Interfax
April 20 2004

Yerevan, Baku continue negotiations on Karabakh conflict

Yerevan. (Interfax) – Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian told
a press conference in Yerevan that his meeting with the Azerbaijani
foreign minister in Prague last week “was useful, but the dialogue is
not finished yet.”

He said that Armenia “did not manage to clearly understand the
Azerbaijani side’s final approach to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.”

“In the current situation, the only thing I can report about the
meeting is that it was agreed to conduct another meeting of the
Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers in mid-May,” Oskanian
said.

He also said that at the meeting in Prague, the co-chairmen of the
OSCE’s Minsk group did not offer the sides any new ways to settle the
conflict.

Talking about political destabilization in Armenia, Oskanian said
that regrettably, “the internal political situation in Armenia may be
misunderstood by Baku.” This may lead to a change in Azerbaijan’s
position on settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, he said.

Glendale News-Press
LATimes.com
April 20 2004

A day of firsts for school board

Krikorian to become the first Armenian American president of GUSD
board under new rotation.

By Gary Moskowitz, News-Press

NORTHEAST GLENDALE – Greg Krikorian will become president of
Glendale’s school board today, making him the first Armenian American
to hold the position.

Krikorian was elected as a board member in 2001 and is the vice
president. Because the board changes its officers based on a rotation
policy, Krikorian will move into the president’s seat and replace Pam
Ellis during the board meeting.

According to the rotation policy, Ellis, who has been a board member
since 1995, would become a board member and board Clerk Mary Boger
would become the board’s vice president. Board member Lina Harper
would become the board’s clerk. Chuck Sambar would remain a board
member.

However, nothing is set in stone until the final board vote and
approval at Tuesday’s meeting, officials said.

“I am excited,” Krikorian said. “I want to get a good grasp of our
budget challenge, strengthen our district staffing and our programs
to make us the shining light of Southern California, so all parents
would want to move their kids into our city. When we look at these
budget challenges, it’s not just teacher-to-student ratios, but it’s
classified employees, custodians, everyone. We are one big family.

“One thing I’d like to implement this year is to give a State of the
Schools address once a year to give the status of our schools to the
community. I want to strengthen our communications with the
community,” Krikorian said.

The Board of Education had for years decided who its officers would
be based on vague descriptions of a rotation policy that in practice
allowed board members to nominate, vote for and elect its officers,
based on a majority vote in a public meeting.

But that changed in April 2003, when board members voted 3-2 in favor
of writing an official rotation policy into the board’s bylaws.

Boger and Harper voted against the policy, but the board accepted the
rotation policy and other board bylaws in June.

Ellis said that board members, at Tuesday’s meeting, have to readopt
the policy that allows the rotation policy to happen.

Pasadena Star-News, CA
April 20 2004

Armenian genocide designation urged
By Lisa Friedman , Washington Bureau

Armenian Americans from Southern California met Monday in Washington,
D.C., to urge increased foreign assistance for their homeland, better
trade relations and an official U.S. recognition, once and for all,
of the Armenian genocide.

Meeting as part of the Armenian National Assembly’s two- day
conference, members were buoyed by a State Department official who
announced the Bush administration’s support of permanent normal trade
relations with Armenia.

At the same time, members acknowledged that with Turkey on the front
lines of the war on terror, they have little expectation of seeing
the term “Armenian genocide’ in official U.S. statements any time
soon.

“I’m sure President Bush will issue a statement on the anniversary
about ‘those dark days’ or ‘those massacres,” said Osheen Keshishian
of Van Nuys, who publishes the Armenian Observer, an English language
weekly based in Hollywood.

But Keshishian, who also teaches at Glendale Community College, said
despite political realities, the issue remains a burning one for
Armenians in the United States. “The point is, justice has to
prevail. Truth has to prevail.’

Armenian Americans say 1.5 million Armenians were killed in a
genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1923.
Turkish officials say far fewer people died amid a multiparty
conflict.

Tuluy Tanc, the minister-consular at the Turkish embassy in
Washington, D.C., called the term genocide “unfair and untrue.’

“We do not think or believe a genocide occurred in Turkey,’ Tanc
said. “Events in Turkey were, during the course of a world war,
tremendously unhappy. Events took place affecting Armenians, Muslims,
Turks and all components of the Ottoman Empire.’

About 350 people attended the two-day conference also sponsored by
the Armenian General Benevolent Union and the Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America. Several of the attendees traveled from Southern
California, which is home to about 400,000 Armenian Americans, the
largest community in the nation.

Los Angeles Daily News, CA
April 20 2004

Local Armenians lobby in D.C.

By Lisa Friedman
Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — San Fernando Valley-area Armenian-Americans met Monday
in Washington, D.C., to urge increased foreign assistance for their
homeland, better trade relations and an official U.S. recognition,
once and for all, of the Armenian genocide.

Meeting as part of the Armenian National Assembly’s two-day
conference, members were buoyed by a State Department official who
announced the Bush administration’s support of permanent normal trade
relations with Armenia.

At the same time, members acknowledged that with Turkey on the front
lines of the war on terror, they have little expectation of seeing
the term “Armenian genocide” in official U.S. statements anytime
soon.

“I’m sure President Bush will issue a statement on the anniversary
about ‘those dark days’ or ‘those massacres,”‘ said Osheen Keshishian
of Van Nuys, who publishes the Armenian Observer, an English-language
weekly based in Hollywood.

But Keshishian, who also teaches at Glendale Community College, said
despite political realities, the issue remains a burning one for
Armenians in the United States. “The point is, justice has to
prevail. Truth has to prevail.”

Armenian-Americans say 1.5 million Armenians were killed in a
genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1923.
Turkish officials say far fewer people died amid a multi-party
conflict.

Tuluy Tanc, the minister-consular at the Turkish embassy in
Washington, D.C., called the term genocide “unfair and untrue.”

“We do not think or believe a genocide occurred in Turkey,” Tanc
said. “Events in Turkey were, during the course of a world war,
tremendously unhappy. Events took place affecting Armenians, Muslims,
Turks and all components of the Ottoman Empire.”

About 350 people attended the two-day conference also sponsored by
the Armenian General Benevolent Union and the Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America. Several of the attendees traveled from Southern
California, which is home to about 400,000 Armenian-Americans, the
largest community in the nation.

The UCLA Daily Bruin, CA
April 20 2004

Blood drive held in memory of 1915 killings
Armenian group hopes to save lives, unite L.A. community

By Stephanie Hodge
DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR
[email protected]

The Armenian Graduate Students Association is hosting a blood drive
today in memory of Armenians killed over the course of two days in
1915.

“The project is named ‘Life,’ because … lives were taken and now we
want to save someone else’s life,” said Mike Mkhitar Moradian, the
project director.

Though the U.S. government sympathizes with the tragedy, no president
has officially recognized the massacres as a genocide since President
Woodrow Wilson was in office.

The AGSA is teaming up with the UCLA Medical Center for this event.
All donated blood will go to the UCLA Medical Center to help the
community at large.

“This is especially symbolic. By saving lives here we are remembering
the lives lost,” said Shahe Soghomonian, a fourth-year biology
student who plans on donating blood today.

The AGSA, formed in winter 2002, hopes to make the blood drive an
annual event.

“The blood drive is open to any student, but the core of the donors
are Armenian undergraduate and graduate students,” Moradian said.

Currently, 40 students are expected to donate, and the group
encourages others to stop by to give to the cause.

“This event is important because it not only commemorates the
forgotten genocide, but also helps to unite the UCLA community,” said
Arpi Setrak, financial officer of AGSA.

Armenians all over the world commemorate the massacre on April 24,
the day the killings officially began.

On the evening of April 23 and the day of April 24, 1915, 300
intellectuals and government officials of Armenian descent were
captured and sent to jail by the Ottoman Empire, based around
modern-day Turkey, before they were killed.

Between 600,000 and 1.5 million out of a total population of 2.5
million Armenians were reportedly killed by the Ottoman Empire or
died of starvation as a result of the aggression. The killings and
deportation of Armenians to Syria and Mesopotamia lasted until the
early 1920s.

Currently, more than 30 states in the United States have passed
resolutions recognizing the genocide. California was one of the first
states to pass a resolution. Other countries, such as Canada, Sweden
and France also officially recognize it. But Turkey denies that a
genocide took place and maintains that a much smaller number died in
a civil war.

To commemorate this day, different groups around Southern California
have organized events that many UCLA students plan on attending. The
All Armenian Students Association will hold a candlelight vigil at UC
Riverside on Thursday.

“Every year the vigil rotates to a different campus. Students from
all Southern California campuses will attend,” Moradian said.

The Shant Student Association, named after a writer who died during
the massacre, will hold a “Rally Against Denial” in Glendale.
National radio producer and author David Barsamian will be the key
speaker at the event.

This Saturday, Armenians will march in Hollywood. After the march,
they will organize to protest in front of the Turkish consulate.

That night, rock band System of a Down will hold a concert at the
Greek Theatre in Griffith Park.

“All of the profits from the concert will go to campaigns for
recognition of the genocide,” Moradian said.

Cincinnati Enquirer, OH
April 20 2004

Turks, Armenians fought war within war
Your voice: Harun Inanli

The characterization of the tragic deaths as “genocide” as stated in
David Krikorian’s “Your voice” column “Never forget Armenian
genocide” (March 30) is not true, divisive, polarizing and unethical.

I was at the luncheon when Mr. Krikorian asked the Turkish ambassador
to the United States about the alleged Armenian genocide. I heard his
question and the answer given to him by the ambassador. Mr. Krikorian
dismissed the answer, indicating that the Turkish ambassador needs to
get his facts straight.

The allegations in Mr. Krikorian’s column are old propaganda and
cannot be substantiated by historical evidence. More than 70
prominent U.S. historians signed a statement in 1985 urging Congress
to avoid legislating history and leave that task to researchers and
historians. They said “… historical evidence unearthed so far
showed that it was a civil war, mainly fought by Christian and Muslim
irregular forces …”

The truth is that the conflict was a civil war within World War I,
provoked by bloody Armenian uprisings designed to establish a Greater
Armenia on Turkish soil, where the Armenians were not even a
majority. The Armenians’ irregular insurgents resorted to wide-scale,
bloody uprisings while the Ottoman Empire was fighting for its
survival. The Armenians, who were citizens of the Ottoman Empire,
supported the invading enemy armies (Russians). Since it was not
possible to distinguish between who betrayed and who did not, the
Ottoman Empire decided to relocate the Armenian population of Eastern
Anatolia, which posed a serious threat to Ottoman security and the
war effort, to nonwar zones of the empire, such as Iraq and Syria.

The British government confirms that the genocide allegation is a
mischaracterization. A press release dated July 23, 2001, by the
British ambassador to Turkey states that “these events, while tragic
and costly to both sides, could not be considered genocide.”

Due to limited resources and supplies available during a terrible
war, disease and famine took more lives than bullets and battles.
These events cost both Turks and Armenians great suffering.

While it was a terrible human tragedy, costly to both sides, it was
the Armenian uprising and betrayals triggering their deportation that
fueled a civil war during a world war.

—
Harun Inanli is an electrical engineer who has worked for a major
U.S. firm during the past 16 years. He has been living in Symmes
Township since 1988.

—
Want your voice here?
Send your column or proposed topic, 400 words or fewer, along with a
photo of yourself, to assistant editorial editor Ray Cooklis at
[email protected] or call (513) 768-8525.

San Jose Mercury News, CA
Monterey County Herald, CA
April 20 2004

SoCal Armenian-Americans demand U.S. recognition of Armenian genocide

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES – A delegation from Southern California joined scores of
other Armenian-Americans in Washington, D.C. to demand official U.S.
recognition of a genocide they say was perpetrated by the Ottoman
Empire.

The representatives joined a gathering of about 350
Armenian-Americans for the Armenian National Assembly’s two-day
conference, where they also urged increased foreign assistance for
their homeland and better trade relations with the United States.

Southern California is home to about 400,000 Armenian-Americans, the
largest such community in the nation.

Assembly members were buoyed Monday by a State Department
announcement that the Bush administration supports permanent normal
trade relations with Armenia.

But members acknowledged that with Turkey on the front lines of the
war on terror, they won’t see the phrase “Armenian genocide” in
official U.S. statements anytime soon.

“I’m sure President Bush will issue a statement on the anniversary
about ‘those dark days’ or ‘those massacres,'” said Osheen Keshishian
of Los Angeles, who publishes the Armenian Observer, an
English-language weekly based in Hollywood.

Keshishian, who also teaches at Glendale Community College, said the
issue remains a burning one for Armenians in the United States.

“The point is, justice has to prevail. Truth has to prevail,” he
said.

Armenian-Americans allege 1.5 million Armenians were killed in a
genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1923.
Turkish officials say far fewer people died amid a multiparty
conflict.

Tuluy Tanc, the minister-consular at the Turkish embassy in
Washington, D.C., called the term genocide “unfair and untrue.”

“We do not think or believe a genocide occurred in Turkey,” Tanc
said. “Events in Turkey were, during the course of a world war,
tremendously unhappy. Events took place affecting Armenians, Muslims,
Turks and all components of the Ottoman Empire.”

RIA Novosti, Russia
April 19 2004

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT MEETS KEY MINISTERS

MOSCOW, April 19 (RIA Novosti) – At today’s conference with the key
ministers of the cabinet, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a
series of significant statements.

Vladimir Putin told the cabinet that he had submitted amendments to
the federal constitutional law on the government on Monday. “They are
linked to the concluding phase of the reform,” said the Russian
leader. Today we will begin work with leaders of the power bloc on
relevant changes in these ministries, he said.

When touching on the relations with Ukraine, Mr. Putin demanded that
the presidential administration and the government together with
parliamentarians and Ukrainian colleagues complete ratification of
the agreements on the Azov and Kerch water area.

“Ukrainian colleagues and we agreed this week to ratify agreements on
Azov,” said the Russian president.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia was ready to
begin the second phase of evacuating Russians from Iraq, if need be.

“The first stage of the evacuation was exclusively voluntary. We did
not force anybody. The decision was adopted by people themselves
consulting the leadership of their companies. No contracts were
canceled. All the contracts remain effective,” said the minister.

As for the situation in Iraq, Mr. Lavrov said, “the security
situation remains complicated. It is early to speak of any progress.”
“Our warning that it is insecure to stay there [in Iraq] is still in
force,” concluded the Russian foreign minister.

(On Thursday, April 15, three Russian rescue planes evacuated 370
staffers of Russian companies, mainly Russian and Ukrainian citizens,
and also Belarussian, Armenian and Tajik citizens working in Iraq,
from Baghdad. On the next day, the fourth Russian aircraft arrived in
Moscow with 117 people, 100 of them Russian.

In all, 553 Russian citizens and 263 CIS citizens were in Iraq before
the evacuation.) The Russian foreign minister informed the president
about the upcoming Moscow visit of Chairman of the European
Commission Romano Prodi due on April 22.

Vladimir Putin in turn noted that the meeting with European
Commissioners was expected this week. The head of state suggested
that relevant issues be discussed at a conference with the cabinet.

Mr. Putin listened to the report of Minister of Economic Development
and Trade German Gref that in the first quarter of this year the GDP
had grown 8% year-on-year. The Russian president demanded that the
government keep an eye on macroeconomic indices boosting the
processing industry.

“This is a serious element of our current and medium-term activity,”
said the president.

ARKA News Agency
April 12 2004

Atashes Geghamian: following steps will be competent, leading to
victory

Business-forum “Opportunities of Investments in RA” took place in UAE

Activities dedicated to 90th anniversary of 1915 Armenian Genocide in
Ottoman Empire to take place in Armenia

RA Minister of Defense and US Ambassador to RA discuss perspectives
of Armenian-American military cooperation

RA President and Foreign Minister held working meeting

Armenian opposition marches to Presidential Residence

Open doors days to be held in Yerevan medical institutions since
today

RA Government makes amendments to the law on holding rallies,
meetings, processions and demonstrations

*********************************************************************

ATASHES GEGHAMIAN: FOLLOWING STEPS WILL BE COMPETENT, LEADING TO
VICTORY

YEREVAN, April 12. /ARKA/. Following steps will be competent, leading
to victory, the Leader of Opposition Party National Unity Artashes
Geghamian told ARKA. “We will take all necessary steps that will lead
to resignation of the President Robert Kocharian”, Geghamian said.
Today’s rally of opposition to the residence of the President was
stopped by RA police troops. Till now opposition did not decide
future actions. L.D. –0–

*********************************************************************

BUSINESS-FORUM “OPPORTUNITIES OF INVESTMENTS IN RA” TOOK PLACE IN UAE

YEREVAN, April 12. /ARKA/. Business-forum “Opportunities of
Investments in RA”, organized by RA Embassy to UAE took place in UAE,
RA MFA told ARKA. The forum was organized with the goal of
development of Armenian-Emirates trade-economic relations and more
profitable representation of trade and industrial potential of
Armenia. Armenian party represented dynamics of development of
Armenian economy and basic legal base covering financial sphere.
Armenian delegation represented achievement of the spheres of IT,
tourism, light and chemical industries, energy, etc.
Delegation consisting of representatives of 25 companies was headed
with Director of Armenian Development Agency Vahagn Movsisian. L.D.
–0–

*********************************************************************

ACTIVITIES DEDICATED TO 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF 1915 ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN
OTTOMAN EMPIRE TO TAKE PLACE IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, April 12. /ARKA/. Activities dedicated to 90th anniversary
of 1915 Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Empire will take place in
Armenia in May 2004 through May 2005, RA Government PR Department
told ARKA. The program of activities was discussed today at the
sitting of State Commission under the chair of RA Prime Minister
Andranik Margarian. According to the program, on April 20-23, 2005
international scientific conference on Genocide issued will take
place in Yerevan. International conferences will also take place in
Russia, USA, Europe and Middle East. RA MFA assigned diplomatic
representations of Armenia in different countries to develop and
represent the list of activities by the beginning of May. RA
Government plans to take measures on increase of the level of
familiarity of international society on Armenian Genocide.
>From the beginning of the 19th century till 1920, the Ottoman Empire,
legal successor of which is today’s turkey, regularly tormented and
persecuted Armenians. The top of barbarity was in 1915 when over a
million of Armenians was massacred in different regions of West
Armenia, part of the Empire.
The fact of the Armenian Genocide has been recognised by many
countries, including Uruguay (the first state that recognised the
genocide in 1965), Russia, France, Argentina, Greece, Lower Chamber
of Italy, 31 states of the U.S. L.D. –0–

*********************************************************************

RA MINISTER OF DEFENSE AND US AMBASSADOR TO RA DISCUSS PERSPECTIVES
OF ARMENIAN-AMERICAN MILITARY COOPERATION

YEREVAN, April 12. /ARKA/. RA Minister of Defense Serge Sargsian and
US Ambassador to RA John Ordway discussed perspectives of
Armenian-American military cooperation, RA Ministry of Defense told
ARKA. The parties discussed present situation and perspectives of
military cooperation. L.D. –0–

*********************************************************************

RA PRESIDENT AND FOREIGN MINISTER HELD WORKING MEETING

YEREVAN, April 12. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharian and Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanian held working meeting, RA President’s press
office told ARKA. The Minister represented Kocharian issues connected
with scheduled All Armenian activities and foreign visits of the
president for 2004. L.D. –0–

*********************************************************************

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION MARCHES TO PRESIDENTIAL RESIDENCE

YEREVAN, April 12. /ARKA/. The Armenian opposition is marching to the
Presidential Residence demanding his resignation, as reported by ARKA
correspondent from the action site. The participants of the rally
moved from the Liberty Square to Baghramian Ave toward the
Presidential Residence scanning “Kocharian Go Away!”. As stated by
Aram Sargsyan, that “opposition has no a problem with the army,
police, but with the authorities”. In his turn, Stepan Demirchyan,
the Leader of Justice opposition faction said that they have no
intention to react on authorities provocations. “Instead of applying
the referendum, the authorities turned to provocations, that unified
the people even more. We are planning to bring the actions to the
logical end peacefully and we are committed to order and organization
in vuilding of a new country”, said Demirchyan. T.M. –0–

*********************************************************************

OPEN DOORS DAYS TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS SINCE
TODAY

YEREVAN, April 12. /ARKA/. Since today Yerevan’s medical institutions
will hold open door days, as said by Aram Soghoyan, Yerevan
Municipality Healthcare and Social Security Department Chief on his
today’s briefing. In his words, these kind of actions are held
regularly on twice a year basis by Yerevan Municipality for
preventing deceases. “It is well known that the situation related to
all deceases worsens in springs and autumns, therefore we conduct
such works regularly for diagnostics and treatment of the deceases on
their early stage”, Soghoyan said. During these days that are to
continue until 14 April, the residents of Yerevan can undergo free of
charge diagnostics, provided medical consultation as well as if
extremely necessary to receive treatment payable by the State (“state
order”).
The State increased stet orders for medical services provided to the
population by AMD 4b in 2004, amounting to around AMD 25b. Since
2004, the state order was expanded by two points: military officers
and their families as well as graduates of orphanages under and over
18. T.M. —0–

*********************************************************************

RA GOVERNMENT MAKES AMENDMENTS TO THE LAW ON HOLDING RALLIES,
MEETINGS, PROCESSIONS AND DEMONSTRATIONS

YEREVAN, 12 April./ARKA/. RA Government made amendments to the law on
holding rallies, meetings, processions and demonstrations. As Ara
Saghatelyan, Press Secretary of RA Justice Ministry, informed ARKA,
the results of the discussions held with RA MP-s and the members of
RA Government, as well as the expert conclusions, the suggestions of
the citizens, received through Internet-network, were taken in
account when making the amendments. As the press-release says,
earlier, proceeding from social interests, RA Justice Ministry,
installed the bill in the library section of the site
and created relevant conditions for its fruitful
discussion.
The press release of RA Justice Ministry also says in order to
continue the work at the site the
changed bill is represented. According to the same source, RA Justice
Ministry expects active participation in the work of the interested
sides. The opinions and the comments on the bill are received at
[email protected]. A.K.–0–

ARKA News Agency
April 19 2004

Vardan Oskanian and Steven Mann discuss perspectives of promoting
talks on Nagorno Karabakh

V. Oskanyan: Demands of Armenian opposition incorrect and not in
accordance to Constitution

RA President receives famous Canadian Armenian singer Isabel
Bairakdarian

RA Minister of Defense receives American Co-Chairman of OSCE MG

**********************************************************************

VARDAN OSKANIAN AND STEVEN MANN DISCUSS PERSPECTIVES OF PROMOTING
TALKS ON NAGORNO KARABAKH

YEREVAN, April 20. /ARKA/. RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian and
newly appointed US Co-Chairman of OSCE Minsk Group Steven Mann
discussed the perspectives of promoting th negotiating process on
Nagorno Karbakh problem settlement. As stated by Oskanian on his
briefing the “meeting was fruitful”, mentioning that the sides
exchanged their opinions in relation to their positions and
approaches to the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. He
also said that during the familiarization visit the Co-Chairman did
not plan any concrete proposals. “We plan to draw existing common
grounds in the settlement of the conflict on basis of which it might
be possible to start the negotiations”, he said.
On April 16 Steven Mann arrived in Yerevan within frames of his first
familiarization visit in the region of Karabakh conflict. Tomorrow he
will leave for Tbilisi and then for Baku. T.M. –0–

**********************************************************************

V. OSKANYAN: DEMANDS OF ARMENIAN OPPOSITION INCORRECT AND NOT IN
ACCORDANCE TO CONSTITUTION

YEREVAN, April 20. /ARKA/. The demands of power change of the
Armenian opposition are incorrect and their objective to change the
power if needed even by force is not in accordance to the Law and the
Constitution, as Vardan Oskanian, RA Foreign Minister stated on his
briefing. In his words, holding meetings is the opposition’s right
while they remain in the frames of the law and the Constitution. He
also mentioned that the Armenian opposition should shape its
objectives differently in order not to transgress the law and the
Constitution and “to continue raise its voice of protest in respect
of various social issues that are within the frames of its right”.
However, changing the power by force or other unconstitutional
methods can be reserved to nobody”, he said. At the same time, he
expressed a hope that the rally of the opposition scheduled on April
21 will be peaceful and “they will not go to unconstitutional steps”,
that may impact negatively on Armenia’s image”. T.M. –0–

**********************************************************************

RA PRESIDENT RECEIVES FAMOUS CANADIAN ARMENIAN SINGER ISABEL
BAIRAKDARIAN

YEREVAN, April 19. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharian received
famous Canadian Armenian Singer Isabel Bairakdarian. During the
meeting, the singer who visited Armenian for the first time, stated
that she is impressed with her stay in Armenia and plans to make
similar visits periodical. Bairakdarian said that she is admired and
surprised with rich cultural life of Armenia and high professionalism
of Armenian musicians. L.D. –0–

**********************************************************************

RA MINISTER OF DEFENSE RECEIVES AMERICAN CO-CHAIRMAN OF OSCE MG

YEREVAN, April 19. /ARKA/. RA Minister of Defense Serge Sargsian
received American Co-Chairman of OSCE MG Steven Mann. During the
meeting the parties discussed present level of Karabakh conflict
settlement and possible ways of settlement. Sargsian noted the role
of OSCE MG in settlement of the conflict and confirmed Armenian
position considering peaceful settlement of the conflict. L.D. –0–