Author: Topchian Jane

ROBERT KOCHARIAN: KOSOVO PRECEDENT WILL HAVE POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON THE RECOGNITION OF INDEPENDENCE OF NAGORNO KARABAKH

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Feb 29 2008

Yerevan-APA. "Kosovo precedent is very important for Armenia. It will
have positive influence on the recognition of independence of Nagorno
Karabakh conflict," Armenian President Robert Kocharian told students
of Yerevan State University, APA reports quoting Novosti-Armenia

Kocharian stated that it is situated in the center of Europe and many
factors work for it and confessed that Kosovo example differs from
Nagorno Karabakh.

"We should be consistent in our struggle. The independence of Nagorno
Karabakh is a fact for us. The only issue is to achieve the recognition
of Nagorono Karabakh by other states," he said.

Kocharian noted that Armenia has recognized the independence of
Nagorno Karabakh for a long time and established bilateral relations.

He added that de facto recognition is more important than the official
decisions of parliament and President.

"I do not see any problem in the adoption of such state act. We
should account whether this step help or impede negotiations process,"
he said.

ARTUR BAGHDASARIAN STATED THAT HIS AGREEMENT WITH SERZH SARKISIAN IS BACKED BY ABOUT 70% OF THE ELECTORS

Mediamax
February 29, 2008

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Leader of "Orinats Yerkir" party Artur Baghdasarian
stated in Yerevan today that the agreement, signed by him in Yerevan
today with the Prime Minister of Armenia Serzh Sarkisian, "is backed
by 1mln 150 thousand people or about 70% of the electors".

Mediamax reports that Artur Baghdasarian said this today during the
joint briefing with Serzh Sarkisian following the results of signing
the agreement on "Orinats Yerkir" party’s entry in the coalitional
government.

"This means considerable trust towards the future authorities of
Armenia and the determination of authorities in solving many internal
and external challenges", Artur Baghdasarian stated.

According to Baghdasarian, the signing of the agreement also means
that the newly-elected Armenian President will be confident and
resolute in realization of "daring reforms".

"I also want to note that in the process of our talks I revealed for
myself something very important – serious readiness and determination
of the new President to combine our pre-election programs", Artur
Baghdasarian stated.

IMPOSSIBLE TO RETURN NAGORNO-KARABAKH TO STATUS QUO OF 1988: PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA

Trend News Agency
Feb 29 2008
Azerbaijan

Returning Nagorno-Karabakh to the status quo and high autonomy as
part of Azerbaijan, like 1988, is impossible, said the President of
Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, while making a speech before the students
of Yerevan State University on 29 February.

"In 1988, the situation was quite different because the Soviet Union
was in existence. Today returning to that variant is impossible,"
said the President, Novosti-Armenia reports.

According to him, currently it is not worthy to protract or hurry
the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh at any cost. Kocharyan said
that both of the above-mentioned variants are unacceptable and the
Armenian side needs to specify its position, devise exact presentation
about further steps.

"We should now what we want to achieve and if possible, to try
to achieve it next year, in two years or 20 years. However, in the
basic issues, it is impossible to support any compromise or defeatist
position," the State Head said.

Kocharyan said that such statements may adversely affect the position
of the mediators for settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, who may
have the impression that part of the Armenian people are prepared to
make compromise.

SUMGAIT POGROMS FIRST ATTEMPT OF MILITARIZATION OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT, ARMENIAN FM

ARKA
Feb 25, 2008

YEREVAN, February 25. /ARKA/. The Sumgait pogroms were the first
attempt to militarize the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Ra Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanyan stated at the international conference
"Problems of tolerance and xenophobia in the South Caucasus (Sumgait
20)" on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Sumgait pogroms.

"The Sumgait pogroms were the first attempt of militarizing the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the first manifestation of ethnic purge
in Azerbaijan," Oskanyan said.

According to him, but for the Sumgait events, the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict would have developed in a different way.

"That step marked the beginning of intolerance in the region, and the
ethnic purge, which had its consequences, is evident for everyone now,"
Oskanyan said.

The Minister pointed out that during their history Armenian people
has felt various manifestations of intolerance, including genocide.

Tolerance is not ideology for the Armenian people, but a way of
existence, Oskanyan said. "We hope that the discussions will allow
us to eradicate intolerance in the region," he said.

The Minister pointed out that intolerance and xenophobia have various
manifestations – from individual murders in Russia and other countries
to large-scale genocides.

"The Armenian people experienced that, we saw genocide, all the
manifestations of intolerance, which leaves a serious mark on small
people like Armenians. That is why we must be standard bearers in
the struggle against these manifestations, which is being done by
our diplomats now," Oskanyan said.

On February 26-29, 1988, with actual support of the Azerbaijani
authorities and with the connivance of the USSR leaders, Armenian
pogroms took place in Sumgait, Azerbaijan. According to the official
information, 32 people were killed and hundreds injured. Within a
few days, 14,000 Armenians left the city.

RPA BELIEVES THAT LEVON TER-PETROSIAN "DOES NOT EVEN STRIVE TO BECOME A PRESIDENT"

Mediamax
February 26, 2008

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Deputy Chairman of the Republican Party of Armenia
(RPA) Galust Sahakian stated in Yerevan today that "Levon Ter-Petrosian
does not even strive to become a President".

Mediamax reports that, speaking at a briefing in Yerevan today, Galust
Sahakian stated that the Ex-President strives to have the international
community "gaining grounds to condemn the Armenian authorities".

Answering the question on why he supported the candidature of
Ter-Petrosian in 1996, the Deputy Chairman of RPA stated that he
"stood next to Ter-Petrosian to keep the country from a civil war".

"We were trying to not let the people divide into two enemy camps,
as it is happening today", Galust Sahakian stated. At that he
condemned the actions of protest of the opposition, not ruling out
the possibility of collisions.

LEVON TER-PETROSIAN: "SERGE SARGSIAN WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RULE OVER CONSCIOUS SOCIETY HAVING STATE THINKING"

Noyan Tapan
Feb 26, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 26, NOYAN TAPAN. If the number of those having state
thinking made 10-15 in 1988, at present, such people are a majority
and society has changed. This statement was made by RA fist President
Levon Ter-Petrosian at the mass meeting held on February 25. In his
words, Prime Minister Serge Sargsian, even if he tears himself up,
will not be able to rule over this new conscious society. According to
Levon TEr-Petrosian, the basis of that new socisty are the students,
who are the first generation of the independent Armenia. He called
the students taking part in the rally not to go to higer educational
institutions as the Freedom square is the best university for them.

RA former Prime Minister Hrant Bagratian expressed his thankfulness
to the participants of the rally in his speech for their being of
principle and inflexible. He called Bako Sahakian, the President of
the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh, the NKR Prime Minister and Archbishop
Pargev Srbazan to join the movement headed by Levon Ter-Petrosian. In
the words of Hrant Bagratian, the aim of the people struggling for
the freedom of Artsakh 20 years ago was to unite Karabakh with Armenia
and not on the contrary.

"Armenia cannot be ruled by a person, who has lived in the status
of a representative of the Armenian community and has fawned upon
the authorities of Azerbaijan: that person will wreak the negative
feelings accumulated in his soul when he was young upon our head,"
Hrant Bagratian said.

According to Suren Abrahamian, the former Minister of Internal
Affairs, the "officer" conception is a step higher than the "citizen"
one. Addressing the police, to the officers of the army and the
collaborators of the National Security Service, he said that the
Freedom square has stood and is struggling because of the inaction of
the latters. "You were in the status of holders of candles during the
falsification process of the elections. We have gathered to correct
your unconscientiousnesses," he said.

Interfax, Russia
Russia & CIS General Newswire
February 22, 2008 Friday 8:16 PM MSK

Armenian deputy parliamentary speaker Ovannisian resigns

YEREVAN Feb 22

Armenian Deputy Parliamentary Speaker Vaan Ovannisian, who recently
ran for president, resigned on Friday.

"I used exclusively political methods based on ideological and moral
values in my campaign. I did not spare any efforts to keep
competition within the framework of constructive political dialogue,"
the Dashnaktsutiun party quoted Ovannisian as saying in his
statement.

"An atmosphere of hatred and irreconcilability, intimidation and
threats dominated the whole election campaign, which could not fail
to affect the election day itself," Ovannisian said.

He mentioned various violations during the election process,
including "ubiquitous bribery, the casting of fake ballots, and
violence at certain polling precincts."

"However, regardless of my assessment of these elections, I have made
my own decision to relinquish the office of deputy speaker of the
Armenian National Assembly," Ovannisian said.

The now former deputy speaker called on the Armenian people to
display calm and restraint. Those who are trying to incite
confrontation now should remember and understand "what crimes were
produced by the blatantly rigged 1996 presidential elections and what
troubles they caused to our people," he said.

Ovannisian wished the future president "composure and resolve to
pursue reforms that would help the authorities in the next elections
not to hope for election bribery, the incumbency levers, and
sometimes criminal elements merging with them but have the
opportunity to by supported by political groups’ and people’s trust,"
he said.

Armenia held presidential elections on February 19, in which Prime
Minister Serzh Sargsyan won by garnering 52.86% of the vote.

NK QUESTION: "CO-CHAIRMEN MAKE ARRANGEMENTS"

Panorama.am
15:55 25/02/2008

"Central Election Committee officially published the results of the
presidential elections. The new Prime Minister will be assigned
after 9 April. Nevertheless the co-chairmen started to make some
arrangements to organize the first meeting," said Vardan Oskanyan in
a press conference held today.

According to him Peter Semnebi, the representative of European Union
in Southern Caucasus has said that the new president of the RA and
Azerbaijan should arrange the nearest meeting.

"I can not comment on the created situation but I know that the new
elected president is aware of the conditions, he is aware what is put
on the table and he has the same principles as the president. Thus
I think that we will not lose much time and we will continue the
negotiations, and before the presidential elections in Azerbaijan we
will manage to improve the NK regulations," he said.

REPUBLIC OPPOSITION PARTY POLITICAL COUNCIL MEMBER SUREN SURENYANTS DETAINED

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.02.2008 22:40 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today, the Armenian police detained Republic
opposition party’s political council member Suren Surenyants. A source
in the RA National Security Service confirmed the information to a
PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

Daily 49er, CA
Feb 20 2008

Our View – Book peddling tasteless trend at genocide talks

49er Staff
Issue date: 2/20/08 Section: Opinion
Media Credit: Julio Salgado

We were privileged enough to ditch classes and learn about some real
stuff for once during last week’s human rights forum.

As college students, we look forward to the exchange of differing
life experiences and conversations about taboo topics on what we like
to consider neutral grounds. As writers, we look forward to new
material.

Hopefully, most students were lucky enough to attend at least one of
the lectures or presentations. After all, we have paid for the
extracurricular bonuses that come sprinkled in our college education.

There were more than a few speakers we anxiously looked forward to
seeing: Ishmael Beah, a former child soldier; Immaculée Ilibagiza, a
Rwandan genocide survivor; and the panel of scholars speaking on
behalf of the hotly debated Armenian genocide. It would be hard to
see a lineup like this in three days, short of a United Nations
conference.

Most, if not all, of the featured speakers have done extensive
research within their specialized field or were victims and witnesses
to atrocities. The forum’s diversity was about having many voices
resonating in the same room. People who survived devastation
humanized the crash course in genocide.

The obvious sensitivity surrounding the topic of genocide could be
seen in the scholarly discussion of the Armenian genocide. Upon
walking into the ballroom, some guests were handed a Turkish Student
Association-sponsored pamphlet outlining what they referred to as the
Armenian Revolt. Before the discussion commenced, protesters were
told that if they wished to exercise their First Amendment right,
they should kindly do so in the back of the room.

This lecture embodied what one would expect at the forum, minus the
opposing viewpoint on stage.

The topic of genocide is often stifled within our borders. Perhaps
American acknowledgment and assistance would hypocritically push our
skeletons back into the closet. Or maybe accountability doesn’t go
with our foreign policy.

It is interesting to see celebrities take on different causes and
morph them into commercial interests, either for organizations or to
merely attach altruism to their names. At times their causes are
laughable. It all seems like fun and games until you realize your
school does it, too.

There is no other way to put this and, with no disrespect intended,
we pose one query: How can we justify commercializing such an
important subject by relegating human suffering to a book-selling
table? At times we questioned whether these lectures were in the
interest of educating the public or simply selling books.

It was clear after the lengthy introduction for Beah (15 minutes)
that we were going to have to read his story if we wanted anything
beyond the surface scratched. Beah’s speech felt like a teaser for
his book. He read a few passages, answered some questions and was off
to the signing.

We realize that supporting a cause can be both charitable and
profitable at the same time. Maybe "genocide week" was simply trying
to compete with Valentine’s Day.

/paper1042/news/2008/02/20/Opinion/Our-View.Book.P eddling.Tasteless.Trend.At.Genocide.Talks-3221106. shtml