Author: Hambardsumian Paul

CHANNELS OF RAGE
Translated by A. Ignatkin
Source: Vedomosti, October 24, 2006, p. A4
Agency WPS
What the Papers Say Part B (Russia)
October 24, 2006 Tuesday
Editorial
Immigration ranks 25th on the list of concerns for Russian citizens;
The ethnic conflict in Kondopoga will be remembered for a long time
to come. St. Petersburg and Voronezh are on the way to becoming
cities dangerous for foreign students. Pollsters maintain that ethnic
intolerance, once concealed, is surfacing. Why would it do so? And
why now?
BODY:
The ethnic conflict in Kondopoga will be remembered for a long time to
come. St. Petersburg and Voronezh are on the way to becoming cities
dangerous for foreign students. Russians and Armenians are at each
others’ throats in the town of Bogandinsky in the Tyumen region.
Pollsters maintain that ethnic intolerance, once concealed, is
surfacing. Why would it do so? And why now?
The State Statistics Committee claims that real incomes in September
2006 were 10.1% greater than in September 2005, averaging 10,077
rubles a month. However, Russia’s richest 10% end up with 26% of all
income and the poorest 10% with 1%.
Russian citizens are dissatisfied with the existing system of health
care and education, the quality of housing and communal services,
corruption in local government structures and the police. The data
compiled by the Public Opinion Foundation (FOM) indicate the public
is concerned about the following issues (in descending order): high
tariffs for housing and communal services (46%), alcohol abuse (37%),
inflation (36%), medical services and medicines they cannot afford
(32%), shortage of money for food and commodities (28%), difficulty
finding a good job (28%), bureaucracy and civil servants’ tyranny
(25%), drug abuse (25%), housing shortages (21%), unemployment (20%),
corruption (19%), low quality of medical and social services (16%),
and so on. Problems of immigration were mentioned by only 5% of
respondents, ranking 25th on the list of concerns for Russian citizens.

WORKING OUT “BASIC PRINCIPLES” – GOAL OF OSKANIAN-MAMMADYAROV TALKS IN PARIS
PanARMENIAN.Net
24.10.2006 18:44 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The goal of the talks over settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict is to work out “basic principles, which will underlie
the peace treaty, acceptable to both parties,” French MFA official
representative Jean-Batiste Mattei stated today, when commenting
on the meeting between Armenian and Azeri FMs Vartan Oskanian and
Elmar Mammadyarov under the auspices of the OSCE MG. The diplomat
underscored that the principles in question should be “balanced,
fair and practical.” He reminded that the current cycle of talks
started at the previous meeting of the FMs in Moscow October 6,
also mediated by the OSCE, reports ITAR-TASS.

ARMENIA 101ST ON PRESS FREEDOM RATING
PanARMENIAN.Net
24.10.2006 13:21 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia was the 101st on the annual Press Freedom
Rating by Reporters without Borders. In the opinion of creators of the
rating, the freedom of press record of Armenia has deteriorated. Thus,
e.g. Armenia was 90th in 2003-2004. However, as compared with past
year, Armenia raised one point in the rating. Meanwhile, Russia is
147th. North Korea has the worse record (168th). Turkmenistan is the
167th and Eritrea is 166th. The media is most independent in Finland,
Island, Ireland and Netherlands.

ARMENIAN SHOT DEAD IN SAINT PETERSBURG
PanARMENIAN.Net
23.10.2006 13:04 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Native of Armenia, resident of Belgorod oblast,
46-year-old Henrik Vardapeytan was shot dead in Saint Petersburg. The
investigators identified that the killed was a Russian citizen and
resided in a rented a flat in Olga Forsh street for some 4 years and
was engaged in building. The man was coming back from a shop and
witnesses say that two assassins were waiting for Vardapetyan for
rather a long time. The killers fired three shots.
The body was found yesterday in Forsh street at 5.50 p.m. A pistol
TT and a package with an iron stick wrapped in insulation tape was
found near the site.
Other sources say it was a bunch of flowers with a stick hidden in it.
The investigators found some notes in the pockets of the killed that
were supposedly sent by a prisoner. A criminal case was initiated
in compliance with Article 105 of the RF Criminal Code, reports
NEWSru.com.

EXPLOSION TOOK PLACE ON A-320 PLANE CRASHED IN MAY, ARMENIAN AIRLINES
FORMER PILOT DECLARES
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Oct 19 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN. The A-320 plane carrying out
Yerevan-Sochi flight, crashed in May, was not uncontrollable and
the real reason of its crash was an explosion. Vladimir Poghosian,
former pilot of Armenian Airlines, declared at the October 19 press
conference. In his words, the heads of flight organization, including
Zvartnots airport’s and Armavia’s flight security departments, are to
blame for the plane crash. In V.Poghosian’s words, before getting on
the plane an argument broke out between two criminal groups, but “they
were premitted to get on the plane where this argument continued.” In
his words, “four citizens of Russia rang up and said that shots are
fired on the plane.”
As V.Poghosian said, there were traces of shots on the corpses of the
victims. He expressed bewilderment in connection with the fact that
the Armenian side did not express willingness to examine the victims’
corpses. Meanwhile, V.Poghosian refused to mention the facts his
statements are based on.

Protest action was held outside of Israel and France Embassies on Jerusalem day
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Oct 20 2006
[ 20 Oct. 2006 19:37 ]
The Religious Community of Icherishekher Juma Mosque visited Martyrs’
Alley and placed protest actions on Jerusalem day, APA reports.
The community members began their action by entering the alley and
chanting Allahu Akbar (Allah is great). Ilgar Ibrahimoglu, the chief
of the community said that this day was declared by Imam Khomeini
and is the day of solidarity of Muslims.
“Armenians can not establish a state in Garabagh, neither can Zionists
in Jerusalem. Remembering of Jerusalem is remembering of Muslim,”
he said.
Ibrahimoglu reminded of humiliation of Prophet Muhammad (s.) many
times and the attacks to Lebanon and said that it is important for
Muslims to unite. Then the participants of piquet assembled outside
of Israel Embassy holding the slogan “Israel Stop!” in their hands.
When the officers of Police station #27 demanded to leave the
territory, the head of the community said that they will end piquet
soon. The action continued without the interference of police, but
after the piquet the police forces arrested seven demonstrators and
they were taken to the Police station 37.
Though there was confrontation during the piquet outside of France
embassy, the police allowed continuing the piquet in former Malakan
Park. They chanted slogans “Shame” continuously and then Ibrahimoglu
made a speech. He condemned the law adopted by France parliament that
makes it crime to deny false Armenian genocide and considered it the
support to terrorism. At the end the resolution was presented to the
officer of embassy. /APA/

58 percent of French oppose Turkish EU entry – poll
Agence France Presse — English
October 20, 2006 Friday
Nearly six out of 10 French people oppose Turkey joining the European
Union, according to an opinion poll published Friday.
The LH2 survey for RMC radio recorded 58 percent of the public against
Turkish membership and 28 percent in favour.
The poll was taken in the wake of the row over the adoption last
week by the French lower house of parliament of a bill that would
make denial of the Armenian “genocide” a punishable offence.
The bill — which now needs to pass the upper house or Senate —
has been condemned in Turkey, where it is widely seen as a sign of
anti-Turkish sentiment in France.
Friday’s poll findings were in line with a Europe-wide survey taken
in June, which put French hostility to Turkish entry at 55 percent.
However the Eurobarometer survey also indicated that opposition in
France is only slightly more than in the EU as a whole — where
48 percent are against Turkish entry — and well behind several
individual countries.
Nine states were more hostile than France to Ankara’s membership bid,
including Austria at 81 percent and Germany — which has a large
Turkish population — at 69 percent.

THEY WILL TAKE FINGERPRINTS IN “ZVARTNOTS”
A1+
[07:40 pm] 20 October, 2006
Since November 1, 2006, new security payment will be established in
airport “Zvartnots” which will be 2 Euros per passenger.
International aviation companies have offered the airports to
introduce new equipment for the security of passengers and airplanes in
connection with combat against terrorism. In particular, since November
1 airport “Zvartnots” will implement equipment taking fingerprints
for the identification of passengers, the official website of the RA
Civic Aviation Administration informs.

FRENCH CROONER CHARLES AZNAVOUR TAPS CUBAN RHYTHMS
Reuters, UK
Oct 18 2006
HAVANA (Reuters) – At the age of 82, French crooner Charles Aznavour
is still looking for new ways to capture an audience and has turned
to the hot rhythms of Cuban music to convey his songs.
Aznavour teamed up with Latin jazz piano virtuoso Chucho Valdes to
record 11 songs, Aznavour said on Tuesday before heading home after
eight days in a Havana studio.
His new offerings include songs about environmental degradation and
last year’s race riots in France.
“To have Cuban music with such lyrics will draw us closer to the
public. It’s not a question of selling records but of conveying ideas
to people, not political but important human ideas,” he said at a
news conference.
It is not Aznavour’s first encounter with Cuban musicians. In 1999,
he recorded the song “Morir de amor” (Dying of Love) with the late
Compay Segundo of Buena Vista Social Club fame.
“That was a marvelous experience. Between smiles, cigars and music
we managed a duet,” said the blazer-clad singer.
Born in Paris of Armenian immigrants, the raspy-voiced Aznavour was
discovered by Edith Piaf in the 1940s. His breakthrough in America was
not on the stage but on the screen in Francois Truffaut’s 1960 film,
“Shoot the piano Player.”
Ray Charles, Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby sang songs written by
Aznavour.
“Songs are a powerful weapon. Important statements disappear from
the newspaper the next day, but songs remain. They penetrate walls
and keep important ideas alive in the human spirit,” he said.
Aznavour’s new record, scheduled for release by EMI early next year,
was recorded in Havana’s Abdala studio with Chucho Valdes and musicians
from his Iraquere band.

RA FM TO VISIT CANADA, U.S. AND FRANCE
PanARMENIAN.Net
16.10.2006 18:32 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ October 17 Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
is departing for Canada, reported the RA MFA press office. October 18
he will meet in Ottawa with Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay,
members of the Armenian-Canadian parliamentary friendship group and
the local Armenian community. October 19 Minister Oskanian will leave
for Toronto to address an international conference titled “Creation
of possibilities for development and peace. The role of Diaspora”
initiated by the UN University for Peace.
October 21 Vartan Oskanian will head for Washington to give a report
at a solemn event dedicated to the 15th anniversary of Armenia’s
independence. The next day he will depart for France, where he is
scheduled to meet with Azeri FM Elmar Mammadyarov and the OSCE MG
Co-chairs.