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| April
1 |
The
Nagorno Karabagh State Commission of Prisoners of War initiates an
exchange of corpses of soldiers with Azerbaijan. The bodies of three
Azerbaijani soldiers, who were died while trying to cross a minefield
into Karabagh in December 1997 were handed over to Azerbaijani officials.
One Armenian soldiers was returned to Karabagh. The exchange was overseen
by the International Committee of the Red Cross. |
| April
2 |
Turkish
President Suleyman Demirel, in Van to celebrate the 80th anniversary
of the "Liberation of Van from the Armenians", issues a
warning to newly elected Armenian President Kocharian that Armenians
must return all Azerbaijani lands immediately. Demirel states that
Turkey will not tolerate instability in the region and expresses his
hope that Azeris will soon hold a similar celebration to the one he
is attending in Van. |
| April
3 |
The
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) announces
that it is extending its election observer mission to the country
for an undefined time period, but will still release its report on
the presidential election later in the week as originally planned.
According to the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human
Rights, there is concern over "new evidence of serious irregularities"
in the March 30th run-off election. The OSCE also calls for electoral
reform to ensure "transparency in the election process."
An official of the Turkish Foreign Ministry expresses hope that Armenia's
newly elected president will take a constructive approach to the Karabagh
negotiations. The Turkish official state's his nation's desire to
have improved relations with Armenia, but conditions these relations
on the resolution of the Karabagh conflict. |
| April
5 |
Nagorno
Karabagh Foreign Minister Naira Melkoumian, states during an interview
with several news agencies her hope that international mediators will
persuade Azerbaijan to enter into direct negotiations with Stepanakert.
Melkoumian stresses Nagorno Karabagh's independence and predicts that
any negotiations that do not include Karabagh as a direct participant
are bound to fail. |
| April
6 |
The
Central Electoral Commission releases the final results of the March
30th run-off presidential election. According to the report, Prime
Minister and acting President Robert Kocharian garnered 59.49 percent
of the vote and former Armenian Communist Party First Secretary Karen
Demirchian received 40.51 percent, with voter turnout at 68.14 percent
of the eligible electorate. The commission also announces that it
is currently considering whether to allow the OSCE to continue its
election observer mission since the final results have now been announced.
Two of the eighteen commission members, both members of the National
Democratic Union (NDU), refuse to sign the final report in protest.
NDU leader Vazgen Manukian came in third, with 12% of the vote, in
the first round of the elections.
The Azerbaijani governmental national security council calls on the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to intensify
its mediation efforts to secure a negotiated settlement to the Nagorno
Karabagh conflict. The OSCE is planning to dispatch a delegation to
the region following the inauguration of the new Armenian president
later this month. The status of the OSCE mediation effort remains
stalled as its latest staged peace plan proposal was fully accepted
by Azerbaijan, agreed to by Armenia as a precondition for further
talks, and rejected by Nagorno Karabagh. |
| April
8 |
Newly
elected Armenian President Robert Kocharian, in an interview with
the Russian media, states that the Azerbaijani government must agree
to hold direct talks with Nagorno Karabagh if it hopes to reach a
settlement, but notes that the Azerbaijani offer of autonomy for Nagorno
Karabagh is unacceptable. President Kocharian states that he advocates
"horizontal relations" between Stepanakert and Baku or "federative
or confederative relations" between the two if there are adequate
security guarantees provided for the Karabagh population. The Armenian
president adds that he does not blame the mediators of the organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe's (OSCE) Minsk Group for failing
to resolve the Karabagh conflict. |
| April
9 |
In
a formal ceremony, newly elected President Robert Kocharian takes
the oath of office. President Kocharian pledges to work toward strengthening
Armenian statehood, establishing balanced relations within the state
structures, and securing international recognition of Nagorno Karabagh's
right to national self-determination. Later in the day, the president
meets with visiting U.S. Senator John Warner and Admiral Joseph Lopez,
the commander of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces
in southern Europe, and states that Armenia's commitment to democracy
and economic reform is irreversible.
A government delegation from Karabagh, including President Gukasyan,
Prime Minister Petrosian, Defense Minister Babayan and several others,
arrives in Yerevan. The official delegation arrives in Armenia's capital
to attend inauguration ceremonies for newly elected Armenian President
Kocharian.
Russian acting Deputy Prime Minister, Ivan Rybkin, states to reporters
his support for the people Nagorno Karabagh's right to self-determination.
According to Rybkin, Armenia's democratic election of Kocharian will
benefit the ongoing OSCE negotiations. The Russian official was in
Armenia to attend the inauguration of President Kocharian.
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| April
9-10 |
Russian
acting Deputy Prime Minister Ivan Rybkin holds talks with Kocharian
on implementing the August 1997 agreement on a joint Armenian-Russian
program of natural gas exports. The plan envisions shipments of natural
gas to meet Armenian needs and to be exported to Turkey through Armenia.
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| April
10 |
Kocharian
announces the appointment of Finance and Economy Minister, Armen Darbinian,
as the new prime minister. The new prime minister served as the Deputy
Chairman of the Armenian Central Bank from 1994 to 1997 and has served
in his current ministerial post since May 1997. In comments to the
press, Kocharian and Darbinian both pledge to continue economic reform
and to introduce policies fostering "industrial revival."
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| April
13 |
The
political parties comprising the pro-Kocharian "Unity and Justice"
parliamentary bloc continue discussions regarding the president's
proposal to form a consultative council of all political groups and
parties to assist in forging national unity and collective policies.
Some disagreement emerges within the bloc as the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation (ARF) advocates the holding of early parliamentary elections
by the end of the year, but is opposed by the ruling "Yerkrapah"
parliamentary grouping. |
| April
15 |
The
Armenian foreign ministry releases a statement expressing concern
over the final report of the second round of the presidential elections
issued by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE) which concludes that the runoff "does not meet the OSCE
standards to which Armenia committed itself." The foreign ministry
cites "significant discrepancies" between the OSCE's final
report and its preliminary findings and notes that four other international
observer missions, including those of the Council of Europe and the
Russian State Duma, reported no serious violations.
The parliament begins debate on a package of electoral reforms covering
the election procedures for president, parliament and local councils.
One draft proposal for a new parliamentary election law, prepared
by the parliamentary Commission on State and Legal Affairs, calls
for fifty parliamentarians to be elected from single-seat constituencies
and the remaining 81 deputies from party lists. The other two drafts,
formulated jointly by former State and Legal Affairs Commission Chairman
Vigen Khachatrian and the Communist parliamentary faction, both call
for the election of 30 deputies from single-seat constituencies and
101 from party lists, but differ in their composition of electoral
commissions.
Speaking at a press conference in Yerevan, the chairman of the Armenian
parliamentary Commission on International Affairs, Havens Igitian,
states that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE) should suspend its mediation attempt seeking a resolution to
the Karabagh conflict until Azerbaijan holds its presidential elections
in October. The Armenian parliamentarian accuses the OSCE of coercing
Nagorno Karabagh into accepting a "quick settlement" returning
Karabagh to Azerbaijani rule.
Baroness Caroline Cox, Deputy Speaker of the British Parliament's
House of Lords, together with a members from Christian Solidarity
International (CSI), arrives in Stepanakert. The delegation meets
with President Gukasyan, who briefs them on the status of the Karabagh
negotiations, as well as the economic and social situation in the
republic. Baroness Cox explains CSI's plans of moving away from the
humanitarian assistance that they have been providing to Karabagh
and towards more developmental assistance. The delegation includes
four groups of experts in different fields who will train their counterparts
in Karabagh in their respective fields. The next CSI delegation will
travel to Karabagh in June and will include several American doctors,
who will provide training, medical equipment and medicines.
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| April
16 |
Speaking
at a press conference in Yerevan, Shavarsh Kocharian, a leading member
of the National Democratic Union (NDU), announces his party's support
for newly elected President Robert Kocharian. However, the NDU leader
also expresses his concern that President Kocharian may not be able
to implement democratic reforms under the current government administration.
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| April
20 |
President
Kocharian issues a set of decrees confirming the new cabinet formed
by Prime Minister Armen Darbinian. The new cabinet, which Darbinian
promised to be based on merit rather than party affiliation, includes
acting Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian as foreign minister, former
Central Bank official Eduard Sandoian as finance and economy minister,
and Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) figure Levon Mkrtchian
as minister of education and science. Defense Secretary Vazgen Sarkisian
and Interior and National Security Minister Serge Sarkisian both retain
their posts in the new cabinet. Of the announced twenty ministerial
positions, ten held their same position during the previous government,
and the other ten are newly appointed. One ministerial position remains
vacant.
During a ceremony introducing recently appointed Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanian to his staff, President Kocharian announces plans
to form a new "powerful department" within the foreign ministry
to handle Armenia's relations with its worldwide diasporan communities.
Later that day, Foreign Minister Oskanian meets with visiting Iranian
Deputy Foreign Minister Morteza Sarmadi to review bilateral relations
which, according to Oskanian, are a priority of Armenian foreign policy.
The two officials also discuss the situation in Nagorno Karabagh and
the Armenian foreign minister states that Armenian policy on Karabagh
will undergo "significant changes" based on the "principles
of a comprehensive settlement without preconditions."
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| April
21 |
Holding
his first official press conference, Prime Minister Darbinian announces
that his new cabinet will serve for one year terms with extended service
dependent on their performance. The prime minister adds that his government
will continue economic reforms and abide by all agreements previously
reached with international organizations. Darbinian also announces
that economic growth of seven percent is expected for 1998, surpassing
the original expectation of 5.2 percent, and that inflation will remain
below ten percent for 1998.
Officials at the government-run Unemployment Center of Stepanakert
stress that state unemployment figures are well underestimated and
that unemployment is one of the most significant issues facing the
nation. Only 5,000 unemployed are registered by the government, but
Center officials estimate that the true figure is closer to tens of
thousands. One of the main problems cited is the lack of raw materials
as a result of the Azerbaijani blockade. |
| April
22 |
Interior
and National Security Minister Sarkisian reports a continued decline
in the national crime rate. Sarkisian also reports that the investigation
into the case involving the February arrest of a group of two dozen
men on charges of murder, armed robbery and illegal weapons possession
has produced "interesting revelations," but declines to
confirm reports linking the group to ANM leader and former Yerevan
mayor Vano Siradeghian. |
| April
24 |
President
Kocharian and a collection of other senior government officials participate
in the formal ceremony marking the anniversary of the 1915 Genocide
of over 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turkey. Speaking to the press
after the ceremony, President Kocharian states that he intends to
support a proposed article stipulating the pursuit of recognition
of the Armenian Genocide by added to the Armenian constitution
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| April
27 |
Deputy
Chairman of the former ruling Armenian National Movement (ANM), Ararat
Zurabian, is arrested in Yerevan and charged with assaulting ARF member
Aghvan Vartanian, a close associate and former campaign spokesman
of President Kocharian. Several other ANM members are also charged
in connection with this attack. Former Yerevan mayor and ANM chairman
Vano Siradeghian is also said to have been present at the scene of
the assault, but was not arrested.
The chairman of the parliamentary Committee on Defense and Security,
Razmik Martirosian, succeeds in gathering enough votes for the passage
of a new law legalizing the possession of non-automatic weapons, conditional
on obtaining a license from the local police. The law also permits
small arms production and the private trade in such weapons, but imposes
restrictions on the purchase of ammunition. |
| April
30 |
Officials
from USAID and the State Department, in testimony before the U.S.
House of Representatives International Relations Committee, announce
plans for spending $15 million on the victims of the Karabagh conflict.
Congress had passed a provision providing $12.5 million in direct
assistance to Nagorno Karabagh, but after 7 months into the fiscal
year no money has been spent. In response to several questions from
Members of Congress, the government officials state that the money
has been committed, but that only a majority of it will be spent in
Karabagh. |
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