RUSSIAN PRESIDENT PUTIN IS AGAINST SERZH SARKISIAN AS KOCHARIAN’S SUCCESSOR?
Today, Azerbaijan
Aug. 30, 2006
Armenian President’s press secretary Viktor Soghomonian gave a press
briefing in Yerevan.
Kocharian’s press secretary was also asked to comment on a recent
report published in the “Iravunk” weekly, which, citing its sources,
suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin had openly spoken
against Armenia’s powerful defense minister Serzh Sarkisian as
Kocharian’s successor.
“I haven’t discussed publications of that type with the president
for a long time, because very often they are so absurd that even do
not deserve discussing,” Soghomonian said.
He said the relations between Kocharian and Sarkisian were normal and
that there was no conflict between Armenia’s ruling Republican Party
and Prosperous Armenia, a newly established pro-government party led
by tycoon Gagik Tsarukian, RFE/RL Armenian service informs.
URL:

KOCHARIAN SPEAKS AGAINST ‘ALL-PROPORTIONAL’ ELECTION
By Ruzanna Khachatrian
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Aug. 30, 2006
President Robert Kocharian is against the ‘all-proportional’ system
of representation in parliament, his press secretary announced on
Wednesday, disproving a series of recent newspaper reports claiming
the opposite.
In a press briefing Viktor Soghomonian explained that the president is
against reconsidering the agreement reached by the coalition forces
regarding the distribution of proportional and majoritarian seats in
the Armenian legislature – which is currently 90 to 41.
“It would be wrong to cut a deputy off his constituency at this
stage of our democratic development,” Soghomonian said, advocating
the preservation of 41 seats for deputies elected directly from
single-mandate constituencies.
Kocharian’s press secretary was also asked to comment on a recent
report published in the “Iravunk” weekly, which, citing its sources,
suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin had openly spoken
against Armenia’s powerful defense minister Serzh Sarkisian as
Kocharian’s successor.
“I haven’t discussed publications of that type with the president
for a long time, because very often they are so absurd that even do
not deserve discussing,” Soghomonian said.
He said the relations between Kocharian and Sarkisian were normal and
that there was no conflict between Armenia’s ruling Republican Party
and Prosperous Armenia, a newly established pro-government party led
by tycoon Gagik Tsarukian.
Speaking of international relations, Soghomonian said that Armenia
does not intend sending peacekeeping troops to Lebanon first because
of peacekeepers’ unspecified mandate and secondly because of the large
presence of ethnic Armenians in Lebanon. “We don’t want to create
problems for the local Armenian community in the event of clashes.”
Soghomonian also didn’t rule out that President Kocharian may meet
his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliev by the end of the year. “Days ago,
the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan met to try to prepare
a meeting for the presidents. This meeting may take place if the
presidents have enough material to discuss.”

TROUBLED MINISTER EMBROILED IN FRESH CORRUPTION SCANDAL
By Hovannes Shoghikian
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Aug. 30, 2006
Environment Minister Vartan Ayvazian on Wednesday brushed aside the
accusations of an American company exploiting gold reserves in Armenia
that said he had demanded a bribe in exchange for certain preferences.
The accusations were made public after newspaper reports revealed that
representatives of the Global Golden Corporation ostensibly provided
evidence substantiating their claims to the Armenian authorities.
Meanwhile, Ayvazian denies even having met the company’s people in
the period when they claim he demanded a $3-million bribe from them.
“It is a good plot for a detective story,” Ayvazian said. “But why
do they remember it only a year after the incident allegedly happened?
We didn’t even have meetings in the last year, we only exchanged
correspondence.”
Earlier this month Ayvazian was accused of condoning illegal
logging, poaching, mining and other activities after a six-month
inquiry conducted by the Prosecutor-General’s Office this year found
“serious violations” in the operations of the Ministry led by him. In
particular, the prosecutors said the Ministry and its territorial
divisions have failed to take meaningful action against the continuing
destruction of forests and other green areas across the country,
while the few individuals caught for illegally cutting trees usually
get off with minor fines or are not punished at all.
The fresh accusations of corrupt activities only stoke renewed
speculation that Ayvazian may soon be relieved of his duties.
Director of the Global Golden Corporation’s Armenia Office Ashot
Poghosian said to RFE/RL: “There is corruption in the country, we all
know about it, and it also exists in the Ministry of Environment. We
presented everything clearly and in a simple. I don’t want to comment
on it while it is still in process.”
On January 25, the American gold mining corporation stated that it
had purchased 27 square kilometers of land in Armenia’s northeastern
Gegharkunik province. Information on the official website of the
company suggested that it was going to extract uranium in the
mentioned territory. The company had purchased the exclusive right
to the territory and its geological research from Armenia-registered
Attila Investment. But the Armenian law does not give the company
the right to extract uranium without an explicit permission from the
Environment Ministry.
The Ministry demanded explanations from the company on that account.
“They gave us a cynical answer saying that they could also look for
radioactive substances. We warned them that they must respect the
laws of this country,” Ayvazian said.
Poghosian does not deny that the company is interested in finding
uranium in Armenia: “We expect the presence of uranium in the Getik
territory. Researches are being carried out within the framework of
the general license for researches issued to us by the Environment
Ministry.”

ICRC: 3.286 AZERBAIJANIS, 834 ARMENIANS AND 12 FOREIGN NATIONALS ARE MISSING DUE TO THE NK CONFLICT
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug. 30, 2006
The International Day of the Disappeared, 30 August, is when we
remember those who have been abducted, are held in clandestine places
of detention, tortured and, in some cases, killed.
We also recognize the uncertainty suffered by their families,”
International Committee of the Red Cross representative office in
Baku said on the International Day of the Disappeared.
The report reads that the fate of people missing as a result of the
Nagorny Karabakh conflict continued to be the major focus of the
ICRC’s work in Armenia and Azerbaijan. More than ten years after
the ceasefire, thousands of families remain without news of their
relatives. To help resolve this issue, the ICRC is continuing its
efforts to foster dialogue between all parties, reminding them of
their obligations under IHL. In 2005, the ICRC addressed a memorandum
to the parties, outlining concrete proposals for addressing the issue.
“In February 2004, the ICRC presented the list of the missing to
Armenian and Azerbaijani authorities and de-facto authorities of
Nagorny Karabakh. This list contains 4,132 missing, 3.286 Azerbaijanis,
834 Armenians and 12 foreign nationals.”
The ICRC proposes standardizing the collection and management
of information on missing persons; cooperate on the recovery and
identification of the remains of missing Persons, step up support for
the families of missing persons. Both the Armenian and the Azerbaijani
authorities welcomed this initiative, and the ICRC is pursuing its
dialogue with them on implementation of the proposals.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SAFAR ABIYEV: “AZERBAIJAN’S DEPLOYING PEACEKEEPERS TO LEBANON HAS NOT BEEN DISCUSSED”
Today, Azerbaijan
Aug. 30, 2006
“Azerbaijan’s deploying peacekeeping forces to Lebanon inside
international peacekeeping contingent is not topic of discussion,”
Azerbaijan’s Defense Minister Safar Abiyev told journalists.
The Minister said Azerbaijan has not been offered related to deployment
of peaceful contingent to Lebanon, APA informs.
Mr.Abiyev also said that Azerbaijani Army will not need the held of
Turkish Armed Forces if war breaks out with Armenia.
“Azerbaijani Army is strongly prepared and can carry out all
operations,” he underlined.
The Minister also said the issue on establishing united armed forces
staff is not being discussed. Stating that establishing GUAM military
groups is being considered, Abiyev refused to talk about this in
detail.
URL:

800 ARMENIANS FROM KARABAKH STILL REPORTED MISSING
ARMENPRESS
Aug 30 2006
YEREVAN, AUGUST 30, ARMENPRESS: A state commission in Nagorno-Karabakh,
set up to deal with prisoners of war, missing persons and hostages
said some 800 residents of Nagorno-Karabakh are deemed still missing
since the war with Azerbaijan in early 1990-s.
Viktor Kocharian, head of the commission, said to Armenpress that was
not the exact number as there is little information about how many
Armenians from the Shahumian region of Azerbaijan are missing. He
said members of the commission are meeting with former residents of
that region to learn if they have missing family members.
Deputy foreign minister of Nagorno-Karabakh Masis Mailian told
Armenpress no prisoners of war are held in Karabakh. He said sometimes
Azeri soldiers cross the line of contact into Armenian-controlled
territory. But he said the International Committee of Red Cross
is notified about this sort of incidents which helps to repatriate
soldiers.
A senior official of the Council of Europe, Leo Platvoit, who deals
with PoWs and missing persons and heads a PACE ad hoc committee is due
to visit Karabakh in September. The official visited already Armenia,
Georgia and Azerbaijan and is expected to have his report prepared
early next year.

MODERN DRUNKARD
by Fern Siegel
MediPost Publications, New York
Aug. 30, 2006
Admit it–if you walked by a newsstand, you’d pick it up. So would
Carrie Nation. Even Lynne Cheney might give it a glance. That’s what
catchy titles are all about–so outrageous, you can’t turn away.
True, much of the pro-drinking prose results in a literary hangover,
but who could resist the cover line “Inebriated in Iran”? So throw a
few cubes into your highball–if it was good enough for Nick Charles,
it’s good enough for you–and down Modern Drunkard. (And if you
don’t know Nick Charles, you’re in for a treat. Rent “The Thin Man,”
in which William Powell plays Nick Charles, the suave, cheeky 1930s
PI with panache–aided by enough gin, scotch and bourbon to keep the
Titanic afloat.)
Now, we’re not suggesting that excess is laudable–or that MD appeals
to anyone other than males 18-to-25 who consider alcohol a second
career. True, Tennessee Williams and Eugene O’Neill produced great art,
but talent played a bigger role than Tanqueray. Yet MD capitalizes on
a renegade motif, film-noir design and a novel line when soliciting
subscriptions: “it’s hip, it’s dangerous, it’ll fill your family with
dread.” Especially if you’re applying to law school.
Yet for a magazine that shows up on a New York newsstand, the ads
are parochial–all Denver-based. That’s because the editorial staff,
which proudly claims a bar in the office, is on a perennial Rocky
Mountain high. Apparently, so is the sales team, whose inventory
extends to local pubs and the occasional attorney, no doubt suing
on behalf of the injured party in a bar brawl. Strangely, what you
won’t find are liquor ads. What you will find is a poetry editor.
Submissions show up in “Postcards from Skid Row,” where one
enterprising entrant wrote a haiku to Jack Daniels. It’s Sylvia Plath
for barflies.
But first, it’s necessary to plow through the frat-boy groaners, like
“The Wingman’s Handbook,” a salute to men who help their pal get the
girl. The wingman’s job is to distract her friend so his buddy can
score. Of course, nine times out of 10 wingman and company aren’t
wading in the deep end of the gene pool. And the women, far from
distractible, are tripping over each other in their race to the exit.
It’s one thing to imagine a hot babe, a couple of Stolis and a night
of bliss. But it only counts if you don’t have to put money on the
dresser.
However, MD understands brand identity, clearly reinforced with
merchandise, graphics and stories. Each piece has an alcohol link,
whether the subject is political, historic or cultural. For instance,
“FDR: Portrait of a Drinking President,” salutes our most-esteemed
commander-in-chief for beating the Nazis, spearheading The New Deal
and repealing Prohibition, though MD would put axing Prohibition
ahead of Hitler. Yes, its priorities are screwy, but that’s the point:
It’s all about the booze.
Which is why MD notes FDR’s love of hooch in detail. Many biographers
have written about his–and his sons’–drinking, so it’s not a reach.
The article notes the real reason FDR legalized drink: the revenue.
Alcohol generated big bucks in state and federal tax dollars,
something Depression-era America desperately needed. Never mind that
after reading the newspaper–then and now–it’s easy to see why gin
is considered a vitamin.
Similarly, “The Rise of the Dives” takes a socio-cultural look at
the working-class bar and its psychological significance to patrons
of all classes. The article quotes Jim Atkinson, who, in the book
The View from Nowhere, describes dives as a place of “transcendent
egalitarianism.” Or, it could be a reaction to the Botox-obsessed,
hit-the-gym, fast-track lifestyle. Whatever else a dive is, it isn’t
a place where fitness and drive reign. It is, in an odd way, authentic.
Still, one takes MD’s wino wisdom, et. al. with a chaser, though I
agree with its purist approach to martinis: Gin. Vermouth. Olive.
Forget the peach gin or apple martinis or lemongrass vermouth. It would
be like Ann Coulter embracing Hillary Clinton; it’s just not done.
Nor, despite evidence to the contrary, would a sane person touch
alcohol in Iran. The mullahs decreed that anyone caught drinking would
be subject to 40 lashes. It may be, as the writer of “Inebriated
in Iran” suggests, that the Armenian Christian minority and even a
few Muslims have their liquor connections. But is a Tuborg worth a
flogging? MD sticks to its credo, but fellas, there are limits. How
drunk do you have to be before the concept of whipped into shape
kicks in?
Fern Siegel is Deputy Editor of MediaPost.

MEPS PREPARE CRITICAL REPORT ON TURKEY
By Honor Mahony
EUobserver.com, Belgium
Aug. 30, 2006
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – Almost a year after Turkey officially opened
EU membership talks with Brussels, MEPs are preparing a report strongly
critical of the country’s progress on human rights issues.
The 11-page draft report, drawn up by Dutch centre-right MEP Camiel
Eurlings, says the the European Parliament “deplores the fact that
only limited progress has been reported over the last year as regards
fundamental rights and freedoms” and “deplores the absence of progress
in the area of freedom of religion since parliament’s last report.”
It notes in the preamble that “freedom of expression is far from
satisfactory” and that “corruption remains a serious problem.”
The resolution also stresses that EU member states’ negotiations with
the country, opened last year in October, represent an “open-ended
process and does not lead a priori and automatically to accession.”
Managing Turkey Tapping into a hot discussion held earlier this
year on whether the EU will manage to take on board the huge and
poor country, the draft also states the “EU’s capacity to absorb
Turkey while maintaining the momentum of integration is an important
consideration…”.
The key topic of Ankara’s non-recognition of Cyprus also features with
the report reminding Turkey that changing this remains a “necessary
component of the accession process.”
However, it does also note some positive aspects of Turkey’s EU efforts
saying that it “welcomes the adoption of the law on internally placed
people” and “recognises the improvements in legislation … as regards
the policy of zero tolerance towards torture.”
The report, which appears annually, is causing the usual ripples
in the EU assembly with MEPs proposing 343 amendments – around 115
pages. Currently, they are trying to forge agreement on eight pages of
“compromise amendments.”
MEPs from across the political spectrum are trying to get their view
point into the report with comments on the new anti-terror laws in
Turkey, on honour killings, on the genocide in Armenia and on changing
the electoral threshold for representation in the parliament.
The Cyprus issue The report is due to be voted on in the foreign
affairs committee on Monday (4 September) and will then be put before
the whole of the parliament, probably in late September.
The parliament is keen to get its vote and opinion on the table as
quickly as possible so it can influence the European Commission’s
annual report on Turkey’s accession progress – due out on 26 October.
For its part, the commission’s report is set to be highly critical of
Ankara’s continued refusal to implement the Ankara protocol with the EU
having repeatedly urged Turkey to lift its embargo on Cypriot-flagged
vessels and aircraft as part of the country’s membership negotiations.
Turkey’s signature of the protocol extending a customs accord with
the EU to the bloc’s 10 new states – including Cyprus – should result
in the embargo being lifted.
Ankara has indicated that any concessions to Nicosia would be
dependent on moves by the EU to end the economic isolation of the
Turkish-populated north of Cyprus – a stance Brussels has rejected.
A critical report by Brussels and continued resistance by Ankara on
the Cyprus issue is set to bring the whole issue to a political head
later this autumn.

DARCHINYAN TURNING TO TYSON FOR ROUNDED EDUCATION
Peter Kogoy
The Australian, Australia
Aug. 30, 2006
VIC DARCHINYAN, the “Raging Bull” of the world’s flyweight division,
is turning to Mike Tyson to round off his ringcraft education before
his next title defence in Las Vegas.
The unbeaten Darchinyan, 30, and holder of the IBO and IBF belts, will
spar with former heavyweight world champion Tyson at his American
training base over the next month before tackling Filipino Glenn
Gonzales Donaire on October 7.
The southpaw, who represented his native Armenia at the Sydney
Olympics, is hoping working out with Tyson will increase his already
awesome punching power. Darchinyan’s bout with Donaire at the 50.8kg
limit, will be a co-featured fight on the Showboat-televised card
headlined between lightweight world champion Diego Corrales and
Joel Casamayor.
“Tyson was one of the most explosive punchers in boxing history,”
Darchinyan said.
“I know I’m going over there (to America) to learn.
“I believe Tyson will make a very good teacher, working alongside
Jeff Fenech and Billy Hussein.
“My own punching power is very good, but I want to make it even
stronger, that’s why both Jeff and Billy believe that Tyson will be
a big help.”
Darchinyan, the winner of two world titles in his career, boasts a
perfect unbeaten record of 30 wins, 21 by knockout.
The Sydney-based fighter turned to Donaire after undefeated WBO
champion Omar Narvaez of Argentina declined a unification bout of
the flyweight ranks.
“If Narvaez doesn’t want to fight me, I can’t force him,” Darchinyan
said. “He is running scared.
“He doesn’t want to lose his world title to me.
“But I know Donaire will enter the ring wanting to fight me.
“I’ve watched him on film this week. He is a hard puncher, his right
uppercut is probably his best punch.
“I’m going back to America to show that I am a worthy champion and
to keep my record in one piece. I’m going back over to show that they
will see that I am the best flyweight.”
Donaire, 26, boasts an overall record of 16 wins, two draws and one
loss. He’s also won won three out of the past four times he’s stepped
into the ring.
Darchinyan’s co-trainer Hussein is expecting a much tougher test
of Darchinyan’s ringcraft compared to his past two fights against
Diosdado Gabi in March and Luis Maldonado in June this year.
Both fights finished to the good of Darchinyan and were stopped well
inside the distance.
“I have no doubt Donaire will be a tougher opponent than either Gabi
or Maldonado,” Hussein said. “He saw Vic beat up his mate Gabi and
asked for a shot at him.
“He’s dangerous and I know he will come to fight on the night.”
When asked why Darchinyan is forced to go overseas to fight, Hussein
said: “He wants to fight here, but unfortunately there isn’t a promoter
in this country prepared to take a chance with Vic.
“The last couple of times he has fought here (in Australia) we didn’t
get a big crowd and financially it was difficult.
“But he’s making a big name for himself in America and that’s where
he’s got to go.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARCHBISHOP: IRAN ENTITLED TO PEACEFUL USE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY
Sari, Mazandaran prov
Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran
Aug. 30, 2006
Head of Iranian Catholic Armenians’ Prelacy Council Archbishop Nishan
Karakahayan said on Wednesday that Iran is entitled to peaceful use
of nuclear energy.
Archbishop Karakahayan told director general of the provincial
branch of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad-
Esmail Imamzadeh that Iran’s right is supported by all the Catholic
church leaders and all true Christians worldwide.
Karakahayan criticized western and European statesmen, the so- called
followers of Christianity, for denying citizenship rights of religious
minorities and for abusing human rights and Christianity.
He, however, praised the Islamic Republic of Iran for well treating
the minorities, saying the country provides the best haven for
religious minorities.
“Iranian Armenians are fully thankful for the great blessing of the
Islamic Republic, which has officially recognized their rights and
provided them with the best condition of living.”
The religious figure condemned Zionists’ crimes, saying the US’
support for the regime is contrary to all the teachings of Jesus and
of all the divine religions.
Imamzadeh said for his part that divine religions, especially Islam
and Christianity, have had a great share in promotion of spirituality
and ethics and in campaign against tyranny and arrogance of the
satanic powers.
He called on the world freedom lovers and Muslims as well as the
Christian leaders and archbishops to confront the ambitious powers, the
Zionist regime’s state terrorism and imperialism,. He said the Catholic
church should fulfill its historical mission in that connection.
He went on to say that Islam and the Islamic Republic of Iran provide
the most suitable atmosphere for peaceful coexistence of human beings,
of divine religions and of the religious and ethnic groups.
The Iranian official said that while minorities are provided with all
the citizenship rights and are represented at Majlis, the European
and western states violate the UN’s human rights charter, deprive
Muslims from their most basic citizenship rights and do not even
allow Muslim girls to attend classes with an ordinary dress.
He then outlined religious fundamentals of the Islamic Republic of
Iran and also the blatant injustices that the so-called pro-democracy
states have been committing in Iran for a period of 27 years after
triumph of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
He called on arch Bishop Karakahayan, who is archbishop of 15
countries, to do his best to present real image of Iran’s Islamic
establishment to the world public opinion.