Author: Tadevosian Garnik

RA PRESIDENT AWARDED SOME FIGURES FOR CONTRIBUTION TO RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

DeFacto Agency
April 22 2008
Armenia

YEREVAN, 22.04.08. DE FACTO. Today the RA President Serge Sargsian
signed a decree on awarding a number of politicians who contributed
to the recognition of Armenian Genocide committed in Osmanian Turkey.

According to the RA President’s Press Office, the following persons
have been rewarded with prizes – Yuri Barseghov (Russia) for two-volume
edition titled "Armenian Genocide: Responsibility of Turkey and
Obligations of International Community", Yves Thernon (France) for
weighty contribution to the recognition of Armenian Genocide.

According to Armenian President’s another decree, Roger W. Smith (the
U. S.) has been awarded with Movses Khorenatsi Medal for contribution
to international recognition of Armenian Genocide.

To note, on April 24 the Armenians of the whole world will celebrate
the Memory Day of the victims of Armenian Genocide committed by
Osmanian Turkey.

First authorized rally to be held in Yerevan since state of emergency period

Interfax News Agency, Russia
April 18 2008

YEREVAN April 18 — Yerevan authorities have authorized a rally for
the first time since a state of emergency was lifted.

The rally, organized by the Women for Peace public organization, will
be held on April 19 in the city’s children’s park near a monument
to Myasnikian, where tragic events unfolded on March 1, the Yerevan
mayor’s envoy Irina Grigorian told Interfax on Friday.

The rally will deal with ways to settle the Karabakh problem.

DAVID LOCKYAN INTRODUCED TO THE AGRICULTURE MINISTRY STAFF

armradio.am
17.04.2008 16:52

RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan introduced the newly appointed
Minister of Agriculture David Lockyan to the senior staff of the
Ministry.

Tigran Sargsyan said that speaking about David Lockyan’s personal and
professional qualities is needless: the staff of the Ministry is well
familiar with him. According to him, as member of the new Government
team David Lockyan and the staff of the Ministry of Agriculture should
be able to solve the priority issues reflected in the Government
program approved by the National Assembly.

According to the Prime Minister, Serzh Sargsyan’s pre-election
platform clearly defines the targets towards which the work will be
directed during the coming five years. Among the priorities he noted
the implementation of the system of effective governance.

David Lockyan thanked for trust, since this sphere is problematic,
faces great problems and embraces a large segment of the republic. The
Minister informed the staff that the Armenian Prime Minister has
accepted the proposals connected with resisting the challenges that
face the country. The head of the executive body has already given
instructions that form the basis of the President’s pre-election
platform.

He assured that there are people in the Ministry "with old experience
and those who keep up with the time," who have contributed to
the elaboration of national programs and projects resulting from
cooperation with international organizations.

CE SECRETARY GENERAL: "I THINK THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE SHOULD SUPPORT THE OSCE MINSK GROUP"

Today.Az
itics/44356.html
April 17 2008
Azerbaijan

"We are waiting impatiently for the resolution of Nagorno Karabakh
problem and the Council of Europe does not intend to change the format
of the OSCE Minsk Group".

The due announcement was made by CE Secretary General Terry Davis
commenting on various arrangements held in the past under support of
the Council of Europe and devoted to the CE role in the resolution
for Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

According to the CE Secretary General, there is always a chance to
arrange a forum for a dialogue between the parliamentarians of Armenia
and Azerbaijan and the civil society of the two countries.

"I will always assist in the dialogues between people. This is a
common problem", said Davis.

ORINATS YERKIR PARTY TO GET 2-3 PORTFOLIOS IN THE NEW GOVERNMENT AND THE POSTS OF TWO PERMANENT PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSIONS

arminfo
2008-04-16 12:21:00

ArmInfo. Orinats Yerkir party will get 2-3 portfolios in the new
government and the posts of two permanent parliamentary commissions,
a member of the OY party parliamentary faction Artashes Avoyan said
at today’s press-conference in Hayatsk club when replying to ArmInfo
correspondent’s question.

He also added it is not clear yet what ministerial portfolios will be
offered to the OY party. They are still negotiating and everything will
be clear in a day or two. ‘Not ministerial portfolios are important
for us but fulfillment of our programmes 90% of which were included
in the coalition memorandum’, – he said.

ARMENIA-NKR INTERPARLIAMENTARY COOPERATION COMMITTEE TO SIT IN STEPANAKERT APRIL 18

PanARMENIAN.Net
15.04.2008 16:02 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenia-NKR interparliamentary cooperation
committee will sit in Stepanakert on April 18. The date was fixed
during a working meeting of heads of standing parliamentary committees
under presidency of NKR NA speaker Ashot Ghulian.

The participants discussed the items on the agenda and other
organizational issues, IA Regnum reports.

OSCE CARRIES OUT MONITORING AT NK AND AZERBAIJAN BORDER LINE

Panorama.am
18:24 14/04/2008

Tomorrow the OSCE will carry out a monitoring in the border line of NK
Talish village and Azerbaijan. The information is provided by Tigran
Balayan of the ministry of the foreign affairs of the RA.

According to him the representatives of the NK defense and foreign
affairs ministries will be present at the process. The special envoy
of the OSCE president Anjey Kasprchik and Peter Keen and Antal Hardich
will also be present at the activities of monitoring.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MUSEUM OF AMERICA

AZG Armenian Daily
15/04/2008

Minnesota Federal Court confirms dismissal of Cafesjian lawsuit in
favor of the assembly and the armenian genocide museum

Washington-On March 31, 2008, the U.S. District Court in Minnesota
confirmed the October 2007 ruling to dismiss the first lawsuit filed
by Gerard Cafesjian and the Cafesjian Family Foundation against the
Armenian Assembly of America and the Armenian Genocide Museum and
Memorial, Inc.

The dismissal of Cafesjian’s lawsuit came within a week of the
milestone approval obtained by the museum project from the District
of Columbia Historic Preservation Review Board and the endorsements
by DC community-based organizations. Rapid progress continues toward
the opening of the museum, which is slated for 2010.

The lawsuit filed by Cafesjian in April 2007 sought to rescind the
grant agreement his Foundation had made with the Armenian Assembly
with respect to the Armenian Genocide Museum project, so that Cafesjian
could recover substantially appreciated real estate.

Subsequent filings and press attacks by Cafesjian were similarly
intended to scuttle the building of a genocide museum.

Cafesjian formally abandoned the project demanding return of
appreciated real estate, leaving behind unpaid taxes, an unpaid
mortgage, leaking roofs, unpaid salaries, unpaid contractors, an
illegal lien on the properties, no audits, and compliance problems
with other donors’ gifts, all of which left the project in tatters.

Despite additional lawsuits filed by Cafesjian in Minnesota and the
District of Columbia in an effort to obstruct the museum project,
no court to date has ruled in Cafesjian’s favor or hindered the rapid
progress registered. The dismissal in Minnesota allows Cafesjian to
try again in the District of Columbia if he chooses, but in a filing
dated April 1, 2008, Cafesjian has apparently appealed the Federal
Court decision to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. At the same
time, the Armenian Assembly has repeatedly called upon Cafesjian to
resolve differences in private through mediation.

NEW ARMENIAN PRESIDENT, PREMIER SET TO IMPLEMENT AMBITIOUS PROJECTS

Public TV
April 10 2008
Armenia

[Presenter] The republic’s president and the newly-appointed prime
minister went to the meeting of the cabinettogether today. President
Serzh Sargsyan introduced Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan to the
members of the cabinet. Serzh Sargsyan said that the cabinet would
implement ambitious programmes under the leadership of the new prime
minister.Serzh Sargsyan also thanked the cabinet for working together
with him for over a year.

[President Serzh Sargsyan, addressing the cabinet meeting] First of
all, I wish to thank you for the work in thecabinet. We have been
working for over a year in this format, and I think that 2007 was
a successful year for oureconomy. We succeeded in increasing state
budget revenue, which enabled us to settle some social issues. But
I thinkthat the year 2007 and the years that preceded it were an
introductory period and we should now have more ambitiousprogrammes,
we have to consider that we have completed the first phase of our
reforms and are now passing on to thesecond phase.

I would like to officially introduce Tigran Sargsyan, the new prime
minister of the Republic of Armenia, to you andexpress the hope
that the cabinet will really implement ambitious programmes under
his leadership in the coming years. Iam simply sure it is going to
happen. It is important that each of you do their best and that each
of you become a keymember of the team.

[Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, addressing the cabinet] Dear Mr
President, dear cabinet members, I would like tothank you for your
trust in me. It is a pleasure for any statesman to get a chance to
serve the people, and meanwhile, Iclearly realize that this is great
responsibility. We have worked together for 10 years, and I have always
enjoyed thesupport of the president and the cabinet when working for
the Central Bank. I am sure this atmosphere will continue.

I have been a tough and demanding leader in the Central Bank and this
will continue, but I would like to tell youthat I am for team work, and
I am sure that we can maintain the team work environment in the cabinet
because, as thepresident said, we really have ambitious programmes.

I thoroughly realize the programmes that the National Assembly
[parliament] has approved and also the key provisions of the election
platform of the republic’s president that our people have approved
of. And I think we will be able to implement those ambitious programmes
if we make joint efforts. And I am sure we can do that.

May God help us.

[Serzh Sargsyan] We will do it by all means, we will improve the
collection of taxes, improve the economic field, we will be competitive
and we will take strong action to fight corruption. I think this will
do for today. When we form anew cabinet, we will talk with the cabinet
members, first eye-to-eye and then together, about certain issues.

PRESS RELEASE
The Heritage Party
31 Moscovian Street
Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+374 – 10) 53.69.13
Fax: (+374 – 10) 53.26.97
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Website:

10 April 2008

Hovannisian Meets Bryza, Semneby

Yerevan–Yesterday evening, April 9, at Heritage Party headquarters
Raffi K. Hovannisian, accompanied by Heritage MP Stepan Safarian,
received US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chair Matthew Bryza. They exchanged views on the imperative of
surmounting the current political emergency in Armenia, creating
preconditions for a meaningful and constructive public discourse,
putting an end to politically-driven persecution, and unconditionally
respecting human and civil rights and fundamental freedoms.
Hovannisian and Bryza also considered Artsakh’s constitutional quest
for sovereign liberty and the related peace process. Secretary Bryza
was joined at the meeting by US Chargé d’Affaires Joseph Pennington
and Political Affairs Officer Stephen Banks.

Raffi Hovannisian later held a separate meeting with EU Special
Representative for the South Caucasus Ambassador Peter Semneby. They
discussed regional developments and Armenian domestic challenges.

Founded in 2002, Heritage has regional divisions throughout the land.
Its central office is located at 31 Moscovian Street, Yerevan 0002,
Armenia, with telephone contact at (374-10) 536.913, fax at (374-10)
532.697, email at [email protected] or [email protected], and website
at