DERVISHES’ DANCE ON THE CHRIST’S IMAGE
Marina Grigoryan “Golos Armenii” (The Voice Of Armenia)
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
June 1 2006
Turkish Advertisement with Religious-Political Implication The
shots from the Turkish video clip have been “walking” by the World
Network three days and have already been titled “Dervishes’ Dance
on the Christ’s Image”. According to the Yerkramas newspaper of the
Russian Armenians, in St. Petersburg the Armenian activists are going
to institute legal proceedings against a Turkish agency circulating
cadres, which are offensive for Christians: the Christian cultural
monuments on the territory of modern Turkey are presented as cities
that have sunk, where only mermaids swim, while the image of Jesus
Christ has turned into a dance hall.
Such provocative video clips can hardly be considered just a commercial
subterfuge. Too little time has elapsed since a scandal caused by
Danish caricatures depicting the Prophet Muhammad, so one is inclined
to believe in obvious premeditation of the step undertaken by Turks
to artificially foment interreligious passions.
Turkey, which is doing its best to position itself as a secular
state that observes ethnical minorities’ rights, evidently cannot be
considered a civilized country, for even commercial interests are
unable to conceal political and expansionist ones. The Christian
cultural monuments, on which the heirs of nomads perform ritual
dances, testify to the fact that the very nomads that have arrogated
to themselves the invaluable monuments of the world history pretending
to be the region’s autochthon population are unworthy of such legacy
and can just spoil and destroy it. It is quite symbolic that Armenians
have been the first to make those who committed sacrilege responsible
via litigation – without mentioning other factors, the wound and pain
of the deprivation of thousands of the Jugha khachkars destroyed by
Turkish vandals is still with us. And yet, if political interests
hampered the Christian world’s consolidation in the issue referring
to khachkars, perhaps, this time the blasphemous cadres will make
Christians rebuff the provocateurs stirring up interreligious rows and
setting the representatives of various confessions against each other?

CUP VIEW FROM THE STREETS OF NEW YORK
By George Vecsey
The New York Times
May 31, 2006 Wednesday
Late Edition – Final
WE were having lunch outdoors the other day, the way one does on the
first warm afternoon in Lyon or Paris or New York, three cities where
Youri Djorkaeff has lived.
A stocky Argentine man, dining a few tables away, did a double take
when he spotted the alert dark features of the patron at the corner
table.
“It’s like talking to God,” the Argentine man sputtered in English,
as Djorkaeff accepted a hug and posed for a photo. “I know Maradona,”
the stranger continued. “He used to come to my house when he was
hiding out. Who do you think will win the World Cup this year? You
think my country has a chance?”
This question is being asked in 32 nations around the world this
week. Djorkaeff replied that Argentina and Italy are always good,
but in the end Brazil has so much talent.
“It’s like an exact science,” Djorkaeff said. “The same three, always,
and maybe France or England or Germany.” Reluctantly but civilly,
the Argentine man went back to his lunch, letting Djorkaeff get back
to his seafood salad and rose.
In 1998, in the World Cup final won by France, Youri Djorkaeff aimed a
corner kick toward the talented scalp of Zinedine Zidane, who headed
in a goal against Brazil. Now playing for the New York Red Bulls of
Major League Soccer, Djorkaeff, like billions of other people, is
preparing to watch the world’s most popular sports event next month,
on the tube from Germany.
“This will be my first World Cup,” Djorkaeff said the other day.
“I will sit on the sofa and watch, like a good fan. I am checking
the web to get all the information on the French team.”
Djorkaeff and his wife and three children are living in the Gramercy
Park section of Manhattan. As a proud Frenchman of Armenian and
Kalmuk ancestry, Djorkaeff is a little disappointed there is not
more of an Armenian presence in New York, but he loves the long
and mostly anonymous walks around this city. He also does not mind
being lionized at French places like Frederick’s Lounge at Madison
and East 65th Street, where he is one more sporting prince of this
international city where soccer is a thriving daily presence.
He was born to the spotlight, since his father, Jean, was captain of
France in the 1966 World Cup in England. When Djorkaeff was a child,
he played with a fuzzy replica of World Cup Willie, the mascot of
the English cup.
He became a star for Inter Milan, living close to the fabled Duomo.
(“Milan is an amazing city, but a lot of it is hidden. You open
a door, and there are these amazing courtyards and gardens.”) He
joined the French national squad after the breakup of the beautiful
underachieving team of the 1980’s.
In the sunlight on Madison Avenue, Djorkaeff pointed to goose bumps
on his arms as he recalled how the charismatic, multicultural French
team rolled toward the 1998 Cup.
“Half of us played in Italy,” Djorkaeff said, recalling those heady
days a decade ago, when Italy had the best league in the world. He
still marvels at how the French coach, Aime Jacquet, confided in 1997
that “everything is ready” to win the World Cup. Djorkaeff thought
Jacquet had gone mad, “Coach, are you O.K.?”
Exactly eight years ago, Jacquet assembled 23 superb individuals at a
rural camp. “Those little games in training, six men on a side, were
fantastic,” Djorkaeff recalled. “You ran a drill, the ball never went
out. But it’s not just you. It’s the other team. Your whole group. I
never saw soccer like this. On our team, if anything went wrong,
Jacquet had two or three solutions. Everybody was together.”
After the 3-0 victory over Brazil for the championship, Jacquet gave
the players two options: Celebrate in the City of Lights or go back
to the training base with their wives — “the last time we would all
be together,” Djorkaeff said in a hushed voice. The players chose
to go back to the chateau, while millions of fans celebrated along
the Champs-Elysees.
In 2002 in South Korea, Djorkaeff and his mates were older, more
brittle, and did not make it out of the first round. “It is harder
when you are champion,” Djorkaeff said. He retired from the national
team, and last season he chose to play in M.L.S. for the experience
of living in Manhattan.
“If you think about football in Italy or France, you would go home
in a week,” he said, respectfully, “but I am at a point where I want
to help build something here.”
He is busy on the phone these days, plugging his new book, “Snake”
— the English nickname by which he is known in France — written
with Arnaud Ramsay, and published only in French by Grasset.
The American league will soldier on during the World Cup, with the Red
Bulls playing a game the same day, June 17, the United States plays
Italy. Still Djorkaeff is marking off all the games he can possibly
catch. He has helped win a World Cup. Now it is time to watch one.

WHO IS TRYING TO SPLIT THE CIS?
by Roman Simakov
Translated by Pavel Pushkin
Source: Voenno-Promyshlennyi Kuryer, No. 20, May 2006, p. 2
Agency WPS
What the Papers Say Part A (Russia)
June 1, 2006 Thursday
The West doesn’t want a rival in Eurasia
Ill-wishers say that the CIS will soon disappear; It must be admitted
that there are serious political disputes in the framework of the
CIS. Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine – that is, the countries where
overtly anti-Russian political elites hold power – are saying more
and more often that they’re prepared to quit the CIS.
For several years now, certain circles with an interest in the matter
have been saying that the days of the Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS) are numbered. In the light of recent events, this issue
is once again being raised in various media outlets and some CIS
countries. But the CIS, going through a reform phase, continues to
exist and function effectively in various areas. One of the more
robust areas that links most CIS countries is military cooperation.
The latest confirmation of this is the fact that another meeting of
the CIS defense ministers’ council is being held in Baku, Azerbaijan,
on May 31.
The meeting plans to consider a number of very important issues. The
defense ministers intend to confirm the basic areas of activity and
measures for the CIS Military Cooperation Concept to 2010, and discuss
the state of flight safety in the armed forces of CIS countries. They
plan to reach agreement on documents required to establish a common
(unified) military communications system for CIS countries. The
defense ministers will also consider the performance of the Joint
Peacekeeping Forces in the Abkhazian conflict zone.
The question of next year’s funding for the CIS Unified Air Defense
System (UADS) will also be considered. A command-staff training
exercise involving UADS management bodies and forces was concluded
on April 25. The exercise involved air forces and air defense forces
from eight CIS countries: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine.
On the whole, military contacts within the CIS framework remain active
– although not all countries are showing interest or initiative.
What would replace the CIS?
All the same, it must be admitted that there are serious political
disputes in the framework of the CIS. Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine –
that is, the countries where overtly anti-Russian political elites
hold power – are saying more and more often that they’re prepared to
quit the CIS.
On May 2, President Mikhail Saakashvili of Georgia instructed the
government to consider the expediency of Georgia’s continuing
participation in the CIS and to present an accurate economic
justification within the next two months. Vladimir Ogryzko, Senior
Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine, says that Ukraine doesn’t receive
real results from membership in the CIS. Similar statements are made
periodically in Chisinau.
Nonetheless, so far not a single one of these countries has dared
to undertake the final withdrawal from the CIS. Why? The answer is
obvious: political and economic losses from this action will be much
bigger than received benefits. Moscow has already demonstrated that
if necessary it can tighten up economic nuts. Russian government is
considering liquidation of various preferences for some CIS member
states because of the statements of their authorities about possible
withdrawal from the CIS.
Nonetheless, the “divorce” the strongest on people’s masses who already
experience hard times. It is necessary to bear in mind that Tbilisi,
Chisinau and Kiev try to bargain and seek additional protection of
those who lobby withdrawal of these countries from the CIS. It is
clear for whom it is beneficial to finally break up what is left from
the USSR: the West doesn’t need a competitor in Eurasia.
Integration could improve significantly the level of competitiveness
of each of the 12 countries. For instance, Washington has already
promised to compensate for the losses expected because of withdrawal
from the CIS.
Against this background Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova
with assistance of overseas sponsors started working more actively in
the framework of the so-called GUAM, an amorphous organization whose
main task is economic cooperation in words and dilution of the CIS in
deed. Experts state that no real economic basis has been created for
GUAM and it will hardly appear in the near future. We would also like
to say that the major part of disputes appearing in the framework of
the CIS is exaggerated and invented according to prompts of Western
puppeteers. Along with this, due to the obstacles appearing on this
path some functions of the CIS went to new international organizations
like the Collective Security Treaty Organization, Eurasian Economic
Community and Common Economic Space. Cooperation in the framework
of these organizations is gradually gaining scale in its specific
directions and is already bringing certain fruits.
Apsheron attracts
It is symbolic that meeting of CIS defense ministers will be held
in Baku. Lately, the Trans-Caucasus in general and Azerbaijan in
particular has been acquiring special importance on the international
geopolitical arena. First, this happens because the Trans-Caucasus
is a key to the Caspian region rich with hydrocarbons. It is a good
economic advantage and hence a reason for increased interest of the
“omnipresent” US. Second, the region attracts attention of the West
in the strategic aspect. Nobody has promised that sooner or later
aggravation of the American-Iranian relations will not lead to a
forceful action of Pentagon against Iran. In this case assistance of
Azerbaijan would be very valuable. It’s no coincidence that the US is
already on its way to basing two radar stations in the republic. On
the one hand, these stations will track operations of the Russian
military base in Armenia. On the other hand, they will control the
Caspian region and the territory of Iran. The official version of the
radar stations construction is strengthening of border control. A year
ago, it was rumored that an American military base would be deployed
in Azerbaijan. Various sources mentioned at least three possible
locations for the base, namely the Apsheron Peninsula, Lenkoran and
military airfield Shirak not far from the Georgian-Azeri border.
Against this background reports appeared in Azeri press in March with
reference to the Institute of Radiation Problems of the National
Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan saying that due to work of the
Russian information and analytical center Daryal (Gabalinskaya radar
station) the level of electromagnetic radiation in the populated
spots neighboring the station allegedly exceeded the norm by a
few hundreds percents. When checked these stations proved to be
ungrounded. According to the press service of the Russian Space Forces,
such statements of representatives of Azeri public “unfortunately very
often ignore results of real research and are at odds with facts.” It
is obvious that intentions to impose opinion about negative impact of
the Russian radar station on environmental situation on Russian and
Azeri public represent attempts to hinder development of Russian-Azeri
relations. It is remarkable that Azeri experts have not turned to
the Russian party officially with statements about any registered
breaches although there is an agreement of Russia and Azerbaijan on
joint conduction of monitoring.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said, “The fact that the
topic of ecology is often used for political goals primarily by
nongovernmental organizations is no secret to anyone.”
Earlier, Baku did not support the Russian initiative about
establishment of the tactical theater group of ships of the Caspian
countries Casfor in the Caspian Sea. Along with this, Washington
already started implementation of its project in the region for
establishment of Caspian Guard for guarding of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
oil pipeline and hydrocarbon resources of the Caspian Sea. It is
known that for the US the Caspian region remains one of the most
important lines of foreign policy as an alternative option for supply
of hydrocarbons because the Persian Gulf area is very unstable. The
Caspian region is also important for promotion of American interests
to the east.
Between Moscow and Washington
Commenting on the recent official visit of Azeri President Ilkham
Aliev to Washington, the official spokesperson for the US Department
of State said that “Azerbaijan is an important country for the US.”
Along with this, Washington is prepared not only to pay money and
to create a foreign policy protection but also to shut its eyes to
breaches of democratic rights and liberties in the republic for a
time being. For the US Azerbaijan is a tasty morsel also because
political landscape in this country is diverse and unstable, which
enables the US to manage the situation in its own interests through
pressurizing of official Baku when necessary. The main factor of
instability in Azerbaijan is the problem of territorial dispute
between Baku and Yerevan. Struggle for democratic values may become
such factor in the future. Incidentally, the US is already doing the
relevant preparatory work.
Lately, Russia has been trying to raise relations with Azerbaijan to
a new level more actively. This is said in the joint statement of the
presidents of the two countries signed in February in Baku. In this
situation Azeri political elite tries to maneuver between Moscow and
Washington bargaining about certain benefits for itself. Nonetheless,
practice shows that sooner or later such “diplomacy” ends. As a rule,
this happens exactly because of excessive appetite and pressure of
overseas friends. On the contrary, cooperation with close neighbors
seems to be the most promising, mutually beneficial and long-lasting.

INTERNATIONAL ANTISMOKING DAY UNDER MOTTO “TOBACCO DEADLY IN ANY FORM” HELD IN YEREVAN
Arka News Agency, Armenia
June 1 2006
Yerevan, May 31. /ARKA/. The International day of struggle against
smoking has been held in Armenia under the motto “Tobacco deadly
in any form, under any mask”. At his press conference, Coordinator
of the Tobacco Control Program, RA Ministry of Health, Alexander
Bazarchyan reported that people must know that all kids of cigarettes
are dangerous.
About 2,000 aged 35-69 die from tobacco-caused diseases in Armenia
every year.
On May 29, 1999, the World health conference made a decision
on elaborating a Framework antismoking convention approved 192
countries. On February 27, 2005, the convention took effect in
Armenia.

ARONIAN’S INDIAN SUMMER
by Malcolm Pein
The Daily Telegraph (LONDON)
May 31, 2006 Wednesday
ARMENIA stretched their lead to two points at the 37th Chess Olympiad
in Turin, with another powerful performance to overcome an in-form
Cuban team 3-1. This took their tally to 24/32. Russia were lucky
to draw 2-2 with the Czech Republic. Peter Svidler was outplayed by
David Navara and Alexander Morozevich was fortunate to win on time
in a dubious position after misplaying the opening.
Ukraine, France and the United States all advanced in the eighth
round and, like the Armenians, they have yet to lose.
Scotland lost to Iran 1-3 as John Shaw conceded his first draw.
England beat Lithuania 2.5-1.5, but Stuart Conquest lost again to
take his score back to 50 per cent.
Leaders: 1 Armenia 24; 2-3 Russia, Ukraine 22; 4-7 China, Georgia,
France, US 21.5; 8-9 Czech Republic, Germany 21; 36 England 18.5;
54 Scotland 17.5; 57 Ireland 17; 73 Wales 16.5.
HERE is Levon Aronian’s tremendous seventh-round win with black.
I Sokolov – L Aronian
37th Olympiad, Turin (7)
Nimzo-Indian
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 c5 (This is the
sharpest way to counter 4.Qc2. Nigel Short got a draw with it against
Kasparov in their WCC final in 1993, but then made the mistake of
playing it again) 7.dxc5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Bg3 Ne4 10.Bxb8 (10.e3 is best
to answer Qa5 with Nge2) 10…Qf6! (A novelty, but I think the move has
been analysed. Black hits c3 a third time and threatens Qxf2) 11.Bg3
Nxc3 12.a3 Bf5 (12…Ba5 13.b4 Ne4 14.Rd1 Bf5 15.Qc1 and White emerges
at least one pawn ahead with the better position) 13.Qd2 Ba5 14.b4
(14.e3! is critical, but Black’s resources are more than adequate
14…0-0-0! [14…0-0 15.b4 Ne4 16.Qd4! defends] 15.Nf3 [or 15.b4
d4! 16.bxa5 dxe3 wins] 15…d4!! 16.Be5 [16.Nxd4 Rxd4 17.exd4 Re8+]
16…dxe3! 17.fxe3 Rxd2 18.Bxf6 Rxb2 19.Bxh8 Nd5+ 20.Nd2 Bxd2+ wins)
14…Ne4 15.Qc1 Rc8!! (A hard move to foresee because it appears to
attack a well-protected pawn, but it wins. White cannot afford to open
any lines) 16.Ra2 (16.bxa5 Rxc5 17.Qd1 Qc3+ 18.Qd2 Qxd2 mate. Or 16.Nf3
Rxc5 17.Be5 Rxc1+ 18.Rxc1 Qb6!) 16…Rxc5 17.Qa1 Qc6!! (A brilliant
finish, White is mated on c1 so Black just has to avoid the checks)
18.Qe5+ Kd8! 19.Qxh8+ Kd7 0-1
Aronian
Sokolov
Final position after 19…Kd7.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TURKEY, ARMENIA HAVE HELD TALKS ON NORMALISING TIES: OFFICIAL
Agence France Presse — English
May 31, 2006 Wednesday 12:02 PM GMT
Diplomats from Turkey and Armenia have held exploratory talks since
last year in a bid to normalise bilateral ties poisoned by allegations
of genocide against Armenians during World War I, a Turkish foreign
ministry spokesman said Wednesday.
Three rounds of talks have been held so far between deputy
undersecretaries of the two foreign ministries “to determine whether
there is common ground on which to make progress with respect to
bilateral ties,” spokesman Namik Tan told a press conference here.
Preparations are under way for the next round of talks, he added.
Tan said Ankara is determined to pursue efforts to normalise relations,
but said Armenia too must do its part.
“Naturally, getting a result from these efforts would depend on
Armenia adopting a more flexible and constructive attitude, as well
as acting in line with international law in current bilateral and
regional problems,” Tan said.
Ankara has refused to set up diplomatic ties with Yereven since the
former Soviet republic gained independence in 1991 because of Armenian
efforts to secure international condemnation of the controversial
1915-1917 killings as genocide.
Armenians claim up to 1.5 million of their kin were slaughtered in
orchestrated killings during the last years of the Ottoman Empire,
the predecessor of modern Turkey.
Turkey categorically rejects the genocide label and argues that
300,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died in civil strife
when the Armenians took up arms for independence in eastern Anatolia
and sided with Russian troops invading Ottoman soil.
In 1993, Turkey also shut its border with Armenia in a show of
solidarity with its close ally Azerbaijan, which was at war with
Armenia over the Nagorny-Karabakh enclave, dealing a heavy economic
blow on the impoverished nation.
Ankara wants Armenia to both abandon its campaign for the recognition
of the massacres as genocide, and make progress in its dispute with
Baku before formal diplomatic relations can be established.
Tan explained that the recent talks were launched after an exchange
of letters in April 2005 between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan and Armenian President Robert Kocharian.
In initiating the correspondence, Erdogan proposed the creation of a
joint commission of historians to study the genocide allegations as
a first step towards normalising ties.
Kocharian accepted the Turkish proposal in principle, but underlined
that Ankara should first unconditionally normalise relations with
Yerevan.
Ankara is under pressure from the European Union, which it is seeking
to join, to re-open its border with Armenia, and has faced mounting
calls from EU countries to address the genocide allegations.
The Armenian massacres remain one of the most sensitive periods in
Turkish history despite a burgeoning debate among Turks on the issue.
Several Western countries have recognized the killings of that period
as genocide, much to Ankara’s chagrin.

PROSECUTOR-GENERAL AGAIN DENIES LINKS WITH NEW PARTY
By Karine Kalantarian
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep
June 1 2006
Prosecutor-General Aghvan Hovsepian insisted on Thursday that he
was not behind the recent creation of a new political party that has
staked a claim to a role in Armenia’s next government to be formed
after next year’s parliamentary election.
“I have said repeatedly that I am not engaged in party building,” he
said. “You may say something once and everyone will understand. But
you may say something for ten times and not everyone will understand.”
Hovsepian was commenting on allegations by a top leader of the
governing Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun),
Hrant Markarian, that he is illegally sponsoring the Association for
Armenia party. Some of the party’s leaders have close ties with the
influential prosecutor.
“The current prosecutor of the Republic of Armenia has no right to
create a party. Neither directly, nor indirectly,” Markarian told the
newspaper “Iravunk” last week. He repeated his view in an interview
with RFE/RL on Tuesday.
Markarian also accused Hovsepian of behaving like a “feudal ruler”
of the central Aragatsotn province which is governed by a member
of Dashnaktsutyun. Reports in the Dashnaktsutyun-controlled media
have said the Prosecutor-General’s Office has conducted politically
motivated inspections of local government agencies and schools in
recent weeks.
One of the Aragatsotn districts, Aparan, is known as the stronghold of
Hovsepian’s Nig-Aparan organization uniting prominent natives of the
area. The Association for Armenia plans to make a strong showing there.
“The people know well who is who,” Hovsepian told RFE/RL after
inaugurating a new U.S.-funded forensic laboratory of Armenia’s
law-enforcement bodies. He refused to answer more questions.

A SHORTAGE OF MINISTERS
by Irada Alekperova, Baku; Petr Iskenderov
Source: Vremya Novostei, May 31, 2006, p. 2
Agency WPS
What the Papers Say Part B (Russia)
May 31, 2006 Wednesday
Not all CIS defense ministers are attending the Baku meeting;
The defense ministers of Azerbaijan, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and representatives
of the CIS executive committee, will attend a meeting in Azerbaijan
today. Representatives of Georgia and Armenia will not attend.
A scheduled meeting of the CIS Council of Defense Ministers will
be held in Baku today. The defense ministers of Azerbaijan, Russia,
Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan,
and representatives of the CIS executive committee, will attend the
summit. Representatives of Georgia and Armenia will not attend. The
Ukrainian delegation will be present as an observer.
The agenda includes around 20 issues, including the program of
development of military cooperation within the framework of the CIS
until 2010. The ministers also hope to pass the agenda of the Council
of defense ministers for 2007, discuss the development of the joint
air defense system, the creation of the joint communications system
and the performance of the collective peacekeeping contingent in the
zone of the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict. Russian Defense Minister
Sergei Ivanov will chair the meeting. He arrived in Baku yesterday
and held negotiations with Azeri Defense Minister Safar Abiyev.
The newspaper reports that the ministers plan to discuss the Karabakh
problem. They will have to do this without Armenia. The press service
of the Azeri Defense Ministry stated that Baku considers Armenian
servicemen as persona non grata, which is why the republic did not
sent the invitation to Yerevan.
Armenia explained the situation as follows. Press secretary Seiran
Shakhsuvaryan of the Defense Ministry said that Azerbaijan did not
provide security guarantees. Yerevan awaits the Council’s official
reaction to Azerbaijan’s failure to ensure the security of participants
in the international conference on its territory.
Azeri press secretary Ilgar Verdiyev said that such accusations are
unfounded. He stated: “We oppose Armenia’s participation in the summit
because it seized 20% of Azerbaijan’s territory.”
Political analyst Elkhan Kuliyev said that the absence of the Armenian
representative was predicted beforehand. Firstly, society’s reaction
to such contacts is very painful. The Organization for Liberation of
Karabakh has repeatedly organized actions of protest against Armenian
representatives’ visits to Baku. Elkhan Kuliyev stated that Baku
prefers to seek the solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh problem through
the Minsk OSCE group, since negotiations between the presidents of
Azerbaijan and Armenia held in Paris failed.
The absence of the Armenian defense minister is not the only problem.
Georgian Defense Minister Irakly Okruashvili will not attend the
meeting either. Ukrainian Defense Minister Anatoliy Hrytsenko
arrived Baku with “special opinion.” He said: “Ukraine’s status is
an observer. We will not sign documents passed at the meeting.”
Hrytsenko arrives in Baku in the wake of a scandal over an unauthorized
visit to the Crimea by NATO representatives. He had to apologize on
television for concealing information that the US cargo ship which
visited Feodosia on May 27 carried weapons.

RUSSIA TO LIFT BAN ON ARMENIAN FRUIT, VEGETABLE IMPORTS VIA GEORGIA
Prime-Tass English-language Business Newswire
May 31, 2006 Wednesday 4:44 PM EET
Russia is to lift a ban on fruit and vegetable imports from Armenia
transported via the territory of Georgia, Sergei Dankvert, head of
Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinarian and Phytosanitarian control,
said Wednesday.
Russia and Armenia have reached an agreement on safety procedures
when transporting the supplies, Dankvert said.
The ban was imposed in March after it was found that on several
occasions shipments were being imported with forged health
certificates. Dankvert added that during talks with Armenia it turned
out that the forgeries occurred in Georgia.
“Armenian exporters will have to send notification of any shipment one
day before its arrival,” Dankvert said, adding that the notification
should specify the registration number of the health certificate
for the shipment and the registration number of the truck carrying
the supplies.
Dankvert stressed that all steps taken by the service were to
ensure the safety of imported products. He denied any political
implications. Georgia earlier accused Russia of banning fruit and
vegetable imports as well as imports of wine and mineral water to
put political pressure on the country.

A CLAIM OF 50 MILLION ROUBLES IN GYUMRI
A1+
[01:19 pm] 01 June, 2006
Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Welfare Filaret Berikyan claims
that the question of compensating deposits by the Government is still
in effect, and the distribution of money will likely start from July.
It is worth mentioning that only the sum of the 4542 citizens
registered in 2 regional social services of Gymri is 50 million
roubles. The number of depositors registered in 1 social service of
Gyumri has reached 4 738, who presented 10 thousand 500 saving-account
books.
TV Company “Tsayg” of Gyumri.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress