PanARMENIAN.Net
Turkish EU Membership Probability Very High, Turkish Expert Believes
29.07.2006 14:24 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The probability of Turkey’s membership at the EU is
very high, Turkish expert Gultekin Burcu told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter in Yerevan. In her words, firstly economic reforms are
necessary. «However, these should be in line with human rights and
freedom of expression reforms, reconsideration of some articles of the
Criminal Code. I am an optimist however and I believe that Turkey is
on a right way,» she noted.
At that she underscored that economy underlies everything. «If
countries of the region understand that trading is more profitable
than fighting, solution of conflicts may become a bit closer. I do not
say that development of economic ties is a panacea for all problems,
but these are necessary,» Gultekin Burcu stressed.

PanARMENIAN.Net
NATO Activation in South Caucasus Aimed at Attaining Peace
29.07.2006 14:27 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Activation of the NATO in the region is aimed at
attaining peace, stability and political dialogue between states,
which can speed up solution of protracted conflicts, Advisor of the
Section for Arms Control and International Security of the Armenian
MFA Armen Yedigaryan stated in Yerevan. In his words, one of the major
goal’s of Armenia’s cooperation with the NATO within the Individual
Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) is to create a defense system meeting
international standards.
«Our cooperation with the Alliance has several directions: constant
consultations and meetings with NATO political leaders, active
participation in the Partnership for Peace Program, participation in
peacekeeping operations in Kosovo as part of KFOR international
forces,’ Yedigaryan remarked.

PanARMENIAN.Net
Baku: Azerbaijan Will Not Be Ready to Military Operation in Karabakh
before 2008
29.07.2006 15:00 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict by
force is realistic in principle, stated political commentator of the
Zerkalo newspaper Rauf Mirkadyrov. In his words, this has to be a
short-term campaign. «Everyone knows that international interests
often conflict. There sometimes are forces interested in escalation of
conflicts. Exactly those forces can slow down, weaken the
international response. On these days we observe that trend in the
Middle East. While the US slows down the speed of making decisions in
international organizations, e.g. the UN, Israel is attaining its
goal. Thus, everything is possible,» he believes. In the commentator’s
opinion, in case of launching hostilities in Karabakh, Azerbaijan has
to determine its military potential and assess the international
situation. «Azerbaijan’s military budget currently exceeds that of
Armenia several times, however these were equal in 2003. I do not
think that within the past 3 years we were able to considerably
strengthen our army at the expense of additional funds. I do not thing
that before 2008 we will be ready to a military operation like that,»
he said, reports Analitika.az.
We note that according to the data of Azerbaijan’s Military Prosecutor
Hanlar Veliyev, 15 desertion cases were registered in the Azeri army
within the past 6 months.

PanARMENIAN.Net
Kocharian Met with OSCE MG US Co-Chair
29.07.2006 15:31 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Robert Kocharian today met with
US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group for settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict Matthew Bryza, the Press Service of the Armenian
leader told PanARMENIAN.Net. During the meeting the interlocutors
discussed latest developments in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement.

Levon Aronyan to participate in an international chess tournament in
Dortmund
ArmRadio.am
29.07.2006 11:33
An international chess super tournament will start today in Dortmund,
Germany. Grand Master of Armenia Levon Aronyan will participate in the
tournament.
The contest will host also Russians Vladimir Kramnik and Pyotor
Svidler, English Michael Adams, Hungarian Peter Leco, Georgian Bahadur
Jobava, German Arkady Naydich and Israeli Boris Gelfand.

Armenia ranks 52nd in the mentality index list

ArmRadio.am
29.07.2006 12:18
Armenia ranks 52nd in the World Bank list of mentality index of the
countries of the world. When making the list, factors such as the
literacy of the population, the number of Internet and telephone
users, the legislative basis, the number of scientific periodicals,
etc were considered. The top three of the countries includes Sweden,
Finland and Denmark. Among CIS countries Russia ranks 41st, Ukraine is
49th, Georgia is 66th.

Armenia’s humanitarian aid has reached Beirut

ArmRadio.am
29.07.2006 15:25
The humanitarian aid of Armenia has already reached Beirut and
Armenian Ambassador to Lebanon Vahan Ter-Ghevondyan has already
submitted it to the Council coordinating the humanitarian aid. The
Ambassador told `Armenpress’ that the 509 boxes included medicines and
medical necessities. To remind, RA Government took the decision on
July 27 to provide 20 million drams for humanitarian aid to
Lebanon. According to Vahan Ter-Ghevondyan this step of the Armenian
Government received positive feedback on the part of the Lebanese
people and was largely covered by Lebanese media.

HAKOB HAKOBYAN BLACKMAILS THE COUNTRY
Lragir.am
29 July 06
There is a joke. The friends tell a glutton to stop eating, and he
says,`Don’t touch me, I’ll burst, and you’ll be in the shit.’
I wish such situations occurred at tables only. However, the message
of the joke acquires a serious meaning, when this talk takes place in
public life, especially in the political sphere. A similar situation
has occurred in the political life of Armenia. The society accuses the
Republican Party that by rounding up the entire criminal corps and
growing fat at the expense of people this political party is gradually
coming up to its end. And this end will be given by people.
Hardly anyone in Armenia would like to return to the unipartisan
period, especially led by the military criminal contingent. Because
they are pointing to the Republican more and more often that it is
wrong, they can eventually get into trouble because people are looking
through them. This time the daring Member of Parliament Hakob Hakobyan
assumed the responsibility of threatening the public and saying, `If
something happens to the Republican, itwill be the end of the
country.’
Hence, one cannot help respecting the authors of this joke. It is not
accidental that they displayed this vicious logic by using a modest
scene of a feast, because in another scene they would have to say, `If
I end up, I’ll take the whole country (no, not into the shit) away
with me.’ Good for Hakob Hakobyan, he dared to express this cynicism.
Serge Sargsyan would not dareto, he does not have the courage although
he is burning with this desire. What shall we say? This format of
dialogue between the Armenian society and the consolidated criminal is
distressing. It may only mean that comradeship has declared war
against people. This should have been prevented. For this reason there
is no need to have a dialogue with the criminal. The Americans are
right when they say it is wrong to negotiate with terrorists. They
have considerable experience and they know better. If you talk to
them, you aresure to hear something bad. Therefore, they simply catch
terrorists and put them where they should be. And if they resist, you
use force legally. The Armenian society has little experience. But
this situation has occurred before. The regime of the almighty General
Babayan was dismantled at one time, whereas an entire group of
hakobhakobyans used to yell at the country, `don’ t touch the
commander, otherwise it will be end of the country.’ And it is even a
shame to remember those hakobhakobyans. The Karabakh army, in fact,got
rid of the criminal, and the country took a breath and went on. The
end of the regime was not the end of the country, as everyone who
cynically milked the country due to this regime would wish. It was
only the end of their happy private life.
There are other examples from the past. These have a common logic: the
dying criminal blackmails everyone threatening by the imminent end
everyone who won ‘t accept it. Fortunately, it’s all over for it. It
is bad, however, that the generations moving on towards the end do not
learn from their godfathers’ experience. God be with them. The worst
thing is that the public also fails to learn, whereas it is high time.

`POLITICAL COMPONENT OF REPUBLICAN WAS REPLACED BY OLIGARCHIC,CRIMINAL ONE’
Lragir.am
29 July 06
After the extraordinary conference and enlargement the Republican
Party weakened, stated Hovanes Hovanisyan, the leader of the Liberal
ProgressiveParty July 29 at the Azdak Club.
`The political component of the Republican Party weakened dramatically
and became smaller. The political component of the Republican Party
was replaced by the oligarchic, criminal one,’ says Hovanes
Hovanisyan, expressing his sorrow because the Republican Party was one
of the first political partiesof the third Armenian republic, which is
a certain value.
`But they went along another path, they preferred power and money to
political developments and the prospect that their friends had dreamed
to reach in Armenia. I think that in 1990 and 1991, when the political
party was established, they did not dream of this party,’ says the
leader ofthe Liberal Progressive Party. According to him, the
political component of the Republican Party is much smaller at present
than that of the innumerable political parties of Armenia.
If it is already clear how the Republican Party will go on to operate
and run for parliament, but it is unclear how the part of the
political sphere which condemns the approaches of the Republican Party
will fight the administra tive and criminal resource.
`It is not our path. I have stated for a number of times and I am
stating it now. We have to realize that life shows that every time
they try to solve the political problems of the country by force,
money, the criminal, firstthis political party is doomed, then the
country where they are,’ says Hovanes Hovanisyan. In his opinion,
nothing will change in the country if the Republican Party gets 40-50
percent votes. `Nothing will happen inthis country except for the
bad,’ says the leader of the Liberal Progressive Party in connection
with this development.
`The immediate effect, the full dinner or supporting family, or the
formula of daily bread cannot be turned into the nation’s
fate. Whereas this is what all of us are busy doing, isn’t it? You
listen to someone talking,who says, well, we are supporting our
family. Is there anyone who has children and is reluctant to support
them. How can one has such an approach to the problem?’ says Hovanes
Hovanisyan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

David Babayan: Matthew Bryza’s visit is of both formal and political character

ArmRadio.am
29.07.2006 14:31
Political Scientist David Babayan consider that OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chair Matthew Bryza’s visit is of both formal and political
character. It is formal in the regard that any newly appointed
Co-Chair should visit the countries evolved in the conflict to learn
the situation and to establish personal ties with leaders of those
countries.
As for the political nature, the case will not be resolved without a
visit to NKR. It’s not a secret for anyone that together with
Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh is the main party of the conflict, despite
the fact whether it participates in the negotiations or not. Holding
Karabakh-Azerbaijan direct talks is just a matter of time. Therefore,
Bryza’s visit to NKR is important especially from this perspective,
particularly on the background of failure of the negotiations between
the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan.