Author: Emil Lazarian

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

MOSCOW POLICEMEN DECLARED A WAR ON “ETHNIC GANGS”
by Viktor Tkachyov
SOURCE: Noviye Izvestia, No 76, p.6
Russica Izvestia Information Inc.
RusData Dialine – Russian Press Digest
May 3, 2006 Wednesday
Moscow police are preparing for a citywide crackdown on so-called
ethnic gangs after two policemen were shot dead by what prosecutors
described as members of a Georgian crime group.
Police will stake out known hangouts of ethnic gangs until the
killers of police officers Andrei Ashurkov and Sergei Rebrikov,
who were gunned down early Friday in southern Moscow, are found,
a police official, speaking on the condition of anonymity customary
when discussing police operations, said Tuesday. “Ethnic gangs” is
an umbrella term that generally refers to organized crime groups,
primarily from the Caucasus.
Ashurkov and Rebrikov responded to a call from residents of an
apartment building on Ulitsa Kirovogradskaya who said they heard cries
for help from the apartment of an Armenian businessman and his family,
police said.
Ashurkov and Rebrikov walked into a hail of automatic gunfire upon
entering the apartment at around 7:30 a.m., and both died at the
scene, City Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Sergei Marchenko said. Six
suspects wearing tracksuits and black leather jackets fled the scene,
he said. No suspects have been detained. Rebrikov, 39, is survived
by a wife and daughter. Ashurkov was 28.
Following a funeral for the two officers Tuesday, deputy police chief
Vladimir Chugunov said Moscow police were “fighting an uncompromising
battle and even a war against bandits.”
The Mayor’s Office emphasized the ethic background of the victims.
Spokesman Sergei Tsoi said the “ethnic Russian police officers, who
died heroically” and “acted professionally in defending an Armenian
family,” would be awarded state honors posthumously. Authorities
closely track and publicize statistical evaluations of crimes committed
by foreigners, primarily from other former Soviet republics. These
statistics are cited by some groups to justify anti-immigration
policies.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BOOK OF CONDOLENCES OPENED AT ARMENIA EMBASSY IN MOSCOW
By Tamara Frolkina
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 3, 2006 Wednesday
A book of condolences was opened at the Armenian Embassy in Moscow
over the air crash near Sochi.
“The book was opened on behalf of all Armenians living in Russia,”
President of the Armenians Union Ara Abramian told Itar-Tass on
Wednesday. “The Union of Russian Armenians is doing its best to help
the families of the crash victims,” Abramian emphasized.
“Relatives are accommodated at the Sochi hotel Moskva, the medical
and psychological aid and the food are provided for them,” he pointed
out. “They will stay in the hotel until all issues concerning the
air crash and its aftermath are settled,” Ara Abramian remarked.
“There are many Russians among those killed in the air crash, as a big
number of Armenians have dual citizenship. It is needed to wait for
the results of the expertise in order to find out what really happened,
as the airplane was said to be in the ideal state,” he indicated.
The A-320 airliner was carrying 113 people, including 26 Russian
citizens. According to the preliminary information, all people aboard
the plane were killed. Former interior minister and chairman of the
Armenian State Security Committee Maj-Gen. Usik Arutyunian is among
those killed. According to the latest reports, the bodies of 39 crash
victims, including one girl, were found.

COMMITTEE ON ARMENIA NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY PROJECT DEVELOPMENT HAD A SESSION IN YEREVAN
Source: Novosti-Armenia, April 28, 2006
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
May 3, 2006 Wednesday
The 4th session of Interagency committee on Armenia National Security
Strategy project development too place today in Yerevan. Armenia
Defense Department Press-secretary Colonel Seyran Shakhsuvaryan
stated that the session was conducted under the chairmanship of
Armenia President Serzh Sarkisyan. The members of the 4th session
chose from 250 offers and included in the agenda the ones concerning
the following topics: Armenia outer security strategy, All-Armenian
integration strategy. After exchanging opinions, amendments have been
made and the offers accepted. The Committee secretariat is responsible
for editing the new topics.

RA OMBUDSMAN EXPRESSES HIS DEEP CONDOLENCES TO RELATIVES OF VICTIMS OF AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 03 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 3, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. RA Ombudsman Armen
Haroutiunian sent a message of condolence on the occasion of
the accident of the Yerevan-Sochi plane. “I deeply grieve for the
accident of the Yerevan-Sochi plane. I present my deep condolences to
the relatives of the passengers and the plane crew that died in the
accident. I hope all possible means will be undertaken for alleviating
the grief of the relatives of the victims,” the message read.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NDI IMPLEMENTS PROGRAMS OF WOMEN’S INVOLVEMENT IN POLITICAL AND PUBLIC SPHERES
Noyan Tapan
May 03 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 3, NOYAN TAPAN. Women from more than 20 Armenian parties
have been already involved in the Actions Plan “Let’s Win Together With
Women” being implemented by the U.S. National Democratic Institute
(NDI). Lilit Ohanian, coordinator of NDI programs, informed about
it at the May 3 press conference. According to her, the Actions Plan
“Let’s Win Together With Women” is aimed at increasing the number of
women on the ruling posts and at encouraging their participation in
electoral processes. Lilit Ohanian informed that women members of
the Hanrapetutiun (Republic), Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law), ARF
Dashnaktsutiun, National Unity, Women of Armenia and other parties
have expressed willingness to take part in this process during the
recent months. A Woman-Leader forum has been also established on the
initiative of the NDI. The forum includes women representing NGOs,
political parties and the business sphere. According to Lilit Ohanian,
both the implementation of the plan and the processes relating to
the forum are continual.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MORE THAN 20 THOUSAND TREES ALREADY PLANTED THIS SPRING IN 20 COMMUNITIES OF TALIN REGION
Noyan Tapan
May 03 2006
TALIN, MAY 3, NOYAN TAPAN. More than 20 thousand trees have already
been planted since early this spring in more than 40 communities
of the region of Talin, Aragatsotn marz. As Ashot Hovhannisian, the
Governor’s authorized representative to the region of Talin informed
Noyan Tapan, the Nature Protection and Agriculture Department of
the Governor’s Office staff gave plants of neccessary quantity and
professional assistance.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress