NKR DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER DELIVERED REPORT OF OFFICE OF OSCE PRC-I-O
ON INFLAMMATIONS IN AREAS ADJOINING ARTSAKH
STEPANAKERT, JULY 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On July 20, Deputy
Foreign Minister of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Masis Mayilian
received Field Assistant of Personal Representative of the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office (PRC-i-O) Gunter Folk. During the meeting Mr. Folk
delivered NKR Deputy Foreign Minister a report of the Office of the
OSCE PRC-i-O on inflammations, which took place in the contact-line
zone of Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh armed forces.
As it was informed before on June 15, 2006, the NKR Ministry of Foreign
Affairs addressed to the Office of the OSCE Personal Representative
Chairman-in-Office with a request to conduct a monitoring in bordering
with Azerbaijan zone for giving real estimate to the situation and
making certain of the strained accusations of Baku on the alleged
burnings of the adjoining settlements on the territories controlled by
the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. On July 3-5 the OSCE mission conducted
a series of monitorings in the bordering zone. By the results of the
monitorings a corresponding report was prepared.
According to NKR Foreign Ministry Press Service, at present the
document is being studied at the NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
one can already ascertain that the OSCE mission did not reveal any
facts of damage caused by fire to the settlements, situated in the
NKR security zone, as the Azerbaijani side tried to present.

MATHEW BRYZA TO VISIT STEPANAKERT
Lragir.am
21 July 06
Mathew Bryza, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair, who is visiting Armenia
July 29, will arrive in Stepanakert for a two-day working visit,
the press service of the NKR Foreign Ministry reported to the news
agency ARKA, referring to the office of the personal representative
of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office.
The NKR Foreign Ministry reported that the U.S. co-chair will meet
with NKR President Arkady Ghukasyan.
The information about Bryza’s visit to Stepanakert is interesting
because during their recent visits to the region separately or together
the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs avoided visiting Nagorno Karabakh,
and at best they met with the NKR leadership in Armenia.
It should be noted that during the recent visit of the NKR foreign
minister and speaker to the United States Bryza met with them at the
NKR Representation in Washington.

Experts of CIS Ministries of Foreign Affairs to meet in Bishkek
ArmRadio.am
21.07.2006 11:31
Experts of CIS Ministries of Foreign Affairs will meet in Bishkek
today. Issues related to attracting foreign investments in the
economies of CIS countries and exchange of experience in this sphere
will be discussed during the diplomatic consultations.

Sitting of the South Caucasian Parliamentary Assembly to be held in London
ArmRadio.am
21.07.2006 11:56
Sitting of the South Caucasian Parliamentary Assembly will be held in
London today. The presidency over the Assembly will be transferred
from Georgia to Armenia. Yesterday the Armenian delegation headed
by member of the Republican faction Ararat Malkhasyan left for the
capital of the United Kingdom.

EU SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE TO SOUTH CAUCASUS TO PAY WORKING VISIT TO ARMENIA
ON JULY 23-25
YEREVAN, JULY 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Ambassador Peter
Semneby, EU Special Representative to the South Caucasus, will be in
Armenia on a working visit on July 23-25.
According to RA FM Press Service, during the visit Peter Semneby will
have meetings with RA President Robert Kocharian, NA Speaker Tigran
Torosian, Defence Minister Serge Sargsian, Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian, Ombudsman Armen Haroutiunian, Central Electoral Commission
Chairman Garegin Azarian.
The meeting with Foreign Minister Oskanian is scheduled for July 24. A
joint press conference will be held immediately after the meeting.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko not to partake in the CIS non-official
summit
ArmRadio.am
21.07.2006 16:18
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko will not participate in the
non-official summit of CIS leaders in Moscow, Ukrainian Presentment’s
Spokesman Irina Geraschenko informed, ITAR-TASS reports.
“Considering the political situation in the country, the President
decided to stay in Kiev,” Geraschenko clarifies. She said Viktor
Yushchenko will send an official letter to the President of Russia,
in which he will explain the reasons of his non-participation in
the summit and will confirm that Russia is the strategic partner
of Ukraine.

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to hold recurrent consultations in Paris
ArmRadio.am
21.07.2006 16:35
OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs engaged in the settlement of the Karabakh
conflict intend to hold their recurrent consultation in Paris early
August, Russian Co-Chair of the Minsk Group Yuri Merzlyakov told
“Trend” Agency.
The major aim of the meeting is to consult about the results of the
US Co-Chair Matthew Bryza’s visit to the region. Merzlyakov noted
it is not known so far what kind of decisions might be taken at the
meeting. It’s not clear either whether the issue of arranging another
meeting between the parties will be discussed.
“We’ll decide it when we meet. I’m not familiar with the conclusions
the American Co-Chair will draw. Before the meeting of the Co-Chairs
he will have new contacts. He will speak to the Presidents and will
probably make some evaluations. After this we’ll decide what to do,”
the Russian Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group underlined.

KIRO MANOYAN: NAGORNO KARABAKH SETTLEMENT SEEMS NOT SO PRIMARY IN
LIGHT OF LATEST EVENTS IN NEAR EAST
YEREVAN, JULY 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The development of
latest Near Eastern and regional events, including the events around
Iran and problems in Russian-Georgian relations show that the Nagorno
Karabakh settlement seems not so primary contrary to the mediators’
prognoses about achieving success by the first half of the year. Kiro
Manoyan, ARFD Bureau Hay Dat and Political Office Head, declared at
the July 21 meeting at the Pastark club.
Manoyan emphasized that all this does not mean that the mediators
will stop their efforts in the issue of conflict settlement. As a
proof he mentioned OSCE Minsk Group American Co-chair Matthew Bryza’s
forthcoming, July 21 visit to Yerevan.
In connection with the Israeli actions in Lebanon Manoyan said that
Israel motivates these actions by taking hostages two Israelis by
Hzbollah, and Turkey, according to him, with the same motivations
wishes to invade into North Iraq for the purpose of delivering a blow
to the Kurdish divisions.
According to the speaker, the end of the current Arab-Israeli conflict
is not seen, the changes are still ahead and it seems that all this
will last at least for several months.
Touching upon the Armenian-Iranian relations, Kiro Manoyan
declared that the agreements reached with the Iranian side are
“irreplaceable.” “Both Armenian-Iranian and Armenian-Georgian relations
are irreplaceable. The more positive the results of the events around
Iran are the better for us,” the speaker emphasized.
Kiro Manoyan also expressed an opinion that the events in the Near
Eastern region have tendency of decreasing Iran’s role in the region,
in particular, in Lebanon where Tehran has a great influence on
Hzbollah and in Iraq where the political role of the Iranians is larger
than the role of the U.S. that has purely military advantages in Iraq.

SERGE SARGSIAN NOT GOING TO WAIVE DEFENCE MINISTER’S POST
YEREVAN, JULY 21, NOYAN TAPAN. Serge Sargsian who has lately joined
the Republican Party of Armenia and, to all probability, will be
elected on a leading post at the party’s forthcoming congress, is
not going to waive the post of the Defence Minister.
Answering the question in his interview to radio Liberty, whether he
will waive the post of the Defence Minister in the circumstance of
being engaged in active politics, though the Constitution does not
oblige to do this, Serge Sargsian declared: “Not at all. As this
is senseless. Why shall I waive the Defence Minister’s post? Have
I worked badly?… The country’s President will determine if I have
worked badly.”
Serge Sargsian excluded that President Kocharian can dismiss him
because of joining a party. “The President has completely approved my
intention. I think when there is an occasion he or his spokesperson
will say this… What is the sense of acting contrary to the opinion
of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief?,” he mentioned.
In response to the question, whether the Defence Minister’s post
increases his rating during the elections or on the contrary, Sargsian
said: “Let the others be glad if the things are the contrary. Why
did they fall into panic and speak about the resignation and other
things? Besides, you know very well what authority the army has in
our society. According to the surveys of the very Institute of Gelap,
the confidence of our people in the army is more than 80%.”
“Do you want to be a President?,” Serge Sargsian answered this direct
question: “It is difficult to say. As maybe I have not seriously
thought about it.
I say sincerely, you may believe this or not. I will indeed make my
decision after the parliamentary elections.”
He added that he has never striven for any post.
In response to the question, how many seats RPA is to have at the
future parliament for him to orient himself in the issue of candidate
to the post of the President, the Minister said: I have decided
for myself that if RPA gains up to 21-22% at the elections, I will
consider this satisfactory, up to 25% good and if more excellent.”
The Minister is for the principles of Nagorno Karabakh peaceful
settlement unveiled last month: “I am for the proposed principles. I
have repeatedly said this, I have expressed my opinion in the written
form. Of course, I am for,” he declared.
Asked, whether he has an apprehension that if the public is of another
opinion in this issue, this will have an impact on his political
career, Serge Sargsian said: “No. If the public has another opinion,
another political force will have a majority, its policy will pass,
and it will be very good… How can I be against our people’s will?”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NON-PARTISAN MPs ALSO JOIN RPA
YEREVAN, JULY 21, NOYAN TAPAN. RA non-partisan MPs also have joined
the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA). According to NT’s reliable
information, Karen Karapetian, Head of the People’s Deputy MP group
elected from Lori region Tashir electoral district N 39, members of the
same group, Vladimir Badalian elected from Yerevan Kentron community
electoral district N 16 who was Director of Hrazdan sports complex
before the parliamentary elections of 2003, Artush Simonian elected
from Kanaker-Zeytun electoral district N 5 (before being elected an
MP he was the Deputy Director of Armenian Airlines), Levon Sargsian
elected from Arabkir community electoral district N 6, Chairman of
Yerevan Flouring Mill CJSC, as well as two out three Hakob Hakobians
– members of the group, elected from Etchmiadzin electoral district
N 26 and Vardenis (Gegharkunik region) electoral district N 34 (the
latter Chairman of Arpa-Sevan OJSC).
To recap, 3 out of 17 members of the People’s Deputy MP group, Mkrtich
Minasian (Yerevan electoral district N 2), Yerem Karapetian (Artashat
electoral district N 23), Rafik Petrosian, Chairman of the Standing
Committee on State and Legal Issues (Yerevan electoral district N 3)
have been RPA members since 2003.
Chairman of the Armenian Football Federation Ruben Hayrapetian,
Yerkrapah Sasun Mikayelian, businessman Haroutiun Pambukian are among
the independent MPs having joined RPA lately.