CHAIRMAN OF EUROPEAN COMMISSION IS AGAINST LAYING DOWN CONDITION TO TURKEY ON RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE FOR JOINING EUROPEAN UNION
Yerevan, September 11. ArmInfo. The Chairman of the European
Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso said during the meeting with the
representatives of the reformist movement party in the Belgian
Parliament that he is against laying down a condition to Turkey on
recognition of the Armenian Genocide for joining the European Union.
As the Turkish Press informs, Barroso noted that “Turkey cannot be
forced to recognize the Armenian Genocide and this condition cannot
be laid down to Ankara “.
To be reminded, the European Parliament’s Committee for
Foreign Relations has recently approved the report of the Danish
Parliamentarian, Camiel Eirlings in Strasburg, according to which
Turkey has to recognize the Armenian Genocide as a condition for
joining the European Union. It is expected, in a fortnight, that
the document will be heard at the plenary session of the European
Commission, during which a final decision will be made about the report
fortune and inclusion in it or exclusion of the point concerning the
Armenian Genocide out of it.

PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN CALLS ON ISLAMIC WORLD FOR COMBINED FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM
Yerevan, September 11. ArmInfo. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Alitev
called on the Islamic world for combined efforts against terrorism,
Trend reports. The president made this statement at the 5th conference
of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Tourism Ministers
that opened in Baku on 11 September.
“Some forces want to relate Islam with terror. Islam is a religion
of peace and tolerance. We want to live in peace and we will achieve
it,” the president said. “Today it is the 11th of September. Five
years ago the world saw a horrible terror attack, which killed a
number of innocent people. The Islamic world condemned the fact. We
ought to unite all efforts for struggle against terror. The terror
should not be prevented independently,” the Azerbaijani President
stressed. Ilham Aliyev stressed the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh,
which he regarded as the most painful problem in the region.
“Unfortunately, it has not been resolved yet. 20% of the Azerbaijani
territory is under occupation, whereas as a result of ethnic cleansing
by Armenia over 1 million Azerbaijanis have become refugees and
internally displaced people. It is a great humanitarian catastrophe,”
Aliyev stressed.
President Aliyev underlined that despite the resolutions adopted
by international organizations in this respect, the conflict still
remains unsettled. “Moreover, Azerbaijan suffered from the Armenian
terror attacks which resulted in death of numerous people,” he said
for conclusion.

24 DIRECTORS OF NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES AT ARMENIAN NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCE RETIRE AT ONCE
Yerevan, September 11. ArmInfo. At once 24 directors of the National
Research Institute of the Armenian National Academy of Science (NASA),
had to retire because of the age qualification.
NASA told ArmInfo that mass dismissals of the directors were
connected with a governmental order saying that a director of a
National Research Institute must be under 65. At present, there
are 41 scientific research establishments operating at the NASA,
including 29 institutes. Others are museums, libraries and the NASA
Presidium. According to UN surveys, half of the scientific workers
are at least at the age of 60. To recap, rectors of a number of state
universities suffered the first wave of dismissals.

PEOPLE BECOME VICTIMS IN PUBLIC TRANQUILITY
A1+
[07:41 pm] 11 September, 2006
Today Ararat Mahtesyan, RA deputy chief of the Police, was in the
Parliament. Though the deputies aroused the question of the deepening
criminal situation in the republic, none of them asked Mr. Mahtesyan
about it.
Instead of the deputies, the journalists tried to ask Ararat
Mahtesyan’s opinion on the recent tendencies of the existing
crime-generating situation.
It turns out that Mr. Mahtesyan’s opinion is based on the impression
of foreign “tourists” instead of real numbers or existing picture
but. “I must confess that today international organizations, observers,
mediators and foreigners consider Armenia to be a country of public
tranquility.”
Asked whether he can say the same words to the relatives of Karine
Sargsyan, who became innocent victim during Zatikyan’s murder or
Siranoush, killed during Givoyev’s murder, Mr. Mahtesyan answered, “I
don’t think we face crime-generating situation in Armenia today. Just
on the contrary, I assume that the above-mentioned situation is under
control,” says Ararat Mahtesyan.
He thinks the situation is not appalling. The police are concerned with
it and are working to reveal the recent murders “though they counter
some specific features and difficulties connected with those crimes.”
Mr. Mahtesyan claims there are doubtful questions in statistic data
“but they are very little. Surely, there is certain increase of
murders but these numbers are nothing.”
Asked the question how the police control the situation in the
republic in his opinion when a crime was committed by a kidnapped car
only a few meters away from the sentry post, Mr. Mahtesyan answered,
“It is conditioned by the lack of legislative order.
Suppose there are 100 and more kidnapped cars how can policemen know
of them? Should they know the numbers of all cars by heart? The car
may pass by a policeman and he may know nothing of it unless the
driver breaches traffic rules,” says Mr. Mahtesyan and enumerates
all the technical means required to reveal the kidnapped cars. But
unfortunately they are too expensive.

RA FM DEPARTED FOR PARIS
PanARMENIAN.Net
11.09.2006 18:51 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
departed for Paris to meet with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs,
reported the RA MFA press office. September 12 Vartan Oskanian and
French FM Philippe Douste-Blazy as well as RA Minister of Culture
and Youth Affairs Hasmik Poghosyan and French Minister of Culture
and Communications Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres will give a joint press
conference dedicated to the Year of Armenia is France.

ARMENIA HAS SPECIAL PLACE AMONG IRAN’S NEIGHBORS
PanARMENIAN.Net
12.09.2006 14:33 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian President Robert Kocharian met
with Iranian Mejlis Speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, reports the
Press Service of the Armenian leader. During the meeting the parties
discussed the issue of development of Armenian-Iranian relations and
the process of implementation of joint programs.
Kocharian stated he is content with development of bilateral
relations. He specially remarked that cooperation in private
infrastructure binds the two countries with more prospective
programs. The Armenian leader also added that the Armenian and Iranian
parties display consistency to implement joint programs in a timely
manner and at a high level. In the words of Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel,
the fact that not problems, but plans of actions issuing from
agreements are discussed, evidences a high level of development of
relations. The Iranian Speaker added that Armenia has a special place
among the neighbors Iran has acquired after the collapse of the Soviet
Union. The parties noted the need to develop parliamentary relations,
adding that legislators still yield to government representatives on
the degree of their activity.

COOPERATION WITH IRAN FAVORABLE TO ARMENIA
PanARMENIAN.Net
12.09.2006 14:50 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Iranian people are very warm towards the Armenian
community and this is one of the causes of friendly relations between
Armenia and Iran, Iranian Mejlis Chair Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel stated
at a news conference in Yerevan. In his words, Iran is a very large
and rich country and close cooperation on a mutually beneficial basis
will be favorable to both countries.
At the same time the Mejlis chair noted that visits at the level of
parliament leaders will promote solution of issues, which sometimes
are not solved in inter-state relations. “I hope my first visit to
Armenia will stimulate development of more productive and friendly
relations between our countries,” underscored Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PROBABILITY OF KOCHARIAN-ALIYEV MEETING IN MINSK SHOULD NOT BE TOTALLY RULED OUT
PanARMENIAN.Net
12.09.2006 15:11 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Probability of a meeting between Armenian and Azeri
Presidents Robert Kocharian and Ilham Aliyev should not be totally
ruled out, however speaking of it is still early, Armenian leaders’
Spokesperson Victor Soghomonyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.
October 17 a CIS summit will take place in Minsk. On the eve of the
event, on October 16, the Council of FMs and Council of CIS State
Leaders will convene in Minsk. As customary, the holding of a meeting
of the Presidents will depend on the meeting of the FMs. If after
Oskanian-Mammadyarov meeting there is a need for that between the
Presidents, Aliyev and Kocharian will meet in Minsk.

ARRIVAL SECTION OF NEW TERMINAL AT ZVARTNOTS AIRPORT TO BECOME EFFECTIVE IN TWO DAYS
Armenpress
Sept 12 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS: Argentina’s Aeropuertos Argentina
that was granted the right to lease Armenia’s main airport Zvartnots
in 2001 for several decades took today a group of local journalists
to the airport to show the arrival section of its new international
terminal.. The arrival terminal will handle the first flight that
will arrive from the southern Russian Mineralny Vodi on September 14.
Juan Pablo Gechigjian, the chief manager of the airport, told
journalists that out of $63 million investment earmarked for the
construction of the new terminal $35 million were spent on building
the arrival section, which he said is furnished with the most advanced
equipment. He said the departure section will be ready to process
passengers only in 2007 May.
The state-of-the art terminal makes Zvartnots airport number one
airport in the South Caucasus.
Juan Pablo Gechigjian said the arrival section is capable to process
around 1000 passengers an hour, twice more than the old one. According
to him, when accomplished the new terminal will be able to handle
some 2 million passengers a year, significantly up from 1,1 million
now. He said the new terminal has an advanced security system.

A VISIT TO ARMENIA MAY BE FATAL
A1+
[01:04 pm] 12 September, 2006
Eleven Azeri journalists and legal representatives are in peril lest
they should be deprived of citizenship because of their 5 – day visit
to Armenia.
The Azeri “Civil Solidarity” youth organization demands to deprive Arzu
Abdulaeva, chairman of the Helsinki National Committee, and other 10
participants of citizenship who were involved in the works of “Trust
Building” summer camping which were implemented in “Gugark” camp not
a long way from Vanadzor. The authors of the announcement find their
action a “treachery” to the country; “It is treachery to have a rest
in a country which captured 20 percent of the lands, committed the
Khojalu holocaust, one of the bloody genocides of the 20th century.”
It will be interesting to know the reaction of the authors of
the announcement when they learned that their compatriots besides
having a good rest in Armenia, managed to make friends with some
people of their age in Armenia and in Artsakh as well. By the way,
most of the Artsakh residents felt the menace of the Azeri bombing,
lost their husbands, parents and other close relatives in the war,
but it didn’t hinder them from shaking hands with the Azeris, making
friends with them and getting excited when parting with them.