ISRAELI ARMENIANS SEEK REFUGE IN YEREVAN
Armenpress
Sept 27 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS: Rosanna Petrosian, head of the
migration department, affiliated with the territorial ministry, said
six or seven Lebanese families who were granted temporary asylum in
Armenia in the wake of the military conflict with Israel, have gone
back to Lebanon. She said overall 326 people have asked so far for
temporary asylum, 260 are Lebanese and 61 are Israeli citizens.
She said 245 of Lebanese were ethnic Armenians, 15 were foreigners,
including one USA and four Syrian citizens. The majority of Israelis
were ethnic Armenians. She said more Israeli Armenians are coming
to Armenia because of the deteriorating situation and fears of a new
war with Lebanon.

ARMENIA AND U.S. FORMALLY INAUGURATE $235 MILLION RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Armenpress
Sept 29 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS: On September 29, 2006, the five year
Millennium Challenge anti-poverty development program agreed to earlier
this year by the United States and Armenia was officially inaugurated
with an exchange of letters. In a ceremony held at the Ministry of
Finance and Economy, Finance Minister Vardan Khachatryan and Alex
Russin of the Millennium Challenge Corporation exchanged letters
which formally inaugurate the $235 million anti-poverty program.
The Armenian Compact is designed to reduce rural poverty through a
sustainable increase in the economic performance of the agricultural
sector. Armenia plans to achieve this goal through a five-year program
of strategic investments in rural roads, irrigation infrastructure
and technical and financial assistance to improve the supply of water
and to support farmers and agribusinesses. The Program will directly
impact approximately 750,000 people, or an estimated 75 percent of
the rural population, and is expected to reduce the rural poverty
rate and boost annual incomes.
The Compact includes a $67 million project to rehabilitate up to 943
kilometers of rural roads, more than a third of Armenia’s proposed
Lifeline road network. When complete, the Lifeline road network will
ensure that every rural community has road access to markets, services,
and the main road network. Under the Compact, the Government of Armenia
will be required to commit additional resources for maintenance of
the road network. The Compact also includes a $146 million project to
increase the productivity of approximately 250,000 farm households (34%
of which are headed by women) through improved water supply, higher
yields, higher-value crops, and a more competitive agricultural sector.
Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a U.S. government corporation
designed to work with some of the poorest countries in the world, is
based on the principle that aid is most effective when it reinforces
good governance, economic freedom, and investments in people that
promote economic growth and elimination of extreme poverty.

ARMENIAN FM OPTIMISTIC ABOUT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT REPORT ON TURKEY
Armenpress
Sept 29 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS: Armenian foreign minister Vartan
Oskanian described the European Parliament’s September 27 highly
critical report on Turkey and its progress on EU membership talks as
‘positive’, although it has dropped a suggestion that Ankara must
recognize the Armenian genocide before it can join the bloc.
Back from New York where he took the UN rostrum to back the
right of people of Nagorno- Karabakh to exercise their right to
self-determination, Oskanian told reporters today in Yerevan that
the report’s positive political consequences will be felt in future.
Oskanian regretted over the drop of the genocide suggestion saying
it would have been an ideal report, in terms of Armenia’s interests,
had the genocide clause been retained. But he argued that this will not
have a negative impact on the report’s value because it asks Turkey to
lift its transport blockade of Armenia and normalize relations with it.
Oskanian singled out a paragraph of the report which says that though
the recognition of the Armenian genocide is not a Copenhagen criterion
for Turkey’s EU accession, however, a country striving to join the
EU must accept its past. Oskanian said it was a remarkable wording,
which can be considered as a precondition.
Concerning elimination of the transport blockade and establishment of
diplomatic relations with Armenia, Oskanian said the report is very
clear about these two issues demanding that Turkey lifts the blockade
and normalize relations with Yerevan without any preconditions.

FRENCH PARTY URGES ~@45 000 FINE FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DENIAL
PanARMENIAN.Net
29.09.2006 15:02 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The French Socialist Party (PS) has brought up
again a draft bill, which will penalize the denial of the Armenian
Genocide, to the agenda of the French Parliament. The draft bill,
which will bring up to a year’s imprisonment and a fine of up to ~@45
000 for those who deny the Genocide, will be discussed and voted in
the French Parliament on October 12, in line with a proposal by the
party, reported Cihan news agency.
To note, the French Parliament passed the bill on the Armenian
Genocide recognition in 2001. 1.5 million Armenians living in the
Ottoman Empire were killed during World War I. Turkey denies this
fact claiming that 200,000 Armenians died during forced migrations
due to cold weather and bad transportation conditions.

MINE FOUND IN RIVER GAVAR
A1+
[12:46 pm] 29 September, 2006
On September 28 at 02:28 p.m. the Rescuers’ Service of Armenia received
information about a strange object taken out from river Gavar in city
of Gavar.
The object turned out to be an antitank mine.
The Rescuers’ Service informs that by 06:30 p.m. the mine was disarmed
thanks to the efforts of the sappers of Vardenis army corps.

FIGHT IN PRISON
A1+
[02:11 pm] 29 September, 2006
According to the information provided by the office of the Public
Prosecutor, on September 1 prisoners of the Vardashen prison
G. Mnatsakanyan (born in 1966) and G. Qaramyan (born in 1962) had a
fight. During the fight G. Mnatsakanyan stabbed G. Qaramyan with a
knife as a result of which the latter was taken to hospital with a
wound on his chest.
The Erebuni department of the RA Police has initiated a criminal case
in connection with the incident.

POLICE REFERS TO THE VISIT OF “YAPONCHIK”
A1+
[03:00 pm] 29 September, 2006
The RA Police has made a statement which says:
“A number of Armenian newspapers have published materials about
the supposed visit of Russian criminal authority Vyacheslav Ivankov
a.k.a. Yaponchik to Armenia. Some of them have even informed about
the date of his arrival in Yerevan (September 9 or 14).
It is not difficult to notice that the above mentioned representatives
of the Mass Media violate the corresponding provisions of the RA Law
on Mass Media trying to cause a sensation with misinforming articles.
In order to stop the process the Informational Administration of the
RA Police officially informs that Yaponchik a.k.a. Vyacheslav Ivankov
has not entered the territory of Armenia”.
From: Baghdasarian

STREETS OF YEREVAN WILL BE CLOSED AGAIN
A1+
[03:31 pm] 29 September, 2006
In connection with the arrival of French President Jacques Chirac
several streets in Yerevan will be closed for security reasons.
September 29
05:00 – 11:00 p.m. – Baghramyan, Isakov, Mashtots, and Azatutyan
avenues, and Koryun, Heratsi, Armenakyan and Saralanji streets.
September 30
07:00 – 12:00 a.m. – Baghramyan and Mashtots avenues, and Sayat-Nova,
Moskovyan and Abovyan streets.
03:00 – 11:00 p.m. – Abovyan, Nalbandyan, Amiryan and Vazgen Sargsyan
streets, and Tigran Mets avenue.
October 01
08:00 – 10:00 – Azatutyan, Isakov and Mashtots avenues, and Saralanji,
Armenakyan, Heratsi and Koryun streets.
The RA Police asks the citizens to refrain from driving in the above
mentioned street.

SENDING OF ARMENIAN PEACEKEEPERS TO LEBANON ON POLITICAL AGENDA
PanARMENIAN.Net
29.09.2006 14:23 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Sending of the Armenian peacekeeping contingent
to Lebanon is still on the agenda, Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian said at a press conference in Yerevan. He reminded that
before the start of military operations the Lebanese Foreign Ministry
asked Armenia for support and assistance. “We should have the full
picture of events taking place in Lebanon to settle questions of the
kind. Only in this case Armenia can take a decision,” said the RA FM.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PACE RAPPORTEUR LEO PLATVOET: NAGORNO KARABAKH AND ABKHAZIA WANT TO FOLLOW MY REPORT’S RECOMMENDATIONS
Author: A. Mammadova
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Sept 27 2006
Nagorno Karabakh and Abkhazia want to follow recommendation my report
includes, Leo Platvoet, PACE (Parliamentary Assembly of Council
of Europe) Rapporteur on the Captured and Missing Persons in South
Caucasus exclusively told Trendtoday.
During his visit to Nagorno Karabakh and Abkhazia since September 18
to September 22, 2006, the PACE Rapporteur met the representatives of
the International Committee of the red Cross, organizations engaged
in founding missing persons, families of the missing persons, and
the local authorities.
According to Mr. Platvoet, during the meetings, they again discussed
the issue on moving the political aspect away as far as possible to
focus their attention on the humanitarian aspect.
The diplomat insists that all interested parties should work
together to implement the mechanisms of the International Committee
of the Red Cross. “It was very clear that the families of the missing
understood very well that there is a common sadness on each side and
that cooperation is needed”, pointed out Mr. Platvoet.
Answering the question whether the countries are ready to step aside
the politicization of the issue and take concrete steps to solve the
destinies of the missing, Mr. Platvoet answered in the affirmative.