RA PRESIDENT CONGRATULATED ARMENIAN WOMEN ON MARCH 8
PanARMENIAN.Net
08.03.2006 20:00 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ RA President Robert Kocharian issued a congratulatory
address on the occasion of the International Women’s Day. The address
says in part, “Dear women. I congratulate You on the International
Women’s Day. It is hard to name all the fields where Your participation
is traditionally great. Women have always played an important role
for Armenia’s prosperity. No one realizes the importance of peace and
sustainable development better than women do. I especially congratulate
our mothers. You maintain our century-lasting traditions. Your
upbringing forms the image of our next generations. I wish you the
happiness of being proud of this future. Congratulating You on this
wonderful spring holiday I wish to remain beautiful and charming and
let warmness and love reign in your families.”

CIS FM COUNCIL SITTING TO BE HELD IN SAINT PETERSBURG APRIL 21
PanARMENIAN.Net
08.03.2006 20:17 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The regular meeting of the Council of the CIS
Foreign Ministers will be held in Saint Petersburg April 21. Having
considered the draft agenda the Council rated it as formed. In accord
with the draft the participants will discuss the consultations to be
held between the Foreign Ministries within the CIS in 2006 as well
as the perfection and reformation of the CIS bodies, reported Interfax.

ANKARA AND BAKU CAPABLE TO GUARD BTC AT OWN EXPENSE
PanARMENIAN.Net
08.03.2006 20:36 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey and Azerbaijan are capable to guard the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline at their own expense, Turkish
Ambassador to Azerbaijan Turan Morali stated. In his words, presently
the issue of formation of military units for guarding the oil pipeline
is not being discussed at the state level and there is no need in
it. “The formation, coordination of activities and deployment of
joint forces is a complicated process demanding great deal of time. We
can help the country which is not able to secure the sector passing
through its territory,” he noted. According to Mr.
Morali, the Georgian government requested oil companies to render
assistance in guarding the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline. As for
the possibility of attacks on the Turkish sector of the pipeline by
Kurdish military units and other terrorist groupings, the Ambassador
noted there are no problems in this view, reported APA news agency.

PACE PRESIDENT URGED COE MEMBER STATES TO COMBAT TRAFFICKING
PanARMENIAN.Net
08.03.2006 20:44 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ With a view to the International Women’s Day,
Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly President Rene van der Linden
today urged the organization’s member states as well as the European
Community to adhere to the Convention on action against trafficking
in human beings. “Whilst fully supporting all current initiatives
for a ‘red card to forced prostitution’, I hope we can avoid yellow
cards for our member states for not having taken the necessary legal
action to prevent trafficking in general, and forced prostitution in
particular,” he said. Mr. van der Linden stressed that after drugs and
arms, trafficking in human beings represents the third most lucrative
criminal business. Estimates of the number of victims vary from 120
000 to 500 000. “In Europe, trafficking in human beings is above
all synonymous with forced prostitution. This form of modern-day
slavery replaces chains by rape, psychological terror and complete
dependence through the deprivation of the women’s personal and civil
identity. These are unbearable facts.
Forced prostitution is a crime and a blatant violation of human
rights,” Mr van der Linden said. “On the occasion of this year’s
World Cup in Germany, a strong temporary rise in the demand for
sexual services is expected. This represents a considerable risk of
an increase in forced prostitution,” he added. “The Council of Europe
Convention on action against trafficking in human beings offers the
necessary legal means to prosecute traffickers, to better protect
victims, safeguard their rights and to fight trafficking. It was opened
for signature on 16 May 2005, but has so far been signed by only 25
out of the 46 member states and not ratified by any member state. It
is high time to take resolute action. As the organizer of the World
Cup, Germany could take the lead and set an example by ratifying the
Convention,” Rene van der Linden concluded.

SERGE SARGSYAN: I DON’T THINK COLOR REVOLUTION THREATENS ARMENIA
PanARMENIAN.Net
08.03.2006 20:55 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “A revolution will hardly take place in Armenia,”
RA Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan told Russian journalists. “I think
this phase is already over, since revolutions are attractive during a
certain period for a certain part of the society. Then soberness and
understanding come. I have always been an adherent to evolutionary
but not revolutionary development,” he added. “I do not think color
revolution threatens Armenia. The Armenian society is able to develop
evolutionary. This September we will mark the 15th anniversary of our
republic. 15 years in not very much but for Armenia it’s a sufficient
term to be considered a mature state.
Unfortunately our first republic existed several months only and
these 15 years is an achievement for us,” Serge Sargsyan said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

UN RESOLUTIONS LEGALIZE NAGORNO KARABAKH AS NEGOTIATION PARTY
PanARMENIAN.Net
08.03.2006 20:59 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The UN resolutions maintain positive nuances,
as they not merely condemn the activities of local forces and urge
to abandon the seized regions. As a matter of fact the resolutions
legalize Nagorno Karabakh as a party to negotiations, chairman of
the RA National Assembly Standing Committee for Foreign Affairs in
1995-1999 Hovhannes Igityan told PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In his
words, presently it’s very important not to make abrupt moves and
sharp statements. “Hostilities may change the format of the talks.
Countries wide of the conflict will settle the Nagorno Karabakh
problem. This is the purpose of Azerbaijan, which says that the OSCE
MG is already exhausted and tries to transfer the issue to the UN,”
he said.
Hovhannes Igityan also noted that the right to self-determination
of nations within the UN transformed in the right of peoples. “Any
change of format demands new juridical basis. In this case Armenia and
NKR can face the worst scenario – something like the Moscow Treaty
of 1921 between Russia and Turkey or the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact,”
Igityan emphasized.

POSSIBILITIES OF KARABAKH PROBLEM PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT IN 2006 NOT EXHAUSTED
PanARMENIAN.Net
08.03.2006 21:14 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ During the meeting with U.S. Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Mr. Matthew Bryza
Armenian parliament speaker Artur Baghdassaryan thanked the United
States for the assistance rendered to Armenia, reported RA NA press
service. Artur Baghdassaryan noted that the U.S.’s economic assistance
is accompanied by the assistance in conducting democratic reforms in
the republic. For his part Mr. Bryza noted that the settlement of
conflicts, energy security and economy development can be achieved
vie democratic reforms. The parties attached great importance to
the Millennium Challenge Account and also referred to the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict. According to Baghdassaryan, the possibilities to
resolve the problem in 2006 are not exhausted. Mr. Bryza also noted
the importance of the conflict settlement for the whole region. The
interlocutors also discussed the European Neighborhood Policy and
the possible development of the Euro- Atlantic cooperation.

SERGEY LAVROV AND CONDOLEEZZA RICE DISCUSSED KARABAKH PROBLEM
PanARMENIAN.Net
08.03.2006 21:49 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Upon the outcomes of the meeting with Russian
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held Tuesday in Washington U.S.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the U.S. is satisfied with
the relations with the Russian Federation. “We discussed a wide
scope of issues and touched upon global problems like Iran and Near
East,” she said. In her words, they also referred to the so-called
frozen conflicts in Nagorno Karabakh and Abkhazia. When speaking of
the U.S. and Russia’s attitude about various local conflicts Sergey
Lavrov said “although the parties differ on the methods of conflict
settlement the final goal is identical,” reported RIA Novosti.

OSKANIAN AND RICE TO SIGN MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE COMPACT
PanARMENIAN.Net
08.03.2006 22:15 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On March 27, Armenia’s Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian will address Armenian-American activists gathering in the
nation’s capital for a major three-day advocacy conference designed
to promote key community issues to Washington’s most influential
decision makers, reported the Armenian Assembly of America. Assembly
Board of Trustees Chairman Hirair Hovnanian said, “We are honored
that Foreign Minister Oskanian will address our National Conference
later this month. We also look forward to Armenia signing the $235
million Millennium Challenge Compact it was recently awarded by the
U.S. government. “Oskanian will join Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice at the signing of the five-year Compact which is expected to
benefit the lives of 75 percent of Armenia’s rural population. The
Conference opens on March 26 with a welcoming reception at the U.S.
Botanic Garden featuring special guest, NKR Deputy Foreign Minister
Masis Mailian. Assembly leaders will convene earlier that day for
their annual Trustees Meeting. The following day participants will
sharpen their advocacy skills during a series of workshops and panel
discussions, all leading up to a full day of meetings with elected
officials on March 28. In those meetings, activists will seek support
on such issues ranging from U.S. reaffirmation of the Armenian
Genocide and ongoing and robust assistance to Armenia, as well as
fighting against attempts to isolate Armenia by supporting passage
of the South Caucasus Integration and Railroad Act. This unique event
will also honor Armenian-American veterans of the Armed Forces.
Additionally, Armenia Mission participants and Assembly Intern Alumni
will have reunion events on March 26 and 27 respectively.

AZERBAIJN REPORTS FIRST HUMAN DEATH OF BIRD FLU
Armenpress
Mar 09 2006
BAKU, MARCH 9, ARMENPRESS: The Azerbaijan Ministry of Health confirmed
that a 16-year-old girl, Gunel Qasimova from Sarvan died of H5N1
in hospital on March 8. It said no new human cases of bird flu were
detected in Sarvan and Daykand villages of Salyan province during the
last two days. Earlier, six out of eight bird flu suspected people
were discharged from hospital.
Another resident of Daykand, Shahmar Asgarov, remains in hospital
receiving treatment for suspected bird flu. His state is serious. The
World Health Organization’s (WHO) bird flu experts are coming to
Azerbaijan and will stay in the country until the end of March. The
results of bird flu monitoring will be sent to London to be checked
by scientists at the WHO laboratory.