ARMENIAN LAWYER CALLS IMPOSSIBLE THE DEMAND OF AZERBAIJANI MURDERER-OFFICER’S ADVOCATES FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE COURT COMPOSITION
Yerevan, April 11. ArmInfo. The “advocates” of the Azerbaijani
murderer-officer Ramil Safarov demand replacement of the composition
of the court on the eve of the verdict announcement fixed for April
13, Azerbaijani agency APA reports. The Committee for protection of
R.Safarov’s Rights NGO demand a cancellation of the forthcoming court
session. They also demand sending a group of parliamentarians and
journalists to Hungary to achieve Safarov’s extradition irrespective
of the verdict.
In a phone conversation with ArmInfo, the lawyer Nazeli Vardanyan,
who represents the legal successors of the killed Armenian officer G.
Margaryan at the court, called the demand on replacement of the court
composition impossible at present. The lawyer believes the NGO’s
assemblies will not affect the proceedings. She says the Azerbaijani
party keeps misinforming the public. It’s worth mentioning that the
Azerbaijani party made public that the Prosecution had demanded
30 years of imprisonment for R. Safavor, whereas in reality, the
prosecution demanded life imprisonment without the right of pardon
for 30 years. N. Vardanyan says “if the Azerbaijani party intended to
challenge the judge, it should have been done by the lawyer and not
at present. They had enough time for it as the trial last for already
two years,” N. Vardanyan says. She says that due to his lawyer, who
tried to prove Safarov’s insanity, the latter occurred in rather a
ridiculous state. Now, he has to either prove his insanity or the
“appropriateness” of his deed, which will even aggravate his state.
To note, on February 19 2004, R. Safarov viciously axed the asleep G.
Margaryan in Budapest. Both the officers were undergoing an English
language course under the NATO PfP program. Safarov is charged with
Article 166.2 of the Hungarian Criminal Code ( first degree murder )
implying 10-15 years or life imprisonment. Chairing the trial is
the judge Andrash Vaskuti. Armenian and Hungarian lawyers Nazeli
Vardanyan and Gabriela Kaspar defend the interests of Margaryan’s
family and Hayk Makuchyan, Armenian officer whose life was attempted
by Safarov. Representative of the Armenian Defense Ministry Hayk
Demoyan attends the trial.

THE COUNTRY THAT WILL TRY TO RESOLVE THE KARABAKH CONFLICT THROUGH MILITARY MEANS WILL HAVE NO PLACE IN THE COE
ArmRadio.am
11.04.2006 18:13
President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Rene
van der Linden told in exclusive interview to MEDIAMAX Agency that
the country that will undertake military resolution of the Karabakh
conflict will be excluded from the Council of Europe.
“In case military actions restart in Nagorno-Karabakh, I do not think
that the presence of the country that employs armed forces for the
resolution of the conflict is possible in the Council of Europe,”
Rene van der Linden said.
PACE President called on the parties to the conflict to refuse form
militant statements and to realize that the conflict may be resolved
solely in the peaceful way.

RA PRESIDENT AND NEWLY APPOINTED AMBASSADOR OF HUNGARY ATTACH IMPORTANCE TO ACTIVIZATION OF BILATERAL BUSINESS CONTACTS
Noyan Tapan
Apr 11 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN. Arpad Szekely, the newly
appointed Ambassador of Hungary to Armenia (residence in Moscow)
handed his credentials to RA President Robert Kocharian on April
11. Congratulating the Ambassador on the occasion of undertaking the
post, the President expressed a hope that during his activity new
steps will be undertaken in the direction of widening the bilateral
relations. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the President’s Press Office,
the sides considered primary formation of the legal-contractual field
necessary for the cooperation and attached importance to activization
of the business contacts and planning of concrete spheres of mutual
cooperation. The Ambassador presented the political, economic state
of Hungary as well.

DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER OF ARMENIA AND AMBASSADOR OF HUNGARY MENTION NECESSITY OF COMPLETING LEGAL-CONTRACTUAL FIELD OF BILATERAL COOPERATION
Noyan Tapan
Apr 11 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN. Arpad Szekely, the newly appointed
Ambassador of Hungary to Armenia (residence in Moscow) handed on
April 11 copies of his credentials to Armen Bayburdian, the Deputy
Foreign Minister of Armenia.
Congratulating the guests on the occasion of appointment, A.Bayburdian
wished the Ambassador success in his responsible mission. During
the conversation the sides touched upon issues of bilateral
cooperation. The necessity of completing the legal-contractual field,
purposefulness of organizing visits at high level as well as holding
of consultations among the Foreign Ministries were bilaterally
mentioned. The Ambassador presented briefly the situation created
after the parliamentary elections held two days before in Hungary as
well as the Hungarian experience of Eurointegration. The RA Foreign
Ministry’s Press and Information Department submitted to Noyan Tapan
the Hungarian Ambassador’s brief biographic data. Arpad Szekely was
born in 1957 in the Hungarian city of Miskolc. In 1976 he graduated
from the Physics Department of the Foldes Ferenc Grammar School
of Miskolc. In 1976-1981 he studied at the International Journalism
Department of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. In
1981 he started work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary. In
1984-1989 he worked at the Embassy of Hungary to Germany. In 1990-1992
he worked as the Prime Minister’s Personal Assistant for Inner Policy
and Trade. In 1990 he was the representative of the Hungarian part
of the Hungarian-Bavarian Intergovernmental Council. In 2005 he was
appointed the Ambassador of Hungary to Russia. He knows Russian,
English, French. Married, has three children.

UNLIKE OTHERS, OPPOSITION’S SILENCE AND WEAKNESS NOT CAUSE VAZGEN MANUKIAN’S ANXIETY
Noyan Tapan
Apr 11 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN. “The opposition is estranged and
is not strong, but process of uniting goes on, and what will be the
result, we’ll see in future,” Vazgen Manukian, the Chairman of the
National Democratic Union stated in the interview to the Noyan Tapan
correspondent. According to him, confidential negotiations are in
process among the opposing forces at present, and it’s already felt
that uniting of all of those is not possible. Vazgen Manukian mentioned
that unlike others, today’s silence and weakness of the opposition does
not cause his anxiety: “Such a period of time always exists before
the storm: and that period of time is called incubation.” As for the
future of the existing “Ardarutyun” (Justice) and “17+1” formats,
V.Manukian mentioned that both alliance and “17+1” union gradually
start to have a formal club appearance where people gather and discuss
future and today’s issues: “I do not see that our 2007 activities must
be decided by strengthening of one of those formats, one must create
a new format.” So, according to the NDU leader, it would be funny if
parties related to the coming parliamentary elections as to a just
process and made an attempt to overpass the 5%. “It’s necessary to
gather a great power, and I think that the most purposeful thing would
be if two camps, the authiorities and the opposition, stand in front
of one another, and the struggle was for having power but not for
having few more places at the NA. Authorities of such a quality may
not bring Armenia forward, it must be changed, and the year of 2007
may become a proper occasion for doing it,” Vazgen Manukian stated.

HEAD OF YEREVAN POLICE EXPLAINS SITUATION AROUND INCIDENT AT “YERKRAPAH” UNION
Yerevan, April 10. ArmInfo. Nerses Nazarian, head of the Yerevan
Police, explained the situation around the incident with “Yerkrapah”
Union of Volunteers.
He said that the information about the clash that happened between
the policemen and the members of “Yerkrapah” union is false. At the
same time he added that the policemen of Kanaker-Zeytoun community
tried to enter the edifice of the union, when chasing a criminal.
Being unaware of the situation, the members of the union got irritated
with the behavior of the policemen and hindered their work.
“There was no clash, they just argued a bit,” he said. He added that
he personally met with General-Lieutenant Manvel Grigorian, head of
the union, and discussed the situation.
While the members of “Yerkrapah” union and the policemen were argued,
the chased criminal managed to escape.

RA NA SPEAKER RECEIVES OFFICIAL INVITATION TO VISIT POLAND
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 11 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Ambassador of
Poland to Armenia Tomasz Knothe conveyed an official invitation
to visit Poland to RA NA Speaker Artur Baghdasarian during the
April 11 meeting with him. As Noyan Tapan was informed from NA
Public Relations Department, the interlocutors attached importance
to development of Armenian-Polish interparliamentary relations,
cooperation and assistance to Armenia within the framework of the
EU New Neighborhood program, establishment of contacts between the
regions of the two countries. Issues regarding the official visit of
Polish Senate Chairman to Armenia were also discussed.

RA PRESIDENT PAYS A VISIT TO MOTHER SEE OF HOLY ECHMIADZIN
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 11 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On April 11, RA
President Robert Kocharian paid a visit to the Mother See of Holy
Echmiadzin. The President accompanied by Catholicos of All Armenians
Karekin II got acquainted with the process of construction of the
museum, archives, other new adjacent annexes making part of the
complex of the Patriarch’s Residence. As Noyan Tapan was informed
by RA President’s Press Service, Robert Kocharian watched the copies
of Martiros Sarian’s, Arshil Gorki’s, Hovhannes Ayvazovski’s, Minas’
canvases at the new repaired exhibition hall.

ARMENIAN DM CONSIDERS EXPEDIENT TRANSFER OF ARMENIAN PROPERTY TO RUSSIA AS COMPENSATION FOR GAS TARIFF RISE
Yerevan, April 11. ArmInfo. Armenian Defence Minister Serzh Sargsyan
considers expedient the transfer of Armenian property to Russia as
compensation for the gas tariff rise.
He wonders that all and sundry are holding forth about this subject
but have no slightest idea what the 5th unit of the Hrazdan TPP
actually is.
Today the unit is like a three-floor house with only ground floor
built. But some know-alls say that “only” $150 mln is needed to repair
it. So, it turns out that the unit has already worked and just needs
repairs and that $150 mln is a very small sum for those know-alls. The
real situation is quite different. The repairs require at least $180
mln – money that could be repaid in 10 years at earliest. In such a
case Armenia would have a profitable unit by 2017 at best. But only
Nostradamus knows what kind of profit that would be and what kind of
gas prices there would be at that time, says Sargsyan.
So, Sargsyan asks: what is more profitable for the state – to sell
inoperative unit for $250 mln or to wait for it to begin to give
some tiny profit in 2017. The key principle here is what the state,
industry and people need.
Sargsyan does not agree with the opinion that all energy companies of
Armenia are in the hands of Russia. He says that one should not mix
politics with economy. One should see what is good for the Armenian
economy. Simply some local hysterical politicians think that we
should decline any offer by Russia, but accept an offer by, say,
Belgium. The word “Russia” for them is like a red rag for a bull.
This is a wrong approach. One should not create problems for oneself
and then heroically overcome them.
The 5th unit deal has a long history. 5-6 years ago RAO UES and
Rosgazprom offered to buy it but stipulated that Armenia should buy
the whole electricity to be produced there. It was not profitable for
Armenia and the country declined the offer. But now that the terms
have got better Armenia has agreed.

COMMISSION ON WORKING OUT DRAFT NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY CONVENES ITS THIRD SITTING
Noyan Tapan
Apr 11 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN. The third sitting of the
interdepartmental commission coordinating the works of elaboration
of the draft national securi ty strategy was held on April 11. The
sitting was presided over by Serge Sargsian, Secretary of the National
Security Council under RA President, RA Defence Minister. Among about
250 proposals received by the interdepartmental commission, those
included in the agenda of the third sitting, regarding the departments
“Challenges of the Armenian National Security,” “Strategy of Providing
National Security” were discussed. As Noyan Tapan was informed by
Colonel Seyran Shahsuvarian, Spokesperson for RA Defence Minister,
the revisions implemented as a result of exchange of opinions, on the
whole, were approved and the commission’s secretariate was charged
to edit them.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress