Author: Emil Lazarian

RELATIVES OF BLACK SEA AIR CRASH VICTIMS GATHER IN SOCHI
RIA Novosti, Russia
May 3 2006
YEREVAN/SOCHI/ROSTOV-ON-DON, May 3 (RIA Novosti) – More than 70
relatives of victims of an air crash over the Black Sea have arrived in
Russia from Armenia, a regional coastal guard officer said Wednesday.
All the 113 Armenian and Russian passengers and crew are presumed
dead after an Airbus flying from the Armenian capital, Yerevan, to
an airport servicing the popular Russian resort of Sochi disappeared
from radar screens at 2:15 a.m. local time (Tuesday 10:15 p.m. GMT).
The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said bad weather was most
likely to blame for the loss of the A-320, which belonged to Armenia’s
Armavia Airlines.
“A plane with official representatives from Armavia Airlines
will arrive at 2p.m. Moscow time (10a.m. GMT), and another plane
with relatives of the victims is expected at 4p.m. (12.00 GMT),”
said Vladislav Kozlitin, a spokesman for the regional border guard
department of the Federal Security Service.
Medical aid is also being provided to families of victims staying
at Yerevan’s Zvartnots airport while the bodies of their relatives
are being recovered from the Black Sea, airport doctor Lyudmila
Avakyan said.
Ambulance teams have also been summoned.
“Airport workers also need medical and psychological aid because it
was our crew and our stewards,” Avakyan said.
Armenia’s parliament has decided to set up a working group to provide
assistance to the victims’ families. In particular, members of
parliament will collect donations.
May 5 and 6 have been declared mourning days in Armenia, and May 5
in Russia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMAVIA CONFIRMS ITS BLACK SEA CRASH AIRBUS A320 WAS ATTEMPTING SECOND APPROACH DUE TO BAD WEATHER
By David Kaminski-Morrow in London
Flight International
May 3 2006
Armenian national carrier Armavia has confirmed one of its Airbus
A320 had missed one approach due to bad weather and was attempting
a second before it crashed this morning off Russia’s Black Sea coast.
Poor weather conditions had forced the pilots of an Armavia Airbus
A320 to attempt a second approach to Sochi Airport in southern Russia
when the jet crashed into the Black Sea, the company says. Armavia
states that the crew of flight U8 967, operating from Yerevan to
Sochi, had received information en route that weather conditions
at the destination were poor and planned to divert to the Georgian
capital Tbilisi.
“Information from air traffic control about an improvement in the
weather conditions [at Sochi] was then received,” says the airline.
It says that the crew continued to the Russian city but, upon arrival,
found that the weather had not improved.
Russia’s transport ministry says that the weather conditions at
Sochi did not meet minimum criteria of 100m (330ft) cloud ceiling
and 1,500m visibility.
The ministry states that the A320 crew abandoned its initial approach
to Sochi before opting to make a second landing attempt, adding:
“After the [decision to conduct] the second approach, contact with
the crew ceased.”
It says that, just before the Sochi Airport air traffic controllers
lost radar contact with the A320, it was operating at a height of
around 920ft (280m) and a speed of 135kt (250km/h). The jet came down
at about 02:15.
Search operations are being conducted with two specialised rescue
vessels and at least 20 other watercraft. The ministry says: “As
soon as the weather will allow, helicopters will also be brought in
to assist the rescue work.”
Both the ministry and Russian accident investigation agency, the
Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK), have dispatched representatives
to the crash site. The ministry says that the accident occurred during
“adverse” weather conditions. MAK has not made any statement on the
weather at the time.
Meteorological data from the Sochi Airport weather station at
02:00 indicate the presence of cumulonimbus clouds but only light
precipitation.
Data shows that the sky was overcast and that cumulonimbus clouds,
the result of strong convective activity, were in the area. It also
indicates that the area was experiencing light rain showers and mist
but that visibility extended to 4km (2.2nm).
Armavia has confirmed that there were 105 passengers and eight crew
members on board the aircraft. MAK says that there were no survivors,
adding: “All members of the crew and passengers perished when it
struck the surface of the water.”
Sochi airport was also the destination of an August 2004 Sibir Airlines
Tupolev Tu-154 flight from Moscow Domodedovo which was brought down
by an axplosion, killing 38 passengers and eight crew.
Russian authorities concluded terrorism was the cause for the incicent
and a second, simultaneouls fatal hijacking.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AIR DISASTER INVOLVING ARMENIAN PLANE SHAKES ARMENIA
ITAR-TASS, Russia
May 3 2006
YEREVAN, May 3 (Itar-Tass) –Armenia has been shocked to hear the
news about the air disaster involving an airbus A-320 owned by the
Armavia Armenian company.
Few people in Armenia are in the habit of listening to news on radio or
television early in the morning; therefore, many people knew nothing
about the tragedy early on Wednesday morning yet.
There were 113 people on board, including twenty-eight Russian
citizens, when the plane that performed a regular flight from Yerevan
to Sochi on the Russian Black Sea coast crashed into the Black Sea
off Adler airport.
The plane took off at 1.47 a.m. local time (0.47 a.m. Moscow time).
An air traffic controller warned the crew about bad weather in
Sochi, and the crew decided to return to the home airport, said
representatives of the Armavia company. However, a new weather forecast
radioed on board said that weather conditions were improving, and
the plane continued the flight. When the plane was approaching Adler
airport weather conditions sharply worsened, and the pilots had to
a make a second landing approach. Then, the plane disappeared from
radar screens.
Deputy Commerce director of the Armavia company Andrei Agadzhanov
said that the plane was in perfect technical condition. First deputy
director of the Armavia company Ashkharbask Kalantara said that the
plane had undergone a pre-flight check made by the Yerevan personnel
of the Sabena technical Belgian aircraft technical service company.
The air disaster was a great shock to Armenia. People say they
experienced a shock similar to the one caused by an air disaster
in July, 1975 when a Yak- 40 plane crashed on the way from Yerevan
to Batumi.
Meanwhile, relatives of the victims killed in the plane crash have
been coming to Yerevan airport pending a special flight that will
take them to the area of the plane crash off the Russian coast. A
special commission of the Armavia Company and the Head Civil Aviation
Department under the Armenian government flew to Adler to inspect
the area of the plane crash.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ASEFI SENDS CONDOLENCES OVER ARMENIAN PLANE CRASH
Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran
May 3 2006
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi here Wednesday expressed
condolences to the government, people and families of victims of an
Armenian plane crash in the Black Sea.
According to reports, an Armenian Airbus A-320 carrying 113 passengers
and crew crashed in the Black Sea near the south Russian seaside
resort of Sochi in heavy rain on Wednesday killing all on board.
The plane took off from the Armenian capital Yerevan and had been on
flying for about an hour when it crashed. Most of the casualties were
Armenian nationals.
A spokesman for the Russian Emergencies Ministry said rescue workers
had found baggages, life jackets, body parts, shattered plane parts
and patches of oil floating on the surface of the sea at the crash
site. At least 16 bodies had been found by 04:25 GMT.
Asefi expressed the Iranian government’s and nation’s deepest sympathy
with the Armenian people, government and bereaved relatives of victims.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

F.KULOV EXPRESSES CONDOLENCES TO ARMENIAN PM OVER JET CRASH
Kyrgyzstan Development Gateway, Kyrgyzstan
May 3 2006
Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Felix Kulov has sent a letter of
condolences to Prime Minister of Armenia Andranik Margariyan over jet
crash near the town of Adler, which killed all passengers and the crew
of A-320 of the Armenian Airline, belonging to the air company Armavia.
In the message, F.Kulov expressed deep condolences on behalf of the
government of Kyrgyzstan and personally from him.
An A-320 passenger plane of Armenia Airlines on a flight from Yerevan
to Sochi crashed while doing a circle before landing at the Adler
Airport. There were 113 people on board the airliner.

ARMAVIA AIR COMPANY SETS UP COMMISSION FOR FINDING OUT CAUSES OF ITS AIRCRAFT CRASH NEAR SOCHI
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
May 3 2006
YEREVAN, May 3. /ARKA/. Armavia Air Company is already set up a
commission for finding out causes of its aircraft crash near Sochi,
Russia. Armavia press service told ARKA News Agency that aircraft
A-320 with 913 on board plummeted into Black Sea Tuesday night while
en route from Yerevan to Sochi. It fell down when trying to land in
Adler airport.
Armavia’s official says the plane was denied landing because of bad
weather. The crew decided to land in Tbilisi, then they was told by
Adler airport flying control ground service that weather has already
improved. “The airplane headed to Sochi, but weather conditions there
remained bad. At the very moment of the second attempt to land,
the plane disappeared from radars screens”, the company’s press
service says.
Armavia spokesman said that the jet was in good technical condition.
Of 113 aboard 105 were passengers and 8 crew members. 6 children and
36 women were among the passengers.
Armenian Civil Aviation General Office set up a commission for
dealing with the accident. The commission made up of aviation and
flight security specialists has already flew to Sochi to take part
in the investigation launched by Russian side.
All the 113 on board are reportedly killed in the crash.
Sochi Prosecutor Office instigated a case into the accident on the
Russian Federation Penal Code count on violation of flight security
rules that resulted in human toll.
Armavia Air Company started functioning on December 12, 1996. Mikhail
Baghdasarov, MIKA Armenia Trading President, became the owner of 100%
shares of Armavia in June 2005.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NKR MUST NOT BE PART OF AZERBAIJAN, ARMENIAN PM STATES
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
May 3 2006
YEREVAN, May 3. /ARKA/. The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) must not
be part of Azerbaijan, RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan stated
in his interview put on the web-site of the RA Government.
According to him, the position of the Republican Party of Armenia
(RPA) on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement has not changed.
“In conformity with this position, Nagorno Karabakh cannot be part of
Azerbaijan. The security of the NKR population must be guaranteed,
Armenia and the NKR must have a common border, the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict must not be settled at the expense of Armenia’s borders,
and the NKR must act as negotiator in the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement
process,” Speaking of the latest meeting between the Armenian and
Azerbaijani Presidents in Rambouillet on February 10-11, Margaryan
pointed out that the talks did not fail.
“Just no agreement on a number of settlement principles were reached,”
he said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BAGHDASARYAN PROPOSES TO SET UP GROUP FOR INVESTIGATING CAUSES OF ARMENIAN JET CRASH
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
May 3 2006
YEREVAN, May 3. /ARKA/. Armenian National Assembly Speaker Arthur
Baghdasaryan proposed to set up a group to investigate causes of
Armenian A320 jet crash near Russian resort of Sochi.
He offered each parliamentary fraction to put up its nominee for
inclusion in the group.
Along with that, Baghdasaryan said the intergovernmental commission is
already set up and Armenian Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan traveled
to the site and has already reached the destination.
“Armenian National Assembly thinks it must compose its own group for
supporting families of those killed in the crash”, Baghdasaryan said.
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan set dates for official mourning.
Armenian National Assembly canceled its today’s session because
the crash.
Armavia Armenian Air Company’s aircraft with 113 on board plummeted
in the Black Sea on a flight from Yerevan to Sochi. None of those
aboard the plane has reported survived.

TURKEY WARNS FRANCE NOT TO MAKE DENIAL OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE A CRIMINAL ACT
Voice of America
May 3 2006
Turkey has warned France that ties between the two countries will
suffer what it called “irreparable damage” if French lawmakers
approve a measure making denial of the Armenian genocide 90 years
ago a criminal offense.
A Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman, Namik Tan, told reporters in
Ankara his country’s views on the issue are being conveyed to French
officials. The proposed bill would provide fines and imprisonment for
denying that Armenians in the Ottoman Empire were victims of genocide
during World War One
If adopted, the bill would follow a 2001 French parliament decision
that the deaths of one and a half million Armenians amounted to
genocide.
That vote infuriated Turkey, which acknowledges the deaths of hundreds
of thousands of Armenians but insists that as many Turks also died
in civil strife and a Russian-backed Armenian uprising against
Ottoman rule.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TURKISH COURT REJECTS JOURNALIST’S APPEAL
Nanaimo Daily News (British Columbia, Canada)
May 3, 2006 Wednesday
Final Edition
ANKARA — A Turkish court rejected an appeal by an ethnic Armenian
journalist against a conviction that found him guilty of insulting
Turkish national identity, in a case watched closely by the European
Union.
Hrant Dink, editor of the weekly Agos newspaper, in October received
a six-month suspended sentence from an Istanbul court for articles he
wrote in 2004 about the killing of hundreds of thousands of Armenians
by Ottoman Turks in 1915.
The appeals court in Ankara upheld the substance of the ruling Tuesday.
“I am deeply saddened by the decision,” Dink said. “We were expecting
the court to say that the accusations were baseless.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress