Author: Jalatian Sonya

TWO DOZENS OF ORGANIZATIONS ALREADY JOIN OPEN LETTER INITIATED BY ARSHAK SADOYAN ON ISSUE OF “ZHARANGUTIUN” PARTY OFFICE

Noyan Tapan
Mar 28 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 28, NOYAN TAPAN. Considering the policy fostered by
the authorities in the issue of the “Zharangutiun” (Heritage) party
this to be a flagrant infringement, on the part of the incumbent
presidency and its ruling clique, of fundamental civil liberties and
political freedoms, MP and chairman of the National Democrats’ Alliance
Arshak Sadoyan has launched an initiative whereby he has petitioned
all political parties in Armenia as well as institutions that are
interested in the establishment of democracy in the Republic. “On
March 4, 2006, a criminal break-in took place at the premises which
Armenia’s first Minister of Foreign Affairs Raffi K. Hovannisian has
been leasing for more than 12 years. Without advance notice on legal
warrant, the lock of the Heritage Party headquarters’ main outer door
was smashed and replaced with another. As a result, the chairman of the
Heritage Party and the staff of its central office have been forcibly
denied the right of entry into their own place of work, which under
the existing contract is theirs until June of this year. The absolute
closure of access to Heritage’s official seal, documents, computers,
and means of telecommunication has brought the party’s activities to
a standstill, paralyzing the regular contact between its headquarters
and regional offices,” is said in the open letter. The authors of
the document reminds that Raffi Hovannisian and the executive board
of the Heritage Party have issued formal and telephonic petitions to
Prime Minister Andranik Margarian, Attorney General Aghvan Hovsepian,
and Police Chief Haik Harutiunian regarding this unlawful act. “No
response, explanation, or comment has been received to date from the
law enforcement bodies. In fact, the constitutional order has once
again been violated in Armenia. A leading opposition party that has
stood out of late with its civic and public initiatives has effectively
and illegally been shut down,” is said in the letter. The authors of
the document consider this to be a flagrant infringement, on the part
of the incumbent presidency and its ruling clique, of fundamental
civil liberties and political freedoms. We demand that the Armenian
authorities reopen the Heritage Party headquarters immediately and
implement measures guaranteeing its normal, unfettered, and secure
operations. About two dozens of parties, unions and organizations have
already joined the open letter, including the Forum of Intellectuals
of Armenia, Social Democrate Hnchak, “Hanrapetutiun,” “National
Democratic Union,” “National Democrates’ Alliance,” “Nor Zhamankner”
(New Times), “Zhoghorvrdavarakan Hayrenik” (Democratic Fatherland)
parties. The letter is open for signatures.

GEORGIANS CONSIDER RUSSIA A HOSTILE NATION – POLL

Interfax Russia
March 27 2006

TBILISI. March 27 (Interfax) – Russia is the most hostile nation to
Georgia, a poll conducted by the popular Georgian newspaper Kviris
Palitra has indicated.

According to the poll, published on Monday, 94.4% were of the opinion
that Russia was the nation most hostile to Georgia.

The second most hostile nation was considered to be Belarus (33.7%)
followed by Armenia (28.1%), Turkey (4.7%), Iran (3.8%), Azerbaijan
(1.6%) and Iraq (1.5%).

Seven hundred adults in across Georgia were requested to name the
two most hostile nations to Georgia.

Panorama.am

15:31 25/03/06

ARONYAN YIELDS HIS POSITION

After yesterday’s round of Chess tournament in Monaco our compatriot
Levon Aronyan chares the 5th position with 6 points with Boris Gelfand
and Peter Lecko. Yesterday Aronyan ended bot fast and slow games in a
draw.

To note, the leaders of the list are Vishvanattan Anand and Alexander
Morozevich with 7.5 points. The latter is going to be Aronyan’s rival
today./Panorama.am/

POLITICIANS IN NO WAY COMMENT UPON VANO SIRADEGHIAN’S “APPEARANCE”

YEREVAN, MARCH 24, NOYAN TAPAN. ARF Dashnaktsutiun faction Secretary
Hrayr Karapetian called “sensational” the fact that the “Haykakan
Zhamanak” newspaper will publish an interview of former Chairman of
the Armenian National Movement, former RA Minister of Internal Affairs
Vano Siradeghian. He stated at the March 24 press briefing that he
knew nothing about it and only after reading the interview it will
become clear whether the interview was given by Siradeghian or not.

“After reading the interview I will be ready to touch upon all issues
interesting you,” Chairman of the National Unity Party Artashes
Geghamian mentioned in his turn. To recap, Vano Siradeghian is on the
run since early 1999 when the National Assembly sustained RA
Prosecutor General’s petition on depriving him of the deputy immunity
during the trial against him and another 11 former employees of the
system of Ministry of Internal Affairs. Siradeghian has been searched
for by Interpol up to this day. To recap, the “Haykakan Zhamanak”
newspaper has published articles signed as “Avetis Haroutiunian” for
several times and according to some data, their real author is the
very Siradeghian.

DELEGATION OF RA POLICE TO TAKE PART IN III INTERNATIONAL COMPLEX SINGLE COMBAT TOURNAMENT AMONG THE STUFF OF SPECIAL FORCES OF CSTO MEMBER COUNTRIES ON MARCH 23-26

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 21 2006

YEREVAN, March 21. /ARKA/. The delegation of the RA Police will take
part in the III-rd International Complex Single Combat Tournament
among the stuff of Special Forces of the CSTO-member countries in
Anapa on March 23-26.

According to the “Novosti-Armenia” agency, during the press conference
in Moscow the President of the Federation of Complex Single Combat
of Russia Oleg Ufimtsev told journalists that the Armenian delegation
is formed of the acting collaborators of the Armenian police.

“It is very pleasant that Armenia take part almost in every event
organized by us. We hope that Armenian delegation will succeed, since
it always occupies prize places. Perhaps this is the only team, which
has taken part in all tournaments of the CSTO”, Ufimtsev emphasized.

The III-rd International Complex Single Combat Tournament among the
stuff of Special Forces of the member countries of the Collective
Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is organized by the RF Federation
of Complex Single Combat with the support of Russian Union of
Martial Art.

The tournament is conducted within the framework of “World’s Special
Forces against Terrorism” international program and 14 teams take
part in it.

NATO AND EU INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATION IN KARABAKH PROCESS

PanARMENIAN.Net
21.03.2006 23:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The first serious request of the European community
for increase of its role in the region was made last January in David
Atkinson’s report at the PACE, Director of Civil Society and Regional
Development Institute, political scientist Aghavni Karakhanyan stated
in a conversation with a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In her words, the
report’s point lied exactly in enhancing Europe’s role in the South
Caucasus. “Quite a logical step is the European Neighborhood Policy
(ENP), which includes conflict settlement, in particular that of
the Nagorno Karabakh. The NATO IPAP does not imply anything about
conflict settlement. This is mere verbiage. Though NATO official
mission in the South Caucasus did not consider conflict settlement
a priority. Of course, the NATO is interested in participation,” she
remarked. Karakhanyan emphasized that EU activation in the region is
quite explainable. “The US and OSCE try to solve the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict and requests for EU involvement in the region blends with
activation of US policy,” she said.

TRACKING INDIAN BOLLYWOOD

Lragir/am
20 March 06

A group of 17 Indian businessmen headed by the Honorary Consul of
Armenia to the Indian city of Mumbai (former Bombay) has arrived in
Armenia to set up business relations with their Armenian colleagues
and to study the business environment in Armenia. The guests have
already visited the Armenian Development Agency, the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and met with local businessmen. On March 20 the
members of the delegation met with reporters.

Among the members of the delegation are representatives of the
leading branches of industry in India: diamonds, IT, pharmaceutics,
tourism, metallurgy, etc. Presently, imports from India total 11
million dollars, exports in the opposite direction total 400 thousand
dollars. According to the deputy foreign minister of Armenia Armen
Baiburdyan, trade between the two countries grows annually by 70 per
cent and still there is potential. Besides trade the Armenians and
Indians cooperate in education, science and culture. The cooperation
in culture promises to develop cooperation in other spheres. Three
representatives of the Indian Bollywood – Mukesh Bhatt, Sabir Boxala,
Ashok Mehta – arrived in Yerevan with the delegation.

Mukesh Bhatt opened his speech with the popular phrase in India
“tourism follows wherever Bollywood goes.”

Bollywood annually produces 1000 films. Mukesh Bhatt annually produces
5 films. He has produced 45 films, 27 were made abroad, in Switzerland,
Singapore, etc. Life revealed that after such films Indian tourists
tend to visit to the country. The Armenian ambassador to India
Ashot Kocharyan, deputy minister of foreign affairs Armen Bayburdyan
and the Indian ambassador to Armenia Rina Pandei and the producer
expressed hope that soon a romantic Indian film will be produced in
Armenia with all its subsequent consequences. Mukesh Bhatt hopes that
a romantic relationship will begin between Armenia and Bollywood and
will last long. He said he had been told that there is good scenery
in Armenia for shooting. Mukesh Bhatt said there is also warmth and
hospitality. The Indian reporter Gustasp Irani said unlike Singapore
and China, the Armenians have preserved their identity and are an
island of Christian culture surrounded with Arab culture.

IN KARABAKH EVERY NINTH HAS A CELL PHONE

Lragir/am
20 March 06

The NKR minister of territorial management and development of
infrastructures Armo Tsaturyan stated that soon the fixed-line network
in Stepanakert will be digitalized.

In total 4.5 million dollars is required for the development of
fixed-line telephone in NKR. Another investment of 2-2.5 million
dollars is foreseen in cellular network. Last year the investments of
Karabakh telecom totaled 60 million drams. The number of cellular base
stations grew from 14 to 17. This year another 7 base stations will
be installed. In 2005 the number of subscribers of Karabakh Telecom
totaled 15600. The population in Karabakh is 139.5 thousand by the
initial data of the census. Hence, every ninth person in Karabakh
has a mobile phone.

EU TO PROVIDE ARMENIA WITH 2 MLN EUROS TO REPAIR RAILWAYS

Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Business and Financial Newswire
March 16, 2006 Thursday 6:06 PM MSK

The European Union will provide Armenia with 2 million euros under a
TRACECA program to repair the Yerevan-Tbilisi railway route, Gagik
Grigorian, the national TRACECA coordinator and head of foreign
relations at the Transport and Communications Ministry, told Interfax.

Armenian specialists estimate that about 200 million euros will be
used to prepare a feasibility study and 1.8 million euros to repair the
most damaged tracks. The timeframe for the project will be determined
after the feasibility study.

GEORGIAN MP SAYS OFFICIAL STATUS FOR ARMENIAN LANGUAGE “UNREALISTIC”

Kavkas-Press
16 Mar 06

Tbilisi, 16 March: [Pro-government ethnic Armenian] MP Van Baiburt
says that calls by some Armenians in Akhalkalaki for Armenian to be
given the status of an official language are unrealistic. Baiburt
told Kavkas-Press that he categorically rules out the possibility
that this demand could increase tension in Akhalkalaki and believes
this would only be in the interests of those organizations trying to
provoke protests with this demand.

Baiburt said that this should not be seen as the united opinion of the
Armenian diaspora in Georgia. “We feel that the Georgian authorities
are not imposing any restrictions. The Georgian government is taking
into account the situation of Akhalkalaki Armenians and because no-one
has taught them Georgian, the government has agreed to allow official
business to be conducted in Armenian in the area,” Baiburt said.

The MP called on his brethren to follow the example of ethnic
minorities in other countries and acquire an elementary knowledge of
the official language.

Baiburt said that it is not the Armenians’ fault that they do not
know Georgian. “It is the fault of time,” he said. “So that Armenians
can live comfortably, have jobs and teachers, the local council and
administration head should look for investors and grants to deal with
this problem,” Baiburt told Kavkas-Press.