Author: Jagharian Tania

ARMENPRESS

COMMISSION SET UP TO ORGANIZE FUNERAL OF ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER

YEREVAN, MARCH 25, ARMENPRESS: Armenian President
Robert Kocharian has assigned today to set up a
commission which will organize the funerals of the
Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margarian.
Presidential press service told Armenpress that the
commission consists of Armenian NA Speaker Tigran
Torosian, Armenian Territorial Governance Minister
Hovik Abrahamian, Armenian Defense Minister Serzh
Sargsian, Armenian Foreign Affairs Minister Vartan
Oskanian, Head of Staff of the Armenian president
Armen Gevorgian, Armenian Health Minister Norayr
Davidian, Armenian Finance and Economy Minister Vardan
Khachatrian, Armenian Culture and Youth Affairs
Minister Hasmik Poghosian, the Head of the Armenian
government’s staff Manuk Topuzian, Yerevan Mayor
Yervand Zakharian, Archbishop Navasard Ktchoyan, Chief
of the Police Hayk Harutyunian.
Today the first session of the commission took
place.

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
March 24 2007

Chairman of Federation Council of Russia to Discuss Format of
Caucasus Parliamentary Four

Russia, Moscow /corr. Trend R.Agayev/ The Chairman of the Federation
Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia, Sergey Mironov, said at
the press-conference that during his official visit to Azerbaijan on
25 March, he will meet with Azerbaijan’s President, Ilham Aliyev,
Prime Minister, Artur Rasizade, Chairman of the Parliament, Oktay
Asadov and other senior officials, Trend Special Correspondent
reports.

According to him, before his visit to Azerbaijan, he will visit
Turkey.

`It is a planned visit which has been delayed due to my working
schedule,’ Mironov said.

Mironov’s meeting with Asadov will focus on the continuation of
format of Caucasus Parliamentary Four. `In the near future, elections
will take in Armenia and we have agreed that possibly we, Speakers of
Parliaments of Russia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia, will meet in
Tbilisi in May. We will discuss all spectrums of bilateral relations
with special specification of our parliamentary relations,’ Mironov
said.

HAYK BABUKHANYAN IS SUED

A1+
[08:20 pm] 21 March, 2007

On March 21, a suit was brought against Hayk Babukhanyan, chairman
of Constitutional Right Union.

Babukhanyan is accused of humiliating Hrant Khachatryan’s dignity.

The point is that Hayk Babukhanyan called Hrant Khachatryan’s "the
RA authorities’ offspring".

To note, Hayk Babukhanyan is nominated in constituency 5. He says that
any criminal action against him is a political pursuit. He is convinced
that the accusation is connected with his political views and stance.

"They want to hinder my political campaign and international activity
on the eve of the upcoming elections", Mr. Babukhanyan says.

"I must be grateful that I am not accused of organizing coup d’etat
like was the case with Zhirayr Sefilyan", says the chairman of CRU.

Hayk Babukhanyan is also accused of shattering the state and political
systems and putting Armenia’s international fame into jeopardy.

MOSCOW HOPES U.S. WILL LISTEN TO ARGUMENT AGAINST MISSILE SHIELD

RIA Novosti
13:52|21/ 03/ 2007

MOSCOW, March 21 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s foreign minister said Moscow
hoped the United States would listen to its appeal against Washington’s
plans to deploy a missile shield in Central Europe and the Caucasus.

The U.S. said in January it would place elements of its missile defense
system in the Czech Republic and Poland to counter possible attacks
from Iran or North Korea. Moscow has strongly criticized the move,
saying it threatened Russia’s security.

"We have specific proposals on how to ensure security in the region,"
Sergei Lavrov told Russian lawmakers. "Deploying the missile shield
to cover the Caucasus, Ukraine and other countries bordering on Russia
contradicts Russia’s approach to security."

Washington also said March 1 that it would place other elements of
its missile defense in the South Caucasus but did not specify which
of the three former Soviet countries it would choose – Armenia,
Azerbaijan or Georgia, with the latter being anxious to join NATO.

Lavrov called for a collective discussion of the issue, and accused
the U.S. of using a Cold War approach by uniting other countries
against the common "Soviet threat".

"We are facing a common threat now, but there is no more U.S.S.R.,
and it is unclear why the risk of Iran’s possible missile launches
must be countered with the missile shield," Lavrov said, adding that
Russian experts would like to meet with their American counterparts
over the issue.

The minister said security could be provided in a different way that
would not jeopardize Russia’s security, which has long been concerned
about the opening of NATO bases in former Communist-bloc countries
and ex-Soviet republics.

Lavrov said the U.S. would hopefully take into consideration the
opinion of some European countries opposed to the plans. Calls have
been made in Europe, including from Germany, for discussion on the
missile shield issue in the organizations where Poland and the Czech
Republic are members – NATO and the European Union.

The Russian minister also called on Ukrainian leaders, who have
been eager to join the discussion on the missile shield plans,
to respect the opinion of their people. Ukraine has recently been
seeking integration in NATO and the EU.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of State said Ukraine was one
of the countries with whom Washington was cooperating on the missile
shield, but people in the former Soviet nation, particularly in the
pro-Russian east of the country, have opposed any involvement.

"We believe the leadership of any country should take into account
the opinion of its people," Lavrov said.

Ukraine’s parliamentary speaker, Oleksandr Moroz, has said no missile
shield elements would be placed on Ukrainian territory.

Ukraine’s prime minister, Viktor Yanukovych, said Monday the issue
must be addressed at the negotiating table, adding that even NATO
member states had not reached a consensus on the matter.

"We are also ready to sit down at the negotiating table, and we do
have something to offer. We have space tracking systems positioned
on Ukrainian soil, which, incidentally are being used jointly with
Russia," he said.

Later Wednesday, Ukraine’s parliament will hear reports by the Defense
Ministry and Foreign Ministry about possible deployment of the missile
defense systems on Ukrainian soil. The government report was initiated
by the parliamentary faction of the Communist Party.

ARMENIA WILLING TO EXPAND TIES WITH IRAN

IranMania News, Iran
March 20 2007

LONDON, March 20 (IranMania) – Armenian President Robert Kocharyan
said that Armenia is determined to expand its relations with Iran
and that it considers such ties as long-term, IRNA reported.

According to a report released by the Presidential Office Media
Department, the statement was made during his talks with President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at Nordouz border area on the sidelines of the
inaugural ceremony of Iran-Armenia gas pipeline.

Turning to his country’s requirement of energy resources, the Armenian
president called for cooperation with Iran in this regard.

"Armenia is willing to use Iran’s experience in various fields,
including establishment of refinery and power plant, connection of the
railway networks of the two countries and cooperation on development
of the infrastructures of Armenia’s telecommunication," he added.

He appreciated the quick implementation of the mutually signed
agreements and contracts, he said that this provides a highly favorable
ground for further expansion of relations.

"The good will of our Iranian partner, in particular that of President
Ahmadinejad, plays a decisive role in bolstering bilateral relations,"
concluded the Armenian president.

KOCHARYAN: IRAN-ARMENIA PIPELINE A NEW STAGE IN BILATERAL RELATIONS

Regnum, Russia
March 19 2007

The Iran-Armenia natural gas pipeline brings the relationship between
the two countries to a new level, a REGNUM correspondent reports
quoting President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan to say today, March 19,
at an opening ceremony of the pipeline. Kocharyan called the ceremony
attended by President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a memorable one.

The Armenia’s president reminded that 15 years ago, when Armenia
declared her independence, only barbed wire could be seen at the
Armenian-Iranian border, a Soviet-times legacy. "Today, we cooperate
in a number of directions, particularly, in the fields of energy,
transport, and industry. We built a bridge over the Araks River,
through which only in 2006, 600 tons of cargo were shipped," Kocharyan
informed.

Kocharyan also reminded of an agreement of Megri hydro power
plant construction and negotiations over construction of the third
high-voltage power line connecting the two countries. He described
relationship between Iran and Armenia as an active political dialog
– largely owing to the work of the intergovernmental commission. In
Kocharyan’s words, it is the Commission’s work that makes possible a
deeper understanding between the countries. "We attempt to bring to
life economic projects designed to develop economic cooperation,"
adding that the sides avoid steps that could be interpreted as a
threat to mutual security.

President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that Iran has no problems in
its relationship with Armenia. He said that projects implemented in a
number of fields are meant to strengthen friendly relations between
the two countries. Ahmadinejad informed that during his meeting
with Robert Kocharyan, both previously discussed and new ideas were
discussed, and new cooperation agreements in the fields of energy,
natural gas and oil development, as well as water resources, were
reached. According to the president of Iran, realization of these
agreements will make the bilateral relations stronger. He assessed
his short visit to Armenia as a highly productive one.

EU SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE: AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA SHOULD INTENSIFY CO-OPERATION WITH PUBLIC

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
March 19 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend corr A. Ismaylova / Peter Semneby, the EU
Special Representative in the South Caucasus, urged that Azerbaijan
and Armenia should intensify their co-operation with the public in
order to sign a peace agreement.

Semneby believes both Azerbaijan and Armenia could exert more effort.

The issue has not been given enough attention to date.

Semneby expressed his hope that the peace agreement will be signed
as soon as possible. He was commenting on the statement of Goran
Lenmarker, the President of the UN Parliamentary Assembly, on the
possibility of the peace agreement on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
being settled after the presidential elections in Armenia.

"Some two decades have past since the conflict and it is high time
for the parties to sign the peace agreement. We hope that on the basis
of the last meeting of the presidents of the two countries in Minsk,
the settlement can be achieved," he noted.

PanArmenian News Network, Armenia
March 19 2007

Shahan Kandaharian:
Armenian people to benefit from dual citizenship

The Near East has always been the center of the Armenian Diaspora.
Armenians who survived the Genocide in 1915 found shelter here. The
Armenian community of Lebanon is one of the oldest and weighty ones
throughout the Diaspora. Shahan Kandaharian, the Editor-in-Chief of
Azdak Beirut-based newspaper, comments to PanARMENIAN.Net on the life
of the community and situation in Lebanon.
19.03.2007 GMT+04:00

The law on dual citizenship has been recently adopted in Armenia.
What’s the attitude of the Diaspora about it?

The debates on the law on dual citizenship were focused in the
`classic’ Armenian Diaspora residing in the Near East, specifically
in Lebanon. As a matter of fact, this document is of utmost
importance for Armenians who were deprived of homeland. The law will
restore historical justice and a proper approach to the Diaspora. The
former authorities prohibited dual citizenship over political
reasons. Nowadays, the Armenianhood being dispersed throughout the
globe has been offered a new outlook. We will join our efforts and
the Diaspora will possess a document proving its existence at the
international level. We, the people living beyond our fatherland,
will know that our children will be citizens of Armenia. However, the
discussion develops in two directions. First, you shouldn’t forget
that many people left Armenia during the recent years and adoption of
the law will help them to restore or maintain Armenian citizenship.
Second, the issue also needs consideration from the viewpoint of the
European Neighborhood Policy. Armenia is integrating into European
structures and the law must meet European standards. I suppose,
neither of the EU member states bans dual citizenship. Thus,
proceeding from the interests of the nation and the state, I am
convinced that we all will benefit from the adoption of the law.

How would you comment on the role of the Diasporan press?

The activities of the Diasporan press have always been targeted at
maintenance of nation and language. However, there are some urgent
problems that need to be spoken about. It’s not a secret that press
is experiences hard times. New alternative media structures fill in
the information space with comments and reviews. Furthermore, the
number of readers decreases. Under the circumstances the mission of
the Armenian press should be changed. With the help of electronic
media information is quick to reach the audience. Three Armenian
dailies are issued in Lebanon. These are Azdak (ARF Dashnaktsutyun),
Zartonk (Ramkavar-Azatakan party) and Ararat (Hnchakyan party). When
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Lebanon we
published a joint number dedicated to the Armenian Genocide. We also
protested the presence of Turkish peacekeepers in Lebanon.

The war in Lebanon is over but the country is far from living in
peace. Comment, please, on the life of the Armenian community of
Beirut and other Armenian-inhabited towns.

When speaking of the Armenian community of Lebanon I should first of
all refer to the post war situation and international political
crisis. Although the Armenian population was safe, the deep political
crisis, the strike of the opposition and absence of dialogue between
the government and opposition arouse concern. The community, like the
other people, experiences hard economic circumstances. However, we
are accustomed to hardships, During 17 years of civil war our people
were among those who laid down their lives in struggle, but were are
strong enough to recover. The Armenian community of Lebanon is
special. The Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, the
Armenian Evangelical Church, numerous Diasporan centers and head
offices of Diasporan organizations are situated in this country.
Despite difficulties and losses the community is firm. Beirut is the
capital of the Armenian Diaspora, we say.

Would you describe the current situation in Lebanon, please?

The current situation is complex and unstable. The authorities are in
severe confrontation with the opposition. Muslims shiites refused to
join the coalition government. The Armenian political parties
sometimes disagree on the Lebanese problems as well, but,
traditionally, Armenian organizations are wise enough to distinguish
Lebanese problems from Armenian national problems and reach a common
ground on the issues, especially if the matter concern security of
the community.

«PanARMENIAN.Net», 19.03.2007

Orhan Pamuk to be back in Turkey in April

ArmRadio.am
19.03.2007 14:26

According an interview to French journalist Tristan Mendes-France
published on the website , Professor Ahmet Insel
from Galatassaray University and literary editor of Orhan Pamuk said
the latter would be back in Turkey in April after a visit to Paris,
French journalist Jean Eckian informs.

Winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature will publish his new
novel in autumn 2007.

Fars News Agency, Iran
March 18 2007

Iran and Armenia to Open Gas Link Monday

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iran and Armenia will inaugurate a new gas
pipeline between the two neighbors tomorrow.

The move is part of Tehran’s strategy to add new export markets.

Iran plans to deliver 1.1 billion cubic meters of natural gas to
Armenia this year through the pipeline, the volume rising to 1.5
billion in 2013 and 2.3 billion in 2026, Reuters quoted the website
of Iran’s oil ministry as saying on Saturday.

The deal was initially approved by Iran and Armenia over a decade ago
but was not finalized until 2004 because the issue of financing the
$200 million pipeline to Armenia was stalled.

Armenia’s gas and power markets are dominated by Russian firms.

Armenia is due to pay for the gas by exporting electricity to Iran.

Iran has the world’s second largest gas reserves after Russia.

"It is expected that in 20 years a total amount of 36 billion cubic
meters of natural gas will be exported to Armenia and it is possible
that this amount reaches 47 billion cubic meters," the ministry’s
website said.

The 141-kilometre long pipeline cost $210-$220 million to build, it
said, adding Armenia contributed $120 million. The two countries’
presidents will attend tomorrow’s ceremony at the border.

Iran exports only modest volumes of gas, mainly to neighboring
Turkey, but it will soon start exporting large volumes to Pakistan
and India via a pipeline between the three countries also known as
IPI ‘Peace Pipeline’.