Author: Tvankchian Parkev

ASSAILANTS ATTACK ARMENIANS, UZBEKS, KAZAKH MAN IN 3 SEPARATE INCIDENTS IN MOSCOW

AP Worldstream
Jul 02, 2006

Assailants stabbed two ethnic Armenian students, a Kazakh student
and two Uzbeks in three separate incidents in Moscow, Russian news
reports said Sunday.

It was unclear whether any of the attacks would be classified as hate
crimes or were at all connected. But they all occurred amid growing
fears of racism and xenophobia and a sharp uptick in skinhead activity
in Russia.

Two Armenian teenagers were stabbed during a fight on a subway platform
around 5 p.m. (1300 GMT) Saturday, Interfax reported. The two were
hospitalized with various stab wounds; the attackers fled the scene.

The attack was being investigated as "hooliganism, " city prosecutors’
spokesman Sergei Marchenko was quoted by RIA-Novosti as saying.

Meanwhile, a Kazakh man studying at Moscow’s Military Engineering
Academy was attacked by a group of 10 teenagers, including four women,
Interfax said. He was also hospitalized and was reportedly in stable
condition.

Also Saturday, two Uzbek citizens were hospitalized with multiple stab
wounds after being attacked in southwestern district of the Russian
capital, Interfax said. The two were hospitalized in serious condition,
police officials said.

City police officials could not be reached to confirm the reports or
comment on whether they were connected.

Russia has seen a wave of xenophobia and hate crimes in recent years,
with hundreds of attacks reported, including many on dark-skinned
immigrants from former Soviet Central Asia and the Caucasus Mountains
region.

Rights activists say hate groups are emboldened by authorities’
mild approach to prosecuting hate crimes, and say that neo-Nazi and
extremist literature is sold freely.

Two ethnic Armenian teenagers were fatally stabbed in the Moscow
region this spring in what Armenian officials called blatant examples
of hate crimes in Russia.

KAPAN REPRESENTATION OF OSCE YEREVAN OFFICE OPENS

KAPAN, JUNE 30, NOYAN TAPAN. The Kapan representation of the OSCE
Yerevan Office opened in Kapan on June 29. It has a goal to assist
marz authorities of Syunik in the affair of initiating and
implementing economic and nature protectional programs.

OSCE Yerevan Office head, Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin mentioned that
Syunik is the first from marzes of Armenia where such a representation
opens. "It is explained with the issue that Syunik is rather far from
the capital, that’s why Syunik suffered at the transitional stage most
of all, so there are many problems here, especially in the sphere of
employment of the inhabitation. I think that the newly opened
representation will assist in solution of those issues, will help to
develop small and medium-sized entrepreneurial activity," Pryakhin
said.

RA Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Bayburdian mentioned that V.Pryakhin
and RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian signed on June 9 an additional
report of the Memorandum on Mutual Understanding between the OSCE and
Armenia which gives a legal basis to found offices for implementing
programs in the RA. "The OSCE Yerevan Office has worked in the marz of
Syunik for a long time, it carried out researches, implemented
programs. Syunik is an important marz for Armenia in the
military-political sense that’s why Syunik was given preference,"
A.Bayburdian said.

WILL THE MISNK GROUP CONTINUE WORKING INTENSIVELY?

A1+
[04:36 pm] 29 June, 2006

"The international organisations don’t have a magic stick in connection
with the Karabakh conflict settlement and it is senseless to expect
any changes from the CoE in this phase," announced Alexander Grusko,
RF Deputy Foreign Minister from the PACE tribune underlining the vital
role of the OSCE Minsk group in the conflict settlement procedure.

According to the Deputy Minister great efforts have been exerted
recently to come to an agreement and three rather complicated matters
have remained unsolved so far. "The responsibility of the conflict
settlement is put on the shoulders of the two countries under
question," said Alexander Grusko. The latter didn’t refer to the
Co-Chairs’ recent announcement in which they found the continuation
of the intensified mediation mission senseless, mainly the initiation
of additional meetings between the two Presidents. According to Grusko
the Minsk group continues to work intensively.

HEARINGS ON 12-YEAR EDUCATION TO BE HELD AT THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

ArmRadio.am
30.06.2006 10:34

NA Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture and Youth Affairs
has organized today parliamentary hearings on "12-year education:
the process of reforms in the educational system."

ARMENIA SPEAKER ACCUSES AZERBAIJAN OF ABUSING POSITION AT PACE

RIA Novosti, Russia
June 29 2006

YEREVAN, June 29 (RIA Novosti) – Armenia’s parliamentary speaker
accused Azerbaijan of using the rostrum of the Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe to insult Armenia, the parliament’s press
department said Thursday.

Tigran Torosyan told PACE Secretary General Terry Davis in Strasbourg
Wednesday: "The PACE session in Strasbourg is highly important
for joint discussion of issues linked with the fulfillment of the
countries’ obligations, while Azerbaijan is using the PACE rostrum
to insult and slander Armenia."

Torosyan said Azerbaijani delegates had accused Armenia of starting
forest fires in troubled Nagorny-Karabakh, a region in Azerbaijan
with a largely ethnic Armenian population, and neighboring territories.

He said Nagorny-Karabakh had asked the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe, the world’s largest regional security body,
two weeks ago to monitor the situation and prove the accusations false.

Torosyan also said that in this situation the Armenian delegation
could not abstain from reciprocal statements. He said false insults
and accusations were unworthy of the Council of Europe’s principles,
and proposed taking steps to resolve the situation.

DIASPORAN ART FIGURES PERFORM IN ASHTARAK WITHIN FRAMEWORK OF ALL ARMENIAN CULTURAL FESTIVAL

Noyan Tapan
Jun 28 2006

ASHTARAK, JUNE 28, NOYAN TAPAN. On June 27, an event was organized in
the regional center of Aragatsotn, Ashtarak, within the framework of
the "One Nation, One Culture" All Armenian Cultural Festival. Dance
ensembles of the Australian city of Sydney, Armenian communities of
Iran and Kazakhstan, a choir from Georgia, Diasporan Armenian solo
performers, "Karmravor" dance group of Ashtarak and other ensembles
performed at the concert held at the city palace of culture.

SERGEY TARAN: RUSSIA MAINTAINS INFLUENCE ON AZERBAIJAN THROUGH KARABAKH PROBLEM

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.06.2006 16:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Nagorno Karabakh problem doesn’t find solution
since Russia tries to maintain its influence upon Azerbaijan, Director
of the Ukrainian International Institute of Democracy Sergey Taran
stated. In his words, with the GUAM membership Azerbaijan has created
the possibility to counterbalance Russia’s influence.

"Besides, energy issues are important both for Azerbaijan and
Ukraine. If the GUAM accomplishes its energy projects, for example oil
and gas delivery to Europe, it will mean that Russia’s influence will
face serious alternative. Thus Azerbaijan will have the possibility
to solve the problems, including the Karabakh one," Taran remarked.

THE OSCE WILL REFER TO THE FIRES ON THE ARMENIAN-AZERI BORDERLINE

A1+
[08:27 pm] 27 June, 2006

Today Masis Mayilyan NKR Foreign Minister received the representatives
of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office informs the NKR Foreign Ministry.

The key issues of the discussion were the organizational issues in
connection with the observations held on Karabakh-Azerbaijan border
in close future. Masis Mayilyan announced that the OSCE Office
finds the NKR Foreign Ministry initiation a positive step which is
aimed at holding a survey on the frontier and putting an end to the
Azeri accusations in which they blame Armenians for burning their
territories deliberately.

THE YOUTH CONDEMN TURKEY

A1+
[03:10 pm] 27 June, 2006

A number of youth organizations condemn the inhospitable attitude
towards the All Armenian Catholicos Garegin II in Istanbul. Today the
representatives of the youth organization of the Republican Party and
"Nikol Aghbalyan" Students’ Union of the Dashnaktsutyun Party informed
about it.

In this connection about 30 political, social, youth and students’
organizations released a joint statement on June 26 and they are
going to hand it to all European Embassies.

According to Karen Avagyan, head of the youth organization of the
Republican Party the youth couldn’t keep silence. "We shall try to
prevent such cases in future. We want the Council of Europe to take
into consideration the fact that Turkey is not going to have any ties
with Armenia."

They noted that this is not the first assault in the Turkish history on
the Armenian and Christian clergymen. "Many months ago a Moslem from
Turkey, which is a candidate to the EU, killed a catholic clergyman
during the liturgy. It is due to mention that the encroachment upon
Johannes Poghos II was also initiated by the Turks," they claim.

In their statement the Armenian youth representatives demand the
international community, mainly the EU member-countries to refer to
this event and to condemn the assault on the Armenian Church Supreme
Patriarch.

In their opinion this assault is humiliating and it also violates
the rights and fundamental freedoms of the Christian residents(mainly
Armenian citizens) living in Turkey.

By the way, the participants of the press release are going to meet
with the All Armenian Catholicos after his return to Armenia, make
the details clear and later make certain steps among the youth.

EUROPEANS DON’T ACCEPT THE USA MEASURES OF TERRORISM COMBAT
Karine Asatryan

A1+
[03:44 pm] 27 June, 2006

The USA interests differ from those of Europe. A brilliant testify
to this are the PACE current discussions of the report on "Illegal
intergovernmental transfers of suspected secret prisoners and prisons
in the CoE member-countries."

"The terrorism combat mustn’t mingle with human rights breach," noted
Peter Shyoder, reporter of the Committee on political issues and added
that the Europeans must differ from the Americans by that feature.

"Terrorism combat is priority, but all our partners must respect the
supremacy of the international right," claimed Rene van der Liden
for several times during the PACE June session.

Today it was noted for several times that the USA has started to breach
human rights after the September 11 terrorist attack. According to
the French representative they must combat against terrorism but not
with the weapons of terrorists.

Today nearly all participants thanked Swiss deputy Diki Martini who
was the author of the report.

"Excellent investigation," repeated all speakers.

The journalists got documental films of DVD format in the morning
titled "War and Terrorism."

The film is about the severe destiny of two men who appeared in the
USA secret prison. Suvash Patel, the producer of the film announced
that they finished the film only a few days ago and haven’t managed
to translate it yet even into French which is the second official
language of the PACE after English.

By the way, Diki Martini’s report is not the end of the investigation,
just on the contrary, it is the beginning and they the session
participants on the CoE member-counties and their partners to continue
observing the matter further on and prevent the phenomenon in future.