Author: Maghakian Mike

WE WILL RATHER TRY TO INCLUDE POLITICAL FORCES WITH OPPOSITION VIEWS
IN PUBLIC COUNCIL, GARNIK ISAGULIAN SAYS

Y EREVAN, MAY 30, NOYAN TAPAN. "The idea of creation of a Public Council
or a Public Chamber was also included in the RA National Security
Strategy, and today there is no need to connect it with the current
home political situation in Armenia," Garnik Isagulian, the Adviser to
the RA President, the Chairman of the National Security party, stated
at the May 30 press conference.

According to him, the Internal Threats department of the National
Security Concept clearly formulated that public-authorities,
public-state structures, local self-government bodies-public direct
contact needs to be created, as there is rather a serious barrier
between society and state institutions. "Irrespective of the fact what
kind of home political situation we will have, the issue of creation of
a Public Council was to be raised all the same," G. Isagulian said
adding that the domestic situation also dictated that the political,
public forces, individual figures having no other tribune should be
rather included in the Public Chamber. According to him, these are
mainly extra-parliamentary parties with opposition views.

G. Isagulian said that they have officially applied to 23 parties
taking part in the last parliamentry elections and not overcoming 5%
barrier for being included in the Public Council. They have also
applied to offices of former RA presidential candidates, 17 NGOs. It
was also mentioned that in total, 359 proposals were received by NGOs
and political organizations in a two-week term.

According to G. Isagulian, the Public Council will be a parliamentary
body, which is authorized to express its opinion on any bill. "Any
bill, as well as the RA President’s decrees will become a subject of
discussion at the Public Council. And Council’s viewpoints will be
presented publicly," the RA President’s Adviser said.

Agence France Presse — English
May 28, 2008 Wednesday 8:27 AM GMT

Football: Armenia squad for Moldova and Greece

YEREVAN, May 28 2008

Armenia squad for the two friendly matches against Moldova on May 28
and Greece on June 1 released here on Wednesday:

Goalkeepers: Gevorg Kasparov (Rahahan/IRI), Grigor Meliksetyan (Pyunik
Yerevan)

Defenders: Sarkis Ovsepyan, Karen Dokhoyan (both Pyunik Yerevan),
Robert Arzumanyan (Randers/DEN), Alexander Tadevosyan (Vitebsk/BLR),
Agvan Mkrtchan (Gomel/BLR)

Midfielders: Ararat Arakelyan (Metalurg Donetsk/UKR), Levon Pachadzhan
(GAIS/SWE), Artur Voskanyan (Vitebsk/BLR), Artur Minasyan, Vaagn
Minasyan (both Ararat Yerevan), Karlen Mkrtchan (Pyunik Yerevan),
Karen Alskanyan (Banants Yerevan)

Strikers: Edgar Manucharyan (Ajax/NED), Gevorg Kazaryan (Pyunik
Yerevan), Gamlet Mkhitaryan (Rahahan/IRI), Ara Akopyan (Zimbru
Chisinau/MOL), Marcos Pizelli (Ararat Yerevan)

afp08

Baltic News Service
May 30, 2008 Friday 11:56 PM EET

LITHUANIA’S FIRST AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA HANDS CREDENTIALS

VILNIUS May 30

Lithuanian Ambassador to Yerevan Giedrius Apuokas handed his
credentials to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on Friday. During the
meeting with the president, Apuokas expressed Lithuania’s interest to
expand economic and cultural cooperation with Armenia, as well as
share its European Union (EU) and NATO experience, the Lithuanian
Foreign Ministry said. The Armenian president stated intentions to
open an Armenian embassy in Lithuania in 2009 in an effort to
cultivate relations between the two nations, contribute to the
enhancement of cultural cooperation and increase trade
volumes. Apuokas, a career diplomat, is the first Lithuanian
ambassador residing in Armenia. Before the designation, he headed the
Foreign Ministry’s Information Technologies Department. The Lithuanian
Embassy to Armenia was established on Oct. 1 2007. Before that,
Lithuanian interests in the country were represented by ambassador
residing in Moscow.

Vilnius newsroom, +370 5 2058509, [email protected]

ARMENIA MARKS 90-th ANNIVERSARY OF FIRST REPUBLIC

ARMENPRESS
May 28, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 28, ARMENPRESS: Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian,
Nagorno-Karabakh President Bako Sahakian, Parliament Speaker
Tigran Torosian, Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian, Chairman of the
Constitutional Court Gagik Harutyunian, other top government officials,
foreign diplomats, Former President Robert Kocharian, clergy and
thousands of ordinary Armenians gathered today in Sardarapat, a
village 40 kilometers west of Yerevan, for ceremonies commemorating
the Republic Day, dedicated to Armenia’s first republic that emerged
90 years ago from the ashes of the Russian empire.

A military parade marched today saluting the country’s leadership
and war planes were flying overhead. The country’s leadership laid a
wreath at the 35-meter high monument erected in memory of Armenians
who were killed defending their country’s independence. Head of the
Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos Karekin II, served a service
for repose of souls of the killed soldiers.

The country’s leadership and the guests then visited the Sardarapat
Ethnographic Museum and the National-Liberation Museum to see a new
exposition of documents and other materials about the first Armenian
republic.

President Serzh Sarkisian, who is also president of the Armenian
Chess Federation watched also a simultaneous game of grandmaster
Vladimir Hakobian with best chess players of Armavir province where
Sardarapat is.

Then a concert was performed for all.

Armenian-Georgian Intergovernmental Commission to Hold its Second
Meeting in July

YEREVAN, May 27. /ARKA/. Armenian and Georgian premiers – Tigran
Sargsyan and Lado Gurgenidze – have decided last week to convene the
second session of Armenian-Georgian intergovernmental commission in
July, Armenian governmental press office reports.

The two countries prime ministers met in Minsk, where they traveled to
attend a regular prime-ministerial meeting of the Commonwealth of
Independent States.

The prime ministers think the session will give another impetus to
intergovernmental cooperation and economic relations between the two
countries.

The premiers find cooperation in energy area quite effective. However,
they pointed out the necessity of spurring mutual investment in
financial and banking sectors and cooperation within international
organizations.

Sargsyan raised some issues prompting Armenia’s concern and asked his
Georgian counterpart to support the efforts to solve them.

In particular, Sargsyan stressed the importance of keeping Armenia in
touch with the rice in fees taken for cargo transportation across
Georgia’s territory and explaining the reasons for raising fees.

The Armenian premier attracted Gurgenidze’s attention to the status of
Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia and encroachment on Armenian
churches. He said this creates tension in the society.

The previous session of the commission was held in Yerevan on October
15, 2007.-0—

300TH ANNIVERSARY OF FOUNDATION OF HOLY NAZARET ARMENIAN CHURCH OF CALCUTTA TO BE CELEBRATED IN NOVEMBER

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 26, 2008

CALCUTTA, MAY 26, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. During the week of
November 8 to 15 the Armenian community of Calcutta will celebrate the
300th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone of the Holy
Church of Nazareth with a delay of one year. The Church was initially
built in 1707. Under the auspices of the Armenian Church Committee
it has recently been fully restored and renovated. The church will
be re-consecrated during this event.

ARMENIAN BANKERS BACK IDEA OF TRASNFORMING ARMENIA INTO FINANCIAL CENTRE

ARKA
May 26, 2008

YEREVAN, May 26. /ARKA/. Armenian bankers totally agree with the
president’s idea of transforming Armenia into a financial centre.

President Serge Sargsyan, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, Central Bank
managers and key players in the financial and economic system were
attending the conference to discuss the ways of achieving this goal,
as well as Armenia’s advantages in the sphere.

Ardshininvestbank CEO Aram Andreasyan said it will take much time and
effort to achieve this goal. "Adopting the practice of other countries
currently viewed as financial centres will strongly stimulate Armenia’s
economy in general," Andreasyan said.

CEO of the Conversebank closed joint-stock company Ararat Ghoukassyan
said four of the 35 financial centres existing in the world are
global and one is a specialized one. Armenia is planning to become
a specialized financial centre.

He also said the premier’s idea to create a Global Development Bank
is quite interesting. "The financial system of Armenia should expand
its functions since our practice is not quite enough to provide modern
investment and banking services," Ghoukassyan said expressing optimism
that Armenia will succeed in achieving this.

Executive director of Biblos Bank Armenia Vahagn Amirganyan closed
joint-stock company said formation of a financial centre should follow
the formation of a business environment. "To raise the attractiveness
of the country’s business environment we need to handle a number of
problems, namely, to apply international accounting standards, so
that they are easily understood by foreign investors. " he said.

CONDITIONS CREATED TO CONTINUE PEACE TALKS ON ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

Trend News Agency
May 26 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 26 May / corr. TrendNews S. Agayeva/ The conditions
have been created to continue the peace talks on settlement of the
Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict, Khazar Ibrahim, the spokesperson of
the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan, said to media while commenting
on the upcoming meeting of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia
in St Petersburg on 6 June.

" Azerbaijan expects a constructive position from the new Armenian
government on the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict,"
Ibrahim said.

According to Ibrahim, Armenia should demonstrate a will, understand
realities, and should take steps for the solution of the conflict. "The
new conditions to continue the peace talks can contribute to the
solution of the conflict," said Ibrahim.

The Resolution on Nagorno-Karabakh passed by the UN General Assembly
has created favorable conditions to continue talks between Azerbaijan
and Armenia, Ibrahim stated.

The UN General Assembly supported Resolution on Situation in the
Occupied Territory of Azerbaijan introduced by Azerbaijan. The
Resolution demanded the immediate, full and unconditional withdrawal
of all the Armenian armed forces from all the occupied territory of the
Republic of Azerbaijan. The Resolution confirms ‘the indefeasible right
of the population driven out the occupied territory of Azerbaijan,
to return to their homeland and demands to create appropriate
conditions for their return including comprehensive rehabilitation
of the territory damaged by the conflict’.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began
in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since
1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. In
1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which
time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group ( Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful
negotiations.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT: "OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT HAVE NOT BEEN EXHAUSTED YET"

Today
/45163.html
May 22 2008
Azerbaijan

Deepening of Armenia’s cooperation with EU will accelerate
democratization and development of the country’s economy.

The due announcement was made by Armenian President Serzh Sarkissyan
during the meeting with representatives of the diplomatic missions of
the EU countries in Armenia and delegation of the European Commission.

The program of Armenia’s actions in the framework of the European
Neighborhood Policy, fully complies with the program of the Armenian
government and the proposed democratic reforms.

Serzh Sarkisstan voiced satisfaction with the steps on the
implementation of the Armenia-EU program of actions and the due
assessments of the European Commission. He said Armenia strives
to joining the GSP+ regime, to get the market status from the
European Union and sign an agreement on free trade with the EU. In
this connection, according to the Armenian President, the priority
for the country will be the improvement of the business-atmosphere,
profound reforms in the customs sphere.

Serzh Sarkissyan noted that regardless of the post-election processes,
the conduction of democratic reforms is necessary for Armenia. He
voiced regret that the government did not manage to prevent the March
1 events in Yerevan.

According to the Armenian President, the authorities are responsible
for the events and the way out of the situation lies in the execution
of regulations of the PACE resolution. During the meeting Serzh
Sarkissyan presented his approach to the resolution of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict, noting that official Yerevan speaks for the
peaceful resolution of the issue, while Azerbaijan continues making
militaristic declarations.

At the same time, he considers that chances of the peaceful resolution
of the problem have not been exhausted yet and are possible if talks
continue considering basic principles.

The President of Armenia said regarding the Armenian-Turkish relations
that Armenian side is ready to restore relations with Turkey without
any conditions and all disputable questions can be discussed in the
framework of intergovernmental relations and talks.

On behalf of the diplomats French Ambassador Serzh Smesov highly
assessed the tradition of such meetings and noted that these
discussions are useful for them.

CATHOLICOSATE OF THE GREAT CILICIAN HOUSE TAKES PART IN 6TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF DIALOGUE OF RELIGIONS OF DOHA

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 22, 2008

ANTELIAS, MAY 22, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. The sixth
international conference of the Dialogue of Religions was convened in
Doha, the capital of Qatar, on May 13-15 under the patronage of Qatar
Emir and with the participation of over 200 guests, who had arrived
from 30 countries. The conference was organized by the Interreligious
Dialogue Center of Doha.

The Catholicosate of the Great Cilician House, which was represented
by Archbishop Sepuh Sargsian, the Primate of the Armenian Diocese of
Tehran, was also invited to the conference. The main subject of the
conference was "The religious values with a prospect for peace and
respectful life."

Primate Sepuh took an active part in the proceedings of the conference,
at the same time met with the representatives of the delegations
arrived from different countries, telling them about the positive role
of the Catholicosate of the Great Cilician House in the development
of the interreligious dialogue and increase in productiveness.