ArmenPress
March 18 2004
PRO-GOVERNMENT LAWMAKERS DENOUNCE OPPOSITION CALLS FOR CHANGE OF
POWER
YEREVAN, MARCH 18, ARMENPRESS: Pro-government members of Armenian
parliament denounced today opposition calls for quick change of
power, warning that any anti-constitutional action would destabilize
the domestic situation.
On Monday the political council of the largest opposition
Ardarutyun bloc decided to start a massive campaign of rallies and
demonstrations to force president Kocharian to resign, setting early
April the deadline. Ardarutyun also hopes that another major
opposition party, the National Unity of Artashes Geghamian will join
its massive street protests.
During a parliament briefing today Karen Karapetian of People’s
Deputy independent parliamentary group argued that “stability is more
important for me and what is being done within the boundaries of the
Constitution is similarly acceptable, ” “Our group has always been
for constructive approaches. We denounce opposition when its moves
run counter to the laws and similarly we call on government to
correct its mistakes,” he said.
Galust Sahakian, the head of the influential Republican party’s
faction, doubted opposition’s resoluteness to stage rallies in front
of government buildings. “To come and stand in front of the
presidential palace and demand the president’s resignation is not a
political process and I do not think that people would come to spend
day and night in front of the presidential residence,” he said.
Sahakian said his Republican party is trying now to establish a
dialogue with the opposition to understand what it after all wants,
denying concurrently a possible clash between the authorities and the
opposition.
Hrayr Karapetian from the Armenian Revolutionary Federation said
his party is concerned with belligerent calls of the opposition,
which are distinctly in violation of the Constitution. ‘The ARF was
one time in opposition too, but it never let the developments slip
out of its hands, which is fraught with a civil war and as a
coalition member ARF will not allow it, as far as its capacities
allow,” he said.
Mher Shahgeldian from Orinats Yerkir said his party is for
democracy and that “revolutions would not yield anything good.”

ArmenPress
March 18 2004
NAZELI VARDANIAN TO DEFEND GURGEN MARGARIAN’S RELATIVES’ INTERESTS IN
BUDAPEST
YEREVAN, MARCH 18, ARMENPRESS: An Armenian lawyer, Ms. Nazeli
Vardanian, will be dispatched by the Yerevan-based International
Union of Armenian Lawyers, to Budapest, Hungary, to defend the rights
of Gurgen Margarian’s relatives during the investigation of the case
and the trial.
Gurgen Margarian was brutally killed by an Azeri classmate in
Budapest on February 19. The Union said a five-member team of
prominent Armenian lawyers is set up to give methodological support
to Nazeli Vardanian.

ArmenPress
March 18 2004
NUMBER OF TB PATIENTS DOUBLES IN TEN YEARS
YEREVAN, MARCH 18, ARMENPRESS: According to the official figures
of the health ministry, the number of Armenians suffering from TB
have doubled in the last ten years and the mortality rate among them
has went up by 40 percent. More people of able age are getting
infected with TB, while the ratio of TB patients among 15-24 years
old is 30 percent.
Speaking on Wednesday at a meeting of an inter-body commission set
up to handle the problem, health minister Norayr Davidian expressed
hope that the commission will contribute heavily to struggle against
TB spread. The national program for fighting TB envisages a range of
preventive measures until 2006. According to experts, the main cause
of TB spread are heavy social-economic conditions and migration
processes.

Polish, Armenian Speakers discuss relations
PAP news agency, Warsaw,
16 Mar 04
WARSAW
Sejm [lower house of parliament] Speaker Marek Borowski and the head
of the Armenian National Assembly, Artur Bagdasaryan, met [on] Tuesday
[16 March] to discuss bilateral relations, international affairs and
Armenia’s policy towards the Polish minority.
Borowski said after the meeting that Bagdasaryan was interested in
European legislature, Poland’s political system and the functioning
and powers of the Sejm. The Armenian side expressed readiness to
develop closer interparliamentary contacts between the two countries
and interest in Polish experience in European integration.
On Wednesday the guest will be received by President Aleksander
Kwasniewski, Prime Minister Leszek Miller, Foreign Minister Wlodzmierz
Cimoszewicz and presidia of the Sejm’s foreign affairs and European
commissions.

Azeri, Armenian foreign ministers to meet in Prague on 26 March
Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
16 Mar 04
The Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers will meet in Prague on
26 March. The co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group will also attend the
meeting.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Vilayat Quliyev said that the mediators
will put up for debate certain proposals on the settlement. He added
that the proposals will be summarized according to the sides’ views
and then a date for their visit to the region will be named.

Azeri leader, OSCE chairman discuss Karabakh conflict
Azerbaijani TV Channel One, Baku
16 Mar 04

[Presenter] President Ilham Aliyev today received the visiting OSCE
chairman-in-office and Bulgaria’s foreign minister, Solomon
Passi. They exchanged views on Azerbaijan’s closer integration into
European organizations. Aliyev regretted that there was still no
progress in the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group which is tasked with
resolving the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagornyy
Karabakh.
[Correspondent over video of the meeting] Aliyev and Passi met in
private first. They discussed Azerbaijan’s relations with the OSCE and
closer integration into other European organizations. Aliyev talked
about the political and economic reforms that are under way in
Azerbaijan. The social policy will continue, he said.
Aliyev told Passi that the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict between Armenia
and Azerbaijan remained unresolved. It is essential that the
international community should take more effective steps to resolve
the conflict, Aliyev said. It is possible to resolve the conflict
within international legal norms, Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity
and the return of Azerbaijani refugees to their native lands, he said.
Passi said that he highly rates Azerbaijan’s commitment to European
values. The world welcomes Azerbaijan’s course of integration and
democratic reforms. The European organizations understand the
importance of solving the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict between Armenia
and Azerbaijan for a lasting peace in the region. He said that he will
discuss ways to resolve the conflict during his upcoming visit to
Armenia.
The meeting between Aliyev and Passi continued in a broader
format. During the conversation, Aliyev said that Azerbaijan will
continue its policy of integration into international bodies. He
especially noted all the achievements Azerbaijan has made in every
sphere of life. Building a democratic society is Azerbaijan’s
strategic line, he said.
Aliyev once again drew Passi’s attention to the fact that the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict still remained unresolved. Armenia’s nonconstructive
position is a threat to regional stability and stable development,
Aliyev said.
[Aliyev in Azeri] Unfortunately, due to Armenia’s nonconstructive
stance, the Armenian armed forces are unwilling to withdraw from the
occupied territories. Thus, this creates a big threat to the region as
a whole. In order to resolve the conflict, the principles of
international law have to be observed first of all. Only on the basis
of those principles, can the conflict be resolved, and the essence of
that is in ensuring the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, in
withdrawing the Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories
and returning refugees and internally displaced people to their native
lands.
We hope that the OSCE and its Minsk Group will continue their efforts,
and that the conflict will be soon resolved in a fair way and in
accordance with the principles of international law.
[Correspondent] Passi congratulated Aliyev on his election as
Azerbaijan’s president and on success in his work. I am visiting Baku
with pleasure, he said, respectfully noting that Azerbaijan has rich
history and cultural heritage.
Speaking about integration into Europe, Passi said that Azerbaijan’s
achievements in this regard are visible. The integration of Azerbaijan
and Bulgaria into the Euro-Atlantic community is becoming a reality,
he said. He is certain that closer integration will intensify in the
Black Sea basin and in the Caucasus. All possible assistance will be
rendered to Azerbaijan in every area, Passi said.
The Nagornyy Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan is a
truly serious problem. All we can do to resolve the conflict is to
speed up the talks, he said. Passi thanked Aliyev for his constructive
position and said that he will talk about his impressions in Yerevan.

A1 Plus | 16:25:27 | 17-03-2004 | Official |
LABORATORY TO THE MINISTRY
At the first meeting of the Armenian National Intersectorial Coordinating
Board of National Health Programs, Mr. Peter Krakolinig, Head of the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Armenia, announced that
the National TB Reference Laboratory (NRL) had been handed over from the
ICRC to the Ministry of Health (MoH).
Under the terms of the agreement – which came into force on March 4, 2004 –
the building, equipment and all consumable materials that had been supplied
by the ICRC during the previous 2-year period, were donated to the MoH.
The NRL, located within the premises of the Abovyan State Anti-Tuberculosis
Dispensary of the Ministry of Health, was built in 2001 with the funding and
technical assistance provided by the ICRC. It has been fully operational
since March 2002 and serves both civilian and detained TB patients.
The ICRC will continue to support the activities of the NRL by organizing
extensive training programs for staff members with the aim of strengthening
the laboratory’s capacity for all diagnostic procedures related to
tuberculosis.
—

A1 Plus | 14:26:36 | 17-03-2004 | Official |
KOCHARYAN MET SCHLEICHER
President Robert Kocharyan has today received the delegation of European
Parliament’ Commission for European Union-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation,
headed by Ursula Schleicher.
President reconfirmed resoluteness of Armenia to deepen and intensify the
relations with European Union. Kocharyan commended the procedure European
Union has launched over application of the idea on “Extended Europe: New
Neighbors”.
Ursula Schleicher said that the Southern Caucasus is in the interests of
European Union, and they are concerned in establishment of stability and
peace in the region.
Referring to the economic priorities of the state, Robert Kocharyan noted
that Government aims to provide equal economic development all over the
republic.
—

OSCE chief meets Azeri opposition leaders
Turan news agency, Baku
17 Mar 04
BAKU
OSCE Chairman-in-Office Solomon Passi, who is currently visiting Baku,
met leaders of the leading opposition parties today.
Musavat leader Isa Qambar told Turan news agency that they mainly
discussed the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, human rights and
democracy in Azerbaijan, the situation after the presidential
elections which had been held last year.
Isa Qambar said that apart from Musavat, representatives of the
Democratic Party, the AMIP Azarbaycan Milli Istiqlal Party , the PFAP
People’s Front of Azerbaijan Party (reformers) and the Social
Democratic Party had attended the meeting.

Cyprus Mail, Cyprus
March 17 2004
Melkonian pupils in spontaneous protest against school closure
By Jean Christou
OVER 200 pupils from the Melkonian Educational Institute (MEI) walked
out of their classes yesterday after hearing the news that their
school was to be closed down in June next year.
During the spontaneous demonstration, the students chanted `Melkonian
Not For Sale’ at the main gate and in front of the founders’
mausoleum. They held placards condemning the sale and suggested this
was a `second genocide’.
The news that the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU),
headquartered in New York, has decided to close the 78-year old
school has prompted a rush of support from Armenians living abroad.
The 3,000-strong Armenian community in Cyprus are planning to stage a
mass demonstration against the closure of the school on March 24,
according to Shavasb Bohdjalian, who heads the school’s alumni.
`You cannot imagine the reaction, apart from Cyprus,’ he told the
Cyprus Mail yesterday. `There is a lot of anger and the assemblies in
Europe and the US are trying to get the AGBU to reverse its decision.
We are getting a lot of support.’
In an official announcement, the New York-based AGBU said that after
`extensive deliberations and thorough assessment’, the Central Board
had resolved unanimously to discontinue MEI in June 2005. This
decision is based largely on the Board’s conclusion that MEI `no
longer meets the challenges of its mission in the present context of
the Armenian world.’
The AGBU administers 22 Armenian schools worldwide, including the
Melkonian, which was founded in 1926 and is today the only secondary
school in Cyprus for the Armenian community. It also serves dozens of
other Armenian pupils that board there from neighbouring countries.
The alumni have sought legal advice from law firms in Cyprus and
abroad and intend to incorporate international expertise to
strengthen their defence as they move to contest the decision and
block the AGBU’s plans to sell the school.
The loss-making Melkonian school is sitting on a £40 million plot in
the capital’s commercial district. Reports have been rife that it is
up for grabs by developers.
The AGBU initially denied this, and said in November that the school
was not for sale. However, the alumni are not convinced and believe
the foundation’s only aim is to `take the money and run’.
Since the controversy began, the Armenian community has managed to
have the Melkonian declared a listed building and has persuaded the
Forestry Department to file an application to declare the wooded area
in the grounds as a protected forest.
Yesterday, the AGBU issued an eight-page statement detailing the
reasons for its decision to close the school.
`MEI’s continuing deficit levels have been taken into consideration
but have not been the primary issue of concern… AGBU has focused its
attention on MEI’s recent educational performance and its current
inability to fulfil a role similar to that which it fulfilled
throughout the late 1960s,’ it said. `If MEI’s current structure
provided exceptional opportunities to its students as it had done in
the past, substantial subsidization under those circumstances would
be warranted.
Unfortunately this is not the case in spite of the diligent efforts
of committed school board members, the principal and the teaching
staff.’
Commenting on the statement, Bohdjalian said the AGBU was trying to
justify its decision `and blame everyone except themselves’.