AZERI MAN KILLED IN MINE BLAST IN WESTERN DISTRICT – TV
ANS TV, Baku
7 Sep 06
A villager has been killed in a mine blast in Azerbaijan’s Goranboy
District, private ANS TV reported on 7 September.
The 20-year-old man hit an antitank mine on the morning of 7 September
as he was riding a horse near the Azerbaijani-Armenian contact line. He
lost his leg in the blast and died on the spot, the TV said.
ANS said vehicles and domestic animals had hit mines several times
in the area.

RA OMBUDSMAN STRICTLY CONDEMNS REGULAR VIOLENCE TOWARDS MEDIA REPRESENTATIVE
Noyan Tapan
Sept 07 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN. “Attacks upon journalists in the
recent period in our republic, impeding journalists’ work deliver a
serious blow to our country’s authority and threaten complete provision
of rights of freedom of speech and accessibility of information in
Armenia.” This was mentioned in RA Ombudsman Armen Haroutiunian’s
September 7 statement in connection with the attack upon the Iravunk
newspaper’s editor Hovhannes Galajain the previous day. The Ombudsman
calls on law enforcement bodies to be more consistent and expects that
any case of impeding journalists’ professional activity, especially
any violence will be disclosed by the proper bodies and such actions
of criminal bodies will be disclosed and those guilty will serve an
adequate punishment with the whole severity of the law.

NKR PRESIDENT CONGRATULATES “CILICIA” SAILING VESSELS CREW ON OCCASION OF HISTORIC NAVIGATION
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Sept 07 2006
STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. NKR President
Arkadi Ghukasian congratulated “Cilicia” Armenian sailing vessel crew
which finished its sailing. The telegram, submitted to Noyan Tapan
by the NKR President’s Acting Press Sectretary, particularly, reads
the following: “I whole-heartedly congratulate you on the occasion
of finishing the realy historic sailing.
You accomplished a real feat in the name of Armenia and Artsakh, in
the name of the Armenian people. Your “Cilicia” sailing vessel which
has become legendary, on the mast of which the flag of the Republic
of Nagorno Karabakh was also waving, overcoming in two years 15
thousand sea miles and stopping in 63 ports of 26 countries of Europe
and Mediterranean Sea basin, became the symbol of kindness and peace
characteristical for our people from old ages. Owing to your patriotic
mission, the Old world got to better know ideas and values professed
by us, history and culture of our world-spread people, and, of course,
the truth about the national-liberating struggle of Artsakh. It is
deeply symbolic that the end of the navigation coincided with the 15th
anniversary of proclaiming the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh. Even
our ill-wishers had to accept your contribution in the affair of
propaganda of the Armenian people’s interests. Artsakh attentively
looked after your navigation, worried about you and admired your
courage. You personify the Armenian people’s valour and valiance. You
are real heroes.

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT CREATES COUNCIL ON EU RELATIONS
AP Worldstream
Sep 07, 2006
Armenia’s Cabinet said Thursday that it is creating a national council
for cooperation with the European Union and a government commission
that will coordinate relations with Brussels.
The commission will be chaired by Prime Minister Andranik Margarian,
and the council will include civil society groups, the government
press service said.
While it seeks to improve ties with the West, Armenia is Russia’s
closest ally among the three ex-Soviet republics of the Caucasus
Mountain region.
The speaker of parliament triggered a political scandal in the nation
of 3.3 million in April, when he reportedly told a German newspaper
that Armenia’s future lies with the European Union and NATO.
President Robert Kocharian quickly disavowed the remarks, saying
Armenia’s close military ties with Russia and other regional countries
provide sufficient security and that it has no plans to join NATO.
The speaker, Artur Bagdasarian, later resigned after his liberal
party quit the governing coalition because of dissatisfaction with
the government’s foreign policy and the pace of democratic reform.

AZNAVOUR GOES ON TOUR TO U.S. WHERE HE FOR THE LAST TIME PERFORMED 60 YEARS AGO
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Sept 07 2006
PRAGUE, SEPTEMBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. After parting of
60 years, French Armenian world famous chansonnier Charles Aznavour
returned American stage where he for the last time performed in
1948. “I can not live with the past and I always attempt to find those
themes which move the society at the moment,” Aznavour confessed in
an interview given to one of the American newspapers. According to
Radio Liberty, world famous chansonnier is now preparing to record a
new disc. The new songs tell about refugees living in backyards of the
big city, abandoned villages getting older, racialism and, of course,
about love. “Young people are always and everywhere caught in my trap,
when they fall in love,” 82-year old Aznavour jokes, who never stops
to confess: “I love the life.”

VAN BUYTEN EARNS BELGIUM WIN
uefa.com 1998-2006
Wednesday, 6 September 2006
A Daniel Van Buyten goal ensured Belgium returned to winning ways
with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Armenia. René Vandereycken’s
team could only draw 0-0 with Kazakhstan in their opening UEFA EURO
2008â~D¢ qualifier on 16 August, yet they managed three points in
Yerevan despite not having things all their own way.
Slow start
The Armenians, playing their first game in the section, held their
own in an opening half-hour of limited opportunities. Midfielder
Hamlet Mkhitaryan hit a left-footed shot over the bar for the hosts,
while at the other end Luigi Pieroni and Karel Geraerts fired wide
of Gevorg Kasparov’s goal.
Pieroni denied
Samvel Melkonyan then sent a right-footed effort wide of Belgium keeper
Stijn Stijnen before visiting forward Pieroni forced the first save of
note in the 30th minute, Kasparov smothering his left-footed strike
from outside the box. The Armenia custodian was called into action
by the same player five minutes later, this time denying Pieroni with
his feet.
Pressure pays off
R. Standard de Liège midfielder Geraerts then volleyed wide as the
visitors continued to pepper the hosts’ goal. The Belgians reaped
the reward for their pressure four minutes before half-time when Van
Buyten’s header from Jelle Van Damme’s cross found the top corner.
Belgium comfortable
In the second period, Feyenoord defender Pieter Collen was forced
off through injury just before the hour, with Anderlecht’s Anthony
Vanden Borre coming on. Despite the enforced switch, the Belgians
coped comfortably with Armenia’s attemps to restore parity to secure
the first win of their Group A campaign.
–Boundary_(ID_xj3MpxqxOZQh4BTOaE4+GQ)- –
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SCHUMER CALLS ON HOAGLAND TO CLARIFY POSITION ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Sept 07 2006
WASHINGTON, SEPTEMBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On the
eve of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee consideration of
Richard E. Hoagland as America’s next Ambassador to Armenia, Senator
Charles Schumer (D-NY) sent a letter to Hoagland criticizing the
Administration’s policy on the Armenian Genocide and urging the
nominee to clarify his position on the matter. According to the
Armenian Assembly of America (AAA), in his letter, Schumer also
expressed concern that the current Ambassador, John M. Evans, is
being prematurely replaced for properly recognizing the Armenian
Genocide. “I am concerned that the Senate is reviewing your nomination
for this post as a result of Ambassador Evans’ departure, possibly
because of statements he made which, in my view, accurately describe
the Armenian Genocide as such,” Schumer wrote. “We commend Senator
Schumer for his critical examination of Ambassador-designate Hoagland
and his strong support of reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide,”
said Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. “We have a fundamental
policy disagreement with the Administration. The U.S. should squarely
affirm the historical truth of the Armenian Genocide.”

TURKEY AND PEACEKEEPING INCOMPATIBLE CONCEPTS
PanARMENIAN.Net
07.09.2006 12:39 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey and peacekeeping are incompatible concepts
and this is not only Armenian point of view, Chair of In Defense of
Liberated Territories NGO, native of Lebanon Zhirayr Sefilyan told
a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In his words, Lebanon has been under the
Ottoman Empire for a long time and knows well who are Turks. “Adding
to it the Turkish-Israeli alliance against the countries of the
region, it will become clear that Lebanese resistance and the people
of Lebanon will never recognize Turkey’s right for participation in
the UN peacekeeping operation,” he noted.
Sefilyan underscored that instead of discussing the issue of Turkey’s
participation, Armenia should think of participation of Armenian
peacekeepers in the mission in Lebanon. “I am sure that the people
of Lebanon will take that step very positively.
Authorities say the mandate is not made clear.
Actually everything is made clear, specifically it is known that the
peacekeepers will not have a right to take part in force operations
to unarm Hezbollah.
Participation of Armenia and other friendly countries to Lebanon
will ensure that in the future Israel will not have an opportunity
to lay illegal claims against Lebanon. In case this happens and
the peacekeepers are ordered to unarm the Lebanese resistance, the
withdrawal of the Armenian contingent will be a serious support to
Lebanon,” said Chair of In Defense of Liberated Territories.

LEBANESE ARF PARTY MEMBERS CONSIDER COUNTRY GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTEMPTUOUS ATTITUDE TOWARDS ARMENIAN COMMUNITY
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Sept 07 2006
BEIRUT, SEPTEMBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The ARF
Dashnaktsutiun Lebanese Central Committee considers ignoring of the
Lebanese Armenian community’s demand, thus, not involving Turkish
forces in the UN peace-keeping mission “an evident contempt towards one
of the seven main communities of Lebanon.” According to the September
5 statement of ARF Central Committee of Lebanon, the above-mentioned
event shakes the community oath which is the basis of Lebanon as well
as impede efforts of strengthening the national unity the start of
which is all parties’ participation in decisions of national content.
“The Government of Lebanon ignored calls of all authorities and
representatives of the Lebanese Armenians as well as messages of
complaint on this occasion of Aram I Catholicos of the Great House of
Cilicia, the Lebanese Armenians’ three religious compessions leaders
and three Armenian parties,” is said in the document published by the
“Azdak” Armenian daily of Beirut. In Lebanese ARF members’ words,
“all the statements made by government sources may not justify the
Government’s unfair attitude towards the Armenian community: factually,
the Government fostered a direction, ignoring Lebanese Armenians’
posture refusing placing of Turkish forces in Lebanon with principal,
moral and political argumentations. “The Government is responsible
for this injustice and contemptuous attitude towards the Armenian
community. Lebanese Armenians will continue to demand proofreading
of this weighty mistake made towards the whole community,” the ARF
Lebanese Central Committee states.

HIGH FEST THEATER FESTIVAL TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN IN OCTOBER
PanARMENIAN.Net
07.09.2006 12:59 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Fourth High Fest international theater festival
will be held in Yerevan October 4-14.
As the festival’s organization committee told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter, companies from England, France, Romania, Israel, Russia,
India, Kazakhstan, Holland, Albania, Spain, the Czech Republic and
other countries will arrive in Yerevan.
Art managers, theater specialists and chairs of international theater
festival from 35 countries will arrive in Yerevan as well.
Among the organizers of the festival are the Association of Armenian
Actors, Alfa-L producer center and the Caucasian Bureau of Cultural
Programs. High Fest is held under the patronage of the Armenian PM
Andranik Margaryan.