Author: Emil Lazarian

ARMINFO News Agency
September 14, 2006 Thursday
THREE-DAY SEMINAR, ORGANIZED BY INITIATIVE OF DM OF ESTONIA, LATVIA
AND LITHUANIA, ENDED IN YEREVAN
A three-day seminar “Public Relations”, organized by the initiative
of Defense Ministries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and held by
invitation of Armenia’s DM Serzh Sarkissyan, ended in Yerevan. The
Heads and representatives of press-offices of State Departments of
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Armenia participated in the seminar. A
“round table” has been held today with participation of journalists.
The representatives of RA Mass Media and Baltic guests were enabled
to ask questions to each other on their subjects of interest. “During
the seminar, each party had presented its own structure of the
department of departments for public relations”, the Head of the
Department for Public Relations of Estonia’s DM, Madis Mikko, said.
M. Mikko noted in the talk with ArmInfo correspondent that such a
communication for Trans-Baltic countries is a natural way of work,
though such a seminar is held for the first time in Armenia. “Such
relations have been established long ago. Moreover, as we are the
members of the EU and NATO, we cooperate with the states being in the
structure of these organizations. As for the third countries out of
these organizations, we surely have work contacts”, he said. In M.
Mikko’s opinion, such seminars and contacts enable an information
exchange. “The most important thing is to understand the way of
thinking. I think, three days are enough for that. It was very
interesting for us. It was the first exchange of opinions. It is
important that our colleagues in Armenia have many such questions
which we face with. The difference, possibly, is in the method of
these issues solution”, M. Mikko said.
Asked if there is something Armenia can learn from its western
colleagues, M. Mikko noted that one can always learn irrespective of
the geographic position.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMINFO News Agency
September 12, 2006 Tuesday
ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES ARE NOT OBLIGED TO MAKE PUBLIC THE WHOLE
INFORMATION ON KARABAKH PEACE TALKS
The Armenian authorities are not obliged to make public the whole
information about the Karabakh peace process, says the expert of the
Caucasus analytical center Sergey Shakaryants.
For example, the US does not tell his people what genocides and
massacres he is planning in one or another region of the world. In
order to understand what the OSCE MG are proposing one does not need
the explanations of the Armenian authorities. One has just to
familiarize himself with what US co-chair Matthew Bryza says.
Bryza hopes that the Armenian side will withdraw its troops from the
security zone and that US soldiers will be deployed in the region
under the guise of peacekeeping. This hope is part of the failed
anti-Iranian plan. The last events in Lebanon have proved that the US
and Israeli armies are helpless in the face of the well-trained Shi’a
guerrillas. A war against Iran might put an end to the world
civilization but the failed rehearsal in Lebanon has shown that the
US plan will not work out, says Shakaryants.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Quest Economics Database
CIRCA (Cambridge International Reference on Current Affairs) People
In Power
September 15, 2006 Friday
ARMENIA
Full name: The Republic of Armenia : Capital: Yerevan
Current constitution: July 1995, with amendments in 2005.
Head of state: The head of state is a president, directly elected by
universal adult suffrage. Robert Kocharian, hitherto prime minister,
became acting president on the resignation on 3 February 1998, of the
president since independence, Levon Ter-Petrossian. Kocharian went on
to win elections held in March and was sworn into office on 9 April
1998. The president’s term of office is five years, renewable once
only.
Legislature: The legislature is unicameral. The sole chamber, the
National Assembly (Azgayin Joghov), has 131 members, directly elected
for a four-year term.
Executive: The president appoints the prime minister, and the other
members of the cabinet as proposed by the prime minister. The prime
minister is head of government, and directs and co-ordinates its
work.
Most recent elections:
– Presidential: 19 February and 5 March 2003.
– Legislative: 25 May 2003.
Political makeup of government: The president is not a member of any
party, although when first elected in 1998 he was backed by the
Pan-Armenian National Movement (PANM), and defeated former communist
leader Karen Demirchian of the People’s Party of Armenia (PPA). After
the 2003 legislative elections pro-presidential parties dominated the
National Assembly, and the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), which
had led the previous administration, became the largest party with 35
members, although there were an equal number of independents.
Andranik Markarian of the RPA, prime minister since May 2000, formed
a new RPA-led government on 11 June 2003 in which the majority of the
members of the previous government retained their posts. One of the
RPA’s two junior coalition paartners, the Law-Based State (Orinats
Yerkir) party (LBS) withdrew from the government in May 2006. Its two
remaining ministers resigned from the party, but one of them, the
minister of education and science, was replaced on 17 May by a member
of the other coalition party, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation –
Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D). The minister of culture was replaced on 22
May.
Head of State
Robert Kocharian : President
Cabinet
Andranik Markarian (RPA): Prime Minister
Hovik Abrahamian (RPA): Minister for Co-ordinating Territorial
Administration and Production Infrastructures
Vardan Oskanian (ind): Foreign Affairs
David Lokian (ARF-D): Agriculture
Aghvan Vardanian (ARF-D): Labour and Social Security
Karen Chshmaritian (RPA): Trade and Economic Development
David Harutunian (RPA): Justice
Levon Mkrtchian (ARF-D): Education and Science
Serge Sarkissian : Defence
Vardan Ayvazian (RPA): Ecology
Norair Davidian (ARF-D): Health
Asmik Pogosian : Culture and Youth Affairs
Andranik Manukian (RPA): Transport and Communications
Vartan Khachatrian (RPA): Finance and Economy
Aram Harutunian : Urban Development
Armen Movsisian (RPA): Energy
Manuk Topuzian : Head of the Government Executive
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Turkish Daily News
September 15, 2006 Friday
THE FIRES OF OPPORTUNITY?
The long-lasting Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict is easily one of the
most protracted in Eurasia. Years of various intense mediations, most
prominently by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE), have so far produced a flurry of shuttle diplomacy
with very little real impact on the ground. Most recently, however,
there have been some signs that things may change. These are due to
an unlikely reason and come through an unlikely agency. On Sept. 8,
the United Nations passed a resolution “On the Situation in the
Occupied Territories of Azerbaijan” to address the environmental
damage caused by fires raging throughout the Azerbaijani territories
under Armenian military control. Thus after repeated appeals by the
Azerbaijani authorities the United Nations formally recognized the
gravity of the situation and emphasized the “urgent need to suppress
the fires.”
To pass this resolution, Azerbaijan negotiated with Armenia; the
document notes the “readiness of the sides to cooperate.” Even if
brought about by the unfortunate case of an environmental disaster,
this is an opportunity for the two sides to work together in
addressing an urgent real issue at hand. This might prove a useful
experience in the future. Armenia’s military control over large
portions of the internationally-recognized territory of Azerbaijan is
clearly not sustainable, in the first place for Armenia itself.
Therefore, should some progress on peace talks be achieved, military
withdrawal and repatriation of Azerbaijan’s numerous displaced
communities, currently exiled as a result of the occupation, would
require some form of cooperation between the parties. Finding a way
to put out the fires together may be a good start.
Moreover, if Armenia is serious about its professed desire to join
regional cooperation projects, overwhelmingly centered around
Azerbaijan, it needs to practice some practical cooperative
techniques with its neighbors — an opportunity so far overshadowed
by Armenia’s predominantly confrontational view of the neighborhood.
As for the Armenian separatists based on the occupied territories,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region, taking a more responsible
approach towards preserving the environment, which they control
jointly with Armenia proper, can make the offer of “highest degree of
self-rule” stipulated by Azerbaijan a more feasible possibility.
Furthermore, successful cooperation between Armenia and Azerbaijan
can lay a basis for addressing the formidable future challenge of
post-conflict rehabilitation and reconstruction.
These are of course just opportunities. After all, the United Nations
had already passed a number of resolutions in 1993 and 1994 calling
for withdrawal of Armenian troops and return of refugees, only to be
completely ignored for over a decade. This too, incidentally, can
change if the sides actually take the first cooperative step.
It is often said that, emerging in 1980s, the Armenia-Azerbaijan
conflict had been a contributing factor in shaking the foundations of
the former Soviet Union. In its current unresolved state the conflict
remains a major threat to peace and stability, precluding the people
of the South Caucasus from fully realizing the potential of their
region. Perhaps in jointly implementing the provisions of the latest
U.N. resolution, both Armenia and Azerbaijan can demonstrate a
leadership model much needed in the area.
Most importantly and urgently, though, the fires must be suppressed
— this is the most pressing issue on the ground. The rest comes
after and hopefully as a result of that.
*Elin Suleymanov is Azerbaijan’s consul general in Los Angeles
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Burbank Leader, United States
Modified Sep 15, 2006 – 22:04:19 PDT
Armenian church festival scheduled
By Ani Amirkhanian
The Western Diocese of the Armenian Church will host
its inaugural Festival of Faith and Culture on
Saturday and Sunday at the Western Diocese
headquarters in Burbank.
“It’s a good tradition to have for the Armenian
church,” said Shoghig Giragosian, festival committee
chair. “Once a year, it’s for people to get together,
to get to know the various diocese and to know the
services that are available to them.”
– Church fetes centennial
– Armenian church festival scheduled
– Genocide suit moves forward
– IN THEIR OWN WORDS

The festival will begin at 10 a.m. today with the
opening ceremonies starting at 11 a.m.
Thousands are expected to attend, Giragosian said.
“We are going to have a lot of visitors and we truly
want this to be a festival for the people,” Giragosian
said.
Comedian Kev Orkian will host the two-day event, which
will feature performers, including Vartan and
Siranushe Dance Group, Winds of Passion, Menuet Dance
Group and more. advertisement

Participating Armenian comedians include Lori
Tatoulian and Chuko.
A children’s program presented by Vaco and a panel
discussion on modern Armenian identity is scheduled
for Saturday.
The festival will continue from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on
Sunday.
Archbishop Hovnan Derderian will conduct an open-air
divine liturgy at 10:30 a.m. on the occasion of the
Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross.
“We have titled the first festival ‘Festival of Faith
and Culture,'” Derderian said. “It gives a specific
message to our parishioners and community members. We
cannot possibly forget it in our lives, they are
closely intermingled with one another.” Following the
liturgy, the archbishop will partake in the ceremony
of the Blessing of the Stone Crosses.
Representatives from the Armenia Tree Project and the
Armenian Bone Marrow Foundation will be recognized for
their deeds within the diaspora communities,
Giragosian said. “The western diocese has been around
for some time,” Giragosian said. “It seems to have
been rejuvenated since the arrival of the archbishop
[in 2003]. The entire western diocese has taken on a
new vigor, a new zeal.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NewsBlaze, CA
18 Countries Take 29 Treaty Actions at Annual UN Event
Eighteen countries have taken 29 actions signing and ratifying
international pacts during the first three days of a special event
taking place at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Yesterday Austria became the sixth country to ratify the 2005
International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear
Terrorism. Austria also partially withdrew one of its reservations to
the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women, relating to women in the workforce.
Also yesterday, Armenia and Peru deposited instruments of accession to
become parties to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against
Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment,
which establishes a system of visits by independent experts to places
of detention.
Several countries signed the Optional Protocol to the Convention on
the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, which extends
protection by the Convention to UN humanitarian personnel serving in
the field.
The first part of this year’s event coincided with the High-Level
Dialogue on International Migration and Development, and it
spotlighted 30 treaties regulating a broad range of cross-border
issues.
In addition to treaties relating to migration, refugees and Stateless
persons, the event will showcase pacts on human trafficking, organized
crime, corruption, climate change, sustainable development,
indiscriminate or excessively injurious weapons, torture and food
security.
The annual event, held since 2000, seeks to promote increased
participation of countries in the more than 500 multilateral treaties
deposited with the Secretary-General, and by so doing, to strengthen
the rule of law.
The Treaty Event will continue on 19 September and conclude on 20
September.
Source: United Nations
[email protected]
Copyright © 2006, NewsBlaze
//au.f386.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?YY= 49687
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Turkmenistan.ru
16.09.06 13:00

International scientific conference on Ruhnama ends in Ashgabat
The international scientific forum devoted to the creation by
President Saparmurat Niyazov, Ruhnama, has finished its work in the
Turkmen capital. As the State News Service (TDH) reports, issues of
scientific research of the Turkmen leader’s book published in over 30
languages in the contemporary conditions, its importance for the
universal spiritual space were on the agenda.
It fully natural, the TDH notes, the Ashgabat forum has attracted
concerned attention of the international scientific
circles. Representatives of various countries such as Turkey, Russia,
Armenia, USA, Cyprus, Denmark, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, China,
Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Malaysia, India, Poland, Czech Republic,
Italy, Pakistan, Japan, UAE, Germany, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Britain,
France and Afghanistan took part in the conference. Historians,
political scientists, philosophers, literary critics, culture
researchers, representatives of the biggest non-profit organizations,
translators of Ruhnama arrived in Ashgabat.
During six group sessions held in the biggest scientific and cultural
centers of the Turkmen capital over 180 reports were delivered and
discussed.
The statements stressed that Ruhnama has accumulated the colossal
amount of information about the history, culture, traditions and
customs of the Turkmen nation and has embodied, at the same time,
universal values on its pages. In our complicated time, when the world
faces new challenges, this book gains special importance as it teaches
mutual respect, and assuming responsibility for the fate of native
country and the whole world as well, the scientists stressed.
At the conference closing ceremony it was emphasized that the Ashgabat
forum served as a bright example of the fruitful cooperation aimed at
broadening and strengthening relations among representatives of the
scientific circles and of various countries and continents of the
planet.
On behalf of the President of Turkmenistan the festive dinner was
given for the participants of the international scientific
conference. The guests visited the National Values Museum of
Turkmenistan, the National Carpet Museum, went sightseeing of the
memorial places of the city, visited a number of schools and higher
educational establishments in the capital, the Orphans Palace named
after UAE President Sheikh Zaed Bin Sultan Al Nahayan. They also
visited the Spirituality Museum in Kipchak, Equestrian Sport Complex
and Path of Health laid in the Kopetdag foothills.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMINFO News Agency
September 13, 2006 Wednesday
DATA SUBMITTED BY US EMBASSY IN ARMENIA TO ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT
CONTAIN NO FACTS AGAINST NATURE PROTECTION MINISTER
The data submitted by the US Embassy in Armenia to the Armenian
Government contained no facts accusing the minister of nature
protection, Vardan Ayvazyan, of bribery, Andranik Margaryan, the
prime minister of Armenia, told journalists, Wednesday.
The data just contained complaints by Global Gold Mining against the
minister, but no facts. The tense relations between the company and
the Nature Protection Minister are natural. Such tension often
originates between an economic entity and the government. “We
proposed Global Gold Mining to apply to the court, but it preferred
not to do it,” the prime minister said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Ekho Moskvy radio, Moscow, in Russian
13 Sep 06
MOSCOW PROSECUTORS CONFIRM POLICE CADET’S ARREST OVER ARMENIAN
YOUTH’S MURDER
[Presenter] The Moscow prosecutor’s office announced today that it
has solved a high-profile murder committed on the Moscow underground
in April. An Armenian youth, 17-year-old Vigen Abramyants was killed
at the Pushkinskaya underground station. It was announced today that
a certain Nikita Senyukov has been detained on suspicion of
committing this murder. The news can be regarded as quite sensational
because the supposed murderer was a police college cadet. The
detention was confirmed to us by Svetlana Petrenko, aide to the
Moscow prosecutor,.
[Petrenko] Nikita Senyukov, born in 1988, a fourth-year student at
College No 1 of the Moscow Main Directorate of Internal Affairs, has
been detained on suspicion of committing the murder of Vigen
Abramyants in April this year at the Pushkinskaya underground station
in Moscow. The criminal case was instituted by the Moscow Underground
Prosecutor’s Office under Article 105 Part 2 Clauses “zh” and “l” of
the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation: murder by a group of
people committed for reasons of ethnic hatred. Moscow’s
Cheremushkinskiy Court ruled yesterday that the measure of restraint
applicable to the suspect is arrest. The underground prosecutor’s
office intends to bring charges against Senyukov shortly.
[Correspondent] Moreover, some reports suggest that Nikita Senyukov
is a second-generation policeman. His father was also a policeman –
not rank-and-file but a very senior one, they say. However, our radio
was told at police college No 1 that Nikita Senyukov had withdrawn
from the college a while ago. The college chief, Aleksey
Bezyazychnyy, told us about the cadet.
[Bezyazychnyy] Nikita Senyukov wrote an application saying he would
like to withdraw. You know, he was an ordinary student, just like any
other. He could not be classified as (? difficult). He went in for
sports, big way. He reached the qualifications of candidate master of
sports in unarmed combat. That’s all I can tell you. He was doing
fairly well in his studies too.
[Presenter] Sources close to the investigation point out that he was
traced thanks to the investigation into a criminal case of the
explosion at the Cherkizovskiy market. Some reports say Nikita
Senyukov was a member of one of the nationalist groups operating in
Moscow. Three of those detained on suspicion of [causing] the
explosion at the market were also members. This was mentioned
yesterday by the lawyer for Vigen Abramyants’ family, Simon
Tsaturyan.
[Tsaturyan] Obviously this individual, together with his accomplices,
was also linked to the explosion at the Cherkizovskiy market. The
motive is still the same: the crime was committed because of
interethnic strife. There could not have been any other motives. You
may remember that from the outset we protested strongly against the
theory that the murder was the result of a personal disagreement –
because Vigen allegedly quarrelled with a certain Kulagin. Thank God,
we have lived to see the day when the true circumstances of this
murder and the identities of the persons really involved in this
crime have been established.
[Passage omitted]
[Correspondent] The 17-year-old Management University student Vigen
Abramyants was killed on the evening of 22 April on a platform of the
Pushkinskaya underground station. He and his group-mates were
attacked by a group of teenagers wearing black jackets and high
boots. In the fight, one of the assailants stabbed Abramyants in the
heart, as a result of which the student died on the spot. Another two
people sustained non-life-threatening wounds to their faces and arms.
The assailants escaped. [Passage omitted.]
[Presenter] Let me quote the view of Ara Abramyan, president of the
Union of Armenians of Russia. He regrets that crimes with ethnic
motives are often committed by students and those from well-to-do
families. [Passage omitted.]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan, in Armenian
13 Sep 06
ARMENIAN MINISTER SAYS KARABAKH RESOLUTION SHOULD BE SPEEDED UP
[Presenter] Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan met the
co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group in Paris [12 September]. Oskanyan
told Armenian journalists that the framework of problems had been
clarified and the sides would discuss it in the near future.
[Oskanyan] We discussed additional problems constantly raised by
Azerbaijan in order for this process [negotiations] not to go off its
normal rails. This year, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen want to
make additional progress [in the negotiating process] before the
[Armenian] parliamentary election. We have no time to deviate from
this process.
I thing that it is time to put on the negotiating table a document
that we regard as balanced. Azerbaijan’s position regarding this
document is also positive and we think that it is time to avoid
making pointless statements and the sides should concentrate on
speeding up this process.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress