SOME FORCES INTERESTED IN XENOPHOBIA IN RUSSIA
PanARMENIAN.Net
24.05.2006 15:27 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Leader of the Union of Armenians of Russia Ara
Abrahamyan considers that measures for struggle against xenophobia
and crime through national hatred should be worked out in Russia. “The
society jointly with politicians should develop a line and mechanisms,”
he said at a press conference in Moscow.
In his opinion, special attention should be paid to the bringing up
of schoolchildren.
At the same time he remarked that certain forces in Russia and
interested in availability of such problems in Russia. “The existence
of nationalist organizations means that somebody wishing instability
supports them,” Abrahamyan stated. He proposed to proceed to resolving
the problem via organization of round-table discussions with the
participation of public figures, law enforcers and media. “Armenians
have lived in Russia since the 9th century. This is our home,” he
said adding that there are no anti-Russian moods in Armenia.

ROMANIAN FM: THERE IS HOPE FOR PROGRESS IN KARABAKH ISSUE
PanARMENIAN.Net
24.05.2006 15:48 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijan “strives for just and stable peace in
the region and prefers the stepwise settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said. In his words,
first the Armenian armed forces should abandon the territories around
Nagorno Karabakh where the refugees will return immediately. At
the second stage the displaced persons should return to Shushi and
other towns. “Only after that the status of Nagorno Karabakh can be
considered,’ he said.
Judging from the sequence sounded by the Azeri FM no progress can be
expected in the conflict settlement in the near future. “The Armenian
side demands guarantees for the right to self-determination of the
Nagorno Karabakh population in exchange for releasing the territories
around Karabakh. Return of Lachin and Shushi is not discussed. Return
of Kelbajar is doubtful. The positions of the sides have not come
closer for a centimeter,” New Time Baku-based newspaper says.
For his part Romanian Foreign Minister Mihai-Razvan Ungureanu remarked
that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict was many times discussed by the
CoE. “Presently a hope for progress appeared. Political dialogue is
of utmost importance at the current stage of the talks. The meeting of
the Presidents may contribute to the alleviation of tension,” he said.

AZERI NEWSPAPER EDITOR HELD HOSTAGE THREE FOREIGNERS
PanARMENIAN.Net
24.05.2006 15:36 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ People’s Tribune newspaper editor-in-chief Sharif
Salmanov his acquaintance Aynura Allahverdiyeva, who held hostage
Turkish citizen Yilmaz Mahmoud, Bolgarian citizen Kocheva Ivanovna and
her 7-year-old daughter Marchella Penova, were detained. The local
prosecutor’s office has initiated a criminal case; investigation is
being carried out, reported APA news agency.

ANDRANIK MARGARIAN: “ISSUE OF RPA WAS TO KEEP INDEPENDENCE, TO PRESERVE COUNTRY FROM INNERPOLITICAL PROBLEMS”
Noyan Tapan
May 24 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 24, NOYAN TAPAN. “It was important for me and our
party during those years to assist securing of the innerpolitical
stability in our newly-independent state and to strengthen the
state by developing the economy, to increase fighting ability of our
army year by year and to fasten security of the country,” RA Prime
Minister, Chairman of the Republican Party of Armenia Andranik
Margarian mentioned during the internet conference of the “Azg”
(nation) newspaper.
According to him, “we have lost numerous friends on the way to
independece, among them, during the years of the Soviet dictatorship,
and protection of that independence reached at too high price,
preserving the country from different intrigues and intriguers,
innerpolitical shocks has always been an important issue for us,
and our steps were addressed to that puprose.”
According to the RA Prime Minister, the Government today has a problem
to reduce the level of poverty in the country by developing the
economy, to create possibilities for a prosperous life. The Poverty
Overcoming Strategic long-term program has been worked out on that
purpose and has been in the process of implementation for already
many years. All the spheres are analysed in the program in details,
existing problems, ways of their solution are mentioned, and a schedule
is adopted which is being implemented at a rapid pace. It was mentioned
that the RA Government put a task at present to review the program
by the means of reducing the terms or increasing the indexes. “All
our main problems, anti-corruption struggle, reforms of the state
government system, improvement of the business and investment sphere,
etc., are summed up in the IPAP,” the RA Prime Minister emphasized.

OSCE MG CO-CHAIRS’ STATEMENTS DON’T INSPIRE OPTIMISM, BAKU SAYS
PanARMENIAN.Net
24.05.2006 16:15 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The statements by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs on
the development of some new solution variants of the Nagorno Karabakh
problem do not inspire optimism, Azeri Deputy Foreign Minister Araz
Azimov stated.
“By producing such statements, the Co-chairs desire only to
raise the importance of their activities before the public,” said
Azimov. “Undoubtedly, they need to vindicate their activities, and
therefore, we hear about new ideas every time. It is obvious that
they need to inform and direct the public opinion,” said Azimov.
He stressed that there are some issues the solution of which will
be possible only after certain steps for the Karabakh conflict
settlement. “These steps should be submitted to Azerbaijan in a clear
form,” Azimov remarked.
According to him, these steps first of all are related to the release
of Azerbaijani territories around Nagorno Karabakh. “All these steps
should be taken in a stepwise manner, and only then official Baku
may express its position on other questions,” said Azimov, reported
Trend news agency.

ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI LEADERS CAPABLE TO SOLVE KARABAKH PROBLEM PEACEFULLY
PanARMENIAN.Net
24.05.2006 16:18 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The sides should take decisive moves for the
settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
However the situation will clear up by the end of the week,
U.S. Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of European and Eurasian
Affairs Daniel Fried stated in Baku.
Mr. Fried reminded that it’s his third visit to the region during
recent 6 months. “My goal is to find the variants for a peaceful
resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The residents of the
whole region have the right to wish peace and it should be achieved
within the shortest terms,” he said emphasizing that certain steps
at a state level are essential.
“Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia Ilham Aliyev and Robert Kocharian
are capable to settle the conflict peacefully,” the American diplomat
considers, reported Trend news agency.

GEORGIAN LEADERSHIP POLICY PROVOKES ESCALATION OF CONFLICTS IN JAVAKHETIA
PanARMENIAN.Net
24.05.2006 17:27 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The policy pursued by the incumbent Georgian
leadership provokes new conflicts in the Azeri-inhabited Kvemo-Kartli
(Borchaly) and Armenian-inhabited Samtskhe Javakheti (Javakhk)
regions of Georgia, Justice party leader, former head of the Georgian
national security committee Igor Giorgadze, who is wanted by Interpol
at present, stated at a news conference in Moscow. “36 people were
killed in the Azeri-inhabited regions of Georgia. The Armenians
of Javakhetia, who have never voiced a wish to receive autonomy,
initiated the process in corpore now,” he said, reported IA Regnum.

U.S. SENATE TO CONSIDER NOMINATION OF RICHARD E. HOAGLAND FOR AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA
PanARMENIAN.Net
24.05.2006 17:50 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ U.S. Senate is set to consider the nomination of
Richard E. Hoagland for the United States ambassador to Armenia,
according to a US Senate press release. Richard E. Hoagland, of
the District of Columbia, is a career member of the Senior Foreign
Service, Class of Minister-Counselor. Currently, he is serving as
the U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan, reported Yerkir.

UKRAINIAN GENERAL STAFF CHIEF LAID FLOWERS TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS MEMORIAL
PanARMENIAN.Net
24.05.2006 18:11 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces General
Staff, Colonel General Sergey Kirichenko laid flowers to the memorial
to the Armenian Genocide victims. Chief of the Armenian Armed Forces
General Staff, Deputy Defense Minister, Colonel General Mikael
Harutyunyan accompanied Ukrainian delegation.

Whitehouse.gov (press release), DC
May 23 2006
Personnel Announcement
President George W. Bush today announced his intention to nominate
two individuals to serve in his Administration:
The President intends to nominate Richard E. Hoagland, of the
District of Columbia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of
Armenia. Ambassador Hoagland, a career member of the Senior Foreign
Service, currently serves as United States Ambassador to the Republic
of Tajikistan. Prior to this, he served as Director of the Office of
Caucasus and Central Asian Affairs at the Department of State.
Earlier in his career, he served as Director of the Office of Public
Diplomacy in the Bureau of South Asian Affairs. Ambassador Hoagland
received his bachelor’s degree from Taylor University and two
master’s degrees from the University of Virginia.