Author: Tambiyan Samvel

PARLIAMENT ALLOWS EXPANDING AFZ
Tehran Times, Iran
June 15 2006
TEHRAN – Majlis (the Iranian Parliament) ratified on Sunday the
development plan of Aras Free Zone (AFZ).
According to the ratification approved at the Majlis’ open session
yesterday, the government is allowed to develop Aras Free Zone in
the country’s border lines with the Azerbaijan Republic and Armenia.
The costs of implementing the plan are to be supplied out of the
revenues generated in the free zone.
Accessibility to the markets of the newly independent states in Central
Asia, creation of new export opportunities, attraction of foreign
investments, development of railway to China and Russia, expansion of
tourism, increase of security in northwestern parts of the country, and
generation of job opportunities in these regions are some of reasons
behind putting the development plan of the free zone on the agenda.

CELEBRATION NEXT TO ZVARTNOTS TEMPLE DEDICATED TO THE BIRTHDAY OF QUEEN ELISABETH II
ArmRadio.am
16.06.2006 11:14
On the occasion of birthday of Elisabeth II, Queen of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the UK Embassy
in Armenia will hold an open-air celebration next to Zvartnots
Temple. British culture and cuisine will be presented. For this purpose
traditional British dishes, beer and Scottish whisky has been brought
to Armenia.

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
Government House # 2, Republic Square
Yerevan 0010, Republic of Armenia
Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: [email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
12-06-2006
Minister Oskanian Receives Micheline Calmy-Rey,
Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation
On June 12, Minister Oskanian received a delegation led by Micheline
Calmy-Rey, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss
Confederation.
While welcoming Micheline Calmy-Rey’s first visit to Armenia, the Armenian
Minister noted that there exists an extensive and active dialogue between
Armenia and Switzerland.
During the meeting, Minister Oskanian broached the issue of intensifying
Armenia-Switzerland relations, particularly in the economic, cultural and
humanitarian spheres. He expressed his satisfaction with the invitation to
Armenian businessmen to participate in the Swiss Invest Forum launched in
Zurich on June 12.
The two focused on deepening cooperation in the framework of international
organizations, specifically given Switzerland’s capacity as full member of
the United Nations and a newly-elected member of the Human Rights Council of
the United Nations.
Minister Oskanian noted with appreciation Switzerland’s assistance to
Armenia in the process of development, particularly through the involvement
of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation in specific programs,
including a Tsakhkadzor development program. He also invited Switzerland to
consider its contribution in the initiative of the Republic of Armenia
targeted at developing Armenian’s rural areas.
The Swiss Minister assured their readiness to keep on launching and
implementing different programs in Armenia. This year, the Swiss State
Council has allocated 4 million Swiss francs to this end. About activating
bilateral economic relations, Minister Calmy-Rey expressed confidence that
the Convention for the avoidance of double taxation just signed between the
Swiss Confederation and the Republic of Armenia, will boost the business
contacts of the two countries.
On the guest’s request, Minister Oskanian briefed the delegation on the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process, the present status of
Armenia-Turkey relations, as well as the demolition of cross-stones
(khachkars) in the Armenian cemetery in Julfa, Azerbaijan, and Armenia’s
appeals to the international community, specifically to the Council of
Europe, OSCE and UNESCO.

ARMENIAN AND BULGARIAN PARLIAMENTS TO SIGN AGREEMENT ON COOPERATION
PanARMENIAN.Net
12.06.2006 17:04 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian Parliament Speaker Tigran Torosian
met with Bulgarian Ambassador to Armenia Stefan Dimitrov to discuss
the possibilities of strengthening interparliamentary ties between
the two states, reported the RA NA press service. During the meeting
Stefan Dimitrov conveyed the congratulatory address by Chairman of the
Bulgarian National Assembly Georgi Pirinski over Tigran Torosian’s
election to the post of the Speaker. The interlocutors also touched
upon the signing of the agreement on cooperation that will become
a legal basis for the development of ties between the parliamentary
friendship groups, standing committees and administrations. In this
view Tigran Torosian marked out the importance of activities within
international organizations. The parties stressed the importance
of exchange of legislative experience and cooperation between the
Armenian and Bulgarian parliaments.

ETHNIC ARMENIAN SHOT DEAD IN MOSCOW, ANOTHER WOUNDED
MOSNEWS, Russia
June 11 2006
Two ethnic Armenians have been shot in Moscow on Saturday night,
Interfax reported.
One of the men died, the other received injuries.
In late April, a young Amernian-born man was killed by a group of
youngsters in a fight at Moscow’s central Pushkinskaya metro station.
17-year-old Vagan Abramyants, a student of a Moscow university,
was standing on the platform with several friends, when a group of
shaved young men dressed in black attacked them, NTV channel said. The
attackers looked like skinheads, members of radical nationalistic
movement.
The nation’s leading pollster, Yuri Levada, said hate crimes were an
outgrowth of deep resentment over migrants and other foreigners who
come to Russia for work or to study – some illegally and many from
Central Asia, the Caucasus, and other parts of the former Soviet Union.

AGREEMENT ON EXEMPTION FROM DUAL TAXATION SIGNED BETWEEN ARMENIA AND SWITZERLAND
ArmRadio.am
12.06.2006 16:07
In 2004 an active dialogue was launched between Armenia and
Switzerland, and in this regard the Foreign Ministers of the two
countries highly assessed the relations between the states.
“I introduced the Minister to the latest developments in the
negotiations over Nagorno-Karabakh after the meetings in Ramboulliet
and Bucharest. We discussed Armenia-Turkey relation. As you may
know, Switzerland is interested in seeing the relations between the
two countries improved and is ready to promote the normalization of
these relations. We discussed also our relations within international
organizations, particularly the UN. We are confident that this visit
will be another impetus for further development and deepening of
bilateral relations,” said RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan during
his joint press conference with the Foreign Minister of Switzerland
Micheline Calmy-Rey.
Unlike the normal political relations, the cooperation in the sphere
of economy is not perfect, the two Foreign Ministers noted. It is
not accidental that they signed today an agreement on exemption from
dual taxation.
During the current visit an emphasis was put on development of economic
cooperation. Moreover, the delegation headed by RA Ministry of Trade
and Economic Development is currently in Zurich to participate in
a business forum. The Swiss Foreign Minister characterized economic
cooperation between the two countries as modest.

West show of Iran issues politically-mo tivated: Armenian daily
Tehran, June 11, IRNA
Armenia-Iran-Daily
The West has always shown the domestic affairs of Iran in line with
its political goals, Armenian daily `Alik’ wrote on Sunday.
Alik editor-in-chief Dernik Malekian Mehr made the remark while
pointing to a news by Western media claiming that religious minorities
in Iran are obliged to carry a badge on their dresses to be distinct
from Muslims.
In line with the West’s anti-Iran propaganda, the Western media publish
news on alleged violation of human rights in Iran every year, he said,
adding this time they have focused on violation of rights of religious
minorities in Iran.
He said minor social and economic problems of religious minorities
in Iran have reduced during the past 27 years after the victory of
the Islamic Revolution.
He added religious minorities were exposed to no pressure in Iran.
The editor-in-chief further stated if religious minorities faced
problems in Iran, they would raise them through their representatives
at Majlis (Parliament) and the MPs did their utmost to settle the
problems.
He added the West has always launched such propaganda against Iran
over the past 27 years but to no avail.
Today, the communities of religious minorities in Iran face no
problem with respect to interaction with the government, he said,
adding there is no room for the West to distort realities in Iran.
Religious minorities, like every Iranian individual, can rought up
their political, social and economic problems with their deputies at
Majlis, he added.
Malekian Mehsr said the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran
has always tried to settle problems of religious minorities.
There are, however, problems in Iran which are not limited to just
religious minorities rather all Iranians are faced with them, he
said, adding these problems caused no displeasure between religious
minorities and the Iranian government.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version:
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I MEETS WITH THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE EASTERN PRELACY
OF THE UNITED STATES AND THOSE OF TABRIZ AND ISFAHAN
His Holiness Aram I held separate meetings with the primates and diocesan
council representatives of the Eastern Prelacy of the United States, Diocese
of Tabriz and Diocese of Isfahan. The representatives arrived in Lebanon to
attend the ordination of Bishops in the St. Gregory the Illuminator
Cathedral on June 4.
The Pontiff listened to the reports of the representatives on the efforts
carried out in their dioceses, their new projects and concerns. His Holiness
then gave his advice to each diocese.
Stressing the importance of setting priorities, His Holiness highlighted the
role of the youth in our collective life and the importance of organized
work in the field of religious education.
The Pontiff praised the representatives of the Dioceses and their efforts,
expressing hope that the upcoming bishops’ ordination would bring new
activeness into the life of dioceses and their spiritual service.
##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the dioceses of
the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of the
Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

Vardan Oskanyan received Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia

ArmRadio.am
09.06.2006 17:46
RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan received today Deputy Foreign Minister
of Georgia Valeri Chechelashvili, who is in Armenia on an official visit.
Appreciating the dynamic development of Armenian-Georgian relations, the
parties discussed a broad circle of bilateral issues.
The Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister was received also by RA Deputy Foreign
Minister Gegham Gharibjanyan. The interlocutors discussed issues on the
agenda of bilateral relations. Reference was made to the implementation of
programs directed at the improvement of the socio-economic conditions in
Samtskhe-Javakhk.

UNPRECEDENTED GOAL FOR THIRD ARMENIA-DIASPORA FORUM
Lragir.am
08 June 06
On September 18-20 the Third Armenia-Diaspora Forum will take place
in Armenia. Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan was the first to inform
the public about the details of organization of the forum. On June
8 he met with news reporters for this purpose. The foreign minister
of Armenia thinks that the third forum is an excellent opportunity to
sum up the benefits of the previous two forums. Adding that the third
forum overlaps with the 15th anniversary of independence of Armenia,
Vardan Oskanyan emphasizes that unlike the previous two the third
forum will be held in a quite new reality. According to the minister,
the new reality is the new quality and institutional level of the
Armenia-Diaspora relations. According to the minister, this suggests
that the Armenia -Diaspora potential has become more powerful and is
able to solve new problems. And the third forum will attend to this
new problem, which is economic. Vardan Oskanyan says our Diasporan
compatriots will be invited to initiate investment programs in rural
communities in Armenia.
“Presently, the economic growth is gathering momentum in Armenia.
In fact, the growth of our economy is rather high. At the same time,
all of us can see and realize that this growth does not cover rural
communities, which is visible to anyone who visits Armenia. This is
a major obstacle for an even development of the country. Therefore
we think that this worries our Diasporan compatriots,” says Vardan
Oskanyan.
The Third Armenia-Diaspora Forum will open on September 18 with
a plenary meeting and marked by the speeches of the presidents of
Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, the Catholicos of All Armenians
and the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia. The September
19 meeting will be devoted to rural problems. The final meeting on
September 20 will be devoted to general issues. A forum will be held,
entitled New Answer to Old Questions for the Nation State of the 21st
Century. Vardan Oskanyan says the forum will discuss dual nationality,
language, national identity, and other problems.
The Third Armenia-Diaspora Forum will be open to everyone who would
like to take part in it. Applications can be submitted to the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, the Secretariat on Diaspora, or via the official
website of the ministry.