RUSSIAN DEFENSE CHIEF: JOINT RUSSIAN-BELARUSIAN MILITARY DRILLS NOT DIRECTED AT ANY NATION
AP Worldstream
Jun 22, 2006
Ongoing military exercises between Russian and Belarusian forces _
the largest exercises ever for the two ex-Soviet republics _ are
not directed toward any nation, alliance or enemy in particular,
Russia’s defense minister said Thursday.
Sergei Ivanov spoke as defense ministers from the six-nation Collective
Security Treaty Organization gathered in the Belarusian capital,
Minsk, on the sixth day of the military drills that feature about
7,000 Belarusian and 1,800 Russian troops.
“This Russian-Belarusian exercise does not have an aggressive nature
and is not directed toward anyone,” Ivanov told a news conference.
Ivanov also said Russia and Kazakhstan would stage another military
exercise under the framework of treaty organization later this year.
The exercises envisage a joint response to an unnamed, outside military
threat. Russian MiG-29 fighter jets practiced intercepting enemy
planes over western Belarus over the weekend as part of the drills.
Belarus’ authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko _ dubbed
“Europe’s last dictator” by the United States and other Western nations
for his relentless crackdown on dissent _ has repeatedly accused the
West of harboring aggressive intentions.
Russia, meanwhile, has watched warily as former Soviet bloc countries
bordering Belarus _ Poland, Latvia and Lithuania _ have joined
NATO. Russian military officials have announced plans to set up a
permanent air base in Belarus and deploy air defense missiles there.
Russia and Belarus signed a union agreement in 1996 providing for
close political, economic and military ties, and their armed forces
have held frequent joint drills.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and leaders of the other four nations
in the defense and security cooperation pact _ Armenia, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan _ will visit Belarus to watch the exercise
on Saturday.

FEARS OF TURKEY’S ‘INVISIBLE’ ARMENIANS
By Sarah Rainsford
BBC News, Istanbul
grammes/from_our_own_correspondent/5102564.stm
200 6/06/22 12:34:56 GMT
The head of the Armenian Orthodox church is in the middle of a
controversial visit to Istanbul. Karekin II has in the past angered
Turks by accusing them of committing genocide against Armenians at
the time of World War I. Turkey denies the charges of genocide.
I thought it was a perfectly simple question.
I had gone backstage to interview the conductor of an ethnic Armenian
church choir after a rousing performance at Istanbul University.
As the choristers packed up their manuscripts, we chatted for a while
about the music and the conductor was all smiles.
Then I asked his opinion on the conference his choir was singing at –
the snappily labelled “Symposium on New Approaches to Turkish-Armenian
relations”.
I wondered if he thought the event could help mend fences. Within
seconds, he was edging away from me, apparently deeply uncomfortable.
“I don’t want to talk about politics,” he pleaded, “we just came for
the music!”
It was a telling insight.
Closed borders
Turkey and Armenia are neighbours who might as well be a million
miles apart.
Diplomatic relations have been frozen for over a decade; their mutual
border is closed.
They seem to have no idea there used to be hundreds of thousands
of us here Vartan, ethnic Armenian Part of the reason is Turkey’s
support for the Azeris in their conflict with Armenia.
But the direct dispute is over a matter of history: The death of
hundreds of thousands of Armenians in eastern Turkey during the dying
days of the Ottoman empire.
Armenia wants those deaths recognised as genocide. Turkey refuses to
accept that term.
For Armenia and its vast and powerful diaspora, getting recognition
from Ankara is a mission so important, it is almost a way of life.
But here inside Turkey, ethnic Armenians have chosen an uncomfortable
silence over confrontation.
I visited Anush and her brother Vartan in a leafy middle class suburb
of Istanbul.
Their apartment was typical of the area, but with the odd design
twists, like knotted dried flowers on the table that reminded me of
my trips to the Caucasus.
“Turks still ask me where I come from,” Vartan told me, as his
sister brought in the tea. “They seem to have no idea there used to
be hundreds of thousands of us here.”
Uneasy existence
Anush and Vartan are just two of some 60,000 ethnic Armenians who
still live in Turkey – a land their ancestors have inhabited for
almost 2,000 years. It is an uneasy co-existence.
“We’ve lived with violence ever since I was born,” Anush told me.
“Graffiti on our churches, abuse on the streets. I still think twice
in some areas before I say my name openly.”
For previous generations life was even tougher.
Anush’s parents barely speak Armenian, because their parents worried
they would stand out and when Armenian militants began assassinating
Turkish diplomats in the 1970s, Turkish Armenian families here made
themselves more invisible still.
It is hardly surprising they do not normally voice an opinion on what
happened in 1915.
Anush and Vartan are a rare exception and, even so, I have had to
change their names.
We know exactly what happened, Vartan told me.
He said his Armenian great grandparents were forcibly deported
south, accused of siding with Russian troops against the Turks. They
handed their children over to Turkish neighbours for safety and
never returned.
There is a similar tragedy behind every Armenian door here, but
the local patriarch has banned his community from discussing it –
if they want to keep their jobs in Armenian churches and schools.
“It’s fear,” Anush told me simply.
There have been some early signs of change here. Last year a university
in Istanbul hosted the first discussion of the genocide claims in
Turkey ever to question the official line. It was hugely controversial
but it happened.
And now international pressure on Ankara to re-examine its position
is increasing.
Vartan welcomes that but he senses a rise in aggressive, nationalist
feeling in Turkey in response.
“If other countries force this issue, it will be terrible for the
Armenian people here,” Vartan told me quietly.
“If you plunge a man into boiling water, he will burn,” he said,
“but if you increase the heat gently, he could get used to it.”
‘Pseudo-citizens’
Unlike the Kurds, Turkey’s Armenian population is an officially
recognised minority with certain rights and privileges.
But despite that – and despite their silence – Turkish Armenians seem
like pseudo-citizens.
I began to understand the price people like that choirmaster pay to
live in peace in Turkey Anush told me that in one school text book
Armenians are still described as separatists with an eye on Turkish
land. History books carry the official view of 1915, of course,
with the Armenians exiled as traitors.
And even now, in Armenian schools here, ethnic Armenians are banned
from teaching certain “strategic” subjects – geography, sociology,
morality, history.
As we talked into the warm evening, and glasses of tea gave way to
Armenian cognac, I began to understand the price people like that
choir master pay to live in peace in Turkey.
To many Armenians abroad their silence is a sort of treachery. For
Anush, Vartan and the others it is about protecting a fragile peace.
But it is all built on the shakiest of foundations.
“I am positive. I do have hopes for Turkey,” Anush told me as I put
on my shoes to go.
“But I don’t remember ever feeling truly comfortable living here.
Always at the back of my mind is the thought that one day I may be
forced to leave.”

ROBERT KOCHARIAN CAN’T PERSUADE THE EUROPEANS
Anna Israelian
Aravot.am
22 June 06
The OSCE representative of the Press freedom Miklosh Harashti affirmed
yesterday that TV companies don’t provide for various opinions.
Robert Kocharian produced a list to the head of monitoring group of
the CE Ministers’ committee Roland Vegener on 10 of June for proving
that deputies from the opposition make use of TV broadcast without
any obstacles. Mr.
Kocharian tried to oppose in this way to the affirmation that there
is no various opinions in Television after closing “A1+”. But the
OSCE representative of the Freedom of the Press Miklosh Harashti who
has arrived our country by the invitation of the Foreign Ministry of
Armenia affirmed that various opinions in Armenia were limited only
by printed press. ”We found out that there were complete various
opinions in the printed press. But we also found out that the variety
of opinions weren’t provided in more influential press like TV”. He
mentioned that there was a lack of ”factual and objective” news and
comments about public events. The OSCE representative of the freedom
of the press didn’t answer to ”Azatutiun” b/s question that how he
explained though organizations which seek for the issues of the freedom
of the press and other international structures speak of the ”A1+”
problem in their annual reports summoning the Armenian authorities to
solve this problem, but that summon is ignored. Mr. Harashti informed
instead that all his interlocutors / he has met with Robert Kocharian,
Grigor Amalian, Armen Haroutiunian and other officials/ have themselves
initiated to solve the ”A1+” problem. ”This can be considered as
the obvious example of obstacles, difficulties, omissions of licensing
process,”- Mr. Harashti explained in this way the refuse of allocating
frequency to ”A1+”. – I’ll return to the licensing process in detail
in my account and will make proposals about it”.
Miklosh Harashti also informed that they would recommend improving
”monitoring part” of the activities of the National Commission of
TV and Radio that is to control the activities of those companies,
which have been allocated by frequency.
OSCE representative also considered important prevention of
monopolization of the TV air. It is known, that though the correspond
legislative obstacle 3 TV companies factually belong to Bagrat
Sargsian, two belong to Hrant Vardanian. Miklosh Harashti noticed;
”It won’t be enough to mention in the changes of the law about
Television and Radio that a license must be given to a company,
but we must also mention, that it mustn’t be allowed more than one
TV company to the same group of owners”.
He also spoke about the draft of spreading printed press by which
it is foreseen to use an order of license of spreading company,
mentioning that he was against that approach. According to the
OSCE representative it is very important for the parliament members
to realize; the sphere of spreading the press must be as free and
competitive as the main press is.
He mentioned as a progress that cases of violence and pursuit
used against journalists haven’t been recorded in Armenia in last
years. The present journalists opposed to this observation reminding
Mr. Harashti attacks on journalists in 2004. Mr. Harashti elucidated
that he meant that ”mass accidents don’t happen to the journalists,
who are organized by the government” and “there is no projected
campaign against journalists”.
–Boundary_(ID_fOnD20+6QSzVs8G IG9PbHg)–

GUL: ARMENIA CAN JOIN KARS-AKHALKALAKI RAILWAY PROJECT
PanARMENIAN.Net
22.06.2006 14:27 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “If Armenia wishes it can join the building
Kars-Akhalkalaki railway,” Turkish FM Abdullah Gul said at
a meeting with Azeri President Ilham Aliyev. In the words of
Turkish MFA Spokesperson Namik Tan, inclusion of Armenia in the
project is conditioned with the issue of settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict. “We can involve Armenia only after the conflict
is settled. Aliyev and Gul stated it. However, Armenia should make
certain steps and try to find ways of settlement of the Karabakh
conflict,” Tan said, reports RFE/RL.

WILL MONUMENT TO HEYDAR ALIYEV BE SET IN MOSCOW?
PanARMENIAN.Net
22.06.2006 13:53 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The monument to Heydar Aliyev, that was to be opened
in a square next to Baku cinema, will not be erected soon. In the
words of Advisor for Cultural Affairs of the Azeri Embassy in Moscow
Nigyar Akhundova, there are some problems. “Only our Ambassador has
information on whether the monument will be set there or not, but he
is in Baku now and it cannot be cleared out,” she said.
If the monument is not to be set at the location provided before,
what should be done with the pedestal? Meanwhile, June 22 an
authorized protest action was held next to Aeroport metro station
against erection of the monument to former Azeri President, writes
the Nezavisimaya Gazeta.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CANADIAN COMPANY TO SEARCH FOR OIL AND GAS IN ARMENIA
PanARMENIAN.Net
22.06.2006 15:14 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Transeuroenegery Corporation, Canada, will launch
exploring works to search for oil and gas fields in three Armenian
regions – Armavir, Krasny and Shoghaghbyur. “I am sure there are oil
and gas deposits in Armenia,” said Head of the Corporation Armenian
Office Mike Smith. “Why should not Armenia have oil and gas, if all
neighbors have them? In the past, in my opinion, Armenia was not
lucky and prospecting works were not a success. However I am sure
Armenia has oil and gas deposits,” he remarked.
According to Smith, scholars searched for oil in Armenia already
in 70s of the past century. “This did not pursue commercial goals,
while we are ready to introduce the necessary technical equipment
and get the responses to the questions of interest,” Smith said.
The Canadian Corporation has concluded an agreement with an exploration
company, which is ready to transport modern equipment to Armenia. “This
equipment will allow exploring the bowels at the depth of 2500 meters,
while causing minimal damage and getting the maximal outcome,” Mike
Smith said. In his words, works will start in September, while the
and first results will be ready in February 2007, reports RFE/RL.

NEXT ECHELON WITH RUSSIAN MATERIAL TO LEAVE FOR ARMENIA FROM AJARIA
PanARMENIAN.Net
22.06.2006 16:01 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The next, fifth echelon with Russian materiel,
owned by 12th Russian military base in Batumi, left Ajaria Thursday
night. The echelon heading for Armenian city of Gyumri is composed
of 18 cars. AMZ-53 automatic machine for pumping oil, MNUG-20 and
MPG-20 machines for pumping fuel, as well as two units of MNUG-14
device for pumping oil, two units of device for pumping oil ZSZh,
17 units of KP-12530 field-kitchens and 24 units of 15- and 4-ton
water containers are in the cars, reports RIA Novosti.
The withdrawal of Russian military bases and equipment takes place
within the agreements between representatives of the Defense Ministries
of Georgia and Russia, concluded in Sochi March 31 this year.

ARMENIA JOINED UN CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE
PanARMENIAN.Net
22.06.2006 16:40 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia has jointed the UN Convention against Torture
and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. As
reported by Head of the Department for Information and Public Relations
of the Ombudsman Grisha Grigoryan, this was possible after Armenian
Parliament ratified the Facultative Protocol of the Convention against
Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
In Grigoryan’s words, by that provision Armenia joins the Convention
participant states, thus agreeing with all its provisions. The
facultative Protocol of the UN Convention against Torture and Other
Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment was adopted on
18th of December 2002 and will come into effect on June 22, 2006.
According to article 17 of the Convention, each of the participant
states binds itself to form an independent body to prevent domestic
torture in a year since its entry into force. Mechanism to prevent
torture should be applied in all venues of imprisonment, as well as
psychiatric clinics without any hindrances, reports Novosti-Armenia.

FULFILLMENT OF MOST OF ARMENIA’S COMMITMENTS TO CE CAN BE ASSESSED AS GOOD
PanARMENIAN.Net
22.06.2006 17:15 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ During its Spring Session in 2006 the Armenian
National Assembly adopted 103 laws and ratified 36 international
agreements, Armenian Speaker Tigran Torosyan stated at a news
conference in Yerevan. In his words, during the work of the Parliament
changes were introduced to the legislation resulting from new edition
of the Armenian Constitution. “Making Armenian legislation comply
with the Constitution is a necessary commitment of Armenia to the
Council of Europe,” Torosyan noted.
The Speaker specially noted that “in the new edition of the
Constitution not only the President, but also any citizen of the
country can address the Constitutional Court, which fits international
standards,” he said.
As of fulfillment of Armenia’s commitments to the CE, Torosyan
remarked that most of these are already met and can be assessed as
“good”. He reminded that the latest report on Armenia was presented
at the PACE session in autumn 2004. “A more complete report on Armenia
is expected to be presented in October 2006.
It is of high importance to us, as it will speak about the new
edition of the country’s Constitution. The most important thing to
us is holding parliamentary and presidential elections in compliance
with democratic and international standards,” the Armenian Speaker
underscored.

INCIDENT WITH GAREGIN II AT ISTANBUL AIRPORT DID NOT ENTAIL CONSEQUENCES
PanARMENIAN.Net
22.06.2006 17:32 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey does not respect principles, based on which
it is going to join the EU, Armenian Speaker Tigran Torosyan stated
at a news conference in Yerevan, when commenting on the incident with
Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II at Istanbul Airport. In his
words, the incident did not entail consequences.
“Turkey assesses itself, its image, approaches, values, culture. They
have cause for concern. Turks should understand that there is a
simple way to get rid of complexes – to reconsider its approach to
many matters, including recognition of the Armenian Genocide. The
PACE Summer Session will discuss the issue of freedom in Turkey.
According to Turkish media, due to arrival of Garegin II special
security measures were taken at Ataturk airport in Istanbul,
journalists’ entry to the airport territory was banned. Archbishop
Mesrop Mutafian met Catholicos and they left not passing through
VIP, as provided before. Next to the airport entrance a group of
50 people organized a protest action. Lraber, official bulletin of
Constantinople Patriarchy, notes that those protesting threw eggs on
cars of two Patriarchs, who were meeting Garegin II.