Author: Nahapetian Lilit

ZHARANGUTIUN’S NEW BOARD ELECTED DURING ITS CONGRESS TO DECIDE ISSUE OF PARTY’S PARTICIPATION IN NA AD HOC COMMISSION’S WORK

NOYAN TAPAN

JU LY 11

The 5th congress of the Zharangutiun (Heritage) party took place
on July 11 at the RA government sitting hall. In his speech party
Chairman Raffi Hovannisian presented the past way of the party, the
strategy of its future activity, Armenia’s home political situation
and foreign political problems.

RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsian, Ombudsman Armen Haroutiunian,
Head of the People’s Movement Levon Ter-Petrosian and heads of parties
supporting the Movement, ARFD Bureau member Hrant Margarian took part
in the congress as guests.

The new party Board elected during the congress, according to R.

Hovannisian, will decide the issue of participation in the work of
the NA ad hoc commission on study of the March 1 events, as well as
in the Armenian National Congress.

RA OMBUDSMAN: IF NSS OF ARMENIA THINKS I HAVE NO PROBLEMS WITH MY PERSONAL SECURITY, I HAVE NOTHING TO ADD

ArmInfo
2008-07-11 14:03:00

‘If the National Security Service of Armenia thinks I have no
problems with my personal security, I have nothing to add’, RA
human rights defender (ombudsman) Armen Harutyunyan said at today’s
press-conference.

To recall, on July 7, 2008, RA ombudsman applied to Director of the
National Security Service of Armenia Gorik Hakopyan with written
request to provide him and his family members with 5 body-keepers
and 2 vehicles. In response, RA NSS spread a statement asking the
ombudsman to indicate the facts based on which he may be provided
with body-keepers and vehicles. ‘The Law says nothing about any facts
but it specifies my right to demand assurance of my security. No one
threatens me, simply, the Law gave me such a right and I tried to
avail myself of it. However, if the National Security Service thinks
that I have no problems with my security, I have nothing to add’, A.

Harutyunyan emphasized.

TURKISH COURT RESUMES TRIAL OF 19 ACCUSED IN 2007 KILLING OF ETHNIC ARMENIAN JOURNALIST

Associated Press Worldstream
July 7, 2008 Monday

A Turkish court resumed its trial of 19 people accused in the 2007
killing of an ethnic Armenian journalist.

The judge said one of the alleged masterminds had testified to warning
police of the plans to kill Hrant Dink a full 11 months before the
journalist was gunned down in front of his newspaper’s Istanbul office,
the state-run Anatolia news agency reported.

The January 2007 killing led to international condemnation, and
the trial is seen as a test of Turkey’s ability investigate and
punish possible negligence by authorities. Human rights activists
said evidence suggests police knew about plots to kill Dink but did
nothing to prevent it.

The Istanbul 14th Criminal Court judge said Monday that Erhan Tuncel
one of two defendants accused of masterminding the plot had said
under police questioning that he worked as a police informant for
two years before telling authorities of the plot, Anatolia reported.

It was not clear why Tuncel would have informed police about the plot
he is accused of masterminding.

Main suspect Ogun Samast is accused of pulling the trigger and
killing Dink.

Monday’s hearing was the first to be opened to the public. Previous
hearings have been held behind closed doors because Samast was a
minor. He turned 18 last month.

Trial was adjourned until Oct. 13.

Dink once prosecuted for calling the early 20th century mass killings
of Armenians by Turks a genocide had sought to encourage reconciliation
between Turkey and Armenia.

He was hated by nationalists, who deny the deaths constituted
genocide. Turkey also denies the label, saying the Armenians killed
during World War I had been victims of civil war and unrest.

CZECHIA, U.S. SIGN AGREEMENT ON MISSILE DEFENSE SHIELD

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.07.2008 18:49 GMT+04:00

The United States and the Czech Republic signed a treaty on Tuesday
allowing Washington to build part of a missile defense shield in the
central European NATO state.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Czech Foreign Minister Karel
Schwarzenberg signed the deal to build a radar station southwest
of Prague.

The agreement is awaiting ratification by the Czech parliament,
ITAR-TASS reported

"ARMENIA PUTTING OBSTACLES FOR PACE RAPPORTEUR’S VISIT TO SOUTH CAUCASUS" – PACE VICE-PRESIDENT

Trend News Agency
07.07.08 16:29
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 7 July / Trend News corr I.Alizade/ Azerbaijani
Parliament thinks Armenia is impeding the visit of Edward O’Hara,
PACE Rapporteur for South Caucasus’s Cultural Heritage.

" Azerbaijan is interested in visit of O’Hara and other similar
missions to the region. Due to the problems created by Armenia, the
visit did not take place," Vice-President of PACE, head of Azerbaijan’s
delegation to PACE Samad Seyidov said to journalists on 7 July.

Reporter on studying situation of the cultural heritage in the South
Caucasus of the PACE Committee for Culture, Science and Education was
appointed in 2005. The decision adopted in this regard says that the
reporter O’Hara is expected to visit Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia
soon. However, the visit did not take place for the last three years.

Azerbaijan stated that it is ready to provide conditions for
reporter’s visit. The official Baku believes that O’Hara should
visit Nagorno-Karabakh occupied by Armenia and study the situation of
the monuments of this region once he visits Azerbaijan. At the same
time, the reporter should study the situation of the old monuments of
Azerbaijan in the territory of Armenia. However, Armenia does not want
reporter to visit Nagorno-Karabakh beginning from the Azerbaijani
territory. Armenia claims that Azerbaijan has destroyed all old
‘Armenian monuments’ in the territory of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic
of Azerbaijan and wants the reporter to visit Nakhchivan. Azerbaijan
stated that it is ready to provide conditions for reporter’s visit
to Nakhchivan.

Last week O’Hara refused to visit region because of the political
difficulties he faced.

Seyidov said every visit, including PACE Rapporteur’s visit to the
region, must be paid within the norms of international law. "Everybody
must stick to the norms, including PACE Rapporteurs engaged in
protection of international rights. There must be no other variant,"
PACE Vice-President said.

As to O’Hara’s refusal to visit South Caucasus, Seyidov said that
mainly regards fulfilment of PACE Committee’s duties. Rapporteur’s
refusal does not mean PACE mission will not visit the region.

According to Seyidov, official Baku is ready to create conditions
for visiting Nagorno-Karabakh beginning from Azerbaijan.

OPPOSITION PARLIAMENTARIAN DOES NOT RULE OUT POSSIBILITY OF EXTRAORDINARY ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA

ArmInfo
2008-07-07 21:36:00

Leader of Opposition Party Heritage, parliamentarian Raffi Hovannisian
told media at Mirror Club that extraordinary elections in Armenia may
become inevitable. He believes that country needs considerable changes
and if the authorities fail to make these changes, the elections will
become necessary. It is the authorities that must decide if it will
be presidential or parliamentary elections, he said.

He welcomed the reforms in customs and revenue spheres. However, R.

Hovannisian is sure that isolated steps cannot lead to radical changes.

HYE-TERT, Turkey

ARMENIA TO DEVELOP RELATIONS WITH NATO WITHIN IPAP
Kaynak: armtown.com
Yer: Armenia
Tarih: 6.7.2008

Armenia intends to develop cooperation with NATO in the framework of
the Individual Partnership Action Plan, President Serzh Sargsyan
said. `I think it will be a good experience for our armed forces. But
we have numerously stated that joining NATO is not on Armenia’s
foreign policy agenda. Former President Kocharian and I, then-Defense
Minister, have commented on the issue,’ the President said. Asked
whether Georgia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan’s aspiration to NATO may be
described as anti-Russian move, Mr Sargsyan said, `I do not remember
any state explaining its joining NATO by a wish to secure itself
against Russia. But I speak from the viewpoint of the Armenian
statehood. If our country is a member of CSTO and if there are Russian
bases here, joining NATO would certainly be an anti-Russian step. But
we don’t have reasons to do so,’ Kommersant reports.

‘OPEN FUN FOOTBALL SCHOOL’ IS ORGANIZED IN SUMMER

Panorama.am
15:43 01/07/2008

In the frames of OFFS project a retraining seminar is held in "Regine"
hotel, Yerevan ,in 9 July. It will bring together 28 leaders (from
12 sport schools) and 112 coaches (from Kapan, Yeghignadzor, Talin,
Armavir, Akhuryan and Kuchak sport schools) representing Armenia.

As press office of Armenian Football Federation informs Henning
Kurland, the manager of South Caucus and Moldova of the OFFS project,
will also take part in this training seminars. At the same time 24
Georgian coaches will take part in the retraining seminar, held in
the village Haghtakan, Noyemberyan.

Training seminars of the same type will take place in Georgia in 3-12,
July, where 72 Armenian coaches (from Ararat, Ijevan, Charencavan,
Vardenik, Alaverdi and Haghtanak sport schools) will take part.

AZERBAIJANI FOOTBALL TEAM KARABAKH FACES VISA PROBLEMS

TREND Information
30.06.08 15:21
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani football team Karabakh faced a problem regarding exit
visa of African footballers to Turkey to attend in trainings.

The African footballers – Mamadouba Souma and Viktor Ibokoye cannot
go to Turkey to attend in trainings due to visa problems. Footballers
will join the team after settling of visa problems.

Rasim Kara, Coach, did not like footballers from Georgia, Bulgaria,
Brazil, Rumania and Moldova during inspection.

The trainings of Karabakh team will be held from 1 to 22 July. During
this period footballers from Brazil and Argentine will be invited
for inspection into the club.

DIMITRY SIMES: THE ONLY SOLUTION OF GARABAGH MATTER IS TO RECOVER OCCUPIED TERRITORY OF AZERBAIJAN

Azerbaijan Business Center
June 30 2008
Azerbaijan

The idea of settlement of Garabagh problem on a method
of Serbo-Croatian conflict settlement (liquidation of separatist
formation on its territory by Croatia) is sounded at the level of
political experts close to the US Administration.

Touching the theme of conflicts on the CIS area, Dimitry Simes, the
Nixon Center’s president, stated that as for the Nagorno Garabagh
Republic, Nagorno Garabagh is not simply unrecognized territory.

"Today it is integral part of Armenia, and if Azerbaijan does not
recover it, I don’t see a mechanism with help of which this territory
could be returned," Mr. Simes said.

Azerbaijan, 20% of territory of which is occupied by Armenia is seeking
a way for peaceful settlement of the conflict within the framework of
the OSCE Minsk Group and in parallel has brought its military budget
up to $2 bn. Since 1994 the conflict has been frozen due to a truce
agreement signed in Bishkek.