Author: Chilingarian Babken

Cooperation agreement between the political coalition and ARF
Editorial

Yerkir.am
June 08, 2007

1. Purpose of cooperation
The Political Coalition formed in the National Assembly following the
elections on May 12 and the Armenian revolutionary Federation Party
sign the present cooperation agreement with the assistance of the
President of Armenia. The goal of the agreement is:
– to accomplish the largely converging goals of government’s action
plan and the ARF’s pre-electoral platform;
– to counter efficiently the challenges Republic of Armenia is facing.

The parties of the agreement attest their will and determination to
implement the goals of the agreement.

2. Principles for work in the framework of cooperation
Adhering to the principles of mutual respect, understanding, tolerance,
conciliation, and settlement of controversies through negotiations and
discussions the parties commit themselves to act in accordance to the
content and spirit of the present agreement, implement unified policies
in cooperation with each other and the President of the Republic of
Armenia.

3. The obligations of the parties of the agreement
The parties of the agreement shall:
a) exert all efforts necessary to efficiently implement the
government’s program;
b) ensure fulfillment of all arrangements reached in the framework of
the present agreement by their members and authorized representatives
in the governance structures;
c) not undertake any actions that might directly or indirectly damage
the goals stated in the present agreement.

4. Political priorities
The political priorities of cooperation are:
– safe and sustainable economic development, reduction of the shadow
economy, application of more fair mechanisms for income distribution;
– promotion of export-oriented industries;
– increased efficiency of the fight against corruption;
– ensuring social order and further improvement of the
moral-psychological atmosphere in the country;
– bringing the legislation into correspondence with the amended
constitution;
– consolidation of the constitutional guarantees for the checks and
balances system between the branches of power in the legislation and
the political system;
– improvement of the Electoral Code;
– establishment of a multi-party system ensuring efficient political
competition;
– improvement of conditions favorable for consolidation of the civil
society;
– completion of the public service reform, formation of a fair and
efficient public administration system;
– introduction of the Judicial Code with the purpose of bringing the
functioning of the judicial system into correspondence to the European
standards.

5. The mode of cooperation in the state administration system
5.1 During the election to the National Assembly posts the parties of
the cooperation agreement shall support:
a) the candidates nominated based on the coalition memorandum;
b) the candidates nominated by the ARF for the posts of the Deputy
Chairman of the National Assembly, Chairman of the Standing Committee
on External Relations, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Defense,
Internal Affairs and National Security.
5.2 The parties of the agreement agree that candidates nominated by the
ARF shall be appointed to the posts of the Ministers of Agriculture,
and Science and Education.
5.3 The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Party bears the
responsibility for implementation of the government’s action plan by
its representatives in the state administration system.
5.4 The parties can recall the officials nominated by them and nominate
alternative candidates.

6. The procedure for organizing the work in the framework of the
cooperation agreement
The representatives of the ARF can participate in the discussion of
draft documents of strategic and conceptual importance in the
coalition’s coordinating council. The representatives of the ARF shall
have a consultative voice in such discussions.
Any issue related to the activities of the National Assembly or the
government can be discussed upon suggestion by one of the parties with
the purpose of formulating a unanimous position on the issue. Each of
the parties shall be free to express their alternative position on any
issues not agreed with the parties.

7. The term of cooperation
The agreement shall take effect upon signature by the parties and shall
stay in effect until the next presidential elections. The agreement may
be terminated by any of the parties or by agreement reached between the
parties in case of a principal disagreement that cannot be settled.

Republican Party of Armenia
Prosperous Armenia Party
Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Signed on 6 June, 2007

TIGRAN TOROSYAN REELECTED SPEAKER OF ARMENIAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

ArmInfo
2007-06-07 13:40:00

Tigran Torosyan was reelected Chairman of the Armenian National
Assembly through a secret voting in the parliament, Thursday.

Chairman of the NA Counting Board Samvel Nikoyan said 114 of 131
deputies participated in the voting. 112 voted "for" the candidature
of Tigran Torosyan, 2 voted "against." In his speech, the speaker
thanked his colleagues for the trust in his person and expressed
confidence in the effective work of the parliament.

THE LEAVING PRESIDENT HAS NOT DECIDED WHAT TO DO IN THE FUTURE

Lragir.am
07-06-2007 19:18:54

They will try their hardest to hold a free, fair and transparent
presidential election in Karabakh on July 19, 2007. On June 7 the
NKR president Arkady Ghukasyan stated this in Yerevan. "I am sure
it will be such. Unfortunately, a few forces are trying to create
an artificial fuss regarding the election in Nagorno-Karabakh,
and I should note these are futile efforts, because it is important
that Nagorno-Karabakh will not give up on the democratic traditions,
the democratic principles, the good traditions we have established,"
Arkady Ghukasyan says.

According to him, the election will be free and fair, and it will
raise the reputation of Karabakh. And the election will not have a
major effect on the settlement because Arkady Ghukasyan continues to
think all through the past two days that the stance of Karabakh does
not depend on persons but is the expression of the will of people. When
the reporters said two main candidates are figuring in the pre-election
period and asked Arkady Ghukasyan’s opinion regarding this, he said
he cannot see two main candidates.

As to what he will be doing after leaving office, Arkady Ghukasyan
said he will stay in Karabakh. "I don’t know. If the president and
the government need my advice, I will gladly help them. What I shall
be doing. I haven’t decided. Perhaps I deserve a little rest. I have
been in politics for over 15-16 years, I was foreign minister, I was
president for 10 years, and now I have the right to live my private
life. I don’t know how long it will last, a month, two months, five
months, I don’t know. I promise to tell you when I decide what I
shall be doing," Arkady Ghukasyan says.

PRESIDENT KOCHARYAN CONGRATULATED TIGRAN TOROSYAN ON REELECTION

ArmRadio.am
07.06.2007 15:00

President Robert Kocharyan congratulated Tigran Torosyan for his
reelection to the high position of the Speaker of the fourth National
Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, President’s Press Office informs.

The message says, in part: "I’m sure that your knowledge and experience
will serve for the further deepening of the reforms process in Armenia
and the progress of the country.

I wish you productive work for the sake of the Republic of Armenia.

MOVSES HAKOBYAN: IN CASE OF WAR AZERBAIJAN WILL FIND ITSELF ON THE THRESHOLD OF DISASTER

ArmRadio.am
07.06.2007 15:10

NKR Defense Minister, Lieutenant-General Movses Hakobyan declared in
an interview with "Azat Arsakh" that "if the leadership of Azerbaijan
was confident in the advantage of its armed forces, it would definitely
start war."

He reminded the statements of the Azeri authorities that "the expenses
of the Azerbaijani Army exceed the whole state budget of Armenia are
meant for internal consumption." The General noted that the volume
of military expenses cannot be a guarantee of success.

Movses Hakobyan recalled that during the war Nagorno Karabakh was in
blockade, "but our nations did not despair, it fought and won."

"As for the numeral predominance of the Azerbaijani army, I must
mention that our army is supplied with everything necessary, and in
case of war Azerbaijan will find itself on the threshold of disaster,"
NKR Defense Minister declared.

VANDE LANOTTE WON’T USE "GENOCIDE"

Expatica Belguim, Belgium
June 6 2007

BRUSSELS – Socialist party SP.A chairman Johan Vande Lanotte is taking
the same line as Flemish minister president Yves Leterme (Flemish
Christian Democrats CD&V) in his doubts about the Armenian genocide.

Vande Lanotte has dubbed the mass killings of Armenians an "extremely
sensitive point" but refuses to recognise it as "genocide."

American political scientist Rudolph J. Rummel has calculated that
about 1.8 million Armenians were killed between 1900 and 1924. The
denial of the mass murder even became a criminal offence in France
recently.

International experts and politicians have responded with outrage
to the statements from Leterme and Vande Lanotte. Rumour has it that
the candidates for prime minister are sowing doubt about the Armenian
genocide in order to sweet talk the Belgian Turks.

"There is no historian who has any doubts about the Armenian genocide
anymore," says Universite Libre de Bruxelles professor and genocide
expert Joël Kotek. "Just as is there is no discussion about the
Holocaust or the genocide in Rwanda. You cannot trifle with the dead
and with history. We are talking here about a historical truth that
is now being completely politicised in order to win votes. Leterme’s
position is simply unacceptable. Really sad. At this moment we should
be in fact helping the Turks to accept their past."

–Boundary_(ID_2diTtiKwUuZh7VfaUnWdkA )–

WORKERS OF MILL WILL GET THEIR SALARIES

KarabakhOpen
06-06-2007 12:54:12

The government has allocated funds to cover the salary debts of the
workers of the Mill, said the minister of territorial administration
and development of infrastructures Armo Tsatryan in an interview with
the KarabakhOpen.

"Considering the state of the workers of the mill, and that they went
on protest for several times, the government decided to pay the salary
debts hoping to get this money back from the buyer of the company,"
the minister said. He said the salary debts total 15 million drams. The
workers have not got their salaries since September 2006.

The minister refuted that the bread factory and mill of Stepanakert
aree now owned by Swiss businessmen. "The buyer is a foreigner, but not
from Switzerland. If the Swiss wanted to buy the mill, they had such
an opportunity. Especially, that the companies put out to sale owe to
the bank owned by the businessmen you mentioned," Armo Tsatryan said.

We have learned that the director of the bread factory of Stepanakert
is detained.

MICHEL: SARKOZY WILL GIVE A CHANCE FOR TALKS TO GO AHEAD
Selcuk GultaÞli Brussels

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
June 5 2007

European Union Commissioner Responsible for Development and
Humanitarian Aid Louis Michel thinks newly elected French President
Nicholas Sarkozy will not block Turkey’s accession talks and will
instead give a chance to the ongoing process.

In an exclusive interview with Today’s Zaman in Brussels, the EU
commissioner and former Belgian foreign minister said the EU needed
Turkey and that Turkey’s future was in the EU. Louis Michel, who is
currently on leave from the commission to run in the general elections
in Belgium on June 10, said there were "way more things to gain from
a Turkey within the EU than one left outside."

Stressing that Sarkozy has not asked for the interruption of accession
talks, Michel said he did not think the French president had any
negative feelings vis-a-vis Turkey. "Of course I can not give you
any guarantees on what he will do but I can assure you that I will
do everything to continue talks with Turkey. I strongly believe that
the future of Turkey is in the EU.

I strongly believe the EU needs Turkey." When reminded of circles
in Turkey that think the EU did not react strongly enough to the
military statement of April 27 threatening another coup, Michel
said: "We can not intervene in Turkish politics systematically and
regularly. Such involvement can have an adverse effect as well. I mean,
it can backfire. I like [Foreign Minister Abdullah] Gul, I respect
him. I am also impressed by the demonstrations for the separation
of powers in Turkey. It is a good sign that secularism is anchored,
embedded in the Turkish conscious."

Michel’s party Reformist Movement (MR), dubbed the French-speaking
liberal party of Belgium, has been the champion of the Armenian
"genocide," pushing for the penalization of its denial. While Michel
strongly rejects allegations of genocide in Congo, a former Belgian
colony, he advises Turkey to strive for an appropriate interpretation
of its history. Michel answered the following questions on the
Armenian issue:

Your party has been the champion of the Armenian cause.

I do not think it is a correct characterization; we are not the only
party. I fully respect the Armenian cause.

Do you think it correct to penalize people who do not agree with the
characterization of genocide?

I do not think it is a question of penalization.

But there was a proposal in the Belgian Federal Parliament to that end.

I am not responsible for all of the proposals presented to
Parliament. I am a free man and have my own ideas. Still Turks
should have a correct reading of their history, and it should be done
objectively and quietly. That is my expectation. But I do have to say
recognition of an Armenian "genocide" has never been a condition for
accession, at least until now. That is a technical fact.

My question was whether it is fair to penalize.

Why would you ask me questions about things that have not happened?

But there were attempts in the Federal Parliament and most people
think it will pop up again after the elections.

You are asking such questions to Louis Michel who is a candidate for
the Senate and who strongly supports Turkey’s EU membership. I am a
strong believer in Turkey.

That is exactly the point. Most Turks believe the Armenian question
is abused by some European countries to erect yet another barrier to
Turkey’s membership.

It is important for a country to align itself with the values of EU.

Some member countries will expect from candidate countries an
honest reading of their history. That is an expectation you can
fully understand.

Turks say ‘If Belgium is really sincere about the Armenian question,
why doesn’t it start first with Congo?’

But excuse me; I myself presented the explanations by our government to
the family of [assassinated first legally elected Prime Minister of the
Democratic Republic of Congo Patrice Emery] Lumumba who was killed. We
also went to Rwanda. We are doing a correct reading of our history.

But there are scholars who say what happened in Congo under Belgian
King Leopold II was genocide and you have never accepted it.

First, it was not genocide. Second, those allegations were not
historically proven at all.

That is exactly what Turkey says on the Armenian question.

You can not refuse to have an investigative commission comprised of
scholars and historians attempt to bring clarity to the issue.

Turkey has already proposed that and Armenians refused.

I think our expectation will be better fulfilled if we tell Turkey
we support you and your membership. We can not have the best result
if the Turks do not resolve it on their own.

So, you say it is up to Turkey?

I say it is basically up to Turks to come to terms with their
history. I think there will be a move in that direction.

–Boundary_(ID_l1Be1L+kqqZ2/AINWBC2gA) —

OSCE CHIEF ARRIVES IN AZERBAIJAN TO FOCUS ON KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
June 4, 2007 Monday

OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel
Moratinos on Monday arrives in Baku to discuss the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict settlement and the development of democratic processes
in Azerbaijan.

He will visit Azerbaijan during his tour of the Caucasus. The next
leg of his trip will be Yerevan, Armenia.

According to diplomatic sources in Baku, Moratinos accompanied by
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Goran Lennmarker will meet
with Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Elmar
Mamedyarov.

High on the talks’ agenda will be the upcoming meeting of the
Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents on the sidelines of the CIS
informal meeting due in St. Petersburg on June 9.

International mediators of the OSCE Minsk Group hope that the meeting
will bring a breakthrough in coordinating the basic principles of
the conflict settlement.

The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group are expected to visit Baku and
Yerevan mid-week to discuss the upcoming presidential meeting.

Moratinos is also expected to meet with leaders of Azerbaijan’s ruling
political parties and give a news conference.

NKR PRESIDENT: CURRENT FORMAT OF TALKS WILL NOT LEAD TO RESOLUTION OF KARABAKH CONFLICT

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.06.2007 18:36 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Perhaps, not all of us are guilty in the fact that
Nagorno Karabakh does not participate in the negotiation process. We
perfectly understand that the current format of talks will not lead
to the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Those who speak
about resolution of the conflict in the near future must be interested
in NKR’s participation as a negotiating party," NKR President Arkadi
Ghukassian stated in Yerevan to a press conference after having met
with OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel
Moratinos.

Arkadi Ghukassian reminded that by the decision of OSCE Budapest
summit in 1996 NKR was recognized as a negotiating party, and that
decision was followed till the end of 1997. "Now only Armenia and
Azerbaijan participate in talks. Indeed, if they make such a decision,
which satisfies the NKR people, everything will be OK," the President
of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic said.