Author: Madatian Greg

PRIME MINISTER AND HIS TEAM HANDED THEIR RESIGNATION APPLICATIONS

Lragir.am
17:53:49 – 10/03/2009

In the evening of March 10 spread rumors have been that the Prime
Minister of Armenia handed his application of resignation. No official
source confirmed these rumors. As we managed to find out from
non-official sources the ministers of economic-financial blok handed
their resignation applications as well. The government is now
discussing this question. The same sources note that Prime Minister’s
resignation notice will be announced in the nearest future maybe today
or tomorrow.

V.Sargsyan’s Anniversary Celebrated

NKR Government Information and
Public Relations Department

March 06, 2009

Yesterday, a number of arrangements dedicated to the 50th anniversary
of Vazgen Sargsyan, a hero of the RA and Artsakh, a state sman, a
military man and a writer, was organized by the NKR governmental
commission. During the day solemn ceremonies took place in one of the
central military units of the NKR Defence Army and in Shoushi with
participation of the supreme authorities of the Republic, wreaths and
flowers were put at the memorials of the hero, words of appreciation
were sounded. The ceremonies were completed by a memorial evening,
which took place at the Officer’s House of Stepanakert.

V.Sargsyan’s relatives were present at the arrangements.

TURKISH MINISTER SAYS CONSTITUTION NEEDS AMENDMENTS

Anadolu Agency
March 4 2009
Turkey

Istanbul, 4 March: The Turkish state minister and chief negotiator
for EU talks, Egemen Bagis, said on Wednesday [4 March] that Turkey,
with its current Constitution, could not be a member of the EU.

"I hope we will amend the Constitution with the support of opposition
parties after local elections," added Bagis who addressed a panel
discussion on "Treaty of Lisbon and Turkey’s accession process to EU"
at Fatih University in Istanbul.

Reminding that Treaty of Lisbon was signed on 13 December 2007 but
approval process was hitched by the referendum in Ireland, Bagis
said that Turkey needed the approval of 27 EU-member states to open
chapters in membership negotiations with the EU. He added that when
Lisbon Treaty was approved, decision-making process in the EU would
function faster.

Bagis said that Turkey was currently in local election process
and parliament could not work thus, many legal arrangements could
not be made. He said that they aimed to make legal arrangements,
especially trade law, with the support of opposition parties after
the local elections.

Noting that Europe had a serious energy shortage, Bagis said that
Turkey was the critical country in Nabucco Project which would meet
Europe’s energy demand. Bagis added that energy chapter heading could
not be opened in EU negotiations because Greek Cypriot administration
rejected.

When a participant asked whether Turkey would cooperate with Armenia in
energy issue, Bagis said that Turkey was exerting efforts to make its
relations with Armenia well, but the relations had not yet reached to a
level to cooperate in energy area. He added that Turkey showed goodwill
to Armenia many times and Armenia should show its good will too.

Upon a question whether Turkey could be an EU-member with the current
Constitution, Bagis said, "Turkey, with its current Constitution,
cannot be a member of the EU. I hope we will amend the Constitution
with the support of opposition parties after local elections are held."

Expressing belief that Turkey would have a contemporary Constitution,
Bagis said that there would not be an election for the next 2.5 years
after the local elections were held and necessary changes would be
made by evaluating that 2.5-year period.

ARMENIAN TV REPORTS PRICE HIKE AFTER CHANGE IN CURRENCY POLICY

Public TV
March 3 2009
Armenia

[Presenter] A few businesses tried to use the Central Bank’s
statement for their financial interests in the afternoon. Petrol
stations raised even the prices of their reserve fuel in expectation
of receiving extra profits – raising the current price of 260 drams
[about 70 cents] for premium class petrol [per litre] to 310 drams
[about 83 cents]. A few importers tried to raise prices for already
imported goods which are sold in shops. The Star supermarket network
had to announce suspension of its operations due to technical reasons
because of the boom; and then to hold talks both with big importers
and representatives of the economic competition commission. Later the
Star network resumed operations and said that there will be no price
hikes. Earlier Armenia’s anti-monopoly commission called for prices not
to be raised. The anti-monopoly commission had to make the statement
that the market of 40 major goods is under strict control, the sector
is monitored on an hourly basis. All speculators will be punished.

[Ashot Shahnazaryan, the chairman of Armenia’s commission for
protection of economic competition] A few trends are already apparent
– that prices for some goods have increased in some supermarkets and
shops. A part of these hikes does not in any way comply with changes
supported by economic factors. In this regard, very strict measures
will be taken, we will already be carrying out daily monitoring
in the market for these 40 goods. We will sum up the results of the
monitoring and will take measures and open cases as necessary. We will
apply administrative fines against errant businesses according to the
provisions of the Armenian law on protection of economic competition.

NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE SAKE OF NEGOTIATIONS
Anna Nazaryan

"Radilur"
05.03.2009 17:52

Director of the Caucasus Media Institute Alexander Iskandaryan told
a press conference today that the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group is
targeted at maintaining the negotiation process rather than resolution
of the conflict.

"What’s happening in the negotiation process has to do with the
process, it has nothing to do with Karabakh. The negotiation process
has its logic. It must exist, and statements should be made from time
to time," Iskandaryan said. Two years ago the Minsk Group was dead,
today it has revived, the political scientist added.

Creation of the CSTO rapid reaction forces will not have an essential
importance and cannot be used in the settlement of the Karabakh
issue. The creation of those forces was simply a message to Georgia,
Director of the Caucasus Media Institute stated.

US CITIZENS OPPOSE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CLAIMS: POLL

AzerNews Weekly
March 4 2009
Azerbaijan

The public in the United States does not support Armenians` claims
concerning the genocide allegedly committed against their predecessors
in Turkey during World War I, a recent opinion poll has found.

Respondents in the online survey, commissioned by the influential
MSNBC TV channel, came out against the recognition of the 1915
developments in Ottoman Turkey as genocide. Up to 80 per cent out
of over 2 million Americans gave a negative answer when asked in
questionnaires whether or not the U.S. should formally recognize the
purported genocide. Asserting that their country should not take steps
that would tarnish its relations with Ankara, one of Washington`s
closest partners, they called for unequivocally avoiding the Armenian
genocide issue.

Yerevan is failing to relinquish its territorial claims against Turkey
and continues promoting the alleged genocide throughout the world. It
has also remained cold to Ankara`s repeated proposals to establish
a joint commission of historians to study the 1915 developments.

OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS INFORMED THE ARMENIAN PRESIDENT ABOUT THE RESULTS OF NEGOTIATIONS IN BAKU AND STEPANAKERT

ARMENPRESS
March 2, 2009

YEREVAN, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS: Armenian President Serzh Sargsian
received today OSCE Minsk group co-chairs Yuri Merzlyakov (Russia),
Matthew Bryza (USA), Bernard Fassier (France) and the personal
representative of OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk. Armenian
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian was also present at the meeting.

Press service of the Armenian president told Armenpress that
the interlocutors referred to the Zurich meeting of Armenian and
Azerbaijani presidents and discussed issues on the present round of
negotiation process over Karabakh conflict.

President Sargsian pointed out that statements which contradict the
logic of negotiation process do not contribute to registration of
progress towards the regulation. The co-chairs also informed the
president of the republic about results of negotiations which took
place in Baku and Stepanakert.

Earlier, on Sunday, President Serzh Sargsian received the president
of Nagorno Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakian.

Interfax, Russia
Feb 26 2009

Trial of opposition activists resumes in Yerevan

YEREVAN Feb 26

After eight unsuccessful attempts, the trial of former Armenian
Foreign Minister Alexander Arzumanian, three parliamentary deputies
and opposition activists – the Trial of the Seven -restarted in
Yerevan on Thursday.

The defendants are Arzumanian, deputies Myasnik Malkhasian, Sasun
Mikaelian, Akop Akopian, and three opposition activists, who stand
accused of participation in the mass unrest on March 1, 2008, which
involved murder, an attempted seizure of state power, violence against
officials, and illegal acquisition and possession of weapons,
ammunition and explosives.

The hearings on Thursday had several recesses, announced by Judge
Mnatsakan Martirosian to discuss the defense lawyers’ requests for
replacing the judge. All the requests were rejected as inexpedient,
the judge said.

After the presidential elections on February 19, 2008 the Armenian
opposition, led by ex-President Levon Ter-Petrosian, announced it did
not recognize the outcome of the elections and organized protest
rallies which deteriorated into the opposition activists’ clashes with
police.

Ten people were killed and over 250 injured in the unrest.

DairyNews
February 27, 2009 Friday

Armenia: Brucellosis registered in Shirak region

ABSTRACT
A total of 140 head of cattle are infected with brucellosis in 26
households in the village Artashen, the Shirak region. There is no
vaccine against the disease in the country, and all the animals are to
be slaughtered. According to the regional sanitary epidemic centre,
the infected meat will be delivered to the sausage producing companies
as the brucellosis bacilli is destroyed by thermal processing. No
people suffered.

TRUE PERPETRATORS OF ARMENIAN POGROMS IN SUMGAIT REMAINS UNPUNISHED

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.02.2009 16:37 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Massacres of Armenians in Sumgait, Baku and other
cities of Azerbaijan were a genocide. Unfortunately, these events
have not been investigated thoroughly and true perpetrators have
not been brought to justice", the Chairman of the Board of Lawyers,
participant of some legal trials on Sumgait events Ruben Sahakyan told
a news conference in Yerevan. "The case on Sumgait pogroms was divided
into several parts and sent to different institutions. Today we don’t
have full information about the organizers and perpetrators of the
pogroms", Ruben Sahakyan said and added he was personally informed
about 12 cases. According to the lawyer, the culprits were charged
merely with organization of mass disorders. "Today it’s absolutely
necessary that the documents and materials on those criminal cases
and part of them in Russia, were found. Only in that case we’ll have
factual proofs that genocide was committed in Sumgait against the
Armenian population", Ruben Sahakyan emphasized.

The Sumgait massacre in February 1988 that claimed lives of 32
Armenians was the first mass explosion of ethnic violence in the
modern Soviet history that resulted in huge refugee flows to Armenia
and Nagorno Karabakh. No timely fact-finding , identification and
punishment of perpetrators were initiated.