Author: Kajoyan Gevork

“AZERI PARTY WORKS TO ATTAIN PEACE IN REGION,” BAKU ASSURES
PanARMENIAN.Net
23.05.2006 12:24 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Official Baku will again present its “unchanged
stand” to the OSCE MG for peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, Azeri FM Elmar Mammadyarov stated May 22 when commenting
on the coming visit of a high-rank mission of OSCE Minsk Group to
Baku May 24-25. In his words, “the Azeri party works to attain peace
in the region, thus considering the stepwise option of settlement
to be an optimal one.” “If stepwise process is reflected, occupied
lands around NK will be returned, the displaced persons will go back
to their hearths. After that, of course, Azeris, refugees from NK,
Shushi, should return to their homes. Economy should function after
normal conditions are created for living,” he underscored. In the
Minister’s words, only after that the NK status can be discussed.

TASHKENT BANK ENDS TRANSACTIONS WITH BREAKAWAY AZERI REGION AFTER NOTE – TV
Ceyhun Rzayev, Afat Telmanqizi, ANS
ANS TV, Baku
21 May 06
[Presenter] An Uzbek bank has presented Nagornyy Karabakh as an
independent state. Tashkent corrected its mistake following the
intervention by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry and it was possible
to end the presentation of Nagornyy Karabakh as an independent state
in documents.
[Correspondent, over video of scenes in Uzbekistan, Tagizada
speaking] A diplomatic scandal has emerged between Azerbaijan and
Uzbekistan. A bank in Tashkent which deals with money transfers to
CIS countries showed Nagornyy Karabakh as an independent state in all
its documents. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry had to interfere and
send a note to Tashkent.
The head of the press and information department of the ministry,
Tahir Tagizada, told ANS that Baku held talks with the appropriate
Uzbek authorities. Only after that the name of Nagornyy Karabakh was
removed from advertisement posters and its presentation as a separate
state was stopped.
The Uzbek side officially declared that it had ended all transactions
with Nagornyy Karabakh and any other occupied territories of
Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani embassy in Uzbekistan also sent a note
to the Uzbek Foreign Ministry.
The incident happened when Tural joint-stock commercial bank [as heard]
showed Nagornyy Karabakh as a separate republic on its advertisement
posters in Tashkent late April. The Azerbaijani embassy in Uzbekistan
held talks with staff of the bank to discuss the issue.
As a result of the talks, the staff said that they had made no direct
transactions with the occupied Azerbaijani territories. They said
that the bank made transfers [to Karabakh] through a Russian bank,
the name of which was not specified.

Cyprus Mail, Cyprus
May 20 2006
Artani shock at Eurovision exclusion
By Leo Leonidou
ANNET Artani was said to be distraught after failing to make it to
the final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Athens tonight.
Speaking to the Cyprus Mail, Evi Papamichael, who will be
commentating on the event for CyBC said: `Obviously, she is extremely
disappointed as we all thought it was a good performance and her
voice was excellent. Bit if I was to sum up Eurovision in one word,
it would be `unpredictable’.’
Looking stunning in a yellow dress, Artani performed `Why Angels
Cry’, composed and written by Petros Yiannakis.
When asked whether countries from the former eastern bloc had
possibly colluded together at the expense of the others, Papamichael
was sceptical.
`I don’t think so,’ she said.
`In my 14 years experience with the Eurovision, I would say that
countries vote for one another due to common tastes in familiar music
and the same mentalities.’
She said that viewing figures wouldn’t be affected, despite Cyprus
not being represented. `Eurovision is an extremely popular event and
the fact that Anna Vissi is representing Greece makes it extremely
interesting to the Cypriot viewer as she’s very popular and the
public will be cheering her on.’
Cyprus was this year celebrating its 25th entry in the famous
competition and is still eligible to vote in the final.
`We are fighters and hope top be back next year,’ said Papamichael.
The delegation will stay in the Greek capital until Sunday.
Amid a cluster of ancient Gods, Spartan warriors and mythical
creatures, musicians from 23 countries battled it out for a place in
tonight’s main contest.
Competing for ten places, Russia, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Lithuania, Finland, Ukraine, Ireland, Sweden, Turkey and Armenia made
the cut after a public text and telephone vote.
Ranging from pop to ethnic to rock, the winning acts for the
semi-finals included a wide assortment of genres.
Among the more unusual and surprising bands to advance to the final
were controversial Finnish heavy metal outfit Lordi, whose act
features gruesome masks, armour and flame jets.
Other unexpected winners included Lithuania’s Lt United with, `We are
the Winners’, as well as Turkey and Armenia, the latter competing for
the first time.
Hosts Greece, nine top-scoring nations from last year’s contest, and
four major countries have automatic berths in the final: Switzerland,
Moldova, Israel, Latvia, Norway, Spain, Malta, Germany, Denmark,
Romania, United Kingdom, France, Croatia and Greece.
France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom qualify automatically
as the four most populous countries in the event.
Eager to entertain more than 10,000 fans in the Olympic Basketball
Stadium, dancers dressed-up as Zeus and Aphrodite, took to the stage
singing past Eurovision hits `Volare’ and `Diva’.
The show’s choreographer, Fokas Evagelinos, said he wanted to inject
a dose of humour while also showcasing Greek culture.
Athens won the right to host the event after Helena Paparizou
triumphed last year in Kiev with her song My Number One.
Anna Vissi will be battling it out to score another win for Greece
with Everything, a ballsy, heartfelt rock ballad about the break-up
of a relationship.
Despite being described as a showcase of kitsch, Eurovision is one of
the most-watched television programmes in the world, with up to 300
million viewers every year. The competition has served as a
springboard for international stars such as ABBA, Cliff Richard and
Celine Dion.

AZERI DEFENSE MINISTER RECEIVES NATO COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
Author: E.Javadova
TREND, Azerbaijan
May 19 2006
Azerbaijani Defense Minister received on 19 May the commander-in-chief
of NATO’s Air Forces in Europe, General William Tom Hobbins, the
Ministry told Trend.
During the meeting Abiyev noted that Azerbaijan closely cooperates
with NATO and the United States. The cooperation with NATO
successfully continues in line with the Action Plan on Individual
Partnership. Concerning the existing military-political situation in
the South Caucasus region the minister said that the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict is the major reason impeding the rehabilitation of peace and
stability in the region. “Armenia with its destructive policy avoids
from peaceable talks and keeps under occupation 20% of Azerbaijani
territory,” he underlined.
In his turn, General Hobbins noted the successes in the cooperation
between NATO and Azerbaijan. The successful implementation of the
Action Plan of the Individual Partnership will bring close the country
with the bloc. He also noted that the visit targets familiarity with
the air forces of Azerbaijan. “I believe that the US-Azerbaijan
cooperation in the sphere of air forces is getting expanded,”
he underlined.
The gathering focused on exchange of opinion on future perspectives
of the US-Azerbaijan military cooperation between, integration in
to the European organizations, Azerbaijan’s activities under the
anti-terror coalition and different issues of mutual concern.

OPERATION IN BLACK SEA FOR SEARCH AND LIFT OF “BLACK BOXES” OF CRASHED ARMENIAN AIRPLANE IS RESUMED
Sochi, May 19. ArmInfo. The weather conditions allowed to down a
deep-water robot RT-1000 to the bottom the day before in the square of
search of “black boxes” of the “Armavia” Armenian Air Company’s A-320.
The deep-diving vehicle started to operate the day before at 7:30 PM
and finished today at 4:00 AM. According to the operational staff’s
data, “fragments are met on the bottom which remind the A-320 airborne
recorders by their color and contours”. “Some fragments are deep in
the sludge which delay the search work”, the source informed.
At present, the pilots who operate the robot, are given a short
break. If the weather allows, the deep-water operations will be
shortly resumed, the ITAR-TASS informs.
To be reminded, the airplane A-320 of the “Armavia” Company, which
was carrying out the Yerevan-Sochi flight, was wrecked on May 3 night
not far from Sochi. There were 113 people on board: 8 crew members
and 105 passengers, including 5 children. All of them died.

ARMENIAN RELIEF SOCIETY, INC. CENTRAL EXECUTIVE BOARD

PRESS RELEASE NO. 4
Armenian Relief Society, Inc.
Telephone£ 617-926-5892
Central Office
Fax: 617-926-4855
80 Bigelow Avenue
e-mail: [email protected]
Watertown, MA 02472
Website:
PRESS RELEASE
ARS CHAIRPERSON VISITS ARTSAKH
Yerevan, May 16 — On Moday, May 8, The Chairperson of the Armenian
Relief Society, Mrs. Hasmig Derderian left for Artsakh on a three-day
field work program. Three days before her departure, Mrs. Derderian,
along with the President of the Republic and numerous high government
officials, had attended a special Requiem Mass, celebrated by His
Holiness Vazgen I, in memory of the victims who perished off the shore
of Sochi in the Armenian Airlines crash.
On the very day of her arrival at Stepanakert, the
Chairperson met with the ARS/Artsakhÿs Executive Board and discussed
the entityÿs organizational issues and its activities around the
region. During the meeting, the Executive Board Chairperson, Mrs. Nelly
Ghoulian presented, in detail, the current picture of the 10 ARS
“Soseh” Kindergartens spread out across Artsakh. Daily, more than 500
children receive free sustenance and education in these nurseries,
thanks to the generous moral and financial support of ARS entities
throughout the world.
All across the Homeland, the Armenian Relief Society – whose Armenia
affiliate is preparing to celebrate its 15th Anniversary in September of
this year – continues to implement its various programs in support of
the orphaned children of the fallen warriors of the Artsakh liberation
struggle, needy students, etc., coordinated by the ARS Central Executive
Board. In view of the fact, that many of those youngsters have reached
college age, the ARS has decided to start a program of assistance to the
scholastic needs of those who wish to continue their education by
attending colleges and institutes of their choice.
Mrs. Derderian was delighted to hear, that ARS/Artsakh is firmly
committed to participate in the ARS Centennial Pan-Armenian
Fund-drive, which will secure the necessary funds allowing the
continuation of the Organization’s world-wide humanitarian activities.
The following day, on the occasion of the 14th Anniversary of the
liberation of the City of Shoushi, Chairperson Derderian laid wreathes
on the monuments of the martyred hero, Ashot-Bekor Ghoulian and those
who fell on the field of honor during World War II; she also visited the
site of the Tank which serves as a memorial at the entrance of the city,
following which, she joined those who attended the commemorative
services held in the Ghazanchetsvots Cathedral.
On Wednesday, the Chairperson visited the ARS “Soseh” Kindergarten of
Stepanakert – the oldest on the growing list of “Soseh” Kindergartens
in Artsakh. Mrs. Derderian, who was in Paris from the 26th to 30th of
April, participating in the deliberations of the Armenian Blue Cross
of France Regional Convention, later attended, in Yerevan, on May 2-4,
the plenary meeting of the “Armenia” Pan- Armenian Fund’s Board of
Trustees.
The ARS Chairperson departed from Armenia on Sunday, May 14. Until that
date, she continued her field work with the local ARS leadership and a
fellow ARS/CEB member, Mrs. Karine Hovhannisian, resident of Armenia.

OSCE ENVOY HAILS “REMARKABLY BALANCED” WORK IN ARMENIA
Mediamax news agency, Yerevan
18 May 06
The OSCE secretary-general has said that his organization’s work in
Armenia is “remarkably balanced”. In what was described as an exclusive
interview to Mediamax, Marc Perrin de Brichambaut also urged Armenia
to amend the electoral law ahead of the forthcoming elections. The
following is the text of report in English by Armenian news agency
Mediamax headlined “I know that desecration of an Armenian cemetery
in Nakhichevan raised very strong feelings in Armenia”; Subheadings
have been inserted editorially:
An exclusive interview given by the OSCE secretary-general, Ambassador
Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, to Armenia’s Mediamax news agency.
[Journalist] Armenia was among those CIS countries which criticized
the OSCE in a statement made in summer 2004 and today it seems the OSCE
reform has become a legitimate item on the agenda of the organization.
[Ambassador] Like any organization, the OSCE is in a constant
process of adapting to new realities. What you are referring to is
the requirement of certain countries within the OSCE to make more
substantial changes in order to reflect their own perception that there
are occasionally double standards within the OSCE. Since decisions are
taken in the OSCE on the basis of consensus, any decision requires a
large amount of discussion in order for compromise to be reached. We
are right now going to that process. We hope this process will be a
very successful one.
But I do not think any final package will be reached before the next
ministerial meeting to be held in Brussels this December. In between,
we are in active contacts with all countries, including Armenia,
which has been following this issue closely, and I think the Armenian
authorities understand that the OSCE secretariat is doing its best
to address the existing concerns under the prevailing conditions.
[Journalist] In July 2004, CIS member states declared that “there
is a clear misbalance between the three dimensions of security –
military and political, economic and environmental and human. There
is a clear shift of priorities towards humanitarian problems, which
noticeably reduces the OSCE’s ability to oppose new challenges and
threats”. Do you agree that such misbalance indeed exists?
OSCE work in Armenia ” remarkably balanced”
[Ambassador] Here in Armenia the work done by the OSCE is remarkably
balanced. In a broader way, it is true that the OSCE occasionally is
perceived more through its human dimension, but it is also a fact that
a lot of resources of the OSCE come from the voluntary contributions
of participating states and that many of them place a large emphasis
on the human dimension, providing resources for that.
I would greatly encourage all those participating states who want more
spending on other dimensions to look at how they might contribute to
all the dimensions.
Prague forum
[Journalist] It seems that the economic and environmental dimension
of the OSCE is coming to the forefront of discussions initiated 30
years ago in Helsinki. What benefits can Armenia expect from the OSCE?
[Ambassador] We are going to have in Prague an Economic Forum on 21
May, which has been solely prepared by meetings in Dushanbe and Baku.
We will be putting attention on issues which are directly relevant
to the economic prosperity of a country like Armenia. This is a clear
indication that the economic dimension is being taken very seriously,
with particular focus on issues which are relevant to the countries
in the Caucasus.
“Good” relations with OSCE
[Journalist] How is the cooperation between Armenia and the OSCE Office
for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) developing? Do
you see any room for improvement?
[Ambassador] I think the relations between the OSCE and Armenia are
good and that the Office for Democracy and Human Rights (ODHR) is
part of that relationship. We expect that ODHR will be invited to send
long-term and short-term election monitors to the upcoming elections in
Armenian in 2007 and 2008. We are making comments on the amendments to
the electoral law and we hope that this will be taken into account. But
what is most important would be for any decisions taken by parliament
to be fully implemented in the forthcoming elections.
“Strong” feelings over cemetery claims
[Journalist] In the context of the OSCE human dimension the issues
of tolerance and non-discrimination are at the forefront of the
discussions. Don’t you think that in this respect much more attention
should be paid to the situation in our region?
[Ambassador] I think you are touching on a very important point. It
would be a great complicating factor if existing political tensions
would be given a cultural dimension. I am well aware of the fact that
the desecration of an Armenian cemetery in Naxcivan has raised very
strong feelings in Armenia. The Armenian Catholicos expressed his deep
sadness and sorrow about this. We are going to work very hard for the
solution of the conflict itself in order to eliminate the root causes
of this possible cultural tension. We are all concerned about this.

CITY OF TALIN TO ESTABLISH FRIENDLY TIES WITH SYRIAN CITY
Noyan Tapan
May 18 2006
TALIN, MAY 18, NOYAN TAPAN. Makhlis Faraun, the Ambassador
Ectraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Arab Republic of Syria
to Armenia visited the city of Talin, the Aragatsotn marz in late
December, 2005. The issue of establishing friendly ties with a city
of the Arab Republic of Syria was arisen both by Ambassador and
Talin Mayor. Delegates of the city of Talin visited recently the
Embassy of the Arab Republic of Syria in Yerevan at the Ambassador’s
invitation. As Volodya Khachatrian, the Talin Mayor’s Office staff
head informed the Noyan Tapan correspondent, an agreement was reached
during the meeting in the direction of establishing friendly ties
with Talin and strengthening them.
Frameworks of the cooperation were also mentioned.

OPERATION OF LIFTING THE BLACK BOXES OF THE CRASHED A-320 TO START TODAY IN THE BLACK SEA
ArmRadio.am
16.05.2006 11:10
The operation of lifting the black boxes of the crashed A-320 plane
will start today in the Black Sea. The recorders lie 496 meters deep
in the water.
According to preliminary information, the distance between the boxes
makes about five meters.
“The “Navigaor” ship, on which RT-1000 deepwater devise has been
installed, will work in the depth of 500 meters,” said Alexander
Davidenko, Head of the Sea and River Transport Agency of the RF
Ministry of Transport.
Davidenko noted that the devise has never applied in such depth,
but it was tested on the depth of 500 meters.
The specialists hope they will manage to extract the black boxes,
which weight 7 kg.
The “Navigator” has a dynamic location system, which allows it to
stay within the radius of 10 meters, which in its turn provides the
opportunity to normally operate deep in the water.

ARMENIAN-FRENCH GROUP ACCUSES TURKEY OF BLACKMAILING FRENCH LEGISLATORS INTO OPPOSING BILL
AP Worldstream
May 15, 2006
An umbrella group accused Turkey of trying to blackmail French
lawmakers into opposing proposed legislation making it a crime to
deny that the killings of Armenians in World War I was genocide.
The Council of Coordination of Armenian Organizations in France said
Ankara was trying to exert pressure on France with letter-writing
campaigns to French lawmakers and threats of an economic boycott.
On Thursday, the French National Assembly is set to consider a bill,
presented by the opposition Socialists, that would make it a crime to
deny the Armenian genocide of 1915. It is already a crime in France
to deny the Holocaust.
Last week, Turkey briefly recalled its ambassador to France in protest,
and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told French corporate
leaders that the bill would damage bilateral ties.
“The Armenian genocide: Turkey’s unacceptable blackmail,” the council
said in a statement.
Turkey also complained recently about a resolution adopted by Canada’s
parliament that recognizes the killings as genocide.
The French Foreign Ministry said last week France was “very attentive”
to Turkish authorities’ concerns.
Armenians say 1.5 million of their people were killed as the Ottoman
Empire forced them from eastern Turkey between 1915 and 1923 _ and
that it was a deliberate campaign of genocide by Turkey’s rulers.
Turks say the figure is inflated and insist that Armenians were killed
or displaced as the Ottoman Empire tried to secure its border with
Russia and stop attacks by Armenian militants.
The chances of the bill passing in the French assembly appeared slim.
The National Assembly is overwhelmingly controlled by President
Jacques Chirac’s conservatives, who have not passed a bill floated
by the Socialist opposition since they took over parliament in 2002.