Author: Toganian Liana

ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING OF GYUMRI MILITARY BASE COMPENSATES WEAKENING OF RUSSIAN POSITIONS IN GEORGIA

Regnum, Russia
May 19 2006

Through additional bringing up to strength the military base in the
Armenian city of Gyumri (102nd Russian military base, situated in
the north of Armenia – REGNUM), Russian military presence in Armenia
increases and it compensates weakening of Russia’s positions in
Georgia,” Chief of Caucasus Department of CIS Countries Institute
(Russia) Mikhail Alexandrov stated to a REGNUM correspondent.

According to him, the fact is quite logical that the armaments were
transported exactly into Armenia. “The Armenian border is enough
near to the strategic Akhalkalaki and Batumi road. Now, in spite of
inability to control the sector, our strengthened base in Armenia
will be able to block the road in case of any crisis,” Mikhail
Alexandrov stated.

“From its part, Georgia, which relied upon NATO in settling Abkhazian
and South Ossetian conflicts, made a serious mistake, because if Russia
took neutral stand regarding the conflict parties before, later it
sided with South Ossetia and Abkhazia, realizing geopolitical threat
to its interests. Russia is interested in having more hard-edged
regional leaders in power here, who will not yield to Georgia,”
Mikhail Alexandrov believes.

DAMAGED SOWING AREAS IN SHIRAK MARZ IN URGENT NEED OF FERTILIZATION WHICH NOT YET POSSIBLE

Noyan Tapan
May 18 2006

GYUMRI, MAY 18, NOYAN TAPAN. The areas sown with spring crops were
partly harmed by frost in Shirak marz in late April. Movses Manukian,
head of the agriculture department of the regional administration,
told NT correspondent that 8 communities have already expressed
their concern over this fact. In 3 communities, the sowing areas were
damaged by 20%. The main damage was done to gardens (there are a few
of them in the marz), the areas under autumn wheat have not been
harmed at all, while last year’s sowing areas are in a much worse
state. The damaged areas are in urgent need of fertilization, but
the marz has not yet received nitric fertilizer. Shirak marz needs 10
tons of nitric fertilizer annually, but the government provides only
2 thousand tons. There are problems with agricultural machinery as
well: according to M. Manukian, the tractors currently used for land
cultivation not only in the marz but also in the whole country are
depreciated and obsolete. Those responsible have a hope that grain
harvesters will be imported into Armenia and Shirak marz in the near
future. However, these officials do not entertain particular hopes
about operation of anti-hail stations.

ARA ABRAHAMYAN: ARMENIA AND DIASPORA SHOULD COOPERATE

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.05.2006 18:32 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ 450 Armenian NGOs, which were not informed of each
other’s activities, have been registered in Russia till 1999. Them
it was decided to form an organization that would coordinate the
activities of the Armenian Diaspora in Russia. In the course of
formation of the Union of Armenians of Russia (UAR) 90% of the NGOs
broke off activities, the others joined the UAR, Ara Abrahamyan,
the UAR President stated at a press conference in Yerevan. In his
words, about 2 million of Armenians live in Russia at present. Some
500 thousand are citizens of Armenia.

“After the formation of the UAR we decided to form an Armenian
organization that would unite the whole Diaspora. Presently the World
Armenian Congress unites the Armenian communities of 27 states. Our
major problem was the interaction with the Armenian authorities. But
I should underscore that presently the WAC and the Armenian state
structures experience no discrepancies,” he said.

Ara Abrahamyan remarked that the Armenia and Diaspora should work
jointly. “Without the coordination with the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs the WAC cannot deal with the Armenian Genocide issue within
international structures. We have prepared a package consisting of
600 questions for submission to the International Tribunal. But the
document will not have weight without the approval of the RA MFA,”
the WAC President said.

NEW GROUP OF OLIGARCHS TO BE CREATED IN THE NA

A1+
[07:58 pm] 17 May, 2006

A possible variant

The deputies who left Orinats Yerkir will create a new group.

10 ex members of the party meet from time to time to discuss the
mechanisms of their further activity.

Deputy Mekhak Mkhitaryan claimed that only those deputies who left
the Orinats Yerkir participate in the discussions. The creation of a
new group or membership in one of the existing groups are themes of
their discussions.

The ex member of the OYP considered the creation of a new group the
most probable variant. He promised to give final information tomorrow
or the day after tomorrow.

U.S. OFFICIALS SAY ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN AGREEMENT MAY BE NEAR ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH

AP Worldstream
May 16, 2006

Two State Department officials said Tuesday they were optimistic
about the possibility of a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and
Armenia over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.

“The two sides are closer to an agreement than they have been in the
past,” said Matthew Bryza, a State Department European affairs expert.

He spoke to a meeting of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus,
which was convened to examine humanitarian suffering in the region
a dozen years after the war over Nagorno-Karabakh ended.

Bryza said the Armenian and Azerbaijani governments will have to show
political courage to bridge the final gaps.

“We look at these next couple of months as a real window of
opportunity,” he said.

A second State Department official, David Appleton, said one sign
of progress is that the Azeri government is asking the U.N. refugee
agency to draw up plans for the return of the displaced to their
homes once a peace agreement is signed.

Baroness Caroline Cox, the British humanitarian and member of
the House of Lords, who has visited Nagorno-Karabakh 60 times,
criticized the United Nations for refusing to provide relief to
the people of the enclave under its policy of not doing work in
“unrecognized territories.”

She said the policy deprives the suffering people of the region of
much-needed aid.

“U.N. organizations working in Azerbaijan have been very vocal on
behalf of displaced Azeris but have been silent about Armenians
suffering at least as severely,” the baroness said.

“This asymmetry is unjustifiable,” she added. “The Karabakh authorities
have made repeated requests for help to the U.N. for assistance,
but these have been unsuccessful.”

STATE DUMA DEPUTY CALLS ON TO CREATE IN RUSSIA STRUCTURE ON ANALOGY OF ARF DASHNAKTSUTIUN

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 16 2006

MOSCOW, MAY 16, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Dmitri Rogozin, the
former leader of the “Rodina” (Fatherland) party, a Deputy of the RF
State Duma calls on to create in Russia a structure on the analogy
of the ARF Dashnaktsutiun.

According to the “Yerkramas” (coutry) newspaper of Armenians in
Russia, speaking about the future Russian patriotic movement in the
interveiw to the internet-publication “Russkaya Liniya” (Russian Line),
he called on to use experience of “other pursued peoples.” Dmitri
Rogozin particularly stated: “Let’s take, for example, as a model
the “Dashnaktsitiun” party the name of which is translated as “the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation.” It was the main anti-Turkish force
still in the period of the Armenian Genocide conducted by the Ottaman
Empire. Armenians as well appeared to be a nation “in dispersion,”
but they had the “Dashnaktsutiun” party branches of which existed in
different countries, there was an international bureau where the main
problems were solved, there was its own art, artistic, educational
elite. The center led the most different initiatives: political and
women’s organizations, youth unions, journalists’ associtations. We
must create an analogous structure.”

TWO DEPUTY MINISTERS TENDER THEIR RESIGNATION

ArmRadio.am
16.05.2006 14:17

According to RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan’s decision, on May
15, 2006 Arayik Grigoryan was dismissed from the position of RA Deputy
Minister of Trade and Economic Development.

According to another decree of the Prime Minister, Artsruni Aghajanyan
was dismissed from the position of RA Deputy Minister of Labor and
Social Issues.

To remind, both Deputy Ministers represent “Orinats Yerkir” Party.

MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS ANTICIPATE NORMAL WORK FROM OSKANYAN-MAMEDYAROV MEETING

ArmRadio.am
15.05.2006 14:54

“OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs anticipate normal work from the upcoming
meeting of Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan Vardan
Oskanyan and Elmar Mamedyarov,” OSCE Minsk Group Russian Co-Chair
Yuri Merzlyakov told “Arminfo” correspondent.

To remind, the Co-Chairs are scheduled to meet the Foreign Ministers
in Strasburg in the framework of the Council of Europe Council of
Foreign Ministers.

According to Yuri Merzlyakov, the meetings will start on May 18 and
may probably continue on May 19. As for the format of the meetings,
the Russian mediator noted that separate meetings with the two Foreign
Ministers are envisaged. The Co-Chairs, however, will try to arrange
a joint meeting.

In response to the question about the positive or negative outcome
anticipated from the meeting of the Foreign Ministers, Merzlyakov
mentioned that the level of the meeting of Ministers should not be
equated to that of Presidents.

Answering the question whether the meeting of the Ministers will
prepare ground for the meeting of Presidents, Merzlyakov said, “I
think it is inevitable that it supports the meeting of the leaders,
but never replaces.”

OSCE Secretary General: Nagorno-Karabakh belongs to the Karabakh people

ArmRadio.am
13.05.2006 13:45

`Nagorno-Karabakh belongs to the Karabakh people and I hope that they
will have the opportunity to fully demonstrate their will,’ OSCE
Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut said yesterday in
response to the request of the journalists to present his personal
stand on the Karabakh issue.

Will the referendum envisaged in 15 years become that very opportunity
for Karabakh people to demonstrate their will? `We’ll see,’ Marc
Perrin de Brichambaut responded.

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 RECEIVES MP HAGOP KASARDJIAN

His Holiness Aram I received Lebanese MP Hagop Kasardjian in his office on
May 12. Kasardjian wanted to thank the Pontiff for the warm wishes of
recovery expressed by the latter following his recent heart surgery. The MP
also wanted to inform His Holiness about the recent developments in the
country’s internal political dialogue.

The MP told the Catholicos about the political developments in the country
and issues related to the ongoing dialogue. His Holiness once again praised
the united and positive participation of the Armenian community through the
three Armenian parties.

“This phenomenon should become a constant approach and process in issues
related to our nation, the Diaspora and its communities,” he said.

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
mission 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.