Author: Chakhmakhchian Vatche

KARABAKH CONFLICT NOT FROZEN, MARKEDONOV SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.02.2008 15:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "From time to time, Yerevan has to respond to Baku’s
growing militarism. In January, Armenian Defense Minister Mikael
Harutyunyan shocked media by tough statements not peculiar to Armenian
officials," said Sergei Markedonov, head of the international relations
department of the institute of political and military analysis.

"The Minister stated that he leads an army which is ready to defense
and attack. He warned that Azerbaijan might lose another 20% of its
territories and receive extra 2 million refugees in case it wages war,"
Markedonov reminded.

"The January tour of the OSCE mediators was interspersed
with optimistic statements. They visited Baku, Yerevan and
Stepanakert. Moreover, they participated in a monitoring of the
contact line.

Consequently, the Nagorno Karabakh conflict can’t be described as
‘frozen’. There is dynamics but it’s far from being positive," he
said adding that the latest package proposed by the mediators is the
best one they could ever develop, Politcom reports.

BANDIT STATE IS A MILD DESCRIPTION

Lragir
Feb 1 2008
Armenia

The head of Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s election headquarters Alexander
Arzumanyan stated in a news conference on February 1 the bandit state
is a mild description for the ruling elite, judging by the conduct
of the election campaign.

Alexander Arzumanyan summed up the first ten days of the election
campaign and said the election is rigged because there are obvious
illegalities. In particular, Alexander Arzumanyan says Prime Minister
Serge Sargsyan had instructed to set up a working commission in
December which is formally part of government but in reality works
for the political plans of Serge Sargsyan, receiving requests from
citizens to solve their material and financial problems and meeting
most of them. Alexander Arzumanyan presented several examples such
requests and said they count thousands.

Besides, he presented lists of personal information about voters and
persons in charge of them. In other words, people who are responsible
for the voting of the people included in the lists. Alexander
Arzumanyan presented a number of such lists which were taken from
Serge Sargsyan’s election office.

It allows Alexander Arzumanyan to state that the election has already
been rigged. Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s election office is likely to report
this information to the international observers. They are not going to
appeal to the Constitutional Court. Alexander Arzumanyan assured that
despite illegalities they will protect the votes of the society and
will win in the first round. Alexander Arzumanyan says the guarantee
is the popular movement which has emerged around Levon Ter-Petrosyan
and is gathering momentum. According to him, a dictatorship can be
overthrown through a powerful popular movement only. The fact that
immense percentage is ascribed to Serge Sargsyan and hardly 4 to 5
percent to Levon Ter-Petrosyan is typical of a dictatorship, where
the society is intimidated and does not tell their real opinion to
pollsters. Alexander Arzumanyan gave the example of Iraq, saying that
before the overthrow of Saddam’s regime his rating might have been 100
percent but later the real attitude of people toward him became known.

In answer to the question about their team’s attitude toward
the movements led by other opposition candidates, such as Arthur
Baghdasaryan who announces about a civil movement which supports him,
Alexander Arzumanyan says they have a normal attitude toward any
other movement and they intend to defeat the bandit regime through
this pan-national movement, as well as through the groups of this
systems in the election commissions and also through the laws of the
bandit system like they had defeated the Soviet dictatorship.

A NEW SILK ROAD: THE RETURN OF THE SCARVES

Economist
europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10609214
Jan 31 2008
UK

Rural Kurds revive an old Armenian tradition

FOR centuries Armenians in the village of Agacli, in south-east Turkey,
cultivated silk. With it they wove fine carpets and flowing scarves
that were traded all along the silk road from China to Europe. That
was until 1915, when Ottoman forces slaughtered most of the villagers,
and hundreds of thousands of other Armenians. The village was taken
over by Kurds and, in the 1990s, became a target for terrorists from
the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Residents began to flee when the
PKK started raiding the area demanding food and shelter.

Weary of the violence, Agacli’s 62-year-old mayor, Yusuf Bayram,
decided two years ago to try to revive the silk trade. He was inspired
by his wife, the daughter of two Armenians rescued as children by
Kurdish neighbours during the 1915 massacres. But a lone pair of
gnarled mulberry trees planted by the Armenians were all Mr Bayram
had-until the European Union rode to the rescue with a big grant.

New mulberry trees were planted, silkworms and looms brought in. Some
15 teenage girls have been trained to spin, weave and dye the silk.

Despite finger-numbing cold, they have just produced their first
batch of scarves. Gulay Aslan, a former seamstress who trains the
girls, says their biggest challenge is sustainability. "The EU money
is finished. We need to stand on our own feet, to find markets,"
she declares.

The women have formed a co-operative, but their only customer is
Diyarbakir’s chamber of commerce. At $35 each, the scarves cost
far more than those of competitors in China and India. "They use
machine-spun silk, our girls make everything by hand," boasts Mr
Bayram. Just like the Armenians, he adds.

JUDOIST FROM GYUMRI, HOVHANNES DAVTIAN RECEIVES PERMIT TO TAKE PART IN BEIJING 2008

Noyan Tapan
Jan 28, 2008

SOFIA, JANUARY 28, NOYAN TAPAN. Women’s and Men’s International
Judo Rating Tournaments took place on January 25-27 in Sofia and
Tbilisi. In Sofia Anush Hakobian (52 kg, Nor Hachn) was defeated and
in Tbilisi Hovhannes Davtian (60 kg, Gyumri) took the fifth place
the received a permit to take part in Beijing-2008. Hakob Arakelian
(90 kg, Yerevan), concluded the first seven.

It should be mentioned that among Armenian judoists, Armen Nazarian
(66 kg, Hrazdan) also received a permit to take part in Beijing 2008.

Thus, the number of Armenian sportsmen, who will take part in the
Olympic Games, reached 13.

OSCE YEREVAN OFFICE SPONSORED TRAINING FILM ON ELECTION HOLDING PROCEDURE

arminfo
2008-01-24 14:58:00

ArmInfo. OSCE Yerevan office sponsored training film for the members
of Electoral Commission of Armenia.

As the head of the OSCE Yerevan office Sergey Kapinos said, the film
was produced within the frames of a joint project of the OSCE Yerevan
Office and Armenian Central electoral commission. ‘The film explains
election procedures in line with the Electoral Code and Central
Electoral Commission (CEC) decisions. The main purpose of the film
is to raise the professionalism level of the electoral commission
workers’, – Kapinos said.

He hopes that the content of the film along with other steps will
much promote raising of professionalism of the Electoral Commission
members and naturally transparency of the electoral processes.

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ISSUES RESOLUTION ON SOUTH CAUCASUS
By M. Alkhazashvili

The Messenger
Jan 24 2008
Georgia

A new resolution recently adopted by the European Parliament calls on
South Caucasian countries and Turkey not to engage in short-sighted or
politically motivated regional projects, according to the Azerbaijani
news agency APA.

Last year the presidents of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey gathered
near Tbilisi to inaugurate the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars
railway, a regional project which has come under fire from abroad
for excluding Armenia.

The resolution says that the Baku-Tbilisi-Akhalkalaki-Kars project
avoids the already existing Armenia-Turkey rail link, which does
not operate as the border is closed between the two countries. The
resolution calls on Turkey to engage in talks to resolve disputes with
its neighbors and emphasizes the importance of reopening the border.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

CATHOLICOS ARAM I DISCUSSES REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ISSUES
WITH THE AMBASSADOR OF ROMANIA

The Romanian Ambassador in Lebanon Daniel Tanas visited His Holiness Aram I
in Antelias on January 21.

The Catholicos and the Romanian diplomat discussed a number of issues
related to Armenian-Romanian relations and ecumenical affairs. Recalling his
visit to the former head of the Romanian Church, the late Patriarch
Teoctist, the Armenian Pontiff spoke about his brotherly ties with the
current Spiritual Leader- Patriarch Daniel I- from the early days of his
involvement in the ecumenical movement. Talks were also held on a number of
issues related to the two families of Orthodox Churches namely Oriental and
Eastern, and future theological dialogue between them.

The Catholicos provided details of the Catholicosate of Cilicia’s work and
activities to the Romanian Ambassador.

##
View the photo here:
tos/Photos188.htm
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

VISIT OF PACE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON KARABAKH ON AGENDA

PanARMENIAN.Net
21.01.2008 16:30 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian delegation to PACE will discuss the
possibility of Lord Russell-Johnston’s visit to Karabakh, delegation
head David Harutyunyan said.

"The visit of the PACE Ad Hoc Committee on Karabakh is on the
agenda. The terms of the visit will be discussed with the Committee
Chairman, Lord Russell-Johnston," Mr Harutyunyan said.

He also touched upon the visit of PACE rapporteur on cultural heritage
Edward O’Hara. "This visit has been postponed several times. We have
already informed the CoE Secretary General and PACE President of the
artificial obstacles Azerbaijan poses," Harutyunyan said adding that
the issue is under discussion, Novosti Armenia repots.

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Jan 16 2008

Armenia’s election code meets international standards

YEREVAN, January 16. /ARKA/. Armenia’s Election Code has been
improved in the best way and meets international standards, Secretary
General of the Interparliamentary Assembly, Commonwealth of
Independent States (CIS), Mikhail Krotov stated at his meeting with
Speaker of the RA Parliament Tigran Torosyan.

Krotov pointed out that he studies Armenia’s Election Code as far
back as the threshold of the parliamentary elections held in the
country last May. He is also aware of the amendments introduced last
November.

Krotov stated that Armenia’s Election Code serves as a good legal
underpinning for the best organization of presidential election in
Armenia.

According to him, the Election Code creates opportunities for voters
to be more active, as well as for improving voters’ lists and
preventing violations.

Speaker Torosyan, expressed the confidence that the presidential
election scheduled for February 2008 will be as successful as the
parliamentary elections and meet the international standards thereby
allowing observers to record good results.

Torosyan pointed out the importance of the mission of the CIS
Interparliamentary Assembly, which contributed to the parliamentary
elections in Armenia last May.

The sides also discussed issues of reforming the CIS
Interparliamentary Assembly’s activities. This work is to be
discussed at the Assembly’s sitting in April.

The presidential election is to be held in Armenia on February 19,
2008. -0–

HOMES FOR MILITARY WILL BE BUILT IN SHUSHI

KarabakhOpen
18-01-2008 13:13:09

In 2007 the NKR Defense Army financed the construction of 132
apartments for military. This year the army boosted housing expenses
by 50 percent. It is foreseen to build 174 apartments, including 60
in Shushi.

As to why in Shushi, the minister of defense Movses Hakobyan says the
rate of construction in Shushi must be ahead of other areas. Besides,
a military unit is stationed in Shushi, and the families of the
personnel should be provided with apartments by the end of this
year. The minister did not rule out that another military unit may
be deployed in Shushi.