ACCURATE “EUROPEAN” CLOSED DAYS OF EUROPE
Panorama.am
17:44 18/05/06
“Days of Europe”, initiated by the European Movement of Armenia,
closed today in Yerevan. Despite of their big strive to Europe, the
young people started the event not as accurately as a European would
do – they started half hour late.
5 photographers’ works and 3 video films were shown within the
framework of European days. The chief award among video films was
granted to Mariam Yeghiazarian for her film “Hoplia”. Ruben Michaelyan
was announced as the best photographer. The head of the organization
Viktor Yengibaryan, who perhaps has won grants for the initiative,
presented a T-shirt and a badge for the film “Hoplia”.

VIOLATION OF JOURNALISTS’ ACTIVITY IS A CRIME
A1+
[08:40 pm] 18 May, 2006
Narine Avetisyan, executive director of “Lori” TV Company and member
of the Journalists’ Union of Armenia, has twice been intimidated
(in April, 2005, and in February, 2006) while committing her duty of
a journalist.
The Journalists’ Union of Armenian, the Yerevan Press Club and the
Committee Protecting Speech Freedom made a joint announcement in
which it is said;
“The indifference of local law enforcing bodies to the first two
events paved a way for a new violence. On May 16, 2006, unknown people
threw stones at Narine Avetisyan’s car. Several days have passed but
the investigation has given no result. We wonder whether the local
authorities don’t want or are unable to reveal the case. Otherwise,
what factor is their indifference determined by if we take into
consideration the fact that one and the same journalist has been
subjected to intimidation three times within a year whereas the people
responsible for the assault are not identified yet? We remind the
authorities of Lori and Vanadzor that the violation of a journalist’s
activity is considered a crime (Article 164 of RA Criminal Code)
and demand legal bodies to hold objective investigation of this and
previous facts, punish the real criminals preventing the further
violations.”

EUROVISION 2006 SEMIFINAL DUE IN GREECE TODAY
PanARMENIAN.Net
18.05.2006 21:02 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The semifinal of Eurovision 2006 is due in Greece
today. Armenia will for the first time represented at the contest
by singer Andre with a song titled “Without your love”. As head of
the voting project of the Armenian Public Television Ruben Muradyan
told PanARMENIAN.Net, residents of Armenia will have the possibility
to vote for the singer they liked via SMS or a phone call. The phone
number will be announced just at the beginning of the contest.
Voting service will be available within ten minutes.
Several calls from the same number are allowed. As R. Muradyan remarked
that Armenia will benefit from the big number of votes since it will
prove the interest of the Armenian audience. Armenian Diaspora can
view the contest via local channels. For example, Armenians in France
will watch the French channel, since the information on the screen
and the phone numbers vary depending on the state. It should also
be noted that the contest rule prohibits residents of any state from
voting in favor of its representative.

UNFAVORABLE WEATHER CONDITIONS HINDER THE SEARCH WORKS IN THE BLACK SEA
ArmRadio.am
18.05.2006 16:07
Unfavorable weather conditions hinder the search works at the site of
crash of the A-320 plane, the operative staff of technical assistance
informs.
Strong wind started at night. It made hard for the RT-1000 deepwater
devise to operate at the bottom of the sea. However, attempts are
made to continue the search works.

ARMENIA IS THE 41ST MEMBER
A1+
[08:07 pm] 18 May, 2006
RA has officially signed the Convention on European architectural
heritage (Granada Convention).
>From the Armenian side the convention was signed by Christian Ter
Stepanyan, RA permanent ambassador to the EC and from the European
side – by Mrs. Bukikio, deputy secretary of the EC.
Armenia became the 41st member of the convention.
The convention is aimed at strengthening and promoting the policy of
maintaining European heritage.
It focuses on the close cooperation and solidarity of member countries
in connection of the maintenance of European architectural heritage.

ARMENIAN BOOKS IN THE USA
A1+
[06:14 pm] 18 May, 2006
An international exhibition “BOOK EXPO 2006″will be held in
Washington on May 19 – 21 where Armenia will be presented in a
separate pavilion. About 50 books and periodicals among them samples
of historiographic, fiction, encyclopedian and children literature,
published within the recent years will be presented by the national
publishing association and “Edit Print” publishing-house.
Publishers from 46 countries are introduced in the exhibition “BOOK
EXPO 2006.” Apart from Russia,Armenia is the only CIC country which
will be introduced in a separate booth.

THE SURROUNDING OF THE GOVERNMENT IS AGAIN OVERCROWDED
A1+
[04:00 pm] 18 May, 2006
Today the yard of the government became so overcrowded since 10:30
that there was a need to invite security service workers to keep
order. The strikers shouted “Prime Minister, resign” for about 4 hours.
The “guests” of the Prime minister were the inhabitants of Northern
and Main Avenues, the gardeners of Dalma and religious people who
refused to take their social cards. Hranush Hakobyan, the Prime
Minister’s councilor, listened to the claims and complaints of the
religious people whereas the complaints of others were left unanswered.
“Social cards are not obligatory in any country. We haven’t got pension
and salary for a long time,” noted teacher Margaret Hovhannisyan who
refuses to take her social card because of her religious belief.
The strikers of Northern and Main Avenues complained that the decision
of the Constitutional Court gave nothing, the evictions still continue
by the same article and now it is the turn of the Buzand dwellers.
When the strikers turned to the office realizing the program of
greenery of Yerevan, they refused to help them on the ground that
the implementation of the CC decision will last till October 1.
By the way, the strikers applied to President Robert Kocharyan on
May 2 once more. “We wrote to him claiming that he is the guarantee
of the Constitution.
Illegality is still obvious in the country, besides, the Government is
to change its decision. We asked him to have his share in eliminating
the above mentioned illegality of the Government. We doubt that he is
aware of everything,” informed Vachagan Hakobyan who deals with the
issues of Northern Avenue. They haven’t got the President’s reply yet.
The Residents of Kozern also complained of the Prime Minister. Their
claim was connected with privatization which was “deliberately”
postponed and refused.
“Wherever we go – to the municipality or to the Government, they cheat
us. We shall take other measures in case our matter doesn’t find its
solution but we won’t make them public,” they claimed.
The strikers together with the Dalma gardeners ask to let them
privatize their lands and give compensation equal to the cadastre
value. The gardeners maintained that the new owners of their lands are
high rank officials among which “ArmRusGasArt,” “Business” Centre and
other organizations gave no compensation to the landowners. “They say
I gave so much money to the mayor that I have nothing to give you,”
says Hambardzum Khachatryan. “My son serves in the army and is near
the border. They came and destroyed my garden by saying “Why does he
serve, are we guilty of it?”
By the way, the strikers urge that the whole territory of Dalma has
turned into a rubbish-heap with concrete waste, food remains etc.

A BOYCOTT SET UP AGAINST THE NEW SPEAKER
A1+
[04:47 pm] 18 May, 2006
“Justice” Bloc made a decision about their strategy after the
resignation of NA Speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan and during the election
of the new Speaker.
The decision made at the end of one-year session was not accepted
unanimously. First of all the representatives of the “Republican” party
did not participate in the session, besides, Arshak Sadoyan, Chairman
of “National Democrats’ Alliance”, didn’t approve of the strategy.
“I have always said and still claim that the question of alternative
approach should be taken into account.
NA isn’t a puncher to decide who is a NA candidate and to participate
in that process with one candidate.
Anyway, it will be much wiser to propose several candidates for the
post, ask them questions, hold disputes and discussions, etc.”
By the way, Arshak Sadoyan informed his partners of the bloc that if
they counter any problems they can nominate his candidacy for the NA
Speaker’s post. Mr.
Sadoyan excludes the version of self nomination saying, “I am against
self nomination for any office.
I have always claimed that I cannot propose my candidature as it
won’t look beautiful.”
In Sadoyan’s opinion there will be great surprise in the Parliament
in this connection as everything is possible in the country in which
lingers of pressure are well known to him. But Sadoyan didn’t comment
on what he meant by saying surprise.
Ruzan Khachatryan, press secretary of the “Justice” Bloc, noted that
the party has no expectations connected with the nomination of the
NA Speaker’s office as they decided neither to participate in the
process nor to vote.
The deputies of “Justice” will likely participate only in the
discussions to make their point of view audible. “Justice” Bloc didn’t
take part in the 2003 elections either and won’t do it this time on
the same grounds. The reasons are as follows; NA elections are held
with frauds and they don’t go in line with the reality, thus “Justice”
doesn’t want to be involved in those “inland intrigues.”
By the way, another opposing power of the NA, “National Unity,”
has also decided not to participate in the parliamentary elections.

ANOTHER WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY OPENS BEFORE OSKANIAN-MAMEDIAROV MEETING
By Aghavni Harutyunian
AZG Armenian Daily
19/05/2006
It seems new developments are expected in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement or, perhaps, such an impression is being shaped at some
levels of the settlement process. Particularly, when the meeting
of foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan is being prepared,
taking the advantage of the 116th session of the CE Foreign Ministers’
Committee, Matthew Bryza, US Deputy State Secretary for European
and Eurasian Affairs, stated the following: “The sides are more than
close to coming to agreement.”
According to RFE/RL, Bryza also said that particularly, USA,
observes the coming period of few months as another opportunity
for settlement. Bryza believes that the authorities of Armenia and
Azerbaijan should display political courage to overcome the last
contradictions.
It’s noteworthy that Bryza expressed such optimism also in the course
of his visit to Yerevan after the negotiations in Rambouillet. But
his recent statements seem to be more optimistic.
At the same time, Peter Semneby, EU Special Representative to the
South Caucasus, said in the interview to the Russian Nezavisimaya
Gazeta that the conflicts of this region will not be settled without
hard work and mutual trust. Moreover, both EU and Russia, as well as
the regional countries should spare no efforts for that. But Semneby
didn’t exclude the threat of new escalation of the conflicts unless
they are unsettled.
It’s worth mentioning that at present, Mr. Semneby sees no prospects
for membership of the South Caucasus states to EU and states that
that will be hard to apply the a similar with the stability pact in
the Balkan states in our region. Though EU suggests more profound
relations to the South Caucasus states within the framework of the
EU New Neighborhood Program, it doesn’t envisage a prospect for the
membership to EU.
Besides, Semneby stated that EU is going to render financial assistance
of several hundred millions of Euros to each South Caucasus states
in 2007-2013.
Thus, if the prospect of EU membership was one of the key issues on
the settlement process of the Balkan states, EU leaves “the frozen
conflicts” in the South Caucasus to the regional states. At the same
time, the European and the American diplomats do not forget to remind
about “the notorious window of opportunity” just before the meeting
of the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Though the very
sides in conflict do not make any progress in the negotiations, the
international participants of the settlement process speak of only
final settlement in their statements.

ACADEMICIAN YURI OSIPIAN AWARDED LOMONOSOV BIG GOLD MEDAL
AZG Armenian Daily
19/05/2006
The Academy of Sciences of Russia has awarded Yuri Osipov Lomonosov
Big Gold Medal.
According to Nezovisimaya Gazeta, the academician was awarded “for
his fundamental contribution into the physics of movements in solid
bodies and for inventing the photoplastic effect.”