Author: Nalchajian Markos

FROM APRIL TO LATE JUNE YEREVAN MAYOR’S OFFICE ANNOUNCES "CLEAN YEREVAN" QUARTER

Noyan Tapan
March 31, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, NOYAN TAPAN. From April Yerevan Mayor’s Office
announces "Clean Yerevan" quarter, which will last until late June. As
Vano Vardanian, Yerevan Deputy Mayor, said at the March 31 press
conference, almost all ministries, prefectures, as well as regional
administrations bordering upon Yerevan will take part in the work
envisaged: the latters will clean the roads leading from Yerevan to
the regions.

According to V. Vardanian, today the problem of rubbish disposal
in Yerevan is one of the most important problems of city
administration. It was mentioned that the rubbish disposal work
done in the 12 communities of Yerevan does not give a satisfactory
result yet. According to him, though more than 90 units of special
machinery were brought by sanitary cleaning enterprises, more than 8000
dustbins were placed in Yerevan in the past two years, nevertheless,
this work is not sufficient and it should be permanent to achieve
complete results.

V. Vardanian also said that a program of study of rubbish disposal
and sanitary cleaning state in Yerevan is conducted on the initiative
of the Mayor’s Office. An interdepartmental working group has been
created by the RA Prime Minister’s order, which will be also engaged
in these issues.

According to V. Vardanian, studies of rubbish disposal are also
conducted by the World Bank at present.

BOSTON GLOBE JOURNALIST STEPHEN KURKJIAN TO SPEAK ABOUT ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS

Noyan Tapan
March 28, 2008

Stephen Kurkjian, an investigative journalist of the Boston Globe, will
assess the year’s events to see if the future holds hope for bridging
the differences that have long divided the Armenian and Turkish
peoples on April 3. The event titled "Beyond Genocide Recognition"
will take place in the auditorium of Russell Sage College.

MORE PEOPLE DETAINED

A1+
26 March, 2008

Today over 40 people were taken to the police department of Yerevan’s
central Kentron district. Our journalist witnessed an arrest of
three civilians.

The daughter of a RA citizen Sona Muradian told A1+ that her mother
was arrested the moment they stepped Northern Avenue.

According to Arthur Babayan, Head of the Criminal Investigation
Department, the suspects were taken to the police station. "Due to
their professionalism they police will be able to find out whether
they are criminals or not," he said.

To note: the police presented a notice to former press secretary for
Levon Ter-Petrossian, Levon Zurabian.

The latter is to be at the police station at 11:00 on March
27. Zurabian is accused of participating at unsanctioned rallies.

"Alternative" Initiative member Norik Norikyan was released today
after giving a written undertaking not to leave the city.

PROTESTANTS IN KAYSERI CELEBRATE EASTER IN ARMENIAN CHURCH

Noyan Tapan
March 25, 2008

KAYSERI, MARCH 25, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. A group of about
100 Protestants celebrated easter with a rite in an Armenian Church
in central Anatolian province of Kayseri on March 23. Prayers were
made and chants were sung by the attendants. This was the first time
the Armenian Church in Kayseri hosted Protestants in a rite.

KIRO MANOYAN: "DASHNAKTSUTYUN OPPOSES DISCUSSION OF LIBERATED TERRITORIES’ CESSION TO AZERBAIJAN"

DeFacto Agency
March 25 2008
Armenia

YEREVAN, 25.03.08. DE FACTO. "ARF Dashnaktsutyun opposes the
discussion of possibility of cession of territories controlled by the
NKR Defense Army to Azerbaijan", the Head of Hay Dat Central Office
Kiro Manoyan stated in the course of a conference initiated by the
ARF Dashnaktsutyun Youth Union, devoted to the 20th anniversary of
the Karabakh movement.

According to Kiro Manoyan, "unfortunately some Armenian politicians
speak of the possibility of cession of territories and the necessity
of such talks, which considerably weakens our positions".

Kiro Manoyan also mentioned the necessity of settling the liberated
territories.

RESIDENTS OF 9 YEREVAN BUILDINGS SUBJECT TO DEMOLITION TO RECEIVE APARTMENTS THIS YEAR

Noyan Tapan
March 21, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, NOYAN TAPAN. At the Macrh 20 sitting, the Armenian
government approved the draft decision on additions and amendments to
the governmental decision of October 25, 2000, as well as the draft
decision on measures to ensure the execution of the 2008 state budget.

The RA deputy minister of urban development Karen Gevorgian told
reporters after the sitting that by one of the amendments, it is
proposed that part of 1 bln 630 mln drams to be allocated from the 2008
state budget for the purchase of apartments with apartment purchase
certificates should be provided in 1st quarter instead of 3rd one,
while portions for 3rd and 4th quarters should be provided in 2nd
quarter. According to the deputy minister, 100 families have already
purchased apartments, another 40 have received 60% of the sum needed
to buy an apartment.

K. Gevorgian said that thanks to another amendment, 141 families
of 9 Yerevan buildings subject to demolition and 16 families of
a residential building in Voskehat village (Armavir marz) will be
provided with apartments this year. In 2000-2006, 6 buildings were
demolished and 234 families received apartments.

OSKANIAN BRIEFED HEADS OF DIPLOMATIC MISSION ON DOMESTIC SITUATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
21.03.2008 18:05 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia’s Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian met
Friday with heads of diplomatic representations and international
organizations accredited to Armenia to familiarize them with the
measures being taken for restoration of popular consent, the RA MFA
press office reported.

The Minister highlighted formation of quadripartite government
coalition which aims to unify and implement the programs of political
forces.

He also presented Armenia’s position on the adoption of Azerbaijani
resolution in the UN. "Armenia follows the principles submitted by
the OSCE MG," he said.

PACE COMMITTEE SUPPORTS ESTONIAN MP’S PROPOSAL ON AZERBAIJAN

Baltic News Service
March 19, 2008 Wednesday 3:07 PM EET

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (ENPA) Tuesday
supported Estonian MP Andres Herkel’s proposal on drawing up an
interim report on Azerbaijan.

In May Herkel together with his co-rapporteur Yevgenia Zhivkova will
go one more time to Azerbaijan in order to draw up the report by June.

Herkel said appointment of a special rapporteur on political prisoners
would largely depend on the contents of the June report, while the
contents would depend on whether the arrested journalists and sick
prisoners are released.

"Concerning three journalists my position is that their cases are
trumped up and they must be immediately released," said Herkel,
of the conservative Pro Patria and Res Publica Union.

"Release of aged prisoners in a poor medical condition, however,
would be humanistic even if we do not come to an agreement with the
government over who is and who is not a political prisoner."

The lawmaker said that the issue of prisoners was very cumbersome and
had so far prevented dealing with other matters, such as a justice
reform and establishment of the fate of those missing after the
Karabakh War.

Of other questions the situation in Armenia came under the sharpest
scrutiny. In its statement the committee expressed concern over
continued arrests and appealed for lifting of the emergency situation.

Herkel said it was possible that an extraordinary debate would be
held on Armenia on April.

With reference to Russian elections, Andres Gross, head of the
observation mission, presented a critical overview, particularly in
connection with the pre-election atmosphere. Many speakers found that
there could be no double standards concerning Russia.

Herkel proposed inviting to Strasbourg leaders of the extraparliamentry
opposition, such as Garri Kasparaov and Mikhail Kasyanov, as it was
done in the case of Azerbaidjan and as there is an intention to act
in Armenia’s case.

Gross and the rapporteur Luc van der Brande took the proposal for
consideration.

OSKANIAN: PROBLEM OF DEMOCRACY IN ARMENIA IS LACK OF CONFIDENCE OF PEOPLE TOWARDS STATE INSTITUTIONS

Noyan Tapan
March 18, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 18, NOYAN TAPAN. "In terms of democracy, we have
done great work, however, we still have a long way to pass," Vardan
Oskanian, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia,
declared in his interview with the Kentron TV company. According to
him, the problem of democracy in Armenia is the lack of confidence
towards state institutions.

According to the Minister, if there were 20 percent confidence towards
the Central Electoral Commission, these events would not have happened.

According to him, they should work mainly in the direction of
restoring that confidence: "We have inherited that inconfidence,
we have not only done nothing to restore the confidence for 17-18
years, but we have also made such steps, which have had an opposite
effect," he said. In the conviction of the Minister, the European
programs in Armenia should concentrate on free press and education:
"these are the fundamental directions, on which the society should be
built." In the estimation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, with its
irresponsible work from all sides: both from authority and opposition,
the press has created such a crack, has spread inconfidence among
people that the people has nothing to cling to, nothing to believe.

Vardan Oskanian mentioned that one should not take the independence of
press for objectiveness: "It seems to us that if you are independent
then you are objective, these two things have absolutely nothing to do
with each other: you may be independent of the state, but dependent
on somebody, who pays you money and you publish your articles. You
may not be independent, just be objective, give a right picture of
the situation, you should feel sorry for this people."

The Minister mentioned that he liked very much the three points
suggested by the Dashnaktsutiun for finding a way out of this
situation: press, TV and electoral system should be improved so as
such a situation is excluded. The RA Minister of Foreign Affairs finds
that by the next parliamentary elections they should work together in
order to find solutions for these problems and exclude such a situation
through the irreproachability of the press and electoral system, so as
"the opposition today really feels that it has a chance to enter the
parliament in the next elections."

HOVHANNES MKHOYAN CHARGED WITH SHELTERING RA NA MP SASUN MIKAYELIAN

Noyan Tapan
March 17, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, NOYAN TAPAN. RA citizen Hovhannes Mkhoyan has been
charged on the indications of Article 334 of the RA Criminal Code:
for sheltering defendant Sasun Mikayelian, who is under search. This
information was provided to Noyan Tapan by the RA Prosecutor General’s
Office. It should be mentioned that Sasun Mikayelian is charged on
the occasion of the events, which took place in Yerevan: organizing
mass disorders with murders and committing acts directed at seizing
the power by force by an infringement of the RA Constitution. Due to
the operative-searching measures of the RA National Security Service,
the latter was discovered and detained.

According to an official source, Hovhannes Mkhoyan confessed the
charge and repented for what he has done.