Author: Kafian Jirair

FOLLOWERS OF REPUBLIC’S MOST OPTIMAL DEVELOPMENT WON IN ARMENIA ON MAY 12

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.05.2007 14:22 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Not pro-western or pro-Russian forces, but followers
of republic’s most optimal development won in Armenia on May 12,
candidate of science, head of the department of international relations
at the Institute of Political and Military Studies Sergey Markedonov
stated in the interview to PanARMENIAN.Net. He said, the opposition,
which Russian media characterizes as mercenaries of the world capital
does not oppose the idea of cooperating with Russia. "Do you really
think that yesterday’s ministers, Prime Ministers, Parliament Speaker,
in other words those who have a rich experience in cooperation with
Moscow will become radicals or Russophobes? It’s another question what
Russia to cooperate with. Those who today oppose Robert Kocharian,
speak for wide openness of Russia, his democracy. After all in many
respects the new democratic Russia guaranteed security for Armenia
at the beginning of 1990ies. Both Armenian opposition representatives
and officials are seriously concerned over the growth of xenophobia in
the Russian capital and regions. Armenian opposition leaders indicate,
and with serious reasons, that how the Armenian establishment copies
the "creative experience" of their Russian colleagues-officials during
preparation and conduction of electoral campaign. Consequently it would
be a great mistake to push off those people from Russia, to turn them
into opponents of Russian interests in Caucasus," Markedonov said.

RA PRIME MINISTER MET WITH THE AMBASSADOR OF UKRAINE

ArmRadio.am
24.05.2007 16:35

RA Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan received today the Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Armenia Alexander
Bozhko.

The Ambassador first congratulated the Armenian Prime Minister on
holding democratic elections and on the victory of the Republican
Party, expressing hope that the results of the elections will enhance
the further development of Armenia and reinforcement of democracy.

At the Ambassador’s request, Serge Sargsyan presented the approaches of
the Republican Party regarding the formation of the new Government,
noting that negotiations are under way with political forces
in the direction of involving the effective parliamentary and
non-parliamentary forces in the Government and forming a trustworthy
authority.

Reference was made also to the development of bilateral
Armenian-Ukrainian relations. The interlocutors attached importance to
the efforts in the direction of development of both intergovernmental
and interparliamentary cooperation.

The Ukrainian Ambassador presented the current political situation
in his country and spoke about the issues to be discussed during the
recurrent sitting of the CIS Heads of Governments.

At the end of the meeting the Ambassador wished success to RA Prime
Minister and expressed willingness to have the cooperation with RA
Government serve for the sake of reinforcement of Armenian-Ukrainian
relations and cooperation.

FRENCH MEDIATOR HOPES FOR "SPURT" IN NAGORNO KARABAKH SETTLEMENT TALKS

Regnum, Russia
May 24 2007

If basic principles of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement are
not approved by the end of 2007, taking into account forthcoming
electoral processes in Armenia and Azerbaijan, the talks will have to
be started afresh, OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair Bernard Fassier (France)
announced at a news conference today.

As a REGNUM correspondent reports, to substantiate his words, the
French co-chair cited last presidential and parliamentary elections
in Armenia and Azerbaijan that were the reason why the negotiation
process was slowed down right up to "starting everything anew."

According to Fassier, now one can hope that a "spurt" is achieved in
the talks by the end of the year in discussing basic principles of
the conflict settlement, which will allow start major preparations.

In his turn, Russian OSCE MG Co-Chair Yuri Merzlyakov noted that
under the co-chairs’ assessments there are objective premises for it.

At the same time, the Russian co-chair believes that for final
settlement of the conflict political will and capability to change
the information and propaganda approach of the parties is needed. He
informed that now the parties’ approach to the talks is the following:
"nothing is agreed upon and decided until everything is agreed and
decided upon." Meanwhile, Merzlyakov noted that recently they managed
to make the range of uncoordinated issues narrower.

INHABITANTS OF A NUMBER OF DISTRICTS OF YEREVAN CAN NOT GET CERTIFICATES FOR RIGHT ON PROPERTY

Noyan Tapan
May 22 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 22, NOYAN TAPAN. Inhabitants of the Yerevan Myasnikian
avenue, Upper and Lower Antarayin streets, Aygestan, Shirak and
others again organized an action of protest at the RA Government’s
building on May 22. They had the following slogans: "Do not violate
our rights," "We are owners of our property" and similar ones. They
demanded to recognize their right on property towards the dwelling
space they occupied.

Samvel Mkrtchian, the Chairman of the Community and Right public
organization, lawyer mentioned that inhabitants of those districts have
occupied those territories for more than 70 years, but till now they
have certificates affirming their right on property towards them. In
his words, there are 91 thousand property units in Yerevan having no
right on property, so the government must take measures for solution
of self-willed structures.

In S. Mkrtchian’s words, they demand from the government to create an
interdepartment commission for solution of the problem. Inhabitants
of those districts will also be involved in that commission. "As
this government made the decision concerning recongizing the right
on property of inhabitants of the Kozern district, the latter is well
informed of the affair and knows how to act," S. Mkrtchian said. And
today’s action, in his word, has just a goal to remind.

NEW GUN SHOTS MADE IN GYUMRI

Panorama.am
18:56 21/05/2007

Another gunshot was reported in the republic yesterday. The case took
place in Gyumri late yesterday. At about 20:30, an emergency call
was made from Gyumri local hospital saying a citizen was brought
to hospital with a shot in his foot. He is Norair Soloyan born in
1979, a resident of Gyumri Achemyan 26 house. Ashot Goginyan, deputy
department head of Shirak regional police, held a press conference
on the incident today.

Earlier reports say two-side gunshots were made at Terian street,
Gyumri late yesterday. According to information, the gunshots were
made between Spartak Ghukasyan, son of Vardan Ghukasyan, Gyumri mayor,
and Rustam Sargsyan, son of Artashes Sargsyan, responsible person
for Prosperous Armenia at election community 34.

Goginyan said a citizen, Hamaspiur Mnatsakanyan born in 1933, made
a call to the police saying a black car with state numbers came to
Shop Pegas belonging to the Sargsyans at about 18:30 and opened gun
shots. One of the gunshots broke the shop window and the splinters
wounded Mnatsakanyan’s arm.

Radiolur says Goginyan has confirmed that Hammer H-2 type car with 44
SS 440 state numbers belong to the son of Vardan Ghukasyan, Gyumri
mayor. However, Goginyan did not say the owner was at the place of
the incident. The same source said gun shots totally damaged Hammer
H-2 with 44 SS 440 state numbers. Some arms were detected in the car
after prosecutor general office’s search.

The prosecutor’s office has instituted a case into the incident.

Children of Artsakh will go to Cyprus for a holiday

20-05-2007 21:50:35 – KarabakhOpen

The first group of children of Artsakh will leave for Cyprus on May
30, Marianna Hakobyan, head of the department of youth of the ministry
of education, said to the KarabakhOpen. She said the first group will
include children aged 10-16. They are children of killed soldiers,
underprivileged families from Shahumyan and Kashatagh.

The children will spend a week in Cyprus. The expenses are covered by
Karen Avagumyan, a Moscow-based businessman, and German Bagrian, the
head of the Super Nova travel agency. The NKR ministry of education
and culture covers travel expenses Stepanakert-Moscow-Stepanakert.

Last year 58 children from Artsakh went to Cyprus for a holiday. It is
not known how many groups will visit Cyprus this year.

PhilBoxing.com, Philippines
May 20 2007

Nonito Donaire Gets a New Mouthguard for the Darchinyan Fight

By Ed de la Vega, DDS
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 20 May 2007

Nonito Donaire, the `Filipino Flash’ from San Leandro, California has
a big job ahead on July 7 to accomplish what his younger brother
Glenn failed to do last October at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Thus, in preparation for that momentous occasion, he came to our
offices today with his Dad and younger brother Glenn to get fitted
with our signature brand mouthguard called `MouthGuards For
Champions.’

Donaire’s new mouth guard is made with a reinforced three-layered
ethyl-vinyl acetate material called Drufosoft, a product from
Germany. It was pressure-laminated on a dental model fabricated from
an impression of his dentition.The new mouth guard is in
red-white-blue color.

With exception of Manny Pacquiao for whom we made a quad color
mouthguard (red-white-blue-yellow to mimic the color of the
Philippine flag) all Pinoy boxers fighting for titles who come to us
for mouth guards are given the tri-color for good luck.

Donaire is scheduled to challenge the Armenian/Australian `Raging
Bull’, Vic Darchinyan for the IBF/IBO flyweight championship at the
Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.

Darchinyan is best remembered as the exceedingly cocky flyweight who
backs up his swank with his powerful left hand.

The Armenian turned Aussie KO’d Diosdado Gabi in round 8 and beat
Glenn Donaire via a technical decision. Glenn give up on the 6th
round of a scheduled 12 round fight due to a broken jaw. On his last
fight held at the Home Depot Center in California last March,
Darchinyan TKO’d Victor Burgos in round 12 and sent him to a hospital
with a brain concussion.

Doniare, who sports a record of 17-2-1 (10KO) record is unfazed in
spite of what Darchinyan (28-0-0, 21K0) has accomplished so far.
`Styles make fights,’ he said. `For all we know, Darchinyan may not
solve my style and I may end being the champ. Darchinyan is not
perfect. Someday he will lose and who knows that may come on July
7th,’ he added.

Donaire last fought on May 12th at Reno Events Center at Reno,
Nevada. He defeated Kevin Hudgins of Pensacola, Florida via a
devastating first round technical knock-out electrifying everyone in
the venue including the agent of his opponent, Dante Ortiz. Ortiz
worked the corner of Hudgins as a `cut man’ but his services were not
needed as Nonito Donaire TKO’d his ward just before round 1 ended.

Pundits promote this fight based on the `revenge factor’, that is-
`he beat my brother so I have to beat him’. But to Nonito, it’s not
about revenge. It is about showing boxing fans that no one reigns
supreme forever. And, he is out to prove that by beating Darchinyan
on July 7th.

New York Times, NY
May 20 2007

Armenia Backs Pro-Presidential Parties

By REUTERS
Published: May 20, 2007

YEREVAN, Armenia, May 19 (Reuters) – Armenian parties loyal to
President Robert Kocharyan won a large majority in last week’s
parliamentary election, the central election commission said
Saturday, citing the first official results.

The Republican Party, led by Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan, who is
the favored successor to Mr. Kocharyan, won 65 seats in the 131-seat
Parliament, election officials said. The pro-presidential Prosperous
Armenia Party came in second with 25 seats, followed by
Dashnaktsutiun with 16. Opposition parties won a total of 16 seats.

The vote, which took place last Saturday, is regarded as a test of
democracy in the Caucasian country and a dress rehearsal for a
presidential contest early next year when Mr. Kocharyan, 52, will
step down at the end of his second five-year term.

Mr. Sargsyan, also 52, was the focus of his party’s campaign. `I ask
for your vote of confidence’ was his slogan at election rallies. He
said this week that if he was put forward by the party to take part
in the presidential election, he would accept.

About 1.4 million of the 2.3 million electorate cast their votes. It
was the first election that the former Soviet Armenia has held that
Western observers said was fair. Voters gave credit to Mr.
Kocharyan’s allies for the years of strong economic growth he has
overseen, analysts said. The opposition is divided and its members
say they are not given fair treatment on tightly controlled
television.

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
May 19, 2007 Saturday 10:03 AM EST

Russian FM’s visit to Azerbaijan to boost bilateral relations

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s upcoming official visit to
Azerbaijan on May 21-22 will give a powerful boost to bilateral
relations, Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov said.

“I am convinced that the visit of my Russian colleague and friend
Sergei Lavrov and the upcoming talks and consultations in Baku on
bilateral cooperation and current international issues will give a
powerful boost for further development of our relations,” the
minister said an in interview published by Rossiiskaya Gazeta on
Saturday.

The minister stressed, “Dynamic development of economic and
humanitarian cooperation between our countries is harmoniously
complemented by an active political dialogue and interaction that are
mutually respectful, equal, confidential and mutually advantageous.”

Mamedyarov noted particularly that “the positive nature of political
cooperation between our countries is a serious factor of stability in
the South Caucasus.”

The Azerbaijani foreign minister noted Baku’s traditional position
that “The Russian language and Russian culture preserve their
importance as one of the elements for the development of Azerbaijani
culture as a multiethnic and pluralistic phenomenon.”

“There are dozens of educational institutions in Azerbaijan that
teach the Russian language at a high professional level and train
specialists in Russian culture, art and history,” the minister said.

However he believes that “the training of specialists in the
Azerbaijani language, culture and history in Russian universities
would also serve the interests of harmonious bilateral humanitarian
interaction and the promotion of mutual understanding and respect in
bilateral relations.”

“The implementation of this initiative would symbol aspirations for
greater understanding and interaction between our countries and
peoples,” Mamedyarov said.

During the visit, Lavrov will also meet with President Ilkham Aliyev
and Prime Minister Artur Rasi-zade.

The meetings will centre on the “implementation of top-level accords
to bring inter-state relations to a qualitatively new level by
improving interaction in all spheres,” the Russian Foreign Ministry
said earlier.

Lavrov’s talks with Mamedyarov will focus on discussing “the
possibility of deepening cooperation within the framework of the CIS
and enhancing the coordination of actions in international
organisations”.

“There will be a review of steps for interaction in the U.N., the
OSCE, and the Council of Europe,” the ministry said.

The foreign ministers will also discuss Nagorno-Karabakh settlement.

“Russia is set to assist the parties to the conflict in finding a
compromise. But the main responsibility for the final choice of the
settlement formula is with the Azerbaijanis and the Armenians,” the
Foreign Ministry said.

Russia “would be ready to support a solution to the problem that
suits the parties, and in case of reaching a compromise it will act
as a guarantor of settlement”.

Lavrov will discuss the Caspian Sea’s status, security in the region,
and prospects for holding the second Caspian summit.

“The assessment by Azerbaijan’s leader of the current state of and
prospects for relations between our countries is important to us. For
Russia, Azerbaijan is an important long-term strategic partner,” the
ministry said.

“The economic aspect of cooperation becomes increasingly important.
The high tempo of economic growth in Russia and Azerbaijan increases
the attractiveness of the countries in terms of the development of
mutually beneficial cooperation. There are good prospects for
broadening interaction in the fuel and energy sector, in the field of
research-intensive technology, innovation activities, as well as
economic ties between Russia’s regions and Azerbaijan,” the Foreign
Ministry said.

SAPPHIRE TO STAR AT ROM
Lucas Oleniuk/Toronto Star

Toronto Star, Canada
May 17 2007

Photo
The Black Star of Queensland will be placed on public display for the
first time since 1969 when a new addition opens at the Royal Ontario
Museum on June 2, 2007.

Cutting a sapphireDoorknob-sized gem, once thought worthless, may
now be priceless

May 17, 2007 04:30 AM
Debra Black
Staff Reporter

When Harry Spencer, a sapphire miner, first saw the black rock his
young son Roy brought to their home in Queensland, Australia in the
1930s he is said to have remarked – "Oh yes, a large black crystal!"

The story goes that he then threw it by the back door and used it as
a doorstop.

But this was no ordinary large black crystal – this rock turned out
to be one of the largest black star sapphires ever found, coveted by
many and eventually worn by such celebrities as singer-actress Cher.

Valued in 2002 at more than $100 million, the Black Star Sapphire of
Queensland will be on display at the Royal Ontario Museum starting
June 2 as part of the opening and building dedication of the Michael
Lee-Chin Crystal addition.

This is the first time the gem, the size of a hen’s egg or a doorknob,
has been on display since 1969. The black star sapphire, which is 733
carats and has 35 diamonds surrounding it, has only had a few owners.

The so-called "large black crystal," originally weighing 1,156 carats,
was found on the Reward Claim in the Rubyvale area in Queensland –
part of the Anakie Sapphire Fields, the largest of several sapphire
mining areas in Australia.

The Spencer family held on to it uncut until 1947 when it was bought
by Armenian-born jeweller Harry Kazanjian, who took it to his home
in Los Angeles. Kazanjian studied the sapphire and two months later
he cut it, revealing the brilliant six-pointed star. In 1949, its
value was estimated at $1 million. Today, many believe it is priceless.

"It’s beautiful," said Kimberly Tait, a mineralogist and associate
curator with the Royal Ontario Museum. "It takes a skilled cutter
to know what to do. If you don’t do the right thing you get a failed
star."

The sapphire, said to have brought good luck to the Kazanjian family,
was on loan to the Smithsonian Institution in the 1960s as part of
a display with the Hope Diamond. That was the last time it was on
public display. The Kazanjian family held on to the gem for a long
time because it was so beautiful.

The breathtaking sapphire was eventually sold again but that buyer
wished to remain anonymous, said Tait. The owner had seen the gem
when he was a young man and had promised his mother that he would
one day buy it for her. His childhood promise came true.

In 2002 the sapphire was again sold to private owners who do not want
their identity disclosed and they have loaned the gem to the ROM for
the show, which runs until Dec. 2.

For centuries, sapphires have held an allure for both men and women.

They are seen as the jewels of royalty from the maharajahs of India
to the kings and queens of the British monarchy. They have also been
perceived as gems of good luck. Star sapphires have been called the
stone of destiny – with the three bands of the star representing faith,
hope and destiny, said Tait.

The Black Star Sapphire of Queensland has an optical property known as
"asterism" explained Tait. The six-pointed star in the gem "follows
you as you move around the stone."

Sapphires are found as loose crystals in gravel deposits, but some have
been mined to depths of 20 metres. "Iron oxide and iron titanium oxide
have formed with the gem and given it its colour and star effect,"
she said. Star sapphires are not very common, said Tait. And one this
size is really rare.