Author: Nahapetian Samvel

ARMENIAN PARTY "UNION CONSTITUTIONAL LAW": "EUROPE HAS PERMITTED AZERBAIJAN TO HOLD AGGRESSION AGAINST ARMENIA"

Today.Az
04 July 2008
Azerbaijan

"Europe has given a written permission for armed aggression against
Armenia in a form of a number of resolutions on Azerbaijan", said
leader of the party "Union constitutional law" Gayk Babukhanyan.

"The fact that PACE has recognized Nagorno Karabakh as territory of
Azerbaijan, is a threat to our security. Today, Russia is the only
obstacle on Azerbaijan’s way to start hostilities", noted Babukhanyan.

Yet, according to him, the growing economic cooperation between Russia
and Azerbaijan may lead to establishment of strategic cooperation
between them.

According to Babukhanyan, Armenian authorities should seriously engage
in strengthening democracy in the country, as well as its economy,
for only this may ensure Armenia’s security.

He said the Armenian Foreign Ministry makes a number of mistakes in
its external policy, particularly, conducts insufficiently active
propaganda in the Nagorno Karabakh issue.

"Armenia should create a center to engage in internal and external
propaganda, publish newspapers abroad and enable websites. Otherwise,
Armenia’s state will further deteriorate", noted Babukhanyan.

"GOLDEN APRICOT" JURY STAFF DEFINED
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Panorama.am
19:54 03/07/2008

This year world wide known artists and actors will arrive in Armenia
to take part in "Golden Apricot" fifth international festival, said
the supervisor of the festival projects Michael Stamboltsyan and the
director of the festival Harutyun Khachatryan.

The jury staff of the festival consists of five experts. This year the
jury staff is differentiated into three juries for competitive films,
one Fipresci and one ecumenical. The director of the festival said
that Iranian Daryush Mehrjuin, famous and intellectual film producer
is the president of non competitive jury staff. And the rest members
to the jury are Ulrich Zidle (Austria), Goran Paskalevich (Serbia),
Azize Tan (Turkey) and Ashot Adamyan (Armenia).

The presidency of documentary film is handled by Austrian famous
film producer, writer Michael Glavoger. Other members of jury are
Sergey Bukovski (Ukraine), Vitali Manski from Russian Public TV,
Karla Karapetyan from BBC.

Anahit Nazaryan is the president of "Armenian Panorama" competitive
films. French journalist, professor of film and philosophy TV producer
Patrick Kazas, Iranian Armenian Zaven Ghukasyan, and Armenain film
producer Michael Dovlatyan are in the jury staff.

Fipresci jury is headed by the reporter of British Daily Telegraph,
The Independent, The Scotsman and Sight and Sound Sheila Johnston. The
other members of jury staff are Alin Tshchyan from "Milliet" daily,
Turkey, Siranush Galstyan of International Association of Cinema
reporters.

NONFOOD COMMODITY PRICES GROW BY 1.3% IN ARMENIA IN JUNE

NOYAN TAPAN

Ju ne 29

1.3% inflation in Armenia’s nonfood commodity market in June on May
2008 was somewhat influenced by the growth in prices of gasoline
(6.2%) and diesel fuel (12.3%).

According to the RA National Statistical Service, prices of carpets,
kitchen utensils, stationery, footwear, medicines, clothing, fabrics,
furniture, detergents, and building materials increased by 0.1-2.4%
in June on May 2008, while prices of jewelry, fuel, horticultural
items, domestic electric appliances, textiles and cultural goods fell
by 0.1-2.4%.

EXCHANGE RATE OF ARMENIAN DRAM RISES BY 0.3% AGAINST US DOLLAR IN JUNE 2008 AS COMPARED WITH DECEMBER 2007

NOYAN TAPAN

Ju ne 29

The rise in consumer prices in Armenia and in the settlement exchange
rate of the Armenian dram against the US dollar made 6.8% and 0.3%
respectively in June 2008 on December 2007. In the same period of last
year, there was a 3.9% growth in consumer prices in parallel with 5.4%
fall in the exchanage rate of the dram.

According to the RA National Statistical Service, a 0.5% fall in
consumer prices was accompanied by a 0.7% decline in the exchange
rate of the Armenian dram against the US dollar (the dram appreciated)
in June on May 2008.

The average settlement exchange rate of the dram against the dollar
made 305.13 drams in June 2008, which is lower by 11.5% than the
index of June 2007 (344.8 drams).

Trading Markets (press release), CA
June 27 2008

Armenia: Controversial Parliamentary Commission Begins Work
Friday, June 27, 2008; Posted: 01:20 AM

Jun 27, 2008 (Radio Free Europe Documents and
Publications/ContentWorks via COMTEX) — SCL | Quote | Chart | News |
PowerRating — On June 16, the pro-government factions within the
Armenian National Assembly voted unanimously in favor of setting up an
ad hoc commission to investigate the March 1-2 clashes in Yerevan
between supporters of defeated presidential candidate Levon
Ter-Petrossian and security forces that resulted in 10 deaths. The
conduct of an "independent, transparent, and credible inquiry" into
the postelection violence was one of the key demands addressed to the
Armenian authorities by the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly
(PACE) in a resolution adopted in mid-April.

At its first session later on June 16, the newly established
commission, which is due to present its findings to the National
Assembly by October 25, elected Samvel Nikoyan (Republican Party of
Armenia, HHK) as its chairman. The deputy-chairman’s position was
reserved for a representative from Zharangutiun (Heritage), the sole
opposition party represented in parliament. The commission was
initially to include two parliament deputies from each faction and one
independent deputy, giving a total of at least eight pro-government
lawmakers and two opposition representatives. But on June 19, it
decided to invite to participate in its work all political forces that
received more than 3 percent of the popular vote during the May 2007
parliamentary elections but less than the minimum 5 percent needed to
win seats in the National Assembly, and also defeated candidates in
the February 19 presidential elections, including Ter-Petrossian, or
their representatives. As of the afternoon of 19 June, seven
invitations had been sent out, RFE/RL’s Armenian Service reported. In
addition to Ter-Petrossian, the other forces invited were the National
Accord party of Artashes Geghamian, the United Labor Party of Gurgen
Arsenian, and the Nor Zhamanakner (New Times) Party of Aram
Karapetian. Invitations were also sent to former presidential
candidates Tigran Karapetian, Aram Harutiunian, and Vazgen
Manukian. Geghamian and Manukian have both named representatives who
attended a session for the first time on June 24, Noyan Tapan
reported. The Zharangutiun (Heritage) faction opted out of the June 16
vote on setting up the commission and was not even present at the
chamber at the time of voting. Zharangutiun faction member Armen
Martirosian told RFE/RL the same day that the faction was unlikely to
participate in the commission’s work because "our basic proposals were
not accepted." Zharangutiun faction secretary Stepan Safarian
similarly told RFE/RL that "there is a preliminary decision to abstain
from having any representative in the commission."

But on June 17, Zharangutiun Chairman Raffi Hovannisian proposed
Myasnik Malkhasian and Sasun Mikaelian, both of whom are currently
being held in pretrial detention on charges of organizing mass unrest
and attempting to seize power stemming from their alleged involvement
in the March 1 violence, RFE/RL’s Armenian Service reported. Both men
are nominally still members of the HHK parliament faction despite
having thrown their support behind Ter-Petrossian. Commission Chairman
Nikoyan rejected that proposal as "insulting" and "not serious," given
that under the commission’s statutes factions may only nominate their
own members, Noyan Tapan reported on June 18. Speaking to RFE/RL’s
Armenian Service in prison on June 19, Malkhasian and a second
arrested pro-Ter-Petrossian parliamentarian, Hakob Hakobian, both
questioned whether the newly formed commission will prove capable of
conducting an "impartial and objective inquiry" in light of the
imputed bias of some of its members, including Nikoyan, who Malkhasian
said has made televised statements exonerating the Armenian
authorities. "The commission cannot work independently," Malkhasian
said. "There can be no impartial inquiry because no particular
investigation is being conducted today in connection with what should
be the main focus of the investigation — the people who died. There
has been no clarification regarding who fired the shots and under what
circumstances those people died. There should have been an
investigation concerning the wounded, those who inflicted damage on
state property. But the investigation today is moving in a different
direction. They arrest people and after that they try to fabricate
charges against them." Hakobian for his part expressed regret that the
ad hoc commission chose not to co-opt the proposed opposition
parliamentarians. "If the commission wanted to clarify anything, they
should have been happy to involve Myasnik Malkhasian and Sasun
Mikaelian in its work. Because both of them were on the ground and did
not commit any wrongdoing," Hakobian said. The sole nonaligned deputy
on the commission, Lyova Khachatrian, stepped down on June 24,
explaining that he did not wish to contribute the widespread negative
perception of the commission, a perception he feared was reinforced by
his own friendship with Prosecutor-General Aghvan Hovsepian, Noyan
Tapan reported on June 25. Also on June 17, the same day that it ruled
to establish the ad hoc commission, the Armenian parliament adopted by
a vote of 80 votes in favor and four against a statement enumerating
measures the authorities have taken to fulfill the demands outlined in
the PACE April resolution, RFE/RL’s Armenian Service reported. Those
demands included the conduct of an independent inquiry into the March
1 violence; the immediate release of opposition supporters detained in
the aftermath; and the annulment of legal amendments restricting the
right to stage public rallies and demonstrations. While up to 70
opposition supporters remain in pretrial detention, the parliament
voted in the second reading on June 11 to lift those restrictions. Two
PACE rapporteurs who visited Armenia on June 16-17 concluded that the
Armenian authorities were dragging their feet in complying with the
resolution’s requirements. But during a vote late on June 25 during
its summer session, the PACE declined to discipline Armenia for its
perceived failure to meet its demands, instead granting the Armenian
authorities six more months to comply fully with the April resolution,
RFE/RL’s Armenian Service reported on June 26. One of the two
rapporteurs, former British Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott,
reasoned that "two months is not enough time to implement all the
changes for which we’ve called…. We believe that Armenia is going in
the right direction, and changes are being made."

On June 20 between 10,000-30,000 people attended a rally in Yerevan in
support of Ter-Petrossian, who interpreted that show of support as
evidence that the population at large does not believe the official
election results that gave Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian over 52
percent of the vote compared to 21.5 percent for Ter-Petrossian. It
was the first opposition mass rally for which the municipal
authorities granted permission since the restrictions imposed by
parliament in the wake of the March violence. Addressing that rally,
Ter-Petrossian again demanded the immediate and unconditional release
of those of his supporters still in detention as a precondition for
"dialogue" with the authorities, and for the holding of preterm
parliamentary and presidential elections in order to restore political
stability. A follow-up rally is scheduled for July 4.

by Karine Kalantarian, Ruzanna Khachatrian, and Liz Fuller

"NO QUESTION IS LEFT ASIDE"

A1+
27 June, 2008

The Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) signed between Armenia
and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation requires to "guarantee
freedom of press, expression and rallies."

On June 27 Jean-Francois Bureau, NATO Assistant Secretary General
for Public Diplomacy, met Armenian journalists.

In reply to A1+’s question how the NATO treats the Armenian
authorities’ rejection to the opposition rallies, Mr. Bureau said,
"We strongly believe that the Armenia-NATO relations will still
deepen with regard to protection of human rights, freedom of press
and progress of democracy. The commitments Armenia assumed within
the framework of the Individual Partnership Action Plan with NATO
include ensuring democratic freedoms in the country. We realize that
the Armenian authorities still have to work long in the direction of
ensuring full democratic freedoms. I see that Armenia’s authorities
are willing to further the relations. The willingness was also felt
in Brussels. The Foreign Ministers expressed readiness to strengthen
the cooperation. Generally, the deeper the relations are, the more
available the information will be."

Asked whether the right to rallies stipulated by the IPAP is not
breached in Armenia, Mr. Bureau said, "We think there is still much to
be done in this respect. We have had a discussion with the ministers
and their voiced readiness. We shall see to the commitment of the
IPAP recommendations."

In reply to A1+’s question whether the March 1 occurrences affected
the Armenia-NATO relations, Mr. Bureau said: "The question was raised
during a May meeting. It was discussed by the delegations and the
representatives of ministries. I must say that the discussions are
open. No question regarding democracy can be left aside."

The NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy assured the
presentees that the organisation cooperates with all South Caucasian
countries and welcomes all proposals which will enhance regional
partnership. "We know that all countries of the region face some
problems but the NATO aims to maintain peace and stability in the
region," said Mr. Bureau.

AZERBAIJAN SHOWS OFF MILITARY MIGHT

Voice of America
June 26 2008

Azerbaijan staged its first military parade in 16 years Thursday to
mark the anniversary of the founding of the country’s armed forces.

Tanks and armored personnel carriers rolled through the streets
of Baku as military aircraft flew overhead in what news agencies
described as a show of force aimed partly at neighboring Armenia.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev told participants the Azerbaijani
people are tired of negotiations with Armenia over the breakaway
Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. He said the talks cannot go
on forever.

Mr. Aliyev said Azerbaijan continues to live in a state of war due
to the unresolved conflict.

The Azerbaijani leader said the country’s annual defense spending
has risen to more than $2 billion, 10 times what it was in 2003,
and will continue to increase.

The two countries fought a six-year conflict after residents of
the largely-Armenian-inhabited Nagorno-Karabakh region declared
independence in 1988. A 1994 cease-fire halted the most serious
fighting, though sporadic exchanges of gunfire continue. The conflict
has claimed 35,000 lives.

Photo: Azeri armoured personnel carriers drive through the center
of Baku as part of a military parade in honor of Armed Forces Day,
26 Jun 2008 m

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS NOT TO RESPOND YET LILIT POGHOSYAN

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
June 25, 2008
Armenia

As we know last week the Temporary Committee Investigating March 1-2
Developments came to a decision to involve the extra-parliamentary
forces that attained 3% and more votes during the parliamentary
elections ("United Labor Party", "National Unity" and "Nor Jamanakner")
in the works of the Committee with the right to a consultative vote.

As the Head of the Committee, Secretary of RPA Faction Samvel
Nikoyan informed during the press conference, hold after the session
"National Unity" and "United Labor Party" officially responded to the
invitation and vice Chairman of the National Unity Sargis Muradkhanyan
participated in yesterday’s session, Leader of the United Labor Party
Gurgen Arsenyan was also going to participate in the session but for
unknown reasons he was not present yesterday.

>From the ex-presidential candidates, leader of the National Democratic
Party Vazgen Manukyan accepted the proposal for cooperation and
Tigran Karapetyan expressed his negative stance, saying that his
participation in the works of the Committee is senseless until "the
main instigator of the massive disorder deigns to bring his personal
participation in the works of the Committee and pursues his "rights".

Attaching great importance to the fair examination of March 1
developments the Committee came to a decision to appeal to interested
extra-parliamentary forces and representatives of society, those
who cannot be involved in the works of the Committee. The goal is
to clarify "what questions do our people have, what issues would
they like the Committee to clarify. To spell out the agenda of those
issues the Committee will appeal to the social organizations and the
political forces to submit them in a written form."

Samvel Nikoyan appealed to the Human Rights Defender and anticipates
his assistance.

As for independent MP Lyova Khachatryan the latter withdrew his
candidacy yesterday. The reason is "the atmosphere of distrust and
hostility, towards the Committee and himself in particular, because
he is in very close relations with the Prosecutor General and people
think this will prevent him from being impartial. That is why he
came to a decision to withdraw his candidacy to contribute to the
neutralization of the negative attitude."

By the time the Parliament is on holiday, up to September L.

Khachatryan’s seat will be vacant.

Samvel Nikoyan said yesterday’s working session was marked with the
adoption of the Committee’s working regulation: "This issue has been
discussed in all the previous sessions. Each member of the Committee
has submitted his stance. Today we managed to solve that issue by
means of consensus."

We have included one expert in the Committee on contract
bases. Later we will invite other experts, by the proposal of the
extra-parliamentary opposition. "Besides the fact that L. Ter-Petrosyan
can participate in the works of the Committee by the status of a
member, he can send his expert to participate in the works. They
expressed distrust, they wanted to send Gevorik, instead we propose
them to send their expert as well," S.

Nikoyan said.

The international organizations haven’t yet responded to the appeal of
the Committee to send their experts. The responsible representative
of OSCE office particularly mentioned that they couldn’t take
swift decisions regarding procedural issues. If it turns out that
the European structures can’t send their experts because they lack
similar practice, the Committee will appeal to other international
organizations.

"And what about the participation of "Heritage" Faction? Should we
consider this topic closed?"

"No. We are waiting for the leader of "Heritage’ faction to return. The
day before, immediately after the briefing I went to see the leader of
the faction but unfortunately he had left the country. We will meet
when he returns," the Chairman of the Committee said in response to
our question.

WHAT THE RUSSIAN PAPERS SAY WASHINGTON ADVOCATES AZERBAIJAN’S ACCESSION TO NATO

RIA Novosti
June 25 2008
Russia

from Nezavisimaya Gazeta

During U.S.-Azerbaijani security consultations, to be held in Baku in
July, the sides may consider the possibility of Azerbaijan’s accession
to NATO, Anne Derse, U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan, said on Tuesday.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev plans to visit Baku on July 3.

Azerbaijan is the third country in the GUAM block comprising Georgia,
Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova, which the West says should be
admitted to NATO. As for Moldova, its non-bloc stance may change
after the presidential elections this fall.

The Baku authorities claim to be surprised by Derse’s words.

Kyamil Khasiyev, Azerbaijan’s representative at the bloc, said:
"Azerbaijan is not in a hurry to join NATO, although our cooperation
with it is proceeding quite well."

He also denied the possibility of holding a referendum on NATO
accession, as Georgia did.

Political analyst Rasim Musabekov said: "The Azerbaijani authorities
have never voiced a desire to join NATO." He thinks this would have
more serious consequences for the country than in the case of Georgia.

"Only Russia is against Georgia joining the bloc, but in our case we
will also have to deal with the opposition of Iran. And don’t forget
about the frozen war with Armenia," Musabekov said, adding that the
benefits of joining NATO were questionable. "The West wants this,
but what would Baku gain?"

Alexei Malashenko, an expert at the Carnegie Moscow Center,
said: "There is nothing surprising in the processes underway in
Azerbaijan. They are logical, and I don’t think Moscow views them
as sensational. If Azerbaijan joins NATO, this will add a highly
interesting factor to the Karabakh conflict."

David Babayan, a political analyst from the disputed Nagorno Karabakh
republic, said: "The territory of Azerbaijan is one of the most
desirable parts of the Europe-South Caucasus-Central Asia structure,
with a potential link to China and India. In this sense, the West
will, predictably, do its best to encourage NATO cooperation with
Azerbaijan."

Babakyan said Azerbaijan’s possible accession to NATO would influence
the situation in Nagorno Karabakh, because the West needs stability
in the South Caucasus and therefore settlement of the Karabakh problem
to carry out its challenging geopolitical project.

ARMENIAN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENTS STRIVING FOR BILLION-DOLLAR TRADE TURNOVER

ARKA
June 24
YEREVAN

The presidents of Russia and Armenia both plan to increase bilateral
trade turnover to billion dollars in the coming two years, RIA
Novosti reports.

Armenia-Russia trade turnover exceeded $0.8bln last year. According to
Medvedev, Russia has invested some $1.2bln in Armenia’s economy. He
believes this can serve a good basis for bilateral trade-economic
cooperation.

Armenian and Russian presidents met today in Kremlin to discuss
bilateral economic and political cooperation issues, as well as the
Karabakh conflict settlement.

The Russian leader suggested that they focus on trade-economic issues.

Medvedev approved of the dynamic development of Armenian-Russian
economic cooperation. In his turn, RA President Serge Sargsian
assured his Russian counterpart that bilateral relations will become
closer.