Author: Varosian Antranik

G8 FOREIGN MINISTERS SUPPORT THE EFFORTS OF THE OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS

ArmRadio.am
31.05.2007 13:12

Without the settlement of the Karabakh conflict it is impossible
to establish peace and stability in the region, President of the
non-official meeting of the G8 Foreign Ministers in Potsdam. The
Nagorno Karabakh issue was not included in the agenda of the sitting.

G8 Foreign Ministers support the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chairs and call on the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan to
activate their efforts directed at coming to an agreement on the main
principles proposed by the Minsk Group co-Chairs.

"In this regard we welcome the intention of the two Presidnets to meet
on June 9 in teh framework of the non-official summit to be held in
Saint Petersburg and call on them to agree on the main principles as
soon as possible to open way for peace settlement," the statement says.

NKR FM MET WITH INTERNATIONAL ALERT EURASIAN PROGRAM’S REPRESENTATIVE

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
May 29 2007

May 28 the Nagorno-Karabagh FM Georgy Petrossian received International
Alert Eurasian program project manager Dessislava Rusanova.

In the course of the meeting the parties considered the issues
referring to the implementation of current and long-term projects of
Consortium Initiative international organization, a part of which is
International Alert, in the Nagorno-Karabagh. The interlocutors also
dwelled of the issues of NKR non-governmental sector.

ITAR-TASS, Russia
May 28 2007

Armenia celebrates First Republic Day

28.05.2007, 13.41

YEREVAN, May 28 (Itar-Tass) – Armenia is celebrating the First
Republic Day on Monday. Armenian statehood was restored on that day
in 1918 after an interval of many centuries. The First Republic
lasted for only two and a half years, yielding place to Soviet power
after that period. Contemporary Armenia regards itself as a successor
of the 1918-1920 statehood.

The celebrations began in Armavir Region, which is forty kilometres
to the west of Yerevan. Standing there is a memorial to the heroes of
the victorious 1918 Sardarapat Battle. This victory over the Turkish
army preceded the proclamation of the First Republic. Taking part in
the celebrations are top leaders of the republic, headed by President
Robert Kocharian.

`The Republic of Armenia was born in May 1918 as a result of our
people’s heroic struggle and victories. In spite of its short-lived
history, it laid a solid foundation for the legal, economic,
scientific and cultural development of our new statehood,’ the
president’s holiday address says.

`May 28 ranks among the most glorious pages of our modern history and
is the bedrock of contemporary Armenia,’ the head of state stressed.
Kocharian wished the Armenian people to `devotedly adhere to the
course, laid on May 28, which symbolizes the eternal values of
national independence and liberty.’

Armenian Prime Minister Serge Sarkisian stated, in turn, that `the
Republic of Armenia, which was born as a result of our contemporary
victories and which had chosen the road of harmonious development
alongside with all the civilized countries of the world, is now
sixteen years old.’ He wished the Armenian people `further concerted
efforts to strengthen the new independent statehood, based on
democratic values, to develop the national economy, to guarantee the
country’s worthy place and role in the global processes.’

However, May 28 is not the country’s National Holiday. Armenia’s
National Holiday is celebrated on September 21: a referendum was held
on that day in 1991 at which the Armenian people had voted for the
republic’s independence.

PRESS RELEASE May 25,
2007
Embassy of the Republic of Armenia
2225 R Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20008
Tel: 202-319-1976, x. 348; Fax: 202-319-2982
Email: [email protected]; Web:

Scholarships Available to Diaspora Armenians to Attend Armenian Universities

The Government of Armenia has established 70 full scholarships to allow
Diaspora Armenians to pursue undergraduate and graduate studies in the
Armenian public universities and colleges for the academic year 2007/2008.

Applications for scholarship and enrollment will be considered by a special
commission of the Armenian Ministry of Education and Science. Priority is
given to applicants pursuing studies in Teacher’s Training, Armenian
Studies, and Fine Arts. The applicants are expected to have sufficient
command of Armenian in order to enroll.

In addition to tuition-free positions, Diaspora Armenian applicants will
also have an opportunity to apply for and be enrolled in public universities
on paid basis, following the procedure outlined above.

The applications can be submitted between July 1 and August 20, 2007. The
application forms, list of universities and departments, as well as tuition
are available upon request from the Embassy of Armenia, via email:
[email protected] or telephone: 202-319-1976, ext. 348. Further
inquiries can be directed to the Diaspora Department of the Ministry of
Education and Science in Yerevan, at +374-10-581391.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Karabakh: agreement on deployment of peacekeepers in security belt achieved?
26.05.2007 13:51 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ It’s premature to speak of full success in the
Nagorno Karabakh peaceful process unless agreements on all provisions
of the negotiation agenda are achieved, Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar
Mammadyarov told a news conference in Baku after a meeting with the
OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs.

`Territorial integrity of Azerbaijan cannot be questioned. Withdrawal
of Armenian troops and return of refugees to their homes are discussed
at the current stage of the talks,’ he said.

`The sides achieved agreement on deployment of peacekeeping forces in
the security zone. There is an opinion that the peacekeeping
contingent should not include the states of the region and co-chair
states of the OSCE Minsk Group,’ the Azeri FM said.

The most important task is `to exclude resumption of hostilities’,
according to Mr Mammadyarov. He said he will follow out diplomatic
ways of resolution. `It all depends,’ he added, Day.az reports.

ARMENIAN PRES AGREES TO MEET AZERI PRES IN ST PETERSBURG

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
May 24, 2007 Thursday 02:43 AM EST

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan has agreed to meet with his
Azerbaijani counterpart Ilkham Alieyev within the framework of a CIS
summit in St. Petersburg on June 10.

This is the main result of a visit of the co-chairmen of the Minsk
Group on Nagorno-Karabakh to Yerevan, a mediator from Russia Yuri
Merzlyakov said here on Thursday. The co-chairmen hope that they will
also get in Baku the Azerbaijani president’ s consent for the meeting.

According to Merzlyakov, on Wednesday, the co-chairmen continued talks
in Yerevan with the Armenian leadership on coordinating a working
document on basic principles of Karabakh settlement proposed by them.

"We are working on basic principles of settlement – the main carrying
structure of a future peace agreement," the diplomat said.

According to him, "if they are coordinated, a basis for further work
on the text of a peace agreement with the participation of experts
will created." The co-chairmen hope that this document "will be fair,
balanced and compromise."

"If a meeting in St. Petersburg is a success, it is not ruled out
that one more meeting will be needed to coordinate basic principles of
settlement," Merzlyakov said. As he stressed, talks between the foreign
ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan are mainly focused on details,
while the co-chairmen expect something more, something global from
the presidents.

"The circle of uncoordinated issues is narrowing, elements of
only three or four issues remain to be uncoordinated," the Russian
representative said.

ONE MORE ARMENIAN-CAPTURED SOLDIER TO STAND TRIAL

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 24 2007

Preliminary court proceeding on criminal case of Eldeniz Nuriyev
accused of parricide will be held ate Military Court of Grave Crimes,
the court told the APA.

Nuriyev faced charges under article 274 (parricide) of the Criminal
Code.

Eldeniz Nuriyev was captured on December 31 last year in Fuzuli. He
was released on January 16 this year.

Law-enforcement bodies carried out investigation on the fact after
Nuriyev was released and he was arrested.

AZERBAIJAN GOVERNMENT DENIES CRACKDOWN ON NEWS MEDIA

Voice of America
May 23 2007

Government officials in Azerbaijan are denying any intention to crack
down on media freedom in the country.

Presidential aides made the statement a day after authorities
searched the home of Eynulla Fatullayev, the founder of two popular
opposition newspapers. A Baku court sentenced him in April to a term of
two-and-a-half years in prison on charges of defaming the armed forces.

Azerbaijan officials say Fatullayev is now facing an additional charge
of making a terrorist threat.

The government closed the offices of his two newspapers, Real
Azerbaijan and Gyundelyk Azerbaijan, on Monday, citing fire code
violations.

Azerbaijan officials say the government is not putting pressure on
the media. They say the two newspapers were not shut down but evicted
for the state of their offices.

An editor of Real Azerbaijan, Uzeir Jafarov, insists the government
action was a response to critical articles that appeared in the
publications.

He announced plans for court action to overturn the eviction, which
he called groundless.

The charges against Fatullayev were based on his interview with an
ethnic Armenian leader from the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region,
who accused Azerbaijani forces of responsibility for a 1992 massacre
of civilians in the town of Khojali.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

ARMENIA’S STATE AGRARIAN UNIVERSITY, ARTSAKH UNIVERSITY SIGN COOPERATION AGREEMENT

Arka News Agency, Armenia
May 22 2007

YEREVAN, May 22. /ARKA/. The State Agrarian University of Armenia
and Arstakh State University have signed an agreement on further
cooperation between the two universities’ student councils.

"Cooperation between our educational institutions will allow us
to organize exchange of students and contribute to the development
of relations between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh," Rector of the
Agrarian University Arshaluis Tarverdyan told a press conference.

He said that the cooperation agreement will allow Karabakh students
not only to get acquainted with the Argarian University’s education
program, but also visit libraries and museums, Armenia’s places of
historical and national importance.

Tarverdyan pointed out that the cooperation agreement envisages a
number of educational, cultural and sport events. He said that the
bilateral cooperation has been continuing for seven years.

The Library of Congress
H.RES.106
Title: Calling upon the President to ensure that the foreign policy of the
United States reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning
issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in
the United States record relating to the Armenian Genocide, and for other
purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Schiff, Adam B. [CA-29] (introduced 1/30/2007) Cosponsors
(194)
Related Bills: S.RES.106
Latest Major Action: 1/30/2007 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred
to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

COSPONSORS(194), BY DATE [order is left to right]: (Sort: alphabetical
order)
Rep Radanovich, George [CA-19] – 1/30/2007Rep Pallone, Frank, Jr. [NJ-6] –
1/30/2007
Rep Knollenberg, Joe [MI-9] – 1/30/2007Rep Sherman, Brad [CA-27] – 1/30/2007
Rep McCotter, Thaddeus G. [MI-11] – 1/30/2007Rep McNulty, Michael R.
[NY-21] – 1/31/2007
Rep Kildee, Dale E. [MI-5] – 1/31/2007Rep Maloney, Carolyn B. [NY-14] –
1/31/2007
Rep Markey, Edward J. [MA-7] – 1/31/2007Rep Costello, Jerry F. [IL-12] –
1/31/2007
Rep Weiner, Anthony D. [NY-9] – 1/31/2007Rep Holt, Rush D. [NJ-12] –
1/31/2007
Rep Lipinski, Daniel [IL-3] – 1/31/2007Rep Langevin, James R. [RI-2] –
1/31/2007
Rep Dreier, David [CA-26] – 1/31/2007Rep Abercrombie, Neil [HI-1] –
1/31/2007
Rep Schwartz, Allyson Y. [PA-13] – 1/31/2007Rep Udall, Mark [CO-2] –
1/31/2007
Rep McMorris Rodgers, Cathy [WA-5] – 1/31/2007Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. [CA-6] –
1/31/2007
Rep Blumenauer, Earl [OR-3] – 1/31/2007Rep Royce, Edward R. [CA-40] –
1/31/2007
Rep Neal, Richard E. [MA-2] – 1/31/2007Rep Kennedy, Patrick J. [RI-1] –
1/31/2007
Rep Honda, Michael M. [CA-15] – 1/31/2007Rep Kirk, Mark Steven [IL-10] –
1/31/2007
Rep Nunes, Devin [CA-21] – 1/31/2007Rep Capuano, Michael E. [MA-8] –
1/31/2007
Rep Napolitano, Grace F. [CA-38] – 1/31/2007Rep Berry, Marion [AR-1] –
1/31/2007
Rep Grijalva, Raul M. [AZ-7] – 1/31/2007Rep Lynch, Stephen F. [MA-9] –
1/31/2007
Rep Doolittle, John T. [CA-4] – 1/31/2007Rep Fattah, Chaka [PA-2] –
1/31/2007
Rep Matsui, Doris O. [CA-5] – 1/31/2007Rep Norton, Eleanor Holmes [DC] –
1/31/2007
Rep Kucinich, Dennis J. [OH-10] – 1/31/2007Rep McGovern, James P. [MA-3] –
1/31/2007
Rep Van Hollen, Chris [MD-8] – 1/31/2007Rep Crowley, Joseph [NY-7] –
1/31/2007
Rep Allen, Thomas H. [ME-1] – 1/31/2007Rep Capps, Lois [CA-23] – 1/31/2007
Rep Diaz-Balart, Lincoln [FL-21] – 1/31/2007Rep Ackerman, Gary L. [NY-5] –
1/31/2007
Rep Payne, Donald M. [NJ-10] – 1/31/2007Rep Conyers, John, Jr. [MI-14] –
1/31/2007
Rep Rush, Bobby L. [IL-1] – 1/31/2007Rep Frank, Barney [MA-4] – 1/31/2007
Rep Davis, Danny K. [IL-7] – 1/31/2007Rep Doyle, Michael F. [PA-14] –
1/31/2007
Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] – 1/31/2007Rep Lofgren, Zoe [CA-16] – 1/31/2007
Rep Rogers, Mike J. [MI-8] – 1/31/2007Rep Cantor, Eric [VA-7] – 1/31/2007
Rep Souder, Mark E. [IN-3] – 1/31/2007Rep Meehan, Martin T. [MA-5] –
1/31/2007
Rep Gutierrez, Luis V. [IL-4] – 1/31/2007Rep Clay, Wm. Lacy [MO-1] –
1/31/2007
Rep Sanchez, Linda T. [CA-39] – 1/31/2007Rep Berman, Howard L. [CA-28] –
1/31/2007
Rep Eshoo, Anna G. [CA-14] – 1/31/2007Rep Baldwin, Tammy [WI-2] – 1/31/2007
Rep Dingell, John D. [MI-15] – 1/31/2007Rep Engel, Eliot L. [NY-17] –
1/31/2007
Rep Rothman, Steven R. [NJ-9] – 1/31/2007Rep Lee, Barbara [CA-9] – 1/31/2007
Rep Garrett, Scott [NJ-5] – 1/31/2007Rep Waxman, Henry A. [CA-30] –
1/31/2007
Rep Delahunt, William D. [MA-10] – 1/31/2007Rep Roybal-Allard, Lucille
[CA-34] – 1/31/2007
Rep Tierney, John F. [MA-6] – 1/31/2007Rep Diaz-Balart, Mario [FL-25] –
1/31/2007
Rep Rohrabacher, Dana [CA-46] – 1/31/2007Rep Campbell, John [CA-48] –
1/31/2007
Rep Walz, Timothy J. [MN-1] – 1/31/2007Rep Nadler, Jerrold [NY-8] –
1/31/2007
Rep Porter, Jon C. [NV-3] – 1/31/2007Rep Baca, Joe [CA-43] – 1/31/2007
Rep Cleaver, Emanuel [MO-5] – 1/31/2007Rep Kilpatrick, Carolyn C. [MI-13] –
1/31/2007
Rep Tauscher, Ellen O. [CA-10] – 1/31/2007Rep Frelinghuysen, Rodney P.
[NJ-11] – 1/31/2007
Rep Visclosky, Peter J. [IN-1] – 1/31/2007Rep DeLauro, Rosa L. [CT-3] –
1/31/2007
Rep English, Phil [PA-3] – 1/31/2007(withdrawn – 3/15/2007)Rep Cardoza,
Dennis A. [CA-18] – 1/31/2007
Rep Wolf, Frank R. [VA-10] – 1/31/2007Rep Gonzalez, Charles A. [TX-20] –
1/31/2007
Rep Watson, Diane E. [CA-33] – 1/31/2007Rep Jindal, Bobby [LA-1] –
1/31/2007(withdrawn – 1/31/2007)
Rep Sarbanes, John P. [MD-3] – 1/31/2007Rep Gerlach, Jim [PA-6] – 1/31/2007
Rep Davis, Susan A. [CA-53] – 1/31/2007Rep Lowey, Nita M. [NY-18] –
1/31/2007
Rep Holden, Tim [PA-17] – 1/31/2007Rep Israel, Steve [NY-2] – 1/31/2007
Rep Levin, Sander M. [MI-12] – 1/31/2007Rep Moran, James P. [VA-8] –
1/31/2007
Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] – 1/31/2007Rep Calvert, Ken [CA-44] – 1/31/2007
Rep McCollum, Betty [MN-4] – 1/31/2007Rep Hare, Phil [IL-17] – 1/31/2007
Rep Costa, Jim [CA-20] – 1/31/2007Rep Jackson, Jesse L., Jr. [IL-2] –
1/31/2007
Rep Stark, Fortney Pete [CA-13] – 1/31/2007Rep Berkley, Shelley [NV-1] –
1/31/2007
Rep Shays, Christopher [CT-4] – 1/31/2007Rep Ryan, Paul [WI-1] – 1/31/2007
Rep Miller, George [CA-7] – 1/31/2007Rep Doggett, Lloyd [TX-25] – 1/31/2007
Rep Becerra, Xavier [CA-31] – 1/31/2007Rep Sanchez, Loretta [CA-47] –
1/31/2007
Rep Bishop, Sanford D., Jr. [GA-2] – 1/31/2007Rep Schakowsky, Janice D.
[IL-9] – 1/31/2007
Rep Solis, Hilda L. [CA-32] – 1/31/2007Rep Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-9] –
1/31/2007
Rep LoBiondo, Frank A. [NJ-2] – 1/31/2007Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. [NY-22] –
1/31/2007
Rep Lewis, John [GA-5] – 1/31/2007Rep Ferguson, Mike [NJ-7] – 1/31/2007
Rep Bono, Mary [CA-45] – 1/31/2007Rep Miller, Candice S. [MI-10] – 1/31/2007
Rep Sires, Albio [NJ-13] – 1/31/2007Rep Olver, John W. [MA-1] – 1/31/2007
Rep Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr. [WI-5] – 1/31/2007Rep Musgrave, Marilyn N.
[CO-4] – 1/31/2007
Rep McDermott, Jim [WA-7] – 1/31/2007Rep McKeon, Howard P. "Buck" [CA-25] –
1/31/2007
Rep Herseth, Stephanie [SD] – 1/31/2007Rep Bean, Melissa L. [IL-8] –
1/31/2007
Rep Wamp, Zach [TN-3] – 1/31/2007Rep Andrews, Robert E. [NJ-1] – 1/31/2007
Rep Renzi, Rick [AZ-1] – 1/31/2007Rep Weller, Jerry [IL-11] – 1/31/2007
Rep Pastor, Ed [AZ-4] – 1/31/2007Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4] – 1/31/2007
Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15] – 1/31/2007Rep McCarthy, Carolyn [NY-4] –
1/31/2007
Rep Peterson, Collin C. [MN-7] – 1/31/2007Rep Issa, Darrell E. [CA-49] –
1/31/2007
Rep Carnahan, Russ [MO-3] – 1/31/2007Rep Hinojosa, Ruben [TX-15] – 1/31/2007
Rep Wynn, Albert Russell [MD-4] – 1/31/2007Rep Jones, Stephanie Tubbs
[OH-11] – 1/31/2007
Rep Smith, Christopher H. [NJ-4] – 1/31/2007Rep Millender-McDonald, Juanita
[CA-37] – 1/31/2007
Rep Shimkus, John [IL-19] – 1/31/2007Rep Dent, Charles W. [PA-15] –
1/31/2007
Rep McCaul, Michael T. [TX-10] – 1/31/2007Rep Boren, Dan [OK-2] –
1/31/2007(withdrawn – 5/2/2007)
Rep Davis, Lincoln [TN-4] – 1/31/2007Rep Farr, Sam [CA-17] – 1/31/2007
Rep Jackson-Lee, Sheila [TX-18] – 1/31/2007Rep Kind, Ron [WI-3] – 1/31/2007
Rep Matheson, Jim [UT-2] – 1/31/2007Rep Melancon, Charlie [LA-3] – 1/31/2007
Rep Moore, Dennis [KS-3] – 1/31/2007(withdrawn – 3/13/2007)Rep Ross, Mike
[AR-4] – 1/31/2007
Rep Ryan, Tim [OH-17] – 1/31/2007Rep Scott, David [GA-13] –
1/31/2007(withdrawn – 4/18/2007)
Rep Thompson, Mike [CA-1] – 1/31/2007Rep Waters, Maxine [CA-35] – 1/31/2007
Rep Lungren, Daniel E. [CA-3] – 1/31/2007Rep Towns, Edolphus [NY-10] –
1/31/2007
Rep Ellison, Keith [MN-5] – 2/5/2007Rep McNerney, Jerry [CA-11] – 2/5/2007
Rep DeGette, Diana [CO-1] – 2/5/2007Rep Velazquez, Nydia M. [NY-12] –
2/5/2007
Rep Green, Gene [TX-29] – 2/5/2007Rep McCarthy, Kevin [CA-22] – 2/5/2007
Rep Johnson, Henry C. "Hank," Jr. [GA-4] – 2/8/2007Rep Lamborn, Doug
[CO-5] – 2/8/2007
Rep Walsh, James T. [NY-25] – 2/8/2007Rep Wu, David [OR-1] – 2/8/2007
Rep Marchant, Kenny [TX-24] – 2/8/2007Rep Harman, Jane [CA-36] – 2/8/2007
Rep Michaud, Michael H. [ME-2] – 2/8/2007Rep Green, Al [TX-9] – 3/1/2007
Rep Bachmann, Michele [MN-6] – 3/1/2007Rep LaTourette, Steven C. [OH-14] –
3/1/2007
Rep Space, Zachary T. [OH-18] – 3/12/2007Rep Brady, Robert A. [PA-1] –
3/12/2007
Rep Baird, Brian [WA-3] – 3/12/2007Rep Bilbray, Brian P. [CA-50] – 3/12/2007
Rep Perlmutter, Ed [CO-7] – 3/29/2007Rep Sutton, Betty [OH-13] – 3/29/2007
Rep Miller, Gary G. [CA-42] – 3/29/2007Rep Salazar, John T. [CO-3] –
4/16/2007
Rep Hunter, Duncan [CA-52] – 4/16/2007Rep Reichert, David G. [WA-8] –
4/16/2007
Rep Clarke, Yvette D. [NY-11] – 4/16/2007Rep Bishop, Timothy H. [NY-1] –
4/19/2007
Rep Tancredo, Thomas G. [CO-6] – 4/19/2007Rep Braley, Bruce L. [IA-1] –
4/19/2007
Rep Hodes, Paul W. [NH-2] – 5/9/2007Rep Courtney, Joe [CT-2] – 5/14/2007
Rep Udall, Tom [NM-3] – 5/14/2007Rep Roskam, Peter J. [IL-6] – 5/21/2007
Rep Murphy, Christopher S. [CT-5] – 5/21/2007