Author: Emil Lazarian

RA CULTURE MINISTER BELIEVS THAT “ORINATS YERKIR” PARTY IS NO MORE
COMPETENT FOR DECISION TO RECALL HIM
Yerevan, May 12. ArmInfo. “Though the portfolio of Culture Minister
was handed to “Orinats Yerkir” party, but I am a non-party person and
the cultural figures put forward my candidacy,” Gevorg Gevorgian, RA
Culture Minister, said this in the interview to ArmInfo.
He emphasized that he never clung to the minister’s portfolio and
agreed to occupy this post for the sake of the development of the
sphere. “I am ready to continue restoration of Armenia’s fame as a
country of highly developed culture,” he said. Besides, he said that
there is still much to do in that direction.
It’s worth mentioning that in the course of one of the government
sittings, RA PM Andranik Margarian said that Mr. Gevorgian is a person
who managed to do a lot for the restoration of the cultural sphere in
a couple of months.
Gevorgian managed to return the edifices of the theatres that were
privatized earlier through the court. Today, a number of cultural
figures of Armenia stated about their support to Gevorgian, in the
interview to ArmInfo.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RA PRESIDENT:RECENT EVENTS WILL YIELD NO HOME POLITICAL CRISIS IN ARMENIA
Yerevan, May 12. ArmInfo. RA President Robert Kocharian quietly treats
the withdrawal of “Orinats Yerkir ” party from coalition, as well as
the future resignation of Artur Baghdasarian, Speaker of RA National
Assembly. Victor Soghomonian, Press Secretary of RA President, told
ArmInfo correspondent about this.
He said that a change in the structure of the coalition is a normal
development for any civilized country. Soghomonian said that there was
nothing extraordinary in that withdrawal, especially, if we take into
account the existing contradictions within the coalition. At the same
time, he expressed confidence that the recent events will yield no
home political crisis in Armenia. Soghomonian added that “the
divorce” of the coalition was quite civilized and the ARFD and the
Republican Party will continue their activities within the coalition
memorandum. He stated that after the certain changes conditioned by
the recent events, both RA Parliament and RA Government will continue
their common activities.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARSHAK SADOYAN BELIEVES WITHDRAWAL OF “ORINATS YERKIR” PARTY FROM
COALITION MAY HAVE POSITIVE IMPACT FOR ARMENIA
Yerevan, May 12. ArmInfo. The withdrawal of “Orinats Yerkir” party
from coalition may have also positive impact for Armenia. Arshak
Sadoyan, leader of “Faction of National Democrats” party, said this at
today’s press conference.
He said that the withdrawal of “Orinats Yerkir” from the coalition was
quite natural, as the coalition was shaped on artificial basis, as an
additional pro-governmental force. Certainly, other candidates for
this role came forward and clashes began within the coalition forces,
soon. Artur Baghdasarian, leader of “Orinats Yerkir” party, speaker of
RA National Assembly, became another victim in that clash.
At the same time, Sadoyan said that hardly pre-time parliamentary
elections will be held in Armenia. If the country manages to avoid
chain of resignation of high ranked officials, the next parliamentary
elections will be held in 2007. According to him, the most beneficial
variant for the development of the events in Armenia till the next
elections in 2007 would be the strengthening of the “People’s Deputy”
parliamentary group, including its admission into coalition. Most of
the group’s deputies are elected through the majority principle and
are aware of the current problems. “If I was asked who would I like to
see as the speaker of the parliament, I would offer a candidate from
the opposition, even my candidacy. But none will ask anything, as I am
a mere observer,” Sadoyan said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

LPP LEADER: “ORINATS YERKIR” PARTY’S LEAVING THE RULING COALITION IS
RESULT OF GENOCIDE OF COUNTRY’S POLITICAL FIELD CARRIED OUT BY
AUTHORITIES
Yerevan, May 12. ArmInfo. The “Orinats Yerkir” party’s leaving the
Armenian ruling political coalition is a result of genocide of the
country’s political field carried out by the present authorities, the
leader of the Liberal-Progressive party Hovhannes Hovhannessyan told
ArmInfo correspondent. To be reminded, Hovhannessyan had been heading
the Parliament’s Constant Commission for Foreign Relations in
1999-2003.
According to Hovhannessyan, the “OY” party’s leaving the ruling
coalition is appropriate and expected. There was not a uniting idea in
the coalition except one of profit and money, Hovhannessyan
said. Having resigned, the Parliament speaker and the “OY” leader
Arthur Baghdasaryan made a right political step and all the members of
the “OY” faction, as well as the oppositional deputies have to lay
down the Parliament mandates together with him. This will create a
parliament crisis in the country, turning to a governmental one which
will cause serious internal political processes the country needs long
since, Hovhannessyan said.
Asked if the union or cooperation of the Liberal-Progressive party,
well-known by its westernized orientation, is possible with the same
westernized “Orinats Yerkir”, Hovhannessyan did not rule out
neither. However, he made a slip in speaking that the cooperation or
unification with the “OY” is possible only on the basis of a common
ideological platform. But it is ruled out on the basis of “common
money”, Hovhannessyan said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FRENCH “LIBERATION” PUBLISHES LETTER OF PROTEST FROM TURKISH INTELLECTUALS
Hurriyet, Turkey
May 11 2006
A group of 9 well-known Turkish intellectuals co-wrote a letter of
protest against the bill to be considered in the French Parliament
next week which would, if passed, mandate prison sentences for people
publicly denying Armenian genocide claims.
The letter was published in yesterday’s edition of the French
newspaper “Liberation,” and warns French people of the repurcussions
from possible passage of the drafted bill, which is to be debated in
parliament on May 18.
A portion of the letter, which was written by Murat Belge, Halil
Berktay, Elif Safak, Hrant Dink, Muge Gocek, Ahmet Insel, Etyen
Mahcupyan, Baskin Oran, and Ragip Zarakolu, says: “What is for
certain is that this law would make the process for those searching
for solutions to these claims even more difficult. And a resulting
paradox is that if France itself passes such a law, blocking free
debate on the Armenian genocide question, the result will create
similar or even stronger reactions in Turkey.”

RUSSIA TO PAY FAMILIES OF BLACK SEA AIR CRASH VICTIMS $3,700
RIA Novosti, Russia
May 11 2006
MOSCOW, May 11 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian government will pay 100,000
rubles ($3,700) to the families of 113 people killed in a Black Sea
air crash a week ago, the Russian health minister said Thursday.
An Airbus owned by Armenia’s Armavia airline crashed in stormy weather
near the Russian resort of Sochi on May 3.
On May 4, the head of Armavia said all passengers had been insured and
their families would receive $20,000 each, and the Armenian government
promised compensation worth $3,400.

ARMENIA KICKS OFF WITH FIRST REHEARSAL
esctoday.com, Netherlands
May 11 2006
At 9:30 local time, the arena opened its doors to the press as the
first participant, Andre from Armenia, rehearsed on stage.
Esctoday.com collected some opinions about Without your love, the
stage and the venue itself as well!
‘Armenian Sertab’
The “Armenian Sertab”, as some journalists referred to him during
Andre’s first rehearsal, brought four female dancers to Athens, as
well as a backing singer. While Andre is standing on a big box, his
four dancers are dancing around doing a “Houdini-alike chain act”,
as Peter Walsh from the Irish Sunday World referred to the performance.
It took Andre a few times to get his ear monitoring right and to get
used to the stage. At his second try, things went much better and he
got awarded a nice applause from the present fans and journalists.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GARABAGH MEDIATOR EXPECTS NO BREAKTHROUGH AT MINISTERS’ MEETING
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
May 11 2006
Baku, May 10, AssA-Irada
The OSCE mediators brokering settlement to the Armenia-Azerbaijan
Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict will discuss new proposals with the
foreign ministers of the two countries in Strasbourg on May 18-19,
the Russian co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group, Yuri Merzlyakov, said.
“We will learn the reaction of the two sides,” he told ANS TV
channel. Merzlyakov said the French mediator Bernard Fassier had
informed him of the outcomes of his recent visit to Azerbaijan and
Armenia. Fassier said the conflicting sides took the new proposals
seriously and expressed interest in them.
“Some of the proposals are new, while others were built up based on
the previous ones. I hope the parties will finally agree maximally
on the conflict resolution principles.
“However, I am not expecting much from the upcoming discussions, as
this will be a regular working meeting. But what I can say is that
official Baku and Yerevan are studying our proposals.”
Merzlyakov noted that if the proposals are not fully accepted by
either party, the intermediaries will wait for further suggestions
from the sides.
The Russian co-chair said a private meeting of the Azeri and Armenian
foreign ministers will be held in Strasbourg as well. “I think the
sides should discuss our new proposals on their own,” he added.
The parties failed to agree upon the issues of principle during the
latest talks held by Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Robert Kocharian in
Rambouillet, France in February, which was followed by mutual threats.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

LA TURQUIE APPELLE LA FRANCE A BLOQUER LA LOI SUR LE GENOCIDE ARMENIEN
Agence France Presse
10 mai 2006 mercredi
Le Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan a appele mercredi la
France a bloquer la proposition de loi qui vise a poursuivre toute
personne niant l’existence du genocide armenien (1915-1917) et mis
en garde contre ses consequences sur les relations bilaterales.
“Les liens entre la Turquie et la France ne sont pas des relations
banales. Ils remontent au 19ème siècle et les entreprises francaise
sont actuellement au premier rang parmi les investisseurs en Turquie”,
a dit M. Erdogan a la presse.
“Je pense que le Parlement francais ne va probablement pas injecter
le soi-disant genocide armenien comme un virus entre nos deux pays,
unis par des liens aussi importants. Je pense que le bon sens va
l’emporter”, a-t-il ajoute.
M. Erdogan s’exprimait avant son depart pour Vienne où il doit assister
au sommet UE-Amerique latine jeudi au cours duquel il est prevu qu’il
rencontre des dirigeants francais pour discuter du problème.
La Turquie, qui nie categoriquement que les Armeniens aient ete
victimes d’un genocide, s’inquiète des debats de l’assemblee nationale
francaise et a rappele lundi son ambassadeur pour des consultations.
Le texte, s’il est approuve, prevoit un an d’emprisonnement et
une amende de 45.000 euros (57.000 dollars) pour les auteurs de
declarations niant que les massacres d’Armeniens soient un genocide.
Il prend la suite d’une precedente loi, votee en 2001, qui a
officiellement reconnu que les massacres constituaient un genocide.
Il a ete propose par des membres de l’opposition socialiste (PS)
et arrive en première lecture a l’assemblee le 18 mai.
Les Armeniens estiment avoir perdu jusqu’a 1,5 million des leurs lors
de massacres orchestres entre 1915 et 1917, au moment de la chute de
l’empire ottoman.
La Turquie affirme au contraire que 300.000 Armeniens et au moins
autant de Turcs sont morts dans des combats entre civils lorsque
les Armeniens ont pris les armes pour reclamer l’independance dans
l’est de l’Anatolie et apporte leur soutien aux troupes russes lors
de l’invasion de l’empire ottoman.
–Boundary_(ID_WOjbc9+a2DVmxsM1+WzgGQ)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BEST CONDITIONS FOR MATERNITY IN SOUTH CAUCASUS ARE IN ARMENIA
By Nana Petrosian
AZG Armenian Daily
12/05/2006
The mothers feel safe most of all in the Scandinavian states. In this
issue, Sweden is in the first place, then come Denmark and Finland,
Norway, Austria and Germany. Armenia is in the 37 position in the list
of the countries that render good conditions for maternity. Moreover,
according to the principle of the most beneficial conditions for
maternity, Armenia is in the first place among the South Caucasus
countries.
This data is revealed as a result of the research carried out
in 125 countries by “Save the Children” British benevolence
organization. Thus, Belarus is the first among the former Soviet
republics; it occupies the 16th place in the list. Ukraine is in the
21st place, Moldova in the 24th, Russia and Uzbekistan are sharing the
27th place. Tajikistan is in the 69th place, while Turkey occupies
the 74th place. According to the research, the worst conditions for
maternity are in Nigeria.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress