Author: Emil Lazarian

GAME CONFERENCE ON TOPIC “NUCLEAR CRISIS OF NORTHERN KOREA” TO BE
HELD JULY 25 IN YEREVAN
Arka News Agency, Armenia
July 25, 2006
YEREVAN, July 25. /ARKA/. A game conference on modeling of the UNO on
the topic “Nuclear Crisis of Northern Korea” will be held in Yerevan
July 25.
The press service of the UNO office in Armenia, 30 students from
different universities of Armenia will attend the conference. By
using diplomatic skills the Armenian students will repeat the work
of the UN Security Council.
The conference will also be attended by Minister of Culture and
Youth Afairs Artur Poghosyan, Head of the department for youth at
the Ministry of Culture Arsen Soghomonyan and special assistant of
the Foreign Minister Salbi Ghazaryan.
The conference is organized by the Armenian Association of the UNO
under the support of the UN department for public information.
Modeling of the UNO is repetition of the work of the authorities of the
organization. The participants perform the role of diplomats of the UN
member countries and discuss the issues currently in the UN’s agenda.
Over 20 modelling are held each year. The aim of the activity is to
assist students in acquiring skills and knowledge at negotiations in
the sphere of international relations. R.O.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian Judicial Reform Unveiled
Radio Liberty, Czech Republic
July 25, 2006
By Anna Saghabalian
Justice Minister David Harutiunian outlined on Tuesday an impending
reform of Armenia’s judicial and law-enforcement systems which he
said is aimed at making them more independent and less corrupt.
Harutiunian presented a package of relevant legislative amendments
that have been drafted by an ad hoc working group headed by him. The
group was tasked by the government with proposing changes stemming
from the recent reform of the Armenian constitution.
The most controversial and significant of its proposals would
strip Armenia’s Office of the Prosecutor-General of its sweeping
investigative powers and pass them on to the Police Service and the
National Security Service. According to reports in the Armenian press,
Prosecutor-General Aghvan Hovsepian and other top prosecutors have
fiercely resisted the proposed change, fearing that their agency
would become far less powerful as a result.
The disagreement reportedly prompted President Robert Kocharian to
call a special meeting on the issue of top Justice Ministry officials
and prosecutors last May. Kocharian appears to have eventually sided
with Harutiunian. The latter insisted that only the Armenian police
and the former KGB will have the power to conduct pre-trial criminal
investigations.
Harutiunian also unveiled a new draft Judicial Code that envisages
structural changes in the Armenian judiciary. The code calls in
particular for the introduction of new “courts of magistrates” that
will deal only with civil lawsuits and minor criminal offences. The
other Armenian courts of first instance will deal with more serious
crimes such as murders and armed robberies.
The proposed legislation would also curtail the powers of the Armenian
Court of Appeals. It would be able to accept appeals only in the event
of “judicial mistakes” committed by lower courts or “new circumstances”
emerging after original litigations.
According to Harutiunian, these changes will render Armenia’s courts
more independent and objective. “This is essential for the country’s
continued development,” he told reporters. “Without solving this
issue we won’t have the kind of development which we deserve.”
The Armenian judiciary had already undergone a sweeping structural
reform more than a decade ago but hardly became more independent as
a result. Local courts rarely acquit criminal suspects, investigate
widespread torture allegations and hand down rulings going against
the government’s wishes. Corruption among Armenian judges is also a
serious problem.
Harutiunian, who has plaid a key role in the selection and appointment
of judges, himself has been accused of exercising considerable
influence on their decisions. He admitted on Tuesday that many judges
“very often abuse their powers.” “We are out to conclude that the
situation is not good and that effective measures are need to rectify
this situation,” he said.
Some of the recently enacted amendments to the Armenian constitution
are supposed to boost judicial independence by seriously curbing
President Robert Kocharian’s hitherto unrestricted powers to appoint
and sack judges. But independent lawyers say it will take years before
the amendments can make a difference.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

La rencontre entre David de Sassoun et Christine Kiffer
La Nouvelle Republique du Centre Ouest
25 juillet 2006
Tous les jours jusqu’a samedi, la NR vous emmène dans les coulisses
du festival Epos a la rencontre d’un de ses acteurs. Aujourd’hui,
Christine Kiffer nous raconte sa rencontre avec son texte, David
de Sassoun.
” Je suis armeno-lorraine, armenienne par ma mère. Ce texte, issu
d’une grande epopee armenienne, je l’avais dans ma bibliothèque.
C’etait un livre qui appartenait a ma tante. Quand Bruno de la Salle
nous a demande de travailler sur une epopee, j’ai tout de suite pense
a David de Sassoun. Il est venu naturellement a moi. Je l’avais lu,
j’avais souvenir de quelques passages mais quand je l’ai repris, je
m’y suis vraiment retrouvee. Le mouvement me plaisait, il est plein
d’humour et de finesse. Cette epopee est très longue, elle fait quatre
chants. La, je me suis attarde sur le premier, le plus merveilleux. La
suite traite notamment du combat entre David et son demi-frère. David
est un heros mais il a aussi des faiblesses, ca nous a rapproches.
Je souhaitais vraiment exposer ce chef-d’oeuvre meconnu car il est
aussi porteur de valeurs universelles qui sont communes a toutes
les civilisations. Et il reste d’actualite car si j’ai mis de côte
certaines restrictions religieuses, il parle des aspirations d’un
peuple a vivre en paix malgre les elans belliqueux de ses souverains.
”
GRAPHIQUE: Image: Christine Kiffer recite David de Sassoun,
aujourd’hui, au château de Rocheux.
–Boundary_(ID_Axr2vApiyeY/9a3k8AlffA)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RA FOREIGN MINISTER RECEIVES PETER SEMNEBY
AZG Armenian Daily #139, 26/07/2006
Meeting
Foreign Minister of Armenia Vartan Oskanian received the EU
Special Representative in South Caucasus Peter Semneby. On a press
conference the Minister said that the main topics of the meeting
were the Armenia-EU relations, the situation in the Middle East, the
situation on the Russia- Georgia border (The Upper Lars checkpoint),
and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Emphasizing the importance of
fiar and independent elections in 2007, he promised to render any
available assistance.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

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

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
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 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 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 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