FM GUL: REFORMS IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD NOT A CHOICE, BUT A NECESSITY
Hurriyet, Turkey
June 20 2006
Speaking in Baku at the opening day of a meeting of foreign ministers
at the Islamic Conference Organization (IKO), Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul underlined the need for reforms in the Islamic world,
saying “If we want to provide answers to the problems of this century,
reforms are not a choice, but a requirement.”
Gul also touched on Israel and Palestine, saying he wished for them
to be accepted as two separate states co-existing side by side.
Gul also made a call for Armenia to pull out of Azeri lands, as well
as a call for an end to the embargo and isolationary measures against
Northern Cypriot Turks.

YUSHCHENKO MET ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER
ForUm, Ukraine
June 20 2006
Victor Yushchenko met with Armenia’s Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan,
President’s press office reported.
They discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and
both agreed that it was important to activate Ukrainian-Armenian
cooperation.
Yushchenko said he was pleased with the dynamics of trade with Armenia
and then invited President Robert Kocharyan to visit Ukraine.
In his turn, Mr. Oskanyan said the two nations had always been good
friends.
He added that Ukraine and Armenia had already signed about sixty
bilateral agreements. The minister said the countries both wanted to
join the European Union.
They also discussed ways to ensure stability and security in
the Caucasian region. Victor Yushchenko said Ukraine wanted the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to be settled peacefully.
The Head of State said 400, 000 Armenians lived in Ukraine, adding
that it was important to forge closer cultural and humanitarian ties
between the states.

SENATOR POOCHIGIAN TO TARGET JERRY BROWN’S ‘MOONBEAM’ PAST
By Eric Bailey, Times Staff Writer
Los Angeles Times, CA
June 20 2006
The GOP candidate for attorney general plans to focus on his famous
foe’s record as governor, mayor and radio host.
SACRAMENTO – Never mind that nine of 10 Californians have not heard
of him.
Never mind that his opponent enjoys blanket name recognition throughout
the Golden State, more campaign cash and a double-digit lead in
the polls.
Chuck Poochigian – state senator from Fresno, a conservative Republican
with a tough record on crime and punishment – has a blueprint for
beating Jerry Brown in the race for California attorney general.
He wants to run against Gov. Moonbeam.
Poochigian plans to cite Brown’s progressive past as well as his
iconoclastic pronouncements during a 1990s stint on talk radio. He
wants to spotlight Brown’s record as mayor in crime-rattled Oakland. He
will rail against Brown’s personal distaste for the death penalty. He
hopes to reap campaign dollars from corporations fearful that Brown
would push a litigious, anti-business agenda.
“For me, the greatest challenge will be to overcome his high name
identification,” said Poochigian, 57. “His greatest challenge is
to overcome his record. I can move my name ID up. He can’t change
his record.”
So far, Brown is enjoying a splendid campaign season. Though
Poochigian got a free ride in the June 6 primary, running unopposed,
Brown crushed Los Angeles City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo, 63% to 37%,
to earn the Democratic nomination.
Brown, 68, did it by portraying himself as a hard-knuckle, big-city
crime fighter – not the long-gone governor who jousted in the 1970s
with the Medfly, put death penalty antagonist Rose Bird on the
state Supreme Court, renounced the gubernatorial mansion for a floor
mattress, dated singer Linda Ronstadt and acquired the nickname of
Gov. Moonbeam.
“If they want to run this campaign by going back to 1974, they’re
welcome to,” said Ace Smith, Brown’s political strategist. “But I
think their strategy is about 20 years stale.”
Though one recent poll put Poochigian down by 25 percentage points
in a head-to-head contest with Brown, the Republican’s campaign team
remains confident that the race will become a tossup by election day.
Poochigian is counting on unified support among the GOP, which
embraced the popular Fresno Republican early on. Though an unabashed
conservative, he also hopes to win big among California’s growing
pack of independent voters, now more than 18% of the electorate.
Plus, “Poochigian is the anti-Jerry Brown,” said Kevin Spillane,
a strategist for the GOP candidate.
Brown was born into the closest thing California has to political
royalty, the son of a popular governor, Pat Brown, who served through
most of the 1960s. Poochigian was raised on the farm, by parents who
never went to college.
He is a native of Lone Star, a no-pretense speck of a place along
the railroad tracks southeast of Fresno. His grandparents fled the
Armenian genocide, and the family eventually settled amid the grape
fields of Fresno County.
His mother still lives on the family’s original 20-acre
plot. Poochigian’s father died two years ago at 90. One brother
manages a farm. Poochigian owns farmland around Fresno County, and
sent his three children to the same public schools he attended.
Unlike Brown, who seemed fated for elected office, Poochigian came
to politics relatively late in life.
At Fresno State he was a buddy of Bill Jones, a budding campus
politician who in the 1990s was elected California secretary of
state. Poochigian later attended law school and became a business
lawyer. He got the political bug in 1978, volunteering for George
Deukmejian’s successful run for attorney general. Poochigian later
was appointed as a gubernatorial aide to the conservative Deukmejian
and Gov. Pete Wilson.
Brown won statewide office at 32, becoming secretary of state,
and launched the first of three presidential runs before he was
40. Poochigian didn’t run for anything until his mid-40s.
He won an Assembly seat in 1994 and moved to the Senate in 1998,
earning plaudits as a collegial straight-shooter, a law-and-order
conservative capable of the occasional bipartisan compromise.
During his tenure, he has backed tougher penalties for sexual
predators, gun-toting felons and identity thieves. He also has opposed
legislative efforts to roll back the state’s “three strikes” law.
Now he is following in the footsteps of his early mentor, Deukmejian, a
fellow Armenian American whose first statewide job was as California’s
so-called top cop.

KARS-AKHALKALAKI: TO BE OR NOT TO BE?
The Messenger, Georgia
June 20 2006
The meeting of transport ministers from Georgia, Turkey and Azerbaijan,
slated for mid-June, was postponed until July at the request of
Georgia.
This was due to the decision of the US Congress to prohibit the
participation of US companies in the Kars-Akhalkalaki railway project.
The Armenian National Committee of America lobbied Congress in favour
of this decision.
US politicians think that ignoring Armenia’s interests will damage
US-Armenian relations. Congress is in compliance with Yerevan’s
position, arguing that new project is economically unjustified, because
a Kars-Guimri (Armenia)-Tbilisi-Baku railway already exists, but has
been out of use since the Karabakh conflict (due to Turkey closing
the border). Armenia wants to revive this route while Azerbaijan
considers it absolutely unacceptable until the Karabakh conflict is
settled in its favour.
The proposed Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway needs 98 km of new track to
be laid from Akhalkalaki to Kars; 27 km of which are in Georgian
territory. The project also envisages the rehabilitation of the
Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi route.
The project will cost approximately USD 350-450 million.
The project should have started this year. President Ilham Alyiev
of Azerbaijan made statements concerning the setting-up of an
international consortium to build the railway; and Azerbaijan and
Turkey have already accepted the financial liabilities for financing
the project.
The Georgian State Minister for Reforms Coordination, Kakha Bendukidze,
thinks that the Kars-Akhalkalaki railway route could be important
for Georgia, but he added that so far he had not seen any reliable
economic assessments proving the necessity and profitability of this
project. He considers the construction of the Kars-Akhalkalaki railway
as a “distant prospect.”
However, there are some more optimistic opinions. Irakli Chogovadze,
the Minister of Economic Development, said if America refuses
to finance the project there are other countries and financial
institutions which will be willing to participate. He says negotiations
are already underway with Kazakhstan and China.
Chogovadze hopes this railway will eventually connect China with
Europe, via Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. The cargo this
will attract will make this a very attractive project for investors,
and as such the project is more than viable.
Construction will be carried out in two stages, firstly a single track
will be built, and once it has developed sufficient income work on
the second will begin-provided, of course, that the project goes ahead.

GURGEN ARSENYAN: UNITED LABOR PARTY WILL STAY ON THE POLITICAL FIELD
ArmRadio.am
20.06.2006 18:05
Turning to the fluctuations of the dollar-dram exchange rate, Head
of the United Labor Party Gurgen Arsenyan declared today that the
journalists and NGOs should be concerned not with the price of dram
but with the rise of prices.
Here Gurgen Arsenyan repeats the President of the Central Bank: “The
currency of the Republic of Armenia is the dram, not the dollar. Most
part of salaries and pensions are paid in dram. The devaluation of the
currency of another country, the dollar, should concern us as much as
the devaluation of the Japanese yen would.” In Arsenyan’s opinion,
more rightist liberal, therefore more socially oriented forces
will be represented in the National Assembly of fourth convocation,
including the Armenian Revolutionary Party, the “Justice” block, the
“National Unity” and “Orinats Yerkir.” In his opinion, the people
are tired of populist and socialist political forces.
Why did Orinats Yerkir leave the arena, and the United Labor Party
came to replace it. Some analysts confirm that by gaining places in the
Government the Labor Party is trying to make best use of its last term.
Gurgen Arsenyan confirms that his party will stay in the political
field and no matter whether it is represented in the National Assembly
of the fourth convocation or not. The founding President of the Party
is confident, however, that it will be represented in the Parliament
alone, not in a block.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESENTATION OF DIASPORAN ARMENIAN WRITER TORGOM POSTAJIAN’S THREE BOOKS TAKES PLACE IN YEREVAN
Noyan Tapan
Jun 19 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 19, NOYAN TAPAN. The presentation of Diasporan Armenian
writer Torgom Postajian’s “Criticism and Document,” “Prominent Armenian
Literary Figures” and “Shelterless Exiles” books took place on June
16 at the Writers’ Union of Armenia.
The author presented in the first book analysis of modern Armenian
prose-writers’ and poets’ works, and in the “Prominent Armenian
Literary Figures”, he presented articles dedicated to Eastern and
Western Armenian writers’ life and literary activity. T.Postajian’s 15
stories are involved in the “Shelterless Exiles” book, in which the
author touched upon emigration, an phenomenon pursuing the Armenian
people continuously for centuries.
According to WUA Chairman Levon Ananian, the Diasporan Armenian writer
speaks in his stories about the emigration which has for centuries
been an inseparable part of the Armenians’ history. That phenomenon,
according to him, was fixed in the 70s of the 20th century as well,
reaching its apogee during the first years of newly independent
Armenia. “The struggle for physical existence made many people take
walking stick of emigration. This book appeals for soberness to
all those who attempts like mad to migrate America and a number of
European countries,” L.Ananian mentioned.
According to the WUA Chairman, T.Postajian had an important
contribution in the education system of Diaspora as well: particularly,
he founded in 1990s in the U.S. the Mesropian National College which
had a great role in the issue of keeping the Armenian identity.
On the same day T.Postajian was awarded with the WUA medal, with the
memory medal of the RA Ministry of Education and Science and diploma
of the Ararat Governor.

VICTORY OF CHRISTIAN-DEMOCRATES IN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS OF SLOVAKIA TO GREATLY SUPPORT PROCCESS OF RECOGNITION OF GENOCIDE
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 19 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 19, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. According to
preliminary data, the Christian-Democratic Party of Slovakia, which
had a great role in the issue of presenting at the country Parliament
the resolution on the Armenian Genocide, also has a great possibility
to win in the parliamentary elections held in Slovakia on June 17.
As Ashot Grigorian, the head of the Armenian community of Slovakia
explained in the intervew given to Noyan Tapan, possibilities of the
Christian-Democratic Party are also great in the issue of making
a part of the coalition and getting minister’s portfolio. In the
case if that happens, according to A.Grigorian, Jan Carnogursky,
the first founder of the Christian-Democratic Party, leader of up to
the recent years, first Prime Minister of Slovakia and the Justice
Minister up to the recent times will be appointed on the post of the
Foreign Minister of Slovakia. The latter stated at the meeting with
A.Grigorian that Armenia, being a very old country, having a rich
culture and good diplomatic school, had implemented a successful
diplomatic work in relations with Turkey during the recent years,
and the Christian-Democratic Party will in future as well assist
Armenia in those diplomatic works. According to Carnogursky, the Iraq
war provoked processes of creation of the Kurd state which are a great
threat for Turkey. Against the background, Armenia has a greater chance
to strengthen its diplomatic victories in the issue of recognition
of the Genocide. According to Ashot Grigorian, it’s probable after
the Christian-Democrats’ making a part of the coalition that Slovakia
proposes recognition of the Armenian Genocide as a pre-condition for
Turkey’s membership to the European Union.
Ashot Grigorian called on the Armenian community of Slovakia to give
their votes during the elections to the Christian-Democratic Party,
assisting just by it the Armenian-Slovakian relations’ being more
effective in both economic and political sphere and recognition of
the Genocide in other countries of the world.

NETHERLANDS TO CONTINUE ASSISTING ARMENIA WITH ECONOMIC REFORMS
Noyan Tapan
Jun 19 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 19, NOYAN TAPAN. The Netherlands as a country co-charing
the IMF and WB Dutch Constituency will continue providing assistance
to Armenia.
Before 2005, the Netherlands provided assistance of 4.7 mln euros
for co-financing the programs implemented in Armenia by the above
mentioned donor organizations, while this year this assistance will
amount to 5 mln euros. Mrs.
Agnes Van Ardenne, MFA Minister for Development Cooperation of the
Netherlands, stated this at the conference of the IMF/WB Constituency
Meeting in Yerevan on June 17-18.
According to her, the Netherlands also assist Armenia in such spheres
as state finance management, democratization and NGO development.
It was noted that in 2005, the Dutch Constituency member states signed
a memorandum on mutual understanding, under which the Netherlands
expressed a willingness to assist the Constituency’s developing
countries with attraction of direct foreign investsments. Agnes Van
Ardenne expressed a hope that in accordance with the Dutch Business
Program signed in 2005, Armenian and Dutch businessmen will be able
to set up joint ventures.

IMF/WB DUTCH CONSTITUENCY MEETING IN YEREVAN WAS PRODUCTIVE
Noyan Tapan
Jun 19 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 19, NOYAN TAPAN. The IMF/WB Dutch Constituency meeting
held in Yerevan on June 17-18 was a productive one. Gerrit Zalm,
Deputy Prime Minister, Finance Minister of the Netherlands, stated
this during a press conference to summarize the Yerevan meeting.
The IMF Managing Director Rodrigo de Rato, the finance ministers and
chairmen of the central banks of the Netherlands, Armenia, Georgia,
Moldova, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Israel,
Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as more than 70 other officials
from these countries, IMF and WB participated in the meeting.
Issues related to the IMF/WB annual meeting to be held in Singapour
this year were dicussed at the meeting, particularly, the issue of
quotas of IMF member states. Representtaives of the financial secors
of the member states made the following reports: “Current Events in
WB and IMF”, “Strategic Review of the IMF”, “Fiscal Space: Domestic
Resource Mobilization”, “Current Account Imbalancies in Transition:
Vulnerabilities and Policies”, “Productivity Growth, Job Creation
and Demograthic Change: How are Countries of the Dutch Constituency
Doing?”.
According to the IMF Executive Director Jeroen Kremers, the population
of the Dutch Constituency member states is 125 mln, which is almost
equal to Russia’s polulation. The total quaota of the member states
is 5%, which is twice as much as that of Russia.
In the opinion of G. Zalm, Armenia has excellently organized both
the meeting and the cultural and tourism program for the meeting
participants.
According to him, the next meeting of the IMF/WB Dutch Constituency
will be held in Moldova in 2007.

RA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY AND OSCE YEREVAN OFFICE ASSIST WITH WOMEN’S BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Noyan Tapan
Jun 19 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 19, NOYAN TAPAN. Although Armenia is ahead of many
countries by the share of production made by small and medium
enterprises (SME) in Armenia’s GDP, there is still much to be done
in the country in terms of SME development, especially involvement
of women in this sphere. Head of the OSCE Office, Ambasador Vladimir
Pryakhin expressed this opinion during the seminar “SME Development
for Sustainable Development” and the opening ceremony of an exhibition
to display production of small and medium enterprises run by women.
The events were held on June 17-18 by the Businesswomen Assistance
Center Foundation, the RA Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI)
and the OSCE Yerevan Office. According to V. Pryakhin, the subjects
discussed at the seminar were chosen in anticipation that they will
promote exchange of experience and knowledge necessary for women’s
business.
The RA CCI Chairman Martin Sargsian and the Businesswomen Assistance
Center Foundation Director Lilia Gevorgian attached special importance
to the seminar as the first step in the cooperation between these
bodies, expressing a hope that it will be continuous.
Nani Oskanian, Chairwoman of the Association of Diplomat Spouses
(the wife of the Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian), noted
that the asistance provided by state, business assistance bodies and
international organizations is especially nevessary for Armenian
businesswomen so that they can conduct their business efficiently
and enter foreign markets.