Author: Antonian Lara

ANDRANIK MARGARIAN: COOPERATION WITH NATO IS ONE OF IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF MULTIFOLIATED SECURITY SYSTEM OF ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 23 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 23, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Issues relating
to implementation of the Individual Partnership Actions Plan of
Armenia with the NATO were discussed at the May 22 meeting of RA Prime
Minister Andranik Margarian with Robert Simmons, the NATO Secretary’s
General Special Representative for South Caucasian Issues. Observing
development of relations with the NATO within the framework of the
policy addressed to Armenia’s European integration, the Prime Minister
mentioned at the same time that the cooperation with the North Atlantic
Alliance is also one of important components of the multifoliated
security system of Armenia. Within that context, Andranik Margarian
attached importance to widening of Armenia’s political dialogue
with the NATO and reforms in the system of defence. The Government
head of Armenia assured that they will be implemented in parallel to
settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, improvement of the general
security situation in the region and especially of the Armenian-Turkish
relations. The Prime Minister emphasized that by that cooperation,
Armenia has never contradicted different systems of security to
each other and has acted in the field of mutual benefit and mutual
interests. Presenting the process of activity of the Committee created
in November, 2004, by the RA Prime Minister’s decision to implement
the Individual Partnership Actions Plan with the NATO, Andranik
Margarian mentioned that after adopting the program on December 16,
2005, by the North Atlantic Alliance, it has already held three working
meetings. The Committee members prepared certificates concerning works
implemented after adoption of the IPAP, planned events and lists of
assistances necessary for their implementation were presented.

Robert Simmons, expressing satisfaction with the process of works
being implemented, emphasized that the NATO’s interest in the
successful implementation of the Individual Partnership Action Plan
with Armenia, especially from the viewpoint of great attention paid
by the alliance towards the South Caucasian region during the recent
years. He considered his appointment as well to be one of displays
of that attention and interest. The Actions Plan adopted in December,
according to Robert Simmons, was a big step forward of the cooperation
with Armenia and expresses Armenia’s interests, assisting reforms
in the military sphere and strengthening of democracy. Simmons
also emphasized that the NATO has always specially mentioned that
it welcomes widening of the Euroatlantic cooperation and does
not observe it as rivalry with other systems. He mentioned the
necessity of organizing soon a wide public awareness process to have
a right notion concerning NATO activity, goals. The NATO Secretary’s
General Speacial Representative thanked the RA Government’s head
for keeping the work of the interdepartmental commission in the
center of attention and for organizing works at a high level. He
spoke favourably about the Armenian Ambassador’s work in Brussels as
well. “Though the visit hasn’t finished yet, but I can say that the
results are rather impressing. A considerable progress was fixed in
the joint work during the last six months,” Robert Simmons mentioned,
emphasizing that this is a process, that continuous efforts must be
made to reach defined goals which, according to him, coincide with
program goals of Armenia with the EU. As Noyan Tapan was informed
by the Government’s Information and Public Relations Department,
the Prime Minister assured that Armenia will continue assisting all
efforts of the NATO which will be addressed to development of the
constructive dialogue, development of the regional cooperation among
the South Caucasian states. He assured that from now on the Government
of Armenia will follow with attention implementation of the Individual
Partnership Actions Plan as well as of aimed events presented within
that framework by interested ministries and departments, expecting
expert’s and technical assistance of the NATO international staff
and member countries as well in it.

WHAT WILL THE NEW DEPUTY DO IN THE PARLIAMENT?

A1+
[03:56 pm] 23 May, 2006

“I would like to hear more political debates in the Parliament instead
of non political ones,” Gegham Manoukyan, NA new deputy informed
us today.

He entered the Parliament as a result of a procedure which certain
political analysts call a collapse of the Coalition. It means that
in case OYP didn’t quit the Coalition, and Levon Lazarian wasn’t
appointed the Minister of Education, Gegham Manoukyan wouldn’t go to
the Parliament.

But he is of different opinion. “The Coalition exists, and it is
independent of certain people. There is a Coalitional memorandum which
is the base of the Coalition. There is a principle of the Coalition,
a document which testifies to the existence of the Coalition.” In
Gegham Manoukyan’s opinion the political state of internal affairs is
quiet in the country and nothing strange or extraordinary has happened.

“The changes are normal and logical on the threshold of elections,”
he claims. By the way, the latter will continue his creative work. “I
would like to be engaged in journalism and I shall continue my work.”

Asked whether he will be involved in political or legislative activity
in the Parliament he answered, “Whenever any deputy deals with only
political issues in the Parliament he harms the activity of the
Parliament, politics and legislative activity are connected.”

Russian general denies reports he was detained in Georgia – 1
X-Sender: Asbed Bedrossian <[email protected]>
X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 — ListProcessor(tm) by CREN

19/05/2006 19:14

TBILISI, May 19 (RIA Novosti) – General Valery Yevnevich, a deputy chief
commander of Russia’s land troops, played down speculation Friday that he had
been detained by Georgian military police earlier in the day.
“I am fulfilling the objectives I have been set,” Yevnevich said. “I have
faced no travel problems in Georgia.”
Aleko Sukhitashvili, chief of Georgia’s military police, said the general and
officers accompanying him had not been detained.
But Russia’s Foreign Ministry said police had stopped Yevnevich’s car near
the town of Gori in eastern Georgia, but after he had been identified the car
had been allowed to proceed.
“I am traveling quietly to Tbilisi [Georgia’s capital],” said Yevnevich, who
oversaw the withdrawal of military hardware from the Russian base in
Georgia’s Akhalkalaki.
The pullout from Akhalkalaki, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the border
with NATO-member Turkey, began May 15.
Under a March 31 agreement between Russia and Georgia, Russian troops are to
leave two Soviet-era military bases in Georgia by 2008.

Today, Azerbaijan
May 20 2006

Telegraph: “Armenia should establish Nagorno Karabakh as a separate
state”

Ed West in his article “You need friends to win in Eurovision” for
Britain’s Telegraph online edition interferes in the internal affairs
of Azerbaijan.

The latest act in the Yugoslav drama plays out tomorrow when tiny
Montenegro votes on independence from Serbia. And while Croatia’s
tragic schism with the Serbs was provoked by football rivalry, the
final nail in the federation’s coffin is karaoke.

These old allies, who fought together against Croats, Albanians and
Nato, are on the point of rupture over their joint representative at
the Eurovision Song Contest, held tonight in Athens. In the Serbian
version of A Song For Europe, Montenegrin judges were accused of
tactically voting for compatriots No Name ahead of Serbian favourites
Flamingoes, leading to uproar from a hostile Belgrade crowd and the
terrified Montenegrin boy band being escorted out by security.

With typical Balkan bloody-mindedness, the Serbians withdrew
altogether, and neither country got to appear. To add insult to
injury, their place was allotted to the best semi-finalist… Croatia.

Controversy has been a staple of Eurovision, established 50 years ago
by the European Broadcasting Union in the spirit of fostering
European unity. And while the British treat Eurovision as a joke, for
Europe’s small nations it is their moment in the sun. After wins for
Estonia in 2001, Latvia in 2002 and Ukraine in 2004, tomorrow Armenia
arrives on the big stage, and nationalist controversy is already
rampant. Neighbouring Azerbaijan is none too happy that Armenian
entrant André has listed his place of birth as “Republic of Nagorno
Karabakh”. An Armenian MP has also complained that the song,
containing Turkish words, is not “Armenian enough”.

But really, instead of trying to absorb Nagorno Karabakh, Armenia’s
government should establish it as a separate state, thereby creating
a voting buddy. That’s the way Eurovision works: a Cypriot entry
could simply walk on stage and belch, and still be sure of 12 votes
from the Greeks.

Various research papers have identified patterns of voting blocs,
including the Viking, Slavic and Balkan groups and even an
impressive-sounding Spanish-Andorran alliance. Lordi, Finland’s entry
and the contest’s first-ever death-metal band, may not do for all
tastes, but they can be confident the Swedes will help out, as they
did for most of Finland’s previous attempts, including Chirpy Chirp,
the mysterious Pump Pump and the bizarre, accordion-led reggae
interpretation Reggae OK.

Likewise, seven-times winner Ireland can always rely on a generous
score from the UK, almost as if it were a clause in the 1921 Treaty.
And Germany often favours its eastern neighbours with guilt points
(there probably is a German word for it), while everyone in Europe
gives generously to Israel’s interesting renditions. (No one is
exactly sure why Israel is even in Eurovision, save for the suspicion
that it would not do well in a Middle Eastovision, least of all with
a trans-sexual diva like Dana International.)

So if Eurovision is all about friends, what about Le Royaume-Uni? As
with the Common Market and European Football Championships, Britain
failed to enter the first Eurovision, which subsequently developed a
French feel. Indeed, we have long suspected that the whole thing is a
continental carve-up.

Back in 1988, Scott Fitzgerald was way ahead of his Swiss rival with
just two votes to go, but failed to get any reward from the Yugoslav
or French panels. The following day on radio phone-ins many callers
claimed that communist Yugoslavia had favoured neutral Switzerland
over Nato Britain, while no explanation was needed for the French
decision.

And with ever greater eastern participation, Britain has declined
from annual favourite to third-rate mediocrity, the low point coming
in 2003 when Jemini’s Cry Baby left the UK pointless, although
everyone was too busy focusing on Russian teen lesbians Tatu, who
finished third behind a Turkish “oriental-style rap” and a Belgian
entry sung in an imaginary language (an good way to settle the
Flemish-Walloon conflict).

The Belgians could do this because the restriction on singing in a
foreign language, designed to protect national culture but in reality
a Canute-style Francophone struggle against Americanisation, was
dropped in 1999. It worked: Poland was first to break the Old Europe
stranglehold by singing in the language of rock and roll, and came
second on its debut.

At the other end of the scale, the Swiss had one of their worst
results when they performed a number in the country’s tiny Rhaeto
Romantic tongue.

In retrospect, the greatest tragedy of Eurovision was that it gave
the world the “Swiss” representative Celine Dion. (French-Canadian
Dion is not the only foreigner to have triumphed: in 1980 and 1987
Ireland won with Australian Johnny Logan, while Estonia’s winner was
a West Indian who could not speak a word of the language, and remains
the only black singer to ever win Eurovision.)

So how can Britain take back the title? Or – a better question – do
we in fact want Daz Sampson’s Teenage Life to bring the prize back to
Blighty? With the expense involved in hosting Eurovision, winning has
become something of a white elephant. In one episode of Father Ted,
the Irish judges deliberately choose an abysmal dirge by Craggy
Island’s finest to lose for Ireland.

This trick was strongly rumoured to have actually happened in 1979,
when the Spanish judges gave maximum points to main rivals Israel. So
do not fear if we are left without friends in Europe; in the long
term it will cost us less.

“ZERKALO”: PARLIAMENT OF FRANCE LEFT ARMENIANS HIGH AND DRY
M. Majidli

19.05.2006

Yet nobody will imprison for denying “Armenian genocide”

Reportedly our newspaper, yesterday the Parliament of France should
have discussed and taken a decision on “Armenian genocide”. Long since
France recognized this “historic fact” but indefatigable Armenian
lobby was trying to get a pursuit of those who deny “Armenian genocide”
and oppose “this fact”, i.e. it concerns deprivation of freedom of
“abandoned”.

Still in April Zerkalo referring to Turkish Milliyyet newspaper which
reported that this May 18 the Socialist Party of France would submit
a bill to the National Assembly of France according to which “those
who deny “Armenian genocide” will be sentenced to a year-imprisonment
or a fine amounting to â~B¬ 45.000″. The above-mentioned Party argued
its proposal that in 2001 French Parliament recognized “1915 Armenian
genocide”.

Turkey took concrete steps against it. Turkish authorities stated
that if French Parliament adopts this law, Turkish Embassy to France
will close, i.e. diplomatic relations will break off. It was also
stated that Turkey will review all economic agreements including with
private companies.

We do not know what mainly affected French MPs – the above-mentioned
statements of Turkish authorities or intensification of feeling of
justice but after yesterday’s debates French Parliament denied to
vote a bill and delayed the discussions.

In France, before to put the bill on agenda, it is discussed in
relevant commission. At the Commission session Jean Louis Debre,
Chairman of the Parliament decided not to submit this point to
voting and enraged Armenian lobby attended the session. After
declaration of decision Armenians stood up and began screaming: “We
demand voting”. But Chairman of Parliament did not intend to treat
excessively considerately with Armenians. Parliamentary security
service showed the door to violent Armenian lobbyists.

Roland Blump, Member of Ruling Party at the Parliament, said that
according to the laws of France, if Socialists want to re-submit the
bill to the Parliament, they have to review it obligatory and offer
new bill that they can do only a year later, starting by the way,
“all from zero”. So, only a battle has been won, war is yet to come.

–Boundary_(ID_QXS5ui5kL3/gGurpshE8ew)–

OPPOSITIONAL POLITICIAN: “ORINATS YERKIR” PARTY WAS USUAL PR-PROJECT AND ITS AUTHORS TRY TO CLOSE IT AFTER ITS ELIMINATION

Yerevan, May 19. ArmInfo. The “Orinats Yerkir” party was a usual
PR-Project and after its authors try to close it after its elimination,
the “New Times” party leader Aram Karapetyan said during today’s
press-conference in the National press- club. According to him,
a part of “OY”, especially, businessmen-deputies, were expressly
involved in the party to assure its entry into the Parliament. Now
the same part swiftly leaves it. A part of politicians, which
tried to deal with politics, remains in the “OY”, but it will
remain without money, therefore, “it will hang in the air between
power and opposition”. Karapetyan is sure the “OY” leader Arthur
Baghdasaryan fully owes the Armenia’s President Robert Kocharyan
his chair, that’s why I doubt whether any actions of Baghdasaryan,
including his applications about transfer to opposition, are not
agreed with the President’s administration. “A force majeur, being
formed with the coalition split, is advantageous to the authorities,
since it is possible to dissolve the Parliament, if desired and thus,
to win time in the Karabakh conflict settlement. R. Kocharyan and his
administration understand it perfectly and use this possibility”, A.
Karapetyan said.

COMMISSION OF RUSSIA’S PUBLIC CHAMBER CONDEMNS VANDALISM IN NAKHIJEVAN

AZG Armenian Daily
19/05/2006

On May 17, the commission on culture and spiritual heritage of
Russia’s Public Chamber headed by Metropolit Kliment discussed the
alarming issue of annihilation of Armenian monuments in Nakhijevan,
Azerbaijan, that was raised at a recent roundtable in Moscow. Despite
UNESCO’s efforts, Azerbaijani vandals destroyed the remaining 4.000
khachkars (stone crosses) in New Jugha.

According to Yerkramas newspaper, 27.000 Armenian monuments – churches,
monasteries and chapels – dated 7-19 century were destroyed during the
years of Azerbaijani rule in Nakhijevan. The state-backed vandalism
is aimed at wiping away the Armenian trace in Nakhijevan.

The commission unanimously condemned the vandalism in New Jugha
as well as expressed willingness jointly with other commissions of
the Public Chamber to inquire after the state of foreign cultural
monuments in Azerbaijan.

TURKEY URGES FRANCE TO DROP ARMENIAN “GENOCIDE” BILL

Agence France Presse — English
May 18, 2006 Thursday 1:57 PM GMT

Turkey urged France to abandon plans to criminalize denials of
the Armenian “genocide” after a scheduled vote on a draft bill in
the French parliament was called off Thursday, averting a possible
diplomatic crisis with Ankara.

“Our expectation from now on is to give up bringing the proposal to
the agenda of the French parliament again,” a Turkish foreign ministry
statement said.

It also called on France to lend support to Ankara’s proposal for
the establishment of a Turkish-Armenian committee of historians
to study the World War I massacres of Armenians under the Ottoman
Empire, research state archives and declare their conclusion to the
international community.

The bill foresees up to five years in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros
(57,000 dollars) for denying that the Armenians were the victim of
a genocide.

The debate at the French parliament earlier Thursday saw angry scenes
as supporters of the bill, introduced by the Socialist opposition,
accused members of the ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP)
of stalling the session.

The debate started late and the time allocated for its discussion
ran out before a vote could take place.

Discussion of the controversial text will now be pushed back to
October at the earliest, under the parliamentary calendar.

Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy came out openly against the
bill, which follows on from a 2001 French law officially recognizing
the 1915-1917 massacres as genocide.

Earlier this month, Ankara briefly recalled its ambassador from
Paris for consultations and warned that the adoption of the bill
would damage ties.

Turkey categorically rejects the “genocide” label, arguing that 300,000
Armenians and as many Turks were killed in civil strife in the final
years of the Ottoman Empire when the Armenians rose up for independence
in eastern Anatolia and sided with invading Russian troops.

Armenians claim up to 1.5 million of their kin were slaughtered
in orchestrated killings and are pressing a campaign for their
international recognition as genocide.

TURKISH MP SUBMITS BILL ON FRENCH GENOCIDE OF ALGERIAN PEOPLE

Anatolia news agency
18 May 2006

Ankara, 18 May: Mahmut Kocak, a Justice and Development Party (AKP)
parliamentarian, has presented a draft law to Turkish parliamentary
Speaker’s office on Thursday [18 May] on genocide against Algerian
people.

The draft resolution proposes that the acts carried out by French
troops in Algeria shall be accepted as “genocide” and asks that 8
May shall be declared as “commemoration day of Algerian genocide”.

The draft law also proposes that any denial of “this genocide” shall
be considered as a crime.

The draft law describes the inhumane acts which France did in several
Algerian cities on 8 May 1945 as “genocide”.

The draft resolution asks for punishment of individuals who reject
“genocide” in Algeria, with imprisonment terms and fine.

Kocak told a news conference that reciprocity principle was valid
in international relations, stating that the draft resolution was
prepared to “retaliate” [against] French proposal.

He said Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika also had a request
in this direction.

Last week, Motherland Party (Anavatan) parliamentarian Ibrahim
Ozdogan prepared a draft law envisaging three years of imprisonment
for individuals who make claims of Armenian genocide.

The draft requests imprisonment terms up to three years for individuals
who allege (through article, picture or cartoon) that Turks committed
genocide against Armenians.

French parliament ended Thursday’s session on a draft law which
proposes “any denial of Armenian genocide to be considered a crime”
without bringing it to voting.

French parliament sources said that a possible voting on the draft
law would not be held until new legislation term began in October.

OPERATION CONTINUES IN SEA NEAR SOCHI TO RAISE AIRLINER RECORDERS

ITAR-TASS, Russia
May 17 2006

SOCHI, May 17 (Itar-Tass) – The third stage of the search operation is
under way at the A-320 airliner crash site in the Black Sea near Sochi.

According to the operational headquarters, the third, final, stage
of the operation has been continuing day and night in the area where
the Armenian airbus crashed. Groups of searchers are on duty there
for eight hours and replace each other.

The strong side wind that impeded the operation subsided at about
midnight to Wednesday.

The deep-water robot device sank to the seabed during the period from
01:00 till 06:00 on Wednesday to search for the airliner recorders.

Silt on the bottom complicates the work. The video camera and the
searchlights get dirty, and the team has to raise the robot to clean
them. Its sinking takes 40 minutes, and it takes the same time to
raise it, a source in the operational headquarters told Itar-Tass.

The search groups had a break in the work for some time on Wednesday
morning. If the weather does not worsen, the search will continue.

The rescue vessel Kapitan Beklemishev delivered the RT-1000 robot
from Novorossiisk to Sochi on Monday.

The robot did not participate in such operations before. It raised
only geological samples weighing up to 20 kilogrammes and did not
work at such depths.

The device is capable to lift fragments of the plane weighing up
to 12 kilogrammes and the two flight recorders, each weighing seven
kilogrammes, said the Russian sea and river transport department’s
head Alexander Davydenko.

The RT-1000 is a system consisting of control and lifting equipment
and the apparatus itself with photo and video equipment and a hydraulic
manipulator operating in all directions.

According to reports, the flight recorders are at the depth of 496
metres. The distance between them is about five metres.

The Armavia airline A-320 airbus fell into the sea on May 3 when
approaching Sochi’s airport in an attempt to land. The crash killed
113 people.

The operation to raise the fight recorders resumed late on Tuesday
night when the wind subsided.

The vessel Navigator with the robot aboard remained at the area on
Wednesday morning, the operational headquarters said.

On Tuesday, the strong side wind blew off the Navigator from the site
and did not allow resuming the work on the bottom.

The operation to find and raise the recorders may last three days.