Author: Emil Lazarian

NUMBER OF GRANTED DIVORCES DOUBLES
Armenpress
YEREVAN, JUNE 16, ARMENPRESS; The number of marriages in the first
four months of this year fell 1.5 percent to 4,100 from a year ago
while the number of granted divorces rose 67 percent to 831.
The biggest number of divorces was registered in March, though
last year the biggest number of marriages were celebrated in this
month. According to the statistical service, the number of divorces
per every 1000 marriages rose this year to 203 against 120 from a
year ago. More couples divorced in Yerevan, Vayots Dzor, Lori and
Tavush regions.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RESTORATION OF ABKHAZIA RAILWAYS SECTION TO TAKE FROM 12 TO 18 MONTHS
Armenpress
TBILISI, JUNE 16, ARMENPRESS: Vladimir Badalian, an Armenian parliament
member and a cochairman of the Armenian-Russian and Armenian-Georgian
Business Associations, told Armenpress a set of documents, which
are necessary for starting restoration of the Abkhazian section of
the Georgian railway will be ready by the end of the year and the
reconstruction will take from 12 to 18 months.
Badalian said the 197 km-long section of the railroad stretching across
Georgia’s breakaway region of Abkhazia needs to be fully restored
together with bridges, tunnels and other infrastructure. Badalian said
the restoration will comprise two stages-first will be resumed trains
for transportation of cargo and then restoration of infrastructure
and stations will begin.
He said the Armenian-Georgian-Abkhazian-Russian consortium, founded
for this purpose, will meet in Tbilisi on July 10-15 to specify
some points, particularly, sources of funding. Badalian said it was
possible also to resume the operation of an automobile road stretching
through Abkhazia. He said the road may even start operation before
the railway resumes.
By the way three buses with Armenians, relatives of the passengers of
the plane that fell into the Black Sea on May 3 and reporters traveled
from Yerevan to the crash site in Russian Sochi for a commemoration
ceremony through Abkhazia. Badalian said it was a remarkable event,
as the road opened for the first time for civic passengers.

ALM HOLDING HEAD PROPOSES HIMSELF AS CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENCY OF ARMENIA
Panorama.am
14:48 16/06/06
Dance and song staged at ALM Holding perhaps have bored the owner
of the holding Tigran Karapetyan, leader of People’s Party. He has
declared that he is going to nominate himself as the president of
Armenia in 2008 presidential elections. Assessing his chances to
win at the elections, Karapetich prudently noted that everything is
possible and everything has its beginning and end.
Tigran Karapetich said that people should have the right for
choice. Speaking to Panorama.am, he said that he is not going to
share his votes with any other candidates. He his sure he will lose
trust of people if he did so. /Panorama.am/
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
June 17 2006
BULGARIA UPHOLDS FAIR CAUSE OF AZERBAIJAN
[June 17, 2006, 13:46:50]
As was informed earlier, the delegation of Bulgarian parliamentarians
led by Solomon Passy, Chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee of
this country’s parliament, is visiting Baku.
Soloman Passi in his interview to AzerTAc correspondent said that
‘the goal of visit is to have exchange with their Azeri colleagues
to deepen the relations between two countries’. ‘Azerbaijan is a
leading country on the Caucasus and we are keen in development of
links with this country. Azerbaijan also rapidly integrates to NATO
and the European Union. We support this position of official Baku and
are ready to render any assistance to your coujntry’, he emphasized.
Touching upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict, he
said ‘this conflict is a serious obstacle for development of country.
It is a threat for both Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus’. ‘We think
settlement of the problem is urgent. We adhere peace settlement of
the conflict, and Bulgaria supports fair cause of Azerbaijan in this
question’, he concluded.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TREND, Azerbaijan
June 17 2006
Azeri President calls to fulfillment of all UN resolutions on
Nagorno-Karabakh
Source: Trend
Author: AMammadov
17.06.2006
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev noted that the importance for
expansion of economic cooperation, including the transport sector,
with the participation of Azerbaijan, Trend reports citing ITAR-TASS.
The President stated on it to a summit of the Council for Interaction
and Confidence-building in Asia.
“There are high level political contacts between our countries. We are
related with the plans of regional cooperation,” Aliyev continued,
noting the important significance of the transport projects planed
by Azerbaijan for the development of the region.
“Their implementation can offer new terms for deepening the integration
processes and Azerbaijan is ready to play an important role in this
direction,” he stressed. Now we are working over big projects on the
construction of a railway bridge between Europe and Asia, attach great
importance to the North-South transport corridor, the capacities of
which can be offered to other partners, he added.
Besides, Aliyev noted the danger exiting in the region by the part
of international terror, which could break our plans. All countries
should unite the efforts and demonstrate unified approach to contradict
these threats. “The terrorism has neither nationality, nor religion,”
the President emphasized. He reminded that the international terror
greatly damaged Azerbaijan.
The same time he drew attention to Nagorno-Karabakh problem. “Over 1
million Azerbaijani citizens are the internally displaced people,”
Aliyev underlined. In this connection he called on the fulfillment
of all UN Resolution on this problem.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZG Armenian Daily #112, 17/06/2006
Visit
ARMENIAN PRESIDENT TO PAY VISITS TO BELARUS AND IRAN
On June 23, Armenian president Robert Kocharian will leave for
Minsk to take part in the summit of the Collective Security
Treaty Organization. According to RA president spokesperson,
Viktor Soghomonian, Armenian defense minister is also included in
the departing delegation. CSTO summit will open with the meeting of
member states~R presidents and foreign ministers and secretaries of
security councils will join in later on. Meanwhile, yesterday Vladimir
Putin and Ilham Aliyev discussed Karabakh regulation in Alma-Ata and,
according to Azerbaijani media, the issue will be discussed with
Robert Kocharian too at the Minsk meeting.
Viktor Soghomonian also informed that Armenian president will also
visit Iran in near future at the invitation of the Iranian side. The
date and format of the visit are being fixed.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZG Armenian Daily #112, 17/06/2006
Armenian Genocide
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE EXPOSITION AT RWANDA MEMORIAL
During her recent visit to Rwandan capital of Kigali, Susanna Den,
adviser at the US Agency for International Development, was pleasantly
surprised to see an Armenian Genocide exposition at the local Genocide
Memorial. She told this to The Armenian Mirror Spectator correspondent.
The Memorial opened in 2004 to mark the 10th anniversary of
genocide in Rwanda and is largely dedicated to the memory of
250.000 victims. However, the Memorial also represents the history
of genocides. The Memorial came into being thanks to the efforts of
Kigali~Rs Municipal Board and British Aegis Trust. Already 60.000
people have visited the Memorial since it opened its doors. To
remind, the Aegis Trust demanded on April 24 of this year the British
authorities to exert pressure on Turkey to recognize the Armenian
genocide.
I want to ask here: how many people in Armenia know about the Rwandan
genocide?
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

California lawmakers refocus on developing foreign trade
By JUDY LIN
Sacramento Bee
16-JUN-06
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California’s foreign trade offices _
taxpayer-funded enterprises disbanded three years ago amid scandal
and budget woes _ are staging a comeback despite lingering questions
about their usefulness.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and some legislators are once again
trumpeting the value of trade promotion for the sixth-largest economy
in the world. In recent months, the governor has established an
undersecretary for international trade, while lawmakers have proposed
resurrecting outposts in Seoul, South Korea, and Johannesburg,
South Africa.
In coming weeks, the Legislature is expected to take up bills that
call for developing a comprehensive trade strategy and moving the
state back into the business of operating trade offices.
Such a move has raised eyebrows among trade experts who believe former
state offices were mismanaged. Some have questioned whether the state
should even have trade offices.
“Historically, they have not been very successful. In fact, they
have been somewhat disastrous,” said trade consultant Jock O’Connell
“There’s this feeling in the state Capitol that California needs to
be represented by the state. The real California is superbly well
represented in the form of 57,000 exporting companies.”
California’s 12 trade offices were shut down in 2003 _ along with the
rest of the Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency _ after critical
news reports and damaging audits appeared.
At the time the state had more than 90 workers spanning the globe,
from Hong Kong to London. Their charge was simple: Help California
businesses sell their products abroad while luring foreign investment
to the state. Last year, the state exported $116.8 billion worth
of goods.
But the legislative analyst’s office and the state auditor’s office
questioned the effectiveness of such offices.
The offices were accused of taking credit regardless of how much
involvement they had in facilitating a deal.
“For instance, an office may only have provided a list of foreign
companies potentially interested in a product developed by a California
business. However, the agency counted the total value of a subsequent
export agreement,” according to one legislative analyst report.
The Orange County Register quantified the overstated benefits at
$44.2 million for one year.
In the end, only one trade office survived. The California Armenia
Trade Office was subsequently transferred to the authority of the
Business, Housing and Transportation Agency, where it remains today.
Sen. Jack Scott, D-Pasadena, salvaged the trade office by requiring
that it thrive on private donations Scott’s district is home to the
largest Armenian community in America.
Scott considers the Armenia office a pilot project that could, perhaps,
become a model for future trade offices. Unlike its predecessors,
the office is funded through $75,000 in private donations, must
file evaluation reports, and will automatically close in 2008 unless
reauthorized by the Legislature.
“We’re learning from mistakes of the past,” Scott said.
But experts say accepting private donations is bad public policy.
Jeffrey Gersick, former managing director of the state’s trade offices
in London, Frankfurt, Johannesburg and Jerusalem, said the state’s
priorities can be muddled by those who “pay to play.”
Rather than putting offices where there’s growth potential, Gersick
and others say the practice could hold the state hostage to special
interests looking to leverage the state’s seal for their own cause,
creating a case of “country du jour.”
The director of the Armenian Trade Office, Arthur Khachatryan,
said he reports to the Foundation for Economic Development, a
non-profit Armenian group based in Glendale, Calif., handling the
state contract. However, the trade office keeps the state abreast of
its work through biweekly phone calls and progress reports.
“The ultimate responsibility rests with the state,” Khachatryan said.
“But on day-to-day questions, of course, we work with the foundation.”
Sen. Kevin Murray, D-Culver City, said he believes private donations
are the way to go. He is carrying two bills to install trade offices
in Seoul and Johannesburg, both of which are modeled after the Armenia
trade office.
Murray and Scott argue that the private-funding model deserves a
chance before being tossed out.
“If you can generate far more business than the cost of the trade
office, I can’t see how you’d lose,” Scott said.
Lawmakers are now trying to consolidate all trade office bills,
and they hope to develop an overall trade strategy for the state.
Assemblyman Juan Arambula, D-Fresno, chair of the jobs committee,
has written a bill that would give Schwarzenegger’s Business
Transportation and Housing Agency $140,000 to develop an overall
state policy on trade. Assembly Bill 2601 is being supported by
the Republican governor after another bill to give the agency legal
control of trade offices failed.
Concerned that there won’t be enough oversight, Sen. Gloria Romero,
D-Los Angeles, has written a bill that would also develop a strategy
for the state. However, Senate Bill 1513 allows the Legislature to
decide where to put trade offices and requires them to be funded with
through private donations.
Both bills require public disclosure of donations but Romero’s requires
them to be posted on the Internet.
Business, Transportation and Housing Secretary Sunne Wright McPeak
said the governor has made trade promotion a priority, citing his
trade missions to Baja California, Japan and China. However, she said
the agency would be reluctant to spend taxpayer dollars.
Instead, McPeak said the agency has begun coordinating with trade
associations and the U.S. Commerce Department as a cost-effective
approach to trade promotion.
Agency officials say that even if the Legislature fails to pass a bill,
the administration intends to develop a trade strategy for the state.
Howard Shatz, a research fellow at the Public Policy Institute of
California, a non-partisan think tank, said lawmakers will have to
be careful in formulating a plan with reliable performance measures.
Trade experts say the state should take advantage of existing resources
like the Commerce Department, look to countries with the most growth
potential, and assign trade offices clear mandates, then measure
their achievements accordingly.
“It needs to be done right because they are going to be scrutinized
given the history of trade offices,” Shatz said. “The last thing you
want is another scandal.”
cfm?action=detail&pk=TRADE-06-16-06 .ancfresno.org
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

USA NOT TO FINANCE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY, BYPASSING ARMENIA
Regnum, Russia
June 15 2006
Financial Commission of US Congress House of Representatives
decided not to finance construction of Kars (Turkey)-Akhalkalaki
(Georgia)-Tbilisi-Baku railway, bypassing Armenia (making a detour
around existing but not functioning, because of closed Armenian-Turkish
border, Kars-Gumri (Armenia)-Tbilisi-Baku railway, the Armenian
American Assembly informs.
It is worth reminding that earlier a group of Armenia’s support at US
Congress, headed by Congressmen Frank Pallone and Joe Knollenberg,
sent letter to US State Secretary Condoleezza Rice, requesting to
desist from the project’s financing because it contradicts long-term
regional interests of Washington. Earlier, several European politicians
stated on inexpediency of financing of the project, as any other
communication on a detour around Armenia, because they believe that
Turkey should normalize its relations with all neighboring countries,
including Armenia, entering into the EU, as well as to unblock its
border with Armenia. Armenian specialists tend to point of view
that construction of railway from Turkey to Georgia, and further to
Azerbaijan around Armenia will stop Armenia’s communication wishes,
fully completing its isolation. Additionally, Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi
railway construction is not included into international TRACEKA
program. Armenian officials oppose to the project too. In particular,
Armenian Minister of Transport and Communication Andranik Manoukyan
stated earlier that Armenia was going to do the utmost to prevent
construction of Kars-Akhalkalaki railway because it is unprofitable
for both Armenia and the whole region.
It is worth reminding that earlier Armenian Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanyan stated that Azerbaijan and Georgia had no moral
right to grant money from their budgets for construction of
Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku railway. According to him, it is
nonsense to invest money into construction of the railway because the
abovementioned countries are already connected by an existing railway,
passing through the Armenian territory. According to preliminary
calculation, construction of 98 km long Kars-Akhalkalaki railway,
as well as modernization of Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi railway, will cost
$400-500 mln.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ASRATYAN: AFFIRMATIONS ON “VILLAGES’ ARSON” ATTEMPT TO NEUTRALIZE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY’S RESPONSE TO ACTS OF VANDALISM IN NAKHIJEVAN
DeFacto Agency. Armenia
June 15 2006
The Nagorno Karabakh Republic /NKR/ MOD refuted the Azeri party’s
affirmations on the Azeri villages’ arson and destruction of cultural
monuments on the territories controlled by the Karabakh armed forces.
In an interview with DE FACTO Information-Analytics Agency the NKR MOD
Spokesman Senor Asratyan stated, “Circulating the information of the
kind, Azerbaijan endeavors to neutralize the international community’s
negative response to the destruction of an ancient Armenian cemetery
in Nakhijevan”.
Besides, according to Senor Asratyan, each time the Azeri party fails
the Nagorno Karabakh talks, like in early June in Bucharest at the
RA and AR Presidents’ meeting, official Baku undertakes measures on
discrediting the Armenian party.
“The Azeri leadership adopts a maximalist stand and is not ready for
compromises today, complicating the settlement process and aggravating
anti Armenian propaganda”, underscored the Spokesman of the NKR MOD.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress