Author: Tvankchian Parkev

GEGHAMIAN WILL ACCEPT SARKISIAN’S OFFER

A1+
27 February, 2008

Yesterday Serzh Sarkissian applied to former presidential candidates
and called for collaboration.

It is due to mention that Artashes Geghamian had expressed readiness
to cooperate prior to Sarkissian’s official appeal.

Today Artashes Geghamian confirmed his political standing during
an interview with A1+. The National Unity Party (AMK) is ready for
collaboration in all spheres which will secure the impregnability of
our statehood, he said.

The AMK leader and former presidential candidate has already extended
congratulations to Serzh Sarkissian on the victory and is not going
to challenge the election outcome, as, according to him, they have
no legal grounds.

DINK MURDER TRIAL CONTINUES IN INSTANBUL

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.02.2008 14:14 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The fourth hearing in the trial of murdered Agos
editor Hrant Dink was held at Istanbul’s 14th Court for Serious Crimes
in Besiktas district two weeks after the third session.

The third hearing on Feb. 11 had been postponed to Feb. 25 to complete
taking the testimony of all the suspects after the testimonies
of Erhan Tuncel and Yasin Hayal, the suspected inciters of the
murder, were heard in the third session. Suspects Ersin Yolcu, Ahmet
Yskender, Mustafa Ozturk and Salih Hacysalihoglu were questioned in
the trial. Along with other crimes, Yolcu, Yskender and Ozturk are
alleged to have assisted a terror organization and of being members
of a terror organization.

Deputies from both the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)
and the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) were in court to
observe the trial. Zafer Uskul, an AKP deputy and the head of the
parliamentary commission on human rights was present at the trial as
well. "Our commission does not have the authority to intervene in a
judicial process," Uskul said, Turkish Daily News reports.

Hrant Dink was gunned down at his Istanbul newspaper office on January
17, 2007 by ultranationalist Ogun Samast.

OPPOSITION DEMANDS RESIGNATION OF CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.02.2008 13:13 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On February 24, participants of the opposition
movement led by Armenia’s first President Levon Ter-Petrosyan were
supposed to sign a document urging Catholicos of All Armenians,
His Holiness Garegin II to resign.

The oppositionists are indignant that despite numerous protests,
his Holiness congratulated Serzh Sargsyan on election President of
Armenia, hetq.am reports.

esctoday.com, Netherlands
Feb. 25, 2008

National final on 8th March
Armenia: Sirusho voted singer of the year 2007

Sirusho, the twenty year old Armenian chosen to represent her country
in their third was voted as Best Female Singer of the year 2007 in
the prestigious Armenian Music Awards earlier this month. Sirusho
will be selecting her song for Belgrade on the 8th March from a
selection of four songs.
After Sirusho was internally selected by ARMTV to represent the
country in Belgrade, a call for songs was launched and 10 songs in
total were submitted by invited composers. Four of them have been
chosen, according to Head of the Foreign Relations Department of the
Armenian Public Television Diana Mnatsakanyan : "It’s very pleasant
that composers actively participated in the project. More then ten
songs were presented, four of which have been chosen," Diana
Mnatsakanyan told Radiolur. "There are many interesting proposals by
young Armenian composers. I think this year we’ll have a large
choice," she said.

Sirusho has written the lyrics to all songs herself. The names of the
composers, though, will be revealed only after the song for Belgrade
has been chosen.

Sirusho was the winner of the best female singer award at the
Armenian Music Awards, held earlier this month in Yerevan. At the
same ceremony, Hayko, the 2007 Armenian representative was awarded
the Best Album Award for There are no words.

Interfax, Russia
Russia & CIS General Newswire
February 24, 2008 Sunday 4:35 PM MSK

Some Armenian military officials leave Karabakh war veterans union

YEREVAN Feb 24

Some high-ranking Armenian military officials have announced in a
statement that they are withdrawing from the Yerkrapa Union of
Volunteers, the organization of Nagorno-Karabakh war veterans.

"Respecting the role and importance of the Yerkrapa Union of
Volunteers, as well as the memory of soldiers-liberators, being
guided by the call of duty to the Motherland and the wholehearted
service to the nation, we terminate our membership in Yerkrapa," says
the statement issued by the press service of the Armenian Defense
Ministry and obtained by Interfax on Sunday.

The document was signed by chief of the Armenian General Staff, First
Deputy Defense Minister Seiran Oganian, as well as six major generals
and eight colonels of the Armenian Army.

After the February 19 election, a group of Yerkrapa members "got
engaged without the permission of the Yerkrapa board into indecent
activities that discredit the name and authority of the organization
and that hinder the further development of independent Armenia’s
nationhood."

"They are being used to achieve indecent political aims, while the
president of the union does nothing to prevent this," the statement
says.

The Yerkrapa Union of Volunteers was founded in 1993. The union,
which is a kind of a paramilitary organization, now brings together
over 10,000 people. Yerkrapa is headed by Armenian Deputy Defense
Minister Lieut. Gen. Manvel Grigorian.

The opposition claimed at its rally in Yerevan that Grigorian and his
colleague, Armenian Deputy Defense Minister Gagik Melkonian, had
joined the ranks of the protesters. The Armenian Defense Ministry has
dismissed the assertions.

CONGRESSMEN CONGRATULATED PRIME MINISTER

Panorama.am
14:09 26/02/2008

The Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan received congratulations from
the Armenian Committee of the USA Congress and Co-chairmen Frank
Pallone and Joe Knollenberg. It is particularly mentioned in the
congratulation letter:

"Dear Mister Serzh Sargsyan we sincerely congratulate you for your
victory in the presidential elections held on 19 February 2008. Armenia
keeps proving its willingness to conduct fair and free elections.

International observation missions particularly Organization for
Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) notified transparent
and democratic presidential campaign. The proper way of passing
the elections create circumstances to strengthen Armenian-American
relations.

Being Congressmen of the Representatives Palace of the USA and
Cochairmen of the Armenian Question we expect cooperating with you
to contribute to the regulation of the problems Armenia meets."

Serzh Sargsyan received congratulations from the headquarter office of
the World Bank Armenia, Bosnia-Hertsegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus,
Georgia, Israel, Macedonia, Montenegro, Moldova, Netherlands, Romania,
and Ukraine. The executive director of the office Herman Vijfels said:

"I congratulate you for being elected as the president of the country,
and wish you the best in your new position. I would like to thank
you for participating in the World Bank annual assembly. I am looking
forward to cooperating with You and the government."

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Feb 21 2008

Political Scientists Believe Kosovo Will Not Cause Changes in
Solution to Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
21.02.08 14:13

Azerbaijan, Baku, 21 February / corr. Trend News S. Ilhamgizi/ The
Public Council on the regulation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is
concerned about the fact that Kosovo will affect the Nagorno-Karabakh
problem. According to Trend, this comment was made during the meeting
of the Public Council.

Rasim Musabayov, a member of the council and political scientist,
said that though the independence of Kosovo will have some impact on
talks regarding Karabakh, it will not cause any changes in the
solution to the conflict. `During the next five years Serbia will
admit the independence of Kosovo within the framework of the European
Union. However, the Nagorno-Karabakh problem did not find its
solution even without Kosovo. The difference is that Kosovo can be
seen on the world map, but Nagorno-Karabakh does not. Everything
depends on the regional balance in this issue,’ Musabayov said.

According to the political scientist, there is not so much deference
in the positions of US and Russia regarding Kosovo. He said that the
US, by over-stressing ethnic problems, tries to put pressure on its
allies, but Russia does not want the conflict to be solved and wants
everything to remain as it was and the conflict to be protracted. The
European Union tries to solve all problems. `It is wrong to forget
that the Azerbaijani land was occupied on a sheet of paper, not on
some principles, but by the Russian arms. Therefore it is not right
to oppose the Russian position, this is not in Azerbaijan’s favour,’
Musabayov said.

Political scientist Zardusht Alizade said that Armenia will take
advantage of the Kosovo problem. `We have a legal basis and the world
is familiar with Azerbaijan through its Karabakh problem. NATO killed
the Serbs and now says that it has killed the Albanians and states
that it is impossible to live together. The key goal of US is to
prevent its allies from developing. America does not have permanent
friends, but permanent interests. Albanians are like Armenians in
Karabakh. Therefore it is important to carry out propaganda, then
Karabakh can be recovered from theoretical point if view. However, if
we follow the plan developed by America we will lose,’ Alizade said.

At the meeting it was decided to send a statement on behalf of the
Karabakh Council to international organizations to express
Azerbaijan’s concern of the threat to the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began in
1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since
1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. 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
negotiations.

Today, Azerbaijan
Feb 21 2008

Delegation of "Nagorno Karabakh Republic" to be invited to Duma
hearings on CIS conflicts settlement in March

21 February 2008 [10:51] – Today.Az

Delegation of the so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" will be
invited for Duma hearings on the settlement of conflicts on the
territory of CIS in March.

The due information was provided by Konstantin Zatulin, deputy
chairman of the Russian State Duma committee for CIS affairs and
relations with compatriots.

"There is a plan to hold hearings on the resolution of conflicts on
the CIS area in the State Duma of Russia in March of 2008. The
leadership of the so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" will be
invited for the hearings with a proposal to express their position on
the said issue", Zatulin noted.

According to the deputy, Russia and Armenia face a delicate issue,
connected with Kosovo and consequences of the resolution of the said
conflict, which is directly bound to the so called "Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic".

According to the political scientist, Armenia and Russia should hold
a round of consultations regarding the Kosovo issue.

/Novosti-Armenia/

URL:

Zenit News Agency, Italy
Feb. 22, 2008

St. Peter’s Patio Dedicated to Armenian Patron

VATICAN CITY, FEB. 22, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI dedicated the
north patio of St. Peter’s Basilica to St. Gregory the Illuminator,
the national saint and patron of Armenia.

The Pope did this today during a brief ceremony attended by
Archbishop Nerses Bedros XIX, patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenian
Catholics, and a group of prelates of the Armenian Catholic Church.

Recalling that, a few months before his death, Pope John Paul II
blessed the statue of St. Gregory the Illuminator that is located in
that patio, Benedict XVI affirmed that "this great saint has made the
Armenians, for more than 17 centuries, a Christian people, and more,
the first officially Christian people."

The Pope said "St. Gregory was called the illuminator precisely
because in him the Lord’s face is reflected in an extraordinary way."

The Holy Father asked that the "Armenian people, through the
intercession of this illustrious and distinguished son, continue
their journey along the paths of faith, letting themselves be guided,
as they have for centuries, by Christ and by his Gospel, which has
indelibly marked their culture."

RA PM Serzh Sargsyan’s supporters put out ultimatum

2008-02-24 15:09:00

ArmInfo. Supporters of RA Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan from Arabkir
community of Yerevan put out an ultimatum to the government.

As ArmInfo has become aware, Sargsyan’s supporters from Arabkir
community, indignant with the continuing meeting of Levon
Ter-Petrosyan’s supporters at Liberty Square, require to "clear the
square" till 10:00 AM February 25. Otherwise, they threaten to come to
the Square personally and impose order. By unofficial information, the
ultimatum was put out today during the regular action of S. Sargsyan’s
supporters. A large group of people, despite the efforts of the police
to stop them, reached the Victory Park. Afterwards, the action stopped
for unknown reasons.

To note, ArmInfo correspondents, having left to action place, saw the
people dispersed. Today’s action was preceded by several processions of
S. Sargsyan’s supporters the previous days. To recall, a termless
round-the-clock meeting of L. Ter-Petrosyan’s supporters is going on At
Liberty Square in Yerevan. The meeting participants consider the
election results falsified.