Author: Virabian Jhanna

ARMENIA READY TO SETTLE KARABAKH CONFLICT WITHIN OSCE MG

ARKA
April 4, 2008

YEREVAN, April 4. /ARKA/. Armenia is willing to settle the Karabakh
conflict within the OSCE Minsk Group format and based on the document
available at the negotiations, the President-elect of Armenia Serge
Sargsian said in Bucharest.

The status of Nagorno-Karabakh peace process has been evaluated at
the meeting of Sargsian with OSCE Chairman Special Representative
Andjey Kasprshik and OSCE MG Co-Chairs.

According to Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, Azerbaijan
is attempting to break up the OSCE Minsk Group and transfer the
settlement into the UNO.

Particularly, on March 14 the UN General Assembly passed the resolution
on Nagorno-Karabakh suggested by Azerbaijan with 39 votes "for",
7 "against" and 100 abstained. The resolution demands immediate
withdrawal of Armenian forces from the "occupied" territories of
Azerbaijan that requests affirming its right for Nagorno-Karabakh and
the adjacent regions, The USA, France and Russia, co0-chairs of OSCE
Minsk Group, voted against the resolution.

President-Elect of Armenia Serge Sargsian told journalists that
he will communicate more certain impressions after he has a chance
to meet with the other side to the conflict. He also said that the
Co-Chairs are optimistic and that they have reasons for that.

Sargsian also said that he is not against a meeting with Azerbaiojani
President in the scope of a conference upon request of the other side.

Sargsian also visited the Romanian Parliament where he took part in the
discussion of the leaders of Euro-Atlantic partnership Council-member
countries on the challenged of the 21st century.

AZERBAIJAN CONTINUES TO REJECT IDEA OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH SECESSION

Interfax News Agency
April 2 2008
Russia

An Azeri deputy foreign minister has reiterated his country’s position
that Azerbaijan will reject any Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement
formula that involves Nagorno- Karabakh’s secession from Azerbaijan.

"This land must be part of Azerbaijan and it will remain part of
Azerbaijan," Araz Azimov told reporters Tuesday.

Azimov also called on Armenian President Robert Kocharian "not to
forget what has happened to leaders of states who have dabbled in
ethnic cleansing."

CREATION OF PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE POSSIBLE

AZG Armenian Daily
03/04/2008

After-Election Crisis

On April 1, Armenian President-elect, Prime Minister Serge Sargsian
received the delegation of Ago Group of the Ministers Committee of
the Council of Europe led by Swedish ambassador Per Sjogren.

Ambassador Syogren mentioned that the delegation involves ambassadors
of 9 state’s governments. He underlined that it testifies about their
friendly approach, readiness to support and intentions of future
cooperation with Armenia.

National Assembly Chairman Tigran Torosian at the meeting with Per
Sjogen discussed issue of creation of a committee at international
or national level aiming for discussions of March 1 incidents.

It is informed that one of the possible variants according to
Mr. Torosian is to create a parliamentary committee that will involve
different specialists in order to provide public confidence.

Tigran Torosian recalled that the parliament has previous experience
of creation of committees.

Ago group members met with other faction members of NA.

ANCA EASTERN REGION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO TAKE PART IN GENOCIDE EDUCATION AWARENESS PANEL

Noyan Tapan
April 2, 2008

The Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region (ANCA-ER)
Executive Director Karine Birazian will be participating on a panel
on genocide education awareness to be held in New York on April 7.

The panel has been organized by the Miracle Corners of the World
(MCW) and Jacqueline’s Human Rights Corner non-profit organizations
in the face of Rwandan Genocide survivor Jacqueline Murekartete. The
event is expected to bring together genocide survivors from around
the world and voices to examine the crime and reality of genocide in
the 20th and 21st centuries and create a world without genocide.

HEAD OF NUBARASHEN PENITENTIARY INSTITUTION RELIEVED OF HIS POST FOR DISCIPLINARY VIOLATION

Noyan Tapan
April 1, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 1, NOYAN TAPAN. By the order of RA Minister of Justice
Gevorg Danielian, V. Arakelian, the Head of the Nubarashen penitentiary
institution of the RA Ministry of Justice, has been relieved of his
post for a disciplinary violation. As Noyan Tapan correspondent was
informed by Arsen Babayan, the Spokesperson of the Penitentiary
Department of the RA Ministry of Justice, a disciplinary fine,
lowering of post, was used to V. Arakelian.

V. Arakelian, in his turn, presented a report to the Minister of
Justice with a request to dismiss him from the penitentiary system,
which was sustained.

Attaching importance to the "rotation" principle of work organization,
as well as necessity to fill the vacancy, the RA Minister of Justice
has made cadre changes. Thus, A. Afrikian, the Head of the Hospital of
Convicts penitentiary institution, has been appointed to the post of
the Head of the Nubarashen penitentiary institution, T. Navasardian,
the Head of the Kosh penitentiary institution, has been appointed
to the post of the Head of the Hospital of Convicts penitentiary
institution, L. Baghdasarian, the Head of the Erebuni penitentiary
institution, has been appointed to the post of the Head of the
Kosh penitentiary institution, V. Margarian, the Head of the Artik
penitentiary institution, has been appointed to the post of the Head
of the Erebuni penitentiary institution, and A. Grigorian, the Deputy
Head of the Nubarashen penitentiary institution, has been appointed
to the post of the Head of the Artik penitentiary institution.

KOCHARIAN: KARABAKH PROCESS MORE FAVORABLE THAN 10 YEARS AGO

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.04.2008 12:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia’s President Robert Kocharian met in
Stepanakert with NKR President Bako Sahakian, members of the National
Assembly and government, reported the department of information and
public relations at the NKR government.

NKR Prime Minister Ara Harutyunyan briefed on state programs
implemented in the social and economic fields. "Energy, agriculture,
house building, public health and other sectors are also in focus,"
he said.

In his remarks, NKR NA chairman Ashot Ghulian said that the
cooperation between the two Armenian republics grew stronger under
Robert Kocharian’s presidency. He voiced assurance that Mr Kocharian
will continue to contribute to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement
and consolidation of the Armenian state system.

For his part, the Armenian President presented his vision of trends
and principles of the NKR economy development and relations between
Armenia and Karabakh.

Touching on the Karabakh problem, he said that the negotiation process
is proceeding more favorably than 10 years ago.

Haykakan Zhamanak, Armenia
March 28 2008

Armenian paper reports police pressure on protesters in province

The police have destroyed the tent of disabled Karabakh war veteran
Arshavir Bazinyan who has gone on a hunger strike in Armenia’s Kotayk
Region demanding the release of arrested MP Sasun Mikaelyan and other
political prisoners, the Armenian opposition daily Haykakan Zhamanak
has reported.

The hunger striker’s tent was destroyed on orders from a local police
chief, the newspaper said. Bazinyan continues his hunger strike in
the open air.

At the same time, protests in the village of Vanatur outside the town
of Hrazdan, Kotayk Region, are continuing despite arrests and
pressure from the authorities. The police visited a village school
yesterday and questioned children, Haykakan Zhamanak said. As a
result, many parents refuse to send their children to school, the
newspaper said.

POLICEMEN CONTINUE TAKING PARTICIPANTS OF "POLITICAL WALK" TO POLICE STATIONS

Noyan Tapan
March 27, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 27, NOYAN TAPAN. From 6 p.m. to 7:25 p.m. of March
27, without providing any explanation or reasons, policemen took 19
citizens, including reporter of "Hetq" electronic newspaper Tigran
Paskevichian, from North Avenue to police stations. Other journalists
told policemen that the indicated person was a reporter but this
circumstance did not prevent policemen from forcing T. Paskevichian
to get into a car and driving him away. Policemen were also going to
take member of "Karabakh" committee Samson Ghazarian but they went
away after exchanging a few words with him.

To recap, supporters of the first Armenian president Levon
Ter-Petrosian have declared that they will take "political walks"
along North Avenue every evening. At 8 p.m. a lot of policemen and
employees of the National Security Service (NAS) gathered in the
avenue, while one of them was filming the walking people with a video
camera. The number of the "walk" participants was gradually increasing.

ARMENIA VS KAZAKHSTAN FRIENDLY MATCH TONIGHT

armradio.am
26.03.2008 18:02

Later this evening the Armenian national football team led by
head coach Jan Poulsen will hold a friendly match with the team of
Kazakhstan in Rotterdam (Holland).

The Armenian national football team, which currently ranks 83rd in
the latest FIFA ranking list, will not play with the first cast. In
particular, Roman Berezovski, Arman and Artavazd Karamyan are missing.

It’s worth mentioning that player of the Armenian national team Aram
Hakobyan has signed a one-year contract with the Russian "Volga"
(Ulyanovsk) team.

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO TRAVEL TO MOSCOW FOR CIS FOREIGN-MINISTERIAL MEETING

ARKA
March 26, 2008

YEREVAN, March 26. /ARKA/. Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
is to fly to Moscow on Thursday to attend foreign-ministerial meeting
of Commonwealth of Independent States.

The ministry’s press office told ARKA News Agency that the celebration
of the 65th anniversary of victory in Great Patriotic War (a part
of World War II) and joint crackdown on drug trafficking as well as
information security are put on the meeting’s agenda.

CIS development prospects will be considered among other issues.-0-