Author: Khondkarian Raffi

GOOGLE NEW SERVICE GENERAL EDUCATION PROBLEMS
Pan Armenian News
30.06.2005 07:44
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Google company has announced the launching of a
new service – the Google Earth. It is based on satellite imagery of
the whole of the planet surface. The program allows navigating over
the planet surface, where names of countries, towns and geographic
localities are mentioned. However, new technological capacities of
the Google service have unfortunately left far behind the general
educational level. Specifically, the Lake Sevan in Armenia is marked
as Gokcha – a Turkic name that Azerbaijanis are trying to attach
to the Lake just like they do referring to many other Armenian
geographic names.

[Congressional Record: June 29, 2005 (House)]
[Page H5434]
>>From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:cr29jn05-65]
PUBLIC BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS
Under clause 2 of rule XII, public bills and resolutions were
introduced and severally referred, as follows:
By Mr. SCHIFF (for himself and Mr. Pallone): H.R. 3103. A bill to
direct the Secretary of State to submit a report outlining the steps
taken and plans made by the United States to end Turkey’s blockade
of Armenia; to the Committee on International Relations.

ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR TO ITALY PRESENTS CREDENTIALS TO ITALIAN PRESIDENT
ARKA News Agency
June 28 2005
YEREVAN, June 28. /ARKA/. RA Ambassador to Italy Ruben Shugaryan has
presented his credentials to Italian President Adzelio Champi. The
press and information department, RA Foreign Office, reports that
the sides discussed the execution of agreements reached during
RA President Robert Kocharyan’s visit to Italy this January. The
sides also discussed Armenia’s European integration under the New
Neighborhood program, as well as the present stage of negotiations
over Armenian-Turkish relations and Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The
sides also pointed out the importance of Days of Armenian-Italian
friendship that are to be held in Armenia this autumn. P.T. -0–

ARMENIA APPLIES TO INTERPOL FOR HUNTING AZERI NATIONAL SECURITY AGENT
FAIK SHAMILOV
YEREVAN, JUNE 28. ARMINFO. Armenia has decided to apply to Interpol
for hunting Azeri national security agent Faik Shamilov, says Armenia’s
Prosecutor General Agvan Hovsepyan.
The decision was made in the framework of the espionage case of
Andrey Maziev. “National security services should ensure the security
of their own country but to use them for plotting a terror act or
official murder in another country is a crime,” says Hovsepyan.
He reminds that in the last few years there have been three espionage
trials in Armenia – Murad Bojolyan spying for Turkey, Nina Shilina
for Azerbaijan and Maziev also or Azerbaijan. “This proves that our
national security service is efficient,” says Hovsepyan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZG Armenian Daily #118, 28/06/2005
Armenian Genocide
YUSHENKO IS AGAINST REMEMBERING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN CRIMEA
WAC Condemns Kiev Authorities
Chairman of the World Armenian Congress, Ara Abrahamian, condemned
Ukrainian authorities in Kiev who opposed the decision of the Crimean
parliament to hold remembrance day of the Armenian Genocide in
1915. Abrahamian said that Kiev’s negative response to the Crimean
parliament to remember the Armenian Genocide reveals immaturity of
the Ukrainian authorities and shows that the country is not ready to
join the democratic states.
The Supreme Rada of Crimea, urged by head of the Russian Congress of
Crimea Sergey Shuvaynikov, declared April 24 to be the remembrance
day of the Armenian Genocide. The Ukrainian authorities have not been
making their stance known for 1 month.
In an interview to daily Azg Muscovite political analyst
Andranik Mihranian indicated 2 moments explaining Kiev’s position:
President Yushenko paid an official visit to Ankara and the Turkish
influence here is obvious, secondly, there is the Azeri factor as
Ukraine is largely dependent on Azerbaijan as regards to energy
carriers. Mihranian reminded of the United States’ example: more
than 3 dozens of US states have recognized the Armenian Genocide
but the executive power of the country does not interfere and try to
apply pressure.

PEOPLE SHOWED THEY LIVE IN A TRUE STATE
Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
26 June 05
The director of the Institute of CIS Countries, Member of Parliament
of Russian Duma Constantine Zatulin monitored the NKR parliamentary
election on June 19th. In the morning of June 20th he gave a press
conference for the mass media and the observers from different
countries at the press centre of the Central Election Committee. In the
beginning C. Zatulin said he had also monitored the latest presidential
election, and he was in Karabakh a month before, therefore, he is
well-acquainted with the Karabakh issue and the current situation
in the country. Highly evaluating the parliamentary election,
the director of the Institute of CIS Countries said, “Taking into
account that the results of the elections have not been officially
stated yet, I do not want to single out myself, but I would say the
opinions of the observers on the election are mostly similar. In this
poll the people of Nagorno Karabakh voted for different political
parties and candidates but, in the long run, the people voted for
democracy, at the same time viewing the matter as a resolution of the
political issue.” He mentioned that there are in the world, as it is
now trendy to say, unrecognized countries, and there is a mistaken
opinion especially among those who deny the existence of independent
Karabakh, and accuse Nagorno Karabakh of not only the absence of
statehood but also the right for self-determination. This election
once again shows that the logistical preparation and standards, as
well as the democratic means in Nagorno Karabakh are on a higher level
than in several neighbouring countries which do not want to recognize
NKR. “At least in Nagorno Karabakh it did not occur to anyone that
power could pass from father to son,” said C. Zatulin. “I think,
in this election with such a high turnout people bore in their minds
not only the election of candidates but also the issue of resolution
of the territorial dispute. This election revealed the commitment of
the people of Nagorno Karabakh to the democracy and acted as a means
for the people of different political views and interests to show
to the world that they live in a true state. One cannot explain this
activity otherwise, for the election campaign was politically tense,
and nevertheless, it did not give rise to cataclysms, incidents. The
election was free, transparent, better organized than the previous
ones.” C. Zatulin said he had visited several polling stations,
witnessed a number of positive things one will not come across in
other, even developed countries. He singled out the stamped electoral
rolls posted outside the polling stations, which is not practised in
Russia. According to him, all the observers pointed out the fact that
it is the first time that the parliamentary election in Karabakh is
held under both the majority and proportional representation system.
Although many candidates stated that people are not ready for this
system of election, nevertheless, the observers think people were quick
in orienting themselves in the new situation. In the end C. Zatulin
advised the candidates who had not passed either under the majority,
or the proportional representation system not to consider themselves
to be “finished” with politics. “I stood for the RF parliament for
four times, twice I lost and twice I won. I want to say that elections
are like parachute flights. And sometimes, elections mean risk. One
needs to pull the rip cord on time to land softly instead of falling,
falling and crushing against the ground.” C. Zatulin congratulated all
the elected candidates, wished success to the new members of parliament
and further effective activity for the good of the country and people
to all the candidates. Then he answered the questions of journalists.
LAURA GRIGORIAN. 26-06-2005

ARA ABRAHAMIAN: IMMATURITY OF UKRAINIAN SOVEREIGNTY OBVIOUS
Pan Armenian News
27.06.2005 03:24
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Ara Abrahamian, the Chairman of the World Armenian
Congress and the Union of Armenians of Russia subjected to sharp
criticism the Ukrainian leadership for speaking out against the
decision by the Crimean parliament to commemorate the Armenian Genocide
victims. In Abrahamian’s words, the negative response of official
Kyiv is the evidence of “immaturity of the Ukrainian sovereignty
and unavailability to the commonwealth of democratic states.” In
his turn Russian political scientist Andranik Migranian says that
“Kyiv’s actions question Ukraine’s joining to the EU and depreciate the
democratic rhetoric of the Ukrainian administration, Mediamax reports.

Financial Times, UK
June 26 2005
EU to discuss framework for Turkish talk
By Daniel Dombey in Brussels and Vincent Boland in Ankara
Published: June 26 2005 19:24 | Last updated: June 26 2005 19:24
The last act in Turkey’s decades-long quest to hold membership talks
with the European Union will begin this week, when the European
Commission sets out the proposed rules for the negotiations.

Unless all 25 EU member states can agree on a version of the
`negotiating framework’ which sets out the principles, procedures,
and issues for the planned talks the process will not begin on
schedule on October 3.
Olli Rehn, enlargement commissioner, has called on the EU to honour
its commitment, as has Tony Blair, incoming president of the council
of EU member states.
At present, EU officials believe the negotiations will begin on time,
but are still not certain. The key discussion between EU governments
is likely to be in September, just when Germany is expected to hold
elections that could be won by the Christian Democrats, who oppose
Turkish membership.
Turkey itself plays down any risk of delay, but also sounds a much
more cautious note than last year about its chances of membership.
`The negotiations will start on time because no European leader wants
to risk a rupture of EU-Turkish relations right now,’ said a Turkish
official. `Whether in six or seven years, people decide in favour of
some kind of privileged partnership rather than membership, that is a
different issue.’
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, prime minister, underlined Turkey’s position at
the weekend, saying it would not agree to any new conditions for EU
membership.
But in line with decisions endorsed by EU leaders, the Commission’s
proposed negotiating framework for Ankara, due to be presented on
Wednesday, will be far tougher than the ground rules for the 10
countries that joined last year.
Turkey, like Croatia, the EU’s other formal candidate for membership,
must not just promise reforms but implement them during the
negotiating process.
Even so, France and the Netherlands, two countries where wariness
about Turkish membership played a role in No votes on the EU
constitution, want the EU to look at Turkey’s record in recent
reforms before even beginning the talks.
Turkey pushed through a package of reforms this month, but Paris and
the Hague want the EU to examine their implementation ahead of the
Commission’s October report on the country.
Murat Yetkin, a columnist for Radikal newspaper, wrote on Friday that
Ankara had to be prepared for more difficulties ahead in Turkey’s
relationship with the EU.
He said the government needed to be ready to address difficult
questions such as Armenian claims of genocide in 1915, recognition of
the government of Cyprus, and the withdrawal of Turkish troops from
the divided island.

Anatolian Times, Turkey
June 26 2005
“Armenian Atrocity” Exhibition Opens In Germany
BREMEN – “Armenian Atrocity Exhibition“ has opened in Bremen,
Germany on Saturday as a result of initiatives of several Turkish
non-governmental organizations.
Visitors observed a minute of silence in memory of Turkish people who
were massacred by Armenian gangs during the era of the Ottoman
Empire.
There are many documents and photographs in the exhibition: “The
Other Side of the Coin“ showing Armenian atrocity against Turkish
civilians.
Turkish Consul General in Hannover Birgen Kesoglu said, “the events
in 1915 caused bitter grief among both Turkish and Armenian peoples.
Republic of Turkey has nothing to be ashamed of in its history.
Documents and photographs in this exhibition are the proofs of that.
Unfortunately, the Armenian diaspora has been trying to deceive the
world public opinion with its baseless allegations.“
The exhibition will remain open till June 30th.
A panel discussion will be held during the exhibition on so-called
Armenian genocide.
Meanwhile, a demonstration will take place in Bremen on July 2nd to
protest allegations about so-called Armenian genocide.

Armenpress
IRANIAN NATIONALS IN ARMENIA LINE UP FOR PRESIDENTIAL RUNOFF
TEHRAN, JUNE 17, ARMENPRESS: Several hundred of Iranian nationals living
in Armenia are lining up in front of Iran’s embassy in Yerevan to cast their
ballots in a presidential runoff and to select between the Expediency
Council Chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani or Tehran Mayor Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad, who emerged from the first round with most of votes.
Rafsanjani gained a total of 6,159,452 votes in the first round of the
presidential elections held on June 17 while 5,710,354 people voted in favor
of Ahmadinejad. The deputy Iranian ambassador to Armenia, Ali Akbar Jokra,
said the majority of Iranian nationals in Armenia, in the first round voted
in favor of Rafsanjani, who held the post between 1989 and 1997. He also
said the voter turnout was a little lower today than a week before,
explaining that the majority of Iranians here are students who left for
home. Ambassador Ali Reza Haghighyan reiterated today that regardless of who
is elected next president Iran’s relations with Armenia will not be affected
and they will go on to develop. Candidates require 50 percent of the votes
plus one, officially known as absolute majority to win outright.