Author: Karagyozian Lena

OSCE MG WORKS FOR SOONEST PRESIDENTIAL MEETING

PanARMENIAN.Net
13.03.2008 16:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The possibility of a Sargsyan-Aliyev presidential
meeting will be negotiated with OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs on March
14, Armenia’s Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian told a news conference
today.

"The Co-chairs work for a soonest presidential meeting," he said.

"I am likely to meet with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar
Mammadyarov but the date and place have not been determined yet,"
the Minister added.

He also informed that President-elect Serzh Sargsyan will head the
Armenian delegation at NATO summit in Bucharest on April 3-4.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT-ELECT HAILS KOSOVO’S INDEPENDENCE

ITAR-TASS
March 12 2008
Russia

Yerevan, 12 March: Yerevan advocates the free realisation of the
right of peoples for self-determination,Armenia’s President-elect
Serzh Sargsyan said on Wednesday.

"From this perspective we hail Kosovo’s independence, " he said.

However, the president-elect does not consider Kosovo as a "precedent"
for solving the Nagornyy-Karabakhproblem, as "we are not going to
recognise the independence of Nagornyy-Karabakh in a foreseeable
future," he said.

Armenia "should not consider Kosovo as a precedent for itself, as
the problem of Nagornyy-Karabakh substantiallydiffers from Kosovo".

"From a legal perspective, Nagornyy-Karabakh differs from other similar
regions, and we do not have the right toequate Nagornyy-Karabakh with
anybody," Sarkisyan said.

He added that Nagornyy-Karabakh "declared the independence in
accordance with laws of the USSR".

CONDOLEEZZA RICE: MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE ARMENIA PROGRAM IS UNDER THREAT

KarabakhOpen
14-03-2008 11:22:06

The state of emergency in Armenia made the United States suspend
several programs of assistance to Armenia, said the U.S. Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice, who addressed the U.S. House, Armtoday.info
reports. She said that they cannot carry out some actions under the
emergency rule.

Noting that the United States provides assistance to Armenia,
including the Millennium Challenge program, the state secretary
warned that this program may also be suspended due to the situation
in Armenia. According to her, the United States is working hard with
the Armenian side toward lifting the state of emergency, Izvestia.ru
reports.

EU PRESIDENCY STATEMENT ON THE SITUATION IN ARMENIA

arminfo
2008-03-13 14:49:00

ArmInfo. The Presidency of the EU is concerned about the situation
in Armenia, and calls on the Armenian authorities to lift the State
of Emergency. The Presidency is particularly concerned about reports
of continuing arrests.

The Presidency welcomes the positive decision of the Armenian
authorities to lift two provisions of the declaration of the State
of Emergency on the activities of political parties and NGOs, and
the announcement that the lifting of the restrictions on the media
is being considered.

The Presidency calls again upon the Armenian authorities to release
citizens detained in connection with their political activities and
to refrain from further arrests of opposition leaders.

The Presidency reiterates its recommendation to conduct an independent
investigation of the events of 1 March and what led to them. It
welcomes the statement of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic
of Armenia on the events of 1 March and calls upon the Armenian
authorities to respond.

The Presidency calls on both the Armenian authorities and opposition
leaders to take all necessary steps to reduce tensions, and to refrain
from any action that could exacerbate the current situation.

The Presidency reiterates its call to all political parties to engage
faithfully in political dialogue based on mutual understanding and
trust, which is the only way to arrive at a political solution to
the present situation.

‘ORTHODOX IDYLL’ IS HOLY CROSS STUDENT’S ‘ON FAITH’ BLOG

College of the Holy Cross
res/2007-2008/nalbandianblog
March 13 2008
MA

Nalbandian ’09 offers distinctive perspective on Armenian-American
heritage and culture in high-profile online diary

Ani Nalbandian ’09 is one of six students nationwide recently chosen
by "On Faith," an interactive Web site on religion produced jointly
by Newsweek and washingtonpost.com, as a regular contributor to
the college religion blog "Faithbook." Nalbandian and the other new
bloggers join a group of six students who have been blogging for the
past year.

Nalbandian, a premed student majoring in history from Trumbull,
Conn., came to Holy Cross as a published author. At the age of 16,
she wrote her first book, Polis: A Way of Life, an exploration of
American political and social values. The daughter of an Armenian
priest, she has been actively engaged in the life of her church and
community. In October 2007, she was asked by the leaders of the
Armenian community to recite a poem for the head of the Armenian
Church, during his visit to the United States.

At Holy Cross, Nalbandian is co-chair of the Bishop Healy Multicultural
Society, science ambassador, Admissions tour guide, op-ed writer for
the Crusader; and member of the American Medical Student Association,
COMPASS, Eco-Action, and Schola Cantorum.

Read Nalbandian’s "Faithbook" posts about her Armenian Orthodox
faith online.

ARMENIA EASES RESTRICTIONS ON NATIONAL MASS MEDIA

ITAR-TASS
March 13 2008
Russia

YEREVAN, March 13 (Itar-Tass) – Armenian authorities ease additionally
the regime of restrictions on the operation of the national mass
media, says a decree of the Armenian President Robert Kocharyan,
which was circulated by his press service on Thursday.

While covering questions of state and domestic political life, the
media "are forbidden to publish deliberate lies and information,
destabilising the situation in the republic" as well as "calls for
participation or other reports on illegal events": rallies, meetings
and marches, made without preliminary notification of city authorities.

Previously, "press reports on state and domestic policy questions"
could be made only in the framework of official information. New
rules come into force on Friday, the decree notes.

At the same time, the president repealed an item of the regime of
restrictions, imposing "a ban on conducting political publicity
by circulating leaflets and by other forms without an appropriate
permission of government bodies".

The state of emergency was clamped down on Yerevan on March 1 for 20
days after the mass rioting in the capital. As a result of disorders,
eight people died, including a police officer, while 180 policemen
and interior troops as well as 48 civilians were wounded.

They were preceded by unauthorised rallies, meetings, marches and other
actions by the radical opposition which disagreed with the official
results of the presidential elections in Armenia, held on February 19.

The Armenian Special Investigation Service now conducts a preliminary
investigation into a criminal case on a violent capture of power and
organisation of mass disorders which were spearheaded at hamstringing
the constitutional law and order and which were accompanied by killings
and violence against representatives of authorities in the person of
law enforcers.

The opposition insists that the victory at the elections was carried
by first Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrosyan. On Saturday, the
Armenian Constitutional Court left in force the election results,
announced by the country’s Central Election Commission.

Under the state of emergency, it is forbidden to stage rallies,
meetings, marches and other mass events as well as strikes. At the same
time, law enforcement bodies have "the right, if need be, to restrict
movements of people, to search them as well as their motor vehicles".

On Monday, the head of state already dumped some restrictions
which were imposed with the introduction of the state of emergency
in Yerevan. They dealt with a possibility of "a temporary ban on
activities of political parties and other non-government organisations,
interfering with the removal of reasons, leading to the imposition
of the state of emergency".

Another repealed item had granted authorities a possibility to expel
people non-residents of a given territory if they broke up the legal
regime of the state of emergency.

ANOTHER AZERI SOLDIER YIELDS HIMSELF PRISONER TO ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.03.2008 12:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On March 9 evening Azerbaijani citizen Yakub Alaverdi
ogly Mukhtarov crossed the Armenian-Azeri border near the settlement
of Kolagir, Tavush region, RA Defense Minister’s spokesman, colonel
Seyran Shahsuvaryan told PanARMENIAN.Net.

"Mukhtarov said he repeatedly asked the commanding officer for
treatment. Being turned down, he addressed to the brigade commander
but was beaten severely.

Leaving the weapon at the post, Mukhtarov crossed the border. The
Azeri soldier said that numerous impact marks and bruises are the
evidence of acts of violence committed against him," Shahsuvaryan said.

Yakub Alaverdi ogly Mukhtarov, born in 1988, is a native of Sheki town.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT DISCUSSES NEW PROGRAMS WITH AGRICULTURE MINISTER

ARKA
March 11, 2008

YEREVAN, March 11. /ARKA/. Armenian President Robert Kocharyan met
Agriculture Minister David Lokyan on Tuesday to discuss things in
agriculture sector.

Presidential press office says that the president and the minister
discussed the rise in prices for agriculture products as a result of
global changes.

They also spoke about new government-approved programs, such as corn
cultivation in provinces of Tavish and Lori.

Supreme Spiritual Council met in Holy Echmiadzin on Mar 6-7

2008-03-07 18:15:00

ArmInfo. The Supreme Spiritual Council of Holy Echmiadzin held a
meeting on Mar 6-7.

The press service of Holy Echmiadzin reports that the meeting was held
by Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II. The Council discussed the
present internal political situation and pointed out the importance of
stability and peace in the country. The Council introduced the top
clergymen of the Armenian Apostolic Church to more actively spread love
and tolerance among people. In the end the participants in the meeting
prayed for the souls of the people killed during the March 1 tragic
events in Yerevan.

DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
March 7, 2008 Friday

EXTERNAL ENEMY IN ARMENIAN POLITICS;

Firing in Nagorno-Karabakh reported following disturbances in Yerevan

by Sergei Strokan, Rafael Mustafayev

FIRING REPORTED IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH; The first fighting in years is
reported in Nagorno-Karabakh.

A major run-in involving the Armenian and Azerbaijani military in the
self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh took place yesterday.
The Armenians pinned the blame on the Azerbaijanis. The latter deny
all innuendo. Baku suspects that Yerevan makes an emphasis on the
existence of the external enemy to distract attention from
deterioration of the domestic political situation in Armenia.

Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanjan called a press conference
yesterday to talk of the fighting in the Mardakert district
(northeast of Nagorno-Karabakh). Oskanjan accused Baku of cease-fire
regime violation in effect since 1994 and said the Azerbaijanis had
used heavy armored vehicles. The Azerbaijanis seized one of the
commanding heights but the Armenian army took it back again, he said.

"That’s a serious encroachment. Several Armenians were wounded.
Condemning this encroachment, we insist on a termination of the
hostilities and a restoration of the truce," Oskanjan said.
Azerbaijani media outlets confirmed the fact of the hostilities and
reported to Azerbaijani servicemen killed in action Yusif Gasymov and
Neimat Musayev).

The official explanation of what had happened offered by Baku greatly
differed from the version promoted by Oskanjan. Haziz Ibragim, the
head of the Press Center of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, pinned
the blame on the Armenians. "Armenian leadership is trying to
distract society and the international community from its political
problems and focus them on the so called external factor," Ibragim
said. "Azerbaijan is this external enemy."

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry denounced the information on any
advance into the Armenian lines. Asked for comments on the battle
over one of the commanding heights Oskanjan had mentioned, a source
called it a plain invention.

Source: Kommersant, March 5, 2008, p. 11