Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

VARTAN OSKANIAN: CILICIA VESSEL HAS PECULIARLY BECOME ARMENIA’S SYMBOL

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 11 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 11, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On May 11, RA Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian received the crew of the Cilicia vessel led
by writer and publicist Zori Balayan. As Noyan Tapan was informed from
RA Foreign Ministry Press and Information Department, during the warm
conversation the navigators presented the preparatory work of the
navigation’s final stage mentioning that they proceed according to
the plan. Minister Oskanian assured that the Foreign Ministry will
assist the implementation of the preparatory works and to solution
of the problems arising in the process as far as possible. He highly
estimated the role of this unique navigation and the bravery of the
crew mentioning that by this Cilicia has peculiarly become Armenia’s
symbol. Vartan Oskanian wished the sailors success at the last stage
of the navigation.
From: Baghdasarian

ADIDAS BUYS REEBOK DISTRIBUTION RIGHTS FOR RUSSIA, NO TERMS DISCLOSED

AFX Europe (Focus)
May 10, 2006

FRANKFURT (AFX) – Adidas-Salomon AG said it has acquired the
distribution rights for the Reebok brand in Russia and other former
Soviet states from Russia’s ZAO RBK-Retail for an undisclosed sum,
effective Jan 1 next year.

The deal includes rights for Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Belarus,
Armenia and Azerbaijan, the sporting goods maker said.
From: Baghdasarian

ITAR-TASS, Russia
May 9 2006

UN General Assembly electing human rights council

United Nations, May 9 (Itar-Tass) — The elections of the new UN
agency, a human rights council, have begun at the General Assembly.
Sixty-four states nominated their candidates for 47 seats in the
council.

It was decided to replace the UN Human Rights Commission with the
Human Rights Council at the Summit 2005 last September. In the
opinion of the majority of delegates, the commission was excessively
politicized and failed to meet human rights tasks of the
international community.

The competition will be especially tight amongst East European
candidates, including Russia, Azerbaijan, Albania, Armenia, Hungary,
Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Ukraine and
the Czech Republic, who aspire for six seats in the council. All in
all, the East European regional group has 22 members.

UN diplomats are readying for several days of multi-round direct and
secret vote. The thing is that a victorious candidate needs no less
than 96 votes of General Assembly delegates. The winners’ office will
be limited to two three-year consecutive terms.

The new council will start working on June 19.
From: Baghdasarian

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 9 2006

10 border stations will be open on Azerbaijani-Georgian border in May

[ 09 May 2006 14:27 ]

Number of border stations will be open this year. Elchin Guliyev,
Chief of State Boundary Service (SBS), told the media about (APA).

E. Guliyev told that up to 10 border stations are going to be open on
Azerbaijani-Georgian in May only. SBS Chief rejected the fact that
Armenians lead their troops towards the Border responding the
question about.
`We do not have this information. Adequate measures will be taken
against such events if happened. State Boundary Service units quickly
switch emergency regime in disturbing directions bringing extra
technical equipments and personnel’. /APA/
From: Baghdasarian

Agence France Presse
9 mai 2006 mardi 12:00 PM GMT

Rappel de l’ambassadeur turc: une décision qui relève d’Ankara, selon Paris

PARIS 9 mai 2006

Paris a souligné mardi que le rappel pour consultations de
l’ambassadeur de Turquie en France, en raison d’une proposition de
loi prônant des poursuites contre toute personne niant l’existence du
génocide arménien, “relevait des autorités turques elles-mêmes”.

“C’est une décision qui relève des autorités turques elles-mêmes et
je n’ai pas de commentaire particulier à faire”, a déclaré le
porte-parole adjoint du ministère des Affaires étrangères, Denis
Simonneau.

M. Simonneau a également souligné que “les autorités turques
elles-mêmes ont indiqué que l’ambassadeur devrait regagner Paris très
prochainement”.

Interrogé sur les conséquences pour les relations franco-turques si
le texte de loi était adopté, le porte-parole M. Simonneau a déclaré:
“pour le moment difficile à dire. Le fait est que nous suivons la
situation et les réactions des autorités turques avec grand intérêt”.

La Turquie a annoncé lundi le rappel en consultations de ses
ambassadeurs en France et au Canada, en raison de désaccords sur la
portée des massacres commis contre les Arméniens du temps de l’Empire
ottoman.

Ankara avait averti la France la semaine dernière que les relations
bilatérales pourraient être gravement affectées si l’Assemblée
nationale française votait cette loi.

Les autorités turques s’étaient également déclarées “consternées” par
des propos du Premier ministre canadien Stephen Harper saluant la
commémoration du génocide arménien, reconnu par des résolutions du
Parlement canadien.

Le ministère canadien des Affaires étrangères avait réagi lundi en
estimant que “ces consultations (de l’ambassadeur turc) sont une
affaire intérieure turque” et en refusant à se “livrer à des
spéculations sur leur nature”.

Les Arméniens estiment que jusqu’à 1,5 million des leurs ont péri
dans un génocide orchestré par l’Empire ottoman entre 1915 et 1917.

Ankara soutient que 300.000 Arméniens et au moins autant de Turcs ont
été tués au cours de troubles suscités par des soulèvements
d’Arméniens et leur ralliement aux armées russes en guerre contre
l’Empire ottoman, et lors des déportations qui ont suivi.
From: Baghdasarian

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
May 6 2006

Weather 100 percent one of causes of Armenian plane’s crash

Flight recorders of Armenian airbus can be extracted from water today

Air crash creates atmosphere of general will: Kocharian

*************************************** ******************************

WEATHER 100 PERCENT ONE OF CAUSES OF ARMENIAN PLAN’S CRASH

Yerevan, May 6. /ARKA/. The weather is 100 percent one of the causes
of the crash of the Armenian plane, the ex-chief of the RA Chief
Aviation Department, Chairman of the National Association of Aviation
Dmitry Adabashyan told reporters.
The bad weather in the tragic night certainly plays its role in all
the possible versions of the crash, he said.
According to him, the Sochi airport, particularly the land services,
are not well fit for serving planes in bad weather, which played its
role in the crash. P.T. -0–

************************************************ *********************

FLIGHT RECORDERS OF ARMENIAN AIRBUS CAN BE EXTRACTED FROM WATER TODAY

YEREVAN, May 6. /ARKA/. Flight recorders of the Armenian airbus can
be extracted from the water today, ex-Chairman of the Armenian State
Administration of Civil Aviation, Chairman of the National
association of aviation, honored aviator of the USSR, Dmitry
Adbashyan told reporters.
`We know about the location of the flight recorders, and their
extraction is just a matter of technique,’ he said.
According to Adabashyan, many organizations, first of all, the
manufacturer of the airbus, French company `Airbus’ are interested in
the extraction of the flight recorders as soon as possible, because
it is interested in collecting evidences that the reason of the air
crash was not a technical malfunction.
Adabashyan ruled out a possibility of damage of the flight recorders
in the water. `They are made of a very solid resistant material and
capable of preserving its parameters up to 1100 degrees centigrade
above zero,’ the expert said.
According to him, flight recorders preserve energy and emit signals
during one month underwater.
The flight recorders from the Armenian airbus are currently located
on the bed of Black Sea at a depth of 680 meters. R.O. –0–

************************************************ *********************

AIR CRASH CREATES ATMOSPHERE OF GENERAL WILL: KOCHARIAN

YEREVAN, May 6. /ARKA/. Air crash of the Armenian airbus created an
atmosphere of general will, Armenian President Robert Kocharian
stated during his meeting with a delegation of Ramkavar-Azatakan
party (Liberal-Democratic Party).
`In the small Armenia, where everyone are related to each other, this
tragedy created the atmosphere of general will,’ he said.
In his turn, Leader of the RAP Mike Kharapian expressed condolences
of circles of the Armenian Diaspora to the Armenian President on the
occasion of the air crash.
He pointed out that the Diaspora equally grieves with the homeland
over the great loss.
Members of the delegation and Kocharian also discussed possibilities
of a more purposeful application of the RAP potentials in
all-Armenian initiatives, and issues, connected with the forum
Armenia-Diaspora, which is to be held in Yerevan in September 2006.
R.O. –0–
From: Baghdasarian

Flight International
May 8 2006

Armavia A320 crashes on second approach to Sochi

DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW & DAVID LEARMOUNT/LONDON

The crew of the Armavia Airbus A320 that crashed into the Black Sea
close to Sochi in southern Russia on 3 May was attempting to make its
second approach to the airport in poor weather conditions. All 105
passengers and eight crew members were killed.

Armavia says the crew of flight U8 967, operating from Yerevan,
Armenia, to Sochi, had planned to divert to the Georgian capital
Tbilisi as weather reported for the destination was below minima, but
information about improved conditions led them to change their minds
and attempt a landing.

Russia’s transport ministry says the weather conditions at Sochi did
not meet the minimum criteria of `100m’ (330ft) cloud ceiling and
1,500m visibility. The crew abandoned its initial approach to runway
06, which has an instrument landing system, before opting to make a
second attempt using runway 02 where visibility was reported to be
better.

Meteorological data from the Sochi airport weather station at 02:00
local time indicate the presence of cumulonimbus clouds, but only
light precipitation, the wind light and variable, and the cloudbase
at 600ft with mist below it.

The ministry says air traffic control lost contact with the aircraft
while it was manoeuvring to position for the second approach at about
02:15, and at that time the aircraft was operating at a height of
around 920ft and an airspeed of 135kt (250km/h). The 11-year-old A320
hit the surface of the Black Sea about 6km (3nm) offshore, and there
had been no emergency call from the crew. Russia’s transport minister
Igor Levitin has reportedly cautioned that a recovery effort will be
difficult. He says the bulk of the wreckage is lying at a depth of
around 680m.

The aircraft had accumulated about 28,200 flight hours and 14,400
cycles.

les/2006/05/09/Navigation/177/206443/Armavia+A320+ crashes+on+second+approach+to+Sochi.html
From: Baghdasarian

47 of Black Sea air crash victims identified

Interfax, Russia
May 7 2006

SOCHI. May 7 (Interfax-South) – The bodies of 47 people killed in the
crash of an Armenian airliner off the Russian Black Sea coast on May
3 have been identified, a source at the headquarters of the search
effort told Interfax on Sunday.

“Out of the 51 retrieved bodies 47 have been identified and sent to
places of burial,” the source said.

Also on Sunday evening rescuers discovered one more fragment of
the airliner’s fuselage on the sea bottom. The operations of rescue
vessels have been suspended until Monday morning.

“The deep-sea diving system Kalmar noticed aircraft fragments at the
depth of 450 meters, not 680 as believed before. The signals of flight
recorders were registered but their exact whereabouts have not been
established,” the source said.

He added that Kalmar would be further used on Monday. ml
From: Baghdasarian

48 capsules with Black Sea water to represent not found victims

ITAR-TASS, Russia
May 7 2006

YEREVAN, May 7 (Itar-Tass) — Forty-eight capsules filled with Black
Sea water and soil were delivered in Yerevan last night to represent
Sochi air crash victims, who had not been found. That was done by
request of the victims~R families.

Five bodies are still to be identified in Sochi, Armenian Ambassador
to Russia Armen Smbatyan told Itar-Tass.

A two-day mourning for the air crash victims is over in Armenia.

The tragedy aggrieved everyone in the small Armenia, which is
intertwined by family relations and friendship, President Robert
Kocharyan said.

The demand for flights between Yerevan and Sochi is very high, as
people want to attend funerals of the air crash victims and support
their families and friends, a source at the Armavia airline said.
From: Baghdasarian

CIS SECURITY BODY CHIEF CALLS FOR COOPERATION WITH UZBEKISTAN

UzReport.com website, Tashkent
5 May 06

The heads of the member states of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization [CSTO] are ready to deepen cooperation with Uzbekistan,
the secretary-general of the CSTO, Nikolay Bordyuzha said in Minsk
on Thursday [4 May].

He is taking part in the away session of the international
antiterrorist media forum which is taking place in the capital of
Belarus, RIA Novosti reported.

“An idea of joint activities with Uzbekistan in a number of specific
issues found a complete support of the presidents of all CSTO members
states,” Bordyuzha said.

Bordyuzha said that after meeting Uzbek President Islom Karimov,
during which an agreement on deepening cooperation in a number of
spheres was reached, he also visited leaders of the CSTO member states.

“The presidents believe that we should cooperate with Uzbekistan in
the sphere of countering political and religious extremism, providing
stability in the Central Asian region,” the secretary-general of the
CSTO noted.

As a specific example of cooperation he demonstrated consultations of
the secretaries of the security councils of CSTO of the central Asian
region and Uzbekistan that were held in Dushanbe, and during which
“specific joint measures on ensuring stable situation in Central Asia
were discussed”.

Uzbekistan, Bordyuzha emphasized, as a big and powerful state in the
region, very seriously influences the political situation.

The secretary-general of the CSTO believes that if the steps that
are being made bring the member states of the organization and
Uzbekistan to a new level of cooperation, then, he does not “exclude
a possibility, if Uzbekistan is interested, of its joining the CSTO”.

However, Bordyuzha noted, for Uzbekistan, that had once joined the
collective security treaty, “it is not serious to do hasty steps now
and to join the CSTO”.

“Only joint activities of all states will ensure stability in Central
Asia, particularly, when the situation is getting tense there,”
Bordyuzha underlined.

The CSTO member states are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Russia and Tajikistan.
From: Baghdasarian