PARLIAMENT CHAIRMAN DRAFTS BILL ON RELATIONS BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND CHURCH

Armenpres
Dec 04 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 4, ARMENPRESS: Before to wrap up the last session
this year Armenian lawmakers are likely to open debates on a draft
law on Relationships Between the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian
Apostolic Church, authored by parliament chairman Tigran Torosian.

Torosian said today that the necessity of the law stemmed from the
revised constitution’s provision which says that relationships between
the government and the Church can be regulated by a law. Torosian
downplayed fears that the draft law would undermine the liberties
and rights which the Constitution provides for freedom of religion
and religious organizations, saying the bill would only accomplish
the list of relevant documents specifying ‘special relations between
the government and the Church.’ Torosian said the bill sets that the
history, cultural and spiritual heritage of the Armenian Apostolic
Church is an important and indivisible element of the national
identity.

"The Armenian Church has been acting for 1,500 years as an independent,
national Church with its peculiarities and this is not subject to
questioning, since throughout these centuries the Church has been a
key and inseparable part of our identity, having created spiritual
and cultural values which are special and differ significantly from
religion-related issues and in this sense we need to regulate an
array of issues related to this heritage," Torosian argued.

ARAM KARAPETYAN’S MONEY BELONGS TO HIM

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[07:01 pm] 04 December, 2006

"I want to become an independent president", announced leader of "New
Times" party Aram Karapetyan in club "Urbat". By saying "independent"
he meant financial independence which he claims to have had so far.

Nevertheless, he wouldn’t mind financial support. But he did not accept
the support of any businessman named by the journalists. "There is
a working middle class, and if I manage to have power, I would like
that class to continue their work".

Aram Karapetyan who is famous for his pro-Russian policy referred to
Armenian-Russian relations too.

"Our national tragedy is that we have a police way of thinking: only
that is right what I need. A politician can say that the Russian are
our brothers after he gets a medal, but the next day he will say that
joining the NATO is our priority. Our approaches have to be sensible".

As for the murders of Armenians in Russia, the leader of "New Times"
thinks they are directed by the criminal world. "These murders have
only one aim: to deteriorate the Armenian-Russian relations. Who is
it profitable for? The Mafia which earns money and those powers which
want to alienate Armenia from Russia".

DISAGREEMENTS REMAIN BTWN SIDES TO KARABAKH SETTLEMENT TALKS-CORR
Tigran Liloyan

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
December 1, 2006 Friday

Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said on Friday that
disagreements are remaining in the negotiating process on the Nagorno
Karabakh settlement. These disagreements concern the principles of
a peace agreement, as well as its nuances, the minister told a news
conference, adding that "a window of opportunities" for the conflict
settlement will probably remain open in the next year.

According to the minister, the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan
will give concrete instructions to the foreign ministers shortly for
the continued negotiating process. "The process is not in impasse,"
Oskanian believes.

The Azerbaijani authorities keep calling the observance of Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity as a basis for settlement, and Armenia – the
right of the Karabakh people for self-determination.

According to the Armenian minister, "A solution to this problem
can be found only at a referendum, the proposal to hold which is
included in the document the sides are discussing." For Oskanian
"it is obvious that a referendum will be held in Nagorno Karabakh,
and people, who lived and live there, will participate in it."

The Armenian foreign minister believes that without participation
of Nagorno Karabakh’s representatives in the negotiating process,
even though at its final stage, "settlement will be impossible".

FIVE MURDERS IN THREE DAYS

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[02:54 pm] 04 December, 2006

On December 1 the Erebouni department of the police found the dead
body of Arpine Margaryan (b. 1971) in Qristapor 25, with corporal
injuries. Investigations revealed that A. Margaryan’s husband,
previously convicted Vahram Zaqeyan (b. 1968) killed his wife during
a quarrel. V. Zaqeyan is arrested, the case is being investigated by
the prosecutor’s office of Erebouni and Noubarashen communities.

On December the police Ashtarak department arrested Armen Sargsyan
(b. 1974), resident of the village of Aghdzq, who had killed his aunt,
Gyozal Petrosyan (b. 1947), with a rifle. A. Sargsyan is arrested,
measures are taken to find the rifle.

On December 1 the police Erebouni department found the dead body of
Aurora Sargsyan (b. 1941) in Rostovyan 20, with corporal injuries. The
case is under investigation.

On December 3 the police Erebouni department found the dead body of
an unknown man, apparently a tramp, near Titogradyan 14. The case is
under investigation.

On December 3 the police Nor Norq department found the dead body
of Sonik Davoyan (b. 1932) in Gay avenue 1/17. The case is being
investigated by the prosecutor’s office of Avan and Norq Marash
communities.

THE PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE REFUSES TO INITIATE A CASE AGAINST ARAM KARAPETYAN

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[08:02 pm] 04 December, 2006

Leader of "New Times" party Aram Karapetyan turned to the RA
Public Prosecutor asking to initiate a criminal case against
him. Mr. Karapetyan represented the article in "Hayots Ashkharh"
as ground for his request.

The letter of the Public Prosecutor to Aram Karapetyan says, "Dear
Mr. Karapetyan, please be informed in connection with your letter
to the RA Public Prosecutor dated October 9 that the article in the
October 4 issue of newspaper "Hayots Ashkharh" is not ground enough
to initiate a criminal case against you".

This answer seems ridiculous to the New Times leader as "a young
leader of a certain party accused him of punishable actions. How come
the Prosecutor’s Office does not find grounds if he has not examined
the leader of the New Times and has not searched his house? "

It is noteworthy that in his letter to the Public Prosecutor Aram
Karapetyan demanded "to initiate a criminal case against the above
mentioned "young politician" and those who ordered him to write
the article, namely Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan and head of the
National Security Service Gorik Hakobyan" if the accusations turned
out not to be true.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

YUNUSOV: KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT TO PUSH RUSSIA OUT OF REGION

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.12.2006 16:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Russian leadership understands that not only
the future of the whole region but also the future role and place
of Russia in the region is being determined now, said Arif Yunusov,
the Director of the Department of Conflictology at the Institute of
Peace and Democracy. In his words, Russia realizes Azerbaijan’s role
in the Georgian-Russian collision.

Russia pursues the policy of the stick and the carrot with
Azerbaijan. Now it offers the carrot but at the same time hints
at possible appliance of the stick "In other words, on one hand
Russia pursues a selective policy with Azerbaijan. Actively playing
a separatist card as regard Georgia and Moldova, Moscow tries not
to irritate Azerbaijan. On the other hand Moscow understands that
Azerbaijan is neither Georgia nor Armenia. Russia has lost influence
on Baku’s policy since the Yeltsin times. There are no Russian troops
in Azerbaijan, which possesses enough energy resources kept under
control of the Azeri authorities," the expert said.

At that he remarked that Russia still has some trumps, first of all
the Karabakh issue and the condition of Azeri migrants in Russia. The
recent measures of the Russian authorities as regards the Azeri
migrants are the stick while the promise of support in the Karabakh
issue is the carrot. "As a matter of fact Russia can influence on the
negotiation process however the hope that Russia will press on Armenia
and help Azerbaijan to take Karabakh back is a mere illusion. The
settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict will strengthen the
U.S. positions and will push Russia out of the region, reports Day.az.

KOCHARIAN-ALIYEV MEETING LIKELY TO YIELD NO RESULT, YUNUSOV SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.12.2006 16:28 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The meeting of Robert Kocharian and Ilham Aliyev
scheduled for early December in Moscow is likely to yield no result,
said Arif Yunusov, the Director of the Department of Conflictology
at the Institute of Peace and Democracy when commenting on the
expectations from the forthcoming presidential meeting. "Formally,
proceeding from the information on the latest meeting of the
FMs in Minsk the Presidents are expected to sign a framework
agreement. However I do not believe in it. I suppose the meeting
will prove fruitless," he said. At that the Azeri expert remarked
that ‘there is a breakthrough’ in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement. "The American plan frequently called the Prague Process is
coming to its logical end. But it will share the fate of the former
plans on the conflict settlement (common state, stepwise plan or
package plan) and will simply become a part of history," he said,
reports Day.az.

1.5 YEARS ON PROBATION AND EXILE

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[07:08 pm] 04 December, 2006

Today the trial of Vahagn Chakhalyan, member of the presidium of
democratic union "United Javakhq" was over. Let us remind you that
he was accused of illegal crossing of the state border.

The court of the first instance of Shirak region decided to put Vahagn
Chakhalyan on probation for 1.5 years. After the court arrived at the
verdict, the police stopped Chakhalyan returning to Yerevan and said
they had an order to banish him from the country.

Nevertheless, they represented no legal ground for the decision.

The police refused Chakhalyan’s request to leave the country the next
day together with his pregnant wife.

GEORGIA TO BRING AN ACTION AGAINST RUSSIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.12.2006 16:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Georgian Ministry of Justice intends to bring a
suit against Russia at the European Court of Human Rights for violating
rights of Georgians, deported from the territory of RF.

According to the information provided by republic’s Consul in Moscow
Zurab Pataradze, those detained were tortured. At present a special
commission at the Georgian Parliament deals with facts of persecution
of Georgians in Russia. Specifically Tengiza Togonidze, (the widow
of a Georgian citizen, who died after he was detained and stayed at
a special place) said that her husband was denied medical assistance
and was tortured with electroshock. December 2 the media reported of
death of a refugee from Abkhazia Manana Jabeliya, who was also kept
at a special place for foreign citizens. She died after the Moscow
city court canceled the decision on deporting her, thus confirming
she was staying in Moscow legally.

According to preliminary reports, heart deficiency caused her
death. Law-enforcement bodies check this case. Meanwhile, the check-up
held by St. Petersburg Prosecutor’s Office on the fact of Togonidze’s
death did not reveal transgressions of the law.

Earlier official representative of the Federal Migration Service
of Russia Constantine Poltoranin stated that conditions, in which
Georgian awaiting deportation are held, are "better than in a prison."

Russian force departments had activated search for illegal immigrants
from Georgia, as well as check-up of commercial structures, owned by
Georgians in early October, after several Russian servicemen were
detained in Tbilisi on suspicion of espionage. The servicemen were
released in a few days, however mass deportations of Georgians from
Russia continued. In late October Georgian PM Zurab Nogaideli stated
that "within the past month over one thousand Georgians were deported
or had to flee from Russia," reports Lenta.ru.

NEW AMBASSADOR OF EUROPEAN COMMITTEE TO ARMENIA

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[08:10 pm] 04 December, 2006

Head of the European Committee delegation to Armenia, Ambassador
Per Eklund handed his credentials to RA deputy Foreign Minister
Armen Bayburdyan.

Mr. Bayburdyan greeted the newly appointed Ambassador and wished
his good luck in carrying out his high mission. Ambassador Eklund
voiced his readiness to contribute to the relations between Armenia
and the EU.

During the meeting the sides referred to the Individual Partnership
Action Plan ratified on November 14 for Armenia. They discussed issues
about its realization.