Author: Maghakian Mike

COURT DECISION ON AZERBAIJANI OFFICER RAMIL SAFAROV UPHELD

Azeri Press Agency
Jan 29 2008
Azerbaijan

Court hearing on the appeal against the decision November 17, 2006 of
Budapest city Court in connection with the incident occurred between
Ramil Safarov, officer of Azerbaijani Army who was sentenced to life
imprisonment for assassinating Armenian lieutenant Gurgen Markaryan
and court supervisors was held today, Azerbaijani Embassy in Hungary
told APA.

The process lasted 2 hours. Public prosecutor~Rs appeal was read,
as he did not attend the court hearing. Public prosecutor asked the
court to aggravate punishment on Ramil Safarov on November 17, 2006.

Hungarian lawyer of our officer Clara Fisher asked court to mitigate
punishment.

Ramil Safarov addressed the process and said that he agrees with the
opinions of the lawyer. Judge Gobor Shomodi publicized the decision
at the end.

Appeals Court made a decision on upholding decision of Budapest city
Court on November 17, 2006 (8-month suspended sentence). Officials of
Azerbaijani Embassy in Hungary also participated in the court hearing.

On April 13, 2006, Budapest city court sentenced Ramil Safarov to
life in prison for murdering Armenian officer Gurgen Markaryan.

Budapest city Appeals Court upheld the decision on February 22, 2007.

Incident between Ramil Safarov and court supervisors occurred on June
19, 2004. Court supervisors wanted Ramil Safarov to give them phone
card, but Safarov did not understand what the court supervisors
want, as he does not know Hungarian, so problem occurred between
them. 8 police handcuffed Safarov and used force to him. Though Ramil
Safarov~Rs lawyers appealed to court after this incident, court said
that there was no motive and therefore the case was cancelled.

Following this, the opposite side petitioned mutually for Azerbaijani
officer’s resisting authority.

SOLANA: WESTERN BALKANS INCLUDING KOSOVO TO BE ACCESSED TO EU

PanARMENIAN.Net
29.01.2008 14:40 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "The EU Troika failed to reach an agreement on
the final status of Kosovo. Neither of the sides was willing to
compromise. Of course, this is regrettable, as a negotiated settlement
remains in the best interest of both parties," said Javier Solana,
the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy.

"The EU has repeatedly stated that the status quo is unsustainable
and stressed the need to move toward a solution, which is vital for
European and regional stability. Such a solution should ensure a
democratic, multi-ethnic Kosovo’s commitment to the rule of law and
to protection of minorities and cultural and religious heritage. We
understand that Kosovo is mainly a European responsibility as we
believe that Western Balkans, including Kosovo, have their future in
the European Union" he said.

As to the conflicts in the South Caucasus, the EU Commissioner said,
"We will continue supporting international efforts to resolve these
conflicts, including the one in Nagorno Karabakh. We are also ready
to support confidence building measures, as we are already doing in
Georgia. And last but not least, we encourage the countries in the
region to find constructive ways to improve their relations with
their neighbors. Here again, we are ready to help," Trend reports.

Base Metals first major social insurance tax payer

28-01-2008 11:21:14 – KarabakhOpen

The Base Metals company leads the list of Karabakh-based companies by
the sum of the social insurance tax paid from January 1. The company
has paid 313 059 200 drams to the Social Security Fund.

The second company is Karabakh Telecom with 117 391 200 drams. Artsakh
Energy, Dorojnik, Artsakhgas and Armenian Watch and Jewelry are among
top ten taxpayers.

Russia & CIS General Newswire
January 24, 2008 Thursday 8:35 PM MSK

Moscow should make every effort to solve murder of Armenian national
– Yerevan

YEREVAN Jan 24

The Armenian Foreign Ministry said it hopes the killers of an
Armenian student in Moscow will be punished.

"The Armenian Foreign Ministry hopes that Russian authorities will
make every effort to solve this crime and punish the culprits,"
Armenian Foreign Ministry press secretary Vladimir Karapetian said.

"Unfortunately, we do not possess all of the information," he said.

According to earlier reports, Vladimir Karamdzhian, 20, a student at
the Moscow Automobile and Road Construction Institute (MADI), was
attacked by a group of teenagers and died in hospital.

Karamdzhian died without regaining consciousness at Moscow Hospital
No. 50, law enforcement agencies told Interfax on Thursday. The
attackers stabbed him in the heart.

A criminal case has been opened under Criminal Code Article 105, part
2 (premeditated murder committed by a group). The prosecutor’s
office’s investigation department is conducting the investigation,
the source said.

Two Armenian nationals have been attacked in Moscow in recent years,
and the incidents had triggered a public outcry.

On May 25, 2006, three youths stabbed Artur Sardarian, 19, to the
head and neck. He died of the sustained wounds. The Moscow Regional
Court is conducting a re-trial of the accused.

On September 26, 2007, Armenian MP Tigran Arzakantsian was assaulted,
stabbed and shot. Two suspects were detained during the
investigation. Charges have been brought against them.

PanARMENIAN.Net

UN Sec. Gen. doesn’t approve deployment of EU peacekeepers in Kosovo
26.01.2008 14:06 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ United Nations Secretary-General Ban
Ki-Moon said he can’t support the intention to deploy
EU peacekeeping forces in Kosovo. `The international
community remains deeply divided on Kosovo,’ he said
in Slovenia, RE/RL reports.

The leaders of Kosovo are planning to proclaim
independence in the near future.

The UN Security Council has failed to reach consensus
on the problem so far.

DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL JOHN EDWARDS VOICES SUPPORT TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.01.2008 13:28 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Former North Carolina Senator and Democratic
Presidential hopeful John Edwards added his voice to the list of
Presidential candidates calling for passage of the Armenian Genocide
Resolution, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

In his January 24th letter to the ANCA, Sen. Edwards stated that,
"I support the Congressional resolution declaring the massacre of
1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 a genocide."

Edwards went on to note that, "we must also continue to strengthen
our relationship with Turkey, an important democratic ally against the
forces of tyranny in the region." Remarking on U.S.-Armenia relations,
Edwards stated that, "As President, I will prioritize our special
relationship with Armenia and the goal of a lasting peace to Nagorno
Karabakh and the entire region."

As a Senator, John Edwards cosponsored successive Armenian Genocide
Resolutions beginning in 2002. He also supported Section 907
restrictions on U.S. aid to Azerbaijan due to its ongoing blockades of
Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. His advocacy on behalf of the family of
17-year-old Nataline Sarkisyan, who died after her insurance company
denied funding for a liver transplant, has been warmly received by
Armenian Americans around the country.

JAN POULSEN THE NEW HEAD COACH OF THE ARMENIAN NATIONAL TEAM

armradio.am
24.01.2008 16:10

During a press conference on January 24 the President of the Football
Federation of Armenia Ruben Hayrapetyan presented the new head coach
of the Armenian national football team Jan Poulsen (Denmark).

Before coming to Armenia Poulsen trained the youth and national teams
of Denmark, Singapore and Jordan. The contract of the 62-year-old coach
expires in May 2010. The new coach is familiar with Armenian football
only though video materials. He is informed about the progress in 2007.

Mr. Poulsen highly assessed the professional skills and the work done
by Ian Porterfield.

IN 2009 ARMENIA MAY MOVE INTO GROUP OF COUNTRIES WITH UPPER-MIDDLE INCOMES

Noyan Tapan
Jan 24, 2008

YEREVAN, JANUARY 24, NOYAN TAPAN. Nominal GDP made 3 trillion 140.4
billion drams in Armenia in 2007. Per capita GDP made 981 thousand
drams or 2,848.4 USD, the RA minister of finance and economy Vardan
Khachatrian said at the January 24 press conference. According to
him, per capita GDP as expressed in dollars grew 3.3fold compared
with 2003 and 4.8fold compared with 2000.

It was stated that in 2007 Armenia’s real GDP exceeded 1989’s GDP
index by 47%, the 2000 index – threefold.

In his words, Armenia is among countries with low-middle incomes by
its per capita GDP. The minister explained that countries with per
capita GDP of up to 650 USD are considered countries with low incomes,
those with the index of 650-3,611 USD – countries with low-middle
incomes, those with the index of 3,611-11,111 USD – countries with
upper-middle incomes, and countries with per capita GDP of over 11,111
USD are considered as countries with high incomes.

The minister expressed an opinion that in 2009 Armenia may move into
the group of countries with upper-middle incomes.

He said that in 2003 the dollar’s purchasing power parity made 3.3,
while in 2007 it made 3.

GLEN SHINN RECEIVES GOLD MEDAL AWARD FROM ARMENIAN STATE AGRARIAN UNIVERSITY

AgNews
Jan 24 2008
TX

COLLEGE STATION – Dr. Glen Shinn, professor of agricultural leadership,
education and communications at Texas A&M University, was presented the
2007 Memorable Gold Medal of the Armenian State Agrarian University.

The medal was awarded by the Scientific Council of the Armenian
university for Shinn’s role as the Armenian-American resident program
advisor supporting educational reforms and collaboration.

The higher education reforms project is an on-going collaborative
effort of Texas A&M University College of Agriculture and Life
Sciences, the Norman E. Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture
and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service.

DELEGATION OF THE PACE AD HOC COMMITTEE TO ARRIVE IN YEREVAN JANUARY 28

armradio.am
23.01.2008 17:10

On January 28 the members of the pre-election mission of the PACE ad
hoc Committee on Monitoring of the Presidential Election in Armenia
headed by John Prescott will arrive in Yerevan.

On January 29 the delegation will have meetings with the Special
representative of the Council of Europe Secretary General Bojana
Urumova and members of the OSCE/ODIHR Observation Mission. At the
National assembly they are expected to meet with NA Speaker Tigran
Torosyan and members of the Armenian parliamentary delegation to PACE.

The same day members of the mission will be received by the President
of the Constitutional Court of Armenia Gagik Harutyunyan and President
of the Central Electoral Commission Gargein Azaryan. The delegation
will also meet with Ambassadors of CoE member states accredited
in Armenia.

January 30 individual meetings with presidential contenders are
expected.

These will be followed by roundtable discussions featuring
representatives of non-governmental organizations and mass media. The
same day the delegation will be received by RA President Robert
Kocharyan.

January 31 the PACE delegation will meet with members of the National
Committee of the Television and Radio Company and the Council of
Public Television and Radio Company of Armenia. The delegation will
be received by RA Foreign Minister Vartan Osknaian and Chief of Police
Hayk Harutyunyan.

The same day the PACE delegates will again meet with CEC President
Garegin Azaryan.

The visits of the pre-election mission of the PACE ad hoc Committee
in Monitoring of the Presidential Election in Armenia will be summed
up with a press conference at the National Assembly.

The delegation will leave Yerevan on February 1st.