IMPORTS UP WHILE EXPORTS DOWN IN FIVE MONTHS OF 2006
Armenpress
Jun 20 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 20, ARMENPRESS: In the first five months of 2006
Armenia’s foreign trade rose 9.7 percent from a year ago to $1.107
billion. According to the figures, released by Armenian national
statistical committee (Armstat), the volume of foreign trade, not
counting diamond industry output, was $920 million, also up 19.2
percent from a year ago.
Armenian exports in the reported span amounted to $340 million,
almost 6 percent down from a year ago.
The import of goods meantime grew 17.5 percent to $768.3 million. Not
counting cut diamond exports, exports overall constituted $249 million
and imports $671 million. Year-on-year growth rates were respectively
2.2 and 27 percent.

ITALIAN EMBASSY DENIES VISA TO ARMENIAN CHESS PLAYER
Armenpress
Jun 20 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 20, ARMENPRESS: The embassy of Italy in Armenia denied
a visa to Dmitry Harutunian, an Armenian doctor who was expected
to travel to Italy to compete in July 1-8 World Games of Doctors
in Toscana.
Dmitry Harutunian won a chess tournament in Yerevan in late March
and early April that was held to select the best chess player to send
him or her to Italy.
Armenia was to participate in these games for the first time.
Vahe Ter-Minasian, chairman of the Armenian Medical Association,
said they are going to ask the embassy to explain why Harutunian was
denied visa.

AZERBAIJAN CHANGING ITS STYLE?
By Aghavni Harutyunian
AZG Armenian Daily
21/06/2006
Neighboring Country Proposes Status of Tatarstan for Nagorno Karabakh
Manifestations of “peace” in the statements of Azerbaijani officials
are becoming more and more frequent. Particularly, if in the past
Baku viewed military settlement as a primary option then today Aliyev
junior speaks of his “intention” to settle the conflict through
peace talks. Meanwhile, he adds, loyal to his belligerent stance,
that other regulation options are still on the agenda.
“Azerbaijan cannot settle the Nagorno Karabakh issue alone,” Ilham
Aliyev stated. Such an approach would be welcome but for the pretext
in the president’s words.
In an attempt to project his own deeds onto the “enemy” the Azeri
leader speaks about vandalism organized by the Armenians.
A pretext is looming also in Azerbaijani foreign minister Elmar
Mamediarov’s words who said that Azerbaijan is ready to grant Nagorno
Karabakh the highest status of autonomy equal to that enjoyed by
Tatarstan within Russia. Day.az reports that Mamediarov alluded
to Tatarstan’s constitution that allows the republic to have its
representatives abroad.
Azeri FM thinks that the issue of Nagorno Karabakh status has to be
settled sooner or later, and Baku suggest doing it in the shortest
period. To reach all these, Azeri FM thinks, conditions for Azeri
residents of Karabakh to participate in the process should be
created. Besides, Mamediarov flippantly assumes that the Armenians
of Karabakh will eventually realize that it’s in their best interests
to remain citizens of Azerbaijan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

‘CILICIA’ RETURNS HOME
By Tamar Minasian
AZG Armenian Daily
21/06/2006
The crew of “Cilicia” left from Germany for Poland last morning. Zori
Balayan, writer, member of the crew, told in the interview with Azg
that they have changed the route of the expedition. Particularly,
“Cilicia” will not go to Copenhagen because of some visa problems.
Mr. Balayan said that the vessel will reach Gdansk, Poland, in 2-3
days. He informed that the crew will sail to St. Petersburg by the
sea, then they will begin sailing by the rivers to Rostov. “This is
the first time in the world, when a ship sails around Europe, making
it an island,” he said.
Few days ago, in Amsterdam, Mr. Balayan told the local Armenian
community that they aimed to repeat the sea routes of the old
Cilician sailors who sailed the Black Sea, the Sea of Marmara, the
Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. Mr. Balayan
told the representatives of the Armenian community that the members of
the Armenian Navy Research Club decided to built the ship according
to the schemes of the old Cilician ships kept in Matenadaran. He
added that Amsterdam was the final point in their expedition.
He informed that in the course of the expedition, for over 250 days
with the sunrise, they raised the Armenian national flag, the flag
of NKR and the flags of all the countries they sailed to.
“Thus, we begin our way home. “Cilicia” returns home,” Mr. Balayan
said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OSCE REPRESENTATIVE FOR MEDIA ISSUES VISITS EDITORIAL OFFICE OF AZG DAILY
By Karine Danielian
AZG Armenian Daily
21/06/2006
Miklos Haraszti, OSCE Representative for Mass Media Issues, has arrived
in Armenia at the invitation of RA Foreign Ministry. His mission is to
get familiarized with the mass media situation in Armenia at the spot.
On June 19, Mr. Haraszti and Vladimir Pryakhin, OSCE Ambassador in
Armenia, visited the editorial office of Azg daily newspaper.
Hakob Avetikian, editor-in-chief of the daily, represented the
establishment process of the newspaper, touching upon all the obstacles
the newspaper faced fighting for the freedom of speech.
It is envisaged that Mr. Haraszti will meet with the Board of RA
Public TV and Radio, with RA TV and Radio National Committee, with the
members of the state and private Mass media sources and various NGOs.
Yesterday, Mr. Haraszti met with RA President Robert Kocharian. They
dwelt on the issue of the independent mass media establishment
in Armenia.

EXPERTS COMPLETE DECODING OF BLACK BOXES OF A320
By Aghavni Harutyunian
AZG Armenian Daily
21/06/2006
On June 17, the Interstate Aviation Committee has completed
the decoding of the parameter recorders of the crashed A-320
airbus. According to the release of the Chief Department of the Civil
Aviation, the recorder fixed the 8 flights of the airbus made on
April 30-May 3. The record lasts 26 hours and 26 minutes, including
the last flight.
As a result of decoding, it was found out that the airbus was crashed
in the air and the engines worked properly. Before plunging into the
sea, the plane had enough fuel to safely land. Up to the last minute
of the flight the crew directly piloted the plane, without switching
to the autopilot regime.
At present, we have no official information about the cause of the
crash of A320.

SAHAKASHVILI DIDN’T KEEP HIS PROMISE
A1+
[04:50 pm] 20 June, 2006
“Javakhq counters a number of problems which call for a serious
dialogue between the Javakhq residents and Tbilisi. There are two
approaches here, either a dialogue must be held between the two
countries or between the Armenian residents of Javakhq and Tbilisi,”
claims Na deputy Shavarsh Kocharyan who participated in the round-table
on the Javakhq issues organized in Akhalqalaq at the beginning of June.
The deputy claims that the approach exiting in the times of
Gamsakhurdia, “Georgia is for Georgians” is still in effect. The
Georgian authorities don’t take measures to solve the existing
matters. On the other hand, social-economic problems worsen day by day.
Shavarsh Kocharyan points out that prior to the removal of the Russian
forces from the territory Sahakashvili promised to open 1000 working
places but so far he hasn’t kept his promise. Another concerning
matter is that 57 Armenians applied to various higher establishments
of Georgia but only one of them was admitted. Armenian delegates are
convinced that this is an apparent outcome of discrimination.
Shavarsh Kocharyan claims that the issue of the Javakhq sovereignty
is inadmissible for Georgia and the policy adopted by Georgia is
inadmissible for Armenia.
While speaking of applying the Georgian language as the business
correspondence language Mr. Kocharyan noted that nobody refutes the
fact that Georgian is the official language of the country and it
must be used but Armenian mustn’t be neglected.
Ethnographer Hranush Kharatyan who also participated in the conference
initiated by “Yerkir” NGO notes that the Georgian side has no distinct
approaches to the solution of matters. “I got such an impression that
the Georgian side invited to the debate either wasn’t acquainted with
the material or didn’t want to reply the question,” she said.
Asked whether meetings of this format are favorable and efficient
Hranush Kharatyan answered, “If political figures haven’t got enough
will power or wish to discuss the matter it must be done in this way
and on this level.” As for Shavarsh Kocharyan he claims that such
discussions may give flooring for settling the matter on a higher
diplomatic level.
The next stage of the conference is likely to be held in Tbilisi
in autumn.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARONYAN’S NEXT SUPER TOURNAMENT
A1+
[03:41 pm] 20 June, 2006
Grand Master Levon Aronyan, the best Armenian chess player left for
Germany after the victory in the World Chess Olympiad where he will
train for the international super tournament which will be held in
Dortmund in July.
Aronyan’s rivals in the tournament will be Vladimir Kramnik, Peter
Lekon, Peter Svidler, Michael Adams, Boris Gelfand, Baadur Jobava
and Arkadi Naydish.
This popular and traditional tournament of Dortmund will be the 3rd
great tournament in Aronyan’s career.
Prior to it he participated in the Veik an Zey and Linares
tournaments. To note, Aronyan had a great success in the last one.

AMENDMENTS TO THE ELECTORAL CODE ARE NOT ENOUGH FOR DEMOCRACY
A1+
[05:11 pm] 20 June, 2006
NA deputy Speaker Tigran Torosyan met with Hayke Renate Paychi, German
Ambassador to Armenia. During the meeting Tigran Torosyan attached
great significance to the improvement of political atmosphere in
Armenia and noted that the amendments to the electoral code are not
enough for holding elections by democratic criteria. He found the
hostility of political powers towards each other inadmissible and
focused on their rivalry.
The improvement of political atmosphere and the importance of holding
elections by democratic criteria will ensure the further security of
the integration in the European structures.
The two sides also referred to the activity of the German funds
in Armenia, emphasized the observation of the German parties’
experiment and its exchange with the Armenian parties ignoring
unilateral approach.

DERVISHES ARE DANCING ON JESUS CHRIST
A1+
[05:41 pm] 20 June, 2006
The advertisement about Turkey broadcast by the 22nd channel of
Saint Petersburg which si aimed at attracting tourists’ attention
has aroused a great scandal and an action was brought against it.
The point is that dervishes are dancing on Jesus Christ’s body in
the advertisement and their clothes resemble those of the Turkish
Mavlav Order. By the way, the activity of the dervish orders has
been prohibited in Turkey since 1925 and only the zikr-dance of the
dervishes has preserved as a part of national culture.
A group of Armenian activists living in St. Petersburg have recently
brought an action against the advertisement. The plaintiffs claim
that the TV Company puts its reputation and dignity into doubt while
broadcasting such advertisement. Experts have also expressed their
opinion on this score, “The part of the advertisement where dervishes
are dancing on Jesus Christ is humiliating and it harms Christian
dignity and honour.”
The conclusion was presented in the South-Western regional centre of
legal investigation of RF Justice Ministry.
Artak Alexanyan, an Armenian activist claims that it is abusive when
Turkey invites tourists and shows them “architectural monuments which
they captured after annihilating their neighbours and occupying their
territories,” informs “Yerkramas” newspaper.