Author: Ekmekjian Janet

COURT OF APPEAL INAUGURATES RENOVATED COURT ROOM, LIBRARY AND CONFERENCE HALL
Armenpress
Jun 13 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 13, ARMENPRESS: The Armenian Court of Appeals has
inaugurated today a renovated court room, a library and a conference
hall. The renovation was started one year ago and was funded by
government funds and a World Bank credit for reformation of the
justice system.
The library has 6,000 books in four languages.
Justice minister David Harutunian said the fact that the bulk of thee
books are in English will force judges to improve their knowledge
of English.

PEOPLE ARE MADE TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY
Lragir.am
13 June 06
On June 13 several members of parliaments representing different
political forces touched upon the depreciation of the dollar and
revaluation of the dram. Mher Shahgeldyan, Orinats Yerkir, says as a
result of the policy of revaluation of the dram the income of a major
part of the population they receive from their relatives working abroad
decreased. Victor Dallakyan, the secretary of the Ardarutiun Alliance,
expresses concern on the same matter. He cites the calculations of
economists: through exchange rate manipulations the population of
Armenia was robbed of over 300 million dollars.
Artashes Geghamyan, the leader of the National Unity Party, says
people lost more, about 460 million dollars. Member of Parliament
Tatul Manaseryan said the revaluation of the dram leads to a decline in
local production, which makes a great number of people leave Armenia
and work abroad.

The Standard (Nairobi) Kenya
June 10, 2006
Leaders: State is hiding something
By Ben Agina
Kanu chairman Uhuru Kenyatta yesterday read conspiracy on the part of
the Government in deporting the four Armenians.
Uhuru said the Armenians had not broken any immigration rules to
warrant deportation, but had committed a crime that called for
prosecution.

Artur Sagarsyan and Artur Margaryan await deportation pensively at
the Kenya Airport Police Unit

“The Armenians had committed a criminal offence and they should have
been charged and prosecuted. The Government is in this,” said Uhuru.
Speaking on telephone from the US, Mwingi North MP Kalonzo Musyoka
said the Armenians should not have been here in the first place.
Kalonzo said it was clear from the beginning that the Armenians were
people with ulterior motives.
Uhuru said it was shocking that foreigners could threaten Kenyans.
He said it was not enough to deport the Armenians, adding that they
should have faced the full force of the law.
“Why should you deport people who have entered our security area and
failed to pay duty?” he asked.
Uhuru wondered whether the Armenians were above the law for them not
to face charges. He said the Government should be held accountable
for their failure to prefer charges against the Armenians.
Kalonzo said now that they had committed a crime, they should be
charged.
The Liberal Democratic party chairman, Mr David Musila, said the
incident witnessed at JKIA on Thursday breached the security of the
country.
“As LDP we had raised concerns that these were mercenaries with
ulterior motives,” said Musila. Musila, who is also the Deputy
Speaker, said the President owes Kenyans an explanation after some
senior ministers earlier defended the Armenians.
“Kenyans must get an explanation on who was protecting the
Armenians,” demanded Musila. Musila accused some people in Government
of protecting the Armenians.
He also wondered whether Kenya’s security is at the mercy of
foreigners.
Musila congratulated the Commissioner of Police Major-General Hussein
Ali for the action he took against the Armenians. Kabete MP Paul
Muite said the behaviour of the Armenians at the JKIA was insulting.
“If you were in a foreign country and you enter a security area and
behave like that you could be dead by now,” said Muite.
He wondered why the Armenians were spared when they threatened to
shoot Immigration officials at the airport.
Muite, who chairs the Parliamentary Committee on Legal and
Administration of Justice, said the Armenians have been part of their
discussions since the raid on The Standard Group premises on March 2.
He said the committee hopes to summon the Commissioner to brief them
more with the unfolding events.
Muite also congratulated the police commissioner and expressed
optimism that the due process of law would be followed. LDP
secretary-general Joseph Kamotho yesterday asked Internal Security
minister John Michuki to tell Kenyans why the Armenians were being
deported instead of being charged in court.
Kamotho said the Internal Security Minister had assured Kenyans that
the Armenians were being investigated.
“Now that they have committed a crime, why are they being let off?
What Kind of cover-up is this by Government?” posed Kamotho.
“If the Government has nothing it fears the Armenians would expose,
they should not have been deported,” they said.

Daily Nation, Kenya
June 10, 2006
Writer at home with Armenians
Story by ADHYAMBO ODERA
Publication Date: 6/10/2006
Being a celebrity in Kenya is simple – hang around a clique of people
that consider themselves celebs.
It didn’t take the Artur brothers long to figure that out.
When Mr Artur Margaryan invited some writers for a party, I at first
shunned it. I didn’t want to mix up with the man after what had been
reported about him – mercenary claims and all.
The second time our paths crossed was at the Chaguo la Teeniez Awards
(Chat). The man arrived in style. By his side, was a woman wearing a
lot of gold. He once said he spent Sh150,000 a day to entertain his
girlfriend.
I wondered why he was at the ceremony. Chat awards are for musicians,
actors, DJs and radio presenters.
I was answered when he took the stage to present a prize to a shocked
musician Amani, then gave comedian and Chat MC Mongolo Sh10,000.
The following week, he threw a party at his Runda residence. I went
to satisfy my curiosity. But getting there at 7pm wasn’t easy.
Luckily, he had hired guards from a security firm to escort guests to
the house he shared with his brother Artur Sargsyan.
At the gate, another man, possibly Armenian, had a walkie talkie. He
would ask guests their names and confirm it with Mr Margaryan before
letting them in. But guests had to be escorted, owing to the 12 guard
dogs, which looked ready to maul a stranger.
As my escort ushered me into the house, I noticed that the five or so
luxurious cars in the compound had their number plates covered, and
my escort was uncomfortable with me lagging behind checking out the
compound.
At the garden, a few local celebs had already gathered. I went
straight into the house. It was not well furnished – expensive
leather seats thrown together rather hurriedly, I thought.
One thing struck me. Someone in that house loved art, and expensive
pieces too.
Mr Margaryan was at the office, but his brother greeted me
cheerfully. When I finally met him at the office, where an associate
was winding up a meeting, he greeted me with a polite smile.
I noticed that he wanted to mingle with the crowd, but people seemed
uncomfortable with his hug. Some turned up for the party and left
immediately.
I stayed on to find out more. He told me he was in love with Kenyan
music. He wanted to contribute to its growth by investing in it, he
said.
He also said he had a record label back home and wanted to create
stars. Not for the money, though, he said. He knew where to market
them and make money. In the meantime he wanted people to know that he
was a great man, with interest in show business.
The musicians in question were in attendance, and he chatted with
them. He also posed for photographs with almost everyone. But
remembering what happened to Mwingi North MP Kalonzo Musyoka, I opted
out.
The brothers had claimed they knew the MP and had taken a picture
with him.
What came out clearly is that Mr Margaryan has style, a sense of
humour and is always prepared with the right words.

PanARMENIAN.Net
NATO PA Delegation Arriving in Yerevan
09.06.2006 18:53 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ June 12-14 NATO PA delegation will be visiting
Armenia. The delegation members are scheduled to meet with the members
of the Armenian parliamentary delegation to the NATO PA, head of the
department of the OSCE affairs at the RA Foreign Ministry Varuzhan
Nersisyan and other officials.
June 12 the NATO PA delegation will meet with RA Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian, chief of the national security service Gorik Hakobyan
and member of the committee on struggle against corruption Manuk
Topuzyan as well as representatives of NGOs.
June 13 discussions with Armenian Parliament Speaker Tigran Torosian
are scheduled. The delegation members will also meet with Chief of the
General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces, Colonel General Mikael
Harutyunyan, head of the department for emergency situations Edik
Barseghyan and Energy Minister Armen Movsisyan.
June 14 round table discussions organized jointly by the NATO PA and
the parliamentary commissions on foreign affairs and defense, national
security and home affairs will be held in the Armenian parliament,
reported the RA NA press service.

Baltic News Service
June 9, 2006 Friday 3:06 PM EET
LITHUANIAN PRESIDENT CONTINUING VISIT TO AZERBAIJAN
VILNIUS Jun 09
Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus is continuing his two-day visit
to Azerbaijan.
On Friday, Adamkus is scheduled to meet with the Azerbaijani prime
minister, attend a business forum, visit the Heidar Aliyev Foundation
and an oil terminal, where the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline linking
Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey starts.
Adamkus will also be conferred the title of honorary doctor at Baku
State University.
The Lithuanian president-led delegation will return to Vilnius Friday
evening.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan was one of the
poorest and economically backward USSR republics. However, due to
increasing oil prices in recent years, it has become one of the most
rapidly economically developing countries.
However, political observers admit that political tension related to
the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Mountain
Karabakh region hinders further improvement of the situation.
About 30,000 people were killed during 1992-1994 fights, several
hundred thousand Azerbaijanis were forced to become refugees in their
own country. Mountain Karabakh is currently controlled by Armenians,
and there is only a fragile truce between the two sides in the
conflict.

LOCAL JOINS PEACE CORPS
By: Tony Regina, Managing Editor
Record Breeze, NJ
June 8 2006
Leigh Paynter always wanted to do this.
Last Friday, Paynter, a Laurel Springs resident, left for Armenia
to join the Peace Corps. She will be teaching English as a foreign
language to younger students.
“I really needed to do this because I wanted to help,” Paynter,
a Sterling High School graduate, said.
The Peace Corps decided what country Paynter would be stationed in,
she said. She found out she had been accepted into the program around
Christmas last year.
Since then, Paynter’s prepared for her experience by attempting
to familiarize herself with the Armenian culture “Since I found
out, I’ve bough three CD-roms on the country. I’ve done so much
Internet researching,” she said. “I’m trying to learn to speak the
language. It’s very overwhelming.”
Before leaving for the Peace Corps, Paynter spent a year in Sarasota,
Florida working as a photo-journalist for a local television station.
She graduated from Rowan University in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree
in communication.
“I’ve always been interested in working with people. I like finding
out information,” Paynter said of her decision to enter such a career.
In many ways, her experience as a photo-journalist prepared her for
the journey ahead, Paynter said. Covering the murder of an infant
as well as Hurricane Wilma helped her build a sense of self-reliance
and independence.
“You do something different every day,” Paynter said. “I think going
to Florida was a really great move for me. I had to handle everything
on my own. I have a little more self-confidence now.”
Paynter went through a “vigorous” application process to become
a member of the Peace Corps, she said. She chose to gain a year’s
experience as a photo-journalist before applying for the organization.
“I picked up some more projects tutoring. I took some training courses
in Sarasota,” Paynter said.
Although she had intention of leaving her position with the television
station, Paynter couldn’t pass up an opportunity to join the Peace
Corps, she said.
“I couldn’t turn it down. I got my mind wrapped around it as something
I really wanted to do,” she said.
As a teacher in Armenia, Paynter hopes to implement new teaching
methods, she said. An avid reader, she hopes to relay that passion
to her students.
Paynter also intends to take a lot of lessons with her from the
experience.
“The number one thing for me would be appreciation for what I have
here in America. I also want to learn to appreciate the Armenian
culture and language,” Paynter said.
Since she’ll serve as a volunteer, Paynter can leave her position in
Armenia at any time, she said. She wants to stay over there for at
“least two years.”
“I really am optimistic that I will be able to make a difference. I’m
more excited than nervous,” Paynter said.
Although Paynter’s departure for Armenia was “hard on her parents,”
her family is “very supportive” of her decision to join the Peace
Corps, Paynter said.
“They’re very proud of me. It’s going to be hard, not being able to
talk to them when I want to,” she said.
Paynter joins more than 182,000 Americans who have served in the
Peace Corps since its inception in 1961. The organization currently
has 7,810 volunteers serving in 75 different countries.
For more information, visit the following Web site:

AGBU REBUILDS VILLAGES IN HADRUT REGION
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 07 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 7, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Armenian
General Benevolent Union (AGBU) rebuilds 3 villages in the NKR
region of Hadrut. Levon Kebabdjian, a member of the AGBU Central
Board of Directors is the initiator and coordinator of the program
on restoration and resettlement with refugees of villages suffered
from the Artsakh war.
According to the information submitted to Noyan Tapan by the AGBU
Armenian representation, AGBU Armenian Director Ashot Ghazarian and
NKR Prime Minister Anushavan Danielian visited the region of Hadrut
recently to get acquainted with works being done in the villages being
rebuilt by the AGBU, to discuss new programs. Other officials of the
NKR were in Hadrut as well.
One of the goals of the visit was final affirmation of the territory
for rebuilding another village in Hadrut by means of Michael Ansour,
a member of the AGBU Central Board of Directors. It was considered
purposeful to rebuilt the village of Jrakn near Norashen. The AGBU
proposal to rebuild another village in future was discussed as well. It
is possible that it will be one of the villages near Bareshen what
will give possibility to use infrastructures of Bareshen.
The AGBU started a program of rebuilding villages in the region of
Hadrut 5 years ago. The first village founded by the organization here
is Norashen rebuilt by the AGBU French branch where 22 families live
today. The village has a kindergarten where a school and emergency
room are temporarily placed as well. Construction of the new school
building will finish soon in Norashen.
Works of rebuilding of the village of Bareshen are being done by
efforts of the AGBU London branch. 6 dwelling houses are being built
here at present.
Raimond Haroutiunian, the head of the Young Workmen’s Board of the
AGBU Tehran branch allocated the 500 dollats gathered as a result of
the event organized recently in Tehran to assist AGBU resettlement
programs to furnishing of a classroom in the Norashen school.

“3+3: BALTICS- CAUCASUS” INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR STARTED IN ARMENIA
ArmRadio.am
08.06.2006 13:28
International seminar on “3+3: Baltics- Caucasus: cooperation in the
sphere of youth policy” started today in Lusakert, Armenia. Heads of
over 30 youth organizations, except the representative of Azerbaijan,
are participating in the conference. The participants will discuss the
problems the youth of Baltic and South Caucasian countries face. They
will study the experience of European integration and the youth
policy implemented in their countries. Exchange of experience and
further cooperation are also important. RA Deputy Minister of Culture
and Youth Affairs Arthur Poghosyan said that borders and political
problems should not prevent the contacts and cooperation of the youth.

ARMENIAN, AZERI PRESIDENTS FAIL TO AGREE ON CONFLICT – BELGIAN REPORT
De Standaard website, Groot-Bijgaarden
6 Jun 06
Text of unattributed report, entitled “Still no peace agreement
even with De Gucht’s mediation”, published by Belgian newspaper De
Standaard website on 6 June
Despite intensive mediation by, among others, Karel De Gucht –
[Belgian] foreign minister and chairman of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) – the presidents of Armenia
and Azerbaijan reached no agreement yesterday on the “frozen conflict”
concerning Nagorno-Karabakh. Robert Kocharian of Armenia and Ilham
Aliyev of Azerbaijan talked to each other at length in the margins
of the Black Sea Summit in the Romanian capital, Bucharest.
Nagorno-Karabakh – one of the most militarized regions in the world –
lies in Azerbaijan, but, since a civil war at the beginning of the
nineties, it has been de facto an autonomous republic controlled
by the ethnic Armenian majority. Both parties are under increasing
international pressure to reach a comprehensive agreement.
De Gucht said after two intensive meetings with the two presidents in
Bucharest that they both know that they must carry on, and that the
international community expects progress. “But, for the present, they
continue to see more the risks than the opportunities of an agreement.”