Author: Emil Lazarian

FRENCH PRESIDENT, PRIME MINISTER AND FOREIGN MINISTER SEND MESSAGES OF CONDOLENCE ON OCCASION OF PLANE ACCIDENT
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 05 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 5, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. French President Jacques
Chirac sent a message of condolence to RA President Robert Kocharian
on the occasion of the accident of A-320 plane of Armavia airline
carrying out Yerevan-Sochi flight. “Mr President, My dear friend,
I was upset to learn the news about the plane crashed near Sochi, as
a result of which more than a hundred people died, the majority of
which were citizens of Armenia. At these tragic moments, on behalf
of the whole French people, accept my sincere condolences addressed
to you, to the families and relatives of the victims. Mr President,
please, accept the assertion of my respect and my friendly feelings
at this moment of ordeal”. As Noyan Tapan was informed from the French
Embassy in Armenia, French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin sent a
message of condolence to Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margarian:
“I was deeply upset to learn the news about the plane that had an
accident near Sochi, in consequence of which more than a hundred
people died, the majority of which were Armenians. At the moment of
the cruel ordeal of your country I want to present my condolences to
you and the whole Armenian people,” the message, in particular, read.
French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy sent a message of
condolence to his Armenian colleague Vartan Oskanian. “I was deeply
upset to learn the news about the crashed plane, in consequence of
which more than a hundred people died, the majority of which were
Armenians. At the moment of ordeal accept my support and condolences,”
the French Foreign Minister’s message, in particular, read.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

VARTAN OSKANIAN AND JEAN-LOUIS LAURENS DISCUSS PROCESS OF FULFILMENT OF ARMENIA’S COMMITMENTS TOWARDS CE
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 05 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 5, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On May 5, RA Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian received Director General on Political
Affairs of Council of Europe Jean-Louis Laurens who is in Armenia for
the purpose of taking part in the conference under the title “Armenia
and Council of Europe: Five Years of Membership”. The interlocutors
briefly touched upon the five years of Armenia’s membership to CE
paying attention to the process of fulfilment of the obligations
assumed by Armenia. As Noyan Tapan was informed from RA Foreign
Ministry Press and Information Department, Jean-Louis Laurens highly
estimated cooperation between CE Yerevan Office and Armenian Foreign
Ministry. The sides exchanged thoughts about the regional processes,
as well as issues on the agenda of CE Foreign Ministers’ Council
sitting to be held on May 18-19.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PEOPLE BRING FLOWERS TO ARMENIAN EMBASSY IN MOSCOW
PanARMENIAN.Net
05.05.2006 22:38 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Representatives of state and public organizations
come to the Armenian Embassy in Moscow to make notes in the
condolence book over the loss of 113 people in the A-320 crash,
Embassy’s Spokesman Armen Ghevondyan said. “Many people have come since
morning. These are representatives of state and public organizations,
members of diplomatic missions. Some 200 notes have been made,”
Ghevondyan said. He reminded that the condolence book will be opened
10 a.m.-15 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. In his words, people lay
flowers to the Embassy fence and to the Cross-Stone (khachkar) near
the church situated at the Armenian cemetery in Moscow,” Ghenondyan
said, reported Interfax.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RUSSIAN MES PLANE TAKE-OFF DELAYED FOR UNCERTAIN TERM
PanARMENIAN.Net
05.05.2006 23:49 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ As reported by the operation headquarters the
start of Russian MES Il-76 plane with the bodies of the A-320 crash
victims was delayed for an uncertain term. “The delay is conditioned
by the fact that it’s still unclear how many bodies the plane will
convey. The prosecution goes on with the paper work,” the headquarters
representative said. Earlier Il-76 was scheduled to take off at 2
p.m. Moscow time.
The interlocutor remarked that the process of identification by the
relatives is getting harder, reporter Yuga.ru.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A-320 INFLAMMATION IN BELGIUM CONFIRMED
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.05.2006 01:05 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Head of the General Department of Civil Aviation
of Armenia Artem Movsesyan confirmed the information that early
Ma4 two Armenian jets burnt in a Belgian airport. As it was reported
earlier, May 5 night fire broke out in the airbase of Sabena-Technique
Belgian company. As result 4 A-320 planes including two Armenian ones
burnt. One plane belonged to Armavia national carrier, the other –
to entrepreneur Versand Hakobyan. The Armenian planes were undergoing
servicing in Belgium. Armavia press office said it will be possible
to speak of the damage only after official information on the fire
is received. The plane was insured. “Aibus-320 was a reserve one and
the incident will not tell on the flight,” Armavia representatives
said. To note, Armavia lost its second plane during the recent 3 days,
reported IA Regnum.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CONDOLING TELEGRAMS
A1+
[08:14 pm] 05 May, 2006
President of the Belgian Senate Ann-Mary Liezen, President of the
Georgian Parliament Nino Burdjanadze, President of the Ukrainian
Supreme Rada Vladimir Litvin, President of the Greek Parliament Anna
Benaki, President of the Irani Islamic Republic Parliament Gholamali
Haddad-Adel, and deputy Speaker of the RF State Duma Arthur Chilingarov
have sent condoling telegrams to RA NA Speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan
expressing their condolences with the relatives of the victims of
the terrible aircrash on May 3.
BOOK OF CONDOLENCES OPENED IN PARIS
Since early in the morning of May 5 people have been visiting the
Embassy of Armenia in France where a book of condolences has been
opened in connection with the crash of the Armenian airplane in Sochi.
Numerous Ambassadors, state and political officers, deputies, Senators,
and high officials of international organizations and the Foreign
Ministry of France have expressed their condolences in the Embassy.
French President Jacques Chirac too ahs sent a condoling telegram
to the RA President which says, “Mr. President, my dear friend,
I learned about the crash of the Armenian airplane in Sochi which
took the lives of so many people with the deepest sorrow. In this
hour of trial in connection with this tragic event on behalf of the
French nation I express my sincere condolences to you, as well as to
the families of the victims.”
French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, President of the Senate
Christian Poncelet and Foreign Minister Philip Douste-Blazy have sent
condoling messages too.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ALEKSANDER BOZHKO: ARMENIAN-UKRAINIAN RELATIONS EXPERIENCE DYNAMIC DEVELOPMENT
By Gohar Gevorgian
AZG Armenian Daily
06/05/2006
Aleksander Bozhko, Ambassador of Ukraine to Armenia, expressed
deep condolences to the families of the victims in the May 3 crash
of A320 jet and stated that president of Ukraine had already sent
his condolences to RA and RF presidents. He said this at the press
conference at the National Press Club.
As for the relations of our countries, Mr. ambassador stated that
the positions of Armenia and Ukraine coincide especially in the
processes of integration into Europe. Mr. ambassador also emphasized
the importance constitutional amendments carried out by Armenia.
Mr. Bozhko said that the annual goods turnover of the
Armenian-Ukrainian amounted to $110 million, while in the first three
months of 2006, the goods turnover doubled as compared with the
same period in 2005. As for the political relations, he said that
the visit of Artur Baghdasarian, chairman of RA National Assembly,
to Ukraine was quite a fruitful one. He added that it is expected
that Vartan Oskanian, RA foreign minister, and RA president Robert
Kocharian will also visit Ukraine in the coming few months.
In response to the question of the journalists, how he would comment
the pro-Azerbaijani orientation of his country, Mr. Bozhko stated
that the home interests and issues of the given country condition
the position of each country. Besides, he said that in the course
of the Moscow meeting of the CIS Foreign Ministers in end 2005, only
Georgia, Azerbaijan and Moldova supported the suggestion of Ukraine
to investigate the case of raging famine in Ukraine in 1932-33.
As for Ukraine’s determination to join NATO, Mr. Bozhko said that a
country should keep in line with the relevant high requirements of
this organization.
He added that Ukraine is a normal European country and its wish to
become a member of NATO is quite natural.
Besides, Mr. Bozhko stated that Ukraine is still interested in
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline. Moreover, he said that they take certain
steps in this issue. He expressed confidence that the project may
be implemented only in case of Europe’s consent and interest in
the project. As for the recent deal of RA Government with Gazprom,
Mr. Bozhko said that RA authorities had to sign the agreement.
Mr. Bozhko said that the orange revolution was of great importance
both for Ukraine and for the whole region. He added that millions
of people who carried out the revolution attained the goal of making
changes. He said that though the authorities didn’t keep some of the
promises, Ukraine managed to carry out good parliamentary elections.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT TRANSFERS HIS MONTHLY WAGES TO FUND OF SUPPORT OF FAMILIES OF VICTIMS OF A-320 CRASH
Yerevan, May 5. ArmInfo. Armenian President Robert Kocharyan has
transferred his monthly wages – 318,000 AMD – to the fund of support
of the families of the victims of the May 3 A-320 crash, reports the
president’s spokesman Viktor Sogomonyan.
Parts of the wages of the presidential administration employees will
also be transferred to the fund.

REFORMS REFER TO THE ELITE
Lragir.am
05 May 06
Today Armenia is a more democratic country than it was before its
accession to the Council of Europe, stated Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanyan in the conference “Council of Europe and Armenia: 5 Years of
Cooperation” on May 5. Vardan Oskanyan assured that Armenia fulfilled
all the commitments it had undertaken on accession to the Council of
Europe. “We are going through a second stage of democratization. It is
a difficult stage for it suggests reforms that are directly related
to the political elite. We must display a political will,” stated
Vardan Oskanyan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

JUST A FEW NAIVE QUESTIONS ON THE ‘ARMENIAN GENOCIDE’
Cem Oguz
New Anatolian, Turkey
May 4 2006
At a symposium held in Kayseri recently Turkish Armenians’ Patriarch
Mesrob Mutafyan II wisely argued that it’s unethical for both Armenians
and Turks “to ignore each other’s responsibility or completely put it
on the other side although responsibilities weren’t equal in the brutal
consequence.” He then criticized the great powers of the time, ranging
from France to the U.S., since they bore a responsibility as well.
What might be the responsibility of the great powers that the patriarch
touched upon? And what is its relevance today?
During his visit to Ankara two weeks ago, Polish Foreign Minister
Stefan Meller, in response to Turkish criticism regarding the Polish
Parliament’s recognition of the so-called Armenian genocide, said that
the decision neither has a binding impact on his country’s foreign
policy nor reflects the view of his government. Supposedly the decision
wasn’t one taken against Turkey. Since a number Polish citizens
with Armenian roots have carried out significant duties in Poland,
the Polish Parliament considered the decision moral compensation for
Armenian suffering and pain stemming from the 1915 tragedy.
The foreign minister’s statement begs one simple question: Is the
Polish Parliament’s decision indeed so apolitical?
Just as was the case when the U.S. public TV network PBS a short
while ago aired a controversial documentary on the so-called Armenian
genocide but gave little opportunity for scholars supporting the
Turkish thesis to have a say, every defensive attempt by Turks are
zealously blocked by Armenian diaspora organizations.
If our Armenian friends are so sure that our arguments are baseless
why are they so hesitant about giving us a chance to fall flat on
our faces?
A memorial in Lyon, France honoring those killed in the so-called
Armenian genocide was vandalized just a week before it was to be
unveiled, which, as The New Anatolian’s Nazlan Ertan two days ago
wrote, has created a fertile atmosphere for the new law that would
punish genocide deniers with time in prison.
Who might the vandals be? Some men with moustaches, as some circles
are trying to portray, or teenagers being paid in a dark alley by a
guy in a suit?
As of today the number of U.S. states that have passed resolutions
supporting the Armenian allegations has reached 36 in total.
Why then are we heartened on April 24 every year to see that the U.S.
president, whoever he is at the time, has avoided using the term
“genocide” in his message to Armenia and the Armenian Americans? Are
these resolutions passed by U.S. states, on the other hand,
just like the controversial movie “Midnight Express,” a sign of
anti-Turkishness? As our U.S. friends do about “The Valley of Wolves
Iraq,” shall we complain about it as well?
George W. Bush, in his presidential message this year, interestingly
expressed his willingness to strengthen Armenia’s inclusion in the
Euro-Atlantic family.
Doesn’t the U.S. president or other Western leaders realize that
the biased Western stance towards the Armenian claims, in turn,
is accelerating the Turkish people’s alienation from the West?
TNA recently published a striking news story entitled “New measures
to fight Armenian claims.” Due to the fait accompli of the Armenian
diaspora, a high-level and unnamed Turkish source ironically asserted
that sometimes even the foreign ministries of some countries find out,
much to their “surprise,” that their parliament took a decision on
the matter. Supposedly Venezuela was a good example. Its Foreign
Ministry officials discovered that a resolution supporting the
Armenian allegations was passed in their Parliament only after it
was condemned by Turkish diplomats. The way these resolutions are
passed is also worth considering. In several cases previously such
drafts were brought to Parliaments during late evening sessions when
the number of deputies present was very few indeed.
This leaves us scratching our heads, wondering why the Turkish
diplomats in Venezuela didn’t inform their colleagues before the law
was passed. Or are such arguments merely another reflection of our
diplomats’ professional kindness?
Last, but not least, why doesn’t Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc,
instead of making speculative speeches that further divide the public,
convene Parliament on his own initiative to formulate a national
declaration, to be signed by all political parties in and outside
Parliament, reaffirming that the Armenian allegations are unacceptable
and Turkey is ready to pay the consequences of its alleged “denial”
whatever they are? Why do opposition parties, in turn, make this
national cause simply another matter of domestic polemics and populism
despite the fact that they’re equally responsible?
Can nobody see that the Turkish people won’t forgive those who are
trying to attribute a grave moral flaw to them?
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress