Author: Jhanna Virabian

Baku Today, Azerbaijan
June 10 2005
PACE subcommittee on Karabakh to meet in June
The newly-established subcommittee of the Parliamentary Assembly of
the Council of Europe on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict will meet for
the first time during the summer session of PACE, due to start on
June 22.
The subcommittee, led by former PACE chairman, British parliament
member Lord Russel Johnston, has assumed the mission of monitoring
issues relating to the conflict, head of the Azeri delegation at PACE
Samad Seyidov said.
Azerbaijan’s commitments to the Council of Europe, including the
citizens’ right to freedom of assembly and the activity of public
television, will also be in focus at the summer session. The list of
`political prisoners’ submitted by some non-government organizations
and the country’s Election Code will be discussed as well, Seyidov
added.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
June 8, 2005 Wednesday 9:45 AM Eastern Time
Media-advisory: news conference by Union of Armenians of Russia
President of the Union of Armenians of Russia Ara Abramian and a
member of the Union, political scientist Andarnik Migranian will hold
a news conference on the release of six Armenian pilots jailed on
coup charges in Equatorial Guinea in 2004 at the Itar-Tass news
agency (2, Tverskoi Boulevard, 6th floor) at 17:30 on Friday, June
10.
Admission of Russian and foreign journalists, TV and radio
broadcasting companies by journalist identification cards.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

(Kyodo) – Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Armenian Prime
Minister Andranik Margaryan agreed Wednesday to cooperate in reforms
of the United Nations, Japanese officials said.
Kyodo News Service
Jun 08, 2005

Margaryan was quoted as telling Koizumi that his country supports
Japan’s bid to become a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council.
Margaryan arrived in Japan on Monday for a four-day stay and visited
the World Exposition in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Tuesday.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Monsters and Critics.com, UK
June 6 2005
Iran-Armenia ties look rosy – envoy
Jun 6, 2005, 12:41 GMT

6 June: “The major problem in relations between Iran and Armenia is
the unsettled issue of borders,” the Iranian ambassador to Armenia,
Ali Reza Haqiqian, has said.
An Iranian-Armenian commission on border issues has been set up,
which given the intensification of its activities, could play an
important role in the resolution of this problem, he said.
Speaking on trade and economic relations, the ambassador said that
they are at the highest level and look rosy. The annual commodity
turnover between Iran and Armenia is growing by 30 per cent. Last
year the commodity turnover totalled 180m dollars.
Haqiqian described the construction of the export gas pipeline from
Iran to Armenia as the most important joint project.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZG Armenian Daily #097, 28/05/2005
Neighbors
‘DEVELOPMENT OF JAVAKHK IS AN IMPORTANT TASK’
“Withdrawal of Russian military bases from Georgia’s territory is a vital
priority for the country’s security policy. Development of Javakhk region is
an important task. The government is elaborating a program of development
and refinement for the region. The Ministry of Defense is also discussing
the steps that will make that process (withdrawal of Russian bases) socially
less troublesome”, deputy defense minister Vasili Sikharulidze says.
Russian-Georgian negotiations that finished these days in Tbilisi have
marked progress, officials in Moscow and Tbilisi say. It seems that the
sides agree over the date of withdrawal. Tbilisi demands removal by January
1, 2008 and Moscow thinks that 2008 is a real date.
In an online interview with Armenian, Georgian and Azeri journalists on
Sikharulidze evaluated as possible that the
state will buy necessary goods for the Georgian armed forces from Javakhk.
Georgian defense minister told ITAR-TASS on May 2 that his country is ready
to “neutralize groups engaged in anti-Georgian propaganda in Javakhk”. “The
Georgian government will not put up with the idea of another separatist
hotbed and will look to securing local residents with jobs after the base’s
removal”, Irakli Okruashvili said.
To Azg daily’s question as to how they will neutralize “groups engaged in
anti-Georgian propaganda”, Georgian deputy defense minister said,
“Unfortunately, I have never heard Okruashvili say anything of the kind you
cited. The measures that the Georgian state is going to take to remove
problems that will come about with the withdrawal of the base are social and
legal but never defensive”.
Sikharulidze noted that Georgia is moving towards integration into NATO.
Deputy defense minister noted that it is unlikely that Georgia, Azerbaijan
and Turkey will found a new military alliance. “Georgian Ministry of Defense
is working towards that goal (NATO membership). Georgia never discussed nor
is discussing joining any other military alliance or collective security
organization”, he said.
Answering Azg daily’s question whether Georgia is going to take to new
attempts of subduing Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Vasili Sikharulidze said,
“Operations at the region of Tskhinvali last year aimed in essence at
preventing smuggling in other regions of Georgia. It was directed to
maintaining law and order and armed forces were there only for support.
These measures did not envisage attacks on settlements”.
The “non-attacking” campaign of Tbilisi claimed dozens of lives for both
sides.
By Tatoul Hakobian
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BAGRATASHEN BORDER PASS BUILDING WORTH 200 THOUSAND USD TO BE HANDED
OVER TO RA NSS FRONTIER TROOPS WITHIN FRAMEWORK OF AMERICAN PROGRAM
YEREVAN, MAY 14, NOYAN TAPAN. Within the framework of the the US
program on export control and frontiers security, the 200,000-dollar
office building of Bagratashen border pass will be handed over to the
RA National Security Service frontier troops on May 18. According to
press service the US embassy in Armenia, US Ambassador to Armenia John
Evans will officially deliver over the border pass building to RA
Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakosian.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Students remember deaths of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915 with campus rally
By Neal Larkins
The UCLA Daily Bruin, CA
April 22 2005
March recalls genocide
DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR
[email protected]
For a week now, students walking along Bruin Walk may have seen
grotesque images of the Armenian Genocide – emaciated children,
dismembered bodies and dead Armenians swinging from the noose.
These images were displayed in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.
Thursday, Armenian and non-Armenian students at UCLA mourned and
condemned the genocide with a silent march throughout campus and a
rally at Bruin Plaza.
A bill recognizing the genocide was passed in the state Senate on
Thursday.
Armenian Student Association President Raffi Kassabian said the
graphic images are needed to inform students of the genocide.
“Many political science and 20th century history classes don’t talk
about the genocide,” he said. Approximately 50 students quietly
carried signs in memory of those killed in the genocide.
“Genocide unpunished is genocide encouraged,” read one commemorator’s
sign. Another called Mount Ararat “Turkey’s prize from the genocide.”
Armenians identify Mount Ararat with their 3,000-year-old historic
homeland.
On a very hot and bright day, for an hour-long outdoor march, all
participants wore black to remember what happened 90 years ago, as
their ancestors began a 19-day, 215-mile forced march through the
arid deserts of Syria.
This act began nine years of violence that Armenians say killed 1.5
million of their people.
The marchers were solemn, yet willing to answer the questions of
passersby, especially if in regard to the continuing Turkish denial
of genocide and the United States’ and other countries’ refusal to
classify the events as genocide.
“The unrelenting denial by the Turkish government deprives it of
moral standing in the international community,” said Armenian history
Professor Richard Hovannisian in an e-mail. He is currently in Armenia
for a genocide conference.
Some students feel that the Turkish denial both insults their past
and makes the world more hospitable to other perpetrators of genocide.
“By saying it didn’t happen, you deny our history,” said Johnny
Apikian, a fourth-year business economics student. “It may be cliche
to say history repeats itself, but it does.”
Armenian Americans have tried unsuccessfully to get the United States
to recognize the events as genocide.
Naz Koulloukian, a fourth-year communication studies student, said
he has been attending the annual protest at the Los Angeles Turkish
consulate since he was eight years old, and would be there again
this Saturday. He said his family’s history was forever altered
after his grandmother’s parents were killed by the Ottoman Turks,
and his grandmother was then raised in a Syrian orphanage.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Pan Armenian News
TURKISH PARLIAMENT TO CONSIDER STRATEGY AGAINST «CLAIMS» OVER ARMENIAN
GENOCIDE
12.04.2005 04:17
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Basic principles of «the political strategy of the state
against the claims» over the Armenian Genocide will be discussed at the
sitting of the Turkish Parliament tomorrow. Two different political
strategies are submitted to the Parliament from the ruling Justice and
Development Party and main opposition Republican People’s Party. Two
deputies from each of the parties will be given the floor over the
strategies presented. After the completion of the speeches Turkish Foreign
Minister Abdullah Gul will inform the MPs on the work being carried out by
the Armenian lobby and the Government of Armenia over the Armenian Genocide.
The country Parliament is expected to adopt an official statement on «the
claims» of Armenians over the Armenian Genocide. The official document will
be sent to all countries and international organizations before April 24.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Ziyafet Asgarov: “Violation of ceasefire is related with critical position of Armenian leadership”
07 April 2005 [16:38] – Today.Az
“Violation of ceasefire is related with the situation created in
Armenia.” Deputy Chairman of Milly Mejlis (parliament) Ziyafet Asgarov
said these words while expressing his attitude to ceasefire violations
in borderline regularly.
“Prague process continues, resolution of PACE has been adopted,
Armenian administration realizes that, it is high time to speak and
they avoid it”. According to Z. Asgarov’s opinion, Yerevan not 
obeying ceasefire, tries to form  an opinion in world community as
if Azerbaijan side violates stability and peace talks : “In reality,
Armenian administration is in critical  situation, and therefore,
they undertake to use  provocation like this.”
According to Z.Asgarov’s words, the latest times the world community
support position of Azerbaijan and understands that Armenia is
invader:”It is not casual that, intelligence organ of USA stated
Armenia to be a state which is obstacle to peace, security in South
Caucasus”.
–Boundary_(ID_cwDgriQjRYcs/RD9dXBgeQ)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Two Armenian soldiers killed in exchange of fire – Azeri TV
ANS TV, Baku
22 Mar 05
[Presenter] The Armenian armed forces are continuing their offensive
on the Agdam section of the front line.
Two soldiers of the Armenian army were killed and several wounded in
an exchange of fire at about 2000 [1600 gmt] on 21 March.
Our soldier Ruslan Racabov, who was killed in an attempt to repel an
offensive mounted by Armenian servicemen on Agdam’s village of Mirusen
on 20 March, was buried in Lankaran today. May he rest in peace.
Sahin Rzayev of the ANS Karabakh bureau reports more details of the
situation on the front line:
[Rzayev over phone] Starting from 0600 today [0200 gmt], the Armenian
armed forces fired from their positions in Agdam’s occupied villages
of Sixlar and Qarvand on the positions of the Azerbaijani army in the
villages of Mirusen and Gulabli in the same district and then on the
villages themselves. The firing from assault rifles and machine guns
lasted for over an hour. The Azerbaijani forces opened retaliatory
fire to silence the enemy. The Armenian side sustained casualties.
The Armenian army again fired from the same positions on our positions
in the village of Mirusen at about 1300 [0900 gmt]. The shooting
lasted for 15 minutes this time.
We can hear sporadic gunshots on the front line at the moment, but
there is no intensive shooting.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress