Author: Chakrian Hovsep

LEADER OF DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF ARMENIA: IN 1996 LEVON TER-PETROSSYAN BEHAVED THE SAME WAY AS THE PRESENT AUTHORITIES BEHAVED TOWARDS HIM

arminfo
2008-03-24 20:27:00

ArmInfo. The Mar 1 events in Armenia were very much like the events of
1996 when the first president Levon Ter-Petrossyan used water cannons
and tanks against the opposition. Then, Ter-Petrossyan behaved the
same way as the present authorities behaved to him, says the leader
of the Democratic Party of Armenia Aram Sargsyan.

"I perfectly knew the leaders of the opposition. After each rally
Ter-Petrossyan summoned us to the prosecutor’s office in order to
institute criminal proceedings. The present authorities must prove
that our political system has improved since those times. Only then the
people who voted for Ter-Petrossyan will understand that the promises
of the authorities are not a lie. Otherwise, they will not calm down,"
says Sargsyan.

As regards the questions why he was not with the people during the
events, Sargsyan says that he was with the people simply he was not
withy the people who tried to make advantage of the situation.

Sargsyan is sure that Ter-Petrossyan would not have appeared in
Armenia after 10 years of absence had he had no external support.

ARONYAN DEFEATS VESELIN TOPALOV AND WISHVANATHAN ANAND

armradio.am
24.03.2008 12:59

Armenian Grand Master Levon Aronyan defeated Veselin Topalov of
Bulgaria 1.5:0.5 in the 7h round of the Amber Rapid and Blindfold
Chess Tournament underway in Nice, France.

In the eights round Aronyan defeated Wishvanathan Anand of India
1.5:0.5, scoring a victory in the blindfold game, and playing a draw
in the rapid chess tournament.

Aronyan is currently in sole lead in the overall standing with
10.5 points.

Magnus Carlsen of Norway comes second with 9.5 points. Peter Leco is
the third with 9 points.

Levon Aronyan is leading also in the rapid chess tournament with
6 points.

Wishvanathan Anand is the second with 4.5 points.

In the blindfold tournament Levon Aronyan shares the 3rd to 6th places
with 4.5 points. Alexander Morozevich of Russia is leading here with
5.5 points.

Interfax News Agency, Russia
March 21 2008

Four Armenian parties create ruling coalition to conduct reforms –
Sargsyan

YEREVAN March 21

Leaders of the four Armenian parties, the Republican, Prosperous
Armenia, Country Of Law and Dashnaktsutyun, have signed a joint
political agreement setting up a ruling coalition in the country.

"Today we have formed a four-party coalition in order to conduct
major reforms, major changes in our country," Armenian Prime Minster
and president-elect Serzh Sargsyan, who is also the leader of the
Republican Party, said after the signing ceremony on Friday.

"Changes will be conducted on a large scale and will be painful for
many," said the Armenian president-elect.

Sargsyan said the creation of this coalition is an important event in
the political life of the country, because earlier parties would only
sign agreements to form a coalition government.

PRESS RELEASE
Office of Assemblymember Paul Krekorian
Adrin Nazarian, Chief of Staff
620 N. Brand Blvd. Suite 403
Glendale, CA 91203
(818) 240-6330
(818) 240-4632 fax
[email protected]
818/240-6330, 818/512-4045

March 21, 2008

Assemblymember Krekorian Hosts
Two Identity Theft Prevention Workshops

Glendale-Calling identity theft "an increasing, pernicious assault on
financial privacy and security," Assemblymember Paul Krekorian
(D-Burbank) announced he will host two preventative workshops in his
district that are designed to help constituents protect themselves from
the effects of this crime.

"Identity theft is one of our fastest-growing crimes," Assemblymember
Krekorian said. "Unfortunately it is likely that many of us know someone
who has been victimized. Identity protection begins with informed,
aware consumers, and these workshops will explain how to reduce
vulnerability to theft and what to do if you become a victim."

The first workshop is set for 7:00 – 8:30 p.m., Thursday, March 27, at
the Glendale Police Department Community Room, 131 N. Isabel Avenue,
Glendale. The second runs from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m., Thursday, April 17, at
the Buena Vista Library Meeting Room, 300 N. Buena Vista Street,
Burbank.

"I urge all to attend and learn how to fight the potentially ruinous
effects of identity theft," Assemblymember Krekorian said. "Local law
enforcement, state and county identity-theft specialists, will explain
how to avoid being a victim, how fraud happens, some of the various
scams now in use, and what to do if you are victimized."

The Glendale workshop is being co-hosted by the Glendale Police
Department and the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer Affairs,
and the Burbank event by the Burbank Police Department and the
California Office of Privacy Protection.

"I very much hope that as many people as possible will take advantage of
these timely and important workshops," Assemblymember Krekorian said.
For further information, please call Assemblymember Krekorian’s Glendale
District Service Office at 818/240-6330.

Assemblymember Paul Krekorian (D-Burbank) represents the cities of
Burbank and Glendale, and the Los Angeles communities of Atwater
Village, Los Feliz, North Hollywood, Silver Lake, Toluca Lake, Valley
Glen, Valley Village and Van Nuys.

# # #

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE SURVIVOR PASSES AWAY AT 106

NewsBlaze
March 19 2008
CA

106-year old Hayganoush Markarian was one of last two known Bay
Area survivors

Hayganoush Markarian, one of only two known remaining survivors of
the 1915 Armenian Genocide living in the Bay Area, passed away at
the age of 106 on March 13.

Last October, Markarian’s story of survival was presented by Rep.

Lynn Woolsey to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs during a hearing
regarding a resolution officially recognizing the Armenian Genocide by
Congress. Rep. Woolsey showed committee members Markarian’s photograph
and urged her colleagues to pass the resolution. The resolution passed
in committee and awaits a vote by the full House of Representatives.

Markarian was born Hayganoush Azarian on January 24, 1902 in the city
of Kharpert in current-day eastern Turkey. The area was the historic
homeland of Armenians until the Ottoman Turkish government began a
systematic campaign to exterminate the Armenian population in 1915,
which culminated in the death of 1.5 million Armenian men, women and
children through massacres and forced deportations.

In Kharpert, Markarian lived with her parents, older brother,
and four sisters. When the Turkish government began the Armenian
Genocide, first through the conscription of Armenian men and boys
into special army units, Markarian’s brother and father fled into
hiding. Her brother, Karekin, dressed as a girl in order to safely
cross dangerous areas. He made his way to Russia, then Sweden,
and finally to the United States. Her father, Minas, who had been
a successful businessman, hid among some of his Kurdish clients,
moving from residence to residence to avoid detection. Meanwhile,
Markarian’s mother found a way to keep the rest of the family together
in Kharpert during the mass deportations, avoiding massacre until
the end of WWI when they were reunited with Markarian’s father.

Unfortunately, Minas suffered an early death as the result of the
difficult conditions he had faced hiding in water wells for long
periods of time.

In 1923, Markarian’s mother moved the family to Aleppo, Syria, where
Hayganoush married Markar Markarian in 1925. They remained in Aleppo,
raising five children, until 1956 when the entire family moved to
Lebanon. In the meantime, their eldest son, Armen, migrated to the
United States to pursue an education, and remained in America to
teach. In 1969, the rest of the Markarian family followed Armen to
the United States.

In both Syria and Lebanon, Markarian was an active member of the
Armenian Relief Society, the oldest Armenian women’s organization
operating in the world. The organization was established in 1910
in New York City to provide humanitarian assistance to Armenians in
need. Markarian continued her membership until her death this week.

Hayganoush Markarian’s funeral will take place on Wednesday, March
19, at 11 am, at St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church in San
Francisco. She is survived by Armen and Victoria Markarian, Arsen
and Alice Gregorian, Zohrab and Elizabeth Markarian, Sinan and Seta
Yazejian, Constantine and Nayiri Bouboussis, and six grandchildren.

OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRMEN FIND THAT RESOLUTION INTRODUCED BY AZERBAIJAN IN UN THREATENS TO WEAKEN PEACE PROCESS

Noyan Tapan
March 18, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 18, NOYAN TAPAN. The United States, France and the
Russian Federation, as OSCE Minsk Group co-presiding countries
involved in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, made a statement at the
United Nations General Assembly on March 14 on the occasion of voting
against the resolution on the situation in the captured territories
of Azerbaijan. This information was provided by the Radio Liberty.

"The representatives of the political level of France, the Russian
Federation and the United States as co-Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk
Group, who are involved in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict issues,
offered a parcel of fundamental principles of a peaceful regulation of
Nagorno Karabakh to the sides during the sitting days of the council of
ministers held in Madrid in November 2007. These fundamental principles
are based on the provisions of the Helsinki final document, including
the provisions, which concern keeping away from the use of force
and threats, the territorial completeness of states and equality and
self-determination rights of peoples," is said in the statement. "The
suggestion, which was passed to the sides in Madrid, is composed of
the balanced parcel of the principles, which are currently in the
negotiation stage. The sides agreed that no separate element will be
considered as coordinated, until all the elements are coordinated."

"Unfortunately, this draft resolution selectively defends only certain
principles, excluding others and without taking into consideration
the suggestions of the co-Chairmen in their balanced entity," the
international mediators continue. "And because of this selective
approach, the three co-presiding countries of the OSCE Minsk Group
should be against this unilateral draft resolution. They reaffirm
that the peaceful and long-lasting regulation of the Nagorno Karabakh
problem with equal conditions will demand inevitable compromises
between the sides, which will reflect the principles of territorial
completeness, non-application of force, equal rights of peoples,
as well as other principles of the international law."

The three co-presiding countries of the OSCE Minsk Group will
vote against this unilateral draft resolution, which "threatens to
weaken the peace process." At the same time, they "reaffirm their
assistance for the territorial completeness of Azerbaijan and thus
do not recognize the independence of Nagorno Karabakh."

"When serious clashes have taken place along the contact line and
human loses have been recorded, the two sides should abstain from
unilateral and maximalist activities both around the negotiation table
and in the field," the Co-Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group concluded.

PanARMENIAN.Net

U.S. Congressmen call for parity in military aid to
Armenia and Azerbaijan
14.03.2008 16:47 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In a hearing before the State, Foreign Operations
Appropriations Subcommittee in the House of Representatives, lawmakers
raised a series of concerns regarding the Administration’s FY 2009
budget proposal for Armenia. Congressmen Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Joe
Knollenberg (R-MI) raised pointed questions regarding the
Administration’s proposal to provide Azerbaijan with increased
military funding over Armenia, reported the Armenian Assembly of
America.

Schiff asked Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice how the U.S. can
justify providing Azerbaijan $900,000 versus only $300,000 for Armenia
in Military Education and Training (IMET) assistance. He specifically
cited Azerbaijan’s ongoing war rhetoric and large increases in
military spending as reason against favoring Baku over Yerevan with
additional security funding.

Azeri President Ilham Aliyev recently proclaimed that "Armenia did not
win the war. The war is not over. Only the first stage of the war has
been completed." He added that Nagorno Karabakh will never be
independent.

Knollenberg said it is "not just the rhetoric [from Azerbaijan] but
the threat of war," that is most troubling. He said Azerbaijan’s
recent cease fire violations were the worst in 10 years, adding that
the U.S. should consider discontinuing military funding to Azerbaijan
altogether.

"We should either take away military funding to Azerbaijan or threaten
to stop it as long as they are threatening Armenia," Knollenberg said,
explaining that it is now time to take drastic steps. Knollenberg,
along with Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), also
issued a strong statement regarding Azerbaijan’s ceasefire violations.

In separate responses to the lawmakers, Secretary Rice said the
Administration believes that the request levels for Armenia and
Azerbaijan are appropriate. Noting concerns with the recent state of
emergency in Armenia, Rice also made reference to the suspension of
some U.S. assistance programs to Armenia, and indicated that the
Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) funding could be put at jeopardy.

"During this critical time, the U.S. should do more to help Armenia’s
democratic institutions," said Knollenberg, Co-Chair of the Armenian
Caucus.

Congressman Schiff added, "The Administration’s justification for
reduced aid to Armenia is not a solution."

The Administration’s budget slashed funding to Armenia by nearly 60
percent from $58.5 million in FY 2008 to a proposed level of $24
million in FY 2009. The budget request also called for more military
funding for Azerbaijan; a clear breach of the agreement reached with
Congress in 2001 regarding military parity for both countries.
Executive Director Bryan Ardouny thanked Congressmen Schiff and
Knollenberg for raising strong concerns with the Administration’s
spending plan with Secretary Rice

"We thank both lawmakers for their leadership on this important
issue. Providing asymmetrical military assistance to Azerbaijan
violates the will of Congress, subverts the short- and long-term U.S.
policy goals for the South Caucasus region, and will only serve to
legitimize Azerbaijan’s ongoing blockades against Armenia and
Karabakh," Ardouny added.

SOME 276,000 CELL PHONES IMPORTED TO ARMENIA LAST YEAR

ARMENPRESS
March 14, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 14, ARMENPRESS; About 276,000 cell phones were imported
to Armenia in 2007, worth a total of $37 million. According to the
National Statistical Service, one cell phone was exported from Armenia
to France.

Ashot Ananian from the Statistical Service, said the biggest batch
of cell phones-almost 110,000 pieces, worth over $16 million-
was brought from South Korea, 90,000 cell phones worth about $11
million were brought from Hungary, 33,000 cell phones were brought
from Singapore. Cell phones were imported also from China, Finland,
India and Slovenia.

RA PRESIDENT ELECT READY TO MEET WITH THE PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN

armradio.am
13.03.2008 16:40

RA President-elect, Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan will head the
Armenian delegation at the NATO summit to be held in Bucharest on 3-4
April, RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian told a press conference
today. He noted that Serge Sargsyan is ready to meet with Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev on the sidelines of the summit.

Vartan Oskanian said the mediators are interested in the rapid restart
of the Karabakh talks and organization of the meeting between RA
President elect and the President of Azerbaijan. The Foreign Minister
stated he will discuss those issues during his meeting with the OSCE
Minsk Group Co-Chairs in Vienna tomorrow.

"We think that the NATO summit in Bucharest is the first convenient
opportunity for the meeting. If the mediators make the suggestion and
the Azerbaijani side agrees, the Armenian president-elect is ready
for the meeting," Vartan Oskanian said.

The Foreign Minister underlined that Serge Sargsyan is ready to
continue the negotiations based on the document on the bargaining
table.

Vartan Oskanian informed also that the voting on the draft resolution
on Nagorno Karabakh presented by Azerbaijan is expected at the sitting
of the UN General Assembly on March 14. According to the Minister, he
intends to discuss the question with the mediators, since the Armenian
side considers that adoption of such a resolution when the talks have
not exhausted themselves is counterproductive. "In any case, even
in case it is adopted, the resolution will have no legal importance,
and Azerbaijan’s policy on this issue is like self-delusion," Vartan
Oskanian concluded.

AZERBAIJANI CONSUL GENERAL TO LOS ANGELES ELIN SULEYMANOV PUBLISHES PROTEST LETTER IN INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE

Azeri Press Agency
March 13 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku. Tamara Grigoryeva-APA. Elin Suleymanov, Azerbaijan’s Consul
General to Los Angeles, has published a letter in the International
Herald Tribune as a protest to the editorial "Dark days for Armenia’s
democracy" published in the newspaper on March 8, APA reports.

According to Consul General, this conflict, along with other separatist
disputes in Georgia and Moldova, continue to impede development and
progress in Eurasia.

"The Azerbaijani side would much prefer to stay away from Armenia’s
domestic political crisis. The timing of the armed provocation
raises strong suspicions that the objective was to overshadow the
unfortunate events in Yerevan. Hopefully, the Armenians are able to
resolve domestic political disagreements without undermining regional
stability. Of course, the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict should be
settled peacefully and soon to the benefit of both the Azerbaijani
and Armenian people," Elin Suleymanov writes.