results, which handed a landslide victory to Prime
Minister Serzh Sarkisyan, were rigged.

The top European vote-monitoring group, the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe, today condemned the government’s use of
force against peaceful demonstrators.

Armenian opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian says he was placed
under house arrest Saturday morning.

Friday, Mr. Sarkisyan announced plans to form a coalition government
with the leader of another opposition movement, the Rule of Law
party. He signed an agreement with the party’s leader Artur
Baghdassarian appointing Baghdassarian the secretary of the
Presidential National Security Council.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe observers say
the election mostly met international standards.

Armenian President is visiting the injured employees of the Police

March 2, 2008

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Armenian President Robert Kocharian is visiting
at present the injured employees of the Police in the hospital.

Mediamax reports that, according to the information of the press
service of the Police, after yesterday’s disturbances, 33 policemen
appeared in hospitals, 11 of which – with frag wounds, 13 – with
injuries of various degrees of seriousness, 8 – with gassing and 1 –
in condition of faint.

Thousands Of Protestors In Armenia Refuse To Leave The Capital

All Headline News
March 1 2008

March 1, 2008 1:33 p.m. EST

Mayur Pahilajani – AHN News Writer

Yerevan, Armenia (AHN) – Thousands of Armenians defied a crackdown on
Saturday after police forcefully tried to disperse a demonstration
gathered in the capital Yerevan for more than a week to protest
against the results of presidential elections.

Before the police started to disperse the rally, they had put
opposition chief Levon Ter-Petrosian under house arrest.

According to the reports, more than 8,000 people supporting the
opposition party accusing the government of rigging the February 19
presidential elections.

However, according to the Organization for Security and Corporation
in Europe (OSCE) the elections were mainly conducted according to
the International standards.

The police started dispersing the crowd at 7 a.m. local time before
forcing the protesters onto buses to vacate the capital region.

The reports stated that at least 31 people including six policemen
were injured during the clashes between the protesters and the security
forces on Saturday.

The protesters have been demanding to conduct new elections in the
former Soviet republic by protesting and gathering in a square where
they had set up tents from the last several days.

The result of the election held Prime Minister Serge Sarkisian as the
likely successor of the President Robert Kocharian after winning with
majority of the votes.

However, the opposition leader Ter-Petrosian did not except the
final results, accusing the government of fraud, and he has blamed
the government for instigating the current protest.

"Do not provoke scuffles," Stepan Demirchian, head of the Popular
Party, said to followers, according to AFP news agency.

"If Ter-Petrosian is not allowed to leave his home and speak to
his supporters, the responsibility for the consequences will lie
exclusively with the authorities," he added.

MELINEH KURDIAN, LA-BASED SINGER/SONGWRITER FORMS BAND, ROCKS HOTEL CAFE

Top40-Charts.com, NY
Feb 29 2008

HOLLYWOOD, CA. (Top40 Charts/ Melineh Kurdian Official Website) – By
popular demand, up-and-coming Armenian- American singer-songwriter
Melineh Kurdian returns to Hollywood’s Hotel Cafe (1623 1/2 N
Cahuenga Blvd. – between Hollywood and Sunset in Hollywood) for a
much-anticipated live performance with a full band on Wednesday,
March 5th at 7:00 PM.

Performing Songwriter magazine says, ‘Acoustic pop fans take note-
Kurdian’s From Where You Are is the real deal, poised to grab you
wherever you are.’

Melineh is an Armenian, born and raised in Wichita, Kansas. She earned
a degree in French, loves all things Japanese, lived in New York City,
has played at some of the hottest venues around the US and now resides
in Los Angeles.

The New York Times calls her music ‘soulful and amusing,’ which make
sense when you this young firebrand on stage, strumming the guitar
and performing her original songs with great drama and emotion.

>>From the age of six, Melineh performed in countless classical
recitals and competitions. In middle school she switched to cello and
while she loved its rich sound, practicing it was closer to torture
than rapture. It wasn’t until she discovered an old guitar under her
mother’s bed that she realized her true calling. Fueled by her father’s
jazz collection, Creedance Clearwater Revival, REM, and the Indigo
Girls, she taught herself more until she was writing her own tunes.

A music video for Melineh’s single As Good As You will soon premier
on television, and it’s already a big hit on the Internet.

About Melineh Melineh Kurdian () is available
for interviews.

She speaks Armenian fluently. High-resolution photos and
broadcast-quality copies of Melineh’s video are available upon
request. See Melineh’s new video: youtube.com/user/melinehkurdian

http://top40-char ts.com/news/Pop-Rock/Melineh-Kurdian-LA-based-Sing er-songwriter-Forms-Band-Rocks-HOTEL-CAFE/38731.ht ml

ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTER VISITS GEORGIA

Civil Georgia
Feb 28 2008
Georgia

Michael Harutyunyan, the Armenian defense minister, pays an official
visit to Georgia on February 28-March 1, marking launch of, as the
Georgian Ministry of Defense put it, "bilateral military cooperation"
between the two countries.

Harutyunyan met with his Georgian counterpart, Davit Kezerashvili,
and foreign minister, Davit Bakradze, on February 28. He also plans
to meet with President Saakashvili and Parliamentary Chairperson,
Nino Burjanadze.

The Georgian Defense Ministry said in its press release on February
28 that "launch of bilateral military cooperation was discussed"
during the meeting of the defense ministers of Armenia and Georgia.

"No cooperation has been in place in this respect before," it said.

It also said that Georgia would send its military attache to Yerevan.

"There have been no official relations between the defense ministries
of the two countries and we discussed to enhance relations and
the first step will be sending of our military attache," Davit
Kezerashvili, the Georgian defense minister, said.

"Although there have been very high level economic and political
relations between our two countries, there have been not a single
agreement signed in the defense sphere between the two countries,"
the Armenian defense minister said.

WESTERN COUNTRIES NOT GOING TO CARRY OUT ‘ORANGE REVOLUTION’ IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.02.2008 17:30 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "The Western countries did not stake on an ‘orange
revolution’ in Armenia. At least, the U.S. had no intention of the
kind," said Dr. Nikolai Zlobin, director of the Russia and Eurasia
Project at the World Security Institute.

"Isolated debates were held in Washington regarding the future of
Armenia, which pursues a pro-Russian policy. The U.S. does not want
to come to loggerheads with Russia," Zlobin said.

According to him, there are suspicions in Washington with regards to
the honesty and transparency of the presidential election in Armenia,
but the U.S. will not take any moves apropos of this.

"By the highest standards, Armenia’s is not Washington’s priority,"
he said.

The Armenian opposition will claim down soon.

"However, these disturbances have already reached the
target. Thereafter, the Armenian government will have to take into
consideration the existence of a serious opposition. It will be
impossible to steer Armenia without paying any attention to the
disagreed people because they are many in number," he said.

"Armenia is in the transition period and people have not decided on
what is important for them yet.

However, the current processes in Armenia are useful.

They assist in devising the national elite and national discussions
and comprehending the state interests," Zlobin said, Trend Azeri news
agency reports.

OSKANIAN AND OSCE CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE DISCUSS KARABAKH ISSUE

ARMENPRESS
Feb 26, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 26, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian and the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister
Ilkka Kanerva, who arrived in Yerevan today, discussed the latest
developments in the efforts to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Speaking after the meeting to a news conference Oskanian said they
discussed the current state of the talks, possible future developments
and possibilities for resumption of the talks on the level of Armenian
and Azerbaijani presidents.

Oskanian said after the CEC in Armenia published the final results
of the presidential election the international peace brokers from
the OSCE Minsk group indicated they are ready to start arrangements
for a meeting between presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Ilkka Kanerva said the OSCE will continue its support for the Minsk
Group’s efforts. According to him, it is very important that the peace
process moves ahead.. He added that it is in Armenia’s interests that
a final settlement be found to the dispute.

AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA COORDINATED SOME PROVISIONS IN KARABAKH RESOLUTION?

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.02.2008 19:25 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijan and Armenia have coordinated the issues
referring to demilitarization, deployment of peacekeepers, return
of lands and refugees, said Sabine Freizer, Director of the Europe
Program of the International Crisis Group.

The sides can’t coordinate some key aspects on the width of the
corridor uniting Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia as well as the mechanism
of voting in Karabakh.

"After the presidential election both in Armenia and Azerbaijan it
will be possible to tackle the Karabakh problem," she said.

According to her, Armenia and Azerbaijan should raise the public
awareness of the details of the negotiation process. "Both sides
should stop warlike statements," she said, Trend reports.