MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

16-03-2006

Minister Oskanian Receives Daniel Fried,
US Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs

On March 16, Minister Oskanian received Daniel Fried, US Assistant
Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, and Steven Mann, US
co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group who accompanied the Secretary on
his regional visit.

During the meeting, the three exchanged views on a number of regional
and bilateral issues of mutual interest.

They also focused on energy security issues in the region, and
in Armenia specifically, and presented their approaches. In this
respect, everyone agreed that a resolution of the conflicts in the
South Caucasus will facilitate access to resources.

Further, the Minister, the Secretary and the OSCE Co-Chair discussed
the present situation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement,
and exchanged views on measures to be taken to continue negotiations
in the framework of the Prague Process.

They also discussed Armenian-Turkish relations, specifically opening
the border and utilizing communication and transportation routes.

During the meeting, Minister Oskanian and his guests spoke about the
Millennium Challenge Compact, as well as the processes of democratic
development in Armenia.

Daniel Fried, of Washington, DC, began his career with the Foreign
Service in 1977. He served in the Economic Bureau of the State
Department from 1977 to 1979; at the U.S. Consulate General in
then-Leningrad from 1980 to 1981; as Political Officer in the
U.S. Embassy in Belgrade from 1982 to 1985. He was Ambassador
to Poland from November 1997 until May 2000. Ambassador Fried was
Principal Deputy Special Advisor to the Secretary of State for the New
Independent States from May 2000 until January 2001. Since January 22,
2001, Ambassador Fried served as Special Assistant to the President
and Senior Director for European and Eurasian Affairs at the National
Security Council.

Press Release
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I MEETS WITH PATRIARCH SFEIR

His Holiness Aram I met with Patriarch Sfeir, Head of the Maronite
Church in Bekerki on March 15.

The two discussed issues related to the internal situation of Lebanon,
the ongoing dialogue in the Parliament and the future perspectives.

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View photos here: tm

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The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of the
Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

LEADING SUPPLIER OF COMPUTERS IN ARMENIA, BI-LINE COMPANY, TO GET ISO9001 CERTIFICATION

YEREVAN, MARCH 16. ARMINFO. One of the leading computer supplier and
service companies in Armenia, Bi Line, intends to complete the ISO2001
quality standard certification in April, Bi Line Vice President Sarkis
Karapetyan told ARMINFO. To meet the given standard, the company is to
demonstrate its ability to satisfy the needs of consumers as well as
to take constant measures to reveal and satisfy the consumers’ needs.

The certification criteria include the sales volume, computer repair
and service, as well as design, development and installation of wire
nets. It implies a detailed description of all the business procedures,
their adjustment to the standard conditions based on the accurate
feedback effect to modify and improve the work. A special attention
is paid to the improvement of the administrative review at all the
stages of the company’s activity. Part of these elements existed at
the company, however, all this will be carried out under the standard
from now and on, Bi Line Vice President said.

To note, Bi Line is among the largest tax payers in Armenia. The
company has partner ties with such companies as HP, IMG, Microsoft,
APC, Cisco. Among the company’s clients are the copper and molybdenum
plant “Zangezur,” Yerevan Brandy Company, K-Telecom cellular
communication operator, the Central Bank, the national payment system
Armenian Card.

RA FIRST OMBUDSMAN: IN 2005 THE RIGHT OF THE RA CITIZENS OF EFFECTIVE DEFENSE WERE VIOLATED MOST

YEREVAN, MARCH 16. ARMINFO. During the year 2005 the right of the RA
citizens of effective defense was violated most. The violations refer
not only the legal protection in the court. The RA First Ombudsman
announced during today’s seminar “Gains and losses of the RA citizens
in 2005” organized by the non-governmental organization “National
Civic Initiative”.

Larissa Alaverdyan has read out her “Extraordinary Report on Human
Rights in Armenia in 2005” for about 40 minutes during the seminar. She
was not allowed to make it public in the Parliament at the beginning of
the year. According to her, the very domestic political governmental
system with its by-laws is directed towards the violation of human
rights.

Alaverdyan thinks quite surprising that the authorities confess the
imperfection of the court system but do nothing to improve it. We
should speak not about the low level of independence of the courts,
but about the unfairness of the decisions they make. The fact that
the judges are appointed by the President is not that important, the
Ombudsman mentioned. She brought the example of such a democratic
country as Sweden where the judges are considered royal, and until
recently they were appointed by the King. Alaverdyan added that the
function of the Ombudsman is to point at the unfairness of a court
decision, which is successfully practiced in Sweden.

Nevertheless, all her attempts to change the situation, including
a private meeting with the RA Prime Minister and the letter to the
RA President, were fruitless. On the contrary, she was warned that
her actions are a violation of the 5th article of the newly adopted
Constitution, Alaverdyan informed.

The RA First Ombudsman devoted a significant part of her extraordinary
report to the problems of the residents of the Buzand street. According
to her, there are many cases in different countries of the world when
the authorities have to resettle the citizens, but they have to give
grounded reasons for their actions and provide the citizens with
financial compensation. In the case of the residents of the Buzand
street, they were forced into an unprofitable deal on the sale of
their own houses. The court decisions about these cases are a violation
of not only property rights, but also of all the rights mentioned in
the European Convention on the Protection of Fundamental Human Rights
and Freedoms, the RA First Ombudsman Larissa Alaverdyan announced.

BAKU NEEDS NOTHING “EXTRAORDINARY,” ALIYEV ASSURES

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.03.2006 19:37 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “Yerevan’s withdrawal from occupied Azeri lands”
will result in establishment of neighborly relations with Armenia, said
Azeri President Ilham Aliyev. “We need nothing extraordinary. We merely
demand releasing our lands from occupation and withdrawal of Armenian
troops, after which we can live as neighbors,” the Azeri leader said at
a meeting with a Turkish delegation, which arrived in Baku to take part
in the Second World Azerbaijanis Congress. “We live in this region,
we are neighbors, we are destined to live together. However, there is
a precondition of ending separatism, return of Azeri citizens to the
lands of their genuine residence and, of course, territorial claims,”
the Azeri President said, Interfax reports.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SECRETARY OF STATE SPOKESMAN: AMBASSADOR EVANS CONTINUES OUR MISSION WITH HONOR AND DIGNITY

YEREVAN, MARCH 15. ARMINFO. Ambassador John Evans – our Ambassador
continues our mission with honor and dignity, US Secretary of State
Spokesman Adam Ereli briefed to journalists in Washington when
asked about a possible resignation of US Ambassador to Armenian John
Evans. The web-site of the US Department of State reports.

RUMORS ABOUT WITHDRAWAL OF AMBASSADOR JOHN EVANS ARE GETTING INCREASINGLY PHANTOMATIC

YEREVAN, MARCH 15. ARMINFO. For the fourth time in the last week,
the State Department’s official spokesperson has failed to directly
respond to questions raised by journalists during the Department’s
daily press briefing about reports that the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia,
John Marshall Evans, has been recalled due to his truthful statements
on the Armenian Genocide, report the Armenian National Committee of
America (ANCA).

“It’s certainly disappointing seeing State Department officials
hiding behind their spokesperson to avoid directly answering questions
about whether Ambassador Evans is being recalled because he had the
courage to stand up against what effectively amounts to a ‘gag-rule’
preventing our nation’s diplomats from speaking truthfully about the
Armenian Genocide,” says ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.

The US Embassy has once again refuted the reports, while Haykakan
Zhamanak daily reports the Armenian Foreign Ministry to have received
an agrement on Richard Hoagland’s candidacy for new US ambassador to
Armenia. Now Hoagland is ambassador to Tajikistan. The FM has refused
to comment on the withdrawal reports.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERI WEEKLY CLOSED IN IRAN FOR KINDLING NATIONALIST MOODS

YEREVAN, MARCH 15. ARMINFO. The censorship department of the Iranian
culture ministry has put a ban on the issue of Navide Azerbaycan,
an Azeri weekly published in Iran in the last 8 years, reports Kar
news agency (Iran).

The decision followed the weekly’s systematic violation of the law
on the press. By its articles the weekly kindles nationalism and
threatens the national security of Iran, says the department.

TRAINING GROUND MAY REPLACE ARMENIAN CEMETERY IN AZERBAIJAN – AGENCY

Arminfo
15 Mar 06

Yerevan, 15 March: Azerbaijani soldiers have definitively destroyed the
Armenian cemetery in Old Jugha in the Azerbaijani exclave of Naxcivan,
the press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry has told Arminfo
news agency.

About 3,500 of the 10,000 cross-stones that had existed earlier were
completely destroyed, and their fragments were taken away from the
cemetery. It cannot be ruled out that the [Azerbaijani] authorities
intend to transform the territory of the cemetery into a training
ground.

To recap, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan had earlier applied
to UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura over the destruction of
cross-stones and gravestones in the Armenian cemetery in Old Jugha.

RA STATE QUALITY INSPECTION KEEPS POULTRY FACTORIES UNDER CONTROL

Noyan Tapan
Mar 15 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 15, NOYAN TAPAN. The State Quality Inspection of the
RA Ministry of Trade and Economic Development conducts checks at
the Armenian poultry factories at least three times a year. Georgi
Gyozalian, Deputy Head of the Inspection, stated this at the March
15 press conference. According to him, this year checks have also
been conducted at the poultry factories with the aim of checking the
production’s compliance with the requirements of normative documents.

G. Gyozalian said that no cases of violations posing danger to human
life and health have been revealed during the checks. The registered
violations were only related to the requirement of brand name envisaged
by the Law on Foodstuffs Safety, as a result of which the executives
of poultry factories responsible for these violations were fined.

The deputy head of the inspection noted that 300 checks were conducted
at various food production facilities of Armenia this year, as a
result of which about 150 violations were revealed.