Interstate Aviation Committee: Investigation of Airbus A320 crash close to end
Regnum, Russia
July 12 2006
Investigation of the Airbus A320 crash above the Black Sea is coming
to an end. “We are now at the final stage. We have all necessary data
for determining the true causes of the tragedy. By the end of July,
all the materials will be published and the work will be completed,”
Head of the Interstate Aviation Committee Tatyana Anodina is quoted
as saying at a news conference in Yerevan.
As a REGNUM correspondent reports, according to her, communications
of the Airbus A320 crew will not be made public, as it is what the
international regulations require. Speaking on the transcript of the
crew communications recordings published in the press, Tatyana Anodina
expressed her bewilderment on how the documents could be obtained by
the press, and she noted “it was incorrect information.”
“We have thoroughly examined all the documents, analyzed communications
of the pilots. The cause will be certainly found, as we have all
necessary materials” she stressed. Speaking on the actions of air
traffic controllers, Tatyana Anodina is quoted as saying that, under
existing regulations, if weather changes (and the actual weather went
below minimums for Runway 06 at Sochi Airport during the approach),
the controller shall provide the crew with its full details . At the
same time she did not deny the fact that the controller instructed
the pilot to stop descent. It is worth mentioning that the official
statement of the Interstate Aviation Committee concerning the May
3 crash of the Airbus A320 belonging to Armenian Airlines during
a Yerevan-Sochi flight said: “After correcting the deviation the
aircraft started descent in accordance with the approach chart. At
22:10:45 p.m. the pilot reported wheels down and ready to land, and
the controller replied that their distance from the runway was 10 km,
cloud base 190 meters and visibility 4000 meters, and cleared them
for the approach. However, in 30 seconds, the controller informed
the pilot that base of cloud became 100 m and instructed him to stop
descent, turn right, execute a missed approach procedure, climb to
height 600 m and contact the Radar controller.”
“We do not establish somebody’s guilt, national agencies in charge
do it,” Tatyana Anodina said.

TREND, Azerbaijan
July 12 2006
If Turkey accepts the EU conditions, it will have to deny its history
and national spirit – Azeri political scientist
Source: Trend
Author: J. Shavediyev
12.07.2006
Even if Turkey accepts the EU conditions, it will not join this
organization, said MP and political scientist Aydin Mirzadzadeh,
member of Poliutical Council with New Azerbaijan Party.
Representatives of main political groups within European parliament
said in case Turkey recognizes so-called Armenian genocide and opens
its border with Armenia, the country ill be le join the EU. Among these
conditions is recognition of Cyprus and resolution of Kurd problem.
MP said Armenian genocide recognition may not e the condition of
affiliation. This shall be the matter of discussion among historians
only. “The same might be said of the border opening. This is an
internal affair of the state”, Mirzazadeh said.
Mirzazadeh said he doubts Turkey would accept such conditions.
“Accepting such conditions implies Turkey denying its history and
national spirit. Turkey will have to beg its pardons to Armenians. To
make mattes worse, if Turkey opens its border with Armenia, Azerbaijan
will remain face-to-face with Nagorno-Karabakh and thus Ankara will
have to break up with Baku, which will consequently harm Turkey on
South Caucasus”, said the scientist, adding Turkish government will
never agreed to that.

Committee: Cause of Armenian jet crash will be known in July
Interfax, Russia
July 12 2006
YEREVAN. July 12 (Interfax) – The Interstate Aviation Committee of
the Commonwealth of Independent States said on Wednesday it “possesses
all necessary information” in order to determine the cause of the May
3 crash of an Armenian airliner in Sochi, Russia, and it promised to
publish its findings this month.
“Today I can for the first time announce officially and with
confidence that the Interstate Aviation Committee has all the necessary
information in order to establish absolutely clearly and objectively
the causes of the crash of the [Airbus] A-320 liner over Sochi on
May 3 and finish work on the final report with the participation
of Russian, Armenian, and French specialists,” Committee Chairwoman
Tatyana Anodina told reporters in Yerevan.
Anodina said the findings would be published this month and that
the analysis of flight records would be finished before the end of
this week.

ABHAber, Belgium
EU-Turkey News Network
July 12 2006
EP postpones talks on highly-critical Turkey report
The European Parliament on Tuesday postponed debates on a draft
report entitled “Turkey’s Progress Towards Accession” which includes
a variety of criticisms of Turkey, until early September.
Debates on the report, prepared by EP Committee on Foreign Affairs
Rapporteur and MEP Camiel Eurlings, are now set for an EP session
Sept. 4 to 7.
The decision to postpone talks comes after some 400 proposals for
amendments to the draft report were submitted. Moreover at Tuesday’s
session of the EP Foreign Affairs Committee, some members stated that
translation of the amendment requests will take a long time. However
European diplomats stated that there are many conflicting views
surrounding the proposed amendments.
While Eurlings said that more debates about Turkey are necessary,
other MEPs recalled the latest developments on Cyprus as well as
Turkey’s plans to implement certain reforms on women’s rights,
obligatory religious lessons and religious minorities and requested
the inclusion of these developments in the report. Other MEPs noted
that the European Commission will also announce a progress report on
Turkey and underlined the importance of back-to-back issuing of the
two reports.
The draft report criticized a number of issues, including Cyprus, a
slowdown in the EU reform process, the situation in the southeast,
problems with religious minorities, cultural rights and
civil-military relations. It raised particular concerns about the
Semdinli incident, during which a bookshop in the southeast was
allegedly bombed by members of the security forces, and called for an
impartial and objective investigation into the incident.
Turkey’s reservations to open its airports and harbors to the Greek
Cypriots will have serious implications for the EU process and could
even bring it to a halt, warned the draft report. The highly critical
report also called on Turkey to take steps towards the recognition of
the Greek Cypriot administration during the accession process and
raises the idea of an early withdrawal of forces from the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). It also calls on the European
Council to renew efforts to implement trade regulations with Northern
Cyprus.
The EP report severely condemned the killing of Council of State
Judge Mustafa Yucel Ozbilgin, expressing concern over the low-level
of security offered to judges by the police despite clear and public
threats, and called on the government to rectify the situation. The
EP also condemned a resurgence of violence in the southeast by the
terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and stressed that there can
never be an excuse for violence against Turkish citizens in any part
of the country. The report also expressed solidarity with Turkey in
fighting terrorism.
On the Armenian issue, the EP took note of a Turkish proposal to set
up a bilateral committee of experts to deal with the tragic
experiences of the past and of Armenia’s position on the proposal. It
also urged the Turkish and Armenian governments to continue their
process of reconciliation leading to a mutually acceptable proposal
and asked Turkey to take the necessary steps, without any
preconditions, to establish diplomatic and good neighborly relations
with Armenia and open the land border as soon as possible.
ABHaber 12.07.2006
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Embassy Magazine
Canada’s Foreign Policy Newsweekly
July 12 2006
Protocol Deputy Says It’s a Job He’s ‘Thoroughly Enjoyed’
Last Friday was Haig Sarafian’s last day as the Deputy Chief of
Protocol at Foreign Affairs before he embarks to Libya to take over
as Ambassador from David Viveash. As he rushes to meet this reporter
at the reception room at the Office of Protocol at Foreign Affairs
headquarters on Sussex Drive, he warns, “I can’t talk about Libya
because I am not yet there.”
Mr. Sarafian may not be familiar with Libya, but after spending 15
of his 32-year diplomatic career in the Middle East, his knowledge
of the country that gave the world Muamar Gaddafi belies his initial
ignorance.
“Libya has the largest oil reserves in Africa,” he says. “And I
received the news [of the posting] with enthusiasm.”
Mr. Sarafian was appointed ambassador to Libya last month, together
with 25 other envoys destined for a number of countries around the
world. A career diplomat, he has worked extensively on trade issues
and was director of the International Trade Centre in Montreal from
1990 to 1993. He has also served as ambassador to Lebanon and has
previously worked in missions in Lima, Baghdad, Sao Paulo, Paris,
Tunis and Damascus.
Together with his wife, Mr. Sarafian will travel to Tripoli in
September to take up his duties.
“I don’t know if I would call it deja vu, but I would call it a
feeling of not going into the unknown,” he says.
Relations between Canada and Libya have been on the mend since 2001
when Tripoli opened an embassy in Ottawa. In 1986, Canada and other
Western countries imposed sanctions on Libya after it was accused
of terrorism acts in Europe. But in 1999, when Libya handed over two
suspects wanted in the bombing of PanAm Flight 103 over Lockerbie in
Scotland, Canada lifted its bilateral sanctions.
“Relations with the West have improved,” says Mr. Sarafian. But like
the diplomat he is, he carefully avoids the term “pariah status”
when describing the frosty relations that existed between Libya and
the West then.
One of his tasks is to improve trade ties between both countries,
mainly by increasing Canadian investment in the oil sector. But Mr.
Sarafian also hopes relations will be “multi-faceted.”
As Deputy Chief of Protocol, Mr. Sarafian interacted with many
diplomats in Canada in many professional capacities. One of these
included hosting heads of missions at the Diplomatic Forum, a two-day
event where diplomats meet cabinet members, think-tanks and business
leaders.
“I leave with sadness,” he says. “It was a job I thoroughly enjoyed.”
Mr. Sarafian, who speaks French, English, Armenian, Arabic, Portuguese
and Spanish, says his job also allowed him to exercise his language
skills with diplomats from many countries.
“It was as close to being overseas while in Canada.”
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Bryza: “Karabakh Talks Potential Not Exhausted”
PanARMENIAN.Net
13.07.2006 13:31 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are looking forward to
initiatives of the parties to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict,” OSCE
MG American co-chair Matthew Bryza stated in Turkey. He said that he
didn’t publicize the elements of negotiations without prior agreement
of the conflicting sides. “It was the decision of the co-chairs,”
Bryza noted.
He said he presented only some of the elements for public discussion:
“We expect the reaction of the Presidents. However, I state that talks
still have not run out of potential. We expect directions from the
Presidents, they should show us in what direction we should work.” The
American co-chair did not rule out discussion of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict at the G8 summit to be held in Saint Petersburg. He stressed
that the time of Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents meeting has not
been decided yet, Azeri-Press reports.

Armenian-Slovenian Relations Notably Activated Lately
PanARMENIAN.Net
13.07.2006 13:35 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian President Robert Kocharian met with
Slovenian Ambassador to Armenia Jozefa Puhar, who is completing her
diplomatic mission in the country, reports the Press Service of the
Armenian leader. During the meeting thanking the Ambassador for her
effective work, Kocharian stated that within her service in Armenia
the Armenian-Slovenian relations have become notably activated,
visits at different levels were held, including Armenian President’s
official call to Slovenia. The interlocutors also discussed matters
referring to bilateral cooperation programs.

Israel Launched Hostilities against Lebanon
PanARMENIAN.Net
13.07.2006 13:51 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Israel has launched a land, sea and air blockade
against Lebanon. Israeli battleships have entered Lebanon’s territorial
waters. They patrol the coastline and turn back all vessels heading for
Lebanon. Beirut international airport has stopped receiving and sending
planes after Israeli military aircraft bombed the landing strips.
The Israeli Defense Army stated that Lebanon seaports and Beirut
international airport are used for arms delivery for fighters of
Hezbollah extremist grouping.
The blockade of Lebanon is announced within the full-scale military
operation against Hezbollah. The operation was launched after Lebanese
fighters attacked Israeli soldiers in a border region, killing 8
Israelis and taking 2 prisoners.
Israeli aviation and artillery stroke several times on various
objects on the Lebanese territory. According to the data of the
Israeli command, some 30 Hezbollah fighters are killed as a result
of those strikes.
Numerous civilian deaths are also reported.
Hezbollah suggests exchanging Israeli soldiers, who were taken
captives, for Arab prisoners in Israeli prisons. Israel demands
release of the soldiers without any preconditions. Israeli command
threatens with a large-scale land operation on Lebanon’s territory,
reports Lenta.ru.

Local Section of Russian-Armenian Friendship Society to Open in Yaroslavl
PanARMENIAN.Net
13.07.2006 14:11 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The presentation of Yaroslavl Section of the
Russian-Armenian Friendship Society will be held in Yaroslavl,
Russia. As reported by the Yerkramas, the newspaper of Armenians of
Russia, the Russian-Armenian Friendship Society was lately reformed
into an inter-regional organization and its representations will
appear in many Russian subjects.
The major issue on the agenda is election of the Chairman and Board
members of the Section. The major goals of the Russian-Armenian
Friendship Society are implementation of bilateral programs with
Armenia and development of business, trade and economic relations.
The Yaroslavl section plans to consider proposals on establishment
of direct friendly relations between the Yaroslavl region and the
Republic of Armenia soon.

Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline Opens in Turkey
PanARMENIAN.Net
13.07.2006 14:27 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In Ceyhan, a town in the Mediterranean coast of
Turkey, the opening ceremony of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline
will be held.
The pipeline is considered to be a strategically important corridor,
joining Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia. Presidents of Turkey,
Azerbaijan, Georgia and Kazakhstan will participate in the ceremony.
The 1776-km pipeline passes through territories of three countries –
Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. 50 million tons of Caspian oil can
be pumped via it to world markets.
Ankara hoped George Bush and Tony Blair would arrive for the opening
ceremony, but they did not. These leaders already have meetings within
G8 summit in St. Petersburg.
Representatives of 32 countries will go to the terminal, named after
late Azeri President Heydar Aliyev. The Presidents will arrive in
Injirlik US military air base nearby. Roads to Ceyhan are taken under
special control, BBC reports.