Author: Kajoyan Gevork

"NAIRIT" RECONSTRUCTION 252 MILLION DOLLARS

Panorama.am
15:12 18/04/2008

Polish company PBG PBGG.WA announced that a contract is signed with
the "Nairit" chemic company and 252mln dollars will be invested to
reconstruct and modernize the former Nairit.

Mediamax spread a message citing "Reuters" agency that earlier the
current company announced that they are going to broaden the sphere
of the activities. The company announced that in 30 months the
reconstruction of "Nairit" will be finished.

COE TO LOSE TRUST TO ARMENIA IF NO REFORMS ARE HELD IN THIS COUNTRY

Today.Az
s/44349.html
April 17 2008
Azerbaijan

"PACE calls on the Armenian authorities to hold reforms immediately,
otherwise the Council fo Europe will lose trust to this country".

The due announcement is contained in the draft PACE resolution
"Functioning of democratic institutes in Armenia", put on the agenda
of the PACE session on April 17.

The document says that if Armenia can not record a significant
progress, meed demands and hold an open dialogue on reforms in the
spheres, indicated in the report, the Assembly will consider possible
suspension of the mandate of the Armenian delegation and deprive it
of the right to vote at the session in JUne.

It should be noted that among the demands to the Armenian side, the
Assembly puts forward the need to transform the political system for
ensuring the right of the opposition.

Moreover, the document says: "The Electoral Code should be
optimized so that to ensure formation of an unbiased electoral
system, not controlled by any political party; ensure independence
of the commission on national and public television and radio. The
composition of the aforementioned structures should be checked for
meeting the demands of the Armenian society".

Moreover, the document states the need to ensure the freedom of
assembly in the law and in life.

The Armenian authorities should make efforts to ensure really
independent judiciary system to raise public trust to decisions,
passed by judges.

The Armenian authorities should put an end to arrests and detainments,
as well as maltreatment of prisoners. Effective mechanism of control
over the work of the Armenian police is needed.

TURKEY WON’T JOIN U.S. IN SETTING UP EUROPE MISSILE DEFENSE SHIELD

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.04.2008 15:41 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey won’t join the U.S. in setting up missile
defense shield in Europe, Turkey’s Defense Minister said.

"Turkey participates in NATO joint defense system organization. The
missile defense shield in Europe is a sole project of the United
States," Vecdi Gonul said, adding that his country’s armed forces are
efficient enough to ensure security, the Russian News Service reports.

EDUARDO EURNEKIAN CONGRATULATES TIGRAN SARKISIAN ON BEING APPOINTED PRIME MINISTER

ARMENPRESS
April 17, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 17, ARMENPRESS: Argentinean-Armenian businessman Eduardo
Eurnekian congratulated Tigran Sarkisian on the occasion of being
appointed prime minister of Armenia, the government press office said.

His message runs as follows: "Dear Mr. Sarkisian, I congratulate you
on the occasion of being appointed prime minister of the Republic of
Armenia. I have no doubts that under your leadership the government
of Armenia will be able to deepen economic growth to register bigger
success. In the past I had occasions to cooperate with you on different
projects. On this occasion I would like to reconfirm my long-term
initiative to participate in development of the key sectors of the
country’s economy and defend the government’s economic policies."

MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION TO DISCUSS ARMENIAN ISSUE

AZG Armenian Daily
18/04/2008

Armenia-USA

Today in Washington the Millennium Challenge Corporation is to discuss
the issue of further cooperation with Armenia. It came to be known
that besides the Minnenim Challenge Corporation board members, Matthew
Bryza from US Department of State and Vigen Sarkisian, councilor to
President of Armenia, are to take part in the discussion.

According to information received from various sources, representative
of ex-president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosian, Arman Grigorian,
also left for Washington the other day. Seemingly, his mission is to
convince the Millennium Challenges Corporation to cease the partnership
with Armenia.

To be reminded, the Corporation realizes construction of highways
and irrigation communications in Armenia.

COURT TO EXAMINE COMPLAINT OF REPRESENTATIVES OF LEVON GULIAN’S LEGAL SUCCESSOR ON APRIL 18

Noyan Tapan
April 16, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The complaint of the representatives
of Levon Gulian’s legal successor will be examined at the general
jurisdiction court of Yerevan’s Kentron and Nork-Marash communities
on April 18. Hrayr Ghukasian, a representative of Gulian’s legal
successor, saying this at the April 16 press conference, mentioned that
they appeal against the decision made by the Special Investigation
Service on March 12, which regarded quashing the case on the fact of
L. Gulian’s death with the motivation of lack of corpus delicti. It
should be mentioned that Gulian died in the criminal investigation
building of RA Police on May 12, 2007, according to the official
version, in consequence of falling down from the window of second
floor at the moment of taking to flight. The case has been instituted
at Yerevan Prosecutor’s Office, by the signs of part 1, Article 110,
RA Criminal Code (driving to suicide).

According to the defence party, the preliminary examination that
lasted for ten months was one-sided, not objective, the actions of
Police employees aimed at depriving L. Gulian of freedom by force,
using tortures to him, and finally, causing his death, carried out
from early in the morning of May 10 to May 12 have not been examined
and given a proper evaluation. The information provided by Police
employees, who are directly interested in the given case’s outcome,
were the basis of the decision to quash the case. That information
was not checked and analysed. The preliminary examination was not
unbiassed, transparent, and efficient, almost all mediations of the
representatives of Gulian’s legal successor were rejected, they were
not involved in implementation of any investigation or other judicial
act, did not have a possibility to ask questions to policemen, and
all materials of the case became accessible for them only after the
end of the preliminary examination.

The defence party considers that the preliminary examination
body disregarded a number of evidence in the case, testimonies of
witnesses, expertise conclusions, which not only refute the version
of an accident, but also ground "criminal actions of police employees
to L. Gulian."

SPEAKER OF ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT, EXPERTS OF VENICE COMMISSION AND OSCE/ODIHR DISCUSS AMENDMENTS TO LAW ‘ON RALLIES, DEMONSTRATION AND PROCESSIONS’

arminfo
2008-04-15 18:16:00

ArmInfo. Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Tigran Torosyan met
experts of the Council of Europe Venice Commission Finola Flanagan
and Simona Granata-Menghini, as well as OSCE/ODIHR experts Denis
Petit and Neil Jarman.

The Armenian parliamentary press-service told ArmInfo that the meeting
covered the amendments to the law "On rallies, demonstrations and
processions" adopted by the parliament on March 17. The meeting was
also attended by Armenian Justice Minister Gevorg Danielyan, Assistant
to the Armenian President Gevorg Mheryan, Special Representative of
the Council of Europe Secretary General to Armenia Bojana Urumova
and other officials.

Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly Tigran Torosyan assured
them that Armenia respects the CoE admission commitments.

Torosyan noted that the law adopted on April 28, 2004, was normally
perceived by the society. "However, after the presidential election
one of the presidential candidates held unsanctioned rallies for 9
days running, this was a rough violation of the law that was followed
by the March 1 mass disorders. One should be aware of the real events
to understand why and in what conditions the law was amended and what
should be changed today", he stressed. Torosyan also noted that after
the amendments had been adopted, the law was submitted for expert
examination of the Venice Commission. On the basis of the received
responses, 4 items of the law should be discussed.

In particular, the first item is related to notification, according to
which in case of prohibition, the police and the National Security
Service are to give a conclusion on the obstacles hindering the
conduct of rallies. Another issue concerns spontaneous rallies. 10-50
people may start an alleged spontaneous rally which will turn into
a multi-thousand rally. In this connection, Torosyan suggested that
the right formulation should be found as a result of hearings or the
introduced amendments should be left unchanged.

For her part, Finola Flanagan pointed out that Torosyan’s
clarifications will help find the right solutions. After the
discussions, the law will again be sent to the CoE Venice Commission
and the OSCE/ODIHR, and after responses are received the draft law
will again be discussed at the National Assembly.

SERZH SARGSYAN CALLS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF RELATIONS WITH PARTNER STATES

PanARMENIAN.Net
11.04.2008 15:06 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan met Thursday
with heads of RA diplomatic missions accredited abroad, the leader’s
press office reported.

Mr Sargsyan presented the priorities of Armenia’s foreign policy and
said that their realization requires bravery and energy. "The coming
years should become the years of initiatory foreign policy," he said
and added, "No turnaround is expected. We will keep up complementary
policy and strengthen relations with partner states. We need a
more dynamic development. It doesn’t mean that the foreign ministry
fulfilled its tasks properly. But the circumstances demand redoubling
of efforts," he said.

Touching on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, President
Sargsyan made a special mention of Diaspora’s activity. He also drew
the diplomats’ attention to expansion of economic ties and attraction
of investments.

Armenian Relief Society, Inc.
Telephone: 617-926-5892
Central Office
Fax: 617-926-4855
e-mail: [email protected]
Website:

Contact person: Hamesd Beugekian

80 Bigelow Avenue
Watertown, MA 02472
Date: April 10, 2008

Opening of ARS Office in Georgia

On April 7, 2008, took place the opening of Armenian Relief Society’s
regional office in Akhalqalaq, Georgia. Coinciding with Mothers Day, the
opening ceremony was attended by the Locum Tenens Prelate of the
Georgian See of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Reverent Father
Babken Salbyian; Reverent Father Samuel Torosian; Member of the Georgian
Parliament, Hamlet Movsysian; The Mayor of Akharqalaq, the Honorable
Ararat Gamalian; Akhalqalaq Police Chief, Samuel Petrosian; Chief
Physician of the Akhalqalaq Hospital, Dr. Alexander Torosian; regional
representatives of educational, labor union, and other centers;
directors of schools and financial institutions, as well as ARS members
>From Akhalqalaq, Ninotsminta and Akhaltskha.

The ribbon on the entrance of the Office was cut by ARS Central
Executive Board Chairperson, Hasmig Derderian — who was in the country
for this occasion — following which, Locum Tenens Prelate Father Babken
Salbyian blessed the premises and, addressing the gathering, stated,
that the Armenians of Javakhq truly appreciate all those, who even
merely think and worry about their needs. He affirmed, that this newly
opened ARS office will be a home full of warmth for the Armenians of
Javakhq. In a brief statement, Chairperson of ARS/Georgia, Karineh
Tadevosian, assured the audience, that at last, with the reality of the
ARS Javakhq office, the Society’s activities will be accelerated like
never before. Then, she invited the ARS, Inc. Chairperson to address the
gathering.

After expressing her satisfaction for the opening of the ARS Javakhq
office, and a brief synopsis of global activities and mission of the
ARS, Mrs. Derderian pointed out, that the newly inaugurated ARS office
in Akhalqalaq will be "that warm abode, where every Armenian will feel
safe, finding a sympathetic ear to personal problems." She added, that,
"it is a genuine source of pride to us, not only the duty of presiding
over the opening of a new ARS office, but the knowledge, that this is a
center of service to our people, where the global ARS structure will do
its utmost to wipe the tear of a mother in distress, to lessen the pain
of a traumatized child, to watch Armenian youth sing and dance, and to
turn the spotlight on Javakhq for all ARS members to see and be aware
of."

After the Chairperson’s words, Georgian Parliament member, Hamlet
Movsysian addressed the gathering with words of welcome and greetings,
followed by other personalities’ congratulatory expressions, after
which, drinks and pastries were served.

On their visit to Javakhq, the ARS. Inc. Chairperson and the Executive
Director visited the Akhaltskha and Akhalqalaq Youth Centers,
established with the efforts of the ARS Javakhq Development Committee,
the Tzughrit Village and its ARS Health Center, where they had a working
session with the Executive body of ARS/Georgia. They met with the Locum
Tenens Prelate of the Georgian See of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the
Reverent Father Babken Salbyian; and paid a visit to the Akhalqalaq
Hospital, where through the efforts the ARS Javakhq Development
Committee, there now exist all necessary medical equipment and a Dental
Health center.

The ARS

8 PROTEST ACTIONS HELD THROUGHOUT ARMENIA TODAY

PanARMENIAN.Net
09.04.2008 21:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Opposition supporters held 8 protest actions held
throughout Armenia today. A mourning event took place in the center
of Yerevan; a group of people picketed the U.S. Embassy.

Residents of Syunik region of Armenia lit candles on their window
cells to mourn over those killed in March 1 and 2 melees.

Several thousand of people gathered nearby the French Embassy in
Yerevan and laid wreaths to the monument to Alexander Myasnikyan. They
demanded to release the oppositionists kept in custody.

RA NA member Victor Dallakyan and former presidential hopeful Tigran
Karapetyan also arrived at the site, as they said, to honor the memory
of the killed.

An hour later, police started to drive away the gathering. The action
initiators called on their supporters to leave and meet several
hours later at Republic Square where festivities on occasion of the
President’s inauguration will be held, IA Regnum reports.