Author: Hambardsumian Paul

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08/29/2005
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) No Karabagh Accord Announced after Kocharian, Aliyev Summit 2) Demonstrators Rally in Baku to Demand Free Elections, Exiled Guliyev on Ballot 3) Final Debates on Constitution Reforms Begin Pre November Vote in Armenia 4) Wisman Names Armenia Squad for World Cup 5) SKEPTIK SINIKIAN/ LIBRARIANS AT THE GATES: THE BLUE PILL BLUES 1) No Karabagh Accord Announced after Kocharian, Aliyev Summit (RFE/RL)Armenia and Azerbaijan have made contradictory statements on the meeting between their presidents that took place in Russia over the weekend. International mediators had hoped the talks would mark a turning point in their protracted search for a solution to the Mountainous Karabagh conflict. Presidents Robert Kocharian and Ilham Aliyev did not speak to journalists after their talks in the Russian city of Kazan on Saturday, and it is unclear whether or not they reached any formal or informal agreements on Karabagh. Reports from Kazan said the two leaders conferred in a tête-à-tête format for an hour before being joined by French, Russian and US diplomats spearheading the peace process. Kocharian, according to his spokesman Victor Soghomonian, came away satisfied from the meeting held on the sidelines of a summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States. "The Armenian side assesses the meeting in Kazan positively and considers it a positive development in the negotiating process," the Itar-Tass news agency quoted Soghomonian as saying. The official added that Foreign Ministers Elmar Mammadyarov of Azerbaijan and Vartan Oskanian of Armenia will continue that process "based on the agreements reached in Kazan." He did not say what those agreements are. "In general, I cannot say that there has been any major progress or breakthrough," Mammadyarov said for his part, according to the Azeri ANS television. "We did not reach any agreement." "I think that we, both Armenia and Azerbaijan, need a couple of weeks to analyze the thoughts voiced by the two sides and think what the results may be and whether we are prepared for any progress or not," he added. Mammadyarov and Oskanian held talks in Moscow earlier in the week to prepare for the Armenian-Azerbaijani summit and appeared satisfied with their results. Highlighting the importance of the Kazan meeting, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telephoned Aliyev and Kocharian August 25 to urge them to make mutual concessions that will pave the way for a Karabagh peace deal. Regional observers believe that Aliyev and Kocharian will not announce any compromise deals until November, which will see parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan and a constitutional referendum in Armenia. It is widely assumed that opposition groups in both countries would exploit unpopular concessions on Karabagh in their struggle against the ruling regimes. 2) Demonstrators Rally in Baku to Demand Free Elections, Exiled Guliyev on Ballot MOSCOW (Combined Sources)A large number of demonstrators rallied in Azerbaijan's capital Baku Saturday to demand free and democratic parliamentary elections while an opposition leader was registered to run in the November poll. About 15,000 protesters paraded through the center of Baku to demand changes to the country's election laws to guarantee a fair parliamentary poll on November 6, the Itar-Tass news agency reported. The rally, organized by the opposition electoral alliance grouping the Musavat party, the People's Front and the Democratic Party, proceeded without incidents. Protesters requested equal conditions for all candidates and permission for opposition leaders, including former president Ayaz Mutalibov and former parliament speaker Rasul Guliyev, to return to Azerbaijan without being arrested. Mutalibov, who served as president in 1991-92, has been living in exile in Russia since his resignation. Guliyev, who was the subject of a fraud investigation and has lived in exile in the United States since 1996, faces criminal charges on his return to Azerbaijan. However, Guliyev, who heads the Democratic Party, was registered Saturday to run in the elections. Mekhriban Aliyeva, wife of President Ilham Aliyev, is one of 109 candidates from the ruling New Azerbaijan party vying for the 125 seats in the Milli Majlis, the parliament. 3) Final Debates on Constitution Reforms Begin Pre November Vote in Armenia YEREVAN(RFE/RL)--Opposition leaders suspended their 18-month boycott of parliament on Monday as it began final debates on draft amendments to Armenia's constitution that are due to be put to a referendum in November. Their approval by the majority of lawmakers is almost certain. The debates were broadcast live on national television on Monday, featuring only two of the 39 deputies registered to address the parliament, suggesting the proceedings could take at least two more days. The session began with an angry dispute between the parliament leadership and some opposition lawmakers over procedural matters. Speaker Artur Baghdasarian told them they were hampering discussions by raising insignificant issues, and emphasized the proposed reforms enjoy the backing of the Council of Europe and in particular its advisory body on constitutional law, the Venice Commission. The commission's Italian secretary, Gianni Buquicchio, did not make it to Yerevan to address the parliament and urge Armenians to vote for the proposed amendments. According to the head of the Council of Europe office in Armenia, Bojana Urumova, he simply missed a connecting flight to Yerevan at the weekend. "The Venice Commission believes in this text and supports it fully," Urumova told the parliament, speaking on behalf of Buquicchio. The constitutional reform is also supported by the European Union and the United States. "The United States supports the efforts of all those who have been involved in the process of attempting to amend the current Armenian Constitution, and encourages all parties to engage in responsible and constructive debate on this issue," US Ambassador to Armenia John Evans said in a statement published by Yerevan newspapers on Saturday. "In our view the current package represents a notable step forward, but its approval is of course a matter for the voters of the Republic of Armenia to decide," Evans added. 4) Wisman Names Armenia Squad for World Cup (uefa.com)--Armenia coach Henk Wisman has named a 21-man squad for the September FIFA World Cup qualifiers against the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. Captain Harutyun Vardanyan returns after a year on the sidelines with a knee injury, while FC Banants's Samvel Melkonyan and FC Pyunik's Armen Tigranyan hope to make their debuts. ARMENIA SQUAD Goalkeepers: Roman Berezovski (FC Dinamo Moskva), Gevorg Kasparov (FC Pyunik). Defenders: Valery Aleksanyan (FC Pyunik), Sargis Hovsepyan (FC Pyunik), Robert Arzumanyan (FC Pyunik), Alexander Tadevosyan (FC Pyunik), Harutyun Vardanyan (FC Aarau), Karen Dokhoyan (FC Krylya Sovetov Samara), Yegishe Melikyan (FC Metalurh Donetsk). Midfielders: Agvan Lazarian (FC Pyunik), Romik Khachatryan (OFI Crete FC), David Grigoryan (FC Yesil Bogatyr Petropavlovsk), Karen Aleksanyan (CSF Zimbru Chisinau), Hamlet Mkhitaryan (FC MTZ-RIPO Minsk), Armen Tigranyan (FC Pyunik), Samvel Melkonyan (FC Banants). Forwards: Edgar Manucharyan (AFC Ajax), Ara Hakobyan (FC Stal Alchevsk), Aram Hakobyan (FC Banants), Aram Voskanyan (FC Yesil Bogatyr Petropavlovsk),Galust Petrosyan (CSF Zimbru Chisinau). 5) LIBRARIANS AT THE GATES: THE BLUE PILL BLUES Before we get to the meat of this week's column, I just want to point out to all my readers that if you search "Turkish drug money" on Google.com today, my last article is in the top five results. Thank you. Thank you. No really, I couldn't have done it without you, my loyal readers. Anyway, time to get the Sinikian show on the road. If you thought last week's column was the stuff Hollywood summer blockbusters are made of--drug money bribing politicians, international espionage, intrigue, attractive FBI agents, and the mean bosses who double cross them--then you'll love this week. The plot? A one armed man of such prestige and power is revealed to everyone. Never have heroes. They'll only let you down. Remember that because it will save you a whole lot of grief in life. It's a lesson I was reminded of last week when I read about the most recent scandal to rock the world of Armenian academia. I know that most of my readers spend as much time reading Armenian news as they spend probably debating various interpretations of the evolution of the market economy in the early American colonies prior to the Revolutionary War. Did I lose you? I thought so. I promise not to do that again. Fine. I'll cut to the chase. But first, a little background. Remember Bob Dole? You might remember him as the famous Senator from that state named after the legendary seventies rock 'n' roll band Kansas. He was a great war hero, having been wounded in the Second World War. He ran for President a few times. But his real claim to fame amongst Armenians was that he was their bestest friend in the whooole WIDE world. It was the perfect relationship. It was a love story worthy of a Hollywood movie. A young war hero comes back home with a horrible injury that will cause him to lose his arm. A young doctor tells the boy that he can save his arm from amputation, and through multiple surgeries and therapy sessions helps the kid keep his arm, but not fully useable. The kid and his hometown rally to scrap and save pennies to pay the doctor who refuses to accept a dime. The only thing this guy asks of the young soldier is to be a kind human being and remember the stories he'd heard during the long therapy sessions about the doctor's homeland and his people--Armenia. The young soldier gets involved in politics attaining the highest position in the Senate and running for President--not just once but twice. He's a national figure and a well respected politician and leader. He keeps the promise to the Armenian doctor and fights for the rights of Armenians while in the Senate 'til the day he retires. He leaves office with a heavy heart because as hard as he tries, he's unable to achieve the one thing he had wanted to do so badly: to pass a bill setting the historical record straight about the Armenian Genocide. Now flash forward to 2005. A young Turkish-Kurd scholar by the name of Yektan Turkyilmaz is arrested in Armenia on suspicion of smuggling rare books out of the country. This incident gets more complicated by the fact that Turkyilmaz is a "pro-Genocide" scholar. WOW! Can you imagine someone who actually accepts the historical facts as they actually happened? Someone give this guy a medal... not! Anyway, what really gets my blood boiling is the fact that Senator Bob Dole, the same young man who rose to national prominence and defended the Armenian Cause in Senate, writes a scathing letter to the Armenian Government lambasting them over a number of issues related to human rights violations. The distinguished gentleman from Kansas has sunk even lower than when he was hawking the little blue pill (Viagra) in magazine, newspaper and television advertisements. I'm going to refrain at this point from making any jokes related to erectile dysfunction, partly because it's a serious issue not to be joked about (snickering) and partly out of a fear that if I did make any jokes about it, then karma would come back to bite me in the voreeg. Here's a quote from the Senator's letter which can be viewed at "Yekten's detention seems to highlight problems sighted in numerous human rights reports about Armenia, including those of Freedom House and the US State Department. Your detention of Yektan for seven weeks on any grounds would draw attention to failings in Armenia's democratic evolution." If you're still confused, this is what happened: Yekten tried to smuggle some books out of the country and was arrested. Sen. Dole, whose wife is now the Senator from North Carolina and a graduate of Duke University, wrote a letter to Armenia calling the government a bunch of idiots for enforcing such ridiculous laws like not allowing books out of Armenia. Let's just say that those were the kindest of words in Senator Dole's letter. The rest of it sounded like an angry diatribe that a controlling ex-boyfriend would write to their former girlfriend-almost-fiancee. This is just the tip of the iceberg. In addition to dragging Dr. Vartan Gregorian into this mess, somehow Raffi Hovanissian has gotten involved as well, going so far as to appear in front of the court to criticize the government for arresting Yekten. The average person, after reading all of this and the A-list of people lining up in support of Yekten, may quickly assume that not only is Yekten an innocent Turkish scholar who is being railroaded by corrupt Armenian officials, but that the Armenian government is on rung above a dictatorship run by the Three Stooges on the ladder of fair and democratic governments. Nothing could be further from the truth. Does Armenia have problems? Yes. Is it a prefect country? No. Is Yekten being railroaded by corrupt Armenian officials? ABSOLUTELY NOT!! This Skeptik has, from very reliable sources who wish to remain unnamed, learned that our friend Yekten is involved in the smuggling of rare and antique books for personal profit. The Armenian government has known this and has been keeping an eye on this man who uses his credentials as a well-known scholar to travel into Armenia, purchase books illegally and some legally from unsuspecting desperate salespeople trying to make a living, and turns around to sell them to private collectors abroad. And I'm not just talking about 1987 copies of Brezhnev's memoirs translated to Armenian but really rare volumes of which only few copies remain around the world. In fact, this is a growing problem in Armenia. While Armenia's economy continues to struggle, many crooks have resorted to selling off national treasures for a fist full of dollars--they don't even have the dignity to deal in Drams. It's very similar to Egyptians selling off rare artifacts to tourists just to make a few bucks. For anyone wondering, this is absolutely illegal and tourists are usually informed of these rules before they enter into a country. Armenia, with its rich literary history, is no exception. Our books are as precious as the churches and castles we've built. I doubt Senator Bob Dole knows about any of this. He's too busy to get involved in the nitty-gritty details of such a case. I doubt Dr. Vartan Grigorian or Raffi Hovanissian knew either. But that is all the more reason for them to have given the benefit of doubt to the folks in Armenia who are trying to do their job instead of jumping on the bandwagon to kiss up to a Turkish scholar who has finally "seen the light" and come around to acknowledging the validity of the Armenian Genocide. This is becoming an epidemic in our community, where Armenian scholars who have been doing legitimate research on the Genocide are treated with less respect than a placemat at Denny's, while Turkish scholars who accept the Genocide are hailed as the greatest thing since pocket pita bread. I'm not picking sides here. I, personally, am guilty of checking out a few books from my own public library and never returning them. (The difference is that I didn't turn around and sell those books at the used bookstore). But what I am saying is that everyone should just chill out. Put the bottle of blue pills down and chill out! Skeptik Sinikian's library card was revoked due to excessive late fees. He is currently working off his penalties by reading his past columns to children at the local library as part of his community service. If you would like to email him or read his past articles, contact him at [email protected] or visit All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2005 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets. --Boundary_(ID_jLpiY6CXp72UrxzJTl9R1w)--

Air Force (Monthly), UK
August 2005, Issue 209
Postcard from Armenia
Elio Viroli and Stenio Bacciocchi visit the Armenian Air Force, which
has either been at war or on a heightened state of alert for much of
its 13-year existence.
Rugged and landlocked, the former Soviet republic of Armenia has some
three million inhabitants and occupies some 312,200 sq. miles
(502,330 sq. km) of territory. Its declaration of independence from
the USSR on September 21, 1991, brought challenges to the sovereignty
of Armenia’s Nagorno Karabak province, a mountainous area of some 81
sq. miles (130 sq. km) inside neighbouring Azerbaijan, mostly
inhabited by Christian Armenians and surrounded by Muslim Azeris.
During the fighting over Nagorno Karabak between 1991 and 1994, both
the Armenians and the Azeris used USSR aircraft still based in their
territories. Azerbaijan had some important air bases: Gandzha and
Sital Tchay were home of MiG-21s, MiG-25s, Su-22s and Su-24s, while
at Sanchagaly, some 70 L-39s were armed with unguided rockets.
Armenia had helicopters as well as aircraft from the DOSAAF (Russian
civilian training) air bases. As a result, this particular air war
was fought between a well-equipped Azerbaijan Air Force and a small
Armenian Air Force. Although the latter comprised mainly helicopters,
it also operated a good number of anti-aircraft weapons such as SA-7
MANPADS (Man Portable Air Defense Systems), 9K32 Strela and Zsu 23-2,
plus – during the last phases of the conflict – some of the more
sophisticated SA-14s. The fight for the Lachin Corridor, linking
Armenia and Nagorno Karabak, led to the loss of almost 30 Azerbaijani
aircraft to MANPADS and other anti-aircraft ground fire: Armenia lost
ten helicopters and two fast jets. When the fighting ended, the
Armenian Air Force had some 13 Mi-24 Hind helicopters left, plus
seven Mi-8/17s and five Su-25Ks. The Armenian Air Force was
officially established in October 1992, though it suffered for many
years from lack of funds, acquiring no further aircraft or
helicopters. Last year it took delivery of Su-25Ks from the Slovak
3rd Flight at Malacky air base, including aircraft 5036, 6017, 8073,
8074, 8075, 1006, 1007, 1008, 1027 and the Su-25UKB 3237; two L-39s
were acquired recently from Ukraine.
Armenia’s Minister of Defense, Dr. Serge Sargsyan, invited the
authors to visit all the Armenian Air Force bases. At Yerevan we met
Col. Daniel Balayan, commander of the Military Aviation Institute,
created in 1993 to train pilots and technical personnel for careers
in the air force and in civil aviation. The college has been
completely rebuilt, and now has comfortable air-conditioned
classrooms. Currently, 80 cadets from the technical branch are
studying there, and a new pilot course is due to start soon. A pilot
can only attend the institute by being officially accepted – 100
students are selected from 700-800 candidates. The course includes
flying the Yak-52 for 80 hours and the L-39 for 60 hours.
The first period of training is carried out at Arzni air base, some
18 miles (30km) northeast of Yerevan. A former DOSAAF base, it now
flies aircraft and helicopters of the former Russian Air Force. At
the moment the composite air wing has no numerical definition,
although one is expected to be created in the near future. The Arzni
airfield is not used for training as at present there are no courses
there for pilots. However, ten Yak-52s are kept in perfect condition,
alongside one Yak-55 for acrobatic training and a four-seater Yak-18T
for liaison work. Three An-2s are still used for paratroop dropping,
and a half-dozen Mi-2s are available for training, though only two or
three are kept in flyable condition.
At Yust, in the Yerevan area, stands Erebuni air base, still a
Russian base where some dozen `Red Star’ MiG-29s stand ready for air
defense of the capital, Yerevan. There are still over 5,000 Russian
military in Armenia as a consequence of a treaty between the two
nations. Erebuni is a helicopter station housing the former Soviet
7th GvVP and its Mi-24P/K, Mi-17 and Mi-8MTK. The area is very
beautiful – the landscape is dominated by the snow-capped Mount
Ararat.
The Armenian Air Force’s most important base is at Gyumri, a town 80
miles (130km) north of Yerevan, destroyed by a terrible earthquake in
1988 which claimed thousands of lives. The airbase has a 10,450 ft
(3,185m) runway and is the home of a former Russian Air Force
Regiment, which flies Su-25Ks and Su-25UTKs, and houses some L-39s.
Commander-in-chief of the Armenian Air Force is Colonel Stepan
Galstyan (42) who met us at Gyumri. A former MiG-23 fighter pilot
based in the north of the Soviet Union at the time of its collapse,
he returned to his native country and became the first Armenian Su-25
pilot. Unusually, the recently acquired Slovak Su-25Ks have retained
the colour scheme and the national insignia of the Slovak Air Force.
The old Armenian Su-25s, those in service since 1993, carry an
Armenian roundel. Of the four L-39s we could see in Gyumri, two had
Armenian roundels, while the two newly-acquired from Ukraine are
completely anonymous. No precise details are known as to the future
of the Armenian Air Force, but we are able to say that the Armenians
are intending to build up a small, but well-organized, air force.
Photo 1: An Armenian Air Force Mi-24P on the ramp at Erebuni, wearing
a sand-style camouflage. There would appear to be no standard
camouflage markings for the Hind fleet.
Photo 2: The Armenian Air Force Insignia
Photo 3: Aircrew and engineers talk over the day’s proceedings in
front of an Su-25K – which appears not to have moved for a while if
the bird-droppings on the top of the tail are anything to go by!
Photo 4: With its chute trailing behind, an Armenian Air Force
two-seat Su-25UBK Frogfoot prepares to turn off the runway at
Armenia’s premier air base at Gyumri.
Photo 5: A Mi-24K equipped with a 7.62mm rocket pod and wearing a
two-tone green camouflage, ideal for operating low in the Armenian
and Azerbaijani countryside during the winter.
Photo 6: Devoid of any markings, or even its construction number
(usually worn on the tail), this ex-Ukraine Air Force L-39 moves
along the taxiway in Gyumri.
Photo 7: An Armenian pilot taxies his Su-25K back to the apron after
a flight.
Photo 8: This Yak-55 is used for training students in the art of
flying acrobatics.
Photo 9: Map of Armenian Air Force Bases.
Photo 10: The Four seats of this smart Yak-18T make it ideal for
liaison.
Photo 11: One of the ten Yak-52s on the inventory of the Armenian Air
Force is pictured at its home base in Arzni. Note how the colours of
the roundels differ between aircraft.
Photo 12: A Mi-8 Hip on the ramp at Erebuni, armed with a rocket pod.
Photo 13: This Mi-2 Hoplite is one of at least two known to be flown
from Arzni, probably used for helicopter pilot training.
Photo 14: As can be seen from this picture, the Su-25 Frogfoots still
wear Slovakian Air Force titles and numbers, while the two other
Frogfoots sport contrasting Armenian roundels.

YURI MERZLYAKOV: AS MEDIATOR RUSSIA PROVIDES ACTIVE ASSISTANCE IN
SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT
YEREVAN, AUGUST 24. ARMINFO. As a mediator Russia provides active
assistance in the settlement of the conflict in Nagorny Karabakh. As
Golos Rossii reports, Russian Cochairman of OSCE Minsk Group for
settlement of the Karabakh conflict Yuri Merzlyakov stated after the
Moscow negotiations of the foreign ministers of Russia, Armenia and
Azerbaijan.
According to him, if the conflicting parties reach mutual acceptable
agreement then Moscow is ready to become a guarantor of its
fulfillment. But Armenia and Azerbaijan must reach such an agreement
independently, without any interference from outside, Merzlyakov
stressed.

CSTO antiaircraft manoeuvres held in Astrakhan region

Kazakhstan today
The third phase of the joint exercise “Military Commonwealth-2005”
held as a part of the CIS Common Antiaircraft System commenced
yesterday, August 22, at Ashuluk testing ground, Astrakhan region,
Russia, CSTO secretariat has advised KZ-today.
Aircraft and antiaircraft forces of Armenia, Belarus, Russia, and
Tajikistan will participate in the most active concluding phase.
The CSTO secretariat reminded that the CSTO Antiaircraft System had
been created by the presidents of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan in 2004 who had adopted “General
lines of CTSO military construction until 2010 and in further
perspective.” The joint activities are based on the integration of
CSTO antiaircraft forces in the CIS Common Antiaircraft System with
further improvement on the basis of common military and technical
policies.
“The most important step in this direction was a decision on further
improvement of the antiaircraft forces adopted by the CSTO heads of
state in June, 2005,” – Valery Semerikov, CSTO deputy secretary
general said. In accordance with this document the CSTO carries out
antiaircraft defence on the territory of collective security by joint
usage of troops, forces, and means in the airspace of regions per
common plans. Also centralised command of troops, forces, and means
of the CSTO antiaircraft forces is provided.

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
posted Aug 22 2005
Azerbaijan will continue talks with Armenia – President
Baku, August 19, AssA-Irada
President Ilham Aliyev has said Azerbaijan will continue talks on
settling the Upper Garabagh conflict with Armenia. `As long as there
is hope, we should continue the negotiations.’
Aliyev said that the progress in talks achieved thus far is important
but provides no guarantees. `The parties still have serious
differences’, he said.
The President noted that the gist of the `Prague process’ is the
stage-by-stage conflict resolution, which envisions liberation of
occupied land first and then an accord between the two sides. Such
discussions may continue without any temporary restrictions, he said.
`In the conditions of globalization and enlargement of Europe,
separatism cannot exist. Armenia will face difficulties to live in a
modern world with this burden.’
Aliyev said that Armenia cites the safety of Armenian residents of
Upper Garabagh as the key issue in the talks, `but this cannot be at
the expense of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity’.*

Today.az, Azerbaijan
Aug 19 2005
Vidadi Mahmudlu: “Assistance of the international organizations will
be used for obtaining elector’s lists from Khankendi”
19 August 2005 [10:57] – Today.Az
“The process of forming the Khankendi election constituency # 122
was already completed. Probably, this question will be solved for
the last time in the next meeting of CEC”.
This explanation was given to APA by the secretary of the Central
Election Commission (CEC) Vidadi Mahmudlu. According to his words,
the personnel of the commission consisting of 9 persons were defined.
So, the Yeni Azerbaijan Party will be represented in the election
constituency by Nazim Veliyev, Vugar Ahmadov and Zahid Alishov,
neutralists Svetlana Gorchiyeva, and Naila Guliyeva, Communist Party
by Arif Aliyev, Musavat Party by Arzu Khudayarov, Democrat Party by
Zakir Huseynov, and PFPA by Teyyub Khalilov.
We should note that Zahid Alishov was elected the chairman of the
Constituency Election Commission. The representative representing
Armenians in the commission is Svetlana Gorchiyeva.
V.Mahmudlu also noted that a building was determined for the Khankendi
Constituency Election Commission which acted in the building of the
Central Election Commission up today and this building is situated in
the territory of Khatai region. We should note that, according to the
information by midday, 2 candidates appealed from that constituency
for participating in the elections. Another 3 persons presented
their applications today.
It was mainly intended to use electron voting for participation
of citizens of Azerbaijan being Armenians by origin living in the
territory of the Khankendi Election Constituency. Besides, election
stations will be created in foreign countries and territories situated
near the battle-field. As to Azerbaijani electors, stations will also
be established in territories where they live.
V.Mahmudlu noted that it was not determined how many stations will be
formed for the constituency; this will depend on the number in the
constituency. “The list of Azerbaijani and non-Azerbaijani electors
in the constituency is determined at present. This process and forming
stations will be finished recently. But we consider that assistance of
the international organizations will be used for obtaining elector’s
lists from Khankendi”.
As to the question about that in which constituency Azerbaijanis
removed from registration in this territory after leaving Khankendi
will give their votes the CEC secretary said that they work on
this question, too: “The position of CEC is that those people
must be included in the elector’s lists on the Khankendi Election
Constituency”.
According to the words of the CEC secretary supposing that the
elections will be held in the mentioned constituency, assistance
of the international organizations will be used for the propaganda
campaign of the candidates in the territory of Khankendi. “Some
organizations were already appealed in this connection; definite
works must be realized in this direction. Some of these works were
already realized and consulting is conducted with the international
organizations. But participation in the elections is the right of
the citizen. They also have the right to renounce the elections in
parallel with putting their candidacies forward”.
URL:

GTM’s TYRES ALREADY SOLD ON DOMESTIC MARKET
YEREVAN, AUGUST 18, NOYAN TAPAN. In the next few months, the company
GTM (former Doghadorts) will produce 80 thousand tyres monthly instead
of the current 15 thousand. GTM Director Ara Margarian told this to
NT correspondent, adding that it is envisaged to export over half
of the production, mainly to Russia, Georgia and Ukraine. It was
noted that natural rubber is imported from Indonesia and Malaysia as
raw material, which allows to produce low-cost tyres quite light in
weight, while the press moulds also imported from abroad are used to
produce durable tyres of modern design. According to A. Margarian,
the price of GTM tyres on the domestic market is lower by about 12%
than that of foreign tyres. A. Margarian said that the company is
now producing tyres for “Zhiguli” and “Gazel” cars, but also plans
to manufacture tyres for “Niva” and RAF in the future.

PRESS RELEASE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia & New Zealand
10 Macquarie Street
Chatswood NSW 2067
AUSTRALIA
Contact: Laura Artinian
Tel: (02) 9419-8056
Fax: (02) 9904-8446
Email: [email protected]
17 August 2005
PRIMATE CELEBRATES THE FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD IN
THE PARISH OF MELBOURNE
Sydney, Australia – Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of
Australia and New Zealand, His Eminence Archbishop Aghan Baliozian
returned to Sydney this morning having celebrated Sunday’s Feast Day
at St Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church in Melbourne, Victoria.
The Assumption of the Holy Mother of God is one of five Major Feast
Days in the liturgical calendar of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Each year Archbishop Baliozian celebrates the Divine Liturgy at St
Mary’s Armenian Church in Melbourne assisted by parish priest Reverend
Father Hagop Cherkezian, Deacons and the Zvartnotz Church Choir.
On this day each year the faithful congregation gather in large numbers
to hear the Primate’s message honouring the significant role of the
Holy Mother of God in propagating the message of Christ and the start
of Christianity.
In his sermon, Archbishop Baliozian reminded the congregation how
God’s blessing of Mary, the honour of being the mother of Jesus,
would lead to much pain with the ridicule of being pregnant in an
unwed state and her son would be rejected and murdered. But through
her son would come the world’s only hope. Mary found favour with God
because her submission was part of God’s plan. She remained steadfast
beside her son, submitted to Jesus’ ways because she recognised the
he was more than her human son – he was the Son of God.
During Holy Mass, a requiem service was held in memory of past clergy,
benefactors, founders and those who had given long-standing service
to St Mary’s Armenian Church as well as for the souls of the late
Fr Terenig Tavitian and Fr Zaven Hakobian who were both tragically
killed in separate road accidents in Armenia over the past three weeks.
Following the church service, a memorial lunch was held in the church
hall that was attended by the Primate and congregation members in an
atmosphere of cordial welcome.
During his visit to the parish of Melbourne, Archbishop Baliozian
partook in a number of meetings. On Friday, 12 August he met with two
Anglican Bishops and an Archdeacon for a lunchtime meeting to discuss
matters of ecumenism specifically on relations between Anglican and
Oriental Orthodox Churches.
On Saturday, 13 August the Primate met firstly with Armenian students
preparing for high school matriculation, secondly with students of
the Aginian Armenian Saturday School and later with the Principal
of the School to discuss matters pertaining to the school, education
and the Armenian language. In the same evening, the Primate attended
a function organised by the Sahagian Sporting Club.

CRIMINAL CASE OPENED IN CONNECTION WITH FACT OF ILLEGAL TREE FELLING IN FORESTRY OF STEPANAVAN
STEPANAVAN, AUGUST 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The prosecutor’s office of Lori
marz opened a criminal case against Varaz Dokholian, a forestry head,
and Martun Vardanian, a forest-keeper, in connection with the fact of
illegal tree felling in the forest of Gyulagarak. Deputy Prosecutor
of the marz Misak Aroyan told reporters in Stepananvan on August
17 that the fact of illegal tree cuttings was revealed on August 5,
and the case was opened on August 16 – under the RA Criminal Code’s
Article 296 Part 2 Points 1 and 2. It was noted that the indicated
points envisage a fine in the amount of 300-500 minimal salaries, 1-2
years’ corrective labor or up to 2 years’ imprisonment. According to
M. Aroyan, the forestry head and the forest-keeper cut down 84 pines,
beeches and trees of other types, causing damage of 800,000 drams
(about 1.8 thousand USD) to the state. The trees were sold to the
community head of the Gyulagarak village Alexandr Grigorian who owns
a sawmill.

Everyone in Georgian separatist region to get Russian passports
Agence France Presse — English
August 17, 2005 Wednesday 1:34 PM GMT
MOSCOW Aug 17 — Everyone living in Abkhazia, a Russian-backed
separatist region of ex-Soviet Georgia, will have a Russian passport
within a year, the rebel president said Wednesday in Moscow.
“We need six months to a year for everyone in Abkhazia to become
Russian citizens,” Sergei Bagapsh told journalists.
Already an estimated 84 percent of people in Abkhazia carry Russian
passports and 70 percent of pensioners receive Russian pensions.
Georgia’s President Mikhail Saakashvili has vowed to regain control
over the Black Sea province, which broke away in a war following a
unilateral declaration of independence in 1992.
Russia officially recognises Georgian sovereignty in Abkhazia, but
Tbilisi accuses Moscow of backing, arming and financing the rebels.
Almost half the pre-war residents of Abkhazia were ethnic-Georgians,
most of whom fled along with retreating government forces. The
remaining population consists of ethnic-Abkhaz, Armenians and Russians.
The war also devastated the Abkhaz economy, which survives almost
entirely on tourism from Russia.