KIRO MANOYAN: NAGORNO KARABAKH SETTLEMENT SEEMS NOT SO PRIMARY IN
LIGHT OF LATEST EVENTS IN NEAR EAST
YEREVAN, JULY 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The development of
latest Near Eastern and regional events, including the events around
Iran and problems in Russian-Georgian relations show that the Nagorno
Karabakh settlement seems not so primary contrary to the mediators’
prognoses about achieving success by the first half of the year. Kiro
Manoyan, ARFD Bureau Hay Dat and Political Office Head, declared at
the July 21 meeting at the Pastark club.
Manoyan emphasized that all this does not mean that the mediators
will stop their efforts in the issue of conflict settlement. As a
proof he mentioned OSCE Minsk Group American Co-chair Matthew Bryza’s
forthcoming, July 21 visit to Yerevan.
In connection with the Israeli actions in Lebanon Manoyan said that
Israel motivates these actions by taking hostages two Israelis by
Hzbollah, and Turkey, according to him, with the same motivations
wishes to invade into North Iraq for the purpose of delivering a blow
to the Kurdish divisions.
According to the speaker, the end of the current Arab-Israeli conflict
is not seen, the changes are still ahead and it seems that all this
will last at least for several months.
Touching upon the Armenian-Iranian relations, Kiro Manoyan
declared that the agreements reached with the Iranian side are
“irreplaceable.” “Both Armenian-Iranian and Armenian-Georgian relations
are irreplaceable. The more positive the results of the events around
Iran are the better for us,” the speaker emphasized.
Kiro Manoyan also expressed an opinion that the events in the Near
Eastern region have tendency of decreasing Iran’s role in the region,
in particular, in Lebanon where Tehran has a great influence on
Hzbollah and in Iraq where the political role of the Iranians is larger
than the role of the U.S. that has purely military advantages in Iraq.

SERGE SARGSIAN NOT GOING TO WAIVE DEFENCE MINISTER’S POST
YEREVAN, JULY 21, NOYAN TAPAN. Serge Sargsian who has lately joined
the Republican Party of Armenia and, to all probability, will be
elected on a leading post at the party’s forthcoming congress, is
not going to waive the post of the Defence Minister.
Answering the question in his interview to radio Liberty, whether he
will waive the post of the Defence Minister in the circumstance of
being engaged in active politics, though the Constitution does not
oblige to do this, Serge Sargsian declared: “Not at all. As this
is senseless. Why shall I waive the Defence Minister’s post? Have
I worked badly?… The country’s President will determine if I have
worked badly.”
Serge Sargsian excluded that President Kocharian can dismiss him
because of joining a party. “The President has completely approved my
intention. I think when there is an occasion he or his spokesperson
will say this… What is the sense of acting contrary to the opinion
of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief?,” he mentioned.
In response to the question, whether the Defence Minister’s post
increases his rating during the elections or on the contrary, Sargsian
said: “Let the others be glad if the things are the contrary. Why
did they fall into panic and speak about the resignation and other
things? Besides, you know very well what authority the army has in
our society. According to the surveys of the very Institute of Gelap,
the confidence of our people in the army is more than 80%.”
“Do you want to be a President?,” Serge Sargsian answered this direct
question: “It is difficult to say. As maybe I have not seriously
thought about it.
I say sincerely, you may believe this or not. I will indeed make my
decision after the parliamentary elections.”
He added that he has never striven for any post.
In response to the question, how many seats RPA is to have at the
future parliament for him to orient himself in the issue of candidate
to the post of the President, the Minister said: I have decided
for myself that if RPA gains up to 21-22% at the elections, I will
consider this satisfactory, up to 25% good and if more excellent.”
The Minister is for the principles of Nagorno Karabakh peaceful
settlement unveiled last month: “I am for the proposed principles. I
have repeatedly said this, I have expressed my opinion in the written
form. Of course, I am for,” he declared.
Asked, whether he has an apprehension that if the public is of another
opinion in this issue, this will have an impact on his political
career, Serge Sargsian said: “No. If the public has another opinion,
another political force will have a majority, its policy will pass,
and it will be very good… How can I be against our people’s will?”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NON-PARTISAN MPs ALSO JOIN RPA
YEREVAN, JULY 21, NOYAN TAPAN. RA non-partisan MPs also have joined
the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA). According to NT’s reliable
information, Karen Karapetian, Head of the People’s Deputy MP group
elected from Lori region Tashir electoral district N 39, members of the
same group, Vladimir Badalian elected from Yerevan Kentron community
electoral district N 16 who was Director of Hrazdan sports complex
before the parliamentary elections of 2003, Artush Simonian elected
from Kanaker-Zeytun electoral district N 5 (before being elected an
MP he was the Deputy Director of Armenian Airlines), Levon Sargsian
elected from Arabkir community electoral district N 6, Chairman of
Yerevan Flouring Mill CJSC, as well as two out three Hakob Hakobians
– members of the group, elected from Etchmiadzin electoral district
N 26 and Vardenis (Gegharkunik region) electoral district N 34 (the
latter Chairman of Arpa-Sevan OJSC).
To recap, 3 out of 17 members of the People’s Deputy MP group, Mkrtich
Minasian (Yerevan electoral district N 2), Yerem Karapetian (Artashat
electoral district N 23), Rafik Petrosian, Chairman of the Standing
Committee on State and Legal Issues (Yerevan electoral district N 3)
have been RPA members since 2003.
Chairman of the Armenian Football Federation Ruben Hayrapetian,
Yerkrapah Sasun Mikayelian, businessman Haroutiun Pambukian are among
the independent MPs having joined RPA lately.

ROBERT KOCHARIAN NOT LEAVING FOR MOSCOW DUE TO HEALTH CONDITION
YEREVAN, JULY 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. RA President Robert
Kocharian’s July 21 visit to Moscow for the purpose of taking part
in CIS countries’ leaders’ unofficial summit will not take place due
to the President’s health condition.
As NT was informed from President’s Press Office, as the doctor
diagnosed, Robert Kocharian has an acute viral disease of respiratory
tract.

SERGE SARGSIAN DOES NOT AGREE THAT FIRST FORCE SUPPORTING PRESIDENT
KOCHARIAN IS BARGAVACH HAYASTAN PARTY
YEREVAN, JULY 21, NOYAN TAPAN. RA Defence Minister Serge Sargsian does
not share the opinion, according to which the first force supporting
President Kocharian is the Bargavach Hayastan (Prosperous Armenia)
party.
“Firstly, the Bargavach Hayastan is not a party yet, as far as I
know, it has not held a congress yet. And secondly, where do you
see manifestation of its political support of the President?,” Serge
Sargsian said in his interview to radio Liberty.
As the Minister affirmed, “only a force having formed as a political
force and having influence in the political sphere, represented in
the Armenian governmental bodies, at the National Assembly can speak
about a political support, unless it corresponds to these criteria,
what support can be spoken about?”
“As for the issue, whether the Republican Party of Armenia will take
part in the elections together with the Bargavach Hayastan or not,
no issue of the kind has been discussed yet, we will discuss it when
it is necessary,” Serge Sargsian concluded.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GREY CADRINAL COMES OUT OF SHADE
Yerevan, July 21. ArmInfo. “RA Defense Minister Serge Sargsian
belongs to rare people that are political factors themselves and his
membership to the Republican Party greatly increases its authority,”
Armen Ashotian, member of RPA, stated at today’s press conference.
He added that Sargsian’s political authority is well known even out
of Armenia’s borders. At the same time, he expressed bewilderment
about the insinuations of some political figures about Sargsian’s
membership to RPA. Ashotian stated that never ending statements
on political crisis made by some of the political parties’ leaders
testify to their intention to spread their inner political crisis
on the whole political field of Armenia. The ideological platform
of RPA is based on the values of a national-conservative party in
the classical European sense of this definition. The ruling party is
going to cooperate with the local big entrepreneurs, paying special
attention to the defence of the national interests. RPA is going to
work with the classical slogan of the World War II: “Everything for
Front, Everything for the Victory!” Ashotian believes that in the
parliamentary elections in 2007 RPA will receive 35-40% of the votes.
Ashotian said nothing about the prospects of his opponents,
particularly about the newly founded “Prospering Armenia” party,
stating that this party hasn’t been established as a political
structure yet.

“GOLDEN APRICOT 2006” FILM FESTIVAL TO COOPERATE WITH ROTTERDAM AND
POUSAINT FILM FESTIVALS
Yerevan, July 21. ArmInfo. By the suggestion of Sandra den Hamer and
Kim Dongh-Khoh, heads of the Rotterdam and Pousaint Film Festivals,
“Golden Apricot” Film Festival will become a branch festival for the
Rotterdam and Pousaint Film Festivals.
Haroutiun Khachatrian, director of “Golden Apricot” Film Festival,
stated that according to the agreement with Sandra den Hamer and
Kim Dongh-Khoh, the organizers of “Golden Apricot” will have the
opportunity to get retrained within the framework of the Rotterdam and
Pousaint Film Festivals. Khachatrian said at today’s press conference
that in the next Yerevan Festival they will show films shown at the
above mentioned European festivals. Besides, our festival will have
the right to be co-financed together with the Rotterdam and Pousaint
Film Festivals.
In his turn, Hrant Hakobian, director of the winner film(“The
Dwellers of Forgotten Islands”) stated that yesterday he was invited
to participate in the Amsterdam International Documentary Film
Festival. He emphasized that “Golden Apricot” opened new opportunities
for the Armenian directors at the international film festivals.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT FORCED TO MISS INFORMAL CIS SUMMIT IN MOSCOW
Yerevan, July 21. ArmInfo. Armenian President Robert Kocharyan is
forced to miss the informal CIS summit to be held in Moscow July 21.
The presidential press service reports Kocharyan to have acute
infectious respiratory disease.
To remind, during the summit Kocharyan was to meet with Russian
President Vladimir Putin. Azeri media reported that Azeri President
Ilham Aliyev will also take part in the summit while the head of the
international relations department of Aliyev’s executive staff Novruz
Mamedov told Space TV company that Kocharyan and Aliyev might meet
during the summit.

‘CASCADE BANK’ OFFERS SERVICES TO ARMENIANS MOVING FROM LEBANON
TO ARMENIA
Yerevan, July 21. ArmInfo. ‘Cascade Bank’ expresses readioness to
render assistance to Armenians moving from Lebanon to Armenia in
connection with the escalation of the military conflict.
The Bank reports that internet transactions are available for those
of wish to transfer their money to Armenia. The immigrants are able
to transfer the money to their relatives’ accounts or to create an
account of their own and, arriving in Armenia, receive the money. The
bank is also ready to grant credits to the repatriates from Lebanon
in case they are able to insure them.
“Cascade Bank”, included in the structure of ‘Cascade Capital’,
was created in result of purchase of the ‘Emporica Bank’ in 2005.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

219 ARMENIANS FROM BEIRUT ARRIVE IN YEREVAN TODAY EARLY MORNING
Yerevan, July 21. ArmInfo. 219 Armenian citizens and Armenians who
left Beirut with the help of the local Armenian Embassy arrived in
Yerevan today early in the morning.
The acting spokesman of the Armenian FM Vladimir Karapetyan says that
they have come by two planes.
The Embassy’s list of those wishing to leave Beirut has not been
changed since yesterday – 60 people.
Commenting on the reports that some Armenians are leaving Beirut
via Cyprus or with the help of other foreign embassies, Karapetyan
says that these might be citizens of other states. He says that the
FM has got no reports of Armenians wounded or killed as a result of
the military actions in Lebanon.