VARTAN OSKANIAN: FOR THE FIRST TIME CO-CHAIRS CONFIRM THAT KARABAKH’S STATUS WILL BE DETERMINED BY KARABAKH PEOPLE
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 28 2006
TBILISI, JUNE 28, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The revelation or
statement of the principles of the Nagorno Karabakh settlement by
OSCE Minsk Group American Co-chair Matthew Bryza was not complete but
partial. Two important principles were left out of it. Armenian Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian declared this at the June 28 joint press
conference with his Georgian colleague Gela Bezhuashvili in Tbilisi.
“First, one of the important components of settlement of the
problem should be ensuring of a corridor between Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh. Second, Nagorno Karabakh should have an intermediate status
until the status of Nagorno Karabakh is finally determined through
a referendum,” Vartan Oskanian declared.
“For the first time the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs confirmed that the
Nagorno Karabakh status will be determined by the Nagorno Karabakh
people through a referendum,” he emphasized.
According to radio Liberty, the Minister also declared that Armenia
considers that the principles put on the table by the Co-chairs “are
balanced and can contribute to the settlement of the problem.” “Armenia
is ready to continue the negotiations with Azerbaijan on the basis
of these principles,” Oskanian mentioned.
In response to a question of one of the Azerbaijani journalists, why
Armenia does not respect the resolutions of the UN Security Council
to immediately withdraw the troops from the occupied territories,
the Armenian Foreign Minister said: “The above mentioned resolutions
of UN do not mention Armenia as a country having occupied these
territories. Local Armenian forces are exactly sp oken about here.”

RA FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH GEORGIAN PRESIDENT AND FOREIGN MINISTER IN TBILISI
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 28 2006
TBILISI, JUNE 28, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On June 27, RA Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian, who is in Tbilisi on a working meeting,
was received by Georgian Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili.
In their greeting speeches the Foreign Ministers of the two countries
held the same opinion that Armenian-Georgian relations based on close
historic contacts and strong friendship will continue to develop in
the spirit of friendship and mutually beneficial partnership.
Then an interested and practical conversation on bilateral and regional
issues of mutual interest went on between the two Ministers. The
sides estimated the agenda of Armenian-Georgian relations as large,
the evidence of which is the high-level eventful mutual visits and
constant contacts between the governments on various issues.
As Noyan Tapan was informed from RA Foreign Ministry Press and
Information Department, the sides especially emphasized combination of
their efforts in the sphere of economy and business in the direction
of deepening of contacts and encouragement of mutual investments. The
Ministers mentioned that deepening of Armenian-Georgian trade and
economic contacts can contribute to development of economically
efficient transport communication. In this connection they discussed
the possibilities of full exploitation of the regional transport
routes. They also touched upon issues relating to energy security, as
well as socio-economic programs in border villages with the assistance
of international structures and individual countries.
RA Foreign Minister mentioned that a number of economic issues have
some political implication and require a special attention. Minister
Oskanian, in particular, emphasized that the relaunching of the
Kars-Gyumri-Tbilisi railway will contribute to the growth of volumes
of bilateral commodity cirulation, as well as will enable all South
Caucasian countries to equally use the regional transit potential.
In his turn, the Georgian Foreign Minister said that Georgia precisely
realizes its role of a bridge and its responsibility in the region
and will continue to try to create conditions of a more beneficial
transit for Armenia.
Georgia is interested in diversification of transport routes, which
at large, in the prospect will contribute to development of all
regional countries.
Touching upon the problems of Javakhk, the sides held the same
opinion that efficient implementation of programs by the Georgian
government in the economic, cultural and educational spheres will
greatly contribute to mitigation of socio-economic problems in the
region. Minister Oskanian repeated RA government’s proposal to as far
as possible assist the Georgian authorities in the issue of solving
the problems existing in Javakhk.
Speaking about the process of demarkation and delimitation of the
Armenian-Georgian state border, the sides, taking into consideration
the political will, expressed confidence that the process will have
a mutually acceptable end in as short terms as possible.
Then the Ministers touched upon the developments in the direction of
Europe, in particular, upon the Actions Plan within the framework of
the EU Neighborhood Policy and issues of deepening of cooperation with
NATO mentioning the importance to combine the efforts of the two sides.
In the respect of the prospect of regional development the Ministers
touched upon the settlement of conflicts. The Ministers informed
each other about the current negotiations and settlement prospects
around Nagorno Karabakh, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, about the
peculiarities of discussions dedicated to them at different
international organizations.
V.Oskanian’s and G.Bezhuashvili’s joint press conference was held
after the meeting.
The same day in the evening the Armenian Foreign Minister was received
by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.
The Foreign Ministers’ contacts during the visit continue.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BAKU BLAMES YEREVAN FOR DISTORTING ESSENCE OF KARABAKH TALKS
Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Military Newswire
June 28, 2006 Wednesday 9:22 AM MSK
The Azeri Foreign Ministry has denounced what it calls “the continued
attempts by the Armenian Foreign Ministry to purposefully distort
the realities in the negotiating process for the settlement of
the Armenian-Azeri conflict over Nagorno- Karabakh” in a statement
on Tuesday.
“The Armenian Foreign Ministry’s statement [] has become yet another
evidence of the persisting unconstructive position of Armenia in the
process to settle the conflict,” the Azeri Foreign Ministry said.
According to the Azeri Foreign Ministry, the OSCE Minsk Group co-
chairmen, particularly Matthew Bryza of the U.S., “only outlined
specific principles for a gradual peace settlement, which are being
discussed now and which cannot be taken out of the general context
of this document.”
“This sets the grounds for misunderstanding, confusion of the terms,
and speculations similar to those contained in the Armenian Foreign
Ministry’s statement,” it said.
“The definition of [Nagorno-Karabakh’s] status is impossible under
continued occupation and ethnical cleansing and therefore presumes
that the occupied Azeri territories be liberated and the entire
conflict zone demilitarized, which, given appropriate international
security guarantees, should provide conditions for the return of the
displaced Azeri population to their permanent residence. The Armenian
leadership acknowledges this as well,” the Azeri Foreign Ministry said.

MARTAKERT IS CELEBRATING 13 YEARS OF LIBERATION
Lragir.am
28 June 06
On June 28, 1993 Martakert was liberated being controlled by the foe
for a year. On the 13th anniversary people who come from Martakert
will arrive to take part in the celebration. Most of them are quite
successful scientists, politicians, businessmen, but few of them have
contributed to the reconstruction of Martakert.
The atmosphere in the town is interesting. Some ruined buildings,
with new metal and plastic windows, were turned into beauty parlors,
the windows of other buildings are covered with blue cellophane that
the Red Cross distributed to returning natives of Martakert. One can
see a Jeep and an old Moskvich loaded with hay in the street.
Water is a serious problem in Martakert, although the big rivers
of Karabakh flow via this region. Roads are bad, there is shortage
of water, what business can there be? They only sow wheat, but the
yield is low. On the other hand, the two largest companies of NKR are
“based” in Martakert, the mines and copper factory in Drmbon and the
woodworking factory of Vank. It is interesting that both factories
were built after the war.
The telethon of the Armenian Foundation held last year was devoted to
the reconstruction of Martakert. Although, we have learned that work
on the raised funds has not started yet. Well, we are not being late.

BAKU CAN GRANT ANY STATUS TO KARABAKH WITHIN AZERBAIJAN – AZERI FM
Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS General Newswire
June 27, 2006 Tuesday 6:42 PM MSK
Baku is prepared to grant any status to Nagorno-Karabakh on condition
that it remains part of Azerbaijan, Azeri Foreign Minster Elmar
Mammadyarov has said.
“I have said repeatedly what status it could have: it would be, in
particular, either identical to the status of the Naxcivan autonomous
republic [within Azerbaijan] or the status of Tatarstan within Russia,
and so on,” Mammadyarov said.
“First of all, all issues will certainly be resolved within
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity recognized by the entire
international community,” Mammadyarov said.
“Nagorno-Karabakh should have some status. The Milli Mejlis [the
Azeri parliament] once annulled the autonomous status of Nagorno-
Karabakh. Now, of course, we should sooner or later consider the
status issue,” he said.
The possibility of another meeting between the Azeri and Armenian
presidents during the upcoming G8 summit in St. Petersburg could
be considered following OSCE Minsk Group U.S. Co-Chairman Matthew
Bryza’s visit to the region, he said.

SWEDISH LEFT-WING PARTY IS VISITING KARABAKH
Lragir.am
28 June 06
The delegation of the Swedish Left Party is visiting Karabakh. During
the two-day visit the Swedish will have meetings with the authorities
of Karabakh and go sightseeing.
Ulla Hoffman, representative of the Swedish parliament, the deputy
leader of the Left Party, told news reporters that the group has
been implementing a program in Armenia, and has visited Yerevan
and the regions of Armenia. Now the members of the party decided to
visit Karabakh.
The same political party initiated a survey of the Armenian Genocide
in 2002. As a result, in 2005 the parliament recognized the genocide.
Murad Artin, Armenian by origin, the deputy mayor of the city of
Orebro, a member of the party, said the group also pursues the
recognition of independence of NKR. Vardan Mkrtichyan, member of
the Ardarutiun faction of Armenia, arrived in Karabakh with the
Swedish delegation. He told news reporters that the Swedish Left
Party is implementing a program together with the People’s Party of
Armenia. And since the Left Party are feminists, the program deals
with gender issues. “We will be discussing Karabakh women joining
our partners,” said Vardan Mkrtichyan.

SHOULD ARMENIA SPEAK INSTEAD ARMENIA?
Lragir.am
28 June 06
The “proposals” revealed by the new American co-chair of the OSCE
Minsk Group Mathew Bryza did not find support in Karabakh. The chair
of the Committee of External Relations of the NKR National Assembly
Vahram Atanesyan, Democracy faction, Gagik Petrosyan, representative
of the second political party in the parliament Azat Hayrenik, and the
opposition announced that the package discussed by the presidents of
Azerbaijan and Armenia is against the vital interests of Karabakh. The
proposals on returning territories and holding a referendum in an
indefinite period are unacceptable.
“The impression is that the revelations were addressed to the Armenian
party because they are totally in the interests of Azerbaijan,”
said Vahram Atanesyan.
At the same time, they think in Karabakh that Bryza’s revelations
may be a swansong of the package proposal. Political scientist Davit
Babayan thinks that since the proposals have been published, the
presidents will not discuss them, and a necessity for new approaches
will occur.
The revelations were followed by the statements of the foreign
ministries of Armenia and Azerbaijan, which accused each other of
rejecting the proposals. Moreover, the statements of the foreign
ministries of both Armenia and Azerbaijan suggest that the package
proposal is, on the whole, acceptable. But why is it acceptable it
Armenia insists that sovereignty will be granted to Karabakh and the
proposal is unacceptable for Armenia.
It is interesting that when an Azerbaijani member of parliament was
asked why Armenia disagrees to the idea of sovereignty of Karabakh,
the member of parliament was surprised: “Why Armenia? We offered this
proposal to Karabakh.”
However, as far as it is known, Azerbaijan did not propose anything
to Karabakh. Now it is not clear whether Armenia should answer instead
of Karabakh.

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN: 4 DEPUTES UMP DEMANDENT LE REEXAMEN DU PROJET DE LOI
Agence France Presse
28 juin 2006 mercredi 5:07 PM GMT
Nanterre
Quatre deputes UMP ont demande mercredi dans un communique que leur
groupe parlementaire inscrive la proposition de loi visant a reprimer
la negation du genocide armenien de 1915 dans une prochaine “niche”
parlementaire, pour qu’elle puisse etre a nouveau examinee par les
deputes.
Une “niche” parlementaire est une seance publique dont l’ordre du
jour est fixe par un groupe politique.
Dans leur communique, les deputes UMP Philippe Pemezec
(Hauts-de-Seine), Patrick Devedjian (Hauts-de-Seine), Nicolas
Dupont-Aignan (Essonne) et Roland Blum (Bouches-du-Rhône) se disent
“indignes” par les “agissements” ayant empeche le vote de cette
proposition de loi le 18 mai dernier.
Ils precisent qu’ils veulent par leur initiative ” empecher que ne
soient organisees des manifestations provocatrices incitant a des
heurts sur le territoire national”, en reference a une manifestation
a Lyon en mars au cours de laquelle avaient ete releves des slogans
negationnistes pro-turcs.
Le 18 mai, l’examen par l’Assemblee de cette proposition de loi
socialiste avait ete interrompu sans etre acheve et son vote reporte
sine die.
Les deputes UMP et le gouvernement avaient tout fait pour retarder
les debats, au point de rendre impossible le vote de la proposition
inscrite dans une “niche” limitee a 5 heures de debat.
La proposition de loi vise a completer par un volet penal la loi
du 29 janvier 2001 par laquelle la France reconnaît le genocide
armenien. Elle fait de la negation du genocide un delit punissable
d’un an d’emprisonnement et de 45.000 euros d’amende.
–Boundary_(ID_Sz9db5d1MlcSOjACS4quug)- –

L’EMOTION ARMENIE: “LE VOYAGE EN ARMENIE”, UN FILM TRèS EMOUVANT DE ROBERT GUEDIGUIAN
Noël Tinazzi
La Tribune
28 juin 2006
Ariane Ascaride joue magnifiquement le rôle d’une fille de la diaspora
marseillaise conquise, malgre elle, par la chaleur des Armeniens.
L’identite, ca ne m’interesse pas!” C’est ce que repond, categorique,
Anna quand on la titille sur ses origines armeniennes. Pour cette
femme mûre, cardiologue marseillaise, qui fut autrefois communiste
et est restee farouchement athee, bref pour cette femme qui ne
se reconnaît dans aucun cliche – fût-il celui du mont Ararat -,
etre fille d’Armenien ne cree pas de vibration particulière. Ni de
difference notoire. Cette femme de tete, formidablement incarnee par
Ariane Ascaride (laquelle actrice n’est pas d’origine armenienne mais
napolitaine), va pourtant etre amenee a reviser quelques-unes de ses
certitudes. Surtout, elle va etre emue par ce qu’elle va vivre sur
place, en Armenie. De meme, quelles que soient ses origines, tout
spectateur sera emu par ce film porte par un grand souffle, qui passe
avec agilite de la chronique realiste au polar, du documentaire a la
fiction, du drame au conte sentimental. Avec juste la petite goutte
de melo en trop qui est la marque de fabrique de Robert Guediguian.
Sous un jour inattendu. Pour le public, jusqu’a ce film, le cineaste
de Marius et Jeannette n’avait d’armenien que le nom. Comme son
heroïne. Or voici qu’a mesure que le Voyage en Armenie progresse
et qu’Anna se laisse gagner par le sortilège du mythe commun,
le realisateur marseillais ex-communiste se revèle sous un jour
inattendu. Non pas en proselyte de l’armenite, comme beaucoup de ses
compatriotes de la diaspora qui peuvent etre aussi exasperants que
tous les autres chantres communautaires. Mais en artiste sensible,
a l’ecoute de ce qui fait vibrer ses semblables, les humains. Et en
observateur lucide d’un pays ex-sovietique où règne la loi du business
sauvage, où la ferveur religieuse le dispute a l’emprise mafieuse. Et
que tous les jeunes gens revent de fuir.
Les vieux, eux, revent de mourir au pays. C’est le cas du père
d’Anna, beau vieillard tetu (joue par Marcel Bluwal), chez qui elle
a diagnostique un problème cardiaque grave necessitant une operation
urgente. Mais le veuf a une autre solution pour finir ses jours en
beaute. C’est de quitter Marseille où il a fait racine et de gagner
l’Armenie natale, comme l’indiquent quelques indices laisses a son
domicile. Pour où exactement? Mystère. Et sa fille de decouvrir
soudain que de son père elle ne sait pratiquement rien, pas meme son
lieu de naissance. Germe alors dans l’esprit de cette fille non moins
tetue que son geniteur l’idee de le rattraper pour le convaincre de
revenir en France et se faire soigner. Aussitôt dit aussitôt fait,
voila notre heroïne envolee pour Erevan. La, quantite de surprises
et de rencontres l’attendent. Quelques bonnes et beaucoup de mauvaises.
À commencer par le businessman franco-armenien qui etait cense la
cornaquer et qui s’avère très vite un mafieux dangereux.
Fatalisme decourageant. Anna, qui n’a qu’une semaine a consacrer a la
recherche du paternel, ne met pas longtemps a s’apercevoir que ce pays
incarne tout ce qu’elle deteste: le machisme persistant, le fatalisme
decourageant, les palabres incessantes, les retards systematiques,
la religiosite proche du fanatisme, le sentimentalisme kitsch, la
prostitution degradante, le pouvoir conjugue des armes et de l’argent,
les trafics en tout genre, y compris celui des medicaments… Mais elle
decouvre aussi la realite d’un pays en ruines, la beaute des eglises,
la grandeur du paysage, la chaleur des gens qui l’habitent, la force
de leurs reves… En un mot, tout ce qui fonde une culture. Et qui
vaut d’etre partage.
–Boundary_(ID_gKVqaSjkBz1gRHiVRc88Og)–

PORTRAIT. ROBERT GUEDIGUIAN L’ARMENIEN
Par Conrard Sophie
La Croix
28 juin 2006
Pour son nouveau film, le cineaste Robert Guediguian quitte Marseille,
sa ville natale et decor de la plupart de ses longs metrages, et se
lance dans un voyage initiatique en Armenie. À 53 ans, il choisit
de se tourner vers le pays de ses aïeux, a travers la quete d’Anna,
envoyee par son père Barsam a la decouverte de ses racines. Le Voyage
en Armenie**, film francais, 2 h 05.
Quand Le Voyage en Armenie a commence a prendre forme, Robert
Guediguian a vite compris qu’il etait en train de realiser l’un des
premiers films sur ce pays. “C’etait une vraie responsabilite, nous
etions obliges d’etre le plus exhaustifs possible: montrer ce qui
va bien et ce qui va mal, varier les decors…”, explique-t-il. “Se
representer, c’est exister. C’est extremement important pour cet Etat
minuscule et demuni.” Une mission delicate, que l’emotion de tourner
sur la terre de ses origines n’a pas occultee: “J’ai eprouve le choc
des retrouvailles avec mes ancetres en 2001, la première fois que je
suis alle en Armenie. J’ai ete bouleverse de voir combien ces gens
ressemblent a des membres de ma famille…” Le cineaste parle allemand,
sa mère etant d’origine allemande, mais pas armenien, “parce que la
langue paternelle, ca n’existe pas”, comme le souligne un personnage
du Voyage. Mais de meme qu’Anna (Ariane Ascaride, sa compagne), forte
tete qui repète a qui veut l’entendre qu’elle n’est pas armenienne,
Robert Guediguian a ete rattrape par ses racines.
Dans son bureau chez Agat Films, sa societe de production, tapisse de
photos de Marseille, de ses films et de ses acteurs fetiches (Ariane
Ascaride, Gerard Meylan, Jean-Pierre Darroussin), le cineaste evoque
avec fierte et serieux son dernier long metrage, tourne avec une
equipe a moitie armenienne (techniciens et comediens). Y compris
lorsque ses yeux bleus et sa moustache sourient a l’idee d’une
“petite provocation” destinee au public armenien, dont il attend
la reaction avec impatience: une scène où une jeune fille, Schake,
seduit un homme. Ce personnage central dans le periple d’Anna est
porte avec vigueur par une etonnante jeune femme. Lyceenne âgee
de 17 ans au moment du tournage, Chorik Grigorian a fait forte
impression sur le realisateur, amateur de “personnages droits, d’un
seul tenant”. Habitue a travailler avec ses amis, Robert Guediguian
franchit avec Le Voyage en Armenie une nouvelle etape. “Je fais des
films en fonction de mon âge, dans lesquels mes vieux amis sont mes
porte-parole”, avoue-t-il. Ainsi Ariane Ascaride a-t-elle activement
participe a la redaction du scenario, elle-meme marquee par un père
napolitain.
–Boundary_(ID_eqH4eTQm1DHI fwRKja6GSA)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress