NATIONAL PRESS CLUB DEMANDS THE AUTHORITIES TO PUT AN END TO LAWLESSNESS IN ARMENIA

A1 | 17:20:19 | 23-11-2004 | Politics |

On Tuesday Armenian National Press Club came up with a statement
condemning “another terrorist attack on independent press”.

On Monday, Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper car blew up just outside the
newspaper office.

National Press Club expresses solidarity with the newspaper editorial
board and voicing alarm at growing atmosphere of impunity and
lawlessness in the republic demands the authorities to track down
and prosecute masterminds and perpetrators of the act.

Attacks on independent media journalists became dangerously commonplace
and their lives are under constant threat in Armenia, the statement
says.

the Club says time had already come to restore law observance in the
republic. Otherwise, mounting violence can inflict irreparable damage
to the republic.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +3741. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +3741 562543
Email: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

22 November 2004

Termination of the application of Jackson-Vanik Act to Armenia

On 19 November, the US Senate adopted a Miscellaneous Trade and
Technical Corrections Act that includes a provision on granting PNTR
(permanent normal trade relations) status to Armenia. The House of
Representatives passed the same act earlier this year.

Establishment of Armenia – US permanent normal trade relations
effectively repeals application of Jackson-Vanik amendment, and
Armenia-US trade relations will from now on be regulated by not only
bilateral, but also international agreements including WTO ones.

The volume of Armenia – US trade relations, including Armenian exports
to the US, have already started to grow. According to the US Department
of Trade, Armenia’s exports to the US during January – September of
2004 amounted US$33.2 million, a 42 percent increase compared to the
same period of 2003.

PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
e-mail: [email protected]
Website:
Contact: Iris Papazian

November 23, 2004

REQUIEM SERVICES WILL MARK ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY
OF THE PASSING OF ARCHBISHOP MESROB ASHJIAN

NEW YORK, NY – The first anniversary of the passing of His Eminence
Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian, the former Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy,
will be marked with solemn requiem services in all parishes under the
jurisdiction of the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church
of America on Sunday, December 12, after the Divine Liturgy.

Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, the Prelate, has announced that His
Eminence Archbishop Souren Kataroyan, Prelate of Aleppo, Syria, will
officiate during the Divine Liturgy and Requiem Service in New York
City’s St. Illuminator’s Armenian Apostolic Cathedral, 221 East 27th
Street. Madagh will be offered following the requiem service.

Archbishop Mesrob, the longest serving Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy,
passed away while on a visit to New York last December. He served as
Prelate from 1978 to 1998. He served as the Executive Secretary of the
1700th anniversary commemorative committee from 1995 to 2000. From
2000 to his death he organized, supported and presided over a host
of programs that benefited Armenia and Artsakh through his St. George
Charitable Fund, Inc.

The Faithful are invited to attend the service at St. Illuminator’s
Cathedral or in local parishes, in remembrance of Mesrob Srpazan and
as a tribute to his extraordinary life and service.

# # #

OFFICIAL VISIT OF RA PRESIDENT TO ITALY SCHEDULED FOR LATE JANUARY 2005

YEREVAN, November 23 (Noyan Tapan). An official visit of RA President
Robert Kocharian to Italy is scheduled for late January 2005. It was
mentioned during the November 23 joint press conference of Minister
of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Vartan Oskanian and Deputy Minister
of Foreign Affairs of Italy Margerita Boniver. The Deputy Minister
of Foreign Affairs of Italy said that the purpose of her arrival in
Armenia is to prepare the visit of President Kocharian to Italy. The
sides highly estimated the level of the Armenian-Italian relations both
in terms of the political dialogue and in the sphere of economic and
cultural relations. Accoridng to M. Boniver, Italy not only strives
for the further development of bilateral relations with Armenia,
but it is interested in the deepening of cooperation within the
framework of the European Union. “We think that the “New Neighborhood”
program will be useful both for the countries of the South Caucasus
and for the countries-members of the European Union,” said Margerita
Boniver. As for the settlement of the Karabakh conflict she said that
Italy is for the peaceful settlement of the conflict and supports
the mission of the OSCE Minsk Group. Both diplomats gave assurance
that the upcoming visit of Robert Kocharian to Italy will become an
additional stimulus for the development of the bilateral relations.

Armenian foreign minister unhappy about Karabakh discussion in UN

Mediamax news agency
23 Nov 04

Yerevan, 23 November: Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said
in Yerevan today that the fate of the Prague process on the Karabakh
settlement, which had kicked off this year, would for “100 per cent
depend on whether or not the Azerbaijani draft resolution “On the
situation on occupied Azerbaijani territories” be adopted by the UN
General Assembly.

Replying to a question from Mediamax news agency, the Armenian foreign
minister said that if “a session of the UN General Assembly adopts
the Azerbaijani draft resolution, then the Prague process will prove
dead”. In this case, official Baku will have to conduct negotiations
with the legitimate authorities of Nagornyy Karabakh, Oskanyan said.

If the session of the UN General Assembly manages to pass another,
compromise option of the resolution, Armenia will agree to continue
negotiations on the basis of the Prague process, Oskanyan said.

“Given this, we shall immediately be ready for the second phase of
the negotiations,” Oskanyan said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeris protest against Armenian MPs’ visit to attend NATO seminar

ANS TV, Baku
23 Nov 04

Numerous protest actions were held this week against an expected
visit of Armenian MPs to Baku to attend the 58th Rose-Roth seminar of
the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. A group of the Karabakh Liberation
Organization [KLO] members have handed out special leaflets in streets.

Activists of the Liberal Democratic Party are now trying to picket
the Milli Maclis [parliament] in protest against the visit of Armenian
MPs to Baku.

[Video showed the people distributing leaflets outside a metro station]

Armenian security service extradites US fugitive on FBI wanted list

Noyan Tapan news agency
22 Nov 04

Yerevan, 22 November: The Armenian National Security Ministry has
traced, arrested and extradited to the USA Shagen Keshishyan, 32,
a resident of Los Angels, in line with bilateral agreements, Noyan
Tapan news agency has learnt from the press service of the National
Security Ministry.

Keshishyan has been on the wanted list of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation since 2000 and is accused of premeditated murder and
fleeing the scene of the crime. Keshishyan arrived in Armenia with
forged documents in 2002.

Azeri officer’s murder trial starts in Hungary

ANS Radio, Baku
23 Nov 04

The trial in the case of Ramil Safarov, an officer of the Azerbaijani armed
forces, who is charged with killing [Armenian officer] Gurgen Markaryan
[on a NATO course] in Hungary on 19 February 2004, has just opened
in the Budapest city court. The ANS correspondent in Hungary, Parviz
Sultanov, will give us the latest details.

[Correspondent, by phone] We are at the court located at No 27,
San Marco Street where Ramil Safarov’s trial is currently being
held. There are a lot of people outside the court at the moment. Ramil
Safarov was brought to the court and he entered the courtroom a
few minutes ago. There were many journalists from Hungarian and
Armenian TV stations. Gurgen Markaryan’s father was also present in
the courtroom. The trial has already started. The court will look
into Safarov’s case and pass a relevant verdict on him.
From: Baghdasarian

Azeri officer on trial in Hungary changes testimony

ANS TV, Baku
23 Nov 04

[Presenter] The trial in the case of Ramil Safarov, an officer of
the Azerbaijani armed forces, who is charged with killing Armenian
officer Gurgen Markaryan [on a NATO course] in Hungary on 19 February
[2004], opened in the Budapest city court today. The case is being
examined under the chairmanship of judge (?Vorkushe Anrash). It
has been reported that [Azerbaijani] lawyer Adil Ismayilov and his
Hungarian counterpart Peter Zalay jointly defend Safarov.

We are now over to Budapest. The ANS correspondent in Hungary, Parviz
Sultanov, who is on the line [from Budapest], will give us the latest
details. Hello, Parviz. Here you are.

[Correspondent, by phone] Hello, Leyla. The trial in the case of Ramil
Safarov is under way at the moment. During the trial, Safarov was asked
if he wanted to change his former testimony. Safarov said that because
of his language problems the previous testimony had not given true
facts and that he wanted to change his testimony. He made very fresh
revelations. The court took this into account. Then the Hungarian judge
read Safarov’s previous testimony and pointed to differences there.

Let us recall that Safarov’s main compliant was that he did not know
Russian well and spoke broken English. He formerly testified in these
languages. He read his new testimony today and asked the court to
take into account the facts presented there.

The trial is currently under way. It is not expected to be
postponed. That’s it.

[Presenter] Thanks, Parviz.

Russia ratifies military base agreement with Armenia

ITAR-TASS news agency
23 Nov 04

Moscow, 23 November: At today’s plenary session the State Duma
unanimously ratified a protocol on amendments to the treaty between
the Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia on a Russian
military base in Armenia. The protocol was signed in Yerevan on 11
November 2003.

The ratification of the protocol “will make it possible to bring the
treaty between Russia and Armenia on a Russian military base in line
with the spirit and letter of the treaty on friendship, cooperation and
mutual help between Russian and Armenia of 29 August 1997”, said the
first deputy head of the main directorate for international military
cooperation of the Russian Defence Ministry, Albert Druzhinin, who
presented the document to the deputies.

He stressed that “the presence of a Russian military base in Armenia
has been prompted by Russia’s military and political interests and
a wish to stabilize the situation in the region”.

Armenia ratified the protocol on 28 April 2004.