Author: Frangulian Shushan

KOCHARIAN SOFTENS CURBS ON PRESS FREEDOM

Radio Liberty
March 13 2008
Czech Rep.

President Robert Kocharian on Thursday softened severe restrictions
on media freedom stemming from the state of emergency in Yerevan which
he imposed in the wake of last month’s disputed presidential election.

Media outlets not controlled by his government were not sure, however,
that they can resume uncensored news reporting on Friday.

Under the 20-day state of emergency declared by Kocharian on March
1, Armenian media could only cite the government and law-enforcement
bodies when covering national politics. More than a dozen independent
and opposition newspapers and online news services suspended or were
forced to suspend their operations as a result.

Kocharian’s office said they can now resume their work provided that
they do not publish "obviously false or destabilizing information"
about domestic political affairs. It said they will also not be
allowed to call for or disseminate calls for Armenians to participate
in unsanctioned demonstrations.

The Yerevan Press Club, an independent media watchdog, criticized these
conditions, saying that they may serve as a smokescreen for government
censorship. "They may well be used for muzzling the independent and
opposition press," Mesrop Harutiunian, an YPC expert, told RFE/RL. He
said any newspaper report that containing views differing from the
official version of the March 1 unrest in Yerevan may be construed
by the authorities are "obviously false information."

Aram Abrahamian, editor of the independent daily "Aravot," shared
Harutiunian’s concerns. "The question is what the authorities mean by
destabilizing reports," he said. "If they mean the opposition’s views,
then they are wrong."

"We will try to publish tomorrow," Abrahamian told RFE/RL. But he
said the paper will again suspend publication "if we are told to
remove a particular word or even a letter."

Gegham Nazarian, editor of the opposition newspaper "Hayk," was also
skeptical about the easing of the media ban. "We will try to publish
tomorrow, even though we suspect that censors at the printing house
won’t allow that for some reason," he said.

But Satik Seyranian, editor of another, more neutral publication,
"168 Zham," disagreed. "I think the decree is acceptable," she told
RFE/RL. "We must take into account the fact that the situation in
the country is tense. I think the media should refrain from carrying
inflammatory reports."

It was also unclear whether Kocharian’s decree means the websites
of local electronic publications will be automatically unblocked by
the authorities on Friday. Nor was it immediately known if local
radio stations will be able to resume the retransmission of daily
Armenian-language news programs of RFE/RL.

SERZH SARKISSYAN: "AFTER A COUPLE OF MEETINGS I WILL UNDERSTAND WHETHER PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN IS READY TO FOLLOW PEACEFUL WAY OF RESOLUTION"

Today
olitics/43676.html
March 12 2008
Azerbaijan

Armenia will not make unilateral concessions on Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.

The due announcement was made by Armenian Prime Minister Serzh
Sarkissyan during his meeting with students.

"I think we have good opportunities for the peaceful resolution of
Karabakh conflict", Sarkissyan noted.

At the same time Armenian Prime Minister confirmed the negative
influence of events in Yerevan which occured on March 1 and said
they limited potential of the Armenian President, regardless of who
is responsible for them.

"Our image has been spoiled. However, it will not affect the
negotiation process. Moreover, we will be loyal to a more principal
position and will not contradict our own interests", Sarkissyan
announced.

At the same time, the Prime Minister noted that Armenia will try
to obtain results favorable for the people. "The people of Karabakh
should have a right for self-determination no matter if Azerbaijan
accepts it or no", Sarkissyan noted,

The Armenian Prime Minister said international development proves
that people should live where they want.

"In 1-2 months after I become a president I will have an exact response
regarding further steps in the negotiation process. I have not met
President of Azerbaijan yet and I hope I will understand whether he
is ready for the peaceful settlement or no". he said.

MASS DISORDER COST 68 MILLION 959 THOUSAND DRAMS

Panorama.am
17:43 10/03/2008

On 1-2 March the organized disorder held in Yerevan cost 68 million
959 thousands drams: state buildings, territories, administrative
territories were broken and injured. Today Kamo Areyan, the first
deputy mayor met with the journalists and said that city’s general
used territories were also injured and it cost 34 million 762
thousands drams.

"It is needed to carry out some reconstruction in those territories,"
he said. Areyan also said that the amount of injured territories under
Central administrative body covers 24.5 million drams. And the social
transport was also damaged; it cost 6 million 394 thousands drams.

According to Areyan, the municipality building is damaged and it
cost 3 million 207 thousands drams. Now the reconstruction process
is being held, and the municipality damages are also covered.

All the damages are covered by municipality and some by Central
Administrative financial means. To the question whether those people
would get compensation for their broken cars, he said that he has no
competence to give answer to such question.

ARMENIA ACCUSED OVER KILLING OF CIVILIANS IN VOLATILE KARABAKH

Agence France Presse — English
March 9, 2008 Sunday 3:53 PM GMT

Azerbaijan’s defence ministry accused Armenian forces on Sunday of
opening fire on a residential area near the disputed region of Nagorny
Karabakh and killing two civilians.

The defence ministry said that two men, 26-year-old Niyamaddin Ismaylov
and 38-year-old Etibar Mikayilov, were killed when Armenian forces
opened fire on the residential area and Azerbaijani positions in the
frontline Aghdam region.

Two other men were wounded in the shooting which began Saturday night
and continued until early Sunday, a defence ministry spokesman said.

It followed one of the worst breaches of a 1994 ceasefire in the
region in years on Tuesday. Both sides accused the other of taking
advantage of the volatile political situation in Armenia to violate
the ceasefire.

The Armenian capital Yerevan is under a state of emergency after eight
people were killed on March 1 in street battles between riot police and
opposition supporters protesting the result of a presidential election.

Azerbaijan claimed that four of its soldiers and 12 Armenian servicemen
were killed in the fighting Tuesday, while Armenia claimed it had
lost no soldiers and that eight Azerbaijanis died.

Armenian forces seized control of Nagorny Karabakh and seven
surrounding regions from Azerbaijan in the early 1990s, in a war that
claimed an estimated 30,000 lives and forced about a million people
to flee their homes.

The two countries have cut direct economic and transport links and
failed to negotiate a settlement on the region’s status.

Armenian and Azerbaijani forces are spread across a ceasefire line in
and around Nagorny Karabakh, often facing each other at close range,
and shootings are common.

REPORTS: AZERBAIJANI SOLDIER KILLED IN CONFLICTS WITH ARMENIA
Sun Yunlong

Xinhua

March 10 2008
China

MOSCOW, March 10 (Xinhua) — One Azerbaijani soldier was killed
and another one wounded in a conflict with Armenian troops Sunday,
Russian news agencies reported Monday.

The 19-year-old soldier, Ramin Ismailov, was killed in a "violation of
the ceasefire by the Armenian side" near the separation line between
the two Caucasus states that have long been in territory disputes,
Interfax said, citing sources of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

There were no immediate comments available from the Armenian side on
the reports.

Armed conflict broke out in the early 1990s between Azerbaijan and
Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region’s status after it declared
independence, which was not recognized by the international community.

Nagorno-Karabakh, a northwest region in Azerbaijan, was populated
mostly by ethnic Armenians.

A Russian-brokered ceasefire halted the fighting in 1994, but the
dispute remains unresolved.

Military clashes, however, broke out again last week near the region
and caused casualties.

RA president’s spokesman: Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s statements saying he is
under home arrest turned out to be inconsistent

2008-03-07 17:19:00

ArmInfo. The statements of RA presidential contender Levon Ter-
Petrosyan saying that he is under home arrest, turned out to be
inconsistent, RA president’s spokesman Viktor Soghomonyan said at
today’s briefing. He recalled that L. Ter-Petrosyan, who has been
claiming, since March 1, that the authorities keep him under home
arrest, further arrived calmly to the session of the Constitutional
Court and made a speech there. "I think the fact that a smile was
shining on Ter-Petrosyan’s face these tragic days, is a typical one",
V. Soghomonyan said.

Vimpelcom to operate in Armenia with beeline brand

YEREVAN, March 7. /ARKA/. The principal task of the VimpelCom public
corporation in Armenia is rebranding and ArmenTel Company’s operation
in conformity with the universal standards of the group of companies.

`We are sure that we have the full right to operate with our brand in
Armenia and we are happy that we have legal grounds to connect the
country to the BeeLine area,’ stated Executive Vice-President for
Business Development in the CIS Dmitry Pleskonos.

The company had this opportunity after February 25, when the RA
Intellectual Property Agency decided to register a license agreement
between VimpelCom and ArmenTel (the latter being the VimpelCom’s
daughter company in Armenia) on the transfer of right to the use of the
Beeline brand.

The Agency also registered the slogan `Live on the bright side!’ to be
used in Armenia. It means that from this date ArmenTel can use the
brand on a legal ground.

This January the RA Court of Cassation confirmed the application of
international registration of the Beeline brand to communication
services in Armenia. Immediately after the verdict was returned,
VimpelCom initiated a procedure of registration of the transfer of
right to the use of its brand to the ArmenTel Company in Armenia.

Under the license agreement, ArmenTel is to pay to the parent company
100,000 RUR as one-time consideration for a license for the use of
brands in Armenia during the entire period the registration of the
brands is in effect.

VimpelCom’s promotion plans for the Beeline brand in Armenia were
hindered by a conflict with an Armenian company specializing in
software development, assembly and sale of computer. The company’s
brand Bi Line sounds similar to Beeline (in Armenia and Russian).

The management of the Russian company considers the situation
artificially complicated ` ArmenTel has no intention to sell computers,
and Bi Line does not plan to enter the telecommunications market.
The RA Administrative Court is currently considering a claim lodged by
the Armenian Bi Line IT-company against the Intellectual Property
Agency. The claimant demands the invalidation of the Agency’s decision
on the abeyance of the Bi Line brand.

ArmenTel holds a monopoly of stationary telephone communication in
Armenia. The company is also one of the mobile communication operators
in Armenia. In April 2007, VimpelCom (Russia) became full owner of
ArmenTel.

The Vimpel Com Group comprises communication operators from Russia,
Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Georgia and Armenia.
VimpelCom’s licenses for GSM and 3G communication services are in
effect in a territory with an approximate population of 250mln people.

VimpelCom was the first Russian company listed on the New York Stock
Exchange, its shares being symbolized as VIP. `0–

Euronews.net, France
March 7 2008

Russia lifts trade ban on Abkhazia

Only weeks after warning that Kosovo’s independence could cause a
"terrible precedent", Moscow has lifted a trade ban on a rebel region
of Georgia. Russia says the removal of restrictions with the
breakaway Abkhazia region is not related to Kosovo, but some
commentators say the timing is not a coincidence.

Georgia is a former Soviet nation that aspires to EU and NATO
membership. Though Abkhazia has been forging ties with Russia, Moscow
has been enforcing sanctions on the region for more than ten years.

The lifting of the trade ban comes as Washington makes a mission to
Armenia to discuss the disputed Caucasus region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

After clashes that killed up to 16 people in the region earlier this
week, a US envoy has told local officials that Kosovo is not a
precedent for the mountain enclave.

Nagorno-Karabakh was seized by pro-Armenian forces from Azerbaijan in
the 1990s, in a war that killed tens of thousands of people. The
region runs its own affairs but has no international recognition.

Middle East Times, Egypt
March 7 2008

Nagorno-Karabakh shooting prompts concern
Published: March 06, 2008

HELSINKI, Finland, March 6 (UPI) — The head of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe has called for restraint after
violations of the Nagorno-Karabakh cease-fire.
A dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the disputed
Nagorno-Karabakh area led to an exchange of fire and the death of as
many as 16 soldiers. The OSCE chairman-in-office, Finnish Foreign
Minister Ilkka Kanerva, is calling for restraint from both sides of
the conflict, the OSCE reported.

"I call on the parties to exercise maximum restraint, and observe the
terms of the cease-fire," Kanerva said in a statement. "At this
critical juncture in the negotiations to find a peaceful solution to
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, any action leading to a
destabilization of the line of contact can only have a negative
impact on the overall situation. I urge the parties to avoid actions
that could lead to further unnecessary loss of life."

The exchange violates the cease-fire agreement established by Armenia
and Azerbaijan in 1994 after a bloody conflict. Kanerva was in the
region to attend the OSCE Minsk Conference and says during talks with
Armenia and Azerbaijan officials he "underlined the importance of
maintaining stability in the region and of efforts towards a peaceful
resolution of the conflict," the release said.

© 2008 United Press International. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in
any form.

PanARMENIAN.Net

OSCE MG: Azerbaijan’s resolution on Karabakh inadmissible
07.03.2008 16:50 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian and OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair Matthew Bryza
discussed the resolution on Nagorno Karabakh submitted
by Azerbaijan to the UN, RA MFA acting spokesman
Tigran Balayan told a briefing in Yerevan.

According to him, the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary
of State spoke out against the voting.

`The OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs think the resolution
inadmissible,’ he said, adding that Armenia works for
prevention of voting on the resolution in the UN.

The draft resolution titled `Situation in occupied
territories of Azerbaijan’ calls for assertion of
Azerbaijan’s right to its territorial borders and
Nagorno Karabakh. The voting is scheduled for March 14