SEVEN CHILDREN TRANSFERRED TO FOSTER FAMILIES
Armenpress
Nov 14 2006
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS: Seven children have been removed
from children houses and transferred to foster families as a foster
family program ended in Gegharkunik and Lori provinces. The program
was designed and implemented by Armenian labor and social affairs
ministry in cooperation with UNICEF Armenia Office.
Lena Harutunian, an official of the ministry in charge of a department
dealing with children issues, said the children were transferred to
‘the best families of both provinces,’ which were selected based on a
set of tough requirements, such as housing safety, space and equipment,
good physical and emotional health, clearance by the department of
police, and ability to meet basic expenses.
The children will be under these families’ care until they become
of full legal age. This program comprised two stages. In the second
stage a team of experts trained by British specialists held special
training courses for the selected children and families. This program
is to be implemented in other regions of Armenia as well.

COMMON ENDEAVOR EXERCISE LAUNCHES IN ARMENIA
Armenpress
Nov 14 2006
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS: Some 270 representatives from 38
countries, as well as from NATO and a brigade implementing peacekeeping
mission in the southeastern Europe, have come to Armenia to participate
in an annual Combined Endeavor exercise sponsored by the US European
Command (USEUCOM).
The exercise held in the spirit of Partnership for Peace (PfP)
integration and interoperability consists of four planning conferences
and a multi-side workshop. Colonel Samvel Atoyan, a senior military
officer of the Armenian armed forces’ department for communications
and automated systems, said the ultimate goal of the exercise is to
have a document setting clearly out interoperability principles.
He said the Common Endeavor military exercise, scheduled for
April 26 to May 13 of 2007 is planned to be held in Germany and
Armenia. Armenian troops have been participating in this exercise
since 2002. The exercise will run through November 17. Azerbaijan
and Turkey were expected originally to send their representatives to
Armenia, but later they refused.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

KARABAKH PARLIAMENT SPEAKER CONGRATULATES NANCY PELOSI
Armenpress
Nov 14 2006
STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS: Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
Parliament Speaker Ashot Ghulian sent a congratulatory note Monday
to US House of Representatives Speaker designate Congresswoman
Nancy Pelosi.
On behalf of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s legislature, Ghulian
congratulates Pelosi and the Democratic party for their decisive
victory during last week’s elections, saying that the US plays a
critical role in providing assistance and support for to the republic’s
democratic movement.
“We are confident that the US Congress will continue to remain a
steadfast protector of freedom and democracy and hope for future
assistance for the straightening and development of Nagorno-Karabakh,”
Ghulian said in his letter.

KARABAKH LEADER NOT TO SEEK A THIRD TERM IN OFFICE
Armenpress
Nov 14 2006
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS: A former foreign minister of
Nagorno-Karabakh said its incumbent president Arkady Ghukasian would
not seek a third consecutive term in office.
Arman Melikian, who served for a brief time as foreign minister
of Nagorno-Karabakh, now he is an aide to Ghukasian, told a news
conference in Yerevan that Ghukasian’s decision not to run for
presidency stems from his perception that that would jeopardize
Nagorno-Karabakh image.
Some analysts argue that a constitutional referendum in Karabakh,
set for December 10, will count down Ghukasian’s two previous
terms in office to allow him to again seek the highest post of the
self-proclaimed republic.
Arman Melikian said even though there is no an equal to Ghukasian
in the republic, new people should be given a chance to contest the
presidency and make their input to advancing it.
Melikian said also Nagorno-Karabakh authorities do not seek an
international approval of the referendum results, as the people of
Karabakh needs it first of all.

SERGE SARGSIAN IN IRAQ
By Aghavni Harutyunian
AZG Armenian Daily
15/11/2006
On November 13, Serge Sargsian, secretary of the National Security
Council affiliated to the RA president, RA defense minister, left
for Iraq to get acquainted with living conditions of the Armenian
soldiers and to meet his Iraqi counterpart and the leadership of the
multinational forces. The minister said he had applied to the National
Assembly with a request to prolong the service term of the Armenian
detachment in Iraq as Armenia cannot be only be a “safety consumer”
but also has to have its modest but stable contribution in world
security process.
P.S. The 6th shift of Armenian peacekeepers left for Kosovo yesterday.

ARMENIAN SOLDIER WOUNDED IN IRAQ
AZG Armenian Daily
15/11/2006
A soldier of the Armenian peacekeeping detachment in Iraq was
wounded in a terrorist act that claimed lives of a Polish and
a Slovak soldier. According to defense minister Serge Sargsian,
senior lieutenant Georgi Nalbandian of the Armenian regiment was
wounded on November 11 terrorist act and was transported to Germany
for treatment. His life is not in danger. As a result of a blast,
the 25-year-old soldier lost his right leg.
The US Embassy to Yerevan has thanked the wounded soldier and his
Armenian fellow soldiers for their role in the international fight
against terror.

ARKADY GHUKASIAN: AZERBAIJAN’S MILITANT THREATS WON’T SCARE THE PEOPLE OF ARTSAKH
By Gohar Gevorgian
AZG Armenian Daily
15/11/2006
At a meeting with US congressman Joe Knollenberg, president of Nagorno
Karabakh, Arkady Ghukasian, discussed issues connected with regulation
of Nagorno Karabakh issue and the region’s socio-economic state.
Ghukasian congratulated the co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on
Armenian Issues on being reelected to the Congress, and the latter
told NK leader that he is ready to engage in Karabakh issue as well.
NK president’s press center informs that Arkady Ghukasian also met the
Armenian community of Detroit and urged them to support in developing
infrastructures of Karabakh’s economy stressing the need of creating
necessary conditions for living in border regions.
“Azerbaijan’s militant threats won’t scare the people of Artsakh,”
Ghukasian stated adding that the Army of Defense and the Artsakhi
people are ready to repulse any attempt on Karabakh’s freedom and
independence.
Earlier, on November 11, Arkady Ghukasian visited Boston and met with
Armenian benefactors. NK leader also met Board of Trustees President
of the Armenian Assembly of America, Carolyn Mugar, and talked about
the prospects of implementing humanitarian and investment projects
in Artsakh. President Ghukasian called on the Armenian community
representatives to get actively involved in the November 23 US telethon
for Artsakh’s revival.
Arkady Ghukasian’s next destination is Los Angeles.

ARMENIA-EU NEW EUROPEAN NEIGHBORHOOD ACTION PLAN TO COME INTO FORCE TODAY
AZG Armenian Daily
15/11/2006
RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, who is currently in Brussels
participating in the 7th meeting of the Armenia-EU Cooperation Council
met Nov 13 with high-ranking EU officials. It’s worth mentioning that
Azeri and Georgian Foreign Ministers are in Brussels, as well. The
press service of RA Foreign Ministry informed that the South
Caucasian FMs met with Foreign Minister of Finland Erkki Tuomioja,
EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier
Solana, EU Commissioner for External and Neighborhood Policy Benita
Ferrero-Waldner, German FM Gunter Gloser and EU Special Representative
in the South Caucasus Peter Semneby. The sides touched upon a wide
range of issues actual for the South Caucasus, particularly, the
peace processes in Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. They
parties also discussed the opportunities of regional cooperation
within the framework of the New European Neighborhood program. After
the meeting the South Caucasian Foreign Ministers held a joint
press conference. It’s worth mentioning that today, the Armenia-EU
Cooperation Council is going to adopt the Armenia-EU action plan
under the NEN program.
From: Baghdasarian

UN ORGANIZES ‘FEDERATION OF CIVILIZATIONS’ DIALOGUE
By Petros Keshishian
AZG Armenian Daily
15/11/2006
A number of political and religious leaders represented a program
on settlement of the relations between the Western states and the
Islamic world to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. The document was
elaborated by 20 authors, including Desmond Toutou, Archbishop of
the Anglican Church, and former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami.
The report dedicated to the opening of “Federation of Civilizations”
dialogue will be read in Istanbul during a special arrangement that
will be held at the initiative of the UN. The 20 members of the working
group have been elaborating the rport for a year. The document is
directed to settle the deepening contradictions between the Western
states and the Islamic world. It will also defines possible ways of
overcoming the mutual fear and mistrust.
It is stated in the report that the contradictions are caused by
political reasons and not by cultural or religious differences. While
the growth of the tension is conditioned by the conflicts in the Near
East and Iraq.

TURKEY AND AZERBAIJAN OPT OUT OF NATO DRILLS IN YEREVAN
AZG Armenian Daily
15/11/2006
Turkey and Azerbaijan do not take part in NATO’s Yerevan conference on
planning the Cooperative Effort-2007 drills. The aim of the drills is
the exchange of experience and disclosing common problems connected
with communications facilities. It’s planned to prepare a document
by the end of the conference on the basic principles of combining
communications facilities. 38 countries, representatives of the
NATO and the multinational peacekeeping brigade take part in the
conference. Though Turkey and Azerbaijan had agreed to participate in
the conference along with other 250 participants, they did not show up.