Author: Frangulian Shushan

IT’S ENVISAGED TO INTRODUCE INCLUSIVE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM AT ANOTHER
8 ARMENIAN SCHOOLS THIS YEAR
YEREVAN, MARCH 17, NOYAN TAPAN. At present 157 disabled children attend
5 schools of inclusive education in Yerevan. Individual curriculums
were made up for 85 of them and the rest perfectly manage to learn
by school curriculums.
Susanna Tadevosian, Chairwoman of the Huysi Kamurj (Bridge of Hope)
NGO, informed about this at the March 17 press conference. She
mentioned that the inclusive educational program has been implemented
by the organization jointly with RA Ministry of Education and
Science since 2001, in comprehensive schools N 27, 150, 59, 100
and M.Sebastatsi educational complex. According to S.Tadevosian,
teams comprised of the director, a special teacher, social employee,
a parent and other specialists were formed at all schools of inclusive
education. The latters examine children’s medical documents, consider
their educational needs and make up individual curriculums at the
beginning of the schoolyear. The organization chairwoman stated
that children from orphanages and abroad are also involved in the
program. The educational needs of the latters are connected with the
Eastern Armenian language and spelling. S.Tadevosian also reported
that during the current year the inclusive educational program will
be introduced at another 4 Yerevan schools, as well as in Dilijan,
Ijeven, Noyemberian and Berd schools (Tavush region). It was also
mentioned that representatives of Moscow school N 1961 visited Armenia
for the purpose of getting acquainted with the experience of inclusive
education.

Russia presents Georgia with timetable for removal of military hardware in 2006
Rustavi-2 TV, Tbilisi
17 Mar 06
[Presenter] Moscow has presented Georgia with a timetable for the
withdrawal of 358 pieces of hardware from Georgian territory between
12 May and 18 August 2006. One hundred and thirteen tanks will be
removed by sea, while 369 pieces of heavy armour will be relocated
to the Gyumri base in Armenia [figures as heard]. Georgia has even
built a special platform in Tsalka.
Russia has also presented Georgia with a list of items which will be
disposed of on Georgian territory.
[Mamuka Kudava, deputy defence minister] Already by the end of March
they will present us with more detailed information on the hardware
to be removed by the end of 2006 and a precise timetable, which is
very important.
We also hope that the handover to the Ministry of Defence of facilities
not belonging to Russian bases will continue.

Azerbaijan’s Embassy in Georgia issued visa to Armenian delegates to visit Baku
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 17 2006
[ 17 Mar. 2006 20:24 ]
The Azerbaijani Embassy in Georgia issued visa to the Armenian
delegates to visit Azerbaijan to attend the conference “Enhancing
transportation security in OSCE region” organized by OSCE in Baku.
Diplomatic sources informed APA about it. According to the information,
Armenians arrived in Baku through Yerevan-Tbilisi-Baku route.
The spokesman of the Azerbaijan’s Embassy in Georgia Elkhan Polukhov
told APA that the Embassy did not grant a visa to any Armenian citizen
to visit Azerbaijan.
The Armenian delegation composed of head of Foreign Ministry OSCE
department Varuzhan Nersesyan, deputy head of the Armenian delegation
to OSCE Hambarsum Minasyan and deputy chief of Armenia’s Transport and
Communication Ministry Vahan Badalyan attended the two-day conference
in Baku./APA/

FIFTY HOUSE MEMBERS CALL ON FOREIGN AID APPROPRIATORS TO MAINTAIN
MILITARY AID PARITY TO ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
March 17 2006
Reps. Pallone and Radanovich spearhead campaign calling for $75
million in U.S. aid to Armenia; Continued Aid to Karabagh WASHINGTON,
DC ­ Congressmen Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and George Radanovich (R-CA)
were joined by forty-eight of their House colleagues today in
urging the leadership of the House Foreign Operations Subcommittee
to support pro-Armenian provisions in the fiscal year 2007 foreign
aid bill, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
[Ho. He. Dashnaktsutyan Washington-ee Hai Tahd-ee Krasenyag].
Members of Congress cosigned a letter, addressed to the panel’s
Chairman Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) and Ranking Member Nita Lowey (D-NY), which
would strengthen the hand of pro-Armenian members of the Subcommittee,
most notably Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Joe Knollenberg, Steve Rothman
(D-NJ), Mark Kirk (R-IL), and John Sweeney (R-NY). Rep. Sweeney, who
joined the panel last year, is one of only two Members of Congress
of Armenian heritage.
The letter notes that members of Congress are “deeply troubled”
that the Administration’s request for military aid for Azerbaijan
is considerably higher then the request for Armenia. By signing the
letter, legislators will add their voice to the effort to ensure that
the agreement struck in 2001 between the White House and Congress to
keep aid levels to these two countries equal is fully respected. In
addition, the letter calls for a hard earmark of at least $75 million
for Armenia, a one-year $5 million allocation for Nagorno Karabagh,
and the preservation of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act.
Members of Congress joining Representatives Pallone and Radanovich
in cosigning the letter included: Reps. Tom Allen (D-ME), Robert
Andrews (D-NJ), Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Howard Berman (D-CA), Michael
Bilirakis (R-FL), Eric Cantor (R-VA), Lois Capps (D-CA), Dennis
Cardoza (D-CA), John Conyers (D-MI), Jim Costa (D-CA), Joseph Crowley
(D-NY), William Delahunt (D-MA), David Dreier (R- CA), Chaka Fattah
(D-PA), Mike Ferguson (R-NJ), Barney Frank (D- MA), Scott Garrett
(R-NJ), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Michael Honda (D-CA), Dale Kildee (D-MI),
James Langevin (D-RI), Sander Levin (D-MI), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ),
Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Edward Markey (D-MA),
Doris Matsui (D-CA), Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), James McGovern (D-MA),
John McHugh (R-NY), Michael McNulty (D-NY), Martin Meehan (D-MA), Grace
Napolitano (D-CA), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Collin Peterson (D-MN), Bobby
Rush (D-IL), H. James Saxton (R-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Joe Schwarz
(R-MI), Christopher Shays (R-CT), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Rob Simmons
(R-CT), Mark Souder (R-IN), Edolphus Towns (D-NY), Diane Watson (D-CA),
Henry Waxman (D-CA), Anthony Weiner (D-NY), and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA).
Representatives Knollenberg, Pallone, and Rothman also submitted
individual letters citing their foreign aid priorities for Armenia
and Nagorno Karabagh, among other countries.
The House Foreign Operations panel is set to review the FY2007 foreign
aid bill, which will then be considered by the full Appropriations
Committee and then the full U.S. House of Representatives. The Senate
will finalize its own version, which will be reconciled with the
House bill by a conference committee.
–Boundary_(ID_lODDRd2A7qsVVJBsJma0Pg) —

ISMAYILOV: “RAMIL SAFAROV CAN BE EXTRADITED TO AZERBAIJAN AFTER COURT AWARD”
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 16 2006
Lawyer Adil Ismayilov, official representative of the family of
Azerbaijani army officer Ramil Safarov, who is accused of killing
an Armenian officer in Hungary, held a press conference on the last
trial of Safarov held on 7 March (APA).
The lawyer said that the opinion of the 4th forensic medical
examination was announced in the last trial. He added that the opinion
of the 4th examination coincided with the 1st medical examination.
“According to the conclusion of the 1st forensic medical examination,
Ramil Safarov had consciousness when he committed a crime. In the 2nd
examination, Safarov was reported to be partially conscious and to
be unconscious, according to conclusion of the 3rd medical examination.
Ramil Safarov would receive a light punishment if the opinion of the
1st forensic medical examination was in force,” the lawyer said.
“The matter is, the first expert Gal Kafalina proposed in the previous
trial that Ergin Nat and Gabr Kovach conduct the forensic medical
examination. Thus, these experts are close to Gal Kafalina.
The final examination was conducted by the experts recommended by
Kafalina, and the conclusion of the 1st examination was reaffirmed,”
Ismayilov reported.
The lawyer also said though Safarov’s intellectual level was low
evaluated during the 1st examination but highly during the last one.
The cause is Safarov was interrogated in Russian first time, but in
Turkish for the last one.
Assistant director of the school Safarov graduated from, Colonel
Atilla Demeter and Major Zoltan Balton also testified in the last
trial. They expressed their satisfaction of Ramil. The next trial of
Ramil Safarov was appointed to April 4 and 13.
The sides will address the trial on 4 April, and court decision will be
made on 13 April. The lawyer also said that Safarov can be extradited
to Azerbaijan after the court award. He guessed that Ramil who is
accused of Article 166 of Hungarian Criminal Code can be sentenced
to 10 or 15 years in jail.
“I do not think he will be sentenced to life imprisonment,” the
lawyer added.
Ismayilov also expressed his dissatisfaction of Azerbaijani televisions
not attending the trials of Ramil.
“Two or three Armenian televisions film every trial. This influences
the court to a certain extent. None of the Azerbaijani TV channels
has ever filmed the trial. The chair of the Armenian Bar Ruben
Saakyan attended the last trial. I think Azerbaijani high officials
should participate in the trials. This issue should be made urgent,”
Ismayilov said.

MILITARY SHOOTING-RANGE INSTEAD OF THE CROSS-STONES
A1+
10:00 pm 15 March, 2006
more images After fully eliminating the remnants of the more than
ten thousand khachqars and removing them from the ancient Armenian
cemetery, according to the eyewitnesses, in early March of the current
year the Azeri soldiers turned the area into a military shooting-range.
The photos spread by the RA Foreign Ministry show that the Old Julfa
cemetery no more exists, deserving the fate of the Plomboz Church,
the St. Savior’s Church and the Church “Red”.

WASHINGTON: NO FAILURE IN NEGOTIATING PROCESS ON KARABAKH
Regnum, Russia
March 7 2006
“I do not believe talks between presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan
in Rambouillet may be considered as failure. Also, I do not think, that
the talks reached a deadlock and necessity to change negotiating format
is imminent, because OSCE Minsk Group has exhausted its abilities,”
stated yesterday adviser to US State Department under-Secretary on
Europe and Eurasia Matthew Bryza.
As a REGNUM correspondent in Yerevan informs, Bryza believes, that
parties of Karabakh conflict are “very close to settlement, but
they should make several most difficult steps.” “Those questions,
which stayed uncoordinated, are most difficult ones and they need
formulation of clear position from the both heads of states,” the
American diplomat stressed. “If heads of Armenia and Azerbaijan fix
accurate deadlines to achieve the agreement, the USA, in its turn, will
render maximum assistance to solve the problem,” stated Matthew Bryza.
At the same time, the adviser to US State Department under-Secretary
practically refute information, that official Washington is going to
recall its ambassador in Yerevan John Evans, because of his statements
concerning international acknowledgement of Armenian Genocide in
Ottoman Turkey in the beginning of last century.
Additionally, Matthew Bryza expressed his anxiety about destruction
of Armenian cultural heritage in Nakhichevan (Azerbaijan). “Events,
happening in Nakhichevan, are awful tragedy and we focus our attention
on them,” stated he, stressing that Washington brings its anxiety to
the notice of the Azerbaijani authorities.

ABOUT 85 MLN EUROS NECESSARY FOR IMPROVEMENT OF LORI AND SHIRAK REGIONS WATER SUPPLY AND DRAINAGE SYSTEMS
Noyan Tapan
Mar 09 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN. About 85 mln euros is necessary for
improvement of water supply and drainage systems in Lori and Shirak
regions. As Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed by the Press
Service of RA Territorial Government Ministry’s State Committee of
Water Economy, RA government jointly with the KfW German bank has been
implementing a program aimed at improvement of water supply system of
these regions since the previous year, the first stage of which was
valued in the amount of 25.99 mln euros. At that, 23.37 mln euros of
this sum was given by the German bank (15.54 mln euros as a credit, the
rest of the sum as a grant) and 2.62 mln euros is the co-financing of
RA government. It’s envisaged to finish the program in three years. In
particular, it’s envisaged to implement improvement of water supply
and drainage systems in the town of Vanadzor, Lernapat, Darpas and
Shahumian communities in the Lori region, in the towns of Gyumri,
Maralik, communities of Akhurian, Azatan in the Shirak region. In
the rest of the communities it’s envisaged to place water-maters on
the entrance mains of the populated areas.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FREEDOM OF THOUGHT PRIZE AWARDED TO TURKISH JOURNALISTS
International Journalist’s Network
March 9 2006
Two Turkish journalists working in Belgium were recently honored for
more than 30 years of covering human rights in their home country.
The Human Rights Association of Turkey gave the 2006 Ayse Zarakolu
Freedom of Thought Prize to Dogan Ozguden and Inci Tugsavul. The two
journalists founded Info-Turk, an NGO that reports on issues that
are controversial in Turkey, such as anti-Semitism and the Armenian
Genocide. They are subject to arrest in their home country, for alleged
“crimes of opinion” and insults to “Turkishness.”
The association announced the award at the general meeting of the
International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), which took place
February 19 to 24 in Brussels.
The Freedom of Thought Prize is named for Turkish publisher and human
rights advocate Ayse Nur Zarakolu, who once said “the place to debate
our history is in books, not in the courts.”
Despite some reforms in recent years, Turkish law still allows
authorities to prosecute and jail journalists for their work.

USA EMBASSY IN ARMENIA DID NOT CONFIRM THE RUMORS OF RECALLING AMBASSADOR JOHN EVANS
YEREVAN, MARCH 7. ARMINFO. The USA Embassy in Armenia did not confirm
the rumors that Washington recalls from Armenia Ambassador John Evans.
The information of Mr. Evans’ recall first appeared in ‘The California
Courier’ newspaper. Moreover, it was reported that the Ambassador
reported on his recall to the Government of Armenia.
According to the newspaper, the reason of the recall was the
Ambassador’s incorrect statement about the Armenian Genocide in the
Ottoman Empire. Allegedly, the US Senate has already adopted Richard
Hoagland, presently USA Ambassador to Tajikistan, to the office of
Ambassador in Armenia.
In his return the Spokesman of the Foreign Ministry of Armenia
said that he has not the right to comment on the inner affairs of a
foreign state.