Author: Karakhanian Suren

NOT OPPOSITIONISTS BUT INDIVIDUALS ACCUSED OF CRIMES ARE ARRESTED IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
13.03.2008 20:22 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Law enforcement should be guided by the law and
be free from any pressure, Armenian President’s spokesman Victor
Soghomonyan said when commenting on EU’s "concerns over ongoing
arrests in Armenia."

"Not just oppositionists but individuals accused of crimes are
arrested in Armenia. Engagement in politics doesn’t relieve anyone
of responsibility for violating the law in any European state. Our
authorities take all measures to ease tensions in the republic,"
he said.

PRICES OF PRECIOUS METALS GO UP IN ARMENIA

ARMENPRESS
March 14, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 14, ARMENPRESS: An agency of the Armenian finance and
economy ministry dealing with precious stones and metals has set new
prices of gold and some other precious stones and metals.

It said the buying price of one gram of chemically pure gold is 8,939
Drams (about $30). The selling price is 9,717 Drams.

One gram of silver is bought at 184 Drams and sold at 2001 Drams. One
gram of platinum is bought at 20,106 Drams and sold at 21.854
Drams. One gram of palladium is bought at 5,033 Drams and sold at
5,472 Drams.

At world markets the price of gold has hit another all-time high,
trading at $1,000 an ounce Thursday.

The price of gold has gone up by some 20% already this year, after
gaining around 37% over the whole of 2007.

OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF UN MEMBER STATES DO NOT SUPPORT AZERBAIJAN’S POSITION ON NAGORNO KARABAKH

armradio.am
15.03.2008 11:26

On Friday March 14, the United Nations General Assembly voted on a
draft resolution introduced by Azerbaijan in which Azerbaijan attempted
to secure international support for its own desired outcome for the
Nagorno Karabakh resolution process.

The OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair countries – US, France and the Russian
Federation – voted against the resolution as did Armenia and a few
other countries. Over 150 countries abstained or did not vote. Only
39 countries supported the resolution, out of organizational affinity
with either GUAM or the Organization of Islamic Conference.

Although the non-binding resolution passed the General Assembly, the
rejection of Azerbaijan’s position by an overwhelming majority is a
barometer of the mood of the international community on this issue.

"I hope Azerbaijan got the message from the international community.

Taking the lead of the co-chairs, a majority of member states
repelled the one-sided approach," said Armenia’s Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian.

Minister Oskanian characterized the resolution as hypocritical. "On
the one hand, in an effort to disinform member states, the resolution
included a paragraph that supports the OSCE Minsk Process. On the
other hand, Azerbaijan blatantly ignored the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs
position. The co-chair countries had made clear they would not support
the resolution and in fact voted against the resolution."

"Now we wonder what Azerbaijan’s next move will be," he said.

"We question whether this resolution was intended to derail the
negotiating process or whether they got the clear message and will
return to the negotiating table to work on a negotatied, compromise
lasting solution."

At a press conference earlier in the week, Minister Oskanian had stated
that President-Elect Serge Sargsyan would be prepared to meet with the
Azerbaijani President at the earliest possibility, if the co-chairs
find this useful and if Azerbaijan accepts. "This opportunity exists,"
Oskanian said. "The ball is clearly in Azerbaijan’s court."

"Rejecting Azerbaijan’s resolution, the international community
has indicated its support for the negotiating document on the table
today which has successfully managed to reconcile the two seemingly
contradictory principles of the Helsinki Final Act — people’s right
to self-determination and territorial integrity," explained Armenia’s
Foreign Minister. "This document presents a unique opportunity for
Azerbaijanis and Armenians to move forward. This is precisely what
sets the Nagorno Karabakh conflict apart in our region and in Europe
and makes it sui generis, not only because of its legal and historical
context, but also because of the innovative negotiating approach to
finding a realistic, lasting resolution."

Earlier the same day, had met with the co-chairs of the Minsk Group,
who had discussed the possibility of the resumption of talks, the UN
resolution and the situation on the Nagorno Karabakh-Azerbaijan line
of contact.

ARMENIAN LEADER RELAXES MEDIA RESTRICTIONS FROM 14 MARCH

Mediamax
March 13 2008
Armenia

Yerevan, 13 March: Armenian President Robert Kocharyan signed a decree
today on mitigating the limitations of media activities in the period
of state of emergency effect.

As Mediamax was told in the press service of the President today,
according to the signed decree on making changes in the 1 March decree
on imposing a state of emergency, the edited variant of sub-point 4
of point 4 reads:

"It is banned for media outlets to publish or spread by any other
means obviously false information on state and internal political
issues, destabilizing information, urges to participate in unapproved
(illegal) events".

In accordance with the decree of the President, another point of the
decree on imposing a state of emergency is also considered having
lost its force:

"The ban for spreading leaflets and realization of political agitation
[campaigning] by other means without the permission of corresponding
state bodies".

The decree signed today by the President will come into force on 14
March 2008.

NKR NA THREE GROUPS MADE ANNOUNCEMENTS

Panorama.am
18:21 13/03/2008

The three political groups of Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
"Democracy", "Fatherland", and "ARF-Movement 88" made announcements
taking as a base of the declaration of independence of Kosovo. The
deputies of the NKR National Assembly expressed their support to the
contribution of freedom right and greeted the international society’s
position for respecting the majority population of Kosovo. The
information is provided by the NKR NA official website.

It is particularly mentioned in the announcement: "For decades the
Azeri authorities were carrying out a policy of discrimination,
limiting civil rights, purging the ethnic groups, and violated
emigration activities. It was possible to prevent the tragedy and
its results only through organized self-protection activities."

The deputies said that they hope through negotiations they will reach
the world wide recognition of the NKR freedom.

RA NA MP SASUN MIKAYELIAN DISCOVERED AND DETAINED

Noyan Tapan
March 13, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. On March 12 Sasun Mikayelian, an MP of
the RA National Assembly, was discovered and detained in the city of
Abovian by the collaborators of the National Security Service under
the RA government.

This information was provided to Noyan Tapan by Sona Truzian, the
Spokesperson of the RA Prosecutor General. On the same day Sasun
Mikayelian was brought to the Special Investigation Service, where
he was charged with Part 1 Article 300 and Part 3 Article 225 of
the RA Criminal Code: appropriation of state power, organization of
mass disorders combined with murders. Sasun Mikayelian wanted the
examination to pass in the presence of a lawyer, that was why the
examination was interrupted.

It should be mentioned that on March 4 Aghvan Hovsepian, the RA
Prosecutor General, submitted a petition to the special sitting of
the National Assembly for receiving the permission of the National
Assembly concerning the detention and envolvement as defendants of
four MPs, including Sasun Mikayelian. Search was declared with regard
to Sasun Mikayelian, detention was chosen as a precautionary measure.

RUSSIA INTENDS TO OPEN ITS REPRESENTATIONS IN UNRECOGNIZED REPUBLICS

DeFacto Agency
March 13 2008
Armenia

Russia, Moscow, 13 March /corr. Trend News R.Agayev / Russia intends
to open its representations in the territories of unrecognized
republics of South Osetia, Abkhazia and Transnistria, mentioned by
the press-release, provided before the hearings in Russian State
Duma’s Committee for CIS with regards to ‘frozen conflicts’ in the
post-Soviet territory.

Russia intends to open its representations in the territories of
unrecognized republics of South Osetia, Abkhazia and Transnistria and
wants to develop comprehensive social and humanitarian co-operation
with these republics, the press release says.

In addition, a proposal will be made during the meeting with regards
to changes in the format of relations with South Osetia, Abkhazia
and Transnistria. During the meeting, the Russian side will achieve
the participation of the representatives of unrecognized republics
in all international organizations and forums, which will deal with
their interests. In addition, Russia will achieve the insurance
of the rights of Russian citizens living in these territories, the
press-release says.

In addition, proposals will be prepared to organize duty-free import
of the products to Russia, which will be produced in the enterprises
with Russian participation in the territories of South Osetia,
Abkhazia and Transnistria.

The issue of Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has
not been included in the agenda of the discussions, the Head of the
Administration of State Duma’s Committee for CIS, Maria Lazutova,
reported to Trend News.

ALIYEV URGES EU TO SEND TERSE MESSAGE TO ARMENIA

Assa-Irada
March 11 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has called on the European
Union to send a clear-cut message to aggressor Armenia.We believe
that the countries cooperating with us, and the EU in particular,
should continue their efforts aimed atsettling the Upper (Nagorno)
Garabagh conflict, Aliyev told a joint news conference after hosting
his Bulgariancounterpart Georgi Parvanov on Monday. A very explicit
and clear message should be sent to the aggressor nation thatUpper
Garabagh will never be independent and that no country will ever
recognize its independence. President Aliyevsaid that only in this
case is there hope for speeding up talks on resolving the long-lasting
dispute between the twoSouth Caucasus republics. Upper Garabagh is
an Azeri region occupied by Armenia since a 1994 cease-fire ended
separatisthostilities that killed an estimated 30,000 people and
ousted about a million Azeris out of their homes.

Years ofOSCE-brokered peace talks have brought little tangible
result. Ways of solving the Garabagh problem topped the agenda ofthe
two leaders one-on-one and broad discussions on the first day of
President Parvanovs three-day working visit toAzerbaijan. Azerbaijan
stated its position once again that the conflict must be settled
strictly within the countrysterritorial integrity and our people who
were subject to the policy of ethnic cleansing must unconditionally
return totheir native land, Aliyev said. Parvanov said his country had
clearly stated during its chairmanship in the OSCE thatit recognized
Upper Garabagh as part of Azerbaijan. You probably remember well that
we informed Azerbaijan of thisstance. The [mediating] Minsk Group is
aware of our position. As an EU member state, we remain committed to
it at the EUas well, the Bulgarian leader said.

ONLINE INTERVIEW OF THE THIRD PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA ON "LIVE JOURNAL"

AZG Armenian Daily
11/03/2008

Politics

Recently blog was opened on Live
Journal. According to Mediamax news agency, the following message was
posted there, "On March 13 the newly elected president of the Republic
of Armenia, Serge Sarkisian, will answer the citizens’ questions,
which can be submitted at , ,
serzhsargsyan.livejournal.com websites or 080099999 phone number. The
questions are received from 10:00 AM, March 11, until 9:00 PM,
march 12."

Mr. Sarkisian is to answer the questions on March 13, during a TV
interview.

ARMENIA’S RULING COALITION BLAME RIOTS ON EX-PRESIDENT

Mediamax
March 4 2008
Armenia

Yerevan, 4 March: Armenian prime minister and president-elect Serzh
Sargsyan stated in Yerevan today that "thescenario on discrediting
the people and the authorities of Armenia continues".

Mediamax reports that, speaking at a briefing in Yerevan today, Serzh
Sargsyan stated that the Armenian authoritiesshould take up serious
efforts to assure the authors of the "scenario" that they have taken
the wrongpath.

Republican Party of Armenia, Prosperous Armenia and Orinats Yerkir
parties, which have established a coalition,signed a joint statement
in Yerevan today, condemning the actions of Levon Ter-Petrosyan,
which became a reason ofunrest and human losses.

The prime minister stated that he will do everything possible to
reveal all the organizers and participants of massunrest on 1 March.

"Irrespective of the positions, posts and ranks, they all will face
court, and we once and forall should put an end to such manifestations
in Armenia", Serzh Sargsyan stated, urging all the participants
ofunrest to voluntarily surrender to the law-enforcement bodies.

The prime minister stated that "the responsibility for unrest and
destabilization is fully on the politicalforce, which used the
discontent of the society and transformed it into aggression".