Author: Zakarian Garnik

ARMENIA FOR RUSSIAN ROUBLE

The Messenger
Feb 12 2009
Georgia

Armenia supports the idea of introducing a CIS regional currency,
Armenian PM Tigran Sarkisian, in his interview with MIR Russian TV,
stated that Armenia is interested in the CIS introducing a special
currency to be circulated in its area. The PM said that Armenia had its
own proposals on this which were offered to the CIS 3 years ago. In
reality however the ‘CIS currency’ would be the Russian rouble which
would become the currency for the settlement of CIS interstate deals
and the currency of national bank reserves.

Sarkisian confirmed the commitment of Armenia to contribute to the
utmost to the new currency system if such a decision is made.

ARMENIA WILL NOT PARTICIPATE IN EUROVISION DANCE CONTEST 2009 IN BAKU

PanARMENIAN.Net
11.02.2009 17:14 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Baku will host Eurovision Dance Contest in September
2009.

As President of Armenian Dance Sport Federation Aghasi Lazarian
told PanARMENIAN.Net, Armenia will not be participating in the third
Eurovision Dance Contest. One of the reasons is Azerbaijan’s refusal
to take part in International Dance Sport Championship held last year
in Yerevan.

According to Azeri media, General Manager of Azerbaijani Public
Broadcasting Company Ismail Omarov declared that "Azerbaijan guarantees
the safety of all contestants including Armenians, should they wish
to participate."

BRITISH NGO CALLS FOR DIVULGING GARABAGH TALKS

AzerNews Weekly
Feb 11 2009
Azerbaijan

A British non-governmental organization is in talks with Azerbaijan and
Armenia about divulging talks on settling the long-standing conflict
over Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh. This according to Dennis Sammut,
Executive Director of the London Information Network on Conflicts
and State-building (LINKS).

LINKS is engaged in promoting peace and democratic state-building in
countries in transition. The group has been operating in Azerbaijan
for 10 years.

Sammut told Radio Liberty that discussions on divulging peace talks
were underway with Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders. "Our main proposal
is to make the Garabagh talks as transparent as possible."

He maintained that providing comprehensive information about ongoing
talks to the public through radio and television broadcasts was
illogical. At the same time, the two governments and the OSCE
Minsk Group brokering the peace process should not keep the talks
secret. "The public should be informed about what is being discussed."

Sammut said it would also be appropriate to hold discussions on the
course of peace talks in the Azerbaijani parliament.

"However, if the debate serves nationalist agendas, everyone tries
to show how patriotic they are and if all aspects of the problem
are not considered, it would have an opposite effect. Such a debate
should be low-key and tranquil, aim at the long-term perspective,
and it should create public confidence in the future."

Sammut also said mutual visits by Azerbaijani and Armenian
intellectuals could be resumed soon.

He noted that such visits should be carefully planned ahead of
time. "We are not talking here about putting a group of people on a
bus and driving them to Baku or Yerevan. These visits are important,
and we are holding talks with the governments and civil societies in
both countries on when suitable conditions will be provided for them."

Mutual visits by Azerbaijani and Armenian intellectuals took place
some time ago. However, the initiative raised eyebrows among the
Azerbaijani public.

Sammut also said the Garabagh mediators will soon have coordinators and
their appointment has been reflected in proposals recently forwarded
to the Minsk Group and the leaderships of Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The mediators have agreed to have their own coordinators who will
regularly work with NGOs.

Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in conflict for nearly
two decades. Peace talks began after a lengthy war that ended
with the signing of a cease-fire in 1994 but has seen few tangible
results. Armenia continues to occupy Upper Garabagh and seven other
Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law.

TERRY DAVIS: "I BELIEVE THE KARABAKH CONFLICT WILL BE SETTLED BEFORE THE COMPLETION OF MY TERM"

Today.Az
tics/50585.html
Feb 10 2009
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan and Armenia should intensify efforts for the resolution of
the Karabakh conflict, said CE secretary general Terry Davis according
to AzTV channel.

He said the Council of Europe is ready to contribute to the negotiation
process on the conflict resolution. "The Council of Europe pays a
great attention to the South Caucasus region and welcomes any positive
result, attained during the negotiations.

As is known, the Council of Europe adopted several resolutions on
the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. These resolutions call on
Azerbaijan and Armenia to settle the conflict peacefully.

For the resolution of the problem, the countries must hold effective
talks, which can give definite results. During the meetings with
the presidents I feel progress and hopes for the resolution of the
conflict. I believe that the conflict will be settled before the
completion of my term", said Davis.

NO ONE WAS CONVICTED FOR POLITICAL REASONS IN ARMENIA, RPA DEPUTY IS CONVINCED

Noyan Tapan

Feb 10, 2009

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 10, NOYAN TAPAN. Resolution N 1643 adopted at the
PACE January session is a resolution on the fulfillment process of
Resolutions N 1609 and 1620. Gagik Melikian, a member of the RPA
parliamentary faction, characterized this way the new PACE resolution
on Armenia at the February 10 press conference.

According to him, there was indeed a necessity to amend Articles 225
and 300, RA Criminal Code, and the Armenian authorities were also
aware of it.

According to G. Melikian’s estimation, those articles gave an occasion
for variant reading and different interpretations. According to him,
"at the moment, no one can say what impact the amendments and addenda
will have on the trial on the "case of the seven." The RPA deputy
considers that only after the sentence is passed one can say whether
the arrested people are political prisoners or not. Meanwhile he said:
"I absolutely do not agree to the opinion that someone has been
convicted or is convicted for political reasons in Armenia."

According to G. Melikian’s affirmation, in order to come out of
the formed situation a dialogue should be launched between the
authorities and opposition. And for it, according to him, every side
should first of all admit its mistakes and faults. And in response
to the question of what is the fault of the authorities, he said:
"Their passive actions."

G. Melikian highly assessed RA President’s speech at the 45th Munich
Security Conference. "We really are not afraid of a war. We have seen
a war, we have won a war. We just do not want a war meanwhile being
ready for operations at any time," he said.

POLITIQUE INTERNATIONALE DEDICATES A SPECIAL COLUMN TO ARMENIA

armradio.am
11.02.2009 13:23

The Paris based Politique Internationale periodical, a leading
French-language publication on international relations, dedicated a
special 100-page column to Armenia in its last issue.

Press and information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
reported that the column starts with an article by Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan, which presents Armenia’s independence path, the
issues facing the country today and the perspectives. In an article
titled "The future belongs to us" President Sargsyan referred to
the Nagorno Karabakh issue and the perspectives of normalization of
the Armenian-Turkish relations, introducing today’s realities and
Armenia’s approaches to their solution.

In an interview with the periodical Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian
presents the main directions of Armenia’s foreign policy under the
conditions of the new geopolitical situation in the South Caucasus.

French MP Francois Rochebloine, Chairman of the France-Armenia
Parliamentary Friendship Group, tells about the rich Armenian-French
relations.

Economist Vahagn Grigoryan’s article refers to the transition period of
Armenia’s economy, the economic stability programs and the perspectives
of development.

The periodical published the introduction to Charles Aznavour’s book
titled "The past days," where the great artist=2 0presents the hard
path of a migrant Armenia in foreign lands and his expectations of
a better future.

The founder, director and editor-in-chief of the Politique
Internationale is Patrick Patrick Wajsman, a well-known political
scientist and Professor of the Political Science Institute of Paris.

"How can we forget that our ties with the Armenian people date
back to the Crusades, that last Armenian King Levon VI Lusinyan
was of French origin, that the genocide of 1915 served as a reason
for Clemeceau’s most exciting speeches, that at the end of World
War I France controlled Cilicia, where the Armenian Kingdom ever
stretched?" Wajsman wrote in the introduction to the periodical.

In the last issue the Politique Internationale published the interviews
with the President of the European Commission Manuel Barroso, the
Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, the President of the Czech
Republic Václav Klaus, the President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula
da Silva.
–Boundary_(ID_sDOAZdnCT+5lk5AEt5m6JQ)–

PROSPEROUS ARMENIA CONGRESS FOR ACCREDITED JOURNALISTS

A1+
[06:28 pm] 10 February, 2009

"There are no plans to change the leader of the Prosperous Armenia
party, neither today nor in the future," told "A1+" today Prosperous
Armenia faction Deputy Naira Zohrabyan. But she also noted that an
election is foreseen during the party’s congress.

Although it is clear that Gagik Tsarukyan is going to be reelected,
there will most probably be other candidates in order to ensure
competition.

Naira Zohrabyan denied the rumors that Robert Kocharyan may be elected
Prosperous Armenia party leader and so did Robert Kocharyan’s office.

During the congress, Gagik Tsarukyan will make a speech, the political
council, faction members and ministers will present reports, after
which the members will elect a political council and party leader. The
party will also make two statements on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
settlement and the inter-political situation. The agenda doesn’t
include any discussion on the election of the Mayor of Yerevan because,
as Naira Zohrabyan said, issues of importance must be discussed within
the coalition and the coalition has not discussed any issue as such.

Political parties, heads of factions, head of the Republican Party
Serzh Sargsyan, as well as the NA Chairman and Prime Minister are
invited to participate in the Prosperous Armenia congress, yet there
are no invitations for the opposition.

The Prosperous Armenia congress will be held on February 12 at the
government sessions hall.

Although the congress is open, according to information of
"A1", journalists will be accredited by the RA President’s press
service. Serzh Sargsyan’s press speaker Samvel Farmanyan informed
"A1+" that the issue of journalist accreditation will finally be
solved tomorrow.

MOHAMMAD KHATAMI TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT AGAIN

PanARMENIAN.Net
09.02.2009 13:31 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Iran’s former President Mohammad Khatami has
ended months of speculation by announcing that he will run in June’s
presidential election.

Khatami was President of Iran from 1997-2005 and was succeeded by
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a conservative.

"I will seriously take part as a candidate for the election," he told
a meeting of a pro-reform group.

Khatami, the most liberal President since the revolution, should
have a good chance of unseating incumbent Ahmadinejad, arguably the
most conservative leader in that time. However, he will face tough
opposition from hardliners in the clergy and military, BBC reports.

RA PRESIDENT DEPARTING FOR MUNICH SECURITY CONFERENCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
06.02.2009 12:27 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan is departing
for Germany to attend the 45th Munich Security Conference and hold
a number of bilateral meetings, the RA leader’s press office reported.

The Conference will bring together 300 participants from more than
50 states.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Nicolas Sarkozy,
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden
and some 50 ministers from various states have already confirmed
their participation.

Russia will be represented by Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov.

STARTING TO CHANGE THE LAW

A1+
[05:42 pm] 05 February, 2009

Head of the RA NA standing committee for state/legal issues David
Harutyunyan held the first session of the Working Group created for
drafting the bill on making changes and additions to articles 225
and 300 of the RA Criminal Code.

Head of the Working Group David Harutyunyan informed members
of the group that the changes in the corresponding articles of
the Criminal Code are aimed at reflecting the principle of legal
certainty in the mentioned articles and make them correspond to
European standards. Mr. Harutyunyan also pointed out the flaws in the
articles. He informed that the draft for changes will be presented
on February 19 and asked to define the proposals and discuss them
within the working group.

Members of the Working Group David Harutyunyan, Artsvik Minasyan,
Hrair Tovmasyan presented their approaches to the changes to be made
in the articles, according to information from the NA department of
public relations.

Let us remind that the revision of the articles is one of the demands
of the PACE Resolution.