ARMENIANS HAVE AT STORE COUNTER EVIDENCE TO WARD OFF AZERIS

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, ARMENPRESS: An Armenian parliament member Mher
Shahgeldian, who is also the head of Armenian delegation to NATO
Parliamentary Assembly said today Armenian delegates have at store a
set of “compelling arguments,” which they could apply to ward off
Azerbaijani delegation’s attempts should they try to raise the Nagorno
Karabagh problem at a May 27-31 session of the Assembly in Slovenia’s
capital Ljubljana.

The head of Azerbaijani delegation to NATO PA Ziyafat Askerov was
reported earlier to say that they were going to raise this issue at
NATO PA session to seek its assessment of the conflict.

US EUROPEAN COMMAND DEPUTY COMMANDER NOTED SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN
US-ARMENIAN MILITARY RELATIONS

31.03.2005 06:39

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Secretary of the National Security Council at the
Armenian President, Defense Minister Serge Sargsian has met with
Deputy Commander, Headquarters US European Command Charles F. Wald,
the Press Service of the Defense Ministry reported. `I am very pleased
your calls to Armenia have become traditional and each your visit is
another step towards the development of the Armenian-American military
cooperation,’ Serge Sargsian noted. In his turn, Charles Wald noted
the significant progress in bilateral military relations. `When
strengthening bilateral relations the emphasis should first of all be
laid on the common issue of fight against international terror,’ the
interlocutors noted.

AZERBAIJAN, GEORGIA, TURKEY EXPERTS TO DISCUSS NEW RAILWAY IN TBILISI

TBILISI, MARCH 31, ARMENPRESS: Experts from Georgia, Azerbaijan and
Turkey will meet in the Georgian capital Tbilisi on April 4-5 to
discuss a joint plan of building a 100 km long railway that would
connect the Turkish city of Kars with Georgian Akhalkalaki. Some 70 km
of the road would run across the Turkish territory.

The Kars-Akhalkalaki rail line is conceived to take the place of
the non-operating link between Kars and Gyumri in Armenia, which was
once the only rail connection between the Soviet Union and
Turkey. Turkey sealed its border with Armenia in 1993 in solidarity
with Azerbaijan, however, Russian transport minister Igor Levitin
announced last weekend that Russia was negotiating with Turkish
authorities over taking the Kars-Gyumri railroad on lease. He
explained Russia’s intention by political motivations as a
counter-proposal to Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish plans. He said
resumption of the Kars-Gyumri railway would be incomparably cheaper
than building a new road.

According to Azeri mass media, the three countries are planning
totake a loan from international markets to finance the construction
of the Kars-Akhalkalaki line, which they say is estimated to cost
between $500 million and $700 million. Turkey’s feasibility study will
cost $1 million. The project has been included in Turkish Railways,
Seaports and Airports Construction Directorate General’s investments
portfolio for 2005.

A story in the Armenian daily Hayots Ashkhar last year said Armenia
should act quickly to avert Turkish-Georgian-Azeri rail link. The
daily said the railway, if built, would strengthen Armenia’s
dependence on Georgia and prevent the opening of the Armenian-Turkish
border, which will leave the country ina blockade forever.

The daily said also Armenian authorities should persuade Europe,
the USA and Russia that the Kars-Akhalkalaki railway will allow Turkey
to continue the economic blockade of Armenia and will speed up the
withdrawal of Russian troops from Georgia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRE-PREMIERE SCREENING OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE FILM HELD IN PARIS

31.03.2005 06:54

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The pre-premiere screening of the Armenian
Genocidedocumentary was held in Star Parisian cinema March 30,
Armenian Ambassador to France Eduard Nalbandian was present at it, the
Press Service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry reported. The film will
be aired on ARTE European channel that is viewed by millions,
specifically in France and Germany, April 13 – two weeks before the
90-th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The hour-long documentary,
shot by French Lorence Jourdan tell about the Armenian Genocide in
Ottoman Turkey, presenting these events as an unquestionable fact of
crime against humanity. The picture widely uses memories of peoples,
who had experienced the Genocide, evidences of diplomats of the
Ottoman Turkey period.

ASHOT MANUCHARYAN: `WE SHOULD PURSUE GLOBAL POLICY’

A1+
31-03-2005

`The territories that we consider to be liberated and the Azeris-
occupied, really belong to the Armenians of Azerbaijan and only they
can determine the fate of these territories’, head of the Armenian
Social Forces Ashot Manucharyan stated at the seminar-discussion
entitled `National Citizens’ Initiative’.

In Manucharyan’s opinion, the activation of discussion on Karabakh
allows us today to pursue a flexible policy with 5 important
directions – Russia, the US, Europe, China-India and the Islamic
world. `We live in a regionwhere a global policy should be pursued’,
he noted.

Ashot Manucharyan is convinced that the active participation in
numerous international processes will help Armenia to occupy the
leading position inthe Karabakh settlement. By the way, during his
speech Manucharyan assured that after the visit of Strobe Elbot to
Armenia, it is the OSCE Minsk Group thatwill deal with the settlement
of the problem. However, he did not go into detail.

COSSACK LEAFLETS IN NOVOROSSIYSK SOW DISCORD BETWEEN NATIONS

A1+
31-03-2005

The atmosphere in Novorossiysk is growing more and more tensed,
Yerkraman newspaper writes. As reported by the Novorossiysk Committee
of Human Rights, leaflets on behalf of the Cossacks of
Novorossiysk. The leaflet, written with numerous mistakes is entitled
`Criminal outburst of Armenian Diaspora reached critical point’.

The leaflet authors state the fight taken place March 21 night as an
assault on Cossacks and state that the attackers has knives and rubber
sticks. They also accuse the policemen of inactivity.

The leaflet says, in part, `We are able to defend our families,
ourland and honor. Our duty is to put an end to the Armenian-Caucasian
disorders.â=80=9D

According to the same source, representatives of the Armenian
community will demand on initiating a criminal case on tensing
international hostilities. But unfortunately the law enforcers and
courts of the Kransnodar region are likely to let such cases drop.

MOSCOW HOUSE IN YEREVAN

A1+
31-03-2005

The Armenian government allowed the Yerevan City Administration to
conclude an agreement on building up the territories adjacent to the
Yerevan Wine factory. The 3500 area will be used for the construction
of the Moscow House in Argishti Street.

To note, the Moscow authorities have already marked out corresponding
territory for the construction of the Yerevan House.

PENSIONS RAISED

The Armenian government decreed on raising the basic pensions with
1000 drams, thus fixing the sum on 4000 instead of former 3000.

FUNDS ALLOCATED

13 million 502 thousand AMD was assigned to the Ministry of Culture
and Youth for the publication of literature dedicated to the 90-th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and the 1600-th anniversary of
the Armenian alphabet.

`WE DID NOT RECEIVE THE MONEY’

A1+
31-03-2005

`We did not allocate the City Administration 3 million AMD for
arranging Philip Kirkorov’s concert. The City Administration had only
to render administrative assistance. If Deputy Mayor Arman Sahakyan
says that the sum was returned we would like to note that we did not
receive it’, Manukyan Ltd. secretary Termine Hayrumyan said when
announcing that Kirkorov’s concert willnot take place.

How Kirkorov reacted on knowing that his concerts have been cancelled?
The singer did not even know why he is not wanted in Yerevan,
Ms. Hayrumyan answered. `We informed Philip’s producers that his
arrival in Yerevan can be dangerous ‘, she added. Now Kirkorov will
finally make sure that Bulgaria was under the Armenian yoke for many
years.

ABKHAZIA TO PRESERVE INDEPENDENT STATUS

TBILISI, March 31 (RIA Novosti) – The political status of Abkhazia was
determined once and for all, Abkhaz President Sergei Bagapsh said at a press
conference in Sukhumi on Wednesday.

According to him, at the referendum of 1999 Abkhaz people voted for the
country’s independence.

Sergei Bagapsh denied the information that the leaders of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia (self-proclaimed republics in Georgia) were ready to negotiate with
the Georgian side on the formation of a federative union state, etc.,” the
Novosti-Georgia agency reports.

“Talks on Abkhazia’s political status with Georgia are out of the question,”
Bagapsh said.

He does not rule out his meeting with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili
but believes that it should be seriously prepared.

“This meeting cannot be held either in Tbilisi, or in Batumi. I will not go
there,” Bagapsh stressed adding that the agenda of this meeting should be
thoroughly drafted, as well.

Speaking about the statements by Georgian leaders claiming that “Abkhaz
people would like the republic to join Georgia,” Sergei Bagapsh said.
“Georgian politicians are making conclusions having no idea of real moods of
Abkhaz people.” In his opinion, this can put an end to Georgian-Abkhaz
talks, which have not started yet.

The Abkhaz leadership is ready to discuss with the Georgian side nothing but
mutually beneficial economic projects on the basis of Sochi agreements
signed in March 2002, he stressed. The agreements imply the restoration of
through railway traffic via Abkhazia to Georgia and Armenia, the restoration
and development of the Inguri hydroelectric power plant and the return of
Georgian refugees to Abkhazia’s Gali district.

“Other issues are out of the question,” Bagapsh said adding that the
above-mentioned problems were usually discussed with representatives of the
UN mission.

According to Sergei Bagapsh, the Abkhaz delegation will attend the session
in Geneva on Georgian-Abkhaz settlement on April 7-8

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CHARLES AZNAVOUR DEMANDS THAT GERMANY AND TURKEY RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

YEREVAN, MARCH 31. ARMINFO. Turkey must recognize the Armenian
Genocide or it will not be able to live with this burden from
generation to generation, says internationally known singer Charles
Aznavour says in an interview to Die Zeit.

Descendent of the Genocide survivors Aznavour says that sooner or
later Ankara will be forced to recognize the fact of Armenian
massacres in Ottoman Empire adding that only after that Armenia and
Turkey can reconcile.

Aznavour demands that the Genocide be acknowledged by Germany too as
being Turkey’s ally during WWI this country is also responsible for
the massacres. Germany must follow the example of Switzerland and
France who have officially recognized the Armenian Genocide, says
Aznavour.