Author: Nahapetian Boris

Trend, Azerbaijan
May 8 2010

Azerbaijani FM: OSCE Minsk group must achieve Armenia’s consent with
updated Madrid principles
08.05.2010 13:46
Azerbaijan, Baku, May 8 / Trend E. Tariverdiyeva /

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov does not plan to meet
with the OSCE Minsk group co-chairmen in Brussels May 11-12, the
Foreign Ministry spokesman Elkhan Polukhov told Trend.

"At this stage, co-chairmen of the Minsk Group must work more with the
Armenian side, since, as opposed to official Baku, Yerevan has not
expressed its attitude to the updated Madrid principles," Polukhov
said.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian met with the OSCE Minsk
group co-chairmen in Brussels, the foreign ministry told
"News-Armenia" agency.

At the meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents Ilham Aliyev and
Serzh Sargsyan in January in Sochi, the OSCE Minsk Group presented the
parties an updated version of the Madrid document, which is the basis
for negotiations.

Official Baku, adopting the Madrid principles, has not yet received
the information from the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen on Yerevan’s
position on an updated version of the Madrid principles proposed by
the mediators to Armenia.

Polukhov said that the next step in the process of negotiations on
Nagorno-Karabakh must be a way to reach a comprehensive agreement to
resolve the conflict.

"So, the Armenian side must express its attitude to updated Madrid
principles", Polukhov said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994.

The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the
occupied territories.

AZERBAIJANI MP: TALKS SHOULD BE HELD WITH THOSE WHO STAND BEHIND ARMENIA

Today
7455.html
May 7 2010
Azerbaijan

"Armenia will be slow to voice its attitude to the updated Madrid
principles unless it is exerted pressure," member of the Azerbaijan’s
Milli Majlis (Parliament) Nizami Jafarov said.

"Armenia’s delaying response to the updated Madrid principles is
understandable. This shows that Armenia is more interested in peace
talks than in real results. Nevertheless, Azerbaijan should continue
the peace process," the MP added.

Since talks with Armenia have stalled, the talks should be held with
those who stand behind the country. We need also to cooperate closely
with international organizations and states like the United States,
Russia and France."

"Yerevan lacks internal resource based on which it can push its
position on Karabakh. Itwill not hurry to resolve the conflict unless
Washington and Moscow exert pressure on it. So, we need to work more
with the world’s centers of power," the MP noted.

BANANTS AND PYUNIK WIN BY HIGH SCORE

Tert.am
10:47 06.05.10

Armenian football teams Banants and Shirak competed in Vazgen Sargsyan
Republican Stadium on May 5. Banants defeated Shirak at a 5:1 score,
reports local Armenian news website Armsport.

Among the Banants players scoring goals were Du Bala, Sargis
Karapetyan, Walter Poghosyan, Samvel Melkonyan, Norayr Gyozalyan and
Mkrtich Nalbandyan from Shirak.

On the same day another match took place between other Armenian
football teams Kilikia and Pyunik in Hrazdan stadium. Pyunik won the
match by 3:0.

The three goals were scored by Marcos Pizzeli, Karlen Lazarian,
Vahagn Minasyan.

"ARMENIA DEMANDED TWO WEEKS, SEVERAL MONTHS PASSED, BUT NO REACTION YET," SAYS BAKU

Tert.am
05.05.10

"Araz Azimov’s ideas comprehensively clarify certain issues that
are on the negotiation table. The deputy minister raised the issues
negotiated there", said Novruz Mammadov, Chief of International
Relations Department of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan,
APA reports.

Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Araz Azimov said Armenia had
demanded time for withdrawal from Lachin and Kelbajar.

Mammadov said these proposals were elaborated by the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairs.

"From this point of view, indeed Armenia demanded time not only
for withdrawal from these two regions, but for other issues raised
by Araz Azimov. Armenia demanded two weeks, several months passed,
but there is no reaction yet," said Mammadov.

At the same time he said that the co-chairs were working on that and
keeping in touch with the sides.

"May be we will be informed about the positions of the sides soon. The
raised issue is the most correct way for solution to the conflict.

There is no other solution. Armenia must understand it very well. This
is an opportunity for the international community and for the leaders
of the co-chair countries. It needs to pressure on Armenia and to
try to solve the problem."

Asked "can the war be unavoidable by the end of the year," Mammadov
said: "It is difficult to forecast the war, but we are always ready
to liberate our lands by all means."

Mammadov said the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs were working in Vienna
on the issues raised by Araz Azimov. "They have to force Armenia to
accept the project elaborated by them."

ARMENIA TO BE PRESENTED BY 9 WEIGHTLIFTERS AT EUROPEAN YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 5, 2010 – 17:54 AMT 12:54 GMT

At the championship, Armenia will be represented by 9 sportsmen: woman
weightlifter Isabella Yalyan (53kg weight category); European Adult
Championship silver medalist Smbat Markaryan (56kg weight category),
Vardan Militosyan and Vladik Karapetyan (62kg weight category), Raffi
Melikyan and Aren Nersesyan (77kg weight category), Azat Sayadyan
(85kg weight category), Hamlet Pogosyan (94kg weight category),
Misha Muradyan and Gor Minasyan (+105kg weight category).

A1+ VA ESSAYER UNE DIFFUSION SUR INTERNET
Stephane

armenews
5 mai 2010
ARMENIE

La principale station de television independante d’Armenie projette
de reprendre ses emissions par internet plus de huit ans après avoir
ete de facon controversee interdite par les autorites.

Mesrop Movsesian, le proprietaire et le directeur de la chaîne
A1 + a dit mardi que les armeniens seront capables d’observer ses
nouvelles et d’autres programmes vivants sur internet vers la fin de
la prochaine semaine.

" Nous avons depuis longtemps considere le lancement une diffusion
par internet " a-t-il dit au service armenien de RFE/RL. " Mais la
pauvre performance des fournisseurs d’accès a Internet ne nous a pas
permis de le faire. Maintenant chacun a fait un pas en avant et nous
voulons essayer cette option. "

Movsesian a mentionne l’amelioration de la qualite et la chute du
coût de connexion a internet en Armenie. C’est largement attribue a
l’abolition en 2006 du monopole legal de la societe ArmenTel a toutes
les formes de telecommunication. La connexion a internet dans le pays
etait lente et chère jusque-la.

La fin du monopole ArmenTel a engendre la presence de quelques nouveaux
et plus grands fournisseurs de service et a significativement lance
la competition sur le marche local d’internet. Le nombre d’armeniens
connectes a internet a brusquement augmente en consequence.

Les experts en technologie de l’information estiment que jusqu’a
un-cinquième de la population du pays a maintenant un accès regulier
au service. Cependant, la connexion a internet pour beaucoup d’entre
eux n’est pas suffisante pour l’observation de programmes de TV et
autre contenu video.

ArmenTel se vantent d’environ 40000 abonnes a present. " Environ 70
pour cent d’entre eux sont capables d’observer des clips video sur
YouTube et d’autres sites web sans interruptions " a declare une
porte-parole de la societe, Anush Begloyan a RFE/RL.

Anush Begloyan n’a pas pu dire combien d’armeniens seront capables
d’observer les programmes d’A1 + en ligne. " Tout depend de combien
de clients sont prets a payer pour le service internet ultra-rapide
" a-t-elle explique.

Movsesian, pour sa part, etait confiant que les emissions sur
internet attireront plus de visiteurs sur le site d’A1 + que sur
le site populaire de nouvelles A1Plus.am. Des milliers de gens le
visitent deja sur une base quotidienne, a-t-il dit. A1 + a pendant
des annees poste des videos la-bas.

La chaîne de TV a perdu sa frequence de diffusion en avril 2002. La
Commission Nationale de Television et de Radio (HRAH), un corps
presidentiellement au rôle de regulateur, a donne la licence a un
autre journaliste loyal envers le gouvernement.

A1 +, appuyee par des ONG locales et internationales, a denonce
la decision comme un châtiment du gouvernement pour sa critique du
president Robert Kocharian. Elle a depuis essaye sans succès de gagner
une autre frequence dans plus d’une douzaine d’offres administrees
par l’HRAH.

La commission pretend que ces offres etaient objectives et vraiment
ouvertes. Pratiquement toutes les chaînes de e TV qui les ont gagnes
critiquent rarement les autorites et le president de la republique
en particulier.

La commission projette de reprendre en juillet les offres de nouvelles
frequences qui ont ete suspendus par le gouvernement armenien et
le Parlement en 2008. Movsesian a dit au debut du mois qu’A1 + se
prepare deja a participer a l’appel d’offre.

THE CONFLICTS OF THE CAUCASUS ARE OFTEN DIRECTED BY OTHER FORCES

Aysor
May 4 2010
Armenia

The big countries in the South Caucasus realize false peace keeping
activities as a result of which the problems existing in the region
are not being solved, thinks director of South Caucasus Institute
for Regional Security of Georgia Alexander Rusetsky.

On the meeting with the Armenian journalists in Yerevan he said he
thinks that on sidelines of the normalization of the South Caucasus
conflicts the big countries very often lead imitational peace keeping
mediation.

"Very often in the process of the conflict normalization are not
included its main sides, and their destiny is directed by other
sides," he mentioned, adding that the conflicts that exist in the
region have a very big format and many centers appear as its direct
or indirect sides.

According to the speaker, the frequent South Caucasian conflicts are
accepted by the international community as ethnic or political.

However they also have economic, psychological and geopolitical
particle.

"Such kinds of approaches bring to wrong diagnoses, which is a
problem not only for our region but also for the whole international
community," the politician mentioned.

Alexander Rusetsky thinks that for the solution of the South Caucasian
conflicts the criteria of the assessment of the region should be
changed.

KOCHARYAN ESTABLISHING HIMSELF THROUGH KILLING?

A1Plus.am
04/05/10

President of the "Association for Sustainable Human Development",
member of the Public Council Karine Danielyan disapproves of Robert
Kocharyan’s photos taken after a lion hunt.

In an interview with "A1+", Danielyan recalled that local environmental
protectionists had caused uproar after Robert Kocharyan went hunting
in a helicopter in the Republic of Kom years ago.

"What do we expect, if men feel strong to this day, are able to hunt
from a helicopter and are still thinking about royal hunting? He
thinks highly of himself and has to establish himself by killing
animals. We are dealing with the mindset of age-old people. That
mentality is gone. It is a shame for it to be reinforced in Armenia.

There should be political will to consider it a shame and not a mark
of royal elite," said Danielyan.

Director of the World Nature Foundation Armenia Office Karen Manvelyan
considers Robert Kocharyan’s "lion hunt" photos to be normal because,
according to him, similar hunts are often organized in African
countries. He took note that hunters pay for hunting and some of that
money goes to the conservation and reproduction of that same type.

"This is applied in any developed country. It’s just that the concept
of hunting economy, the idea and the culture in general don’t exist
in Armenia yet," said Karen Manvelyan, noting that he is unaware of
how much money is spent for such hunting. "Every national hunting
economy may have its own price list."

Do you know other current or former presidents who hunt, besides
Robert Kocharyan? In response, Karen Manvelyan said:

"I know many presidents. Russia’s current and former presidents hunt."

Manvelyan wasn’t able to say why their photos are not posted on
"hunting" websites.

Let us remind that photos of Robert Kocharyan’s hunt were posted on
and were removed after publications in
the presses.

KAREKIN II DID NOT ATTEND ALLEY OF SHAHIDS

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 3, 2010 – 13:15 AMT 08:15 GMT

Azeri media reports saying that "Catholicos of All Armenians, His
Holiness Karekin II attended the Alley of Shahids in Baku" are false.

Holy Etchmiadzin has already requested the Clerical Office of Caucasus
Muslims to publish a disclaimer.

According to the reports, Chairman of the Clerical Office of Caucasus
Muslims Sheikhulislam Allahshukur Pashazade allegedly told ANS that
His Holiness Karekin II, who arrived in Baku for the World Summit of
Religious Leaders, attended the Alley of Shahids.

"I advised the Catholicos of All Armenians to see the graves of our
sons who died in Karabakh war. They went there at night and were
affected by the scene," Pashazade was quoted as saying.

POLICE DEPARTMENT DEATH: SENIOR OFFICER CHARGED WITH NEGLIGENCE
Gayane Abrahamyan

ArmeniaNow reporter
30.04.10 | 14:35

Suicide or murder?: Death controversy in the police department

A top-ranking police investigator has been charged in connection with
the suspicious and controversial death of suspect Vahan Khalafyan
who died in police custody in Charentsavan April 13.

According to Special Investigation Services, Ashot Harutyunyan, Head
of the Criminal Investigative Department of Charentsavan (about 40
kilometers north of Yerevan), is guilty of negligence in his role in
the 24-year-old’s death – a charge that could result in 6-10 years
imprisonment.

The investigation says Harutyunyan "applied violence, leading to
serious consequence". It also charges that Harutyunyan coerced
Khalafyan into confessing to theft.

Until now, police have maintained that Khalafyan killed himself with
a kitchen knife – stabbing himself twice in the abdomen while being
interrogated.

State Chief of Police Alik Sargsyan initially stated that Khalafyan
was questioned calmly, and that no violence was committed against him.

"No one laid a finger on him," Sargsyan assured.

Harutyunyan was detained according to violation of Criminal Code
engaging in "actions willfully committed by an official which obviously
exceeded his authorities, which negligently caused grave consequences
. . ."

The State Special Investigation Service also revealed that "several
employees of the police department witnessed violence committed
against Khalafyan."

In early this week, the International Federation of Human Rights
(FIDH), and Human Rights Watch international organization made a
statement on the case and Ombudsman of Armenia Armen Harutyunyan
appealed to investigate the case properly.

"This is not the first case when people go to the Police Department
and are taken out dead. . . . Some measure should be finally taken,"
the Ombudsman says.