MUTAFYAN DISAGREES WITH CATHOLICOS ON GENOCIDE RECOGNITION
PanARMENIAN.Net
30.06.2006 12:55 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul Archbishop
Mesrob Mutafyan told reporters Wednesday that he did not agree
with statements made by His Holiness Garegin II, the Catholicos
of All Armenians regarding the need for the Turkish recognition of
the Armenian Genocide. Mutafyan proposed that the “1915 issue” be
addressed by historians and sociologists in order for the sides to
“understand each other’s sensitivities.”
During a pontifical visit to Istanbul, Catholicos Garegin II said
the Genocide was not a debatable issue for Armenians and it is a fact
that Turkey should recognize. The Turkish press reacted adversely to
this statement, with one newspaper-the Hurriyet-characterizing the
Catholicos’ visit as a protest demonstration. Mutafyan said that the
Catholicos’ statements were not unexpected and since his pontifical
visit was being covered by the Armenian media and would be seen by the
Diaspora communities, “the Catholicos spoke taking into consideration
Diasporan sensitivities,” reported Marmara newspaper.
To note, during his visit to Istanbul Garegin II said the Armenian
Genocide is not a topic of discussion and must be recognized by Turkey.
It should also be noted that since the times of the Ottoman Empire
the Constantinople Patriarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church sis
appointed by the Turkish government but not by Holy Echmiadzin.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN AND AZERI LEADERS NEED TO PREPARE PUBLICS FOR PEACE AND NOT FOR WAR
PanARMENIAN.Net
30.06.2006 13:20 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In November last year the Minsk Group Co-Chairs
reported to this Council that the two sides in the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict were poised to make a transition from negotiating to
decision-making and that a historic breakthrough in the settlement
of the conflict was possible in 2006, says the statement by the OSCE
Minsk Group made in Vienna June 22.
“During the past seven months, we intensified our mediation efforts and
worked hard to achieve the agreement of both sides on basic principles
for a settlement. We visited Baku and Yerevan three times together and
several more times separately, organized two meetings of the Ministers
of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Azerbaijan and two summits between
Presidents Kocharian and Aliyev – first in Rambouillet in February
and then in Bucharest in early June.
For the first time since 1997, when the current format of the
Co-Chairmanship of the Minsk Group was established, a joint Mission
of Representatives of the Co-Chair countries at the Deputy Foreign
Minister level traveled to the region in May in order to make clear to
the presidents of both countries that 2006 is the necessary window of
opportunity for reaching an agreement on Nagorno- Karabakh. In fact,
the delegation of Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigoriy Karasin,
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried, and high-ranking
French diplomat Pierre Morel – representing French Political Director
Stanislaus de Laboulaye – told the two Presidents that our three
countries expected them to take advantage of this opportunity by
reaching an agreement on core principles for a settlement at their
Bucharest summit in early June.
Our deputy ministers told the two Presidents that an agreement on
basic principles now, before the July G8 Summit in St. Petersburg,
would secure broad international support and a high level of
financial assistance for postconflict reconstruction and peacekeeping
activities. We stressed – as always – the belief of our nations and,
more widely, of the international community that the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict can be resolved in no other way than a peaceful one. Moreover,
we stressed that both leaders need to prepare their publics for peace
and not for war,” the statement says.

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE APPROVES $58 MILLION FOR ARMENIA IN FY 2007
ArmRadio.am
30.06.2006 10:21
The full Senate Appropriations Committee voted to cut economic
assistance to the Republic of Armenia in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2007
Foreign Operations bill. While the aid level is equal to the overall
budget request of $58 million, the Freedom Support Act (FSA) account
was sharply decreased to $34.2 million, more than half of last years
enacted level of $75 million.
“Given that Armenia remains blockaded on its east and west, continued
robust funding is vitally important,” said Executive Director of
the Armenian National Committee of America Bryan Ardouny. “The
Assembly is therefore concerned about this overall decrease and
looks forward to working with the Senate and House to provide the
necessary resources for Armenia’s security, prosperity and democratic
growth.” In a positive development, initial reports indicate that
the Senate Appropriations Committee reinstated military aid parity
between Armenia and Azerbaijan for FY 2007. The legislation, which
allocates $4.29 million in military financing to both countries,
signals that Azerbaijan’s continued war rhetoric is not welcome and
is in fact counterproductive.

HEARINGS ON 12-YEAR EDUCATION TO BE HELD AT THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
ArmRadio.am
30.06.2006 10:34
NA Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture and Youth Affairs
has organized today parliamentary hearings on “12-year education:
the process of reforms in the educational system.”

OSCE MG HOPEFUL YEREVAN AND BAKU WILL REACH AGREEMENT
PanARMENIAN.Net
30.06.2006 13:34 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “Our deputy ministers proposed to Presidents Aliyev
and Kocharian a set of core principles that we believe are fair,
balanced, workable, and that could pave the way for the two sides to
draft a far-reaching settlement agreement. We continue to believe in
these principles, and we urge the Presidents to embrace them as the
basis for an agreement,” says the statement made by the OSCE Minsk
Group Co-chairs and submitted to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna
June 22. “Unfortunately, the Presidents chose not to reach such an
agreement in Bucharest. As mediators in this process, we will not
breach the confidentiality of their sensitive diplomatic dialogue,
as we continue to hope that they will reach an agreement.
At this juncture, though, it is our responsibility to you,
Mr. Chairman, to this Council that has provided the funding for a very
intensive series of negotiations, to the international community, and –
perhaps most importantly – to the publics in Armenia and Azerbaijan,
to acquaint you with the basic principles that we have put on the
table for the consideration of the two Presidents. We note that the
principles the Co-Chair countries proposed to the two Presidents were
not developed in a vacuum, but follow on to nine years of detailed
proposals that have been advanced by our predecessors. Even though
3 those proposals were not accepted by the parties, that work of our
predecessors gave us important insights and foundations. Our approach
has been a modified one: we have not tried to solve all aspects of
the conflict in one phase. Instead, our principles seek to achieve
a major degree of progress but defer some very difficult issues to
the future and envision further negotiations.
In sum, they try to solve – in a practical, balanced way – what
is immediately solvable. These principles include the phased
redeployment of Armenian troops from Azerbaijani territories around
Nagorno-Karabakh, with special modalities for Kelbajar and Lachin
districts. Demilitarization of those territories would follow. A
referendum or population vote would be agreed, at an unspecified future
date, to determine the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh. The
sides would commit to further negotiations to define the timing and
modalities of such a referendum or population vote. Certain interim
arrangements for Nagorno-Karabakh would allow for interaction with
providers of international assistance. An international peacekeeping
force would be deployed. A joint commission would be created to
implement the agreement. International financial assistance would
be made available for demining, reconstruction, and resettlement of
internally displaced persons in the formerly occupied territories
and the war-affected regions of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The sides would renounce the use or threat of use of force, and
international and bilateral security guarantees and assurances would
be put in place. We note with respect to the idea of a referendum or
population vote to determine the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh
that such a vote would be the product of a negotiated agreement
between the two sides.
Suitable pre-conditions for such a vote would have to be achieved
so that the vote would take place in a non-coercive environment in
which well-informed citizens have had ample opportunity to consider
their positions after a vigorous debate in the public arena,” says
the statement.

PRESENTATION OF THE “TRAFFICKING: URGENT ISSUES” MANUAL TO BE HELD AT UN OFFICE
ArmRadio.am
30.06.2006 10:50
Presentation of the “Trafficking: Urgent Issues” manual will be held
today at UN Office in Yerevan. The edition is meant for employees of
consulates and consular departments of diplomatic representations.

G8 FOREIGN MINISTERS URGE ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN TO COME TO AN ARGEEMENT IN 2006
ArmRadio.am
30.06.2006 11:15
Foreign Ministers of the G8 countries called on Armenia and Azerbaijan
to come to an agreement over Nagorno-Karabakh in 2006.
They confirmed in the statement issued after the meeting in Moscow
that the G8 “supports the mediating efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chairs,” ITAR-TASS reports.
“We emphasized the necessity of rapid agreement on main principles of
the peaceful resolution of the conflict. We call on Azerbaijan and
Armenia to demonstrate political will and come to an agreement on
the issue in the current year, and prepare their peoples for peace,
not for war,” the statement of the G8 Foreign Ministers says.

PERSONS WITH PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION TO BE INCLUDED IN ELECTORAL COMMISSIONS
ArmRadio.am
30.06.2006 11:37
Between 14-29 June 1460 citizens applied the Central Electoral
Commission to participate in the professional courses for membership to
Precinct Electoral Commissions of Yerevan. The deadline for submitting
applications is 14:00, July 14th.
According to the Electoral Code, starting from the coming nationwide
elections, the electoral commissions will be recruited with persons,
who participated in the above-mentioned courses and received
corresponding qualification.

RECURRENT SITTING OF THE CIS ECONOMIC COUNCIL TO BE HELD IN MOSCOW
ArmRadio.am
30.06.2006 11:55
June 30 the recurrent sitting of the CIS Economic Council will be
held in Moscow. The agenda of the sitting includes 15 questions. The
Council will discuss different draft projects, particularly the draft
agreement on establishment of favorable legal and economic conditions
for expansion of leasing activity, the draft convention on boundary
cooperation between CIS member states, and others, Press Service of
the CIS Executive Committee informs.

DAYS OF LEBANESE LITERATURE TO BE HELD IN ARMENIA
ArmRadio.am
30.06.2006 12:37
By the end of the year days of Lebanese literature will be held will
be held in Armenia. The negotiations in this direction are currently
under way between the Ministries of Culture of Armenia and Lebanon.
President of the Union of Writers of Armenia Levon Ananyan informs
that before the start of the arrangements Armenian writer Avetik
Isahakyan’s monument will be officially raised in Beirut.
In the framework of the arrangements, Lebanese writers will visit
Armenia.
Next year it is envisage to hold days of Armenian literature in
Lebanon.