Author: Varosian Antranik

PACE ISSUES WRITTEN STATEMENT ON 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEPORTATION OF AZERBAIJANIS FROM ARMENIA

APA
Jan 28 2009
Azerbaijan

Strasbourg. Alexander Kin-APA. Azerbaijani parliamentarian delegated
to PACE Ganira Pashayeva prepared a written statement on the 60th
anniversary of the deportation of Azerbaijanis from Armenia. The
statement was signed by more than 20 parliamentarians from Great
Britain, Germany, Turkey, Latvia, Estonia, Bulgaria, Albania and other
countries and was issued as a written official statement of PACE,
APA European bureau reports.

Rights of all deported people during the Stalin’s power to return
home were recognized, said in the document. "However Armenia refuses
to recognize the rights of Azerbaijani people deported from Armenia
in 1948-53 to return home. Armenia violates the fundamental human
rights of 150 thousand Azerbaijanis, who were deported from Armenia
60 years ago".

"The rights of all people, except Azerbaijani, deported during the
Stalin’s power were restored and today only Azerbaijani people are
deprived of their rights".

As a result of indifference of international organizations and world
community, Armenia continued its mono-ethnic state policy, which is
condemned today by the Council of Europe, and expelled Azerbaijani
people from their homeland in 1988. 300 thousand Azerbaijanis were
expelled from their historic lands as a result of Armenia’s ethnic
cleansing policy, said in the statement.

PACE, declaring the human rights its priority, and PACE member
countries condemn these crimes committed against Azerbaijanis and
calls on the member-countries of the Council of Europe to use strong
mechanism of pressure on Armenia to force it to recognize and to
restore the rights of Azerbaijanis deported from their homeland
to return.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT PRAISES ARMY ON ITS ANNIVERSARY

Armenian Public TV
Jan 27 2009
Armenia

[Presenter] Tomorrow is the day of the Armenian army. On the eve
of the holiday marking the 17th anniversary of the army, a group of
servicemen were awarded high government awards and medals with some
of them getting top military ranks for great contribution to the
army and bravery shown during the service. Hosting servicemen at the
presidential office today, [President] Serzh Sargsyan congratulated
them on the holiday, said that the [Armenian] army is the greatest
achievement of independence. He said that when our independence was
in jeopardy 17 years ago, the establishment of the army became the
most important task of the day. It was founded and tested in the war,
showing its best sides, the will and dedication to the homeland from
the first day.

[President Serzh Sargsyan, addressing servicemen] Due to all that,
we could win in an unequal battle and achieved the right to live by
our values. The Armenian army is a national pride for us, and for
adversaries, it is a strong factor for prevention and sobriety, and
thanks to the [army’s] power and combat capability, a fragile peace
has been maintained for years. We know that we owe to those soldiers,
commanders, our courageous sons who carry out their service on their
positions and in their trenches daily for that peace.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Turkish Parliament: Israel Friendship Group no more
24.01.2009 14:32 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey-Israel interparliamentary friendship group
does not exist anymore.

Turkey-Israel interparliamentary friendship group does not exist
anymore. The Turkish MPs took the decision in protest of Israel
offensive in Gaza that killed more than 1300 Palestinians with a
quarter of children and wounded 5300 in 22 days of bombardments, the
World Bulletin reports.

Condemning the Cast Lead operation Israel launched in Gaza, Turkish PM
Recep Tayyip Erdogan called to ban Israel from the UN.

Visits of Israeli officials to Turkey were cancelled.

EU READY TO CONTRIBUTE TO KARABAKH SETTLEMENT – EU REPRESENTATIVE

Interfax
Jan 20 2009
Russia

The European Union is interested in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict and is ready to help with the process of settlement, EU
Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy
Benita Ferrero-Waldner told a press conference in Yerevan.

"We have, and I personally have, always been interested in this
process. We shall be glad if the sides arrive at a solution. Recent
meetings of the sides in Moscow and Helsinki were good and I think
there are prospects for a meeting between the Armenian and Azeri
presidents," she said.

Hopefully, the situation in the region will drastically change after
the Nagorno-Karabakh problem is solved, she said.

"We are ready to contribute to the solution of the conflict. We know
there are differing principles to solving the problem – the principle
of territorial integrity and the self-determination principle.

It is necessary to find an acceptable solution," she said.

She condemned belligerent statements on the conflict, she said.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said Armenia "will continue
talks in the light of the recent statements adopted in Moscow and
Helsinki" at the meeting with the chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group
for Nagorno-Karabakh settlement to be held on Tuesday.

"We shall continue talks with the co-chairmen and take efforts to
find a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," he said.

ARMENIA’S ACP CUTS COPPER PRODUCTION 6.8% IN 2008

Interfax
Jan 20 2009
Russia

Armenian metals company Armenia Copper Programme (ACP) reduced
unrefined copper production 6.8% in 2008 compared with 2007 to 6,480
tonnes, the company’s PR department told Interfax.

Copper sales fell 13.6% to 6,251 tonnes.

All the copper was exported to Europe.

ACP processed 34,258 tonnes of copper concentrate in 2008, down from
39,230 tonnes in 2007.

The Liechtenstein-registered Vallex F.M. Establishment owns 81%
and Russia-based businessman Valery Mejlumian owns 19% of ACP.

BJNI CONDEMNS TOO

A1+
[06:42 pm] 22 January, 2009

The "Bjni" mineral water factory" CJSC condemns the violence committed
against compulsory enforcement officer of the Kotayk Marz Hayk
Babajanyan and express the hope that there will come a time when
citizens of Armenia will be protected.

Touching upon the news and allusions in the presses, the company
correspondents said:

"Our company complies with all laws. We have presented a series
of appeals to the courts in relation to the illegal acts committed
against the "Bjni" company. "Bjni" has never tried nor tries to commit
any illegal acts.

In relation to that, the "Bjni" mineral water factory" CJSC
administration declares:

"There are four sides of the story behind what happened to Hayk
Babajanyan. First, the blame is on "Bjni". Second, it was planned
by the government to steer the public against the Sukiasyan family
and conceal the government’s illegal actions (this side of the
story includes the false charges against "Bjni" workers and the
intimidation). Thirdly, it was perpetrated by any citizen who has had
serious problems as a result of the compulsory enforcement officer’s
actions and fourth, it was perpetrated by somebody who had personal
problems with Babajanyan and had nothing to do with his functions as
an official.

The first side of the story is denied easily because H. Babajanyan is
an average ranking official who doesn’t even have information regarding
his cases. The Bjni Company and the people know that this process is
headed by the RA presidential administration with the participation
of a series of high-ranking officials, including judges, heads of
the Service for Compulsory Enforcement of Judicial Acts, taxation
service heads and others.

The second side of the story is very possible because we believe
that it is not a coincidence that the government decided to throw the
reputation of the Bjni Company and reduce people’s respect towards the
company at a time when the company’s assets are up for bid. We are
certain that the law-enforcement officers that form a part of this
government will not do anything. Nevertheless, we express hope that
the law-enforcement officers will quickly reveal the real criminal."

According to press secretary for the Service for Compulsory Enforcement
of Judicial Acts, Hayk Babajanyan heads the compulsory cases relating
to the "Bjni" mineral water factory" CJSC. The service officials
don’t exclude the fact that the case could be directly tied to the
fulfillment of the obligations of the compulsory enforcement official.

EUROPE NEEDS 10-THOUSAND STRONG PEACEKEEPING FORCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.01.2009 18:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Only a strong and united Europe is capable to
perform peacekeeping missions and resolve conflicts throughout the
globe, according to France’s ambassador to Armenia.

"Achievement of peace in South Ossetia in August 2008 was Europe’s
merit. As you remember, French President Nicolas Sarkozy offered
a deal that put an end to the Russian-Georgian conflict. Moreover,
the EU initiated Russia-Georgia talks in Geneva," Serge Smessov said.

He also remarked that rotating presidency doesn’t justify itself and
that the European Union needs a President.

"We also need a 10-thousand strong peacekeeping force for the conflicts
NATO can’t cope with," the French diplomat said.

ANOTHER ARMENIAN OPPOSITIONIST REFUSES TO STAND FOR JUDGES

Trend News Agency
Jan 22 2009
Azerbaijan

A jailed opposition leader refused to stand up and show respect for
Armenia’s Court of Appeals as it opened hearings on his appeal against
a two-year prison sentence given to him by a lower court.

In doing that, Smbat Ayvazian of the opposition Hanrapetutyun
(Republic) followed the example of seven other prominent opposition
figures who went on what they consider a sham trial last December. The
trial has been effectively paralyzed since then.

The seven loyalists of former President Levon Ter-Petrosian, among
them three members of parliament, stand accused of plotting to "usurp
state power" and provoking the March 1, 2008 riots in Yerevan for
that purpose.

Ayvazian, whose party also strongly backs Ter-Petrosian, was arrested
on February 24 and subsequently charged with illegally possessing a
truncheon and resisting police officers. A Yerevan court found him
guilty of these accusations in November. The former minister for tax
collection appealed against the ruling, reported Armliberty.

"I don’t respect the court because there is no justice here," Ayvazian
said on Wednesday, explaining his decision not to stand up for a
panel of three Court of Appeals judges considering the case.

"You don’t need to examine anything because you are going to do what
you will be told from above," he told them. "So you can execute the
order given to you right now. I have no problem with that."

The judges construed his behavior as a "disrespectful attitude to
the court" and adjourned the trial until next Monday. "I’ll do the
same at the next session," shouted Ayvazian.

When asked by he appealed to the court in the first place, Ayvazian
said he wants to formally exhaust all possibilities of legal action
in Armenia. His lawyer, Lusine Sahakian, confirmed that he plans to
take his case to the European Court of Human Rights.

Ayvazian is among about 60 Ter-Petrosian supporters who were arrested
in the wake of the February 2008 presidential election and remain
in jail on controversial charges. A key committee of the Council of
Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) described them as "political
prisoners" last month to the dismay of the Armenian government. The
latter denies that the criminal cases against the oppositionists are
politically motivated.

ARMENIA FM, MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS DISCUSS KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

armradio.am
21.01.2009 10:41

On January 20 the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian,
had a meeting with the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Yuri
Merzlyakov (Russia), Bernard Fassier (France) and Matthew Bryza
(USA) and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office
Andrzej Kasprzyk.

The process of negotiations on the settlement of the Artsakh issue
was discussed at the meeting.

The interlocutors attached importance to the November 2nd declaration
the Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia signed in Moscow,
the declaration of the Minsk Group co-chair countries of December 4,
2008 and the declaration of the OSCE Foreign Ministers of November
5. The parties stressed that the negotiations should continue in the
spirit of the above-mentioned documents.

School contest on Armenian language and literature to take place in
Armenia in July

YEREVAN, January 16. /ARKA/. The RA Ministry of Education and Science
will hold a contest on Armenian Language and Literature and a
Competition on Knowledge of Armenian Studies among pupils on July
10-17, the Ministry’s press-service told ARKA News Agency.

The event is aimed on contributing to improvement of knowledge of
Armenian language, literature, history and culture, bringing out new
talented pupils, as well as on making contacts with peers from other
countries.

Pupils over 14, currently studying in educational institutions with
educational program being on Armenian, as well as Armenian and foreign
pupils studying n other comprehensive schools are eligible to take part
in the fourth contest.

The working language of the contest will be Armenian, and the results
will be revealed on the base of written competition on Armenian
Language and oral on Armenian Literature.

The competition on Knowledge of Armenian Studies will include questions
on Armenian History and Culture. Pupils whose mother tongue is not
Armenian can participate to it as well by choosing the language at
will.

Winners of the contest and the competition can also participate to
additional contests on declamation, rhetoric, patriotic song, and other
creative quizzes at will. Winners of these contests will receive
special encouraging prizes.

Ministry of
Education and Science hopes for attention and assistance of
Armenian communities, national social departments and organizations,
diocesan and educational councils in attaching an all-Armenian nature
to the events. `0–