Author: Chatinian Lara

ArmenPress
March 26 2004

RICHARD ARMITAGE RECEIVED BY ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER

YEREVAN, MARCH 26, ARMENPRESS: US Deputy Secretary of State
Richard Armitage, who arrived today in Yerevan for a short visit from
Kiev, Ukraine, was received by Armenian foreign minister Vartan
Oskanian to discuss the full scope of prospects and possibilities for
regional development and the current situation in the South Caucasus.
The Armenian foreign ministry said the two men exchanged also
ideas on resolution of the Karabagh conflict and expressed their
satisfaction over the current level of bilateral relations, sharing
the same view that diverse and well-developed bilateral contacts must
be boosted by a deeper political dialogue. Later in the day he is
scheduled to meet with Armenian president Robert Kocharian.
Armitage’s visit to Yerevan is part of a regional visit and today
he will leave Yerevan for Baku, Azerbaijan.
In Baku Armitage will discuss the interaction in fighting with
terrorism with president Ilham Aliyev and other top official of the
country, apart from discussing regional security, development of
bilateral relations, political and economic reforms in Azerbaijan,
implementation of large-scale projects in the energy sector, and the
settlement of the Karabagh problem. Armitage also plans to meet with
some leaders of opposition parties.

Baku Today
March 26 2004

Richard Armitage visiting Azerbaijan

U.S. Deputy State Secretary Richard Armitage is visiting Azerbaijan
today and tomorrow.
Armitage will consider the issues of anti- terror partnership, energy
issues and the reforms in political and economic spheres during his
visit to Azerbaijan, according to Azertaj News Agency.
Armitage and Azeri president Ilham Aliyev will focus on Karabakh
issue during their meeting, the agency said.

The senior U.S. official Armitage has been traveling Ukraine and
Armenia since March 24, 2004.

His visits to Ukraine, Armenia and Azerbaijan intend discussing
broader prospects of current relations with the three countries.

Armenian president, party leaders discuss government’s activities

Arminfo
24 Mar 04

YEREVAN

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and the leaders of the member
parties of the ruling political coalition discussed mechanisms of
increasing the effectiveness of the legislative activities of the
Armenian government and National Assembly during a working meeting
today.

The press service of the Armenian president told Arminfo news agency
that the participants in the meeting noted the importance of
discussing the draft laws envisaged in the government’s work schedule
for 2004. The leaders of the parties made their remarks on and spoke
about their impressions of visits to the regions of the republic and
meetings with citizens.

The interlocutors stressed the need to continue and improve such
events.

EU official calls on Armenia, Turkey to improve ties

Arminfo
17 Mar 04

YEREVAN

If Turkey wants to become a European Union member, it should fulfil
all the requirements of this organization and normalize relations with
Armenia, the chairman of the European Parliament’s committee for
constitutional issues, Ursula Schleicher, told a news conference
today, devoted to the results of the sixth session of the commission
for Armenia-European Union interparliamentary cooperation.

She said that both sides should show the political will to normalize
Armenian-Turkish relations. Schleicher noted that both Armenia and
Turkey were attempting to normalize bilateral relations. She believes
these countries should start communicating at a higher level in order
to normalize ties. The agreement that was signed on the results of the
sixth session of the Armenian-European Union cooperation commission
called on Turkey “to gradually start unblocking the border” and remove
obstacles on the path to trade cooperation with Armenia.

The European Union called on the Armenian and Turkish governments to
create the conditions for establishing friendly relations. The
document also pointed out the need for dialogue between Armenian and
Turkish academics to “overcome the tragic experience of the past”.

Armenia attempts to help arrested citizens in Equatorial Guinea

Arminfo
18 Mar 04

YEREVAN

The Armenian Foreign Ministry is taking diplomatic measures to render
legal assistance to six Armenian citizens arrested in Equatorial
Guinea on 8 March on charges of attempting a state coup, the Armenian
Foreign Ministry press service has told Arminfo.

The source said that the Armenian envoys in Russia and the USA had
already met their Guinean colleagues. Taking into account the fact
that Armenia has no diplomatic mission in Equatorial Guinea, the
Armenian Foreign Ministry asked the diplomatic representations of
friendly third countries for help in this issue.

IranMania News, Iran
March 17 2004

Spring Games for Iranian Armenians

Isfahan, March 17 (IranMania) — According to Iran’s State News
Agency (IRNA) Armenians will start their competitions in Spring Games
in this historical city of Iran Thursday, celebrating the 400th
anniversary of their settlement in Jolfa, central Isfahan.

Ararat Sports-Cultural Club will host the six-day event, which
includes basketball, track-and-field, table tennis, and football.

The Republic of Armenia and Georgia have dispatched their sportsmen
to Isfahan. The grand prelate of Isfahan, Shahan Sarkissian, will
light the Torch at Vank Church, which will be carried to Ararat Club
by national Armenian athletes.

Armenian National Committee of America
Eastern Region
80 Bigelow Avenue
Watertown, MA 02472
Tel: 617-923-1918
Fax: 617-926-5525
[email protected]

PRESS RELEASE
March 16, 2004

Contact: Arin Gregorian
617-923-1918; [email protected]

MAINE ARMENIAN ACTIVISTS DISCUSS
COMMUNITY CONCERNS WITH SEN. SNOWE

— Thank Senator for Cosponsoring Genocide Resolution;
Pledge to Work on Armenia Aid; Military Aid Parity Issue

PORTLAND, ME–Maine Armenian activists met with Republican Senator Olympia
Snowe yesterday to discuss a range of issues, including concerns about the
Bush Administration request to break its agreement to maintain military aid
parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the ongoing blockade of Armenia and
Nagorno Karabagh and the peaceful resolution of the Karabagh conflict,
reported the Armenian National Committee Eastern Region (ANCA ER).

“I was proud to be part of the Maine Armenian community team to discuss
pressing issues of concern with Senator Snowe,” explained longtime ANC
activist Kathy Durgerian. “We look forward to working closely with the
Senator to ensure a stronger US-Armenia relationship and proper recognition
of the Armenian Genocide.”

Armenian Cultural Association of Maine members Paul Proudian, Jirair
Kiladjian, and Kathy Durgerian, thanked the Senator for cosponsoring the
Genocide Resolution (S.Res.164) and her past support of Armenian Genocide
commemorative efforts in the state. In April of 2003, an Armenian American
aide to Sen. Snowe participated in an Armenian Genocide observance and
unveiling of an Armenian Genocide monument. At the event, held in Portland,
she read a statement from the Senator commemorating the victims of the
Genocide.

The group stressed the importance of expanding US-Armenia trade levels by
passing the Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) measure currently before
the Senate. The activists also expressed particular concern about the Bush
Administration’s proposed FY 2005 budget, which calls for an $8 million
military aid package for Azerbaijan, while only allocating $2 million for
Armenia. Citing Azerbaijan’s blockade of Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh, as
well as the Azerbaijani leadership’s belligerent statements in support of a
military solution to the Karabagh conflict, the activists argued that
breaking military parity would only serve to encourage Azerbaijan in its
destructive behavior.

The Armenian National Committee of America is the largest and most
influential Armenian American grassroots political organization. Working in
coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout
the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA
actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad
range of issues.

#####

NATO-sponsored border security course held in Azerbaijan

Trend news agency
15 Mar 04

BAKU

Trend correspondent R. Abbasov: NATO participation in a settlement of
the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict is in the interests of Azerbaijan,
Maj-Gen Omer Bayrakli, the military attache of the Turkish embassy in
Azerbaijan, said at a ceremony to open “Border Security Control
Course” in Baku on 15 March. The course was organized by the Turkish
Defence Ministry.

Despite the fact that Azerbaijan officially made no appeal for NATO
membership, it is intensively developing its relations with the
North-Atlantic Alliance, he said. “Among the CIS states, Azerbaijan is
a country which closely cooperates with NATO. Ex-president Heydar
Aliyev repeatedly said that NATO should be involved in solving
conflicts in the Caucasus,” Bayrakli said.

The head of the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry department for
inspections, Mammad Beydullayev, said that the course is being held
from 15 to 19 March at the ministry’s training centre. Along with
military servicemen, representatives of the Foreign, National
Security, Interior Ministries, the State Customs Service and other
bodies will attend the course.

A lecturer and colonel of the Turkish army, Tuqay Bakkal, said that
the main goal of the course was to familiarize the Azerbaijani armed
forces with methods of preventing illegal border incursions, the
trafficking of drugs, weapons, human organs and so on. He noted that
the training was being conducted by the study centre of the
Partnership for Peace programme of the Turkish armed forces.

Up to now, 1,100 people have attended this course, including 320
Azerbaijani servicemen. Azerbaijan ranks second among 51 countries in
terms of the number of its participants. The course will also be held
in Ukraine, Romania, Albania, Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan and Moldova.

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
March 8 2004

“LOST TERRITORIES OF THE WINNER COUNTRY”

One who is unaware of their losses is on the verge of new losses.
This was the concern of the exhibition opened on February 25 at the
museum-institute of Alexander Tamanian devoted to North Artsakh, part
of our historical territory cleansed of Armenians by our enemy of
centuries in 1988-1992. Through about 100 colored large-format
photographs and a number of maps (demographic, historical monuments,
names of places) the small and large settlements, various historical
and cultural monuments of the region estranged from us not because of
the power of the enemy but our indifference and drowsiness was
presented to public. The aim of the exhibition is to increase the
knowledge of our country, the lack of which was felt as in the Soviet
times so as at present, however strange and inadmissible it may seem.
The exhibition will last till March 18 and on March 10-12 it will be
exposed at the Ministry of Defence.

RAA.

Yerkir web site, Yerevan, in English
9 Mar 04

Ethnic Armenians in Georgia against Azeri oil pipeline

AKHALKALAKI

During his recent visit to Baku, Georgian President Mikheil
Saakashvili, speaking about the security of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
oil pipeline, said that the Armenians living in the regions that will
be bisected by the pipeline have no problems with the construction of
the pipeline.

The Armenian population of Tsalka, Borjomi and Akhaltsikha, however,
have been continuously voicing their complaints about it.

The residents of the Armenian-populated village of Tapatskur in the
Borjomi region have not yet received compensation for the property
taken from them for the pipeline.