Author: Torgomian Varazdat

PRESIDENT KOCHARIAN TO HEAD FOR UKRAINE
AZG Armenian Daily
20/06/2006
Yuri Yekhanurov, prime minister of the Ukraine, is going to visit
Armenia. During Armenian foreign minister Vartan Oskanian’s visit
to Kiev his Ukrainian counterpart Boris Tarasyuk informed that not
only his country’s PM will visit Armenia this year but also Armenian
president will pay a visit to Ukraine in autumn. Weeks of Armenia in
Ukraine are scheduled to be held there in 2007.
Curiously, Ukraine has suggested holding the next meeting of Armenian
and Azerbaijani presidents for the Nagorno Karabakh peace talks
in Ukraine.

Karabakh: Change of OSCE MG Co-Chair Won’t Lead to Change of Positions
PanARMENIAN.Net
17.06.2006 15:25 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The change of the U.S. Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk
Group for the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement will not have any
impact on the positions on the co-chair states on the issue, member
of ARF Dashnaktsutyun faction, chairman of the standing parliamentary
committee for foreign relations Armen Rustamian stated in Yerevan
yesterday. “I do not think it will have any impact. The Co-chairs
changed many times but the rotation caused not consequences,”
he underscored
In his words, the OSCE MG is the most admissible and optimal format
for the settlement in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict despite the fact
that no considerable progress has been fixed so far. “However it’s
not the fault of the mediators. They have carried out a great deal
of work and familiarized with the situation. One must not refuse from
this format and seek for a new one,” he said, reported Novosti-Armenia.
To note, Matthew J. Bryza was appointed new U.S. Co-chair of the OSCE
Minsk Group on June 15.

A1+
NOT ONLY ARMENIANS ARE KILLED
[02:52 pm] 16 June, 2006
Today RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan received the delegation of
Dmitri Kozak, the authorized representative of the Russian President
in the Southern federative okrug.
Underlining the natural course of the Armenian-Russian political
and economic relations and mentioning the organization of the year
of Russia and Armenia and the year of Armenia in Russia, the Prime
Minister voiced hope that the visit of the Southern federative okrug
delegation will contribute to the further enhancing of the cooperation
of the countries in different field.
The sides underlined that the improvement of transport communication
between the countries can also contribute to the enhancing of
cooperation.
During the meeting the RA Prime Minister expressed concern over the
recent violations toward Armenians in the Russian Federation and the
cases of murder. He voiced confidence that the Russian authorities
will resort to serious measures to reveal the criminals and to prevent
suchlike cases in future.
Authorized representative of the Russian President Dmitri Kozak also
expressed concern over the mentioned incidents and condemning them
assured the RA Prime Ministers that the violation is not only against
Armenians and that the RF authorities do everything to find and punish
the criminals.

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
June 17 2006
DELEGATION OF AZERBAIJAN FOREIGN MINISTRY CONDUCTS MEETING AT THE
EURASIAN STRATEGIC RESEARCH CENTER OF TURKEY
[June 17, 2006, 11:28:47]
Delegation of Azerbaijan led by Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan
Khalaf Khalafov visiting Ankara in the frame of the Turkish-Azeri
consultations on 15 June has held a meting at the Eurasian Strategic
Research Center of Turkey -ASAM.
Greeting the Azeri diplomats, head of the Research Institute on
crimes against humanity, former ambassador Omar Engin Lutem updated
on the activities of ASAM. He informed that the Institute had been
established in with sections on the Caucasus, the Balkans, the Near
East, China and Japan. In Center, also are carried out researches
concerning the common problem of Turkey and Azerbaijan – Nagorno
Karabakh conflict, and the notorious ‘genocide of Armenians’, their
results are regularly published both in the Turkish and world press.
Highly assessed the successes reached in Azerbaijan in the field
of foreign policy and economy, Omar Engin Lutem brought to notice
of the participants that on 9-13 October the Center would arrange a
symposium dedicated to Azerbaijan.
Head of the delegation, Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Khalaf
Khalafov gave detailed information on the priorities of foreign policy
of Azerbaijan, noting that one of the priorities of the country’s
diplomacy founded by the nationwide leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev
and successfully continued by President Ilham Aliyev is constructive
and equal cooperation with the neighbors.
Speaking in detail on position of Azerbaijan in settlement of the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Khalaf Khalafov
expressed gratitude to the people and state of Turkey for permanent
support of the fair cause of Azerbaijan in the mentioned issue.
Noting that the problems of Turkey are at the problems of Azerbaijan,
he underlined high level of cooperation in the field of foreign policy.
Khalaf Khalafov answered questions of the participants on the ongoing
economic processes in Azerbaijan, social reforms conducted in the
country.

SERGO YERITSIAN APPOINTED RA PRESIDENT’S ADVISOR
Noyan Tapan
Jun 15 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 15, NOYAN TAPAN. By President Robert Kocharian’s June
14 decree, Sergo Yeritsian was appointed the RA President’s Advisor.
As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA President’s Press Office,
by Robert Kocharian’s decrees signed on the same day, Ara Ayvazian
was discharged obligations of the RA Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Chile and the Eastern Republic of
Uruguay and Vladimir Karmirshalian, the RA Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Argentina (residence in Buenos
Aires), was pluralistically appointed on that post.

CALMY-REY SOLL IN ARMENIEN DES VOLKERMORDS GEDENKEN
Tages-Anzeiger
10. Juni 2006
Die Aussenministerin pflegt die Beziehung zu Armenien. Doch furs
Wirtschaftsdepartement hat dieses Land keine Prioritat.
Bern. – Die Gesellschaft Schweiz-Armenien reagierte besorgt,
als Aussenministerin Micheline Calmy-Rey im Februar ins olreiche
Aserbeidschan reiste – und das benachbarte Armenien entgegen einer
fruheren Zusicherung links liegen liess. Damit werde eine neutrale
Vermittlung der Schweiz im Streit der beiden Lander um Berg-Karabach
gefahrdet und die reichere Konfliktpartei bevorzugt, klagte die
Gesellschaft damals. Doch das Aussenministerium (EDA) betonte das
“wachsende Interesse der Schweiz am ganzen Sudkaukasus” und kundigte
einen spateren Armenienbesuch an. Dieser steht nun am Montag an,
wie das EDA bestatigte.
Zum Besuchsprogramm wollte es jedoch keine Angaben machen. Dem
Vernehmen nach will Calmy-Rey ein Doppelbesteuerungsabkommen
unterzeichnen und ein Osthilfeprojekt besichtigen. Die Rede ist
auch von einem symboltrachtigen Besuch des Mahnmals fur die Opfer
des Genozids an den Armeniern von 1915. Weil der Nationalrat diesen
Volkermord anerkannt hat und die Schweizer Justiz seine Leugnung
ahndet, sind die Beziehungen der Turkei zur Schweiz gestort.
Calmy-Reys Armenienbesuch durfte deshalb in der Turkei ebenso
argwohnisch verfolgt werden wie der Besuch des armenischen
Handelsministers Karen Chshmaritian nachste Woche in der Schweiz.
Er wird in Bern Parlamentarier treffen, nicht aber seinen
Schweizer Amtskollegen Joseph Deiss, der auf deutsche Einladung
an die Fussball-WM nach Stuttgart reist. Der Nichtempfang im
Volkswirtschaftsdepartement wird aber auch damit begrundet, dass
Armenien nicht mehr zu den Prioritatenlandern des Staatssekretariats
fur Wirtschaft (Seco) zahle. Immerhin darf Handelsminister Chshmaritian
am Montag in Zurich an einem Investitionsforderungs-Forum unter
Seco-Leitung teilnehmen, das eine Firma fur Investitionen in Armenien
auszeichnet.

SERGO ERITSYAN DIDN’T REMAIN WITHOUT A POST
A1+
[11:56 am] 15 June, 2006
According to the decree of Robert Kocharyan Sergo Eritsyan was
appointed the councilor of the RA President.
According to another decree of the President Ara Ayvazyan was dismissed
from the post of the RA Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
to the Republic of Chile and Eastern Republic of Uruguay and Vladimir
Karmirshalyan, RA Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to
the Republic of Argentina was appointed instead.

BIRTHS HAVE REDUCED
A1+
[12:22 pm] 13 June, 2006
The index of the birthrate has decreased in the Shirak region this
year. There were 820 births in the region in comparison with the 868
births of 2005.
According to Satenik Beybutyan, head of the Shirak region Health
Care Board, the reduction of the birthrate is mainly determined by
the emigration, terrible social-economic conditions and the wish of
the youth to have few children.
According to the Health Care Board the death rate has increased. Mainly
cancer and heart diseases prevail in the region. By the way, the
indexes of birthrate and death rate are considered to be inalterable.
TV Company “Tsayg” of Gyumri.

52 ARMENIAN POPULATED AREAS RENAMED BY LAW ADOPTED AT RA NA
Noyan Tapan
Jun 13 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 13, NOYAN TAPAN. On June 13, RA National Assembly in
the second reading and completely adopted the bill submitted by
the government “On Making Amendments and Additions to RA Law “On
Administrative Division.”
According to the bill, 52 populated areas of different regions
of Armenia are renamed. The goal of this is to change foreign,
disharmonious or repeated names. A number of populated areas were
renamed as the local residents wished. For instance, the village of
Areg, Aragatsotn region, was renamed Tatul after National Hero Tatul
Krpeyan. Besides, the settlement of Ayrum, Tavush region, is given
the status of a town community in consideration of the fact that it
is practically a town community with the respective infrastructures
and is deprived of lands of agricultural importance characteristic
of rural communities.

TURKEY HAVING NON-CONSTRUCTIVE POSITION IN ISSUE OF NKR INDEPENDENCE RECOGNIZES INDEPENDENCE OF MONTENEGRO
Noyan Tapan
Jun 13 2006
ANKARA, JUNE 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Turkey has recognized the Republic of
Montenegro separated from Serbia through a referendum. According to the
Chihan Turkish news agency, Foreign Minister of Montenegro Vlahovich
applied to his Turkish colleague Abdullah Gul for the latter to assist
the international recognition of his state. Gul responded positively
and instructed to undertake all necessary measures for establishing
diplomatic relations with Montenegro.
It is interesting that the Turkish press considers the independence
of Montenegro a good precedent for recognition of the independence of
the self-proclaimed republic of North Cyprus but says nothing about
the fact of Nagorno Karabakh’s becoming independent of Azerbaijan
through a referendum 15 years ago.