Author: Ekmekjian Janet

Israeli minister threatens Iran

Story from BBC NEWS:
_east/7440472.stm

Published: 2008/06/06 14:54:27 GMT

A top Israeli official has said that if Iran continues with its alleged
nuclear arms programme, Israel will attack it.

Speaking to Yediot Ahronot newspaper, Deputy Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz
said sanctions on Iran were ineffective.

Mr Mofaz is one of three deputy prime ministers and the transport
minister.

Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Iran’s
nuclear programme must be stopped by what he termed all possible means.

Attacking Iran, in order to stop its nuclear plans, will be unavoidable
Shaul Mofaz

"The international community has a duty and responsibility to clarify
to Iran, through drastic measures, that the repercussions of their
continued pursuit of nuclear weapons will be devastating," Mr Olmert
said.

Iran insists that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes but it
is defying a demand from the UN Security Council to stop the enrichment
of uranium.

‘Attack unavoidable’

"If Iran continues with its programme for developing nuclear weapons,
we will attack it. The sanctions are ineffective," Mr Mofaz told Yediot
Ahronot.

"Attacking Iran, in order to stop its nuclear plans, will be
unavoidable," he said.

The former chief of the army and defence minister is one of several
senior figures in the governing Kadima party who may challenge the
leadership of Mr Olmert, who faces allegations of corruption.

The UN Security Council has approved three rounds of sanctions against
Iran.

These include asset restrictions and travel bans on Iranian individuals
and companies said to be involved in nuclear work.

The sanctions also ban the sale to Iran of so-called dual-use items –
items which can have either a military or civilian purpose.

UNITED KINGDOM SENDS REPLY MESSAGE TO AZERBAIJAN ON EXCAVATION OF AZIKH CAVE IN OCCUPIED TERRITORIES OF AZERBAIJAN

Azeri Press Agency
June 5 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku. Ulkar Gasimov-APA. "Great Britain is unaware of excavation
of Azikh cave by British and Spanish archeologists in the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan", UK Minister for Culture, Creative
Industries and Tourism Margaret Hodge’s letter says.

Azerbaijani Culture and Tourism Ministry told APA that the letter
approved occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenians and officially
stated unawareness of excavation of Azikh cave by British and
Spanish archeologists in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan
officially. The UK Minister’s letter covered that citizens had been
provided information about travel to Azerbaijan, including occupied
territories.

"The British should take it into account before planning to travel",
the letter says.

Materials on excavation of Azikh cave belonging to paleolith were
allocated in internet in March, 2008. Azerbaijani Culture and Tourism
Ministry sent a letter to UK Culture, Creative Industry and Tourism
Ministry and Spanish Culture Ministry on it on March 17, 2008.The
appeals covered that Armenians had destroyed Azerbaijani historical
and cultural monuments of in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan
and expressed anxiety about involvement of Spanish and British
archeologists in vandalism of Armenians. Letters of protest stated
that excavation contradicted with 1954 Hague Convention on Protection
of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, 1992 European
Archaeological Heritage Convention, UNESCO World Heritage Convention
(1972) and demanded to stop excavation in eternal territories of
Azerbaijan and observation of articles of international conventions.

EU HOPES KARABAKH TALKS WILL ADVANCE AFTER MEETING BETWEEN ARMENIAN, AZERI PRESIDENTS

Interfax News Service
June 4 2008
Russia

The European Union is emphasizing the importance of the upcoming
meeting of Azeri President Ilkham Aliyev and Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan in St. Petersburg.

This meeting is important because of the novelty of the format, EU
Special Representative for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby told a
news conference on Tuesday. The EU hopes that the meeting will create
a basis for efficient talks, Semneby said, noting that the EU would
like to see advances at the meeting.

The EU could play a positive role in increasing the level of trust
between the parties, the diplomat said. Europe is concerned about the
absence of contacts between Armenia and Azerbaijan for quite a long
period of time, he said. The EU welcomed a visit of a delegation of
Azeri intellectuals to Nagorno-Karabakh, Semneby said, adding that
Europe hopes such visits will help establish contacts between the
two peoples.

Semneby also expressed readiness to visit Nagorno-Karabakh. The
principled consent of all parties is required for this, he said,
noting that such a visit would be useful.

ARMENIAN-INDIAN INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMISSION TO MEET LATE THIS YEAR IN YEREVAN

ARKA
June 4, 2008

YEREVAN, June 4. /ARKA/. The next meeting of Armenian-Indian
inter-governmental commission is to be held in Yerevan this year,
Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said at a meeting with Indian
Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary to Armenia Rina Pandey.

The two stressed the importance of the commission’s activity from
the viewpoint of deepening and expanding bilateral contacts. The
premier said the meeting will give a new impetus to cooperation and
invited the Indian side to include in the meeting agenda any issue
they would like to discuss, as well as define their nominee for the
commission co-chairman.

Stressing that Armenia and India are linked with centuries-long
relations and good traditions, the two said these links should be
bolstered in new spheres of cooperation now.

The sides agreed that this could be achieved through further activation
of high-level mutual visits.

Sargsyan highly appreciated the two countries’ cooperation within
international organizations, and thanked India for supporting Armenia
in the United Nations Organization.

AZERI MFA SPOKESMAN: TALKS WILL BECOME SENSELESS IF ARMENIA DOES NOT CHANGE ITS POSITION

armradio.am
02.06.2008 17:38

Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Khazar
Ibrahim declared that "if Armenia does not change its position on the
settlement of the Karabakh issue, the negotiations will have no sense."

The Spokesman noted that "Azerbaijan continues negotiating with
Armenia on the Karabakh settlement, and the Prague process will
continue within the framework of the Prague Process, the Presidnets
of Armenia and Azerbaijan Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev will meet
in Saint Petersburg."

"We expect a concrete response from the Armenian side. We wish to
know whether Armenia really aspires to solve the conflict and is
ready to demonstrate will for that," Ibrahim told a press conference
in Baku today.

European investment bank ready to start large-scale investment projects
in Armenia

YEREVAN, May 29. /ARKA/. The European Investment Bank is ready to start
large-scale investment projects in Armenia. This statement was made at
the meeting of Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakosian with
the Vice-President of the European Investment Bank Eva Schreiber, the
Press Service of Armenian Foreign Ministry reported.

Schreiber introduced the first steps taken in the cooperation between
Armenia and the Bank after the signing of the agreement between the
Bank and Armenian Ministry of Finance.

Schreiber expressed hope that soon implementation of large-scale
investment projects will be possible in both public and private sectors
of Armenian economy. Among the priority fields mentioned were
transport, energy and ecology where large loans can be extended with
assistance of the Bank’s technical examination service.

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister, in his turn, assured that Armenia is
interested in successful implementation of joint projects and stressed
importance to the Bank’s activities in the country.

European Investment Bank is an EU body founded in 1959 for support to
development, integration and cooperation through investment loans
extended at equal interest to ensure balanced loan management in terms
of debt repayment. -0–

Resignation of three ministers from ARF Dashnaktsutyun means nothing
extraordinary: Adviser to President of Armenia

2008-05-30 14:43:00

ArmInfo. Resignation of Minister of Education and Science Levon
Mkrttchyan, Minister of Agriculture David Lokuyan and Minister of Labor
and Social Affairs Aghvan Vardanyan means nothing extraordinary,
Adviser to President of Armenia Garnik Isagoulyan said when commenting
at the request of ArmInfo on the decision of the three ministers from
ARF Dashnaktsutyun to design at Tesaket Debate Club Friday.

He said ARFD neither withdraws from the ruling coalition nor refuses
from its ministerial portfolios. ‘Lokyan, Lazarian and Vardanyan are
elected to ARFD Bureau and they believe it difficult to combine the
above jobs. As a result, they decided to resign. Other members of ARFD
will replace them and nothing terrible has happened’, Garnik Isagoulyan
said.

A1+

NA TO DISCUSS OMBUDSMAN’S REPORT
[05:14 pm] 30 May, 2008

The National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia
holds parliamentary hearings on the special public
report of Armenia’s Human Rights Defender on the
presidential elections of February 19 and the
post-election developments on June 5. The decision was
taken during today’s joint sitting of the National
Assembly’s Standing Committees on Human Rights Defense
and European Integration.

The main speakers will include Human Rights Defender
Armen Harutiunian, Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepian
and Minister of Justice Gevorg Danielian.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Not studied properly, Karabakh is one of most
complicated post-conflict areas
31.05.2008 13:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Lecturers and students of French
universities Îxford brookes and Paris 12 arrived in
Nagorno Karabakh to study the problems of
post-conflict states.

Head of the group Brigitte Piquard, who pays her third
visit Karabakh, said that their research is not only
theoretical and the Karabakhi authorities may use it
if they want. -Not studied properly, Karabakh is one
of the most complicated post-conflict areas,- Ms
Piquard said.

The purpose of the visit is to establish partner
relations and open an office for studying
possibilities of peaceful building and reconstruction.
The research is conducted in Shushi, the town that was
most of all damaged in Karabakh war. -Our surveys
fixed some progress against the data we had three
years ago. People do welcome these achievements,
specifically reconstruction of historical facilities,-
Ms Piquard said.

Residents of Shushi link development of the town with
tourism, according to the students. However, having
studied the experience of a number of post-conflict
states, the young scientists warned that tourism can
transform into global aggression and offered to
develop the social sector first of all, the Caucasian
Knot reports.

ARF Bureau representative speaks about party’s congress

27.05.2008 17:08

Yerevan (Yerkir) – Delegates from more than 30 countries participated
in the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, held on May 21-26 in Armenia.
The delegates discussed the party’s activities for the past four years,
and adopted resolutions for the four years to come. ARF Bureau
representative Hrant Margarian spoke at a news conference held at the
Christapor Mikayelian center on May 27.

He said the congress discussed thoroughly all the strategic Armenian
issues. The congress elected the ARF Bureau, comprising 11 members:
Hrant Margarian, Vahan Hovhannisian, Aghvan Vardanian, Davit Lokian,
Levon Mkrtchian, Vigen Baghumian, Mkrtich Mkrtchian, Hakob
Ter-Khachatrian, Vigen Hovsepian, Hayk Ohsakan, Mario Nalbandian.

"By electing the cabinet ministers to the Bureau, the congress
surprised us," Margarian said, adding that the ministers will soon
resign, and new ministers will be appointed. He said this was the
ministers’ decision. "Being a Bureau member is a higher position than
that of a minister’s, and they decided to resign to be able to fulfill
their tasks in the Bureau," Margarian said.

Speaking about the media reports about the congress, Margarian said:
"The ANM press published many reports that I don’t want to speak about.
We said the truth without disrespect to anybody. We will not get so low
to respond them."

Margarian said that the congress wrapped up by pointing to the need of
a stronger organization, fair Armenia and national unity.

Margarian then read out the statement by the congress and answered the
questions by journalists.