ARE TURKS BEHIND THE 10 POINTS FOR ANDRE?
AZG Armenian Daily
25/05/2006
The 10 points that Andre, Armenia’s representative at the
Eurovision-2006, received from Turkey have incited much talk. According
to Yerkramas newspaper of Russian-Armenians, Armenian reader from
Ankara told the paper that the Turkish population of the country did
not influence the voting during Eurovision-2006.
The reader stated that the ethnic Turks had boycotted the voting as
they were not allowed to vote for Turkey’s representative and that
most of the people behind the 10 points from Turkey were Armenians
(including Islamic converts and those hiding their ethnic background),
Kurds, Jews and other nationalities.

FINDING JOB IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR DISABLED PEOPLE IN ARMENIA
By Gohar Gevorgian
AZG Armenian Daily
25/05/2006
Roman Khmboyan, 22 years old disabled, is member of “Pyunik” Union
of Disabled People. He graduated from the Yerevan Industrial Collage
and, being specialist of radio-electronic equipment, he still fails
to find a job. At present, he studies mathematics for the entrance
exams to the university. He hopes that having higher education,
he will be able to find a job. He used to apply to many companies
for job and everywhere people told him that he didn’t have required
education. Certainly, Roman realizes that unemployment is a big problem
for many Armenian citizens, as even his family members are unemployed,
except for his father. “I would say that the attitude of people gets
worse and worse. In particular, I can feel that when communicating
with young people. It’s much better to communicate with older people,
they are not only tolerant but also very friendly,” Roman says.
“Pyunik” Union has been carrying out “Public Tolerance and Integration
of Young Disabled People in Society” program by the financial
assistance of RA Culture and Youth Affairs Ministry since November 1,
2005. Hakob Abrahamian, chairman of the union, stated at the closing
ceremony of the program that they have visited the regions and in
collaboration with the local organizations tried to settle the issues
of disabled people. He stated that the one of the most urgent problems
for disabled people is the environment that is not suitable for freely
moving. The disabled people also have financial, unemployment problems,
as well as unhealthy attitude of the society to them. Mr.
Abrahamian added that the state assists the disabled people by
securing free of charge medical treatment for them, providing them
with technical equipment and prosthetic devices.
Anahit Hakobian, representative of the Department of Disabled People
at RA Labor and Social Security Ministry, informed that 141 thousand
disabled people were registered in Armenia, in 2006. She added that
they deal with the employment issues of the disabled people, but
didn’t say how many people they managed to provide with jobs.

ALL THE RESIDENTS OF THE CIS WILL BE CALCULATED
A1+
[01:29 pm] 25 May, 2006
A session of the government heads of the CIS member countries was
convened this morning in the capital of Tajikistan, Dushanbe. RA
Prime Minister Andranik Margaryn also participated in the session.
The heads of the governments signed a number of documents concerning
the cooperation of the CIS countries among them the implementation of
general census of the population in the member countries in 2010, the
improvement of life quality of the peacekeeping forces and terrorism
sufferers who participated in local conflicts and wars within the
years 2006 – 2010.
RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan met with Georgi Baramidze,
deputy Prime Minister and State Minister of Georgia during his
work visit to Dushanbe. The two sides attached a great importance
to the fact that the two Prime Ministers head the intergovernmental
committees of Armenian-Georgian economic cooperation noting that it
greatly contributed to the solution of many questions accumulated in
the past as well as gave ground for working out new joint projects
mainly in the spheres of energy, transportation and tourism.
Andranik Margaryan and Georgi Baramidze gave their positive evaluation
to the discussion of the Armenian-Georgian border opening procedure
noting that the next joint session of the corresponding committees
will be convened in August, in Yerevan.
Other key issues of their discussion were closely connected with the
Javakhq Armenians and their problems. The RA Prime Minister once more
underlined Armenia’s readiness to render assistance to the Georgian
authorities in implementing complex programs aimed at restoring the
Javakhq substructures.
According to Andranik Margaryan the tension of the local residents
has significantly weakened, and he claims it would be wiser to involve
the local businessmen and population in the construction works taking
into account also the fact that they have great experience in such
work. Mr. Margaryan noted that according to the decision of the two
Prime Ministers, the Armenian side will render its assistance in
the reconstruction of educational establishments in this phase. The
format and means of further assistance will be decided after the
presentation of the restoration complex programs of the regional
structures to the Armenian side.

ARMENIAN TEAM’S BEST PARTICIPATION IN THE OLYMPIAD
A1+
[12:15 pm] 25 May, 2006
Armenian Chess team displayed its best participation in the 4th round
of the World Olympiad held in Turin and beat the Nigerian team 4:0.
Our chess players Levon Aronyan, Vladimir Hakobyan, Smbat Lputyan and
Gabriel Sargsyan celebrated their victory. After the meeting with
the Nigerian team Armenia tops the fixture table with 13.5 points
alongside with the Russian team having the same index.
Armenia occupies the 2nd place with its additional indexes.
By the way, Armenian chess players will meet the Russian
representatives in the 5th round. This will be the central and the
vital meeting of the Olympiad where the winner will have an opportunity
to become a champion though there is much time left by the end of
the Olympiad. It is noteworthy that only Armenian, Russian and Dutch
teams celebrated the same number of victories in the past four rounds.
Armenian women team also celebrated its victory in the 4th round
beating Ecuador 2:1. The decisive point for our team was provided
by Siranoush Andreasyan whereas Lilit Lazarian and Elina Danielyan
tied their meetings. So far Armenian women team is in the 11th place
and will meet the Greek team in the next round.

THEY DID THEIR BUSINESS “NEATLY”
A1+
[12:37 pm] 25 May, 2006
Today the National Commission on Television and Radio (NCTR) decided
that the RA citizens don’t need the radio station “A1+” the slogan
of which was to be, “Listen to us and recognise yourselves.”
The contest packets for FM 90.3 MHz and FM 90.7 MHz radio frequencies
were opened on April 7 so we can say for sure that 48 days are
enough for the NCTR members to make all the necessary “consultations”
and comparisons.
Let us remind you that the rivals of “A1+” for the same radio frequency
in the above mentioned competition were “Ulyss-Media” on the one hand
and “Radio-Pro” on the other hand.
We shall inform you about today’s session of the NCTR more thoroughly
today.

NATO TOOK NEUTRAL POSITION IN EVERYTHING
Panorama.am
20:13 23/05/06
Special Representative of NATO Secretary General on South Caucasus
issues Robert Simons distrusted the statements of some of our leaders
that in 2015 the Armenian army will completely comply with NATO
standards. “It will not take place at once. It will be impossible
to finish the process by 2015, as it is impossible to graduate the
university at once. Even NATO member states continue their reforms. In
this sense, it is hard to set deadlines and to affirm that reforms
will be over before the set time. It is a continuous process,” he
told a news conference at foreign ministry.
Speaking on Karabakh conflict regulation, R. Simons noted that NATO
is not directly involved in the negotiation process but hopes that
the sides will find a mutually beneficial solution. After that, they
themselves will decide which forces they want to see in those areas –
peacekeeping, frontier or other.
Concurrently, the representative mentioned that NATO supports OSCE
Minsk Group.
Speaking about Russian military bases in Armenia, R. Simons noted
that it is the internal issue of the country to decide if it wants
any military bases in the country. In his words, if Armenia wants the
Russian forces to go, NATO will support the country in doing that as
in Georgia.
Speaking about Armenian-Turkish relations, R. Simons said, “Turkey
is the member of the alliance and consented to implement Individual
Partnership program in Armenia. However, NATO is not going to engage
in the relations between the two countries and will not deal with
their foreign policies. In fact, it is a bilateral issue between
Armenia and Turkey.”

PARUYR HAYRIKYAN: THE STATE POLITICAL LIFE IS ACCOMPANIED WITH DISGRACEFUL EXPRESSIONS
ArmRadio.am
24.05.2006 17:30
Head of the National Self-Determination Union Paruyr Hayrikyan
evaluated today the events in the domestic political life of the
country, assessing these as dangerous steps for the Republic.
The state political life is accompanied with disgraceful expressions;
this is the way the Head of the National Self-Determination Union
characterizes the internal political events.
Paruyr Hayrikyan does not see anything unusual “Orinats Yerkir”
Party’s seceding from the coalition. At last, it is the party that
should decide where it must belong.
Paruyr Hayrikyan was discontent with the phenomenon of rat race. He
said these people do not know what a party means and what it is being
formed for. He considered it necessary to explain that a party should
either comprise part of the state or promote its creation.
According to him, the facts show that there are no parties, in reality
these are balloons.
The President of the National Self-Determination Union attached
importance to the choice of national symbols. “Choosing as an anthem
Aram Khachatryan’s melody of Communist era would mean breaking
ourselves,” Paruyr Hayrikyan said.
He will fight against the “shadow of Communism.

THE DELEGATION OF MEDIATORS HAD A MEETING WITH AZERI FOREIGN MINISTER
ArmRadio.am
24.05.2006 17:44
The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister
Grigori Karasin, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried
and Director on Political Issue of the French Ministry of Foreign
Affairs Stanislas de Laboulaye had a meeting with the Foreign Minister
of Azerbaijan in Baku today.
The meeting lasted for one and half hours, no statement was issued in
the result of it. Today the delegation of mediators will meet also
the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliev. The Ambassador of Romania
to Azerbaijan Nikolae Ureke declared that the Presidents of Armenia
and Azerbaijan may meet in Bucharest in the framework of the “Black
Sea Forum of Dialogue and Cooperation.”
“Romania is ready to provide for the necessary conditions for the
meeting of Presidents,” the diplomat said.

DANIEL FRIED CALLS ON THE PARTIES TO TAKE DECISIVE STEPS
ArmRadio.am
24.05.2006 18:05
US Assistant Secretary of State declared today in Baku that the
“parties should take decisive steps for the final resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Daniel Fried noted that the situation in the negotiations will be
finally known by the end of the week.
“Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan are able to resolve the conflict
in a peaceful way,”the American diplomat said.

UKRAINIAN MILITARY DELEGATION VISITING ARMENIA TO DEVELOP TIES
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
24 May 06
[Presenter] A Ukrainian delegation led by the chief of the general
staff of the Ukrainian armed forces, Serhiy Kyrychenko, paid an
official visit to Yerevan today. Meetings with the chief of the general
staff of the Armenian army, Col-Gen Mikael Arutyunyan, and the Armenian
deputy speaker are planned within the framework of the visit.
The delegation will visit the Vazgen Sarkisyan Military Institute
and the Humanitarian Mine Action Centre.
The Ukrainian delegation led by Kyrychenko had an official meeting
with representatives of the Armenian Defence Ministry immediately
after their arrival in Yerevan.
[Kyrychenko, speaking in Russian with an Armenian voice-over] This
is an important visit for the development of military relations. We
have met several times and have common subjects. Today we have the
opportunity to continue cooperation between the armed forces of
Ukraine and Armenia.