ANS TV, Baku, in Azeri
14 Sep 06
AZERI, ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTERS TO MEET IN NEW YORK ON 25-26
SEPTEMBER
The Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers will have another
meeting on the sidelines of the 61st session of the UN General
Assembly on 25-26 September.
This decision was taken after [Azerbaijani Foreign Minister] Elmar
Mammadyarov and [Armenian Foreign Minister] Vardan Oskanyan met the
[OSCE Minsk Group] co-chairs [on 12-13 September], the head of the
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s press and information policy
department, Tahir Tagizada, has said. He added that although the
talks had been difficult, they could be described as positive.

Turkish Daily News
September 14, 2006 Thursday
TURK-AMERICAN CANDIDATE LOSES PRIMARY FOR HOUSE SEAT
Osman “Oz” Bengur, the only Turkish-American seeking to win a seat in
the House of Representatives in November’s congressional elections,
lost the Democratic Party’s primary in Maryland’s third district on
Tuesday
After counting was complete in more than 63 percent of the precincts,
Bengur was able to garner only about 4 percent of the vote, coming
sixth in a tight race involving eight candidates. He was competing in
Maryland’s largest district, including the capital Annapolis and
Baltimore, the state’s largest and most important city and a key
commercial port
John Sarbanes, a Greek-American and son of Maryland’s senior
Democratic Senator Paul Sarbanes, was leading the Democratic primary
with nearly 31 percent of the vote as counting was continuing on
early Wednesday
Peter Beilenson, a former health commissioner in Baltimore, was a
strong runner-up with 25 percent after more than 63 percent of the
votes were counted
The elder Sarbanes, who has been championing Greek, Greek Cypriot and
Armenian causes against Turkey in Congress for decades, has already
announced that he will not seek re-election in November.
This was Bengur’s second loss in four years in his pursuit to become
the first Turkish-American to enter Congress. This time his
performance was worse than in 2002, when he narrowly lost the
Democratic primary in the same district
Like in 2002, the area’s small Turkish-American community supported
Bengur, but his efforts to draw a larger backing apparently failed.
Bengur, 57, is the grandson of Turkish immigrants who arrived in the
United States in the 1920s. He had served as treasurer of the
Maryland Democratic Party
Bengur, whose son Noah, a Marine captain and fighter pilot recently
fought in Iraq, has sought to boost his chances by bashing Republican
President George W. Bush’s Iraq policies. But other Democratic
contenders also had similar strategies
One-third of the Senate, Congress’ upper chamber, and the whole of
the House of Representatives, the lower chamber, will be renewed in
the November elections.
The Republican Party presently has command of both congressional
chambers, but following a steep drop in Bush’s public support because
of the unpopular Iraq war and a poor government response during and
after last year’s hurricane Katrina, the Democratic Party is likely
to regain majority in the House in November, many political observers
suggest
Maryland’s third district is viewed as a Democratic bastion, so the
winner in Tuesday’s Democratic primary, most likely to be the younger
Sarbanes, is expected to defeat the Republican rival and grab the
House seat in November.
John White was leading the Republican primary in the same district
with 38 percent of the vote.
A native of Maryland, Bengur is a graduate of public schools in
Montgomery County, Maryland and Washington, D.C. He graduated from
Princeton University and holds a graduate degree in criminology from
Cambridge University. He lives in Towson, Maryland.

Turkish Daily News
September 14, 2006 Thursday
US SENATOR BLOCKS VOTE ON ‘GENOCIDE DENIER’ ENVOY NOMINEE TO ARMENIA
A pro-Armenian senator on Tuesday put a hold on the nomination of
U.S. President George W. Bush’s pick for ambassador to Yerevan, who
has refused to recognize the “Armenian genocide,” in protest of what
he called the administration’s policy to deny the genocide
Democratic Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey said the United
States must recognize that last century’s Armenian killings in the
Ottoman Empire amounted to genocide
His move came after the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week
voted 13-5 to send ambassador nominee Richard Hoagland’s case to the
full Senate for a floor vote
Although U.S. Armenian groups were disappointed by the committee’s
Sept. 7 vote to confirm the “genocide denying” Hoagland, they still
vowed to continue with efforts to block him, urging senators to put a
hold on his nomination
“Mr. Hoagland has declined to acknowledge the mass killings of the
Armenians as genocide, and has said that if confirmed, he would work
to represent the president’s policy,” Menendez said, explaining his
hold. “Considering Mr. Hoagland’s refusal to acknowledge the Armenian
genocide as anything more than horrifying events, I do not feel that
his nomination is in the best interest of Armenia and her (its)
diaspora.” Menendez’ move came at a time when politicians are vying
for minority votes two months before critical congressional
elections.
Under U.S. law, all senior government officials, including
ambassadors, must win the Senate’s approval, and any senator can
indefinitely block nominations. But such moves are rare, because they
put such dissenting senators under intense pressure
Until Menendez lifts his hold, the Senate cannot vote on Hoagland’s
nomination
But under U.S. law, the president can also appoint senior officials
for two years by bypassing the Senate when Congress is in recess, and
analysts said Bush may use this power for Hoagland. Congress is
expected to go for recess in October to prepare for the November
elections
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Bush opts for a recess appointment of
Hoagland shortly after the elections,” said a Washington analyst.
“The administration doesn’t want to leave the embassy in Yerevan
without an ambassador for a long time.” Bush in May fired the
previous envoy to Armenia, John Evans, after the latter classified
the Armenian killings as genocide. Armenian groups have strongly
protested against the decision and have pledged to block Hoagland’s
confirmation process
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), a key U.S.
Armenian group, welcomed the hold placed by Menendez
“We join with Armenians from New Jersey and throughout the United
States in thanking Senator Menendez for his principled stand in
blocking the Hoagland nomination,” said ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian.
“The senator’s hold represents a victory for our nation’s standing on
human rights and genocide-prevention.” Addressing an Armenian
audience in the United States last year, Evans said that the World
War I killing of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire amounted to
genocide. Warned by his superiors at the State Department, he then
issued a “clarification” where he said his remarks reflected his own
views. Still pressed by the State Department, Evans later issued a
further “correction,” admitting that his statement misrepresented the
U.S. policy.
But Bush fired Evans after the latter continued to deviate from the
official U.S. policy, according to administration sources. Bush then
nominated Hoagland, a former ambassador to Dushanbe, Tajikistan, to
replace Evans.
During his confirmation hearing at the committee in June, Hoagland
declined to use the word “genocide” despite pressure by pro-Armenian
senators. He tried to eschew insistent questions over how he would
qualify the Armenian killings during his planned tenure in Yerevan.
Recalling that in the latest April 24 statement Bush referred to the
Armenian killings as “a tragedy the world must not forget,” Hoagland
said, “I represent the president.”
He also said that “instead of getting stuck in the past and
vocabulary, I would like to move forward,” angering the Armenian
groups.
From: Baghdasarian

ARMINFO News Agency
September 12, 2006 Tuesday
$35 MLN INVESTED IN FIRST STAGE OF CONSTRUCTION OF NEW PASSENGER
TERMINAL OF ZVARTNOTS AIRPORT
The concessionaire of Yerevan Zvartnots Airport, Armenian
International Airports, has invested $35 mln in the first stage of
the construction of new passenger terminal, the director of AIA Juan
Pablo Gechidjian.
The money was spent on the construction of a new arrivals hall to be
opened Sept 14. The new hall can receive up to 1,000 people an hour –
twice as much as the old hall. Besides, the hall will have 12
migration counters – twice as many as before – which will double the
current capacity and will allow to process passenger information
faster.
The total cost of the project of the new passenger terminal to be
completed in May 2007 is $63 mln. The remaining money will be spent
on departures hall and business lounge.
Gechidjian says that the project will make Zvartnots a “B” category
airport according to the IATA classification while the old terminal
is just of “E” category.
The area of the terminal will be 18,500 sq m, the width 35 m, the
length 130 m. It will have 6 exits and 5 telescopic bridges. The
total capacity is 2,000,000 passengers.
The total cost of the airport modernization is $253 mln. $95 mln has
already been spent.
To remind, Dec 17 2001 Zvartnots Airport was given into concessionary
management of Armenian International Airports owned by Argentinean
businessman Eduardo Eurnekian.

ARMINFO News Agency
September 12, 2006 Tuesday
ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES ARE NOT OBLIGED TO MAKE PUBLIC THE WHOLE
INFORMATION ON KARABAKH PEACE TALKS
The Armenian authorities are not obliged to make public the whole
information about the Karabakh peace process, says the expert of the
Caucasus analytical center Sergey Shakaryants.
For example, the US does not tell his people what genocides and
massacres he is planning in one or another region of the world. In
order to understand what the OSCE MG are proposing one does not need
the explanations of the Armenian authorities. One has just to
familiarize himself with what US co-chair Matthew Bryza says.
Bryza hopes that the Armenian side will withdraw its troops from the
security zone and that US soldiers will be deployed in the region
under the guise of peacekeeping. This hope is part of the failed
anti-Iranian plan. The last events in Lebanon have proved that the US
and Israeli armies are helpless in the face of the well-trained Shi’a
guerrillas. A war against Iran might put an end to the world
civilization but the failed rehearsal in Lebanon has shown that the
US plan will not work out, says Shakaryants.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMINFO News Agency
September 15, 2006 Friday
ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARIAN CALLS ARMENIA’S DIPLOMATIC POSITION IN
SETTLEMENT ISSUE PASSIVE AND DEFENSIVE
The Head of the RA Parliament Constant Commission for Foreign
Relations, representative of the Supreme Body of ARF Dashnaktsutiun
party , Armen Rustamyan, calls Armenia’s diplomacy in the Karabakh
conflict settlement issue passive and defensive.
According to him, both diplomats and Parliamentarians have chosen the
passive line. Sometimes, at different forums, the RA Parliament
representatives orient themselves “by place” under absence of any
common concept on this problem.,m making ripostes to Azerbaijan,
while the latter claims the same at all international forums for many
years, i.e. about the occupied territories, millions of refugees and
so on. Much time has passed since the operations, the international
community is interested in the future not in the past, while
Azerbaijan accents just on them. Therefore, Armenia has to
sequentially achieve the international recognition of Nagorno
Karabakh by the international community, not by Azerbaijan.

ARMINFO News Agency
September 15, 2006 Friday
POLITICAL FORCES IN ARMENIA THINK AZERBAIJAN’S ASPIRATION TO LEAD
KARABAKH PEACE PROCESS OUTSIDE OSCE MG EVIDENT FAILURE OF AZERBAIJANI
DIPLOMACY
The involvement of other international instances into the Karabakh
peace process exceeding the OSCE Minsk Group frameworks is pregnant
with dangerous consequences, said Galust Sahakyan, Head of RPA
faction, commenting at the request of ArmInfo on the inclusion of the
Karabakh problem into the agenda of UN General Assembly on GUAM’s
initiative.
In his turn, Hrayr Karapetyan, Head of ARFD faction, believes that
the victory of the initiative cannot be considered as a defeat of the
Armenian diplomacy. “Quite on the contrary, it shows that the
Azerbaijani diplomacy failed to achieve desirable results within the
frames of OSCE MG and tries to transfer the problem to other
instances. The response of official Yerevan to such tactics of
Azerbaijan is well-known: if Azerbaijan further tries to lead the
peace process outside the OSCE MG, Baku will have to negotiate with
Stepanakert,” H. Karapetyan said. He added that it is not important
what instance will discuss the problem, it is important how the
discussion will continue.

ARMINFO News Agency
September 15, 2006 Friday
DM DID NOT CALL JOURNALISTS “MISERABLE PEOPLE”
When saying “miserable people” Armenian Defense Minister Serzh
Sargsyan did not mean journalists, the leader of the Republican Party
parliamentary group Galoust Sahakyan said during a briefing today.
It would never occur to Sargsyan to call journalists “miserable
people.” Sahakyan says that his words were misinterpreted.
To remind, when asked by journalists if the editor of the Iravunk
daily Hovhannes Galajyan was beaten because of his article “What
Makes The Super Minister Nervous?” Sargsyan said that he does not
answer “miserable people” and does not punish them.
In his turn, the leader of the Justice opposition bloc Stepan
Demirtchyan condemned Galajyan’s beating and pointed out that already
having control over TV the authorities are now trying to scare the
indepedent press.
To remind, Galajyan was beaten by two unknown people a few days ago.
Investigation is underway. The attackers have not been found yet.

Mediamax news agency, Yerevan, in Russian
15 Sep 06
ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT COALITION OFFICIAL PRIORITIZES COUNTRY’S KEY
TASKS
Yerevan, 15 September: The deepening of democracy, fair solution of
the Karabakh conflict and neutralization of external threats are main
tasks Armenia is facing now, Armen Rustamyan, member of the board of
the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun Party, said in
Yerevan today.
Commenting on intensification of Azerbaijan’s efforts to have the
Karabakh problem discussed at the UN, Rustamyan said that the UN did
not plan to be involved in the settlement of the conflict because it
voluntarily handed the relevant authority over to the OSCE 12 years
ago, Mediamax reports.
Rustamyan also said that Azerbaijan’s position is mainly caused by
the fact that none of the three proposals made by the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairs over the last seven to eight years did not satisfy
official Baku.

Ekho Moskvy radio, Moscow, in Russian
15 Sep 06
RACE RIOTS BREAK OUT IN RUSSIA’S VOLGA AREA
[Presenter] Events similar to those in Kondopoga are probably
occurring in another Russian region. Clashes have taken place in the
town of Volsk, Saratov Region. Our correspondent Andrey Triatskiy has
the details.
[Correspondent] The conflict happened in the local club Galaktika on
the night of Sunday [10 September]. Two young men, who were there
with their wives, picked a fight with local Armenians. The dispute
turned into a mass brawl. As a result, one person was killed and
three people suffered stab wounds. The killed person was a
25-year-old local resident, a former paratrooper who served in
Chechnya. One person was injured among the Armenians.
On Monday [11 September] the conflict escalated. Local young people
broke into a bridge and dam technical school. The youths attacked
local Armenians. One student received a stab wound. The riots in
Volsk did not stop with this incident. Our correspondents and locals
say that town residents carried out so-called sweep operations at
night. People from neighbouring districts also took part in the
disturbances. It is unknown whether there have been casualties.
[Presenter] The police in Volsk have been put on alert. The police
are patrolling the town round the clock. I want to stress that
officially the information about the unrest has not been confirmed so
far.
[In a later report at 0614 gmt on 15 September, Ekho Moskvy news
agency said that the local administration had ordered all people from
Russia’s southern republics to leave town markets to avoid acts of
provocation]