Author: Tambiyan Samvel

TIGRAN URIKHANYAN’S INTELLECT UNDER SUSPICION

Panorama.am
14:47 14/03/06

“The person who promises 120 thousand USD for the head of Safarov
lacks intellect. One should not make such announcements for the sake
of his political PR,” announced the representative of RA Ministry of
Defence at the trial of Armenian Army Officer Gurgen Margaryan murder
in Budapest Hayk Demoyan at the conference today.

To remind, recently the leader of Armenian Progressive Party Tigran
Urikhanyan announced that the person who will manage to kill Azeri
Ramil Safarov and bring his head will be awarded 120 000 UAD. Hayk
Demoyan and lawyer Nazeli Vardanyan told that they have been to
Budapest for 7 times to be present at the trial and they were never
checked while passing through the green zone.

Yet, “this time were simply invited to a room and checked our bags,
even Nazeli Vardanyan’s bag was checked with the suspicion to find
arms there,” H. Demoyan told. They admonished not to “make such
annnouncements” and abstain.

WASHINGTON RECALLED ITS AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA FOR STATEMENTS ON THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Regnum, Russia
March 7 2006

Ambassador Plenipotentiary of the US in Armenia John Evans has been
recalled to Washington. According to “The California Courier”, Evans
already informed about it the Armenian government. The reason of the
recall is statements of the Ambassador regarding the Armenian Genocide
in Ottoman Turkey in 1915. According to the source, US Senate already
approved new Ambassador, current head of American diplomatic mission
in Tajikistan Richard Hoagland.

On February 19, during a meeting with representatives of the Armenian
community in San-Francisco, John Evans told about “importance of the
Armenian Genocide recognition.”

He said that he studied the fact about the Genocide of Armenians, and
that he always wanted to “call things with their real names, but the
official US policy did not change, because Turkey is an important US
partner in military sphere.” He said that “all American officials never
denied this fact, and I think that it is unsuitable for American to
play on words in such case.” Evans stated that “the Armenian Genocide
was the first genocide of 20th Century,” and noted that the world then
was not prepared for suitable reaction, but now the problems will be
seriously discussed. Earlier, American officials never used the tern
“genocide” to the events of early XX century in Armenia.

On February 28, speaking in US Embassy in Armenia, John Evans decided
to give a more precise definition to his speech of February 19. He
said that official US position is still the same, and in his previous
statement he declared only his personal opinion. He expressed regret
that his statement caused misunderstanding.

It should be noted that Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for
European Affairs Matthew Bryza is currently visiting Yerevan.

ARMENIAN TAKEN CAPTIVE, TO BE REPATRIATED – AZERI PAPER

Ekspress, Baku
8 Mar 06

Text of Alakbar’s report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ekspress on 8
March headlined “The Armenian serviceman has been captured by the
Azerbaijani side” and subheaded “Yerevan is concealing it”.

The Azerbaijani side has taken captive an Armenian serviceman.

Ekspress has learnt from informed sources that Vardan Saakyan, 20,
from [Armenia’s] Sisyan [District] was captured by the Azerbaijani
side in unknown circumstances.

The head of a working group of the State Committee on Captives,
Missing Persons and Hostages, Firudin Sadiqov, told Ekspress that
negotiations are under way and necessary procedures are being
considered to repatriate the Armenian captive.

Interestingly, Armenia’s official agencies have not reported Saakyan’s
capture. In any case, there has been no press reports on this in
Armenia.

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 10 2006

FIRST SESSION OF “UNION OF PARTICIPANTS OF MORTGAGE MARKET OF
ARMENIA” TO TAKE PLACE ON MARCH 17

YEREVAN, March 10. /ARKA/. The first session of the “Union of
Participants of Mortgage Market of Armenia” will take place on March
17. Such decision was made today during the constituent assembly of
the Union in Yerevan.
One of the founders of the Union, Executive Director of the
“Armeconombank” Ashot Osipyan stated that elections of the Executive
Director of the Union will be held during the first session of the
Union as well as structural issues will be discussed.
Besides that, in his words, they intend to discuss the working
program of the activities of the Council of the “Union of
Participants of the Mortgage Market of Armenia”.
The founders and the members of the Union are 8 commercial banks
(“Armeconombank”, “Areksimbank”, “Yunibank”, “Ararat bank”,
“Arminvestbank”, “Armenian Bank for Development”, “Armswissbank”), 4
insurance companies (“Sil Insurance”, “Private Insurance”, “Nairi
Insurance”, “Prime Insurance Brokers”), 2 financial organizations
(universal credit organizations “Washington Capital” and “First
Mortgage Company”) and 4 real estate agencies (“Alta VIP”, “M&M”,
“Premier Realty”, “Elephant Realty”). S.P. –0–

Karabakh’s self-determination key to settlement – minister

13:38 | 11/ 03/ 2006
( tml)

YEREVAN, March 11 (RIA Novosti) – The right of the breakaway region of
Nagorny Karabakh to self-determination is crucial for a peace
settlement, the Armenian foreign minister said Saturday.

“Whether Azerbaijan likes this or not, it will have to deal with the
problem as it is on the agenda, and in this context, Azerbaijan is
coming under considerable pressure,” Vardan Oskanyan said.

“If we can reach a compromise solution, I think we could restart the
peace process,” he said.

Earlier, the Armenian defense minister said that Azerbaijan’s attempts
to extend the settlement in the conflict surrounding the breakaway
region of Nagorny Karabakh beyond the current framework posed a
potential threat to Armenia.

“These attempts are accompanied by a disinformation campaign conducted
by Azerbaijan’s propaganda machine, which Baku uses to score points
with international organizations unfamiliar with the conflict,” Serge
Sargsyan, who is also secretary of the Armenian president’s National
Security Council, said in his report on the country’s security
strategy.

The Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Minsk Group
was set up in 1992 to facilitate peace talks between Azerbaijan and
Armenia. It is co-chaired by Russia, France, and the U.S. and has
representation from Turkey, the U.S., several European nations,
Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

The conflict between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and
Azerbaijan over Nagorny Karabakh, an Azerbaijani region with a largely
Armenian population, first erupted in 1988, when the region claimed
independence from Azerbaijan to join Armenia.

Over 30,000 people were reported dead on both sides between 1988 and
1994, and over 100 others died after a ceasefire was concluded in
1994, leaving Nagorny Karabakh in Armenian hands, but tensions between
Azerbaijan and Armenia have persisted.

Panorama.am

17:27 11/03/06

WOMEN ARE FREE, BUT …

`There has been a little progress in the sphere of
Defence of Rights of Armenian women in the last 4
years. Yet it proceeds rather slowly,’ chief secretary
of Socintern Women’s Organization Marlene Haas thinks.

`Today our problem is the fact that there is an
attitude among our women and men which is an obstacle
to women participation in the political-social life of
the Republic,’ ARF representative to Socintern Women’s
Organization Maria Titizyan said. As she thinks the
above mentioned attitude is the result of foreign
influence on the one hand and of lack of experience
and self-confidence among women on the other hand.

Today women representatives of various fields took
part in the conference `Women in the process of
forming civil society.’ As M. Titizyan said the
unemployment among women is more, they are paid less
than men for the same work.

Yet, male and female representatives of our executive
and legislative bodies do not agree with the above
mentioned statement.

Minister of Social Affairs Aghvan Vardanyan knows no
cases when the amount of money paid to women and men
for one and the same work is different. And in her
turn NA Deputy Hranush Hakobyan stated: `In Education
field 86% of workers are women, 83% in health field,
73% in cultural field, 20% of Judges, 1/3 of lawyers,
25% of diplomats. This means that women are
everywhere. But it is another question that the number
of female representatives is small in state
governmental bodies. I do not agree that women must be
appointed ministers or deputies just because they are
women. Doesn’t it mean that is their only quality?’

Those present think that this situation is not typical
of Armenia but of the whole world. But the situation
in Armenia `is far from being at least satisfactory,’
head of ARF group Levon Lazarian says. As V.
Hovhannisyan thinks not men are not afraid to give
freedom to women but women are afraid to take that
freedom.

Everybody is sure the role of women in the process of
formation of civil society is as important as that of
men. Yet the most important and in this case sad thing
is that there are no even signs of civil society in
our country. /Panorama.am/

ARMENIA CIS LEADER BY ECONOMIC FREEDOM INDEX

Noyan Tapan
Mar 13 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenia ranks 27th (being considered
as a “mostly free” country) in the table of the 2006 annual rating
of economic freedom of the Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street
Journal. Vahagn Movsisian, Director General of the Armenian Development
Agency (ADA), stated this at the March 11 press conference. According
to him, the rating showed that Armenia is the CIS leader by the
economic freedom index. It shares 27th place with Japan and Bahamas,
while Georgia is in 68th place, Azerbaijan – 123rd, Turkey – 85th,
Iran – 157th, Ukraine -99th and Russia is in 122nd place out of 161
countries. V. Movsisian said that during the Business Assistance
Council (BAC) sitting (Armenian Prime Minister is BAC Chairman, the
ADA Director General – BAC Secretary), the new database on business
corruption risks, including the conclusions of the research conducted
by the international organization FEAS, will be examined. A working
group composed of 50 businessmen was set up at the BAC for the purpose
of creating the database. He reminded that such a database was created
in 2001 after the foundation of the BAC. Later, corruption risk-related
issues were discussed at 24 sittings of the BAC. According to ADA
Director General, the gradual solution of these issues has contributed
to the fact that Armenia is 27th by the economic freedom index (44th
in 2005), and the investment climate has significantly improved in
the country.

TURKISH NGO’S TO PROTEST FRANCE’S GENOCIDE RECOGNITION

ABHAber
March 13 2006

Turkish groups in France are set to join forces in Paris today to
work to overturn the French Parliament’s recognition of the so-called
Armenian genocide.

For the first meeting of an umbrella committee spearheaded by
local offices of the Anatolian Culture Centers and Kemalist Thought
Association, some 300 Turkish associations in France were invited.

Today’s meeting is going to be held to exchange ideas for the goals
and work of the committee. A public statement after the meeting
is planned to announce how the committee will campaign against the
legislative recognition.

At a press conference last week, the groups organizing the committee
meeting demanded that Parliament’s recognition of the “genocide” in
2001 be reversed, saying that judging history was up to the historians,
not lawmakers.

PRESS RELEASE
A.R.F. Zavarian Student Association
Yerevanian Bldg. 4th Floor
Bourj Hammoud, Lebanon
Tel: (961) 01-240167
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

MEETING BETWEEN THE ZSA & FREE PATRIOTIC MOVEMENT CENTRAL COMMITTEES

On Tuesday, the 4th of October 2005, a delegation from the Lebanese
Free Patriotic Movement Party visited the Yerevanian Center, where a
meeting was held between A.R.F. Zavarian Student Association and
F.P.M. Party committees. The meeting best served for strengthening and
developing the existing university-level relationship between the two
parties, and discussing the possibility of organizing future joint
events.

The two parties also talked about the state of the Lebanese Youth and
Student associations on a political level, and emphasized on the
importance of the participation of all parties in taken measures.

After the one hour gathering, both committees agreed on having
periodical meetings for exchange and coordination of opinions.

WILL THERE BE A TRANSPARENT “YES”

A1+
| 19:11:56 | 17-10-2005 | Politics |

It is now yet known how the draft Constitution will be preached. The
details about the process will be announced in several days.

Today head of the Constitutional preaching structure and the NA
Standing Committee on Defense, National Security and Internal Affairs
Mher Shahgeldyan invited the journalists to a briefing to tell that
their aim is to adopt the Constitution. “We work for the sake of the
Constitutional reforms, for the formation of a new political system,
and for its realization. This is our aim”.

According to Mher Shahgeldyan first they must represent the
constitutional reforms to the population, then its positive sides,
and finally secure “free, fair and transparent elections”.

By the way, one of the main problems of the structure is to correct
the errors in the electoral rolls. The structure will work in several
directions. Chief editor of the newspaper “Yerkir” Spartak Seyranyan
will be responsible for preaching, and Aram Karapetyan who did good
work organizing the “Unity round dance” will be responsible for
technical issues.

According to Shahgeldyan, during the preaching, the coalition will
be supported by more than 20 parties and more than 200 organizations,
the names of which will be announced in several days.

By the way, during the briefing the poster saying “YES” was not yet
fixed to the wall. It was lying on the floor.