ACCIDENTS INVOLVING ARMAVIA PLANES CONTINUE
Lragir.am
05 May 06
Four planes burnt down in a fire at the airport of Brussels. One of
these planes, an A320, belonged to Armavia Airlines. The plane was
in Europe for a technical examination. Armavia Airlines rented three
A320 planes, one of them crashed on May 3 in Sochi. Another Armenian
plane burned in the capital of Belgium. This A320 belonged to the
Armenian International Airlines. However, unlike the plane of Armavia,
the plane of the Armenian International Airlines was damaged slightly.
The Armenian International Airlines does not have flights from
Armenia. It is interesting that Armavia was likely to rent the A320
plane of this company. The owner of Armavia Mikhail Baghdasarov
announced in a press conference on April 1 that they wanted to aid
Versand Hakobyan, the owner of the Armenian International Airlines,
and rent his only and unused plane. Baghdasarov said they wanted to
help Versand but the latter demanded a too high price, and they could
rent a better plane on the same money.

REFORMS REFER TO THE ELITE
Lragir.am
05 May 06
Today Armenia is a more democratic country than it was before its
accession to the Council of Europe, stated Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanyan in the conference “Council of Europe and Armenia: 5 Years of
Cooperation” on May 5. Vardan Oskanyan assured that Armenia fulfilled
all the commitments it had undertaken on accession to the Council of
Europe. “We are going through a second stage of democratization. It is
a difficult stage for it suggests reforms that are directly related
to the political elite. We must display a political will,” stated
Vardan Oskanyan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE BELGIAN COMPANY REFUTED ARMAVIA
Lragir.am
06 May 06
A320 of Armavia Airlines, which crashed on May 3 during the
Yerevan-Sochi flight, has never been to Brussels, at Sebena Technics,
announced Karla Daniels, the press secretary of the Belgian company.
Karla Daniels said their specialists worked on the plane in Yerevan,
but never in Brussels. The owner of Armavia Mikhail Baghdasarov,
who assures that the plane was in good condition, announced May 4
that the plane had been taken to Belgium for maintenance.

ARMAVIA OBTAINS PLANES
Lragir.am
06 May 06
Armavia, the national airlines of Armenia, is likely to increase
its plane pool, having lost two of its A320 aircrafts in the passing
week. One of the planes crashed May 3 near Sochi, the other burned
in Belgium the next day. Next week Armavia is likely to lease an
A319, produced in 1994 or in 1995. This was reported by Gazeta.ru,
referring to the press service of Armavia. The same source reports
that the company will get two more airbuses later. Before losing the
two planes Armavia had 5 airbuses, an IL86, two YAK42 and one YAK40.

MINUTE OF SILENCE TO BE PROCLAIMED AT 6 P.M.
ArmRadio.am
06.05.2006 10:33
The state flags in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh will stay lowered
today. At 18.00 sharp a minute of silence will be proclaimed in the
Republic, following which a memorial service, leaded by the Catholicos
of All Armenians Garegin II, will be held in the Mother Church of
St. Grigor Lusavorich.

REED AMENDMENT REAFFIRMS PARITY IN DEFENSE DEPARTMENT ASSISTANCE TO ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN
ArmRadio.am
06.05.2006 11:02
In a legislative reaffirmation of the 2001 agreement between the
Congress and the White House to maintain military aid parity to Armenia
and Azerbaijan, Senator Jack Reed this week secured the adoption of an
amendment adding Armenia to the list of nation’s receiving Department
of Defense counter-drug assistance, reported the Armenian National
Committee of America.
Commenting to the ANCA following the adoption of his amendment, Senator
Reed said, “I am pleased that the Senate Armed Services Committee
recognized the importance of providing military aid to Armenia for
training and equipment in light of its decision to provide funding
to Azerbaijan. It is essential that we maintain parity between the
two nations, and I am happy that my amendment was accepted.”

GETTING BLACK BOXES WILL BE UNPRECEDENTED IF IT HAPPENS
Lragir.am
5 May 06
In the place of the crash of A320 of Armavia Airlines the Kalmar
Complex devised by Russian specialists for the Army Navy of Russia.
The complex is designed to carry out search and research at a depth
of 600 meters. Nevertheless, the minister of transport of Russia,
the head of the operational headquarters Igor Levitin stated May 5
he could not assess the possibility of getting the black boxes from
water. Levitin said statistics has not seen a fact when the black box
was lifted from a depth of 680 meters. The black boxes of Armenian
plane that crashed in the Black Sea on May 2 and 3 are at such a
depth. So far the experts have only managed to receive the radio
signal of the black boxes. Levitin said this is an unprecedented
attempt to get the black boxes from such a depth.

CE COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS WILL MAKE REPORT ON HUMAN RIGHTS PROBLEMS IN AFTERMATH OF ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJAN CONFLICT
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 4 2006
“During my visit to Azerbaijan, I intend to acquaint myself with
firsthand the plight in human rights caused by Armenian-Azerbaijan
conflict,” CE Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg told
APA Europe Bureau exclusively in his statement.
He said that he isn’t aware of missing people as a result of conflict
and so, he will leave Azerbaijan for Armenia in order to get large
information about the matter.
Saying he has been familiar with the report of, Leo Platvoeti, PACE
reporter on missing people, Mr. Hammarberg noted that he is sensitive
about any information concerning this problem.
He said that he will work on the problem personally’ “I want to make
a report on the problem at the end”.

ARMAVIA HEAD: A-320 WAS TO RETURN TO YEREVAN
Regnum, Russia
May 4 2006
Head of Armavia Airlines Mikhail Bagdasarov insists that the A-320
plane that was flying from Yerevan to Sochi, was in perfect state.
According to him, in April the airbus was subjected to a major overhaul
in Belgium and was filled in with 10 tons of fuel before the flight.
“The crew consisted of professionals. If the first command to come
back had been fulfilled, there were no problems,” Bagdasarov said.
“The plane and passengers were insured by an Armenian company, which,
in turn, reinsured risks in London. About $20,000 will be paid to
family of every victim. Of course, I understand, that this loss
cannot be made up for by money,” Bagdasarov is quoted as saying by
Radio Liberty.
The Armenian Grand Insurance Company, which insured passengers of the
A-320 flight, earlier denied reports on its intention to pay $20,000
worth compensations to the relatives. Head of Grand Artak Antonyan
announced that passengers and the crew of the A-320 airbus belonging
to Armavia and the passengers were reinsured by an insurance company in
London. The sum of compensation to the relatives will determined after
representatives of the London company visit Armenia and familiarize
themselves with all the details.

BULGARIAN NATIONAL UNITY PARTY URGES PARLIAMENT TO RECOGNIZE “ARMENIAN GENOCIDE”
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 4 2006
Bulgarian National Unity Party called on parliament to recognize bogus
“Armenian Genocide”.
APA Europe Bureau reports that this party has prepared a declaration
which urges the government to recognize Armenians’ counterfeited
ideas. Party chief Boyko Vatev claims that his country is one of the
modern countries not recognizing killing of Armenians by Turks.
In reality Armenians killed Turks and the genocide invented by
Armenians is therefore called “false Armenian Genocide”.