EU SENDS CONDOLENCES TO FAMILIES OF ARMENIAN PLANE CRASH VICTIMS
AP Worldstream
May 03, 2006
The European Union on Wednesday offered its condolences to families
of the victims of the Armenian jetliner crash in the Black Sea.
In a statement issued by Austria’s EU presidency, the bloc expressed
its “deepest sorrow” at the loss of life and offered its support to
the governments of Armenia and the Russian Federation.

ARMENIAN SPEAKER PLAYS DOWN CONTROVERSIAL NATO REMARKS
Aravot, Yerevan
3 May 06
Armenian parliament speaker Artur Bagdasaryan has said that his
remarks about the need to strengthen relations with NATO did not mean
that he was against ties with Moscow. However, he said that “I am for
friendly but not vassal relations with Russia”. Bagdasaryan also said
that a serious rift with its partners could force his Law-Governed
Country Party leave the ruling coalition. The following is the text
of Margarit Yesayan report by Armenian newspaper Aravot on 3 May
headlined “We shall not create obstacles for the president of the
country or our coalition partners”
An interview with the speaker of the parliament Artur Bagdasaryan. He
does not rule out that the Law-Governed Country Party [LGCP] may
leave the ruling coalition.
[Aravot correspondent] Mr Bagdasaryan, we understood from your speech
that you are ready to leave the coalition. When are you going to
declare that?
[Artur Bagdasaryan] It is evident that there must be serious
and insurmountable disagreements for us to decide to leave the
coalition. True, I have said that we shall not create obstacles for
the president of the country or for our partners and if there is an
inconsistency of ideas and the style of working, the LGCP will leave
the coalition.
[Correspondent] How may this inconsistency be expressed? Why did
an interview with a German newspaper give rise to so many different
interpretations?
[Bagdasaryan] You know, when in 2003 the LGCP was blamed for
populism it was a little bit clear: that was an election year and the
pre-election passions had yet to calm down. When they continued doing
the same in 2004, that was surprising, and in 2005 this is pointless
as they have had enough time to understand that neither my official
visits to other countries, nor my working visits to the regions of
Armenia, nor my setting up of councils under the parliament, nor
topical speeches of the LGCP members are populism, but an ordinary
parliamentary work.
Moreover, I said nothing new in an interview with any foreign or
local newspaper. I do not rule out that there may be different
interpretations. I said the following: “towards Europe preserving
friendly relations with Russia”, that was the gist. Russia itself
does not consider NATO its enemy. I said in St. Petersburg that it
is unacceptable to juxtapose Russia and the European Union, and that
Armenia will not become a member of NATO tomorrow. Finally, NATO has
military as well as political bodies and there are countries which
became members only of the political organization.
Incidentally, Russia itself wants to deepen relations with NATO and to
set up a special NATO-Russia council. I said nothing about membership,
I spoke about NATO-Armenia individual partnership programmes. As
the chairman of the National Assembly, I know that the issue of
joining NATO is not on the foreign policy agenda of Armenia. But
when a journalist asks about different topics, including this one,
do you think it is correct to reply: “ask the president”? As for
Armenian-Russian relations, I highly appreciate them, and I said in
the same interview that I am for their becoming more purposeful. And
if as a politician I see my country adopting the western system of
values, this does not at all mean that I am against friendly relations
between Armenia and Russia.
[Correspondent] According to our information, at a Armenian-Russian
interparliamentary session in Moscow Russian State Duma deputy
Konstantin Zatulin, criticized you for making speech on Kiev’s Maydan
[main venue of the Orange Revolution in Kiev in 2004]. Is that
really so?
[Bagdasaryan] I am not going to comment on what Zatulin said. I am
the parliament speaker of an independent country and I made a speech
after being invited by President Viktor Yushchenko. I greeted Ukrainian
people in connection with their state holiday. I am for friendly but
not vassal relations with Russia as Zatulin might imagine.
[Correspondent] Do you not think that everything started from your
speech on privatization when you voiced serious corruption allegations?
[Bagdasaryan] My speech was directed not at persons but at the
phenomenon. We should not forget that we have free speech which
is called democracy. The fact that, as a result of our consistent
fight, schools, kindergartens, colleges and science companies may
not be privatized any more is already an achievement. Since the first
day after we came to power we said that we shall work and fight for
democratic, social and economic reforms. And we were fair on this way,
we spoke openly and publicly.
Armenia should be a country of the future. We should not be afraid of
our future, we should fight for that and for the progressive values
which we have and for the ideas to which we are devoted.

UKRAINE IS INTERESTED IN IRAN-ARMENIA GAS PIPELINE
Lragir.am
04 May 06
Ukraine is still interested in the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline, said
Ukrainian Ambassador to Armenia Alexander Bojko to news reporters
May 4, at the National Press Club in Yerevan.
When still preliminary talks about the pipeline were going on,
Ukraine said it was likely to become involved in the project. The
ambassador says his country is taking steps in this direction. “It
is important for us to have different resources, and we are working
on this, we are working in Iran, negotiating,” says the ambassador
of Ukraine. But he says the issue that interests Ukraine required
billions, and it will not come true unless Europe is interested,
and the European banks fund the project.

A CLOUD HANGS OVER AIRBUS
>From Charles Bremner in Paris
The Times
May 04, 2006
RUSSIAN officials have identified severe weather as the likely
cause of the crash off Sochi, and an air traffic controller is
under investigation. But the accident may revive questions about
the high-tech design of the Airbus A320 and the crew’s ability to
handle it.
The short-to-medium haul A320 was the first all-electronic
“fly-by-wire” airliner. More than 2,700 have been produced since 1988,
and it has proved one of the world’s safest airliners. Before now,
11 fatal A320 accidents had killed 327. But four fatal crashes in
the first five years of the A320 prompted concern that its flight
management system (FMS) was too sophisticated.
On Tuesday a court in France began hearing criminal charges against
Airbus and transport officials over the crash of an Air Inter (now Air
France) A320 on the approach to Strasbourg in 1992, killing 87. The
crew was officially blamed for entering data into the FMS incorrectly
but relatives of victims are partly blaming its crew interface, which
was later modified by Airbus. In 1993 the A320 design was blamed for
the late deployment of the brakes on a Lufthansa A320 when it ran
off the runway in Warsaw, killing two.
Since the early 1990s, there has been no common thread to incidents
with A320s or the larger Airbus family.
In 2000 pilot error was blamed for a disaster involving a Gulf Air
A320 that killed 143 off Bahrain. That crash was in good night-time
visibility, but it otherwise resembled yesterday’s accident because
the crew were turning back over water after a missed approach. The
relatively inexperienced crew lost their bearings and flew into the
sea. Some aviation experts at the time questioned the role of the
automated system.

DELIVERY OF CORPSES OF A-320 CRASH VICTIMS TO YEREVAN TO START TONIGHT
PanARMENIAN.Net
04.05.2006 19:41 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Delivery of corpses of victims of the air crash in
Sochi to Yerevan will start tonight.
Relatives of the victims are at Yerevan airport since yesterday. These
are those, who could not fly to the catastrophe location, as only one
relative or friend were allowed to fly there. The air gates function,
in fact all regular flights are executed. Yerevan Administration
has arranged ambulance presence at Yerevan airport around the
clock. Preparation work is held for funerals, that will be covered
by the state.
Armenian Government today introduced the question of financial
assistance to families of the victims at its today’s meeting,
reports Itar-Tass.

LIST OF IDENTIFIED PASSENGERS AND CREW MEMBERS OF A-320 AIRPLANE MADE PUBLIC
PanARMENIAN.Net
04.05.2006 19:56 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The list of identified passengers and crew members of
A-320 airplane, which was wrecked new Sochi town, is made public. The
list is provided by the Operative Headquarters of Sochi. 13 Armenian
and 5 Russian citizens are identified.
Armenian citizens:
1. Harutyunyan Gyulnara
2. Nalbandyan Silva
3. Kostanyan Atom
4. Badalyan Lusine
5. Khachatryan Anahit
6. Hamayakyan Styopa
7. Khalatyan Amest
8. Antonyan Hayrapet
9. Avetisyan Meline
10. Zargaryan Zhora
11. Abelyan Anahit – stewardess
12. Hasratyan marine – stewardess
13. Gevorgyan Lusine – stewardess
Russian citizens:
14. Karapetyan Varsenik
15. Karapetyan Albert
16. Gevorgyan Ruben
17. Hakobyan Zara
18. Sevanyan Zemfira

SAFAROV SHOULD ACCOUNT FOR SECOND CRIME
PanARMENIAN.Net
04.05.2006 20:14 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Trial on claim, raised by jailers against Azerbaijani
Army Officer Ramil Safarov, who is accused of murder of Armenian
officer Gurgen Markaryan in Hungary, has commenced at Pest Central
Regional Court on May 3. Representatives of the Azerbaijani Embassy in
Hungary and Azeri students in Hungary gave testimony on in the trial
presided by Judge Tot Dyendver. Ramil Safarov’s lawyer is Hungarian
Klara Fiser.

IF FOUND, FLIGHT RECORDERS WILL BE DELIVERED TO RUSSIA
PanARMENIAN.Net
04.05.2006 20:33 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ According to Press Secretary of the General
Department of Civil Aviation of Armenia Gayane Davtyan, in case
airborne recorders of wrecked A-320 liner are found, they will be
delivered to the Russian party. Davtyan said she is sure it is an
evident action, as just the Russian party is investigating the causes
of the crash. Flight recorders of A-320 are not found yet. Russian
specialists search for them, however they consider chances to the
find flight recorders as minimal.

TURKISH SPEAKER VIEWS REFORMS, ARMENIAN ISSUE AT TURKEY-EU MEETING
Anatolia news agency
3 May 06
Ankara, 3 May: “Turkey is ready to cooperate to reveal the 1915
incidents. We want historians to objectively research this tragedy
which Anatolian people lived together (during World War I) without
prejudice,” said Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc.
Inaugurating the 56th meeting of Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary
Commission (JPC) at Turkish parliament on Wednesday [3 May], Arinc
said: “A new period has started with 3 October 2005, the date Turkey-EU
accession talks started. With its decision (to open talks), the EU
gave a positive message to the whole world that Europe is based on
common values and norms. Turkey-EU JPC had great contributions to
current level on Turkey-EU relations.”
“Turkey has been in an impressive transformation process in recent
years. We have extended the individual rights and freedoms of
our citizens. Reforms in economy area have brought stability and
prosperity. Turkey is now among the most attractive countries for
foreign investors,” he noted.
Arinc said: “Turkish parliament is determined to pursue this reform
process. We will exert efforts to complete new legal arrangements
within the scope of 9th Adjustment Package before summer.”
Regarding globalization, Arinc said: “Globalization has brought various
tests to the EU. Terrorism, human trafficking and organized crimes are
threatening us all. Such global problems can only be solved through
cooperation and solidarity.”
“We should reconstruct our economies in order to deal with
international competition on one hand, and make fundamental rights
and freedoms prevalent on the other. This is the deal target of the
EU’s enlargement process. The EU has strengthened its influence in
the surrounding geography, and protected its peace, security and
prosperity as a result of the enlargement process,” he said.
Stressing that the EU would have to make a comprehensive definition of
itself, Arinc said: “This definition will include a transformation from
a social and economic organization into a global force. We consider
the EU membership a strategic target. It will be a part of a great
reform movement bringing forth universal standards and practice in
every aspect of daily life in Turkey.”
Referring to the so-called Armenian genocide, Arinc said: “Turkey
has been accused of committing genocide against Armenians during the
World War I for a long time. Historians could not come to a conclusion
yet. While Armenian circles describe these saddening events of 1915 as
‘genocide’, a number of distinguished Turkish and foreign historian
say that the Ottoman Empire decided in 1915 to relocate Armenian
people due to security reasons, and that it could not be described as
‘genocide’. Countless documents in our archives also proved it. Turkey
is ready to cooperate with the relevant sides to enlighten the 1915
events which Anatolian people had to suffer altogether during the
World War I. We want historians to carry out an unbiased research
without any prejudice on this tragedy. Last year, we proposed that
Turkish and Armenian historians should come together to carry out
a detailed, unbiased research both in Turkish and Armenian archives
and share all their findings with the world public opinion.”
“However, some friendly countries, especially France, which says
disputed events in its own past should be left to historians for
evaluation, but cannot endure even the debates on 1915 events,
contradict themselves. Their efforts to make legal arrangements which
accept even questioning the baseless Armenian claims as a crime are
nothing, but serious mistakes that will seriously disappoint Turkey.”
“We expect all our friendly countries to support our historical
proposal instead of making parliamentary decisions for domestic
reasons on these claims as if they are indisputable historical facts,”
Arinc added.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

UKRAINIAN AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA CONDOLED ON A-320 CRASH
PanARMENIAN.Net
04.05.2006 21:46 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “I join condolences presented by Ukrainian President
Victor Yuschenko to the Armenian people over the tragedy over the
Black Sea,” Ukrainian Ambassador to Armenia Alexander Bozhko said. In
his words, a20-year-old Ukrainian citizen was on board the liner.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress