Author: Talalian Arpi

POLITIZATION OF THE MENACE POSED BY LANDMINES IS UNACCEPTABLE
by Mamuka Gachechiladze
Translated by A. Ignatkin

Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, May 28, 2007, p. 16
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
May 30, 2007 Wednesday

Lack of information on threats costs people lives

PROBLEM OF LANDMINES IN GEORGIA; An update on the problem antipersonnel
mines pose in Georgia.

Most landmines on the territory of Georgia are in conflict areas.

Even in the relatively tranquil regions, however, landmines and
blind shells constitute a grave danger. Landmines around the still
functioning or abandoned Russian military objects pose a threat to
the locals’ life and limbs as well. According to the Defense Ministry
of Georgia, Russia withheld information on minefields or the location
of other high explosives when it was turning over its military bases
to the Georgian military.

Surveys and assessments appraise the problem at hand as limited or
minimal. Landmines meanwhile are frequently discovered on territories
adjacent to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and on the Dagestani, Chechen,
and Ingushetian parts of the Georgian-Russian border.

Georgian state officials maintain that the country has never made,
exported, or imported antipersonnel mines in all the years of
sovereignty. What Georgia inherited from the Soviet Union is regarded
as a small number of antipersonnel mines but how many exactly is
anybody’s guess. A moratorium on the use of antipersonnel landmines
has been in force in Georgia since September 1996.

The frequency of emergencies is one of the criteria of evaluating the
danger posed by landmines and blind shells. Thirty-one landmine and
explosive devices of other types were triggered in Georgia between
the second half of 2006 and April 2007. Official statistical data on
the noncombatants who perished or were maimed in these explosions are
not compiled by the Georgian state. ICBL GC (Georgian Committee of the
International Campaign to Ban Landmines) alone bothers to compile the
data, but even what it ends up with is not complete because the warring
sides are extremely uncooperative. Constant political speculations
and mutual accusations in the meantime make the compilation of hard
information even more difficult.

There is one other difficulty that should be taken into
consideration. There is no national agency in Georgia responsible
for the coordination of the actions in connection with landmines. The
Defense Ministry is responsible for landmine defusing in the areas of
hostilities and in military bases, while the Interior Ministry is in
charge when the matter concerns settlements, highways, and railroads.

Sources from the office of the president of Georgia announced in
May 2005 that a crisis center was to be formed under the aegis of
the National Security Council and that it would include a department
responsible for the landmine police, the evaluation of needs in this
sphere, and efficiency of defusing efforts.

The situation in the area of the Tskhinvali armed conflict is
particularly problematic. OSCE representatives said in May 2005 that
peacekeepers were surveying the terrain to make maps of minefields.

Georgian officials believe that all major minefields have been
mapped already, but point out that OSCE observers keep gathering
data on the likely minefields and tragic incidents. ICBL GC regularly
brings the matter of landmines and high explosives to the attention of
Tbilisi, the actual authorities running the region, and international
organizations. It is noncombatants gathering wood in the forests and
children who usually fall victim to landmines. The ICBL GC keeps
badgering structures (national and international, recognized and
denied recognition) to take adequate measures both in conflict areas
and throughout Georgia. Unfortunately, the problem is inevitably made
political, and negotiations over it are essentially political too.

All of that impairs the process of defusing, which means that other
measures are desperately and urgently needed.

Engineering reconnaissance of the territories is needed, preferably
with help from international organizations. Experts agree that the
establishment of a joint Georgian-Ossetian bomb disposal squad is
needed (in cooperation with peacekeepers, that is) for the optimal
solution of the problem in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict area. As
a matter of fact, there is certain experience in humanitarian bomb
disposal in the southern part of the Caucasus to draw on. Seventy
US instructors ran training courses for Georgian, Azerbaijani, and
Armenian military specialists in Krtsanisi not far from Tbilisi in
September 2000.

Before getting to defusing itself, however, some serious work should
be organized with the population of the areas in question and with
military contingents quartered there. Defusing and humanitarian
defusing are different procedures. What we need is humanitarian
defusing, and the distinction is vital.

When the OSCE mission and other international organizations state
that they have humanitarian defusing capacity, it is necessary first
and foremost to inform the population of the existing danger.

Humanitarian defusing takes time. If the program suggested by the
ICBL GC is accepted and initiated, the information campaign which is
really a must may begin without delay.

It should also be added that Georgia is not yet a signatory of the
Antipersonnel Mine Ban Treaty but supports the global ban on the use
of antipersonnel mines. Moreover, it has voted "aye" on all annual
resolutions of the UN General Assembly banning antipersonnel mines
ever since 1996. In may 2005, Georgy Dolidze of the Foreign Ministry
announced that the matter of subscription to the Antipersonnel Mine
Ban Treaty was being reconsidered after the Rose Revolution, i.e.
that it would be signed.

Mamuka Gachechiladze is ICBL GC Executive Director, researcher for
and author of the annual Landmine Monitor, Georgia report since 2000.

ON THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF LIBERATION OF SHUSHI
By Gohar Julhakian

Yerkir.am
May 25, 2007

The liberation of Shushi in 1992 was a breakthrough in the Artsakh
war. For the Armenians Shushi was not merely a city: it has always
been a center of Armenian culture and science. Twenty one newspapers
and magazines were published in Shushi in the beginning of the XX
century, two of which were published in Russian.

The 15th anniversary of the liberation of Shushi was celebrated in
the National Library. An exhibition dedicated to the liberation of
Shushi was launched at the library. Books, photos and other materials
were available at the exhibition.

High-ranked military officials, intellectuals and many guests attended
the celebration. Director of the National Library David Sargsian says
the library will periodically organize events dedicated to the 15th
anniversary of liberation of Shushi.

"The liberation of Shushi was the greatest of our victories. It is
the victory of the entire Armenian nation since the entire secular
and spiritual strength of the Armenian nation was united during the
liberation of the city," Sargsian said.

Member of the ARF’s Supreme Body Artashes Shahbazian believes
liberation of Shushi was the turning point after which the Armenian
soldiers could be sure that they would be able to liberate Artsakh
as well.

"The liberation of Shushi was a pan-national victory because Armenia,
Artsakh and the Diaspora were united. The Armenian nation once again
proved in this struggle that it is powerful, that it can win if it
is united," Shahbazian said.

Spartak Gharabaghtsian’s film titled "Shushi" was screened
during the exhibition. The film presents the history of Shushi in
1920-1988. Zorakan bank, singer Manik Grigorian, Tkzar bank performed
during the celebration. The event was organized with support from
the ARF.

COUNCIL OF EUROPE INFORMATION OFFICE ORGANISES PUPPET PLAY IN GYUMRI

ArmRadio.am
29.05.2007 17:11

The protection of children from violence and promoting children rights
is one of the key Council of Europe activities aimed at constructing
a violence-free Europe. To raise public awareness in the European
societies and alert the CoE member states about the need to combat
violence against children, the Council of Europe initiated Building
a Europe for and with Children campaign.

Launched in April 2005 at the Monaco conference, the campaign aims to
bring to the fore the Council of Europe children rights protection
instruments and encourage debates on the issue at various fora on
international, regional and local levels.

In this context, the Council of Europe Information office in Armenia,
in cooperation with the the Armenian Centre of the International
Association of Puppeteers has prepared a thematic interactive play
that views children rights violation in the Armenian context. The
play displays scenes from school, home and playground and encourages
children to raise and analyse important issues affecting their
everyday life.

The play will be performed free of charge for around 180 schoolchildren
on 31 May at the Puppet Theater after Stepan Alikhanyan in the city
of Gyumri.

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
May 25 2007

President of Azerbaijan Officially Inaugurates a monument to
Azerbaijan Democratic Republic

Azerbaijan, Baku / corr. Trend P.Amirjanov / On 25 May the President
of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, officially inaugurated a monument to the
Azerbaijan Democratic Republic – the first democratic and secular
republic in the Islamic world – on the Istiglaliyyat Street in Baku.
The ADR was founded on 28 May 1918 by Azerbaijani National Council.
The Republic officially ceased to exist on 28 April 1920 after the
Russian 11th Red Army entered Baku. Since then the Azerbaijani people
have celebrated May 28 as their most loved holiday, called the
Republic Day.

The President said that Azerbaijan regained its independence in 1993.
After Heydar Aliyev came to the position in 1993, Azerbaijan entered
the stage of development.

The State Head voiced his hope that Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be
resolved in accordance with the international law. There is an
opposite way – military way. President Aliyev unveiled the granite
monument, and then had his photo taken with scientists and members of
the public who were in attendance at the inauguration ceremony.

MEDIATORS REPORT MORE PROGRESS IN KARABAKH TALKS
By Emil Danielyan

Radio Liberty, Czech rep.
May 24 2007

Ending a two-day visit to Yerevan on Thursday, international
mediators reported further progress towards the resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and expressed hope that Armenia and
Azerbaijan will agree on its main principles before the end of
this year.

The French and Russian diplomats co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group
met with President Robert Kocharian and other Armenian leaders
Wednesday on the first leg of their fresh tour of the conflict
zone. They told reporters before proceeding to Baku the next morning
that Kocharian agreed to hold what might prove to be decisive talks
with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliev early next month. They were
hopeful that Aliev will also consent to the talks that are due to
take place on the sidelines of the June 10 summit of former Soviet
republics in Saint-Petersburg, Russia.

"We think that some progress was made and hope to be build upon it
during our negotiations in Baku," the Minsk Group’s Russian co-chair,
Yuri Merzlyakov, said of his and his French counterpart Bernard
Fassier’s meetings in Yerevan.

"Assuming that the [Saint-Petersburg] meeting is a success, we
don’t exclude that there will need to be another meeting [of the two
presidents] for finally agreeing the basic principles of a settlement,"
he said.

Merzlyakov stressed that agreement on those principles would fall
short of a comprehensive peace accord. "We are working on the basic
principles of a settlement which are not quite an agreement," he
said. "If they are approved by both parties, that will only allow us
to start working out the text [of a peace accord,] which will take a
lot of time. But there will have been created a base from which the
parties will not retreat, as was the case in the past."

"What we can hope to achieve before the end of the year is a
breakthrough towards a settlement, but not a full peace accord," agreed
Fassier. He said he hopes Aliev and Kocharian have the "political will"
to cut a framework peace deal.

The French diplomat warned that failure to do so would nullify
substantial progress made by the conflicting parties in the last few
years. "If we don’t have the principles agreed on before the end of
the year, it is clear that after the upcoming pause resulting from
the presidential elections due in Armenia and then in Azerbaijan
negotiations will have to resume from scratch," he said.

The two mediators said they and the Minsk Group’s U.S. co-chair,
Matthew Bryza, will again visit Baku and Yerevan shortly before the
Saint-Petersburg summit. Bryza did not join them on their latest trip
for unknown reasons.

The principles put forward by the troika call for a gradual
settlement of the Karabakh conflict that would end in a referendum
of self-determination in the Armenian-populated disputed territory.

Aliev and Kocharian were close to accepting the proposed framework
agreement last year. However, two rounds of intensive negotiations
between them held in February and June 2006 failed to yield any
results.

Still, the two leaders revived hopes for a near-term solution to the
dispute after another face-to-face encounter last November. Their
foreign ministers have since held a series of meetings, attended by
the mediating troika, in a bid to narrow their differences.

In Merzlyakov’s words, the "circle of unresolved issues is narrowing"
and there are now "objective conditions" for eliminating the remaining
sticking points. "If the Saint-Petersburg meeting is successful,
then the number of principles that have not yet been fully agreed on
will be practically brought down to zero," he said.

Armenian and Azerbaijani officials have sounded less than optimistic on
that score. Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian pointed last week to Aliev’s
continuing threats to win back Karabakh by force and pledges to never
recognize Armenian control over the territory. For his part, Novruz
Mammadov, Aliev’s chief foreign policy aide, accused the Armenian
side on Wednesday of stalling for time in the ongoing peace talks.

THE MEETING OF THE NKR CENTRAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION

Azat Artsakh Daily, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]
25 May 07

On May 23 the NKR Central Electoral Commission held a
meeting. Proceeding from the recent amendments to the NKR Electoral
Code, the CEC confirmed the regulations and the seal of the CEC,
the order of registration of proxies, the printing, transportation,
storing and observation of count of ballots by proxies was adopted in
the frame of the preparations for the NKR presidential election on July
19, 2007. The CEC also adopted the form (main and additional) of the
voters’ registers, the order of registering the voters serving in the
army, including eligible citizens who are not registered. In accordance
with the provisions of the Electoral Code, the CEC confirmed the order
of voting of citizens who receive in-patient treatment and cannot show
up at the polling station alone, as well as the functions connected
with the election funds. The CEC made changes to some decisions of
the CEC to comply with the amendments to the NKR Electoral Code.

MAYBE KOCHARYAN DOES NOT HAVE ANOTHER WAY OUT

KarabakhOpen
25-05-2007 14:25:10

If the opposition is likely to create a force majeure through the
agreement on the resolution of the Karabakh conflict and make Robert
Kocharyan resign, the ex-prime minister of Armenia, the leader of
the Freedom Party Hrant Bagratyan will be against.

First of all, the former prime minister says efforts to unite around
the idea of impeachment fail, experience shows it. He is for the
ideological consolidation of the opposition. Besides, if a situation
occurs when Robert Kocharyan will be made to resign for signing the
document on resolution, Hrant Bagratyan, who is not from Kocharyan’s
team, will ask what the force demanding resignation offers in return.

"Maybe he does not have another way out. In connection with the
Karabakh issue, the approaches are different, despite the ideology. I
am nor for such a force majeure. Especially that why will the president
sign, who has only 8 or 9 months?" Hrant Bagratyan says. (Lragir.am)

Nagorno Karabakh President’s Aid for Foreign Policy Arman Melikian
does not feel special optimism in connection with the possibility
of reaching successful results in the negotiation process on
Karabakh. "When we see a concrete result that the Karabakh side
agrees with, then it will be possible to display optimism. Currently
I consider such displays as premature," Melikian underlined.

Touching upon the current stage of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement process, NKR President’s Aid stressed today the Minsk
process has turned into a negotiation between foreign ministers and
presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan. At the same time Melikian again
reminded about the right of Nagorno Karabakh to be a participant in
the negotiation process. Commenting on OSCE MG Co-Chairs’ statement
that mediators were not the cause of excluding representatives of
Stepanakert from talks, anyhow Melikian found a share of guilt for
the Co-Chairs, "since they agreed for such a format of negotiations".

In Arman Melikian’s opinion the Co-Chairs began to realize that
Armenian refugees are a serious factor, neglect of which will result
in a deadlock in the settlement issue. "If Armenian refugees agreed
to return Azerbaijan it would be possible to speak about return of
Azeris. If no, it is necessary to think about where these people will
live, where their new homeland will be. From this viewpoint liberated
territories are the most appropriate places," Arman Melikian stated,
IA Regnum reports.

"Azerbaijan always had a principle position on the settlement of
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. We support peaceful solution to the
conflict and are ready to use all resources," Azerbaijani Deputy
Foreign Minister Araz Azimov said, APA reports.

Azimov said that Azerbaijani will agree to cooperate with Armenia
only on condition that there is normal situation for it, first of
all Azerbaijani territories have to be liberated and Armenia has to
recognize Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

The Deputy Minister also stated that Azerbaijani will not
allow liberating adjacent regions of Nagorno Karabakh under any
conditions. Liberating seven regions is now being negotiated.

"The liberated territories will have to be cleared, and it will be
implemented with support of international organizations. One of the
main problems will be mineclearance. It will take much time," he said.

Araz Azimov said the people will be brought back after rehabilitation.

He underlined impossibility of bringing back the IDPS to Nagorno
Karabakh is at initial stage.

"First of all, liberation of seven regions has to be solved. Security
issues have to be solved so that Azerbaijanis can return
there. Azerbaijanis will be brought back there only when security
issues are solved, and the two communities may live together. The
issue on autonomy will be out of discussion unless security issues
are solved," he said.

Araz Azimov said referendum on the status of Nagorno Karabakh can be
held and underlined that it will be held all over the country.

Commenting on Lachin corridor, the deputy minister said this corridor
is regarded as a contact road of Armenia with Nagorno Karabakh
Armenians, two sides of the road can be commissioned.

"If Armenia wants to cooperate with Azerbaijan, it has to consider
joint use of this road. Azerbaijan will not allow changing the status
of the corridor.

This road is Azerbaijani territory and it will not change. The
negotiations should also determine the terms of Armenia’s using this
road," he said.

Vangold Resources Ltd. (TSX-V:VAN)
Suite 1730, 650 West Georgia Street,
P.O.Box 11622, Vancouver, BC, V6B 4N9
Phone 606 684 1974 Fax 604 685 5970

NEWS RELEASE

VANGOLD ENTERS INTO EXCLUSIVE PETROLEUM EXPLORATION PRODUCTION SHARING
AGREEMENT FOR THE EXPLORATION OF 13,775 SQ KMS IN ARMENIA

May 22, 2007 – Vangold Resources Ltd. (`Vangold’) announces that it
will participate in a Production Sharing Agreement (the `PSA’) between
the Ministries of Energy and Environmental Protection of Armenia and
Blackstairs Energy plc (`Blackstairs’). Vangold will participate as
to a 50% interest in Blocks 4, 5 and 6 which cover an area of 13,775
sq. km (over 3.4 million acres) in central and southern Armenia.
Under the PSA, the term of exploration is five years which may be
extended (subject to an agreed work program) by two additional
periods, each of two years. The total financial commitment for five
years is US$2.4M of which Vangold will expend US$1.2M. The Blocks are
governed exclusively by this PSA which was effective as of April 27th
2007.

Dal Brynelsen, President and CEO of Vangold states: `I am very pleased
with this acquisition on two fronts. These particular concessions
encompass half of Armenia and are adjacent to Iran, Azerbaijan and
Georgia, all countries with very extensive oil and gas resources. We
believe a similar potential exists in southern Armenia. We are very
pleased to have aligned ourselves with executive oil and gas experts
from Blackstairs who have extensive exploration and development
experience in both Armenia and in east Africa. We look forward to
working closely with Mr. Sheehan and his crew not only in Armenia but
also in Rwanda and Kenya. The addition of the Armenian basin brings
Vangold’s land package in Africa and Armenia to a total of 45,200 sq
kms.’

Blackstairs Energy Plc

Blackstairs, a private company based in Dublin, Ireland, will operate
the Blocks under the terms of the PSA. An office is being opened in
Yerevan, an experienced General Manager, Mr. Tim Papworth, has been
appointed, and the recruitment of key technical and commercial staff
is underway. Mr. Papworth is a UK-based petroleum exploration
consultant with over thirty years of experience in areas including the
North Sea, onshore UK, Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, Malaysia, Gabon,
Namibia, Georgia and Russia. He has worked intermittently in Armenia
since 1994. The Technical Summary included in this news release was
authored by Mr. Papworth.

The operation in Armenia will also be supported by other members of
the Blackstairs’ team of experienced geological, geophysical and
petroleum engineering staff including the Managing Director of
Blackstairs Mr. Gerard Sheehan, B.Sc., M.Sc., FRAS and Mr. John
D. Scott, B.Sc., M.Sc. Mr. Sheehan is a former Exploration Manager
and New Ventures Manager for Tullow Oil plc. Throughout his nineteen
years with Tullow, Mr. Sheehan worked on a variety of petroleum
projects in Africa, the Indian Subcontinent and Eastern and Central
Europe. Mr. Sheehan resigned from Tullow in July 2006 to concentrate
on the development of Blackstairs. Mr. Sheehan is member of the
Society of Exploration Geophysicists, the American Association of
Petroleum Geologists and a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Mr. Scott is a non-executive director of Blackstairs and is a
petroleum engineer with over 35 years experience in the oil sector.
His extensive career includes the position of Petroleum Engineering
Manager for Tullow Oil plc where he assumed responsibility for all of
Tullow’s field development projects in the UK, Syria, Pakistan,
Bangladesh and across Africa. Mr. Scott is a member of the Society of
Petroleum Engineers, the Society of Professional Well Log Analysts and
an Associate of International Petroleum Negotiators.

As reported by Vangold on March 1, 2007, Tullow had announced that its
Kingfisher-1 exploration well in Block 3A in Uganda (50% Tullow : 50%
Heritage Oil) was flowing 13,893 bopd in total. This Ugandan
discovery is part of the Albertine Graben which may extend into
Vangold’s White Elephant concession which is 7,208 sq kms in Rwanda,
not 2,708 as previously announced by Vangold. Vangold is very pleased
that Messrs. Sheehan and Scott will also provide their extensive
expertise to the geological evaluation of this area.

Work Program Armenia

Blackstairs and Vangold will undertake a comprehensive technical
program. The objective of these programs is to elucidate the petroleum
system, high-grade the most prospective areas, and identify prospects
which may be considered for additional delineation or drilling.

The projects identified for the initial phase of exploration are:
Collation and re-assessment of the existing technical database
Reprocessing of suitable geophysical data, including seismic data
Satellite imagery interpretation Gravity surveys Geochemical surveys
Field geological mapping Acquisition of at least 170 km. of 2D
seismic.

Brief Technical Summary of the SE Armenia Licence Area, Blocks 4, 5 &
6

Armenia lies within the Caucasus orogenic belt situated between the
Black and Caspian seas. This orogenic belt was formed as a result of
the closure of a number of Tethyan Ocean tracts, since as long ago as
the Devonian. The remnants of some of these paleo-oceans are
represented in Armenia by up to three narrow, discontinuous belts of
ophiolites, which strike approximately north-west to south-east. The
outcropping ophiolites range in age from Jurassic to Cretaceous. They
do not necessarily represent fully oceanic material, but may instead
be parts of the floors of narrow marine basins similar to the present
Gulf of Suez. These ophiolite belts serve to divide the country into
tectonic zones (see below).

(Geological map of Armenia shown)

The south-western zone is represented by three basins, the
Oktemberyan, Artashat, and Surinaven. They lie along the course of
the present day River Araks, which forms the border with Turkey. They
are referred to collectively as the Ararat Intermontane Depression.
Their sedimentary section is Tertiary in age, which is floored by
ophiolites (Cretaceous / Jurassic) or Paleozoic sediments. These
gas-prone basins lie within Transeuro Energy Block 2, due west of
Block 4, with part of the Surinaven Basin within Block 5.

To the north-east, the section rises onto a regional high composed of
Paleozoic metasediments, before dipping again into a large sedimentary
basin referred to as the Central Depression. These sediments ranging
in age from Permian to Recent. Folding, wrench faulting, and possibly
reverse and thrust faulting, are all recognised structural phenomena
within this zone. Near the north-western end of the Central depression
lies the Aragats volcano, dormant since Pliocene times.

Further north-east, a major tectonic suture occurs within the
Sevan-Shirak zone, and Cretaceous and Jurassic age ophiolites outcrop
within it and along the northern margin. The Sevan-Shirak zone itself
is represented by Middle Eocene tuffs and associated volcanic vents
and intrusives. Finally, in the north of Armenia, the Somkhet Karabakh
and Bazum zones contain Middle Jurassic to Cretaceous sediments
overlying basement. These are deformed by reverse faulting and
thrusting and penetrated by igneous intrusives. The section dips
regionally to the north, into the oil productive Kura Depression of
Georgia and Azerbaijan.

The Central Depression, which covers much the SE Armenia Licence area,
has been subdivided into two tectonic zones – the Yerevan -Ordubad
zone in the north and the Miskham-Zangezur zone in the south (in Block
6). The former is possibly the more prospective, with most exploration
having been carried out in its western part, in the Near Yerevan
Depression in Block 2, where oil prospects occur east of
Yerevan. Similar prospects may exist further east into Block 4,
especially considering that oil shows were seen in the Yeranos
borehole just SW of Lake Sevan.

Based upon gravity data, the Central Depression can be subdivided into
at least seven sub-basins, these being, from west to east – Aragats
Depression, Fontan Depression (potential oil source area in NE Block
2, extending into Bock 5?), Near Year Depression, Sevan Depression (in
central Block 4), Chatma-Vedi Depression (south west of Lake Sevan),
Vardenis Syncline (SE of Lake Sevan) and Vayotsdzor Depression
(central and south Block 5). The prospective area in Block 6 is the
so-called Kapan block in the east, which is Jurassic and Cretaceous in
age.

A summary of oil and gas potential follows:

oil traces found in the Paleocene/Upper Cretaceous of the Azat-1 well
(eight kms from western border of Block 4), and one cubic metre of oil
recovered (several hundred metres of oil shows) from Paleocene in
Shorakhpur-1P well, eight kms further west; extensive oil shows in the
Upper/Middle Eocene of the Garni-1G well (eight kms from western
border of Block 4), and oil found in the Middle Eocene of
Shorakhpur-1P; oil seeps seen in the old Yeranos borehole, SE of Lake
Sevan (Block 4); gas seeps recorded in Lake Sevan and nearby shallow
boreholes (Block 4); gas shows in the Vedi-1T well in the Cretaceous
(western part of Block 5); heavy, waxy, asphaltic residual oil found
within Triassic coals in the Ghermanis-4 borehole, west of
Yeghegnadzor (Block 5); the presence of Permian organic rich, mature,
oil- and gas-prone calcareous shales and mudstones in the general area
(blocks 5, 6); bitumen found in the Shahumian borehole and the
Coniacian of the Spitakjour River area (Block 6), which may be of
Devonian origin, and an unsubstantiated report of an oil show in the
Meghri area, which may also be Devonian (Block 6).

(Map showing oil and gas occurrences in Armenia)

To find out more about Vangold Resources Ltd. please visit our website
at or contact Dal Brynelsen at 604-684-1974 or by email
[email protected].

On Behalf of the Board of
VANGOLD RESOURCES LTD.
`Dal Brynelsen’

Dal Brynelsen, President and CEO

The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept
responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this
news release.

AMERICAN CONGRESSMAN COMMENDS ARMENIA ON FREE AND FAIR ELECTION

arminfo
2007-05-23 14:25:00

Speaking on the floor of the House of Representatives yesterday,
Rep. Frank Pallone, Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian
Issues, commended Armenia for holding free and fair Parliamentary
election on May 12.

"This is the first positive assessment of an election in the former
Soviet Republic since it gained independence in 1991," Pallone
said. "This encouraging outcome will most certainly enhance and
deepen U.S.-Armenia relations, while also elevating Armenia’s
reputation regionally and internationally." Pallone noted that
Armenia’s achievements address concerns raised by the Millennium
Challenge Corporation, and urged the MCC to fully fund its five-year
$235 million Compact with Armenia.

He also renewed his call for $75 million in economic assistance
to Armenia in Fiscal Year 2008. "This assistance demonstrates
our commitment to Armenia, which is a friend and a supporter of
U.S. policies for peace and security in that part of the world," he
said. Pallone also entered into the congressional record a letter he
sent with Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Joe Knollenberg to President Robert
Kocharian and Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan, marking Armenia’s
achievement.

‘MAMOULIAN’ AND ‘MUNNABHAI’ ARE OFFERED FOR LOCAL MOVIEGOERS
Rick Bentley and Donald Munro,

The Fresno Bee – California – KRTBN
Published: May 18, 2007

Two film events are on tap at Fresno State next week. The first
features the works of French director Patrick Cazals. The other is
the showing of a rather offbeat look at Mohandas Ghandi that became
a major hit in India.

The Armenian Studies Program, in conjunction with Fresno Film Works,
is presenting two films at 3 p.m. Sunday at the California State
University, Fresno, Student Recreation Center, Leon P. Peters
Educational Auditorium. Admission is free. Cazals will be here to
present the films.

The movies to be shown are:

"Rouben Mamoulian: The Golden Age of Broadway and Hollywood" Grade:
B: When he was a little boy, Mamoulian’s grandmother told him to fill
his heart with love so it would crowd out everything else. Known as an
authoritarian director, there were likely some actors in Mamoulian’s
career who looked long and hard for any evidence of that love. But
if you look at the director’s amazing body of work, including the
groundbreaking 1929 film "Applause," you certainly find overwhelming
evidence for Mamoulian’s desire to make great art. This well-crafted
documentary draws from various archives and interviews with Mamoulian
and Mamoulian specialists. (DM)

"SergueA Paradjanov: The Rebel": This is a portrait of the
Georgian-Armenian filmmaker who died in July 1990. Paradjanov is
considered to be one of the great contemporary filmmakers.

Cineculture Club

Fresno State’s Cineculture Club will present "Lage Raho Munnabhai"
at 5:15 p.m. next Friday at the Student Recreation Center, Leon
P. Peters Education Auditorium. The film looks at how a witless
gangster converts to the Gandhian teachings of nonviolence. The movie
has English subtitles.

Sudarshan Kapoor, a former Fresno State professor who grew up in
India, says that after the movie debuted in India, people started
to treat each other with more respect and with more tolerance. He
admires how the filmmaker was able to get across Gandhi’s teachings
about nonviolence in such a comical fashion.

"Lage Raho Munnabhai" Grade: B+: The film mixes elements of Bollywood
with comedy and real sentimentality to produce a charming film.

Sanjay Dutt, as the thug who falls for a voice on the radio, is
able to pull off both the tough guy part of the role as well as the
sensitive part.

Even if you have no interest in the film’s message about peace and
love, it works well as a light, romantic comedy. (RB)

The reporters can be reached at [email protected]_
(mailto:rbentley@fresnobe e.com) or at [email protected]_
(mailto:[email protected] m) or at (559) 441-6355.