Author: Nanijanian Alex

ARMENPRESS

POLICE DENY BUYING EXTRA WATER CANNON VEHICLES

YEREVAN, JANUARY 25, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Police
have denied today media reports claiming that the
authorities have acquired extra water cannon vehicles
to prevent possible public unrest during February 19
presidential election.
Colonel-Lieutenant Sayat Shirinian, a spokesman for
the Police, said the police did not buy any such
vehicles because there are enough water cannons to
thwart possible public disorders on the voting day and
after it.
Shirinian blamed some media outlets for `trying to
stir up tension’ ahead of the election by
disseminating unverified information. He urge
journalists to check their sources police before
reporting their news.

20-YEAR-OLD ASSAULTED ARMENIAN DIES IN HOSPITAL

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.01.2008 12:37 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ 20-year-old Armenia-native Vladimir Karamjian died
last night in Moscow Hospital N50.

On January 24 night, a group of teenagers assaulted the student of
Moscow Automobile & Road Institute when he was accompanying a friend.

"Five youths aging from 12 to 18 assaulted Karamjian on Bolshaya
Academicheskaya Street without any reason and stabbed a knife into
his chest.

Doctors were trying to safe Vladimir Karamjian’s life during several
hours but the young man died last night without regaining consciousness

Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
[email protected]
Internet

PRESS RELEASE
January 25, 2008
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

JOHN EDWARDS CALLS FOR PASSAGE OF GENOCIDE RESOLUTION;
STRONG U.S.-ARMENIA RELATIONSHIP

"As President, I will prioritize our special relationship with
Armenia and the goal of a lasting peace to Nagorno Karabagh and the
entire region." – Democratic Presidential Candidate John Edwards

WASHINGTON, DC – Former North Carolina Senator and Democratic
Presidential hopeful John Edwards added his voice to the list of
Presidential candidates calling for passage of the Armenian
Genocide Resolution, reported the Armenian National Committee of
America (ANCA).

In his January 24th letter to the ANCA, Sen. Edwards stated that,
"I support the Congressional resolution declaring the massacre of
1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 a genocide."
Edwards went on to note that, "we must also continue to strengthen
our relationship with Turkey, an important democratic ally against
the forces of tyranny in the region." Remarking on U.S.-Armenia
relations, Edwards stated that, "As President, I will prioritize
our special relationship with Armenia and the goal of a lasting
peace to Nagorno Karabagh and the entire region."

As a Senator, John Edwards cosponsored successive Armenian Genocide
Resolutions beginning in 2002. He also supported Section 907
restrictions on U.S. aid to Azerbaijan due to its ongoing blockades
of Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh. His advocacy on behalf of the
family of 17-year-old Nataline Sarkisyan, who died after her
insurance company denied funding for a liver transplant, has been
warmly received by Armenian Americans around the country.

To learn more about the John Edwards campaign, contact:

John Edwards for President
410 Market Street, Suite 400
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
Tel: (919) 636-3131

As always, the ANCA welcomes feedback on its service to the
Armenian American community. Please forward your thoughts and
suggestions about the 2008 Presidential election by email to
[email protected].

#####

TEXT OF JOHN EDWARDS LETTER TO ANCA ON ARMENIAN AMERICAN ISSUES

John Edwards 08

January 24, 2008

Aram Suren Hamparian
Executive Director
Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N St., NW
Washington, DC 20036

Dear Mr. Hamparian,

Thank you for contacting me regarding my positions on issues of
importance to Americans of Armenian descent. I am proud of my
record in the U.S. Senate fighting hard for the concerns of our
nation’s one and a half million Americans of Armenian heritage. In
the Senate, I stood against threats to Armenia’s security,
including the blockades it continues to endure. As President, I
will prioritize our special relationship with Armenia and the goal
of a lasting peace to Nagorno Karabagh and the entire region.

I strongly believe that the United States must stand for telling
the truth about all genocides. I support the Congressional
resolution declaring the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians by the
Ottoman Empire in 1915 a genocide. We must also continue to
strengthen our relationship with Turkey, an important democratic
ally against the forces of tyranny in the region. The resolution
should therefore be integrated with a comprehensive diplomatic
effort to make sure that our friends in Turkey today understand
that the resolution is not aimed at them but instead at atrocities
committed almost a century ago by the Ottoman Empire.

In addition, I have recently come to know the family of Nataline
Sarkisyan, a young woman who died after her family was denied
funding for a liver transplant by her insurance company. The
Armenian American community has embraced the Sarkisyan family, and
it has been a privilege to work with Americans of Armenian descent
in sharing Nataline’s tragic story and in emphasizing the desperate
need to establish a universal health care system in the United
States.

Thank you for the opportunity to address these important issues.

Sincerely,

John Edwards

TIGRAN L. PETROSIAN AND VARUZHAN HAKOBIAN GAIN VICTORIES IN FIRST TWO TOURS IN GIBRALTAR INTERNATIONAL CHESS TOURNAMENT

Noyan Tapan
Jan 24, 2008

GIBRALTAR, JANUARY 24, NOYAN TAPAN. A big International Chess
Tournament started on January 22 in Gibraltar. Tigran L. Petrosian
and American-based Varuzhan Hakobian take part in it. In the first
two tours they gained victories, gained two points each and are in
the leaders’ group with another 14 participants.

The tournament consists of 10 tours. The winner will be awarded 12
thousand pound sterlings.

PRIME MINISTER SARKISIAN CAMPAIGNS IN SYUNIK

ARMENPRESS
Jan 24, 2008

YEREVAN, JANUARY 24, ARMENPRESS: "I want to become president of
Armenia with your support because I want to make this country a better
place for my and your grandchildren to live in," prime minister Serzh
Sarkisian told a crowd in Spandarian village of the southern province
of Syunik on the second day of his election campaign on Wednesday.

Sarkisian said 20 percent of Armenians are still poor but he added if
a comparison is made with an Armenia 5-10 years ago the differences
are tangible.

He said the government will eradicate poverty by 2012.

In the town of Sisian the prime minister told a crowd of local
residents that a month later they will go to polling stations and
before they cast their ballots they should recall what each of the
presidential candidates has done for this country.

Sarkisian pledged to help double household incomes within five years in
the event of his victory in next month’s presidential election. "That
pensions, wages and all other social expenditures, our GDP and state
budget will double by 2012 is beyond doubt," he said.

Sarkisian then traveled to Goris and Kajaran. The latter is home to
the biggest metallurgical plant in Armenia producing molybdenum and
copper. Today he wasto meet with voters in Meghri, Agarak and Kapan.

OPPOSITION PARTY OF AZERBAIJANIS IN GEORGIA READY TO ADMIT ARMENIANS

Trend News Agency
Jan 22 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 21 January / corr. Trend J. Babayeva/ The opposition
Party of Azerbaijanis living in Georgia whose co-founder is the former
presidential candidate Fazil Aliyev, is ready to admit Armenians
living in this country to the party, Fazil Aliyev said to Trend by
telephone from Tbilisi on 21 January.

"Everyone regardless of their nationality will be represented in the
party," Aliyev said.

Aliyev was nominated for the presidency by the National Assembly of
Azerbaijanis in Georgia and the International Council of Azerbaijanis
in Georgia. Fazil Aliyev refused to take part in the elections in
December. He attributed it to ‘pressure from Georgian government
agencies.’ Later on Aliyev established a new opposition party.

The chief purpose in the party’s establishment is to take part in
the parliamentary elections in Georgia to be held in May. According
to the current Georgian constitution, parliamentary elections were
to be held in autumn of 2008; however, as a result of a referendum
which was held together with the early presidential elections, the
parliamentary elections will take place in the spring of 2008.

The next party meeting will be held next week. As a result of this
meeting, the chairman of the party will be elected and an address will
be made to the Georgian Ministry of Justice for official registration.

According to Georgian laws, the party is required to have no less
than 1000 members in order to be registered. Aliyev is sure that he
has enough supporters who will join his party.

"Not only Azerbaijanis, but also Georgian wish to join the party,"
Aliyev said.

IT IS ENVISAGED TO CARRY OUT 80% OF CARGO TRANSPORTATION BETWEEN ARMENIA AND RUSSIA BY POTI-PORT "KAVKAZ" FERRY LINK

Noyan Tapan
Jan 22, 2008

YEREVAN, JANUARY 22, NOYAN TAPAN. It is envisaged to carry out up to
80% of cargo transportation between Armenia and Russia by Poti-port
"Kavkaz" ferry link, Igor Levitin – the Russian minister of transport,
co-chairman of the Armenian-Russian intergovernmental commission on
economic cooperation, stated on January 21.

According to him, the ferry operating on this route has made more
or less regular trips since August 2007, and by the end of 2007,
various goods of nearly 30 thousand tons were transported by the
ferry. I. Levitin said that the ferry boat is more or less loaded
on its route from Russia to Armenia, while its being loaded during
trips in the opposite direction remains a problem to be solved by
businessmen of the two countries.

The president of Black Sea Ferry & Investments (BFI) LLC Hokim
Matchanov said that the ferry is required to make 4 trips a month
but it makes 3 trips because of being underloaded. Prior to that, the
ferry used to make a trip a month or every six weeks. In the initial
period the ferry transported 4 railroad cars, later – 8 ones during
each trip. BFI cooperates with all the eight forwarding companies
of Armenia. According to H. Matchanov, transportation by Poti-port
"Kavkaz" link is relatively expensive as the ferry is now loaded by 60%
(by 100% when heading from Russia to Armenia, by 10% in the opposite
direction). "Whenever we start increasing the ferry’s load in Russia,
some forwarding companies of Armenia launch anti-ferry campaign as
they are reluctant to transport their goods by ferry," he said,
underlining that transportation of goods by trucks is profitable
within distances of up to 500 km.

In his words, foodstuffs, wheat, flour, juices, timber are mainly
transported from Russia to Armenia. Cement, facing material, bentonite,
salt cake, mineral waters are mainly transported from Armenia to
Russia. He informed those present that it is still impossible to
transport excise tax-liable goods (cigarettes, alcoholic drinks)
by the ferry from Armenia to Russia due to the absence of a customs
supervision zone at the check point of the port "Kavkaz". He added that
such a zone will be created by late 2008 based on the intergovernmental
agreement signed in Yerevan on January 21.

The president of BFI expressed an opinion that due to higher
transportation speed, the ferry link will be competitive in case
of opening railway communication through the territories of Georgia
and Azerbaijan.

ARMTV EXPLAINS THE MISUNDERSTANDING ON SIRUSHO’S SONG FOR EURO CONTEST

oikotimes.com
Jan 22 2008
Greece

Azeri newspaper claimed yesterday that the song by Sirusho was already
chosen and was copied by a song of their music tradition.

Today Armenian state broadcaster announced that the claim is ridiculous
as the song has not been decided. Armenian broadcaster revealed to
oikotimes.com that there will be a song selection on early March. Four
songs will compete to the final where Sirusho will perform them live
and the public will decide which song will represent the country in
the 53rd Eurovision Song Contest next May in Belgrade.

MEMBERS OF "LEGITIMATE PRESIDENT 2008" MOVEMENT EXPRESS CONCERN OVER ACTIONS OF ULNP AND POLICE

Noyan Tapan
Jan 21, 2008

YEREVAN, JANUARY 21, NOYAN TAPAN. Dissidence is punishable in Armenia,
the citizens who express their disagreement with the position of
the authorities are subjected to persecution and terror, Gurgen
Yeghiazarian, former deputy of the RA National Assembly, former
deputy head of the National Security Service, made this statement at
the January 21 sitting of the public-political movement "Legitimate
President 2008".

"Terror has moved from streets into apartments of citizens,"
this is how G. Yeghiazarian described the situation when citizens
are called for a testimony or a talk at a police station after
they express their disagreement with the authorities’ position or
refuse to listen to propaganda in favor of Serge Sargsian. Among such
citizens was the political correspondent of "Noyan Tapan" news agency
Davit Petrosian who refused to listen to two young propagandists from
"United Liberal-National Party (ULNP) who came to his house on January
12. The next day he was called to police – based on the complaint of
a young woman whom he allegedly had hit.

"If you decline to listen to advertising for Serge Sargsian, you
will find yourself in the police based on some absurd accusation,"
G. Yeghiazarian said.

He called attention to the fact that the young men from the OLNP wear
expensive jackets with the party’s logo and all of them are exempt
from examinations and tests.

The chairman of the ecological party Armen Dovlatian announced,
referring to some "well-informed sources" that 300 students have
been involved in this propaganda campaign, and each of them will
receive a salary of 100 thousand drams (about 330 dollars, with the
average monthly salary making about 76 thousand drams in Armenia),
while all these expenses are included in the financial expenditures
of the presidential candidate Serge Sargsian.

People’s Artist of Armenia, member of the Council of Aldermen of the
Forum of Intelligentsia Yervand Manarian expressed concern over the
involvement of young people in the vicious process and called on the
society to condemn the actions of both the leadership of this party
and the young propagandists.

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Jan 19 2008

PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV RECEIVES OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS AND
PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF OSCE CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE

Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev received Friday Co-Chairs of the
OSCE Minsk Group – Ambassadors Bernard Fassier of France, Matthew
Bryza of the USA and Yury Merzlyakov of Russia – as well as Personal
Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Ambassador Andrzej
Kasprzyk of Poland.

The meeting focused on current peace talks regarding the
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.

BAKU. 19.01.2008. AzerTAg.