G8 Statement on Karabakh Made Baku Watchful
PanARMENIAN.Net
18.07.2006 13:41 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijan assesses positively the G8 countries
keeping the Nagorno Karabakh issue in focus, stated chief of the
Department of Information of the Azeri MFA Tahir Tagizadeh. “Judging
from what we saw in media reports on the statement made by Russia
on behalf of G8, the leading states of the world keep their active
approach to settlement of the conflict, and this is positive,”
Tagizadeh said.
The Azeri MFA representative expressed watchfulness on the provision of
the statement, in which the G8 urge Azerbaijan and Armenia to prepare
their peoples to peace, not war. “If expressions on possibility of
other ways of solving the issue are meant here, it is necessary to
take into account the specific character of Azerbaijan’s situation. We
are not in a position to allow holding talks for the sake of holding
talks,” Tagizadeh underscored.
On the whole, the diplomat continued, the statement of G8 countries
is a positive one, “however in the overall context of latest urges
of the Azeri party towards OSCE MG co-chairs to become more active
(as it is known, G8 comprises all three co-chairing countries),
I would say that it is insufficiently specific unfortunately.”

NKR Leader Arrived in Yerevan on Working Visit
PanARMENIAN.Net
18.07.2006 13:50 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ July 17 President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic
(NKR) Arkady Ghoukassian has arrived in Yerevan on a short-term working
visit, reports the Press Service of the NKR leader. During the visit
Ghoukassian will meet with state officials and representatives of
Armenia’s public circles.

Azerbaijan: Bryza Will Discuss New Proposals on Karabakh in Yerevan
PanARMENIAN.Net
18.07.2006 14:32 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ OSCE MG American Co-Chair Matthew Bryza will
visit Yerevan and Baku to discuss new proposals on settlement of
the NK issue, Azeri FM Elmar Mammadyarov told journalists. “We
were informed that he has some new elements he wants to discuss,”
Mammadyarov said. In his words, Bryza will stay in the region from
July 31 to August 1.
At that Mammadyarov noted that if the Azeri party finds opportunity for
progress in the talks over settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
in the proposals the US mediator is going to bring with him, Baku
may agree to organizing the next meeting of the Armenian and Azeri FMs.
“We have been working over basic principles for 2 years already. We
have agreed over most of these.
However, some serious problems remain, and if Bryza arrives with
any new ideas that can move the process forward, we will be ready
to continue the process. A meeting can be organized if necessary,”
Mammadyarov said, Interfax reports.

ANCA Urges US Senate to Block Discussion of Hoagland Candidacy
PanARMENIAN.Net
18.07.2006 15:03 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Citing U.S. Ambassador-designate Richard Hoagland’s
denial of the Armenian Genocide and his contradictory responses
to Senate inquiries – both against the background of the continued
failure of the Administration to offer a meaningful and forthright
explanation of its reasons for firing the current U.S.
Ambassador, John Evans – the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA) has issued a statement formally opposing Hoagland’s nomination
to serve as the next U.S. Ambassador to Armenia.
The ANCA statement says, “Ambassador-designate Richard Hoagland
has disqualified himself as a candidate to serve as our nation’s
ambassador to the Republic of Armenia. During the course of his Senate
confirmation process, Ambassador-designate Richard Hoagland has taken a
number of actions that demonstrate that he cannot effectively represent
U.S. interests and American values. He has asserted that the Armenian
Genocide does not qualify as an instance of genocide.
He also stated that the issue of defining the tragedy of the Armenian
people should not be decided at the political level, but academics,
civic leaders should deal with that issue.
For these reasons, we respectfully request that the U.S. Senate not
move forward with Ambassador Hoagland’s nomination.”

NKR Hails G8 Statement on Supporting OSCE MG Mediation Efforts
PanARMENIAN.Net
18.07.2006 15:26 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “One may only welcome the statement of the Great
Eight countries on maintenance of the mediation efforts of the OSCE
Minsk Group and on necessity of coordination of the core principles
of the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict,” stated
NKR FM Georgy Petrosyan, when commenting on statements made during
G8 summit in St.
Petersburg. In his words, Nagorno Karabakh has always advocated
peaceful resolution of the problem and is ready to exert every effort
to come to agreement over establishing long-term peace in the region.
Unfortunately, not everything depends on the mediators. Considering
Azerbaijan’s extremely destructive position and its unwillingness
to be in any contact with Nagorno Karabakh it is very difficult to
find an acceptable and fair solution to date, the Minister said. In
his words, the President of the Russian Federation has fairly noted
that Russia is not going to impose any solutions on the parties to the
conflict and that the compromise must be reached by people. Taking into
account the Russian Federation’s readiness to become a guarantor of
fulfillment of the agreements, we remind once more that the achievement
of solutions, directly concerning the future of our country and our
people, is possible only with participation of representatives of
legally elected authorities of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, the
main and the most suffered party to the conflict,” reports IA Regnum.

US State Department Denies Turkey Linked to Recall of Evans
PanARMENIAN.Net
18.07.2006 14:20 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The US State Department denies that Turkey
communicated with them in any fashion regarding US Ambassador to
Armenia John Evans, Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
Executive Director Aram Hamparian told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. This
denial is simply not credible given Turkey’s past conduct, Hamparian
said.
It should be reminded that during a meeting with San Francisco Armenian
community February 19, 2005 J.
Evans said, “recognition of the Armenian Genocide is important.” “Today
I will call it Armenian Genocide,” Evans stated. US Administration
and officials are used to avoiding the term “genocide”. “No US
official ever denied this fact – I believe playing with words in
this case would not suit Americans,” Evans said. “I believe things
should be called their proper names, however US official policy has
not changed yet, as ties with Turkey are available within the NATO,
especially in the military field.” “The Armenian Genocide was the
first genocide in the 20th century. I assure you that we are going
to work well over this problem,” John Evans added.
Later on, when delivering a speech at the US Embassy in Armenia
February 28, 2005, John Evans wished to clarify his statement,
made February 19, reports IA Regnum. “I want to explain the US
policy. The definitions on the tragedy of Armenians in Ottoman
Turkey and future status of Nagorno Karabakh that I assumed during an
unofficial meeting with the US Armenian community can give cause for
misunderstanding.” “In spite I noted that the US policy towards the
Armenian tragedy did not change, I used the word “genocide”, which
reflected my personal point of view – that of John Evans and not a
politician. However, it was inappropriate,” the Ambassador stated.

SHAVARSH KOCHARYAN SAYS YOUTH HAS WISDOM BUT IS ISOLATED
Panorama.am
14:40 18/07/06
NA deputy Shavarsh Kocharyan told a seminar on opportunities opened
up for youth by European integration processes that youth does not
play active role, trying to be away from politics. He explained
that many international programs help young people to leave Armenia
and they never come back. In his words, the Armenian youth has a
significantly different mentality. Being born under authoritarian
regime where there are no fair rules of the game, they try to be
flexible to survive. Referring to Freedom House statistics data,
however, Kocharyan said that Armenia is moving away from authoritarian
indicators unlike Georgia and Azerbaijan. Concurrently, he said Armenia
is still considered a semi-established one-man state./Panorama.am/
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

YEREVAN TO HOST EXHIBITION OF PHOTOGRAPHS
Armenpress
YEREVAN, JULY 18, ARMENPRESS; On August 9-11 the National Association
of Armenian Photographers will hold an open-air exhibition of Armenian
photographs.
The venue of the exhibition is the Moscow Lane.
Sergey Hakobian, the chairman of the Association, said that will be
the first such festival in Armenia.
He said the exhibition will display the works of around 40
photographers from Armenia, Diaspora and Nagorno-Karabakh.

ARMENIA FLIES 103 PEOPLE HOME FROM LEBANON
Armenpress
YEREVAN, JULY 18, ARMENPRESS: Armenia flew another 103 Armenians
out of Lebanon on late Monday, part of whom were Armenian citizens
and the rest Lebanese Armenians who decided to spend some time in
Armenia until Israeli stops attacks. The Armenians were first taken
to Syria’s Aleppo and flown home from there.
The first group of Armenians from Lebanon arrived home on July 15. A
spokesman for Armenian foreign ministry, Vladimir Karapetian, said to
Armenpress the Armenian embassy in Beirut received new staff members
to help evacuate Armenians.
He said the Armenian foreign ministry is maintaining constant contacts
with Armenian consulate in Israel. He said in case some of Armenians
in Israel decided to leave the consulate will help them do it.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FOURTH ARMENIAN PEACEKEEPING PLATOON TO FLY TO IRAQ LATER THIS MONTH
Armenpress
YEREVAN, JULY 18, ARMENPRESS: The fourth 46-member contingent of
Armenian peacekeepers comprising truck drivers, sappers and medics
will leave for Iraq during the last week of July, Armenian defense
ministry said.
Armenians participate in the multinational force in Iraq. Each shift
serves for approximately six months, contributing to international
efforts to support Iraq’s growing democracy and ensure a peaceful
and prosperous future for the Iraqi people.
Armenians are deployed in Alkut town, 100 km off Baghdad. Armenian
parliament voted recently to extend the presence of its troops in
Iraq until January 2007.