Author: Hambardsumian Paul

Interfax News Agency, Russia
March 13 2008

ARMENIA WILL NOT RECOGNIZE KARABAKH IN FORESEEABLE FUTURE – …

Armenian Prime Minister and president-elect Serzh Sargsyan has not
ruled out that Yerevan might recognize the independence of Kosovo,
adding that this situation cannot be a precedent in resolving the
Karabakh problem.

"From the legal point of view, Nagorno-Karabakh is different from all
other conflicts, and Armenia has no right to equalize or mix it [the
Karabakh conflict] with any other conflict," Sargsyan said at a
meeting with students from the Armenian State Economic University.

"Kosovo cannot be a precedent in a sense that in the foreseeable
future Armenia is not going to recognize the independence of Nagorno
Karabakh. But since we have always supported nations’ rights to self-
determination, from this point of view we do welcome the independence
of Kosovo," he added.

At the same time, Sargsyan has denied that by recognizing Kosovo’s
independence Armenia will spoil its relations with Russia.

"Our countries will always have friendly relations, however this does
not mean that Armenia should ignore its interests for the sake of
Russia’s," the Armenian president-elect said.

"If we are friends, their interests must be dear to us, and if we
ever recognize Kosovo’s independence, I do not think this could spoil
Armenian-Russian relations," Sargsyan said.

Day.Az, Azerbaijan
March 15 2008

AZERBAIJAN CRITICAL OF MEDIATORS’ STANCE ON NEW UN RESOLUTION

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has voiced its indignation at the
fact that the countries co-chairing the OSCE MinskGroup voted against
the Azeri-sponsored resolution on the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict at
the UN General Assembly.

"We were surprised and indignant at the position by the co-chairing
countries that did not vote for theresolution whereas its wording was
drawn up on the basis of the conflict settlement concept that they
have offered us onmany occasions," the Day.az website quoted the
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry as saying in a statement.

The ministry adds that Azerbaijan took into consideration the
co-chairs’ support for the principle ofterritorial integrity and
hopes that they will adhere to their statement. At the same time, the
ministry expressed itshope that working on the basic principles of
the Karabakh settlement, the co-chairs will take into consideration
theposition of the world community that is reflected in the
resolution.

The ministry expressed Azerbaijan’s gratitude to the countries that
voted to back the resolution, stressing thatthe country will never
forget this support.

The statement goes on to say that Azerbaijan will not forget the
countries that failed to support the resolutionwhich is described as
being important for the entire world community. "We understand that
pressure was exerted onthe countries which preferred abstaining from
voting or this was due to their remote location," the statementsays.

The ministry says that the UN resolution ensures the right of the
Nagornyy Karabakh population to self-governmentwithin Azerbaijan, as
well as the right of displaced persons to return to their homeland,
and demands that the occupyingtroops withdraw from the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan.

"According to the resolution, Armenia and the countries behind it
should understand that the conflict can beresolved only on the basis
of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity," the ministry said in its
statement.

Detroit Free Press, MI
March 13 2008

Dr. Jack Goes to Washington: Could he really?
March 13, 2008

Jack Kevorkian needs just 3,000 signatures to get himself on the
ballot for Congress in Michigan this year and `Dr. Death’ intends to
start collecting. Not sure how people will react when they see the
very recognizable Kevorkian approaching, pen and paper in hand. `What
does he want me to sign up for? Do I look ill?’ His campaign slogan
could be … ?

Kevorkian’s felony conviction does not preclude him from sitting in
Congress and this is an interesting political wrinkle for Michigan.
Should Kevorkian make it to the ballot, chances are he will pull more
votes from Democrat Gary Peters than incumbent Republican Joe
Knollenberg in the Oakland County district that is expected to see
Michigan’s closest congressional race this fall.

For those of you who read the daily PS on the editorial page, how
about taking a crack at one? Jack Kevorkian, known as `Dr. Death’
when he was practicing `assisted suicide’ across Michigan, is running
for Congress. His campaign slogan could be … ?

STOCK OF WEAPONS FOUND IN A ARRESTED ARMENIAN DEPUTY’S RESTAURANT

Regnum
March 14 2008
Russia

A whole arsenal has been found in Vanatur restaurant owned by a
member of Armenian opposition Sasun Mikaelyan. Armenian national
security established that deputy Sasun Mikaelyan, arrested on March
12, ordered his restaurant’s custodian to hide weapons that he had
accumulated, REGNUM was informed at the Armenian National Security
Service press office.

During the operative and investigative action on March 13, 20 grenades
(F1, RGD-5, and RG-42), 15 anti-tank grenades, 8 fuses for anti-tank
grenades, 15 fuses for F1 grenades, one improvised gun, and two
sound-and-light rockets, 11 boxes of cartridges of different caliber,
1 discharged submachine gun magazine charger, 15 syringe needles,
and 2 bottles of psychotropic substance Prometazine.

Mikaelyan has been charged under Part 3 of Article 225 (organization
of mass riots) and Part 1 of Article 300 (usurpation of state power)
of the Armenian Criminal Code. Khachatur Sukiasyan, deprived of deputy
immunity and member of Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s campaign headquarters,
editor-in-chief of the Haykakan Zhamanak daily Nikol Pashinyan are
wanted by investigation. Sukiasyan, as well as his colleague, is
charged under Part 3 of Article 225 and Part 1 of Article 300 of the
Armenian Criminal Code. Nikol Pashinyan is charged under Article 316
(violence against public authority).

Earlier, Armenian parliament deprived of deputy immunity
parliamentarians Khachatur Sukiasyan, Sasun Mikaelyan, Hakop
Hakopyan, and Myasnik Malkhasyan. Hakopyan and Malkhasyan were later
detained. According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, 90 persons
have been charged in the criminal proceedings upon the mass riots in
Yerevan of March 1.

EP CALLS ON KARABAKH CONFLICT SIDES TO RESUME PEACEFUL TALKS

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.03.2008 14:53 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Calling on Azerbaijan and Armenia to avoid violence
and ill-considered steps, the European Parliament issued a statement
on occasion of recent tensions at the line of contact of Azerbaijani
and Armenian troops in Nagorno Karabakh. "The European Parliament
regrets for deaths during the ceasefire violation and calls on the
conflicting parties to restore peaceful talks," the statement reads.

Touching on the post-election situation in Armenia, the European
Parliament called on the RA authorities to lift the state of emergency
and refrain from violence, the Azeri Press Agency reports.

On March 4 early morning Azeri special forces attacked a position
of the NKR Defense Army near Levonarkh settlement of Mardakert
region. The attack was rebuffed and status quo restored. A crisis
monitoring due on March 7 by request of the NKR MFA was postponed
through Azerbaijan’s fault.

A repeated ceasefire violation was foxed on March 7.

ARMENIAN MEDIA LEADERS ACKNOWLEDGE CENSORSHIP AND INFORMATION TERROR

Azeri Press Agency
March 13 2008
Azerbaijan

Iravan -APA. "As a state of emergency was declared, national security
officials came to the newspapers offices and warned that newspapers
spreading non-public postured news would be closed immediately.

They have read all materials and stopped their publications", said a
joint statement of Armenian editor-in-chiefs and media organizations,
APA reports quoting "Arminfo". Journalists blamed officials in
spreading of unilateral untrue information in local TV channels and
said consequently newspapers had stopped publications. It means that
Armenian authority banned undesirable newspapers for itself. "They
have blockaded some Internet sites committing full information
terror. CNN and Euronews broadcasting are stopped and replaced by
advertising rolls, when they report Armenian news. Radio Liberty
was completely banned in the country. All that increase tensions in
the society and deepen hatred and enmity atmosphere. Official media
analysts are kindling the distrust to the government arising from
the unhealthy mood they have aggressively spread. Journalists have
lost their constitutional rights, freedoms of speech and press, mass
media faced with huge material losses, Armenia is in the information
blockade and suffers from the censorship".

The statement was made by the editor-in-chiefs of "Yamanak Yerevan",
"Lragir", "Aykakan Yamanak", "Aravot", "Ayk", "168 chasov", "Sled", and
"Chetvyortaya vlast" newspapers, as well as "Internews" organization,
Iravan Press Club and other media organizations.

PECUNIARY AID TO BE PROVIDED TO OWNERS OF PIGS SLAUGHTERED BECAUSE OF AFRICAN PLAGUE IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
March 12, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, NOYAN TAPAN. About 20 thousand pigs were slaughtered
as a result of penetration of African plague virus into Armenia in
August 2007.

The head of the state food safety and veterinary inspection of the
RA ministry of agriculture Grisha Baghian said at the March 12 press
conference that the virus mainly penetrated into the country’s two
marzes – Tavush and Lori, some cases were also registered in Ararat,
Armavir and Kotayk marzes and Yerevan.

In the words of G. Baghian, the Armenian government will allocate 480
mln drams to the ministry of agriculture with the aim of providing
pecuniary aid to the owners of the slaughtered animals. The amount of
aid for 1 kg of meat makes 1,005 drams (about 3.3 dollars). G. Baghian
said that there are 152 thousand pigs in Armenia.

The inspection head annouced that the last case of African plague
was registered in Berd in January of this year. According to him,
the situation is stable now but some marzes are in high risk zones,
and it is not ruled out that there will again be cases of African
plague this spring.

As for the recent cases of bird flu in Turkey and Moscow region,
G. Baghian said that the import of meat products from Moscow region
into Armenia has been suspended, and control has been established on
the Armenian-Turkish border. Besides, according to him, the respective
preventive measures against bird flu are being taken in the country.

DINK LAWYERS TO TAKE CASE AGAINST POLICE TO EUROPEAN COURT

Today’s Zaman
March 12 2008
Turkey

Lawyers for assassinated Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink’s
family have decided to bring a case against some of the police
involved in the Dink murder investigation to the European Court of
Human Rights. One of the lawyers, Fethiye Cetin, noted that they had
brought allegations of misconduct and obstructing justice to Turkish
prosecutors but to no avail.

The lawyers for Dink’s family had appealed to the Ýstanbul chief public
prosecutor regarding seven policemen, including former Trabzon police
intelligence chief Engin Dinc and former anti-terror team head Yahya
Ozturk, with the claim that these officers had obstructed justice. The
Istanbul chief public prosecutor sent the appeal to the Trabzon Public
Prosecutor’s Office, which decided on Jan. 10 that there was no need
to open a court case against the policemen. The lawyers appealed
the decision to the nearest high criminal court, in Rize, but last
week the court in Rize also decided not to open a case against the
policemen. "The suspects did not commit murder by negligence and were
not aware of the murder plans," the Rize court said.

Cetin told Today’s Zaman that with the decision of the Rize court, they
had exhausted all domestic legal remedies with regards to the police.

"We are waiting for a writ from the Rize court. Then we have six
months to apply to the European Court of Human Rights, and we will
do so as soon as possible," Cetin said.

–Boundary_(ID_N31iHJSta2MClh5FP7YcOg)–

COURSES OF JOURNALISTS COVERING SPHERE OF CINEMA TO BE ORGANIZED IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
March 12, 2008

YEREVAM, MARCH 11, NOYAN TAPAN. For the purpose of developing
cinema-journalism in Armenia and regional countries, the "Golden
Apricot" international film festival and the "Armenian Association
of Film Critics and Cinema Journalists" together with the editorial
staffs of Azg (Nation), and Golos Armenii (Voice of Armenia) newspapers
have initiated the implementation of the "Cinema journalism without
borders" program. The program aims not only at attaching importance
to the role of cinema journalism, but also at deepening the creative
capacities of journalists covering the sphere of cinema, as well
as cooperating with their colleagues from neighbour countries and
becoming acquainted with the professional experience gained by them.

The "Cinema journalism without borders" program will be held in three
stages: a two-day workshop on the "Problems and peculiarities of
the modern cinema journalism" subject will take place in April-May
of this year with the participation of Armenian and Russian film
critics. Courses will be held between June 30 and July 10 in
cooperation with the "Golden Apricot" international film festival
and Azg daily, which will be conducted by famous cinema journalists
invited from Holland: Peter van Bueren and Andre Vardenburg. At the
end of the program the participants will be given an opportunity to
cover the fifth "Golden Apricot" film festival. The covered materials
will be published in the festival daily, which will be published on
July 13-20 as an appendix to Azg periodical.

In addition to this, a special competition will be organized in
cooperation with the "Golden Apricot" international film festival
and Golos Armenii newspaper for all the media covering the "Golden
Apricot 2008". At the end of the competition the authors of the three
journalistic works having covered the festival as good as possible will
be awarded. The results of the competition will be summed up after the
end of the festival and be published in the Golos Armenii newspaper.

RA MFA ASTONISHED WITH MATTHEW BRYZA’S STATEMENT

DeFacto Agency
March 12 2008
Armenia

YEREVAN, 12.03.08. DE FACTO. "We’re astonished that even after
his visit to Yerevan, after meeting with and hearing from various
official and unofficial sources, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of
State Matthew Bryza could make such arbitrary statements", the RA MFA
spokesman Tigran Balayan stated while commenting on Matthew Bryza’s
expressions concerning the recent events in the Republic.

To note, after visiting Armenia Matthew Bryza stated, "the reaction
of the RA authorities to the events that had taken place in Yerevan
was harsh and brutal". He stated the U. S. "are disappointed with the
arrests of the opposition forces’ representatives and restrictions
of mass media’s work".

The RA MFA official representative’s comment runs, in part, "Assigning
such one-sided blame is unfounded and not helpful. The number of
wounded law enforcement officers (108) — 43 of them wounded by
firearms and hand-grenades – clearly demonstrates that rioters were
in possession of firearms and explosives. That coincides with the
operative information of law enforcement agencies. In that case,
labeling the reaction of the government as "a crackdown on opposition
protests", or qualifying it as "harsh and brutal" is incorrect. This
was not at all an attack by policemen on civilians.

The violence of March 1 is indeed of great concern to all of us in
Armenia, including and foremost, the government, which believes it
is responsible for the maintenance of public order and safety".

According to the RA MFA representative, the government attempted
to do so, exercising restraint, but as law enforcement bodies
had earlier cautioned, turned into a clash between officers and
demonstrators. "With eight people dead (including one policeman) and
dozens injured (many from law enforcement), there is no doubt that
this was serious violence, and indeed deplorable, as Mr. Bryza says".

According to Tigran Balayan, the international community’s focus
should be to encourage all involved to take responsibility for the
damage to the fabric of our society and to look for inclusive ways
to move forward.

"Ill-informed statements can and do contribute to an escalation of
political tension", he underscored.