Author: Kharatian Ani

KOCHARIAN DISAGREES WITH THE UNITED STATES: AMERICAN EXPERT SAYS THERE WON’T BE A COLOR REVOLUTION IN ARMENIA
by Yuri Simonian
Translated by Elena Leonova

Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, No. 81, April 19, 2007, p. 6
Agency WPS
What the Papers Say Part A (Russia)
April 20, 2007 Friday

An update on the political situation in Armenia; Armenian President
Robert Kocharian has completed a three-day official visit to Egypt.

The visit included a joint business forum, where the two sides signed
a free trade agreeement and some banking sector agreements. Kocharian
expressed strong disagreement with US policy in the Middle East.

Armenian President Robert Kocharian has completed a three-day official
visit to Egypt, where he met with President Hosni Mubarak, Prime
Minister Ahmed Nazif, parliamentary speaker Fath Surur, and Amr Musa,
secretary-general of the League of Arab States. The visit included
a joint business forum, where the two sides signed a free trade
agreeement and some banking sector agreements; Kocharian described
this as highly significant. "The level of Armenian-Egyptian economic
relations should correspond to the high level of bilateral political
cooperation," said Kocharian, adding a diplomatic remark to the
effect that the economies of Armenia and Egypt are complementary,
not obstacles to each other.

Kocharian made some clearer statements at his meeting with League
of Arab States envoys in Cairo. Firstly, he emphasized that Armenia
always supports the position of Arab states in all international
organizations. Secondly, he expressed strong disagreement with US
policy in the Middle East: "The Iraq problem should be resolved
by gradually reducing the foreign military presence, establishing
dialogue between ethnic groups within Iraq, and involving interested
countries in a peace regulation process." Kocharian said that the
war had also had an adverse impact on the Armenian community in Iraq.

According to Kocharian, the situation shows that the West’s hopes
have not been justified, and that simple solutions should not have
been applied to a country as complex as Iraq. Kocharian emphasized
that Armenia has not participated in military operations against
Baghdad, and its current mission in Iraq is humanitarian, consisting
of teachers and drivers.

Before leaving for Belgrade to take part in Nagorno-Karabakh
negotiations, Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian described Kocharian’s
visit to Egypt as extremely important in both political and economic
terms: "Armenia is one of the few countries in the non-Arab world
which has signed a memorandum of understanding with the League of
Arab States."

Kocharian’s statements are unlikely to please Washington, which seems
to be at a loss regarding what to do about the expanding cracks
in relations with Yerevan. On the one hand, Armenia is annoyingly
recalcitrant on relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey; on the other,
there’s a powerful Armenian lobby group in America. Thus far, the
United States has chosen to use mild economic pressure and insistent
advice about ensuring that the May 12 election is democratic, along
with a veiled warning about cutting humanitarian aid.

Daniel Fried, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian
Affairs, spoke out strongly last week. Radio Liberty reports that
at a press roundtable with foreign journalists in Washington, Fried
said: "We want to see an improvement in the Armenian parliamentary
elections. That is important. We don’t expect perfection. We don’t
expect to go from deeply flawed to perfect, but we do expect to see
substantial forward progress. That is important." He went on to say:
"Armenia, given the strength of the Armenian Diaspora and given
Armenia’s links to the West, frankly, you ought to be way ahead of
Georgia. But I ask you, are you in terms of democratic reforms?

Armenia should be doing better. It should be a leader. It should be
a prospering country."

The Yerevan government has been sensitive to hints from the United
States about the upcoming election; it is well aware that the color
revolutions in neighboring Georgia and Ukraine started straight
after elections. Richard Kirakosian, an American expert attending
a conference on elections in Yerevan, says that Washington will not
export democracy to Armenia, since it expects development there to be
stable. Kirakosian says: "Armenia has chosen evolutionary rather than
revolutionary processes, and the parliamentary election in May will
be an important democracy test. The US State Department has changed
its policy – it does not expect a perfect election, but it does expect
Armenia to progress and develo on the path of democratization.

In contrast to Ukraine or Kyrgyzstan, Arminia has proposed a good
version of stability, based on institutional development."

Programa de actos del 92oAniversario
del Genocidio Armenio
BUENOS AIRES – ARGENTINA

Invitamos a toda la comunidad a participar masivamente de la
conmemoracion del Genocidio Armenio

– Domingo 22 de abril

9.00 hs. : Santa Misa en rito armenio Canal 7.

11.00 hs. : Santa Misa cantada y Madagh. Catedral Armenia Catolica
Nuestra Senora de Narek. Acto de recordacion en la Plazoleta Monte
Ararat, Charcas 3529.

18.00 hs. : Reunion especial de recordacion de las victimas del Primer
Genocidio del Siglo XX, Iglesia Evangelica Armenia de la Hermandad
Av. Carabobo 743, Capital.

– Lunes 23 de abril

19.30 hs. : Acto Central Comunitario en el Teatro en el Teatro Liceo (
Rivadavia 1499 Esq. Parana). Participaran importantes figuras
nacionales. Programa cultural. Oradores: Dip. Provincial Sergio
Nahabetian y Pedro Mouratian, Vicepresidente del INADI.

– Martes 24 de abril

10.30 hs. : Solemne Misa oficiada por el Primado de la Iglesia
Apostolica Armenia, Arzobispo Kissag Mouradian. Plaza Armenia,
Av. Figueroa Alcorta y Pasaje Bunge.

11.30 hs. : El Jefe de Gobierno Jorge Telerman inaugurara un paseo en
forma de cruz armenia, obra del Gobierno de la Ciudad Autonoma de
Buenos Aires.

18.30 hs. : Acto publico del INADI (Instituto Nacional contra la
Discriminacion, la Xenofobia y el Racismo) Salon de Pasos
Perdidos. Congreso Nacional.

– Miercoles 25 de abril

19.30 hs. : "Ellos viven a traves de sus obras" Acto artistico y
cultural en homenaje a los intelectuales de 1915. Centro Cultural del
colegio Mekhitarista. Virrey del Pino 3511.

– Viernes 27 de abril

13.30 hs. : Marcha desde el Colegio Jrimian hasta el monumento al
Genocidio Armenio, Av Rivadavia , Valentin Alsina. Acto de
recordacion. – Sabado 28 de abril

18.00 hs. : Marcha de las juventudes de la comunidad desde la Facultad
de Derecho hasta la residencia del Embajador de Turquia. Acto
Cultural.

– Domingo 29 de abril

10.30 hs. : Misa y Madagh Union General Armenia de Cultura Fisica,
Armenia 1247, Ramos Mejia.

– Domingo 6 de mayo

10.30 HS. : Misa y Madagh. Union Cultural Armenia. Iglesia Santa Cruz
de Varak (Flores) Jose Marti 1562.

AZERBAIJAN PREFERS TO FACE ANY UEFA SANCTIONS THAN PLAY WITH ARMENIAN FOOTBALL TEAM IN BAKU AND YEREVAN

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
April 19 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku/ Trend , corr. I. Alizadeh/ Rafig Abbasov, Chief
of the Press-Service of the Azerbaijan Youth and Sports Ministry,
has stated today that Azerbaijan prefers to face any UEFA (United
European Football Federation) sanctions than to play with the Armenian
National Football Team in Baku and Yerevan.

He said that the Azerbaijani party could not guarantee the security
to the Armenian National Team, if Armenian football-players appear
on the field of the Tofig Bahramov Stadium.

The representative of the Azerbaijani Ministry said that Azerbaijan was
ready to play with Armenian football-players on any neutral field. "We
have proposed Armenians to hold the both football matches on football
fields of Ukraine, Sweden, and brought it to the attention of UEFA. If
the Armenian party will insist on the matches in Baku and Yerevan,
then we shall demand to hold the play in Khankandi, but under the
organization and security guaranteeing by the Azerbaijan party,"
noted Mr. Abbasov.

Mr. Abbasov also said that in any case the Azerbaijani party would
not give its consent on holding the forthcoming matches in Baku and
Yerevan. At the same time, Azerbaijan will not be scared by any
sanctions imposed on Azerbaijan and the national football, which
might follow then, since there is Asisn Footballs Cup, and all other
sanctions would be of a temporary nature.

According to him, Armenia, following its traditions, uses any possible
incident in its selfish ends. "Therefore, they are seeking to play
in Baku", added Mr. Abbasov.

Notably, in accordance with the rules of Europe Cup Qualifications
2008, the National Football Teams of the disputing conflict parties
are to hold the matches between each other first in Baku and then
in Yerevan. Due to Azerbaijan’s repudiating to play with Armenians
in Baku and Yerevan, the final decision on the place where the two
forthcoming football matches are to be played will be made by the
European Superior Football Organization – UEFA in June, 2007.

AMOUNT OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION INCREASED IN NKR IN JANUARY-MARCH, 2007

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
April 19 2007

In January-March, 2007, the amount of the Nagorno-Karabagh Republic
industrial production increased by 22, 2 %, as compared with the same
period last year, making 4 milliard 654, 9 million drams.

According to the information DE FACTO received at the NKR National
Statistic Service, at the structure of industrial production proportion
of the state sector’s output made 28,8%, that of non-state sector –
71,2% versus 32,5% and 67,5% accordingly in the first quarter of the
last year.

For the first three months of the current year the amount of capital
construction in the Republic made 3 milliards 410, 9 million drams,
which is 59 % more than the level of the same period last year.

TREASURES OF MATENADARAN UNDER THREAT
By Karine Danielian

AZG Armenian Daily
18/04/200

The agreement signed between the Armenian "Matenadaran" Institute
of Ancient Manuscripts and the USA Saint John Univiersity’s "Hill"
Museum-Library was a shock for the Armenian intellectual public.

Armenian historians and culture scientists declare that the agreement
was signed in secret and is a part of a conspiracy against Armenian
culture and statehood.

According to the agreement all the culture heritage, all the materials
stored at the Matenadaran Institute, is to be photocopied, scanned
and sent to… the United States. Rumors say that all this took only
5-6 million dollars from the Hill museum.

The Armenian scientists are not against scanning the manuscripts and
having their digital versions. To their opinion, having a clone of
Matenadaran in a foreign state is unacceptable.

Their anxiety is explained by the following arguments.

Only 900 of the 14000 manuscripts stored at Matenadaran are thoroughly
studied, and no one knows for sure what treasures can still be found
there. The agreement between Matenadaran and the Hill museum deprives
the Armenian scientists of the opportunity to study the history and
culture of their own nation.

Preserving the manuscripts’ copyright after Matenadaran is ridiculous,
as the mechanisms of copyright law enforcement in the sphere of
e-content are not elaborated yet. "The agreement must be nullified,
as the biggest center of Armenian studies cannot be transported to
the USA," they say.

TURKISH LAWMAKERS AGAIN DEPARTED FOR U.S. TO "STRUGGLE" AGAINST GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.04.2007 13:44 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The last group of a parliamentary delegation
made up of deputies from the ruling Justice and Development (AKP)
and opposition parties departed for the United States over the
weekend to lobby against H. Res. 106, which recognizes the Armenian
Genocide. Speaking to reporters before departure, Yaşar Yakiş
of the Justice and Development Party said they would seek support in
Washington against the resolution, Anatolian news agency reports.

AZERBAIJANI SIDE TO APPEAL TO ARMENIA AND ICRC FOR CAPTURED SOLDIER’S RELEASE

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 17 2007

State Committee for Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons
will appeal to Armenia and International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC)
for release of soldier of Azerbaijani Armed Forces Samir Mammadov
who was captured by Armenia Armed Forces, secretary of the committee
Shahin Sayilov told the APA.

"In response to the appeals it was noted that Samir Mammadov does
not want to return to his motherland. But this time we will ask to
give the soldier back even if he does not want," he said.

Sayilov noted that they will raise this issue at the meeting with
administration of ICRC Azerbaijani office today.

CANDIDATE AT A NONPLUS

A1+
[04:48 pm] 16 April, 2007

Karen Vardanyan, running in the NA elections on the proportional list
of the Alliance of National Democrats in constituency 9, claims he
has appeared in an informational deadlock.

He presents his programs and violations of his opponents via direct
contacts with the public.

In his words, the most breaches have been made by Ruben Sadoyan, member
of the RPA. Prior to the official onset of the election campaign,
the poster of "De Facto" magazine was placed in French Square with
Ruben Sadoyan’s picture. Besides, Sadoyan also distributed TV sets.

In comparison with Ruben Sadoyan, Mr. Vardanyan suggests the voters of
the constituency "boundless ideas and gratuitous thoughts to protect
their rights.

I need deputy’s mandate to come up with legislative initiative in
the RA National Assembly."

The candidate has noticed that certain candidates make use of their own
TV Channels during the campaign and ascribe many deeds to them. "Namely
the prize of the ALM Holding has nothing to do with the People’s Party
and it cannot be used in the election campaign. This is an apparent
breach of campaign.

Mr. Vardanyan is also indignant at the fact that the ARF Dashnaktsutyun
distributed candles in churches at Easter. I urge Mother See of Holy
Echmiadzin to see to the matter.

Burbank Leader, CA
April 14 2006

Zarian confirmed for state post

Former Glendale Mayor Larry Zarian’s seat on the California
Transportation Commission was confirmed unanimously by the California
Senate Rules Committee on Wednesday.

Zarian was appointed to the commission by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
in April 2006, but had not been confirmed for the post.

The confirmation means Zarian’s term will continue until April 23,
2010.

"I’m extremely honored that the state Senate approved what the
governor appointed last year," Zarian said. "There is no greater
honor."

The nine-member commission oversees the allocation of state
transportation funds, including the $19.9-billion in bond money
voters approved in November.

To date, $4.5 billion of the bond funds have been allocated to
various projects throughout the state, including $73 million for the
construction of a carpool lane that will widen a stretch of the
northbound Golden State (5) Freeway between Glendale and Burbank.

More than $15 billion in bond funds remain to be allocated.

"The public has entrusted us with $19.9 billion and they have said we
trust you," Zarian said.

"But we, as a commission, and legislators have an obligation to
deliver what we have promised in a timely manner.

"If we don’t produce results, we’re not going to be able to go back
to the voters and have them trust us again."

KOCHARIAN TO LEAVE FOR EGYPT

A1+
[03:45 pm] 13 April, 2007

On April 14 RA President Robert Kocharian will leave for the Arab
Republic of Egypt on two-day official visit. The president will be
escorted by Vartan Oskanian, RA Foreign Minister, Karen Chshmarityan,
Minister of Trade and Economic Development, Hasmik Poghosyan, Minister
of Culture and Youth Affairs, and many other high-level officials.

Robert Kocharian will meet with Hosni Mubarak, President of Egypt,
Amr Musa, Secretary-General of the Arab League, the ambassadors of
the members-countries of the League, Prime Minister Ahmad Nazif and
Speaker of Parliament Fathi Surur.

The RA delegation will visit the RA Embassy in Egypt, put wreaths on
the tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the ex-president of the country
Anvar Sadat.

The RA delegation will depart on April 16.