UNFAVORABLE WEATHER CONDITIONS HINDER THE SEARCH WORKS IN THE BLACK SEA
ArmRadio.am
18.05.2006 16:07
Unfavorable weather conditions hinder the search works at the site of
crash of the A-320 plane, the operative staff of technical assistance
informs.
Strong wind started at night. It made hard for the RT-1000 deepwater
devise to operate at the bottom of the sea. However, attempts are
made to continue the search works.

ARMENIA IS THE 41ST MEMBER
A1+
[08:07 pm] 18 May, 2006
RA has officially signed the Convention on European architectural
heritage (Granada Convention).
>From the Armenian side the convention was signed by Christian Ter
Stepanyan, RA permanent ambassador to the EC and from the European
side – by Mrs. Bukikio, deputy secretary of the EC.
Armenia became the 41st member of the convention.
The convention is aimed at strengthening and promoting the policy of
maintaining European heritage.
It focuses on the close cooperation and solidarity of member countries
in connection of the maintenance of European architectural heritage.

ARMENIAN BOOKS IN THE USA
A1+
[06:14 pm] 18 May, 2006
An international exhibition “BOOK EXPO 2006″will be held in
Washington on May 19 – 21 where Armenia will be presented in a
separate pavilion. About 50 books and periodicals among them samples
of historiographic, fiction, encyclopedian and children literature,
published within the recent years will be presented by the national
publishing association and “Edit Print” publishing-house.
Publishers from 46 countries are introduced in the exhibition “BOOK
EXPO 2006.” Apart from Russia,Armenia is the only CIC country which
will be introduced in a separate booth.

THE SURROUNDING OF THE GOVERNMENT IS AGAIN OVERCROWDED
A1+
[04:00 pm] 18 May, 2006
Today the yard of the government became so overcrowded since 10:30
that there was a need to invite security service workers to keep
order. The strikers shouted “Prime Minister, resign” for about 4 hours.
The “guests” of the Prime minister were the inhabitants of Northern
and Main Avenues, the gardeners of Dalma and religious people who
refused to take their social cards. Hranush Hakobyan, the Prime
Minister’s councilor, listened to the claims and complaints of the
religious people whereas the complaints of others were left unanswered.
“Social cards are not obligatory in any country. We haven’t got pension
and salary for a long time,” noted teacher Margaret Hovhannisyan who
refuses to take her social card because of her religious belief.
The strikers of Northern and Main Avenues complained that the decision
of the Constitutional Court gave nothing, the evictions still continue
by the same article and now it is the turn of the Buzand dwellers.
When the strikers turned to the office realizing the program of
greenery of Yerevan, they refused to help them on the ground that
the implementation of the CC decision will last till October 1.
By the way, the strikers applied to President Robert Kocharyan on
May 2 once more. “We wrote to him claiming that he is the guarantee
of the Constitution.
Illegality is still obvious in the country, besides, the Government is
to change its decision. We asked him to have his share in eliminating
the above mentioned illegality of the Government. We doubt that he is
aware of everything,” informed Vachagan Hakobyan who deals with the
issues of Northern Avenue. They haven’t got the President’s reply yet.
The Residents of Kozern also complained of the Prime Minister. Their
claim was connected with privatization which was “deliberately”
postponed and refused.
“Wherever we go – to the municipality or to the Government, they cheat
us. We shall take other measures in case our matter doesn’t find its
solution but we won’t make them public,” they claimed.
The strikers together with the Dalma gardeners ask to let them
privatize their lands and give compensation equal to the cadastre
value. The gardeners maintained that the new owners of their lands are
high rank officials among which “ArmRusGasArt,” “Business” Centre and
other organizations gave no compensation to the landowners. “They say
I gave so much money to the mayor that I have nothing to give you,”
says Hambardzum Khachatryan. “My son serves in the army and is near
the border. They came and destroyed my garden by saying “Why does he
serve, are we guilty of it?”
By the way, the strikers urge that the whole territory of Dalma has
turned into a rubbish-heap with concrete waste, food remains etc.

A BOYCOTT SET UP AGAINST THE NEW SPEAKER
A1+
[04:47 pm] 18 May, 2006
“Justice” Bloc made a decision about their strategy after the
resignation of NA Speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan and during the election
of the new Speaker.
The decision made at the end of one-year session was not accepted
unanimously. First of all the representatives of the “Republican” party
did not participate in the session, besides, Arshak Sadoyan, Chairman
of “National Democrats’ Alliance”, didn’t approve of the strategy.
“I have always said and still claim that the question of alternative
approach should be taken into account.
NA isn’t a puncher to decide who is a NA candidate and to participate
in that process with one candidate.
Anyway, it will be much wiser to propose several candidates for the
post, ask them questions, hold disputes and discussions, etc.”
By the way, Arshak Sadoyan informed his partners of the bloc that if
they counter any problems they can nominate his candidacy for the NA
Speaker’s post. Mr.
Sadoyan excludes the version of self nomination saying, “I am against
self nomination for any office.
I have always claimed that I cannot propose my candidature as it
won’t look beautiful.”
In Sadoyan’s opinion there will be great surprise in the Parliament
in this connection as everything is possible in the country in which
lingers of pressure are well known to him. But Sadoyan didn’t comment
on what he meant by saying surprise.
Ruzan Khachatryan, press secretary of the “Justice” Bloc, noted that
the party has no expectations connected with the nomination of the
NA Speaker’s office as they decided neither to participate in the
process nor to vote.
The deputies of “Justice” will likely participate only in the
discussions to make their point of view audible. “Justice” Bloc didn’t
take part in the 2003 elections either and won’t do it this time on
the same grounds. The reasons are as follows; NA elections are held
with frauds and they don’t go in line with the reality, thus “Justice”
doesn’t want to be involved in those “inland intrigues.”
By the way, another opposing power of the NA, “National Unity,”
has also decided not to participate in the parliamentary elections.

ANOTHER WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY OPENS BEFORE OSKANIAN-MAMEDIAROV MEETING
By Aghavni Harutyunian
AZG Armenian Daily
19/05/2006
It seems new developments are expected in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement or, perhaps, such an impression is being shaped at some
levels of the settlement process. Particularly, when the meeting
of foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan is being prepared,
taking the advantage of the 116th session of the CE Foreign Ministers’
Committee, Matthew Bryza, US Deputy State Secretary for European
and Eurasian Affairs, stated the following: “The sides are more than
close to coming to agreement.”
According to RFE/RL, Bryza also said that particularly, USA,
observes the coming period of few months as another opportunity
for settlement. Bryza believes that the authorities of Armenia and
Azerbaijan should display political courage to overcome the last
contradictions.
It’s noteworthy that Bryza expressed such optimism also in the course
of his visit to Yerevan after the negotiations in Rambouillet. But
his recent statements seem to be more optimistic.
At the same time, Peter Semneby, EU Special Representative to the
South Caucasus, said in the interview to the Russian Nezavisimaya
Gazeta that the conflicts of this region will not be settled without
hard work and mutual trust. Moreover, both EU and Russia, as well as
the regional countries should spare no efforts for that. But Semneby
didn’t exclude the threat of new escalation of the conflicts unless
they are unsettled.
It’s worth mentioning that at present, Mr. Semneby sees no prospects
for membership of the South Caucasus states to EU and states that
that will be hard to apply the a similar with the stability pact in
the Balkan states in our region. Though EU suggests more profound
relations to the South Caucasus states within the framework of the
EU New Neighborhood Program, it doesn’t envisage a prospect for the
membership to EU.
Besides, Semneby stated that EU is going to render financial assistance
of several hundred millions of Euros to each South Caucasus states
in 2007-2013.
Thus, if the prospect of EU membership was one of the key issues on
the settlement process of the Balkan states, EU leaves “the frozen
conflicts” in the South Caucasus to the regional states. At the same
time, the European and the American diplomats do not forget to remind
about “the notorious window of opportunity” just before the meeting
of the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Though the very
sides in conflict do not make any progress in the negotiations, the
international participants of the settlement process speak of only
final settlement in their statements.

ACADEMICIAN YURI OSIPIAN AWARDED LOMONOSOV BIG GOLD MEDAL
AZG Armenian Daily
19/05/2006
The Academy of Sciences of Russia has awarded Yuri Osipov Lomonosov
Big Gold Medal.
According to Nezovisimaya Gazeta, the academician was awarded “for
his fundamental contribution into the physics of movements in solid
bodies and for inventing the photoplastic effect.”

ROBERT GETIKIAN’S NEW FILM TO BE SHOWN IN JUNE
By Petros Keshishian
AZG Armenian Daily
19/05/2006
“Van” news group of French Armenians informed that from June 28
Robert Getikian’s last film will be shown at the movie theatres
of France. The film is entitled “A Journey in Armenia.” It depicts
contemporary Armenia, as well as the hard striving of the Armenian
Diaspora representatives to find their national identity. Arian
Ascarid, Gerard Melian, Shoghik Grigorian, Roman Avinian, Simon
Abgarian, Serge Avetikian, Christine Hovakimian and Madlen Getikian
are starring in the film.
The film is quite realistic and its very exciting plot will not leave
the spectators indifferent. The film is shot in one of the villages
of Vayots Dzor with the participation of the village residents.

ANDRE IN THE FINALS
A1+
[12:01 pm] 19 May, 2006
Singer Andre who represents Armenia in the annual music competition
“Eurovision-2006” reached the finals. According to the regulations
of the competition, the finalists are elected by the TV viewers of
the participant countries with the exception of the home country of
the singer.
After the semi finals by the voting of the TV viewers Andre reached
the finals which means that on May 20 he will represent Armenia once
again in Athens.

PROVOCATION FROM TBILISI
By Edmond Y. Azadian; The Armenian Mirror Spectator, Boston
AZG Armenian Daily
19/05/2006
Armenian-Georgian relations can at best be defined in love-hate
terms. During the Soviet period inter-ethnic tensions were muted down
and even the people living in the Caucasus were forced to claim to
be brothers. But deep down animosities simmered and with the collapse
of the Soviet Union they became full-blown hatred.
Even under the Soviet rule the Azeris carried a purely chauvinistic
policy by depopulating Nakhijevan and oppressing Armenians in
Karabakh, The Georgians, co-religionists of the Armenians, did not
fare any better than their Azeri counterparts in their treatment
of Armenians. That is why today the Javakhk region, predominantly
Armenian populated area of Georgia, remains economically most
depressed province.
During the last two centuries there was no love lost between the
two neighbors, who also fought a territorial dispute during first
independence and Soviet take over of the two republics.
The capital city of Georgia, Tbilisi, which was the most sophisticated
and cultured metropolis before the Soviet era, was built by Armenians,
who constituted the majority of its population. Even the mayors of
the capital city were at one time mostly Armenians.
Predominance of Armenian presence in Tbilisi had always fueled the
jealousy of the local Georgians who had been looking for an opportunity
to get rid of the Armenians.
Professor Ronald Suny proposes a very interesting theory about
Georgian-Armenian relations in his book entitled “The Making of the
Georgian Nation”.
Throughout the Caucasus the triumph of the Soviet regime was hailed as
the victory of the proletariat over the bourgeoisie. But in Georgia
that class warfare was but a fig leaf for Georgian nationalists
disguised as Communists to fight Armenians. Over the years they
gradually destroyed the infrastructure of the Armenian community in
that country by taking over churches, closing down schools, theaters
and newspapers.
The desperate situation in the Javakhk region is endemic to the
relationship of the two ethnic groups.
Since the fall of the Soviet empire Georgia fought three
ethnic wars, if we discount the clashes between nationalists
and ultra-nationalists. The root cause of those conflicts was
the jingoistic treatment of minorities, which fragmented the
country. Edward Shevardnadze continued the Soviet legacy during
independence, only to be replaced by Gamsakhourdia, a zealot who
further destroyed the ethnic fabric of his country to be ousted
eventually by Shevardnadze forces. It was most ironic that he would
take refuge in Armenia before his subsequent exile and assassination.
Since Georgia’s independence Ajaria, a Moslem region, enjoyed
semi-independent status, under Asian Abashidze, who always defied the
central government in Tbilisi, with impunity until he was escorted out
by the Russians, who expected to gain favors from Mikhail Saakashvilli,
who took over the government through his “revolution of roses”.
The two other flash points still remain unresolved; Abkhazia has
declared its independence. During the Abkhaz-Georgian war, Armenians
were caught in the crossfire, and suffered from both sides, since
the two conflicting sides blamed Armenians for siding with the enemy
camp. Before the conflict Armenians presented the largest minority. But
since the war their number and influence have dwindled considerably.
Another factor that complicates further the issue is that the majority
of the Abkhazian population has taken Russian citizenship in recent
years to give Moscow an excuse to defend “its citizens” any time
in danger.
In Georgia’s North, the region of Southern Ossetia has declared
independence and the skirmishes and saber rattling continue across
the border.
Saakashvilli came to power on the crutches of US policy in the region
and the removal of Abashidze in Ajaria had whetted his appetite for
the resolution of the two other raging conflicts.
The US support has emboldened Saakashvilli to the point of defying
his neighbor in the North, namely Russia.
Georgia’s problems are created by the xenophobia of its leaders and,
unfortunately, also its people.
Armenian presence in Georgia needs to be viewed within the context
of this very complicated political landscape.
Javakhk, unlike Karabakh in the Soviet era, borders Armenia. Through
all the succeeding regimes, a deliberate policy of the central
government has kept the area underdeveloped. No roads have been built
or repaired for a long time, no public services provided, no jobs, no
economic projects. The only way Armenians have survived is through the
existence of Russian military base, which provides jobs and above all,
physical security in a hostile region, where conflicts and unresolved
crimes are many.
The Russian military base is a bone of contention between Russia and
Georgia. The government in Tbilisi wants the Russian base out, and
in return promises economic aid, jobs and security to the Armenians.
Promises, which have not been fulfilled and looks like they will
never be fulfilled any time soon. Only Russian military base would
have guaranteed security and economic viability for the Armenians.
On the other hand a country that claims to have achieved democracy,
uses ethnic tensions and threat of ethnic cleansing as a tool for
its political ends.
Indeed, Tbilisi appoints Georgian satraps by the central government
to rule this predominantly Armenia region. Armenians are denied
jobs and government positions for their lack of proficiency in the
Georgian language, whereas it seems to be perfectly normal to have
an unelected Georgian to govern Armenians without bothering to learn
the local language.
In addition to these pressures, the central government hangs over the
head of the Armenians, the return of Moslem Metskhets of Turkic origin,
who were deported by Stalin to Central Asia and other regions of the
Soviet Union, during World War II.
This policy of relocating indigenous people has the resonance of
human rights to the international community, but in fact it is no
different than the fig leaf of class warfare Georgians waged earlier
against the Armenians. For all intents and purposes this policy aims
at depopulating Javakhk of its Armenian population.
In recent months the interior minister and foreign minister of Georgia
visited Armenia, and after all the sweet talk of brotherly love
and refusal to enter into political deals, which would compromise
Armenia’s interests, the official and unofficial harassment of the
Armenians in Georgia continues.
Georgia helped Turkey and Azerbaijan to bypass Armenia in building
the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline. There is talk that they intend to resume
railroad service again isolating Armenia.
Saakashvilli government is well aware that Armenia is in a bind and it
faces the same historic dilemma it faced during the first republic;
that is it cannot afford a second front while the Karabakh conflict
remains unresolved-Armenia is expected to calm down the tensions in
Javakhk while Georgians continue failing in their end of the deal.
Georgian leaders are convinced that the only way to restore the
territorial integrity of the country is to adopt a federal system to
lure back breakaway Abkhazia and Southern Ossetia to their fold. And
this process provides a golden opportunity for Javakhk Armenians to
claim the same level of autonomy as the other regions.
They have been agitating and demanding that autonomy, which the
official Yerevan cannot publicly support to avoid aggravating
Georgian-Armenian relations, which superficially remain calm.
US policy with regards to these issues remains singularly myopic and
one-dimensional. There is one thrust to that policy: to drive Russian
military bases out of Georgia regardless of the consequences to the
local groups. Rather than analyzing and solving the local problems
equitably, the US administration, very much in a Cold War mind set,
has been pursuing a blanket global policy of containing Russia.
As if all these problems were not enough, Georgian Orthodox Church
has launched a new provocation, certainly not without the knowledge
and blessing of the Tbilisi government, adding a new and alarming
twist to the relation of the two neighboring nations.
Georgian Orthodox Church has been confiscating Armenian churches on
the Georgian territory. Calls, appeals and protests by the Armenian
Church and government authorities have thus far been to no avail.
Pushing the envelope further, the Patriarchate of the Georgian Orthodox
Church has appointed a special commission to claim six churches in
the Northern region of Armenia, in Tavoush and Lori, as their own,
not withstanding the fact that no Georgians live in the area.
This new initiative seems to be designed to raise tensions between
the two nations, knowing full well that Armenia can ill afford to
handle another crisis at this time.
The announcement of the “Special Commission” was preceded by another
provocation: The Supreme Synod of the Georgian Orthodox Church decided
lo establish an eparchy (Diocese) of the Georgian Orthodox Church
in Armenia, without bothering to inform either the leadership of the
Armenian Church or the government.
The Georgian Church leaders claim that their decision intends
“to restore historical existence of the eparchy of Agarak-Tashir,
Dmanisi See”.
There is certainly a hidden agenda, which the Georgian authorities
are pursuing by this decision, because:
a) There are no Georgians to attend the presumed churches, nor are
there any religious structures.
b) The second issue is more suspicious than the first one, since that
region was included in the map of 1918, which the Georgian Mensheviks
claimed as their own.
Georgians living in Yerevan enjoy having their own church, courtesy
of the Armenian Apostolic Church, whereas the Armenian Church does
not have a defined status in Georgia, because there is separation of
church and state in Georgia, which becomes very handy to the Georgians
to keep Armenians in limbo and allow the opportunity to the Georgian
Orthodox Church to confiscate Armenian churches.
Georgian hidden agenda seems to counter the Armenian claims in Javakhk
and also the protest of Armenian Church leaders in the other parts
of Georgia.
The Dashnag party has been organizing and agitating Armenians in
Javakhk. Some people criticize this policy, which will raise tensions
in the area.
It is time for Armenia to resort to very delicate diplomacy. Any
retaliation in kind may rock the boat and trigger another crisis,
which may render life unbearable in Javakhk and overtax the resources
in Armenia. But on the other hand, Armenia cannot allow Georgia to
pursue its arrogant policy.
It looks like the wise course would be to carry a carrot and stick
until stability is restored in the region.