PARLIAMENT AGAIN RUINS ADOPTION OF DRAFT ON NATURAL PERSONS’ PROPERTY AND INCOMES DECLARATION
Noyan Tapan
May 31 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 31, NOYAN TAPAN. The special sitting of the RA National
Assembly that was convened on the initiative of more than 5 dozens
of deputies, started on May 31. There are about 50 issues on the
agenda, including elections for vacant posts of the National Assembly
Speaker and Chairmen of two of the NA Standing Committees. According
to preliminary data, discussion of the issue on elections is scheduled
for June 1. 11 draft laws and legislative packages and 8 international
agreements discussed during the previous four-days sittings are on the
agenda. All those were adopted, except the legislative law “On Making
Amendments to the RA Laws “On Natural Persons’ Property and Incomes
Declaration” and “On Income Tax” discussed in the second reading and
the draft “On Making Amendments and Additions to the Criminal Code”
discussed in the first reading by which punishments are envisaged for
spitefully avoiding taxes, duties and other compulsory payments. The
discussion of the above-mentioned drafts failed as the necessary number
of deputies, at least 66 ones, did not participate in the votion. We
must mention that their adoption at the Parliament is correspondigly
failed for the third and second time. The first package this time got
at least 54 “for” and one “against” and one “abstaining” votes. The
“Orinats Yerkir” (Country of Law), “Ardaroutiun” (Justice), “Azgayin
Miabanutiun” (National Unity) factions, “People’s Deputy” group as
well as some deputies from the “RPA” faction did not participate
in the votion. 46 deputies were for the second draft, without no
“against” and “abstaining” votes.
Besides the above-mentioned unions, 3 of the “ARF” 4 non-partizan
members did not participate in the votion of this draft.

ARMENIAN CHESS-PLAYERS AGAIN IN LEAD
Noyan Tapan
May 31 2006
TURIN, MAY 31, NOYAN TAPAN. Both men’s and women’s Armenian national
teams gained victories in the 9th tour of 37th world chess olympiad
being held in Turin. The men competing with the strong Ukrainian team
gained advantage with a score of 2.5 to 1.5. Levon Aronian, Vladimir
Hakobian and Karen Asrian drew their games with Vasili Ivanchuk, Sergei
Karagev and Pavel Elyanov, respectively. And Gabriel Asatrian defeated
Alexander Moiseenko. After the 9th tour the Armenian national team
has gained 26.5 points and contiunes to be in the lead. The Chinese
national team is in the second place (25.5 points). It defeated the
Georgian chess-players with a score of 4 to 0. The next places were
taken by the teams of France (24), Russia, the U.S., the Ukraine
(23.5 points each). The Armenian women chess-players defeated the
Germans with a score of 2.5 to 0.5 in the 9th tour. Lilit Mkrtchian
drew the game and Elina Danielian and Siranoush Andreasian defeated
their rivals. After this success the Armenian women’s national team
takes the 6th place with 18 points. The women’s national teams of
the Ukraine (21 points), Russia (20.5) and Georgia (19) are among
the first three best teams. In the 10th tour to be held on May 31
both the Armenian men and women will compete with the chess-players
of China. Only 4 tours have remained until the end of the olympiad
and the winners and other prize-winners will become known on June 4.

ARMENIAN CHESS TEAM REINFORCES ITS LEADING POSITION
ArmRadio.am
01.06.2006 12:32
In the 10th round of the World Olympic Games held in Turin men’s chess
team of Armenia scored 2.5:0.5 against the Chinese team. Grand Master
Vladimir Hakobyan won Van Vonn. The three other gamed ended a draw.
Gaining 29 points the Armenian team reinforced its leading position
even more. The team of China is the second with 27 points. Teams of
Russia and Czech Republic share the 3rd-4th places with 26.5 points. In
the 11th round our team will meet the Czechs.
The 11th round will be held on June 2. The tournament will come to
an end on June 4.

ARMENIA MOVES BIG AMOUNT OF MILITARY TECHNIQUE AND VEHICLES TO NK – AZERI DM
Author: R.Abdullayev
TREND, Azerbaijan
June 1 2006
Armenia moves big amount of military technique and vehicles to
Azerbaijan’s occupied lands, Trend reports quoting Colonel-General
Safar Abiyev, Azeri Defense Minister, speaking June 1 on the totals
of Azeri-Tajik military talks in Baku.
Minister said he informed his Tajik colleague of Armenia’s having
invaded 20 percent of Azerbaijan.
Colonel-General Abiyev said Tajik Defense Minister Colonel-General
Sherali Heyrulayev supported Baku’s position in the conflict. “In
the course of the meeting, several ministers stated their support to
Azerbaijan’s position in claiming Armenia aggressor country. Among
them was the very Tajik Minister”, Abiyev said.

DEPUTY FM DISCUSSES NAGORNO-KARABAKH WITH OSCE AMBASSADORS
Author: E.Huseynov
TREND, Azerbaijan
June 1 2006
Araz Azimov, deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, received OSCE
mission in Baku. Trend reports with reference to press center of
Foreign Ministry, the mission consists of Spanish ambassador to OSCE
(future representative of organization), as well as ambassadors of
Liechtenstein, Germany and Norway.
At the meeting the parties exchanged opinions within the whole range
of relations between OSCE and Azerbaijan. They paid special attention
to the peaceful settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and OSCE’s
role in it.
Officials of press center said this is a traditional practice of
OSCE ambassadors visits to different regions, in particular South
Caucasus. The mission aims at discussing cooperation with the countries
of region, in particular Azerbaijan.

ATP ORGANIZES TRAINING FOR TEACHERS AND TREE-PLANTING GUIDANCE FOR COMMUNITIES
ArmRadio.am
01.06.2006 11:10
After publishing its environmental education curriculum, “Plant an
Idea, Plant a Tree,” for public school students, Armenia Tree Project
(ATP) sponsored a special teacher-training course to explain how to
use the teacher’s manual.
A total of 16 teachers from Yerevan and the regions of Syunik, Lori,
and Kotayk participated in the “Training of Trainers,” organized by
Dr. Gayane Ghukasyan, ATP Environmental Education Program Manager.
In his welcoming speech, ATP Director of Operations Vache
Kirakosyan emphasized the importance of teaching the environmental
education curriculum in local schools, and thanked all attendees
for participating with ATP. “Your cooperation is very important to
increase the awareness of environmental issues, specifically among
Armenia’s youth,” he stated. “As a result of our work together,
we may reap fruit in the very near future. The assistance received
from such motivated and devoted educators as yourselves is another
step toward improving the ecological situation in our country.”

GRICHENKO: UKRAINE’S MILITARY COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA WON’T HARM OTHER STATES
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 31 2006
“Ukraine recognizes sovereignty and territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan,” Ukraine’s Defense Minister Anatoli Grichenko told
following the meeting of the CIS Board of Defense Ministers in
Baku today.
He gave this answer to APA’s question “The declaration on conflicts
signed by heads of state in latest GUAM Summit reads that Azerbaijan’s,
Georgia’s and Moldova’s territorial integrity has been violated. Two
days later Ukraine signed a contract on military cooperation with
Armenia. What cooperation does this contract mean and isn’t it contrary
to the declaration signed by the presidents?” (APA).
Mr.Grichenko said that Ukraine’s cooperation with Armenia does not
mean any harmful actions against other partner states.

IVANOV: “I DO NOT RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PEACEKEEPERS APPEARING IN NK CONFLICT ZONE”
Today, Azerbaijan
May 31 2006
A long-running dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno
Karabakh region should be resolved by the two countries themselves
and not by third parties, Russia’s defense minister said Wednesday.
Speaking at a news conference in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, Sergei
Ivanov said: “Any settlement scheme imposed from the outside could
in my opinion be not only counterproductive, but also very dangerous.”
He said international mediators should not try to impose a solution
on Armenia and Azerbaijan, but should facilitate the implementation
of any agreement the sides may reach over Karabakh bilaterally,
RIA Novosti informs.
Ivanov also said peacekeepers could be deployed in the zone of the
conflict, which claimed 30,000 lives on both sides between 1988 and
1994 after the Azerbaijani region with a largely Armenian population
proclaimed independence from Azerbaijan in a bid to join Armenia.
“I do not rule out the possibility of peacekeepers appearing in
the Karabakh conflict zone in the foreseeable future to enforce all
political agreements that will be reached sooner or later,” he said.
URL:

AZERBAIJANI DM CALLS ON HIS CIS COUNTERPARTS TO CALL ARMENIA AGGRESSOR
Today, Azerbaijan
May 31 2006
Today Baku is hosting the 50th meeting of Board of Defense Ministers
of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
As APA reports, the meeting has brought together the CIS executive
secretary Vladimir Rushaylo, delegations from Defense Ministries of
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan,
Russia and Ukraine as well as delegations of the CIS Executive
Committee and Defense Ministers Board Secretariat.
Addressing the meeting, Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar Abiyev
said Azerbaijan is having military cooperation with international and
regional organizations and attaches great importance to its activity
in the CIS Board of Defense Ministers. Touching on economic successes
Azerbaijan achieved during its 15-year of independence, the Minister
stressed that the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict poses a great obstacle
to improvement of these successes.
“There is a great deal of uncalculated military equipment and supplies
in the Azerbaijan’s territories under Armenian occupation currently
and terrorists are trained there. There is illegal traffic in arms
and weapons of mass destruction and illicit drugs transferred to
different regions of the world from there,” Minister Abiyev underlined.
Abiyev also reminded that Armenia ignores the UN Security Council’s
four Resolutions on unconditional withdrawal from Nagorno Karabakh
without further delay. The Azerbaijani Defense Minister addressing
his counterparts said it is high time to take a fundamental and
objective stance.
“Armenia should be called aggressor and Yerevan should be demanded to
comply with international legal norms and withdraw from the Azerbaijani
territories it has occupied,” he stressed.
He also noted that CIS’s existence much depends on its ability to
solve the conflicts in the Commonwealth territory.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov called the meeting efficient
at the new conference following the closed meeting. He said they
discussed military and military-technical cooperation and adopted a
decision on improving the structure of working bodies of the Board.
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AZERBAIJANI DM DOES NOT EXCLUDE GUAM PEACEKEEPERS’ PLACEMENT IN NK
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 31 2006
Azerbaijani defense minister Safar Abiyev while responding the question
on establishing peacekeepers, said that this issue has been update for
several years, he discussed this matter with his Ukraine counterpart
Anatoly Grichenko. (APA)
Safar Abiyev stating that “Establishing of peacekeepers is in the
preparation level said that defense ministers do not decide these
kind of decisions themselves. Those proposals will be submitted to
discussion of state heads after the defense ministers agreed.
Azerbaijani Defense minister answered to the question “Can those
forces be placed in Nagorno Garabagh?”-“time will show it”.