Author: Kanayan Tamar

COMMANDER CONFIRMS ALL RUSSIAN TROOPS TO LEAVE TBILISI BY YEAR END
NTV Mir, Moscow,
2 Nov 2006
[Presenter] By the end of the year the Russian military will leave
the capital of Georgia. This was announced today in Rostov-na-Donu by
the commander the troops of the North Caucasian Military District,
Gen Aleksandr Baranov. Six military settlements of the Tbilisi
garrison will be handed over to the Georgian Defence Ministry. All
Russian hardware and property will be sent by train to Russia and
Armenia. Baranov noted that it is not difficult to complete this task
as long as the Georgian authorities do not interfere.
[Baranov] This withdrawal has been planned as an additional one, based
on what was voiced, you recall, by the president, who is the supreme
commander, and by the defence minister, about the impossibility of
continuing service in the conditions when it is not service but hard
labour in Tbilisi garrison. Therefore, the troops will be withdrawn
from there and, as I said, there will not be a single [Russian]
serviceman in Tbilisi by the end of the year.

SYSTEM OF A DOWN TO TAKE PART IN MTV EUROPE MUSIC AWARDS
AZG Armenian Daily
03/11/2006
Yesterday night the 13th MTV Europe Music Awards took place in
Copenhagen, Denmark, RFE/RL reports. One of the key performers in
two successive years have been the System of a Down rock band which
is struggling to get the best alternative band title this year two.
Last year the band not only won in this nomination but also became
one of the revelations of the Lisbon contest and was granted the right
to close the ceremony. All 4 members of this American rock band have
Armenian origin – Serge Tankian, Daron Malakian, Shavo Odajian and
John Dolmayan.

ARMENIANS BREACH CEASEFIRE IN FRONTLINE
Author: S.Jaliloglu
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Nov 3 2006
On 2 November the Armenian Armed Forces dislocated in Horadiz
Village of the occupied Azerbaijani region, Fizuli, fired guns and
machines guns at the Azerbaijan National Army from 18:00 to 18:30,
the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry informed Trend.
The Azerbaijan National Army was also fired at from 20:10 to 21:10
from the villages Meftili and Daratepe of Jebrayil District by the
Armenian forces located there.
The Azerbaijan National Army retaliated and no causalities were
reported

GEORGIAN FM SAYS HE HAD NO PLANS TO MEET PUTIN
Rustavi-2 TV, Tbilisi,
1 Nov 2006
[Presenter] A meeting of the foreign ministers of the Black Sea
Economic Cooperation organization member countries has begun
in Moscow. After the meeting, [Georgian Foreign Minister] Gela
Bezhuashvili will meet his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov at 1800
hours Tbilisi time [1400 gmt]. At 1900 hours [1500 gmt] he will meet
Russian Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov in the Kremlin.
This morning Bezhuashvili met Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanyan. The main issue under discussion was the demarcation
of the Georgian-Armenian border. After the meeting, Bezhuashvili
denied reports that he was to supposed to meet [Russian President]
Vladimir Putin.
[Bezhuashvili] It would be a great honour for me to meet President
Putin but this was not planned. This is because I am not here on a
[official] visit but rather I am taking part in a meeting of ministers
held within the framework of an international organization.
No such meeting was planned. I do not know why Russian agencies are
circulating this information.
I’ve met the Armenian foreign minister. We are neighbours. We have
the type of relations that neighbours should have. I was in Baku
yesterday, while today I met the Armenian foreign minister. I will
meet the Russian foreign minister later today. We are trying to
build relations in our neighbourhood of the kind that are appropriate
between neighbours.
[Oskanyan, in English, with Georgian translation superimposed] We are
very troubled by the situation that has taken shape in Georgian-Russian
relations because we are neighbours. I am glad Gela Bezhuashvili is
in Moscow to resolve this problem. In the near future we will travel
to Brussels for a meeting on the EU Neighbourhood Policy. This will
allow us to further strengthen our ties with the EU.

US AND UNDP READY TO ASSIST ARMENIA IN FIGHTING TRAFFICKING
ArmRadio.am
01.11.2006 17:22
October 1 Chairman of NA Standing Committee on Science, Education,
Culture and Youth Issues Hranush Hakobyan met with US Deputy Ambassador
to Armenia Anthony Godfrey and expert on political-economic issues
Masha Hurbst.
Mr. Godfrey noted that fighting corruption has become one of the
primary tasks of different international organizations and many
countries. Although RA Government intends to elaborate a new national
program of fighting corruption, no practical steps have been taken
up to now, no means have been provided from state budget.
US Deputy Ambassador assured that in case a certain sum is allocated
from RA state budget, the US and UNDP are willing to provide active
assistance.
It was decided to make cooperation continuous and undertake practical
measures for program implementation.

ZOYA SHAKARIAN AWARDED TITLE OF ARTSAKH CULTURE HONORED AMBASSADOR
Noyan Tapan
Oct 30 2006
STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN. Under NKR President Arkady
Ghoukassian’s October 30 decree, active public figure Zoya Shakarian
was awarded the title of Artsakh Culture Honored Ambassador for great
services in the issue of Artsakh cultural propaganda. NT was informed
about it from NKR President’s Press Office.

MARK ZORYAN: THE WEST IS BEGINNING TO REALIZE THAT THE “GEORGIAN SITUATION” IS ABSURD
Regnum, Russia
Oct 28 2006
The attempts of the US administration and the European structures to
pretend that nothing worth mentioning is going on in Javakhq no longer
make sense. As far as we know, the embassies of almost all European
states and the US embassy in Georgia have informed their governments
of the processes that took place during the local elections in Georgia
and pointed out the peculiarity of the situation in Samtskhe-Javakheti
and Kvemo-Kartli.
Presently the diplomatic circles in Tbilisi are actively discussing
the “bad marks” Georgia has received for its local elections. These
discussions got especially active after the Tbilisi visit of the
US assistant secretary of state Daniel Fried, who was obviously
trying to save the face of the ruling regime. At the same time, we
have received enough reports saying that the US administration are
extremely displeased with the style and outcome of the elections. Now
that the Georgian-Russian conflict has gone beyond any sensible limits
of inter-state confrontation, the Americans and Europeans have faced
a problem similar to the ones they faced in the Balkans and solved
by political and military interference.
The recent – deliberately representative – Washington seminar on
Russian-Georgian relations has come to a conclusion that the propaganda
task has lost any sense as it has become very hard to find arguments
to explain to the world community the point and the political causes
of this conflict, which is already spreading outside the region.
During the seminar, one of the leading US experts on Eastern Europe,
representative of the OSCE office in the US congress Michael Ox said
that the present situation in Georgian-Russian relations does not
serve the interests of the US and is a barren scheme.
On the whole, the American experts on Eastern Europe, who are known
for their colorful language, describe this situation as “an absolute
deadlock,” while the attempts of the West to “separate the fighting
sides” are qualified as “rotten politicking.” If there is anything
that unites the American and European experts, it is their unanimity
that the “Georgian situation” is absurd.
Exactly now that there is a real want of effective political
expertise, the International Crisis Group – who we know well for its
activities in Karabakh – has been assigned the task of facilitating
the development of proposals – in fact, a plan of how to settle the
situation in Samtskhe-Javakheti. This work will certainly cover
a complex of problems concerning the ethnic rights of the local
Armenian population. Certain Georgian and Armenian experts are
involved in this project. According to the preliminary information,
the group will recommend to enlarge self-government in Javakheti and
Kvemo-Kartli. Well aware of the ICG’s position on the Karabakh problem,
we can hardly expect that they will make any realistic proposals and
that the Georgian authorities will accept them. At the same time, this
initiative is hardly the result of the activities of the Armenian
lobby or of the talks of US administration representatives with
Armenian politicians. The US has just waited for a tenser scenario
in Javakhq to interfere and is now ready to show an open interest in
this region of Georgia.
Today, the problem is that the US has realized that Georgia is
a peculiar country and one can’t just apply general operational
approaches to it. That’s why they have decided to “divide” Georgia into
political or regional-political blocs and to deal with each of them
individually. Obviously, they hope that this will help them achieve
certain goals in the sphere of system security. Still, it seems that
they have not yet fully grasped Georgia’s problems. We don’t mean
the current policy but some more fundamental problems. So, we can
assume that, having learned about new circumstances in the policy of
Russia, Turkey and the South Caucasian states, the US has decided to
work out new scenarios of its political and economic expansion in the
region. Otherwise, it would be hard to explain why they have suddenly
taken so keen interest in the processes they formerly ignored.
Mark Zoryan – expert of Caucasus analytical center

ROMANIAN-ARMENIAN EU COMMISSION NOMINEE WITHDRAWS
Zaman, Turkey
Oct 29 2006
Armenian-origin Romanian Senator Varujan Vosganya, who was nominated
to represent Romania at the EU Commission, requested a withdrawal of
his candidacy for that post.
Romanian Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu accepted his request. At a
press conference Saturday Vosganyan said, “Although they are unjust
and ungrounded, the allegations about me may prolong the inquiries
into my candidacy, which may also be disruptive to Romania’s image.”
It was expected that President of the EU Commission Jose Manuel
Barroso, who has made his opposition to Vosganyan known, would have
rejected his candidacy because of Vosganyan’s extreme right-wing past
and lack of command in EU-related issues.

“TRACING BACK OUR CULTURE” PERFORMANCE GIVES CENTER STAGE TO CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Reuters, UK
Oct 30 2006
Source: World Vision Middle East/Eastern Europe office (MEERO)
Over 30 children with special needs, living in especially difficult
circumstances presented a stunning two hour historical review of
Armenia through a theatre performance under the title ‘Tracing back
our Culture’ in Gyumri, Armenia recently.
‘I know the story of many of these children, and it is unbelievable
that they play in such a delightful performance’, said Hasmik
Dzvakeryan, a teacher of the Gyumri Children House- one of the numerous
guests of the event.
‘Such programs are of multifaceted importance, we not only try
to integrate these children into our society, but also prepare
the society, acquaint it with the existence of these children and
their capabilities to assist integration,’ says Zara Aslanyan, Child
Protection Programme (CPP) Senior Social Worker, World Vision Armenia.
The children explored the complete history, culture, traditions and
the legends of Armenia including Shirak marz, west-north region of
Armenia, and the 10th century Marmashen monastery which provided the
setting and inspiration for the event.
‘Unless you learn the history and the culture of your own nation,
you’ll be unable to recognize the whole world’, was the slogan of
the organizers.
‘We want to teach these children the history and the culture of their
homeland and thus help them become fully integrated members of this
society’, said Karine Kurghinyan CPP Coordinator of the Gyumri Area
Development Programme (ADP).
‘I am surprised how well these children know the history of their
church. Now I am sure that future generation is able to build a truly
Christian community’ said, Archbishop Michael Ajapahyan, the head of
Shirak diocese of Armenian Apostolic Church, the honorable guest of
the event.
The Armenian Apostolic Church can be traced back to the time of the
Apostles and is one of the oldest denominations in Christianity.
‘It’s so amazing when the children themselves were asking to rehearse
the performance whenever they have spare time. I was so happy to see
‘my’ children reciting and playing their parts as well as real actors
would do’, said children’s tutor Ervandanush Asatryan – ‘Aunt Anik’,
as the children lovingly call her.
Currently, 72 children and their parents attend Gyumri ADP Community
Centre. They are assisted by psychologists, speech therapists, social
workers and a special educator. They also take part in a number of
art classes organized by the World Vision Armenia CPP department.
The ‘Tracing back our culture’ program will continue in the following
months with further performances being dedicated to other monasteries
and historical monuments of Armenia.

NKR PRESIDENT: ‘NK PARTY’S STAND HAS NOT BEEN CHANGED, AND IT IS NOT GOING TO”
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Oct 30 2006
“I believe our servicemen fulfill their duties very well, and the
trainings testify to the fact once again”, the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic President, NKR Armed Forces’ Supreme Commander in Chief
Arkady Ghoukasyan stated on the completion of the planned common to
all arms trainings held in the Nagorno-Karabakh, REGNUM Information
Agency reports.
While commenting on the Baku’s response to the trainings, in part,
the allegations on “the Armenian forces’ concentration in the Aghdam
sector”, Arkady Ghoukasyan stated, “One shouldn’t take the Azeri
mass media’s information seriously, as they are constantly engaged in
propaganda. Our army must always be strong, ready for any development
of the situation. That is the trainings’ goal”.
Answering a question on the RA and AR FMs’ meeting in Paris and the
perspectives of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict’s settlement, Arkady
Ghoukasyan noted, “We must be optimistic, as if we lose faith in the
negotiation process, a war will become an alternative to the talks,
which is unfavorable either for us or Azerbaijan. Naturally, we are
all interested in the talks’ continuation. As for the outcomes, it is
no use speaking about them today, as an agreement may be adopted only
when all the items are coordinated. Now the situation is different.
The more often Armenian and Azeri Foreign Ministers meet, the better,
as every meeting is a new chance to coordinate the items, on which
there is no consensus”. The NKR President expressed hope that the
Nagorno Karabakh’s participation in the talks would become a reality
in the near future. “We have repeatedly stated that the issue cannot
be settled without the NKR’s participation, as there are a lot of
issues referring to Nagorno-Karabakh directly”. Arkady Ghoukasyan
underscored the Karabakh party’s stand “has not been changed, and
it is not going to”. “We precisely know what we want. We will not
deny our independence, and any obstacle is unacceptable for us”,
the NKR President said.