TENDER FOR RECONSTRUCTION OF YEREVAN-ZVARTNOTS HIGHWAY TO TAKE PLACE TODAY
Armenpress
YEREVAN, JUNE 23, ARMENPRESS: A senior official of the Yerevan
municipality said the tender announced for a major reconstruction of
a highway running from the capital city to Armenia’s biggest Zvartnots
airport will be held together.
Frunze Basentsian, head of the municipality department dealing with
major construction and improvement, said two companies are bidding
for the contract. He said the results will be summed up next week
and the reconstruction will in all likelihood start in late June.
Basentsian said the road will be transformed into a high speed
road. Casinos and furniture salons dotted along it will be screened
by a wall with a separate traffic section.

ARMENIANS DEBATE DUAL CITIZENSHIP CONCEPT
Armenpress
YEREVAN, JUNE 23, ARMENPRESS: The main idea of hearings on dual
citizenship convened today by an Armenian parliament committee
on foreign affairs was that it would help Armenians worldwide to
rally around their homeland and use to the full their potentials
and resources.
The clause in 1995 Constitution banning dual citizenship was removed
last November, when Armenians approved a set of constitutional
amendments in a nation-wide referendum. But possible repercussions
of introduction of dual citizenship still remain unclear.
Critics say the introduction of dual citizenship could lead to a
radical change in the relationship between the Armenian state and
millions of Armenians who live outside it. According to different
estimates, the official population of Armenia is no more than three
million, while between seven and ten million Armenians live elsewhere
in the world.
Supporters of dual citizenship argue that its introduction would enable
the Armenian Diaspora to render assistance more effectively, increase
foreign investment into the country and bring expatriate Armenians
psychologically closer to their historical motherland. Opponents
of the idea say that it is fraught with unforeseen consequences and
could surrender sovereignty to people in other states. They say dual
citizenship is only possible where a bilateral agreement could be
struck with another country. But this can be problematic for Armenia.
Dual citizenship is being vigorously advocated by the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (ARF) which has developed a draft concept
on how to grant Armenian citizenship to Diaspora fellows. ARF member
Armen Rustamian, head of a special commission to tackle the issue, said
today they expect the hearings to clarify answers to many questions,
to help specify the circle of working international norms and standards
which could be used while drafting the Armenian law.
Science and education minister Levon Mkrtchian, also from the ARF,
spoke extensively about the international regulation of the dual
citizenship.
Constitutional Court chairman Gagik Harutunian reminded that only 54 of
191 member states of the United Nations recognize the dual citizenship.
Harutunian said it is critical to adopt such a law that would dismiss
all related concerns.

NEW US COCHAIRMAN IN MINSK GROUP UNVEILS BASIC PRINCIPLES OF FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT
Armenpress
YEREVAN, JUNE 23, ARMENPRESS: A senior US diplomat, appointed
recently to help Armenia and Azerbaijan to narrow their differences
and achieve a mutually acceptable peace formula for resolution of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, unveiled the basic principles of how
to end the opposition, developed by international peace brokers,
Trend news agency said quoting RFE/RL.
Mathew Bryza, a deputy US assistant secretary of state for European
and European affairs, who was appointed to replace Steven Mann, the
former US cochairman in the OSCE Minsk group, said in an exclusive
interview with RFE/RL that there is a framework agreement that calls
for withdrawal of Armenian troops from the regions which belong
to Azerbaijan.
He said the framework agreement also envisages normalization of
diplomatic and economic relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan,
deployment of international peacemaking troops, as well as
international economic assistance to Nagorno-Karabakh.
“In fact this a package proposal put on the table.” he was quoted
as saying. According to Bryza, the agreement foresees, some time in
future, a referendum on Nagorno-Karabakh status.
RFE/RL said Bryza refused to detail what was the main stumbling block
keeping the presidents of both countries from giving their accord. In
his interview Bryza urged the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to
accept the agreement.
“We encourage the presidents to accept the framework agreement,
which requires political courage,” he said.

press scanner
TDN
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Greek Cypriot diplomat’s misadventures in Baku:
The misadventures of a Greek Cypriot diplomat who showed up in
the Azeri capital of Baku hoping to interfere with decisions at the
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) foreign ministers, who met
to express full support for northern Cyprus, are covered in yesterday’s
Hürriyet. Hürriyet reports that southern Cyprus’ ambassador to Moscow,
Leonidas Pantelides, arrived in Baku on June 19 hoping to get into
the OIC meeting. Following his arrival, however, Azeri authorities,
who had apparently been informed by Ankara of the Greek Cypriots’
intentions of sending someone to the meeting, told Pantelides that
he was “not accredited” as a diplomat for the meeting and added that
there were no hotel rooms available for him, either.
Hürriyet reports: “The Azeri authorities, after telling the
Greek Cypriot diplomat that they would not be able to extend him
accreditation, told him all the hotels in the city were full and
that he could not get a room. They did however tell Pantelides that
his coming to Baku as a ‘tourist’ was not a problem. … The Azeri
authorities then proceeded to keep the Greek Cypriot ambassador under
observation through the night of June 19 until the morning of June 20,
noting that Pantelides spent the entire night going between open bars
and restaurants, and the streets.”
On the trail of the 70 kilo, six-meter python:
The story of the python that went missing from Ankara’s zoo is given
generous coverage in yesterday’s Vatan daily, which says: “Though
many are saying that the snake escaped when the doors to its cage
were left open, the possibility that it was stolen is looking more
and more realistic. The belief that it was kidnapped is supported by
the fact that the snake’s skin is very valuable and that it could be
used for circus performances.” The Environment Ministry is reportedly
scanning the area around the zoo with thermal cameras to see if it can
pick up a trace of the 70 kilo, six-meter snake, while the Turkish
Veterinary Association is telling residents what they should do if
they happen to come across the python. “If you see it, the best idea
is to run/get away from it.”
The association notes that the python can open its mouth much wider
than its own body and that, as such, it could attack and swallow even
a goat or a deer. The Vatan article reports on Ankara Mayor Melih
Gokcek’s reaction to the story of the missing animal: “The python is
not a fast-moving creature. I think for this reason we will find it.
It seems to me that someone put the python in a bag and left the
zoo with it.” In response to a reporter’s question about whether he
thought the python had been eaten, Gokcek said: “What part of the
python could be eaten? Who would eat it? Not in Turkey, it would not
be eaten here. It would be eaten in China. I don’t think it became
a kebab or anything.”
Karekin II, worldwide leader of Armenian Orthodoxy, visits Istanbul:
Sabah daily yesterday covered the visit by the head of the worldwide
Armenian Orthodox Church, Karekin II, to Istanbul. Karekin II took
a trip to the small island of Heybeliada off Istanbul on Thursday,
where he stopped by both the Heybeliada seminary (which has been
the focus of much controversy over past years), and the Aya Triada
Monastery. Sabah reports that Karekin II’s visit to the island was
met with very high security, so much so that two people holding a
sign that asked “Did Karekin come to kiss the hand of Bartolomeos?”
100 meters from the monastery on Heybeliada were arrested by security
forces. Karekin II was accompanied on his Heybeliada visit by both
Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartolomeos and the Patriarch of Turkish
Armenians, Mesrob II.
Sabah reports that the three religious leaders “got into a police
escort” and drove to the Heybeliada seminary and were met by various
school and monastery authorities there that presented him with gifts.
“The three leaders then walked around the garden of the seminary
for a while, collecting flowers as they did so, and then posed for
press with flowers in their hands.” In a brief sidebar to news of
Karekin II’s visit, the Sabah report notes that the visit by the
religious delegation to Heybeliada was protested by a group of 30 or
so people headed by nationalist lawyer Kemal Kerincsiz. Kerincsiz was
reportedly first allowed and then stopped from making statements to
the press in front of the Heybeliada seminary, after which he yelled
“Arrest me!” to the police.
Football frenzy spills over into flag attacks:
A human interest story which captures one of the most passionate
subjects in Istanbul and across Turkey is covered in yesterday’s
Radikal daily: the tale of the giant Galatasaray flag that has been
hung on the Bosporus Bridge, and attacked three times in six days.
Radikal reports that the Galatasaray authorities are planning to hang
a new giant flag for their team on Friday, this after the two previous
flags were thrown into the Bosporus by attackers. The article explains:
“The first 100×30 meter flag was hung on June 16.
Four days later, a group calling themselves the ‘Young Fenerbahçe fans’
cut the ropes hanging the flag, dropping it into the Bosporus.
The group of five was arrested for their crime, and then set free the
next morning, while the Galatasaray leadership prepared to hang the
second flag.” Radikal reports the second flag didn’t fair much better,
with an attempt to cut its ropes failing because of the small size
of the knives the attackers were using. Another attempt to burn the
flag on Thursday morning was recorded by a pro-Fenerbahçe Web site,
which used music to accompany its message to Galatasaray fans that
“You hang it, we will cut it or burn it…”
–Boundary_(ID_iCaA7xL8t9FOHFOnXRvcEQ )–

PACE summer session to start in Strasburg June 25
ArmRadio.am
24.06.2006 11:29
June 25 the summer session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe will start in Strasburg. The Armenian delegation will be headed by
Chairman of RA National Assembly Tigran Torosyan. The delegation will comprise
also Armen Rustamyan, Stepan Demirchyan, Artashes Geghamyan and Hermine
Naghdalyan.

The Genocide Education Project reaches out to California students and teachers
ArmRadio.am
24.06.2006 11:40
The Genocide Education Project concluded a series of workshops over
the last two months targeting junior high and high school students
and teachers throughout California. Developed by a team of educators,
Sara Cohan, Armen Sedrakian, and Hasmig Tateossian, the interactive
workshops provided a vehicle for students and teachers to learn
about the Armenian Genocide in more depth, and also how it relates
to current human rights issues.
“Genocide education is imperative, especially at a time when such a
crime is not just a historical reality, but is part of our contemporary
reality as seen in Darfur,” said Raffi Momjian, the Executive Director
of the organization. “The opportunity to work directly with students
and teachers over the last few months was truly rewarding, as their
passion for the subject was palpable in all the workshops.”

Armenian Greek-Roman style wrestlers to participate in the European Youth
Championship
ArmRadio.am
24.06.2006 11:52
Young Armenian Greek-Roman style wrestlers Tigran Gevorgyan (50 kg), Vahram
Khachatryan (55 kg), Khosrov Melikyan (60 kg), Arman Papyan (66kg), Arsen
Julfalakyan (74 kg) and Arthur Shahinyan (84 kg) will participate in the
European Youth Championship to be held June 6-10 in Budapest. The trainer of the
team is Armen Babalaryan.

Siting of the newly created NGO of the “United Javakh” to be held in Akhalkalak
ArmRadio.am
24.06.2006 12:23
The first sitting of the newly created NGO of the “United Javakhk”
democratic alliance will be held today in Akhalkalak. Reference will
be made to issues of concern of the population, particularly questions
of reinforcement of political stability, defense of human rights and
elimination of socio-economic backwardness.
Special attention will be paid to providing the right to use Armenian
equally with Georgian in Armenian settlements.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azerbaijan’s leader warns talks with Armenia over disputed enclave going nowhere
AP Worldstream; Jun 23, 2006
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev on Friday warned that talks with
Armenia over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh were going
nowhere and vowed to recover the territory.
“The negotiations are taking place in different frameworks but these
talks are ineffective because we can’t obtain a result,” Aliev said,
accusing Armenia of dragging out the negotiating process.
“Azerbaijan will restore its territorial integrity, either through
peaceful or military means,” he said.
The two former Soviet Caucasus nations’ presidents made two failed
efforts this year to resolve the status of the disputed enclave.
Nagorno-Karabakh is inside Azerbaijan but populated mostly by ethnic
Armenians, who have run it and seven contiguous districts since an
uneasy 1994 cease-fire ended six years of full-scale war.
Sporadic border clashes regularly break out. The unresolved conflict
has held up development in the strategic region.

Azeri president says ready for war with Armenia over Nagorno Karabakh
AFX Europe (Focus); Jun 23, 2006
BAKU (afx) – Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said the country will
retake the enclave of Nagorno Karabakh by “peaceful means or by war”.
Azerbaijan fought Armenia for control of the majority-Armenian enclave
in Azerbaijani territory from 1988 to 1994.
International mediation is “hopeless,” Aliyev said at a graduation
ceremony of cadets at Azerbaijan’s top military academy.
Oil will bring Azerbaijan 140 bln usd over the next two decades,
Aliyev said, and “there is no doubt we will use this money to
strengthen the army so that it can return our lands at any moment.”
Azerbaijan’s first major oil pipeline, which is operated by BP and
backed by the US, goes online on July 13. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
pipeline (BTC) will provide an important export route to Western
markets.
Military spending in the predominantly Shiite Muslim country of 8 mln
people has quadrupled over the past four years to 700 mln usd in 2006,
said Aliyev, adding that yesterday, he ordered servicemen’s wages to
be increased by 100 pct.
“We are buying modern armaments,” Aliyev said without elaborating. “Our
expenses in the military sphere will grow even more,” he added.
Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan in the late 1980s, sparking a
six-year conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan that claimed 25,000
lives and displaced hundreds of thousands of people. Despite a 1994
ceasefire, tensions remain high in the mountainous region — one of
the world’s most militarized zones