Author: Chakhmakhchian Vatche

GEOPOLITICAL REALITY IS CHANGING
Lragir.am
07 July 06
Mathew Bryza’s statements show that the geopolitical situation is
changing in the region, stated Ruben Safrastyan, expert of Turkish
Studies, who commented Mathew Bryza with Hrant Khachatryan on July
7 at the Hayeli Club.
Ruben Safrastyan believes that the geopolitical status quo established
10-12 years ago is changing, the evidence to this is the pullout of the
Russian force from Georgia, the operation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
oil pipeline. Ruben Safrastyan thinks that another display of changes
underway will be the alleged membership of Georgia to NATO, which
will happen in the nearest future, says the expert of Turkish studies.
Ruben Safrastyan says Bryza’s statement implies that the United States
is likely to have political processes in the region, including Armenia,
adjusted to the new geopolitical state of things. Ruben Safrastyan,
expert of Turkish studies, thinks that connecting Turkish-Armenian
relations and the resolution of the Karabakh conflict, which Bryza did,
is in this context.
Ruben Safrastyan stresses that this approach is not new and,
unfortunately, expresses the approach of the United States to
this issue. He says Armenia should do its best to divide the
Turkish-Armenian relations and the resolution of the conflict over
Karabakh by changing the approach of the United States.
The leader of the Constitutional Right Union Hrant Khachatryan
agrees with Ruben Safrastyan. According to him, the geopolitical
frontier has moved towards the East since 1985. In his opinion,
Armenia should be more alert and attentive in such a situation, get
rid of historical complexes and make realistic decisions. Therefore,
according to Hrant Khachatryan, there are quite favorable international
components, and we only have to find a correct and effective solution
of national problems.

IRAN FM: LARIJANI-SOLANA TALKS ON IRAN NUCLEAR ISSUE CALLED OFF
Author: À.Mammadov
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
July 5 2006
(IRNA) – Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki here Wednesday said that
talks scheduled for today between Supreme National Security Council
(SNSC) Secretary Ali Larijani and European Union foreign policy chief
Javier Solana will not be held.
Larijani and Solana were scheduled to hold talks on Europe’s package
of incentives to Iran on Wednesday (today).
Mottaki made the disclosure on the sidelines of the official
welcoming ceremony held this morning to welcome Armenian President
Robert Kocharian who is in the country for a two-day official visit,
reports Trend.
Mottaki made the disclosure when asked about the Larijani-Solana
talks and what he predicted would be the outcome.
–Boundary_(ID_oaGOlOpKosibfvKLKx2gcg)–

TODAY ARMENIA CELEBRATES CONSTITUTION DAY
ArmRadio.am
05.07.2006 12:10
The Constitution of the Republic of Armenia is 11. In 1995 the first
Constitution in the Armenian history was adopted. In the 10th year
of its existence the Major Law of the country faced the necessity of
amendments. During the past decade the Constitution has many times
demonstrated its vitality and has shown ways out of the most complex
situations, the authorities mention, simultaneously stating that the
Constitutional amendments are of great importance for the progress
of the Republic of Armenia. The reformed Constitution is already in
force today.
“11 years ago the new Constitution laid the legal basis of our
statehood,” says RA Ombudsman Armen Harutyunyan.

FOREIGN MINISTRY ANSWERS TO OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS’ LAST STATEMENT
Today, Azerbaijan
July 4 2006
There is nothing new in the statement of OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs,
the principles enumerated there are known to all of us, Azerbaijani
side for several times held talks about its position and details
discussed.
Our approach is very simple. The settlement of the conflict is of
packet and staged character, within the first stage 8-10 components
should be implemented as well as liberating of occupied territories
around Nagorno Karabakh, withdrawal of Armenian troops from the
occupied territories, demining of the territories, restoration of
infrastructure, returning of refugees, provision of their security
and etc. After the first stage implemented, the second stage might
be matter of talk.
After the ethnic demographic restoration of the population of the
Nagorno Karabakh region as before the time of the conflict, and
provision of two communities’ security, the talk might be held on
legal, constitutional, democratic way that identifies the status of
Nagorno Karabakh.
This only might be possible on the base of Constitution of Azerbaijan
Republic and within territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. The third
article of the Constitution provides that way; this might be the way
of national referendum. Foreign Ministry Press and Information Policy
Office chief Tahir Taghizade has told in his statement related to
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs’ statement made yesterday.
As concerns the role of presidents in the statement of co-chairs, the
diplomat reminded the main format of the Prague process to be meetings
of foreign ministers and foreign ministers’ to create possible base
for meeting of Presidents.
“Without this ground the meeting of Presidents will not be efficient
and can not start.” Expressing attitude to the opinion in the
statement “We stand ready to assist the parties to conclude an
agreement if the Presidents indicate they are prepared to do so”
Tahir Taghizade stated that OSCE Minsk Group mandate’s duty is to
solve the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
“They might be considered the other party, Azerbaijani President
stated for several times the Azerbaijan is ready to peace talks and
diplomatic ways.”
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SUSPECT OF ARMED ATTACKED AGAINST ARMENIANS AT MOSCOW METRO ARRESTED
PanARMENIAN.Net
03.07.2006 13:42 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Law-enforcement bodies of Moscow have arrested a
resident of Lipetsk, 24, who is suspected in armed attack against two
natives of Armenia. At the same time the Moscow Office of the Public
Prosecutor has re-qualified the criminal case, filed on the fact of
the fight, into the article “Provoking national hatred.” The fight,
in which two Armenians got knife injuries, took place at Kuznetsky
Most metro station last Saturday. The capital’s Office of the Public
Prosecutor first considered the incident as “hooliganism,” instituting
proceedings in compliance with the respective article of the Criminal
Code, reports Lenta.ru.

Armenpress
GYUMRI AIRPORT FURNISHED WITH MODERN FLIGHT CONTROL
SYSTEM
GYUMRI, JUNE 30, ARMENPRESS: Chief of Armenian
Civil Aviation Artyom Movsisian and Radomir Hervert, a
manager from Czech ERA company dealing with P3D
systems traveled to Armenia’s Gyumri to inaugurate the
Air Traffic Management Center at its Shirak airport.
Movsisian said the agreement with the Czech company
on installment of this type center at Gyumri airport
had been signed in 2004. He said P3D systems operate
effectively at mountain airports ensuring a greater
visibility because radars there are not often
sufficient to control flights from the ground.
Hervert said the system had been tested
successfully in various climatic conditions and
especially in such which are close to climatic
conditions in Armenia. The airport in Gyumri operates
now one flight a day. Its management is carrying out a
set of projects to improve its capacities.

Catholic Online, CA
June 30 2006
Romanian archbishop: Building near cathedral threatens to destroy
what communists couldn’t
By Victor Gaetan
6/30/2006
Catholic Online ()
BUCHAREST, Romania – The largest Roman Catholic edifice in Romania,
St. Joseph Cathedral, is being threatened by an 18-story office
building with four underground levels, said Archbishop Ioan Robu of
Bucharest and several technical experts.
CONSTRUCTION SITE NEXT TO ROMANIAN CATHEDRAL – The construction site
of an 18-story office building, with four underground levels, is seen
in late May next to St. Joseph Cathedral in Bucharest, Romania. The
archbishop of Bucharest and several technical experts believe that
the cathedral is threatened by the proximity of the new building.
(CNS/Angelus Communications)
The building is being constructed to stand about 26 feet from the
122-year-old cathedral.
Despite intense opposition from Romania’s estimated 2-million-member
Roman Catholic community, daily prayer vigils and support from the
Orthodox Church, construction by Millennium SRL – a local firm
representing American investors – has continued at a frantic pace
since April. The building is designed by New York-based Westfourth
Architecture.
“They drilled on Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, shaking the church so
violently that many parishioners left in fear. They work day and
night, endangering our beloved church,” Archbishop Robu said in late
June.
Archbishop Robu said Bucharest is an earthquake-prone city. In 1977,
a magnitude-7.4 earthquake killed more than 1,500 people, mostly
Bucharest residents who died when large buildings collapsed.
“If there is an earthquake, this monster will crush us,” said
Archbishop Robu. “As well, the cathedral is built on land that is
sandy. A subterranean river runs near the plot. This is a fragile
environment.”
A former minister of public works and legislator, Nicolae Noica,
publicly criticized local authorities for allowing the project to
move ahead.
“The nature of this terrain and the water table are important
obstacles to building a 75-meter (247.5-foot) tower like this one. An
early geotechnical study reflected these issues, but it was
suppressed,” Noica said.
Numerous irregularities were confirmed in a May 10 Romanian State
Office for the Inspection of Construction report signed by 12
inspectors and the state inspector general, Dorina Isopescu.
An American structural engineer, Emanuel Necula, who worked for the
development project, resigned in protest, saying that at least 49
laws and regulations were being violated by Millennium SRL. In a May
29 report to Romanian authorities, Necula said, “All the ingredients
for a disaster are in place.”
Daiana Voicu, a representative for Millennium SRL, said June 28 the
company has obtained permits required to construct the tower,
expected to cost between $40 million and $45 million. She said
approval from the cathedral is legally unnecessary because the new
construction is not built to the edge of the property.
“We are currently in litigation with the church over the permits,”
she said. A hearing is expected in July.
Regarding the negative, 18-page Romanian construction inspector’s
report, Voicu dismissed it as biased because “Madame Isopescu is
Catholic.”
Besides physical risk, Archbishop Robu said he worries that the
integrity of the Catholic community is undermined when people are too
afraid to enter the cathedral. Parishioners from the 15 parishes
across Bucharest attend Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral together with
non-Catholics. Approximately 8,000 people visit every weekend.
Archbishop Robu said, “Money matters too much to the people building
this tower, and there is an anti-religious tendency of obscure
origin.”
He said he considered it especially ironic that the church and its
values were being marginalized now that Romania is free of communist
control.
“The spirit of communism is still active in Romania. Under (communist
dictator) Nicolae Ceausescu, we feared that the cathedral would be
torn down or covered up, which was the policy toward churches at the
time,” said Archbishop Robu. “Instead, we are under siege today. What
the communists could not destroy because of international pressure
might now be destroyed, 16 years after Ceausescu’s overthrow.”
Under communist rule, thousands were jailed and hundreds died in
prison, he said, “but our faith has been strong.”
“We will rely on this faith to contest the unjust construction,” said
the archbishop.
Meanwhile, other churches in Bucharest have faced similar battles,
the archbishop said, noting that a large centrally located Armenian
church has experienced cracks and structural damage – the direct
result of a neighboring office complex built without the church’s
agreement.
Archbishop Robu has appealed to Romanian President Traian Basescu and
leaders of the European Union to help defend the cathedral. He said
he also is writing to members of the U.S. Helsinki Commission and to
U.S. congressional leaders who have stood up for religious freedom.
Romanian politicians have been unresponsive so far, he said.

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
June 30 2006
PRINCE ANDREW VISITS MILITARY TRAINING CENTER OF AZERBAIJAN
[June 30, 2006, 17:14:17]
Duke of York, member of the British Royal Family, Prince Andrew, in
the frame of `Peacemaking English’ project of the British Council on
30 June has visited the military training center of Azerbaijan,
interested in training courses of servicemen.
In the Center, the Defense Minister of Azerbaijan, colonel-general
Safar Abiyev, chief of the international Euro-Atlantic integration
department, general-major Ramiz Najafov and other high rank officers
greeted the Prince.
In the Training Center, the officers were given certificates on
graduation of English courses.
Defense Minister Abiyev noted that hitherto over 40 Azeri officers
have been trained in different places of Great Britain in these
English courses. He expressed gratitude to the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and the Northern Ireland for support of peace
settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict,
underlining that this visit will serve expansion of cooperation.
Prince Andrew expressed pleasure with his second visit to Baku, and
the development of links in defense field. He stressed necessity of
good knowledge on English for cooperation in this field.

NO TERM GENOCIDE IN ISLAM, ERDOGAN SAYS
PanARMENIAN.Net
29.06.2006 17:49 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The matter of respect of religious confession and
freedom of expression was discussed at the PACE summer session on
June 28. According to the report of PACE Committee on Education,
Science and Culture, Finnish MP Snikki Hurskae’s report was heard.
Following him Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke about religious
record, tolerance and freedom of expression in Turkey. Then he
answered questions of the MPs. Danish MP Rune Lund accused Turkey
in committing the Armenian Genocide, occupying Cyprus and violating
rights of Kurds. In response the Turkish PM called him “helpless man,
who cannot speak basing himself on historical facts.”
Erdogan noted that he supports research of the Genocide by historians
and underscored Armenian historians are invited to take part. When
asked by a deputy, “why Allah admitted commitment of the genocide,
Erdogan noted there is no concept of genocide in Islam and added
Allah likes all people created like he does himself.”

‘CILICIA’ ELUDES DISASTER
AZG Armenian Daily
30/06/2006
Unofficial sources informed daily Azg that on Wednesday-Thursday
overnight “Cilicia” sailing vessel was on the edge of disaster. A
sequence of mighty waves filled the vessel with water and threw two of
the crewmembers into the sea. Fortunately, the sailors were rescued,
and a Lithuanian fishing boat nearby saved the vessel from foundering.
The accident took place in the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea
between Sweden and Lithuania. We could not get in touch with the crew
yesterday but reportedly the crew is doing well now and “Cilicia”
is heading to the Lithuanian harbor.