Author: Yeghisabet Arthur

SPECIAL ASSEMBLY OF EUROPEAN BOXING UNION OPENS IN MOSCOW
YEREVAN, JUNE 23, NOYAN TAPAN. The assembly of the European Boxing
Union opened on June 23 in Moscow. Special election of the Chairman
and leading staff of this organization is on the agenda. Derenik
Gabrielian, organization’s Vice-Chairman, RA Honored Worker of
Physical Culture and Sport, and Levon Hovhannisian, Head of the
Department of Olympic Kinds of Sports of Armenian Sports Committee,
Secretary General of Republican Boxing Federation, take part in the
assembly from Armenia.

UEFA (English)

June 23 2006
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Contenders ponder luck of the draw
Norway and Sweden’s UEFA Champions League contenders are getting
ready to face European debutants from the Czech Republic and Slovakia
after today’s draw.
Scandinavia’s finest
Norwegian champions Vålerenga IF will travel to 2005/06 Czech league
runners-up FK Mladá Boleslav for their second qualifying round first
leg, while Swedish title-holders Djurgårdens IF take on Slovakian
counterparts MFK Ru~^omberok, who have admitted they have very little
idea of what might lie ahead.
Ru~^omberok befuddled
Ru~^omberok coach Franti~Zek Komňacký said: “We are ready to
represent Slovakian football as well as we can. Our international
experience is nil – we have only played Slovakian teams and have no
concrete idea what to expect. The Swedish league is athletic as far I
know, similar to the English Premiership.”
Uncertain position
Aside from Austro-Swiss neighbours FC Zürich and SV Austria Salzburg,
the other second qualifying round challengers are even less sure of
where they stand, since they face the winners of first qualifying
round ties. Ukraine’s FC Dynamo Kyiv, however, know they will
encounter the champions of another former Soviet republic having been
drawn against the winners of Latvian champions FHK Liepajas
Metalurgs’ game against Kazakhstani title-holders FK Aktobe.
Metalurgs edgy
“To be honest, we’re not overjoyed,” said Metalurgs coach Benjaminas
Zelkevicius. “It looks more like a match in the Commonwealth Cup [the
annual Moscow tournament for former Soviet champions] than a UEFA
Champions League tie. In Moscow we played Aktobe and won 3-0. I
wouldn’t mind this result again in the first leg.”
Demianenko confident
Dynamo coach Anatoli Demianenko, meanwhile, was feeling determined.
“We respect all opponents but a club like ours should beat anyone in
the second qualifying round,” he said, adding: “I can’t tell who’s
the stronger of Metalurgs and Aktobe. We will know more after we see
them in action, but for both those clubs, matches against us will be
a matter of pride.”
Common goal
Serbian standard-bearers FK Crvena Zvezda are, alongside FC Steaua
Bucuresti from Romania, one of two former European champions awaiting
in the second round. They will have an assignment against either Cork
City FC or Apollon Limassol FC, from the Republic of Ireland and
Cyprus respectively. Crvena Zvezda coach Du~Zan Bajević said: “On
paper, Apollon are a tougher opponent than Cork, but every country
wants to have a Champions League participant and we share that
dream.”
Major challenge
Former Soviet republics will also meet in the first qualifying round
as Armenia’s FC Pyunik and Moldova’s FC Sheriff contest a second
qualifying round tie against Russia’s FC Spartak Moskva. For Pyunik
captain Sargis Hovsepyan, it represents a major hurdle. “We’re up
against one of the best teams in the round,” he said. “They are a
very mobile and strong team whom we saw at the Commonwealth Cup.
Sheriff have played Armenian champions before at this stage and won.
Although we will do all we can to advance, it’s going to be very
difficult.”
Smaller nations
Elsewhere, at least one of UEFA’s smallest nations will be
represented in the second round after Maltese champions Birkirkara FC
were pitted against Faroese equivalents B36 Tórshavn. The winners
will be rewarded by playing Turkish giants Fenerbahçe SK in the
second qualifying round. Birkirkara coach Stephen Azzopardi told
uefa.com: “Everyone at the club, including myself, feels we can make
it to the next round. Whoever gets through will play Fenerbahçe so
both teams will be doing their utmost to qualify.”
–Boundary_(ID_JbQMqp09b+2imL05fla nPQ)–

GUL: ARMENIA CAN JOIN KARS-AKHALKALAKI RAILWAY PROJECT
PanARMENIAN.Net
22.06.2006 14:27 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “If Armenia wishes it can join the building
Kars-Akhalkalaki railway,” Turkish FM Abdullah Gul said at
a meeting with Azeri President Ilham Aliyev. In the words of
Turkish MFA Spokesperson Namik Tan, inclusion of Armenia in the
project is conditioned with the issue of settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict. “We can involve Armenia only after the conflict
is settled. Aliyev and Gul stated it. However, Armenia should make
certain steps and try to find ways of settlement of the Karabakh
conflict,” Tan said, reports RFE/RL.

LEGISLATIVE ISSUES CONCERNING MEDIA DISCUSSED
National Assembly of RA, Armenia
June 20 2006
On June 19 Tigran Torosyan, RA NA Speaker met Vladimir Pryakhin,
the OSCE Yerevan Office Head and Ambassador and Miklos Haraszti,
the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media.
During the meeting issues concerning the laws and draft laws on mass
media were discussed. Tigran Torosyan, RA NA Speaker noted that the
three laws on freedom of information, television and radio mainly
regulate the activity of the mass media. According to the evaluation
of CE and OSCE, these laws are in conformity with the international
criteria. The forthcoming legislative work in this sphere will include
the reflection of the constitutional amendments in the Armenian
laws. Mr. Torosyan noted also that though any law can be improved
endlessly, the realities of life are not connected with the defects
of the laws. First of all, we have to specify what the mission of
the media is. The prevailing majority of the media see their role
as a reflection of the role of the parties, which are at power and
in opposition, while the mass media have to present the events in an
unbiased manner. The media has to be free and impartial.
The solution of this problem is directly connected with the multiparty
regime and the consolidation of the civil society.
Besides, the RA NA Speaker attached importance to the professionalism
of the reporters and to the presence of knowledge in the sphere that is
being covered. Noting that in the former Soviet territory the Armenian
law on freedom of information is the best and expressing agreement
with the presented approaches, Mr. Haraszti attached importance to
the transparency and multitude of opinions, to the creation of equal
conditions for the work of the media.
During the meeting other issues were also discussed.

SAFAR ABIEV: NO RESULTS IN THE SETTLEMENT OF THE KARABAKH CONFLICT SO FAR
ArmRadio.am
19.06.2006 14:08
“Despite the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group, there are no results in
the settlement of the Karabakh issue so far, and it makes necessary
the activation of mediator countries,” declared Azeri defense
Minister Safar Abiev during the meeting with the Commander of US of
Transportation Command, General Norton Schwartz, Day.az reports.
“Considering that the US is one of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs,
I would like that it activated the efforts in this direction to find a
fair resolution to the conflict within the norms of the international
law,” Abiev underlined.

CONFERENCE OF ASSOCIATION OF FRIENDSHIP AND COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA HELD IN MOSCOW
PanARMENIAN.Net
19.06.2006 13:38 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A conference of the Association of Friendship and
Cooperation with Armenia was held in Moscow. The participants decided
to transform the organization from a regional into an inter-regional
and to change the name. From now on this association of people’s
diplomacy will be called the Association of Russian-Armenian Friendship
and Cooperation.
Outstanding Russian political figure, writer and political scientist
Victor Krivopuskov was re-elected the President for a 5-year term.
As Victor Krivopuskov told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, the conference
participants appealed to the Russian leadership and Russian nation
to condemn the vandalism committed by Azerbaijan on December 25, 2005
when 4 000 khachkars at the medieval Armenian cemetery in Old Djulfa
(Nakhichevan) protected by UNESCO, were severely demolished.
The delegates called on the Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani President
to demonstrate political will and adherence to century-old traditions
of peoples while settling the Nagorno Karabakh problem, to live in
peace, friendship and consent. “Only peaceful and just negotiations
can lead Armenia and Azerbaijan to mutual consent,” he said.
In a special statement the conference participants condemned the
murders of Russian citizens of Armenian origin committed through
national hatred in Moscow and other regions. They also expressed
concern over the inactivity of the law enforcers. “We appealed to
the Armenian Diaspora in Russia, the Armenian people and media not
to dramatize the situation and to avoid judging the whole nation by
the deeds of some malefactors. The Year of Armenia in Russia should
be used for strengthening and developing the ties between the Russian
and Armenian people,” Victor Krivopuskov said.

WHO RAFFI WILL RUN FOR ELECTION WITH
Lragir.am
17 June 06
The Heritage Party led by Raffi Hovannisian views its participation
in the parliamentary election of 2007 from a scientific angle. Vardan
Khachatryan, the secretary of the Heritage Party, told June 17 at
the Azdak Club that the political party is seriously considering to
run for election individually or in alliance.
“So we have seriously considered both options. By saying seriously I
mean a scientific study. I will not hide that the public rating of the
Heritage Party is high. I rely on the survey of the Institute of Gelap
because they guarantee objectivity, it is not an organization where
surveys are conducted on order,” says Vardan Khachatryan. According
to him, the Center of Gelap gave a rating of 74 percent for Raffi
Hovannisian. It should be noted, however, that Gelap may have lied
because several days ago Artashes Geghamyan announced that the same
Gelap had given a rating of 57 percent for him. Whereas this is
impossible in math, even in simple arithmetic.
If Hovannisian has 74 percent, Geghamyan could have only 26, or
if Geghamyan has 57, Raffi could have only 43. It is also possible,
however, that Gelap does not lie, and Raffi and Artashes lie on behalf
of Gelap.
At any rate, the format of participation in the election must be
determined by the will of the public, thinks Vardan Khachatryan,
saying that there must be a public demand to run for election
individually or in alliance. At any rate, if a front is supposed
to form, it must be as comprehensive as possible and including the
forces, which will be accepted by people, says the secretary of
the Heritage Party. Vardan Khachatryan declines to say who their
allies will be, because the survey is not over. He repeated that the
prospect of allying with Orinats Yerkir depends on the activities
of this political party. Vardan Khachatryan says they do not want to
act as a judge, they will simply be following the activities of the
Orinats Yerkir. If they favor public interests, Vardan Khachatryan
says there is no problem. For an alliance with the “old-established”
opposition, Vardan Khachatryan declines to give names. “You see the
range of negotiations is rather wide, and there is nothing definite. We
have not reached the point where we can name definite organizations –
potential allies. In fact, a process is underway, and we are always
ready to consolidate the sphere, not to place our ambitions in pride
of place, but consolidate the sphere to revive hope among pubic.”

IRAN-ARMENIA GAS PIPELINE PROGRESS DEPENDS ON MUTUAL AGREEMENT: IRANIAN OFFICIAL
Tehran Times, Iran
June 15 2006
YEREVAN (ARKA) – Iran-Armenia gas pipeline construction project
can be amended only under both sides’ consent, an official with the
Iranian Embassy in Yerevan Ali Akbar Jokar told journalists on Tuesday
commenting on probability of a pipeline section acquisition by Russia.
In his words, there are no amendments so far and the project
implementation runs in due course in accordance with the agreement
signed between Armenia and Iran.
He said Iran remains committed to providing gas to Armenia.
Construction of Iran-Armenia 141-km gas pipeline of 700mm diameter
has been estimated to cost 120 million dollars.
Construction of Meghri-Kajaran, the pipeline’s first Armenian
section, started on November 30, 2004. The second section
Kajaran-Sisyan-Jermuk-Ararat will be constructed by the Iranian
company Sanir. The pipeline construction project is expected to be
completed by 2007.

REGIONAL SEMINAR ON IMPROVEMENT OF PRESERVATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN
ArmRadio.am
16.06.2006 10:10
June 16-17 the Armenian National Committee on UNESCO will hold a
regional seminar on “Improvement of preservation of cultural heritage
through enhancement of the legal field.”
Secretary General of the Committee Karine Danielyan told “Radiolur”
that guests from abroad will participate in the seminar. It will
host representatives of all interested establishments and services
including representatives of RA Ministry of Culture and Youth Affairs,
the Agency for Preservation of Monuments, Yerevan City Hall, and
ICOMOC Armenia Office.

MEETING OF THE IMF AND WB DUTCH GROUP TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN
ArmRadio.am
16.06.2006 11:00
June 17-18 the meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the
Dutch Group of the World Bank will be held in Yerevan. 12 member states
are included in the Dutch Group: Armenia, the Kingdom of Netherlands,
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Israel, the Republic of Croatia, Cyprus,
the Republic of Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, Georgia, Romania
and Ukraine.