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David Babayan: The fate of independent Artsakh is connected with that of the Republic of Armenia
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ArmRadio.am
10.07.2006 15:22
“The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic – Artsakh – is a sovereign, democratic,
legal and social state.” NKR Constitution will start this way if the
people of Artsakh adopt it in December through a referendum. Today
the draft Constitution is in the stage of elaboration. It will be
completely ready by November-December 2006, and, most probably,
in December a referendum will be held in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Opposition representatives of Artsakh consider that the draft has been
prepared too rapidly. According to Vice-President of the “Movement
– 88” opposition party Gegham Baghdasaryan, the people of Artsakh
is also concerned with the fact of having a Constitution as soon as
possible. Representatives of the opposition still try to understand the
logics why the Constitution Commission was not undertaking any steps
up until now, while currently it demonstrates a sudden haste. Gegham
Baghdasaryan told “Radiolur” that he wants to understand what was
hindering the earlier adoption of the Constitution. Have these
obstacles been eliminated?
“There is a whole range of similar questions, regarding which
the authorities are indifferent or do not consider it necessary
to explain,” representative of the opposition party said. Gegham
Baghdasaryan has his personal subjective suggestion regarding
the question: “One should not be a prophet to understand that the
President is doing that on the eve of elections and in compliance
with preelection logics. To be more precise, he is doing that to
be reelected.”
“The factor of having a Constitution has not been artificially
accelerated. The idea has been discussed ever since the creation of
NKR. However, considering some problems connected with the settlement,
the question was frozen for a certain period of time,” said political
scientist David Babayan, Adviser to NKR President.
David Babayan considers it is very important to have a document today.
The political scientist does not refute that the step has a political
pretext. In response to the question whether the adoption of the
Constitution is connected with presidential elections, David Babayan
said, “Let’s not dispute and politicize this truly great idea.
Nevertheless, in Gegham Baghdasaryan’s words, we’ll be ale to speak
about the document more comprehensively in a certain period of time,
while David Babayan states, “We should realize pretty well that the
fate of independent and sovereign Artsakh is connected with that of
the Republic of Armenia.”

Multinational “Rescuer-2006” military exercises will start July 14
ArmRadio.am
10.07.2006 16:05
Multinational “Rescuer-2006” military exercises will start on July 14,
Press service of RA Ministry of Defense informs.
As it was announced earlier, the military exercises are held by US
European Command together with RA Ministry of Defense.
200-300 Officers and specialists from 12 are expected to participate
in the exercises. The event will be held in the framework of the
“Partnership for Peace” program.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Aronyan-Karlsen game to be held in October
ArmRadio.am
10.07.2006 16:53
The game between participants of the contest for World Cup candidates
Grand Master of Armenia Levon Aronyan and Norwegian Magnus Karlsen
will probably take place late October, RA Chess Federation informs.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

President Robert Kocharyan sent a telegram of condolence to RF President
connected with the air crash in Irkutsk
ArmRadio.am
10.07.2006 17:55
RA President Robert Kocharyan sent a telegram of condolence to RF
President Vladimir Putin connected with the air crash in Irkutsk.
“Dear Vladimir Putin, I deeply mourn and share with you the sorrow
connected with the air crash in Irkutsk, which took lives of numerous
people.
Let me express sincere sympathy on behalf of the whole Armenian
nation and myself to relatives and friends of the victims and wish
rapid recovery to the wounded.”

ONE ARMENIAN WAS ON BOARD OF CRASHED A310 IN IRKUTSK
Yerevan, July 10.ArmInfo. Karen Andriosyan, Armenian by origin,
citizen of Russia, was on board A 310 Airbus that crashed at the
airport of Irkutsk. The RA Foreign Ministry press-service told
ArmInfo. The source has no data on the age, place of resident of K.
Andriosyan. It is not known if he is alive or not either.
A-310 belonging of Siberia airline was making Moscow-Irkutsks flight.
When landing at the airport in Irkutsks, the plane failed to break
and ran out of the runway and crashed into a building. 122 people
were killed, 50 escaped.

Joint Azeri-Turkish resolutions turned down
10.07.2006 14:35
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – At the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe (PACE) summer session, the Armenian delegation has succeeded
to ensure the support of big powers in turning down proposals put
forward by the Azerbaijani and Turkish delegations, Vahan Hovhannisian,
head of the Armenian delegation to the PACE and National Assembly
vice speaker, told a news conference Monday. Meanwhile, Hovhannisian
said, resolutions favorable for Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh have
been passed.
“This time our cooperation with big powers was successful, I mean, the
US, Canada, France and Russia,” Hovhannisian said. “Most importantly,
we succeeded in including a provision of self-determination right
in the PACE resolutions based on the results of the Montenegro
referendum.”
He noted that the adoption of those resolutions demonstrated a precise
balance between the rights to self-determination and territorial
integrity. Hovhannisian said the resolutions caused a fury of the Azeri
delegation. Azeri and Georgian delegations have tried to counter those
resolutions by two others that would put disputed territories under
the control of states they formerly belonged but both resolutions,
backed by Turkey, were turned down, Hovhannisian added.
In conclusion, Hovhannisian mentioned that most Council of Europe
countries have a vague understanding how the Nagorno Karbakh conflict
is to be settled but they realize which side is ready for compromises
and which one is not.

REPORTERS NOT TO BE ADMITTED TO THE THIRD INTERNATIONAL ‘GOLDEN APRICOT’ FESTIVAL
Yerevan, July 8. ArmInfo. Reporters will not be admitted to the hall
of ‘Moscow’ cinema, Yerevan, to the opening ceremony of the Third
International ‘Golden Apricot’ festival because of lack of free space.
The organization committee of the festival says that the reporters
will be able to watch the ceremony on a big screen that will be put in
the square in front of the cinema. So as to recompense the reporters
their loss, the organization committee will organize free fourchettes
for them. During the fourchettes the reporters will be able to meet
world famous celebrities. In particular, it concerns Iranian director
Mokhsene Makhmalbafe, Italian Marco Bellocchio, the French Armenian
Robert Getikian, and outstanding Armenian film director Artavazd
Peleshian and Aleksander Adabashian. All of them will deliver master
classes at RA State Picture Gallery from July 9-16. The festival will
launch by the retrospective show of “Namous” Armenian film screened
by Hamo Beknazarian, founder of the Armenian Cinematography, in 1925.
About 100 films by directors from 58 countries will be shown within
the framework of the festival on July 10-15. The competition program
includes films by Perdo Almodovar, Krzsystof Zanussi, Aleksander
German Junior, Rakhshan Bani- Etemada. The program of documentary
films includes the films by Mickael Glavoger, Gunar Bergdal, Sergey
Loznica and Victor Kosakovskiy. “The Armenian Panorama” competition
includes 25 films from various countries.

Genocide Recognition Should Become Precondition for Turkey’s Accession to EU
10.07.2006 16:01
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Leading political European Parliament factions stand
for the introduction of the Armenian Genocide recognition issue into
the agenda of the EU-Turkey talks. The parliamentarians urge Brussels
to set acknowledgement the Armenian Genocide by Turkey and lifting of
the blockade of Armenia as a precondition for Turkey’s EU membership.
Finland, which accepted the EU presidency for the next 6 months,
threatened to break off the talks with Turkey. “The dialogue with
Turkey can be stopped any moment if Ankara fails to meet commitments
to the European Union,” Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said.
Turkey doesn’t recognize the sovereignty of Cyprus, which joined
the EU in May 2004 and doesn’t receive planes and ships from this
state. July 12 the European Parliament committee on foreign affairs
will consider Turkey’s progress. Besides, the Turkey is urged settle
the Kurdish issue and secure the rights of national minorities.
In October 2005 the EU Foreign Minister gave ok to Turkey’s EU
membership talks. However they specified that the process will not
be automatic and can be stopped any time. The European Parliament
urges Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide, reported RIA Novosti.

PEOPLE LIVING ON THE LAND SHOULD DETERMINE THEIR FATE
Lragir.am
10 July 06
Alekper Aliyev, Azerbaijani reporter participating in the international
seminar in Yerevan entitled “European Integration As a Factor Favoring
Karabakh Settlement”, suggests settling all the problems related with
the Karabakh conflict. As for a referendum on the status of Nagorno
Karabakh, he suggests postponing it.
According to him, both the Armenians and Azerbaijanis of Karabakh
should participate in the referendum. Unlike him, Daur Nachkebia,
a reporter from Abkhazia, believes that people who live on this land
should participate in the referendum otherwise there is no point
in holding a referendum. Stepan Grigoryan, political scientist from
Armenia, thinks that Kosovo is the best model for the settlement of the
conflict over Karabakh. Daur Nachkebia disagrees again. He thinks that
there can be a number of models, and there is no need to hop from one
to another, the one which best suits the conflict should be applied.

SELF-DETERMINATION SET DOWN IN OSCE RESOLUTION
Lragir.am
10 July 06
Vahan Hovanisyan, Deputy Speaker of Armenia, appreciated the work
of the Armenian delegation in the session of the OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly in Brussels on July 3-8, reports the news agency ARKA. In
a news conference on July 10 Vahan Hovanisyan announced that the
Armenian delegation managed to have all the pro-Armenian initiatives
adopted and anti-Armenian initiatives rejected.
Vahan Hovanisyan particularly mentioned that self-determination was
included in the OSCE documents for the first time, relying on the
referendum on independence in Montenegro.
“The document adopted by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly commended the
civilized and friendly attitude of Serbia towards the referendum on the
independence of Montenegro, it did not respond with tanks, air raids,
and armed force. We assumed it as an excellent model of indivisibility
of borders and balance of rights for self-determination,” said Vahan
Hovanisyan.
According to him, this document was disapproved by the delegations of
Georgia and Azerbaijan. Vahan Hovanisyan said the outcome of voting
shows that the principle of self-determination is becoming more and
more dominant.
The head of the Armenian delegation announced that in Brussels
the Armenian delegation also managed to neutralize the proposal
of the Georgian and Azerbaijani delegations on resolving conflicts
by returning disputable areas to the countries they want to become
independent. Vahan Hovanisyan says only three countries voted for
these proposal, the authors and Turkey.
Moreover, one of the resolutions, according to Vahan Hovanisyan,
was rejected thanks to the Russian delegation. “Hence, the future
status of Kosovo may become a precedent, a new key to the resolution
of Karabakh, as well as other conflicts,” says Vahan Hovanisyan.
“The second resolution was crushed by the Spanish delegation, stating
that eithnic minorities have the right to dispute over territorial
integrity and secession from a state if it does not protect the rights
of its ethnic minorities,” announced Vahan Hovanisyan. He also said
that the Armenian delegation prevented the resolution which defines
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan as a perfect model of regional cooperation.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress