Author: Emil Lazarian

AZERI ARMY CAN FREE OCCUPIED LANDS – DEFENSE MINISTER
Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Military Newswire
August 31, 2006 Thursday 2:26 PM MSK
The Azeri army is strong and can cope with any tasks facing it, Defense
Minister Safar Abiyev said answering a question about the chances of
Turkey giving assistance should hostilities with Armenia resume.
“If a war [with Armenia] breaks out, the Azeri army won’t need the
assistance of the Turkish Armed Forces,” he said.
Azerbaijan is building up its capacities in procuring the necessary
arms and hardware for its army, he said.
“Azerbaijan will continue to boost its might for as long as Azeri
lands remain occupied,” Abiyev said.
Azeri media reports that EU Commissioner for External Relations
Benita Ferrero-Waldner sharply criticized Georgia and Azerbaijan for
growing defense spending at an international conference in Slovenia
last week. She said that spiraling defense spending in a region
requiring higher spending on education, health and small business is
poor policy- making.
Baku lost control over Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent districts
during in an armed conflict with Armenia in the early 1990s.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SPOKESMAN OF ARMENIAN PRESIDENT REFUTES RUMORS ABOUT CONFLICT BETWEEN PRESIDENT AND DEFENSE MINISTER
Yerevan, August 30. ArmInfo. The spokesman of Armenian President
Robert Kocharyan Viktor Soghomonyan refutes the rumors about conflict
between Kocharyan and Defense Minister Serzh Sargsyan.
He says that there is no conflict between the Republican Party and
Prospering Armenia party. There are some contradictions between them
but this is normal as otherwise they would be one party.
Soghomonyan refutes the reports that during their last meeting in
Sochi Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kocharyan discussed the
candidacy of Serzh Sargsyan as future president of Armenia.

ARMENIAN LEADER REMAINS LOYAL TO COALITION AGREEMENTS – SPOKESMAN
Mediamax news agency
30 Aug 06
Yerevan, 30 August: Armenian President Robert Kocharyan is against a
complete switch to the proportional representation system (election
on the party list), the Armenian president’s press secretary, Viktor
Sogomonyan, said in Yerevan today.
Addressing a briefing in Yerevan, Sogomonyan said that the
president remains loyal to his agreements with the ruling
coalition. Under them, 90 parliamentarians will be elected under the
proportional representation list and the remaining 41MPs under the
first-past-the-post system, Mediamax reports.
“The Armenian president considers that it is wrong for parliamentarians
to lose “direct contact” with their voters which will inevitably happen
after a complete switch to the proportional representation system,”
Sogomonyan said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERI PRESSURE GROUP CALLS FOR WAR WITH ARMENIA OVER KARABAKH
ANS TV, Baku
30 Aug 06
The Karabakh Liberation Organization demands that the authorities
start a war against Armenia.
The organization has issued a statement which demand that the
Azerbaijani authorities start a war to ensure the country’s territorial
integrity and to expel the aggressors from its lands. The peace
talks are totally pointless and Azerbaijan can free its lands from
occupation only by means of military operations.
The statement also denounced the celebrations in the self-proclaimed
Nagornyy Karabakh republic to mark its 15th anniversary [on 2
September].

AZERI MINISTER SAYS DISPATCH OF PEACEKEEPERS TO LEBANON NOT ON AGENDA
Ekspress, Baku
31 Aug 06
Excerpt from unattributed report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ekspress
on 31 August headlined “The dispatch of soldiers to Lebanon is not
a subject of discussion”
“The dispatch of Azerbaijani peacekeeping forces as part of the
international peacekeeping contingent to Lebanon is not a subject
of discussion,” Azerbaijani Defence Minister Safar Abiyev has told
journalists. The minister said that Azerbaijan had been made no
proposals about the dispatch of its peacekeeping contingent to Lebanon.
Abiyev said that the Azerbaijani army would not need help of
the Turkish armed forces should war starts [with Armenia]. “The
Azerbaijani army is able of doing everything and can itself conduct
all operations,” he said.
[Passage omitted: Abiyev did not give details of discussions about
GUAM armed forces]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

KAREKIN II “SILVA KAPUTIKIAN PUT ALL FORCES OF HER SOUL IN HOLY GOAL OF RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF OUR INDEPENDENT STATEHOOD
Noyan Tapan
Aug 30 2006
YEREVAN, AUGUST 30, NOYAN TAPAN. Silva Kaputikian put all forces
of her soul in the holy goal of re-establishment of our independent
statehood, she saw the free life of Armenia and Artsakh and devotedly
served for the cherished affair of reorganization and strengthening
of our public life. Karekin II Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of
All Armenians mentioned about it in his speech made at the August
29 funeral of the prominent Armenian poetess. “God blessed the late
prominent poetess, gifting her long life and fruiful pen, which she
used with love and devotion to serve her Fatherland and people. We
all know from childhood Silva Kaputikian’s name which is identified in
every Armenian child’s soul with the precept giving him the Armenian
language. … The precept to love the Fatherland, to love the nation,
to be the owner of our ancestors’ hopes and dreams, the precept
to look with belief towards the future, towards the eternity,” His
Holiness said. In words of His Holiness, Silva Kaputikian presents
a rich and important epoch of the Armenian literature and culture
with numerous cultural figures of her generation, who kept beating
the pulse of the Armenian literature and culture in difficult times,
lived and created with belief in the Armenians’ rebirth, freedom of
Armenia, the Armenian people’s joint bright future. “The prominent
poetess’ memory will always live brigthly with her love towards
the church, with her constant presence in the church life as Silva
Kaputikian was one of those intellectuals who were always tied by a
filial love with the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, were near late
Vazgen I Patriarch. … We pray for the God, in His dreamt heights,
receives in lights and peace the soul of His servant and gifts by
Holy Spirit’s favour consolation to her grieving relatives,” Karekin
II said in his speech.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

WITHIN FRAMEWORK OF “ARMENIAN BUILD ON FAITH” PROJECT, 37 HOUSES TO BE DELIVERED OVER FOR OPERATION THIS YEAR
Noyan Tapan
Aug 30 2006
YEREVAN, AUGUST 30, NOYAN TAPAN. Within the framework of the
“Catholicos Karekin II Work Project – Armenian Build on Faith”
construction program, the Habitat Armenia organization will finish
this construction of 37 houses which will symbolize the Mother
See of the Armenian Apostolic Church with its 36 dioceses. Noyan
Tapan was informed about it by the Habitan Armenia Public Relations
Department. Within the framework of the “Armenian Build on Faith”
project, a series of international volunteers will participate
on September 4-9 in the final stage of construction works of a
24-apartment building in Gavar.
Karekin II Catholicos of All Armenians will participate in the opening
ceremony of the event. Start of volunteer works will be announced
by the blessing of His Holiness on September 4, during the opening
ceremony of the project in the “Armenia Marriott” hotel. On the next
day, September 5, works will start in the city of Gavar where all
international and local volunteers will join to beneficiary families
of Armenian Habitat to bring to end construction of the latters’
flats. The house blessing and opening ceremony of the building will
take place on September 9. “Catholicos Karekin II Work Project –
Armenian Build on Faith” construction program was created this April
20, based on a Memorandum of Understanding signed at the Mother See
of Holy Etchmiadzin between International Habitat and the Armenian
Apostolic Church. Under leadership of Karekin II, the Armenian
Apostolic Church was for the first time involved in the Habitat
activity in 2005, within the framework of the Jimmy Carter Work
Project in the U.S. state of Michigan. And the cooperation between
the Armenian Apostolic Church and International Habitat was stated
just during that period of time. The Armenian Habitat organization
started functioning in 2000. It has built 209 houses by now, for more
than 1000 needy people.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

INDEPENDENCE HOLIDAY TO BE CELEBRATED WITH NUMEROUS EVENTS
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Aug 30 2006
YEREVAN, AUGUST 30, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The 15th anniversary
of the Independence of Armenia is a great event, and the state does
its best to make it a real holiday for RA citizens and Armenian
Diaspora. Victor Soghomonian, the RA President’s Press Secretary
stated about it at the August 30 press conference. He stated that
a military march past will take place on the Republic square of
Yerevan on September 21. Numerous events of cultural, scientific
and other spheres to be held on September 18-25, particularly, the
Armenia-Diaspora 3rd forum which is scheduled for September 18-20,
will be dedicated to the Independence holiday.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ROBERT KOCHARIAN IS AGAINST 100% PROPORTIONAL ELECTORAL SYSTEM
Noyan Tapan
Aug 30 2006
YEREVAN, AUGUST 30, NOYAN TAPAN. RA President Robert Kocharian is
against 100% proportional electoral system. Victor Soghomonian,
the RA President’s Spokesman stated about it at the August 30 press
conference. He reminded that during the gathering taken place recently
with participation of representatives of the coalition political
forces, an agreement was reached that during the coming parliamentary
elections, 90 deputies are elected by the proportional electoral
system, and 41 ones by the majoritarian electoral system. “The
RA President is against review of agreements: there was a clear
agreement,” V.Soghomonian mentioned. In his words, Robert Kocharian is
against the 100% proportional electoral system also for the reason that
the political field of Armenia is imperfect, and in those conditions,
“it will be wrong to separate a deputy from his direct voters, his
electoral district.” Victor Soghomonian assured that “there is no
conflict” between the RA President and Defence Minister Serge Sargsian,
elected recently the Council Chairman of the Republican Party of
Armenia. According to his estimation, there is no conflict between the
Republican and “Bargavach Hayastan” (Proseprous Armenia) parties, but
there are condradictions and disagreements. V.Soghomonian came to this
opinion by following publications in press and “different speeches.” He
also stated that talks spread in press, concerning criminalization
of the authorities of Armenia, were vain as nobody presented such a
definite fact. Responding a journalist’s question, Victor Soghomonian
emphasized that “as for the moment, there is no question that the RA
President will become a member of this or that party.”
The President’s Spokesman has no intention to join any party, either,
as “the RA President’s staff will be non-partisan as long as Robert
Kocharian is the RA President.”

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER CONGRATULATES RA PRESIDENT UPON 52ND BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Aug 31 2006
YEREVAN, AUGUST 31, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. RA National Assembly
Speaker Tigran Torosian sent a congratulation message to RA President
Robert Kocharian, on the occasion of his birthday. The message,
submitted to Noyan Tapan by the NA Public Relations Department, says:
“Dear Mr.President I warmly congratulate You upon the 52nd birthday
anniversary. I am sure that Your devotion and will which were decisive
for the fatal period of time for our country, will from now on as well
serve for development of our Fatherland and for justice solution of
the Nagorno Karabakh problem. Congratulating again, I wish You good
health, happiness, successes.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress