THE VISIT OF THE OFFICIAL DELEGATION OF THE NKR TO THE USA
A1+
[04:35 pm] 27 June, 2006
On June 22, within the framework of the working visit of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s delegation to the United States of America,
NKR National Assembly Chairman Ashot Ghoulian and the Republic’s
Foreign Minister Georgy Petrossian arrived in Boston.
On June 23, the NKR Parliament Speaker and Foreign Minister visited the
House of Representatives of the state of Massachusetts where they met
with Deputy of the Parliament Rachel Kapriyelian and advisor to Speaker
on Healthcare Issues Chris Hager. In the course of the meetings issues
concerning mutual cooperation in the sphere of education, culture,
and healthcare, as well as parliamentary activity were discussed.
Then the NKR delegation met with the members of the Council of editors
of the “Boston Glob” newspaper.
During the conversation the current state of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict settlement peace process and social-economic situation
in Artsakh were touched upon. The NKR representatives replied to
different questions of journalists.
In Boston the official representatives of Nagorno Karabakh also
had meetings with representatives of the leadership of the Armenian
Assembly of America (AAA) Caroline Mîughar and Anthony Parsamian. The
issues connected with the relations’ expansion between AAA and the
NKR authorities were discussed.
In the evening NKR National Assembly Chairman Ashot Ghoulian and
NKR Minister for Foreign Affairs Georgy Petrossian visited Armenian
Cultural and Educational Centre where they met with the leadership
of the Armenian organizations of the state of Massachusetts.
After the meeting a public event took place. During the meeting an
important contribution of the USA Armenian community to the development
of Artsakh was noted. They also spoke about the necessity of the
participation of the Diaspora Armenians in the confrontation to the
challenges facing Nagorno Karabakh. The official representatives of
Artsakh answered the questions of the participants of the meeting,
which mainly related to economic, social and cultural spheres.
On June 24, a meeting was held at Sam and Aida Bedjakians place where
a number of American philanthropists of Armenian origin were present.
During the meeting the NKR representatives on behalf of the people
of Nagorno Karabakh expressed their gratitude to their compatriots
from the USA for the consistent assistance which was being rendered to
Artsakh. In their turn, the Armenian businessmen of America confirmed
once more their readiness to support the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
The working visit of the NKR delegation to the USA is in progress.
–Boundary_(ID_lxRPKNRQIUXg3XsO+iS8rQ)- –

ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN CONSULTATIONS
A1+
[04:48 pm] 27 June, 2006
Gegham Gharibjanyan, deputy minister of the RA Foreign Affairs will
leave for Moscow on June 27 – 29 to participate in the consultations
of the Armenian and Russian Foreign Ministries on June 29 and in
the International conference titled “on the ways of drug transfer
from Afghanistan.”
He will meet with G. Karasin, RF Foreign deputy minister and the
State secretary the last day of his visit.

PERSISTENT DROUGHT DESTROYS CROPS IN SYUNIK
Armenpress
Jun 27 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 27, ARMENPRESS: Authorities in the southern province
of Syunik say around 27,000 hectares of land under various crops
are endangered by the persistent drought.. Most affected are 8,400
hectares of land under wheat in Sisian region.
Vahram Avanesian, head of a department in the provincial governor’s
office, said they are going to ask the government to set up a
commission to assess the volume of damages and offer a way out. Exerts
fear that if the drought continues for another fortnight local farmers
may lose all their crops.

THE YOUTH CONDEMN TURKEY
A1+
[03:10 pm] 27 June, 2006
A number of youth organizations condemn the inhospitable attitude
towards the All Armenian Catholicos Garegin II in Istanbul. Today the
representatives of the youth organization of the Republican Party and
“Nikol Aghbalyan” Students’ Union of the Dashnaktsutyun Party informed
about it.
In this connection about 30 political, social, youth and students’
organizations released a joint statement on June 26 and they are
going to hand it to all European Embassies.
According to Karen Avagyan, head of the youth organization of the
Republican Party the youth couldn’t keep silence. “We shall try to
prevent such cases in future. We want the Council of Europe to take
into consideration the fact that Turkey is not going to have any ties
with Armenia.”
They noted that this is not the first assault in the Turkish history on
the Armenian and Christian clergymen. “Many months ago a Moslem from
Turkey, which is a candidate to the EU, killed a catholic clergyman
during the liturgy. It is due to mention that the encroachment upon
Johannes Poghos II was also initiated by the Turks,” they claim.
In their statement the Armenian youth representatives demand the
international community, mainly the EU member-countries to refer to
this event and to condemn the assault on the Armenian Church Supreme
Patriarch.
In their opinion this assault is humiliating and it also violates
the rights and fundamental freedoms of the Christian residents(mainly
Armenian citizens) living in Turkey.
By the way, the participants of the press release are going to meet
with the All Armenian Catholicos after his return to Armenia, make
the details clear and later make certain steps among the youth.

EUROPEANS DON’T ACCEPT THE USA MEASURES OF TERRORISM COMBAT
Karine Asatryan
A1+
[03:44 pm] 27 June, 2006
The USA interests differ from those of Europe. A brilliant testify
to this are the PACE current discussions of the report on “Illegal
intergovernmental transfers of suspected secret prisoners and prisons
in the CoE member-countries.”
“The terrorism combat mustn’t mingle with human rights breach,” noted
Peter Shyoder, reporter of the Committee on political issues and added
that the Europeans must differ from the Americans by that feature.
“Terrorism combat is priority, but all our partners must respect the
supremacy of the international right,” claimed Rene van der Liden
for several times during the PACE June session.
Today it was noted for several times that the USA has started to breach
human rights after the September 11 terrorist attack. According to
the French representative they must combat against terrorism but not
with the weapons of terrorists.
Today nearly all participants thanked Swiss deputy Diki Martini who
was the author of the report.
“Excellent investigation,” repeated all speakers.
The journalists got documental films of DVD format in the morning
titled “War and Terrorism.”
The film is about the severe destiny of two men who appeared in the
USA secret prison. Suvash Patel, the producer of the film announced
that they finished the film only a few days ago and haven’t managed
to translate it yet even into French which is the second official
language of the PACE after English.
By the way, Diki Martini’s report is not the end of the investigation,
just on the contrary, it is the beginning and they the session
participants on the CoE member-counties and their partners to continue
observing the matter further on and prevent the phenomenon in future.

PRESS RELEASE
From: Mira Yardemian
Public Relations Director
Haigazian University
Rue Mexique – Kantari
P.O. Box 11-1748
Riad El-Solh 1107 2090
Beirut – LebanonBeirut, 25/06/2006
Haigazian University Baccalaureate Service 2006.
`Egotitis is indeed a universal human condition, but Lebanese society
seems to be especially fertile soil for it. Everybody talks about
corruption and complains about it – at the root of corruption is egotitis
‘, said Dr. George Sabra, Academic Dean at the Near East School of
Theology, Beirut, to the graduating class of 2006.
Dr. George Sabra was the guest speaker at the Baccalaureate Service of
Haigazian University, which took place on Sunday, the 25th of June 2006, in
the First Armenian Evangelical Church in Beirut.
A large number of graduates and their families participated in this
ceremony, a service of dedication for the graduating class of 2006.
The graduating class walked through the church sanctuary during the
processional hymn. The service began with a call to worship by Rev. Nishan
Bakalian, the campus minister, followed by a hymn of praise, `Be Thou My
Vision’, and the prayer of invocation.
In his word of welcome, the President of Haigazian University, Rev.
Dr. Paul Haidostian, greeted the audience, among whom the President of the
Supreme Council of Evangelical Churches in Syria and Lebanon, Rev. Salim
Sahyouni, Prsesident Emeritus of Boston University, Dr. Aram Chobanian and
his wife, in addition to dignitaries of the community.
Haidostian summarized his feelings and thoughts, stating that `a
service of Thanksgiving is mostly future-oriented,’ adding, that `without
God’s guidance no destination will be safe, and without an awakened spirit
no career will be fulfilling.’
Several graduates took part in the service: Roubina Karaminassian
and Talar Agopian read biblical selections, Joyce Saddi offered a song
accompanied by Shahan Kilaghbian on the piano, while Sarine Hagopian
shared her personal testimony with the audience, explaining how Haigazian
University affected her social, academic and spiritual life positively, and
helped her change to become a better person.
`Treating Egotitis’, was the theme of the message of the day,
delivered by Dr. George Sabra, who tackled the theme of curing oneself from
the disease of egoism, called by him `egotitis’. He explained to the
graduates that graduation from a university is one of those transitions
which exposes young adults to a larger world, to society as a whole, hence,
becoming more exposed to social and spiritual viruses and infections.
`You should be well-equipped to deal with it and protect yourself
against it, if you have made the best of your stay at this university. Not
every college or university can prepare you to deal with egotitis and other
ills of society; it is only universities or colleges that have a mission, a
spiritual mission, and not just academic or technical goals. Haigazian is
such a university with a mission’, Sabra concluded.
A prayer of dedication by the Vice-Chairman of Haigazian University’s
Board of Trustees, Rev. Robert Sarkissian followed, after which Mher
Foudoulian and Lama Bendak read the pledges of the graduates to carry the
light of truth, freedom & service to the world: `We, the class of 2006 of
Haigazian University, in receiving this light, pledge to hold high the
light of truth, to defend the light of freedom, and to spread the light of
service to our communities, our country and our world’.
While the graduates shared the flame among fellow-classmates, the
President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near
East, Rev, Megrdich Karagoezian pronounced the benediction, whereupon the
class of 2006 marched out the sanctuary with the recessional, each carrying
the light out into the world.

ARMENIAN LGC PARTY TO MAKE ITS PRIORITIES PUBLICS
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
June 25 2006
YEREVAN, June 26. /ARKA/. At its congress this autumn, the Law-Governed
Country (LGC) party will make its political priorities public, LGC
Chairman Artur Baghdasaryan stated at the 5th congress of the LGC
Women’s Union.
“At the LGC’s congress in autumn the party’s political priorities
and our concept of the country’s development will be formed,”
Baghdasaryan said.
According to him, the party will be consistent in its struggle for
“the triumph of the truth.”
He also pointed out that in August the party will start negotiations
with “various healthy political forces of Armenia.”
From: Baghdasarian

S. CAUCASUS ECONOMIC FORUM SHARES BEST PRACTICES
By Haroutiun Khachatrian for Eurasianet
EurasiaNet, NY
June 25 2006
An economic conference in Tbilisi highlights the serious financial
issues that Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia face, including corruption
and tax evasion.
A recent economic conference held in the Georgian capital Tbilisi
sought to lay the groundwork for closer regional cooperation among
the three South Caucasus states of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.
Regional economic integration was not formally on the agenda of the
1-2 June conference, titled the International Monetary Fund and the
South Caucasus in the 21st Century. Participants officially explored
best practices as each state attempts to modernize its respective
economy. However, the underlying hope was that sharing experience would
provide an impulse for officials to explore integration opportunities
down the road, provided that existing political obstacles, including
the lack of a settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh, are eventually
removed.
The regional IMF representatives from all three states – James McHugh
in Armenia, Basil Zavoico in Azerbaijan and Robert Christiansen in
Georgia – were featured participants, and all faced a diplomatically
delicate task of outlining economic problems without appearing
to overly criticize government policies and responses. While each
Caucasus country features specific development conditions, conference
attendees generally agreed that corruption and tax evasion were among
the most serious problems prevalent in all three states.
“A large shadow economy should be brought into the formal economy
through an efficient tax [system] and improved corporate governance,”
said McHugh, referring to the situation in Armenia.
Georgian Minister of Finance Aleksi Aleksishvili said Tbilisi had
managed to improve its revenue collection capabilities, while stressing
that the government has stopped a practice common during the first
months following the 2003 Rose Revolution, in which entrepreneurs
were arrested, only to be released after making substantial payments
to the state treasury.
The conference scrutinized the unique economic situation in Azerbaijan,
where oil and gas development is causing revenues to spike. Several
participants focused on the potential threat of “Dutch disease,”
in which a rapid rise of income from the energy sector renders other
economic sectors of a given state uncompetitive in the global market.
Given that only about 1 percent of Azerbaijan’s population is directly
involved in the oil sector, the energy windfall stands to be enjoyed
by relatively few Azerbaijanis. Professor Sabit Bagirov, president of
the Azerbaijan Entrepreneurship Foundation, warned that social tension
could grow worse in the country. “In several years, we may face a
situation that, with huge oil revenues, still a great number of poor
people are in the country, and the unresolved Karabakh conflict will
make their situation even worse. This may [make] millions of people
unhappy,” Bagirov said.
Most participants avoided making direct comparisons about the successes
and failures of economic development in the Caucasus.
Tigran Sargsian, chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia, was
perhaps the only participant who sought to place developments
in each individual state within a regional context. “Today, the
countries of the South Caucasus live similarly badly and differently
well,” he said. Sargsian highlighted differences among the three
Caucasus countries. For example, according to Sargsian, Armenia was
recognized as a leader in terms of market reforms, while possessing
a bad record on poverty reduction. Georgia, meanwhile, was labelled
as more competitive than Armenia. Yet at the same time, Tbilisi must
struggle with a deficit of power producing capacity.
Given the underlying political differences, it did not come as a
surprise to participants when Sargsian’s analysis was characterized
by Azer Alasgarov, an Azerbaijani National Bank official, as
“politicized.”
“I agree with your critical notions, but I would like the Azerbaijani
National Bank to have presented its own vision of the situation,”
was Sargsian’s answer. The conference was organized by the Caucasus
Research Resource Centers, the IMF and the National Bank of Georgia.
EurasiaNet () provides information and analysis
about political, economic, environmental, and social developments in
the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus, as well as in Russia,
the Middle East, and Southwest Asia. The website presents a variety
of perspectives on contemporary developments, utilizing a network
of correspondents based both in the West and in the region. The aim
of EurasiaNet is to promote informed decision making among policy
makers, as well as broadening interest in the region among the general
public. EurasiaNet is operated by the Central Eurasia Project of the
Open Society Institute.

ARTUR BAGHDASARYAN: ARMENIA HAS OLIGARCHIC ECONOMY
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
June 25 2006
YEREVAN, June 26. /ARKA/. Armenia has oligarchic economy now, Chairman
of the Law-Governed Country (LGC) party Artur Baghdasaryan stated at
the 5th congress of the LGC Women’s Union.
“Armenia lack free economy, small and medium-sized business is not
developing,” he said.
According to Baghdasaryan, the centralization of power and money
aimed at “purchasing and taking control of everything in the country”
can be observed in Armenia.
According to him, this is confirmed by that fact that 70% of
revenues of Armenia’s state budge are formed due to 100 out of 52,500
enterprises registered in Armenia.
“In the entire world, small and medium-sized businesses provide 85%
of all budget revenues,” Baghdasaryan said.
“Oligarchic economy cannot provide good guarantees of the country’s
development,” he said.

AT THE EXPENSE OF KURDS: BUILDING A NEW ERA IN U.S.-TURKEY RELATIONS
By Sosun Welat
Kurdish Media, UK
June 25 2006
Every so often, we see an article here and there about the relationship
between the US and Turkey. In most of these articles regardless where
it comes from whether it is from liberals or conservatives they all
point to the alarming deterioration of situation between the two
countries. In addition, they all make the point that the course must
be changed; Turkey must be courted and appeased. They further defend
the point that Turkey is needed in the fight against terrorism as
gateway to spread America’s message to the rest of Islamic World.
Furthermore having a democratic Islamic Turkey in the western bloc is
a proof that an Islamic country able to adapt western democracy and
its values. Moreover, they all emphasize that Turkey can join the EU
only and only at the expense of all Kurds. These ideas are floating
around from Rand Corporation to Brooking Institute and from editorial
pages of NY Times to Washington Post and all other influential think
tanks and media outlets.
None of these analysts, specialists, writers and all others can see
the dynamics of change set in motion in the entire world specifically
in the Middle East right after the collapse of old Soviet Union. They
cannot understand that the good old days are gone and “The New World
Order” as paraphrased by the elder President Bush is taking place
with more liberty and justice for the oppressed.
They cannot win back Turkey by just clipping the wings of Southern
Kurds and preventing Kirkuk to be in Kurds control, because Turks
have more ambitions, such as uniting all Turks from Edirne to all
other Turkic republics such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan,
Azerbaijan and recover all Arab and Greek lands, islands lost during
the First World War I. Recent provocations of Turkish Air Forces and
Greek Air Forces in the Aegean air space just a reminder to these
facts. This is clearly against the America’s and EU interests. They
cannot understand that the status quo cannot go on as did during the
cold war era by helping Turkey of denying Kurdish national rights for
over 70 years. The biggest danger to Turkey is not PKK presence in
Qandil Mountains. The biggest problem to Turkey’s stability is its
denial of other nations within and outside its borders.
In addition, its policies of forceful Turkification of cultures,
languages, nations; its denial of Kurdish rights; its denial of its
own history by denying Armenian, Kurdish, and Assyrians massacres;
its denial of eliminating Greeks from western Anatolia.
Furthermore Turkey cannot see the point that the Turkish national
aspirations and interests are in collision course with the national
interests of United States, whilst the national interests of Kurds are
in tandem with the interests of United States. No matter what they can
do or suggest America cannot win back Turkey as trusted ally. On the
other hand, the relationship between America and Turkey will worsen
as stability and prosperity will take hold in Iraq particularly in
Southern Kurdistan.
Contrary to their suggestion, Turkey was never a democratic and never
will be. Turkey was not established on the basis of law and justice;
it was established on the basis of deceit and theft. Therefor it is
an illegal state. It promised Kurds and other Anatolian peoples a
motherland based on equality and Justice. Turkish National Assembly
in early 1920, there were more than over 30 Kurdish and other ethnic
Members of Parliament. After The Lausanne Treaty was signed all Kurdish
MP were eliminated by assassinations, exiles and imprisonment. One
of those MP requested in his will to be buried at one of crossroads
anywhere in Kurdistan so that passers-by can spit on his grave because
he realized that he betrayed his Kurdish nation by supporting Mustafa
Kemal in his negotiations in Lausanne during the negotiations in
early 1920. All Kurdish MP supported Kemal with understanding and
promise from him that Anatolia was going to be homeland for Kurds
and Turks. However, he retracted on his promises once the treaty was
signed. He started the elimination of all patriotic MPs and suppression
of Kurdish culture, language and severe persecution of Kurdish people.
Turkey has an identity problem. First, it was established by bunch of
losers of Ottoman Generals who run away from the Front Lines of war
with Allied Forces of World War I. They forced on Anatolian people
Turkish ideology, which was not in existence except among “Young Turks
“or “Jon Turks”.
They are not democratic because they are not tolerant to other
ethnic and religious minorities. Up to early 1980 before PKK was
born, Alawi of Anatolia were severely persecuted. As I remember in
my early childhood, our rituals were held with fear of being busted
by the Gendarme of the state. When the Seid (Pir) was visiting our
village and holding a Ciwat (Mass) on one of our holiest days (Xizir
celebrations) some of the older kids had to be on watch out on the
rooftops to watch if any Gendarme regiment were coming toward the
village so that we could have early warning system. During my studies
through middle school to college in various cities in Turkey, I had
to hide my identity and face many slurs, curses, and insults thrown
on many different occasions as part of normal conversation without
any provocation. Only after PKK was born the Alawis were courted in
order to win them back to prevent the Kurdish Alawis to join Kurdish
national movement.
Up to 1980 Kurdish Alawi are seen as threat to the state due to first
Kurdish national uprising was in early 1920 in Kochgiri region of
Northern Kurdistan and then the 1937 Dersim uprising.
Even today, religious liberties do not exist in Turkey. The problems
with Greek Orthodox Church are widely known. There is no way any
Christian missionary can start a work in Turkey. Even previous
Christian churches are either demolished or converted to mosques
as the way the Ottomans Ayah Sofia Church to a mosque. Even today,
a Christian and Jewish or any other non-Muslim citizen cannot become
a judge, a general, a police officer or any other public servant.
It is not a democratic country because it is banning a language of
over 25 million of its own people, whilst even during the apartheid
era of South Africa the black people could spoke their own language.
It is not democratic country because it is denying all other Anatolian
peoples their existence (The Hurriyet Newspaper’s motto says it all
“Turkey Belongs to Turks”) and forcing them to be Turks.
It is not democratic because it is trying to reshape entire Anatolia’s
cities, towns, villages and hamlets by force.
In short, they are suggesting to get rid of PKK, will give Turkey what
it wants and things will be as good as before. However, they fail to
recognize that PKK’s presence is more obstacles to Kurdish national
movement than to Turkey. To true Kurdish patriots PKK is obsolete. Its
demise will unleash the very natural desire of self-determination of
Kurdistan among all Kurds.
They fail to recognize that Turkey’s problems do not stem from under
development of East and South East but failing to recognize the
national rights of Kurdish people. A democratic country would have
done it long time ago. PKK is not Turkey’s problem. It is the product
of Turkey’s policies. It cannot complain to America or EU about it,
Turkey must put its house in order if wants better days ahead.
They fail to recognize that it is not Turkish friendship that America
needs anymore, it is The Kurds that America needs in the New World
Order. Under new socio-economic and political map, Kurds hold the
balancing power. They will rise to the situation as they did by
saving Jerusalem from destruction under the leadership of The Saladin,
the Great.
However, this time for their own National rights not for being the
soldier of Islam or any other religion.
In such hostile region, specifically in Iraq, Kurds have proven to
be reliable allies. Kurds of Southern Kurdistan are proving to Turks,
Arabs, Persians and to the rest of world that can govern by embracing,
pluralism, market economy and multi -culturalism, ethnicities and
religions. By ignoring their basic natural rights and denying, those to
their lands will lead to more catastrophic uncontrollable situations.
Do not trust unreliable Turks on the expense of reliable Kurds.