ROBERT KOCHARIAN HIGHLY ASSESSED LEVEL OF ARMENIAN-SWISS RELATIONS
PanARMENIAN.Net
12.06.2006 17:40 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian President Robert Kocharian met with
Head of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Micheline
Calmy-Rey, reported the RA leader’s press service. During the meeting
Robert Kocharian expressed satisfaction with the current level of the
Armenian-Swiss relations and assessed highly Switzerland’s assistance
in the process of reforms in Armenia, especially the activities of the
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. For her part Micheline
Calmy-Rey remarked that being interested in stability and security
Switzerland closely watches the development of the South Caucasian
region. In her words, official Bern sympathizes with Armenia and this
is the service of the Armenian community of Switzerland.
Noting rather modest index in the economic sector the interlocutors
stressed the necessity of more coordinated economic cooperation
between the two states. In this context the parties marked out the
importance of the Convention for the Avoidance of Double Taxation as
well as the cooperation within international organizations.

RA FM AND NATO PA REPRESENTATIVES DISCUSSED ARMENIA’S EUROPEAN INTEGRATION
PanARMENIAN.Net
12.06.2006 18:21 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian met
with the delegation of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, reported the RA
MFA press office. The delegation includes members of the subcommittee
for future security and defense potential, the committee for defense
and security and subcommittee for democratic administration of the NATO
PA as well as 25 members of the NATO PA International Secretariat. The
delegation is led by Turkey’s representative Vahit Erdem and Bulgaria’s
representative Chetin Kazak.
The meeting participants discussed the issues referring to the
NATO-Armenia relations, Armenia’s integration into European structures
and regional cooperation. Vartan Oskanian briefed on the priorities
of Armenia’s foreign policy, constituents of the security system and
relations with the neighbor states. The Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement was also discussed in a general way.

VARTAN OSKANIAN TO PARTICIPATE IN NORTH-ATLANTIC COUNCIL-ARMENIA SITTING
PanARMENIAN.Net
12.06.2006 18:35 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ June 13 Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
will depart for Paris to meet with Azeri FM Elmar Mammadyarov and the
OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs, reported the RA MFA press office. June
14 the Armenian Minister will leave Paris for Brussels, where he and
Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan will take part in the North-Atlantic
Council-Armenia sitting in 26+1 format during which the Armenia-NATO
Individual Partnership Action Plan will be discussed.
June 19 Vartan Oskanian’s formal visit to Kyiv is scheduled; June
20-21 the Armenian Foreign Minister will be in Geneva to participate
in the sitting of the U.N. Council on Human Rights. June 27-28 Vartan
Oskanian will be visiting Georgia.

IN 2007 YEREVAN WILL HAVE TWO-TIER ROAD
Lragir.am
12 June 06
The general architect of Yerevan Samvel Danielyan stated June 12 that
in a year, in June 2007 a two-tier road junction connecting Koryun,
Heratsu, Khandjyan and Charents streets will be built, reports the
news agency ARKA. According to Samvel Danielyan, it is going to be a
highway without traffic lights and bus stops, with separate sections
for cars and pedestrians. The cost of the project was not told, but
the general architect of the city said the project was put out to
tender. 12 bids were made. According to Samvel Danielyan, the tender
will last till October 2006, and the road works will be carried out
by stages, because traffic in this part of the city is highly dense.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESIDNET ROBERT KOCHARYAN RECEIVED THE FOREIGN MINISTER OF SWITZERLAND MICHELINE CALMY-REY
ArmRadio.am
12.06.2006 17:36
Persistent Robert Kocharyan received today the delegation headed by
the Foreign Minister of Switzerland Micheline Calmy-Rey.
The Presidnet appreciated the current level of Armenian-Swiss
relations. He highly assessed the assistance of Switzerland to the
process of reforms in our country. He emphasized involvement of the
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation in separate projects.
Head of the Swiss Ministry of Foreign affairs said that her country
closely observes the developments in the South Caucasian region,
being particularly interested in issues of stability, security and
migration. In her words, due to Swiss0-Armenians, Armenia enjoys
great affection in Switzerland.
Noting that the indicators in the economic sphere are rather
modest, the parties emphasized the necessity of more coordinated
cooperation. In this regard they accentuated the agreement on agreement
on exemption from double income and property taxation, as well the
business forum underway in Zurich.
The interlocutors appreciated also the cooperation of the two countries
within international organizations.

TIGRAN TOROSYAN: POLITICAL MAJORITY DOES EXIST IN THE PARLIAMENT
ArmRadio.am
12.06.2006 18:08
“Political majority does exist in the Parliament,” declared NA
Chairman Tigran Torosyan in response to MP Hmayak Hovhannisyan’s
question about the existence of parliamentary majority.
Tigran Torosyan noted that the Republican Party and the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation have declared they will continue cooperate
over the principles of the coalition memorandum.
Other statements were made by the United Labor Party faction and the
” Businessman” Deputy group.
“If we sum up all this, we’ll see that parliamentary majority does
exist, and it was confirmed both at elections and voting,” Tigran
Torosyan noted.
As for the memorandum, the Speaker noted that coalitions are formed
also without any memorandum, “Statement is of great value in political
life, and it can serve as a basis for serious results. Such statements
have been made.”

KIBAKI URGED TO SPEAK OUT ON ARMENIANS
Story By Nation Team
Reported by Jeff Otieno, David Mugonyi, Tony Kago, Kennedy Masibo,
Ngumbao Kithi, Tim Kamuzu Banda and Patrick Mayoyo.
Daily Nation, Kenya
June 12 2006
Pressure mounted yesterday on the Government to explain why the
controversial Armenian brothers at the heart of security breaches
and underhand deals were deported without facing criminal charges.
Internal Security minister John Michuki (centre) chats with church
elders after he attended Mass at the Consolata Shrine in Nairobi
yesterday. The minister stated that the Government did the right thing
in deporting the two Armenian brothers. Photo by Stephen Mudiari
Politicians, religious leaders and lawyers said it was wrong for
the Government to spirit out Mr Artur Margaryan and his brother,
Mr Artur Sargsyan, instead of fully investigating their activities
and taking them to court to answer criminal charges.
But President Kibaki distanced himself from reports that his family
was linked to the Armenians.
He said Ms Winnie Wangui, who is linked to the two foreigners, is
not a member of his family.
In a personal statement last night, the President said he was
“distressed” by media reports introducing other people to be members
of his family.
“I am personally distressed that Sunday Nation chose to link my
family with the two foreigners who went to church accompanied by a
woman and other people whose names are not mentioned,” he said in
the brief statement.
The report had indicated that Ms Wangui, a daughter of influential
Narc activist Mary Wambui, and the two brothers went to the Holy
Family recently.
The President demanded an apology from the Sunday Nation and threatened
to take legal action.
He said the Government was investigating activities of the foreigners.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Press Service has issued a statement
denying that the two foreigners had weapons used by Presidential
Escort. The PSS also said no weapons were missing from the Presidential
security unit. There were reports that weapons bearing serial numbers
like those from the Presidential Escort service were found in the
compound of the brothers’ rented house in Runda.
Yesterday, Anglican Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi, Lang’ata MP Raila
Odinga and Assistant minister Koigi Wamwere demanded that the
Government should come clean on the matter.
But Cabinet ministers John Michuki and Martha Karua defended the
Government, saying the decision to declare the two persona non-grata
on Kenyan soil was the right one.
“Action speaks louder than words. We have taken action. What other
language do you want?” Mr Michuki asked after attending morning Mass
at the Consolata church in Westlands, Nairobi.
Asked whether the Government took the action to protect some
influential people in Government in dealings with the two brothers,
Mr Michuki said in Kiswahili: “Mnataka watu wa kuongea ama watu wa
kufanya? (Do you want people who only talk or people who take action?”)
Ms Karua, who spoke in Nakuru, said the Government hurried the
deportation process “and will also carry out thorough investigations
into the matter”. She added: “A foreigner enters the country with
express authority from the Government after being given a visa and
the same can be revoked and the owner deported.”
Questionable character
Archbishop Nzimbi described the presence and eventual deportation of
Mr Margaryan and Mr Sargsyan as undesirable and accused the Government
of giving sanctuary to people of questionable character.
He said it was ironical and disturbing that foreigners could commit
a crime in the country and get away with it, without the Government
explaining the matter to the public.
His Church, he said, was concerned with the way the Government had
handled the two foreigners. “We are unhappy that the security of
Kenyans has been compromised but the responsible ministry has not
sought to explain to the citizens what happened at the airport. We
have only been told by the media that the two brothers were deported,
but without reasons,” Archbishop Nzimbi said in Nakuru.
And, Mr Odinga took the blame to State House, saying President Kibaki
was aware of the activities of the Artur brothers but had failed
to act.
The MP challenged President Kibaki to speak out on the Artur brothers’
saga.
He said it was a security breach for foreigners to threaten Government
officials with guns and create commotion at an international airport.
Mr Odinga, who was the first to blow the whistle on the Artur brothers,
reiterated that the two were up to no good and that they had been
hosted at State House several times.
Speaking on the telephone from Seoul, Korea, Mr Odinga said: “The
President cannot plead ignorance and keep quiet believing people
will excuse him. This is an issue the President should come out
and explain.”
He said a prominent Narc activist, a powerful Cabinet minister and
a senior police officer knew what the Artur brothers were doing in
the country.
The decision to retain Mr Michuki as Internal Security minister,
Mr Odinga added, reflected President Kibaki’s poor way of running
the country.
Mr Michuki, however, did not explain by who and why the Armenians
were given airport security badges to access the highly-guarded Jomo
Kenyatta International Airport.
He also did not explain who licensed the two to carry firearms.
The chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Administration of
Justice and Legal Affairs, Mr Paul Muite, singled out Mr Michuki as
a stumbling block to exposing the truth about the Armenian brothers.
The Kabete MP said during their initial investigations on the The
Standard newspaper raid, Mr Michuki wrote a letter with an intent to
prevent police commissioner Hussein Ali and CID director Joseph Kamau
from appearing before the committee, arguing that he had answered
all the questions needed.
“Michuki put hurdles in the committee’s work when it demanded to
question the police commissioner and CID director,” the MP said.
Former director of public prosecutions, Mr Philip Murgor, asked the
President to set up a commission of inquiry to get to the bottom of
the Artur brothers’ saga.
In Mombasa, Immigration assistant minister Annaniah Mwaboza demanded
immediate verification of a container’s contents.
Verify container’s content
Mr Mwaboza said Kenyans want to know what merchandise the two brothers
were bringing into the country, especially after they refused to have
the cargo verified.
Last week, Mr Margaryan went to the port accompanied by several
bodyguards and tried to have the container released to him. But
Customs officials insisted that it must be scanned. He then left in
a huff. But Mr Mwaboza defended the deportation arguing the move was
carried out in the interest of the country.
Other reports indicate that the cargo was under a 24-hour police
watch after attempts by the deported brothers to have the container
cleared from the port without going through the normal processes.
Mvita MP Najib Balala said the decision by the Government to deport
the two Armenian brothers was a cover-up, to save them from arrest
and prosecution.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MAN WHO LOOKS FORWARD TO RETURN OF ARTURS
By Richard Chesos
Standard, Kenya
June 12 2006
With a faraway look, eyes blink sharply before Musau Musyoki raises
his palms to cover his mouth, perhaps an expression of disbelief.
Mr Musau Musyoki, who worked as gardener for the Artur brothers,
in a pensive mood outside the Armenians’ Runda Estate residence.
Then the 25-year-old man, who wishes the deportation of the two
alleged Armenian brothers turned out to be fictitious, tells his
story. He is not eager to discuss the saga.
Dressed in blue jeans, light green shirt and blue sandals, he does
not hide the fact that his life drastically changed for the better
since early February, when Artur Margaryan hired him as gardener at
his luxurious residence in Nairobi’s Runda estate.
“He doubled my (earlier) salary; life has been good,” he says.
“My salary is my secret. But I can tell you he paid twice what my
previous employer was giving me.”
But little can remain a secret for a man who worked for foreigners
who have dominated the Press and police investigations. The amount
quoted by police is higher than that earned by a graduate teacher.
Musyoki, who lives in the servant’s quarter, said the “owner of the
house”, who lives in Spring Valley, had employed him last August as
a caretaker.
He says he had agreed with the “owner” that any new tenant would
employ him to work in the home. The Form Four leaver, a bachelor,
says Margaryan promptly paid him in Kenya shillings every end of
month. He fears no other tenant will pay him such an amount in future.
“But that is life…the owner (of the house) will pay (me).”
And how did he learn of the deportation?
“How do you know about it yet you don’t even have a radio in the
house?” he retorted.
He is the only one left in the house after two guards from Tanzania
were deported on Saturday.
Musyoki, whose name means ‘one who returns’, wishes his employer
would eventually do that – return.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NEW CHAIRMAN OF “OUR AZERBAIJAN” BLOCK WAS ELECTED
Author: J.Shahverdiyev
TREND, Azerbaijan
June 12 2006
The meeting of the Council of Chairmen of block “Our Azerbaijan” was
held. The meeting discussed the issue of election of a new chairman
of the block for June-July, Trend reports.
Collecting the majority of votes, the chairman of the Democratic
Socialist Popular Party Zahid Srfibayli was elected the chairman of
block “Our Azerbaijan” for the next months. Besides, other questions
were discussed at the meeting. The Council of Chairmen expressed
attitude towards the talks held between the presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan in Bucharest on solution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and
supported the position of official Baku.
The final discussion was dedicated to the issue of the unification of
“Our Azerbaijan” block member-parties. The report of the Unification
Commission was heard. In accordance with the agreement, it is intended
to call the structure, in which the parties will unify, – “Our Way”.

GEORGIAN-ARMENIAN POLITICAL CONSULTATIONS HELD IN ARMENIA
The Messenger, Georgia
June 12 2006
On June 9 in Yerevan consultations between Foreign Ministries of
Armenia and Georgia were held.
The Foreign Ministry of Georgia announced that the Georgian party
was represented by Valeri Chechelashvili, the first deputy Foreign
Minister of Georgia, Armenian party – by Gegam Garibjanyan, the deputy
Foreign Minister.
The parties discussed perspectives of cooperation in political,
economic, humanitarian, cultural spheres and issues of regional
cooperation.
In the framework of the visit Georgian delegation met with Vardan
Oskanyan, the Foreign Minister of Armenia.
The parties coordinated terms of the visit of the head of the foreign
political department to Tbilisi. The working visit of Vardan Oskanyan
will be held on June 27-28, 2006.