Author: Tumanian Talar

PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF OSCE CHAIR-IN-OFFICE: CEASE-FIRE VIOLATIONS IN KARABAKH CONFLICT ZONE INCREASE

ArmInfo
2009-03-02 10:49:00

ArmInfo. Personal Representative of OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej
Kasprzyk, being in Stepanakert together with OSCE MG cochairmen within
the frames of a regional visit, expressed disagreement with the opinion
of journalists saying the cases of cease-fire violations on the contact
line of the NKR and Azerbaijani Armed Forces have lately increased.

As ArmInfo special correspondent in Stepanakert reports, Kasprzyk also
said the number of cease-fire violations did not increase much. When
asked about the proposal to withdraw the snipers from the contact
line of the NKR and Azerbaijani AF, A. Kasprzyk replied that this
issue is under discussion, and he hopes for a positive result.

Trend, Azerbaijan
Feb 28 2009

State Commission confirms taking Armenian servicemen prisoner in Azerbaijan
28.02.09 14:33

Azerbaijan, Barda, Feb. 28 /Trend News, corr. Sh.Jafaroglu /

Azerbaijan State Commission on Hostages, POWs and Missing People
confirmed the fact that three Armenian servicemen were taken prisoner
in Azerbaijan

Shahin Sayilov, Secretary of the Commission, did not provide
information on how the incident took place.

Last night at 1-2 p.m., the Armenian military people came near the
house of Zumrud Aliyeva, internally displaced person from Azerbaijan’s
city of Knojali, who inhabited in Evciduzu village of Agdam district,
and wanted bread, speaking in Russian, Trend News regional
correspondent reported.

Aliyeva heard them speaking in Armenian amongst themselves and
informed the soldiers of the near military unit.

Later Azerbaijani military men detained Armenian soldiers.

Armenian military men said though they turned to the heath care post,
they were denied treatment and they were tortured. They decided to
cross the border to the Azerbaijani side.

One of them was from Yerevan. He was mercenary.

International Red Cross Committee press service said they do not have
information as today is day off.

Interfax, Russia
Feb 25 2009

World Bank expects zero growth in Armenian economy in 2009

YEREVAN Feb 25

The World Bank does not anticipate growth in the Armenian economy in
2009, Aristomene Varoudakis, director of the bank’s Yerevan office,
said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Armenia experienced an economic slump in November and December 2008
compared to the same period of 2007 and this slowdown carried over
into January 2009, he said.

Taking into consideration the negative trends in the global economy as
well as the worsening economic situation in Russia, one of Armenia’s
biggest trade partners, the prospects for 2009 are not encouraging, he
said.

"I think that, in these conditions, economic growth in Armenia will be
zero in the best-case scenario," he said.

According to the Armenian National Statistics Service, GDP declined
0.7% in January 2009 compared to January 2008 and 62.8% compared to
December 2008.

The country’s budget for 2009 envisions GDP growth of 9.2%.

Armenia saw GDP growth of 6.8% in 2008 instead of the 10% planned in
the budget.

Interfax, Russia
Feb 27 2009

Armenian police, opposition preparing for March 1 rally

YEREVAN Feb 27

Armenian opposition will stage a march and a rally in downtown Yerevan
on March 1 dedicated to the last March events.

"The time has come for the authorities understand that it is
impossible to stop people’s movements by pressure and the atmosphere
of fear. We intend to stage our action in a civilized manner and call
on police to secure the legal process," coordinator of the opposition
Armenian National Congress movement Levon Zurabian told journalists on
Friday.

Armenian opposition led by the former country’s president Levon
Ter-Petrosian staged large scale protest actions after February 19,
2008. The protest actions evolved into clashes with police on March 1,
in which ten people were killed and over 250 were injured.

Head of the Armenian police Alik Sargsyan told journalists on Friday
that policemen will prevent riots on March 1.

"I advise against trying to take revenge on this day. I advise you to
take my words seriously. We are capable of ensuring order and control
over the situation," Sargsyan said.

ARMENIAN POLICE BRACE FOR OPPOSITION PROTEST
By Hasmik Lazarian

Reuters
Feb 27 2009
UK

* Yerevan rally to mark anniversary of deadly riots
* Police warn against trouble ahead of opposition protest
* Last year’s violence followed disputed presidential polls

YEREVAN, Feb 27 (Reuters) – Police in Armenia warned opposition
activists against stirring unrest on Sunday during a protest planned
to mark one year since deadly riots in the former Soviet state.

Ten people, including two police officers, died when police and
protesters clashed in the capital Yerevan on March 1 last year after
the opposition alleged fraud in a presidential election.

Thousands are expected to turn out for Sunday’s demonstration and
police are braced for trouble.

Armenian police chief Alik Sarksyan said police would allow protesters
to "calmly pay their respects to the dead."

But he told a news conference: "I advise that my words be taken
seriously. Don’t allow political forces to influence you. We won’t
allow any disturbances or blocking of traffic."

"The atmosphere of fear must be expelled from the city," Sarksyan
added.

There is already confusion over where the authorities have allowed
demonstrators to gather and march. The opposition said it had not
received a written reply to its application for permission so the
protest would go ahead as planned.

European rights groups voiced concern at police conduct during
the violence last year and the arrest of more than 100 opposition
activists during a state of emergency imposed by the government in
the wake of the unrest.

Armenia’s leaders say they want to build a European-style democracy
and have won Western praise for allowing contested elections. But
opponents say that is a facade and in reality the country is ruled
by a clique who refuse to give their rivals access to political power
or economic influence.

More than 50 people received jail sentences. A number have since been
pardoned but several senior opposition figures — including a former
foreign minister — remain on trial.

The authorities accused the opposition of trying to overthrow
the government after an election won by current President Serzh
Sarksyan. He is not related to the police chief.

Western election monitors said the vote was broadly in line with the
country’s international commitments but that further improvements
were necessary.

New York-based Human Rights Watch on Wednesday accused Armenia of
conducting "politically motivated" trials while failing to investigate
police culpability and evidence of excessive use of force.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I RECEIVES THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER OF THE REPUBLIC OF
ARMENIA

His Holiness Aram I received the Foreign Affairs Minister of the Republic of
Armenia, Mr. Edward Nalbandian on February 25. The discussions in Antelias,
an important part of the minister’s one-day visit to Lebanon, focused on the
internal situation in Lebanon, the bilateral relations between Armenia and
Lebanon and the foreign affairs of Armenia in general.

The Armenian Foreign Affairs Minister was accompanied by a delegation. The
Primate of the Diocese of Lebanon, Bishop Kegham Khatcherian was also
present.

##
View the photos here:
tos/Photos359.htm#3
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

ANC REPRESENTATIVES MEET WITH U.S. AMBASSADOR

Noyan Tapan

F eb 25, 2009

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 25, NOYAN TAPAN. On February 24, representatives
of Armenian National Congress Central Office Levon Zurabian, David
Shahnazarian, and Avetis Avagian met with U.S. Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary to RA Marie Yovanovitch. According to the ANC
report, issues regarding Armenia’s home political situation, as well
as political prisoners and socio-economic crisis were discussed during
the meeting.

SOUTH-CAUCASUS RAILROADS PUTS UP TO AUCTION EXTRA CARS AND COTTAGE

Panorama.am
18:12 25/02/2009

The matter of official investigation on the peculation of investments
of the "South Caucasus Railroads" Company finished and a report
is to be presented within 10 days to the Minister of Transport and
Communication of Armenia, said the General Director of the Company
Shevcet Shaidulin in a press conference.

Remind that at the end of the previous year some publications appeared
in the local mass media about the peculation of investment means of
the current company. Particularly, it was mentioned that expensive
cars and apartments have been bought spending those means.

According to the General Director of the Company those cars and
apartments were bought to receive foreign guests but they were not
bought on investment money. He also said that ten extra cars and one
cottage would be put up to the auction because they did not need them
as much.

EU WARNS MINSK RECOGNITION OF ABKHAZIA COULD AFFECT TIES

RIA Novosti
16:57 | 24/ 02/ 2009

BRUSSELS, February 24 (RIA Novosti) – Improving relations between
the European Union and Belarus will be suspended if Minsk recognizes
Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent, an EU commissioner said
on Tuesday.

The Belarusian parliament will consider recognizing the two former
Georgian republics on April 2. Russia recognized the two states as
independent on August 26, 2008.

"As for the recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, our position
remains unchanged – we will not recognize it. And if Belarus recognizes
it, that will kick our relations back to the previous position. So far
this has not taken place yet, but if it does, it will be a retreat, and
freeze our rapprochement," Benita-Ferrero Waldner, the EU Commissioner
for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy, told reporters
from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova.

Asked if the EU would cancel its invitation to Belarus to join
its Eastern Partnership program, Waldner said it would be up to
the European Council to decide how relations between Brussels and
Minsk develop.

The program, which does not include potential membership in the EU but
provides for political and economic relations with the organization,
will be kicked off in Prague on May 7.

Under the program, Belarus and another five former Soviet republics,
including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, will be
granted 350 million euros ($448 million) in extra financial assistance
by 2013.

The EU announced on Monday the inclusion of Belarus in its Eastern
Partnership program. The announcement was made after a meeting of
foreign ministers from the 27-nation alliance in Brussels, and comes
less than a week after EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana’s visit
to the former Soviet republic.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said with confidence his
country’s bilateral relations with the EU would be improved after
Solana’s visit.

"His [Javier Solana’s] visit to Minsk [last Thursday] boosted the
movement towards each other for Belarus and the EU and will improve
relations. I have no doubt about that," Lukashenko said.

PROTEST ACTION AGAINST ARRESTS OF JAVAKHK ACTIVISTS TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.02.2009 16:48 GMT+04:00

On the initiative of Mitq ananlitical center, Yerkir Union of Public
Organizations on Repatriation and Settlement, Javakhk Expatriates’
Community and 20 Armenian NGOs, a protest action will be held in
front of the Georgian Embassy in Armenia on Feb. 25.

"We intend to demand that Georgian authorities release Armenian
activists arrested in Samtskhe-Javakheti," head of Mitq analytical
center Edward Abrahamyan told a news conference today.

"These people were arrested for political reasons, being known by
their pro Armenian activities," Abrahamyan said.