Author: Torosian Aram

BAKU TO CONTINUE PROBE INTO REPORTS ON ILLEGAL SHIPMENT OF RUSSIAN WEAPONS TO ARMENIA – MINISTER

Interfax
June 3 2009
Russia

Baku will continue an investigation into reports alleging that Russia
had illegally shipped weapons to Armenia at the end of 2008, said
Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

"We have been investigating this fact and are continuing the
investigation," Mammadyarov said at a news briefing on Wednesday.

He noted that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had denied
reports on such shipments to Armenia during a recent visit to Baku.

"However, soon after that we again received information indicating
that there was such a shipment, and therefore we will continue our
investigation into this," Mammadyarov said.

OSCE MG ONLY INTERNATIONAL AGENCY FULLY INFORMED OF KARABAKH PROBLEM

ARKA
June 4, 2009

YEREVAN, June 4. /ARKA/. The OSCE Minsk Group is the only international
agency fully informed of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, RA Deputy
Foreign Minister Shavarash Kocharyan told Novosti-Armenia.

"At present it is the only international agency fully informed of the
problem and its genesis and is in touch with the task group monitoring
the cease-fire regime," Sh. Kocharyan said.

He said that the Minsk Group is the format progress can be associated
with, considering such "leading players" as Russia, the USA, France
and the European Union (EU).

"This is a competent authority through it sometimes plays up to
Azerbaijan. Bu I have the impression that the OSCE MG Co-Chairs
have come to realize that playing up dopes not at all contribute to
progress. On the contrary, it makes Azerbaijan take on a harder line,
which is a way to a breakdown of talks," Sh. Kocharyan said.

TURKISH FM SAYS THERE’S NO INTERRUPTION IN TALKS WITH ARMENIA

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
04.06.2009 14:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on
Thursday there was no interruption in normalization process with
Armenia.

"Normalization process continues since April 22 joint statement
and there are ongoing direct or indirect contacts. There is
no interruption in course of the talks. We are doing our best for
solution of problems," Davutoglu, currently on a formal visit to the
United States, told reporters that.

Davutoglu said Turkish-Armenian relations had an important role in
Turkish-U.S. relations due to the developments in U.S. Congress,
"Turkey’s policy is very open. U.S. executives appreciate this
policy. Turkey favors tranquility, peace and welfare to prevail in
South Caucasia. Turkey is eager to normalize relations with Armenia
within the scope of good relations with our neighbors. However, a
similar normalization is necessary in conflict between Armenia and
Azerbaijan for a lasting and comprehensive normalization."

Responding to a question on probability of opening of Turkish-Armenian
border within a year, Davutoglu said this depended on the
developments. "It may be misleading to set a time or give details
when the process is underway," he added, AA cited Davutoglu as saying.

HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN: "WE ARE GRATEFUL TO THE SYRIAN PEOPLE FOR ALLOCATING ASYLUM TO THE ARMENIAN REFUGEES, WHO WERE DEPRIVED OF MOTHERLAND BECAUSE OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE"

National Assembly of RA
June 3 2009
Armenia

On June 2 President of the National Assembly Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan
received the Foreign Minister of Syrian Arab Republic Mr. Walid
Al-Muallem who was in Yerevan on a two-day working visit.

Welcoming his high-ranking guest the Speaker of the Armenian Parliament
noted that the Armenian people have sincere and warm friendly feelings
towards the people of Syria. He stressed that we were grateful to
the Syrian people for allocating asylum to the Armenian refugees,
who were deprived of Motherland because of the Armenian Genocide
during the years following the World War I.

The interlocutors highly assessed the level of the bilateral
political relations and expressed their satisfaction on that
occasion. Nevertheless, they mentioned that it was necessary to
develop the inter-parliamentary contacts, using the Parliamentary
Friendship Groups existing in both parliaments and the legislators’
mutual visits. Taking the advantage of the meeting Mr. Abrahamyan asked
Foreign Minister Mr. Walid Al-Muallem to convey his warm greetings
to the President of the Syrian Parliament.

During the meeting the interlocutors also discussed a number of issues
regarding the regional security.

SUCCESS IN SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT DOES NO DEPEND ON FREQUENCY OF VISITS BY OSCE MG: LOCAL POLITICAL EXPERT

ArmInfo
2009-06-03 13:24:00

ArmInfo. Success in settlement of the Karabakh conflict does no depend
on frequency of visits by the OSCE MG co-chairs. In addition, frequent
visits by OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs derogate this format, says Stepan
Grigoryan, the head of the Analytical Center for Globalization and
Regional Cooperation told media, Wednesday.

‘Conflict cannot be settled at the given stage since Armenia and
Azerbaijan have no points of coincidence in the Karabakh problem. In
this context, the optimistic statements by the co-chairs seem
inappropriate and discredit them’, he says commenting on the last
optimistic statements by US Co-chair Matthew Bryza.

‘In addition, the co-chairs could not imagine the real situation
around the Karabakh conflict and their statements are just an attempt
to justify the existence of the Minsk Group’, Grigoryan says.

AZERBAIJAN HAS VIOLATED CEASE-FIRE ALMOST TWICE DAILY SINCE EARLY, 2009

ArmInfo
2009-06-03 15:48:00

ArmInfo. Azerbaijan has violated the cease-fire regime on the contact
line of the Armenian and NKR AF almost twice since early, 2009. To
recall, 3,5 thousand cases of cease-fire violations by the Azerbaijani
AF were fixed in 2008.

As Defense Ministry of Armenia told ArmInfo, as of June 1, the
Azerbaijani party has used sniping weapon almost 320 times since
early, 2009. About 310 cases of using large- caliber weapon by the
Azerbaijani party, 15 cases of using AT hand weapon (11 cases in 2008)
have been fixed. According to the source, 12 people have been wounded
(1 civilian among them), 3 people killed (1 civilian among them)
as a result of cease-fire violations by Azerbaijan since early, 2009.

SOCIOMETER BELIEVES ITS FORECASTS PROVED TO BE CORRECT

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
02.06.2009 19:06

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today the Head of Sociometer Independent Sociological
Center Aharon Adibekyan stated that the organization’s electoral
forecasts proved to be correct. "The last data we published showed
that the Republican Party will gain 41,5% of votes, plus 10% of those
undecided about the candidate to vote for," Adibekyan stated.

Adibekyan also noted that the two powerful rivals from united coalition
and oppositional ANC did not strive for mandates in the Council
of Elders or overcoming 7% barrier, but rather, for a convincing
victory. He also claimed to be never wrong in his forecasts, ever
since 1992’s elections. When asked by PanARMENIAN.Net reporter to
comment on forecasting no more than 11% of votes and the 4th place in
presidential race for Levon Ter-Petrosyan in 2008, Adibekyan responded,
"During 2008 presidential campaign, around 13% of those questioned
were not sure as to the person to vote for. Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s
taking the second place only shows those people voted for him."

ARMENIAN SOLDIERS CAPTURED VOLUNTARILY AS PROTEST TO UNBEARABLE SITUATION IN ARMENIAN ARMY

Today.Az
2723.html
June 1 2009
Azerbaijan

17:45

Armenian separatists have confirmed information that ordinary soldiers
G. O. Haroutyunyan and Tovmasyan recruited on 19 May this year to
one of the military units of the so-called Defense Army of "Nagorno
Karabakh", stationed in the north, left the military part and moved
to the territory under control of the Azerbaijani army at about 14:10
on May 31.

16:00

Day.Az reports with reference to the press service for the Defense
Ministry of Azerbaijan that on 31 May, at about 12.00, the soldiers
of mountain shooting division number 38862 of the armed forces of
Armenia Harutunyan Ohan Vadinagievich (born in 1991) and Tomosyan
Gevorg Serzhikovich (born in 1991) passed to the Azerbaijani side.

"They transferred to the Azerbaijani side voluntarily. Armenian
soldiers told about the oppression, torture in their army. The Ministry
of Defense of Azerbaijan continues to hold necessary actions on this
fact", said sources in the press service for the Ministry.

12:58

Day.Az reports with reference to the State Commission on Hostages,
POWs and Missing People that soldiers of Armenian armed forces –
Kharutuntyan Okhan Vadinagiyevich (born in 1991) and Tomosyan Gevorg
Serzhikovich (born in 1991) transferred to the Azerbaijani side in
the direction of the Geranboy region at about 13:00 on May 31.

12:51

The two Armenian soldiers were captured by Azerbaijani army as protest
to unbearable situation in Armenian army.

The Armenian soldiers were drafted for military service from Yerevan
and they served in the Armenian army only for ten days, Trend News
correspondent quoted well-informed source as saying.

According to unofficial reports, Armenian soldiers were voluntarily
captured near Gulustan village of Goranboy region on May 31.

State Commission on Hostages, POWs and Missing People is aware of
capture of two Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani army.

Though the commission is aware of capture of Armenian military men,
identity and the conditions in which the soldiers were captures
remains unknown yet, commission’s Head Shain Sailov said. He said an
investigation is underway on this issue.

Sailov said Armenia does not officially confirm capture of its
soldiers.

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on June 1 that an official
statement on this issue will be made public today.

Armenian President casts his ballot
31.05.2009 12:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan with his spouse
and daughter attended polling station 9/10 this morning. The President
was in good mood but did not respond to journalists’ questions,
alleging silence day.
According to chairperson of the election commission Arevhat Ghazaryan,
1936 voters have been registered in the constituency. Asked about the
turnout, she said the elections proceed as usual.
Yerevan holds elections to the city council today. Polling stations
opened at 8 am (GMT+4) and will close at 8 pm (GMT+4). Residents of
the Armenian capital will elect parties which will share 65 mandates
in the city council.

NKR PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE PARTICIPATED IN CONFERENCE IN MARSEILLES

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
27.05.2009 15:20 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A conference titled "International Law in the Context
of Political Realities in the South Caucasus Conflicts" took place on
May 25 in the Paul Sezan University in the French city of Marseilles.

The conference was organized by the Marseilles Bureau of the Committee
on Coordination of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF).

Deputy of the French National Assembly, Vice-Mayor of Marseilles Roland
Bloom, NA Deputy Sylvie Andrion, CCAF Chairman Pascal Shamasian,
representatives of the local self-government bodies, lecturers and
students of the University, organizations’ leaders and members of
the Armenian community, as well as journalists participated in the
conference.

NKR Permanent Representative to France Hovik Gevorgian introduced
the sources and grounds of the Karabagh conflict. He stressed
the inadmissibility of resolving the conflict by use of force
and the significance of international law for settlement of the
Azerbaijani-Karabakh and similar conflicts.

The Permanent Representative noted that recognition of the Nagorno
Karabagh Republic by the international community was a guarantee
of final peace and stability in the region, NKR MFA Press Service
reported.