Author: Vanyan Gary

Interfax, Russia
March 20 2009

Azerbaijan is sure to liberate its territory – President Aliyev

BAKU March 20

Azerbaijan will never put up with the occupation of its territory and
will liberate it, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev said.

"Independence will never be granted to Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan
will never come to terms with the occupation of its territory," he
said at the celebration of Novruz in Baku on Friday.

Aliyev said he intends to use all possible ways to achieve this goal,
and Azerbaijan has been strengthening its economic and defense
potential to this end.

"The military parade held in Baku last year demonstrated our potential
to the whole of the world," he said.

"We want to peacefully resolve the conflict, but this solution should
be fair and based on international law," he said.

Some positive signs could be seen in recent years, he said.

BABACAN: LEADERS PRIVATELY BACKED ERDOGAN’S DAVOS OUTBURST

Today’s Zaman
March 20 2009
Turkey

Leaders of many world countries who avoided open criticism of Israel
for its deadly operation in Gaza in January have privately expressed
support for Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his
walkout at a Davos panel discussion in protest of the Israeli attacks,
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said yesterday.

Erdogan walked out of the Davos discussion in late January after
an angry exchange with Israeli President Shimon Peres, protesting
the moderator for insistently trying to cut off his response to
Peres. "When it comes to killing people, you know well how to do it,"
he told Peres before walking out, promising never to return to Davos.

Erdogan was given a hero’s welcome on his return to Turkey, but a small
group of critics said he hurt Turkey’s image by breaking diplomatic
rules of courtesy and said he ruined ties with Israel. But despite
initial tension, relations with Israel were soon back on track.

"Some countries may opt to remain silent. When it’s about Israel,
different internal dynamics play out in many countries. But leaders
of many countries have come to us to whisper, ‘We cannot say much,
it is good that you did’," Babacan said in an interview on private
Kanal 7 television. "We have close relations with Israel, but this
does not mean we have to turn a blind eye when a mistake is made."

He underlined, however, that Turkey attached much importance to
contacts with Israel and that problems could only be resolved through
dialogue.

‘Genocide’resolution and Obama visit

Commenting on relations with the United States after American lawmakers
introduced a resolution calling for the president to accept Armenian
claims of genocide, Babacan reiterated that he hoped the US Congress
will act sensibly because passage of the resolution could harm ongoing
efforts between Turkey and Armenia to normalize relations after a
15-year hiatus.

"A step to be taken by a third country would harm the process. We
hope no irrational step will be taken. We have been talking frankly
about this to our American friends," Babacan said.

Analysts say passage of the resolution was unlikely at a time when
Turkey and Armenia are actively engaged in efforts to normalize
their ties and when the Obama administration plans to win Ankara’s
support in a number of key foreign policy goals in the Middle East
and Afghanistan. In his second visit to a foreign country since taking
office, the first being his traditional visit to neighboring Canada,
President Barack Obama will travel to Turkey, most probably on April
6. Iran’s nuclear program, the use of Turkey in a US troop pullout
from Iraq and Turkish contributions to efforts to beef up the Western
military presence in Afghanistan in order to deal with a growing
insurgency will be among the top issues to be discussed.

Babacan said it was still not clear whether Obama will also use Turkey
as venue to deliver a long-anticipated address to the Muslim world
or whether he will attend a UN-backed meeting of the Alliance of
Civilizations, which will be held around the same dates in Istanbul.

But in Madrid, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, whose
country jointly leads the Alliance of Civilizations initiative with
Turkey, suggested that Obama’s participation in the April 6-7 gathering
was definite. Responding to criticism from the opposition at the
Spanish parliament on Wednesday, Moratinos said Obama’s participation
was a response to those who try to downplay the significance of the
Alliance of Civilizations gathering.

AZERBAIJAN STARTS MAKING ADVANCED MILITARY PRODUCTS – OFFICIAL

Interfax
March 18 2009
Russia

Azerbaijan managed to launch the manufacturing of state-of-the-art
military-purpose products in a short period of time, and it now plans
to begin selling such goods to other countries, Fuad Akhundov, director
of the presidential administration’s public and political department,
told Interfax-AVN.

Azeri President Ilham Aliyev recently visited several enterprises in
the country’s defense sector.

"The military products demonstrated to the head of state during the
visit confirm that Azerbaijan’s defense sector has learnt how to
make advanced military-purpose products in line with international
standards since the establishment of the Defense Sector Ministry in
2005," Akhundov said.

The rapid pace of the defense sector’s development is among the highest
priorities of the government’s economic and investment programs,
as well as the country’s national security strategy, the official said.

Measures to bolster the potential of Azerbaijan’s defense sector
companies will help find a solution to the conflict over Nagorno-
Karabakh, he said.

On Monday, President Aliyev attended a series of ribbon-cutting
ceremonies for the country’s recently rebuilt defense sector
enterprises, including the Radiostroyeniye plant owned by the Pribor
production company, a research center and a computer making plant. The
three enterprises report to the Defense Sector Ministry.

Under the government’s program, Azerbaijan’s security services received
213 types of defense-purpose products and spare parts for them in 2007,
and 300 in 2008. Enterprises of the country’s defense sector began
manufacturing small amounts of basic weapons, close combat weapons,
artillery arms, engineering equipment, combat and training ammunition,
and reconnaissance devices.

The amount of defense-purpose products handed over to customers in
2008 increased by six-fold from 2005. In 2009, the Azeri defense
sector plans to manufacture 435 kinds of defense-purpose products and
spare parts for them, including efforts to assemble advanced armored
personnel carriers, various sorts of anti-tank mines, optical sights
and training aerial bombs.

"ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN SHOULD NOT BE COMPARED"

Panorama.am
17:03 20/03/2009

Quite many different strategic elements can be used in the conflict
of Nagorno Karabakh, says political expert Yervand Bozoyan. According
to him Armenian party does not use any of those methods, which are
being used by Azerbaijani party.

Armenia should not be compared with Azerbaijan in this or that field,
he says. "I think that we should treat ourselves in quite a different
level. Everybody knows that Azerbaijan has more beneficial position
regarding its geographical position," said the political expert.

Yervand Bozoyan reminded about Israel experience and their justified
policy of not comparing themselves with Palestine. Currently they are
a powerful and huge country due to their accurate strategical methods.

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTS DRAFT AMENDMENTS ON EXCHANGE CONTROL

ARKA
March 18, 2009

YEREVAN, March 18. /ARKA/. At its sitting today the RA Parliament
adopted, in their second reading, draft amendments to the RA Code
of Administrative Offences and to the RA Law on Exchange Adjustment
and Control.

Chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) Artur Javadyan reported
that the draft amendments specifically concern Article 165 of the
Code of Administrative Offences, which provides for responsibility
for the violation of the relevant legal acts.

The draft amendments provide for a minimum fine of 2mln AMD for not
noting the prices in terms of AMD. In case of recurrence, an economic
entity will be fined 4mln AMD.

The CBA Chairman said that this is a topical issue as frequent cases of
noting prices in terms of foreign currencies have lately bee recorded.

Javadyan stressed the negative influence of dollarization.

"Dollarization may cause sharp fluctuations on the market and make
it dependent on decisions made by other countries," Javadyan said.

The CBA Chairman pointed out that in the current socio-economic
situations any violations of the Armenian currency policy may cause
rather serious problems of national security because noting prices
in terms of foreign currencies make the public much more vulnerable
and dependent on exchange fluctuations.

Javadyan said that the amendments also specify Article 188.1 of the
RA Criminal Code, wh ich provides for sanctions for unlicensed foreign
exchange business.

According to the former wording, persons are only responsible for
effecting foreign exchange transactions to the amount of 200,000
AMD. The amendments provide for criminal responsibility to unlicensed
foreign exchange transactions to the amount of 100,000 AMD and more.

"Thus the bar has been let down to tighten the control," Javadyan said.

On March 3, the CBA returned to the floating rate regime. CBA
experts forecast an average exchange rate between the USD and AMD at
$1/360-380 AMD.

The CBA’s decision made some businessmen note prices in terms of
USD.

DEFENDER: "WE WILL NOT TAKE PART IN FALSE AND ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES"

Panorama.am
13:50 17/03/2009

The court trial on the seven arrested will be conducted without
defenders. "Our rights and the rights of our defendants are being
violated continuously, hence we can not enter the hall and continue
the process. This is a critical measure that we have taken but we can
not implement our professional duties unless the situation there is
not changed," said Varduhi Elbakyan, a member of defendant’s group
on the seven arrested case. She said that they have "only physical
presence in the trial." According to her they will not get surprised
if the court makes a decision to hold a trial without the defenders.

"Yesterday when Sasun Mikaelyan and his defender were not present
the court made a decision to pass to the next stage. That is to say
court trial has been conducted without them," she said. "We are no
willing to take part in these false and illegal activities. And we
will not unless we feel that the court is ready to act in the frames
of legislative field," said Varduhi Elbakyan. To the question whether
they are going to apply to the European Court of Human Rights, she
said that they have applied to the court for many times. According
to the defender our state is going to have difficulties because the
strongest sanctions will be defined.

CONFERENCE ON ARMENIAN-ARABIC STUDIES

Panorama.am
16:22 16/03/2009

Armenian-Arabic conference will be launched in autumn joint with the
French Institute in Damascus, Syria, Ruben Safrastyan, the director
of Eastern Studies Institute of the National Academy of Sciences
told Panorama.am. According to him, currently they are working on the
preparatory work. R. Safrastyan said that the conference is devoted
to the Armenian-Arabic relations in the middle Ages. He said that the
conference is the evidence to the fact that Armenian Eastern Studies
have their special place in Europe that the French are willing to
study Armenian-Arabic relations. Armenian and French professors of
Arabic studies will make reports during the conference, and all
those reports will be published in a brochure. "Such conferences
are useful for Armenian youths as they get opportunity to share with
their experience," said. R. Safrastyan.

DARCHINYAN HAS BIG PLANS THAT INCLUDE NONITO DONAIRE
by Igor Frank

411mania.com
/boxing/99391/Darchinyan-Has-Big-Plans-That-Includ e-Nonito-Donaire.htm
March 16 2009

Igor Frank reports on top ten pound for pound newest entrant, Vic "The
Raging Bull" Darchinyan and his future plans after their telephone
interview from Australia.

The Raging Bull hasn’t forgotten about Donaire

The only blemish on the record of current unified super flyweight
champion Vic Darchinyan is a knockout loss to Nonito Donaire which
took place in July of 2007.Strange as it may seem, this memorable
bout did more good to the career of Vic than it did to Nonito. Since
then Darchinyan has refocused and rededicated himself to the sport,
hired a new trainer from the old country that he knew since he was
eight years old and registered one spectacular performance after
another thus by earning a spot on a mystical pound for pound list,
while Donaire, even though considered a great fighter by experts
struggles to secure meaningful fights. Feeling underappreciated,
Nonito broke ties with Gary Shaw, who is still very sore about it,
and signed with a hall of fame promoter Bob Arum. But even the best
promoter in the world seems to have trouble getting match ups for
Donaire. Think about it; tall, extremely fast with his hands and feet,
Flash is a handful for any body. Who would want to fight this guy?

"I would love to fight him," proclaimed Darchinyan on the phone from
his house in Sydney:" And I think this fight is going to happen. When
I come up to bantamweight and win a title and Nonito come up to
bantamweight and win a title, this fight is going to happen. If he
thinks he really beat me, let him come up, win one title and I will
show everyone that what happened in the past was a mistake from me. I
will talk to Gary Shaw and he will make a fight with Donaire. What
I want in the future is to fight Nonito Donaire and Gary Shaw knows
that." This could be a rematch to remember and Vic will force Gary
Shaw to put that bout together despite the fact that Gary feels like
he was betrayed by Donaire, especially if the money is right. So stay
tuned as this appetizing match up is being baked in the oven.

Meanwhile, the Armenian/Australian destroyer is moving up to
bantamweight to challenge for the IBF title that currently belongs
to an African "King Kong" Joseph Agbeko. Agbeko knocked out then
undefeated champion Luis Alberto Perez to earn this title in 2007
and has no intentions on parting with it. Darchinyan, should he be
successful in his challenge, would get a third title in as many weight
categories. Moving up in weight should not be an issue as Vic walks
around between 58 and 60 kilograms or between 128 and 132 pounds." My
manager is already started negotiations with him, "said Darchinyan:
"I think if everything goes through, the fight is going to happen in
June." This should be another big step in the direction that Vic has
chosen for his career.

"Of course, I am very happy," said Darchinyan as I asked for his
thoughts about his pound for pound rankings:" But I want to be close
to number one. This is what I am going to do this year, I am going to
have two or three more fights this year and you will see; I am going
to have great fights. The entire world knows I am a great puncher,
but sometimes I want to remind them that I am not only a puncher,
I am a technical fighter too. I can do anything that I want in the
ring." That certainly seems to be the case, especially in his last
three bouts.

Vic’s popularity in his native country of Armenia could only be
compared to a current pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao, a hero in
Philippines. Can Vic Duplicate successful weight division jumps that
catapulted Pacquiao into a superstardom? That remains to be seen.

However, I asked Vic about staging a fight in Yerevan, a capitol
of Armenia.

"Gary Shaw, my promoter and Showtime would like to come to Yerevan to
promote the fight," said Darchinyan, who just recently turned 33:"
may be after this fight, I am going to go there and start putting
things together. May be at the end of the year we will have a fight
there. I would love to fight in Armenia." I bet his fans would love
that too. Vic Darchinyan could easily fill up a soccer stadium in
Yerevan. Stay tuned…

RAFFI HOVANNISIAN: "HERITAGE" WILL MAKE SUCH A DECISION THAT WILL GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY OF FULL-VALUE CHOICE TO YEREVAN CITIZENS

Noyan Tapan

M arch 16, 2009

YEREVAN, MARCH 16, NOYAN TAPAN. At the sitting to be held on the
evening of March 16, the political board of "Heritage" party will
discuss in an efficient and complex way the issues related to the
format of the party’s running in the May 31 elections of Yerevan
Council of Aldermen, the leader of "Heritage" Raffi Hovannisian told
reporters at the National Assembly.

He expressed an opinion that the party will make such a decision "that
will give an opportunity of full-value choice to Yerevan citizens",
noting that "Heritage" has always been in favor of "interesting,
great, efficient decisions rather than next-in-turn short unions".

In response to the question about possible negotiations with the
Armenian National Congress (ANC), R. Hovannisian replied that
personally, he has not taken part in any negotiation, however, in
pursuance of the latest decision of the party’s board, representatives
of "Heritage" have had some contacts with ANC, as well as other social
and political units.

As regards the possibility of "Heritage"’s joining with the ANC in
the upcoming elections, he said that he is certainly in favor of
unity if "the unity is based on mutual respect, equality of rights,
also the pledge of victory and not on the tendency to find technical
or small solutions".

CONFERENCE ON "SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS AND SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE"

armradio.am
16.03.2009 11:16

The United States Department of Justice held a conference on "Support
for Victims and Successful Prosecution of Domestic Violence" in Yerevan
on March 16, 2009. Three American prosecutors and one social worker
participated – Prosecutor Steven Kessler (U.S. Embassy, Yerevan),
Prosecutor Arlene Markarian (Brooklyn, New York), Prosecutor Wanda
Lucibello (Brooklyn, New York), and Social Worker Cristin Mathiez
(Brooklyn, New York).

Joining the Americans at the conference were Armenian judges,
prosecutors, police, and representatives from the Ministry of Justice,
the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Social and Labor Issues, the
Civil Rights Division of the National Assembly, and international
organizations such as UNICEF, OSCE and Open Society Institute
Foundation in Armenia.

The American and Armenian officials discussed their countries’
respective approaches to fighting all manifestations of domestic
violence, as well as support for the victim, investigation of a
domestic violence case, and prosecution of such a case where the
victim refuses to cooperate.

U.S. Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch opened the conference. In her
remarks, the Ambassador noted that although the statistics on domestic
violence in the U.S. are sobering, much progress has been made in
the past twenty years.

The Ambassador urged=2 0the Armenian authorities in attendance to
do all that can be done to reduce domestic violence and care for
its victims.

The domestic violence conference is just one of several sessions
held by the U.S. Department of Justice in Yerevan to support Armenian
law enforcement.

In 2008, the USDOJ held conferences for Armenian judges, prosecutors,
police and defense attorneys on the European Convention on Human
Rights, corruption prosecution, financial crime investigations, the
rules of evidence in adversarial proceedings, and the development of
Armenian jurisprudence and case law.