Author: Chalian Meline

IBF MIDDLEWEIGHT BOXING CHAMPION, ARTHUR ABRAHAM BECOMES GERMAN CITIZEN
By Roger T. Tubajiki

ringsidereport.com, VA
Aug 6 2006

At the registration office in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Germany, the
IBF Middleweight Champion, Arthur Abraham had to give up his Armenian
citizenship to become, after a long and successful naturalization
process, a German citizen. Now, Abraham joins the German WBC Super
Middleweight Champion, Markus Beyer to become yet another German
boxer to hold a world title.

"I was born indeed in Armenia, have, however, grew up in Germany.

Here is where I have become what I am today, and therefore I am in
debt to Germany for all. I really enjoy my life here and will always,
"stated the Champion.

In his next title defense bout against Edison Miranda on Sept. 23,
2006, in Wetzlar, Germany, Abraham will be honored by the German
National Hymn.

AT PRESENT, THERE ARE NO RELATIONS BETWEEN ARMENIA AND TURKEY

Yerevan, September 4. ArmInfo. At present, there are no relations
between Armenia and Turkey both at the diplomatic and any other
level. Vartan Oskanian, RA Foreign Minister, said at today’s press
conference.

At the same time , he said that one can’t say that there are no
contacts between two countries at all. He added that they aren’t fixed
at the official level. As for the initiative of the Turkish side to
shape a special commission of scholars and historians for studying the
events of 1915, "RA President Robert Kocharian has already informed
that Prime Minister of Turkey Rejep Taip Erdoghan about the negative
position of Armenia in this issue," Oskanian said.

British envoy urges end to injustice against Azerbaijan in Karabakh – agency

Azerbaijani news agency APA, Baku
1 Sep 06

1 September, Baku: Azerbaijani Defence Minister Col-Gen Safar Abiyev
has met British ambassador to Azerbaijan Lawrence Bristow, the Defence
Ministry press service has told APA news agency.

The minister spoke about the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict at the
meeting and said that there was no positive result in the settlement
of the conflict due to Armenia’s destructive position.

"Armenia does not observe four resolutions of the UN Security Council,
and the international community is putting no pressure on Armenia to
make it withdraw its troops from occupied lands. Azerbaijan will not
reconcile itself to the occupation of its lands by Armenia. Azerbaijan
will use all means, including force, to liberate our lands," Abiyev
said.

Bristow said that Azerbaijan had the right to liberate its lands.

"But the Azerbaijani government should pursue this policy in a
balanced way. My observations in the South Caucasus during three
years show that the Armenian public is under the influence of foreign
forces. Turkey is a leading NATO country. Azerbaijan has a strong
economic foundation and has been developing harmoniously in all
spheres. What situation will Armenia be in 10-15 years’ time? An end
should be put to injustice against Azerbaijan as soon as possible,"
Bristow said.

[Passage omitted: Abiyev met other envoys too]

CONGRATULATING MESSAGES ON OCCASION OF ARTSAKH INDEPENDENCE ARE GOT
FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES OF WORLD

STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 1, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. A series of
congratulating messages are got on the address of the NKR authorities
on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of proclaiming the Republic of
Nagorno Karabakh. "I wish the Artsakh people peaceful, safe, free
future and send my warmest congratulations on the occasion of the 15th
anniversary of Artsakh," is, particularly, said in U.S. first
ambassador to Armenia (1993-1995) Harry Gilmore’s letter. " I
whole-heartedly congratulate the valiant people of Artsakh, the NKR
President, the whole Government on the occasion of the 15th
anniversary of the Artsakh Independence and wish them best," is
mentioned in the message of Harut Sassounian, the California Courier
newspaper publisher and editor. As the NKR Foreign Ministry’s Press
Service states, congratulations from public figures and politicians of
different countries of the world on the occasion of the 15th
anniversary of the state independence of Nagorno Karabakh continue.

GHUKASYAN: NKR’S INDEPENDENCE FROM AZERBAIJAN NOT END IN ITSELF

Arka News Agency, Armenia
Aug. 31, 2006

STEPANAKERT, August 31. /ARKA/. Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s
independence from Azerbaijan is the only way for Karabkhi people
development and prosperity, not an end in itself, Arkady Ghukasyan,
the republic’s president said answering Azat Artsakh newspaper readers’
questions on Thursday.

"We has realized that international recognition of NKR is a long and
thorny way depending on geopolitical developments in the region",
the president said.

"But everything depends on us, our will, patience, ability to overcome
obstacles, our consolidation and firmness and readiness to build
statehood", Ghukasyan said.

In his words, Nagorno-Karabakh republic has accomplished a great deal
in building statehood, and many in the world have placed it on record.

Ghukasyan said Karabakh people had managed to recover the republic
after the war and had left Azerbaijan behind in building democracy
and other parameters.

SAMVEL PETROSIAN: "WE HAVE A GOAL TO WIN NORWEGIANS WITH SUPERIORITY OF 2 BALLS"

Noyan Tapan
Aug 30 2006

YEREVAN, AUGUST 30, NOYAN TAPAN. By group tournament program of
the second stage of the Europe football youth championship, the
national team of Armenia will receive the combined team of Norway
in Yerevan. Armenian football players pursue a goal to win. Armenian
football players, headed by Samvel Petrosian, the senior trainer of
the team, started to preparatory educational-sporting gathering from
August 29. 18 football players are involved in the trainings.

They have some experience of juvenile and youth championships of
Europe. In S.Petrosian’s words, the main goal of the team is to win
Norwegians with superiority of 2 balls."

ISSUES REALTED TO KARABAKH PROBLEM SOLUTION DISCUSSED AT MEETING OF CHAIRMAN OF BELGIAN SENATE’S FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMISSION AND T. TOROSIAN

Noyan Tapan
Aug 29 2006

YEREVAN, AUGUST 29, NOYAN TAPAN. The Speaker of the RA National
Assembly Tigran Torosian on August 29 received the Chairman of the
Belgian Senate’s Foreign Relations and Defence Commission Francois
Roelants du Vivier. According to the RA National Assembly PR
Department, during the meeting, the sides discussed issues related
to Armenia’s Eurointegration and relations with its neighbors, the
solution of the Nagorno Karabakh problem and other issues. Mr. Vivier
conveyed greetings of the Belgian Senate’s Chairwoman Ms. Anne-Marie
Lizin to Tigran Torosian, noting that he will strive for the
adoption of the draft law on denial, which is related to recognition
of the Armenian Genocide and was submitted to the Senate in early
2006. F. Vivier reminded that out of 25 EU member states, Belgium is
the only one in favor of resuming negotiations with Turkey concerning
its joining the EU. The Senate sdopted a decision with a report
containing a number of preconditions for Turkey: after the issue
of Cyprus, the second one is the Armenian Genocide’s recognition,
as any country intending to join the European family must accept
European values. Mr. Vivier presented this approach in Ankara as well,
namely in the Turkish parliament and to some high-ranking officials,
and met with their objection, although he had an impression that they
are inclined to listen. F. Vivier will also go to Nagorno Karabakh as
part of his visit to Armenia. Speaking abouit the Karabakh problem,
he noted that he does not subscribe to the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs’
opinion that negotiations should be discontinued at the pre-election
stage. He expressed concern over the fact of doubling Azerbaijan’s
military budget, adding that not taking the propaganda aspect into
account, the international community’s attention should be drawn
to this fact. In his opinion, the problem’s solution would take
into consideration the respect for the right of self-determination
published after the Rambouillet negotiations, which is a version, in
which there are neither winners nor losers. As regards the Karabakh
problem’s solution, the RA NA Speaker expressed an opinion that the
negotiations should not be linked with the pre-election stage and
the work time should not be restricted, since a good solution to
this problem may have a positive effect on the elections, while
a bad solution is always unacceptable. T. Torosian considered it
important that since 2005, the right of self-determination has
been recorded in several international documents as a principle
for conflict resolution, and after the Rambouillet negotiations it
became clear what principles should form the solution’s basis, and a
consistent use of this principle is especially important. T. Torosian
expressed concern that the Azerbaijani mass media have intensified
their propaganda of hostility towards and war against Armenia and
the Armenians. According to him, in 1991, a referendum was held in
Nagorno Karabakh under the Soviet laws, but another referendum may be
held in case of necessity. He said that over the past 12 years after
the ceasefire, the territories adjacent to the NKR, which are under
control of the NKR army, ensure the NKR population’s security and it
is obvious that it is just unacceptable to discuss any issue related
to these territories without the issue of the NKR’s status. The sides
underlined the importance of Eurointegration of the regional countries,
which will help with settlement of the conflicts and promote their
political and economic development. Mr. Vivier said that EU member
states are showing more and more positive approach to the issue
of Armenia’s joining the EU. T. Torosian attached importance to
consistency of steps taken and to be taken in this direction, which
will give guarantees of success.

ARMENIA NOT TO SEND ITS PEACEKEEPERS TO LEBANON

ArmRadio.am
30.08.2006 14:20

"Today Armenia does not intend to send its peacekeepers to Lebanon,"
RA President’s Press Secretary Viktor Soghomonyan said today in a
press conference.

Viktor Soghomonyan noted that Yerevan’s non-participation in the
peacekeeping operation in Lebanon is conditioned by several factors.

"First, the mandate of the peacekeepers has not been fixed so
far. Second, we should consider the interests of the Armenian
community of Lebanon: the possible involvement of our peacekeepers in
any clash can have negative consequences for our compatriots residing
in Lebanon," Viktor Soghomonyan clarified.

LESSONS LEARNED FROM LEBANON

"Aparazh" newspaper, Stepanakert
Yerkir.am
August 25, 2006

We witnessed the horrors of war on the TV screens in the past forty
days.

Once again, people saw that wars are the most inhumane phenomenon of
the humanity.

Beyond all this, it once again became clear for us, people who lived
through a war, that international forces starting with the UN and
the European Union cannot ensure peace if balance between conflicting
parties is not preserved.

We saw that peace cannot be achieved in conflict zones if the conflict
is not settled in a just manner.

The international community disapproved of the elections held in
Palestine.

This disapproval encouraged Israel to take action against
Palestine. This was a distortion of the balance, at least
psychologically. On the military side, USA’s and the Western countries’
support to Israel was obvious to everyone.

Moreover, in the course of the war we witnessed a new contract signed
between USA and Israel for provision of high precision rockets.

We have succeeded in establishing a balance with the enemy due to the
liberated territories. Those who want to object to this statement
should look at Azerbaijan’s increasing military budget and the
expected revenues from oil. We are the ones who should ensure this
balance through all possible legal and military means. The war in
Lebanon showed that there is no use in relying on peacekeeping forces.

The key word of the Gordian Knot of the Middle East conflict, as well
as all other conflicts, is justice. We are sure that all conflicts,
including the Artsakh conflict, can only be solved if the main
principle of justice is preserved.

Humanity’s laws and legal norms have justice as their primary aim. The
international community cannot solve any conflicts and establish
sustainable peace unless it recognizes the people’s right for justice
and freedom. This is equally true for our case. The international
actors are trying to eliminate the consequences of clashes between
conflicting parties and propose short-term solutions.

With the same logic, they propose that we should withdraw from
liberated territories so that international forces are dislocated
there with the assumption that then the refugees would be resettled
and in ten years a referendum will be held…

The international developments showed once again that relying on
one’s own strength is the only way to go. Unfortunately, leaders both
in Armenia and in Nagorno Karabagh Republic are somewhat hesitant
about this approach. Let us not be deceived and let us stand for our
positions firmly.

ARMENIA CONVICTS MAN IN 2005 AZUSA SLAYING

Los Angeles Times
August 26, 2006 Saturday
Home Edition

In Brief / Los Angeles County / Glendale

A former Glendale resident who fled the country after being sought
in connection with the slaying of his girlfriend has been tried and
sentenced for the crime in Armenia, Glendale police said Friday.

Artur Khanzadyan was found guilty Friday in an Armenian court of
killing Odet Traturyan, 24, and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Traturyan’s body was found in Khanzadyan’s car last September in Azusa.

U.S. officials had tried unsuccessfully to extradite Khanzadyan
from Armenia.