Author: Tavakalian Edgar

AZERBAIJANI SOLDIER CAPTURED BY ARMENIANS ASKS INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS FOR HELP

Azeri Press Agency
March 17 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku. Mahbube Gasimbeyli -APA. Parents of Azerbaijani soldier Yaqub
Allahverdi oglu Mukhtarov, captured by the Armenians several days ago,
have sent him a letter, Ulduz Mukhtarova, captive’s mother told APA.

She said they had submitted letter to the International Red Cross
Committee Azerbaijan Office in Baku. The captive’s mother said they had
met with IRCC’s representative in Baku and was informed that their son
expressed his intentions to return home, when he was meeting with IRCC
Armenian representation. "Yaqub said that he lost his way because of
foggy weather. He asked to help him return to Azerbaijan. They said
at the Committee that they were working in this direction".

U. Mukhtarova said they had also met with the Secretary of State
Commission for Captives, Missing and Hostages Shahin Sayilov.

Yaqub Allahverdi oglu Mukhtarov, Azerbaijani soldier born in Sheki
in 1988 was captured in the direction of Tovuz Region.

RUSSIA’S DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT ARMENIA

armradio.am
17.03.2008 17:13

March 18-20 Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Secretary of State
Grigory Karasin will visit Armenia, Press and Information Department
of RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed.

During the visit Grigory Karasin is expected to meet with RA president
Robert Kocharyan, Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan, Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian and Deputy Foreign Minister Gegham Gharibjanyan.

HAMMARBERG: ONLY THOSE GUILTY OF MARCH 1 CRIMINAL OFFENCES SHOULD BE PUNISHED

PanARMENIAN.Net
15.03.2008 15:28 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ RA Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan received Friday a
delegation led by Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner Thomas
Hammarberg to discuss the post-election situation in Armenia and the
ways of its normalization, the RA government’s press office reported.

PM Sargsyan emphasized that the Armenian authorities will do everything
to re-establish stability in the country.

For his part, Mr Hammarberg presented his views and impressions he
gained throughout numerous contacts during his stay in Armenia. Under
the circumstances, he prioritized the need for a balanced approach
and agreed with Serzh Sargsyan only those privy to crimes should
be punished.

He said Armenia is important for the Council of Europe and voiced
readiness to keep on cooperating with Serzh Sargsyan after his taking
office as President of Armenia.

Armen Hakhanyan awarded for courage

armradio.am
15.03.2008 15:05

RA Defense Minister Michael Harutyunyan today visited the military
hospital of RA Armed Forces in Yerevan to learn about the health
condition of Senior Lieutenant Armen Hakhanyan wounded during the
attack of the divisions of the Azeri Armed Forces on one of the NKR
positions the night of March 4. The Defense Minister awarded Armen
Hakhanyan with a Drasdamat Kanayan order and a Tissot Swiss watch.

Michael Harutyunyan told reporters that Senior Lieutenant Armen
Hakheyan and the Deputy Commander of Platoon were wounded from the
Armenian side on March 4.

Armen Hakhanyan was at the front line. He managed to show resistance to
the Azerbaijani forces with his soldiers, as a result of which he was
wounded. He was immediately taken to hospital and received necessary
medical aid. His condition is not grave, he receives necessary
treatment.

SERZH SARKISIAN STATED THAT HE FEELS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE EVENTS OF MARCH 1, SINCE HE DID NOT MANAGE TO SUPPRESS THEM

Mediamax
March 14, 2008

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Armenian Prime Minister, President-Elect Serzh
Sarkisian stated that he feels responsibility for the events of
March 1.

Mediamax reports that Serzh Sarkisian said this in a TV interview,
answering the questions, sent to him through internet.

According to him, those developments were repeatedly forecasted in
the process of the pre-election campaign, however, "we did not manage
to suppress them, and that is why we feel our blame for what happened".

At that the Prime Minister stated that today it is not time to assess
the level of guilt of each one, but it is necessary to think about
eliminating the consequences of the mass unrest.

Serzh Sarkisian stated that his conscience is uneasy, since tense
situation and "polarization of the society" preserve in the country,
and it is necessary to take steps to ease the tension.

At the same time, as the Prime Minister noted, there are people,
who are happy with the situation. "There is information that Levon
Ter-Petrosian on March 2 admitted in his phone talks that he had
never slept so calmly before", Serzh Sarkisian stated.

EU URGES ARMENIA TO RELEASE POLITICALLY MOTIVATED DETAINEES AND TO STOP ARRESTS

Azeri Press Agency
March 13 2008
Azerbaijan

Iravan -APA. The European Union made a statement on the situation
in Armenia, expressing its concern over the ongoing arrests in the
country, APA reports. EU leaders called on Armenian authorities to
lift the state of emergency.

"We are calling on the authorities to release citizens arrested for
their political activities and to stop arrests of opposition leaders.

We are confirming our advices to provide independent investigation
of March 1 events and their causes". EU urged both government and
opposition to make necessary steps for defusing of tensions and to
launch dialogue for the political solution.

REPRESENTATIVE OF OSCE CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE CALLS ON ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES TO LIFT STATE OF EMERGENCY

Noyan Tapan
March 13, 2008

VIENNA, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. The Special Representative of the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office Heikki Talvitie on March 13 called on the Armenian
authorities to lift the state of emergency and engage in dialog with
the opposition in order to ease the tension following the February
19 election.

He said that it is in the interests of the Armenian authorities to
take steps aimed at dealing with the crisis. "The inauguration of the
newly elected president is approaching. I think in this situation the
government should lift the state of emergency and engage in a real
political dialog with the opposition," Ambassador Talvitie said when
informing the members of the OSCE Permanent Council about his recent
two visits to Armenia.

He reminded that the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Finnish foreign minister
Ilkka Kanerva appealed to the sides to start a poliltical dialog to
overcome the current crisis.

KARABAKH NOT NUMBER ONE PRIORITY FOR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.03.2008 17:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Karabakh is not a number one priority for the
international community, which is concerned over the situation in
Middle East, Afghanistan, Kosovo and other hot spots, said Thomas de
Waal, the Institute for War and Peace Reporting IWPR Caucasus Editor.

"I can’t affirm that the U.S. and Russia possess resources to resolve
the conflict. Of course, Western states fear that oil pipelines might
be damaged. The Baku-Ceyhan extends 15 km from the frontline. The
conflict is also a menace to regional powers – Iran, Turkey and
Russia. No one wants resumption of war," he said.

"On the other hand, West is deeply concerned over the situation in
Middle East, Afghanistan, Kosovo. I can assure that western countries
have no human or other resources to ensure Karabakh’s security,"
he said, adding that resumption of hostilities by Azerbaijan will be
a calamity.

"Armenia is preparing for it and developing its own plans. Diversions
should not be ruled out. The Azeri oil market will be enveloped in
panic. I do not know a war that ended as the sides wanted it to end,"
the British expert said, Zerkalo (Mirror) Baku-based newspaper reports.

RUSSIAN STATE DUMA TO DISCUSS KARABAKH ISSUE

AZG Armenian Daily
11/03/2008

Karabakh issue

On March 13, Russian Parliament Lower Chamber (the State Duma) will
discuss Abkhazia, Transdniester and South Ossetia issues. The three
not recognized countries applied to the Russian legislative body for
recognition of their independence.

State Duma MP Aleksey Ostrovski that represents the Liberal-Democratic
Party didn’t exclude the possibility of Nagorno Karabakh and its
status issues’ discussions.

JOHN PRESCOTT CALLS ON ALL PARTIES IN ARMENIA TO SHOW "RESTRAINT AND RESPECT" FOLLOWING TALKS

The FINANCIAL
March 11 2008
Georgia

The FINANCIAL — John Prescott (United Kingdom, SOC), rapporteur
for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on
the Armenian elections, has called upon all sides to show restraint,
respect and avoid any precipitate action that could make matters worse,
following two days of meetings with all relevant parties in Yerevan.

"This is essential if we are to move to a genuine and open dialogue,"
said Mr Prescott. "I am convinced that a solution can be found to
the present difficulties. This requires the recognition by all of the
authority of the Constitutional Court and its ruling on the outcome
of the Presidential election. It also requires the removal of the
state of emergency and the restoration of individual human rights and
freedoms, including political rights, as well as the establishment
of an independent inquiry into the circumstances of the events of
1 March that tragically led to the death of 8 individuals and left
many injured. In addition it will also be necessary to make changes
to Armenia’s election code in order to restore trust in the electoral
system. Next week I intend to communicate to the President of the
Parliamentary Assembly in greater detail how the Assembly could
play an effective role in securing the resolution of this conflict,"
Mr Prescott added.

He pledged that the Assembly will do all it can to help resolve the
ongoing dispute following the recent Presidential election in Armenia.

Whilst in Armenia, Mr Prescott met President Kocharyan, Prime Minister
and President-elect Serghz Sargsyan, former President and candidate
Levon Ter-Petrossyan – who was held in de facto house detention -,
Parliament Speaker Tigran Torosyan, the Chairman of the Constitutional
Court, the Human Rights Defender of Armenia and the Chairman of the
national delegation to PACE, Davit Harutyunyan, as well as leading
political figures and members of civil society and the diplomatic
community in Armenia.

The snap visit was organised following a request from the President
of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Lluís Maria
de Puig, in co-operation with the Chairman of the Armenian delegation
to PACE, following the declaration of emergency.

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