RA Foreign Minister Believes Mathew Bryza to Bring No New Suggestion

RA FOREIGN MINISTER BELIEVES MATTHEW BRYZA TO BRING NO
NEW SUGGESTIONS FOR NAGORNO KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

AZG Armenian Daily #139, 26/07/2006

Opinion

US OSCE MG Co-Chair Matthew Bryza is not going to bring any new
suggestions for the Nagorno Karabakh settlement on his July 29 visit
to Yerevan. Vartan Oskanian, RA Foreign Minister, stated this at
today’s press conference. "Our expectations from the visit of the US
Co-Chair of the OSCE MG are linked to his ability whether he will
manage to make the Azeries return to the negotiations or not. If
Azerbaijan agrees to continue the suggestions, there will appear an
opportunity to enter a new stage of the negotiations and fix progress,"
Oskanian said. He added that if Azerbaijan again disapproves the
suggestions of the co-chairs, the situation in Nagorno Karabakh may
get complicated. According to Oskanian, the package of the OSCE MG
suggestions may be considered also in 2007, but, taking into account
the coming elections, it’s getting more complicated to achieve the
agreement. "The new package can’t be just an occasional one, there can
be slight corrections to certain points, but the main principles will
not be changed," RA Foreign Minister emphasized. Besides he said that
Armenia, unlike Azerbaijan, has no problem with signing the agreement
about the new stage of the EU ‘New Neighborhood’ program. The Minister
said that the approximate date of the signature is already known
and that Armenia will be certainly ready for it by that moment. He
added that EU Chair-state Finland is inclined to sign the partnership
agreement with the Southern Caucasian states.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BAKU: US diplomat concerned about Karabakh fires

US diplomat concerned about Karabakh fires

ANS TV, Baku
25 Jul 06

Presenter] The fires set by the Armenians to occupied [Azerbaijani]
territories are a serious incident and international organizations
must seriously deal with this issue, an official of the US embassy
in Baku, Jonathan Henick, has told journalists in Ganca. He said that
the embassy is keeping an eye on the issue.

[Jonathan Henick, public affairs officer of the US embassy in
Azerbaijan, captioned, shown speaking in Azerbaijani] This is a
very serious incident. We are watching it very closely. We hope that
these fires will be stopped very soon. But, of course, international
organizations may deal with this problem since this is a war-affected
region. We also have meetings and talks with them. Our main aim is
to stop the fires.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Jewels of 1 Mln USD Sold Monthly in Armenia

JEWELS OF 1 MLN USD SOLD MONTHLY IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, JULY 24, NOYAN TAPAN. Though jewels of about 1 mln USD are
sold monthly in Armenia, local production of precious stones falls
into decay. As Gagik Abrahamian, Chairman of Board of Directors of DCA
company, informed at the July 21 press conference, reduction of diamond
production is conditioned by the crisis on the international market. It
resulted in decrease of Shoghakn’s and DCA’s production volumes,
the concrete amounts of which G.Abrahamian did not want to publicize.

He expressed the hope that this crisis is temporary. It was also
mentioned that DCA tries to fill in this gap by increasing volumes
of production of jewelry wares.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Ceremony of First Stone Laying in Foundation of Saint Blessed Virgin

CEREMONY OF FIRST STONE LAYING IN FOUNDATION OF SAINT BLESSED VIRGIN CHURCH
TAKES PLACE IN STEPANAKERT

STEPANAKERT, JULY 24, NOYAN TAPAN. On July 22, a ceremony of solemn
laying of the first stone in the foundation of cathedral church of
Saint Blessed Virgin took place in Stepanakert, the capital of the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic. Catholicos of All-Armenians Garegin II
was invited to the NKR to consecrate the construction of the church.

Opening the ceremony Leader of the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian
Apostolic Church Pargev Martirossian stressed the historical
significance of the construction of the church in the capital of the
independent NKR.

Having consecrated the church’s foundation Catholicos of All-Armenians
Garegin II said: "The Saint Armenian Apostolic Church is a brave and
perfect soldier, who has fought for its people, inspired its struggle
for freedom and independent statehood for centuries. In our history our
people sometimes lost wars thus loosing statehood but never lost its
faith. All the victories in our history were gained with faith. With
this faith freedom-loving sons of Artsakh gained their right to live
free and independently."

According to NKR Foreign Ministry Press Service, NKR President Arkady
Ghoukassian, National Assembly Chairman Ashot Ghoulian, government
members, respected citizens and guests of the NKR capital laid
sanctified stones in the foundation of the church.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

55 Armenian Passengers Arrived in Yerevan From Tel Aviv by Armavia’s

55 ARMENIAN PASSENGERS ARRIVED IN YEREVAN FROM TEL AVIV BY ARMAVIA’S SPECIAL FLIGHT

YEREVAN, JULY 24, NOYAN TAPAN. On July 23, 55 Armenian passengers,
including several children, arrived in Armenia from Tel Aviv by
Armavia’s special flight. As Sargis Mailian, Head of the Company’s
Commercial Service, informed the Noyan Tapan correspondent, the
flight was made at the local Armenians’ request with the support of
the Armenian government.

S.Mailian also mentioned that during the last ten days 418 Armenians
came to Armenia by Armavia’s airplanes. In his words, it is envisaged
to make Yerevan-Aleppo special flight in the July 24 evening. It is
not excluded that one flight will be implemented on July 25.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Serge Sargsian Refutes Rumours About Conflicts Between Him And Presi

SERGE SARGSIAN REFUTES RUMOURS ABOUT CONFLICTS BETWEEN HIM AND PRESIDENT

YEREVAN, JULY 24, NOYAN TAPAN. "The Republican Party of Armenia is the
most influential political force. Of course, we have many problems but
I think we cannot compare Armenia of 2006 with Armenia of 2004 or
2002: the developments in the country are evident," Serge Sargsian,
Chairman of RPA Board, RA Defence Minister, declared at the July 22
press briefing held after the party’s special 10th congress.

He declared that he does not consider himself the factual head of
the party: "Starting this day I can be considered one of party’s
leaders." In response to the question, how he managed to lead to RPA
so many politicians and businessmen, Serge Sargsian advised to ask
them about it and at the same time added: "Maybe this is one of the
traits of my character."

As for the question, whether such strong personalities as he and
Andranik Margarian can "boil in the same copper" Serge Sargsian
answered "yes." In his opinion, the Armenian public needs a strong
team for orienting itself in complicated issues: "I think we laid
a basis for creating these forces."

As for his interrelations with the President, Serge Sargsian declared
that there are no conflicts between them: "I don’t understand why
there should be any conflicts. I have repeatedly said that RPA has its
program, its directions and we will work irrespective of the fact how
the others work. What conflict do you speak about?" He also emphasized
that he has never violated the subordination during 18 years of his
activity. Answering the question about the possibility of cooperation
between RPA and the Bargavach Hayastan (Prosperous Armenia) party,
the Defence Minister said that nothing should be excluded.

It was unexpected for the Defence Minister that RA President Robert
Kocharian did not address a greeting to the congress. According to
Serge Sargsian, now the President is on a short leave and after
his return will show his attitude to the congress. He refuted the
rumours that the President is not ill indeed and assured that the
President has an influenza.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Shah Will Stab or Shah Will Be Stabbed

SHAH WILL STAB OR SHAH WILL BE STABBED

Lragir.am
25 July 06

On July 22, the conference of the Republican Party marked the alliance
of corrupt officials and criminal business. This event had been
expected for a long time, and everybody wanted to know how the members
of this camp would feel and what their strategy would be. The point
is that both the public and the members of the Republican-criminal
bunch learned on the eve of the conference that nobody in this world
wants to assume responsibility for the plans and fate of this alliance.

Considering that since 1998 the Republicans have already twice
appeared in the center of attention of people whose credo is "nothing
compares with us", there could not be other attitude towards them,
for except the members of this camp everyone else have realized that
the time of these business plans is over and will never come back
again. The Republicans realized only one thing – for the first time
they acted without having the approval of the superior. The "orgy of
self-assertion", during which the main principles of activity of the
Republican Party were figured out, passed with this perception and
the grudge on Robert Kocharyan and his new Bargavach Hayastan Party
(Prosperous Armenia).

It was said that "the party is going to act independent from others
actions" and the Republican Party is the force which will lead Armenia
to a new level, and in four months everyone will be able see to what
the Republican Party is. And it was said for others. For them, the
political party drew a conclusion: Gagik Tsarukyan and his boss are
the first who cannot hinder the Republicans. And for this purpose it
is enough to make them take their opinion into consideration.

The native officials are, of course, afraid that they might not have
enough time, because they might be dismissed from their posts, and in
that case, they would not even dare to call and offer condolences.
But this is not their greatest fear: the president may not go into
detail. He may decide to let them fly until their 3.5 percent in the
parliamentary election 2007. This is what they are afraid of, for the
Republicans know that the only way of success is total control over
election committees, where the necessary number of votes is drawn.
Money and administrative terror do not bring votes. How can they
take away the committees from Robert Kocharyan and Tsarukyan? This
is the problem.

Objectively, if we become one with the native criminal for a moment,
we will realize that they are in a complicated state. In fact, they
need to grow into a monster, involve the entire Armenia, and corner
Robert and Gagik, make them retire to a far corner where they would
not reach the election committees. Perhaps this is what the Republicans
will be trying to do in the upcoming four months.

They have thought out a sensible plan. However, it will be difficult
to implement. They have little authority to persuade them. Besides,
there is not a legal lever. It is difficult to use the hobby of
Serge Sargsyan – defamation. The Attorney General Aghvan Hovsepyan
disappointed them too. It is possible to coerce parliamentarian
businessmen to join in, but it is already illegal. As for "caressing"
the members of the electoral committees in compliance with the law,
it is also unclear.

What should they do? Should they retreat? The criminal would not
like this, there is nowhere to retreat for the law is behind. So,
all they can do is corner the Law. What is law for those who struggle
against the law and lawfulness all their lives? There is no need for
intelligence to corner the law, experience and strength is enough. No
doubt, this option was chosen. Hence, Armenia appeared in a state
when either the Shah will stab or the Shah will be stabbed. Shah
Kocharyan played the same games with his viziers.

Kocharyan has already heard words addressed to his "support" Gagik
Tsarukyan and him. He must feel that soon he will be hearing more
bitter words. In four months he will lose the right to "touch" the
parliament and the government. At that time they will talk to him
seriously. He appears to be meditating. In the beginning, he fell
ill. Anyway.

It seems there is no need to think. They must stab with the Law.
People with bad intentions do not have anything to tell public
officials. The country will not lose anything, it will only benefit
if it realized that its way does not cross with those who "push their
truth forward" from all directions. But does Kocharyan know what law
is. If he knew, he would not lead the country and himself into this
state. And now he must be meditating on ways of calming his furious
"viziers".

The problem is to find a way of soothing the criminal without
the law. What should he do, maybe persuade? Is it sensible? No,
of course. Moreover, if he goes on to have a think, other
"brave men" might come up with their advice and prompt "effective
approaches". Gagik Tsarukyan may prompt one of his favorite ways,
like Tetsi Krug. Party building is not a sign of enlightenment.
Moreover, for his part, this comrade may have taken the advice of
more experienced friends.

As for former general Samvel Babayan, he announces that "everyone
who will try to falsify the election in 2007 will be punished right
away". He even says, "You will see who will punish." And he does
not appear to be joking because they say he is setting up a "squad"
(there are rumors that certain boys are trained under the surveillance
of a special operational force member).

The question might occur what he can prompt and finally why. But
are there no reasons? After all, Babayan is an odious figure. It
is not clear why he should fight against electoral fraud. However,
considering that Serge Sargsyan is known as someone who instigates
electoral fraud, something floats up, nevertheless.

"Struggle against falsifiers" might be Babayan’s pay for a chance to
return to politics with practical aims – return to native Karabakh as
a lord. Moreover, his main "adversary" Arkady Ghukasyan has recently
become rather close with Serge Sargsyan and worries about Sargsyan’s
future and also his future. The chance appeared to "rip off" the
heads of both and liberate his "sanctuary" in Stepanakert.

If the law does not work, everything may emerge from water. Falsifiers
and usurpers of power always deserve a punishment. But it does not
mean that it is possible to struggle against them with their methods,
moreover, with a special intention. The situation already demands
something else: it is necessary to collect refuse lying in the way
of the country. If they fail to, everything will be done by the
advice of those who use every method and passed the test of time.
And at that time there will be blows from every direction, and the
result will be obvious – those who start will win for themselves.
But what price will the country have to pay because "Shah" is
pusillanimous? This is the question.

MELIK AVANYAN

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Fear Makes Them Commit a Crime

FEAR MAKES THEM COMMIT A CRIME

Aravot.am
22 July 06

Communist Khoren Trchuni Sargsian says.

Mr. Sargsian, in your opinion, why are the authority powers so active
and what do you think about the Defense Minister party selection?
Indeed, the authorities act more actively than the opposition does
and if we analyze this situation it will become clear, that when
the opposition was active before, the authority won but now the
authority is active, consequently the opposition will win. Some signs
are already visible. As regards Serge Sargsian’s party selection I
must say that have been with each other since 2000. Which is the aim
for being together? If the authorities knew they would be reelected
by their done work, they wouldn’t take this step. They took this
step to keep their seats warm in the NA and authority. I connect
the future of the country with the elections, which must be fair,
nothing else must be: certainly the authority will do its best to rig
the elections. God forbid if they manage to stay in the authority,
in that case Armenia will probable empty. The Armenian people flee
to Armenia because of the war in the Arabic war hoping to have a
shelter in their homeland. But they will be disappointed soon, will
find anywhere else and will leave our country. Don’t you think the
oppositionist parties are too passive? Yes, I do; if anybody commits
a crime, for example he want to steal money to eat and the master of
the house sees him, the thief feels fear and commits another crime by
killing the master of the house, then fires him, committing the third
crime and so on. Now the same happens to these authorities: the fear
of hiding their committed crimes makes them commit a new one. How do
you explain RPA-"Prosperous Armenia" relations and do you believe
that the first one acts for Serge Sargsian and the second one acts
for Robert Kocharian, are there discrepancies between them? Of course,
no. Serge Sargsian-Robert Kocharian discrepancies are invented, there
is no discrepancy; they pretend so to rise the role of them. As regards
" Prosperous Armenia", perhaps Gagik Tsaroulian’s goal is to keep his
property from these authorities. I regard it in this way. Can the NK
conflict escalation make some people resign? I have replied to that
question a year before and I have said what will happen. Certainly
my prediction happened sooner. I have said that everything will be
strained in September when they will call the NA chairman back. Then
they will make the Prime Minister send in his resignation to appoint
their official in that post. The NA chairman after the President’s
resignation will refuse to lead the country before the elections in
40 days and the PM will lead the country. It’s the same line as it
was in 1998. It’s the same handwriting. Let’s speak about communistic
party. What does happen inside it? Speaking about the Communistic Party
of Armenia I feel pain in my heart and I won’t allow anyone to lift
his hand against the party as the Comcus of Armenia has always been
national and thanks to it we exist on this square. Our party wants
to stop exploitation people by people, to restore social justice.
I’m obliged to unify all communistic parties but if they don’t, it
will be easy for me to register the Republican Communistic Party of
Armenia, hold a session and for a new power.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Summit Prescribes CIS Lite; Saakashvili, Voronin Unbowed

Eurasia Daily Monitor

Monday, July 24, 2006 — Volume 3, Issue 142

SUMMIT PRESCRIBES CIS LITE; PUTIN BLINKS BEFORE SAAKASHVILI; VORONIN
STANDS UP TO PUTIN

by Vladimir Socor

Devalued by an unusually low attendance — only eight out of twelve
presidents — the CIS informal summit in Moscow on July 21-22 marks the
official transition of this organization to a `lite’ version of its former
self. With Russian President Vladimir Putin’s acquiescence, Kazakh President
Nursultan Nazarbayev presented a set of proposals to reduce the CIS to a few
functions, mainly in the sphere of social projects. Moreover, Putin blinked
before the absent Georgian President, Mikheil Saakashvili, by eschewing a
discussion on Russian `peacekeeping’ in Abkhazia, even though the Kremlin
itself and all of Russia’s officialdom insisted all along that this issue
belongs to the CIS competency.

The summit’s agenda included a CIS `assessment of world
developments’ — the usual exercise to line up the presidents behind a
Kremlin-drafted statement on international issues — as well as CIS reform.
In view of the low attendance, however, the Kremlin decided to drop the
joint statement at the last moment on July 21. The following day, Putin
asked Nazarbayev to present proposals for CIS reform that Nazarbayev had
been authorized to prepare in his capacity as chairman of the CIS Council of
Heads of State.

Nazarbayev’s report explicitly acknowledges that the CIS does not meet
the requirements of an integration organization, having failed to create
even a free-trade zone, let alone a customs or monetary union or a common
security policy. He proposes that the CIS henceforth focus on harmonizing
member states’ policies on five issues: a) regulating migration; b)
developing transport links; c) promoting exchanges in the sphere of
education; d) dealing with cultural and humanitarian issues [often a
euphemism for maintaining a Russian-language cultural environment]; and e)
tackling trans-border criminality.

Under this proposal, CIS decisions are to be adopted by unanimous
consent and to be deemed obligatory once adopted. This mechanism seems a
recipe for weak and even meaningless decisions. It gives each country not
only the possibility to withhold its consent but actually an incentive to
withhold consent if necessary to avoid obligatory decisions that contravene
its interests.

Moreover, Nazarbayev proposes continuing cuts in the personnel of
Moscow-based CIS structures and transferring their functions to `national
coordinators’ who would reside in the member countries’ capitals. Reducing
the budget and personnel of CIS offices in Moscow is a trademark Nazarbayev
idea, and it is partly thanks to his insistence that those structures have
been cut radically in recent years. Any further cut would almost certainly
bring their final demise. The proposed institution of nationally based
coordinators seems inspired by the GUAM model. Although GUAM is not yet
functional, its national coordinators at least provide a flexible and
cost-effective mechanism for development and implementation of policy
decisions.

The report was circulated belatedly and could not be seriously
discussed at the summit. It has on the whole been accepted as a basis for
further discussion, and the presidents are to submit suggestions to
Nazarbayev for further development of the proposals. Nazarbayev will retain
his chairmanship of the presidents’ conclave (temporarily suspending the
rotation in that chair) in order to finalize his report. He concluded,
`Everyone knows that the CIS states are unhappy about the work of this
organization, and some are very unhappy . . . The CIS has actually turned
into a club for the presidents’ meetings’ (NTV Mir, July 22).

The club function is supposed to enable the presidents to hold
bilateral or small-format meetings on the summit’s sidelines. However, even
the club function is questionable with only eight presidents in attendance,
and Putin declining to meet bilaterally with the two presidents who had
wanted such meetings: Georgia’s Saakashvili, who was refused one day before
the summit, and Moldova’s Vladimir Voronin who was denied a bilateral
meeting with Putin while the summit was in progress.

The gist of what Voronin might have told Putin can be gauged from the
Moldovan president’s interview with the liberal Ekho Moskvy radio — one of
the few Moscow media outlets still open to him — on the summit’s opening
day, when he was still hoping for a bilateral meeting with the Russian
president. Voronin pointed to Russia’s recruitment of Transnistria’s leaders
`in the Siberian Taiga and [Soviet] Riga special police [reference to these
leaders’ actual backgrounds]; called for replacement of Russia’s
`peacekeeping’ operations with an international mission of observers, both
military and civilian; ridiculed Moscow’s claim that Transnistria’s
authorities `do not permit’ Russia to remove its arsenals and troops from
the area (a claim repeated on July 20 by Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs
Sergei Lavrov); protested against Russia’s politically motivated embargo on
Moldovan wines (50% market share in Russia prior to the recent ban); and
deplored Russia’s `destruction’ of what Voronin described as traditional
Moldovan good will toward Russia (Ekho Moskvy, July 21).

Putin pointedly expressed his `thanks to those who found it possible
to come to Moscow.’ Among those who did not find it possible, Turkmen
President Saparmurat Niyazov is often absent from CIS summits; this time,
however, he is openly in conflict with Moscow over the price of Turkmen gas
deliveries to Gazprom.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko canceled his attendance with
less than 24 hours’ advance notice, citing the complicated political
situation in the country. A presidential communiqué went out of its way to
assure Russia and Putin personally of the `sincerity of Ukraine’s relations
with Russia as well as of the fact that Russia is a strategic partner of
Ukraine’ and invited Putin to visit Ukraine. A further invitation will
follow by official letter from Yushchenko, his office announced
(Interfax-Ukraine, July 21). This marks at least the fifth public and
somewhat supplicating invitation from Yushchenko to Putin to visit Ukraine.
Yushchenko previously issued such invitations in August, November, and
December 2005 and January 2006 publicly, and was also hoping to receive
Putin in Ukraine ahead of the March 26 parliamentary elections.

Armenian President Robert Kocharian was set to attend and likely to
meet with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev in Putin’s presence at this
summit. However, Kocharian canceled his attendance at the summit only hours
before its opening on July 21, citing a viral respiratory problem. In any
case, he faces an internal political problem, as Defense Minister Serge
Sarkisian seems set to launch a bid for supreme power.

(Interfax, Khabar, Mediamax, Arminfo, July 21, 22)

–Vladimir Socor

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RA Defense Minister received the Commander of the National Guards of

RA Defense Minister received the Commander of the National Guards of Kansas State

ArmRadio.am
24.07.2006 16:53

Secretary of the Presidential Council on National Security, RA
Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan received the delegation headed by
Commander of the National Guards of Kansas State, Adjutant-General
Tod Banting. The meeting was attended by US Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary to Armenia John Evans.

The parties turned to the high level of US-Armenia military
cooperation, attaching special attention to the spheres of peacekeeping
and healthcare. They turned to the implementation of the Sergeant
institute in RA Armed Forces and educational divisions. They dwelt
on the cooperation between the hospitals of Armenia and Kansas,
as well as the necessity of the professional training of doctors.

Banting spoke about the Armenian peacekeepers in Iraq, who are carrying
out their duty with a great sense of responsibility. He referred also
to Rascuer-2006 military exercises.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress