Author: Madatian Greg

"DEMOCRATIC ARMENIA" UNION URGES U.S. SENATE TO SPEED UP SUBSTITUTION
OF U.S. AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA

Arka News Agency, Armenia
July 17 2006

YEREVAN, July 17. /ARKA/. "Democratic Armenia" union urges the U.S.

Senate to speed up the substitution of the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia,
the union’s representative, President of the National Press Club
Narine Lazarian reported today. The statement particularly says
about a failure in the U.S. policy in establishing the values
of freedom and democratic development. "The American Embassy,
particularly Ambassador John Evans and also the organizations,
called to contribute to the democratic development in Armenia
are responsible for the failure," Lazarian said. Besides this,
"Democratic Armenia" union calls the U.S. Senate to speed up the
substitution of the Ambassador. The Armenian lobby of the USA also
urges the Senate to be careful in choosing an ambassador, who can
be devoted to democracy in the name of Armenia’s strengthening and
for the good of improvement of the Armenian-American relations.

According to the position of the Armenians of America, the reason
of the pre-term recall of incumbent U.S. Ambassador John Evans is
his statement on recognition of the Armenian Genocide that he made in
February 2005 during his speech to the Armenian Diaspora in California.

Richard Hogland was assigned new Ambassador to Armenia.

Azeri delegation in PACE has prepared more than 50 documents

Baku Today, Azerbaijan
July 15, 2006

The Azerbaijani delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe (PACE) has prepared more than 50 documents, Rafael Huseynov,
the member of Azerbaijani delegation in PACE, told Trend.

He noted that 45 out of the documents have been prepared by himself.
"Some of them have been dedicated to the European problems, turning
of the Council of Europe into a developed organization and democratic
reforms in Europe. A majority of documents have been prepared with
various aspects of Armenian policy against Azerbaijan," he told.

Besides, he stressed that the members of Azerbaijani delegation
have prepared documents on the damage inflicted by Armenians to
the agriculture and ecology of Azerbaijan, Armenians’ destroying
the cultural monuments, keeping nuclear remainders in Azerbaijan’s
occupied territories and firing the forests.

Huseynov noted that the Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan is
not ordinary, but complex problem. "Armenia pursues the policy of
destroying Azerbaijani people. This policy has many aspects each with
individual document," he told.

According to him, 300 deputies from more than 40 Council of Europe
member-countries have passed their signature on the prepared
documents. "In result of this, on January 25, 2005, in the first
paragraph of the resolution No. 1416 Armenia was recognized as
aggressor country and Nagorno-Karabakh as separatist regime," he added.

RA FOREIGN MINISTRY EXPRESSES DEEP ANXIETY ABOUT EVENTS IN LEBANON
AND CONDEMNS ANY ACT OF VIOLENCE

YEREVAN, JULY 14, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. RA Foreign Ministry
came up with a statement on July 14 where it expressed deep anxiety
about operations and many victims among the peaceful population
in Lebanon.

"Armenia condemns any act of violence, be it taking hostage or
application of force. We especially consider inadmissible application
of unequal force, which does harm to citizens and infrastructures,"
RA FM declared.

"Such act of Israel is difficult to understand, especially in
consideration of the fact that the Lebanese government had precisely
said that it has no connection with the incident of taking hostage,"
the statement read.

The Armenian foreign political department expressed the hope that
"there will be reserve in the region and a truce will be immediately
established, for the current problems to be solved through
negotiations."

Russian Transport Minister Arriving in Armenia Today

PanARMENIAN.Net
11.07.2006 16:32 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russian Transport Minister, Co-Chair of the
Armenian-Russian intergovernmental economic commission Igor Levitin
is to arrive in Armenia on a working visit on July 11. The Transport
Minister is accompanied by Head of the Interstate Aviation Committee
Tatyana Anodina. During the visit, the Russian delegation is scheduled
to meet Armenian President Robert Kocharian, Secretary of the National
Security Council, Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan, as well as other
top officials of the Armenian government. During the meetings issues
of bilateral cooperation and investigation of the A-320 crash near
Sochi on May 3 are to be discussed, reports IA Regnum.

BBC Monitoring quotes from the Turkish press 11 July 06

Israelis and Palestinians

Hurriyet (centrist) Can there be anyone who believes that what is
happening in Palestine is not covered in information available to
the USA, or even its new Middle East map? The government in Turkey
knows what is happening in Iraq and Palestine but ignores it. It even
gives covert approval, while our Muslim brothers scream "Damn the USA,
Damn Israel!’ and burn US and Israeli flags.

(Commentary by Bekir Coskun)

What nerve, what indifference the Ehud Olmert government [in Israel]
has not to hesitate openly to commit a crime not only in terms of
international law but also in terms of the law on war despite the 60
years that have passed [since the Holocaust against Jews]. The ‘law
on war’ definitely bans both collective responsibility and collective
punishment! (Commentary by Hadi Uluengin)

Milliyet (centrist) The world has already forgotten Bosnia. Now
it is watching the massacre by Israel in Palestine. (Commentary by
Can Dundar)

It is obvious this strategy will rebound. The violence will not stop
and Israel will not get anywhere like this. The whole world says
so openly. How far can the Olmert administration risk being pushed
into a total isolation in the international community? (Commentary
by Sami Kohen)

Radikal (centre-left) The slogan of the groups who have recently
reacted sincerely in the name of the Palestinians is ‘The people of
Palestine are not alone’;. But in reality the Palestinian people
have been alone, very alone from the beginning. Pro-Palestinian
public opinion in the West is far from determining foreign policy,
as usual. And we are all already well aware of the attitude of the
Muslim countries that are supposed to be backing the Palestinian
cause. (Commentary by Nuray Mert)

Turkey and USA

Bugun (centrist) Whether it is Iran, Hamas, Syria or Israel-Palestine,
Turkey is in no position to resolve any issue in the Middle East on
its own. Terms like ‘mediator’ or ‘facilitator’ are meaningful only
when there is coordination or a common vision with the USA. Documents
like the ‘Strategic Vision’ [recently declared by Turkey and the USA]
becomes meaningful when there are common efforts on the issues such
as Hamas and Iran. (Commentary by Cengiz Candar)

Security threats to Turkey

Cumhuriyet (secular, Kemalist) The Soviet Union has disintegrated,
Yugoslavia has disintegrated, Iraq has (de facto) disintegrated. Turkey
is under siege. Terrorists in northern Iraq under American occupation
are continuing their bloody attacks in Anatolia. An Armenian state in
the north and a (de facto) Kurdish state to the southeast of Turkey
have been formed. The enmity among the Armenian, Greek Cypriot
and Greek diasporas is becoming extreme. The process of settling
outstanding accounts with the Republic of Turkey has started.

(Commentary by Ilhan Selcuk)

David Nalbandyan the third best tennis player in the world

ArmRadio.am
11.07.2006 14:00

With 3185 points Argentinean Armenian tennis player David Nalbandyan
is the third in the list of the best tennis layers of the world
issued by the Professional Tennis Association.

Swiss Roger Federer, winner of the last Wimbledon Championship is
leading the list with 7260 points. Rafael Nadal of Spain is the second
with 5125 points. Ivan Lyubichich of Croatia occupies the 4th place
with 3125 points.

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
July 10 2006

Court related to Yeni Fikir Youth Movement leadership continued

[ 10 Jul. 2006 18:40 ]

Today Court related to Yeni Fikir Youth Movement leadership continued
chaired by Tofig Huseynov in the Court against Grave Crimes.(APA).

Chairman of the Court warned the sides to follow the rules of the
Court.

Speeches of the sides were listened in the meeting. Public prosecutor
Shahin Rahimov stated that claims against the accused on the article
of Criminal Code 278 has been confirmed. (Staging c’oup). He stated
the crime of chairman of the organization Ruslan Bashirli with his
deputies – Seid Nuri and Ramin Tagiyev, making speeches on staging
coup in meetings in different regions of Azerbaijan. the prosecutor
stated relations of Ruslan Bashirli with Armenian special service
organs in Tbilisi. The prosecutor demanded Ruslan Bashirli 7, Tagiyev
5 years with grave regime, Nuri 3 years of imprisonment. Then lawyers
made speeches in the Court. The lawyer Elchin Gambarov said that not
any fact related to Nuri and Tagiyev has been confirmed and demanded
their release.

Ruslan Bashirli making speech said that during investigation,
psychotropic substances were used against him. Ruslan Bashirli and
prosecutor made dispute when he was making speech.

The Court will announce verdict in the next meeting. The time of the
next meeting is not known yet./APA/

Iranian envoy says Garabagh mediators’ efforts ‘fruitless’

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Posted July 10 2006

Baku, July 7, AssA-Irada — The Iranian ambassador to Azerbaijan Afshar
Suleymani has said mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group in settling the
Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict has been fruitless
and other levers of influence should be sought to reach peace.

"Each side is defending its own interests. Upper Garabagh has turned
into an intensely watched issue and the co-chairs [from the United
States, Russia and France] have their own interests in this respect,"
the envoy said during a visit to the areas in the Tovuz District
bordering on Armenia. The district is often subjected to shooting
by Armenians.

"The main thing is the Azerbaijani people’s interests, and they are
being abandoned. The co-chairs just sit down and make proposals,
but they should put pressure."

The ambassador who met with local residents to become familiar with
their living conditions said the rights of the local population to live
and work freely is restricted and their security is not being ensured.*

Armenia Tree Project
65 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472 USA
Tel: (617) 926-TREE
Email: [email protected]
Web:

Armenia Tree Project
57/5 Arshakunyats Street
Yerevan, Armenia 0026
Tel: (37410) 447-401
Email: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE
July 10, 2006

ATP Plants Over 340,000 Seedlings During Large Scale Reforestation of Getik
River Valley This Spring

— Brings Total Number of Trees Planted by ATP This Spring to 487,200

YEREVAN–Armenia Tree Project (ATP) expanded its reforestation program by
planting 343,750 trees in the Getik River Valley of the Gegharkounik region
north of Lake Sevan in April-May 2006. Plantings on two massive forest plots
covered a total of 400 acres with indigenous species of trees, including
chestnut, maple, ash, oak, walnut, wild apple, and wild pear.

Eighty workers–all residents of the villages of Aghavnavank, Dzoravank,
Dprabak, and Aygut–were employed by ATP to implement the tree-planting
activity on the neighboring hillsides. Seedlings were purchased from
backyard nurseries owned by 118 families in these rural communities, which
are mainly inhabited by Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan.

The very first step in this initiative was taken during the year of ATP’s
10th anniversary, when the organization announced the beginning of the first
extensive reforestation initiative. ATP’s Rural and Mountainous Development
(RMD) Program was strengthened this season with the generous support of the
Bilezikian Family Foundation and United Armenian Charities, which assisted
the expansion of the backyard nursery program, and the Mirak Family
Foundation, which provided funding to establish a reforestation nursery in
the village of Margahovit in the Lori region.

The backyard nursery program began as a pilot project in 2004 in the village
of Aygut. Working with communities and local officials, ATP entered into
agreements with 17 families who were interested in growing tree seedlings
that would be used in the reforestation of once densely wooded mountains
that were enormously degraded over the last decade. The initiative was
designed to reverse the effects of this deforestation, which led to severe
flooding and erosion in the villages along the Getik River.

In 2004-2006, the program was expanded to include four neighboring villages.
The owners of the backyard nurseries were supplied with seeds, tools, and
equipment, and ATP agro-specialists visited nurseries to provide technical
assistance, training, and consultation to the farmers.

"When we began our backyard nursery program we looked for an area that would
benefit most from our reforestation efforts," stated ATP Executive Director
Jeff Masarjian. "We started with the knowledge that deforestation was linked
to poverty. We knew that in addition to planting trees, we had to provide
people with a steady income so they could meet their basic needs."

According to a household survey conducted by ATP in 2003, the average annual
income of rural villagers in Aygut was $280 US, so the money earned by the
families and workers involved in this project has provided a desperately
needed source of income.

"In two years we have grown from helping 17 families learn how to start
their own tree nurseries to now providing a stable income for 330 families
who are creating a successful and renewable source of tree seedlings for the
degraded hillsides around their villages," noted ATP founder Carolyn Mugar.
"ATP has found a way to create reliable ‘micro-enterprise’ partnerships with
these families, and we are grateful to our supporters for helping us bring
their work to fruition."

Armen Gharayan, a 38 year-old refugee who worked at the reforestation site
this spring, commented: "I was preparing to leave my village for good. Lack
of job and vital livelihood forced my family to plan for moving to Russia.
Because of ATP and its benevolent mission carried out on the territory
adjacent to Dzoravank village, I was able to participate in this project and
earn a living. On behalf of my whole family, I want to pass our heartfelt
thanks to ATP for this opportunity to remain in my homeland and restore the
mistreated environment of the Getik Valley."

This spring, ATP purchased 95,000 healthy and strong seedlings from 118
families as part of its rural economic development program. These families
earned 9.5 million drams, which is equal to $21,000 US. The remaining
seedlings were propagated by ATP at a large reforestation nursery in Lori
region. ATP distributed another $39,000 in the region to hire 80 workers and
to transplant the seedlings from the nurseries to the reforestation plots.

Zoya Manucharyan, the owner of one of the most productive backyard
nurseries, has been collaborating with ATP for more than three years:
"Thanks to Armenia Tree Project I could buy a house, which was unaffordable
before. Being a part of the reforestation program during the past three
years helped us improve our living accommodations and inspired us to
continue preserving Armenia’s gorgeous nature. I would be happy to
collaborate with ATP again."

Plans are being made now to expand the RMD Program for the upcoming fall
planting season. In addition, ATP’s Community Tree Planting (CTP) division
accomplished the planting of 143,450 trees and shrubs in every region of
Armenia, including Artsakh, nearly tripling their previous planting record.

ATP was founded in 1994 with the vision of securing Armenia’s future by
protecting its environment and advancing its socio-economic development by
mobilizing resources to fund reforestation, community tree planting,
environmental education and advocacy, as well as rural development through
job creation. ATP uses trees to improve the standard of living of Armenians,
promoting self-sufficiency and aiding those with fewest resources first.

In just over 12 years ATP has planted and rejuvenated almost 1,250,000 trees
at over 600 sites in Armenia and Artsakh. With the establishment of the new
Mirak Family Reforestation nursery in Lori and expansion of the backyard
nursery program, ATP hopes to begin planting over one million trees each
year to help secure the future of Armenia.

PHOTO CAPTIONS

(ATP workers.jpg) Eighty workers from the villages of Aghavnavank,
Dzoravank, Dprabak, and Aygut were employed by ATP to assist in the
reforestation of 400 acres of land in the Getik River Valley this spring
(Photo by Haik Badalyan)

(ATP seedlings.jpg) Over 343,750 seedlings purchased from 118 families or
grown in ATP’s reforestation nursery in Lori were planted in the Getik
Valley of the Gegharkounik region north of Lake Sevan (Photo by Haik
Badalyan)

THE MOSKOVSKY KOMSOMOLETS: GUILTY OF A-320 CRASH SHOULD BE SOUGHT FOR ON LAND

PanARMENIAN.Net
06.07.2006 14:31 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A month after the catastrophe of the passenger
plane of Armavia Air Company, which resulted in death of 133 people,
officials did not announce the cause of the tragedy. All unofficial
versions are lead to one – pilots’ fault, the Moskovsky Komsomolets
writes. However, decoding of flight recorders evidence that those
guilty in death of people should be sought for on land. Three weeks
have passed since A-320 airborne recorders were decoded in France
and the data was submitted to the Inter-State Aviation Committee.

The latter has not provided an official explanation of the causes
of the catastrophe up to now, while the analysis by MK experts shows
the human factor is not the only cause. In the opinion of test pilot
Alexander Akimenkov, the A-320 crew merely lacked altitude.

"There are no suicides among pilots and if the crew dies, taking away
hundreds of passengers with them, those guilty should be sought among
those living on land," Akimenkov said.

The flight and the air crash of A-320 will be soon modeled in France,
based on the decoded data of the flight recorders. To that end sound
and technical parameters will be compared. According to specialists,
in 3-4 days the Inter-State Aviation Committee will make its final
conclusion on the causes of the tragedy.

On May 3 night Airbus-320 owned by Armavia national carrier crashed
in the Black Sea 6 km away from Adler airport killing all of 113
people aboard, including 6 children and 8 crewmembers. Among them
were 26 Russian citizens, one Ukrainian and one Georgian citizen,
while the rest were Armenian citizens.