Author: Hambardsumian Paul

70,000 ARMENIANS RESIDE IN TURKEY ILLEGALLY
Author: A.Àlasgarov
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
May 22 2006
Around 70,000 Armenians illegally reside in Turkey, the special
correspondent of Trend in Turkey reports. They have arrived in the
country mainly over the past ten years, and live and work in districts
of Istanbul and Kars.
As written in the newspaper, Armenians’ long-term stay in Turkey and
their illegal labour activity are realized by violating the national
laws of the country.
–Boundary_(ID_aLv7oN2eWvi3Hlo7peRkeg)–

U.S. AMBASSADOR DESIGNATE TO AZERBAIJAN RESPONDS TO SEN. BOXER’S
CONCERNS ON DJULFA CEMETERY DESTRUCTION
WASHINGTON, DC U.S. Ambassador Designate to Azerbaijan Anne Derse
responded to concerns raised by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) regarding
Azerbaijan’s destruction of the over millennia old Djulfa Armenian
cemetery in Nakhichevan, this week, but refrained from pledging any
concrete commitment to investigate the matter, reports the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA) Submitting a written response to
questions by Sen. Boxer relayed during her May 12th Senate Foreign
Relations Committee confirmation hearing, Derse noted that the
Department of State is “urging the relevant Azerbaijani authorities to
investigate the allegations of desecration of cultural monuments in
Nakhichevan and take appropriate measures to prevent any desecration
of cultural monuments. Armenia and Azerbaijan are both members of
UNESCO (and OSCE), and Azerbaijan has raised these issues in those
organizations. We have encouraged Armenia and Azerbaijan to work with
UNESCO to investigate this incident. If I am confirmed, and if such
issues arise during my tenure, I will communicate our concerns to the
Government of Azerbaijan and pursue appropriate activities in support
of U.S. interests.”
In December of 2005, approximately 200 Azerbaijani soldiers were
videotaped using sledgehammers to demolish the Armenian cemetery in
Djulfa, a sacred site of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The cemetery
dates back to the 7th Century and once was home to as many as 10,000
khatchkars (intricately carved stone-crosses). An on-line video of the
destruction can be viewed at:
_ p04.htm_
( htm)

EVOLUTION WAY DOESN’T EXIST
Margaret Yesayan
Aravot.am
18 May 06
The “Republic” party leader Aram Sargsian makes such a conclusion
from the last events.
How do you mark what happened to the OEP. It seems it is a bad
tradition that such stories happen to almost all political powers of
Armenia from time to time.
These authorities realized privatization in the economic field of
Armenia and the result of that privatization was the formation
of monopolistic economies. The same they act with the political
field. They have finished privatization of the economy and have begun
the privatization of the political field.
And they do their best to privatize the political field completely. And
this is a way, which leads to destruction. We live in the 21st century
but unfortunately their logic belongs to the 19th century.
Do you consider normal that the political power inside the authority
constantly criticizes the authority and then becomes the opposition.
Every political power has been formed round its project, goals and
ideology.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of timeservers in the authority. Be
sure if such a situation starts against “Republican” less people will
remain in that party than they remained in the OEP. If such process
starts against Robert Kocharian or Serge Sargsian nobody will stay
with them. Unfortunately it is so.
Those persons who left the OEP hadn’t entered into that party for
the ideology of that party but for having support /roof/, avoiding
of some kind of taxes, acquiring some sort of property. This must be
a problem for those persons who will admit those persons making them
as their advisors or something else.
Can Robert Kocharian use this situation in favor of him, declaring
to international structures that he can’t concretize his answers on
Karabakh conflict because of the political situation in the country?
I share that standpoint that this situation was formed for solving
just such problems. Because there is only a cause; internal political
situation. And this can lead to double dangers. I see Robert
Kocharian’s refusal of not taking part in the NATO summit in this
context. Today Robert Kocharian is in the political backstage and
the outside world has some demands from him. He is in this situation
because of himself, and frankly speaking, I pity him.
Some people think that Serge Sargsian takes advantages for the
coming presidential elections from the events happened to Arthur
Baghdasarian. There were two possible presidential candidates in the
authority and one of them must leave.
I don’t think that Serge Sargsian took advantages of it because it
doesn’t bring public resource, public vote to him. Serge Sargsian
has administrative and financial resources. But I’m sure that force
majeure conditions will be in Armenia and presidential elections will
be held before parliamentary elections.
Doesn’t Arthur Baghdasarian disturb the oppositionists becoming
the opposition?
It isn’t so. There is a plenty of places in the opposition and
each party from the opposition proves that nothing is right in
the authority and there is a crisis in that field. Opposition or
authority is decided during the elections and the opposition has
won in all our elections and it will. Why don’t I go to the NA,
because I consider it non legitimate. And now if people think that
the elections had been rigged and the coming elections must be fair,
I consider it positive. ‘Republic” party declared that the only way
of a problem settlement is revolution. Arthur Baghdasarian tried to
prove that there was an evolution way for the problem settlement. And
here is the result. I think he made sure that the evolution way didn’t
exist and the only way was revolution.
–Boundary_(ID_JNvxlRXLO5Wa61ADDQrkdA )–

14TH ANNIVERSARY OF OPENING OF LACHIN CORRIDOR CELEBRATED IN NK
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
May 19 2006
Festivities were held today in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic on the
occasion of the 14th Anniversary of the opening of the Lachin corridor.
The Lachin region administration, Karabakh MPs, the NKR Minister of
Defense Seyran Ohanyan, representatives of commanding staff of the
NKR Defense Army, as well as guests from Armenia participated in the
festival measures, DE FACTO own correspondent reports from Stepanakert.
The operation on the opening of the Lachin corridor was implemented
May 17-18, 1992. The voluntary units of the Self – Defense Forces
and groups of volunteers from Armenia took part in the operation. The
opening of the humanitarian corridor through Lachin enabled Karabakh
to establish a secure connection with Armenia and the world.

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ARMENIAN WOMEN CELEBRATES 15TH ANNIVERSARY
By Hakob Tsulikian
AZG Armenian Daily
20/05/2006
The International Association of Armenian Women of America
celebrates its 15th anniversary, the Armenian Mirror Spectator
reports. On this occasion an annual dispute “Armenian Women in the
Government and Business” at the city club of Winchester (Watertown,
Massachusetts) on May 20. Deputy of the Armenian National Assembly,
Hranush Hakobian, and famous actress Nora Armani will also participate
in the gathering. Representatives of the Armenian community presenting
US government Rachel Gabrielian, Nancy and Michel Kolikyan and Sharin
Burnazian will also take part in the dispute. Margaret and Nshan
Atinizian will organize a concert that will follow the dispute. The
preparatory committed is headed by Olga Brutian, Michel Faschian and
Margarit Kilajian.
The Association organized 4 international conferences in London,
Paris, Genova and Yerevan, implemented healthcare, educational and
social programs in Armenia etc.

AMERICA’S NEW ALLY?
By Frederick W. Stakelbeck Jr.
FrontPage magazine.com, CA
May 18 2006
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev’s three-day visit to Washington in
late April to discuss economic and regional security issues marked an
important step forward in U.S.-Azerbaijan bilateral relations. “My
trip to Washington covered all aspects of our relationship,” the
44-year old Aliyev said. Seeking to solidify his country’s ties to
the region, an enthusiastic U.S. President George W. Bush noted,
“Azerbaijan is a modern Muslim country that is able to provide for
its citizens and understands that democracy is the wave of the future.”
President Ilham Aliyev, who succeeded his father Haidar as head of
state after his death in 2003, has quickly become a critical U.S.
ally, as other nations in the region such as Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan
have slowly distanced themselves from Washington. Located between
Russia and Iran with a population of 7.8 million people, Azerbaijan
has been an important strategic partner in the war on terror, sending
troops to both Afghanistan and Iraq. The country has also allowed
the use of its territory by the U.S. military, cooperating with
the Pentagon to modernize a former Soviet-era airfield and granting
permission for U.S. military over flights.
Plans were recently announced for the U.S. to modernize one radar
station near the Iranian border at Lerik and another near the border
with Georgia at Agstafa. Joint work has also commenced on two radar
stations on the Russia-Azerbaijani border and Iran-Azerbaijani border
to monitor Caspian Sea traffic.
Although bilateral cooperation has accelerated recently,
U.S.-Azerbaijan relations are not entirely rosy. Promised political
reforms have progressed slowly in Baku, the country’s capital, with
the U.S. openly criticizing the presidential elections in 2003 and
parliamentary polls last year as “seriously flawed.” President Aliyev’s
election was marred by allegations of corruption and brutal crackdowns
on his political opposition, drawing some international observers to
compare the leader to Belarus strongman President Alexander Lukashenko.
A pending criminal case in New York federal court against an
Azerbaijani oil company in which Aliyev served as vice president
has also raised questions regarding the president’s past. Moreover,
president Aliyev’s recent bellicose statements concerning his country’s
deadly conflict with neighbor Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh
territory that left 30,000 civilians dead, has raised red flags
in Washington.
Domestic problems aside, the energy resources of Azerbaijan have
propelled bilateral relations forward. Washington remains determined to
reduce its energy reliance on less-friendly governments in the Middle
East, Africa and South America. The 1,000 mile long Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
oil pipeline, which bypasses both Russia and Iran from the Caspian
Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, is testimony to the rising importance
of the country’s energy sector and its ability to play an integral
role in U.S. energy security.
According to Azerbaijani government sources, the country’s oil reserves
range from 7 to 13 billion barrels. Daily oil exports reached 319,000
barrels per day (bpd) in 2004 and are expected to reach 1.1 million
bpd by 2008. Natural gas reserves are also substantial, estimated at
30 trillion cubic feet (Tcf). Flush with cash, foreign investors are
flocking to the country hoping to secure lucrative exploration and
development contracts, with investment increasing an astounding 30
percent, or US$4.4 billion, in 2004 alone.
Beyond democratization and energy, the complex issue of Iran drives
the current U.S.-Azerbaijan relationship. As a Shia Muslim nation,
Azerbaijan shares close ethnic and religious ties with its southern
neighbor. As a result, Baku strongly opposes the use of force against
Iran in the current nuclear crisis, “Our position has not changed —
the problems should be resolved by diplomatic means,” president Aliyev
said during his visit to Washington.
Baku’s developing relationship with Tehran is an ongoing concern
for Washington. During 2005, president Aliyev and Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad met three times, providing a glimpse of how close
the two countries have become. “Relations between the two friendly and
fraternal countries are rapidly developing,” Aliyev noted in a December
meeting with Ahmadinejad in Nakhchivan, an Azerbaijani enclave.
Earlier this month, the two leaders met in Baku, with president
Ahmadinejad expressing both his desire to increase energy cooperation
with Azerbaijan and his growing dissatisfaction with U.S. efforts aimed
at halting Iran’s nuclear program. To ensure Azerbaijani neutrality
and counter U.S. influence, Iran reportedly offered to serve as an
export conduit for Azerbaijani oil and gas.
Tehran’s early efforts seem to be paying off. Public opinion polls
in Azerbaijan show a growing tide of anti-Americanism. “All recent
surveys conducted in Azerbaijan show the rise of anti-American moods
in Azerbaijan society,” noted Arif Yunusov, head of the Conflict
Prevention Department at the Baku-based Institute for Peace and
Democracy.
Azerbaijan’s increased contact with Iran could place the country in a
difficult position, as the U.N. Security Council considers punitive
measures such as economic sanctions or even military action. In
essence, Baku’s position of non-interference on the Iran nuclear
issue gives Washington little room for geopolitical maneuvering. The
country’s strategic importance during any military conflict with Iran
should not be underestimated. Azerbaijan shares a 370 mile border
with Iran, and successfully sealing it would be an important first
step to stem the transport of necessary supplies and weapons to Iran.
“One concern is to keep Azerbaijan on board regardless of the
administration’s policy toward Iran, because Iran is a neighboring
state,” noted Dr. Martha Britt Olcott, a senior associate at the
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington.
Azerbaijan offers the U.S. a number of attractive strategic options
during a perilous time in world history. The Bush administration
remains committed to maintaining a significant economic, political
and military presence in the region to offset possible Iranian
aggression. However, Washington must be careful when making regional
alliances to address emerging threats, otherwise, ambitious leaders
like president Aliyev could initiate a dangerous game of political
gamesmanship resulting in regional chaos, rather than stability.
Frederick W. Stakelbeck Jr. is a foreign affairs expert. He can be
reached at [email protected].

RT-1000 DEEP WATER ROBOT BEGINS A-320 BLACK BOXES LIFTING
by Dmitry Nezdorovin
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 16, 2006 Tuesday
The RT-1000 deep water device on Tuesday began a dive into the Black
Sea at the site of the crash of the Armenian airbus A-320 in order to
spot and lift from the water two flight data recorders of the plane,
the operation’s technical support headquarters told Itar-Tass. The
operation is conducted from board the Navigator special ship.
The Navigator ship with the robot was in the designated area at 06:20,
Moscow time and the crew began the operation, Itar-Tass was told by
telephone from the Navigator. The robot was installed on the ship
on Monday.
The robot was brought to Sochi from Novorossiisk on board the Kapitan
Beklemishev rescue vessel on Monday.
Last week specialists tested the robot in the area of the Tonky cape
just opposite Gelendzhik. According to the head of the special ship’s
crew, specialist of the Yuzhmorgeologiya federal state institution
Igor Lagoida, the apparatus was designed for lifting geological
specimens form the seabed and examining underwater oil and natural
gas pipelines. It is for the first time to fulfil the task of lifting
a plane’s black boxes.
According to the head of the Russian Transport Ministry’s sea and
river transport agency Rosmorrechtrans, Alexander Davydenko, the
RT-1000 had earlier not taken part in such operations and only lifted
from the seabed geological samples of less than 20 kilogrammes from
minor depths. “In these conditions the robot is capable of lifting
the plane’s fragments under 12 kilogrammes and two flight recorders
weighing seven kilogrammes each,” Davydenko indicated.
RT-1000 is c complex consisting of three parts, the largest is a
container with control equipment. The next segment with photo and
television equipment will go to the bottom of the sea and examine it.
The third device is a hydraulic elevating manipulator working in all
directions. “The RT-1000 will work at a depth of up to 500 metres
in an area of 20×20 metres. The robot will inspect the territory by
inches,” said the Rosmorrechtrans head.
According to captain of the Navigator Ivan Bezborodov, “The vessel has
a system of dynamic positioning that allows it to stay in a circle 10
metres in radius, which will make it possible for the robotic device
to work normally in deep sea.
The operation is expected to take three days.
Accoridng to available information, the plane’s flight data recorders
are at a depth of 496 metres, the distance between the recorders is
some five metres.
The airbus A-320 of the Armavia company fell into the Black Sea on
the night of May 3 during landing approach at the Sochi airport. The
catastrophe claimed the lives of 113 people.

REPRESENTATIVES OF U.S., RUSSIAN AND FRENCH MFAS TO ARRIVE IN REGION WITH OSCE MG
PanARMENIAN.Net
17.05.2006 16:14 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Co-chairs the OSCE Minsk Group for the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement are arriving in the region May
25. RA Foreign Ministry’s Acting Spokesman Vladimir Karapetyan told
PanARMENIAN.Net reporter that representatives of U.S., Russian and
French MFAs are expected to arrive with the mediators. “However, the
final decision will be taken after the Oskanian-Mammadyarov meeting in
Strasbourg,” he remarked. According to some sources, Russian Deputy
Minister of Foreign Affairs Grigory Karasin, French MFA Political
Director Stanislas Lefebvre de Laboulaye and U.S. Assistant Secretary
for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried will
arrive in the region with the mediators.

ABOUT 50 DANCERS OF ARMENIAN FOLKDANCES FROM 8 COUNTRIES IN YEGHEGNADZOR
Noyan Tapan
May 15 2006
YEGHEGNADZOR, MAY 15, NOYAN TAPAN. Speacialist of folkdances,
Dutch Tineke van Geel tought Armenian folkdances in 15 countries
of the world. He was these days in Yeghegnadzor with his group’s
about 50 members representing 8 countries. “I think that one must
see that country national dances of which he performs. And our visit
to Yeghegmadzor is provided by the circumstance that we want to get
acquainted with the Armenian people, its traditions closer what is not
possible only within the capital,” T. van Geel said in the interview
to the Noyan Tapan correspondent. The guests arrived in Yeghegnadzor
by the invitation of Canadian Armenian Antuan Terjanian who lives
in Yeghegnadzor now. To the accompaniment of the zourna (Armenian
national woodwind musical instrument) and dhol (Armenian national
music instrument), with the “Yeghegnadzor “Salmast” folk songs and
dances ensemble, the group members performed numerous folkdances with
great enthusiasm. But foreign guests’ curiosity towards Armenia was
not limited just by study of Armenian dances and their performance:
they were present at the ceremony of baking lavash (Armenian national
bread), got acquainted with works of local painters, sculptors and
gobelin-makers during the exhibition-sale. During the one-week visit,
they got acquainted with the Armenian history, culture, visited places
of interest. “I think that the next year members of our group would
already like to visit Armenia personally what will support development
of the local tourism,” Tineke van Geel mentioned before leaving.

“AGENTS” OF THE PARTY “NEW TIMES” ARE REVEALING THEMSELVES
A1+
[08:13 pm] 15 May, 2006
Two days ago Arsen Amirkhanyan, the head of the Malatia-Sebastia
regional structure of the party “New Times” announced that he is
leaving the party and is to take about 100 members of the party
with him.
According to Arsen Amirkhanyan, after that the NTP youth and women’s
structures will be dissolved.
Today the NTP deputy head, the administrative representative and the
heads of the youth and women’s unions rendered a press conference
in order to announce that the information does not correspond to the
reality. The representatives of the party said that 25 days ago Arsen
Amiryan ceased to be head of the Malatia-Sebastia regional structure
by the decision of the party. Still, this does not mean that he was
eliminated from the party. They informed that they are waiting for
the revelation of facts after which they will resort to measures.
During the press conference a note was made public according to which
deputy head of the NTP Alexan Minasyan applied to the Police Malatia
department in order to learn why Arsen Amirkhanyan had been summoned
to the police. It turned out that Arsen Amirkhanyan’s name is involved
in a real estate bargain.
This was enough for the party concerned with the “clarity of its
members” to repudiate one of that very members. As for the question
why the party repudiated him so easily, Alexan Minasyan explains by
the words of Aram Karapetyan, leader of the party, “There are agents
(insiders) in the party.” Aram Karapetyan had promised to make
the list of the agents public but he hasn’t done so by now. Today
Minasyan mentioned that there is no need to tell their names as one
of them revealed himself today. By the way, according to Minasyan’s
calculations there are about 14 “agents” in the NTP.
During the press conference the heads of the youth and women’s unions
of the party claimed that they will keep working, and Alexan Minasyan
added that the party administration has not received any applications
about leaving the party.
By the way, the members of the party underlined that Arsen Amirkhanyan
used to be in the Communist party first after which he got transferred
to the Constitutional Right Union prior to coming to the NTP.
And if he finds a new political power now, it will be his 4th party.