DIASPORA ARMENIAN CULTURAL FIGURES DISCONTENT OF THE QUALITY OF CULTURE AND LITERATURE IN ARMENIA
Panorama.am
19:06 26/06/06
We became the witnesses of unorganized work of One Nation, One Culture
festival in Moscow Cinema House where a meeting with diaspora Armenian
writers was held. Some came with the expectation to listen to poetry
and got discontent and demanded that they get to the point.
The Armenian cultural figures in Los Angeles, Sofia and Austria
mentioned that they are deprived of the opportunity to follow the
developments of the Armenian literature. “We do not know what books are
published in Armenia. We do not get books and literary newspapers,”
Hakob Ormanjyan, the head of Armeniology Center in Sofia said. He
said book fairs are held in Sofia but Armenia never comes up with
its products.
Armenian Writers’ Union Head Levon Ananyan explained that the
transport fair is high enough and sometimes the expenses do not
cover the cost. In his words, the state must eliminate the customs
due on books for transport of books. H. Ormanjyan also complained
about the content of the literature – it is always about our past
and village which does not have demand among the youth. “They want
to see Armenia’s reality today,” he said.

THE AZERIS DID IT
A1+
[09:09 pm] 26 June, 2006
“The cup is half full”. These were the words of Murad Mergan, the head
of the Turkish delegation to PACE with which he offered to confirm
the authorities of the Azeri delegates. In the January session they
were given a chance to prove that Azerbaijan is following the path
of democracy. The chance was the May 13 Parliamentary reelection in
several polling stations.
Today Resolution 1480 was being discussed in PACE which was prepared
by co-reporters Andreas Gross and Andreas Herkel. During the listening
10 delegates addressed the session five of whom were delegates from
Azerbaijan and Turkey. The Azeris announced with voices trembling
with excitement that theirs is a democratic country and follows the
path of democracy at the same time thanking the CE for support.
Gultekin Hajieva from Azerbaijan was so “excited” that she announced
Azerbaijan was on fire at that very moment when they were discussing
the issue. And those who burned her country were the Armenians. Hajieva
did not miss the chance to say that “Armenia has occupied 20% of the
territory of Azerbaijan, uses the natural resources and burns the
Azeri forests”.
Resolution 1480 was adopted with several amendments, that is to say,
the authorities of the Azeri delegates were confirmed.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

27000 STUDENTS FINISH SCHOOLS THIS YEAR
Panorama.am
19:18 26/06/06
“Final exams at the republican schools are in process,” Lilit
Galstyan, press secretary of ministry education and science told
Panorama.am. June 28 is the final day of the exams and the following
three days are for those students who have not passed their exams. The
ministry has not summed up the results of the examinations yet.
By July 3, 19000 students from regions and 12000 from Yerevan will
finish their schools and can apply to higher educational establishments
on the same day since applications are already accepted there.
Applications are accepted until July 15. From July 20 to August 16
entrance exams at higher educational establishments will start.

RA PRIME MINISTER GOES ON SHORT LEAVE TO PASS REGULAR MEDICAL EXAMINATION IN FRANCE
Noyan Tapan
Jun 26 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 26, NOYAN TAPAN. On June 26, RA Prime Minister Andranik
Margarian went on a short leave. As Noyan Tapan was informed from RA
Government Information and Public Relations Department, the Prime
Minister will use his 1-week leave for passing a regular medical
examination in France.

DAVIS AVOIDED THE QUESTION
A1+
[07:29 pm] 26 June, 2006
Answering the question of an Armenian TV Channel Terry Davis, Council
of Europe Secretary General referred to the relations between Armenia
and Turkey and connected them with the Karabakh conflict which has not
been settled yet. Taking the chance of meeting him in the PACE summer
session why asked Mr. Davis what is the logic for Armenia to accept
the precondition put forward by Turkey according to which the borders
will be opened if the NKR conflict is settled in favor of Azerbaijan.
Mr. Davis informed that he does not remember when he said so as he
had interviews with many journalists in South Caucasus. In any case
he is convinced that the Karabakh conflict must be settled within
the framework of the interests of NK, Azerbaijan and Armenia, and
that becoming member of the CoE, the two countries are obliged to
find the peaceful settlement of the conflict.
By the way, when one of the Georgian journalists tried to find out the
opinion of the Secretary General about the possibility of a referendum
in Osetia and Abkhazia, he offered not to compare the case with that of
Serbia and Montenegro. According to Davis, In Serbia and Montenegro
there was an agreement between the parties to hold a referendum,
whereas in Osetia and Abkhazia, as well as in Karabakh there in the
ethnic problem.

GEORGIA STRENGTHENS CONTROL OF BORDER WITH ARMENIA AND WEAKENS CONTROL OF BORDER WITH TURKEY
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 26 2006
AKHALKALAK, JUEN 26, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. By the decision
of the Georgian Department on Border Defence, the number of frontier
posts was added in the Georgian part of the Armenian-Georgian border:
a new post was opened in the village of Kalinino of the region of
Ninotsminda.
At the same time, according to the “A-Info” agency, the control of
the Georgian-Turkish border from the Georgian side was weakened.
According to the same source, at present, the number of soldiers on
watch in the part of the Ninotsminda region of the Georgian-Turkish
border is fewer than the number of servicemen in the part of the
Ninotsminda region of the Armenian-Georgian border. Moreover, the
Georgian-Turkish part is longer one of the mentioned two parts of
the state border.

DROUGHT EXPECTED
Panorama.am
19:19 26/06/06
There are some indicators that drought will start across
the republic due to high level of temperature especially at
mountainous regions. “This can have dire effect on plants. We speak
particularly about Sisian, Kotaik, Shirak and Gegharkunik marzes,”
agricultural branches development department head Garnik Petrosyan
told Panorama.am. The ministry agriculture has not made estimates
on the costs of drought since they wait for further surprises of the
nature.

HEAD OF ARMENIAN CHURCH UNDAUNTED BY TURKISH PROTESTS
Armenpress
Jun 26 2006
ISTANBUL, JUNE 26, ARMENPRESS: The head of the Armenian Apostolic
Church, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of
All Armenians, who will end on June 28 a week-long Pontifical visit
to Turkey, stated in Istanbul that the genocide of Armenians planned
and executed by the government of the Turkey during World War 1 is
an undeniable historical fact and not subject to debates.
“The genocide of Armenians is a crime that had happened and which
must be acknowledged. The issue of the Armenian genocide has been
explored by researches for 90 years,” he was quoted by Turkish Dogan
news agency as saying. A report by the Associated Press said Karekin
II’s remarks will complicate the end of his visit that was already
marked by protests of nationalistic organizations.
Karekin II said meantime he was not impressed by the protests. “They
are not able to break my spirit and have no impact on my visit, but
if such protests continue they will prove that we still have to a
lot to do to have these two nations live in peace.”
Karekin II is visiting Turkey upon the joint invitation of His
Beatitude Archbishop Mesrob Mutafian, Armenian Patriarch of
Constantinople; and His All Holiness Bartholomew I, Ecumenical
Patriarch of Constantinople.
During this first Pontifical visit the Catholicos visited Armenian
churches and holy shrines, extended his pontifical blessings to the
Armenian community of Istanbul, and met with Armenian intellectuals
and young men and women. On Sunday, June 25, His Holiness celebrated
a Pontifical Divine Liturgy in the Armenian Patriarchate’s Cathedral
of the Holy Mother of God.
Also planned is a meeting between the Pontiff of All Armenians and
the Governor of Istanbul. His Holiness is scheduled to return to the
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin on June 28.

ARMENIAN-BULGARIAN COMMISSION MEETING STARTS IN YEREVAN
Armenpress
Jun 26 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 26, ARMENPRESS: The fourth regular meeting of
the Armenian-Bulgarian inter-governmental commission on economic
cooperation that opened today in Yerevan will discuss a wide scope
of issues such as transport, communications, trade, agriculture,
social security, yuth, sport and nature protection.
The Armenian cochairman of the commission, transport and communication
minister Andranik Manukian, said there are many obstacles to boosting
bilateral contacts, the main, according to him, is the absence of a
direct air communication between the two countries. He said officials
on both sides could not agree which country’s carrier should operate
the flight because air companies consider it unprofitable.
The Bulgarian cochairman, Nikolay Vasilev, who is a deputy minister
of state management and administrative reforms, said unlike strong
political ties, economic contacts between the two nations are
very weak. He said last year the bilateral trade amounted to only
$85 million, of which $6-7 million were Armenian exports. Andranik
Manukian underscored boosting relations with Bulgaria because in 2007
January 1 it is set to become an EU member.

BAKU CAN NEVER MAKE KARABAKH PEOPLE REFUSE THEIR RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION
PanARMENIAN.Net
27.06.2006 13:07 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “Taking into account the statement that the
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group presented to the OSCE Permanent
Council, in Vienna, on June 22, and the interview that Matthew Bryza,
the new US co-chair, gave soon thereafter, where albeit partially,
the principles of the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement were revealed for the first time, and also taking into
account the recent desperate calls by Azerbaijan for a military
solution and autonomy for Nagorno Karabakh, the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs (MFA) of Armenia would like to make several observations.
The co-chairs have only partially revealed the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict resolution principles; they have left out references to a
corridor linking Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia, and issues relating to
Nagorno Karabakh’s status before a referendum.
The co-chairs have, for the first time, affirmed that the people
of Nagorno Karabakh shall determine their own future status through
a referendum.
Those items over which the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan
continue to disagree do not include a referendum. That concept has
been agreed to by the presidents. The area of disagreement between
the presidents has to do with the sequence in which the consequences
of the military conflict are removed.
In an attempt to resolve this remaining area of disagreement, a
proposal was made by the co-chairs after Rambouillet. This proposal
was accepted by Armenia in Bucharest. Azerbaijan rejected it.
Armenia finds that the basic principles, proposed by co-chairs of
the OSCE Minsk Group, overall, on the table today remain a serious
basis for continuing negotiations. On that basis Armenia is prepared
to continue negotiations with Azerbaijan.
Armenia believes that Azerbaijan’s wavering on these principles is
a serious obstacle to progress in the negotiations. If this policy
continues, Armenia will insist that Azerbaijan conduct direct
negotiations with Nagorno Karabakh.
Finally, we remind Azerbaijan once again that regardless of the size
of their military budget, they cannot force the people of Nagorno
Karabakh to renounce freedom and the right to self-determination,”
says the Armenian MFA statement.