PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN RECEIVED NEW FRENCH AMBASSADOR
Regnum, Russia
March 30 2006
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev received credentials of newly
appointed Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of France to
this country Bernard Amaudric du Chaffaut.
As a REGNUM correspondent reports, having congratulated the ambassador
with the new appointment, Ilham Aliyev expressed his confidence that
relations between the both countries would strengthen. “We successfully
cooperate in all spheres,” said the president. “My visits to France
are additional evidence of strengthening of cooperation between us
in political, economical, and cultural spheres. At the same time,
our expanding cooperation with EU positively influences our bilateral
relations.” Aliyev said that France as co-chair of the OSCE Minsk
Group contribute to settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani, Nagorno
Karabakh conflict, and expressed his hope that efforts of mediators
would bring results.
In his turn, Du Chaffaut stressed that both countries are connected
with each other by friendly relations and stated: “President of France
Jacques Chirac has special friendly attitude to you. These really
friendly relations give impetus for development of cooperation in all
spheres. President Jacques Chirac and the French government approach
settlement of theArmenian-Azerbaijani, Nagorno Karabakh conflict,
in a very delicate way fulfilling their political obligations.”

CONSTRUCTION AND REPAIR 2006 EXHIBITION OPENS IN YEREVAN
Noyan Tapan
Mar 30 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 30, NOYAN TAPAN. The second specilaized exhibition
“Construction and Repair 2006” opened on March 30 at Dynamo Stadium in
Yerevan. Over 50 companies from Armenia, Iran, Germany and Russia are
taking part in the exhibition. Chairman of the Union of Manufacturers
and Businessmen of Armenia Arsen Ghazarian noted at the opening
ceremony that the specialized exhibitions held in Armenia bear
evidence of the guaranteed development of various branches of the
Armenian economy. He pointed out the active competition currently
going on in the construction sector that accounts for a large share
of Armenia’s GDP. Chairman of the Union of Builders of Armenia Gagik
Galstian underlined the importance of holding construction exhibitions
from the point of view that such exhibitions offer an opportunity to
receive information about new technologies and building equipment to
satisfy the needs of the most demanding customer. During a talk with
reporters, A. Ghazarian expressed an opinion that Armenia is among
CIS leading countries in terms of quality of design and architectural
solutions in the construction sphere. He noted that the increased
construction volumes in Armenia encouraged a growth in the local
production of building materials. Particularly, over the last three
years more than 10 big building material enterprises have been set up
in the country. The exhibition will close on April 1. It was organized
by the Logos exhibition center with the assistance of the RA Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, the RA Ministry of Trade and Economic Developemt
and the Union of Manufacturers and Businesmen of Armenia.

ATOM EGOYAN’S ARARAT TO BE SCREENED IN TURKEY
Armenpress
Mar 30 2006
ANKARA, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS: Turkish CanalTurk will screen a film
by Canadian Armenian director Atom Egoyan-Ararat- which is about the
1915 Armenian genocide. Before making this decision the company had
conducted a survey among 21,000 Turks. Some 18,000 said they would
like to see the film.
The Turkish daily Milliyet writes that a Turkish company that wanted
to screen the film in Turkey a couple of years ago had to revise its
decision after receiving threats from a youth extremist organization.
The CanalTurk, however, has cut off some scenes depicting massacres
of Armenians by Turkish soldiers.

ARMENIAN GREEK ECONOMIC COOPERATION FAR BEHIND POLITICAL INTERACTION
PanARMENIAN.Net
30.03.2006 21:58 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian President Robert Kocharian
met with Greek Deputy FM Evripidis Stylianidis, who is in
Armenia to take part in the fourth session of the Armenian-Greek
Intergovernmental Commission for economic, industrial, scientific
and technical cooperation, reports the Press Service of the Armenian
leader. Kocharian appreciated the Armenian-Greek political dialogue,
thanking for cooperation programs implemented by the Greek party.
He pointed out stimulating economic cooperation, which does not reflect
the potential of Armenia and Greece, a priority. Kocharian highlighted
the role of a joint economic commission in this regard. Stylianidis
was content with the Yerevan meeting of the Commission. He said
the Commission works to realize agreements reached during Armenian
President’s visit to Greece.
In his words, the Greek party highlights Kocharian’s visits, which
attributed new quality to the bilateral relations.
Besides, the interlocutors underscored agriculture, energy and tourism
as cooperation priority fields. The Greek Deputy FM remarked they
will try to encourage Greek entrepreneurs to invest in Armenia’s
economy and open joint ventures in the country.

RUSSIA INTENDS TO REVISE POLICY TOWARDS ARMENIA
PanARMENIAN.Net
30.03.2006 23:31 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Administration of the Russian President intends
to revise its policy line in relations with Armenia, said professor
Mikhail Meyer, the Director of the Institute of Asian and African
Studies of Moscow State University. In his words, relations with a
strategic partner as Armenia is for Russia, should be closer. “Absence
of scientific and cultural ties between our countries in latest 10-15
years have had a negative impact on the relations.
After the collapse of the USSR a situation that is very unfavorable for
Russia was formed: it does not have specialists on CIS countries. Now
the state of affairs started improving, however there is a lack
of Armenian teachers, especially grabar (ancient Armenian),” the
professor noted.
He also remarked that certain progress is available on the way of
Armenia and Russia becoming closer.
“Academician Mikhail Piotrovsky was in Yerevan lately, my colleague
Vitaly Naumkin is in Yerevan now, specialist on Arab countries Dmitry
Frolov is soon expected to arrive. We almost do not know the works
of contemporary Armenian historians, however I hope the gap will be
filled,” Mikhail Meyer remarked.
Professor Mikhail Meyer is in Yerevan on the invitation of the South
Caucasian branch of the Caucasus Democracy Institute development
foundation.

AZERI AUTHORITIES ACTIONS IN OLD JULFA CANNOT BE JUSTIFIED
PanARMENIAN.Net/
30.03.2006 23:57 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Any destruction of cultural monuments is
vandalism. The Armenian cemetery in Old Julfa is the legacy of the
humankind and actions of the Azeri authorities cannot be justified,
professor Mikhail Meyer, the Director of the Institute of Asian
and African Studies of Moscow State University stated in Yerevan at
a meeting in the South Caucasian branch of the Caucasus Democracy
Institute development foundation. He stated it when commenting at
the instance of a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter on the fact of Azerbaijan
trying to destroy traces of Armenians’ residence in the territory of
current Azerbaijan. In his words, history cannot be revised. “I am
not very well familiar with the details, however I am sure there is
historical evidence, manuscripts, confirming the fact that Armenians
have always lived in Nakhichevan,” Mikhail Meyer said.

AZERBAIJAN’S FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT BRAZIL, ARGENTINA AND THE USA
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 30 2006
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov will pay a visit to
Brazil, Argentina and the United States on 1 April.
The spokesman of the Foreign Ministry, Tahir Taghizade told APA that
Mr. Mammadyarov is due to meet the US Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice on 7 April. The sides will exchange views on the existing
situation on the Nagorno Garabagh conflict.
The Minister will also discuss the current situation on the settlement
of the conflict with American co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Steven
Mann in Washington.

REPORTS ON ALLEGED MURDER OF AZERI SERVICEMAN FALSE
PanARMENIAN.Net
31.03.2006 00:38 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ This is approximately 25th time the Armenian Ministry
of Defense (MOD) lately denies Azeri MOD reports on alleged break
of the cease-fire by the Armenian party, Armenian MOD Spokesperson,
colonel Seyran Shahsuvaryan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.
In his words, a recurrent statement that serviceman Aliyev Farid
Ragim oglu was killed by an Armenian sniper is false.
According to the version of the Azeri party, the incident took pace
“near Alibeyli village in Tovuz region of Azerbaijan.” At that, it
should be noted, that the Azeri serviceman could have been killed by
a sniper, only if he had been within the firing range of a kilometer
from the Armenian positions.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERI EMBASSY IN BUDAPEST URGES HUNGARIAN AUTHORITIES TO “SECURE” SAFAROV
PanARMENIAN.Net
31.03.2006 01:32 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijan’s Embassy in Budapest has appealed to
Hungarian law enforcement bodies to “secure” Azerbaijani officer
Ramil Safarov. The statement says, “the reason is that Armenians
have recently declared that they will pay $125 thousand for Safarov’s
head. The Karabakh Liberation Organization has also recently appealed
to the Hungarian government with a similar request, APA reports.
February 19, 2004 lieutenant of the Armed Forces of Armenia Gurgen
Margaryan, sent to Budapest to take English courses within the NATO
Partnership for Peace Program, was brutally hacked by Azeri officer,
who took the same courses. Safarov is indicted in compliance with
article 116.2 of the Criminal Code of Hungary (murder, committed
with special cruelty, and attempt at lives of over one person), which
provides for punishment varying from imprisonment of 10-15 years to
life sentence. The last court hearing on Safarov’s case will be held
April 4. The verdict is to be announced April 13.

OSCE MG CO-CHAIRS MAY MEET IN APRIL
PanARMENIAN.Net
31.03.2006 01:46 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The next meeting of co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group for settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict may be held
this April, OSCE MG US Co-Chair Steven Mann stated during a video
conference, organized by the US Embassy in Armenia. He also did not
rule out Armenian and Azeri FMs meeting soon, however noting that
“exact terms are not determined yet.” The date of the mediator’s next
visit to the region is not determined either. “We are now trying to
analyze the situation and outline further steps. After the latest
meeting with Armenian and Azeri Presidents I can say with hope that
we can find ways of settlement,” Steven Mann said, reports IA Regnum.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress