IRAN TO WARN BAKU ABOUT “SURPRISES” POSSIBLE AFTER JOINING ANTI-IRANIAN COALITION
PanARMENIAN.Net
19.04.2006 01:26 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The visit of the Iranian Defense Minister to
Azerbaijan scheduled for April 19 is conditioned by the anxiety over
Azerbaijan’s possible joining the anti-Iranian coalition, Azeri
political scientist Zardusht Alizade stated. In his words, before
attacking Iran the United State will make an attempt to involve just
one Muslim state into the anti-Iranian coalition. “It’s not ruled
out that Azerbaijan can become this very state. That is why the
Iranian Defense Minister is arriving to Azerbaijan to explain what
“surprises” the joining the anti-Iranian coalition is pregnant with,”
Alizade said, reported Day.az.

GARNIK ISAGULYAN DOES RESEARCH
Lragir.am
19 April 06
On April 19 the story of an institute become known; its name was
announced two years ago but recently it has been served in a dish
at last. It is the Institute of Political Research, established on
the June 10, 2004 decision of the government of Armenia and operated
within the administration of the president of Armenia. The founder
and the president of the board of the institute is Garnik Isagulyan,
adviser to the president of Armenia. On April 19 he gave a news
conference to give the new address of the Institute of Political
Research. The institute occupies 6 rooms in the library building of
the Academy of Sciences of Armenia. Before the Institute existed,
if it existed at all, in the residence of the president of Armenia.
However, the institute will not stay long at this address. The
government has provided a five-storey building at 44 Arshakunyats
Street which will be ready to receive Garnik Isagulyan and experts
in six months.
“I repeat and I will be saying this quite often that the institute
does not face any problems thanks to the head of state because he
accepts all our proposals,” says Garnik Isagulyan. He also says it
is not clear when the government decision on establishment of the
institute would be implemented if the president had not attended to
it personally. Nevertheless, besides the president, Garnik Isagulyan
thanks the government, the National Assembly and all the other agencies
which contributed to the Institute of Political Research.
The major goal of the institute is political analyses for the
president of Armenia. The topics are not unlimited, but there are
topics, such as the Karabakh issue and the developments connected
with our four neighbor countries, that are under constant attention,
and reports on these are extended to the president every week. These
reports are confidential, but generally Garnik Isagulyan assures
that their activity will be open, their analyses will be open, they
will not be pro-governmental or opposition, and most importantly,
they will be independent. The institute will be funded from the state
budget, and Garnik Isagulyan finds this to be the main guarantee of
independence. In 2006, for instance, the political research for the
president of Armenia will cost taxpayers 107 million drams.
“It was extremely important for the institute not to depend on
other sources of funding in order to be independent,” says Garnik
Isagulyan. However, being a governmental agency that is funded
from the budget does not mean that the institute headed by Garnik
Isagulyan cannot accept orders. It can and is willing to, assures
Garnik Isagulyan. Any agency, both Armenian and foreign, political
and nonpolitical, opposition of pro-governmental, can order research
and, of course, pay for it. The president of the board of the IPS
Garnik Isagulyan assures that the experts are highly qualified, and
their analyses could have even enriched the desktop of Condoleezza
Rice, says Garnik Isagulyan. However, Rice would first have to order
and pay. The analyses are free for the president, the government,
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense. Garnik
Isagulyan plans to increase the members of the staff from 42 to 72.
The minimum salary is 150 thousand drams.

LAURELS FOR A NATIONAL SECURITY CONCEPTION
Lragir.am
19 April 06
Adviser to President of Armenia Garnik Isagulyan announced April 19
that the government decision of 2004 set a goal before the Institute
of Political Studies he heads to work out a conception of national
security. However, there is a problem: the conception is presently
being worked out by another agency.
“You know that the strategy of national security is being worked out
by the commission set up on the order of the president of Armenia,
headed by Serge Sargsyan, the secretary of National Security under the
president of Armenia, but the institute is actively engaged in it,”
says Garnik Isagulyan.
The notable thing is that Garnik Isagulyan had initiated the conception
of national security and he had even suggested that political forces
become engaged and extend proposals. Presently, however, Garnik
Isagulyan is engaged in the work of the agency, headed by Serge
Sargsyan. It is also possible that he makes proposals.

EU TROIKA DELEGATION TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA APRIL 20
PanARMENIAN.Net
19.04.2006 19:55 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ EU Troika delegation led by Austrian State
Secretary Hans Winkler will arrive in Armenia within regional visit
framework, reported RA MFA press office. The Ambassador of Austria
and Finland to Armenia, EU Envoy for the South Caucasus as well as
representatives of the European Commission and EU Council will serve
on the delegation. Meetings with Armenian President Robert Kocharian,
Parliament Speaker Artur Baghdassaryan and Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian are scheduled.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RECOGNITION ISSUE ENTERED NEW STAGE
PanARMENIAN.Net
19.04.2006 20:06 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian Genocide recognition issue has entered
a new stage. Almost all of the leading states recognized this fact and
even the U.S. doesn’t deny it, leader of ARF Dashnaktsutyun faction,
historian Levon Mkrtchian told PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In his words,
Armenia should take the advantage of the international community’s
positive attitude about the Genocide recognition and pursue a more
precise line towards Turkey. “It’s time to speak of compensations,
since without it the fact of recognition loses sense. For Armenia
the matter concerns not only moral and material side but appears as
a security issue as well,” the ARFD leader said.
Levon Mkrtchian underscored that is the neighbor state doesn’t
acknowledge the crime committed against a whole nation the opening
of the Armenian-Turkish border and the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement can be protracted for an uncertain term.
At the same time the faction leader remarked that the Arab world
and Iran support Armenia in struggle for the Armenian Genocide
recognition. “Iran has not declared it at the state level but it sides
with Armenia. Actually, the majority of states arrived at a conclusion
that the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Empire should be recognized,”
Levon Mkrtchian said.

CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY MET WITH FOREIGN DIPLOMATS
ArmRadio.am
19.04.2006 16:40
Today Chairman of the National Assembly Arthur Baghdasaryan met
representatives of Embassies of OSCE member states and international
structures accredited in Armenia.
Noting that it is the first time all political forces have
agreed upon the draft of the Electoral Code, the Speaker of the
Parliament thoroughly presented the basic changes, informing that
the draft has been already sent to the Venice Commission and OSCE
for expertise. Arthur Baghdasaryan noted that the joint group of
OSCE and Venice Commission experts is expected to visit Armenia in
June. During the visit discussions on the new Electoral Code and
administrative issues will be organized. US Ambassador to Armenia
John Evans, Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan Vladimir Pryakhin,
Ambassador of the Republic of Italy Marco Clementi and UN Resident
Coordinator Consuelo Vidal stressed the importance of the provision
of legal bases and expression of political will for holding the 2007
and 2008 elections in commitment with international standards.

TURKEY SHOULD TAKE APPROPRIATE MOVE TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA
PanARMENIAN.Net
19.04.2006 20:14 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia sets no preconditions for establishment
of normal relations with Turkey, Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian said.
“Armenia was ready yesterday, is ready today and will be ready tomorrow
to establish neighbor relations with Turkey without preconditions
and have open borders with it,” the RA FM stated.
“We admit that problems exist but show me two states, especially
in Europe, experiencing no historical problems. However no state
practises the “instrument of closed borders” to force another state
to renounce its history,” the Minister said.
In his words, Turkey should take an appropriate move for the
normalization of bilateral relations. Vartan Oskanian considers that
Turkey doesn’t wish to develop bilateral political relations and
this excludes any progress. “Turkey is incapable to overcome its
narrow-ethnic interests and take a wider approach to the regional
problems,” Vartan Oskanian considers.
According to him, Turkey had the possibility immediately after the
USSR collapse and then at the start of the talks with the EU. “In the
first case it obviously made a mistake and failed, in the second case
the possibility still exists. Anyway it’s not late yet to get proper
orientation and try to establish normal relations with Armenia,”
the Armenian FM said, reported Novosti-Armenia.

AZERI MFA: BAKU INTERESTED IN CONTINUATION OF PEACEFUL TALKS ON KARABAKH
PanARMENIAN.Net
19.04.2006 20:21 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijan has not received any proposals on the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement from Washington, Azeri Deputy
FM Araz Azimov stated.
In his words, no official document or draft was presented to
Azerbaijan. “Some ideas on establishment of normal relations with
Armenia for putting an end to the military conflict were advanced,”
he said.
According to Azeri Deputy FM, “the liberation of the Azeri
territories” will become the first step in the conflict settlement
process. “Azerbaijan is not an adherent to war. We are interested
in continuation of peaceful talks on the problem resolution,” the
diplomat remarked.
When touching upon the meetings of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs that
have become more frequent recently the Azimov underscored he expects
little progress from the meetings. “In the near future the mediators
will pay a visit to Yerevan and then to Baku. The purpose of their
visits is to determine further steps after the Rambouillet meeting,”
he said.

KOCHARIAN AND KARASIN DISCUSSED CONFLICT SETTLEMENT IN SOUTH CAUCASUS
PanARMENIAN.Net
19.04.2006 20:50 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Robert Kocharian met with Russian
Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin, who is in Yerevan to hold
a regional conference of Russia’s Ambassadors to Armenia, Turkey,
Georgia and Azerbaijan. During the meeting the parties discussed
the Armenian-Russian bilateral relations, developments in the South
Caucasus, especially the settlement of the conflicts available in
the region.
They also exchanged views on a number of international problems,
reported RA leader’s press service.

GEORGIA TO DEPLOY MILITARY POLICE IN AKHALKALAKI
Armenpress
Apr 19 2006
AKHALKALAKI, APRIL 19, ARMENPRESS: The defense ministry of Georgia
said it will establish a military police department in the mostly
Armenian-populated town of Akhalkalaki in Samtskhe-Javakheti region,
saying the department is necessary to ensure security in the course
of Russian military base’s pullout, which is expected to leave Georgia
by the end of this year.
The A-Info news agency operating in the region, said the Georgian
authorities intend to deploy a Georgian military contingent in the
base after it is freed by Russians.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress