Author: Emil Lazarian

COALITION WILL NOT SIGN A NEW MEMORANDUM

Lragir.am
26 May 06

There is no need to sign a new memorandum to expand the coalition
formally, stated the representatives of the two political parties
remaining in the coalition, Hrair Karapetyan, ARF, and Galust
Sahakyan, Republican, May 26. Hrair Karapetyan said the ARF and the
Republican Party have expressed their willingness to cooperate with
all the forces, and it is important that these forces share the ideas
set down in the memorandum. In this case, according to Hrair
Karapetyan, it is not important which forces will take up the vacant
posts in the parliament.

This question has not been settled finally, and generally, Galust
Sahakyan thinks, the process has just begun, and it will become clear
later whether a new memorandum needs to be signed or not.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

WHO IS DISTORTING, GEGHAMYAN OR DEMIRCHYAN?

Lragir.am
26 May 06

During the parliament briefings on May 26 a distance debate between
Artashes Geghamyan, the leader of the National Unity Party, and Stepan
Demirchyan, Ardarutiun Alliance, took place. The reason was
Geghamyan’s May 24statement on Shant TV. The leader of the National
Unity stated that before the presidential election of 1998 he had
talked to Karen Demirchyan in their house, and had persuaded Karen
Demirchyan `that it would be better if he became prime minister, and
Kocharyan became president, because it would be better to trust the
settlement of the Karabakh issue to Robert Kocharyan,’ said Geghamyan,
adding that he was surprised when after this talk Karen Demirchyan was
nominated. Stepan Demirchyan replied to Geghamyan’s statement in
press, saying he would not bear any distorted information about Karen
Demirchyan.

On May 26 Stepan Demirchyan even showed up at the briefing of
Ardarutiun Alliance, which happens very rarely. `I was present at that
talk. Karen Demirchyan offered the leader of the National Unity to
become the head of his electoral campaign headquarters. He declined
this offer. And if there was such an offer, it means he had already
been nominated. It was his right to supportor not to support, to be
nominated or to support another candidate. It was his business, his
right, however, he does not have the right to distort the truth,
especially if it is connected with Karen Demirchyan,’ says Stepan
Demirchyan.

Stepan Demirchyan, however, did not answer any questions, saying that
he closed this topic by his statement and there would be no
debates. The other side of the debate Artashes Geghamyan had stated
earlier that certain forces are trying to tap a wedge between Stepan
Demirchyan and him, which will not be successful.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A1+

2-MINUTE FIRE IS NOT A VIOLATION OF CEASEFIRE

[04:13 pm] 26 May, 2006

`The death of a soldier is already too much for us, especially if the
soldier on temporary military service died from the shot of a sniper,’
Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, personal representative of the OSCE CiO
said in an interview to the agency `Trend’. He also mentioned that
periodically tension is noted on the border.

The interesting thing about the interview is the way the OSCE
representatives record the facts about the violation of ceasefire,
that is to say, the criteria of violation. `We do not have clear facts
about the violation of ceasefire. We take the figures made public by
the Ministries of Defense. The fact of violation of ceasefire is
recorded if there are victims or if the fire lasts at least 20
minutes,’ Andrzej Kasprzyk mentioned.

He voiced confidence that the current year can be that of the
settlement of the conflict as there are no elections in either country
this year.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TURKEY SHOULD RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE, RUSSIAN SCIENTIST DECLARES

YEREVAN, MAY 25, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. “Turkey should
recognize the Genocide of 1915. The whole world knows about the events
of 1915 and characterizes them as a genocide,” Russian historian
doctor Viktor Bezotosni, Head of the Department of 19th Century’s
History of Russian State Museum, declared to the Regnum agency. He
considered it strange that “only one country denies and tries to
wrongly comment and to avoid this historic fact.” The Russian
scientist also emphasized that “there are both good and bad pages in
the history of each people.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DECLINE IN VOLUME OF PRODUCTION IN JEWELRY AND DIAMOND CUTTING BRANCH
OF RA ECONOMY CONTINUES

YEREVAN, 25 MAY, NOYAN TAPAN. The decline in volumes of production in
the spheres of jewelry and diamond cutting continues in Armenia.
According to the data of Gagik Mkrtchian, head of the Jewelry and
Goldsmith Department of RA Ministry of Trade and Economic Development,
in 2004 the production in this sphere amounted to about 280 million
dollars, while in 2005 it amounted to 220 million dollars. In 2006
from January to April, the production in this sphere amounted to 63.1
million dollars (about 28.4 billion drams), while in the same period
of 2005 it amounted to 86 million dollars (38.7 billion drams). The
decline makes 27%. During the interview with the Noyan Tapan
correspondent Mr. Mkrtchian mentioned several factors for the decline
of the production in this sphere, among which are the crisis phenomena
that are registered in the international jewelry and diamond market.

The reason for them is that especially the costs of fuel resources are
raising, which in many countries resulted in reduction of the solvent
demand. In such conditions, consumers spend less means for buying
luxury accessories. Referring to the estimations of international
experts, he mentioned that the international market of jewelry and
goldsmith will become active already this year. It was mentioned that
the further implementation of the 2005-2007 branch development program
will stop the decrease in the production of the jewelry and diamond
cutting branch of the RA economy and will secure its increase. By this
document, it is expected to improve the legislative field for
investments and to reduce to the extent the administrative obstacles
by implementing the administrative principle of one window.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A-320 PLANE’S BLACK BOXES TO BE OPENED IN FRANCE AND TO BE DECODED IN MOSCOW

YEREVAN, MAY 25, NOYAN TAPAN. The black boxes of A-320 Armenian plane
crashed on May 3 without being opened will be moved from Moscow to
France to the laboratory of the Airbus company. Gayane Davtian,
Spokeswoman of Head of the General Department of RA Civil Aviation,
informed Noyan Tapan about this.

According to her, after being opened at the Airbus laboratory the
information carriers of flight recorders will be returned to Moscow
where they will be decoded with participation of specialists from
Armenia, France and Russia.

According to G.Davtian, a sitting of the interstate commission will be
held in Moscow with participation of 2 representatives of RA Civil
Aviation. One of them, Gagik Galstian, is the Deputy Chairman of the
above-mentioned commission.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Catholicos of All Armenians received French-Armenian piligrims

ArmRadio.am
26.05.2006 12:25

May 25 the Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II received a group of
French-Armenian pilgrims headed by benefactor Sargis Petrosyan.

The Catholicos presented challenges the Church faces and its present
activity in the spheres of Christian education, Church building and
social services.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Regnum, Russia –
May 26 2006

Geghamian: Orinats Yerkir Party sent to break up opposition
Read it in Russian

The Orinats Yerkir Party has been sent into the opposition camp to
break it up; National Unity Party Head Artashes Geghamian stated,
while debating with Orinats Yerkir Party Head Artur Bagdassaryan on
air of Armenian Shant TV-Channel.

`Primarily Bagdassaryan and his party selflessly defended President
Robert Kocharyan, while being in the ruling coalition, and now they
got into the opposition camp, supporting People’s Party Leader Stepan
Demirchyan and accusing me that I have betrayed him in second round
of 2003 presidential elections,’ Geghamian was perplexed. Meanwhile,
the NU leader stressed, even before outcomes of the first
presidential elections’ round were processed, opposition contenders
had signed a statement that they would not take part in the
elections’ run-off. `I am not to be blamed for that Stepan Demirchyan
disavowed later his signature and decided to participate in the
run-off. I am a man of my word and I could not do so,’ Geghamian
stated. He stressed that opposition contender’s participation
legitimatized presidential elections’ second round outcomes;
President Robert Kocharyan and Defense Minister Serge Sarkisyan
counted on it. According to Geghamian, if Stepan Demirchyan had not
taken part in the second round of the 2003 presidential elections,
the international community would have not recognized its results,
ArmInfo informs.

It is worth stressing that Orinats Yerkir Party Leader Artur
Bagdassaryan recently publicly accused Artashes Geghamian at a
parliamentary session that, having not supported Stepan Demirchyan’s
candidature in the run-off of the 2003 presidential elections, he
betrayed opposition and fulfilled, in such way, order of Defense
Minister Serge Sarkisyan, who expressed his assurance several days
before the second round that the opposition would not be able to
unite around a single presidential contender.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
May 26 2006

Head of Democratic Reforms Party meets with European Parliaments’s reps

Source: Trend
Author: V.Sharifov

26.05.2006

Asim Mollazade, the head of the Democratic Reforms Party (DRP), met
on 25May with representatives of the European Parliament, including
Hannes Sloboda and Rob Van de Vater.

The meeting focused on the public political situation in Azerbaijan,
issues of democracy and human rights.

Mollazade spoke about the occupation of the Azerbaijani territory by
Armenia, problem evolved as a result of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
adoption of a document by the European Union on the destruction of
the Armenian culture monuments by Azerbaijanis.

The issues of Azerbaijan’s integration to the Euro-Atlantic bodies
were also on focus.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GAGIK KOSTANDYAN GOES BROKE FOR ARTASHES GEGHAMYAN’S SAKE

Lragir.am
26 May 06

The leader of the National Unity stated May 24 that his assistant
Gagik Kostandyan had supplied goods to the Ministry of Defense of
Armenia and suffered losses, and only for the sake of his
employees. On May 25 Aghasi Arshakyan, National Unity, gave some more
information. It turns out that Gagik Kostandyan’ s kind wish did not
come true, and after this order, which inflicted losses on his
company, Gagik Kostandyan closed down the factory and `sentpeople
home.’

Generally, Aghasi Arshakyan thinks that in Armenia `they do not allow
people to get promoted just in return for nothing, they should know
what is going to be next on a `boo’ or stamping of feet. If they fail
the order, on the next day a huge army from the customs and tax
agencies, the Office of Public Prosecutor, the Sixth Department of the
Police will devour them, tear to pieces, and grind them down. Keeping
this in their minds, people came and said, Arthur, they won’t let us
breathe, what can we do? We don’t want to lose our rocks. It was a
mistake to join Orinats Yerkir. Now let us quit.’

Aghasi Arshakyan says what happened to the businessmen who left
Orinats Yerkir threatens his fellow Gagik Kostandyan. `A worse future
awaits him because in the late 80s, in the early 90s Gagik Kostandyan
possessed much more than these people have.’ Simply Gagik Kostandyan’s
political status led to a considerable decrease in his property. To
show this decrease, Aghasi Arshakyan first raised his hand above his
head, then lowered it 3-4 cm below the table. Gagik Kostandyan used
to work in the Police. In answer to the question of Lragir.am where he
got the money to set up a business, Aghasi Arshakyan said, ` Ask
him. I am not an accountant and I do not ask personal questions to my
colleagues. You could also ask Serge Sargsyan where he got so much
money.’