Armenia and Azerbaijan Should Follow Europe’s Example
PanARMENIAN.Net
11.07.2006 15:12 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Everyone wants peace and it can be attained, Azeri
publicist and journalist Alekper Aliyev stated in a conversation with
a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. For example, there are Armenian women
in Baku. These are those, who married Azeris and did not leave. The
Armenian party has already helped those women to meet with their
children, who are in Russia and other countries. It would be great
if the Azeri party did the same,” he suggested. Aliyev added that
Azerbaijan should appear before the world with a human face, not a
people always busy with nurturing enemy image.
The publicist underscored he arrived in Armenia not to discuss
Karabakh or decide its status. “We are not betrayers, though some
people in Azerbaijan want to present the affair this way. We should
look at Europe and arrange good relations between neighbors. I want
prosperity in entire region,” he said.
Alekper Aliyev also reported about decision adopted at the six-sided
working meeting of citizens and NGOs of the South Caucasus in
Yerevan. “We, the writers and publicists of Armenia, Georgia,
Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, made the
following decision: as no talks can help, obstacles are made for
peoples’ diplomacy, we are labeled as betrayers, we arrived at a
conclusion that our problems, wars and conflicts are not serious
and we deserve being laughed at, sneered at and even jeered at,”
the decision says.

Finland Presiding at EU for Soonest Completion of Talks with Armenia
PanARMENIAN.Net
11.07.2006 16:11 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Finland, having assumed EU Presidency on July 1, is
for talks on EU-Armenia Action Plan within the European Neighborhood
Policy (ENP) to be completed as soon as possible. The document can
be approved within two months, Armenian FM Vartan Oskanian stated at
a joint news conference with Lebanese FM Fawzi Salloukh in Yerevan
today. In his words, to discuss that issue Finnish Ambassador will
arrive in Armenia in 10 days. The Minister hoped that delay of talks
with neighboring countries would not have an impact on speed of
development of EU-Armenia cooperation.

Lebanon Suggests Assistance in Karabakh Settlement
PanARMENIAN.Net
11.07.2006 16:26 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ There is no religious pretext in the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict, but belonging of lands is touched upon, Lebanese FM
Fawzi Salloukh stated at a news conference in Yerevan. In his words,
Lebanon is ready to provide assistance and its experience for peaceful
settlement. He added that resumption of hostilities will not benefit
either of the parties and the problem should be solved peacefully.
The Lebanese FM invited his Armenian counterpart Oskanian to take
part in the meeting of the Armenia-Lebanese Task Force in Beirut. He
added that bilateral relations have a good basis. Lebanon is proud
of the contribution of the Armenian community into development of
the country, Fawzi Salloukh said.

FORMAT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT NOT TO CHANGE: CDU LEADER
Panorama.am
16:14 11/07/06
Resumption of military actions in Karabakh conflict zone will
pull the region back for 10 years, Khosrov Harutunyan, leader of
Christian-Democratic Union (CDM) told a press conference today. Based
on this awareness the co-chairs of OSCE Minsk Group will not withdraw
from talk process on Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, he said.
CDU leader said that despite of the fact that the co-chairs cannot
come up with any more possible resolutions, they have openly stated
that they are interested in peaceful settlement of the conflict based
on the principle of self-determination. In the words of Harutunyan,
the end of imagination by co-chairs means that the whole responsibility
lies with the presidents of both countries.
Speaking about the format of talks, CDU leader said it will not
change. Moreover, NKR de-facto takes part in the talk process, since
the co-chairs visit Stepanakert and make arrangements with Karabakh
leadership on specific issues. /Panorama.am/

DAVID NALBANDIAN RANKED THIRD BY TENNIS ASSOCIATION
Armenpress
YEREVAN, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS: With 3,185 points, the
Argentinean-Armenian tennis-player David Nalbandian is the third
highest ranked by the Professional Tennis Association.
The list is topped by Roger Federer of Switzerland with 7,260 points,
the winner of the Wimbledon, followed by Rafael Nadal of Spain who has
5,125 points. Ivan Ljubicic from Croatia is fourth with 3, 125 points.

KOCHARIAN AWARDS BEST ATHLETIC FAMILIES
Armenpress
YEREVAN, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS: President Robert Kocharian traveled
today to the resort town of Tsakhkadzor for a ceremony of awarding
three Armenian families which were recognized winners of a national
competition called ‘The Best Athletic Family.”
The first prize of 500,000 drams (about $1,200) was given to the
Shahbazians family from Yerevan, the second and third prizes of 400,000
and 300,000 drams respectively went to a family from Armavir province
and from Yerevan.
The event was held for the third consecutive time.
This year 86 families from Armenia and one family from Nagorno-Karabakh
competed for the prizes. The youngest participant was a five year-old
girl and the oldest was a 48-year-old man. Both received special
prizes of the president.
After giving the awards Kocharian said the competition is designed
as an event to cement traditional Armenian values and advertise
healthy life-style.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GEORGIAN RESORT TOWN TO HOST UNIQUE ARMENIAN-GEORGIAN DANCE FESTIVAL
Armenpress
YEREVAN, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS: Around thirty dance groups from Armenia
and Georgia will be dancing from July 12 to July 18 in the Georgian
resort town of Kobuleti on the Black Sea coast that has become a
popular place for Armenian holiday-makers.
The unprecedented festival will bring together almost 500
dancers. Vanush Khanamirian, chairman of the Union of Armenian Dancers,
said the festival is a unique and unprecedented display of friendship
of two neighbor nations.
He said there will be no awards, neither winners nor losers. He
said it is going to be simply a festival of dance to show the best
Armenians and Georgians are proud of.

OSCE OFFICE ORGANIZES TRAINING ON ALTERNATIVE SENTENCING IN ARMENIA
Armenpress
YEREVAN, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS: A four-day training course for personnel
of the Armenian Justice Ministry’s division for the execution of
alternative punishment began on July 10 with the support of the OSCE
Office in Yerevan and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions
and Human Rights.
“The introduction and implementation of alternative sentencing
options is a serious step towards building a humanitarian system of
penal sanctions,” said Silvia Pogolsa, human rights officer at the
OSCE Office.
“This course is an essential part of the criminal justice reform,
and will help provide basic knowledge and the skills to implement
alternative punishment.”
Some 70 Justice Ministry staff, judges and prosecutors will discuss the
existing national legislation, alternative sanctions, the supervision
of conditional sentences, as well as international standards and best
practices. Rait Kuuse, Head of the Probation Division of the Estonian
Justice Ministry, will share his country’s experience in the field.
Increased awareness-raising and capacity building among justice
administration personnel was one of the recommendations of the
assessment on alternative sentencing in Armenia, supported and
implemented by the OSCE Office in 2005.
The division for the execution of alternative punishment under the
Justice Ministry was established in 2005, following the adoption of the
new criminal code which introduces an “alternative” sentencing option.
The organizers will prepare a report on key areas for improvement,
based on discussions at the training course and recommendations from
participants and experts.

“LOSERS” ROUND UP. SERGE SARGSYAN AND ARKADY ASK EACH OTHER FOR HELP
By MELIK AVANYAN
Lragir.am
11 July 06
Usually when a politician has no more to tell the society, there
is nothing he can do but to start performing tricks. Minister of
Defense Serge Sargsyan, who has found himself in a similar situation,
decided from out of nowhere that he must get hold of the post of the
next president of Armenia.
Since this person perfectly knows his abilities, authority and
resource, he also knows the real outcome of the upcoming presidential
election, where he is sure not to get anything. So he knows that he
lost in the very beginning, therefore he decided to cheat the nation
again by hindering elections in Armenia. In other words, he wants
to replace elections by some other event, where he can beat everyone
and first of all the Armenian public.
Most probably, someone has told him that the political sphere can be
replaced by a chessboard to manipulate all the symbols and round up
the bulk of the political (i.e. criminal) elite under his flag. Serge
Sargsyan believed in the wonderful effect of political technology.
Most probably, however, he believed that the Club of 50 Loyal Officials
is able to replace elections in Armenia with a game of cards with
Serge Sargsyan’s 100 percent victory.
The debut was good. The talented Armenian chess players did not let
him down in the Chess Olympiad. Real mysticism. It seemed to Serge
Sargsyan that the political world was replaced by a chessboard. And
there is only one thing to do – to play cards on that chessboard.
And the game started. The victory on the Chess Olympiad was declared
“the beginning of victories”. In other words, the native and foreign
criminal was let know that it is high time to become members of Serge
Sargsyan Club.
The corrupt Armenian officials and criminal businessmen started
creeping towards this club. They moved on but with a feeling of fear,
hiding behind one another. They do not believe that the political
sphere can be replaced by a chessboard. Moreover, they do not believe
that it is possible to play cards on a virtual chessboard and win.
They want a more simply thing. For instance, they want Robert Kocharyan
to bless Serge Sargsyan’s plans. Or they want the great powers to
guarantee the game.
But they are waiting in vain. Nobody gives guarantees. This is bad
for Serge Sargsyan, for it means that nobody believes in him, and
especially his chess-card game. Even the headquarters of the Harsnakar
Hotel fails to help. If this goes on, he will have to think about
his future seriously. But Serge Sargsyan appears to have decided to
think out everything beforehand. Observing the tradition, he decided
that as long as everyone in Armenia and the world ignore his efforts,
he will take up unification of chess and Karabakh.
Especially that a “comrade” of his is sitting in Karabakh, who is
also seriously thinking about his fate and has been criticizing Robert
Kocharyan for a long time now.
Serge Sargsyan needs to display to everyone that not only the
chess champions but also the president of Karabakh Arkady Ghukasyan
personally with his “army” are beside him. After all, someone may
believe and be amazed by his greatness and power. Therefore, on
September 4 they rounded up in September. What can the champions do?
They cannot refuse their sponsors. Where are they supposed to know
that they are being used as pawns in another chess game? They went to
see the country of their ancestors and provided an opportunity for
Ghukasyan and Serge Sargsyan to perform tricks with chess symbols
together.
The “comrades” performed these tricks perfectly. The slogan “the
beginning of all victories” was expanded and declared as “all our
victories begin in Karabakh”. Whose victories? It is clear whose
victories, of course, not those of the chess players. The problem is
not only the slogans, of course. Besides, it does not matter that the
Karabakh army has a lot to do on the front. This is something to be
done on the move.
It is clear that tricks with symbols will be performed in the future
as well. It is also clear that serious talks and acts will take place
behind these tricks, for neither Sargsyan nor Ghukasyan have anything
to say, especially to people, to convince them in their potential
helpfulness. Everyone already knows everything. The image of these
figures is also well known, as well as their desire to replace the
world by themselves and their wish to get everyone accept this.
In fact, human brazenness has no limits. What are these people busy
with at a moment when Karabakh is facing the danger of resumption of
war, and the publics of Armenia and NKR are exhausted by corruption
and indifference of their leaderships? Did they really imagine that
they could fool everyone? Did they believe that the world is based
on their wishes? If they did, it means they need special attendance.
Never mind that everyday these important persons are reported to make
criminal economic and political deals with foreign figures. Never
mind that the national interest of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh
has been turned into a means of getting the support of governments
of foreign countries. But when they are trying to persuade people
that this will last long and will last with their connivance, as the
OSCE co-chairs announced, our imagination is wearing thin. Instead,
the wish and ability to punish these “shameless” people by law have
occurred. Just like the formers were punished. There always comes a
time when there is no need to waste energy on “protocol”.

FOR DASHNAKTSUTIUN STABILITY IS DEARER THAN LAND
Lragir.am
11 July 06
With regard to the settlement of the Karabakh issue Armenian diplomacy
has proceeded from the presumption of intolerance of Azerbaijan since
1998, said Hmayak Hovanisyan July 11 at the Hayeli Club, who discussed
the present state in the settlement of the Karabakh conflict with
ARF member Kiro Manoyan. Hmayak Hovanisyan believes that this tactics
has led to an unfavorable situation for Armenia and Karabakh.
Kiro Manoyan says forecasts on possibility of settlement in 2006 were
optimistic but groundless. The ARF representative, however, disagrees
with this evaluation about a deadlock. Kiro Manoyan thinks that the
dominance of the principle of self-determination in the settlement
after 1998 is thanks to the Armenian diplomacy. The ARF member
believes that the mediators recognize the fact of self-determination
of Karabakh, and eventually Karabakh will unite with Armenia.
According to Manoyan, this is the reason why Armenia represents
Karabakh to the talks.
However, the ARF member does not always agree with the Armenian
diplomacy. Kiro Manoyan considers clarity on status and Armenia’s
willingness to return territories insufficient. But when the moment
of returning territories comes, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
will prefer stability to territories “to keep what we have”.
Kiro Manoyan says if the Armenian president signs an agreement on
territories, they will oppose proceeding from the law. They will
not demand resignation of the head of state under the law, however,
in case Robert Kocharyan tries to return the territories. “We will
demand putting the question to a referendum,” says Kiro Manoyan,
implying the problem of territories. He says Dashnaktsutiun has never
violated and will not violate an important principle – stability –
under any government.
The ARF member says, however, that the Karabakh issue is equally
important for them. It is so important that the ARF is ready to secede
from the coalition if it is required.
Considering this, Hmayak Hovanisyan suggests renaming Armenian
Revolutionary Federation Armenian Stability Federation.