AWAOC MONTHLY LITERARY MEETING TO BE HELD IN GLENDALE

ArmRadio.am
28.03.2006 17:47

Monthly literary meeting of the Armenian Writers Association Of
California (AWAOC), sponsored by Glendale Public Library, will take
place at 7-9 PM, on Thursday, April 6 2006, at the Auditorium of the
Central Library of Glendale.

Writer and Editor of Kamarak Periodical Hakob Mkrtchian will read
his poems.

Writer Kima Kirakosian will present a literary report. There will be
exchange of opinions. Proceedings will be in Armenian.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARTUR BAGHDASSARYAN TO PAY A VISIT TO SPAIN

ArmRadio.am
28.03.2006 17:15

Chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia Artur Baghdassaryan will
pay a working visit to Spain March 29-April 1. He is scheduled to
meet with Senate President Javier Rojo and Chairman of the Congress
of Deputies of Spain Manuel Marin Gonsales. March 29 in Valence Artur
Baghdassaryan and Belgian Senate President Ann Marie Lizin will open
the 5th forum of the World Alliance of Cities Against Poverty. 4
Armenian towns will join the Alliance.

ARF MEMBERS MEET WITH CANADIAN MP

Yerkir
28.03.2006 11:08

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Canada
Central Committee met on March 26 with Gary Goodyear, a member of
the Canadian Parliament from Cambridge, Ontario.

The meeting was held at the Armenian Center of Cambridge. ARF Canada CC
representative Vagharsh Ehramjian, CC’s Hay Dat representative Grigor
Ter-Ghazarian, Armenian National Committee of Canada representative
Aris Papikian, Hay Dat regional co-chair Arti Hakobian, ARF’s
Aram-Dro Committee representative Joseph Poladian and Cambridge Hay
Dat Committee member Simon Poladian participated in the meeting.

The parties discussed Canadian government’s statement to recognize
the Armenian Genocide, Armenian President Robert Kocharian’s upcoming
visit to Canada, establishing a Canadian embassy in Yerevan as well
as prospects of cooperation between the Canadian Conservative Party
and Hay Dat Committee. Mr. Goodyear promised to keep the issues under
personal control.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN MINISTER TO ENLIST RULING PARTY SUPPORT AHEAD OF 2008 PRESIDENTIAL POLL

Iravunk, Yerevan
28 Mar 06

Text of report by Piruza Meliksetyan in the Armenian newspaper Iravunk
on 28 March headlined “Have Serzh Sarkisyan oriented himself?”

A source close to the [ruling] Republican Party of Armenia [RPA] has
said that [Defence Minister] Serzh Sarkisyan and the RPA leadership
have finally agreed to put Sarkisyan’s name on the party list for a
parliamentary election.

The source added that it was suggested to Sarkisyan that he joins the
RPA in the future. Having the support of such a powerful party as the
RPA is one of the first steps leading towards the presidential post,
that is towards the nomination for this post.

The source said that the RPA would strive to form a majority in
parliament during the 2007 parliamentary election and Andranik
Markaryan and Serzh Sarkisyan will take the posts of parliamentary
speaker and prime minister up until the 2008 presidential election.

AZERI DIPLOMAT DISCUSSES MILITARY TIES IN CANADA

MPA news agency
28 Mar 06

Baku, 28 March: Azerbaijani-Canadian talks on military-political
cooperation are ending in Canada today (28 March). Azerbaijani Deputy
Foreign Minister Araz Azimov, who participated in the talks, met his
Canadian counterpart, [Deputy Canadian Foreign Minister] James Wright,
MPA has learnt from the Foreign Ministry press service.

They discussed security issues, the settlement of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and the development of bilateral ties.

The deputy foreign ministers discussed the situation in the South
Caucasus and in the Caspian region, prospects for cooperation in the
fight against terror and cooperation with international organizations.

Note: Azimov will also attend the fourth round of US-Azerbaijani
talks on security issues (29-30 March, Washington).

HERE WE GO AGAIN, ANOTHER AIRPLANE CRASHES IN IRAN

Persian Journal, Iran
March 28 2006

A cargo plane crashed west of Tehran on Tuesday, injuring those on
board, a police officer told state television. There were no reports
of deaths. Details of the crash were confused.

The official IRNA news agency said the plane was Bulgarian whereas
the police spokesman, identified only as Colonel Alipour, said it
was Armenian.

The manager of Payam airport in Karaj, an industrial satellite city
west of Tehran, told state media the Antonov cargo plane took off
from there at 5.30 p.m. (1400 GMT) but immediately requested an
emergency landing.

But Alipour said the plane had requested an emergency landing while
overflying Iran en route to Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.

Other police spokesmen and Iran’s civil aviation authority were not
immediately able to clarify these details to Reuters.

Bulgaria’s transport ministry said it could not confirm the plane
was Bulgarian after checks with local airlines.

“We do not have any such information for the moment. We have checked
with the airlines that operate Antonov planes and fly to Iran and
neither was aware of any accident,” transport ministry spokeswoman
Valia Luleva told Reuters.

The aircraft crashed at Savoj Bolagh, outside Karaj.

Reza Jafarzadeh, head of public relations at Iran’s Civil Aviation
Authority, told IRNA a bird could have been sucked into the engine,
causing the crash.

The weather in Tehran and its environs was stormy throughout Tuesday
afternoon and evening.

ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR PRESENTED CREDENTIALS TO PRESIDENT OF GEORGIA

Prime News Agency, Georgia
March 28 2006

Tbilisi. March 28 (Prime-News) – Grach Silvanian, Ambassador of
Armenia to Georgia presented his credentials to Mikheil Saakashvili,
President of Georgia on Tuesday.

Gela Bejuashvili, Georgian Foreign Minister was attending the
ceremony too.

In their conversation after the ceremony Grach Silvanian and Mikheil
Saakashvili discussed the issues on the future promotion of the
bilateral relations, Prime-News was told by the representatives of
the Armenian Embassy.

Before his recent appointment Grach Silvanian was working in the
Ministry of Foreign Affaires of Armenia. Before that he was an Armenian
Ambassador to the Ukraine.

ALIYEV ACCEPTS CREDENTIALS OF NEWLY APPOINTED AMBASSADOR OF FRANCE

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
March 28 2006

On March 28, President of the Azerbaijan Republic Ýlham Aliyev
received the credentials of Bernard Amaudric du Chaffaut, newly
appointed ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of France to
Azerbaijan at the Presidential Palace.

After Bernard Chaffaut presented his credentials, President had a
warm conversation with ambassador. Ilham Aliyev congratulated Bernard
Chaffaut on his appointment and stressed that bilateral relations
between France and Azerbaijan will be further strengthened.

“My visits to France once more evidence that cooperation between
us in political, economic and cultural spheres is strengthening,”
said President. “At the same time, our expanding cooperation with
the European Union has a positive effect on the bilateral relations”.

President Ilham Aliyev noted that France as OSCE Minsk Group co-chair
makes its contribution to the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict resolution and wished ambassador every success in his
further activities.

Ambassador Bernard Amaudric du Chaffaut expressed his gratitude to
the Head of State for accepting the credentials and stressed that both
sides are bound up with friendly relations. According to ambassador,
President of France Jacque Chirac has a special friendly attitude
to Ilham Aliyev. These friendly relations serve as an impetus for
development of cooperation in all spheres. President Jacque Chirac and
French Government take a very tactful approach to Armenia-Azerbaijan,
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict being aware of their political commitments.

–Boundary_(ID_QiwwJIKLGT9n4sQCQJA3Z g)–

PA OSCE RAPPORTEUR GORAN LENMARKER TO ARRIVE IN AZERBAIJAN IN APR – ELDAR IBRAHIMOV
Author: J.Shahverdiyev

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
March 28 2006

Goran Lenmarker, the PA OSCE repporteur on Nagorno-Karabakh, will
arrive in Azerbaijan in April, Trend reports quoting Eldar Ibrahimov,
a member of the Azerbaijani delegation to PA OSCE.

Ibrahimov stressed that he participated in the parliamentary elections
in Ukraine on 26 March as a representative of PA OSCE. He met with
Hasting Elsi, the chair of the organization, and Spenser Oliver,
the Secretary General, in Kiev. During the meeting Ibrahimov found
out that Lenmarker would arrive in Azerbaijan in April to rework out
the report on Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Azerbaijani delegation to PA OSCE intends to include the
Nagorno-Karabakh problem into the agenda of the summer session to
be held in Brussels from 3 to 7 July. “We plan to meet with Goran
Lenmarker in Azerbaijan and exchange opinions on the report,”
Ibrahimov stressed.

ROTHMAN APPLAUDS THE MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION FOR ALLOWING THE RELEASE OF VITAL FOREIGN AID

American Chronicle, CA
March 28 2006

Congressional Desk

(Washington, DC) – Congressman Steve Rothman (NJ-9), a member of the
House Subcommittee that appropriates funds for the Millennium Challenge
Corporation (MCC), applauds the MCC for completing its compact with the
Republic of Armenia in a signing ceremony this afternoon. This signing
comes weeks after Rothman met with Ambassador John Danilovich, CEO
of the MCC, and stressed the importance of finalizing this important
assistance package with Armenia.

“Armenia is a good friend to the United States and we should continue
to support its growth. Ambassador Danilovich and others at the
Millennium Challenge Corporation have made the right decision in
allowing Armenia to receive this vitally important foreign aid,”
said Rothman.

The MCC was established four years ago to tie foreign assistance to
three key indicators of a government’s success: governing justly,
investing in their citizens, and encouraging economic freedom.

Today’s signing ceremony acknowledges that Armenia is moving forward
and allows the release of $235.5 million in additional foreign aid
to Armenia.

Since becoming a member of the House Appropriations Committee’s
Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Rothman has helped secure
approximately $510 million in economic assistance and military aid
for Armenia, and $23 million for Nargorno-Karabakh. He is also an
active member of the Congressional Armenia Issues Caucus.