YEREVAN AUTHORITIES INTEND TO EVICT RESIDENTS OF FIRDOUSI STREET
Yerevan, June 20. ArmInfo. Yerevan authorities intend to evict the
residents of Firdusi street occupying a territory of 5 ha.
RFE/RL reports, an area of 282 sq/m of the street was transferred
to Hotel Yerevan, anther 50,000 sq/m to the English company City
Center Development.
To note, yesterday, “guided with the state needs and the mediation of
Yerevan mayor,” the Armenian Government resolved to transfer the area
to the above companies for further development. The local residents are
offered $120 per sq/m of premises. However, the residents demand more
compensation to leave their homes. The municipality plans completing
the construction of the area by 2010. The Government’s decision must
be ratified by the President. To note, earlier the authorities evicted
the residents of the street where currently the Northern Avenue is
built and from Byuzand street against their will.
Earlier, the Constitutional Court recognized the rights of these
residents infringed.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PEOPLE ON THE WAY TO THE EU WELCOMES THE CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS WITH A SCANDAL
ArmRadio.am
22.06.2006 17:51
Although the Turkish security forces undertook unprecedented
security measures on the occasion of the visit of the Catholicos of
All Armenians Garegin II to Istanbul, unpleasant accidents still
occurred. A group of chauvinists welcomed the Armenian Supreme
Patriarch in the airport. “Radiolur” correspondent Marlena Hovsepyan
had a talk with the editor-in-chief of the Istanbul based “Marmara”
newspaper Rober Hatechyan over the visit of the Catholicos of All
Armenians to Istanbul and the accident.
At the invitation of Archbishop Mesrop Mutafyan and Ecumenical
Patriarch His All-Holiness Bartholomew I, the Catholicos of All
Armenians left for Istanbul. This was the third visit of Armenian
religious leaders to Turkey during the last 50 years. In 1961 Vazgen
I paid an official visit to Turkey. In 1996 Garegin the First’s visit
was non-official. Garegin the Second’s visit is also of a non-official
character, although he should meet the Governor of Istanbul.
On the occasion of the Catholicos’s visit unprecedented
security measures were undertaken in the Ataturk airport of
Istanbul. Journalists were prohibited to enter the territory of the
airport. Archbishop Mesrop Mutafian met the Catholicos and they left
not passing through VIP, as provided before. Next to the airport
entrance a group of 50 people organized an act of protest. Those
protesting threw eggs on cars of two Patriarchs, who were meeting
Garegin II.
Catholicos of All Armenians was received in the Patriarchy building,
which is guarded around the clock by Turkish security forces.
Rober Hatechyan noted in his interview to our correspondent that
despite the accident, the program of the Patriarch’s visit did not
undergo any changes.
“To be fair, it was not a big accident, ant we do not have to focus
on it.
We were expecting more serious accidents,” the editor of “Marmara”
newspaper said.
Although the accident was not that serious, it wholly expressed
the essence of the people, which has taken the course towards the
European Union.

MORE THAN 40 EVENTS TO BE ORGANIZED WITHIN FRAMEWORK OF “ONE NATION, ONE CULTURE” SECOND ARMENIAN FESTIVAL
Noyan Tapan
Jun 22 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 22, NOYAN TAPAN. More than 40 events will be organized
within the framework of the “One Nation, One Culture” second Armenian
cultural festival to be held on June 23-30 in Armenia and Artaskh. As
Hrachya Ashoughian, producer of the festival’s opening ceremony,
informed at the June 22 press conference, each day of the festival
will be dedicated to one branch of art – theater, cinema, music,
literature, dancing, painting, etc. The festival participants will
also have an opportunity to see Armenian films at the Moscow cinema,
to meet with Armenian cinematographers and writers.
H.Ashoughian also said that the opening of the festival at K.Demirchian
sports and cultural complex will be non-stop and theatrical and dance
items will be performed.
According to Armen Manukian, festival Art Director, the holding of the
festival is especially important for the inhabitants of the Armenian
regions: “The inhabitants of the regions are looking forward to such
events and within the framework of the festival they will have an
opportunity to associate with art figures creating in the Diaspora
and in Armenia,” A.Manukian stated.

PROVIDING ANY STATUS TO KARABAKH OUT OF BAKU COMPETENCE
PanARMENIAN.Net
22.06.2006 18:05 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Elmar Mammadyarov’s statement on readiness to provide
Nagorno Karabakh highest autonomy in the world, including that equal to
Tatarstan status in Russia, if it is not a regular propagandistic step,
by the essence means the readiness of the leadership of Azerbaijan to
federalize the country, stated NKR FM Georgy Petrosyan. In his words,
from that point of view it is possible to express hope, that the status
in question will be given to Lezghins, Talishs and other people, living
in Azerbaijan. “As of the NKR, with whom the Azerbaijani leadership
continues to avoid any contacts, it is necessary to emphasize, that
official Baku cannot give any status to Nagorno Karabakh, as the given
issue does not enter into the competence of Azerbaijan. The status of
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is determined within the legal framework of
the people living here. The essence of Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict
is concluded in the fact, that Azerbaijani side turned out to be
non-capable to solve similar issues in a civilized way and resorted
to armed aggression.
Official Baku continues to ignore the existing reality, concluded in
the fact, that the NKR independence is the most superior value of the
Republic’s people, which is being supported at national referendum
on state independence on December 10, 1991. The NKR people not only
protected their right to deal with their own fortune in the course of
the war, imposed on them, but for the last 15 years as minimum 7 times
confirmed their will by the means of democratic national presidential
and parliamentary elections, conducted in the NKR, when the electorate
voted for the programs of separate candidates and political parties,
appealing for the Republic’s state independence”. The status of
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is determined within the legal framework of
the people living here. The essence of Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict
lies in the fact, that Azerbaijani side turned out to be non-capable
to solve similar issues in a civilized way and resorted to armed
aggression,” Georgy Petrosyan said.
He underscored that official Baku continues to ignore the existing
reality, i.e. the fact that the NKR independence is the most superior
value of the Republic’s people, which is being supported at national
referendum on state independence on December 10, 1991. “The NKR
people not only protected their right to deal with their own fortune
in the course of the war, imposed on them, but for the last 15 years
as minimum 7 times confirmed their will by the means of democratic
national presidential and parliamentary elections, conducted in
the NKR, when the electorate voted for the programs of separate
candidates and political parties, appealing for the Republic’s state
independence,” the Karabakh FM said, reports the NKR MFA Press Service.

TESSA HOFFMAN: SETTLEMENT OF THE KARABAKH CONFLICT HINDERED BY ISOLATION OF NKR FROM THE NEGOTIATIONS PROCESS
ArmRadio.am
22.06.2006 15:00
“Despite the fact that the conference in Stepanakert is scientific,
and historical issues were discussed in the framework of it,
it is at the same time connected with human rights, the right
for self-determination, and it can be used as the most effective
opportunity to present own demands to the world,” German Armenologist,
Doctor Tessa Hoffman declared during the conference. In the scientist’s
words, the progress in the settlement of the Karabakh conflict is
hindered by isolation of Nagorno-Karabakh from the negotiations process
and lack of analysis of the reasons of the conflict. Tessa Hoffman
considers that unlike the conflicts in Abkhazia and south Ossetia,
Russia’s role is not that essential in the Karabakh conflict.

BAKU INTENTION TO ESTABLISH PEACE IN REGION NOT SERIOUS CONFIRMED
Yerkir
22.06.2006 15:33
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – ”Apprehensions of Armenians and international
intelligentsia that Azerbaijan’s intentions to establish peace in
the region are not serious confirmed.
The organized armed response of Azerbaijan to peaceful demands of
Karabakh self-determination was the first attempt of ethnic cleansing
in the Soviet space twenty years ago,” Armenian FM Vartan Oskanian
said at the opening of the first session of the UN Council on Human
Rights in Geneva.
Speaking of destruction of Armenian khachkars (stone crosses) in Old
Julfa in Nakhichevan, Oskanian remarked that outrage of the memory
and spirit of Armenians in the lands that belong to Azerbaijan now
is cynical and dangerous.
”Ancient khachkars were destroyed just a few months ago. Now there
are no graves either,” the FM said.
Oskanian remarked that the Armenian people, who underwent terrible
ordeals, had to witness destruction of monuments of its spiritual
culture even in the 21st century.
”The organized destruction of khachkars not far from Nagorno
Karabakh signifies that Azerbaijan’s tools and intentions did not
change. This act brings to naught mutual confidence and peace,”
Oskanian underscored, reports the Armenian MFA Press Service.
–Boundary_(ID_pebIQRF+deg2otFzau1n2A)–

REPUBLICAN AND BARGAVACH HAYASTAN ARE COMPETING
Lragir.am
22 June 06
The Lragir.am has learned that the relations between the Republican
party and the Bargavach Hayastan Party have become tense. In
particular, these tensions are reflected in the “hunt” for school
directors and teachers. The local governments are in trouble because of
the competition of these two political parties, for they do not know
whose instructions they had better follow in “enlisting” people. It
was even reported that a school director, who had become Republican,
joined the Bargavach Hayastan Party in several days. The Lragir.am
has learned that Bargavach Hayastan has been especially successful
recently, whereas a month ago the “Republicanization” of schools
seemed impossible to prevent.

OTE MAY SELL ITS SHARE OF “ARMENTEL” COMPANY
ArmRadio.am
22.06.2006 10:48
The sitting of the general assembly of the OTE Company – the owner of
90 percent of “ArmenTel” shares – will be held today in Athens. The
Assembly may possibly take the decision to sell its share of the
monopolist company of Armenia’s telecommunications. Eight Companies
have applied to purchase “ArmenTel” shares.
From: Baghdasarian

YOUTH THEATRE FESTIVAL TO START IN YEREVAN
ArmRadio.am
22.06.2006 11:00
Youth Theatre Festival will start today in Yerevan. Almost all theatres
of the Republic, as well as Armenian Dramatic Theatres after Vahram
Papazyan and Petros Adamyan in Artsak and Tbilisi correspondingly
will take part in the event. 22 performances have been included in
the program.

THE HONORABLE RICHARD G. STEARNS, US FEDERAL DISTRICT JUDGE, VISITS ARMENIA
ArmRadio.am
22.06.2006 11:08
The Honorable Richard G. Stearns, a U.S. Federal Judge, accompanied
by US Department of Justice Prosecutor Michael Yoon, visited Armenia
June 17 through 23. In Armenia at the invitation of the US Embassy
and the US Department of Justice, Judge Stearns met with several of
Armenia’s leading judges and with Justice Minister David Harutyunyan,
who chairs Armenia’s Judicial Reform Council. Judge Stearns also
conducted training sessions for Armenian judges, the Prosecutor
General’s Office, and the Armenian Police Department. The training
sessions focused on human trafficking issues, and specifically on
the victims’ rights and the protection of witnesses.
From: Baghdasarian