Author: Madatian Greg

AZERBAIJANI PARLIAMENT DENOUNCES CONGRATULATIONS ADDRESSED TO TIGRAN TOROSIAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
09.06.2006 14:16 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “The reports on the congratulations allegedly
addressed by Azeri Parliament Speaker Oktay Asadov to newly elected
Chairman of the Armenian National Assembly are groundless and
false,” Akif Nasirov, the Spokesman of the Azerbaijani Milli Mejlis
stated. “There was no congratulation of the kind and such reports
appear as a part Armenia’s anti-Azerbaijani propaganda,” he added.

Meanwhile, as RA NA Speaker Tigran Torosian told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter, Asadov’s congratulatory address was read June 8 by Asif
Hajiyev, the head of the Azeri delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly
of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization at the BSECO PA
plenary session in Yerevan.

“Oktay Asadov has really addressed a message to the BSECO PA and a
congratulatory message to me. It was read during the session. By the
way, the Echo, Baku-based newspaper, has already written that Asadov
was right to invite the delegates to Baku but the congratulation to
Tigran Torosian on the occasion of his election to the post of the
Speaker was, to put it mildly, was unnecessary,” the RA NA Chairman
reminded.

ARAGATSOTN BRANCH OF NIG APARAN COMPATRIOTS’ UNION FUNCTIONS ACTIVELY

Noyan Tapan
Jun 06 2006

APARAN, JUNE 6, NOYAN TAPAN. The left branch of the former
cooperative building of Aparan was restored by financial resources
of the Nig Aparan Compatriots’ Union and was gratuitously given to
the Aragatsotn Branch of the “National Center of Development of
Small and Meddium-Sized Entrepreneurial Activity” fund the place
for activity of which was chosen in the city of Aparant still since
2004. As Robert Makarian, the Director of the fund marz branch informed
the Noyan Tapan correspondent, as a result of implementation of the
program of assisting progress in the market of business-consulting,
business-educational, information, products and services, about 276
small and meddium-sized enreprenuer subjects got assistance from the
Aragatsotn branch in 2005. And already 116 small and meddium-sized
enterprises got assistance during the first quarter of 2006.

AZERBAIJAN INTENDS TO HAVE THE KARABAKH ISSUE INCLUDED IN THE AGENDA OF THE OSCE SUMMER SESSION

ArmRadio.am
07.06.2006 12:13

Azerbaijan intends to have the Karabakh issue included in the agenda
of the OSCE summer session, which will be held July 3-7 in Brussels.

The Azeri delegation will prepare speeches on “Guaranteeing human
security over OSCE territory,” “Trend” agency informs. According to
the head of the Azeri delegation at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
Eldar Ibrahimov, the topic will refer to “Occupation policy of Armenia
and the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.”

Ibrahimov noted also that the Azeri side will use the opportunity
to have the Nagorno-Karabakh issues included in the agenda of the
summer session.

BUSH WILL BRING TOGETHER ALIYEV AND KOCHARYAN
by Sokhbet Mamedov

Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, 1 June, 2006, p.6
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
June 5, 2006 Monday

OVERTURE IN THE PROCESS OF SETTLEMENT OF THE KARABAKH PROBLEM IS TAPPED
BY WASHINGTON; A regular meeting of the heads of the two countries
which are in the conflict is planned to take lace at the beginning
of next week in Bucharest, during the summit “The Black Sea is for
partnership and dialog”.

The West doesn’t give up attempts to reconcile Presidents of Azerbaijan
and Armenia, Ilkham Aliyev and Robert Kocharjan, and to get from them
effective steps in settlement of the problem of Karabakh. A regular
meeting of the heads of the two countries which are in the conflict
is planned to take place at the beginning of next week in Bucharest,
during the summit “The Black Sea is for partnership and dialog”. The
fact that both Aliyev and Kocharjan will take part in this event
is confirmed in the process of the visit of the delegation of these
countries – co-chairmen of the Minsk group of OSCE, the corresponding
declarations were made by Head of MIA of Azerbaijan Elmar Mamedyarov
and Press-secretary of the President of Armenia Victor Sogomonyan.

It is interesting that the mission of mediators was reinforced
with Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Grigory Karasin,
Under-secretary of state of the USA Daniel Fried and Adviser to the
President of France on international questions Pier Morel. Commenting
upon the results of the meetings, which took place, Elmar Mamedjardov
reported to the journalists that this time mediators had some “new
ideas” concerning settlement of the conflict of Karabakh. Though,
mediators, as well as official figures of Azerbaijan and Armenia
preferred not to plant the details of these proposals.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan mass media states that according to the results
of the meeting in Baku and Yerevan “the mediators were able to find
a way to some compromise”. Special attention is paid to the fact
that the overture in the process of settlement of the conflict is
tapped step by step by Washington, which together with the partners
in the Minsk group of OSCE is intended by any means to solve the
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict in 2006. This aim was confirmed in the
felicitation to Ilkham Aliyev concerning the Day of the Republic on
the 28th of May in Azerbaijan by President of the USA George Bush.

(…)

According to the opinion of Baku analysts, “impatience” of President
Bush is a hint to some agreements, which were achieved during the
negotiations in Washington. In Baku, it is not excluded that this
is all about some American preferences in return to signing the main
principles of the peace settlement of the conflict.

The wish of Washington to make the process more intensifying
is accounted for by two reasons. First of all, petrol pipe
Baku/Tbilisi/Dzheikhn has already started operating, and the USA
together with the other countries of the West want to exclude any
opportunity of destabilization of the situation in the region, to
say nothing of starting battle-actions. Secondly, peace in Southern
Caucasia is necessary for the USA taking into consideration the real
perspective of using this region for pressure on Iran.

According to the information, which appeared in press, Baku and Yerevan
were suggested to sign an agreement, which was based on the methodology
“step by step”. It is possible that it will be about stage-by-stage
liberation of the territories which had been occupied around Nagorny
Karabakh, and about return of forced emigrants to the territories of
their former houses, as well as about creation of a system of security,
which will guarantee impossibility of renewal of military actions with
engagement of peacekeeping forces and demilitarization of the region,
restoration of the economic relations and communication between the
sides of the conflict. As far as the status of Nagorny Karabakh is
concerned, the solution of this problem will be delayed.

To what extent the participation of the USA in this process concerning
Karabakh will be effective, only the Azerbaijan-Armenian meeting will
show, which will take place in Bucharest. (…)

ARMENIAN MEN’S TEAM WON WORLD CHESS OLYMPIAD IN TORINO

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.06.2006 13:02 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia reinforced its status of chess power by
winning the World Chess Olympiad in Torino. As reported by the Armenian
Chess Federation, the Armenian men’s team garnered 36 out of 42 points
and was recognized the winner of the Tournament of Nations. The
Armenian chess players were leading from the 5th round and headed
the tournament table up to the end. It’s remarkable that the Armenian
team was among the favorites along with Russia, France and China.

The Armenian men’s team included international grand masters Levon
Aronyan (the winner of the FIDE world cup), Vladimir Hakobyan, Karen
Asryan, Smbar Lputyan, Gabriel Sargsyan and Artashes Minasyan.

China won silver with 34 points, the U.S. and Israeli men’s teams
shared the third position with 33 points.

They are followed by Hungary (32.3), Russia, Spain, France, Ukraine
and Bulgaria (32 points). As for the women’s team, their achievements
are more modest. They shared the 8-10 positions with Slovenia and
Czechia garnering 24 out of 39 possible. The women’s team included
grand masters Lilit Lazarian, Elina Daniyelyan, Nelli Aghinyan and
Siranush Andreasyan.

Panorama.am

13:47 02/06/06

ORINATS YERKIR FORMS A BROTHERHOOD WITH CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT UNION

Orinats Yerkir (OY) and Constitutional Right Union (CRU) will
cooperate at the doors of parliamentary elections, CRU member Haik
BABUKHANYAN told a press conference today. `In the past OY tried to
point out mistakes and unveil illegalities, but they were partly its
fault,’ Babukhanyan said.

For CRU the important thing is that OY is not in the ruling coalition
any more and CRU welcomes OY in the opposition. `They have come to the
awareness that this authorities are an evil for people and it is not
possible to change anything from inside,’ Babukhanyan said. During the
meeting with Artur Baghdasaryan, the two parties have decided to
discuss cooperation between the two in September./Panorama.am/

SYNDROME OF DEFEATED PEOPLE. HOMELAND IS THE SAFEST PLACE TO LIVE

Lragir.am
03 June 06

The reporter of Lragir.am asked Vahan Hovanisyan, ARF, to express his
view on the murder of two Armenian young men in Moscow.

According to him, we cannot see a determined anti-Armenian policy
behind what has happened because `representatives of other nations and
simply foreigners are murdered and undergo assaults.’ This teaches two
important lessons.

First, the `Russian society is sick. Only a nation suffering a loser’s
complex behaves so. Take, for example, Germany in the early 1930’s,
which started to repress ethnic minorities after a bitter defeat in
World War I.’ For Russia, it `was simply beaten in the cold war and
lost its domain called the Soviet Union.’ Then the Russian people
appeared in a situation when `the teaching of 70 years that the
Russian people are the most progressive, the best people, that
Mayakovsky’s poem saying that I would learn Russian only because Lenin
spoke it arouses laughter outside the borders of the Soviet Union. The
Germans defeated by them live better than they do. They are unable to
solve their economic problems even with the soaring price of oil. This
is the reason why the sick members of the society start behaving
so. The killers, the sick members of the society, shout `Glory to
Russia’, whereas those people, who could really bring glory to Russia,
remain silent.’

According to Vahan Hovanisyan, the Russian skinheads have no idea of
real fascism. `If the founders and political fathers of fascism
Mussolini, Franco, Salazar, who were southern Europeans and close to
the Armenian race, would become a target of skinheads on appearing at
one of the Russian markets.’

Therefore, Vahan Hovanisyan concludes that the actions of Russian
skinheads do not have an ideological ground. `Simply a set of
officials have turnedthis into a business.’

The second lesson is that `one can feel safe and secure in one’s
homeland only.’ Vahan Hovanisyan says though their murder is a deep
sorrow,they could nevertheless be useful. It is surprising that their
parents `living abroad for decades, should have realized that there is
always the danger of becoming victim in a foreign country. They saw it
in Baku but they did not learn anything and again preferred to go to
live in a foreign country. It is better to live a hard life in one’s
homeland than to be a well-off slave in a foreign country.’

The Russian law enforcement agencies say these killings do not have an
ethnic motive. `As the chairman of the Armenian-Russian Parliamentary
Committee, I always raise this issue. I think this issue will become
the key issue on the agenda of the next meeting.’ 2006 is declared an
Armenian year in Russia.

These murders allow Vahan Hovanisyan to conclude that `it is a
hypocritical, a Soviet-fashion false event, and this situation will no
way bring the societies and cultures closer.’
ARAM ZAKARYAN

WHY IS THE ALL-ARMENIAN MOVEMENT IDLING?

Lragir.am
02 June 06

The roots of the current home political developments should be sought
for in the All-Armenian Movement. This almost sensational statement
was made by Karapet Rubinyan, All-Armenian Movement, at the Hayeli
Club on June 2. Later he clarified himself, however, showing that
there is nothing sensational. Tracing the roots in the All-Armenian
Movement has a simple reason, said Karapet Rubinyan. He says the
All-Armenian Movement is the cause of both the good and the bad,
because it established the independence of Armenia, and everything
started when the All-Armenian Movement was in power. Karapet Rubinyan,
however, declines to comment on the silence of the political party
which gave birth to both the good and the bad. He says that as a
member of the All-Armenian Movement he is not responsible of the
idleness of the All-Armenian Movement.

Karapet Rubinyan says only that the paralyzed state of the
All-Armenian Movement is favorable for certain people. Rubinyan
declines to specify names, because he cannot give their names. But he
tells where these people, who benefit from the paralyzed and idle
state, can be found. `Both inside the government and the political
parties,’ Karapet Rubinyan tells the place wherecertain people can be
found.

RosBusinessConsulting, Russia
June 2 2006

Sistema eyeing Armenian operator

RBC, 02.06.2006, Moscow 19:51:45.Sistema has submitted a bid in
a tender for the acquisition of Armenian operator ArmenTel, Chairman
of Sistema’s Board of Directors Vladimir Yevtushenkov told
journalists today. This asset is not of strategic priority, but this
acquisition would make sense from the point of view of expanding
coverage to all former Soviet republics, he noted.

The outcome of the tender will be determined on the basis of
reasonable price feasibility, Yevtushenkov stressed, pointing out
that due to the price of Serbian mobile operator Mobi-63 being
overstated, Sistema had withdrawn the bid for its purchase.
Commenting on the company’s plans to enter the Iraqi market,
Yevtushenkov said that there had been no progress in this direction
because it is a “complex country”, but the company was still doing
its research into the global market. The official also added that
Sistema was looking into potential acquisitions in Vietnam, but he
declined to mention any specific names noting only that “many of them
were of interest”.

RA PRESIDENT VISITS VAYOTS DZOR MARZ

ArmRadio.am
02.06.2006 12:40

RA President has started on a visit to Vayots Dzor marz. The President
is scheduled to visit “Getnatun” winery in Yeghegnadzor, the grape
yards in Vernashen village and Gndevaz village, where a new water
pipeline is to be opened.

The President is accompanied by RA Minister of Agriculture Davit
Lockyan, Vayots Dzor Marzpet Samvel Sargsyan, Mayor of Yeghegnadzor
Sirekan Babayan, Director of “Getnatun” factory Aghasi Baghdasaryan,
Mayor of Vayk Taro Avetyan and Mayor of Jermuk Ruben Markosyan.