ARMENIA NOT TO PROVIDE HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO PAKISTAN
Pan Armenian
11.10.2005 23:12 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia will not provide humanitarian assistance to
Pakistan due to the destructive earthquake in that country, Armenian
Deputy FM Armen Bayburdyan stated. In his words, Pakistan has not
requested humanitarian assistance from Armenia. The Armenian Deputy
FM reminded that no diplomatic relations were established between
Yerevan and Islamabad, reported Mediamax.

BAKU CALL TO NKR CITIZENS TO TAKE PART IN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION IN AZERBAIJAN “ABSURD”
Pan Armenian
11.10.2005 23:08 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Chairman of the National Assembly of Nagorno
Karabakh Ashot Gulyan called “absurd” the Azerbaijani Central
Electoral Commission call to NKR citizens to take part in the
parliamentary election in Azerbaijan. “It is clear that there will
be no participation,” the NKR Speaker said. As of the domestic
situation in Azerbaijan on the threshold of the election, he said it
“fully corresponds to our forecasts.” “We are sure the election will
be held with shortcomings, unsanctioned rallies, pressure upon the
opposition and dispersal of rally participants,” Gulyan stated. “I
think international observers will have an opportunity to assess the
electoral situation in Azerbaijan and compare it with that in Nagorno
Karabakh,” stated Ashot Gulyan. Under the conditions of absence of
confidence between the parties to conflict, when Azerbaijan prevents
contacts between representatives of the two peoples, reaching a
settlement of the issue is impossible, he said when commenting on the
Karabakh settlement. Karabakh party’s stand based on the NKR people’s
right for state independence is unchangeable, Gulyan said.

SARGSYAN: DISCUSSING OWN DOMESTIC ISSUES IN ANOTHER COUNTRY INSULTING
Pan Armenian
11.10.2005 22:41 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ During his visit to the US Armenian Defense Minister
Serge Sargsyan is not going to discuss issues referring to Armenia’s
home policy.
The Armenian MOD head stated it in a conversation with journalists
in Yerevan October 11. “I consider discussing own domestic issues in
another country insulting. Views may be exchanged, but there may be
no discussion,” Mr. Sargsyan said. In his words, the visit will be
held on the invitation of the American party, specifically Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. S.
Sargsyan informed the visit will not exceed 4-5 days thus not lasting
a week “as the press had reported.” In the Minister’s opinion, no
agreements or treaties will be signed in the US. “All corresponding
agreements between us are signed, and I do not think there will be
any new bills,” Sargsyan said.
As it was reported earlier, at the National Press Club in Washington S.
Sargsyan will make a statement, titled Armenia: Security and
Development Prospects in the South Caucasus. During his visit he will
meet with US Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, National Security
Council top officials, as well as Armenian servicemen participating
in the Kansas National Guard exercises. The Armenian MOD head will
also visit the US Central Command base situated in Tampa, Florida,
reported IA Regnum.

ARMENIAN ENTERPRISES TRANSFERRED TO RUSSIA WILL BE ACTIVATED
ARMINFO News Agency
October 11, 2005
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 11. ARMINFO. ‘The Armenian enterprises transferred
to Russia in return for the country’s state debt will be activated.’
Armenian Presidential Security Council, Defense Minister of Armenia,
Co-Chairmen of the Armenian- Russian Intergovernmental Commission
for Economic Cooperation Serge Sargsyan told journalists, Tuesday.
He said Russian representatives of the Intergovernmental Commission for
Economic Cooperation have arrived in Armenia to take first hand view
of the problem. ‘I think, some progress is expected in the sphere,’
Serge Sargsyan said.
To note, to repay its $100 million debt to Russia, the Armenian
party transferred Hrazdan TPP, National Research Institution of
Mathematical Machines, NRI of Automatic Control Systems, “Mars” plant,
Institution of Materials Study. Factually, except Hrazdan TPP, none
of the enterprises has been activated during the last two years.

ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTER PREDICTS ILHAM ALIYEV PARTY’S VICTORY IN ELECTIONS
Armenpress
Oct 11 2005
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 11, ARMENPRESS: Armenian defense minister Serzh
Sarkisian prophesied today Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev’s New
Azerbaijan party’s victory in November 6 parliamentary elections,
but declined speculations that Aliyev and his allies could win the
elections only through massive vote-rigging. “Elections cannot be won
through vote-rigging, though there are international organizations
to assess the polls and besides there will be so many assessments
that our voice will be inappropriate,” he said to journalists.

OUTSPOKEN MP BLAMES OPPOSITION LEADERS FOR THEIR AMBITIONS
Armenpress
Oct 11 2005
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 11, ARMENPRESS: An outspoken opposition parliament
member blamed today the opposition’s failure to set up a joint
office for coordination of their campaign to reject a package of
constitutional amendments, proposed by president Kocharian and his
ruling coalition, on opposition leaders’ ambitions. Arshak Sadoyan,
the leader of a tiny party, said none of the major opposition forces
has committed to assume the hard job of steering the ‘no’ campaign.

NKR MFA AND OSCE TO PROMOTE COOPERATION FOR PEACE AND STABILITY IN KARABAKH
Pan Armenian
11.10.2005 23:44 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On October 10, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic Masis Mayilian received head of the OSCE High Level
Planning Group, Colonel Tomaso Strgar (Slovenia), reported the NKR
MFA Press Service. T. Strgar, who is visiting Nagorno Karabakh for
the first time, presented the activity and prospective plans of the
High Level Planning Group in the region to the Deputy FM. In his
turn, M. Mayilian told the prehistory of the relations between the
NKR MFA and the OSCE, noting the effectiveness of the cooperation
established. At that the interlocutors stressed the importance of the
further strengthening of the interaction for establishing lasting peace
and stability in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict region. Field Assistants
of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Olexandr
Samarsky (Ukraine) and Harry Eronen (Finland) attended the meeting.

ARMENIA CANNOT STAY INDIFFERENT TO EUROPE’S PROBLEMS: ARMENIA’S DM
ARMINFO News Agency
October 11, 2005
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 11. ARMINFO. As a country seeking to integrate into
Europe Armenia cannot stay indifferent to its problems just like
Europe cannot be indifferent to ours, Armenia’s Defence Minister Serzh
Sargsyan said while awarding the first group of Armenia peacekeepers
in Iraq today.
Sargsyan thanked the peacekeepers for successfully fulfilling their
hard mission. “By your effective actions you have raised the prestige
of our Fatherland,” he said.
Concerning the Karabakh conflict Sargsyan said that during the Karabakh
war the Armenian army asserted Karabakh’s right to be independent
and secure and now by its high fighting capacity it should ensure the
peaceful resolution of the conflict. Now the situation is much like
early 90 – inspired by oil profits Azerbaijan is beginning to sing
the old song about getting Karabakh back but in early 90 we already
proved that this is a myth, Sargsyan said noting that his words are
well-grounded – “our ground is our army, its effective troops, you
and your service on our borders and within international missions.”

CITIZENS WHO DIED IN THE 1960S WERE INCLUDED IN THE ELECTORAL LISTS IN 2005
ARMINFO News Agency
October 11, 2005
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 11. ARMINFO. The head of “Your Choice” social
organization Harutiun Harutiunian said that during the local government
bodies elections new methods of falsifications were invented.
According to Mr. Harutiunian, the citizens’ right for secret vote
was violated almost everywhere. The bulletins were checked and often
falsified by the electoral committees. Cemetery voting occurred
in Ararat region, where over 220 citizens who died in the 1960’s
were included in the electoral lists. Numerous citizens of Nor Hachn
region, registered in the preliminary lists, were not admitted to the
elections. In that region, in result of falsifications was re-elected
Armen Keshishian, who had murdered the head of local electricity
network. In electoral ditricts 27/7, 27/05, 27/02, 27/03, and in
some regions of Abovian, Biuregavan and Eghednadzor the members
of electoral committees accompanied the electors to the cabins and
intervened in voting. Sometime the voters were conducted to fill two
or more voting bulletins.
The report of the “Your Choice” social organization will be presented
to the Central Electoral Committee. Mr. Harutiunian added that there
is nothing to change in the Electoral Code of Armenia and assured
that the Venice Commission did not comment on it just by chance.
Harutiun Harutiunian also denoted the decision of the Central
Electoral Committee, made on the initiative of Artashes Abovian, a
representative of “Orinats Erkir” party. According to that decision,
in case an electoral committee member violates the Electoral Code, the
violator will be dismissed from the office, and not the organization
he represents, as it was before.
The head of the Electoral Committee, Garegin Azarian, promised Mr.
Harutiunian that the suggestions of the “Your Choice” organization
will be taken into consideration when discussing the amendments to
the Electoral Code at the Parliament.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MILITARY BUDGET OF ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN WILL NEVER MAKE ARMENIA TO YIELD
ARMINFO News Agency
October 11, 2005
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 11. ARMINFO. The difference between the military
budget of Armenia and Azerbaijan will never make Armenia to yield,
Armenian Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan told journalists.
He said the quantitative factor transforms into a qualitative factor
any way, however, it is unknown when it will happen. ‘Undoubtedly,
one can worry about the large military budget of an enemy, rival or
a neighbor. But, the budget must be used effectively,’ the minister
said. He brought cases when Armenia and Azderbijan bought the
same ammunition for different prices. “Indeed, we are aspiring for
comparable financial resources,” Serge Sargsyan said. As the military
budget depends on the percentage of the GDP no sharp increase in
the budget is expected so far, the minister explained. The minister
disagreed with the opinion that the threat of war is higher today
than before. He connects the bellicose statements of Azerbaijan with
the pre- election hysteria. The minister said that the situation on
the frontline is much calmer than 7 months ago. The situation cannot
be called pre-war as it does not correspond to reality, the minister
said. It can be thought so only from the point of view of Azerbaijan.