Author: Chmshkian Vicken

THE ARMENIAN MEMBER OF THE GEORGIAN PARLIAMENT VAN BAIBURT CALLED FANTASTIC THE STATEMENTS THAT TURKISH SERVICEMEN WILL REPLACE THE RUSSIAN MILITARY BASES IN JAVAKHK, GEORGIA
Arka News Agency, Armenia
May 19 2006
YEREVAN, May 19. /ARKA/. The Armenian member of the Georgian Parliament
Van Baiburt called fantastic the statements that Turkish servicemen
will replace the Russian military bases in Javakhk, Georgia.
“First, the Georgian state has its own interests. Secondly, Georgian
borders on Armenia, considers and respects its interests,” Baiburt
told ARKA.
According to him, Georgia’s economic cooperation with Turkey is not
a ground for such conclusions.
“I am sure that time will come when Turkey establishes excellent
relations with Armenia,” Baiburt said. He added that the problem of
the Armenian Genocide, which is a most important component of national
consciousness, must not be ignored.
According to him, the rumors about Turkish servicemen’s arrival in
the region were spread by those interested in the Russian military
base in Javakhk.
“If Russia did not want to leave the region, it should not have signed
the documents of the Istanbul Summit and got involved in eight-round
negotiations,” Baiburt said.
“Russia should not have called on the local Armenians to support
its presence. Why should Georgia consider Armenians to be the ‘fifth
column’ in the country?” he asked.

PRESS RELEASE
Council of Europe Press Division
Ref: 292a06
Tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 25 60
Fax:+33 (0)3 88 41 39 11
[email protected]
internet:
116th Session of the Committee of Ministers
(Strasbourg, 18-19 May 2006) –
Conclusions of the Chair
The main theme of the 116th Session of the Committee of Ministers,
chaired by Mr Mihai-Razvan Ungureanu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of
Romania, was the follow-up to the Third Council of Europe Summit, one
year on from Warsaw.
In reviewing progress with the implementation of the Summit decisions,
the Ministers identified the following priorities:
– consolidation of the Council of Europe’s system of human rights
protection;
– relations between the Council of Europe and the European Union;
– reinforcement of the Council of Europe’s action in favour of democracy
and good governance;
– the Council of Europe’s action to develop intercultural dialogue;
– implementation of Part V of the Action Plan of the Third Summit,
concerning Council of Europe reform.
During their discussions, the Ministers noted the position and
intentions of the Committee of Ministers’ institutional partners in the
Council of Europe on the issues on the agenda. They noted in particular
the positive assessment made of the work carried out in the areas of
intercultural dialogue and democracy (including local and regional
democracy and transfrontier cooperation). In this context, they took
note of the offer by Ukraine to host the plenary session of the Forum
for the Future of Democracy in 2009. They underlined the importance of
joint efforts from all Council of Europe actors for the success of the
current reform process carried out under Chapter V of the Action Plan.
The participants in the session also took note with interest of the
interim report of the Group of Wise Persons entrusted with drawing up a
comprehensive strategy to secure the long-term effectiveness of the
European Convention on Human Rights, which was presented by the Group’s
Chairman, Mr Iglesias.
The Ministers’ decisions and conclusions on the range of issues which
were on their agenda appear in the Session Communiqué.
The Council of Europe’s action in favour of democratic stability in
Europe though the promotion of its values and principles in the fields
of human rights, democracy and the rule of law was foremost in the
discussions. In this connection, the exchange of views with Mr Martti
Ahtisaari, Special Envoy of the Secretary General of the United Nations
for the future status process for Kosovo, at the informal ministerial
meeting on the evening of 18 May, provided an opportunity to take stock
of the negotiations on this subject and to discuss the Council of
Europe’ possible contribution to the process, in particular on matters
relating to human rights protection, minority rights, decentralisation
and the preservation of cultural heritage.
Beyond Kosovo, particular attention was paid to the more general issue
of stability in south-east Europe, having in mind the important
referendum on Montenegro’s independence, scheduled for 21 May. It was
underlined that the referendum must be conducted in full respect of the
relevant international standards and Ministers called on all the
political forces of Serbia and Montenegro to act responsibly and to
accept the results of the ballot. It was also recognised that a crucial
phase would begin after the referendum, irrespective of the results.
Reference was made to the need to continue the reforms in the fields of
human rights, democracy and the rule of law and the Ministers agreed
unanimously that the Council of Europe should continue the activities
which it has carried out to this end for several years, in consultation
with the other international bodies concerned.
Several Ministers also expressed concern that Serbia and Montenegro was
still not giving the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former
Yugoslavia (ICTY) the full and entire co-operation expected. They
recalled that this co-operation was one of the fundamental undertakings
entered into by Serbia and Montenegro when it joined the Council of
Europe and they called on the country’s authorities to take immediate
steps to comply with this commitment.
Another issue addressed concerned the conduct of free and democratic
elections in Europe. The Ministers expressed satisfaction that the
parliamentary elections in Ukraine on 26 March 2006 had been in
conformity with the relevant international standards. They also noted
with satisfaction the positive assessment made by the Parliamentary
Assembly of the rerun of the parliamentary elections in ten
constituencies in Azerbaijan on 13 May, which was a prelude to future
major elections in this country. In order to ensure that these
elections take place in a fully democratic manner, the Committee of
Ministers recalled the necessity of revising the electoral legislation
in co-operation with the Venice Commission as soon as possible. The
same point was made with regard to the current revision of the Armenian
Electoral Code.
In the case of Belarus, several Ministers regretted that the
presidential election of 19 March 2006 had not respected the
international standards referred to above and expressed great concern
about the continued deterioration of the situation concerning human
rights and fundamental freedoms following the election. In this
context, they urged the Belarus authorities to release all the persons
arrested before and after the elections and to embark resolutely on a
democratic reform process, particularly by guaranteeing the exercise of
freedom of expression and association, in accordance with the country’s
international undertakings. In this respect, it was hoped that the
Belarus authorities would co-operate actively in the implementation of
the action plan recently adopted by the Council of Europe in order to
foster its values and principles in the fields of human rights,
democracy and the rule of law in Belarus.
It was noted that more than ever, the Council of Europe’s
standard-setting acquis and its adaptation to meet the new challenges
facing Europe were critical elements for the strengthening of democratic
stability in Europe. In this context, the Ministers welcomed the opening
for signature at the Session of the Council of Europe’s 200th treaty,
the Convention on the Avoidance of Statelessness in relation to State
Succession.
The Ministers also took note with satisfaction of the signatures and
ratifications in recent months of (i) the Convention on the Prevention
of Terrorism, (ii) the revised Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure
and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime and on the Financing of
Terrorism and (iii) the Convention on Action against Trafficking in
Human Beings.1 They reaffirmed the importance of these legal
instruments in the international fight against terrorism and human
trafficking and consequently encouraged countries that had not yet
signed or ratified these conventions to do so as soon as possible.
It was also pointed out that it was essential not only to sign and
ratify conventions but also to implement effectively Council of Europe
standards in domestic law and practice. The Ministers again stressed
member states’ individual and collective responsibility for ensuring
that judgments of the European Court of Human Rights were fully applied,
as an essential condition for the credibility of the Convention’s
supervisory system. They referred in particular to the four interim
resolutions adopted by the Committee of Ministers in the case of Ilascu
and others v. Moldova and Russia. They expect the Court’s judgment in
this case to be executed without any further delay.
Finally, the Ministers welcomed the emphasis placed over the past six
months on areas where joint action by member states, based on Council of
Europe values, could make a major contribution to democratic stability.
In particular they:
– welcomed the efforts of the Council of Europe, on the strength of the
Romanian Chairmanship’s input, to promote a culture of democracy with
the authorities and citizens of the member states, in particular through
the network of political schools aimed to train new generations of
leaders in the fundamental values of the Council of Europe (the first
conference of the schools took place on 27 and 28 April in Bucharest),
and the three-year action plan on education for democratic citizenship
and human rights, launched on the occasion of the evaluation conference
of the European Year of Citizenship through Education (2005) held in
Sinaia on 27 and 28 April;
– noted with satisfaction the launch in early 2006 of the activities of
the High-Level Task Force on Social Cohesion in the 21st century, which
had been mandated to review the Council of Europe’s strategy in this
area. In this connection, they welcomed the adoption in April of the
Ten-Year Action Plan on Equal Rights for People with Disabilities and
the Romanian authorities’ support for the plan’s implementation, in the
form of a regional seminar held in Constanta on 14-16 May 2006;
– gave their support for the Council of Europe’s three-year programme
“Building a Europe for and with Children”, inaugurated in Monaco on 4
and 5 April 2006, after the conference on children’s rights held in
Bucharest on 1 and 2 February, expressing the hope that the programme
would rapidly lead to practical and significant measures to improve
children’s rights, particularly where they live in difficult economic
and social conditions;
– recalled their firm commitment to the total abolition of the death
penalty in Europe and beyond. In this regard, they noted with
satisfaction that since their previous session Protocol No. 13 to the
ECHR had been ratified by Monaco, the Netherlands, Turkey and
Luxembourg, and signed by Armenia on 19 May at the Treaty event
organised in parallel to the session;
– stressed the importance of efforts to foster the rights of persons
belonging to national minorities (including Roma and Travellers). They
also welcomed the fact that, since the inauguration of the European
Forum for Roma and Travellers in late 2005, the Romanian Chairmanship
had supported this initiative, in particular by organising a conference
in Bucharest on 4 May on the implementation and harmonisation of
national policies on Roma, Sinti and Travellers;
– reiterated the importance they attach to the work carried out by the
Council of Europe of Europe in the area of the protection of national
minorities, particularly through the competent expert committee (DH-MIN)
which held its 3rd meeting in Bucharest in March 2006. In this context
they paid tribute to the Romanian Chairmanship’s initiative in
organising the same month in Brasov an international conference on the
role of consultative bodies in the promotion of the participation of
members of national universities in decision-making processes;
– gave their support to the Romanian Chairmanship in its efforts to
promote intercultural dialogue, through the 3rd Intercultural Forum of
the Council of Europe on “The promotion of intercultural dialogue
between generations” (Bucharest, 17-18 March 2006) and the seminar on
“Identity, citizenship and cohesion” (Bucharest, 5 May 2006), as well as
to encourage the protection of the environment and sustainable
development, with the Regional Conference held in Bucharest on 27 and 28
April 2006.
The Ministers once again underlined the importance of ensuring efficient
interaction and creating synergies between the Council of Europe and its
main partners on the European stage, so that citizens may reap practical
benefits from international action in these different areas. In this
respect they welcomed the useful cooperation between the Council of
Europe, the European Union and the OSCE over the last six months,
including through the high-level meetings held in Brussels on 30 January
with the OSCE and in Strasbourg on 15 March with the European Union.

At the end of the session, Mr Sergey Lavrov, Minister for Foreign
Affairs of the Russian Federation, informed his colleagues of the
Russian Chair’s priorities for the Committee of Ministers over the next
six months. The transfer of the chairmanship from Mr Ungureanu to Mr
Lavrov took place immediately afterwards.
1 7 new signatures and 2 ratifications were recorded during the Session.
This brought the number of signatures to 33 for the Convention on the
Prevention of Terrorism, 21 for the revised Convention on Laundering,
Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime and on the
Financing of Terrorism and 28 for the Convention on Action against
Trafficking in Human Beings
To receive our press releases by e-mail, contact :
[email protected]
A political organisation set up in 1949, the Council of Europe works to
promote democracy and human rights continent-wide. It also develops
common responses to social, cultural and legal challenges in its 46
member states.

ANOTHER WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY OPENS BEFORE OSKANIAN-MAMEDIAROV MEETING
By Aghavni Harutyunian
AZG Armenian Daily
19/05/2006
It seems new developments are expected in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement or, perhaps, such an impression is being shaped at some
levels of the settlement process. Particularly, when the meeting
of foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan is being prepared,
taking the advantage of the 116th session of the CE Foreign Ministers’
Committee, Matthew Bryza, US Deputy State Secretary for European
and Eurasian Affairs, stated the following: “The sides are more than
close to coming to agreement.”
According to RFE/RL, Bryza also said that particularly, USA,
observes the coming period of few months as another opportunity
for settlement. Bryza believes that the authorities of Armenia and
Azerbaijan should display political courage to overcome the last
contradictions.
It’s noteworthy that Bryza expressed such optimism also in the course
of his visit to Yerevan after the negotiations in Rambouillet. But
his recent statements seem to be more optimistic.
At the same time, Peter Semneby, EU Special Representative to the
South Caucasus, said in the interview to the Russian Nezavisimaya
Gazeta that the conflicts of this region will not be settled without
hard work and mutual trust. Moreover, both EU and Russia, as well as
the regional countries should spare no efforts for that. But Semneby
didn’t exclude the threat of new escalation of the conflicts unless
they are unsettled.
It’s worth mentioning that at present, Mr. Semneby sees no prospects
for membership of the South Caucasus states to EU and states that
that will be hard to apply the a similar with the stability pact in
the Balkan states in our region. Though EU suggests more profound
relations to the South Caucasus states within the framework of the
EU New Neighborhood Program, it doesn’t envisage a prospect for the
membership to EU.
Besides, Semneby stated that EU is going to render financial assistance
of several hundred millions of Euros to each South Caucasus states
in 2007-2013.
Thus, if the prospect of EU membership was one of the key issues on
the settlement process of the Balkan states, EU leaves “the frozen
conflicts” in the South Caucasus to the regional states. At the same
time, the European and the American diplomats do not forget to remind
about “the notorious window of opportunity” just before the meeting
of the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Though the very
sides in conflict do not make any progress in the negotiations, the
international participants of the settlement process speak of only
final settlement in their statements.

VIKTOR DALLAKIAN: ARDARUTIUN FACTION’S MPs ARE NOT GOING TO LAY DOWN THEIR MANDATES
Noyan Tapan
May 18 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 18, NOYAN TAPAN. The Ardarutiun (Justice) faction has not
received any proposals to lay down its mandates. Faction Secretary
Viktor Dallakian gave such a reaction on May 18 to the information
published in press, according to which from the moment of putting
in application on resignation from the post of RA NA Speaker Artur
Baghdasarian has started negotiations with the parliamentary opposition
and persuades them to lay down their mandates.
Personally V.Dallakian considers that it is the MPs having received
their mandates “in an illegal way” that should lay them down. According
to him, the MPs of the Ardarutiun faction have deserved their mandates
and unless the parliamentary elections were falsified the faction
would have a majority at the parliament. “As for laying down mandates,
this is a serious political action that would take place, for instance,
after the April 2004 events, then in the situation after the falsified
referendum on the constitutional amendments. In the given case,
I think there can be no such a statement of the question by us,”
Viktor Dallakian declared to the journalists.

SURB KARAPET CHURCH OF JRARAT RESTORED
Noyan Tapan
May 18 2006
HRAZDAN, MAY 18, NOYAN TAPAN. Works of restoration of the Surb Karapet
church of the Jrarat district of the marz center (Hrazdan) of Kotayk
will be finished the next year. Works being continued already for
more than a year are implemented on the initiative and under the
patronage of Ashot Gevorgian, a former inhabitant of the city of
Hrazdan, living at present in Moscow. It is envisaged to re-open the
church during the celebrations dedicated to the 180th anniversary
of foundation of Jrarat. Stepan and Grigor, sons of Melik Sheko,
migrated here in 1827 founded in Jrarat (formerly the village of
Melik or Rndamal). The Surb Karapet church which was built still in
the 16th century was reconstucted by new settlers. But during the
Soviet years, the church was made a storeroom, then was gradually
destroyed. Fortunatly, the most part of stones of the church walls
was kept and is used in the restoration works.

TODAY 14 YEARS PASSED SINCE OCCUPATION OF AZERBAIJAN’S LACHIN REGION BY ARMENIANS
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 17 2006
Today 14 years have passed since Azerbaijan’s Lachin region was
occupied by Armenians. Lachin is situated in the south-west of
Azerbaijan, on the border with Armenia.
It was established as an administrative region in 182603 hectares
of territory in 1930 (APA). According to statistics of 1989, there
lived 51,6 thousand people and according to 2003 statistics it had
68.1 thousand people. The highest top of the region is Gizilboghaz
Mountain (2823 m). There are Jura-Anthropogenic deposits in the
region. The Hakari is the largest rive in Lachin. It has fertile
sorts of soil. There are bushes, lawns and broad-leaved mountain
forests. After becoming displaced persons, the regions’ population
has settled in 53 populated areas.
Azerbaijan’s Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry there are natural
springs Turshsu-, Galaderesi, Aghanus, Khirmanlar, Tigig, Tursh-tigig,
Nureddin (have high yielding), Naghdali and Hajikhanli.
Rare historical and architectural monuments, Garagol State Reserve
and other preserves in Lachin are in Armenia’s occupation now. There
are three mercury beds-Narzanli, Chilgazchay, Saribulag (with total
reserves of 1124 tons), Hochaz marbled limestone, two tuff beds
(Aghoglan, Ahmadli) wit total reserves of 5125 cubic meters, Lachin
limestone beds with total reserve of 4457 tons, Novruzlu clayey bed
with total reserve of 998 thousand cubic meters, Gushchu pumice-stone
beds (2144 thousand cubic meters), Yukhari Hakarichay sand-gravel
beds (15 794 thousand cubic meters) and other mineral deposits in
the region.
Lachin has 33285 hectares of forests reserve lands, 26647 hectares
are forest, which constitutes 80.05%.
The Ministry has found out that Armenians cut red oak trees in Pijanis
and Hajishamli forest and sold to France for making tuns for brandy
production. Old nut trees in the region are also being cut and sold
for Iran for furniture production.
In Hajilar-Sadinlar village, Armenians have cut 65 hectares of forest,
burnt houses and destroyed graveyards.

TAJIK DEPUTY DEFENCE MINISTER OFF TO RUSSIA FOR CIS SECURITY BODY TALKS
Asia-Plus news agency website, Dushanbe
17 May 06
Dushanbe, 17 May: The first deputy defence minister, the chief of the
General Staff of the Tajik armed forces, Lt-Gen Ramil Nodirov, has left
for the Russian capital [Moscow]. A working meeting of chiefs of staff
of the armed forces of CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organization]
member states will take place in the CSTO’s unified headquarters in
Moscow on 18 May.
A source in the Tajik Defence Ministry has told Asia-Plus that the
participants in the meeting intend to discuss prospects for the
development of the CSTO’s military component. In particular, the
training of national [military] contingents, as well as improvement
of the system of commanding the collective rapid deployment forces
of the Central Asian region will be discussed.
Chiefs of staff of the armed forces of Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan will participate in the meeting.

ARMENIA AND DIASPORA TO TACKLE NATIONAL TASKS
by Tigran Liloyan
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 16, 2006 Tuesday 02:21 PM EST
The ways for Armenia and the Armenian diaspora jointly tacking national
tasks were in the focus of attention at the meeting of Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan and members of the General Council of the
World Armenian Congress and the organization’s president Ara Abramyan.
Robert Kocharyan dwelt especially on the settlement of the Karabakh
conflict and international recognition of the Armenian genocide, the
presidential press service told ltar-Tass. The president hailed the
fact that the initiatives of the World Armenian Congress concentrate
increasingly on Armenia and assume nation-wide character.
Ara Abramyan posted the Armenian president on the work of the Tuesday
meeting of the General Council of the World Armenian Congress.
Members of the Council made assurances that they were ready to do their
utmost for fulfilling national tasks and advanced their proposals.
Abramyan said computer classes in 600 secondary schools and other
educational establishments of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh had been
set up with the assistance of the World Armenian Congress and the Union
of Armenians of Russia. This programme is spread to the diaspora. Such
classes have been set up in the Armenian community in Brazil and will
also be formed in Argentine. Computer centres for invalids, orphans and
children from the poor families have been set up in Armenian regions.

DEEP WATER ROBOT RT-1000 REACHES SEABED AT A-320 CRASH SCENE
by Dmitry Nezdorovin
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 16, 2006 Tuesday
The RT-1000 deep water robotic device has reached the seabed in the
Black Sea at the site of the crash of the Armenian airbus A-320 in
order to spot and lift from the water two flight data recorders of the
plane, the operation’s technical support headquarters told Itar-Tass
on Tuesday.
According to the head of the Russian Transport Ministry’s sea and
river transport agency Rosmorrechtrans, Alexander Davydenko, the
RT-1000 had earlier not taken part in such operations and only lifted
from the seabed geological samples of less than 20 kilogrammes from
minor depths. “In these conditions the robot is capable of lifting
the plane’s fragments under 12 kilogrammes and two flight recorders
weighing seven kilogrammes each,” Davydenko indicated.
RT-1000 is c complex consisting of three parts, the largest is a
container with control equipment. The next segment with photo and
television equipment will go to the bottom of the sea and examine it.
The third device is a hydraulic elevating manipulator working in all
directions. “The RT-1000 is working at a depth of up to 500 metres
in an area of 20×20 metres. The robot will inspect the territory by
inches,” said the Rosmorrechtrans head.
The operation is conducted from board the Navigator special ship.

THREE STRONG QUAKES TAKE PLACE NEAR INDONESIA
Yerevan, May 17. ArmInfo. A 6.8-point earthquake took place 260 km
south-east of Sibolga, Indonesia May 16 08:58 PM local time, reports
the National Seismic Protection Service of Armenia.
In the epicenter the magnitude was 9-10 points on 12-point scale
(MKS-64). The quake was followed by two more tremors – 5.6 and 4.9
points. No reports of casualties or following tsunamis yet.