Author: Jagharian Tania

KYRGYZ PRESIDENT TO VISIT AZERBAIJAN: FOREIGN MINISTER

Trend News Agency
Aug 7 2008
Azerbaijan

Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek, 6 August / corr. Trend News R.Meshadihasanli / The
Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev intends to visit Azerbaijan, Ednan
Karabayev, the Kyrgyz Foreign Minister, told Trend News on 6 August.

"An exact date of this visit is still to be fixed and preparations
are being conducted in this direction," the Minister said. He hopes
that an exact date of President Bakiyev’s visit will be fixed at a
bilateral meeting between the Azerbaijani and Kyrgyz Presidents at
the summit of heads of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
countries to be held in Bishkek in autumn.

Taking into consideration the potential of relations between Kyrgyzstan
and Azerbaijan and economic growth, Karabayev is sure that interaction
of two countries is still at an initial stage. "We appraised opening
of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Bishkek, which will enable bilateral
integration," he said. He considers trade and economic cooperation
as the most important element in these relations and it should
begin with the opening of airlines and formation of other transport
communications.

According to Karabayev, Kyrgyzstan intends to draw a maximum attention
to energy field, mining, refining industry and tourism from 2008
to 2011 under Development Strategy of the country, adopted by the
Kyrgyz President. "Respectively, these can become the fields of the
cooperation between our countries," he said.

The Kyrgyz Foreign Minster stressed that readiness of Bishkek to
support fair settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. " Kyrgyzstan supports Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity,"
he said.

THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE VISITING THE NKR IS INCREASING

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
2008-07-30 11:29
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic

According to the data of the NKR Consular Service, tourists from
Russia, the USA, France, Germany, Iran, Poland, Japan, Belgium,
Greece, Canada, etc.

visited the NKR in the first 6 month of 2008. The number of tourists
has increased by 10% as compared with the same period of 2007.

Besides ethnic Armenians, representatives of various nationalities,
especially young people visited the NKR. The geography of those
visiting the Nagorno Karabakh Republic is expanding. Citizens of Chile,
Uruguay, Singapore, South Korea, India, etc. have visited the NKR
in the current year. Maximum inrush of tourists is observed between
May and October. The historical-architectural monuments and monastic
complexes, such as Amaras (4-19 c.), Dadivank (4-13 c.) Gandzasar (13
c.), as well as the ancient cave of Azokh, etc. are the most-frequently
visited places.

Tourism is supposed to be one of the higher-priority spheres of the
NKR economy. Good hotel service promotes the influx of tourists. It
should also be mentioned that hotel business is considered to be
one of the most perspective fields of the region. Currently, several
dozens of modern hotels operate in Nagorno Karabakh.

GEORGIAN OMBUDSMAN TO LEAVE FOR JAVAKHK TO STUDY THE SITUATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.08.2008 16:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Georgia’s Ombudsman Sozar Subari and Georgian
President’s advisor on integration issues Tamar Kintsurashvili will
pay a visit to Samtskhe Javakheti, particularly to Akhalkalaki,
to meet with representatives of the local authorities and NGOs.

The officials will also familiarize themselves with the situation in
the region, the Armenian population of which seeks help from Armenia’s
Ombudsman Armen Harutyunyan.

Mr Harutyunyan’s press office said the Ombudsman is deeply concerned
over the tensions in Javakheti, specifically the murder of two
Armenian policemen.

Meanwhile a source in the regional administration said that the recent
developments have nothing to do with politics. "It’s not the first
time when some forces attempt to attach a political coloring to any
incident in the region," it said, Novosti Georgia reports.

On July 20, three days after the explosion near the house belonging
to Akhalkalaki police chief Samvel Petrosyan, Georgian special forces
and police rushed into the house belonging to United Javakhk leader,
Vahagn Chakhalyan, and arrested his and his family members – his
parents and brother.

Another United Javakhk member, Aram Batoyan, is also kept in custody.

Policemen Arthur Berujanyan and Armen Gabrielyan were killed. Local
police chiefs said the latter committed suicide.

DIASPORA COMMITTEE HEAD MEETS WITH USAID OFFICIALS

ARMENPRESS
August 1, 2008

YEREVAN, AUGUST 1, ARMENPRESS: Chairperson of the Diaspora Committee
of the Armenian foreign minister, Hranush Hakobian, received July
31 Ken Yamashita, chief assistant to USAID Europe and Eurasia Office
Coordinator and R. Phillips, USAID Armenia Office head.

The Foreign Ministry’s press division told Armenpress that the main
issue discussed was about ways of a possible cooperation between the
Diaspora Ministry to be set up in autumn and USAID.

At the request of USAID officials Ms. Hakobian spoke about the
objectives and the duties of the ministry expected to be formally
established in October. The sides referred to the future ministry’s
involvement in programs implemented in Armenia by USAID.

IRRESPECTIVE OF GEORGIA’S MEMBERSHIP IN NATO ITS RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA DOOMED TO BE DISSATISFACTORY
By A. Haroutiunian

AZG Armenian Daily
30/07/2008

Regional, Armenia-Georgia

The dividing lines exist in South Caucasus anyways. This is the phrase
with which the whole "Shall Dividing Lines Appear in South Caucasus
in case Georgia enters NATO" discussion can be summarized. The
discussion was held in a television space bridge format between
Yerevan and Tbilisi.

According to Novosti international press center, Armenian parliament
member Armen Ashotian and political scientist Alexander Iskandarian
represented the Armenian side in the discussion. The Georgian side
was represented by political scientists Gia Khukhishvili and Soso
Tsiskarishvili.

Georgia, unlike Armenia and Azerbaijan, in fact has no alternative
political orientation than it has now, Tsiskarishvili said. Georgia is
forced to choose the western direction, which implies its integration
with NATO.

According to Khukhashvili, the Armenia-Georgia relations shall be
preserved and shall be kept in accord with the global and regional
political tendencies. Anyways, Khukhashvili said, Georgia’s membership
in NATO shall have no negative effect on South Caucasus, as NATO is not
only a military organization, but also a system of political standards.

Regarding the so-called dividing lines, the political scientist said
that in the atmosphere of the international globalization of the 21st
century both focusing on the borders and neglecting issues related
to them is wrong.

In global sense the dividing lines occurred in Caucasus right after
the downfall of the USSR, said Armen Ashotian, and added that Georgia’s
membership in NATO will not shift anything in this respect. Therefore,
Armenia and Georgia have to avoid the influence of global politics
in their bilateral relations.

In the very beginning of the television space bridge discussion
Ashotian mentioned that Georgia is involved in a number of
anti-Armenian regional programs, while Armenia has never displayed
anti-Georgian attitudes.

To Alexander Iskandarian’s opinion, sooner or later Georgia will
certainly join the North-Atlantic Treaty, and the most important
point is when it will happen. Iskandarian said he is most interested
whether Armenia and Georgia will be able to preserve their neighborly
relations in despite of the dividing lines, as there has been always
a lot of risk to spoil the relations between the two countries.

The participants of the discussion also referred to the Kars-Akhalkalak
project and Georgia’s position on Armenia’s participation in
it. Tsiskarishvili mentioned that harming a neighbor must not be
the policy of a civilized nation, but the processes in Caucasus show
the opposite.

According to the political scientist, both the European structures
and the USA are rather interested in Georgia as a Southern Caucasian
state than as a Caspian one. In this respect the Kars-Akhalkalak
project cannot be considered as a "golden chance" for Georgia, but
anyways it remains very important in sense of regional cooperation.

Khukhishvili added to his colleague’s words that Georgia warrants
that Armenian goods can always be transported via Georgian Black Sea
ports. Moreover, Georgia also warrants that the Armenian goods will
be transported also via Kars-Akhalkalak route.

A1+

SPONTANEOUS MARCH
[08:03 pm] 25 July, 2008

On July 25 over fifty `residents’ of Northern Avenue staged a protest
action near the General Prosecutor’s Office shouting `Free political
prisoners. They demanded an urgent release of the political
prisoners.’

`We shall struggle till the end,’ Mrs. Roza said to A1+. 43-year-old
Arshak said they should double efforts as the state of the political
prisoners worsens day by day. Their conditions are really poor.

Minutes later the protesters started a spontaneous march to the RoA
Government which was guarded by 10-11 policemen.

`We want a country without Sarkissian and Kocharian,’ `We long for
free and independent Armenia,’ they shouted while walking to Northern
Avenue.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SACKS FOUR SENIOR DIPLOMATS

Assa-Irada
July 24 2008
Azerbaijan

Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian has dismissed four diplomats holding
high government posts over their support to the opposition. These
include Deputy Foreign Minister Armen Bayburdian, the Armenian
ambassador to Italy, Spain and Portugal Ruben Shugarian, the envoy
to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan Levon Khachaturian, and aide to the
ambassador to Moldova and Ukraine Razmik Khumarian.

YOUNG PROFESSORS GETTING TRAINED

Panorama.am
21:52 24/07/2008

The Ministry of Education and Science announces Junior Faculty
Development Program. The junior professors have an opportunity to
be trained in the following fields: American Sciences, architecture
and urban development, art management, business management, cultural
anthropology, economics, educational management, environment, history,
international relations, journalism, etc.

During the period of training in US the JFDP participants will attend
some course, take part in conferences, have teaching experience
themselves or co-teaching. After the project is finished no degree
is warded. The participants are to return to their homeland.

ARMENIA IMPROVES CSTO

Panorama.am
19:41 22/07/2008

"Armenia is intended to do everything to improve the Collective
Security Treaty Organization," said the Minister of Defense Seyran
Ohanyan in a press conference today.

"Within this year the authorities of the organization will visit
Armenia and I am more than sure that in the period of Armenian
presidency efforts will be made to develop the skills of the CSTO
member countries and to make them more modern and effective," said
the Minister.

Remind that in September Armenia will be authorized by the presidency
of CSTO.

ABOUT 25 COMPANIES PARTICIPATE IN DRINKS EXPO 2008 IN YEREVAN

ARKA
July 23

About 25 local and foreign companies took part in the DRINKS EXPO
2008 that opened today in Yerevan. The initiator of the event is the
Armenian PROM EXPO Company.

The exhibition allows customers to source the best local and foreign
alcohol and non-alcohol drinks, said Vahag Mirijanyan, commercial
director of PROM EXPO.

He believes the exhibition allows local and foreign producers to
market their goods.

Among the participants are Jermuk, Dilijan mineral water companies,
Kotayk Beverage Company and other leading companies.

Mirijanyan said expos help small and new companies find new markets
and promote their products both in their country and overseas. He
expressed a hope the expo will be held annually.

Drink EXPO 2008 will close on July 25.The exhibition is sponsored
by the RA Ministry of Agriculture, RA Ministry of Economy and the
Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Armenia. Z. Sh.