Author: Chakhmakhchian Vatche

YEREVAN SUBWAY TO BE ENLARGED

ARKA
April 7, 2008

YEREVAN, April 7. /ARKA/. Enlarging Yerevan subway is a priority of the
capital’s transport development plan for 2008, Yerevan Mayor Yervand
Zakharyan said. "Transport network is a small one in Yerevan. There
is no alternative to enlarging the subway network," the Mayor told
a Monday news briefing.

The Armenian Government allocated a subsidy of AMD 1.7bln for
additional preparation efforts. Zakharyan said the Mayor’s Office
is currently assessing the state of incompletely constructed subway
stations to set a corresponding action plan. They are negotiating
with the World Bank now to get a loan for the construction of new
subway stations.

As Zakharyan had earlier said they expected to get $60mln from the
World Bank.

Yerevan subway was founded in 1981. With ten stations operating
currently its total length is 13.4 kilometres. ($1 – AMD
308.31).

ROBERT KOCHARIAN: "CONCESSIONS TO FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES ARE OUT OF QUESTION"
By Ara Martirosian

AZG Armenian Daily
08/04/2008

Karabakh issue

In the opening ceremony of a new head-office of "Ardshininvestbank"
RA President Robert Kocharian answered the questions on Armenian
foreign and domestic policy.

Answering the questions on Azerbaijani Foreign Minister~Rs recent
statements on Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement Robert Kocharian
mentioned that Azerbaijan used the inner political situation
of Armenia to influence upon negotiations of Karabakh conflict
settlement. According to the President, it should make Armenia to
answer from a position of firm policy and naturally, concessions to
fundamental principles are out of question. Azerbaijan will try to
take the opportunity, and we should understand that stability and
economic development of Armenia are the best guarantees of acting
from a position of strength.

At the same time, Robert Kocharian mentioned that he does not exclude
recognition of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh by Armenia and that
Armenian authorities can take the step any time.

The Armenian President mentioned that Azerbaijani attitude and its
latest steps make the Armenian side to be more decisive.

To the question if recognition of NKR by Armenia would bring to break
of negotiations and restart of war, Robert Kocharian answered that
there were two similar situations in the last 10 years and if not
drastic measures, the negotiations could have undesirable developments
for Armenia. Moreover, even if the developments take similar turn,
than, according to the President, we should not be afraid of it and
make concessions.

Conf̩rence IT/ AYVAZYAN РParis 4/04/2008

10058.html
Report on the of April 4, 2008, Paris

On Friday, April 4, the Tchobanian Institute, in partnership with the
UGAB, organized the first of a series of conferences with Dr. Armen
Ayvazyan on "Armenia’s Security Predicament and the Ways Out of It".
Mr. François Thual, a prominent French geopolitologist and the
Diplomatic Counselor to the Speaker of French Senate, was also invited
as a Distinguished Speaker.

The large room of the Alex Manoogian Cultural Center was full to
capacity (approximately 125 people) and about thirty spectators have to
follow the conference from the mezzanine.

After the welcoming remarks from Bruno Knadjian (Secretary of
UGAB-Paris), Varoujan Sirapian, President-Founder of the Tchobanian
Institute, promptly presented the latest issue of the Europe&Orient
Review. He told about the projects of the Institute concerning the
various publications and also the cultural actions, in particular the
active participation in the organization of the 1st Festival of BD
(comics) and the event in Yerevan planned for October 2008.

Then he passed the word to Dr. Armen Ayvazyan who presented
compellingly the strategic situation and the challenges of the national
security of modern Armenia (including the Republic of
Nagorno-Karabagh/Artsakh). Then Mr. Varoujan Sirapian, the moderator
of the event, passed the floor to Mr. François Thual, who, as usual,
knew how to captivate the attention of the attendees with a methodical
and substantiated speech.

The attendees demonstrated their acute interest by posing questions
both about the subject of the day and the tense political situation
after the Armenian presidential elections. The two speakers brought
their answers to these questions. Present in the room was Mr. Alexis
Govciyan, president of the CCAF and also President of UGAB-Europe, who
also contributed his views with a synthesis of what was developed by
the speakers.

The audience included noted personalities such as Mrs. Nelly
Tardivier-Henrot, the Commissar of the Armenia’s Year in France (held
in 2007), the persons in charge for the UGAB-Paris and various French
Armenian associations, the clergymen and, perhaps most important, many
young people.

At the end of the conference and accompanied with hearty applause,
Varoujan Sirapian passed a Tchobanian Institute’s Member of Honor
Certificate to Mr. François Thual, one of its first and devoted
partners.

The evening continued very late at the lounge around a glass of
friendship.

The next conferences

The next conferences that Dr. Ayvazyan and Mr. Varoujan Sirapian will
attend are scheduled in Marseilles (April 8), Valence (April 9) and
Lyon (April 10).

Interfax News Agency, Russia
April 4 2008

Armenia expects to boost grape harvest 5%-10% in 2008

YEREVAN April 4

Armenia’s grape harvest could amount to 230,000-240,000 tonnes in
2008, up 5%-10% from 2007, according to preliminary estimates, Garnik
Petrosian, head of the Armenian Agriculture Ministry’s crops
department, told Interfax.

The favorable weather this season contributed to the larger harvest,
he said. "If vineyards perished somewhere, it was solely due to the
negligence of the winegrowers," he said.

Viticulture is developing rapidly in Armenia, as evidenced by the
annual growth in the land planted with vineyards, he said. The total
area of vineyards grew by 1,500 hectares to 19,800 hectares in 2007.

This growth is the result of an increase in demand for grapes by wine
and cognac producers, he said.

Panorama.am

16:41 05/04/2008

CHESS INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT HELD IN YEREVAN

Armenian Chess Federation plans to hold rapid chess
international open tournament in Yerevan. The
tournament will be hold from 12 June to 15.

According to the official web site of the Armenian
Chess Federation, the tournament is supported by
`Chess Giants Yerevan 2008′. Only the best chess
players from all over the world will take part in the
tournament.

Note that the total fund of the tournament is 33
thousands USA dollars. The chess players of the 1-3
horizontals will receive 6000, 4000 and 3500 dollars.

Source: Panorama.am

DELEGATION HEADED BY SERZH SARGSYAN RETURNED BACK TO ARMENIA

Panorama.am
15:37 04/04/2008

Yesterday in the evening the delegation headed by the Prime Minister
of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan returned back to Armenia from Bucharest.

According to the information and the public relations department
of the Government, the Prime Minister left for Bucharest to take
part in the NATO summit, he had a labor meeting with the OSCE Minsk
group co-chairmen and after went to Romanian Parliament. Here the
discussion of Euro Atlantic Cooperation Commission member countries’
leaders was held on "Euro Atlantic Cooperation. meeting the security
challenges of the 21st century" item.

Before the start of the discussing the president-elect Prime Minister
Serzh Sargsyan reaffirmed the position of the RA and willingness to
continue and strengthen the cooperation with the NATO. Serzh Sargsyan
also notified the importance of regulating the NKR question by the
peaceful negotiations.

CONGRESS OF CANADIAN ARMENIANS HOLDS A SPECIAL EVENING IN HONOUR OF JOHN EVANS

armradio.am
04.04.2008 16:13

The Congress of Canadian Armenians and its participating organizations
invite will organize a special evening on Saturday April 19 in honour
of John Evans, Former Ambassador of the United States to Armenia.

He sacrificed his diplomatic career by publicly acknowledging the
Armenian Genocide, an action that resulted in his being recalled from
Yerevan in 2006. He is truly a friend of the Armenian community and
of all those who believe that genocides should be recognized in order
to help prevent similar events.

A native of Williamsburg, Virginia, Ambassador Evans studied
Russian history at Yale (B.A.) and Columbia, where he began a
Ph.D. before joining the United States Foreign Service. He had a
long and distinguished career serving in many foreign postings. As
Deputy Director of the Soviet Desk, he coordinated the American
response to the earthquake of 1988 in Armenia, which earned him a
medal and statement of appreciation from the Armenian government
at that time. He speaks English, Russian, French, Czech and Farsi,
and is currently studying Armenian.

VARDAN OSKANYAN’S CHOICE, OR WHAT HAS ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY TURNED INTO?

Today
00.html
April 3 2008
Azerbaijan

Charles de Golle, one of the best-known Presidents of France,
throughout its history, once said: "The policy implies either betrayal
of one’s country or voters. I prefer to do the second".

Time shows that Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan adhere not to
such ideals and preferred to betray his country and not the minority
of Armenians, who owing to falsifications and power of the repressive
administration of the "Karabakh dynasty", are celebrating the Pyrrhic
victory over the majority who wanted to see changes in Armenia.

During the presidential elections, after them and since present,
the Foreign Ministry of Armenia has in fact turned into the appendix
of the Presidential office of Armenia and all steps and announcements
made by the Foreign Ministry are serving to one and the same purpose:
attempt to justify any actions of Kocharyan-Sarkissyan’s regime,
including the obvious defeat of the working leadership of Armenia
in the diplomatic counteraction with Azerbaijan and the proof, which
has already became evident to the world society, that the "Karabakh
dynasty" is not able to carry out a dialogue and tries to settle all
disputable moments by way of terror, including against its own people.

Waiting for the "Rambuyev document"

"Mardid document is a base for the talks on Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement for Armenia", said Tigran Balayan, acting spokesman
for Armenian Foreign Ministry, commenting on the announcement of
Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov who said that the
provision of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity occupied major place
in the proposals issued by the negotiation process mediators four
years ago.

This reveals the political and moral cartwheel of the Foreign Ministry
of Armenia, as we have already witnessed more than once that the
Foreign Ministry of Armenia recollects the site of one of the meetings
of Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in order to call the proposals
on the peaceful resolution of Armenian-Azerbaijan Nagorno Karabakh
conflict as a document, when its own state deteriorates. But as is
known, a document is an agreement, sealed by a signature, which is
a legal agreement on provisions by both parties.

Moreover, the document is an official resolution of the United
Nations, PACE and any international organizations. And Azerbaijan
calmly demonstrates the documents of all international organizations,
in which Nagorno Karabakh is recognized the territory of Azerbaijan.

And what does Armenia have? Will Tigran Balayan be able to show
me the Madrid document? Certainly, not. Armenian Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanyan will also not be able to show the document, proving
official Baku’s agreement with the resolution of Nagorno Karabakh
conflict bypassing the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Though,
this Aleppo native has repeatably threatened to demonstrate a mythical
"document", proving Azerbaijan’s agreement with the provisions of
proposals of the OSCE Minsk Groupco-chairs, and the Prague process.

This is because the said "document" does not exist and proposals of the
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are rather recommendations. Vardan Oskanyan
knows best of all that it is easy to reject such proposals any time.

Thus, in 1996 Russia proposed a package variant for the resolution
of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. It consisted of two parts and
implied suspension of the conflict, withdrawal of troops, return of
internally displaced persons, dislocation of peacekeeping forces and
making decision about the final status of Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Official Baku agreed with this document as the process was proposed
to be conducted in the framework of territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan. Armenia’s reaction was positive but the powers of the
so-called "Nagorno Karabakh republic", in other words, the Karabakh
dynasty, spoke against such a solution.

Later, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs made a new proposal which
was called a phased plan. And what was the result? The result was
the overthrow of Levon Ter-Petrosyan and inauguration of leader of
Karabakh dynasty Robert Kocharyan in Armenia.

This really happened but unlike the Foreign Ministry of Armenia, the
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry does not recollect either the package
variant or the phased plan for the resolution of Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, as these proposals were not sealed by the conflict sides
and the proposals were just recommendations for discussions. But
I will not be surprised if Armenia declares the existence of some
"Rambuyev document".

Of course, a question may arise about how this document could have
been signed and where in the Rambuye palace could it have taken
place, under which conditions and with whose participation, taking
into account that Robert Kocharyan had a stomach ache and preferred
a restroom to the talks. But I am sure that Vardan Oskanyan will find
to say something in this case as well. He is used to lie.

Following Queen Paradzem

We all remember well that Vardan Oskanyan said Armenian people will
say its word on the day of elections and "the next day we will open
a new page and congratulate the winner together". But what happened
in real? Instead of congratulations to the winner, Oskanyan was
obliged to hide the consequences of shame and falsifications called
"elections of President of Armenia".

His promises and assurances that democratic elections will be and were
held in Armenia became ridiculous after six officials of the Armenian
Foreign Ministry, including its spokesman Vladimir Karapetyan, were
dismissed. Their fault was their support to Levon Ter-Petrosyan who did
not recognize his defeat at the presidential elections on February 19.

The Armenian Foreign Minister had to lie about the real causes of
clashes in Yerevan, which resulted in death of 8 people only by
official information. He was obliged to lie later, when the Karabakh
dynasty spread the list of its political opponents, which included
the names of all those who took part in the protests in support of
Ter-Petrosyan among all law-enforcement bodies.The Foreign Minister
of Armenia declared that order has been restored in Armenia.

The next declaration of Vardan Oskanyan’s Ministry proves that Armenian
Foreign Ministry is now empowered to eliminate threats for the Karabakh
dynastyu inside the country, which becomes a more and more difficult
task. This is because after the scandalous elections in Armenia the
world saw the real, bloody essence of the Karabakh dynasty, which
usurped powers in Armenia, witnessed the split not only in Armenia,
but among the world Armenians, proven by the protests in support of
ex -president of Armenia in the United States.

The resolution of the UN General Assembly and the diplomatic success
of Azerbaijan accompanying it, were quite in time for the Karabakh
dynasty. This was one more defeat of the working powers of Armenia
and another ground for Ter-Petrosyan’s supporters.

What is left to the Karabakh dynasty and its supporters in such
conditions? Only lie. On all levels. They lie and hope for the power of
their guns to help them to suppress mass discontent with the falsified
elections and up to their next diplomatic fiasco.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry of Armenia is a mechanism of lie. But
despite the lie of the Karabakh dynasty, it is obvious to everyone
that there is not a legitimate president in Armenia and the country
is in chaos, while the leaders of Karabakh dynasty should think over
what can be the consequences of such a situation for them.

For this purpose, it is only left to recall history, the events of 368,
when Armenia was in chaos and Persian tsar Shapur the Second ruined
the country and captured Armenian Queen Paradzem, building a special
house in the capital of his state in which he could abuse the humilated
woman, which led to Paradzem dying in terrible pain and disgrace.

I say it because everyone choses his place in the history himself and
can prefer being an Armenian Likurg or a Solomon, Pericleor Kaligula,
Neron or Bessian Variy, Geliogalal for future generations.

Unfortunately, Vardan Oskanyan has made his choice, which is extremely
disgraceful.

AGO GROUP COMES OUT FOR A HIGH-LEVEL DIALOGUE ON KARABAKH PEACE PROCESS

arminfo
2008-03-31 15:44:00

ArmInfo. The Ago Group comes out for a high-level dialogue on the
Karabakh peace process, Head of the Committee of Ministers of the
Council of Europe, the so-called Ago Group, Swedish Ambassador to
CoE Per Sjogren said at a press-conference in Yerevan, replying to
ArmInfo correspondent’s question about the position of Azerbaijan
which refused to hold a high-level meeting within NATO summit’s frames.

Per Sjogren noted that Ago contributes to the peaceful settlement of
the conflict. He recalled that though the talks are held in the OSCE
Minsk Group format, Ago group’s mandate also implies contribution to
the settlement within the limits of possibilities. He also recalled
that peaceful settlement of the conflict is related to the CoE
admission commitments of Armenia and Azerbaijan. In this context,
the Ago Group advocates a high-level dialogue, Sjogren said.

VARDAN OSKANYAN: "AZERBAIJAN CONTINUES ITS DIRTY GAME INTENDED FOR BREAKING UP THE MINSK GROUP"

Today
cs/43931.html
March 31 2008
Azerbaijan

"The Azerbaijani authorities try to impose genocide on their people
artificially", said Armenia’s Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan,
commenting on the commemoration of the victims of genocide, committed
by Armenians in 1918, during a press conference in Yerevan.

Oskanyan announced that genocide is a big trauma for any people
and generations will not forgive the Azerbaijani authorities the
artificially imposed events.

According to Armenian Foreign Minister, Baku’s actions pursue one and
the same task-to fill people’s hearts with hatred to settle Nagorno
Karabakh conflict by military way when suitable.

The Armenian Minister noted that the international community should
call on Azerbaijan to stop such speculations.

Commenting on the refusal of official Baku to hold meeting of
presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Bucharest, Oskanyan noted that
this is not a positive fact. Moreover, the Azerbaijani authorities
try to set up their decision as a refusal to accept the proposal of
the Armenian side, while the initiative itself came from the OSCE
Minsk Group co-chairs.

"Azerbaijan continues its dirty game, intended for breaking up the
Minsk Group, rejecting the document which is on the negotiation table
and transferring the discussions to the United Nations", Armenian
Foreign Minister said.

"The talks are the only solution of this issue and talks must lead
to the complete self-determination of Nagorno Karabakh people. It
is for the Karabakh people to decide about how to demonstrate the
self-determination", the Armenian Minister said.

Commenting on President Ilham Aliyev’s statement that the situation in
Armenia is a result of the shortsightedness of Armenian authorities,
Vardan Oskanyan said it would be better for Armenia to discuss its
internal issues.