YEREVAN: SHUSHI KEYS ARE IN HANDS OF GENUINE MASTERS OF THE CITY – KARABAKH ARMENIANS
PanARMENIAN.Net
01.06.2006 16:01 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ There is no need to look for keys of Shushi – it
is in the hands of genuine masters of the city – Karabakh Armenians,
political scientist Levon Melik-Shahnazaryan told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter. In his words, Tabriz, like other Turkic-speaking towns of
Iran, does not need liberation. “These are ancient Iranian settlements,
whose residents were forced to change their language owing to long-term
occupation by Turks. Ethnic Persians live there. Baku knows it well,
thus they separate Turkic-speaking Iranians from themselves and call
them “Hamshari”, he noted.
Azerbaijan is trying to contribute to collapse of the IRI to please
the US. “Iran is a tradionalist country, which worthily survived
thousands of years of success and failure. It will without fail cope
with the flow of false accusations, poured on it from Washington,
Ankara and Baku,” Levon Melik-Shahnazaryan said.
We remind former Azeri Minister of Education Firuddin Jalilov said that
Keys of Shushi should be sought not in Russia or the US. They are in
Tabriz. Liberation of Tabriz from Persians is liberation of Karabakh.”

SECOND ARMENIA-DIASPORA CONFERENCE SLATED FOR SEPTEMBER 20
Armenpress
Jun 1 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 1, ARMENPRESS: More than $2 billion have been invested in
Armenia’s real sector of economy in the 15 years of its independence
from former Soviet Union. Speaking to a news conference today deputy
trade and economic development minister Tigran Davtian said this
figure did not include credits, grants and assistance.
He said there are 3, 500 companies in Armenia with foreign
capital. Davtian said the bulk of these investments, about $1.5
million, were made in the last 4-5 years. In 2005 alone, he said,
foreigners invested about $0.5 billion in Armenian economy. According
to some estimates, about 65 percent of investments between 1988-2004
were made by Diaspora Armenians.
Overall their share is about 25-30 percent.
Davtian said Diaspora Armenians invest largely in small and
medium-sized businesses and added that the government plans to lift
in 2007 a set of privileges set for foreign companies to make all
equal. He said the second Armenia-Diaspora Economic Conference is
slated for September 20. About 1000 Armenians from around the globe
are expected in Yerevan.

OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRMEN TO CONDUCT CONSULTATIONS IN BUCHAREST
Armenpress
Jun 1 2006
BAKU, JUNE 1, ARMENPRESS: The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen are planning
to conduct consultations in Bucharest on June 3-4, an official from
Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry’s group dealing with Nagorno Karabakh
issue informed Trend news agency.
The OSCE Minsk Group Russian co-chairman Yuri Merzlyakov, French
co-chairman Bernard Fassier and USA co-chairman Steven Mann as well
as representatives from their staffs are going to participate in
the consultations.
The co-chairmen will meet June 4-5 in Bucharest, capital of Romania,
within the frameworks of the Black Sea Forum for Dialogue and
Partnership, on the eve of the expected meeting of the Armenian and
Azerbaijani presidents.

NO POLITICAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ARMENIA AND KAZAKHSTAN
PanARMENIAN.Net
01.06.2006 18:05 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian and Kazakh FMs Vartan Oskanian and
Kasimzhomarat Tokayev met in Astana. They discussed regional and
international problems. The parties were content with the level of
political relations between Armenia and Kazakhstan. Mutual interest in
development and strengthening of economic relations was noted. This
is promoted by the Armenian-Kazakh Inter-Governmental Commission,
as well as the legal framework and absence of political differences
between the two countries. Oskanian noted the need for development
of bilateral trade relations and holding cultural events.
During the meeting matters referring to the CIS, CSTO and EurAsEC
were discussed. Special attention was paid to energy and transport
issues. Tokayev presented the position of Kazakhstan’s participation
in some programs, specifically in the Caspian basin.
Taking into account that Kazakhstan will assume OSCE Presidency in
2009, Oskanian acquainted the Kazakh FM with latest developments in
the Nagorno Karabakh settlement. The Armenian FM invited his Kazakh
counterpart to visit Armenia at any convenient time.
Oskanian also met with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. The
Armenian FM also made a statement at a meeting with students of the
Diplomatic Institute.
June 2 Oskanian will met with members of the Armenian community and
will return to Armenia, reports the Armenian MFA Press Service.

PRIOR TO CRASH PILOTS OF A320 SPOKE ARMENIAN
AZG Armenian Daily
01/06/2006
Decoding of the “black boxes” of A320 Armavia jet will last nearly
two months, Russia’s transport minister Igor Levitin said. According
to Russian printed media, Levitin noted that parameter data recorder
has around 300 parameters taped and decoding of this information can
last from 1.5 to 2 months.
As to the cockpit voice recorder that was retrieved first, Armenian
specialists will join Russian decoders as the pilots spoke Armenian
prior to the crash, Levitin reported.
According to Leonid Kashirski, head of the technical commission of
the intergovernmental committee on crash investigation, data on both
recorders are in good condition. Yet, the process of decoding has
given no result so far.

71 JOURNALISTS KILLED IN IRAQ AGAINST THE 69 DURING THE WW II
AZG Armenian Daily
01/06/2006
The Iraqi war that burst out in 2003 has set a sad record. Two
journalists of the CBS TV Company were killed on Monday raising the
death toll of journalists in the Iraqi war to 71.
According to ITAR-TASS, during the World War II the death toll of
journalists did not exceed 69.
The list of killed journalists in the Iraqi war prepared by the
Committee to Protect Journalist does not include those who fell victim
to accidents or diseases. ¾ of killed journalists in Iraq are locals.
The list also does not include such media workers as clerks,
interpreters, drivers etc.
–Boundary_(ID_MhWWRnN0QRFOhnAnHw6UPw)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SMALL STATES MAY INFLUENCE SUPER POWERS, IF THEY HAVE BIG POLICY
By Ruzan Poghosian
AZG Armenian Daily
01/06/2006
Professor Allan Henrikson and Ambassador Stephen Bosworth delivered
lectures at the American University of Armenia. The first lecture was
entitled “Change in the Idea of Far and Near East and Its Influence
on Armenia,” while the second one was about “Big Policy of Small
States.” Professor Henrikson touched upon the foreign policy of USA,
focusing on the changes that took place in the course of the last few
years, particularly after the 9/11 terrorist act. He stated that USA
spared no sources and efforts to struggle against the international
terrorism, including the war in Iraq.
Besides the issue of Iraq, the US foreign policy is particularly
focused on the relations with the Eastern Asia, as China becomes
a serious opponent for USA due to the development level of its
economy. Taking into account this factor, the USA is rather concerned
about weakening its influence in the world.
Meanwhile, according to Ambassador Steven Bosworth, the small states
should have big diplomacy that would allow them influence the policy
of the super powers.
He stated that Armenia is among the small states that managed to draw
the attention of super powers to the issue of the Armenian Genocide’s
recognition and made them change their views on the phenomenon of
genocide.
The USA was also influenced by the diplomacy of Armenia, as some of
the states of the country condemned the Armenian Genocide.

RUSSIAN PAPER VIEWS GUAM AS PEACEKEEPING RIVAL
Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Moscow
1 Jun 06
The formation of a GUAM peacekeeping unit, which was announced
at the Baku meeting of CIS defence ministers, will put an end to
Russian peacekeeping operations in the CIS, a Russian newspaper has
predicted. The following is the text of the article by Sokhbet Mamedov
and Svetlana Gamova: “Hot Spots for Sale. Ukraine Suggests Setting Up
a CIS Peacekeeping Force As an Alternative to Russian Peacekeepers”
published by Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta on 1 June:
Russia will have to prove the effectiveness of its peacekeeping
contingent in the immediate future: Serious rivals have appeared in
the post-Soviet area. This became obvious at the latest 50th session
of the CIS Defence Ministers Council. On the eve of the session,
Ukrainian Defence Minister Anatoliy Hrytsenko met with his Azeri
counterpart Safar Abiyev and expressed the need to set up a separate
peacekeeping unit within GUAM.
The Ukrainian minister’s statement caused a sensation. Moreover,
it was clearly aimed at weakening the positions of Russia, which
remains the main peacekeeping force in the CIS. It is the Russian
“blue helmets” who have been on peacekeeping missions in Abkhazia,
South Ossetia, and the Dniester region since the early 1990s. The
point is that the same morning Azeri Defence Minister Safar Abiyev
directly linked the viability of the CIS to the organization’s ability
to settle internal conflicts in the member states. The Ukrainian and
Azeri defence ministers’ statements became a kind of death sentence
on Russia’s peacekeeping missions and the entire CIS as a structure
performing mediator functions in the peaceful settlement of conflicts.
Moreover, all the indications are that the concept of setting up
GUAM’s peacekeeping force has already been prepared very thoroughly.
At any rate the Ukrainian minister mentioned in Baku the date for
the appearance of the new “blue helmets” in the post Soviet area:
around mid-June this year. According to Hrytsenko, the deputy chiefs of
the General Staffs of Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Moldova should gather
in Kiev around that time specifically to discuss the creation of a
joint peacekeeping subunit, its goals, and structures. It is easy to
guess under whose auspices it will be formed: Hrytsenko proposed to
his Azerbaijani counterpart that these issues be discussed in detail
in Brussels where, as we know, the NATO Headquarters is situated. All
organizational issues will be finally resolved in the fall during the
meeting of the GUAM member states’ defence ministers. The Ukrainian
minister said that the venue and date for the meeting will be set
during the course of work. According to Anatoliy Hrytsenko, the
GUAM peacekeeping force will fulfil its mission based on a UN or
OSCE mandate.
The Georgian and Moldovan defence ministers’ opinions on the plans
articulated by Anatoliy Hrytsenko are not known yet, for they did
not take part in the Baku session of the CIS Defence Ministers Council.
Meanwhile, Azeri Defence Minister Safar Abiyev expressed his attitude
to the Ukrainian minister’s statements very cautiously. According to
him, discussions on setting up the GUAM peacekeeping force have been
held for a long time now, but this issue is still in the development
phase. “When we arrive at the unanimous decision we will submit it
for the state leaders’ consideration following the defence ministers’
meeting,” Safar Abiyev pointed out. At the same time, he did not rule
out that should the peacekeeping subunit be formed, it could also be
deployed in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.
Safar Abiyev also pointed out that the Azerbaijani people will never
put up with the occupation of their land and that “Azerbaijan will
use all its rights guaranteed by international norms to restore its
territorial integrity.” “It is time we took a categorical objective
stance: declared Armenia an aggressor and demanded that it observe
international norms and leave the occupied Azeri territory,” the
minister said.
We would point out that a peacekeeping force within GUAM set up at
Ukraine’s initiative would allow the states comprising the organization
(unsettled conflicts smoulder in three of them) to jointly cope with
the existing territorial problems. This will mean that Russia will be
automatically excluded from the peacekeeping effort in the former USSR.
Awareness of the consequences of the Ukrainian minister’s statement
urged Russian Federation Defence Minister Sergey Ivanov to respond.
He launched an attack and stated in Baku that Russian peacekeepers will
stay in the Dniester region until the Chisinau-Tiraspol conflict has
been resolved. “We are going to protect the artillery depots in the
Dniester region village of Kolbasna until a political solution to the
Dniester problem has been found,” Ivanov said at the press conference
following the CIS defence ministers’ meeting. According to Ivanov,
Russia cannot allow a situation where ammunition would fall into
terrorists’ hands. In addition to this, the defence minister pointed
out that peacekeeping subunits might be deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh
in the immediate future, because its problems are not being solved
in any way. Admittedly, the Russian minister did not specify whose
peacekeepers would be stationed in the Armenian-Azeri confrontation
zone.
As regards the GUAM peacekeeping force’s prospects, the countries
comprising the organization have the experience of international
peacekeeping operations in Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Liberia.
Georgia is particularly experienced in this field: Its soldiers
serve in peacekeeping units in a number of hot spots and in the
Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone.

WRITER PAMUK CALLS FOR FREE SPEECH IN TURKEY
Agence France Presse — English
June 1, 2006 Thursday 5:07 PM GMT
Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk made a plea Thursday for freedom of
expression in Turkey on the mass killings of Armenians carried out
under the Ottoman Empire, calling on his country to become “free and
more open.”
“Whatever happened to Ottoman Armenians, we in Turkey should be able
to talk about. It is first a Turkish issue, an issue of freedom of
speech, democracy and liberal society rather than an an international
political issue,” Pamuk said at a press conference in Moscow.
The Turkish writer — a winner of numerous international awards for
his writings — was in Moscow to promote the Russian translation of
his book “Istanbul: Memories and the City”.
“I hope my country be free and more open, that we can talk about this
issue without having any anxiety. But I don’t know when,” he said.
“There should be no limits to freedom of speech” for writers, Pamuk
continued.
Last year, prosecutors charged Pamuk with “public denigration of the
Turkish identity” for remarks on the massacres of Armenians made in
an interview with a Swiss newspaper.
“One million Armenians were killed in these lands and nobody but me
dares to talk about it,” Pamuk was quoted as saying in the interview.
The charges, which could have jailed Pamuk for up to three years,
were later dropped.
Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their kinsmen died in orchestrated
killings nine decades ago during the last years of the Ottoman Empire,
the precursor of modern Turkey.
Turkey argues that 300,000 Armenians and thousands of Turks were killed
in what was civil strife during World War I when the Armenians rose
up against their Ottoman rulers.
Born in 1952 in Istanbul, Pamuk became famous for works such as “The
White Castle,” “My Name is Red,” and “Snow.” His works have been
translated into 40 languages.

CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN ARMENIAN AND RUSSIAN MFA HELD IN YEREVAN TODAY
PanARMENIAN.Net
01.06.2006 17:49 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ June 1 recurrent consultations between Armenian
and Russian Ministries of Foreign Affairs (MFA) were held in Yerevan,
reports the Press Service of the Armenian MFA. The parties exchanged
views over cooperation in information policy and information
security. The participants of the meeting discussed prospects of
development of Armenian-Russian cooperation, specifically bilateral
relations, regional developments, interaction within international
structures. Today Armenian Deputy FM Gegham Gharibjanyan met with
Russian delegation, led by Director of the Department of Press and
Information of MFA Mikhail Kamynin.