Author: Chmshkian Vicken

Armenian, Iranian ministers negotiate gas pipeline opening date in Tehran

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
1 Mar 07

[Armenian] Energy Minister Armen Movsisyan and Iranian Foreign
Minister Manuchehr Mottaki have discussed in Teheran the present state
and the future of Armenian-Iranian energy cooperation.

Mottaki pointed out that the potential of cooperation is greater than
the level the sides have reached currently. [Armenia and Iran] can
cooperate in different sectors, Mottaki said.

Armen Movsisyan is in Teheran to negotiate the final date for the
opening of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline’s first section. The
presidents of both countries are expected to participate in the
opening ceremony. The presidents are also expected to sign an
intergovernmental agreement to build a hydro-electric power plant on
the River Araks.

BOXING: UNBEATEN AUSSIE DARCHINYAN DEFENDS FLYWEIGHT CROWN

Agence France Presse — English
March 1, 2007 Thursday 6:24 PM GMT

Undefeated Vic Darchinyan defends his International Boxing Federation
flyweight title here Saturday against Mexico’s Victor Burgos, with
the Armenian-born Australian intending a showy triumph.

"I want to look nice in this fight. I don’t want to just knock him
out in the first round," Darchinyan said. "I fought more than 150
rounds in Australia getting ready. I want to show my fitness."

Darchinyan, 27-0 with 21 knockouts, has spoken of moving up in weight
to face Filipino star Manny Pacquiao or the winner of the other bout
on Saturday’s card, an all-Mexican superbantamweight showdown.

World Boxing Council champion Israel Vazquez, 41-3 with 31 knockouts,
will defend against IBF bantamweight champion Rafael Marquez, 36-3
with 32 knockouts.

But before Darchinyan gets ahead of himself, he must dispatch Burgos,
a 32-year-old former IBF champion who is 39-14 with three drawn and
23 knockouts.

"I know it will be a tough fight but I have confidence in my training
and I’m going to win another title in another weight class," Burgos
said.

"He’s very confident he’s going to beat me. He’s in for a shock. He’s
going to get a big surprise. I have more experience than him. My
experience will make the difference. I’m sure I will be the champion
again."

Darchinyan answered the taunt, saying: "My other opponents have said
the same thing. You will see after two rounds how he’s going to run
from me."

Burgos replied: "He’s the one who should be worried after the second
or third round when he figures out his punches aren’t hurting me. He
has never been in a real war with other fighters."

The Vazquez-Marquez showdown figures to have such intensity, with
Vazquez claiming his experience at the higher weight will make the
difference.

"I’m a natural superbantamweight. This is the weight I’ve been
comfortable at my whole career. He’s working his way up," Vazquez
said. "Mentally and physically I’m as prepared as I have ever been."

Marquez said he has been ready for the jump for some time and will
not weaken himself by having to make a lower weight.

"I feel stronger. It was a smart decision to move up," Marquez said.

"I’m going to be prepared for the fight. It’s an important fight
for me. I’m 100 percent. I’m going to do everything I need to win
the fight."

ELMAR MAMMADYAROV: THE TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF AZERBAIJAN IS NOT A MATTER OF DISPUTE

ArmRadio.am
02.03.2007 16:37

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov declared that "the
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is not a matter of dispute"
and it is an "axiom."

The Azeri FM said this in an interview with Trend agency, Mediamax
reports.

"We are speaking about phase by phase settlement of the conflict:
withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied territories,
return of Azerbaijani population, mine clearing, reconstruction
of infrastructures, launch of economic cooperation. The question of
Nagorno Karabakh’s political status within Azerbaijan remains a matter
of negotiations. It is important for the Azeri population to return,
which will enable to jointly decide the status of Nagorno Karabakh,
be it a republic or an autonomous region within Azerbaijan," Elmar
Mammadyarov declared.

"CATS" BAND LED BY VAHAGN HAYRAPETIAN RECORDS ITS FIRST DISC

Noyan Tapan
Feb 28 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, NOYAN TAPAN. First disc "The Norevan" of
the avant-garde and folk band "Cats" has been released. The band’s
founder, famous jazz performer and pianist Vahagn Hayrapetian said
on February 28 that "the disc’s songs are our life, our yesterday,
today and tomorrow".

According to him, seven members of the band create all songs they
perform.

"We all have passed different ways and each has creative peculiarities,
which makes our cooperation interesting. Each song written by a member
of "Cats" has its own history," he said. For example, song "Good
Return" is dedicated to Mister Avant-Garde Folk – Arto Tunjboyajian,
while "The Norevan" – to today’s Yerevan.

V, Hayrapetian said that for a long time he was creating in swing and
pop style but in late 2004 he suddenly changed his musical image and
formed a new band – "Cats". "We decided to call the band "Cats" because
musicians use this word – "cats" when addressing each other." he noted.

The septet has perfomed at various annual jazz festivals in Armenia
and abroad. In 2006 "Cats" participated in the Caucasian musical
forum in Tbilisi.

"The Norevan" is the first album of the band. It was released by
Ararat pro Digital studio in 1,000 copies and will be sold not only
in Armenia but also in Europe, the US and Japan. The studio director
Tigran Arshakian stated that they will struggle against those who
infringe copyright in Armenia.

EVENTS DEVOTED TO THE 19TH ANNIVERSARY OF SUMGAIT POGROMS WILL B HELD TODAY IN ARMENIA

arminfo
2007-02-28 10:59:00

A press-conference of the leader of an Initiative group for protection
of Sumgait Armenians’ rights will be held in the "Urbat" club with
participation of the witness of tragic events Roman Hambaryan. By the
initiative of the ARF Dashnaktsutiun, a procession will be conducted
to the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial of the Armenian Genocide victims
in Ottoman Turkey, in the neighborhood of which a monument to the
victims of Sumgait events is raised. The ARFD has also organized a
Round Table on the subject "Armenian Response to Propaganda of Turkey
and Azerbaijan".

RIGHTS GROUP SAYS TURKEY’S STRUGGLE AGAINST TORTURE FAILING

Agence France Presse — English
February 27, 2007 Tuesday

Turkey’s main human rights group charged Tuesday that the government’s
bid to curb torture is failing, with no significant progress recorded
in 2006.

The Human Rights Association (IHD) said in a report on countrywide
rights violations last year that the number of incidents of torture
and maltreatment fell only to 708 from 825 in 2005.

"This figure shows that there is no real effort to eradicate torture,"
IHD chairman Yusuf Alatas said. "If about 700 cases are still recorded
in a country whose government pledges zero tolerance to torture,
then something is wrong."

"If the struggle is genuine, then it is insufficient," he said.

The report alleged an increase in rights violations in several
categories, including arrests at demonstrations, police searches at
non-governmental organisations and the banning of publications.

The IHD also highlighted restrictions on free speech and the
prosecution of intellectuals, one of the most contentious issues
on Ankara’s political agenda since the January 19 killing of ethnic
Armenian journalist Hrant Dink.

The report said 513 people were taken to court and 226 convicted last
year in cases which the IHD said breached the freedom of thought,
expression and conscience.

Alatas said the main reason behind the increases was the rekindled
Kurdish insurgency in the southeast, which had resulted in heavy-handed
responses by the local authorities.

Torture has long been a black mark on Turkey’s rights record and the
government has pledged a policy of "zero tolerance" to the practice.

The European Union, which Turkey is seeking to join, said in a
report in November that cases of torture and ill-treatment were on
the decline, but said cases of torture outside detention centres and
the impunity of accused officials remained a concern.

Alatas said the figures in the IHD report were compiled from the
association’s own investigations, complaints filed to the group and
media reports.

PERSONS WITH DUAL CITIZENSHIP MUST HAVE REGISTRATION TO PARTICIPATE IN ELECTIONS ON MAJORITY LIST

Panorama.am
21:17 26/02/2007

Davit Harutunyan, minister of justice, said the restrictions suggested
earlier for persons with dual citizenship to participate on majority
list were based on the consideration that artificial imbalance
could take place. The new amendments suggest that only persons with
registration in concrete communities may have the right to participate
in elections, including on majority list.

Asked if people may participate in diplomatic representations, the
minister said, "That is a question for the Central Electoral Committee
to answer."

Harutunyan believes it is expedient that only diplomats have the
right to participate in election.

POLAND READY TO ACT AS MEDIATOR

ArmRadio.am
26.02.2007 15:15

The Foreign Minister of Poland Anna Fatyga said during today’s joint
press conference with RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian that her
country is ready to act as a mediator in the normalization of relations
between Armenia and Turkey in case both sides express such will.

Anna Fotyga noted that Poland ha good historic ties with Turkey and
Armenia, that is why it is interested in promoting the normalization
of Armenian-Turkish relations.

Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said he introduced his
Polish counterpart to the position of Yerevan to establish diplomatic
relations with Ankara without preconditions.

As for the initiative of Poland, in Vartan Oskanian’s words "it can
only be welcomed; it remains on the agenda, and it’s not ruled out
that we shall once use it."

Vartan Oskanian mentioned that such initiative "should not be an end
in itself." "All the parties must be confident that the mediation
will help achieve results," Vartan Oskanian clarified.

Arminfo
2007-02-24 21:49:00

Armenian Genocide continues: former ombudsman of Armenia

The mass murders of Armenians in Sumgait in February 1998 shouldn’t be
considered separately from the Armenian Genocide in 1915, Larisa
Alaverdyan, the Director of the "Against Legal Violence" public
organization and the former ombudsman of Armenia, said during a
press-conference, Saturday.

According to L.Alaverdyan, the events in Sumgait are the consequence
of disregarding the ethnic ground murders committed by the Young Turks
government in the Ottoman Empire. Armenians face ethnic cleansing even
in time of peace because they haven’t determined their policy of
recognizing the Armenian Genocide so far, she noted. In this context,
she pointed out that the lack of Armenian community in Azerbaijan
proves that it is dangerous for Armenians to live on the territory of
Azerbaijan. She added that the destruction of the Armenian cultural
heritage on the Azeri territory is not accidental either. While the
Azeri government announces that no ethnic ground murders were ever
committed in their country, even the life of cultural monuments in
Azerbaijan depends on their "nationality", L.Alaverdyan said. She
emphasized that bringing Azerbaijan to responsibility for propaganda
of xenophobia, racism and violence against the Armenian nation, and
resuming the judicial investigation concerning the organizers and
performers of the Armenian pogroms in Sumgait and Baku are still
issues of current importance. The Armenian Genocide has lasted for 90
years, she noted.

To remind, the ethnic cleansing policy conducted in Azerbaijan against
the Armenian minority since February 1988 forced 360 thsd people to
escape from the Azeri cities of Sumgait. Gyanja, Baku and 311 other
populated areas, and find refuge in Armenia. To note, February 28 is
the Day of memory of the Sumgait tragedy’s victims.

Panorama.am

19:11 23/02/2007

DOORS OF HERITAGE STILL CLOSED

The parties are obliged to submit their charters to the Central
Electoral Committee in order to get registered and participate in
elections. `Heritage’ (Jarangutiun) party cannot do that because the
doors of the party office have been closed for already a year and the
charter is in the office.

`We have applied to the minister of justice, Judicial Acts Compulsory
Execution service head many times but did not receive any reply. The
prime minister promised to solve the problem of the office but the
problem is that he cannot solve a problem of even one office,’ Raffi
Hovannisian, chairman of Heritage party said.

`Everybody is talking about free and fair elections. You decide if
the election process is free and transparent,’ the speaker addressed
the reporters and answered himself, `Of coarse, not.’

Source: Panorama.am