Author: Hovhannisian John

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

17-07-2007

Acting Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Karapetian
answers a question from Itar-Tass Press Agency on the CFE Treaty

Q: How would you comment on Russia’s decision to suspend its participation
in the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe?

A: Armenia perceives the CFE Treaty as a key factor in security transparency
and an important balancing mechanism in and around Europe. It has proven its
efficacy in the 15 years of its existence. Since coming into effect, the
Treaty has been a very potent tool in controlling the arms race in Europe.

So long as we still have 150 days during which Russia remains a State Party
to the Treaty, we can only express hope that the issues among the States
Parties will be settled through dialogue. Armenia is ready to hold
consultations with all CFE States Parties states on this issue.

TURKEY OPPOSES ARMENIAN POLL IN NAGORNO KARABAKH

New Anatolian, Turkey
July 17 2007

Turkey announced its strong opposition to the proposed elections by
Armenia in occupied Nagorno Karabakh.

A foreign ministry statement said: We learned that so-called
"Presidential Election" in the Armenian occupied Nagorno Karabagh
region of Azerbaijan, is to be held on July 19, 2007, subsequent to
the "Constitutional Referendum" held in the same region in a similar
vein on December 10, 2006, in contravention to international law and
disregarding the will of the international community.

It said Turkey views the electiobn as part of the efforts to
unilaterally legitimize the unlawful situation in Nagorno Karabagh, and
says this is an explicit violation of the principles of international
law, UN Security Council Resolutions and the OSCE principles.

It said the Nagorno Karabagh conflict constitutes the most important
impediment for establishing peace, stability and cooperation in
the South Caucasus and it prevents the creation of an environment
conducive to good neighbourliness and cooperation among the countries
in the region. "At a time when the negotiations are pursued within
the OSCE Minsk Process to reach a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno
Karabagh conflict and the Azerbaijani-Armenian dispute, organizing
a "Presidential Election" in the occupied Nagorno Karabagh region
obviously constitutes an initiative that challenges the efforts geared
towards a peaceful resolution."

The statement said "with these considerations, Turkey denounces this
renewed effort of Armenia to violate Azerbaijan’s political unity,
sovereignty and territorial integrity; and will not recognize the
outcome of such illegitimate "Presidential Elections" that would have
no binding effect whatsoever under international law."

`World-class’ UW violinist Vartan Manoogian dies
July 13, 2007
by _Richard Mumford_ (mailto:[email protected])

Vartan Manoogian, professor of violin at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison _School of Music_ () ,
died on Thursday, July 12, in Spain. He was 71.

Manoogian was born in Baghdad to Armenian parents and studied at the
Paris Conservatory beginning at the age of 16. He earned a master’s
degree from the Juilliard School, where he studied violin with Ivan
Galamian and chamber music with members of the Juilliard String
Quartet.

Manoogian served as associate concertmaster of the Lausanne Chamber
Orchestra and later as concertmaster of L’Orchestre de la Suisse
Romande, directed by Ernest Ansermet. He was artist in residence at
the North Carolina School of the Arts and a member of the Claremont
String Quartet before joining the UW-Madison faculty in 1980.

Manoogian’s interests covered a broad spectrum of repertoire, artistic
collaboration and pedagogy. His studio at the School of Music
encompassed freshmen through doctoral students, many of whom became
successful teachers, chamber musicians and members of professional
orchestras. He was the artistic director of the Madeline Island Music
Camp in northern Wisconsin, responsible for hiring the faculty and
planning each season, and had performed there with cellist Christopher
French and UW faculty pianist Christopher Taylor on June 27.

He was the author of the four-volume Foundations of Violin Technique,
published in both English and Spanish. In 2004, he recorded the
complete sonatas and partitas for solo violin by J. S. Bach, a
two-disc set sold through the School of Music’s online CD store. And
he maintained active associations in Spain, where he traveled most
summers to teach and perform.

Tyrone Greive, professor of violin and concertmaster of the Madison
Symphony Orchestra, joined the school’s faculty in 1979 and served on
the search committee that culminated with the appointment of Manoogian
in 1980. Greivesays of his colleague: "His artistry and personality
touched many students, colleagues, audiences and others through his
teaching and performing at the university, as well as locally,
statewide, nationally and internationally. He will be greatly missed
by many."

Janet Jensen, professor of string pedagogy and a member of the
school’s faculty since 1992, says "Professor Manoogian brought
international statureand world-class artistry to our campus. His
passion for excellence in teaching and performance attracted many
wonderful students, to whom he was totally committed-not just while
they were in school, but through their continuing study and careers as
well. He was the consummate artist-teacher, and his influence will be
measured internationally and generationally. We have lost a treasured
colleague and friend, and the world has lost one of its most beautiful
voices."

© 2007 Board of Regents of the _University of Wisconsin System_
()

KAREN NALBANDIAN AND ARARAT TCHAGHARIAN, REFEREES FROM YEREVAN, TO ATTEND TO MATCHES OF UEFA’S PROGRAM

Noyan Tapan
Jul 12 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 12, NOYAN TAPAN. Karen Nalbandian (Yerevan), the chief
referee of FIFA, will conduct the match between Macedonia Pobeda and
Estonia Levadia of the first qualification stage of the UEFA’s Champion
League. Ararat Tchagharian, the referee of FIFA, who is also from
Yerevan, will attend to the match of Israel Mackkab and Andorra Santa
Koloma in the first qualification stage of the UEFA Cup Tournament.

FROM JULY 15 ARMENTEL TO PUT INTO OPERATION NEW BILLING SYSTEM

Noyan Tapan
Jul 13 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. From July 15, ArmenTel will put into
operation a new billing system, which will help to exactly calculate
subscribers’ payments for different services, as well as to offer
new services to subscribers. Oleg Bliznyuk, the company’s Director
General, informed journalists about it on July 13.

He refuted the rumors that after the introduction of the new billing
it will be impossible to pass from phone communication pre-payment
system to the post-payment one. O. Bliznyuk said that there will be
no changes of the kind and the quality of services will improve.

According to ArmenTel’s Director, the bills of payments will be
introduced to mobile communication subscribers at their request,
at company’s branches.

The fixed telephone communication subscribers will receive monthly
written bills, which will indicate in detail the payments to be done
for different services.

IF KOSOVO IS RECOGNIZED INDEPENDENT, RF WILL RECOGNIZE INDEPENDENCE OF GEORGIAN REPUBLICS: USA

arminfo
2007-07-12 10:51:00

Management of the American intelligence warned the USA Congress
that development of the situation in Georgia may be connected with
recognition of independence of Kosovo’s Serbian territory.

"The future events in Georgia may be tightly connected with the
events outside the region, especially in Kosovo", a 24-page report
of deputy Director of the U.S. National Intelligence on Analytics
Thomas Finger, submitted to the Congress today, says. "If Kosovo gets
independence within the next year and without settlement achieved
through negotiations, Russia will make it clear that it can respond
to it by recognition of the separatist republics in Georgia, that is
a risky step", T. Finger said, RIA Novosti reports.

To note, Armenia closely watches the development of events around
Kosovo.

Earlier, RA Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan said that the western
countries, having recognized independence of Kosovo from Serbia,
will not be able to recognize the right of NKR population for
self-determination.

INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION OR RETURN TO SOVIET TOTALITARIANISM

Lragir.am
11-07-2007 14:12:39

The expert of the Caucasus analytical center Manvel Sargsyan started
presenting his approach towards the NKR presidential election with the
situation in Armenia. He stated July 11 at the Friday Club that the
Armenian society was expected to be more interested in the presidential
election of Karabakh than it is. "The government, the society, are
divided into camps, strangely and directly, I mean they advertise one
party or another or are engaged in certain activities. The impression
is that the society and government in both Armenia and Karabakh were
not ready for this election.

The great importance that the NKR presidential election was expected to
have is not acknowledged, I think, although I have had opportunities
to state that in my opinion this problem has a greater importance,
and is an issue of the security of Armenia," Manvel Sargsyan says. He
says it is not felt from the media, there are no profound analyses.

As to the situation in Karabakh, Manvel Sargsyan compares it with
the totalitarian system of the Soviet Union, when the election was
formal and 99 percent of victory of the Communist Party was ensured,
and those who were against that mechanism were denounced as betrayers,
foes. Manvel Sargsyan says he got this impression during his recent
visit to Karabakh, he visited Stepanakert, Shushi, Lachin, Karvachar,
and got sufficient information about the atmosphere in Hadrut. "I did
not feel it is a natural process. I noticed that immense efforts are
made through the administrative resource," Manvel Sargsyan says. He
says the use of the administrative resource in Karabakh has a little
different format and content than in Armenia. "In Armenia they also
intimidate people, threaten to fire, give bribes, etc., we all know
well. But it is different there. It is a little like an obligation. For
instance, they may call on a person and say they learned he wants
to hang the picture of his candidate on the wall of his shop. They
may say he does a very bad thing, it is wrong to do such a thing,
it may affect his business and propose that he hang no picture. If
the person refuses, they say they will talk to him otherwise. Very
skilled work is done, and it works," the expert says.

Manvel Sargsyan says the threat to fire helps control people better
than several thousands of drams of bribe, therefore the government
promotes its "common candidate" Bako Sahakyan through psychological
and moral influence on people rather than bribe. However, Manvel
Sargsyan also says not the entire system of government is engaged
in this because the alternative presidential candidate is also from
the government, but upholds reforms and many representatives of this
government have joined him who named Masis Mayilyan together with
the activists of the civil society.

"A complicated, tense situation occurred, which is already reflected
everywhere. For whatever reason the government camp did not take
it seriously. Although they say all the time that there is nothing
serious, when you have a look at publications, statements, you notice
the nervous state. The alternative movement immediately affected the
activities of the government, and a rather interesting degradation
is underway there, in other words, the society and the government is
divided between these two options," Manvel Sargsyan says. He means
Bako Sahakyan and Masis Mayilyan.

He says Sahakyan is the conservative wing, and Mayilyan is the
reformist wing. "In other words, it is not a confrontation of
the government and the opposition, part of the opposition joined
the conservative wing, the other part joined the reformist wing,"
Manvel Sargsyan says. According to him, the wings have distinct
theses. Bako Sahakyan says fundamental reforms were carried out, now
the social problems must be solved. Masis Mayilyan says the country
needs fundamental reforms to neutralize shade mechanisms of governance
and to set up constitutional order.

"Social problems occur from the situation in the country. If there is
no rule of law in the country, you will never have economy and you will
never be able to improve the life of people. It is meaningless. Why
do legitimate countries have powerful economy, whereas in countries
where the clan or the criminal system rules 90 percent of people
are poor? You know, many people might think that political reforms
are impossible without solving social problems, but I think it is
clear political demagogy: let us first give bread to people then
the rest. You never think where this person gets bread to give to
people. Everyone knows he takes it away from people, stores in his
warehouse, give it out to others as much as he needs. Therefore,
we must understand that either we create statehood with all its
components or we do not, that’s all. And the society in Karabakh
understands it much better.

I did not see a single person who said whatever is done is good. Not
a single person. They say we understand what is underway better than
you, but what can we do," Manvel Sargsyan says. According to him,
they can say millions of things to a person and he may accept or not,
but it is different when they threaten that tomorrow he will be fired.

He says either the society will agree or will disagree. Manvel Sargsyan
says he will not be surprised if the "common candidate" gets 85-90
percent of votes like some apologists forecast. The expert says he
will not be surprised if the plot of the government fails. "But it
is impossible that a free election will be held. It is early to state
that the electoral mechanism will work and a real election will take
place," Manvel Sargsyan says.

RAFFI HOVANNISIAN’S CITIZENSHIP DEFIES EASY SOLUTION

Lragir.am
11-07-2007 15:46:25

Vardan Khachatryan, political secretary of the Heritage Party, thinks
it is early to speak about the presidential election of 2008. He says,
however, that the Heritage Party is for creating a wider opposition,
the common candidate must comply with certain political standards and
be an alternative to the government. "There are many who are worthy,"
Stepan Safaryan, secretary of the Heritage faction, added. With regard
to the possible nomination of the leader of the Heritage Party Raffi
Hovannisian everyone remembers that according to official documents,
Raffi Hovannisian is a citizen of Armenia since 2001, which means he
is not eligible. "His citizenship is not sufficient in the sphere of
arbitrariness, in the sphere of law it is sufficient," Stepan Safaryan
says. Raffi Hovannisian has applied for citizenship for eight times
since 1991. In the decree of the president on granting citizenship
to Raffi Hovannisian in 2001 it is written citizen of the city of
California. There is no city of California on the Earth. The political
party thinks if Raffi Hovannisian were not citizen of Armenia, he
would have no right to raise the national flag of Armenia in the UN
or sign international agreements on behalf of Armenia.

GLOBAL GOLD CORPORATION SPECIFY RESERVES OF MARJAN GOLD-POLYMETALLIC DEPOSIT TILL END, 2007 AND PREPARE FEASIBILITY STUDY ON ITS OPERATION

arminfo
2007-07-10 14:27:00

The Global Gold Corporation (GGC) American Company will complete the
works on specification of reserves of the Marjan gold-polymetallic
deposit in Sisian district of RA Syunik region till the end, 2007,
and prepare a feasibility study to submit to RA government.

Being a foreign Company, GGC schedules to fulfill a greater volume than
it is approved by RA Ministry of Nature Conservation for the process
of assessment of resources to meet not only the local but the western
standards as well. The cost of each project is under assessment,
however, the Company has already invested $2,2 mln in Marjan since
2006 until now, the chief geologist of the Armenian representation
of GGC Henry Lazarian told ArmInfo during his Saturday’s visit
to the deposit. He said that the Marjan deposit is considered a
"difficult" one, as it is situated in a distant region near the
Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The works at the deposit are hindered
and are of a seasonal nature because of the fact that it is located
at the height of about 3000 m above sea.-level.

Presently, GGC is completing the detailed exploration in order
to determine the industrial significance of the gold-polymetallic
mineralization and present an economic assessment. Over the period
of its work at the deposit, GGC had created a digital database per
Marjan. Started 2005, GGC has been carrying out a geo-physical, geo-
chemical and hydro-geological detailed exploration at the deposit, for
which the Company paved a 50-km way. A programme for well-boring (4200
m) is carried out at present, upon completion of which possibility
of extension of the volume of these works will be considered.

The main goal of the Company is to reassess the resource potential of
the deposit by determination of the quality and quantity of reserves
and economic essence of the future developments. The preliminary data
indicate that the deposit may be of industrial importance.

Undoubtedly, a relevant social, economic and engineering infrastructure
will be created with the industrial assimilation of the Marjan deposit,
that will assure employment of the local population, a social progress
and welfare, H. Lazarian said. He added that despite other deposits,
there are no environmental problems. Nevertheless, the Company pays
much attention to them. Taking into account the fact that the deposit
borders upon Azerbaijan, GGC has been always concerned over security
issues. The Company is grateful to its Office in the USA, as well as
the employees of RA Defense Ministry who assist greatly in the safety
of works.

About 140 people and 80% of village residents of elderly and disabled
age are just living the rest of their days in Arevis village. There
is no social infrastructure: schools, polyclinics, post-offices,
etc. in the village, which consists of 24 houses. However, the
Company has already been considering the opportunities of assisting
the local authorities in solution of these problems. It is envisaged
that the number of employees will increase with industrial operation
of the mine.

AARON ADIBEKYAN WAS NERVOUS AND TENSE

KarabakhOpen
09-07-2007 18:40:31

The pollster Aaron Adibekyan who has given the exact forecast of
all the fraudulent elections of Armenia over the past 17 years has
recently been addressing the forecast of the presidential election of
Nagorno-Karabakh. On July 6 Aaron Adibekyan and his assistants held
the second poll among 700 people of Stepanakert, 6 regional centers
and 11 villages in NKR. He presented the results of the poll on July
9 in Yerevan. The youth wing of the Union of Azatamartiks of Artsakh
helped him, which had endorsed the NKR presidential candidate Bako
Sahakyan. Hence, it is difficult to assess the reliability of the
results of the poll he conducted. Aaron Adibekyan advises to disagree
with the results if there is wish.

During the news conference Aaron Adibekyan was nervous and tense. Aaron
Adibekyan failed to answer a number of questions on the presidential
candidate Bako Sahakyan. Perhaps these questions made him nervous,
and he first stated that it is true Bako Sahakyan is not a public
figure but people know Bako Sahakyan because he participated in the
talks on the Karabakh issue, was in the trenches. The reporters said
the latter two statements are not true. Aaron Adibekyan flew into
a rage and used inappropriate wording in talking to reporters and
declined to answer the innumerable questions regarding his strange,
to put it mildly, poll.

On July 9 the pollster Aaron Adibekyan held a news conference. On
July 7 we had revealed in a story entitled "How Aaron Conducted
"Poll" in Karabakh" the details of the "poll" conducted by Aaron
Adibekyan. Namely, the questionnaires were filled in at the team of
the common candidate. Moreover, there was information that people
were offered money for filling in the questionnaires the way the
team wanted. We also forecast that the results must coincide with the
result mentioned by Arkady Ghukasyan during his address to the Slavic
University. Nevertheless, we were hopeful that the professional in
Aaron Adibekyan would be stronger.

Unfortunately, we were mistaken. Through different combinations of
numbers Aaron Adibekyan concluded during the news conference that
the NKR presidential election Bako Sahakyan will get 80-85 percent
of votes. Last week NKR President Arkady Ghukasyan had addressed
the Yerevan-based Slavic University and announced exactly the same
number. The author of this "strange" coincidence Aaron Adibekyan
first pronounced a lengthy and touching monologue before talking to
the point, in which he in fact stated lots of facts which we will
not release to spare him except the last phrase.

"Not to wash one’s dirty linen in public has an old meaning, especially
to a country at war. Please swear at me as much as you want, but do
please be more careful with such political problems."

Afterwards the reporters told the pollster it is possible not to
have dirty linen at all. "You can do it yourselves to get the real
picture," said Aaron Adibekyan, thereby confessing that the figures
he presented are not real. The pollster knew a reporter’s problem
is to give opinions but he did not know what a pollster’s problem
is because when the reporters asked him what his problem is he said,
"My problem is a complaint election in Karabakh." Perhaps he should
say what he told the reporters to the NKR government. Otherwise,
it appears that the government may do anything without caring for
the country, and only the citizens must care.

Lragir.am Over this time Aaron Adibekyan made a few revelations. For
instance he said the Union of Azatamartiks of Artsakh addressed the
observers to the NKR presidential election, which is in Bako Sahakyan’s
team. He also said Bako Sahakyan’s connections, which is the same as
the administrative resource, will have an important role.