Author: Dabaghian Diana

AGO GROUP TO PRESENT FINAL REPORT ON SOUTH CAUCASUS
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.07.2006 15:02 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On July 12, the AGO monitoring group of the Committee
of Ministers (CM) of the Council of Europe (CE) will present a report
on the recent visit to the South Caucasus countries. The report will
be included in the agenda of the next meeting of CM CE at level of
permanent representatives.
Earlier the head of the AGO group – German diplomat Ronald Wegener
-already delivered a short oral report on this topic.
The AGO group was established for the monitoring of the implementation
of the obligations undertaken by Azerbaijan and other South Caucasus
countries before CE, and the document will reflect both negative and
positive moments, Trend reports.

ADEQUATE AMOUNT OF ALIENATED OWNERSHIP MUST BE MARKET PRICE + 5%
Panorama.am
17:29 06/07/06
Justice minister Davit Harutunyan told today that the adequate sum
for taking the ownership of alienated territories must be market
price +5%. The minister presented draft law “On alienated ownership
for public and state needs” at the National Assembly today.
According to the document, market price is set according to the
agreement between the parties. The owner may also get a flat which
will be deducted from the paid sum. D. Harutunyan said the interested
party must submit a profitable offer to the owner within 3 month. The
ownership may be taken after 3 months expire by court decision if an
agreement is not reached within that period. The interested party
must transfer the compensation money to the deposit account of the
court.

STRUGGLE XENOPHOBIA VARTAN OSKANIAN: RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES SHOULD TAKE DRASTIC MEASURES TO AVERT XENOPHOBIA IN RUSSIA
By Nana Petrosian
AZG Armenian Daily
05/07/2006
The Armenian side will continue discussion with RF representatives on
the issues of investigating the recent cases of attacking the Armenian
residents of Moscow and punishing the guilty. Vartan Oskanian, RA
Foreign Minister, said at today’s press conference. He stated that
this issue is still in the agenda of the meetings held by the Armenian
and Russian representatives at various levels. “The Russian side is
also concerned about the facts of attacking the foreign citizens in
Moscow,” he said. He added that xenophobia is of total character in
Russia. “The Russian authorities should take drastic measures to
avert xenophobia cases, otherwise that may become a threat to the
publicity of very Russia, Vartan Oskanian said.
It’s worth mentioning that on July 2 evening, a group of teens attacked
two Armenians in a undergound train.
Both the Armenians, Vacheh Tovmasyan (20) and Varazdat Hakobyan (23)
got knife wounds. At the underground station “Kuznetsky Most” they
applied for first aid and were hospitalized. The attackers escaped. The
injured say they were attacked by aggressive young people in black
and armed with knives as soon as they came out of the train.

HOT LINE TO FIGHT CORRUPTION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Panorama.am
13:41 04/07/06
The newly appointed deputy minister of education and science Bagrat
YESAYAN has already noticed the risks of corruption and shadow events
at the secondary schools. He promised at a press conference today that
they will be eliminated. Yesayan unveiled the results of his studies
on application letters saying that most concern unfair attitude. The
ministry has opened a hot line 52-73-43 to receive complaints from
citizens.
Yesayan said that heads of schools are in an advantaged position to
decide who to hire and fire.
Most often, people hired are the director’s relatives, he said,
also saying that similar attitude exists in appointing heads of
schools but this time by local self-government authorities. Yesayan
promised to shift to competition system in 1-2 years to solve the
problem.

CARDINAL OPPOSES TURKEY JOINING EU
Yerkir
05.07.2006 14:28
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – The recent stabbing of a Catholic priest in Samsun,
northern Turkey, shows that Turkey is not ready for European Union
membership, according to the head of the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity, Cardinal Walter Kasper.
“It is not the right moment for Turkey to join the European Union. What
is still missing [in Turkey], is a secular state capable of assuring
real religious freedom, and this is a long process which needs time,”
he said on Tuesday.
Referring to the stabbing by a Turkish suspect of French priest Pierre
Brunissen late on Sunday, Kasper said the Catholic church believes that
“every act of violence committed in the name of God is an insult to
Him and to every religion.”
“Islamic fundamentalism is growing in Istanbul and there is hostility
towards foreigners,” Kasper explained.
“Europe can have a ‘special’ relation with Turkey, but this is not
the right time for more – Turkey should adapt to European culture
beforehand,” he concluded.

“BAZE DAYS IN ARTSAKH” PAN ARMENIAN YOUTH FESTIVAL TO BE HELD IN NKR IN END JULY
AZG Armenian Daily
06/07/2006
“Baze Days in Artsakh” Pan Armenian youth festival will be held
in NKR on July 26- August 1. Over 200 people will participate in
the festival. Artur Soghomonian, head of the festival, said this at
today’s press conference. He said that they have discussed the idea
of holding the festival in NKR for many times during the meetings of
the Armenian youth.
Earlier, the festival has been held in Yerevan, Dilijan and
Tsaghkadzor. Nine teams will represent the summer festival,
five from NKR, two from Armenia, one from Javakhk and one from
Diaspora. Soghomonian stated that they have enlarged the program of the
festival including new creative competitions. It is planned that the
participants of the festival will meet with NKR President, NKR Prime
Minister and Speaker of NKR National Assembly. It’s worth mentioning
that RA Government allocated AMD 112 million for the festival, while
the Pan Armenian Youth Fund allocated additional AMD 5 million.

A320 D’ARMAVIA: RECONSTITUTION VIRTUELLE DU VOL A TOULOUSE
RIA Novosti, Russie
3 Juillet 2006
EREVAN, 3 juillet – RIA Novosti. Le chef adjoint du service de securite
des vols de la Direction principale d’aviation civile d’Armenie,
Gaguik Galstian, s’est envole pour Toulouse afin de participer a la
reconstitution virtuelle du vol de l’A320 qui s’etait ecrase en mer,
a annonce lundi la porte-parole de la DPAC, Gayane Davtian.
“La reconstitution qui sera effectuee sur la base du decryptage des
boîtes noires permettra une analyse factuelle du vol. Le travail
demandera plusieurs jours, après quoi le Comite aeronautique
international (MAK) donnera sa conclusion definitive sur les causes
de la tragedie”, a annonce Gayane Davtian.
Le 17 juin, le MAK a acheve le dechiffrage des boîtes noires et
la synchronisation des enregistrements effectues par les moyens de
contrôle objectif de bord et terrestres.
L’Airbus A320 de la compagnie Armavia, accomplissant un vol
Erevan-Sotchi, s’etait abîme en mer Noire dans la nuit du 3 mai alors
qu’il s’appretait a se poser sur la piste de l’aeroport d’Adler. Les
113 personnes qui se trouvaient a bord de l’appareil avaient peri
dans l’accident.
–Boundary_(ID_+fLmWeEQm4TXy4bq/+YnVg )–

Panorama.am
15:47 30/06/06

STATEMENTS OF BRYZA STILL DISCUSSED
Armenian Republican Party block leader Galust Sahakyan does not think
that the open statement made by newly appointed OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairman Mathew Bryza is a leak of dangerous information. He thinks
the disclosure does not aim to make public aware of the process. `I
think a new atmosphere is being created to understand how such
processes will be accepted in Armenia and Azerbaijan. It must be said
that the American side creates an atmosphere for Azerbaijan proceeding
from his own economic interest instead of making statements on
Karabakh conflict regulation. But our political field is such that we
are ready to manipulate on certain issues,’ NA deputy G. Sahakyan told
a news conference today. According to him the document should become
public for larger public awareness.
In the words of G. Sahakyan, the focal point of any proposal should be
the status of Nagorno Karabakh with all the rest stemming from it.
Speaking about the American expert’s statement on regression of
democracy in Armenia, the politician said, `they are subjective
statements based on economic interests. It is evident that Armenia and
Azerbaijan are not comparable in terms of democracy. Even Turkey is
more democratic than Azerbaijan.’ /Panorama.am/

The Standard, Kenya
June 30 2006
Artur brothers `were to be deported to Armenia’

By Biketi Kikechi and Patrick Mathangani
The following are excerpts from Thursday’s examination of witness
number two, Joseph Kathuri Ndathi, the Principal Immigration Officer,
by Kiruki Commission assisting counsel Warui Mungai.
Mungai: My lords, appearance as yesterday and we are ready to
continue.
Kiruki: Mr Ndathi, let me remind you that you are still on oath,
proceed.
Mungai: Is it possible to use a deportation order that is not
cancelled to travel back to the country?

A bird’s eye view of the Kiruki Commission of inquiry sitting at the
Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi, on Thursday. Pic
by Jacob Otieno

Ndathi: My lords, whether this documents is cancelled or not, it is
not practical for you to go to another country and then that country
allows you to come back. It is internationally accepted that it is a
one-way document and to me whether you cancel it or not, it is not
possible to return while using it.
Mungai: What about the air ticket? Who must request that?
Ndathi: In circumstances where a traveller has an air ticket, he
would be allowed to use it, but in a situation where you don’t have
money, the Government is bound to prepare a ticket for you to be
deported.
Ndathi: So, the Government buys the ticket and gives you?
Ndathi: Yes, the Government will buy the ticket but at that time you
are not a free person. So either immigration officers or police
officers will escort you to the airport and hand over your ticket to
the carrier.
Mungai: Is it possible for the Government to buy you a return ticket?
Ndathi: That will be a miracle. They don’t deport you because you are
wanted.
Kiruki: Can a person who has been deported from this country go and
return?
Ndathi: Mr chairman, I have said he can return illegally and as I
have already explained there are people who travel by air all the way
from Bombay to Entebbe before crossing back into the country by road.
Mungai: Is there any provision in the Act?
Ndathi: There is a provision and it is true the minister can revoke
the order.
Mungai: Let us now deal with the Artur brothers. When did you first
learn about the presence of these people in the country?
Ndathi: I think, my lords from a practical point of view, when you
are at the headquarters it is not possible to get all the information
about who and who is entering the country unless there are specific
issues that are required. But having said that, I think although we
had handled their documents prior to when they started appearing in
the newspaper I cannot tell the Commission that those were the kind
of people we were dealing with. But according to our records, they
came into the country last year.
Kiruki: When?
Ndathi: My lords, my officer from the airport will come to give
specific dates.
Mungai: I want your opinion. When did you first learn of their
presence here?
Ndathi: My lords, I can specifically say, it is from the day we
issued these two brothers with entry permits.
Mungai: Do you remember the date?
Ndathi: Yes, it was on January 23rd.
Mungai: Last year?
Ndathi: No, on January 23rd this year.
Kiruki: That is when you first heard about it?
Ndathi: That is when we issued them with entry permits and at that
particular time there were no issues about the brothers.
Kiruki: When you issued them with entry permits, did you issue them
with the `R’ number?
Ndathi: They were issued with an `R’ number, their file was vetted
like other files by NSIS, they were issued with requisition, their
file was summarised, the application was forwarded to the ministerial
committee. It was then approved and paid for.
Mungai: That is fine. Let us now look at the press release that I
took the minister through yesterday. The minister said he received
information from the immigration department. Did you pass such
information to the minister?
Ndathi: My lords, I remember it was the time when I accompanied the
minister on an official trip to Western region. The press people met
the minister after he arrived that morning from his rural
constituency.
I recall him saying, `I have just come from my constituency. What I
can tell you is what I have just read from the newspaper. These
people could be Czechs, Armenians or Russians.’
We later called Nairobi to confirm their nationality and based on the
records held in the files those people were Armenians.
Mungai: I want to show you two files marked 1B and 1C. Did the
information you gave the minister come from those files?
Ndathi: My lord commissioners, yes. The information in folio says
their nationality was Republic of Armenia and that is the information
I gave to the minister.
Mungai: Did you confirm with Armenia that they were their citizens
before giving the minister that information?
Ndathi: Not our office.
Mungai: Your office relies entirely on the information provided by
the applicant, is that so?
Ndathi: Yes.
Mungai: Confirm to the commissioners whether the procedures that they
followed were proper?
Ndathi: My lords, to the best of my knowledge, that was the standard
procedure.
Mungai: I want us to go through the files with you. You can have one.
I have one.
Ndathi: Yes, my lords.
Mungai: Let us look at folio one. That is the personal identification
for a company by the name Brother Link International Ltd. Have you
seen it?
Ndathi: Yes, my lords.
Mungai: Was their any verification of the PIN (Personal
Identification Number) before your department accepted the same?
Ndathi: My lords, we don’t undertake verification on documents that
are forwarded to us by applicants unless we suspect that whoever is
bringing the documents is a criminal.
Kiruki: Mr PIO you have been having that file when people have been
making a lot of kelele (noise). Did you notice anything peculiar
about that applicant?
Ndathi: My lords, I wouldn’t say I have seen anything peculiar,
because all the requirements on a permit application are basically
there.
Kiruki: Up to now?
Ndathi: It is now that discoveries are being made that these
documents are basically fake.
Kiruki: At what stage did you know that some of the information given
to you could be not true?
Ndathi: I think until at the time when police reported to us that
these people were dangerous fellows and they required to be deported.
Kiruki: Was that brought to your attention?
Ndathi: Yes, that was on 9th of this month.
Kiruki: You didn’t know before that there was anything wrong with
these people?
Ndathi: My lords, we never had any problems with those people before
that.
Kiruki: Carry on please.
Mungai: Let us go to folio two where we have particulars for
incorporation for the same company. Did you verify the authenticity
of that document from the Registrar of Companies?
Ndathi: My lords, I can say it wasn’t done because there is no
evidence that it was done.
Mungai: So you didn’t know who were the directors and the
shareholders of that company?
Ndathi: The details of the shareholders are indicated in the
application.
Mungai: But did you check?
Ndathi: My lords, what I’m saying is that when you forward an
application, you enclose required documents.
Mungai: That verification was not done, is that so?
Ndathi: The verification of an application form is not mandatory.
Mungai: I want to refer you to a document here, which was referred to
by the minister yesterday. (Reads a report by Interpol, which
indicated the Arturs travelled on stolen passports.) Had you seen
this report before?
Ndathi: My lords before I answer that, I require a clarification.
This report emanated from Interpol of which country?
Mungai: Open the next page. You can see on top there at the top. It
was in Nairobi as of March 18.
Ndathi: My lords I’m seeing this report for the first time.
Mungai: Look at the report where Interpol in Armenia has said
`Margaryan Artur’. It says a person by the name Artur Sargasyan who
is in Armenia received a passport number AF0599780. And it is said
not to have left Armenia.
Ndathi: It is the same number.
Mungai: Again had you received that letter, what would you have done?
Ndathi: The permit would have been declared void, the person ought to
have been arrested and taken to court.
Mungai: Let’s now come to the deportation order signed by the
minister. We heard from the minister yesterday that he received a
request from you that he signs deportation orders. Is it correct that
you gave that information?
Ndathi: My lords it’s correct. On the 9th of this month, I did
receive communication from the commissioner and his staff that these
four persons must be deported by the end of the day.
Mungai: How did you receive the communication?
Ndathi: It was on telephone and he did send his senior deputy
commissioner to his office, Mr Kimaiyo, who came accompanied by PCIO
Nairobi area and DCIO Central and discussed the modalities. We
decided they were dangerous criminals who must be deported. On
receiving that information, I went to the minister’s office, I
briefed him that on the way they had been appearing on the national
papers there appeared to be serious security issues that are being
raised by the Commissioner of Police.
Mungai: Were there any particular issues which had necessitated that
request?
Ndathi: My lords, my officer had made a request on the telephone
although later he prepared a small brief that they had caused a
fracas at the airport within customs area although they had already
left. I also got information that they had been arrested in the wee
hours of the night.
Mungai: What action did you take?
Ndathi: I briefed my minister and he agreed they were a security
concern. We agreed to prepare a deportation order. They were signed
by the minister and executed accordingly.
Mungai: Look at the deportation order again, that of Artur Margaryan.
Where was he supposed to be deported to?
Ndathi: They were supposed to have been deported to Armenia.
Mungai: We have information that they were deported to Dubai. What
necessitated that?
Ndathi: They did indicate that they are residents of Dubai, where
they were staying and had their businesses.
The law is very clear. It says a person who an order is given shall
be removed to the place where he came or with the approval of the
minister to a country where he belongs.
These people had come from Dubai, and they requested to be taken
where they came from and the law allows that.
The hearing continues.

ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR PRESENTS CREDENTIALS IN ESTONIA
Baltic News Service
June 29, 2006 Thursday 3:07 PM EET
Tallinn
Armenian Ambassador Ashot Galoyan today presented his letters of
credence to Estonian President Arnold Ruutel.
Ruutel noted in the meeting that Estonia and Armenia are bound by
continuous cultural ties which have a long history, the president’s
office reports. Estonia thinks highly of Armenia’s efforts to integrate
into Europe and is ready to share its relevant experience with the
Caucasian country, the president said.
Ruutel also said Estonia appreciates the active South Caucasian policy
of the European Union which provides a more concrete framework for
the neighborhood policy and boosts economic development in that region
as a whole.
According to the president, Estonia is eager to intensify bilateral
economic ties which are rather modest at present.
In Galoyan’s words, Armenia sees itself as part of Europe. “I am
certain that Estonia is a strong partner of ours in this,” he said.
The ambassador said he aims to raise Armenian-Estonian relations to
a new plane and strengthen bilateral cooperation.
“Armenia is optimistic about the prospects of the future relationship
of our two countries and the Baltic Sea and Black Sea regions,”
he said.
The ambassador resides in the Polish capital Warsaw.