Author: Emil Lazarian

KARABAKH CONFLICT SHOULD BE SOLVED BILATERALLY – DEFENSE MINISTER
RIA Novosti, Russia
May 31 2006
BAKU, May 31 (RIA Novosti) – A long-running dispute between Armenia
and Azerbaijan over the Nagorny Karabakh region should be resolved
by the two countries themselves and not by third parties, Russia’s
defense minister said Wednesday.
Speaking at a news conference in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, Sergei
Ivanov said: “Any settlement scheme imposed from the outside could
in my opinion be not only counterproductive, but also very dangerous.”
He said international mediators should not try to impose a solution
on Armenia and Azerbaijan, but should facilitate the implementation
of any agreement the sides may reach over Karabakh bilaterally.
Ivanov also said peacekeepers could be deployed in the zone of the
conflict, which claimed 30,000 lives on both sides between 1988 and
1994 after the Azerbaijani region with a largely Armenian population
proclaimed independence from Azerbaijan in a bid to join Armenia.
“I do not rule out the possibility of peacekeepers appearing in
the Karabakh conflict zone in the foreseeable future to enforce all
political agreements that will be reached sooner or later,” he said.
The Russian minister’s remarks came a day after Armenia and Azerbaijan
both claimed fatalities following a shootout between soldiers on the
border near Nagorny Karabakh and accused each other of breaching a
1994 ceasefire agreement.
More than 100 people have been killed in the region since the ceasefire
was brokered.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IVANOV: “RUSSIA STATED FOR SEVERAL TIMES THAT NK CONFLICT SHOULD BE SOLVED IN PEACEFUL WAY”
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 31 2006
“Russia has stated for several times that Nagorno Garabagh conflict
should be solved in peaceful way”, Defense minister of Russia Sergey
Ivanov has told these words. (APA).
Sergey Ivanov reminding his being one of the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairmen stated that Azerbaijan and Armenia should find the solution
way of the problem themselves. “The system applied by force outside is
of not effective and dangerous. If the sides agreed co-chair countries
will suggest any chances for realizing the agreement.” The minister
has stated that, some powers invite Russia, the USA and France to
apply their models by force in the solution of the conflict.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN DELEGATION WILL NOT PARTICIPATE IN CIS DM’ COUNCIL TO BE HELD IN AZERBAIJAN
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 30 2006
Today Defense minister of Ukraine Anatoly Grichenko has arrived in
Baku to participate in the next meeting of Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS) Defense Ministers Council, Azerbaijan Defense Ministry
press service has told APA.
Defense Minister of Azerbaijan, general-colonel Safar Abiyev received
the delegation headed by Grichenko. In the meeting process of Armed
Forces organization, development of cooperation in military field,
integration to European security structures and issues of mutual
concern were discussed in the meeting.
It should be noted that CIS Defense Ministers Council will held
next meeting in Baku. Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Russia and Ukraine Defense Ministries as well
as CIS Executive Committee and Defense Ministers Council Secretariat
delegation staffs will participate in the meeting. Armenian delegation
will not participate in the talks on cooperation issues in military
field among CIS countries. Though Defense Ministry issued a statement
on participation of this country, it was stated then that Armenians
will not come to Baku since Azerbaijan side does not guarantee
security.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MILLI MEJLIS DISCUSSED 6 QUESTIONS
Author: J.Shahverdiyev
TREND, Azerbaijan
May 30 2006
6 questions were discussed at the session Milli Mejlis (MM) (National
Parliament) held on May 30, 2006. Aydin Mirzazade, the chairman of
the permanent parliamentary commission for security and defense,
delivered a report on the confirmation of the volume of the transit
transportation of the Russian military cargos brought from the
territory of Georgia via the territory of Azerbaijan. He noted that
the transit transportation would be carried out in 2006-2008s.
Deputy Asim Mollazade expressed that although the transportation
process of the Russian military technique from the Georgia via
Azerbaijani territory started, it was inaccurate to present this
document to discussions now. “I think that the rights of MM are
violated. The large part of the Russian military base is transported
to Armenia. Azerbaijan possesses many opportunities to put conditions
before Russia,” told Mollazade noting that the military base should
be delivered to Russia.
“At present, the transportation of the military bases to Batumi and
Akhalkalaki starts. It is clear that the military technique of the
7 Russian armies based in Armenia are in the hands of the Armenian
armed forces. The Armenian armed forces are formed exactly on the
base of 7 Russian armies,” told Mollazade. He stressed that he didn’t
consider accurate to present this document to the confirmation of MM
while the transportation process is continuing. The deputies expressed
their opinions in connection with the document and the document was
confirmed after voting.
Ziyad Samadzade, the chairman of the permanent parliamentary commission
on economical policy, delivered a report on the confirmation of
“The Cooperation program between Azerbaijan Republic and the World
Intellectual Property Organization”. He noted that Azerbaijan should
use the international practice for the protection of intellectual
property. MM holds discussions in connection with this question.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A FIRE IN THE CENTRE OF YEREVAN
A1+
[05:25 pm] 30 May, 2006
At present 6 houses in the district Kond are on fire.
6 fire brigades have arrived on the scene. But they haven’t been able
to put out the fire so far.
According to the reporter of “A1+,” the cars cannot get to the fire
hearth because the houses are rather close to each other. But the
firemen were able to take the rubber tubes to the fire hearth.
The residents are trying to put out the fire by pouring water from
buckets. According to them, the fire started in one of the houses
because of the gas flowing and spread at a terrible speed. But
the representative of gas service noted that there isn’t natural
gas there and gas couldn’t be the main cause of fire. Some of the
residents assume that the fire was caused by electricity. The fire
can be extinguished more quickly by a helicopter. By the way, most
of the dwellers of the burning houses were out the moment it started
and on returning home they found out that they no longer have houses.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN SOLDIER KILLED IN EXCHANGE OF FIRE WITH AZERBAIJAN
Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Military Newswire
May 30, 2006 Tuesday
An Armenian soldier was killed in an exchange of fire at the
Armenian-Azerbaijani contact line, the press service of the Armenian
Defense Ministry told Interfax on Monday.
Armenian troops were fired at near the town of Noyemberyan at 9.30
p.m. local time (1630 GMT) on May 27, the press service said.
“An Armenian soldier, Color Sergeant Levon Adamian born in 1985,
was wounded in the chest, he was taken to hospital where he died,”
a statement issued by the press service said.
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry has yet to comment on the incident.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EU TO OPEN 1ST ROUND OF TALKS WITH TURKEY ON JUNE 12
PanARMENIAN.Net
30.05.2006 15:13 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ During their meeting in Vienna over the weekend,
European Union foreign ministers agreed to open the first round of
negotiations with Turkey on June 12 during the ministers’ meeting
in Luxembourg.
Diplomatic sources stated that the EU plans to open talks on the
science and research chapter during the Turkey-EU Partnership Council
meeting the same day in Luxembourg. Sources also underlined that the
decision taken by the 25-nation bloc’s foreign ministers is aimed at
strengthening reforms in Turkey, which will give a positive message
to those who object to Turkey’s EU bid. They underlined that although
Austria, which will hold the rotating EU term presidency until the
end of June, is unwilling to open talks with Turkey, it might welcome
the opening of talks on one chapter during its presidency to shake
the impression that Vienna is biased against Turkey, reports the New
Anatolian Agency.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BANKNOTES WITH THE NOMINAL VALUE OF 10 000 TO BE PUT INTO CIRCULATION
ArmRadio.am
31.05.2006 12:31
According to the decision of the Board of the Central Bank of Armenia,
starting today RA banknotes with the nominal value of 10 000 will be
put into circulation. The banknotes with the nominal value of 10 000
issued in 2006 are legal means of payment and are due to be accepted in
exchange for any goods or services without restrictions. The banknotes
with the nominal value of 10 000 issued in 2003 remain in circulation
without any restrictions.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

27TH SESSION OF PABSEC TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN JUNE 6
ArmRadio.am
31.05.2006 13:55
June 6 the 27th session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black
Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) will be held in Yerevan, Head of
the NA Standing Committee on Financial-Credit, Budgetary and Economic
Affairs, Head of the Armenian delegation to PABSEC Gagik Minasyan
told “Armenpress.” At the session held November 24-26 in Tirana the
presidency over the Assembly was given to Armenia for the period of
six months.
As a Chair-country Armenia will suggest a topic of discussion –
the obstacles for deepening economic cooperation in the region,
blockades and the political ways for overcoming these.

A CIRCULAR FOR FOREIGN ENVOYS
Hakob Badalyan
Lragir.am
31 May 06
The Armenian public is used to not hearing a true word from the
government. The word “government” is associated with “lie” and
the citizens no longer have a critical attitude and condemn this
association, because “government” and “lie” have become habitual,
passed the test of time and enriched the stock of synonyms of the
Armenian language. They say that nature maintains balance with an
invisible hand called “the law of nature” by environmentalists and
“God’s will” by the clergy. It is hard to say thanks to which one
of these, but for the Armenian society the envoys of authoritative
international organizations offset the synonymic meaning of
“government” and “lie”. Over the past 15 years of independence the
thinking has prevailed that foreigners would not lie and strike
a criminal bargain with the Armenian government officials for
falsification.
In other words, the citizens of Armenia hope to get the truth from
foreign diplomats. Obviously, this is the extreme form of failing
states, when the citizens anticipate the truth from foreigners. It
was comforting, however, that there was, at least, a source of truth.
However, this source is gradually drying out, and it is again difficult
to say whether the reason is the law of nature, God’s will or yet
another reason. The fact is that the public is losing another source
of truth. And this is due to the determined and tenacious work of
envoys of international organizations, engaged in our country. And
due to the ambassadors who became engaged in the campaign of the
constitutional referendum, violating the legislation of Armenia,
due to the organizations watching democratization in Armenia who
explained how natural the irregularities are instead of watching,
saying that after all nothing happens at once. Due to the officer,
sent to Armenia to monitor economic reforms, who praised the sale
of the fifth generating unit of Hrazdan Power Plant to the Russians,
whereas this deal would not fit into economic logic if sound reason
underlies it. And after the World Bank Country Manager for Armenia
Roger Robinson had announced that the government would publish the
conditions of the sale of the generating unit within the following
week (it was early this May) and the public would become convinced
that everything is alright, the public understood that they were
being cheated again. They were cheated that the sale was beneficial,
and they were cheated that the government would publish the details of
the contract. The uncertain thing is whether Roger Robinson’s economic
approaches changed, and he started to accept the sale of “generating
units” as a positive thing for the country after contact with the
Armenian government, or from his contact with the Armenian government
Robinson simply learned to say things which are not true. Also it is
uncertain what made the ambassadors of law-abiding countries believe
they could propagate constitution to the public in Armenia, or that
the law in Armenia is not their law, and they can violate it as much
as they want.
In fact, the government failed to attempt to persuade the public
even within several weeks that followed Roger Robinson’s statement
that they had sold the fifth generating unit for the sake of state
and not tyranny, as the society thought. And the minister of defense,
the ideologist of this sale, announced that time will come when they
will reveal detail, and we will become convinced that it was a good
deal. In other words, the time will come and they will gag everyone’s
mouth. Why did they need to open Roger Robinson’s mouth then and make
the poor man lie? They should have told him to wait until the end of
the Chess Olympiad to see what we would exchange the fifth generating
unit for, a gold, a silver or a bronze.
They did not say anything and damaged the credit of the World Bank as
if WB’s credit were the same for them as the credit that WB lends. In
the meantime, this authoritative organization appeared to have been
cheating the Armenian public.
Who is supposed to apologize to Robinson, and should Robinson apologize
to the public for misinforming them? To establish a precedent for
foreign citizens, for them to understand that their partners in
Armenia are the citizens of this country, because the citizens are the
masters of the country. For them to understand this at least before
they will have left Armenia. Like Roger Robinson. On May 31 Donna
Dowsett-Coirolo, Country Director for the South Caucasus Country Unit,
Europe and Central Asia Region, announced about the rotation of Roger
Robinson at her meeting with the prime minister of Armenia. The WB
official said they had not decided yet who would replace Robinson,
but she said that the new country director would hopefully work
equally well on the joint programs with Armenia.
Hence, it is even more important that Robinson understand the essence
of his mission by the end of his mission, that joint programs are
for the citizens of Armenia. He might no longer need to understand
this, but it could be useful for the one who will replace him who
will hopefully learn from his mistakes and not repeat them. Certainly,
only God knows what other mistakes the new one will commit, and the new
one may even be worse than the old one. Nevertheless, it is time that
not only others try to explain us certain things but we also explain
them something. For them to understand once and for all that they must
not enjoy the exotica of violating laws at the expense of Armenia,
following suit with the government. After all, the same suit means
the same destiny.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress