Author: Zakarian Garnik

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT PARTICIPATES IN CIS NON FORMAL SUMMIT

Panorama.am
15:57 21/02/2008

Tomorrow Robert Kocharyan, the president of the Republic of Armenia
leaves for Moscow to take part in the CIS non formal summit. The
information is provided by the press department of the president’s
administration.

The summit was organized by Vladimir Putin, the president of the
Russian Federation and will be held on 22 February. It is planned that
the sides should discuss several questions on CIS member countries’
cooperation and CIS development doctrine.

Robert Kocharyan will have meetings with the CIS countries
representatives. The presidents of Georgia and Azerbaijan Ilhaam
Amiev and Michael Sahakashvili will also participate at the summit
and have also arrived in Moscow.

CIS OBSERVERS’ REPORT

AZG Armenian Daily
22/02/2008

Post-election

February 19 presidential elections of Armenia correspond to the
legislation of Armenia, according to CIS observers that accomplished
their mission in 167 polling stations.

It is also mentioned that the mission considers the elections as
fair and free and calls on other international observation missions
to join them.

The observers mentioned that these elections are an important factor
in deepening and strengthening of democracy in Armenia".

ACCORDING TO RESULTS OF EXIT POLL OF "ALLIANCE" ORGANIZATION, LEVON TER-PETROSIAN TAKES FIRST PLACE

Noyan Tapan
Feb 20, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 20, NOYAN TAPAN. According to the results of the
exit poll conducted by the "Alliance" civil initiative, 37.7 percent of
those asked have voted for presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrosian,
and 35.4 percent for Serge Sargsian. This information was provided
at the press conference held on February 19 at 21:00. The votes given
for other candidates have been distributed in the following way:

Arthur Baghdasarian – 15.5 percent

Artashes Geghamian – 1.3 percent

Tigran Karapetian – 1.2 percent

Aram Haroutiunian – 0.2 percent,

Vahan Hovhannesian – 6.4 percent

Vazgen Manukian – 2.9 percent

Arman Melikian – 0.2 percent.

According to the information provided by Gevorg Melikian, the Deputy
Chairman of the organization, 4604 people or about 0.2 percent of the
electors have taken part in the poll. The polls have been conducted
in 100 polling stations located in Yerevan and in a number of other
regions. The 66 percent of the participants of the poll have agreed
to answer the question on who they have voted for.

NA Speaker hopes successes will continue and there will be no more mistakes

armradio.am
19.02.2008 15:23

Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Tigran Torosyan cast his
ballot at polling station #10/30 located in the Yerevan school after
Khachatur Abovyan.

"I voted in good spirits, hoping that the successes will continue and
there will be no more mistakes; that is the most important. I think
tomorrow will be a very important day for us. I hope the forthcoming
20 years will be years of success, prosperity, joy and love. The past
20 years were also good. Those were years of struggle for freedom and
success, but I think the results will become apparent in 20 years:
the recognition of NKR, the prosperous life of the citizens of the
two states," the Speaker said.

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Feb 18 2008

Independent monitoring to prevent fraud in Armenian presidential
election

YEREVAN, February 18. /ARKA/. Independent monitoring make it possible
to avoid possible fraud in Armenian presidential election, Stepan
Safaryan, the head of Zharangutyun (Heritage) parliamentary faction,
said on Monday at a press conference.

`Concurrently with the official monitoring, Heritage party will count
votes and record election irregularities’, he said.

Safaeyan said that the party possesses information about election
bribery in Noraduz and Zovuni villages and Yerevan’s Kanaker-Zeyrun
and South-Western districts.

He also said that ballot papers with necessary tick on them are
already given to some citizens and their passports marked.

`The party also possesses information confirming election
illegalities, and we intend to make them public soon’, the lawmaker
said adding that Heritage has observers at all polling stations.-0—

ROBERT KOCHARIAN: I HAVE NOT SEEN THE PAPER WAVED BY LEVON TER-PETROSIAN

Noyan Tapan
Feb 17, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, NOYAN TAPAN. "I have not seen the paper on
the so-called Meghri option, which the presidential candidate Levon
Ter-Petrosian is now waving", the Armenian president Robert Kocahrian
said in the February 16 interview to TV companies, assuming that
after being discussed in the Security Council in 1994 (NT: during
the presidency of L.

Ter-Petrosian), "this naphthalene paper" "has now been taken out for
speculation". "Perhaps the status or age of Ter-Petrosian prevent
him from lying directly or some others have misled him," R. Kocharian
remarked.

He pointed out that during his 10-year presidency, there have been only
three official proposals on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement:
first, it was the proposal made by the then foreign mnister of Russia
Yevgeny Primakov in 1998, then there was the Key West option in 2001,
and the last proposal based on the self-determination principle
was presented about a month ago by the co-chairs. The president
explained that in Key West, the matter concerned only communications
in connection with the Meghri option, and the "swap of territories"
version has never been on the negotiation table.

R. Kocharian also refuted the claim that the issue on the principle
of territories swap was discussed in the Security Council during his
term of office. None of the three official proposals was discussed
there: no version reached such likelihood that it was necessary to
put it under discussion in the Security Council.

The president explained that the "Meghri option" cited by the
opposition is regularly put into circulation, and nobody has imposed
it on Armenia. The possibility of this version has been discussed with
the representatives of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair states. Only in
case of a positive answer, a proposal would be developed to become
a Minsk Group proposal, but the proposal was rejected for the reason
that "we may not lose the border with Iran".

In carrying out practical work, it is necessary to assess who
supports what, R. Kocharian said, adding that the second line of
Armenian-Iranian gas pipeline was built in Meghri over these years,
construction of a third line and a hydropower plant begins, the issue
of constructing an oil pipeline and a railway is under discussion. "We
do it so that in the future no political figure will think that we
can sacrifice the border with Iran," R. Kocharian said. "I do not
exchange Armenian lands for Armenian lands, in any case, we have not
lost even a square meter of land during my presidency," the Armenian
president stated.

Armenian presidential race focuses on economic revival, disputed
Nagorno-Karabakh

The Associated Press
Published: February 17, 2008

YEREVAN, Armenia: Armenians vote for a new president Tuesday amid fears
that Kosovo’s declaration of independence could increase tensions in
breakaway regions across the former Soviet Union.

The election could determine how far Armenia is willing to go to avoid
renewed conflict with energy-rich Azerbaijan ‘ which has been beefing
up its military in recent years with its oil wealth ‘ over the
territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The struggle over the breakaway region of Azerbaijan is one of several
so-called "frozen conflicts" ‘ including the Trans-Dniester region of
Moldova, and South Ossetia and Abkhazia in Georgia ‘ that could heat up
after the declaration of independence by Serbia’s breakaway province of
Kosovo.

Nagorno-Karabakh and several surrounding areas in Azerbaijan have been
controlled by ethnic Armenian separatists since a 1994 cease-fire ended
six years of full-scale war.

Some 30,000 people were killed and more than 1 million driven from
their homes in the fighting. There are still sporadic clashes along
Nagorno-Karabakh’s borders.

Kosovo declares independence Art theft’s less than glamorous
realityArrests on 7th night of unrest across Denmark
The Armenian government says Nagorno-Karabakh should be recognized as
a sovereign state, while Azerbaijan says it will never cede its
territory.

The Feb. 19 election pits Armenia’s powerful prime minister, Serge
Sarkisian, 53, against former President Levon Ter-Petrosian, 63, who
led the country through the first painful years of independence from
the Soviet Union and the devastating war over Nagorno-Karabakh.

The stern Sarkisian, groomed by outgoing President Robert Kocharian as
his preferred successor, is expected to win, benefiting from the
country’s relatively strong economy. Many voters here associate
Ter-Petrosian with the economic collapse of the 1990s.

The two candidates differ sharply in their approach to Nagorno-Karabakh.

Sarkisian, a native of the region and a decorated war hero, appears
less flexible than Ter-Petrosian, who was forced to resign in 1998
after advocating concessions and has hinted that he could seek a
compromise.

Armenia’s location between the energy-rich Caspian Sea region and
southern Europe, and its proximity to Iran, make it of strategic
importance for the West and Russia.

With a population of about 3.2 million on a territory the size of
Belgium, Armenia has struggled to build an economy in the wake of the
1991 Soviet collapse and in the face of blockades by neighboring
Azerbaijan and its key ally Turkey.

Turkey has a stake in the dispute because it is outraged by Armenia’s
efforts to win international recognition of the killing of 1.5 million
Armenians by Ottoman Turks in the World War I-era as genocide.

The blockades have slowed the country’s economy by disrupting trade and
cutting Armenia out of lucrative energy and transport projects. Despite
economic progress over the last decade, more than a quarter of
Armenians still live in poverty.

Speaking to some 40,000 supporters at a rally Sunday in central
Yerevan, Sarkisian promised to fight poverty and corruption.

"I am one of you. I’m someone who knows your problems and knows how to
solve them," he said.

The United States, whose large Armenian Diaspora has a strong lobby in
Congress, has poured some US$1.7 billion (?¬1.2 billion) in aid into the
country since 1991, encouraging economic and political liberalization.

Armenia is eligible for over US$235 million (?¬160 million) in U.S. aid.
But the money is contingent upon political reforms and a questionable
election could jeopardize Washington’s support. A clean vote would
likely strengthen Armenia’s ties with the European Union.

Russia has traditionally been Armenia’s key partner in the region and
has maintained a firm grip on the smaller country’s economy,
controlling key energy and infrastructure assets.

Kosovo’s planned declaration of independence from Serbia has raised
tensions. Moscow has warned that unilateral recognition of Kosovo’s
independence by the West could encourage separatist regions elsewhere
in the former Soviet Union.

Although the Kremlin has tried to remain neutral in the dispute between
Armenia and Azerbaijan, it has close ties to separatist governments in
several breakaway regions, including Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

SUPPORT FOR DINK RESOLUTION GROWING

AZG Armenian Daily
14/02/2008

Armenia-USA

The Armenian Assembly of America reports that the support for the
Resolution condemning the murder of Hrant Dink is growing among
the Senators.

Five more members of the House Representatives declared that they join
the Resolution. Thus, the number of supporters has reached 49 Senators.

BOOK REFLECTING TRUTH ABOUT KARABAKH PUBLISHED IN LONDON

AzerTag
Feb 12 2008
Azerbaijan

An English-language book titled "Truth about Nagorno-Karabakh" was
published in London with support of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, the country`s Embassy in the British capital said.

A ceremony on the occasion gathered representatives of foreign
embassies in London, International Research Centers of Britain,
local Azerbaijani and Turkic communities, as well as Azerbaijani
students studying in Britain and independent researchers dealing with
Azerbaijan and the entire region.

Speakers stressed the importance of the book in terms of bringing
realities about the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to the world community.

The book contains sound arguments proving that Nagorno-Karabakh
had always been part of Azerbaijan, as well as information about
Armenization of Albanian monuments.

The speakers also underlined the book will be a valuable source for
foreigner researchers and scientists dealing with Nagorno-Karabakh
problem.

At the end of the ceremony, the participants saw a documentary film
about cultural and historical monuments belonging to ancient Alban
history.

GOVERNMENT CANDIDATE MAY NOT RUN IN THE SECOND ROUND

Lragir
Feb 11 2008
Armenia

Negotiations are underway, and during those negotiations I have not
committed to making a statement, stated the presidential candidate
Arthur Baghdasaryan in a meeting with the representatives of NGOs
on February 11, who was asked if he may announce to join Levon
Ter-Petrosyan, especially after Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s tremendous
rally on February 9.

There was a negotiation on who will join whom, Arthur Baghdasaryan
said, noting that the negotiations continue. He says, however, he has
hundreds of thousands of supporters and also notes that more people
attend his meetings now than during the parliamentary election. If
among 25 parties we got 100 thousand votes despite election fraud,
now it is not difficult to imagine how many votes we have when there
are two or three main forces, Arthur Baghdasaryan says.

He said he thinks there will be a run-off election, and there is no
confidence whether the government candidate will be running in the
second round. Arthur Baghdasaryan is convinced that he will be running
in the second round, as to who will be his opponent in the second
round, Serge Sargsyan or Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Arthur Baghdasaryan
says time will show. He says he proceeds from the results of real
polls which they have at hand, unlike the results of different polls
ordered and released by the government. The presidential candidate
says with hundreds of thousands of supporters it would be wrong to
send people into uncertainty. Let us hold a real, independent and
unbiased public poll, and if my possibilities turn out to be small,
I am ready to join, Arthur Baghdasaryan stated.

By the way, he noted that most members of pro-government parties
today work for them.

Arthur Baghdasaryan says it is necessary to bring together the
opposition to ensure justice and legality of the election, and he
said in this connection that if they were alone in the parliamentary
election, now there is at least one force, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, who is
ready and determined to cooperate over this matter. The presidential
candidate Arthur Baghdasaryan also stated that they are ready for
any course of events, and they have a plan for any course of events.