EXPECTATIONS OF DEMOCRACY ARE NOT GREAT
Lragir.am
28 March 06
“Will there be upward democracy?” Lragir.am offered its readers
this question, which was one of the burning topics in the public
and political life over the past week. The results of our opinion
poll suggest that expectations of democratization, what is more,
of upright democratization, are not great.
Only 29 per cent answered “yes”, thus expressing their confidence
that upward democracy is possible. 33 per cent think that upward
democratization is unlikely to happen. 12 per cent think there are
no preconditions for “upward democratization” in Armenia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

VANO SIRADEGHYAN SHOULD GET BACK TO ARMENIA
Lragir.am
28 March 06
If a certain political figure wants to become engaged in the internal
political developments in Armenia, he is supposed to live in Armenia
first, said Prime Minister Andranik Manukyan to news reporters on March
28 with regard to the interview with Vano Siradeghyan, published in
the Haykakan Zhamanak Daily.
“Every political figure has the right to express an opinion, especially
Vano Siradeghyan, who has been out of Armenia for six years and follows
the political processes from afar; I do not agree to everything that
he said, but everyone has the right to express an opinion. I think
that people who want to be engaged in politics in Armenia must live
in Armenia, participate in these processes, and only then analyze
and offer remedies,” stated the prime minister.

REPUBLICANS AND DEFENSE MINISTER HAVE NOT ARRANGED, SAID THE PRIME MINISTER
Lragir.am
28 March 06
The most curious intrigue of the upcoming developments, related to
the possible alliance or divorce of Serge Sargsyan and the Republican
Party in the parliamentary election of 2007, remains obscure. We have
information that the parties have arranged to issue a joint statement
soon. There is such information in press as well. However, on March
28 Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan, answering the question of the
Lragir.am reporter, denied arrangements to run for parliament with
Serge Sargsyan. In answer to the question if there has been such an
arrangement, the prime minister said, “We will tell when there is.”

STANDSTILL IN ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATION, DEADLOCK IN THE KARABAKH ISSUE (ANALYSIS)
Tatul Hakobyan
“Radiolur”[ArmRadio.am]
28.03.2006 18:15
On April 4, 1993 the Armenian-Turkish border was closed on Turkish
government ‘s decision. Soon it will be 13 years of the blockade. The
ground for the blockade was taking control of Kelbajar region by Armed
Forces of Nagorno-Karabakh. Preceding that, in late 1991 Ankara had
recognized Armenia’s independence and established diplomatic relations
proposing two preconditions: Armenia should refuse from its ambitions
regarding the Eastern regions of today’s Turkey and should recognize
the borders of contemporary Turkish state, as well as stop the campaign
for the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. In fact,
the withdrawal of forces from Kelbajar and later from the security
zone around Nagorno-Karabakh became the second precondition.
However, Ankara was not content itself with the blockade. In
1993 Turkey intended to penetrate into Armenia, about which
former Ambassador of Greece Leonidas Khrisantupolis wrote in his
recollections. Former head of the State National Security Agency of
Armenia Eduard Simonyants confirmed the statement.
Simonyants had stated in his talk with “Noyyan Tapan” Agency, “In
autumn 1993 Turkey was really intending to attack Armenia. And it
is not the sole case, for several times Armenian territory has been
under threat of Turkish attack.
The threat of invasion was really immense.”
In the recent 13 years there have been a number of meetings on the
level of Presidents and Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Turkey;
Armenian-Turkish relations, however, were not brought out of the
deadlock. Like 13 years ago, today Ankara does not refuse from
preconditions. On the other hand, however, Armenian-Turkish relations
have undergone certain transformations lately, to be more correct,
another component has been added to these relations, that is the
Karabakh issue.
The West is trying to include the settlement of the Karabakh
conflict and the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations in a
single package, i.e. to find a simultaneous solution to these two
most complex and extremely important issues for Armenia. Here, it
is important for us to understated the core of the solution, i.e. in
case we receive something useful in the Karabakh issue, what should
we give instead to Armenian-Turkish relations? And the opposite, if
we gain something in Armenian-Turkish relations, what and how much
should we yield in the Karabakh case?

AWAOC MONTHLY LITERARY MEETING TO BE HELD IN GLENDALE
ArmRadio.am
28.03.2006 17:47
Monthly literary meeting of the Armenian Writers Association Of
California (AWAOC), sponsored by Glendale Public Library, will take
place at 7-9 PM, on Thursday, April 6 2006, at the Auditorium of the
Central Library of Glendale.
Writer and Editor of Kamarak Periodical Hakob Mkrtchian will read
his poems.
Writer Kima Kirakosian will present a literary report. There will be
exchange of opinions. Proceedings will be in Armenian.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARTUR BAGHDASSARYAN TO PAY A VISIT TO SPAIN
ArmRadio.am
28.03.2006 17:15
Chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia Artur Baghdassaryan will
pay a working visit to Spain March 29-April 1. He is scheduled to
meet with Senate President Javier Rojo and Chairman of the Congress
of Deputies of Spain Manuel Marin Gonsales. March 29 in Valence Artur
Baghdassaryan and Belgian Senate President Ann Marie Lizin will open
the 5th forum of the World Alliance of Cities Against Poverty. 4
Armenian towns will join the Alliance.

ARF MEMBERS MEET WITH CANADIAN MP
Yerkir
28.03.2006 11:08
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Canada
Central Committee met on March 26 with Gary Goodyear, a member of
the Canadian Parliament from Cambridge, Ontario.
The meeting was held at the Armenian Center of Cambridge. ARF Canada CC
representative Vagharsh Ehramjian, CC’s Hay Dat representative Grigor
Ter-Ghazarian, Armenian National Committee of Canada representative
Aris Papikian, Hay Dat regional co-chair Arti Hakobian, ARF’s
Aram-Dro Committee representative Joseph Poladian and Cambridge Hay
Dat Committee member Simon Poladian participated in the meeting.
The parties discussed Canadian government’s statement to recognize
the Armenian Genocide, Armenian President Robert Kocharian’s upcoming
visit to Canada, establishing a Canadian embassy in Yerevan as well
as prospects of cooperation between the Canadian Conservative Party
and Hay Dat Committee. Mr. Goodyear promised to keep the issues under
personal control.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN MINISTER TO ENLIST RULING PARTY SUPPORT AHEAD OF 2008 PRESIDENTIAL POLL
Iravunk, Yerevan
28 Mar 06
Text of report by Piruza Meliksetyan in the Armenian newspaper Iravunk
on 28 March headlined “Have Serzh Sarkisyan oriented himself?”
A source close to the [ruling] Republican Party of Armenia [RPA] has
said that [Defence Minister] Serzh Sarkisyan and the RPA leadership
have finally agreed to put Sarkisyan’s name on the party list for a
parliamentary election.
The source added that it was suggested to Sarkisyan that he joins the
RPA in the future. Having the support of such a powerful party as the
RPA is one of the first steps leading towards the presidential post,
that is towards the nomination for this post.
The source said that the RPA would strive to form a majority in
parliament during the 2007 parliamentary election and Andranik
Markaryan and Serzh Sarkisyan will take the posts of parliamentary
speaker and prime minister up until the 2008 presidential election.

AZERI DIPLOMAT DISCUSSES MILITARY TIES IN CANADA
MPA news agency
28 Mar 06
Baku, 28 March: Azerbaijani-Canadian talks on military-political
cooperation are ending in Canada today (28 March). Azerbaijani Deputy
Foreign Minister Araz Azimov, who participated in the talks, met his
Canadian counterpart, [Deputy Canadian Foreign Minister] James Wright,
MPA has learnt from the Foreign Ministry press service.
They discussed security issues, the settlement of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and the development of bilateral ties.
The deputy foreign ministers discussed the situation in the South
Caucasus and in the Caspian region, prospects for cooperation in the
fight against terror and cooperation with international organizations.
Note: Azimov will also attend the fourth round of US-Azerbaijani
talks on security issues (29-30 March, Washington).

HERE WE GO AGAIN, ANOTHER AIRPLANE CRASHES IN IRAN
Persian Journal, Iran
March 28 2006
A cargo plane crashed west of Tehran on Tuesday, injuring those on
board, a police officer told state television. There were no reports
of deaths. Details of the crash were confused.
The official IRNA news agency said the plane was Bulgarian whereas
the police spokesman, identified only as Colonel Alipour, said it
was Armenian.
The manager of Payam airport in Karaj, an industrial satellite city
west of Tehran, told state media the Antonov cargo plane took off
from there at 5.30 p.m. (1400 GMT) but immediately requested an
emergency landing.
But Alipour said the plane had requested an emergency landing while
overflying Iran en route to Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.
Other police spokesmen and Iran’s civil aviation authority were not
immediately able to clarify these details to Reuters.
Bulgaria’s transport ministry said it could not confirm the plane
was Bulgarian after checks with local airlines.
“We do not have any such information for the moment. We have checked
with the airlines that operate Antonov planes and fly to Iran and
neither was aware of any accident,” transport ministry spokeswoman
Valia Luleva told Reuters.
The aircraft crashed at Savoj Bolagh, outside Karaj.
Reza Jafarzadeh, head of public relations at Iran’s Civil Aviation
Authority, told IRNA a bird could have been sucked into the engine,
causing the crash.
The weather in Tehran and its environs was stormy throughout Tuesday
afternoon and evening.