Author: Chmshkian Vicken

IRANIAN VICE-AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA: IRAN-ARMENIA GAS PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT CAN BE AMENDED ONLY UNDER BOTH SIDES’ CONSENT
Arka News Agency, Armenia
June 14 2006
YEREVAN, June 14. /ARKA/. Iran-Armenia gas pipeline construction
project can be amended only under both sides’ consent, Iranian
Vice-Ambassador to Armenia Ali Akbar Jokar told journalists on Tuesday
commenting on probability of a pipeline section acquisition by Russia.
In his words, there are no amendments so far and the project
implementation runs in due course in accordance with the agreement
signed between Armenia and Iran.
He said Iran remains committed to providing gas to Armenia.
Construction of Iran-Armenia 141-km gas pipeline of 700mm diameter
has been estimated to cost 120 million.
Construction of Meghri-Kajaran, the pipeline’s first Armenian
section, started on November 30, 2004. The second section
Kajaran-Sisyan-Jermuk-Ararat will be constructed by Sanir Iranian
Company. The pipeline construction is expected to be completed by
2007.

ARMENIA ENJOYS SYMPATHY IN SWITZERLAND
Panorama.am
14:45 12/06/06
Today Swiss Federation Council Deputy Chairman, foreign minister
Michelin Kamli Rey stated in a joint press conference with Vartan
Oskanyan that Switzerland pays particular attention to South Caucasus,
moreover, he said that “Armenia has a big capital of sympathy in
Switzerland.”
The two ministers have signed today a treaty on exclusion of double
taxation between the two countries. This document will enable the
countries to deepen the dialogue between the two, focusing on economic
cooperation. Michelin Kamli Rey noted that the countries have started
political cooperation since 1988 when humanitarian assistance was
rendered to Armenia. Until today, Switzerland has rendered 28 mln
Swiss frank as humanitarian aid. Another 4 mln is planned for this
year. The Armenian community in Switzerland plays a key role in the
country, he said.
Switzerland has recognized and condemned the Armenian
genocide. Moreover, they have adopted a law which condemns those
who do not recognize it. Despite of this, the foreign minister said
that relations with Turkey are good but they become tense “from time
to time.”

Armenpress
BANK GOVERNOR PREDICTS FURTHER GAIN OF DRAM OVER US
GREENBACK

YEREVAN, JUNE 9, ARMENPRESS: The president of one
of the leading Armenian commercial banks predicted
today that Armenia’s national currency, Dram, will
continue to gain over the US Dollar.
Ashot Osipian, the governor of Armeconombank, cited
global depreciation of the greenback, saying this
trend has played a role in strengthening of Armenian
Dram. Other factors, accounting for continued
strengthening of Dram according to Osipian, are
domestic developments, particularly, growth in the
amount of money remittances from abroad. “The demand
for US Dollars in Armenia has cut back drastically. In
May alone the amount of money transfers from abroad
through our bank increased 35 percent, which in
concert with cut of natural gas consumption are adding
to the fall of US Dollar’s value,” he said.
Osipian also commended the Central Bank policy to
curtail ‘dollarization’ of Armenian economy and
described the decision of Fitch Rating to assign on
June 5 Armenia foreign and local currency Issuer
Default Ratings (“IDR”) of ‘BB-‘ (BB minus) with a
Stable Outlook as ‘very positive.’ Fitch Ratings said
Armenia’s sovereign credit ratings are supported by
prudent macroeconomic policies and a declining public
and external debt burden that compares favorably with
rated peers.
Fitch said ‘impressive economic performance has
been underpinned by a robust and coherent
macroeconomic policy framework and wide-ranging
structural reforms that have enhanced the capacity of
the economy to absorb adverse shocks.’
Osipian said Armeconombank has applied to Fitch
Ratings to be granted its own credit rating which is
expected to come in August.

OSCE MG HAS NEW PROPOSALS ON KARABAKH SETTLEMENT, BAKU SAYS
PanARMENIAN.Net
08.06.2006 18:54 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijan is not content with peace talks
over Nagorno Karabakh settlement, reported Head of the Public and
Political Section of Azeri President’s Administration Ali Hasanov,
when commenting on Armenian and Azeri Presidents’ latest meeting
in Bucharest. As of continuing the meetings between the Armenian
and Azeri leader, he noted that Presidents themselves decide this
matter. “If President Aliyev believes these meetings have no prospects,
Azerbaijan will consider other adequate measures,” Hasanov said.
In his words, the OSCE Minsk Group has new proposals over settlement
of the conflict. However, these are not made public and are being
analyzed by the parties.
“We are not content with today’s talks, as Armenia does not give up
its non-constructive stance.
International structures, as well as the OSCE MG are not going to
exert pressure upon it. This does not content us,” he underscored,
reports Trend.

EU TO OPEN DOORS TO ARMENIA IN “PROPER TIME”
Panorama.am
14:44 07/06/06
“Practically I do not see any reason why EU should not accept Armenia
in the coming 10 years,” Edward Macmillan Scot, Vice Chairman of
European Parliament, told a joint press conference with NA Vice
Speaker Vahan Hovhannisyan today.
He is sure the holding EU constitution referendums in Holland and
France affected largely the number of countries willing to join
EU. According to vice chairman of European Parliament they were
concerned with EU enlargement at that moment rather than constitutional
referendums. Many in Holland and France were concerned with possible
Turkish membership in EU.
E. Macmillan Scot mentioned the names of Croatia, Serbia and
the Ukraine as possible candidates of EU member states in close
future. “Next year, after Bulgaria and Romania, several Baltic states
will also join,” he said. To the question if it is possible that
EU stops enlarging for some time after Baltic states join, the vice
chairman said that EU will continuously enlarge as “enlargement is
an active process of EU.”
It is not a close structure and will open its doors to Armenia, too,
“in proper time,” he said.

Armenian Library & Museum of America
65 Main Street, Watertown MA 02472
617.9262562 (T) ~ [email protected] ~
<; PRESS RELEASE JUNE 11 --WILLIAM SAROYAN PLAY READING AT ALMA ADAA & ALMA present: William Saroyan's Play "HELLO OUT THERE" Sunday, June 11, 3:00 pm ALMA's 3rd floor The Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance (ADAA) and the Armenian Library & Museum of America (ALMA) present a reading of one of William Saroyan's most highly acclaimed short plays, "Hello Out There" (1941). The play reading is directed by Zoya Khachadurian and stars Paul Schafer, Danielle Bauman, Jason Taylor, and Michele Markarian. The play reading will be followed by Jacqueline Kazarian Papasian, Saroyan's niece, who will share some stories about her uncle, William. As a playwright, Saroyan is best known for his story "The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze" and his play "The Time of Your Life". Less known is his short wistful play "Hello Out There". This play was produced for the first time at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara on Wednesday, the 10th of September, 1941, as the curtain-raiser to George Bernard Shaw's The Devil's Disciple. The play tells about the bad luck of an itinerant gambler who is arrested and jailed in a small Texas town, charged with rape. The charge is a lie, but the only one who hears his call for justice and understanding is a young girl who cooks for the jail. The gambler gives all his money to the girl before a mob breaks into the jail and the lying woman's husband shoots him. On June 11, ADAA & ALMA will present the play reading at ALMA's contemporary art gallery on 3rd floor. The play will be directed by Zoya Khachadurian, followed by a talk about Saroyan's work and refreshments. Please RSVP to ALMA at 617.926.2562 ext. 3 or email [email protected] .
The event coincides with the exhibit “May name is Bill: Remembering
William Saroyan” Exhibit at ALMA which runs through August 4 at the
Terjenian-Thomas Hall of the contemporary art gallery. The museum
admission is free for ALMA members and children 12, and a small fee
For Adults, and students with valid ID. ALMA is located at 65 Main
Street, Watertown, MA. 617.926.ALMA (2562)
<; . Museum hours are: Thursday 6 - 9 PM, Friday and Sunday 1 - 5 PM, Saturday 10 AM - 2 PM. ###

AZERI, ARMENIAN LEADERS DISCUSS KARABAKH WITH ROMANIAN COLLEAGUE
ANS Radio, Baku
5 Jun 06
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan have met in Bucharest within the framework of the Black
Sea cooperation and development forum and discussed the Nagornyy
Karabakh problem.
The presidents have also discussed the Karabakh problem at a meeting
with their Romanian counterpart Traian Basescu.
The Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers, Vardan Oskanyan and
Elmar Mammadyarov, have held a meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairs, Belgian Foreign Minister and OSCE chairman-in-office and
Karel De Gucht. The meeting lasted for about four and half hours. The
details of the talks have not been disclosed.

ESPN
June 4 2006
Darchinyan stops Maldonado to retain flyweight title
By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
LAS VEGAS — Vic Darchinyan, elevated to main-event fighter on 24
hours’ notice, put on an impressive performance in his newfound
spotlight, stopping Luis Maldonado in the eighth round to retain his
flyweight title Saturday night.
The fight came one day after the originally scheduled main event, the
much-anticipated third fight between lightweight champion Diego
Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo, was canceled when Castillo came in
at 4½ pounds over the 135-pound limit.
Castillo was 3½ pounds over the limit for their rematch last fall,
but Corrales went through with the fight and was knocked out in the
fourth round of a non-title bout.
Determined not to give Castillo such an overwhelming advantage again,
Corrales went along with the advice of his entire team and decided
not to fight.
That left Darchinyan and Maldonado to pick up the slack for 2,500 or
so fans who decided to turn out at the Thomas & Mack Center for the
diminished card; a crowd of more than 10,000 had been expected before
the main event was canceled.
While Castillo left town in disgrace Friday night, Corrales was at
ringside mingling with fans and media and participating in the
Showtime broadcast.
Although Showtime offered him a spot on its July card, Corrales
didn’t want to go through another rigorous training camp so soon and
probably will return in September or October.
Corrales’ promoter Gary Shaw, who said he would lose “a few hundred
thousand dollars” on the event, meanwhile, was preparing a lawsuit
against Castillo. Other lawsuits are possible, including against
Castillo promoter Top Rank, headed by Bob Arum.
But that didn’t stop the show from going on.
Darchinyan (26-0, 21 KOs), a southpaw from Armenia who lives in
Australia, moved to 5-0 with five knockouts in championship fights.
He has seven knockouts in a row.
He had his way with Mexico’s Maldonado (33-1-1), a protégé of junior
lightweight star Erik Morales.
“My trainer Jeff Fenech told me to be patient,” Darchinyan said. “I
started using my left hand more in the sixth round. I didn’t want to
rush, but I knew I could knock him out. Jeff Fenech always tells me,
‘Throw the left and don’t stop.’ I knew if I keep throwing punches I
will knock him out.”
>From the opening round, Maldonado looked apprehensive given
Darchinyan’s reputation as a hellacious puncher.
Sure enough, the first left hand Darchinyan landed shook him.
“He’s too strong,” Maldonado said. “I know I landed some good
punches, but he is too strong and you don’t know where the punches
are coming from.”
Darchinyan was the constant aggressor, moving forward and looking to
land his left hand. He was in total control in the fourth round,
hurting Maldonado with a pair of left hands and opening a cut near
his right eye.
He had another big round in the fifth, which Darchinyan finished by
nearly knocking Maldonado down with a flurry of shots, including a
flush uppercut that sent him reeling across the ring.
A left hand during a combination knocked an increasingly weary
Maldonado to his knees late in the sixth round.
Although he didn’t score a knockdown in the seventh, Darchinyan
poured it on with his left hand. He hit Maldonado with it nearly at
will, and each shot that landed seemed to buckle his legs.
As the round ended, he had Maldonado pinned along the ropes as he
continued to dish out punishment, and it appeared as though it was
only a matter of time until Darchinyan could force a stoppage.
He did it in the eighth round, assaulting Maldonado with a continued
assortment of hard shots, including his powerful left. The final one
snapped Maldonado’s head back, and referee Joe Cortez stepped in and
stopped it at 1:38.
“I’d like to unify the belts, but I don’t mind moving up to super
flyweight or even bantamweight,” Darchinyan said. “I love belts and I
have room to put up at least 12 in my room.”
He would most prefer to face Jorge Arce, but Darchinyan has been
unable to lure the Mexican star into the ring.
“Arce is chicken,” Darchinyan said. “He doesn’t want to fight me. He
should just admit he doesn’t want to fight me.”
Also on the card, junior middleweight Vanes Martirosyan (9-0, 6 KOs),
a 2004 U.S. Olympian, knocked Oscar Gonzalez (9-5-1) down twice for a
first-round TKO at 2:14.
Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com.

Photo: There was no burden for Vic Darchinyan to shoulder as part of
the main event on Saturday, and he still had his flyweight belt to
show for it.
tory?id=2469837

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
June 2, 2006 Friday
RUSSIA’S FLAG OVER THE ARMENIAN MOUNTAINS;
The specific features of service on the border does not reduce the
102nd military base’s combat readiness
by Nikolai Pankratov
AN INTERVIEW WITH COLONEL ANDREI KHOLZAKOV, COMMANDER OF THE 102ND
MILITARY BASE; Colonel Andrei Kholzakov, commander of the 102nd
military base stationed in Armenia, answers the newspaper’s
questions.
Question: What are the tasks and status of the 102nd military base?
Answer: The 102nd base was created on the basis of the agreement
between Russia and Armenia. A former motorized infantry division is
the core of the base. As far as our tasks are concerned, we must
retain combat readiness and fulfill any order.
(…) Armenia has signed 45 international agreements in the military
sector with Russia. Our Defense Ministries signed the plan of
bilateral cooperation in 2006.
Question: What weapons does the base have?
Answer: We use standard weapons, like any other military unit
stationed in Russia. (…)
Question: The situation in the world may become unstable in
connection with the situation in Iran. What do you think about the
situation in the region?
Answer: I think that the situation is stable. Armenia’s attitude to
Russian servicemen is friendly.
(…)
Question: Combat training at the base is rather specific. What are
the priority tasks? What is the ratio of contract servicemen and
draftees?
Answer: We have both contract servicemen and draftees. We need
different approaches to their training. The priority task of combat
training is to teach servicemen to operate in the mountains. We have
very good firing ranges in the mountains. (…)
Question: How many Armenians do serve at the base?
Answer: Locals account for 30% of servicemen. (…) Around 10% of
officers are originally from Armenia. However, they are Russian
citizens. (…)
Question: What are Russia’s interests in this region? What are the
prospects of relations between Russia and Armenia?
Answer: There are no talks about the withdrawal of the base yet. It
will remain in Armenia during 15 years. Last summer we organized a
joint exercise with Armenia within the framework of the Collective
security treaty organization. We organize joint wargames.
(…)
Question: The press stated that part of military hardware withdrawn
from Georgia will be sent to the 102nd base. What can you say about
it?
Answer: This is a normal process. We have weapons, which need to be
replaced due to their deterioration.
Question: (…) What are the most topical problems? Do you have
enough contract servicemen?
Answer: (…) We are not involved in the federal program aimed at
implementing the contract system of recruitment yet. The share of
contract servicemen is around 25%. This is not much. These are
specialists who determine our combat readiness: drivers, technicians
and more. We have contract sergeants.
(…)
Question: What is the ratio of officers and graduates from military
sub-faculties of civil high schools?
Answer: The ratio is 50 to 50. Around 20% of them prolong their
contracts after two-year military service. (…)
Source: Voyenno-Promyshlenny Kuryer, No. 19, May 24-30, 2006, p. 7

Turkish Press
June 2 2006
At Last, A French Acknowledgement
Published: 6/2/2006

BY OZDEMIR INCE
HURRIYET- A May 18 column by Alexander Adler published in French
daily Le Figaro made me say, `At last!’ Adler is a French historian
who is fair about the Armenian and Kurdish question. On the day when
the bill to criminalize denial of the so-called Armenian genocide was
debated in the French Parliament, Alexander went one step further and
reminded the French of their responsibilities in this tragedy: `It is
certain that there won’t be any regret over how, during the 1915
genocide, France was fighting against the Ottoman Empire. The same
France helped those Armenians who could survive the genocide to
settle in the south and even fight against the new republic of
Mustafa Kemal in French uniforms.’ (Le Figaro, `Glasnost torque sur
la question armenienne.’)
It was the first time I’d read a Frenchman acknowledge that the
Armenians were wearing French military uniforms. I talked about this
hidden fact with my friends at the meeting of the European Poetry
Academy. Members from France, Belgium and Luxembourg didn’t know this
fact. After asking why there are so many Armenians in France, I
talked about the French occupation of (Antep) Gaziantep, Cukurova and
Hatay. They didn’t know about it.
So what should be done? After the bill wasn’t voted on in the French
Parliament, this doesn’t mean that the problem has disappeared. We’ll
face it again, like in the US House of Representatives and the
Senate. It is possible to explain the French role on Ottoman soil,
the French occupation and Armenian Legionnaires in French uniforms.
Therefore, the Foreign Ministry and the Turkish Institution for
History should prepare a booklet in Turkish, French, English and
Armenian. Proof from the French archives should be given in this
booklet, which should be distributed to universities, Parliament
deputies, political parties and the French media, including the
regional organs. If we don’t do this, we’ll have to resort to
economic threats.