Author: Vardapetian Ophelia

A-320 Crashed Over Pilot-in-Command Fault

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.07.2006 13:13 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The inadequate actions of the pilot-in-command caused
the crash of A-320 Armenian jet. As reported by the chief department
of the civil aviation, this is the conclusion made by the members of
the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC).

The investigation showed that when landing the plane at a height of 340
meters stopped reducing altitude and made a right turn simultaneously
gaining height. When making the turn and gaining some height the
pilot-in-command switched off the robot pilot and proceeded to
landing with complete absence of control over the horizontal and
vertical bents.

The co-pilot did not have control over the parameters essential for
landing either. As it was found out later the actions of the crew
were not coordinated and sufficient to stop landing.

According to the IAC conclusion, there was no fault with the
engines and systems of the jet. The amount of fuel was sufficient to
successfully end the flight, reported Novosti Armenia.

To note, the Interstate Aviation Committee completed the decoding of
the record boxes June 17.

PETER SEMNEBY EXPECTS HOLDING FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS FROM ARMENIA

YEREVAN, JULY 24, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The work on the
Armenia-EU Actions Plan within the framework of the New Neighborhood
policy is coming to an end and it is quite possible that EU and the
three South Caucasian countries will sign the respective document
soon. RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian and Special Representative
of EU to the South Caucasus Peter Semneby declared this at the July
24 joint press conference.

Both speakers expressed satisfaction with the results of Peter
Semneby’s visit to Armenia. As RA Foreign Minister said, during
his meeting with Semneby they discussed issues connected with the
course of preparation of the Actions Plan, peaceful settlement of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Armenian-Turkish relations, situation on
the Georgian-Russian border, as, in Semneby’s words, the closure of
the Verin Lars check-point creates great problems for the region on
the whole. Besides, issues connected with the forthcoming parliamentary
elections of Armenia to be held in 2007 were discussed. Vartan Oskanian
emphasized that EU attaches great importance to holding of free and
fair elections.

In his turn, Peter Semneby said that a special attention is paid to
holding of democratic elections in the Actions Plan. After the adoption
of the Actions Plan holding of elections will have great qualitative
importance for the further interrelations between Armenia and EU,
as the provision on holding free and fair elections is one of the
most important ones in the Actions Plan.

"Our expectations from the forthcoming elections in Armenia are
that any elections should be held in accordance with the acting
standards. I expect the elections to be free and fair, after all,
Armenia has assumed the respective commitments towards the European
structures," Peter Semneby declared.

EU envoy: Armenia-EU action plan and 2007 elections are connected directly

Regnum, Russia
July 24, 2006

Armenia-EU action plan within framework of the European New
Neighborhood Policy would be signed in the near future, Armenian
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan stated on July 24 during joint press
conference with EU Envoy in Southern Caucasus Peter Semneby.

He is quoted by a REGNUM correspondent as saying that detailed
information concerning date of signing the document would be received
in the near future. It is supposed the EU top-level delegation would
visit the region in order to sign the document. "The Armenian side is
about to sign the document; we have no serious problems; there are
several small ones, which will be settled within next week," Vardan
Oskanyan stressed, adding that the Azerbaijani side had problems
concerning Cyprus; however, they were settled. "We hope the document
will be signed by all the three South Caucasian countries in the near
future," the Armenian foreign minister stressed.

In his turn, Peter Semneby stressed that there was direct connection
between the Armenia-EU action plan and forthcoming 2007 parliamentary
elections in Armenia. The program envisages steps, which will
contribute to conducting parliamentary elections in correspondence
with international norms. "I hope the Armenian parliamentary elections
will be fair and transparent," the envoy pointed out reminding of
responsibilities Armenia had assumed concerning conducting transparent
elections. According to Mr. Semneby, the EU is going to watch closely
the forthcoming elections. "We will consider the elections’ outcomes,
based on observations and conclusions of international observers,"
the EU representative resumed.

SERGE SARGSIAN: I WILL SPARE NO EFFORTS SO THAT WE CAN WIN THIS STRUGGLE

Yerevan, July 22. ArmInfo. RA Defense Minister Serge Sargsian was
unanimously elected a member of Republican party’s Board at today’s
party congress.

Serge Sargsian emphasized that he has been cooperating with the
Republican party for many years and added that the party managed to
settle the inner party issues, notwithstanding several provocation
cases. "But we still should settle the problems that our motherland
is facing. We should unite and spare no efforts to settle them, as we
have a powerful Army and political will for that," he said. "I will
do everything within my forces so that we can win this struggle,"
he added.

It’s worth mentioning that 15 new members joined the party today,
namely RA Finance Minister Vardan Khachatrian, entrepreneurs Karen
Karapetian, Levon Sargsian, Haroutiun Pamboukian, Ruben Hayrapetian,
Mayor of Yerevan Yervand Zakharian, Gagik Beglarian, Hovik Shahinian
and Mher Sedrakian, heads of Kentron, Arabkir and Erebouni Yerevan
communities.

Certain amendments were made to the charter and the program
of the party at the congress. It was fixed that the party is a
national-conservative one.

COOPERATION OF THE REPUBLICAN AND ‘THRIVING ARMENIA’ PARTIES STIL
DEBATABLE

Yerevan, July 22. ArmInfo. The ‘Thriving Armenia’ party is still to
be organized and ordered to cooperate with the Republican Party,
said the leader of the latter, Prime Minister of Armenia Andranik
Margarian. ‘Thriving Armenia’ must also work out a certain program,
so that its potential partners might decide the question about
cooperation. In his return the head of the Republican Party Council,
Defense Minister Serge Sarkisian said that the cooperation with
‘Thriving Armenia’ is quite possible and even favorable.

CIS Leaders Discuss Commonwealth Reform

PanARMENIAN.Net
22.07.2006 15:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ When opening the meeting Russian
President said that he knows the Chairman has prepared proposals on
development of the organization. Thus Putin suggested focusing on
it. He gave the word to CIS Chairman Nursultan Nazarbayev. The Kazakh
President reminded that yesterday via the Embassy a project was sent,
which they would like to present for consideration. "This is one of
the proposals. Anyone can add something," he explained. "The reforms
have one common goal, i.e. find parameters, which fit all of us,
and for the states not consider themselves deprived in any matter,"
Nazarbayev remarked.

The Russian President thanked all participants of the meeting
for considering possible to arrive in Moscow yesterday and have
an informal meeting today. Putin noted that yesterday the summit
participants had an opportunity to speak in an absolutely informal
atmosphere. In his words, after the meeting in the Kremlin the CIS
leaders will continue discussion outside Kremlin wall, will touch
upon bilateral and multilateral matters. Specifically, the CIS leaders
will be present at the horse races for the Russian President’s Prize,
reports RIA Novosti.

The President of Armenia could not take part in the informal summit
of CIS leaders due to illness.

RA FM HOPES THAT KASPRCZIK’S REPORT WILL PUT END TO AZERBAIJAN’S
IRRESPONSIBLE AND ABSURD ASPERSIONS

YEREVAN, JULY 19, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. RA Foreign Ministry
has received the report of Andrzej Kasprczik, Personal Representative
of OSCE Chairman-in-Office, on fires in areas adjacent to NKR. NT
was informed about it by Vladimir Karapetian, Acting Head of RA FM
Press and Information Department. "We hope it will put an end to
Azerbaijan’s irresponsible and absurd aspersions," he emphasized.

To recap, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry also reported that it has
received Kasprczik’s report and will comment upon it after studying it.

Armenian boxer Hovhannes Danielyan celebrates his
next victory in the European Chapionship

ArmRadio.am
20.07.2006 15:40

Armenian boxer Hovhannes Danielyan of Yerevan celebrated his recurrent
victory in the European Boxing Championship held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria,
beating Jeyhun Aliev from Azerbaijan. Hrachyan Javakhyan of Vanadzor
celebrated victory over Kshishtoff Sott, Artak Malumyan of Yerevan
lost Arthur Beterbiev of Russia. Samvel Matevosyan lost to Alexander
Stretski of Ukraine.

Matthew Bryza Not Likely to Arrive in Yerevan with New Proposals

PanARMENIAN.Net
20.07.2006 14:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "I do not suppose that OSCE MG U.S. Co-chair
Matthew Bryza will arrive in Yerevan with extremely new proposals
on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, political scientist,
Turkologist Ruben Safrastyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In
his words, the appearance of new proposals is possible only after
coordination with the other Co-chairs. "However, we do not possess
such information to date," he remarked adding that he doesn’t fancy
what a new proposal can be like.

To note, the visit of OSCE MG U.S. Co-chair Matthew Bryza is scheduled
for July 29.

KARABAKH FM SAYS PARTICIPATION OF LEGALLY ELECTED AUTHORITIES NECESSARY TO REACH PEACE ACCORD

Armenpress

STEPANAKERT, JULY 18, ARMENPRESS: Authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh
have welcomed today a statement by leaders of the Great Eight (G-8)
which they issued in Russian Saint Petersburg calling on Armenia and
Azerbaijan ‘to demonstrate the political will, reach agreement and
prepare their publics for peace and not for war.’ "We confirmed that
the Group of Eight supports the mediation efforts of the co-chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group and stressed the need for agreeing on the
basic principles of a peaceful settlement of the conflict as early
as in 2006," the G-8 statement said.

"One may only welcome the statement of the Great Eight countries
on maintenance of the intermediary efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group
and on necessity of co-ordination of the core principles of the
conflict’s peaceful resolution," Nagorno-Karabakh foreign minister
Giorgy Petrosian said today in the statement.

"Nagorno Karabakh has always come out in favor of peaceful resolution
of the problem and is ready to exert every effort to achieve the
agreement on establishing long-term peace in the region. Unfortunately,
it is not everything that depends on the mediators. Considering
Azerbaijan’s extremely destructive position and its unwillingness to
be in any contact with Nagorno Karabakh it is very difficult to find
an acceptable and correct solution to date.

The President of the Russian Federation has fairly noted that Russia
is not going to impose any solutions on the parties to the conflict
and that the compromise must be reached by people. Taking into
account the Russian Federation’s readiness to become a guarantor of
the agreements’ fulfillment we remind once more that the achievement
of solutions directly concerning the future of our country and our
people is possible only with participation of representatives of
legally elected authorities of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, the
main and the most suffered party to the conflict," he said.