ARKADI GHUKASYAN: KARABAKH ISSUE CANNOT BE RESOLVED VIA FORCE
ArmRadio.am
10.05.2006 13:27
“The war imposed to us proved that the Karabakh issue cannot be
resolved via force,” NKR President Arkadi Ghukasyan declared yesterday
during May 9 festive events.
“We were defending our land, we won, but we cannot say that Armenian
and Azeri people are happy today. It means that the issue should be
resolved on the political level, and there is no alternative to it,”
Arkadi Ghukasyan said, adding that it is our common problem not to
allow resumption of military actions. According to NKR President,
to exclude the resumption of war, we should be always ready for it.

EUROPE DAYS TO BE HELD IN ARMENIA
ArmRadio.am
10.05.2006 13:37
Traditionally Europe celebrates May 9 as the day of birth of united
and peaceful Europe. On this occasion May 11-18 events dedicated
to the Europe Day will be held in Armenia at the initiative of the
European Movement.
Head of the European Movement in Armenia Viktor Yengibaryan told
“Arminfo” that the opening of the Days of Europe in Armenia will be
held at the Museum of Folk Arts.
The event will be attended by representatives of RA Government,
National Assembly, NGOs and educational establishments. Greeting
speeches will be delivered by Head of the European Movement in Armenia
Viktor Yengibaryan and representative of the Armenian delegation to
the European Commission Georg Miller.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

UNION OF ARMENIANS OF RUSSIA WILL FOLLOW THAT THE CRIME OF NATIONALIST SKINHEADS IS DETECTED
ArmRadio.am
10.05.2006 14:14
Preliminary investigation of the case of murder of 17-year-old Vigen
Abrahamyan killed by skinheads near “Pushkinskaya” metro station of
Moscow continues.
Head of the Union of Armenians of Russia Ara Abrahamyan told “Radiolur”
correspondent that it is still early to say anything, there are some
dissenting facts. Particularly, the version that student of one of
the Moscow secondary schools Denis Kulagin killed the Armenian young
man for pursuing his girl-friend, does not correspond to reality.
April 22 the City Prosecutor’s Office of Moscow launched a criminal
case on the fact of murder of Muscovite Vigen Arahamyan. A committee
has been created to follow the inquiry, the Union of Armenians
of Russia has hired an attorney and will follow that the crime of
nationalist skinheads is detected.
Ara Abrahamyan does not doubt that the young man was killed not
because he was Armenian but because he had Caucasian appearance.

TURKEY RECALLS ITS AMBASSADORS TO FRANCE AND CANADA
ArmRadio.am
10.05.2006 14:35
Turkish Ambassadors to France and Canada have been temporarily recalled
to Ankara to hold consultations connected with the possible adoption
of the law envisaging sanctions against Armenian Genocide deniers by
the French Parliament.
Turkish media reports that the recall of the Ambassadors is
associated with the fact that both countries have recognized the
Armenian Genocide. Press Secretary of the Turkish Parliament Namk Tan
told the journalists that the Ambassadors to France and Canada Osman
Koruturk and Aydemir Erman will return to execution of their duties
after the consultations.

HAMLET GASPARYAN APPOINTED ENVOY EXTRAORDINARY AND MINISTER PLENIPOTENTIARY TO FRANCE
ArmRadio.am
10.05.2006 15:17
Press Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Hamlet Gasparyan
has been appointed Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
to France.
1999-2002 he worked as Advisor at RA Embassy in France. Since fall
2003 Hamlet Gasparyan was working as Press Secretary of the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs.
Head of the Media Relations Department of the Press and Information
Agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Karapetyan will
temporarily act as MFA Press Secretary.

HRANT DINK AWARDED HONORABLE HENRI NANNEN PRIZE
ArmRadio.am
10.05.2006 16:35
Editor of the “Agos” daily Hrant Dink received the popular annual
Henri Nannen Prize of the “Gruner + Jahr” editorial office of the
“Stern” daily. It is awarded for freedom of press and for launching
active democratic activity. On Friday evening the honorable prize
will be awarded to our compatriot in Hamburg, Germany.
In a phone talk with “Radiolur” correspondent Dink said the prize
is a pleasant surprise for him. He considers this honorable prize is
not only his tribute, but also that of the whole Armenian nation.
Tomorrow Hrant Dink will leave for Hamburg to receive the prize.

THE MEDIATORS WAITING FOR THE RESPONSE OF BAKU AND YEREVAN
ArmRadio.am
10.05.2006 17:36
Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan will meet the OSCE
Co-Chairs in the framework of the recurrent sitting of the Committee
of Ministers of the Council of Europe to be held in Strasburg.
Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov declared that the mediators”
have some interesting ideas.” He noted that in the result of the
talks in Strasburg it will become clear whether there is need for
the meeting of Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Russian mediator Yuri Merzlyakov declared that the mediators expect to
hear the opinion of Baku and Yerevan about “several new suggestions”
presented last week by his French colleague Bernard Fassier during
his visit to the region.

JOINT SITTING OF ARMENIAN AND GEORGIAN BORDER DEMARCATION COMMISSIONS HELD IN TBILISI
ArmRadio.am
10.05.2006 17:55
May 9-10, 2006 joint sitting of the Armenian and Georgian Border
Demarcation Commissions was held in Tbilisi.
After the sitting Heads of Commissions Gegham Gharibjanyan, RA Deputy
Foreign Minister, and Georgi Manjgaladze, Deputy Foreign Minister of
Georgia, stated that the parties have agreed upon most part of the
Armenian-Georgian border outline and have arranged the future actions.
RA Deputy Foreign Minister Gegham Gharibjanyan had a meeting with Gela
Bezhuashvili, Georgian Foreign Minister, during which he conveyed
RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan’s greetings and presented the
results of the joint sitting.

REGIONAL MESS, AS INTERPRETED BY ARAM G. SARGSYAN
Lragir.am
10 May 06
A conference on regional prospects will be held May 17 and 18 in
Yerevan, entitled “The Caucasus Without Terrorism and Conflicts:
Dialogue of Civilizations in the Caucasus Crossroad.” The conference
is organized by National Center Dialogue of Civilizations NGO. The
president of the board is Aram Gaspari Sargsyan, leader of the
Democratic Party of Armenia. He informed about the conference on May 10
in a press conference at the National Press Club. It is notable that
the conference is supported by Ara Abrahamyan, the president of the
Union of Armenians of Russia. What is interesting about it? may ask
the reader. It becomes interesting starting with the moment when Aram
Gaspari Sargsyan presents the geography of the invited participants of
the conference: Russia, Georgia, Iran, Turkey, NKR and Azerbaijan. Only
experts are invited. The conference is not related with the ruling
circles. It is uncertain whether the Azerbaijani guests will attend
to the conference because they said they had problems in their own
country. Besides, European experts have been invited from Germany
and Switzerland. In this connection it is interesting that they did
not invite experts from the United States to conduct science-based
debates on the future of the Caucasus, whereas the United States
is one of the most active architects of the future of the Caucasus,
if not the most active one.
It became clear from Aram Gaspari Sargsyan’s words that the Americans
were not invited for financial reasons. The expenses are covered by the
organizers, and they do not have money to invite experts from America.
“We have informed the U.S. Embassy, if they want they can take part.
Besides, the session of the World Armenian Congress is scheduled
on these days, and our compatriots from the United States and other
countries will take part in it. They may participate in the conference
too,” says Aram Gaspari Sargsyan. He disagrees that the conference
is pro-Russian, therefore the experts of the country which has
considerable interests in the Caucasus were not invited. “If we had
invited everyone who has interests in this region, France, Germany,
the UK, China, the U.S. and others would all be invited. In other
words, it is a center of clash of interests. We are speaking about
the countries of the region, which are to establish their relations
themselves. Because if we keep trying to remain in the focus of clash
of these interests, we are going to lose every time,” says one of
the organizers of the conference.
Aram Gaspari Sargsyan gave the idea, Ara Abrahamyan pays for gasoline.
Apparently, this principle underlies the international conference,
and the one who pays for gasoline decides who will “get in the car.”
However, this question is not going to be discussed either during
or after the conference. “I have no wish to discuss today the
thesis on being pro-Russian, pro-Western etc. I only consider the
postulate, recently often considered, that Russia’s presence here
is not desirable. In this case, if we are supposed to be absolutely
sovereign, independent and free from influence from the outside, I
am willing to discuss all these questions with these people. On the
other hand, if others come, who are likely to move from some slavery
into other slavery, I have nothing to discuss with such people,”
says Aram Gaspari Sargsyan.
Besides the United States, Abkhazia and South Osetia will not be
invited to the press conference either. This fact is obvious against
the background of participation of Karabakh. But everything becomes
clear due to the perception that “Karabakh is ours.” Aram Sargsyan says
inviting the other unrecognized countries of the region is a subtle
question, which is related with Georgia. The organizers did not want
to assume such a responsibility. And maybe they were not needed since
the most responsible country of the region is with them. Aram Gaspari
Sargsyan says the Russian experts will represent Abkhazia and South
Osetia in the conference.

ELECTION 2007 IS ALREADY FALSIFIED
Lragir.am
10 May 06
On May 10 the leader of the Democratic Party Aram Gaspari Sargsyan
gave condolences to the businessmen members of parliament who seceded
from the Orinats Yerkir Party. The leader of Democrats announced
at the National Press Club that they should offer condolences to
the parliamentarians, who were ordered to leave this or that party,
and not the leadership of the Orinats Yerkir Party.
“If a businessman fears the government, it means they can call him at
any moment and tell him what to do or what not to do. Such a member
of parliament has no value at all. If they run to somewhere now,
they are not going to have any value there as well. Because they
lack a standpoint,” says Aram Gaspari Sargsyan. According to him,
what happened to the OYP, absolutely corresponds with the logic of
the system which Robert Kocharyan has established and encourages. Aram
Gaspari Sargsyan thinks that striking the Orinats Yerkir is something
that the system needed rather than Robert Kocharyan. Aram Sargsyan
says such developments in Armenia are probable and continuous,
because for the government all the methods are political except the
political methods.
“Of course, they are interested who are going to struggle for these
very expensive seats in the parliament, which will be the foreword
of the forthcoming presidential election. The Republican Party goes
without saying and, of course, the newly established Bargavach Hayastan
Party (prosperous Armenia), I do not know, there may be other new
parties. Here is the result of all this. Arthur Baghdasaryan also has
to account for everything, for his joining the coalition, having his
specific standpoints,” says Aram Gaspari Sargsyan.
According to him, the government does not forgive those who decide
to secede from the system after cooperative efforts. Aram Sargsyan
reminds the case of Artashes Tumanyan. Although, he thinks, possibly
Tumanyan was punished for an attempt to act against the system, as well
as in the context of the quest for a scapegoat for illegal activities.
“For me this is a dark story, for I do not know the real reasons. If
I had once met with Artashes Tumanyan, if he had explained anything,
it would be possible to draw some conclusions. Though, I think, he was
a scapegoat, because there must have been big breaches in the Lincy
Program, and now someone has to account for it,” says Aram Sargsyan.
According to him, the government will go on acting similarly, and
it has already started to falsify the election of 2007. This is Aram
Sargsyan’s opinion on the recent joining of teachers the Republican
Party. “Namely, 120 teachers in one day unanimously became members of
the party. It goes without saying that this renders speeches about
fair and free elections pointless. It is clear that these teachers
will be included in electoral commissions, and they will be forced,
and they are going to say that they said if you do not join the party,
you will be fired. Nowadays, this is a way people are disgraced. What
kind of people are they going to be. Good people? No. Venal,” says
the leader of the Democrats.