Author: Emil Lazarian

BAKU: ARMENIA OF DISTORTING ESSENCE OF KARABAKH SETTLEMENT
Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS General Newswire
September 5, 2006 Tuesday 2:16 PM MSK
Novruz Mamedov, foreign policy advisor of the Azerbaijani
president, has accused Vardan Oskanian, Armenian foreign minister,
of intentionally distorting the essence of the talks on settling the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
He told Interfax that Oskanian’s latest announcement that there is
a concrete document on the negotiating table based on the right to
self- determination of the Armenian population of Nagorno Karabakh
“is untrue and constitutes another provocation of the Armenian side.”
“What document can he be talking about, if the talks are not producing
any results? Evidently this is a specific feature of Armenian leaders
to refer to nonexistent documents and announce false information in
an attempt to mislead the public,” Mamedov said.
“The continuing process of Karabakh settlement does provide for the
self-determination of the population in Nagorno Karabakh, that is both
the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities and only in the framework
of Azerbaijan. However, for some reason Armenian leaders constantly
omit this circumstance,” he said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Russia to play the Netherlands in the women´s quarter-finals
By Wolfgang Philipps
Waterpolo-World.com
09/04/2006
Despite two one-goal-decisions in today´s matches of the 2006 European
Women´s Championships in Belgrade, Serbia the medal round matches
will be as expected at the beginning of the day. Hungary and Italy
ensured the first places in the Preliminary Round matches and will
advance to the semi-finals to be held on Thursday directly. In the
cross-over games of the quarter-finals Spain is facing Greece, while
Russia is playing the Netherlands. Germany is facing home team Serbia
in the match for the seventh place.
FOTO: (Wolfgang Philipps) The Dutch (here Biurakn Hakhverdian) will
face Russia in the medal round.
European Women´s Championships in Belgrade, Serbia
Schedule day 4
Wednesday, 6 September 2006
15:00 Serbia vs. Germany ­ game for seventh place
16:30 Spain vs. Greece ­ quarter-final 1
18:00 Netherlands vs. Russia – quarter-final 2
–Boundary_(ID_iXFO+Pnjqd7U2MVXDSs9Lg)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EUROPEAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE HEAD ARRIVING IN ARMENIA SEPTEMBER 7
PanARMENIAN.Net
05.09.2006 16:57 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Newly appointed President of the European
Olympic Committee (EOC) Patrick Hickey will visit Armenia September
7-9. According to Liaison Officer of the Information Department of the
National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Armenia, USSR master of sports on
gymnastics Natella Ovsapyan, the EOC President is invited to arrive
in Yerevan by Chair of the NOC of Armenia Gagik Tsarukyan. Hickey
is scheduled to meet with President Robert Kocharian, as well as NOC
leaders, members of the Executive Committee, chairs of various sport
federations, well-known representatives of the Armenian sport world.
“The visit aims at familiarization with the Olympic movement of Armenia
and the tasks of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Armenia,”
she underscored.
“This is the first official visit of Patrick Hickey as the EOC
President,” N. Ovsapyan said, adding that he is member of the
International Olympic Committee and Chair of the Olympic Committee
of Ireland, reports Novosti-Armenia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OSKANIAN: TALKS SHOULD BE HELD WHEN THERE IS OUTCOME
PanARMENIAN.Net
05.09.2006 17:37 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A meeting with Azeri FM E. Mammadyarov is
possible, when basic provisions for the talks to follow are made
clear, Armenian FM Vartan Oskanian stated in Yerevan. In his words,
talks should be held, when there are outcomes and continuation of the
process. “Otherwise these are senseless. The matter does not concern
whether meeting is favorable of unfavorable to Armenia. Unless the
OSCE MG specifies the subject of the next round, time and place, there
is no need for a meeting with E. Mammadyarov,” the Armenian FM said.
Touching upon some statements, voice by Azeri media, the Armenian FM
said that official Yerevan is not going to comment on all reports in
the Internet.

EP REGRETS SLOWDOWN OF REFORM PROCESS IN TURKEY
Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran
Aug 5 2006
The European Parliament’s (EP) Foreign Affairs Committee has expressed
regret that the reform process in Turkey has slowed down, and called
on Turkey “to recognize the Armenian genocide as a pre-condition”
for EU membership.
In a report adopted Monday evening in Strasbourg, the committee
notes the “persistent shortcomings” in Turkey’s reform process in
areas such as freedom of expression, religious and minority rights,
the role of the military, policing, women’s rights, trade union rights
and cultural rights.
According to an EP statement released Tuesday, the report urges Turkey
to “reinvigorate” the reform process.
MEPs also urge Turkey “to take concrete steps for normalization of
bilateral relations” with Cyprus “as soon as possible.” The Foreign
Affairs Committee calls on Turkey “to recognize the Armenian genocide
as a pre-condition for accession” and for a lowering of the threshold
of ten percent of votes below which political parties cannot enter
the Turkish parliament.
MEPs repeated the warning that negotiations do no automatically lead
to membership and that whether or not negotiations are successfully
concluded, Turkey must remain “fully anchored in European structures.”
The report, prepared by Dutch MEP Camiel Eurlings, was adopted by 53
votes in favor to 6 against with 8 abstentions. It will be debated
by the whole EP during its next plenary session on September 25-28.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RA FOREIGN MINISTER ON PROGRAM OF ARMENIA-DIASPORA FORUM 2006
By Tamar Minasian
AZG Armenian Daily
06/09/2006
On September 5, RA foreign minister Vartan Oskanian met with the
leadership of RA National Academy of Science. The participants of
the meeting were aimed to discuss the program of Armenia-Diaspora
Forum 2006 envisaged for September 18-20. Within the framework of
the forum “New Responses to Old Questions. The Armenians in the 21st
Century” two-day seminar will be held. Mr. Oskanian informed that it
is expected that the issues of the state, the national identity, the
business relations between Armenia and Diaspora, the migration issues,
as well as the issues of 2020 Diaspora prospects will be discussed.
Mr. Oskanian emphasized the importance of the forum and expressed
hope that the present will take active part in the abovementioned
activities and the discussions, as well as make suggestions for the
settlement of various issues.
In response to the question of Karlen Dallakian about the state
evaluation of the activities carried out by the World Armenian
Congress from the viewpoint of the relations between Armenia and
Diaspora, Mr. Oskanian stated that big sums and efforts have been
invested in the successful activities of that organization and there
are certain results, thought the organization fails to justify the
efforts spent. As an objective reason, he stated that frequently
the interests of various communities of Diaspora clash between each
other. At the same time he said that The World Armenian Congress is
not the only organization that unites Armenia with Diaspora, and the
state can’t be prejudiced to such organizations.
As for historian Ashot Melikian’s concern about the approach of
RA authorities to the issue of Javakhk, Mr. Oskanian said that
they can’t remain indifferent to the given issue, to the fate of
the Georgian-Armenians and they take certain steps to improve the
situation, though it’s an inner issue of Georgia.
The participants of the meeting also touched upon the tense relations
between Antialias and St. Etchmiadzin, the correct choice of the
programs broadcasted over RA Public TV’s Pan-Armenian network, as well
as the issue of double citizenship. Mr. Oskanian stated that all the
abovementioned issues will be included in the agenda of the forum.

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT REPORT NOT OBJECTIVE, SAYS TURKEY
NTV MSNBC, Turkey
Aug 5 2006
The report said there had been a slowing of the pace of enacting
reforms required as part of Turkey’s EU membership bid.
Guncelleme: 21:36 TSÝ 05 Eylul 2006 SalýANKARA – The report handed
down by the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee on Turkey’s
progress in meeting the membership criteria of the European Union was
not objective and did not deal with the relevant issues, a Turkish
Foreign Ministry spokesman said Tuesday.
However, Turkey expected some of the more controversial and
questionable statements in the report, which was approved by the
EP’s Foreign Affairs Committee late Monday, to be removed from the
final document to be voted on by the parliament on September 28,
Foreign Ministry spokesman Namik Tan said.
“It is obvious that the report focused on issues which has nothing to
do with common sense and objectivity,” Tan told a press conference
in Ankara. “We hope that those points will be addressed before the
vote in the General Assembly at the end of this month.”
Tan said that a number of issues raised in the report, such as the
so-called Armenian genocide, were included due to political impulses
and did not reflect reality.
“We hope members of the European Parliament will demonstrate common
sense to fix this situation during general assembly meeting,” he said.
–Boundary_(ID_fi5yM0LV+IATflFH+Na0WQ)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CHAIRMAN OF THE EUROPEAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA
ArmRadio.am
05.09.2006 13:13
At the invitation of the Chairman of the Olympic Committee, MP Gagik
Tsarukyan President of the European Olympic Committee Patrick Hickey
will arrive in Armenia on a two-day official visit. Mr. Hickey will
have meetings with Armenian officials and sports leadership. He will
learn about the state of sport in Armenia and will hold corresponding
negotiations.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OTHER SIXTEEN FAMILIES LIVING IN YEREVAN ARE GIVEN CERTIFICATES FOR BUYING FLATS
Noyan Tapan
Sept 04 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN. 16 Families, Living At Present In
The Hostel In The Address Of Moldovakan 70, Yerevan, Were Given On
September 1 Certificates For Buying Flats, At The Cost Of 6 Mln 511
Thousand Drams Each (About 16.3 Thousand U.S. Dollars). Before The
Ceremony Of Giving The Certificates, Aram Haroutiunian, The RA Minister
Of Urban Development Mentioned That As It Was In 2005, The Process Of
Giving Certificates For Buying Flats Starts With Inhabitants Of The
Mentioned Hostel This Year As Well: They Were Given 20 Certificates For
Buying Flats In 2005, 19 Of Which Were Used. In Total, 590 Certificates
For Buying Flats Were Given In 2005, 360 Of Which Were Used.
A.Haroutiunian Also Mentioned That Mechanisms Of Work Of Those
Implementing The Program On Giving Certificates For Buying Flats,
The RA Ministry Of Urban Development, The State Committee On Real
Estate Land-Survey Attached To The RA Government, The Migration
Department Of The RA Ministry Of Territorial Administration And
Local Self-Government Bodies, Will Be More Definied, In The Sense Of
Beneficiaries And Flat Surfaces, Terms Of Using The Certificates For
Buying Flats. Gagik Yeganian, The Migration Department Chief Reminded
That The RA Government Made The Decision On Implementing The Program
On Giving Certificates For Buying Flats In 2004 And Undertook By It
The Responsibility Of Providing With Flats More Than 3.5 Thousand
Of Needy Families. The Total Cost Of The Program, Which Solves The
Program Of Integrating Refugees To The Society, Is 25 Mln Dollars. In
G.Yeganian’S Words, The Issue Of Giving Certificates For Buying Flats
To Families Living In Temporary Residences In The Marz Of Kotayk,
And The Program Will Be Implemented In Future In The Direction Of
Solving The dwelling problem of most needy families living in Yerevan.

ARMENIAN DRAM APPRECIATES BY 10.6% AGAINST US DOLLAR IN AUGUST 2006 ON DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR
Noyan Tapan
Sept 04 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN. A 2.7% growth in consumer prices
was registered in August 2006 on December 2005, with the Armenian
dram appreciating by 10.6% against the US dollar. According to the RA
National Statistical Service, a similar tendency was registered in the
same period of last year: a 4.5% growth in consumer prices was followed
by a 5.2% appreciation of the Armenian dram against the US dollar. A
0.9% price fall was registered in the Armenian consumer market in
August on July 2006, while the Armenian dram appreciated by 3.7%
against the US dollar in the currency market. The average settlement
exchange rate of the US dollar made 401.9 drams in August 2006,
which is lower by 12.8% (460.99 drams) than the index of August 2005.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress