ROBERT KOCHARIAN NOT LEAVING FOR MOSCOW DUE TO HEALTH CONDITION
YEREVAN, JULY 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. RA President Robert
Kocharian’s July 21 visit to Moscow for the purpose of taking part
in CIS countries’ leaders’ unofficial summit will not take place due
to the President’s health condition.
As NT was informed from President’s Press Office, as the doctor
diagnosed, Robert Kocharian has an acute viral disease of respiratory
tract.

SERGE SARGSIAN DOES NOT AGREE THAT FIRST FORCE SUPPORTING PRESIDENT
KOCHARIAN IS BARGAVACH HAYASTAN PARTY
YEREVAN, JULY 21, NOYAN TAPAN. RA Defence Minister Serge Sargsian does
not share the opinion, according to which the first force supporting
President Kocharian is the Bargavach Hayastan (Prosperous Armenia)
party.
“Firstly, the Bargavach Hayastan is not a party yet, as far as I
know, it has not held a congress yet. And secondly, where do you
see manifestation of its political support of the President?,” Serge
Sargsian said in his interview to radio Liberty.
As the Minister affirmed, “only a force having formed as a political
force and having influence in the political sphere, represented in
the Armenian governmental bodies, at the National Assembly can speak
about a political support, unless it corresponds to these criteria,
what support can be spoken about?”
“As for the issue, whether the Republican Party of Armenia will take
part in the elections together with the Bargavach Hayastan or not,
no issue of the kind has been discussed yet, we will discuss it when
it is necessary,” Serge Sargsian concluded.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GREY CADRINAL COMES OUT OF SHADE
Yerevan, July 21. ArmInfo. “RA Defense Minister Serge Sargsian
belongs to rare people that are political factors themselves and his
membership to the Republican Party greatly increases its authority,”
Armen Ashotian, member of RPA, stated at today’s press conference.
He added that Sargsian’s political authority is well known even out
of Armenia’s borders. At the same time, he expressed bewilderment
about the insinuations of some political figures about Sargsian’s
membership to RPA. Ashotian stated that never ending statements
on political crisis made by some of the political parties’ leaders
testify to their intention to spread their inner political crisis
on the whole political field of Armenia. The ideological platform
of RPA is based on the values of a national-conservative party in
the classical European sense of this definition. The ruling party is
going to cooperate with the local big entrepreneurs, paying special
attention to the defence of the national interests. RPA is going to
work with the classical slogan of the World War II: “Everything for
Front, Everything for the Victory!” Ashotian believes that in the
parliamentary elections in 2007 RPA will receive 35-40% of the votes.
Ashotian said nothing about the prospects of his opponents,
particularly about the newly founded “Prospering Armenia” party,
stating that this party hasn’t been established as a political
structure yet.

“GOLDEN APRICOT 2006” FILM FESTIVAL TO COOPERATE WITH ROTTERDAM AND
POUSAINT FILM FESTIVALS
Yerevan, July 21. ArmInfo. By the suggestion of Sandra den Hamer and
Kim Dongh-Khoh, heads of the Rotterdam and Pousaint Film Festivals,
“Golden Apricot” Film Festival will become a branch festival for the
Rotterdam and Pousaint Film Festivals.
Haroutiun Khachatrian, director of “Golden Apricot” Film Festival,
stated that according to the agreement with Sandra den Hamer and
Kim Dongh-Khoh, the organizers of “Golden Apricot” will have the
opportunity to get retrained within the framework of the Rotterdam and
Pousaint Film Festivals. Khachatrian said at today’s press conference
that in the next Yerevan Festival they will show films shown at the
above mentioned European festivals. Besides, our festival will have
the right to be co-financed together with the Rotterdam and Pousaint
Film Festivals.
In his turn, Hrant Hakobian, director of the winner film(“The
Dwellers of Forgotten Islands”) stated that yesterday he was invited
to participate in the Amsterdam International Documentary Film
Festival. He emphasized that “Golden Apricot” opened new opportunities
for the Armenian directors at the international film festivals.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT FORCED TO MISS INFORMAL CIS SUMMIT IN MOSCOW
Yerevan, July 21. ArmInfo. Armenian President Robert Kocharyan is
forced to miss the informal CIS summit to be held in Moscow July 21.
The presidential press service reports Kocharyan to have acute
infectious respiratory disease.
To remind, during the summit Kocharyan was to meet with Russian
President Vladimir Putin. Azeri media reported that Azeri President
Ilham Aliyev will also take part in the summit while the head of the
international relations department of Aliyev’s executive staff Novruz
Mamedov told Space TV company that Kocharyan and Aliyev might meet
during the summit.

‘CASCADE BANK’ OFFERS SERVICES TO ARMENIANS MOVING FROM LEBANON
TO ARMENIA
Yerevan, July 21. ArmInfo. ‘Cascade Bank’ expresses readioness to
render assistance to Armenians moving from Lebanon to Armenia in
connection with the escalation of the military conflict.
The Bank reports that internet transactions are available for those
of wish to transfer their money to Armenia. The immigrants are able
to transfer the money to their relatives’ accounts or to create an
account of their own and, arriving in Armenia, receive the money. The
bank is also ready to grant credits to the repatriates from Lebanon
in case they are able to insure them.
“Cascade Bank”, included in the structure of ‘Cascade Capital’,
was created in result of purchase of the ‘Emporica Bank’ in 2005.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

219 ARMENIANS FROM BEIRUT ARRIVE IN YEREVAN TODAY EARLY MORNING
Yerevan, July 21. ArmInfo. 219 Armenian citizens and Armenians who
left Beirut with the help of the local Armenian Embassy arrived in
Yerevan today early in the morning.
The acting spokesman of the Armenian FM Vladimir Karapetyan says that
they have come by two planes.
The Embassy’s list of those wishing to leave Beirut has not been
changed since yesterday – 60 people.
Commenting on the reports that some Armenians are leaving Beirut
via Cyprus or with the help of other foreign embassies, Karapetyan
says that these might be citizens of other states. He says that the
FM has got no reports of Armenians wounded or killed as a result of
the military actions in Lebanon.

Armenian MP happy about Iran’s position on Karabakh conflict
Ayots Ashkar, Yerevan
19 Jul 06
Excerpt from Vaan Vardanyan report by Armenian newspaper Ayots Ashkar
on 19 July entitled “The Armenian-Iranian relations”
An interview with the leader of the RPA [Republican Party of Armenia]
parliamentary faction, Galust Saakyan. He commented on the results
of the recent visit of the Armenian parliamentary delegation to Iran.
[Correspondent] Mr Saakyan, what was the purpose of the visit of the
parliamentary delegation to Iran? Who did you meet there? What issues
did you discuss?
[Saakyan] Members of the Armenia-Iran interparliamentary friendship
group in the National Assembly visited Iran at the invitation of
the Iran-Armenia parliamentary friendship group. Its purpose was to
discuss the current state of our relations and prospects of them. I
do not remember any visit of the parliamentary delegations held at
such a high level. We had meetings at standing commissions of the
Iranian Majlis, met speaker of parliament, discussed wide-ranging
issues of mutual interest, including economic ones.
Naturally, we also met representatives of the Armenian community of
Iran and once again were convinced that Iran’s state policy towards
ethnic Armenians is very positive. Our Iranian counterparts emphasized
correct position of the Armenian community in relations with the state.
[Correspondent] What positive steps may be expected in development
of mutual relations in the near future?
[Saakyan] Both the Iranian side and we stressed that there were all
the grounds for the development of normal relations. We do not have
religious, ethnic, political or other disagreements which may create
extra problems for cooperation. This was general position of our
delegation although the opposition representatives were also involved
in it.
[Passage omitted: the names of the opposition representatives]
As for the prospects, the Iranian side thinks that the implementation
of all joint big projects are of great significance. They proved
once again that they are ready to complete the construction of the
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline by the end of this year. The Iranian side
is concerned about the issue as we shall return consumed gas prices
with electricity which Iran needs today and Armenia has relevant
capacity. Iran is also concerned at transportation via the territory
of Armenia towards Georgian ports and then to Ukraine, western Russia
and Europe. We also discussed the importance of taking advantage of
Iranian communication system and using it for Armenia’s needs. Our
Iranian counterparts believe it is highly important if we create
normal legislative guarantees for the Iranian business in Armenia. Some
problems in the banking system should also be settled.
It was mentioned several times during the meetings that the documents
signed during the visit replenished the necessary legal and contractual
basis. At present wider prospects are being opened in the field of
economic relations.
In general, there is big unrealized potential in the Armenian-Iranian
relations which should be exploited.
[Correspondent] Did you discuss the Karabakh issue? What is Iran’s
current position on this issue?
[Saakyan] Iran’s position remains balanced and we think it is
normal. We discussed the issue and said that it was not the religious
conflict, and Iran sees the settlement only on the basis of mutual
agreements between the parties to the conflict. This is really an
impartial position if we take into account that anyway Azerbaijan is
a Muslim state.
But I should say that apprehensions over Azerbaijan are not so much
favourable in Iran. Over the meetings, our Iranian partners mentioned
that they watch Azerbaijan as a factor which may be used by the USA
to cause problems to Iran’s security.

Armenian defence minister to run for chairman of ruling party council
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
19 Jul 06
[Presenter] The Republican Party of Armenia [RPA] will soon hold an
extraordinary congress before the parliamentary election. Some issues
will discussed at the forthcoming congress of the party. The deputy
chairman of the RPA, Razmik Zorabyan, is convinced that there will
be no surprises at the forthcoming congress. Zorabyan thinks that the
Armenian defence minister’s membership of the RPA is just a formality
because Sarkisyan has been cooperating with the RPA since 1998.
The deputy chairman of the party also said that the defence minister
will run for chairman of the party council.
[Zorabyan] Some additions will be made to the party’s regulations
to set up a post of chairman of the party council and Sarkisyan will
run for this post.

Armenian communists condemn Israeli attack on Lebanon
Arminfo
20 Jul 06
Yerevan, 20 July: “The undeclared war against Lebanon has created
a direct threat to the large Armenian community of that country,
which plays a great role in the state’s life,” the Communist Party
of Armenia said in a statement issued today.
“More than 250 Lebanese civilians, mainly women, old people
and children, have already fallen victim to Israel’s military
operations. Condemning any manifestations of terrorism and kidnapping,
we also point out that the Israeli authorities are speculating with
the capture of several soldiers and have carried out a massacre on the
territory of the neighbouring country,” the Armenian communists said.
The authors of the statement said that the United States wishes to
provoke a large-scale military conflict in the Middle East with the
help of the Jewish state and to draw the Syrian Arab Republic and
the Islamic Republic of Iran into that conflict.
The Communist Party of Armenia demands “an immediate end to the
military actions launched by the Jewish state against the peaceful
Lebanese population and coordinated by the United States of America”
and expresses its solidarity with the peoples of Lebanon, Syria
and Iran.