Author: Nahapetian Samvel

DAY OF "BEELINE" TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN ON APRIL 7 TO LAUNCH BEE LINE BRAND IN ARMENIA

ARKA
April 2, 2008

YEREVAN, April 2. /ARKA/. Day of "Bee Line" is to be held in Yerevan on
April 7 to launch the Bee Line brand in Armenia, the public relations
manager of the company Natalia Saraeva reported.

A trip through Yerevan and a press conference on launching the brand
are expected to be held in the scope of the Day events. The manages of
"Vimpelcom" open joint stock company will communicate the philosophy of
the brand, plans and strategy of further activities of the companies’
group on mobile communication market of Armenia. The first sales
office of "Bee Line" will be opened in Yerevan on the same day.

The "Vimpelcom" group of companies (Bee Line trademark) is a
telecommunication company providing voice communication and data
transmission services based on wireless and stationary communication
technologies and wide-band Internet access.

Among the members of the group are companies providing communication
services to a total of 250mln people in Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine,
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Georgia and Armenia.

The "Vimpelcom" is represented by "ArmenTel" closed joint stock
company in Armenia offering stationary and mobile communication
services. Since April 2007, 100% of ArmenTel’s shares have been owned
by "Vimpelcom".

NAREK SCHOOL STUDENT RECOGNIZED AS BEST AT HIGH JUMP EVENT AT NICOSIA REGIONAL GAMES

Noyan Tapan
April 2, 2008

Narek seventh year student Elena Kaprielian won the Girls High Jump
event at the Nicosia Regional Games that took place on March 29 by
jumping 1.45, a few centimetres less than her own height. On the 12th
of April, she will participate in the Pancyprian Athletic Games that
will take place in Limassol.

ANAHIT BAKHSHYAN WENT TO CHURCH?

A1+
31 March, 2008

The Zharangutiun (Heritage) Party will give its evaluation of the
home political developments and the newly-formed four-fold coalition
at its upcoming sitting.

"I am not authorized to make declarations until this issue is
discussed. I can say one thing for sure; the party is likely to hold
a sitting in the nearest future as it’s extremely hard to work in
the National assembly, being an opposition of seven and facing the
vast majority of the rest of the Parliament", said the member of the
Heritage parliamentary faction, Stepan Safarian. He added that the
propositions of the party, even the non-political ones, are confronted
by the parliamentary majority in the NA.

Referring to the possible parliamentary boycott, he noted that "there
are some tactical and strategic points to be discussed" "I don’t want
to exclude anything. Still we don’t think that a boycott will provide
great achievements," he said.

Heritage members are due to meet with the Ago monitoring group
delegation on April 1. "At the meeting we shall find out the purpose
of their mission and specify what they are going to hear from us,"
Mr. Safarian says.

He underscored their announcements and stance of the March 1 events,
especially the case of the disputed police car which ran through
the bulk of people near the French Embassy. He accused the state
authorities, particularly the Office of the Prosecutor General and
the state mass media, namely "Haylur" news program, of the distorted
information they gave on the testimonies given by him and another
Heritage member," Anahit Bakhshian.

"They say we made some statements, which we then rejected. There were
no ungrounded "statements", it was a legal inquiry", said Mr. Safarian.

"To crown it all, "Haylur" presented the examination of Anahit
Bakhshian as a "confession". She didn’t go to church to make
confessions, nor did she commit a crime", he noted.

"I don’t know whether that’s just the restrained situation or there
is a tendency to denigrate our party", he added.

MARCH 31 "POLITICAL WALK" PASSES WITHOUT POLICE INTERVENTION

Noyan Tapan
March 31, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, NOYAN TAPAN. On March 31, supporters of the first
Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosian started to gather in Yerevan’s
North Avenue since 6 pm in order to take a next in turn "political
walk". Unlike in the previous days, policemen neither took "walk"
participants to police stations nor called on them to go away. The
number of law enforcers was also quite different: it declined from
several dozen to 12-13 policemen. The action participants explained
the restraint of the police by the presence of the Council of Europe
monitoring Ago Group in Yerevan, which made the authorities refrain
from making arrests.

At 7:45 pm people’s flow to North Avenue was continuing, many have
brought children with them.

THE FABULOUS LIFE OF JACK KEVORKIAN
By Emily Michels

Michigan Daily
March 26 2008
MI

I love it when completely unqualified people run for public office.

The democratic process was created to allow all citizens an
"equal" opportunity to be elected into office and use governmental
resources to make changes, policies and earmarks in favor of their
constituency. Former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura, former
governor of Minnesota, and actor/body builder/international icon Arnold
Schwarzenegger, current gubernatorial incumbent of California, show me
that our democracy is working. Any person, regardless of their race,
nationality, gender, political ideology, sexual orientation, career,
celebrity status, shoe size, susceptibility to premature balding,
tattoos, sleeping habits or affinity for plastic surgery can hold
office in our great nation.

That is why I am ecstatic that assisted-suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian
is running for Congress. After a "successful" medical career and a
"glamorous" stint in prison, my new favorite politician-to-be has been
released, and is apparently hell-bent on advocating the protection
of implicitly stated rights under the Ninth Amendment. Snaps for a
single-issue politician pushing 80 years old!

Imagine what this guy could do if he became Congressman. So our taxes
would probably be mishandled, our social programs would probably
be abolished, our schools would probably crumble, our parks would
probably erode and our general welfare would probably be completely
disregarded…

But at least we would be comforted knowing that our doctors could
help us die. And that’s an issue worth campaigning for.

COUNCIL OF EUROPE COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS MONITORING GROUP TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA ON MARCH 29

Noyan Tapan
March 28, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 28, NOYAN TAPAN. The Council of Europe Committee of
Ministers Monitoring Ago Group will arrive in Yerevan on a four-day
visit on March 29.

During the meeting, the delegation will meet with RA NA Speaker Tigran
Torosian, Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian, Justice Minister Gevorg
Danielian, Head of Police Hayk Haroutiunian, Prosecutor General Aghvan
Hovsepian, Ombudsperson Armen Haroutiunian, and representatives of
the opposition.

According to the report provided to Noyan Tapan by the RA Foreign
Ministry Press and Information Department, Ago Group’s meeting with
V. Oskanian will take place on March 31.

RUSSIAN LAWYERS CALL TO SER FREE VASILI ALEKSANIAN

Noyan Tapan
March 27, 2008

MOSCOW, MARCH 27, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. The lawyers of Russia
have applied to newly-elect President Dmitri Medvedev, calling to set
free seriously sick Vasili Aleksanian, the former Deputy Chairman of
the YUKOS, from the isolation cell.

The application has been signed by 450 people: lawyers, political
prisoners, intellectuals, reports Radio Liberty.

Vasili Aleksanian is charged with committing a financial crime of
great extent. On accout of a serious illness, Aleksanian was moved
from the isolation cell to hospital at the beginning od this February.

ARMENIA’S SUPERVISION CHAMBER TO MONITOR SPENDING OF BUDGET, LOAN FUNDS

ARKA
March 26, 2008

YEREVAN, March 26. /ARKA/. Armenia’s Supervision Chamber is to conduct
monitoring of the spending of budget and loan funds, the Chairman of
the Chamber Ishkhan Zakarian said.

Inspections are to be made in the period from April 22 to June 20
and will cover the period of August 1 2006 to January 1 2008 "If
violations are revealed, we will not be turning blind eye to them.

The law provides for ways bring to account. If it is found to be
a public wrong, all cases will be sent to the prosecutor office,"
Zakarian said.

He stressed that the Chamber is going to inspect all organizations
within the scope of budget financing and loan programs.

Any protocol compiled by the Chamber after inspections will be first
discussed with respective agencies and ministries binding them to then,
during a month, provide information on the works done, Zakarian said.

He also urged the chamber members to consistently study the state
appropriations for road construction.

"About 41bln Drams will be directed to road construction, thus a
specialized commission needs to be set up since it quite difficult
to supervise this sphere," Zakarian said considering involvement of
foreign experts possible.

He also pointed out that more often check-ups are to be implemented
in organizations where serious loan programs are planned to be
implemented.

Among the target ministries Zakarian mentioned the Ministry of
Agriculture where a number of state programs are to be implemented on
seed-growing, forestry and veterinary for total of 11bln Drams. "We
should ensure that no dissatisfaction occurs among rural communities
and that all the appropriations to the last penny are under control,"
Zakarian said.

NDP: "EVENTS WERE NOT UNDER OUR INTERESTS"

Panorama.am
15:50 25/03/2008

"The authorities should learn from what has happened," said Shavarsh
Kocharyan the chairman of National Democratic Party (NDP) in a press
conference held on today. He mentioned that considering the fact that
the authorities established a political coalition proves that they
are conscious of the danger.

Kocharyan said that what has happened was the explosion of discontent
of nation and if they do not take appropriate measures to cover the
situation the things can be repeated. "Though the first president
himself was the founder and provoker of today’s situation, the amount
of votes he received prove that some democratic wave was pushed,"
he said.

The politician reminded that situation in 1996 and added "then it was
obvious that Vazgen Manukyan gained the victory, but today we should
speak about first or second round."

As for the foreign affairs he said that the situation seems to
be changed in the USA, "Armenian community in the USA wants to be
separated as one part is ready to support Armenia but the other one
makes some antigovernmental announcements."

Armenian National Committee of Australia
The Peak Public Affairs Committee of the Armenian-Australian Community
259 Penshurst Street, Willoughby NSW 2068 ~ PO Box 768, Willoughby NSW 2068
Tel: (02) 9419 8264 ~ Fax: (02) 9411 8898
Email: [email protected] ~ Website:

26 March, 2008

MEDIA RELEASE: For Immediate Release

{CONTACT: Haig Kayserian (Communications Officer) ~ 0403 317 903 ~
[email protected]}

ANC AUSTRALIA’S CANBERRA TRIBUTE TO RELIEF FUND

SYDNEY: The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia) and the
Australia-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group hosted an event in
Canberra’s Parliament House last week, recognising the enormous human rights
contribution of the Armenian Relief Fund of Australia.

The event, an Australian Institute of Holocaust and Genocide Studies’
(AIHGS) photo exhibit titled From Beyond Anzac Cove, was attended by key
parliamentarians from both sides of the political spectrum.

The photos of the Armenian Relief Fund of Australia were uncovered by the
AIHGS from various Australian archive sources, and represent the efforts of
the Australian public who, from 1915-1929, provided humanitarian assistance
to victims of the Armenian Genocide. Dr. Panayiotis Diamadis and Mr. Vicken
Babkenian of the AIHGS were in attendance to guide the parliamentarians
through the exhibit.

ANC Australia President, Mr. Varant Meguerditchian said: "The Armenian
Relief Fund of Australia represents a proud moment in Australian history and
today we thank you, as representatives of our great nation for the
generosity of your forebears."

Throughout WWI, some 300 Australians were taken prisoner by the Ottoman
Empire. Many of these POWs lay witness to the systematic destruction of the
indigenous Armenian, Greek and Assyrian populations of Anatolia at the hands
of the Ottoman government.

The first genocide of the 20th century triggered an incredible humanitarian
response across the globe. In Australia, from 1915 to 1929, the Armenian
Relief Fund of Australia provided food, clothing and shelter to victims of
the Armenian Genocide. By 1922, these efforts had become the first major
international humanitarian project and set a precedent for providing aid to
disaster areas to this day.