Author: Vorskanian Yeghisabet

TEHRAN-YEREVAN-MOSCOW AXIS FORMATION VITAL

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.01.2008 17:08 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Formation of Ankara-Baku-Tbilisi geopolitical
axis has already become obvious," RA National Assembly Vice Speaker,
presidential hopeful Vahan Hovhannisian said in an interview with
Military Diplomat magazine.

"In this aspect, formation of Tehran-Yerevan-Moscow axis will be not
only a counterbalance but a vital necessity for Armenia," he said.

"Turkey, Azerbaijan and Baku are aspired for the role of regional
hegemon. In absence of retaliatory measures, their activity can
transform into a cynical "blocking of oxygen" against those who don’t
support them. I think that frequent meetings of the Russian, Armenian
and Iranian leaders will produce effect and promote implementation
of joint projects," Mr Hovhannisian said.

WORLD PEACE EVENT MARCH 21, 2008

AZG Armenian Daily
25/01/2008

Social

Irys Manoukian that lives in Los Angeles sent a letter that says,
in November 2007, she heard there was a project being prepared and
Prince Ali was in charge of the Middle East countries. She wanted
Armenia to be part of that huge event, she asked why Armenia was
not present, then she has convinced Prince Ali to welcome Armenia,
and he has appointed her as the Director of the Advisory Board in
World Peace Events for Armenia.

Being a charity event, charity concerts will take place in the future,
in different places, and Irys Manoukian will do everything for the
next concert to take place in Yerevan. Her goal is to allocate all
the benefits which will be made to finance orphanages and hospitals
for children in Armenia.

She has personally invited Rouben Hakhverdyan to come and sing on a
benevolent basis on March 21, 2008 at the Convention Center of Los
Angeles. Rouben will perform in front of billions of people, and he
will show that Armenia is also struggling for peace in world.

PACE REGRETS ABSENCE OF MUTUALLY-ACCEPTED SOLUTION TO KOSOVO

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.01.2008 18:15 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe considers the solution of the Kosovo status process as a
fundamental element for ensuring peace and long-term stability in
Europe. Determining the future status of Kosovo is a highly sensitive
political issue with serious regional and wider international
implications and is a challenge for the international community,"
reads a PACE resolution on Kosovo’s future status.

"The Assembly deeply regrets that, at this stage, no mutually-accepted
solution has been found. The dialogue engaged over this period
has been precious in clarifying to what extent there is room for
an agreement, amongst others, on issues such as the protection of
national minorities, the protection of cultural and religious heritage
and decentralisation.

However, the position of the two sides as regards status remains
unchanged.

"The failure to reach a compromise under the period of engagement of
the Troika opens a period of great uncertainty: amongst the possible
scenarios, it is not to be excluded that the Kosovo Assembly decides
to resort to a Unilateral Declaration of Independence, should the UNSC
be incapable of achieving a unanimous position and imposing a solution.

"The Assembly urges the parties concerned to continue to act in a
responsible manner, keep their pledge to preserve peace and dialogue
in all circumstances and refrain from any incitement to violence.

"The Assembly reiterates its aspiration for Kosovo to be, irrespective
of its status, a multi-ethnic area which is safe for all those who
live in it, where Council of Europe standards of democracy, rule of
law, protection of human rights and rights of national minorities,
and good governance are fully enforced, where the recourse offered
by the European Convention on Human Rights is available to everyone
and where the values of democracy, tolerance and multiculturalism
are shared by its people and institutions," the resolution says.

RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN BUSINESSMAN BORIS PETROSIAN INTENDS TO SET UP VENTURE FUND IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Jan 22, 2008

YEREVAN, JANUARY 22, NOYAN TAPAN. Boris Petrosian, a Russian-Armenian
businessman, chairman of Sapphire company (Armenia) and co-founder of
Mshak company intends to set up a venture fund in Armenia. Informing
NT correspondent about it, he added that he has assisted with
development of science and science-intensive technologies in Armenia
for 15 years. In Russia he engaged in science-related business,
construction and lease of commercial facilities. So far B. Petrosian
has invested more than 10 million dollars in Armenia. Besides,
the businessman provides assistance to two departments of Armenian
technical universities by financing training of students abroad.

In his words, development of Sapphire plant’s production is equivalent
to Armenia’s having large oil resources as the market of this plant
is increasing by 40% with every passing year. "I strive so that
Sapphire’s output will make up 10-20% of the world market. 30 units
for artificial growth of sapphires operate at the plant".

"There are plans to synthesize new artificial sapphire-based substances
to be used in energy saving and alternative energy technologies,"
he said.

(Substances obtained on the basis of artificial sapphire are also
used in mechanisms and optical electronics). He envisages launching
production of 5th generation incandescent lamps with the use of new
artificial sapphire-based substances. Such lamps use 20 times less
energy than similar ones with the same capacity, which are currently
in use.

Speaking about the policy conducted by the state, B. Petrosian
said: "Unfortunately, after the incorrect privatization process,
all wealth that our fathers left for us has been scattered. A state
is rich when it has production and exports. Whereas, 90% of the RA
National Assembly’s busienssmen deputies are importers who work for
their own profit and against the Armenian economy". In his opinion,
a holding to unite non-food industrial plants should be founded in
Armenia in order to solve problems related to the use of local raw
materials, reduction of production’s power intensity, introduction of
science-intensive technologies, promotion of exports and ensuring a
higher degree of production transportability. "At present, instead
of domestically produced molybdenum being bought for 27 dollars a
kilogram, it is bought abroad for 250 dollars a kilogram and then
brought back to Armenia," he said.

B. Petrosian expressed an opinion that in order to develop
science-intensive technologies in the country, the state should apply
some assistance mechanisms, particularly, in the form of privileges
used in many countries.

"In making some investments, I am aware that their result may be seen
in a hundred years when I will be no longer alive. However, I do so in
the name of the future, and the state should realize that investments
in science are made for the future," he underlined. Besides, the
businessman pointed out the necessity to create legislative mechanisms
banning brain drain and unlicenced transfer and export of intellectual
property, particularly, technologies.

ARMENIAN DELEGATION TO PACE TO MAKE STATEMENTS ON SEVERAL REPORTS OF WINTER SESSION AGENDA IN STRASBOURG

arminfo
2008-01-22 13:50:00

ArmInfo. Armenian delegation to PACE is going to make statements
on several reports of winter session agenda in Strasbourg, chief
specialist of the foreign relations department of the Armenian National
Assembly, Armenia’s representative in PACE permanent secretariat
Estera Mkrtumyan.

She said, in particular, that speeches of members of the Armenian
delegation to PACE are scheduled today – that of the head of the
permanent commission on European integration Avet Adonts and the
leader of the Heritage faction Raffi Hovannisian. Moreover, members
of the Armenian delegation are going to ask questions to Slovakia’s
Foreign Minister Jan Kubis and Secretary General of the Council of
Europe Terry Davis regarding preserving of the cultural heritage in
the South Caucasus and Nagornyy Karabakh. Over the PACE session, which
will last till 25 January, representatives of the Armenian delegation
will also make speeches on the reports "Rights and obligations of
opposition in democratic parliament", "Necessity of preserving of
the European sports model", "UN Security Council and ‘black lists"
of the European Union", "Georgia’s obligations", etc.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE FROM ARF DASHNAKTSUTYUN VAHAN HOVHANNISIAN IS THE FIRST AMONG PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES TO ANSWER ‘HERITAGE’ PARTY’S QUESTIONS IN WRITTEN

arminfo
2008-01-21 18:47:00

ArmInfo. Armenian presidential candidate from ARF Dashnaktsutyun Vahan
Hovhannisian was the first among the presidential candidates to answer
"Heritage" party’s questions in written.

A reliable source told ArmInfo, V. Hovannisyan’s written answers to
"Heritage" party’s questionnaire reached the office of the opposition
"Heritage" party in the morning, January 21. ARFD’s contender to
the presidential post answered all the 22 questions posed to all the
candidates by the "Heritage party’s Board on December 18, 2007.

To note, this took place two days after ARFD’s Board made a decision,
according to which the party, which hasn’t the right to participate in
the presidential election with its own candidate still doesn’t intend
to support any of the candidates. It was stated in the decision adopted
by the managing body of "Heritage" party, in the night of January 19,
that none of the presidential candidates has officially responded to
the questionnaire of public information. Concern was also expressed
in the document in connection with that the opposition never learnt
a lesson from the latest parliamentary election and didn’t take the
path of consolidation. "Heritage" party’s board appealed presidential
candidates Vazgen Manukyan, Vahan Hovhannisyan, Artur Baghdasaryan
and Levon Ter-Petrosyan to reconsider their election strategy.

"If the need, that at least two of the above mentioned join, is not
met, the party will make its final decision later", the decision of
"Heritage" party’s Board says. It is obvious that ARFD’s presidential
candidate Vahan Hovhannisian, who was the first to answer Heritage’s
questions after this decision, hopes to get its support in the
presidential election.

NINE CANDIDATES REGISTERED FOR ARMENIAN PRESIDENTIAL RACE
by Natalia Leshchenko

Global Insight
Jan 21 2008

The Central Election Commission (CEC) has closed the registration of
candidates for the 19 February presidential election. Nine people
who met the signature collection and financial deposit ($26US,000)
requirements were put on the list: Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan,
deputy parliament speaker Vahan Hovannisian, former President
Lev Ter-Petrossian, former parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian
and two other opposition leaders, Artashes Geghamian and Vazgen
Manukian. The businessman and TV commentator Tigran Karapetian,
university lecturer Aram Harutiunian, and Nagorno-Karabakh’s former
permanent representative to Armenia Arman Melikian, are also on the
list, Radio Liberty reports.

Significance:The presidential race officially kicks off today. While
the ruling elite has put forward one candidate, Serzh Sargsyan,
the opposition did not agree on one figure–with at least four
opposition candidates running, that is highly likely to split any
anti-establishment vote. The opposition would not be helped by
independent polls either, which are used to offset and verify the
official results, as they saw the polls as biased in favour of the
government and asked the United States, which funded the survey,
to stop polling. The responsibility of estimating the quality of the
election will thus rest primarily with the international observers
who will be attending the presidential election.

Lragir, Armenia
Jan 16 2008

NKR SECURITY IS NOT LIABLE TO MANIPULATION

`In today’s meeting we reasserted our loyalty to the peace settlement
of the issue,’ NKR President Bako Sahakyan stated after the meeting
with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.

According to the NKR president, the statements of the Azerbaijani
government cannot foster the peace settlement of the issue.

`Our stance is the same: the security of Karabakh with all its
components is not liable to manipulations,’ Bako Sahakyan emphasized.

At the same time, he said the co-chairs presented general views
uttered by the Armenian and Azerbaijani governments. `Judging by
those views, there are points which, at least for us, do not satisfy
the interests of the NKR people.’

With regard to the effectiveness of the negotiations and meetings the
president said they will be satisfactory `if a lasting solution is
reached.’ `It is the independence of our country which will be
recognized by the international community,’ he added.

Bako Sahakyan says a breakthrough would be possible this year if NKR
participated in the talks as a full-right party. `At the same time,
we emphasized that we are interested in the continuation of
participation of Armenia in the talks, and we think that the
participation of Armenia fosters maintenance of peace,’ the NKR
president mentioned.

Some points in agreement on Karabakh do not correspond to the interests
of the people of Karabakh

Naira Hayrumyan
18-01-2008 13:13:46 – KarabakhOpen

The visit of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to Karabakh ended. It will
be possible to judge about its results if the co-chairs return to Baku
where they had visited before Yerevan and Stepanakert. Officials in
Baku stated the co-chairs promised to return to Baku if a positive
result is achieved.

With regard to the basic principles which the co-chairs said to have
systemized and extended to the parties, there is hardly any positive
result. After the meeting with the co-chairs President Bako Sahakyan
said some points of the agreement are not in the interests of Karabakh.
And since the points of the agreement count about ten, it turns out
that no agreement has been reached on the basic principles.

Although the Russian co-chair Yuri Merzlyakov declined to say which
points were not agreed, ostensibly the Armenian side and Karabakh
disagree to the idea of return of territories around the former
Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous region and the refugees, and a referendum
to be held in an indefinite period.

Earlier the Armenian minister of foreign affairs Vardan Oskanyan had
told journalists that he had met with the people of Karabakh who had
told him they agree with the basic issues. Apparently, the Armenian
minister meant his only meeting with the representatives of the
Karabakh society over the past decade, which happened two years ago at
Artsakh State University. It was immediately after the release of the
ICG reports which spelled out for the first time the ideas about
territories and refugees. At that time there was a hail of questions
how the minister imagines life in Karabakh without a security area,
safe communication with Armenia and a fast-changing ethnic and
demographic situation. The minister was also asked what he means by
saying `Karabakh’. The Armenian minister said `the territory of former
Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous region.’

Since then, however, Karabakh has adopted its Constitution which sets
down that NKR is the state within its present borders which has nothing
to do with the NKAR. And the president of Karabakh is the guarantor of
the territorial integrity and security of the country. Perhaps
President Bako Sahakyan proceeded from this to spell out his stance on
the basic issues, noting that some of them are not in the interests of
the NKR people.

The NKR president made another symptomatic statement about the
participation of Karabakh in the talks. The necessity for participation
has been discussed for a long time, but this time the president did not
speak about the involvement of Karabakh but about the future role of
Armenia. He said Armenia must also participate in the talks, thereby
underlining that the Karabakh issue has been solved. Apparently the
president has had a talk with the Armenian government about this, and
if earlier Yerevan did not insist on proposals on the participation of
Karabakh, now he has apparently changed its stance.

And the third circumstance. For the first time in the past few years
the co-chairs took part in the monitoring of the line of contact. The
U.S. co-chair Matthew Bryza said in answer to the question why that
they wanted to do it for a long time. And he added a sacramental phrase
that a good mediator should know about the situation at the line of
contact. Without knowing the real reason for the participation of the
co-chairs in the monitoring, we only note that Bryza’s statement should
be conveyed to Ambassador Peter Semneby, Lord Russell Johnston, those
innumerable officials who prepare reports, proposals, make evaluations
and even solutions regarding the Karabakh issue but do not bother to
arrive in Karabakh and meet with the society of Artsakh at the state
university at least once to hear questions which do not require an
answer.

COMMUNIST PARTY OF ARMENIA MAY BOYCOTT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

ARMENPRESS
Jan 16 2007

YEREVAN, JANUARY 16, ARMENPRESS: The Communist Party of Armenia
(CPA) is likely to boycott the February 19 presidential election,
its first secretary Ruben Tovmasian said today.

Speaking at a news conference Ruben Tovmasian said the party may revise
this ‘preliminary’ decision after all nine presidential candidates
finish their campaigning.

Tovmasian reiterated that his party will never merge with some other
Communist parties ‘because they all are far from ‘communist ideology."

In a related news the chief of the Christian-Democratic party,
a former prime minister and a former parliament speaker Khosrov
Harutunian, said his party will back prime minister Serzh Sarkisian
in the February 19 polls.

He argued that the prime minister and his Republican Party are the
political force able to resolve the most pressing problems of the
country and maintain political stability.

Khosrov Harutunian said also another reason prompting this decision
is the similarity of approaches towards resolution of many questions
of his and the Republican Party.