Author: Harutyunian Christine

ARMENIAN WEB SITE CRITICAL OF OFFICIALS’ FAILURE TO ACCOUNT FOR RESHUFFLE

Golos Armenii web site, Yerevan
29 Mar 04

Personnel changes in the Armenian police (the chief of Yerevan’s
police directorate, Col Aram Zakharyan, has been promoted to chief of
the department for state protection of the Armenian police; his
replacement as Yerevan police chief is Col Nerses Nazaryan, former
chief of the capital’s Erebuni-Nubarashen police department. The chief
of Yerevan’s traffic police has also been replaced. This post has
been taken over by Markar Oganyan, who until now was in charge of the
State Traffic Police of Yerevan and the republic). Such changes in the
law-enforcement agency and the Armenian Prosecutor-General’s Office
gave rise to numerous semi-truthful rumours (as published), which
happens whenever those who take decisions do not bother to explain
them.

The opposition press rushed to explain the reshuffle and also the
dismissal of some prosecutors in the capital’s communities and their
replacement by others by the upcoming actions of radicals to change
power. Alas, neither the president, nor the justice minister nor the
new prosecutor-general have so far commented on the dismissal of
prosecutors.

Under the presidential decrees, Akop Babayan has become the prosecutor
of the Erebuni community (replaced Mikael Badiryan), Dzhon Farkhoyan
has become the prosecutor of the Shengavit community (instead of
Aleksandr Garibyan), Gevork Tovmasyan has become the prosecutor of the
Avan and Nor-Nork communities (replaced Armen Sardaryan), Gagik
Khachikyan has become the prosecutor of the Achapnyak and Davidashen
communities (instead of Ovannes Stepanyan).

(Passage omitted: known appointments)

Return of occupied lands only solution to Karabakh – Azeri leader

Arminfo
20 Mar 04

YEREVAN

The only solution to the Karabakh conflict is the return of all the
lands controlled by the Armenian side and Karabakh, after which the
sides can sit at a negotiating table, Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev said in an interview with [Armenian] Noyan Tapan news agency,
Armenian Public TV has reported.

Commenting on the murder of an Armenian officer in Hungary by an
Azerbaijani serviceman, Ilham Aliyev noted that he was surprised at
the fuss raised over the incident: “I cannot understand how a one-off
incident can be turned into an international scandal, while Azerbaijan
is keeping quiet about the killing of its servicemen on the
Armenian-Azerbaijani border.” Aliyev Jr said that Armenian snipers
killed 20 Azerbaijani servicemen on the border in 2003.

Armenian leader avoids meeting Azeri counterpart – minister

Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
20 Mar 04

[Presenter] The Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers had an
informal meeting at an international conference in Bratislava,
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Vilayat Quliyev said in an interview with
ATV on his return home last night.

Speaking about the details of the talks, Mr Quliyev said that the
Armenian side was to blame for the fact that the presidents of the two
countries failed to meet in Bratislava.

[Reporter over video of the conference] During the informal meeting
with Vilayat Quliyev in Bratislava, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanyan failed to substantiate his accusations against the Baku
government. Some time ago, Oskanyan described as groundless Mr
Quliyev’s statement that the talks on the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict
should start from scratch. He stressed the importance of the talks in
Paris and Key West and said that if need be, he could submit the
papers to the Azerbaijani foreign minister.

[Vilayat Quliyev, in office] I reminded him of his statement and told
him to show me the papers. He said that he would send them by fax on
his return to Yerevan. I asked whether the papers had been signed. He
said he did not have signed papers. I said – if there are no signed
papers, then what kind of agreement could we talk about?

[Reporter] The minister said the Bratislava conference was a good
opportunity for a meeting between the Azerbaijani and Armenian
presidents and pointed out that this did not happen precisely because
of the Armenian side.

[Vilayat Quliyev] The Armenian president first declared his intention
to go to Bratislava. His name was on the programme. But when
Azerbaijan also declared that it would be represented in Bratislava by
the president, the Armenian side immediately changed its mind. This
shows that the Armenian president is not ready for such a meeting or
avoids it.

[Reporter] Vilayat Quliyev also said that Vardan Oskanyan, who levels
new accusations against Baku in the Armenian press every day, looked
much milder at the meeting. Quote, such statements were not voiced at
our meeting and they could not be voiced because it is only Armenia
which is responsible for the conflict situation in the region, end
quote.

A1 Plus | 21:01:30 | 19-03-2004 | Social |

“A1+” TV COMPANY MAKING AN ANNOUNCEMENT

2 years ago, on April 2, 2002, TV and Radio National Committee deprived
“A1+” TV Company of the broadcasting license.

During the 2 past years “A1+” partook in 8 tenders for frequency ranges and
disputed against TV and Radio National Committee decisions in all the Court
instances. Both tenders and Court decisions were made by breaking laws,
which aimed at blocking “A1+” return to broadcasting area. Making TV air
manageable Authorities conducted illegal elections, bereaving people of the
right and chance to receive unbiased and full information.

Fund for Speech Freedom Support is holding a protest action on April 2.

The initiative group protecting “A1+” TV Company calls upon everybody who
values speech freedom, to take part in the march and meeting for “A1+” on
April 2.

We demand:

1) to hold a tender for free frequencies

2) to involve the representatives of social organizations in rating
assessment of the tender proposals. We expect for quick satisfying of the
above demands or else we will keep protesting.

The march will start at 2:00 PM near “A1+” TV Company building /Grigor
Lusavoritch, 15/.

The meeting will take place on Freedom Square, at 3:00 PM.

Those who are concerned about speech freedom and interested in this action,
may phone 585427, 560716, 564299, or e-mail on [email protected].

—

Caucasian countries eye EU, NATO at conference in Slovak capital

Radio Slovakia, Bratislava
19 Mar 04

Announcer Representatives of the countries of the Caucasus region
confirmed in Bratislava today their interest in further rapprochement
with the EU and NATO. At the Enlarged Europe: New Agenda conference in
Bratislava top political representatives are discussing the fate of
the countries that will, after the EU and NATO enlargement, find
themselves beyond the border of these groups. Robert Petras reports:

Reporter Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan are the countries that see
their future in the European space. However, the Caucasian region is
troubled by many unresolved conflict, the dispute over Nagornyy
Karabakh among them. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev appealed to
the conference participants:

Aliyev in English faded into Slovak translation We would like very
much the international community to be more involved in the
conflict. We can see the EU interest, which is prepared to resolve the
dispute peacefully. We, too, want to tackle the problem at the
political level. However, I have to stress that our patience has its
limits.

ArmenPress
March 18 2004

NAZELI VARDANIAN TO DEFEND GURGEN MARGARIAN’S RELATIVES’ INTERESTS IN
BUDAPEST

YEREVAN, MARCH 18, ARMENPRESS: An Armenian lawyer, Ms. Nazeli
Vardanian, will be dispatched by the Yerevan-based International
Union of Armenian Lawyers, to Budapest, Hungary, to defend the rights
of Gurgen Margarian’s relatives during the investigation of the case
and the trial.
Gurgen Margarian was brutally killed by an Azeri classmate in
Budapest on February 19. The Union said a five-member team of
prominent Armenian lawyers is set up to give methodological support
to Nazeli Vardanian.

Georgian leader hopes Armenia to help normalize ties with Russia

Mediamax news agency
12 Mar 04

YEREVAN

The presidents of Armenia and Georgia, Robert Kocharyan and Mikheil
Saakashvili, focused on issues of improving Georgian-Russian relations
during their talks in Yerevan today, Georgian President Mikheil
Saakashvili told a briefing in Yerevan today, Mediamax news agency
reports.

He said that he was decisive to normalize his country’s relations with
Russia, which “had considerably worsened under the previous Georgian
president”, according to Saakashvili.

Saakashvili said that many countries which maintain good relations
with Russia could contribute to the process of normalizing
Georgian-Russian relations. In particular, Saakashvili said that he
discussed this issue with French President Jacques Chirac several days
ago.

“However, we believe that Armenia, which maintains special relations
with Russia, could play a special role in normalizing Georgian-Russian
ties,” Saakashvili said.

Georgia, Armenian presidents pledge close cooperation

AP Worldstream
Mar 12, 2004

Leaders of Caucasus neighbors Georgia and Armenia pledged close
cooperation Friday as Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili met his
Armenian counterpart for the first time.

Armenian President Robert Kocharian said the two agreed at the talks
to meet often, both formally and informally.

Saaskashvili, who won elections in January to replace former President
Eduard Shevardnadze after leading protests to oust him from power,
praised Kocharian as an “ideal partner” for Georgia.

The Georgian leader said Armenia could also help Georgia to normalize
its relations with Russia, which have been complicated by the
continued presence of Russian troops and Moscow’s support of
separatist regions. On Friday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry harshly
warned Georgia against trying to rein in the independent-minded region
of Adzharia, whose leader has maintained close ties with Russia.

Kocharian expressed support for new railroad lines to be built from
Russia through the Georgia’s separatist Abkhazia region, which would
also link Armenia to Russia.