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Jordanian News Agency PETRA, Jordan
May 6, 2008 Tuesday 1:20 PM EST

King, Queen Return Home

Amman, May 6 (Petra)? Their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania Al
Abdullah on Tuesday returned home after a two-day visit to Azerbaijan.

During the visit, His Majesty held talks with Azeri President Ilham
Aliev focused on boosting bilateral cooperation especially in the
economic fields and on the regional political issues of mutual
concern.

The two leaders discussed latest developments in the peace process,
affirming that finding a just and lasting solution for the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict, in accordance with the international
Security Council’s resolutions, the road map and the Arab peace
initiative, is a guarantee for the rights and interests of both
peoples.

At the end of discussions, which were held on the occasion of the 15th
anniversary of launching diplomatic relations between Jordan and
Azerbaijan, a joint statement was released in which the two leaders
expressed satisfaction with UN resolution regarding the situation in
the occupied Azeri territories – a resolution that will contribute to
finding a peaceful settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The two leaders affirmed the importance of finding a just solution for
this conflict to guarantee the unity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan.

In this regard, Aliev expressed appreciation for Jordan over its stand
by Azerbaijan and its issues in United Nations and in the Organization
of the Islamic Conference.

In the presence of King Abdullah II and President Ilham Aliev, two
agreements were signed between the two countries on encouraging
investments and on avoiding double taxation.

On the second day of the visit, His Majesty the King and President
Aliev inaugurated the trade exhibition in Baku where 45 Jordanian
companies showcased their products and services.

In their joint statement, the two leaders expressed support to the
private sector in both countries to benefit from the distinguished
political relations and from the legal and institutional frameworks as
well as from the transportation opportunities to expand and exchange
trade and economic exchange.

His Majesty was accompanied by HRH Prince Faisal Bin Al Hussein, HRH
Prince Hashem Bin Al Hussein, Chief of the Royal Court Bassem
Awadallah, Foreign Minister Salahddin Bashir, Minister of Industry and
Trade Amer Hadidi, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Khaled
Jameel Sarayreh, and Director of the Intelligence Department
Gen. Mohammed Dahabi.

//Petra// Ashkar

TRAVELER CLUB OPENS IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MAY 7, NOYAN TAPAN. The opening of the National Geographic
Traveler Club took place and an exhibition of photographs of the
National Geographic Traveler Armenia magazine was organized in Yerevan
on May 5. The photographs of the "Unwitnessed Armenia" special issue of
the National Geographic Traveler, as well as those of the materials
"Towards the top of Ararat" and "Noravanq" are exhibited in the
exhibition and will be published in the next issue of the magazine.

As Ruben Mangasarian, the editor-in-chief of the magazine, mentioned,
the objective of the club is to organize interesting adventurous
travellings on the basis of the materials published in the magazine.
Joint travellings of journalists and club members are also planned for
the purpose of preparing new materials for the magazine. The club will
launch its activities with the Kars and Ani journey. According to Ruben
Mangasarian, journeys towards Khustup, Bridge of Satan, Noratus,
Fioletovo with the materials of the special issue of the "Unwitnessed
Armenia" are also planned. Everybody without any restrictions can
become a member of the club.

It was also mentioned that the National Geographic Traveller has 4.7
million readers in the United States of America. The magazine is
published also in the countries of China, Spain, Russia, Netherlands,
Israel, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia and Latin America. The periodical
publishing of the National Geofraphic Traveler Armenia is envisaged to
start in the near future publishing 6 issues a year. The objective of
the Armenian National Geographic Traveler is to newly discover Armenia
and Armenian historical-cultural hetitage abroad, to acquaint readers
with the sights of the world and help to productively organize the
travelling and rest.

Energy Ministry: No Request Sent to Russia for Managing Armenian
Nuclear Power Plant

YEREVAN, May 7. /ARKA/. Armenia has not asked INTER RAO UES (Russia),
which is financial manager of the Armenian nuclear power plant (NPP),
to prolong the previously signed financial management agreement.

Lusine Harutyunyan, Press Secretary, RA Ministry of Energy and Natural
Resources, reported that five-year term of the NPP’s financial
management by the Russian company expires this September.

Earlier, RA Minister of Energy Armen Movsisyan did not rule out the
possibility of the prolongation.

He expressed appreciation of the Russian company’s activity under the
agreement.
The Minister pointed out that the Armenian NPP was constructed with the
application of Russian technologies, and its operation implies
immediate contacts with Russia.

The Armenian NPP was put into operation in 1976.

Specialists say the NPP can operate until 2016. –0–

TWO REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES PRETEND FOR POST OF MAYOR OF HRAZDAN

YEREVAN, MAY 6, NOYAN TAPAN. On May 5 Electoral Constituency Commission
25 registered 2 Republican candidates, the current Mayor Aram Danielian
and Mesrop Mesropian, who had placed a nomination order for the May 25
elections of the Mayor of Hrazdan. This information was provided to a
Noyan Tapan correspondent by Andranik Apoyan, the Chairman of the
commission. According to him, the two other candidates, who had placed
a nomination order beforehand: non-party former Mayor Rubik Baklachian
and Liparit Arakelian, took back their nomination orders before the
registration.

PM of the Kingdom of Thailand congratulates RA Prime Minister on
appointment

armradio.am
05.05.2008 16:59

The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand Samak Sundaravej
congratulated RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan on appointment. The
congratulatory message states in part:

"On behalf of the Government and the people of the Kingdom of Thailand,
I have the honor to extend to Your Excellency our sincere
congratulations and wishes in connection with your appointment to the
post of Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia.

I am convinced that under your management, the relations between the
Kingdom of Thailand and the Republic of Armenia will be strengthened
and deepened to the benefit of our countries and peoples. I take this
opportunity to wish you every success at this highly responsible post."

Business News Network, Canada
May 5 2008

Nestle caught in free disc conflict

BNN.ca staff
May 05, 2008

Food giant Nestle has been forced to apologize to Azerbaijan after a
free CD included in breakfast food accused the former Soviet state of
provoking war with its neighbour, Armenia.

Nestle has halted distribution of the CDs, aimed at children and
distributed across Russia, which said Azerbaijan had provoked a war
with Armenia over the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh territory.

Despite a 1994 ceasefire, the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh remains
highly sensitive in both countries.

"We have sent an official letter expressing discontent and Nestle
offered apologies and withdrew all the CDs which had been
distributed," said an Azeri Foreign Ministry spokesman. The CDs were
not distributed in Azerbaijan itself.

The CD was being distributed across Russia during April with two
breakfast products and contained data about different
countries. Nestle has now temporarily halted the distribution, but
intends to revise the discs and resume production.

Andrey Bader, Nestle’s corporate affairs director for Russia, said he
could not estimate the cost to the company.

"Every measure which was possible has been taken," said Bader. "Nestle
took time to officially apologize with its consumers, with a recorded
speech on Azeri TV, we brought this in a very loud way to consumers."

PanARMENIAN.Net

Azerbaijan going to send gunmen for Georgia’s war against Abkhazia?
05.05.2008 15:15 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijan intends `to assist
Georgia in resolving its territorial problems.’

For the purpose, Baku-Kabul flights suspended in March 2008 will be
resumed. Trained Afghan mujahids and large lots of weapons are
expected to be airlifted to Azerbaijan and then to Georgia, Real
Azerbaijan website reports.

According to preliminary data, some 500 Afghan commandos trained in
British camps will arrive in Georgia. In operation against Abkhazia
and South Ossetia, they will use weapons received from their British
sponsors, thus protecting Azerbaijan from `coming into the spotlight.’

Reliable sources report that Azeris are being recruited in Russia,
Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and several other states with numerous
Azeri diaspora.

The recruitment is conducted under supervision of "Azerbaycan
Diasporasi" chairman Fikret Veliyev, chairman of Murmansk division of
the All-Russian Azerbaijani Congress Rafik Badirov, president of
federal national and cultural autonomy of Azeris of Russia Sayun
Sadykov. Not only ordinary Azeris but also students of Moscow and Kyiv
universities are recruited.

Head of the department of political studies of the Azerbaijani
presidential administration Fuad Akhundov and chief of the division of
foreign policy planning and strategic studies at the Azeri MFA Tofik
Musayev have been commissioned to coordinate the Azeri diaspora’s
work.

1.5-2 thousand prisoners, who committed grave crimes, will be granted
amnesty on occasion of Heydar Aliyev’s 85th birthday. It’s expected
that half of them will be sent to Georgia as well.

The process of Azeri units’ formation was speeded up after Russian
heavy artillery, weapons and equipment and additional troops crossed
Georgia’s state border.

AZG Armenian Daily #085, 06/05/2008

Armenian Genocide

MONUMENT TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN CYPRUS

On May 1, according to Cyprian "Philiephteros" newspaper, a monument
dedicated to the Armenian Genocide was erected in Larnaca (Cyprus).

The opening ceremony will be held in June, Turkish press
reported. Armenian delegation led by RA President Serge Sargsian will
participate in the opening ceremony.

The decision on raising a monument to the Armenian Genocide was made
by Larnaca Municipality. Cyprus Parliament and Government members
affirmed the decision unanimously.

Apparently, the monument is created in Armenia, and according to the
supposition of Turkish press on April 1 it was in port Larnaca.

To recall, the foundation of the monument was laid by former President
of Armenia Robert Kocharian.

By Hakob Chakrian, translated by L.H.

A1+

`TWO FEARS MAKE ONE DEATH’
[05:38 pm] 05 May, 2008

Today, the leader of the Nor Zhamanakner Party Aram
Karapetian released a statement from Yerevan-Kentron
Penitentiary institution.

`On May 5, RoA Appellate Court Justice M. Rehanian
declined my appeal against the decision of the
district court of Center and Nork Marash communities
to prolong my custody.

The regime is so scared that they even deny people’s
access to courtrooms. I wished to participate in the
court sitting and protect the rights of political
prisoners. Everything was done to keep me in custody.

Undoubtedly, there is no justice in Armenia. However,
if it is done upon the order of the so-called `strong
government’ which fears even the right word of the
political prisoner, I must say that we again defeated
them at this point.

I want to remind the regime of a famous Armenian
saying: `Gentlemen, two fears make one death.’ I wish
all of us boundless vigor and endless will to
struggle,’ runs the statement.

PanARMENIAN.Net

EU Troika discusses situation in South Caucasus
06.05.2008 19:28 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ President of the EU General Affairs
and External Relations Council, Slovenian Foreign
Minister Dimitrij Rupel, headed the ministerial EU
Troika meeting with Turkey in Ankara today. The
Turkish delegation was led by the Minister of Foreign
Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, Ali Babacan. The
Troika meeting was also attended by European
Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn and Jean-Pierre
Jouyet, Secretary of State for European Affairs,
representing the next EU Council Presidency holder,
France, says the publication at the EU website.

The first part of the Troika was devoted to reviewing
the state of EU-Turkey relations. Special attention
was given to Turkey’s progress in the EU negotiation
process and to the implementation of Accession
Partnership priority tasks. GAERC Council President,
Dr Rupel, stressed that the Slovenian Presidency is
working hard to open two chapters at the negotiation
conference in June. He pointed out that the year 2008
is important for the continuation of the reform
process in Turkey. He welcomed the amendment of
Article 301 of the Penal Code, a constructive step
towards ensuring freedom of expression, as a sign of
readiness to pursue reform. EU expects Turkey to make
progress both in aligning national law with European
legislation and in implementing it. Dr Rupel expressed
the expectation that Turkey will implement the
Additional Protocol to the Association Agreement in
respect of all EU Member States. On a settlement to
the issue of Cyprus, the EU welcomed Turkey’s
commitment to contribute to the process of seeking a
comprehensive solution.

The second part of discussions focused on an exchange
of positions on topical international issues in the
wider neighborhood – Iran, progress in the Middle East
peace process after Annapolis, and the situation in
the Southern Caucasus.