KARABAKH IS NOT AN ISSUE FOR INTERPOLITICAL SPECULATIONS
Panorama.am
18:21 06/06/06
“We think that Karabakh conflict is a pan-national issue and I
wouldn’t like our authorities to fail despite of the fact we accept
them or not,” Albert Bazeyan, the head of National Revival party said
today. He said that Karabakh conflict must not to be speculated in
interpolitical processes.
Panorama.am asked Bazeyan under what conditions cooperation with the
authorities is possible to which Bazeyan said, “If we believe that
they are ready for fair elections in Armenia,” Bazeyan was asked why
they have been passive recently to which he answered that “in Armenia
parties in opposition cannot engage in active role”, meaning scarce
financial resources for that.

FORMAL PRESS CONFERENCE AT FOREIGN MINISTRY OF ARMENIA
Panorama.am
19:59 06/06/06
Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) Parliamentary Assembly general
session will take place on June 7-8 in the National Assembly of Armenia
with the attendance of Leonidas Chrizantopulos, Secretary General of
the organization.
Taking chance of his visit, the Secretary General has come one day
earlier to discuss reforms proposed by BSEC with the newly elected
speaker of the parliament and the foreign minister of Armenia.
According to him, he has held similar meetings in Russian, the Ukraine,
Albania, Turkey. Chrizantopulos also met with A. Kirakosyan, Armenian
deputy foreign minister with who he held a joint press conference
today.
According to the speakers, BSEC aims economic cooperation one and
does not engage in political affairs. The organization is divided
into 17 fields with working groups established in each field. The
deputy minister of foreign affairs said that they are planning to
build a highway running among all BSEC member states around the
Black Sea. The scheme will be detailed in a working group composed
of transport ministers of the countries.
Since BSEC does not engage in political affairs, Chrizantopulos
declined from the answer on political processes, particularly on
Iran.

IMPRACTICABLE CHARACTER OF CALLS FOR REVOLUTION DEMORALIZES SOCIETY EVEN MORE, ALBERT BAZEYAN SAYS
Noyan Tapan
June 06 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 6, NOYAN TAPAN. One of the greatest and deepest problems
of today’s Armenia is incompleteness of its political field. Albert
Bazeyan, the Chairman of the “National Re-Birth” (Azgayin Veratsnund)
party stated about it at the June 6 press-conference. According to
him, the party headed by him continues active cooperation with other
opposing forces, and it is not excluded that the “National Re-Birth”
may enter a pre-electoral bloc with one of them.
A.Bazeyan also defined that the final decisison on this issue
will be accepted on the second sitting of the party at the end of
the current year. He stated that he considers cooperation with the
“Hanrapetutiun” (Republic) party and the Armenian National Movement
of little possibility. Bazeyan mentioned that he has never spoke
about revolution: one thing is calls about revolution, and just
another is the ability to implement these calls, especially that their
impracticable character demoralizes the society even more. According
to him, after the referendum on the constitutional amendments, the
“National Re-Birth,” in contrary to some other opposing forces,
was sure that dissatisfaction with violations at the referendum will
not increase into a revolution. At the same time, he added that the
“National Re-Birth” party stays on its former positions: the elections
were illegal, and the authorities are not legitimate. As for the
Kocharian-Aliyev meeting in Bucharest, Albert Bazeyan stated that the
“National Re-Birth” did not believe in productivity of this meeting as
well as of the previous meeting in Rambouillet: “We have no illusions
that the Armenian authorities will bend to outer pressure. The Nagorno
Karabakh problem is a national one, and we would not like that the
authorities of Armenia fail as any following authorities will inherit
that problem in already formed type.”

NKR DRAFT CONSTITUTION TO BE PRESENTED TO DISCUSSION OF PARLIAMENT
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
June 06 2006
STEPANAKERT, JUNE 6, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Regular sitting
of the NKR Constitutional Committee took place on June 5 presided
by President of the republic Arkadi Ghukasian. Opening it, Arkadi
Ghukasian estimated positively the process of working out the draft
to the NKR main law and fixed with satisfaction that the prepared
part has already been positively responded by experts. Then Armen
Zalinian, the head of the CC working group presented the report on the
group’s activity, after what heads and high-ranking representatives of
political forces of the republic, government and NA expressed their
viewpoints about the draft. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the NKR
President’s acting Press Secretary, summing up the presented opinions
and approaches, Arkadi Ghukasian made a decision on presenting the
draft for discussion at the NKR NA. At the same time, the President
of the republic instructed the working group to continue actively
the process of studying and discussion of the draft.

RPA MEMBER TO APPEAL AGAINST DISTRICT ELECTORAL COMMISSION’S DECISION AT COURT
Noyan Tapan
June 06 2006
IJEVAN, JUNE 6, NOYAN TAPAN. According to preliminary data, as a
result of the elections held on May 28 in the community of Debedavan,
Tavush region, current village head, RPA member Salavat Babayan had
received 190 votes and his rival, non-partisan Vanya Damirchian 188
votes. The latter applied to district electoral commission N 40 with
a demand to recalculate the ballot-papers.
The commission recognized invalid 4 ballot-papers for Salavat
Babayan. As a result, the commission registered 186 ballot-papers for
Salavat Babayan and the number of ballot-papers for Vanya Damirchian
remained unchanged, 188. Salavat Babayan applied to first instance
court of Tavush region demanding that the decision of district
electoral commission N 40 about recognizing the ballot-papers invalid
be invalidated. As Chairman of Tavush first instance court Samvel
Mardanian is a member of the same commission, the court sitting on
this case will be presided by judge of the same court Zoya Zakinian
(residence town of Berd). The latter informed Noyan Tapan correspondent
that the court sitting, probably, will take place on June 7.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CO-CHAIRMEN CONTINUE TO BELIEVE THAT YEAR 2006 IS A WINDOW FOR REACHING AGREEMENT ON NAGORNO KARABAKH
Noyan Tapan
June 06 2006
BUCHAREST, JUNE 6, NOYAN TAPAN. The OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs
“continue to believe that the year 2006 is a window for reaching
agreement on Nagorno Karabakh.” OSCE Minsk Group American Co-chair
Steven Mann declared this to radio Liberty on June 5 in Bucharest. In
response to the question about progress in the negotiations process
as compared with the previous stage, the American diplomat said:
“I will only say that we have had very detailed negotiations.”
According to reports, asked about the working document on the main
principles of conflict settlement in circulation, Steven Mann said:
“Documents are changed very often.” So, according to radio Liberty,
no result was registered at the Bucharest stage of Nagorno Karabakh
negotiations, either.

PROJECT OF CONSTRUCTION OF CIRCULAR ROAD INCLUDING ARMENIA WORKED OUT WITHIN FRAMEWORK OF BSEC
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
June 06 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 6, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The June 6 joint press
conference of RA Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakosian and BSEC
Secretary General, Ambassador Leonidas Chrisanthopoulos was dedicated
to issues of development of cooperation of Armenia within the framework
of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC). Both
speakers expressed satisfaction with Armenia’s cooperation in this
organization. It was mentioned that the BSEC General Secretariate
has had meetings with the Armenian President, Foreign Minister and
other high-ranking officials. Leonidas Chrisanthopoulos informed that
currently BSEC is considering issues of its reforming and in this
respect the opinion of BSEC country-members is especially valuable. He
mentioned that BSEC attaches great importance to the session of BSEC
PA to be held in Yerevan. Ambassador Chrisanthopoulos also said
that it is supposed that an analogous summit be held next year in
Istanbul. According to him, one of the main advantages of BSEC is
that representatives of countries having no diplomatic relations can
meet within the framework of this organization.
L.Chrisanthopoulos informed that Greece being the only participant of
BSEC, which is at the same time a EU member, has submitted a proposal
on activization of cooperation between BSEC and EU to the Council of
Ministers of this organization.
According to him, possibly, this issue will be discussed at the highest
political level, unless this takes place, BSEC will continue to work
in this direction with the next EU chairman, Finland. According to
Arman Kirakosian, the legal field created within the framework of
BSEC permits to hope for a full-value cooperation with EU. He said
that a project of construction of a circular road aroud the Black
Sea is being worked out within the framework of BSEC at present
and possibly, in September of the current year the project will be
submitted to BSEC for consideration. L.Chrisanthopoulos mentioned
that the issue of transport communications is one of the important
ones and the project of the circular road also envisages a compulsory
connection with Armenia. To recap, Leonidas L.Chrisanthopoulos was
the Ambassador of Greece to Armenia in 1992-93.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NA SPEAKER ATTACHES IMPORTANCE TO DISCUSSION OF MISSSING PEOPLE’S ISSUE ON HUMANE PLANE AND KEEPING FROM POLITICAL SPECULATIONS
Noyan Tapan
June 06 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 6, NOYAN TAPAN. RA National Assembly Speaker Tigran
Torosian received on June 5 Leo Platvoet, the PACE Migration, Refugees
and Population Committee Rapporteur on Missiong People in Armenia,
Georgia and Azerbaijan.
Issues relating to the report to be prepared as a result of
L.Platvoet’s regional visit were discussed. Tigran Torosian attached
importance to discussion of the issue on the humane plane and keeping
from political speculations, having a task to help people as much
as possible to clear up fate of their friends missed during the
war and later. Expressing satisfaction that Leo Platvoet met with
representatives of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh as well, the NA
Speaker proposed to visit Nagorno Karabakh and create a working group
in a tripartite format from representatives of Armenia, Azerbaijan
and Karabakh who working directly with each other, will be able
to help searches of missing people. Agreeing with this proposal,
L.Platvoet mentioned that he envisages to propose sides in his report
to start a cooperation at the level of organizations engaged in these
problems. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the NA Public Relations
Department, interparliamentary relations of Armenia and Azerbaijan
were also touched upon: Tigran Torosian mentioned that Armenia is
ready for cooperation that is already being implemented in different
formats: meetings in international structures, within the framework of
parliamentary initiative of South Caucasus as it attached importance
to creation of a beneficial atmosphere for solutions of big issues
by small steps, small solutions. The NA Speaker drew attention to
that circumstance that false rumours are always spread in Azerbaijani
press about Armenians’ violent attitude towards missing people what
deepens hatred, while 1416 PACE resolution calls on to guard oneself
from propaganda of hatred.

ACCORDING TO OSCE MG AMERICAN CO-CHAIRMAN, “GOOD ATMOSPHERE EXISTED” AT KOCHARIAN-ALIYEV BUCHAREST MEETING
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
June 06 2006
BUCHAREST, JUNE 6, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan Robert Kocharian and Ilham Aliyev met in the
capital of Romania, Bucharest, on June 4. The second meeting during
this year that took place in the Embassy of Poland to Romania,
finished a bit after midnight by Yerevan time. After the Armenian
and Azerbaijani Presidents’ leaving the Embassy building, the OSCE
Minsk Group Co-Chairmen remained and negotiated separately for another
hour. “The Presidents had a meeting which lasted two and a half hours.
That was a detailed discussion of issues. Then the Presidents met
with Co-Chairmen for about 45 minutes. We have a not worked out
program to meet tomorrow as well. A good atmosphere existed during
the negotiations. I must repear, a good atmosphere and a detailed
discussion. We’ll see what will be later,” OSCE Minsk Group American
Co-Chairman Steven Mann said to Radio Liberty at the end of the
negotiations. Russian Co-Chairman Yuri Merzliakov, responding the
issue how he will compare these negotiations with the Rambouillet,
stated: “I think that this was a meeting of completely other type,
and the atmosphere has always been good.” Robert Kocharian refused to
comment upon the taken place negotiations in any way, mentioning that
“there is no agreement to speak to press,” that’s why it’s not proper
that he comments upon it. And Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev did
not speak to journalists at all.

VARTAN OSKANIAN: KOCHARIAN AND ALIYEV AGAIN COULD NOT SOLVE IN BUCHAREST PROBLEM ARISEN IN RAMBOUILLET
Noyan Tapan
June 06 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 6, NOYAN TAPAN. “That problem that Presidents
attempted to solve in Rambouillet, and that was not succeeded,
they were not able solve in Bucharest, either,” RA Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian informed journalists about it on June 5, commenting
upon results of the Bucharest meeting of the Presidents of Armenia
and Azerbaijan. According to the Minister, in spite of the fact,
that Co-Chairmen proposed formulations and new approaches on the
Karabakh issue, the Presidents did not manage to agree. According to
the Minister, however, there is an instruction to Foreign Ministers
of Armenia and Azerbaijan to continue negotiations and “attempt to
find common borders maybe just on the occasion of that issue till
the President’s next meeting.”