Author: Nanijanian Alex

RA MFA CALLS TO COMBAT XENOPHOBIA AND NATIONAL INTOLERANCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.02.2007 18:33 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ During a meeting with representatives of
non-governmental organizations Russian Foreign Minister Sergey
Lavrov spoke for necessity of combating xenophobia and national
intolerance. "Struggle against xenophobia as well as religious and
national intolerance is a filed where interests of state bodies and
civil structures coincide. Xenophobia and national intolerance are
extremely dangerous for our multi-national country," the Russian FM
emphasized, reports RIA Novosti.

ARMENIAN CONSTITUTION UP TO EUROPEAN STANDARDS

Arka News Agency, Armenia
Feb 7 2007

YEREVAN, February 7. /ARKA/. Armenian Constitution is up to European
standards, Armenian National Assembly’s press office quoted Speaker
Tigran Torosyan as saying Monday at his meeting with OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly Chairman Goran Lennmarker.

He pointed out that the amended Constitution allows Armenian citizens
to appeal to Constitutional Court.

"Constitutional Court has already received 200 appeals, while for the
decade of its activity, the court considered only eight", speaker said.

"The amended Constitution also enabled the parliamentary opposition to
appeal to Constitutional Court, and positive decisions on two cases
are already made", he said Torosyan pointed out that as a result of
constitutional reformation, progress in justice and local governing
systems are already visible, and political system will face changes
after coming parliamentary elections.

Torsyan also presented domestic political situation and lawmaking
process to Lennmarker. He said 27 of 52 government-proposed bills
are already passed by parliament and taken force. Torosyan said the
number of approved laws is expected to reach 30 to 35 soon.

He also stressed that amended Electoral Code laid favorable ground
for holding elections properly.

ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN MEGHRI UNDER JOINT PROGRAM OF UNDP AND IZMIRLIAN FOUNDATION

Noyan Tapan
Feb 06 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, NOYAN TAPAN. On February 5 the UNDP and the
Izmirlian Foundation signed an agreement, according to which an
economic, social and cultural development program will be implemented
in the city of Meghri. The total cost of the program makes 155 thousand
US dollars. Under the program, the roof of the church in Pokr Tagh
(Small District) of Meghri will be repaired and the local Center of
Crafts will be again delivered for operation. Besides, the program
envisages organizing the process of carbage collection in Meghri, for
which the necessary equipment, cars, dustbins, etc. will be purchased.

"By this program we are continuing our strategical partnership with
Diasporan Armenian organizations with the aim of economic and cultutal
development of remote Armenian marzes," Head of the UN Armenia Office
Consuelo Vidal said in her speech. In her words, one of the program’s
goals is to create favorable conditions for development of ethnograthic
tourism in Meghri and improvement of the socioeconomic conditions
of certain groups of its population. She expressed a hope that the
re-opening of the Center of Crafts will help reduce unemployment
among the local young people. Jaques Sargsian, Chief Deputy Chairman
of the Izmirlian Foundation (its head office is in Geneva), stated
that the program will contribute to poverty reduction in the city. It
was indicated that under the first joint program of the Izmirlian
Foundation and the UNDP, one of the old houses of historical and
cultural importance in Mezhlumian Street of Meghri’s Pokr Tagh was
reconstructed, and now travellers can get food and accomodation there.

"THEY ARE READY TO DO THEIR BEST TO AVOID RESPONSIBILITY, IF NECESSARY -TO ACCUSE THE INNOCENT"

Panorama.am
20:18 05/02/2007

‘In 2006 the courts inflicted obviously moderate sentences’, Gagik
Jhangiryan, Deputy Prosecutor General said during the sitting of the
board of the prosecutor general’s office. He also added that they
would not submit to that fact. "Why do those in the Office of Public
Prosecutor complain of the punitive measures fixed by the courts",
asks Chairman of RA Chamber of Advocacy Rouben Sahakyan and adds: "Yes,
sometimes judges impose moderate sentences, but it is strange why they
do not speak of frequently inflicted stiff punishments". According
to him, there is a fact in Armenia, when a moderate punishment is
imposed and no complaint is made to the superior court for making
more severe the punishment, it means that the prosecutor agrees with
the punitive measure, even if the verdict is unfair.

Rouben Sahakyan says that the answer to this question here is the
following: either the both parties have come to mutual agreement or
there is a personal and other interest or manifestation of corruption
exists.

"And if there is not an agreement, then the prosecutor often complains
of the moderateness of the sentence", says the head of the chamber
of advocacy.

>>From his point of view, it is very easy to imagine for us, the
citizens of this country: "The corruption exists both in the courts
and in the prosecutor’s office, and sometimes advocates take their
part in it". According to his deep conviction, in this society nobody
is ready to fulfill justice, neither the courts nor the investigators
nor prosecutors and the advocates. "Every one is ready to do his
best to avoid responsibility or if it is necessary – to accuse the
innocent. If they want to seize a business from anybody, then they
are ready to accuse him, if they want to harm anybody, so they can
give false testimony or evidence".

GUL HOPES TO CONVINCE US ADMINISTRATION TO PREVENT ADOPTION OF THE GENOCIDE BILL

ArmRadio.am
05.02.2007 16:02

During the meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
scheduled Tuesday Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul anticipates to
convince the US Administration to prevent the adoption of the Armenian
Genocide bill in the US Congress. According to the Associated Press,
in Washington Gul is due to meet also with Adviser to US President
on National Security Issues Steven Hedley.

The aim of the visit of the Turkish Foreign Minister is to match the
positions of the US and Turkey on the Iraq issue and the struggle
against Kurdish rebels. On Friday in New York Abdullah Gul will have
a meeting with the new UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

"I WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT FOR ELECTIONS ARE FREE, JUST, TRANSPARENT," RA DEFENCE MINISTER ASSURES

Noyan Tapan
Feb 05 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 5, NOYAN TAPAN. RA Defence Minister Serge Sargsian
will make the final decision concerning nominating his candidature
for the president’s elections after the parliamentary elections. He
stated about it during the February 4 interview to the "Armenia" TV.

"I will make every effort for these elections are honest, free, just,
transparent," the Minister mentioned. In his words, irrespective of
the fact what the opposition representatives speak, "the authorities,
and those forces, which have possibility to get many votes in
the elections and make a part of the authorities are first of all
interested" in holding free and just elections.

"I never respond ribaldries immediately, and wait for the balloons of
lie burst," S.Sargsian mentioned, touching upon "National Unity" party
Chairman Artashes Geghamian’s statement according to which as a result
of revealing the organization of attempted murder against "Bargavach
Hayastan" (Prosperous Armenia) party head, famous businessman Gagik
Tsarukian by him, his brother is obliged to leave for the U.S. The
Minister promised in the future "to give very clear, human explanation"
concerning his brother’s being in the U.S. for some time and "mythic
numbers" of personal profits being ascribed to him.

Russian veto will be key

Ian Traynor
Saturday February 3, 2007
The Guardian

Yesterday’s unveiling of the Kosovo independence plan sets the scene
for months of diplomatic clashes at the United Nations between Russia
and the west.

Two of the hottest issues on the agenda – Kosovo’s status and Iran’s
suspect nuclear programme – will land on the desks of the security
council simultaneously at the end of the month.

Russia is digging in its heels on both disputes, threatening to veto
resolutions needed to kickstart Kosovo independence and step up
pressure on Iran through tougher sanctions because Tehran refuses to
stop enriching uranium. The Americans, say European officials, are
increasingly exasperated by Moscow’s stalling tactics and may seek to
bypass the UN on both issues if Russia refuses to yield.

It remains to be seen whether President Vladimir Putin’s support for
Serbia’s stance on Kosovo’s independence is tactical or
substantive. European officials say they are not sure how Russia will
behave if and when the Kosovo plan is put to the vote in New York.
Russia stalled the adoption of a weak sanctions resolution against
Iran for months before it was adopted two days before Christmas. It is
certain to be even more strongly opposed to the tougher action the US
wants when the dispute returns to the security council in the last
week of this month, about the same time that Martti Ahtisaari takes
the Kosovo case to New York.

Aravot, Armenia
Feb 1 2007

Commentary
Just a technical problem

by Aram Abraamyan

Many people were sceptical when [former National Security Minister]
David Shakhnazaryan said that an election is not expected in Armenia.
[The parliamentary election is to be held on 12 May.] But he may be
right. How can a process whose result is 100-per-cent predictable be
considered an election? If the political and public atmosphere for
holding an election is lacking, it does not matter how the
authorities attain their goal – through vote buying, falsification of
the results, or in some other way.

Perhaps the only intrigue in the forthcoming parliamentary election
would be a possible confrontation between the RPA [Republican Party
of Armenia] and PAP [Prosperous Armenia Party] as a result of
economic rivalry among the power clans, but this is hardly likely. It
is almost certain that the clans will be modest and will manage to
divide up parliament (the economic levers), avoiding conflicts over
the first-past-the-post seats and sharing the proportional
percentages "fairly".

With just five or ten representatives, the other three or four
parties, regardless of whether they are in opposition or
pro-government, will not have any influence in parliament.

Thus the only problem left for the authorities to resolve before the
"election" is consolidation of the economic elite around the RPA-PAP
axis. At present, believing that the National Unity Party and the Law
Governed Country Party are serious competitors, the authorities have
concentrated their attention on them.

But propaganda is useless when there is a subject – a citizen, a
voter – who can decide which party will suggest more attractive
programmes in future – the Marxist party or, let us say, the
Trotskyites. Unfortunately, there is no such subject in Armenia.

Much the same can be said about training the police to beat people.
This suggests that the authorities are expecting an attempt at a
"colour revolution". But there will be no such attempt in Armenia in
the next two or three years. The main reason for this is that the
people do not want such a revolution.

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Jan 31 2007

JOINT STATEMENT ADOPTED IN PARIS
[January 31, 2007, 19:06:26]

The Joint Statement on results of state visit of the Azerbaijan
President Ilham Aliyev to France adopted in Paris runs: `Azerbaijan
and France adhere to the principles and goals mentioned in the
`Agreement on friendship, mutual understanding and cooperation
between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of France.’ In
this framework, France stated once again its support for independence
and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Both countries stressed
importance of the development of bilateral relations and necessity of
continuation of the active and deeper political dialogue at all
levels’.

The parties stated their keenness in development of their relations
in the frame of respect for universal values as human rights and
democracy, legal state and market economy.

The parties have specified the questions of mutual cooperation,
noting `Azerbaijan and France mark their satisfaction with the level
of cooperation in energy field and participation of the French
companies in Azerbaijan’s economy’. The sides have welcomed positive
tendency in the trade between two countries and approved their
readiness for deepening the economic ties and expressed wish to make
further efforts to boost the French investments in Azerbaijan.

Both countries noted their adherence to deepening of existent
cooperation in the field of culture, health and social security, as
well as organizing of mutual days of culture.

The Statement also contains the issues related to global threats and
the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict: `Azerbaijan and
France confirmed their readiness for bilateral and multilateral
cooperation in further combat against global threats as international
terrorism, illegal drug circulation and narco-trafficking and their
realization, proliferation of mass destruction weapons, transnational
organized crimes, illegal arm and human trade.

Both countries with pleasure have noted rapprochement of their
positions in coordination of the basic principles for settlement of
the Nagorno Karabakh problem with the mediation of the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairs from Russia, USA and France.

They emphasized the necessity of making more active efforts for
peaceful resolution to the conflict.

The parties have welcomed signing of the plan of action between EU
and Azerbaijan in the fame of New Neighborhood Policy, noting this
policy would contribute to the realization of political and economic
reforms in the South Caucasus and region.

They expressed their support for necessity of inter-cultural and
inter-religion dialogue, as well as expansion of these relations and
deepening of understanding to create reliable environment for peace,
freedom and social justice.

The parties have agreed for continuation of mutual visits at all
levels. President of France is going to visit Azerbaijan in the first
half of 2007.

Vartan Oskanian met with Dutch parliamentarians

ArmRadio.am
01.02.2007 11:15

On January 31 RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian who is paying a
working visit to the Netherlands, met with members of the Foreign
Relations Committee of the Dutch Parliament. Opening the meeting,
Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee Tom Van Baalen stressed
the importance of RA Foreign Minister’s visits to the Netherlands ever
since Armenia’s independence, expressing hope that it will greatly
promote the further development of bilateral relations.

During the meeting reference was made to the bilateral relations, the
programs the Netherlands implements in Armenia, the process of
preparation of the parliamentary elections in Armenia and regional
issues.

At the request of the parliamentarians, Minister Oskanian presented
the reforms implemented in Armenia after the Constitutional
amendments, laying the emphasis on the conduct of free and fair
elections.

Reference was made also to Armenia’s foreign policy priorities,
cooperation programs with European and Euro-Atlantic structures, the
process of accomplishment of the Action Plans with the EU and NATO.

Turning to regional questions, teh parliamentarians noted that teh
process of Turkey’s accession to teh European Union raised hot
disputes in teh Netherlands. Thanking for the recognition of the
Armenian Genocide in 2004, Minister Oskanian presented the current
state of Armenian-Turkish relations. He stressed the importance of the
support of interested countries for the launching of dialogue and
opening of the borders.

The interlocutors also turned to the current state of Armenian-Iranian
and Armenian-Russian relations.