NATO NOT GOING TO SOLVE POLITICAL PROBLEMS BETWEEN ARMENIA AND TURKEY

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.05.2006 19:36 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey is a full NATO member and it agreed for
the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) with Armenia, Special
Representative of the NATO Secretary General for the South Caucasus
Robert Simmons stated at a news conference in Yerevan. In his words,
the NATO is not going to solve political problems between countries,
which are both Alliance members and those involved in partnership
programs.

“Armenia and Turkey should settle issues of normalization of relations
and opening the Armenian-Turkish border themselves,” he emphasized.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

“NATIONAL DEPUTY” FACTION IS AN ADHERENT OF EQUILIBRIUM

A1+
[09:18 pm] 23 May, 2006

In comparison with United Labor Party, National Deputy faction
refuses the posts offered to them informed head of the faction Karen
Karapetyan.

“We were offered to hold posts both in the Government and in the
Parliament but we think that we shouldn’t use posts for ourselves and
agree to hold them for a short period without being able to use them
for the sake of people. Thus, there is no sense in agreeing.

We deem a post as a means and not as an objective,” claimed Karen
Karapetyan.

“It doesn’t mean that we have multiple approaches, our logics has
been the following within the past 6 years; our vital task was to
establish political equilibrium in the country. In case we don’t have
that balance foreigners will attempt to dictate us their interests
and govern our country the way they want.”

Karen Karapetyan maintains that they will stay in the constructive
field and will support the majority of the NA if necessary. “Today
the balance of the NA has been subjected to changes; our task is
to reach political balance. We shall render more assistance to the
authorities.” Asked the question whether the faction expects more
posts than it has been offered Karen Karapetyan gave a negative answer.

ARMENIAN JUDO TEAM LEAVES FOR FINLAND

A1+
[05:29 pm] 23 May, 2006

Tomorrow Armenian judo delegation will leave for Finland at the
head of chairman of the federation Alexander Avetisyan. Europe-2006
championship will be held in the Finnish town of Tampere on May 26.

Armenia will be presented in the championship by Armen Nazaryan
(60kg, from Hrazdan), Hovhannes Davtyan (66kg, from Gyumri) and
Ghazaros Grigoryan (73kg, from Yerevan). We have great expectations
from Armen Nazaryan, the winner of the former championship who is a
popular sportsman and has great achievements on international level.

Chief coach of the Armenian judo team, Gagik Aghamalyan informed “A1+”
that our sportsmen leave for Finland in good shape and are properly
trained. “We go to win a medal,” claims the coach of the team. His
assistant in the European championship will be Arthur Gevorgyan.

“ARTIFICIAL” PARTIES HAVE NO FUTURE IN THE POLITICAL SPHERE

A1+
[07:21 pm] 23 May, 2006

“He says that he cannot work in the Opposition without any shame. Then
why did he become a member of the party. A party must realize its work
everywhere,” Paruyr Hairikyan, head of Union for Self-Determination
(USD) informed “A1+” while referring to the recent events connected
with OYP.

He is sure that the Coalition doesn’t exist any more as its memorandum
was signed by three political forces one of which has already quitted
it. Head of Union for Self-Determination has his personal approach
on the frequent changes in Armenian political and party sphere. “The
majority of Armenian parties don’t have their ideology,” claims
Paruyr Hairikyan classing OYP among such parties and illustrating the
failure of setting up another such “artificial” structure, Artashes
Geghamyan’s party.

Asked whether United Labor attempting to replace OYP in the Coalition
doesn’t resemble an “artificial” party and whether it won’t be
doomed to the same failure, Paruyr Hairikyan answered, “I doubt
whether the party wants to enter into the Coalition or it is forced
to do it. A party is a union of adherents. But this is not obvious
in their case. We can feel some menace today. Parties are pre-state
structures. And in case a state is weak it speaks of its parties’
weakness too.”

By the way, Paruyr Hairikyan supports Arthur Baghdasaryan in one
thing. He is right in accusing the Opposition of not wanting to unite
and of its “ambitions.” According to Paruyr Hairikyan the fact that the
opposition cannot unite is also determined by the work of the agents.

Hairikyan is going to suggest the Opposition a program of joint
work. According to the head of USD they should set up a common
structure which won’t be a political party in any case. 1 – 3
representatives of political powers will be involved in it. But
Hairikyan is sure that his offer will be turned down.

NATO IS A “PARTNER” OF ARMENIA

A1+
[08:07 pm] 23 May, 2006

It is upon Armenia to decide how to cooperate with NATO. “NATO
doesn’t force any country to become its member and doesn’t hamper its
cooperation with other countries,” claimed Robert Simmons, special
envoy of the NATO Secretary General on South Caucasian affairs during
today’s press release.

Mr. Simmons answered various questions within half an hour and repeated
his above mentioned words several times. NATO is ready to support
Armenia in taking out the Russian military bases but “it is upon
the country to decide how long to keep them in its territory.” It
is upon Robert Kocharyan to participate in the NATO Parliamentary
Assembly or not. If NA Speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan resigns for his
positive attitude towards the NATO, it is not upon Mr. Simmons to
give his evaluation of the matter either, “In any country people
may have diversity of opinions and they are free to express them,
but the Armenian Government decides its strategy itself.” Simmons
maintains that the NATO and Armenia are “partners” at present, and
such relations are profitable for the two sides. In the framework
of “partner relationship” they implement the program of Individual
partnership. The NATO representative registered positive progress in
the course of 6-month implementation.

The real evaluation will be given during the NATO session which will
be held on June 14. RA Foreign Minister and Defense Minister will also
participate in the session. By the way, Robert Simmons expressed his
hesitation on the claims of the RA officials that the RA army will
meet the NATO criteria in 2015. “it is not a university where one
has to fix a deadline,” said Mr. Simmons noting that there are the
NATO member countries which haven’t yet finished the reforms of the
defense and security fields.

While referring to the Karabakh conflict Robert Simmons stated that
NATO is not directly engaged in it but it support the OSCE Minsk
group. As for settlement of the peacekeeping forces of the NATO member
countries in the “occupied lands,” Simmons claims that it will be
probable only in case Armenia and Azerbaijan come to an agreement
on this score. By the way, Mr. Simmons didn’t understand and didn’t
want to make accurate what the Armenian journalist meant by saying
“occupied lands.” Simmons only urged that NATO doesn’t mingle with
the affairs of its member countries, let us take Turkey and Armenia
for instance, and leaves it for the member countries to settle their
affairs themselves.

ELECTIONS OF THE NA PRESIDENT MAY BE SPECIAL

A1+
[11:45 am] 24 May, 2006

“It is possible to not convene a special session and to elect a
NA President during the regular session,” head of the NA majority
Galoust Sahakyan informed “A1+”. “But as June 12 is the fortieth day
since the air crash, I think the elections of the NA President must
be special as it is an important political issue, and on June 12 the
majority of the deputies will be busy in connection with the crash.”

What has the NA Committee done during these forty days? “The NA
Committee mainly supported the work of the Governmental committee. We
also raised money. Our faction itself organized help through the
deputies. We all had friends on board, and this was the approach of
people not of deputies,” Galoust Sahakyan said.

SECOND RECORD BOX OF A-320 HAS BEEN FOUND

A1+
[12:05 pm] 24 May, 2006

Late in the evening yesterday, at about 00:45 AM the second record
box of the Armenian plane A-320 which crashed in the Black Sea on
May 3 was found from under the water. The box which recorded all the
technical data of the flight was found with the help of the underwater
cameras. It was under a half-meter layer of silt which made its
signals weak. The two boxes were 16 meters away from each other.

According to the Russian Mass Media, the deciphering of the record
boxes will reveal of the reason of the crash was the lack of fuel. RF
Minister of Transportation Igor Levitin leaves for Sochi again,
“Vesti” reports. Today it will be decided if the record boxes will
be deciphered in Russia or in France.

OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS TO ARRIVE IN BAKU

ArmRadio.am
24.05.2006 10:25

The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs will arrive today in Baku in the
framework of a regional visit. This time they will be accompanied
by senior officials of Ministries of Foreign Affairs of US, France
and Russia. The delegation will comprise Russian Deputy Foreign
Minister Grigori Karasin, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
Daniel Fried and Director on Political Issue of the French Ministry
of Foreign Affairs Stanislas D’Labouiet. The delegation will leave
Baku for Yerevan.

During the meetings with leadership of Azerbaijan, Armenia and
Nagorno-Karabakh issues related to the negotiations process on
settlement of the Karabakh conflict and the further steps will be
discussed.

DISCUSSION OF THE “LAW AND THEORY OF JUDICIAL PRECEDENT” MANUAL TO BE HELD AT RA COURT OF APPEAL

ArmRadio.am
24.05.2006 10:13

On may 24 the presentation and discussion of the “Law and Theory of
Judicial Precedence” manual will be held at RA Court of Appeal.

The manual aims at introducing Armenian Judges to the major legal
principles, which lie in the basis of the legal systems in the United
States, United Kingdom and Continental Europe.

International experts from the US, Great Britain and representatives
of court system will participate in the discussion.

THE SECOND BLACK BOX OF THE CRASHED A-320 LIFTED FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA

ArmRadio.am
24.05.2006 10:40

“ITAR-TASS” Agency informs that the second black box of the crashed
A-320 was extracted from the bottom of the Black Sea, representative
of RF Ministry of Transport Svetlana Krishtanovskaya said. According
to her, the second box was located 16 meters away from the first
one. Krishtanovskaya said that the works were not suspended despite
the bad weather conditions.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress