Author: Chakhmakhchian Vatche

BARONESS COX AWARDED RA PRIME MINISTER’S MEMORIAL MEDAL

armradio.am
25.09.2008 17:22

According to today’s decision of RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan,
the Vice-Speaker of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland, President of the British-Armenian
Parliamentary Group, Baroness Caroline Cox was awarded a memorial medal
of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia for her considerable
contribution to the reinforcement and development of Armenian-British
ties and the friendly relations with the Armenian people. Today the
Prime Minister handed the medal during the meeting with Baroness Cox
at RA Government.

During her recurrent visit to NKR and Armenia Baroness Cox was
accompanied by a large delegation of people interested in Armenia and
Artsakh, who will become the best friends of Armenia in the future,
according to the Baroness.

Greeting the guests, RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan expressed
gratitude to Caroline Cox, noting that the Baroness, who has become
a legendary personality for our people, is very well-known in Armenia
and Artsakh thanks to the various missions she realized.

The Vice-Speaker of the UK House of Lords Caroline Cox told the Prime
Minister about her recurrent visit, noting that she spent most of her
trip on the sacred land of Artsakh participating in the celebration
of the 10th anniversary of the rehabilitation centre established with
her assistance.

Baroness Cox thanked the Prime Minister for the awards and the
warm words.

During the meeting with Tigran Sargsyan she said to be interested in
the possible influence of the declaration of independence of Abkhazia
and South Ossetia on the process of settlement of the Karabakh
conflict, the current state of Armenian-Turkish relations after the
Turkish President’s visit to Armenia and well as the approaches of
the Armenian authorities on the matter. The Prime Minister presented
the official stance of our country on the above-mentioned issues.

AZERBAIJAN TO INVEST IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH AS ITS TERRITORY: DEPARTMENT HEAD OF PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION
[email protected]

TREND Information
22.09.08 17:56
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 22 September/TrendNews, corr I. Alizade/ Azerbaijan
will invest in Nagorno-Karabakh as its territory, Elnur Aslanov,
head of Political Analysis and Dataware Department of Presidential
Administration said to TrendNews.

In his interview his foreign journalists, Armenian president Serj
Sarkisyan commented on Azerbaijan’s investing in Nagorno-Karabakh
in exchange for willingness of Armenian’s in Karabakh to live in
composition of Azerbaijan’s territory. "I suggested Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev to invest in Nagorno-Karabakh in order to
demonstrate interest of Azerbaijanis in the well being of Karabakh
and its safe life. Armenians in Karabakh may wish to live in the
composition of Azerbaijan’s territory after that," Sarkisyan said,
BBC reported.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began
in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since
1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. In
1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which
time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group (Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful
negotiations.

"Nagorno-Karabakh is a constituent part of Azerbaijan which has
been occupied by Armenia. Naturally, Azerbaijan will invest
in Nagorno-Karabakh as it is Azerbaijan’s territory, develop
infrastructure, build houses, schools, hospitals, restore all destroyed
facilities, to return IDPs to their native lands as soon as occupied
lands will be freed," head of department said.

At present, our aim is the triumph of justice and realization of
fundamental principles of international law, Aslanov said.

Nouvelles d’Arménie, France

KARABAGH

Mathieu Bryza : « Il faut que tous les parties en conflit restent
satisfaites… »

dimanche21 septembre 2008, par Stéphane/armenews
Les dirigeants d’Azerbaïdjan et d’Arménie sont prêts à une
solution au conflit du karabagh » a déclaré à Bakou le
coprésident américain du GM de l’OSCE Mathieu Bryza. Selon ce
dernier les USA est prête à soutenir les deux parties en vue
d’arriver à une entente.

« L’Azerbaïdjan peut mettre son espérance en Amérique et pendant
les crises et pendant les jours de paix. » Selon Bryza « le plan de
paix doit être signé de manière à ce que tous les parties en
conflit restent satisfaites » a dit le diplomate américain.

SERGEY LAVROV: "RECOGNITION OF INDEPENDENCE OF ABKHAZIA AND SOUTH OSSETIA IS NOT A PRECEDENT FOR NAGORNO KARABAKH"

Today.Az
politics/47645.html
Sept 18 2008
Azerbaijan

Recognition of independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by Russia
is not a precedent for Transdniestria and Nagorno Karabakh, said
Russian Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, according to RIA Novosti.

"Russia will provide active support to the peaceful resolution of all
conflicts in the CIS area on the basis of international law, respect
to all principles of UN charter, previously attained agreements in
striving for an agreement between the involved parties.

We will execute our mediatory mission in the negotiation process
with great responsibility, which refers to Transdniestria and Nagorno
Karabakh. Each conflict has its own features, format and mechanisms
of mediation. But the South Ossetian crisis does not set a precedent
for them", said Lavrov speaking in the Federation Council.

"There are no parallels between the situation around South Ossetia
and Abkhazia on the one hand and Nagorno Karabakh conflict on the
other hand", Lavrov said earlier.

20TH ANNIVERSARY OF NAGORNO KARABAKH MOVEMENT MARKED AT CAPITOL HILL PROGRAM

armradio.am
18.09.2008 12:17

Members of Congress joined together on a bipartisan basis on September
17th to mark the 20th anniversary of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic
(Artsakh) freedom movement, at a Capitol Hill program headlined by
prominent lawyer and humanitarian Mark Geragos, reported the Armenian
National Committee of America.

The evening, titled "Nagorno Karabakh Republic/Artsakh: 20 Years of
Freedom, Democracy and Progress," was hosted by the Congressional
Caucus of Armenian Issues in cooperation with the Embassy of the
Republic of Armenia, the Nagorno Karabakh Representation in the U.S.,
and Armenian American organizations.

"As a community deeply devoted to Artsakh’s security, we are pleased
to be joined by our Congressional friends at today’s Capitol Hill
celebration of Nagorno Karabakh’s hard-won freedom," said ANCA
Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "We take from this event an
added measure of devotion to standing up against Azerbaijani and
Caspian energy interests, increasing developmental aid to Nagorno
Karabagh, zeroing-out military aid to Azerbaijan, and breaking down
the artificial barriers to U.S.-Artsakh dialogue."

Throughout the evening, Members of Congress offered remarks
congratulating Nagorno Karabakh – praising its commitment to democracy,
peace and stability, and citing it as an example for other countries
in the region.

Congressional Ar menian Caucus Co- Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), who served as Masters of Ceremony for
the evening, offered moving remarks along with Reps. Shelly Berkley
(D-NV), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Jim Costa (D-CA), Barney Frank (D-MA),
Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), George Radanovich (R-CA), Steven Rothman
(D-NJ), Brad Sherman (D-CA), and Tim Walz (D-MN).

The event invocation was offered by His Eminence Archbishop Vicken
Aykazian, legate of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church of
the Eastern U.S., while a special presentation on the Nagorno Karabakh
liberation movement was made by His Eminence Archbishop Choloyan,
Prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Eastern U.S. In recognition
of Congressional support for Artsakh, the Congressional Caucus
Co-Chairs were given a special book of letters and drawing prepared
by the children of Artsakh, presented by Ms. Nelly Martirosyan,
who had recently spent over two months working with youth there.

In his keynote address, Geragos challenged Members of Congress to
increase their support for Nagorno Karabakh, calling the $30 million in
U.S. assistance allocated to date to Nagorno Karabakh insufficient,
and asserting that this aid package, to a democratic nation in a
troubled region, should be at least at the $100 million level.

Armenian Ambassador to the U.S. Tatoul Markarian and NKR Representative
in the U.S. Vardan Barseghian provided insight on the current peace
talks over Nagorno=2 0Karabakh and the ongoing commitment of both
countries to a peaceful resolution of the conflict. A special video
marking the 20th anniversary of the Artsakh movement, prepared by
film-maker and documentary producer Peter Musurlian, highlighted the
economic progress and strengthening of democracy in the Republic. The
evening concluded with moving remarks by human rights activist
Kathryn Porter, a frequent visitor to Artsakh who has shared trying
and triumphant moments with the women of Artsakh during and after
the conflict in the region.

MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE ARMENIA TO LAUNCH LARGE-SCALE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT BY LATE 2008

ARKA
Sep 18, 2008

YEREVAN, September 18. /ARKA/. The Millennium Challenge Account
(MCA) Armenia will announce the launch of large-scale construction,
said MCA Executive Ara Hovsepyan.

The project will kick off next season after MCA finishes the Rural
Road Rehabilitation and Irrigated Agriculture programs.

Hovsepyan pointed out the fund’s regular activities in the past
two years.

"This August we put into operation irrigation systems in Abovyan,
Arevshat, Lanjarat and Griboedov communities. The 4.5km long system
will supply these four communities with water," the MCA Executive
was quoted saying.

MCA also plans to finish reconstruction of the 2.5km long Getap-Agi
road.

The RA Government has signed an agreement on allocating $50mln for
reconstruction of rural roads (with a total length of 300km).

Millennium Challenge Account-Armenia (MCA-Armenia), a State Non
Commercial Organization established by the Government of Armenia,
is responsible for overseeing the transparent implementation of the
Compact signed between the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation and
the RA Government.

on March 27, 2006 the Millennium Challenge Corporation signed a
five-year, $235.65 million Compact with the Government of Armenia. The
Compact is focused on one goal: the reduction of rural poverty
through a sustainable increase in the economic performance of the
agricultu ral sector. Armenia plans to achieve this goal through a
five-year program of strategic investments in rural roads, irrigation
infrastructure and technical and financial assistance to improve the
supply of water and to support farmers and agribusinesses.

On September 29, 2006 the Compact officially entered into force.

WINNER LEAVES FOR PARIS

Panorama.am
20:28 17/09/2008

In the frames of "Keep the Nature" environmental campaign supported
by the Wild Nature and Protection of Cultural Values fund a painting
competition is announced to be conducted in the marzes of Armenia and
the winner of the best drawing will have an opportunity to leave for
Louvre, Paris, said Konsuelo Vidal, the representative of UNDP Office
in Armenia.

"It is a well known fact that UN is concerned with the environmental
issues and current exhibition should be under our scope. Hence, we
have prepared two tickets for the winner," said K. Vidal. According
to the organizers of the exhibition other participants will also get
some presents.

TIGRAN TOROSYAN: WITH DISCREPANCIES CONCERNING DOMESTIC POLITICAL ISSUES MY FURTHER ACTIVITY IN SPEAKER’S POST WAS SENSELESS

ArmInfo
2008-09-16 15:08:00

ArmInfo. ‘I don’t believe in the recent statements that our activity
should be based on education, confidence, justice’, Speaker of the
Armenian National Assembly Tigran Torosyan said at a press-conference,
Tuesday. To recall, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan stressed the
important role of education, justice, confidence, etc. for several
times during his pre-election campaign.

‘Discrepancies with some representatives of the Republican Party of
Armenia (RPA) arose not at once, over the past few months I came to
a conclusion that there are irresistible discrepancies’, Torosyan
stressed. He added that a special situation is being created in the
country, as the Speaker of the National Assembly and Deputy Chairman
of the ruling RPA resigned. ‘With the discrepancies concerning the
domestic political issues my further activity in Speaker’s post was
senseless’, he said.

Mediamax, Armenia
Sept 12 2008

ARMENIAN MPS OPPOSE TURKEY’S POSSIBLE MEDIATION IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

Yerevan, 12 September: The political forces represented in the
Armenian parliament on the whole give a positive assessment to the
results of Turkish President Abdullah Gul’s visit to Yerevan.

At that, Mediamax reports, representatives of parliamentary factions
expressed a unanimous opinion that the reconsideration of the OSCE
Minsk Group format and Turkey’s stepped up efforts to act as a
mediator in the settlement of the Karabakh problem is inadmissible.

Member of the opposition Heritage Party Vardan Khachatryan stated that
Ankara’s stepping up its efforts will play a destructive role in the
process of the settlement. Touching upon the visit of the Turkish
president to Yerevan, Vardan Khachatryan stated that the most part of
expectations related to Gul’s arrival were not justified. At that he
gave a positive assessment to the signing of an agreement on supplies
of electricity to Turkey as an important precondition for opening the
border and developing economic cooperation between Armenia and Turkey.

According to the member of the Orinats Yerkir faction, Hovhannes
Margaryan, the opening of Armenian-Turkish border and the supplies of
electricity to Turkey will have positive influence both on the state
of bilateral relations and the situation in the region in general.

The secretary of the [Armenian Revolutionary Federation -]
Dashnaktsutyun Party faction, Artashes Shahbazyan, said that certain
positive changes in Armenian-Turkish relations will take place in the
course of the next two weeks. At that he noted that in the first place
the main problems in bilateral relations should be settled. Shahbazyan
also stated that Armenia should vigorously oppose the efforts of
Turkey and Azerbaijan to change the mediation format in the settlement
of the Karabakh conflict.

The secretary of the Prosperous Armenia Party faction, Aram Safaryan,
welcomed "the mostly positive attitude of Armenian society" towards
the visit of the Turkish president to Yerevan. He spoke for the
realization of a forum with the participation of all political forces
of Armenia to elaborate a consensus approach towards Armenian-Turkish
relations. According to him, Ankara’s proposal to form a Caucasus
platform should have its practical continuation in the context of
opening the Armenian-Turkish border and developing economic and
political relations in the region with the necessary participation of
Russia.

Expo-Russia to Kick off in Armenia on October 31

YEREVAN, September 13. /ARKA/. Expo Russia-Armenia first industrial
exhibition will kick off in Yerevan on October 31 and will close on
November 2.

Expo-Russia is the continuation of the Russian-Armenian business forum
that took place in Tsaghkadzor resort on April 30-May 3. The projects
aim at strengthening economic, cultural, political and scientific
cooperation between Armenia and Russia.

The organizers of the exhibition are the Zarubezh-Expo OJSC and Multi
Group Concern.

The conference will cover recent developments in car engineering,
transport, construction, mining industry, agriculture, energy,
metallurgy, telecommunications, healthcare and medicine.

The participants and guests can also attend a conference on
Armenian-Russian economic cooperation and participate in round-table
discussions.

`We hope the exhibition will become an annual event,’ said David
Vartanov, chairman of the directorial board of Zarubezh-Expo.

The organizers of the event plan to advertise the exhibition in Russia
and study the import-export balance between both countries.

The sponsors of the expo are the Russian Ministry of Economic
Development, RF Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Russia’s Embassy in
Armenia, Armenia’s Embassy in Russia, Armenian representation of
Roszarubezhcenter, Armenian representation of the RF Chamber of
Commerce and Industry, Peace International Association, RF Fed
eral
Agency of Education, Union of Car Manufacturers of Russia, Association
of Russian Banks, Armenia’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the
Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen.

`Industrial exhibitions are rather important market tools, promoting
industrial cooperation,’ said Yevgeni Primakov, president of the RF
Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

President of the Union of Armenians in Russia Ara Abrahamyan supports
the project, trying to win round the Institute of Applied
Nanotechnologies.

Local mass media, including Novosti-Armenia News Agency, Public
Television of Armenia and Yerkir-Media TV Channel, will cover the
event. `0–