Author: Karakhanian Suren

AZG Armenian Daily #108, 07/06/2008

Turkish Extremism

BASKIN ORAN IS COMING AFTER HRANT DINK

According to the Turkish press, the "Brigade of
Turkish Avengers", "Turk Intikam Tugayi", which has
been involved in a number of scandalous and mysterious
murders, threatens Baskin Oran, political science
professor at the Ankara University and counterpart of
Hrant Dink.

"Birgyun" newspaper writes that after the murder of
Hrant Dink "Agos" became target of numerous
provocations and threats. On May 30 "Agos" received a
message from the "Brigade of Turkish Avengers", which
said, "Baskin Oran is the next target after Hrant. We
shall cleanse that filth. The Armenian scum shall not
sleep quiet at night as long as we are!"

Professor Oran addressed the Prosecutor’s office.

By H. Chaqrian, translated by A.M.

PanARMENIAN.Net

RA President attended CIS informal summit in Saint Petersburg
07.06.2008 14:05 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan
attended the CIS informal summit in Saint Petersburg
on June 6, the RA leader’s press office reported.

The summit participants focused on the ways of
strengthening economic, humanitarian, cultural and
educational cooperation between the Commonwealth
member states.

The officials also attached importance to development
of business ties.

RUSSIA PLANS TO REINFORCE ITS AIR BASE IN KYRGYZSTAN

RIA Novosti
16:30 | 04/ 06/ 2008

MOSCOW, June 4 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s Air Force is planning to
increase in the near future the number of combat aircraft and personnel
deployed at the Kant air base in Kyrgyzstan, the Air Force commander
said on Wednesday.

The Russian base in Kant, about 20 miles west of the Kyrgyz capital,
Bishkek, was established in October 2003, and currently deploys about
400 troops, including 250 officers and NCOs and 150 conscripts, as well
as several Su-25 Frogfoot attack aircraft and Su-27 Flanker fighters,
two Mi-8 combat transport helicopters, and four L-39 combat trainers.

"The base will soon receive four combat trainers from the Krasnodar
military pilot school, an An-26 transport plane and several new Su-27
aircraft," Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin said.

"We will also start a comprehensive flight training program for young
pilots there," he added.

The 2003 bilateral agreement between Russia and Kyrgyzstan stipulates
the presence of the Kant air base in the Central Asian republic
for 15 years with an automatic extension every five years after the
expiration of the original term.

The agreement is in the framework of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization – a regional security bloc in Central Asia, which also
includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Kyrgyz Defense Minister Ismail Isakov said in March that Russia
annually pays some $4.5 million to Kyrgyzstan for military bases and
also provides Bishkek with military and technical equipment as part
of the lease agreements.

NEW DATE FOR OSCE MONITORING ON CONTACT LINE OF ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI ARMED FORCES NOT SPECIFIED YET

arminfo
2008-06-03 16:59:00

ArmInfo. The new date for the OSCE monitoring on the contact line
of the Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces is not specified yet,
Colonel Andranik Mkrtumyan, the head of the border representation of
the operations department of RA armed forces’ general staff, told
journalists, commenting upon the failure of the June 3 monitoring
because of the Azeri party’s fault.

According to Colonel Mkrtumyan, earlier Azerbaijan rejected the
Armenian party’s request to hold the OSCE monitoring near the populated
area Chinari, therefore today the monitoring should have been held near
the Armenian village Berkaber. "However, at the fixed time the Azeri
party failed to come to the meeting as the Azeri foreign ministry
hadn’t filed a note on security guarantee in due time", Mkrtumyan
said. Replying to ArmInfo correspondent’s question how often such
failures happen, Mkrtumyan noted that Azerbaijan often shifts the
place of the monitoring, but this was the first case when people came
to the place of the monitoring and the latter wasn’t carried out.

EDWARD O’HARA: "SITUATION IN NAGORNO KARABAKH IS VERY DANGEROUS"

Azeri Press Agency
June 2 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku. Tamara Grigorieva-APA. "Ten days ago I met with the members
of Azerbaijan’s Parliament at the meeting of the Council of Europe
Committee in Paris and discussed with them details of my mission to
Baku and Nakhchivan", Edward O’Hara, British MP and PACE Culture,
Education and Science Committee Rapporteur on the studying of cultural
heritage in the South Caucasus told APA exclusively.

He said his proposals caused interest at the meeting. "I didn’t feel
their intention for special cooperation. Azerbaijani side expressed
its position with the upcoming presidential elections. There is
enough time until the elections and we can visit the region in this
period". The British parliamentarian said he believed in realization of
his visit. "We are still learning the working schedules and negotiating
the issue. I hope we can realize the visit later in June and early
in July". Edward O’Hara expressed opinion on the visit to Nagorno
Karabakh. "Of course, we are planning to visit Nagorno Karabakh region,
but it is not an easy visit, because the situation in Nagorno Karabakh
is very dangerous".

SCHOOL GRADUATES HAVING FIRST EXAMINATION TODAY

ARMENPRESS
June 2, 2008

YEREVAN, JUNE 2, ARMENPRESS: About 50,000 school graduates are having
their first Armenian language and literature examination today.

Part of them are having so-called unified examination meaning that
those of them who will decide to enter a state-run university will
not have to take this exam again as their school examination mark
will be taken into account.

Acting Education and Science Minister Levon Mkrtchian visited a school
in Yerevan to see the process on the ground. According to him, it is
being videotaped giving parents an opportunity to see their children
in the examination hall.

The tests will be checked by school teachers. The minister said
passage to test examination system is the best way to asses school
leavers knowledge.

The correct answers will be posted today at 3 pm on the official
website of the Assessment and Testing Center of the ministry and all
graduates can compare their answers. The official results will be
made public on June 5. Graduates are entitled to appeal their marks
by a clearly-cut procedure.

The next unified emanation will be on mathematics on June 10. Some
10,000 graduates have applied to have it. The foreign language
examination is scheduled for June 17.

CATHOLICOS KAREKIN II CONGRATULATES ARMENIANS ON THE DAY OF REPUBLIC

ARMENPRESS
May 28, 2008

ETCHMIADZIN, MAY 28, ARMENPRESS: Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin
II congratulated Armenians on the Day of Republic. Press service
of the Holy See told Armenpress that in his message the Catholicos
particularly said, "On the Day of the Armenian Republic, when we are
marking the 90th anniversary of declaration of Armenian Republic,
we extend our greetings to our beloved people of Armenia, Artsakh
and Diaspora.

The restoration of the Armenian statehood on the days of May battles
in 1918 was a great event for our people, saved Homeland to which
the Armenian people dedicated all their strength giving birth to
its national-state life. The memories of that days and achievements
encourage and inspire devotion to serve to our homeland with love."

ARMENPRESS

17TH SESSION OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF -HAYASTAN-
PAN-ARMENIAN FUND HELD TODAY

YEREVAN, MAY 27, ARMENPRESS: Armenian President,
Chairman of the Board of Trustees of -Hayastan-
Pan-Armenian Fund Serzh Sargsian chaired today the
17th session of the Board of Trustees. The aim of this
annual gathering is to discuss the work carried out
during the past year, specify the steps which must be
undertaken in the coming year. After the blessing of
the Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II the
president declared the opening of the session.
-I highly underscore the activity of the -Hayastan-
pan-Armenian fund and as a head of the Board of
Trustees will do everything to keep the efficiency of
this important for Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora relations
institution high. The fund has passed a long way to
and while preparing to this session I tried to get
acquainted in details with its activity, issues and
thought over the future steps. I highly underscore
today’s session as an opportunity of frank and open
discussion. I think we have serious work to do to
analyze the way we passed and plan the future
actions,- Serzh Sargsian said to the participants of
the session.
He congratulated the new members of the Board of
Trustees – Karabakh President Bako Sahakian, Prime
Minister Tigran Sargsian, Prime Minister of Nagorno
Karabakh Arayik Harutyunian, Armenian Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian, Finance Minister Tigran Davtian,
head of the State Tax Service Vahram Barseghian,
representative of the Ramkavar Azatakan party George
Manukian. Serzh Sargsian also thanked Robert Kocharian
for heading the Board of Trustees for ten years.
During the past year the list of donators of the
fund has been enlarged. The president said that a
certificate of the donator member will be granted to
Martin Liederman from Germany. The local donator
members have become -VivaCell-, -ACBA Credit
Agricole-, -Ardshininvest- banks, -Karabakh Telecom-
and businessman Michael Baghdasarov.
The executive director of the fund Vahe
Aghabekyants said that last year about 11 million USD
from the 22 million was provided for the
implementation of programs in Artsakh, another 11
million were directed towards implementation of
programs in Armenia. All the programs are in the
process currently, but because of exchange rate
fluctuations and increase of prices for building
materials two important programs have been suspended –
construction of Martakert hospital and a water
pipeline.
During the coming year the implementation of
programs will continue and according to Aghabekyants
the main focus will be on the implementation of
programs necessary for Armenia and Artsakh. Works will
also continue towards the implementation of rural
development programs.
The executive director suggested the Board of
Trustees to set up a task group which during the three
years will study the structure of the fund and will
prepare a package of suggestions of reforms. -Though
the establishment has rich experience but it needs to
be renovated just like any living organism so that it
will be able to confront new challenges,- he said.
Aghabekyants also noted that the structure, statute
of the fund need to be changed. This year too he said
the annual telethon will be held in November. The
report of Aghabekyants on the activity of the fund in
2007 was heard behind closed doors.
Karabakh President Bako Sahakian said the fund has
been created for the implementation of programs of
pan-national importance and during the past years the
establishment managed to implement its mission.
He said Karabakh has transferred from the
humanitarian programs but the elements of social
tension still exist. -The board is the best place to
raise issues and discuss them,- Bako Sahakian said,
noting that they also spoke about the programs of
development of villages.
During the session the sides also watched a film
telling about the activity of fund.

A1+

MINISTERS RESIGN
[08:41 pm] 27 May, 2008

-Ministers of the Dashnaktsutyun (Armenian
Revolutionary Federation) Party are going to resign in
a week’s time-, declared ARF Bureau Representative
Hrant Margarian today. However, the grounds for
resignation are not political. The Ministers have been
elected ARF Bureau members and are going to resign to
be able to properly carry out their membership duties.
They will be substituted by other members of the
Dashnaktsutyun Party but the final resolution will be
made by the Dashnaktsutyun Supreme Board. In reply to
the question if the reason for resignation is not the
fact that the same people are always in power, Hrant
Margarian answered: -The decision was made by the
ministers themselves. It was their wish.-

At the meeting held in Tsakhkadzor on May 21-26 the
ARF Party made an announcement saying: -After the
Presidential Elections the Dashnaktsutyun Party could
assume the role of opposition but the post-election
events put the country’s sovereignty and stability on
stake and the party members had to take the
responsibility to preserve them at any rate.-

On the other hand, it was stated in the announcement
that if the coalition government does not fulfill its
promises, the ARF will leave the coalition and become
opposition to be able to implement its plans out of
the government -without staking the country’s security
and betraying its democratic, political and
ideological principles.-

However, the divergence in views between the ARF and
the Government has already revealed itself. The ARF
does not welcome Zhirayr Sefilian’s deportation from
Armenia and Hrant Margarian himself informed Serzh
Sargssian about ARF’s disagreement on the matter. The
party also believes that every Armenian must be a
citizen of the Armenian Republic and calls to the
Armenians all over the world to become RA citizens.

Concerning the 1 March events the ARF Board declared:
-We have never laid the blame on one side only.
Everyone is to blame for the situation.- Hrant
Margarian even blamed the aggressive mass media that
is ready to tear up any individual who has uttered any
reasonable word. He also blamed the intellectual and
asked them to freely express their views -without
further calculations-.

-We are a party that is willing to support the
country’s security-, Hrant Margarian declared.

Armenia 2 – 4
Spain

Spain deny Armenia consolation
Tuesday 27 May 2008

Spain ended UEFA European Under-19 Championship
qualifying with a perfect record after a comeback
victory against Elite round Group 7 hosts Armenia
today.

Armenia ahead
Having already won all three of their qualifying round
matches in the autumn, Spain defeated Ukraine 3-1 and
Turkey 3-0 in Armenia to confirm their place in July’s
finals in the Czech Republic as they seek to become
the first nation to win the title for a third year in
succession. Armenia, without a point, already knew
they would finish bottom but seemed on course for a
shock win today when Voskanyan put them ahead on 20
minutes and Norayr Gyozalyan doubled the lead just
before the first half entered injury time.

Comeback
But two minutes into that additional period Iván
Bolado pulled one back and Artak Antonyan put through
an own goal early in the second half to equalise. Then
in the last six minutes Arsenal FC playmaker Fran
Mérida struck twice to seal Spain’s win and keep them
three points ahead of Ukraine, who beat Turkey 3-0 for
second place. Spain go into the draw on Sunday along
with the hosts, Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany and three
teams to be decided, while the tournament runs from
14-26 July.

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