Author: Torgomian Varazdat

ArmenPress
March 18 2005
RUSSIA REMAINS THE BIGGEST MARKET FOR ARMENIAN LITERATURE OUTSIDE
ARMENIA
YEREVAN, MARCH 18, ARMENPRESS: Vahan Khachatrian, the president of
the Armenian Association of Publishers, said to Armenpress that the
biggest demand for Armenian language literature is in Russia that has
the biggest Armenian community worldwide.
He was back from a book fair in Russia in which some 50 Armenian
publishing houses showcased their products. The majority of books
taken by Armenian publishers to Moscow were though in Russian.
Khachatrian said the Armenian Association has developed a two-year
cooperation program with Russian publishers. He added a delegation of
Russian publishers is likely to visit Yerevan in summer to sign a
range of agreements.

Azeri official critical of OSCE report on settlement of Armenians in Karabakh
Ayna, Baku
18 Mar 05 p 1

Text of S. Mammadov report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ayna on 18 March
headlined “Official Baku blames the factfinding mission” and “Araz
Azimov: ‘The statement that the Nagornyy Karabakh leadership is behind
the illegal settlement is illogical'”
The OSCE factfinding mission has submitted its final report on the
illegal settlement of Armenian families in the occupied Azerbaijani
lands to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna. The hearings were also
attended by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen and the special envoy of
the OSCE chairman-in-office, Andrzej Kasprzyk.
The adviser to the Azerbaijani ambassador in Vienna, Parviz Sahbazov,
and Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan also attended the
discussions at the OSCE Permanent Council.
The members of the mission reported in detail on their visits,
meetings and conversations with residents in various areas. The
mission does not think that the settlement is being carried out as a
result of the Armenian government’s purposeful policy. They think that
first of all, the Karabakh leadership is responsible for the
settlement.
Richard Murphy, head of the OSCE Press and Public Information Office,
said that the OSCE Permanent Council had backed the mission’s
conclusion. The mission came up with several recommendations, he
said. They stated that any further settlement in the occupied
Azerbaijani lands should be ruled out.
“They also gave a number of recommendations. First, any further
settlement in Azerbaijan’s occupied lands should be ruled out from now
on. Second, educational and cultural facilities, as well as material
and spiritual artefacts should be protected. Third, it is necessary to
take practical measures to restore mutual confidence and trust and
prepare the ground for a peaceful solution to the problem,” he
concluded.
In turn, the presidential envoy for the resolution of the Nagornyy
Karabakh problem and [deputy foreign minister], Araz Azimov, believes
that OSCE spokesman Richard Murphy’s statement that the Nagornyy
Karabakh leadership is responsible for the illegal settlement serves
political interests. He believes that [the OSCE] co-chairmen are
behind this statement and it is illogical.
“Nagornyy Karabakh is an Azerbaijani territory. However, Robert
Kocharyan, who led separatism in Karabakh, is Armenia’s president now,
and Serzh Sarkisyan, who used to live in Nagornyy Karabakh, is
Armenia’s defence minister now,” he said. Based on these facts, Azimov
said that the Nagornyy Karabakh separatists act hand in hand with
Armenia. “All their moves directly depend on official Yerevan’s will,”
he concluded.

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
March 17 2005
Most young people support military action to liberate occupied land

Baku, March 16, AssA-Irada
54.4% of young Azerbaijanis support settling the Upper Garabagh
conflict through military action, 30.2% peacefully, and 1.8% using
the pressure of international organizations, says a report on the
`News from young people’ public opinion poll conducted by the
National Youth Organizations Council.
4.8% of respondents said they do not believe in the conflict
resolution, while 2.6% had difficulty answering the question, and
6.2% made other proposals.
The poll was conducted among 1,500 people aged between 16 and 35. 500
respondents participated in the first stage of the poll covering
Baku. The poll showed that young people are mainly concerned with the
problems relating to education, unemployment, and financial
constraints.
The next stage of the poll will be held in Azerbaijani regions in
April.*

YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
MARCH 11-17, 2005
HIGHLIGHTS:
SIXTEENTH “PRESS CLUB” SHOW
THERE WILL BE NO TRIAL: “HAYRENIK TV” PAID THE FINE
CPJ REPORT ON ATTACKS ON THE PRESS IN 2004: MORE OF DEATHS, LESS OF FREEDOM
SIXTEENTH “PRESS CLUB” SHOW
On March 14 on the evening air of the Second Armenian TV Channel the
sixteenth “Press Club show was issued. The cycle is organized by Yerevan
Press Club under a homonymous project, supported by the OSI Network Media
Program.
The heads of leading media, non-governmental, also journalistic
organizations of Armenia discussed in the context of the elections to the
local government bodies to be held in Armenia the parliamentary elections in
Moldova as well as the future of interstate unions GUUAM and CIS. The “Press
Club” participants expect the media to focus this week on the draft
amendments to the Constitution and Electoral Code, the visit of RA Minister
of Foreign Affairs Vardan Oskanian to headquarters of some international
organizations as well as the offer the US authorities made to Iran to give
up the development of nuclear weapons.
THERE WILL BE NO TRIAL: “HAYRENIK TV” PAID THE FINE
The hearings on the suit of the National Commission on Television and Radio
versus “Hayrenik TV” company, scheduled for March 15 at the RA Commercial
Court, were not held. NCTR demanded TV company to pay a fine. As YPC was
told at NCTR, “Hayrenik TV” paid the fine on March 3, after which the suit
was revoked. On February 15 the National Commission had filed a suit because
of the expiry of the deadline, legally stipulated for paying fine (see YPC
Weekly Newsletter, February 11-17, 2005). The sanction was imposed on
“Hayrenik TV” by the National Commission on January 18 for rebroadcasting
the programs of the French “Mezzo” TV channel and the demonstration of
unlicensed films.
CPJ REPORT ON ATTACKS ON THE PRESS IN 2004: MORE OF DEATHS, LESS OF FREEDOM
On March 14 the Committee to Protect Journalists released its annual
worldwide report “Attacks on the Press in 2004”.
The last year, CPJ stresses, is characterized by several alarming trends. In
particular, in 2004 the greatest number of journalists killed was recorded –
56, of which 36 were murdered. Only in 9 cases were the criminals punished.
Iraq was the most dangerous place for the representatives of the “fourth
estate”, with 23 journalists killed in the line of duty. Of the 122
imprisoned journalists in 2004 74 were charged with “antistate activities”:
everywhere, from China to Cuba, they were accused of sedition, subversion,
divulging state secrets and working against the interests of the state.
Attention was also drawn to a case from the USA, where for the first time in
three years a media representative was punished for the refusal to identify
the source. The reporter of WJAR-TV (Providence, RI) Jim Taricani was
sentenced to six months of home confinement.
As a positive precedent for the decriminalization of libel and insult and
therefore, for the strengthening of guarantees of the freedom of expression,
the decision of Inter-American Court of Human Rights to overturn the
criminal defamation conviction of a Costa Rican reporter was mentioned.
As to the post-Soviet countries, in the opinion of CPJ, press conditions are
deteriorating badly throughout Russia and most of the other former Soviet
Republics, except Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, where strong press freedom
traditions have been established. “Developments in Ukraine offer hope, but
elsewhere the press operates with less freedom than it did in the closing
years of Soviet communism”, the report stresses.
In the section of the report on Armenia it is noted that the government
failed to protect journalists during the demonstrations in April, and “in
some cases, authorities were directly involved in attacks on the press”.
Among the specific examples of attacks on press the report lists the events
of April 5 and April 13, 2004. “The impunity surrounding these attacks made
journalists more vulnerable”, CPJ thinks, illustrating this point by another
case of violence against the photojournalist on August 24, 2004 in
Tsaghkadzor.
Speaking of the broadcast media, the CPJ experts noted that “television
coverage of the spring opposition rallies and other politically sensitive
issues favored” RA President Robert Kocharian, “who ensured that TV stations
remained in the hands of government supporters or those who would not
criticize his policies”. The report also tells about the situation and
developments with regard to deprivation of “A1+” of air – “an independent
and influential TV station that has sharply criticized government policies”.
“Unlike television, the print media enjoy greater autonomy from government
control, but most publications are controlled by political parties and
wealthy businessmen, compromising their editorial independence and
professional standards”, the report says.
CPJ also pays attention to the continuing negligence of Armenian authorities
towards the appeals of journalistic associations, Council of Europe and OSCE
on decriminalization of libel and insult.
When reprinting or using the information above, reference to the Yerevan
Press Club is required.
You are welcome to send any comment and feedback about the Newsletter to:
[email protected]
Subscription for the Newsletter is free. To subscribe or unsubscribe from
this mailing list, please send a message to: [email protected]
Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
____________________________________________
Yerevan Press Club
9B, Ghazar Parpetsi str.
375007, Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+ 374 1) 53 00 67; 53 35 41; 53 76 62
Fax: (+374 1) 53 56 61
E-mail: [email protected]
Web Site:
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Daily Times – Pakistan
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Almatay conference to focus trade with CA
ISLAMABAD: The Minister for Commerce Humayun Akhtar Khan will chair the
maiden Envoys Conference beginning in Almatay, Kazakhstan on Tuesday
The meeting would be a good step towards improved trade relations as the
present trade policy of the country, specifically focuses on two regions
i.e. Central Asian Republics (CARs) and Africa, which remained neglected
earlier, according to an official hand out issued on Tuesday.
One of the initiatives in the Trade Policy 2004-05 is to hold Regional
Conferences of Envoys and Commercial Officers in CARs, Africa, East Europe,
Latin America, Middle East and Far East countries. The objective of these
conferences is to develop a comprehensive strategy for increasing and
diversifying Pakistan exports to these countries. The geo-strategic and
geo-economic importance of Central Asia cannot be under mined because of its
position between Europe and the Asian heartland as well as the tremendous
energy resources of the region that would gain increasing importance in
future.
The first Conference of CARs is being held at Almaty, Kazakhstan from
15-16th March. In-depth consultations will be held to assess Pakistan’s
export potential in each of these countries. The restraining factors like
import tariffs, non-tariff barriers, payment problems and visa restrictions
will be identified. The Conference would also examine the existing regional
trading arrangements. In this Conference, Kazakh-tan, Uzbekistan,
Kyrghistan, Turk-menistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan and Armenia will be
covered. – Staff Report
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

STATEMENTS OF OFFICIALS OF MINISTRY OF HEALTH OF ARMENIA CONTRADICT
STATISTICS OF THEIR OFFICE
YEREVAN, MARCH 15. ARMINFO. No lethal outcomes because of infectious
diseases were registered in maternity hospital of Armenia during the
last ten years, Head of the Department of Protection of Health of
mother and child of Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia
Karine Saribekian informed ARMINFO. She mentioned that no lethal case
because of infectious diseases were registered in hospitals thanks to
new measures on sanitary-epidemiological conditions in the hospitals.
At the same time, according to statistical data of the ministry of
Health provided to ARMINFO, 1,638 cases of infection of newborn
children were registered in hospitals in 2003, 32 of these children
died. 43 children died from infectious diseases in 2002.

ArmenPress
March 15 2005
SAAKASHVILI LEAVES ARMENIAN CLERGY’S LETTER UNANSWERED
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS: Archimandrite Abgar Hovakimian, who
is the deputy head of the Armenian Church Diocese in Georgia, told
Armenpress a letter the Prelacy sent to Georgian president
Saakashvili requesting his intervention to stop further desecration
of Armenian churches and other historical monuments across Georgia
has not been responded yet. The letter also asked for a clear cut
status for the Armenian Prelacy in Georgia demanding that Armenian
churches be handed over to its management.
He said though the problem was discussed during a last week visit
to Yerevan by Georgian prime minister Zurab Noghaideli, however, a
final solution is expected to come from a meeting between the
religious leaders of Armenians and Georgians. He said Armenian
cultural and historical monuments supervised by Georgian culture
ministry are overlooked and cited a recent incident when Armenian
gravestones in the yard of Norashen Armenian church in Tbilisi were
replaced with Georgian gravestones. Days earlier Armenian cross
stones were destroyed at Gremi church complex. He said Surb Nshan
church in Akhaltsikha remains closed, while monuments there are being
destroyed.
The headquarters of the Armenian Church in Etchmiadzin told
Armenpress this problem is in their focus and they are taking steps
to attract Georgian authorities and clergy’s attention to this
problem.

Velvet revolution inevitable in Armenia – opposition leader
Iravunk, Yerevan
11 Mar 05

Armenian opposition leader Vazgen Manukyan has said that a velvet
revolution is inevitable in Armenia. In his interview with Iravunk
newspaper, he stressed that a referendum and elections will be held in
Armenia soon, after which people will speak about changing the
government. Either the government should try to change something in
cooperation with other forces or the people will revolt one day,
Manukyan said. At the same time, he added that he does not see any
force that would be able to come to power and take specific steps. The
following is an excerpt from Piruza Meliksetyan report by Armenian
newspaper Iravunk on 11 March headlined “They are constantly trying to
fool external forces, but are fooled themselves”. Subheadings have
been inserted editorially:
An interview with the leader of the National Democratic Union, Vazgen
Manukyan.
Foreign policy is an important factor
[Correspondent] Being a member of the Justice bloc, why did the
National Democratic Union leader join the trio [Vazgen Manukyan, Ashot
Manucharyan, the political secretary of the Union of Socialists Forces
and Intelligentsia, and Paruyr Ayrikyan, the leader of the
Self-Determination Association]?
[Manukyan] These two units have been formed in different ways and for
different goals. Justice was formed during the presidential run-off of
2003 between Robert Kocharyan and Stepan Demirchyan. Having registered
unprecedented violations in the first round, we naturally joined the
people and supported Stepan Demirchyan in the run-off.
[Passage omitted: Justice bloc won seats in parliamentary elections]
But there are also foreign policy and the Karabakh problem. Foreign
policy is not only the government’s business. It is a very important
factor in society and is conducted at different levels at the same
time. Armenia has no mechanisms of conducting its foreign
policy. There is even no relevant council in the country let alone
wider structures. That is why those feeling responsibility for foreign
policy have united not in parties, but in persons in an attempt to
create certain mechanisms and to raise certain issues.
[Passage omitted: The Justice bloc has proved to be wise enough to
take this trio calmly without unnecessary suspicion]
People in opposition to government
[Manukyan] Today the government is trying to prove that there is no
opposition in its true sense in Armenia. They think that if there are
no rallies and no clashes, there is no opposition. Meanwhile, I know
that a great number of Armenians are in opposition to what the
government is presently doing in the economy and politics. They are in
opposition to illegality and corruption. They are blaming the
government and calling it illegal. If people are in opposition,
naturally the parties that have been fighting together with them in
the past years are also in opposition.
[Correspondent] By saying there is no opposition, the government might
mean the ways in which this opposition is expressed.
[Manukyan] There are the following ways of expressing opposition:
a) in the parliament (which the opposition is boycotting for known
reasons);
b) rallies;
c) discussions, press conferences and interviews.
Rallies will take place soon. But this is not only for the opposition
(and not only by chanting “Government, go away!”), but also for the
government itself to search for ways out. Presidents come and go –
Kocharyan is in power today but will go tomorrow – but the parties
which have already been in politics for many years and want to stay
there in the years to come should be trying to find some
solutions. Hostility is not a way out. The parties of the ruling
coalition should also be interested in developing the country. They
also want to have power, but they should know that everything has its
price.
[Passage omitted: Manukyan denies that he was recently offered the
post of prime minister. Asked if government reshuffles can bring some
substantial improvements in terms of democracy, Manukyan said that he
gives priority to an effective constitution, qualified civil servants
and active public involvement]
Velvet revolution inevitable
[Correspondent] Speaking of democracy in the light of recent coloured
revolutions, many Armenian politicians say that unlike the Georgians
or Ukrainians, the Armenian opposition has failed to achieve tangible
results.
[Manukyan] Let’s not forget that the first attempt to stage a velvet
revolution was made in Armenia in 1996 because of the Karabakh
problem. It is true that there were broken cordons and shootings, but
in content it was a velvet revolution. Velvet is a nice term, but in
reality the illegal regime was trying to retain power while masses
were fighting to bring their own people to power. It was quite
natural. Simply in Georgia and Ukraine there were external forces who
tried to find a compromise and warned the ruling regimes against
applying force. I believe that the external forces want the
post-Soviet republics to be non-criminal and democratic. The
democratic West is interested in these countries as they will
integrate into the West sooner or later. And I would very much like
this to happen in Armenia without external interference. This will be
difficult to avoid, but I think that the example of Georgia and
Ukraine will show Armenia how to act in the future.
[Correspondent] So you think there will be such developments in
Armenia?
[Manukyan] I think this is inevitable. We will soon hold a referendum
and elections, and whether you like it or not, the people will speak
about changing the government, too.
[Passage omitted: Asked if there will be drastic changes by 2008,
Manukyan says that this is quite possible. What is impossible is to
change something in one or two months as the opposition is saying now]
Unnatural situation
[Manukyan] Today I cannot see any programme that could make Armenia
prosperous and democratic in, say, some six specific steps. I see no
such way now. But this unnatural situation cannot continue for
long. There are different ways: either seeing the crisis the
government itself will try to change something in cooperation with
other forces or the people will revolt one day. But those saying that
this will happen in one or two months are just expressing their wish.
[Correspondent] Do you think that the government change is enough?
[Manukyan] The National Democratic Union believes that the government
change is too little for having the country we want to have and for
fulfilling the task that has been set.
[Correspondent] Do you see any force in the country who can take power
and take some specific steps?
[Manukyan] No, I don’t.
[Correspondent] You said that this unnatural situation will not last
long. Don’t you think that the government will shortly try to change
this situation by reproducing itself through a revolution from above?
[Manukyan] There are two ways: either the government will try to cheat
its own people and external forces, which will be difficult to
do. They are constantly trying to fool external forces, but are fooled
themselves. The people, too, feels and quickly reacts to what is
natural and not. So deceit is not a way out. The other way is very
unlikely – the government will take serious steps to lead us out of
this situation.
[Passage omitted: The world is developing very quickly and our
internal processes are failing to keep pace, Manukyan concluded]

Azeri soldier reportedly wounded in Armenian gunfire
ANS TV, Baku
13 Mar 05
Armenian armed forces stationed in Agdam’s occupied Qarvand village
fired at Azeri positions in Ciraqli village of the same district at
0500 [0100 gmt] on 13 March.
The ANS Karabakh bureau has quoted Ciraqli residents as saying that
Nuraddin Suleymanov, an Azeri soldier drafted from Saatli District,
was wounded in the Armenian gunfire.
The [Azerbaijani] Ministry of Defence has neither confirmed nor denied
the report.

VENICE COMMISSION TO EXPRESS OPINION ABOUT RA LAW “ON RALLIES” AND
DRAFT ELECTORAL CODE REFORMS AT MARCH 11-12 SESSION
STRASBOURG, March 10 (Noyan Tapan). The CE Venice Commission will
express its opinion about RA law “On Rallies” and draft Electoral
Code reforms at the March 11-12 plenary session in Venice. According
to the Venice Commission, the constitutional situation in Bosnia
and Herzegovina and the powers of the High Representative, judicial
reform in Georgia and the status of South Ossetia, media freedom in
Italy are among the items on the agenda of the plenary session. The
Deputy Minister of Justice of Georgia, Mr Konstantin Vardzelashvili,
will inform the Commission on further developments on the status
of South Ossetia, following the recent visit of the Commission to
Georgia. In addition, the Commission will adopt its opinion on the
latest draft constitutional amendments relating to the reform of the
judiciary in Georgia.