Author: Torosian Aram

AMBASSADOR OF LATVIA PAYS FAREWELL VISIT TO THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

armradio.am
20.05.2008 16:26

RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan today received the Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Latvia Ayvas
Vovers, who is completing his mission in our country.

Thanking the Ambassador for his work and productive cooperation, the
Prime Minister expressed confidence that in the future Mr. Vovers will
continue contributing to the further deepening of Armenian-Latvian
relations. Tigran Sargsyan underlined that being the first Ambassador
of Latvia to Armenia, Ayvas Vovers has created firm bases for the
development of bilateral relations, which provides an opportunity to
give new impetus to the cooperation in different spheres. According
to the Prime Minister, Latvia’s way of European integration is very
useful for Armenia. Our country is also interested in the reforms
implemented in Latvia.

According to Ayvas Vovers, over the past years serious and important
changes have taken place in both Armenia and Latvia: Latvia has joined
the European Union and NATO, Armenia has joined the Council of Europe,
has had considerable achievements on the path of economic development
and European integration. According to the diplomat, Latvia is closely
watching this progress, which, according to him, is a good basis
for the further cooperation between the two countries. Underlining
that Armenia became a member of the Council of Europe during Latvian
presidency of the CoE, Ambassador Vovers assured that Latvia’s support
and assistance to Armenia in this direction will continue.

At the end of the meeting Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan wished
success to the Ambassador in his future activity and private life.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES HEAD OF GASPROM

ARMENPRESS
May 19, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 19, ARMENPRESS: Armenian President Serzh Sargsian received
today the head of "Gasprom" company Alexey Miller.

Presidential press service told Armenpress that greeting the guest
the Armenian president said that "Gasprom" is Armenia’s stable and
prospective partner and expressed assurance that the partnership
will not only continue developing successfully in future but will
also gain new content.

The sides said that during the recent years "Armrusgasard" is
working quite effectively, the indexes are impressing and the fact
that the volume of gas consuming has essentially increased in the
country witnesses not only about the stable development of the
company but Armenia’s economy as well. The increase of the number
of gas consumers during the recent years has also been noted as an
important achievement. The president said as a result of wide-range
of gasification work Armenia is one of the most gasified countries
in the world.

The interlocutors also spoke about the gas tariffs and formation of
prices. A. Miller said that "Gasprom" is planning to ensure equal
income in 2011 both for Russia and for exported gas. The sides agreed
that until 2011 the changes of gas tariffs will be agreed step by step.

During the meeting they also referred to the pace of other investment
programs "Gasprom" is carrying out in Armenia’s energy sector.

NKR PRESIDENT CRITICIZED QUALITY OF CONSTRUCTION OF FLATS IN STEPANAKERT

DeFacto Agency
May 19 2008
Armenia

YEREVAN, 19.05.08. DE FACTO. On May 16 the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
President Bako Sahakian visited the districts of Ajapniak and Nor
Aresh to familiarize himself with the situation on the spot.

According to the Central Department of Information under the NKR
President, the state’s head expressed dissatisfaction with the state
of flats built in the district of Ajapniak. Bako Sahakian noted the
houses should be equipped with modern amenities and only after it
be commissioned.

While familiarizing himself with the project of the construction of
a new district in Nor Aresh Bako Sahakian mentioned the necessity of
appropriate infrastructures’ establishment.

The NKR President was accompanied by the NKR PM and other officials.

The Toronto Star
May 17, 2008 Saturday

Board removes book on genocide

by Brett Popplewell, Toronto Star

The Toronto District School Board has removed a recent book about
human atrocities from the curriculum of a new high school course after
a committee was asked to look into public concerns over the book’s
treatment of the Armenian genocide.

Barbara Coloroso’s Extraordinary Evil: A Brief History of Genocide had
been selected as a resource for a new Grade 11 history course about
genocide and crimes against humanity, but the book and the course came
under review after they were challenged by members of the Canadian
Turkish community.

While the board’s review committee decided to remove Coloroso’s book
from the curriculum, deeming it "far from a scrupulous text," the
Armenian genocide will still be taught in the course.

Coloroso, the bestselling author of parenting books, draws
similarities between behaviour exhibited in childhood bullying and
that exhibited in a genocide.

In addition to dealing with the mass murder of more than a million
Armenians, the book also examines the Holocaust that killed six
million Jews during World War II and the Rwanda genocide of almost a
million Tutsis in 1994.

The course’s inclusion of the Armenian genocide has been controversial
since its initial announcement and was met by a petition with more
than 1,200 signatures opposed to the book and the course.

"To pick Armenia as a genocide when it is so controversial –
especially when there are atrocities by other countries that could
have been chosen – is just wrong," Lale Eskicioglu, executive director
of the Council of Turkish Canadians, said prior to delivering the
petition.

Officially, the Turkish government views the slaughter of the
Armenians as wartime casualties of World War I, with both sides guilty
of some provocation.

Board representatives declined to comment on the matter last night
because members of the community can still appeal the decision.

With files from Louise Brown

Viva Cell becomes chief sponsor of Armenian football teams

2008-05-17 15:59:00

ArmInfo. OJSC Viva Cell has become the chief sponsor of national
football teams of Armenia.

Armenian Football Federation signed a relevant Contract Saturday on May
17. AFF President Ruben Hayrapetyan and Director General of OJSC Viva
Cell Ralph Yirikyan signed the Contract. Thus, Viva Cell intends to
make its contribution to development of the most popular sport.

Since the moment of its entering the Armenian telecommunication market
on 1 July 2005, Viva Cell has managed to create a republican mobile
network and large-scale base of subscribers.

ARMENIA IS READY TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO CHINA TO CLEAR THEAFTERMATH OF THE EARTHQUAKE IN SICHUAN, ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SERZH

Interfax News Agency
May 15 2008
Russia

Sargsyan’s letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao says.

Given Armenia’s experience in clearing the aftermath of earthquakes,
we express our readiness to provide required assistance, Sargsyan said.

Sargsyan expressed condolences over the earthquake, which killed
thousands of people, the Armenian presidential press service told
Interfax on Wednesday. We share the grievance of relatives of those
killed and wish the swiftest recovery to all those injured, the letter
of the Armenian president says.

AZERBAIJAN NOT GOING TO JOIN NATO

Interfax News Agency
May 12 2008
Russia

Azerbaijan actively cooperates with NATO, but thinks that it is
too early to join the alliance, Azeri Defense Minister Safar Abiyev
said."It is too early to speak about this [joining the alliance]. Time
will show," Abiyev said in an interview with Azerbaijan’s ANS TV
company.

There is no unity among CIS member countries, while strengthening
military cooperation between Russia and Armenia forces Baku to react,
Abiyev said.

"Today, one can say that there is no unity among CIS member states,"
Abiyev said.

"That is right, the main country that forms the policy in the CIS
space is Russia. You know well what relations Russian has with Armenia.

This undoubtedly forces us to make certain measures as to this tandem,"
the minister said.

The Azeri Armed Forces cooperate with 50 countries of the world,
primarily Turkey, the United States, Pakistan, the United Kingdom,
and Germany, while bilateral military cooperation agreements, which
provide for mutual assistance on a number of issues, have been signed
with 24 countries of the world," Abiyev said.

Abiyev doubts that peacekeeping forces could soon be established within
the framework of GUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova).

"We [GUAM] have established very active ties, which are developing
day by day; however, the talks have been underway, and one cannot
say that today all GUAM members are ready to create any armed or
peacekeeping forces," Abiyev said in an interview.

The minister, however, said that that a possible entry of some GUAM
members to NATO will not hinder the creation of a GUAM peacekeeping
contingent. "GUAM is not going to cease operating after Ukraine and
Georgia join NATO," Abiyev said.

The recent withdrawal of Azeri peacekeepers from Kosovo after some
countries recognized the independence for the region did not have a
negative impact on Azerbaijan’s relations with NATO.

"NATO members understand well why Azerbaijan withdrew its peacekeepers
[from Kosovo], and they say this openly to us. There are no and there
can be no problems here. We are an independent state, and this was
our decision. This means that Azerbaijan can voice its opinion without
fearing anyone," Abiyev said.

ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES MUST TAKE ESSENTIAL STEPS TO EXTEND ARMISTICE – DEFENCE MINISTER

Trend News Agency
May 13 2008
Azerbaijan

"The Armenian authorities must take all the necessary steps to continue
the armistice," Armenian Defence Minister Seyran Oganyan said at the
Armenian Parliament on 13 May, ArmInfo reported.

According to Oganyan, the authorities are doing their best to give
a logic end to this issue.

"The issue must be solved only in a peaceful manner," he said adding
that no aggravation at the troop contact line has been reported.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began in
1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
lost the Nagorno-Karabakh, except of Shusha and Khojali, in December
1991. In 1992-93, Armenian Armed Forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and
Nagorno-Karabakh’s seven surrounding regions. In 1994, Azerbaijan
and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which time the active
hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Russia,
France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful, but fruitless
negotiations.

OSCE regularly monitors the troops contact line for the protection
of ceasefire.

"ILHAM ALIEV GUILTY FOR MY DEATH"

Panorama.am
18:26 12/05/2008

On 22 April at 24:00 at night an attempt on politician Levon
Melik-Shahnazaryan’s life was organized. "At 23:58 at my Ptghni house
I approached to the window and bombard was heard. I have seen the
fire," said the politician in a press conference organized today. In
the result of the investigation it was revealed that the shot was in
2.5-3m distance. According to him the window lattice saved him life.

"I did not pay attention but on 29 April the organizers contacted
me," he said refusing to name anybody. According to Shahnazaryan he
understood that the organizers were from abroad and just the same
day he evacuated his family and applied to correspondent bodies.

According to the politician he has talked with Hovhannes Tamamyan,
the deputy of Investigative department and after some days one of
the criminals has been arrested. The latter is not a citizen of the RA.

The mission of the today’s conference was to let the president of
Azerbaijan Ilham Aliev know that he won’t stop. And he’ll continue
his activities. "If a tree comes down on me, if I die from thunder
or another disease the only guilty will be Ilham Aliev. He is busy
with international terrorism," he said.

In line for study

10-05-2008 13:23:18 – KarabakhOpen

Of the 10 thousand monuments of NKR 3470, and 400 of 1500 churches and
chapels have been studied as of January 1, 2008, the NKR National
Statistics Service reports.