3 Iranian artists heading to Armenia in August
IranMania, Iran
July 9 2006
Sunday, July 09, 2006 – ©2005 IranMania.com
LONDON, July 9 IranMania) – Three Iranian painters have been invited
to participate in the 5th Gyumri International Biennial of Contemporary
Art, which is scheduled to open in Armenia on August 8, ISNA reported.
Behrang Samadzadegan, Barbad Golshiri, and Rozita Sharafjahan will
leave Tehran for the northwestern Armenian city of Gyumri on August
2 to participate in a workshop which is slated to be held before the
beginning of the biennial.
The theme of this year’s biennial is “The Sea, Dreams, and Illusions”.
The biennial was inaugurated in 1997 with the goal of helping to
restore Gyumri to its former status as the influential cultural city
it once was before the devastating earthquake of 1988.
Promoting cultural exchanges and dialogue between Armenia and the
international artistic community is one of the other primary goals
of the biennial.
–Boundary_(ID_dbSC0DchhXQAG45n/iaksw)- –

Those who have known genocide work to save Darfur
Published July 9, 2006
Sun-Sentinel.com, FL
July 9 2006
Fran Steinmark is used to puzzlement over her T-shirt.
The shirt reads, “Save Darfur.”
“People ask me, `Is that a person in jail?'” she said. “They really
do not know.”
Darfur is not a person in jail.
It is more like a country in hell.
It’s a parched section of western Sudan, about the size of Texas,
where a 3-year-old rebellion has mutated into a horrific conflict
pitting Arab Africans against black Africans.
Several hundred thousand people are dead. Some 2 million are
refugees.
It is a crisis on the periphery of the news — way down the pecking
order from Iraq, Iran, North Korea and Brad and Angelina. We’re
talking about African Muslims dying in a place with murky and
confusing politics, far away from obvious American interests.
No wonder people don’t always get the message of Steinmark’s shirt.
And yet, hearteningly, many people do understand and do share her
convictions.
“It’s genocide. Period,” says Steinmark, a lawyer and artist from
Boca Raton. “And if you’re functioning as a human being in today’s
world, you cannot allow a genocide to occur in our lifetime.”
Steinmark is a leader of the Save Darfur Coalition of South Palm
Beach, a year-old collection of churches, synagogues, student and
advocacy groups and plain citizens who just can’t sit by.
“The atrocities are so egregious, so horrendous: slavery, gang rape,
torture,” Steinmark says. “Cruelty and violence of this magnitude
demand that we stop it — otherwise there is something fundamentally
wrong with us as human beings.”
The group helped lead a drive this year to send 1 million postcards
to the White House. The cards urged President Bush to do his utmost
to support a stronger multinational force to halt the bloodshed.
Florida produced 50,000 postcards. Only California, Pennsylvania, New
York and New Jersey generated more.
A rally in April at Boca Raton’s First United Methodist Church drew
more than 700 people, an overflow house. Police had to be called to
manage the traffic.
“We wondered who was going to come,” said Andrea Schuver, another
leader of the south-county coalition, “and it was a full range of
ages. Not just retirees with time on their hands. We had student
organizations from high schools and colleges — a whole cross-section
of the community.”
Jewish groups make up a large segment of the coalition. The St. David
Armenian Church in Boca Raton is active, too. Jews and Armenians have
had their own tragic intimacies with genocide.
But many others in the movement are Catholic, Protestant, agnostic.
“If you’re a moral human being, you have to care about this,”
Steinmark says. “I don’t care what religion you are.”
Steinmark is Jewish, born after World War II. It galls her to think
that the world stood by while the Nazis killed millions.
With Darfur, important leaders are saying the right things. Bush has
said the killings constitute genocide. UN Secretary General Kofi
Annan said it’s “the worst humanitarian crisis gripping the planet.”
And yet, despite a peace treaty on paper and 7,000 monitors sent by
the African Union, the slaughter goes on.
Two weeks ago, Schuver and Steinmark went to Washington, D.C., for a
meeting of the national Darfur movement.
The first night they met some Sudanese refugees who told of losing
their homes and families.
Schuver, who also is Jewish, was reminded of her own grandparents.
How they’d lost track of European relatives after the Nazis came to
power and never heard from them again.
“When I heard someone say, `I lost 50 members from my extended
family, I have no idea where everyone is, except one sister,’ it was
just like the stories I was told,” Schuver said.
The coalition’s motto speaks to this connection: “Never again means
never again for anyone.”
Unfortunately, a world that was too late in discovering the
death-camp ovens has seen it happen again. In Cambodia. Bosnia.
Rwanda.
Wouldn’t it be something if citizen pressure created a better outcome
for Darfur?
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Georgian PM: “Armenia to suffer with Russia’s closure of border”
Civil Georgia, Georgia
July 9 2006
Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli said on July 8 that Russia
has unilaterally closed down border crossing point in Zemo Larsi
without prior notification of the Georgian side.
“Georgia actually has not been exporting to Russia anything and
Armenia will be the one which will suffer most from this decision,”
PM Nogaideli told reporters in Batumi, where he is hosting his Armenian
counterpart Andranik Margaryan.
He also said that the Armenian PM is already informed about the
Russia’s decision.
The Russian side closed the Zemo Larsi border checkpoint, citing the
necessity of carrying out repair works.
But Vasil Maglaperidze, the Governor of Mtskheta-Mtianeti region,
alleged that the decision is politically-motivated.
“Repair jobs cannot be a real reason for closing down the major
highway,” he told reporters on July 8.
The Zemo Larsi is the only legally operating border checkpoint with
Russia. Two others are located in breakaway regions of South Ossetia
and Abkhazia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian Vice Speaker: “Armenia is not ready for NATO membership”
Journal of Turkish Weekly
July 9 2006
“NATO membership means rebuilding relations with that organization –
something Armenia is not ready for today,” the vice speaker of the
Armenian parliament Vahan Hovhannissyan said during a roundtable with
NATO representatives.
Armenia has close military co-operation of Russia. Yerevan is
considered the only Russian ally in the region while Georgia,
Azerbaijan and Turkey have close military ties with the US, EU and
the NATO, Regnum reported.
Hovhannissyan said that since the Soviet times Armenia has regarded
NATO as some military organization – some alliance formed for
protecting the European democratic values. “It later turned out that
many countries join NATO not so much for adopting these values as for
feeling more protected, for gaining some cover,” Hovhannissyan said.
“Obviously, the new NATO and EU members from Eastern Europe were not
ready for that. Unlike its neighbors, Armenia believes that the key
goal of NATO membership is to attain conformity with the European
standards so that this membership be natural rather than artificial.”
Hovhannissyan noted that membership in NATO means rebuilding relations
with that organization – something Armenia is not ready to do yet.
Asked by British delegate Franck Cook what challenges Armenia is
faced with today, Hovhanissyan said that for many years already
Turkey has been keeping Armenia in blockade and laying pre-conditions
for establishing diplomatic relations with it, which makes mutual
improvement impossible. Turkey and Armenia have never confronted in
the past. When Armenian forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijani
territories and thretened to occupy Nahcivan province, Turkey closed
its borders with Armenia. Turkey was one of the states recognised
Armenia’s independence. Another problem is Armenian ‘genocide’
claims. Turkey does not see Armenian claims as a pre-condition to
restore diplomatic relations. Ankara offered to establish a joint
commission to discuss the historical disputes, yet Armenia rejected
many times these offers. Armenian Constitution and some other documents
do not recognise Turkey’s national borders and some of the Armenian
politicians call Eastern Turkey as ‘Western Armenia’.
Armenia also does not recognise the Kars Treaty.

Journal of Turkish Weekly
July 8 2006
New Allies?: Iran-Armenia ink 7 Aggrements Print
Saturday , 08 July 2006
* Armenia and Iran close each other. Both states signed many
aggrements last week. Iran is the only neigbouring country that
Armenia has good relations. Ironically Armenia seeks to develop its
relations with the US as well.”
* Within Armenian President Robert Kocharyan’s official visit to
Iran, the two countries signed 7 documents.
* The sides also signed documents on funding construction of power
mains between Iran and Armenia
TEHRAN – Iranian and Armenian officials signed up seven Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) in the fields of energy, economic and industrial
infrastructures, legal and cultural heritage cooperation, Iranian
news agency IRNA reported.
The MoUs were signed by officials in the presence of President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharian.
For one document, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and his
Armenian counterpart Vartan Oskanian signed an MoU concerning Iran’s
development aids in the field of industrial and economic
infrastructure for Armenia.
In another MoU, Energy Minister Parviz Fattah and Armen Movsisyan
signed a cooperation agreement in the field of energy.
The two countries agreed in another document to cooperate in the
field of legal issues.
Iran’s Justice Minister Jamal Karimi-rad and Armenian Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian inked an agreement about extraditing
criminals.
Dissemination of information in the field of cultural heritage was
another MoU signed up by officials from Iran’s Cultural Heritage
Organization and Armenian Ministry of Culture and Youth Affairs.
Also agreement about financing electricity power line project was
signed.
In the last MoU, the two countries agreed on the implementing program
of the third electricity power line between Iran and Armenia.
Armenia is located in the Caucasus region and borders with Georgia in
the north, Azerbaijan east, Turkey west and Iran south and it does
not have access to the open sea.
Armenia does not have any oil or gas resources, but has rich mines of
gold, copper, zinc and lead.
The country achieved its independence on September 21, 1991 from the
former Soviet Union. Armenian forces occupied about 20 percent of
neigbouring Azerbaijan. Ironically ‘Islamic’ Iran did not support
Azerbaijan but ‘Christian’ Armenia. Iran has currently good relations
with Armenia though the relations with Azerbijan is not at the level
of as expected. Armenia has serious problems with Azerbaijan, Georgia
and Turkey.
JTW and News agencies
8 July 2006

Turkish FM Gul Blames EU Leaders for Plunge in Turkish Support for EU
Journal of Turkish Weekly
July 8 2006
Saturday , 08 July 2006
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul blamed some European leaders
for the plunge in Turkish public support for the European Union (EU).
Gul told a press conference on Friday after his US visit that the
remarks of some EU leaders, who cater to their domestic politics
without considering the impact of these remarks in Turkey, are
responsible for the drop in support for the EU.
A Eurobarometer poll, carried in April over 1000 people in Turkey,
found that only 43 percent of Turks have a positive image of the
union. The recent figure shows a plunge in Turkish support for the EU
over a six-month period, as the corresponding figure was 60 percent
six months earlier.
FM Gul stated that the European side should act responsibly to
prepare the Turkish public. Gul noted; however, that the exaggeration
of certain issues in Turkey was partly responsible for the fall in
Turkish support for EU membership. Foreign Minister Gul pledged that
the ruling AKP would take measures to tackle the fall in Turkish
support for the union.
Most of the Turkish people are unhappy with the EU stance on Cyprus,
PKK terrorism, the so-called Armenian issue and the Greek Orthodox
Patriarchy. Remarkable numbers of Turks believe that the EU the
cynical intention to divide Turkey.
Unceasing EU demands on the Turkish government and increasing pressure
over Cyprus are seen as the main reasons why Turkish people have begun
to turn their back to the European Union. The more EU leaders criticize
Turkey, the more nationalist sentiment gains ground in Turkey.
Turkey commenced actual accession talks with the European Union in
mid-June, following its eight-month screening process.
Turkey’s EU accession process is expected to be long, arduous and
susceptible to crises, especially on Cyprus. Optimistic analysts
predict that Turkey, with its large population, may enter the wealthy
bloc by 2014 at the earliest.

Abkhaz Political Movement Opposes Railway Project
Civil Georgia, Georgia
July 8 2006
Abkhaz public-political movement Aidgilara (Unity) called on President
of breakaway Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh to disavow a protocol on setting
up of the international consortium on Abkhaz railway rehabilitation,
Apsnypress news agency reported on July 7.
The protocol was signed by the Russian, Georgian, Abkhaz and Armenian
sides in Moscow this May to deal with a multi-million project to
rehabilitate the Abkhaz section of the Russian-Georgian railway.
On June 30 the Forum of Abkhaz People’s Unity, which includes three
opposition parties and nine public movements, also warned that
existing agreements on the railway project can undermine “the Abkhaz
sovereignty.”
However, the Abkhaz government denounced the opposition’s allegations
as groundless and said that talks over the consortium are of
“consultative nature” and no legally binding agreements have been
signed yet.

Paper debates pros and cons of selling Armenian-Iran gas pipeline to Russia
Ayots Ashkar, Yerevan
8 Jul 06
Excerpt from K.Beglaryan’s report by Armenian newspaper Ayots Ashkar
on 8 July headlined “What will be the destiny of the gas pipeline?”
The construction of a gas pipeline between Iran and Armenia is expected
to be finished by the end of the year. And the exploitation of it
will begin from next year, at best. We have recently noticed a flurry
of activity around this issue. It began after the deputy chairman of
Russia’s gas giant, Gazprom, Aleksandr Ryazanov, announced plans to
acquire the Iran-Armenia pipeline. This is not new. But the Armenian
party officially denies this. It is only natural that Gazprom wants
to buy the gas pipeline as it provides Armenia with gas and is a
co-owner of the local Armenian gas distribution network. Moreover, the
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline is of an important strategic significance. By
this, Armenia would first of all settle the problem of an alternative
gas supply route.
It is very important to our state given that the situation in the
region is unstable. On the other hand the gas pipeline has serious
prospects. In this context it seems illogical to hand over the
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline to a third party taking into account the
fact that Armenia managed to get an agreement for its construction
with difficulty.
[Passage omitted: reported details on expected volume]
Russia’s interest in this gas pipeline is only natural as it is
anxious not to lose the Armenian market. Armenia is expected to barter
electricity for Iranian gas. That is to say, in this way Armenia
would settle part of its problem with the exploitation of the Armenian
energy system, the production of extra electricity and its sale. This
would give a serious boost to the energy sphere. Finally, it is not
so important whether the gas pipeline will be controlled by the state
or will be sold. In fact, not much will change because of that. The
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline should be used as effectively as possible.
Naturally, there is no sense in selling the Armenian section of that
[pipeline] to a third party.
[Passage omitted: reiterates the point]
This does not at all mean that the sale of the gas pipeline should
be completely ruled out. Armenia might have to think about its sale
if that would open up serious prospects for the country, i.e., the
gas pipeline would be turned from a local into a regional one. The
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline has such potential and it should not be lost.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Georgian, Armenian premiers discuss economic cooperation, Javakheti
Imedi TV, Tbilisi
7 Jul 06
A session of the Georgian-Armenian intergovernmental commission on
economic cooperation opened today in the office of the president’s
administration in Batumi. The session was preceded by a face-to-face
meeting between the Georgian and Armenian prime ministers [Zurab
Noghaideli and Andranik Markaryan], which lasted a few minutes.
The prime ministers discussed cooperation in the energy, tourism and
construction sectors. It was noted that a new Georgian-Armenian
university would soon open in Tbilisi. The discussion also
touched on railway projects, including the construction of the
[Baku-]Tbilisi-Akhalkalaki-Kars railway and the resumption of rail
traffic through Abkhazia.
The Armenian prime minister spoke about the situation in Javakheti
[predominantly Armenian region in southern Georgia]. He said that
the single concern of the Armenians living there was economic problems.
He expressed the hope that the Georgian government would deal with
these problems in the near future.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

At Least 122 Die in Siberian Plane Crash
By STEVE GUTTERMAN
AP Online; Jul 09, 2006
A landing plane careened off a rain-slicked Siberian runway early
Sunday, plowed into garages and burst into flames, killing at least 122
people in Russia’s second major commercial airline crash in two months.
A preliminary investigation indicated that the braking system on the
Airbus A-310 operated by Russian airline S7 had failed, Russian news
agencies reported, citing unnamed sources.
The plane was carrying at least 201 people on the 2,600-mile flight
east from Moscow to the Siberian city of Irkutsk. Fifty-eight people
were injured.
Many of the children on board were headed to Lake Baikal on vacation,
according to news reports.
An air stewardess, Viktoria Zilberstein, opened the emergency hatch in
the rear of the burning plane, according to the Emergency Ministry. Ten
passengers escaped this way, and others _ including a pilot _ were
saved by rescuers including firefighters, ITAR-Tass reported.
Relatives streamed to a crisis center near Moscow’s Domodedovo airport,
where the flight originated. Some stumbled out in silent shock. One
woman exclaimed into her cell phone, ecstatic that a family friend
had survived.
After veering off the runway at about 7:50 a.m., the plane tore
through a 6-foot-high concrete barrier, crashed into a compound of
one-story garages and stopped a short distance from some small houses.
“I saw smoke coming from the aircraft. People were already walking
out who were charred, injured, burnt,” a witness, Mikhail Yegeryov,
told NTV television.
“I asked a person who was in the Airbus what happened, and he said
the plane had landed on the tarmac but didn’t brake. The cabin then
burst into flames,” Yegeryov said.
Pilots regard the Irkutsk airport as difficult because its runway
slopes and its concrete is especially slippery when wet, Vladimir
Biryukov, an expert at the Gromov Aviation Institute, said on NTV.
Transport Minister Igor Levitin said the pilot had radioed ground
control to say the aircraft had landed safely and then communication
cut off.
“There was rain, the landing strip was wet. So we’ll have to check
the clutch and the technical condition of the aircraft,” he told
Russian state television. He said the aircraft’s two recorders had
been recovered and were being deciphered.
Airline spokesman Konstantin Koshman said there were 193 passengers
_ including 14 children ages 12 and under _ and a crew of eight
aboard. He said the plane, constructed in 1987, had been regularly
maintained and met all certifications.
President Vladimir Putin conveyed his condolences to relatives of
the victims and declared Monday a national day of mourning.
Three people whose names were not on the passenger list were pulled
unconscious from the wreckage; it was unclear if they had been on the
ground or were flying unregistered, Emergency Ministry spokeswoman
Natalia Lukash said.
Outside the crisis center, a man who gave his name only as Vyacheslav
said his brother, sister-in-law and their 4-year-old son had been on
the plane and were not on the list of survivors.
He stood grimly on the grass while his friend Larisa Kolcheva, 27,
sat on a curb fighting back tears. “They were sitting with us in a
cafe literally yesterday evening,” she said.
Roman Gavrilov, 27, said his father _ who was not yet accounted for _
had gone to Irkutsk for a fishing trip with old army buddies, his
first vacation in three years. “We still have hope,” he said.
In May, an Airbus crashed in stormy weather off Russia’s Black Sea
coast as it prepared to land, killing all 113 people on board. Airline
officials blamed the crash of the Armenian passenger plane on driving
rain and low visibility.
S7, formerly known as Sibir, is Russia’s second-largest airline,
a regional outfit carved out of Aeroflot’s Siberian wing after the
collapse of the Soviet Union. Cash-strapped and saddled with aging
planes, such airlines were once notorious for their disregard for
safety, but their records have improved in recent years.
Sunday’s disaster was the fourth air crash in Irkutsk in the past
12 years:
In January 1994, a Tu-154 aircraft crashed on takeoff; killing 124;
in December 1997, an An-124 military transport aircraft crashed in
a residential area, killing 72; and in July 2001, a Tu-154 crashed
near Irkutsk, killing all 143 on board.