U.S. GOVERNMENT TO DONATE EQUIPMENT OF 300 THOUSAND USD TO RA LAW
ENFORCEMENT AND EMERGENCY BODIES
YEREVAN, JULY 17, NOYAN TAPAN. On July 14, an agreement was signed
on donating 300 thousand USD worth of equipment by U.S. Government
to RA Defence Ministry, Police and Rescue Service. The donation is
carried out within the framework of the program of prevention of
crimes connected with mass destruction weapons.
Part of the equipment was given to representatives of RA law
enforcement and emergency bodies at the end of signing the
document. The equipment included weapons of mass destruction
detection and monitoring equipment, personal protective equipment,
decontamination equipment, crime scene investigation kits and evidence
collection kits.
At the and of a course conducted by the U.S. Department of Defence on
“Crime Scene Management” as related to weapons of mass destruction
incidents, Ambassador of U.S. to Armenia John Evans said that no nation
is immune from experiencing natural or manmade disasters. According
to him, in cooperating with the United States on the International
Counter-proliferation Program, the Government of Armenia has made a
firm commitment to improving its response capability.

Nagorny Karabakh Republic [NKR] blames fires on Azerbaijan
Arminfo, Yerevan
17 Jul 06
Stepanakert , 17 July: The purposefully hostile actions of the
Azerbaijani side are the cause of the fire on the border between the
Nagornyy Karabakh republic [NKR] and Azerbaijan, a statement of the
NKR foreign ministry has said.
The statement, in particular, notes that as a result of the work of
a special commission of the NKR, irrefutable information has been
produced which shows that these actions of the Baku government
are aimed at undermining the NKR economy and depriving it of the
possibility of progress. In order to disguise their actions, the
Azerbaijani authorities from the very start launched large-scale
propaganda both in the local and foreign media, trying to shift
the blame onto the Karabakh side, which is the continuation of
the propaganda and psychological warfare against the people of the
Nagornyy Karabakh republic and a clumsy attempt to cover up the act
of aggression.
[Passage omitted: some details of 2001 Karabakh talks]
“We would like to inform the whole international community and
especially the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group that if no measures
are taken against Azerbaijan’s hostile actions, the Stepanakert
government reserves the right to take retaliatory action to ensure
the republic’s security,” the statement reads.
It also recalls that fires have intensified on the border between
Azerbaijan and Nagornyy Karabakh since early June 2006. The situation
causes serious concern on the part of the Karabakh authorities since
it poses a threat to the NKR’s security and its people.
A special commission has been set up in the NKR to look into the
circumstances and causes of the fire. The commission comprises
members of ministries and departments in charge of security issues.
Firefighting brigades and the emergencies department of the NKR,
as well as local administrations and residents, have been mobilized
to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading. Round-the-clock
services have been organized in all communities in order to prevent
emergencies.
Nevertheless, the situation in those districts, which has been
aggravated by the continuing fire, is fraught with unpleasant long-term
consequences for the agriculture of the NKR and the republic’s food
security. The area of wheat fields damaged by fires on the border
with Azerbaijan has dramatically increased.

Egyptian Radio Interviews Lebanese Foreign Minister On Crisis
Voice of the Arabs, Cairo
17 Jul 06
[Presenter] from Beirut we interview His Excellency Lebanese Foreign
Minister Fawzi Sallukh, who arrived there following his participation
in the Arab League Council meeting in Cairo [on 15 July]. Your
excellency the minister, let us start with the results of the Arab
League Council meeting: was its stand satisfactory for the Lebanese
government and people?
[Sallukh] How can I tell you it was satisfactory while I do not find
an appropriate interpretation of the word satisfactory? However,
Lebanon had a draft resolution, and the Arab brothers approved this
draft resolution on stopping the aggression immediately, supporting
Lebanon’s steadfastness as well as supporting Lebanon’s complaint to
the [UN] Security Council. There was another resolution for dealing
with the Middle East crisis. But as I heard that his excellency the
Arab League secretary-general announced the death of all endeavours
seeking a solution to the Middle East issue because all talks and
contacts were suspended as if everyone was handing over the solution
of the Middle East issue to Israel.
Israel wants a unilateral solution in order to impose its conditions on
Palestinians in the occupied territories in Palestine and on Lebanon
or any other country with foreign backing because international
public opinion and the international community failed to utter a
word while Lebanon is facing a ferocious war, the killing of its
people, the destruction of its infrastructure and of all civilian and
service institutions in Lebanon. We have not heard a voice from the
international community asking Israel to stop this barbaric, ferocious
aggression because such aggression is not self-defence. Self-defence
cannot be so ferocious and barbaric while there is international law,
humanitarian law and conventions [words indistinct]. Israel ignored
all this and adopts the police of force and violence. All they said
is that it [Israel] was using excessive force to defend itself. If
this ferocious attack and aggression is self-defence, I wonder how
wars will be in the future.
[Passage omitted: On his tour to Armenia and Cairo over the last week.]
[Presenter] How did you find the general situation in the country?
[Sallukh] Awful silence and inactivity dominate the country, from
Tripoli to Beirut. Few cars run on the road. There is no movement of
citizens from Tripoli to Beirut. Some people have left their homes
and resorted to safe shelters in the mountains or elsewhere. Some have
left the country. Some are staying still, staying at home and hoping
that the international community will pass a decisive resolution on
stopping this barbaric Israeli aggression that is at odds with all
conventions and laws in force.
[Presenter] Mr Fawzi Sallukh, Lebanese foreign minister: as a
professional diplomat, how do you see the way out of this crisis? Is
it the USA, Russia, China, France, the UK and Germany? Will these
countries intervene eventually to stop this Israeli aggression and
apply a cease-fire, or will this crisis extend further?
[Sallukh] Who will intervene if these above-mentioned countries
fail to intervene?! They have to intervene if they believe in
the sanctity of man. Man everywhere has sanctity, but we see their
discrimination between people. Why did they fail to call for handing
over [Lebanese] prisoners of war in Israeli jails for 29 years since
they call for handing over two [Israeli] prisoners of war? So we
urge these above-mentioned countries to support the right and to
act in compliance with laws. They should respect these laws so that
international public opinion and citizens in all countries will
respect them. [Passage omitted]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

YEREVAN GOLDEN APRICOT FESTIVAL RECEIVES INVITATIONS OF COOPERATION FROM
ROTTERDAM AND PUSAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALS
YEREVAN, JULY 17, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. For cooperation
with the Golden Apricot Yerevan International film festival and with
Armenian cinematographers, as well as their great contribution to
the world cinematography world-famous film directors Godfrey Reggio,
Krzsystof Zanussi, Dong-ho Kim and scriptwriter Antonio Guerra were
awarded gold memorial medals of RA Ministry of Culture and Youth
Affairs. The awards were given to them by Minister Hasmik Poghosian
at the July 15 meeting at the Ministry.
Film director Haroutiun Khachatrian, General Director of the Golden
Apricot festival, assured that the festival could not fully form
without the state support and financing.
The festival director also declared that this young festival has
already received invitations of cooperation from Rotterdam and Pusan
festivals. In 2007 January RA Ministers of Culture and Foreign Affairs
will leave for Rotterdam to sign the respective agreement-memorandum.

70 citizens will arrive in Yrevan from Aleppo tonight
ArmRadio.am
17.07.2006 18:05
This evening 70 Armenian citizens will arrive in Armenia with a direct
Aleppo-Yerevan flight. Because of the military actions in Lebanon, they
will first move to Syria, and later to Armenia. Employees of RA Embassy
in Lebanon are waiting for them at the Syrian-Lebanese border to secure
the safe passage of the buses to Aleppo. Third Secretary of the Embassy
told “Armenpress” that to the extent possible Armenians of Lebanon
have been informed about the transportation. It has been announced
on radio, and no RA citizens are left in Beirut. “Transportation is
voluntary, and those who will can stay in the country.
The Armenian Embassy continues to work in the normal regime. It
is located in a Christian district and has suffered no damage. The
Armenian district is far from the war zone.

Turkish NGOs stage anti-Israel demonstration in Ankara
Anatolia news agency
17 Jul 06
Ankara, 17 July: A group of demonstrators from several nongovernmental
organizations staged a protest against Israel in Turkish capital
on Monday.
The group gathered in front of Palestine’s embassy in Ankara and
marched up to Lebanon’s embassy. They chanted slogans calling for
support to Palestine and Lebanon.
Later demonstrators marched to Israel’s embassy. “Israel’s attacks
that targeted first Palestine now expanded to Lebanon. Israel wages
attacks on any country to it choice,” spokesman of the group said.
The group later dispersed quietly.

Armenian body urges USA to recall envoy for failure to promote democracy
Noyan Tapan news agency
17 Jul 06
Yerevan, 17 July: The Democratic Armenia union has started collecting
signatures for the recall of the US ambassador to Armenia, John Evans,
the chairwoman of the National Press Club, Narine Lazarian, said on
behalf of the union at a news conference on 17 July.
Armenia has seen a dramatic deviation from democratic principles
which shows that the US policy to promote democracy in Armenia has
been foiled, she said. The Democratic Armenia union considers that
the culprits are ambassador John Evans, the US embassy in Armenia
and organizations which, funded with taxpayers’ money, are meant to
promote the development of democracy in Armenia.
The union urges the US Senate to speed up the replacement of the US
ambassador to Armenia and Armenian organizations of the USA to make
sure that the next ambassador is loyal to democratic values.
Narine Lazarian said that they had already collected 100 signatures
and that some political parties had also joined the campaign.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenia Ratifies International Treaty Banning Nuclear Explosions
AP Worldstream;
Jul 17, 2006
Armenia has ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty,
bringing to 133 the total number of countries who have endorsed
the pact, the Vienna-based organization that administers the accord
said Monday.
Armenia formally notified the United Nations on July 12 that it had
thrown its full support behind the pact, which bans test explosions
or any other nuclear explosions, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
Organization said in a statement.
In order to take effect, the treaty has to be ratified by 44 states _
listed in an annex _ who participated in a 1996 disarmament conference
and who at the time possessed nuclear power or research reactors. To
date, only 34 have done so, the organization said. The holdouts include
the United States, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Karabakh People Will on NK Status Principal
PanARMENIAN.Net
17.07.2006 14:02 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “The present scheme of the OSCE Minsk Group is as
follows: majority of territories against a promise for referendum on
the NK status. It provides for the withdrawal of the Armenian forces
from 5 regions while the rest remains uncertain. In such a case it’s
naïve to think that the sides can agree on referendum afterwards,”
says the article PanARMENIAN.Net received from former OSCE MG Russian
Co-chair Vladimir Kazimirov. In his words, with such state of things
the main problem – the NKR status determination- would remain unsettled
and represent danger of war. This issue must not be protracted. The
will of the Karabakh people is principal. Caucasus is a delicate
region and the international community should undertake to prevent
any attempts to settle the problem by threats and bloodshed. Nagorno
Karabakh should not be considered somebody’s territory and the will of
its population should not be neglected,” Vladimir Kazimirov considers.
He also remarked that Baku quotes the Azeri Constitution that allows
conduction of national referenda only. “However it’s worth mentioning
that the Azeri Constitution was adopted in 1995 in order to prevent
the NK population from expressing will. This transformation of the
Organic Law of a state into an instrument of political and propaganda
war will lead to irreversible changes in this chapter. Let me also
remark that Article 9 of the above mentioned Constitution denies war as
“means of settlement of international conflicts,” Kazimirov said.
The Russian diplomat pointed out to another fault in the
Azeri Constitution that badly troubles Baku in asserting its
“heritage”. “When repealing the Constitution of 1978 the authors of
the Constitution of 1995 failed to give a proper name to their previous
republic. Thus the trick with Constitution doesn’t work. Nowadays the
voting on status is held by those who is immediately concerned in the
matter, that is by Quebec but not Canada; by Catalonia but not Spain,”
the article says.
–Boundary_(ID_W0FFhs5ESZWskEVrBzq6JQ)–

Referendum in Karabakh Shouldn’t Be Postponed for 10-15 Years
PanARMENIAN.Net
17.07.2006 14:41 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “The referendum on the status of Nagorno Karabakh
should not be postponed for 10-15 years, that is upon completion of
the Azeri President’s second tenure of office. Why cannot it be held in
4-5 years after the start of realization of the agreement? Certainly,
the Azeris who used to live in NK and their children who were
born there should vote too. They should be given the right to
return but they should also know under whose power they return.
They can vote distantly (like it was done recently in Milli Mejlis)
to avoid incidents pregnant with upset of the referendum,” says the
article PanARMENIAN.Net received from former OSCE MG Russian Co-chair
Vladimir Kazimirov.
“The right to volunteer return of displaced persons and refugees is
one of the axioms of settlement but not for all of the parties. Deep
demilitarization of the territories until the final status of NKR
comes into force is also necessary. The security of the re-settled
people could be ensured by peacekeepers and civil police,” he said.