Month: September 2006

CIS EMERGENCY SITUATION COUNCIL WILL NOT DISCUSS FIRES IN KARABAKH

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.09.2006 16:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The 20th session of CIS Interstate Council on Natural
and Man-Caused Emergency Situations opened in Yerevan September
26. During the 3-day meeting representatives of rescue services of
Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Moldova, Russia,
Tajikistan and Ukraine will consider the draft Inter-State Program
on Joint Scientific Research on CIS member states’ organizations
to prevent and eliminate emergency situations up to 2010. During the
session its participants will also consider draft documents on creation
of an international center for training specialists for rescue diving
services of the CIS, interaction of the CIS Corps of Forces and rescue
medical services of CIS countries. In the words of Director of the
Department of the international activities of the Russian Ministry
of Emergency Situations Yuri Brazhnikov within the framework of the
session the issue on command and staff exercises of the CIS Corps of
Forces for coping with emergency situations will also be discussed.

Brazhnikov also noted that the agenda does not include making efforts
or providing assistance to eliminate fires in territories controlled
by Nagorno Karabakh.

He also stressed that CIS forces can provide assistance within their
powers, "however it does not mean they should move to eliminate
outcomes of the fires, as the issue is considered from the political
point of view." "If there are serious requests according to the order
established, of course Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan and many other
countries will take measures for the fires to be put off," he assures,
reports IA Regnum.

ARMENIAN KHACHKARS TO BE EXHIBITED IN LOUVRE FOR FIRST TIME IN HISTORY

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.09.2006 16:36 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Within the Year of Armenia in France 40 Armenian
Khachkars will be exhibited in Louvre for the first time in the
history, Armenian President’s Advisor Vigen Sargsyan stated at a news
conference in Yerevan. Concerts and exhibitions will be organized
within a year in France. "Armenian artists – Ayvazovsky, Gorky,
Saryan and others – will be exhibited at the National Picture Gallery
in Paris.

Philharmonic and Chamber Orchestras will have concerts," he said.

The Armenian President’s Advisor also reported that 1000 children from
Armenia will visit France. "The Senate and the National Assembly of
France will cover the expenses, as well as Armavia and Rosgosstrakh
sponsor the Year of Armenia in France. A special commission lead by
MP Hranush Hakobyan is formed to choose children," Sargsyan noted.

PLATVOET BELIEVES PROGRESS POSSIBLE IN QUESTIONS OF MISSING PERSONS IN CAUCASUS

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.09.2006 16:43 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Making progress in questions of the missing in
Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia is possible, Rapporteur of the PACE
Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population Leo Platvoet believes,
says a PACE release. After a visit to Nagorno Karabakh and Abkhazia,
Platvoet is more optimistic to the prospect of progress.

The release says that having visited Baku, Tbilisit and Yerevan
in June 2006, Leo Platvoet arrived at an opinion that the parties
interested want to engage in that issue not from the political,
but humanitarian point of view.

The PACE Rapporteur remarked that ICRC mechanisms were apt and the
parties agreed over the core issue – making the lists of the missing
comply and collecting data on persons, who died. Finally, Platvoet
said that respective committees should work more closely to attain
progress soon.

GEORGY PETROSYAN: ARMENIA GUARANTOR OF NKR INDEPENDENCE AND SECURITY

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.09.2006 16:58 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ September 26 NKR FM Georgy Petrosyan received
Vice-Speaker of the British House of Lords, Chair of the Council
of Trustees for Humanitarian Assistance, baroness Caroline Cox,
who arrived in Stepanakert along with a delegation of British and
US philanthropists.

When opening the meeting the head of the NKR MFA expressed readiness
to provide support to programs implemented by British and US
philanthropists in Karabakh. As of the Karabakh peace process,
Georgy Petrosyan was concerned over Azerbaijan’s attempts to shift
the settlement from the OSCE MG aegis to UN.

"We are seriously studying the current situation, making conclusions
to make respective steps. It is impossible to solve a matter, relating
to the fate of a people, without taking into consideration its own
opinion. We played a role in establishing the cease-fire, why are we
deprived of the right to strengthen peace today?" the NKR FM said.

As for relations with Armenia, Petrosyan underscored, "Armenia is the
guarantor of NKR independence and security. As for political relations,
principle of non-intervention is observed."

As of fires in the border zone, Petrosyan remarked the NKR had turned
to the OSCE suggesting to hold monitoring to have an impartial opinion,
reported the NKR MFA Press Office.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BUILDING ELECTRIC MAIN BETWEEN ARMENIA AND GEORGIA TO START IN NOVEMBER

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.09.2006 17:21 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The building of 600-kV electric main, which will link
energy systems of Georgia and Armenia, will start in late November
and will finish in 2-3 years. According to Deputy Minister of Energy
of Georgia Archil Nikolaishvili, the overall cost of the project is
$50 million, however Georgia will allocate only half of that sum. The
second half will be covered by Armenia. The project aims at enhancing
energy security of the country, reports Gruzia Online.

NATO SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR SOUTH CAUCASUS TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA IN MID-OCTOBER

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.09.2006 17:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ NATO Special Representative for the South Caucasus
Robert Simmons will arrive in Armenia in the second ten days of
October, acting Spokesperson of the Armenian MFA Vladimir Karapetyan
told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. According to Azeri sources, Robert
Simmons will be in Azerbaijan October 8-10.

There he is scheduled to meet Azeri officials.

DINK AGAIN ACCUSED IN INSULTING TURKISHNESS

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.09.2006 18:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Public Prosecutor of Shishli in Istanbul has indicted
editor-in-chief of the Agos Hrant Dink and two his co-workers, one
of them being Dink’s son, for "insulting Turkishness" and demanded
imprisonment for 3 years. According to the prosecution, on July 21
Dink’s statement over the issue was published in a foreign media. "I
determine it as a Genocide, as the results makes name it that
way. Today we can see that the nation, which lived in its lands for
4 thousand years, was expatriated after those events," Dink said in
his article. Shishli court has already sentenced Dink to 6 months of
conditional imprisonment due to a similar indictment, reports RFE/RL.

VARTAN OSKANIAN: CONFLICTS REQUIRE SEPARATE SOLUTION
By Nana Petrosian

AZG Armenian Daily
27/09/2006

In his speech at the 61st session of the UN General Assembly
Armenian foreign minister Vartan Oskanian assured that the Kosovo
process is under close scrutiny in Armenia. "We ourselves defend the
self-determination process of Nagorno Karabakh people.

Yet, we do not draw parallels between these two or other conflicts. We
believe that the conflicts differ and in each case a unique decision
should be taken based on its peculiarities." Vartan Oskanian
underscored that the people of Nagorno Karabakh long ago made its
decision not to be presented by Azerbaijan. They were the victim of
political violence, they defended themselves and succeeded despite
all difficulties. Azerbaijani government has lost the moral right to
come out with a proposal to secure a safe future for the people of
Karabakh, Armenian FM stated.

Mr. Oskanian emphasized that by turning down all proposals of
mutual concessions of the last 8 years Azerbaijan wants to avoid
responsibility for rejected them. He also assured that Azerbaijan
attempts to picture Armenia as a side that turns down every proposal
for that purpose using all possible measures.

But Armenia’s stance is clear, and the path that Karabakh has
chosen and follows for two decades is irreversible, Mr. Oskanian
said. "Nagorno Karabakh is not a trial, it’s a place, an ancient and
beautiful garden inhabited with people who have earned the right to
live a peaceful and fearless live. We do not demand more and do not
expect more," Vartan Oskanian stated.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EP PUTS DEMANDS BEFORE TURKEY

AZG Armenian Daily
27/09/2006

On September 25, a regular sitting of the European Parliament discussed
the report of its External Relations Committee on Turkey that harshly
criticizes Turkish authorities. The report also labeled unsatisfactory
all reforms carried out in regards to freedom of speech, religious and
ethnic minority rights and improvement of relations with Cyprus. EP
representatives have also called on Turkey in the report to open its
border with Armenia and to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide.

PREMIERE IN ARMENIA AND FRANCE
By Marietta Makarian

AZG Armenian Daily
27/09/2006

Famous actor and director Serge Avetikian, who is currently living in
France, has been working on staging of Alfred de Musset’s "Marianna’s
Caprises" at the Yerevan based Hamazgayin theatre. The premiere of
the performance will take place on October 4, 5 and 7 in Yerevan.

The price written in 1833 dwells on an unhappy passion to Marianna. The
story takes place in Naples. Serge Avetikian tried to stage the
story close to the realities of today’s hopeless Armenian youth,
at the same time, preserving the original text. The performance is
stage exclusively within the framework of the arrangements of the
French Festival in Armenia and Armenia’s Year in France. It was
financed by the French Embassy to Armenia, RA Culture Ministry and
by others sponsors.