Author: Nargizian David

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
May 29 2008

Baku does not Accept US Criticism on Situation of Human Rights in Azerbaijan

29.05.08 17:54

Azerbaijan, Baku, 29 May / corr. TrendNews I. Alizade/ The Azerbaijani
government does not accept the criticism of the State Department of
the United States on deterioration of the situation of the human
rights in Azerbaijan.

`I can not accept the criticism on the human rights in Azerbaijan as
this criticism is based on the isolates facts which occur in any
country worldwide,’ Elnur Aslanov, the head of the Political Analysis
and Dataware Department of the Presidential Administration of
Azerbaijan said to TrendNews.

The US State Department published a report on human rights in
Azerbaijan on 28 May. The report said that the situation of the human
rights deteriorated in Azerbaijan in 2007. The report also spoke of
the presidential elections to be held in Azerbaijan in October.

`We have repeatedly announced that the presidential elections will be
transparent, open and democratic, said Aslanov.

According to Aslanov, the indicators of Azerbaijan are improved every
year. `It concerns both economic and political spheres. Recently, we
have taken important steps on the development of the civil society in
Azerbaijan and we have been promoting the role of the `third sector’
in the social life of the government. Conditions have been provided
for the development of the media sources, the number of which makes up
600 at present. The civil rights and freedoms are priorities of the
government,’ Aslanov said.

The report of the State Department said that there is still torture in
police departments and military units with six people dying as a
result of it in 2007. `The security forces who stand behind it, are
not punished,’ the document said. `The officials are detained on
political motives. There is corruption in the judicial system and
restrictions on the freedom of assembly. The situation of the mass
media has further deteriorated. The violation against women and
religious minorities is still going on. In spite o some progress, the
prisons are still source of danger for the human life,’ the document
said.

According to Aslanov, the regulations on holding demonstration are the
same with that of the other countries where it is banned to hold
demonstrations in places with much traffic and people. `It is quite
natural. However, the parliament will discuss new Bill on Freedom of
Assembly, therefore it is pointless to speak of the restrictions,’ he
said.

He said that he is surprised with the statement of the report on the
violation against women and religious minorities. `It is not true at
all. There is no violation against women in Azerbaijan,’ Aslanov said.

He added that he also does not accept the criticism on the religious
minorities. `There are some 500 registered religious groups in
Azerbaijan which openly exercise their rights and
devotions. Azerbaijan is a tolerant country. The tolerance of
Azerbaijan is annually indicated in the reports of the international
organizations, the fact which can not concern neighboring countries,’
he said.

`I also do not accept the statement that `the security forces are not
punished,’ the representative of the official Baku said. According to
Aslanov, some 443 officers of the Interior Ministry of Azerbaijan who
have violated human rights have been punished during three years. Some
16 of them were made answerable, 98 were dismissed from the Interior
Ministry, five were demoted and 39 were dismissed from their
posts. Therefore, these statements do not reflect reality,’ Aslanov
added.

`It is disappointing that the report does not include any statement on
the rights of refugees and IDPs, which was grossly violated as a
result of the occupational policy of Armenia. I think that the report
should have reminded of 1mln refugees who are deprived of the right to
return to their homelands. If we speak of the human rights, it is
important to speak of the facts. Millions of refugees, whose rights
have been violated by the neighbor country, are a concrete fact of
violation of human rights by the other country,’ he said.

As to the penitentiaries of Azerbaijan, Aslanov said that they are
under public monitoring of not only national, but also international
organizations. `There is no such monitoring in the prisons of other
countries where people accused with committing crimes are kept there
for years,’ Aslanov said.

RA prime minister: RA government intends to actuate administrative
levers to restrain inflation

2008-05-29 15:16:00

ArmInfo. RA government intends to actuate administrative levers to
restrain inflation, as solution of this problem is a problem number one
in the republic, RA Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisyan said at today’s
government session.

As he said, the Gallup polls have shown that the society is most of all
concerned over the price rise in Armenia today. The premier said that
the government is not satisfied with the degree of elasticity of prices
as their rise happens rapidly and sufficiently while the cut in prices
– slowly. Unfortunately, the premier said, the government do not
succeed to restrain inflation without administrative levers.

He paid the governmental members’ attention to the fact that a sharp
fall in prices for bread, cereal products and rice has been fixed in
the international markets. In particular, the grain prices during the
last month dropped by 42% and for rice – by 22%, that created
favourable conditions for the tendency of reduction for these
foodstuffs in Armenia, which have a high specific weight in the
consumer basket, T. Sarkisyan said. The premier charged the Economy and
finance Ministry, as well as the Central Bank and the Commission for
Protection of Economic Competition to submit proposals for control of
inflation. "The problem of prices is in the center of the government’s
attention and, first of all, we shall carry out inspections in the
organizations, where the rise in prices is not adequate to the world
tendencies", the premier said.

To recall, according to the data of the National Statistical Service of
Armenia, inflation in Armenia in April, as compared with March, made up
1,1%, over Jan-Apr – 6%. The annual inflation indicator has been fixed
by the budget 2008 at 4% level with deviations at the rate of
1,5%,,however, the experts forecast to 10%.

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
May 30 2008

Azerbaijan President Held Meeting in Finnish Parliament
30.05.08 10:37

Azerbaijan, Baku, 30 May / Trend News / Within the framework of the
Azerbaijani President’s visit to Finland the delegations of
the both countries met and discussed the perspectives of relations
between Azerbaijan and Finland in the sphere of policy, economy and
others. President Ilham Aliyev spoke about the current development
processes in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani President focused attention on
the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh resulted 1
million of Azerbaijanis became refugees and IDPs.

The President of Finland Tarja Halonen said there is a huge potential
to enhance the Finland-Azerbaijan relations. The Finnish leader
recalled her visit to Baku, describing it as a success. Tarja Halonen
expressed confidence the Azerbaijani leader’s current trip
will give the impetus to enhance the bilateral relations.

Later Ilham Aliyev held meeting in the Finnish Parliament. The meeting
was focused on the issues of development of inter parliamentary
relations, perspectives of bilateral cooperation, as well as
interaction within the framework of regional and international
organizations. Ilham Aliyev met with the members of the Parliament.

Panorama.am

19:21 30/05/2008

-TRADITIONS- TO DISTORT AND DECLINE ELECTIONS

The events during and after the elections were
attempts to make a revolution and now it is the time
break of it, said Samvel Nikoyan, member of the
Republican party in a discussion on internal
challenges issue today. According to him in the
pre-election time he said that -there is a candidate
and a political force which is waiting for not the
elections but the post period of it.-

According to Nikoyan any candidate wishing to win the
presidential elections should take part in local
self-governed, then in the parliamentary and after in
the presidential elections. As for holding extra
parliamentary elections, he said that according to the
constitution the terms of holding extra elections are
clearly stated and that at the moment there is no need
to organize them.

-It is like a tradition in Armenia as there are no
elections when the defeated side tries to appeal the
results. If we organize new presidential or
parliamentarian elections we do not have a guarantee
that the defeated side won’t appeal or lead his
supporters to streets,- he said.

According to Vardan Vardanayn, representative of
National Democratic Union (NDU) notified that the
-tradition- is a result to another -tradition- – since
1995 all the elections in Armenia have been distorted.

Source: Panorama.am

Panorama.am

19:22 30/05/2008

HAKOBYAN AND PETROSYAN MEET WITH NAKAMURA

After the final round of Chicago Open International
Chess Tournament taking place in USA three chess
players share 1-3 horizontals having 5.5 scores on
their accounts; the chess players are Armenian GM
Varuzhan Hakobyan who presents USA in the tournament,
another Armenian GM Tigran Petrosyan and Nakamura who
also presents USA.

In the women part of the tournament Armenian GM Tatev
Abrahamyan who also presents USA in the tournament
occupied third horizontal lacking only 0.5 scores.
Note that 53 chess players took part in the tournament
which was taking place in Illinois, USA.

Source: Panorama.am

Panorama.am

16:05 31/05/2008

JOINT EXAMS START ON JUNE 2

Today the president of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan held a
meeting-discussion with Armenian authorities including
Armen Gevorgyan, the Vice Prime Minister and the
Minister of Territorial Administration, Hovik
Abrahamyan the head of the President’s Administration,
Levon Lazarian, the Minister of Education and
Science, The Vice mayor of Yerevan and the heads of
the regions of Armenia. The mission of the meeting was
to discuss the processes and activities of the joint
examinations scheduled on 2 June.

According to the press service of the president’s
administration, Serzh Sargsyan has evaluated rather
high the possibilities to organize the joint exams
this year than it was last year. -We need to be
objective, consistent and of principle views. It is
easy to say something but difficult to carry it out.
Without solving this problem we can not conduct
reforms either in schools or in universities,- said
that president.

The Minister of Education and Science presented the
preorganizational activities and said that compared
with the last year they have made some changes. He
said that both in capital city and in marzes (regions)
everything is prepared to implement the joint exams.
According to the minister the process of the exams is
to be publicly opened and it will be recorded.

The president said that the technologies can perform
perfectly but the responsible bodies should be
conscious of the thing they are doing.

Source: Panorama.am

World Market Research Center
Global Insight
May 27, 2008

Armenian Foreign Reserves Fall During Q1

by Venla Sipila

According to data from the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA), the
country’s gross international reserves at the end of March stood at
$1US.602 billion. This level marks a fall of 3.4% in total reserves
since the end of December 2007. Specifically, foreign currency
reserves decreased by a similar amount, to stand at $1US.595 billion
at the end of the first quarter of 2008. Meanwhile, Special Drawing
Rights (SDR) at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) decreased by
nearly 23% over the first quarter, amounting to $7US.5 million at the
end of March. The CBA does not hold any gold reserves.

Significance:Strong foreign currency inflows in the form of workers’
remittances and foreign direct investment (FDI) have in recent years
boosted Armenia’s foreign currency reserves, and import coverage
currently comfortably exceeds the critical level of three months. In
this sense, the fall in reserves over the first quarter of this year
is not alarming. Indeed, Global Insight projects Armenia’s import
cover to decrease somewhat this year, while still expecting reserves
to remain strong enough to pay for imports and provide the means for
any possible currency support requirements. However, while the
reserves counterbalance the weakening impact of rapidly rising imports
on Armenia’s overall external payments position, the currently
more-than-adequate import coverage should not avert attention from the
fact that Armenia’s export potential remains weak. The wide current
account deficit also poses a source of external vulnerability,
especially given Armenia’s reliance on remittances and private
transfers for its foreign currency needs.

PRESIDENT APPOINTS JURIST-SCIENTIST MEMBERS OF JUSTICE COUNCIL

ARMENPRESS
May 26, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 26, ARMENPRESS: President Serzh Sarkisian signed a
decree on May 24 on appointment of jurist-scientist members of the
Justice Council.

The presidential press service said to Armenpress that Tariel
Barseghian, doctor of jurisprudence and Hovsep Panosian, a candidate
of jurisprudence, were appointed jurist-scientist members of the
Justice Council.

PRESS RELEASE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia & New Zealand
10 Macquarie Street
Chatswood NSW 2067
AUSTRALIA
Contact: Laura Artinian
Tel: (02) 9419-8056
Fax: (02) 9904-8446
Email: [email protected]

27 May 2008

VICAR GENERAL CONTRIBUTES TO MULTI-FAITH EDUCATION PROJECT FOR HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS

Sydney, Australia – On Tuesday, 20 May, 2008 the NSW Jewish Board of
Deputies facilitated an interschool multi-faith project entitled "Respect,
Understanding and Acceptance" aimed to "provide opportunity for students of
different faiths and backgrounds to meet, learn from each other and develop
some understanding and appreciation of the others." The day brought
together 250 Year 9 students from Masada College (Jewish faith), Hamazkaine
Arshak & Sophie Galstaun College (Armenian Apostolic faith), Australian
International Academy (Muslim faith), Brigidine College (Catholic faith) and
Davidson High School (government school).

The day’s events included student and teacher presentations and special
guest speakers including the Mayor of Ku-ring-gai, Mr Nick Ebbeck. Under
the arrangements of His Eminence Archbishop Aghan Baliozian, Primate of the
Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia and New Zealand, Very Reverend
Father Vardan Navasardyan, Vicar General of the Diocese was one of five
keynote speakers. He firstly introduced the audience to Armenians as an
ancient culture that has perpetuated even from the time Noah’s Ark came to
rest on its historical landform, Mt Ararat.

Father Vardan explained the origins of Armenians as a Christian nation and
how its faith and culture are so entwined. The crux of his presentation
however based on the thematic focus "Respecting Differences" was on the
importance of communication to break down barriers, seeking truth and
understanding through interaction and consultation to enrich relationships
and live life on the premise of love which comes from a changed life.

"Life can change only by the individual’s desire," said Father Vardan.
"Society impacts the individual to some extent, but it is the person’s
decision whether he or she will take the good or the bad choice . The
important thing is our eyes and how we see. We can change every bad to
good. We can change the whole world in our little world."

The program also included guest speakers from the Catholic, Muslim and
Jewish faiths as well as an indigenous perspective.

Opportunities of learning such as this are heartily welcomed and encouraged
by the Diocese especially as an educational tool to equip future generations
to live in harmonious and productive communities.

WE ARE NOT AN ANTI-POWER AND WILL NEVER BE

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on May 22, 2008
Armenia

"We are not an anti-power and will never be. We are not an
anti-American or anti-Russian, or anti-English political power,
but we still think highly of our country, our sovereignty, and our
dignity. The same is about Armenia.

It is not an Anti-State. But unlike others we attach great importance
to the issue of the perpetuity of Artsakh liberation and the security
of our state.

Why are the international organizations, various NGO-s, funds, and
so called institutions so much interested in spending money in such
a small country, trying to make the authorities weaker or stage a
coup d’état?"

representative of ARFD bureau Hrant Margaryan appeared with this
statement yesterday.

–Boundary_(ID_7SA8aboE3R+S5+smoDDCzA) —