IT TAKES A STEP FROM APRICOT TO DRIED APRICOT
Lragir.am
12 July 06
Though I tried hard, I could not imagine Condoleezza Rice entering
the Kodak Hall in Los Angeles or the French foreign minister walking
on the red rug in Cannes, or Lavrov entering the hall of the film
festival of Moscow. They appeared to me in interstate meetings,
heated international talks, diplomatic battles. I did not try to
imagine foreign minister Vardan Oskanyan walking on the rug of the
film festival. I did not need to because I could simply see that on
July 10, at 21 o’clock in the evening, in front of the Moscow Cinema,
on the red rug of the Golden Apricot Festival.
Vardan Oskanyan did not appear there accidentally. Perhaps only the
organizers of the festival knew about Vardan Oskanyan’s relation to
cinema, world cinema generally (because the festival is international)
and Armenian cinema particularly. It should be noted, however, that
Vardan Oskanyan did not look lost among renowned and not so renowned
directors. Moreover, for a moment it appeared as if the passer was
not the blacksmith of native diplomacy but one of the prominent
representatives of the native film industry. And it is difficult to
state which of them suffered much, cinema or diplomacy, when Vardan
Oskanyan chose cinema as his main occupation.
Although this should not be uttered absolutely. After all, it is not
surprising when at an important and maybe even crucial moment for the
country’s foreign policies we see the foreign minister on the rug of
the festival, not at the table of negotiations. They kill Armenians
in Russia, Iran demands account for the sale of the gas pipeline,
Verin Lars is again closed down, Karabakh talks are declassified,
whereas the foreign minister attends to the festival.
Apricots are good, especially at the end of the season, especially
when the border between diplomacy and cinema is not visible. But
Lavrov knows something when he does not walk on festival rugs. On
the other hand, it is possible that he does not know anything, but
he has a lot to do and there is no time for rugs. Well, they are big
countries, they have problems, interests, goals. Therefore they go
in for diplomacy. Ours is apricots, it is good if they sell well,
at least the dried apricots.
HAKOB BADALYAN

HOMELAND IS NOT DECIDED IN A REFERENDUM
Lragir.am
12 July 06
Jirayr Sefilyan, the head of the Initiative for Defense of Liberated
Areas, announced July 12 at the National Press Club that the Karabakh
issue will not be resolved, and there is no danger of losing the
liberated areas. Jirayr Sefilyan believes that all the variants
of settlement discussed after the armistice contained return of
territories, and in this sense Bryza’s revelations and information
on a framework agreement are not a novelty. Jirayr Sefilyan thinks
that dangers thereof are superficial.
The real danger, according to the former soldier of the liberation war,
is inside the country, in the policy of the government. Jirayr Sefilyan
points to the willingness for compromise in the statements of the
ministers of defense and foreign affairs. The head of the Initiative
for Defense of Liberated Areas is amazed that the foreign minister
of Armenia upholds the principles involving return of territories and
recently he has been announcing about it rather often with regard to
Bryza’s revelations on the talks.
“I can see two reasons for Vardan Oskanyan’s activity, namely his
statements on every other day. One of them is that he wants to tell the
Americans on Kocharyan’s order that he is ready for everything. Second,
tasked by his lords, Oskanyan has started preparing people, as they
think,” says Jirayr Sefilyan. According to him, these statements about
a compromise are intended to instill certain moods in the society.
“So, they keep repeating day and night that we must cede, we must
cede, we must cede. This may not affect established people like us,
but there is a new generation in Armenia, and this may eventually
affect them,” says Jirayr Sefilyan. He is against a new referendum
on the status of Nagorno Karabakh, saying that the homeland cannot
be decided in a referendum, it is betrayal.
Generally, Jirayr Sefilyan thinks that the purpose of Bryza’s
statements is regional developments and the problem of Iran rather
than the Karabakh conflict. The head of the Initiative for Defense
of Liberated Areas believes that the United States uses the Karabakh
issue to put pressure on the Armenian government, to separate Armenia
from Russia. On the other hand, Jirayr Sefilyan thinks it is bad
that Armenia faces Russia only. “Because there is no Russia today,”
says Jirayr Sefilyan.
According to him, there is not a political force, which represents
the opinion of the public, therefore Jirayr Sefilyan does not wonder
why the political forces remained silent about the recent statements
on Karabakh, failing to express the reaction of the society.
“Today’s political sphere in Armenia has nothing in common with our
public,” says the head of the Initiative for Defense of Liberated
Areas. “Our people have one opinion. We are the lords of our land,
our homeland. This is the dominant opinion. The real reaction will
be when this wretched government decides to act. There will be a
reaction at that time and you will see what a reaction it will be. I
tell you for sure, because I will be one of the initiators of this,”
announced Jirayr Sefilyan. He also thinks that the danger of igniting
of the war is greater under the present government, whereas “we are
not ready for war with this government” and the way of avoiding it
is, according to Jirayr Sefilyan, is “to get rid of this government
as soon as possible.”

THESE ARE GAMES, IT WILL ONLY TAKE SOME TIME
Lragir.am
12 July 06
Elections give rise to disagreement, and they should not be conducted
in Karabakh, announced Jirayr Sefilyan, the commander of the battalion
of Shushi July 12 at the National Press Club. The reporter of the
Lragir tried to find out the attitude of Jirayr Sefilyan as a former
soldier of the liberation war towards the situation in Karabakh where
there are increasing doubts that Arkady Ghukasyan is likely to run
a third term.
“Generally I am against holding elections in Karabakh. Besides,
I am against Armenians viewing Karabakh as a separate state. It is
self-deception. Karabakh is a front. It is wrong to conduct elections
on the front, it gives rise to disagreement,” says Jirayr Sefilyan. He
mentions that if everything had depended on him, Karabakh would have
united with Armenia long ago.
“For holding elections there, nothing can be expected there as long as
the situation here does not change. It will be decided in Yerevan. In
other words, the government of Artsakh is not independent to do
something good there and bring it here. No. They obey the ones that are
here. The famous pair, their pageboys,” says Jirayr Sefilyan. Jirayr
Sefilyan evaluates Seyran Ohanyan’s statement in this context, who
said, in fact, that the liberated territories should be returned.
“Seyran Ohanyan repeats what Serge Sargsyan says. He carries out
Serge’s orders because it was beyond him to resign on these days.
If he does not resign, he has to obey the orders of the minister. I
would say so. But Seyran Ohanyan, ministers or presidents do not
matter. And Seyran knows this, everybody knows, and time will prove
this. Simply I am sorry for Seyran because Seyran is one of the few
commissioned officers who, I felt, are true Armenians.” Jirayr Sefilyan
believes that Ohanyan knows he is going along the wrong way, at the
same time he thinks that these are games, it will only take some time.

NO ARRANGEMENT ON SELLING THE GAS PIPELINE
Lragir.am
12 July 06
There is no arrangement with Russia on the sale of the Iran-Armenia
gas pipeline. The news agency ARKA reports that this was stated by
Serge Sargsyan, Defense Minister, co-chair of the Armenian-Russian
intergovernmental committee, July 12. “There is no such arrangement
because there is no such pipeline yet. If there is lack of information,
I will ask the minister of energy and the director of Armrusgasard
today to provide necessary information on this question,” Serge
Sargsyan said.

WHY DID AMERICANS ASSIST THE CORRUPT SYSTEM?
Lragir.am
12 July 06
The statement of the OSCE Minsk Group U.S. Co-Chair Mathew Bryza has
recently been one of the burning home political issues. Especially
that such topics and debates seldom occur. The statement of the
U.S. Co-Chair was significant also because it concerns both the
Karabakh issue and home political developments in Armenia, therefore
it is said to mark new home political developments.
The Lragir asked Aghasi Yenokyan, political scientist, to comment on
Bryza’s statement and its possible impact on the Karabakh conflict
and home political developments.
Lragir: Mr. Yenokyan, what was the purpose of such a transparent speech
by Mathew Bryza and what conclusions can be drawn from this statement?
Mathew Bryza’s revelations and generally the recent statements of
the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and suspension of their powers are
the expression of flexible foreign policies of the United States. In
our region the American diplomacy is guided by the famous principles
of realpolitik, relying on power of force and mechanisms of mutual
balance. In fact, these mechanisms showed their uselessness in the
settlement of the Karabakh conflict. There are two reasons: collision
of interest of too many great powers and tensions around the region
on the one hand, and uncertainty of principles of operation of power
projections in the post-Cold war period, on the other hand. Presently
the American diplomacy is resorting to the other method of work –
democracy. These statements were a call to publics to undertake the
settlement of the problem.
Besides, this was a confession that the governments, with whom the
United States has worked so far, do not represent their peoples,
are not democratic. In this case it seemed to be the shortest way
because in the newly independent countries that emerged on the surge of
democracy the most important factor should have been people, however,
the Americans started from the other side.
I think it is necessary to give explanations to peoples, especially
about why they assisted anti-democratic regimes, in fact enhancing
the corrupt system.
The perception of this is important for bolstering up the belief of
people in their forces and possibilities, to put it more directly,
to overcome fear from democracy.

ALVARD PETROSYAN IS SORRY FOR ALL-ARMENIAN MOVEMENT
Lragir.am
12 July 06
Member of Parliament Alvard Petrosyan, Armenian Revolutionary Faction,
commenting on the home political situation, confesses that they
are also to blame for the frustration of the society. The political
figure representing former opposition and present government, in a
retrospective look at the 1990s, emphasizes that at that time not
only these frustrated people were active but also the opposition
with its ideology. Alvard Petrosyan, who is for political debates,
regrets that the All-Armenian Movement is not at the same table of
debate when her political party is government. At the same time, she
says they need to repent first to come on the political stage again.
In the meantime, the member of parliament thinks the political forces
are in an ideological stagnation unlike their activities. Although
Alvard Petrosyan believes that people never like the government,
“it is easier to be opposition than non opposition”. Alvard Petrosyan
continues the logic of her words, “it is easier to say no, whereas
one needs to account for a yes.” Appearing in a difficult situation,
she accuses people who do not offer demands.
“You do not offer demands, we do not do anything,” excuses herself
the member of the ARF. And with this easy mode of work the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation is hopefult to appear in the parliament
again in 2007. “ARF has all-Armenian demand.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CAUSE OF PLANE CRASH TO BE STATED CLEARLY
Lragir.am
12 July 06
Investigation into the crash of the Armenian A320 will end in late
July. The news agency ARKA reports that the president of the Interstate
Aviation Committee Tatyana Anodina announced this July 12.
“Today we can be sure to state that we possess all the data to state
the cause absolutely clearly and impartially and take necessary actions
and prepare the final report involving experts from Russia, France
and Armenia,” said the chair of the Interstate Aviation Committee. She
announced that the cause of the crash will be formulated clearly. She
said the essential work has been done, and the upcoming week will be
devoted to summing up the results. Anodina said the report will be open
and will be extended to international organizations. She mentioned
that the committee reveals technical parameters and the cause of
the plane, but the national agencies will deal with revealing the
guilty. Tatyana Anodina also stated that during the July 12 meeting
with the president of Armenia there were no questions on agreement,
conclusions or instructions. According to Anodina, the president of
Armenia considers his prime problem to find out the cause of the crash.

Lebanese Foreign Minister to pay tribute to Genocide victims
ArmRadio.am
12.07.2006 11:08
Today in Tsitsernakaberd the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants
of Lebanon, who is in Armenia on a two-day official visit, will pay
tribute to the Armenian Genocide victims. The Minister is expected
to visit also Matenadaran.

Two-day seminar to be held in the framework of the Golden Apricot Film
Festival
ArmRadio.am
12.07.2006 11:17
In the framework of the Golden Apricot Third International Film
Festival, a two-day seminar, featuring film directors from Georgia,
Iran, Turkey, Russia, Kazakhstan, different European countries,
particularly Netherlands and France, will start in Yerevan today. The
outstanding cinematographers will present their views on regional
cooperation and will introduce the joint programs

Dance festival after Vanushs Khanamiryan and Sukhishvili to open in Kobuleti
ArmRadio.am
12.07.2006 11:40
An unprecedented dance festival after Vanushs Khanamiryan and
Sukhishvili will open today in Kobuleti, Georgia. 500 dancers from
30 groups will participate in the event.
Seminars will be organized during the six days of the festival. These
will provide the opportunity for the two peoples to introduce each
other to their history and choreography.