ALL ARMENIAN NATIONAL MOVEMENT LEADER SPEAKS A DEBATE
Panorama.am
14:54 21/06/06
All-Armenian National Movement (ANM) will surely take part in 2007
elections, Andranik HOVAKIMYAN, ANM board vice chairman told a debate
today. ANM will go to elections with new methods since “we see that
in classical sense the preparedness of a political party does not
have effect on elections,” he said.
He said they must find “the weak points of authorities” as part of
their new methods. The reporters asked if Levon Ter-Petrossyan is
going to come out in the image of Young Mher and speak to public when
something serious happens. To that question Hovakimyan answered “Levon
Ter-Petrossyan will come out publicly when he decides himslef. No
one can have influence on him.”

GOLDEN APRICOT FILM FESTIVAL DIRECTOR ENCOURAGED BY DISCONTENTS
Panorama.am
15:54 21/06/06
Before Golden Apricot film festival has launched, discontents are heard
connected with the assessments made by the selection committee. The
director of the festival Harutiun Khachatryan is aware of these
displeasures. However he told a press conference today that he is
encouraged by them. ‘According to authors some good films were not
selected. May be the selection committee was wrong, may be they have
different taste. Art is subjective, after all. There are people who
are discontent and hurt but I am happy because the former indifference
has passed away,” he told a press conference today.
The director said that they wanted to include more films in the
festival. However, he also said that the festival has grown against the
last year. This year 50 mln Armenian drams have been allocated from the
state budget against 25 mln last year for the festival.

IS DUAL CITIZENSHIP A MEANS TO STRENGTHEN ARMENIA
Panorama.am
16:33 21/06/06
All-Armenian National Movement (ANM) board vice chairman Andranik
HOVAKIMYAN expressed his surprise today that Armenian Republican Party
was against dual citizenship in the past discussions on constitution.
“I do not know why they defend dual citizenship so much now,” he said.
Armenian Republican Party member Samvel NIKOYAN noted that problems
which may arise with dual citizenship may be regulated by law. However,
he did not clearly answer why they were against dual citizenship in
the past and now they support it. Nikoyan is sure that with dual
citizenship links with diaspora will strengthen and the Armenia
economy will grow with their investments.
ANM board vice chairman, however, argued that diaspora Armenians
have always made donations to Armenia and their link with Armenia is
strong. According to S. Nikoyan only Armenian nationals should have
the right to have dual citizenship but Hovakimyan argued that right
of minorities would be violated in that case.
From: Baghdasarian

TRAININGS TO SHOOT FILMS TO BE HELD
Panorama.am
16:39 21/06/06
Film experts who have arrived to Armenia to participate in Golden
Apricot film festival will also hold trainings with the local
film producers, Melik Karapetyan, film project head told at the
National Gallery today. Trainings will also be held on artistic
mastery. According to initial list, Arsine Khanjian will also
participate. 7 films will be shown produced by foreign producers. The
project will start on July 9 at the National Gallery and will end on
July 16.

WHERE IS ARKADY GHUKASYAN?
Melik Mejlumyan
Lragir.am
22 June 06
On these days the media of Nagorno Karabakh is focused on the NKR
presidential election in 2007. In particular, there is a lot of
consideration about the Constitution of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
and the hustle and bustle thereof among the ruling elite. The point
is the anxiety among the public that President Ghukasyan is likely
to use the factor of the Constitution to establish a legal basis to
run a third term.
Ghukasyan and his aides refuse to give an explanation that would
relieve the anxiety of the public. During his short visits to his
office, the president simply gives some new instructions concerning the
Constitution and quickly leaves in some direction. Moreover, a process
is underway among the ruling elite, which is difficult to explain,
which interests the public more. Namely, different senior and junior
officials convey information to the media, which damages one another’s
reputation. A real fight started between the NKR government and Armenia
Foundation. The escalating conflict between the two pro-governmental
factions of the parliament is becoming known to the public. People
who are fond of the topic of the president’s successors are emerging.
However, the public is more anxious about President Ghukasyan. The
Karabakh society is considering more and more often the fact that
Arkady Ghukasyan was not in the country all through 2006, and almost no
information was given where he was. The people of Karabakh are already
“used” to the long absence of the president, which was interrupted by
“short visits to the country” on different occasions. The year 2002
(the first year of his reelection) was a record; people learned
about him from his interviews with the foreign media. At that time
the popular joke about the “short visit of the Karabakh leadership
to Karabakh” was born.
But not everyone has got used to it. The lasting absence of Arkady
Ghukasyan is arousing special interest among a certain circle. Along
with kneading the idea of running a third term it is suggested that
Ghukasyan no longer believes in the possibility of a third term and
is busy thinking about his future. Besides, one of the purposes of his
visits to different countries is said to be “settlement of complicated
financial problems with various sponsors who have provided assistance
to the NKR people at different times.”
The Armenian media have published a lot of information about
Ghukasyan’s property. Now, however, when the danger of publishing
information about the “black” activities of the leaders of the ruling
elite emanates from the government, he cannot remain calm.
One way or another, the end of terms of presidency in both NKR and
Armenia is giving rise to big problems. The activities of top officials
has “localized” within the concern about their own future. It appears
that for someone the problem of Nagorno Karabakh has reached the
problem of their own future. This circumstance, in fact, may worry the
society in Karabakh. In a period when the country’s political issue
is under “international pressure,” the absence of the head of state
from the processes underway may lead to dramatic consequences. It is
becoming clear for many that Ghukasyan does not have time for Karabakh.
It would be unfair to state that Ghukasyan’s future is not a
state affair (especially that he is haunted by Samvel Babayan’s
revenge). However, Ghukasyan probably cannot realize that the
question is being solved a little differently. For instance, it
would be expedient if Arkady Ghukasyan quitted office earlier at a
more convenient moment. Everybody remembers how the former president
of Russia Boris Yeltzin gave away power on time, guaranteeing his
future. He could have realized, but only real figures act so. In
Armenia and Karabakh they wait until the danger of total defeat hangs
immediately overhead, then they start complaining of others. They
hope to find a way out by creeping to “different lords.”
People should therefore rely on themselves. Karabakh needs a new and
practical leader. Especially now, when there is no time to look for
Ghukasyan all over the world and return him to his presidential duties.
P.S. June 22 is Arkady Ghukasyan’s birthday, and we congratulate him
with all our hearts.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN FM: OFFERING AUTONOMY TO A PEOPLE WHO HAVE FOR NEARLY TWO DECADES BEEN IN CONTROL OF THEIR LIVES ON THEIR OWN HISTORIC LANDS IS AT THE VERY LEAST, SELF-DECEPTION
Yerevan, June 21. ArmInfo. “Offering autonomy to a people who have
for nearly two decades been in control of their lives on their own
historic lands is at the very least, self-deception,” said Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanian in his speech at the opening of the first
session of the newly-formed UN Human Rights Council. The RA Foreign
Ministry press-service reports.
“Armenia has and continues to promote stronger international
mechanisms to prevent and eradicate the crime of genocide, and all of
its precursors including efforts, too often successful, at not just
cleansing a region of its indigenous people, but also erasing their
memory. Armenians have survived and gone on to live through each
of these attempts. Even today, in the 21st century, we have watched
helplessly as the spiritual and cultural markers of our people are
decimated,” the minister said.
He went on to refer to the destruction of the Jugha Cemetery in
Nakhichevan, Azerbaijan. “This violation of the memory and spirit of
centuries of Armenian existence on lands which are today Azerbaijan’s
is cynical and dangerous. These huge, exquisite, unique stone crosses
which were both sculpture and tombstone are now gone – 2,000 of
these medieval markers were destroyed just a few months ago. The
gravemarkers are gone, and Armenian and international fears that
Azerbaijan’s authorities might in fact not be serious about peace
have been reinforced. After all, their organized, violent, armed
response to peaceful calls for self- determination two decades ago,
was the first attempt at ethnic cleansing in the soviet space and
ignited the conflict which remains unsettled today. This most recent
manifestation of organized violence, in a place where no Armenians
live today, and far from the Nagorno Karabakh conflict area, tells
us that neither Azerbaijan’s methods nor its intent has changed. Such
unambivalent, callous demolition of culture and history also destroys
trust and peace.”
In speaking about the present state of negotiations with Azerbaijan
on the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the Armenian
Foreign Minister said, “If Azerbaijan’s one step forward, one step
back approach in the negotiations was simply alarming, their recent,
desperate offers of autonomy are concrete examples of a retreat from
the letter and spirit of these talks, and clearly not in sync with
international trends.
We hope the negotiations will develop in a way which will give the
parties a real hope for durable peace, the minister said in conclusion.

OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS WILL MEET IN VIENNA
ArmRadio.am
22.06.2006 10:12
OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs on the Karabakh conflict settlement will
meet today in Vienna. Mathew Bryza will be officially presented as
new US Co-Chair.

ROSE-ROTH SEMINAR OF NATO PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY TO BE HELD IN SOCHI
ArmRadio.am
22.06.2006 10:37
Issues related to the security in South Caucasus, Russia-NATO
cooperation, as well as the role of civil society in the settlement
of “frozen” conflicts will be discussed today during the “Rose-Roth”
seminar of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly to start today in Sochi.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NO TERROR LINK TO AIR CRASH
Daily Post (Liverpool)
June 20, 2006, Tuesday
Mersey Edition
THE Armenian airliner that crashed into the Black Sea last month
killing all 113 people aboard was intact, with its engines operating
normally and enough fuel to land prior to impact, a Russian investig
ating commission said today.
The Armavia Airbus A320 was also under manual control by its pilots
up to the moment of the May 3 pre-dawn catastrophe near the Russian
port of Sochi.
The commission, which analysed the plane’s “black box” flight
recorders, did not assign blame for the crash.
Prosecutors have dismissed the possibility that terrorists had brought
the plane down, and officials have pointed to rough weather or pilot
error as the likely cause.

UKRAINE TO PARTICIPATE IN RECONSTRUCTION OF ARMENIAN HYDRO POWER PLANTS
EASTBUSINESS.ORG
June 20, 2006 Tuesday 8:49 AM (Central European Time)
Ukraine will participate in the reconstruction of the Armenian hydro
power plants, Ukrainian Ambassador to Armenia Alexander Bozhko said.
The issue was discussedon Mondayduring the visit of Armenian Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian to Kyiv.
According to the Ambassador, the equipment for the Armenian
hydroelectric power plants was produced by Kharkov-based
Turboatom plant and now Armenia is
interested in participation of specialists of the plant in tenders
for reconstruction of the energy sector.
We have already sent therelevant documentationto the Ukrainian Ministry
of Economy, Bozhko said.