STRUGGLE XENOPHOBIA VARTAN OSKANIAN: RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES SHOULD TAKE DRASTIC MEASURES TO AVERT XENOPHOBIA IN RUSSIA
By Nana Petrosian
AZG Armenian Daily
05/07/2006
The Armenian side will continue discussion with RF representatives on
the issues of investigating the recent cases of attacking the Armenian
residents of Moscow and punishing the guilty. Vartan Oskanian, RA
Foreign Minister, said at today’s press conference. He stated that
this issue is still in the agenda of the meetings held by the Armenian
and Russian representatives at various levels. “The Russian side is
also concerned about the facts of attacking the foreign citizens in
Moscow,” he said. He added that xenophobia is of total character in
Russia. “The Russian authorities should take drastic measures to
avert xenophobia cases, otherwise that may become a threat to the
publicity of very Russia, Vartan Oskanian said.
It’s worth mentioning that on July 2 evening, a group of teens attacked
two Armenians in a undergound train.
Both the Armenians, Vacheh Tovmasyan (20) and Varazdat Hakobyan (23)
got knife wounds. At the underground station “Kuznetsky Most” they
applied for first aid and were hospitalized. The attackers escaped. The
injured say they were attacked by aggressive young people in black
and armed with knives as soon as they came out of the train.

MOSCOW CITY PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE BELIEVES ATTACK AGAINST ARMENIANS STIRS UP NATIONAL HATRED
AZG Armenian Daily
05/07/2006
The Moscow City Prosecutor’s Office stated that the attack against
the Armenians in the Moscow underground station is a case of “stirring
up national hatred and hostility.”
The Russian mass media sources informed that the Moscow City
Prosecutor’s Office ordered the Prosecutor’s Office of the
Moscow Underground to qualify the case. “At present, the Moscow
City Prosecutor’s Office ordered the Prosecutor’s Office of the
Moscow Underground to accept the case and qualify that as a case of
hooliganism according to article # 282 of RF Criminal Code,” Sergey
Marchenko, representative of the Moscow City Prosecutor’s Office,
said this.
The Russian mass media sources informed that that the police has
already detained one of the teens who attacked two Armenians. That
is 27 years old resident of Lipetsk.
It’s worth mentioning that On 2 July in the evening, a group of teens
attacked two Armenians in an underground train. Both the Armenians,
Vacheh Tovmasyan (20) and Varazdat Hakobyan (23) got knife wounds. At
the underground station “Kuznetsky Most” they applied for first aid
and were taken to the hospital. The attackers escaped. The injured
say they were attacked by aggressive young people in black and armed
with knives as soon as they came out of the train.
It’s worth mentioning that Rashid Nurgaliyev, RF Interior Minister,
said at a press conference in Yerevan, that 4 Armenians have been
killed in Russia since the beginning of the year.
Another citizen of Kazakhstan, student of Military-Engineering Academy
of the Russian Defense Ministry, Amantay Yerbozov, and two citizens
of Uzbekistan, were attacked and taken to hospital with wounds. The
attackers escaped this time as well. The Russian Police do not rule
out that the attacks are a result of xenophobia.

HOT LINE TO FIGHT CORRUPTION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Panorama.am
13:41 04/07/06
The newly appointed deputy minister of education and science Bagrat
YESAYAN has already noticed the risks of corruption and shadow events
at the secondary schools. He promised at a press conference today that
they will be eliminated. Yesayan unveiled the results of his studies
on application letters saying that most concern unfair attitude. The
ministry has opened a hot line 52-73-43 to receive complaints from
citizens.
Yesayan said that heads of schools are in an advantaged position to
decide who to hire and fire.
Most often, people hired are the director’s relatives, he said,
also saying that similar attitude exists in appointing heads of
schools but this time by local self-government authorities. Yesayan
promised to shift to competition system in 1-2 years to solve the
problem.

FATE OF JAVAKHK DEPENDS ON ARTSAKH
Panorama.am
15:06 04/07/06
Manvel Yeghiazaryan, commander of Arabo detachment is sure that
president Robert Kocharyan will not sign under any document on
Karabakh conflict if it is not pro-Armenian. However, he also said
that there are some people around Kocharyan who force the president
to go to such concessions. M. Yeghiazaryan did not detail who those
officials are. But Liova Sahakyan, member of Independence Army,
made public names who, according to him, urge Kocharyan to go to
concessions which are not favorable for Armenians. Among them, he
mentioned a number of high rank officials.
The commander of Artsakh regiment Michael Apresyan said that there
must be no speech about return of refugees because this will result in
elimination of Armenians from Karabakh. In the words of Yeghiazaryan,
then we can lose Javakhk also because Armenian in Javakhk will
think that the motherland cannot help them and will leave the
region.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ONLY $3MLN NEEDED TO CONDUCT ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA: A. SADOYAN
Panorama.am
15:11 04/07/06
Only $3 mln is needed to conduct parliamentary elections in Armenia and
not $6 or $7 mln that USA is ready to provide to our country, Block
of National Democrats leader Arshak Sadoyan told a press conference
today. Sadoyan again proposed to introduce electronic control of
elections and estimation of votes. In his words, the electronic system
will cost $500-700 thousand on Armenian authorities. The party also
proposes to hold trainings for election committee members. “We propose
to open about 200 offices and train some 15,000 people with the help
of international organizations,” he said.
In the words of leader of national democrats, there is no free and
objective TV channel in Armenia. “National TV channel dare to talk
freely only to the extent that it does not bring to dire consequences,”
he said.
Therefore, he proposes European democratic states to rent at least
for one hour the air of one of TV channels. In his estimates this
will cost $700-800 thousand. He also proposes to rent one of FM radio
channels.

DOCTOR ASHOTYAN AND PEDAGOGUE BLEYAN DISPUTE ON KARABAKH
Panorama.am
15:41 04/07/06
Two politicians, Armen Ashotyan, Republican Party member and
Ashot Bleyan, leader of New Way Party once again debated today
on Mathew Briza’s already famous statements on Nagorno Karabakh
regulation. “Briza had more pro-Azeri attitude and that is not by
chance,” Armen Ashotyan said. The two political actors did not resist
to insult each other during the debate.
Referring to Azeri sources, Ashotyan uttered the belief of Azeri
experts that Aliev had a secret arrangement with US leadership during
his recent visit to Washington. Bleyan sent god’s cursing to the heads
of all strong, including Russia and USA. He said he is not political
scientist and does not want to engage in amateur talk. However, he
said that Azerbaijan continues to develop doubling its state budget
unlike Armenia. Bleyan said he would not behave as the Armenian
authorities do in Karabakh conflict settlement. He would go directly
to Baku. Ashotyan, on the other hand, did not agree and say that the
two meet during conferences. Bleyan urged the debater to answer why
the issue has not been settled until today.
Ashotyan answered that at this point NKR cannot have full
independence since geopolitical interests of big actors clash in the
region.

CONSTITUTION STARTED TO FUNCTION: DAVIT HARUTUNYAN
Panorama.am
17:57 04/07/06
A person goes to restaurant and asks for “borshch”.
They say they have no “borshch.” He asks for another dish but they
did not have that one, too. The third dish turns out to be not
available too. So, the person gets angry and says, “is this a menu
or a constitution?”
Telling this anecdote at a ceremonial event dedicated to the day of
Constitution which is tomorrow, justice minister Davit Harutunyan said
constitution is traditionally regarded a piece of paper which is not
practically applied. But Harutunyan also said that after constitutional
reforms, our constitution started “to function and has not place to
stop.” To accomplish that, one needs political wish and will, Human
Rights Ombudsman Armen Harutunyan said.
The Chairman of Constitutional Court Gagik Harutunian attached
importance to the fact that the constitutional court is entitled
to make decisions on its own. In the part, the CC had to reach a
decision in one month whereas replies from difference agencies on
their letters reached CC in three months, he said.

HEAVY RAINS DESTROY CROPS IN ARAGATSOTN
Armenpress
Jul 4 2006
ASHTARAK, JULY 4, ARMENPRESS: Heavy rains on July 3 evening have caused
heavy damages to several rural communities in Aragatsotn province.
According to local authorities, the rains have mainly affected wheat
and vegetable plantings and destroyed a bridge and a section of a
road. Local rescuers said no people were reported to suffer. The
volume of the damage is being now assessed.

BAKU WILLING TO RESOLVE KARABAKH PROBLEM BY STAGE AND PACKAGE OPTION
Armenpress
Jul 4 2006
BAKU, JULY 4, ARMENPRESS: A senior Azerbaijani official has reaffirmed
the official Baku’s willingness to continue talks with Armenia on a
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution option based on the so-called
‘stage and package’ approach.
Head of Azerbaijani foreign affairs ministry’s press office, Tair
Tagizade, told the Russian Itar-Tass news agency that Azerbaijan
perceives that the first stage should comprise from 8 to 10 elements
which include particularly the pullout of Armenian troops from all
regions surrounding the administrative borders of Nagorno-Karabakh,
demining of the frontline, return of refugees, ensuring their security
and restoration of communications.
The talks in second stage, he said, must center on defining the
legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh within the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan, which is possible only after restoration of the ethnic
composition of Nagorno-Karabakh before 1988, ensuring the security
of Armenian and Azeri communities of Nagorno-Karabakh in line with
Azerbaijani constitution.
On Monday deputy foreign minister of Azerbaijan, Araz Azimov was
quoted by the Turan news agency as saying that Baku has never said
it agrees to such a solution of the conflict that would culminate in
a referendum on Nagorno-Karabakh status.

KOCHARIAN CONGRATULATES NATION ON CONSTITUTION DAY
Armenpress
Jul 4 2006
YEREVAN, JULY 4, ARMENPRESS: Armenian president Robert Kocharian has
congratulated his country fellows on the occasion of the Constitution
Day marked on July 5. A message by Kocharian says.
“Dear country fellows, I congratulate you on the occasion of the
Constitution Day. The basic law of our country is our people’s choice
and the reflection of their goals. It is of key significance on our
road of building a democratic, social and legal state and our progress
in anchored directly on the strict observance of the Constitution.
In 2005 important constitutional amendments were made, which have
opened new prospects for comprehensive development of the nation and
the country, ensuring a most balanced performance of all branches of
power, strengthening of the human rights protection system.
I believe that the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia in its
modernized form will serve continuously for the next generations.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress