Author: Nahapetian Zhanna

FEBRUARY ANNOUNCED MONTH OF ASSISTANCE TO JAVAKHK IN SHAMLIAN COLLEGE

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 29, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The administration
and teachers of the Shamlian national college functioning in the
United States for the purpose of introducing Javakhk to American
Armenian pupils and giving them a general idea about the problems
of Armenians of Javakhk announced February a month of assistance to
Javakhk and organized events within that framework.

At the first event planned for senior pupils on February 7, Andranik
Kizirian, the Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee
of America – Western Region, presented the problems faced by the
Armenians of Javakhk, the "indifferent position" adopted by Georgia to
their vital needs, and emphasized the necessity of showing immediate
assistance to Armenians of Javakhk.

Then the video disk released by the Javakhk Western American Committee
of the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) was shown. It presented the
programs and work ARS undertakes in the direction of providing domestic
assistance to Armenians of Javakhk.

As Asparez reports, parallel with programs of introducing Javakhk
fund raising is implemented in the college, which has been mainly
initiated and is carried out by the college’s Armenian club with its
pupils’ staff. The teachers, as well as pupils’ parents assist the
fund raising.

CONCERTS AND OPERAS POSTPONED ON ”KNOWN REASONS’

Panorama.am
20:42 29/02/2008

No cultural events have been held at the Opera House for one week. "The
concert of jazzman Davit Azaryan was supposed to be held in the Opera
House and it has been postponed on known reasons," press secretary
of the minister of culture, Nara Yeghiazaryan told Panorama.am. In
her words, on February 26 an event was supposed to be held dedicated
to 100th anniversary of Arax Giurjyan and on February 27 "Arshak the
Second" opera was scheduled. None of them took place.

Source: Panorama.am

NAZIM IBRAGIMOV: "WE SHOULD ESTABLISH CONTACTS WITH CHRISTIAN ORGANIZATIONS"

Today
s/politics/43468.html
Feb 29 2008
Azerbaijan

We seem to have missed the necessity of cooperation with Christian
organizations in the world and we should work in this direction.

The due announcement was made by Nazim Ibragimov, chairman of the
State Committee for work with Azerbaijanis living abroad.

He noted that there are thousands of such organizations in the
world and in most cases they are for Armenians, basing on Cristian
solidarity.

"We should establish contacts with them. During the discussions with
them we will be able to explain Azerbaijan’s position and inform them
about the truth", he said.

The chairman of the State Committee noted that the work in this
direction may neutralize the propaganda, carried out by the Armenian
Diaspora.

VOICELESS: RALLIES OF THE OPPOSITION CONTINUES IN YEREVAN, ARMENIA
by Ivan Sukhov
Translated by Aleksei Ignatkin

What the Papers Say (Russia)
February 29, 2008 Friday

Supporters of Levon Ter-Petrosjan demand annulment of the outcome of
the presidential election.

Supporters of Levon Ter-Petrosjan, the first president of Armenia,
keep arranging protest rallies and demonstrations and demanding
annulment of the outcome of the presidential election on February 19.

The Armenian National Security Service in the meantime appealed to the
opposition not to interfere with its usual work (protesters seized
two plainclothesmen as "provocateurs" the other day but released
them soon). The Armenian police asked the protesters to maintain
public order. Manifestations in front of the Opera Theater, however,
continue day and night. Ter-Petrosjan himself never leaves the square,
apparently in the hope that his status of the former president would
prevent dispersal of the protest action by the police. Rallies in
the square evolve into daily demonstrations all over the city.

Ter-Petrosjan met with Peter Semneby of the European Union and assured
him that the opposition intended to stick to legitimate forms of
protests only.

Addressing one of the rallies, Ter-Petrosjan called what was happening
in Armenia a "bourgeois-democratic revolution" that would put an
end to the feudal regime in the country. So far, the "revolution"
has only come down to rallies, demonstrations, and an appeal to
the Constitutional Court to void the outcome of the election. The
Constitutional Court has ten days to respond.

The authorities in the meantime increase pressure on the opposition.

Several supporters of Ter-Petrosjan and officials who had joined
the opposition were arrested. Armenian law enforcement agencies are
on a lookout for Nikol Pashinjan, young opposition leader who has
orchestrated all rallies in Yerevan.

Source: Vremya Novostei, No 33, February 29, 2008, p. 2

MANIFESTATIONS DE L’OPPOSITION ET DE PARTISANS DU PRESIDENT ARMENIEN ELU A EREVAN

Le Monde, France
28 fevrier 2008 jeudi

EREVAN. L’opposition armenienne a reuni, mardi 26 fevrier, plusieurs
dizaines de milliers de manifestants en reponse au scrutin presidentiel
du 19 fevrier, considere comme manipule au profit de Serge Sarkissian,
elu dès le premier tour. Au meme moment, le regime rassemblait ses
propres partisans a Erevan. Le president sortant, Robert Kotcharian,
est intervenu dans la soiree pour denoncer la volonte de l’opposition
de destabiliser l’Etat. Les forces de l’ordre ont assure avoir dejoue
une prise de contrôle par la force d’une chaîne de television par
les partisans de Levon Ter Petrossian, l’ancien president arrive en
deuxième position a l’election. – (AFP.)

–Boundary_(ID_NL82CjugbIqjmjydkZzOJQ)–

EU INTERESTED IN MAINTAINING STABLE PARTNERSHIP WITH ARMENIA

armradio.am
28.02.2008 13:50

The Head of the European Commission Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador
Raul de Lutzenberger handed his credential to President Robert
Kocharyan, President’s Press Office reported.

Stressing the importance of founding the standing mission of the
European Commission in Armenia, the President welcomed and wished
success to the newly appointed Ambassador.

Assessing the relations with the European Union as effective, Robert
Kocharyan noted that there are opportunities for expanding those.

According to Ambassador Raul de Lutzenberger, the European Union is
interested in maintaining stable partnership with Armenia. In this
regard he said the full accomplishment of the Action Plan of the
European Neighborhood Policy is pivotal.

The interlocutors exchanged views on the post-election processes
in Armenia.

OSCE Chairman-in-Office Meets with Head of Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh

Trend News Agency
Feb 28 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 28 February /corr. Trend News E.Huseynli /
Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh considers that the OSCE Minsk
Group should increase its efforts in settling the Nagorno-Karabakh
problem.

"Extending the conflict brings undesirable results for the region,"
said the Head of the Community, Nizami Bahmanov, on 28 February
in Baku at the meeting with the delegation headed by the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva.

The conflict between the two countries of South Caucasus began in 1988
due to territorial claims by Armenia against Azerbaijan. Armenia has
occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani land including the Nagorno-Karabakh
region and its seven surrounding Districts. Since 1992, these
territories have been under the occupation of the Armenian Forces. 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 USA) are currently holding peaceful negotiations.

Bahmanov said that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be settled
only within Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. According to him,
currently the occupied Azerbaijani territories have transformed into
uncontrolled territories where illegal activities are carried out.

The OSCE Chairman-in-Office said that the Minsk Group makes all
efforts for the peaceful settlement the conflict and its goal is to
achieve sustainable peace. He added that from this point of view,
great attention is being paid to the position of the Azerbaijani
Community of Nagorno-Karabakh. According to Kanerva, the OSCE fully
supports the negotiations process within the Prague process and highly
assesses the efforts in this regard.

RA NSS EXAMINES CRIMINAL CASE WITH SIGNS OF STATE POWER USURPATION

Noyan Tapan
Feb 28, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, NOYAN TAPAN. In connection with a criminal
case with signs of state power usurpation which was opened by
the investigation department of the RA National Security Service
(NSS), Karen Ter-Stepanian, 37, a realtor, was detained on February
25. According to the RA NSS press service, he testified that "they
were to organize a procession to the Nork television tower. The fact
the TV tower is protected by only 2-3 policemen would allow them to
enter the premises of the building without difficulty and demand a
live broadcast for Levon Ter-Petrosian".

According to the same source, in connection with the same criminal
case the RA NSS together with the RA police early in the morning
of February 26 took joint operative-investigative measures with
respect to persons, who were participating in the actions organized
in Freedom Square and who displayed an extremist behavior and desire
to be involved in illegal operations.

According to the NSS, a number of persons were arrested, a lot of arms
and ammunition, poisonous substances and explosives were found and
seized. "Work under the criminal case is continuing, and the public
will be informed about results".

ARMENIA TO SHOWCASE AT CEBIT INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FAIR IN GERMANY

ARMENPRESS
Feb 28, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS: Four Armenian IT companies will
l showcase their entire portfolio at CeBIT in Hanover, Germany,
March 4-9, 2008. CeBIT is the world’s largest information technology
trade fair with more than 6,000 exhibitors and approximately 500,000
visitors, THE Union of Armenian IT Companies said.

The Armenian companies are Sorsiro, TX Systems, Icity and Mack
Adamian. Their participation in the fair is assisted by the government,
the Union of Armenian IT Companies and the USAID.

Armenia has been showcasing its information technology achievements
at CeBIT since 2000.

Armenian IT companies will also show their products and services at
another IT fair, scheduled for May 18-22 in Malaysia.

ARMENIA’S GOVERNMENT SHOULD RECTIFY SHORTCOMINGS REVEALED BY OSCE OBSERVERS IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

ARKA
Feb 26, 2008

YEREVAN, February 26. /ARKA/. Armenia’s Government should rectify the
shortcomings recorded by OSCE observers in the presidential elections
in Armenia, OSCE Chairman-in-Office, and Minister of Foreign Affairs
of Finland Ilkka Kanerva told a press conference. The shortcomings
are recorded in interim reports of ODIHR/OSCE mission, as well as in
the final document to be published in mid April, he said.

Kanerva said that the preliminary report of ODIHR/OSCE contains both
positive and negative conclusions that should be considered by the
Armenian Government. The ODIHR/OSCE final report will be the critical
document showing all the violation facts recorded by the observers
including the ones troublesome for the government, he said. This long
time is required for preparation of the report due to necessity to
ensure reliability of the document, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office said.

Presidential elections were held in Armenia on February 19. According
to the final results of the elections published by the Central
Electoral Commission on February 24, Serge Sargsian with 862,369 votes
(52.82%) is the winner followed by the ex-president of Armenia Levon
Ter-Petrosian with 351,222 votes (21.5%).

Total of 1,636,666 eligible voters participated in the elections.

Since February 20 rallies, sit-ins and student walkouts have been
held by the opposition in the center of Yerevan. The initiators and
participants of the opposition actions protest against the results
of the February 19 presidential elections published by the Central
Electoral Commission.