Author: Nadirian Emma

ARMENIAN PM MEETS WITH THE RESIDENTS OF AKNASHEN VILLAGE OF ARMAVIR PROVINCE

ARMENPRESS
June 26

During his visit to Armavir Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsian
met today with the people of one of the needy villages of Armavir
province Aknashen.

The meeting was aimed at getting acquainted with their problems,
listen to the issues they are interested in.

The prime minister was accompanied by the Deputy Prime Minister
Territorial Governance Minister Armen Gevorgian, Agriculture Minister
Aramayis Grigorian and others. "This is our first visit to Aknashen,
before this we got acquainted with your issues and would like to hear
your opinion over their solution. They will be important for us while
developing our programs," the prime minister noted.

The head of the village of Aknashen Misak Misakian highly assessed
the working style adopted by the Armenian government and at the same
time presented the issues of the village. He said until now Aknashen
has not received a special state financing for the solution of any of
the issues, the community tried to solve its issues by its own means
which often are not enough. He said the secondary school of Aknashen,
functioning for already 40 years, is in a breakaway condition and is
one of the small number of buildings which is not connected to the
natural gas network and it does not have necessary furniture and
laboratory devices. The prime minister promised to keep the issue
under limelight.

The residents of the village also spoke about the issue of water
irrigation which harms the agriculture as many lands because of the
irrigation problem remain uncultivated.

Pointing out about the importance of the issue, the minister of
agriculture noted that everything possible will be done for solving
the issue.

The people of Aknashen were also concerned with the lack of fertilizers
and their high prices. In this respect the minister of agriculture
said that everything possible is being done for oversight of the
market of fertilizers and relevant instructions have been given to
tax and customs bodies for controlling the increase of their prices.

Referring to the prices, the minister said that they depend on private
importers but expressed hope that after the Vanadzor chemical factory
produces fertilizers the prices for it will decrease.

Summing up the meeting, the prime minister said that he greets that
the residents first of all highlighted the issue on reconstruction of
the school. "Of course, the solution of the issue is very important
for us," Tigran Sargsian said.

RPA: REFUSAL OF ARMENIAN OPPOSITION MP TO PARTICIPATE IN PACE SESSION NOT BEST SOLUTION

ARKA
July 1, 2008

Refusal of opposition member of Armenian Parliament Raffi Hovhannisian
to participate in the summer session of PACE was hardly the best
solution as Armenia has not become a more democratic country after it,
the Press Secretary of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA)
Eduard Sharmazanov said.

The head of Heritage faction Raffi Hovhannisian is the
only representative of Armenian opposition in the Armenian
delegation to PACE who refused to participate in the recent PACE
session. Hovhannisian said he will not participate in PACE sessions
unless Armenia fulfills its commitments to the CE.

Co-rapporteur of PACE monitoring commission on Armenia John Prescott
considered Hovhannisian’s refusal an unserious step and stressed the
necessity to continue the works.

The Head of the Armenian delegation to PACE David Harutiunian pointed
out that the Heritage factions head’s leaving does impede the Armenian
side in the CE.

David Harutyunyan calls on Raffi Hovhannisyan to resume his membership in
THE ARMENIAN DELEGATION TO PACE

armradio.am
02.07.2008 16:33

The issue of depriving Armenia of the right to vote at the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) may be
discussed already in October, during the Assembly’s autumn session,
Head of the Armenian delegation to PACE David Harutyunyan told a
press conference today.

According to him, the issue may be discussed on the basis of the
report by CoE Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg, who
is going to visit Armenia in the first half of July to familiarize
with issues connected with detained persons accused of organizing
disorders in Yerevan on March 1 and 2. On July 14 PACE Presidnet
Lluís Maria de Puig is scheduled to visit Armenia.

The Head of the Armenian delegation stressed that PACE Resolution 1620
replaced Resolution 1609 on the Functioning of Democratic Institutions
in Armenia. David Harutyunyan called on the authorities, especially the
Mayor of Yerevan and the Prosecutor General’s Office to pay attention
to the provisions of the document and take necessary steps in the
direction of meeting all PACE requirements.

David Harutyunyan considers that the Resolution rather objectively
describes the situation in Armenia. The Deputy noted that PACE
expressed regret over the fact that the opposition takes no steps in
the direction of launching dialogue with the authorities.

Member of the Armenian delegation Avet Adonts refuted the opinion
that Resolution 1620 is a result of "political trade." He called such
statements "complete cynicism."

David Harutyunyan called on the Head of the Heritage faction Raffi
Hovhannisyan to resume his membership in the Armenian delegation,
which he "froze" during the summer session.

–Boundary_(ID_dQSavWWrTmut9SyZfla9bQ)–

DMITRY MEDVEDEV HAD TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA

RIA Oreanda
June 30, 2008
Russia

June 30, 2008. Mr Medvedev congratulated Mr Sargsyan on his birthday.

The two leaders expressed their satisfaction with the results of Mr
Sargsyans recent visit to Moscow. Both Presidents affirmed their firm
commitment to work actively on cementing the agreements reached in the
interests of further developing cooperation between Russia and Armenia.

CO-CHAIRMEN’S VISIT

Azat Artsakh Daily,
30 June 08
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]

On June 28, NKR President Bako Sahakian met with OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairmen Matthew Bryza (the USA), Yuri Merzlyakov (Russia) and
Bernard Fassier (France), who had arrived in Stepanakert the same
day. A wide range of issues concerning the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
settlement was discussed during the meeting. Bako Sahakin emphasized
that the final solution to the problem is impossible without Karabakh’s
participation in the negotiation process. The Head of the state noted
that Azerbaijan’s anti-Armenian propaganda and bellicose rhetoric
don’t promote the formation of an atmosphere of mutual confidence and
affect the negotiation process and maintenance of peace and stability
in the region as well. The hostilities provoked by the Azerbaijani
armed forces in the Martakert region on March 4 illustrate it. The NKR
President again noted that official Stepanakert is for exclusively
peaceful settlement of the conflict and establishment of a direct
dialogue with Baku. Bako Sahakian noted that the NK conflict should
be settled within the OSCE Minsk group framework and Azerbaijan’s
attempts to transfer it to other instances do not further the conflict
settlement. The co-chairmen shared the President’s viewpoint. They
also expressed their readiness to assist the peaceful settlement of
the conflict and noted that NKR’s participation in the negotiation
process is a question of time. NKR Foreign Minister Georgy Petrossian
and Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej
Kasprzyk attended the meeting.

NEW APPOINTMENT

Azat Artsakh Daily,
26 June 08
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]

By the decision of June 25th of NKR Prime minister Ara Harutyunyan,
Vardges Baghryan has been appointed deputy minister of NKR Culture
and Youth.

KARABAKH WAR VETERAN ARRESTED IN AZERBAIJAN’S KHACHMAZ REGION

Azeri Press Agency
June 24 2008
Azerbaijan

Khachmaz. Solmaz Mehdiyeva-APA. Officers of Khachmaz Region Police
Department confiscated Kalashnikov gun and its bullets from the
veteran of Karabakh war Aftandil Mirzashah Niftaliyev, 38 as a result
of operations carried out in the Ilkhichi-Mammadkhanli Village of
the Khachmaz Region in the evening on June 23.

Niftaliyev participated in the battles for Gulaburd Village of
Azerbaijan’s Lachin Region and took his automatic gun with himself,
when he left the military unit. Officers of Khachmaz Region Police
Department, who received operational information, could find the
gun in the garret of Niftaliyev’s house. Former Karabakh fighter was
arrested. A criminal case has been launched in view of the fact.

TREND News Agency
June 24 2008
Azerbaijan

NATO Thinks Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict May be Solved Only within
Azerbaijan’s Territorial Integrity" -Ambassador 24.06.08 14:35

Azerbaijan, Baku, 24 June / Т corr S. Agayeva/ NATO supports
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

"NATO supports territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and thinks
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict can be solved only within the
framework of country’s territorial integrity," Azerbaijan’s permanent
representative to NATO Kamil Khasiyev said to journalists in Baku on
24 June.

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.

"NATO’s position on Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict is unambiguous
and it was confirmed at the last NATO summit in Bucharest," said
Khasiyev. The document which was adopted at the summit stresses
the conflicts going on in the region must be solved only within the
framework of territorial integrity.

"NATO highly appreciates cooperation with Azerbaijan and thinks the
country is achieving considerable success in implementation of its
obligations," said Khasiyev.

Azerbaijan has been cooperating with NATO since 1994 within the
framework of the Partnership for Peace program and is actively
implementing military reforms to switch to NATO standards.

The foundation for cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO was laid
by signing a program-document within the framework of the Partnership
for Peace on 4 May 1994. Azerbaijan was the first amongst the 27 OSCE
member countries to join the program. In April 1996, an official
document envisaging concrete directions in cooperation was signed
under the Partnership for Peace program. Now, through the program
Azerbaijan is fulfilling about 50 tasks.

Experts think Azerbaijan will be the next after Georgia and Ukraine
to nominate for NATO membership.

–Boundary_(ID_1EOx15jGudGlPSX5VbjKUw )–

BLAST INJURES 13 TURKISH SOLDIERS

press tv
24 June, 2008 08:45:42

Blast injures 13 Turkish soldiers in Gaziantep.

At least thirteen Turkish soldiers have been injured after a blast
ripped through a vehicle in a military garrison in southeast Turkey.

According to deputy governor Mehmet Okur, the explosion occurred in
a vehicle carrying soldiers for a change of guard at a garrison in
Islahiye, in the province of Gaziantep on Monday.

The official further added that four of the injured were in a serious
condition.

Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) insurgents often target military
facilities in the country.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist group by Ankara and much of the
international community, took up arms for self-rule in Turkey’s east
and southeast in 1984. The conflict has claimed some 37,000 lives
since then.

RECEPTION TIME AND ORDER FOR CITIZENS BY RA MINISTER OF JUSTIVE DEFINED

Noyan Tapan

Ju ne 23, 2008

YEREVAN, JUNE 23, NOYAN TAPAN. Gevorg Danielian, the RA Minister of
Justice, will hold the reception of citizens every Friday between
14:00 and 15:00.

This information was provided to a Noyan Tapan correspondent by Lana
Mshetsian, the Spokesperson of the Minister, who stated that citizens,
who want to register for reception and receive consultation, can apply
on Wednesdays between 16:00 and 18:00 with the following telephone
number: 380 389.