Author: Kamalian Hagop

CSTO RUBEZH 2008 COMMAND POST EXERCISE BEGINS IN ARMENIA

Interfax News Agency
July 22 2008
Russia

During the Rubezh 2008 joint command post exercise, which begins
in Armenia on Tuesday, command units will practice their skills in
performing tasks as a regional grouping of troops, General Secretary
of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Nikolai Bordyuzha
told Interfax.

The exercise will be held in four stages in July-August.

"This year Armenia took the baton from Central Asian countries of
the collective security region and jointly with the Russian Defense
Ministry has prepared and is holding a joint command post exercise
called Rubezh 2008," Bordyuzha said.

Such drills play the key role in the CSTO system of operational and
combat training of command units and troops, he said.

TURKISH PRESIDENT TO VISIT RUINS OF ANI

NOYAN TAPAN
JULY 22

Turkish President Abdullah Gul is going to visit the ruins of Ani on
Armenian-Turkish border.

According to the Zaman newspaper, Gul will leave for Kars on a two-day
visit on July 23, during which he will visit the ruins of Ani.

On July 24, Abdullah Gul together with Georgian and Azeri Presidents
Mikhail Saakashvili and Ilham Aliyev will take part in the ceremony
of laying the foundation of Turkish part of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
railway.

The Zaman newspaper mentioned that Abdullah Gul’s visit takes place in
a period when warm messages are exchanged between Turkey and Armenia,
and this can be perceived as a message to Yerevan.

YEREVAN INTENDS TO DEEPEN RELATIONS WITH MOSCOW – PRESIDENT

Interfax News Agency
July 21 2008
Russia

Yerevan wishes to establish closer relations with Russia, Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan told a Monday press conference in Yerevan."We
have the best relations possible," he said. "Certain opponents,
which indicate certain problems, have the best intentions. They wish
further improvement of our relations," he added.

"We wish to deepen relations with Russia even more. I am certain
that the planned Yerevan visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
Enhanced Coverage LinkingDmitry Medvedev -Search using: Biographies
Plus News News, Most Recent 60 Days will build up bilateral relations,"
Sargsyan said.

We have not only a good past and present, but I am also aware of a
brilliant future. We have close positions on many issues: this makes
Armenian-Russian cooperation in international structures much easier,
the president said.

Commenting on relations between Moscow and Baku, Sargsyan said: I see
no serious problem about the improvement of Azeri-Russian relations.

We cannot demand that our neighbors should not build relations with
the countries, which we do not have friendly ties with. However,
it is important that these relations do not develop at the expense
of Armenian- Russian relations, Sargsyan said speaking about recent
Medvedev’s visit to Baku.

Commenting on the fact that Medvedev recognized Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity, the Armenian president noted: No president
of any country can fail to recognize the territorial integrity of
another country, just as he cannot fail to recognize the principle
of nation’s right to self-determination.

Sargsyan also said that Armenia does not fear growing military
expenditures in Azerbaijan.

Our response is as follows: until a peace agreement is signed, at least
two officials – the president and the defense minister – should think
that a war can break out the next day, the Armenian president said.

Sargsyan at the same time noted that there still exist ways of peaceful
Nagorno-Karabakh settlement. I had an impression after a meeting
with Azeri President Ilkham Aliyev that peaceful means to resolve the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have yet to exhaust themselves. I have an
impression Aliyev is ready to continue the talks. I am also certain
that peaceful resolution of the problem can be secured through talks,
Sargsyan said.

Commenting on criticism against the OSCE Minsk Group activity, he
said: Until Azerbaijan criticizes the activity of the Minsk Group,
we can be calm. This is a small trick of the Azeri side, which wants
the chairmen of the Minsk Group to either soften their position or
satisfy Azerbaijan’s demands, Sargsyan said.

However, this does not promote the peaceful settlement process,
he said.

Armenia is ready to continue the talks and thinks that the format of
the OSCE Minsk Group can lead to a success, Sargsyan said.

PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH; RESEARCHERS AT YEREVAN STATE UNIVERSITY RELEASE NEW DATA ON PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH

Drug Law Weekly
July 22, 2008

According to recent research published in the International Journal
of Pharmaceutics, "The effect of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and its
nearest homologue diethyl sulfoxide (DESO) as a polar cosolvents on
the binding of vitamin E to water+ DMSO (DESO) containing reversed
micelles of sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulf6succinate (AOT) has been
investigated by a spectrophotometric method."

"The results suggest that compare with water without organic
cosolvent-containing reversed micelles in this case an increase of
binding constant of vitamin E in reversed micelles takes place,"
wrote S.A. Markarian and colleagues, Yerevan State University (see
also Pharmaceutical Research).

The researchers concluded: "The results obtained shown that with
the addition of DMSO and DESO it will be possible to monitoring a
penetration of vitamin E into micellar core."

Markarian and colleagues published their study in International
Journal of Pharmaceutics (The spectrophotometric study of the binding
of vitamin E to water plus dimethyl sulfoxide and water plus diethyl
sulfoxide containing reversed micelles. International Journal of
Pharmaceutics, 2008;353(1-2):52-55).

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
July 19 2008

Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict to be Discussed in Moscow: Russian
Co-Chairman of OSCE Minsk Group
19.07.08 11:20

Azerbaijan, Baku, 18 July/ TrendNews, corr R. Novruzov/ The peaceful
resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict is expected to be
discussed next week in Moscow.

`The mediators of OSCE Minsk Group will meet with Foreign Ministers of
Azerbaijan and Armenia ` Elmar Mammadyarov and Edward Nalbandyan,’
Yuri Merzlyakov, the Russian co-chairman of OSCE Minsk Group said to
TrendNews on 18 July. Both ministers have given consent to this
meeting, but the date and format of the meeting is to be defined yet,’
the Russian mediator said by telephone from Moscow.

The talks will be held on the basis of Madrid principles of resolution
of the conflict. In November 2007, co-chairmen of OSCE Minsk Group
presented basic principles of the peaceful resolution of
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to the presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan. The co-chairmen believe that the ` Madrid proposals’ are
fair and balanced.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began in
1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since
1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. In
1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which
time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group ( Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful
negotiations.

Khazar Ibrahim, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan also
did not also rule the possibility of holding talks in Moscow.

"WHO IS A REAL PRESIDENT?"

A1+
18 July, 2008

The Committee for the Protection of Political Prisoners will henceforth
attend all events organised by the political prisoners’ wives.

Today they staged a protest action near the RoA General Prosecutor’s
Office. They called for an urgent release of the detainees. The
protesters lodged a written and oral request to Prosecutor General
Aghvan Hovsepian.

Then they held a spontaneous march to the RoA Government with the
posters and photos of the political prisoners. A protester mounted
the steps of the Government building and shouted: "Who is a genuine
president?"

"Levon, president!" chanted the presentees.

Republican MP Armen Ashotian was near the building at that moment.

"I want you to realise that I am insulted to the bottom of my heart
as we have an illiterate president like Serzh Sarkissian who hardly
speaks Armenian. I am an honoured pedagogue. I have taught the Armenian
Language and Literature for fifty years. I can assure you that any
of my pupils is more literate than Serzh Sarkissian. You must help
us to get rid of Serzh Sarkissian," member of the Popular Movement
Clara Khachikovna said to Ashotian.

Meanwhile, the protesters demanded Serzh Sarkissian’s resignation on
the hundredth day of his office.

Afterwards they directed to Northern Avenue to greet the sit-down
strikers.

Today’s action was attended by political prisoner David Aghayan’s
wife and his little son. David Aghayan is Armenian writer Ghazaros
Aghayan’s grandson. He was among the first people who had gone on
a hunger-strike at Liberty Square on February 19 to restore their
violated right to vote.

David Aghayan’s wife informed A1+ that her spouse had been kidnapped
three months before, during the trial of Commander of a Masis Battalion
Husik Baghdasarian.

"During the trial David went out to the corridor to smoke and was
immediately arrested. He was charged under Articles 225 and 316 at
a time," she said.

David Aghayan’s wife is determined to attend all protest actions
until all political prisoners are freed.

The protesters were welcomed with loud music and national
dances. Today’s march was headed by Narek Hovakimian who has recently
been recently beaten.

ARMENIAN REGULATOR OPTIMISTIC ABOUT EMERGENCE OF COMPETITION IN FIXED-LINE SPHERE
Michael Lacquiere

World Markets Research Centre
Global Insight
July 18, 2008

Armenia’s Public Services Regulatory Commission chairman, Robert
Nazaryan, has indicated that he expects competition in the fixed-line
sector to emerge soon, reports ARKA. Armentel’s monopoly officially
ended in October 2007, although the operator remains a de facto
monopolist in the sector (seeArmenia: 3 October 2007:). However,
Nazaryan has pointed to thede jureremoval of Armentel’s monopoly,
as well as efforts by the Commission to institute new regulations
and rulings to ease the route of operators into the sector. He also
added that some companies have already begun construction of their
own fibre-optic networks.

Significance: Global Insight estimates that at the end of 2007,
fixed-line penetration in Armenia was around 19.8%, with 629,300
subscribers, following annual growth of around 3.4%. This compares to
the mobile sector, in which penetration rose to 57.4% in 2007 following
annual growth of 53.3%. Mobile uptake has been buoyed by the presence
of competition, with K-Telecom ahead of Armentel in the subscriber
market and a third GSM licence due to be awarded before the end of the
year. Despite the current disparity between the sectors, Nazaryan has
expressed his hope that the level of fixed-line competition may be
similar to that in the mobile sector "in the near future". However,
international trends suggest that this is unlikely.

A DIFFERENT APPROACH?

Zaman Online
July 18 2008
Turkey

What a difference a few days can make! The closure of the ruling
Justice and Developmetn Party (AKP) was widely seen as a foregone
conclusion, but a subtle change of atmosphere is now taking place,
largely due to the Ergenekon investigation. A more positive outcome
appears possible, particularly after the Constitutional Court
rapporteur advised against a ban on the party.

It is, however, much too early for Turkey to breathe a sigh of
relief. In the headscarf case, the Constitutional Court had ignored
its rapporteur’s opinion and opted for a harder line.In any case,
given the tensions of the past few months, the political situation
cannot be expected to return to its previous state, as if nothing had
happened, even if the AKP remains in power. In fact, if no change
resulted from the turmoil, Turkey would have missed an important
opportunity to strengthen its democratic framework.

The two court cases under way are causing wide controversy, but by
opening the very core of the Turkish system to debate they are also
making way for a major transformation. The inquiry into Ergenekon,
which is limited in scope, has so far only scratched the surface,
but as recent history is being re-examined, it is already creating
popular expectations for more openness, which political parties will be
challenged to meet.The Ergenekon investigation focuses on the recent
unlawful activities of a few dozen people, but as a result of the
inquiry, the entire ideological underpinning of the state is coming
under scrutiny. Members of underground "deep state" organizations took
to illegal extremes an authoritarian approach that, in its less radical
interpretation, still has wide currency across the political spectrum.

If, as the investigation suggests, the threat of Islamic fundamentalism
was deliberately exaggerated to create fear in the population, what
other issues were similarly exploited? The Susurluk investigation
of more than a decade ago had already alerted public opinion to
shadowy groups muddying the waters in the Southeast and elsewhere in
Turkey. Hundreds of unresolved murders in the early ’90s targeted
not Kurdish radicals who were advocating the use of violence,
but intellectuals and professionals who were advocating peaceful
dialogue, in the same way that Hrant Dink was trying to address the
Armenian issue.

Fear of a state backlash has often hindered reform, but it has also
provided a convenient shield for politicians to hide behind. During its
first mandate, the AKP had gone further than any previous government
in pushing forward a reformist agenda, but it has not entirely freed
itself from the politics of fear, as illustrated by its reluctance to
remove Article 301, which curbs freedom of expression, from the Turkish
Penal Code (TCK). Yet the recent Ergenekon revelations show that the
actions of self-declared defenders of the nation can in fact be far
more damaging than any public expression of dissent or criticism.

After the Constitutional Court issues its ruling on the case against
AKP, Turkey’s rulers will have to make it a priority to build
consensus and work with civil society on a comprehensive overhaul
of the Constitution. It is encouraging that initiatives such as the
Ortak Akil movement are already trying to bring different sections of
the society together to promote a more democratic framework, but it
is disappointing that no women figure on the list of intellectuals
backing the project. If Turkey is truly to build a more inclusive
political structure, it cannot ignore 50 percent of its population.

TER-PETROSSIAN WILL NOT ATTEND VANADZOR RALLY

A1+
16 July, 2008

Armenia’s first President Levon Ter-Petrossian will not participate in
a July 18 rally organised by the Helsinki Citizens Assembly-Vanadzor
Office (HCAV).

"The Vanadzor rally is not organised by the Popular Movement but if
we get an invitation, we shall probably attend it," said member of
the Popular Movement Levon Zurabian.

Zurabian is confident that the opposition’s next rally due in Yerevan
on August 1 will be large-scale. At present, they are concerned lest
the human right to free transportation is violated.

It is due to mention that all citizens who are banned entry to the
capital and participation in opposition rallies can restore their
constitutional right in court.

The authorities carry out a delicate policy. They threaten the
most vulnerable people who lack legal knowledge. They believe those
people will not struggle for their violated rights. Nevertheless,
Zurabian says there are people who are ready to struggle against
the lawbreakers.

Yesterday the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights
Thomas Hammarberg expressed his concern that the head of the Special
Investigation Service Andranik Mirzoyan had assigned the prosecutor
of Vayots Dzor to investigate the heads of Levon Ter-Petrossian’s
pre-election offices and his adherent. A1+ asked Levon Zurabian to
comment on Hammarberg’s statement.

"The document really gives rise to many concerns. It is typical of
a totalitarian country. Neither Shedrin nor Kafka could have thought
of such a document. The document unmasks the totalitarian regime and
the lowest level of moral and legal consciousness in our country."

As of Hammarberg’s observation that his meetings are not fully covered
by the Armenian media, Zurabian noted that the authorities got used
to distorting facts. "Obviously, it is the first time someone has
given a serious assessment to this falsehood. In reality, we take
the authorities false statements naturally as we deal with liars
and adulterators."

Yesterday Mr. Hammarberg said that corresponding experts will be
invited to the NA ad hoc Committee investigating the March 1 events
only in case they make sure of the Committee’s independence and
impartiality.

In this regard Zurabian said: "The Committee could be reliable if
it was formed on the principles proposed by the Popular Movement-if
the authorities and the opposition were given equal footing in the
Committee. Generally, respectable organizations provide experts only
in case they make certain of a committee’s independence. I am more
than convinced that in case the committee was formed on our advice
international experts would have arrived in Armenia."

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT TO INCREASE SUPPORT FOR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

ARKA
July 16

Armenia’s Government expects to increase considerably financial
support for the country’s healthcare system, RA Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan reported.

"Having discussed the mid-term expenditure program 2009-2011,
the Armenian Government suggested increasing financial support for
the healthcare system to improve the quality of medical services,"
Sargsyan said at today’s government discussions.

The RA Government plans to set up eight regional healthcare centers
in Armenia.

Sargsyan said the healthcare system is in the Government’s focus. To
offer high-quality medical services to population, the Government
allotted 46.9bln drams for the system last year (18.8% increase
compared to 2006).

Healthcare expenditures are expected to increase by 24.2% to 54.6bln
drams.

The Armenian Government has set targets for the healthcare program.

The Premier believes the program will be highly profitable for Armenia,
as the Government plans to attract both local and foreign investors.

Sargsyan was quoted as saying: "The main questions are whether it was
a right decision to choose eight sectors. Are they advantageous? Do our
knowledge and experience allow us to enter the international arena?"

The Prime Minister said the country can attract more investments if
it presents its advantages in a favorable light.

As part of t he healthcare program, the RA Government plans to
establish a regional oncologic center, regional rehabilitation center,
auricle implantation center, a regional register of marrow transplant
donors, center for cardiovascular surgery, infertility treatment
center and a rehabilitation- balneotherapy center in Jermuk.