Author: Nalbandian Albert

KARABAKH CONFLICT WILL BE SETTLED PEACEFULLY, WITHOUT CHANGING FORMAT – OSCE HEAD

Interfax News Agency, Russia
Russia & CIS
February 28, 2008

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s
Chairman-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva said the
Karabakh conflict would be settled in compliance with international
law.

Strong support is available for resolving this problem, he said.

The conflicts will be definitely resolved on the basis of international
law, he said at a news conference after a visit to Baku.

Kanerva said he supported the Minsk process. This process should
be promoted, he said. All the parties concerned must realize that
diplomacy is the only way to settle this problem, the diplomat said.

The OSCE chairman said he opposed changing the format of the talks.

He also said that if several alternative options were proposed for
settling the problem he would recommend the one proposed by the OSCE’s
Minsk Group.

The world community backs the settlement within the framework of
the Minsk Group, he said. Ideas have been proposed to draw other
organizations to the process, including the UN, Kanerva said, but
added that even though he was not against the UN, he opposed this idea.

Regarding the role of the Armenian community of Nagorno Karabakh in
the talks, Kanerva said that this was not a matter of now. Perhaps
this will happen later. Not now, he said.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT BELIEVES THAT "IMPORTANT IS THE NATURE OF VIOLATIONS AND THE TIMELY REACTION OF THE AUTHORITIES"

Mediamax
February 29, 2008

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Yerevan, February 29. /Mediamax/. Armenian
President Robert Kocharian stated today that before the elections,
the authorities had carried out "huge work" on making the electoral
legislation meet the international standards.

Mediamax reports that, holding a meeting with the students of Yerevan
State University (YSU) today, Robert Kocharian stated that practically
all the counsels of the international experts were taken into account,
except for the recommendation on using special ink for finger-marking
the electors.

Robert Kocharian believes that such innovation would lead to a
considerable decrease of the number of electors.

The Armenian President stressed that "there cannot be perfect
elections, violations exist everywhere, important is the nature of
violations and the timely reaction of the authorities".

Robert Kocharian noted that in the official website of the Armenian
General Prosecutor’s Office, information is provided on the work of
law-enforcement bodies on investigating all the facts of violations.

RA MINISTER OF DEFENCE LEAVES FOR GEORGIA

Noyan Tapan
Feb 28, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, NOYAN TAPAN. On February 28 the delegation headed
by Mikael Haroutiunian, the Minister of Defence of the Republic of
Armenia, left for Georgia on a two-day official visit. This information
was provided to Noyan Tapan by the Press Service of the RA Ministry
of Defence.

RAUL DE LUZENBERGER: EU INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
28.02.2008 17:26 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Head of the Delegation of the European Commission
to the Republic of Armenia, Ambassador Raul de Luzenberger presented
credentials to President Robert Kocharian, the RA leader’s press
office said.

Welcoming the diplomat, Mr Kocharian noted the importance of
establishment of permanent European Commission mission is Armenia
and rated relations with EU as efficient.

"The EU is interested in development of relations with Armenia,
specifically in the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy,"
Mr de Luzenberger remarked.

The parties also exchanged views on the post-election situation
in Armenia.

ARMEN HAROUTIUNIAN: THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY OUT OF THIS SITUATION: TOGETHER HAND IN HAND

Noyan Tapan
Feb 27, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 27, NOYAN TAPAN. "Being a post-totalitarian,
post-Soviet country I regret to say that we have not completely got
rid of totalitarian values yet and for a long time are not ready
either for tolerance or dialogue or cooperation," Armen Haroutiunian,
the RA Ombudsperson, stated during his February 27 meeting with
journalists at the Urbat club. He noted that sometimes everybody
considers that they are bearers of absolute truth, everybody speaks
about democracy, but democracy itself is based on the very tolerance,
dialogue, and cooperation.

The Ombudsperson said that today some citizens go to rallies in
the country, some citizens do not go: "All they are members of our
society, the rights and freedoms of all of them should be equally
protected and secured." He gave assurance that one must not take
a way, in consequence of which one of society’s parts feels alien
and defeated. "Today I have a deep conviction that we all have one
enemy, that is intolerance and polarization," the Ombudsperson said
emphasizing that these phenomena should be removed from political
culture, should be eradicated. A. Haroutiunian said that no one is
interested today in the circumstance who was right at the beginning
of the 20th century, whether ARFD or Bolsheviks, but we all understand
that the army and the statehood were disorganized as a result of it. A
political will should be by all means shown to the real reasons of
today’s phenomena and their solutions," he said.

The Ombudsperson welcomed newly elected President Serge Sargsian’s
speech made the day before, which was "based on the very tolerance and
readiness for a dialogue." He called everybody, media, politicians,
for being guided by a similar system of values, as "sometimes I form
an impression that today in society we as if have forgotten that
there are such categories as love, wisdom, mutual belief." He called
all political figures, all citizens for stopping for a moment and
listening to each other: the statehood, society and the country we
wish to built should be started from the smallest thing, "we should
have an ability to listen to those, to whom we do not agree." The
Ombudsperson gave assurance that there is no politician, political
force, citizen, who is the bearer of the absolute truth and who should
introduce a culture of listening to another. "There is only one way
of coming out of this situation with dignity, together hand in hand,
I do not see any other way. No one will help us, we should give this
solution together," Armen Haroutiunian said.

TER-PETROSIAN KEEPS UP PROTESTS
By Ruzanna Stepanian and Ruben Meloyan

Radio Liberty, Czech Republic
Feb 27 2008

Opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian told tens of thousands of his
supporters Wednesday to continue to challenge the official results of
Armenia’s controversial presidential election, dismissing President
Robert Kocharian’s threats to end the non-stop demonstrations by force.

In televised comments aired late Tuesday, Kocharian warned that his
patience with protesters camped in Yerevan’s Liberty Square is wearing
thin. He said Ter-Petrosian’s rallies and overnight vigils have not
been sanctioned by the authorities and can therefore be broken up by
security forces.

The Armenian police issued a similar warning the next day, saying
in a statement that they are determined to "protect the country’s
constitutional order and public security."

Addressing the massive crowd in Liberty Square, Ter-Petrosian claimed
that Kocharian has no moral right to attack his opponents because he
himself has repeatedly broken law during his decade-long presidency.

"Robert Kocharian’s authority has been illegal right from
the beginning," said the former Armenian president. "Under the
constitution, he was not even eligible to run for president neither
in 1998, nor in 2003."

"A person who breached the constitution in such a blatant manner can
not criticize or threaten anyone," he added before the crowd marched
to the Office of the Prosecutor-General to demand the release of
Ter-Petrosian allies arrested by the authorities in recent days.

The protesters also walked past the Russian Embassy in Yerevan,
urging Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to back their remands for
a re-run of the February 19 presidential election.

In his speech, Ter-Petrosian said that the round-the-clock protests
against the alleged falsification of election results are gaining
growing momentum but would not say how long he intends to keep
his supporters on the streets. "What is happening now is a pure,
classic bourgeois democratic revolution to free the economy from a
feudal yoke," he said, adding that his movement is tacitly backed by
"thousands of representatives of state structures, ministries and
even the presidential staff."

The Armenian Ministry of Trade and Economic Development said on
Wednesday that it has fired two senior ministry officials who openly
described the presidential election as fraudulent and voiced support
for Ter-Petrosian. The chief of the ministry staff, Emil Tarasian,
cited an Armenian law that bans civil servants from engaging in
political activities. In an interview with RFE/RL, Tarasian downplayed
the officials’ defiant stance, saying that one of them effectively
quit the ministry last October while the other is a longtime member
of Ter-Petrosian’s Armenian Pan-National Movement.

U.S. BELIEVES THAT THE ELECTORAL DISPUTES NEED TO BE SETTLED "WITHIN THE CONFINES OF ARMENIA’S CONSTITUTION"

Mediamax
February 26, 2008

Yerevan /Mediamax/. U.S. believes that the electoral disputes need
to be settled "within the confines of Armenia’s constitution and
political system".

Mediamax reports that U.S. Department of State Deputy Spokesman Tom
Casey said this answering a question about the situation in Armenia
in the aftermath of their elections during the Daily Press Briefing
in Washington D.C.

"You saw the statement that we put out over the weekend. I really
don’t have much to add to that right now. Certainly, you’ve heard
from the international observers about some of the concerns that
they’ve had about the election, but we believe that these disputes
need to be settled within the confines of Armenia’s constitution and
political system", Tom Casey said.

On February 22 Tom Casey made the following statement:

"United States congratulates the people of Armenia on the active
and competitive presidential election of February 19 and note the
preliminary assessment of the OSCE ODIHR and Parliamentary Assembly
that the election was "mostly in line with OSCE and Council of Europe
commitments and standards for democratic elections.

At the same time, we also note that international monitors identified
significant problems with electoral procedures. Armenian election
authorities have responded with the positive step of recounts in a
number of jurisdictions. We urge the Government of Armenia to ensure
these recounts are conducted comprehensively and transparently,
investigate all allegations of irregularities, and implement steps to
improve future elections. We also urge all political forces to continue
observing the rule of law and to work peacefully and responsibly for
a democratic Armenia".

GARNIK MARGARIAN AND SAMVEL HARUTYUNIAN RELEASED

Noyan Tapan
Feb 26, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 26, NOYAN TAPAN. The chairman of "Homeland and Honor"
party Garnik Margarian and the former mayor of the city of Goris
Samvel Harutyunian have been released, was announced at the February
26 rally of the first president Levon Ter-Petrosian’s supporters in
Freedom Square.

"A short time ago I was told in the Mashtots police station to go
home and not appear in this square. I declared that I consider it
as an honor to come here and stand beside my people, and I urged
them to join and come to Freedom Square that has become the oasis of
Armenian morality and the epicenter of spiritual manliness under the
direction of the founding president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosian,"
S. Harutyunian stated.

G. Margarian said that "the elected president of Armenia Levon
Ter-Petrosian and the people" made the decision on his release,
and he wants to thank them. He added that the last actions of the
authorities are aimed at breaking the will of the people but it is
impossible. "Let no one doubt that the time of being held accountable
for illegal actions and infringements will come," he stated.

According to NT’s information, the chairman of "New Times" party Aram
Karapetian was also released today.

"JOURNALISTS WITHOUT BORDERS" ORGANIZATION CONDEMNS

AZG Armenian Daily
26/02/2008

Post-election

Well-known international organization demands to punish the persons
that committed violences upon the three journalists in February 19
presidential elections.

"Journalists without borders" organization touched upon the OSCE
report that RA presidential elections corresponded to international
standards though improvements are necessary.

At the same time the organization mentions in detail about the
violences upon the journalist of opposition newspaper "Haykakan
dzamanak" Lusine Barseghian, reporter of "Hayq" daily Samvel Avagian
and operator of "A1+" TV studio Hovsep Hovsepian.

As it is mentioned that the journalists were treated with violence
when they tried to fix and gather information about infringements
that they had witnessed.

Possibility of construction of new houses in Nagorno-Karabakh is
studied

23-02-2008 16:33:37 – KarabakhOpen

On February 22 NKR President Bako Sahakyan visited several quarters of
the capital to study the possibility of building blocks of apartments
and detached houses, the General Information Department of president
administration reports. The head of state has instructed the relevant
agencies to take into consideration all the nuances in working out the
projects of the new quarters.

The president was accompanied by Prime Minister Ara Harutiunyan, the
minister of urban planning Alexander Mamunts, the mayor of Stepanakert
Vazgen Michaelyan and the head of Artsakh Project Mamikon Farsiyan, the
Regnum news agency reports.