Author: Kalashian Nyrie

Armenia ratifies CIS accord on secret information
Arminfo
24 May 05
YEREVAN
The Armenian parliament today ratified the agreement on the mutual
protection of secret information within the framework of the [CIS]
Collective Security Treaty Organization.
The document says that mechanisms of protecting secret information in
the scientific, scientific-research, military and intelligence fields
will be drawn up, Armenian Defence Minister Serzh Sarkisyan has said.
The mechanisms and amount of compensation for divulging confidential
information are mentioned in separate articles of the agreement. The
minister said that none of the states which signed the agreement has
ratified it yet.
Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan are
members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

A1plus
| 17:38:52 | 24-05-2005 | Official |
NEW APPOINTMENTS
May 23 by decree of Robert Kocharyan Armen Bayburdyan was dismissed
form the post of Armenian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
to Nepal combining office in Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Henceforth
Armenian Ambassador to India Ashot Kocharyan will assume the office.
According to another decree signed by the RA President on the same
day, Armenian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Italy
Ruben Shugarayan will combine office in Spain and Portugal as well.

Azerbaijan urges Russia to give up plans to relocate arms to Armenia
Azartac news agency, Baku
23 May 05
[No dateline, as received] The charge d’affaires of the Russian
Federation in Azerbaijan, Petr Burdykin, was invited to the
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry on 23 May.
The Foreign Ministry press service has told Azartac that Azerbaijani
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov expressed the Azerbaijani side’s
concern over the statements by a number of Russian military and
political officials, including the chief of the Russian General Staff,
Gen Yuriy Baluyevskiy, that Russia intends to relocate a portion of
its military property and hardware from Georgia to Armenia.
A corresponding diplomatic note was handed to Burdykin.
The document says that such a course of developments would not serve
the interests of peace and stability in the region and would lead to
further exacerbation of tension in the already strained relations
between Armenia and Azerbaijan at a time when efforts are being made
little by little to achieve much awaited progress in negotiations.
The Azerbaijani side is hopeful that the Russian Federation will give
up its intention to send a part of its property and military equipment
to Armenia. By doing so, Russia will contribute to regional security
and stability and confirm its interest in the traditionally friendly,
amicable and neighbourly relationship with Azerbaijan.

Hürriyetim
20.05.2005
Remembrance ceremony in Greece for the ‘Pontus genocide’
Greek Foreign Minister Assistant Panayotis Skandalakis
A remembrance ceremony and march took place in Thessaloniki, Greece
yesterday evening for the victims of the so-called Greek ‘Pontus
genocide.’ A group of people gathered in one of the city’s central
squares shouting anti-Turkish slogans, and then marched to the Turkish
Consulate in Thessaloniki. The marchers then left a written notice
of protest in front of the Consulate.
Nikos Chiarchionis, Greek Minister representing Macendonia and
Thrace, spoke at the gathering, saying “the Potus genocide should
be remembered by the world on the same level as the Armenian and
Jewish genocides.” Mayor of Thessaloniki, Vasilis Papayorgopulos,
announced at the meeting that the local parliament had decided
that a monument would be built in Thessaloniki to the victims of
the so-called ‘Pontus genocide.’ A message from Foreign Minister
Assistant Panayotis Skandalakis read at the meeting explained that
for Greeks, May 19 was an historical turning point, and that the
day was “to remember those who were expelled from their homelands,
and the struggles which followed.”
Greek government spokesman Teodoros Rusopulos said that Greek Prime
Minister Kostas Karamanlis had sent a supportive message regarding
the May 19 so-called Greek ‘Pontus genocide’ to the Pontus Greek
Organization.
–Boundary_(ID_86kvH3znr/5o3TjFzIC0uA)–

NO OTHER WAY FOR ADVOCACY DEVELOPMENT
A1plus
| 15:01:41 | 21-05-2005 | Politics |
Yenok Azaryan, who elected chairman of the Chamber of Lawyers but has
not assumed the office yet considers that the problem lies is the fact
that the time for the formation of the chamber was chosen incorrectly.
He considers that not the unions but the lawyers should compete
with each other. Consequently, the existence of one structure,
moreover in a state where the lawyers have plenty of problems with
the juridical system and law enforcement bodies, is necessary. “One
united chamber will defend the violated rights of it members as well”,
he assures. Today violence is applies against the lawyers. Thus, if
consolidated they would be able to defend the rights of the lawyers
and achieve justice
Yenok Azaryan informed that according to the new law “On Advocacy” the
licenses are issued by a certifying commission composed of scientists,
judges and lawyers. To note, earlier the commission was appointed by
the Justice Ministry. Y. Azaryan assures they will try to exclude
the principle of subjectivity when issuing licenses not to cast
a shadow at the legal activities in future. “We are interested in
skilled staff and we will also organize training for those who once
tried to discredit the activities of the institute”, he said
“Will the body be so independent that its authority will be in your
hand?” we asked. “I understand the implication of your question,
but I am speaking of the formed chamber. Yes, there are discrepancies
and there are persons, who want to deprive us of independence because
it is profitable to have this body guided. However there is no other
way for the development of advocacy”, he resumed.
Diana Markosyan

TURKEY, AZERBAIJAN DISCUSSED THE DEVELOPMENT OF MILITARY COOPERATION IN BAKU
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
May 20, 2005, Friday
General of the Army Ilker Bashbug, Turkish Deputy Chief of the
General Staff, arrived in Azerbaijan on May 17. He discussed the
prospects of military cooperation between Turkey and Azerbaijan with
Defense Minister, Safar Abiyev. The delegations shared opinions about
the military-political situation in the Southern Caucasus and the
progress of settling of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The Turkish general confirmed Turkey’s position regarding Nagorny
Karabakh, which boils down to Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.
(…)

MEDAL TO THE BENEFACTOR
A1plus
| 17:51:57 | 20-05-2005 | Official |
Today Robert Kocharyan has received Kirk Kirkoryan, the Armenian
businessman and benefactor from America.
During the meeting the present economic state of Armenia and the
course of reforms in the country have been discussed. A reference
has also been made to the perspectives of the economic development
of the country.
Robert Kocharyan has presented the Fatherland Medal to Kirk Kirkoryan.

ARMENIAN MFA CONFIRMED OSKANIAN-MAMEDYAROV MEETING
Pan Armenian News
20.05.2005 06:30
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The recurrent meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian
Foreign Ministers Elmar Mamedyarov and Vartan Oskanian will be held
in June, OSCE Minsk Group Russian Co-Chair Yuri Merzlyakov stated,
“I cannot name the exact date and place of the meeting. It is a rather
difficult task to bring the FMs to mutual consent, as all have their
schedules”. According to Merzlyakov, the meeting will proceed in
the initial format – with the participation of the OSCE Minsk Group,
APA Azeri news agency reports. In a conversation with PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter Armenian Foreign Ministry’s Press Secretary Hamlet Gasparian
confirmed the information on the upcoming meeting. In his words, the
Co-Chairs have already coached the FMs for the recurrent meeting,
however the terms and place have not been determined yet. At the
same time he noted that upon completion of the Warsaw the Presidents
of Armenia and Azerbaijan have ordered the FMs to continue the
negotiations on the Karabakh conflict settlement.

REGULAR MONITORING WAS HELD
Pan Armenian News
20.05.2005 08:40
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On May 20, the OSCE Mission held a planned
monitoring of the Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan armed forces’
contact-line on the south-eastern section, near the village of
Horadiz. From the positions of the NKR Defense Army, the monitoring
group comprised of Field Assistants of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office’s
Personal Representative Miroslav Vimetal (Czechia) and Alexander
Samarsky (Ukraine), as well as the Representative of the OSCE High
Level Planning Group, Colonel Andrey Gordiyenko (Russia). From the
Azerbaijan’s territory the monitoring group was led by the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office’s Personal Representative, Ambassador Andrzej
Kasprzyk. Before the beginning of the monitoring, the representatives
of the NKR Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs, accompanying the
OSCE mission, fixed two shots, which sounded from the Azerbaijan’s
party. The monitoring went on after the parties got the guarantees
of security. The monitoring passed according to the planned schedule.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

218 PEOPLE DISMISSED FROM DEPARTMENT FOR EMERGENCY SITUATIONS
A1plus
| 18:39:23 | 19-05-2005 | Politics |
Today the government approved the bill on a new department to deal
with emergency situations. Head of the department Edik Barseghyan
informed of some new clauses of the bill during today’s briefing.
The department for the emergency situations will be conveyed under
the competence of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and
will be reformed in a special rescue service. The rescuers will have
no social benefits and their minimal salary will make 35 thousand
drams. Totally about 218 employees were dismissed.
Edik Barseghyan also reported that 40 000 euros necessary for the
transportation of fire engines from France has been already transferred
and the vehicles will arrive in Armenia in the near future.