NA CHAIRMAN FILED HIS RESIGNATION

ArmRadio.am
22.05.2006 12:52

At the beginning of the regular four-day sitting at the National
Assembly Chairman Arthur Baghdasaryan filed his resignation this
morning. Mher Shahgeldyan, Head of the NA Standing Committee on
Defense, National Security and Domestic Affairs and Gagik Mkheyan,
Head of the NA Sanding Committee on Social, Health and Ecology Issues
followed the example of the President of “Orinats Yerkir” Party.

PRESIDENT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF GEORGIA MET ARMENIAN SCHOOLCHILDREN

ArmRadio.am
22.05.2006 13:58

President of the Supreme Court of Georgia Konstantin Kublashvili met
50 pupils of the Armenian school of Tskhaltuba village in Akhalkalak
region. The Black Sea Press Agency was told at the Ministry of
Education and Science of Georgia that the schoolchildren came
to Tbilisi with the financial assistance of the Representation
of “Eurasia” Foundation in Georgia and “Alpe” Georgian Fund. The
initiative of the meeting belongs to the President of the Supreme Court
of Georgia. The aim of the meeting was to introduce the children of
non-Georgian schools to the court system of Georgia. The pupils will
visit the Georgian Parliament to learn about the main principles of
the work of legislative and executive authorities.

HERMAN GOLDS: RECOGNITION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IS A STRUGGLE BETWEEN TRUTH AND FORGERY

ArmRadio.am
22.05.2006 14:41

“The issue of recognition of the Armenian Genocide is not a battle
between Armenia and Turkey, but a struggle between truth and forgery,”
Professor of the German Research Center after Lepsius Herman Golds
told in his interview to ” Armenpress” correspondent. In his words,
the interest of Armenians in this issue is an all-human interest,
the demand of Armenians obtains a universal support.

Golds was in Armenia to participate in the third sitting of the
international commission of genocide experts held 17-19 May in Yerevan,
during which the experts were studying the documents through which
an application on recognition of the Armenian Genocide and calling
Turkey to responsibility will be submitted to the International Court
of Human Rights.

According to the German scientist, this way the aim of the resolution
of the issue is justified, but the commission of experts should be
expanded into and international one and should comprise lawyers from
different countries of the world including Turkey. “There are people
in this country who back the truth,” he noted.

According to Herman Golds’s assessment, there are good chances to
win the case. He considers that the issue should be brought to the
Court not by the Armenian side, but by the commission of scientists.

“This is not an Armenian issue only, but an international one. It is
not only the Armenian government that should be interested in this
issue, but the whole international community,” he said.

ARMENIA IS THE MOST GASIFIED COUNTRY IN CIS

ArmRadio.am
22.05.2006 15:41

During the last three years “Hayrusgazard” Company invested US$60
million in the development of gas sector in Armenia.

Director General of the Company Karen Karapetyan declared today that
1 billion 685 million cubic meters of gas was imported to the Republic
in 2005.

In Karen Karapetyan’s words, Armenia is the most gasified country
in the CIS today. In 2005 the number of subscribers of the company
totaled 269 785, the number is expected to reach 450 thousand in 2006.

Karen Karapetyan noted that the intensive period of gasification in
the country will be over by 2007.

PRESIDNET ROBERT KOCHARYAN CONGRATULATES CHARLES AZNAVOUR

ArmRadio.am
22.05.2006 16:05

President Robert Kocharyan sent a congratulating message to famous
singer Charles Aznavour on his birthday:

“Dear Charles Aznavour, I heartily congratulate you on your
birthday. Your image of an exceptional artist and great Armenian
inspired and empowered many people. You are the pride of our nation.

I congratulate you on your birthday and wish you health, long and
creative life.”

MANY SURPRISED WITH THE 10 POINTS GIVEN TO ARMENIA BY TURKEY AT “EUROVISION – 2006”

ArmRadio.am
22.05.2006 18:15

10 points given to Armenia by Turkey at “Eurovision” song contest were
unexpected, and even surprising for many. The Turkish “Hurriet” wrote
today that this way the Turkish people gave their response to Western
Parliaments, which aspire to attach “the force of law” to the Armenian
Genocide. According to the opinion of outstanding representatives of
political and cultural circles, it was “the response of the people
to politicians.”

In a period when France is discussing the bill on criminalizing the
negation of the Armenian Genocide, the 10 points given by Turkey to
Armenia and the 12 points that France gave to Turkey caused immense
reaction. Editor of the ” Agos” newspaper, our compatriot Hrant Dink
is inclined to see political pretext under such distribution of votes.

At the same time Hrant Dink accepts that the Turkish media use this
fact trying to underline the gracious attitude of Turkey towards
Armenia.

Head of the Turkish opposition Democratic-Republican Party Deniz
Baikal expressed the opinion that the 10 points given to Armenia
say one thing: the Turks assessed music solely as music.” Thus,
Deniz Baikal concludes that Turks do not suffer the complex of
politicizing everything, which, according to the opposition leader,
is pleasing. Some consider that the Turks gave 10 points just because
the song presented by Armenia was good.

The Azeri media associate the high grades of the Armenian singer with
the large Armenian Diaspora and lobby, from which they have much to
learn. They, however, do not conceal their disappointment with every
point given to Armenia.

According to the comments of the Azeri “Zerkalo,” Andre managed to
“squeeze” into the final. “Zerkalo” continues to write, however, that
the fact is that Armenia was the first among Caucasian countries to
gain the right to participate in the “Eurovision” song contest.

SERGEI IVANOV: RUSSIA IS DESTINED TO HAVE A POWERFUL MILITARY
by Alexander Kots
Translated by Elena Leonova

Source: Komsomolskaya Pravda, May 18, 2006, pp. 4-5
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
May 22, 2006 Monday

To mark the 61st anniversary of the Great Victory, the defense minister
has answered some questions from our readers.

An Interview With Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov

There are some people, you know, who say, “Let troop strength be
200,000, not one million, but these 200,000 should all be under
contract.” Well, Russia is too large a country for that. It is a
country with too many unpredictable neighbors. Besides, Russia is a
nuclear power.

Question: In which CIS countries do we still have a military presence?

Sergei Ivanov: All of them except Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The
Space Forces are in Azerbaijan. In Kazakhstan we have four testing
ranges and testing centers. In Tajikistan we have the 201st base. In
Kyrgyzstan, there’s the airbase at Kant. We still have two bases in
Georgia – not counting the peacekeepers, they’re a different matter.

We have a base in Armenia. In Belarus we have the Baranovichi radar
station. In Ukraine there’s the Black Sea Fleet, and two missile
attack early warning stations left over from the Soviet era, at
Mukachevo and Sevastopol.

Question: No problems with Ukraine?

Sergei Ivanov: There’s simply no time for that now. Some significant
internal political processes are under way in Ukraine. We have set up
some relevant subgroups in the Black Sea Fleet, as part of the greater
commission. It has already met once. The base agreement remains in
force, specifying a lease until 2017 at $97 million a year.

Question: What about Georgia?

Sergei Ivanov: Those bases will be withdrawn, but we’ll station
two light mountain troop brigades from the Defense Ministry on the
border, to assist the Border Guards. There’s never been a proper
border there. Now we’re establishing a strong and demonstratively
powerful border from the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea, because we
need it along that sector of our borders. Because we don’t feel
sufficiently secure there. Terrorists do cross the border there –
our neighbors openly admit that. Sometimes we detain them, and find
that they’re carrying Turkish or Georgian visas. The Main Intelligence
Directorate’s special forces alone have killed 50 armed foreigners in
Chechnya since 2000. They were crossing the border from “friendly”
Georgia. There’s a standard pattern: a person will get a two-day
tourist visa from Georgia – and one year, two years, three years
later we’ll find him on Russian territory, carrying explosives and
an automatic rifle. As if he’d just happened to go for a walk.

Question: What will our peacekeepers do if there’s any attempt to
use force to settle the question of South Ossetia and Abkhazia?

Sergei Ivanov: First of all, such a scenario is unacceptable; any
way you look at it, it’s war. The peacekeepers will do what they
have to do, according to their mandate. A tough, understandable,
clear and unambiguous mandate. But I’d like to note that up to 90%
of the people living in Abkhazia and South Ossetia are citizens of
the Russian Federation.

Question: Are we going to reinforce our eastern border as well?

Sergei Ivanov: All borders are different. We even have a completely
unique case: the suddenly-acquired 7,000 kilometers of the
Russia-Kazakhstan border, the longest border in the world. But that
sector still has Soviet-era infrastructure. The border with Finland,
on the other hand – I don’t think we need to do anything there.

Nothing to guard. It’s not as if the Finns are racing across the
border into Russia.

Why should we maintain the security of others at our expense? What’s
the point of having barbed wire there? In other words, each sector
of our borders is different, and requires different security measures.

Mostly economic methods for one sector, patrol measures for another.

We also need to think about new technologies – the systems of the
future.

Question: You have some far-reaching plans. Do you intend to stay on
as defense minister for that long?

Sergei Ivanov: No. What does it have to do with me? I’m not thinking
of myself, but of my Armed Forces and my country. Someone will come
in and replace me, and it will be easier for him to continue this work.

LESSONS OF HISTORY

Yerkir.am
May 19, 2006

You can often hear that Armenia and the Armenians are facing a
difficult situation today since the interests of super-powers clash in
our region and these clashes threaten our national and state security.

This is a valid observation. However, it should be added that this
situation is not new for Armenia. It has faced the same situation
for at least 25 centuries. Judging from the existing geopolitical
tendencies and the logic of their possible development there are very
slight chances that this situation will change.

This does not mean that we should blame our ‘Armenian luck’ and
complain that our country is located at the locus of clashing
geopolitical interests.

This does not mean that we should fall into despair and yield ourselves
to the benevolence of the fate or of some super-power. We must assess
our own history.

Our history of the past 25 centuries shows that whenever we failed
to mitigate the clash of interests in our region we had to suffer
the loss of independence and statehood. And on the contrary, whenever
we succeeded in mitigating such clashes harmonizing the interests of
super-powers in our region we benefited from it. Today we are facing
the same situation. We are facing the same challenges and have the
same approach. Our political leaders must realize this or at least
think about it.

THE FRIENDLY RELATIONS BETWEEN ARMENIAN AND GREEK NATIONS UNDERLIE COOPERATION

Yerkir.am
May 19, 2006

In October 2005 ARF’s Structure in Ijevan launched an initiative
of cooperation between Ijevan and one of the cities in Greece. The
cooperation would stem from the two cities becoming sister cities.

The Mayor of the Greek city of Nicia Benedatos Stelios appreciates
greatly the role of the Armenian community in Nicia and agreed to
cooperate. The cooperation agreement was reached with support from
ARF’s local structures in Ijevan and Nicia.

Last year the Armenian delegation headed by the Mayor of Ijevan
Varuzhan Nersissian visited Nicia. This year the Mayor of Nicia
visited Ijevan and had a series of meetings. “Didn’t you change your
mind after you saw Ijevan?” someone asked joking.

The Mayor of Nicia answered that he admired the nature of Ijevan
and the warm and kind welcome of the local people and will be back
to Ijevan.

Representative of ARF’s Supreme Body Armen Rustamian and member of
the Supreme Body Hrach Tadevossian met Mayor Benedatos Stelios at
ARF’s Simon Vratsian Center on May 16. Both sides agreed that the
friendly relations between the Armenian and Greek nations underlie
cooperation this cooperation effort.

Deputy Mayor of Nicia, representative of ARF’s Varandian Committee
Zaven Gnuni also attended the meeting. Welcoming the guests in Armenia,
Armen Rustamian stressed the centuries-old friendship between the
Armenian and Greek nations noting that the Greek people are received
in Armenia not as partners but as brothers.

Rustamian believes when such friendly relations were established
between Armenia and countries where there are Aremnian communities no
one believed such ties could work. “Today it seems that a competition
has started,” Rustamian noted adding that Armenia and Greece have
a great potential and the historical connections between the two
countries provide for such a great scope of cooperation that it is
not fully used today.

Through such cooperation initiatives and thanks to Armenians living
in Greece connections between the two countries will yield their
results. Rustamian stressed the importance of cooperation between
the Armenian and Greek political leaders in the European structures.

The Mayor of Nicia shared his impressions of Ijevan and
noted that there is potential for cooperation between the two
cities. “Friendly relations have already been established between
the two municipalities. They should be strengthened not only through
mutual visits but also through joint projects in different spheres,”
the Mayor of Nicia noted stressing the importance of the Armenian
community in his city.

CANADIAN PM MEETS WITH ANCC

Yerkir.am
May 19, 2006

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper spoke at a news conference on
May 12 on issues related to ethnic minorities of Canada.

Following the news conference, Harper hosted an event for the
minorities leaders and media representatives.

Armenian National Committee of Canada was also invited. Aris Papikian
of the ANC of Ottawa, and Karin Sagtchian of the Horizon Weekly
represented the Armenian community.

On behalf of the Canadian Armenians, Papikian thanked Prime Minister
Harper for his brave stand on the Armenian Genocide issue. Papikian
pledged to work with the PM and his cabinet.

Harper reinstated his personal position and that of his party in
the Armenian Genocide issue. He specifically noted the pressure and
threats by the Turkish government.