Armenia Condemns Israeli Attack On Lebanon
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
July 14 2006
By Emil Danielyan
Armenia joined Arab nations and the European Union in condemning Israel
for its military action against Lebanon that continued for a third
consecutive day on Friday, heightening tensions in the Middle East.
While denouncing the abduction of two Israeli soldiers and the killing
of eight others by the Hezbollah militia, the Armenian Foreign
Ministry said Israel should stop its air strikes against civilian
targets in Lebanon.
“Armenia condemns any violence whether it be abduction or use of
force,” the ministry said in a statement. “We particularly denounce
the use of such disproportionate force intended solely to collectively
punish civilians and damage infrastructure. This kind of reaction
by Israel is particularly difficult to understand given the fact
that the Lebanese government has clearly distanced itself from the
abduction incident.”
“We hope that there will be restraint in the region and also hope there
will be an immediate ceasefire so that the issues can be addressed
by peaceful means,” added the statement.
Israel launched a widespread bombing campaign in Lebanon and tightened
an air, sea and land blockade of its northern neighbor in response to
Hezbollah’s deadly cross-border attack on its troops. More than 60
civilians in Lebanon and two in Israel have been killed in the worst
bout of fighting since Israel ended its occupation of south Lebanon
six years ago
Israeli air raids on Beirut international airport have disrupted
Lebanon’s air communication with the rest of the world, leaving
thousands of travelers to and from the country stranded in the
region. Among them was Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh, who
was returning from a visit to Armenia and – like many – was forced
to make his way home through Syria.
Salloukh’s official visit to Yerevan highlighted warm relations
existing between Armenia and Lebanon and other Arab states that have
large and affluent Armenian communities. Armenians have for decades
been represented in the Lebanese government and parliament. The
country’s President Emile Lahoud is half Armenian.
Israel’s “disproportionate use of force” was criticized on Friday
by Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja of Finland, which now holds
the European Union’s rotating presidency. French President Jacques
Chirac likewise said the Israeli military campaign is “completely
disproportionate,” while blasting Hezbollah for its “irresponsible”
stance.
Israel’s actions, however, were effectively justified by U.S.
President George W. Bush who said the Jewish state “has the right to
defend herself.”
(AP-Photolur photo: A Lebanese family cross the river to reach their
village, after Israeli warplanes attacked and damaged the Khardaleh
bridge near Marjayoun village in south Lebanon on Thursday.)

Armenian Public Support for Karabakh Compromise ‘Pointless Now’
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
July 14 2006
By Anna Saghabalian
The Armenian government will not to seek domestic popular support
for a compromise solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict favored by
international mediators until it is accepted by Azerbaijan, Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian indicated on Friday.
In their recent statements that disclosed the essence of the proposed
peace deal, the French, Russian and U.S. co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group urged the presidents of Armenia to display the necessary
“political will” and prepare their publics for mutual painful
concessions on Karabakh.
“We think the parties would be well-served at this point by allowing
their publics to engage in a robust discussion of the many viewpoints
on those issues,” read their statement issued on June 22. “We are
confident that neither society wants renewed conflict, and we urge
the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to work with their publics and
to work with each other to formulate an agreement on core principles
that both find acceptable.”
But according to Oskanian, initiating a public debate in Armenia
will be pointless unless Azerbaijan accepts the Minsk Group plan as
a basis for further negotiations. “I am not making and will not make
any attempts to convince anyone, and especially our people, that the
provisions of that document must be accepted, because the Azerbaijani
side has yet to accept it,” he told reporters.
Official Yerevan has said that it finds the framework peace accord,
which calls for a referendum of self-determination in Karabakh, largely
acceptable to the Armenian side. The Azerbaijani leadership appears
to be less supportive of the proposed formula, with President Ilham
Aliev repeatedly stating that Baku will never agree to Karabakh’s
independence or reunification with Armenia.

Oskanian Hints at Presidential Ambitions
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
July 14 2006
By Anna Saghabalian
Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian on Friday did not rule out the
possibility of his participation in Armenia’s next presidential
election, effectively adding his name to the list of President Robert
Kocharian’s potential successors.
Asked by a reporter whether he plans to contest the ballot due in 2008,
Oskanian said, “I think I may still participate in the processes of
state building and development in Armenia. But I can’t say at this
point which manifestations that participation could have. I haven’t
even thought about that.”
“I have until now focused on my work,” he added. “I have some really
serious tasks: the Armenia-Diaspora conference [slated for September],
the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, issues relating to foreign policy.
“One thing is clear to me. I want to be involved and make may
contribution. But time will tell how that will manifest itself.”
The remarks are bound to fuel speculation that Oskanian, 51, is
harboring presidential ambitions and may therefore become actively
involved in Armenian politics. The Syrian-born minister, though one
of the longest serving members of Armenia’s government, has until
now steered clear of domestic political battles, dealing with foreign
affairs and being accountable only to Kocharian.
Oskanian, who had moved with his family to Armenia from California
in 1992, was a U.S. citizen until being chosen by Kocharian to run
the Armenian diplomacy in April 1998. He had until then held senior
positions in the Armenian Foreign Ministry.
Oskanian’s possible presidential run would be seriously hampered by
his current lack of a political support base both inside and outside
the government, which is essential for making a strong showing in
the presidential election. In that regard he would find it extremely
hard to compete with Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian, Kocharian’s
most likely successor who is poised to enlist the backing of the
governing Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) as well as a host of
other government factions.
Oskanian refused to comment on Sarkisian’s impending pre-election
alliance with the HHK and said he has no plants yet to team up with
any political party. In an indication that he is not fully satisfied
with the current Armenian leadership’s track record, he stressed the
need for carrying out urgent “second-generation reforms” in Armenia
which he said would “hit the economic and political interests of the
[ruling] elite.” “Which political force will have that courage?” he
said. “This is the key question.”
Oskanian had warned earlier that Armenia will pay a serious “economic
cost” if it again fails to hold elections recognized as free and fair
by the international community. “I am optimistic in the sense that
our people are determined to make sure that our elections are normal
this time around,” he noted on Friday.
Oskanian is not the first former Diaspora Armenian to consider running
for president. Raffi Hovannisian, Armenia’s U.S.-born first foreign
minister, was controversially barred by from contesting the last
presidential election in 2003 on the grounds that he had not been
an Armenian citizen for the previous ten years — something which is
required by the country’s constitution.
Hovannisian, who insists that he had been illegally denied Armenian
citizenship by Kocharian and his predecessor Levon Ter-Petrosian
for nearly a decade, obtained an Armenian passport only in 2001. The
increasingly outspoken opposition politician is therefore unlikely to
be deemed eligible for running in the next presidential ballot as well.

Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 16, 2006
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
LOS ANGELES TIMES CALLS ON SENATE
TO BLOCK HOAGLAND NOMINATION
— Urges Foreign Relations Committee to Require
that Nominee Properly Recognizes the Armenian
Genocide as a Condition for Approval
WASHINGTON, DC – A policy editorial published today by the Los
Angeles Times, largest newspaper in the Western United States,
marks a major and very public setback for the U.S. Department of
State’s increasingly untenable policy of complicity in Turkey’s
denial of the Armenian Genocide, reported the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA).
The editorial sharply criticizes the Bush Administration’s decision
to fire the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Evans, for truthfully
discussing the Armenian Genocide.
Noting that half of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has
already raised concerns about this matter, the editorial board
calls on the panel to block the nomination of the ambassador-
designate, Richard Hoagland, until he properly recognizes the
Armenian Genocide. They closed their powerfully worded piece by
stressing that, “the Bush administration should have the courage of
its lack of conviction and explain forthrightly ­ not just to
Armenian Americans but to all Americans who believe in calling evil
by its proper name ­ why U.S. policy is being dictated by Ankara
nationalists.”
The Sunday edition of the Los Angeles Times has a circulation to
over 1.2 million households and reaches millions more over the
internet.
To join with the thousands of activists around the nation who have
written to the State Department on this matter, visit:
d=8896316&type=CO
The full text of the Los Angeles Times editorial is provided below.
#####
ition/opinion/la-ed-
armenia16jul16,1,920143.story ?ctrack=1&cset=true
>From the Los Angeles Times
EDITORIAL
Speak no evil?
July 16, 2006
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU refer to Turkey’s 1915-1923 genocide of
Armenians, accurately, as “genocide”? In Turkey, you face a
possible three-year jail term, even if it wasn’t you using the term
but a character in your novel. In the United States, you just lose
your job as ambassador to Armenia.
The novelist is Elif Shafak, who learned last week she will go on
trial for defamation of the Turkish Republic. The former ambassador
is John M. Evans, who was recalled from Yerevan in May after
referring to the “Armenian genocide” in a speech before a group of
Armenian Americans in February 2005. As one State Department bigwig
told an Armenian newspaper: “Ambassadors serve the president, and
they are obliged to follow his policy. President Bush’s policy as
regards the mass killings of Armenians is precise.”
Precisely what purpose this policy serves is clear: avoid using the
most truthful word in the English language to describe an eight-
decade-old atrocity for fear of offending a crucial NATO ally. As
Bush’s proposed replacement for Evans, Richard Hoagland, put it
last month during his confirmation hearing, “Instead of getting
stuck in the past and vocabulary, I would like to see what we can
do to bring different sides together.”
Vocabulary may not be the president’s best subject ­ Bush himself
has poked fun at his frequent malapropisms ­ but he’s shown he
knows the meaning of the word “genocide.” Campaigning for the White
House in 2000, Bush told Armenian American groups that “the 20th
century was marred by wars of unimaginable brutality, mass murder
and genocide” and that “history records that the Armenians were the
first people of the last century to have endured these cruelties …
If elected president, I would ensure that our nation properly
recognizes the tragic suffering of the Armenian people.”
It’s one of the more blatant of Bush’s broken campaign promises.
Luckily, the Senate is showing signs of giving this rhetorical
appeasement the rebuke it deserves. Half of the senators on the
Foreign Relations Committee have demanded that the State Department
give an official explanation for Evans’ premature recall, and some
have hinted that Hoagland’s appointment could hang in the balance.
They should block the nomination altogether until the ambassador-
to-be dares to utter the g-word.
And the Bush administration should have the courage of its lack of
conviction and explain forthrightly ­ not just to Armenian
Americans but too all Americans who believe in calling evil by its
proper name ­ why U.S. policy is being dictated by Ankara
nationalists.
#####
–Boundary_(ID_ckiBmJ mKiMwcGTFuCR54tw)–

MASTER ARTAVAZD PELESHIAN:TIME IS AGAINST ME, WHILE CINEMA IS
AGAINST TIME
Yerevan, July 14. ArmInfo. “I believe that the time will come, and the
scientific-technical progress will help the humanity to read the code
of the nature and reveal the unknown world that includes the entire
history of our Universe,” Artavazd Peleshian, one of the great master
of world’s cinematography, prominent documentary director, said this
at today’s master class within the framework of “Golden Apricot” film
festival. Mr. Pelelshian said this in response to a visitor’s question
who asked whether he is concerned about the new technical inventions
that may replace real actors and film production methods used today. He
said that in the beginning the inventions and discoveries may frighten,
but later it turns out that the men of art may use them for their
own purposes without losing the art value of the film.
The author of the so called “distance montage” which helps reveal
“the absent reality” stated that he tries to fully reflect his view
of “the nature’s code” in all of his films. He added that in the
course of the montage a certain magnetic field is created between
the first and the second layers and helps to see the third, a newer
and more real one. Mr. Peleshian stated that as compared with the
associative, poetic and other types of montage, the distance montage
help see the real essence of the world, i.e., in his own terms “the
absent reality.” Besides, he emphasized the importance of musical
accompaniment. “I like when in any film the music and the images
change their places and the music penetrates the space of the image
and the image enters the space of the musical layer. We can’t achieve
the expected effect without this “fusion,” Mr. Peleshian said. At the
same time, he stated with regret that he can’t shoot films for already
14 years because of the financial problems. In particular, the lack of
about $10 million hinders him shoot the film “Homo Sapiens.” Peleshian
wrote the script to this film already in 1968. He even intended to
shoot the film in collaboration with the French cinematographers,
but the financial problems prevented to begin the work. Even Jean
Luc Godard, great French film director, was very impressed by the
film’s script.
He added that in March, 2006, he agreed with Gevorgian, the former
RA Culture Minister, to begin the film screening works. Gevorgian
promised to spare no efforts to help him, but soon he resigned and
a new minister was appointed. “I still hope that I will be able to
begin the screening of the film,” Mr. Peleshian said.
In the end of the master class Mr. Peleshian said: “Some people talk
of the phenomenon of my art, though I personally see no phenomenon. I
believe that the time is against me, while my art is against the time.”

OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen to lead next consultations in Paris in August – Foreign Minister
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
July 14 2006
Source: Trend
Author: E.Huseynov
14.07.2006
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen are going to lead consultations in August
in Paris, Trend reports quoting Elmar Mamedyarov, Foreign Minister
of Azerbaijan.
Minister said the day before he had met in Turkey with Matthew Bryza,
US co-chairman with OSCE Minsk Group, which said he would make a
visit to Yerevan, and then in Baku in late July or early August.
During his visit, the situation will be analyzed and conversation
process advancement opportunity discussed, said Mamedyarov, as US
diplomat has a number of proposals handy.
Azeri Foreign Minister said the conversations feature 8 to 10
points that are almost fully agreed upon and 1 or 2 issues are still
unresolved at all.
Mamedyarov said the question of next meeting between Azeri and Armenian
Foreign Ministers is still in the air and will be discussed during
Mr Bryza’s visit to the region.

340,000 planted in Getik River Valley
By From Armenia Tree Project
Friday, July 14, 2006
Watertown TAB & Press, MA
July 14 2006
Armenia Tree Project (ATP) expanded its reforestation program by
planting 343,750 trees in the Getik River Valley of the Gegharkounik
region north of Lake Sevan in April-May 2006. Plantings on two massive
forest plots covered a total of 400 acres with indigenous species
of trees, including chestnut, maple, ash, oak, walnut, wild apple,
and wild pear.
Eighty workers – all residents of the villages of Aghavnavank,
Dzoravank, Dprabak, and Aygut – were employed by ATP to implement
the tree-planting activity on the neighboring hillsides. Seedlings
were purchased from backyard nurseries owned by 118 families in these
rural communities, which are mainly inhabited by Armenian refugees
from Azerbaijan.
The very first step in this initiative was taken during the year of
ATP’s 10th anniversary, when the organization announced the beginning
of the first extensive reforestation initiative. ATP’s Rural and
Mountainous Development (RMD) Program was strengthened this season
with the generous support of the Bilezikian Family Foundation and
United Armenian Charities, which assisted the expansion of the
backyard nursery program, and the Mirak Family Foundation, which
provided funding to establish a reforestation nursery in the village
of Margahovit in the Lori region.
The backyard nursery program began as a pilot project in 2004 in
the village of Aygut. Working with communities and local officials,
ATP entered into agreements with 17 families who were interested in
growing tree seedlings that would be used in the reforestation of
once densely wooded mountains that were enormously degraded over the
last decade. The initiative was designed to reverse the effects of
this deforestation, which led to severe flooding and erosion in the
villages along the Getik River.
In 2004-2006, the program was expanded to include four neighboring
villages. The owners of the backyard nurseries were supplied with
seeds, tools, and equipment, and ATP agro-specialists visited nurseries
to provide technical assistance, training, and consultation to the
farmers.
“When we began our backyard nursery program we looked for an area
that would benefit most from our reforestation efforts,” stated ATP
Executive Director Jeff Masarjian. “We started with the knowledge
that deforestation was linked to poverty. We knew that in addition
to planting trees, we had to provide people with a steady income so
they could meet their basic needs.”
According to a household survey conducted by ATP in 2003, the average
annual income of rural villagers in Aygut was $280 US, so the money
earned by the families and workers involved in this project has
provided a desperately needed source of income.
“In two years we have grown from helping 17 families learn how to
start their own tree nurseries to now providing a stable income for
330 families who are creating a successful and renewable source of
tree seedlings for the degraded hillsides around their villages,”
noted ATP founder Carolyn Mugar. “ATP has found a way to create
reliable ‘micro-enterprise’ partnerships with these families, and
we are grateful to our supporters for helping us bring their work
to fruition.”
Armen Gharayan, a 38-year-old refugee who worked at the reforestation
site this spring, commented: “I was preparing to leave my village
for good. Lack of job and vital livelihood forced my family to plan
for moving to Russia. Because of ATP and its benevolent mission
carried out on the territory adjacent to Dzoravank village, I was
able to participate in this project and earn a living. On behalf
of my whole family, I want to pass our heartfelt thanks to ATP for
this opportunity to remain in my homeland and restore the mistreated
environment of the Getik Valley.”
This spring, ATP purchased 95,000 healthy and strong seedlings from
118 families as part of its rural economic development program.
These families earned 9.5 million drams, which is equal to $21,000
US. The remaining seedlings were propagated by ATP at a large
reforestation nursery in Lori region. ATP distributed another $39,000
in the region to hire 80 workers and to transplant the seedlings from
the nurseries to the reforestation plots.
Zoya Manucharyan, the owner of one of the most productive backyard
nurseries, has been collaborating with ATP for more than three years:
“Thanks to Armenia Tree Project I could buy a house, which was
unaffordable before. Being a part of the reforestation program during
the past three years helped us improve our living accommodations and
inspired us to continue preserving Armenia’s gorgeous nature. I would
be happy to collaborate with ATP again.”
Plans are being made now to expand the RMD Program for the upcoming
fall planting season. In addition, ATP’s Community Tree Planting
(CTP) division accomplished the planting of 143,450 trees and shrubs
in every region of Armenia, including Artsakh, nearly tripling their
previous planting record.
ATP was founded in 1994 with the vision of securing Armenia’s future by
protecting its environment and advancing its socio-economic development
by mobilizing resources to fund reforestation, community tree planting,
environmental education and advocacy, as well as rural development
through job creation. ATP uses trees to improve the standard of living
of Armenians, promoting self-sufficiency and aiding those with fewest
resources first.
In just over 12 years ATP has planted and rejuvenated almost 1,250,000
trees at over 600 sites in Armenia and Artsakh. With the establishment
of the new Mirak Family Reforestation nursery in Lori and expansion
of the backyard nursery program, ATP hopes to begin planting over
one million trees each year to help secure the future of Armenia.

Council of Europe Committee of Ministers discusses AGO Group’s report on South Caucasus
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
July 14 2006
[ 14 Jul. 2006 18:42 ]
The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers discussed the report
drawn up by the AGO Monitoring Group on the latest visit in the South
Caucasus states. APA’s Europe bureau reports quoting the Committee
of Ministers Secretariat that the report was presented by the former
head of the Group, German ambassador Ronald Wegener.
The report is composed of documents collected during the visit in the
region. It analyzed the situation on Azerbaijan’s and Armenia’s meeting
commitments assumed while joining the Council of Europe. The report
reads that there are some problems in meeting some of the commitments,
and Azerbaijan has problems in legislation and improvement of election
practices stressing the importance of amending the Electoral Code.
It also mentioned problems on reforming judicial system, freedom of
expression and pursuit of political figures. According to the report,
the AGO Group will also follow the implementation of the laws alongside
their adoption in Azerbaijan.
The report also touched on the Nagorno-Garabagh conflict. According to
the document, commitments undertaken by both sides for the settlement
of the conflict remain to be essential. The AGO Group also noted its
mission regarding settlement of the conflict is to encourage both
parties to the conflict to continue the negotiating process./APA/

ARMENIAN ENERGY MINISTRY PRESS SECRETARY: ARMENIAN NUCLEAR POWER
PLANT TO GET CONNECTED WITH THE COUNTRY’S ELECTRIC SYSTEM ON SATURDAY
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
July 14 2006
YEREVAN, July 14. /ARKA – Novosti-Armenia/. Armenian Nuclear Power
Plant will get connected with the country’s electric system on
Saturday, Armenian Energy Ministry Press Secretary Lusine Harutyunyan
said.
In her words, reacting to voltage fluctuations, safety system switched
off the plant.
“There is no any problem with reactor and radiation level is normal”,
she said. M.V.-0–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MAJOR BREAKDOWN OCCURS IN ARMENIA’S ENERGY SYSTEM
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
July 14 2006
YEREVAN, July 14. /ARKA/. Armenian Nuclear Power Plant was cut off
from the country’s energy system Friday morning, Ashot Martirosyan,
Chief of State Inspection on Supervising Atomic Energy and Radiation
Security, said, as Novosti-Armenia News agency reports. He confirmed
that a major breakdown occurred today in Armenia’s energy system,
after which many consumers were cut off electric power. Martirosyan
excluded nuclear safety norms violation.
“It is not clear yet whether Armenian Nuclear Power Plant switched
off because of breakdown or the breakdown was caused by the plan’s
cut off from the system. The no final idea about causes so far,
but the incident is under intense scrutiny now”, he said.
Martirosyan said the plant worked in normal regime and safety
conditions are normal. However, automatic safety system operated and
the plant was switched off.
He didn’t exclude the plant cutoff from electricity generation system
as presumable cause of what happened.
Some Yerevan’s banks and large-scale establishments remained without
electric power today and halt their work temporarily.
Armenian Electric Network CJSC possesses no information about when
power supply in Yerevan will be restored.
Armenian Nuclear Power Plant was put into exploitation in 1976. Today
the second 407.5-megawatt block of the plant operates. Specialists
say the plant can be functional till 2016. M.V.-0—