Author: Nahapetian Samvel

PanARMENIAN.Net

RA MFA supports OSCE MG latest statement
16.02.2007 15:52 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian Foreign Ministry
supports the latest statement by the OSCE Minsk Group
to avoid initiatives including those within the UN
General Assembly, RA MFA Acting Spokesman Vladimir
Karapetian told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. `We do
think that the transfer of the Karabakh problem to the
UN general Assembly can damage the development of the
negotiation process,’ said he.

The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group for the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict settlement, Ambassadors Yuri
Merzlyakov (Russia), Bernard Fassier (France) and
Matthew Bryza (U.S.) met in Paris on February 14th and
15th, in the presence of the Personal Representative
of the OSCE Chairman in Office, Ambassador Andrzej
Kasprzyk and RA Fm Vartan Oskanian.

OSCE CIO GOING TO VISIT YEREVAN AND BAKU TILL SUMMER

PanARMENIAN.Net
15.02.2007 15:19 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Spanish Foreign Minister
Miguel Angel Moratinos is going to pay a visit to Armenia and
Azerbaijan till summer. "As I already mentioned, my wish is to work
as a facilitator and I have the intention of meeting this year with
the government and authorities of the sides involved in the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict, on the one hand, and the mediators, on other, so
as to get to know their concerns and to help implement the suggestions
that will allow them to bridge the existing differences," he said.

"2006 has been a positive year thanks, in the first place, to the
Group Minsk mediators, but also to several constructive meetings in
the framework of the Prague Process of bilateral encounters between
Heads of State and Ministers of Foreign Affairs of both countries. The
OSCE welcomed this initiative last December, and congratulated the
rapprochement between the sides regarding principles in order to
solve the conflict. I believe that this effort should be increased
and sustained in the future," added he, reports the APA.

CITIZENS ARE DISCONTENT WITH THE NA ACTIVITY

A1+
[05:48 pm] 13 February, 2007

The RA citizens are of bad opinion of the acting parliament’s
activity. A1+ suggested its readers estimating the work of the acting
parliament by a 5-degree scale. We have come to the above-mentioned
conclusion after summing up the results of the Internet polling.

Over 69 % of the polling participants marked the work of the parliament
"1". 19% put a "bad" mark to the RA activity, 8% – "satisfactory"
and only 4% assume that the RA Parliament has displayed excellent
work in 2003 – 2007.

Over 400 citizens participated in our polling.

Thus, 88% deem the work of the parliament negative whereas 4%
– positive.

This week we suggest our readers answering the following question,
"Why do the RA TV Stations charge such high prices /80 -130 thousand
AMD per a minute/ for political advertisements? "

Reminder: the oppositional forces refuse to use the chance of
advertising. Their refusal is determined by various factors; some of
them see it a matter of principle, others don’t seize the opportunity
because of the scarcity of money.

We expect your active participation.

CAUCASIAN MEDIA INSTITUTE TO PRESENT REVIEW OF MONITORING METHODOLOGY FOR COVERING PRE-ELECTION CAMPAIGNS

Yerevan, February 13. ArmInfo. Caucasian Media Institute (SMI)
under support of the Council of Europe will maintain an independent
monitoring project on covering electoral campaigns in Armenia and the
review of project realization methodology, Boyana Urumova, Special
Representative of Secretary General of the Council of Europe, told
ArmInfo correspondent.

Ms. Urumova said that different activities will be held within frames
of the project. An action plan consisting of two key elements has
been worked out.

The one focuses on press related issues and abilities of Media to
accomplish its obligations – guaranteeing objective covering of
electoral campaign. The other focuses on consolidation of potential
abilities of the electoral committee to conduct the elections on
appropriate level.

She said that some activities scheduled for the pre-election campaign
have already commenced. COE supports CMI in independent monitoring of
Armenian Mass Media. The project will be re-started two weeks prior
to the elections and will last the whole period of the electoral
campaign. On the whole, the monitoring will take 2 months. Ms. Urumova
said that CMI will be partially presenting conclusions and results
on particular monitoring aspects.

PARTIES VOICE DISCONTENT OVER HIGH ADVERTISING CHARGES

Armenpress
Feb 09 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 9, ARMENPRESS: Armenian parliament members voiced
today their discontent at local television companies for setting
excessively high price for one minute of political advertising ahead
of May 12 parliamentary elections.

Thus Public TV which has the largest auditorium in the country said
it will ask 80,000 drams (more than $200) per one minute of political
advertising, while private companies indicated they would charge even a
higher price. Opposition leaders said it was a government-engineered
plan to scare opposition parties away from TV screens. Artashes
Geghamian, head of one of the biggest opposition National Unity party
said his party will ignore utterly the paid advertisement.

But Mher Shahgeldian of ex-parliament chairman Arthur Baghdasarian’s
Orinats Yerkir praised the Public TV for charging less than private
television channels. Galust Sahakian, head of the Republican Party’s
parliament faction, said apart form paid time parties are entitled
also to free advertising time.

PanARMENIAN.Net

RA FM to participate in 43rd Munich Conference on Security Policy
09.02.2007 18:14 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ February 10 Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian will
depart for Germany to participate in the 43rd Munich Conference on Security
Policy to be held February 10-11, reports the RA MFA press office. The RA FM
is expected to meet with German officials and Georgian Foreign Minister Gela
Bejuashvili. February 11 Vartan Oskanian is scheduled to visit Cologne to
meet with the Armenian Diaspora and discuss the implementation of programs
fixed at the Armenia-Diaspora 2006.

A1+

CAPTIVES ARE TRIED IN AZERBAIJAN
[07:37 pm] 09 February, 2007

Azeri soldier Eldaniz Nuriev who crossed the border with Armenia on December
31, 2006 and was returned to his homeland in January 2007, is being tried
for high treason, desertion and violation of legislation.

Vukar Karachev who was returned to Azerbaijan by Armenian soldiers in
December 2006 is has also been imprisoned, agency «Turan» reports.

VARTAN OSKANIAN: NAGORNO KARABAKH ISSUE NOT A SUBJECT FOR BARGAINING

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.02.2007 19:33 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "If the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is settled it
will significantly lighten our task in the issue of gas usage, which
will pass through the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline in future. But
we shall never agree with those approaches of conflict solution,
which we would never agree in other circumstances," stated Armenian
Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian in the National Assembly February 7
responding to the question of parliamentarians to comment on his own
statement concerning Armenia’s possible participation in construction
works of a gas pipeline under the Caspian sea in the conditions of
unsettled Nagorno Karabakh conflict, as well as taking into account
the fact that Baku’s stance in this project is priority driven.

In Oskanian’s words, diversification of energy resources is one
of the priorities for Armenia, in regard with that the Armenian
authorities will use all possible ways to reach this goal. "Today
Armenia imports Russian gas, in near future-Iranian gas and in further
future also gas, which will pas through the Trans-Caspian gas-main,"
the minister stressed. He disagreed with opinions that Azerbaijan’s
role in Trans-Caspian project is priority driven stressing that
this very pipeline supposes not only transporting Azeri gas, but
also gas from Central Asia and, thanks to bilateral and multilateral
agreements, the Armenian side, most probably, can use this gas. "If
we touch upon this issue today, we will reach expected results,"
thinks the minister. Commenting on parliamentarians’ question if
this issue has been discussed in the context of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict solution and the Armenian side has made some concessions, he
underlined the Nagorno Karabakh issue is not a subject for bargaining,
IA Regnum reports.

TRIAL OF GAGIK SHAMSHYAN CANCELED

A1+
[06:54 pm] 08 February, 2007

On February 8, Court of First Instance of Kentron and Nubarashen
communities was to hold hearing on Gagik Shamshyan’s case but it
was canceled because of the absence of two witnesses. The trail was
postponed till February 12..

Reminder: under Article 178 of the Electoral Code Gagik Shamshyan was
accused of "embezzlement and privatization of large-scale property
via deceit and breach of confidence".

The plaintiff Arthur Petrosyan claims that Gagik Shamshyan embezzled
500 USD in 1998. Shamshyan promised to help him enter a university but
in Petrosyan’s words he couldn’t enter as "he failed the exams". Photo
correspondent of newspapers "Aravot" and "Forth Power" Gagik Shamshyan
informed us that he really took money from Petrosyan, but "he gave
it to German Vardapetyan, rector of "Vardanants" University.

"I suggested the court to clear up whether Arthur Petrosyan was
really a student of that university and had a student’s card", says
Gagik Shamshyan.

Zariouhi Postanjyan, Shamshyan’s advocate says, "I wonder why Arthur
Petrosyan remembered about the court only today. He only repeats,
"I have decided to appeal now as I don’t want to be cheated".

To note, in the August of 2006, Gagik Shamshyan’s informed the
police station of Erebouni and Nubarashen that he had been subjected
to violence. He assumes that the organizers and initiators of the
violence were the relatives and friends of Mher Hovhannisyan, district
head of the community.

SCHIFF INTRODUCES GENOCIDE MEASURE
By Charles Cooper

Burbank Weekly, CA
Arcadia Weekly, CA
Pasadena Independent, CA
Feb 8 2007

"The Affirmation of the U.S. Record on the Armenian Genocide"
resolution has bipartisan support from of over 150 Members of the
House of Representatives. It calls on the President to "ensure that the
foreign policy of the United States reflects appropriate understanding"
of the "Armenian Genocide" and to "accurately characterize the
systematic and deliberate annihilation of 1,500,000 Armenians as
genocide."

The resolution also has the support of the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA), the Armenian Assembly of America (AAA),
and US-Armenia Public Affairs Committee (USAPAC).

A total of 38 Republican members have signed on as co-sponsors,
including D avid Dreier, and 39 member of the House delegation from
California

Congressman Adam Schiff, who has been the designated point man in the
effort to have the U.S. Government recognize the Armenian Genocide,
has introduced a new resolution, which may have a stronger chance
of success.

In the past, the Republican leadership has bottled up the matter in
Congress, to avoid putting President George Bush on the spot with
U.S ally Turkey.

This year, with Democrats in control of both houses, the likelihood
of success is greater.

Schiff was joined at the news conference by original cosponsors of
the resolution Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), George Radanovich
(R-CA) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and Genocide survivors Mrs. Rose
Baboyan and Mrs. Sirarpi Khoyan, who recently turned 100 years old.

"The United States has a compelling historical and moral reason to
recognize the Armenian Genocide, which cost a million and a half
people their lives," said Rep. Schiff. "But we also have a powerful
contemporary reason as well — how can we take effective action
against the genocide in Darfur if we lack the will to condemn genocide
whenever and wherever it occurs? With the new leadership in Congress,
I am hopeful we can finally get this resolution passed."