Author: Chilingarian Babken

PanARMENIAN.Net

NATO substantiates presence in Kosovo
08.02.2008 17:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The UN resolution 1244 is the basis
for NATO presence in the province, NATO Secretary
General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told a news briefing in
Vilnius.

`NATO’s position on resolution 1244 will be the basis
for NATO presence in the province unless the UN
Security Council adopts another resolution,’ he said.
`We don’t have status in Kosovo but we have
responsibility,’ he added, Rosbalt reports.

NATO defense ministers met in Vilnius on 7 February to
take a long term look at the Alliance’s key challenges
in Afghanistan and to reaffirm their solid commitment
to maintain KFOR’s presence in Kosovo.

The NATO-Russia Council (NRC) discussed on 8 February
in an informal session bilateral defense and military
cooperation, as well as a number of relevant political
issues such as Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE),
missile defense and NATO`s open door policy, where
Allies and Russia do not see eye to eye.

Vahan Hovhannesian calls for more unity and resolve

08.02.2008 19:44

Yerevan (Yerkir) – It was 20 years ago that people were this united in
this square. We were a nation that understood its common interest then.

Twenty years later we are here again but this is a different country.
We lived with illusions. We now live in two different countries. On the
surface, the country seems to be developing, in reality it is not. We
are in stagnation in reality.

There seems to be democracy with all the attributes of democracy:
parliament, political parties, non-governmental organizations, opinion
polls, etc. But in reality, we live in an environment of non-freedom
and injustice. The economic growth that is a fact has nothing to do
with the people. The democratic attributes are for the outside world.

Regular people have been deprived of freedom, competition and we live
in two worlds. In one world, the constitution develops on its own with
new amendments and laws. Somewhere else, the real life goes on, and
that life has noting in common with those laws, it is not governed by
those laws. And we have unhappy, tired, disappointed people. The gap
between those two worlds is getting deeper. We see development but that
development circumvents us.

This happened because on the dawn of our independence, we did not
realize the most important thing: the return of independence that we
were dreaming of for centuries, that our ancestors fought for, does not
bring justice automatically. We need to struggle further, we need
additional unity, additional efforts, additional resolve and most
importantly, we should not be afraid. We should now achieve freedom
after the independence. And we will achieve it because you are here.

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ARMENPRESS

TWO-HEADED CALF BORN IN KAPAN DIES

KAPAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS: A two-headed calf
was born this week on a dairy farm in a village in
southern Armenia province of Syunik. But shortly
afterwards it died. The local veterinary, Tigran
Danielian, managed to save the mother cow.
According to him, that was the fourth delivery of
the six-year old cow that had a normal pregnancy
period.
Local people said they heard about such things, but
never saw a calf with more than one head, although
they saw calves with three legs, one ear.
Scientists call this polycephaly, which is the
condition of having more than one head. The term is
derived from the stems poly- meaning ‘many’ and
kephal- meaning "head", and encompasses bicephaly and
dicephaly (both referring to two-headedness).

SERZH SARGSYAN PROPOSES NA DEPUTY DAVIT HARUTYUNYAN TO CONDUCT LEGAL LITERACY CAMPAIGN WITH AN OPPOSITION DEPUTY

2008-02-07 10:07:00

ArmInfo. Presidential candidate and Prime Minister of Armenia Serzh
Sargsyan proposed ex-justice minister and present RA NA Deputy from
the Republican faction Davit Harutyunyan to conduct a legal literacy
campaign together with the deputy of opposition "Heritage" faction
Zaruhi Postanjyan.

In answer to the question of Z. Postanjyan if the fact that Serzh
Sargsyan is actively involved election campaign at the same time
being the prime minister, is in line with law, Serzh Sargsyan said
"I thank you for providing me with the opportunity to conduct
election campaign from the NA tribune". According to the premier,
any mid class lawyer knows that the clauses of the relevant law don’t
refer to people holding a political post, and if someone doubts this,
he/she may turn to the country’s Constitutional court.

WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM OF STEPANAKERT WILL BE RECONSTRUCTED

KarabakhOpen
06-02-2008 12:57:31

Yesterday Prime Minister Ara Harutiunyan held a consultation on the
water supply of Stepanakert. The specialists of the Yerevan-based
organizations Armwaterproject and Jinj presented their assessments,
who are studying the possibility of modifying the system of water
supply. The Survey will continue, and new groups of specialists will
join them, Armenia Fund will hold a tender for a realistic project.

The prime minister advised to prefer projects based on natural
pressure and artesian waters and reconstruction of the internal water
pipes, the department of information and public relations of the NKR
government reports.

TER-PETROSIAN NEGOTIATES POSSIBLE ALLIANCE WITH TWO OPPOSITION GROUPS

ARMENPRESS
Feb 5, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 5, ARMENPRESS: Chief of ex-president Levon
Ter-Petrosian’s central campaign headquarters, Arman Musinian, said
today Ter-Petrosian was negotiating a possible alliance with two
other opposition parties, represented in the Armenian parliament- the
Zharangutyun (Heritage) of Raffi Hovhanesian and Arthur Baghdasarian’s
Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law).

Speaking at a news conference Arman Musinian said the talks were
likely to reach their ‘logical end’ later this week. He said Levon
Ter-Petrosian has been urging a broad opposition alliance from the
moment of his political comeback saying it is vital for challenging
the government’s candidate.

Campaigning last weekend in Vanadzor Ter-Petrosian said he had serious
grounds to expect Arthur Baghdasarian and Raffi Hovhanesian to team
up with him.

According to Arman Musinian, Aram Karapetian, head of another
opposition Nor Zhamanakner (New Times) party is likely to endorse
Ter-Petrosian’s presidential bid as well.

On Monday, however, Raffi Hovhanesian insisted that he has not yet
decided to endorse any of Armenia’s presidential candidates, but
admitted negotiating with Ter-Petrosian and Baghdasarian.

Arman Musinian said today that the ex-president avoids TV and newspaper
interviews because he is very busy and because he is afraid that they
may turn into what he described as ‘an interrogation."

LEGAL ACTION IS BROUGHT AGAINST BRITISH SCIENTIST
By Hakob Chakrian

AZG Armenian Daily
01/02/2008

Armenian Genocide

Turkish BIA news agency reported on January 29 that Switzerland
Federal Court by mediation of Zurich Office of Public Prosecutor,
brought a legal action against British scientist, Professor of Ankara
Bilkent University Norman Stone for denial of the Armenian Genocide.

Zurich Office of Public Prosecutor applied to Federal Court on January
15, 2007, underlining that Stone had denied the fact of the Armenian
Genocide in his article in Swiss "Welwoche" weekly newspaper published
on October 26, 2006.

Zurich Federal Court brought an action against Norman Stone by 261
Article of Swiss Criminal Code that came into force from January 1,
2005. Under article 261 of the criminal code, anyone who openly and
in a vile way insults or derides the religious beliefs of others,
denies, belittles, or relativises genocide or crimes against humanity
can be jailed for up to three years or fined.

SEYRAN OHANIAN: ARMENIA HIGHLY EVALUATES NATO’S ROLE IN ENSURING REGIONAL SECURITY

Noyan Tapan
Jan 31, 2008

YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenia’s active participation in
exercises held jointly with NATO grows year by year. Seyran Ohanian,
the Head of the RA Armed Forces’ General Headquarters, said in his
January 29 interview to journalists. In his words, Armenia highly
evaluates NATO’s role in the issue of providing security in Europe,
as well as in the South Caucasus.

He reminded the journalists that the Combined Effort exercise was
held in 2003, a rescue exercise was held in 2006, Combined Endeavour
exercise in 2007 in Armenia. "The planning of the Combined Bow and
Combined Lance-Bearer 2008 exercise is being held today. It will be the
biggest of the exercises held in the South Caucasus," S. Ohanian said.

In his words, the exercises to be held will contribute to deepening
of Armenia’s cooperation with NATO. S. Ohanian said that among other
countries, representatives of Turkey and United Arab Emirates also take
part in the planning conference of the exercises. As for Azerbaijan,
the latter does not take part in the conference though it has received
an invitation from the Armenian side.

MONITORING GROUP CREATED UNDER TER-PETROSIAN’S HEADQUARTERS GIVES NEGATIVE ESTIMATION TO HOLDING OF PREELECTION CAMPAIGN

Noyan Tapan
Jan 31, 2008

YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, NOYAN TAPAN. The period preceding the presidential
elections passed with many violations of the legislation, which can
have a negative impact on the results of the elections. Ruben Torosian,
the coordinator of the monitoring group of the preelection headquarters
of presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrosian, stated at the January
31 press conference.

In his words, the state bodies do not fulfil the commitments
envisaged by the legislation on preparation and holding of the
elections. Torosian said that the period preceding these elections
compared with the previous presidential elections is estimated by
the monitoring group as a step back.

Thus, in Ruben Torosian’s words, for the first time an unprecedented
anti-propaganda is carried out against presidential candidate
Levon Ter-Petrosian during the presidential elections. At that,
this anti-propaganda is carried out not only by Public Television,
but by all TV companies controlled by the authorities.

Another big violation of the legislation, as Torosian evaluated, is
open abuse of official powers by the Prime Minister, presidential
candidate Serge Sargsian. The TV broadcasts on Prime Minister’s
activity considerably exceed the time limit established by the
law. Besides, Prime Minister Sargsian himself with violation of
Article 78 of the Electoral Code continues taking Prime Minister’s
post during the election campaign.

T. Torosian said that the monitoring group is going to present to CEC
the violations fixed by it for the latter to undertake all necessary
measures to ensure legality of holding of elections.

PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA RECEIVES CHAIRMAN OF ALCATEL-LUCENT COMPANY

arminfo
2008-01-31 15:45:00

ArmInfo. President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan receives Chairman of
French Alcatel-Lucent Serge Tchuruk, and Head of Night Bridge Holding,
ex-premier Armen Sargsyan, Wednesday, the presidential press-service
reports.

S. Tchuruk said Alcatel is ready to implement definite projects
in Armenia.

For his part, Robert Kocharyan stressed the importance of
mutually-advantageous cooperation and added that the government
announced IT-sphere one of the prior economy branches. He said
considerable progress has been observed in the sphere. The president
is sure in the necessity of launching production of high technologies
within the nearest future. The parties touched upon the issue of
introduction of innovative technologies in the country and extension
of cooperation to ensure high-quality internet connection.

Alcatel-Lucent supplies equipment to Armenian mobile operator VivaCell.