VARTAN OSKANIAN WAITS FOR BUCHAREST MEETING “WITH WARY OPTIMISM”

YEREVAN, MAY 29, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Minister of Foreign
Affairs of Armenia Vartan Oskanian waits “with wary optimism” for
results of the Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents’ meeting to take
place in early June in Bucharest, the capital of Romania. “Coming out
just of Paris experience, one must display a wary optimism. If
Presidents meet, a positive movement is always possible. One must hope
that it will be so. But there is no guarantee, so, we must wait,”
Oskanian said to Radio Liberty. Seyran Ohanian, the Defence Minister
of Nagorno Karabakh, waits with the Presidents’ regular meeting with
optimism as well. “Presidents of both countries do their best within
the limits of maximal possibility for the Nagorno Karabakh issue gets
legally its final solution. Maybe, there will be some progress,”
Ohanian said to Radio Liberty.
At the same time, he attached too much importance to “the
participation of Nagorno Karabakh, as a conflict side, in these
negotiation processes.” In response to the question, if the Nagorno
Karabakh people agrees to return some territories instead of the
status, Seyran Ohanian said: “If the time comes, the people will
decide itself. I do not think that I am competent to speak on behalf
of the people. I find that any decision that may call in question the
process of self-determination of Nagorno Karabakh, its security, tie
with Armenia, may not be made. And the people may not make such a
decision.”

HOLIDAY OF FIRST REPUBLIC MARKED AT SARDARAPAT MEMORIAL

ARMAVIR, MAY 29, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The main events
dedicated to the Holiday of First Republic were held on May 28 at the
Sardarapat memorial. RA President Robert Kocharian, Prime Minister
Andranik Margarian, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, RA MPs,
government members, high-ranking representatives of the diplomatic
corps accredited in Armenia had visited Sardarapat. The Armavir
inhabitants gave the guests an official welcome and met them with
zourna (type of flute) and dhol. Then RA President and the
high-ranking officials went up to the church-tower where they laid
wreaths and stood in silence to respect the memory of the Armenians
who died in the Sardarapat heroic struggle. On the way to the museum
the communities of Armavir had presented samples of traditional
domestic art and craft. President Robert Kocharian, the government
members and other guests helped themselves to the refreshments of the
Armavir inhabitants. The event was accompanied by concert
performances, song and dance.

ZHARANGUTIUN PARTY’S CENTRAL OFFICE REOPENED

YEREVAN, MAY 29, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. “In our days RA
citizen should protect his rights. If there is no realization of one’s
rights, we will have neither power, nor opposition or statehood,”
Raffi Hovhannisian, Chairman of the Zharangutiun (Heritage) party,
declared on May 29 when the party’s central office was reopened. The
Zharangutiun party’s central office, according to Raffi Hovhannisian,
was illegally closed on March 4: first they broke the office door
bursting into the office, then changed the lock and sealed it.
R.Hovhannisian said that on April 11 they applied to the court with a
claim to open the office which was sustained on April 14. But the
opening of the office had been delayed by now for some reasons.
According to R.Hovhannisian, this reflects the campaign “conducted by
the current power towards its own citizens.” “One cannot achieve its
purpose by horrifying, intimidating, threatening, misleading the
society, closing offices,” the Zharangutiun party Chairman declared.
It was also mentioned that as a result of specialists’ check-ups it
will be found out, whether the property and documents belonging to the
party were damaged or not. The Armenian Center for National and
International Studies headed by former RA Foreign Minister,
Zharangutiun party Chairman Raffi Hovhannisian has been renting an
area in the building of Hakob Paronian theater for already 12
years. According to the agreement signed between the Center and
theater management, they have the right to occupy the area until June.
Theater Director Karo Shahbazian unexpectedly declared that they
should immediately leave the rented area as henceforth it belongs not
to the theater but to the Ministry of State Property. This was
followed by the closure of the party’s office, at that, the theater
management affirms that the office door was broken by their
representaties and the party representatives consider this a political
order.

VAHAN HOVHANNISIAN: ATMOSPHERE CREATED IN SOCIETY ALSO IMPORTANT IN
SOLUTION OF KARABAKH ISSUE

YEREVAN, MAY 29, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. RA National Assembly
Deputy Speaker Vahan Hovhannisian, receiving on May 26 the OSCE
delegation, in the staff of which Ambassadors Carlos Sanchez De Boado
(Spain), Mette Kongshem (Norway), Alex Berg (Germany) and Maria-Pin
Kotbauer (Liechtenstein) were, touched upon the events taking place in
the innerpolitical life of Armenia, forthcoming parliamentary and
presidential elections. The NA Deputy Speaker attached importance to
holding of the forthcoming elections in correspondence with free, just
and democratic standards. He touched upon also amendments being made
to the Electoral Code, expressing a hope that the amended variant of
the Electoral Code will already be adopted in early autumn. As Noyan
Tapan was informed by the NA Public Relations Department, Vahan
Hovhannisian aprreciated the OSCE mission’s activity in Armenia and
attached importance to implementation of different programs. Touching
upon the Karabakh conflict settlement and the Armenia-Turkey
relations, the Ambassadors mentioned that relations with Turkey will
become easier in the case when the conflict will be solved. Vahan
Hovhannisian responded that the Karabakh issue was not among the EU
membership conditions put in front of Turkey, and it would not be
normal, if the Turkey-EU relations were provided by relations of
third, forth countries which are not EU members. Presenting Armenia’s
position concerning the Karabakh problem and attaching importance to
role of international parliamentary organizations in the problem
settlement issue, the NA Deputy Speaker expressed a viewpoint that not
only the contents of proposed solutions but the atmosphere created in
the public to what extent the authorities prepare societies to mutual
compromises are important in the problem solution. The Armenian
authorities, unlike the Azerbaijani authorities, never make military
statements, do not propagate war and hatred. One can find no
publication in Armenian press that sows hatred towards Azeris, when
the Azerbaijani press, text-books are full of statements arising
hatred towards Armenians, even in children’s radio-TV programs
negative figures are always Armenians, what causes little hope that
the Azerbaijani society is being prepared for mutual compromises. As
the EU policy is open borders, open society, free trade, in Vahan
Hovhannisian’s opinion, the conflict settlement is possible in
conditions of mutual cooperation, regional economic cooperation what
Turkey and Azerbaijan obstacle by their policy. Implementation of the
EU New Neghborhood policy in the region becomes difficult in these
conditions as the EU programs are based on integration and
cooperation. V.Hovhannisian expressed a hope that solutions will be
found if the EU policy principles are used towards Turkey as well
which blockaded Armenia.

THEATRICAL FIGURES MARK ISAHAK ALIKHANIAN’S 130TH BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY

YEREVAN, MAY 29, NOYAN TAPAN. The memory-morning party taken place on
May 29 at the Theatrical Figures’ Union of Armenia was dedicated to
the 130th birthday anniversary of famous producer, actor and theater
builder Isahak Alikhanian who has been honoured the first People’s
artist title of the Soviet Armenia. Isahak Alikhanian, with his rich
and various theatrical activity, has his unique place in history of
the Armenian theater, speaker of the day Vahe Shahverdian, the
Artistic Head of the Gabriel Soundukian National Academic Theater
emphasized. According to him, the younger generation almost does not
know Alikhanian, and there are neither his partners nor contemporaries
now, but this fact does not cover with shade the great actor’s
productive way. Isahak Alikhanian played at the Baku Armenian theater
during the first times, then moved to the Tbilisi Armenian theater. He
was invited in 1922 with some other actors from Tbilisi to Yerevan to
found the Gabriel Sundukian State Academic Theater. On the stage of
the mother theater, the prominent artist staged Sundukian’s “Pepo” and
at the same time played the leading hero’s, Pepo’s part.
Living and working in Yerevan during a short period of his life, the
talented actor and producer returned Tbilisi later.

INTERNATIONAL CONTEST OF CELLISTS AFTER ARAM KHACHATRIAN TO START ON
MAY 30

YEREVAN, MAY 29, NOYAN TAPAN. An international contest of cellists
after Aram Khachatrian will start on May 30 at Yerevan Aram
Khachatrian concert hall with participation of 17 16-30-year-old
cellists from Armenia, Russia, France, Italy, Spain, Mexico and
USA. As Sergei Sarajian, Chairman of the contest steering committee,
Rector of Yerevan State Conservatory after Komitas, informed at the
May 29 press conference, this contest held for the first time in
Armenia consists of three stages and will be concluded on June 6, Aram
Khachatrian’s birthday. 15 thousand USD is to be given for the first
place, 10 thousand USD for the second place and 5 thousand USD for the
third place. There will be also encouraging prizes amounting to 2000
USD. According to S.Sarajian, special prizes are also instituted for
the nominations “Spectator’s Liking,” “Promising Participant,” “The
Best Solo Performer,” “The Best Performance of 20th Century Work,”
“The Best Performance of a Virtuoso Work.” According to S.Sarajian,
all participants without fail should perform Aram Khachatrian’s
concert for cello. “The contest’s goal is to reveal the talented
musicians, as well as to pass them the heritage left by Aram
Khachatrian,” S.Sarajian mentioned. Composer Tigran Mansurian, Medea
Abrahamian, Wolfgang Boettcher (Germany), Ivan Monighetti
(Switzerland) and Vahram Sarajian (USA) are included in the jury.

FINAL CONCERT OF “GOLDEN GUITAR-2006” AUTHOR SONG TO BE HELD ON JUNE 7
AND 8 IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MAY 29, NOYAN TAPAN. The final concert of the “Golden
Guitar-2006” (voske kitar-2006) republican festival of author song
will take place on June 7 and 8 in the hall of the Hakob Paronian
State Comedy Theater. 26 authors-performers from marzes and Yerevan
passed the competition stages participated in the concert. As
author-performer Tatev Aghamirian, the Cultural Director of the
festival informed the Noyan Tapan correspondent, the number of authors
presented a claim for participation in the festival was 50, but their
number reduced to 26 after the 3 competition stages. Famous
authors-performers Ruben Hakhverdian, Marieta Badalian, Eduard
Zorikian, Yeghishe Petrosian and Artavazd Bayatian, guitar player
Martin Aharonian, etc. will perform at the final concerts. According
to Tatev Aghamirian, the author song’s festival gives
authors-performers of this genre the first debute possibility. He
mentioned that such a festival was organized for the last time in
Armenia in 1999. And the “Yeghegnadzor” festival of author song was
traditionally organized before that.

NINOTSMINDA REGION EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE-CENTER HEAD DISCHARGED WITH
REASONING OF NOT KNOWING GEORGIAN

AKHALKALAK, MAY 29, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. With the reasoning
of not knowing Georgian, Robert Skoyan, the former Education
Department head of the Education Resource-Center of the region of
Ninotsminda was discharged.
According to the “A-Info” agency, Marine Zalalian who earlier worked
at Georgian National Security Ministry’s bodies and knows the Georgian
language took the place of Skoyan on this post.

ARMENIA TO ASSIST WITH IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAM ON RESTORATION OF
JAVAKHK INFRASTRUCTURES

DUSHANBE, MAY 29, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian Prime Minister Andranik
Margarian, who was on a working visit to Dushanbe, met with the
Georgian Deputy Prime Minister, State Minister Georgy Baramidze late
May 24. NT was informed about it from the RA Government Information
and PR Department. The sides expressed their satisfaction over the
activization of bilateral links and contacts in various spheres in
recent years. They underlined that the fact that the intergovernmental
commissions on Armenian-Georgian economic cooperation are headed by
the prime ministers of the two countries has contributed to the
solution of numerous problems that have accumulated in recent years,
as well as to development of new joint projects, particularly in the
energy sector, transport and tourism. A. Margarian and G. Baramidze
also stated their satisfaction at the process of discussing the issue
of delimitation of the Armenian-Georgian border. It was noted that a
regular joint sitting of respective commissions is scheduled to be
held in Yerevan this August. The sides also addressed the problem of
Javakhk and the Armenians living there. A. Margarian once again
expressed Armenia’s willingness to provide every possible assistance
for the implementation of the program of complex measures for
restoration of infrastructures in Javakhk, which is being developed by
the Georgian authorities. According to the Armenian Prime Minister,
in order to ease off the tension among the local population, it would
be expedient to ensure the maximum possible involvement of the local
businessmen and residents in the construction work, especially given
the fact that they have a considerable experience of such activities.
A. Margarian noted that at the present stage, under a decision of the
Armenian and Georgian prime ministers, the Armenian side will provide
help for restoration of several educational facilities. The amount and
ways of further assistance will be determined after presenting the
complex program on restoration of infrastructures in this region to
the Armenian side.

STARTING FROM SEPTEMBER CNN TO AIR COMMERCIALS ADVERTIZING ARMENIA AS
COUNTRY OF TOURISM

YEREVAN, MAY 29, NOYAN TAPAN. Starting September 2006, CNN will
advertize Armenia as a country of tourism. RA Minister of Trade and
Economic Development Ara Petrosian stated this on May 25. In his
words, the Armenian TV companies “Armenia” anf “H2” were announced the
winners of the competitions for making 30- and 60-second
commercials. An agreement was reached with the CNN management that
these commercials will be aired 7 times a week.
According to A. Petrosian, a minute of a commercial airing by CNN
costs 800-1,000 USD. In his opinion, it is profitable for Armenia to
pay such a price, since 70% of the countries watch CNN programs. The
deputy minister reminded that each tourist spending 4-5 days in
Armenia Armenai spends on average the same amount as a minute of the
airing of a commercial by CNN costs.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress