WHERE IS ARKADY GHUKASYAN?
Melik Mejlumyan
Lragir.am
22 June 06
On these days the media of Nagorno Karabakh is focused on the NKR
presidential election in 2007. In particular, there is a lot of
consideration about the Constitution of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
and the hustle and bustle thereof among the ruling elite. The point
is the anxiety among the public that President Ghukasyan is likely
to use the factor of the Constitution to establish a legal basis to
run a third term.
Ghukasyan and his aides refuse to give an explanation that would
relieve the anxiety of the public. During his short visits to his
office, the president simply gives some new instructions concerning the
Constitution and quickly leaves in some direction. Moreover, a process
is underway among the ruling elite, which is difficult to explain,
which interests the public more. Namely, different senior and junior
officials convey information to the media, which damages one another’s
reputation. A real fight started between the NKR government and Armenia
Foundation. The escalating conflict between the two pro-governmental
factions of the parliament is becoming known to the public. People
who are fond of the topic of the president’s successors are emerging.
However, the public is more anxious about President Ghukasyan. The
Karabakh society is considering more and more often the fact that
Arkady Ghukasyan was not in the country all through 2006, and almost no
information was given where he was. The people of Karabakh are already
“used” to the long absence of the president, which was interrupted by
“short visits to the country” on different occasions. The year 2002
(the first year of his reelection) was a record; people learned
about him from his interviews with the foreign media. At that time
the popular joke about the “short visit of the Karabakh leadership
to Karabakh” was born.
But not everyone has got used to it. The lasting absence of Arkady
Ghukasyan is arousing special interest among a certain circle. Along
with kneading the idea of running a third term it is suggested that
Ghukasyan no longer believes in the possibility of a third term and
is busy thinking about his future. Besides, one of the purposes of his
visits to different countries is said to be “settlement of complicated
financial problems with various sponsors who have provided assistance
to the NKR people at different times.”
The Armenian media have published a lot of information about
Ghukasyan’s property. Now, however, when the danger of publishing
information about the “black” activities of the leaders of the ruling
elite emanates from the government, he cannot remain calm.
One way or another, the end of terms of presidency in both NKR and
Armenia is giving rise to big problems. The activities of top officials
has “localized” within the concern about their own future. It appears
that for someone the problem of Nagorno Karabakh has reached the
problem of their own future. This circumstance, in fact, may worry the
society in Karabakh. In a period when the country’s political issue
is under “international pressure,” the absence of the head of state
from the processes underway may lead to dramatic consequences. It is
becoming clear for many that Ghukasyan does not have time for Karabakh.
It would be unfair to state that Ghukasyan’s future is not a
state affair (especially that he is haunted by Samvel Babayan’s
revenge). However, Ghukasyan probably cannot realize that the
question is being solved a little differently. For instance, it
would be expedient if Arkady Ghukasyan quitted office earlier at a
more convenient moment. Everybody remembers how the former president
of Russia Boris Yeltzin gave away power on time, guaranteeing his
future. He could have realized, but only real figures act so. In
Armenia and Karabakh they wait until the danger of total defeat hangs
immediately overhead, then they start complaining of others. They
hope to find a way out by creeping to “different lords.”
People should therefore rely on themselves. Karabakh needs a new and
practical leader. Especially now, when there is no time to look for
Ghukasyan all over the world and return him to his presidential duties.
P.S. June 22 is Arkady Ghukasyan’s birthday, and we congratulate him
with all our hearts.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN FM: OFFERING AUTONOMY TO A PEOPLE WHO HAVE FOR NEARLY TWO DECADES BEEN IN CONTROL OF THEIR LIVES ON THEIR OWN HISTORIC LANDS IS AT THE VERY LEAST, SELF-DECEPTION
Yerevan, June 21. ArmInfo. “Offering autonomy to a people who have
for nearly two decades been in control of their lives on their own
historic lands is at the very least, self-deception,” said Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanian in his speech at the opening of the first
session of the newly-formed UN Human Rights Council. The RA Foreign
Ministry press-service reports.
“Armenia has and continues to promote stronger international
mechanisms to prevent and eradicate the crime of genocide, and all of
its precursors including efforts, too often successful, at not just
cleansing a region of its indigenous people, but also erasing their
memory. Armenians have survived and gone on to live through each
of these attempts. Even today, in the 21st century, we have watched
helplessly as the spiritual and cultural markers of our people are
decimated,” the minister said.
He went on to refer to the destruction of the Jugha Cemetery in
Nakhichevan, Azerbaijan. “This violation of the memory and spirit of
centuries of Armenian existence on lands which are today Azerbaijan’s
is cynical and dangerous. These huge, exquisite, unique stone crosses
which were both sculpture and tombstone are now gone – 2,000 of
these medieval markers were destroyed just a few months ago. The
gravemarkers are gone, and Armenian and international fears that
Azerbaijan’s authorities might in fact not be serious about peace
have been reinforced. After all, their organized, violent, armed
response to peaceful calls for self- determination two decades ago,
was the first attempt at ethnic cleansing in the soviet space and
ignited the conflict which remains unsettled today. This most recent
manifestation of organized violence, in a place where no Armenians
live today, and far from the Nagorno Karabakh conflict area, tells
us that neither Azerbaijan’s methods nor its intent has changed. Such
unambivalent, callous demolition of culture and history also destroys
trust and peace.”
In speaking about the present state of negotiations with Azerbaijan
on the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the Armenian
Foreign Minister said, “If Azerbaijan’s one step forward, one step
back approach in the negotiations was simply alarming, their recent,
desperate offers of autonomy are concrete examples of a retreat from
the letter and spirit of these talks, and clearly not in sync with
international trends.
We hope the negotiations will develop in a way which will give the
parties a real hope for durable peace, the minister said in conclusion.

OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS WILL MEET IN VIENNA
ArmRadio.am
22.06.2006 10:12
OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs on the Karabakh conflict settlement will
meet today in Vienna. Mathew Bryza will be officially presented as
new US Co-Chair.

ROSE-ROTH SEMINAR OF NATO PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY TO BE HELD IN SOCHI
ArmRadio.am
22.06.2006 10:37
Issues related to the security in South Caucasus, Russia-NATO
cooperation, as well as the role of civil society in the settlement
of “frozen” conflicts will be discussed today during the “Rose-Roth”
seminar of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly to start today in Sochi.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NO TERROR LINK TO AIR CRASH
Daily Post (Liverpool)
June 20, 2006, Tuesday
Mersey Edition
THE Armenian airliner that crashed into the Black Sea last month
killing all 113 people aboard was intact, with its engines operating
normally and enough fuel to land prior to impact, a Russian investig
ating commission said today.
The Armavia Airbus A320 was also under manual control by its pilots
up to the moment of the May 3 pre-dawn catastrophe near the Russian
port of Sochi.
The commission, which analysed the plane’s “black box” flight
recorders, did not assign blame for the crash.
Prosecutors have dismissed the possibility that terrorists had brought
the plane down, and officials have pointed to rough weather or pilot
error as the likely cause.

UKRAINE TO PARTICIPATE IN RECONSTRUCTION OF ARMENIAN HYDRO POWER PLANTS
EASTBUSINESS.ORG
June 20, 2006 Tuesday 8:49 AM (Central European Time)
Ukraine will participate in the reconstruction of the Armenian hydro
power plants, Ukrainian Ambassador to Armenia Alexander Bozhko said.
The issue was discussedon Mondayduring the visit of Armenian Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian to Kyiv.
According to the Ambassador, the equipment for the Armenian
hydroelectric power plants was produced by Kharkov-based
Turboatom plant and now Armenia is
interested in participation of specialists of the plant in tenders
for reconstruction of the energy sector.
We have already sent therelevant documentationto the Ukrainian Ministry
of Economy, Bozhko said.

FIGHTING EU ‘ENLARGEMENT FATIGUE’
by Alison Smale and Dan Bilefsky
The International Herald Tribune, France
June 20, 2006 Tuesday
Commissioner urges leaders to speak out
Olli Rehn, the European Union’s expansion commissioner, issued a
strong call Monday to European leaders to sell enlargement to voters
and not make it a scapegoat of larger policy failures such as high
unemployment and globalization.
“Enlargement blues could be called ‘unemployment blues’ or
‘globalization blues’,” Rehn, a Finn, said in an interview at his
office. “The origins are much deeper in our social fabric.”
Rehn, who has been responsible for enlargement for almost two years,
acknowledged that the policy was a tough sell. On vacation last summer
in France and Germany, he said, he heard popular criticism.
“I am not blind or deaf,” he said. “I could see there is a certain
enlargement fatigue.”
But, he argued, Europeans are often “more rational” than their
governments and can be sold on the notion that the absorption of eight
former communist countries and Cyprus and Malta all of which became
members in May 2004 has been a success story, uniting a Continent
previously divided by the Cold War.
“We should not make enlargement a scapegoat for our domestic policy
failures,” he said, adding, “The European Union has been better at
doing enlargement than communicating enlargement.”
For instance, the EU summit meeting last week ended with a statement
trumpeting the success of the May 2004 expansion. “That’s the kind
of thing I want to hear,” Rehn said.
Asked whether European politicians were doing enough of that kind
of talk once they left the summit halls of Brussels, Rehn mentioned
President Jacques Chirac of France as an example of someone who had,
in his view, done that, but declined in the characteristic manner of EU
officials who must please 25 constituencies to single out countries
that were not playing their part. When reminded that Chirac must
leave office within a year, he smiled and acknowledged that Chirac
would not be a candidate in next year’s race for the French presidency.
Enlargement “has been a success story,” Rehn said. “The EU should
have all the reasons to be proud of it.” Asked, therefore, why this
pride was not more palpable, he said it was linked to “bad feelings
and social discontent in many EU states.”
He also noted that the expansion in May 2004 was essentially
“yesterday’s news” when it happened because the EU and the new member
states had been so careful to negotiate economic, social, political
and other reforms in advance of membership.
That pattern, he noted, is continuing in the efforts to include new
members from the Balkans and in the case of Turkey.
The summit meeting was also dominated by talk of the 25-nation bloc
having reached its capacity to absorb new members. Rehn stressed,
however, that this was not so much a sign that Europe should not
expand but proof that it could not function smoothly without altering
institutions and operations to reflect that it was no longer a cozy
bloc of a dozen or 15 overwhelmingly West European states.
Romania and Bulgaria are the two nations due to join next, with a
review process this fall to determine whether or not the EU will
stick to the current date of Jan. 1 next year for their admission.
Turkey, which is not expected to complete membership negotiations
for another 10 to 15 years, poses much bigger questions.
Rehn said Turkey had made significant progress in reducing systematic
torture but that the pace of judicial reform guaranteeing freedom of
expression was “more schizophrenic.”
The prosecution of the Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk last spring for
remarks acknowledging Turkey’s role in the genocide against Armenians
in the early 20th century was “a disappointment in the beginning,”
said Rehn, who met Pamuk on his last visit to Turkey. Eventually,
however, the case was dropped resolved in a way, he said, that should
serve as a benchmark for other cases concerning free speech.
He added that skepticism toward Turkey appeared to be softening in the
most unlikely of places, noting that France and Germany two countries
where politicians and voters are highly critical of Turkey’s projected
EU membership each awarded the maximum, 12 points, to Turkey’s act
in the recent Eurovision song contest.
Both Romania and Bulgaria have made progress in the key area of
judicial reform, Rehn said, but the EU needs to be sure that the
changes are genuine and likely to last.
Romania has made large strides in the past 18 months, he said, and
Bulgaria has started to do the same, but must stay the course.
Bulgarian legislators had to forgo some vacation last summer to put
necessary changes in place, he noted, and this summer it should be
the prosecutors and judges who stay at work to make convincing changes.
“We can’t say yet that it’s on the right track,” he said. When asked
to specify which changes would convince Brussels, he stressed: “We
can’t start a witch hunt and ask for a certain number of people to
be arrested because that would be against European standards. But we
need to be assured that countries, when they join, have functional
judicial systems.”
As for other Balkan countries Albania and former Yugoslav republics
that are now independent Rehn underlined the importance of sticking
to standards set by agreements such as the Dayton accords that
brought peace to Bosnia after the conflict of the 1990s or the likely
international accord now being negotiated on the status of Kosovo,
the Serbian province that has been under UN administration since 1999.
Asked how Balkan leaders could be expected to stick to such criteria
when the EU itself waives its own rules on such matters as national
budget deficits, Rehn said simply, “Of course, applying double
standards is incorrect and counterproductive.” The difference, he
added, is one of degrees.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TOP HIERARCH OF ARMENIAN CHURCH GOES ON VISIT TO ISTANBUL
by Tigran Liloyan
ITAR-TASS News Agency
June 20, 2006 Tuesday 03:39 PM EST
Supreme Hierarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos Garegin
II, left for Istanbul Tuesday night on what is the third ministerial
visit of Turkey by the head of the Armenian Church over a period of
45 years.
He is making the weeklong trip to Turkey at the invitation of Armenian
Patriarch in that country, Meerop Mutaffian, and the Eastern Orthodox
Patriarch of the Universe, Bartholomew I.
Spokesmen for the Chancellery of the Armenian Church in the holy
monastery of Echmiadzin told Itar-Tass Garegin II’s brotherly talks
with His Holiness Bartholomew will be devoted to discussion of church
relations.
Garegin II is expected bless the Armenian believers in Istanbul
numbering about 60,000 people and to meet with intellectuals and
young members of the Armenian community.
June 25, he will serve the divine liturgy in the Armenian Cathedral
of the Virgin Mary in the district of Kumkapi.
Garegin II is also expected to have a meeting with the Governor of
Istanbul – an event acquiring political significance in view of the
fact that even 15 years after proclamation of independence by Armenia
the two neighboring countries still do not have diplomatic relations.
Armenian official quarters voice readiness to establish diplomatic
relations with Turkey without any prior conditions but the Turkish
government says, on its part, it will normalize relations with Yerevan
on the condition that Armenia stop a campaign for international
recognition of genocide against Armenian people in the Ottoman Empire
and drop support of ethnic Armenians in the Azerbaijani region of
Karabakh.
The Patriarchate in Turkey is number four largest see of the Armenian
Church embracing 46 parishes.
Before the tragic events of 1915, the Church had 1,181 parishes and
132 monasteries on Turkish territory.
Catholicate visits to Istanbul are rather rare events. Catholicos
Vazgen I went there in 1961 to attend the funeral of Armenian Patriarch
Garegin Khachaturian and Catholicos Garegin I paid a visit in 1996
at the invitation of the Eastern Orthodox Patriarch of the Universe.

ARMEANIAN STREAK
Sydney MX (Australia)
June 20, 2006 Tuesday
SYD Edition
World champion boxer Vic Darchinyan struggles for recognition in his
own country, but he is quickly gaining a following overseas
Vic Darchinyan has compiled one of the great streaks in Australian
boxing, but he arrived home from his latest conquest two weeks ago
to little fanfare in his adopted nation.
Armenian-born Darchinyan extended his perfect sequence of knockouts in
world title fights to five with his eighthround stoppage of previously
unbeaten Mexican Luis Maldonado in Las Vegas.
The exciting southpaw’s “warrior” style earned him plenty of fans in
the US and delighted promoters.
But when the IBF and IBO champion arrived home at Sydney airport
there were only a couple of reporters and no television cameras or
fans to meet him.
The scene was in contrast to the throngs that met former junior
welterweight world champion Kostya Tszyu on his early morning returns
from many overseas conquests.
“Maybe it’s because there’s not too much advertising or too much
media involved,” Darchinyan said.
“But my promoters and (US pay TV network) Showtime told me ‘your style
is very exciting, everyone wants you, they’d like to watch you again’.”
Darchinyan’s fight was promoted to main event status after the
cancellation of the lightweight world title bout between Diego Corrales
and Jose Luis Castillo.
“The Mexicans didn’t return their tickets after the Corrales-Castillo
fight was cancelled – they knew I was fighting a Mexican,” he said.
“They kept supporting a Mexican and after they saw my style they
started supporting me and said ‘you’re a great fighter, we like your
style, you are a warrior’.
“I think everything depends on advertising.
“I’ve already (lived) nearly six years in Australia and I haven’t
lost and I’ve fought in many Jeff Fenech fight nights, but I can still
see there are still not big crowds supporting me because maybe people
don’t know about me.”
Fenech, Darchinyan’s trainer, said seeing his charge come home to so
little recognition was painful.
“It’s terrible, it’s just typical of Australia,” Fenech said.
“What (else) can the guy do? He’s beaten everybody, he’s undefeated,
he’s challenged everybody he’s a great kid.”
Darchinyan was boosted by the strong support of fight fans of Armenian
extraction in Las Vegas.
And he anticipated even greater backing from the Armenian community in
the US for his next bout against WBO champion Omar Narvaez in either
August or September.
“I think maybe 1500 Armenians came from Los Angeles, it was good,
because we didn’t have time for much advertising in Los Angeles,”
said Darchinyan, who spent a few days sparring there before heading
to Las Vegas.
“Next time it will be 10,000 to 15,000. Here (in Australia) they have
30,000 to 40,000 Armenians; in America, one and a half million.
“Armenians here and the Australian community are starting to like me
and support me.”
Darchinyan had words of warning for his next opponent, likely knock-out
candidate No.6: he said he was continuing to improve because he was
getting stronger and punching harder.

Armenia Fund, Inc.
111 North Jackson St. Ste. 205
Glendale, CA 91206
Tel: 818-243-6222
Fax: 818-243-7222
Contact: Sarkis Kotanjian
[email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 21, 2006
Armenia Fund’s Martakert Regional Development Underway
Large-Scale Program Implementation on Schedule
Los Angeles, CA – Armenia Fund – U.S. Western Region is pleased to
announce that its large-scale regional development plan for the war-torn
Martakert Region in Nagorno-Karabakh is currently underway. The multi-level
development program was developed by regional and urban planning experts
from the United States, France, and Armenia. The plan focuses on developing
the region through a series of projects that include construction of new
schools, healthcare facilities, drinking and irrigation water systems, and
regional agricultural development.
While Armenia Fund’s main affiliate in Armenia jointly with Nagorno
Karabakh’s relevant government agencies, including the office of the Prime
Minister and Ministries of Construction, Agriculture and Health was focusing
on the design and planning phase of the project, its 19 worldwide
affiliates, including the U.S. Western and Eastern Regions were busy
collecting the promised pledges from the past November Telethon. At the same
time, the regional affiliates are undergoing rigorous financial audits in
order to maintain high levels of transparency and ensure the proper
implementation of financial accounting policies, both internal and external.
All Armenia Fund projects undergo a comprehensive planning stage before the
construction begins. This includes preparation of a conceptual design,
construction design as well as independent architectural, technical and
technological expert review. Once the construction design package is ready,
Armenia Fund announces a two-stage construction competitive bid process in
the local newspapers and on its website and accepts construction proposals
from construction firms. Once the proposals are submitted, the Bidding
Committee, which consists of Armenia Fund construction and legal experts,
representatives of the Armenian General Benevolent Union, Armenian Relief
Society and Armenian Assembly of America, as well as government
representatives from Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, reviews submitted
proposals. Participating construction firms are checked against their
qualifications, prior experience, organizational, technical and
technological ability as well as quoted time and cost needed for the
completion of the project. The winner is chosen by a vote. Armenia Fund then
signs a construction contract with the winning firm. Depending on the scale
of construction this process and its entire planning stage may take several
months.
During the construction, Armenia Fund, the designing firm, which produced
the construction design, as well as representatives from the Armenia Fund
affiliates sponsoring the project, controls the process by frequent visits
to the construction site. Once the construction is over, Armenia Fund
withholds 10% of the entire payment as the new structure enters its one-year
warranty period. If any defects are found, the construction firm is required
by law to correct them. Once the warranty period is over, Armenia Fund
disburses the remaining 10% of the payment and transfers the structure to
the balance sheets of the local government. From that point maintenance
becomes the responsibility of the government.
The statuses of the various projects within the Martakert Regional
Development Plan are presented below:
Water Main Pipeline – Drinking Water Systems
Armenia Fund will construct a 30-km-long drinking water pipeline to deliver
water to the town of Martakert, with a population of 5,000 people. The
pipeline will double water supply to the city. The construction competitive
bid process is in its final stages. The winning firm will begin construction
within a month.
Water Distribution Networks
Armenia Fund will construct drinking water distribution networks in the
villages of Maghavuz, Mets Shen, Vaghuhas and Varnkatagh. Armenia Fund’s
Argentinean affiliate is sponsoring the project in Vaghuhas. As a result of
the project every household of these villages will have a constant, abundant
supply of fresh drinking water. The construction competitive bid process is
in its final stages.
Healthcare
The healthcare component will largely focus on the complete reorganization
and reconstruction of the Martakert Regional Hospital, alongside with an
emergency ambulance dispatch center with 5 new ambulances. The project is
being spearheaded by the U.S. Western Region affiliate. Conceptual design
has been prepared by Los Angeles based hospital architect Arturo Fribourg in
collaboration with the NKR Health Ministry. Currently the final construction
design is being prepared. Five new ambulances have been ordered.
Agricultural Development
The U.S. Eastern Region affiliate, Armenia Fund USA is spearheading the
agricultural development program. The affiliate is closely working with the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Ministry of Agriculture. The first Agricultural
Development Association is in the process of being formed. Some of the
modern tractors, trucks and other agricultural equipment have already been
purchased from China and Belarus. More will be purchased as the project
progresses.
Education
Construction of the new school in Madaghis village has already begun. The
foundation and the first floor are complete. The project is sponsored by
Armenia Fund’s Canadian affiliate in Toronto. The affiliate has also
sponsored the construction of a new school in Verin Horatagh village, which
is in its construction design stage. Construction design of another school
in Kochoghot village, sponsored by Armenia Fund’s French affiliate, is in
the process as well.
Natural Gas Pipeline
Responding to the critical energy demands of the fledgling region, the
International Board of Trustees of Armenia Fund has decided to construct a
regional gas pipeline, including a distribution network for two
highly-populated villages – Chldran and Arajadzor. Currently, the plan is
undergoing design development.
Armenia Fund, Inc., is a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation
established in 1994 to facilitate large-scale humanitarian and
infrastructure development assistance to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
Armenia Fund, Inc. is the U.S. Western Region affiliate of “Hayastan”
All-Armenian Fund. Tax ID# 95-4485698