DIAGNOSTIC CENTER OPENS IN RA CENTRAL MILITARY HOSPITAL
Noyan Tapan
Mar 13 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Opening of a diagnostic center took
place on March 9 at the Central Military Hospital of the RA Ministry of
Defence. The Center has 8 services: 4 functional and 4 laboratory ones
which are full of modern equipment. According to Lieutenant-General
Artur Aghabekian, the RA Deputy Minister of Defence, the activity of
the center will give an opportunity to implement a complete examination
of servicemen in the central hospital.
According to him, there is a goal at present to provide the
hospital with modern equipment in a short period of time, to restore
fundamentaly all the departments for it’s possible to completely
implement the process of patients’ treatment in the above-mentioned
medical institution. “During the coming two years we’ll completely
provide the central hospital with modern technics,” A.Aghabekian
stated, mentioning that re-training of doctors is also implemented
to make use of those technics.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NUMBER OF MURDERS INCREASES THREEFOLD IN ARMENIA IN FIRST TWO MONTHS OF 2006 COMPARED WITH SAME PERIOD OF LAST YEAR
Noyan Tapan
Mar 13 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. 1,342 crimes were registered in Armenia
in the first two months of 2006 against 1,526 crimes in the same period
of last year. Colonel Hayk Militosian, Head of the RA Police Main
Department of Criminal Investigation, stated at the March 10 press
conference that the number of grave crimes declined by 57 compared
with January-February of 2005 and made 336. The number of particularly
grave crimes grew by 16 on the respective index of last year and made
31, while the number of crimes with use of firearms grew by 2 to 15
cases. 15 murders were registered in January-February 2006 against 5
murders over the same period of 2005. There was also a growth in the
number of attempted murders (3-7), crimes against sexual immunity
(5-8), drug-related crimes (30-80), hooliganism (24-36), crimes
with the use of firearms (10-14), robbery (18-21), apartment thefts
(67-76), and theft of means of transport (15-18). At the same time,
there was a decline in the number of such crimes as causing harm
to health deliberatly (118-64), illegal turnover of arms (29-15),
embezzlement of state or public property (50-33), embezzlement of
private property (373-361), fraud (75-51), crimes against economic
activity (39-32) and in some other crimes. The index of confiscation
and voluntary handing of the arms has remained at the same level –
19-20. Over the period under review, the crimes committed with use
of firearms and posing a great danger to society were disclosed by
100%. However, according to H. Militosian, the index of crime solution
declined by 2% to 62% compared with last year. H. Militosian said
that the number of beggar children declined considerably – this year
their number made about 80 against 170 registered in 1997. The number
of parents negligent in their duties of upbringing makes 48. Last year
26 citizens were subjected to criminal liability for involvement of
minors in crimes.

ARMENIAN WRESTLERS RETURN FROM TASHKENT ONLY WITH ONE PRIZE
Noyan Tapan
Mar 13 2006
TASHKENT, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. The 2nd tournament of the World
Golden Grand Prix of free-style wrestling: the Independence cup
tournament of Uzbekistan was held in Tashkent. The wrestlers of
Russia competed the most successfully and they won the first three
prizes. The representatives of the U.S. won first two prizes and of
Georgia and Uzebkistan 1 prize each. Only one of the sportsmen of
Armenia managed to become a prize-winner: Zhirayr Hovhannisian from
Vanadzor took the 3rd place in the 66 kg weight catergory.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CHESS-PLAYERS TIGRAN KOTANJIAN AND LUSINE ALAVERDIAN BECOME YEREVAN CHAMPIONS
Noyan Tapan
Mar 13 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. The first group tournaments of Armenian
men and women chess championships are over. At the same time they had
a status of open Yerevan championships. International master Tigran
Kotanjian (Yerevan) took the first place and became Yerevan champion in
the men’s tournament held with participation of 53 chess-players. He
gained 7.5 out of 9 possible points. David Kalashian (Gyumri) took
the second palce with 7 points. Kotanjian and Kalashian gained the
right to take part in the tournament of Armenian championship highest
group. 3 winners among 30 participants of women’s tournament were to
get the right to take part in the country’s championship. The winners
became: Lusine Alaverdian (Hrazdan), Anahit Kharatian (Vanadzor)
and Marianna Gasparian (Gyumri). L.Alaverdian became the winner of
Yerevan open championship.

ELINA DANIELIAN CONTINUES TO COMPETE IN WOMEN’S WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP
oyan Tapan
Mar 13 2006
YEKATERINBURG, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. A regular women’s world chess
championship started in the Russian city of Yeketerinburg. It is
held among 64 women chess-players by the “Knockout” contest rules
when those defeated in short competitions are left out of the further
competition. Lilit Mkrtchian, one of 2 representatives of Armenia, was
left out of the competition. She drew the main two games with Chinese
Ruan Lufey but was defeated in one of 2 additional games drawing
the next one. So, Lilit Mkrtchian was defeated with a score of 1.5
to 2.5. Another grand master from Yerevan, Elina Danielian, ended the
competition with the same score but in favor of herself. Elina defeated
Romanian Christina Foyshor and is to compete with representative of
Russia Alexander Kostenyuk in the second tour. By the way, the latter
defeated Armenian chess-player Natalia Khudgarian representing Canada
with a score of 2 to 0.

TWO SPORTSMEN FROM ARMENIA TO PARTICIPATE IN PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES IN TURIN
Noyan Tapan
Mar 13 2006
TURIN, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. The Paralympic Winter Games are held in
the city of Turin (Torino), Italy, on March 10-19. Invalid sportsmen of
few dozens of countries will participate in the Olympiad. 2 sportsmen
will represent Armenia: mountain-skier Mher Avanesian and Greta
Khndzrtian. They were to compete on March 11 and 14.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ELECTIONS OF LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT BODIES HELD IN TWO RURAL COMMUNITIES ON MARCH 12
Noyan Tapan
Mar 13 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Councillor’s elections were held on
March 12 in the Arzakan rural community of the Kotayk marz and special
elections of the community head in the Debed rural community of the
Lori marz. By the Government’s decision, commissions of the acting
community head of Debed were stopped ahead of time due to his death. As
Victoria Haroutiunian, the Chairwoman of No 31 district electoral
commission informed the Noyan Tapan correspondent, non-partizan
and unemployed Garik Nazlukhanian and Kamo Petrosian pretended for
the post of the comminuty head. According to the preliminary data,
G.Nazlukhanian won with the superiority of 2 votes. 482 people of
the 600 voters of the community participated in the votion. The
commission got no applications-complaints within the term fixed by
the electoral code.

RA DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER TO LEAVE FOR TURKMENISTAN ON WORKING VISIT
Noyan Tapan
Mar 13 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. On March 14, RA Deputy Foreign
Minister Gegham Gharibjanian is leaving for Turkmenistan on a working
visit. On March 15-16, in Turkmenistan, he is to have official meetings
with President of Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov, Foreign Minister
Rashid Meredov, Minister of Oil and Gas Industry and Mining Resources
Kurbanmurat Atayev and Minister of Culture ant TV Communication Maral
Byashimova. As Noyan Tapan was informed by RA Foreign Ministry Press
and Information Department, during the visit G.Gharibjanian will
hand Armenian President Robert Kocharian’s message to President of
Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov, as well as will take part in the
ceremony of hoisting of the Armenian flag in the territory of new
RA Embassy.

VARTAN OSKANIAN RE-AFFIRMS THAT ARMENIA DOESN’T CONSIDER THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS FAILED
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 13 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. “It’s seems a bit
strange to us that the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen’s regular sitting
will take place in Turkey,” Foreign Minister of Armenia Vartan Oskanian
stated in the March 10 interview to the “Shant” TV company. According
to him, the choice of Istanbul as a place of meeting was a suprise for
Armenia to some extent. At the same time, according to the Minister, it
isn’t excluded that the geographical convenience had a role here. It’s
envisaged that a day before the Istanbul meeting, Steven Mann, the
OSCE Minsk Group American Co-Chairman will arrive in Yerevan and
Baku. According to Vartan Oskanian, the latter will make an attempt
to get clearly know from the two countries’ Presidents their will in
the issue of continuing the process: “After this visit the Co-Chairmen
will decide the next steps: wheather to invite a Foreign Ministers’
meeting or to invite a Presidents’ meeting, or they three will visit
the region.” As for the Rambouillet meeting, in the Minister’s opinion,
a progress was really fixed in the issue of the Karabakh conflict
settlement in 2005: “There was an agreement on the majority of the main
principles, one-two other problems remained on which the Presidents
should come to an agreement, and the Co-Chairmen logically thought
that this inertia will continue: unfortunately, this didn’t happen.”
Vartan Oskanian re-affirmed that Armenia didn’t consider the
negotiation process failed: “It’s another issue that the issue on
agenda in Rambouillet was rather difficult, and the Presidents still
had no solution after having worked for a year. But taking into account
the present progress, we find that it would be a pity to miss such
an opportunity which certainly would be difficult to create again. In
Azerbaijan they also think in their hearts and souls that one mustn’t
miss this progress.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SABINE FREIZER: THE PEACE PLAN PROPOSED BY INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP IS GOOD BECAUSE IT IS REALISTIC
Haroutiun Khachatrian
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 13 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The International
Crisis Group, a respected organization involved in efforts of
conflict resolution, has recently proposed its suggestions about a
possible way of regulation of the Nagorno Karabakh problem. These
suggestions have had controversial echoes both among Armenians and
Azeris. Sabine Freizer, the Caucasus Project Director of the ICG,
presents the details in an exclusive interview with Noyan Tapan.
“NOYAN TAPAN”: Please remind us briefly the pre-history and current
activities of your organization. Whose was the idea of its creation,
who is involved in its activities, who provides funding?
SABINE FREIZER: The International Crisis Group is an international not
for profit organization based in Brussels, Belgium. The organization
was created in 1995 as an independent body that could combine detailed
field assessment and analysis with political advocacy to try to
resolve or prevent conflict. Its founders were leading international
decision-makers who were shocked by their own governments’ inability
to respond effectively to the conflicts in former-Yugoslavia, Somalia,
Rwanda and other situations that had spiralled out of control in the
early 1990s. They wanted to create an organization that could provide
comprehensive, quick and neutral analysis on conflicts, and recommend
means to respond to them.
Crisis Group receives funding from a variety of sources. The goal is to
have a diverse funding base to insure independence and credibility. In
2004 40% of Crisis Group’s funds came from governments, 43% from
foundations, and 16% from private individuals and corporations. In
2004 the organization raised some million to cover operating costs.
“NT”: You are an organization of experts, which means that your
recommendations should be addressed to policymakers rather than to
the public opinion.
Meanwhile, you often address to wider society, including political
parties and NGOs. Isn’t there a controversy present here?
S.F.: Our recommendations are mainly addressed to policy makers
especially in Washington, New York, Brussels, London, Moscow and
other major capitals. We try to influence their decision-making and
the activities of state and international actors. However especially
in the South Caucasus where international attention is weaker then in
other parts of the globe, we also take the time to share our reports
and recommendations with local policymakers, political actors, NGOs
and others. We believe that it’s important to do this to increase
public knowledge and understanding about conflict in the region from
a relatively neutral standpoint.
“NT”: Continuing the above question, your comments about the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict go beyond the conflict per se to include the
issues of domestic politics such as the problems of elections or
referendum. Why do you think it is proper?
S.F.: We think that its important to look at domestic political
developments in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia because they of course
also affect the potential for conflict resolution. Our focus is on
analysing the conflicts but we sometimes report on local political
issues such as the Fall Azerbaijani parliamentary elections and the
Armenian referendum. We were quite critical in both cases.
“NT”: In recent months, some Armenian media have argued that your
organization is influenced by pro-Turkish lobby. Can you deny these
allegations? And, if so, what is, in your opinion, the reason that
such publications appeared in the Armenian media?
S.F.: We have been accused of being pro-Turkish in Armenia and
pro-Armenian in Azerbaijan. This is very frequent in our work. People
who don’t like what we have to say try to discredit us by linking
us with outside political forces. But Crisis Group is a truly
international organization with staff and funding from across the
globe. We are fully independent and are not politically influenced
by anyone.
Of course I can deny that we are influenced by any kind of pro-Turkish
lobby. In our report in Armenia in 2004 we several times mention
the Genocide including in the Introduction. We also make tough
recommendations to Turkey to open its border with Armenia. It would
be hard for me to imagine a Turkish lobby group who would come out
with these kinds of statements.
“NT”: What are the benefits of the peace plan proposed by ICG for
the Armenian side, including Nagorno Karabakh?
S.F.: The peace plan proposed by ICG is good because it is realistic
in the current situation and meets a significant part of the both
sides key demands.
For the Armenian side it provides security guarantees and the right
to self-determination for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. For
the Azerbaijani side it offers the return of all internally
displaced persons and return of all its occupied lands around
Nagorno-Karabakh. The plan also calls for assurances of free movement
of people and goods, including the lifting of all blockades and the
reopening of all transport and trade routes closed as a result of the
conflict. For Armenia this would mean the end of its regional isolation
and the opening of its border with Turkey. The plan also grants
Nagorno-Karabakh with an internationally recognized interim status.
“NT”: As for the proposals of your organization about the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict, they are criticized by Armenian politicians for
several reasons:
First: The proposal to hold another referendum in Nagorno Karabakh
whereas a referendum meeting all democracy standards was held there
in 1991.
S.F: A referendum on statehood is not worth much — even if it meets
democratic standards — if its not internationally recognized. For
the past 15 years no state has recognized the 1991 referendum. The
internationally community is not going to recognize the referendum
now. Instead if Nagorno-Karabakh wants to receive international
recognition, and be accepted as an equal amongst other states, it must
hold a referendum, which meets international standards and is observed
by international organizations, first and foremost by the OSCE.
“NT”: Second: Many in Armenia express concern that withdrawal from the
territories around the former NKAO may disrupt the existing balance
(I do not speak about those who prefer to use the term “liberated”
rather than “occupied” for these territories).
S.F.: The Armenian side has a stark choice — to withdraw from the
occupied territories around Nagorno-Karabakh or to remain stationed
on land, which does not belong to it. If it chooses the latter,
Azerbaijan is much more likely to resort to the use of military force
to try to retake control of its land.
Should that happen the international community is unlikely to react
very strongly as UN Security Council Resolutions urge the withdrawal of
occupied territories. Today control of the land is NK’s only security
guarantee. We are proposing that it replaces this guarantee with
much stronger ones: a renunciation of the threat of the use of force
to settle disputes by Azerbaijan, the deployment of international
peacekeeping troops, and the creation of a joint commission including
Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh to address security problems. According
to this formula Azerbaijan will be more much constrained and will
have little ability to strike Nagorno-Karabakh. If it does choose to
do so it will become an international pariah state.
“NT”: Third: Peacekeeping forces (if any) in the Karabakh region
may present a threat to Iran, hence, Teheran will oppose their
installation.
S.F: If the sides — including the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries
— agree to the deployment of international peacekeepers I don’t think
that Iran will have much political weight to oppose them. Of course it
will be important to talk to Iran to explain to them the mission and
mandate of any peacekeepers. But I do not think that Iran’s political
concerns should override a compromise decision made by Russia, the US,
the EU, the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides, to deploy peacekeepers.
“NT”: According to your proposals, an intermediate status for
Nagorno Karabakh is to be established before is the final status is
defined. What elements this status can involve?
S.F.: An interim status for NK would provide NK with an internationally
recognized status — not as a state but as an interim entity. It
would be allowed to hold elections, which would be internationally
supervised. Based on this elected officials would be recognized
as representing the people of NK. Other interim measures could be
envisioned such as the granting of the right to have representatives
in international organizations, the right to trade, to issue travel
documents, receive international assistance etc…
After NK obtains interim status it should also accept the return
of displaced Azeris who should have the right to participate in all
elements of political, economic, social and cultural life.
“NT”: This question may look naive, but can you indicate a most
important factor hindering the progress in the settlement of the
Karabakh conflict?
S.F.: Distrust — between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, and
the people of the two countries. Once there is confidence and trust, as
I believe there is between the Foreign Ministers of the two countries,
it is much easier to come to a compromise. The other lacking factor
is absence of understanding for the need to accept compromises. The
sides maintain a maximalist approach. They rather demand all but get
no deal, then demand a bit less but come to an agreement.
“NT”: What future actions can your organization undertake in the
observable future concerning the Nagorno Karabakh conflict?
S.F.: We will continue monitoring and reporting on Nagorno-Karabakh. I
personally will be travelling to Washington DC and New York in
the coming months to meet with decision-makers and make public
presentations on Nagorno-Karabakh.
“NT”: Is the ICG involved in the settlement efforts of other conflicts
in the South Caucasus?
S.F.: Yes, we are also working closely on the South Ossetian and
Abkhaz conflicts.