USA CITIZEN KILLED
A1 Plus | 13:56:37 | 18-05-2004 | Social |
At 10:00 PM yesterday a corpse was found near “Zigzag” shop in
Sayat-Nova Street. Under the preliminary information by Police,
the killed man is a USA citizen, Joshua Heglantz.
There were violence signs on the corpse. Policemen informed the dead
man was brutally beaten then was stabbed into resulting in death.

CAUCASUS STABILITY PACT SIGNED
A1 Plus | 14:38:37 | 18-05-2004 | Official |
Armenian Parliament Speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan, Georgian Parliament
Chair Nino Burdzhanadze, and Azerbaijani Mili Mejilis Chair Murtaz
Aleskerov met in Strasburg. PACE Chair Peter Schieder partook in the
meeting, too.
During the meeting Caucasus Stability Pact protected by CE main
political powers was made, Parliamentary Assembly of South Caucasus
states was set up.
It was stated that the regional conflicts must be settled through
political dialogues. The issues on intensification of regional
cooperation and European integration were discussed.
An agreement was reached at to jointly work out the Caucasus Stability
Pact and to activate contacts at parliamentary level.

Armenian police confirm US citizen murdered in capital
Mediamax news agency, Yerevan
18 May 04
The Armenian police have confirmed that the corpse of a US citizen
was discovered with stab wounds in central Yerevan on 17 May, Mediamax
news agency reported on the 18th.
The Yerevan prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into
the case.
The body was found in a courtyard at 24, Sayat-Nova Avenue.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian, Azeri, Georgian speakers agree to work on stability pact
Mediamax news agency
18 May 04
Yerevan, 18 May: The chairmen of the Armenian, Azerbaijani and
Georgian parliaments have reached an agreement on joint work on a
draft stability pact for the Caucasus.
This agreement was reached in Strasbourg on 17 May at a meeting between
Armenian Speaker Artur Bagdasaryan and his Azerbaijani and Georgian
counterparts, Murtuz Alasgarov and Nino Burjanadze respectively,
Mediamax today learnt from the Armenian National Assembly press
service. PACE [Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe]
President Peter Schieder attended the meeting as well.
The meeting announced that the main political forces represented in
the Council of Europe supported the idea of signing a stability pact
for the South Caucasus.
The meeting also discussed the prospects for establishing a South
Caucasus Parliamentary Assembly.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

US embassy employee reportedly killed in Armenian capital
Mediamax news agency
18 May 04
Yerevan, 18 May: The US embassy in Yerevan is not commenting on reports
of the murder of a US citizen in the Armenian capital in the evening
of 17 May.
“No comment,” the US embassy press service told a Mediamax
correspondent today.
Several Armenian media, in particular Aravot and Aykakan Zhamanak
newspapers, reported today that the US embassy employee had been
killed in Yerevan in the evening of 17 May.
According to the newspapers, the corpse was discovered with stab
wounds in the backyard of a building in central Yerevan.

Armenian president not to attend NATO’s Istanbul summit – foreign minister
Noyan Tapan news agency
17 May 04
Yerevan, 17 May: Armenian President Robert Kocharyan’s decision not
to participate in the NATO summit in Istanbul is based on the current
state of the Armenian-Turkish relations, and is in no way connected
with the NATO-organized event. [Foreign Minister Vardan] Oskanyan
issued this statement on 17 May while commenting on the president’s
decision not to attend the NATO’s June summit.
We have not recorded any moves in the opening of the borders and
therefore, Armenia has no diplomatic relations with Turkey, the
minister said, adding that President Kocharyan simply does not consider
it comfortable to attend the event in this country irrespective of
an organization arranging it. “There are no problems with NATO,”
Vardan Oskanyan said.
The minister believes that relations between Armenia and NATO are
at the highest level: “At present, we do not give in to our two
neighbours.” As for Armenian-Turkish relations, Oskanyan said that
Armenia was ready to normalize relations and not only on the issue
of opening borders, but also “to establishing diplomatic relations”.

Courts not independent yet – Armenian justice minister
Noyan Tapan news agency
17 May 04
Yerevan, 17 May: “It is early yet to speak about the complete
independence of the Armenian courts,” Armenian Justice Minister David
Arutyunyan told journalists on 14 May. The key aim of the judicial
reforms in Armenia, the minister said, is to set up an independent
legal system, which depends on many circumstances and personalities,
and steps in this direction are already being taken.
[Passage omitted: some minor aspects]
Asked whether the political situation in Armenia has an influence
on the legal process, the justice minister said that the political
situation affected independent courts.

OVERCOMING POVERTY
A1 Plus | 15:58:56 | 18-05-2004 | Social |
“No policy is worked out for rural manpower in “Poverty Reduction in
Armenia” strategic program”, Hranush Kharatyan, head of Governmental
Department on National Minorities and Religion, announces.
Mrs. Kharatyan was instructed to make an analysis on occupation and
unemployment of villagers in particular, the reasons and volumes
in Armenia.
Hranush Kharatyan has today introduced her study during the seminar on
“Implementation of Projects Supporting Job Increase and Revenue Rise
for Poverty Reduction and in Armenia”.
The analyst stated there are about 200.000 unemployed in the Armenian
villages. She says occupation issue is rather passively represented in
“National Program on Poverty Reduction in Armenia”.
“Unemployment will hardly decrease soon, on the contrary, it may grow”,
Kharatyan forecasts.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OSKANYAN: COMMITMENTS TOWARD CE MUST BE FULFILLED
A1 Plus | 17:58:06 | 17-05-2004 | Politics |
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said upon returning from
the CE Ministerial Committee session that he had confirmed Armenia’s
readiness to fulfil the PACE demands listed in its latest resolution.
It is known that President Kocharyan speaking recently on PACE demands
expressed his opinion that differs from Oscanyan’s one and contained
not such a willingness to comply with PACE demand. Kocharyan said
the CE isn’t politbureau, the soviet-era governing body.
Vardan Oskanyan said: “Yes, the CE is not politbureau, that’s why
commitments toward it must be fulfilled”.
Answering the question our journalist put to him about one of the
PACE demand of releasing political prisoners, Oskanyan said those
detained illegally must be released. Status of these people should
be specified and then it’ll become clear whether the demand applies
to them or not, he said.
In his opinion, the PACE was ill-informed about the seditious calls
made by the opposition activists.

HOW TO PREVENT DEFORESTATION?
A1 Plus | 19:44:56 | 17-05-2004 | Social |
A five-day practical seminar for 12 journalists started Monday
in Caucasus Media Institute. The seminar is focused on covering
environmental problems.
Karine Danelyan, the chair of For the Sake of Stable Development
association, finds Armenian laws not so bad saying it would be very
well if we can observe the existing laws.
Armenia’s top environmental concern is Sevan Lake and the country’s
second biggest worry is deforestation. Armenian Environment Ministry
says areas covered with forests make 11,2 percent of the republic’s
territory. Environmentalists say only 7-8 percent. It means 0,1
hectare of green area per capo.
Armenia’s Forests organisation chair Nazeli Vardanyan says it is 2,7
times less comparing with other countries.
A decade ago deforestation was due to energetic crisis and used as
fuel to heat homes, now forests are being cut for woodworking needs
and other purposes and even exported.
Customs Service says 80,000 cubic meters woods were exported to Turkey,
France, Germany, Italy and Iran last year.
Besides, illegal cutting is widespread in Armenia. Environment Ministry
says 700,000 cubic meters has been illegally cut last year.
Nazeli Vardanyan thinks woods should be imported in the republic
instead of exporting.