ARKA News Agency
March 15 2004

RA President Robert Kocharian congratulates RF President Vladimir
Putin with re-election

Boris Spasski: I did not expect such a negative reaction of Baku on
international tournament in Stepanakert

Delegation of Armenian Parliament to leave for Poland tomorrow

Karabakh NGO Center of Civil Initiatives continues monitoring of
penitentiary organizations

Three deputies of the Republica party not to participate in the RA NA
work

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RA PRESIDENT ROBERT KOCHARIAN CONGRATULATES RF PRESIDENT VLADIMIR
PUTIN WITH RE-ELECTION

YEREVAN, March 15. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharian
congratulated RF President Vladimir Putin with re-election,
President’s press office told ARKA. The letter of Kocharian says:
`Sincerely congratulate Your with confident victory at the elections
of the President of Russia Federation. On March 14, Russia made its
choice towards stability, democracy and prosperity’. Kocharian said
that in Putin, Russia sees the leader who can bring the country to
sustainable development, defending national interests. According to
Kocharian, Armenia highly estimates big personal contribution of
Vladimir Putin in deepening of Russian-Armenian friendly relations.
Armenian President assured his Russian colleague in readiness of
Armenian authorities to continue efforts on improvement and expanding
of cooperation between Armenia and Russia. L.D. –0–

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BORIS SPASSKI: I DID NOT EXPECT SUCH A NEGATIVE REACTION OF BAKU ON
INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT IN STEPANAKERT

STEPANAKERT, March 15. /ARKA/. `I did not expect such a negative
reaction of Baku on international chess tournament in Stepanakert’,
10th World Champion Boris Spasski told ARKA in Stepanakert.
Commenting the tournament Spasski said that the youth is very
talented and their game is of very high level.
Talking about perspectives of chess development in Nagorno Karabakh,
Boris Spasski noted very promising youth sector.
The idea of holding the International Chess Tournament in Nagorno
Karabakh occurred to the Armenian Chess Academy and the NKR
Government five months ago.
The International Chess Tournament is devoted to the 75th anniversary
since the birth of the 9th World Chess Champion Tigran Petrosyan.
Azeri MFA made a statement with discontent with conduction of
tournament in Nagorno Karabakh. L.D. -0 –

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DELEGATION OF ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT TO LEAVE FOR POLAND TOMORROW

YEREVAN, March 15. /ARKA/. Delegation of Armenian Parliament, headed
with the Speaker Arthur Baghdasarian will leave for Poland tomorrow
on the invitation of Marshal of Poland Seym Marek Borovski, RA NA
told ARKA. During the visit, Armenian delegation will meet with the
President of Poland Alexander Kwasnevski, Marshal of Poland Seym
Marek Borovski, the chairmen of the commission on external relations
and European Commission of Seym Eji Yaskernia and Eji Chepulkovski,
Marshal of Senate Longin Pastushyak, Prime Minister Leshek Miller,
Foreign Minister Vlodzimej Chimoshevich. Besides, Armenian delegation
will meet with the head of Poland delegation to PACE, Deputy Director
ODIHR/OSCE and Rector of Chief Economic School of Warsaw. L.D. –0–

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KARABAKH NGO CENTER OF CIVIL INITIATIVES CONTINUES MONITORING OF
PENITENTIARY ORGANIZATIONS

STEPANAKERT, March 15. /ARKA/. Karabakh NGO Center of Civil
Initiatives continues monitoring of penitentiary organizations,
Director of Organization Albert Voskanian told ARKA. According to
him, certain changes took place in the system this year. `First of
all, the name of Reformatory Establishment-1 (former Shushi prison)
has changed to Department of prosecution of criminal punishments of
NKR Police. Besides, all jalousies were removed from the windows of
hostels of the Department, which corresponds to international
standards’, he said.
NGO Center of Civil Initiatives was created in October 2002.
Organization deals also with search of missing and former prisoners
of war and hostages. L.D. –0–

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THREE DEPUTIES OF THE REPUBLICA PARTY NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE RA NA
WORK

YEREVAN, March 15. /ARKA/ Three deputies of the Republica party will
not participate in the RA NA work, according to the Chairman of the
Republica opposition party, the deputy of Justice bloc Albert
Bazeyan. He noted that he was speaking of himself, Aram Sargsyan, and
Smbat Aivazyan. `We will not participate in the Parliament’s work,
until the RA President retires and special elections be held’, he
said. According to the Chairman of Justice bloc, the present
Parliament cannot function normally and needs dismissing. `It’s to no
purpose to participate in the formal work of the Parliament, where
the majority of it votes by the President’s order’, Bazeyan thinks.
He noted that `mandates will be returned only in the case they can’t
be used for the further struggle’.
Justice and National Unity opposition Parliamentary factions
consisting of 23 deputies boycott the RA NA work because of the
refusal of the Parliamentary majority to include the bill on
amendments to be made in the law on referendum into the agenda. The
bill stipulates for conducting referendum of trust to the Government
of the country. A.H. –0–