Author: Vardanian Garo

A1+

A FAMILY IS BEING EXILED FROM GYUMRY

07:54 pm 23 March, 2006

A decision has already been made on the exile of Hasmik Amirkhanyan’s
family living on the15th floor on Ghandilyan Street. The Amirkhanyans
who lost 4 rooms because of the 1988 Earthquake got a new flat only
3years ago and on the privileges of the seventh point of the flat
receivers list the City Hall of Gjumry gave them a three-room flat,
but the decision of the City Hall was not affirmed by the Shirak
Marzpetaran. The family got the family during the years when one and
the same flat was given to two different families because of the
conflict between the City Hall the Marzpetaran. The local and marz
bodies have no problems on this score beginning from the year
2006.Instead of them the citizens face serious problems. According to
the resolution of the court the Amirkhanians are to release their
present dwelling place. The family of 5 juveniles is offered to live
in the hostel by the Shirak Marzpetaran by the time they make a final
decision on the matter. The family does not accept this offer. The
case is already placed before the Compulsory Service workers. Thus
willingly or unwillingly the family will have to release the place
within 1 – 2 days.

`Tsajg’ TV channel of Gyumry

FIRST DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF THE RF STATE DUMA COMMITTEE ON CIS AFFAIRS: MIGRATION POLICY OF RUSSIA TO CHANGE

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 21 2006

MOSCOW, March 21. /ARKA/. The migration policy of Russia will certainly
change, according to the “Novosti-Armenia” agency; this was stated by
the First Deputy Chairman of the RF State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs
Ahmed Bilalov during his meeting with journalists in Moscow. In his
words, directions and terms of changes will be defined gradually.

“Russia first of all is interested in labor resources – people, who
are going to leave for far North to open it up”, Bilalov emphasized,
while expressing an opinion that in this case preference will be shown
for “our countrymen, who speak Russian and have Russian education”.

Besides that, according to Bilalov, a group must be defined, for
which must be set an easy order of getting Russian citizenship.

“Certainly a differentiated approach must be shown here”, Bilalov
emphasized At the same time he stated that this issue is a subject
of special discussions and expressed belief that the basic document
defining migration principles will be approved in Russia in 2006-2007.

According to Bilalov, many sublegislative acts will be passed.

“We need appropriate legalization of migrants in order the law
machinery couldn’t fleece them. For example if Armenians and Tajiks
leave Russia our construction business will rise. I think that
migration issues must be considered on the level of Eurasian Economic
Community (EEC- “Novosti-Armenia”).

KARABAKH DISMISSES AZERI TRUCE VIOLATION REPORTS AS “DISINFORMATION”

Arminfo
20 Mar 06

Yerevan, 20 March: In an interview with an Arminfo correspondent the
press service of the Defence Ministry of the Nagornyy Karabakh Republic
[NKR] has dismissed as not true and open disinformation the Azerbaijani
reports that Karabakh’s armed units fired on Azerbaijani positions in
Agdam, Mardakert and other areas in the period between 14 and 19 March.

The press service noted that the Azerbaijani side has, itself, been
periodically violating the cease-fire regime, using small arms,
including large-calibre machine-guns. “The NKR defence army has
rigorously been observing the cease-fire regime,” the NKR Defence
Ministry press service stressed.

We should note that the Azerbaijani media reported that the Karabakh
side had violated the cease-fire regime on 18 and 19 March as a result
of which two Azerbaijani servicemen were allegedly killed.

However, no names were given by the media. There is no official
confirmation from the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry either.

[Azerbaijani ANS TV said on 19 March that soldiers Huseyn Bandaliyev
and Elcin Bayramov, 19, were killed by Armenian fire]

Azeri court sentences three servicemen for Armenian conspiracy in October 2005

Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
18 Mar 06

[Presenter] Counter-intelligence measures have established that a
junior warrant officer of a military unit of the Azerbaijani Defence
Ministry, Ruslan Bakirov, 21, who was in Armenian captivity from 15
February to 7 May last year, was involved in secret collaboration
with Armenia’s special services. It was also identified that Bakirov,
a conscript from the Samkir District conscription office, received
instructions from Armenia to commit terrorist acts, the public
relations department of the Azerbaijani National Security Ministry
has said.

[Correspondent, over video of Bakirov, archive footage] Ruslan
Bakirov was deceived by the Armenians together with his subordinate
privates, Xayal Abdullayev, 20, and Hikmat Tagiyev, 23, into
committing high treason by deserting into the enemy side while
standing on duty. Immediately after being released with the help of
the International Committee of the Red Cross, Ruslan Bakirov admitted
that he had been involved in secret collaboration with the Armenians.
However, measures later proved that his confession was part of the plan
prepared by the Armenian special services. The serviceman voluntarily
unveiled the truth following counter-intelligence measures.

It became known that the Armenian special services worked purposefully
to collaborate with Ruslan Bakirov, Xayal Abdullayev and Hikmat
Tagiyev. Seven meetings were held with Ruslan Bakirov, who confirmed
his secret collaboration in writing and on a video recording. They
gave him the nickname Ramin, agreed on communication methods and
promised to give him a reward of 3,000-4,000 dollars for carrying out
every assignment. An employee of the Armenian special services, who
introduced himself as Rudik, briefed Ruslan Bakirov on his activities
after returning to Azerbaijan. One of Bakirov’s main targets would
be the Azerbaijani president.

[Ruslan Bakirov] They told me to go and check along which route the
presidential motorcade moves, mine the road and explode it.

[Correspondent] Bakirov would also carry out explosions on the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline [carrying Caspian oil to world
markets], gas pipes, at Heydar Aliyev International Airport, photograph
different strategic installations and send the images to Armenia.

The prosecution has proven all the charges. The Military Court on
Grave Crimes on 7 October 2005 ruled to sentence Ruslan Bakirov and
Xayal Abdullayev to 12 years and Hikmat Tagiyev to 11 years in prison.

Irada Mammadova for “Son Xabar” [programme].

British Military Museum Presents Exhibits on Armenian Genocide

PanARMENIAN.Net
18.03.2006 20:55 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Crimes against Humanity section of the London
Military Museum shows exhibits, which tell about atrocities during
the Armenian Genocide in 1915.

The Museum also presents documents on violence in the USSR during the
Stalin period, Anadolu information agency reports, adding visitors
can get additional information on the materials in the Museum via
the Internet.

DANGER OF AVIAN INFLUENZA SOFTENED IN ARMENIA, REPRESENTATIVE OF RA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE ASSURES

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The avian influenza danger is
softened in Armenia as not a great number of swans will come to the
republic because of natural climatic conditions. Grisha Baghian,
the Chief of the Veterinary Service Department of the RA Ministry
of Agriculture made such a statment in the March 16 interview to
journalists. According to him, during the last month cases of bird flu
were fixed mainly among swans. And there were yet no swans flying over
Armenia this year. G.Baghian also mentioned that according to data of
poultry keepers of Armenia, about 100 swans may come to the republic.

Today, Azerbaijan
March 17 2006

Frank Geerkens: “Restoration of relations might be useful for
Azerbaijan and Armenia”

17 March 2006 [09:38] – Today.Az

He said that OSCE focuses on the settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict.

“OSCE Chairman-in-Office Belgian Foreign Minister visited the region
and met with the sides on settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict,”
said Frank Geerkens, chairman of the second preparatory meeting of 14th
Economic Forum on Enhancement of transport security in the OSCE region.

He said that OSCE focuses on the settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict.

“Our aim is to play a coordinating role between the two countries. As
for the events and initiatives, these relations are possible within
OSCE in various forms. Restoration of the relations might be more
useful for the sides.”

URL:

ARMENIA: BACKDOOR CENSORSHIP FEARS
By Arpi Harutunian in Yerevan

Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), UK
March 16, 2006

Newspaper distribution law could severely restrict circulation of
opposition titles.

Armenian journalists are sounding the alarm over legislation that
requires newspaper delivery companies for the first time to apply
for licenses.

Local activists say that the legislation, introduced by Armenia’s
parliament last year in the form of an amendment to existing laws
on mail service and tax regulations, is in fact a hidden form of
state censorship.

“The journalistic community and public organisations of Armenia are
trying to stop this law,” Boris Navasardian, chairman of the Yerevan
Press Club, told IWPR. “Otherwise, we will have to admit that it is
one more mechanism for secret censorship.”

The legislation stipulates that firms pay 11,000 US dollars per year
in order to receive licenses for the right to deliver newspapers.

This requirement will bankrupt many small independent delivery
companies, say observers, and place the country’s newspaper
distribution service firmly in the hands of two state-connected
enterprises, Haipost, Armenia’s postal service, and Haimamul, the
main kiosk vendor.

Haipost, as a self-financing closed joint-stock company, is nominally
independent. However, since all of its shares belong to the state,
it is considered to be closely linked to the government.

Haimamul for its part is fully independent, though its origins indicate
close state ties. The firm was established in 1939 as Soviet Armenia’s
sole concern handling newspaper subscriptions and delivery.

Today it is the largest single distributor, and with about 400 kiosks
and 7,223 subscribers, one of the few that reaches all the country’s
regions.

Rather than censoring the newspapers outright, say media professionals,
government officials can instead pressure these two companies to
prevent publications with offending content from reaching the public,
especially in rural areas.

“I have the impression that the Armenian government is doing
all it can, and even what it cannot, in order to reduce newspaper
dissemination as much as possible,” said Hakob Avetikian, editor in
chief of the daily Azg. “They want to reduce the amount of undesirable
information to the public.”

The critics point to a number of incidents where Haimaimul failed
to distribute certain publications. In October, 2002, for example,
4,600 copies of the Aravot opposition newspapers disappeared from
Haimamul’s kiosks.

Aravot editors’ say that the incident was tied to an article which
was critical of Hrach Abgarian, former adviser to Armenian prime
minister Andranik Margarian.

Members of the Yerevan Press Club and other public organisations say
the new legislation violates human rights and have sent a letter
to parliament demanding the law be changed. IWPR has learned that
the opposition United Labour Party has thrown its weight behind
the initiative.

Press club officials say that the laws violate Article 10 of European
Convention of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, Article 19 of
Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as Article 24 of the
Armenian constitution, guaranteeing the right to free expression.

“If we are members of the Council of Europe and if we speak about
European integration, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press,
then we should reject licensing of the media,” said Armen Davtian,
director of the Blitz independent media distribution company, who
compared the situation with licensing of press distribution in Armenia
to that in authoritarian Belarus.

The new legislation comes into force just as a number of small,
independent companies have sprung up to challenge Haipost and
Haimamul’s near-monopoly over distribution.

Last year, for example, the US-funded Eurasia Foundation and George
Soros’ Open Society Institute awarded grants to five companies under
a programme to support alternative distribution channels and improve
delivery to rural areas.

Eurasia officials say that very few of Armenia’s daily newspapers
reach the country’s villages, where much of the population resides.

Some remote towns do not receive a single newspaper, they say.

“Our aim was to create stable companies that would lead to the
weakening of the monopoly of Haipost and Haimamul and become
alternative companies in the newspaper market,” Alisa Alaverdian,
Eurasia’s external relations coordinator, told IWPR.

Now, however, because of the new legislation, these enterprises are
under threat of closure.

Tax officials have paid several visits to the heads of the Blitz
Media Company, one of the new distributors, demanding that they either
suspend their activities or pay for a license.

“I pay annual 1,500 dollars in income tax, and according to what
I know, other small organisations that work in this sphere pay
approximately the same amount,” said Blitz director Davtian. “There
is no logic in this fixed sum of 11 thousand dollars for the license.”

Haikaz Simikian, head of the Simikian distribution company in
Vanadzor with 700 subscribers, one of the five firms to receive
Eurasia Foundation and OSI’s grants, said it’s likely to close if
they pay the license fee.

“This amount is absurd,” said Simikian. “We won’t have any income
under such conditions.”

Eurasia Foundation officials agree that the law comes at a very
untimely moment. “As a result of [our] programme, the circulation of
some newspapers grew significantly,” said Marina Mkhitarian, Eurasia’s
programme coordinator. “[This continued] until the distribution
companies encountered problems with taxation bodies because of their
lack of licenses.”

Government officials for their part defend the legislation by saying
that it in no way restricts the dissemination of the news. Delivery
is being licensed, not subscription, they say, and the law will
strengthen the distribution system and regulate deliveries, especially
to rural areas.

Tamara Ghalechian, spokesperson for the ministry of transport and
communications, said that the high license fee will help weed out
the field and assure that only companies that can provide the best
services will be involved in newspaper delivery.

“The state is establishing a regulating mechanism for companies which
are responsible for organising subscriptions, Ghalechian told IWPR.

Many do not buy this explanation, however. “What sense is there in
subscription, if there is no delivery?” asked Blitz distribution
company head Davtian.

Haipost officials guarantees that the company’s 904 post offices will
deliver all newspapers in a timely manner, even those to far-flung
regions. “We deliver newspapers to subscribers even in the most remote
villages,” said Haipost spokesperson Astghik Martirosian.

Martirosian supports the new legislation whole-heartedly. “If the state
believes that we need such a law, this means that we indeed need it,”
he said.

Interestingly, despite the benefits that their company will allegedly
reap, Haimamul officials say that they are opposed to the law. “The
number of newspapers is already very small and they do not reach
residents in the regions,” said Haimamul executive director Arshaluis
Manukian.

“Laws like this will lead to the total isolation of rural residents
from any information, since companies with small budgets will be
unable to pay and will have to halt their activities,” he said,
calling the legislation “the product of a morbid imagination”.

Arpi Harutunian is a reporter with weekly in
Yerevan. Seda Muradyan, IWPR’s Armenia coordinator, also contributed
to this article.

;s=f&o =260381&apc_state=henh

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
03/08/2006
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM

1) Oskanian And Rice to Sign $235 Million Contract
2) Pallone Calls for Parity in Armenia-Azerbaijan Military Assistance
3) Azerbaijan Violates Cease Fire in Northeastern Armenia
4) EU Says Turkey Must Show Progress on Cyprus in Membership Talks
5) Istanbul University Organizes Armenian Conference
6) Harvest Gallery Presents Rafael Atoyan Exhibit

1) Oskanian And Rice to Sign $235 Million Contract

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–The United States will formalize later this month the
release
of $235.5 million in additional economic assistance to Armenia over the next
five years under President George W. Bush’s Millennium Challenge Account (MCA)
program.
Armenia’s MCA compact, already agreed on by the two governments, will be
signed in Washington on March 27.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Armenian Assembly of America said the
signing ceremony will be attended by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and
Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian.
The agreement will come nearly two years after Armenia was included on the
list of 16 developing nations that are eligible for the plan designed to spur
political and economic reforms around the world. The Millennium Challenge
Corporation (MCC), a US government agency handling it, approved the Armenian
government’s MCA application late last year.
Most of the MCA assistance, $146 million, will be spent on rebuilding and
expanding Armenia’s dilapidated irrigation networks. Another $67 million will
go to pay for capital repairs on about 1,000 kilometers of rural roads that
have fallen into disrepair since the Soviet collapse.

2) Pallone Calls for Parity in Armenia-Azerbaijan Military Assistance

WASHINGTON, DC–Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Co-Chairman of the Armenian
Issues Caucus, took the floor of the US House of Representatives Tuesday to
criticize the Administration’s “breach of an agreement struck between the
White
House and Congress in 2001 to maintain parity in US military aid to Armenia
and
Azerbaijan,” reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
The Bush Administration recommended last month, in its Fiscal Year 2007
budget, that Azerbaijan receive significantly more military training and
hardware than Armenia. The President also proposed cutting US economic aid to
Armenia from last year’s appropriation of $74.4 million to $50 million, a
nearly 33% reduction.
The New Jersey Congressman explained to his House colleagues that, “a lack of
military parity would weaken ongoing peace negotiations regarding Nagorno
Karabagh. Furthermore, I believe that any imbalance will contribute to further
instability in the region if military parity is not achieved.” He added that,
“failing to respect the parity agreement undermines the role of the US as an
impartial mediator of the Nagorno Karabagh conflict.”
Representative Pallone closed his remarks by noting that, “in the coming
weeks
I will advocate to the Foreign Operations Subcommittee to restore military
parity, to increase economic assistance to Armenia, and to provide for
humanitarian aid to the people of Nagorno Karabagh. It is incredibly important
to reward our allies and to send a message to Azerbaijan and Turkey that
ethnically charged genocides, illegal blockades of sovereign nations, and the
constant harassment of the Armenian people will not be tolerated.”
“We want to thank Congressman Pallone for his longstanding leadership in
educating his colleagues about the important US interests served by our
assistance program to Armenia, direct aid to Nagorno Karabagh, and the other
Armenia-related provisions in the Foreign Operations bill–most recently and
notably–the need for maintaining parity in US military aid to Armenia and
Azerbaijan,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “We also want to
express our appreciation to Congressman Knollenberg for his work, within the
Foreign Operations Subcommittee itself, generating vital support for
maintaining military parity and other key provisions of special concern to the
Armenian American community.”
The President’s proposal for Freedom Support Act aid is $50 million for
Armenia, $28 million for Azerbaijan, and $58 million for Georgia. His Foreign
Military Financing proposals are $3.5 million for Armenia, $4.5 million for
Azerbaijan, and $10 million for Georgia. The White House’s recommendation to
Congress for International Military Education and Training is $790,000 for
Armenia, $885,000 for Azerbaijan, and $1,235,000 for Georgia.
The Foreign Operations Subcommittees of the Senate and House Appropriation
Committees are currently reviewing the President’s proposed budget and are
each
drafting their own versions of the FY 2007 foreign assistance bill.
The agreement to maintain parity in US military aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan
was struck between the White House and Congress in 2001, in the wake of
Congressional action granting the President the authority to waive the Section
907 restrictions on aid to Azerbaijan. The ANCA has vigorously defended this
principle, stressing in correspondence, at senior level meetings, and through
grassroots activism, that a tilt in military spending toward Azerbaijan would
destabilize the region, emboldening the Azeri leadership to continue their
threats to impose a military solution to the Nagorno Karabagh conflict. More
broadly, the ANCA has underscored that breaching the parity agreement would
reward the leadership of Azerbaijan for walking away from the OSCE’s Key West
peace talks, the most promising opportunity to resolve the Nagorno Karabagh
conflict in nearly a decade. Finally, failing to respect the parity agreement
undermines the role of the US as an impartial mediator of the Nagorno Karabagh
conflict.

The full text of Congressman Pallone’s remarks are provided below.

Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr.’s Floor Statement

Foreign Operations Request: March 7, 2006

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, the President’s budget request for fiscal year 2007
proposes 20 percent more military aid to Azerbaijan than to Armenia. This
request is a clear breach of an agreement struck between the White House and
the Congress in 2001 to maintain parity in U.S. military aid to Armenia and
Azerbaijan.
Mr. Speaker, the parity agreement is unfortunately a battle that the Armenian
people have had to fight in the past. The fiscal year 2005 Presidential
request
was similar in that it called for more military funding to Azerbaijan.
However, the Congress reversed the President to ensure military parity in the
fiscal year 2005 Foreign Operations Appropriations Act. After that battle and
the President’s 2006 budget request that
included parity , I thought the President’s fiscal year 2007 budget would
continue that policy. But unfortunately that was not the case. A lack of
military parity would, in my opinion, weaken ongoing peace negotiations
regarding Nagorno Karabagh, among other things.
It will also contribute to further instability in the region, and it
undermines the role of the United States as an impartial mediator of the
Nagorno Karabagh conflict. Mr. Speaker, the government should not be rewarding
the Government of Azerbaijan for walking away from the organization for
security and cooperation in Europe’s Key West peace talks, the most promising
opportunity to resolve the Nagorno Karabagh conflict in nearly a decade.
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, the administration’s budget also calls for
drastic
cuts in economic assistance to Armenia. I was discouraged to see that the
President requested a 33 percent decrease in economic aid from $74.4 million
last year to $50 million this year. Technical and developmental assistance and
investment is essential to Armenia. This funding is key to democratic
stability
and economic reform in the country.
Mr. Speaker, is this the message we want to send to our friends in
Armenia? Do
we want to cut economic aid to a country that is terrorized by its neighbors
and is shut off on its eastern and western borders due to an illegal blockade
by Turkey and Azerbaijan?
Mr. Speaker, in the coming weeks I will advocate to the Foreign Operations
Subcommittee to restore military parity , to increase economic assistance to
Armenia and to provide for humanitarian aid
to the people of Nagorno Karabagh. It is incredibly important to reward our
allies and to send a message to Azerbaijan and Turkey that ethnically charged
genocides, illegal blockades of sovereign nations, and the constant harassment
of the Armenian people will not be tolerated.

3) Azerbaijan Violates Cease Fire in Northeastern Armenia

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–The Armenian military accused Azeri forces on Wednesday of
continuing to violate the cease fire regime in the westernmost section of the
heavily militarized border between the two South Caucasus states.
Echoing statements by the Defense Ministry in Yerevan, military commanders in
Armenia’s northeastern Tavush province said their border posts have been under
daily gunfire from Azeri positions for more than a week.
The spokesman for Armenia’s Defense Ministry, Seyran Shahsuvarian, said
Armenian such incidents were until now registered only once or twice a month.
The Defense Ministry said that their troops are not returning fire to prevent
the situation from escalating further.
“I have just been informed that our positions were again fired upon,” said
Major Tigran Gevorgian, chief of staff of an Armenian army regiment stationed
in the regional capital Ijevan. “We registered five such incidents
yesterday.”
“There have been no cases of truce violation from our side,” he said. “We
haven’t even returned fire. But we have increased our vigilance and are ready
to defend our land at any moment.”
One of Gevorgian’s soldiers, 19-year-old Arsen Zakevosian, was wounded and
died while being transported to a military hospital in Ijevan on Friday from
his unit’s positions just outside the border village of Kayan. The Armenian
military says it has not suffered any other casualties so far.
The Azeri Defense Ministry has not reported any fighting in the area close to
eastern Georgia and denies the Armenian accusations. It said on Monday that
the
Armenians themselves breached the truce by killing an Azeri army conscript
in a
section of the frontline east of Karabagh. Karabagh Armenian forces dismissed
the claims.
Residents of Kayan, meanwhile, confirmed that gunshots on the border have
been
more frequent in recent days. “We are all used to shootings,” said Arsen
Ghazarian whose family house is located on the edge of the village, just
meters
from an army roadblock.
“The Azerbaijanis shoot all the time,” said one of his neighbors, Telman
Pirumian. “Even small children are not quite scared of that.”
Susanna, an elderly villager, harked back to the pre-war Soviet years when
local residents lived in peace with their Azeri neighbors and took pride in
Kayan’s status as the main gateway to Armenia. “We could go to Tbilisi and any
other place from here. But now the road [running through Kayan] is closed. We
are in quarantine.”

4) EU Says Turkey Must Show Progress on Cyprus in Membership Talks

(Bloomberg)–The commissioner in charge of the European Union’s expansion said
Turkey must live up to its promises regarding the Republic of Cyprus to avoid
“negative repercussions” on talks over Turkish membership in the EU.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn met with Turkish Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul and Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik Wednesday in
Vienna.
Austria holds the rotating presidency of the European Union.
“There is a clear necessity to make progress on Cyprus in 2006 in order to
avoid negative repercussions on the process,” Rehn said. “Turkey has made
commitments including Cyprus, and Turkey is expected to meet these
conditions.”
The 25-nation EU started membership negotiations with Turkey in October.
Talks
are expected to last a decade or more. EU leaders have said they reserve the
right to suspend negotiations with Turkey if the government doesn’t allow
Greek
Cypriot ships and planes access to its ports and airports under the trade
accord.
Foreign Minister Gul said today he believes that a solution to the Cyprus
question should come from the United Nations.

5) Istanbul University Organizes Armenian Conference

Istanbul University is planning to hold a conference March 15-17 about the
Armenian “relocation.” The goal of the conference is to discuss the events of
1915, evaluate the reasons they happened, and their consequences all without
using the word genocide.
The conference will feature speakers of various viewpoints, including Halil
Berktay, a historian who contradicts the official Turkish government
position.

6) Harvest Gallery Presents Rafael Atoyan Exhibit

GLENDALE–A rare solo exhibition of internationally acclaimed artist Rafael
Atoyan’s works will be held March 10-22 at Harvest Gallery in Glendale.
The opening reception will be held Friday, March 10 from 7:00 – 10:00 PM.
For general information about the exhibit, call Harvest Gallery at
(818)546-1000 or visit <;www.harvestg allery.com.

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ARMENIA ACCUSES AZERBAIJAN OF BREAKING CEASEFIRE AGAIN

RIA Novosti
13:00 | 07/ 03/ 2006

YEREVAN/BAKU, March 7 (RIA Novosti, Gamlet Matevosyan, Gerai Dadashev)
– Armenia’s defense ministry Tuesday again accused Azerbaijani troops
of breaking a ceasefire agreement between the two countries.

“The Azerbaijani side shot at Armenian positions yesterday at about
19.05 local time [19.05 Moscow time] in the Baik region, and at 21.40
[local time] in the Berd region. On Tuesday the shooting continued,
with firing at about 02.50 [local time] in two areas around Adzhevan,”
ministry spokesman Seiran Shakhsuvaryan said, adding that Armenian
troops had not returned fire.

Shakhsuvaryan said that Armenian troops had come under fire from
Azerbaijani troops almost daily in recent weeks.

The conflict between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and
Azerbaijan over Nagorny Karabakh, an Azerbaijani region with a largely
Armenian population, first erupted in 1988, when the region claimed
independence from Azerbaijan to join Armenia.

Over 30,000 people were reported dead on both sides between 1988
and 1994, and over 100 others died after a ceasefire was concluded
in 1994, leaving Nagorno-Karabakh in Armenian hands, but tensions
between Azerbaijan and Armenia have persisted.