Author: Zargarian Hambik

Press Release
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

Watch the recorded video of the message of His Holiness Aram I on the
occasion of the 3rd Pan-Armenian Writers’ Conference held in Antelias here:

Re ad the message of His Holiness Aram I in Armenian here:
Messages/messages5.htm

COMMUNIQUÉ

THE THIRD PAN-ARMENIAN WRITERS’ CONFERENCE:
THE CHALLENGES OF GLOBALIZATION AND
THE ARMENIAN LITERATURE

6-9 April 2006
CATHOLICOSATE OF CILICIA
ANTELIAS, LEBANON

Under the patronage of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the House of
Cilicia and on the initiative of the Writers’ Union of Armenia, the Third
Pan-Armenian Conference was held in the Antelias headquarters of the
Catholicosate of Cilicia with more than 130 participants from Armenia and
the Diaspora.

Greeting letters were sent by H.E. Robert Kotcharian, president of the
Republic of Armenia, His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians,
Artuir Baghdasarian, the Speaker of the Armenian Parliament, Prime Minister
Antranig Markarian and Dr. Zaven Yegavian, Director of the Department of
Armenian Affairs of the Gulbenkian Foundation.

The president of the Writers’ Union of Armenia, Levon Ananian, delivered the
opening remarks, which were followed by the heart spoken words of welcome of
the most senior participant, poet Jack. S. Hagopian. Representatives from
the community organizations, political and national circles attended the
ceremonial opening of the conference.

His Holiness Aram I shared his visionary viewpoints with the attendants. He
stressed the imperative of an Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh and Diaspora that
strengthen the nation and the motherland. The Pontiff highlighted the
nation-building role of the Pontifical See of Cilicia, particularly after
the Genocide, by assembling the children of the Armenian nation, providing
them with spiritual-intellectual nourishment, moral values and national
dreams, leading them from death to life, because the Armenian culture,
Armenian schools, the struggle for violated rights have been at the core of
the Catholicosate’s mission.

“.For me a writer is the missionary of truth above and more than anything
else,” said His Holiness. The Pontiff said that the wave of globalization is
strong and pointed out that the most secure path for Armenians is positive
dialogue in which an important role is reserved to Armenian culture and
literature. He advised opening up to the future, establishing useful and
mutual relations with the surrounding environment and approaching pan
humanitarian with self confidence.

“True literature is the echo of truth. Let the Armenian literature, enriched
with quality and strengthened by the truth, reinforced by the Armenian and
beautified by the pan humanitarian, spread further, develop and persevere,
eternalizing with it Armenians with their faith, culture, identity, dreams
and motherland,” the Pontiff preached.

During the following 10 sessions, the participants discussed various issues
related to the general theme “The challenges of globalization and the
Armenian literature”:

1-Globalization and modern Armenian literature
2-A new life experience and a new literature
3-The conflict of identity in Armenian Diaspora literature
4-The Armenian Diaspora literature assessed by the literary criticism of
Armenia
5-Modern thinking in the Armenian Diaspora literature
6-The Armenian Genocide and modern Armenian literature
7-The internationalization of Armenian literature
8-Modern children’s literature and national schools

Based on issues related to globalization, the participants made proposals
that will be presented to the fourth Pan-Armenian writers’ conference:

– Strengthening the ties between writers, both individuals and
unions
– Preparing a collection of works written during the last two years
before each conference
– Approaching the people in order to increase the number of readers
– Establish a fund for publications and for presenting the Armenian
literature on the internet
– Creating greater opportunity for young writers to participate in
such conferences
– Establishing special committees that would read and select the
works of Armenian authors that would be translated into foreign languages
for the purpose of introducing Armenian literature to the international
public. Having the translation read by another committee before publication.

The participants expressed concern about the issue of a single dictation,
the purity of the Armenian language and many other problems that could be
included in the next conference’s agenda. Apart from the specific
discussions, attendants also made proposals of interest to Armenian writers.

The conference could not have thoroughly examined all the complex issues it
faced. Participants, however, became conscious of the fact that the Armenian
literature can’t be detached from the national-political and survival
struggle and that it should play an important role in this struggle because
culture is politics.

The attendant writers truly thought together, emphasized the importance of
quality both in national circles and the international arena, so that
literature can be enriched by moving ahead towards the world. They talked
about introducing Armenian literature to global readers by
internationalizing it, a task they considered to be a precondition for
dialogue.

The conference became an opportunity for Armenian writers to get to know one
another, become aware of each others’ difficulties and conflicts, which can
create the possibility for unity in a field of diversity.

The participants expressed their gratitude for the success of the conference
to the Catholicosate of Cilicia and the support and contribution of its
Pontiff, His Holiness Aram I.

THIRD PAN-ARMENIAN WRITERS’ CONFERENCE

Antelias, 9 April 2006
##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of the
Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO BE COMMEMORATED IN MOSCOW APR 24

Yerevan, April 12. ArmInfo. An action to commemorate the victims of
the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey will be held in Moscow Apr 24.

The Yerkramas daily reports that the objective of the action,
organized by the Russian-Armenian Cooperation NGO, is to draw
the public attention to this monstrous crime against humanity, to
consolidate the Armenian community of Armenia, especially youths. The
Arax group from Belgium will give a charity concert. The information
sponsors of the concert are a number of leading Russian media.

Invited to the concert are many prominent public and political figures
of Russia and Armenia.

“ARMENIAN NAVY BAND” AWARDED BBC MUSIC PRIZE

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 12 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The “Armenian Navy
Band” headed by Arto Tunboyaciyan fixed an excellent victory in the
sphere of music, being announced on April 7, as the main prize-winner
of the BBC world authoritative music awarding. By a votion implemented
in the Internet by music lovers, the band entered the final stage
with the Brazilian “Seu Jorge”, Iraqian “Ilham al Madfai” and Italian
“Enzo Avitabile and Botari” groups. The jury members who were music
critics recognized the “Armenian Navy Band” as the winner among those
four groups. According to the “Azg” daily, the awarding ceremony took
place on April 7, at the “Brickstone” Academy hall. Arto Tuncboyaciyan
was invited to the awarding. He had a 5-minutes solo performance after
getting the prize. The “Armenian Navy Band” was sympathized by music
lovers for vanguard-folk interpretations of traditional Armenian
melodies. Arto Tuncboyaciyan left London for New Jersey on April
10, where he lives with his wife and two children. John Grigorian,
the Armenian manager of the group mentioned that the band’s “Voice
of our Soul” disk supported this victory. This disk was recognized
the 14th among the 950 disks released all over the world in 2004.

According to him, this prize will give the band, first of all, fame,
then, self-affirmation. “People chose us who gave us power and move
our ship forward,” he said. In all probability, the band will have a
concert in Yerevan on April 24, the memory day of the Armenian Genocide
victims. Foreign singers as well as Arto’s son will participate in
the concert.

TURKEY REFUSES TO ACCEPT SWISS COMPANY’S BID FOR AIRCRAFT CONTRACT
By Burak Ege Bekdil, Ankara

DefenseNews.com
April 10 2006

A Swiss aircraft manufacturer has been denied permission to join the
bidding for Turkey’s procurement of basic jet trainers for “political
reasons,” officials said.

Defense officials saidPilatus has not been allowed to obtain a Request
for Proposal (RfP) for an approximately $500 million contract for
the purchase of basic trainer aircraft for the Turkish Air Force.

“There is an understanding that Swiss bidders should not join Turkish
military contracts,” a senior official said. “We don’t think Swiss
contenders would be reliable partners in defense contracts.”

A Foreign Ministry official here said that it would be unrealistic to
expect a Swiss company to join a defense program in Turkey, especially
at a time when “serious disputes deeply strain bilateral ties.”

A Swiss diplomat in Ankara admitted that the Swiss company had been
“red-listed” in Turkey.

In 2003, the Swiss canton of Vaud officially recognized genocide
against Armenians by Ottoman Turkey in 1915-1921. The lower house
of the Swiss parliament, against the Bern government’s advice, soon
adopted a similar resolution, unleashing an angry response from Ankara.

Switzerland was a regular supplier of small arms and ammunition to
Turkey until 1991, when it imposed an arms embargo against Ankara,
citing human rights violations. Despite the embargo, Swiss suppliers
sold armaments to Ankara through licensing.

Switzerland quietly ended its embargo last year, but Ankara continued
to keep Swiss weapon suppliers on its “red list.”

Pilatus would have been the fourth international bidder in the Turkish
jet trainer contract if it had been allowed to submit its offer. The
three bidders for the program are Brazil’s Embraer, Korea Aerospace
Industries (KAI) and U.S. company Raytheon.

1677356&C=europe

Eurasia Daily Monitor — The Jamestown Foundation
Thursday, March 30, 2006 — Volume 3, Issue 62

IN THIS ISSUE:
*New president fails to halt violence in Dagestan
*Turkey’s role to increase under Azerbaijan’s latest Caspian gas proposal
*World Azerbaijani Congress spoils Iranian-Azerbaijani relations

DAGESTAN CONTINUES TO SINK INTO CHAOS DESPITE APPOINTMENT OF NEW LEADER

More than a month has passed since the Kremlin appointed a new leader
for Dagestan, the largest republic in the North Caucasus. On February
20, Russian President Vladimir Putin put 65-year-old Mukhu Aliev at
the helm of the North Caucasus republic and Dagestan’s legislature
readily confirmed the choice for president.

Many observers in Russia favored the appointment. Some even called the
decision to appoint Aliev “a rare example of the right decision of the
Kremlin in its North Caucasian policy.” The observers expressed hopes
that Aliev, a long-time Communist party boss and an experienced
administrator, would improve the Dagestani economy, fight corruption,
and repel the growing local insurgency. In particular, Moscow regards
Aliev as a figure who can oppose the mighty clan of Magomedali
Magomedov, Aliev’s predecessor, who had ruled Dagestan for 14 years
(see EDM, February 23).

However, after one month in office, doubts began to appear regarding
his ability to change the deteriorating situation. Apparently the
insurgency ignored the leadership change and kept to their plans to
launch a spring campaign. On February 24 a police patrol was attacked
in the town of Khasavyurt. Then on March 10, Magomed Magomedov,
deputy head of the republican Criminal Investigation Department, was
killed in Makhachkala, the republican capital, by a bomb planted
underneath his car. Two days later, March 12, a senior officer from
the Organized Crime Department was shot dead in Makhachkala, and
another was killed on March 21 in the town of Buinaksk. On March 29,
two policemen were wounded in a shoot-out with rebels in the capital.

As reported earlier, on March 2 during a security sweep of several
villages in Khasavyurt district, Russian troops desecrated a Koran,
the holy book of all Muslims. This incident only added fuel to the
fire (see EDM, March 23).

In addition to the standoff between militancy and security officials,
Dagestan was also hit by waves of criminal violence and unrest this
March. On March 20, the family of a businessman was killed in the
capital. There were three brazen robberies in Dagestan during the last
two months, including two attacks on pension delivery vehicles in
Khasavyurt and Makhachkala, and one robbery of a pension payment
office in the village of Baba-Urt (Kavkazky Uzel, March 22).

On March 20, residents from the village of Korkmaskala, in
Kyimtorkalin district, tried to storm a local office building to
protest what they considered to be an unfair land distribution
scheme. The police special-task unit guarding the building opened
fire, and 20 people were injured. Shamil Zainalov, the new prime
minister of Dagestan, had to go to the area to personally resolve the
conflict (Interfax, March 20).

There were also two attacks on district administration heads. On March
10, there was an assassination attempt on the head of the
administration of Magarmakent district (regions.ru, March 10). On
March 22, gunmen shot dead Ruslan Aliev, head of the mountainous
Botlikh district, who was returning home after a meeting with
President Aliev and other Dagestani district chiefs. Ruslan Aliyev’s
vehicle was struck by gunfire in the center of Makhachkala, on the
city’s most guarded street (Kavkazky Uzel, March 22).

Despite the rapidly increasing rebel attacks, unrest, and criminal
violence, there were still some hopes that the new leader of Dagestan
could at least partly succeed with economic and political
reforms. Aliev’s first changes within the republican government
generated a belief that he might indeed be able to shake up the
political structure of Dagestan, which has been completely based on
clan connections and bribery. The most odious figures in the
government, like Umalat Nasrutdinov, the minister of agriculture, and
Marat Ilyasov, the minister of economy, both of whom became ministers
thanks to family ties, were replaced (Kavkazky Uzel, March 10).

Nevertheless, the most powerful clans in Dagestan, that of former
president Magomedali Magomedov and Makhachkala mayor Said Amirov, have
not relinquished their positions yet. On the same day that Aliev was
appointed, Magomed-Salam Magomedov, son of Magomedali, became chairman
of the republican parliament. With the help of his farther,
Magomed-Salam had become one of the richest and most powerful tycoons
in Dagestan. A member of the Board of Elbin-Bank and a member of the
Working Group for Offshore Oil Resources of the Dagestani Sector of
the Caspian Sea, Magomed-Salam is also the unofficial owner of many
local businesses and real estate. The position of parliamentarian
leader will help Magomedov’s family to legalize their control over the
republican economy. There are rumors circulating in Dagestan that next
year Magomedov Jr. might claim the post of prime minister of Dagestan.

Said Amirov, an old rival of Magomedov and the deeply entrenched mayor
of Makhachkala, also remains a strong and independent political figure
in the region. On March 13, Amirov was elected mayor for the third
time in elections that independent observers described as fraudulent
(Kavkazky Uzel, March 13).

So far the new leadership in Dagestan has not successfully implemented
any of the tasks that the Russian authorities had entrusted to it. The
clans remain strong while the chaos and violence in the region
continues.

–Andrei Smirnov and Mikhail Roshchin

AZERBAIJAN SPEARHEADING INITIATIVE ON TRANS-CASPIAN GAS PIPELINE

Addressing an international energy conference in progress in Baku,
Azerbaijan’s Industry and Energy Minister Natig Aliyev outlined the
advantages of a trans-Caspian gas pipeline from Turkmenistan and
Kazakhstan via the South Caucasus to European markets. Natig Aliyev
underscored the project’s value for diversifying supplies and
restraining prices as well as the favorable international context for
this project, as Western interest rebounds in the wake of this
winter’s disruption in supplies. Urging Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan to
become part of the project without waiting for approval from other
Caspian countries — an allusion to Russia and Tehran — Aliyev noted
that any impediments to a seabed pipeline are political, not technical
ones.

A trans-Caspian seabed pipeline “would ensure Europe’s energy security
and protect it from Russian monopolism,” Aliyev remarked. “Europe has
understood that it is naive to place all its hopes on Russian gas. The
events of recent months, when Russia has in effect demonstrated its
status as a monopolist, indicate that prices will rise further.” Thus,
the timing is now ripe for starting the negotiations (AP, Turan,
Trend, Ekho [Baku], March 29).

The preceding week, Russia opposed the trans-Caspian pipeline proposal
during a routine meeting of the five riparian countries on defining
the legal status of the Caspian Sea. Russia, which happens to be the
leading industrial polluter of that sea, cited environmental risks in
opposing a trans-Caspian pipeline and claimed that any such project
requires approval from all five countries. Azerbaijan took the lead in
refuting Russia’s position (RIA-Novosti, March 22). Azerbaijan,
seconded by Kazakhstan, upholds the right of Caspian countries to make
sovereign decisions about laying pipelines on their respective seabed
sectors.

Baku estimates the construction costs at billion for a pipeline with
an annual capacity of 30 billion cubic meters that would run from the
eastern Caspian shore, across the seabed to Azerbaijan, and further
via Georgia into Turkey. With Turkey as a transit corridor, the gas
could be piped to European Union member countries in southern and
central Europe. The concept largely follows that promoted by the
United States in 1996-2001, primarily in Europe’s interest, though
amid European indifference at that stage. Azerbaijan and Georgia were
firmly on board the U.S.-led project, Turkmenistan prevaricated, and
Turkey mismanaged the negotiations.

The updated concept, now under exploratory discussion by the same
countries with European participation for the first time, includes
major novel elements, such as:

a) The opportunity for Kazakhstan to joint the project;

b) Turkey’s role as transit corridor to Europe, rather than consumer
country as had earlier been envisaged;

c) Massive input from Azerbaijan’s Shah-Deniz gas field into the
proposed pipeline via Turkey to Europe (the offshore field’s
anticipated yield is 20 billion cubic meters annually, almost twice
the earlier projection, and most of it available for delivery to
Europe); and

d) Possibly integrating the Caspian gas pipeline with the Nabucco
project (Turkey-Bulgaria-Romania-Hungary-Austria) by connecting the
two planned lines near Erzurum in eastern Turkey.

Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov has signaled an intention to
rejoin negotiations on the trans-Caspian pipelines. Receiving a
Turkish delegation (unrelated to the energy sector) in Ashgabat,
Niyazov offered on live television, “We can provide you with cheap gas
… I had already made such an offer to you in the past, but your
leadership was slow to act and failed to get the Turkmen gas in
time. At present, you are purchasing expensive gas and it does not
even match your demand” (Turkmen Television Channel One, March
19). Niyazov was alluding to Turkish government officials who made it
possible for Gazprom’s pipeline across the Black Sea to defeat the
U.S.-proposed trans-Caspian pipeline in the race for Turkey’s gas
market in 2001. Those Turkish officials have since been investigated
and indicted for having secretly agreed on onerous terms of purchase
for Russian gas.

Turkey has recently been paying 3 per one thousand cubic meters of
Russian gas, and Gazprom recently demanded a hike to 3, which Turkey
finds unacceptable (Zaman, February 2). Meanwhile, the pipeline across
the Black Sea is being underutilized while Turkey’s gas market is
oversubscribed. The initial trans-Caspian project had targeted the
Turkish market as main downstream destination. In the new
circumstances, Turkey’s role can change from that of a potential
consumer of Caspian gas to that of a transit country for Caspian gas
to Europe.

–Vladimir Socor

NEW TENSIONS COMPLICATE RELATIONS BETWEEN BAKU AND TEHRAN

More than 600 representatives of Azerbaijani diaspora organizations in
49 countries assembled in Baku on March 16 for the second World
Azerbaijani Congress. The event was organized by the State Committee
on the Affairs of Azerbaijanis Living Abroad, which was established in
2003 by a decree from then-President Heydar Aliyev to help unite all
Azerbaijanis abroad.

The event was grandiose both in scale and impact. The goal of showing
the unity of millions of Azerbaijanis around the world for the sake of
an independent, strong, and prosperous Azerbaijan was achieved. The
Congress discussed issues regarding coordination among the Azerbaijani
diaspora organizations, strengthening relations with other nations’
diaspora organizations, promoting information about Azerbaijan around
the world, and building relations with foreign governments.

As a result of the Congress’ work, a new strategy was developed
regarding the activities of the Azerbaijani diaspora in other
countries and the joint activities of the Azerbaijani and Turkish
diaspora organizations. Moreover, Congress participants adopted a
resolution addressed to Azerbaijanis around the world, foreign
governments, and international organizations regarding Armenian
aggression toward Azerbaijan.

Yet, the Congress made news not so much for its work, but for a row
that erupted between Azerbaijan and Iran after the Congress. The
Iranian ambassador to Azerbaijan, Afshar Suleymani, reacted very
angrily and emotionally to the speeches given at the World Azerbaijani
Congress by some representatives of Azerbaijani diaspora organizations
in Europe. These delegates called for the unification of North
Azerbaijan (the independent Republic of Azerbaijan) and South
Azerbaijan (in northern Iran, populated by Azerbaijanis and considered
by Azerbaijanis as part of a once-unified Azerbaijani state). The
speech by Javad Derekhti, an Azerbaijani from the Iranian Azerbaijan,
was particularly provocative, because he talked about human rights
violations suffered by ethnic Azerbaijanis in Iran (Trend News Agency,
March 16).

The Treaty of Turkmanchai in 1828, which ended the three-decade
Russian-Iranian War eventually divided Azerbaijan into two parts along
the banks of the Araz River. It is estimated that more than 25 million
ethnic Azerbaijanis currently live in Iran, but they have no rights to
be educated in their native language and any attempts to organize
movements for cultural autonomy are strongly repressed by the
authorities in Tehran. Iran is extremely touchy about this issue and
has kept its distance from official Baku for most of the 1990s exactly
because of the issue of Azerbaijani separatism in Iran.

Suleymani tore into these speeches in a press release from the Iranian
embassy on March 17. “Iran is deeply upset about the participation of
some anti-Iranian elements in the Congress and their provocative
statements on the issues of Iran’s domestic affairs,” it read. “The
Embassy considers these steps to contradict the friendly relations
between the brotherly nations and those commitments taken by the
Azerbaijani government in the treaty of 2002, sighed in Tehran. The
Embassy is very surprised about the references at the Congress to the
Turkmanchai Treaty of 1828 and mentioning Azerbaijan as a divided
country.”

The Iranian Foreign Ministry also sent a protest note to the
Azerbaijani ambassador in Iran. The row intensified after remarks by
the Iranian ambassador regarding Azerbaijani poets Nizami and
Shahriyar, whom he called “Iranian poets.” This caused an immediate
protest from the Azerbaijani Writers Union, saying, “The Union deeply
regrets and is surprised that the ambassador made such remarks and
demands an immediate end to such uneducated discoveries” (APA News
Agency, March 24).

The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacted to the Iranian
ambassador’s complaints by asking him to calm his emotions. Speaking
at a press conference the next day, Tahir Tagi-zadeh, the head of the
informational department of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign
Affairs said, “The speeches made at the World Azerbaijani Congress by
representative of the public organizations are their personal
opinions. The emotional speeches of the ambassadors might spoil the
cooperation based on the principles of friendship and good
neighborliness” (day.az, March 17).

Nazim Ibrahimov, head of the State Committee on the Affairs of
Azerbaijanis Living Abroad, also downplayed the significance of
speeches, saying they were private opinions of Congress
participants. “The State Committee has functioned for three years
already, and we have never interfered in the internal issues of Iran”
he explained (AzTV, March 20).

The issue continues to be a hot topic of discussion in the local
press, with a majority of Azerbaijani politicians and intelligentsia
condemning the actions of the Iranian ambassador and calling for a
renewed discussion of the human rights situation of Azerbaijanis in
Iran. Yet some diplomats and experts in the country believe that the
Iranian ambassador’s remarks were intentionally aggressive, meant to
scare off the United States from using the ethnic card to weaken the
regime in Tehran.

–Fariz Ismailzade

The Eurasia Daily Monitor, a publication of the Jamestown Foundation,
is edited by Ann E. Robertson. The opinions expressed in it are those
of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent those of
the Jamestown Foundation. If you have any questions regarding the
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PREMIERRE OF GOLDBERG’S “ARMENIAN GENOCIDE” FILM TAKES PLACE AY
U.S. CONGRESS LIBRARY

WASHINGTON, APRIL 7, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The first public
watching of Andrew Goldberg’s “Armenian Genocide” documentary film
took place on April 4 at the U.S. Congress library. It was organized
on the initiative of Congressman Adam Schiff. As Noyan Tapan was
informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information
Department, a reception took place before the first show during what
Congressmen Adam Schiff, Frank Pallone and Rush Holt made
speeches. Then Tatul Margarian, the Ambassador of Armenia to
U.S. thanked Adam Schiff for the initiative as well as mentioned
specially the work done by Andrew Goldberg, the author of the
documentary film. Show of the “Armenian Genocide” one-hour documentary
film is scheduled for April 17 in the whole territory of the U.S. by
the Public Broadcasting Service.

HAYPOST NOT MADE OFFFICIAL PROPOSAL FOR CHANGING ITS MANAGER

Noyan Tapan
Apr 05 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 5, NOYAN TAPAN. Hasypost company has not received
any official proposal for passing its shares for trust management. NT
correspondent was informed at the company’s press service that Converse
Invest company, to which Haypost has been transferred for trust
management, continues fulfilling its contract obligations. According
to some reports, La Poste company (France) and ING company (the
Netherlands) proposed the Armenian government that they assume the
trust management of Haypost CJSC shares. To recap, in January 2005,
Haypost was transferred to Latvia-based Converse Invest investment
company for trust management for a 5-year period. Converse Invest is
obliged to invest 5 mln dollars in Haypost during this period.

ARMENIA MARKS INTERNATIONAL MINE AWARENESS DAY

Mediamax news agency
4 Apr 06

Yerevan, 4 April: Armenia today marked the International Day for Mine
Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action for the first time.

The Armenian government and the UN Development Programme presented
their first report about the influence of land mines in Yerevan today.

Armenian Deputy Minister for Territorial Administration Vache Terteryan
said that the report had been prepared within the framework of the
Humanitarian Mine Action Programme financed by the European Union
and the Armenian Defence Ministry.

Vache Terteryan said that the national mine action strategy will be
presented to the public by the end of 2006.

The coordinator of the UN office in Yerevan and permanent
representative of the UN Development Programme in Armenia, Consuelo
Vidal, said today that 102 areas covering 320 sq.km and representing
potential mine hazards have been found in Tavush, Gegharkunik, Ararat,
Vayots Dzor and Syunik regions. On the whole, 69,000 people are living
close to land mines and unexploded munitions in Armenia.

ARMENIAN CEASE-FIRE VIOLATION KILLS ONE AZERBAIJANI SOLDIER AND INJURES ONE

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 3 2006

One Azerbaijani soldier was killed and one was heavily wounded as
a result of cease-fire violation by Armenians. Azerbaijan’s Defense
Ministry informed that the companies of Armenian armed forces fired
on the opposite positions of Azerbaijani armed forces from their
positions in 1.3 km of Ashaghi Abdurrahmanli village of Azerbaijan’s
region of Fuzuli at 9.00a.m on 2 April.

As a result, Azerbaijani Army serviceman, 19-year-old soldier
Yagubov Shaban Mahammad, who was drafted by military registration
and enlistment office of Zagatala region in April, 2005, was killed.

Another Azerbaijani soldier, 27-year old Shirinov Niyameddin Asad ,
who was drafted by military registration and enlistment office of
Goranboy in January, 2005, was heavily wounded. The enemy was silenced
by response fire.

The Armenian side violated the cease-fire yesterday evening again.

The Defense ministry reports that the companies of the Armenian
armed forces fired on the opposite positions from their positions
near Ashaghi Abdurrahmanli village of Fuzuli region at 21.45 and the
enemy forces again, from their positions in Jafarli village of Gazakh
region, fired on the opposite positions of Azerbaijani forces as well
as Jafarli village with submachine and machine guns at 23.05.

The enemy was silenced by response fire. No causalities were
reported.

MILITARY SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT WILL BE CATASTROPHIC

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.04.2006 22:52 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Military settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict will be a catastrophe, OSCE Minsk Group Russian Co-chair Yuri
Merzlyakov told PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In his words the conflicting
parties should exert every effort to prevent hostilities. According
to Merzlyakov, tension of the situation by Azerbaijani will not bring
to good. “We should aspire for peace and the potential of peaceful
resolution has not been exhausted yet,” he underscored.