U.S. SHOWS "YELLOW CARD" TO ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES, ONE OF ZHARANGUTIUN
PARTY LEADERS IS SURE

YEREVAN, MARCH 27, NOYAN TAPAN. "Both the issue connected with the
mineral water and especially the formulation about occupied
territories included in the report of U.S. State Department were in
essence a "yellow card" to the Armenian authorities. Vardan
Khachatrian, Chairman of Board of Zharangutiun (Heritage) Party,
stated this in his interview to Noyan Tapan correspondent. We will
remind that formulation that "Nagorno Karabakh is an occupied
territory making part of Azerbaijan" was included in the 2006 annual
report of State Department on Human Rights. And the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) warned American consumers that mineral water
Jermuk imported from Armenia contains arsenic and is dangerous for
health. V. Khachatrian characterized both of these statements as
manifestation of pressure upon Armenia. As he estimated, pressure upon
Armenia by U.S. is conditioned by discontent with the activity of
Armenian authorities over the several past years. He did not exclude
that such position of U.S. can be conditioned by lack of real progress
in the sphere of democracy in Armenia where the situation has become
much worse. The second determining factor in the steps undertaken by
U.S., in V. Khachatrian’s opinion, is lack of any progress and advance
in the issue of settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict.